Issues
Paws and prayers: Hoover church’s furry congregation gets blessed
The recent service at Prince of Peace Catholic Church is part of honoring St. Francis of Assisi.
Runoff Tuesday in race for House District 55
Democrats Sylvia Swayne and Travis Hendrix will meet in the runoff on Oct. 24. There are no Republicans in the race.
Birmingham-Southern sues Alabama state treasurer, says college was wrongfully denied loan
The lawsuit contends Treasurer Young Boozer wrongly denied the college a loan from the program created this year to provide a financial lifeline to the institution. The 167-year-old college will likely close without emergency relief from the court, lawyers wrote in the lawsuit filed Wednesday.
At Huntingdon College, Alabama’s 1st NCAA women’s wrestling team is ready to roll
Players, coaches and school officials hope Huntingdon's women's wrestling program can serve as a blueprint to continue the sport's growth in the South.
Prime suspect admits to Natalee Holloway’s 2005 murder in Aruba
The disclosure came during a plea and sentencing hearing for Joran van der Sloot in a federal courtroom in Alabama — just a few miles from the Birmingham suburb where Holloway used to live.
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.
Ukrainian baker reconnects to Birmingham by sharing her sweet treat
Vasilisa Strelnikova fled to Birmingham following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. When she arrived, baking became a refuge . But she also wanted to use baking to show her love of Birmingham, and her love for her friends.
The Gulf South’s record heat brought another pain for residents — higher power bills
This summer’s high temperatures also brought higher utility bills. The spike caused some, like Christopher Bogan, to make tough choices with their budget.
Woman accused of falsely reporting she was abducted seeks to avoid jail
A municipal judge on Wednesday found Carlee Russell guilty of misdemeanor charges of false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. The guilty judgement came after Russell's attorneys agreed to a legal maneuver to move the case to circuit court where proceedings will start anew.
In disposing coal ash, Alabama is not like other states
Toxic coal ash has polluted Alabama’s waters for years. Is the state doing enough to stop it?
Book bans are on the rise in the Gulf South. Here’s what’s being challenged in Alabama
Efforts to ban books believed to be inappropriate for children and teens have seen a sharp uptick recently, but some libraries and bookstores are fighting back.
Alabama finally has a new congressional map after a lengthy legal fight
After a high-profile legal fight, a panel of three federal judges on Thursday picked a map that will be used when Alabamians cast their 2024 vote.
How Gulf South outdoor workers dealt with the hottest August on record
With no federal or state guidelines regarding extreme heat, outdoor workers and employers in the Gulf South are coming up with their own methods for protection.
Court ruling offers temporary victory for Alabama birth centers
The preliminary injunction requires Alabama public health officials to license birth centers that meet certain national standards.
Judges aiming to give Black voters more influence in Alabama set to redraw congressional districts
U.S. District Judge Stanley Marcus, noting a ruling will be issued “shortly,” said the three-judge panel is aware of the time constraints posed by elections next year when the state's seven U.S. House seats will be on the ballot. The court could rule as early as this week.
What would a government shutdown mean for me?
If a shutdown arrives, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others — including those working in the military and the Transportation Security Administration — will be forced to work without pay until it ends.
In Alabama’s Paint Rock Valley, researchers count every tree thicker than a pencil
In an effort to better understand the biodiversity of north Alabama, scientists are conducting a “tree census,” with the goal of studying roughly 100,000 trees for 50 years.
State Rep. John Rogers charged with obstruction of justice
The indictment accuses Rogers, a Democrat from Birmingham, and his assistant of offering additional grant money as a bribe to persuade a person to give false information to federal agents who were investigating possible kickbacks that prosecutors said were paid to Rogers' assistant.
After 12 years and a pandemic, Jefferson County’s health officer steps down
Dr. Mark Wilson is well-known for leading residents through the COVID-19 pandemic, but his legacy includes a larger effort to expand the role of public health.
The Supreme Court will let Alabama’s congressional map be redrawn to better represent Black voters
The justices, without any noted dissent, rejected the state's plea to retain Republican-drawn lines that were turned down by a lower court.
6 months later, Mississippi communities hit by March tornado fear they’ve been abandoned
As national attention wanes and volunteers head to other disasters, residents of Rolling Fork and nearby Silver City have been left to recover on their own.
Court appointee proposes Alabama congressional districts to provide representation to Black voters
The three proposals all create a second district where Black voters comprise a majority of the voting age population or close to it — something that state lawmakers refused to do when they drew lines this summer.
Elections in two JeffCo-area seats Tuesday
In the House District 55 race, voters will select a replacement for Rep. Fred Plump. The District 16 seat is vacant after former Rep. Kyle South stepped down June 30.
Supreme Court to decide whether Alabama can postpone drawing new congressional districts
The outcome could determine what map the state uses in the 2024 elections and whether the high court will revisit arguments over the role of race in redistricting.
Q&A: Author of ‘Rocket Men’ details how Black quarterbacks helped move the NFL forward
John Eisenberg talks with the Gulf States Newsroom about the Black quarterbacks who helped change the NFL, as well as the players who never got the chance.
Q&A: Why New Orleans’ unhoused people face increased danger from relentless heat
Delaney Nolan discusses her report for The Guardian that revealed a spike in heat-related illness calls among New Orleans’ unhoused people this summer.
How a rural Alabama school system outdid the country with gains in math
Piedmont City schools notched significant improvement in math, landing in the top spot among school districts across the country in a comparison of scores from before and during the pandemic. Nationwide, students on average fell half a year behind in math, researchers say.
Video shows high school band director shocked with stun gun, arrested after refusing to stop music
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, who is representing band director Johnny Mims as his attorney, said Tuesday that the incident is an “alarming abuse of power” that instead “should have been should have been deescalated.”
Protecting Margaritaville: Jimmy Buffett, Bama and the Fight to Save the Manatee
The singer, who died Sept. 1, grew up in Mobile and had a huge following in Alabama, even if many of his devotees in the state were less than thrilled by his liberal politics.
With spread of fentanyl, opioids kill record number of Black men in Birmingham
The number of opioid overdose deaths among Black men in Jefferson County has quadrupled since 2019, sparking action from residents and health experts.
Birmingham residents reflect on 60th anniversary of church bombing
We spoke with several residents on Friday, asking for their reflections on the 60th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
Jackson says we must own hardest chapters of US history during 1963 church bombing remembrance
Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, spoke at the 60th anniversary of the Sept. 15, 1963 bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church. She said the country should celebrate the great strides that have been made since 1963 but that there is still work to do.
