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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.
StoryCorps: “I am completely safe with you.”
Ginger Wyatt and Winston Lancaster started dating in 1984. but the relationship didn’t last. They broke up and had no communication for almost 30 years. One day in 2012, Ginger decided to reach into the past and find Winston. They came to StoryCorps together.
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.
ADPH Plans Mobile Vaccination Clinics For Black Belt Region
State health officials hope to administer more vaccines to residents of rural areas.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Lighter Marijuana Penalties, Transgender Youth Therapies, Confederate Monuments
The week's highlights: A bill to ban therapies for transgender minors passed in the Alabama Senate. Lawmakers rejected a measure that would have given cities and towns more flexibility to move unwanted Confederate monuments elsewhere.
Ivey Extends Face Mask Order But Not For Long
Gov. Ivey leaves face mask order alone for now, but says it will end April 9.
UAB And JeffCo To Expand Vaccine Outreach In Underrepresented Communities
As of Wednesday, UAB had administered roughly 80,000 vaccine doses, but Black residents remain disproportionately underrepresented.
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.
StoryCorps: “Play the ball where it lies”
Natalie Holland learned to play golf from her father, Donald Holland. In their StoryCorps interview, they talk about how lessons learned from golf transcend to other areas of life.
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.
UAB Officials Hopeful Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Could Accelerate Rollout
UAB health experts say when it comes to vaccine variety, more is better. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the latest to win approval from the federal government.
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.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Gambling, Medical Marijuana, No-Excuse Absentee Voting
One of the measures that passed with very little debate in the Alabama Senate this week would authorize the use of medical marijuana. But the measure could face bigger challenges in the House.
Alabama’s COVID Vaccination Rate Increases
Federal programs have helped increase the number of Alabamians getting vaccinated in recent weeks.
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.
Actor Danny Glover Rallies Support For Unionizing Bessemer Amazon Facility
The "Lethal Weapon" star briefly spoke with workers leaving the facility. He told reporters that the unionization effort in Bessemer is part of a long history of fighting for labor rights.
StoryCorps: “The first time I felt intelligent…”
Karon Bullock fell in love with the outdoors when she attended science camp in the fifth grade. She was soon hiking, biking, or running daily, but a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 24 changed her relationship with the outdoors. Karon came to StoryCorps with her husband Joel.
Black Residents Call For More COVID Vaccine Outreach And Access
Concerned about disparities in vaccine allocation, Birmingham community leaders want officials to increase outreach efforts in Black neighborhoods.
To Get The Vaccine Or Not: How These Black Health Care Workers Made The Decision
Skepticism around the COVID-19 vaccine appears to be more prevalent within the Black community and among Black health care workers. We talked to a few of them about what’s guiding their decisions.
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.
Surge In Deaths Strains Local Funeral Homes, Morgue
In recent months, deaths due to COVID-19 increased dramatically, further stressing an industry already overwhelmed.
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.
A Remembrance of John Floyd, Former Southern Living Editor-in-Chief
The former editor of Southern Living died this week from cancer.
Vaccine ‘Hunters’ Travel To Mississippi, Other States For A Potential Dose
Officials worry that with cross-border travel for vaccines, second doses could get complicated.
Jefferson County Commission May Hire More Road Clean-Up Help
Jefferson County Commissioners are considering whether to hire temporary workers to clean up litter along county roads.
Candidates Lining Up To Run For Birmingham City Council
Several incumbents plan to seek re-election and some challengers have emerged.
Birmingham City Council Approves The Council President’s Trip To Meet With Legislators
The Birmingham City Council has approved its first official travel since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
