Economy
College Fight Songs
It's March Madness and, as always, there were a couple of "givens" in the lead-up to this weekend's Final Four. There have been blowouts and upsets. And, if you if you've watched enough games, you've probably been humming fight songs non-stop. But it's not all just team spirit and nostalgia. There are a lot of people making money off university and college fight songs, as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Parliament House checks out
The Parliament House hotel is history. Literally. It was built with fanfare in the 1960s, financed partly by actress Doris Day, patronized by President Richard Nixon, Governor George Wallace and Coach Bear Bryant. But it was a place that never seemed to take off for everyone else. Different owners tried different things. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis remembers the hotel, his family's part in it and an early morning wake-up call to watch it come to an end.
Wheat Prices Soar
Wheat prices have doubled this year, hitting an all-time record. That's bad news for consumers who are paying more for food. But it's good news for farmers who are scrambling to cash in on the demand created by a global wheat shortage. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
SFS: Black on Black
All this week, WBHM has explored how crime affects the community, whether suburban or central city. While crime knows no race or neighborhood, some areas have more of it. In those places where poverty depletes the community of hope and where gangs run rampant, crime takes hold. Many of those neighborhoods are inner-city and predominantly black, leading to the term 'black-on-black crime.' But critics say categorizing crime by race further detaches it from the mainstream consciousness. That it makes it someone else's problem - other peoples' trouble. Some say it is a community and economic problem that warrants everyone's attention. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis wraps up our series.
Searching for Safetown: Crime Stats & Economic Development
Many criminologists believe 'Most Dangerous City' lists are misleading. Still, these rankings can negatively affect economic development. People from the suburbs are squeamish about coming to events downtown. Businesses question plans to expand. can they get employees to work in areas pegged as crime ridden? can they convince customers to shop there?
On The Line: The Urban Divide
The city of Birmingham faces many challenges, from a shrinking population to struggling schools to a lack of affordable housing. But there are opportunities as well, including a growing downtown loft movement and a thriving arts community. Join us for a discussion about the city's future, as WBHM's Steve Chiotakis and a panel of guests take questions and comments from listeners. This edition of On the Line will be broadcast Tuesday, September 4th from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Urban Divide: Housing
In our Urban Divide series this week we've heard about how Birmingham is losing population, especially young professionals , and how the schools are bleeding students. More than a thousand students leave Birmingham city schools each year and that means fewer tax dollars for education. Ask anyone who follows these trends what's at the core of the problem and you'll likely hear "Housing". WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Urban Divide: Population Shift
Cities across the country are attempting to remain relevant in a society that's become increasingly focused on suburbs. The two are caught in a struggle over population, as residents flee urban cores for the 'burbs. And Birmingham is no exception. The Magic City has been losing population since the 1960's with no sign of stopping. That's bad news for a city that would like to regain its standing as a "jewel of the south". Rosemary Pennington has our first story in a week-long series called "Birmingham: The Urban Divide".
Semantics Antics
Proponents of an expanded civic center in downtown Birmingham will have to wait at least another year while lawmakers hammer out details of funding sources. It's not a new plan; it's been drawn up for years, and neither are the words that have been infused into the debate. Whether it's identified as a dome stadium or arena, WBHM's Steve Chiotakis reports that the public relations effort has been exhausting on both sides.
Alabama lures steelmaker
German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp has chosen Alabama for a $ 3.7 (B) billion dollar steel mill that, at full capacity, is expected to employ more than 2,700 workers. The company says the plant will be built in northern Mobile County, near Mount Vernon. Completion of the project is expected in 2010.
Small Banks
As mega banks merge with other mega banks to form super mega banks, there's a counter-trend that may be somewhat surprising. Increasingly, career banking professionals are leaving the big guys to start their own community banks. Les Lovoy reports on how this phenomenon is changing the face of banking in Birmingham.
