Government
The List Is In: 13 Apply to Fill Roberson’s Seat on the Birmingham Council
Thirteen people have applied to fill the seat of former Birmingham City Councilor Jay Roberson, who announced his resignation last month.
Development Planned for Blighted Sites North of Downtown
Change may be on the way for two sites in north Birmingham. Corporate Realty is preparing to redevelop the former Carraway Hospital site. Another group is planning lofts at the old Kirby School and a former armory site in Norwood.
A Deadly Week: September Homicides Could Foreshadow Record Year in Birmingham
Six homicides happened in Birmingham during the first week of September, putting the city firmly on track for its most violent year in more than two decades and pressuring city leaders to improve their strategies for responding to such incidents and to focus on preventing them.
Health Department Gives More Time for North Birmingham Residents to Weigh in on Air Quality
The Jefferson County Department of Health extended the deadline for comments on the proposed renewal of an air emissions permit for ABC Coke. The move comes at the request of residents and environmental groups. Two public hearings are set for November at the Department of Health at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Residents may also submit comments online.
Alabama ACLU Proposes Plan to Cut Mass Incarceration
Earlier this month the American Civil Liberties Union announced an ambitious goal of releasing 50% of Alabama prisoners by the year 2025 through a report aimed at tackling mass incarceration.
Roy Moore Seeks Millions in Damages Over Showtime Prank
Conservative Judge Roy Moore says he was duped into an interview and maliciously defamed on a show called Who is America, hosted by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. He is seeking $95 million in damages.
Legal Services Alabama Serves Thousands In State. Program, a Partisan Battleground, on President Trump’s Budget-Cut List
Army veteran Ronald Whitson gives credit to Legal Services Alabama for keeping his family home in Birmingham. However, the program that Whitson praises has been controversial, the frequent target of partisan political battles since its start in the mid-1970s, with roots in the nation’s War on Poverty. Now the Alabama program’s federal parent, Legal Services Corporation, once again faces defunding, this time in President Donald Trump’s 2019 budget proposal.
Officials Want More Contamination Testing In North Birmingham
More than 500 properties in North Birmingham have not been tested for contamination, Congresswoman Terri Sewell said Wednesday while touring Collegeville with city, state and EPA officials. She wants people who have rejected soil testing to allow the EPA to check for contaminants.
Tariffs Imposed By U.S., Trading Partners Hit Home In Alabama
President Donald Trump is battling with countries he says are unfairly hurting America’s foreign trade, but some of his moves may adversely affect industries in Alabama in the process.
Filling in the Blanks: Birmingham Council Fine-Tuning Process to Find Replacements for Three Councilors
With this week’s resignation of President Pro Tem Jay Roberson, the Birmingham City Council faces the unusual task of appointing three new members by the end of the year.
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.
ALDOT Pitches Options for Little Cahaba River Bridge. Opponents Warn of Immediate and Permanent Harm to Drinking Water
Traffic authorities seeking to extend a road across the Little Cahaba River in southern Jefferson County promised Tuesday to make it a controlled access road and prevent adjacent development in the watershed that protects metropolitan Birmingham’s drinking water supply.
The Biggest Donors Eclipse The Rest In Gubernatorial Campaigns
By Glenn Stephens Hundreds of thousands of dollars from Alabama’s richest person and a group of Tuscaloosa-based political action committees are fueling the race for governor as the campaign enters its final three months. Incumbent Republican Gov. Kay Ivey and Democratic challenger Walt Maddox, mayor of Tuscaloosa, have gotten most of their campaign money from […]
Uncovering Elder Financial Abuse? It’s Tricky.
The elderly can be easy targets for financial abuse. First, they might have money saved from a lifetime of working. Plus they might not be as alert to scams or people taking advantage of them. Banks and other financial institutions can sometimes spot potential problems early. That’s just the beginning of what can be a sticky issue.
Seniors Find Opportunities and Challenges Returning to Work
It’s a good time to be in the market for a job in this state. And that goes for older adults too.
