Longtime Alabama Republican Congressman Spencer Bachus says he will not seek re-election after his current term. The 6th District congressman made the announcement Monday in Birmingham. Bachus won an 11th term in Congress last November.
HIV Positive Inmates
A federal judge in Montgomery has approved a settlement to end the segregation of HIV-positive inmates in Alabama prisons. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson issued an opinion Monday saying the agreement isn't perfect but can take effect. Female inmates already are living with other prisoners at Tutwiler women's prison in Wetumpka. Male inmates will be integrated into the general prison population next year. The judge also approved $1.3 million dollars in legal fees and expenses that will have to be paid by the state.
Lowery Memorial
A memorial service will be held Wednesday to remember Evelyn Lowery, the wife of the Reverend Joseph Lowery. A family spokesman said that the service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Martin Luther King Jr., International Chapel at Morehouse College. Evelyn Lowery died after suffering a stroke. She founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference/Women to focus on empowering women, girls and families.
Bass Tournament
Alabama is launching a bass fishing tournament for amateur anglers that is expected to spread tourism dollars from Baldwin County to Lauderdale County. Governor Robert Bentley and other officials announced the creation of the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Monday. The team-style tournament for amateurs will be held on 10 lakes on the Alabama Bass Trail and the championship will be held on an 11th lake. Starting in February, the tournaments will stretch from the Mobile-Tensaw Delta to Pickwick Lake in Northeast Alabama. Officials predict that amateur anglers from across the Southeast will compete for $10,000 in first-place money at each tournament. More information on the tournament, which is already open for registration, can be found at alabamabasstrail.org.