New model motorbikes Once you bought a motorbike at James Hanoi Motorbike, you will have a shop at South Vietnam that is ready to buy yours Experienced staff. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but a technicality in the law led Spann to get life in prison with the possibility of parole. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 40 people named James Spann found in Nashville, Chattanooga and 3 other cities. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com). They scared me. When they first got to Tuscaloosa, they lived in a little apartment at the corner of what is now Paul Bryant Drive and Gene Stallings Avenue. He encourages meteorologists to invest in the people you serve, learn from the people around you, and get to know the families of victims. He constantly reiterated how blessed they were, and though they had damage from trees falling on their home, they are fortunate to have insurance to cover the damage and let them have somewhere to stay while they rebuild. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama--James Spann, a popular meteorologist for ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, sharing weather . James and his wife Karen have been married for 41 years, and they have two sons. James also was the winner of the AMS (American Meteorological Society) "Award for Broadcast Meteorology". He loves tennis so much that he plays for two to four hours at a time! James was honored as one of the Top 100 Outstanding Alumni of the Mississippi State Department of Geosciences in 2016. We had been in a little box of an apartment, just tiny, tiny. 8,223. Fortunately he and his wife have a severe weather plan in place, and she was in their safe place when it struck. Though some might think it's silly for an "older" person to be on these platforms, if he can reach someone there who would never watch them on TV, to let them know that a severe threat is imminent, then it's 100% worth it to him. Pam Huff (April 17) is an American News Anchor and Reporter who currently works for News at 4 and News at 5 on ABC 33/40. Gordon Burns, known as Country Boy Eddie, died at 92, WBRC announced today. It is a blessing. Clouds are keeping temperatures mostly in the 60s over the northern half of the state. But despite the scare, Spann still focused his comments on other residents who are stuck in even more unfortunate situations. First - he wants someone who has an impeccable work ethic and will work harder than he does. There was zero loss of life and no serious injuries, despite some significant tornadoes, and James couldn't say enough about how happy that made him. The most well-known of his books is Weathering Life. His eyes were focused on the sky in wonder as he grew up in rural South Alabama. He earned his first ham radio license at the age of 14, and holds an extra class license. That was the hardest part.". I've done network TV. As he mentioned while discussing preparedness, the current broadcast model is becoming dated, but reinvention is coming and will continue to make our field better. THIS AFTERNOON: The sky is mostly sunny across South Alabama this afternoon, where temperatures are now in the mid 70s. And she got us into this house right here. But despite the scare, Spann still focused his comments on other residents who are stuck in even more unfortunate situations. There is so much damage everywhere. ", BBC1's live FA Cup coverage hit by porn noises from mobile hidden by prankster, Three major energy suppliers paying you to turn off appliances tonight, Major bar chain to close on Mondays and Tuesdays due to rocketing energy bills, Gran's tribute to girl, 4, & mum killed after being hit by racing Audi', News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 1. Hard-working. $19.95 $ 19. By then, Spann was 37, and his father was in declining health, impaired by a condition known as alcohol dementia, brought on by years of alcohol abuse. Because James was dissatisfied with Foxs diet of reality shows and other programming, he joined some of his former WBRC coworkers at ABC 33/40, which was founded by merging Annistons WCFT and WJSU-TV with a new low-power repeater in Birmingham. Lets hope we still get a few more years of Saban on college sidelines before he starts chasing hurricanes with his friend Spann! The presenter had been warning viewers about severe weather conditions in Alabama on WBMA-LD. "I have not been in this house since I moved out in 1978," the 63-year-old Spann says. Though he says he learned that late in life, he now realizes that were put here to help people. ALABAMA has been ravaged by a series of several deadly tornadoes, toppling trees, destroying homes, and cutting off power supplies across the state. ABC 33/40 meteorologist James Spann, however, once said it came with ample warning. In fact, anytime there is a big severe weather event, he always thinks "What would J.B. do One of my favorite CBE memories was in March 1993, when I had to host his program during a generational blizzard. And I dont take it for granted.". Burns' show ran from the late 1950s until the early 1990s. He won the 1985 Katy Award for Best Weathercaster from the Dallas Press Club while he was there. The call letters, WBBR, stood for Black Bear Radio, in honor of the school mascot. Spann has an estimated net worth of between $1 million and $5 million as of 2023. Those are the people he wants to focus on when giving back after severe weather events. Back in 1994, Spann admitted to shooting 17-year-old Karie Ann Newberry in the head, dumping her body in a wooded area in Dickson and then setting her body on fire. . And weather phenomenons do not discriminate - seen during meteorologist James Spann's coverage of the deadly conditions. She was probably making $500 a year, and you can't raise a child on that, even in the '60s.". Nick Saban is a noted Weather Channel aficionado and was joined by meteorologist James Spann for his Thursday evening radio show this week. "I must be the Forrest Gump of the new millennium or something," Spann wrote in one chapter of his upcoming memoir, "Weathering Life." The 2011 tornado still weighs heavily on Spann, not just because of the damage it caused to the city where he grew up, but because of the high number of deaths from the storms. James Max Spann Jr. is James Spann's real name. ", James Spann, front row, far right, is pictured here with some of his fellow Tuscaloosa High School students who launched the school radio station WBBR in 1973. How old is James Spann? However, just because the state might not experience a massive outbreak as it did on that day, all it takes is one tornado. Since then, James has been working for ABC 33/40. He let James come to the NWS office to watch him work, and most importantly, he was always an encourager. