Duane Pontius Jr., the T. Morris Hackney Professor of Physics at Birmingham-Southern College, is the 2009 Alabama Professor of the Year.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education honored the state and national winners at a luncheon today in Washington as part of the U.S. Professors of the Year awards program.

Pontius, who graduated from Birmingham-Southern in 1981, began teaching at the college in 1999. Beyond his class and lab work, he also leads the school’s January Interim at Sea program.

The national winners:

• Outstanding Baccalaureate Colleges Professor: Rob Thomas, professor of geology at the University of Montana Western in Dillon.
• Outstanding Community Colleges Professor: Tracey McKenzie, professor of sociology at Collin College in Frisco, Texas.
• Outstanding Doctoral and Research Universities Professor: Brian P. Coppola, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
• Outstanding Master’s Universities and Colleges Professor: Richard L. Miller, professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Also: Pontius discusses possible life on one of Saturn’s moons.

Two more candidates are in the race for mayor of Birmingham bringing the total to 14.

• T.C. Cannon — retired bar owner and former president of the Southside neighborhood association. He placed eighth in the 2003 mayoral election.
• William Jason Sumners — no information available.

Also, Natalie Davis, political science professor at Birmingham-Southern College, and André Natta, publisher of the Terminal, discuss the candidates and themes so far in this election.

Here’s the final list of candidates:

• Emory Anthony
• William Bell
• T.C. Cannon (see above)
• Patrick Cooper
• Scott Douglas
• Ernie Dunn
• Steven Hoyt
• Stephannie Sigler Huey
• Edith Mayomi
• Carole Smitherman
• Jimmy Snow
• William Jason Sumners (see above)
• Jody Trautwein
• Harry “Traveling Shoes” Turner

The election takes place Dec. 8.

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More Vote 2009 coverage.

One bright spot in the turmoil that is Birmingham? Crime is down 12 percent in the first three quarters of this year, including a 25 percent drop in homicides.

Birmingham police chief A.C. Roper said, “We’ve experienced a double digit decrease in major crimes this year in spite of a bad economy,” crediting community support and his officers for the results.

So far, Birmingham has had 62 homicides to date this year, compared to 78 by this point in 2008. But will the drop in crime be enough to change the city’s Top 10 ranking among America’s most dangerous cities?

We’ll find out Monday.

• • •

Visit our Crime Watch page.

Need something to go with your lunchtime reading? To celebrate Patron Appreciation Day, all Birmingham Public Library locations will give visitors free cake and coffee from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

Locations: Avondale, Central, East Ensley, Eastwood, Ensley, Five Points West, Inglenook, North Avondale, North Birmingham, Pratt City, Slossfield, Smithfield, Southside, Springville Road, Titusville, West End, Woodlawn and Wylam

(Looks like the $1 million cut to the Jefferson County Library Cooperative might affect sharing of books, but not cake. Whew.)

The Birmingham Economic Summit will give the business community the opportunity to learn, share and collaborate this week. The City of Birmingham will hold its second annual conference starting Wednesday evening.

Two days of sessions begin in earnest on Thursday. But at 6 p.m. Wednesday, the kickoff event will feature Dalton Smith, the Birmingham Business Alliance’s president and chief executive officer.

He’ll discuss project overviews of the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport modernization, Railroad Reservation Park, Fair Park revitalization and BJCC expansion. It takes place at Alabama Power, 600 18th St. N., downtown [map].

Dozens of sessions, located in the BJCC meeting rooms [map], will cover:

• The State of the Economy
• Collaborative Strategies in a Rebound Economy
• Office Market Analysis
• How to do Business with Alabama Power
• How to do Business with the Birmingham Water Works Board
• Access to Capital
• Education Impact on Workforce
• State Bid Laws and Licensing Requirements
• Technology and Urban Renewal

The keynote speakers will be Jay Grinney, president and CEO of HealthSouth, and Donna James, managing director of Lardon and Associates.

