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Jeffco Commission Approves Rebranding, Bicentennial Promotion Contract After Scales Raises Questions
The Jefferson County Commission unanimously agreed to a contract with Big Marketing and Communications today, but not without Commissioner Lashunda Scales again expressing her opposition to contracts that don’t reflect the county’s need to increase its dealings with historically under-represented businesses.
Bradford Family Wants Jefferson County DA to Handle Shooting Case
The lawyer for the family of Emantic Bradford Jr. says State Attorney General Steve Marshall did not follow the normal process when he took over the case from Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr.
Fatal Hoover Police Shooting Prompts Race Debate
The fatal police shooting of a young black man at the Riverchase Galleria mall in Hoover has sparked weeks of vigils, protests and racial unrest. For some it has re-opened old wounds in the Birmingham community, decades after the civil rights movement.
ACLU and NAACP Request Policies on Police Use of Force
The ACLU of Alabama and Alabama NAACP filed public records requests with the Hoover police department and several others across the state. The organizations are looking for information on racial bias training, use of force and body camera policies.
State Attorney General Takes Over Galleria Shooting Case
State Attorney General Steve Marshall announced today his office is taking over the prosecution in the Thanksgiving shootings at the Galleria that left one man fatally shot by a Hoover policeman and two others wounded.
Trump’s EPA Seeks to Remove Much of Nation’s Headwaters and Wetlands From Protection
The action principally would remove oversight for small tributary headwaters that do not flow year-round and for wetlands not clearly connected to flowing streams.
Governor and Lawmakers Asking for Patience From Public in Hoover Shooting Investigation, Some Want More Information From ALEA
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey pledged Monday that information about the shooting death of an armed man by police would be made public, but she urged patience.
Ready, Set, Action: Birmingham’s Become a Film-Making Destination That Brings Jobs, Millions of Dollars to Economy
The Magic City is not quite Hollywood, yet. But Birmingham’s economy is getting a show business-sized boost with millions of film dollars flowing into the local economy. The city’s Red Mountain substituted for the Hollywood Hills, wearing the famous HOLLYWOOD sign in “Bigger,” one of dozens of films made in metro Birmingham in recent years.
State Looking at Plans to Fix or Replace Crowded, Crumbling Prisons; Lawmakers Don’t Expect to Be Part of Infrastructure Plan
Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Corrections aren’t yet talking publicly about possible fixes for the state’s crowded and aging prisons, but they are extending a multimillion-dollar contract with an outside project manager to study construction needs.
Hoover Grapples with Unrest as Questions Remain Around Mall Shooting
Eighteen days after a young black man was shot and killed by a Hoover police officer at a busy mall, many unanswered questions remain. For more on why so little is known, WBHM’s Gigi Douban spoke with Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato and City Manager Allan Rice about the aftermath of the shooting, including the investigation, claims that city police are racist, and the healing process ahead.
Bradford Family Continues to Push for Release of All Video of Mall Shooting
Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump says results from an independent autopsy of Emantic Bradford Jr. align with a short video clip before his death, a new release says.
Gun Violence Through the Eyes of a Trauma Surgeon
The recent shooting at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover has renewed attention on the issue of gun violence. Dr. Jeff Kerby, head of trauma services at UAB, says to curb gun-related deaths and injuries, health officials must have a seat at the table.
As Alabama’s Unemployment Rate Decreases, Medicaid Enrollment Does Not
Alabama’s unemployment rate hit record lows in the past year, falling below 4 percent, but the number of people enrolled in Medicaid hasn’t decreased.
Utility Filings Show Coal Ash Ponds Are Too Close to Groundwater Reservoirs. Environment Groups Again Call for Moving Toxic Material
All of Alabama Power Company’s open coal ash ponds sit within five feet of an aquifer, or groundwater reservoir, in violation of federal standards, recent company filings confirm.
Hoover Officials: Release of Info About Police Shooting ‘Premature’
The Hoover Police Department says it will not release any information regarding the shooting death of Emantic Bradford Jr. This is a departure from last week's statement in which officials said they could release details if the state's top law enforcement agency failed to do so by a Monday deadline.
Bradford Funeral a Celebration and Call to Action
Mourners in Birmingham Saturday remembered a young black man who was killed by police at a Hoover mall Thanksgiving night. The funeral was part celebration and part call to action.
