Online reaction to previews of a new look to Alabama’s biggest website

al.com 2012 front page redesign

Online reaction to previews of a new look to Alabama’s biggest website.

Storified by Wade Kwon · Wed, May 23 2012 18:02:40

Working the grand opening at Birmingham’s newest grocery store

My day at Freshfully

Working the grand opening at Birmingham’s newest grocery store

Storified by Wade Kwon · Tue, May 08 2012 12:12:36

Video: A look inside the Freshfully market

Today’s runoff results from state and metro Birmingham races … (Primary results from March 13.)

More election coverage for Vote 2012.

The general election takes place Nov. 6.

Runoff results

Winner in red

• • •

More Vote 2012 coverage.

Election results from today’s primaries in Alabama and the Birmingham metro area …

More election coverage in our Vote 2012 special report.

(Updating throughout the evening.)

Update March 14: Voter turnout statewide was around 30 percent.

The runoff takes place April 24.

Democrats

(Contested races only)

Winner in red | Runoff candidates in blue

Republicans

(Contested races only)

Winner in red | Runoff candidates in blue

Tweets

This just in on Twitter …

(Or visit the TweetGrid page.)

Facebook

Visit the Birmingham, Ala., page on Facebook.

• • •

More Vote 2012 coverage.

Photo: Kevin Dooley (CC)

The polls are open! Vote before 7 tonight for candidates in national, state and local races.

Q: Where do I vote?

A: Call Jefferson County: (205) 325-5550, Jefferson County (Bessemer only): (205) 481-4105, Shelby County: (205) 669-3913.

Or Search Your Polling Place on AlabamaVotes.gov.

Wade on Birmingham:
primary election results tonight

Remember, if you have problems at your polling place:

• Notify a poll worker immediately.
• Call the state attorney general at 1-800-831-8814 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday or fill out this online form.
• Call the secretary of state at 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) or visit her site, StopVoterFraudNow.com.
• And tell the probate court for Jefferson County (205-325-5203) or Shelby County (205-669-3713).
• E-mail us at Vote2012[at]wadeonbirmingham.com.

Q: What can I expect to see on the ballots?

A: Check out these sample ballots for each county.

You’re voting for president, U.S. Representative, state and county officials.

Q: Who should I vote for?

A: Before you hit the voting booth, check out our roundup of newspaper endorsements from across Alabama.

Video: “NBC Nightly News” interviews voters in Birmingham.

Let us know where and when you voted, and how many votes were cast before yours.

• • •

More Vote 2012 coverage.

Photo: Rob Boudon (CC)

Several Alabama newspaper editorial boards have made their endorsements for primary races, including president, congressional and state offices.

Before you hit the polls Tuesday, see which candidates earned plaudits and why.

• Birmingham News
• Daily Home (Talladega)
• Decatur Daily
• Opelika-Auburn News
• Selma Times-Journal
• TimesDaily (Florence): president | state supreme court and Public Service Commission

Spring is still a week away, but Alabama voters are headed to the polls extra early this year to pick their party candidates.

To help you see the full candidate list for your district, we’ve included sample ballots for Jefferson and Shelby Counties for the primaries. (The Jefferson County ballots, 11 pages and 36 pages, include versions for every district.)

Also included is the Alabama Voter Guide 2012, which has information on voting procedures and frequently asked questions.

For easier viewing, you can print, download or zoom to full screen with each ballot.

Primary elections take place Tuesday across the state.

• • •

Sample ballots for all 67 counties.

• • •

Jefferson County: Democratic ballot

Jefferson County: Republican ballot

Shelby County: Democratic ballot

Shelby County: Republican ballot

Alabama Voter Guide 2012

• • •

More Vote 2012 coverage.

Alabama’s Trevor Releford, left, and JaMychal Green
will face Creighton first in the Big Dance.

