Birmingham Times

15/01/2026

This week's cover of The Birmingham Times features Martin Luther King Jr., who has been intertwined with Birmingham ever since the Civil Rights leader helped dismantle segregation in a city once known as “Bombingham.”

https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2026/01/memorable-mlk-jr-visits-to-birmingham-that-became-a-part-of-his-legacy/

15/01/2026

“We want to put things back into perspective by focusing on education and the youth. Young people are not only our future — they are leaders right now, and their voices matter in shaping equitable and transformative change.” said Alice Westery, Executive Chair of the Community Affairs Committee.

birminghamal.gov The Community Affairs Committee (CAC) will host its 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast on Monday, January 19 bringing together community leaders, educators, stu…

15/01/2026

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Birmingham have been intertwined ever since the Civil Rights leader helped dismantle segregation. Many point to King’s efforts in the spring of 1963, when he helped direct thousands of demonstrators to fill up Birmingham jails. However, King, whose birthday will be celebrated on January 19, began his work in the Magic City before 1963 and he did return afterwards.

The Birmingham Times Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Birmingham have been intertwined ever since the Civil Rights leader helped dismantle segregation in a city once known as “Bombingham” for the fre…

14/01/2026

JPMorganChase shares tips on how to grow a business in 2026, including if you want to become a solopreneur or enhance your current offerings, look for a need in Birmingham or come up with an innovative idea. Maybe it’s a service that can help others or a product that could enhance or simplify their lives.

Sponsored by JPMorganChase You’ve put in the late nights, the weekends and the hustle. And now, what started as an opportunity to make extra money has turned into an enterprise with real potentia…

14/01/2026

“To our audiences, our employees past and present, and everyone who walked through our doors: thank you for turning a venue into a home and a lifetime of work into a lasting legacy. I leave this chapter with humility, pride and gratitude," said Bruce Ayers, owner of The Comedy Club Stardome in Hoover, as he announced his retirement.

By Mary Colurso | [email protected] Bruce Ayers, owner of The Comedy Club Stardome in Hoover, is retiring from the business he founded about 42 years ago. Ayers, a beloved figure on Birmingham’s ente…

14/01/2026

“Claudette Colvin’s life reminds us that movements are built not only by those whose names are most familiar, but by those whose courage comes early, quietly, and at great personal cost,” said Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed.

By Kimberly Chandler | Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights m…

14/01/2026

“I will not allow any of us in this room — elected officials, civic leaders, corporate leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs — to sit on the sideline and remain silent,” said Mayor Randall Woodfin as he delivered his State of the City address before the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham.

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times Mayor Randall Woodfin used his State of the City address at the downtown Kiwanis Club on Tuesday today to call on Birmingham’s business, civic and community lead…

13/01/2026

“If you have a single handle faucet, I always like to put it right in the middle, so it’ll draw a little bit of water from the hot and cold. So it’ll keep both sides of the system moving. They do say hot side freezes faster than cold," said Christian Sumpter, owner of Streamline Plumbing and Drain.

By Maddie McQueen | WIAT Much colder air will roll into the Deep South Wednesday night and Thursday which could lead to some headaches at home if proper preparations are not taken. Streamline Plumb…

13/01/2026

“Being in Birmingham just made me feel comfortable. Ain’t nothing like home… I want to be able to have something here that says my name," said Leora “Queen Leora” Byrd said of the salon suites that now bare her name.

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times By the time Leora “Queen Leora” Byrd’s phone starts buzzing with direct messages asking her to post again on her social media platforms she’s often already booke…

12/01/2026

“Your job is to support, promote, and encourage, the poets of the State of Alabama. I think that Alabama has some of the most brilliant poets writing today, and I think that they don’t get enough national attention,” said Jacqueline Allen Trimble, the state's upcoming poet laureate.

By Javacia Harris Bower | Alabama News Center This month, Jacqueline Allen Trimble – an award-winning poet and professor of English and chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures at Alaba…

12/01/2026

"Providing mobility options raises quality of life for everyone. Driving doesn’t work for everyone. Many of our neighbors are too young, too old, physically unable or simply cannot afford the financial costs of operating their own vehicles," writes Mayor Randall Woodfin as he proposes making Birmingham a more walkable city.

By Mayor Randall Woodfin When I was growing up in North Birmingham, I walked a lot of places. I would regularly walk to stores, a friend’s house, school, or a bus stop. I don’t walk as much today a…

10/01/2026

“Everyone would want to have zero celebratory gunfire in their city all over this country. The Birmingham Police Department will continue, year after year, to get better in their strategy," said BPD Public Information Officer Sgt. LaQuitta Wade.

By Shane Trail | WBRC Birmingham police say they are doing everything they can to keep residents safe after city leaders expressed frustration over celebratory gunfire they heard throughout the cit…