On Tuesday at 7:25 p.m. a dense fog advisory was issued by the National Weather Service valid for Wednesday between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. for Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Elmore, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Russell, Pike and Barbour counties.
The weather service adds, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.”
“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” adds the weather service. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.”
Navigating fog: Safety tips by the weather service
If a dense fog advisory is issued for your area, it means that widespread dense fog has developed and visibility often drops to just a quarter-mile or less. These conditions can make driving challenging, so exercise extreme caution on the road, and if possible, consider delaying your trip.
If you must drive in foggy conditions, keep the following safety tips in mind:
Reduce speed:
Slow down and allow extra travel time to reach your destination safely.
Visibility matters:
Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which automatically activate your taillights. Utilize fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them.
Avoid high-beams:
Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.
Maintain safe gaps:
Maintain a generous following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifting traffic patterns.
Stay in your lane:
To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.
Visibility near zero:
In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.
Limited parking options:
If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
By adhering to these recommendations from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring your well-being.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said public safety is her number one priority during the legislative session that started Tuesday, saying she would support a package of bills to support police and crack down on felons who commit gun crimes.
Ivey, in her eighth State of the State address at the State Capitol, also pledged to help President Trump’s initiatives on illegal immigration.
And she put her support behind a bill to establish a statewide policy to restrict students’ use of cellphones in public schools.
Ivey, 80, became governor when Robert Bentley resigned in 2017 and has won two landslide elections since. She said she plans to finish her second term strong.
“There is nothing … I mean nothing … an Alabamian cannot achieve, and it remains the highest honor of my life to serve our people as governor these next two years,” Ivey said. “Ladies and gentleman, the state of our state is strong, and opportunity abounds for all of Alabama.”
Ivey gave the 30-minute televised speech to a joint session of the Alabama House and Senate and others who greeted the governor with applause and cheers as she entered the old House chamber in the Capitol with a smile and a thumbs-up.
Ivey introduced Abbie Stockard, a Vestavia Hills native and Auburn University nursing student who became the fourth Alabamian crowned Miss America in January.
Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature have said fighting crime is a priority this session, and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said a package of bills will begin moving soon.
“Bolstering public safety is my number one priority this session, and I am proud to partner with Speaker Ledbetter and a bipartisan group of legislators in putting forward a package of bills that will back the blue and combat inner city gun violence,” Ivey said.
“To back the blue, we will provide law enforcement with enhanced legal protections that allow them to carry out their duties courageously and effectively – without fear of Monday morning quarterbacking in the courts.”
MACS is made up of law enforcement officers from ALEA, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery Police Department, the Montgomery Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On immigration, the governor praised U.S. Sen. Katie Britt for passage of the Laken Riley Act , which expands detention of undocumented migrants charged with crimes.
“Here in Alabama, we are supporting President Trump in his mission,” Ivey said. “I have directed my cabinet agencies – including the Alabama National Guard and ALEA – to continue standing ready to lend assistance where needed.”
“Securing the Southern Border is securing Alabama’s border,” Ivey said. “And today is a new day in America with President Trump at the helm. He has wasted no time in leading on this very important issue.”
Jackson Hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday, saying the move will help protect their operations and employees.
Despite the voluntary filing, the hospital in Montgomery said it will remain open, adding that “patient care will not change during this process.”
“We have been serving the community for nearly 80 years and look forward to continuing to deliver excellence in personal healthcare far into the future,” Jackson Hospital’s chief restructuring officer Allen Wilen said in a news release.
“While we have taken important steps to strengthen leadership, enhance revenue, and better manage costs and liquidity, we are operating in what continues to be an extremely challenging environment. Bankruptcy is never an easy decision. However, it is the best path forward for the Hospital’s stakeholders as we focus resources on continuing to operate.”
The hospital has been struggling financially for months — in September, it defaulted on a $60 million loan. The bondholder requested full payment after the hospital failed to make interest payments.
“After the January 31st City Council meeting, the bondholders expressed concern that we could not effectuate the loan guarantee, and therefore, they could not extend the financing needed to fund the Hospital’s operations,” Wilen said. “We had no choice but to consider alternative paths to continue the Hospital’s uninterrupted operation, leading to today’s announcement.”
The hospital said “increased labor costs, stagnant reimbursement rates, a challenging payor mix, and fallout from COVID-19,” as well as Alabama not expanding Medicaid, has led to their financial crisis.
A report by the Alabama Hospital Association found that the pandemic caused major financial problems for many of the state’s medical centers. About half of the state’s hospitals were losing money, the report found last year, and hospital margins dropped 79% from pre-pandemic levels.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said in a statement that he’s still committed to finding ways to support Jackson Hospital.
“My administration is committed to collaborating with the hospital’s leadership, healthcare professionals, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the quality of care our citizens rely on remains uninterrupted during this restructuring process. We will work diligently to support Jackson Hospital in navigating this challenging period, with the goal of emerging stronger and more resilient,” Reed said.
Jackson Hospital, which opened in 1946, has about 2,100 employees and is licensed for 355 beds.
