Wade on Birmingham

The Birmingham channel: Fidget winners

Monday, May 22nd, 2017

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Opening from the Comedy Central show “Hart of the City” visiting Birmingham. From Timothy Daniel.

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At the Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale in April. From Alabama NewsCenter.

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A proposal at the Railroad Park ice rink. From Lance Piri.

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Ashley Sankey performs “Into You” in April at the Ensley Entertainment Live Loft (our vertical video of the week). From Ashley Sankey.

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The VH1 Save the Music Foundation visits the fifth grade band at Robinson Elementary in South East Lake. The nonprofit organization helped start the group in 2009, coming back in February to check in. From VH1 Save the Music.

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Bringing church to Linn Park downtown. From Torrence Sims.

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Basketball phenom in the making (our other vertical video of the week). From Ural Mitchell.

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Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile performs in April at the Lyric Theatre downtown. From Russell Simmons.

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Atlanta’s DJ Roger in April at the Syndicate Lounge on Southside. From Majik City Myke B.

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Listening to Christian station WGIB (91.9 FM) in Glen Iris. From Local and DX Radio.

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Stunts at February’s Victory Athletics cheerleading competition at Legacy Arena downtown. From Victory Athletics Spirit.

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Columbus, Ohio, rock band Starset performs “Satellite” before showtime in May at WorkPlay in Lakeview. From DTenacity.

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Drone footage of Thomas Jefferson Tower’s zeppelin mooring mast downtown. From Steve Dunlap.

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A performance at Moonlight in the Mountain in Hoover. From Wonky Tonk.

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Fantasia performs in March at Legacy Arena downtown (our other other vertical video of the week). From Dennis Slaughter.

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Driving around UAB, Southside and downtown. From DixieLand Visual Creations.

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Shooting photos for prom downtown. From Stanley Parrish Jr.

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Promo for Koch Aesthetic Dentistry in Highland Park. From DentalCMO.

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Testimonial for Environmental Litigation Group in Five Points South. From Environmental Litigation Group P.C.

And a commercial in Spanish. From Environmental Litigation Group PC.

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The action from Disc Golf Birmingham Spring League in March at George Ward Park in Glen Iris. From Disc Golf Vlog.

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PSA for Black History Month on the four girls killed in the 1963 bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. From WDCW News.

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Gov. Bentley speaks at the 2017 PARCA luncheon in January at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover. From Robert Bentley.

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A trip to Funk Fest earlier this month at Legion Field. From Jess Doing It.

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Hoover Realtor Carrie Richardson on pre-qualifying for a mortgage. From Carrie Richardson.

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A dance of praise (our other other other vertical video of the week). From Phylese Fields.

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Reading and discussing Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” From Joseph Shelton Hall.

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Promo for Southlake Orthopaedics in Hoover. From Starnes Publishing.

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Part one of WIAT-42’s special report, “Local War on Cancer.” From WIAT-42.

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ACE of Birmingham Chickasaws compete in January’s Big Bid Championship at the BJCC East Exhibition Hall. From Krystale Lanier.

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Promo for the Alabama Residential Conference and Expo, held earlier this month at the Club. From Alabama Center for Real Estate.

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Taking off from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. From Airlinepilot13.

Another takeoff (our other other other other vertical video of the week). From Carlos Melendez.

And a landing. From Unique Documentary.

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Scenes from across the city. From Lorenzo March.

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Demo reel for production coordinator Cole Conci. From Cole Conci.

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The story of Zaidan, his congenital heart defect and the American Heart Association; plus, the Birmingham Heart Walk on June 24 at Uptown. From Danielle Deavours.

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A look at Slice in Lakeview. From the Holtlt.

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Leaving town on Amtrak. From Jimwoodward1212.

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WIAT-42 talks with my pal Karim Shamsi-Basha in January about his family in Syria and pending travel restrictions. From WIAT-42.

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A look at UAB’s new Women’s Heart Health Clinic. From UAB News.

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Relaxing at the hotel (our other other other other other vertical video of the week). From Aisleona Polk.

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Train in Alabaster. From Free Brick Productions.

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Security camera footage of a shooting earlier this month at the M&N convenience store in Germania Park. Birmingham Police arrested Brandon Torrey and charged him with attempted murder, shooting into an occupied building and firearm charges. (Our other other other other other other other vertical video of the week.) From al.com.

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Drone footage of Regions Field and the City Federal building downtown. From Drew Taylor Top Birmingham Realtor.

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Jonathan Mednick of Birmingham’s REITrader.com on the local real estate market. From Alabama Real Estate Investor Association.

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Singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill performs “Killing Me Softly” in April at Iron City on Southside (our other other other other other other other vertical video of the week). From Julie-Anne D.

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Riding the elevator at the BJCC 22nd Street parking deck downtown. From Elevatorman247 Productions.

