September 2026 | Volume 17 | Issue 4
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New plan for Samford housing expansion heads to City Council By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. Colin Coyne acknowledges that mistakes were made when Samford University unveiled its plan to develop its Creekside Project on its south campus across Lakeshore Drive in 2025. But lessons were learned, and university leaders believe a new scaled-back plan to build new student housing on that property will be more palatable and still help the university serve its growing student population, said Coyne, Samford’s vice president for finance and business affairs. The new plan includes two six-story student housing buildings containing 494 beds and a limited amount of student-focused retail space on the main floor. The plan was unanimously recommended by the Homewood Planning Commission on Aug. 4 and now heads to the Homewood City Council for consideration in September or October.
See SAMFORD | page 30
Proposed layout for two six-story buildings for student housing for Samford University on the south side of Lakeshore Drive. The buildings are proposed to house 494 students between Shades Creek and Samford’s soccer and track complex. Site plan courtesy of city of Homewood.
Historic Homewood cemetery hidden in plain sight By KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA
Julie Sellers Muir cleans up a headstone at the Bailey-Sellers cemetery. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Julie Sellers Muir was nine years old the first time her father sent her down to the family cemetery. She remembers the errand more than the reason for it — a small girl walking into a fenced patch of old stones tucked between commercial lots off Oxmoor Road. “I remember wandering around between the graves and stones, and something happened that day,” Muir said. “Ever since, I can’t stop
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diving into the history of these grounds.” Her father told her the story that day, the one that has stayed with her for decades. Family land, sold in the 1800s for a dollar. At least that’s what the legend says. A church built on it. The church eventually moved on. The cemetery stayed. The ground under it was never sold — it was donated, and it still belongs to the family. “That’s the story I grew up with,” she said. “I didn’t understand what it meant then. I do now after years of studying and digging.”
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What it means, it turns out, is a piece of Homewood’s origin story. The burying ground Muir has spent the last year reclaiming was the cemetery of the Oak Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church — today known as the Bailey-Sellers Cemetery, for the two families whose dead fill most of it.
See CEMETERY | page 32
Life..........................29
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4 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
ABOUT US
Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley There is something particularly serene about both the before and after of a football game. Now that football season has arrived, it takes me back to that place of anticipation, walking up to a football stadium before the big game. The band is playing, the players warming up, the energy building. No one knows what is about to unfold on that field. The game itself is great — it’s what we all truly came to see and witness ourselves. But I also find such peace in the aftermath. The bleachers cleared, the dust settled, the quiet of
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night descending upon the gridiron. I call it a happy place. And it’s that time of year. I hope you were able to find this year’s Under the Lights magazine around town. If not, and you would like one, send me an email at kparmley@starnesmedia. com. Enjoy this month’s edition of the paper as well!
Alabama Foot Care at Home (26) Alabama School of Fine Arts Foundation (18) Aqua Systems of Birmingham (16) Barlow Wealth Advisory Group (13) Budget Blinds (7) Central Avenue Dentistry (6) Children’s of Alabama (15) Closets by Design (1) Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (25) Crestline Pharmacy (9) Dog U (13) Edgewood Wealth Advisors RFG (14) Elemental Foundational Health (28) ENT Associates of Alabama (10) Fresh Air Family (19) Gardner Landscaping (2) Guin Service (1) Highlands School (19) Homewood Environmental Commission (5) Homewood Parks and Rec (31)
Publisher: Dan Starnes Managing Editor: Kyle Parmley News Editor: Jon Anderson Staff Writer: Kelli S. Hewett Production Assistant: Jenn Moon Published by:
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dan@starnesmedia.com Please submit all articles, information and photos to:
ICONA Health (6) Issis & Sons (29) Jefferson County Commission (16) Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department (8) Leavell Investment Management (31) One Man & A Toolbox (10) Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (20) Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (24) Renew Dermatology (11) Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School (17) Sikes Children’s Shoes (31) Sims Garden (9) Southbound Food Fest (4) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (14) Stanley Steemer (3) The Dance Foundation (20) TherapySouth (27) Trustmark Bank (5) United Way of Central Alabama (24) Watts Realty (5)
Contributing Writers: April Coffey Solomon Crenshaw Jr. Lauren H. Dowdle Kristi Sellers Karim Shamsi-Basha
Client Success Specialist: Warren Caldwell Business Development Exec: Don Harris Operations Specialist: Sarah Villar
Find Us Scan the QR code (or go to qrco.de/ homewoodstar) to read the latest news on our website, find where to pick up the latest print issue, follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter.
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Legals: The Homewood Star is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Homewood Star is designed
to inform the Homewood community of area school, family and community events. Information in The Homewood Star is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of The Homewood Star. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.
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The Homewood Star
CITY
Work to begin on US 31 access project By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. Work is expected to begin on the U.S. 31 access management project in Homewood in early fall, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation. ALDOT at press time was preparing to award the construction contract to the low bidder, Wiregrass Construction Co. The total construction bid was $3,319,179. A state grant is covering $1,962,282 of the cost, and the city of Homewood is paying the overage of $1,356,896. The work should take about nine months once it starts, according to ALDOT. The job involves reducing the number of access points to the federal highway between Ventura Avenue and Old Montgomery Highway and resurfacing the road from Hollywood Boulevard to Shades Crest Road. The project is the very definition of addition by subtraction. The reduction in access points should increase the level of safety for those who travel that road, ALDOT spokesman Jon Paepcke said. “The public should expect delays and necessary lane closures during construction,” Paepcke said, “but ALDOT believes access and driving surface improvements will be worth the temporary inconveniences.” Homewood City Engineer Amy Zari said all the changes being made are safety related. “We’re not just arbitrarily taking away an access,” Zari said. “It’s because there’s a good reason, either with high crash volume at specific intersections or just unsafe geometric configurations of the roadway. There’s reasoning behind all the design choices that we’re making.” Zari said U.S. 31 in Homewood has seen a
Traffic travels along U.S. 31 in Homewood. The Alabama Department of Transportation has a project planned to reduce access points to the federal highway to help traffic flow in a more organized fashion. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
high amount of vehicular crashes. “I believe it’s on the high-injury network, which just basically says that it’s a segment of road that sees a lot of injuries based on the crash data,” she said. “What we’re hoping to accomplish from the design is reduce conflict points between vehicles, which would in turn reduce the number of crashes and high-injury crashes on this roadway.” Pedestrian traffic is another element of the design project. “We’ll be upgrading some pedestrian
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sidewalks, adding in some sidewalks [and] adding in a crossing over at U.S. 31 and Ventura,” the city engineer said. “That will help out a lot with the neighbors who live on the eastern side of U.S. 31 who want to walk into downtown Homewood. They’ll have that crossing there, overall just cleaning up all the redundant accesses on this road and trying to improve the safety of this road.” In July 2024, the Homewood City Council gave permission for the mayor to execute a construction agreement with ALDOT for the
project. Homewood received the maximum of nearly $2 million available in that round of Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program grants. The state awarded $40 million in state transportation grants to cities and counties for road and bridge projects. The ATRIP-II program was created by the Rebuild Alabama Act, which requires money to be set aside from ALDOT’s share of new gas tax revenue for projects of local interest on the state highway system.
TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 7
CITY
New Homewood parking enforcer aims to be fair By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. Ro’keyhdra Tarver knows not everyone is pleased to see her on the job. The 25-year-old was recently hired to be the parking enforcement officer for the city of Homewood. That means she could be about to place a parking ticket on the windshield of a vehicle that has overstayed its welcome in a parking space in Homewood. “I want them to think I’m fair,” Tarver said. “I want them to be like, ‘Oh, she’s very nice and kind.’ That’s what I strive for, to be kind. And helpful to people. But I am very fair when it comes down to it. Very fair.” Tarver patrols the Soho North parking lot, as well as 18th Street and 29th Street in downtown Homewood. She can also be found at Brookwood Hospital. “I do their parking lot mostly for the fire lanes, yellow curbs, handicap parking,” she said. “I’ll go down to Target occasionally, and I do Walmart and Sam’s, but that’s only for complaints.” Tarver is what some cities call a meter reader, except Homewood doesn’t use parking meters. Patrons of downtown shops and restaurants can park in a slot for no more than three hours. “The main things that I’ve been told is just the timed park slots for those businesses,” she said of her downtown patrol. “I’ve been told they just get really busy down here, so the timed parking spots are something that they mainly want to make sure that people are following their time limits down here, and then for the businesses, too.” Armed with her trusty chalk stick, Tarver will mark tires and shoot video of vehicles before returning to see if the vehicle has been in its spot for too long. She handed out warnings
Ro’keyhdra Tarver is the new parking enforcement officer for the city of Homewood. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
the first few weeks, giving motorists a chance to become accustomed to her work. She planned to start giving regular tickets that come with fines on Aug. 10. Named for her father Roger, Tarver is often called Ro. A native of Birmingham’s Gate City neighborhood, she graduated from Shades Valley High School and in 2025 earned her
undergraduate degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “I always wanted to be in law enforcement,” she said. When Tarver isn’t on patrol, she enjoys spending time in the kitchen. “I love to bake,” she said, “I just bake a lot of cakes. I do red velvet, key lime and strawberry
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crunch cake. Just baking in general.” The parking enforcement officer turned her baking passion into a side business with Keyvon’s Sweet Treats & Creations. “I started when I was 20, like five years ago,” she said. “I do everything out of my home, [and] I have a cottage license through St. Clair County. My mom lives there.”
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8 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
CITY
Hollywood Boulevard project underway By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress and Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith both said they’re excited to see improvements to Hollywood Boulevard finally underway. Construction workers in early August began work on the first phase of a project to widen the road where it crosses U.S. 280 and add a sidewalk connecting Mountain Brook and Homewood and going across the bridge over U.S. 280. “What they’re doing is what we consider phase one, which is not the actual bridge section of Hollywood,” said Chris Nicholson, the director of Jefferson County’s Roads and Transportation Department. “It is on both [ends] of the bridge, the Mountain Brook side and the Homewood side.” Phase one includes the installation of a sidewalk along the northern side of Hollywood Boulevard. On the Mountain Brook side, it will go from the Brookhill neighborhood to the U.S. 280 westbound exit ramp. On the Homewood side, it will go from Union Hill Drive near the Union Hill Cemetery to Malaga Avenue. The eastern (Homewood) portion of the road also is being widened to three lanes and restriped. The project includes some curbs and gutters and other improvements for pedestrians. Southeastern Sealcoating is the contractor doing the job for $680,990. The initial cost for phase one was $1.2 million, but that amount was reduced when intersection work was moved to phase two. The sidewalk project probably should be completed in the next five months, Nicholson said. “As soon as that’s done, we’ll bid out the bridge,” he said. “That’ll take another year or so to complete. … We just had to leave the bridge part out because we’re doing that with federal dollars.”
