The Lodge at Gulf State Park built for toughest storms
A $140 million seaside hotel and conference center at Gulf State Park will open Friday to plenty of pageantry and remarks about how it’s a “crown jewel” that will lure more tourists to the Alabama beaches. But perhaps overshadowing the celebrations will be the fact that The Lodge at Gulf State Park, which includes a 350-room Hilton Hotel, is the first commercially built structure along the Gulf of Mexico to receive one of the highest designations for fortification against storms. – AL.com
Auburn University opens educational complex in Gulf Shores
Auburn University launched a new educational complex in Gulf Shores Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the facility. The 24,000-square-foot Auburn University Educational Complex will offer veterinary care, aviation instruction, research administration and Alabama Extension support for that region, providing the community access to Auburn’s pioneering research and faculty. – News release
Two candidates pursue dream of being lieutenant governor
The two candidates seeking to fill the vacant office of lieutenant governor say they want to use the position — which has limited official powers — to drive the political conversation in Alabama. Republican state Rep. Will Ainsworth of Guntersville and Democratic minister Will Boyd of Florence are vying for the job that has been vacant since April 2017, when then-Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey succeeded Robert Bentley as governor. Bentley stepped down amid an impeachment push. – AP
Colombia calls Drummond officials to testify on paramilitaries
Eight current and former officials of Birmingham coal producer Drummond Co. were called last week to testify before Colombian investigators about allegations the company supported far-right paramilitary death squads, a source from the attorney general’s office said on Tuesday. Prosecutors have investigated allegations for more than a decade that Drummond financed paramilitary groups involved in the 2001 assassination of two union leaders in northern Colombia. Drummond and company officials were exonerated by U.S. courts in the case. – Reuters
Shhhhh! Here’s your cheat sheet on Amendment 4
Amendment 4 would change when the state can have special elections to fill a vacancy in the state legislature. Supporters said it could save Alabama thousands of taxpayer dollars. “Then you are taking enormous sums, sometimes millions of dollars out of the general fund budget for special elections,” said Rosemary Elebash, the National Federation of
Independent Business state director. Amendment 4 says in part if there is a vacancy in the state legislature 14 months before the general election, it will stay vacant until then. – WAFF
Ford, VW may partner on producing EV platform
Auto industry observers say Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen would be an ideal marriage as the two carmakers engage in serious discussions about a potential partnership with unlimited potential. “Something big is brewing,” said John McElroy, Autoline.tv host and longtime industry analyst. – USA Today
Polaris Industries beats analysts’ expectations
Polaris Industries issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.64 billion. – Market Watch
Vulcan Materials throws gravel on Wall Street expectations
Vulcan Materials Co. on Tuesday reported third-quarter net income of $179.2 million. The Birmingham-based company said it had profit of $1.34 per share.
Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and to account for discontinued operations, came to $1.40 per share. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations.
The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.36 per share. – AP