Good Day Alabama for March 19, 2013

Here is what you saw on today's show:

ALABAMA UNEMPLOYMENT - We talked with Tom Surtees - Alabama's Labor Commissioner - by phone this morning about Alabama's Unemployment numbers. Yesterday, Governor Robert Bentley announced Alabama's preliminary unemployment rate for January 2013 is 6.9 percent, marking the second month the state's unemployment rate is below 7% when factoring in revised figures from December. January's rate represents 148,724 unemployed persons, compared to 145,613 in December and 158,040 in January 2012. The rate is up slightly from December 2012's revised rate of 6.8%. December 2012's preliminary rate was originally announced as 7.1%. January 2012's revised rate was 7.3%. If you're one of the Alabamians looking for a job, visit www.joblink.alabama.gov for a look at many listings.

MONEY TUESDAY - If you are a retiree and want to own some stocks, what is the best strategy? Financial Advisor Stewart Welch says most retirees want to be very conservative with their money because they don't have a paycheck to fall back on. He believes the best strategy is to own a basket of big blue chip stocks where the company has a strong balance sheet and a long-term history of paying dividends. Why are dividends so important? First, a company with a long history of paying dividends is one indicator of sustainable profits. Secondly, the dividend acts as a kind of 'buffer' against stock market volatility. For example if a company paying a 4% dividend stock price fell 3% over the course of a year, the investor would still be ahead 1%. Most importantly, retirees are typically looking for cash flow and that's what dividend-paying stocks provide. Some examples of this include Southern Company (4.7% dividend); Eli Lilly (3.7%); General Mills (3.2%); Verizon (4.9%); Exxon (2.5%); Home Depot (1.6%). For more information, visit www.welchgroup.com.

INTERIOR DESIGN - Perry Umphrey with Virginia College joined us with advice on interior design! Today he discussed designing fun spaces for your teenager. He says to pick a theme and run with it. He also showed us creative ways to create storage solutions to keep some of the clutter out of sight. Perry is a state registered and NCIDQ certified interior designer. He is owner of Umphrey Interiors and is an adjunct instructor at Virginia College. For more information, visit www.umphreyinteriors.com.

CHEF AARON MCCARGO, JR - Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr., the star of The Food Network's "Big Daddy's House," is in Birmingham to reveal his specially crafted, Birmingham-inspired, kidney-friendly recipe in honor of National Kidney Month (March). He is visiting local Fresenius Medical Care (FMCNA) dialysis clinics to share his new recipe with patients. McCargo partnered with FMCNA to help create tasty, bold meals for dialysis patients (people living with kidney failure). There are over 7,800 people on dialysis in Alabama, and many more living with chronic kidney disease. McCargo also offers his "Five spice to use instead of salt" tips - chili powder, smoked paprika, lemon zest, dried oregano, and italian seasoning. For more information on Chef McCargo's recipes and to learn more about dialysis, visit www.ultracare-dialysis.com/ And for more on Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr., visit www.aaronmccargo.com. To meet him today, he will be at Princeton Baptist Med. Center (701 Princeton Ave. S.W.) from 2-4pm, and tomorrow from 10-12pm at Midfield FMCNA facility (613 Bessemer Super Hwy) and 1-3pm at Birmingham Home FMCNA facility (www.fmcna.com). For more information about dialysis facilities near you, call toll free at 1-888-325-5175.

WILDLIFE EXPERT - Stuart R. Goldsby is the Regional Hunter Education Coordinator for Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. He discussed a new archery park located at Faucett Brothers Park (13040 Eugenia Faucett Dr., Northport) in partnership with the Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation. He also discussed the remaining Turkey Season which runs through April 30th for most of the state. Some counties run April 1st through April 30th so hunters should check the regulations for their area for that information. A copy of the regulations and Season Digest can be found at www.outdooralabama.gov or www.eregulations.com/Alabama/. Hunters must carry their license and a copy of their Annual Harvest Record with them to record all harvested Gobblers. Alabama has an annual 5 limit, Gobbler Only, season. For more information call: Outdoor Alabama's Wildlife section 334-242-3469, Enforcement section 334-242-3467, Fisheries section 334-242-3471, or visit outdooralabama.com.

ELVIS ARTIFACTS - It's a special year for all Elvis fans worldwide as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Elvis' "Aloha From Hawaii" broadcast. A highlight of the anniversary year are two new exhibits at Graceland, exploring various sides of Presley's career including films, music, touring and more. Graceland's Director of Archives, Angie Marchese is a walking Elvis encyclopedia. She joined us with stories of Elvis and the newest exhibit, "Elvis' Hawaii: Concerts, Movies and More!" which opened earlier this year in conjunction with the Elvis 2013 Birthday Celebration on January 8. The exhibit celebrates Elvis' love for Hawaii and the 40th anniversary of "Aloha from Hawaii." This is the first exhibit to explore Elvis' connection with the islands. The exhibit allows guests to experience Elvis' Hawaii and see why it was one of his favorite places to vacation. The exhibit features never-before-seen footage of Elvis on the boat heading to Hawaii in 1957 and color footage of Elvis' first Hawaiian concert. The second exhibit "Elvis: Live from Vegas" just opened on March 1st. The exhibit allows audiences to experience Las Vegas through the eyes of Elvis Presley. The exhibit features part of the 30-foot marquee Col. Parker had made to stand outside the New Frontier Hotel in 1957 and the first jumpsuit worn on-stage by Elvis in 1970. Guests will have the opportunity to view rare artifacts including, hotel receipts, and show memorabilia as well as many other items. From the first time the King of Rock 'n' roll stepped foot on-stage in Vegas through his triumphant return in 1969 and beyond, this exhibit captures all of the excitement and energy that is Elvis in Las Vegas. Each exhibit will be open for two years. Graceland is open year round with various tour options. For more information on tours, please visit: www.elvis.com/graceland.

DISASTER AWARENESS - This is American Red Cross Month and it's also the time we deal with severe weather. Chris Osborne of the Red Cross joined us with 6-things you may not have thought of to make sure you're ready for a disaster... Get a high-tech emergency radio. Upload copies of key documents/pictures to a "safe place" (back-up drive, cloud-based storage system, email yourself, remote location). Save extra batteries/chargers in a "safe place." Download key apps from the American Red Cross. Designate an out of town friend to be your contact hub. Use the Red Cross' "Safe & Well" website. For more information, visit www.redcross.org.

Tomorrow on Good Day Alabama, it's Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. We've been following J-P Dice's story and now a doctor joins us in the studio with lots of answers! The children's doctor also joins us to take your questions about your kids and their health. We check out the latest entertainment headlines. Mickey visits with his buddies at the Birmingham Zoo! And we check out what's going on at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens as spring approaches! Join us for this and much more tomorrow on Good Day Alabama!