Search Results for King
Remembering Cecil Whitmire
Cecil Whitmire, the general manager of the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham, has died. He was 74 years old. Whitmire's work at the Alabama was source of civic pride and passion for many in Birmingham.
Vestavia Hills: Library in the Forest
When Vestavia Hills announced it was building a Library in the Forest residents cheered. The old library is small and not very inviting. The new one will be big, airy and environmentally-friendly. But it's not without challenges.
Oil Spill and Hair Sausages
Many of us watch the coverage of the BP Oil Spill and wonder: What can we do to help? Some people are traveling to the Gulf region to volunteer. But others who can't make the trip are getting creative with hair?
Jefferson County Commission Runoff
'Vote early, vote often' is one of the more cynical sayings in politics. But those words have a ring of truth for voters in Jefferson County Commission District 1.
On the Line: Ask the Mayor
The city of Birmingham faces a major financial crunch with salaries and services likely taking cuts. Its mass transportation system remains unreliable. Big ticket projects have been put on the back burner. A difficult environment for Birmingham Mayor William Bell. Friday (6/18) WBHM's Bradley George talks to William Bell as we discuss these and other issues during On The Line: Ask the Mayor.
Midwives in Alabama
Most babies in the U.S. are born in a hospital. But increasingly, moms who want more control over the process are choosing to give birth at home. Many of them get help from a midwife. But in Alabama that's not an option.
Alabama Gubernatorial Primary 2010
Alabama voters have less than a week to decide the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor. Alabamians have already endured months of campaigning, political ads, attacks and counter attacks. So as we look to the June first primary, WBHM's Andrew Yeager has this final exam of sorts for the candidates.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Seafood Safety
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is looming over the seafood industry. Early tests don't show substantial chemical contamination of Gulf seafood. But officials have closed many fishing grounds. And that means we're going to see more imported seafood in the coming months. But as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, some people question the safety of those imports.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: One Family’s Story
The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico is wreaking widespread environmental havoc. But there's a very personal chaos playing out in thousands of homes up and down the coastline. The oil spill has put many people out of work, and as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports many families are being forced to rethink their financial lives.
The ASO plays Carnegie Hall
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is one of six orchestras selected to play in Carnegie Hall as part of the Spring for Music festival in 2012.
Sleepy Mamas
The clock is ticking. Have you bought Mom a mother's day gift? If not, here's some advice from WBHM's Tanya Ott - Forget the candy and the flowers. Give mom some extra hours of sleep!
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Protecting the Beaches
BP continues to try to stop the flow from the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil has already come ashore in Louisiana. And other coastal communities are scrambling to prepare. As WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, volunteers in Alabama are taking some low-tech steps to protect the shore.
On The Line: Fixing 280
It's the road you love to hate. But state officials say they have a plan to ease congestion on U.S. 280. Some business leaders like the idea. Local government officials are split on it. And a group of citizens has proposed an alternative plan. Friday (4/30) at noon on WBHM we discuss all this and more during On The Line: Fixing 280.
The Oil Spill & Alabama
Governor Bob Riley and Alabama's cabinet heads are working on plans to deal with the massive oil spill that threatens to come ashore this weekend. When an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana exploded last week, gulf coast officials knew they had a problem on their hands. But it's worse than they originally thought.
Interview: Fred Schneider of The B-52’s
In the late 1970’s Athens, Georgia didn’t have much to offer in the way of music. One night, a group of friends were hanging out and decided to write a […]
An Alternative Plan For 280
The Alabama Department of Transportation has a plan they say will ease congestion along the highway with an elevated toll road. A group called Re-Think 280 is opposed to the idea and they've put forth an alternative plan.
US 280: Local Governments React
If you've ever driven down Highway 280 you know how congested it can be. The state wants to build an elevated toll road and expanded lanes, but municipal leaders are split on the plan.
The Parable of Grog and Zog
A national group representing atheists and agnostics is calling on the Birmingham City Council to stop beginning its weekly meetings with a prayer. The Freedom from Religion Foundation says the prayers are specifically protestant Christian in theme and they step over the church-state line. The debate has commentator Dan Carsen thinking about the Parable of Grog and Zog.
Children’s Mental Health: Alabama’s Foster Care System
In the late 1980's, a child who's come to be known as R.C. was removed from his home because of allegations of abuse and neglect. R.C. was sent to a series of psychiatric institutions, even though he was not diagnosed with any serious emotional problems. Lawyers sued the Alabama Department of Human Resources on behalf of R.C. And in 1991, a federal court issued the R.C. Consent Decree. It required a massive overhaul in the way DHR provides mental health treatment to foster children in Alabama. The state is now lauded as a national model, but there are still big challenges.
