Issues
Birmingham Police Officer Killed, Another Wounded in Downtown Shooting
A Birmingham police officer was fatally shot downtown Sunday morning and another critically wounded. The slain officer has been identified as Sgt. Wytasha Carter, 44, of Birmingham.
Proposed Birmingham Charter School Draws Mixed Reviews
Birmingham’s first charter school would open in Woodlawn next fall for students in grades K-5 under a proposal before the Birmingham Board of Education. School leaders heard mixed feedback on the plan at a Thursday night hearing.
Alternative Events Planned To Recognize Birmingham Native Angela Davis
More developments came today in response to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's decision to cancel an award presentation for scholar and activist Angela Davis. The top three leaders on the Institute’s board resigned and another group announced alternative events to honor the Birmingham native.
Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, 72, Dies
One of Birmingham’s most colorful and memorable mayors died Tuesday. Larry Langford, 72, died Tuesday evening at a Birmingham hospital.
Rosedale Residents Skeptical of Homewood’s Master Plan
Along 18th Street South in Homewood, there is a mix of trendy restaurants, boutique fitness studios and coffeehouses. It is easy to miss the sign for Rosedale, the city’s predominantly African American community. Some residents there wonder whether the city overlooked their priorities in crafting its master plan.
Gas Tax Is a Top Priority in 2019 Legislative Session
A gasoline tax increase to fund road improvements is expected to be a major topic of the 2019 Alabama legislative session.
Push to Rewrite Mayor-Council Act Shaping up at Birmingham City Hall
In a recent meeting during which two new Birmingham City Council members were appointed, councilors gave clear signals that they’re ready to take on a rewrite of the law that governs separation of powers in Birmingham’s municipal government.
Alabama School Report Card Shows Mostly Improvements, and Some Big Leaps, by Birmingham-Area Schools
Several schools in the Birmingham metro area show significant improvements in achievement in this year’s Alabama State Report Card, which grades the performance of public schools.
Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford Released Early From Prison
An attorney for former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford says he will be released from prison after years of being sick.
Not Just Galleria Shooting, AG Takeover of Local Cases Common
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall was criticized for taking over the case of the shooting death of a black man by police, but his office says intervening in cases held by local district attorneys is common.
LeFleur Still Feeling the Sting From Advocacy Groups’ Condemnation, Responds to Their Criticism
Months after testifying in the North Birmingham bribery trial, the state’s top environmental regulator is firing back at watchdog groups calling for his dismissal or resignation.
Jeffco Commission Approves Rebranding, Bicentennial Promotion Contract After Scales Raises Questions
The Jefferson County Commission unanimously agreed to a contract with Big Marketing and Communications today, but not without Commissioner Lashunda Scales again expressing her opposition to contracts that don’t reflect the county’s need to increase its dealings with historically under-represented businesses.
With $30 Million Gift, UAB Says Cancer Research is the Future of Birmingham
Leaders of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB have big plans to use the recently announced $30 million gift from O’Neal Industries. They want to triple the number of clinical trials.
State Attorney General Asks Supreme Court to Rule on Banning Abortion Procedure
Alabama’s attorney general Steve Marshall wants the US Supreme Court to weigh in on restricting a certain abortion procedure.
Birmingham City Council Appoints Two New Members
Two new representatives will join the Birmingham City Council next year, after being appointed Tuesday to fill vacancies left when former council members Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson were elected to the Jefferson County Commission.
Fatal Hoover Police Shooting Prompts Race Debate
The fatal police shooting of a young black man at the Riverchase Galleria mall in Hoover has sparked weeks of vigils, protests and racial unrest. For some it has re-opened old wounds in the Birmingham community, decades after the civil rights movement.
ACLU and NAACP Request Policies on Police Use of Force
The ACLU of Alabama and Alabama NAACP filed public records requests with the Hoover police department and several others across the state. The organizations are looking for information on racial bias training, use of force and body camera policies.
Comet Passing is “Space Mission in Reverse”
There is plenty of activity in the night sky this weekend. In addition to the Geminid meteor shower, one of the brightest comets of the year will pass overhead.
