Then and now

Does not compute: Back in his Fairfield days, Mayor Langford set up a charity with pals John Katopodis and Richard Scrushy to get computers to kids. Except that tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars went to him, Katopodis and a gay porn star. All of this came out in court as HealthSouth and Katopodis sued each other.

Both sides settled in March without revealing the terms of the deal. Frankly, plenty was revealed already.

Meanwhile, Langford’s latest effort to give computers to kids rolls on, having ordered an additional 14,000 laptops this week without Birmingham school board approval. The technology upgrades could cost millions for a system already struggling to keep facilities open.

More on Larry Langford and John Katopodis.

Keep reading for more updates, plus a scandalous photo of yours truly, after the jump …

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Once upon a time, Mayor Larry Langford wanted to give computers to all the good little boys and girls across the kingdom city. So he gathered up a million dollars to distribute through his charity. Only the bad ol’ charity instead gave $10,000 to Langford, $28,000 to his buddy John Katopodis and another $30,000 to untrained computer technician/Playgirl centerfold/gay porn star Ryan Idol.

This ain’t a fairy tale, but the sordid details from depositions [Langford | Katopodis] in a lawsuit filed by HealthSouth against Katopodis, who ran the charity in question created by then Fairfield mayor Langford. Today, the Birmingham city council tabled any further action on buying cheap laptops for schoolkids — also to be run by Katopodis — until answers appear.

No wonder, as Katopodis has had quite a history with HealthSouth and unsubstantiated claims, but thanks to his friendship with Langford, has no problem asking for more public funds for his buddy Frank Stuart Sr. and his shady outfit Stuart Consulting Group.

Should Langford be judged by the company he keeps? The questions he evades? The public dollars he casually tosses around? Or the hubris that flies in the face of the holiness he promotes so fervently?
• Birmingham News: Suit challenges Langford’s first computer charity

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Park and deride: Should Caldwell Park be renamed? One former city councilor says yes for two reasons: to honor a former councilor you’ve never heard of and to remove Caldwell, who you’ve also never heard of. Nina Miglionico was one of the few female lawyers in Alabama and served on the Birmingham city council for 22 years; she championed women’s issues, and survived threats, taunting and a bomb found on her front porch. Henry Caldwell was a doctor, president of the Elyton Land Company (which settled early Birmingham), first president of Birmingham Trust and Savings Company, helped organize First Presbyterian Church … and a slave owner. John Katopodis, who wants the name change, has too much time on his hands. Why not name the new railroad park after her, or the new domed stadium, instead of erasing history?
• Rename Caldwell Park, ex-councilman says [Birmingham News]

Mercy is for the weak: The Jefferson County Commission changed the name of Cooper Green Hospital to Jefferson Metrocare Cooper Green Hospital this year. Now it wants to change it again, to Mercy Hospital. But News columnist John Archibald says not only is it a waste of money, it takes away an important honor for the namesake, who served as mayor, commission president, vice president of Alabama Power and football coach. Oh, and he built this hospital for the poor after a poor pregnant woman gave birth on the sidewalk after being denied admission to UAB’s facilities: “We don’t learn from history in this town; we seldom bother to learn it. So we step forward and then back, and don’t even recognize our own footprints.” See those skids? It was then that I was dragging you, my son.
• New name sought for Cooper Green [Birmingham News]

None of the above: Mobile County may have had some voting problems during the June 6 state primaries, in which polling places serving more than one house district possibly handed out the wrong ballots. Worse yet, several poll workers responded rudely when voters raised concerns. Now, why does that sound so familiar? Hmm …
• Some voters may have received wrong ballot [Mobile Press-Register]

Holy vigilante: A 66-year-old Roebuck preacher made a name for himself as an anti-crime activist. While officials were strutting around pleading for less crime, the Rev. Hosea Agee took on drug dealers, gang members and prostitutes face to face — and nearly paid the ultimate price. A June 22 shooting sent his wife screaming, who put an end to her husband’s crusade. Agee, who leads Pentecost Temple Church of God in Christ, still plans to fight crime across Birmingham using new less-confrontational approaches. Reminds us of Mom, a 5-foot-0, 99-pound woman who would chase shoplifters down Second Avenue North. Criminals, beware.
• Crime-fighting Roebuck pastor picks less-dangerous approach [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Hoover Met to hold boxing, motocross and jousting events
• Retail developers, condo developers war over last brick
• Cops to promote “Puppies for Guns” trade

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