Misfortune 500: Another Birmingham corporate institution is packing up for North Carolina. Saks, which bought department story chain Parisian in 1996, is selling it off to Charlotte-based Belk for $285 million. What does this mean for employees? Everyone sing along now: job cuts, up to 190. And for shoppers? No more Parisian, a company established in 1887 in the heart of downtown; the stores will change to the Belk name by 2007. The latest corporate selloff diminishes the city’s standing among corporate homes: In 2001, Birmingham had six Fortune 500 companies; after Saks/Parisian, it has one, Regions Bank.
• Saks selling Parisian to Belk for $285M [Birmingham Business Journal]

I like to shop at the duty-free shop: The state, along with more than 200 cities and counties, is waiving sales tax for Friday through Sunday to help out campaigning incumbents back-to-school shoppers. The tax “holiday” covers clothing under $100, school supplies, books under $30 and computers and peripherals under $750. Many Birmingham-area stores are opening longer and expect crowds. Tip: Belk (and JCPenney) at Century Plaza already have huge going-out-of-business discounts. Maybe we’ll see the same at Parisian in the near future.
• Alabama merchants expect huge sales tax holiday weekend [Associated Press]

The foolhardy capital of the South: Guess what? Birmingham may get its ninth(!) shot at hosting a pro football team. In the news biz, we joke about stories that repeat so predictably, all you have to do is update the names and dates. Remember the ’Bolts of 2001? The brash assistant sports editor (who was also a good guy) said that team would not fail. We had a pro-con debate on page one, and I took con. Tell you what: We’ll trot out the old stories again, but to be fair this time, I’ll take pro, just for giggles.
• Birmingham in talks with pro team at Legion Field [Birmingham News]

Also:

• House seat challenge to be settled with prolonged shouting match
• Hoover studies forming its own failed transit system
• Bloggers blog blog meeting while blogging blogged bloggity blog

• • •

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Cropped out: One of the most notable casualties of the Drought of 2006 may be corn. The state crop has been nearly wiped out, thanks to prolonged dry conditions and corn’s need for large amounts of water. The remaining crops now and in the future will be used primarily as feed for cattle and other animals. Other farmers have suffered as well, with low yields of cotton and hay (used for cattle). Out of 67 counties, the state has declared agricultural emergencies in 48 counties. Looks like a bumper crop of misery this season.
• Death of a crop: Drought ends corn as south Alabama farm staple [Associated Press]

Pound for pound: There’s less of the mayor to lambast love: Kincaid has lost 20 pounds in less than two months. As reported earlier, the mayor has put himself, his wife and the city on a diet. Birmingham, one of the fattest cities in America, kicked off the Get Healthy program Saturday with a walk-a-thon at Legion Field. More than 400 people joined leaders and churches for the event. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is also working with the city for a healthier, slimmer citizenry. Kudos to Kincaid for leading, and losing, by example.
• Fat city starts health initiative [Birmingham News]

Fortunes from fame: Dear Idol hopefuls: Welcome to Birmingham. We hope your stay will be comfortable, successful and extremely profitable. Among the 15,000 singers expected to visit us on Aug. 21, perhaps one of you will be the next Taylor Hicks, who went all the way to Las Vegas to audition. Naturally, you’ll want to stay in accommodations befitting a future pop star and dine in our finest restaurants. Why skimp on quality when you can sing better than anyone else? Be sure to read the official registration page, make sure to register ahead of time (we can’t stress this enough), study the rules and if you can’t sing, at least manage to annoy Simon somehow. Hugs and kisses, Wade on Birmingham
• American Idol auditions music to ears of host cities financially [Associated Press]

Also:

• Auburn planning controversial “no pass, more play” option for athletes
• Criminals expect city takeover to be completed by 2008
• Roebuck twins resent repeated references to dual status

• • •

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Upscale racing: If Indycars are too dainty and stock cars too tacky, how about the ultimate driving machines? The Porsche 250 takes place this weekend at the Barber Motorsports Park with sleek sports cars racing for glory. And for the ladies … TV’s Dr. McDreamy will be at the track on Saturday. Yes, Patrick Dempsey from “Grey’s Anatomy” will be part of the driving festivities. Take that, Ricky Bobby.
• ‘Unbelievable show’ [Birmingham News]

