by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

Several months ago Joseph Bryant of the Birmingham News wrote an article that started out positively as it relates to the Water Works Board. He then added at the end several paragraphs that he had previously written from another article about the Water Works Board that were negative. The Birmingham News contends that it is important to rehash old stories with new ones which gives readers a better picture. In my opinion, journalism should not be approached in this manner.
I wrote a response to the article to the individual at the Birmingham News who handles editorial matters. I requested a time to appear before the editorial board and I was informed that whenever they convened a meeting they would get back to me and let me know. Apparently they never had the meeting because I was never notified.
After several weeks, they finally printed my letter where the headline was that I had written a letter, and they mentioned that I was a paid consultant several times in the article which had nothing to do with what the letter was about. In other words, they wanted to make sure that my statements had no credibility. Here’s what it was it said, in part:

Dear Editor:
    The video that was produced by the Birmingham Water Works Board for social media was not done to get brownie points from members of the Alabama House and Senate nor to keep them from passing a bill that would increase the number of individuals who presently sit on the Water Works Board.
    It was done because the majority of the Board wanted to educate their customers on its processes in order to convey their story in a positive way. BWWB previously met with the City Council and the Jefferson County Mayor’s Association. With a desire to reach customers, BWWB chose to do a video that spotlighted those who do a great job for the system every day. Employees of BWWB can explain the detailed processes of their work to customers and other interested parties.

Last week the media was notified that the Water Works Board was having a public hearing on the upcoming budget. The first 2-4 paragraphs written by Joseph Bryant, stated this, but in the last two paragraphs they did the same thing they usually do by including previously written statements from other articles.

Holding mandatory public hearings before water rate increases has been a demand from state legislators who proposed major changes to the utility in bills last session.
Bills from State Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, and Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, proposed putting a $500 monthly cap on board members pay, mandated term limited for board service, and required public hearings before water rate increases.
Water Works officials fought the legislation, calling state intervention unnecessary.
Officials have said board pay has already been reduced and all meetings are public. Utility officials have stressed the system’s strong bond rating and water quality ranking.

The headline of this story should have been ‘Water Works Board Holds Hearings;’ instead here’s what the headline said: Got Questions about your water bill? Want to know where the money’s going? Come to the Birmingham Water Works next week.’
It’s my understanding it is the policy of the Birmingham News that headlines are not written by the author of the article.
Within the next three or four weeks, the Water Works Board will publish all the awards won by them in the last several years. This tells us why the Birmingham Water Works Board is one of the Top 5 Boards in America. It will be interesting to see what the Birmingham News will write regarding this information.
The individuals who presently sit on the Water Works Board are hardworking, committed individuals serving all of their constituents. Every meeting they have is necessary. Every penny they are paid is earned. I can truthfully state they have made very effort to follow through with their commitment to be transparent in all ti’s operations.

Birmingham, Ala. – The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA\MAX) will honor Veterans with free all-day bus service on “Veterans Day” Tuesday, November 11. Veterans can enjoy a free ride by showing, an active military identification card, VA health card, or a retired military identification card to the bus operator upon boarding. BJCTA will operate on a Saturday schedule on Veteran’s Day.
In recognition of the sacrifices and service given to the U.S. by its veterans, we want to pay tribute to these heroes and recognize America’s veterans. Also, we want to emphasize how important public transportation is for them, whether it is commuting to jobs, traveling to VA facilities or veterans service organizations, said BJCTA Executive Director Ann D. August.
The free rides will be offered from the start of service on Tuesday, November 11, until the end of service time on the same date.
For schedules and trip times visit our website at, www.bjcta.org or call the Customer Call Center at (205) 521-0101.

Traveling throughout the South during the 1950s was hazardous for African Americans. There were precious few hotels and restaurants that opened their doors to minorities, and fewer still had accommodations above the bare minimum, to say nothing of the racism and violence that followed. But in Birmingham, Black entrepreneur and eventual millionaire A.G. Gaston created a first-class motel and lounge for African Americans that became a symbol of pride of his community. It served as the headquarters for Birmingham’s civil rights movement and became a revolving door for famous entertainers, activists, politicians and other pillars of the national Black community. Author Marie Sutton chronicles the fascinating story of the motel and how it became a refuge during a time when African Americans could find none.
Marie A. Sutton is an award-winning freelance writer with a passion for immortalizing the African American experience. She has worked as a journalist, communications professor, radio talk show host and blogger. She is currently the director of student media at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her devoted husband, James, and two beautiful children, Simone and Stephen.
This new book is available at local stores and online at www.historypress.net.  It retails as an E-BOOK via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple’s I-bookstore, Google’s  E-bookstore, & Overdrive.

Hit and Run Suspect

The Birmingham Police Department has charged a suspect with Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injuries. The suspect, Steven Parnell King, B/M, 26) is responsible for hitting a UAB student on October 27, 2014 with the car he was driving and leaving the scene.
Mr. King turned himself in to the Jefferson County Jail on Friday and later made his $30,000 bond.

