Latest news with #Allbright
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Heath Allbright wins GOP nomination in HD 11 special election
House District 11 candidate Heath Allbright. Allbright won the GOP nomination for the House District 11 special election and will face Democrat Alex Braswell on Aug. 26. (courtesy of Allbright) Heath Allbright, a businessman and former Cullman County Board of Education member, won the Republican nomination Tuesday for the House District 11 special election. Voters in Cullman and Blount counties chose Allbright, 39, over 60-year-old military veteran Don Fallin. As of 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, Allbright received 1,909 votes (54.3%), while Fallin got 1,609 votes (45.7%) in unofficial election results. The vote was very close in Cullman County, Allbright got 50.4% with Falling getting 49.6%. Allbright sealed his victory by taking 71.1% of Blount County's votes. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Allbright announced his victory via social media. 'I am deeply honored by the trust voters in District 11 have placed in me,' Allbright said in a press release. 'I'm ready to fight for our families, schools, and businesses, ensuring our community thrives while preserving the values that make Blount and Cullman Counties home.' A message seeking comment from Allbright was left Tuesday evening. Allbright campaigned on conservative Christian values and supporting local education. He said in an interview on May 1 that he supports the CHOOSE and RAISE acts because they bring local control to parents. According to campaign finance records, Allbright raised $118,000 and spent $62,185. The Alabama House Majority Political Action Committee (PAC) donated $5,000 to Allbright's campaign, as well as many other PACs. A message seeking comment from Fallin was left Tuesday night. Allbright will still face Democratic candidate Alex Braswell on Aug. 26. Braswell, a 30-year-old American Sign Language interpreter, said Tuesday night she looks forward to a clean, concise general election in August. 'I wish Heath the best going forward,' she said. 'I won't say no to any debates until the election.' The seat became open after former Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview, resigned in February to take a job with Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman. The district is solidly Republican. Shedd, who won the seat in a special election in 2013, never faced opposition in any subsequent general election. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A voter's guide to the House District 11 special primary election
Don Fallin (left) and Heath Allbright, Republican candidates for the House District 11 special primary. (photos courtesy of candidates/graphic by Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Republican voters in Cullman and Blount counties go to the polls Tuesday to elect a GOP nominee for the House District 11 special election. Heath Allbright, a 39-year-old business man and former member of the Cullman County Board of Education, will compete against Don Fallin, a 60-year-old military veteran. The district covers part of Cullman and Blount counties. When do polls open? Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Where do I find my polling place? The Alabama Secretary of State's website allows you to check voter registration and the location of your polling place. You can find it here. What do I need to vote? Voters must present a valid photo ID before voting. Valid forms of ID include: Alabama driver's license (not expired or expired less than 60 days) Alabama Law Enforcement Agency digital driver's license Alabama Non-Driver ID (not expired or expired less than 60 days) Alabama Photo Voter ID card State-issued ID (Alabama or any other state) Federal-issued ID U.S. Passport Employee ID from the federal government; state of Alabama; county; municipality, board or other entity of Alabama Student or employee ID from a public or private post-secondary educational institution in Alabama or other states (including colleges, universities, postgraduate technical and professional schools) Digital student or employee ID from a public or private post-secondary educational institution in Alabama or other states (including colleges, universities, postgraduate technical and professional schools) Military ID Tribal ID Where is the district located? The district covers part of Cullman and Blount counties, including Snead, Oneota, Hanceville and Blountsville. How did the seat become vacant? The seat became vacant after former Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview, resigned on Feb. 17 to be Senate Pro Tem Garland Gudger's director of constituent affairs. Does the seat have a partisan lean? District 11 is solidly Republican. Shedd, who won the seat in a 2013 special election, never faced opposition in any subsequent general election. What issues dominate the race? SB 322, sponsored by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, was signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on May 7. The bill allows the City of Cullman to annex a resort in Cullman County, a dry county, in order for the resort to serve alcohol. Allbright opposes the legislation. Allbright said the timing of the legislation was poor. Cullman County currently does not have representation in the House after Shedd resigned in February and former Rep. Corey Harbison, a Republican, resigned in April after not being present for most of the session. Allbright said he wants more local control of education and said the CHOOSE Act is as local as it gets. He also supports the RAISE Act on the same principle. Fallin declined to comment on any election-related issues. What happens after today? The Republican with the most votes will face Democratic candidate Alex Brasswell, a 30-year-old American Sign Language interpreter, in the special general election on Aug. 26. If a candidate does not receive 50% of the vote, a runoff primary election will be held on June 10. Will the results alter control of the Legislature? No. Republicans currently hold 74 of the 105 seats in the lower chamber and 26 of the 35 seats in the upper chamber. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cullman, Blount county Republicans to choose nominee for Alabama House district
