Leroy Stover: Birmingham’s First Black Police Officer
Leroy Stover: Birmingham’s First Black Police Officer
On December 14, Birmingham’s NAACP chapter will honor Birmingham’s first black police officer with a lifetime achievement award. Leroy Stover joined the Birmingham Police Department in 1966 and retired as Deputy Chief in 1998.
His niece, Bessie Stover Powell, has published a book chronicling her uncle’s 32 year career. The book describes Stover’s struggles, rejection, and success.
Stover spoke with WBHM’s Sarah Delia about the book and his career. He started by describing his first day on the job where he was abandoned by his white partner at roll call. Without the help of a friendly bus driver who was also white, Stover wouldn’t have made it to his beat and possibly through his first day.
Florida’s 6-week abortion ban will have a ‘snowball effect’ on residents across the South
Abortion rights advocates say the ban will likely force many to travel farther for abortion care and endure pregnancy and childbirth against their will.
Attitudes among Alabama lawmakers softening on Medicaid expansion
Alabama is one of ten states which has not expanded Medicaid. Republican leaders have pushed back against the idea for years.
Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.
Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
