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. Soon we’ll be offering Recommends via email. Sign up here to receive it. You can also sign up for The WeeklyWatch, the stories we’ve published over the previous seven days, and Monday Morning Watch, a roundup of public meetings scheduled for that week.
Donate today to help Birmingham stay informed.
Samford enrollment hits record high as freshman class grows nearly 10% (Alabama Daily News)
Samford University enrolled its largest freshman class in history this fall, continuing years of growth as colleges across the country prepare for a smaller pool of high school graduates. The private university opened the fall semester with 6,522 students, its highest enrollment in 185 years and more than 40% higher than in 2009, according to figures released Wednesday. Its freshman class grew even faster. Samford enrolled 1,270 first-year students, up 9.8% from last year’s record class of 1,156. Undergraduate enrollment also reached a record 4,575 students.
‘Political gangsters’: Birmingham activist sues to overturn water system restructuring (AL.com)
Birmingham activist and former legislator Eric Hall has filed the latest lawsuit against state leaders and operators of the region’s water system to reverse major restructuring and restore the city’s dominance over the utility. In a lawsuit filed in federal court this week, Hall wants a jury to restore both the name and former operations of Central Alabama Water, formerly the Birmingham Water Works Board.
Regions Bank shareholder sues over Birmingham land sale for Nebius data center (WVTM 13)
A Regions Bank shareholder has sued bank officers and three holding companies over the sale of land in Birmingham now being developed into a Nebius data center. The lawsuit alleges a series of rapid transactions caused Regions to miss out on more than $66 million in the sale of the land on Milan Parkway.
Ricky Bromberg, President of Alabama’s oldest business + Bham civic leader, dies at 67 (Bham Now)
Frederick “Ricky” Wilkinson Bromberg, president of Bromberg & Co., passed away Sept. 2 at 67 years old. Bromberg led the family business for decades and was deeply involved in Birmingham civic and church life.
Daysol Coffee Lab wins international award for locally roasted coffee (Bham Now)
Daysol Coffee Lab, a locally owned roastery in a converted brewery on Third Avenue South in Birmingham, recently won silver at the 2026 Global Coffee Awards for its Thunderbird espresso, securing its place among the U.S.’s best coffee roasters.
Study finds Irondale could form its own school system but major questions remain (WBHM)
A new financial study commissioned by Irondale found it is possible for the city to form its own school system and leave the Jefferson County Schools. The study does not recommend a course of action. Instead, it lays out what the city would be taking on — including millions of dollars in debt, the cost of operating school buildings and a relatively small student population.
UAB buys 9-acre Southside property from Southern Research in $15M deal (Bham Now)
The University of Alabama System board of trustees has approved a $15 million deal for UAB to purchase nine acres of the Southern Research campus. Southern Research will keep ownership of its 150,000-square-foot research building, which houses its Station 41 drug discovery accelerator and start-up incubator. As part of the agreement, Southern Research will lease back some space to continue operations, while UAB gains access to administrative and research space that had been sitting empty or underused.
Sen. Britt recognized as Federal Champion by the American Flood Coalition (Alabama Political Reporter)
Britt’s work on NOAA rainfall data and FEMA preparedness funding focused on helping communities withstand stronger storms and flooding.
What’s behind your journey? A Birmingham airport exhibit wants to know (WBHM)
Have you ever sat in an airport and wondered where all the people around you are going? The new WAYHAY booth at the Birmingham airport aims to answer those questions. It invites travelers to step inside a video booth and tell the stories behind their journeys, in other words, “where are you headed and why?”
An overdue trash bill left this Alabama woman in handcuffs. She’s not alone (Inside Climate News)
A review of court records in Winston County shows criminal prosecutions over trash debt have spanned decades. The Southern Poverty Law Center says the practice is illegal and immoral.
Auburn University faculty protest board of trustees’ dissolution of university Senate (Alabama Reflector)
Auburn University’s board of trustees dissolved its faculty Senate in June with little notice to faculty in order to comply with a state law that does not apply to the flagship university. On Friday, more than 100 faculty and community members gathered outside the trustees’ meeting to protest the decision and warn that it could have broader consequences, with one professor said that a “climate of fear” had come to the campus over the past year.
Alabama is set to execute a murderer. The jury wanted him to live (New York Times)
Jeffery Lee’s case has grappled with questions in Alabama about emerging execution methods and an abandoned sentencing practice that sent him and others to death row.