Like when Elvis met Nixon: President Bush may be commander-in-chief, but will he volunteer for the Soul Patrol? The 10 most recent “American Idol” finalists, including Birmingham’s champion Taylor Hicks, will meet the prez this afternoon, the same day he’s meeting with British prime minister Tony Blair. Susan Whitson, Hicks’ ninth-grade English teacher from Hoover High and now Laura Bush’s press secretary, suggested the pop summit. The Soul Man already has one notable fan in the White House, Secretary of State and fellow Birminghamian Condoleeza Rice. Since Vice President Cheney came to Alabama on Monday to help out Gov. Riley, it’s only fair we send our most powerful man to help out Dubya. Also, how a Birmingham T-shirt company cranked out big orders for Bush and Rice.
• Political Stage Is Next for ‘Idol’ Stars [Los Angeles Times]

To-do list: 1. See a movie. We’ve added even more free movies in the Wade on Birmingham Summer 2006 Movie Guide, including this weekend’s African Film Festival at the Birmingham Museum of Art and Sundown Cinemas in Old Town Helena. 2. Meet the artists of Artwalk at tonight’s free Brewhaha. It’s 6 to 10 in the second-floor loft at Starbucks in Five Points South. What a deal: free coffee and pastries, two-for-one deal at Surin West and wristband good for free glass of wine at Chez Fonfon, free salsa lesson at Fred Astaire Dance Studio and a wine and cheese reception and urban living presentation at iii’s. 3. Get a head start on the school year. The Back to School Blast takes place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Metropolitan Church of God. Children K-12 can receive free backpacks with supplies, free eye/hearing/dental exams, care packages, haircuts and more. 4. Wish Dre’s Ramblings a happy first anniversary.

Also:

• Drought forces five-year-old’s lemonade stand to serve powdery shots
• New nightclub, old barflies
• Soccer moms turning into sucky grandmas

• • •

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Small is the new big: Micropolitan … it sounds like Neapolitan with all the chocolate scooped out. But it’s the trendy label for tiny cities with 10,000 to 50,000 people, located near big cities. What makes them different from the species, suburbia? Did we mention they’re trendy? Cullman tied for fifth place in Site Selection magazine’s top micropolitans (watch out, Lexington-Thomasville, N.C.!). And while it has the usual amenities such as retail stores, a movie theater, restaurants and medical centers, it lacks one key ingredient, alcohol. So much for paradise.
• The allure of the (not-so) big city [Birmingham News]

Tradeoffs and teardowns: Can Birmingham renew itself without chasing away its loyal small business tenants? A Weekly columnist examines the plight of Scott’s Koneys, about to lose its 30-year home to new development. While the city can shell out $2.1 million to buy the block and lease it to the ominously named Corporate Realty for $10 a year, it seems virtually helpless in aiding small business owners such as Scott Green of Koney fame and Jim Reed Books. Without a master plan for economic development, it appears the city will continue to stumble along in its clumsy attempts to think big but choke on small details. Also, what’s next for Century Plaza?
• Renewed again [Birmingham Weekly]

Reborn: Destroyed by arson six months ago, Pleasant Sabine Baptist Church in Bibb County is halfway through construction and expected to be completed by September. Insurance coverage paid $100,000, Birmingham-Southern College contributed $53,000, and other churches contributed $45,000, leaving $177,000 left to go in construction costs. Volunteers from as far as Detroit and St. Louis have helped with the rebuilding. The church was one of 10 churches damaged or destroyed in an arson spree across Alabama. You can burn the building, but you can’t extinguish the spirit.
• Bibb church hit by arson rebuilds thanks to others [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Cats unaware sitter lacks documentation
• Transit study: Unpimped buses lagging in popularity
• Suburbs band together for upscale jail with isometric restraints, stainless steel fixtures

• • •

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Washington on the line: Maybe you’ve tried a three-way. On the phone, you naughty minx. But have you tried a 5,000-way call? Rep. Jo Bonner did, putting a somewhat-new twist on the town hall meeting. From his Washington office, Bonner talked with Mobile citizens for an hour and answered questions when they “lined up” by pressing a button. The cost: $2,200, about 9 cents a caller. The representative is no stranger to using technology to interact with citizens: His Web page features links to archived radio and TV shows (shown here). Now if he’ll just put up a transcript and MP3 of his town hall session …
• Bonner speed-dials a town hall meeting [Birmingham News]

Cutting edge: A gamma knife can cut out tumors in the head using radiation beams, but a CyberKnife can remove tumors anywhere in the body. Birmingham surgeon Swaid Swaid wants one and has formed a company to partner with area hospitals. “For once, I want a good technology to come to Birmingham that’s not fought over by everyone,” said Swaid, who wants equal access to the device for all surgeons. The next steps: getting state approval, landing partners and making sure the treatment is covered by insurance.
• Device kills tumors, spares nearby tissue [Birmingham News]