Homicide Investigation
 

The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives are conducting a homicide investigation. The incident occurred November 2, 2014 in the 5400 Block of Avenue I.
The identity of the victim will be released upon notification of immediate family.

On Sunday, November 2, 2014 around 11:24 a.m., West Precinct officers responded to the incident location on a person shot. Upon arrival, officers observed the victim lying in the street on his back suffering from what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to his chest area. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene by Birmingham Fire Department.
Our preliminary investigation revealed that a domestic incident took place at the location which resulted in the victim’s death. Possible suspect and several witnesses were transported to the administration building for questioning. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide.

If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit at 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 254-7777.

Farmer Indicted for Falsifying Harvest Loads to Farmers Cooperative

BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a north Alabama farmer for making false statements about harvest loads delivered to the Alabama Farmers Cooperative in Decatur, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Craig Caldwell and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General-Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wilcox-Citizen.
Tommy Mirrel Raby Jr., 52, of Toney, is charged in a one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court. Raby, aided by others, falsely reported harvest loads he made to the cooperative in Decatur between November 2009 and March 2013, according to the indictment.
Raby’s indictment follows the July indictments of four employees of the Alabama Farmers Cooperative for making false statements concerning harvest weight loads. Court documents in those cases show the cooperative lost nearly $1.3 million because those employees inflated or completely fabricated grain weight tickets issued to Raby.
The AFC employees indicted were Aaron Blake Williams, 25, and Tyler Thomas Glaze, 26, both of Decatur, James Edward Toon Jr., 35, of Elkmont, and Joshua Wayne Holt, 32, of Hartselle. All four have pleaded guilty to the charge.
Holt, Williams, Glaze and Toon all acknowledge in plea agreements with the government that they aided each other in creating false weight tickets for Raby. All five divided proceeds of the scheme, according to the plea agreements.
The farmers’ cooperative is licensed under a federal act that is regulated by a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The maximum penalty for making false statements to the government is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Secret Service and USDA, OIG, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Estes is prosecuting.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

TROY – Hannah McDonald, a senior elementary education major from Prattville, was crowned Miss Troy University on Saturday during the annual pageant on the Troy Campus.
Fifteen students competed for the crown in the 44th annual pageant, which was held in the Claudia Crosby Theater on the Troy Campus. Contestants were judged on a private interview, an on-stage question, swimsuit, talent and evening gown.
McDonald, a Prattville High School graduate and the daughter of Gail and Bubba McDonald, will serve as an ambassador for the University and will compete for the title of Miss Alabama next year.
McDonald, whose platform is Ronald McDonald House Charities, is a member of Order of Omega, Phi Kappa Phi, Mortar Board and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies and the recipient of an academic scholarship and the Troy University Alumni Scholarship. She is a member of Phi Mu sorority, Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol, the Troy University Student Alumni Association, and the Association for Childhood Education International.
Also receiving honors were: first runner-up Victoria Bailey, a junior broadcast journalism major from Sylacauga; second runner-up Mati Anderson, a sophomore dance major from Franklin, Tenn.; third runner-up Carlie Spencer, a sophomore math and computer science major from Montgomery; and, fourth runner-up Leah Livingston, a sophomore communications major from Tallahassee, Fla. Elizabeth Lockliar, a freshman biomedical sciences major from Troy, was named Miss Congeniality.

By: Chiara Morrow and Contributor Julius White
Chiara.morrow@birminghamal.gov

With eastern area business re-development as the main topic and holistic growth opportunities always on her agenda, Councilor Lashunda Scales shared her district’s ‘big picture’ vision at the second installment of town hall meetings that took place on Monday, October 27, at Huffman High School. Councilor Scales believes in being transparent in her role as councilor to the citizens of District 1, and with that in mind she gave citizens an update on the previous topics that had been discussed, especially concerns that still needed to be addressed such as crime and dilapidated building structures.
“Residents want and need quality of life benefits to sustain communities,” Councilor Scales said. “We are bringing governmental, educational, corporate stakeholders and law enforcement officials together to provide us with practical framework solutions and to inform us how to secure creative funding opportunities to accomplish our goals. Major restaurant franchises, choice grocery stores along with industrial and retail establishments can manifest when we work jointly for the common good of our city.”
Councilor Scales maintains that eastern area development is vital to the City’s overall success due to it being the city’s most densely populated area; the large historical tax base; it is surrounded by three high traffic intrastate – Gadsden Highway 11; Intrastate 75; Parkway East; Highway 79 – Pinson Valley Parkway; and it is prime real estate for business growth opportunities.
While the town hall meeting proved to be a big success, Councilor Scales is already looking at additional avenues that she can create to continue to provide her constituents with updates for District 1.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Regions Bank was recognized by J.D. Power Thursday as the highest-ranked bank in the South for customer satisfaction in small business banking.
Regions earned the ranking as part of J.D. Power’s 2014 U.S. Small Business Banking Satisfaction Study℠. The annual study measures how satisfied small businesses are with a variety of services they receive from their bank.
“Small businesses are vital to the strength of our communities and our economy,” said Grayson Hall, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Regions Financial Corporation. “Each small business faces its own unique challenges and opportunities. At Regions, our associates focus on providing financial services and solutions designed to help small businesses succeed and grow.”
To develop its overall satisfaction rankings, J.D. Power analyzed responses from thousands of small business owners or their financial decision makers. Financial institutions were ranked based on a variety of factors such as product offerings, credit services, problem resolution, and more.
The J.D. Power ranking is the latest recognition of Regions’ continuing efforts to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Earlier this year, Regions was the highest-ranked bank in the 2014 Temkin Experience Ratings  compiled by customer experience research and consulting firm Temkin Group. Temkin asked individual consumers to rate their experiences with various companies across 19 industries. Regions was listed as the top bank in the national survey and was among the highest-rated companies across all industries represented in the study.
Regions also received six National Greenwich Excellence Awards in Middle Market Banking. Regions was among winners for Overall Satisfaction, Likelihood to Recommend, Relationship Manager Capability, Online Services, Treasury Management – Overall Satisfaction, and Treasury Management – Customer Service.

