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Alabama to use oil spill settlement to build hotel, Alabama preps for SEC Title

Alabama is moving forward with plans to use oil spill settlement funds to build a 350-room hotel and conference center at Gulf State Park.

Gov. Robert Bentley hopes the beachfront facility, intended to handle meeting of up to 1,500 people, can open by 2018.  Bentley says many beachfront conferences now go to Florida because there is not a meeting place large enough on the Alabama coast.

The Gulf Restoration, a New Orleans-based environmental group, has filed a lawsuit to block the project, arguing that it is an inappropriate use of funds meant to restore the oil-stained coast.

The state argues the project will make up for lost recreation during the spill and will be an ecologically sensitive development.

The $135 million project includes dune restoration and bicycle trails.

The Alabama state report card on its infrastructures will be released in December by the American Society of Civil Engineering.

Alabama’s water pipe infrastructure will need major improvements in the coming years throughout the state.

Former president of ASCE Andrew Herrmann says not only does Alabama need the improvement but the nation as well...

“Our drinking water if you look at the national grade it’s a D. Now that doesn’t mean the water is not pure and clean to drink it means that those pipes that bring that water to you to drink may be a hundred years old and that’s why we have so many water main breaks. We have almost 240,000 water main breaks each year in the United States.”

According to the ASCE Alabama will need $7.9 million in drinking water improvements over the next 20 years.

Number two Alabama is working on a gameplan for this weekend’s Southeastern Conference Championship game against Florida. 

The Crimson Tide clinched the SEC Western Division Saturday with a 29-13 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

Coach Nick Saban says the first step of a successful season was winning the SEC West and his team gets another chance to play for a Conference Championship...

“This is something that we still feel is very, very important and something that’s a significant accomplishment because of the quality of our league and winning our division and having an opportunity to play against a really good Florida Team.”

The Gators, who are ten-and-two on the season won the SEC Eastern Division with a 7-1 conference record.  Kickoff is set for three p-m at the Georgia Dome on CBS.

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