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Fairfield’s Stephanie Hardy performs “God Provides” in April at the Magic City Rising Stars talent show at Boutwell Auditorium downtown. From Stephanie Hardy.

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Homewood rock band Lasting Impressions performs at the Nick on Southside. From Brian Hardie.

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Dancing at the rodeo (our other other other other other other other other vertical video of the week). From Super Rige.

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Let’s Play session from Edgewater YouTube gamer KanameX12 on “Resident Evil 5.” From KanameX12.

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Exploring Moss Rock Preserve in Hoover. From Caleb Person.

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Birmingham rapper Q Dot Davis performs “They Thirsty” in Five Points South. From Q Dot Davis.

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The 2006 SWAC Football Championship at Legion Field, featuring Alabama A&M vs. Arkansas–Pine Bluff. From Alex Hines.

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Highlights from the 1961 Iron Bowl at Legion Field, featured on “The Bear Bryant Show.” From Bama Rewind.

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Japanese pop-punk band Shonen Knife performs in May at the Syndicate Lounge on Southside. From Jjshowzz Hoover.

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Birmingham pop-rock band the Primitons perform at the 1985 grand opening of Wuxtry record store downtown. From Clairvoyant Pizza.

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Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan on WBHJ (95.7 FM Jamz). (Our other other other other other other other other other vertical video of the week.) From Watch Me TV Watch Me.

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Animation sample from Prodigi Studio downtown. From Caresse Haaser.

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Drone footage of Cathedral of St. Paul downtown. From Tim McGhee.

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The 2008 Mercedes Marathon. From Outlaw Films.

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Carey Fountain and Kakashii perform in February at the Syndicate Lounge on Southside. From DoReMe Movement.

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April feature on Birmingham Pedal Tours. From WVTM-13 News.

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Madisonville, Tenn., Americana singer EmiSunshine performs “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in April at Moonlight on the Mountain in Hoover. From James Young.

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Amtrak train passing through Irondale (our other other other other other other other other other other vertical video of the week). From Darius Williams.

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Reviewing Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea. From Owens Dill.

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Commercial for the Birmingham Hammers. From Burton Advertising.

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Wilkes-Barre rock band Breaking Benjamin performs “Evil Angel” in May at Iron City on Southside (our other other other other other other other other other other other vertical video of the week). From Stephanie Amber.

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Preaching in April in Five Points South. From Walkabout Jesus.

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Hiking Ruffner Mountain on Earth Day. From Katelyn Boisvert.

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French heavy metal band Gojira performs “L’Enfant Sauvage” in May at Iron City on Southside. From Phos4us Redeemer.

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Horror movie “Remember Me,” filmed in Birmingham. From Hunter Grantland.

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Scenes from April’s March for Science downtown. From Birmingham March for Science.

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Dothan’s Northview vs. Huffman in the 1985 6A state high school football championship game at Legion Field. From Lee Kalamazoo.

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NerdsVillage at April’s Sports and Entertainment Industry Symposium at the Alabama Workforce Training Center on Southside. From Tahiera Monique Brown.

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The backstretch during April IndyCar race at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds. From Ryan Watson.

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Drone footage of Greystone Golf and Country Club in Hoover promoting last weekend’s Regions Tradition. From Regions Bank.

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April thunderstorm warning for the Birmingham area. From AL Storm Alert.

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Men of Praise perform at Mt. Zion Community Church in Evergreen (our final vertical video of the week). From Psychiatry22.

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Send us links to your videos. | More videos on the Birmingham channel.

The Birmingham channel

Bentley out, Ivey in: newspaper front pages

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017

A look at today’s newspapers, with front pages showing Gov. Bentley’s resignation and Kay Ivey’s swearing-in ceremony Monday.

Alabama

Anniston Star

The Anniston Star

Centre Post

The (Centre) Post

Decatur Daily

The Decatur Daily

Dothan Eagle

The Dothan Eagle

Enterprise Ledger

The Enterprise Ledger
(no mention of Bentley or Ivey)

Florence TimesDaily

The (Florence) TimesDaily

Gadsden Times

The Gadsden Times

Montgomery Advertiser

The Montgomery Advertiser

Opelika-Auburn News

The Opelika-Auburn News

Tuscaloosa News

The Tuscaloosa News

Birmingham News

The Birmingham News

Huntsville Times

The Huntsville Times

Mobile Press-Register

(Mobile) Press-Register

Elsewhere

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

Charleston Post and Courier

The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News

Greenwood Miss. Commonwealth

Greenwood (Miss.) Commonwealth

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

Miami Herald

Miami Herald

New Orleans Times-Picayune

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune

New York Times

The New York Times

Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal

Washington Post

The Washington Post

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Also:

the love song of r. julian bentley

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017

I put my hands on
your breasts and just pull you real
close. I love that, too.

• • •

Read more haiku.

Subscribe via RSS to Wade’s Daily Haiku. Or have it delivered daily by e-mail.

