Virginia Martin

BirminghamWatch



Virginia Martin is a reporter with BirminghamWatch, a nonprofit, independent news site. WBHM and BirminghamWatch collaborate through a content-sharing partnership.

City OK’s $5 million to help keep Birmingham-Southern College open

BSC President Daniel Coleman said in a statement that next he’ll ask Jefferson County to meet the city’s commitment, focus on private donors and reengage with state leaders to work on getting more funding.

Woodfin tells parents to get your children to school

Woodfin said ten weeks into the school year, well more than half of third graders are considered truants, which means they have seven or more unexcused absences.

Health department advises masks on as COVID climbs again

It’s time for Alabamians who do not want to catch COVID to put their masks back on. That was the advice from the Alabama Department of Public Health this week as cases continued to increase across the state.

Alabama Supreme Court backs move to protect land around water source

The Alabama Supreme Court has sided with environmentalists who say the Birmingham Water Works Board is not abiding by a court order to protect land around Lake Purdy and parts of the Cahaba River.

UAB Medical School Renamed After $95 Million Donation

The UAB School of Medicine has been renamed the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine after a Dothan eye surgeon donated a record-breaking $95 million to the school.

Birmingham Elections Ballot Set

After the qualifying deadline elapsed Friday, eight people were on the ballot to compete in the mayor’s race, trying to capture the seat now held by Mayor Randall Woodfin.

Where Is The COVID-19 Vaccine And How Do You Get One?

Arranging to get a COVID-19 vaccine can be frustrating and a potentially complicated process. We're here to answer some of your questions.

Hurricane Sally Affects The Environmentally Fragile Alabama Coastline

Dauphin Island was hard hit by Hurricane Sally causing flooding on the already nearly two mile wide island. But the effects of climate change on the island have been taking place for years.

2020 Primary Runoff Voter Guide: Your Source Of Information For The July 14 Election

Alabama's Senate primary runoff is July 14. Check out these candidate profiles and what's on the ballot.

Supreme Court Blocks Curbside Voting, Loosening Of ID Requirements For Absentee Ballots

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday halted plans to provide curbside voting in the July 14 primary runoff and to ease ID requirements to vote by absentee ballot.

There Will Be a Day After, But Then Comes The Day After That

UAB officials are starting to look toward the day when the number of COVID-19 cases starts to decline in Alabama, but there are no easy answers to what could come next.

Education Town Hall Set for Jan. 15

A town hall meeting on the status of education in Birmingham has been set for Jan. 15, 6-8 p.m.

Percentage of College Freshmen Who Need Remedial Courses Drops

A smaller portion of new high school graduates is having to take remedial classes when they first go to college, according to a PARCA report on data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

Gov. Kay Ivey Praises Past Progress, Outlines Future Route in Inaugural Address

Gov. Kay Ivey was sworn in this morning along with other constitutional officers in a ceremony of pomp and circumstances on the red carpet-lined steps of the Alabama Capitol.

Polls Open Under Gray Skies

Voters began going to the polls across the state at 7 a.m., many of them braving threats of rain but not the severe weather that had been predicted.

Groups Ask Ivey to Push for New State Environmental Leaders

Environmental groups have asked Gov. Kay Ivey to take steps to remove from office state environmental officials who were implicated during the recent bribery trial over a plan to block the expansion of a Superfund toxic waste site in Tarrant and Inglenook.

Another Legislator Indicted in Corruption Case Involving Diabetes Health Clinic

  by Virginia Martin   Alabama Rep. Randy Davis has been indicted on allegations he was involved in a plan to pressure Blue Cross Blue Shield to cover diabetes treatments at a string of health clinics with which he was involved. Davis, a Republican from Daphne, was charged by federal prosecutors in Montgomery with several […]