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 the South’s biggest party, which will be held in Cullman from August 13-14.

State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris has explained that the state is able to expand eligibility “because we have available supply.”

Since taking the reins of power in the D.C. swamp earlier this year, socialist Democrats have eagerly taken to the tasks of destroying our economy, erasing our borders and wielding the threat of cancel culture correctness like a blunt force bludgeon. But perhaps the policy initiative that carries the most potential for lasting and long-term […]

Jackson and Musick are joined by the host of "The Valley Labor Report" Jacob Morrison to discuss the issues facing the state of Alabama this week.

Waste not, want not: When Alabama Power line crews restored power earlier than expected after heavy tornado damage in and around Birmingham and surrounding areas, the company on March 29 was left with 375 boxed breakfasts. Alabama Power’s Storm Logistics Team made sure the food didn’t go to waste. Engineer Christy Hyche of Power Delivery Budget and Planning, contacted Food […]

Early on in the COVID-19 crisis, Carlos Izcaray, music director of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, composed a piece for the American Youth Symphony, where he’s also music director. “It was written for a virtually recorded ensemble,” the maestro says. “We recorded it remotely.” As the pandemic continued, administrators and faculty at the Alabama School of Fine Arts were looking for ways to engage their […]

With his research team, Sanjiv Kumar, assistant professor in the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, co-authored a breakthrough study on drought forecasting published March 12 in Climate and Atmospheric Science, a partner publication to the journal Nature. In the paper, “Seasonal to multi-year soil moisture drought forecasting,” researchers sought to find out whether they […]

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 […]

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has released her 2021 Easter message.

When it comes to lighthouses, Alabama isn’t exactly the Northeast, where around 150 of the country’s 1,000 lighthouses reside. Nor are we Michigan, where 115 lighthouses stand along the Great Lakes. However, what we lack in quantity, we make up for in rich history. Case in point: Middle Bay Lighthouse, located off the eastern shore […]

West Coast cities have passed “Hero Pay” ordinances increasing grocery store workers’ pay by up to $5 per hour. Numerous stores have closed in response, putting the heroes out of a job. Such poor economic policies produce avoidable harm. Cities passing “Hero Pay” ordinances include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Seattle. The laws apply […]

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 […]

THORSBY, Alabama – Taylor Boozer Hatchett didn’t grow up on a farm, but she has a passion for tending the land and sharing its bounty like many who did. Her father, Bobby Boozer, worked with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University and spent his 26-year career helping farmers throughout the state, particularly fruit growers. As a […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Saturday blasted Major League Baseball’s decision to relocate its 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft away from Atlanta, Georgia. The MLB made the announcement on Friday, citing a recently enacted election law in the Peach State. The new law has been the subject of significant misinformation, including from President […]

Big Bob Gibson created a distinct style of barbecue in 1925 when he started combining mayonnaise and vinegar as a sauce for chickens that he pit-cooked whole at his restaurant in Decatur. To this day, the pit crew at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Que dunks cooked chickens into a vat of white sauce before portioning them and serving […]

During the early days of the pandemic, most hospitals tightened restrictions on visitors and who could access certain areas, due to exposure concerns and health precautions. That often meant no photographers, videographers or others could visually document what was happening inside COVID-19 intensive care units. However, one UAB Medicine nurse answered the call and provided Birmingham and the entire […]

When Freddie Lynn and Webb Smith met at church, they quickly became friends, thanks in part to complementary careers; Lynn is an architect with Goodwyn Mills Cawood and Smith owns a contracting firm. They started looking for a way to collaborate and recently partnered to form Bridge & Hill Holdings and launch the company’s first project: transforming […]

After nearly 13 years at the helm of the UAB Health System, Will Ferniany, Ph.D., will retire at the end of 2021. Ferniany became chief executive officer of the Health System in 2008, his second stint at UAB. A senior leader in health care since 1975, Ferniany is also the CEO of the new UAB/Ascension […]

That old adage about making lemonade when you’re presented with a difficult situation applies perfectly to Alabama’s Gulf State Park Pier. Just as one of the Gulf of Mexico’s premier piers was set to reopen after a substantial renovation last September, Hurricane Sally made a direct hit on the Alabama Gulf Coast and the pier […]

The Alabama Power Foundation this week awarded Power to Play grants to support arts and athletics programs at dozens of public schools across the Yellowhammer State. Grants reportedly range from $1,000 to $2,500. A press release noted studies show that students involved in athletics perform better in the classroom and are more likely to graduate […]

Birmingham-based Bradley Arant announced the addition of former Rep. Martha Roby as a senior advisor in the firm's Governmental Affairs...