JASPER, Ala. — A fire that tore through the Walker County Public Defender’s Office early Saturday morning has left the building a total loss, authorities said. The blaze, which broke out at the office on 19th Street West, took firefighters nearly 12 hours to extinguish. No injuries were reported. The Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Public Service Commission, which regulates the state’s monopoly utilities, is under renewed scrutiny as critics say its recent actions have made it harder for the public to participate in or even observe key regulatory proceedings. The PSC, a three-member body elected statewide, oversees utilities like Alabama Power and Spire, companies…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers are considering a controversial bill that would sharply increase the financial penalties for removing Confederate monuments from public property, reigniting debate over how the state should address its legacy of racial injustice. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, would raise the current one-time $25,000 fine for removing or…

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Four people were found dead Saturday in a Talladega apartment in what police are investigating as a homicide. Talladega police responded to a welfare check at an apartment on Old Shocco Road on July 5 and discovered the bodies of three men and one woman. Authorities identified the victims as Querida Flores,…

TRUSSVILLE, Ala. — A Trussville man is recovering after being swept through a 500-foot storm drain during heavy rains in late June. Drew Owen was in his yard with his children when floodwaters began to rise. As he attempted to retrieve soccer balls near a storm drain, Owen was pulled into the pipe by the…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A bill under consideration in the Alabama Legislature would require public schools to grant elective credit to students who leave campus during the school day to attend private religious instruction, a move that has sparked debate over the academic value of such courses. Senate Bill 4, prefiled for the 2026 legislative session,…