News
State: Closing 15 ABC Stores Will Save Money
The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board says it's shutting down 15 state-owned liquor stores to save money. The agency announced the cuts late Thursday as a way to cope with a $5.5 million reduction in funding from the state operating budget.
Black Belt Residents not Happy as State Closes Satellite Driver’s License Offices
Rural Alabama residents are not happy state law enforcement closed 31 satellite driver's license offices Wednesday. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says the closures were due to an eleven million dollar cut in the new budget that went into effect Thursday. While drivers can still renew their license in most counties, they’ll have to travel further to get a new one. Particularly hard hit is the Black Belt, which is one of the poorest regions in the state.
New Orleans’ Posh Academy Helps LGBT Students Complete GED
In it’s series Back On Track, the Southern Education Desk looks at a program in New Orleans that supports some of those students as they work toward a high school degree. The program called Posh Academy, is part of BreakOut, a non profit addressing issues of LBGT youth. WWNO’s Mallory Falk spoke with some of the students, including 23-year-old Lhundyn Fernandez.
Driver’s License Offices Closures Could Affect Voting
Governor Robert Bentley warned there would be cuts to state services if lawmakers didn’t pass enough new revenue measures for the budget that goes into effect Thursday. The budget includes some new money but still cuts many agencies about 6-percent. As a result state law enforcement announced Wednesday examiners will no longer travel to 31 part-time satellite driver’s license offices. It’s a move that some worry could affect voting. We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Federal Judge: Police Pepper-Spraying Birmingham Students for Discipline Is Unconstitutional
Between 2006 and 2011, police officers patrolling Birmingham City Schools pepper-sprayed students more than a hundred times. But late Thursday, U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon ruled the practice unconstitutional.
Law Enforcement Agency Pulls Examiners out of Drivers License Offices
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said it is pulling examiners out of 31 part-time satellite drivers license offices because of budget cuts. The agency made the announcement Wednesday. The examiners currently travel to the locations during some days of the week. The agency said the change will save money on travel costs. Secretary Spencer Collier says the impact on citizens will be lessened because of online renewals and other options.
Back on Track: Donna Dukes And Sernitria Bell
High school graduates earn about $10,000 more each year than dropouts. And they’ll be less likely to end up in jail, or even suffer some preventable diseases, studies show. But what if students could get back on track before an academic plunge dooms them to a life of less than? The Southern Education Desk, in […]
Court Fees Increasingly a Bad Deal for Alabama
If you don't pay a traffic ticket on time – or you lose in court – you may end up paying a hefty court fee in addition to the fine. In some cases, those fees in Birmingham bring the bill to up 10 times the original ticket. Over the years, the Legislature has raised court fees to cover the costs of running the system. And many people think this is a bad idea.
The Future of U.S. Steel
What remains of Birmingham’s steel industry took a major hit this summer when U.S. Steel announced it would be idling its blast furnace in Fairfield. About 1,100 workers were laid off. Thousands of more workers have lost jobs there through the decades, but U.S. Steel is trying to stay ahead in a very competitive economy. That’s where we start this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Study Centers and Counselors Give Student-Athletes Academic Support
Football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics. College sports are a way of life in the South. Fans pack into stadiums or glue themselves to TV's to watch their favorite teams battle it out. But the pressure on a young person to succeed on the field or court is only half the battle. College athletes are also expected to succeed in the classroom.
NAACP Asks for Jefferson County Courthouse Murals to be Removed
Members of the Jefferson County Commission say they’ll address a petition by the local NAACP chapter and other groups calling for the removal of two murals in the courthouse. This latest push comes in the wake of the killings of nine African Americans at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, that sparked a debate over symbols of the Confederacy throughout the South.
Alabama Charges More Women for Chemical Endangerment of Children than Any Other State
In August of 2014, Casey Shehi gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Gadsden regional medical center. But a few days later, she was later arrested for chemical engagement of a child. She was confused at first, until she remembered she took two anti-anxiety pills during her pregnancy. It’s part of a growing trend. In the last few years, authorities have aggressively prosecuted women for prenatal drug use. A joint investigation between ProPublica and AL.com found that Alabama prosecutes more pregnant and new mothers for this than any other state. Al.com's Amy Yurkanin reported the story with ProPublica’s Nina Martin. She tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley how this all started.
Arc Stories: September 2015 Edition
Stories include a man trying to do the right things when society is telling him otherwise; one man’s conflict within his own making; a young girl impersonating someone of a different race and gender; and a father trying to keep up appearances in front of his daughter. (Originally aired September 24, 2015 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
Emails Paint House Speaker as Eager to Make Money off his Office
Political observers have been watching the lead up to Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard's corruption trial in periodic salvos tossed from both sides. Hubbard is scheduled to go on trial next year accused of using his public office for personal gain. The latest bomb blast comes from prosecutors and they're emails from Hubbard that Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says paint the speaker as the worst kind of politician.
Athletes And Schools Tackle Tougher NCAA Academic Requirements for Potential D1 Players
When it comes to Division I football, Southern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana, produce the largest number of recruits per capita. New NCAA rules take effect for college athletes next fall. A 2.0 GPA and a decent ACT score won’t be enough anymore. To avoid the bench, freshmen will have to come in with a 2.3 GPA in core classes — reading, math, science, and social studies. And players in high school — where standards are generally lower — are feeling it.
Alabama Auto Workers Say “Yes” to Joining Union
The United Auto Workers Union scored a major victory Wednesday in Piedmont, Alabama where workers at truck seat manufacturer CVG voted in favor of joining the union. The company says it has been responsive to employee concerns, and invested millions to improve working conditions. But that wasn’t enough.
