Last week, a judge sentenced two people to life in prison without parole in a federal kidnapping case that resulted in the death of Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney. The 3-year-old went missing in 2019 outside a public housing complex in Birmingham. Her body was found about a week later in a dumpster. A new podcast from
Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her State of the State address to Legislators Tuesday night, using the opportunity to call a special session on spending of pandemic relief funds and possibly giving state residents one-time tax rebates of up to $400 for individuals and $800 for families. In her address she also focused on the need to improve education, from kindergarten to college-bound students. Read her full speech.
After Alabama basketball player Darius Miles was charged with capital murder, coach Nate Oats called NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis for advice. I don’t know what Lewis might have told Oats beyond what has been reported, but he might have said: “The damn news media will never let it go.” Read more.
Jefferson County Commission Finance Chairman Joe Knight repeated Tuesday his plan to continue on a conservative path that includes squireling away money in the county’s reserve accounts. Read more.
Lawmakers return to Montgomery at a time when money is flush thanks to federal COVID funds. Education is among the top issues expected to generate discussion. Read more.
After a contentious discussion, the Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to relinquish its interest in the historic Powell School building, which has been vacant for more than two decades. Though developers of the property told councilors that historic preservation is their priority, they expressed doubts that they’d be able to save most of the 134-year-old structure. Now, with the city stepping out of the way, they won’t be compelled to. Councilors split over the discussion. District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott said she was “aghast” at the idea of “giving the property away” to a developer with no guarantee of historical preservation. Mayor Randall Woodfin retorted that it made less sense to leave the dilapidated school building standing. “It is clear blight,” he said. Read more.
President Biden visits Selma for the 58th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday." Residents there are still recovering from tornadoes that ripped through the city in January. Read more.
The Alabama Department of Environment Management on Friday announced the formation of a working group to assess whether changes in laws, regulations and resources are needed following the fire at the vegetative waste disposal site near Moody. In a press conference, ADEM officials said the fire revealed shortcomings in the ability and authority of state and local governments to respond to situations that are outside the scope of their regulated activities but pose risks to the public. The working group will examine the response to the fire and make recommendations for improving the ability of state and local agencies to respond to similar emergencies in the future. Read more.
After 700 days, the United Mine Workers of America Union asked Warrior Met Coal to allow the strikers to come back to work unconditionally. Read more.
Public leaders are set to announce today the formation of a working group to assess whether changes in laws, regulations and resources are needed in light of the underground environmental fire at a landfill in Moody. Read more.