Wade's Daily Haiku

Gov. Bentley resigns in disgrace

Monday, April 10th, 2017

Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey becomes second female governor of Alabama

Robert Bentley booking page

Booking page for Robert Bentley at the
Montgomery County Jail

Two-term and two-timing governor Robert Bentley was booked at the Montgomery County Jail this afternoon for campaign finance misdemeanors. He then resigned from office.

This morning, the House had begun impeachment hearings on Bentley, following the release of a committee report detailing numerous alleged incidents around the governor and an affair with his aide Rebekah Mason, one that ended his 50-year marriage to Dianne Bentley in 2015.

Among the cataloged misdeeds were bullying staff members, using the state plane for private getaways, illicit texting, ordering law enforcement officers to cover up the scandal and altering public records.

As part of a deal, Bentley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a 30-day suspended jail sentence, 12 months probation, surrender of $36,912 in campaign funds, about $16,000 in fines and 100 hours of community service. He forfeits all retirement benefits and cannot run for public office again.

Kay Ivey

Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, pictured above, will now finish out the term. The next gubernatorial election is in 2018.

It’s been a busy 11 months for Montgomery. In May, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore was removed from office for a second time. For this incident, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended him for ethics code violations in regards to enforcing federal rulings on same-sex marriage.

In June, Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard was found guilty of violating state ethics rules — including ones he implemented — and later sentenced to 4 years in prison, 8 years probation and a $210,000 fine.

Green and gold and black and blue: On the murder of UAB sports

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

UAB Marshall

Blazer tight end Kennard Backman leaps as UAB faces
No. 18 Marshall in its final home game.

Author’s note: In the past, I have worked in my capacity as a communications consultant for the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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Summary: After the loss of its football program, UAB must fire its president and leave the UA system to avoid future calamity.

Dec. 2 would have been a news-filled day without the end of UAB football, and bowling, and rifle.

• Pat Sullivan, a beloved Auburn quarterback and 1972 Heisman winner, stepped down as Samford’s football coach after seven seasons. He turned around a program even as he battled health issues.

• Charles Krulak announced his retirement as president of Birmingham-Southern College, ending in May. His 4-year service brought about a remarkable turnaround for a school drowning in a surprise $67 million debt. Before coming to Birmingham, Krulak served as U.S. Marine Commandant general and MBNA vice president.

UAB would see its own share of departing coaches and a different kind of turnaround from its leader.

Dr. Ray Watts, barely 22 months into his tenure as president, has forged an ugly legacy. He has done so through his unwavering service to the University of Alabama system trustees, rather than UAB’s students and employees, not to mention Birmingham proper (that bothersome B in UAB).

Watts managed to murder UAB football, after a history of 23 years, a 117–150–2 record, plus one bowl game. Caught in the crossfire were UAB’s bowling and rifle teams. He pulled the trigger, and the board of trustees gave him the gun.

UAB is the only FBS school in 19 years to drop football; University of the Pacific ended its program in 1995. Twenty schools have added football or moved up to FBS in that period, including Troy (which welcomed a new coach Monday) and South Alabama (headed to the first Camellia Bowl, Dec. 20 in Montgomery).

His leadership has been laughably disastrous, and UAB should find a way to oust him as soon as possible.

Previously: Should UAB football continue?

Some saw the warning signs earlier. Justin Craft, a former UAB player and member of the UAB Football Foundation, sounded the alarm in a Nov. 5 letter. New coach Bill Clark, who would lead the team to a 6-6 record and a possible bowl game, wasn’t being considered for an extension on his paltry 3-year contract; no non-conference games beyond 2016 were being discussed.

Watts met with Craft on Halloween, but Craft said he received no definitive answers from Watts about the program’s future.

Watts’ public statement offered no hope, referring only to a consulting firm’s report (below) that would determine football’s fate.

Over at Samford, Sullivan leaves a hero as the all-time leader in victories and a string of winning seasons. Attendance hovered just under 5,000. The Bulldogs made the FCS playoffs in 2013, the first time in more than 20 years.

Clark pulled off his mini-turnaround in a single season without an on-campus stadium, without an indoor practice facility (Mayor Bell and the UAB Football Foundation offered to foot the $10 million bill), without the support of UAB’s top official.

In seeing a couple of UAB games over the years as a guest of the university, I remember talking with then-president Carol Garrison at the tailgate party. She has chatted up guests at the pre-game receptions, talked to the squad in the locker room and graced the luxury box at Legion Field.

Watts, to anyone’s knowledge, hasn’t been to any of this year’s six home games at rickety old Legion Field, where attendance more than doubled.

Video: UAB president Ray Watts meets the football team
(perhaps for the first time) to kill the program.

Samford, of course, is a private institution with autonomy and lower expectations in the FCS division. UAB is part of the UA system, represented on a board with only four UAB alumni out of 15 members (the rest UA alums), though UAB brings in three times the revenue.

