Since I didn’t want to post a Bama Mix yeserday at about 7:30 pm, this post will cover yesterday as well.\
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One of the big stories from the past couple of days is that Alabama Power is raising its rates. Rates will go up 13 percent for residential customers (8 percent now, and the rest in January) and 9 percent for commercial customers. Andre at the Terminal quips, “Here\’92s to hoping that Alabama Power‘s long time spokesbirds, Ben and Mickey, enjoy their permanent trip south for the winter,” and Birmingham News cartoonist Scott Stantis takes a shot at the birds as well.\
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Many cities around Alabama held local elections yesterday, and 8 cities elected new mayors.\
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Don’t know whether to vote for Democrat Deborah Bell Paseur or Republican Greg Shaw for Alabama Supreme Court? This AP piece may or may not help. One major difference between the two candidates is their beliefs on partisan Supreme Court elections (currently, candidates for the Supreme Court may run with a party affiliation). Paseur says, “I believe that moving to the nonpartisan election of judges would be a step in the right direction,” and throughout the interview downplays the role partisan politics play in Alabama Supreme Court elections. Shaw, on the other hand, affiliates himself with McCain/Palin and Jeff Sessions and states, “I am not an advocate of changing our present method of judicial selection.”\
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In JeffCo sewer debt land, Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Smoot sent out a press release yesterday that suggests JeffCo could receive help with their debt from the Federal Government, though nothing is clear just yet. On another front, Gov. Bob Riley asked legislators for help with the sewer debt, and the legislators said no thanks.\
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Apparently, the Lifetime Movie Network is working on a movie about Natalee Holloway, a Birmingham high school senior who disappeared in Aruba more than three years ago. Wade Kwon’s got the scoop (and he did scoop the local news outlets on this, I believe).\
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How did Alabama bloggers respond to last night’s debate? Thomason Tracts is wondering why McCain keeps bringing up Lieberman, ALModerate doesn’t think much about it at all, Loretta Nall suggets, uh, electro-shock therapy for the candidates, and over at Birmingham Blues they’re still processing. Wade Kwon doesn’t know why people who don’t know what to think…don’t know what to think.\
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Until next time…