Tag Archives: AL

U.S. Pipe plant to close in North Birmingham

Posted on February 3, 2010 | Leave a comment

This morning’s started with the announcement from parent company Mueller Water Products that U.S. Pipe will be closing its ductile iron pipe manufacturing plant in Birmingham’s North Birmingham community. The construction of a new facility in Bessemer which uses a new process that increased output and reduced production costs helped lead to this decision.

According to the press release, 260 positions will be eliminated by March 31 of this year helping the company see $6-8 million in savings during fiscal 2010. The production handled by the North Birmingham plant will be shifted to the company’s Bessemer plant as well as a plant in Union City, CA.

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Posted in Business

Tagged AL, Alabama, B'ham, Birmingham, closing, closure, industry, North Birmingham, U.S. Pipe

Bell to hold open meeting for young professionals

Posted on February 2, 2010 | Comments Off

Birmingham mayor William Bell has announced – via the city’s Twitter account – that he will be holding a meeting with young professionals at Urban Standard on Thursday at 12 p.m. According to the follow-up tweet posted by the city’s public information office, the hope is that those in attendance will be willing to “share your ideas, concerns and vision for the future for Birmingham.”

We’re just happy for the folks at the popular lunchtime spot as they’ll be packed on Thursday with both young professionals interested in sharing what they want for the city showing up and the regular crowd. It will be the second public meeting held by the mayor announced via Twitter since being sworn in last Tuesday.

Logo: City of Birmingham

UPDATE: We figured we’d ask you to share what you’d suggest or talk to Mayor Bell about over on Magic City Question.

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Posted in 35203, The City, yp

Tagged AL, Alabama, B'ham, Birmingham, conversation, downtown, event, gathering, meeting, Urban Standard, William Bell, young professionals

Dreaming about across the street from Railroad Park

Posted on February 2, 2010 | 1 comment

There seems to be a growing number of people interested in the suggested development proposals presented at last week’s Operation New Birmingham breakfast briefing.

For those of you who did not see yesterday’s piece in The Birmingham News or the reader’s poll on AL.com, the elevations created by Erdreich Architecture, The Garrison Barrett Group, Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds, Sims Architectural Studio, TRO Jung|Brannen and Williams-Blackstock Architects were presented for a vote – but the elevations only tell part of the story.

Each proposal envisioned the types of businesses that could be included and tried to work in the results of a compact agreed to by property owners and developers months earlier (including ensuring that parking was handled inside of the block. The proposals are just that – ways to visualize what is possible before going to the next step. We invite you to check out all of the proposals submitted and share your thoughts.

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Posted in architecture

Tagged AL, Alabama, architect, architecture, B'ham, Birmingham, development, images, ONB, poll, proposals, Railroad Park, renderings

Hiers named to Presidential Advisory Council on AIDS/HIV

Posted on February 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Last week President Obama reopened the Office of National AIDS Policy and made new appointments to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Among the 24 individuals selected to serve on the council is Kathie Hiers, CEO of AIDS Alabama, a recognized leader and expert nationwide in the HIV/AIDS arena. PACHA is tasked with creating a national HIV/AIDS strategy.

Decisions made by PACHA will be recommended to the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services. According to the press release that was posted via Facebook earlier today, Hiers is in pretty good company as folks normally selected to serve on PACHA are considered “significant community leaders with in-depth knowledge in HIV/AIDS, public health, global health, or business and may also include other highly regarded national figures.”

Photo: Courtesy of announcement on Facebook.

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Posted in Health, National

Tagged advisory, AIDS Alabama, AL, Alabama, appointment, B'ham, Birmingham, council, Health, HIV/AIDS, information, Kathie Hiers, PACHA, slection

Tickets limited for Condi Rice lecture at BSC

Posted on February 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Former U.S. Secretary of State (and Birmingham, AL native) Condoleezza Rice will be the featured speaker for this year’s Alex P. Stirling Lecture at Birmingham Southern College. The lecture, named for a BSC student who died of cancer in 1995, will take place on February 11 at the college’s Bill Battle Coliseum. You’ll need a ticket to get in to hear Stanford University’s former provost speak even though it is a free event and they first will go to students, faculty, staff and alumni before being opened to the general public (as it should be).

Those interested in securing whatever tickets may be left are encouraged to fill out the request form at the bottom of the page announcing the lecture located on the college’s website. They’ve got all of the other information that you’ll need over there as well.

Photo: courtesy of BSC website.

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Posted in Events

Tagged AL, Alabama, B'ham, Birmingham, Birmingham-Southern College, BSC, Condoleezza Rice, event, info, information, series, speech

LaMonte’s speech still talk of metro Birmingham

Posted on February 1, 2010 | 1 comment

One of the highlights of this year’s MLK Unity Breakfast was the speech given by Ed LaMonte, a former Howell Heflin Professor of Political Science at Birmingham-Southern College. The former interim superintendent of schools for the City of Birmingham took the opportunity to discuss the severe divisions that still exist in Birmingham and its metropolitan area during his remarks (made one day before the special election to select the city’s new mayor).

Reaction to the speech has been mixed, with some believing that it was appropriate while others wondered if it was the right time, place or if it was even necessary.

Current interim Birmingham City Schools superintendent Barbara Allen was one of the people who felt that she had to say something about the comments made.

It only seems to make sense that both voices be looked at and for you to decide. LaMonte’s comments have been posted to our editorial section while this link to AL.com will take you to Allen’s comments published in yesterday’s (Sunday’s) paper.

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Posted in The City

Tagged AL, Alabama, B'ham, Barbara Allen, Birmingham, city, Ed LaMonte, editorial, MLK, opinion, region, speech