Even in the rain, everybody loves a parade

Hueytown and Bessemer staged their annual Christmas parades today. It was cold in Hueytown, but dry. No band at the big parade. Well, in Bessemer, the Jess Lanier band made up for it by marching bolding up 19th Street — in the rain.

—Tribune staff report

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Lu-Lu loses a defense lawyer

Noted local criminal defense attorney Ralph "Buddy" Armstrong today withdrew from the defense team of Bessemer Councilwoman Louise Alexander's defense team.

It happened after state prosecutors had asked Circuit Judge Teresa Peteolos to disqualify Armstrong because he previously represented Ryan Rancher, the convicted former Bessemer Revenue Department head.

Alexander is scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 1. She is accused of using her office for personal gain.

—Tribune staff report 

Where's all the cars?

Already notorious for lack of parking, downtown Bessemer on Friday morning was worse than usual and street paving crews took away spaces. The work was supposed to happen at night. Hmmm.

—Tribune staff report

Councilors claim mayor held illegal meeting

At least three members of Bessemer's City Council today are charging that Mayor Ed May this week held an illegal meeting when he took the council behind closed doors to argue for a new City Hall.

The mayor brought two architects into the meeting and the council was told that if it doesn't move to build a new facility the city could be liable for millions of dollars in lawsuits.

The meeting was not about the good name and character of anyone or any pending legal action.

The Tribune contacted insurance inspectors who toured the building this week and they said there was nothing wrong with it.

—Tribune staff report

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Council cuts budget, want more information

Bessemer's City Council last night agreed to slice Mayor Ed May's proposed $36 million by 5 percent and will look for more cuts after requesting a copy of all the city's employees and their salaries.

The reason for wanting to see the list of employees is because a lot of overtime has been rung up in the past year and no one has seen a list since 2006.

The cut will result in an expected $700,000 reserve fund.

All of this was accomplished without the mayor present. He was attending a victory party for incoming Alabama state representative Lawrence McAdory at the Bessemer Civic Center.

—Tribune staff report

Budget hearing tonight

With five hours of work already done of the proposed $36 million 2010 budget, the Bessemer City Council will hold a two-hour session tonight beginning at 6 p.m.

—Tribune staff report

Paving boondoggle in Bessemer

To coin a phrase from Bubba, our three-dot columnist, Bessemer is truly Bizarro.

Right in the middle of the Christmas season, and the big parade scheduled for Saturday, 19th Street is being paved in the daytime.

The paving was supposedly going to happen at night and would not impact the merchants, or the parade.

As might be expected, merchants up and down the street are livid.

But the job was started Wednesday morning because of cold temperatures expected tonight and Thursday night.

—Tribune staff report

Street paving to begin

Paving of three downtown Bessemer streets is expected to begin Wednesday, weather permitting.

Some preparation work was done on Monday.

City officials say some of the work may have to be done during the daytime hours to beat the really cold weather.

—Tribune staff report

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW

New jobs and $2 million shows up mysteriously in Bessemer City Hall ...