The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham Launches Student Job Shadowing Program

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September 12, 2013

in Partnership with Birmingham City School Systems

By Dorian Kendrick

The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham (BWWB) has launched a partnership with the Birmingham City School System’s Career Academies to begin a special job-shadowing program. The objective of the program is to help improve students’ career readiness by exposing them to professionals who work for BWWB.
On October 8th and 9th, students will meet with mentors at various sites at BWWB to experience career fields similar to those offered in the Career Academies program. Career Academies provides students with a chance to gain advanced development in Engineering, Business and Finance, Health Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism, Architecture and Construction Sciences, Urban Education and more.
“We are excited to have this opportunity,” said BWWB First Vice-Chairman Sherry Lewis. “It is initiatives like this one that gives students the confidence and experience they need to build a solid foundation for future career success.”
Birmingham City School officials agree. “Career Academies has as its core mission the development of students both academically and professionally. This job-shadowing program allows us to continue putting the mission in motion,” said Dr. Spencer Horn, Career Academies Coordinator, Birmingham City Schools.
Each student participant will be paired with a professional mentor and it is the goal of the BWWB that the relationships developed from this program will continue to benefit students long after their years in high school.
“What we are doing is laying the foundation for our students to succeed. We know our students have what it takes to succeed, and this program will give them the exposure, support and motivation to achieve just that,” said Lewis.

2014 Hyundai Equus

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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AboutThatCar.com
By Frank S. Washington

SUPERIOR TWP, MI – Hyundai invited reporters to its technical center here to get a look at and a test drive of the mid-cycle changes it has made to its flagship sedan, the 2014 Hyundai Equus.
More reporters showed up than Hyundai had cars for to conduct the normal two-to-a-car test drive, 41 scribes versus 15 cars. In some instances that meant three to a car. Hyundai is one of the hottest brands in the market; its six-month sales of more than 360,000 are the best in its history in the U.S. market.
As the brand continues to move upstream, the Equus is Hyundai’s attempt to take on the best luxury marques in the world. Hence, that explains the more than expected curiosity about what the Korean automaker had done to its flagship.
The car is still powered by a direct injected 5.0-liter V8 that makes 429 horsepower and 372 pound feet of torque. It generates 421 horsepower using regular fuel. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The combination gets 15 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway and a combined 18 mpg.
This powertrain was smooth, gear selection was buttery and the engine was rhythmic during acceleration. The steering ratio could be tightened a tad; there was a little too much play in the response to driver input. But it wasn’t anything a normal driver would notice.
A few exterior changes were made. Hyundai dumped the chrome accents on the front and rear bumpers to get a more reserved and sophisticated look. LED fog lights are now standard. Side mirrors and tail lamps have been redesigned and the front bumper fascia and grille design have been tweaked. There was also a new wheel design; 19-inch polished silver wheels now simulate the turbine blades of a jet engine.
Bigger changes were made to the interior. Hyundai has dropped the Equus’ center stack in favor of a horizontal layout. It was a smart move; center stacks look old as the industry moves to horizontal layouts at all levels.
However, in the new setup, the navigation screen is close enough to the driver that it looks like a touch screen but it is not. Never fail to meet the customers’ expectations. It’s too late for Hyundai to do anything about it now but it’s something to remember in future models.
The 2014 Equus now has a snow mode ride setting in addition to its normal and sport settings. We never tried anything but normal but found it to be American in temperament. In other words, the normal setting didn’t ape the firm rides of European luxury sedans. The car rode soft without being cushy or floaty. It was obvious to us that Equus has chosen its own path.
For 2014, the Equus has a larger TFT (thin film transistor) center cluster display on the Signature model and a 12.3-inch, fully-digital TFT LCD center cluster display for Ultimate model and a larger center instrument panel LCD display. The instrument display is part mechanical on the Signature model and all image projection on the Ultimate model.
Dual high-resolution 9.2-inch rear seat entertainment monitors are available. They replace the single monitor for rear seat entertainment. And a rear seat passenger can now control the audio system as well as climate control and some other aspects of the car from the rear seat console.
The Equus is chock full of creature comforts. Heated and cooled rear seats that are adjustable, adaptable cruise control that has full stop as well as resume forward movement capability and a blind spot alert monitor in the heads-up display are all available. The car even had power rear side window shade screens.
Hyundai is using the same formula that Japanese luxury brands used a generation ago to crack the U.S. luxury car market. Offer a comparable product for less. In the case of the Equus, Hyundai is offering a comparable product for a lot less.
The company has just two trim lines for the Equus. The Signature model is $61,200 and the Ultimate model is $68,920. The extra 7K gets you stuff like the heads up display, a forward view cornering camera as well as a multi view camera system, power rear seat and head rests, cooled rear power seats and a power trunk lid.
However, the Equus has one distinct disadvantage, it does not have an all-wheel-drive version – but it is coming. As an automaker you can’t really compete in all quadrants of the country, especially the northern tiers, without all-wheel-drive. So it’s not a matter of if the Equus will be equipped with AWD, the question is when.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

Leah Faith Presents Free Concert

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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Singer/Songwriter, Leah Faith, is excited to announce a free concert opportunity in Birmingham. Scheduled for Sunday, September 29th at Parkway Christian Fellowship, 9753 Parkway East, Randy W. Williams, Pastor, 6:30 p.m. Leah Faith will lead an intimate night of worship with talented Nashville musician/producer, Roger Ryan, in hopes to raise awareness of a mission trip to Israel.

