Alabama

Ivey calls on Legislature to approve Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences

Published

2 years ago

February 7, 2024

Ivey calls on Legislature to approve Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences

In her State of the State Address on Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey again called on the Legislature to fund the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, a statewide, residential high school located in Demopolis. Ivey said the school is among her top legislative priorities for the 2024 session.

“Last year, I introduced the idea of the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences… This school will directly expose young men and women from around Alabama, and particularly rural students, to various healthcare fields,” Ivey said. “And it gives them options. Maybe they want to graduate with a credential to immediately start working a high-wage career, or maybe they want to go to college and become a nurse or maybe even attend medical or dental school. We will now give these students an opportunity and a state-of-the-art school to attend.”

For the first time publicly, Ivey also announced the results of a feasibility study requested by the Alabama Legislature after the school was first proposed last year. Demopolis, she said, is the best location for the school.

“Already, we have received tremendous community support [from Demopolis], and the gold standard of rural healthcare is just a few steps away from the proposed site where these students will learn,” Ivey said, referring to Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis. “And on top of all of this, the feasibility report commissioned by the Legislature last year has once again validated Demopolis as the ideal location for this important school – folks, let’s get this important project done.”

After the address, ASHS Foundation Chairman Rob Pearson applauded Ivey’s dedication to making the school a reality, pledging his organization’s continued work to serve the school.

“Since the day Gov. Ivey publicly announced the concept of this school – exactly a year ago – and her intention of it being built in Demopolis, we have joined with stakeholders across the state to support the proposed school,” Pearson said. “From the development of this Foundation, to working with wonderful people like Dr. Majd Zayzafoon at UAB, to securing funding of $26.4 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, we have made it clear that we take the responsibility seriously.”

Pearson also said he was happy, though not surprised, about the results of the feasibility study.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“In the process of working with our healthcare partners and Bloomberg Philanthropies, we felt their support validated the school’s feasibility in Demopolis,” Pearson said. “To know the study commissioned by the Legislature says the same is further testament to this community’s ability to serve the entire state of Alabama.”

On Jan. 17, the ASHS Foundation joined with state and local leaders to announce that the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences was one of 10 educational programs across the United States to receive funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies. That money, contingent upon the school being built in Demopolis, is thought to be the largest philanthropic gift ever in West Alabama

Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins thanked Ivey for her trust in the city and said Demopolis understands the gravity of being home to a statewide, residential high school.

“As we have shown over the past year, the entire city of Demopolis has embraced the proposed Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences,” Collins said. “Along with agreeing to deed the land for the school to the ASHS Foundation, we understand there will be many resources needed to give students of this school the safety and support they need. Our citizens are committed to being guardians to our state’s future healthcare workforce.”

Source link

Click to comment

Alabama

Alabama names first state AI officer to coordinate agency efforts

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Alabama names first state AI officer to coordinate agency efforts

Alabama AI officer Aaron Wright began work Monday April 27 as the state’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, a newly created position housed within the Alabama Office of Information Technology.

Wright, who has more than 25 years of experience in health care and state government technology, most recently served as AOIT’s director of application development. He also led the Data Management and Ownership working group within the governor’s Generative AI Task Force.

Wright said in a statement that AI adoption across state agencies has already been underway through informal coordination, and the new role is designed to build on that foundation.

“AI is no longer a future technology; it is here now,” Wright said. “It has become integrated into existing tool sets, and people are using AI tools and platforms throughout their day to enhance and streamline their work.”

He described the position as collaborative rather than regulatory.

“The CAIO position is not intended to be a gatekeeper or a blocker of innovation for Alabama’s agencies,” Wright said, calling it “an advocate, a facilitator, and, when needed, a voice of caution” as agencies adopt AI tools.

Secretary of Information Technology Daniel Urquhart said Wright’s background “positions Alabama to thoughtfully and effectively harness artificial intelligence in ways that can improve outcomes for our agencies and the people we serve.”

Wright said his first priority is creating a shared environment for agencies to compare notes on AI adoption, and that early projects include an AI chatbot for the OIT website.

“Residents should see government services that are simpler, faster and more reliable,” Wright said, including “shorter wait times, more intuitive digital experiences, and better access to information when and where they need it.”

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].

