Birmingham-Southern sues Alabama state treasurer, says college was wrongfully denied loan
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Birmingham-Southern College has filed a lawsuit against Alabama’s state treasurer for denying a loan from a program created by lawmakers to help the historic but financially troubled private college.
The lawsuit contends Treasurer Young Boozer wrongly denied the college a loan from the program created this year to provide a financial lifeline to the institution. The 167-year-old college will likely close without emergency relief from the court, lawyers wrote in the lawsuit filed Wednesday.
“It is an undisputed fact that Birmingham-Southern College has met each and every requirement of the law,” Birmingham-Southern President Daniel Coleman said in a statement.
Boozer’s office did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment on Friday.
The Alabama Legislature this year created the Alabama Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program after Birmingham-Southern officials, alumni and supporters lobbied for money to help the college stay afloat. State officials had expressed concerns about giving a bailout to a private college, but supporters of the loan legislation said it was a way to provide bridge funding while the college worked to shore up its finances.
The college is asking the court for an emergency order to approve the loan and disburse the first $8.8 million by Nov. 6, with another installment of $7.2 million by Feb. 1
Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson held a hearing Thursday and scheduled another for Wednesday. Al.com reported that during the hearing Anderson questioned whether he has the authority to order the treasurer to approve the loan, saying the law appears to give discretion to the state treasurer. The Alabama attorney general’s office also argued that Boozer’s office has immunity from the lawsuit.
She owed $7K due to a water leak. Her utility saw the signs but didn’t tell her
Birmingham Water Works flagged Claire Ahalt’s account for unusually high water use, but she did not find out until asking a utility worker weeks later.
City OK’s $5 million to help keep Birmingham-Southern College open
BSC President Daniel Coleman said in a statement that next he’ll ask Jefferson County to meet the city’s commitment, focus on private donors and reengage with state leaders to work on getting more funding.
A year after the Moody landfill fire: “We need just as much help now”
Around Thanksgiving a year ago a landfill near Moody caught fire blanketing the surrounding area with smoke. The fire burned for months before the Environmental Protection Agency covered the landfill with dirt to extinguish the flames, but there have been flare ups since. To understand what things are like now, we heard from one nearby resident.
Why trees are an environmental and health Swiss army knife
Cool Green Trees plants trees in under-resourced communities in the Birmingham area to help mitigate climate change and advance environmental justice initiatives.
A pro jiu-jitsu league is bringing grapplers from across the globe to a small city in Alabama
For acclaimed grappler Brandon Mccaghren, Decatur, Alabama, was the perfect place to grow the Professional Grappling Federation from idea to reality.
The flu is soaring in the South and rising elsewhere
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina.
