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March is Women's History Month!

WVAS Local News

Forecasters say there's a chance of severe weather across the state and many areas already are taking precautions.  The weather service says there's a medium risk of tornadoes, flooding and damaging winds across central Alabama today, although chances are lower in the northern and southern ends of the state.  Dozens of school systems in central counties are dismissing students early as a precaution and emergency managers are monitoring conditions in case the weather turns violent.  The National Weather Service says storms will likely begin on the western side of the state and move eastward during the day.  The storm system is expected to move out of the state by midnight. 

Possible Strike

Bus drivers and mechanics employed by the Montgomery Area Transit System are threatening to walk off their jobs.  The Montgomery Advertiser reports the union representing the employees issued the strike threat against First Transit over wages and insurance costs.  First Transit is the company contracted to operate the city's bus system.  The newspaper said the union is upset that First Transit increased workers' share of health insurance with bargaining.  The dispute has prompted the National Labor Relations Board to conduct an inquiry. 

Education Budget

The Alabama House worked late into the night and adopted a $5.7 billion dollar budget that gives teachers and other education employees their first pay raise since 2008.  The spending plan was approved on an 84-16 vote.  It would give school workers a two percent pay increase, that's less than the five percent increase supported by democratic lawmakers.  The Education Trust Fund was approved after more than six hours of debate.  The budget now goes to the Alabama Senate. 

Seeking Millions

The lone survivor of a 1963 Alabama church bombing that killed four black girls is seeking millions in compensation and says she won't accept a top congressional award to honor the victims.  Sarah Collins Rudolph tells the Associated Press she feels forgotten 50 years after the September 1963 blast at Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.