Alabama
Deaf Football Players Find Novel Ways to Communicate
On the football field, visual communication is key. That’s especially true for the Silent Warriors, a team of middle and high school students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. They compete against mainstream and deaf schools across the U.S., where having a unique language can be both an advantage and a challenge on the field.
Coal Coming Back in Some Alabama Communities
Coal mines are coming back in some parts of Alabama. Industry observers say easing of regulations and a steady demand for coal overseas means more mining jobs. That's welcome news in places like Brookwood in Tuscaloosa County, where coal is mined to produce steel.
Sessions Speaks in Hoover as Rosenstein News Erupts
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions drew sustained applause speaking at the Hyatt Regency in Hoover on Monday. Sessions’ remarks at a meeting of prosecutors and law enforcement came just as Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosentein was set to meet with White House officials, presumably about his future in the US Department of Justice.
NAACP Suspends Birmingham President Hezekiah Jackson
The national office of the NAACP has suspended the organization’s local Birmingham President Hezekiah Jackson IV. The NAACP issued a statement Wednesday evening saying it is investigating whether Jackson advised residents not to have their soil tested for potentially damaging toxins and if he received payment for those activities.
Marti Buckley: From Birmingham to Basque Country
When Marti Buckley was a student at LSU, she wanted to study abroad in Madrid. Instead, they placed her in San Sebastian - Spain's Basque Country. She fell in love with the oceans, the mountains and the food. She moved back to Birmingham, her hometown, in 2006 and gave birth to her daughter two years later. Buckley tells WBHM’s Janae Pierre how she landed in Basque Country after working for Southern Living Magazine and cooking under one of the south’s most revered chefs.
New App Aims to Make Game Day Parking Easier
It’s football season which means tailgates and then ... the game. But before fans even get to the stadium, they need to find parking, which can be dreadful. There have been several mobile apps developed around the country to help drivers find parking. WBHM’s Janae Pierre looks at one new mobile app here in Alabama meant to take some of the pain out of parking.
Promoting Humanities in a Math and Science World
Listen to Alabama politicians talk about education and you’ll hear about workforce development. They say schools should focus on math and science to help industry grow. There’s less emphasis on music or literature. That concerns John Parrish Peede. The Mississippi native became chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier this year.
Teachers, School Funding Among New Schools Chief’s Priorities
Eric Mackey is Alabama’s new superintendent of education. Before this, he was a lobbyist for state school superintendents. Mackey says Alabama schools must address poverty, teachers, and school funding.
Birmingham City Council Approves $436 Million Budget
The $436 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 includes basic support for city services and a small cost of living adjustment for employees. But some funds and requests will be handled differently.
2018 Governor’s Race: Sue Bell Cobb
Sue Bell Cobb was the first woman to be elected Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Now the Evergreen native has her sights set on the governor’s office. Her conversation with WBHM’s Dan Carsen starts with a horrific event from Cobb’s days as a county judge when a man who’d appeared in her court firebombed her house.
Feds Announce Dozens of Violent Crime and Illegal Weapons Charges
Federal and local law enforcement announced indictments today for 71 people accused of violent crime and illegal weapons and drug possession in Birmingham and north Alabama.
DA Candidate Fights To Include His Name on Countywide Ballot
Bill Veitch, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Jefferson County District Attorney, has appealed to the state Supreme Court to have his name placed on the ballot in both county jurisdictions.
Jefferson County Unveils New Mural Showing Diversity
A new mural unveiled at the Jefferson County courthouse Tuesday depicts a diversity community. It's an answer to two murals from the 1930s which show slaves picking cotton and shirtless industrial laborers.
Eric Mackey Named State School Superintendent
Eric Mackey is Alabama’s new state superintendent of education. The state Board of Education selected Mackey today after interviewing three finalists. Craig Pouncey of Jefferson County Schools and Kathy Murphy of Hoover City Schools were finalists.
Federal Court to Hear Birmingham Minimum Wage Case
A federal appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments Friday in a case over Birmingham’s attempt to increase the minimum wage in the city to $10.10.
