Birmingham Officials Spend Hundreds of Thousands on Travel Annually

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:4:"file";s:43:"2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-140x140.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:41:"BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-552x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:552;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-125x125.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
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Ashley Cleek
        )

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

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:192514;s:14:"optimized_size";i:131653;s:7:"percent";d:31.609999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:71:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:44039;s:14:"optimized_size";i:29715;s:7:"percent";d:32.530000000000001;}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:79:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-336x189.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:17805;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13377;s:7:"percent";d:24.870000000000001;}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:79:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:44020;s:14:"optimized_size";i:29679;s:7:"percent";d:32.579999999999998;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:79:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20985;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14337;s:7:"percent";d:31.68;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:79:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-552x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:36492;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24664;s:7:"percent";d:32.409999999999997;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:79:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/BIRMINGHAM-CITY-COUNCIL-600x338-470x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29173;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19881;s:7:"percent";d:31.850000000000001;}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
        )

)
1621320277 
1498741655

Birmingham city officials will argue that travel is critical to securing future investment in the city and building relationships with outside businesses, governments, and organizations. But who foots the bill for travel done by the mayor, members of the city council, or their staffs? Birmingham taxpayers do. A recent investigation by the weekly newspaper Weld finds that travel is costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Nick Patterson is the editor of Weld and he joins us to talk more about this.

 

Workers at Alabama’s Mercedes plants vote against joining a union

The workers voted 56% against the union, according to tallies released by the National Labor Relations Board, which ran the election.

Taylor Hunnicutt is championing her home state with debut album ‘Alabama Sound’

Alabama offers a diverse symphony of swampy rock, swaggering blues, murky country, and bone-rattling soul. It’s a sound singer-songwriter Taylor Hunnicutt recently reimagined on her debut album, Alabama Sound, which is out now.

UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass

Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.

Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi

Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.

Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties

Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.

The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant

The United Auto Workers is aiming for a key victory at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. More than 5,000 workers at the facility in Vance and nearby battery plant will vote this week on whether to join the UAW.

More Front Page Coverage