The entire conference is free and includes lunch on Thursday and Friday. To register, visit the event Web site.

Also:

• WBHM (90.3 FM) talks with city council member/mayoral candidate Steven Hoyt and summit planner Michael Bell in 2008.
  [audio:http://www.wbhm.org/songs/ecosummit.mp3]

If you prefer to meet your mayoral candidates for Birmingham in a less formal setting, Thursday’s event may be for you.

Candidate meet-and-greet, from Miles Law School Student Bar Association

• When: 5-7 p.m. Thursday
• Where: The H Martini Bar, Hotel Highland (formerly the Pickwick), 1023 20th St. S. [map]
• Format: informal chat with the candidates; light hors d’oeuvres and drinks
• For more information: E-mail milessba@gmail.com.

See more forums in our Vote 2009 special section.

The election takes place Dec. 8. Candidates have until Wednesday to file paperwork for eligibility.

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More Vote 2009 coverage.

A former mayor, a convicted felon. A roundup of the post-Langford eulogies and rants …

Joey Kennedy, Birmingham News:

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.

Kyle Whitmire, Birmingham Weekly:

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.

Boyce Watkins, BV Black Spin:

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.

Reuters:

[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.

David Pelfrey, Black and White:

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.

Our assessment:

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.

• • •

Also:

• Complete coverage: The trial of Larry Langford
• Vote 2009 coverage

Birmingham voters have a third opportunity to grill the candidates. (Two forums have already been scheduled, including one Tuesday evening.)

Birmingham Business Alliance candidate forum

• When: 6 p.m. Nov. 30
• Where: Alabama School of Fine Arts, 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. [map]
• Format: unknown
• For more information: See the Birmingham Business Journal story.

The election takes place Dec. 8. Candidates have until Wednesday to file paperwork for eligibility.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

City council member Steven Hoyt is joining the crowd, specifically the 11 already declared candidates running for mayor of Birmingham. Hoyt announced his candidacy at a Leadership Birmingham meeting Thursday.

His platform focuses on business development and neighborhood rejuvenation, specifically recruiting 10 new businesses annually and building 7,000 houses in 7 years.

He began serving on city council in 2005. Before, he was president of Belview Heights neighborhood association and was a member of the Jefferson County Economic Development and Industrial Authority.

Video: Steven Hoyt discusses current city projects

The election takes place Dec. 8. Candidates have until Wednesday to file paperwork for eligibility.

Also:

• Two candidate forums announced.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Before you vote on Dec. 8, you’ll have at least two opportunities to meet Birmingham’s mayoral candidates.

Birmingham Mayoral Candidates’ Political Forum

• When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• Where: Huffman High School auditorium, 517 Huffman Road [map]
• Format: unknown
• For more information: See the invitation.

Catalyst 2009 Mayoral Town Hall

• When: 6-8 p.m., Dec. 1
• Where: WorkPlay, 500 23rd St. S. [map]
• Format: Audience will be able to ask questions
• For more information: See the Facebook event listing.

Update: Third forum to take place Nov. 30.

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Former Jefferson County Commission president Mary Buckelew was sentenced to 3 years probation this afternoon in a federal courtroom in Birmingham. She had faced 12 to 18 months in prison for lying to a grand jury about receiving gifts from Bill Blount to influence her votes on bond swaps for the sewer system.

She must also pay a $20,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service in the Jefferson County school district.

Buckelew told Judge Inge Johnson: “I made a mistake that I do not condone for myself. I can never restore that I so foolishly gave away.”

Buckelew pleaded guilty in 2008 to one count of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors recommended a lesser sentence for her cooperation with investigators.

She was expected to testify in Blount’s trial until he pleaded guilty. Buckelew was also expected to testify in the federal trial of former mayor Larry Langford but never took the stand.

Also:

• Birmingham’s Biggest Crooks: Mary Buckelew
• Sentencing today and in the next few months for other high-profile Alabama pols.