This rendering shows the finished product for the widening of the Hollywood Boulevard bridge over U.S. 280 and new pedestrian path. Rendering courtesy of Jefferson County.
Smith said phase one won’t require any detours, but it could involve some lane closures. “Just unfortunate temporary holdups as they have to shut down and make it one lane at a time,” she said. “They have traffic control out there.” The holdups are just part of the growing pains of progress, Smith said. “The benefit will come down the road as with all construction projects,” she said. “Yes, there will be a slight headache. But we’re trying to do our best. I asked the construction manager if there would be any night work done, and they said that was definitely in the cards. Hopefully a little bit will be done during the night.” Phase one is being funded by the cities of Homewood and Mountain Brook, Jefferson County and money that was raised by the Hollywood Cooperative Group, including some
Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith and Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress do a public service announcement video about the Hollywood Boulevard improvement project. Still shot from city of Homewood video.
money from the Alabama Department of Transportation, Nicholson said. Jefferson County’s portion of the money originally was allocated out of former County Commissioner Steve Ammons’ discretionary money, but his successor in District 5, Mike Bolin, held the money in place for the Hollywood project. Some of the money also came from federal allocations arranged by U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, Andress said. “I got to tell her directly that we were breaking ground,” Andress said. “It would not have happened without the funding that she sent us through her appropriations. … Every level of government has supported this project. We’re just so grateful to be there.” Phase two construction could begin in the summer of 2027 and will include widening the
bridge over U.S. 280 to three lanes and adding a pedestrian lane that ties the Mountain Brook and Homewood sidewalks together. Once complete, Hollywood Boulevard will be three lanes from Union Hill Drive to the point where it becomes Montevallo Road, and the new sidewalks in Mountain Brook and Homewood will be tied together. The estimated construction cost for phase two is $4.4 million, but that job still has to be bid out. Funding for phase two is coming from ALDOT, the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Jefferson County. Andress said that when this sidewalk is complete, “we’re already going to have new massive safety improvements,” but she’s also eager to see the expanded bridge get put in place. “I’m so happy this day is here.”
TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 9
CITY
Mayor’s Minute By Jennifer Andress September is a busy month in Homewood, especially in 2026, our centennial year! Have you taken our tour of 100-yearold homes yet? Check out the map on our website (cityofhomewood.com/ centennial) and see just what our beautiful city looked like at the very beginning. Later this month we will host a film festival at Patriot Park, featuring short movies about topics near and dear to Homewood, and look for an announcement soon about a collaborative public art project celebrating our 100 years, brought to us by Homewood resident and renowned muralist Shawn Fitzwater. In further celebration of our centennial, our District 6 congressman, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, will be reading a resolution celebrating Homewood on the floor of the House of Representatives and flying a flag over the U.S. Capitol in our honor. We look forward to welcoming Rep. Palmer back here in Homewood in October for him to present us with this special flag, and we will proudly display it at City Hall. September is also officially budget season. This year, our city manager and Council have results from our citizen survey, completed earlier this year, to guide us on what our community values and prioritizes. The survey results,
together with the Comprehensive Plan that is starting to take shape, provide great guidelines and benchmarks to assist us. Thank you to all who participated in these exercises — your voice matters! A few transportation updates for September: Work continues on phase 1 of our Hollywood Boulevard bridge improvement project, which is a sidewalk on both sides of the bridge over U.S. 280 and a road expansion on the Homewood side. (Phase 2 includes a new eastbound turn lane, traffic light and protected pedestrian access on the bridge and should go out to bid by the county in early 2028.) ALDOT’s U.S. 31 improvement project is set to get underway this month, to include a crosswalk at Ventura Avenue, traffic signal upgrades and resurfacing from Ventura Avenue to Lakeshore. And our micro-transit on-demand pilot program is well underway. Learn how it works here: cityofhomewood.com/on-demand-rides-homewood and take advantage of the two free rides in Homewood! I hope to see you at one of our centennial events this month and next. In the meantime, I am always available by email (jennifer.andress@homewoodal.org). Thank you, Homewood, for the honor of serving you!
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10 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
BUSINESS
Business Happenings COMING SOON
RELOCATIONS
ANNIVERSARIES
Beignets & Brew, a Florida-based café concept, is coming to 1625 Oxmoor Road in the former Bitty and Beau’s Coffee space near Central Park. The coffee and pastry shop specializes in New Orleansinspired treats like beignets, which are served fresh and topped with powdered sugar. Customers can choose from a variety of dipping sauces including blueberry, buttercream and chocolate. The shop will also serve specialty coffee, tea, other beverages, made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, and additional sweet and savory menu items. This will be Beignets & Brew’s first location in the Birmingham area as the company spreads across the state, with locations in Auburn, Huntsville, Madison, Muscle Shoals and Saraland. No opening date has been set yet. beignetsandbrew.com
Originally at 195 Vulcan Road in Homewood, The Broken Knife Bold Sandwiches is reopening at Elysian Gardens in Avondale at 101 40th St. S. The Homewood location closed after the passing of one of its chefs and founders, Bucki Davis, last summer. Owner Chris Talley will be bringing back their sandwiches after having offered catering services since the brick-and-mortar restaurant closed. The restaurant serves sandwiches like a Caesar chicken cutlet, Italian chicken cutlet and vodka chicken cutlet. The Broken Knife is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 205-427-0542, thebrokenknifebirmingham.com
Rub-a-Dub-Dog Bathhouse and Spa, at 1917 Oxmoor Road, Suite 100, in Homewood, is celebrating its 19th anniversary and is now accepting new clients with dogs up to 60 pounds. Existing clients are welcome to add dogs of any size. Founded by Catherine Bres originally as Generation Dog: Where Dogs Are Family, the boutique started with do-it-yourself bathtubs and a room with one grooming table — and has only grown since then. They now offer services including bathing, brushing, de-shedding, haircuts, deep conditioning and nail trims for dogs. Rub-a-Dub-Dog Bathhouse and Spa is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 205-870-5085, rubadubdogspa.com
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux is planning to open at 2701 18th St. S. in the former location of Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, which closed this past spring. The Cajun-inspired menu offers dishes including burgers, tacos, seafood specialties, salads, pasta, gumbo, po’boys and more. With about 80 restaurants nationwide, Walk-On’s also has locations in Hoover, Greystone, Trussville, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery and Madison. The local leadership team behind the new location includes former University of Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson, franchisee Matt Roth and business leader Adam Baxter. walk-ons.com
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Ruby Sunshine is celebrating seven years at its Homewood location at 1017 Oxmoor Road. The restaurant serves Southern-inspired breakfast, brunch and lunch, including scratch-made biscuits, shrimp and grits, pancakes, eggs Benedict, French toast, fried catfish, lunch sandwiches and brunch cocktails. The eatery has other Alabama locations including Brook Highland, Orange Beach and Mobile. The Homewood location was the first in the state. Ruby Sunshine is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 205-496-8710, rubybrunch.com The Homewood School of Music, at 1736 Oxmoor Road, Suite 207, is celebrating its 14th anniversary. Founded by guitar instructors Allen Barlow and Rob Gannon, both formerly of Fretted Instruments of Birmingham, the school was created with a passion for music education. The Homewood School of Music offers lessons for guitar, piano, bass, voice, drums, violin, brass, woodwinds, orchestral strings and music theory. 205-701-2144, homewoodschoolofmusic.com Alabama Gold Refinery is celebrating its 15th anniversary at 1927 29th Ave. S. in Homewood. The family-owned business specializes in coins, jewelry, fine watches, diamonds and precious metals. Alabama Gold Refinery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment. 205-533-8825, alabamagoldrefinery. com
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12 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
BUSINESS
The question that led to Vitalogy Wellness
Dr. Farah Sultan consults with a patient at Vitalogy Wellness. Photos by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
By KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA When Dr. Farah Sultan gave birth to the third of her three children, she expected to feel tired. What she did not expect was the exhaustion that never seemed to lift or the hair loss that followed it. She was living in the Homewood area by then, having moved to the community in 2002, and she did what anyone would do: she went to her doctor. “She told me it was normal,” Sultan said. “Just tired, three kids. That was it.” For most patients, that might have been the end of the story. For Sultan, a physician herself, it was the beginning of one. The dismissal did not sit right with her, and it planted a question she has spent the rest of her career trying to answer: What if fatigue, hair loss and the vague, hard-to-name symptoms so many patients are told to simply live with are not normal at all, but signals of something with a root cause worth finding? That question eventually led Sultan to found Vitalogy Wellness Center & Med-Spa in Homewood, where she now serves as medical director and lead physician, nearly a decade after opening the practice’s doors. Sultan’s medical training reads like a map of three continents: She earned her medical degree from Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, before training in internal medicine at the Royal London Hospital in the United Kingdom. She completed six months of residency training in general surgery at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, then finished her family medicine residency at Baylor University in Houston, Texas, and became board-certified in family medicine. She went on to practice internal medicine at Brookwood Medical Group before eventually starting her own practice. The turning point, Sultan said, came in 2012, when she pursued certification through the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. “It was an eye-opener,” she said. “It was about hormones, lifestyle, all based on research. I wanted to help people, not just treat symptoms.” That training, layered on top of her traditional family medicine background, is where Vitalogy Wellness’s approach was born. Sultan describes it as the best of both worlds: the diagnostic rigor and prescribing ability of conventional medicine combined with the root-cause, whole-body philosophy of functional medicine. “We look at labs and biomarkers, and we take time to really understand someone’s physiology and biochemistry,” Sultan said. “It is about finding the root cause, not just reacting to symptoms.” At Vitalogy, that philosophy takes shape through a concierge-style model. Rather than
You can find a variety of healthy supplements at Vitalogy Wellness.
the rushed, 10-minute appointments common in traditional practices, Sultan said her team spends significant time with each patient — an hour or more — working alongside dietitians and reviewing in-depth lab testing before building a personalized care protocol. That plan typically touches diet, lifestyle, stress management and sleep, alongside any needed medication, with the goal of extending not just lifespan but healthspan, the quality of the years a person has left. “We want people to be proactive instead of reactive,” Sultan said. “Not just avoiding chronic disease, but really living well while they do it.” Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is central to that mission. Sultan said hormone therapy is not just a women’s health issue; men need it too, often to address low testosterone, flagging energy and loss of lean muscle mass, with benefits that extend to heart and brain health as they age. “It’s not just about how people feel,” Sultan said. “It’s about protecting the heart, protecting the brain, for the years ahead.” Supplementation plays a role as well. Sultan pointed to CoQ10 as one example of the kind of targeted, research-based support she incorporates into treatment plans, alongside broader nutrition and lifestyle coaching from her dietitians. Vitalogy’s med-spa side of the business, offering treatments such as injectables, Virtue RF Microneedling, HydraFacial and laser skin rejuvenation, is designed to complement the wellness side rather than stand apart from it, Sultan said. The goal is the same whether a patient walks in for hormone therapy or a cosmetic treatment: to help people feel better and look better as a reflection of that internal work. Still, Sultan is candid about the biggest obstacle her patients face, and it is rarely the medicine itself. “Changing your lifestyle is hard,” she said.
