Hoover Sun January 2026

January 2026 | Volume 14 | Issue 4

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Pushing the envelope Signature Homes thinks big with Everlee amenity center

By EMILY REED

W

hen Signature Homes was designing the amenity center for Everlee, its latest resort-style community in Hoover, the company really wanted something to make it stand apart from typical amenity centers.

With the help of Nequette Architecture and Design, Signature Homes CEO Jonathan Belcher thinks they have accomplished that.

The new $15 million 30,000-square-foot amenity center,

which fully opened in November, features a zero-entry resortstyle pool that is nine thousand square feet. There are also pickleball courts, a putting green, a place to play corn hole, an indoor golf simulator, a large-scale game room, a pet washing station, indoor lounging and social clubhouses, outdoor grilling and dining areas, indoor and outdoor fitness spots, an outdoor social green space, a flex space for meeting rooms and social events, and a demo kitchen for potential cooking demonstrations.

See EVERLEE | page 26

Simmons, Riverchase teachers shine as Hoover’s Teachers of the Year

By JON ANDERSON Simmons Middle School science teacher Krystal Pettit originally thought she wanted to be a science lab researcher, but when she taught adult botany classes at the Denver Botanical Gardens in the 1990s, things changed.

“I just fell in love with teaching,” said Pettit, who in December was named the Hoover School District’s Secondary Teacher of the Petit Year.

The experience changed the course of her life.

She moved to Orange County, California, got certified as a teacher and began a new journey that included teaching three years in a Miller gang-heavy part of Orange County, two years in Riverside County, California, and three years in Texas. She moved to Alabama in 2007 and is now in her 19th year of teaching at Simmons.

She now will be considered in the Alabama Teacher of the Year competition, along with Callie Miller, a special education teacher at Riverchase Elementary who was named Hoover’s Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Signature Homes’ $15 million, 30,000-square-foot amenity center for the Everlee community. Photo courtesy of Signature Homes.

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See TEACHERS | page 24 Scan the QR code to follow us online!

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Brock Bradley earns second straight Player of the Year award.

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2 • January 2026

Hoover Sun SPONSORED CONTENT

Honoring Character, Inspiring Generations: The Enduring Impact of the Finley Awards

T

he late, legendary Bob Finley — while serving as head coach at the old W.A. Berry High School in Hoover — taught his students as much about integrity and character as he did about football.

Finley taught hundreds of young people — both athletes and non-athletes — the importance of such values as humility, discipline, hard work, honesty, loyalty, generosity and compassion.

Not only that, but he actually lived those values and taught young people by example.

Finley, who died in 1994, left a tremendous legacy because of the thousands of people he influenced and his impact on the entire community.

That’s why the Hoover City Schools, since 1996, have bestowed the annual Finley Awards to promote character.

“Coach Finley made a difference for so many people, and he continues to make a difference,” says Dr. Amanda Esslinger, the principal at Spain Park High School. “Even decades after death, his legacy lives on because of the man, teacher and coach he was.”

Each year, The Finley Awards honor one senior from each high school and one Hoover City Schools employee. The awards program also bestows recognitions of good character to students in each Hoover school, beginning in kindergarten.

The Finley Awards are important because they encourage personal qualities that students will really need in their adult lives.

“School is a lot more than doing well in math class or winning the game on Friday night,”

“School is a lot more than doing well in math class or winning the game on Friday night.

It is about the skills you need to succeed in the real world. The award does a great job of recognizing these qualities that help a student to be successful and continue to make a difference like Coach Finley did.”

Dr. Amanda Esslinger Spain Park High School Principal Dr. Esslinger says. “It is about the skills you need to succeed in the real world. The award does a great job of recognizing these qualities that help a student to be successful and continue to make a difference like Coach Finley did.”

Coach Finley also remains an inspiration to other teachers. “As an educator, it is inspiring to see the difference that one person can make,” Dr. Esslinger says.

The Finley Committee is chaired by Stephen Burns. A former Finley Award Winner at Hoover High School, Rotimi Kukoyi — now attending UNC-Chapel Hill — was recently named a Rhodes Scholar for 2026.

For more about the Finley Awards, go to hoovercityschools.net/finleyawards

2026 Finley Awards Season January is the beginning of the 2026 Finley Awards season, and the following events are scheduled: » Teachers in the Trenches Breakfast: January 29 at Hoover Randle Home & Gardens » Finley Recognition Announcements: Award nominees will be announced in February » Senior Nominees Breakfast: March 4 at The Finley Center » Finley Awards Recognition: March 19 at The Finley Center

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4 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

ABOUT US

Editor’s Note By Jon Anderson I’ve been covering Hoover schools in one way or another for 26 years, and one thing I’ve noticed is that the teachers selected for Teacher of the Year have some things in common — they all are passionate about what they do.

They love teaching, and they are very knowledgeable about the subject matter they teach.

But what sticks out to me more than anything is that the best teachers seem to focus on building relationships and connecting with their students.

They truly care, and students usually pick up on that. And they go to great lengths to make their lessons engaging for students. It doesn’t happen by

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accident. It takes a lot of preparation and planning — and creativity.

In this edition, I hope you enjoy reading our cover story about this year’s Teachers of the Year, Krystal Pettit and Callie Miller, as well as Emily Reed’s piece on a very grand amenity center in the Everlee community. We also share more about Hoover’s new police chief, Clay Morris.

Happy reading, and Happy New Year!

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6 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

CITY

Called to serve Hoover’s new police chief has law enforcement in his blood

Above: Hoover’s new police chief, Clay Morris.

Left: Morris meets with his command staff on Dec. 9.

By JON ANDERSON Hoover’s new police chief, Clay Morris, developed his affinity for law enforcement honestly.

His father, Jim Morris, worked his entire career in law enforcement, including time as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. His dad founded the criminal justice program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, as well as the police academy that Morris attended. His mother worked as the administrative assistant in the crime lab in Monroe.

“If I was sick from school, I would spend my days sitting at the crime lab with her,” he said.

His brother, Todd, has spent more than 35 years in law enforcement and in 2024 became the police chief in Saint George, Louisiana. He also has a nephew with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and a niece who is an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

“I come from a family of public servants,” Morris said. “I don’t know what else I would do. That’s what I was born and raised to do. It’s a calling, without question. You do not survive this career with decades in law enforcement without it being a calling.”

