Apparently, the world needs more trucks, and Birmingham’s the place to build them. Alabama’s automaking industry added another player, Isuzu, to its already impressive roster of Mercedes, Hyundai and Honda. The Tokyo-based company bought the former Del Monte distribution center for nearly $8 million and could create up to 1,000 new jobs. Ironically, many auto dealers have fled Birmingham in recent years for greener pastures in the outlying metro areas.

Still, it’s a big step for Birmingham, as the other automakers chose sites around the state (Vance, Lincoln and Montgomery). Yes, we’re as good as Lincoln.
• Birmingham Business Journal: Isuzu buys former Del Monte facility for $7.8M

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The Crimson nation need fret no more, at least, until spring practice. Nick Saban, formerly of LSU and most recently of the Miami Dolphins, agreed to be Alabama’s next scapegoat football coach, to the tune of $30 million over eight years. Saban is expected to let diehard fans down almost immediately.

Meanwhile, the big men of radio may have landed the biggest radio deal in state history. Morning team Rick and Bubba have jumped from Citadel to Cox (in Birmingham, from WYSF 94.5 FM to WZZK 104.7 FM) for possibly $10 million plus over five years. Wouldn’t it have been cheaper just to ship them to Tuscaloosa, do the show and coach the team?
• Tuscaloosa News: Saban headed to Alabama

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If you’re gonna break 2006’s homicide count, you’ll need an early start. No more than two hours into the new year, Wyteria Rogers, 20, was shot to death in her car. Monday afternoon, a second victim, a man in his mid-30s, was also shot to death in his car.

For the record, 2006 ended with 109 murders, with Francisco Ostiquin Cervantes, 32, not found until Monday but killed over the weekend. Forty of those cases are unsolved. (Full list.) Our new new resolution: Buy bulletproof vests and windshields.
• Birmingham News: Police investigate three homicides

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Capt. Kirk will be part of the festivities in June at the — we’re not kidding — Space Camp Hall of Fame induction banquet at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. William Shatner will be among the first inductees into the hall, while Space Camp celebrates its 25th anniversary. Shatner’s previous visit to Huntsville was in 1997 at the Star Trek 30th anniversary celebration.

Shatner’s not the only big name. Among those invited (but not confirmed) are Secretary of State (and Birmingham native) Condoleezza Rice and “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno. Now there’s an interesting question: Who would win in a fight: Kirk or or the wrath of Condi? Condi. Or, CON-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-DI!!!!

(Bonus after the jump.)
• Huntsville Times: Space Center lands star-studded lineup

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A last look at the ’06 …

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Annetta Nunn and the deathly hallows: Fairly or unfairly, the police take a beating when crime goes up. The buck stops with Birmingham police chief Annetta Nunn, whose four-year tenure has taken a deadly turn.

Crime in Birmingham is up. Homicides are up. This year will mark two in a row with 100-plus murders — 105 in 2005, 109 this year. The city is third in the nation in homicides per capita. Merchants are forced to hire their own security personnel. “Lesser” crimes — muggings, car break-ins — go unsolved.

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City on the edge, part 1: The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report paints a picture we’ve feared all along. Updating preliminary stats from the summer, the report shows a 5.8 percent increase in violent crimes in 2005, while nationwide violent crime increased 2.3 percent.

And with 44 murders per 100,000 people, Birmingham ranked No. 3 nationally. It was 20th overall in crimes, with 14.7 crimes per 100,000 people.

We already know murders kept pace in 2006. God only knows what the FBI stats will show for this year.

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It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad cow: The United States’ third ever incidence of mad cow disease came from one in Alabama. Out of a herd of 40. Out of 1.3 million cattle statewide.

The cow was believed to be at 10 years old, born before the 1997 ban on feed containing cattle parts. Scientists announced in June that the cows from Alabama and Texas (discovered in 2005) likely shared the same atypical strain of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, one difficult to detect.

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Burning sensation: On two fateful nights, nine churches — at least one that had stood for a hundred years — burned in the Alabama countryside. Were the culprits Muslims? Anti-religion? Anti-black? Satanists?!

Turns out that three white college kids from the suburbs of Birmingham got drunk (all underage), killed a cow, stole and torched for fun, for a joke.

Arrested in March, Matthew Lee Cloyd, Russell Lee DeBusk Jr. and Benjamin Nathan Moseley pleaded guilty last week in a federal court, with state court appearances to follow, facing minimum seven years in prison. Upping the stakes were injuries sustained by two firefighters putting out Ashby Baptist Church.