Dr. Farah Sultan enjoys helping her clients toward a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Farah Sultan is planning to expand her clinic and spa next door to the existing location.
“It takes courage, time, money and motivation. It takes education and knowledge, and there are so many confusing influencers out there telling people different things.” Cutting through that noise, she said, is part of the job now, as much as diagnosing a hormone imbalance or reading a lab panel. Sultan said she tries to give patients real, research-backed education rather than trends, so they can make informed decisions about their own health rather than chasing whatever is popular online. The approach has resonated with patients. Sultan was recently recognized with a “Woman of the Year” honor, awarded at the beginning of the year, a nod to both her clinical work and her role in the Homewood business community.
Nearly a decade after opening Vitalogy Wellness Center & Med-Spa, Sultan said the mission remains the same one that started with her own experience after childbirth: helping patients get real answers instead of being told their symptoms are simply normal. “We support living longer, healthier, joyful lives,” Sultan said, echoing the philosophy printed on her practice’s own materials. “That starts with understanding what’s actually going on in someone’s body, not just telling them it’s normal and sending them home.” Vitalogy Wellness Center & Med-Spa is at 2704 20th St. S., Suite 104, in Homewood. More information is available at vitalogywellness.com.
TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 13
BUSINESS
Recently sold homes in Homewood
► ADDRESS: 801 Carr Ave. ► BED/BATH: 4/3.5 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,538 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Edgewood ► LIST PRICE: $1,050,000 ► SALE PRICE: $1,100,000
► ADDRESS: 1500 Manhattan St. ► BED/BATH: 3/3 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,658 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Near Homewood Central Park ► LIST PRICE: $899,900 ► SALE PRICE: $1,080,000
► ADDRESS: 578 Bristol Lane ► BED/BATH: 4/3.5 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,524 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Huntington Park ► LIST PRICE: $729,900 ► SALE PRICE: $700,000
► ADDRESS: 517 Edgecrest Drive ► BED/BATH: 4/2.5 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,500 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: West Homewood ► LIST PRICE: $424,900 ► SALE PRICE: $435,000
► ADDRESS: 2909 Parkridge Drive ► BED/BATH: 3/2 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,528 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Near Homewood Central Park ► LIST PRICE: $399,900 ► SALE PRICE: $345,000
► ADDRESS: 1902 26th Ave. S. ► BED/BATH: 2/2 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 925 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Homewood ► LIST PRICE: $235,000 ► SALE PRICE: $218,500 SOURCE: GREATER ALABAMA MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE
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14 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
SCHOOLHOUSE
Homewood student earns spot in elite US Naval Academy STEM program By APRIL COFFEY Homewood student Isabella “BB” Painter spent part of her summer on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, after being selected for the academy’s prestigious Summer STEM Program, a weeklong experience that introduces highachieving students to engineering, technology and military life. Painter, a recent graduate of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School and an incoming freshman to John Carroll Catholic High School, was one of about 800 students selected for the U.S. Naval Academy’s STEM program. The academy receives approximately 5,000 applications annually, making the weeklong residential program one of the country’s most competitive STEM opportunities for rising high school students. Participants are selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular involvement and a demonstrated interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. During the program, Painter lived in a campus residence hall and worked alongside Naval Academy faculty and current midshipmen on hands-on projects involving engineering, robotics, coding and technology. Students also participated in collaborative design challenges while experiencing aspects of academy life that emphasize leadership, teamwork and problem-solving. Painter said her interest in military service and STEM made the program a natural fit.
“I hoped to learn everything I could about engineering, science, coding, technology and how math and science work together in real-world applications,” she said. “The week exceeded every expectation I had! Meeting students from across the country, participating in hands-on activities and experiencing life at the Academy made me even more excited about my future.” The Summer STEM Program is supported by the Society of American Military Engineers and is designed to introduce students to engineering and other STEM-related careers through experiential learning and mentorship. Our Lady of Sorrows Principal Mary Jane Dorn said Painter’s selection reflects both her academic success and her commitment to learning. “BB demonstrated the curiosity, determination and academic excellence that made her an outstanding candidate for this highly competitive program,” Dorn said. “We are incredibly proud of her accomplishment and know this experience will inspire her as she continues to pursue her dreams.” Painter hopes to attend the U.S. Naval Academy after graduation from high school, become a Navy pilot and eventually fly with the Blue Angels. “A year ago, I never imagined I would be spending a week at my dream college as a rising high school freshman,” Painter said. “I know reaching your goals takes hard work, dedication and patience. This program gave me confidence that my dreams are possible, and I know the experience will have a lasting impact on the path I choose.”
Isabella “BB” Painter attended the Summer STEM Program at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, this summer. She will be a freshman at John Carroll High School this fall. Photo courtesy of BB Painter.
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TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 15
SCHOOLHOUSE
A steady presence, a lasting legacy By APRIL COFFEY Author’s note: I had the privilege of working alongside Luther Bivens for more than a decade at Homewood Middle School. He became more than a colleague — he was a mentor, a trusted friend and, in many ways, family. My three children knew him as “Uncle Luther,” too. When they eventually became students at the middle school, I knew they would be fine because he was there. My daughter Carys once told me, “I know he’s watching out for me, and it makes me feel so safe.” That was the kind of presence Mr. Bivens had. There are people who work in a school, and then there are people who become part of its very fabric. Luther Bivens was one of those people. For more than two decades, he was a steady presence at Homewood Middle School — an assistant principal, mentor, coach, problem-solver, car-line director, field-trip chaperone and, after retirement, just about anything else the school needed him to be. But titles never quite captured who Mr. Bivens was. He was a leader, certainly. An educator. A coach. A mentor. He was also the person students knew they could trust, the colleague who could bring calm to a difficult moment and the friend who made a school feel a little more like home. He made people feel safe. He made people feel seen. And he made people feel as though they mattered. Jimmie Pearson, who worked with Bivens for decades and served as his principal in both Jefferson County and Homewood schools, knew his leadership well.
Luther Bivens, who served 21 years as Homewood Middle School’s assistant principal. Photo courtesy of Mary Bivens.
“He was a fantastic teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal,” Pearson said, “but more importantly a wonderful person.” Bivens spent more than 23 years serving Jefferson County schools as an educator, coach and administrator before continuing his career with Homewood City Schools. At Homewood Middle School, he served as assistant principal for more than 21 years. Yet his commitment to students did not end when his official career did. After retiring, Bivens returned to Homewood schools in whatever capacity was needed. He worked in the cafeteria and in after-school care. He assisted the maintenance staff, directed the car line and chaperoned field trips. No task was too small because for Bivens, service was never about a title. It was about people. “He led with kindness, encouragement and a servant’s heart,” Homewood coach Robbie
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From left to right, Matt Kiser, April Coffey and Luther Bivens working afternoon carpool together at Homewood Middle School. Photo courtesy of April Coffey.
Gibbons said. “No matter the challenge or circumstance, his calm and peaceful presence brought reassurance to those around him.” That quiet steadiness was one of his greatest gifts. “He showed patience to others, pushed, encouraged without being overly aggressive,” Pearson said. “Demanded the best from you, and never hesitated to provide positive feedback to others.” Those who worked with Bivens saw the same qualities again and again. Homewood Middle School teacher Sheila Ezekiel met him 14 years ago and initially knew him as the quiet, reserved administrator focused on the many tasks that come with the beginning of a school year. But, she said, that reserved personality turned out to be “an incredible giftwrapped treasure.” Ezekiel described Bivens as one of the most compassionate and understanding educators she had ever known. He listened. He discerned. And then he offered what was often exactly the advice someone needed. “He was supportive in every capacity one needed whether at home or school,” she said. And beneath that quiet exterior was a sense of humor. “He was a jokester who loved nothing more than sharing the love of people and making a difference in the lives of students,” Ezekiel said. Former student Eric Davidson remembers that side of him, too. Davidson said Bivens was always calm, kind and fair. When students were sent to his office for getting into trouble, Bivens talked with them about how to make better decisions. But one of Davidson’s favorite memories has nothing to do with discipline. One day, Bivens was walking up and down the sixth-grade hallway carrying a lunch box, trying to find its owner. “Vera Bradley! Where are you Vera?” Bivens called. Bivens apparently did not realize Vera Bradley was the name of the company rather than the student who owned the lunch box. The students laughed. And, Davidson remembered, Mr. B laughed right along with them. That story captures something important about Bivens. He understood that being an educator was about more than rules and expectations. It was about relationships. He could hold students accountable while still making them laugh. He could demand their best while making
them feel valued. He could be an administrator and still be approachable. Matt Kiser, who served as an assistant principal alongside Bivens at Homewood Middle School, called him “a true light to everyone he encountered.” “Whether words of wisdom from a man that lived his life with purpose, or a smile and a laugh amongst his colleagues, Luther always knew what people needed, when they needed it,” Kiser said. “He made service, especially to those around him, a priority.” That service extended well beyond Homewood Middle School. Bivens also spent more than 30 years as a baseball umpire, continuing a lifelong commitment to athletics, mentorship and community. But for those of us who knew him at Homewood, his most enduring legacy may be found in the thousands of small moments that never made it into a résumé. The student who needed someone to listen. The teacher who needed advice. The parent who needed reassurance. The colleague who needed a steady voice. The child who simply needed to know someone was watching out for them. That is where Mr. Bivens made his mark. Pearson summed up Bivens’ character during his eulogy with a line that brought laughter and probably a lot of knowing smiles: “If you didn’t like Mr. Bivens, there was something wrong with you!” Those who knew him understand exactly what he meant. Luther Bivens gave more than four decades of his life to education and service. More than 21 of those years were spent at Homewood Middle School. His influence, however, cannot be measured in years. It lives in students who became better because he cared enough to challenge them. It lives in educators who became better because he mentored them. It lives in colleagues who learned from his patience, kindness and integrity. And it lives in a school community that was made stronger by his steady presence. Mr. Bivens never seemed to need recognition for the work he did. He simply showed up and served. And perhaps that is why his legacy will last. Because the people who quietly make a difference in the lives of others often leave the deepest marks of all.
