A push to reopen bingo parlors

Fresh off their perceived victory after the state Senate scuttled the Sweet Home Alabama bill, bingo hall operators in the Bessemer Cutoff are moving forward to reopen their locations.

More than 11,000 signatures have been collected to take to a rally in Montgomery.

And 13 bingo hall operators in the cutoff have formed an alliance to fight to open their operations.

The alliance is holding a noon rally on Friday at the Fairfield City Hall, featuring Rev. Jesse Jackson as the main speaker.

—Tribune staff report

Moratorium on predatory lenders ends

A four-year-old moratorium on predatory lenders setting up shop in Bessemer was cast aside this week as the City Council voted in an ordinance that keeps new stores 1,000 feet apart and away from schools.

The council unanimously approved the ordinance.

—Tribune staff report

Bessemer hires lobbyist firm, awaits lawsuit

After failing last night to take action on Councilwoman Louise Alexander's legal bills, the Bessemer City Council on a 4-3 vote decided to hire HandprintBell, the controversial lobbyist firm to represent the city in Washington, D.C.

The city will pay Handprint $10,000 a month, despite objections that the city does not have enough money to pay its bills.

"You have to spend money to make money," chimed Alexander during debate.

Oh, and a lawsuit could be filed as soon as today to collect $367,000 in legal fees rung up by Alexander in her one-week trial for ethics charge violations

—Tribune staff report

Newspaper late

If you're looking for this week's print issue of The Western Tribune, you'll have to wait a day.

If you're unhappy about that and want to know why, you can call one of the following numbers for a complete explanation.

1-205-345-0505

            or 

1-205-504-6143

—Tribune staff report

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW

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Louise Alexander bill on agenda

Councilwoman Louise Alexander's legal bill tops the agenda for Tuesday night's meeting of the Bessemer City Council.

Alexander claims the council must approve a $367,000 bill for her defense in her recent ethics trial where she was exonerated on charges of using her office for personal gain.

She has threatened to sue if the council doesn't vote to pay.

Also on the agenda will be another attempt to approve a $35 million budget for fiscal year 2010.

—Tribune staff report

May, Brooks hide from process server

Bessemer Mayor Ed May and his erstwhile sidekick, Travis Brooks, who sometimes plays the role of city clerk, are hiding from a process server this morning.

The server hopes to serve the pair in a City Council lawsuit aimed at forcing the mayor to allow electronic bingo parlors to get their permits.

The server said he has never seen anything like this in the past.

The mayor's tax-supplied SUV was in its normal parking place, but the door to the mayor's office was closed and locked.

Brooks is also in, but the server was told that he was on an important phone call that could take hours to complete. Hmmm...

—Tribune staff report