Government
Carrington Responds to Charges of Racism
Jefferson County Commission President David Carrington tells WBHM's Tanya Ott he's moving forward with plans to downsize Cooper Green Mercy Hospital despite protests.
Jefferson County Passes Balanced Budget with Cuts to Cooper Green Mercy Hospital
Jefferson County has passed a $160M balanced budget, but not without questions concerning Cooper Green Mercy Hospital.
Jeffco Commission Pres. Carrington on Budget Cuts
Jefferson County has a new budget. Commissioners approved it yesterday. The Associated Press describes it as a "balanced" budget, which it's required by law to be. Other local media outlets are describing it as "bare bones" or worse. At $160 million, it's more than a $100 million less than the county's budget was just a few years ago.
September 26 News
Gadsden and Trussville pass budgets; Birmingham continues talks over $150M bond issue; and Selma stops construction on controversial monument to Civil War general and KKK leader.
September 25 News
Selma debates whether to honor a Civil War general who also led the Ku Klux Klan; Alabamians who lost homes to foreclosure could get piece of $25B settlement; and Alabama newspaper legend dies.
September 24 News
Birmingham man arrested for tweeted death threats against Pres. Obama; UAH professor goes on trial for murdering colleagues; Plea deal may be in the works in running death of Etowah County girl.
September 21 News
Mexico reviews possible NAFTA violations related to Alabama's immigration law; ABC agents seize supplies from Hop City Birmingham; and tests confirm tar balls from BP spill.
Is $437M Transfer Just a Temporary Bandaid?
It's official. By a 2-to-1 margin, Alabama voters have approved a constitutional amendment to transfer $437 million from the Alabama Trust Fund to the General Fund Budget. The money will help pay for basic services like Medicaid, prisons and child protective services. But John Archibald says it may just be kicking the can down the road.
September 19 News
Voters approve transfer of $437 million from trust fund to General Fund; BP loosens documentation requirements for oil spill losses; and Alabama faces expensive and deadly obesity crisis.
September 18 News
Polls are open till 7 p.m. and state officials expect low turnout for today's referendum; a lawsuit over segregating HIV-positive prison inmates goes to trial; and heavy rains drench the region.
September 17 News
Birmingham's burgeoning food truck movement could face a setback; forces on both side of the September 18 referendum look forward to tomorrow's vote; UAH professor who murdered colleagues could profit from invention.
September 14 News
Forces are rallying on both sides in advance of next week’s statewide referendum. The constitutional amendment would allow the transfer of $437 million dollars from the Alabama Trust Fund to be used for Medicaid, prisons and other state services.
Sept 18 Vote, More Trouble at School Board, and Big Lobbying Bills
Next week, Alabama residents go to the polls to vote on a referendum state leaders say is vital to the financial health of the state. The vote would authorize moving $437 million from the Alabama Trust Fund to shore up the state’s general fund budget. Supporters say without the transfer critical state services will be hurt, but opponents argue the state should live within its means. John Archibald tackles that and other regional news in this week's interview.
September 18th Referendum
Voters in Alabama will go to the polls next Tuesday to vote on a referendum state leaders say is vital to the financial health of the state. The vote would authorize moving money from the Alabama Trust Fund to shore up the state’s general fund budget. That budget supports many services from child protection to prisons. But if the referendum does not pass, one of the biggest programs to feel the effects is Medicaid, as WBHM’s Andrew Yeager reports.
September 12 News
Former UAH professor pleads guilty to murder while former AL Governor reports to prison and Gadsden's federal courthouse targeted in closure.
September 11 News
Alabama asks an appeals court to reconsider the state's immigration law; Former Governor Don Siegelman reports to prison today; and Tuscaloosa real estate developer Stan Pate launches media campaign against the September 18 referendum.
September 7 Morning News
Did two Birmingham City Councilmen use city money to attend the Democratic National Convention? Also, financial relief for families affected by last year's tornadoes and a German auto supplier announces plans to open in Alabama.
September 6 Morning News
Tar balls wash up on Alabama shores; Justice Department issues harsh memo on BP action in Gulf; and lawsuit challenging state's segregation of HIV+ inmates moves ahead.
September 5 Morning News
Western and southern Alabama dig out after flooding, while other parts of state gets federal drought aid; Alabama football team No. 1 in country.
September 4 Morning News
Mixed emotions over Barons move from Hoover to downtown Birmingham; oil production resumes post-Isaac; and schools figuring out how to replace textbooks with laptops.
September 3 Morning News
Bessemer residents protest closure of courthouse; U.S. Steel and United Steelworkers reach tentative agreement; and move afoot to pardon the Scottsboro Boys.
John Archibald on Cooper Green Mercy Hospital
The Jefferson County Commission votes to discontinue in-patient care at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital. John Archibald offers his thoughts that situation as well as the latest from the Birmingham Board of Education, and Artur Davis' political switch.
August 29 Morning Newscast
A mundane Birmingham Board of Education meeting ends of an explosive note; Cooper Green Mercy Hospital to close, but a bankruptcy judge may have a final say; and Hurricane Isaac bring rough weather to Alabama's coast.
August 28 Morning Newscast
Residents along Alabama's coast are hoping to avoid the worst from tropical storm Isaac; the Jefferson County Commission will consider again whether to close the inpatient unit at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital; and the Bessemer Cutoff's court system will continue to operate with at least one judge, whether it's at the current courthouse or somewhere else.
August 27 Morning News
Residents along Alabama’s coast are scheduling to begin evacuating at 8 a.m. this morning. Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency and ordered mandatory evacuations ahead of Tropical Storm Isaac. Current tracking has the storm making landfall in Louisiana some time tomorrow, but Alabama’s coastal areas are under a hurricane warning, and forecasters say strong wind and heavy rain could extend miles inland.
Tropical Storm Isaac Update
Tropical Storm Isaac is churning across the Gulf of Mexico and while its current path won’t mean a direct hit for Alabama, the state will still feel the effects of this storm. Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency and ordered evacuations of low lying areas along the gulf coast. WBHM intern Will Dahlberg spoke with John DeBlock with the National Weather Service in Birmingham about the latest storm forecast.
Governor Cancels Tampa Trip for Tropical Storm
Governor Robert Bentley today urged Alabamians to keep watch on changing weather conditions as Tropical Storm Isaac continues to move toward the northwest. The Governor also announced he is canceling his plans to attend the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
August 24 Morning News
State officials watch Tropical Storm Isaac; the Alabama Homeland Security Dept. steadily loses funding; and some state court system employees get big raises while others lose their jobs.
August 22 Morning News
Justice Dept. establishes civil rights unit in Alabama; College freshman not ready for coursework; and Krispy Kreme reopens in Tuscaloosa.
August 21 Morning Newscast
Appeals court throws out provision in Alabama immigration law; Birmingham business community pays to defend Spencer Bachus; and legislators want to change school start date (again).
August 20 Morning Newscast
Alabama Public TV gets a new executive director; Tampa and Charlotte prepare for national conventions amid changing political landscape; and hunters take aim at alligators.
Birmingham School Board Gets Down To Business
The Birmingham school board finally gets down to business; and emotions run high as county commissioners look to close inpatient care at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital.
