Author: Virginia Martin
Big, Unanswered Questions Don’t Have a Statute of Limitations
After Alabama basketball player Darius Miles was charged with capital murder, coach Nate Oats called NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis for advice. I don’t know what Lewis might have told Oats beyond what has been reported, but he might have said: “The damn news media will never let it go.” Read more.
Knight Backs Plan to Sock Away County Money for a Rainy Day
Jefferson County Commission Finance Chairman Joe Knight repeated Tuesday his plan to continue on a conservative path that includes squireling away money in the county’s reserve accounts. Read more.
The 2023 Alabama Legislative Session Starts Tuesday. Here’s Your Preview.
Lawmakers return to Montgomery at a time when money is flush thanks to federal COVID funds. Education is among the top issues expected to generate discussion. Read more.
City Relinquishes Power Over Old Powell School, Raising Concerns About Historic Preservation
After a contentious discussion, the Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to relinquish its interest in the historic Powell School building, which has been vacant for more than two decades.
Though developers of the property told councilors that historic preservation is their priority, they expressed doubts that they’d be able to save most of the 134-year-old structure. Now, with the city stepping out of the way, they won’t be compelled to.
Councilors split over the discussion. District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott said she was “aghast” at the idea of “giving the property away” to a developer with no guarantee of historical preservation.
Mayor Randall Woodfin retorted that it made less sense to leave the dilapidated school building standing. “It is clear blight,” he said. Read more.
How This Year’s Selma Bridge Crossing Could Mark a Community Renaissance
President Biden visits Selma for the 58th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.” Residents there are still recovering from tornadoes that ripped through the city in January. Read more.
Working Group Appointed to Learn What Went Wrong With Response to the Moody Landfill Fire
The Alabama Department of Environment Management on Friday announced the formation of a working group to assess whether changes in laws, regulations and resources are needed following the fire at the vegetative waste disposal site near Moody.
In a press conference, ADEM officials said the fire revealed shortcomings in the ability and authority of state and local governments to respond to situations that are outside the scope of their regulated activities but pose risks to the public. The working group will examine the response to the fire and make recommendations for improving the ability of state and local agencies to respond to similar emergencies in the future. Read more.
As Alabama Coal Miners Strike Nears End, a Look at Why It Started, How It Failed
After 700 days, the United Mine Workers of America Union asked Warrior Met Coal to allow the strikers to come back to work unconditionally. Read more.
Working Group to Be Announced to Consider Changes After Lessons Learned at the Moody Landfill Fire
Public leaders are set to announce today the formation of a working group to assess whether changes in laws, regulations and resources are needed in light of the underground environmental fire at a landfill in Moody. Read more.
Birmingham Council Sets Agenda for the Legislature, Backing Exhibition Driving, Illegal Dumping and More Bills
The Birmingham City Council has set its legislative agenda for 2023, establishing lobbying priorities for when the state Legislature convenes in March.
New priorities for the city include battling exhibition driving and allowing local banks to buy tax-delinquent properties, along with a slate of recurring issues.
The council’s list was approved without recommendation from Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office, which in the past has lobbied for its own separate list of legislative priorities. Read more.
Read the full City Legislative Package for 2023
Red Mountain Cut Features Time Capsule of Alabama’s Robust Geologic History
A national natural landmark, the road cut along Birmingham’s Red Mountain Expressway documents more than a hundred million years of geologic history and was once an educational centerpiece. Read more.
