Hannah Holcombe

My Recent Work

Spectrum News •

GBHS says proposed AI data center could impact Oxmoor Valley campus plans

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Greater Birmingham Humane Society says a proposed artificial intelligence data center in Oxmoor Valley could affect its long-planned animal welfare campus, a project more than a decade in the making.
The organization has been planning the development since 2016 to consolidate their services into one campus off Lakeshore Parkway in Birmingham.
The campus will include a teaching hospital for fourth-year veterinary students and an adoption center. Other amenities on the site...
Spectrum News •

Capital murder trial begins for man accused of killing Aniah Blanchard

TUSKEGEE, Ala. — The first day of the capital murder trial for Ibraheem Yazeed wrapped up Monday at the Macon County Courthouse in downtown Tuskegee, with jurors hearing opening statements and testimony from 10 witnesses.
Prosecutors began by outlining the events leading up to the death of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard. They told jurors that Blanchard had been driving back to Auburn with her brother after attending the funeral of a close family friend in Winfield, Alabama.
After dropping her broth...
Spectrum News •

Alabama lawmakers convene for special session amid redistricting uncertainty

MONTGOMERY, Ala.— Alabama lawmakers returned to the Statehouse this week for a special legislative session called by Gov. Kay Ivey, as uncertainty grows over the state’s congressional district maps ahead of the 2026 elections.
The session comes as Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to lift federal court restrictions that limit the state’s ability to change its district maps.
Following the court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, Marshall filed an emergency...
Spectrum News •

Central Alabama radar down ahead of expected storms

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The National Weather Service in Birmingham reports that its central Alabama Radar, the WSR-88D (KBMX), is currently out of service due to a hardware issue.
Technicians are working to repair the system, and replacement parts are being expedited. At this time, there is no confirmed timeline for when the radar will return to service.
The outage comes as storms are expected to move through the state beginning Wednesday afternoon and continuing into Thursday morning, with the poten...
Spectrum News •

Alabama’s first medical cannabis dispensary nears opening in Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, Ala — Alabama’s first medical cannabis dispensary says it is just days away from opening its doors to patients across the state.
Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery is preparing to become the first operational medical cannabis dispensary in Alabama after years of legal delays and regulatory hurdles following the legalization of medical cannabis in 2021.
Owner Vince Schillci said the process of getting to this has taken years.
“We feel so blessed to be in this position,” Schilleci said....
Spectrum News •

Dogs in Lee County are riding the bus to daycare

NOTASULGA, Ala. — A Lee County dog daycare is taking pet care to the next level by bringing the ride to its four-legged clients.
At Jackson Farms, the day doesn’t start with owners dropping off their dogs. Instead, a converted school bus, driven by Carter and Crystal Jackon, makes its way through Auburn and Opelika, picking up pups right from their homes.
Roughly 15 dogs climb aboard each day, greeted by wagging tails, excited barks and a routine that looks a lot like a morning school pickup.
Cr...
Spectrum News •

Monday's tornado in Henry and Houston counties in Alabama rated an EF1

The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that a tornado moved through Houston and Henry counties in southeast Alabama Monday evening. The NWS has rated the twister as an EF1 with winds estimated at 105 mph. 
NWS Tallahassee has finished it's preliminary report on the tornado that went through Houston and Henry Counties on May 25, 2026. Based on the damage, the EF1 was on the ground for more than 11 miles and had a path width of about two football fields.
The tornado initially touched down ju...
Spectrum News •

Columbus woman cooking and delivering free Thanksgiving meals

AUBURN, Ala. — A Georgia woman is spending her Thanksgiving giving back to the community by cooking and delivering free holiday meals to people across Columbus, Phenix City and Auburn.
Columbus resident Lydia Marino said she wanted to spend Thanksgiving differently this year by feeding residents across Georgia and Alabama.
“This year, instead of cooking for our family of five, we decided that we wanted to cook for the community and we wanted to find a way to give back to the community,” she said...
Alabama Public Radio •