Children’s Mental Health: the Juvenile Justice System
Each year thousands of teens across the country find themselves in jail. For some, their only "crime" is they suffer from a mental illness. Well-meaning parents who are at the end of their rope are convinced the juvenile justice system is one place their teens will get treatment. But as Les Lovoy reports in the first of a two part series on children's mental health, it doesn't always work out that way.
Bingo Bill Investigation
Alabama lawmakers are being extra careful what they say and do after federal investigators revealed they're looking into corruption around a gambling bill. This bill and the issue of electronic bingo have already created a firestorm as WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Legislature Mid-Session Progress Report
This week is spring break for school children and college students throughout Alabama. The state's lawmakers are taking a break, too. After dealing with the legality of electronic bingo, funding for road projects, and charter schools, legislators return to Montgomery next week for the second half of the 2010 session.
Charter Schools: Politics
Advocates of charter schools in Alabama are getting a do-over. A bill to authorize such schools has been reintroduced in the state legislature after lawmakers killed a similar proposal last month. But if the topic of charter schools weren't controversial enough, mixing it with Alabama politics makes for a potent combination. WBHM's Andrew Yeager continues our look at charter schools by examining the political context.
Charter Schools 101
A bill to authorize charter schools in Alabama is dead in the state legislature, but don't expect the debate to die down anytime soon. President Obama is pushing charter schools, and several of the gubernatorial candidates say they support the idea as well. But just what is a charter school? They've been around for more than a decade in some other states, but here in Alabama there seems to be a lot of confusion.
Southern Environmentalism
When Forbes Magazine ranked states by their "greenness" the usual suspects topped the list - Vermont, Oregon, and Washington, all progressive states known for their environmental movements. Seven out of the ten "least green" states were in the South, the land of coal mines and timber plots. But as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports there's a growing environmental movement down south and some of its members might surprise you.
Electronic Bingo Showdown
There's a new development in the showdown between Alabama Governor Bob Riley and the state's casino owners over electronic bingo machines. A judge will conduct a hearing next week on issues surrounding the closed Country Crossing casino in Dothan. Part of the debate is whether electronic bingo machines are allowed under state law. Riley says they're illegal slot machines. Casino owners insist they are perfectly legal. The face-off has prompted early morning raids of some high profile casinos. And as WBHM's Andrew Yeager report, many other operations have shutdown to avoid such a clash.
Dr. Freida Hill
Today is two months on the job for Freida Hill. She is the new chancellor of Alabama's two year college system. Hill spent 18 years working for Georgia's technical colleges. But in Alabama she steps into a system facing increased enrollment with shrinking budgets, plus lingering fallout from a corruption scandal. Hill spoke to WBHM's Andrew Yeager about some of those issues as well as her goals for the state's two year college system. She says she wants to improve the transition for students who transfer from a two year school to a four year school.
The Race for Mayor: The Runoff
Birmingham voters elected a new new mayor on Tuesday. William Bell won the runoff election with 54% of the vote.
Shelter and Cold
The cold weather gripping the south isn't just uncomfortable, it's dangerous. In Tennessee, police believe an 81-year-old man with Alzheimer's Disease froze to death after wandering outside in his bathrobe. In Birmingham, low temperatures in the teens make having a reliable source of heat essential. The city of Birmingham will open a warming center at Boutwell Auditorium this evening, but some people have already been looking for comfort in the area's homeless shelters. Ruth Crosby is head of First Light, a shelter which houses women and children. She tells WBHM's Andrew Yeager they have already been stretched thin by the economy.
Greening the Greens
This time of year golf might be the farthest thing from your mind. But during the off-season golf course managers get to strategize how to best treat their million dollar turf. Some golf courses have a bad rap with environmentalists. But as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports there's a budding green movement in the golf industry.
Timber Theft
From Washington State to New York timber theft is on the rise. Perhaps it's the bad economy. A load of wood chips is worth up to $600. States are starting to crack down and many are watching Alabama, where proposed regulations are causing a dust-up. Tanya Ott reports.
Mayoral Forum
WBHM presents a web exclusive of Catalyst's Birmingham Mayoral Candidates Forum. It was recorded at Workplay on Tuesday evening, December 1. Speaking at the forum was Emory Anthony, William Bell, Scott Douglas, Steven Hoyt and Carole Smitherman. Catalyst also invited Patrick Cooper but he said had a prior engagement. The forum included questions from the audience as well as from moderator Natalie Davis of Birmingham Southern College.
