Issues
Gambling Arrests
Federal agents arrested 11 people in Alabama this Monday, including four state senators and Alabama's top two casino owners, in an alleged vote-buying scheme. The case centers on a failed effort to legalize electronic bingo. It's the latest in a months-long bribery and corruption investigation and legal battle over bingo expansion in Alabama. WBHM's Andrew Yeager retraces the events.
Blueprint Birmingham
WBHM continues a series of conversations reacting to Blueprint Birmingham. That's the regional economic development plan announced last week by the Birmingham Business Alliance. It offers a five-year framework for addressing issues from leadership to education to economic growth.
Jefferson County Attorney’s Pay
Across the country, city and county governments are laying off employees in droves to deal with budget deficits. Jefferson County is no exception, so it may come as a surprise that the county's legal team appears to be among the highest paid local government attorneys in the country.
Railroad Park Opens
New York has Central Park. There's Grant Park in Chicago. Atlanta has Centennial Olympic Park as well. They're parks sitting right in the middle of an urban landscape. And on Saturday Birmingham will have Railroad Park. The idea of a downtown park in Birmingham goes back decades. It took more than 10 years to build Railroad Park, which lays along the railroad tracks between UAB and downtown Birmingham. As officials open it tomorrow, they're hoping Birmingham's new "backyard" will bring not just people, but business too. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
The Tea Party in Alabama
Tea Party members are celebrating big wins in several states after yesterday's primaries. Across the country, the Tea Party movement continues to put pressure on incumbents. But here in Alabama the movement has been relatively quiet. WBHM's Tanya Ott wondered why.
A Receiver for Jeffco’s Sewer: What Does It Mean?
Jefferson County's troubled sewer system will soon be run by a receiver. So, what exactly is a receiver? What power will he or she have?
Conservation: The Behavior Gap
What are you doing to help the environment? Have you ditched the plastic water bottles and carry a reusable one instead. Maybe you bike to work a couple days a week. According to a recent study, there's sometimes a big gap between what we say we should do and what we actually do.
The Price of Poverty
What are the essentials of life? Food, water, and shelter. And to get those you have to have some kind of paying work or be enrolled in a government assistance program. But for the working poor (many of whom don't qualify for government assistance) even the basics can be too expensive. We'll explore this today (8/27) at noon on WBHM's On The Line: The Price of Poverty.
Price of Poverty: Time Banks
In times of economic instability many people turn to friends and family. But there's a new twist on that practice and it's called Time Banking. Members of time banks earn and spend "time" dollars by using their skills for other members.
Price of Poverty: Buy-a-Meter
When you brushed your teeth this morning or took a shower, did water come out of the faucet? You probably didn't give it a second thought. For some though, even here in Alabama, water is far from a guarantee. As we continue our series The Price of Poverty, WBHM's Andrew Yeager takes us to Hale County in the black belt, a place where seeing to it that everybody has clean, reliable water has been a bit like swimming upstream.
Increasing Exports
Last year, Alabama companies exported more than 12 billion dollars of goods and services to other countries. While that number might sound impressive, it's actually a 20 percent DECREASE from 2008.
Birmingham-Southern’s Struggles: a Student Perspective
When students return to Birmingham-Southern College next week, they'll find a school that's $10 million in debt and has a new interim president. Budget cuts also forced the elimination of 51 faculty and staff positions and five majors. What do students think?
Price of Poverty: Food Deserts
What are the essentials of life? Food, water, and shelter. And to get those you have to have some kind of paying work or be enrolled in a government assistance program. But for the working poor even the basics can be too expensive. They often cost more for working poor than for middle class people, as we'll explore this week in our series "The Price of Poverty". We start today with a report on food.
Occupational Tax Settlement
Jefferson County commissioners approved a settlement today in the long running dispute over the county's occupational tax. Lawyers for workers in Jefferson County had successfully challenged the legality of the tax, prompting court ordered refunds. Under the plan, the county would get about $20 million in exchange for giving up the right to impose a new, retroactive tax. Employed Jefferson County residents would split nearly $31 million with lawyers who challenged the tax. The lawyers have requested a 35% fee. Alabama State Bar President-elect James Pratt mediated the settlement approved today. Pratt says he will now issue a report to the judge.
Robert Bentley
Bradley Byrne and Robert Bentley have just a few days left to convince voters they should be the Republican nominee for Alabama governor. Tuesday is the runoff election. It's been a hot contest at a time when Alabama's weak economy underlies virtually every issue. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with State Representative Robert Bentley who says legislation he authored in the last legislative session is helping put some Alabamians back to work.
