News
Alabama City Passes Transgender Bathroom Law that Carries Jail Time
An east Alabama city wants to send people to jail for not using public restrooms corresponding with their biological sex. It’s the latest move in an ongoing battle over transgender rights in the United States. The city council of Oxford, just east of Birmingham, has passed a law preventing transgender residents and visitors from using public restrooms […]
Remembering April 27: From Devastation Comes New Purpose
One Alabama woman dove head first into the relief effort after the tornado outbreak in April 2011. Her group, Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa, took off overnight, organizing aid for displaced residents and other emergency responders. But while helping others pick up the pieces to their lives, her personal life was crumbling.
Remembering April 27: Pratt City Sees Progress, Setbacks
Walk around Pratt City, a northern Birmingham neighborhood, and you’ll see rolling hills and meet proud residents. But you’ll also see many vacant lots, reminders of a tornado that struck five years ago this week. It was part of a tornado outbreak that killed more than 250 people statewide. The community has rebuilt, but there’s still a lot of be done. Five years later, some residents think the recovery is taking far too long.
Remembering April 27: Cordova Recovery Means Unease
This week marks the fifth anniversary of a massive tornado outbreak that killed more than 250 people across Alabama. Since those storms on April 27, 2011, communities have been slowly rebuilding. Two tornados tore through the town of Cordova, northwest of Birmingham. Five years later, some residents feel uneasy about the change.
Birmingham Housing Market Tilts to Sellers
The housing market is cyclical as are so many things in business. After a housing-led recession and recovery, the Birmingham housing market is becoming a sellers market with far more demand than homes to go around. But the adage "location, location, location" still applies. Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West explains in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Investment in Alabama Doubled in 2015, Report Finds
A report out today from state officials shows Alabama attracted more than $7 billion in investments and added nearly 20,000 new jobs last year.
School Funding In Alabama: A View From Sumter County
In more affluent districts, local property tax revenue makes a big difference for schools. But in rural Sumter County, which is mostly farms and timberland, there isn’t much to tax. It’s also hard to raise rates on what is there.
North Alabama Residents Sue 3M Over Drinking Water Contamination
Safe drinking water is an issue that’s been playing out from Parkersburg, West Virginia to Hoosick Falls, New York. It’s a question many courts are taking on. Among the most recent is in North Alabama, where residents and a water authority are suing 3M, maker of products from Scotchgard to Post-It Notes in connection with toxins in the water supply. The EPA is expected to release new guidelines on safe levels this spring. Meanwhile, the fight is on over who might foot the bill if a cleanup is in order.
Ala. Legislature Passes Ed Budget, Teacher Pay Raise
The Alabama state legislature today approved an education budget and a teacher pay raise. Conference committees approved the measures Thursday afternoon and Governor Robert Bentley has indicated his support. Assuming he signs the legislation, teachers and other educators making less than $75,000 per year, plus all principals and assistant principals, will get a four percent raise in fiscal […]
Raising Poultry Increasingly a “Raw Deal” for Alabama Farmers
Poultry production has risen in the past several decades. It's now a more than $45 billion industry in the U.S. Alabama is located in the heart of what’s considered the agricultural “chicken belt” of America. In 2013, Alabama farms produced roughly 1 billion chickens. While that may make it sound like the state's poultry farming economy is healthy, farmers tell a different story. Every one of Alabama’s chickens is produced by contract famers, and some of these farmers tell the weekly newspaper WELD that they’re getting a raw deal.
Lawsuit Could Reveal Details Around Bentley Scandal
The scandal around Governor Robert Bentley took a new legal turn this week. Former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Director Spencer Collier, who accused the governor of an affair with a top advisor, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Bentley. The governor says he fired Collier for cause and that he'll aggressively defend the lawsuit. We talk about that and other developments around this scandal with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
“The Faith of Christopher Hitchens”
Christopher Hitchens and Larry Taunton seem unlikely candidates to be friends. Hitchens was a writer and avowed atheist who died of esophageal cancer in 2011. Taunton is the founder of the Birmingham-based Fixed Point Foundation. It’s an evangelical Christian organization that has sponsored debates with prominent atheists. It’s through this work the two met and became friends. Larry Taunton is out with a book called “The Faith of Christopher Hitchens: The Restless Soul of the World’s Most Notorious Atheist”
A Trip to Las Vegas Could Mean Trouble for Governor Bentley
There’s a new twist in the feud between Governor Robert Bentley and former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency head, Spencer Collier; a trip to Las Vegas could put Bentley in hot water with campaign finance law and a look at the state’s lack of oversight on religious daycare centers. The latest from AL.com’s Kyle Whitmire.
Commentary: Not Easy to Find “Home” with Birmingham’s Redlining History
In the 1930’s, the Federal Housing Authority practiced "redlining," denying services to people in certain areas based on racial or ethnic makeup. This mostly discriminated against black, inner city neighborhoods. In Alabama, Birmingham was no exception. The echoes of redlining can still be heard today, especially when young black families start house shopping. In this commentary, young adult author and WBHM staffer Randi Revill shares her thoughts on searching for home among Birmingham’s silent but ongoing racial division. Revill's first novel, "Into White," comes out this Fall.