Morris has more than 30 years in law enforcement himself. He started with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy sheriff while he was in college. He worked in Monroe’s marshal’s office while he was in graduate school and served about two years in the metro Monroe drug task force.

He spent the bulk of his career — 25 years — with the DEA, serving in Dallas, Atlanta, Amarillo, Nashville, a satellite of the District of Columbia office and Birmingham, where he served many years as the assistant special agent in charge.

During his time with the DEA, he was involved in some high-level international investigations that brought in some of the most violent and largest drug traffickers in the world, he said. And in Birmingham, his office was involved in a case in which more than 50 people were arrested on federal charges related to heroin distribution, including two cases of distribution that led to death.

Morris was Pell City’s police chief for almost four years before being hired to replace Nick Derzis in Hoover on Dec. 1.

WHY COME TO HOOVER?

Morris said when the Hoover job opened up, it was something he couldn’t pass up. “You can’t turn down an opportunity to try to be the chief of police of Hoover, Alabama,” he said.

“It’s literally the best department in the state of Alabama. It’s known throughout the Southeast. It always has been known for cutting-edge excellence and operations and leadership.”

Following in Derzis’ footsteps is a challenge, but Morris said he aims to continue the pursuit of excellence. He believes the executive responsibilities he had with the DEA has well prepared him for the job in Hoover. He knows how to deal with multimillion-dollar budgets and the intricacies of personnel and administrative issues, he said.

Below: Morris, second from right, poses for a photo with his wife, two of his children, Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis and, behind them, the Hoover City Council on Nov. 24.

Photos by Jon Anderson.

In his time with the DEA, he worked with countless police departments across the country, from the largest to the smallest. “I think I can bring that insight and perspectives from those departments and bring what’s good, and I also know what’s bad,” he said.

Morris said the first thing he did in Hoover was to meet with all the police department employees in groups. The department is going through a lot of change with a new chief and the retirement of the assistant chief and executive officer, and he knows change can be unsettling for some people. He doesn’t anticipate making any wholesale changes immediately but will be looking for ways to improve efficiencies where possible, he said.

BUDGET CHALLENGE

The biggest challenge facing the department now is not crime; it’s the budget, Morris said.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some line items in the budget have been cut 20-30%, and “we’ve got to get that back to where we can do our job at the same level and standard of excellence that has always been done,” he said.

“I understand being a good steward of taxpayer money, but crime changes, technology changes, criminals change — and we have to be able to keep up with that. We have to hire the best officers. We have to have the best equipment.”

Hoover has 191 sworn police officers now but needs about 200 for its size, he said. He’s asking for five new officer positions immediately and likely five more at the mid-year budget point, and he thinks the city council is open to that.

“

I truly believe that Hoover is on the cusp of a very transformative almost Renaissance period for the city of Hoover, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.

”

CLAY MORRIS

He also wants to work on recruiting so that Hoover can once again attract good officers from other departments instead of hiring so many people who still have to go through the police academy, he said.

“Recruiting has been hard the last few years, but I think we’ve turned the corner on that,” he said. “I think you’ve seen that nationally.”

Morris also wants to expand the city’s use of drones as first responders. There is one first responder drone at Hoover City Hall right now, and he wants to add more of those in the eastern and western parts of the city, he said.

“Without question, it’s a game changer in response time for situational awareness for our officers,” Morris said. “You can have a drone up and at a scene in minutes. … With a violent call, it changes our response. It changes our tactics and makes us more efficient.”

The city’s fleet of police vehicles also needs updating, he said.

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

Morris also said he’s eager to continue to build and strengthen partnerships — with faithbased organizations, businesses and other law enforcement agencies. “Partnerships matter,” he said. “We can’t do it alone.”

Morris did not have to move his residence because he and his wife already live in an area off U.S. 280. He has a daughter at Briarwood Christian School and two sons — one working in Memphis and another who is a senior at Auburn University.

Derzis said there were seven applications to fill his shoes as Hoover’s top cop. Picking one of them was a very tough decision, but he knows that Morris is the right one for the job, he said.

Derzis has known Morris for more than 12 years and said he believes he is handing the reins of the Hoover Police Department over to someone who is smart, tenacious and innovative and who will continue to keep Hoover one of the safest communities in the country.

Morris thanked the mayor and city council for putting their trust in him.

“It’s not lost on me [that] I’m replacing a chief that has been here almost 21 years. The gravity of that is fairly heavy,” he said. “I will bring an honest and dedicated work ethic that will be second to none. I truly believe that Hoover is on the cusp of a very transformative almost Renaissance period for the city of Hoover, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.”

HooverSun.com

January 2026 • 7

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8 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

CITY

State legislators from Hoover discuss priorities for this year

By JON ANDERSON The state Legislature goes into session on Jan. 13, and legislators representing the parts of Hoover in Shelby County recently shared that some of their priorities in this session will be to address issues affecting children, such as education and health care.

Their comments came during a meeting of the Shelby County delegation with the Shelby County Chamber.

State Rep. Leigh Hulsey, who represents Alabama House District 15 (including parts of Hoover, Helena, McCalla and Bessemer), said one of her big goals is to pass legislation that would ban teachers from using the three-cueing method of reading instruction as a primary teaching method instead of the more traditional phonics-based instruction.

Three-cueing involves guessing the meaning of words based on context clues, such as syntax or associated pictures.

“We want you to teach kids how to read using phonics,” Hulsey said. “We don’t want ’em being taught how to guess or how to use context clues or syntax clues to figure out how to read because that’s not reading. That’s just memorization, and it is absolutely a disservice to our children and future workers in this state and this country, wherever they end up.”

Some parents whose children are being taught this way in public schools are having to hire reading tutors to teach their children the more appropriate way, but many families in rural areas don’t have the resources available to them to do that, Hulsey said.

“It’s a huge disadvantage to those children and those families,” she said. “It’s a really important piece to our kiddos in learning. … If you do not have kids coming out of school who can read and do math, you do not have a workforce.”

State Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-north Shelby County, (left) joins other state legislators from Shelby County in giving an update to the Shelby Chamber on legislative mattters at The Grande Hall in Columbiana on Dec. 4. Legislators seated include state Reps. Corley Ellis, Russell Bedsole, Jim Carns, Leigh Hulsey, Susan DuBose, Kenneth Paschal and state Sen. Lance Bell. Photos by Jon Anderson.

