Tag Archives: Alabama

Gasoline prices spike as Colonial begins bypass around damaged line

Out of fuel signs are pictured on gas pumps at a Mapco gas station at Spence Lane and Lebanon Pike in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

By David Gaffen

(Reuters) – Retail gasoline prices surged due to continuing problems with Colonial Pipeline Co’s gasoline line that carries fuel to the U.S. East Coast, as the company started to construct a bypass line around the leak.

Colonial said on Saturday evening that it would construct a bypass that circumvents the leak, which occurred more than a week ago in Shelby County, Alabama. It is unclear when construction will be completed but the company has previously said it anticipates reopening the line, which can carry up to 1.2 million barrels of gasoline a day, later this week.

The volume of the spill is estimated to be between 6,000 and 8,000 barrels.

The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in Georgia rose to $2.26 as of Sunday morning, according motorists’ advocacy group AAA, up more than six cents overnight and more than 15 cents in a week. Prices were up 4 cents in North Carolina to $2.136 and 4 cents in South Carolina to $2.011.

Local media reports have shown gasoline lines forming across the U.S. Southeast due to the shutdown and analysts believe that retail prices could be affected for more than two weeks. New York gasoline futures are up 9 percent in the past week, and rose 0.68 percent to $1.4715 a gallon after the market opened for trading at 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday (0000 GMT Monday).

Colonial shut its main gasoline and distillate lines that run from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast on Sept. 9 after the leak was discovered. The damaged Line 1 can carry 1.2 million barrels of gasoline per day and runs from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina.

Several states in the Southeast have issued emergency orders waiving certain rules that restrict transport of fuel by road in order to keep filling stations stocked with fuel. It is unclear how quickly the pipeline will be fixed.

“I don’t take much solace in Colonial’s updates,” said Patrick DeHaan, a petroleum analyst who writes a blog called Gas Buddy.

He said prices are moving up roughly one-tenth of 1 cent every hour and that it could take several weeks before prices return to normal.

A Colonial spokeswoman had no immediate response to DeHaan’s assertion.

However, James Williams of WTRG in London, Arkansas, said the projected timeline for restart is possible, even with testing required by federal authorities. He also said consumers’ tendencies to top off their tanks when this type of news hits is not necessarily cause for alarm, either.

“The shortage appears greater because people are filling up more often so you are certain there is a shortage because there are lines at the station but on average they are only purchasing the quarter of a tank of gas instead of three-quarters,” he said.

DeHaan said prices at non-branded chains were rising more quickly than those with larger, branded operations, because larger regional gasoline companies have the ability to tap supply more quickly.

Coming into this week, U.S. East Coast inventories of total motor gasoline, which includes blending components, was higher seasonally than in the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Energy Department.

(Reporting By David Gaffen and Dan Freed in New York; Editing by Bill Trott)

Tornadoes kill three in the South, more possible along East Coast

Tornadoes killed at least three people and damaged dozens of homes and businesses as a powerful storm system swept through the Gulf Coast on Tuesday evening, officials said.

More tornadoes were possible along the East Coast today, the National Weather Service warned, saying parts of Virginia and North Carolina had the highest chance of seeing extreme weather.

The service’s Storm Prediction Center received 31 reports of tornadoes in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and the Florida panhandle on Tuesday. Some of those reports may reference the same tornado, as several counties had multiple damage summaries listed.

The National Weather Service said one person was killed when a tornado destroyed a mobile home near Purvis, Mississippi. The St. James (Louisiana) Parish’s official Facebook page added that a tornado hit a mobile home park in Convent, killing two people and sending 30 to the hospital with injuries. The storm also damaged about 100 RVs and trailers there, officials wrote.

Elsewhere in Louisiana, the National Weather Service’s reports indicate tornadoes caused “significant damage” to a gym in Ascension Parish and “widespread structural damage” to homes and businesses in St. John the Baptist Parish. There were also several reports of winds knocking down trees and power lines, and one mention of a 120 mph gust near Mandeville.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency in seven parishes.

“I ask all Louisianans to pray for the victims of the terrible storms that touched down in Louisiana today and especially at the Sugar Hill RV Park in Convent,” he said in a statement.

Governors in Alabama and Mississippi also declared states of emergency ahead of the storms.

The National Weather Service is expecting strong-to-severe thunderstorms from New York to Florida on Wednesday, but said severe weather was most likely to hit northeast North Carolina and southeast Virginia. The service said there was a “moderate risk” of severe thunderstorms in those areas, the second-highest level on a five-tier system, and tornadoes were a possibility.

The service issued several flash flood watches and wind advisories throughout the mid-Atlantic and southeast. Residents in the storm’s path are encouraged to monitor their local forecasts.

Alabama County Hit With 16th Quake In Eight Months

A small Alabama county has experienced its 16th earthquake in just eight months.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck Greene County, Alabama around 1:44 a.m. The quake centered 12 miles northwest of Eutaw at a depth of 3.1 miles.

