Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL) articles from September 2004

Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL) archives from September 2004

Medicaid agency in Alabama to see red again.
September 30, 2004... Byline: John Davis Sep. 30--The Alabama Medicaid Agency, hoping for a year of respite from financial worries, is back in the red, according to Commissioner Carol Hermann. A record increase in Medicare premiums is to blame. ...

Jesse Jackson plans Rainbow/PUSH office in Montgomery, Ala., area.
September 30, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 30--The Rev. Jesse Jackson paid a visit to Montgomery on Wednesday, meeting privately with black leaders from across the state at Holt Street Missionary Baptist Church about plans to open an area office for his...

Hurricane Ivan-damaged roads in Alabama to cost state $28 million.
September 30, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 30--Just two weeks ago today, Alabama's roadways and bridges took a beating from Hurricane Ivan. That low blow brought with it a price tag of about $28 million, and state transportation officials said...

Kohl's sets opening in Montgomery, Ala.
September 29, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 29--The Plaza at EastChase will welcome its newest retailer Sunday, when Kohl's department store opens its doors. Kohl's, offering apparel, housewares, shoes and accessories, will quietly open Sunday, with a...

Montgomery, Ala., schools chief search costs more than $50,000.
September 29, 2004... Byline: Antoinette Konz Sep. 29--Projected figures released Tuesday by the Montgomery Board of Education show it spent just more than $50,000 on its search for a new superintendent, a cost that some Montgomery residents believe was...

IRS tax agents offer aid to Hurricane Ivan's victims in Alabama.
September 28, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 28--Since Sept. 16, Jerry Armstrong has had a lot more to do. That's when Hurricane Ivan sent a 100-foot-tall tree crashing onto the porch and roof of Armstrong's Narrow Lane Road home in Montgomery, causing...

Montgomery, Ala., Hyundai plant handles Hurricane Ivan well.
September 28, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 28--Montgomery's new automotive industry appears to have weathered the recent storm. Hyundai's automotive manufacturing plant, which is gearing up for commercial production in the southwest part of the city,...

Religion walks fine line at work in America's South.
September 27, 2004... Byline: Deborah Willoughby Sep. 27--There's no question that religion is a factor in the workplace. "When you move into the South, people at work will ask you two questions: 'Have you declared?' and 'Do you go to a church?' "...

Huge Alabama forestry industry slammed by Hurricane Ivan.
September 26, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 26--A week after Hurricane Ivan stormed through Alabama, the tri-county area is littered with the remnants of broken or uprooted trees that have been cleared from roads, roofs and cars. Outside Alabama's urban...

Cities, counties in Montgomery, Ala., area prepare disaster aid plans.
September 25, 2004... Byline: Donna Pierce Sep. 25--After dealing with Hurricane Ivan, cities and counties in the tri-county area are taking steps to ensure the protection of their residents in future natural disasters. Hazardous mitigation plans, which...

Montgomery, Ala., commission approves downtown bus station.
September 24, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 24--A new piece of the city's downtown redevelopment plan got a thumbs up from the Montgomery Planning Commission Thursday evening. The city plans to build a parking deck and bus transfer station at the...

Alabama's job market still weak.
September 24, 2004... Byline: David Roundtree Sep. 24--Alabama is participating in the United States' plodding economic recovery, but the nationwide weakness in job growth has been especially pronounced here, according to analysts with the Federal Deposit...

Most Alabama counties to receive federal hurricane-relief funds.
September 24, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 24--Gov. Bob Riley announced Thursday that more Alabama counties can receive federal disaster assistance for individuals. President Bush approved the governor's request to add more than three dozen...

President details Alabama State University building blueprint.
September 24, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 24--The news delivered by Alabama State University President Joe Lee was bittersweet Thursday, but Janae Dabney found reason enough to be enthusiastic. That's because Lee outlined the college's plans for...

Montgomery, Ala., hosts third minority automotive supplier expo.
September 23, 2004... Byline: Deborah Willoughby Sep. 23--Representatives of U.S. automakers spent quality time with minority-owned companies Monday and Tuesday in Montgomery, trading information on the business opportunities resulting from Alabama's status...