Paperbacks or prisons: Jefferson County commission president Larry Langford wants to fight crime by promoting education, specifically reading. Working with the Literacy Council, the county would create a literacy center, complete with donated computers and volunteer retired teachers and businesspeople. Sounds solid, unless we unintentionally create a group of supercriminals who can read.
• Langford urges literacy effort to curtail crime [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Trussville barbecue restaurant claims secret to success is sauce, meat
• Comedy club patron can’t believe comedian went there, said that
• Robbers conspire with store manager to end up in jail, on TV

• • •

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Traffic snarl: More than $17 million has been spent on electronic signs and cameras scattered on interstate highways around Birmingham, yet even with frequent traffic tie-ups, they remain unhelpfully blank. Why? Cops say they don’t report all incidents, and when they do, they often get the runaround from the state transportation department. The DOT says it has the people in place and will make the procedures clearer to police departments. And the sign on U.S. 280 doesn’t give info because no one’s in charge. What’s at stake? Besides public money invested, leaving the traffic problem unsolved means lost productivity, more pollution and more risk of secondary accidents. Even the nonsense is bumper to bumper.
• Why is this sign still blank? [Birmingham News]

To do nothing: Homicides, rapes and robberies are up this year in Birmingham, as in other cities. The police chief appears to be losing not only the war on crime, but the war on public perception, too. Chief Annetta Nunn prefers the low-key approach, but is that enough to frighten criminals and soothe citizens? She has Mayor Kincaid on her side, though several critics say he’s interfering more than needed. Nunn said, “Some people see things and don’t report them. As long as it doesn’t bother them, they don’t report it. People need to learn that criminals act on fear. We have to have assistance from the public.” Funny, we haven’t noticed a severe drop in public participation — just a severe lack of leadership and focus.
• In addition to crime, Nunn fights public perception [Birmingham News]

Home work: Can Birmingham find homes for its homeless population by 2016? The city has formed a committee to form a 10-year plan to help an estimated 3,000 citizens who spend their days and nights on the street. The federal initiative involves 240 communities tackling the same issues: housing, health care, crime and image. Birmingham faces a bigger challenge, since an estimated 30 percent of the homeless population are chronically homeless, three times the national rate. The least among us deserve more than a cold shoulder.
• Homeless panel begins work [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Mall proclaims final markdowns with dying breath
• Governance of state two-year college system converts to feudal monarchy
• Fall fashion preview: crimson/white and orange/blue combos on horizon

• • •

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Alabama Teller Machine: Vice President Cheney is in Dothan today for a private fund-raising dinner for Gov. Riley. Up to 50 couples at $5,000 per couple are expected, netting a possible quarter million for the governor’s re-election campaign. The event in Houston County is expected to help Bush more than Riley, at least in terms of popularity. Two questions: Will Riley go hunting with Cheney? Will they serve quail or– duck!!
• Cheney visit could raise more than $200,000 for Riley [Associated Press]

Capital idea: Another Washington visitor, a reporter for the Post, spent some time recently with our pal Kelly to find out more about the city turning out so many “American Idol” notables. While the reporter doesn’t stray too far from the usual suspects, and makes the obligatory 5,632nd mention of Birmingham’s turbulent civil rights role, she echoes Kelly’s long-standing tenet: Plenty to do in this town, despite the naysayers.
• Tuning In to Birmingham [Washington Post]

Where there’s smoke: More Alabama-based barbecue restaurants are extending their reach across the country, including Dreamland, Golden Rule, Jim ’N Nick’s and Full Moon. Can the state’s eclectic style win over fans of (lesser) forms, such as Texas-style, dry rub and mustard-based (shudder)? John T. Edge, food expert and writer who once listed Niki’s as one of the Top Five restaurants in the country, said, “I think it can work. Hell, the South sold the world Coca-Cola.” Meanwhile, more people are dining out than cooking at home, going so far as to dump their kitchens.
• Alabama barbecue restaurants spreading across South and beyond [Associated Press]

Also:

• Plan C: punt
• This headline may be monitored for quality assurance
• What’s hot in school supplies: digital pencils, boots that only you can afford