On Saturday, UAB beat Southern Miss on the road for its sixth win, becoming bowl eligible for only the second the fourth time in program history. The Football Writers Association of America gave the Blazers its Big Game National Team of the Week award.

On Sunday, Sports Illustrated broke the story that UAB was about to dump football. Watts was silent, away on vacation in New York for Thanksgiving weekend.

On Monday, hundreds of student protestors marched to the administration building and demanded answers. Watts’ campus parking space was vacant. Watts, in hiding from his own students, offered a statement nearly identical to the one from a few weeks before.

On Tuesday, protestors again marched to the administration building. Watts could drag this out no longer, his office announcing a meeting with the football team at 2 p.m. and a media conference at 3:30. During the afternoon, the official word came by email: UAB would eliminate the football, bowling and rifle programs.

Watts emailed students. He didn’t announce it in person first to students. He emailed it. And not to alumni, even as student volunteers continued to place fund-raising calls for the $1 billion Campaign for UAB.

The school begs for money, but when alumni and the City of Birmingham offered millions of dollars, Watts said no.

Football was the real target. And it was an easy one: It loses money, as most FBS programs do. Even Auburn, which played for a national championship this year. He said as much during a closed meeting to a disbelieving group of players, who confronted him about his singular focus on the numbers.

When Watts tried to slip out the back door after that meeting, an angry mob of students shouted and lunged at him, pounding on the SUV taking him to the media conference. He needed an armed escort to make it to the vehicle.

Watts explained his position to the media, citing the consulting firm’s report that estimates UAB athletics’ spending at $100 million total over the next 5 years while mentioning the university’s cancer research.

He played the cancer card, even though research funding through grants isn’t the same as athletics revenue through conferences, television, licensing and donations.

CarrSports Consulting report for UAB on how to
cut football, 16 pages

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CarrSports Consulting report for James Madison University
on how to move up to the FBS division, 65 pages

The report from CarrSports Consulting has been in the offing for months, even when Clark was hired as football coach in January. It’s less a consideration of the question of football and more a how-to guide on dropping football.

Title IX requires a balance of men’s and women’s sports in number and participation, so out go rifle and bowling’s all-female teams after football. In come men’s cross country and track to keep the university in NCAA Division I sports.

UAB will get the boot from Conference USA, which requires members to sponsor a football team. Ironically, the conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will take place March 11-14 at the BJCC Arena and on campus at Bartow Arena.

The financial intangibles muddy the picture, such as in enrollment, Blazer merchandise and donations.

Chuck Krulak has received accolades not only for his fund-raising at Birmingham-Southern, but his hands-on attitude, living in the dorms, eating daily in the cafeteria. Many alumni were justly concerned about the school’s financial malpractice, but he won them over in his first year by putting the college in the black for the first time in 7 years.

Krulak never took a salary during his 4 years on the job. Watts’ annual salary is $853,464, the 11th highest among American public universities. But Birmingham-Southern is a small, private college, one that resumed its Division III football program in 2007 after a 68-year hiatus. UAB has more faculty members than BSC has students.

In August, Krulak co-wrote an op-ed piece for the Chicago Tribune asking President Obama to force the military and CIA to come clean on the use of torture in Iraq. He shows courage and leadership in financial, practical and moral issues.

Watts demonstrates no such courage, no such knack for leadership. He displays no grasp of candor, no backbone, no vision for making the university and her students stronger and smarter.

He will drag UAB, Birmingham’s largest employer, into an abyss.

The first step is clear: My pal Steven E. Chappell named his new site FireRayWatts.com.

Don’t look for help from the UA board of trustees, which denies any involvement. The same board that approves all UAB athletic personnel contracts (bye bye, Jimbo Fisher) and nixed plans for an on-campus stadium in 2011. The same board that bows to the dictates of the overly influential trustee Paul Bryant Jr.

And don’t look for help from ex officio board member Gov. Bentley. Bryant donated $25,000 to his re-election campaign, as editor Jeff Poor noted.

Purge Watts, this sorry, gutless wonder, from campus as soon as possible.

The second step will be more difficult. Because none of this was really about football. It’s about self-determination.

UAB cannot function with absentee landlords, as reporter Kyle Whitmire notes in his al.com essay. He likens UAB to UA’s plantation, great for the masters and terrible for Birmingham. (As I would liken al.com/Birmingham News to Advance Digital’s plantation …)

Since Birmingham cannot hope to win over the trustees, it must wrest UAB from the UA system. Let the trustees bat around the Huntsville campus instead.

UAB must have autonomy or face the whims of an untrustworthy board, one that can and will make decisions that continue to damage the city’s crown jewel. What next … academics, research, the arts, new construction, housing? Imagine a worse successor as university president. Imagine fewer amenities to attract top professors, undergraduate applicants and research dollars.

