One day after Mayor of Mountain Brook Stewart Welch announced he will not be seeking another term later, City Councilwoman Graham Smith officially announced her candidacy for Mayor of Mountain Brook. Smith won her 2022 City Council seat with 74% of the vote in what was the highest turnout municipal election in Mountain Brook history. […]

President Donald Trump has removed Joe Ritch, a well-known Huntsville lawyer, from his position on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors. The dismissal took place on April 1 at the president’s direction. Ritch, who was appointed to the board by President Joe Biden in 2022 and confirmed by the Senate later that year, […]

The Mountain Brook City Council held a special session on Tuesday morning to appoint Thomas Boulware as the new Chief of Police. Chief Boulware has been a member of the Mountain Brook Police Department for over two decades. For the past three years, he has been the commander of the Criminal Investigations Division. He is […]

Legislation that would be transformative for the Alabama Farmers Federation made its debut before state lawmakers on Wednesday during a public hearing about a proposal to enable the farm organization to offer its members and their families a form of health coverage, known as a farm bureau health plan.  Similar plans are already operating in […]

On Wednesday, the Poarch Creek Indians and the McGregor family announced that the sale of the historic Birmingham Racecourse property was finalized, and the Tribe’s gaming and hotel business, Wind Creek Hospitality, is the official new owner.  Tribal officials, the McGregors, and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the location is set to be transformed into […]

This morning WBRC’s Good Day Alabama, Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch announced that he will not be seeking re-election for another term.  A native and lifelong resident of Mountain Brook, Welch first took office in 2016. He wrote an official letter to city residents about his decision to pass the torch: “Over the last few months, a lot […]

As activist federal judges continue to block the Trump Administration’s America First agenda, Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are searching for a way around the ongoing judicial overreach. On Tuesday, a group of elected officials, including U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, filed legislation limiting federal court orders to parties directly before the court. […]

As part of Autism Awareness Month, the Helena Police Department is taking proactive steps to better serve and support individuals with autism in the community. The department recently announced the implementation of the Blue Envelope Program, a thoughtful initiative aimed at facilitating safe and respectful interactions between first responders and autistic drivers. Autism, or Autism […]

AlaTrade Foods, an employee-owned poultry processing company based in Alabama, has announced the layoff of 165 employees at its Phenix City facility. The layoff process began on March 2, according to a notice filed with the Alabama Department of Commerce, and was reported on March 28. According to AL.com, AlaTrade Foods, founded in 2000, is […]

The Alabama House of Representatives passed HB376 on Tuesday, a measure that would double the minimum lifespan of motor vehicle license plate designs from five to 10 years.  Sponsored by State Rep. Russell Bedsole (R-Alabaster), HB376 seeks to amend Sections 32-6-62 and 32-6-64 of the Alabama Code to extend the required redesign period for license […]

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is calling on the Trump administration to close a loophole in the law that is used by drug traffickers to flood deadly fentanyl into the U.S. Marshall joined a coalition of 25 state attorneys general asking U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem and Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs […]

The Alabama House General Fund Budget Committee gave favorable reports Tuesday to a series of budget bills, including HB186, the state’s General Fund budget for fiscal year 2026.  HB186 is the main spending bill for non-education state services, covering a broad range of agencies from the Department of Corrections and Medicaid to mental health and […]

Former Decatur Police Officer Mac Marquette will now face trial for murder after a Morgan County judge ruled he did not act in self-defense when shooting Stephen Perkins in September of 2023. Related: Former Decatur police officer pleads not guilty, waives arraignment Judge Charles Elliot delivered the decision on Monday, stating that Marquette failed to […]

In the final weeks of the 2025 legislative session, Alabama lawmakers are considering a proposal to make permanent the state income tax exemption for overtime pay. The exemption, originally set to expire on June 30, 2025, was first introduced in 2023 as a temporary measure to provide relief to hourly workers. The original legislation was […]

Backed by a recent $11.4 million Department of Defense contract through the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Auburn University’s Applied Research Institute (AUARI) in Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park is establishing a cutting-edge radiation hardening facility.   It will be the only university-led facility of its kind in the nation and will help ensure the reliability of military technology in the harsh radiation environments encountered […]

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth announced on Monday that the state’s “Heroes Welcome” initiative, which was developed by the Alabama Military Stability Commission that he chairs, has been named an official partner resource by the U.S. Department of Defense. “Since taking office, we have worked hard to ensure Alabama remains that nation’s friendliest and most welcoming […]

The application period for Alabama’s education savings account initiative, made possible through the CHOOSE Act, is set to close next Monday at midnight. The initiative allows eligible Alabama families to apply online for educational savings for the next academic school year. If accepted, the funding received may go toward school tuition, tutoring, educational therapies, and […]

A recent report has revealed that 45 undocumented immigrants are currently on hold in the Madison County Jail, awaiting potential deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These individuals constitute roughly 4% of the jail’s population, which houses approximately 1,200 inmates. According to WAFF, the detainees face charges ranging from murder and assault to […]

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently terminated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office lease in Fairhope, Alabama. The lease, covering a 5,132 square foot space, had an annual cost of $176,859. The termination is effective as of March 3, 2025, and is projected to save taxpayers approximately $707,922. The decision to terminate the […]

Rural Alabama is experiencing a surge in economic growth, with more than $7 billion in new investment since 2020 fueling nearly 9,000 job commitments across the state’s targeted rural counties. The momentum continued throughout 2024, as $1.7 billion in fresh investment flowed into key industries, generating 1,700 new job opportunities and strengthening rural communities across the state, according to […]

A gambling bill is in the fray of the 2025 legislative session. According to Alabama Daily News, State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) is looking for the votes needed to pass a comprehensive gaming package that includes Class II casinos, sports betting, a statewide lottery, and regulatory commissions to oversee and enforce its activity. Albritton is leading […]

Things are going up at the  International Intermodal Center at the Port of Huntsville … literally. The facility has seen an increase in its cargo operations for the second straight year, while 2024 was its best year since 2008 for rail lifts. North Alabama’s only inland port posted 22.3% more rail lifts in 2024 (33,745) […]

A federal judge has sentenced Tametria Conner Dantzler, 39, of Montgomery, to one month in prison followed by a year of weekends in jail and three years of supervised release for defrauding COVID-19 relief programs. Dantzler is also ordered to repay over $927,000, the amount she unlawfully obtained through fraudulent applications to federal relief initiatives.​ […]

An arrest has been made following the assault and armed robbery last week of Montgomery businessman Jim Massey III. Last week, news broke that Massey III had been violently assaulted, bound, and robbed at gunpoint at his business – Jim Massey’s Cleaners – in the 500 block of South Street in Montgomery. Massey told WSFA […]