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. "During that time at TBC, we had all these horrific tornado events, horrible tornado events -- Brent in 1973, the Super Outbreak in 1974, Tuscaloosa in 1975, when a lady was killed at the Scottish Inn, and then Smithfield in 1977, in Birmingham -- all these big events. His alarm goes off at 4:30 AM most mornings, earlier if there is a severe weather threat in the area, and he starts his mornings at his home studio. All rights reserved. Home; Rentals. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In 1985, the Dallas Press Club named him the best weathercaster in the Metroplex, beating out strong competition like Harold Taft of KXAS-TV and Troy Dungan of WFAA-TV. Spann is the son of Max and Carolyn Spann. But nothing will ever beat the excitement of that night on that 250-watt radio station. James began working for WSFA in Montgomery in late 1978 as a weekend sports anchor and part-time weatherman. James Spann | January 13, 2023 @ 3:21 pm COLD WINTER DAY: Temperatures are only in the mid to upper 30s across the northern half of Alabama this afternoon with clouds and a few light snow flurries. After three years in Demopolis, he came back to Birmingham in 1989 and returned to doing what he loved, anchoring the weather at WBRC/Channel 6. (Photo from James Spann's "Weathering Life"). While it takes a good chunk of time, he serving the community is just as important for his personal mental health as it is for the community. "There are some people when I was a kid that would tell me I would be nothing," he said. James Max Spann Jr. (born June 6, 1956) is a television meteorologist and podcast host based in Birmingham, Alabama. Select this result to view James H Spann's phone number, address, and more. WBRC had been displaced as Birminghams ABC affiliate by the newly created station. Simultaneously, he enrolled at Mississippi State University in a meteorology program. His income is mainly attributed to his successful career as a meteorologist. Indoor & Outdoor SMD Screens, LED Displays, Digital Signage & Video Wall Solutions in Pakistan In all, James has been a television weather anchor for 44 years. He wanted to write a book for kids who loved science and weather, but also a book that addressed fear by giving valuable information to overcome that fear and not scare them. James Spann reflects on April 27, 2011, tornado outbreak, As Alabama's most recognizable TV weatherman, James Spann takes it personally. The couple share two children, James and Ryan. Friendly. The duo tied the knot on June 6, 1981. They knew I couldn't afford a ham radio, but they would give me their old equipment to use.". Nothing has ever topped that. Carolyn Spann encouraged her son's passion, driving him to ham radio gatherings in Birmingham and letting him hang antennas and wires all over their new house. James talked highly of the next generation, praising the younger and upcoming workforce as brilliant with outstanding work ethics. He said: "What Im doing is texting my wife to be sure shes in the shelter.". Julien Saunders of Rich and Regular talks about how he and his wife give back Episode 2172: When, Why and How We Give by Julien Saunders Julien and Kiersten started rich & REGULAR in 2017 after their stint in real estate investing led them to discover the F.I.R.E movement. He also has been awarded the Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association and holds a certificate in broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State University. All rights reserved (About Us). I think the reason he became so great was because he run my show that morning when that big snow was on and he learned all about braying like a mule, riding a mule, hanging there like a rusty fishhook, Burns said in 2013. Reach Drew Taylor at drew.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204. Likewise, it was James birthday on June 6. James Spann keeps himself busy. Spann was 7 years old when his father, Max Spann, walked out on him and his mother, setting in motion a chain of circumstances that led him to Tuscaloosa and eventually into a 40-plus-year career as a meteorologist, the last 23 of which he's been at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. He currently works for WBMA-LD (ABC 33/40), Birmingham's ABC affiliate. Brenda Ladun, a 33/40 anchor who has known Spann for more than 20 years, considers the longtime meteorologist like the brother she never had. After Spann finished the fourth grade, though, they moved again, this time to Tuscaloosa so his mother could complete her education degree at the University of Alabama and become a schoolteacher. Then it was off to Dallas for two years at KDFW/Channel 4 before he got homesick and came back to Alabama. In all, James has been a television weather anchor for 32 years. James Spann has covered severe weather in Alabama since the 1970s. Karen told her husband: "Oh, it's a miracle. James Spann is a television meteorologist and podcast host in Birmingham, Alabama. The obituary was featured in . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. In his spare time, James enjoys tennis and amateur radio. That was probably the worst hour in local TV history. His father died just a couple of years later, and Spann spread his ashes at the family gravesite in Industry, a little community back home in Butler County. While he was a child, his family relocated to Greenville, Butler County. James, the meteorologist for ABC 33/40, is content with his life. Little information is available on his wife, but the pair got hitched on June 6, 1981, and have been married for 40 years. After finishing fifth grade at Verner Elementary, he transferred to Eastwood Junior High School. At least five people are dead and multiple casualties have been reported after seven deadly tornadoes tore through the state of Alabama. The best result we found for your search is James H Spann age 50s in Lake Mary, FL. In the summer of 1978, he began his television career at 33/40 precursor WCFT in Tuscaloosa, the 33 in 33/40. Spann asked Saban if he ever gets tired of getting asked about retirement, and Saban had a great response. My life was there.". He later shared an image of the damage sustained in his backyard on air, saying, "Ill shoot straight with you guys, thats my backyard. Bill Bolen was asleep on a cot. What did come as a surprise to Spann was when he was called to fill in for beloved TV personality Country Boy Eddie the following Monday morning. A huge tree just missed our house! by richard keech, steven keech, et al. "That had never been done in the market before, and everyone has followed suit ever since.". We lost a lot of trees. 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