Big Lots - Say It Ain't So!

 

First the store in Florence Plaza was W.T. Grant (remember the popcorn machine?), then Woolco, and (almost) finally Big Lots. Yes, it was Big Lots for decades until the store moved to the parkway. Things were booming...or so everyone thought.

Then yesterday, everyone's favorite discount store announced the closing of its 963 remaining stores. Life goes on, but differently.

While many are totally opposed to shopping from the comfort of their La-Z-Boy, we love it. Pay that yearly Amazon Prime and Walmart+ fee and shake off the chains of the combustion engine and lipstick. 

Sure, we'll miss just knowing that Big Lots was out there, but we've survived J.C. Penney, K-Mart, and Sears disappearing, we'll live through this. Plus we have about $500.00 worth of fancy cosmetic/bath product bottles in our bathroom that will forever remind us of the glory that was Big Lots.

*****

If you're wondering what retail icon could go next, the rumor mill has recently been in overdrive about closure of the remaining Game Stops. 

Special: Billy Jackson Named New Sheffield Judge

 

Florence attorney and former Lauderdale County circuit judge William K. (Billy) Jackson has been named the new Sheffield Municipal Court judge. Jackson will take office on January 1st.

The Florence resident was confirmed by the Sheffield City Council, with one dissenting vote. Councilwoman Randa Hovater stated she favored someone who lived and paid taxes in Sheffield. The current City judge is also a resident of Florence.

About Those Most Wanted...

 

Photo from The Onion

Over the years, we've received several communications from readers who believe they've spotted someone wanted in the Shoals. We've always advised them to contact the appropriate law enforcement office. A few months ago, we decided to publish wanted posters from local and national agencies in hopes that at least a few walkabout felons could be apprehended. 

Some readers informed us that one or two of these individuals were now deceased, but the oddest comment has come from a long-time reader who is often critical of our blog. She has asserted several times that we have omitted White felons, while posting Latinos almost exclusively. Have we?

Unless we knew a wanted individual was deceased or had been apprehended, we omitted no one. Are there more Latinos on the Most Wanted Lists? Yes in some cases; however, since we have nothing to do with composing these censuses, we can't comprehend how we are in anyway to blame.

Here's a rundown of the ethnic/racial makeup of the lists we published:

Colbert County: 

White - 3

Black - 6

Latin - 0

Franklin County:

White - 3

Black - 0

Latin - 2

Marion County:

White - 10

Black - 2

Latin - 0

Tishomingo County:

White - 0

Black - 0

Latin - 2

City of Russellville (only those with photos):

White - 8

Black - 0

Latin - 3

State of Alabama:

White - 3

Black - 0

Latin - 3

State of Mississippi:

White - 1

Black - 2

Latin - 0

State of Tennessee:

White - 2

Black - 3

Latin - 4

Asian - 1

FBI:

White - 2

Black - 1

Latin - 6

Indian - 1

US Marshals:

White - 5

Black - 6

Latin - 2

The State of Tennessee and the FBI both have an inordinate number of Latins considering the population makeup. Why? We can only speculate, but it's easier for a Latino to return to south of the border than it is for a citizen to disappear completely. Thus, Latins are not captured in large numbers and remain on the list.

*****

We've begun publishing posters of missing Alabama children, and those are numerous. Who knows...keep your eyes open and you might reunite a family.

David Howard "Cackled"

Sadly, we never hear anything good about elected boards of education. Complaints against the Lauderdale body are both numerous and frequent. We also hear much more infrequent worries about the Florence City Board. This week we've been made aware of the board president's odd behavior concerning complaints from Harlan Elementary teachers. He "cackled." 

Attorney David Howard is the president of the Florence BOE. Surely a lawyer is able to keep a straight face. Does he just not care?

We've previously mentioned area council and commission members who never acknowledge e-mails or phone calls. Our take has always been that they could at least pretend to be interested in the problems of the citizens. Similarly, if the Florence BOE president can't at least pretend to be an advocate for the system's teachers, maybe it's time for him to retire.

An Unexpected Critique on Spring Park/Tatum Design Strikes Again

 

The City of Tuscumbia has financial problems, yet is the town spending its available tax revenue wisely? It certainly isn't spending it on Spring Park. A member of the Robbins family recently posted this on Facebook:

*****

A company called Belterra Partners is seeking rezoning to build a retail facility near Walmart on Cloverdale Road. In looking at information on the business partially based in Birmingham, we found their web profile and logo.

Ah, yes, their logo! If you think it's lacking, consider this: It was created by Tatum Design, that infamous company which gave us F!rence...

Teach Larry Stutts to Count...or Read...or Something

 

Republicans in the state legislature have published their agenda for the February session. There's good, and there's dog whistles. Illegal immigration is one hot topic, but according to Sen. Larry Stutts it's much worse than anyone thought.

Per 1819 News' account of the recent Shoals Republican meeting:

Stutts concluded the discussion and saw the solution to the illegal issue as "getting control of the borders." Stutts alleged that many of the millions here in the state of Alabama are not necessarily looking for a better life and have no desire to learn Alabama's values or assimilate.

Millions of illegals? That was news to us. What do actual statistics say? Here's a few numbers to put the illegal immigration problem into perspective:

* Alabama has 183,500 immigrant residents, which is 3.6% of the state's total population.

* Alabama has an estimated 55,400 undocumented immigrants, which is 34% of the state's immigrant population. A second source gives the number at 62,000.

The last time we checked, 55.4K (or 62K) people are no where close to two million. Why are Alabamians so ill-informed? Perhaps because its leaders are...

EVs in the New Parking Garage?

 

The old and new Florence parking decks have produced endless discussions. We've only now learned of an important argument that has been taking place, one that may be already settled. The question: Is the current City policy the correct one?

Electric vehicles are not allowed in some decks. Why?

Electric vehicles (EVs) can potentially set parking decks on fire due to the risk of their lithium-ion batteries experiencing "thermal runaway" in certain situations, which can lead to intense heat generation, rapid fire spread, and difficult-to-extinguish fires, especially in confined spaces like parking garages; this is a growing concern as more EVs are on the road, and proper fire safety measures are crucial in parking structures to mitigate this risk.

Key points about EV fires in parking decks:
Thermal runaway:
The primary danger is the potential for a battery to overheat and enter a "thermal runaway" state, where it rapidly releases large amounts of heat, causing a fire that can spread quickly to nearby vehicles.

Toxic smoke:
EV battery fires produce highly toxic smoke due to the chemicals involved, posing a significant health hazard.

Difficult to extinguish:
Traditional firefighting methods may not be effective against an EV battery fire, requiring large volumes of water and specialized techniques to cool the battery down.

Confinement issues:
Parking garages are often tightly packed with vehicles, which can accelerate fire spread if an EV catches fire.

Charging station risks:
Faulty charging stations or improper charging practices can also increase the risk of an EV fire in a parking structure.

Yet the powers that be in Florence are currently allowing EVs in the new deck without specialized means to avoid/mitigate these fires. Perhaps it's simply a case of Andy being Andy...