City of Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama organize candlelight vigil
Hundreds of people turned out to remember those killed in last month’s tornadoes…The city and University of Alabama sponsored the event to remember the 42 people killed, the same storm that spawned a tornado on April 27 spawned tornadoes here in Georgia.
WSB-ABC (Atlanta) – June 2
KSTU-Fox (Salt Lake City) – June 2
WXIX-Fox (Cincinnati) – June 2
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) –June 2
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 2
KVUE-ABC (Austin, Texas) – June 2
WATE-ABC (Knoxville, Tenn.) – June 2
WALA-Fox (Mobile) – June 2
WEAR-ABC (Mobile) – June 2
WKRG-CBS (Mobile) – June 2
WHNT-CBS (Huntsville) – June 2
KFVS-CBS (Paducah, Ky.) – June 2
WTVC-ABC (Chattanooga, Tenn.) – June 2
WLBT-NBC (Jackson, Miss.) – June 2
WAFB-CBS (Baton Rouge, La.) – June 2
WTOC-CBS (Savannah, Ga.) – June 2
KWQC-NBC ( Davenport, Iowa) – June 2
WNCT-CBS (Greenville, N.C.) – June 2
WMBF-NBC (Florence, S.C.) – June 2
KOLO-ABC (Reno, Nev.) – June 2
WTVM-ABC (Columbus, Ga.) – June 2
KSWO-ABC (Wichita Falls, Texas) – June 2
WGFL-CBS (Gainesville, Fla.) – June 2
WBBJ-ABC (Jackson, Tenn.) – June 2
Boys State helps clean up Tuscaloosa
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – June 2
Members of Boys State helped to clean up the city of Tuscaloosa Thursday while they were in town learning about government at the University of Alabama. They are learning leadership skills, and while they are out of class they are doing community service, including cleaning up the infield at McKinney Park.
WPMI-NBC (Mobile) – June 2
Dames at Sea: SummerTide Theater Program
WALA-TV (Mobile) – June 2
You don’t want to miss the SummerTide Theater Programs performance of the musical “Dames at Sea.” The musical is set in the 1930s. Ruby is a talented tap dancer from the country who longs for Broadway success, and she finds it aboard a battleship. During rehearsals for her next big show, Ruby falls in love with a sailor who is also the show’s songwriter. Problems arise when Mona the diva and the ship’s Captain try to stop their plans. . . . Summer Tide is a performance group from the University of Alabama’s Theater Program.
Surge in Freshman College Applications Unaffected by Recession, Finds the National Student Housing Council
Real Estate Rama – June 2
Higher education has not become a “collateral victim” of the Great Recession, finds Enrollment Trends in the Recession, a new white paper from the National Student Housing Council, a subsidiary of the National Multi Housing Council. The report analyzes enrollment trends at 56 public and private universities to see if the economic downturn caused a decrease in enrollment…The highest growth was recorded by the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, which reported a 56% increase in freshman applications.
Area’s high school grads stay close to home
Baltimore Sun – June 3
With high school seniors graduating during the next few weeks, many are ready for their next step. But most won’t go far away. Guidance counselors at area high schools say the economy was a factor this year as students decided where to attend college. . . . There has been a slight trend over the past couple of years of students going to large public state schools in the south, such as University of South Carolina, Clemson University, the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama, Badmington said.
Habitat for Humanity increasing efforts following tornado
Tuscaloosa News – June 3
Before the April 27 tornado hit, Tuscaloosa’s Habitat for Humanity chapter had plans to build two houses for needy families this year. But the tornado changed those plans, destroying three homes that Habitat had previously helped build, and displacing at least one family who was next on the list for a home. Now, the nonprofit organization hopes to build anywhere from five to 10 houses this year with the help of other Habitat chapters across the state. . . . A Habitat house was originally planned in Foley this summer by students from the University of Alabama and Auburn University. The project was billed as a statewide Habitat effort called “Build United.” After April’s storm, the project was relocated, Hallman said. “They decided to move it to Tuscaloosa because of the disaster up here, and they didn’t feel like the UA students would want to be going out of town to build a house when there is so much need here,” she said.
Bryant Museum raises money for UA Acts of Kindness Fund
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 2
Organizations all over west Alabama are accepting monetary donations for tornado relief. The University of Alabama has a kindness fund for employees and students that were affected by the tornado. Ken Gaddy is here from the Bryant Museum to tell me about how the museum is helping to raise money.
UA student survives Tuscaloosa and Joplin tornadoes
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 2
It might be hard to believe, but a University of Alabama student from Joplin, Mo., survived both tornadoes. . . . Emily Fuller remembers April 27 like it was yesterday. “The three of us ran to the back of the house and got in the closet, then people living up stairs came running down and banging on the door saying they can see it outside and when they opened the door we could hear it” Thankfully her home in Tuscaloosa was spared, but she felt the best place for her after this disaster was her home, in Joplin, Mo.. “I felt like you know I’ll go home with my family, I would have a house, you know it’s there.”
Father of two University of Alabama students describes his family’s tornado experience
WPBF-ABC (West Palm Beach, Fla.) – June 2
Gregory Enns huddled with his wife, son and dog as a tornado ripped through their Tuscaloosa home on April 27. “We were in the closet. We heard the freight train sound.” Enns is the publisher for Indian River magazine, and while he spends much of his time in Fort Pierce, his family’s home and heart is in Tuscaloosa. Two of his children go to the University of Alabama, and he is also the publisher of the Crimson Magazine.