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Kelvin Datcher Wins Runoff for House District 52 Democratic Nomination
Kelvin Datcher greeted more than 100 supporters at Hemings in Thomas Jefferson Tower Tuesday night after he defeated Frank Woodson for the Democratic nomination to be the District 52 representative in the Alabama Legislature. “It’s overwhelming to think that people would trust you with one of the most precious things...
Birmingham Mayor Announces New Efforts to Curb Violent Crime After 7 Die in Weekend Shootings
Again, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin came before the City Council to speak about violent crime just days after multiple shootings claimed the lives of multiple people. And again, the mayor expressed the frustration among city leaders with the obstacles they face in prosecuting these crimes. This time it was seven...
Voters Go to Polls for Runoff in House D52 Seat
Voters are headed to the polls today to determine which Democrat — Kelvin Datcher or Frank Woodson — will be the Democratic nominee to fill the Alabama House of Representatives District 52 seat recently left vacant after former Rep. John Rogers resigned and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.
More Weather Sirens Coming to Jefferson County, Thanks to Neighborly Gesture
The benevolence of a neighboring county will likely result in greater safety for Jefferson County residents when dangerous weather is moving in. At the request of Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker and Deputy Director Chris Tate, the Jefferson County Commission approved funds for the installation of at least 19 tornado sirens that were given to Jefferson County by Shelby County.
BW’s Crenshaw Recognized With NFPW National Awards
Solomon Crenshaw Jr., a regular writer for BirminghamWatch, recently won a third-place award and honorable mention in the National Federation of Press Women’s Communicator’s Awards for two of his BirminghamWatch pieces, along with a first-place award for a story published by the Bending the Arc Project, among other awards.
No Palm Reading and Fortune Telling: Quirk in Jefferson County Zoning Law Catches Commissioners’ Attention
Fortune telling and palmistry found their way into the discussion of the Jefferson County Commission’s committee meeting on Tuesday. Among the zoning cases presented by Development Services was one in which the owners of an Oak Grove property sought a change to C-1 commercial zoning to allow for future commercial use. The agenda entry included several things for which the property could not be used, including private clubs, helistops, fortune telling and palm reading.
Birmingham Officials Block Off East Lake Intersections in Hope of Reducing Crime
A pilot Safe Streets Initiative launched Monday in East Lake is blocking off key entry and exit points in an attempt to curb crime. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Tuesday gave the City Council an update on the initiative. He said it uses barricades to block entry and exit points to the neighborhood, which has been plagued with a series of high-profile shootings in the past few months. City officials believe the barriers will prevent drive-by shootings and perpetrators’ evading law enforcement.
Birmingham Council to Reconsider Automated Car Wash Moratorium
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday scheduled a public hearing for July 30 to discuss amending a moratorium passed earlier this year that prohibited automated car wash businesses. The council passed the moratorium March 5. When the council met April 2, it heard from a group planning a car wash...
Why Lots of News Media Are Beating Up on Joe Biden
I honestly don’t believe nefarious reasons are at work in the avalanche of news stories and commentaries about Joe Biden’s mental fitness. It comes instead from some conventional journalistic behaviors that are currently on steroids. The avalanche is measurable. Media Matters found that five major national publications wrote...
Opera Birmingham, Other Arts Groups Making Leadership Changes Ahead of Coming Season
Several of Birmingham’s premier arts organizations are making significant leadership changes ahead of their 2024-2025 seasons, shifts they say will position them for growth and continued community engagement. Opera Birmingham’s Keith Wolfe-Hughes is departing after serving as general director for nine years, the organization announced earlier this month. Board...
JeffCo Commissioner Tyson Objects After Two More Republicans Appointed to Board of Equalization
A disgruntled Commissioner Sheila Tyson left the Jefferson County Commission chamber Wednesday, saying, “the fix was in” after her nominee for the Board of Equalization failed to get the support of her fellow commissioners. The commission reconvened its meeting from last Thursday to address the appointment of two...
Birmingham Council Waits on Budget Amendments as New Spending Plan Remains in Limbo
The March computer network disruption that interfered with the city of Birmingham’s operations for weeks caused further confusion Tuesday, with the City Council voting to delay approval of several budget amendments. Because of the network disruption — which several news agencies have reported as a ransomware attack — city...
UAB Prez: Purchase of Ascension St. Vincent’s to Ensure Health-Care Access
The UAB Health System is set to take over Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System properties in Central Alabama in a $450 million deal officials said would ensure continuing quality health care for people in Birmingham and surrounding communities. The system’s board of trustees unanimously approved the acquisition during a...
Miles College Signs Letter of Intent to Acquire Birmingham-Southern College
This story has be republished with permission from The Birmingham Times. Miles College has signed a letter of intent to begin negotiations to purchase Birmingham-Southern College, the private liberal arts school that closed May 31, The Birmingham Times has learned. Reached Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson for Miles told the Times,...
Datcher, Woodson Move to Runoff in House District 52 Special Election
Kelvin Datcher, Birmingham’s deputy director of community development, and nonprofit executive Frank Woodson were the top two candidates in Tuesday’s special election for the Democratic nomination to the Alabama House District 52 seat. They will meet in a runoff July 16. Reached by phone Tuesday night, Datcher said...
Birmingham Council Sends Questions About Controversial Night Club’s Business License to Committee Rather Than Revoking It
The fate of a downtown Birmingham nightclub criticized for attracting crime remains unclear after the City Council held a public hearing Tuesday to discuss revoking the company’s business license. The council ultimately voted to send the matter of CRU Lounge’s business license to the public safety committee, hoping to...
The World Takes Notice of Birmingham’s Rickwood Field
Bessemer’s Kewanna Benson and her son Kamaurion were dressed for baseball. The 9-year-old rising 4th grader could have been at practice for his Hueytown youth baseball all-star team. Instead, mother and son were at Birmingham’s Carver Theater for a screening of the HBO Original documentary “Say Hey, Willie Mays!”...
Vote Tuesday in House District 52 Race
Some Birmingham-area voters will be going to the polls Tuesday to select a Democratic nominee to run for the Alabama House of Representatives District 52 seat, which recently was left vacant after former Rep. John Rogers resigned and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges. Six Democrats are running for the...
House District 52 Candidate Statements
BirminghamWatch asked candidates why they thought people should vote for them for the House of Representatives District 52 seat. “I am not a politician but a concerned citizen seeking to be the change I want to see. It is more than a political party but the needs of the people. That is something that is often overlooked by those seeking political office.
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The Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism is a non-profit, non-partisan organization serving the civic good of Birmingham and Alabama by supporting journalism that makes a difference and citizen engagement with news that is fair, factual, unflinching and focused on important matters.
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