Hulsey has gotten the bill passed in the Alabama House the past two years, but it has never passed in the Senate. “It’s critical that we get that out this year,” she said. “That’s a big priority for me this time.”

State Rep. Arnold Mooney of House District 43 in north Shelby County said his priority will be to regain the trust and confidence of parents by taking better care of the greatest assets in this state: our children.

“We have been working towards that, but we have got to turn that ship around so that people believe that those of us who serve in

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Montgomery intend to put first the best interests of our children, whether its educationally, further education, training and job force things, whatever it is — higher education, health care, everything,” Mooney said. “That’s the asset we’ve got that we cannot lose.”

State Rep. Jim Carns, whose House District 48 includes parts of Greystone, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and north Shelby County, said that 70% of the tax dollars received by the state of Alabama go toward education but that “we can improve that.”

The Legislature needs to continue to cut out

wasteful spending, Carns said. “If we can do that, we will have a lot more money for these absolutely valid programs that we’re doing,” he said.

State Rep. Susan DuBose, a Greystone resident whose House District 45 includes parts of Chelsea, Greystone, Highland Lakes, Leeds, Mt Laurel and Shoal Creek, said there is an effort being made to start basing some of the funding for higher education institutions on the outcomes of the students they produce, such as whether the students are employable and how much money the students make when they graduate.

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January 2026 • 9

CITY

From left: Rep. Arnold Mooney of House District 43; Rep. Susan DuBose of House District 45; Rep. Jim Carns of House District 48; Rep. Leigh Hulsey of House District 15.

“We want educated students that can work in our state, and we’re tired of these dead-end degrees that really don’t help students,” DuBose said. “They come out with a lot of debt, and they can’t get a job.”

HEALTH CARE

DuBose, who is on a House committee on health, also talked about the need for Alabama to add more long-term care beds for mental health care. There are currently fewer than 200 longterm mental health care beds in the state, and Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter is trying to find money in the next state budget to add 500 more, DuBose said.

In Shelby County, there are only 15 mental health care beds, and those are for short-term stays, DuBose said.

“It’s a critical need,” she said. “We know it’s a strain on our jails. Our hospitals are having to keep these patients long term, and it’s hurting our population because there are people that are not being treated.”

DuBose also said she is pushing to improve maternal and infant health in Alabama.

“Alabama is one of the worst in the nation,”

she said. “We have the third-highest maternal and infant mortality death rate in the whole nation.”

Alabama recently received $16.5 million from the federal government to be used for maternal health over the next 10 years, and DuBose will be keeping her eye on that money and how it is used, she said. She wants to see more work done with midwives and doulas.

“I know that hasn’t always been popular, but the fact of the matter is, we have mamas showing up at the emergency room to give birth to babies, and they haven’t seen the doctor the whole time,” DuBose said. “That’s part of the problem with the infant death rate. So if we can get doulas and midwives out to see these mamas in some of these rural areas, we’re going to be much better off.”

State Sen. April Weaver in Senate District 14, which includes some parts of southwestern Hoover, is chairwoman of a Rural Roadmap Initiative Committee that is exploring ways to improve health care in rural areas, DuBose said.

That committee is exploring ideas such as expanding paramedicine so paramedics can be trained on additional health care services and

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providing more resources for community clinics so patients don’t have to travel to faraway hospitals.

“We’re going to have to be innovative,” she said. “We’re going to have to think outside the box.”

State Rep. Russell Bedsole, an Alabaster resident who represents parts of Shelby, Bibb and Chilton counties, said as many as 20 rural hospitals in Alabama could close soon. Of course, that would be bad for people in those rural areas, but it could also overburden hospitals in suburban and urban areas as more patients come there, he said.

BUDGETS

Mooney, who serves on the House General Fund Committee, said fiscal 2025 was a good year and fiscal 2026 has gotten off to a good start. For the first two months of the fiscal year, general fund revenues totaled $639 million, an increase of $38.5 million from the same period the year before, he said.

The Legislature has established a strong reserve fund for potential future problems, but Mooney said he doesn’t foresee any negative

effects for Shelby County regarding the general fund.

Corley Ellis, who represents House District 41, including parts of Chelsea, is on the Ways and Means Education Committee, which manages the Education Trust Fund. He said the Education Trust Fund in fiscal 2025 took in $10.95 billion and had expenditures of $9.35 billion, leaving a $1.6 billion surplus.

For fiscal 2026, revenues are expected to be $10.9 billion, while budgeted expenditures are $9.9 billion, leaving an expected $1 billion surplus, Ellis said. However, the state expects to have a $400 million shortfall in the health insurance program for state employees and a $122 million reduction in sales tax revenues due to another 1 percentage point decrease in the state grocery sales tax, Ellis said.

Ellis said he’s a little worried about the economy because sales tax revenues for this past November were down about 6% from the previous year, but the overall outlook is good.

“We’ve prepared ourselves for the day that’s coming, so we’re well prepared to weather that storm without doing proration with major layoffs,” he said.

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10 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

CITY

Nick’s Notes

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Happy New Year, new CFO, Melinda Lopez; Hoover! our new police chief, Clay As we turn the page Morris; and our director on 2025 and I begin my of economic development, third month as mayor, I’m Ken Grimes, among others. reminded of how quickly Each brings experience, time passes and how importintegrity and a shared belief ant it is to stay focused on in Hoover’s potential.

With this team in place, what truly matters. A new year invites renewal and we are prepared to advance reflection. It’s a moment to the objectives of strengthrecommit ourselves to the ening public safety, supfoundations that make our porting economic growth, community strong — our improving customer service faith, our families and our and responsiveness at City Nick Derzis shared values.

Hall and ensuring taxpayer For me, that includes staying grounded dollars are used wisely. I am optimistic about in the reason I sought this office: to restore what we can accomplish together in the year trust, ensure that Hoover operates with the ahead. highest standards of excellence and address But progress also requires balance. My the underperforming areas and other chal- hope for all of us in 2026 is that we strive lenges our city faces. Sustainable suc- for balance — between work and personal cess requires not only working smart and time, between serving others and caring for working hard but also taking care of our ourselves. Let’s anchor ourselves in our faith well-being and investing in the relationships and the spiritual foundations that guide us, that bind us together as a community. encourage us and prepare us for the chalThe past two months have been a lenges ahead. whirlwind of hard work and meaningful Here’s to a year of renewal, purpose and progress. In late December, we were final- continued progress for our great city. izing a responsible, transparent city budget Wishing each of you a happy, blessed and that reflects both fiscal discipline and productive 2026! forward-looking priorities. We have also assembled an outstanding senior leadership team committed to accountability across city operations. I am proud to welcome our new city administrator, Brian Muenger; our

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January 2026 • 11

SCHOOLHOUSE

Driving hope Spain Park engineering students build custom electric cars for disabled children

By APRIL COFFEY A months-long collaboration between Spain Park High School’s Engineering Academy and United Ability’s Hand In Hand Early Learning Program has resulted in a fleet of brightly colored, custom-engineered electric cars that are transforming the lives of young children with disabilities.

