Author: Virginia Martin
Deputy Sheriff Charged in On-Duty Shooting
Alabama’s Prison Population Sees Troubling Growth in Latest DOJ Report
For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. prison populations are trending up. Alabama’s numbers are a part of troubling gains across the Gulf South. Read more.
Hendrix Declared House District 55 Winner
Travis Hendrix has been named as the next legislator to represent Alabama House District 55.
Hendrix ran for the seat in a special Democratic primary and won the nomination in an October runoff with Sylvia Swayne. Because no Republican ran for the seat, Hendrix would not have had competition in the special general election on Jan. 9, and so he was declared winner. Read more.
Never Again: JeffCo Commission Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Bankruptcy Resolution
The longest-sitting members of the Jefferson County Commission on Tuesday recognized the 10-year anniversary of the county being removed from bankruptcy.
Commission President Jimmie Stephens and Pro Tempore Joe Knight were reminded of the occasion by text messages from David Carrington, a commissioner with them at the time of the bankruptcy along with Sandra Little Brown and George Bowman.
“It was a very traumatic experience that we went through,” Stephens said during Tuesday’s commission committee meeting.
He said the anniversary “has a great deal of significance to us.” Read more.
Lifelong Journalist and BirminghamWatch Founder Carol Nunnelley Dies
Carol Nunnelley, founding executive director of the Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism, died Dec. 3 after a long illness.
Her more than 50-year career as a journalist led to many important initiatives, both locally and nationally.
Nunnelley began her career as a reporter at The Birmingham News in 1966, when women were still something of an oddity in newsrooms. Read more.
Birmingham’s Jazz Tradition and How It Shaped the Sound of America
“Magic City: How the Birmingham Jazz Tradition Shaped the Sound of America” (University of North Carolina Press, 2023) by Burgin Mathews
Mathews will speak and sign copies of “Magic City” at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame on Saturday, 5-7 p.m., and at the Birmingham Historical Society on Sunday, 3-5 p.m.
Birmingham has been waiting for this book for a very long time. In my 30 years as an archivist, I directed many local students and out-of-town tourists to the site of Tuxedo Junction and shook my head no when asked, “Isn’t there a good book on jazz in Birmingham?”
Now there is, “Magic City: How the Birmingham Jazz Tradition Shaped the Sound of America.” Read more.
Jefferson County Targets ARPA Funds Against Food Desert
UPDATED — A Jefferson County allocation of ARPA funds could provide healthier grocery options for residents along the U.S. 78 corridor.
County commissioners on Thursday approved spending American Rescue Plan Act funds to address food insecurities. The pilot program supports a food pantry to create a low or no-cost grocery store.
Federal funds totaling $472,782.96 will enhance a program that’s in place and sponsored by Daniel Payne Legacy Village Foundation.
“It’s focused on areas where there’s no grocery store,” County Manager Cal Markert said. “If you’ve only got Dollar Generals and gas stations, there aren’t as many fresh fruits and vegetables. This will kind of try to supplement that and get packages of more healthy foods for families to have.” Read more.
City OK’s $5 Million to Help Keep BSC Open
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved $5 million in funding to help keep Birmingham-Southern College operating.
The city will provide BSC a $2.5 million loan that will be forgiven provided BSC opens classes in the fall and a 20-year loan for the same amount to be repaid at a 1% interest rate. Read more.
A Year After the Moody Landfill Fire: “We Need Just as Much Help Now”
Around Thanksgiving a year ago, a landfill near Moody caught fire, blanketing the surrounding area with smoke. The fire burned for months before the Environmental Protection Agency covered the landfill with dirt to extinguish the flames, but there have been flare ups since. To understand what things are like now, WBHM talked with one nearby resident. Read more.
US Regions Will Suffer a Stunning Variety of Climate-Caused Disasters, Report Finds
Extreme temperatures; worsening wildfires, hurricanes and floods; infrastructure problems; agricultural impacts: The way you experience climate change will depend on where you live. Read more.
