HOOVER, Ala. — The Riverchase Galleria, long one of Alabama’s best-known shopping destinations, is on the market as mall owners and local leaders confront a retail landscape that has changed dramatically around it, with shoppers increasingly favoring online purchases and more mixed-use destinations over traditional enclosed malls. The 39-year-old mall, Alabama’s largest enclosed shopping center,…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Gov. Kay Ivey has declared June as “Strong Families Month” in Alabama, putting the state’s weight behind a proclamation that emphasizes traditional family structures as Pride Month gets underway. The governor’s office said Ivey signed the proclamation Friday and that it is intended to recognize the role of parents in child development.…

PINSON, Ala. — Two children died Saturday after a drowning incident at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, according to authorities and local television reports. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the deaths after the children were taken to Children’s of Alabama, WBRC reported. ABC 33/40 reported that a preliminary investigation indicated the children were with their…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama’s long-running battle over congressional redistricting has entered another fast-moving phase, with federal judges blocking the state’s latest map, state officials rushing back to the U.S. Supreme Court and Justice Clarence Thomas temporarily declining to give Alabama an immediate win. At the center of the dispute is whether Alabama can use a…

CLAY COUNTY, Ala. — The Talladega National Forest has grown by 1,446 acres in Clay County, adding land along its southern boundary that conservation advocates say will protect wildlife habitat, strengthen forest connectivity and preserve views from the Pinhoti Trail. The newly acquired tract has been transferred to the U.S. Forest Service and folded into…