H. Neely Henry Hydro Plant Superintendent Jeff Harris calls Katie Glenn the “Mama Hen” of the facility, adding that her caring support of her co-workers and community shines through everything she does. “Katie takes care of everybody here at the plant,” said Harris. “She is the one who makes sure we are comfortable and have […]

Although it’s no picnic, wearing a face mask gets easier. That’s Elizabeth Perkins’ message to kids who have not yet started back to school. After more than a week of wearing a face mask for about six hours a day at school, the eighth grader at Bessemer Academy advises other students to practice wearing their mask at […]

Jim Bob Rutlin has come home at last. Rutlin is one of the first residents of Union Village, an innovative community in Talladega for low-income blind, deaf and deaf-blind individuals. “It gives me a sense of independence,” said Rutlin, a blind part-time Braille transcriber at the library at the Alabama School for the Deaf.  “It says […]

In the midst of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Misty Kerr has found joy by helping to feed hungry kids in her community. “With all the bad news on TV, I had to have something to smile about,” said Kerr, an automotive market specialist at Alabama Power’s Gadsden Office. “When all this is over […]

When Alabama shut down in April to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Lorine Askew and her four daughters did their best to keep their two restaurants’ doors open, even though it was a struggle for their families. “Like everybody else, we were affected by the shutdown,” said Askew. “But we never gave up because we […]

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Alabama schools to close their traditional classrooms in March, Corey Jones said it hit his students in rural Greene County doubly hard. “We’re one of the poorest school districts in the state, and most of our students don’t have computers or access to the internet,” said Jones, Greene County School System superintendent. […]

Jeff and Bethany Meadows are opposites when it comes to their taste in hot sauce. But they agree on one thing: No family dinner is complete without it. Jeff is what his wife calls a “serious chili head.” “I’ve always loved hot sauce, and over the years I’ve built up a tolerance for a lot […]

Dr. Brandon White has never drowned before. But after fighting the battle of his life with COVID-19, he has experienced the closest thing to it. “Just sitting on the bed, I felt like I couldn’t get my breath. While I have never drowned, that would be the best way I could describe the sensation,” White said. […]

Giving back to her community is not new to Meghan Goyal. That’s why the 10th grader at Birmingham’s Altamont School quickly embraced the idea when she read an online article that volunteers are needed to help make plastic face shields for health care workers fighting the battle against the deadly COVID-19 disease. Local organization Bham Support […]

With nurses, doctors and other health care professionals working every day in the thick of the fight against COVID-19, 1818 Farms decided to give them a little pampering. On Tuesday, April 14, this small Mooresville farm will join with the community to recognize these men and women for their commitment and hard work. It will award its […]

This year, 7-year-old Diana Bailey received an early birthday surprise – a new furry friend to help fill her days at home during the nation’s coronavirus crisis. “I told Diana that if she was good, she could have a dog for her birthday in August,” said Jeannine, the girl’s mom. “But when we were sequestered, […]

During this period of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak across the nation, Full Moon Bar-B-Que is offering Alabamians a way to reach out a helping hand to neighbors and friends. Through its new “Feed a Friend” initiative, Full Moon is choosing 10 families in the Birmingham area to receive a free meal. Each family will receive […]

Alabama women today hold political office at local, state and national levels. In 2018, Alabamians elected Gov. Kay Ivey as the state’s second female governor, raising her to the top leadership post. But it has not always been that way. More than 100 years ago, a woman’s place was in the home. She had no […]

As a young boy living within a stone’s throw of Cape Canaveral in South Florida, Forest Harper Jr. reached for the stars. Although he never realized his childhood dream of rocketing through space as an astronaut, Harper broke through another “stratosphere” when he became the first and only African American vice president at pharmaceutical manufacturing […]

For kids and adults who are rarely in the limelight, victory was sweet as they splashed across the finish line at the natatorium in the Birmingham Crossplex. On Jan. 24, 160 athletes and their unified partners — family members, relatives and friends — competed in the Special Olympics Alabama Birmingham Swim sectional. Special Olympics is […]

Some senior citizens in Oxford recently learned that good things come in small packages. On Dec. 20, Eastern Division Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO)-Anniston sub-area members teamed up with Santa to deliver shoeboxes packed with gifts to seniors at the Diversicare of Oxford Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. Employees filled 151 boxes – one for each resident – and […]

Earlier this holiday season, the happy voices of the Arc of Tuscaloosa County choir rang out at the Alabama Power Western Division Office, ushering in the holidays for Karen Burklew and many of her co-workers. The choir, known as the Sounds of Joy, performed its annual holiday concert for employees on Dec. 11 in the […]

The North Pole is closer than you think. In the heart of Hoover, Santa, his elves and his workshop take center stage at Patti and Steve Knain’s home throughout the holiday season. After Halloween, Steve begins his massive holiday pet project – the transformation of the couple’s 16-foot-wide living room into his own version of […]

The Mobile Division Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) has stepped in for Santa in Bayou La Batre this holiday season. APSO members are making Christmas brighter by providing gifts for Vietnamese-American seniors and children living in the community. “There is a large Vietnamese-American population in Bayou La Batre, and many of the people are fishermen,” said […]

Although Dr. Kevin Chance has tickled the ivories on concert stages around the world, including at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City, he said his greatest satisfaction comes from watching his students grow into successful, confident performers. “One of my greatest memories is the first time I had a student perform their first solo recital,” […]

Sara Franklin’s world turned upside down on the night of Aug. 25, 2018, when she experienced her first seizure. Now she has turned what began as a scary experience into an opportunity to help others facing similar situations. “My husband woke in the middle of the night to find me convulsing, and I wasn’t responding. […]

When Shawn Goyal learned two years ago of the desperate need for drinkable water in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, he knew he had to help. “We were studying Puerto Rico and the Caribbean in Spanish class the fall that Hurricane Maria hit,” said Goyal, now a senior at Altamont School in Birmingham. “As I […]

With summer in full swing, it’s the prime season for fresh fruits and vegetables. But who wants to get up at dawn on Saturday morning to make the trip to the local farmers market to buy produce? That’s no longer necessary in the Birmingham area. In April, Will and Hayley DeShazo launched till, the city’s first-ever […]

During World War II, the battles raging overseas must have seemed a world away for most Americans. But the conflict was closer to home than they realized, with thousands of German prisoners of war housed at an internment camp in a small rural community in west central Alabama. In Aliceville, 36 miles west of Tuscaloosa, the […]