MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers have approved legislation that would bar SNAP recipients from buying candy and non-diet soda if state and federal officials sign off on a waiver request, reviving a familiar political argument over whether public benefits should be used to shape diet choices or simply help low-income families buy groceries. The bill,…

LEEDS, Ala. — A Leeds woman was arrested after police accused her of spraying her two children in the face with bear spray, according to multiple reports. Police identified the woman as Christie Lashay Williams. The reports say the alleged incident happened on March 8, and the children were taken for treatment after being exposed…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama is set to let people seeking parole participate in their own hearings remotely, a modest but notable change in a prison system that has faced years of criticism over violence, overcrowding and deaths behind bars. The bill, SB240, has passed the Legislature and was awaiting Gov. Kay Ivey’s approval as of…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers have sent Gov. Kay Ivey a bill that would require public schools to emphasize abstinence in sex education and prohibit comprehensive sex education, adding new restrictions to a patchwork system that already gives districts broad discretion over whether and how they teach the subject. How sex education is handled now…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A fatal hit-and-run on Green Springs Highway over the weekend is renewing concerns about nighttime safety for people who drive, walk or bike along busy corridors in the Birmingham area. Police say Kevin Arita-Alvarado, a 20-year-old man from Center Point, was struck and killed in a hit-and-run in the early hours of…

PIKE COUNTY, Ala. — Four people were killed late Friday night when a vehicle being pursued by an Alabama state trooper left the roadway and struck a tree in Pike County, authorities said. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the crash happened around 11:57 p.m. Friday on Pike County Road 6628 near Pike County Road…