• • •

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Tap dance: Birmingham has a unique way of dealing with a drought: Use more water. Such has been the result this week of the water works’ call for conservation. More than 127 million gallons flowed on Wednesday, compared to 125 million gallons on Sunday; the restrictions were announced Monday. More than a fourth of that water (estimated) was used for lawns and shrubs. When we’re all showering once a month and dying of thirst, thank your neighbors with the lovely landscaping.
• Water use high despite warnings [Birmingham News]

Dauphin do-over: Should taxpayers keep coughing up increasing amounts to repair homes on Dauphin Island? Should the federal government insure homes along the coasts, even if it can’t afford it? We meant to mention this edition of one of our fave newsmagazines, “Now,” but you can watch or listen to or download the July 7 broadcast. Residents say that tax dollars bail out homeowners in other areas hit by floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Critics argue that areas such as Dauphin Island will be destroyed time and again, and that government assistance promotes development in unsafe areas. We say if homeowners chose to live on an active volcano, most people wouldn’t feel too sorry when their houses melted in the lava.
• Still in Harm’s Way [‘Now’ on PBS]

Your to-do list: 1. Before you head to Function in the Junction on Saturday, learn about the sad history of Tuxedo Junction’s decline. 2. See my story in the July 21 print edition of Birmingham Business Journal on a residential development in Crestwood. Here’s a sample: “Urban living has been all the rage lately, thanks to numerous condo developments in the works. But those looking for homes close to the city center have another option, one that stands out by not standing out. Crest Parc is one of the latest housing developments in one of Birmingham’s older neighborhoods. One selling point, developers say, is its combination of traditional exteriors with modern features inside.” At select newsstands and bookstores today.

Also:

• Truckers take out frustrations by ramming houses
• Insurgent storms strike select city targets with sudden vengeance
• Extra phone books make for lousy reading material at Homewood dentist’s office

• • •

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Rainbow coalition: Barring a recount surprise, Patricia Todd has won House District 54 in the Democratic runoff over Gaynell Hendricks. Todd, pictured at left, is believed to be the first openly gay state legislator, the same state that overwhelmingly approved a second ban on gay marriage six weeks ago. More surprising was that Todd and Hendricks ran a civil campaign in a majority black district with all kinds of demographics to win over. We met both candidates along the way and were torn between two energetic, hard-working, smart women. If only every race could have two or more qualified candidates to woo voters … Also, those few that voted across the state Tuesday were courted at a cost of, oh, say $20 million.
• Todd holds slim lead in bid to become 1st openly gay legislator [Associated Press]

Give, and ye shall receive: Birmingham-Southern College turned over $368,000 raised to benefit the 10 rural Alabama churches burned earlier this year. Among the big contributors and co-campaign leaders were AmSouth Bank, Fox 6, the Community Foundation of West Alabama and the National Conference for Community and Justice. The rebuilding doesn’t end with the oversize novelty check: The college will invite church reps to a dinner in the fall. Lane Estes, executive assistant to Birmingham-Southern College President David Pollick, said, “I see ongoing relationships coming out of this. It has provided opportunities for us to reach out and for them to use us as a resource.” Like a good neighbor, ’Southern is there. Also, (mega)Church at Brook Hills has a just-turned-28-year-old senior pastor: And a little child shall lead them.
• Burned churches will split $368,000 [Birmingham News]

A little more mileage: With as many cars as Americans tear up, smash up and drive into the ground every year, you’d think we’d be neck deep in radiators and lug nuts by now. But hope remains for clunkers and other large junk. American Cast Iron Pipe Co. has upgraded its recycling center for $4.5 million to turn all that metal into municipal water pipes. Since 1991, the plant has recycled 7 million cars — enough for two cars for every adult in Alabama. Wow. The upgrades will improve capacity by 15 percent. The center also pays cash for cans, copper, appliances and other scrap metal. Now that we know what happened to regular cars, let’s find out who killed the electric car.
• Junked cars, odds, ends find new life as pipes [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Water restrictions imperil gurgling fountain of calm
• Bill collector sneaks up on Southside residents, swipes their barrels with straps used for clothing
• New Talladega track pavement made from blood of the innocents, synthetic tar

• • •

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How dry we am: Dying crops, potential for sweeping forest fires, no rain expected for one to three months — it can only mean one thing … football drought season in Alabama. This one’s gonna be a scorcher, with predictions of an abnormally dry season lasting six to 12 months. Birmingham water officials joined other cities today in asking residents to curb water use. The region’s only hope? A tropical storm or hurricane, says one meteorlogist. All we are, for now, is dust in the wind.
• Drought looming as one of worst [Birmingham News]