Left to right: Don Fallin, Alex Braswell and Heath Allbright qualified for the HD 11 special election. The primary between Fallin and Allbright will be on May 13, and the general between that winner and Braswell will be on Aug. 26. (photos courtesy of candidates/graphic by Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Republican voters in Cullman and Blount counties will choose between two GOP candidates in the special primary election Tuesday. Heath Allbright, a 39-year-old business man and former member of the Cullman County Board of Education, has raised about $60,000 for his campaign, according to campaign finance records. His top donor is the Progress Political Action Committee (PAC), the fundraising arm of the Business Council of Alabama, which donated $7,500. Allbright said in an interview last week that he has gotten a lot of positive responses in his campaign. 'I know it takes money to run campaigns, and I was happy to get some support from some associations that I'm a part of,' Allbright said. Allbright said he values conservative christian family values, funding local schools and tax cuts for small businesses. 'A lot of these go a whole lot deeper than just what they sound like on the surface,' Allbright said. Don Fallin, a 60-year-old veteran, declined to comment Wednesday morning on anything related to the election until after the primary on Tuesday, if he wins. According to campaign finance records, Fallin has raised $30,000, most of which come from individual contributors. The Alabama Veterans PAC donated $5,000. The winner of the primary will face Democratic nominee Alex Braswell in a general election on Aug. 26. Allbright accuses Fallin Allbright accused Fallin on Sunday of attacking his character through campaign advertising. A mailer that Allbright said was sent to voters in District 11 that says Allbright was 'hand picked' by Montgomery. According to Allbright's campaign finance records, the Alabama House Majority Party PAC donated $5,000 to his campaign. 'As many of you have seen, my opponent has resorted to negative attacks on myself, my family and my character,' Allbright said in a video posted to his campaign Facebook page. 'I just wanted to let you guys know I am not going to engage in this type of behavior because that is not what a true leader does.' Allbright said the 1776 PAC funded the mailers. The PAC donated $2,150 in-kind for advertising to the Fallin campaign, according to campaign finance records. Fallin declined to comment on anything election related on Wednesday. Braswell said she has not received the mail, nor can she find anybody in the district that has. Allbright did not respond to a request for a copy of the mail on Monday. 'I have called this district from top to bottom and cannot find a single person who has actually received one of these,' she wrote in a text Monday night. The lone Democratic candidate Although the primary election does not matter for Braswell with no challenger, she said she has enjoyed running a 'blue dot campaign' and meeting people throughout the district that support her. 'I'm enjoying getting to meet new people and meeting new supporters every day,' the 35-year-old said in a phone interview last week. Braswell has raised about $4,000 for her campaign, most of which come from individual contributors, according to campaign finance records. As her campaign has evolved, so have her priorities. While disability rights are still important to her, she is shifting her concentration on the topic to making sure the definition of special needs within the CHOOSE Act aligns with federal guidelines. 'The fights of the disabled are still facing disruption in my community with the CHOOSE Act for special needs children to qualify,' the American Sign Language interpreter said. She also is prioritizing helping the 'middle man' in Alabama's tax structure. 'The middle man is not exactly meant to succeed here, and the low class families really bear a lot of the Alabama state tax burden here in the state,' she said. She also wants to increase access to mental health care and substance abuse care. 'Making sure that our mental health centers have the funding they need and aren't turning people away because their insurance isn't accepted there because of their inability to pay,' she said. Local legislation SB 322, sponsored by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, received final passage on May 1. The bill allows the City of Cullman to annex a resort in Cullman County, a dry county, in order for the resort to serve alcohol. Allbright and Brasswell oppose the legislation. Allbright said the timing of the legislation was poor. 'What I was against is the timing that all of that happened. The people that were giving me pressure, there's not a representative from our district down there right now to tell them what was going on, other than Senator (Garlan) Gudger, (R-Cullman)' Allbright said. Cullman County currently does not have representation in the House. Former Rep. Randall Shedd, a Republican, resigned in February to work for Gudger, the Senate President Pro Tem, opening the seat up. Rep. Corey Harbison, a Republican, resigned in April after not being present for most of the session. Brasswell said the bill should have been scrapped because there are no Cullman voices in the House. 