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Dry run: The troubles began in June, as drought conditions became noticeable with triple-digit highs and farmers in need of aid (rain, too.).

July saw Birmingham moving to restrict water usage to specific days. The voluntary curb remained in effect until the end of September. Rainfall for the year is slightly above average, though the last half of the year has been particularly dry.

Stupid Al Gore inventing stupid global warming.

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Guilty and guiltier: One served as a health care company CEO, the other as governor. Now they share a jail cell — but can these best buds make it in minimum security? The laughs ensue on “The Dick and the Don.”

Richard Scrushy, so confident he’d wriggle out of yet another conviction, bribed preachers and columnists, continued a television ministry and founded another one to feed African children. Don Siegelman, so confident of his campaigning skills with voters and/or jurors, actually ran for the Democratic Party gubernatorial nomination while on trial, losing badly in both races.

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Talking points: The debate was merely a formality.

That’s how it seemed when Bob Riley and Lucy Baxley squared off in the only gubernatorial debate. Riley had maintained an insurmountable lead all summer and managed to beat his opponent in the televised contest without saying much.

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Low Tide: To no one’s surprise, Alabama coach Mike Shula was fired after a lackluster 6-6 season and 26-23 overall record after four seasons. Shula walked in the footsteps of giants: Price, Franchione, Dubose, Curry, Perkins …

Shula’s departure leaves Joe Kines as interim head coach for Thursday’s Independence Bowl against Oklahoma State. The coaching search will extend into 2007, and anyone who’s anyone has already turned down the job while fattening their paychecks at their current positions. Our prediction: Big Al or a coin toss between the Rammer Jammer fellows.

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‘Idol’ Capital of the South: Taylor Hicks continued Birmingham’s dominance in the world’s most popular TV show, “American Idol.” The 29-year-old city native bested Katharine McPhee to win the fifth title.

Not only did Hicks’ victory in the singing competition cement Birmingham’s reputation as an Idol factory, but helped draw newfound attention to its other attractions. The New York Times gushed about the fine cuisine in a recent story, while the Washington Post focused on the music scene in a travel feature.
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For the children, part 1: The state, along with more than 200 cities and counties, gave families a tax-free weekend for back-to-school shopping. Retailers pronounced it a success, seeing a spike in end-of-summer sales rivaling only end-of-year holiday shopping.

The sales also provided yet another electoral feather in Gov. Riley’s already crowded cap during his successful bid for re-election. Plus, extra-cheap pencils.

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The Dec. 22 Entertainment Weekly hits Birmingham’s stars not once, not twice, but thrice in a single issue …

CeCe to FX: Courteney Cox-Arquette dishes the dirt on “Dirt” (name pun), her joint venture with hubby David Arquette (hi, David!) for FX. (See page 40.) The pair also talk about her new movie. David: “It’s about a society lady from the South whose daughter gets into hip-hop dance — and she gets into it as well.” Courteney: If you knew where I was from… Mountain Brook is not wraparound porches in the beautiful Deep South. This is high society: Who’s wearing what? Who’s talking to whom? So to see somebody go out of their element — a Mary Tyler Moore character from “Ordinary People” — and break into hip-hop dance was a funny idea.” Oy. “Dirt” debuts Jan. 2.

More from the New York Times | Variety | Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Workplace Romance [Entertainment Weekly]

If the Fates allow: Our favorite Christmas tune gets the royal treatment on page 48. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is both poignant and hopeful, depressing yet uplifting — depending on which set of lyrics you hear. Birmingham native Hugh Martin was the songwriter who penned the schizophrenic versions of the classic song. The sidebar (only in the print edition) lists artists who’ve covered it, including Christina Aguilera, Kenny G, Kermit the Frog and Twisted Sister. (The Birmingham Post-Herald interviewed Martin in 1999.)
• There’s Something About ‘Merry’ [Entertainment Weekly]

Track pack: Taylor Hicks’ self-titled CD joins three other “American Idol” discs dropping this month, including Daughtry, Fantasia and Kellie Pickler. (See page 79.) Hicks’ effort merits a C for “his limited vocal range.” (Even we weren’t that harsh in our review.) First week sales of “Taylor Hicks” totaled about 300,000 copies, the third best among “Idol” debuts. The champ? Birmingham’s Ruben Studdard.
• ‘Idol’ Wave [Entertainment Weekly]

Also:

• County commission to plan next sewer project from prison
• “True meaning of Christmas” theme lost on Ensley grade schoolers in pageant
• Sexiest bloggers of 2006!

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