A look at Birmingham in videos, including last week’s Sloss Fest …
Seattle electronic music duo Odesza performs at Sloss Fest. From Monica Underwood.
Nashville country musician Sturgill Simpson performs “The Promise” at Sloss Fest. From Quazzbert.
A look at Sloss Fest 2017. From Chase Swearengin.
Another look at Sloss Fest 2017. From Joseph Mikos.
Birmingham hip-hop artist Nerves Baddington performs “Lamb’s Blade” at Sloss Fest. From Melanie Tatum.
Widespread Panic performs “Honky Red” at Sloss Fest. From Jeremy Johnson.
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst performs “Poison Oak” at Sloss Fest. From Kathy Boyce.
Los Angeles rapper Vince Staples performs “Party People” at Sloss Fest. From Eric M.
Talking with Los Angeles singer-songwriter K. Flay at Sloss Fest. From Alabama NewsCenter.
Talking with Birmingham rock band New Devils at Sloss Fest. From Alabama NewsCenter.
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Promo for Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, Southside/UAB location. From AC Marketing.
Promo for T-Bone’s restaurant in Five Points South. From AC Marketing.
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Preaching at the fountain (our vertical video of the week). From GMS Quick and Powerful.
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Hooping with Jordan Junes and Stella the Kitty at June’s Birmingham Erotic Art Party in North Avondale. From Lil Wild Child.
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Casey visits Birmingham. From Casey Neistat.
Meeting speaker Casey Neistat at Sloss Tech. From AllGODbuddy.
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Huge storm earlier this month, From Jay Burnham.
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Music video for “Indigo” by Birmingham singer-songwriter Matthew Mayfield, filmed in part at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in the Greystone neighborhood in Hoover. From Sean Patrick Kirby.
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Promo for last week’s Sleepover dance party at Magnolia House in Five Points South. From Sleepover the Official Party.
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Raleigh hip-hop artist J. Cole performs “Neighbors” in June at Avondale Brewing Company. From Hidn Trackz.
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UAB professor James McClintock discusses climate change. From GASP.
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Getting rid of insulation contaminated by animal waste (our other vertical video of the week). From Rid-a-Critter Inc.
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Bluebird Homecare customer Sharon Lowe of Birmingham discusses her father’s situation. From Bluebird Homecare.
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Commercial for AllSouth Appliance at Wildwood North in Homewood. From AllSouth Appliance.
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Making a Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport at home. From Joseph Bentivenga.
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Virtual minor league action, Birmingham Barons at Tennessee Smokies. From Peyton and Cal Loan.
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Picking up EWTN’s shortwave radio station WEWN in Irondale from Uruguay. From CX2ABP.
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Demo reel for Alabaster director of photography Jason O’Brien. From Fast Lane Productions
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Birmingham News photographer Joe Songer and sports columnist Clyde Bolton on Hueytown racer Davey Allison’s 1993 fatal helicopter crash at the Talladega Supersppedway. From Robert Clay.
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Evangelizing outside Mi Pueblo SuperMarket in Homewood. From LLDM NEWS Agencia de noticias.
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A visit to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. From Travel Companion.
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Los Prisioneros del Norte perform at Roman’s Night Club in Homewood. From Manuel Mendez.
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Rep. Terry Sewell talks with media in June during a tour of Fairfield’s tornado damage. From Rep. Sewell.
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Highlights from a June exhibition opening at North Birmingham art gallery Studio 2500. From Liz Dial.
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“NFL Total Access” report on Hueytown native Jameis Winston’s second annual Dream Forever Youth Camp earlier this month at Miles College. From Marlena B.
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Men’s high jump at Samford’s track during June’s National Senior Games. From High Jumpers Rule.
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Birmingham’s Jake Peter hits a triple against the Jackson Generals earlier this month in Jackson. From Minor League Baseball.
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Los Angeles band Grupo Maravilla de Robin Revilla performs “Tu Recuerdo.” From Grupo Maravilla de Robin Revilla.
