Grand Jury Could Cut Through the Smoke

The political climate in Birmingham is taking on a new flavor after last week's news the state attorney general's office is opening an investigation in Birmingham. There's not much known about it other than a special grand jury will convene October 17th and it's looking into the Birmingham Water Works Board. This is the same unit that took down former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard. We talk about the development with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.


Gas Flowing Through Pipeline Again, Environmental Groups Following Cleanup

Gasoline is flowing once again through a pipeline that carries fuel to several southeastern states. But, it could still be several days until fuel delivery is back to normal. Crews worked day and night for nearly two weeks constructing a 500-foot bypass off a broken gas pipeline. Officials with Colonial Pipeline – the company that […]

Birmingham Schools Host Charter School Forums

Alabama may very well have its first-ever charter schools next year. The approval process, which has already hit snags in other parts of the state, will go either through a state commission or through local school boards that have elected to become authorizers. Birmingham City Schools is one of just two authorizers in the state, and last night, school leaders held a meeting to explain what that means.

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Gas Leak Cleanup Going Well, Bentley Says

Colonial Pipeline, the company that owns and operates the gas pipeline, has deployed roughly 700 people to clean up about 300,000 gallons of gas. It spilled into a pond near Helena.

Picture Not Quite as Rosy for Law School Grads

Law school graduates seem to be in an enviable position. They’re on the way to a solid job with good pay and a prestigious career. That rosy picture though has tarnished somewhat. We hear about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.

Gasoline Could Flow Again this Week Along Leaking Shelby County Pipeline

Colonial Pipeline says it is constructing a temporary pipeline that will bypass a leaking section of its main gasoline pipeline in Shelby County. According to Al.com, Colonial says it could restart the pipeline through the bypass sometime this week.


Birmingham Leaders Want Civil Rights Sites Declared National Park

Leaders in Birmingham, Alabama want President Obama to declare the city's civil rights district a National Historical Park. Many notable events from the civil rights era took place in Birmingham including the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church where four black girls were killed by Ku Klux Klansman

From CIA to United Way: Weld for B’ham on Diverse Agencies

This week, CIA Director John Brennan met with Birmingham City School students as part of a self-described crusade to make the agency more diverse. That’s one story in the latest Weld For Birmingham. Editor Nick Patterson joins us most Thursdays to discuss Weld's top stories. He tells WBHM’s Dan Carsen about Brennan's visit, and about Weld’s cover story on the United Way and area nonprofit groups.

A Moratorium on Travel by Birmingham City Officials

Birmingham city officials often travel on trips related to their jobs. When those trips are for the public's benefit, they travel on the taxpayer's dime. But travel by the Birmingham City Council and the mayor's office has been scrutinized as excessive and with unclear returns. Travel became a flashpoint at this week's city council meeting and Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says it a perfect time to institute a moratorium on travel.

After 35 Years, ASO Musician Proud to Call Birmingham Home

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra features 53 full-time musicians from all over the world, each with a unique story. Kevin Kozak moved to Birmingham 35 years ago to join the group and currently plays 2nd horn. Mary Scott Hodgin speaks with Kevin about his journey to Alabama and why he has remained with the ASO for […]

Paddling Prevalent In Alabama Schools, South

One of the purposes in collecting this information is to determine if disciplinary polices are being used to discriminate. All the data so far tells us that black children are punished more harshly for the same offenses that white children commit.

CIA Director Visits Birmingham City School Students

Today Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan spoke to dignitaries and more than 50 high school students at Birmingham City Schools’ Central Office. His main goal was to get Birmingham students interested in careers at the CIA. He also acknowledged the CIA’s lack of diversity. “We need to have people from all different backgrounds and experiences,” he […]