The county is the least populated county in the state.  There has been a cluster of quakes in the Northwest portion of the county.

“We do know that clusters of earthquakes occur from time to time as part of normal seismic activity in our dynamic planet,” Sandy Ebersole of the Geological Survey of Alabama said to AL.com.  “These clusters often go unnoticed, but are of interest to those studying geology and seismology as they can teach us more about fault movement, subsurface structures, and stress in the crust.

“These earthquake clusters or swarms are very rarely followed by a large magnitude earthquake.”

Monday’s quake was the strongest since November 2014.

Student Takes Podium During Medical Emergency And Leads Prayer

An Alabama high school student rushed to the podium at graduation as a medical emergency was taking place and lead the entire crowd in a prayer.

Christian Crawford, the senior class president, said that he felt led to pray.

“Everybody, can I have your attention real quick?” he said. “We don’t know what’s going on, but we will pray. We know that prayer is power, and that God is able. Let’s pray.”

“Father God, we thank you for this day, Lord. We pray right now that whatever is going on, you will fix it, God,” he prayed. “We pray that you will heal it, God. We pray that you will redeem it, God. We pray that you will deliver it, God, because we know that you are a God who knows how to make a way.”

“And in the name of Jesus, we declare and decree in the name of Jesus that whatever is going on shall be fixed, because you are a God who is a fixer,” Crawford continued. “You are a God who is a healer. Jehovah God, Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-shiloh. Fix it, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

The prayer was met with cheers and applause by the audience.

The video of the prayer has gone viral with over 274,000 views.

“People tell me all the time, ‘Oh, you’re famous now. You’re famous now.’ And I’m like, ‘No, I’m not famous. God is famous,’” Crawford stated. “If God’s famous, being exalted because of what I prayed about, then that means I’m doing what I was supposed to do.”

“Everything I do is to God be the glory. If God is not getting the glory out of this, then all of this is in vain, and I don’t want it to be in vain,” he said.

Five Year Old Reflects Jesus At Alabama Waffle House

The faith of a child was on clear display at an Alabama Waffle House when a five-year-old boy made sure a hungry man could eat.

Josiah Duncan was eating the Waffle House in Prattville, Alabama with his mother Ava Faulk when he noticed a homeless man outside the restaurant.  He asked his mom about the man.

“He’s homeless,” the little boy’s mother explained. “What does that mean?” he responded. “And I said, “”Well, that means he doesn’t have a home,”” Mom continued. And apparently, the unnamed man didn’t have any friends to lean on, either.

“He came in and sat down, and nobody really waited on him,” Faulk explained. “So Josiah jumped up and asked him if he needed a menu because you can’t order without one.”

The restaurant brought the man a full meal.  However, before he could eat, Josiah made sure something happened.

“I wanted to say the blessing with him,” Duncan said.

And he did in front of the other customers and the Waffle House staff.

“God our Father, God our Father, we thank you, we thank you, for our many blessings, for our many blessings, Amen, Amen.”

Evolution Supporters Oppose Bill That Encourages Review Of Scientific Theories

Evolutionists are up in arms over a bill in the Alabama legislature that would allow students to learn the “strengths and weaknesses” of scientific theories.

The evolutionists claim it’s an attempt by creationists to undermine “the integrity of science education.”

The bill in question, House Bill 592, amends the state’s education policy to include objective review and discussion of existing scientific theories.

“This bill would require the State Board of Education, local boards of education, and staff of K-12 public schools to create an environment that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills, and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about scientific subjects,” the bill’s synopsis states. “This bill would also allow public school teachers to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of all existing scientific theories covered in a science course.”

While the bill specifically prohibits promotion of “any religious doctrine”, groups are claiming it’s all about religion.

“This is a thinly-veiled attempt to open the door to religious fanatics who don’t believe in evolution, climate change or other scientifically-based teaching in our schools,” ACLU of Alabama executive director Susan Watson told AL.com.

The bill’s lead sponsor, Representative Mack Butler, denied the attacks against the bill in a posting on social media.

“To clarify HB 592 only encourages debate on scientific theories! Nothing is mandated,” Butler posted on Facebook last week. “I don’t understand all the profanity laced emails from a few liberals I’m receiving about this bill. There is nothing to fear in a little healthy debate as debate helps develop critical thinking skills for our students.”

Alabama Megachurch Evacuated After Threats of Violence

An Alabama megachurch that holds “Secret Church” events involving extended prayer, worship and hard-core Christian teaching had to be evacuated Friday after receiving threats of violent acts against the gathering.

The service, which was to be lead by International Mission Board president and pastor David Platt, was held in the night at an undisclosed location as police investigated.

“Due to security concerns, the elders and leadership at the church have decided to close the church for the simulcast. The simulcast will take place, but not at Brook Hills. If you are a ticket holder, information has been sent to you via email,” said the website of the Radical ministry, which is headed by former Brook Hills pastor Platt.

The staff of the church along with the pre-school’s teachers and students were evacuated from the building.