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Drone footage of Vulcan, Lyric Theatre, Alabama Theatre and the Thomas Jefferson Tower’s mooring mast. From Steve Dunlap.
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Drone footage of downtown Birmingham, Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and downtown Columbus, Miss. From Smash Mouf Enterprises.
Singer Luis Coronel performing in August at Rancho El Centenario in Mt. Olive. From Erika Garcia.
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Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring performs in September at Iron City on Southside. From Blair Scott.
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Rancho Viejo. From El ZurdoMquez Alegre.
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Katie Hardin competes in her first U.S. Figure Skating competition at the Freestyle 2 level in summer’s Magic City Ice Classic at the Pelham Civic Complex. From Saxena Video Productions.
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A trip through the Goo-Goo Express Wash on Southside. From Kim Sebastian.
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A look at the photo archives of the Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Press-Register in the Mobile office. From Robert Clay.
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Indiana prog rock band Umphrey’s McGee performs “Power of Soul” in September at Avondale Brewery. From psn abraxasnd.
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Singer-songwriter and former UAB football player Sam Hunt performs in September at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre. From Brandi H.
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A quick trip through downtown. From Preston Eaves.
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Pepper Place wins the Urban Land Institute Atlanta District Council 2013 Awards for Excellence. From uliatlantaawards.
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Florida metal band Bind performs in August at the High Note on Southside. From NCHC.
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L.A. rapper Earl Sweatshirt performs in September at Iron City on Southside (our vertical video of the week). From Carkles.
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Figure skaters Emily Sanders and Anna Blankenship have fun at the Pelham Civic Complex. From Aly Hathcock.
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Metal band Gwar performs in September at Iron City on Southside. From zombiegorehound.
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Atlanta rocker Tedo Stone visits LightRails downtown. From Ethan Payne.
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Buffalo Bills defensive tackle (and former Alabama player) Marcell Dareus talks to children at a city park after committing $100,000 over five years to the Birmingham Parks and Recreation. From ABC 33/40.
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A look at the Franklin Graham Festival of Hope in August at UAB’s Bartow Arena. From Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
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Birmingham rock band the Burning Peppermints performs “Ned Schneeblee” in September at Magnetic Audio in East Avondale. From Spectra Sonic Sound Sessions.
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“Motorcycles have been racing up and down First Avenue North all night. I stepped outside with my phone and heard them immediately. A police car was 100 feet behind them, did nothing.” From David Morrison.
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Driving from Southside to Inverness. From sultan sultan.
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Country singer Hunter Hayes performs in September at the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham. From Brandi H.
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September’s Tour de Hops bike ride through Avondale and Southside. From cheesellama.
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Van Halen performs “Jump” in September at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham. From gotcrush.
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Ride for Kids raised more than $50,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in its September motorcycle event. From Rory Luther.
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More from the Festival of Hope. From Luz Clemente.
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Teaser for Good Grit Magazine. From Jordan Mahy.
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Alex on the climbing wall (our other vertical video of the week). From thkufan.
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The new class makes its entrance for the Birmingham Kappa League. From Melvin Heath.
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Timelapse footage of construction at Kinetic Communications in 2014. From Paige Simpson.
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Spanish rock group Jarabe de Palo performs in April at the Nick on Southside (our other other vertical video of the week). From liliana.
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“Alabama TV” talks with FBI agent Roger Stanton. From Latino News LLC.
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A look at the Children’s Harbor Pig Iron BBQ Challenge fund-raiser, returning Oct. 16 to the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. From United for Life Foundation.
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A mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. From Richard Womack.
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Savannah jazz guitarist Walter Parks performs “Who Am I to Play the Blues” in September at Moonlight on the Mountain in Hoover. From Walter Parks and Swamp Cabbage.