State and Local Leaders Break Ground for BJCC Stadium
Local and state leaders turned the first dirt today on a lot that will become a new open-air stadium in downtown Birmingham. The $175 million stadium is part of a larger BJCC expansion.
State Attorney General Takes Over Galleria Shooting Case
State Attorney General Steve Marshall announced today his office is taking over the prosecution in the Thanksgiving shootings at the Galleria that left one man fatally shot by a Hoover policeman and two others wounded.
Trump’s EPA Seeks to Remove Much of Nation’s Headwaters and Wetlands From Protection
The action principally would remove oversight for small tributary headwaters that do not flow year-round and for wetlands not clearly connected to flowing streams.
Governor and Lawmakers Asking for Patience From Public in Hoover Shooting Investigation, Some Want More Information From ALEA
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey pledged Monday that information about the shooting death of an armed man by police would be made public, but she urged patience.
Ready, Set, Action: Birmingham’s Become a Film-Making Destination That Brings Jobs, Millions of Dollars to Economy
The Magic City is not quite Hollywood, yet. But Birmingham’s economy is getting a show business-sized boost with millions of film dollars flowing into the local economy. The city’s Red Mountain substituted for the Hollywood Hills, wearing the famous HOLLYWOOD sign in “Bigger,” one of dozens of films made in metro Birmingham in recent years.
State Looking at Plans to Fix or Replace Crowded, Crumbling Prisons; Lawmakers Don’t Expect to Be Part of Infrastructure Plan
Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Corrections aren’t yet talking publicly about possible fixes for the state’s crowded and aging prisons, but they are extending a multimillion-dollar contract with an outside project manager to study construction needs.
Hoover Grapples with Unrest as Questions Remain Around Mall Shooting
Eighteen days after a young black man was shot and killed by a Hoover police officer at a busy mall, many unanswered questions remain. For more on why so little is known, WBHM’s Gigi Douban spoke with Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato and City Manager Allan Rice about the aftermath of the shooting, including the investigation, claims that city police are racist, and the healing process ahead.
UAB Study Calls for Better Tracking of Spectator Injuries
Most people do not expect to go to a baseball game or a NASCAR race and leave in an ambulance, but it happens. Now, a group of UAB researchers says sports officials need to keep better track of it.
Bradford Family Continues to Push for Release of All Video of Mall Shooting
Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump says results from an independent autopsy of Emantic Bradford Jr. align with a short video clip before his death, a new release says.
Birmingham Poet Gives Voice to Enslaved Women
Dr. James Marion Sims, the man known as the father of modern gynecology, spent years performing surgery on women who experienced complications tied to difficult childbirth. This was in the 19th century at his makeshift hospital in Mt. Meigs, just outside of Montgomery. Sims, who is white, performed this experimental surgery on black enslaved women – without anesthesia. Birmingham author Kwoya Fagin Maples recently published a collection of poems meant to give voice to these forgotten women.
Gun Violence Through the Eyes of a Trauma Surgeon
The recent shooting at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover has renewed attention on the issue of gun violence. Dr. Jeff Kerby, head of trauma services at UAB, says to curb gun-related deaths and injuries, health officials must have a seat at the table.
Alabama Author Wants People to Take a “Fresh Look at Roadkill”
Why did the chicken cross the road? What about the armadillo? One Alabama writer says we have the answers. We just have to take a deeper look -- at roadkill. The author of a new children's book, Something Rotten, A Fresh Look at Roadkill, takes an up-close look at dead animals on the road. There's apparently a lot to learn from these flattened critters on the pavement.
As Alabama’s Unemployment Rate Decreases, Medicaid Enrollment Does Not
Alabama’s unemployment rate hit record lows in the past year, falling below 4 percent, but the number of people enrolled in Medicaid hasn’t decreased.
Utility Filings Show Coal Ash Ponds Are Too Close to Groundwater Reservoirs. Environment Groups Again Call for Moving Toxic Material
All of Alabama Power Company’s open coal ash ponds sit within five feet of an aquifer, or groundwater reservoir, in violation of federal standards, recent company filings confirm.