The partnership, now in its fourth year, began when Engineering Academy Director Elizabeth Browne reached out to United Ability in search of meaningful, real-world design opportunities for her seniors.

The idea for modifying electric ride-on cars originated during that first visit.

“A young lady with spina bifida who received outpatient therapy at United Ability had a need for a modified ride-on car,” Browne said. “One group took on the project … and through this project, we found out about the Go Baby Go initiative,” a national network that helps connect engineers and therapists working to adapt mobility toys for children with disabilities.

With support from a Toshiba grant, Spain Park students spent months applying advanced engineering skills — circuit modification, 3D printing and fabrication of custom harnesses — to ensure each child could independently operate their car.

“Students must apply complex skills learned throughout their previous three years in Engineering Academy,” Browne noted. “The ultimate goal is to grant these young ‘clients’ independent mobility.”

For the high school students, the opportunity was thrilling from the start. “My first reaction when I learned that I would be designing electric cars for children was like, ‘Wow! This is awesome,’” Spain Park student Andrew Mbugua said.

The work presented technical and logistical challenges, especially because students couldn’t meet their assigned children until the delivery day. They relied heavily on therapists’ and parents’ emailed feedback, and some teams had to redesign parts after the first handoff.

Student Bradley Williams said time was one of the biggest obstacles.

“We only worked on them during our class period, and that would leave days where we took all day just searching for a part,” Williams said. “However, in the last week when a few of my teammates were out of town, I went in during other classes to work more so that we wouldn’t be late.”

The project also changed how students view the impact of engineering.

“It showed me that engineering can make a real difference, even in small ways,” student Nipun Mittal said. “Seeing how our

Students from Spain Park High School’s Engineering Academy introduce a young child in United Ability’s Hand In Hand Early Learning Program to a ride-on vehicle the students modified especially for her based on her disability. Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools.

modifications helped create a safe and enjoyable experience for the child makes me realize how engineering can support families, improve accessibility and positively impact the community.”

Despite the hurdles, Browne said she watched remarkable growth — technical, collaborative and personal. “Each student grew in their technical knowledge … and especially in their levels of empathy for people of differing abilities,” she said.

The emotional payoff came on delivery day, when the children finally tested their vehicles.

Student Xavier Winston described the moment he saw his assigned child driving her car: “I realized the difference I made in her life,” he said.

For Browne, witnessing her students bring their designs to life was equally moving.

“My first day teaching high school was many of these particular students’ first day of high school four years ago,” she reflected. “To witness them all grow, … create these awesome cars and deliver them to the families was so special.”

The success of the project has strengthened the school’s commitment to continuing the collaboration. “We plan to continue this project as a first group project for the Senior Capstone class each year,” Browne said, noting that future funding will be essential.

For the children who climbed into their custom vehicles — smiling, steering and moving freely — the cars provided far more than mobility. They offered independence, joy and a powerful reminder of what can happen when engineering and empathy move forward together.

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12 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

SCHOOLHOUSE

In the Classroom

For more education news, connect with Hoover Sun online: visit our website, follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.

GET TO KNOW

Gwin Elementary Assistant Principal Hunter Nichols

By JON ANDERSON

Hunter Nichols, assistant principal at Gwin Elementary School in Hoover. Photo by Jon Anderson.

Q: Tell me about your career in education.

Where did you come from?

A: I started my career in Jasper City Schools as a third grade teacher. I always felt like I needed to extend my career, and I looked into leadership. I went back to school, got my degree and got married. I moved to the Birmingham area and then started applying for jobs within Hoover. I actually accepted a position at Trace Crossings as a classroom teacher, and then this position came open. I interviewed, got the job and then moved straight into the assistant principal role three years ago.

Q: How are things going for you here at Gwin?

A: It’s wonderful. It’s a special place to work — very sweet students, very sweet staff.

The district as a whole has been very supportive. In Hoover, we like to say there are tons of resources. Coming from the classroom setting and being able to see what all Hoover has to offer is outstanding. It’s amazing not only for our teachers, but our students, and I feel like we do a good job here at Gwin of making sure our students get what they need. The district does a great job of supporting us and doing that.

Q: Tell me a little about you personally.

Where are you from originally?

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A: I’m from Jasper. I just finished my third [Abbott] World Major Marathon. I’m a marathon runner.

Q: What marathons have you run?

A: New York was my first one. Then Berlin, Germany, and then I just finished Chicago.

Q: How much time would you say you spend running? How many miles do you run a week?

A: When I was training for a marathon, I ran anywhere from 40 to 60 miles a week in my peak season. But daily, if I’m not training for anything specific, I try to get at least three or four miles a day. It’s a good way to relieve some stress. Some of my best aha moments are on my run, thinking about school — what needs to take place next. It’s a way to kind of decompress.

Q: What else do you like to do besides run?

A: I’m a big family guy. I love hanging out with family and friends. My wife’s pregnant, so we’re in the process of doing all the home improvements and things like that to get ready for the big day.

Q: What’s something people may not know about you? Is there any food you sometimes like to splurge on or a TV show you binge?

A: I’m not a big TV guy. My go-to splurge food is a good Reese’s Take 5. I’m always on

the go. If I miss lunch or something, that’s what I’m grabbing. I also try to make it a point every day to make my bed before I come to work.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world and money or time was not an option, where would you go?

A: Somewhere tropical. My wife loves to go and do all the tours. I’m the exact opposite.

I’m content sitting on a beach somewhere with no plan in the world. Just somewhere tropical away from others and with no agenda.

Q: What’s the best part about your job?

A: Just being here to be able to support the students. A lot of times, we come across difficult times as teachers in leadership roles, but often when we have those difficult conversations or difficult decisions to make, I always ask our teachers and our staff — are we doing what’s right for kids? I think that’s what’s most important in general in education.

