The ride-hailing company Uber says it will soon begin operating in Birmingham after city officials approved new regulations.
City council members voted 7-1 today to approve the ordinance. The city's mayor still must sign it.
Companies have to apply and get approval for a permit and conduct background checks on drivers under the ordinance.
Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft let people use smartphone apps to book and pay for rides. Birmingham officials have been discussing whether to allow the companies for more than a year.
Council members say they will reevaluate the ordinance after six months.
The holiday season puts many of us back together with family. AARP says it’s a great time to check on the safety and well-being of older relatives.
Candi Williams is the interim director of AARP Alabama. She says people should use the holiday opportunity to make sure older relatives’ homes are as safe as possible…
“You should be on the lookout for some simple fixes that can improve their home safety, like getting rid of tripping hazards such as throw rugs and electrical cords. And if there isn’t already an entrance that’s step-free, you may want to encourage them to get a ramp and railing installed.”
Williams also recommends encouraging older relatives to keep a medication record, to lessen the chances of making potentially dangerous mistakes when taking prescription drugs.
Alabama junior running back Derrick Henry is packing his bags for New York City.
Henry, along with Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey are the nominees for the Heisman Trophy presentation this Saturday.
Henry has 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns for the SEC Champion Crimson Tide. He says winning the Heisman never really crossed his mind this season…
“I just never really tried to focus on that. I knew if I did what I was supposed to do about how I play and how I prepared and practiced with my teammates that everything would take care of itself. I never really focused on that because I knew that we had a lot of games left to play that’s why I just focused on how I play.”
If Henry were to win the Heisman, he would be the second player in Alabama football program history to hoist the trophy. Mark Ingram won it in 2009. The winner will be revealed Saturday night at seven on ESPN.