HUNTSVILLE — Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster Lauren Sisler joins Wellstone’s CEO Jeremy Blair as the keynote speaker at the annual Beacon of Hope celebration. The event is May 18 from 5-8 p.m. at the Jackson Center on the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology campus. Visit here for information. The Beacon of Hope promotes mental health awareness […]

Recently my wife, Denise, and I traveled to New York City to celebrate our 40 th wedding anniversary. Our anniversary is Dec. 17; her birthday is Dec. 27; and every year that we have been married they have put Christmas on Dec. 25! Yes, some would say I am a scheduling genius. We like going […]

Alabama Tourism Director and author Lee Sentell discusses his new book, “The Official United States Civil Rights Trail: What Happened Here Changed the World,” as well as some of the important people, places, and events from the time period on a recent podcast. Sentell was interviewed by the well known Rick Steves, who hosts the […]

In May 1962, the executive committee of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) met in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Established in 1957 with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as its president, the SCLC was the lead organization for carrying out the campaign of direct, nonviolent action aimed at ending racial segregation in the South. Among those in attendance […]

It’s always fun to see current lists of names parents are choosing for newborns. According to two articles lately in “The New York Post,” television and popular music influences many name choices, giving new impetus to Robin, Maxine, Elle, Mike, Billie, Jolene and Cosmo. But, conversely, some of the more popular names this year seem to be fading: Olivia, Emma, Liam […]

HUNTSVILLE – Huntsville’s stalwart growth and regional economic success, booming job market, and wavering affordability when it comes to housing is somewhat of a mystery to people from the outside world, but it certainly has some journalists digging into why U.S. News & World Report named Huntsville the best place to live in the U.S. in […]

Spc. Kevin L. Killens Jr., a Fort Rucker firefighter with the 6th Military Police Detachment, was awarded the Soldier’s Medal Jan. 5 in a ceremony at Yano Hall, for risking his life to save the life of a resident in the Wiregrass community. On May 16, 2021, then-Pfc. Killens had just completed a 12-hour volunteer shift providing […]

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God has not changed. He is the same God who performed miracles from the beginning, and He always will be. He sent Jesus to fulfill His promises. He left the Holy Spirit when Jesus went to be with the Father. Jesus said anyone who believes would do […]

Five hundred years ago, the theology of Protestant Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli was designated the official religion of Zurich. The rumblings of the Reformation were just starting. As education expanded, literacy allowed more people to read the Bible, increasing curiosity about theology. Families sent their best and brightest sons to become ordained priests. Seminaries become […]

Auburn University’s new Rane Center is cooking up an exclusive, food-focused getaway called the Epicurean Experience, bringing in guest chefs and sommeliers, and capping the weekend with a special nine-course dinner at the center’s 1856 Restaurant. Set for January 20-22, the monthly event shines another spotlight on the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, […]

Radio signals used to be hard to come by in certain parts of the country. I’ve always loved the news and talk format, but couldn’t pick it up too well when we moved to a Christian college in a rural area. The nearest talk station was about 30 miles away and the signal was faint. I often […]

The 200+ miles on the Singing River Trail will be a greenway trail of connection through the towns that make up the North Alabama region. Bonds between communities will be strengthened through the SRT by creating new opportunities for tourism, education and health and wellness.  Alabama is in the bottom five states in the country […]

The other night, my wife and I joined about 30 million of our closest friends and watched “Monday Night Football.” The Cincinnati Bengals were hosting the Buffalo Bills in a clash between two of the finest teams in the league. The matchup promised to be high scoring and full of aerial attacks from both teams. […]

Since its discovery in the Mobile River in 2019, the Clotilda, the sunken schooner often known as the “last American slave ship,” has gained worldwide attention. But Darron Patterson said the story is not about the ship. “The Clotilda was nothing but a floating dungeon,” said Patterson, president of the Clotilda Descendants Association. “The story […]

The Festival of the Cranes is an annual three-day event that takes place in January at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur to celebrate the winter migration of over 14,000 Sandhill cranes, as well as endangered Whooping cranes.  Per the refuge’s mission statement “to conserve the natural and cultural resources of the Wheeler National Wildlife […]

After the indulgence of the holiday season, you may never want to see another Christmas cookie or glass of eggnog again. And though you enjoyed your time off, you may even be tired of lounging on the couch. If you’re hoping to get the new year started with a little extra pep in your step, […]

It’s taken awhile to get accustomed to the new computer, but I’m beginning to like it more and more. But not at first. My old one was almost 10 years old, but quite serviceable until the case cracked. It lived because of my friends, the geeks. I’ve always tried to be especially nice to two […]

In the prepared-food industry, like so many others, winning awards at prestigious competitions and drawing kudos from influential fans like Oprah Winfrey creates a buzz that money can’t buy. Harpersville-based Stone Hollow Farmstead is earning compounded interest on that account. It recently retained a place on the list of “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” won a top prize from the Specialty […]

What is time? We are all slaves to it. We plan our lives by it. However, few of us can actually give a workable definition to the thing that controls our lives like a puppet master. Few of my close friends have ever seen me without a time piece affixed to my wrist. I am […]

When it’s time to ring in the new year, don’t be caught on your couch with no plans and nowhere to go. If you want to start 2023 in style, there are plenty of options for functions and fêtes across the state. Here are 10 great ways to spend New Year’s Eve in Alabama. Moon […]

Montgomery native and Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer was honored this month with the 2,742nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Octavia Spencer is one of Hollywood’s most captivating actresses, appearing in many films that have endeared her to fans from around the world,” said Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Octavia has won […]

The YMCA of Greater Birmingham and its community partners in the Roebuck Collaborative are bringing transformational change to the city’s Roebuck community by addressing inequities found in safe community spaces, early learning, attainable housing, health care and mental wellness. The Y launched a capital campaign in late 2021 that recently surpassed its original $3.5 million goal during […]

Throughout 2023, the city of Birmingham, in partnership with area churches, arts organizations, activists, businesses and nonprofits, will “honor the challenges, lessons and triumphs” of the 1963 Birmingham civil and human rights movement, officials announced Wednesday.  The 60th commemoration will include programs, events, workshops and entertainment, officials said in a news release.     “The eyes of […]

When Christy LeGros saw her students’ artwork adorning the ornaments on the Alabama Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., she said it left her “awestruck.” Students from Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies in Mobile designed one-of-a-kind ornaments featuring art celebrating the places and things that make their home state unique. Barton Academy was the only Alabama school […]