News
Alabama prisons to resume visitation after 20 months
The Alabama Department of Corrections will resume visitations on Dec. 4 after nearly 20 months. But there will be a number of restrictions.
Turmoil hits antipoverty group as report questions contracts
The executive director of Jefferson County's Committee for Economic Opportunity was fired after allegations of financial inconsistencies.
The stadium bid for Woodlawn High School is approved. It could be built by the fall
The Birmingham Board of Education has approved a bid for Woodlawn High School's new football stadium. It could be built by fall 2022.
Birmingham Mayor Woodfin sworn in for a second term
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin began his second term Tuesday, continuing his tenure as the city’s 30th mayor.
How a Birmingham shop owner brings memories to life through books
Jim Reed has collected books and writings for more than 40 years and believes books keep memories alive.
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh announces $15 minimum wage for federal contractors during visit to Birmingham
An estimated 327,000 people across the country could see a pay increase under a new Department of Labor rule announced Monday in Birmingham.
Tips for a happy, safe and COVID-free Thanksgiving from Gulf South health officials
Hosting a family gathering for Thanksgiving but worried about COVID transmission? Health officials offer these tips for a happy, safe holiday.
Deep South’s most vulnerable residents share their stories during EPA’s ‘Journey to Justice’ tour
Black residents of Southeast Louisiana, dedicated to fighting air and soil pollution in their own neighborhoods and towns met with EPA Administrator Michael Regan on his “Journey to Justice,” listening tour, sharing their stories and frustrations.
JeffCo Commission announces $1.1 billion deal with Smucker’s
Food maker J.M. Smucker, known for its peanut butter and jelly products, is bringing a manufacturing and distribution plant to McCalla.
Alabama, Gulf States receive F rating in March of Dimes’ 2021 maternal health report
Alabama ranked toward the bottom in the nation for maternal and infant health outcomes in an annual report put out by March of Dimes, an organization that promotes maternal and infant health across the United States through research, education and advocacy.
Gulf South health care systems are failing to equally serve people of color, study says
A new analysis from research foundation Commonwealth Fund shows that health care access and outcomes are poor for people of color across the nation, and even worse in Gulf South states.
State: Ex-speaker Hubbard’s words show apology was insincere
Alabama state prosecutors say Mike Hubbard's apologies for his crimes are insincere, citing emails and phone calls made by the former House Speaker.
An unlikely place, Lowndes County, has the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in Alabama
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Lowndes County was one of the hardest hit places in Alabama. So when the vaccine became available, doses were rushed to Lowndes and other Black Belt counties by the federal government.
Lawsuits challenge new legislative, congressional lines
The NAACP, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and others filed a lawsuit this week against Alabama's new legislative and congressional districts. They say the redistricting allows for racial gerrymandering.
Alabama judge opposed to death penalty set for ethics trial
Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tracie Todd faces an ethics trial in Montgomery this week. Roughly five years ago, Todd ruled that Alabama's capital punishment law was unconstitutional.
Alabama is last in math. Politicians look for ways to close gap
Fifth graders could be required to pass a new math test to advance to the sixth grade. One lawmaker is proposing legislation for the 2022 Alabama Session.
Culinary professionals eat up discussion on food and civil rights
The relationship between food and civil rights goes much deeper than sit-ins at lunch counters or bake sales that funded boycotts. A discussion about the intersection between the two was the main dish at a conference in Birmingham last month.
Black farmers’ land leases are vanishing. Some say racist policies are to blame
Black farmers and their families once owned and worked on thousands of acres of land in Louisiana’s Iberia Parish. The land has shrunk over the last several decades, and some, like Eddie Lewis III, say it stems from racist policies.
Board rejects bid for Woodlawn High School stadium
The Birmingham Board of Education rejected the bid to build a stadium and fieldhouse on the campus of Woodlawn High School. This comes just months after the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Alabama boy named world’s most premature infant to survive
Curtis Means was born 132 days premature on July 5, 2020 with a twin who didn’t survive. Weighing only 14.8 ounces at birth, the boy is now healthy and 16 months old.
More renters in the Gulf South face eviction, but states are still slow providing aid
A slowed rollout to federal aid, tedious applications and non-cooperative landlords are just some of the issues renters are now facing a few months after the CDC’s eviction moratorium ended.
Birmingham Promise gets a $1.8 million grant to boost students’ careers
Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded the Birmingham Promise a $1.8 million grant specifically to support internships and apprenticeships for Birmingham City Schools seniors.
Wastewater failures for Lowndes County’s Black residents at center of DOJ investigation
The investigation, opened Tuesday, is looking into the Alabama Department of Health’s and the Lowndes County Health Department’s wastewater disposal and infectious disease and outbreak programs.
Trash is piling up around some apartments in Birmingham. It is not just about the pandemic
Some people who live in apartments or operate a business around the Birmingham area have complained about trash piling up this fall. It’s reasonable to assume the city should be picking up that garbage, but that’s not the case.
‘Nimblewill Nomad,’ 83-year-old Alabama man, is the oldest to hike the Appalachian Trail
An Alabama man has set a new record by being the oldest person to hike the Appalachian Trail.
First kids ages 5-11 to get COVID shot looking forward to sleepovers, ‘feeling safe’
As pharmacies and health care providers begin rolling out the Pfizer COVID vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds, appointments and waitlists are filling up.
Gov. Ivey signs vaccine exemption bills, new legislative maps into law
The governor's actions cap a weeklong special session that ended late Thursday night.
Why Black teens are getting vaccinated at higher rates than white teens across the South
Data acquired from health departments across the Gulf South show that among 12 to 17 year olds, Black teenagers are getting vaccinated at roughly one and a half times the rate of white teenagers.
Kids age 5 and up can start getting vaccinated in Jefferson County
Over 400,000 kids in Alabama aged 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, after the CDC approved Pfizer’s low-dose vaccine for kids. Several families in Jefferson County told WBHM they’re eager to get their shots and move towards normalcy.
Birmingham delays ICE agreement, wants to assure it won’t lead to police involvement in deportations
The Birmingham City Council has delayed approving an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would allow several city police officers to act as officers for the federal agency’s Homeland Security Investigations division.
Republicans advance bill for claiming vaccine exemptions
Alabama lawmakers advanced legislation on Tuesday aimed at protecting employees who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by setting out an easy process to claim a religious or medical exemption.
JeffCo considers kicking in $500K to bring USFL to Birmingham
On Thursday, the Jefferson County Commission is set to consider approving $500K to help bring the United States Football League to Birmingham next year.
