Author: Virginia Martin
Birmingham Mounts Full Court Press to Get Third Graders Up to Reading Level
Birmingham City officials are beginning a full court press to get all third graders reading on grade level or proficiency by the end of the year. “This is it everybody,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin in an interview last week. “The test is less than 90 days away, and every third grader in the state of Alabama, including the 1,300-plus third graders in Birmingham City Schools will take this test.” Read more.
Violent Crime Down Slightly for This Year So Far but Car Thefts Soar
JeffCo Commission OKs $1.87M for Y With Comprehensive Community Services
The Jefferson County Commission today provided $1.87 million to fill in the gap in the YMCA’s revitalization project for its Roebuck Community facility.
Inflation created the nearly $2 million shortfall in the plan to build a new, comprehensive center, to include mental health services, veteran crisis intervention services and services to address inequities in health care, early learning and housing, among others. Read more.
Ethics Commission Ruling Keeps Parker, Allen Off Ballot for Treasurer
The Alabama Ethics Commission ruled this week that persons who were removed from the ballot of the March 5 primary cannot be their party’s nominee in the general election. That ruling means the Jefferson County Democratic Party cannot nominate incumbent Eyrika Parker or challenger Mara Ruffin Allen to be the party’s candidate for Jefferson County treasurer. The party will be meeting next Saturday to select a new candidate. Read more.
Birmingham Council Approves Roundabout on Blue Lake Drive, Pavilion for Howze-Stanford Park
JeffCo to Consider Funding for Roebuck Y With Comprehensive Community Services
Jefferson County Commissioners on Tuesday decided to send a resolution to Thursday’s agenda that would provide ARPA funds to fill in the gap in the YMCA’s revitalization project for its Roebuck Community facility.
Inflation left the Y with a $1.87 million shortfall in its efforts to build a comprehensive center to include mental health services, veteran crisis intervention services and services to address inequities in health care, early learning and housing, among others. Read more.
How Birmingham City School Students Recovered Pandemic Learning Loss
Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Mark Sullivan expected to see reading scores decline after the pandemic. When he saw the first results in coming out of the pandemic, he was relieved to see student reading did not fall as much as he expected.
“But the math scores plummeted,” he said.
The next steps Birmingham officials took may have helped turn them around. Read more.
Will the Moody Landfill Fire Ever Be Extinguished? The EPA Isn’t So Sure.
Richard Harp couldn’t believe his ears when he learned the massive underground landfill fire near Moody, just a football field away from his home, is still burning and may never be extinguished. Read more.
Birmingham Sues Jefferson County Sheriff Over City’s Jail Inmates
The city of Birmingham today filed a lawsuit against Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway for not accepting city inmates, according to a filing in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
It’s an extraordinary step in a dispute between the two sides that dates back nearly two years and involves the city and county jails, money and politics. Read more.
What the Lost Cause Narrative Masks About Alabama History
Many Alabama officials have for generations pushed the false narrative that residents of the state were nearly unanimous in their support for secession prior to the Civil War. Howell Raines, former executive editor of the New York Times and an Alabama native, says otherwise. Read more.
