Noelle Annonen
WBHM General Assignment Reporter
Noelle Annonen is a general assignment reporter for WBHM
Birmingham, covering news from across the region. She got her start
reporting at the Falmouth Enterprise, a newspaper on Cape Cod,
Massachusetts.
While working for the Enterprise, Noelle co-founded, hosted and
produced a news podcast on the most pressing issues in the region,
ranging from pickle ball to climate change, including the affordable
housing crisis, domestic violence, and substance use disorder. Two of
her episodes of the Upper Cape Catch won Best Podcast at the New
England Newspaper Association Awards in 2024.
Noelle grew up in a military family and has lived around the world,
including France and Ireland. Her relocation to Birmingham marked her
21st cross-border move, although after her time studying at the
University of Montana, she calls Missoula “home.” In her free time, she
enjoys running, dancing to Taylor Swift music and catching up with her
many long-distance friends.
Birmingham begins new curbside waste collection schedule
Birmingham’s new trash, recycling and bulk waste collection schedule kicks off on Monday, January 6. Residents can expect regular trash pickup on one specific day each week and recycling collection on the same day every other week.
What are your hopes for 2025?
With 2024 coming to a close, we have a whole new year to look forward to. What are your hopes for 2025? We put that question to attendees of our recent News and Brews community pop-up.
Share your thoughts on gun violence in Birmingham
Anyone in Birmingham who wants to weigh in on how to address the city’s gun violence can do so through a survey offered by an independent gun violence commission. The commission has been working since October to find ways to reduce Birmingham’s homicide rates.
Alabama wants to lower recidivism rates by 2030. What are the obstacles?
Last year, Alabama set an ambitious goal for itself: lower recidivism by 25% and increase post-incarceration employment rates by 50% by 2030. But a recent study on the state's criminal justice re-entry programming shows that many formerly incarcerated people are falling through the cracks.
Girls Rock Birmingham gives future artists the spotlight
Picture a rock band and chances are it’s a bunch of men. But Girls Rock Birmingham, a local youth organization, is fixing that spotlight on girls by giving them the chance to take the stage to rock out.
What is your favorite holiday scent and memory?
The holidays are rife with tradition and memories, with more than a few seasonal cookies, coffees and festivities sprinkled in between. So we asked visitors to our recent News and Brews community pop-up in Trussville: what is your favorite holiday scent and memory?
‘Iced Cherries’: Joe D. Nelson’s take on modern folk and age old tropes
It may be unusual for a musician to refer to his own music as a trope. But that’s what Birmingham singer-songwriter Joe D. Nelson does with his latest album Iced Cherries.
Why this winter could bring more tornadoes to Alabama
Scientists are finding the tornado map of the United States is changing. In recent years, the Tornado Alley of the Great Plains has twisted into the southeast, a region known as Dixie Alley.
It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time in McCalla: Smuckers opens biggest Uncrustables factory in the country
The facility represents a more than $1 billion capital investment from Smuckers and is predicted to bring in 750 jobs to the community.
Birmingham’s newest voters: how the latest generation is approaching politics
While Alabama is not a swing state, these students represent an up and coming generation whose voices have not yet been heard in the political world. And this demographic of voters has already proven that they can make an impact.
16th Street Baptist Church wins national historic stewardship award
The 16th Street Baptist Church received national recognition on Monday for its historic site stewardship from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This comes after years of church staff and community members working hard to restore and preserve the structure as it looked in 1963.
‘Five Points South is so much more than that’: residents reflect one month after mass shooting
How is the neighborhood holding up in the weeks since a mass shooting left four people dead and 17 wounded.
Woodfin tasks new commission with reducing homicides
Leaders in law enforcement, the business sector, religious groups and others will draw inspiration from violence reduction methods proven by cities from around the country.