Woodfin’s First Year: Priority Remains on Neighborhoods
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin began his second year in office Thursday. When he was elected, he pledged to improve the quality of life in the city, and make it a safer, more economically vibrant place.
Man Arrested In Connection With Thanksgiving Mall Shooting
Authorities have arrested 20-year-old Erron Martez Dequan Brown in connection with the attempted murder of 18-year-old Brian Wilson in the Thanksgiving night shooting at the Riverchase Galleria.
Expert: Active Shooter Situations Can Easily Confuse Police
Active shooter incidents can be difficult for police officers. Events unfold in seconds and often end tragically. In Hoover on Thanksgiving night at the Riverchase Galleria, police shot and killed 21-year-old Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr. Initially, they said he was the gunman in a shooting that left two wounded. They then backtracked and said the real gunman is still at large. Police responding to such situations can find themselves in the midst of chaos.
Protesters Say They Won’t Stop Until They Receive Answers About Emantic Bradford’s Death
About 65 people spent Monday night protesting outside the Hoover Police Department in hopes of pressuring them to release video of Emantic Bradford Jr.'s death.
Family of Black Man Killed by Officer Wants Answers
During a press conference Sunday, the family of Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. and attorney Ben Crump called on the Hoover Police Department to release available video footage of EJ's death.
Protesters Demand Justice for Man Killed by Hoover Police
Protesters gathered Saturday at the Riverchase Galleria to demand justice for the killing of E.J. Bradford, who was shot by police on Thanksgiving night. Police hours after the shooting said Bradford was the shooter who wounded two people, but later said he was likely not the gunman.
Galleria Mall Shooter Could be at Large
Hoover police issued a statement Friday night indicating the shooter who injured two people at the Riverchase Galleria mall in a shooting Thanksgiving night could be at large. Police shot and killed a 21-year-old Hueytown man who police say fled the scene of the shooting, but wasn't likely the one who fired shots injuring two people at the mall on that busy shopping night.
Shooting at The Galleria Leaves One Dead
A shooting at the Riverchase Galleria mall on Thanksgiving night left the gunman dead and at least two wounded on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Birmingham Council Approves Funds for Transit Authority, With Conditions
The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to approve funding for the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority and a handful of other organizations, including the Birmingham Business Alliance, Create Birmingham and REV Birmingham.
Trey Glenn Resigns as EPA Regional Administrator After Indictment
Trey Glenn resigned Sunday as EPA Region 4 administrator for Alabama and seven other southeastern states following his indictment on multiple felony ethics charges last week in Jefferson County.
Conquering Hero or Political Villain? How Alabama’s Conservative Voters Will View Jeff Sessions After Turbulent AG Tenure
The end of Jeff Sessions’ topsy-turvy time as attorney general came abruptly, a day after one of the nation’s most important mid-term elections. After nearly two years of being publicly berated by President Donald Trump, Sessions is out and free to return home to Alabama, the state that sent him to the U.S. Senate for 20 years.
Written in Black and White: In Alabama’s Statehouse, the Parties Are Split Almost Entirely by Race
When newly elected Neil Rafferty takes his place in the Alabama House of Representatives next year, he will be the only white Democrat in the 105-seat chamber
Residents and Activists Oppose ABC Coke Air Permit
Speakers at the first hearing Thursday asked the Jefferson County Department of Health not to renew the emissions permit for ABC Coke. Companies with air emissions are required to have permits renewed every four or five years, the health department says.
New Jefferson County Commission Takes Office With Three New Members
Sheila Tyson and Lashunda Scales were sworn into office as Jefferson County commissioners Wednesday, along with Steve Ammons, a former Vestavia Hills City Council member. Tyson and Scales are Democrats; Ammons is a Republican. The Republican majority continues on the commission with incumbents Jimmie Stephens and Joe Knight.
EPA Southeast Administrator, Former ADEM Commissioner Indicted on State Ethics Charges
A former director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, who’s now the regional administrator for the EPA, has been indicted on state ethics charges related to the case in which an executive of Drummond Corporation and a partner in the Balch and Bingham law firm were convicted earlier this year.
Jefferson County’s ‘Blue Wave:’ How the First Black Sheriff and District Attorney Won Election
Jefferson County’s first black sheriff and district attorney were swept into office Tuesday on a wave of Democratic straight-ticket voting.
