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JANUARY 18, 2019

ARTICLES OF INTEREST January 11, 2019 – JANUARY 18, 2019

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OTHER STATE UNIVERSITIES 29

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NATIONAL ISSUES 44

Ivey pie~~ Bonner -for key ;post · Formercongressman

· . will serve as chief of staff

By Ken Roberts City Editor

Former congress­man Jo Bonner has been named Gov. Kay Ivey's chief of staff.

"Jo brings a wealth ·/ of expe_rience and

. knowledge to our admin­: isfration, and I know we ' aren't going to miss a

step as my Cabinet, staff • and I work, every day, to . hop.or the support aJ.?.d · confidence the people : of Alabama gave us last ; ~ovember," Ivey said

m a statement released '. Tuesday.

Bonner replaces Steve Pelham, who is leav­inglvey's staff for Auburn University, where he will serve as vice presidenffor economic development and chief of staff for AU

See BONNER, B4

The Tuscaloosa News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

..

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BONNER From Page Bl

chief of staff for AU President Steven Leath.

Pelham's connection with Ivey dates back to 2011, when he served as the then-lieuten- · ant governor's chief of staff.

"Dr. Leath is fortunate to gain Steve's vast knowledge of both state and federal gov­ernment," Ivey said.

"Steve is an Auburn gradu­ate and his experience will immediately be put to good

· use by the Auburn family. Our foss will be Auburn Uni­versity's gain."

The Tuscaloosa News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Bonner joined the Ivey administration in December as a senior adviser.

He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, representing south­west Alabama. He served six terms in the House.

Bonner has also served as interim executive director for

, the Tuscaloosa County Indus­. trial Development Authority.

Before that, he served as vice chancellor for economic development for the Univer­sity of Alabama System.

"Jo Bonner is a respected leader and a known quantity in Washington and through­out Alabama," Ivey said. "We knew he would be a valuable addition to our team when I

announced be was joining µs last month."

Ivey was inaugurated Monday as the state's first fem ale Republican gover­nor. She defeatrd Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox iii the November general election to earn a full term. ·

Ivey was elevated: l1om lieutenant governor to:gov­ernor in April 2017 aft~t the resignation of Robert Beptley. Bentley, a former meitj.~r of the Alabama House of ~epre­sentatives who represented Tuscaloosa County, reslgned

· and pleaded guilty t~:two _ misdemeanor campai~ and ethics charges that :arose during the investigatioJi of an alleged affair with a tol):aide. . .. .. ..

3

YellowHammerNews.com Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Jo Bonner discusses Kay Ivey's Wilcox County roots, new term agenda in one-on-one interview

By: Jeff Poor

On Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced former Rep. Jo Bonner was replacing long-time confidante Steve Pelham as her chief of staff, a move that had been rumored but made official the day after being sworn-in for a full-term at her inauguration ceremony.

Shortly after Ivey was sworn in on Monday, Bonner discussed lvey's inauguration and what the public should expect from the governor as her new term begins in an interview with Huntsville radio's WYNN.

Both Bonner and Ivey hail from Wilcox County's Camden, which was a topic that Bonner discussed as well.

"This is a special day," Bonner said on Monday's broadcast of "The Jeff Poor Show." "Any time you've got an inauguration, it's special. It's a new chapter, a new beginning. But in this case, it is extra special because this is a young lady who was born in Wilcox County, where Attorney General and former U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions is from - where so many wonderful people have come from, Camden and Wilcox County."

"It's a small county," he said. "It's one of the poorest counties per capita in the nation in terms of income. It's one of the wealthiest counties in the world in terms of the quality of people. It's not just people who have done like Gov. Ivey and have served in public life, but people who have made a difference in education, health care, people who have won prizes - national awards, recognition, people who have gone on to the military academies and have had successful careers in business."

"Camden is a small town," Bonner added. "Wilcox County is a place if they have ever heard of it - it's because they like to hunt or fish."

Bonner later offered details of an Ivey cabinet meeting that occurred after her November election victory over Democratic opponent Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. According to the former U.S. congressman, Ivey laid out a "clear challenge" for her upcoming four-year term.

"She said, 'We have all too often kicked the problems down the road, and it's time to address some of these challenges, see them as opportunities, and we're going to make the most of the next four years. We're going to do things for the right reason,"' Bonner recounted. "She challenged them to lace their shoes up, and she said mine were going to be laced, and we're going to get running, and we're going to get a fast start."

Bonner said it should not go unnoticed that the governor unused her inauguration as a platform to push the legislature for action on infrastructure and improving the state's prison system, which is under the threat of a federal takeover.

4

The Birmingham News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

MONTGOME R Y

Gov. Ivey calls for gas tax, neW prisons Mike Cason mcason@al.com

Gov. Kay Ivey launched her new term Monday with a call for a gasoline tax increase for the Alabama road system and a pledge her administration is poised for a major announce­ment about the state's long-troubled prisons.

Ivey said much more during her inaugural address on the Capitol steps, including her belief the state's best days were ahead and promise to serve all Alabamians, including those who voted against her.

But when it comes to what Ivey said about her specific plans, her comments on the gas tax and prison issues stood out during one of the governor's most high-profile speeches since taking office in April 2017.

SEEIVEY,A7

Ivey noted Gov. Lurleen Wallace, the st~te's only other woman governor, called on the Legislature to boost funding for roads and bridges a half-century ago: And she noted Alabama hasn't raised the gasoline tax since 1992, a key argument made for several years·by advocates for more road and bridge funding.

"Today, I follow in Gov. Lurleen Wallace's footsteps in many ways and make the same ask to the Alabama Legislature," Ivey said. "After all, if we want to compete in a 21st century global economy, we must improve our infrastructure by investing more in our roads, our bridges and our ports."

Ivey said the newly elected Alabama Leg­islature can be one of the most important ever by helping her tackle some of the state's most pressing needs.

"Members of the Legislature and people of Alabama, we'll only have orte chance to do it," Ivey said, referring to the gas tax. "It's been almost three decades since we made any changes. We've got to do it now and get it right."

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Ivey said Alabama's prison system "has been sorely neglected for decades ." The governor didn't give specifics on a plan but promised she would soon have more to say.

"The status of our corrections system is an Alabama problem that must be solved by an Alabama solution, and I plan to do so," Ivey said. "We are revitalizing our statewide cor­rections system by replacing costly, at-risk prison facilities. This effort will ensure that Alabama stays committed to statewide prison reform, and we will be announcing more detailed plans in the coming days."

In some of her first official business on Tuesday, Ivey announced a major change on her staff: Former Congressman Jo Bonner will replace Steve Pelham as chief of staff.

Bonner had joined the administration as a senior adviser on Dec. 1. Pelham has been Ivey's chief of staff since she became lieu-tenant governor in 2011. ·

Bonner represented Alabama's 1st Con­gressional District in southwest Alabama from 2003 to 2013. He resigned from Con­gress in 2013 to take a job as vice chancel­lor of government relations and economic development for the University of Alabama System in 2013.

The governor had spoken in support of a gas tax and prison construction before, so Monday's speech did not deviate from pre­vious positions.

But Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said the words still surprised him. England sa id he went back and read the speech to make sure he heard correctly.

"I never thought I would hear a Republi­can ta lk abou t tax increases and nrisons in

The Birmingham News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

on local economies, I tbink that 's some­thing we all need to kind of be involved in," England said. ·

· The Republican chairmen of the General Fund committees in the Alabama House and Senate praised Ivey's speech. Blit they said they are not sure what the Ivey administra­tion is planning on prisons and have not been part of discussions with the administration.

"I've got some concerns and questions I'd like to ask," Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range said.

Albritton was named chairman of the Senate's Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee last week. The prison system receives more money from the General Fund than any agency except Medicaid.

Albritton said he did not want to elaborate on his concerns about prisons, because .he wants to talk to the Ivey administration first.

"We've been working on this for th.ree years now," he said. "And it's quite raw and sore. I don't want to kill something by mak~ ing an inappropriate statement."

Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, chairman of the House Ways and Means G_eneral Fund Committee; said it's possible the administra­tion could enter contracts with private com­panies to build prisons and then lease and operate the facilities. Clouse said he's not surethat's what the Ivey administration has

an inaugural address, or in the same inau­gural address,'' said England, who is chair­man of the Democratic caucus in the Ala­bama House.

Alabama's prisons are filled beyond capacity, understaffed, plagued by violence and embroiled in a sweeping federal lawsuit over prison health care.

Former Gov. Robert Bentley proposed a plan to borrow about $800 million to build several large prisons and close I_110St existing ones. Lawmakers considered several varia­tions of the idea but none passed.

Ivey has not made a prison-building pro­posal to the Legislature. But under her administration the Depar~ment of Co~rec­tions raised conce·rns among lawmakers with a $10 million contract for assessment, planning and design-work in anticipation of a plan under consideration to build three large prisons and close most existing ones. Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn told the Legislature 's contract review committee the plan would cost; close to a billion dollars.

England said he's concerned lawmak­ers aren't more in the loop for what the I\:'ey administration is planning. .

"You're talking about spending a billion dollars and also closing facilities across the state that's going to have significant impacts

planned or how far the administration would try to go indep~ndent of the Legislature.

"I think that's one of the questions and that's what some people are looking for the answers to," Clouse said. "I think she proba­bly has the authority to do some type oflease program." • ·

Clouse said he's riot sure how the Legisla­ture would respond.

"I think that's a big unknown," Clouse said. "How all these different questions are answered here to people's satisfaction, it's hard to gauge. I know people that have pris-

. ons in their districts, they're probably going to be opposed no matter what the answer is."

Clouse said he has not had a chance to gauge House support for a gas tax. He noted neighboring states have already moved to increase their road funding, which he said might explain Ivey's comments that this is the Legislature's best chance to approve an increase.

"I think that probably meant we're going to look at it this year and maybe-we need to make a move on it this year," Clouse said. "We've been talking about it now for three or four yeai;s."

Bills to raise the gas tax stalled in the Legis­lature in 2016 and 2017 despite having support oflegislative leaders. Ivey has said she is work­ing with House and Senate leaders on a bill this year. The legislative session starts March 5.

Senate General Fund chairman Albritton said it's hard to gauge support for a gas tax because there's not yet a bill to provide spe­cifics such as the a,mount, any mechanisms for future increases and whether lawmakers would have more say in choosing road proj­ects. He said he believes most legislators agree more infrastructure funding is needed.

"I think the recognition of the need is not quite universal but it seems to be in the majority," Albritton said. "The question is . how do we fix it?"

As for Ivey's speech overall, Albritton said the governor made a strong appearance on a cold January day that left him the impres­sion the four-year term she started might not be her last. Ivey's opponents tried to raise questions about her health during the cam-

. paign. Ivey has repeatedly said she is in good health.

"I think she showed the public of Alabama she's a strong womll,n," Albritton said.

Clouse liked Ivey's decision to recognize and share the spotlight with former gover­nors Robert Bentley, Bob Riley, Don Siegel­man and Jim Folsom.

"I thought she did a real good job being conciliatory toward everybody with all the former governors there," Clouse said. "l thought that was real good, for all of then; to be there to show unity for the state mov­ing forward . I thought it was a very good . enlightening and motivational speech."

6

The Tuscaloosa News Saturday,January12,2019

Alabama city built on federal dollars

feeling shutdown pinch,.

By Jay Reeves The Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE- Once known for its cotton trade and watercress farms, Huntsville, Alabama, is now the ultimate government town: About 70 federal agencies are located at the Army's 38,000-acre Redstone Arsenal. More than half of the area's economy is tied to Washington spending.

As the government shut­down drags into a third week, people and businesses that rely on that federal largesse for their livelihood are show­ing the strain.

Empty parking lots and darkened offices at NASA's Mar~hall Space Flight Center on Redstone have trans­lated into vacant hotel rooms because out-of-town govern­ment workers and contractors aren't coming. Restaurants 'requented by federal work­.rs who travel on government ;pending accounts are strug­gling, too.

Transportation Security Administration employees working without pay at the city's airport say they are

spending their own money to bring in quiches and break­fast rolls as a morale booster. Moms are sharing tips online about free entertainment and buying food in bulk to save a few bucks. The largest credit union has already provided hundreds of bridge loans for struggling families.

"It's a fog with no end in sight," said Michael North­ern, an executive with a small companythatrunsthreeres­taurants outside a main arsenal gate. The lunch crowd is still OK, he said, but dinner dollars have dried up, and business is off at least 35 percent.

"People are just going home and nesting, trying to cotiserve resources," said No'ithern, vice president of WJP Res­taurant Group. "Imagine being in that posture and hearing Donald Trump say, 'It could be a year.'"

The closure persists because the president and congres­sional Democrats can't agree on $5. 7 billion in funding for a border wall, which Trump touts as vital to U.S. security and critics see as pointless and immoral.

The jobs of some 800,000 workers hang in the balance. A little more than half are still working without pay, and hundreds of thousands will miss paychecks Friday.

. Economic statistics lag real-time events, so it's hard to gauge the effects of a shut­down that's been going on less than a month.

But 41, Huntsville, a city of about 195,000 people where about 38,000 people work at Redstone, more than 5,000 workers are affected by the shutdown. And while state statistics show fewer than 60 people have applied for job-

' less benefits in the county surrounding Huntsville since the shutdown, frustration and worry are building.

Located at the base of a mountain in the lush Tennes­see Valley, Huntsville was just another Alabama city until the government decided to build rockets at Redstone Arsenal at the dawn of the space race. The influx of people and fed­eral dollars that arrived with NASA transformed the city into a technical and engineer­ing hub that only grew as l})'my

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missile and materiel programs expanded on the base.

That heavy reliance on fed­eral spending has Huntsville residents wondering what will come next.

Jack Lyons, a lifelong space geek who thought he'd hit the jackpot when he got a job as a contractor working on massive rocket test stands for NASA, is spending the furlough on his small side business making props for marching bands. A solid Republican-voter until 2016, when he couldn't bring himself to vote for Trump, he's frustrated and sad­dened by what's going on in Washington.

"They're trying to use people as bargaining chips, and it just isn't right," Lyons said. Unlike civil service work­ers who expect to eventually get back pay, Lyons doesn't know if he'll ever see a dollar from the shutdown period.

