Virginia Martin

Hurricane Sally Just the Latest Storm to Attack the Environmentally Fragile Alabama Coastline

The eye of Hurricane Sally crept onto land near Gulf Shores bringing heavy rains and a strong storm surge for hours on end. Both are threats to the fragile environment along the coast. The storm surge began eroding sand dunes even before the hurricane arrived, according to the Weather Channel, as well as swamping piers and low-lying areas. The hurricane was packing winds upward of 100 mph at its peak, and rain in some areas was estimated at 20 inches or more, according to the National Weather Service. BirminghamWatch about a year ago published several stories looking at the effects climate change and the more severe weather it’s causing are having along Alabama’s coastline.

Cloudy Future for Dauphin Island, a Canary in the Coal Mine of Climate Change

By Hank Black Along coastal Alabama lies Dauphin Island, a narrow, shifting strip of sand inhabited by a laid-back vacation town that is becoming more endangered with every passing storm and every incremental rise in the warming waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Dauphin is one of perhaps 2,200 barrier islands that make up 10% to 12% of the globe’s coastline. They help absorb the blows of nature and suffer greatly for it, either eroding dramatically from catastrophic hurricane forces or gradually, almost imperceptibly, from constant wave action. These sandy, offshore bodies are potent poster children for our planet’s warming, part of a natural, 100,000-year cycle that, according to most scientists, has greatly accelerated since the birth of the Industrial Age. Read more.

by Virginia Martin

Rage Over “Rage”: Bob Woodward Makes a Debatable Decision

I at first disagreed with the criticism that investigative journalist Bob Woodward should have gone public right away with Donald Trump’s taped interview comments about the deadliness of the coronavirus in early February. Instead, Woodward held them for publication in his book “Rage.” The claim is that Woodward would have saved lives if the public had known Trump had been lying when he repeatedly downplayed the danger during the virus’ early stages in this country. But after three-plus years of relentless conning and fabricating, I don’t think people still trusting Trump for health information would have believed Woodward anyway. Read more.

by Tom Arenberg

Republican-Backed Coronavirus Relief Bill Dies on Party-Line Vote

Voterama in Congress WASHINGTON — Alabama’s senators split along party lines this week as the Senate failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a Republican-sponsored coronavirus relief package. Sen. Richard Shelby, R, voted to advance the bill, and Sen. Doug Jones, D, voted against it. Overall, the vote, held Thursday, was 52 for and 47 against. Consisting of $300 billion in new spending and $350 billion in recycled funds, S178 stopped well short of a competing $3.4 trillion measure passed by House Democrats in May. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

Alabama’s Nursing Shortage Worsens During Pandemic

Since the coronavirus started spreading in March it has had a huge impact on Alabama nurses. “Their whole system, as the largest workforce in health care, was disrupted,” said John Ziegler, the executive director of the Alabama State Nurses Association. In response to COVID-19, hospitals stopped elective surgeries and shut down outpatient clinics, leaving some

by Mary Scott Hodgin, WBHM

JeffCo Schools Moving Toward On-Campus Classes Starting Later this Month

Jefferson County Schools will begin accepting students back onto campuses in just more than a week. Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin announced on Facebook Thursday that the system would resume traditional learning starting Sept. 21. Grades will have staggered starts on the in-person learning. Students will go to class two days a week at first. Wednesdays will be set aside for remote learning for children and cleaning schools for staff. After two weeks, they will transition to five days a week on campus. Students who want to may continue with virtual learning. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Birmingham Contemplates Privatizing or Automating Garbage Pick Up

Mayor Randall Woodfin urged councilors to consider either automating or outsourcing Birmingham’s garbage pickup program during a special-called meeting of the City Council Thursday night, arguing that it is unsustainable in its current form. In a joint presentation with the city’s public works, legal and finance departments, Woodfin called for the city to either “engage an experienced refuse management service” or to “automate the city’s refuse collection fleet by purchasing 20 side loaders and adding tipper (trucks) to (the) existing fleet.” Both options would provide significant cost savings to the city amid an economic crisis brought on by COVID-19, he said, though he added that the need for change predated the pandemic. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Jefferson County Commission Adopts Budget With Longevity Payment

With Commissioner Joe Knight declaring, “The sausage is made! We have a budget!” the Jefferson County Commission today passed a $199 million budget for fiscal 2021. All five commissioners voted for the budget, which included $1.485 million for a one-time longevity payment to each county employee. Commissioner Lashunda Scales objected to longevity pay during Tuesday’s committee meeting, favoring instead 1% across-the-board raises, but she voted for the budget, anyway, because it did give an extra payment to employees. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Alabama’s COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Trending Downward, Though Data-Collection Concerns Remain

The official COVID-19 data reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health continues to show improvement in most categories, though some questions remain about whether state totals are sometimes incorrect because of reporting issues. In BirminghamWatch’s weekly analysis of data reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the 7-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases for the period ending Wednesday was 622.86 per day. That average has fallen by two-thirds since its high July 19, but in recent weeks it has spiked in both directions because of issues in reporting of positive cases by various testing organizations. The ADPH said last week that some counties had reported higher numbers than normal because they were adding cases backlogged from earlier weeks, and some labs that use the newer antigen tests had not been reporting. Read more.

by Robert Carter and Glenn Stephens, BirminghamWatch

Polling Place Changes Prompt Jefferson County to Send Out New, More Colorful Cards

Barry Stephenson frequently has attended meetings of the Jefferson County Commission this year as polling places have said, ‘Thanks; no thanks’ to hosting elections during a pandemic. The county registrar stood before commissioners during their committee meeting Tuesday, again announcing a change in a polling place. “I hope this is the last one I bring before you,” he said. “It's been interesting. We've been told to leave over the summer, and we found replacements.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Auto Supplier Moving Into Industrial Park in McCalla, Creating 120 Jobs

Jefferson County commissioners learned during their committee meeting Tuesday that a new auto supplier is going to the Jefferson Metropolitan industrial park in McCalla, which is called JefMet and owned by the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority. Development attorney Warren Matthews of Burr Foreman joined representatives of Mobis US Alabama to seek tax abatements from the commission as the firm looks to add more than 120 jobs to JefMet McCalla. Mobis expects to spend nearly $16 million to establish the operation. “Mercedes is transitioning a lot of their fleet to electric vehicles,” Matthews said. “They are going to be the front and rear axle manufacturers for those vehicles.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.