A look at the reaction online to the move … and the controversial publisher statement
Kyle Whitmire, Weld co-owner, splits for Birmingham competitor
A look at the reaction online to the move … and the controversial publisher statement
Storified by Wade Kwon · Tue, Jul 31 2012 09:34:34
undefinedWadeonbirmingham
Photo: Kyle Whitmire, left, and Mark Kelly
Kyle Whitmire, new media editor and co-founder of Weld for Birmingham, surprised Birmingham readers Friday morning, July 27. He was leaving the startup outlet to join the Alabama Media Group, the company formed to take over the Birmingham News and al.com.
It’s official. The bosses just announced hiring Kyle @WarOnDumb Whitmire and my old friend Mia Watkins at Bham News — I mean AMG. Welcome.John Archibald
Twitterers were stunned.
@JohnArchibald @warondumb So Kyle turned to the dark side eh? 😉 Seriously though, congrats! Good luck.Joe Walker
@JohnArchibald @MCuthbert @WarOnDumb Seriously?Scott Wilson
Exciting news: Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) is joining Alabama Media Group starting next month as politics & gov reporter. A great addition.Marty Swant
Congrats to Kyle Whitmire. You and Barnett can be a team nowAlan Collins
@WarOnDumb Congrats on the new AMG gig. Looking forward to reading more of your work.Jeremy Burgess
@JohnArchibald @MCuthbert @WarOnDumb Congratulations, then. Welcome to the ‘Salt Mine’ folks. :)Scott Wilson
"Official" congrats @WarOnDumb! You, @JohnArchibald and I should chat some time next week ;-)Tanya Ott
Looks like Kyle Whitmire joined Ala Media Group/al·com, dumped @SecondFront, uses @WaronDumb. But what of @WeldBham? #bhamWade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets first @glennybrock and now @warondumb – think @WeldBham should speak up?Kevin Storr
@kevinstorr @WadeOnTweets @WarOnDumb @WeldBham I’ll speak up: We’re all on a media merry-go-round & I’m riding a unicorn instead of a horse.Glenny Brock
@glennybrock @KevinStorr @WadeOnTweets @WarOnDumb @WeldBham best line of the week & u can’t sum it up better than that!Kevin Storr
Whoa. @WarOnDumb? Well now…King Cockfight
Happy for @WarOnDumb. @aldotcom/@Birmingham_News is leaps and bounds better with him on board, and no better fit for transition. #alpoliticsKing Cockfight
And hell, if you can sell Kyle Whitmire on Alabama Media Group, you can definitely sell me and the rest of AL. Very cool news. #alpoliticsKing Cockfight
@KingCockfight @WarOnDumb @Birmingham_News |Restoring balance to the Force? Or cruel joke to force Kyle into moderating #aldotcommentary?Virgil Hailwood
I’m very proud of @WarOnDumb and @glennybrock.brad daly
Thanks @bwdaly. I’m proud of us too. @WarOnDumb is full of surprises.Glenny Brock
@WarOnDumb Congratulations on the new job!Jim Little
Kyle Whitmire @WarOnDumb is moving from @WeldBham to AMG. But will that be the @Birmingham_News or @aldotcom? Or will there be a difference?Jim Little
The fact that @warondumb has a) apparently named his new column "war on dumb" and b) joined http://al.com shows we’re screwed in BhamJoseph Blake
Oh, perfect! RT @martyswant: Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) is joining Alabama Media Group starting next month as politics & gov reporter.Kelly
“Over the past several weeks, substantial differences arose between our management team and Kyle. Those differences were related to our plans for the immediate and future direction and priorities of Weld for Birmingham and its online and print publications. They also involved issues related to Kyle’s current and past job performance and fulfillment of his duties as a shareholder in our company.”
Weld publisher Mark Kelly releases statement regarding Kyle Whitmire’s departure from Weld: http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/Weld for Birmingham
Reaction on Twitter was equally unkind.
