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Gas Leak Cleanup Going Well, Bentley Says
Colonial Pipeline, the company that owns and operates the gas pipeline, has deployed roughly 700 people to clean up about 300,000 gallons of gas. It spilled into a pond near Helena.
Picture Not Quite as Rosy for Law School Grads
Law school graduates seem to be in an enviable position. They're on the way to a solid job with good pay and a prestigious career. That rosy picture though has tarnished somewhat. We hear about it in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Gasoline Could Flow Again this Week Along Leaking Shelby County Pipeline
Colonial Pipeline says it is constructing a temporary pipeline that will bypass a leaking section of its main gasoline pipeline in Shelby County. According to Al.com, Colonial says it could restart the pipeline through the bypass sometime this week.
Birmingham Leaders Want Civil Rights Sites Declared National Park
Leaders in Birmingham, Alabama want President Obama to declare the city's civil rights district a National Historical Park. Many notable events from the civil rights era took place in Birmingham including the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church where four black girls were killed by Ku Klux Klansman
From CIA to United Way: Weld for B’ham on Diverse Agencies
This week, CIA Director John Brennan met with Birmingham City School students as part of a self-described crusade to make the agency more diverse. That’s one story in the latest Weld For Birmingham. Editor Nick Patterson joins us most Thursdays to discuss Weld's top stories. He tells WBHM’s Dan Carsen about Brennan's visit, and about Weld’s cover story on the United Way and area nonprofit groups.
A Moratorium on Travel by Birmingham City Officials
Birmingham city officials often travel on trips related to their jobs. When those trips are for the public's benefit, they travel on the taxpayer's dime. But travel by the Birmingham City Council and the mayor's office has been scrutinized as excessive and with unclear returns. Travel became a flashpoint at this week's city council meeting and Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says it a perfect time to institute a moratorium on travel.
After 35 Years, ASO Musician Proud to Call Birmingham Home
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra features 53 full-time musicians from all over the world, each with a unique story. Kevin Kozak moved to Birmingham 35 years ago to join the group and currently plays 2nd horn. Mary Scott Hodgin speaks with Kevin about his journey to Alabama and why he has remained with the ASO for […]
Paddling Prevalent In Alabama Schools, South
One of the purposes in collecting this information is to determine if disciplinary polices are being used to discriminate. All the data so far tells us that black children are punished more harshly for the same offenses that white children commit.
CIA Director Visits Birmingham City School Students
Today Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan spoke to dignitaries and more than 50 high school students at Birmingham City Schools’ Central Office. His main goal was to get Birmingham students interested in careers at the CIA. He also acknowledged the CIA’s lack of diversity. “We need to have people from all different backgrounds and experiences,” he […]
Into White
Author Randi Pink knows her debut novel will ruffle feathers. It’s about a black student at a predominately white high school in Alabama. She prays to be turned white and it happens.
Where Clinton and Trump Stand on Business Issues
We’re less than 60 days from the presidential election. It’s been a roller coaster of a campaign already between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. But there are issues beneath the headlines and we look at some of the issues of importance to the business community in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Miss Alabama Competes Sunday for the Miss America Crown
This Sunday is the big day for Miss Alabama Hayley Barber as she competes for Miss America crown. T
State Board Approves Contract For New Superintendent Michael Sentance
Alabama’s new school superintendent Michael Sentance starts work Monday with annual salary and benefits of about $240,000. But the vote to approve his contract came with controversy over how the search was handled.
Special Session Ends with No Lottery and 2-year Fix for Medicaid
Alabama lawmakers are home again after wrapping up a special session on Wednesday. It’s a special session that began with Governor Robert Bentley wanting legislators to set up a lottery with the proceeds benefiting Medicaid and other general fund agencies. It ended with two lottery proposals dead and lawmakers using money from the BP oil spill settlement to fill financial gaps. To help us review the special session is Don Dailey. He’s host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television.
Weld for B’ham on Living Beyond the Headlines, West of I-65
When you hear “Ensley,” or “Brighton,” or “West End,” what comes to mind? Many people who work, live, and raise families on the west side of Birmingham want you to know there’s more to life there than the crime and other problems that fill so many news reports.
