72-year-old Woman Gets a Second Chance at Life after Prison Release
Los Angeles Sentinel – Nov. 7
In March 2018, the Los Angeles Sentinel covered the story of 72-year-old Geneva Cooley, who was serving life without parole at Julia Tutwiler Prison in Wetumpka, Alabama for trafficking heroin hydromorphone and failure to affix tax stamps. While serving her sentence, Cooley met founder and president of A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project, Susan Burton, who promised to fight her release. Later, Burton contacted assistant professor of clinical legal instruction and director of the Domestic Violence Law Clinic at the University of Alabama School of Law, Courtney Cross. Together Cross alongside supervising attorney of the Elder Law Clinic at University of Alabama School of Law, Terrika Shaw; and criminal defense attorney Joel Sogol were able to get Cooley resentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
UA’s Blackburn Institute tours Bullock County
Union Springs Herald – Nov. 7
On Wednesday, October 30, 2019, Bullock County hosted students and leaders from the University of Alabama’s Blackburn Institute. The Blackburn Institute is a leadership development and civic engagement program specifically focused on improving the State of Alabama. Their afternoon began at Bonnie Plants with an agricultural production tour with Stan Cope, Sidney Phelps and Freeman Agnew. After Bonnie, the bus group toured downtown Union Springs with Tourism Director Midge Putnam. Joining Putnam at the Red Door Theatre for a panel question and answer concerning historical facts about Bullock County and the impacts of the arts in the community were Union Springs Mayor Saint T. Thomas, Jr., City Attorney Elizabeth Smithart and Attorney Lynn Jinks.
Incentives granted, groundbreaking set for German company’s Alberta headquarters
The Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 7
In time for Friday’s groundbreaking for the international headquarters of a German engineering and consulting firm, the Tuscaloosa City Council has approved up to $250,000 in economic incentives to foster the company’s development. The incentives for SWJ Technology, in the form of fee waivers and tax rebates, expire after 10 years or the monetary total is reached — whichever comes first — and follow a land purchase that the city made to facilitate the deal. SWJ Technology’s new North American headquarters is planned for a nearly 3-acre site in Alberta near the Alberta School of Performing Arts and the Gateway digital library. “This is probably the biggest day in the history of the Alberta community — no question,” Tyner said. “We’ll be able to retain some of the best and brightest engineering students from the University of Alabama, and to think we’re going to be home to an international corporation that does business around the world is just thrilling.
Comedy-drama, comic opera share rich backstories
The Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 7
To stage left, a contemporary comedy-drama written; stage right, one of the most famed comic operas by a beloved 19th century duo. There’s not much in common between Theatre Tuscaloosa’s production of “Love, Loss and What I Wore” and the University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” except human bodies moving about, doing things, on stage, as crafted by famous writing duos.
Trump confirms he will attend Alabama-LSU game
CBS 42 – Nov. 6
The big story tonight, there’s confirmation from President Trump at a rally in Monroe, Louisiana that he will be in Tuscaloosa for the Alabama-LSU game.
WVUA
Fox (New Orleans)
Crimson White – Nov. 6
AL.com
U.S. Senator Doug Jones announces he will tailgate before the Alabama-LSU game
WVUA – Nov. 6
Democrats have their own plans to make an appearance at Saturday’s match-up. Not to be outdone by President Trump’s visit, Senator Doug Jones who is up for reelection next year will be a special guest at the Tuscaloosa Democratic Party’s tailgate on the Quad.
Al.com
University of Alabama will study opioid addiction treatment with millions in grant money
Fox 6 – Nov. 6
Researchers from the University of Alabama want to help people better recover from the opioid crisis. The school announced this week they’re receiving money for studies that could do just that. “And we will be training 12 psychology graduate students to do brief screening intervention and group individual treatment,” Dr. Rebecca Allen explained. She described one of two studies the university will conduct over the next few years to find more efficient ways to treat opioid addiction. Allen and Dr. Mercy Mumba were awarded more than $3.8 million in grant money to fight opioid disorder.
WVUA
NBC 13
HARVARD POLITICAL SCIENTIST SAYS STATE ELECTIONS SHOW TRUMP IS DIGGING A ‘DEEP, DEEP HOLE FOR GOP’
Newsweek – Nov. 6
As Democrats celebrated their victories from Tuesday’s elections, Harvard professor and political scientist Ryan Enos credited people rejecting President Donald Trump for the Democrats’ wins in Kentucky and Virginia. University of Alabama law professor Joyce Alene acknowledged that you shouldn’t “read too much into the tea leaves” with a year to go until Election Day. However, she wrote on Twitter it likely wasn’t a good sign that even after Trump appealed to his base in Kentucky on Monday night he still couldn’t “pull out a win for his guy.”
OK, Fine. Let’s Talk About “Harriet.”
BuzzFeed News – Nov. 6
It is not unusual for dramatic license to be taken when a writer or director is creating a narrative based on actual events. However, with Harriet, the recently released biopic of the iconic historical figure Harriet Tubman starring Broadway star Cynthia Erivo and directed by Kasi Lemmons, such creative license has come under scrutiny. Though Lemmons has been criticized for including a black “slave catcher” within Tubman’s tale, her choice isn’t an ahistorical one. According to Joshua Rothman, a history professor at the University of Alabama, there were indeed black slave catchers, he recently told Slate.