Heads and tales: Feeling spent
Impasse in Silvertron investigation: The March 22 death of Silvertron owner Alan Potts remains a mystery — and will likely remain one. A coroner’s report confirms he died of a gunshot to the head but has no ruling on the shooter. Authorities said that ends the investigation, unless someone comes forward.
• Coroner’s Office Releases Statement About Silvertron Owner’s Death [NBC 13]
Debt’s all, folks: Jefferson County residents are getting deeper in debt. The average in 2004 was $56,986, a 47.4 percent jump since 1999. That’s from “Credit Scores, Reports, and Getting Ahead in America,” a new study from Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution. Higher debt means lower credit scores, with the South having the highest concentration low-scoring consumers. Doug Horst of the Consumer Credit Service in Birmingham said, “I hope this is a wake-up call that encourages people behind in their bills to seek help.” You know what will make us feel better? Shopping!
• Consumer debt rises in Jeffco [Birmingham News]
Cold hard casa: State home sales jumped 26.34 percent in March, way ahead of the national increase of a paltry 0.3 percent. Even better, home values in Jefferson County jumped 7 percent in the past year. The hottest neighborhood? North Lakeshore, with an average 44 percent increase. Excuse us while we call our real estate agent.
• Alabama home sales rise 26% in March; average selling price up [Birmingham Business Journal]
Charity begins elsewhere: The Crawfish Boil still describes itself as a “party with a purpose,” a reference to its charitable contributions in the past. Nowadays, it’s more about the purpose of the party: Make money. The bookkeeping has been shoddy, and title sponsor Jack Schaeffer says he hopes to donate $5,000 — to match 2005 — out of a starting budget of $500,000. Wow, kinda gets you right here (points to butt).
• Crawfish Boil’s a splashy festival first, fund-raiser second [Birmingham News]
Also:
- Lakeview revelers celebrate Mexican holiday with American excess, Panamanian pharmaceuticals
- Case of blahs spreads like apathetic wildfire
- Nationally ranked schools still stuck in Alabama
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Monday, May 8, 2006, 5:00 pm
Hey Wade, does that “debt per resident” figure include the debt burden I have thanks to the county government and the supersewer?
Monday, May 8, 2006, 5:13 pm
No, we’ll need one of those “debt clocks” that measures dollars per second to track that tab.