Just back from maternity leave following the birth of her second child, Katie Barron works at home for a private company not connected to the government, but her husband is a National Weather Service

The Tuscaloosa News Saturday,January12,2019

meteorologist forced to wor,k without pay because his job is classified as essential.

They're canceling this Sat­urday's date night to save a couple of hundred dollars, and the purchase of a new refrig­erator is on hold. They've also put off home and car mainte­nance, but the $450-a-week bill for day care still has to be paid, as do the mortgage and utility bills .

"We're a little bit buffered, but our lives are basically based off dual incomes," Barron said.

While Barron frets over the loss of dental and opti ~ cal insurance because ofthe shutdown, she said her family has some savings and will be fine for a while . Others are struggling.

Redstone Federal Credit Unio1r1already has provided hundreds of low-interest loans of as much as $5,000 each to families affected by the shutdown, with no payments due for 60 days, and it's also letting members skip pay­ments on existing loans for a $35 fee , chief marketing officer Fred Trusty said.

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. State lawmaker

·' earns appointments

State Rep. Chris England has been elected vice chair

.. of the Tuscaloosa Legislative Delegation and re--elected to the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission.

"Our work together as a · delegation is some of the r; most important for our area · · · so ·1 greatly appreciate my

'colleagues support," the Tus­. caloosa Democrat said in a · news release. "I look forward to serving in these key roles

· and helping guide our leg­islative priorities to ensure

' · Tuscaloosa is well represented in the State Capitol and that

· locally we continue to improve · · our infrastructure."

/

England is serving his fourth term representing District 70 in the Alabama House. The 42-year-old earned his undergraduate degree from Howard University and a law degree from the University of Alabama.

. In December, England was elected caucus chair of the House Democratic Caucus.

I

Staff reports

The Tuscaloosa News Friday, January 11, 2019

9

ALA B AMA LEGI S LATURE

Highways are paved with politics in 2019

Our roads need help, but

where do we get the money? A gas tax rumble awaits.

John Sharp jsharp@al.com

Expect plenty of orange cones on state roadways during the coming 12 months.

Birmingham's "Malfunction Junction" will finally be on the road to repairs in 2019, and major projects are underway or about to start in Huntsville, Montgomery, Mobile, Gulf Shores and e·lsewhere.

But when it comes to transportation · issues facing the state in 2019, the spotlight will undoubtedly be on the Legislature and the showdown over whether to raise taxes to pay for long-range highway construction.

Specifically, state lawmakers, who return to the Statehouse for an organizational ses­sion starting Tuesday, are poised to consider the state's first fuel tax increase since 1992.

"It's a tax," said state Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster. "Any time you have a tax pro­posal, you'll have multiple people in oppo­sition and in support. And in supporters, you'll have divisions as well."

Even if the tax should pass, where does the new revenue go? There will be battle lines: Rural vs. urban vs. suburban; cities vs. counties; north Alabama vs. south Ala­bama; demands for relieving congestion vs. demands for new connectors.

"Whether you are in Baldwin County or Mobile County or up in Shelby County, driving on these roads in June through August, you can clearly see there is a need to do something with our roads," Ward said. "But there promises to be this big fight."

SEE GAS TAX, A4

The Birmingham News Friday, January 4, 2019

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Gas Tax FROM Al

'ONCE·IN·A·GENERATION SHOT' Confidence is high that lawmakers will up the tax, follow­

ing the 2018 political campaigns in which voters repeatedly identified infrastructure as a key priority.

"I believe 2019 will be the year Alabama finally passes a plan to address these chronic road and bridge problems," said Drew Harrell, executive director with the Alliance for Alabama's Infrastructure. "The question will be: How big is · the problem and what will it take to fix it?"

"It's a one-in-a-generation shot," said Billy Norrell, CEO of the Alabama Associated General Contractors.

But Alabama's political realities could provide plenty of obstacles. The incoming Legislature, by many accounts, will be one of the most staunchly conservative ever to convene in Montgomery. Will these red-ribbed lawmakers, as one of their first major acts, increase a tax?

There's also uncertainty about how high the tax would go, or how much revenue it would generate. Lawmakers expect few details to emerge until the spring session opens in early March.

Said Ward, "One cent generates about $30 million annu­ally, and that gives you an idea when you talk about a 6- or 8· cent increase. I don't know what it will be, and no one has said an exact number yet."

Yet another issue involves a budget "diversion" that takes substantial dollars out of the state General Fund to pay for state troopers and the court system.- That revenue otherwise

The Birmingham News Friday, January 4, 2019

would go to the Alabama Department of Transportation for maintenance projects.

The diversion, worth $63 million annually, started in the final year of Gov. Bob Riley's administration in 2010.

Walt Maddox, the Democratic candidate for governor who lost to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey in November, pushed to end the annual diversion.

Ivey, thus far, has not hinted on how she feels about it. "That has to be part of any gas revenue raising plan," said

state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur. "That transfer has to be cut · off, or finished."

Road builders, like Harrell, certainly favor the end of the diversion. "No one thinks it's a good practice to rob Peter to pay Paul," he said.

There's talk that a lottery could also land on the bargain· ing table, although Ivey has signaled a lack of interest in growing gaming. Democrats, during last year's campaigns, ca!led for a lottery, but to support schools and scholarships, rather than roads.

"I don't know if a lottery will somehow come into play in the process, so it's just a lot of outstanding unknowns," said Orr. "But I would not be surprised at all to see a bill forthcoming."

A lottery provision would require approval from voters in the form of a constitutional amendment. Voters rejected a statewide lottery the last time they got to weigh in on the issue, in 1999.

'A DARK CLOUD' So how bad are the roads in Alaba1?a compared to other

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states? And does the gas tax deserve to dominate the Legis­lature's early agenda?

"The condition of our transportation system has been a . dark cloud over Alabama for the last 20 years," said Sonny Brasfield, executive director with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama. "We are trying to energize a 2020 economy with 1992 revenue. People on the outside con­stantly say we should run government 'like a business.' I can promise you, if the transportation side of government in Ala­bama were a business, our stock would not be attractive to investors right now."

Richard Fording, a political science professor at the Uni­versity of Alabama, isn't so sure that the situation merits dreadful talk. Fording points to the release last year of an annual report from the Los Angeles-based libertarian think tank Reason Foundation. The group, which has done its analysis for 23 years, ranked Alabama's highway system No. 17overall.

"How bad are Alabama's roads and highways?" said Ford­ing. "This is a more complicated question 'than it might seem. It is not at all clear that Alabama's roads and high­ways are in dire need of improvement. On some measures, we actually rank in the middle of the pack or above."

'CUMBERSOME TRIPS' John Cooper, who will be nearing his eighth year as

ALDOT director on Jan. 18, has his own ideal plan for where new road revenue could go. To Cooper, increased· funding should be dedicated for projects that would bolster Alabama economically.

"We still have enough money to do our maintenance," said Cooper. "We don't have enough money to add the capac­ity of our system to what we need to bring congestion to a reasonable level, and we don't have the funding we need to foster the economic development of parts of our state.'' ·

Two projects he mentioned would be widening U.S. 43 on the western side ofthe state and the widening of U.S. 431 on the eastern side. He said the expanded highways, flow­ing through rural counties, would add economic opportu­nities for areas where populations are declining and jobs are scarce.

"If you don't do something in those parts of the state, we'll sit here 50 years from now and they will still be undevel­oped," Cooper said. "You can educate your children well in those towns and improve quality of life, but businesses will not locate there because of the cumbersome trips you need to make to deliver goods."

The Birmingham News Friday, January 4, 2019

Nonetheless, Cooper, who is poised to be the longest-serv­ing single-term ALDOT director in the agency's history, said the decision isn't up to him. He admits that his role in the process would be "whatever role the governor designates me to have ... it would be presumptuous of me to assume what it maybe."

Orange cones all around

Major roadwork is cranking up from top to bottom in Alabama. Here's a sprinkling of major projects: > In Huntsvi lle, the highly traveled Cecil Ashburn Drive will be

closed for much of the year so crews can widen lanes con­necting newer developments in Hampton Cove to older south Huntsville.

> In Spanish Fort, Alabama 181 at Interstate 10 near the Eastern Shore Centre will be reconstructed into the state 's first diver­gent diamond interchange.

► In the Birmingham area, giant interstate projects - and asso­ciated closures and detours - will change lives and commutes for untold thousands of daily drivers into 2020.

> In Mobile, all tegulatory approvals and a final record of decision are expected to be hammered out in 2019 before construct ion begins on a new bridge over the Mobile River connecting to an expanded Bayway along 1-10.

> In Montgomery, the city's busiest interchanges along Inter­state 85 are set to be completed following a major reworking to add lanes.

> In Gulf Shores, the state hopes to proceed with construction of a new bridge over the lntracoastal Waterway to ease bumper­to:t:iumper jams to the state's beaches.

States take action

Since 2013, 27 states have ra ised or retooled their motor fuel tax rate.

In 2018. alone, 19 states approved measures related to increased funding for roads and bridges, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association . One state, Oklahoma, enacted a gas tax hike; Georgia extended a gas-take rate for­mula that was set to expire.

In Mississippi , lawmakers held a special session around Labor Day to hash out the so-called "Mississippi lnfrastr,ucture Mod­ernization Act." The new infrastructure programs wi ll be financed largely through gaming and a new state lottery.

12

The Birmingham News Friday, January 4, 2019

Medicaid reforms let patients stay home longer Sen. Greg Reed for AL.com

The elections of Nov. 6 are over, and now, in Washington and in Montgomery legisla­tors again take up the task of governing. As the leader of Alabama's 27 Republican state sen­ators, my focus is on working with other law­makers and Gov. Kay Ivey to make state gov­ernment more efficient and to keep job growth strong.

Reforming the state's Medicaid program is one of the toughest challenges we face in the coming year. Medicaid, the feder­ally-mandated health insurance program for pregnant women, children, low-income adults, the elderly and the disabled, is by far the largest line item in the state's General Fund - Medicaid by itself accounts for 37 percent of all noneducation state spending, and its budget for the current year is $755 million. For context, state prisons consume 23 percent and the Alabama Law Enforce­ment Agency (state troopers) uses 2.5 per­cent of noneducation spending.

For the past five years, I have worked with Medicaid Commissioner Stephanie Azar to craft a new health care model that better serves the growing number of senior citi­zens in Alabama who are in Medicaid's long­term care. Thankfully, this year Alabama received approval from the Centers for Medi-

This reform will offer

senior citizens on Medicaid additional

health care choices and is

projected to save ... tens

of millions of taxpayer

dollars. care and Medicaid Services in Washington to move ahead with the Integrated Care Net­work. This reform will offer senior citizens on Medicaid additional health care choices and is projected to save, over the long run, tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Here is how the network will work: In Octo­ber of this year, the state Medicaid agency partnered with an Alabama health care pro­vider that will now serve the medical needs. of the 23,000 senior citizens who are receiv­ing Medicaid's long-term care services, 70 percent of whom are in nursing homes. By partnering with an expert health care pro­vider based in Alabama, Medicaid can offer

its long-term patients better care - and thus allow more Medicaid recipients to stay lon­ger in the comfort of their own home.

Medicaid recipients can still opt for a nursing home, and no benefits are changed under this new system. But by partnering with a health care provider that is an expert in managed care, Medicaid can bend the cost curve down, offer improved health care, and give more of Alabama's senior cit­izens an opportunity to stay a little longer in their homes and communities.

For my wife and me, one of the greatest privileges in life is spending time with our parents - and as the years have passed, we, like so many Alabama families, have dis­cussed the future and begun to plan for the day when our parents will need extra help.

As a legislator, I think often about how the policies that I vote on will affect the lives of my friends and neighbors. The Inte­grated Care Network is just getting started, but I am optimistic that this reform will

· improve the quality of life for many fam­ilies in Alabama and put Medicaid on a sounder financial footing.

Reed, a Jasper Republican, is majority leader in the Alabama Senate.

13

The Crimson White Thursday, January 17, 2019

Organizations work to benefit SAFE Center The Tuscaloosa SAFE Center has been operating for three months, and student organizations are brainstorming ways to best assist the Center and its patients.

BY ERIN BRAXTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Since the facility opened its doors on Nov. 1. the Tuscaloosa Sexual

Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) Center has seen about 20 people from diverse backgrounds, providing medical, forensic and emotional assistance at no cost to sexual assault survivors of west Alabama. The center serves nine counties in the area from ages 14 and up and of any gender.

" l consider it a real honor," executive director Pam Jones said. "We see patients from all walks oflife."

Jones said she believes the facility will only grow from here, and she wants nothing but for survivors to feel comfortable and safe.

"We expect our numbers to increase," Jones said. "We have this saying at the SAFE Center, 'a safe place to land,' and you know, I want the SAFE Center to be just that - a safe place for people to land."

The SAFE Center provides survivors with three options when they arrive. All three plans serve the option of medical assessment. The survivor can then decide if they want to press charges, not press charges or decide at a later date.

Jones said all of the medical personnel at the Center are certified, with one Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) nurse on call at all hours of the day and 11 registered nurses.

The SAFE Center offers a pill for survivors that combats ST!s and pregnancy. Each survivor gets an advocate that expresses the needs of the survivor throughout the examination process, before the process and helps the survivor receive counseling after the medical assessment.

"That advocate is there to help the survivors through the process," Jones said.

Tutwiler Resident Advisor (RA) Sunshine Ahmad, a sophomore majoring in nursing, ·and fellow RAs received in-depth training the first week in January by the SAFE Center over the ins and outs of dealing with a sexual assault case.

All RAs are required to file a report to UAPD; however, charges will not be pressed against the aggressor, and no law enforcement will come into play without the .survivor's consent. If the RA is not on call, they can accompany a resident survivor to the SAFE Center.

"I feel that knowing what the SAFE Center offers and what they are there for will help me if I come into a situation where someone needs help, or if a friend of a friend knows someone, I can be their voice of reason, and I can help them,'' Ahmad said.

Because the SAFE Center is in a private environment, Ahmad said having the facility is a great resource so people won't have to sit in hospitals all day.

Ahmad said it makes her feel great to know this resource is available.

"It takes off a burden of not knowing

what to do," she said. "Without it I would be lost - no one knows what to do in that situation."