@WeldBham Oh snap.Mike Douglas
@WeldBham ‘s letter regarding Whitmire’s leaving sounds personal and petty. Sorry one of your talent’s is leaving, but your letter is sad.Ryan C. Moon
Mark Kelly @WeldBham publisher issues statement on @WarOnDumb departure. http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/ Not gonna lie, it sounds kinda bitter.Jim Little
@JimWLittle @WeldBham @WarOnDumb “kinda”? psh. reeks of it.Luke Lucas
I don’t know the first thing about Kyle Whitmire, but I know butt-hurt pettiness when I read it. http://bit.ly/OUBOWSChris Lee Gray
Whitmire leaves WELD and raises a welt. I’m torn between thinking this is bad form or seeing it as transparency. : http://bit.ly/LSKHEtwordrocket
@martyswant @bwdaly @WarOnDumb gosh, did you read that cry-baby pr from the guy left at Weld? Do what’s best for you, Kyle.John McCarter
Yikes! Why don’t you just say I’m taking my ball and going home? @WeldBham @warondumb http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/Greg Wingo
Whitmire, along with former Weld editor Glenny Brock, worked together for almost 10 years at another publication, Birmingham Weekly.
@WeldBham to merge with @BhamWeekly to better cover "former staffers" beat.Birminghamster
@WeldBham Sorry to say, "Goodbye Kyle? Goodbye Weld."Adele Culp
@WeldBham I strongly advise that Kelly’s future statements re:staffers exits be passed by HR or legal prior to release.Readership withdrawn.Jason Templin
All current managers, supervisors, leaders, bosses, etc… This is a template for how NOT to handle employee exits http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/Jason Templin
@WarOnDumb Wow! Want to make a statement? I thought you were Weld!bfpmusic
Peas in a pod. @warondumb http://instagr.am/p/Nmwh-jKQPm/brad daly
@MaximusShelby @secondfront @weldbham reading Mark Kelly’s response it appears Kelly is a dick and Kyle smart to get the hell away.Rufus T. Firefly
Longer responses to the publisher’s statement
Statement regarding Kyle Whitmire’s departure from WeldPublisher, Weld for Birmingham Statement regarding Kyle Whitmire’s departure from Weld from Weld Publisher Mark Kelly As has been reporte…
The longer comments left below the original statement reflect even more critical reaction from the readers, including “unprofessional,” “arrogant” and “disgusting.”
I’m sure I don’t need to point this out because it is already beyond apparent – but this public statement reeks of butthurt. Unprofessional!Tori LaConsay
hmmmmShannon E Johnson
This absolutely stuns me. People say that I know everybody and everything about Birmingham, which is just flat false. However, I was under the impression that Madison Underwood and Kyle were what kept WELD running. I am not sure what WHAT will keep the Birmingham News running….Richard Dabney
Very unprofessional.Heather Taylor
Holy crap. In the category if you can’t beat ’em, join them. Or is it if you can’t beat them, offer them more money and steal them away from the competition?MD Words
Somebody’s feelings are hurt. What goes around comes around suckas. No Glenny. No Kyle. No reason to continue with Weld. See ya. Kelley Carmon Brown
Y’all should each roll up a copy of your fish wrappers and bludgeon each other with ’em.Derek R Trimble
I read this and really was left hoping it was joking jester between friends to start a little competitive rivalry. Otherwise, this is in very unprofessional.Tamara Pitts Mahaffey
theis is one of the most uuprofessional "statements" of this type I ever remember reading. Not to applaud BN company for their layoffs etc. but most of this should have been keep "in the business closet. "Richard Robinson
Did he call you a poopoohead on the way out the door, too?Trey McClure
Oh, my. Well, we all must be accountable for our own journey. Carry on and look forward.Wendy Price
I confess, Kyle Whitmire I why I read Weld B’ham.Adele Stockham Culp
I like this statement. I respect that something can be written where parties are not obliged to add sentiment to fact. There couldn’t be anything more professional in the journalism industry. This statement makes sense, is well written, and pulls no punches. I say KUDOS!Kelly Barr
We wish him well in his new position and look forward to competing for readership in this exciting and evolving market. Nuff said. Leave the panty wadding at home.Mark DiChiara
Sorry to hear about your loss. Kyle was really the only reason I ever visited this site.Richard Thomas
First Glenny and now Kyle — two founders of the paper. Based on this statement I’m wondering if it’s Weld’s management that (sadly) has the problem.James P. Fahy
Kyle Whitmire is one of the best reporters I read – I look forward to reading what he ‘s able to get in the News.Johnny Coley
