Small Town Politics, Mike Gurspan, Rick and Bubba: Down in Alabama

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More Tarrant turmoil

Tarant politics is something else, friends.

Ever since Mayor Wayman Newton came to office in the small town north of Birmingham, there has been friction between him and city council members. Once to the point that, after a contentious meeting about Newton firing the fire chief, Councilman Tommy Bryant punched Newton. He was found innocent at trial because the punch was in retaliation for what Newton had said about the councilman’s wife.

The punching incident took place in November 2022, but it will have to play out as a backdrop to any “Tartant politics is something else” stories.

Mayor Newton has suspended Police Chief Wendell Major for the third time this week, AL.com’s Joseph D. Bryant reports.

The mayor is accusing the chief of downplaying serious crimes such as professional misconduct and seeking outside work as a lawyer.

By the way, both the mayor and the chief are lawyers. The Chief Major said he would appeal against the suspension, which is unpaid. In the past, the council ultimately overruled the mayor’s decision and returned Major to work.

Death of a news veteran

Newsman Mike Gurspan has died, nearly two months after being diagnosed with brain cancer, AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz reports.

Gurspan spent more than 30 years reporting and anchoring news and sports in the Wiregrass region, at WDHN in Dothan since 2018 and before that at WTVY in Dothan. During that time he has covered stories such as the ’94 Elba flood, the deadly ’07 tornado at Enterprise High School and the McLendon murder spree in Geneva County.

You may have caught his news from him during his stints at two Panama City TV stations in the late ’80s, early ’90s.

Gurspan had a work ethic matched by his experience.

“He would start reporting at 9 a.m., then arrive at the station by noon, pitch his stories in the afternoon, then anchor the evening newscast,” said WDHN News Director Glenn Horn. “They talked about slowing down the pace, but that never happened. He liked this business very much.

Mike Gurspan was 66 years old.

Radio Jodi will remain in it for one more year…

The folks at “The Rick & Bubba Show” have announced that the program will end its long run on radio at the end of the year, AL.com’s Mary Colarusso reports.

Hosts Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey have been doing the show for 30 years. They are nationally syndicated and based at Birmingham’s WZZK-FM. Bussey said they are healthy and will remain friends. He said that in some ways it would have been nice to keep the show going for a few more years, but “we can’t always decide how things will end.” Burgess said that ending the show after another year felt like his best option.

But they will continue through December, and the show will by no means end. They are still on over 60 radio stations in 18 states. And, of course, these days you add podcasts and YouTube numbers to that.

The radio show airs on weekday mornings.

…and the recent Alabama-celebrity exit has people nervous about someone else

With Nick Saban retiring and Rick and Bubba ending their radio show, Alabamians are reaching out to check in on meteorologist James Spahn’s plans for the near future.

Because this may cause too much change for some people.

Spann addressed it on social media: “After Rick and Bubba’s announcement this morning… I’m seeing some social media posts saying ‘James Spann will be announcing his retirement this weekend.’ This is far from the truth. I’m just starting out… I feel better physically now than I did when I was 20, and being in good physical condition makes me feel better than ever. It’s better. Some people slow down as they age… I speed up.’

He can accelerate. Just so long as he doesn’t have too much up his sleeves this spring.

(If you know, you know.)

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