Ahmad suggested implementing private transportation to the Center (because the Crimson Ride is too public) and collecting clothing donations to give to the patients as ways to help survivors.

We have this saying at the SAFE Center, 'a safe place to land,' and you know, I want the SAFE Center to be just that - a safe place for people to land.

•-PAM JONES

Student Government Association (SGA) President Price McGiffert said the SGA has been brainstorming ways to provide transportation for survivors of sexual assault and harassment.

"One thing that was mentioned is we have a way to get students there for a whole lot cheaper of a price by using the Lyft rides where you can get 15 percent off," said McGiffert, a senior majoring in civil engineering. "But all in all, although it's something we're looking at, it's kind of a really hard thing trying to figure out exactly how to do it."

The SGA plans to continue to promote awareness and raise money for the SAFE Center. The SGA recently

received donations from the Greek community, as the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association each donated $25,000. McGiffert said the money was given to the Center at the end of last semester.

The SGA also recently partnered with Order of Omega and President Mac Gardner of Delta Chi to host a fundraiser called Speaking in Silence, which raised $24,250.

"Absolutely we are trying to help as much as we possibly can," McGiffert said. "I think it's something every student can get behind, and SGA and I have as well."

McGiffert said there was no pushback against funding for the SAFE Center.

"[The SAFE Center] is a resource that the city of Tuscaloosa and surrounding counties did not have, and it's something that we needed to ensure we do have,'' McGiffert said.

The SAFE Center partners with several organizations to offer counseling services for families and survivors, such as the Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) and Turning Point. The Center also works to help survivors find a safe place to go in case home is not safe for them.

All funding provided to the SAFE Center by SGA and other campus organizations went to providing medication, hygiene products, towels, clothing, water and snacks for survivors.

"We see people on the darkest day of their lives,'' Jones said. "They never expected this to happen to them."

The SAFE Center accepts any sized gift, ranging from new clothing, individually wrapped snacks, bottled water to monetary donations. The SGA office will be collecting donations throughout the semester to give to the Center.

14

The Tuscaloosa News Thursday, January 17, 2019

Tide QB transferring to Oklahoma

Jalen Hurts has one season of eligibility and can play immediately

Wednesday in a letter on The Players' Tribune titled 'To My Alabama Family.'

development as both a quar­terback and as a student."

He also visited Maryland and Miami over the weekend. Hurts will have one season of eligibility remaining. Hurts fini~hed his undergraduate degree at Alabama in Decem­ber and will be eligible to play immediately.

By Ben Jones Sports Writer

Alabama junior quarterback Jalen Hurts is transferring to Oklahoma.

He made his announcement

"I'm Barna for LIFE - an_d that right there will never change! But now it's also time for me to start a new chapter in my story," he wrote. "I've decided to take my talents to the University of Oklahoma, where I will continue my He entered the NCAA's

transfer portal after Alabama's loss to Clemson in the national championship game, allowing other schools to contact him. He also visited Maryland and Miami over the weekend.

Hurts was supplanted by sophomore Tua Tagovailoa as Alabama's starter at the start of the season but chose to remain with the Crimson Tide.

He graduated from school in three years and served an important role as a backup this fall, helping Alabama win the •sEGandfinish 14-1.

He leaves Tuscaloosa with a national championship ring and two SEC championships. He was named SEC Offensive

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Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2016. He is third all-time in school history with 48 touchdown passes and first in Alabama history among quarterbacks with 1,976 rushing yards and 23 rush­ing touchdowns.

He began his career as one of the most electric quar­terbacks in school history in 2016. Hurts enrolled early and played the part of Deshaun Watson in Alabama's prac­tice before the end of the 2015 season. Buzz began to circulate during the spring of 2016 that the true freshman would be a factor in Alabama's competition to replace quar­terback Jake Coker.

Hurts didn't win the job immediately as sophomore • Blake Barnett opened the 2016 season as Alabama's starter against Southern Cal. But Hurts came off the bench to throw two touchdowns and run for two more. He started the next game against West­ern Kentucky, opening a 26-2 run as Alabama's starting quarterback.

Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin helped guide Hurts to 2,780 passing yards and 954 rushing yards that season. He had 36 total touchdowns as a freshman (23 passing and 13 rushing) while winning SEC Offensive Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year. Alabama began the season 14-0 before losing the national championship game to Clemson in Tampa, Florida.

Alabama's offense struggled at times in the championship game; Hurts completed less than half of his passes. But he led Alabama to a go-ahead touchdown on his final drive, leaving the field with a 31-28 lead. Clemsonresponded with

a game-winning touchdown with one second remaining

. towinthegame35-28. Three Alabama quarter­

backs transferred during or after the season: Barnett, Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell all left for other schools after Hurts won the starting job.

The offense shifted i]12017 when Brian Daboll arrived.

. Hurts remained starting quar­terback, passing for 2,08l yards with 17 touchdown&. against just one interception. He also rushed for 855 yards and eight touchdowns. Alabama reached the College Football Playoff again despite a Noyember loss to Auburn and Hurts helped Alabama defeat Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.

Alabama trailed Geor­gia 13-0 at halftime of the national championship game. The Crimson Tide had just 89 yards and Hurts had missed an open receiver for a touch­down. Tagovailoa entered the game to start the second half and helped lead Alabama to a 26-23 win,in overtime, including a 41-yard touch­downpass to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith on the game's final play.

That sparked an off season discussion about whether Tagovailoa or Hurts would be Alabama's starter in 2018

The Tuscaloosa News Thursday, January 17, 2019

and whether one quarterback migl)t transfer. Hurts voiced his discomfort with some of the speculation at Alabama's media day in August.

Tagovailoa opened the season as the starter and never relinquished the job with arihistoric season. While he finished runner-up in the Heisman, Hurts played in 13 games, throwing for 765 yards with eight touchdowns. He added 167 rushing yards and two more touchdowns while also playing in a gadget pack­age at time.

His final highlight came against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Tago­vailoa had struggled against the Bulldogs on the same field on which he had won the national championship before being knocked out of the game with an ankle injury. Hurts entered in the fourth quarter trailing 28-21 and led Alabama on two touchdown drives to win the game 35~28. That clinched Alabama's fifth straight playoff appearance.

He has 71 total touchdowns in his career, a total surpassed only by AJ Mccarron. Hurts became one of the most pop­ular players in school history this season when he chose to remain and play the year out rather than redshirt or transfer.

16

The Tuscaloosa News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Church plans $6M parking deck Structure wlll be across from Bryant-Denny Stadium

Online

Other City Council action I B4

By Jason Morton Staff Writer

Calvary Baptist Church plans to build a $6 million parking deck on its 12thAvenue campus across from Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Despite some opposition from downtown residents -and hesita~ tion from council members about the impact a 375-space structure would have on the area, Tuscaloosa City Council members unanimously voted Tuesday to rezone the prop­erty to accommodate the structure.

Church leaders gave no timeline for the project, but city officials said

construction isn't expected to begin until early 2020 after this fall's col­lege football season.

The church's plan to sell some land for a student-based housing development arid the overall look of the proposed deck drew complaints from one neighborhood group.

Mark Hicks , president of the University Circle Historic District Homeowner's Association, said he was representing about 20 home­owners when he spoke in opposition of the vote.

"We just have a problem with them building a massive deck," Hicks said. "I think Calvary has

underestimated tile efforts needed to maintain property and to mail!.­tain a deck.

"Parking decks don't work around stadiums and churches. If they did, everyone would have them."

District 6 Councilman Eddie Pugh voiced concerns about the plan, saying he considers the parking deck proposal a valid reason for the City Council to revisit the city's current policy of imposing impact, or use, fees on developments only for water and sewer demands.

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..

Y~mile i Source: maps4news.com/©HERE

GATEHOUSE MEDIA

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PARKING From Page BI

This deck stands to bring additional vehicles to an aiready stressed transpor­tation infrastructure near Bryant-Denny Stadium.

And if it leads to further apartment or residential development, it could lead to more strains on the city's water and sewer infrastruc­ture that Mayot, Walt Maddox s~d may not be able to accom­modate the additional loads.

"'Fo me," Pugh said, "this is a prime example of why we need to go back and look at · our impact fees."

The prior residential zoning of the church, located west of Evergreen Cemetery and southwest of Bryant-Denny Stadium, would not permit the deck to be built and forced the church to seek the city's permission fo upgrade the zoning to BN, or neighbor­hood business, to allow its construction.

This led to some hesitation on the council's part, as mem­bers expressed concern about the future of the site with such a zoning designation. A BN zoning permits a number

The Tuscaloosa News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

of uses, from antique shops and gas stations to apartment complexes and group homes.

To ease the council's con­cerns, the Rev._Tim Lovett; lead pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, said discussions with church officials highlighted that Calv~y Baptist's rightful place is in its current location.

"There is such a strong commitment to the fact that our identity . . . is connected to that place right there," Lovett said of the church that has been operating tliere for more than 100 years. 11 Cal­vary (Baptist) is iconic as Evergreen Cemetery, as Bry­ant-Denny Stadium, as Rama Jama's." ·

Planning Director Ashley Crites said a condition of the Planning and Zoning Commission's unanimous recommendation to grant the church's rezoning request was

· ,that the parking deck be built -as "proposed and presented." ·

Between the November . meeting of the Planning and

Zoning · Commission and Tuesday's couneil meeting, the church scaled back a small aspect of the deck in response to public and residential com­plaint, Crites said.

Thischangewasnotenough for the council to slow the vote; however, despite

concerns over the viability:of the proposal. ·

"I'd hate to go through aliof this for it not to even be built because they lack the mea;ns todo it," said Di~rict 4 Coun­cilman Matt Calderone; :Who represents the area where·tbe church now operates. '. : : :

Lovett again assure-4 t~e councilman that a capital funding plan, fueled i.4iart with the sale of the par.king deck spaces on game days along with some churcp­owned property to the north for a new student-bas:.ed housing development, would · allow the parking deck ana a . new church multi-use build­ing to be built as designed~

"We do feel confident wjth our revenue sources," Lovett said, "and we believe it's going to become an even mere

-loved_ and, frankly, wonderful place than it is now." .

At the . end of the pubjic hearing at Tuesday's coun­cil meeting,·not one couricil member voted against the rezoning request. : .

uI've got confidence that you guys are going to build a good product," Calderone said. . .

Reach Jason Morton at jascm. morton@tuscaloosanews. com or 205-722-0200.

18

The Crimson White Monday, January 14, 2019

University works to improve campus free speech A study done by a civil liberties organization gave The University of Alabama a "yellow light" rating on free speech, meaning there are policies in place that restrict constitutionally protected speech.

BY AMANDA LE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The University of Alabama received a "yellow light" free

speech rating by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) , indicating some of the University's policies could be used to limit protected expression.

FIRE is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending liberty, freedom of speech, due process, academic fre edom, legal equality and freedom of conscience on college campuses. When it comes to protecting free speech at The University of Alabama, the University is one of about 270 institutions around the country that earned FIRE's "yellow light" rating.

The organization was founded in 1999 by a University of Pennsylvania professor and a civil liberties attorney, as they saw a need for an organization that would defend student and faculty free speech rights. Twenty years later, FIRE is continuing to work with students, fa culty and universities to sustain fundamental American freedoms .

The rating system works like a traffic light scale. The "green light" policies do not restrict speech at all , and "yellow" and "red light" ratings are given if constitutionally protected speech is restricted.

According to FIRE 's spotlight database, "a 'yellow light' institution is one whose policies restri ct a more limited amount of protected expression or, by virtue of their vague wording, could too easily be used to restrict protected expression."

Laura Beltz, lead author and attorney of the FIRE study, said she has been seeing a lot of improvements among universities in their ratings, but she also explained the risks of "yellow -light" ratings, where most universities stand topay.

"In 2009, when we pu t out this report, 75 percent of colleges were getting the 'red light' rating, so we are seeing improvements in the policies, but today there 's just too many schools getting that 'yellow light' rating," Beltz said. "Maybe they see it as a safety in numbers, but these 'yellow light ' ratings have been struck down by the court as unconstitutional, so they really serve just as much as a threat. "

Be ltz said the University has recently reached out to FIRE regarding their ratings, and the two are in the process of trying to improve the University 's rating.

"We are currently working with The University of Alabama and are very hopeful that we can collaborate on this and work with them to arride policies that meet their concerns but that also protect free speech rights," Beltz said.

The University 's sexual misconduct policy, event planning, harassment and advertisement policies are a few policies that have been recognized with "yellow light" ratings, according to FIRE's spotlight database. Its Code of Student Conduct Preamble is the only "green light" rating the University has obtained.

I think UA is usually careful about remaining neutral when it comes to how their speech policies they have implemented can affect different groups.

Chris Bryant, assistant director of media relations, said in an email that the University tries to explain its reasoning and strategy regarding speech policies.

"As an institution ofhigher learning, UA attaches great value to freedom of speech and open debate, and it also attaches great importance to the principles of civility and respect that govern an academic community," Bryant said . "University policies are drafted to abide by the law and foster the University 's teaching and research mission. The University

regularl y revi ews its policies and makes modifications when necessary to ensure compliance with applicable law."

To Lexi Mata Ilana, a senior majoring in public relations, free speech is important to the United States as a whole, especially for students, but she understands why the University abides by certain policies.

"I think UA is usually careful about remaining neutral when it comes to how their speech policies they have implemented can affect different groups," Matallana said . "It could be beneficial to work to ensure a balance between the ease of the University operations and the liberty of students to do things like host organization events and use campus spaces ."

Chris Roberts , associate professor in the Department of Journalism & Creative Media, said when it comes to the First Amendment and student media, he believes the University is much further along.

Roberts serves as chairman on the media planning board, which is a collection of faculty, staff, media professionals and students who work together to accept policies and hire student managers to run various student media organizations - including The Crimson White.

"I can't disagree with the ratings, but we have incredible freedom that other universities don 't always give their students," Roberts said. "With that fre edom comes responsibility, and I think our media has been very responsible , so when it comes to that I would recognize we are incredibly 'green-lighted."'

