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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Layoff, Drug-Screening Practices Questioned as Water Utility Ex-Employees Prepare Legal Challenges (WBHM)
Class-action lawsuits are in the works against Central Alabama Water, according to attorneys, over drug-testing practices, changes to the employee handbook and mass layoffs at the utility once known as the Birmingham Water Works.
Central Alabama Water Board Re-Elects Chairman and Vice Chairman (Trussville Tribune)
The Central Alabama Water board of directors on Friday reelected Tommy Hudson as chairman and Philip Wiedmeyer as vice chairman, continuing the leadership structure set up when the organization was established a year ago to replace the Birmingham Water Works Board.
Alabama Seeks Permit to Fill Wetlands, Streams for Controversial Northern Beltline Project (Inside Climate News)
Alabama officials are seeking federal permission to fill a stretch of wetlands and streams to move forward on the Northern Beltline, a decades-long highway project that critics say is unnecessary and will destroy huge swaths of sensitive forests, wetlands and streams. The Alabama Department of Transportation is requesting a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fill 1.36 acres of wetlands and more than 10,000 linear feet of streams to build the next phase of the beltline, a 9.5-mile stretch of interstate highway north of Birmingham.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Tuberville’s Eligibility To Run for Alabama Governor (Associated Press)
A judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville does not meet the residency requirement to run for governor of Alabama, saying she had decided she did not have the authority to decide the eligibility of a party’s nominee before the general election. An attorney for residents who sued contending Tuberville legally lives in Florida said they plan to appeal the decision.
Trump Administration Taps Climate Science Critic to Oversee Flagship Report (The New York Times)
The critic of mainstream climate science the Trump Administration recently appointed to oversee the federal government’s flagship report on how climate change affects the United States is a former assistant professor at the University of Alabama. Matthew M. Wielicki, a geochemist with no formal training in climate science, is leading the program that compiles the National Climate Assessment, which typically is updated every few year. The administration last year dismissed hundreds of scientists and experts who had been working on the next update. Wielicki resigned from UA in 2023, writing on social media at the time that earth scientists had embraced a “false ‘climate emergency’ narrative” and that academia had been overrun with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
BJCC Celebrates 50 Years, Reflecting on Legacy Arena’s History and Looking Toward the Future (CBS 42)
The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex celebrated marked its 50th anniversary this past weekend, honoring five decades of concerts, sporting events and community gatherings that have helped shape Birmingham.
Judge Rules Birmingham Residents Can Proceed With Suit to Halt Data-Center Construction (WBHM)
A judge ruled Friday that two residents have legal standing to sue to block a data center being built in the Oxmoor Valley, setting up a hearing Tuesday morning on a motion to stop work while the lawsuit is decided. The suit is just one of several, including the latest filed last week by the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. Collectively, they allege that the construction and operation of the hyperscale data center will be disruptive to the neighborhood and potentially drive up power and water costs for the area’s residents. They also allege wrongdoing on the city of Birmingham’s part in approval of the project.
