Miss Alabama Competes Sunday for the Miss America Crown
This Sunday is the big day for Miss Alabama Hayley Barber as she competes for the Miss America crown. The Pelham native and UAB senior won the top state honor earlier this year and says that actually takes some pressure off competing at the national level.
“At the end of the day, even if I don’t win, I get to go back and still be Miss Alabama,” says Barber. “[It] is the greatest job in the world to me and something I always wanted to be was Miss Alabama and represent my state.”
On Tuesday, Barber won the Quality of Life Award which is given for impact in community service and volunteering. Barber’s platform is called “Sight for Small Eyes” and promotes eye exams for children. She says it stems from the fact she never had her eyes checked until she was 16, when she wanted a driver’s license.
“So I knew other people my age and younger than me were neglecting to speak up about their vision impairments because I did,” says Barber.
The UAB senior plans to study optometry with a goal of opening her own pediatric optometry practice.
See Barber’s tap dancing in the preliminary talent competition:
Snow and wind batter parts of US, with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes
A broad and erratic patchwork of severe weather rumbled across much of the U.S. on Sunday, dumping heavy snow in the Upper Midwest while damaging high winds swept across the Plains.
Crew of fatal US military crash included Alabama father recently deployed
The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed. The U.S. government released the identities of the deceased service members Saturday.
Israeli soldiers fire on family car in occupied West Bank, killing 4
Israeli soldiers fired on a car carrying a family in the northern West Bank, killing four people including two children, the Palestinian Authority's Health Ministry said.
U.S. military names six killed in plane crash as Iran war enters third week
The conflict in the Middle East has entered a third week, with Israel announcing a barrage of new strikes on western Iran on Sunday, while the U.S. defense department released the names of six service members who died when their military refueling aircraft crashed.
Alabama poised to drastically overhaul utility regulation. Will it lower electric bills?
The Alabama Senate unanimously voted to expand the public service commission, and create a Secretary of Energy to address rising electricity prices. A bill in the House would go even further, requiring rate case hearings and limiting utility profits.
Sunday Puzzle: BAD!
Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with KCUR listener Justin Marciniak and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