Runoff reminder: State primary runoffs are Tuesday, so go out and vote. While turnout is expected to be low (can turnout be negative?) and contested races are few, at least one interesting contest is on the ballot. In our House district, white lesbian activist Patricia Todd and black businesswoman Gaynell Hendricks are competing in the Democratic race. No Republicans ran in the majority black district. Todd would be the first openly lesbian state representative, and either candidate would slightly increase the abysmally low number of women legislators.
• Voters to decide Jeffco, Shelby legislative races [Birmingham News]

Red all over: Dear Black and White: We’re a little worried. Well, more concerned and sad than worried. We say this as a friend and former contributor who wants you to succeed as an alternative publication. In the latest issue, one reporter openly trumpets her inability not only to land an official comment from McWane Science Center and the Birmingham police, but also to cultivate other sources or, at worst, have a backup story ready to go. A columnist spends nearly 2,000 words cataloging his poor parents’ battles with the county roads and sheriff’s departments. While it is lamentable that those in power don’t always cooperate fully or at all with the news media, it’s even more lamentable to validate such behavior with unattributed articles. Another columnist decries inoffensive double-talk and longs for “plain talk.” We hope we have succeeded. Signed, Bummed in Birmingham

Also:

• Bowl game sponsorship to be awarded to 100th ticket purchaser
• Huffman family returns from vacation, vow never to do it again
• Incoming students to be tagged like cattle

• • •

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1. Baptists battle for who will lead them back into wilderness
2. Cops to promote “Puppies for Guns” trade
3. Bus survey arrives late, refuses answers not written on exact change
4. Bureaucrats take extra-long smoke break to make up for late arrival
5. Out-of-work teachers, bankers form long bread line
6. Remodeled restaurant still smells like fried ham
7. Over-the-mountain mayors vow to form ‘kick-ass’ garage band
8. Minor leaguers need seasoning in steroid abuse
9. Brighton mom still ‘phoning it in’ on dinner prep
10. Trussville embraces cultural diversity of Purple Onion

(more…)

Throw the bums around: Alabama loves its higher edumacation, specifically the two-year variety. Junior colleges litter the landscape, and it takes a strong leader to manage so many centers of learning. The Birmingham News has, in a series of articles, shown how Roy Johnson, the chancellor of the two-year college system, and his relatives have received $300,000 through patronage jobs, scholarships and new houses. The board of education fired Johnson Tuesday (and will likely receive an additional $300,000 plus in pay and retirement benefits) and replaced him with … another official with relatives on the payroll. Also, at least one other board member has relatives on the payroll. Why the heck didn’t we get into school administration?!
• 2-year college chancellor fired [Birmingham News]

Making excuses instead of arrests: Homicides are way up in Birmingham, 56 in the first half of 2006 compared to 42 in the first half of 2005 — a 33 percent jump. Police chief Annetta Nunn blames budget cuts and loss of cops to higher-paying suburbs as factors, while also arguing that the rate for other crime has dropped. Can’t have it both ways: Either you deserve credit for lowering crime with fewer resources, or you take responsibility for more bodies. A North Birmingham teenager found Tuesday night makes this year’s homicide count 57 … and rising.
• Mayor, chief defend city police force [Birmingham News]

The devil is in the dirt piles: Anniston residents, already sick from PCBs, are now sick with worry that a new dump site will cause more problems. Solutia, a Monsanto spinoff, is responsible for the cleanup and costs, but only after residents sued the corporation over injuries to health and property. The city council postponed discussion on blocking the dumping, at a site near … Monsanto Road. Wonder if they want to change the street name, too …
• New PCB dump site makes Anniston residents wary [Anniston Star]

Also:

• Woodville petting zoo suspected as harbor for terrorist llamas
• We’ve got plenty of time to do our assigned reading, so stop nagging us
• Transit solution eludes non-bus-riding, non-carpooling officials

• • •

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Entertainment o’plenty to round up:

Will they make us proud?: Birmingham has made “American Idol” the cultural phenomenon it is today. How else to explain the ties to city champions and runners-up Ruben Studdard, Diana DeGarmo, Bo Bice and Taylor Hicks? Now the show is stopping by to round up the next batch of pop stars (and reality whores) Aug. 21, part of the seven-city audition tour.

