Search Results for King
Lawsuit Filed to Stop Downtown I-20/59 Bridge Replacement Project
A group including residents, activists and elected leaders has filed a federal lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Transportation seeking to stop a downtown Birmingham project. ALDOT began work this fall on a plan to replace and expand the elevated potions of Interstate 20/59 in the city center. But the organization Move 20/59, which is behind the lawsuit, contends the environmental impact study conducted for the project violates federal law.
Anthony Barnes, Former Birmingham Water Works Chairman, Dies
Anthony Barnes, former chairman of the Birmingham Water Works Board and long-time Birmingham businessman died Tuesday. He was 65.
Changing Gears with the Launch of Bikeshare in Birmingham
Kiosks have been popping up in parking spots around Birmingham. These 40 stations will hold 400 bikes. They're part of Zyp BikeShare, which starts tomorrow. Cycling has devotees in the Magic City, but plenty still see it as a risky way to travel. Cycling enthusiasts hope more bikes on the road will change attitudes.
A Different Kind of Medical Drama: Local Doctors Give Voice to Bizarre New “ICD-10” Diagnosis Codes
Have you been struck by a duck? Maybe hurt in a spaceship accident? If so, the new medical coding system that went live across the nation this month has a […]
Alabama’s Film Tax Credits Face Some Skepticism and Critique
Most states offer tax incentives meant to attract film production-create jobs and stimulate the economy. As budgets tighten, some are scaling back or eliminating them. But even after recent heated budget battles, cash-strapped Alabama is keeping those tax credits, prompting some to question their effect on the fiscal bottom line.
Many Alabama Legislators Use Private Email, Limiting Public Access
The controversy continues over Hillary Clinton’s use of personal emails during her tenure as secretary of state, and it’s raising broader questions about how public officials should communicate electronically. In one survey, 33 percent of government workers said they use personal email for government business at least sometimes. The issue? Private emails are nearly impossible for the public to access. If you thought AOL and Hotmail were dead, just scroll down the list of Alabama lawmakers and check out their contact info. State senators and Representatives also list plenty of Gmail, Yahoo and emails tied to their personal websites. In Alabama, more than half the state’s House members and almost a third of senators use an email other than the state-issued .gov email address.
Justice Department Called on to Investigate Alabama Voter ID Issue
Voting rights activists are protesting what they say is voter suppression in Alabama. The state suddenly closed 31 part-time driver’s license offices last week due to budget cuts. That leaves many rural residents without a place to obtain new driver’s licenses. Those licenses that double as IDs for voting.
Birmingham Woman Shares Her Story From Struggle To Success With National Leaders
“Everything has changed for the better for us. I’m excited because there is still more to come. We can only go up from here.” Monique Jones
State’s Response to Rural Driver’s License Office Closures not Enough for the Black Belt
Calls are growing for the Justice Department to investigate how the closure of 31 rural driver’s license offices may affect voting. The state closed those offices last week due to budget cuts. The problem, say civil rights advocates, is residents must have a photo ID to vote. The most common ID is a driver’s license and Alabama now has 31 fewer places to get a new drivers license. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says state officials are taking steps to address the situation, but it’s not enough for the Black Belt. That's an area of the state that’s poor, largely African American and disproportionately hit by the closures.
Getting a Driver’s License in Alabama’s Black Belt is Difficult
The closure of 31 driver’s license office leaves 28 counties in Alabama without a place you can get a driver’s license. The closings, all in mostly poor rural counties, many […]
Long Hours At Work And School Fuel Determination For Stratford High Graduate In Nashville
Though he’s a teenager, Kevin is the man of the house. While in high school, he worked long hours to help out, which made staying in school a struggle. Instead of dropping out, he stuck with it and graduated from Nashville’s Stratford STEM Magnet High School.
Science Friday
Covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies, Science Friday (you guessed it…on Fridays from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.) is the trusted source […]
New Orleans’ Posh Academy Helps LGBT Students Complete GED
In it’s series Back On Track, the Southern Education Desk looks at a program in New Orleans that supports some of those students as they work toward a high school degree. The program called Posh Academy, is part of BreakOut, a non profit addressing issues of LBGT youth. WWNO’s Mallory Falk spoke with some of the students, including 23-year-old Lhundyn Fernandez.
Study Centers and Counselors Give Student-Athletes Academic Support
Football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics. College sports are a way of life in the South. Fans pack into stadiums or glue themselves to TV's to watch their favorite teams battle it out. But the pressure on a young person to succeed on the field or court is only half the battle. College athletes are also expected to succeed in the classroom.
NAACP Asks for Jefferson County Courthouse Murals to be Removed
Members of the Jefferson County Commission say they’ll address a petition by the local NAACP chapter and other groups calling for the removal of two murals in the courthouse. This latest push comes in the wake of the killings of nine African Americans at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, that sparked a debate over symbols of the Confederacy throughout the South.
