Alabama
Birmingham and Alabama’s economic outlook rests in hands of Public Service Commission: op-ed
This is a guest opinion column
We’re done with the days of Alabama being overlooked in discussions of national economic vitality.
It’s taken decades of regional cooperation, ingenuity and soft diplomacy, but a new era has emerged across the state as more and more industries are planting their flag in Alabama’s rich red soil.
We’re all aware of the stereotypes about our state. There’s nothing we haven’t heard. But now Alabama has carved out a role on the national stage when it comes to job growth, people relocating here, and major economic development projects.
One of the most crucial facets of this growth falls under the purview of the Alabama Public Service Commission, a lean, quasi-executive body with quiet authority. Its three elected commissioners are tasked with the monthly tightrope act of striking the right balance of financial viability for massive utilities and the affordability for everyday citizens. It’s a tough job.
I’d like to publicly commend Governor Kay Ivey’s recent appointment of Cynthia Lee Almond to serve as president of the APSC following the departure of Twinkle Cavanaugh, who took a role in the Trump Administration overseeing Rural Development in Alabama for the USDA.
I believe this is the most important appointment that our current governor has made during her time in Montgomery. Having competent and experienced leadership serving in these positions is the only way we can continue to move the needle in the right direction when it comes to recruiting industries and job growth. The monthly decisions made by the APSC ultimately shape the very future of Alabama’s economic and domestic landscape whether people are aware of that or not.
Commissioner Almond has a respectable track record as both a member of the Alabama House of Representatives and as a practicing attorney. It’s critical for Alabama’s continued success that the APSC be comprised of public servants who are focused on protecting the interests of our residents while also helping to secure major development projects – not individuals focused on ideological culture wars, or without a background in finance or economic development.
For heavy industries, energy costs can be a top-tier expenditure, sometimes second only to labor. A small difference in kilowatt-hour rates can translate to millions of dollars in savings or additional costs annually.
Data centers, which are popping up all over the country in recent years, are massive energy consumers. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that data centers consumed roughly 4.4 percent of the total U.S. electricity in 2023, and this number is projected to grow. With the proliferation of AI, some estimates have that number being as high as 12 percent by 2030. For these facilities, access to cheap and reliable power is non-negotiable when looking for new locations.
In Birmingham, we’ve positioned ourselves as a technology and research hub in the Southeast, both of which require massive amounts of power to operate. Same goes for our hospital systems, which are globally recognized and provide more jobs than any other employer in the state.
The information industry has also showed impressive growth here, with its GDP having grown 180 percent in the last decade. In 2024, economic development efforts secured $7 billion in new capital investment across 224 projects, generating more than 8,500 new career opportunities for Alabamians. All of this growth is inextricably tied to the decisions made by the APSC leadership.
And while this body is often operating outside the political spotlight, the APSC wields a huge amount of influence over the fundamental services that underpin modern life — electricity, natural gas, and water. These are not just commodities. They are the lifelines for every single resident and business in Alabama.
Without quality leadership and buy-in from every member of the APSC, the promise of Alabama’s future—its burgeoning industries, its thriving communities, and the well-being of our families—will continue to lag behind other states. Without mincing words, we cannot afford to build on a foundation that’s too weak to bear the weight of our lofty ambitions for Alabama’s future as a leader in economic development and quality of life for our residents.
Hunter Williams represents District 2 on the Birmingham City Council.
Alabama
Top-30 overall recruit Jaxon Richardson commits to Alabama
Jaxon Richardson, the No. 27 overall recruit in the 2026 class per the Rivals Industry Ranking, has committed to Alabama.
The 6-foot-6 four-star small forward out of Southeastern Prep (FL) ultimately chose the Crimson Tide over USC, Creighton, and Ole Miss. He also received offers from Miami, Cincinnati, Michigan, Florida, Villanova, and others.
Richardson, a McDonald’s All-American, becomes the Crimson Tide’s third commitment of the 2026 cycle. He joins four-star shooting guard Qayden Samuels (No. 28 NATL) and four-star small forward Tarris Bouie (No. 54 NATL).
He’s the son of NBA veteran and two-time NBA Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson. His older brother, Jase, played for Michigan State last season before being selected 25th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.
More on Richardson
Rivals’ National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw says Richardson is one of the most explosive players in the 2026 class:
Jaxon Richardson is able to combine fluid athleticism with explosive burst in a way no other player in this class can. He uses his athleticism to his advantage on the floor. He fills the outside channels with a purpose in transition, he is aggressive in the passing lanes, and he plays as a vertical floor spacer in the dunker spots and lob plays. Last summer, playing with the Florida Rebels on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 12.8 points on 54.0 percent shooting and 10.5 attempts per game. Last high school season, he averaged 12.9 points on 61.0 percent shooting on 8.9 attempts per game. He is a highly efficient player, as 84.4 percent of his makes last high school season were at the rim.
