Series
Some parents express frustration with schools’ responses to the omicron surge
As students across Birmingham return to classrooms after the winter break, schools must contend with the COVID-19 omicron variant. With cases surging, WBHM heard from some parents who are frustrated with the response from school leaders.
Guaranteed income is coming to the Gulf South. Take a look at the 3 programs
Guaranteed income programs are coming to three cities in the Gulf South including Birmingham, which is set to launch soon.
With the mental health system strained, here’s how some people are coping during the pandemic
Alabama is among the bottom of states for media health providers per capita. That has people looking online and other places to find help.
State Health Officer warns Alabama is ‘not in a good place’ fighting the Omicron variant
During a media call Tuesday, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said Alabama is seeing the highest new daily case numbers of the pandemic.
Issues to watch in the 2022 legislative session
Alabama lawmakers return to Montgomery on Jan. 11 for the 2022 legislative session. Here are some issues to watch as the session begins.
Lawmakers face decisions on $1.5 billion in relief funds
Legislative leaders say infrastructure projects — such as broadband and sewer projects — are expected to be a spending priority.
The 2021 moments that will stick with us: Reflections from the Gulf States Newsroom
Our regional reporters reflect on the most memorable moment they had in the field as they covered stories across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
As much of the Gulf South remains unvaccinated, New Orleans issues a mandate for kids
The city will expand its mandate in 2022 to include children 5 and older. The city health director said “there was no good scientific or educational reason to wait.”
Judge orders Alabama prison system to boost staff by 2025
The Alabama Department of Corrections had been ordered to reach staffing targets by Feb. 2022, but the judge said that's clearly "out of reach."
Prison visits are back in the Gulf States. Many have not seen loved ones for nearly 2 years
This holiday season, many incarcerated people in the Gulf States are seeing their loved ones for the first time since March 2020 due to COVID restrictions.
Gulf States will get $100M to expand internet access. Here’s what they’re prioritizing
Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi will receive $100 million from the infrastructure bill to expand internet access, but each will have different priorities.
How the social safety net has — and hasn’t — changed in 2021 in 5 charts
Updates to SNAP, TANF and the Child Tax Credit have helped families in the Gulf South, but not everyone has been able to access the improved benefits.
First case of omicron variant in Alabama has been confirmed
Alabama has confirmed its first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, according to the state health officer.
Families in need received more from the social safety net in 2021. How helpful was it?
Experts hail changes like the Child Tax Credit and increases in SNAP benefits as historic. But were recipients better off after getting them?
Supply chain issues in California open up a business opportunity for Gulf Coast ports
Southern ports report higher traffic, but problems on the ground keep them from being a true solution to the supply chain tangle.
Alabama prisons commissioner Jeff Dunn to retire as system faces federal pressure
Gov. Kay Ivey announced the leadership change just two months months after Alabama lawmakers approved a $1.3 billion prison construction plan.
Alabama Gov. Ivey draws challengers in 2022 GOP primary
Lynda Blanchard and Tim James are joining the 2022 Alabama governor's race against incumbent Kay Ivey, county commissioner Stacy Lee George, and pastor Dean Odle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