Stuck in Parrish: Train Cars Full of Sewage
The weather is warming up. And while many of us welcome springtime temperatures, residents in the Walker County town of Parrish are filled with dread. That’s because the warmer it gets, the smellier the air becomes. That stench is human waste that a private company let sit on train cars for months.
Study: Alabama Ranks Third in Premature Death
A comprehensive report published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at life expectancy and other key health measures across the U.S. Alabama ranked third-worst in premature death, but there was good news also.
50 Years After King’s Death, Birmingham Remembers
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil rights movement that changed America. His assassination on April 4, 1968, set off deadly riots and protests in places like Chicago and Washington. But Birmingham didn’t have a prolonged violent response, even though some of King’s most noted victories were launched here.
One Killed, One Injured in Huffman High School Shooting
Huffman High School is closed today following a Wednesday shooting that killed one student and injured another. Courtlin Arrington, 17, was pronounced dead at UAB Hospital Wednesday evening.
The Governor’s Race: Candidate Lineup
Want to know more about who’s running for governor? Here are the candidate profiles as they appeared originally here by Cheryl Slocum with the non-profit news site BirminghamWatch. Eleven people have lined up to run for governor this year. Among the candidates are some of the state’s best-known names, including the governor herself, and some that […]
Ditch the Marriage Licenses? Senate Says ‘I Do’
The Alabama Senate this week took on bills aimed at curbing racial profiling and doing away with marriage licenses.
Toyota, Mazda Announce Huntsville as Site for New Plant
Mazda and Toyota announced Huntsville as the city of choice for a new manufacturing plant on Wednesday.
Ivey Touts Success, Announces Plans for Pay Raises
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey used her first State of the State address to tout her successes since replacing Gov. Robert Bentley when he was forced out of office nine months ago.
Black Women Boosted Doug Jones to Victory. Now What?
To black women in Alabama who propelled U.S. Sen. Doug Jones to victory in the Dec. 12 special election, it was a way to make a powerful statement about the need for greater focus on their priorities.
New Initiative Seeks to Preserve Alabama LGBTQ Histories
Invisible Histories Project Alabama is aimed at finding, recording and preserving what the group calls the “always vanishing” stories of LGBTQ Alabamians.
Kids, Dogs and the Culture of Breweries
For WBHM’s food series, “Sound Bites” we look at why breweries have become such popular places for families to spend quality time.
Doug Jones and Roy Moore Vary Widely on Top Issues in Senate Race – BirminghamWatch
BirminghamWatch’s Glenn Stephens took a look at where US Senate candidates Roy Moore and Doug Jones stand on key issues. Here’s their story. Doug Jones and Roy Moore Alabama voters will choose between candidates with contrasting views on topics ranging from health care to abortion, and taxation to immigration when they vote for a new U.S. […]
Apathy and a Divide Among Some Black Voters
If he has a chance at defeating conservative Republican Roy Moore in Tuesday’s US Senate election, Democrat Doug Jones needs lots of votes, especially from African Americans. But some in the black community say it’ll take more than a history of prosecuting the KKK members responsible for the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing to energize them to support Jones.
Roy Moore, Faith Leaders Say GOP Establishment Is Behind Allegations
Pastors and faith leaders from around the country stood with embattled GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore in Birmingham Thursday, castigating the media and denying charges of Moore’s sexual misconduct decades ago.
Support Mixed For Roy Moore in Gadsden Following Allegations
The chorus of calls is growing for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore to step aside following additional allegations of sexual misconduct years ago. Near his home base in Etowah County, the former Alabama chief Supreme Court justice still has support among some but questions from others.
New Report: Moore Initiated Sexual Contact With Girl, Then 14
The Washington Post is reporting Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore had a sexual encounter with a 14 year-old girl when he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney.
Southeast is Home to Largest LGBT Population, Report Finds
The Southeast is home to roughly 35 percent of LGBT people in the U.S., the largest LGBT population in the country, according to data compiled by the Williams Institute at UCLA.
