Heads and tales: Aim, fire, ready

Tax (pause) and spend: The Alabama Supreme Court has OK’d spending $1 billion on Jefferson County schools raised from a one-cent sales tax. The two-year delay has forced area systems to delay construction on badly needed new schools. Birmingham and Jefferson County systems together will split $725 million — but all systems will get less bang for their billion bucks, since construction costs have risen dramatically in the post-Katrina era. As for the whole sales tax scheme, it may be legal, but it ain’t necessarily right. Road to hell? Now nicely paved.
• Schools renew plans for $1 billion construction [Birmingham News]

Here’s the pitch: A public service announcement: While the “American Idol” auditions begin Monday at the BJCC Arena, auditioners must show up between 8 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Monday to receive a wristband and a seat ticket. Up to 15,000 would-be Idols are expected. The show needs its next William Hung — will it be (dramatic pause) you?

• Official info plus the short version of what to expect
  
• Taylor Hicks shares the adventures of contestant No. 74094: “I didn’t fall in with all the singing and screaming and banner waving. I was somewhat excited, but I kept quiet and kept to myself.”

• Think it’s easy to become an Idol? Join the crowd [Huntsville Times]

Karr talk: John Mark Karr, the sometime resident of Hamilton and JonBenét Ramsey murder suspect, gets the full “neighbor profiler” treatment. “A lot of students were not very fond of him.” “I’m sure his wife told the truth (about his alibi of being in Hamilton at the time of the murder). I’ve got confidence in her.” “He always wanted to substitute in the elementary grades.” And from a similar story: “It wouldn’t surprise me if he done it and it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t do it.” “He’s always been a dark person, a different bird. He’s smart. He’s bad smart.” “We grew up together. He was just a very nice guy.” Judge away.
• Northwest Alabama residents remember Karr [Associated Press]

Cho business: A quick plug for our second-favorite funnyman from the South who’s Korean. Henry Cho is appearing tonight and Saturday at the Comedy Club at the Stardome in Hoover. We caught his latest on Comedy Central, and he does the whole “marriage is crazy” schtick, but clean and witty. Bonus points for riffing on Arab (the Alabama town, not the Middle Eastern dude).
• Clean comic Cho comes to Stardome [Birmingham News]

Also:

• “Talladega Nights,” Tallapoosa days, Tuscumbia weekends
• Birmingham Bill sees shadow, now predicts six more weeks of summer
• ‘How I spent my summer’ essays, two for $15

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Posted: Friday, August 18, 2006, 6:40 pm, in Headlines.
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