Woodfin Will Run for Reelection as Mayor
WBHM Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin acknowledged Thursday that he will be running for a second term during the municipal elections in August. Read more.
Government
Birmingham Police Stations Offer Safe Place For Online Buyers and Sellers to Meet
WBHM The comments from Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin come after a UAB student was shot and killed during a transaction arranged online. Read more.
Former Sen. Doug Jones Calls Inauguration a Display of Hope
Former Alabama U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and his wife, Louise, were on hand for today’s inauguration ceremony, and Jones called it “a magnificent display of unity, optimism and, most importantly, hope." Read more.
Alabama Young Voters On Capitol Attacks: ‘We Can’t Unsee Those Images’
WBHM Young voters of both parties look toward the future as a new administration takes over. Read more.
Alabama Army National Guard Troops Help Provide Security for Biden Inauguration
Several hundred Alabama Army National Guard troops are helping provide security for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, and one of them is a second lieutenant from Oneonta whose parents also had military careers. Lt. John Rogers, 24, a transportation officer with a unit in the Birmingham-based 20th Special Forces Group, headed to Washington by bus on Sunday with some of his fellow Guard soldiers. Following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, tension is running high in D.C. Thousands of soldiers, including Alabama Guard troops from military police units, will be on hand to stop any re-occurrence of last week’s violence, in which five people died. Read more.
Birmingham Council Hires Its Own Lobbyist and Lawyer, Saying the Mayor Doesn’t Share Information
The Birmingham City Council hired its own lobbyist and legal consultant Tuesday, a move granting the council greater independence from the mayor’s office. The council approved two $45,000 contracts during its virtual meeting — one with lobbying firm Miller Development Group and one with law firm Campbell Partners, LLC. The council cited the opacity of Mayor Randall Woodfin’s legislative agenda and the need for a “council-focused” legal consultant outside of the city’s law department, which reports to the mayor. The Mayor’s Office retains its own lobbyist. “This council needs help, and we need our own help, because the city’s help is not ours,” said District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott. “They don’t report to us, they don’t answer to us, they don’t do what we want.” Read more.
JeffCo Commission Picks Up Where Feds Left Off, Will Pay for COVID Time Off
Today, Jefferson County picked up where the federal government left off, covering the cost of employees taking off because they’ve been exposed to or contracted the novel coronavirus. Following its committee meeting today, commissioners reconvened their Jan. 7 commission meeting to retroactively extend what had been provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Read more.
Woodfin Looks Toward a Better 2021 in State of the Community Speech.
This year will be better than last year, Mayor Randall Woodfin assured residents during his annual State of the Community speech Monday afternoon. After a tumultuous 2020, which saw the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest over systemic racism, Woodfin promised greater opportunity in 2021 and reiterated his commitment to neighborhood revitalization. “We have indeed been tested, and I believe as a city we are stronger and closer because of it,” he said. Read more.
Scales Announces Bid for Mayor
Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales today tossed her hat in the ring for mayor of Birmingham. “I'm not into being in a fight with anyone because that doesn't serve the City of Birmingham well,” Scales said near Kiwanis Trail at the base of Vulcan Park. “But I will tell you this: If you give me the opportunity to serve as your mayor, not just the first woman mayor, but to serve as your mayor, you will have a seat at the table. That is what I can guarantee.” Scales is bidding to return to Birmingham City Hall, where she was a member of the City Council for nine years until she unseated George Bowman on the commission in 2018. Read more.
Alabama Representatives Voted Along Party Lines in Trump Impeachment
Voterama in Congress WASHINGTON — Alabama’s representatives voted along party lines last week to impeach President Trump and to call on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke 25th Amendment proceedings to remove Trump from office. Read more.