The week Down in Alabama: Signs, signs, everywhere signs

The daily news update "Down in Alabama" is available for your Alexa flash briefing or as a downloadable podcast on iTunes and other platforms (see the bottom of this post). Much of the news roundup below is adapted from that show. First, here's the most recent episode:

Sign of the Week

For nearly two years, people traveling Interstate 65 north of Prattville have been doing so perilously, unwarned about the pitfalls of not attending church.

Many risked a weak spiritual condition as they continued northward and cast their eyes upon Clanton's Big Peach Water Tower.

Things became a little more in balance this week with the resurrection of the "Go to Church or the Devil Will Get You" sign near Verbena

The lettering font's just a tad different, and the sign has moved a few feet, but it still has that same ol' red-tailed adversary with the sickle.

Thanks to the Newell family for the nostalgia and the reminder that there are things we can depend on.

Comeback of the week

A 25-pound missing pet serval named Juno was trapped by Pelham police.

It had been missing since April 24.

A serval is a wildcat native to Africa, and it's a legal pet in our state. It is not to be confused with the elusive Alabama cougar, whose existence is unproven despite numerous reported sightings over the years.

Doing better

Jeffery Phillips, the Gilbertown man who was paralyzed after being bitten by a coral snake a couple weeks ago, is off the ventilator and feeding tube, according to a GoFundMe update by his mother.

She wrote that he was being transferred to a rehab facility "to relearn everything."

Phillips has a fiancee, and between them they have six kids to take care of. He was a couple weeks away from starting a new job, so he was in between and did not have any health insurance, hence the GoFundMe page.

Sign of the Week: First runner-up

Church of the Highlands' plan to open a branch in what it calls a high-crime Birmingham neighborhood wasn't embraced by everyone.

The Rev. Michael R. Jordan, who is already known for putting controversial things in church signs at New Era Baptist Church in Birmingham's West End, put up this message: "Black folks need to stay out of white churches."

Suddenly, church signs with messages such as "Seven Days Without Prayer Make One Weak" and "You May Party in Hell But You'll Be the Barbecue" are much easier to read.

R.I.P.

Mike Slive, former commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, died at age 77.

How's this for a league's on-field success? During Slive's tenure, 2002-2015, the SEC captured 81 national championships in 17 sports, including seven consecutive football national titles from 2006-2012.

The Big Rumor/Denial Story

Have you had enough of the Big Rumor/Denial story yet? We'll just do a quick recap with only what everyone wants you to know.

Scott Dawson, a GOP candidate for governor, wants you to know
Patricia Todd, a democratic state representative, wants you to know
Kay Ivey, our republican governor, wants you to know
Republican candidates for governor want to you know
One Orlando Alliance, another LGBQT non-profit, wants you to know

Exhale.

Sign of the Week: Second runner-up

Like we needed more malfunction in the junction.

During all the major interstate construction going on in Birmingham, up went a new one of those big ol' green overhead highway direction signs.

It looked great up there above I-20/59 westbound just before I-65.

But if you looked close enough to, say, try to figure out what lane you need to be in, you might've seen a couple problems.

The installed sign guided you to into the right lanes to take I-20 North and the middle lanes to I-65 West.

Of course, there are no I-20 North and I-65 West.

ADOT quickly said the sign would be covered and then replaced.

This week's excuse to feel superior to Mississippi:

It's a good thing Mississippi is standing right next to us on every map.

Because while we're fat, they're fatter.

The listicle site 24/7 Wall Street did an analysis of obesity rates by state. According to that analysis, Alabama is the fourth-most obese state. Mississippi is the second-most.

West Virginia took the top prize but was likely too out of breath to give an acceptance speech.

This week's news story we're relieved didn't happen in Alabama:

A pair of Louisiana lawmakers settled things mano-a-mano in a Baton Rouge bar, according to KSLA News 12.

According to the story, state Rep. Stuart Bishop had blocked a bill by state Sen. Norby Charbert, and later on at the bar the two tied up like they were fighting over the last corn dog at a tailgate.

"I love Stuart like a brother, and sometimes brothers fight," the story quoted Charbert.