Bessemer, Alabama was hit extremely hard by Monday night's storms. WBHM's Andrew Yeager visited Bessemer today to document the damages.
Seven candidates are in the running to become the Republican nominee to represent Alabama's 6th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. following the retirement of Representative Spencer Bachus. The June 3 primary is seven weeks away. We discuss the candidates and more with Kyle Whitmire of Al.com and the Birmingham News.
It's opening day at Regions Field for the Southern League Champion Birmingham Barons. Players and baseball fans have been anxiously awaiting the first pitch. But another group of Barons fans have been looking forward to the season for slightly different reasons.
The 2014 session has come to a close. For an election year, there was plenty of action and drama at the statehouse. We take a look back at the highs and lows as well as the possibility of a special session with Kyle Whitmire of AL.com and the Birmingham News.
The 2014 Alabama legislative session is in the books. Lawmakers wrapped up the session Thursday evening but there's a looming question about one key piece of legislation -- the education budget. We review the final days of the session with Don Dailey.
This week former Alabama Governor Bob Riley publicly announced his support for Common Core standards. We take a look at his opinions and thoughts with Kyle Whitmire of Al.com and the Birmingham News.
Recycling glass in Birmingham can be tricky. It can't be put on the curbside like most recyclables. One of residents' few options is to take it to a downtown recycling center where two 30-yard containers wait to be filled with the unwanted material. The glass that's dropped off doesn't stay in Birmingham for long. It's shipped to Tennessee and Georgia to make fiberglass, bottles, and cement. But two Birmingham artists are trying to reuse the glass and keep it in the state.
The Senate Education Committee voted 4-2 Wednesday to allow local school systems to opt out of the Common Core curriculum standards, but the legislation still faces a bleak future. Senate President Del Marsh said he did not think the bill had the support to get through an inevitable filibuster on the Senate floor.
On November 9, 1938, hundreds of Jewish synagogues, homes, and businesses were vandalized, ransacked or destroyed. Thousands of Jews were arrested, some even killed, by order of Adolf Hilter. Dr. Robert May of Birmingham was twelve years old and living in Frankfurt, Germany during the uprise of Hitler's power, including the night of Kristallnacht. He shares his story with us.
It got a little tense at the statehouse last night when the topic of abortion legislation was discussed. This week the Alabama House passed a bill to ban most abortions in the state and make legal abortions difficult if not impossible. One representative brought up the issue of race and how he thinks it plays a role in a woman's choice to abort a pregnancy.
This past Saturday was TEDxBirmingham. The event featured 15 local speakers who came together with one goal: to help attendees "Rediscover the Magic" of Birmingham through new ideas. WBHM's Program Director Michael Krall was in attendance. He spoke to WBHM's Sarah Delia about his experience at TEDxBirmingham.
The Birmingham Museum of Art has hired a new curator for European Art, Robert Schindler. As he settles into his new role, his first task is to curate a collection of work by the French Romantic artist, Eugene Delacroix. WBHM's Sarah Delia took a sneak peek behind the exhibition "Delacroix and the Matter of Finish."
Monumental Contracting, one of several contractors involved with a flight information display board that collapsed on 10 year old Luke Bresette at the Birmingham airport last year, has been cleared of responsibility. Kyle Whitmire with AL.com and the Birmingham News joins us for an update.
The leader of the experimental indie group, Ryan Kattner, speaks to WBHM's Sarah Delia about the group's latest album On Oni Pond. Kattner also reveals insights to his creative process and his constant source of inspiration: heartbreak.
Kyle Whitmire from Al.com and the Birmingham News joins us to discuss the details of Alabama's revolving door ban. It prohibits legislators from lobbyists for two years after they leave office.
Our guest blogger, Javacia Harris Bowser, speaks to WBHM's Sarah Delia about her fitness goal for 2014.
ALDOT is working to clear vehicles from roadways once the thaw begins, today.
Singer song writer Neko Case opens up about her struggles with depression and the role it played in her latest album.
Governor Robert Bentley has introduced a bill that would make serial meetings among public officials illegal. Bentley also wants to close other various loopholes in Alabama's Open Meetings Act. These changes would not only impact Alabama lawmakers at the statehouse but also Jefferson County Commissioners. Kyle Whitmire with AL.com and the Birmingham News joins us.
On Tuesday night, Governor Robert Bentley used his State of the State address to talk about jobs, Medicaid, and raises for state employees. But there were several issues the Governor didn't mention at all. Kyle Whitmire of Al.com and the Birmingham News discusses what was left out of the address.
Jefferson County spent millions of dollars in legal costs during Chapter 9 bankruptcy including more than $300,000 in fees for public relations. Some commissioners said they didn't learn about the spending until this week. Plus, the future of Birmingham based law firm Haskell, Slaughter & Young remains uncertain. Kyle Whitmire from AL.com and the Birmingham News discusses these issues and more.
If Jefferson County officials were to sit down and write three new year's resolutions,what would they be? Kyle Whitmire with Al.com and the Birmingham News joins us as we look at the county's future in 2014.
There was no shortage of news in Birmingham and Jefferson County in 2013. We take a look back at some of this year's notable stories with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Leroy Stover joined the Birmingham Police Department in 1966 as the city's first black police officer. He recounts his career, struggles, and triumphs with WBHM's Sarah Delia.
On Monday members of the Hoover board of education agreed to overturn an earlier vote to stop offering bus services next school year. The vote came after months of complaints and protests by parents. Kyle Whitmire with Al.com and the Birmingham News discusses how this decision will impact students, families, and schools in the Hoover system.
If things go according to plan, Jefferson County will exit municipal bankruptcy on December 3. However, many of its financial problems remain. Kyle Whitmire with Al.com and the Birmingham News joins us to discuss four things that will come out of exiting bankruptcy and four things that won't change.
As officials work to restore the Lyric Theatre in downtown Birmingham, some obstacles could be expected -- funding the project, removing lead paint and plumbing issues. But there are tougher, less obvious challenges too. When the Lyric opened in 1914, Birmingham was a city with lines of segregation and the theatre reflects that. So how do you faithfully restore a historic building still physically marked by the city's racist past?
City Council President Maxine Parker died at the age of 69 on Tuesday. We'll take a look at Parker's legacy as well as what's next for the council. Plus, JeffCo gets another bad review from a major rating agency regarding the county's sewer debt. Kyle Whitmire from Al.com and the Birmingham News joins us to discuss.
There are still many hurdles Jefferson County must overcome before exiting bankruptcy. Kyle Whitmire with Al.com and the Birmingham News stops by to discuss worst case scenarios.
Walk around downtown Birmingham and you see many old, vacant buildings. But Wolfgang Poe argues just because you can't see someone in one of those old buildings doesn't mean nobody's there.
On Thursday the Jefferson County Commission will be holding a meeting regarding the major sewer creditor groups and the county's bankruptcy exit plans. Kyle Whitmire with Al.com and the Birmingham News joins us to discuss the possibilities of that meeting.
Birmingham orthopedic surgeon and former Alabama State University trustee Lawrence Lemak reportedly violated the university's conflict of interest policy. A forensic audit released by Governor Bentley’s office says Lemak’s businesses or entities that employed his family members benefited from contracts with the school. Kyle Whitmire with AL.com and the Birmingham News has the details.
