University of Alabama establishes Acts of Kindness Heroes Award
AL.com – May 25
The University of Alabama Office of Student Affairs has established the Acts of Kindness Heroes Award for those who have made a difference in the aftermath of the April 27 tornado…The Acts of Kindness Heroes Award recognizes the generosity and compassion that is so typical of the UA spirit. Given annually at the beginning of the fall semester, the award honors students, employees, alumni and members of the community who have made a significant difference in the lives of others…You must be a UA student or employee to submit a nomination. Nominees can be UA students and employees, or members of the community.
UA and City of Tuscaloosa to host candlelight vigil
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 24
Many heroes and survivors will be honored and remembered one week from tomorrow at the Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa. The candlelight vigil will be June 1st at 8 p.m. It’s sponsored by College Station Properties and hosted by the City of Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama.
UA engineering professor studies storm damage in hopes of making homes safer
National Public Radio – May 24
WBEZ-FM (Chicago) – May 24
…John van de Lint and he’s an engineer who’s been consulting with FEMA officials about how to do just that. He’s also in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama and that is of course the site of another deadly tornado just couple of weeks ago…
BP has learned lessons from spill, ready to drill, executive tells Birmingham business leaders
Birmingham News – May 25
…Preliminary estimates of economic injury to the state by regional bank BBVA Compass and the University of Alabama ranged from $2.4 billion to $3.3 billion. Official economic impact totals are still not in…
OUR VIEW: It’s awful that Birmingham is tied for the highest sales tax rate in the nation among cities with more than 200,000 people
Birmingham News – May 25
…By counting so much on sales tax collections, which mirror the economy’s surges and dips, governments set themselves up for tough times when the economy crashes. Yet, they have no appetite for tilting the tax system away from volatile sales taxes by rewriting property tax and income tax rules. “I’ve butted my head against that wall many times, and I learned we’re not gonna get anywhere,” James Bryce, a University of Alabama law professor and expert in state and local taxation, told News staff writer Veronica Kennedy…
Birmingham leaders scrutinize Police Department, consider review board
Birmingham News – May 25
…Adam Lankford, a University of Alabama criminal justice professor, predicts oversight boards will become a fixture in cities as residents demand more accountability and transparency in all walks of life. “It is not clear that these citizen review panels actually improve police behavior at all, but they do have important symbolic value. It is critical for the public to feel like the police are accountable to them,” Lankford said. “Community members who trust their local police officers are more likely to report crimes, testify as witnesses and contribute in a variety of other ways.”…
As I See It | Thoughts from Tuscaloosa, Ala., to the people of Joplin
Kansas City Star – May 24
…B.J. Hollars is an instructor at the University of Alabama and the author of the forthcoming book “Thirteen Loops: Race, Violence and the Last Lynching in America.”
Biggest Loser Couples winner 2011: Olivia Ward wins; Anna Kournikova is new Biggest Loser trainer
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) – May 25
Olivia Ward, a 35-year-old opera singer who received a vocal performance degree at the University of Alabama, won “The Biggest Loser: Couples” Tuesday night…Her sister, Hannah Curlee (also a UA alum), placed second…