"I think it would be fun to run a newspaper".Dave Arndt
What a piece of crap comment by Kelly. Hey Mark…If you were any manager at all you would accept your pain and not act like a child publicly. In fact, perhaps if you valued talent as you insinuate, you would never have lost your most talented reporter and the name/face behind your publication. Best of luck finding reporters trying to better themselves…particularly if this is how you treat them…Matt Murphy
I call on Mark Kelly, publisher of Weld for Birmingham, to publicly state the specific stated "differences" between management and Kyle Whitmire. Also – please explain these "job performance issues" you claim your newspaper had with its star reporter. If you cannot detail these in a public forum, then you owe the defamed, Whitmire, a swift and formal apology. Oh yeah… on a side note…your MOST loyal readers did so because of Kyle. Whitmire. Way to piss them off by shitting on him as he walks out the door to a better and more stable gig. BRILLIANT move….Perhaps this type of decision making is what lead Kyle to make the move in the first place…Matt Murphy
What an arrogant and unprofessional statement! You might want to hire a pr person to help you out of your own ditch! Disgusting!Donna J. Eddins
Well Pro for Lazy-ham News and Con for Weld….Welcome to the old business tactic of "Absorb competitor’s talents until they cant sustain the business". Mark I hope you can get a suitable replacement for Kyle, cause otherwise they just strong-armed a good reporter from you. Lazy-ham News is still screwed, Kyle is the one that benefited the most out of this cause he got PAID.John Wood
Weld Birmingham = BBoE.Chris Morrow
In a rare moment of candor, Lee Waites of The Birmingham Free Press stated "Hell! No offense. But I thought Kyle Whitmire was Weld!"Birmingham Freepress-music
This commentary was a total dick move on your part. You could have been professional about the whole matter, but you really Chick-Fil-A’d it here.Anthony DeWayne Mack
Maybe a tad unprofessional compared to other industries, but that’s the media business (remember, Weld runs columns like ‘Ask a Mexican’ and reports on hard news which just at its core can be unprofessional sometimes). That is very different from a bank or a local shop or any other type of business really. I thought Kyle was one of the owners at Weld, and if an owner is leaving a locally-owned independent publication to go to work for a major competitor owned by a New Jersey-based company that just eliminated half of its workforce here in Birmingham…then Mark might have a point. If I were Mark, I would be concerned about leaks of strategy information and maybe I’d be wishing I put a non-compete in place too. If I were a ‘News reporter who worked there for 15 years or more and is out of a job soon, then I’d wonder about the hire too. That being said, Kyle is one of the best – if not the best- political reporters in the state of Alabama and the ‘News clearly got a catch. But, Mark and Weld deserve to feel a little slighted by this as they are a start up trying to build a locally-owned news business in a time of incredible disruption in the media industry and clearly Kyle was a core part of that until now. Let ’em have this. Looking forward to seeing more of Madison’s stories too.Emily Lowrey
Wow. I hope Mark Kelly has the sense to be embarrassed by this eventually.Monica Crosby Donohoe
Yes, this article is unnecessarily cheeky, but I’m mostly just sad about Whitmire’s move from Weld to the Birmingham News. Hell, bands are accused of selling out all the time, just because they opt for a bigger label. Integrity doesn’t feed your family, etc. So, I’m not hating on that. But, Whitmire is one of the only voices that speaks truth in journalism, and frankly, I was invigorated that Weld was a new hope for our city in that manner. I know so many conservatives and liberals that found relief in such good reporting at Weld. How rare is that? Fact: One Weld article covers more detail on important Birmingham issues than 10 Al.com pieces. (ok, that’s my own fact, but I’m a frequent reader of both) So, I will continue to read and support Whitmire, but I worry what the B’ham news will do to his style over time. I’ll also continue with Weld, but worry about this rift. An undeserving competition just stole Weld’s quarterback, but the team can recover. Don’t waste this, Al.com… you thieving bastards.Christina Smith
I have always heard that feelings are not facts. We may never know the facts. The feelings speak for themselves.Jerry Griffies
Birmingham Business Journal
Even the Birmingham Business Journal’s article on Whitmire’s departure drew interesting comments.
