Issues
The XO goes to School
As children at Glen Iris Elementary School in Birmingham head back to school Monday, their backpacks will most likely contain notebooks, pencils and...small laptops. The Glen Iris students are part of a pilot program for the new XO Laptops. Mayor Larry Langford plans on bringing them to other Birmingham city schools this coming year as part of the first large-scale XO Laptop program in America. Despite criticisms these computers are a waste of money and merely toys, the little machines are getting a positive response from educators. WBHM's Katie Turpen reports.
Sewer Split
When it comes to Jefferson County's sewer debt crisis, there's a well-documented split among county commissioners. They've clashed over how to solve the problem, and now they're divided over how to even gather public input about it. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Wilcox County’s Pain at the Pump
We're all feeling the pinch from gas hovering around $4 a gallon these days, but in Alabama's poorest counties the situation is getting dire. The latest nationwide Pain at the Pump Index' finds that just south of Selma, in Wilcox County, residents are spending nearly 16% of their monthly income on fuel. That's the highest percent in the country. We sent WBHM's Tanya Ott down to find out why.
Banking Woes
It's been a sour housing market of late with rising mortgage defaults and consumer debt. And big banks have been feeling the hurt too. Birmingham's Regions Financial reported second quarter profits are down by more than 50% and cut their dividends by an even higher percentage. Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia had losses approaching $9 billion and is cutting more than 6,300 jobs nationwide, including some jobs in Alabama.
Larry Langford Profile
Birmingham mayor Larry Langford is a man on fire and under fire. In his first eight months in office, Langford has proposed nearly $1 billion in new projects including a bid for the 2020 Olympics. But his ability to get some of the projects done is being tested by federal investigations into alleged misdeeds and the mayor's own management style. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Volkswagen Goes to Tennessee
Alabama economic develop officials are understandably glum after news Volkswagen is driving past Alabama as a location for its new U.S. assembly plant. A site in Limestone County had been in the running. But the German automaker announced Tuesday Chattanooga, Tennessee, will get the $1 billion plant and the estimated 2,000 jobs that come with it. It's a rare miss for the state which already has investment from foreign car manufacturers Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Neil Wade, the head of Alabama's Development Office, to gauge his reaction to the announcement.
Realty Check
Playing the numbers game is common when buying or selling a home - but there's one number that can't be avoided when looking at the real estate market.
Career Colleges
Twenty-five years ago, if someone wanted to continue their education after high school, but weren't inclined to attend a conventional college, they might enroll in a trade school. They'd learn shorthand, typing skills, or how to repair car engines and heating and air conditioners. Critics sometimes viewed trade schools as shady storefront 'diploma mills' handing out meaningless certificates along with an inferior education. But, over time, trade schools have morphed into career colleges, and as Les Lovoy reports they've gained a measure of respect .
Strong Girls
Boot camp might work for some juvenile delinquents, but most troubled girls need a lot less shouting and a lot more talking. One alternative is Strong Girls, Alabama's only arts program aimed at female juvenile offenders. Gigi Douban reports.
Chief Roper: The Interview
He's been on the job for eight months, has initiated a zero-tolerance arrest effort to chip away at a culture of lawlessness on the streets, and says his faith tells him to fight the evildoers. The mountain is a steep one, but Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper tells WBHM's Steve Chiotakis the department is marking inroads.
Birmingham City Budget
The Birmingham City Council is expected to look at - and possibly vote on - the city's operating budget that Mayor Larry Langford proposed weeks ago. The council wants to approve the budget by July 1st, when the new fiscal year begins.
Air Quality: Portland
This week we've been talking about Birmingham's air quality: why it's bad on some days and the effect of particle pollutants on your health. We've looked at possible solutions, including 'smart traffic lights' and vehicle emissions testing. Today, we turn our focus to Portland, Oregon, which might seem like a strange choice. But a decade ago that city faced air quality problems like Birmingham's. Reporter Barbara Bernstein explains how Portland turned things around and what new challenges it faces.
Air Quality: On The Line
Birmingham's air quality has improved significantly over the last century. But you wouldn't know it. The area still has problems with smog and other particulate matter, exceeding federal standards. On the next On The Line, Monday June 23 at 6:30 p.m., our guests take your comments and questions about Air Pollution and how to clean up Birmingham.
Air Quality: Emissions
The average price of regular unleaded gas in Alabama is $3.94 a gallon, and that has many people thinking about alternatives. The Birmingham Regional Planning Commission says hundreds of people have signed up for their carpool program, and some businesses are moving to four-day workweeks. All of this could have an impact on the environment. In today's installment in our Air Quality series, reporter Gigi Douban examines vehicle emissions testing in Alabama.
Air Quality: Traffic
When people and businesses think about moving to a city they consider all kinds of things, including air quality and traffic. The two are linked, afterall. More time spent idling at traffic lights means more CO2 emissions. More air pollution. WBHM's Tanya Ott takes us on a road trip.