Alabama returns to the Big Dance this week. The ninth-seeded Crimson Tide (21-11, 9-7) will play No. 8 Creighton in the NCAA Men’s Tournament on Friday in Greensboro, N.C.

Alabama lost to Florida 66-63 in the second round of SEC Tournament Friday in New Orleans. In the 2011 NIT finals, Alabama lost to Wichita State 66-57.

The Bluejays won the Missouri Valley Tournament, beating Illinois State 83-79 in overtime, and finished with a 28-5 record. They face the Tide in the Midwest region.

The game airs at 12:40 p.m. Friday (time TBA) on CBS 42 TBS. [See all tipoff times.]

Brackets:

• NCAA Men’s Tournament

Also: Samford to face Duke in women’s tournament

A Lake Martin product has a “savage” and apparent blessing of supermarkets statewide

We know how great Alabama food is, and we have 10 more months to tell the story. But not every product shows us at our best.

The state tourism department declared 2012 as the Year of Alabama Food for its annual themed campaign. I have pointed out that the diversity is sorely lacking in the featured restaurants [Facebook | Google+], but we’ll save that discussion for another day. The state’s first food-themed travel campaign was in 2005.

While the Year of Alabama Food spotlights restaurants and their dishes, another lesser-known program has been running since 2004, Buy Alabama’s Best.

This ongoing campaign by the Alabama Food Manufacturers and Producers focuses on homegrown products. During this month and September, an undisclosed portion of proceeds from sales of these products goes to Children’s of Alabama. The Buy Alabama’s Best logo on supermarket shelves marks which ones are members.

For instance, this one.

The label for Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce, made in Lake Martin

This is Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce, made in Lake Martin.

With more than 10,000 products in a typical supermarket, you may have missed it. But alongside Milo’s sweet tea, Sister Schubert’s homemade rolls, Bud’s Best Cookies and John’s slaw dressing, Mike Elliott’s sauce is among the featured Alabama few.

Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce, with the Buy Alabama’s Best logo,
on the shelf at Western Supermarket on Southside

(We’re not entirely sure Mike Elliott’s product is an official Buy Alabama’s Best member, since it’s not listed as a manufacturer on the website.)

Update March 6: Ellie Smotherman Taylor, executive director of the Alabama Food Manufacturers and Producers Association, said in an email: “Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce is not part of the AFMPA and also not affiliated with the Buy Alabama’s Best campaign.”

Originally from Birmingham, Mike Elliott — a k a Michael Wilson — has lived in Lake Martin since 1997. He worked in the restaurant business and started bottling his sauce 1 year ago this month, according to his website.

Asked by email about his label, Elliott said, ”My ‘logo’ is a long story. He is a character that has been with me for quite some time.

“He’s meant to portrait that once trying my sauce that it will turn you into a savage and will do anything to get some of that savory sauce.”

The “savage” depicted on the label echoes centuries-old stereotypes of the black community, ones that continue to rile in Alabama. In June, the corruption “bingo” trial revealed that state Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale had called black customers of a Greene County casino “aborigines.”  The remarks sparked public outrage and condemnation. (He apologized for his comments 3 months later and is currently running for Congress.)

Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce can be found across Alabama, including Winn Dixie. In Birmingham, it’s in Alabama Goods in Homewood, Piggly Wiggly on Clairmont, V. Richards in Forest Park and Western Supermarket in Mountain Brook and on Southside.

Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce, at the Western Supermarket
in Mountain Brook

Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce, on the meat/seafood display
case at V. Richards

Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce, at the Piggly Wiggly on Clairmont

I have to wonder if the buyers for those supermarket chains ever considered if the label would offend customers.

As the state increases its food and dining promotion, shoppers will see even more of Alabama’s homegrown merchandise, a move Elliott supports.

“I’m an Alabama-made product,” he said. “I believe and support all Alabama-made products from Millie Ray’s sweet rolls to Dirt Road Gourmet and Conecuh Sausage. If Alabamians would look within, it’s amazing what this state has to offer.”