State lawmakers from both parties issued a statement last week saying they’d work to try to save the hospital, calling it an “economic engine.”
“Numerous cities and counties — urban, suburban, and rural — would be affected by Jackson Hospital’s closing,” the statement read. “40% of patients at Jackson Hospital reside outside of the City of Montgomery. People’s lives and health are on the line. There is nothing more important than saving lives and taking care of people’s health. Therefore, we should all do our part to keep Jackson Hospital open. This responsibility should not just fall on the City of Montgomery. Cities and counties whose residents are served by Jackson Hospital should step up to help as well.”
“As state lawmakers, we support helping Jackson Hospital stay open long-term. There must be strong oversight in which Jackson must continue to provide a robust sustainability and accountability plan,” the statement read. “Together, we can ensure continued access to health care and good jobs for Alabamians. We must save Jackson Hospital.”
The Gulf of America made its way into Gov. Kay Ivey’s State of the State address Tuesday night when the governor cited the Gulf of Mexico’s new name while calling Alabama “the greatest state in the greatest nation on earth.”
“From Rainsville to Cullman…Huntsville to Birmingham…Tuscaloosa to the Loveliest Village on the Plains…from the Black Belt to the Wiregrass…from our Capital City to Mobile……and yes…all the way to the Gulf of America…we live in the greatest state in the greatest nation on Earth,” Ivey said.
The audience applauded as Ivey said Gulf of America.
“All of our work must continue to focus on making sure Alabama remains the best state in which to live, work and raise a family.”
“Appreciate the opportunity to share our plan to widen I-65 from the Tennessee line to the Gulf of America with leaders from across the state,” Ainsworth said of his top priority. “When the main artery of Alabama is the world’s longest parking lot, it hurts our economy and frustrates drivers as they travel.”
Some businesses along the Gulf also capitalized on Trump’s idea.
On the back, the “Gulf of America” in red, white and blue, filling the entire Gulf, leaving room for a palm tree or two and an icon marking the location of the Flora-Bama. On the front, a smaller Flora-Bama logo and the words “Making the Gulf Great Again.”
Mobile entered into a 22-year contract Tuesday with Colorado-based Oak View Group to manage its new $300 million Civic Center arena.
The council voted on the agreement that will enable OVG to manage the new arena once it’s completed in early 2027. The firm also was awarded last year the management contracts for the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center and the Saenger Theatre.
On Tuesday afternoon, Glen Davis and Shay Jones had a fire going under an Interstate 65 viaduct in downtown Birmingham.
“The Fire Department don’t mess with me no more,” Davis said of the fire that keeps them warm at night as they sit beneath the overpass.
Like more than 350 others living on the streets of Birmingham, Davis and Jones are homeless.
On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council approved funding for two agencies that will run separate groupings of pallet shelters as part of Birmingham’s Homes for All, Safe Sleep program.
The first group of 15 pallet shelters will be set up across the street from where Davis was burning his fire, at the Faith Chapel Care Center, which already offers services for the homeless such as laundry and showers.
“It’s a good thing,” said Davis, who grew up in Texas but began living on the streets of Birmingham after being released following surgery at UAB Hospital. “Some people have burned their bridges at home. They can’t go back home. I’ve been off and on homeless for about eight years.”
Jones said she has stayed in homeless shelters. “It’s not for me,” Jones said. “I like to move around a lot.”
But both Davis and Jones said they’d consider moving into one of the new pallet micro-shelters.
Birmingham has a contract paying Faith Chapel Care Center nearly $1.2 million to host and run services for 15 of the homes on their property at 921 Second Ave. North.
The Rev. Debra Blaylock, director of Faith Chapel Care Center, said she expects the pallet homes to be up and running this fall.
Urban Alchemy will get more than $1.54 million to host and run services for 30 to 60 micro-shelters at two locations in the city that have not been named yet.
The pilot program includes 50 shelters, along with accompanying shower/bathroom units that could be assembled to form a small shelter community. A two-stall bathroom-shower unit is installed for each group of 10 shelters.
The city hopes the micro-shelters and support services will address the challenges created by the intersection of poverty, mental illness, addiction, and homelessness.
“This will be life-changing for many of our unhoused residents,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “These partners have a proven record of supporting unhoused residents and helping them get on a path toward sustainable homeownership. Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep and a safe place to call their own. We are committed to playing a part in helping to make that happen for those who need it.”
Faith Chapel Care Center will provide homeless outreach, case management, mailing addresses, counseling sessions, recovery meetings, independent living skills training, and day shelter, including access to laundry and shower facilities.
Urban Alchemy plans to create a “Wellness Village” housing model that includes landscaping that creates a peaceful, safe environment for the residents, a service-rich program model with care coordination. Currently, they provide services to the homeless across the country, including in Birmingham.
Urban Alchemy will provide care coordinators to monitor progress, make referrals, provide counseling, and offer other assistance; provide support groups, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, social events, classes, and other activities; and provide transportation to unhoused citizens.
