BirminghamWatch
Birmingham Promise Gets $8 Million Boost From Private Companies
The Birmingham Promise Initiative has raked in $8 million in additional donations. The education scholarship offers graduates of Birmingham City Schools free college tuition, apprenticeships and paid internships.
Birmingham Seeks Dollars For Its Entertainment Venues
The city will seek federal funding for Boutwell Auditorium, Sloss Historic Landmark Furnace, the Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Arlington Historic House.
JeffCo Commissioners Look Forward To Dropping Social Distance At Meetings
Restrictions prompted by Gov. Kay Ivey's coronavirus public health orders will expire at the end of the month.
COVID Hospitalizations Among Elderly Now Fewer Than Young Adults
Vaccine rates statewide have fallen significantly over the past six weeks. Public health leaders are grappling with how to encourage more people to get vaccinated.
Domestic Immigration Spur’s Alabama’s Population Growth
The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
As Demand Drops, Health Officials Look For Ways To Encourage Vaccinations
Health officials say at first they were focused on vaccinating elderly and at-risk people in Alabama. Now the focus is shifting to people who are skeptical or apathetic about the vaccine.
Woodfin Won’t Resign In Controversy Over Police Shooting
The Birmingham chapter of Black Lives Matter has called for the resignation of Mayor Randall Woodfin and Police Chief Patrick D. Smith following the fatal police shooting of an armed Black man.
Hack Exposes Vulnerability Of America’s Energy Supply Lines
Colonial Pipeline shut down its 5,500-mile pipeline on Friday after a ransomware attack. The pipeline made news back in 2016 after a gasoline spill in Shelby County. Some say it takes major events to bring attention to the pipeline's vulnerabilities.
Governor Shuts Down Extra Help For The Unemployed, Says Workers Needed To Invigorate The Economy
Alabama will stop participating in all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs beginning June 19. Gov. Kay Ivey says she made the decision because of the increasing difficulty of business owners and employers to find workers to fill jobs.
Birmingham City Council Approves Incentives For HBCU Classic At Legion Field
Legion Field is adding another HBCU football classic to its schedule.
Erasing The Stain: 15,000 Pardoned Of Marijuana Possession Convictions
Mayor Randall Woodfin plans to pardon more than 15,000 Birmingham residents convicted of marijuana possession.
Jefferson County Nears Deal For New Humane Society
The plan is for Jefferson County to purchase lots one and two of the property, which would remain under county ownership. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society would purchase lot three and build an animal hospital and adoption control facility there.
Birmingham Sets Up Civilian Board to Review Police Misconduct
The five-member board will have the authority to investigate citizen complaints and will have some subpoena powers to aid those investigations.
Birmingham Getting $5 Million To Battle Homelessness
The funding will come through HUD’s Home Investment Partnerships Program and is intended to help cities create affordable and supportive housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Birmingham Divvies Up $500K In Bold Funding For Nonprofits
Nine Birmingham nonprofits will receive funding from the city’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development grant initiative this year, despite an overall reduction in funding for the program.
Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Count Nears 10,000 Mark
Within about a year, the state has lost almost 10,000 Alabamians to COVID-19.
Field Of Candidates For Birmingham Mayor Continues To Grow
Currently, there are six people in the race for mayor of Birmingham. The filing deadline is July 10.
Jeffco Commission Gets Clean Bill Of Health After State Review Of Its Accounts
The Jefferson County Commission is conducting its duties in accordance with state law, says a report from the Alabama Examiners of Public Accounts.
“The Edge of the Woods”: UAB Epidemiologist Says Herd Immunity Could Be Reached By Late Spring
An epidemiologist at UAB Medicine thinks that Alabama may be headed toward a long-sought goal in the COVID pandemic and may reach that goal sooner than many had expected.
Birmingham Mayor, Council Pushing Two Separate Wish Lists In Legislature
The city of Birmingham is sending two sets of lobbyists to Montgomery — one from Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office and one from the City Council.
Bruno Event Team Takes Over JCDH Vaccine Call Center
The Jefferson County United Command Center will bring in a sporting event group to answer more calls to the COVID vaccine hotline.
Federal COVID-19 Rent and Utilities Assistance Set For Birmingham Residents
The City of Birmingham has received nearly $6.3 million in federal funding to assist residents who are unable to pay rent and utilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jefferson County Commission OK’s More Cleanup Help In Fultondale
"Somebody has to get those big trees out of that creek or it’s going to back up and start flooding and start blocking roads and flooding these houses that are damaged," said Commissioner Joe Knight.
