Issues
Alabama To Expand COVID Vaccine Eligibility March 22
Alabamians aged 55 and older, plus those with high-risk conditions and disabilities are among the groups that will soon be eligible for a COVID vaccine.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Gambling Fails, Medical Marijuana, Anti-Riot Bills Face Hurdles
A bill that would have added a lottery and casinos was defeated in the Senate. In the aftermath, some lawmakers said a lottery-only bill would have stood a better chance.
A Year Like No Other: COVID-19 In The Gulf States
In a special broadcast one year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, reporters from public radio stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana reflect on the toll it’s taken on the region.
One Year In, Bama Tracker Creator Considers Future Of COVID Data Site
The reach of David Marconnet's site grew beyond what he imagined. But with cases dropping, Bama Tracker may have run its course.
Samford Names New President To Replace Retiring Westmoreland
Beck A. Taylor, now president of Whitworth University, will succeed Andrew Westmoreland effective July 1.
New Report Outlines Voter Suppression In 2020 Election
A new report says Alabama did not do enough during the 2020 election to make voting easier for residents. But the Sec. of State disagrees.
Birmingham VA Offers Vaccines To Eligible Veterans of All Ages
The agency announced the change on Wednesday.
As Alabama Seeks To Build New Prisons, Mississippi Sets Sights On Reform
Alabama's governor recently signed leases on two new private prisons with a goal of improving conditions for inmates. But reform advocates in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are urging a different approach.
JeffCo’s County Manager Plans Retirement After 10 Years Helping To Navigate Rough Waters
Jefferson County’s one and only county manager says he plans to retire this year.
Alabama Would Lose Seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas Under Federal Proposal
There's a proposal that would reduce the number of Metropolitan Statistical Areas in Alabama from 12 to five. Public comment on the proposal is being accepted through March 19.
StoryCorps: “I am completely safe with you.”
Ginger Wyatt and Winston Lancaster started dating in 1984. but the relationship didn’t last. They broke up and had no communication for almost 30 years. One day in 2012, Ginger decided to reach into the past and find Winston. They came to StoryCorps together.
Derelict Banks High School Building Set To Be Demolished
The Birmingham City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the one-year extension of a loan agreement with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to tear down the building.
Family, Faith And Race Collide In Columnist John Archibald’s New Book
Archibald's father was a Methodist minister in Alabama during the turbulent civil rights era. Yet in his sermons from that time, he stayed silent on race.
Environmental Groups Say Water Board Isn’t Effectively Protecting Drinking Water Supply
A new lawsuit against the Birmingham Water Works Board claims it failed to comply with a 2001 consent decree that protects land around the Cahaba River watershed, a major source of Birmingham’s drinking water.
ADPH Plans Mobile Vaccination Clinics For Black Belt Region
State health officials hope to administer more vaccines to residents of rural areas.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Lighter Marijuana Penalties, Transgender Youth Therapies, Confederate Monuments
The week's highlights: A bill to ban therapies for transgender minors passed in the Alabama Senate. Lawmakers rejected a measure that would have given cities and towns more flexibility to move unwanted Confederate monuments elsewhere.
Ivey Extends Face Mask Order But Not For Long
Gov. Ivey leaves face mask order alone for now, but says it will end April 9.
Remembering Homewood Resident And Civil Rights Activist Eileen Walbert
Eileen Walbert died last month at the age of 100. She was heavily involved in school desegregation and led a group of white people during a voting rights march in Selma the day before Bloody Sunday.
UAB And JeffCo To Expand Vaccine Outreach In Underrepresented Communities
As of Wednesday, UAB had administered roughly 80,000 vaccine doses, but Black residents remain disproportionately underrepresented.
Birmingham Divvies Up $500K In Bold Funding For Nonprofits
Nine Birmingham nonprofits will receive funding from the city’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development grant initiative this year, despite an overall reduction in funding for the program.
StoryCorps: “Play the ball where it lies”
Natalie Holland learned to play golf from her father, Donald Holland. In their StoryCorps interview, they talk about how lessons learned from golf transcend to other areas of life.
Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Count Nears 10,000 Mark
Within about a year, the state has lost almost 10,000 Alabamians to COVID-19.
UAB Officials Hopeful Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Could Accelerate Rollout
UAB health experts say when it comes to vaccine variety, more is better. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the latest to win approval from the federal government.
Field Of Candidates For Birmingham Mayor Continues To Grow
Currently, there are six people in the race for mayor of Birmingham. The filing deadline is July 10.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Gambling, Medical Marijuana, No-Excuse Absentee Voting
One of the measures that passed with very little debate in the Alabama Senate this week would authorize the use of medical marijuana. But the measure could face bigger challenges in the House.
Alabama’s COVID Vaccination Rate Increases
Federal programs have helped increase the number of Alabamians getting vaccinated in recent weeks.
Jeffco Commission Gets Clean Bill Of Health After State Review Of Its Accounts
The Jefferson County Commission is conducting its duties in accordance with state law, says a report from the Alabama Examiners of Public Accounts.
“The Edge of the Woods”: UAB Epidemiologist Says Herd Immunity Could Be Reached By Late Spring
An epidemiologist at UAB Medicine thinks that Alabama may be headed toward a long-sought goal in the COVID pandemic and may reach that goal sooner than many had expected.
Some Parents Worry About In-person Standardized Testing During The Pandemic
Education leaders in Alabama say there will be no virtual option despite COVID-19.
Birmingham Mayor, Council Pushing Two Separate Wish Lists In Legislature
The city of Birmingham is sending two sets of lobbyists to Montgomery — one from Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office and one from the City Council.
StoryCorps: “The first time I felt intelligent…”
Karon Bullock fell in love with the outdoors when she attended science camp in the fifth grade. She was soon hiking, biking, or running daily, but a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 24 changed her relationship with the outdoors. Karon came to StoryCorps with her husband Joel.
Alabama Cautiously Optimistic About Improving COVID Numbers
The end of holiday season gatherings and early vaccinations are thought to be factors in the pandemic's positive trend.
