Economy
September 20 News
Hoover could get three free-standing emergency departments and infant mortality rate is at an all-time low in Alabama, but the news isn't all good.
The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera
The beaches that run from Mobile Bay to Panama City are some of the most beautiful in the world. Prior to World War Two they were sparsely populated and undeveloped. But that began to change after the war when the beach became a tourist destination.
September 13 News
New numbers show poverty is down slightly in Alabama, but median income still lags national average. Also, efforts to reopen Alabama's oldest licensed abortion clinic are dealt a blow.
Andrew Yeager to Deliver Keynote Address at Samford Univ.
WBHM Host/Reporter Andrew Yeager will talk to high school students about the future of journalism at a workshop Thursday at Samford University.
New Panels for Storm Shelters
Alabama has escaped the brunt of Hurricane Isaac, but the storm does serve as a reminder that severe weather can bring danger and even death. So researchers at UAB are developing new building materials intended to create safer storm shelters. Recently a high-tech panel they created passed the National Storm Shelter Association’s tornado threat test, a key step to making such panels commercially viable. WBHM intern Will Dahlberg spoke with the project’s leader, Dr. Uday Vaidya, who says the material in these panels in rather unique.
The New Children’s of Alabama
Doctors, staff and patients are getting used to their new digs, now that the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children is open for business. CEO Mike Warren says thanks to careful planning, the move to the building earlier this month went very well. So with Childen's of Alabama in its new home, WBHM Intern Aditi Jani spoke with Warren about how the facility positions the hospital for the future.
Kids Count Data Mixed Bag for Alabama
The annual Kids Count data book is out and it carries mixed news for Alabama’s youngest residents. Overall, the state ranked 45th for child well-being, with nearly a third of kids living in poverty in 2010.
Lessons of the Little River Canyon Center
On a high plateau in rural northeast Alabama, there's a multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art education complex. Campus, museum, community center, and event spot, Jacksonville State University's Little River Canyon Center is becoming a destination for students, tourists, and regular local people. How this unlikely place came to be is a twenty-year story of politics, money, celebrity, and inspiration. But for this first of two reports, WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen focuses on what people are learning there now:
Carsen and Ott on All Things Alabama Education
We've had a short break from Birmingham Board of Education fireworks, but that doesn't mean that story or the Alabama education beat has slowed down at all. In this week's Edu-Chat, WBHM's Tanya Ott inverviews Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen on No Child Left Behind, the Education Trust Fund, local kids in China, and "meatless meetings."
John Archibald on Airbus Facility in Alabama
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is in Europe this week trying to drum up business for Alabama. The move comes after Airbus announced it will build its first ever U.S. manufacturing facilities in Mobile. John says Alabama is attractive to foreign businesses for a number of reasons, all of which may not be good for Alabamians.
Layoffs at Birmingham News, al.com and Alabama Public Television
It's been a tumultuous week for journalism in Alabama. On Tuesday, Advance Publications fired 400 people at the Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, Mobile Press-Register and their affiliate website al.com. And yesterday, news broke that Alabama Public Television fired two top executives possibly because they refused to air controversial religious programs.
Birmingham News and Other Papers Fire Staff
Today, the Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, Mobile Press-Register and New Orleans Times-Picayune newspapers met with staffers, one-by-one, to tell them their roles in the newly redesigned digital-centric platform.
Communications Blogger on Changes to Birmingham News
For more than a decade, those who watch journalism have been warning about the death of newspapers. From paper to ink to distribution, they're expensive to produce. When Advance Publications announced last month that it was scaling back production of the Birmingham News to just three print editions a week, many people weren't surprised. It follows a trend that's playing out across the country.
Former NY Times Bureau Chief on Changes at Birmingham News
There are still a lot of questions about how the reorganization of the Birmingham News and its digital partner al.com will play out. We know that come fall the print paper will only be published on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We don’t know how many staffers will lose their jobs and how that will effect what we read in the paper and online. But Micheline Maynard may have crystal ball.
AL.com’s Cindy Martin on Changes to Birmingham News
Starting this fall Birmingham will not have a daily print newspaper. The Birmingham News (and Huntsville Times and Mobile Press Register) will only be published three days a week. Supporters say the move was inevitable. Critics say it's regrettable.
Tom Scarritt To Leave Birmingham News
The longtime editor of the Birmingham News is leaving the paper under new reorganization.
