Author: Virginia Martin
A Day After SCOTUS Leak, Gulf States Begin to Prep for a Future Without Roe v. Wade
While nothing officially changes until the Supreme Court delivers its decision, advocates on both sides of the issue are preparing for an end to legal abortion. Read more.
Birmingham Council OK’s New Five Points South Restaurant Despite Councilors’ Fears
The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to approve a liquor license for a new Five Points South restaurant, Social, despite concerns from neighborhood residents and some councilors that the owners intend for the business to be a nightclub, instead.
Social will occupy the space previously held by Skky Lounge, a nightclub shut down by the council in 2017 after multiple shootings. The restaurant will be operated by Jeremy Williams, whose J Wings restaurant has six locations in the city, including at the Birmingham CrossPlex and the Pizitz Food Hall. Williams told councilors that the restaurant would serve “high-end” fare such as lamb chops, steak and lobster pasta, and he said he had built a “state-of-the-art kitchen” in the building’s lower level.
But several neighborhood residents expressed skepticism over the proposal and fear that Social would quickly become another Skky. Read more.
What Does a Successful Guaranteed Income Program Look Like? Jackson Might Have the Answer
After months of planning, several cities in the Gulf South are finally ready to give guaranteed income a test run.
Birmingham, New Orleans and Shreveport, Louisiana each received a $500,000 grant to pilot a guaranteed income — the idea that one of the best ways to help people in need is to give them regular cash payments without any strings. Participants for each city’s pilot have been selected and, in some cases, money has already been sent out.
Those unwilling to wait to see results from these roughly year-long pilots to can look to Jackson, Mississippi. For the past three years, Springboard to Opportunities, a local nonprofit, has been successfully running its own guaranteed income program focused on helping Black mothers living in affordable housing. Read more.
D.C. Dinner of Journos, Pols and Celebs Was Black Tie and a Black Eye
The news media that cover the White House have a really great plan for combating the common public perception that they are elitist and out of touch with the rest of the world.
They hosted a black-tie dinner in Washington to schmooze and hobnob with government leaders and politicians. Really.
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner returned Saturday night after a two-year absence because of the pandemic. The gala event featuring Beltway journalists, leading political figures and celebrities presents such a terrible picture.
The message to media consumers (and haters) says this: The D.C. press and politicians are quite cozy, actually, and what we see 364 days a year is just a game they play to fulfill prescribed roles and maintain access. It makes one wonder if the independent and sometimes adversarial relationship that’s needed to produce accountability journalism truly exists in untempered form. Read more.
Water Board Asks to Oversee Housing Construction Near the Cahaba, Despite Its Fight for the Ability to Lighten Water Protection Rules
The Birmingham Water Works Board has asked the city to require developers of a property near the Cahaba River watershed to submit to board approval before beginning construction.
Arlington Properties plans to build a multi-family housing development at 4641 U.S. 280, a property that is directly adjacent to BWWB-owned Cahaba watershed lands. The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved rezoning the property from an agricultural district to a general commercial district. The BWWB is asking to have a say in the development’s permitting process.
“If this development is being considered for approval, we would request that the city require the developers to comply with Birmingham Water Works’ watershed protection policy and to submit the proposed plans and associated documentation to the BWWB prior to such approval,” April Nabors, the BWWB’s environmental engineer, told the council. “We just want to be part of the approval process.”
District 2 Councilor Hunter Williams expressed some skepticism about this request, in light of the board’s recent attempt to have conservation restrictions on its own watershed properties loosened. Read more.
How Birmingham-Area High Schools Placed in the Best High School Rankings
Mountain Brook High School has been ranked the No. 1 high school in the Birmingham area as part of U.S. News and World Reports’ annual Best High Schools rankings. The school’s scores placed it in the 200th spot nationwide.
The top-ranked schools in the state was Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School in Montgomery, which also was ranked No. 17 in the nation. Read more.
County Crews Will Clean Up Storm Debris in Smith Camp (Even if it’s Quite a Commute)
Jimmie Stephens said you would be wise to pack a lunch if you’re driving to Smith Camp on the Warrior River. And maybe take dinner.
“It’s past Oak Grove,” the Jefferson County Commission president said with a chuckle. “You pass Oak Grove, go down Alliance (Road) and it’s on the left down there.
“I call it the far reaches of Jefferson County,” Stephens continued. “It’s our responsibility as a county commission to take care of all of our citizens. We intend to do that whether you live in Southside or whether you live in Smith Camp on the Warrior River. We’re gonna do our best to service their needs.”
At the moment, the service Smith Camp needs is clean up of debris from a recent destructive storm. Read more.
COVID Cases Tick Up in Alabama, but Don’t Panic
Alabama has been seeing an “uptick” in COVID-19 cases and positivity rates in the past few weeks, but a state health official said those aren’t necessarily signs that another spike is in the near future and he is “cautiously optimistic.”
There were 784 new COVID cases reported over the past seven days, for an average of 109 new cases per day as of Wednesday. Reports on the ADPH website are delayed by a day. The state’s COVID positivity rate has increased from 2.2% at the first of the month to 3.4%.. Read more.
One Year Later, Where Is the Birmingham Civilian Review Board?
Tuesday marks one year since Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced the launch of the Birmingham Civilian Review Board. But to the public, the board doesn’t seem to be active. Read more.
Jefferson County Commission to Consider Rescue Funds for Civic Center Authority, Visitors Bureau
Jimmie Stephens declared after today’s committee meeting of the Jefferson County Commission that there are activities and events aplenty in Birmingham, the county seat.
“There’s more to do in the city of Birmingham now than we ever had in the past,” the commission president said. “I was actually at the (USFL) ball game (Monday) night and the City Walk is beautiful. I am so excited of the opportunity that citizens are gonna have to be able to utilize that great new space.”
Stephens’ comments came after commissioners heard presentations from the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority. Each received American Rescue Plan Act funds, as each has had to deal with shortfalls brought about by the pandemic. Read more.