Only a month ago, the suggestion of decimating UAB football would’ve seemed crazy.

It will take the authority of the Legislature to grant such a divorce from the UA system. Last week, Rep. Jack Williams proposed a bill to remake the board, but a far more drastic reshuffling is required.

The Blazers won’t play again in Birmingham, but if they’re very lucky, they might still go to a bowl game at 6-6. ESPN’s Brett McMurphy is alone in picking UAB for any bowl: the first Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl vs. Western Michigan on Christmas Eve.

It’s one last chance for those orphaned players and coach to shine before a national TV audience and perhaps find new schools that won’t lie to them and use them up for sport.

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P.S. Columnist John Archibald writes an epitaph for UAB football: “In the end we lost again, because Birmingham did not support its own. … Support local sport. High schools and colleges …”

If only his employer, Alabama Media Group, had followed his advice, instead of giving the Blazers such inadequate coverage during the season …

• • •

  • Kevin Scarbinsky, al.com: “Ray Watts and his balance sheet kill UAB football, and strong men shed honest tears”
  • Jon Solomon, CBS Sports: “The day UAB football died a painful death”
  • New York Times: “It’s a Game of Spiraling Costs, So a College Tosses Out Football”
  • Kyle Whitmire, al.com: “The leader vs the lackey: UAB’s Ray Watts could learn a lot from BSC’s Charles Krulak”
  • John Archibald, al.com: “Evidence mounts that killing of UAB football was premeditated”

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What are your thoughts on UAB, football, self-governance and the future? Share them in the comments.

Tornadoes rip through Alabama for second time in 9 months

Friday, January 27th, 2012

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.

[audio:http://wbhm.org/songs/jantornado.mp3|width=100%|titles=January 2012 tornado|artists=WBHM 90.3 FM]

Audio: storm survivor stories

Center Point, Jan. 23 tornado

ABC 33/40 viewer-submitted photo

An EF-3 tornado tore through Center Point Monday.

Relief efforts are under way:

Find more up-to-the-minute news items, videos and more — including updated storm stories and relief efforts — on the new Birmingham Pinterest board.

Gallery: Jan. 23 storm aftermath

Alabama pummeled by more than 120 tornadoes

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Tornado, Red Mountain Expressway, Birmingham

A traffic camera shows a 1-mile wide tornado moving
across North Birmingham.

The death toll stands at 50 after more than 120 tornadoes tore through Alabama today. Those tornadoes followed a series of severe storms early in the morning, with the worst damage in Cullman, Tuscaloosa and near Birmingham in Pinson, Gardendale, Pleasant Grove and Fultondale.

Gov. Bentley and President Obama have declared a state of emergency in Alabama.

Take a look at the full report on Magic City Post, including ways you can help.

Vote 2010: Alabama, better off red?

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

Robert Bentley, Dianne Bentley

Robert and Dianne Bentley on Election Day.

The mandate from Alabama’s voters on Election Day could not be more clear: Turn everything, and I mean everything, over to the Republicans for at least the next 2 years.

Wade on Birmingham - Vote 2010Let them screw things up for awhile.

The Democrats have screwed up plenty in the previous 136 years, and really, could the GOP do much worse? Alabama continues to trail in health, per capita income, transportation, education, crime, your category here. If this red state becomes any redder, you’d hope it would be from embarrassment rather than another shift to the right.

Not that conservatives haven’t been in control since the days of the Gipper. Essentially, most state races came down to the conservative Democrat or Republican since Ronald Reagan entered the White House. Which flavor of conservative suits you best?

• • •

Winners and losers from Tuesday
around Alabama and metro Birmingham.

• • •

So while the brand names may change, what can we really expect from the Republicans in power?

The new crew, including Gov.-elect Robert Bentley, has promised ethics reform out of the gate. We shall see, though my cynical side expects only token changes. Politicians are politicians after all, and you can hardly expect Republicans to clean up the cesspool in Montgomery if it also hides their fattened pockets.

Look back a mere month, and relive that infamous day when the FBI arrested four state senators (two Democrats, one Republican, one independent) in connection with selling votes on a gambling bill. Alas, the bingo bots and the mafia will have to try again in 2 to 4 years.

The mandate must include more jobs and a better economy. Like the president, the governor will likely receive an undue share of the credit or blame, though one leader has little say in global economic dynamics. Still, continuing to attract industry must remain a priority.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

• • •

With an all-Republican government, are we headed for sideshows popular in Texas and Arizona, from illegal immigration to revising school textbooks to repealing national health care? Let’s hope not, with more pressing issues such as constitutional reform and education funding.

Er, scratch that. Forget constitutional reform for at least another 4 years (sigh) and don’t hold your breath for an education miracle, though Gov.-elect Bentley has vowed to switch to a budget that determined by the previous year’s numbers (holds breath anyway). He took money from the Alabama Education Association and later lied about it. Such petty sins aren’t enough to keep you out of the governor’s mansion; likely, they are the only path to it.