Chilton County Cold Snap
Farmers across the southeast are assessing damage from a weekend cold snap that caused temperatures to dip in the mid 20s in some areas. The fruit was further along in development because of an unseasonably warm weather March - and that means it was more susceptible to the cold. Many growers in Blount County say they suffered a complete loss. In Chilton County - home to Alabama's peach industry - the losses ranged from 30 to 80 percent of the orchards. WBHM's Tanya Ott spent some time in Clanton this weekend and filed this report.
Gadsden Auction Houses
When a city loses its main employer there's often a period of mourning, then an attempt to recover. In Northeast Alabama, one small city that used to be known for steel is making a name for itself in a business with a completely different image. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Steel Deal
At a time when U-S manufacturers are moving overseas for cheap labor and lax environmental codes, a giant German steelmaker plans to build the largest steel mill project the United States has seen in nearly two decades. ThyssenKrupp says it's narrowed the choice to a site in Mobile and another one near New Orleans. Both Alabama and Louisiana offer incentive packages believed to be worth more than one billion dollars, as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Regions and AmSouth
Two Birmingham banking behemoths say they will join forces for a merging of equals. Regions and AmSouth Banks have announced that, in a 10 billion dollar deal, they will combine to create one of the nation's largest banks. The Regions name will stay, but the AmSouth name, some overlapping employees and bank branches will go. The city is still feeling the effects of the Wachovia purchase of Southtrust Bank a couple of years ago. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis spoke with a financial and banking analyst about what's ahead.
Birmingham: Open for Business
Thousands of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees have made their way through Birmingham in the last month, and now the city is considering rolling out the welcome mat even more aggressively. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Hurricane Ruins Convention Business
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
Black Belt Poverty
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
Post-Herald Last Edition
Afternoons in Birmingham just won’t be the same anymore — that’s because the Birmingham Post-Herald is no more. Publisher E-W Scripps Company says it just can’t afford to keep the paper running. In a letter to Post-Herald staff Scripps CEO Kenneth Lowe says, quote “Paid circulation of the Post-Herald has declined to … a level […]
Shelter Closing
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
Hurricane Banking Troubles
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
Winn Dixie Closing
The Winn Dixie grocery store chain has announced it's closing hundreds of stores throughout the southeast in an effort to shore up sagging sales. It's the latest closure in a battle for market share in the grocery industry. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports on the impact the closures will have a certain Birmingham neighborhoods, especially those with high minority populations.
2nd Homes
Real estate analysts may be warning about the pending burst of the housing bubble, but homebuyers don't seem to be 'buying' it. Vacation homes are selling at a record clip, especially on Alabama's lakes. WBHM's Tanya Ott talks to sellers, buyers, agents and experts about the wisdom of investing in the 2nd home market right now.
Ensley
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
Koreans Driving Auto Competition
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
The “New” New South
Sociologists and demographers talk about the 'New South'. But there's a 'New' New South, marked by a return of northern African Americans to their southern roots. Tanya Ott reports.
Outside Inside, Part 1
The American South has suffered from stereotyping for much of its existence, stereotyping that doesn't always paint southerners in the best light. But it's about a lot more than just hurt feelings ... especially in Alabama's case. WBHM's Rosemary Pennington has more.
Black Farmer Lawsuit Update
Tractor motors and irrigation systems dominate the conversation at the Central Alabama Farmers Co-op in Selma, but farmers here, especially black farmers, are also keeping close tabs on the discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers alleged that the agency routinely denied them loans and other technical assistance offered to white farmers. In […]
Counting the Uncounted
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
12 Days of Christmas
Okay, here we go: the 12 Days of Christmas. Since we’re a lot closer to the 12th Day than the first, we’re gonna do them backwards. So, on the 12th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 12 drummers drumming. That’s easy enough to find in Birmingham. “I’m Mark Libby, principal percussionist of […]
Economic Irony
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
World’s Longest Yard Sale
The grassy shoulders of the Lookout Mountain Parkway are littered with everything from furniture and electronics to handmade quilts and lawn ornaments. But the residents of the houses that dot this usually calm 2 lane highway are hardly complaining: Instead, they have set up concession stands to sell lemonade, polish sausages, and funnel cakes to […]
