Ryan Vasquez

An Alabama woman is in Washington, D.C. on a quest to help children with special needs. Drew Ann Long is the inventor of what's called Caroline's Cart. It's a grocery cart designed to allow people with disabilities be a part of the shopping experience.

Long's advocacy for special needs individuals has taken her all the way from Alabama to Capitol Hill this week.

Alabama Public Radio's Ryan Vasquez recently spoke to her about what inspired her to develop Caroline's Cart and what she hopes to get out of her trip to Washington, D.C. this week.

An analysis by a nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on making government transparent and accountable is giving the Alabama Legislature an `F' grade for how it makes legislative information available.

The Sunlight Foundation also gave a failing mark to five other states including Massachusetts, Colorado, and Kentucky.

A BP lawyer says other companies that worked on the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling project made crucial mistakes that led to the deaths of 11 workers and the massive 2010 Gulf oil spill.

BP attorney Mike Brock acknowledged during his opening statements Monday for a high-stakes trial that the London-based company also made mistakes and "errors in judgment" before its Macondo well blew out.

Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay public officials in the United States. His story and tragic death have made him a civil rights icon in the GLBTQ movement.

Up until recently most of Milk's own words weren't widely known with only four of his speeches having been published; at least until now. Jason Black is an associate professor in Communication Studies at the University of Alabama. He is also the editor of "An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk's Speeches and Writings."

Alabama transportation officials say winter storm forecasts for northern portions of Alabama likely will result in icy roads causing hazardous driving conditions.

The Alabama Department of Public Safety and the Alabama Department of Transportation strongly encourage all motorists to drive with extreme caution and to avoid roadways when weather conditions are prohibitive.

Much of northern Alabama is under a freezing rain advisory until mid to late morning tomorrow.

  Mass shootings seem to be on the rise lately. In light of the incident at Sandy Hook Elementary last month, everyone from the president on down to local school systems have been trying to find ways to curb gun violence and prevent such an incident from happening again.

Officials say an Alabama town hit by two tornadoes during the April 2011 outbreak is finally approved for federal money to demolish its badly damaged downtown area.

Leaders in the Walker County city of Cordova hope the project can begin moving forward within the next two or three months.

Officials announced the decision today at a meeting of Cordova's long-term recovery committee.

Participants in a Statehouse summit meeting have agreed that preventing and reacting to incidents like the Connecticut elementary school shooting will be the top priority for the Alabama Legislature in the regular session that begins Feb. 5.

That was the consensus among speakers Wednesday at a meeting of lawmakers, law enforcement officers and educators at the Alabama Statehouse.

The meeting was called by House and Senate leaders to discuss the issue following the shooting last month that killed 26 at a Connecticut elementary school.

A tentative trial date has been set for Harvey Updyke Jr., the man accused of poisoning the Toomer's Oaks at Auburn University with a powerful herbicide during Auburn's national championship run in the 2010 football season.

Updyke is scheduled to appear in court April 8. A hearing will also be held Feb. 13 to discuss pending motions — which include a request by the Lee County District Attorney's Office to revoke Updyke's bond.

Montgomery police say a charter bus carrying home University of Alabama cheerleaders from the BCS championship game was involved in a wreck that left one person with life-threatening injuries.

Authorities say the crash happened about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday on Western Boulevard at Interstate 65. Police say the accident involved the cheerleaders' bus, which was carrying 31 people; a car; and a pickup truck.

The American Red Cross has announced it plans to close its casework service center at the Dauphin Way United Methodist Church, but plans to continue helping residents affected by the Christmas tornado in a new location.

Red Cross officials Friday said the service center on Dauphin Way would close at 4 p.m. and caseworkers will meet clients daily at the Red Cross office on North Sage Avenue near Ishee Street in Mobile from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Monday.