Birmingham Zoo to offer Family-friendly Halloween event throughout October

Halloween is coming early this year for Birmingham residents with the Birmingham Zoo’s Annual Hoots and Howls daytime Halloween event.The event is taking place the last three Saturdays and Sundays in October from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. and is showcasing some traditional scary animals such as owls and coyotes, who might not be so scary after all.There will be a hay maze in the shape of an owl, a coyote scavenger hunt, a Monster Mash dance party and a costume parade. There will also be educational...
Alabama Public Radio •

CVS to offer “one stop shopping” for medical care in three Alabama cities

CVS Health is expanding its reach across Alabama with the openings of three new clinics in the state. These innovative care centers feature a CVS Pharmacy and Oak Street Health Primary Care Clinic under one roof – offering patients the ability to see a healthcare provider and pharmacist in one visit. New locations are opening in Montgomery, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa and are available for Medicare-eligible adults. Ahmed Mohiuddin is the senior medical director for Oak Street Health in Alabama. He...
Alabama Public Radio •

"Let’s Beat Breast Cancer" rally in Montgomery promotes prevention through plant-based living

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM) Let’s Beat Breast Cancer campaign is hosting a rally in Montgomery on October 5th in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.The Let’s Beat Breast Cancer rallies educate people on how a plant-based diet and healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of developing breast cancer. The rally in Montgomery will feature talks from breast cancer survivors, researchers and pharmacists. There will also be drumming, aligning with the rally’s theme, “Beat...
Alabama Public Radio •

Invisible Histories Launches Memory Keeper Project to Amplify LGBTQ Voices in Alabama and Beyond

Invisible Histories in Birmingham has launched a new initiative called the Memory Keeper project, designed to empower individuals and organizations to conduct, record, and document oral histories that amplify the voices of the LGBTQ community.Starting this year, the project will focus on community-based participants, who will be selected to attend three training sessions. These participants, known as Memory Keepers, will be responsible for gathering at least three oral histories from their own c...
Alabama Public Radio •

ALEA launches ‘Roadway to Success’ campaign to promote safe driving as new school year begins

The start of the school year is in full swing in the state, bringing heavier traffic and an increase of young drivers on the road. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is launching its “Roadway to Success” campaign that is educating Alabama motorist on the importance of safe driving.ALEA’s “Roadway to Success” is reminding drivers to adhere to the laws of the road, emphasizing the need to exercise caution and prepare for traffic during the morning and afternoon commutes where roadways are b...
Alabama Public Radio •

Endangered pygmy hippo calf at Montgomery Zoo soon turning six months old

A pygmy hippopotamus calf at the Montgomery Zoo is soon turning six months old. Ronda was born on Feb. 11 and has since been welcomed and celebrated as a significant addition to the zoo’s family.Pygmy hippos are large mammals and native to the forest and swamps of Western Africa. The species are endangered, but animal experts say they breed well in captivity. According to the Montgomery Zoo, there are around 3,000 pygmy hippos left in the world.Ronda, named after Ronda Rousey, a famous UFC marti...
Alabama Public Radio •

Magic City hosting week of films, panels, networking at 26th annual Sidewalk Film Festival

The 26th annual Sidewalk Film Festival is kicking off on Aug. 19 for a week of movie screenings, networking, panels and celebration in the heart of downtown Birmingham’s theatre district.Every year, Sidewalk Film Festival receives thousands of film submissions from independent filmmakers all over the country, hoping to see their work be screened at the event. Volunteers from Birmingham work to narrow down submissions and take about 250 films that will be shown at the festival.We originally start...
Alabama Public Radio •

ADPH Expands Newborn Screening to Include Two Additional Rare Genetic Disorders

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Bureau of Clinical Laboratories has begun testing newborn infants in the state for two additional diseases, enabling early detection and increasing the chances of successful treatment.The newly added diseases are Pompe disease and Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), both of which are rare genetic disorders that may not be immediately apparent in newborns. These diseases tend to have greater severity and faster progression if not diagnosed early.He...
Alabama Public Radio •