This morning, William Bell and Scott Douglas announced their candidacies for mayor of Birmingham.

But three more have also qualified, with little fanfare other than a mention in John Archibald’s column in the Birmingham News. Let’s take a look.

• Ernie Dunn: unknown, other than his qualifying form lists a 35216 ZIP code, meaning either Hoover or Vestavia Hills.
• Jody Trautwein: star of the movie, “Brüno.” Well, unintentional star. The former head of the Alabama Coalition Against Same-Sex Marriage thought he was counseling Brüno into turning heterosexual.
• Harry “Traveling Shoes” Turner: evangelist, roller-skating teacher, “Happy Harry” the clown. His platform: “I want to give the citizens of Birmingham their smiles back.”

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Scott Douglas to announce his candidacy also on Thursday

William Bell has entered the race for mayor of Birmingham, or at least, has announced his media conference for 10 a.m. Thursday in Linn Park. The Jefferson County commissioner and former city councilor announced his intention via media release [pdf].

Bell served briefly as interim mayor following the retirement of Richard Arrington. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1999, 2003 and 2007, coming closest in 2003 until the runoff election against incumbent Bernard Kincaid. He began his service on the city council in 1979 and was the first black council president.

He devised the Bell Plan, selling the Birmingham Water Works for $200 million that went to school improvements.

Bell’s campaign Web site, WilliamBellForMayor.com, appears to be under construction.

• • •

Scott Douglas also intends to run. His conference will also be at 10 a.m. Thursday, but at Kelly Ingram Park.

Douglas announced via a media release [pdf] (written in the past tense) on his campaign site, DouglasForMayor.org, defining his platform as “green jobs, green schools, green transportation, green communities.”

He has served since 1992 as executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries, an interfaith group that serves the underprivileged and functions as community organizer.

The number of mayoral candidates has reached 11.

Hat tip to The Terminal for breaking stories on both candidates.

Also:

• Bhamwiki tracks the mayoral candidates

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

“Going Rogue: An American Life,”* the new Sarah Palin memoir, will be out in a week. And on Nov. 23, Palin herself will be in Birmingham for a book signing.

*Note: affiliate link

The former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate will stop by Books-A-Million at Colonial Brookwood Village in Homewood [map] at 7 p.m 4:30 p.m. Line numbers will be handed out starting at noon Nov. 22.

Palin received $1.25 million for the book, which covers her life in Alaska since childhood through her career in politics. HarperCollins will print 1.5 million copies after having moved the release date from spring to this month when ghostwriter Lynn Vincent finished ahead of schedule.

Birmingham marks the ninth stop on Palin’s tour.

Also:

• The Associated Press does a fact check on selections from the book.

Update: You’ll need a receipt or voucher to get a wristband; only two copies signed per wristband; plus more rules for the signing.

Carole Smitherman, who has been serving as interim mayor for the past 2 weeks, wants a shot at the real thing.

Smitherman announced today her intent to enter the race, after having run unsuccessfully in 2003 and 2007. She said her official announcement is coming, but only after she takes care of more city business.

And she has been busy. As city council president, she automatically became mayor with former mayor Larry Langford’s conviction in October. She fired chief of staff Deborah Vance-Bowie and accepted the resignation of finance director Steve Sayler, all related to the city budget which may be missing $20 million.

Vance-Bowie countered Smitherman’s claim that Vance-Bowie was partially responsible for the city’s budget problems, sharing a series of e-mails between her and Sayler to illustrate Sayler’s lack of cooperation.

Smitherman, an attorney, has served on the council since 2001. Before that, she served as a circuit court judge, municipal court judge and prosecutor for the City of Irondale.

Her candidacy makes for a field of six, including Emory Anthony, Patrick Cooper, Stephannie Huey, Edith Mayomi and Jimmy Snow.

Her campaign site, SmithermanforBirmingham.com, from her 2009 council bid is still online.

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.