19

The Tuscaloosa News Saturday, January 12, 2019

Metal detectors in use at coliseum Four basketball games to t est security measures

Staff report

Metal detectors will be in use before the Saturday afternoon basketball game between t~ University of Alabama and Texas A&M at Coleman Coliseum.

Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Anews release from UA says

thal metal detectors will be us-~d at four men's basketball gariies this season in an effort to ~valuate improved security pr&cedures. Saturday's game is the:first test of the use of metal defectors. : :other games scheduled to li~e metal detectors are the Feb:. 6 contest against Georgia, the Feb. 16 game vs. Florida and

Fans walk through metal detectors being tested Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, before the Mercer-Alabama football game. [FILE PHOTO/LAURA CHRAMER]

the March 5 game vs. Auburn. similar to the one at Bryant-The entry process will be Denny Stadium for the 2018

football season. Upon arrival, guests will be asked to remove any metal objects from pocket s or clothing before going through the detectors.

Those with prohibited items will have to dispose of them or return those items to their cars before entering the coliseum. Individuals who are unable to pass through a metal detector due to special circumstances will be checked with a hand -held device.

These enhanced securit y measures, in addition t o the university's clear bag policy, will be used to enforce exist ­ing rules for prohibited items, which include weapons, arti­ficial noisemakers, flags / banners, strollers , computers and more.

20

The Crimson White Thursday, January 10, 2019

University develops further over winter break BY RYLIE CURRY STAFF REPORTER

Students officially began winter break on Friday, Dec. 15, but

several different events happened on campus during the month of December:

University of Alabama achieves Doctoral Universities - Very High Research Activity Status

The University has been listed as a Doctoral Un iversity with a Very High Research Activity status by the Carnegie Classification. According to an email from UA President Stuart R. Bell, the classification is awarded based on research funding, research staff and

the amount of doctoral degrees earned at the University. "Not only is this sta­tus an impressive accomplishment for the Capstone, it also demonstrates our continued commitment to research and scholarship productivity and inno­vation," Bell said in an email sent to the University.

Dr. Jamie R. Riley hired as assistant vice president and dean of students

Beginning Feb. 25, Jamie R. Riley will be the new assistant vice president and dean of students at the University. Riley currently works as the executive direc­tor and chief operating officer of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In a UA News article, David L. Grady, vice president for student life, said alley "has a proven

track record of advocating for students and for encouraging their co-curricalar learning i::xperiences." Before his work at Alpha Phi Alpha, Riley worked in a variety of roles at a many universities across the country, including Johns Hopkins University, the University of California at Berke ley and the University of Georgia, among others.

Magnolia Deck changes parking access

Since Jan. 7, the Magnolia Parking Deck has had new hours and accessibility. According to Barna Parking, the Magnolia Deck gate will remain closed at all times, except for students

, with valid orange residential parking permits. Other valid parking permits will have access to to the deck from 4:30 p.m. through 7 a.m. all days of the week.

UA lnterfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association donate to SAFE Center and R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Fund

University donated $25,000 each to the Tusealoosa SAFE Center and UA's R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Fund. The SAFE Center opened .i:n November and aims to provide medical and forensic support for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in West Alabama counties. R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (Reaching Every Stutfent Possible Ensuring Care and Treatment) was created by the UA Student Government Association to raise awareness and provide more resources for mental health. In a UA News article, Price McGiffert, UA SGA pres ident and member of the SAFE Center board of directors, said one of his goals at the Capstone "has been to strengthen the bond between SGA and the University's administration, city of Tuscaloosa and state of Alabama."

Students vote on Gorgas Library renovations

From Dec. 10 to Dec. 18, students had the option to vote on a variety of features to be renovated in Gorgas Library's bathrooms. The renovations are set to begin in May 2019 and are expected to be completed in two to three years. "Our goal, if funding is available and we can move through the process, is that we'd like to have a renovated building that provides modern, efficient study space for the students and addresses all infrastructure needs of the building as well," said Harriet Deason, director of administrative services for University Libraries, in an article with UA News.

21

Temporary banon projects approved Council moves to delag'large­s1;ale, multifamily structures,

By Jason Morton Staff Writer

A unanimous Tus -caloosa City Council voted Tuesday to halt the approval and advance­ment of large-scale, multifamily structures over public safety and infrastructure concerns.

The council's action , imposes a moratorium,

or temporary ban, on the approval of any project of 200 bedrooms or more at least 90 days.

Before the vote, Mayor Walt Maddox urged the council to support the temporary measures as well as table any upcom­ing vote that would approve developments of this size in order to allow city officials to exam -ine and possibly develop new requirements and regulations regarding the development of large scale, multifamily projects.

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The Tuscaloosa News Wednesday, January 9, 2019

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COUNCIL From Page Al

"As chief executive officer, I worry about our ability to pro­vide services," Maddox said.

"I am very concerned because we do not have answers to very critical questions."

Among those is how recent and proposed developments near Bryant-Denny Stadium will affect water and sewer services as well as public safety demands.

Two projects are set to go before the City Council next week for approval under the city's planned unit development rules and request for additional height and density. If built, these two student-based housing projects would bring more than 780 bedrooms to an area that has already seen almost 2,000 bedrooms added in recent years.

And, should these two new developments - projects called Here! Tuscaloosa and Times Square - be constructed, city officials warned the council that

current infrastructure capacity would not be able to adequately accommodate the additional loads.

City officials estimated up to $1. 5 million in upgrades would be needed to handle the additional water and sewer capacity.

"I don't think it's fair we let the developers build something and then we can't provide the service we should provide," said Councilman Eddie Pugh.

The council did hear an opposing view, though, as Tuscaloosa -based attorney Matthew Q. Tompkins urged the council not to delay those in the pipeline because of the costs potential developers already have incurred. In most cases, thousands of dollars already have been spent before these potential projects arrive at the City Hall approval process.

Tompkins also said it was unfair to suddenly halt the con -

·· sideration of these projects.after developers had invested in their creation. · .,

"I know it seems like a lot fast," said Tompkins, who left the chambers shaking his head

1

The Tuscaloosa News Wednesday, January 9, 2019

after the council's vote, "but to me, there's a lot more positive than negative."

The mayor's recommen­dation is in line with a recent push by Uistrict 4 Councilman Matt Calderone, who wants to hold off on constructing these large-scale, student-based developments to allow for a reexamination of recommenda­tions that were put forth in 2013 by a student housing task force.

Maddox formed the task force to examine the proliferation of large-scale projects that sprung up in the wake of the April 2011 tornado.

Calderone's proposal -though absent on Tuesday, he crafted the first drafts of the moratorium ordinance adopted Tuesday by the City Council - calls for a pause on any con -sideration of applications of large-scale, student-centered, multifamily developments. He has said the timeframe would be indefinite, but his goal is to have a policy drafted within 12 months to address the issues.

The moratorium is expected to become effective Jan. 30 with

the following policy matters under consideration:

• Providing a definition of workforce housing and/ or affordable housing

• Providing a definition of sttdent-oriented housing versus conventional and afford­able housing

, Enhancing infrastructure requirements and projections regarding all developments

, Determining projected on -campus enrollment growth at UA

• Designing additional impact fees to invest in the city's infrastructure

• Defining geographi­cal boundaries where certain exceptions/limitations need to exist

• Defining a density limit • Ensuring integration with

the ongoing comprehensive plan

• Reviewing the recommen­dations from the comprehensive master plan steering committee

Reach Jason Morton at jason. morton@tuscaloosanews. com or 205-722-0200.

23

Birmingham Buisness Journal Friday, January 4, 2019

What lies ahead Alabama manufacturing in 2019

By: Hanno Van Der Bijl

Despite uncertainty over the global economy and trade, experts are confident 2019 will be as good a year as 2018 for Alabama's manu­facturing industry.

This past year saw the state land the top spot in Global Trade Magazine's "Best States for Manufacturing" list.

"We are really hitting on all cylinders in multiple sectors in advanced manufactur­ing with some real momentum across the board in the state," said Steve Sewell, exec­utive vice president at the Economic Devel­opment Partnership of Alabama.

Industry insights Sewell and other economic leaders say the state can expect to see growth in its auto­motive, aerospace, forestry and chemical sectors as well as developments in the tech­nology and innovation scenes in Birming­ham, Huntsville, Montgomery and even Mobile. The textile and apparel industries may continue to lose jobs due to ongoing factors beyond local control, said Ahmad Ijaz, executive director and director of eco­nomic forecasting at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama.

Of particular prominence, of course, is Alabama's automotive industry. Department of Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said there are indicators Alabama has already moved from the No. 5 spot in vehicle pro­duction nationally to No. 4. Once the new Mazda-Toyota plant launches production in

Ahmad Ijaz

late 2020, Canfield said Alabama will likely rank No. 3 if not No. 2 by 2022.

Growth in the industry will be comprised of com­pany expansions as well as new manu­facturers locating in the state for the first

time. Mazda and Toyota's new dual plant will continue to trigger activity in the state's automotive supply chain that will spill over into neighboring states.

Alabama can also expect to see compa­nies relocating their regional headquarters into the state as Aerojet Rocketdyne did in Huntsville.

While GM is idling sedan factories in the U.S., Canfield is confident the same will not happen with original equipment manufac­turers in Alabama.

"They repositioned themselves and are producing vehicles that have pretty robust growth estimates in the North American marketplace," he said. "So, 1 think Alabama's OEMs are going to continue to be well posi­tioned for the next couple of years."

Opportunities and challenges Companies, especially small to medium sized ones, can take advantage of sever­al opportunities, Canfield said. While not finalized yet, the United States-Mexico-Can-

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24

ada Agreement is providing enough stabil­ity to enable companies to make business decisions that are more certain than in the summer. Due to their size, smaller compa­nies can adjust to market conditions in an international trade environment marked by tariffs.

However, despite past success and future opportunity, Alabama will continue to face the same challenges it has with workforce and tariffs.

The rapid growth of the industry in the state coupled with demographic shifts in skilled labor as the older gereration retires have created a shortage of skilled labor. This past year, Alabama punched above its weight adding 10,500 new manufacturing jobs which put it in the same league as tradi­tionally strong manufacturing states such as Washington, Florida, Ohio and New Jersey.

With various programs and initiatives in place, Sewell said the state currently has the strongest workforce development system it has ever had. Nevertheless, he and oth­ers would like to see a stronger connection made with students, teachers and parents to create a clear pathway from school to a career in advanced manufacturing.

"Our regional focus on jobs training and connectivity with education and compa­nies within these regions, I think, is going to pay dividends as long as we continue to execute," Canfield said.

President Donald Trump's spat with Chi­na and other major trading partners over

Birmingham Buisness Journal Friday, January 4, 2019

global trade has created uncertainty for the industry. Canfield said the timing of invest -ments for companies with strong ties to the Chinese may be delayed into early 2019. Companies along the supply chain will sim­ilarly be caught up in the tariffs on steel and aluminum. As trade relations improve, Can­field said we may see companies that had delayed investment move forward with their plans in the second half of the year.

Business leaders hope the disputes over tariffs will be resolved soon, but neverthe­less, manufacturing activity in Alabama remains robust. Sewell said even though a downturn is expected, reports continue to show an increase in sales.

"Some industries and automotive contin­ues to defy what some of the analysts say," he said.

The key here, Canfield said, is consumer demand. If, along with market confidence, it remains high, then Alabama's economy can look to grow even more in the new year.

"If we see some slowdown, it might be because of higher raw material prices and some slowdown in the customer demand and things like that might have an impact on manufacturing," said Ijaz, "but it should do OK in 2019."

As for the prospect of a recession, Can­field said the U.S. will not so much experi­ence a setback in its own economy as much as a slowdown in that of the rest of the world. It won't be until 2020 when the country may see a significant slowdown, said Ijaz.

25

Birmingham Business Journal Friday, January 11, 2019

Work to begin on massive 5 Points project Construction will begin soon on a 17-sto­ry residential tower in the heart of Five Points South.

Minneapolis-based commercial real estate developer The Opus Group said Tuesday it is beginning work on the proj­ect, which was first announced in 2017. It is a joint venture partnership with The McKinney Fund.

Myefski Architects, Auburn-based Rabren General Contractors, and Creative License International are working on the project, which is expected to be complete in fall 2020.

"With assistance from Herschell Ham­ilton of Birmingham-based Bloc Global, this location was strategically selected, as it is an easy, walkable distance to cam­pus and close proximity to all of the great retail, dining and entertainment options in the neighborhood, " said Ben Angelo, senior director, real estate development with Opus Development Co. LLC. "The Five Points South Neighborhood Associ­ation and Five Points Merchant's Group have been incredibly supportive of our project, and we feel the residential build­ing will provide a vibrancy to the com­munity, which has already seen signifi­cant revitalization."

An LLC connected to Opus recent­ly purchased the site at 1001 20th St. S. for $2.65 million. The property has been home to The Break billiards hall that will be demolished to make way for the new mixed-use student housing building.

The new building will include 199 units to accommodate 522 residents.

"We are excit­ed to bring a new living experience to students at UAB and the city of Birmingham," said Angelo. "This project allows us to showcase our dedicated stu­dent housing expertise while fulfilling the evolving demand for student liv­ing in a growing community. "

Information from Opus shows the project will have units rang-ing from studios to four-bedroom layouts and "will feature full-size stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, simulat­ed wood flooring in the common spaces and in-unit washers and dryers ... High­end finishing touches also include solid surface shower surrounds, contemporary plumbing and lighting fixtures through­out and custom furniture."

The project moving forward is a huge momentum booster for Five Points South, which has seen an influx of new tenants and activity in recent years following a wave of closures oflongtime area tenants.

The new student housing tower is just one example of developers looking to meet demand for the growing student

body atUAB. The tower will include secure park­

ing, a fitness center, spa, study rooms and lounges, and an outdoor amenity deck with fitness areas, fire pits and group seating, as well as "stunning panoram­ic views of the city and the surrounding area" from the 17th floor. Other ameni­ties will include a "coffee bar, a club room with pool tables, ping-pong tables and large screen TVs; and an outdoor ameni­ty space with a rooftop pool and grilling stations."

Opus said the building also will be ful­ly access-controlled with key fob entry points, security cameras throughout and onsite property management.