16 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
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TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 17
SCHOOLHOUSE GET TO KNOW
Harrison chases second state title, future at military academy By APRIL COFFEY Q: Please tell our readers about yourself. A: My name is Jonas Harrison. I am a rising senior at Homewood and going into my third track season. Before track, I played basketball my freshman year and baseball my freshman and sophomore years. In the offseason, I love to travel, visiting Italy, Portugal and Japan in the past three years for summer camp (Moondance). Q: How did it feel to be part of the State Champion Track team? What events do you compete in? A: To be a part of this team was something unlike anything else. Coming off a very successful season with two state championships and a very young team, we wanted to replicate exactly what we had previously done. After coming in second at the Indoor State Meet this season, we had one thing on all of our minds, and we worked every day to never feel the way we did holding a red map (runner-up trophy). To be a part of a team that bought in and left everything they had on the track every single day is very rare, and I think that’s why we were so successful. Instead of letting a loss kill our outdoor season, we used it as fuel and let it elevate us to the next level. We cared about each other, and if someone didn’t have the energy to finish a workout, then we had five other guys to pull them along. We all wanted to see everyone succeed because we knew we couldn’t win
without them. Everything just came together for us. Scoring in 12 of 18 events, we had an incredibly well-rounded team. Personally, I competed in the 200m and the 4x100 relay. For our relay, we had three returners from our school record-breaking relay the year prior, so we knew our ceiling was very high. We all peaked at the perfect time, breaking our own record in the state meet preliminaries to send us to the finals. I was the first individual sprinter from Homewood to score at a state meet since 2011. After not making the finals the previous year, I trained every day with that one race on my mind. When the time came, I knew I needed to execute for our team to secure the title. To be part of a team with arguably the best coaching staff in the state is such an honor. All I have to do is run. I know my training is elite, and I am put in the best position to succeed, which is very rare in high school track. I’m proud to wear Homewood on the front of my jersey because I’m running for something bigger than myself, and being part of such a great team has shaped me into the person I am today. Q: What are your plans following graduation in 2027? Do you plan to run track? Are you intending to go to college? A: I am currently uncommitted, but I have been recruited to run track in college. My top schools are the Air Force Academy, West Point and the Naval Academy. Q: What would you like to major in and
why? A: I would like to major in aeronautical engineering with a minor in nuclear weapons and strategy because I would like to fly in the military and then work in the defense industry after graduation in an engineering field. Q: Who is your role model? How have they influenced your journey thus far? A: My role model is my head coach, Logan Cornutt, because of how he leads and how he serves as a mentor off the track. He cares more about us as people than state championships. While I was still playing baseball during my first year of running track, he wrote training plans for me to complete on my own because I couldn’t practice with the team. He also met with me almost every day during lunch just to talk about how I was doing. Having his support has meant the world to me. My 4x100 teammates are also major role models in my life. Having the privilege to run with Davis Griffin and Tomon Felton (both graduates) for two years, score at state and break three school records together was truly an honor. They taught me how to overcome obstacles and how to lead someone with less experience than you. When I came to my first practice as a sophomore, I immediately felt welcomed by them, and I think that’s why we are so successful as a program. Everyone genuinely cares and wants the best for each other because the faster our teammates are, the faster the team becomes. Running together this year continued to teach
Jonas Harrison running in the 200 meter finals at the State Track Meet. Photo courtesy of Tessa Teter.
me how to battle through adversity, whether that meant getting a bad lane draw or dealing with an injury and knowing I needed to sit out so I could be healthy for state. We weren’t just teammates — we were brothers who were there for each other no matter what, and I believe that set us apart.
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18 • September 2026
Education Guide
The Homewood Star
Special Advertising Section
2026 Education Guide special advertising section
AL ABAMA SCHOOL OF FI N E ARTS
OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, OCT. 17, 2026
SESSIONS BEGIN AT 9 AM, 10 AM, & 11 AM
ASFA is public school offering worldclass academic and arts education The Alabama School of Fine Arts, located in downtown Birmingham, inspires students in grades 7-12 to develop their creative abilities to the utmost. ASFA also provides them with both a solid academic foundation and a deep-dive specialty education in the arts. ASFA takes great pride in being a state-funded, tuition-free public magnet school that offers a world-class, conservatory-style, college-preparatory education to talented students in Alabama regardless of their financial background. The school is open to all qualified students through an application and audition process. Students choose from one of six specialties: creative writing, dance, music, theater arts and visual arts, as well as math-science. ASFA offers a rigorous curriculum, including AP and honors classes, and distinguished faculty who are accomplished practitioners in their fields.
ALABAMA SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS ► Grades: 7-12 ► Where: 1800 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. ► Call: 205-252-9241 ► Web: asfaschool.org
ASFA is “a next-level school,” and more than 90% of its graduates receive merit scholarships annually, said Tim Mitchell, school president. ASFA will host its annual Open House for prospective students on Sat., Oct. 17, with sessions at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. Families can tour the campus at 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., learn about the admission and application process and meet department chairs, administrators and current students. For information, call 205-252-9241 or go to asfaschool.org.
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Come take a tour, meet our awardwinning faculty, and learn how you can apply! ASFA is a 7-12th grade public, tuition-free school for talented and passionate students. Located in Birmingham, AL with boarding available for grades 9-12.
TheHomewoodStar.com
Education Guide
Special Advertising Section
September 2026 • 19
Gross Out Fresh Air Family Field Trips! Camps may be over, but not Gross Out School Field trips and events. Fresh Air Family takes hundreds of school children on outdoor adventures with their classmates. We bring in live animal shows with new “friendessss” such as snakes and lizards (biology lesson). Creek stomps with freshwater biologists lead to the discovery of aquatic creatures such as crayfish, salamanders and turtles (aquatic biology). Nature walks hear birds sing, leaves rustle and see bugs and roly polies beneath rocks (botany and entomology). Our storyteller can cast a magic spell for fairies who don’t believe in children! Kids build their own fairy castles with natural
materials and imaginations (STEAM with geometry). Children learn while teachers check off curriculum requirements. Take the whole family on an adventure. The Fresh Air Family Alabama book debuts October 27. It is filled with 75 places where families can enjoy the beautiful and biodiverse (ranked fourth nationally) state we live in. Enjoy exciting events around the state where you can hike, bike, swim, canoe, kayak, fossil hunt, enjoy Native American culture and see the stars. Sign up for a newsletter so we can invite you and your family to join us. For more information, visit FreshAirFamily.org.
More Than a Great School An education designed to expand a child’s world through academics, diversity, language and meaningful connection.
What if an excellent education could also offer something different? At Highlands School, students experience rigorous academics within a diverse, close-knit community designed to challenge, support and inspire them. Serving students from infancy through eighth grade, Highlands combines academic excellence with opportunities that develop confident individuals, thoughtful citizens and lifelong learners. Learning extends beyond traditional academics. Students engage in projectbased learning, STEM and STEAM, leadership opportunities and hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity, critical thinking and collaboration. Beginning in the early grades, students also explore three world languages — Chinese, French and Spanish — building cultural awareness and a global perspective from an early age. Set on a 12-acre wooded campus, Highlands gives students room to learn, explore and grow. Outdoor spaces,
HIGHLANDS SCHOOL ► Grades: PK-8 ► Where: 4901 Old Leeds Road, Birmingham ► Call: 205-956-9731 ► Web: highlandsschool.org
gardens, playgrounds, a soccer field and walking trails become an extension of the classroom and provide opportunities for discovery, connection and play. Diversity is central to the Highlands experience, with students learning alongside peers from different backgrounds and perspectives. Within our tight knit community, students are known as leaders and encouraged to discover their strengths. Come experience Highlands for yourself. Schedule a tour and discover what makes a Highlands education different.
r i A h s e r F Gross Out
s p i r T d l e i Family F The Fresh Air Family Alabama book debuts October 27.
September 3, 2026 Experience Highlands Open House (all grades) | 8:15-9:15AM October 1, 2026 Highlands School Boarding School Fair | 1-5PM October 3, 2026 Storytime at Highlands (4k/Kindergarten) | 9-10:30AM October 13, 2026 Experience Highlands Open House (Middle School) | 8:15-9:15AM November 5, 2026 Experience Highlands Open House (all grades) | 8:15-9:15AM December 3, 2026 Experience Highlands Open House (all grades) | 8:15-9:15AM
FreshAirFamily.org
20 • September 2026
Education Guide
Special Advertising Section
The Homewood Star
Experience the Difference at Our For 50 years, The Dance Foundation has Lady of Sorrows Catholic School inspired dancers of all ages and abilities At Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (OLS School), we’re more than just a school — we’re a family. Our close-knit community of students, families and staff creates a nurturing, faith-filled environment where every child is seen, supported and celebrated — from 3K through eighth grade. This unique family atmosphere allows us to foster the religious, academic and social development of each student in ways that set us apart from other schools. A CHRIST-CENTERED EDUCATION ROOTED IN EXCELLENCE Our comprehensive academic curriculum is grounded in Christian values and enriched with opportunities that help students grow in both faith and knowledge. Highlights of our offerings include: ► Advanced Math & STEM Program ► Robotics (including a competitive after-school team) ► Spanish Language Instruction ► Fine Arts & Leadership Development ► Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Atrium) ► Competitive Athletics ► Before & After-School Care Younger students benefit from a healthy hallway sensory path designed to support early development, while all students — from preschool through eighth grade — enjoy an immersive library experience that fosters a love of reading and lifelong learning. Additionally, we offer student support services, including resource teachers, to ensure that each child receives the academic guidance they need to thrive. ACCREDITED. ACCLAIMED. ACHIEVING. OLS School is proudly accredited by Cognia, underscoring our commitment
OUR LADY OF SORROWS CATHOLIC SCHOOL ► Grades: 3K–8 ► Where: 1720 Oxmoor Road ► Call: 205-879-3237 ► Web: olsschool.com
to academic excellence. Many of our graduates go on to receive prestigious scholarships and academic honors, including recognition as National Merit Scholar finalists — testament to the strong academic foundation they receive at OLS School. COME SEE THE OLS DIFFERENCE We invite you to discover what makes OLS School such a special place. Learn more at olsschool.com or schedule a personal tour by calling 205-879-3237. Tuition assistance is available. We are committed to working with families to explore options for making an OLS School education accessible. At OLS School, we’re growing our children in knowledge and faith every day!