• Mike Elliott’s BBQ Sauce | Facebook and Facebook
• Buy Alabama’s Best
• Year of Alabama Food

From left, Emma Stone, and Oscar nominees
Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis star in “The Help.”

Hollywood has been reaching deep into Alabama’s past, present and future this week …

• Last week, “Red Tails” opened nationwide. The George Lucas-produced action movie follows the story of Alabama’s Tuskegee Airmen in their aerial battles against German pilots and their ground war against discrimination. The stars include Terrence Howard and Method Man. “Red Tails” reached No. 2 last weekend in box office take.

• Black history also plays a role in Tuesday’s Oscar nominations, which included two state connections. Montgomery native and Auburn grad Octavia Spencer earned a spot in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role as Minny Jackson in “The Help.” Earlier this month, she won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

The movie, based on Kathryn Stockett’s novel of the same name, follows the relationship of a young white woman and two black maids in Jackson, Miss., in the 1960s. “The Help” earned four nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Viola Davis and another Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Chastain.

In the Best Documentary Short category, “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” scored a nomination. The 25-minute movie tells the story of James Armstrong, who marched carrying the American flag at Selma on Bloody Sunday in 1965. He was the first to file suit to desegregate Birmingham’s schools. Armstrong died at 86 in 2011 of heart failure.

Director Robin Fryday of San Francisco teamed up with director Gail Dolgin, who received a previous Oscar nomination for “Daughter from Danang” and died from breast cancer in 2010. “The Barber of Birmingham” had its Birmingham premiere in March at the Alabama Theatre.

The Academy Awards airs at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 on ABC 33/40.

• “A Smile as Big as the Moon” tells the true story of Mike Kersjes, a high school football coach and special education teacher who leads his special needs students to Space Camp in 1988. Kersjes and Joe Layden co-wrote the original book of the same name. The movie, filmed at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville and also in Wilmington, N.C., stars John Corbett, Moira Kelly and Cynthia Watros. It has its Huntsville premiere  at 7 tonight and airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC 33/40.

Video: Minny (Octavia Spencer) gets a taste of revenge
in a scene from “The Help.”

Video: George Lucas discusses the struggle to find funding
for “Red Tails.”

Video: interview with director Robin Fryday and
James Armstrong’s grandson Darren on
“The Barber of Birmingham.”

Video: a look at “A Smile as Big as the Moon”

Video: a look at the storm damage in a Center Point neighborhood

Storms and tornadoes made an unwelcome encore following their devastating march through Alabama on April 27. A series of tornadoes and severe storms passed through the central portion of the state in the early Monday morning hours.

Two were killed, and hundreds were injured. Hardest hit areas in Jefferson County included Center Point, Clay, Oak Grove and Trussville. Center Point received so much damage that Center Point Parkway wasn’t cleared to reopen for 2 days.

Hundreds of houses were destroyed or damaged along the path, which mirrored the same path of the deadly April tornadoes. Center Point Elementary, built in 2003, was damaged beyond repair and will have to be bulldozed and rebuilt.

Gov. Bentley declared a state of emergency for all counties.

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Audio: storm survivor stories

ABC 33/40 viewer-submitted photo

An EF-3 tornado tore through Center Point Monday.

Relief efforts are under way:

• Texting REDCROSS to 90999 will donate $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
• Those affected by the storms can call the Red Cross on a special line at (205) 439-7800, option 6.
• Donations can be made online to Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief fund and the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services fund (specify for ”January 2012 Tornado Relief”).
• The Junior League of Birmingham is collecting nonperishable foods, cleaning supplies and batteries at its office, 2212 20th Ave. S. [map] during office hours.
• Three Trussville churches are collecting water, food, toiletries, diapers, cleaning supplies and more.

Gallery: Jan. 23 storm aftermath

Video: Scott Douglas spars with Stephen Colbert
on the Jan. 16 “Colbert Report.”