Financing could help Montgomery, Ala., development projects.
September 23, 2004... Byline: Sebastian Kitchen Sep. 23--Parking decks, a walkway with shops and restaurants and other additions are on the way to downtown and the riverfront after the City Council and County Commission approved a Tax Incremental Financing...

Economic development summit in Tuskegee, Ala., to emphasize tangible help.
September 23, 2004... Byline: David Roundtree Sep. 23--Organizers of next month's National Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit at Tuskegee Institute's Kellogg Conference Center are determined to give participants more than ivory-tower advice. ...

Montgomery, Ala., council approves zoning change for housing development.
September 22, 2004... Byline: Sebastian Kitchen Sep. 22--Several Pike Road residents expressed disappointment Tuesday night after the Montgomery City Council reconsidered a motion and approved rezoning for a development in the area. Some of the residents...

Hyundai has hiring on track, adds 100 workers at Montgomery, Ala., plant.
September 21, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 21--As commercial production nears its March 2005 start date at Hyundai's new automotive plant in Montgomery, the company continues to ramp up its personnel roster. Last week, Hyundai welcomed 100 more...

Montgomery, Ala., eateries, grocers restock shelves after storm.
September 21, 2004... Byline: Deborah Willoughby Sep. 21--At restaurants and grocery stores, post-storm cleanup sometimes means the heartbreaking job of throwing out pounds and pounds of food. Many Montgomery businesses were lucky enough to avoid...

Montgomery, Ala., property owners turn to insurance during storm recovery.
September 21, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 21--The roof on Montgomery resident Jerry Armstrong's house was damaged after Hurricane Ivan hurled a 100-foot tree into it last week, but the homeowner's got something going for him. He's got insurance, and...

President Bush tells Mobile, Ala., help for Hurricane Ivan damage is on way.
September 20, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 20--As President Bush touched down Sunday to view the devastation Ivan left behind along Florida and Alabama's once beautiful coastlines, Mobile resident Dorothy Williams was thinking about ice. "I hear...

Audit takes issue with Alabama's pharmacy board over fee.
September 19, 2004... Byline: John Davis Sep. 19--In the worst state audit Executive Director Jerry Moore can remember, the state Board of Pharmacy has been cited for charging unsanctioned fees for licenses and undercharging some retailers. The Department...

Mulberry Street business district in Montgomery, Ala., thrives on personality.
September 19, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 19--The Mulberry Street business district is situated in a well-established Montgomery neighborhood, but it's a haven for new business ventures. Though known for its specialty retail shops, Mulberry Street is...

Montgomery County, Ala., landfill dispute shuts out area residents.
September 19, 2004... Byline: Kevin Taylor Sep. 19--Residents cleaning up from Hurricane Ivan near the Catoma community in southwest Montgomery County are angry because they aren't allowed to dump tree limbs and other tree debris in a nearby county-maintained...

Alabama governor sees first-hand need for help in Hurricane Ivan-damaged areas.
September 19, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 19--Gov. Bob Riley boarded a Black Hawk helicopter Saturday, bound for six Alabama cities begging for help after being ravaged by Hurricane Ivan. Some residents greeted the governor with smiles and handshakes,...

Alabama's jobless rate rises in August.
September 18, 2004... Byline: David Roundtree Sep. 18--Alabama's unemployment rate rose 0.3 percent last month to its highest level since January. In addition to the increase from July, the August rate of 6 percent was higher than the year-earlier rate of...

Business booms for some Montgomery, Ala., firms after storm.
September 18, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 18--A day after Hurricane Ivan made its presence felt in Montgomery, widespread power outages kept many businesses dark and employees at home. But for a large number of restaurants, stores and others, Friday was...

Hurricane halts Montgomery, Ala., businesses.
September 17, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 17--In the early morning hours Thursday, some Montgomery businesses made efforts to open, but by midmorning, nearly all activity had been suspended to wait out the storm. Home Depot in Montgomery opened at 6...

Bush to inspect hurricane damage in Alabama and Florida.
September 17, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 17--A sprawling Hurricane Ivan spewed sheets of flood-producing rain as it battered nearly every county in Alabama Thursday. Its fierce winds knocked down power lines, toppled trees, blew roofs off buildings...

Emergency supplies fly off the shelves of Montgomery, Ala.-area stores.
September 17, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 17--Scores of people swarmed through D.W. Moody True Value Hardware on McGehee Road in Gay Meadows, picking up everything from batteries and flashlights to fire extinguishers and plastic sheeting. The store's...

