Esther Ciammachilli
Host/Reporter
If you’re reading this then you now know how to spell Esther’s last name. That's the most asked question she’s received since she joined WBHM in 2015. (It's Italian, if you're wondering.)
Esther came to Birmingham from Reno Public Radio in Reno, Nevada, where she was the host of All Things Considered and a reporter, but wore many other hats. She spent a decade as a singer/actress in Las Vegas before returning to school to get her degree. As she tells it, she got tired of singing for her supper. She’s a graduate of the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, with no position on Alabama football.
You can hear Esther in the afternoons on WBHM as the host of All Things Considered, as well as in her stories about the people and places around Birmingham and North Central Alabama. Her background in the arts fuels her passion for arts and culture stories, but she doesn't shy away from hard news issues.
When she’s not on the airwaves at WBHM, Esther enjoys spending time with her family, eating at Alabama’s delicious restaurants, and hiking or going to the gym to work it all off.
Birmingham’s Noodle Mania
There's been a recent surge in new Birmingham restaurants serving up gourmet noodle bowls like Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho.
ACLU Sues Alabama Over Transgender ID Law
The ACLU says Alabama’s policy violates trans people’s constitutional right to privacy, due process and equal protection under the law.
Violinist Mayumi Masri Not Silenced by Tragic Accident
After an accident that almost severed her arm, an Alabama Symphony Orchestra violinist is working to play as she once did.
Tips for Cutting Calories During the Holidays
The latest installment of WBHM's food series "Sound Bites" explores healthier holiday options to help cut calories.
New Initiative Seeks to Preserve Alabama LGBTQ Histories
Invisible Histories Project Alabama is aimed at finding, recording and preserving what the group calls the “always vanishing” stories of LGBTQ Alabamians.
Kids, Dogs and the Culture of Breweries
For WBHM’s food series, “Sound Bites” we look at why breweries have become such popular places for families to spend quality time.
How to Solve Birmingham’s Food Service Worker Shortage
There are too many restaurants in Birmingham and not enough people to staff them.
Southeast is Home to Largest LGBT Population, Report Finds
The Southeast is home to roughly 35 percent of LGBT people in the U.S., the largest LGBT population in the country, according to data compiled by the Williams Institute at UCLA.
New Documentary Highlights Lesbian Struggle for Equality in Alabama
The film follows three lesbian couples, a group that directors say has historically been invisible in Alabama.
The Accidental LGBT Activist: Jim Obergefell Speaks to Students at UAB
Jim Obergefel was at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court case legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. He spoke at the University of Alabama at Birmingham last night about what’s he’s been doing since that landmark day in 2015.
California Dreamin’ With a Heart of Dixie: Writer Charlie Wyatt
The Birmingham native has lived in San Diego, California, since the 1960s, but his soul stayed in the South. Wyatt began writing short stories a few years ago, releasing a little bit of that Southern soul in the process.
Graham Boettcher’s Mission: Breaking Down the Ivory Tower
Graham Boettcher came to Birmingham just over a decade ago and says he's seen vast changes in the city's art scene and culture.
Denver or Bust! UAB Solar House Heads to the Rockies for Competition
After a little blood spilled, a lot of sweat poured and a few tears were shed, a team of UAB students, faculty, staff and alumni is in Denver to compete in the 2017 Solar Decathlon.