Florida Gun Violence Survivors Join Alabama Activists In Gun Control Panel
When a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida earlier this year, killing 17 students and faculty, surviving students led a charge for gun control and launched a political movement to demand action from lawmakers.
Peace Program is on President’s Budget-Cut List. Here’s Why Alabama Teacher Values Its Help
A Birmingham-area teacher is among four selected from across the country to participate in a national program aimed at “empowering their students to see peace as something practical and possible.”
Promoting Humanities in a Math and Science World
Listen to Alabama politicians talk about education and you’ll hear about workforce development. They say schools should focus on math and science to help industry grow. There’s less emphasis on music or literature. That concerns John Parrish Peede. The Mississippi native became chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier this year.
Unpaid Debts: Cities Owe Jefferson County More Than $800,000 for EMA and Personnel Board Costs
Cities and towns in Jefferson County owe the county more than $800,000, according to a report given at the County Commission meeting Thursday in Bessemer.
Appeals Court Ruling Allows Fight for Minimum Wage Increase To Continue
A federal court ruling allows Birmingham minimum wage workers to continue to push for higher pay.
Alabama Leaders Oppose Clean Car Standards Rollback
Elected leaders and others gathered in Birmingham to oppose to Trump administration's plan to roll back clean car standards, including those setting targets for fuel efficiency.
Bribery Trial Guilty Verdict Sends Message Through Alabama Politics
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald reacts to the bribery conviction of a Birmingham attorney and a coal company executive saying it sends a message to those who believe this is business as usual.
Birmingham Attorney, Coal Executive Found Guilty of Bribing State Lawmaker
An attorney with Birmingham firm Balch & Bingham and an executive with coal company Drummond have been convicted of bribing a state lawmaker to stop expansion of an environmental cleanup site around north Birmingham.
Relatives of Unaccompanied Minors Fear Deportation
As the court-imposed deadline for the Trump administration to reunite unaccompanied minors with their parents nears, relatives across the U.S. including Alabama are reluctant to step up.
City Offers Help to Renovate Homes in Blighted Neighborhoods
Two big economic development projects in Birmingham might pay off for city neighborhoods. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced a program today to spend $1 million on home renovations in blighted neighborhoods.
Etowah County Sheriff Accused of Sex with Underage Girls
An Alabama woman says she had sex with Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin four times in 1992, when she was 15 and he was 29. The incidents allegedly took place at drug-fueled parties the sheriff hosted. Entrekin denies the allegations.
It’s Back to the Polls Across Alabama. Voters to Decide Party Nominees
Alabama's primary runoffs include statewide races for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and a number of local races. Here's everything you need to know.
Federal Bribery Trial Digs into Lobbying Around Birmingham Superfund Site
The prosecution has rested its case in the federal corruption trial of two Birmingham attorneys and a coal company vice president. The question is whether they bribed a state lawmaker to fight efforts to clean up a polluted Birmingham neighborhood.
2018 Runoff Voter Guide: What Races Are up in the Air and Who’s on the Ballot?
In this edition of the BirminghamWatch Voter Guide, you will find lists of candidates on the ballot and their profiles, which include basic information about each of the candidates such as the top contributors to their campaigns, the main issues they’re citing in their campaigns and links to their web or social media sites.
Racking Up Tickets in Birmingham? It’s Amnesty Time
If you have unpaid parking tickets in Birmingham or tickets for minor traffic offenses, the city is giving you two months to pay. No extra fines. It's part of the city's latest amnesty program.
Hoover City Council to Consider Sales Tax Increase
The Hoover City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on increasing its sales tax by a half cent. The council will also consider boosting some lodging taxes and rental property fees.
Why People Are Talking About Gov. Ivey’s Age
There's a lot of chatter among political pundits and voters about whether Gov. Kay Ivey is up to the task of leading the state for a full term. Is it a question that comes up often for older female political candidates?
