Virginia Martin

More Extreme Weather in Gulf States Means More Power Outages. Are Energy Companies Ready for It?

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is off to a busy start, and forecasters say it is likely to be as active as last year, when thousands were without power for weeks after hurricanes Laura, Zeta, Cristobal and Delta hit the Gulf South. Climate studies show that a more-active hurricane season is just one of the new normals that climate change is bringing to the region, and with that comes bigger threats to the power grid. Read more.

by Tegan Wendland, WBHM

Medical Association Hosts Q&A for Parents on Vaccines, Masks as Students Return to School

MONTGOMERY — As students across the state prepare to go back to school, physicians are offering Alabama parents an opportunity to ask questions and get answers about vaccines, mask wearing and other COVID-19 best practices. The Medical Association of the State of Alabama is hosting a Facebook Live event Thursday at 4 p.m. in which doctors will be discussing the recent resurgence of the virus and what parents can expect as school starts back over the next month. Parents can submit questions during the event. The organization says the goal is to offer reliable medical advice from doctors to parents concerned by misinformation floating around social media. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

State Health Officer Recommends Vaccinated People Wear Masks Again, Stresses Vaccinations

MONTGOMERY— State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris recommended Tuesday that even those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 wear masks indoors as virus cases and hospitalizations rise rapidly across Alabama. Harris’ recommendation comes at the same time the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control’s recommendations that vaccinated people should return to wearing masks indoors. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Some Schools Will Require Masks After Shift in CDC Recommendations

UPDATED AUG. 6: Leaders with several school systems in the area have decided that students, faculty and visitors must wear masks in school facilities. So far, Birmingham, Bessemer, Fairfield, Homewood and now Hoover schools have decided to require masks. Jefferson County Schools have decided to make masks optional in schools this year. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Come Back With More Detail and We’ll Talk: Council Delays Plan for Rescue Money

Birmingham’s efforts to distribute millions of dollars of federal American Rescue Plan funding hit a snag Tuesday after councilors took issue with the vagueness of Mayor Randall Woodfin’s proposed allocations. Woodfin proposed to divide $53.1 million of the funds into broad “buckets:” $3 million for community-based public safety initiatives, $1.5 million to COVID-19 response, $18 million for neighborhood revitalization projects, $18.75 million for public transportation, $4.5 million for small business support, $1.1 million for employee vacation buyouts, $4.75 million for tourism and $1.5 million for grant writing and professional services to pursue other federal funding sources. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Alabama in Worse Shape for COVID Spread Than Most of Country, Marrazzo Says

The spread of the COVID-19 virus, particularly the Delta variant, is now worse in Alabama than in most of the United States. So says Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at UAB Hospital, who attributed the recent sharp increase in the number of new cases of the virus almost totally to Delta and the low percentage of state residents who are fully vaccinated. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Farmers Prefer Too Much Rain to Too Little but Say Enough’s Enough as They Watch Crops Drown

MONTGOMERY — Alabama farmers are looking at this summer’s unusually heavy rains as both a blessing and a curse. Large amounts of rainfall are great for crops such as corn and wheat, but vegetable and fruit growers are having to abandon a large portion of their crop, especially in south Alabama. “We’ve probably gotten a year’s worth of rain in three months,” Jeremy Sessions, a farmer in Mobile County told Alabama Daily News. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

From JuVaughn Harrison to Raven Saunders: Your Olympics Guide for Gulf South Pride

Among the thousands of Olympians from around the world competing in Tokyo this year are dozens of talented athletes from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Read more.

by Eva Tesfaye, WBHM

COVID New-Case Rates and Hospitalizations Continue Upward Trend in Alabama

The state’s COVID numbers keep heading in the wrong direction, as the Delta variant of the virus is now present in better than four out of five people who test positive for the virus across the country. Thursday’s report by the Alabama Department of Public Health showed that new cases were down slightly from Wednesday but still high enough to push moving averages upward yet again. Alabama tallied 1,567 additional cases, down slightly from Wednesday’s 1,632 count. The total for the pandemic is now 565,510 cases in the state. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Birmingham Residents Clear Their Traffic Records Quickly With Rocket Docket

Hundreds of Birmingham residents went to Boutwell Auditorium hoping to get their cases settled by getting their warrants removed and receiving a new court date to pay off a ticket, or pay it off then and there. Read more.

by Cody Short, WBHM