(Video above: Montgomery Police set up “cookie road blocks.”) The Montgomery Police Department has launched a tasty new community building effort: cookie road blocks. Chason Smitherman, a local videographer and founder of Grow 334, a group of “story tellers devoted to growing businesses in the Alabama River Region,” captured footage of the Montgomery PD dishing […]

In what has proven to be an extraordinarily rare occurrence in the 227 year existence of the U.S. federal government, a major government construction project is poised to be completed both on time and under budget. The Dome of the United States Capitol is “8,909,200 pounds of ironwork bolted together in a masterpiece of American […]

By Dawn Azok Alabama’s auto industry continues to power new investment and jobs across the state. Over the past year, auto suppliers have announced new facilities and expansions worth at least $924 million and more than 2,500 new jobs in activities ranging from precision machining to engineering. Among the companies growing in Alabama is Lear […]

(Video above: Cliff Sims discusses the National Anthem on Yellowhammer Radio) During Tuesday’s episode of Yellowhammer Radio, host Cliff Sims warned that liberals are trying to use Colin Kaepernick’s sit-down protest during the playing of the National Anthem as a cultural “flash point” to spark a movement to eradicate “The Star Spangled Banner” for being […]

By Karim Shamsi-Basha As football season approaches, the battle cry of the defending national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide, is rising up from Tuscaloosa to Dallas to New York to Jerusalem. Jerusalem? The last thing one might expect to find on the ancient streets of Jerusalem is anything having to do with American football – […]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama drug dealers are lacing heroin — already one of the most powerful and addictive opioids — with a drug designed to subdue 13,000-pound African bush elephants, and the resulting synthetic mix is leaving a trail of dead bodies in its wake. The drug is called Carfentanil and health officials estimate that […]

LAS VEGAS – Question: What Southern state just produced the 2016 national trivia champion? Answer: Alabama. But you probably guessed that. On Saturday, Aug. 28, the 2016 National Trivia League finals were held at the Rio Hotel. Sponsored by Challenge Entertainment, the competition brought together 170 teams that qualified by winning weekly trivia contests across […]

I’m not mad at you Colin Kaepernick, I’m just disappointed. You have the right to freedom of speech, because my colleagues, friends & loved ones fought and died protecting that right. You have the right to speak up about what you deem as oppressive, even though you make millions of dollars and, to my knowledge, […]

We are heading into the peak of hurricane season, which means two things: No. 1: Everyone anywhere near the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico is more likely to be paying attention to what’s going on in the tropics; and No. 2: It’s going to once again become very apparent that the number of media […]

Niche.com, a site that seeks to “make choosing a neighborhood, college, or K-12 school a more transparent process” by “providing reviews and insight from everyday experts,” has ranked Auburn University’s student body the “smartest” in Alabama. Niche’s “Smartest Students” ranking “assesses the intelligence of the students at traditional four-year colleges and universities in the United […]

San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked controversy late last week when he refused to stand for the playing of the National Anthem before the 49ers game against the Green Bay Packers. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” […]

Business Facilities magazine rated Alabama among the top states for workforce training programs, auto manufacturing strength, and foreign direct investment in its 2016 rankings. In addition, the economic development-focused publication rated Huntsville No. 1 among U.S. cities for STEM job growth, and No. 3 for economic growth potential. The Rocket City was No. 5 for […]

(Video above: Andy Andrews explains why you should forgive people who’ve wronged you, even when they aren’t sorry) “For a long time I thought forgiveness was like knighthood,” jokes New York Times bestselling author and Alabama native Andy Andrews, “something I would bestow on some lucky person who came crying and begging me to forgive […]

Cord Sachs is a Birmingham-based leadership expert and the CEO of FireSeeds, a company that helps companies find and grow great leaders and “the company behind many of Alabama’s fastest growing companies.” Yellowhammer sat down with Mr. Sachs as part of our ongoing leadership series, and he discussed how helping employees to reach their personal […]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Seemingly lost in the chaos of a contentious special legislative session and lottery debate is the fact that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted has dropped to 5.7%, according to the Bentley Administration. That is the lowest unemployment rate the state has enjoyed since 2008. “We continue to see decreases in Alabama’s unemployment rate, […]

Alabama falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to state obesity rankings in the United States, according to a survey by Gallup and Healthways. 28.1% of Alabamians are obese, as computed by respondents’ self-reported height and weight. “The consequences of obesity on health are obvious, but the impacts of the epidemic extend […]

Using data from the 2010 census, Dustin Cable of the University of Virginia has created the definitive map of racial distribution in America. Let’s start with the United States and work our way down to the local level. [Click images to enlarge] United States White: blue dots; Black: green dots; Asian: red; Latino: orange; all […]

SHORTER, Ala. — As the Alabama legislature wrestles with whether to approve a state-sponsored lottery, gambling boss Milton McGregor has announced plans to reopen his VictoryLand electronic bingo operation. VictoryLand was shuttered in 2013 after state law enforcement officials seized the machines and a quarter-million dollars in cash, and has remained closed ever since. But […]

Global consulting firm Ernst & Young says companies from around the world poured more than $5 billion into capital projects in Alabama last year, earning the state a place near the top of its investment rankings. Ernst & Young’s closely watched “US Investment Monitor” ranked Alabama No.5 among the states for mobile capital investment last […]

The latest master plan to expand the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex goes topless, revealing the new direction to focus on adding outdoor sports to the venue. Kansas City-based Populous presented its latest plans to the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority board of directors, calling for extensive renovations and expansion of Legacy Arena, modernizing the entire complex’s look […]

The University of Alabama last week rolled out a “strategic plan” that will serve as a roadmap going forward for the fastest growing flagship university in America. The strategic plan’s four stated goals focus on “providing a premier undergraduate and graduate education,” bolstering the university’s research and innovation capacity, enriching the work environment on the […]

You probably didn’t see it in the traditional media — in the local newspaper or TV news. And the truth is, they preferred it that way. “We didn’t want this to be for any kind of show,” one of them said after the fact. And you certainly didn’t hear about it in the national news […]

(Video above: Cliff Sims on Yellowhammer Radio discussing a new study showing men are getting weaker) CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE YELLOWHAMMER RADIO PODCAST ON ITUNES A new scientific study showing that millennial men “have significantly weaker hands and arms than men the same age did 30 years ago” prompted a near meltdown on […]

ST. LOUIS, Missouri — The president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Alabama’s largest Christian denomination, says he believes the United States is “beyond a political solution” and is in need of a “spiritual awakening…from Almighty God.” Rev. Steve Gaines, former senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Gardendale, Alabama, and the current senior pastor of […]