MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – You don’t find too many camps where you learn how to slap someone. But this summer, you will in Montgomery. It’s one of many kids camps put on by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

“We have our Camp Shakespeare Junior which is our half day for the littles, kindergarten through 3rd grade,” said Cameron Williams, the ASF director of education. “We have Big Kid Shakespeare camp and everyone is learning all about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”

They learn about on stage combat, different acting techniques, and also how to be creative and think on their feet.

“I think theater skills are life skills. So, what makes this camp special is we’re doing more than just boosting literacy and doing theater things. We’re doing life skills, learning what it means to be team players, about discipline, and working with people who may have different personalities than you.”

Different kids have different talents. And even if your child isn’t up for a lead role in the next play, this place can leave a lasting impact.

“If you’re looking for a place where your kid can come out of their shell, to learn how to speak in front of a group, and develop some confidence, this is the place to be.”

It’s a place that’s a real treasure in Montgomery, and its mining some young gems, who one day, could be on the big stage themselves. There are still more ASF camps going on this summer for pre-teens and even adults.

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Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.

Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.

According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.

The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.

The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.

Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.

The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.

MOBILE, Ala.—Jim Zeigler didn’t have much time to celebrate.

The morning after his Republican primary victory on Tuesday and a gathering of supporters at Wintzell’s Oyster House, the 78-year-old hit the road early to drive the nearly four hours to his hometown of Sylacauga, southwest of Birmingham, to attend a funeral. 

But even this early, Zeigler already had his mind on November. 

“It’s going to be a tough, tough race,” Zeigler said. 

He may be right. 

Like Republicans across the South, Zeigler pointed to recent public service commission elections in Georgia—two Republican to Democratic flips—as a seeming electoral mandate from voters: Lower energy bills and curb data centers, or face citizens’ wrath at the ballot box. 

But, Zeigler said, he believes Democrats’ success in Georgia also came because of an influx of campaign cash from out-of-state donors—a challenge he said he anticipates Alabama Republicans in utility regulation races will face in November as well. 

“It’s not only a possibility that kind of campaign will be attempted in Alabama,” Zeigler said. “It sneaked up on the Republicans of Georgia. It won’t sneak up on me.”

The election of a Democrat to one of Alabama’s at-large PSC seats would be a major electoral shakeup. The last Democrat to serve on the body was elected in 2008. 

Zeigler said his aim in the campaign—both in the primary and general—is to channel voters’ frustrations about data centers and solar farms.

It was those issues, according to Zeigler, that put him past the finish line in the race against his Republican opponent, Chris Beeker, an incumbent with a 5 to 1 campaign finance advantage. 

Beeker, who was appointed to serve the remainder of his father’s term, ran a much less vocal campaign, a stark contrast to Zeigler’s. 

During his campaign, Zeigler has promised he will serve as an “AI watchman in Alabama,” shielding residents from the economic and environmental burdens of the data centers that power AI technology. 

He said he will soon begin rolling out a detailed plan about how he’ll conduct that oversight. One of the first things that should be made public, Zeigler said, is a list of all data centers in Alabama currently operating, proposed or under construction. 

“Right now there is no such a list available to the public,” Zeigler said.

Both Alabama Power and the Alabama Public Service Commission have declined requests by Inside Climate News for such a list. 

Still, despite Zeigler’s pledges, the ability of he or any other public service commissioner to regulate industry effectively will soon be more limited than ever before. Earlier this year, the Alabama Legislature passed a law expanding the commission from three to seven seats and consolidating regulatory power in a newly-created secretary of energy. 

Experts said the legislation stood to benefit Alabama Power, the state’s largest utility, by making the initiation of rate cases scrutinizing energy prices more difficult. 

Zeigler seemed reticent to criticize the new law on Wednesday.

“The fact is it’s law,” he said. “It’s something that I’m just going to have to live with. Move on.”

This won’t be Zeigler’s first time serving on the body. A perennial candidate, he served on the Public Service Commission for a single term from 1975 to 1979. Half a century later, after running for various offices and serving as Alabama’s state auditor from 2015 to 2023, Zeigler said he recognizes that if he wins in November, he’ll be serving in a state much different than it was all that time ago. In 1979, Zeigler said, no one had heard of a data center, much less had one proposed to be built in their back yard. Times have changed. Now, Zeigler himself is figuring out how to deal with ever-evolving technology. 

Zeigler said while his campaign hasn’t generated AI images for publication, it may have shared some created by supporters. Both Zeigler’s website and social media pages feature AI-generated images, one portraying Zeigler in a heroic stance, “THE WATCHMAN” emblazoned across the bottom. 

In it, Zeigler holds a bottle labeled “sunlight, integrity, common sense and sweet tea.” Zeigler, in a houndstooth blazer, a cape and a “people over profits” belt buckle, appears above a monster truck painted in the University of Alabama’s crimson and white. “Zeigler,” the side of the truck says. “Watching out for Alabama!”

Ultimately, Zeigler said it doesn’t matter if his campaign or supporters use AI-generated images in his run for office. 

“I guess eventually I’m going to have to learn how to use AI,” he said. “But the idea that you can’t be a watchman over data centers and try to oversee them if you use any AI yourself is a juvenile analysis.”

Zeigler will face Democrat Sheila McNeil in the November election.