26

HUNTSVILLE

The Birmingham News Friday, January 11, 2019

OUT OF THIS WORLD ATV Polaris building Lunar Rover replica for Apollo 50th

Deborah Storey For AL.com

Polaris Industries of Limestone County makes all-terrain vehicles that travel up and down hills, between trees and across fields.

Some of its workers are now designing the "ultimate" off-road vehicle - a working lunar rover.

For July's 50th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon, Polatis is making a near-exact replica of NASA's Lunar Roving Vehicle. It will cruise through the streets of Huntsville in a parade that is part of a city­wide, months-long celebration that will include speeches, reenactments, a car show and the launch of thousands of model rockets.

In keeping with the qistory of images broadcast from the moon five decades ago, an onboard camera will stream the new rov­er's journey live during the parade.

The frame will be the exact dimensions of the original, explained Bryan Ogle, manager of manufacturing engineering at Polaris Industries. The real rovers were 10 feet 2 inches long and 44 inches high with a 7-foot 6-inch wheel base.

Because certain components for the new model might need to be serviced at a moment's notice, Polaris will be using the company's off-the-shelf parts like the sus­pension, steering and motor. All four wheels will steer, just like the original. Steering will be by joystick, just like the original.

"We'll make it go a little faster than the original" though, Ogle said. The genuine LRVs crawled across the moon's surface at about9mph.

When representatives from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center approached Polaris about making a copy of the rover, company offi­cials considered themselves ·No. 1 in off-road vehicle manufacturing and felt the challenge was well-suited to their capabilities.

"We said, 'Hey, this is the ultimate off­road,"' Ogle said. "It doesn't get any more off­road than the moon."

Pol~lis workers are pulling components from different vehicles they make, includ­ing the drive train, motors, batteries and drive shaft. Other Polaris plants will supply system analysis, steering and electric sys­tems and large 3-D printed components. The Space & Rocket Center is sharing original design information.

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Rover FROMA1

"We warrt it to be made up of everything that represents Polaris. We're looking for components from every one of our vehicles," said Ogle. Those include motorcycles, snow­mobiles, electric vehicles, sport and military vehicles and light duty haulers. Polaris vehi­cles are waterproof and even the inside tub­ing is painted, so this new LRV will be, too. ("You could get a snorkel kit and drive our vehicles underwater," Ogle said.)

"We're going to fabricate .the frame here," he said. "We will weld it out of steel and will laser cut it."

Added features on the 2019 model LRV include a backup camera ahd LED brake . · lights. Modern safety lights are needed for the parade route and elsewhere.

"No one was going to rear-end you on the · moon," said Ogle.

Ogle said Polaris will issue LRV drivers' licenses like the ones NASA-gave the astro­nauts.

The original lunar rover was built to transport astronauts and equipment. The open-space vehicle was powered by two 36-volt batteries. AT-shaped hand control­ler between the two seats operated four drive motors, two steering motors and brakes.

Marshall Space Flight Center assumed responsibility for its design, development and testing in 1969. In April of that year, Dr. Wernher von Braun established a Lunar Roving Task team at Marshall, according to a NASA history o( the program. Boeing was selected for the LRV contract and used facili­ties in Huntsville and Kent, Washington

Size limitations meant the vehicle had to be folded into a 4-foot space in the Lunar Module for Apollo missions 15, 16 and 17. The originals weighed 460 pounds. The Polaris model will weigh more than a thousand and can support two 250-pound riders and a 40-pound payload. The original tires were basically piano wire but the new ones will be

· rubber modified to look like wire wheels. Polaris workers are volunteering their

time to make the modern rover for the Huntsville celebration. Approximately 1,300 people work in the $100-plus million, 910,000-square-foot Polaris plant off Green­brier Road, which openeEi in November 2016. One employee who is leaving Polaris asked if he can come back to work on the LRV proj­ect, Ogle said.

A SECOND MODEL Students at Calhoun Community College

are working on another model of the rover for · the 50th anniversary celebration. A static ver­sion will be displayed at the Space & Rocket Gen(er before being loaned to other facilities.

Nina Bullock, instructor of design draft­ing technology at Calhoun, is overseeing a

The Birmingham News Friday, January 11, 2019

core group of (our students who are working on the project with assistance from nearly SO others at the college.

Student Mark Gordon is project manager. He and fellow students Patrick Costelo, Eliz­abeth Morris and Stephanie Mendoza are coordinating their efforts with Calhoun's aerospace, machine tool technology, qesign engineering and additive manufacturing programs to deliver the standing model to the Rocket Center by mid-December.

Bullock said it is the most ambitious proj­ect that her students have ever tackled. She saw it as a great opportunity. The project required "someone with vision," she said. "Our students had the vision.

"They have been here all summer long. I was seeing them here 20, 30 and 40 hours - they were putting in way more time and effort because they believed in the vision and wanted to see it happen," she said. · "I never expected to be doing a project

like this . It''s incredible," said Gordon. "I never came into a two-year college saying I was going to be building a replica of a lunar rover."

Space & Rocket Center officials are grate­ful for the efforts on both rover replicas.

"It has been a joy to see the collaboration between Polaris, Calhoun and the Rocket Center's wonderful volunteers on the replica of the moon rover and the static model that will be"part of our Apollo exhibit," Dr. Deb­orah Barnhart, CEO of the Rocket Center, said.

"Most of us gearheads learned about engi­neering in our garages with our dads and our friends, and here's today's version with the Mars Generation learning from the Apollo generation. What's more fun than hanging out in the shop and working on cool vehicles?

"There's expertise that can only be learned between generations, and I'm per­sonally so grateful for Calhoun and Polaris' support of our mission."

28

The Tuscaloosa News Friday, January 11, 2019

Two-year system OKs tuition hike Chancellor will receive salary increase

ByEdEnoch Staff Writer

The trustees for Alabama's community colleges on Wednesday approved a 1. 5 percent tuition increase for theacademicyear;,beginning this fall and a pay raise for the system chancellor.

HIKE From Page Bl

colleges to publish the tuition rates the next aca­demic year earlier.

The board also voted unanimously to increase Chancellor Jimmy Baker's

The Alabama Community College System board unani­mously approved the tuition increase, which is expected to generate about $3 mil­lion in revenue to be used by the system's campuses, according to a December presentation.

The base tuition per credit hour for in - state students will increase by $2 to $131 beginning in the fall. The

- average cost of tuition and fees will increase to $150 per credit hour, said spokes­woman Rachel Adams. The tuition increase will not affect Marion Military Institute.

The board approved an 8 percent increase last spring.

The $2 per credit hour increase is part of an annual rate adjustment established by the Alabama Board of

Education, which formerly • oversaw the two-year system, in 2009. Trust­ees must decide annually whether to continue with the scheduled increases.

The system typically votes on adjustments in late spring, but decided to bring the proposal to the board Wednesday to allow

SeeHIKE, B2

annual salary to $333,000 following a recommenda­tion from the personnel committee.

is recommending a salary increase," Trustee Milton Davis said.

contract extension through March 31, 2022. The amended contract is expectedto be presented at ~he board's regular meeting in March for approval, Davis said.

Baker currently makes $296,640. .

"Based on the c)lan­c ellor' s exceptional performance arid t .he board's confidence in him, the personnel committee

Baker's salary increase will take effect Monday. Davis also presented a committee recommen -dation for an extension of Baker's contract.

The committee rec­ommended a two-year

Baker was named chan­cellor in March 2017 after serving as the interim leader of the system.

29

The Birmingham News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

MLK showcase to feature elite talent Tournament at UAH will host four defending state champions

John Ferry preps@al.com

Today's high school basketball players aren't old enou~h to remember when Marvin Stone led Grissom to a state championship in 1999.

Stone was Alabama's Mr. Basketball that season, and he earned All-American honors from. McDonald's and Parade. Stone went on to play collegiately at Kentucky and Louis­ville. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 26 due to an apparent heart attack while playing professionally in Saudi Arabia. ·

"He was a gentle giant," said Ronnie Stapler, the former Grissom and current Westminster Christian head coach. "One of the most unselfish human beings I have ever been around. His mom and dad did a great job with him."

The fifth edition of the Marvin Stone Classic, an eight­game showcase, takes place Monday at UAH's Spragin's Hall in Huntsville. · /

Stapler helped put together the event with his son, Scott, the Huntsville City Schools athletic coordinator.

"We wanted to keep Marvin's legacy alive," Ronnie said. "We could bring teams together that could possibly play in a regional, or who had styles that you might see in a regional."

Admission is $10 for an all-day ticket. The marquee game pits girls defending state champions

Spain Park (Class 7A) against Hazel Green (6A) at 1:30 p.m. The 6A No. I-ranked Trojans are paced by Marisa Snodgrass at 16 points per game, and Farrah Pearson averages 10 points and 10 rebounds.

"Coach (Mike) Chase and I are friends and respect each other highly," Hazel Green coach Tim Miller said. "We want to play the best. They are so well coached and have a struc­tured program."

Spain Park, ranked No. 5 in 7A, features junior Sarah Ash­lee Barker, a Georgia commit who averages 18 points and 9.7 rebounds. Plus, there is senior Ahrielle Parks, who averages 13.3 points.

"Two years ago we lost in overtime for the state champi­onship," Spain Park coach Mike Chase said. "Last year we won it. This year we have played championship-caliber bas-

MARVIN STONE CLASSIC SCHEDULE

Girls: SA No. 3 Madison Academy vs. Huntsville, 9 a.m. Girls: 6A No. 1 Hazel Green vs. 7 A No. 5 Spain Park, 1:30 p.m.

Boys: Madison Academy vs. Athens, 10:30 a.m. Boys: Hazel Green vs. 3A No. 2 Westminster Christian, noon

ketball." T}:le other girls game features two-time defending 4A

state champ Madison Academy taking on Huntsvifle at 9 a.m. The Mustangs, ranked third in SA, feature a trio of future Division I players: Destinee McGhee (Arkansas), Jas­min Gracie (UAB)and Jaden Langford (Samford). Huntsville post player Emily Bowman counts Vanderbilt and Ole Miss among her offers.

The day's final game, Mae Jemison's boys against James Clemens at 7:30 p.m., features a pair of ranked teams -the Jaguars are No. 5 in 6A, while the Jets are No. 7 in 7A.

Mae Jemison won the Huntsville City Classic to cap 2018. The Jaguars are led by guard Brandon Nicholas, who is averaging 16 p_oints after playing in Tennessee last season. Tony Toney averages 14 points for the Jaguars.

"The kids have bought into wanting to play fast and being excellent defensively," Jemison coach Howard Pride said. "Our defense has definitely led to offense, and we play hard every night."

James Clemens is led by Alabama A&M signee Garrett Hicks at 19.2 points per game, and A.J. McGinnis at 15.2. James Clemens enjoyed a memorable 2018 Marvin Stone Classic appearance, beating 7A then,top~ranked Huffman 78-67.

This year's field also features a pair of boys No. I-ranked ' teams in 3A Plainview and lA Decatur Heritage.

Defending 3A state champion Plainview faces 7A Bob Jones at 3 p.m.

"We try and put our kids in situations to prepare for the postseason," said Plainview coach Robi Coker, whose team averages 12 made three-pointers.

The Bears are led by seniors Koby Tinker at 20.4 points per game, and Caden Millican at 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest. Plainview usually plays eight guards in a game, Coker said.

Decatur Heritage faces 7A Huntsville at 6 p.m. The Eagles' lineup features Lee (Tennessee) signee Noah Boler at forward/center and talented guard Gian Carlo Valdez.

. Boys: Bob Jones vs. 3A No.1 Plainview, 3 p.m. Boys: Grissom vs. Bessemer City, 4:30 p.m. Boys: Huntsville vs. lA No. l Decatur Heritage, 6 p.m. Boys: 6A No. 5 Mae Jemison vs. 7 A No. 7 James Clemens, 7:30 p.m.

30

The Tuscaloosa News Thursday, January 17, 2019

Alabama celebrates 25th anniversary of 1994 Final Four women's basketball team By Becky Hopf Special to The Tuscaloosa News

Toeywere a team filled with talent and fueled by grief.

It was a potent combination, one that led to the University of Alabama's most glorious moment on the basketball court.

In 1994, the Crimson Tide women's basketball team made history when, after finishing fourth in the Southeastern Conference with a 7-4 regular season league record, it defied the odds by making an NCAA

tournament run all the way to the Final Four and came up four points short of.playing in the national championship game.

The run, said Madonna Thompson, was nothing short · of remarkable. And sne would know. In 21 seasons as head coach at Shelton State Com -munity College, her Lady Buccaneers are perenhial national contenders. She's coached her teams fo three consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association

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SEASON FromPageCl

Final Fours, including last season, a year in which Shel­ton State finished with a 36-1 record, its only loss coming in theNJCAAFinalFour-bytwo points - in overtime.

"To be that successful," Thompson said of the 1994 UA team of which she was the start­ing point guard, "you have to havetherightpeopletogetherat the right time to do something like that. It is so difficult, of all the teams in the nation, to get downtothelastfourt.eams. You havetohavetherightamountof talent, the right personalities, the right leadership, the right coaches. So much plays into it, things like being healthy. There are just so many factors that go into a team surviving, and advancing, that long. 11

;

The team was led by Rick Moody, then in his fifth season as Alabama's head coach. By his third season, 1991-92, he had Alabama playing in the NCAA tournament, the first in a string of eight straight NCAA postsea­son trips.

He came into the Alabama job after coaching the Gun­tersville High School boys basketball team to the Alabama High School Athletic Associa­tion's state tournament, though it wasn't his first time to coach on the Alabama women's staff. He was an assistant to Ken Weeks from 1982-84. When Moody took the head coaching job, his fulltime assistants were Sherri Smelser and Dottie Kelso, a Lewisburg, Tennesseem, native who played guard/for­ward for the Crimson Tide two seasons, in 1983 and 1984.

It was Kelso who played a major role - in absentia - on the success and drive of the 1994 team.

"Coach Kelso was a straight­forward and caring person, 11

The Tuscaloosa News Thursday, January 17, 2019

said Yolanda Watkins Smith, Alabama's dominating All-SEC forward. "She demanded us to perform to the best of our abil­ity in the classroom and on the court. Coach Kelso was a very talented motivator. 11

Watkins could have gone anywhere to play college ball, including crossing over the state line and playing for Pat Summit and the dynasty the University of Tennessee commanded in women's basketball. Watkins was the Naismith National Player of the Year her senior season at Decatur High School. She chose Alabama.

