Here's what The Star's metro staff is working to bring you over Labor Day weekend:
- Saturday kicks off a four-day look at labor unions in Alabama and the South. Star Assistant Metro Editor Mary Jo Shafer completed this series as a her final project for the Knight Community Journalism masters program taught at The Star by the University of Alabama. When she was done we hired her, and we're glad to be able to run this series. It examines the decline of unions in the South, a place where they were never all that strong to begin with, and how unions fit - or don't - into the state's changing industrial economy.
- Labor Day weekend also means the return of college football. Knowing this is one of our state's most important annual rituals, we'll have staff writers Andy Johns and Sara Polsky in Tuscaloosa and Auburn, respectively (while yours truly is in Montgomery with JSU), to see just how happy fans are now that the season's finally here. That's in addition to the coverage of action between the sidelines from our award-winning sports staff. You can follow progress up to the minute at our new college sports blogs for Alabama, Auburn and JSU.
- If you're not passionate about football, maybe sci-fi, fantasy, and comic books are more your thing. If so, staff writer Dan Whisenhunt, who also writes the video-game column Pushing Buttons, is over in Atlanta at the annual Dragon Con convention. Dan's updating us all on the action through his new Pushing Buttons blog.
- Calhoun County's oldest house, what's now known as the Davis Farm in Oxford, has some new neighbors - the Oxford Exchange shopping center. That, and its location adjacent to busy Interstate 20, have ramped up pressure to develop the property for commercial use. Its owners have it up for sale, listed at $20 million. Oxford beat writer Todd South explores the house's history, and the potential for another shopping center versus a historical park
There'll be full papers all weekend long. Be sure to check us out when you're not watching the game or grilling something up on the holiday.
