Jim Skinner, the longtime TV pitchman for his dealership Jim Skinner Ford, died Saturday at age 87. He’s at the beginning of the commercial, above, but folks here will remember him side by side with his son during most spots, promising “a hundred dollars says we’ll beat your best deal, regardless.” Funeral services take place this morning. [obit]
• Birmingham News: Jim Skinner dies
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Finally, a holiday in August, and not just a greeting card holiday but one with real spiritual meaning in a world gone mad. We, of course, refer to the tax-free holiday today through Sunday, with nearly 400 municipalities in Alabama participating. What’s allowed in this back-to-school-inspired sale? Same as last year: clothing under $100, school supplies, books under $30 and computers and peripherals under $750 (pdf of rules). So stock up on pencils and Pentiums, and kids, stay in school.
• Alabama Department of Revenue: 2007 Sales Tax Holiday
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Patchwork problems: As you sew, so shall you weep. Two of the Gee’s Bend quilters are suing their agent, accusing him and his sons of cheating them out of thousands of dollars. Many artists in the collective are satisfied with their cut, but was the clash between creator and agent inevitable? Did it have to do with race and class, a white art dealer working with once-poor black artists? Or are the only important colors here the red people see over their share of the green?
• Handmade Alabama Quilts Find Fame and Controversy [New York Times]
Big trouble in little Huntsville: Wyatt Russell, the son of actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, will play for the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Football? Baseball? Basketball? Try hockey. The team found itself in the unlikely fantasy of playing in this year’s NCAA Frozen Four against Notre Dame. Wyatt Russell plays goalie and stands tall at 6-foot-1, though we thought he’d be taller …
• Russell-Hawn son to play hockey for Alabama-Huntsville [Associated Press]
When Yankees attack: Dear Journal, There’s more to Alabama barbecue (or Q, as you cute-ify) than ribs. While we love our Dreamland and Miss Myra’s, it’s just like a carpetbagger to swoop in and completely overlook the wonders of the humble chopped (not sliced) pork sandwich. Love, Dixie. P.S. White sauce is the devil.
• Where Ribs Are an Art Form [Wall Street Journal]
Nice day for a white wedding: And finally, our pal Kyle spins the tale of the VJ and the screenwriter. Birmingham’s Alan Hunter remarried last week to “a petite gal from the North.” That would be Elizabeth Bradley, a transplant from Hunter’s old stomping grounds, New York. Following the ceremony at downtown’s First United Methodist, they played bocce on the Kress rooftop, and no, that’s not a euphemism.
• Elizabeth Bradley and Alan Hunter [New York Times]
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Fred Thompson, actor and former U.S. Senator from Tennessee, stops in town tonight for a fund-raiser for his supposed presidential campaign. Perhaps the Sheffield-born candidate will even drive his trademark red pickup truck, denoting his folksy aw-shucks ways. And what kind of folksy aw-shucks fund-raiser will take place at the Mountain Brook home of construction company president Jim Cooper? The kind that costs $1,000 per couple. He’s the fourth GOP candidate to visit the state, after Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney. Yeah, but none of them did a “Die Hard” movie or a “Law and Order” franchise …
• NBC 13: Thompson Makes First Ala. Campaign Stop Monday
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Fans are eagerly awaiting a book tonight with a young hero battling an evil Brit using his magical talents. Harry Potter? Nope, Taylor Hicks. (You know, versus Lord Simoncowell …)
He’s been busy, and not just the kind of busy with anchorbabes in bikinis. The former American Idol performs at 6:30 tonight for a fund-raiser for Kid One Transport, reading his autobiography, “Heart Full of Soul” and talking with the audience at Boutwell Auditorium. Cost is $37.50 for admission and $100 for VIP tickets.
Video will be available at 9:3o tonight.
Maybe Chris Daughtry sold more records, but we bet Hicks sells more books …
• Birmingham News: Behind the music
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Call it “Fast Times at Hoover High.” How bad is the situation over in the land of big Bucs and MTV dreams? The school system is investigating itself with an independent hired gun over allegations of grade fixing for football players. The school board president doesn’t trust anyone, no one, in the system. One columnist says a bunch of ho-hum actions has added up to a possible academic scandal. Yes, but good grades don’t mean squat vs. a 250-pound linebacker, not when ratings and revenues and championships are on the line.