Weld’s Whitmire leaves for Alabama Media Group – Birmingham Business JournalDate: Friday, July 27, 2012, 2:23pm CDT – Last Modified: Friday, July 27, 2012, 2:27pm CDT Well-known columnist of Weld for Birmingham, K…
It is interesting to note that Weld is suffering from the same talent drain that afflicted the Birmingham Weekly when it ran off Kyle and Glenny Brock, who had edited both publications. If I was a Weld investor, I would be extremely concerned with the safety of my money right now.Beau Butts
Shouldn’t the BBJ disclose that they are owned by the same parent company as Alabama Media Group?Joseph Blake
Wow I was already on the fence with WELD once Glenny left, now Kyle Whitmire also? This statement put out by WELD publisher Mark Kelly however stinks of bitterness and to me seals the deal. So long WELD, we hardly knew thee.Jason Hamric
NBR: Kyle Whitmire leaves Weld BirminghamCountdown to Kickoff UAB Blazers I Root For: University of Alabama – Birmingham Location: Birmingham AL UAB Blazers I Root For: Universit…
Wade Kwon is a communications consultant based in Birmingham, Ala. He has also been a journalist for 25 years.
The long march to Election Day 2010 ends Tuesday with some of us going to the polls, and many of us staying far away. Come on, people, is it really that difficult to vote once every couple of years?
Decision time is here, but if you’re like us, maybe you’re a little behind on your homework. Who’s still running? What’s in Amendments 1 through π?
A website that tracks money from political action committees to candidates, along with completion of campaign promises. The tool is from the Alabama Policy Institute, a Birmingham-based nonprofit, non-partisan research organization that advocates free markets, families and limited government.
Endorsements and predictions from partisan bloggers …
What is there, exactly, to laugh about here? Whatever one thinks of Larry Langford, he’s a human being with feelings, family, dreams. He feels pain. He certainly is convicted of committing horrible crimes, but it’s not like he chopped up kids and buried them under his Fairfield house.
After the verdict, Birmingham News columnist John Archibald opined about (NBC 13 reporter Jon) Paepcke’s Olympics question: “What is this, ‘The Daily Show’? It was vile, pointless and inappropriate.”
It wasn’t “The Daily Show,” but maybe it should have been. A little more incredulity the last few years would have revealed the Langford administration for what it was: vile, pointless and inappropriate.
Still, after the conviction, the Langford apologies did not stop. In fact, they increased. Commentators took pains to complement Langford’s good qualities, while glossing over the bad. Birmingham, it seems, is the new Stockholm.
If a politician is being a little selfish on the side, I don’t usually care as long as he is doing his job effectively. Call me cynical, but I don’t trust politicians as far as I can throw them, and I believe that for every convicted politician, there are 10 others who did the same thing unscathed.
[This is probably our favorite unintended blooper line.] Whoever wins [the mayor’s race] next month would appear to have their work cut out in trying to persuade local voters that corruption is endemic and deep-rooted here.
Let’s stop fooling around. Any rational, honest observer of Langford’s political trajectory understands that he was intellectually unexceptional, self-absorbed, devoid of sincerity, and wholly without remorse for any deed committed or word spoken.
Whether at a City Hall meeting or while engaged in one of his many publicity stunts, or when he was viciously haranguing some poor soul who voiced an opposing view, or if the mayor was dreaming out loud about some needless, expensive project, Larry Langford can be described as simple-minded and unlikable.