Leah Faith is scheduled to leave for the Promised Land in December where she will partner with missionary, Scott Martin. Pastor Martin has been a missionary to Israel for the past three years and has planted many churches all over the world including Tel Aviv located 30 miles northwest of Jerusalem.

While in Israel not only will Leah Faith see the Holy sites, she will team up with Pastor Martin and hit the streets for an opportunity to spread the Good News. Whether holding Bible study on the beach or leading worship for the Sabbath Service, Leah Faith is willing to do whatever it takes to see people draw closer to Christ!

“I’m truly ecstatic,” Faith says! “I never thought I would have an opportunity like this one. It’s always an amazing opportunity to spread the Gospel, not only to my own community, but to people all around the world.”

Leah Faith is originally from Moody, Ala., the daughter of Larry and Laura Armstrong. She felt the call to sing several years ago while working a full time job as a creative writer for 93.7 WDJC. Literally, by faith, Faith walked away from a full-time career to pursue her calling in music. Now residing in Nashville, Tenn. with husband Randy Knotts, Faith now writes and sings with many artists and musicians. She has won several writing awards including ‘Gospel Music Association’s Amateur Song of the Year’ and has
sung in countries such as Kenya, Jamaica and Mexico.

Leah Faith is using her creative talents to raise money for this ministry opportunity with several free concerts all over the states. To support Leah Faith and her journey to Israel, follow her on Facebook Leahfk@facebook.com.

Beasley Receives Weekly SWAC Volleyball Honor

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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MONTGOMERY, Ala.—The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has announced its inaugural player of the week honors for the 2013 season and Alabama State University junior setter Brooke Beasley has been named Setter of the Week.
Beasley had an outstanding opening weekend for the Lady Hornets at the University of Central Florida Invitational. She led ASU with 62 assists over the four games ASU played. Her game-high was 22 in ASU’s win over fellow SWAC member Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Beasley showed she was just more than a setter as she also had 13 kills during the tournament while hitting .219. She added 21 digs, nine total blocks (1 block solo, 8 block assists) and for good measure she had three service aces.

Honoring the Survivors of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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The Guiding Light Church located in Birmingham, Alabama will honor the survivors of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing during the weekend of September 14th. This is the first gathering of the survivors since the bombing.
On Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 6 p.m., a Panel Discussion will be held with the survivors giving their account of the bombing which took place on Sunday, September 15, 1963 where four young girls were killed. Though these people were as young as 5-years-old during the bombing, their stories give a picture of that traumatic day during the Civil Rights Movement. At 7 p.m. that evening, the church will host a service where community churches will gather in prayer and worship for a New Birmingham.
On Sunday, September 15, at 9 a.m., the church will honor the survivors in a special Jubilee Service.
All are welcome for these special events.
For questions, contact Leria Jordan at 838-1386, Ext. 213 or email leria.jordan@guidinglight.org.

UAB study shows sleep-deprived teen pedestrians more likely to get hit

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers have published a study showing that sleep-deprived adolescents are in greater danger crossing the street than their better-rested peers.
The study, published Sept. 3, in the Journal of Adolescent Health, revealed that when restricted to four hours of sleep the previous night – half the number of hours experts consider adequate for 14- and 15-year-olds – subjects in a virtual-pedestrian environment took more time to initiate crossings, crossed with less time before contact with vehicles and experienced more close calls than those who slept for 8.5 hours.
“This study suggests that adolescents’ ability to cross the street can be compromised after only one night of acute sleep restriction,” said study author Aaron Davis, Ph.D., psychology post-doctoral fellow in the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) program in the UAB Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Davis studied 55 adolescents in a virtual reality environment at the UAB Youth Safety Lab in the Department of Psychology, where she completed her doctoral work. Teens’ sleep was measured for two weeks by actigraphy. Participants wore an actigraph watch, and their reactions to simulated traffic situations were recorded after sleeping four hours and 8.5 hours.
Safe pedestrian behavior depends on cognitive skills, including attention and risk-taking, which can be diminished by lack of sleep. In the UAB lab, sleep-restricted adolescents showed a 50 percent increase in hits or close calls with virtual vehicles when they crossed the street tired.
“It is easy to discount the idea that this loss of sleep could have a significant impact if it occurs rarely, but this study demonstrates that adolescents’ safety could be put at risk after just one night of inadequate sleep,” Davis said.
Every year, 8,000 adolescents in the United States ages 14 and 15 require medical attention due to pedestrian injury. While sleep restricted, adolescents experienced a hit or close call on 2.2 of the 25 simulated street crossings, compared to 1.42 hits or close calls after an adequate night of sleep.
Her results could confirm the benefit of addressing sleep issues preventively during wellness counseling, she said.
“Aaron’s work demonstrates the importance of sleep for human functioning,” said David Schwebel, Ph.D., co-author and director of the UAB Youth Safety Lab. “Our results show clearly that insufficient sleep influences adolescent safety; without sufficient sleep, they are inattentive, distractible and poor decision-makers.”
Co-authors include Kristin Avis, Ph.D., and Schwebel. Davis’s work is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Davis will continue studying adolescent health as a post-doctoral fellow in the UAB School of Medicine.
“My current research will assess the efficacy of a sleep intervention for adolescents that aims to increase their sleep duration and decrease their media use during the night,” she said. “Then we will examine if the addition of this sleep intervention to a weight-management program increases adolescents’ weight loss.”

