Auburn University student Rachel Ruhlin never expected the lessons she learned in her audiology class might potentially save her father’s life, but that’s exactly what happened earlier this year. Ruhlin — an incoming senior from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, studying Speech, Language and Hearing Science in the College of Liberal Arts — will eventually apply what she has learned in the […]

D’Road Café is a kind of crossroads of international flavor in downtown Montgomery. It’s billed as a Latin (and mainly Venezuelan) restaurant, but owner Janett Malpartida pays no mind to borders. South American cuisine is just the beginning of what she can do. “I believe that food is happiness, and I want to share that with […]

Simon and Garfunkel recorded “The Sound Of Silence” in 1964, later popularized in the 1967 film, “The Graduate.” Simon explained that he retreated to his bathroom and turned off the lights to write the song, and this explains the line, “Hello darkness, my old friend.” However, the sound of silence is often not heard. We […]

Sloss Furnaces has been one of Birmingham’s most visible landmarks for generations. Situated along First Avenue North, immediately east of downtown, the towering furnaces and stacks produced pig iron from 1882 until 1971. The Sloss complex was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1981, beginning its evolution as a tourist attraction and interpretive industrial museum. […]

Fourth of July weekend is here. While you’re making arrangements for a full-blown backyard barbecue—complete with juicy burgers and even juicier watermelon—it’s also a good idea to start plotting out your firework viewing strategy for when night descends. To make planning your perfect holiday weekend even easier, we’ve compiled a list of firework shows and […]

At the request of anglers and spectators, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR) will again have a shark category for the 89th annual event, scheduled July 14-17 at the rodeo site on Dauphin Island. Of course, ADSFR officials checked with marine scientists to ensure bringing the category back was ecologically sound. “It’s been about […]

In a world that is constantly bombarding us with noise, it is extremely important to find ways to remain focused on the things that matter most. Author Billie Jauss has developed a plan that will help people: Determine their internal distractions. Evaluate their emotional barriers. Terminate the toxins to hear, trust and go. Outline a […]

For 20 years, Go Skateboarding Day, on June 21, has been a time for enthusiasts to recognize (and play hooky from normal obligations) to hit sidewalks and skate parks and embrace the internationally celebrated sport of skateboarding. But on this particular June 21, skateboarders in Birmingham rejoiced and marked a landmark moment: the opening of City Walk […]

It was a last minute and very fluid situation when our son determined to make a job-related move to Denver. He flew and asked us to drive his car. Since the moving van was delayed a bit, we took three days rather than the two we’d originally thought. We spent the second night in Dodge […]

She was only five years old when she tentatively toddled over to the paleontologist to show him her dinner-plate sized find. He leaned in with a smile of patience, assuming it was just a rock. He flipped up his sunglasses for a better look. The fossil hunt was 20 minutes in and the smallest child […]

Lakepoint State Park, located on the banks of the 45,000-acre Lake Eufaula, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week to open its newest attraction for guests. Alabama State Parks officials, joined by local government leaders and members of the business community, announced an off-road vehicle and motorized nature trail to replace what was previously a golf […]

When the world was a mess, Alabama showed plain common sense. Our tourists are proof positive of that. Over the last two years, tourists and vacationers have flocked to Alabama to escape unnecessary restrictions and mandates. They also traveled here in record numbers because Alabama has something for everyone. From our white sandy beaches on […]

Thanks to a newly unveiled museum exhibit, visitors to Auburn University can travel back in time 82 million years. Millions of years ago, a fragile dinosaur egg approximately 2 inches long washed out to sea and was protected in layers of sediment for an incredible journey. In the 1970s, the fossilized egg was discovered by a group […]

They say dogs are a man’s best friend, but a Birmingham-based nonprofit is proving that they can also be much more than that. Animal-assisted therapy provider Hand in Paw has been serving Central Alabama since 1996 when former Greater Humane Society of Birmingham Executive Director Beth Franklin founded the organization. After years spending day in and day […]

The road to reserving a table at Birmingham’s popular Automatic Seafood & Oysters restaurant just got “bumpier.” Chef Adam Evans on Monday night won a coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef: South. Many consider the awards to be life-changing for those in the restaurant industry who become semifinalists and finalists, but especially for those who win. A […]

Included in the lists of great speakers of the 20th century are Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King and Adolph Hitler. The latter addition may cause us to do a double-take since we recognize Hitler as psychotic, or demon possessed, depending on one’s perspective, but Hitler ranks high as a man whose passion moved […]

Music can be cathartic. Mark Kelly has been a writer and a journalist in Birmingham for decades. He works at Alabama Power and is a regular contributor to Alabama NewsCenter. Kelly is also a musician and a member of the band The Burnells (formerly The Happy Burnells), a band that enjoyed some success in the Birmingham area from 1997 to […]

To help make higher education more accessible for active-duty military members, University of Alabama Online is launching a new grant that will help cover tuition costs. The UA Online Military Tuition Grant is designed to help remove financial barriers for service members who want to earn a bachelor’s degree. “By reducing the financial obstacles and resolving the limitations presented […]

“Tough times” is a phrase that is both relative and universal. What constitutes tough times for one may be different for another, but if you’ve lived any time at all, you have probably known your own version of tough times. A global pandemic and other large-scale issues have amplified those tough times for many. That’s […]

When Alabama National Guard Pfc. Elioenai Campos enters the coliseum in July, it will be the culmination of 26 years’ worth of literal blood, sweat and tears. Campos, an infantryman assigned to the 1-167th Infantry Battalion, will represent the United States in jiu-jitsu at the 2022 World Games July 15 in Birmingham. The World Games is an international multi-discipline […]

Daniel Kolson is a businessman who has pursued and achieved success at the highest levels. He bought into the thought that if you have everything you ever wanted, you would be fulfilled. The only problem was he accomplished his goals, but that fulfillment never came. In this episode, he shares how a friend’s encounter with […]

If you have ever visited the Birmingham Zoo, you know that one of the unique features is the train ride that winds around the 120+ acre facility. As a child, it offers a unique viewing opportunity of the zoo and the excitement of riding a train. On Saturday, the new version of this timeless piece […]

When 77% of voting Alabamians passed a statewide amendment to improve our 21 state parks, they did us a favor. Of the $85-million bond approved, $80 million will go toward modernizing the parks and investing in infrastructure to improve them. The funding will make the parks more profitable and improve their position as premiere tourism […]

After two years of limited activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alabama Power’s Renew Our Rivers (ROR) program has kicked into high gear again in 2022, with volunteers helping get Alabama waterways ready for summertime recreation. Mike Clelland, who has led Alabama Power’s ROR program for eight years, said volunteers have been excited to get back to the […]