Birmingham
Jefferson County’s New Health Officer
Doctor Mark Wilson says he wasn't looking for a new job, but on October first he'll take the helm of the Jefferson County Health Department as the new county health officer. Wilson has been chief of staff at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital. He says the county health department has a great track record. But Wilson takes over at a time when Jefferson County's finances are shaky. And while the department is funded through a variety of sources, Wilson tells WBHM's Andrew Yeager local tax money is in the mix.
A Healthy Novella
The typical Spanish novella drips with passion, love, and jealousy. It usually doesn't explain how to manage diabetes or stop smoking. But a Birmingham-based radio project is trying to do just that. WBHM intern Clare Gamlin explains how this broadcast is teaching new Alabamians health information they might not otherwise hear.
Open Meetings Law
Jefferson County Commissioners will meet tomorrow to determine their next move as the county struggles with more than three billion dollars of sewer debt. They could reach a settlement with creditors or file what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. But they'll hold the meeting in executive session. That means meeting with lawyers, behind closed doors. And as WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports that has some questioning if they're violating Alabama's open meetings law.
The 2011 Tornadoes: Churches
Governor Robert Bentley has declared Sunday a day of prayer for victims of the tornados which swept through the south on Wednesday. Alabama is a state where religious faith is ever present and a rallying point for communities. WBHM's Andrew Yeager offers this glimpse of how churches are weathering the storm.
Northern Beltline: Downtown Development
Birmingham's downtown has added many feathers to it cap in recent years. City officials point to last year's opening of Railroad Park, a growing restaurant scene, new office and hotel space in the works. It's a rebirth some critics of the northern beltline say could be muted by that bypass. This week we're taking a look at the proposed 52 mile highway planned for the northern half of Jefferson County. WBHM's Andrew Yeager examines what a new interstate bypass might mean for development in downtown Birmingham.
New Leadership at the BBA
Birmingham's regional economic development organization is under new leadership. The Birmingham Business Alliance hired Brian Hilson last month as its President and CEO. He comes from the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. He previously worked at the Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke to Hilson.
A New Leader for Birmingham Southern College
Birmingham Southern College has new leadership today. General Charles Krulak will become the new president of the school, taking the reigns officially on June first. He's a retired U.S. Marine Commandant and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Krulak has also worked in banking in the U.S. and Europe. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Krulak.
Stuff: One Man’s Stuff
All this week we've been looking at stuff by examining some of the things we keep and the stories contained in them. Of course many of us have no shortage of possessions. We store things in basements or attics. Even rent storage units because we've run out of room. But what if all you had was what you could carry around yourself? What would you keep? WBHM's Andrew Yeager continues our series "Stuff" with a look at the things one Birmingham homeless man hangs onto.
John Archibald
Our weekly segment features The Birmingham News columnist John Archibald, discussing the city politic (and county and state politic too). Instead of being unplugged as he is in the newspaper, we offer him a bullhorn. Sort of.
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. At the same time, there there are success stories such as the opening of Railroad Park and luring the Birmingham Baron's to a downtown baseball stadium. Mayor William Bell joins us for On The Line: Ask the Mayor.
Blueprint Birmingham
WBHM continues a series of conversations reacting to Blueprint Birmingham. That's the regional economic development plan announced last week by the Birmingham Business Alliance. It offers a five-year framework for addressing issues from leadership to education to economic growth.
Railroad Park Opens
New York has Central Park. There's Grant Park in Chicago. Atlanta has Centennial Olympic Park as well. They're parks sitting right in the middle of an urban landscape. And on Saturday Birmingham will have Railroad Park. The idea of a downtown park in Birmingham goes back decades. It took more than 10 years to build Railroad Park, which lays along the railroad tracks between UAB and downtown Birmingham. As officials open it tomorrow, they're hoping Birmingham's new "backyard" will bring not just people, but business too. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
The Price of Poverty
What are the essentials of life? Food, water, and shelter. And to get those you have to have some kind of paying work or be enrolled in a government assistance program. But for the working poor (many of whom don't qualify for government assistance) even the basics can be too expensive. We'll explore this today (8/27) at noon on WBHM's On The Line: The Price of Poverty.
Price of Poverty: Food Deserts
What are the essentials of life? Food, water, and shelter. And to get those you have to have some kind of paying work or be enrolled in a government assistance program. But for the working poor even the basics can be too expensive. They often cost more for working poor than for middle class people, as we'll explore this week in our series "The Price of Poverty". We start today with a report on food.
Child Care Subsidies at Risk
Birmingham's Child Care Resources has traditionally offered subsidies to help families pay for care. But recent budget cuts mean they're having to scale back the program at a time when the number of families needing it has increased.
