Though Birmingham stands in the heart of the Deep South, it is not an Old South city.
Founded in 1871 at the crossing of two railroad lines, the city blossomed through the early 1900s as it rapidly became the South's foremost industrial center. Iron and steel production were a natural for Birmingham; underground lay abundant key ingredients---coal, iron ore and limestone. As an industry town, Birmingham suffered greatly in the Depression. After World War II the city grew moderately while retaining its strong Southern character.
Today, Birmingham enjoys a balance of manufacturing and service-oriented jobs in a thriving work force.
Obama accuses McCain of ABC 33/40 ... amp;This is offensive, and I think it's disappointing, because John McCain always says, 'Well, I'm not going to run that kind of politics,'& Obama said. &And then to engage in that kind of smear, I...
Utah men say they drove to 48 states, more than 7,000 miles ABC 33/40 Three men say they drove to 48 states in less than five days, ending their journey in the Four Corners area of southeastern Utah. The Four Corners destination allowed them to quickly hit four states...
Microsoft to go its own way ABC 33/40 Corp. will focus on growing its own advertising and Internet search business after it withdrew its takeover offer for Yahoo Inc. Chairman Bill Gates said Friday. Microsoft has not presented an...
Jury selection set to begin in R. Kelly pornography trial ABC 33/40 Jury selection was set to start Friday in the long-delayed trial of one of urban music's biggest stars. Grammy-winning R&B singer R. Kelly faces child pornography charges, prompted by a videotape...
DMX arrested on drug, animal cruelty charges ABC 33/40 Authorities say DMX has been arrested on drug and animal-cruelty charges in Phoenix following an overnight raid on the rapper's house.The Maricopa County sheriff's office says the 37-year-old, whose...
Diageo brews $1.25B Irish overhaul ABC 33/40 Guinness beer owner Diageo PLC rattled an Irish icon Friday, announcing plans to lay off more than half of its brewery workers, close two breweries and shift most production to a new, high-tech plant...
Mo. woman enters Alford plea in kidnapping case ABC 33/40 A Missouri woman accused of slashing a young mother's throat, kidnapping her newborn and passing off the child as her own for five days has reached a plea deal with prosecutors.Shannon Torrez, of...
Packaged pythons cause scare at German post office ABC 33/40 A trio of packaged pythons has caused a scare at a German post office. Police in Darmstadt say the snakes were stuffed into a parcel that was handed in for mailing to eastern Germany. It contained...
Most grads will get cash this year Birmingham Business Journal ... nearly 60 percent of respondents to its 2008 Graduation Consumer and Intentions and Actions survey will give cash to graduates this year. More than 35 percent said they will give gift...
Government-backed housing bailout badly needed ABC 33/40 ... says he will veto the bill.During an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson called the measure too broad. He said the administration would continue...
Mary J. Blige starts foundation to help women with careers ABC 33/40 The queen of hip-hop soul is establishing a foundation to help women develop careers and gain self-confidence.Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute, who founded a youth-oriented brand consulting firm, say...
Train quarantined in Ontario with mystery illness ABC 33/40 Canadian authorities quarantined a train in northern Ontario Friday after a woman died and several other people came down with an undetermined illness. Officials were keeping passengers from leaving...
Wheat drops on higher output forecast ABC 33/40 Wheat futures fell sharply Friday after the government forecast increased U.S production and a record global crop, while corn futures surged to a new high on continuing concerns about the weather.The...
Manufacturing still strong in Alabama Birmingham Business Journal Alabama Manufacturers Register . But that doesn't mean the manufacturing industry in the state is rosy. Among the 6,900 companies on the list published...
Man crashes at driveway, sees home catch fire, gets ticket ABC 33/40 A Rock Island man whose car was hit as he tried to make a left turn into his driveway saw his home going up in flames as he was airlifted to the hospital. Tennessee Highway Patrol officer Monte Terry...
Obama wins endorsement of government employees union ABC 33/40 While calling Clinton a friend and saying she has worked hard for federal employees, Gage said some members of AFGE's board also think having Obama as the Democratic nominee would help the Democratic...
Retailers can use DNA tracing to track meat ABC 33/40 Meat retailers can now trace their wares from the ranch to the refrigerator case using DNA analysis. IdentiGEN Ltd., based in Ireland with U.S. offices in Lawrence, Kan., said its DNA TraceBack...
Man finds Ill. woman ABC 33/40 Sandy Baumberger says she never expected to see her wallet again when it was stolen 35 years ago.But it has been found by a 30-year-old dental student who tracked her down and returned it. Eric...
Nevada judge accused of demanding royal treatment ABC 33/40 Since then, the 50-year-old Nevada district judge has been locked out of her Las Vegas courtroom, suspended from the bench and brought up on judicial-misconduct charges that include not only misusing...
Foxy Brown pleads guilty to menacing Brooklyn neighbor ABC 33/40 Rapper Foxy Brown has pleaded guilty to menacing a neighbor with her cell phone last year. She avoided jail based on time already served.Brown and neighbor Arlene Raymond got into a fight last July...
Mourners pay respects to slain Philadelphia police officer ABC 33/40 Hundreds of mourners lined up in the pouring rain outside a cathedral Friday to pay their respects to a Philadelphia police officer killed in the line of duty. A horse-drawn caisson traveled about a...
Flu vaccine makers to set new doses record for next season ABC 33/40 Flu vaccine manufacturers expect to make a record number of doses for next flu season despite concerns that demand may drop because this year's vaccine was largely ineffective. The five companies...
Rocket hits BBC bureau in Baghdad ABC 33/40 But that also has increased the chances of the shells falling short into civilian areas. One rocket hit the roof of the BBC bureau, leaving a 3-by-5 foot hole.
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