• Birmingham News: Frazier trusts no one in system
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Let the fainting spells begin. Sen. Barack Obama kicks off the Alabama leg of his presidential campaign with stops in Huntsville and Birmingham today. While the lunch fund-raiser in Huntsville will run you either $1,000 or $2,300, tonight’s Sheraton event in town will set you back a mere $25. (Suck on that, Rocket City.) Plus, Obama’s special guest at the 5 p.m. political affair will be Leeds NBA legend Charles Barkley, who no doubt will class up the joint with his bon mots and low-key style.
The Democratic candidate from Illinois last visited the state in March, along with fellow senator/hopeful Hillary Clinton, to stump and jive in Selma. Remember: It’s a mere 484 days until Election Day.
• Birmingham News: Obama backers prepare for visit
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The case is just about closed on the two local boys made bad. Former governor Don Siegelman and HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy were both sentenced to prison and six-figure fines, then immediately taken into custody earlier this evening.
Siegelman, the only Alabama governor with a prison sentence, won’t be free until late 2014 (barring parole). He’ll have to cough up more than $230,000 and perform 500 hours of community service. And don’t forget the three years of probation.
Scrushy, mogul turned evangelist turned con, won’t be out until spring 2014 (barring parole); he’ll have three years probation when out. He must shell out more than $400,000, not counting having to repay the costs of incarceration, which will easily be more than $150,000 if he serves the full term.
The pair racked up all kinds of charges: mail fraud, conspiracy, bribery, obstruction of justice. They were convicted one year ago tomorrow.
Has justice been served? Tell us after the jump. Plus, bloggers’ reactions.
• Birmingham News: Siegelman, Scrushy taken into custody.
Volunteer slackers, you’re out of excuses. At 5:30 tonight, the first YP Expo (not as dirty as it sounds) kicks off at the Innovation Depot [map] downtown. Two dozen volunteer agencies will be on hand to offer you a chance to make Birmingham better. How? Get involved.
It all started with a Civic Organization Roundtable in November. After months of planning and work, Alison Howell at the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and André Natta at The Terminal have not only brought the players to the table, but also brought the table to you. Or something like that. [evite | details]
Is Birmingham too clique-ish? Not anymore. Visit, mingle, do. Tonight.
• Birmingham News: Chamber event designed to reach young professionals
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What you’ve just witnessed is Alabama legislating at its finest. Sen. Charles Bishop (R-Jasper) punched Sen. Lowell Barron (D-Fyffe) in the head, during the final day of the legislative session. Alabama Public Television captured the incident, apparently sparked by Barron calling Bishop a “son of a bitch” while on the Senate floor.
Talk about ending the season on a cliffhanger!! Bishop sorta apologized, but what can we look forward to next season on “The Bald and the Beatable”? Will the Senate erupt in gang warfare? Was Tuesday’s turnout of 9.6 percent of voters too high? Will they ever get around to, you know, making bills into laws? And can’t they come up with better profane insults? Certainly, Alabamians have called their elected leaders much worse for years.
• Montgomery Advertiser: One senator punches another on final day of session
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Pick up the phone, quick! It could be Larry Langford calling. The Jefferson County Commissioner and former mayor of Fairfield will robo-dial 100,000 Birmingham voters today to let them know he’s running for mayor. Yes, with a mere four months to Election Day, it’s now a three-way race between Patrick Cooper, Valerie Abbott and Langford. At least the debates will be louder, if not, well, louder.
The folks over at Mixed Media — unimpressed with his slogan, “Let’s do something” — have asked for new suggestions, with a beer and a sandwich to the winning entry. Our contribution: “Welcome to Electric Larryland — enjoy the ride.”
• Birmingham News: Langford launches run for mayor
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From the penthouse to …: HealthSouth continues its long march to solvency and respectability. A Dallas real estate company will buy its 280 headquarters and giant faux hospital for $60 million from the Birmingham-based health care giant, far less than the $238 million spent on them. The money will go to paying down the company’s $4.2 billion debt, or about 1.4 percent. HealthSouth will remain in its building for a year while seeking new office space within the metro area.
Meanwhile, founder Richard Scrushy and former governor Don Siegelman are a mere 24 days away from sentencing. Federal prosecutors have asked for 25 to 30 years jail time and millions in fines and restitution. Attorneys for the pair have filed for no jail time. Naturally.
• Unused hospital, HQ sold [Birmingham News]
The unholy power of Oprah: Birmingham-based Books-A-Million saw a 40 percent jump in profit between the first quarter of this year and 2006. Was it smart marketing, long-term planning or higher productivity? Or was it the awesome power of daytime TV host Oprah Winfrey? According to the retailer’s president, Oprah’s recommendation of self-help DVD “The Secret” helped boost sales revenues. Yeah, here’s the secret: Save the Oprah, save the world.