Q: If you could change one thing about education in general, what would it be?

A: The demands. It’s an ever-changing world. There are always new things. Nothing seems to be coming off teachers’ — especially classroom teachers’ — plates. It just seems like we’re adding more things. If it comes from legislators or anything like that, obviously we have to take it and run with it. I just wish sometimes we could get back to the root of teaching students without all the demands, which is tough.

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January 2026 • 13

SCHOOLHOUSE

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Hoover City Schools again score high on state report card

By APRIL COFFEY For the second year in a row, the Hoover school district earned a 95 on its report card from the Alabama Department of Education (for the 2024-25 school year).

This places Hoover in the top 8% of school districts in Alabama.

Twelve of Hoover’s 16 schools earned a 95 or higher, while six schools scored a 99 or higher and two schools (Brock’s Gap Intermediate and South Shades Crest Elementary) earned the highest possible score of 100.

Only one Hoover school had a score lower than 90, and that was Hoover High, whose score dropped from 89 to 84.

The state report card grades schools based on academic achievement, growth, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, English learner proficiency, and college and career readiness.

The Hoover district’s academic achievement score rose slightly from 90.89 to 91.1, while the academic growth score remained a strong 100.

The Hoover district’s graduation rate dropped just slightly from 94.76% to 94.37%, while chronic absenteeism improved from 7.95% to 7.07%.

The percentage of English language learners who were deemed proficient fell slightly from 61.68% to 58.31%, while the percentage of students who were deemed ready for college or a career rose slightly from 90.78% to 91.74%.

To see individual school scores, go to statereportcard.alsde.edu/SelectSchool.aspx.

In other Hoover school news, Melissa Hubauer, a physical education teacher at

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14 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

BUSINESS

Business Buzz BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

Do you have news to share about a business in Hoover or the greater Birmingham area? Let us know at starnesmedia.com/business-happenings

COMING SOON

Sierra, a retail store owned by TJ Maxx that sells discounted outdoor apparel, equipment and home goods, including merchandise related to hiking, camping, watersports, running, skiing and other snow activities, is slated to open in a 22,000-square-foot space next to Trader Joe’s in the Riverchase Crossing shopping center at the corner of the southern intersection of Lorna Road and U.S. 31. The space was part of the former Bed, Bath and Beyond store that was in that shopping center. sierra.com

Hoover Sun is spotlighting local businesses in print and online. Submit your business for consideration here: go.starnesmedia.com/business-spotlight

AmFirst, which has credit union locations at 3312 Old Columbiana Road and #2 Inverness Center Parkway, in December awarded 14 grants, totaling more than $60,000, to organizations across Alabama. The grants ranged from $2,500 to $7,500 and included: $7,500 to the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama for its education and career pathways program; $5,000 to Blanket Fort Hope for its nutritional health program; $5,000 to Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank for its Walk-in Wednesday program; $5,000 to the Hoover Public Library for its summer feeding program; $5,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile for its Taste of Hope Family Meals program; $5,000 to Shelby Emergency Assistance for its utility assistance program; $5,000 to Smile-A-Mile for general programming; $5,000 to The Link of Cullman County for its Onward Workforce program; $5,000 to Three Hots and a Cot for a mattress refresh at its veterans’ center; $2,500 to Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center for its “Restore” pillar programming; $2,500 to Christian Love Pantry for holiday food distributions; $2,500 to the College Choice Foundation for its Bateman Scholars Program; $2,500 to The Power of Life Foundation for community-based programs and $2,500 to United Ability for its pre-apprentice training initiative. amfirst.org, 205-823-3985 or 205-995-0001

experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing from Auburn University and a certification from the Chief Marketing Officer Institute Executive Development Program. Preston Holder was promoted from lending manager to vice president of lending. He has more than two decades of experience across both credit unions and banks and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Athens State University. southernenergycu.org, 205-823-7403 or 205-547-9400

PERSONNEL

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Patton Chapel One Stop gasoline station and convenience store at 1976 Patton Chapel Road has changed gasoline brands from Citgo to Texaco. The store is still owned by Jalaram LLC and has the same employees, Manager Andy Patel said. The brand change was initiated by the store’s gasoline supplier, which has been lessening its relationship with Citgo, Patel said.

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Southern Energy Credit Union, which has locations in Hoover at 4725 Chace Circle and 6400 Tattersall Park Drive, recently promoted four people. Chuck Enfinger was promoted from member experience manager to vice president of member service. He has more than 30 years in financial services and holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Troy University. Rocky Julian was promoted from comptroller to vice president of risk and assurance. He has more than 25 years of experience in financial accounting, internal controls and audit. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a certified public accountant license. Claire Connolly was promoted from marketing manager to vice president of marketing. She has 20 years of marketing

ANNIVERSARIES Board in Birmingham in December celebrated its first anniversary at 5426 U.S. 280, Suite 6. boardbham.com, 205-498-4903

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HooverSun.com

January 2026 • 15

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16 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

BUSINESS

Sips and Bites

Hoover Sun is spotlighting local restaurants in print and online. Submit your restaurant for consideration here: go.starnesmedia.com/restaurant-spotlight

GET TO KNOW

SPOTLIGHT

Founder of Farm Bowl + Juice Co Andrea Snyder

Guthrie’s Chicken Fingers serves crispy chicken on US 280

By JORDYN DAVIS

months, and you can find out what’s new by folQ: What do you love lowing us on Instagram at most about working at @farmbowljuice.

Farm Bowl?

Q: How do you define A: The customers. We have great customer service at raving fans, and it’s so nice to Farm Bowl?

A: Being a bright spot in see familiar faces every day who love and appreciate our someone’s day. Being grateofferings. They have become ful that customers chose to like family to us, and we spend their hard-earned Andrea Snyder know their orders and prefermoney at Farm Bowl + ences by memory.

Juice and going above and Q: How would you describe the team cul- beyond to make them feel that gratitude. It’s also ture here? important to us to take the time to get to know A: We have a team mentality, and everyone our customers’ preferences — and they love that. is always willing to help each other. We are also Q: What kind of person tends to succeed friends outside of work, which makes it a more here? fun work environment.

A: Someone who is friendly and welcoming.

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By MALIA RIGGS Guthrie’s, the restaurant known for its chicken fingers and sauce, is approaching its third anniversary on U.S. 280.

