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She owed $7K due to a water leak. Her utility saw the signs but didn’t tell her
Birmingham Water Works flagged Claire Ahalt’s account for unusually high water use, but she did not find out until asking a utility worker weeks later.
City OK’s $5 million to help keep Birmingham-Southern College open
BSC President Daniel Coleman said in a statement that next he’ll ask Jefferson County to meet the city’s commitment, focus on private donors and reengage with state leaders to work on getting more funding.
A year after the Moody landfill fire: “We need just as much help now”
Around Thanksgiving a year ago a landfill near Moody caught fire blanketing the surrounding area with smoke. The fire burned for months before the Environmental Protection Agency covered the landfill with dirt to extinguish the flames, but there have been flare ups since. To understand what things are like now, we heard from one nearby resident.
Why trees are an environmental and health Swiss army knife
Cool Green Trees plants trees in under-resourced communities in the Birmingham area to help mitigate climate change and advance environmental justice initiatives.
A pro jiu-jitsu league is bringing grapplers from across the globe to a small city in Alabama
For acclaimed grappler Brandon Mccaghren, Decatur, Alabama, was the perfect place to grow the Professional Grappling Federation from idea to reality.
The flu is soaring in the South and rising elsewhere
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina.
Alabama inmate executed for the shooting death of man in 1993 robbery
Casey McWhorter was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for his role in the robbery and shooting death of Edward Lee Williams on Feb. 18, 1993.
LGBTQ doctors are leaving the Gulf South due to discrimination: ‘We weren’t welcome anymore’
The loss of specialized doctors due to the influx of anti-LGBTQ laws is the latest blow to a region already dealing with a shortage of health care providers.
Vincent coffee shop becomes community hub
Alicia’s Coffee in Vincent, Alabama, about 45 minutes southeast of Birmingham. The store is the site of WBHM’s latest News and Brews community pop-up Friday, Nov. 17. The story of Alicia’s Coffee is one of entrepreneurship and a little serendipity.
Senate takes step toward ending Tuberville’s hold on military nominations
The Senate Rules Committee voted 9-7 to approve a resolution that would allow the Senate to confirm groups of the military nominees at once for the remainder of the congressional term.
Pastor’s suicide brings grief, warnings of the dangers of outing amid erosion of LGBTQ+ rights
Copeland he took his own life two days after a conservative news site exposed social media posts where he appeared in women’s clothing, a wig and makeup.
It’s official. Next GOP presidential debate to take place in Tuscaloosa
The Republican National Committee said Thursday that the fourth debate would take place Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. To make the stage, candidates must garner at least 6% in two approved national polls, or 6% in one poll from two separate early-voting states.
Alabama sets January execution date using nitrogen gas
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday announced a Jan. 25 execution date for Kenneth Eugene Smith using the new method.
Tuberville under pressure from Republicans over military holds
Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he's open to negotiating an end to his blockade of almost 400 military nominees after meeting with fellow Republican senators on Tuesday, signaling a shift after he has dug in on his protest of a Pentagon abortion policy for more than nine months.
Place, Erased: A look at Gulf South communities transformed by forces beyond their control
Reporters Danny McArthur and Drew Hawkins traveled across the Gulf South to tell the stories of three towns erased by major environmental shifts.
Birmingham’s first Black police officer has died
Leroy Stover became an officer in March 1966 at 33 years old and moved up the ranks. By 1992, he was promoted to deputy chief in charge of field operations.
Community connects Dia De Los Muertos artwork
Artist Helga Mendoza said she’s always been interested in the grieving process. With grieving a strong theme of her work, it seemed appropriate that Mendoza was selected to create the featured image for this year’s Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, festival in Birmingham.
Alabama can execute inmate with nitrogen gas, state’s highest court says
The justices granted the state attorney general's request for an execution warrant for Kenneth Eugene Smith, one of two men convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of Elizabeth Sennett in northwestern Alabama.
Republicans confront Tuberville on Senate floor over military holds
Sen. Tommy Tuberville stood and objected to each nominee — 61 times total, when the night was over — extending his holds on the military confirmations and promotions with no immediate resolution in sight.
Place, Erased: Is this Mississippi community really a ghost town? It depends on who you ask
Some say this coastal Mississippi town doesn’t exist anymore, wiped off the map due to repeated storms. But to its residents, it’s still alive and well.
Place, Erased: The fight for the remains of a Louisiana town
Toxic pollution forced a small, Black community in Louisiana to relocate. Now, chemical companies say they own its final remnant — the town’s cemetery.
Remembering Margaret Walker 50 years later, as her groundbreaking poetry festival returns to Jackson
A conversation with author Maryemma Graham on her biography of Walker, famed novelist and professor who created the Phillis Wheatley Festival in 1973.
Place, Erased: How a drowned Alabama town still holds lessons 60 years later
Some southern towns have been erased by environmental disasters — whether natural or man-made. One Alabama town offers lessons on the hidden cost of progress.
An Alabama coal plant again named the nation’s worst greenhouse gas polluter
In West Jefferson, everything happens in the shadow of Alabama Power. Just across the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River from West Jefferson, towering over the relatively rural Alabama landscape, is the coal-fired James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant
Birmingham-Southern hoped to borrow money. Now the school is on borrowed time
Birmingham-Southern College is running out of money and time. After the State Treasurer rejected the school’s $30 million loan application, school officials must now consider their options, including closing the 167-year-old campus on Birmingham’s west side.
At the Magic City Classic, what you wear is just as important as who you cheer for
For many, the annual game between HBCU rivals Alabama A&M and Alabama State is about more than football. It’s a chance to connect and celebrate Black culture.
The Gulf South looks to ‘charge up’ its economy with electric vehicles
While some believe electric vehicles could lead to a southern manufacturing renaissance, workers and experts caution that it must be done carefully.
Montgomery judge dismisses Birmingham-Southern College lawsuit against state
Judge James Anderson said he was “sympathetic” to the college, but said after a roughly hour-long hearing that phrasing in the law favored the treasurer.
Hendrix and Brinyark winners in Tuesday’s runoff elections
With no Republican opponent, Democrat Travis Hendrix is expected to take the District 55 seat after January's general election.
Birmingham City Council elects new leadership
Birmingham City Councilor Darrell O’Quinn on Tuesday took on the mantle of council president, and former President Wardine Alexander stepped into the president pro tem position.
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.
