>>FORD BEGINS WITH BREAKING NEWS >>FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS, BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE HAS STOOD ON THIS HILL. WEST OF THE CITY NOW. IT'S CLOSING ITS DOORS FOR GOOD STUDENTS, STAFF AND ALUMNI OF THE COLLEGE WERE NOTIFIED. OF THIS DECISION, THIS AFTERNOON THE SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO CLOSE. THE SCHOOL EFFECTIVE MAY 31ST THIS. ALL COMES AFTER AN 18 MONTH EFFORT TO OBTAIN FUNDING FROM A $30 MILLION STATE. LOAN PROGRAM STATE LAWMAKERS SIGNALED THIS LATEST. EFFORT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT FROM THE ALABAMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON. ABC 3340S GRACIE JOHNSON IS STANDING BY WITH THE LATEST REACTION FROM BIRMINGHAM CITY LEADERS. >>BUT 1ST WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH ABC 3340. >>AUSTIN PRATT, WHO IS NEAR BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE CAMPUS AND AUSTIN. WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY MAYOR >>NEREO PEOPLE IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS ARE STANDING. PART OF THE BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY COME TO AN END. BUT THEY SAY IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. GETTING FUNDS FOR P. S. C. HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS. IT SECURED $5 MILLION IN LOANS FROM THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. BUT NEEDED EVEN MORE $30 MILLION TO SAVE THE SCHOOL BSEE ESTIMATES. IT GENERATES $90 MILLION FOR THE SAKE OF ALABAMA. ANNUALLY, THAT INCLUDES 68 MILLION. >>DOLLARS WITHIN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. IT'S MONEY THAT BIRMINGHAM BUSINESSES WILL. >>MESS BUT PEOPLE LIVING NEARBY DON'T BLAME ANYONE. BUT THE SCHOOL FOR ITS CLOSURE IN ANY CONSEQUENCES TO COME. >>THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 100 YEARS DOES NOT GO OUT OF BUSINESS. OVERNIGHT, SOMEBODY MISAPPROPRIATED A LOT OF THINGS THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY HEAD HAD TO GIVE MR. SOME WELL. THE SEC SAYS THEY ARE COMMITTED TO PUTTING STUDENTS 1ST IN OFFERING AS MUCH HELP. AS POSSIBLE, BUT THEIR SCHOLARSHIPS WILL NOT MOVE WITH THEM TO NEW COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN. BIRMINGHAM AUSTIN PRATT ABC 3340 NEWS. >>AND OUR TEAM COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH ABC 3340S, GRACIE JOHNSON, WHO IS OUTSIDE OF BIRMINGHAM CITY. HALL AND GRACIE I UNDERSTAND YOU HEARD FROM BIRMINGHAM CITY OFFICIALS. WHAT ARE THEY SEE? WE'RE MURIEL FERIAL BIRMINGHAM MAYOR WOOD FIN AND THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL O'QUINN. BOTH RELEASED STATEMENTS FOLLOWING THE COLLEGE CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT. BOTH OF THEM ARE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE NEWS, MAYOR WOODFIN SAID. WORD OF THE DECISION TO CLOSE BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE IS DISAPPOINTING AND HEARTBREAKING TO. ALL OF US WHO RECOGNIZE IT AS A STALWART OF OUR COMMUNITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT. O'QUINN ECHOED THE MAYOR'S DISAPPOINTMENT, SAYING THE NEWS COMING FROM BIRMINGHAM. SOUTHERN COLLEGE IS HEARTBREAKING ON MULTIPLE LEVELS, THIS IS DEVASTATING FOR THE STUDENTS. FACULTY MEMBERS FAMILY AND EVERYONE AFFILIATED WITH THIS HISTORIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING. IT'S ALSO PROFOUNDLY DISTRESSING FOR THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY WHO WILL NOW BE LIVING IN. CLOSE PROXIMITY TO. >>AN EMPTY COLLEGE CAMPUS O'QUINN ADDED THAT THEY WILL BE APPROACHING THIS CLOSURE WITH RESILIENCE. AND THEY'RE HOPING FOR A POSITIVE OUTCOME TO FOLLOW ALERT FOLLOWS. THIS TROUBLING.
