Ala summit planned in to improve transition for veterans
Decatur Daily – Feb. 12
A meeting is being planned at the University of Alabama to improve the transition to civilian life for military veterans. The two-day event is called “Service Member to Civilian: A National Summit on Improving Transitions.” It’s being held at the Bryant Conference Center starting April 16. Assistant nursing and social work dean Karl Hamner says the meeting will explore ways service members, veterans, their relatives and others can improve the change from military to civilian life. More than 2.6 million veterans have returned home in the 13 years since U.S. troops first deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Feb. 12
WBHM-FM (Radio) (Birmingham) – Feb. 12
Members of UA’s Social Work Honor Society Give Away Teddy Bears
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Feb. 12
University of Alabama students are hoping to make a stay in the hospital more comforting for children. This morning the Phi Alpha Honor Society from The University of Alabama School of Social Work delivered teddy bears to children in the pediatric ward at DCH Regional Medical Center. Organizers say they hope the bears will comfort the children during a difficult time.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 12
Tuscaloosa News (gallery) – Feb. 12
State to inspect aging bridges after overpass concrete falls on car
Baltimore Sun – Feb. 12
Maryland’s top transportation official on Thursday ordered immediate inspections of 27 aging, state-owned bridges after a chunk of concrete fell on a Prince George’s County woman’s car from the bottom of the Interstate 495 overpass in Morningside. The bridges — each were built before 1969 and go over other roads — include one in the city, eight in Baltimore County and one in Howard County. Many of the bridges already have been designated for repairs, but it could take years for that construction to begin, according to the Department of Transportation … Michael Kreger, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Alabama who has written extensively on the corrosion of bridges and concrete structures, said it’s common for concrete to fall off older bridges in climates where temperatures fluctuate. Marylanders shouldn’t fear driving on bridges built before 1969, he added. “It doesn’t mean they’re ready to fall all around us,” he said. “But it’s an indication that it’s deteriorating. It’s part of the freeze and thaw cycles. It’s just going to happen.”
50 Years of Crimson Tide Faith
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Feb. 12
Former University of Alabama Sports Information Director Wayne Atcheson has written a book about The University of Alabama’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
USS Alabama submarine crew sends message to Tide fans
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – Feb. 12
The crew of the USS Alabama submarine recently sent a video message to Crimson Tide fans. “Just like the Crimson Tide, our awesome offensive and defensive capabilities have made us the best in the world,” a crew member says in the video. The submarine is based in Bangor, Washington but is named for the state of Alabama. The USS Alabama is the sixth Ohio-class nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine.
WAAY-TV (Huntsville) – Feb. 12
Youth Leadership Conference held at UA
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 12
Alabama Power helps shape the leaders of tomorrow. Thursday the company held its annual youth leadership conference at The University of Alabama. More than 400 high school students from across west Alabama attended the day-long event at the Bryant Conference Center. Organizers invited several guest speakers to show kids how developing their character also improves their leadership qualities.
Honoring Port Robertson & Ed Frost in Guthrie
The Oklahoman – Feb. 12
The Territorial Capital Sports Museum in Guthrie is a place dedicated to history. Oklahoma sports history, to be exact. Which means it was the ideal place to house the Oklahoma Sports Historian of the Year luncheon Wednesday. I was honored to emcee the event, because I like sports and I like history and I like Oklahoma and mostly because I like Ed Frost. Ed is my friend who I occasionally quote here on the blog. He’s also the retired Russian literature professor from the University of Alabama who now lives in Norman. Ed is the second recipient of the award, given because of his recently-published biography. Port Robertson: Behind the Scenes of Sooner Sports. Robertson was an OU icon; he coached the Sooners to three NCAA wrestling championships, was Bud Wilkinson’s freshman football coach and was the academic counselor for OU athletics for decades. Robertson probably is the most respected man in the history of OU sports and maybe the OU campus.