Wallace State Community College on Wednesday announced the launch of an ambitious initiative that will harness the power of virtual reality to train thousands of workers for roles in good-paying, in-demand diesel tech jobs. Delivered through the college’s popular Diesel by Distance program and built in collaboration with immersive learning startup TRANSFR, the new partnership […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would prevent the State of Alabama from implementing any legislative changes to election procedure within six months of a general election. The legislation, HB 388, is sponsored by Rep. Jim Carns (R-Vestavia Hills). Since the legislation proposes an amendment to the state’s […]

Although it was not totally unexpected, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) got a shot in the arm for his 2022 U.S. Senate bid on Wednesday. Through a statement, Brooks was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, which is considered to be pivotal for statewide contests in Alabama. The endorsement eluded Brooks in his 2017 bid […]

Last week, the State House Judiciary Committee voted to advance a bill that would repeal the state’s so-called Habitual Felony Offender Act. To the surprise of many, a handful of Republican lawmakers on the committee voted with the bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa), to advance HB 107, the legislation that would repeal the […]

First lady Jill Biden, Ed.D, has rescheduled her visit to Alabama for this Friday, April 9. She was originally scheduled to make a trip to the Jasper Area Family Service Center and the YMCA of Central Alabama in Birmingham in recent weeks when severe weather caused her to cancel those plans. It is unclear if the […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday convened for the 19th day of its 2021 regular session. In addition to both chambers convening into the evening hours, there were important committee meetings held earlier in the day. Here’s a rundown of the day’s proceedings:

The Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday signed a resolution recognizing April as 811 Safe Digging Month. This national month is recognized annually to encourage homeowners to call 811 before conducting outdoor projects such as landscaping, installing a fence or adding a deck onto their home. Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before […]

MONTGOMERY — Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, economic development activity across Alabama in 2020 generated close to $5 billion in new capital investment and almost 10,000 job commitments, Governor Kay Ivey announced today. With significant growth projects recorded in key strategic industrial sectors, Governor Ivey said the activity will strengthen the foundations […]

On Tuesday, Montgomery County approved a pilot program to put voter registration kiosks on college campuses, a program that has the backing of Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill. As part of the program, kiosks that link directly to AlabamaVotes.gov will be placed in high traffic areas on the campuses of six colleges in Montgomery […]

CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Company on Monday filed a motion to dismiss Amtrak’s petition before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to force the freight rail operators to permit the operation of Amtrak’s passenger rail service on its proposed Mobile-New Orleans route, which is known as the Gulf Coast Passenger Rail project. As Yellowhammer News […]

Mobile’s plan to move its commercial air traffic to a downtown airport cleared a key hurdle on Tuesday as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its approval of the Mobile Airport Authority’s (MAA) Master Plan. Currently, almost all of Mobile’s commercial flights run through the Mobile Regional Airport, which is 30 minutes west of the […]

The Birmingham City Council voted on Tuesday to extend the city’s mask requirement for roughly six more weeks, with the ordinance now set to expire on May 24. Alabama’s statewide mandate is set to expire on April 9, pushing the question of keeping facial covering rules in place to local governments. Extending the mandate was […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday will convene for the 19th day of its 2021 regular session. This comes after both chambers met into the late afternoon hours last Thursday. The Senate’s day, which can be followed in a live tweet thread here, featured cloturing of Democratic filibusters throughout. After all was said and […]

Every person in Alabama age 16 and over is now eligible to receive a vaccine that protects against the coronavirus. All coronavirus vaccines are being provided for free, regardless of whether a person has health insurance. Governor Kay Ivey announced on Friday that all adults would be eligible on April 5, more than three weeks […]

U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) on Monday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin emphasizing their belief that recent trainings conducted by branches of the United States military were politically slanted and inappropriate for the non-partisan institution. The three senators sit on the Senate Armed Services […]

Alabama’s own Murder Creek Distillery has opened its second location featuring a moonshine distillery and tasting room in Baldwin County. After opening their first location two years ago in Riverview, Murder Creek Distillery decided to expand its audience to Coastal Alabama. The new location offers onsite tastings of their moonshine as well as complete cocktails […]

Whether it’s Austal USA in Mobile, Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass, Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery or Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama’s contribution to our nation’s military strength and defense programs is critical to national security. The United States faces many security threats in the 21st century, including China’s aggression and Iran’s buildout of […]

HUNTSVILLE — Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to express confidence in Madison County’s ability to recruit and produce an advanced workforce for FBI’s expansion plans, and those highly educated and skilled workers will be the key to the agency’s success in the future, according to agency officials. The local FBI workforce is […]

Individuals and businesses who suffered damage from the tornado that ripped through Fultondale in late January are now eligible for low-interest disaster loans, the federal government announced on Monday. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the agency providing the loans. “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority […]

A newly published report found that Alabama’s occupational licensing laws — requirements that members of certain professions be certified by the government — cost the state almost 21,000 jobs and an estimated $56 million per year. The report, titled “Not-So Sweet Home Alabama,” was written by a pair of economists and is a joint project […]

Pepsi Rock the South on Monday announced the lineup for the South’s biggest party, which will be held in Cullman from August 13-14. This year’s Rock the South artists will include the likes of Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nelly and Ashley McBryde. Fans are encouraged to sign up for the “Super Fan Presale” […]

For years, scammers pretending to be from Alabama Power have called the company’s customers. The scammers claim the customer is overdue and subject to immediate loss of electric service – unless the customer quickly obtains a reloadable debit card and shares the number. Now, a new variation on the scam is showing up in Alabama. Some customers […]

Earlier this week, reports surfaced the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) had entered into a public relations contract valued at $1.5 million, which is coming at a time when the agency is facing heat for a controversial lease-build prison construction plan and the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged Eighth Amendment violations. […]

Following 15 days of heavy rains across the state in March, conditions at Alabama Power lakes along the Black Warrior and Coosa rivers are improving. As of Thursday, April 1, Smith Lake is at its peak elevation of 521 feet. Due to successful water management by Alabama Power and coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Smith Lake is […]