Montgomery, Ala.-area travelers await flights as Ivan approaches.
September 16, 2004... Byline: William F. West Sep. 16--Michelle Duncan sat quietly with her one-piece mobile luggage early Wednesday afternoon at Montgomery Regional Airport, confident her flight would depart as scheduled. "But I'm hanging onto my rental...

South Alabama braced for worst as Ivan approaches.
September 16, 2004... Byline: Kevin Taylor Sep. 16--Jeremy Blackburn checked to see if the generator in front of his mother's rural Conecuh County home would start. One pull and the generator fired. Blackburn sighed with relief and marked that one off...

Minority owners get spotlight in Montgomery, Ala.
September 16, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 16--While the threat of Hurricane Ivan kept some people away, dozens of businesspeople gathered Wednesday for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Minority Enterprise Development Week celebration. ...

Montgomery, Ala., owners shutter stores until Hurricane Ivan passes.
September 16, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 16--After a two-day onslaught of nervous residents sweeping water, flashlights and other hurricane-survival gear off the shelves, some -- though not all -- area stores have shut their doors until Ivan passes. For...

Federal funds will flow after Hurricane Ivan strikes in Alabama.
September 16, 2004... Byline: Jannell McGrew Sep. 16--Alabama could be in line to receive hundreds of millions of federal disaster relief dollars if President Bush answers the governor's plea for help, state emergency officials say. Rushing winds and...

Alabama's rivers may overflow.
September 16, 2004... Byline: Tom Ensey Sep. 16--How high is high? That's the question city officials and Montgomery area residents will be asking in the coming days as the Alabama River rises. With the National Weather Service predicting Hurricane...

Annexation divides fast-growing area of Millbrook, Ala.
September 15, 2004... Byline: Marty Roney Sep. 15--Plans to annex Millbrook's sprawling police jurisdiction could add about 5,000 residents and 18 square miles to the city. The city has a population of 12,000 and an area of about 15 square miles. City...

Montgomery, Ala.-area farmers hope for the best as Ivan nears.
September 15, 2004... Byline: Julie Arrington Sep. 15--Central Alabama farmers have only one weapon at their disposal in dealing with Hurricane Ivan. Their faith. "There's nothing you can do, just pray," said Malcolm "Major" Smith, a farmer and...

Montgomery, Ala.-area residents stock up on water, food as Ivan approaches.
September 15, 2004... Byline: Antoinette Konz Sep. 15--Melanie Duncan said she listened to what she calls her maternal instinct Sunday afternoon when she passed by a pallet full of plywood at Montgomery's Home Depot. "I was there picking up some wallpaper...

Montgomery, Ala., wins honors from tourism group.
September 15, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 15--Late last year the Montgomery Area Convention & Visitor Bureau launched a marketing campaign to promote Montgomery as a tourist destination, drawing on its civil rights history, the Robert Trent Jones Golf...

Poll forecasts strong job growth for Montgomery, Ala., area.
September 14, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 14--The Montgomery area could see strong job gains in the last three months of this year, with manufacturing seeing the greatest swell. According to the results of a recent national survey, 43 percent of...

Alabama hospitals, nursing homes ready for worst as Ivan approaches.
September 14, 2004... Byline: Kelli M. Dugan Sep. 14--Medical facilities, clinics and nursing homes across south and central Alabama aren't taking any chances as Hurricane Ivan lumbers toward the Gulf Coast. In fact, administrators are preparing for the...

Power company, police stay 'on high alert' for Ivan in Alabama.
September 14, 2004... Sep. 14--Police and emergency response agencies across the state are on standby today, ready to move into action if Hurricane Ivan hits the Alabama coast. More than 6,000 Alabama Power Co. employees also are on standby, company...

New Hyundai Sonata made in Montgomery, Ala., goes on sale in South Korea.
September 12, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 12--The first Hyundai vehicle that will be made in Montgomery has been launched in South Korea, but it will be quite a while yet before U.S. consumers get a glimpse of the car in River Region showrooms. ...

Blocking unions appears to be a hot topic in Montgomery, Ala., area.
September 10, 2004... Byline: David Rountree Sep. 10--A Thursday morning workshop on how to keep your company "union-free" drew human resource managers from several Montgomery area manufacturing companies, along with two representatives of organized labor,...

