English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Montgomery, AL

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - A global leader in beverage alcohol has announced a $415 million capital investment to its new distribution plant, according to the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce.

Diageo is now hiring to fill 100 positions to expand Montgomery’s industrial park. The effort is part of an initiative to diversify the local economy and reinforce the region as a key logistics and manufacturing hub.

The company is offering hourly and salaried positions including technical operators and maintenance technicians.

“As an industry giant with operations that span the globe, Diageo represents an impressive addition to Alabama’s business community,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

The facility will be located in Montgomery at a beverage production and distribution hub.

“Diageo’s investment in its new production facility is a significant step forward for Montgomery, Montgomery County, and the state, reinforcing our position as a leader in industrial and logistics growth,” said Mayor Steven L. Reed of the city of Montgomery. “This new facility will create valuable jobs and further enhance economic opportunities throughout our region.

The company is looking to begin filling the jobs created by this project, which they say will further enhance employment opportunities in the region.

“This announcement marks a significant milestone for Montgomery and its surrounding communities,” said Doug Singleton, chairman of the Montgomery County Commission. “It represents what can be achieved when public and private sectors unite with a shared vision of economic growth and opportunity.”

The Montgomery Chamber of Commerce will continue to work with Diageo, the City of Montgomery, Montgomery County and other strategic partners to move the project forward.

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!

Copyright 2025 WSFA. All rights reserved.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Appointments for a Montgomery County District Judgeship position, along with 19 other positions across the state have been filled, Governor Kay Ivey announced Tuesday.

Bruce Lieberman will serve as the Montgomery County District Judge, 15th Judicial Circuit.

Lieberman is a Montgomery native and an AUM graduate who received his juris doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

He will succeed former District Judge Tiffany McCord who was appointed to serve on the Montgomery Circuit Court by Governor Ivey on April 5, 2025.

“I am grateful to Governor Ivey for her confidence in appointing me to serve as District Court Judge for Montgomery County,” Lieberman said. “I started my career of public service 38 years ago as a young Deputy District Attorney with the Montgomery County DA’s Office. I am honored to be returning to that courthouse to finish my legal career and will go to work every day with the best interests of the citizens of Montgomery County in mind.”

Governor Ivey also appointed 19 other people to serve on local and state boards:

Jimmie Ann Campbell - Real Estate Commission

Earl Jones - Alabama Polygraph Examiners Board

Jeff Brannon and Greg Schumann - Alabama Workforce Board

Chris Langley and Michelle Isenberg - Forestry Commission

Kristi Stamnes, Shawn Rogers, Brandon Wallace, Richard Schreiber and Marlon Williamson - Alabama 911 Board

Charles Dean, Jim, Alex Atwater, Steve McKinnon, Jason Windham and Bonnie Temple - Alabama Dry Cleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund Advisory Board

Yolanda Adams and Jack Allen - Jasper Civil Service Board

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!

Copyright 2025 WSFA. All rights reserved.

After being confined inside two planes on a Montgomery tarmac overnight on Thursday, nearly 300 passengers flying out of Mexico were able to reach their intended Atlanta destination early Friday morning.

Boston’s Lauren Forbes was bound for a layover in Atlanta when their plane was diverted to Montgomery because of inclement weather, she told WCVB.

And because the Montgomery Regional Airport doesn’t have customs, passengers on the two diverted flights, Delta Flights 1828 from Cabo San Lucas and 599 from Mexico City, were forced to remain inside the planes overnight.

“I guess the law is that if there’s no customs at the airport, you are literally stuck on that airplane,” Forbes told the publication.

“So, I just learned that today.”

The airline said that Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport was not suitable because of storm conditions in that area, according to Forbes.

150 customers were aboard Flight 1828, which departed Cabo San Lucas at 5:17 p.m. and landed in Montgomery and arrived to a gate at 10:34 p.m., Delta said in a statement to WCVB. The release said egress was available for those passengers at 5:23 a.m.

Another 147 passengers were aboard Flight 599. They departed at 6:16 p.m., reached a gate in Montgomery at 10:22 p.m. and were held on board until 5:15 a.m, according to Delta.

Once the passengers were brought inside, they were confined and guarded inside the airport since they hadn’t gone through customs, Forbes told WCVB.

