Anniston
‘When Buses Were A-Comin’: Remembering The Freedom Riders 60 Years On
A group of young civil rights activists began their journey to the South to challenge segregation on interstate buses in May 1961. The riders were taunted and beaten by white mobs – and jailed. Participants of the movement share what their fight means now.
Officials Say Anniston Facility Not Designed To Hold Coronavirus Patients
State and local leaders say they were justified in pushing back against a plan to bring Americans infected with the coronavirus disease to a facility in Anniston. They say there weren't enough details known.
Officials Seek Answers On Plan To House Coronavirus Patients In Anniston
Anniston is being considered a "back-up plan" to house some patients that have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Gov. Kay Ivey.
Annexit: The Push to Deannex Parts of Anniston into Oxford
Anniston City Councilwoman Millie Harris says some residents want out of the city because of poor schools, high crime rates, and declining property values.
Living History: A Freedom Rider Shares His Story
The “Freedom Riders” were civil rights activists, black and white, who challenged segregation by riding buses across the South. In 1961 near Anniston, a mob slashed one of those buses’ tires, set it on fire, and beat some of the passengers. Freedom Rider Hank Thomas was one of them.
She Brought Water to the Freedom Riders: “I Couldn’t Let It Pass”
There’s a new national monument to the “Freedom Riders, the civil rights activists – black and white – who challenged segregation by riding buses across the South. In 1961, a mob set one of those buses on fire and beat some of the riders. But there’s a lesser-known wrinkle to the story: a little white girl, whose family feared the Ku Klux Klan, brought water to the injured passengers.
Big Push to Make AL Civil Rights Monuments National Parks
A big push is underway to designate several Alabama civil rights locations as national parks. National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Mayor William Bell joined Jewell for a tour of Birmingham's civil rights district.
Anniston Police Officers Accused of Belonging to Hate Group
Two Anniston police officers were placed on administrative leave Wednesday pending an investigation by the city into their participation in what a Montgomery-based civil rights group describes as a hate group.
More Robust FEMA APP Released Just In Time for Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is launching a new feature to its app that is a one-stop-shop of sorts that will help people prepare for, respond to and recover from hurricanes.
New Website Informs Ft. McClellan Veterans of Possible Toxic Exposure
For decades Anniston’s now closed Ft. McClellan was home to the Army Chemical School and housed substances including sarin gas and nerve agent. The company Monsanto also released toxic chemicals into the environment around the area. Some veterans say exposure to these substances while at Ft. McClellan caused them an array of health problems and have called for compensation from the federal government. Those activists can now claim a small victory.
CDC Ebola Training Center opens in Anniston
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiated a training course at the former Army base in Anniston for health workers intending to help with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Vets say Ft. McClellan Made them Sick
Life in the military can mean being in harm's way, but not necessarily from bullets and explosions. For instance, some soldiers in Vietnam cleared trees and vegetation with the herbicide Agent Orange. The substance has been linked to cancers and other diseases, which the military didn't acknowledge until years later. A similar situation may be brewing in Alabama. Some veterans of Ft. McClellan near Anniston say they're suffering from debilitating health problems and they're blaming their time spent at the base.
Anniston Update
Every month we'll hear from the staff of The Anniston Star about an issue of importance to the community around Anniston and Calhoun County. Join WBHM's Andrew Yeager for these engaging conversations.
Anniston Update
Every month we'll hear from the staff of The Anniston Star about an issue of importance to the community around Anniston and Calhoun County. Join WBHM's Andrew Yeager for these engaging conversations.
My City Was Gone
Have an unexplained phenomenon, unusual behavior or an unexpected baby boom? You can always declare, "There must be something in the water." But for the Anniston community, this is not simply an innocuous cliche. Dumping decades ago by the Monsanto corporation has left Anniston with elevated levels of PCBs, a chemical banned since the 70s, but blamed for high rates of cancer and birth defects in the east Alabama town. Public outrage culminated in a legal settlement about 5 years ago which approached $800 million. Journalist Dennis Love followed the case in his book "My City Was Gone." The Anniston native spoke with WBHM's Andrew Yeager.
The Burning Bus
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