The location at 4629 U.S. 280 opened in late 2022 and offers the same simple menu for which Guthrie’s has been known since the first location opened in 1965. The menu includes crispy chicken fingers, fries, Texas toast, coleslaw and the original Guthrie’s sauce that has earned a loyal following over the years.

Guthrie’s roots go back to The Guthrie’s chicken finger restaurant at 4629 U.S. 280.

1965, when Hal Guthrie, an Photo by Malia Riggs.

Auburn University alumnus, launched the first location in finger in it and make a little sandwich with the Haleyville as a drive-in establishment. Nearly sauce, too,” said Brandi Greenwood, general 13 years later, in 1978, he introduced chicken manager for the U.S. 280 location, said. “But fingers — meticulously marinated and gold- come see us. We love our regulars, but we’d en-fried. Around 1982, spurred by his son love to see some new faces as well.”

Chris, Guthrie re-imagined the business by Located in a high-traffic area, this Guthrie’s streamlining the menu to focus solely on aims to serve families, commuters, late-night chicken fingers and their dipping sauce. goers, and anyone looking for a quick and “My personal favorite thing to do is to take satisfying bite. To find out more, go online to a piece of the Texas toast and put a chicken guthrieschicken.com.

HooverSun.com

January 2026 • 17

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18 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

EVENTS

2026 Southern Voices Festival Jon Meacham headlines annual festival celebrating books, art, music

Southern Voices

By JON ANDERSON Jon Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning political historian, will be the keynote speaker for the 2026 Southern Voices Festival at the Hoover Public Library in February.

Meacham is scheduled to give a talk in the Hoover Library Theatre on Friday, Feb. 27.

The following day’s authors conference will feature veteran psychological thriller writer Hank Phillippi Ryan, mystery writer Megan Abbott, historical fiction author Ariel Lawhon, debut fiction authors Rickey Fayne and Robert Gwaltney, horror writer Lindy Ryan and romantic comedy author Katherine Center.

While the Southern Voices Festival dates back to 1993, this is the first year the festival has ever had someone who specializes in horror, Chairwoman Carrie Steinmehl said.

However, regardless of what type of genre people enjoy, there’s a little something for everyone, she and co-chairwoman Stephanie Beaver said.

But Southern Voices isn’t just about books. The festival also highlights art and musical voices.

This year’s featured artist is Tennessee painter Christina Renfer Vogel, whose work will be on view and celebrated with an artist talk and reception on Thursday, Feb. 19.

From the music world, Grammy Award winners Marty Raybon and Linda Davis are teaming up with newer voice Mitch Rossell for a “Heart Behind the Music” country songwriters’ showcase on Feb. 25-26.

Tickets went on sale for the musical act in September along with the rest of the Hoover Library Theatre season, but tickets for the rest of the Southern Voices Festival go on sale at 10 a.m. on Jan. 13.

Tickets for the Friday night talk by Meacham cost $40 and, for the first time, include a copy of Meacham’s latest book, “American Struggle,” which is slated to come out in January. Tickets for the Saturday authors conference are $45, and tickets for the songwriters’ showcase with Raybon, Davis and Rossell cost $40.

Tickets can be purchased online at southernvoices.info, by phone at 205-444-7888 or in person at the Hoover Library Theatre box office at 200 Municipal Drive. The artist talk and reception with Vogel is free to attend.

Here’s more about each of the featured authors, musicians and artists based on information from their websites and the Hoover Public Library:

JON MEACHAM

Meacham, a biographer, journalist, lecturer and book publisher, has had numerous books on The New York Times Best Sellers list, including “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2009.

Jon Meacham

Katherine Center

Another Meacham biography, “And There was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle,” spent 16 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list and has been honored with numerous awards, including the 2023 Abraham Lincoln Institute Book Award.

His biography on President George H. W. Bush, “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,” was named one of the 10 best books of the year by The Washington Post and one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, Time Magazine, National Public Radio and the St. Lous Post-Dispatch.

Other books by Meacham that made The New York Times Best Sellers list include: ► “His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope” ► “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels” ► “The Hope of Glory: Reflections on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross” ► “Songs of America: Patriotism, Protest and the Music That Made a Nation” ► “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” ► “American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers and the Making of a Nation” ► “Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship” Meacham is also the editor of two volumes: “Voices in Our Blood: America’s Best on the Civil Rights Movement” and “In the Hands of the People,” an anthology of Jefferson’s writings.

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Society of American Historians and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair and Garden & Gun magazine. He has also been a regular guest on MSNOW’s “Morning Joe” talk show and other broadcasts.

Ariel Lawhon

Rickey Fayne

A native of Chattanooga, Meacham started his career with The Chattanooga Times. In addition, he is a former editor of The Washington Monthly and Newsweek, a former executive editor at Random House and a current contributing editor at Time Magazine. He lectures widely in the United States on history, politics and religion and is the canon historian of Washington National Cathedral and Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in American Presidency at Vanderbilt University.

He lives in Nashville and Sewanee with his wife and children.

Meacham graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee in 1991, and Steinmehl said she made sure to point out to Meacham when she recruited him for Southern Voices that she is a graduate of that university, as well.

“I have known about him forever and ever,” Steinmehl said. “I was just excited that we were able to get him because he is one of the leading historians on American history. He’s just a distinguished person all around.”

ARIEL LAWHON

Lawhon, a historical fiction author, has also made The New York Times Best Sellers list. Her novels include “The Frozen River,” “Code Name Helene,” “I Was Anastasia,” “Flight of Dreams,” “The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress” and “Barriers To Entry” (an Amazon original short story).

Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been selected for the Good Morning America Book Club, Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight and Book of the Month Club. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville with her husband and four sons and splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field. Steinmehl said she tried to get Lawhon at Southern Voices last year but was unable to come because she was finishing her

Megan Abbott

Robert Gwaltney

latest book, “The Frozen River.”

MEGAN ABBOTT

Abbott won the Edgar Award, given annually by the Mystery Writers of America for the best mystery writing, in 2008 for her novel “Queenpin,” and she has been nominated for the Edgar Award four other times. Her other novels include “Beware the Woman,” “The Turnout,” “Give Me Your Hand,” “You Will Know Me,” “The Fever,” “Dare Me,” “The End of Everything,” “Bury Me Deep,” “The Song Is You” and “Die a Little.” Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times Magazine and The Believer. Her stories have appeared in multiple collections, including the Best American Mystery Stories of 2014 and 2016.