“The Colbert Report” took up Alabama’s immigration law, HB56, once again. Monday, host Stephen Colbert “debated” Scott Douglas, executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries.

The law has stirred debate over federal enforcement of immigration, labor rights, employment and more. Douglas spoke out against the law, saying the federal government should enforce a rewritten national law, rather than having local law enforcement uphold up to 50 separate state laws.

The comedy show had done a segment on HB56 in October, focusing on the law’s impact on state agriculture.

Video: “The Colbert Report” on Alabama’s immigration law
in October. 

A look at today’s newspapers, with front pages showing Alabama’s win over LSU for the BCS National Championship on Monday.

Alabama

The Anniston Star

The Birmingham News

The Decatur Daily

The Dothan Eagle

The (Florence) Times-Daily

The (Fort Payne) Times-Journal

The Gadsden Times

The Montgomery Advertiser

The (Mobile) Press-Register

The Opelika-Auburn News

The Tuscaloosa News

Louisiana

The (Alexandria) Town Talk

The (Baton Rouge) Advocate

The (Lafayette) Daily Advertiser

(Lake Charles) American Press

The (Monroe) News-Star

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune

The (Shreveport) Times

Zoom to full screen, zoom in on page details
and embed on your site.

Also:

• Auburn wins 2010 BCS National Championship: newspaper front pages
• Alabama wins 2009 National Championship as seen on newspaper front pages

State makes it three-peat for championships

Alabama coach Nick Saban celebrates the BCS
championship with the team Monday at the Superdome.

Alabama took care of business in 2012 what it couldn’t do in 2011: Beat LSU. The Tide, entering at No. 2, blanked the Tigers 21-0 in the BCS National Championship game Monday night in New Orleans.

Quarterback A.J. McCarron and linebacker Courtney Upshaw won the offensive and defensive MVP awards, while coach Nick Saban became the first coach to win three BCS titles, including 2009 at Alabama and 2003 at LSU. McCarron is the first sophomore QB to win a BCS title game.

Kicker Jeremy Shelley put up 15 points, tying the bowl record for five field goals. Trent Richardson tacked on something called a touchdown in the final 5 minutes. LSU hadn’t faced a shutout loss since 2002, losing to … Alabama; Saban was the Tigers’ coach at the time.

The state of Alabama brought home its unprecedented third title, following Auburn’s in 2010 and Alabama’s in 2009. And the SEC earned its sixth consecutive BCS championship, though technically also adding its first BCS championship game loss.

LSU and Alabama had already met once this season in November under similar circumstances, ranked at No. 1 and No. 2, and LSU coming away with the win in overtime 9-6.

Alabama finishes 12-1, while LSU finishes 13-1.

Video: highlights from the Alabama-LSU game

Alabama running back Trent Richardson will face off against
LSU again tonight for the BCS National Championship.

It’s déjà vu all over again.

No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama will face each other again, this time for the BCS National Championship. In their previous encounter Nov. 5, the Tigers won in overtime 9-6.

Since then, LSU (13-0) has remained undefeated, capturing the SEC Championship against Georgia Dec. 3 and … waiting. The Tide (11-1) returned to its winning ways, wrapping up with a win against Auburn in the Iron Bowl Nov. 26.

The title game is familiar territory for both teams, Alabama having captured it last in 2010 against Texas, and LSU over Ohio State in 2008.

A win by Alabama would make it the third consecutive year for the state to bring home a championship, following Auburn’s victory over Oregon in 2011.

The game takes place in the Superdome in New Orleans. Kickoff is 7:30 tonight, airing on ESPN and WJOX (94.5 FM) [livestream].

In other news:

• SMU defeated Pitt 28-6 Saturday in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham
• Auburn beat Virginia 43-24 in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on New Year’s Eve

Video: keys to the BCS National Championship for Alabama, LSU