The Dance Foundation in Homewood, in operation for 50 years and counting, is a not-for-profit organization bringing the joy of dance to students throughout the Greater Birmingham area through the following programs: STUDIO CLASSES Our classes inspire dancers of all ages and abilities, meeting each one where they are and encouraging lifelong exploration and study of dance. Our creative and welcoming approach to teaching dance honors the art form as well as the individual — inspiring joy, confidence and community. Since The Dance Foundation was founded in 1975, live music has been an essential component to classes for young children through first grade. Spring performances for students ages 3 to 18 are held at the Alabama Theatre in May, featuring live piano accompaniment for classes through second grade. Everyone is invited to our performances, and admission is free.
THE DANCE FOUNDATION ► Where: 1715 27th Court S., Homewood ► Call: 205-870-0073 ► Web: thedancefoundation.org
DANCE PARTNERS The Dance Foundation takes dance into schools and community organizations to engage and impact students who are very young, have disabilities or learning differences or need academic support. SPACE RENTAL We make much-needed studio space available for artists to teach, rehearse and perform, reaching their own constituents with the benefits of dance. Our state-of-the-art facility is located in downtown Homewood and includes five studios, each with two-way glass observation areas.
TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 21
SPORTS
New faces, same standards for Patriots By KYLE PARMLEY The Homewood High School volleyball team spent last season proving it belonged, closing out a 25-20 campaign with the program’s first state tournament trip since 2021. Now the Patriots have to prove it again, almost from scratch. Homewood won three straight matches at the North Super Regional to reach the Birmingham CrossPlex, then fell to Saraland in three sets in the state tournament’s opening round, a 25-20, 25-21, 27-25 result that ended an up-and-down year in which the Patriots also knocked off 7A power McGill-Toolen. But the group that produced that run is largely gone. “We graduated every single person on our team that hit a ball over the net last year, except for [a couple],” head coach Grace Burgess said. “We are young, experience wise, but we’re not young age wise.” Burgess said the makeup of this year’s roster has drawn plenty of outside speculation about what Homewood will look like without last year’s attackers. She’s pretty optimistic, to say the least. “I think they have no idea what’s coming,” she said. Four seniors were voted captains by their teammates this preseason. MK Braswell (defensive specialist), Addison Wood (libero), Mollie Brown (setter) and Kamryn Coleman (setter/ opposite) will lead the group, a mix Burgess said she has come to rely on entirely. “I can’t imagine sitting up here with anybody else this year,” Burgess said at the preseason OTM Media Day. “They’re like my bridge from the locker room to my office.” Coleman enters the year fresh off first-team
Homewood’s Addison Wood (9) celebrates during the 2025 Class 6A North Super Regional Tournament.
Homewood’s Kamryn Coleman (12) passes during the state tournament on Oct. 28, 2025. Photos by Kyle Parmley.
All-South Metro Team honors, racking up 826 assists, 125 kills and 109 aces a season ago. Wood earned honorable mention recognition at libero. Braswell said the captains have worked to build trust with a younger group early in the process. “I think a big part of it was respect in the beginning,” Braswell said. “When we gave that respect to [our teammates], they returned that to us.” Wood described a team identity built around defense first. “I think we’re a team that thrives off of our defense,” Wood said. “And in order to unlock
our scoring and rallies, we just need to have faster tempo.” Jane Serotsky returns in the middle after last year’s graduating class took much of the team’s size with it, while Kailyn Mory is stepping into an expanded role after playing primarily as a defensive specialist a year ago. “Being selfless is the biggest key to that,” Wood said of the 18-player roster’s approach to earning playing time and staying unified. Brown said the size of the group has brought the team closer together than she expected. “It’s just fun, having a big team, and we’re thankful,” Brown said.
Burgess was candid that the early season could be rocky as her attackers gain experience. But she added that the group’s frontcourt fundamentals, developed by players who have been in the program for three years, give her confidence for the stretch run. “I think it’s going to be gnarly,” Burgess said. “I can’t wait to see where we are at the end.” Lottie Hill, Rily Sims, Ella Frances Allen, Iris Gibson, Stella Juarez, Cassie Rezek, Jane Siegel, Lilyanna Wallis, Anna Bentley Aycock, Corinne Erickson, Lundy Willcox and Ann Parker Henderson are also on the varsity roster. The Patriots open the season Aug. 20 against Hoover and Gulf Shores before working through a schedule that includes Vestavia Hills, Chelsea and Mountain Brook, plus tournament stops at the Finley Center and at home in October. They play in an area with Parker, Mountain Brook and Ramsay. The state tournament returns to the CrossPlex Oct. 27-29, with the Patriots hoping for a return trip.
Cavaliers lean on five seniors amid area shakeup By KYLE PARMLEY
The John Carroll Catholic High School volleyball team enters a new-look area this fall, but the goals sound familiar. The Cavaliers were placed into a group of 17 private schools under the latest AHSAA reclassification, joining an area with Briarwood, Indian Springs and American Christian. head coach Carol Bolton said the shakeup hasn’t changed what the program is chasing. “We’re feeling good about our season. We’re feeling very optimistic,” Bolton said at the preseason OTM Media Day. “Our goal is to maintain the standard that we’ve set coming off of back-to-back area championships.” Five seniors anchor that push. Caroline Von Hagel returns to the program after sitting out last season and steps back into the right side. Olivia Sapalaran has shifted from defensive specialist to libero, while Mackenzie Beaty is making the jump from DS to setter. Autumn Stanford, a two-year starter at middle blocker, is also working in some right-side reps, and Myca Banks gives the Cavaliers a pin hitter who can line up anywhere across the front row. “One thing I think the [five] of them bring, first and foremost, collectively, is a team spirit that’s really important to them,” Bolton said. “Long story short, they just want to have a great senior season, and so I think they’re really focused on doing what they need to do to have that.” Bolton said pushing players into new positions, even when it’s uncomfortable at first, has been a point of emphasis this preseason. Stanford’s move to some right-side work is the clearest example. “We shifted the first day of practice, stuck her right side,” Bolton said. “She was kind of upset about it, but hey, it’s not going to hurt to have something else in your repertoire. It’s not going to hurt to have another side of her game.” Sophomore Elinor Chan returns at outside
John Carroll’s Elinor Chan (41) serves during the 2025 North Super Regional in Hoover. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
hitter after a strong freshman season, and Bolton said she projects as a player who will compete at the next level. Freshmen Demi Watkins and Kyleigh Lewis are also expected to contribute right away, while junior Gabi Thiga will see time in the middle. Sophomore Taylor Young and freshman Leah Richter will split time between varsity and JV depending on need. “We’re going to be young in age, but not
young on the court,” Bolton said. The Cavaliers have also leaned on faith as part of their identity, with players gathering to pray in the school chapel before and after every practice. Bolton said the group’s age range, from seniors to freshmen, hasn’t been an issue in the gym. John Carroll will open its season at the Juanita Boddie Tournament in Hoover on Aug.
21-22 before area play begins against ACA. The Cavaliers also host Homewood, Helena, and a tri-match with McAdory and Hueytown in the coming weeks, along with the Sardis Varsity Tournament on Sept. 12. Area matches against Indian Springs and Briarwood follow in September and October, with the area tournament set for Oct. 15-16 and super regionals Oct. 21-23.
22 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
SPORTS
Beyond the playbook: Homewood’s Major Moorer tackles football, philosophy and the human mind By APRIL COFFEY
On Friday nights, Homewood High School senior Major Moorer is known for chasing quarterbacks and making tackles. Off the field, he’s just as likely to be debating ethics, discussing famous philosophical dilemmas or asking friends to define what makes someone a “good person.” It’s not the typical conversation you expect from a high school defensive lineman. As one of the Patriots’ senior leaders, Moorer is preparing for his final high school football season while balancing a love for philosophy, an interest in psychology and a curiosity that stretches far beyond the game. That combination of physical toughness and intellectual curiosity makes him one of Homewood’s most unique student-athletes. During this spring’s exhibition against Spain Park — a game made especially interesting because his father coaches the Jaguars’ offensive line — Moorer recorded four tackles, three tackles for a loss, multiple quarterback pressures and a pick-six before leaving at halftime under spring game participation rules. “It was definitely fun getting a pick-six against my dad’s team,” he says with a smile. Despite the storyline, he insists the family rivalry wasn’t nearly as dramatic as people imagined. “We’re both really competitive, but when it comes to football, it’s almost business-like.” Moorer’s personality shines just as brightly away from the field. Asked who his biggest role model is, he first
Homewood’s Major Moorer (95) returns an interception for a touchdown in the spring game against Spain Park. Photos courtesy of Scott Butler.
flashes his trademark sense of humor. “My mirror,” he jokes, before breaking into laughter. Then, without missing a beat, his answer turns sincere. “I’d probably say my parents,” he says. “They deal with a lot, and then they have me on top of everything else. I can’t say enough good things about them. I’m incredibly grateful.” Following what he hopes to be a successful senior season, Moorer is already looking ahead. After graduating with the class of 2027, he looks forward to attending college and continuing his football career while majoring in psychology or philosophy.
Moorer moves in for a tackle in the spring game against Spain Park.
Patriots, Cavaliers open new-look regions in September By KYLE PARMLEY Homewood and John Carroll Catholic’s high school football teams opened the season against each other in the annual Battle of Lakeshore rivalry game on Aug. 21, then Homewood traveled to Briarwood and John Carroll traveled to Talladega in their second games. Both teams now turn to brand new regions, the product of the AHSAA’s decision to split public and private schools into separate classifications this year.
