Good morning and Happy Friday! Here's what to look for on Alabama News Network this morning from 5-7 a.m. -An autopsy is expected today as fans continue to mourn the unexpected passing of musician Prince -New details in the scandal…
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival welcomes five-time Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald to headline the 3rd annual Benefit the Bard fundraiser. McDonald was part of legendary rock bands the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan. Smokey Robinson and Michael Bolton headlined the…
[gtxvideo vid="XEPh7Au1" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/XEPh7Au1-120.jpg?cachebust=1461338948416" vtitle="WAKA_2016_04_21_22_04_38"] Dozens of area teens received a lesson in distracted driving Thursday afternoon. Instructors included professional stunt drivers and race car drivers. The teens completed several driving courses and were reminded about the important use…
[gtxvideo vid="1aPvCwvz" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/1aPvCwvz-120.jpg?cachebust=1461338896993" vtitle="ritz"] Since the 1930s, the Ritz Theatre in downtown Greenville has been a landmark of the city. The Ritz has been host to hundreds of plays, musicals and performances. It has also been a safe…
[gtxvideo vid="grg1WBE2" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/grg1WBE2-120.jpg?cachebust=1461277769156" vtitle="asu graetz"] Alabama State University hosted the tenth annual Robert and Jean Graetz symposium, named for two civil rights activists that 60 years later are still continuing their crusade towards equality. They took a strong…
[gtxvideo vid="v6q5PvaD" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/v6q5PvaD-120.jpg?cachebust=1461337549340" vtitle="prison bill"] Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's proposed $800 million prison construction project cleared a major hurdle Thursday, after a committee approved the bill along with a proposed $13 increase in auto title fees as a…
The Alabama Legislature has given final approval to the education budget and a four percent pay raise for teachers. The House of Representatives and state Senate on Thursday approved conference committee reports on the legislation. The two bills now go…
[gtxvideo vid="eLOoLK5Y" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/eLOoLK5Y-120.jpg?cachebust=1461277334925" vtitle="prince"] Pop music superstar Prince has died at his home in suburban Minneapolis. Authorities were investigating a death at Paisley Park, where the pop superstar has his recording studios. The Carver County Sherriff's Office tweeted…
As Alabama's 2016 legislative session quickly nears its end, a state senator is making a final push for a lottery. The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee on Thursday voted for a bare-bones constitutional amendment that would allow Alabamians to vote…
An Alabama House committee has passed a bill to keep abortion clinics at least 2,000 feet away from public schools. Bill sponsor Sen. Paul Sanford said he wants to protect schoolchildren from the "chaos" of protestors outside abortion facilities. The…
The American Lung Association has issued an annual report on the air quality above America. In Alabama only a handful of counties have measuring equipment. Those…
[gtxvideo vid="ImDIa6lo" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/ImDIa6lo-120.jpg?cachebust=1461249628080" vtitle="$20 dollar bill"] She escaped slavery in 1849, then helped others to freedom through the Underground Railroad, later becoming a member of the Suffrage Movement. Harriet Tubman will now grace the 20 dollar bill. Most…
[gtxvideo vid="yCrBJO36" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/yCrBJO36-120.jpg?cachebust=1461250098782" vtitle="WAKA_2016_04_20_22_00_17"] Healthcare leaders say this upcoming budget will create drastic cuts to the state's healthcare system that could impact potentially 1 million Alabamians. This upcoming budget is $85 million short of what the agency says it…
An Alabama legislator is seeking to create a new state committee that could vet the merits of impeaching Gov. Robert Bentley who last month admitted to making sexually charged remarks to a top female aide but denies a physical affair…
The newest class of 2016 is not your typical group of graduates. Instead of caps and gowns, these students walked across the stage in hard hats. Thanks to the Cut Above the Rest Training Facility, former inmates get a second…
From the West Alabama Newsroom-- A wanted fugitive is captured by authorities in Dallas County. Capt. Mike Granthum says Bobby Walker, Junior is wanted for murder -- and attempted murder -- in Louisville, Kentucky. Granthum says he was caught by deputies…
An Alabama House committee has approved a bill that would replace state-signed marriage licenses with contracts in a bid to free probate judges from signing licenses for gay couples. The House Judiciary committee voted Wednesday for the bill, which passed…
[gtxvideo vid="eOOvG3GJ" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/eOOvG3GJ-120.jpg?cachebust=1461251644513" vtitle="WAKA_2016_04_20_18_06_07"] Students at Troy University say Dr. Walter Williams' lecture comes at a very timely moment for the world they live in as far as economics is concerned. "I'm here to sell our fellow Americans…
A House budget committee has delayed action on a bill to use part of the state's BP oil spill money for road projects. Committee members voted Wednesday to carry over the proposed constitutional amendment. The bill would have steered the…
Authorities say an inmate is recovering after having been stabbed in a fight with two other inmates inside the Elmore Correctional Facility. Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton confirmed the Tuesday stabbing. Horton says the unidentified injured inmate was treated…
[gtxvideo vid="cI4E2p5Z" playlist="" pid="2gxTqEDg" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/cI4E2p5Z-120.jpg?cachebust=1461190910743" vtitle="lunch walk"] Statistics show that over 33 percent of Alabamians are overweight. It's one of the many reasons why the city of Montgomery is looking to help change that by bringing a national event to the…
A Treasury official says Secretary Jacob Lew has decided to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, making her the first woman on U.S. paper currency in 100 years. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of…
Alabama lawmakers have a busy day ahead as they hit the homestretch of the session. Committees have scheduled Wednesday votes on a number of key bills. The House budget committee will consider Gov. Robert Bentley's proposed $800 million prison construction…
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs has teamed up with Ford Motor Co. and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association to bring the Ford Driving Skills for Life event to Montgomery’s Paterson Field tomorrow, April 21. With additional registrations this…
With hunting season winding down, authorities are warning people to remove their valuables from their hunting camps. Autauga County Sheriff Joe Sedinger says that hunting camps are perfect targets for thieves because the camps are in rural areas and are…
