It takes great skill to be considered the best among one's peers. But the flip side of that scenario isn't kind — especially for the Alabama Legislature.

In the early days of base closure at Fort McClellan, I wrote in an area newspaper that the changes were occurring smoothly, but the real test would come when it was time for our local governments to agree on property divisions — dividing the spoils — and oversee leadership as the base was vacated.

When the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry declared two weeks ago that its students would work no more at Sarrell Dental Centers, it was a blow to our business.

I once knew a football player named Spanky. His given name was Harold Jerome Thomas, but no matter how he tried he couldn’t shake the nickname, which was coined by his mom when he was young.