Source link

Alabama

Summer Alabama forecast. See what AccuWeather predicts for heat, storms

Published

24 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Summer Alabama forecast. See what AccuWeather predicts for heat, storms

Alabama faces a summer of intense heat, high humidity, and occasional strong storms, with El Niño influencing shifts across the Southeast weather pattern.

While conditions will vary across the state, AccuWeather forecasters expect heat to dominate statewide. At the same time, storm and flooding risks will be concentrated in specific parts of Alabama as the season progresses.

Here’s what Alabama residents can expect for summer 2026.

Heat and Humidity to dominate Alabama summer 2026

Heat is expected to be the defining feature of the season, with much of Alabama likely to see near- or above-normal temperatures.

Even when highs are typical for late June or July, humidity will push “feels-like” temperatures significantly higher, especially in central and southern Alabama.

That means:

More frequent 90-degree days.
Oppressive humidity across the state.
Warm overnight lows that offer little relief.

As a result, energy demand is also expected to rise as residents rely heavily on air conditioning during extended hot stretches.

Alabama summer storms 2026

Unlike some summers with almost daily thunderstorms, 2026 is expected to feature more distinct periods of storm activity, rather than storms developing continuously throughout the season. These storm-active windows will vary by region in the state.

Storm timing breaks down like this:

Upper to central Alabama: Peak thunderstorm activity in June and July.
Southern Alabama: July into August becomes the more active window.

Derecho Risk focused in northern Alabama

One of the more significant severe weather concerns this summer is the potential for derecho events across northern Alabama.

AccuWeather forecasters are highlighting a moderate risk zone in the upper part of the state, where fast-moving lines of thunderstorms could organize during peak summer instability.

These systems are rare but capable of producing widespread damage when they form.

Will there be drought relief in Alabama?

Flooding risks this summer are not widespread, but they are highly localized in two areas that will need close attention during heavy events.

The main flood-prone zones are the upper western and lower eastern corners of the state. Elsewhere, flooding risk stays within the norm for summer storms.

Bottom line: Don’t expect too much relief this summer.

Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.

Source link

Alabama

How to Watch No. 3 Alabama Softball vs. No. 21 South Carolina

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch No. 3 Alabama Softball vs. No. 21 South Carolina

Alabama has a quick turnaround to flush its first SEC series loss of the season at Tennessee as the No. 3 Crimson Tide prepares to face No. 21 South Carolina in the regular-season finale at Rhoads Stadium for a three-game series beginning on Thursday.

All three games between Alabama and South Carolina will be streaming only on SEC Network+.

Last year, the Gamecocks took two of three games from the Tide in the regular season series in Columbia under first year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, and then beat Alabama in the SEC tournament.

This year, Alabama (44-6, 16-5 SEC) is still fighting for a chance at the regular season conference title two games behind Oklahoma with three games to go. At a minimum, the Tide wants to secure a double-bye in the SEC tournament and as high a seed in the NCAA tournament as possible.

“We need to do our job this year, at home especially, going into the SEC tournament and possible seedings for the NCAA,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. “This is a big weekend for both of us. I know she’d probably say the same thing. But this is huge for us.”

The Gamecocks are coming off back-to-back conference series wins over Missouri and Texas A&M while Alabama is coming in off its first conference series loss. Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s series.

How to watch: Alabama vs. South Carolina

Who: No. 21 South Carolina (30-22, 7-14 SEC) at No. 3 Alabama (44-6, 16-5 SEC)

When: Thursday, April 30 – 6 p.m. CT
Friday, May 1 – 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 2- 1 p.m. CT

Where: Rhoads Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: SEC Network+

Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network on Catfish 100.1 FM in Tuscaloosa (or online) with Tom Canterbury on the call.

Series history: Alabama leads, 33-10
In Tuscaloosa: 19-2 | In Columbia: 14-7 | At Neutral Sites: 0-1

Last meeting: South Carolina eliminated Alabama from the SEC tournament in Athens, Georgia last season with a 6-2 victory over the Crimson Tide. Alabama scored two runs in the first inning, including a leadoff home run by Audrey Vandagriff, before the Gamecocks reeled off six unanswered.

Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide lost to Tennessee, 4-1, in the series finale on Monday. Alabama was on the verge of being shut out for the second straight game before a pinch hit home run by Mari Hubbard in the seventh inning.

Last time out, South Carolina: The Gamecocks run ruled South Carolina State, 9-1, in six innings on Tuesday night for their final non-conference game in the regular season.