Alabama environmental nonprofit arranges settlement with coal company polluting local waterways

Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a citizen-based nonprofit whose mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries, is awaiting a ruling from the U.S. Department of Justice to see wither an Alabama mining company will be responsible for cleaning up unpermitted wastewater leakage from a dam into local waterways.Black Warrior Riverkeeper filed a lawsuit in 2022 against Warrior Met Coal (WMC) after Nelson Brooke, a Riverkeeper at Black Warrior Riverkeeper, received a call abou...
Alabama Public Radio •

Tips for Alabamians looking to lower energy bills while staying cool

Last month, Alabama and surrounding states recorded sweltering hot temperatures. Companies such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) also recorded heavy power usages for the month of June due to more people turning their thermostats down. With the heat of the summer continuing, TVA is providing tips to Alabamians to help keep their energy bill down while staying cool.The most effective way to decrease energy usage in the summer is turning up the thermostat. According to a blog from TVA, setti...
Alabama Public Radio •

Mobile environmental group seeking volunteers to pick up litter alongside Alabama beach

A Mobile nonprofit is launching a new volunteer opportunity for those interested in making a difference in the coastal environment.The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) is introducing a new volunteer opportunity that promotes sea turtle conservation on the state’s Gulf Coast. The new Share the Beach Litter Patrol allows for volunteers to pick up trash on the beach while earning money for the ACF.The initiative is in partnership with the city of Mobile’s Love your Community program where volunteer...
Alabama Public Radio •

Alabama healthcare workers remind parents to vaccinate children ahead of school year

The Alabama Department of Health (ADPH) is reminding parents and guardians to make sure their children are up-to-date on the required vaccines ahead of the school year.By state law, children are required to present an up-to-date Certificate of Immunization (COI) upon entrance to childcare centers and schools. With the beginning of the school year approaching, health experts say now is the time to schedule those vaccinations.Vaccines are crucial to protecting against 16 serious and potentially li...
Alabama Public Radio •

ACF asking for assistance after coastal storms wash away marked endangered sea turtle nests

An environmental group that advocates for the Alabama Gulf Coast is asking for help to protect endangered sea turtles and their nests. The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) is working to protect the remaining sea turtle nest that remain along the Alabama coast after a series of severe storms washed them away last month.The nonprofit is home to the Share the Beach program where volunteers are trained to mark sea turtle nest on the beaches so the animals can be protected. The ACF reports lot of the...
Alabama Public Radio •

Nonprofit Eco Clean Marine promoting marine life through educational Fish Feeding Machines

A nonprofit organization dedicated to combating plastic pollution and creating awareness about ocean conservation along Alabama beaches is educating Gulf Coast visitors though Fish Feeding Machines.Eco Clean Marine installed the instruments along Fort Morgan, Alabama to Panama City, Florida. The organization also offers e-books to download at the feeder locations. Participants can feed the fish while learning about underwater biodiversity and coastal wildlife.Courtney Dombroski, the founder and...
Alabama Public Radio •

Birmingham nonprofit celebrates 150 archives collection of LGBTQ+ southern history

Invisible Histories in Birmingham collected its 150 LGBTQ+ archival last month after six years of working to preserve materials that represent the rich history of the southern LGBTQ+ community.Through collecting and digitalizing materials, Invisible Histories is making the history of LGBTQ+ in the south more assessable. Josh Bufford, co-executive director of Invisible Histories, said the preservation of these materials is important for the representation among the LGBTQ+ community in the south.“...
Alabama Public Radio •

LGBTQ+ nonprofit to host virtual discussion on southern sapphic history

Invisible Histories, which locates, collects, researches and creates community-based, educational programming around LGBTQIA+ history in the Deep South, is hosting a virtual discussion about southern sapphic history.The free event, titled Southern Sapphic Herstory Talk, will take place over Zoom, led by the Birmingham nonprofit’s Maigen Sullivan and Margaret Lawson on Wednesday, June 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Through the event, attendees will discuss the rich sapphic history of the South, ac...
Load More