Inside the Financial Crisis in Fairfield

| March 24, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:460;s:6:"height";i:345;s:4:"file";s:37:"2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"fairfield-council-meeting-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"fairfield-council-meeting-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"fairfield-council-meeting-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"fairfield-council-meeting-460x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:460;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"fairfield-council-meeting-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"fairfield-council-meeting-353x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"fairfield-council-meeting-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Sam Prickett
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WELD
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:165115;s:14:"optimized_size";i:114710;s:7:"percent";d:30.530000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37328;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27064;s:7:"percent";d:27.5;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting-336x252.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:21493;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15790;s:7:"percent";d:26.530000000000001;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting-451x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:33167;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21795;s:7:"percent";d:34.289999999999999;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20718;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13692;s:7:"percent";d:33.909999999999997;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting-415x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29050;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19204;s:7:"percent";d:33.890000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/fairfield-council-meeting-353x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:23359;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17165;s:7:"percent";d:26.52;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1651597454 
1458818993

When the Walmart closed in Fairfield, the city lost one of its largest sources of sales tax revenue. The small Birmingham neighbor now faces a looming $8 million dollar deficit after years of alleged financial mismanagement. For more on Fairfield’s money crisis, and the city council’s recent vote to terminate the police department, we turn to Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD. Patterson talks about WELD’s cover story on Fairfield’s financial crisis and tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley how it got to this breaking point.

 

Opinion: Curse other drivers? So do the pros — but they get fined

Formula 1 racing has a ban on cursing, with fines starting at about 46 thousand dollars. NPR's Scott Simon explains why drivers are darn unhappy with that.

I do think we should be having more TV weddings

As we enter wedding season, culture critic Linda Holmes suggests that we bring back the splashy TV wedding at full power.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese heads to a second 3-year term

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will become the first Australian prime minister to win a second consecutive three-year term in 21 years. Opposition leader Peter Dutton conceded defeat.

After paying people to leave, one federal agency is scrambling to fill positions

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has opened up 73 jobs to internal candidates. They include roles just vacated by people who are receiving full pay and benefits through September.

The most exciting two minutes in sports is a show of ‘Latino excellence’

Latinos, many from outside the U.S. mainland, have risen in prominence in horseracing, from the grooms to some of the winningest jockeys.

For Homewood’s spotted salamanders, a win and a warning

A grassroots effort successfully pushed back on a development in that would have destroyed a critical salamander habitat. Still, amphibians face constant risks.

More Front Page Coverage