Spencer Collier Suing Governor Robert Bentley
The former secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is suing Governor Robert Bentley and others for wrongful termination and defamation of character. Spencer Collier filed a suit today, April 19, against Bentley, his former top adviser Rebekah Mason, and current ALEA Secretary Stan Stabler. The suit includes Bentley’s 501c4 the Alabama Council for Excellent […]
A Tour of Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell
Alabama has a rich folk history, full of songs, stories and primitive arts and crafts. For years, the Alabama Folk School has brought them to life through a year-round teaching program at Camp McDowell, the camp and conference center for the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. The Alabama Folk School recently appointed a new director, and Camp McDowell itself has seen some major changes and renovations in the past year.
WBHM Wins Seven Regional Murrow Awards
Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM has won seven 2016 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). WBHM’s competition region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The awards recognize the best electronic journalism produced by radio, television and online news organizations around the world. RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements […]
Hospitals see Changes in Alabama’s Certificate of Need Process
If you don't work in the healthcare industry, you might not be familiar with Alabama's Certificate of Need process. It's bureaucratic, often with mounds of paperwork and legal fees, but it determines what healthcare facilities get built in the state. And in some cases, which ones are blocked. We hear about the process and some changes in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
This Week in the Legislature: Cannabidiol Oil, Teacher Pay Raises and Bentley Impeachment
There are only eight more meeting days left in Alabama’s 2016 Legislative Session, and the Alabama State House saw a burst of activity this week. For an update from Montgomery, we talk with Don Dailey, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. To start, Dailey tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley about Leni’s Law, a bill the house passed Wednesday that would criminalize a specific marijuana oil in a bid to help people coping with debilitating seizures. It’s named for Leni Young, a girl and former Alabama resident who suffers from a seizure disorder.
Alabama House Could Vote to Form Impeachment Committee
The Alabama House of Representatives is expected to vote next week to establish a 15-person investigatory committee to probe the possible impeachment of Governor Robert Bentley.
South Alabama Lawmaker’s Job Raises Ethics Questions
Alabama has a part-time legislature meaning lawmakers have jobs and careers outside of their time in Montgomery. That means conflicts of interest can arise depending on how state laws are written or public money spent. One case involving a Baldwin County Republican, Representative Randy Davis, has caught Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald's attention. He talks about the situation and the Birmingham City Council's failure to resend a pay increase.
State House Committee Approves Bill Making Changes to Birmingham Mayor-Council Act
Wednesday morning a bill that would make changes to the city of Birmingham’s Mayor-Council Act was approved by the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation committee 10-3, with 5 abstentions.
Alabama Women Paid Significantly Less than Men
A new study finds that women in Alabama are paid significantly less than men.
AG Strange: New EPA Rule Would Hurt Alabama’s Racing Economy
Alabama is joining eight other states petitioning the federal government to drop a proposal banning the modification of street vehicles into off-road race cars. Attorney General Luther Strange announced he is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to drop a proposed change to the Clean Air Act. The new rule would forbid the modification of […]
Sen. Cam Ward On Bill to Thwart Inappropriate Teacher-Student Contact
Recent reports have referred to Alabama as "ground zero" for incidents of teacher-student sex. Whether that's fair or not, most agree there's a serious problem. So state senator Cam Ward of Alabaster has sponsored a bill to mandate an hour of training for educators on appropriate teacher-student interaction in the age of social media.
Primary Runoff Voter Guide 2016
Voters go back to the polls April 12 to determine the nominees in several races that were undecided after the March 1 primary. For races in which no candidate got half of the votes or more, the top two candidates will compete for the nomination.
WBHM’s New Spring 2016 Tote Bag, Designed by Beth Conklin
Birmingham artist Beth Conklin’s design is featured on the tote bag for the Spring 2016 Fund Drive. Hear Conklin describe the design and encourage you to support WBHM. The tote bag is available as a thank-you gift beginning at $15/month as a sustaining member or a one-time gift of $180. Make your gift HERE.
Kim Graham: Spring 2016 Pint Glass
Birmingham artists Kim Graham Smith’s design is featured on the pint glass for the Spring 2016 Fund Drive. Hear Smith describe the design and encourage you to support WBHM. The pint glass is available as a thank-you gift beginning at $7.50/month as a sustaining member or a one-time give of $90. Make your gift HERE. […]
What the Bentley Scandal Means for Economic Development
The scandal surrounding Governor Robert Bentley’s alleged affair with a former top advisor has grabbed attention from CNN to the New York Times to the Washington Post. With that national media attention, some Bentley opponents in the legislature have suggested his troubles have hurt the state’s economic development efforts. We explore that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
This Week in the Legislature: Bentley Impeachment Articles, Medicaid and More
The scandal surrounding Governor Robert Bentley took a new turn this week when a legislator filed articles of impeachment against the governor. Bentley’s been under fire since allegations of an affair with his former chief advisor surfaced last month. But that’s not all happening in Montgomery. As the 2016 legislative session moves into its final days, Don Dailey of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television say lawmakers have a lot on their plates. Dailey’s the host , and he tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley what’s next for the legislature and the embattled governor.
Problems, Protests Continue at Etowah County Detention Center
Protesters gathered again last weekend at the Etowah County Detention Center, one of the nation's most notorious holding pens. The center houses immigration detainees awaiting possible deportation. It's been under fire in recent years for poor conditions and treatment of prisoners, and some even engaged in a hunger strike last year.
Arc Stories: April 2016 Edition
Stories about serving, giving and the greater community. A young man commits himself to giving back to his community by serving the less fortunate; a father convinces his kids to give away all their Christmas presents to a needy family; and one man benefits from the generosity of strangers in a very cool way. (Originally […]