"Coach Kelso was very influ­ential in my decision to attend the University of Alabama. She was previously a coach and teacher at Decatur High School when I was in middle school. She requested me to come to the highschoolandpracticewiththe varsity team. By the time I was in high school, she was a coach at a college in Tennessee and started as an assistant at Alabama when I was in the 10th grade. She started following my career again. Our bond became closer. Ihadtomakeadecisionbetween the University of Tennessee and the University of Alabama. I chose Alabama because of her. 11

Kelso was immensely popu­lar among all the players, the coaching staff - which also included assistant Leigh Walker from 1991-95 - and generally anyone who met her.

So, whenshediedsuddenlyin the early fall of1993, the impact, the grief, was immense.

"She exemplified a true defi­nition of a role model;'' said Watkins who now lives in Vir­ginia where she works with individuals with intellectual dis­abilities. "Her sudden death was a very hard pill to swallow. We all loved her dearly. The season was dedicated to her, and we went through our season with a chip on our shoulder. We played andfoughthardseekingawayto fulfill the void in our hearts. 11

Moody had practice T-shirts

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made with the slogan "Ona Mis­sion." The mission was to win, or at least always do their best, as a tribute to Kelso.

And they did. Alabama opened its NCAA tournament play at home with a 96-86 win against Oregon State. Then it was on to Iowa where Alabama upset the Hawkeyes, 94-78, a win that sent the team to Austin, Texas, and the NCAA Midwest Regional and Sweet 16.

With then Texas governor Ann Richards sitting on press row to cheer on Texas Tech, the Crimson Tide shocked and dusted off the defending national champions, 73-68, and then, in the Elite 8, Penn State, 96-82, to advance to the university's first, and only, bas~ ketball appearance - women's or men's - in the Final Four.

"Our team bonded in a way beyond description," said Moody. "There was a unity and a commitment to bring honor to her life and to the Kelso family that was deeper than anything I , experienced.Weallbelievedin each other, players. in players, coaches in coaches. We were not going to be defeated. It was, in many ways, a God thing. Some would call it destiny,. and I'm OK with that. All I know is that it was special, and I'm proud to have been blessed with that opportunity."

That Alabama possessed major talent also played a pivotal role. Thestartersincludedguard Niesa Johnson, who earned her first ofback-to-backKodakAll­American honors that season, making history as Alabama's first women's basketball All­American. Johnson, who went onto play in the WNBAand was on the USA junior national team, lit up the floor, playing with a dynamic style that brought the fans to their feet.

And there was Betsy Harris who, during her UA career, made2733-pointshots.Shewas named the Midwest Regional MVP.

The players included

Sharonna Alexander- Reaves (now an assistant at Tennessee), Camellia Crenshaw Redmond, Cara Crosslin, Consuelo Daniels Saxton (an assistant at Georgia Highlands College), Shondra Fuller, Leah Monteith Nelson, Harris, Johnson, Carla Koonce Russell, Sarah Smith Kelley, Marlene Stevenson, Thompson, Monique Walls, Watkins Smith and Aycan Yeniley.

"Our team was special because of the chemistry we had," said Harris, who is head coach at Florida'Southem Col­lege. "We enjoyed playing together and we focused on the same objective, and that was to getto the Final Four. We chose that goal for Coach K. When a team has great chemistry and plays for something greater than themselves, special moments happen and goals can be met.

"There's no doubt that my teammates from that team hold a special place in my heart. We achieved something special together for someone we cared for and loved. That's some­thing you don't forget 11:or do you forget who you 'fought side-by-side with every game. We were not going to be denied our mission."

. Making their way to Rich­mond, Virginia, and the Final Four took a rocky first step. Followingthe Midwest Regional win, the team boarded its small charter plane to head back from Austin to Tuscaloosa. It was PaJmSrinday, thesamedaythat deadlytomadoesripped through the state of Alabama. The flight home was beyond bumpy, with so much turbulence that more than half of the players and staff's insides also experienced turbulence, prompting one of the players, upon the plane finally landing in Tuscaloosa, to shout from the back of the plane, "Coach Moody, can we please drive to Richmond?"

The Final Four was on Easter weekend, and the Tide's booster club placed Easter baskets filled with candy in each of the

The Tuscaloosa News Thursday, January 17, 2019

player's seats on the charter to Richmond. Turns out, that was the only real treat of the weekend.

Alabama played Louisiana Tech in the national semifinal and battled throughout, placing itself in contention to win. But at halftime, a freak accident, a cut that required seven stitches to Johnson's hand, spelled doom. She couldn't shoot. Alabama lost totheLadyTechsters, 69-66.

"Initially, it hurt and we were upset," said Thompson of comingsoclosetoplayingforthe title. "It was a game we should have won. We should have beat Louisiana Tech. We should have played for a national champi­onship. Of course we were all upset, thinking maybe this, maybe that - but, on the other hand, just being in the Final Four for basketball is a huge accom­plishment. So much emphasis is put on the road to the Final Four - on getting there and being in the top four. So, we were upset we didn't win, but we were also very proud to be the only team at Alabama that has ever made it to the Final Four. It's a very special place to be among the last four standing."

Alabama finished the season 26-7 overall.

The players and staff remain close, 25 years later. They will gather together this weekend, guests of UA women's bas­ketball coach Kristy Curry and the athletics department, for a dinner on Saturday at a local restaurant. On Sunday, the team will be introduced and honored at Alabama's 1 p.m. home game against LSU.

"Special cannot really be used to descnoe this group," said Moody. "When I see what these women are doing today, their families, their occupations and impact on the lives of others, it's easy to realize why we were able to do something so special. Their values and commitment

, to one another were even larger than their athleticism and skill levels."

33

The Tuscaloosa News Thursday, January 17, 2019

Lupoi leaving Alaba1nafor NFL UA defensive coordinator named defensive line coach for Cleveland Browns

By Ben Jones Sports Writer

Alabama defensive coor­dinator Tosh Lupoi will join the Cleveland Browns staff, The Tuscaloosa News has

LUPOI FromPageC1

at Maryland. Wide receivers coach Josh Gattis was named Michigan's offensive coordi­nator, and quarterbacks coach Dan Enos was named Miami's offensive coordinator. Offen­sive line coach Brent Key joined the Georgia Tech staff.

Lupoi was widely regarded as Alabama's top recruiter on staff during the last four years.

confirmed. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman was the first to report that he would become the Browns defensive line coach. ·

Lupoi had just finished his first season as the Crimson Title's defensive coordinator. He had been on the Alabama staff since 2014 and became a full-time assistant working with the outside linebackers

He was ranked among the top IO recruiters nationally by 247Sports in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and was the No. !recruiter nationally for the class·of'-2019.

Alabama's defense finished the2018ranked16thnationally in yards per game (319.5) and 12th nationally in points per game(18.1). ThelowestAlabama hadrankedinscoringsince2007 was seventh nationally before this season. The lowest it had been ranked in total defense in a season was 12th in that time.

The Crimson Tide won an SEC championship but lost the

in 2015. Losing Lupoi means Ala­

bama is replacing at least five of its assistant coaches frora the 2018 staff and both its offensive and defen..: sive coordinators for the second straight season. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley became head coach

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national championship44-16 to Clemson, the largest margin of defeat for the program in a game under Nick Saban.

Lupoi's contract paid him $1.1 million in salary this season. Locksley was the only Alabama assistant to make more, receiv­ing $1.2 million in salary. Inside linebackers coach Pete Gold­ing, in his first year on staff, held the title of co-defensive coordinator.

Former Alabama quarterback Freddie Kitchens was named head coach of the Browns ear­lier this week.

34

The Tuscaloosa News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Big day· f~r Tide signees at ASWA ceremony By Joey Chandler Sports Writer

MONTGOMERY - Ala­bama signees swept the Class 7A awards at the Alabama Sports Writers Association Mr. Football Banquet on Tuesday afternoon.

Thompson quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the , younger brother of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, was named the Class 7 A Back of the Year and Hewitt­Trussville offensive lineman Pierce Quick was named the Class 7 A Lineman of the Year. Both players are repeat winners and early enrollees.

"It was a huge honor," Quick said. "It is an honor just to be in here with all these guys. There were a ton of incredible athletes that are going to do in incred­ible things in college and it's awesome to be in the same room with all those guys."

Tagovailoa was unable to attend the event. He is in Hawaii preparing for Sat­urday's Polynesian Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

Tagovailoa helped lead Thompson to a state runner­up finish. Hethrewfor3,684 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Pickens Countyjunior Jab­Marien Latham, an Alabama commitment at defensive tackle, was named Class 1A Lineman of the Year and closedhis acceptance speech with a "Roll Tide."

Latham helped lead the Tornadoes (9-5)tothe semi­finals. He had 75 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.

"It feels good. I have been working all year just to make it there and once I knew I was nominated, it felt like all the hard work i am putting in is really paying off now," he said.

Pinson V alleytJ,uarterback Box Nix, an Auburn signee, was named the state's Mr. Football, presented by Cadence Bank. Tagovailoa finished second in the voting and Quick was seventh. Nix threw for 3,496 yards and 48 touchdowns and ran for six scores to lead the Indi­ans (13-1) to their second

Thompson's 'GW&a lagovailoa. an Alabama signee, was named the Class 7 A Back of the Year on Wednesday. [STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.]

consecutive state champi­onship. He is also an early enrollee. .

Theluncheon,sponsored by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association, was held at the Renaissance Montgomery & Spa at the Convention Center.

Reach Joey Chandler at joey. chandler@tuscaloosanews. com or at 205-722-02i3.

35

• The Birmingham News

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

10

Michael Casagrande mcasagrande@al.com

The Saturday night reports linking Steve Sarkisian and the open Alabama offensive coordinator job drew immediate and impassioned responses.

For as long as he has been in coaching, Sarkisian has been a lightning rod. Opinions overflow from his time at USC and the substance abuse that led to a mid-season firing, to his brief time in Tuscaloosa and a much-criticized run as the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator.

Now 44, Sarkisian is in need of another coaching rebirth at the same time Alabama's responding to a week of set­backs. Though in line for the Crimson Tide's offensive coor­dinator job, Dan Enos opted to take the same job at Miami on Friday. He was the third offensive assistant to leave in the days after a stunning 44-16 loss to Clemson in the national title game.

All of that led to the Saturday night reports that Sarkisian was in Alabama interviewing for the job he once held for a single game. And the reactions came fast, and they weren't exactly positive.

What's behind those expressions of doubt and, conversely, the case for Sarkisian getting another shot at Alabama? We'll take a look at that here.

~--

PRO: THE TUA TAGOVAILOA CONNECTION? By now, everyone is on board with Alabama's returning

starter at quarterback. Sarkisian, however, was an early · adopter. As USC's head coach, he was the first to offer Tua Tagovailoa a scholarship. ·

Lane Kiffin even told ESPN last year he thought Tagov­ailoa had been silently committed to the Trojans early in the process. He visited the Los Angeles campus in March 2015 after Sarkisian's first season with the program.

A lot has been made about the connection formed between coach and quarterback in that recruiting process. Tagovailoa addressed that in a January 2017 interview with AL.com at the US Army All-American game.

. '~For me, there really wasn't much of a (individual) rela­tionship (as a younger recruit)," Tagovailoa said immedi­ately before enrolling at Alabama in 2017.

"Coach Sarkisian was the first to offer me. He was the first head coach to offer me. I believe that was my sopho­more year. He started a relationship with my dad and it went from there."

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At the time, Tagovailoa was under the impression Sarki­sian's offense would be fairly different from Kiffin's in 2016. He said he already got the playbook and noticed differences. Of course, Sarkisian didn't coach beyond that title-game loss to Clemson after taking the Falcons job.

CON: HE WAS FIRED BY THE FALCONS The considerable crossover between Alabama and

Falcons fans keep this one fresh. Sarkisian was hired in Atlanta after just a month as the Tide's offensive coor­dinator charged with taking over an offense with all the tools.

Atlanta was coming off that historic Super Bowl collapse against the Patriots but returned the core of the NFL's best offense. It led the league scoring 33.8 points a game in that Super Bowl run quarterbacked by MVP Matt Ryan with a toolbox littered with All-Pros.

When things regressed in Year 1 under Sarkisian, there was a chorus of critics. The Falcons' scoring slipped more than 12 points a game to a 21.1-point average. The red-zone failures came to the forefront for a team that ranked eighth a year earlier converting 65 percent of trip into touchdowns to No. 23 with just a 49 percent success rate.

Still, the Falcons made the playoffs with a 10-6 record and won a playoff game at the Los Angeles Rams.

A 1-5 start to this season only furthered the calls for Sark­isian's firing until a three-game winning streak averaged 32 Falcons points per game. The five-game losing streak the fol­lowed saw Atlanta score in the 20s just once. No playoffs and by December, no more Sarkisian.

The failure to keep the offense explosive with Jones, rookie Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu catching Ryan passes was too much and Sarkisian was out on New Year's Eve.

That high-profile flop and proximity to Alabama didn't leave his name in great standing locally.

PRO: BETTER FIT WITH SABAN, PLAYERS SEEMED TO LIKE HIM

Kiffin, before leaving for FAU, joked with reporters about the coaching dynamic between him and Saban and how Sarkisian fits in.

"The best way I would describe that without details would be I think his personality will work a little bit bet­ter than mine with coach Saban," Kiffin said, according to a December 2016 ESPN story. 'Tm not saying it's bad with him it all. I would say Sark manages people better than I do."

Alabama players had good things to say about Sarki­sian's practice routine in the lead up to the 2017 title game. Then-Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley said everything was "faster and smoother" with Sarkisian running the show after Kiffin's early exit to FAU.

"He's real cool," Ridley said in early January 2017. "He's real cool. I mean, he runs around with us, drill to drill. He's always thanking us - thank you, thank you - when we're working hard and running our routes full speed. It's always good to have somebody in your ear like that, building your confidence, when you work hard."

As a recruit, quarterback Mac Jones said he enjoyed his interaction with Sarkisian.

