August 7 Morning Newscast
August 07, 2012 Morning Edition News
The president of an education agency that awards school districts accreditation says he has “serious concerns” with the Birmingham Board of Education. The Birmingham News reports that Mark Elgart, president and chief executive officer of AdvancEd, an umbrella of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation agency, said he expects the Birmingham school board to respond in writing to a letter he sent July 31, outlining what steps the board is taking to fix it’s governance problems. Those problems in-fighting among the board, as well as its superintendent and state officials, who are in Birmingham conducting a state takeover of the district. Elgart says if the Birmingham school board does not respond to his concerns by Oct. 1, he will launch a formal investigation into the district’s governance. Elgart is also suspending a request by Birmingham for district-wide accreditation. Birmingham is in the early stages of a two-year process to earn district-wide accreditation instead of having to go through the arduous task of getting each individual school accredited. Many districts are moving toward district-wide accreditation because it is less disruptive and gives districts an overall look at how they are doing system-wide.
Testimony continues today in a preliminary hearing between Allan Pizzato and the Alabama Education Television Commission. Pizzato, the former executive director of Alabama Public Television, filed the lawsuit against the Commission and its seven members, claiming they violated the state’s open meetings law when they fired him at a June 12th meeting. During testimony yesterday, Charles Grantham, the Chief Operations Officer for APT, testified that following a special meeting by the Commission last Wednesday, he felt his job was threatened in a conversation with Commission member J. Holland. The next day Grantham resigned from his position, effective August 31st. Testimony is expected to conclude this morning.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The traditionally Democratic Alabama AFL-CIO has endorsed Republican Roy Moore for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. State AFL-CIO President Al Henley says it’s the first time the union organization has backed Moore, who was the only Republican endorsed for state office when the organization met in Montgomery to pick its favorites. Henley said the AFL-CIO doesn’t share Moore’s view on separation of church and state, but he had a record as a circuit judge in Gadsden and as a Supreme Court justice from 2001-2003 of treating the average person fairly in court. Moore is attempting a political comeback after losing two races for governor following his removal as chief justice in 2003.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
