Anna Hope Bigham

The City of Clay is moving to repeal its rental property inspection program after determining it may conflict with state law. The proposed repeal follows a 2022 Alabama Supreme Court ruling involving a materially similar rental ordinance in neighboring Center Point. Clay adopted its rental inspection program just weeks after that decision. The city’s rules required rental-specific inspections, certificates of occupancy, vacancy notifications, and possible reinspection fees.

Residents near the site of a July shooting off Stonewall Drive in Irondale are asking Mountain Brook leaders to consider closing off access to their portion of the street from the neighboring block. Teresa Ives, an Irondale resident who lives on the block where the shooting happened, said the neighborhood had once been quiet and peaceful. She claims residents have noticed suspicious activity in the area for about three years.

Thu, August 20, 2026 at 9:43 PM Updated Thu, August 20, 2026 at 10:09 PM Chief Smitherman speaks at the Alabaster City Council work session (abc3340.com) As Alabaster continues to annex new land and expand its city limits, the fire department is looking ahead to make sure emergency response times do not suffer. Alabaster Fire Chief Nathan Smitherman says the department has not seen a negative impact on response times so far, but city leaders want to be proactive as growth continues.