News
Kyle Whitmire: JeffCo to Hire a Receiver
This week U.S. District Court Judge Lynwood Smith said the county needs to appoint a receiver. The receiver will select, hire, promote, demote, discipline, or fire Jefferson County employees. Kyle Whitmire with AL.com and the Birmingham News explains what the appointment of the receiver means for JeffCo residents and those employed by the county.
What do Birmingham Voters Want?
Birmingham voters go to the polls next Tuesday to pick a mayor, city council and school board members. The election comes at a time when the city is garnering positive headlines for a new downtown baseball stadium and entertainment district. But Birmingham’s schools also face the threat of losing accreditation due to a dysfunctional board. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager went to a recent candidates forum to hear what issues voters say are most important to them.
UAB Cancer Center Opens Renovated Facility
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Cancer Center will open the renovated Lurleen B. Wallace Tumor Institute this Friday. The expanded facility features increased lab space, offices designed to promote collaboration and a cyclotron.
What does Trinity’s move mean for Birmingham’s Eastside?
Construction crews will soon be scurrying about Trinity Medical Center’s new building on Highway 280, preparing for the hospital to move to that location in 2016. Work on the new hospital, recently named Grandview Medical Center, comes after a four-year legal battle. While Trinity officials say the move is long-overdue, some residents of the eastside Birmingham neighborhood the hospital is vacating worry what the change means for their community.
John Archibald: Discontent within the Birmingham Water Works
The split between management and workers can be a source of tension in many workplaces. But for employees of the Birmingham Water Works they seem to be particularly unhappy. AL.com and Birmingham News columnist John Archibald talks about a "no confidence" letter from employees, a sign criticism of the water works' leadership isn't just coming from the outside.
Kyle Whitmire: UPS Plane Crash
Kyle Whitmire joins us to discuss developments from Wednesday morning's plane crash. The UPS cargo plane crashed on the outskirts of Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The pilot and co-pilot were pronounced dead at the scene and the cause of the incident remains unknown.
Hoover Cuts Buses, Ignites Controversy
Hoover’s school board recently voted to end its bus service, effective a year from now. District leaders say they have to cut costs as enrollments rise and revenues fall. But as WBHM’s Dan Carsen points out in a recent national report, many in the hilly, sprawling Birmingham suburb don’t believe that’s the whole story. Click above for more.
Hoover Stakeholders React To School Bus Cut
Hoover school leaders recently made their case for last month's controversial decision to end the system's regular-ed busing program, effective next August. In light of the outcry, the school board set up a public forum, held Thursday night at Spain Park High School, where system leaders explained school finances and heard stakeholders' numerous concerns. WBHM has archived the entire meeting as a matter of public record and broken out 10 key exchanges for listeners. Click above to listen.
Kyle Whitmire: Who Is Looking Out For JeffCo Ratepayers?
This week Jefferson County successfully defended its bankruptcy plan from four objectors in federal court. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Bennett said the objectors did not have standing to object to the county's plan because they were not creditors. Kyle Whitmire explains what this week's hearing means for ratepayers in Jefferson County.
Kyle Whitmire: Who Is Looking Out For JeffCo Ratepayers?
This week Jefferson County successfully defended its bankruptcy plan from four objectors in federal court. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Bennett said the objectors did not have standing to object to the county's plan because they were not creditors. Kyle Whitmire explains what this week's hearing means for ratepayers in Jefferson County.
Former Director and Daughter Charged in Theft from Poverty Agency
The U.S. Attorney's Office has charged the former executive director of the Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity and her daughter in connection with the theft of close to $500,000 from the non-profit organization.
John Archibald: Has Being Neighborly Become a Business?
The Birmingham Water Works board objects to Jefferson County’s plan to exit bankruptcy. Also, has being neighborly become a business? And the Birmingham City council fights over just what to name a proposed baseball museum. We talk about all this with Birmingham News columnist John Archibald…
Kyle Whitmire: How to Define a Reasonable Sewer Rate
At the core of Jefferson County's sewer problems is a question of fairness: Are Jefferson County sewer rates reasonable? What defines reasonable? And if they’re not, how do we change the sewer rates? Kyle Whitmire with Al.com and The Birmingham News says there's still work to be done when it comes to creating reasonable sewer rates in Jefferson County.
John Archibald: Coming Full Circle in Bankruptcy
As Jefferson County works toward leaving bankruptcy, the discussion around new sewer rates sounds rather familiar. We talk about coming full circle in the county's financial saga with AL.com and Birmingham News columnist John Archibald.
Kyle Whitmire: What JeffCo Sewer Rate Hike Really Means
The County Commission wants to raise sewer rates even more than originally planned to help Jefferson County exit bankruptcy. Some argue this is what’s needed to help Jefferson County while others say it unfairly places a burden on the county's people. Kyle Whitmire takes a closer look at what the hike in rates really means.
WBHM Wins Seven AP Awards
WBHM 90.3 FM/WSGN 91.5 FM has won a total of seven 2013 Alabama Associated Press awards. The awards were presented at a luncheon July 20 in Birmingham. Here's the list of the winners.
