BirminghamWatch
Polling Officials Say Alabama’s July 14 Election Won’t Mirror Georgia’s Snafus
Alabama is prepared for the July 14 primary runoffs, according to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill.
Birmingham Conducting Review Of Police Department Procedures, Could Make Changes To Operate In Post-George Floyd World
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says his office will conduct a comprehensive internal review of the city’s police department.
Jefferson County Curfew Is Over, Commission Says
The Jefferson County Commission voted Tuesday not to extend the order establishing a county wide curfew.
Protesters Ask Birmingham Council To ‘Defund The Police’
Protesters are asking the Birmingham City Council to defund the city's police department by reallocating $150,000 from the department's ammunition budget.
PSC Gives Thumbs-Up For Alabama Power To Increase Fossil Fuel Use, Delays Solar Request
The Alabama Public Service Commission voted this week to approve most of Alabama Power’s $1.1 billion energy expansion plan. The state's largest utility will build a new natural gas plant and buy gas from existing plants.
Mayor Lifts Birmingham’s Curfew And Protest Ban At Midnight
Birmingham’s public safety curfew and state of emergency will expire Monday night.
Birmingham Protesters Vandalize Downtown Buildings, Try to Take Down Confederate Monument
Fiery protests erupted in downtown Birmingham causing damage to several buildings and statues after a peaceful demonstration earlier Sunday.
Senator And State Health Officer Tackle Complex Slate Of Coronavirus Questions
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris reminds Alabamians that COVID-19 is not over. Instead, they say the number of confirmed cases in the state continues to rise.
Two More Weeks Of Face Coverings Required, Birmingham Council Says
The Birmingham City Council has extended the city’s face covering ordinance for two more weeks.
Birmingham City Council To Consider Extending Face Covering Requirement
The Birmingham City Council will vote Friday on whether to extend the city's face covering ordinance.
Birmingham Will Allow Mask Rule To Expire Friday
Birmingham will allow its face covering ordinance to expire Friday, May 29.
Jefferson County Commission Considers Higher Rent For Polling Places
Polling places in Jefferson County could be in line to receive more money to host elections, according to a new report.
Jefferson County Commission Considers More COVID-19 Relief For Businesses
The Jefferson County Commission is considering a resolution that would seek up to $1.15 million in supplemental funds for the county’s revolving loan fund grant from the state’s Economic Development Administration.
Beef, Poultry Farm Operations Hit By Coronavirus, But Peaches Are On Their Way
Pricing and processing delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic have made a direct hit on the Alabama cattle and poultry industries.
Birmingham Extends Face-Covering Requirement Through May 29
The Birmingham City Council issued another extension to its face covering ordinance. It's now set to expire on May 29.
Birmingham Health Care Worker Who Caught Virus ‘Had A Feeling That Things Weren’t Normal’
One healthcare worker in Birmingham talks about her experience battling COVID-19.
Local Group Effort Seeks to Overcome Barriers of Legal Status, Language to Offer COVID-19 Testing
Several organizations have come together to devise a unified strategy to reach Latino and other non-English-speaking residents of Jefferson County with COVID-19 information and support.
Face Covering Law in Birmingham Extended Through Next Week; Curfew Lifted
Birmingham’s public safety curfew is no longer in effect, but the ordinance requiring masks or face coverings to be worn in public has been extended for another week.
Jeffco Commission Goes Behind Closed Doors Over Stimulus Money
The Jefferson County Commission received guidance this week on their legal use of federal stimulus money because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
City Council Places May 15 Deadline On Birmingham’s Mask, Public Safety Ordinances
Birmingham has placed a May 15 deadline on its mask and public safety ordinances, bringing them in line with Gov. Kay Ivey’s safer-at-home order.
Shoppers Emerge From Quarantine As State Eases COVID-19 Emergency Order
Alabama's retail industry opened its' doors once again after being closed for at least a month because of COVID-19.
UAB Drug Remdesivir Is First to Block the COVID-19 Virus, May Become Standard of Care. Fauci “Optimistic.”
Remdesivir, a drug developed through a federal grant to UAB, may be the first effective therapy for treating severely ill COVID-19 patients, early analysis of a large federally sponsored study found this week.
Small Business Loans Site Crashes Amid Flood of New PPP Applications
Alabama bankers couldn’t access the federal Paycheck Protection Program application site on Monday so that small businesses hurt by the coronavirus could apply for the loans.
Jefferson County Reopening Courthouses Friday, With Some Restrictions
Jefferson County will reopen its courthouses and county facilities on Friday.
Birmingham Requires Face Masks in Public Starting Friday
Birmingham residents will be legally required to wear face masks in public starting May 1.
UAB to Start COVID-19 Testing With Mobile Units in Bush Hills, Center Point
UAB will deploy a new COVID-19 mobile testing unit this week to communities across Jefferson County.
Alabama Lags Coronavirus Testing Rate Advised to Begin Reopening
Data shows Alabama lags behind most of its Southeast neighbors in COVID-19 testing.
Q&A With UAB Med School Dean Selwyn Vickers: Pandemic “Significantly” Shutting Down Clinical Trial Enterprise
BirminghamWatch spoke with the dean of UAB's Medical School about COVID-19's impact on clinical trials.
Crime Slows As People Shelter From Coronavirus
Crime isn’t taking a coronavirus holiday, but law enforcement statistics show it headed in a positive direction as more people shelter from the pandemic.
EPA Rejects Move To Strengthen Air Pollution Limits
The Trump EPA announced this week that it will not lower the current limit on particulate air pollution, an action that disappointed but didn’t surprise public health scientists and clean-air advocates.
There Will Be a Day After, But Then Comes The Day After That
UAB officials are starting to look toward the day when the number of COVID-19 cases starts to decline in Alabama, but there are no easy answers to what could come next.
Birmingham Commits Another $1 Million To Temporary Worker Program
In an abnormally short, 13-minute meeting on Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted to allocate more funds to the city’s fight against COVID-19.