Alabama
Alabama Baseball Ties Stolen Base Record In Win Over Hornets
Alabama baseball cruised to a win over Alabama State on Wednesday night, beating the Hornets 13-4 to complete the season sweep. The Crimson Tide tied a program record with nine stolen bases in one of the stranger contests that will be played this season.
The tone was set for a tumultuous night on the basepaths in the opening minutes of the game. Leadoff batter Bryce Fowler, who exited Tuesday’s game after getting beaned in the head, was walked, and promptly took second base. He advanced to third on a wild pitch in Justin Lebron’s at-bat, paving the way for Lebron to steal second when he was ultimately walked as well.
The successful baserunning instantly paid off, as Brady Neal drove both in with a double to left-center field before John Lemm walked two at-bats later. Both runners stole their respective bases on the same pitch in Jason Torres’ plate appearance, meaning that four of the first five batters of the game stole a base.
Alabama has been exceptional on the basepaths, sitting at 30-for-30 on the season. Lebron, who swiped two bags on Wednesday, leads the team with 12. The junior had an up-and-down night, hitting his eighth home run of the season, but also committing an error at shortstop for the fourth consecutive game.
“Get those things out of there now, baby. The dude is unbelievable,” an unconcerned Rob Vaughn said on Tuesday of Lebron’s errors. “We’re going to look up at the end of the year, and that guy is going to have five or six errors, which one he’s got right now, and we’ll be like, ‘Man, that guy is the best of all time to do it.’”
Wednesday’s game was a very prototypical midweek contest with no shortage of quirks and oddities throughout its nearly four-hour runtime. Fifteen Alabama batters were walked, falling just one shy of the program record, and the hit by pitch record was tied as seven batters were plunked.
The game was never competitive from an on-field standpoint. After barely escaping with a 2-1 win in the first matchup with the Hornets two weeks ago, this was a far more accurate representation of what these games typically look like, as Alabama now leads the all-time series 15-0.
Freshman Joe Chiarodo made his first career start, allowing two hits and one walk over two scoreless innings. He was named the winning pitcher. Luke Smyers, Connor Lehman, Anthony Pesci and Tate Robertson were the other pitchers to take the mound. Lehman allowed a three-run blast in the sixth inning, and those were the only runs until the incredibly-named Skywalker Mann drove in a run off Robertson in the ninth.
Perhaps the most shocking figure from the game was that Alabama had 19 runners left on base. The Crimson Tide left the bases loaded in four different innings. As stated, this was just a bizarre baseball game across the board. With the midweeks out of the way, the Crimson Tide gets to prepare for its final weekend tune-up before SEC play as North Florida heads into Tuscaloosa on Friday.
Alabama
New Alabama law to set screen time limits for kids in day care, pre-K and kindergarten
The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act was signed on Wednesday, March 4, by Governor Kay Ivey to introduce limits on children’s screen time access in Alabama.
The Act is one of Ivey’s 2026 legislative priorities.
“Video screen access in classrooms can boost learning skills among our young children, but too much screen exposure can also be detrimental, harming critical social and cognitive development,” Ivey said. “The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act ensures our youngest students are provided a healthy balance of screen time and traditional learning in order to protect social and emotional development.”
Under the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education will be required to work with the Department of Human Resources and the State Department of Education to develop guidelines for screen-based media.
Guidelines will be implemented in early childhood education programs like day care centers, day care homes, night care facilities, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and group day care homes. The Act was sponsored by Representative Jeana Ross and Senator Donnie Chesteen.
“House Bill 78 establishes clear, research-based expectations for how technology is used in early childhood settings,” said Ross. “The goal is not to eliminate technology, but to ensure its use is developmentally appropriate and never replaces the hands-on learning and human interaction young children need most. By setting thoughtful guardrails and aligning classroom practices with the best available research on early brain development, this legislation supports educators, protects the quality of early learning and reinforces our commitment to giving Alabama’s youngest students the strongest possible start.”
A training program will also be created by the Department of Early Childhood Education to create a baseline for the appropriate use of child screentime for teachers and staff members supervising children.
“The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act represents another important step in ensuring Alabama’s youngest children grow and learn in environments that prioritize human interaction, exploration and healthy development,” said Chesteen. “Building on the progress made with last year’s FOCUS Act, this legislation continues our commitment to protecting the most formative years of childhood. I am grateful to Governor Kay Ivey and my colleagues in the Legislature for recognizing the importance of this issue and working together to support Alabama families.”
The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act will become effective on January 1, 2027.
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