One Dead, Several Injured After Gas Pipe Explodes in Shelby County
Smoke billows from a gas explosion near McCalla. The Colonial Pipeline pipe is now shut down until further notice.
UPDATE: 2:55 p.m.
Officials have restarted one of two gas pipelines after an explosion yesterday near McCalla. The blast killed one and injured a half-dozen others. The other line, which distributes gas to consumers, remains closed.
The blast site was in a rural area of Grey Hill Rd. — residents nearby heard two loud booms and saw flames shooting more than 50 feet high. A fire burned more than 30 acres of drought-stricken terrain.
Officials say a crew was digging near the pipe with heavy machinery and struck the line, which sparked the explosion. This is the second incident for Colonial Pipeline in the last two months.
The same line was found leaking in September, which led to a shutdown that caused a spike in gas prices from the southeast to the mid-Atlantic. Colonial says this latest closure could last for several days and lead to more fuel shortages.
Governor Robert Bentley yesterday ordered all residents within a three mile radius of the blast site to evacuate. It’s not known how many residents this order affects.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
