By Brian Lyman | Editor
A special edition of our weekend newsletter, leading off with the damage left by Hurricane Isaias.
A person walks through the wind and rain as Hurricane Isaias passes through Pensacola, Florida, on Oct. 9, 2026. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
By Ralph Chapoco
At least two Alabamians died Saturday as Hurricane Isaias moved through the state, leaving damage in south Alabama and hundreds of thousands of people without power. Authorities said a person in Birmingham was killed after a tree fell on their home. A driver in Barbour County died as result of injuries sustained in a wreck involving fallen trees. More than 300,000 Alabamians were without power early Saturday, though the numbers fell throughout the day.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, the Republican nominee for governor, speaks to the crowd before President Donald Trump speaks at the Mitchell Center at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama on October 2, 2026. (Dan Anderson for Alabama Reflector)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Andrea Tinker
The Alabama Supreme Court Friday upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a challenge to Republican gubernatorial nominee Tommy Tuberville’s residency and eligibility to run for governor. The court ruled that candidates for office could not be subjected to “quo warranto” actions because they do not have official power and that political parties’ rulings on ballot access could not be appealed to a court. An attorney for the challengers called it “a sad day for the rule of law.”
Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey speaks to Alabama State Board of Education members in the Gordon Persons Building after the Alabama State Board of Education meeting on July 8, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
EDUCATION
By Andrea Tinker
Alabama’s public schools may have seen enrollment fall by 12,000 students last year, to about 702,000 students, the second straight year enrollment has declined. The drop could lead to a reduction of 800 teaching units and hurt rural districts in particular, though even fast-growing areas saw declines. Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey said the department will study the data to look for reasons.
ICYMI
Commentary: The Trump train runs out of steam | Catherine Dorrough for Alabama Reflector
Alabama public universities reach different conclusions on faculty senate, tenure law | Andrea Tinker, Alabama Reflector
Alabama Ethics Commission: Campaign funds can be used for civil lawsuits | Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
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