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Southern Schools Mix MLK and Robert E. Lee
Schools around the country are closed today in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But schools in the Deep South are also observing the birthday of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and Mississippi all officially roll the holidays together and leave it to schools to communicate the confusing marriage to students.
A New Direction for Alabama’s Medicaid System
When Alabama lawmakers kick off the new legislative session next month, they’ll have to tackle Medicaid. The program provides healthcare for almost a million low income residents. It takes up about a third of Alabama’s non-education spending and the costs keep rising. As WBHM’s Andrew Yeager reports, a panel met this week to recommend changes to Medicaid, but whether they’ll work is still unclear.
Found Footage Festival
Meet the Instant Adoring Boyfriend, Blue Berry the Creepy Clown, and crowd favorite, the Sleazy Hypnotist. They didn't start out to be funny, but they are. These characters and others star in the Found Footage Festival that stops in Birmingham this weekend. WBHM's Greg Bass has the details.
Jefferson County’s Closed-Door Bankruptcy Meetings
Jefferson County is trying desperately to exit municipal bankruptcy. Earlier this week commissioners met in closed-door sessions with their attorneys to presumably work on another plan to present to creditors. Meanwhile, sewer rates are skyrocketing in another nearby county.
Snow Arrives in Birmingham
Snow is falling in Birmingham and across north central Alabama, with forecasters predicting between one and four inches of accumulation. That's prompting many schools to close early and cancel activities. UAB will suspend normal operations and cancel classes after 3:30 pm today and will resume a regular schedule at 10 a.m. Friday.
Kyle Whitmire: Inching out of Bankruptcy
A big question this year is whether Jefferson County will exit municipal bankruptcy. County commissioners spent a good deal of time this week working toward that effort in closed door meetings. We talk about it with The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire.
Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil Rights Columnist Dies
Eugene Patterson garnered national attention for his moving column after the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. A family spokesman says he died Saturday night, surrounded by family and friends at his Florida home. Patterson was 89.
Eden Rise
A small Black Belt town is the scene of a civil rights era killing and years later the defendant is brought to trial in a Birmingham federal court. Sounds like Alabama history, but it’s actually the plot Eden Rise, the first novel from award-winning historian Jeff Norrell.
State Officials Say School Safety a Priority
State officials say making schools safer is a top priority for the upcoming legislative session. More than a hundred people packed a school safety hearing Wednesday. But some communities aren't waiting for the state to take action. They're making moves of their own.
Kyle Whitmire: RSA vs. AEA
There's a battle playing out in Montgomery between the leaders of the Retirement Systems of Alabama and the Alabama Education Association. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire explains the talk of a board "power play."
Carsen Talks School Security And More On Capitol Journal
Our Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen recently appeared as a guest journalist on Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal, a highly regarded program that analyzes the week's signficant stories. Dan discusses the controversy at Alabama State University, Birmingham City Schools, security in light of the Sandy Hook shootings, and the holiday struggles of students who depend on school for food.
What’s Ahead for 2013?
We've closed out one year and are starting another. Seems like a good time to reflect on the big regional news of 2012 and look ahead to 2013. John Archibald says there's one story that could rock the core of the state GOP.
Kyle Whitmire: A New Year for Cooper Green
With the new year comes a new set up for Cooper Green Mercy Hospital. The Jefferson County-owned facility turned its emergency room into an urgent care center on January 1st. The hospital also closed inpatient care and laid off more than 200 people. We talk about it with The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire.
The Fiscal Cliff Deal And Your Taxes
Wondering how the new fiscal cliff deal will hit your family budget? Here's a breakdown of tax increases by salary.
Are Resumes Worthless?
If your New Year's Resolutions include getting a job or finding a better one, Dale Callahan says throw out everything you know about job searching. He’s a UAB professor and author of the book Resumes are Worthless: How to Find the Work You Love and Succeed.
Two-Year College System Chancellor Mark Heinrich
Mark Heinrich is finishing 2012 in a much different place than he started it. The former president of Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa was selected in September as the new Chancellor of Alabama’s two-year college system. It’s a system that’s moving past a far reaching corruption scandal. It's also a system dealing with a revolving door of leaders.
