News
Alabama Schools Chief Michael Sentance Resigns
After one year on the job, State Superintendent of Education Michael Sentance abruptly resigned Wednesday. His contract had been on the agenda for the State Board of Education meeting scheduled for the following day.
Some Irma Evacuees Remain at Talladega Superspeedway
Though most of nearly 200 Irma evacuees from Florida have left Talladega Superspeedway, there are still roughly 60 people in recreational vehicles there.
Hurricane Irma and Alabama
Resources and news items complied by the WBHM news team
School Closures Due to Irma
School closings due to anticipated severe weather from Hurricane Irma
Heading Into the Path of the Storm
As many people flee Hurricane Irma, some are heading right into its path. Irma is barreling towards Florida and is expected to make landfall tomorrow. David Goodwin, with the American Red Cross in Birmingham, headed to Florida to help.
Fleeing Irma: One Family’s Journey From Florida to Alabama
Florida's roadways are clogged with residents trying to flee Hurricane Irma. At least 500,000 residents are under evacuation orders. One Birmingham family makes the drive from Boca Raton to Alabama to stay with family for the next several days.
As Irma Swirls Toward Florida, Alabama Prepares
Alabama appears to be outside of the path of Hurricane Irma, the deadly storm swirling 145-mile-per-hour winds over the Caribbean. But on Wednesday officials with the state Emergency Management Agency said they are preparing for the worst.
The Voice Behind the Crimson Tide? That’s Eli Gold
Meet the man who is the voice behind the Alabama Crimson Tide. Eli Gold has announced games for the Tide on the radio for almost three decades.
Environmental Group Warns of Coal Ash Contamination
Alabama Power recently released coal ash inundation maps, meant to show areas that would be affected if dams around coal-ash storage ponds were to breach. The utility says that’s never happened and there’s no imminent danger. But a local environmental group disagrees.
Blazer Fans Eager for the Return of UAB Football
UAB Football fans are eager for the season to start, the first since the program was revived two years ago.
Will the Return of UAB Football Boost the City’s Bottom Line?
Sports economist Victor Matheson explains the potential economic impact of reviving UAB Football.
Preview of the Birmingham Mayor’s Race: The Woodfin-Bell Divide
The results are in for the Birmingham Municipal Election. But while these numbers don’t lie, they do leave lots of questions
Twists, Fades and Frohawks? Blazer Barbers Have it Covered
UAB Blazers football players don't need to go farther than the locker room for a hair cut. The team has its own barbershop.
State Film Incentives Have Limited Impact in Birmingham
Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West discusses the affect of Alabama's film tax credits eight years after they were implemented.
Roland Martin: ‘Is School Choice The Black Choice?’
Two years ago, Alabama passed a law authorizing charter schools to operate in the state but the concept has been slow to catch on. Alabama has only one charter school so far in Mobile and the state earlier this year approved a second to open in Birmingham. These schools are meant to offer access to better quality public education but many black families have been resistant to the idea. Washington based television host Roland Martin is trying to change that.
All Together Now! Alabamians Try for World’s Largest Rock Band
The Auburn group tried last year to break this record. A total of 850 people participated in that effort. Unbeknownst to them, a group in China outdid them with a 953-member rock band.
The Breakdown: How Woodfin and Bell Fared Around the City
If you want to know how 36-year-old former school board President Randall Woodfin captured the largest percentage of votes in his bid to win out over incumbent Mayor William Bell, just look at the numbers.
Internal City Government Spats Affect Election Outcome
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses the results of Tuesday's municipal elections in Birmingham.
Your Birmingham Election Roundup
WBHM’s city government reporter Sherrel Wheeler Stewart offers an overview of Tuesday's municipal elections in Birmingham.
Birmingham Mayor’s Race Goes to a Runoff
Birmingham Mayor William Bell and challenger Randall Woodfin will head to a runoff. The runoff will take place October 3.
Low Voter Turnout So Far at Some Birmingham Polls
Turnout appears low at several Birmingham polling places as voters go to the polls to elect a mayor, city council and school board.
Has Your Birmingham Polling Place Changed?
Polls open for voting in Birmingham at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, as Birmingham voters cast their ballots for mayor, city council and school board.
Trudy Hunter Wants To Tackle Education, Poverty
For Trudy Hunter, a law school grad and a social worker from southwest Birmingham, this run for the city’s top job has been 10 years in the making. She says she wrestled with God about whether to step out on faith and run.
Patricia Bell Wants a Better City For Future Generations
Patricia Bell, no relation to William Bell, has run for mayor several times. But she isn’t discouraged. She's one of 12 candidates vying for the office in Tuesday's election. The community activist and marketer says the city still needs good leadership.
Innovate Birmingham Aims for a Generational Economic Boost
Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West explains about the new economic initiative Innovate Birmingham.
High Technology Could Solve Solar Mysteries During Eclipse
Cutting-edge imaging technology from a Birmingham nonprofit could take advantage of the August 21 eclipse to solve solar mysteries. The telescopic camera system will fly almost 10 miles high on two revamped bombers that tag-team as they chase the moon's shadow.
SPLC to Secretary of State: Reinstate Inactive Voters by Next Month
The Southern Poverty Law Center on Friday asked Secretary of State John Merrill to reinstate the 340,000 Alabama voters that have been placed on inactive voter lists before the September Senate runoff. Many residents voting in Tuesday’s primary learned for the first time their status had been changed to “inactive.” Poll workers asked them to […]
UAB Opens New Football Offices and Practice Facility
UAB Blazer fans celebrated Friday as university and community leaders cut the ribbon on the football team’s new operations center and Legacy Pavilion. The $22.5 million facility is a major milestone for a program that university officials cut in December 2014, only to revive it six months later after an outcry from alumni and the Birmingham […]
In Birmingham, Debate Over Confederate Monuments Renewed After Charlottesville
Birmingham has a complicated relationship with racism. Some of the most notable events from the Civil Rights era took place in the city. Now, there's renewed debate about the fate of the city's Confederate monuments.
Bell Calls Birmingham’s Revitalizing Neighborhoods the Next Challenge
Birmingham Mayor William Bell has been a Xerox marketer and a probation officer, but since 1979, he’s been somewhere in local government. Voters will decide Tuesday during municipal elections whether he'll continue to serve in his position. After almost eight years as mayor, Bell tells WBHM’s Sherrel Stewart he wants to do it again.
Republicans Prepare for Battle in Senate Runoff
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses this week's U.S Senate primary and next week's municipal election in Birmingham.
State Sues City Over Confederate Monument
The City of Birmingham and its mayor are being sued by the state for allegedly violating an Alabama law that protects historic monuments. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit today after Birmingham Mayor William Bell ordered the construction of a plywood barrier to obscure a Confederate monument in a city park. Alabama law prohibits the removal, […]