The Labor Force Puzzle
The latest monthly unemployment numbers for Alabama are due out Friday. The state’s unemployment rate is down about 2% over the last year. While that seems like good news, there was something in the numbers which caught the attention of WBHM’s Andrew Yeager. And he went looking for an explanation.
Cash Mobs
If you’re out shopping this weekend and the store is suddenly inundated with customers, don’t be surprised. Birmingham is the latest city to experience a phenomenon called a “cash mob” As WBHM’s Andrew Yeager reports, supporters of the concept hope it’ll have people buying local.
Magic City Marketplace
Developers eye properties around Birmingham's new downtown baseball stadium, two new housing developments are on the way and companies spent less on lobbying last year.
Magic City Marketplace
New data suggests the hospital industry in bouncing back from the recession in a big way. The nine major hospitals in the Birmingham metro area netted more than $154 million during fiscal year 2010. That’s more than seven times the amount they netted the previous year.
Magic City Marketplace
A Birmingham construction company jumps into the lucrative health care sector and there may be a lot more graduates to fill Alabama's tech jobs.
The January 2012 Tornado
Residents along the north side of Birmingham are digging out after a line of storms rumbled across the state early Monday morning. A tornado killed at least two people in Jefferson County. And as WBHM’s Andrew Yeager reports, the damage is a reminder of the killer tornados which struck the state just last spring.
Farm Guest Workers
Alabama farmers are wondering where they'll find workers for next year's growing season. They say the state’s tough immigration law has driven away much of the migrant labor they rely on. One option is for farmers to hire foreign guest workers. And as WBHM’s Andrew Yeager reports, a number of private companies stand to benefit.
Bring Your Own Parts
AAA estimates more than 42 million people will travel this Thanksgiving holiday, with most of them taking cars. Of course before you hit the road, you'll want to make sure the car's working properly. A new shop in Birmingham is offering an unusual way to fix your vehicle. You bring your own parts. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager takes a look at the potential for this business model.
John Archibald on Jefferson County’s Bankruptcy
Jefferson County officials have filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Commissioners voted 4-1 yesterday to file an estimated $4.1 bankruptcy. Shortly after the vote, attorneys filed the paperwork. But what happens next? Birmingham News columnist John Archibald tells WBHM's Tanya Ott.
Jefferson County Votes to File for Bankruptcy
Jefferson County Commissioner voted this afternoon to file bankruptcy. The estimated $4.1 billion filing will be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Max’s Delicatessen & the Immigration Law
Alabama's new immigration law has been in the news a lot lately. There've been stories about police setting up road blocks outside immigrant neighborhoods and how schools are losing students. But this month one businessman has found himself at the center of the controversy - in a spotlight he never anticipated - or wanted. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Gulf Economy Rebounds
Quarterly revenue reports show spending along the Alabama Gulf Coast is up significantly over previous record years. Although the BP oil spill is not forgotten, tourists are back.That's good news for the coastal businesses, but state officials note this doesn't mean BP is off the hook.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: The Domino Effect
It's been more than a year since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and still, businesses across Alabama's Gulf Coast are struggling to rebound. Sales are off for everyone from seafood processors to charter boat operators. And there's a domino effect that's sweeping up other, less obvious industries across the gulf and beyond.
The 2011 Tornadoes: Phil Campbell
People from around the world will converge on tiny Phil Campbell, Alabama, this weekend. And not just any anybody. People named Phil Campbell. They're coming to help rebuild after an April tornado flattened half of the town, killing 26 people. As WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports, it's a celebration that's taken on new meaning after the disaster.
Northern Beltline: Downtown Development
Birmingham's downtown has added many feathers to it cap in recent years. City officials point to last year's opening of Railroad Park, a growing restaurant scene, new office and hotel space in the works. It's a rebirth some critics of the northern beltline say could be muted by that bypass. This week we're taking a look at the proposed 52 mile highway planned for the northern half of Jefferson County. WBHM's Andrew Yeager examines what a new interstate bypass might mean for development in downtown Birmingham.
Northern Beltline: Overview
$90 million per mile. That's the latest price tag for the proposed Northern Beltline around Birmingham. Proponents say it will spur economic development in the northern part of the county. Opponents say it's a price tag they can't afford for a road they don't need. This week, WBHM examines the Northern Beltline proposal.
