Author: Virginia Martin
Supreme Court Backs Move to Protect Land Around Water Source
The Alabama Supreme Court has sided with environmentalists who say the Birmingham Water Works Board is not abiding by a court order to protect land around Lake Purdy and parts of the Cahaba River, which are the largest source of drinking water in the Birmingham area.
The Supreme Court overturned an earlier court ruling that sided with the board and sent the case back to the circuit court. Read more.
Jefferson County Delays Request to Rescue Birmingham Residents After City Ran Short of Housing Relief Money
The Jefferson County Commission today opted not to ride in and rescue Birmingham residents, tabling a resolution to make some federal relief funds available after the city exhausted its allotment of federal funds to aid people with rental and utility assistance.
The county has been spending that money to help persons in unincorporated Jefferson County and cities outside of Birmingham. Commissioner Sheila Tyson on Tuesday appealed to other commissioners to help Birmingham residents, but some of them were concerned about limiting their ability to help others, and they said they needed more information about other funds that might be available. Read more.
Birmingham Council Shuts Down Mahogany Bar Despite Some Community Support
The Mahogany Social Bar and Lounge will remain permanently closed after a vote by the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday.
Owner Montego Temple had moved the club to its 1709 Third St. W location after its previous location across the street burned down. Though Temple told councilors he believed he had secured a transfer of his liquor license and dance permit to the new location, he was arrested in December for operating without a proper license.
But complaints from the Birmingham Police Department that the club was a threat to public safety ultimately stymied his efforts to legally reopen Mahogany. Police pointed to 10 calls for service to the club in the past six months — ranging from gunshots to car break-ins — as well as an inspection by Detective Victor Langford that showed multiple safety issues and culminated with a fistfight in the club. Read more.
A rodent infestation shut down Family Dollar stores. How one Alabama town is coping.
A Family Dollar in York, Alabama is one of the few shopping options in town. But it’s shuttered due to a warehouse rodent infestation. Read more.
Alabama Educators Push Back on Bill Banning ‘Divisive Concepts’ From the Classroom
Lawmakers also took action this week on a delay to a school reading requirement and a ban on transgender treatments for youths. Read more.
World Game Medals Make Their Debut in Birmingham but Will Soon Be All Over the World
WBHM
Medals for the World Games, which will take place in Birmingham in July, were unveiled by city leaders and games organizers Wednesday at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Read more.
Public Figures Race to Court With Bogus Grievances (And They Know It)
Sarah Palin: I think I’ll file a libel lawsuit against a news organization that’s so legally flimsy that both the judge and jury will decide against me.
Kyle Rittenhouse: Hold my beer.
It’s becoming fashionable for individuals on the far right of the political spectrum who believe they are the unfair targets of the news media to engage in defamation litigation that’s purely grandstanding and harassment.
Palin, a former Republican vice presidential nominee, unsuccessfully sued The New York Times over an editorial that wrongly stated that a campaign advertisement by her political action committee had prompted a man to kill multiple people at a political rally in Arizona six years earlier.
Then Rittenhouse, the acquitted killer of two people at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020, announced this week on various media forums that he plans to sue selected celebrities and news organizations for their negative coverage of him, including labeling him as a “murderer.” He’s launching “The Media Accountability Project” to raise money for his efforts. This is so heroic that I have tears in my eyes. Read more.
Public Hearing on New Birmingham City Council Districts Set for March 29
The Birmingham City Council has set a March 29 public hearing to discuss proposed changes to the city’s council districts based on 2020 census data.
Last month, the council hired Crimcard Consulting Services to lead the redistricting process, which is required each decade by city law. After several individual meetings with councilors, Crimcard presented proposed districts to the council Feb. 14.
A digital map of the proposed changes has not yet been made available; that information will be shared on the city’s website this week, officials said, but video of the presentation is available on the council’s Facebook page.
The redistricting process has already proven controversial, with District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott expressing dismay that part of the Five Points South neighborhood would be reassigned to District 6, currently represented by Council President Pro Tem Crystal Smitherman. Read more.
Bill That Would Ban Concealed Carry Permits in Alabama Advances
Lawmakers also advanced a so-called bathroom bill but delayed a bill increasing penalties for rioters. Read more.
Jefferson County Enlists Zoning Officials in Battle Against ‘Poop Trains,’ Littering
The Jefferson County commissioners Thursday enlisted the aid of county personnel to fight illegal dumping, littering and violations involving “poop trains” in the county.
And those they enlisted are already on the frontlines.
“We designated the sanitation and ordinance inspectors, the zoning inspectors, the zoning supervisor and the zoning administrator as solid waste officers,” County Attorney Theo Lawson said. “By being designated as solid waste officers, that then gives them the authority under the code to write citations for criminal littering. Those folks are now able to enforce criminal littering through issuing citations. That should be a huge increase in our folks’ ability to enforce criminal littering.” Read more.