Hotel Tax Dispute
More travelers will hit the roads this holiday weekend. AAA expects fourth of July travel across the south to rise about 11% over last year. Many of those tourists will book hotel rooms. And that means hotel lodging taxes for local cities. But Birmingham doesn't think it's getting all it's due from online travel sites. So it's suing. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
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.
Bike to Work
Friday morning, the Greater Birmingham Regional Planning Commission is among the sponsors of a Bike-to-Work day. Tom Maxwell is an environmental planner with the planning commission. He agrees Birmingham is not particularly friendly to cyclists. But Maxwell tells WBHM's Andrew Yeager that discussion of these issues goes back quite a ways.
US 280: Tolling
All this week we've been exploring the debate around a plan to stem congestion on U.S. 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. The proposal from the Alabama Department of Transportation would add elevated lanes to a portion of the route. It would also add tolls to four lanes. But how effective would tolling be? WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Richard Arnott, an urban economist at the University of California, Riverside. Arnott says tolls are one strategy cities use to control congestion. But toll roads are less common within a metropolitan area.
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.
John Archibald
Our weekly segment features The Birmingham News columnist John Archibald, discussing the city politic (and county and state politic too). Instead of being unplugged as he is in the newspaper, we offer him a bullhorn. Sort of.
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.
Civil Rights Pardons
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford has issued a blanket pardon to those arrested in the city during the 1960s civil rights protests. Some 2,500, including children and the Reverend Martin Luther King Junior, were jailed during that era of fire hoses and police dogs. But as WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports, the move seems more about reconciling the past than altering the record books.
War of Words
Facebook, Twitter and blogs are abuzz today with news of a showdown between Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and local tavern owner Jerry Hartley. Langford and Hartley verbally sparred at Wednesday's meeting of the Five Points South Merchants Association. Hartley tells WBHM's Andrew Yeager the confrontation erupted during a conversation about regional cooperation to address the problem of "brain drain."
Making Do: Vanishing Pages
So you're tired of all the grim economic news. You want to relax, sit on the couch and flip through a good magazine. Only trouble is that favorite magazine may not be there any more. Magazines across the country have folded in recent months, including titles in Birmingham. As we conclude our series "Making Do: Alabama's Economy," WBHM's Andrew Yeager takes a look at an industry not just reeling from the recession, but dealing with a change in the medium itself.
The Inauguration and the Magic City
While the eyes of the country turned to Washington D.C. today, the inauguration of Barack Obama is tempered with deep significance for many here in Birmingham. The city which saw the brutality of civil rights - fire hoses, police dogs, even bombings - can now witness the United States' first black president. Thousands marked the occasion today in a city-backed celebration at Boutwell Auditorium. WBHM's Andrew Yeager takes us there.
From Birmingham to Israel
Margaret Duvdevani lives in an area grabbing headlines currently, but not for positive reasons. The Birmingham native graduated from college, hopped around Europe, married an Israeli and settled in Israel 30 years ago. A medical technician by training she lives in a farming community in southern Israel, three miles from the Gaza Strip. Duvdevani is visiting Birmingham this month to share her perspective on the latest clash between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. She told WBHM's Andrew Yeager this conflict is different than previous ones.
Election Day Tips
It almost seems like it would never come. We're finally just a day away from the 2008 election. Record turnout and long lines are expected in Alabama. So before you go to cast your ballot, WBHM's Andrew Yeager has a few things to keep in mind for the occasion.
Alabama Economy: Regions Bank
This September is a month economists will remember like it or not. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, Wachovia - it seems financial giant after giant just kept falling. Then yesterday, Birmingham-based Regions' stock plunged more than 40%. So what does this mean for our corner of the banking system? As we continue our series on the Alabama Economy, WBHM's Andrew Yeager looks at how Regions Bank is weathering the storm.
Vipassana Behind Bars
Just outside of Birmingham lies what's arguably Alabama's toughest prison. The maximum security Donaldson Correctional Facility holds death row inmates, murderers, rapists...the worst of the worst some might say. But in the midst of this environment, and in the Bible belt of Dixie, some inmates are practicing an incredibly intense eastern meditation from the Buddhist tradition. And it's winning fans from prisoners and prison officials alike. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Dan Carsen’s Bug Lesson
Sometimes instinct isn't a good substitute for knowledge. Commentator and neophyte gardener Dan Carsen recently learned a lesson about biting the bug that feeds you.
Bunking in Bartow
More than 12,000 people are making Alabama their temporary home today, fleeing the destruction of Hurricane Gustav. That doesn't count those who may be staying with relatives or in hotels, outside the official numbers of the state's shelters. One of those shelters is UAB's Bartow Arena. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke to evacuees bunking at Bartow. He heard plenty of frustration, anxiety, and anger. As well as plenty of talk about a hurricane other than Gutav.