Mayor Bell Asks Churches Around the Country to Acknowledge a Moment of Silence on September 15th

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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Mayor William Bell addressed over 200,000 churches around the globe and asked them to participate in the 50 Years Forward campaign by observing a moment of silence on Sunday, September 15 at 10:22 a.m., the estimated time of the bombing that killed four little girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
“We are partnering with Reverend Jeff Wright, CEO of Urban Ministries, INC and inviting their 50,000 churches to be a part of this movement and Reverend Wright has introduced us to InService America who has another 150,000 evangelical churches. The response to this idea has been overwhelming. To just take a moment to pause at this date and time is such a simple act, but will have such a significant and unified impact on the world. Birmingham has been a catalyst for the human rights movement over the last 50 years by giving hope that things can change. Our once segregated and embattled city is now in renaissance and establishing itself for the next 50 years,” said Mayor Bell.
The unique Tele-town hall format allowed the Mayor to address the estimated 200,000 clergy, pastors and layman for an hour long discussion on Birmingham, 50yearsforward.
Local churches who are interested in joining this movement should contact opi@birminghamal.gov. For more information about empowerment week, visit http://www.50yearsforward.com. #50yearsforward

Sports addictions can ruin relationships

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – As players take the field for fall sports like football, experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) remind adults that an obsessive focus on any sport can deter kids from playing and damage relationships.
Sandra Sims, Ph.D., associate professor of human studies in the UAB School of Education, said while parents do not purposefully take the joy out of their children’s games, being overzealous about their abilities, effort or participation can do just that.
“Young athletes have two needs that should be fulfilled, and those are to feel worthy and have fun,” explained Sims, who was a middle- and high-school teacher and coach for 20 years.
“When a sport is no longer fun – if the child feels the sport is more like a job – they will quit,” she said. “It’s sad to see them walk away.”
Josh Klapow, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Public Health, added that parents’ good intentions can get in the way of kids’ sports.
“Conflict arises when we are unable to distinguish between what we want for our children and what we wanted for ourselves in the past,” Klapow said. “When the lines get blurred, that is where problems start.”
Klapow noted that sports can start problems in an adult’s life, kids or no kids, and said red flags include if sports cause them to miss important family gatherings or become violent.
“Listen to those around you,” he advised. “If family and friends say you are taking it too far, be brave enough to back off a bit.”
Klapow offered the following tips to manage a sports addiction:
•   Set limits, such as one sporting event per week.
•   Substitute new behaviors for sports viewing, such as exercise or spending time with family or friends.
•   Seek help from a mental-health professional to help address concerns regarding your habit.

BOWLING TIES FOR NATIONS TOP TEAM GPA HONORS

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Birmingham Times

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September 11, 2013

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MONTGOMERY- Alabama State Bowling team has been recognized by the NTCA (National Tenpin Coaches Association) for being tied as the nation’s top team GPA honors for the 2012-2013 school year.

NTCA has been a driving force in the advancement of NCAA Women’s Bowling. One of the main focuses for the NTCA is to provide coaches and institutions with the education necessary to grow the sport. The NTCA sponsors the Coaches Poll, which is the official poll for ranking the 20 best NCAA women’s bowling teams in the nation.

ASU Lady Hornets bowling team tied with Sam Houston University. When it comes to being ranked in top for GPA the Lady Hornets are familiar with these rankings.

Head Bowling Coach Andrew Chatmon said, “As before when we were in 2nd, I was extremely proud of the ladies on our team, they take great pride in their academics and this goes to acknowledge their hard work and dedication to academics, after all they are student-athletes.”

All five members of the ASU’s bowling team were selected to the 2012-2013 All Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Academic team for having a 3.68 overall GPA.