Lawsuit Language Sparks Debate at Birmingham City Council Meeting

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/12/Bham-City-Hall-Entrance.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:383;s:4:"file";s:35:"2015/12/Bham-City-Hall-Entrance.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-336x201.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:201;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-600x383.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:383;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-520x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:520;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-443x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:443;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-600x383.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:383;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-600x383.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:383;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Andrew Yeager
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:115382;s:14:"optimized_size";i:107513;s:7:"percent";d:6.8200000000000003;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/Bham-City-Hall-Entrance.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:112051;s:14:"optimized_size";i:104232;s:7:"percent";d:6.9800000000000004;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:69:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/Bham-City-Hall-Entrance-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3331;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3281;s:7:"percent";d:1.5;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1662631965 
1478188590

A $2.5 million lawsuit payout signed by Birmingham Mayor William Bell sparked heated debate during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Members of the Birmingham City Council questioned whether the mayor has the authority to approve expenditures that large without seeking council consent. We talk about this with Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper Weld. Patterson starts by explaining the lawsuit in question.

 

Australian woman is sentenced to life for poisoning relatives with mushrooms

An Australian judge sentenced triple-murderer Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for poisoning four of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms.

Carlos Alcaraz wins his 2nd U.S. Open at match delayed by Trump’s attendance

The president's arrival delayed the match and left many ticketholders waiting in line. He watched from Rolex's luxury box.

More than 90,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees recalled over potential loss of drive power

Vehicles impacted by the recall include 2022 to 2026 plug-in hybrid electric models of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Trump walks back Chicago ‘war’ threat, but vows to ‘clean up’ cities

Trump posted online that Chicago was "about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR," but later said his administration wouldn't go to war with American cities but rather "clean them up."

Postal traffic to US drops more than 80% after trade exemption rule ends, UN agency says

The de minimis rule that allowed small packages worth less than $800 to be exempt from tariffs ended on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.

Colombia’s lone Amazon port faces drying river and rising tensions with Peru

Colombia's only Amazon port town could soon be cut off from the river that keeps it alive. As drought and a shifting river spark a tense border dispute with Peru, locals are scrambling to adapt—and politicians are raising flags, literally.

More Front Page Coverage