Flights were available out of Montgomery to Atlanta starting after 4:00 a.m., according to the airport website.

From there, Forbes said that her boyfriend had to get on the phone to book their final leg home to Boston.

“We sincerely apologize to our customers for this experience,” a Delta spokesperson wrote in the statement to WCVB.

“We fell short of how we aspire to serve and care for our customers amid thunderstorms in the Southeast U.S. Thursday evening. We are reaching out to each customer with a full refund of their booking.”

Efforts to reach Delta for comment were not immediately successful.

Passengers on two Delta flights from Mexico to Atlanta had to spend a night on the tarmac in Alabama due to a confluence of bad weather, crew time limits, and Customs and Border Patrol rules.

Delta Air Lines says Flight 1828 from Cabo San Lucas and Flight 599 from Mexico City were both diverted to Montgomery, Alabama, on Thursday out of safety concerns amid severe thunderstorms. The plan was to continue on to Atlanta once conditions cleared, but the weather -- specifically ongoing lightning in Montgomery -- kept the aircraft there longer than expected and flight crews ran over their allowed duty times.

Because Montgomery Regional Airport doesn’t have the Customs and Border Control staffing and facilities for processing their international arrival, passengers had to stay on board their planes until the airport could reach a deal with CBP early the next morning. USA TODAY has reached out to airport for additional details.

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport would have had the necessary CBP resources, but Delta says it wasn’t a diversion option due to severe weather and reports of windshear there.

“We sincerely apologize to our customers for this experience. We fell short of how we aspire to serve and care for our customers amid thunderstorms in the Southeast U.S. Thursday evening,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement with USA TODAY. “We are reaching out to each customer with a full refund of their booking.” The airline is also reviewing the incidents to improve future handling and avoid similar situations.

There were nearly 300 passengers on both flights combined.

While onboard overnight, Delta says aircraft doors remained open and snacks, drinks, climate control and restrooms were available to passengers. They were also given additional food and drinks after they were allowed into the airport terminal in Montgomery after 5 a.m.

Both flights continued onto Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport later Friday.

Delta confirmed Flight 1828 left Cabo San Lucas at 5:17 p.m. ET Thursday, arrived in Montgomery at 10:34 p.m. ET Thursday and arrived in Atlanta at 2:05 p.m. ET Friday.

Flight 599 left Mexico City at 6:16 p.m. ET Thursday, arrived in Montgomery at 10:22 p.m. ET Thursday and arrived in Atlanta at 12:46 p.m. ET Friday.

Typically, the direct flights each take between 3.5 to 4 hours, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware

Delta worked with any passengers who missed connecting flights in Atlanta to get them to their final destinations as soon as possible.

(This story was updated to add a photo.)

The Alabama Legislature will take on the Mississippi Legislature in the Second Annual “Battle of Tombigbee” charity softball game scheduled to be played at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium at 6 p.m on April 23. Pre-game festivities begin at 5:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the game will benefit Children’s of Alabama, which is ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and provides specialized inpatient, outpatient, and primary care to ill and injured children from all of Alabama’s 67 counties, 47 states and seven countries around the world.

House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, an organizer of the series, said he looks forward to defending the softball title and playing host to legislative counterparts from a sister southeastern state.

“The Alabama Legislature proudly brought home the championship belt in the inaugural game played in Mississippi last year, and we look forward to keeping the belt in its place of honor at the State House for another year,” Stadthagen said. “But regardless of which state wins on the scoreboard, the real winners will be Children’s of Alabama and the young patients who will receive world-class care with the money we raise.”

The first “Battle of Tombigbee” softball game, which is named after the river that runs through both states, was played last June at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi and saw Alabama lawmakers score a 7 to 5 victory. Proceeds from that game benefited Children’s of Mississippi.

Anne Phillips Arrington, a Montgomery native and Children’s of Alabama patient who had part of her leg amputated after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma bone cancer, will throw out the first pitch. The fourth-grader, who recently finished her treatments, has competed in two 5K races with her prosthetic leg and currently plays basketball.

Tickets for the charity softball game may be purchased at the Riverwalk Stadium box office or by visiting https://www.ticketreturn.com/TRMobile/#/tickets/choose-tickets/choose-section?EventID=352996.