Some surprise recipients are named in diverse categories such as Best Emerging Cities and Best Global Vibe
 
Global Trade magazine has released its 2014 selections for “America’s Best Cities for Global Trade.” Every year, the editors at Global Trade magazine compile the list to help globally minded companies strategically locate, grow and expand their operations. This year that list includes the City of Birmingham, Alabama.
“With a new twist on this year’s list, our editorial team identified 10
needs-based and relevant categories that globally minded companies
refer to when choosing a new location. These ‘needs’ became the 10  categories we used to measure and select this year’s recipients,” shared  Global Trade editor Patrick Dooley.
“Birmingham is striving to be a major player in global trade and international business recruitment. Whether it is pipe from American Cast Iron Pipe; or  B.L. Harbert International’s major construction projects throughout the world; or Canadian auto supplier Magna locating its Kamtek plant in Birmingham; or our very strong presence in the international banking community, Birmingham’s goal is to be a major player when companies are looking for trade, construction  and manufacturing partners,” said Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell. “And,” Mayor Bell added, “we are a leader in the “Sister Cities” program, which allows us to work closely in the global trade arena with our fellow cities throughout the world.”
“We chose our cities not based on any single metric such as GDP or export totals, but rather based on a city-by-city analysis of what each is doing to excel in our categories of interest. We find this to be a more personalized approach that highlights tangible economic development,” said Global Trade senior editor Steve Lowery.
Global Trade magazine is edited for U.S.-based companies that do business globally. The magazine is known for its creative business journalism and for covering the impact and opportunities global trade has on businesses from Wall Street to Main Street.
To view the complete list with expanded information, please visit the Global Trade magazine website at globaltrademag.com/2014-best-cities-for-global-trade or copies will be available on selected newsstands nationwide after November 10.

Birmingham Good Friends reopens after being closed in March due to city officials ordering its doors closed when an owner shot at a Black customer who allegedly complained about the food.
photo credit: Stephonia Taylor-McLinn

Jefferson residents help Samaritan’s Purse reach 10 million needy kids this Christmas

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —This month, several locations in the Jefferson area will serve as collection sites for Operation Christmas Child – the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind. The annual project is a favorite of many Jefferson residents, families, churches and groups who help spread God’s love to millions of children around the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and notes of encouragement.
“Operation Christmas Child is a fun project that makes a tangible difference in the life of a child facing difficult circumstances. Anyone can participate, whether young or old,” said Jefferson volunteer Marla Cain.
Through local collection points, Jefferson residents hope to contribute more than 44,000 gift-filled shoeboxes to the 2014 global goal of reaching 10 million needy children. Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to more than 113 million children in over 150 countries through Operation Christmas Child. For many of these children, a gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.

LOCAL COLLECTION SITES:

Birmingham, AL – McElwain Baptist Church
4445 Montevallo Road
Birmingham, AL – Mountain Brook Community Church
3001 Highway 280 E
Birmingham, AL – Dawson Memorial Baptist Church
1114 Oxmoor Road
Trussville, AL – First Baptist Church Trussville
128 N Chalkville Road
Gardendale, AL – Gardendale Baptist Church
316 Mountain Crest Parkway
A full list of area collection locations can be found online.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Through simple shoebox gifts and a message of hope through Jesus Christ, children learn they are loved and not forgotten.
For more information about how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 205-915-4241 or visit samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week for gift-filled shoeboxes is Nov. 17-24; however, shoebox gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, North Carolina.
Participants can track their boxes online to the country where they will be delivered. To track a shoebox gift, use the online donation form at samaritanspurse.org. Click on “Pack a Shoebox” / “Follow-Your-Box Label.”