Anniston AL

This month marks two decades since the Monsanto chemical company settled with residents of the town of Anniston. The payments were over health issues blamed on chemicals called PCBs that Monsanto started manufacturing back in the mid 1930’s. People living in Anniston say cases of cancer and other medical problems were linked to PCB exposure. It was a situation that didn’t harm just one generation, but many. Alabama Public Radio asked one longtime resident to explain what happened to her family and how it impacted the direction her life would take.

The city of Anniston is proud of their city that’s dubbed “Tree City USA”. The community northeast of Birmingham recently had to remove two trees that were one hundred and fifty years old. City officials say the trees were at the end of their life cycle. Anniston hopes to use dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a preventative measure to maintain its trees so this does not happen again.

Federal investigators say a Norfolk Southern train that derailed in Alabama earlier this month lacked required alignment control couplers and a company inspection didn't identify their absence.

State health officials say a federal facility in Alabama is being considered as a “backup” location for Americans infected by the virus known as COVID-19.…