Air Quality: a history
Birmingham's air quality has improved significantly over the last century. But you wouldn't know it. The area still has problems with smog and other particulate matter, exceeding federal standards. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis harkens back to a time when bad air meant big Birmingham business.
ShotSpotter
For many Birmingham residents, gunfire is a familiar sound especially around holidays... with bullets falling towards rooftops and city streets. In order to combat random gunfire, Birmingham Police recently spent one million dollars of federal grant money to install ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system. WBHM's Colin Quarello takes a closer look at the system and ShotSpotter's effectiveness.
Drought Update – water supply
The latest drought monitor still labels Birmingham and points north and east as in a severe drought, but it is much improved over the exceptional drought that plagued the area months ago. That was when lake levels dropped to historic lows and water restrictions were put in place.
Dan Carsen on Larry Langford
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's recent public expressions of his faith have met with all sorts of reactions, including these thoughts from commentator Dan Carsen...
Langford and Religion
The phrase 'separation of church and state' can be tracked back to a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in 1802. He referred to the First Amendment of the Constitution creating a 'wall of separation' between church and state. But in the South, that wall has always been a wobbly one, with local governments and school districts often ignoring court rulings on religion. In his first six months in office, Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford has blurred the line between church and state, and as Tanya Ott reports, his potent mix of politics and religion may result in another lawsuit.
Alabama Adventure sold
The theme park Alabama Adventure has been sold. Southland Entertainment, which bought the park five years ago for a fraction of what it cost to build, sold the acreage that includes the park, but not adjoining property that it hopes to develop.
Smoking ban legislation
A final push to ban cigarette smoking in many public areas and workplaces is set for Monday, the last day of the regular session of the Alabama Legislature. We hear from both sides of the debate: public health and restaurants who say it unfairly targets them.
It’s Elementary
For filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, her work goes back to her son. It was the mid-90s, he was about to enter kindergarten and she was concerned about the teasing he'd receive because he happens to have two mothers for parents. From her concern developed, It's Elementary , a film Chasnoff produced and directed designed to combat negative stereotypes of gay and lesbian people through education. The film has generated controversy, with some public television stations not airing the program. Some of that controversy in documented in an updated version of the film, It's Still Elementary which plays Wednesday in Birmingham. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Debra Chasnoff.
Severe Storms
People throughout the South are cleaning up today after another round of severe weather stuck the region over the weekend. At least one tornado and severe thunderstorms tore through portions of north and central Alabama, waking people up in the middle of the night with vivid lightning, loud thunder and tornado warning sirens. There are no reports of injuries, but damage has been reported in Marion, Winston, and Cullman counties, with downed trees and power lines in many areas.
Langford Speaks
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford is under a cloud of suspicion lately. Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against him. The S-E-C alleges that Langford accepted money from an investment banker who then got millions of dollars in contracts from the Jefferson County Commission, while Langford was a commissioner. Speculation abounds about the possibility of criminal charges. Mayor Langford sat down the WBHM's Tanya Ott to talk about the allegations and his response.
Construction Merger
Construction giant KBR, formerly known as Kellogg Brown and Root, announced today plans to buy Birmingham-based BE&K. The $550 million dollar deal would match the largest contractor for the US Army with one of Birmingham's largest companies. This announcement is just one of recent mergers to affect the Birmingham area. WBHM's Colin Quarello spoke with Professor Larry Harper from Samford University about what the deal means for Birmingham.
Alabama Sales Tax on Food
Alabama lawmakers are on overdrive to wrap up this year's legislative session. Despite a May 19th deadline, many bills remain unresolved including one which could mean some extra cash at the grocery store. Alabama is one of just two states which charge the full state sales tax on groceries without some kind of offset for low-income families. A bill that could eliminate the state sales tax on food is stalled in the senate. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Free Bus Rides
The price of oil topped $121 a barrel, suggesting the price we pay at the pump will continue to climb as well. That's part of the reason behind Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's proposal to eliminate fares on city buses this summer. So with gasoline prices on the rise, would free buses make a difference?
SEC Charges Mayor Langford
This afternoon, the U-S Securities and Exchange Commission charged Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and two of his friends in a scheme involving county municipal bonds. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
High School Drop Out Rates
A new report says Alabama's high school dropout rate is the number one threat to the state's long-term economic growth. Although the dropout rate has remained relatively constant over the past quarter century, a high school diploma is becoming more important, especially in the metro Birmingham area, where the service sector has replaced manufacturing. And as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, the lack of a high school degree costs individuals and the state.
Marriage and Immigration
In Alabama, there's a new battle brewing in the immigration debate. Some counties have begun enforcing a decade-old law which requires a social security number before a marriage license can be issued. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Baseball’s Black History
It was a time of separate and not-so equal. In society and baseball. Those days, the first half of the 20th century, featured African-American baseball teams from around the country, including Birmingham. As the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute gets ready to pay tribute to Negro Leaguers, WBHM's Steve Chiotakis talked with two former Black Barons, Shortstop Roger Brown and Outfielder James Jake Sanders.
