Stories coming this week: Plastic bag ban in Birmingham, opening of new NASA building

Reusable bags

Reusable bags in use at New World supermarket in New Lynn on June 12, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. Foodstuffs supermarkets will stop offering plastic bags at the checkout by the end of 2018 where reusable bag sales have increased by more than 600%. Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage says the New Zealand government is close to making a decision on plastic bags, and an announcement would be made within the next few months. Single-use plastic bags have been banned by various governments around the world. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)Getty Images

Bills on a lottery and jail food money, the Cahaba River Park ribbon cutting and a proposed plastic bag ban in Birmingham are a few Alabama news stories to look out for this week.

Cahaba River Park opening

A new park along the Cahaba River in Shelby County will officially open after a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday afternoon.

The Park, named Cahaba River Park, features more than 12 miles of single track and more than five miles of double track hiking and biking trails. Restrooms and pavilion facilities are also available for visitors to enjoy the view of the Cahaba River.

The park is at 2793 River Road in Helena.

New sporting event coming to Birmingham

On Monday, officials with the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau will announce a new sporting event coming to Birmingham in Spring 2020.

The announcement will be made at 3 p.m.

New 'green’ NASA building opening in Huntsville

On Monday, NASA will host grand opening event for its new environmentally-friendly facility at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. The building will provide offices and workspaces for 440 employees.

The new building 4221 was designed and built to meet federal standards of energy and water efficiency. The entire structure is specially insulated, with much of the exterior covered in low-emissivity glass that deflects heat to reduce cooling costs within. Rooftop solar-power units absorb energy to augment electrical power, and the building will have 99 percent LED, or light-emitting diode, lighting.

Technology and economic development in Montgomery

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange will make an announcement on technology and economic development in the city Monday morning. Other partners in the effort, including Montgomery county officials, chamber of commerce officials, Montgomery Public Schools, Alabama Power Company and military officials will also be part of the announcement.

Plastic bags banned in Birmingham?

On Tuesday, Birmingham city councilor Darrell O’Quinn plans to present a city ordinance that would ban plastic bags and other types of single-use containers from Birmingham retailers.

O’Quinn said the recent state legislature bill that would ban local governments from banning plastic bags was the final straw that pushed him to present the ordinance.

“We want to let the state legislature know we don’t want them to pass an unfunded mandate forcing us, the city of Birmingham, to deal with this type of waste. Plastic bags, Styrofoam cups and other forms of single use containers are majority of the litter that you see in the city,” O’Quinn said. “I felt it necessary to move forward.

Lottery, gun permits and jail food money in the legislature

On Tuesday the Senate Tourism Committee will consider a bill by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, proposing a constitutional amendment to establish a state lottery. Also, the Tourism Committee will consider the bill by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, to repeal the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed pistol.

On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee will consider a bill to block sheriffs from pocketing money intended to feed inmates. The bill, by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, has already passed the Senate.

Getting help to those who need it in west Alabama

On Wednesday, law enforcement agencies in west Alabama are hosting a summit with the aim of connecting faith-based leaders with social service agencies.

More than 300 church leaders have been invited. The summit will cover various resources available in the Tuscaloosa area to connect people with help for such problems as financial difficulty, substance abuse and mental illness.

"We strive mightily to assure Tuscaloosa County is its very best and very safest with traditional locking up the bad guys, but also by thinking in non-traditionally, outside-the-box kinds of ways," Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb said.

“We hope these services can be provided to people before it gets to crisis stage for them, and certainly before it gets to the criminal stage,” he said.

Missed the news last week? Check out last week’s top Alabama news stories.

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