• Books-A-Million posts 40 percent increase in profits [Birmingham Business Journal]
Jazz in the field: Moss Rock Preserve (the nature site, not the residential development) will hold an outdoor jazz festival Sunday, featuring Birmingham’s own Eric Essix and Oteil Burbridge as well as headliner Kirk Whalum. The event runs from 3 to 10 p.m., with tickets priced at $24.50. Parking will be at Regions Park (formerly the Hoover Met), with shuttles running to the preserve. [map]
• Preserve Jazz Festival site
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The year of living soulfully: Tonight marks the end of the yearlong reign of outgoing American Idol Taylor Hicks. The Hoover native may have been outsold 3-to-1 by fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry. Or broken through with a hit single. But he did sell out his solo tour dates and stayed true to his sound, at least live in concert. J.R. Taylor writes a surprisingly bracing profile of the outgoing champ, and Hicks himself continues to prop up this season’s lackluster final two.
Meanwhile, the Soul Man returns to “American Idol” tonight to perform his latest single, “Heaven Knows.” His autobiography “Heart Full of Soul” arrives in bookstores July 10. And he resumes touring June 1 with a kickoff gig at … Alabama Adventure (formerly Visionland), where Bo Bice and Ruben Studdard will play later this summer. And the rollercoaster ride continues …
• Soul Brother Number 2 [Black and White]
Just say Julie: Another Birmingham reality celeb marks an anniversary this week. In the “How Old Do You Feel Now” file, MTV’s “The Real World” debuted 15 years ago Monday, when seven strangers stopped being polite and started getting annoying real. Among the cast was Julie Oliver, now Julie Gentry, quickly pegged as the charming hick/virgin, one of the many, many archetypes explored in the 18(!) seasons. And counting. “The Real World” helped reality TV establish itself as a cheap, engaging and unique genre, but don’t take our word for it: Just try getting through the recaps of that memorable inaugural season. Or hit yourself in the head with a frying pan repeatedly.
• The Real World’s 15th anniversary is today [reality blurred]
Cinema nouveau: In case you were worried that our fair city was losing its standing among reality shows, along comes “On the Lot,” the Steven Spielberg competition that kicked off Tuesday night, offering the winner a $1 million development deal at DreamWorks. Among the 50 semi-finalists is Adam W., a 24-year-old freelance camera operator from Birmingham. Will he join the 18 finalists or the 32 footnotes? Find out at 8:30 p.m. Thursday on Fox 6.
• Press release: “On the Lot” Semi-Finalists Announced [Fox]
Update: Adam Wingard, of Team Bloodjet!, discusses his participation in “On the Lot” (spoiler alert!). Our pal Carla Jean profiled him and many other local filmmakers for the June issue of Birmingham magazine.
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So what if Birmingham isn’t represented this year in that karaoke contest watched by zillions of teen girls? Instead, set your dials to CW 21 tonight for an Alabama double-bill. First, your weekly date with “America’s Next Top Model” (starring Top Five finalist Dionne Walters of Montgomery) at 7. Then, see Birmingham band Within Reason play the “One Tree Hill” prom at 8.
That’s right. Another Birmingham band, another prime-time drama. The group beat four other bands in a national Rock the Prom contest for the guest shot. The episode, which apparently involves a kidnapping during the prom, was originally scheduled to air back in March, but got bumped to tonight’s sweeps spot. And if you’ve never heard (or heard of) the band, a quick promo video after the jump.
• Birmingham News: Birmingham band bides its time until TV broadcast
Two-year college finally pays off. Well, not in a degree, but in the highest journalism prize in the land. Last week, Birmingham News reporer Brett Blackledge won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for his exhaustive (and still ongoing) series on corruption in the state’s two-year college system.
He said to Editor and Publisher, “If you look at (the series), it’s still good, but it’s basic daily stuff, and that’s the affirmation to me — that this very regular basic work that so many of us do every day can be honored with an award like this.” The week before, he won a state AP award for the same series.
His reporting career started in New Orleans, then to Jackson, Miss., Tulsa, Okla., Washington and Mobile. The newspaper matched his $10,000 prize with another $10,000. Congratulations on a job well done!
Also, the last Alabamian to win a Pulitzer? Think back to 2002 … Mountain Brook native Diane McWhorter won for her book, “Carry Me Home : Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution.”
• The Birmingham News: News’ Blackledge wins Pulitzer for college corruption series
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