Just imagine if it had been the learned Bradley Byrne had led the Republican charge instead.

Rural voters swept the new legislators into power and didn’t much care for the citified Byrne. City folk aren’t well represented in the new Republican regime. As a member of the city folk, I cast a wary eye at my country cousins calling the shots, probably no less menacingly then they’ve eyed us with suspicion.

They found a kindred spirit in Bentley, the dermatologist from Tuscaloosa. As he leads a unified party and state government, let’s pray feverishly that it marks the start of 136 years of progress and prosperity.

Otherwise, red state Alabama could end up dead state Alabama.

Wade Kwon is publisher of Wade on Birmingham.

• • •

More post-election thoughts:

• • •

What can we expect from the Republicans in charge? Tell us in the comments.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Vote 2010: Wait, still time for one more gubernatorial debate tonight. Sigh.

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Rejoice! Or repent. Republican Robert Bentley and Democrat Ron Sparks will have one final, final debate tonight.

Wade on Birmingham - Vote 2010The Alabama gubernatorial candidates will clash at 7 at Athens State University. It’s airing in Huntsville on WHNT channel 19.2, and will live-stream on AL.com.

Check out clips from the Oct. 19 debate at Auburn University. (See the entire debate.)

Video: Campaign and ethics reform

Video: Jobs

Video: Public school funding

• • •

Who will win the debate, Bentley or Sparks? And who will win next Tuesday? Tell us in the comments below.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Vote 2010: At long last, the final Bentley-Sparks debate tonight

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

If you’re still on the fence about Robert Bentley and Ron Sparks, you can see them square off one last time in tonight’s hourlong debate at Auburn University. The two will make their pitches and answer (or deflect) the tough questions starting at 7 tonight.

Wade on Birmingham - Vote 2010NBC 13’s Andrea Lindenberg will serve as moderator. Questions will include those submitted ahead of time by citizens and vetted by the League of Women Voters.

The debate will be carried on Alabama Public Television and on WBHM (90.3 FM). A live video stream will also be available on the Alabama Public Television website, while WBHM will have an audio stream. AL.com will also have a live video stream and moderated chat.

Republican nominee Bentley has been on the defense this week after admitting he sought and received contributions from the Alabama Education Association. Whether this will aid Democratic nominee Sparks remains to be seen.

Video: The previous Bentley-Sparks debate at
Birmingham-Southern College. (Note: Video will play,
after it loads completely.)

Election Day is Nov. 2.

Also:

• • •

Have you decided which candidate gets your vote? Tell us in the comments below.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Vote 2010: Birmingham-Southern to host gubernatorial debate tonight

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Republican nominee Robert Bentley and Democratic nominee Ron Sparks will have a lot to discuss tonight at the gubernatorial debate. The FBI made arrests today in a federal gambling probe involving alleged bribes to state lawmakers. Those arrested this morning include VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor and lobbyist Robert Geddie.

Wade on Birmingham - Vote 2010Both nominees have discussed gambling during previous debates and campaign stops.

Tonight’s debate will focus on economic development and business. The hourlong event, sponsored by the Birmingham Business Alliance, starts at 6 p.m. at Hill Recital Hall on the Birmingham-Southern College campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

The debate will be carried live on Fox 6 and on the station’s website.

Election Day is Nov. 2.

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More Vote 2010 coverage.

Vote 2010: Second debate for gubernatorial hopefuls tonight at Samford

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Tonight, Samford University plays host to Republican nominee Robert Bentley and Democratic nominee Ron Sparks as they face off in their second gubernatorial debate.

Wade on Birmingham - Vote 2010The focus will be on business issues.

The 90-minute event starts at 6:30 p.m. at Wright Center. No word on whether the debate will be carried live. Tickets are free for Samford students and faculty, but the $15 general admission tickets are sold out.

Update: The debate will be broadcast live on WERC (105.5 FM), including streaming, and on the Fox 6 website.

Bentley and Sparks traded soundbites and jabs Thursday at the University of Alabama in their first debate. (See clips below.) The next debate is scheduled for Oct. 19 at Auburn University.

In case you missed Thursday’s debate, we have a couple of video clips.

Video: Sparks and Bentley make opening remarks Thursday.

Video: Bentley and Sparks share their closing statements.

Watch the hourlong debate in its entirety, or see more clips by topic.

Election Day is Nov. 2.

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Which business issues do the candidates need to address? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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More Vote 2010 coverage.

Vote 2010: Bentley, Sparks set to debate on campus

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

ballot

Election Day will arrive in less than 7 weeks. Can you tell your candidates for governor apart?

Robert BentleyRon SparksRepublican nominee Robert Bentley, left, and Democratic nominee Ron Sparks are set to debate in the first of two debates on college campuses. Tonight’s debate will take place in the Frank Moody Music Building at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The rematch will be Oct. 19 at Auburn University.