SEPT. 4
Homewood hosts Mountain Brook in a rematch of last year’s classic, when the Spartans escaped with a 25-24 overtime win on Bennett Jordan’s two-point conversion. Mountain Brook enters its 21st season under head coach Chris Yeager, who has gone 170-73 at the school. John Carroll opens region play at home against American Christian, which went 7-5 a year ago under second-year coach Austin Grammer, the program’s 11th head coach hire.
SEPT. 11
Homewood travels to Pelham, which enters its second season under head coach Ross Newton, a former UCF and Auburn assistant who also coached at Thompson High School. John Carroll heads to St. John Paul II in Huntsville for the first meeting between the two programs.
SEPT. 18
Homewood closes out its three-game stretch at Helena, which went 5-6 a year ago under ninth-year coach Richie Busby, who owns a 55-32 record with six playoff appearances at the school, including second-round runs in 2020
John Carroll kicker Max Sullivan (18) kicks the field goal during a game vs. Briarwood. Photo by David Leong.
and 2023. John Carroll returns home to host Lee-Scott, which will be led by interim coach Jacob Ozment after longtime coach Buster Daniel left the program in June to take a position with the AHSAA overseeing the state’s move to separate public and private school classifications. Ozment, Lee-Scott’s defensive coordinator for the past six seasons, takes over a program that went 9-3 a year ago.
SEPT. 25: OPEN
Both teams get a break before the second
half of their respective region schedules begins in October.
LOOKING AHEAD
Homewood finished 11-2 last season and reached the Class 6A quarterfinals, extending the program’s playoff streak to 14 straight years. John Carroll finished 3-7 and missed the playoffs. Homewood hosts Calera on Oct. 2, hosts Chelsea on Oct. 8, travels to Chilton County on Oct. 16, hosts Ramsay on Oct. 23 and closes the regular season at home against Oak Mountain on Oct. 30. John Carroll travels
Homewood’s Chappy Chapleau (0) and Gray Keown (55) celebrate a touchdown in a game against Minor last fall. Photo by Alex Millender.
to Westminster Christian on Oct. 2, travels to Briarwood on Oct. 9, hosts Madison Academy on Oct. 16, travels to Randolph on Oct. 23 and closes the regular season at home against Leeds on Oct. 30.
TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 23
EVENTS
Save the Date
WEEKLY TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE EDGE
SAMFORD FOOTBALL HOME GAMES
► Where: The Edge, 815–819 Green Springs Highway ► When: Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. ► Cost: Free ► Details: Put your knowledge to the test during Weekly Trivia Night at The Edge. A live host leads teams through a variety of questions while guests enjoy food and drinks from the businesses throughout the outdoor food hall. The event is held rain or shine under the covered patio, and top teams can win prizes. Gather a group of friends, grab dinner and make a midweek night of it in Homewood. ► More Info: theedgehomewood.com
► Where: Bobby Bowden Field at Pete Hanna Stadium, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive ► When: Sept. 3 vs. Southern Illinois, kickoff TBD; Sept. 26 vs. VMI, kickoff TBD ► Cost: Tickets required; see Samford Athletics for pricing ► Details: Cheer on the Bulldogs during two September home games at Samford University. Samford opens its home schedule against Southern Illinois before welcoming Southern Conference opponent VMI as the Bulldogs begin a new season under head coach John Grass. ► More Info: samfordsports.com
THE BACKYARD BENEFIT FEATURING TROTLINE
HOMEWOOD MAKERS & MUSIC MARKET
► Where: The Edge, 815-819 Green Springs Highway ► When: Sept. 11, doors open at 7 p.m.; show begins at 8 p.m. ► Cost: Tickets start at $30. ► Details: Enjoy a night of country and Southern rock during The Backyard Benefit featuring Trotline at The Edge. Presented in partnership with Christopher Kids, the benefit concert brings live music, community and a good cause together in one of Homewood’s popular gathering spots. Trotline will perform a high-energy mix of country and Southern rock favorites designed for singalongs, dancing and a lively Friday night atmosphere. ► More Info: theedgehomewood.com
► Where: The Edge, 815–819 Green Springs Highway ► When: Sept. 13, 3-7 p.m. ► Cost: Free ► Details: Spend a Sunday afternoon celebrating local creativity at the Homewood Makers & Music Market. Presented by the Homewood Arts Council, the family-friendly event brings together area artists, makers and musicians for an afternoon of handcrafted goods, live music and community connection. Visitors can browse unique creations, meet local artists and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere that highlights the talent and creativity found throughout Homewood. ► More Info: homewoodartscouncil.org
HOMEWOOD LIBRARY Sept. 8: Oxmoor Page Turners, 6:30–8 p.m., Library Boardroom. Sept. 10: Basic Computer Skills, 3-4 p.m., Admin Virtual Room, Computer Training Lab. Sept. 15: Seasonal Stories, 1–2 p.m., Round Auditorium. Sept. 17: Miniature Painting with September Reed, 6:30–8 p.m., Room 109.
FIRST FRIDAY FINANCIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOP & LUNCH ► Where: Homewood Public Library, Large Auditorium, 1721 Oxmoor Road ► When: Sept. 4, noon to 1 p.m. ► Cost: Free; registration requested ► Details: Build confidence with your finances: Part of a five-session “lunch and learn” series focused on improving money-management skills, the program offers practical financial information in an approachable setting. Adults are invited to enjoy lunch while learning strategies and concepts designed to help them make more informed financial decisions. ► More Info: homewoodpubliclibrary.org
KEN BOYD – “HISTORIC WATERMILLS OF THE SOUTH” ► Where: The Alabama Booksmith, 2626 19th Place S. ► When: Sept. 15, 4 p.m. ► Cost: Signed books cost $44.95. ► Details: Meet photographer and author Ken Boyd at the release of “Historic Watermills of the South: Enduring Legacy and Timeless Charm.” Featuring more than 200 color and black-and-white photographs, it explores the historic watermills that once powered grain mills, sawmills and textile operations throughout the South. Boyd will also sign copies of the book. ► More Info: alabamabooksmith.com
Sept. 30: Better Than Therapy Book Club, 2–3:30 p.m., Library Boardroom. For a complete list of September events, visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org.
THREE ON A STRING AT HOMEWOOD THEATRE ► Where: Homewood Theatre, 1831 28th Ave. S. ► When: Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m.; Sept. 13, 2:30 p.m. ► Cost: Tickets required; see theater website for pricing. ► Details: Three on a String returns to Homewood Theatre for two September performances. The longtime Alabama favorite blends music, comedy and storytelling. Fans can expect the group’s familiar mix of musicianship, humor and easygoing stage presence in the intimate setting of Homewood Theatre. ► More Info: homewoodtheatre.ludus.com
EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION DINNERTAINMENT 2026 ► Where: The Country Club of Birmingham, 3325 Country Club Road ► When: Sept. 17, 6 p.m. ► Cost: Registration required ► Details: The 13th annual Dinnertainment will be held to benefit the Exceptional Foundation. The event includes an art auction, a silent auction and a dinner theater performance by participants featuring musical and artistic talents. Proceeds from Dinnertainment are a significant source of funding for the Exceptional Foundation’s programs. ► More Info: exceptionalfoundation.org
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Sept. 20: Rough Draft Creative Writing Workshop, 3–4:30 p.m., Room 102. Sept. 24: Adult D&D, 6–8 p.m., Room 102.
► For more events news, connect with the Homewood Star online by scanning the QR code. ► Have an upcoming event to share? Email Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.
Let’s chat.
24 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
EVENTS
Tri-city 9/11 ceremony to honor victims, first responders at SoHo Plaza By KELLI S. HEWETT The city of Homewood will host this year’s tri-city 9/11 Day of Remembrance & Patriot Day Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11 from 9-10 a.m. at SoHo Plaza. The public is invited. The annual event is jointly sponsored by the cities of Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills and rotates among the three each year. It honors the victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and pays tribute to first responders and military personnel. The program will include remarks from community leaders, a presentation of the colors and a time of remembrance. Patriotic music will be performed by the Homewood Choir; singer Lexi Bresnan, daughter of late Homewood Fire Chief John Alan Bresnan; and bagpiper Brian Bowman, who is also a Homewood firefighter. This year’s keynote speaker has not yet been announced. “It is much more than a ceremony,” Homewood Fire Chief Brandon Broadhead said. “It is a moving experience. For a little while, everything else stops, and we come together as one community to remember, to honor and to show appreciation for service and sacrifice. That sense of community is what makes the Homewood ceremony so special.” Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress agreed. “It is the most solemn of ceremonies, one that highlights the danger every time our first responders answer the call,” Andress said. Vestavia Hills Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Farrell said for first responders, it is a rare chance to gather across agencies and
9/11 Day of Remembrance & Patriot Day Ceremony ► Where: SoHo Plaza ► Date: Friday, Sept. 11 ► Hours: 9-10 a.m. ► Details: Free
Hundreds of participants gathered at the annual Patriot Day 9/11 Remembrance at Vestavia Hills Civic Center in 2025. This annual event is hosted by the cities of Vestavia Hills, Homewood and Mountain Brook on a rotating basis to pay tribute to first responders and celebrate the solemn 9/11 event. Photo by David Leong.
jurisdictions. “It gives us all a chance to be in the same place with our brothers and sisters,” Farrell said. New Vestavia Hills firefighter recruits are intentionally brought to the observance so they
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can better grasp the weight of the day and the legacy they are joining. “I think it’s important that we instill the importance and the reverence of this occasion to our newer firefighters,” Farrell said. Shay Gartman, executive director of the
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Homewood Chamber of Commerce, said the day is also about unity across city lines. “This annual ceremony brings our three communities together to honor and remember the lives lost, while paying tribute to the courageous first responders, military members and all who continue to serve our country and communities,” Gartman said. Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith said the gathering is a statement of shared values. “We are honored to join our fellow overthe-mountain communities in remembrance,” Smith said. “While 9/11 showed us that evil exists in this world, it also revealed something far more powerful: We are stronger as a people when united in purpose and compassion. Our annual gathering reaffirms that our communities, our shared values and our commitment to one another will always be stronger than those who seek to divide us.”