School chief finalists receive praise from Montgomery, Ala., panel.
September 10, 2004... Byline: Antoinette Konz Sep. 10--Several community and business leaders, who had the opportunity to interview the four finalists seeking to become Montgomery's next school chief, said they were impressed with what they heard on Thursday....

With Alabama school board action, state moves toward teacher testing.
September 10, 2004... Byline: Erin Elaine Mosely Sep. 10--The state Board of Education came closer Thursday to gaining local authority in the teacher certification process and getting Alabama into the teacher-testing business. The board approved a...

Judge hears Montgomery, Ala., housing dispute.
September 9, 2004... Byline: William F. West Sep. 9--Thersae Pritchett isn't keeping track of a legal dispute over whether Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright or the City Council should decide who serves on the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. ...

Alabama Web site provides personal financial guides.
September 9, 2004... Byline: David Rountree Sep. 9--True, the personal financial management information available on a new Web site sponsored by State Treasurer Kay Ivey isn't rocket science. But it's the kind of practical advice on paying debt, saving and...

Montgomery, Ala., chamber plans minority enterprise events.
September 8, 2004... Byline: David Rountree Sep. 8--To avoid scheduling conflicts with the national observance of Minority Enterprise Development Week, including a major conference now under way in Washington, most state and local activities -- including...

Montgomery, Ala., council may review nuisance codes.
September 5, 2004... Byline: Donna Pierce Adams Sep. 5--Martha Greene is tired of the view from her front porch on North Bridge Street. The duplex apartments across the street are in disrepair and need painting and renovations. Greene said she and other...

Frances alters travel plans to Jacksonville, Fla., area.
September 5, 2004... Byline: John Davis Sep. 5--JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The desperate race up the Florida coast to escape the churning waters and whipping winds of Hurricane Frances ended in this naval seaside city for many south Floridians. This was far...

Jacksonville, Fla.-area hotels marvel at unusual weekend.
September 5, 2004... Byline: John Davis Sep. 5--JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Hotels in the Jacksonville area were dealing with cancellations from tourists and new reservations from people trying to get away from Hurricane Frances Saturday. Calls to about a...

Hyundai gift helps Montgomery, Ala.-area students explore careers.
September 5, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 5--As part of Hyundai's 2002 announcement that it would build an automotive plant in Montgomery, the automaker donated $500,000 to education in the area. Half of that amount went to the Central Alabama Community...

Montgomery, Ala., mall loses 3 more retailers.
September 3, 2004... Byline: Tiffany Ray Sep. 3--Three more stores have pulled out of Montgomery Mall, joining a string of departures throughout the past year from the beleaguered shopping center. The Limited, a women's apparel store, The Limited Too, a...

Rising union interest inspires Montgomery, Ala., seminar.
September 3, 2004... Byline: Deborah Willoughby Sep. 3--There are parts of the United States in which a person is born into a union or non-union family. That's not so common in the South, says Christie Sellers, director of work-force development and business...

Group of female business owners look to revitalize downtown Wetumpka, Ala.
September 3, 2004... Byline: Donna Pierce Adams Sep. 3--WETUMPKA, Ala. -- As she left The Paper Shop in downtown Wetumpka, Denise Miller clutched a green, tissue-wrapped package containing a box of stationery she planned to give as a birthday present. ...

Montgomery, Ala., car dealer adds Pontiac to stable.
September 2, 2004... Byline: David Rountree Sep. 2--The McGough family began yet another chapter Wednesday in its 85-year history of selling cars in Montgomery, with the announcement by G. Harris McGough that his dealership had acquired the Pontiac franchise...

Montgomery, Ala.-based firm buys high-risk automobile insurer.
September 1, 2004... Byline: David Rountree Sep. 1--Montgomery-based Alfa Corp. is buying a Tennessee company that specializes in "nonstandard" automobile insurance -- coverage sold to drivers with blemishes on their records -- for $20 million in cash and...

Alabama tobacco funds miss the mark.
September 1, 2004... Byline: John Davis Sep. 1--Alabama received more than $100 million this budget year from a settlement agreement involving more than 40 tobacco companies, but federal health officials would like to see more of that money used to battle...