Birmingham Water Works Board Approves Rate Increase
Birmingham Water Works customers will have slightly higher monthly water bills starting in January 2020. The Birmingham Water Works Board voted 5-1 Tuesday in favor of a 3.9% rate increase. Rick Jackson, spokesman for the Water Works Board, says the increase is necessary to maintain a viable water system and replace 100-year-old water mains.
“We want to make sure we’re providing the best, highest quality water possible to the people within our service area,” he says. “It takes a lot to continue to do what we’re doing and these are some hard decisions that our board is faced with sometimes.”
Jackson says the increase will affect about 200,000 households. The average household can expect to pay two dollars more per month.
The board increased rates by the same amount last year. Jackson says the water rates are comparable to cities of similar size. Water Works officials say upgrades to the system will take several years to complete.
ICE can’t make warrantless arrests in Oregon unless there’s risk of escape, judge rules
U.S. immigration agents in Oregon must stop arresting people without warrants unless there's a likelihood of escape, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Trump’s EPA issues record low legal actions against polluters, watchdog group finds
The EPA enforced a record low number of environmental laws and regulations during the first year of President Trump's second term in office.
Researchers say no evidence of TikTok censorship, but they remain wary
Posts have been going viral on social media accusing TikTok's new owners of suppressing content, but eight academics examined the issue and found no evidence to support the claims.
Newly released court records reveal misconduct inquiry into federal judge
A federal judge said he retired to speak out about threats to the rule of law. Newly released court orders suggest his exit coincided with a misconduct inquiry that ended when he stepped down.
Moltbook is the newest social media platform — but it’s just for AI bots
A new message board for artificial intelligence agents has prompted some strange conversations, and existential questions about the inner lives of bots.
The Supreme Court lets California use its new, Democratic-friendly congressional map
The Supreme Court has cleared the way for California to use its new congressional map for this year's midterm election. Voters approved it as a Democratic counterresponse to Texas' new GOP-friendly map.