Learn more at uwca.org
TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 25
26 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
2026 FALL
MEDICAL GUIDE Alabama Foot Care at Home offers top-quality care to seniors, the homebound It’s easy to take your feet for granted, but healthy feet are essential in maintaining your independence and quality of life as you age. Routine foot care is critical for seniors. Even minor issues like wounds and ingrown toenails can lead to serious complications, including infections, if left untreated. Alabama Foot Care at Home provides quality, in-home foot care for seniors and the homebound. Jason Patterson, who founded the company in 2023, is an Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner and Certified Foot Care Specialist. Alabama Foot Care at Home is staffed by licensed nurses with extensive training in routine foot care. Patterson has four nurses seeing patients at home in Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and Helena. Alabama Foot Care at Home Jason Patterson, MSN, CRNP, CFCS, CRC offers skin and nail assessments; Founder of Alabama Foot Care at Home nail trimming; treatment of fungal nails, corns and calluses; neurological and diabetic foot Alabama Foot Care at Home examinations; and massage for the feet ► 205-739-4581 and lower legs to stimulate blood flow ► alabamafootcareathome.com and prevent swelling. “It’s preventive care to save limbs,” Patterson says. all visits are private pay. By avoiding The work he does with patients is insurance red tape, Patterson can give “incredibly gratifying,” Patterson says. his patients “more immediate access to care,” he says. “We provide the best quality routine For information, call or text foot care.” 205-739-4581 or go online to Alabama Foot Care at Home doesn’t alabamafootcareathome.com. accept insurance and Medicare, and
ALABAMA FOOT CARE AT HOME Improving Health one foot at a time
Serving Senior adults and homebound individuals in the Greater Birmingham area Services you can expect may include: • Thorough skin and nail assessment • Neurological examination of feet • Diabetic foot exam • Skilled nail trimming and filing • Reduction of thick, hardened, fungal nails • Corn and callus reduction
• Light massage of lower legs and feet with hydrating lotion • Foot health education • Instruction on offloading and proper footwear • Referral to podiatry or other provider as necessary
CALL OR TEXT • 205-739-4581 WEB • alabamafootcareathome.com EMAIL • alabamafootcareathome@gmail.com PLEASE NOTE: INSURANCE/MEDICARE NOT ACCEPTED.
All visits are private pay. Cost varies. Contact us for more information.
TheHomewoodStar.com
FALL MEDICAL GUIDE
September 2026 • 27
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Two decades of hands-on care, one founding idea Steve Foster had practiced physical therapy for 26 years when he decided the profession was drifting from what made it work. Care was consolidating into larger operations with busier schedules, and the therapist who evaluated a patient was not always the one who treated them. So in the summer of 2006, Foster opened a clinic of his own and built it around a single promise: hands-on care, close to a patient’s home or work. Twenty years later, TherapySouth operates more than 50 clinics across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, with a clinical staff numbering in the hundreds and a footprint that runs from the Shoals to the Gulf Coast. It has grown into one of the largest physical therapy practices in the region while remaining what it was on day one, a private practice owned by the therapists who work in it. Foster, a 1980 graduate of UAB’s physical therapy program, continues to lead the company as chairman and chief executive, alongside Doug Cole, president and chief operating officer; Nathan Click, chief clinical officer; and board partners Josh Steed, Allison Fowlkes, and Alan Spooner. The company that now spans three states began as a single clinic and a conviction. Foster’s model asked therapists to build careers in the communities where they practiced, treating the same neighbors through injuries, surgeries and the long project of staying active. Twenty years is long enough that some patients have come back with their parents or their kids in tow. The growth strategy reads like a contradiction. TherapySouth got big by staying small, multiplying modest neighborhood clinics instead of building regional hubs. The reasoning is clinical
rather than commercial. Physical therapy typically requires two or three visits a week, and outcomes depend on patients showing up. A clinic five minutes from home tends to see completed treatment plans. A clinic 40 minutes away sees cancellations. In this model, convenience is a medical outcome, and location is part of the prescription. Patients tend to notice the difference before they can explain it. The clinics are deliberately informal, closer in feel to a neighborhood gym than a medical office, LISA BOR, PT, OCS PHIL MOORE, PT, DPT and new patients are CLINIC DIRECTOR, HOMEWOOD CLINIC DIRECTOR, SOHO welcome to walk in and look around before booking an appointment. nonprofit that provides therapy The front desk greets standard anyone can check at the front equipment to people who cannot returning patients by name. The door: when a patient walks in, somebody otherwise obtain it and lends support therapist who performs the initial knows their name. after natural disasters, and with mission evaluation stays with the case, pairing Homewood holds two of those work that has reached Guatemala, skilled manual treatment with a home doors. The Homewood clinic at 1280 Kenya, Zimbabwe, Honduras and China. exercise program and coordinating with Columbiana Road and the SoHo clinic Closer to home, it funds scholarships physicians along the way. No referral is at 2610 19th St. S., in the middle of at UAB and Samford and partners with required to schedule a first visit. And the downtown, put TherapySouth within a groups like the Birmingham Track Club. specialty menu runs deeper than many few minutes of every neighborhood in The anniversary story in these expect, from dry needling and sports the city, close enough to fit a session pages promises 20 years of getting rehabilitation to certified hand therapy, before work or between errands. Both you back to what you love, and the pelvic health, balance training and postoffer the full orthopedic program company can point to two decades of surgical recovery. alongside the specialty services, first steps after surgery, finish lines and Every clinic hangs the same sign, and both see everyone from posteveryday victories behind the claim. The listing eight core values with faith at the surgical patients to weekend warriors. founding test remains the simpler one. top, followed by family, integrity, service, TherapySouth enters its third decade the Appointments are available at 205-968compassion, fitness, perseverance 1283 for Homewood and 205-558-6400 way it entered its first, with a therapist and giving. The company backs the words with TherapySouth Gives Back, a at the top of the organization and a for SoHo.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF MEDICINE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MEDICINE COMES TO HOMEWOOD A different kind of medicine FALL MEDICAL GUIDE
28 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
COMES TO HOMEWOOD
comes to Homewood E L E M E N TA L F O U N D AT I O N A L H E A LT H
E
E L E M E N TA L F O U N D AT I O N A L H E A LT H
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response by increasing blood flow and encouraging Orthobiologic treatments use biological substances, Orthobiologic treatments use biological substances, tissue repair. Often used for stubborn tendon, jointbody, and to support often derived from the patient’s own often derived from —the patient’splantar own body, to support muscle conditions including fasciitis, tennis natural healing processes. One example is platelet-ric natural healingcuff processes. Oneand example is platelet-rich elbow, rotator issues, hip knee pain and certain plasma, or PRP. 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Low-intensity shockwave one-on-one evaluation.” lets, then administers the preparation to a targeted area. atFoundational Elemental Foundational Health “I’ve Clinic:never “I’ve never lets, then administers the preparation to a targeted area. at Elementalin-depth Health Clinic: had had therapy also has applications in men’s health, including For thatofpatient, the difference evaluation.” was nearly an hour this kind in-depth one-on-one this kind of in-depth certain cases of erectilefor dysfunction Peyronie’s spent withone-on-one Dr. Barry Kingevaluation.” reviewing laboratory results PRP may be considered certain jointand tendon PRP may betypically considered for problems, certain joint problems, tend and explaining a plan tailored to her health. Others disease. Treatments take just 10–20 minutes, conditions or sports-related injuries. 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Both are board-certified medicine Dr. Richardson said.provide “For the right patient, these At Elemental, that time is central to how Dr. King and these therapies may another option to consider physicians with experience addressing complex adult begins with understanding the patient and the problem,” therapies may provide optionOur to consider Dr. Richardson practice medicine. clinic is built around before a more invasiveanother intervention. role is tobefore health concerns. Their Homewood Richardson said. “Foris the rightwhat patient, these At Elemental, that time is central to how Dr. King and aexplain more Dr. invasive intervention. 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TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 29
LIFE
Homewood’s Sgt. Justin Self named Hometown Hero by US Attorney’s Office By KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA Homewood Police Sgt. Justin Self was recognized as a Hometown Hero by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama in a ceremony in May, an award commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and honoring the ideals of liberty, service and civic responsibility. The ceremony drew special agents in charge from the U.S. Army Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Secret Service, along with FBI leadership and Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress. “We are so proud to honor Sergeant Self as our Hometown Hero for his service to his country and community,” Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby said. “Sergeant Self is the best among us. Because of his service, and others who joined him, the United States has enjoyed 250 years of freedom.” Self joined the U.S. Army in 1998 as an infantryman before earning his Green Beret as a weapons sergeant in the Army Special Forces. Over a 20-year military career with the 20th Special Forces Group, based in Alabama, he deployed to Afghanistan from August 2002 to 2003 and again from October 2007 to 2008, and to Iraq for nine months beginning in January 2011. He also conducted training missions in Central Africa and Eastern Europe. Self received two Bronze Star Medals during his service and retired from the Army in May 2018. “I kept thinking, why me,” Self said of the recognition. “There are so many people more deserving of this.”
Homewood’s Sgt. Justin Self named Hometown Hero by U.S. Attorney’s Office. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Self’s law enforcement career began with the Fairfield Police Department in 2002. He joined Homewood in 2006 and has spent 24 years in policing. He now supervises the department’s Special Investigations Unit, which handles narcotics, vice, human trafficking, financial crimes and child exploitation cases, and serves
as team sergeant for the department’s Tactical Team. He has also worked as a patrol officer, a member of the Street Crimes Task Force and spent nearly eight years as Homewood’s training sergeant. Self said the unit typically has several narcotics investigations open at any given time,
and the work rarely moves as quickly as it does on television. “This is not something you wrap up in an hour like you see on TV,” Self said. “Some weeks we have three or four cases open at once, tracking down dealers, and it might take months before you finally catch up to the people you are after. But when you take the money out of it, the drug money that keeps children and women trapped in that life, that is the real reward. It is not the paycheck. It is knowing you kept someone from becoming a victim.” Lt. Greg Brundage, who has been close friends with Self for 20 years, said the award recognizes a rare kind of selflessness. “This award correctly recognizes someone who has continued to put service above his own interest,” Brundage said. “His deployments took him away from his family for years at a time. What he thinks of as common is actually pretty uncommon.” Brundage pointed to an incident several years ago in which Self led a team responding to a domestic violence call involving a kidnapped woman whose leg had been broken. After a six-hour standoff, the suspect began harming the victim further with an explosive device. Self and his team moved in, and he personally pulled the attacker off the woman, rescuing her. Self, who grew up in Trussville and now lives in Springville with his wife and three daughters, ages 15, 17 and 19, said his time overseas shaped how he sees his work today. “When you see the rest of the world, you realize the privilege we have in this country,” he said. “Any limitations here are the ones you put on yourself.”
