Andrew Yeager
Managing Editor
It was probably inevitable that Andrew Yeager would end up working in public radio. The son of two teachers, NPR News programs often formed the backdrop to car rides growing up. And it was probably inevitable that Andrew would end up in news after discovering the record button on his tape recorder. He still remembers his first attempted interview - his uncooperative 2-year-old sister.
Originally from east central Indiana, Andrew earned degrees in broadcasting and political science from Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. While there he spent more than his fair share of time at WOBN, the student-run radio station. After college Andrew worked for an educational non-profit and volunteered at WMUB in Oxford, Ohio. He ventured into public radio full-time as a reporter for WNIN in Evansville, Ind. Besides covering an array of local stories, Andrew's work has been heard on many public radio programs.
Andrew lives with his wife and two children in Birmingham. When not consumed by public radio work, he's often picking up items strewn about the house by said children, reading or heading out on a bike ride when not enveloped by the Alabama heat.
University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Committee Backs Contract for UAB Football Coach
Members of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees compensation committee approved a new five-year contract for head UAB football coach Bill Clark Wednesday. UAB President Ray Watts said Clark would remain the Blazers’ coach when Watts announced the team’s reinstatement in June but an agreement did not come for more than three months.
A New Leader for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Tuesday Birmingham will mark the 52 anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which killed 4 girls and helped galvanize support for passage of the Civil Rights Act. For staff at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, they’ll note this anniversary under new leadership. Andrea Taylor began as the new president and CEO of the institute last week.
Senior Advisor to Governor Paid Through Questionable Means
There are two big stories in state politics right now. There’s the special legislative session that started this week. Then there’s all the chatter around the governor’s divorce. Alabama’s First Lady Diane Bentley filed for divorce from Governor Robert Bentley last month after 50 years of marriage. That’s fueled rumors of an affair by the governor. He says this is a private matter and the legal filing has been sealed. Still the situation has drawn attention to happenings within the administration, particularly how a senior advisor is paid. We talk about that now with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
A New Leader for the University of Alabama System
The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees is set to vote this month on a new leader for the three-campus system. Chancellor Robert Witt announced recently he’ll retire next August. He’s recommended current vice chancellor of finance and operations Ray Hayes for the job. We talk about what that next chancellor faces in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Peering Through the Fog of the Governor’s Divorce
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley says his divorce is private matter. They’re the first public comments he’s made since First Lady Diane Bentley filed for divorce Friday after 50 years of marriage. The divorce has helped fuel rumors of an extramarital affair. The personal turmoil comes as the governor prepares for a second special session aimed at resolving the state’s General Fund budget shortfall. We talk about the situation with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Second Legislative Special Session Starts Tuesday
State lawmakers have hit crunch time. The next fiscal year starts October 1st and the state still does not have a General Fund budget. Lawmakers and Governor Robert Bentley remain at odds over what to do about a more than $200 million budget shortfall. Two legislative sessions have come and gone with without a resolution. So the governor has called another special session to start Tuesday.
New Publix Distribution Center to be Built in Jefferson County
The Florida-based grocery store chain Publix moved into the Birmingham market 13 years ago and now the company appears ready to make an investment beyond just stores. Jefferson County political leaders say Publix will build a $34 million distribution center in western Jefferson County. We talk about that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
UAB Researchers Use CRISPR Technology to Target Childhood Syndrome
In the last couple of years there’s been a bonanza in life sciences around something called CRISPR. This is a process that bacteria do naturally as a defense mechanism, but scientists have figured out how to use it to snip out specific genes from DNA and replace them. In other words, it makes cheaper and more precise genetic editing possible. Dr. Tim Townes, director of the UAB Stem Cell Institute, led a team that published a paper Thursday in Cell Reports on their use of CRISPR to develop a potential new cure for a troubling condition in children.
