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Bill Would Cut Pensions For Future Birmingham Employees, Raise Employee Contributions
A bill proposed this session would require the city of Birmingham to fully fund its pension obligation and increase employee contributions to the pension fund by half a percent. But opponents of the bill say, if passed, it would disproportionately affect lower-earning city employees.
JeffCo Commission Moves Toward Buying Land Next To Shady Grove Fire Station, Selling Old West End Health Center
Jefferson County wants to buy property from the state of Alabama. The land is located next to the Shady Grove Fire Department.
A Vaccination Event For Commercial Fishers Offers Lessons On How To Reel In At-Risk Communities
As the rollout expands, health officials and community leaders are learning more about how to make sure the vaccine is not only available, but truly accessible for at-risk groups.
Mo Brooks Sets Up U.S. Senate Campaign Committee
U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks is expected to make an announcement tonight that he plans to run for U.S. Senate.
Alabama Deploys Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Units To Rural Areas
All eligible Alabamians in these 24 rural counties can receive a free COVID-19 vaccine beginning Tuesday.
Alabama Plans To Open Vaccine Eligibility By May 1, But Hesitancy Remains A Problem
About one-third of adults in Alabama are hesitant to get the vaccine, according to polling by the state department of public health.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Transgender Sports, Abortion, Riot Bills Advance
Alabama is one of several states considering bills restricting transgender minors. The sports bill is the second one related to transgender youth introduced this session.
Biden Administration Pushes To Vaccinate All Americans Against COVID-19
The White House said officials are working through issues of access and vaccine hesitancy.
Storms Prompt Schools To Delay Opening Thursday
More than a dozen suspected tornados raked over Alabama on Wednesday.
Alabama Tornado Outbreak Rips Off Roofs, Snaps Trees As State Braces For More
Storms are expected to last through the night and into Thursday morning.
Lawmakers Continue Debating Controversial Anti-Riot Bill
The sponsor of the bill says it would protect first responders from being attacked at tumultuous protests. But the measure has been a sore spot for state Democrats and others who fear the bill’s language is too vague, and that it'll only serve to criminalize peaceful protests.
Severe Storms Barrel Through Alabama
Impacts of the storm system could be severe.
What Labor Wins And Losses In The South Can Tell Us About the Amazon Union Vote
The unionization effort at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala. may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a big union win in the South. Yet union organizers had a nearly-identical opportunity just four years ago in Mississippi.
Alabama Schools Announce Closures Ahead Of Possible Severe Weather
Central Alabama is expected to see strong storms beginning Wednesday at 2 p.m. through Thursday at 4 a.m., according to new modeling by the National Weather Service in Birmingham
UAB To Open New Vaccination Site And Update Demographic Data
The vaccination site located at AOH Cathedral of the Cross in northeast Birmingham is a drive-thru site, but only eligible residents can sign up for an appointment.
StoryCorps: “I found a voice…”
Amanda Keller and Lauren Jacobs work together at Birmingham’s Magic City Acceptance Center. In addition to being co-workers, they are also close friends. They came to the StoryCorps MobileBooth to talk about Amanda’s relationship with her late father and its influence on her work.
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.
Lighting Up the Night Again
The neon sign for the historic A.G. Gaston Motel was lit Tuesday night in a ceremony marking the end of phase 1 of the site’s restoration.
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.