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30 • September 2026
The Homewood Star
SAMFORD
CONTINUED from page 1
Colin Coyne, Samford’s vice president for finance and business affairs. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
“We still believe that Creekside was, in terms of its ability to generate needed tax revenues for the [Homewood] school system, was a great idea,” Coyne said. “But clearly the community wasn’t with us on that. … They had concerns about [building] height, overall mass of the project, etc.” After significant community opposition, Samford officials went back to the drawing board. “We went back, and we said, ‘What was the real purpose of what we’re doing?’ That’s making sure we’re serving our students with housing and associated amenities,” Coyne said. “That’s why we’ve narrowed the focus back and said, OK, this is student housing on Samford’s campus, no different than, say, Mann and Gaston Hall, which we just opened last August.” The project also would include landscaping and pedestrian pathways and add 212 parking spaces to the 705 parking spaces already on the property by Samford’s soccer and track complex and adjoining commercial office building, records show. Coyne told the Planning Commission the proposed project isn’t a rebirth of the Creekside Project, a mixed-use development Samford proposed as part of its long-range Samford Horizons campus master plan. “This is not Creekside 2.0 or any derivative thereof. Nor is it the expansion of our campus,” Coyne said. “Simply, there’s student housing on Samford South Campus next to our existing track and field complex, which is not going to go anywhere. Why are we doing it? We’re doing it because we’ve become among the most sought-after universities in the country in a brutally challenging market in higher education. Our record of disciplined growth stands in contrast to many other universities right now. It’s driven by our growing purpose, driven by our student experience and the outstanding amenities that we have.” Homewood’s zoning administrator, Conrad Garrison, said he is comfortable with the Samford development plan from a code perspective. “Samford student housing is Samford student housing,” he said. “There’ll be some low retail on the first floor. That’ll be sort of student-focused, maybe Subway or something like that. “This is different than the one you all heard last year because this is not a rezoning,” Garrison told planning commissioners in early August. “This is just a development plan of something that they can do by right on parcels that they own. We’ve worked with them on the code stuff for this plan to make sure that their setbacks are correct, the parking, the access, all that stuff.” Mario Neavez, a Homewood resident, said he had no problem with the added Samford housing south of Lakeshore Drive. He recounted his experience at a small liberal arts college whose dorms reached capacity. “My senior year we had to do five people in a dorm room meant for three,” Neavez said. “It was ridiculous. It forced a lot of us to go to expensive rental housing. It just wasn’t the experience I enjoyed my freshman, sophomore and junior years. … The college experience should be on campus.” But some other residents who spoke at the Planning Commission meeting cited concerns about stormwater drainage, the habitat for salamanders that are native to the area around Shades Creek and students crossing Lakeshore Drive to reach the main campus.
Elevation sketch of proposed South Campus buildings. Rendering courtesy of city of Homewood.
The latter point broached the subject of a pedestrian bridge over Lakeshore Drive. “I think it’s not a matter of if. I think it’s a matter of when,” Coyne said of the pedestrian bridge. “Our goal would be for it to have become available as soon as possible, concurrent with this. Ironically, having this [development] probably bolsters the case for the need for the bridge. We feel the bridge is necessary regardless.” The university vice president said they’re likely looking at a 24-month process before they would be in a position to address that matter because they’re dealing with the Alabama Department of Transportation. “We’ll have a long span across the creek to ensure there’s no issues there,” Coyne said. “But I think you’re probably looking at 24 to 36 months before you’d be in position to move on that funding. That’s just a guess on my part.” Resident Dee Willis said she knows salamanders are not an endangered species,
repurpose certain areas of campus that have low density. We have the ability to build our structures in different configurations. Really, if you look at a growth curve out to 2040, we have the ability to provide student housing very easily. “There comes a point, though, where we have to step back and say, do we want to grow? Or how do we want to grow?” Coyne continued. “Right now, our expenses rise faster than it makes sense to pass along to our students and maintain the affordability and the value of a Samford education. It’s a combination of raising our tuition and growing a little bit. That’s how you continue to meet all the bills because we’ve got 3.3 million square feet already. The growth is very much a strategic growth. It’s very disciplined growth, but it’s something you have to plan. We look out 10, 15, 20 years for that.” Another development recommended by the Planning Commission for City Council approval was an outdoor entertainment venue
called The Woods that would be centered around an 18-hole outdoor putting green. That project, proposed for 504 Scott St. in West Homewood, also would include a new 2,783-square-foot building housing a fullservice bar and grill and an outdoor open turf field anchored by a large screen TV wall for social gatherings and private events. “We’re going to run a lot of birthday parties, corporate events, fundraising nights and spirit nights,” said Owen Ferguson, one of three Homewood residents proposing the center. “We’re going to be really big on tournaments and leagues for all ages. We’re really excited about that, as well as other entertainment type events like live music, trivia and game nights.” Ferguson expressed the developers’ wish to be open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights but said they intend to adhere to the city’s noise ordinance. “The last thing we want is to become an issue with the neighborhood,” he said.
Three Homewood residents are proposing to build an 18-hole putting course at 504 and 508 Scott St., between Oxmoor Boulevard and Oxmoor Street. This is the proposed layout, with surrounding businesses shown. Map courtesy of city of Homewood.
but she was concerned about their declining numbers. Lant Davis, another resident, asked if there will be structures to help contain runoff into Shades Creek and if the plan was to equip the buildings for possible additional stories or use anti-bird strike glass in construction of the buildings. Resident Linda Neighbors said she still felt there was a lack of transparency about the university’s plans, saying she would have liked to have been given more notice about the new plan coming forward. As Coyne successfully lobbied for the housing project on Samford’s south campus, he acknowledged that the university continues to grow. Media asked him after the meeting when Samford might exhaust its campus footprint. “I would certainly say — and I’m not being facetious — not in my lifetime,” the vice president said. “We have the ability to
Example of a PuttTek putting course. Photo courtesy of city of Homewood.
TheHomewoodStar.com
September 2026 • 31
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The Homewood Star
CEMETERY
CONTINUED from page 1
BEFORE THERE WAS A HOMEWOOD The church began in 1883 in a brush arbor, when Birmingham itself was a twelve-year-old village and Shades Valley was farm country. Oak Grove was a dairying community — some thirty dairies scattered across the vicinity. There was no Green Springs Highway. People got to Birmingham by way of what is now Columbiana Road, or Scott Street. On May 3, 1885, the congregation formally organized as a Cumberland Presbyterian church under the Alabama Presbytery. By the standard of continuous service, it is the oldest church in Homewood — older than the city it now sits in by more than forty years. Homewood incorporated in 1926. Oak Grove was annexed in 1955. The land came from William and Amanda Sellers, early members and Muir’s kin, who gave the acre at the corner of Green Springs Highway and Oxmoor Road. Four different buildings rose on that property across eightyfour years. In 1892 the church housed the Zelosophian Academy, a private grade school run by James Hall, who also served as pastor. When the Cumberland Presbyterians and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted to unite in 1906, Oak Grove declined; the members who wanted the union left and founded Edgewood Presbyterian six years later. A Birmingham News account from August 1958 catches the congregation at a hinge moment, preparing to hold its final services in the little white frame church before moving into a new sanctuary that September. The reporter noted how the acre had shrunk — Green Springs Highway had cut it to a fraction of its original size, leaving a triangle. The building that stood there in 1928 had burned; the members rebuilt. Then Interstate 65 came through. In 1967 the highway forced the church off the land entirely, and the congregation relocated to Columbiana Road, where it remains. In 1979 the Birmingham Presbytery renamed it Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church. An addition was completed in 1983. The church left. The graves did not.
The Bailey-Sellers cemetery sits off of Green Springs Highway. Photos by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
HALLOWED GROUNDS Muir and her husband had long shared what she calls a hobby: cemetery history, the kind of interest that makes a person pull over for a roadside marker. Last year the hobby turned into an obligation. “The cemetery needed me,” she said. “It’s overgrown and severely neglected.” She started clearing it in November, and she has been at it since. The research came with the clearing. She worked Ancestry, then went deeper: the library, the genealogy collection at Samford, probate records downtown. An uncle who had spent years as the family’s unofficial historian shared what he had. Jake Collins, a Homewood schoolteacher and local historian, became another source.
Muir went through ancestry to unearth her family history.
Names began attaching themselves to stones. Her grandfather’s grandfather traces back to Martha Morris Sellers, who married Henderson Sellers. Henderson was killed in the Civil War. The Morris name survives on Morris Boulevard — where, in one of those loops that local history keeps making, Muir’s own mother once lived. Last June, Ancestry gave her something that stopped her: Henderson’s brothers, lying in the cemetery in unmarked graves. They were in the civil war. One died. One came home without an arm. One came home without a finger. Then the story reached across to her husband’s side. His great-grandmother was a Bailey — the other family in Bailey-Sellers. By Muir’s reckoning, she and her husband are fourth cousins four times removed. “That made it mean so much more to me,” she said, “because my husband’s people are buried there, too.”
CONNECTING THE DOTS
A headstone at the Bailey-Sellers cemetery.
Muir describes the work in a register that has nothing morbid in it. “The cemetery is peaceful, and I get a great
sense of calm there,” she said. “The history is fascinating. It’s a way of bringing people back to life.” And it does not stop at the fence line. The families in Bailey-Sellers married into the families in Union Hill Cemetery, Massey Cemetery, Morris Cemetery. Trace one line and it runs through all of them. “All these families intermarried,” she said. “Homewood, before it was Homewood, was a small enough world that everyone is somebody’s cousin.” The cleanup has reached the point Muir was aiming for: the site is safe enough now to bring in volunteers. She wants help, and she wants company. She also has a sense of timing. Homewood is marking its hundredth year, and Muir sees the cemetery as exactly the sort of thing a centennial ought to notice: a place where a city can point students and neighbors and say, this is where we started. Local education. Local proof. “This cemetery is a huge part of the history of Homewood,” she said. “It’s connecting the dots.” Her father sent her there when she was nine. She has spent a lifetime seeking answers.