BW Recommends is a rundown of stories you might have missed this week. It offers insight into issues important to our area and sometimes tickles your curiosity.

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Alabama’s E.O. Wilson Land Between the Rivers Preserve Is a ‘Place That Time Forgot’ (Inside Climate News)

Dubbed the father of biodiversity, the pioneering author and scientist E.O. Wilson spent his early years exploring the swamps and wetlands of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Now, 8,000 acres will be preserved forever in his name.

APLS Board Member Accuses AL GOP Chair John Wahl of Using Party to Push Book Restrictions (Alabama Reflector)

The board overseeing Alabama libraries is considering restrictions on books that positively depict transgender individuals. A member of the board accused Wahl, who also chairs the library board, of using his position with the party to push for passage of the restrictions.

Lengthy Execution by Nitrogen Gas in Alabama Renews Concerns Over Method (The New York Times)

Alabama this week put to death Anthony Boyd, a 54-year-old convicted of murder who maintained he was innocent, in a case that drew the dissent of three U.S. Supreme Court justices. Boyd was the eighth American inmate executed using nitrogen gas. In the process Thursday night, he gasped and convulsed for about 15 minutes before being pronounced dead.

UAB Opens New Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building (BhamNow)

UAB celebrated the grand opening of a new, 175,000-square-foot medical and research building along 7th Avenue South between 19th and 20th Streets. The building is designed to foster research, particularly into chronic diseases and genetic disorders, and translate discoveries into real-world practices or treatments.

Former University of Alabama Quarterback A.J. McCarron to Run for Lieutenant Governor (Alabama Reflector)

Former University of Alabama quarter A.J. McCarron used culture war language and invoked the killing of far-right activist Charlie Kirk on Thursday as he launched his first political campaign, for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Alabama. McCarron joins a Republican field that includes Secretary of State Wes Allen; Patrick Bishop, a deputy with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Department; Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate; former gubernatorial candidate Dean Odle; and businesswoman Nicole Wadsworth. Current Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is term-limited.

Statues Honoring Rosa Parks, Helen Keller Unveiled at Alabama Capitol (WSFA)

Statues honoring Rosa Parks and Helen Keller, two American heroines who called Alabama home, were unveiled Friday on the grounds of the state Capitol.

Harper Lee’s Conflicted Loves Emerge in a New Collection (The New York Times, book review)

“The Land of Sweet Forever,” a new collection of previously unpublished short stories and articles by the iconic Southern writer, includes stories that echo familiar themes of reconciling with racism. But other works showcase her lighter touch with stories of life in New York and in small town in Alabama.