A New Building for Cooper Green Could be on the Way
Jefferson County's indigent healthcare system, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, could be on its way to a new facility. Cooper Green transitioned from being a hospital to an outpatient clinic in 2013, but county officials say the former hospital building is expensive to keep up and they'd be better off with a new building. On Wednesday, the county commission voted in support of that idea. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about the significance of the move and about a Birmingham Water Works Board contract that's drawing scrutiny.
Lawsuit Says Alabama Appellate Court Elections Violate Voting Rights Act
The civil rights group Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Alabama NAACP and four individuals challenging how Alabama elects appellate judges. The suit alleges the at-large elections violate the Voting Rights Act.
An ITT Teacher on the Human Side of Today’s Shutdown
ITT Technical Institutes are part of a national chain of for-profit colleges with three campuses in Alabama, including one in Bessemer. Or, they were. The Indiana-based company shut down all their campuses across the country today.
A New Direction for Birmingham’s Largest Public Housing Complex
Picture public housing and a certain image comes to mind. Typically, it is one of poverty, where hundreds of people live in a low-income neighborhood. Birmingham’s Housing Authority is hoping to re-shape this picture by re-developing Loveman Village, the city’s largest public housing complex. The idea is to build new apartments and diversify the area, but ultimately, the hope is to change the perception of public housing.
What Birmingham’s Music Festivals Could Mean for Business
As Labor Day unofficially marks the end of summer, this week's Magic City Marketplace looks at why Birmingham's music festivals hold relevance for the business community.
The Junction: Oasis Gardens Ensley
In an alley in downtown Ensley, Hank Layman is transforming a parking lot into something that’s been missing from the community for years: a garden.
Why Is It So Hard to Recycle Glass in Alabama?
Glass is a part of our daily lives. It’s in our refrigerators and our cabinets. We eat off it. We drink out of it. It’s everywhere. Everywhere but in our recycling bins, and that’s because the majority of waste services in Alabama don’t recycle glass. But that’s not the case at the Alabama Environmental Council’s […]
Birmingham Considering Spanish-English Charter School
The Spanish immersion dual-language school would be the first charter school of its kind in Alabama.
Living in Birmingham and Liking it — 30 Years On
UAB students started classes this week. But for students stepping onto campus 30 years ago in 1986, they had the opportunity to take a class that might sound a little odd. The course was called "Living in Birmingham and Liking it." Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald ran across this tidbit recently. He reflects on it and on Birmingham's changes over the last three decades.
Paralympic Athlete Josh Roberts Going for Gold in Rio
Most of us expect to sweat when we get hot, but imagine if you couldn’t? This condition affects many people with spinal cord injuries – like Roberts.
McNolia’s in Five Points South Closes After 32 Years
Owner Earl Capellen explains why now is the time to walk away from the Birmingham Southside landmark in operation since 1984.
Alabama lottery bill dies in Special Session
The proposed Constitutional amendment died Friday (Aug. 26), when Senators voted not to concur with changes made by the Alabama House of Representatives and give the bill final approval.
Birmingham’s Climate for High-growth Companies
The idea of starting or growing a business is pretty straightforward – an entrepreneur takes money and through hard work develops products or services to bring to the marketplace. But not all marketplaces are equal. This week in Magic City Marketplace we have some perspective on how well Birmingham is for entrepreneurs and companies trying to scale up quickly.
What it’s Like Being “Out in Alabama”
Alabama native and 31-year-old Joshua Glenn talks about his role in the film and its significance to the LGBT people in Birmingham and the South.
The Junction: Sebastian Kole
Birmingham native Sebastian Kole spoke with producer Mary Quintas about his connection to Ensley, how it informs his music, and the positive changes he sees in the community.
Remembering “Street James”
A public memorial for James Griffin was held at Urban Standard in downtown Birmingham. He was homeless and beloved by many people throughout the city. He was found dead under Caraway Boulevard on August 17.
How to Avoid Being the Victim of Violent Crime
Recent studies show that violent crime is on the rise in America, and 2016 homicide numbers in Birmingham are on pace with last year, the highest number of homicides the city has seen since 2008. But does this mean you have a higher chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime?
