Heads and tales: Feeling spent

Impasse in Silvertron investigation: The March 22 death of Silvertron owner Alan Potts remains a mystery — and will likely remain one. A coroner’s report confirms he died of a gunshot to the head but has no ruling on the shooter. Authorities said that ends the investigation, unless someone comes forward.
• Coroner’s Office Releases Statement About Silvertron Owner’s Death [NBC 13]

Debt’s all, folks: Jefferson County residents are getting deeper in debt. The average in 2004 was $56,986, a 47.4 percent jump since 1999. That’s from “Credit Scores, Reports, and Getting Ahead in America,” a new study from Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution. Higher debt means lower credit scores, with the South having the highest concentration low-scoring consumers. Doug Horst of the Consumer Credit Service in Birmingham said, “I hope this is a wake-up call that encourages people behind in their bills to seek help.” You know what will make us feel better? Shopping!
• Consumer debt rises in Jeffco [Birmingham News]

Cold hard casa: State home sales jumped 26.34 percent in March, way ahead of the national increase of a paltry 0.3 percent. Even better, home values in Jefferson County jumped 7 percent in the past year. The hottest neighborhood? North Lakeshore, with an average 44 percent increase. Excuse us while we call our real estate agent.
• Alabama home sales rise 26% in March; average selling price up [Birmingham Business Journal]

Charity begins elsewhere: The Crawfish Boil still describes itself as a “party with a purpose,” a reference to its charitable contributions in the past. Nowadays, it’s more about the purpose of the party: Make money. The bookkeeping has been shoddy, and title sponsor Jack Schaeffer says he hopes to donate $5,000 — to match 2005 — out of a starting budget of $500,000. Wow, kinda gets you right here (points to butt).
• Crawfish Boil’s a splashy festival first, fund-raiser second [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Lakeview revelers celebrate Mexican holiday with American excess, Panamanian pharmaceuticals
• Case of blahs spreads like apathetic wildfire
• Nationally ranked schools still stuck in Alabama

• • •

Send us your news tips.

Posted: Friday, May 5, 2006, 6:40 pm, in Headlines.
For this entry: E-mail | comments feed | trackback.