News
A Snapshot of the Convention and Event Business
Birmingham did not win the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Nor has it hosted an NCAA basketball tournament game in years. But players in Birmingham's tourism and convention industry are working to keep a steady stream of events through the city. We have a snapshot of that industry in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Capitol Journal Update: Same-Sex Marriage, Charter Schools and the Electric Chair
The Alabama House of Representatives has approved legal protections for those refusing to marry gay or other couples. Supporters say it will protect judges and others from having to violate their personal beliefs, those against it say it will lead to discrimination. Alabama Public Television's Don Dailey updates us on that bill, plus more from the state legislature.
John Archibald: Leaving the Birmingham Schools Behind
The Birmingham City School District has seen a steady decline of students from a peak of about 75,000 to only about 25,000 now. It's no secret many families with school-aged children left the school system through the years, often moving to suburban districts that are seen as having better schools. The move holds extra significance when the family involved is that of a Birmingham City Councilman.
Nick Patterson: Alabama Middle School Students Visit Selma
Thousands gathered in Selma last weekend to commemorate the 50th anniversary of voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery. Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, tells the story of several Birmingham middle school students who made the journey to Selma. Plus an update on proposed construction at Oak Mountain State Park.
Kyle Whitmire: Selma Boos Bentley and Remembering Gene Edelman
Thousands of people gathered in Selma last weekend to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery. President Barack Obama spoke, along with Georgia Congressman John Lewis and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley. But, as Alabama Media Group Political commentator Kyle Whitmire explains, Bentley's reception was less than warm. Whitmire also talks Gene "The Bean Counter" Edelman and Alabama education.
Recovering Heroin Addict Brad Blount On A Dark Time, And How He Escaped It
Heroin use is on the rise in Alabama. And contrary to old stereotypes, it doesn't respect race, class, or neighborhood boundaries. Brad Blount of Vestavia Hills is proof. He's from a solid family in that well-heeled suburb, but the 24-year-old tells WBHM's Dan Carsen that despite it all, his life took a dark turn.
Magic City Marketplace: A Long Time Coming
Much has been written about the investment and nightlife along Second Avenue North in Birmingham as a sign of the city center's rising fortune. But the area's comeback isn't just a post-recession story. And it's one economic development leaders hope isn't done. We talk about that in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Capitol Journal Update: 2015 Session Off And Running
Alabama lawmakers are off and running now that this year's regular session is underway. The first week began with the governor's State of the State Address. Meanwhile, legislators are already tangling over some high-profile bills. We hear details from Alabama Public Television's Don Dailey.
A Letter From Selma, 50 Years Later
Saturday, March 7 is the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. That's when police beat marches trying to walk from Selma to Montgomery in support of voting rights. While people look back at Selma 50 years ago, the weekly newspaper WELD has published a letter written just 11 days after Bloody Sunday. It offers a unique insight into what some of the people in Selma thought about those events as they unfolded. WELD editor Nick Patterson reads from the letter, which he says "offers a pretty significant glimpse into the mind of one particular facet of the community in Selma."
John Archibald: Latest Order in Gay Marriage Debate
Alabama probate judges are again in the crosshairs after a state supreme court order Tuesday telling them not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. This is in opposition to a federal judge's ruling overturning Alabama's ban on gay marriage. We talk about the situation and emails in the Speaker Mike Hubbard corruption case with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Trisha Powell Crain On State Supreme Court Upholding Alabama Accountability Act
The Alabama Accountability Act has been controversial since the night it passed the state legislature in 2013. What started as a school flexibility bill morphed into a way to give tax credits and scholarships to students to attend other public schools and private schools. But late Monday the state Supreme Court upheld the law. WBHM's Dan Carsen caught up with Alabama School Connection writer Trisha Powell Crain to talk it over. Crain starts with a brief overview of the Act, and some concerns.
Remembering The Death That Sparked The Selma Marches
This week marks the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day police in Alabama beat marchers going from Selma to Montgomery in support of voting rights. Less well-known is the violent confrontation that sparked the Selma marches. It happened a few weeks earlier during a demonstration in Marion, a small town near Selma. A black civil rights activist named Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot and killed.
TEDx Birmingham 2015: Move Mountains
This weekend, TEDx Birmingham featured the chance to hear individuals sharing their experiences and passions. WBHM's Michael Krall and Will Dahlberg attended TEDx Birmingham and share their thoughts.
INTERVIEW: State Senator Del Marsh On New Charter School Bill
Charter schools are public schools exempt from many of the curriculum and staffing rules that apply to standard schools. But to stay open, charters are supposed to meet achievement goals spelled out in their charter contract. Alabama is one of eight states that does not allow charter schools, but that could change soon. After failing to pass a charter bill in 2012, Republican lawmakers are trying again in the session that's starting today, March 3, 2015. WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen caught up with Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, the charter bill's sponsor. He says being late to the game is actually an advantage.
