UA In the News — Jan. 27-30

University of Alabama Police Department honored for response in credit union hostage situation
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 27
The Black Warrior River Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) honored the University of Alabama Police Department Friday with the Distinguished Service Certificate. The Chapter President thanked police for their response to the Jan. 10 hostage incident at Alabama Credit Union during a bank robbery which ended peacefully.
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Jan. 27
WAFF48 (Huntsville) – Jan. 27
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 27
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Jan. 27
 
Book campaign begins next month
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 29
The 2017 Books for the Alabama Black Belt Campaign will be throughout the month of February. One book can change a life; 42,000 children need your help. The annual project is sponsored by The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development. Visit the website for additional information and a list of appropriate books: www.uaced.ua.edu/books-for-the-black-belt.html. Donate new or gently-used classic and award winning books frequently found on school reading lists for K-12 children or make a financial donation. The goal of this project is to provide one book for every child in the Black Belt — there are over 42,000 children in the 13 counties of the Black Belt, including Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Pickens, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox.
 
Salisbury Helps Lead UA Army ROTC to Competition
Fairfax Connection (Virginia) – Jan. 28
Conner Salisbury was destined for a career in the U.S. Navy. His father, Keith, was a Navy SEAL and continues to be the strongest influence in his life. “My pop-pop (grandfather) was a Marine and served in Vietnam, but I got all of my military influence from my dad,” Salisbury said. “I’d always dress in military costumes for Halloween. He’d show me military landmarks, like the obstacle course at Coronado (San Diego).” Salisbury’s father later became the strongest influence on convincing him to follow a career in the Army, specifically through the Army ROTC program at The University of Alabama.

What’s on tap for ACREcon 2017?
Birmingham Business Journal – Jan. 28
The annual Alabama Center for Real Estate conference will be held Feb. 10. This year, ACREcon will be held at The Club at 1 Robert S. Smith Drive … Speakers at the conference will include Deborah Phillips of The Quadrillion, Dr. Robert Witt, former chancellor of the University of Alabama System, Brian Bailey of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and Ryan Gravel, original concept designer for the Atlanta Beltline.
Knoxville Times (Tennessee) – Jan. 28
Toronto Telegraph – Jan. 28
 
The quest for cleaner fire_ why it’s time to rethink our favourite way to get warm – the globe and mail
Gas and Electricity – Jan. 27
On a crisp winter day, few scents appeal more than wood smoke, which signals, on a primal level, comfort and even safety. Kushal gas agencies belgaum It is hard to imagine the aroma rankling anyone in the middle of February … Does the sound and sight of fire trigger the relaxation response and alleviate stress? University of Alabama professor Christopher Lynn was eager to find out, because stress-related disorders are among the leading causes of disability in the modern era, with significant economic impact.

Gov. Bentley reveals Rebekah Mason traveled with Ala. delegation to presidential inauguration
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 28
Friday, Governor Robert Bentley revealed that his ex-aide and alleged mistress Rebekah Mason traveled with the Alabama delegation to President Donald Trump’s inauguration. . . . A University of Alabama political science professor said Governor Bentley bringing along Mason to D.C. while an active investigation and lawsuit naming them both is pending, raises a big question of ethics. “Nobody knows what happened except for the Governor, except Rebekah, except for Jon. Those are the only three people that know what happened. It absolutely could be for legitimate purposes but it does raise the question of timing,” said University of Alabama Assistant professor Allen Linken.

MGCCC campuses to host two art exhibits
Biloxi Sun Herald (Mississippi) – Jan. 27
Two Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College campuses are presenting art exhibits which open Feb. 2 and run through March 2 … Adrienne Callander is assistant professor in New College at the University of Alabama. She received a master’s degree in fine arts from the Mason Gross School of Art at Rutgers University, her post-baccalaureate in visual art from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Nichols earns Member of the Year award
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 27
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama named Gary Nichols of McAbee Construction its Member of the Year on Thursday evening during the 116th annual meeting and awards ceremony … The 2016 awards were presented to Bobby Bragg of JamisonMoneyFarmer PC, Carl Jamison of JamisonMoneyFarmer PC and Cynthia Kirkley of the University of Alabama.

