Report: UA pumps $1.8B into state's economy
Birmingham Business Journal – Jan. 15
The University of Alabama reported it made a nearly $1.8 billion economic impact on the state in 2007 - $1.2 billion of which benefited the Tuscaloosa metro area. In the university's 2006-2007 economic impact report released Monday, it said it presents attractive investment opportunities for both public and private entities. In addition to the $1.8 billion impact and nearly 9,000 jobs, the report said Alabama will realize an 8.1 percent annual rate of return on the more than $171 million in state appropriations to the school. Other findings include: Each home football game had an impact of roughly $21 million on the state and a total impact of more than $168 million for the eight games in 2006…
Birmingham News – Jan. 15
Fox6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 14

EADS may build tankers in Mobile
BusinessWeek.com – Jan. 15
…"The impact of building large planes in here would be amazing. I think that will go a long way toward putting us on the map," said Sam Addy, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama. "If we get it, we are number three." He said he believes building both planes would eventually mean 1,500 to 1,800 new jobs for the Mobile area…
CNN.com – Jan. 15
Forbes.com – Jan. 14

UA to put shelters at seven bus stops
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 15
With one semester under their belt, University of Alabama administrators are tweaking CrimsonRide bus stops and adding permanent shelters to seven stops. UA plans to bid the project for the seven shelters this month with construction likely to start at the end of spring semester, said Gina Johnson, director of auxiliary services…R.B. Walker, Student Government Association president, said the shelters send a particular message. “Permanent shelters will be more comfortable for students,” he said. “It’s a concrete example that Crimson Ride is here to stay.”…

Price prediction
Florence Times Daily – Jan. 15
…Peter Clark, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Alabama, predicts that gas prices will remain above $2.50 throughout the year because of the high price of crude oil, the declining value of the dollar and other factors, such as international conflicts. “The whole thing, I think, rests on what the state of the world is at any given moment," Clark said. "I know there's a great deal of unrest in West Africa and the Delta Region in Nigeria where they produce the oil."…

Church music conference set to begin Jan. 25
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 15
The annual University of Alabama Church Music Conference will be held Jan. 25 and 26…This year's conference will feature Daniel Roth, guest organist from St. Sulpice, Paris and a world premier of work by Naji Hakim, performed by UA Associate Professor of Organ Faythe Freese.