“We want to ensure the safety of our staff and members, and all those who are going to participate,” Chris Kinsley, the Church’s communications director, told Yellowhammer. “We live in a world where our fellow Christians around the world face threats on a daily basis. We’re lucky enough to live in a country where that is unusual, but when it does happen we want to take it seriously but also not allow it to cause us to shrink back from the message we have to share.”

The Secret Church events can last upwards of six hours or more and focus on Jesus Christ.  The teachings for this session sent via simulcast around the world focused on slavery and sexuality based on Leviticus 25:35-43 and 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.

“Secret Church is a time where we join together to study God’s Word and to identify with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted in countless places around the world,” according to the ministry’s website.

“When we think of ‘church’ in America, we think of going to meet at a building, singing, praying and hearing a message from a Pastor or teacher. But in many places around the world, ‘church’ meets in a home, an apartment, even in secret. These small groups of Christ-followers often meet for many hours in study, prayer and fellowship, as it is dangerous to travel to ‘church’ and they want to make the most of their time together.”

Least Bible Minded Cities Named

For the third straight year, Providence, Rhode Island and New Bedford, Massachusetts are the least Bible minded cities in the United States.

The opposite end of the survey named Birmingham, Alabama as the most Biblically minded city in the U.S.

The survey’s condition to be “Bible minded” was to have respondents state they had read the Bible in the last seven days and that they have a strong belief in the Bible’s accuracy.  Only 27 percent of the population nationwide has been considered Bible minded.

“This study provides us with a great starting point to understand where people are interacting with Scripture and what their views are of the Bible,” said Andrew Hood, managing director of communications at American Bible Society. “We want to help people continue to grow their engagement with the Bible. Ultimately, we want people to know that, whether they live in one of the most or least Bible-minded cities, the Bible can speak to their needs and challenges and help them make sense of life.”

The ten most Bible minded cities (in order):  Birmingham, AL; Chattanooga, TN; Tri-Cities, TN; Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA; Shreveport, LA; Springfield, MO; Jackson, MS; Charlotte, NC; Greenville/Spartanburg, SC; Little Rock, AR.

New York City made the list of least Bible minded cities for the first time at #91.  The rest of the bottom 10:  Phoenix, AZ; Buffalo, NY; Hartford/New Haven, CT; Las Vegas, NV; Cedar Rapids, IA; San Francisco, CA; Boston, MA; Albany, NY and Providence.

Chick-Fil-A Owner Gives Homeless Man Free Meal & Own Gloves

The owner of a Chick-Fil-A franchise in Birmingham, Alabama is gaining national attention after a customer secretly videotaped him showing Christ’s love to a homeless man.

The unidentified man walked into the store last week and asked owner Mark Meadows if he could work for some food.

“We made eye contact and I asked him what would he like, what we could do for him and then he asked if he could do some work to get something to eat,” Meadows told ABC News.

Meadows responded by having the man sit down and they gave him a meal on the house.  As the man was waiting for his meal, Meadows noticed he was rubbing his hands together and asked if the man had gloves.

When he said no, Meadows went into his office and brought out his gloves and gave them to the man.

Meadows was not intending to tell anyone about the incident but a customer recorded the encounter and posted it on social media.

“[My son] Bryson and I are sitting in Chick Fil A on 280. A man walked in to get warm with all of his earthly possessions on his back,” patron Andrea Stoker wrote in a status that has now gone viral. “The manager, who is on his break, got up and asked the man if he could get him anything. Before the man could even answer, the manager asked if the man had any gloves and handed him his, then got him the meal of his choice.”

“There is still so much good in this world and I’m so grateful that Bryson saw it all unfold,” she continued.

Alabama City Passes Resolution Declaring They Are “Under God”

An Alabama city’s officials are taking a bold stand against the anti-Christianists around the nation that want to wipe Christians out of the public square.

Winfield, Alabama officials voted to pass a resolution that declares they are a city “under God.”

“I feel like we need to stand up for what is right,” he told AL.com. “Our forefathers said ‘One nation under God’ and we went so far away from that. There are not enough godly people involved in day-to-day decisions.”

“Whereas we acknowledge God is the owner of the City of Winfield and that it is a City under God. We acknowledge that at all times, He is in control,” the resolution reads. “Whereas, we acknowledge that through His leadership, the mayor and city council will seek his wisdom and knowledge to be good stewards of the city.”

“Whereas, we acknowledge that though prayer, with His guidance and presence, that we will be able to trust that no problem will be too large or too small to overcome. Whereas, we acknowledge that the City of Winfield is where it is today because of God’s grace and mercy. Whereas, we acknowledge that at all times and in all circumstances, His will shall be done. Whereas, we acknowledge that to God be the glory.”

Anti-Christianists across the nation immediately expressed outrage that someone would stand up to them.

“Who are they even trying to impress? I promise you God has better things to do than take over your city,” wrote blogger Hemant Mehta, known as “the friendly atheist,” who advised that he turned the matter into the anti-Christian hate group Freedom from Religion Foundation.