Selma Civil Rights Leader Remembers Amelia Boynton Robinson
Amelia Boynton Robinson, a civil rights activist who helped lead the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" civil rights march in Selma, died Wednesday. She was 104. Boynton Robinson began her activist career in the 1930 championing voting and property rights for blacks in rural Alabama. In the 1960s, her Selma home became the headquarters for the civil rights movement there. And in 1964, she became the first black woman to run for Congress in Alabama. Longtime Selma civil rights leader Rev. F.D. Reese spoke to WBHM’s Andrew Yeager about his memories of Amelia Boynton Robinson.
Construction Begins on I-20/59 Bridge Replacement Project
Work started this month on a major road construction project to expand one of Alabama’s busiest highways. It's the elevated portion of Interstate 20/59 that runs through downtown Birmingham. The highway is at twice designed capacity and is at the end of its useable life. The redesign will change how drivers can access the city center. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper about the project which generated strong pushback from some portions of the community. He asked Cooper what he anticipates when that stretch of highway is closed.
Gay Marriage’s Legal Ripples
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this summer upholding same-sex marriage seems simple enough, but the ruling prompts a wave of new legal questions. Those questions could keep lawyers busy for some time. We talk about some of those questions in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
A Tale of Two Pay Raises
Some workers in Birmingham will see their paychecks rise in the coming years. The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday passed a minimum wage ordinance for the city, meaning the minimum wage will rise incrementally to $10.10 an hour by July 2017. While advocates for the poor welcome that news, it comes with a dose of deceit according to Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
U.S. Steel Announces Closure of Fairfield Works
In Birmingham, it’s the end of an era. The city was founded and fueled by the steel industry. But U.S. Steel announced Monday it would close its Fairfield Works mill just west of the city leaving about 1,100 workers without jobs. It’s a noteworthy passing for a city that still identifies with an industry now found mostly in historic pictures.
How the Business Community Sees the Birmingham City Schools
Birmingham City Schools students are back in class for another year. It’s a district Birmingham educators say has made progress in the last few years, but one that still faces a poor reputation in the wider community. We talk about how the business community sees the Birmingham schools in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Lawmakers Appear Headed to Another Special Session
Time is running out for Alabama lawmakers to come up with a solution to the state's general fund budget shortfall. The general fund faces at least a $200 million gap and state legislators are meeting in a special session to figure out what to do about it. But with plenty of disagreement among legislators that's fueling talk of another special session. We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Birmingham Companies Starting to Spend their Piles of Cash
After the recession many American companies were holding onto tons of cash. Birmingham companies were no different. But even with an improving economy, those reserves at Birmingham firms are still growing. We talk about it with Birmingham Business Journal editor Cindy Crawford in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Parents Look to Headgear to Protect Soccer Players from Concussions
Football players suffer the highest concussion rates among athletes. But players of the "other football," soccer, also experience a notable number of concussions. It’s a sport where most players don't wear protective headgear. But that’s changing as parents look for ways to protect their kids.
The Thorny Issues of Alabama’s Black Belt
Alabama's Black Belt historically held the state's wealth. But now that cotton is no longer king, it's one of the most impoverished regions of the country. The Black Belt has beautiful antebellum homes, but those homes were built thanks to slavery. The contrast shapes how Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald thinks about that part of the state. He's traveling Alabama this month and spent time recently in the Black Belt.
An International History of the American Civil War
Americans tend to think of the Civil War as a domestic conflict, as a war between brothers. But the war didn’t take place in a vacuum. It had great implications for the international community. University of South Carolina history professor Don Doyle examines the Civil War through an international lens in his book “The Cause of All Nations.” He spoke to WBHM’s Andrew Yeager.
On the Road with John Archibald
Summer is a time when people take off, hit the road, and step away from their usual routines. For the month of July, Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald is doing just that. He’s traveling Alabama and going to a new place each day. Instead of his usual fare of politics, corruption, and hypocrisy, he’s writing about the people and characters he meets – people whose names aren’t usually in print.
