Sections
Lacrosse in a Football State
If there's one sport that's synonymous with Alabama, it's football. But in recent years, a much older team sport has grown significantly in Birmingham and around the state.
August 2 Morning Newscast
Attorney alleges Birmingham school board president doesn't live in Birmingham; Former Governor Don Siegelman is likely headed back to prison; and UA gets approval for $9 million athletic facilty.
Court Considers Firing of School Superintendent
Attorney alleges Birmingham school board president doesn't live in Birmingham; Former Governor Don Siegelman is likely headed back to prison; and UA gets approval for $9 million athletic facility, but what does UAB get?
August 1 Morning Newscast
Alabama Educational Television Commission hired Birmingham law firm; Students at UAH call for closure of campus Chick-fil-A; and Eastern Equine Encephalitis confirmed in Alabama.
Alabama Public Television COO Resigns
Alabama Public Television COO resigns citing controversy at network and "stressful work environment."
July 31 Morning Newscast
New law increase beer bottle sizes; dozens of Alabama roads and bridges to get upgrades; and Alabama State Bar has a new president.
July 30 Morning Newscast
Alabama bans texting while driving; restaurants and bars defying indoor smoking band; and remembering longtime TV and movie character actor who grew up in Birmingham.
July 27 Morning Newscast
Governor Bentley finally comments on controversy at Alabama Public Television; Alabama asks federal court to approve redistricting plan; and when does a campaign contribution constitutes a bribe?
Through the Sparks Returns to Birmingham
Through the Sparks may be a Birmingham-based band, but it's been a while since they've performed in Birmingham. That changes tonight. The band plays Bottletree Cafe tonight.
The Fight for Control of Alabama Public Television
This morning, a group of religious leaders will deliver thousands of petition signatures to Alabama Public Television headquarters in Birmingham demanding the network keep evangelical minister and conservative activist David Barton's religious DVD series off the airwaves.
July 26, 2012 Morning Edition News
The state seizes hundreds of electronic bingo machines, former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy is released, and a civil rights pioneer dies.
Cuts More Clear at Birmingham City Schools
Details are emerging in the massive budget cuts at Birmingham City Schools. On Tuesday, the school board deadlocked over approving the state's $12 million cost cutting plan, but the state stepping in and imposed the plan anyway, firing 61 employees and cutting the salaries of many high-level administrators.
Petitions Call on APT to not air Controversial Documentary
About a dozen people including religious leaders, Alabama Public Television employees and community members delivered two petitions to the APT headquarters in Birmingham Thursday, calling on the Alabama Educational Television Commission to not air a controversial documentary series and to reinstate two top executives.
July 25 Morning Newscast
Birmingham Schools deadlocks on cost-cutting plan, but state overrules; COO of Alabama Public Television warns of dire consequences; Annual Kids Count data book finds problems for Alabama's children.
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.
