Oct 14, 2024

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Ike

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Lilly Ledbetter, an employee at the Gadsden Goodyear plant who became a symbol for fair pay for women, has passed away from respiratory failure, reports AL.com's William Thornton.

After working nearly 20 years at the plant, Ledbetter filed a lawsuit against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. upon finding out that she earned less than her male colleagues. She initially was awarded $3.3 million by a jury, but that was overturned on an appeal that was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007.

That in turn led to federal legislation and the first bill President Obama signed into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, in 2009. A feature film about her story premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival this month.

Lilly Ledbetter was 86 years old.

Gov. Kay Ivey issued an executive order in January 2023 to require all state agencies to move their operating funds into the state treasury, where they would receive comptroller oversight and be subject to public searches.

Around 20 months later, several agencies continue to hold public money in private accounts, reports AL.com's Mike Cason.

Three of the agencies that haven't moved their funds over, the Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Dental Examiners and Board of Pharmacy, received exemptions that were supposed to end Oct. 1.

Some are citing state law they say overrules the governor's order.

Board of Medical Examiners spokesperson Carla Kruger: “The Legislature uses mandatory language in at least eight separate statutes to state that the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners is authorized to retain its own funds.”

State law uses similar language for the Boards of Dental Examiners and Pharmacy.

The state lawmakers who chair the General Fund committees for the Senate and House of Representatives were supportive of Ivey's order and did not rule out legislative action on the issue.

The Comet C/2023 A3 is now visible in the Alabama sky and should be through Oct. 24, reports AL.com's William Thornton.

You can call the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.

After sunset you might be able to see it in the western sky. Chasing the sunset, if you will. It's possible you can see if with the naked eye, but binoculars or a telescope wouldn't hurt.

The comet is part of a theoretical cloud that surrounds our solar system and orbits the sun so that its icy bodies take a really long time to come through our little corner of space. Scientists estimate it's been 80,660 years since Tsuchinshan-ATLAS appeared in our sky and that it will return in another 80,660 years ... perhaps around the time Alabama passes a state lottery.

Gov. Kay Ivey joined 24 other governors this week criticizing the Biden Administration over the handling of:

The Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela Parole (migrant) Program (CORRECT) 66.8%

Hurricane Helene damage 28.1%

Ukraine-Russian diplomacy 4.7%

A beach umbrella 0.4%

The state announced that it was taking reservations from Hurricane Milton evacuees to stay where?

At state parks (CORRECT) 95.3%

On the former Birmingham-Southern campus 3.8%

At the state capitol building 0.4%

In shantyboats on Lake Eufala 0.4%

This musician will accept the elite BMI Icon award next month from Broadcast Music Inc.

Randy Owen (CORRECT) 75.7%

Jason Isbell 17.9%

Sam Hunt 3.4%

Jamey Johnson 3.0%

Which of these items were NOT left behind for the Talladega Superspeedway cleanup crew after last weekend's YellaWood 500?

Moonshine still (CORRECT) 81.7%

Deer mount 10.2%

TVs 4.7%

Couches 3.4%

Jay Sebring was born in Birmingham and became a hairstylist to some of the most famous men in Hollywood. He died in this infamous event:

The Manson Family murders (CORRECT) 69.8%

Hurricane Camille 19.6%

Jonestown 8.9%

The Gunfight at the OK Corral 1.7%

12

That's how many years an Auburn man was sentenced to serve in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession to distribute fentanyl in a case resulting from the death of a teenager

A federal judge has sentenced an Auburn man to 144 months in prison, following the 2021 overdose death of a teenager who had ingested a pill he didn’t know contained fentanyl.

In 1926, Rock 'n' roll pioneer, musician and composer Bill Justis of Birmingham

In 1938, country singer Melba Montgomery, who was born across the state line in Tennessee but raised in Florence. She was George Jones' duet partner before Tammy.

We have an excerpt from the Alabama Congressional District 2 debate between Caroleene Dobson and Shomari Figures.

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