Backpack Buddies Fighting Student Hunger
As we reported yesterday, about 17 million kids in the U.S. are in danger of malnutrition, which can trigger behavior problems and stunt brain development. Given the scope of the problem, the importance of subsidized school meals becomes clear ... but what happens to needy kids from Friday night through Monday morning? In his second story on student hunger, our Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen looks at one solution in Shelby County.
Alabama Unemployment Rate Goes Down
Alabama's unemployment rate dropped to 7.5% in November, below the national average of 7.7%. Officials say hiring in two sectors increased.
Holiday Hunger: Harder To Address When School’s Out
Roughly 30 million students in the United States rely on federally subsidized school meals. Even so, more than half that number are in real danger of malnutrition. So many kids depending on school for food may seem troubling enough ... but what happens when school's closed? Our Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen has more on that deceptively simple question as districts across our area prepare for the holidays.
Will Gun Control Fly in Alabama?
In the aftermath of last week's school shooting, President Obama says it will take a national effort to address gun violence. In a press conference yesterday he mentioned several recent shootings, including the one last weekend at Birmingham's St. Vincent's Hospital.
Kyle Whitmire: A Subpoena for GOP Financial Records
Alabama's attorney general has subpoenaed financial records from the State Republican Party, ones that show a company co-owned by House Speaker Mike Hubbard benefited from party spending. We talk about that with the Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire.
Instagram’s New User Agreement: Social Media Suicide?
100 million people use the photo website Instragram to share snapshots of everything from their dinner to their cats and their children. But Instagram unveiled a new user agreement this week that has many critics crying foul. Find out why....
Jeffco Sets Closure Date for Cooper Green
After several delays, Jefferson County officials now say Cooper Green Mercy Hospital will discontinue inpatient and emergency room service on Dec. 31. Acute care patients will be moved to other hospitals, and Cooper Green will operate as an urgent care facility.
UAB and Birmingham Partner on 50th Anniversary Events
The City of Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Birmingham are collaborating on a series of events to recognize the 50th anniversary of some of the key events of the civil right era. The year will include lectures, musical performances, special academic courses, internships and more.
Flu Comes Early to Alabama
The Centers for Disease Control is predicting a bad flu season and today announced the Alabama and four other southern states are showing the most flu activity right now.
Alabama Shakes Up For Three Grammy Awards
A year ago the members of Alabama Shakes were working day jobs and playing small gigs in bars. Today, they're nominated for three Grammy Awards and being hailed by Rolling Stone, NPR and the New York Times.
Alabama, Auburn Among Wealthiest Athletics Programs
Alabama is Number 4 and Auburn is Number 9 nationally in survey of athletic department revenues. The Southeastern Conference dominates.
Question Linger in Shootout Involving Mayor
Birmingham Mayor William Bell has had a relatively low key tenure compared to his predecessor. But not last weekend. The mayor and his security detail were involved in a downtown shootout that could have been ripped from a Hollywood movie. There are still a lot of questions about the incident.
Kyle Whimtire: Birmingham’s Mayor Caught in a Shootout
It's not every day a city leader is in a roadside shootout. But that happened to Birmingham Mayor William Bell on Friday. And while the mayor is okay, The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire says police aren't being forthcoming with details.
Turnaround Schools: Alabama’s George Hall, Pt. 2
Sometimes, poorly run disadvantaged schools defy the statistics and turn themselves around. Sometimes, they even achieve at a level so high they become national models for education in any neighborhood. In the conclusion of our series on "Turnaround Schools," Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen picks up the story of an elementary school that did just that. How did it happen? It wasn’t easy, but persistence, teamwork, and a belief in the students is winning out.
Turnaround Schools: Alabama’s George Hall, Pt. 1
Imagine a school in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood. It has discipline problems, a dismal reputation, and some of the worst test scores in Alabama. That was Mobile's George Hall Elementary in 2004. Now imagine an award-winning school known around the country for its innovative teaching and high student performance. That's George Hall Elementary now. So how'd it happen? In Part Four of our five-part series on "Turnaround Schools," WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen takes us there to find out.
Jefferson Finally Getting Public Defenders Office
Criminal defendants in Jefferson County who can't afford to hire a lawyer will have a new advocate in their corner. Birmingham Attorney Kira Fonteneau will lead the newly created Public Defender Office.