Hotel Tax Dispute
More travelers will hit the roads this holiday weekend. AAA expects fourth of July travel across the south to rise about 11% over last year. Many of those tourists will book hotel rooms. And that means hotel lodging taxes for local cities. But Birmingham doesn't think it's getting all it's due from online travel sites. So it's suing. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Oil Spill and Hair Sausages
Many of us watch the coverage of the BP Oil Spill and wonder: What can we do to help? Some people are traveling to the Gulf region to volunteer. But others who can't make the trip are getting creative with hair?
Anne Frank and Me
What happens when a young holocaust denier travels back in time and finds herself sharing a cattle car ride to Auschwitz with Anne Frank.
Jefferson County Commission Runoff
'Vote early, vote often' is one of the more cynical sayings in politics. But those words have a ring of truth for voters in Jefferson County Commission District 1.
On the Line: Ask the Mayor
The city of Birmingham faces a major financial crunch with salaries and services likely taking cuts. Its mass transportation system remains unreliable. Big ticket projects have been put on the back burner. A difficult environment for Birmingham Mayor William Bell. Friday (6/18) WBHM's Bradley George talks to William Bell as we discuss these and other issues during On The Line: Ask the Mayor.
The Future of the Jefferson County Commission
Next Tuesday, voters will whittle down a field of nearly 40 candidates running for Jefferson County Commission.
New EPA Sulfur Dioxide Rules
Next week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will release much-anticipated new rules limiting sulfur dioxide in the air. When sulfur dioxide spews from smoke stacks and diesel engines it can cause acid rain. But that's just the beginning of the problem.
Alabama Gubernatorial Primary 2010
Alabama voters have less than a week to decide the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor. Alabamians have already endured months of campaigning, political ads, attacks and counter attacks. So as we look to the June first primary, WBHM's Andrew Yeager has this final exam of sorts for the candidates.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Seafood Safety
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is looming over the seafood industry. Early tests don't show substantial chemical contamination of Gulf seafood. But officials have closed many fishing grounds. And that means we're going to see more imported seafood in the coming months. But as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, some people question the safety of those imports.
Bike to Work
Friday morning, the Greater Birmingham Regional Planning Commission is among the sponsors of a Bike-to-Work day. Tom Maxwell is an environmental planner with the planning commission. He agrees Birmingham is not particularly friendly to cyclists. But Maxwell tells WBHM's Andrew Yeager that discussion of these issues goes back quite a ways.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: One Family’s Story
The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico is wreaking widespread environmental havoc. But there's a very personal chaos playing out in thousands of homes up and down the coastline. The oil spill has put many people out of work, and as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports many families are being forced to rethink their financial lives.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Hurricane Season
Hurricane season starts in just a few weeks, and experts say it's going to be an active year. What happens if a tropical storm hits while there's still oil in the gulf waters?
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Tourism Takes a Hit
Federal officials continue to monitor the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The latest projections indicate that, at least for, now the oil seems to be moving away from the Alabama coast. But people who make their living off tourism in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas say it might not matter if oil never hits the state. A lot of damage has already been done. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Protecting the Beaches
BP continues to try to stop the flow from the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil has already come ashore in Louisiana. And other coastal communities are scrambling to prepare. As WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, volunteers in Alabama are taking some low-tech steps to protect the shore.
On The Line: Fixing 280
It's the road you love to hate. But state officials say they have a plan to ease congestion on U.S. 280. Some business leaders like the idea. Local government officials are split on it. And a group of citizens has proposed an alternative plan. Friday (4/30) at noon on WBHM we discuss all this and more during On The Line: Fixing 280.
US 280: Tolling
All this week we've been exploring the debate around a plan to stem congestion on U.S. 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. The proposal from the Alabama Department of Transportation would add elevated lanes to a portion of the route. It would also add tolls to four lanes. But how effective would tolling be? WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Richard Arnott, an urban economist at the University of California, Riverside. Arnott says tolls are one strategy cities use to control congestion. But toll roads are less common within a metropolitan area.
Interview: Fred Schneider of The B-52’s
In the late 1970’s Athens, Georgia didn’t have much to offer in the way of music. One night, a group of friends were hanging out and decided to write a song. After all, it was something to do. A few months later, the B-52s were playing their first gig. Thirty-two years later they’re still making […]
