Workforce & Education Funding: Walker County secured another $12 million from the state for the Heman Drummond Center of Innovation in Jasper, bringing total state support to nearly $26 million as the school-to-workforce facility nears opening. Student Creativity: Carbon Hill eighth-grader Jonah Woods published a 145-page book, “PVK: Puppies Versus Kittens,” on Amazon after about two years of work, illustrating it under a pen name. Conservation Careers: University of South Alabama is launching the Blankenship Scholars program, funding about 10 students each year for Alabama outdoor law enforcement careers, announced Sept. 21 in Birmingham. School Culture & Rights: A Baldwin County judge blocked AHSAA from enforcing a coaching suspension against Robertsdale’s Justin Jones, citing due process concerns. Community & Health: Alabama libraries face new pressure over transgender book bans, while Alabama’s APTV board approved a statewide viewer survey contract amid controversy. Arts & Local Life: Gadsden State completed a nearly $9 million renovation to Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center, reopening a modernized hub for regional arts.