News
Kids Count Data Mixed Bag for Alabama
The annual Kids Count data book is out and it carries mixed news for Alabama’s youngest residents. Overall, the state ranked 45th for child well-being, with nearly a third of kids living in poverty in 2010.
Birmingham Board Turns Down State Financial Plan, Bice Overrides
The Birmingham Board of Education voted against a state-backed plan of cuts Tuesday. But with the Birmingham City Schools under state control, State Superintendent Tommy Bice simply overrode the board. WBHM will update this unfolding story.
Southern States Lag Behind in Women’s Sports
This summer marks the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IV, the federal legislation that dramatically increased opportunities for women to play sports at the high school and college levels. But a new report finds that Alabama and other Southern states still lag behind.
July 24 Morning Newscast
Scientist examine long-term health effects of Gulf oil spill; Alabama closes state mental hospital; Alleged Tuscaloosa shooter gets day in court....
July 23 Morning Newscast
How much are Super PACs spending on Birmingham television station political advertising; Why did an Episcopal Bishop in Alabama vote for blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples nationally, but not in Alabama; and what does an explosion of lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico mean for local species?
Two Remain Hospitalized in Tuscaloosa Shooting
Hospital officials say two of those injured in the shooting outside a Tuscaloosa bar remain hospitalized. One man remains in serious condition. Another is in fair condition.
Judge Reinstates Birmingham School Superintendent
The chicken fight between the Birmingham board of education and the state amped up several notches this week. The board was supposed to vote Tuesday night on a $12 million cost cutting proposal, but instead surprised everyone by voting to fire school superintendent. Now, the courts are involved.
New Details Emerge in Tuscaloosa Shooting
The roommate of a man who was allegedly shot by suspect Nathan Van Wilkins says race may have been a factor.
Former APTV Chief Sues Over Termination
Attorneys for former Alabama Public Television executive director Allan Pizzato have filed a civil suit against the Alabama Educational Television Commission. They allege the commission violated various state laws and statutes when it unexpectedly fired Pizzato and another top executive in June.
Tuscaloosa Shooting Updates
Tuscaloosa police have charged Nathan Van Wilkins with attempted murder in Tuesday's early morning shooting at a bar in downtown Tuscaloosa. Wilkins reportedly walked into a Jasper store and confessed. Police then took him into custody WBHM will update the story as more information is available.
Tranquil Resource, Contentious Beginnings
About seven miles from Fort Payne is the northern gateway to a vision, a vision of a nearly hundred-mile "central park" between Birmingham, Atlanta, and Chattanooga. Decades in the making, the conservation, tourism, and education opportunities are gelling in this huge green corridor. In Part Two of his series, WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen has the intriguing story behind this growing resource.
Bham Board Fires Witherspoon, But…
People who've been saying they could no longer be surprised by the Birmingham school board were surprised Tuesday night, and for several reasons.The most important was the fact that, despite the state takeover, the board voted to terminate the contract of Superintendent Craig Witherspoon. WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen has the web-exclusive story.
Tuscaloosa Police Look For Answers in Shooting
Tuscaloosa's police chief says yesterday’s shooting in a downtown bar may have involved a dispute between rival motorcycle gangs. Chief Steve Anderson says Nathan Van Wilkins turned himself in yesterday afternoon. Van Wilkin has been linked to other incidents.
Lessons of the Little River Canyon Center
On a high plateau in rural northeast Alabama, there's a multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art education complex. Campus, museum, community center, and event spot, Jacksonville State University's Little River Canyon Center is becoming a destination for students, tourists, and regular local people. How this unlikely place came to be is a twenty-year story of politics, money, celebrity, and inspiration. But for this first of two reports, WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen focuses on what people are learning there now:
Remembering The Queen of Country Music
The Queen of Country Music has died. Kitty Wells died at her home in Nashville yesterday of complications from a stroke. She was 92. Wells was the first female to score a Number One hit on the country charts and paved the way for other women at a time when the men who ran the industry didn't think a woman could be a headliner.
17 People Injured in Tuscaloosa Bar Shooting
Tuscaloosa Police continue the search for a gunman who shot 17 people at a downtown bar early this morning. Three University of Alabama students are among the injured.
Rising Star in Acoustic Music Plays Birmingham
One of the hottest young talents in the world of acoustic music makes her way to Birmingham tonight. The Austin Chronicle has called Sarah Jarosz "a songwriter of uncommon wisdom". A New York Times reviewer noted she's a "mandolin and banjo prodigy with the taste and poise to strike that rare balance of commercial and critical success." Jarosz garnered a lot of attention at Bonnaroo this year. WBHM's Greg Bass has a profile.
