-
Child Sex Sting Raises Questions About Alabama Death Penalty Law
FLORENCE, Ala. — A two-day undercover operation in Lauderdale County that led to six arrests over alleged attempts to meet children for unlawful sexual acts will not trigger Alabama’s new child sex crime death penalty law, despite the state’s use of “child predator” rhetoric to promote the measure. The operation, conducted Friday and Saturday by…
-
Alabama Launches Opt-In Disaster Alert System
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama has activated a statewide system intended to deliver faster warnings about flooding and other disasters, but the state’s most important message to residents is also its simplest: Direct alerts will not reach everyone unless they voluntarily enroll. Gov. Kay Ivey announced the activation Aug. 25, saying the program is designed to…
-
Alabama Lawmakers Eye New Limits on Flock Cameras as Surveillance Backlash Grows
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers are preparing to revisit statewide limits on automated license plate readers as scrutiny intensifies over the expanding network of Flock Safety cameras, recent misuse cases involving two St. Clair County police departments and concerns about how long vehicle-location data can be retained and shared. State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said…
-
Legion Field HBCU Band Showcase Abruptly Canceled
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Legends at Legion Field Battle of the Bands, an HBCU marching-band showcase scheduled for Sunday at Historic Legion Field, has been canceled. A cancellation notice shared Thursday by the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board said ticket holders will receive refunds. The notice did not provide a specific reason for the cancellation…
-
Thumb Drive Mix-Up Puts Bessemer Election Results on Hold
BESSEMER, Ala. — Bessemer’s municipal election ran into a decidedly low-tech problem this week: The encrypted thumb drives needed to complete the vote count were locked inside the wrong election box. The mix-up left results incomplete from Tuesday’s municipal election, with returns posted from 11 of the city’s 12 precincts. The missing data could affect…
-
Tuberville Rules Out Debate With Jones in Alabama Governor’s Race
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Republican gubernatorial nominee Tommy Tuberville says he will not debate Democrat Doug Jones before Alabama voters choose the state’s next governor in November, a decision that would spare Tuberville from publicly defending both his divisive rhetoric and his close alignment with President Donald Trump’s agenda. Tuberville, Alabama’s senior U.S. senator, said Wednesday…
Established in 1997