Debbie Elliott, Alabama graduate and NPR national correspondent, will serve as moderator.

The free event is open only to students. The hourlong debate will be broadcast live at 7 tonight on Alabama Public Television and on WBHM (90.3 FM). A live stream will also be available on the Alabama Public Television website.

Voters can still submit questions for the Oct. 19 debate online, by e-mailing 2010gubernatorialdebate@gmail.com or mailing them to Box 1326, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-1326. Deadline is Oct. 16.

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Will you be watching tonight? What would you ask the candidates? Tell us in the comments.

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More Vote 2010 coverage.

Vote 2010: The gubernatorial battle of the unknown unknowns

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Plus more results from Tuesday’s state runoff election

In the absence of a designated successor, we often find ourselves heading toward chaos.

Wade on Birmingham - Vote 2010George W. Bush anointed no one as a possible Republican successor to the presidency. The mad scramble left an opening for the Democrats to exploit.

Gov. Riley had no preferred candidate in the GOP to follow in his footsteps. Well, at least not until Saturday, when he finally tossed a late endorsement to Bradley Byrne.

It has been chaos in the Republican camp in Alabama leading up to Tuesday’s runoff election. The two biggest names running for governor were Tim James, the son of a former two-term governor, and Roy Moore, former chief justice of the state supreme court — and they finished in third and fourth place.

The runoff featured front-runner Byrne, former chancellor of the state’s 2-year college system and scourge of the Alabama Education Association. It also had a dark horse, Robert Bentley, a doctor and state representative.

Robert BentleyTuesday night, Bentley, shown at right, pulled off the upset by soundly defeating Byrne 56 percent to 44 percent in unofficial results. He had trailed Byrne just 6 weeks ago in the primary election 25 percent to 28 percent.

City folk may have liked Byrne, but it was country folk who supported Bentley. Rural counties overwhelmingly went for the doctor over the lawyer.

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Runoff winners and losers from Tuesday
around Alabama and metro Birmingham.

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Ron SparksBentley faces Democratic challenger Ron Sparks, shown at left, who pulled off an upset of his own in knocking out Artur Davis, the 7th district congressman.

As many of you may not know, Sparks has served two terms as the state’s agricultural commissioner. And even if you did know that, your Sparks knowledge probably ends there.

The two unknowns, Bentley and Sparks, are left to battle for the state’s top office. Who’da thunk it 2 months ago?

Headed toward chaos? No, just the orderly progression of moneyed interests.

In this year’s election, those two interests are the AEA and the gambling lobby.

The AEA and Byrne have been at odds over merit pay and tenure law for years. Naturally, the AEA bankrolled millions of dollars in anti-Byrne ads during the runoff campaign.

It has also be a big contributor to … Sparks. Both sides covered.

Note to AEA head Paul Hubbert: Next time, it’ll probably be cheaper just to run for the governor’s office yourself in 2014.

Make no mistake: A teacher’s union isn’t the same as an educational reform group. One is there to maintain benefits and protection for teachers, even as the state remains in the Bottom 2 in education decade after decade.

As for bingo, Sparks wants to legalize it and tax it, following a public referendum. His campaign has been funded in part by gambling political action committees.

No such funding appears to have come into Bentley’s largely self-funded campaign. While personally against it, Bentley says he’s OK with a state referendum on bingo, which, if approved, should be taxed.

Are Alabamians screaming for bingo, or for other forms of gambling from dog racing to lotteries to casinos? We may soon have our say at the ballot box.

The same ballot box where we’ll still be scratching our heads on Nov. 2 over the curious race between Robert Bentley and Ron Sparks.

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More Vote 2010 coverage.

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• U.S. House: On the Democratic side, Terri Sewell beat Shelia Smoot in the District 7 race to replace Artur Davis. On the Republican side, Don Chamberlain beat Chris Salter for the nomination.

The heavily gerrymandered district favors Democrats. Should Sewell win in November, she would be the first black female Representative in state history.

• Attorney general: James Anderson clinched the Democratic nomination, defeating Giles Perkins. Anderson faces GOP nominee Luther Strange.

• Jefferson County Commission: The members will be all new in the fall after the last standing incumbent went down Tuesday.

In District 1, George Bowman beat Johnathan Austin in the Democratic runoff. If this sounds familiar, he beat Austin a few weeks ago in the special election to fill the seat immediately. Bowman faces Republican Greg Stanley in the fall.

In District 2, Democrat Sandra Little Brown beat Gary Richardson, winning the seat with no Republican opposition.

In District 3, Jimmie Stephens defeated incumbent Bobby Humphryes Jr. on the Republican ticket. He’ll face Vivian Ford, who defeated fellow Democrat Ron Yarbrough.

In District 4, Republican Joe Knight beat Ronnie Dixon. Knight will face Democratic challenger Roy Wood.

