A local news outlet is reporting Governor Kay Ivey has appointed Alabama State University President Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr. along with three others to the Public Service Commission. Ivey said in part, “For Alabama to remain the best state in which to live, work and raise a family, we need good people serving in public office, including on our Public Service Commission.” Others include Ron Burgess, a retired three-star Army general, Fred Johnson a telecommunications expert and Demarcus Joiner, Maynard Nexsen associate. The group will join PSC President Cynthia Lee Almond beginning in January of 2027.
WSFA is reporting an overnight ruling by a federal bankruptcy judge has denied Jackson Hospital’s request for preliminary injunction. That means the courts will not enforce Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama to pay higher reimbursement rates to Jackson Hospital. Officials at Jackson say if an agreement isn’t reached with BCBS of Alabama before June 25, 2026, the hospital will start steps to closing. At the start of Tuesday’s City Council meeting Montgomery Mayor Steven L Reed urged citizens that the city is doing all it can to keep the hospital from closing. BCBS of Alabama issued a statement saying in part, “we very much want Jackson Hospital to remain open and continue providing care to patients, and we remain hopeful that a solution can be found.”
This Friday, the state of Alabama will celebrate Juneteenth. Last year Gov. Kay Ivey officially signed the holiday into the state calendar. The holiday will honor black culture and commemorate freedom. In Montgomery, all four EJI’s Legacy Sites will be open to visitors free of charge from 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., B.B. Kings Blues Club will start festivities Thursday, June 18th through June 21st, and a Juneteenth Cookout will take place at the Square in downtown Montgomery. Organizer, Kendrick Johnson says the cookout invites participants to bring lawn chairs, blankets and good vibes starting at 1 p.m. Juneteenth marks the official emancipation of more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865.