An important figure on the Autauga County Board of Education is stepping away in pursuit of a different position.

The head of the Alabama Parole Board on Thursday questioned why the state should grant parole to a 68-year-old dying man who served 11 years of a life sentence for growing marijuana in Florala.

The Alabama State Board of Education plans to vote in April on whether to extend State Superintendent Eric Mackey’s contract through 2029 and give him a $90,000 per year pay ...