Despite tornado threat, shelters rare for mobile home parks
Cullman Times – Jan. 26
Ten of at least 20 people killed in a weekend tornado outbreak lived in Georgia mobile home parks, yet laws requiring storm shelters in those vulnerable communities are few and far between. Experts have long warned that mobile home dwellers face a higher risk of death when tornadoes strike but said many trailer park owners don’t want to make the costly investment in storm shelters and the sentiment for safety wanes in the weeks after a disaster … “There have been other efforts to attempt that, but the mobile home industry and mobile home park owners have put up a lot of resistance to it,” namely citing high costs, said Laura Myers, who studies tornado disasters and responses as executive director of the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama.

When Parents Need Help With Their Finances
Valley News (New Hampshire) – Jan. 28
It’s inevitable. As we age, our bodies and our brains change, and not always like fine wine. Cognitive skills decline as part of the normal aging process and in turn, so do some of our financial management skills. Research shows that financial decision-making peaks around age 53, and by age 60 our ability to process new information starts to slow … A new study from the University of Alabama, with support from the NEFE, has identified five signs that aging may be affecting someone’s financial decision making.

Number of fatal car crashes rose in 2015 in Tuscaloosa
Crimson White – Jan. 28
A recent study by The University of Alabama’s Center for Public Safety has found that the number of fatal crashes in Alabama increased from 2015 to 2016 by almost 25 percent. While the total number of traffic collisions in 2016 was only 2.1 percent greater than in 2015, many more of those collisions resulted in fatalities. “A variety of factors were found, but, in order of importance, I would say that speed, safety belts, distracted driving and pedestrian faults all had major contributions to the increase,” said David Brown, research associate at the University’s Center for Advanced Public Safety.
WKRG-CBS (Mobile) – Jan. 28

Student’s vision comes to life with Dance Alabama! Film Festival
Crimson White – Jan. 29
Student Natalie Brown has two passions: performance on stage and screen. Now both are coming to life in Tuscaloosa through the upcoming Dance Alabama Film Festival. A junior majoring in telecommunications and film, Brown, with the help of faculty and other students, is introducing The University of Alabama’s first combination of the two arts. Brown, also an ex-dance major, pushed for the festival when the University’s Dance Collection, similar to Dance Alabama, was no longer pursued.

8 small signs people use to judge your personality
Business Insider – Jan. 28
This post from LinkedIn Influencer Travis Bradberryoriginally appeared on LinkedIn. The human brain is hardwired to judge. This survival mechanism makes it very hard to meet someone without evaluating and interpreting their behavior … It’s common for people to associate a weak handshake with a lack of confidence and an overall lackadaisical attitude. A study at the University of Alabama showed that, although it isn’t safe to draw assumptions about someone’s competence based on their handshake, you can accurately identify personality traits. Specifically, the study found that a firm handshake equates with being less shy, less neurotic, and more extroverted.

Circle K places luminaries on the Quad
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 28
The University of Alabama Circle K International organization placed 3,000 white bags on the quad to raise awareness of the low literacy rate in Alabama. Circle K focuses on providing books to children to help encourage them to read.

UA has Love Your Melon Crew 
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 27
Love Your Melon has donated $1.5 million to help fight pediatric cancer, and it’s all from selling beanies like these. It’s also giving a platform for college kids to get involved…Once Love Your Melon campus groups hit a certain goal they are usually sent a box of several hundred hats. That way they can plan hospital visits and give those hats away. The University of Alabama has its own Love Your Melon crew, which was started in 2013.

Faith in Tuscaloosa series: Muslim student talks beliefs and community
Crimson White – Jan. 29
Khalaf Abdullah is one of the many students on campus who puts his faith in Islam. Although home is over 7,000 miles away in Ahmed Al Jaber, Kuwait, Abdullah’s dedication to Islam is unwavering. He is currently a student in the English Learning Institution. Q: What’s your major? A: I have not started a major yet at the University. Right now, I am in the English Language Institute (ELI) at The University of Alabama to practice my English.

This year’s Law School Fair largest ever
Crimson White – Jan. 27
The law school fair is always the main event, the big payoff at the end of the University’s Pre-Law Week. Each year, schools from across the country gather in the Ferguson Center Ballroom to answer questions from curious students, eager to learn more about their next step.  In 2017, 80 different schools set up shop at the fair, an all-time high.

THE PORT RAIL: In a perfect world, walls wouldn’t be necessary
Tusaloosa News – Jan. 28
As an historian, one can get cynical about the human condition. A short sampling of modern “wall” phrase-making might include the following: Ronald Reagan: “Tear down this wall!” Donald Trump: “Build the wall!” Robert Frost: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall…” (Larry Clayton is a retired University of Alabama history professor. Readers can email him at larryclayton7@gmail.com.)