"It almost seemed like I wasn't talking to a coach," Jones said in a 2017 interview with AL.com. "It was pretty cool to get to know him like that."

CON: IS HE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION? That's all relative considering the last two offensive coor­

dinators moved on after one year in the job. Kiffin was the second-longest tenured in the Saban era at

three seasons. Sarkisian jumped to the NFL after one game as offensive coordinator in 2017. Are there assurances that wouldn't happen again?

The 2019 Alabama offense has all the hype, which will likely lead to a mass exodus of junior talent with rising juniors already receiving NFL hype. Continuity would prob-

The Birmingham News Wednesday, January 16, 2019

ably be important in 2020 with an incumbent offensive coor-dinator and the need to rebuild things. ·

BOTTOM LINE With reports of Sarkisian's potential hiring hot on the _web

Saturday night, I posted a quick yes-or-no ?oil on Twitter about his return. The immediate response with overwhelm­ingly negative with 80 percent of the first 200 or so votes firmly in the no-category of the highly unscientific poll.

Over time, the chilly initial response thawed to a degr~e. It ended with 66 percent disliking the idea of Round 2 with Sark and 34 percent approving. .

If Saban thinks it's a good idea, who were they to quest10n it was the theme of write-in responses after the early anger. The track record of hiring offensive coordinators has been pretty good, outside of maybe Major Applewhite in 2007 and Doug Nussmeier in 2012.

You can debate both sides of the argument about the success of Sarkisian's one game in the Alabama test tube against Clemson. Alabama lost 35-3_1 and the number of three"and-out possessions late contributed to the exhaus­tion of a defense worn down by Deshaun Watson and Co. It's also hard to imagine a more challenging situation to inhe~it last second from Kiffin with a true freshman quarterback m JalenHurts

So far there's nothing official and little noise coming from the prog'ram after the initial reports Satu:day night. .

No matter which way it goes, there will be more discus­sion compared to the last two offensive coordi~ator hin~s. Neither.Brian Daboll nor Mike Locksley had a h!story qmte like Sarkisian when handed the keys to Alabama s offense.

With three offensive coaches already departing, this hire will be especially critical considering how last season ended and the promise this group seems to have for 2019. .

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Ala­bama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter@ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

37

The Tuscaloosa News Saturday, January 12, 2019

UA's QB coach heading to Miami

Dan Enos will be Hurricanes' new offensive coordinator

ByTerrin Waack Sports Writer

Alabama quarterbacks coach Dan Enos will be Miami's new offensive coordinator, Hurri­canes head coach Manny Diaz announced Friday in a news release. He spent just one season with the Crimson Tide and helped the team finish 14-1. · With Enos' departure, Ala­bama will have to replace at least four of its full-time 'offensive assistants from 2018. Offensive coordina­,tor Mike Locksley is already Maryland's new head coach. 1bff ensive line coach Brent Key

is headed to Georgia Tech for the same role. And co-offen­sive coordinator Josh Gattis is now the offensive coordinator at Michigan.

"I couldn't be more excited to join a program as rich in tradition as the University of Miami," Enos said in the news

/ release. "Coach Diaz has a clear

vision for this program as we move forward and it's an honor to help build the Hur­ricanes in his image. This was an opportunity I felt I couldn't pass up.

"I also want to express my sincere appreciation to Nick Sabanand the Alabama program for giving me the opportunity to coach there this pa'st season. I learned so much during my time there

and I will always be grateful." Enos originally received a

three-year deal with Alabama. He received $200,000 for the 2018 season.

That number was supposed to increase to $250,000 in 2019 and $875,000 in 2020 as his buyout from Arkansas decreased.

Enos worked directly with quarterbacks Tua Tago­vailoa, Jalen Hurts and Mac JonesatAlabarna.Tagovailoa won the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year, in addition to being the Heisman Trophy runner-up. He completed 245 of his 355 (69 percent) for program­high 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns.

See ENOS, C4

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38

ENOS FromPageC1

Alabama finished the season with the No. 6 passing offense in the nation. It averaged 323.6 yards through the air per game. It scored a nation -high 52 passing touchdowns.

"Dan was my primary target for our offensive coordinator position from the outset and I'm thrilled that he's no~ a Miami Hurricane," Diaz said in the news release. "Dan is one of the niost innovative play-callers in college football and he not only has a remarkable track record of coaching quarterbacks, but also developing players for the NFL at numerous posi­tions. His experience as a head coach will al'so pro­vide invaluable insight to our entire program."

Before Alabama, Enos spent the last three seasons as offensive coor­dinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas. Enos was briefly hired to be

wide receivers coach at Michigan after the 2017 season, but didn't coach a game for the Wolverines.

Arkansas' offense was second in the confer­ence in scoring and yards in 2015, averaging 35.9 points and 465. 5 yards per game. The Razorbacks fell to eighth in the confer­ence in yards and offense in 2016, then were eighth in scoring and ninth in yardage in 2017. Arkan­sas reached bowl games in Enos' first two seasons before falling to 4-8 this season.

Enos was head coach at Central Michigan from 2010-2014. He went 26-36 in those five seasons with two bowl games.

Enos began his coaching career as a graduate assis­tant at Michigan State under George Perles. He worked there from 1991-93. Enos was a quar­terback at Michigan State from 1987-91. Saban was defensive coordinator for the Spartans in 1987, Enos' freshman season.

He spent most of his early coaching career in the upper midwest and

The Tuscaloosa News Saturday, January 12, 2019

Great Lakes region. His first full-time coaching position was at Division III Lakeland University in Wisconsin, where he was offensive coordina­tor, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach in 1994-95. He moved on to Division II Northern Michigan in 1996, where he was offensive coordi­nator and running backs coach. He was quarter­backs coach and receivers at FCS Southern Illinois in 1997-98. He was offen­sive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at FCS Missouri State in 1999.

His first FBS coach­ing job came at Western Michigan, where he was quarterbacks coach from 2000-02. After a year at Division II North Dakota State in 2003, he joined Mark Dantonio's staff at Cincinnati.

He spent 2004 and 2005 there before returning to Michigan State as quar­terbacks coach in 2006. Dantonio kept Enos on as running backs coach from 2007-09 when he arrived a year later.

Miami will be Enos' 12th school.

39

The Tuscaloosa News Friday, January 11, 2019

UA's Gattis hired at Mi~higan Leaving Tide after one season to be offensive coordinator for Wolverines

By Ben Jones Sports Writer

Alabama co-offensive coordinator Josh Gattis was named offensive coordinator at Michigan on Thursday. The school announced his hiring with a news release.

Gattis is leaving Alabama after one season spent with the Crimson Tide's wide receivers. He succeeded Mike Locksley, who became the

dedicated offensive coordina -tor for the 2018 season.

Gattis posted a message on his Twitter account on Thurs­day afternoon.

" It has been an honor to coach at the University of Ala -bama under Coach Saban," he wrote. "Thank you to Coach Saban, Athletic Director Gregy Byrne and the rest of our first-class administration, the assistant coaches and their families, the Crimson Tide fans, and certainly to all of our players. In particular, I want to express the deep appre­ciation I have for my wide receivers. I am thankful for

your dedication and the trust we developed in each other durirlg our time together.

"I hold you guys in the high­est regard and I love each and every one of you. Our relation -ships are not coming to an end and hopefully the impact of our experiences together will be felt long after today. The entire experience at the Uni­versity of Alabama has been incredibly rewarding and ful­filling - it made me a better coach and a better man, and for that I am forever grateful. Roll Tide!"

SeeGATilS, C4 Alabama co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Josh Gattis has been hired as the offensive coordinator at Michigan. [FILE PHOTO]

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40

GATTIS FromPageC1

Alabama's wide receiv­ers posted strong numbers across the board in 2018 as sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa broke several schoolpassingrecords.Four different wide receivers had at least 40 catches and at least 6ooyards.

Sophomore Jerry Jeudy led the way with 68 catches for 1,315 yards and14 touchdowns while winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver. True fresh­man Jaylen Waddle finished the year with45 catches for 848 yards and seven touch­downs. Only Julio Jones, Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley had better numbers as Alabama frishmen.

Sophomore Henry Ruggs III posted 46 catches for 741 yards and 11 scores, and De Vonta Smith had 42 catches for 693 yards and six touchdowns.

Prior to coaching at Ala­bama, Gattis had been an assistant at Penn State for four seasons and at Vander­bilt for two seasons. Michigan would be his first offensive coordinator job. He made $525,000 at Alabama last season.

Georgia Tech coach

The Tuscaloosa News Friday, January 11, 2019

Geoff Collins confirmed on Thursday that he was hirbig Alabama offensive line coach Brent Key to the same posf­tion, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Key spent three seasons as offep.­sive line coach in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama's offensive line was named a finalist for U,.e Joe Moore Award, given to the nation's best offensive line, all three seasons he was; in Tuscaloosa. He helped coaih second-round draft pick Cam Robinson and sixth rounder Bradley Bozeman. Junior left tackle Jonah Williams is pro­jected as a first-round pick should he forego his senior year, leading a handful-Of candidates to be drafted from Alabama's offensive line this

'c

season. The Crimson Tide offense

ranked No. 15 in scoring in 2016 and 2017 and No:·:3 nationally this year. It ranked 34th, 29thandsixthinyara­age during his three seasoi:is in Tuscaloosa. Key had ma,de $490,oooatAlabamain2oi8.

Their departure means Ala..,. bama will be replacing at least three of its full-time assis­tants from 2018. Locksley had previously been named he~ coach at Maryland. Alabama coach Nick Saban hired six new coaches before the 2018 season to the on-field staff. :

Reach Ben Jones at ben@nde'.'" sports.com or 205-722-019{,:

41

ALABAMA FOOTBALL

Swinney set Tide up as the perfect villains

9 JosephGoodman f , jgoodman@al.com {

· ~ ' Brent Venables cot'ildn't , .. :, . .,, · , , stop talking about all of

Alabama's talent. Leading up to Monday's smack\down

of the Crimson Tide's offense, Clemson's defensive coordinator lobbed one efiusive compliment after another toward thiiTide. It was almost embarrassing all the'praise Venables was giving Alabama for its embar-rassment ofriches. · .'

How was Clemson planning to defend Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa? Venables had no idea.

The Birmingham News Friday, January 11, 2019

"He's got the best players on the planet around him at every position, and they're two and three deep," Venables said. "They get whoever they want, and they've got them all on their roster right now.

"They probably have offered maybe 15 percent of the guys that are on our team, and on our side of the ball on defense."

All that sandbagging was by design, of course. After Clemson's 44-16 victory in the 2019 College Football Playoff, there are now, officially, two great dynasties in college foo~ball heading into the offsea­son.

The images and personas Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney have crafted for their programs couldn't be more different, though. There is Alabama, built like a machine, and made perfect by elite recruit­ing and "the process," and there is Clem­son, the plucky, folksy dynastastic under-do~. •

"They hand-pick the b.est of tire best in the United States, and they get most of them," Venables continued b'efore his defense shut out Alabama in the sec­ond half. "(Our players) know how it went in the recruiting process, but we'll try to hang in there - our guys, having been here arid competed against them, again, they're the best of the best. They're the benchmark. They're the standard in col­lege football.

"It's all well deserved, and, again. we're going to have to play really, really well to have a chance to win."

This is exactly how Swinney wants it.

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42

Goodman FROMB1

Swinney turned Alabama into one of the greatest movie villains of all time the night before the national championship game. All season long, Swinney preached the recurring motivational mantra, "Eye of the Tiger." Clemson lacked that edge last year, Dabo convinced his team, but this season was different. This season, Clemson had the "eye of the tiger."

Then on the eve of the national champi­onship, Clemson's coach gathered his team for the big, inspiring grand finale of the sea-,. son-long theme. Dabo made his team watch Rocky III.

This isn't a joke. The night before Clem­son 44, Alabama 16, the Tigers watched Rocky III, and Clemson receiver Hunter Renfrow called it one of the "biggest" rea­sons for the victory.

"All year, we talked about the 'Eye of the Tiger,' and that's something Coach Swin­ney loves to talk about," Renfrow said. "But I really sensed it, They didn't have that look about them, and we did. And just like last year, we didn't have that look about us. But just like in Rocky III when Clubber Lang went out and knocked out Rocky, he went back and got that eye of the tiger back, and came back the next time they fought and won. So it was fun to kind of emulate that."

Yes, that's right. Dabo turned Alabama into Clubber Lang.

Clubber Lang, of course, is the cultur­ally famous antagonist of the movie played by Mr. T. You don't have to know anything about Rocky III to know Clubber's most famous line from the movie: "I pity the fool."

Dabo motivates his team differently than Saban. Saban, for example, invited Kobe Bryant to visit Alabama before the season and talk preparation to the Tide. Dabo prepared his team with Rocky III.

The Alabama Clubber Langs knocked Clemson out last year, defeating the Tigers 24-6 in the semifinals. The Clemson Rocky Balboas got their rematch and had ... the eye of the tiger.

The Birmingham News Friday, January 11, 2019

"It was awesome," Clemson defensive end Austin Bryant said. "I had never seen Rocky III. To finally see it, that was cool. Coach Swinney thought that would be a good way for us to end our season, and I guess it kind of helped .... We knew somebody was going to have to knock somebody out. It wasn't going to go 15 rounds, so we were the team that had to knock them out.

"They're a really good team, and we're a really good team. So as competitors we always love playing them, because they're going to bring their best, and we're going to bring our best, and it's going to be two heavyweights fighting."

Clemson and Alabama have played every year for the last four years of the College Football Playoff. the playoff series is tied 2-2, although Clemson is 2-1 against Alabama in national championship games. The postsea­son rivalry between the powerhouses now dominates the sport.

Next season shouldn't be a·ny different. Alabama returns most of its offensive tal­

ent, including Tagovailoa, running back Najee Harris and receivers DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and Jaylen Waddle. Clemson quarterback Trevor Law­rence and receiver Justyn Ross will be soph­omores next year. Running back Travis Eti­enne will be a junior.

"With the receivers coming back, Tra­vis coming back, tight ends coming back, offensive line coming back, defense," Ren­frow said, "it's going to be fun to sit back next year, and watch from the outside. Last year we were hoping to kind of change the nar­rative of college football, and beat Alabama, but it's only fitting to be able to do it tonight, and the way we did."