Carsen Interviewed By “The Terminal” On Radio Journalism
The Terminal, Birmingham's web information hub, recently interviewed our Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen on video about everything from his day-to-day job to big-picture education issues, including what has surprised him the most in his year-plus reporting for WBHM and the SED. Click through to watch the interview and get an inside look at what being a public radio education reporter is like.
John Archibald on upheaval in Trussville and Birmingham Schools
There's been lots of upheaval recently in local schools. Monday, the Trussville Board of Education terminated the contract of superintendent Suzanne Freeman. Not to be outdone, the Birmingham Board of Education is staring down a meeting on Tuesday to consider the state's financial plan for the district.
Carsen and Ott on All Things Alabama Education
We've had a short break from Birmingham Board of Education fireworks, but that doesn't mean that story or the Alabama education beat has slowed down at all. In this week's Edu-Chat, WBHM's Tanya Ott inverviews Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen on No Child Left Behind, the Education Trust Fund, local kids in China, and "meatless meetings."
Trussville Moves to Terminate Schools Superintendent
The Trussville Board of Education is moving to cancel its contract with Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Freeman. After a multi-hour meeting yesterday, the board announced it had voted unanimously to ends its contract with Freeman, who has led the district since its beginning in 2004.
Art in Empty Windows
Walk along First Avenue North in Birmingham's East Lake neighborhood and you'll see a worn out sign protruding from a building. It's a reminder of a time when this strip was a bustling commercial area. And while there are still stores here, there are also plenty of empty buildings. Friday evening, several East Lake community organizations launch a new project that puts artwork in those empty spaces. As WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports, organizers hope it will help the neighborhood bounce back from a generation of decline.
John Archibald on Airbus Facility in Alabama
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is in Europe this week trying to drum up business for Alabama. The move comes after Airbus announced it will build its first ever U.S. manufacturing facilities in Mobile. John says Alabama is attractive to foreign businesses for a number of reasons, all of which may not be good for Alabamians.
INTERVIEW: Dr. Michael Crowe
Education affects how the brain ages, and when older people take cognitive tests, the results are compared to those of others with the same amount of schooling. But new UAB research shows that because of racial and economic disparities in education quality, that approach could be leading to disadvantaged people being diagnosed as impaired when they really aren't. Our Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen sat down with Dr. Michael Crowe, who says the disparities in our schools are obvious.
State Board Approves B’ham Schools Management Plan
It didn't take much convincing for Alabama schools chief Tommy Bice to secure his board's formal approval of the management plan he's putting in place for Birmingham Schools. State board members, after expressing appreciation for Bice's handling of a difficult situation, voted unanimously to approve it at a special called meeting early Thursday afternoon. Our Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen has the latest in this web-exclusive.
State Taking Over Birmingham Schools
In developments that many saw coming, the state education department is seizing control of Birmingham City Schools. Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen has this late-breaking web-exclusive.
Alabama Takes over Birmingham City Schools
With the state of Alabama now in control of Birmingham's school system, we talk about the details and delve into the political motivations of the school board.
Coverage of Alabama’s Immigration Law HB56
Alabama's immigration law is grabbing headlines again following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on a similar law in Arizona. For more than a year, Alabama has been the center of change concerning immigrants living in the state. Alabama House Bill 56 (HB 56) was signed into law in June 2011. Based on bills passed in Arizona and Georgia, this anti-illegal immigration bill came into effect in late September 2011. Here is WBHM's coverage of the events surrounding the law.
What Makes Good Teaching? Straight From The Classroom, A Play-By-Play
In some ways, teaching is like sports: there’s a lot that’s unseen by the untrained eye. That’s one reason post-game analysis is popular. So why not do that for something vital to our future? Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen used to be a teacher and a teacher-trainer. As part of our series "What Makes Good Teaching," he offers a play-by-play from right here in Birmingham.
What does the Arizona Ruling mean for Alabama?
While Arizona’s immigration law was the first to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, a similar but tougher law in Alabama faces its own legal challenge. That case has been on hold, pending a ruling on Arizona’s law. As WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports, the question now is -- what does Arizona mean for Alabama?
B’ham Schools Submit State-Mandated Plan
The Birmingham School System has met the first part of a state-mandated deadline by submitting a detailed cost-cutting plan. But the state still could take over the local system's fiances soon. Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen has this late-breaking Friday web exclusive.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens Food Film Series
Think about everything you eat and where it comes from. For most of us, our food probably comes from a grocery store or restaurant. But before that? Many of us don't really know, specifically. That's one of the things the Birmingham Botanical Gardens hopes to change as it launches a summer food documentary film series this weekend.