Alabama’s Mental Health Shift
Like many states, budget cuts have forced Alabama officials to take a good hard look at how the state cares for people with mental illness. Since 2008, the Department of Mental Health has lost $40 million in state funds. So they've opted for a less expensive form of treatment -- community-based mental health centers and apartment communities. Les Lovoy reports on the challenges of that options.
The Civil Wars: Dust to Dust
Fans of The Civil Wars were heartbroken when Alabama-native John Paul White and Joy Williams announced they were putting the group on indefinite hiatus last year. The pair’s rich harmonies and onstage chemistry garnered praise from critics and fans alike. And while they are barely able to talk to each other now, The Civil Wars will release their new album "The One that Got Away" August 6th. NPR has an exclusive preview with their song “Dust to Dust.”
Susan Werner: A Musician With Big Ideas on Farm to Table Food
Folk singer-songwriter Susan Werner knows food. She grew up on a family farm in Iowa. She has strong opinions about what we should eat and where that food should come from. So she says it was a no brainer when she was commissioned to write a concept album about farming. Werner brings that music to Birmingham tomorrow night.
John Archibald: A Sideshow over Power Rates
Government public hearings can sometimes be dry, perfunctory matters few people pay attention to. That not the case with a Wednesday hearing by Alabama's Public Service Commission. The panel is reviewing the rate structure that determines what Alabama Power charges its customers. AL.com and Birmingham News columnist John Archibald explains how contentious the process has becomes.
Kyle Whitmire: The Real Powers of an Elected Local Official
Local elections are taking place next month. Candidates are getting their platforms ready and thinking about what they want to accomplish while in office. But before they start making promises to voters, they may want to take a closer look at what power they actually have when elected. Kyle Whitmire with Al.com and The Birmingham News says, local officials are often surprised by what they can and cannot do once they get into office.
The Miss Mary Case
When the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling, its decisions can carry weight for generations. For instance, civil rights decisions to overturn schools segregation or to uphold the Montgomery bus boycott are just as significant today. But another Alabama case from that era had a subtle effect on how courts treat defendants. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
John Archibald: Coal Mine Hardball and Jackpot Justice
When you turn on the tap, you probably don't give much thought to where the water comes from. For some Birmingham residents it comes from the Black Warrior River. AL.com and The Birmingham News columnist John Archibald offers an update on a planned controversial mine along the river. He also talks about "jackpot justice" in the BP oil spill claims process.
Kyle Whitmire: A Closer Look at Board of Education Meetings
Kyle Whitmire with AL.com and The Birmingham News attended this week's Board of Education meeting. Tensions at the meeting were high between state intervention team officials and elected board members. Kyle explains why the state intervention team is there in the first place as well as what needs to be accomplished before it can leave.
Joseph Walter: Doing Much More Than Surviving
Pompe disease is a rare and often fatal illness that attacks the heart and skeletal muscles. Many people with the early onset form don't survive past childhood. But just north of Birmingham there's an eighteen-year-old who's not only surviving, but thriving. He recently graduated high school, and as WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen tells us, that's just part of the story.
John Archibald: A Wave of Murders in Birmingham
Birmingham has seen a violent crime drop in recent years, but a rash of homicides has police and city leaders scrambling to respond. It's a subject that's easy to gloss over if you live in a safe neighborhood or aren't directly affected. But AL.com and Birmingham News columnist John Archibald says it's something that should prompt outrage.
Kyle Whitmire: Tension grows in City Council
Kyle Whitmire with AL.com and The Birmingham News takes a look at the growing tensions in Birmingham's City Council, the surprising announcement of Edward Maddox's run for City Council, and thoughts on Jefferson County's bankruptcy exit plan.
Supreme Court rules on Voting Rights Act and Same-Sex Marriage
Republican leaders in Alabama are hailing this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning a portion of the Voting Rights Act. Democrats say it guts the historic civil rights legislation. AL.com and The Birmingham News' John Archibald says that's the wrong reaction. He also talks about the court turning back the Defense of Marriage Act
Kyle Whitmire: Reactions to this week’s Supreme Court rulings
In a 5 to 4 vote the US Supreme Court struck down section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Some see the ruling as a setback for voting rights others say it's progress for southern states. The Supreme Court also ruled the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional. Kyle Whitmire with AL.com and The Birmingham News weighs in on what these rulings mean for Alabama.
U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Portion of Voting Rights Act
In a five to four decision Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a part of the law that sets out a formula for determining which states are examined for voting discrimination. Shelby County, Alabama, challenged that section along with Section 5 which requires certain states, mostly in the south, gain prior approval from the federal government before changing voting laws.
Kids Count: Improvement for Alabama’s Children
Alabama often does poorly when it comes to education or health outcomes for children. But a new survey out Monday offers some good news for Alabama's youth. In the Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count report, Alabama rose to 44th in child well-being, putting it out of the bottom five among states for the first time. WBHM’s Sarah Delia speaks with Kids Count national coordinator Laura Speers about the survey.
New Map Shows Summer Feeding Sites
Alabama is a poor state, and many of its young people go hungry, especially when school is out. But an anti-poverty group has put out a digitized map and database meant to make it easier for hungry children to find free meals over the summer.