'I think having economic development out on Smith Lake is a great opportunity for my county to have more jobs,' she said. 'But that bill should have gone through the people.' The legislation passed 74-0 with 25 abstentions. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey to be signed into law. RAISE and CHOOSE Acts Allbright said he wants more local control of education and said the CHOOSE Act is as local as it gets. 'I'm all about more control at a local level, and if that's able to go all the way down to the parents so that they can make the choice for their for their kids, then I'm a fan,' he said He also supports the RAISE Act on the same principle. Brasswell said that education should be accessible to everybody. Although she is skeptical of the CHOOSE Act expansion, she said $7,000 is not enough for private school tuition anyway. 'Education should be equally accessible, period. That's why public schools are here,' she said. 'And I feel like the money that we're putting back in our community in these tax credits through the CHOOSE Act, we should be putting back into our public schools that can accommodate everyone across the board.' For public education, Braswell said the RAISE Act is a step in the right direction, but wants to monitor it to make sure rural schools are benefiting from the program. 'I just want to make sure that the funding is being distributed into our community, to make sure equal access is given to everyone, no matter their families, economic status, what language they speak, what disability they have,' she said. How to vote District 11 voters can choose between Allbright and Fallin for the Republican nomination on Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Polling locations can be found here. Meet the Candidates Age: 39 Residence: Holly Pond Occupation: Farmer/Business owner Education: Associates degree, Agricultural Science, Snead State Community College, 2005 Party: Republican Previous political experience: Cullman County Board of Education 2016-2024 Age: 60 Residence: Cullman Occupation: Redstone Technologies Executive Director of International Programs, U.S. Army Veteran Education: U.S. Military Academy at West Point, 1988; M.S., Troy University; M.S., National Defense University Party: Republican Previous political experience: First-time candidate Age: 35 Residence: Cullman Occupation: American Sign Language interpreter Education: B.S. American Sign Language, Troy University, 2023 Party: Democrat Previous political experience: First-time candidate
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Angelo Coliseum renamed ahead of 2025 rodeo season
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The 2025 San Angelo Rodeo is less than a month away, but eagle-eyed San Angelo residents may have noticed in recent months that the town's coliseum has undergone a name change. Here's why — and what the venue's new name is. A representative of the City of San Angelo confirmed with Concho Valley Homepage that the San Angelo Coliseum was officially renamed the CRC Roofers Coliseum effective March 1 after an agreement was reached between the City and the titular business. According to documentation for the naming rights agreement, CRC Roofers is to pay $40,000 in exchange for the naming rights, which can be paid in annual installments of $20,000 while the agreement is in effect. Kirk Allbright, co-owner of CRC Roofers, said the decision is one of many steps the company is taking toward immersing the business in San Angelo's culture and events while also promoting its services. 'We felt like it was a great opportunity to be a part of the rodeo, part of the city and Comic-Con, and everything else that goes on at the coliseum,' Allbright said. 'We have an opportunity to bless the community and share within the community, and at the same time, it's a great opportunity for us to advertise.' San Angelo cowboys to compete in The American Rodeo The new naming agreement comes after the agreement between Foster Communications and the City that named the venue the Foster Communications Coliseum expired. Carl White, director of the City's Parks & Recreation Department, said that the previous agreement expired in December 2024. The term of the new agreement will last until Feb. 28, 2027. Also outlined in the documentation is that 'there will be three … options to extend' the term 'for one year with the same terms,' which Allbright said CRC Roofers hopes to capitalize on. 'We want to maintain those rights as long as they'll have us and as long as it's available to us,' Allbright said. As stated in the documentation, CRC Roofers will have 'exclusive rights to procure, design, and construct signage changing the Coliseum name for all uses,' including several instances of signage already present at the coliseum. The 'approval of initial design and infrastructure requirements concerning signage … as well as any subsequent proposed modifications' are 'subject to City's approval at City's sole discretion,' however. Allbright said that several changes have already been made, including new interior lettering and a logo found near the entrance to the facility. Other changes are in the works, such as updates to the traffic signs giving directions to the coliseum that are found throughout the town. 'Hopefully as different events happen at the coliseum … maybe our logo will be put on brochures,' Allbright said. Allbright stated that CRC Roofers was established in San Angelo and has operated for nine years. The company primarily offers residential roofing services. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