Alabama Charges More Women for Chemical Endangerment of Children than Any Other State
In August of 2014, Casey Shehi gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Gadsden regional medical center. But a few days later, she was later arrested for chemical engagement of a child. She was confused at first, until she remembered she took two anti-anxiety pills during her pregnancy. It’s part of a growing trend. In the last few years, authorities have aggressively prosecuted women for prenatal drug use. A joint investigation between ProPublica and AL.com found that Alabama prosecutes more pregnant and new mothers for this than any other state. Al.com's Amy Yurkanin reported the story with ProPublica’s Nina Martin. She tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley how this all started.
Arc Stories: September 2015 Edition
Stories include a man trying to do the right things when society is telling him otherwise; one man’s conflict within his own making; a young girl impersonating someone of a different race […]
Athletes And Schools Tackle Tougher NCAA Academic Requirements for Potential D1 Players
When it comes to Division I football, Southern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana, produce the largest number of recruits per capita. New NCAA rules take effect for college athletes next fall. A 2.0 GPA and a decent ACT score won’t be enough anymore. To avoid the bench, freshmen will have to come in with a 2.3 GPA in core classes — reading, math, science, and social studies. And players in high school — where standards are generally lower — are feeling it.
Alabama Auto Workers Say “Yes” to Joining Union
The United Auto Workers Union scored a major victory Wednesday in Piedmont, Alabama where workers at truck seat manufacturer CVG voted in favor of joining the union. The company says it has been responsive to employee concerns, and invested millions to improve working conditions. But that wasn’t enough.
Dissecting Alabama’s General Fund Budget
The state’s new budget year starts October 1 and agency leaders have to figure out how to work within the austere general fund budget passed by lawmakers in a special session last week. The budget provides level funding to key departments such as prisons, Medicaid, law enforcement, and mental health. Most others face cuts of at least 6 percent. For an overview we turn to Thomas Spencer, a senior research associate at the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. PARCA is a nonpartisan think tank focused on Alabama government.
College Athletes Talk Tensions Between Sports and Academics
Across the South, college football is in full swing. But football is just one of dozens of NCAA sports. In any season, student-athletes are pushing themselves on the field, in […]
Voices from Birmingham’s History: Flooding Along Village Creek in Ensley
Birmingham is in a valley, resting at the foothills of the Appalachians. The city’s creeks collect water running down from the mountains and filter it through the floodplains. Last week, WBHM reported on developers today taking a new interest in the 1925 Olmsted Plan for parks and green space in Birmingham. The Olmsted Plan preserved the city's major tributaries, specifically those of Village and Valley Creek.
Season Opener! Carlos Izcaray Leads the Alabama Symphony Orchestra
This weekend, newly appointed Music Director Carlos Izcaray conducts the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in a program featuring both modern and romantic works. Izcaray (pronounced “eez-ca-RYE”) spoke with WBHM’s Michael Krall […]
Birmingham School Board Approves Application to Authorize Charter Schools
"In an effort to be a player in this process, we really needed to become an authorizer, so that anyone who is interested in moving forward with a charter school application would have to first come to the school district,” Dr. Kelley Castlin-Gacutan .
After Almost 100 Years, Birmingham’s Olmsted Park Plan Sees New Life
With the success of Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham, the city’s seen increased support for more public green spaces. As the city develops new parks and trails for Birmingham residents, leaders are taking lessons from the city’s history, including seeking advice from a park plan published almost a century ago.
A New Leader for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Tuesday Birmingham will mark the 52 anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which killed 4 girls and helped galvanize support for passage of the Civil Rights Act. For staff at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, they’ll note this anniversary under new leadership. Andrea Taylor began as the new president and CEO of the institute last week.
House Approves 25-Cent Cigarette Tax Increase
The House of Representatives, in a series of tight votes Thursday, approved a 25-cent cigarette tax increase and other revenue bills as a plan to help close a budget gap slowly inched forward.
Exhibit Showcasing Art By Veterans Opens Friday
Returning soldiers often suffer from the lingering psychological trauma of war. Studies show one way to help veterans cope is through making art. This Friday, the visual arts organization Space One Eleven debuts Reflections of Generosity, a veteran-focused art exhibition that expresses the complicated feelings of life after war.
Alabama’s Science Standards Get a Makeover
Alabama schools are getting new science standards for the first time in a decade. The state Board of Education voted unanimously today to replace old standards that some teachers say […]
Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against Jefferson County Health Department
North Birmingham neighborhoods have long struggled with pollution from nearby heavy industry. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency accepted a civil rights complaint against the Jefferson County Health department…filed by a local environmental activist group. Nick Patterson, the editor of WELD, tells WBHM what’s in the complaint and why it matters.
Governor Robert Bentley Makes First Public Appearances Since Divorce Filing
Governor Robert Bentley touted the state’s economic successes in two speeches in Birmingham Wednesday. They were his first public appearances since First Lady Diane Bentley, his wife of fifty years, filed for divorce […]
WBHM and Birmingham’s Gigi Douban Chosen for Political Reporting Partnership with NPR
Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM and Birmingham reporter Gigi Douban have been chosen collectively as participants in NPR’s Political Reporting Partnership. Douban and WBHM, along with a group of sixteen […]