Repairing Interstate 20/59
Interstate 20/59 through downtown Birmingham is aging and something needs to be done about it. Most people can agree on that. The Alabama Department of Transportation has a plan they could start implementing this fall, but there are opponents who say that plan is shortsighted and should be scrapped. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Flags and Rebels — What to do with Confederate Symbols
If you walk around the Alabama statehouse now, you will no longer see the Confederate battle flag on the grounds. That flag along with three other Confederate flags were removed from a memorial Wednesday on the orders of Governor Robert Bentley. Last week's shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, sparked a conversation about symbols of the Confederacy. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about the flag and the mascot of Vestavia Hills High School's mascot, the rebel.
U.S Attorney General Visits Birmingham
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch spent Wednesday in Birmingham to meet with local law enforcement officers and city leaders about improving cooperation between police and their communities. She also addressed issues raised by last week’s shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Improving Birmingham’s Mass Transit
Mass transit is a point of frustration for many Birmingham boosters, who see the bus system as woefully under developed and underfunded. But with the World Games coming to Birmingham in 2021 and the city going after other tourism events, the public transit system gains new importance. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
General Krulak Wraps up Time at Birmingham-Southern College
When Birmingham-Southern College President General Charles Krulak announced his retirement in December, he told students, “this was a great time.” The former Marine Commandant and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff came to BSC four years ago when the campus was reeling from major financial turmoil. Faculty and programs were cut. Its accrediting agency issued a warning against BSC. Krulak is recognized for a leading a turnaround at the school that gained accolades from students, faculty and the larger community. As he prepares to step down at the end of June, WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Krulak in his office.
A Strong Year for Birmingham’s Private Companies
Many of Birmingham’s private companies had a great 2014 with sales up at the largest 100 companies a collective 77-percent. Two-thirds also added employees. Those numbers came from a Birmingham Business Journal survey and we talk about what sparked the increase in this week’s Magic City Marketplace. The newspaper’s editor Cindy Fisher Crawford tells WBHM’s Andrew Yeager about the reasons for these firms growth.
John Archibald on UAB Football’s Return
UAB backers don't have a specific date or a timeline, but they can still revel in Monday's announcement that UAB President Ray Watts would reinstate the football, bowling and rifle teams. It represents the work of fans, boosters, donors and many others who refuse to accept the decision in December to shutter the teams. While this turn of events makes for a great story, it also brings on a new set of questions. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald comments on some of them.
UAB’s New Athletic Director Mark Ingram on Football’s Return
As UAB works to reinstate its football, bowling and rifle programs, a man who will have a big part of that is Mark Ingram. He’s UAB’s new athletic director who’s only been on the job two weeks. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Ingram and began by asking when the team would return.
UAB Alumni President Speaks about Return of Football
The return of UAB’s football, bowling and rifle teams represents the work of many students, faculty, alumni and community members. One man who was in the think of it is Wes Smith. He’s president of the UAB National Alumni Society. He also led the task force that reviewed the decision to cut those athletic programs.
UAB Football’s Return Represents New Model But Challenges Remain
UAB football supporters cheered university president Ray Watts' decision Monday to reinstate the school’s football, bowling and rifle programs. He cut the teams in December citing costs. But Watts also had a message for those fans -- be ready to show significant support. That’s because football will depend on fundraising. Watts says the university will cap its support of athletics at $20 million dollars. Money to cover additional costs and new facilities will have to come from donors, business and the community. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Malcolm Moran. He’s the director of the Nation Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University.
The Decline of Bank Branches
Banking, like many industries, has seen technology-driven disruption. The latest victim of change is the neighborhood bank branch. With people writing fewer checks and many bank services available through a smart phone, demand for a brick-and-mortar building is dropping. We talk about that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Churches Maintain Stance Against Gay Marriage Despite Cultural Shifts
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule this summer on a case that could legalize same-sex marriage and even many opponents of gay marriage don’t expect the court to rule in their favor. Public support of same-sex marriage has swung dramatically in recent years with a majority of Americans now favoring it. At least 545 gay couples married in Alabama earlier this year during the three weeks it was legal. But many churches in the state still embrace a traditional view of marriage and find themselves increasingly within a culture that doesn’t see things their way.