Up to 100,000 contestants age 16 to 28 are expected at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, of which 250 will sing for judges Randy, Paula and Simon. (Hicks, by the way, returns Aug. 8 for a sold-out show at the BJCC Arena for the Idols tour.) Remember to smile and know your lyrics — and when all else fails, break out the harmonica.

• The Hoover High football reality show, “Two-a-Days,” has an hourlong premiere at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 23 on MTV. Seven half-hour episodes follow at 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays. The real Buccaneers start their season Aug. 26 with a “scrimmage” in Montgomery, then a real game against Union High in Tulsa(!), Okla., the following week.
• Can’t sing? Try out for “Deal or No Deal” (no deal!) July 22 in Mobile. Or try out for “Idol,” because they gotta fill the gag reel with someone.
• A Montgomery native is one of 15 hopefuls on “Project Runway,” which starts its third season at 9 tonight on Bravo. He said TV Guide called him “one of six designers to watch.” Watch what, cry and rant?

• City earns shot at ‘Idol’ audition [Birmingham News]

Taking the Sixth: As reported earlier, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is kicking off its second year of Sixteenth and Sixth, a monthly mixer. Thursday’s $10 event includes jazz by Kenneth Davis and a spoken-word performance by Aisha “Brown” Johnson. Audra Buck, assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will talk about the “Sticks and Stones” exhibition. Admission includes food and drink. The event takes place at 6:16 p.m. at the museum, 520 16th St. N.
• Picks [Birmingham Weekly]

Spike! Dig! Chill!: Hoover has invested $95,000 and brought in tons of sand for its first beach volleyball event. The Met, which has seen Michael Jordan play baseball and high school football players strut for MTV, will have qualifiers on Thursday and a pro tournament on Friday through Sunday. And the dress code for fans (and there is a dress code): guys in shorts, gals in bikinis. Tournament tickets start at $10, and Thursday’s qualifying rounds are free.
• Beach comes to Hoover [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Protesters at fountain use come hither chants
• Arcade machines give 2-1 odds on Pac-Man, 5-1 on Ms. Pac-Man
• Ozone creeps in on little wheezing cat feet

• • •

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The comeback: Sean Phillips, a 22-year-old Marine corporal from Montgomery, fights the good fight. He’s not in Iraq, not anymore, but at Birmingham’s VA Hospital — after an enemy bullet tore through his brain. In the year and a half of recovery, he has become legally blind, lost half his field of vision, lost some use of his right arm and leg and dropped 100 pounds. Phillips, though, pushes forward with recovery, having regained some of his vocabulary and speech (though he still struggles to name familiar faces) and ability to get up and around on his own. He’s one of 19,000 U.S. military members wounded in Iraq during the three-plus-year war. Meanwhile, the 1,165th Military Policy Company, based in Fairhope, received the president’s highest award for a military unit Saturday for serving longer than any other National Guard unit in Iraq: 15 months.
• Marine fights for life after sniper’s bullet [Birmingham News]

Red alert: Think your job is tough? Try working while blood is squirting from stumps where fingers used to be, or with a foot you broke earlier in this morning. Just another day at the track for Hueytown’s Red Farmer, a member of the Alabama Gang of NASCAR legend. He said, “I have always been a slave to the paycheck. If I didn’t race, my family didn’t eat.” Retirement appears to be out of the question, as the 73-year-old (or 74) still races every Saturday night at the Talladega Short Track. Catch him if you can.
• Busted up, never broken [Birmingham News]

Spare the grog, spoil the child: Should parents be arrested if teens drink alcohol? In Mountain Brook, it’s the law. First strike: $25. Second strike: $200 to $500. Third strike: $300 to $500, plus up to six months jail time or community service. Good news: cocaine and pot, still legal!
• Adult responsibility law for underage drinking passes [Birmingham News]

Heather has one or two mommies: If one lesbian can be a mom in Alabama, would two be better? A Montgomery probate court denied an adoption application from a lesbian who wants to become the second legal parent of her partner’s baby son, born in December. The couple has appealed the decision. Cari Searcy, partner of birth mother Kim McKeand, said, “Our home is a normal one. It’s filled with love, commitment and support. … Kim and I are dedicated to giving Khaya the best life possible and we’re going to do what it takes to do that.” OK, but a kid named Khaya’s just asking for a wedgie …
• Same-sex partners seek Alabama court’s OK on baby’s adoption [Associated Press]

Also:

• City braces for vocal onslaught of region’s worst singers
• Hoover to be renamed ‘Birmingsouth’
• VBS class takes field trip to see how purgatory works

• • •

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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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