• Jefferson County Sheriff: Willie Hill defeated Ron Blankenship to win the Democratic nomination. Hill battles Republican incumbent Mike Hale.

Election Day is Nov. 2.

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Also:

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Who will win the governor’s race in November, Bentley or Sparks? Who should win? Tell us in the comments.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Vote 2010: The three or four white guys still running for governor of Alabama

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

And other results from Tuesday’s state primary election

Wade on Birmingham - Vote 2010A semi-soggy Primary Election Day in Alabama brought some surprising results amid light voter turnout.

• Governor: Rep. Artur Davis, long touted as the frontrunner in the Democratic race, fell to opponent state agriculture commissioner Ron Sparks (pictured below left) in a landslide.

Ron SparksDavis picked up less than 38 percent in his attempt to become the first major black candidate for governor of Alabama. It appears not so much that Sparks won as much as Davis lost, and the reasons are many. Davis failed to win the endorsement of key black Democratic groups; he voted against his party on health care reform; he could still be the wrong color for a conservative Southern state.

Bradley Byrne, Robert Bentley, Tim James

Byrne, left, will face either Bentley,
center, or James in a runoff.

Meanwhile, a very tight three-way race among Republicans kept watchers guessing until late Tuesday night. State senator Bradley Byrne eventually pulled far enough ahead with 28 percent to secure one runoff spot. With 99 percent of precincts counted, Robert Bentley had a tiny 140-vote lead over Tim James, 25.15 percent to 25.12 percent.

It’s likely the close vote will trigger an automatic recount, which will set the stage for the July 13 runoff. The winner faces Sparks on Nov. 2.

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Results from Tuesday’s primaries, state and metro Birmingham.

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• U.S. Senate: Incumbent Richard Shelby handily won the GOP nomination, facing and probably trouncing Democratic attorney William G. Barnes in the fall.

• U.S. House: In District 6, Republican Spencer Bachus won 76 percent of the vote to secure re-election to his 10th term.

In District 7, the seat being vacated by Artur Davis, Don Chamberlain and Chris Salter are headed for the GOP runoff, while Terri Sewell and Shelia Smoot will compete in the Democratic runoff. Keep in mind: Only three times in history has a non-Democratic candidate filled the seat.

• Lieutenant governor: Democratic incumbent Jim Folsom Jr., who ran unopposed, will battle state treasurer Kay Ivey, who knocked out two opponents in the Republican primary.

• Attorney general: James Anderson came up just a hair short to win the Democratic nomination outright, facing a runoff with Giles Perkins. But the real tale is in Luther Strange‘s trouncing of incumbent Troy King, who not only faced opposition in a primary but also from GOP leaders after an extended battle with Gov. Riley over bingo and gambling. Strange day, indeed.

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More Vote 2010 coverage.

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• Jefferson County Commission: We’re still not sure why anyone wants this job, given that previous members have sent the county into billions of dollars in debt and have gone to prison. Certainly not most of the incumbents, since only one ran for re-election.

In District 1, a seat that came open when William Bell became mayor of Birmingham, Democrats Johnathan Austin (Birmingham city council member) and George Bowman (former county commissioner) are headed to two runoffs. One runoff to immediately fill the position, the other for the regular 4-year term.

In District 2, former Birmingham city council member Sandra Little Brown and radio station owner Gary Richardson will compete in the Democratic runoff.

In District 3, Vivian Ford, a minister and a Realtor, will be in the Democratic runoff against Ron Yarbrough, who served recently as assistant tax assessor in the Bessemer cutoff. Incumbent Bobby Humphryes Jr. will face businessman Jimmie Stephens in the GOP runoff.

In District 4, Democrat Roy Wood, ran unopposed, will face the winner of the GOP runoff, businessman Ronnie Dixon or attorney Joe Knight.

And in District 5, Republican business owner David Carrington won the seat outright by defeating two opponents.

• Sheriff: In Jefferson County, incumbent Mike Hale handily defeated Republican challenger and convicted felon Jim Woodward. He’ll face the winner of the Democratic runoff, Ron Blankenship or Willie Hill.

In Shelby County, incumbent Chris Curry easily won re-election in the Republican race.

• Voter turnout: Secretary of State Beth Chapman had predicted 35 percent to 38 percent turnout among registered voters Tuesday. In 2006’s primary, turnout was 38.4 percent, while in 2002’s primary, it was 35 percent.

But in Jefferson County, voter turnout was under 25 percent Tuesday. That was about the same turnout for Madison County and Huntsville.

With such low figures in the major cities, it’s likely the statewide turnout will be low, too, maybe even below 30 percent.

Update June 3: Birmingham News estimates statewide turnout to be about 33 percent.

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How did your candidates do on Tuesday? Are you planning to vote in the runoffs? Leave us a comment with your thoughts on the primaries.

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More Vote 2010 coverage.