In no category does he qualify for respect, but in a town where the political brain trust is regularly engaged in self-delusion, Langford receives some measure of admiration.
Hubris propelled Langford far in his career, and hubris ultimately brought him down. He acted as if other opinions, especially contradictory ones, had zero merit. He bullied when he could have collaborated. He preached humility before God, then proceeded to use his office (then and now) as though anointed with divine power.
Thank you to our fans and readers who nominated Wade on Birmingham in the Birmingham News’ “Birmingham’s Best 2009” reader survey.
It’s especially flattering, given that we celebrated our fourth anniversary earlier this week and we actively seek no recognition other than your continued readership and feedback.
First, let us point out that “Web site” is so broad in this day and age to be meaningless. Birmingham has a rich community of homegrown blogs and talented folks using the Internet to inform, entertain and connect residents and outsiders.
Second, three of the sites are corporate media. Nothing wrong with corporate media (it’s how this blogger spent most of his career), but we find it rather discouraging that generic template sites pass for the best available in the metro area.
(And we again say: AL.com should remove itself from consideration as it is the ballot’s host site. No restaurant finalist would ever be allowed to serve as the sole polling place for its category.)
Third, our friend and Birmingham Blogging Academy colleague André Natta runs The Terminal. He is by far one of the most dedicated and passionate bloggers around and deserves a medal just for the herculean accomplishments he has made for this city. So extra kudos for him!
Lastly, this site. We would happily trade any vote cast for this site (or others) for your vote at the real ballot box. A scant 15,302 voters participated in city election runoffs this week, with a couple of races settled by 98 votes and 63 votes. While you’re happily snuffing out your free time on Facebook quizzes and voting on Web-based popularity contests, this city burns.
Thus ends the sermon.
But let us again say thank you to our readers. Without you, such recognition would not be possible. If you vote, vote for the truly outstanding that Birmingham has to offer, not just based on friendships and passing familiarity. Demand excellence, then celebrate it.
Here are two lists of 2005 endorsements from the Birmingham News. The names in bold were endorsed both in 2005 and 2009 by the newspaper.
Birmingham city council, by district
Chris Cummings
Carol Reynolds (now Carol Duncan)
Valerie Abbott
Maxine Herring Parker
Elias Hendricks
Carole Smitherman
Miriam Witherspoon (died in 2009)
Steven Hoyt
Roderick Royal
For the council, the News is decidedly pro-incumbent and anti-Joel Montgomery (in district 1). They did switch it up, endorsing Lawrence Conaway over two-term District 2 official Carol Duncan.
Birmingham board of education, by district
Martha Wixom
Virginia Volker
Mike Higginbotham (unopposed)
Carolyn Cobb
Dannetta K. Thornton Owens
Willie Maye
Odessa Ashley
April Williams
Phyllis Wyne
For the board, the News’ slate ended up winning every seat in 2005. (This year, district 1’s Wixom isn’t running and district 3’s Higginbotham resigned mid-term.) Of the remaining seven spots, only three were endorsed again.
So the News likes a majority of the current council and only a third of the current board (which it picked 100 percent) to remain in office. What do you think?
• • •
Birmingham residents to elect city council, school board
Election Day in Birmingham has arrived. At stake are nine city council seats and nine school board seats. Will you throw the bums out, or keep the bums in?
You have until 7 tonight to vote. Runoffs, if needed, take place Oct. 6.
Q: Where do I vote?
A: The answer is a call away. Jefferson County: 325-5550.
Or try AlabamaVotes.gov and click on “Search for My Polling Place.”
A. Only you can know for certain. Check Bhamwiki’s guide to districts, complete with maps. (Your council and board of education districts are the same.)
In his first year, Mayor Larry Langford has proposed more ideas than you’ve forgotten about. Really.
The former Fairfield mayor, TV reporter, theme park entrepreneur and Jefferson County commissioner took office Nov. 13, 2007.
