By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Governor Riley's inaugural ball next month will be in Birmingham, rather than Montgomery. The ball is traditionally held at the Montgomery Civic Center, but it is closed for expansion. Inaugural Committee Chairman Mike Hubbard says there is no other suitable location in Montgomery, so the ball will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. Hubbard said he had looked at having a temporary structure erected at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, but it would have cost more than 200-thousand dollars for the tent-like structure with portable kitchens and restrooms. Hubbard expects more than four thousand people to attend the ball at 8 p.m. on January 15th. Riley's swearing-in ceremony will be at noon that day on the Capitol steps, followed by a parade along Montgomery's Dexter Avenue.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)