IRONDALE, Alabama — Hundreds turned out Saturday for the grand opening of the Irondale Public Library’s new location on Grant Mill Road, a major civic project for the city and Jefferson County that highlights calls to safeguard free access to books as Alabama’s political climate shifts on library content. The $7 million facility, which officially…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A newly released HBO documentary, “The Alabama Solution,” is drawing urgent national attention to Alabama’s long-criticized prison system, offering a stark, inside look at what advocates and even federal officials have labeled a “humanitarian crisis.” The film, directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, debuted on HBO Max this weekend after its…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A massive car auction featuring more than 1,300 vehicles collected by Alabama businessman Greg Rusk is underway, offering everything from classic Cadillacs to vintage Camaros for sale with no reserve, organizers announced this week. Rusk, owner of Rusken Packaging with headquarters in Cullman and extensive business ties to Birmingham, spent nearly three…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala — Montgomery Transport LLC, one of Birmingham’s largest trucking employers, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week and abruptly halted all operations, leaving about 1,000 workers jobless in a cascade that has hit families across Alabama and stranded drivers nationwide. The shutdown’s shockwaves have rippled from Commerce Circle all the way to small…

BESSEMER, Ala. — Bessemer City Council has cleared the way for what could be Alabama’s largest tech investment, approving a zoning change Tuesday night that greenlights construction of a $14.4 billion, 700-acre hyperscale data center on the city’s outskirts. The vote follows months of heated public debate and protests from local residents, environmental groups and…

CORDOVA, Ala. — Cordova’s police chief abruptly resigned Monday amid public outrage and an administrative probe following the release of a video showing him sexually harassing an 18-year-old dispatcher at the city’s police department. Jason Hare, who had held the post for less than four months after transferring from the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, stepped…