His effort to jump-start, well, everything about the city of Birmingham has generated publicity, arguments, questionable funding and often little else. Save for XO laptops (most still sitting in a warehouse) and periodic neighborhood cleanups, are residents and businesses better off than they were 365 days ago?
“I don’t feel like I need to justify anything to any of these people. The proof is right in front of their faces. We are further along than we have been in the last 20 years.”
An editorial marking his first anniversary in office repeats an oft-heard request: Finish a proposal, any proposal, before moving on to the next 10. Langford usually counters this by saying the city’s too far behind to concentrate on any one project at a time.
November 2007: Before taking office, Langford effectively fires Police Chief Annetta Nunn. In an interview with ABC 33/40, Langford says he will retain Nunn as a consultant to finish upgrades in police technology. Despite the promise, Langford never gives Nunn any such contract.
January 2008: The mayor’s office proposes a $1.4 million contract annually renewable with Ion Interactive to provide camera surveillance for the Birmingham Police Department. Ion Interactive was started by Claude Estes IV, a Birmingham accountant. … The contract is not put out for bid. The council approves the contract. The mayor’s office proposes a $1.3 million, 12-month contract with Tech Providers, Inc. to install financial software and train city employees to use it. Tech Providers Inc. was started by Claude Estes IV. … The contract is not put out for bid. The council approves the contract.
Alabama may be a solid red state, with polls predicting a 20-point John McCain victory come Election Day, but the newspapers have endorsed Barack Obama by a more than 2-1by a 5-3 margin by a 2-1 margin. [See third McCain endorsement by the Opelika-Auburn News, added Oct. 28, and sixth Obama endorsement by the Selma Times-Journal, added Nov. 4.]
Of the eightnine 10 newspapers that have published endorsements in the presidential race, five six support Obama, two three support McCain, and one endorsed neither. Before the cries of “liberal media bias” ring out, keep in mind that most of these same papers endorsed Republican George W. Bush in the previous two elections.
Music reporter and columnist Mary Colurso would like you to know that running a festival like City Stages is very, very hard work, and that it’s probably too complicated for average folks to understand:
Bear in mind, I have no interest in perpetuating the status quo. Clearly, something isn’t working and has to change in the City Stages formula.
But every time I begin to delve into the festival’s guts — to discuss what a sponsorship entails, for example, or ask how the event’s footprint is configured — I realize that average concertgoers have no idea what it’s like to prepare an event like City Stages and make it happen.
Angry observers can grouse and complain, but they’re not the ones doing the work every year. Nor are most of them in a position to offer practical, effective advice on what City Stages might do to resolve its financial struggles and begin to thrive.
She also mentions that $533,000 in taxpayer money went to the 2008 festival, which will end the budget year around $250,000 in debt.
If we the citizens aren’t able to offer practical advice on how the festival can improve its financial situation, the newspaper of record shares the blame. After all, shouldn’t its music reporter of 11 years — who has access to organizers and documents, who has a master’s degree in journalism — be able to explain such a complex affair as projected revenues and shortfalls to you and me?
Understanding what makes a successful music festival tick in the 21st century, then revamping City Stages in such a model … well, that’s a tougher and more extensive task.
Help us understand, Mary, help us.
If, say, the City Hall reporter were to suggest that average citizens couldn’t understand or weigh in on Birmingham’s operating budget (which passed Wednesday) because of its size and complexity, then the newspaper would have failed in its mission to hold officials accountable while insulting its readership. Hmm.
• Birmingham News: Grousing’s not the way to build a better City Stages
Any idiot can blog. Don’t believe me? See for yourself at next week’s panel.
As part of its monthly meeting, the Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of America will sponsor “To Blog or Not to Blog?” a discussion of whether corporations should blog.
• André Natta founded the Terminal, an online publication about Birmingham and the surrounding area. He also writes on his personal site, Dre’s Ramblings.
The event, $14 at the door, takes place at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Alabama Power Metro Auditorium, 1313 Sixth Ave. N. To reserve your spot, fill out the form. The deadline is noon Friday.
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