Her work has won or been nominated for the CWA Steel Dagger, the International Thriller Writers Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Formerly a staff writer on HBO’s David Simon show, “The Deuce,” she is now co-creator, executive producer and showrunner of “Dare Me,” based upon her novel, for the USA Network and, internationally, Netflix. Born in the Detroit area, she graduated from the University of Michigan and received her doctorate in English and American literature from New York University. She has taught at NYU, the State University of New York and the New School University. In 2013-14, she served as the John Grisham Writer in Residence at Ole Miss.

KATHERINE CENTER

BookPage calls Center, an author of romantic comedies, “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s The New York Times bestselling author of more than half a dozen books, including “How to Walk Away,” “Things You Save in a Fire” and “What You Wish For.” Center writes

► WHAT: A celebration of writing, music and art ► WHERE: Hoover Public Library ► WHEN: Feb. 18-24 ► WEB: southernvoices. info ► CALL: 205-444-7888 ► TICKETS: Go on sale Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. online and by phone. Keynote speaker Jon Meacham $40; Saturday authors conference $45; “Heart Behind the Music” country songwriters’ showcase, Feb. 25-26. Artist Christina Renfer Vogel, lecture and reception, Feb. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m., free

laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks people down — and how to get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Her books have made countless best-of lists, including RealSimple’s Best Books of 2020, Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2019 and Goodreads’ Best Books of the Year. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls Center’s summer 2022 book, “The Bodyguard,” “a shot of pure joy.” The movie adaptation of Center’s novel “The Lost Husband” (starring Josh Duhamel) hit No. 1 on Netflix, and her novel “Happiness for Beginners” is in production now as a Netflix original starring Ellie Kemper. Center lives in her hometown of Houston with her husband, their two kids and their fluffy-butfierce dog.

RICKEY FAYNE

Rickey Fayne, a writer of Southern literary fiction, is a first-time novelist from rural west Tennessee and has had his work appear in The New York Times, American Short Fiction, Guernica, The Sewanee Review and The Kenyon Review, among other magazines. He holds a master’s degree in English from Northwestern University and a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas. His writing embodies his Black, Southern, churched upbringing in order to reimagine and honor his ancestors’ experiences. He has received support for his writing from Tin House, Community of Writers, Kimbilio, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences, Yaddo writers’ colony, and Willapa Bay and MacDowell artist in residence programs. Currently, he teaches fiction writing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

ROBERT GWALTNEY

Gwaltney, a graduate of Florida State University, was named the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year for First Novel and was recipient of the 2022 Pat Conroy Writers Residency.

He lives in Atlanta, where he is an

HooverSun.com

January 2026 • 19

EVENTS

Hank Phillippi Ryan

Christina Renfer Vogel

active member of the Atlanta literary community, serving as a board member for the Broadleaf Writers Association. By day, he works as vice president of Easter Seals North Georgia, a nonprofit supporting children with disabilities and other special needs. Gwaltney’s work has appeared in publications such as Southbound Magazine, Southern Literary Review, The Blue Mountain Review and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. His forthcoming novel, “Sing Down The Moon,” is scheduled to be published by Mercer University Press in the spring of 2026.

on the board of International Thriller Writers, is a sought-after teacher and keynote speaker, and is host of three popular online events: The Back Room, Crime Time on the A Mighty Blaze podcast and First Chapter Fun. She lives in Boston with her husband, a criminal defense attorney. Her brand new novel, “All This Could Be Yours,” is out now from Minotaur Books. People Magazine called it “a nail-biting thriller,” and the Library Journal starred review described it as “her best book to date” and “a love letter to booksellers and librarians amid the suspense and twists.”

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN

LINDY RYAN

Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of 16 psychological thrillers.

She won the most prestigious awards in that genre, including five Agatha Awards, five Anthony Awards and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also an on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH TV, with an unprecedented 37 Emmys and dozens more journalism honors for her journalism and true crime stories. She is

Lindy Ryan is an award-winning author, anthologist and short-film director whose books and anthologies have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Library Journal. Several of her projects have been adapted for screen. Ryan is the current author in residence at Rue Morgue. Declared a “champion for women’s voices in horror” by Shelf Awareness, Ryan

Songwriters Showcase

was named a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree in 2020 and in 2022 was named one of horror’s most masterful anthology curators. Born and raised in southeast Texas, Ryan currently resides on the East Coast. She is a professor at Rutgers University.

Her latest book, “Bless Your Heart,” has been described by Goodreads as “a crackling mystery-horror with big-hearted characters and Southern charm with a bite.”

CHRISTINA RENFER VOGEL

Based in Chattanooga, Vogel is a still-life painter and an associate professor of painting and drawing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She holds a master’s degree in fine arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University.

She has been featured in solo exhibitions at Spalding Nix Fine Art in Atlanta and the David Lusk Gallery in Nashville and included in the 2021 Atlanta Biennial at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Vogel’s work

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has been curated into group exhibitions at the Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, North Carolina; LABspace in Hillsdale, New York; and THERE in New York City. She has participated in artist residencies including the Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and JSS in Civita in Italy. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings, and she is a recipient of an Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant and a Lighton International Artists Exchange Program grant, among other awards.

SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE

Grammy Award winner Marty Raybon is the lead singer of Shenandoah, and Linda Davis, who has three Grammys, is perhaps best known for her No. 1 “Does He Love You?” duet with Reba McEntire. They’re performing with Mitch Rossell, who opened for Garth Brooks on his 2022 stadium tour and placed third in season 18 of “America’s Got Talent” in 2023. Raybon was the founding lead singer of the country music band

Shenandoah from Muscle Shoals.

The band was known for No. 1 hits such as “Two Dozen Roses,” “The Church on Cumberland Road,” “Next to You, Next to Me” and the Grammy-winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart” duet with Alison Krauss. The band split up in 1997 after Raybon left, but it was re-formed in 2000, and Raybon returned to the band in 2014. Davis is a member of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and mother of Lady A frontwoman Hillary Scott.

Davis, her husband and their two daughters put out the two-time Grammy-winning album “Hillary Scott & The Scott Family — Love Remains,” which topped the Billboard top Christian albums chart and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard top country albums chart in 2016. Rossell, a prolific songwriter, caught the attention of Garth Brooks, writing four songs for Brooks and opening for the star with an acoustic guitar on Brooks’ 2022 stadium tour. Brooks also introduced Rossell when Rossell debuted at the Grand Ole Opry.