Magic City Marketplace: Hospitals Set to Merge
Hospitals around Birmingham are preparing for a major shift in the healthcare marketplace -- the proposed merger of Baptist Health System and Brookwood Medical Center. That deal could close as soon as next month and would combine two big players in Birmingham healthcare. Thats where we start in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Interview: Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Mr. Spock on Star Trek has died at the age of 83. In 2009, WBHM's Michael Krall interviewed Nimoy who came to Birmingham to give a lecture about his photography. While there were plenty regarding his photography, along way Nimoy took time to talk about his role as Mr. Spock.
The General Fund Budget Pie
State lawmakers will gather in Montgomery Tuesday to kick off this year's legislative session. One of the biggest issues they face is how to make up for a projected shortfall in the General Fund budget. There are no easy fixes.
Lingering Ice and Snow Closes or Delays Schools
Lingering ice and snow from Wednesday's winter storm has some schools, particularly in north Alabama, closed or delayed Friday
The 2015 Alabama Legislative Session Kicks off on Tuesday
The 2015 Alabama legislative session kicks off on Tuesday. From prisons to the state's budget deficit to education, this year's session will be full of important -- and even controversial -- issues. Here to give us a preview of what to expect is Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television's Capital Journal.
Area Schools Closed Or Delay Start Thursday
While most of the heavy snow missed the greater Birmingham area, many schools are on delayed starts for Thursday due to the threat of ice and dangerous travel. North of the Birmingham metro, which saw much higher snowfall on Wednesday, some school systems are closed.
John Archibald: Memo Details UAB’s Defensive Plan
UAB President Ray Watts faced a strong backlash after ending the university's football program in December. Football boosters were upset, but Watts also lost three "no confidence" votes over governance issues. As this unfolded, Watts worked with a private public relations firm to combat the fallout. A memo obtained by AL.com details the strategy.
Alabama’s Prison Reform Task Force Readies Bill For 2015 Legislative Session
Alabama's overcrowded prison system has been under close scrutiny since the Justice Department started investigating it last year. If big changes aren't made during the upcoming legislative session, the state risks a federal takeover. Alabama's Prison Reform Task Force is working to draft legislation to improve the prison system. State Senator Cam Ward of Alabaster is the task force's chairman. Ward sat down with WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley to talk about the proposed legislation, and who has been involved in the process.
Winter Storm Warning for N. Central Alabama — Schools Closing, Gov. Bentley Declares State Of Emergency
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for much of north central Alabama from 9 a.m. Wednesday though midnight Wednesday. The warning covers an area roughly along the Interstate 20 corridor and north. UAB classes and campus operations will be cancelled for Wednesday, Feb. 25th and additional cancellations are likely.
Magic City Marketplace: Birmingham Job Market
Birmingham's unemployment rate is at its lowest point since the recession and about 5,000 jobs were added last year. That's good news. But the shiny headlines are tempered by the fact that Birmingham job growth is slower than other southeastern cities. We talk about that in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Schools Delayed Due To Potential For Icy Roads
Several schools around north central Alabama are on delayed starts Monday.
“Sam” To Bring Produce To Food Deserts
The economic development group REV Birmingham has turned a federal grant into a refrigerated truck meant to bring fresh produce to Birmingham's food deserts. The truck's name is Sam. WBHM's Joseph Thornton has the story.
Arc Stories: February 2015 Edition
Stories About Change: One man’s encounter with a celebrity has him in way over his head; and a camp counselor encounters not the good kid or the bad kid, but the worst kid.
John Archibald: Thousands Continue to be Spent on City Travel
The Birmingham mayor's office and city council spent more than $300,000 dollars on travel last year, more than any other city in Alabama. So far in 2015 the trend has continued. It's an issue Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald has written about regularly.
AL’s Resistance To Same-Sex Marriage Could Hurt The State’s Economy
Apple might be headed into the auto manufacturing business. Apple’s CEO -- Tim Cook -- is from Alabama, and the state is known as an auto-manufacturing hot-spot. Alabama sounds like a natural fit for the company's automotive expansion. But Alabama Media Group political commentator Kyle Whitmire says the state's recent bad press surrounding same-sex marriage might turn companies off of doing business here.
Running Birmingham Track Club’s 1200 Mile Challenge
Approximately 5,000 runners hit the streets of Birmingham this weekend for the annual Mercedes-Benz Marathon. WBHM contributor Javacia Harris Bowser recently started running with one club that's training for the race. But this group -- The Birmingham Track Club -- sets an even more ambitious goal for its members: Run 1200 miles in one year.
Magic City Marketplace: Gay Marriage and the Workplace
It's now been one week since same-sex couples could get marriage licenses in Alabama. Most counties are now following a federal judges' ruling overturning the state's ban on gay marriage and the decision could also affect employers. We talk about that in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Lectures Behind Bars
Few people normally go to Donaldson Correctional Facility, a state prison in far western Jefferson County. But twice a month UAB faculty travel to this maximum security prison to lecture to inmates. It's been happening for almost three decades. Reporter Ashley Cleek sits in on a class.