“This is our opportunity as a city to demonstrate how important all of our residents are all across the spectrum,” said Dr. Meghan Venable-Thomas, director of community development. “Our most vulnerable residents in the housing space are those who are experiencing homelessness. This program allows us to meet people where they are and provide the services that are needed for healthy, viable, and sustainable housing long term.”
Venable-Thomas said the Urban Alchemy pallet homes should be ready by winter.
The city has been working with Pallet Shelter to create private, lockable sleeping units that feature a heating and cooling system and desk. The micro-shelters will be congregated in safe, private communities. Each can be assembled in under an hour and at a fraction of the cost of traditional homeless shelters.
Birmingham previously supported construction of a new Firehouse Shelter facility with $1 million, and AIDS Alabama Way Station facility for youth with $1.3 million. Each year the Department of Community Development provides more than $800,000 in federal grants to support emergency shelter and public service providers who assist individuals experiencing homelessness. The city has also partnered with Jimmie Hale Mission and other community providers to open a warming station in order to increase bed space for those needing a warm place to stay during sub-freezing weather.
Jones said she’d consider giving up her free-moving lifestyle on the streets for one of the pallet homes nearby.
“If it’d be suitable,” she said.
The City of Birmingham purchased Pallet Shelters to create sleeping arrangements for the homeless. (Pallet PBC Inc.)
Madison’s top firefighter has left for a position out of state, the city announced Tuesday.
Chief David Bailey has accepted a fire chief job in Virginia, the city said in a news release. Deputy Fire Chief Brandy Williams will serve as interim chief.
Bailey became Madison fire chief in 2017. He had previously served as a firefighter in Chesterfield County, Va.
Mobile’s enhanced security measures for Carnival season, including vehicle barriers and bollards, began rolling out Tuesday, a month before Fat Tuesday.
“With additional safety measures comes the need for additional patience from citizens,” said Matt Garrett, deputy chief of the Mobile Police Department.
Researchers at an Auburn University lab collected a mole-like animal that was found with a new species of henipavirus named after the Alabama town where the specimen came from, according to the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Wendy Hood with The Hood Lab told AL.com her team collected the northern short-tailed shrew that other researchers used to detect the novel Camp Hill virus, named after the Tallapoosa County town where the animal was taken from.
Dr. Rhys Parry, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Queensland’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences in Australia and the lead author of the article published this month, wrote that further study is needed to gauge the Camp Hill virus’ danger to humans.
But Parry noted that other henipaviruses have high mortality rates when they have been detected in humans, including the Hendra and Nipah viruses.
First identified in Australia, the Hendra virus caused outbreaks with mortality rates up to 70%, Parry wrote, while Nipah virus outbreaks in Southeast Asia had fatality rates between 40% and 75%.
“Given the high case-fatality rates associated with henipaviruses, detection of CHV [Camp Hill virus] in North America raises concerns about past and potential future spillover events,” Parry wrote.
“Further investigation is needed into the potential for human infection and strategies for mitigating transmission,” the researcher continued. “Our findings help elucidate the prevalence and geographic distribution of CHV in [northern short-tail] shrews.
“The exact transmission mechanisms of shrew henipaviruses remain unclear, but direct contact with infected animals or their” urine or feces “poses a risk to humans,” Parry wrote.
Brooks has officially dropped its first new running shoe of 2025: The Glycerin 22.
The Glycerin 22, an updated version of Brooks Glycerin 21, is a specialized running shoe designed primarily for road running. It features innovative DNA Tuned cushioning, providing exceptional comfort and support.
Brooks Glycerin 22 running shoe – $165
The Brooks Glycerin 22 running shoe is available in men’s and women’s sizes.
“Softness has never been this powerful thanks to our new women’s running shoe. Experience DNA Tuned, our new nitrogen-infused cushioning in the midsole that delivers plush landings and responsive toe-offs with every step,” HOKA states on its website.
Highlighted Product Feature: One of the standout features of the Brooks Glycerin 22 is its DNA Tuned cushioning, which is nitrogen-infused to provide a unique balance of plush comfort and responsive toe-offs. This technology is beneficial for long-distance runners, allowing for comfortable landings and a smooth transition through each stride.
Other Features: The shoe’s construction includes an engineered double jacquard knit upper, allowing for flexibility and an accommodating fit without compromising support. This adapts well to the shape of the runner’s foot, enhancing comfort throughout various running experiences.
After its release in late January, the Brooks Glycerin 22 already has multiple reviews that rave over its durability and comfort.
“Second time buying the glycerin- these were recommended to me after having an orthotic foot assessment done. I have run several half marathons in the previous model and will be doing a hyrox competition in these ones. Nice and grippy with a lot of cushioning,” on recent reviewstates.
Another review reads, “These shoes are great! I can’t get over how incredibly comfortable they are. They’re super lightweight and airy, with great cushioning and absorbency in the heel. I also really enjoy the rounded toe design. Initially I wasn’t a big fan of the heel area’s appearance. But I enjoy how comfortable they are so much that it didn’t deter me from frequently wearing them.”