The average price of beef hit 5.28 a pound earlier this year, the highest it's been since 1987. Director of Consumer Marketing for the Alabama Cattlemen's Association Erin Beasley says cattle producers have been trying to rebound from the drought two years ago. Beasley said the much needed rainfall of last year is already benefiting cattle farmers, but it will take a while for herds to grow and prices to stabilize. In the meantime, Beasley recommends that consumers buy in bulk when they find sales on beef products.
GM Lawsuits
The lawsuits filed by an Alabama law firm against General Motors keep mounting. The Beasley Allen firm in Montgomery filed a suit Tuesday in Clark County, Indiana, on behalf of Josh Cull of Milton, Kentucky, and Samantha Zollman of Madison, Indiana. Firm founder Jere Beasley says the ignition in the 2006 Chervolet Cobalt that Cull was driving on Oct. 31st moved from the run position to the off position. That disabled the power steering and air bags, and the car crashed. Cull lost an eye and Zollman had multiple facial reconstruction surgeries. Beasley says he expects to file about a dozen more suits soon. A spokesman for GM says the company isn't commenting on specific litigation.
Alabama Dams
A group is urging Alabama to create a state dam safety program. Mark Ogden of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials said Alabama is the only state without a dam safety program. Ogden added most dams in Alabama are not regulated. Indian Springs Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin is sponsoring House Bill 610, the bill would require state approval of any new dams, alterations of any existing dams and mandatory emergency action plans for high hazard dams.
Selma Store Closing
JC Penney will soon leave Selma, marking the end of a 38-year presence in the community. Selma Mayor George Evans said city officials tried to convince the company to keep the store open, but now believes it will close early next month. The company announced it planned to close 33 "under-performing stores" nationwide. The Selma Mall location was the only JC Penney location in Alabama among the list of 33 targeted stores. Mayor Evans said the mall owner is working to attract a new occupant for the JC Penney space which is one of the mall's anchor locations.