Why We Support WBHM: Jennifer and Leigh Anne Precise
Jennifer Precise: “I was an NPR backseat baby and raised my daughter [Leigh Anne] to be an NPR backseat baby.” Leigh Anne Precise: “I think the earliest memory I have is on Sunday mornings. I think it was Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me. And I would just hear it and I would just sit in the […]
Why I Support WBHM: Brent Womble
“My name is Brent Womble. I support WBHM and I listen to it all day, every day.” “I started listening to WBHM either 2013 or 2014, and I decided to become a member in the fall fund drive of last year.” “You know, something that’s said a lot on the air during the fund drive […]
Why I Support WBHM: Josh Rutsky
“My name is Josh Rutsky. I am the coach of the Hoover High School Quiz Bowl team and I have been a member of WBHM for one year now.” “When one of my students on the high school quiz bowl team that I coach asked me, ‘Well how do you study current events? How do […]
Why I Support WBHM: Karen Sweeney
“I love that I can turn WBHM on every morning. I hear the news talked about in a rational, thoughtful, logical, well-researched way. It’s just the opposite of click bate and fake news that we’re so inundated with now.” “One of my favorite shows is Radiolab, and they recently did a piece on technology that’s […]
Heading Into the Path of the Storm
As many people flee Hurricane Irma, some are heading right into its path. Irma is barreling towards Florida and is expected to make landfall tomorrow. David Goodwin, with the American Red Cross in Birmingham, headed to Florida to help.
All Together Now! Alabamians Try for World’s Largest Rock Band
The Auburn group tried last year to break this record. A total of 850 people participated in that effort. Unbeknownst to them, a group in China outdid them with a 953-member rock band.
In Birmingham, Debate Over Confederate Monuments Renewed After Charlottesville
Birmingham has a complicated relationship with racism. Some of the most notable events from the Civil Rights era took place in the city. Now, there's renewed debate about the fate of the city's Confederate monuments.
Blazers’ Punter Comes From a Land Down Under
UAB's punter is from Australia, he's older than the average recruit and he loves Vegemite.
Seven-Year-Old Golf Prodigy Drives Hard Toward Success
Little Jerrell Anthony has been playing golf since he was two years-old. Now, at age seven, he competes against, and often beats kids twice his age.
Residents Worry About More Vacancies at Brookwood Mall
Belk announced last week it will close its store at Brookwood Village Mall. Homewood residents are now wondering what's next?
Birmingham Weekly Newspaper Halts Publishing
Weld general manager, Heather Milam Nikolich, tells WBHM's Esther Ciammachilli the move is temporary.
Charlemagne Records Celebrates 40 Years
The Birmingham institution has endured several music format changes from cassette tapes to online streaming. WBHM’s Esther Ciammachilli popped in to Charlemagne to see what this little shop has done to stay afloat during a time when record stores have almost disappeared.
Trump Administration Cuts Funding to Anti-White-Supremacy Group
A group that helps people leave white supremacist organizations recently lost a huge federal grant. Officials with Life After Hate say the news was upsetting but not surprising. The Department of Homeland Security rescinded a $400,000 grant awarded by the Obama Administration to Life After Hate. DHS is refocusing its efforts on combating terrorism, according […]
New Report: Lack of Regional Cooperation Hinders Birmingham’s Growth
Birmingham Business Journal's Ty West talks about one of the biggest factors hindering Birmingham's growth, a lack of regional cooperation.
Birmingham Officials Spend Hundreds of Thousands on Travel Annually
A review by the weekly newspaper Weld finds one Birmingham City Council member was responsible for nearly half of the council's entire travel budget last fiscal year.
Is Robinson Indictment the Beginning of “Alabama’s Watergate?”
Alabama is currently waiting to see what happens next in the situation involving former state Rep. Oliver Robinson. He pleaded guilty last week to federal charges of conspiracy, bribery, tax evasion and wire fraud. AL.com's John Archibald thinks there may be more indictments to come.
Humane Society Approved for New 27-acre Facility in Titusville
The Birmingham City Council Tuesday transferred ownership of the property in Titusville to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. Despite overwhelming support from residents, some in the neighborhood voiced concerns about the move. Hear more from Nick Patterson of Weld.
UAB Unveils Completely Solar-Powered House for Upcoming Competition
The project is part of the 2017 Solar Decathlon competition taking place in Denver this October. UAB is competing against 12 other teams from around the world to see which team can build the best, completely solar-powered, full-size home.
Alabama Receives Best Ever Report on Overall Child Well-Being
Alabama improved last year in 11 of 16 indicators used to measure overall child well-being, according to the national Kids Count Data Book released annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