Renfrow, who caught the winning touch­down against Alabama in the 2016 champi­onship, said he might return next season as a graduate assistant just to be close to the team.

"No, I'm just kidding," he said. Clubber Lang will be relieved to hear it.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Ala­bama Media Group. He's on Twitter@Joe­GoodmanJr.

43

The New York Times Sunday, January 13, 2019

At Struggling Rural ·Colleges, No Future for_ History Degrees

By MITCH SMITH STEVENS POINT, Wis.

Chancellor Bernie . Patterson's message to his campus was blunt: To remain solvent and relevant, his 125-year-old university needed to reinvent itself.

Some longstanding liberal arts · degrees, including those iri hi~.: tory, French and German, would be eliminated. Career-focused programs would become a key in­vestment. Tenured faculty mem­bers could lose their jobs. The Uni­versity of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Dr. Patterson explained in a memo, could "no longer be all things to all people."

Dr. Patterson's plan came as Stevens Point ·and many other public universities in rural Amer­ica face a crisis. Such colleges have served as anchors for their regions, educating generations of residents.

Now student enrollment has pli.lmrneted, money from states has dropp¢d and demographic trends promise even worse days ahead.

Universities like Stevens Point are experiencing the opposite of what is happening at some of the nation's most selective schools, like Harvard, Northwestern and

the University of California, Berkeley, where floods of applica­tions have led to overwhelming numbers of rejected students.

But critics say that in trying to carve out a sustainable path for Stevens Point- and build a model for other struggling, regionally fo­cused universities - administra-

Continued on Page 20

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44

The New York Times Sunday, January 13, 2019

At Struggling Rural Colleges, No Future for History and French Degrees From Pagel

tors are risking the very essence of a four-year college experience.

"Part of the fear is, is this an at­tempt to really kind of radically change the identity of this institu­tion?" asked Jennifer Collins, a political-science professor, who wondered aloud whether Stevens Point would become a "pre-pro­fessional, more polytechnic type of university."

Kim Mueller, 21, a senior who hopes to become a history teacher at a Wisconsin high school, said her first reaction to the proposal was : "What is a university with­out a history major? "

Nestled in a city of 26,000 resi­dents in the middle of the state, Stevens Point has seen its for­tunes rise and fall with its region.

Enrollment surges at elite schools, but has dwindled elsewhere.

Founded more than a century ago to train teachers, and distin­guished by Old Main, an 1894 building with a famous cupola that overlooks the campus, the college grew as people moved to the ar­ea's paper mills and farms.

The college became a pathway to the middle class, a respected place to get a bachelor's degree without spending too much money or moving too far from home. By the 1970s, it had strengthened its liberal arts pro­grams and joined the state univer• sity system.

But in recent decades, troubling signs cropped up. Young families left rural Wisconsin for Madison and Milwaukee, which had their own University of Wisconsin cam• puses. Fewer students graduated from high school in the area around Stevens Point, including a 14 percent drop in its home county from 2012 to 2016. And under for­mer Gov. Scott Walker, a Republi­can whose term ended Monday, state funding declined and a man• datory tuition freeze made it hard for the college to make up the dif­ference.

By last spring, the university, which has about 7,700 students, was looking at a two.year deficit of about $4.5 million. The state, which had provided half the uni-

versity's budget in the 1970s, was now covering only 17 percent of it.

"Sometimes, I liken it to climate change," said Greg Summers, the provost, who helped come up with the plan to remake Stevens Point. "The higher-ed climate has changed profoundly and it's nol going back to the old normal."

The turmoil is not unique to Stevens Point, where nearly half the students are the first genera­tion in their family to attend col• lege. [n large parts of the Midwest and Northeast, public universities far from urban centers are hurting for students and money. And they are facing painful choices.

Almost four hours from Chi­cago, Western Illinois University eliminated dozens of vacant fac. ulty positions last year and an­nounced it would lay off 24 profes­sors, including some with tenure.

In Maine, the state university system folded a small campus into its flagship and merged some functions at two other remote campuses.

And in Vermont, where state funding for higher education is among the lowest in the country, officials consolidated two small public colleges into a single uni­versity to try to save about $2 mil· lion a year.

"We tried to look ahead and take action before we were not able to help ourselves," said Jeb Spaulding, the chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System, whose colleges are also pushing apprenticeship and nondegree programs in hopes of attracting more students.

The locations of college cam­puses can be a reflection of a by­gone America. Most universities were founded generations ago, when rural communities were thriving and when traveling across a state to a larger urban campus was more complicated. As people moved toward cities and the Sun Belt, and as cars and planes connected the country, many rural universities have fall· en on hard times.

"There is and ought to be a bit of a scramble to redefine and resitu• ate themselves," said David Tand· berg, a vice president for the State Higher Education Executive Offi­cers Association. "There 's noth· ing they can do about birthrates. That's something they have no control about. So it's opening up different markets and offering dif­ferent services."

The same trends that have led to cuts at rural public colleges, which often struggle but almost

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PHOTOCRAPHS BY TIM CRUSER FOR THE NEW YORI< TIMES

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, facing declining enrollment and revenue, is weighing major changes to its degree programs, especially in the liberal arts. Chancello r Bernie Patterson, above right, explained in a memo that the school could "no longer be all things to all people."

never close, have forced some pri­vate colleges out of business, in­cluding Dana College in Nebraska and St. Catharine College in Ken­tucky. Some historically black in­stitutions, both public and private, have also faced financial and en­rollment challenges. South Car­olina State University fended off threats of closing in recent years and has st ruggled to recruit stu­dents to its rural campus. Wilber­force University, a private histori• cally black institution in Ohio, has faced accreditation questions and budget deficits.

All the while, flagship public

campuses in many states, includ• ing Wisconsin, have remained vi• brant. Those universities often have much larger endowments and the ability to recruit high-per­forming students from across the country, insulating them some­what from funding crises.

"Budget cuts will give the flag­ship university a cold and the re• gional public colleges pneumo­nia;' said Thomas Harnisch of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

At Stevens Point, where flash­ing signs announce the next hockey game and low-slung build-

ings sit near evergreens, adminis· trators are trying to make up for increasingly elusive freshmen.

Their solutions : Recruit more midcareer adults to enroll in pro­grams such as nursing. Promote majors such as business and edu• cation with clear career paths. And invest in teaching people spe• cialties with local appeal - forest­ry or fisheries management - on a campus with a 280•acre nature conservancy that doubles as an outdoor laboratory for natural re· sources students.

In the coming months, after a fi. nal round of campus review, Dr.

Pa i :ercwn will preSP.nt a liSL l)f l)ro­posed changes to thl~ Univ~•s rty o( 'N\sccinsin regents. Dr. Summers, the provo!=it , said that by r.iak ing hard decisions now and "doing fewer things bl.!tter," th~ univer­sity could find a more stable fu. ture.

The proposal was especially bit­ter for liberal arts profes.sors, who

• have viewed their disciplines as the backbone of the college expe­rience but now f~ar losing their jobs. Stevens Point administra­tors have winnowed an inittal list of majors to eliminate (English and political science were among those spared), but some faculty members said they remained queasy, uncertain about what ad­ditional changes the future will bring.

"l'm afraid it's done a great deal of damage to the university 's rep-­utation with current high school students and current high school teachers," said Lee Willis, the chairman of Stevens Point's his• tory department, who said there was already stiff competition for students with the University of Wisconsin's other four.year cam· puses, five of which are within 115 miles of Stevens Point.

"The fear,'' Dr. Willis said , "is that we're going to get into a death spiral that we won't be able to pull out of."

Across the campus, where the mascot is the Pointer, a dog, and the school colors, purple and gold, adorn sweatshirts and signs, there has been skepticism and anxiety.

"lf you want a career.focused program, r think then you could look at a community college or tech school,'' said Madeline Abbat­acola, a senior studying history and wildlife ecology. Universities like hers, she added, "have a dif­ferent lane."

Last spring, students held a protest on the campus sundial. In the fall, some professors signed a letter seeking the replacement of university leaders, and some pro­fessors are applying for jobs else­where. And even those like Dona Warren, a longtime philosophy professor who did not take a posi­tion on Dr. Patterson's plan, said they believed the campus was at an inflection point.

"Everyone is just scared to death about the bottom line," Dr. Warren said. "The suspense mov• ie music has reached its crescen• do, and either something's going to jump out from the corners or something really good is going to happen."

45

The New York Times Saturday, January 12, 2019

Shaken by Scandals, Cancer Institution Restricts Ties to Industry

Memorial Sloan Kettering Can­cer Center, one of the world's lead­ing research institutions, an­nounced on Friday that it would bar its top executives from serv­ing on corporate boards of drug and health care companies that, in some cases, had paid them hun­dreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Hospital officials also told the center's staff that the executive board had made permanent a se­ries of reforms designed to limit the ways in which its top execu­tives and leading researchers could profit from work developed at Memorial Sloan Kettering, a nonprofit with a broad social mis­sion that admits about 23,500 can­cer patients each year.

The conflicts at Memorial Sloan Kettering, unearthed by The New York Times and ProPublica, have had a ripple effect on other lead­ing cancer institutions across the country. Dana-Farber Cancer In­stitute in Boston and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, both of whose executives sit on corporate boards, are among the institutions reconsidering their policies on fi­nancial ties.

!n the wake of reports about board memberships held by Me' morial Sloan Kettering officials last fall , Dr. Craig B. Thompson, the hospital's chief executive, re­signed in October from the board of Merc.k. The company, which makes the blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda, had paid him about $300,000 in 2017 for his service.

The announcement on Friday was one of several steps the can­cer center said it was considering as part of an institutionwide over~ haul of its corporate relationships and conflict-of-interest policies. The cancer center has hired De­loitte as well as two law firms, Ropes & Gray and Debevoise & Plimpton, to help conduct its re­views.

Debra Berns, the center's chief Dr. Baselga resigned days later, risk officer, also said in an email to and he also stepped down from employees that the hospital's the boards of the drugmaker Bris­Board of Overseers and Managers tol-Myers Squibb and Varian formalized a policy enacted last , Medical Systems, a radiation fall that prohibits board members equipment manufacturer. Earlier from investing in start-up compa- this month, Astrazeneca an­nies that Memorial Sloan Ketter- nounced that it had hired Dr. Ba­ing helped to found. In addition, it selga to run its new oncology unit. also prevents hospital employees Additional reports detailed how who represent Memorial Sloan other top officials had cultivated Kettering on corporate boards lucrative relationships with for­from accepting personal compen- profit companies, including an ar­sation, like equity stakes or stock tificial intelligence start-up, options, from the companies. Paige.AI, that was founded by a

Dr. Walid Gellad, director of the member of M~morial Sloan Ket­Center for Pharmaceutical Policy tering's executive board, the chair and Prescribing at the University of the pathology department and of Pittsburgh, called the pplicy the head of a research lab. The changes a "watershed moment." hospital struck an exclusive deal

"This is highly significant, espe- with the company to license im­cially at such a high-profile aca- ages of 25 million patient tissue demic center," Dr. Gellad said in slides that had been collected over an email. "Leadership matters, decades. and the institution has decided Another article detailed how a that their leaders should not also hospital vice president was given be concurrently leading for-profit . a stake of nearly $1.4 million in a health companies." ,1ewly public company as com-

When doctors enter into finan- pensation for representing Me­cial relationships with companies, morial Sloan Kettering on its the concern is that these ties can board. shape the way studies are de- When news of Dr. Baselga's dis­signed and medications are pre- , closure lapses first became public, scribed to patiehts, potentially al- 12 doctors and researchers at the lowing bias to influence medical hospital served on the boards of practice. A 2014 study in JAMA publicly traded companies. The found that about 40 percent of the number has now dropped to nine. largest publicly traded drug com~ On Oct. l, some doctors at the panies had a leader of an academ- hospital called for a no-confidence ic medical center on their boards. vote in Dr. Thompson's leadership

Ms. Berns said the Memorial and questioned whether the in­Sloan Kettering board's policy de- dustry relationships were jeopar­cision was intended to emphasize dizing the hospital's mission. the hospital's focus on education, No such vote was taken, but a resecl!"ch and treatment of pa- day later, Dr. Thompson stepped tients. Dr. Nadeem R. Abu-Rus- down from the boards of Merck tum, who is president of Memorial and Charles River Laboratories, Sloan Kettering's medical staff, which assists in early drug devel-said the policy changes were opment. · "well-received" by employees. The hospital task force is ex-

Memorial Sloan Kettering has pected to release draft recommen­been shaken by the unfolding se- dations in February and will so­ries. of conflicts of interest since licit feedback from employees, September, when The Times and • ProPublica reported that its chief medical officer, Dr. Jose Baselga, had failed to disclose millions of dollars in payments from drug and health care companies in doz-ens of articles in medical journals.

Ms. Berns said in the memo re­leased Friday. The review is also expected to examine faculty membership on corporate boards, participation on compariies' sci­entiiji: advisory boards, and doc­tors' and researchers' consulting relationships with drug and health care companies.

Memorial Sloan Kettering will also host a symposium in Febru­ary on disclosing conflicts of inter­est in medical journals, in what Ms. Berns described as "a first step toward developing a common framework that harmonizes fi­nancial disclosures in research publications."

Ms. Berns delivered details of the review at a medical staff meet­ing Friday morning that was also attended by Dr. Lisa DeAngelis, the hospital's acting physician-in­chief. During the meeting, Dr. DeAngelis sought to reassure em­ployees that hospital leaders were taking their concerns seriously while also defending the hospital's reputation as a world-renowned cancer center, according to ac­counts of the meeting.

At one point, according to the accounts, Dr. DeAngelis celebrat­ed recent good news for the insti­tution, including the Food and Drug Administration's approval of a new cancer drug, Vitravki, de­veloped at the hospital.

She also cited internal research that she said showed Memorial Sloan Kettering's treatment of the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ba­der Ginsburg had received pos­itive press that overshadowed the recent conflict-of-interest cover­age.

Justice Ginsburg is recovering from cancer surgery on her lung that was performed at the center. The Supreme Court announced on Friday that she was still recover­ing and would not be on the bench next week, but that there was no evidence of any more cancer.

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