Glenn Stephens

Group Protests Detention of Two Immigrants

Nearly three dozen people attended a press conference Tuesday at the Adelante Alabama worker center to support two of their own who were detained by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They sat behind media cameras as a panel of their leaders and representatives talked about Adelante board member and immigrant workers’ rights leader Marcos Baltazar and his son Juan, who were detained by ICE agents last week in Homewood. Leaders of Aldelante Alabama said they consider the detentions to be intimidation of the immigrants. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Birmingham City Council Appoints Board Members for Art Museum, Civil Rights Institute

Stressing the importance of diverse leadership, the Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to appoint a slate of new board members to both the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Four BMA board members – Maye Head Frei, Mark Drew, Joel Piassick and current board chair James K. Outland – were appointed to second terms. Norman B. Davis Jr., BMA Director Graham Corray Boettcher described as “a supporter of the museum for years,” was appointed to replace James Hudson, who resigned from the board. Attorney C. Randall Minor will fill the seat vacated by Larry Thornton, who had served two consecutive six-year terms on the board. The council also appointed 18 new members to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s board of directors on Tuesday. Andrea L. Taylor, the president and CEO of the BCRI, told councilors that the new appointees were “chosen in a period of some disruption and brouhaha that found us in a very awkward position as an organization.” Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Jeffco Commissioner Joe Knight Explains the Commission’s “Messy” Budget Process

In this video, Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight, chairman of the County Commission's budget committee, discuses the "messy" process that led to passage of the budget recently.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr

The Big Build: Jefferson County School System to Undertake Its Biggest Building Project Ever

After getting a thumbs-up from voters to extend a special tax, and after an all-clear from a federal judge, the Jefferson County School System is about to embark on the biggest school construction project in its history. Superintendent Craig Pouncey announced the plans for the massive project, some of which is already under construction, in a press conference Tuesday at the system’s central office in Homewood. The list includes six new schools, seven existing schools that will receive renovations and/or additions, and two athletic packages for high schools. Additionally, preliminary plans were announced for a new Fultondale High School — something the city’s residents have long sought. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Birmingham Councilor Says City Has Increased Its Dedication to Public Transit

Despite looming service reductions from the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, District 5 Birmingham City Councilor Darrell O’Quinn emphasized Tuesday that the city has increased its dedication to public transit. “When you look at the big picture, the city of Birmingham is not backing away from its commitment to provide public transportation for its citizens,” he said. “We are actually providing more public transit.” O’Quinn’s comments came after District 8 Councilor Steven Hoyt expressed concern over an upcoming “hiccup” for Birmingham public transit — namely, the BJCTA’s announcement that it would likely cut close to one-third of its service in the city starting Sept. 23. O’Quinn described the BJCTA’s statements that it needs more money each year from the city as a challenge, but also said that it offered an opportunity to make Birmingham transit more efficient. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

All Quiet on Alabama Immigrant Front in Face of ICE Raids in Neighboring Mississippi

It may have been an uneasy quiet for the large number of Hispanics among the 86,000 people employed in the Alabama poultry industry, but it has been quiet here since the 680 workers at Mississippi plants were arrested Wednesday by immigration authorities. The Alabama Poultry and Egg Association’s communications director, Huck Carroll, said Friday that the association is not aware of any ICE raids or other activity at the state's processing plants.  Alabama is home to 19 “meat-type broiler processing plants, processing over 21 million broilers per week” for over 1 billion a year, the association says. Alabama is second only to Georgia in the chicken business. Read more.

by Tom Gordon and Ginny MacDonald

Ethics Charges in North Birmingham Case Survive Challenge

The Alabama Ethics Commission did not overstep its authority in bringing state ethics charges against Onis “Trey” Glenn and Willie S. Phillips, a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge has found. The cases are related to work by Glenn and Phillips in opposition to the addition of a proposed Superfund site in North Birmingham to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List. Judge Stephen C. Wallace ruled this week that the state acted properly and in compliance with the Ethics Act, and that the cases should not be summarily dismissed. Read more.

by Hank Black

Jefferson County Commission Approves $700 Million Budget

The Jefferson County Commission passed a budget of more than $700 million for fiscal 2020 during its meeting Aug. 8. The action completed a budget process that finance committee chairman Joe Knight called “horrendous.” After the 3-2 vote to approve the budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, Knight said he was tired of 3-2 votes by the commission, and he presented an administrative order to revamp the procedure for future budgets. “There are some good things that got done,” Knight said. “I want this to be a commission of five. I’m tired of the 3-2, the yeah-yeah, the politics. I want to be fair. I want to be across the board. I want everybody to be treated fairly.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Nunnelley Selected for Distinguished Mass Media Achievement Award at Auburn

BirminghamWatch founder Carol Nunnelley has been selected for the 2019 Distinguished Mass Media Achievement Award by the Auburn University Journalism Advisory Council. Nunnelley, a graduate of Samford University, is among five journalists who were selected for this year’s journalism awards by the Auburn Council. Others who will be honored at a luncheon and program on Sept. 13 are Kim Chandler, Associated Press Alabama capital reporter; Connor Sheets, Alabama Media Group investigative reporter; John Underwood, Baldwin County editor/reporter; and John Zenor, Associated Press sports reporter. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Jeffco Commission Blocks Consideration of Contract Physicians Proposal

County Manager Tony Petelos will have to try again next time in his effort to be able to hire and fire contract physicians at Cooper Green Mercy Health System because the matter was blocked from consideration at today's meeting of the Jefferson County Commission. Because the resolution was presented as new business, all commissioners had to agree to consider it at their meeting at the Bessemer Courthouse. Commissioners Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson voted no, thus keeping it from being introduced into the meeting. It is the second time this week the matter has come before the panel. The proposal was initially a late add to the commission’s committee meeting Tuesday at the courthouse in Birmingham. That discussion ended with commissioners saying they needed to hear more before giving the county manager the ability to hire and fire contracted doctors at its clinic for indigent health care. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.