What Ever Happened to Artur Davis?
What ever happened to former Congressman Artur Davis? Once seen as a rising star in the Democratic party, he’s now struggling to get back to the Democratic party itself, after briefly defecting to the Republican party. Also, is the Alabama Ethics Commission relevant anymore? WBHM’s Michael Krall talked about all this with Kyle Whitmire, state political columnist […]
Dissecting Alabama’s General Fund Budget
The state’s new budget year starts October 1 and agency leaders have to figure out how to work within the austere general fund budget passed by lawmakers in a special session last week. The budget provides level funding to key departments such as prisons, Medicaid, law enforcement, and mental health. Most others face cuts of at least 6 percent. For an overview we turn to Thomas Spencer, a senior research associate at the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. PARCA is a nonpartisan think tank focused on Alabama government.
College Athletes Talk Tensions Between Sports and Academics
Across the South, college football is in full swing. But football is just one of dozens of NCAA sports. In any season, student-athletes are pushing themselves on the field, in the gym, and in the classroom. They get scholarships and generate billions of dollars, but they also get hurt and struggle with their studies on […]
Voices from Birmingham’s History: Flooding Along Village Creek in Ensley
Birmingham is in a valley, resting at the foothills of the Appalachians. The city’s creeks collect water running down from the mountains and filter it through the floodplains. Last week, WBHM reported on developers today taking a new interest in the 1925 Olmsted Plan for parks and green space in Birmingham. The Olmsted Plan preserved the city's major tributaries, specifically those of Village and Valley Creek.
Daughters and the CEO
Women make up half the world, but men still dominate in the business world. That's particularly true when it comes to executive positions. While women certainly have made progress, one factor in their efforts may be unexpected -- the daughters of executives. We explain in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Journalist Pamela Newkirk on the Astonishing Life of Ota Benga
The 1904 Saint Louis World's fair is best known to Birminghamians as the place where Vulcan debuted, before moving to his permanent home on Red Mountain. But it was also host to an exhibit displaying thousands of humans from around the world. Among them was a young Congolese man named Ota Benga. He was captured by former missionary Samuel Phillips Verne and brought to America for the exhibit. Benga's story is the subject of the new book Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga by journalist Pamela Newkirk. She told WBHM’s Rachel Lindley about Ota Benga’s life, and the cultural mindset that led to his captivity.
Legislator or Lobbyist
State lawmakers wrapped up a second special session Wednesday night, one that resolves a more than $200 million shortfall in the general fund budget. Despite the extra meeting time Alabama does have a part-time legislature and sometimes a lawmaker’s professional life conflicts with his or her public service. Governing bodies draft rules to mitigate those conflicts. But Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says the way the state is apply some of those rules makes for open season on the very idea of ethics.
Education Budget Cuts, Cigarette Tax, and Winners and Losers
The second special session of the Alabama Legislature could soon be in the books with a combination of cuts to the education budget and a cigarette tax. That combination avoids some funding cuts to state agencies — Medicaid, corrections, mental health, human resources and the court system are all expected to be level funded. But […]
University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Committee Backs Contract for UAB Football Coach
Members of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees compensation committee approved a new five-year contract for head UAB football coach Bill Clark Wednesday. UAB President Ray Watts said Clark would remain the Blazers’ coach when Watts announced the team’s reinstatement in June but an agreement did not come for more than three months.
Season Opener! Carlos Izcaray Leads the Alabama Symphony Orchestra
This weekend, newly appointed Music Director Carlos Izcaray conducts the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in a program featuring both modern and romantic works. Izcaray (pronounced “eez-ca-RYE”) spoke with WBHM’s Michael Krall about the program, his management style, and about how audiences might approach a modern, contemporary work. The conversation began with Izcaray talking about why he moved his […]
Birmingham School Board Approves Application to Authorize Charter Schools
"In an effort to be a player in this process, we really needed to become an authorizer, so that anyone who is interested in moving forward with a charter school application would have to first come to the school district,” Dr. Kelley Castlin-Gacutan .
After Almost 100 Years, Birmingham’s Olmsted Park Plan Sees New Life
With the success of Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham, the city’s seen increased support for more public green spaces. As the city develops new parks and trails for Birmingham residents, leaders are taking lessons from the city’s history, including seeking advice from a park plan published almost a century ago.
Previewing Week Two of Alabama’s Second Special Session
The second week of Alabama's second special session begins today, and many questions remain. The new fiscal year starts October 1. Alabama Public Television's Don Dailey joins Troy Public Radio’s Carolyn Hutcheson to discuss the upcoming week and the possibility of a budget emerging from the Senate this Friday.
A New Leader for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Tuesday Birmingham will mark the 52 anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which killed 4 girls and helped galvanize support for passage of the Civil Rights Act. For staff at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, they’ll note this anniversary under new leadership. Andrea Taylor began as the new president and CEO of the institute last week.
Here’s What Happened This Week During the Second Special Session
Alabama House Republicans have done something they probably never imagined they'd do — vote to raise taxes. We have an update now on the special legislative session underway. Alabama Public Television's Don Dailey tells Troy Public Radio's Carolyn Hutcheson about the most recent action in Montgomery.
House Approves 25-Cent Cigarette Tax Increase
The House of Representatives, in a series of tight votes Thursday, approved a 25-cent cigarette tax increase and other revenue bills as a plan to help close a budget gap slowly inched forward.
