Montgomery Alabama

With Earth Day being observed today, several cities across Alabama, including Birmingham, Montgomery and Huntsville, are taking part in events that focus on the environment and how to protect it.

This week marks two hundred years since a 1825 tour of the United States by the Marquis de Lafayette. The French general served under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. LaFayette later became a key figure in the French Revolution in 1789. He also holds the distinction of being the only foreign leader ever invited to be a guest of the nation by order of Congress. President James Monroe asked LaFayette to tour the U.S., and that included Alabama.

The Trump administration has published a list of more than 320 federal properties it identified to close or sell, including in Alabama. The designations are part of Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's unprecedented effort to slash the size of the federal workforce and shrink government spending.

The City of Montgomery has been selected to host the Sun Belt Baseball Championships yet again. The city will now be hosting the championship games until 2030. Montgomery's contract for hosting the tournament was originally set to expire this year.

The sole survivor of the attack on an Alabama church from the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the 60s, is set to come to Montgomery and discuss the current landscape of civil rights. Sarah Collins Rudolph was 12 years old when the explosion hit the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.

Montgomery Zoo's two-day Spring fundraiser, Zoo Weekend, is back for another year. The money raised for this year's fundraiser will go toward the facility's new reptile exhibit. The event will include live entertainment from local artists, activities for children, animal presentations and food from vendors.

The City of Montgomery is announcing a digital project to commemorate the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March of 1965. This is being done through a “metaverse” experience, defined as virtual space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.

The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is set to display "Selma is Now: Civil Rights Photographs" a series of photos taken by James “Spider” Martin, an Alabama native who captured moments during the Selma to Montgomery March. The photo exhibit will begin Feb. 28 and conclude on June 1.

The Alabama Association of Nonprofits (AAN) is preparing to host the annual Alabama Nonprofit Summit in Montgomery on Feb. 13 and 14. The event this year will focus on advocating for nonprofits and the communities they serve.

Gov. Kay Ivey will address Alabamians and Alabama legislators in her eighth State of the State Address on Feb. 4. She's expected to present a package of bills during her delivery, which will focus on public safety.