Alabama closer to getting ‘2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday’ as Democrats push grocery tax relief

By John Sharp | jsharp@al.com

The Alabama House on Tuesday approved legislation creating a late‑August sales tax holiday for firearm and ammunition purchases, but only after Democrats pressed Republicans over what they called misplaced priorities.

Alabama closer to getting ‘2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday’ as Democrats push grocery tax relief - al.com

Mobile Sports Hall of Fame could soon get physical home

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The Mobile Sports Hall of Fame, which currently exists only online, could soon have a physical home in the state’s tallest building.

The Mobile City Council on Tuesday considered a request for a $500,000 contribution to help pay for the installation of the exhibit planned for the lobby of the RSA Battle House Tower. The Mobile County Commission already has approved a $300,000 contribution, contingent on city support.

The planned museum would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis said he sees it as a natural destination for people who visit the statues at the Hall of Fame Walk on the other side of Water Street, in front of the Arthur Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.

“A statue can only tell so much of the story,” he said. “And we want that entire walkway to lead somewhere. And so leading into the Battle House, tallest tower in all of Alabama – right when you walk in, you know, from the horseshoe, you’re confronted with all the sports hall of famers.”

Stephen Clements, a Mobile lawyer who has spearheaded the idea, said he wants to highlight a wide variety of sports – from football and baseball to sailing. The Hall of Fame has about 140 members, ranging from world-famous baseball players to a racehorse from the early 20^th century.

Clements, the chairman of the organization’s board of directors, told FOX10 News that he wants people to learn about a sports heritage that includes Spring Hill College’s Stan Galle Field – the nation’s oldest continuously used collegiate baseball field – to Delores “Dolly” Brumfield, a Mobile County native who was one of the inspirations for the movie “A League of Their Own.”

Speaking to City Council members at their pre-meeting conference, Clements said he hopes the facility serves as an inspiration for future athletes, who will have a chance to see interviews with the inductees and highlights of their athletic exploits.

“This is gonna be a very interactive (exhibit),” he said. “It’s not only gonna have your typical static displays, but it’s gonna be covered in huge screens.”

Clements said he expects the design and installation to take about 18 months. The Hall of Fame will induct four new members during a ceremony June 16 at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Center.

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