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20 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

SPORTS

All-South Metro Volleyball 7 players from Bucs, Jags named 1st-team

By KYLE PARMLEY The 2025 high school volleyball season featured some new faces making deep postseason runs. Hewitt-Trussville returned to the state tournament for the first time in 36 years, Briarwood announced its presence as a force once again and Spain Park made another deep playoff run in its return to state.

But plenty of players and teams continued to make strong statements, as they have made a habit of doing. The Under the Lights All-South Metro Volleyball Team aims to recognize the top performers from the season.

Millie Burgess of Vestavia Hills is the Overall Player of the Year after capping off her high school career with another brilliant season. She posted 424 kills and 294 digs, and her impact is far beyond the stat sheet for the Rebels. She will head to Jacksonville State University next season, recently signing with the Gamecocks.

Chelsea’s Alexis Rudolph is the Offensive Player of the Year, as the only player in the area to eclipse 500 kills in the season. Rudolph earned this nod, but it very easily could have gone to a number of players, such as Johnna Cox (Hewitt-Trussville), Bea Wiggins (Spain Park), Julie Roberts (Briarwood) or any of the first-team setters.

Mountain Brook’s Sullivan Lell is this year’s Defensive Player of the Year, as the junior libero finished with 477 digs and returned to the Spartans’ program to command the libero jersey. She is a University of Southern Miss commit and had a season to remember.

Hewitt-Trussville’s Andie Freedman is the Coach of the Year after taking her HewittTrussville team to the program’s first state tournament appearance since 1989, missing the final by merely a few points. ► Player of the Year: Millie Burgess, Vestavia Hills ► Offensive Player of the Year: Alexis Rudolph, Chelsea ► Defensive Player of the Year: Sullivan Lell, Mountain Brook ► Coach of the Year: Andie Freedman, Hewitt-Trussville

1ST TEAM

► Outside: Millie Burgess, Vestavia Hills.

One of the top all-around players in the area for several years, she put together a great senior season to top it off. ► Outside: Johnna Cox, HewittTrussville. Her efforts led the Huskies to their first state tournament appearance since 1989.

She notched 466 kills and 272 digs on the season. ► Outside: Alexis Rudolph, Chelsea. Racking up 511 kills and 298 digs, she surpassed 1,000 kills and 500 digs in a stellar career that has a year left. ► Outside: Bea Wiggins, Spain Park. She helped lead the Jags to the precipice of the state finals after a strong senior season with 487 kills and 353 digs. ► Setter: Noelle Suellentrop, Briarwood. The sophomore had an outstanding season, going for 1,076 assists and 252 digs. ► Setter: Cailyn Kyes, Spain Park. She finished with a sensational 1,144 assists on the year, along with 344 digs. ► Setter: Kayleigh Nguyen, HewittTrussville. She tallied 983 assists to spearhead Hewitt’s historic season. ► Libero: Sullivan Lell, Mountain Brook. The future Division I player finished with 477 digs and led the Spartans’ back row all season. ► Libero: Camdyn Kyes, Spain Park. The freshman has already established herself as a great

Spain Park’s Ja’Niyah Mosley (5). Photo by David Leong.

Spain Park’s Camdyn Kyes (3). Photo by David Leong.

Spain Park’s Bea Wiggins (1). Photo by David Leong.

player, posting 541 digs. ► Libero: Cheyenne Conner, Hoover. She racked up 700 digs in a stellar season. ► Middle: Ja’Niyah Mosley, Spain Park. The senior had 278 kills in another solid campaign. ► Middle: Sydnie Broom, Hoover. The imposing middle blocker had 244 kills and 109 blocks. ► Middle: Marley Cowan, Vestavia Hills. The middle blocker finished with 160 kills and 102 blocks. ► Right side: Mae Noerager, Homewood.

The Trinity University commit had 229 kills and surpassed 100 career blocks. ► Right side: Marion Haskell, John Carroll.

The Bucknell commit racked up 416 kills in a great season. ► All-around: Julie Roberts, Briarwood. The South Alabama commit had a standout season, going for 436 kills and 258 digs. ► All-around: Abby Tingle, Hoover. She is a versatile player who finished with 310 kills, 70 digs and 63 blocks. ► All-around: Kamryn Coleman, Homewood. This strong all-around player finished with 826 assists, 125 kills and 109 aces.

2ND TEAM

► Outside: Sarah Johnson, Homewood. The senior went for 357 kills.

Hoover’s Cheyenne Conner (5). Photo by Kyle Parmley.

Hoover’s Abby Tingle (2). Photo by Kyle Parmley.

Hoover’s Sydnie Broom (15). Photo by Kyle Parmley.

► Outside: Caroline Whitehurst, Oak Mountain. The senior standout had 321 kills and 247 digs. ► Outside: Aliyah Pooler, Hoover. She had 271 kills and 268 digs on the year. ► Outside: Lucy Comer, Mountain Brook.

The sophomore had an impressive year, going for 313 kills and 291 digs. ► Setter: Darby Rhodes, Mountain Brook.

The sophomore racked up 808 assists and 230 digs. ► Setter: Isabella Marino, John Carroll. She put forth 616 assists to finish her career with 1,467 assists. ► Setter: Addison Jenkins, Hoover. She had 574 assists and 232 digs. ► Libero: Christiana Callens, HewittTrussville. The leader of the Huskies defense had 544 digs and 158 assists. ► Libero: Sophia Bagley, Chelsea. The senior took advantage of her opportunity and had 359 digs. ► Libero: Lillie Hill, Vestavia Hills. She finished her junior season with 439 digs and 109 assists. ► Middle: Walker Binkley, Homewood. The senior finished with 157 kills and 58 blocks. ► Middle: Clara Crawford, Briarwood. The senior had a great year with 223 kills and 214 digs. ► Middle: Layne Moller, Chelsea. The

sophomore had 202 kills. ► Right side: Claire Ogden, Vestavia Hills.

The senior had 172 kills and 72 blocks. ► Right side: Adele Moffatt, Mountain Brook.

The junior went for 270 kills, playing in multiple hitting positions. ► All-around: Mady Kirkpatrick, John Carroll. The senior six-rotation player had 335 digs and 177 kills. ► All-around: Betsy Smith, Oak Mountain.

The all-around player had 318 assists, 168 digs and 114 kills in her senior year. ► All-around: Kate Gordon, