A TV Meteorologist Like No Other

| March 3, 2017 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1800;s:6:"height";i:963;s:4:"file";s:36:"2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-336x180.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:180;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-771x412.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:412;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-768x411.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:411;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-1536x822.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:822;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-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:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-581x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:581;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-470x251.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:251;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-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:{}}}
        )

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:724786;s:14:"optimized_size";i:477706;s:7:"percent";d:34.090000000000003;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:64:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:522885;s:14:"optimized_size";i:345956;s:7:"percent";d:33.840000000000003;}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:72:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-336x180.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:16873;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12637;s:7:"percent";d:25.109999999999999;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:72:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-771x412.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:57369;s:14:"optimized_size";i:35089;s:7:"percent";d:38.840000000000003;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:72:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:40889;s:14:"optimized_size";i:25651;s:7:"percent";d:37.270000000000003;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:72:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:22666;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15234;s:7:"percent";d:32.789999999999999;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:72:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-581x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:36922;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24694;s:7:"percent";d:33.119999999999997;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:72:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/James_Spann_-_Liesa_Cole-470x251.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:27182;s:14:"optimized_size";i:18445;s:7:"percent";d:32.140000000000001;}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
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Liesa Cole
        )

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

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

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

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1742325579:26
        )

)
1675827606 
1488525112

In a mid-sized city like Birmingham, one without major league sports, you have to look to other fields for celebrity. In the Magic City there’s perhaps no one that fills that role quite like ABC 33/40 meteorologist James Spann. He’s a reliable presence on television during severe weather. His social media reach is like that of a commercial brand. And with his catch phrases and trademark suspenders, James Spann is not merely another local TV weatherman. Weld reporter Cody Owens spent a month following Spann and writes about it for the weekly newspaper.

 

Pentagon says it’s cutting ties with ‘woke’ Harvard, ending military training

Amid an ongoing standoff between Harvard and the White House, the Defense Department said it plans to cut ties with the Ivy League — ending military training, fellowships and certificate programs.

‘Washington Post’ CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts

Washington Post chief executive and publisher Will Lewis has resigned just days after the newspaper announced massive layoffs.

In this Icelandic drama, a couple quietly drifts apart

Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason weaves scenes of quiet domestic life against the backdrop of an arresting landscape in his newest film.

After the Fall: How Olympic figure skaters soar after stumbling on the ice

Olympic figure skating is often seems to take athletes to the very edge of perfection, but even the greatest stumble and fall. How do they pull themselves together again on the biggest world stage? Toughness, poise and practice.

They’re cured of leprosy. Why do they still live in leprosy colonies?

Leprosy is one of the least contagious diseases around — and perhaps one of the most misunderstood. The colonies are relics of a not-too-distant past when those diagnosed with leprosy were exiled.

This season, ‘The Pitt’ is about what doesn’t happen in one day

The first season of The Pitt was about acute problems. The second is about chronic ones.

More Arts and Culture Coverage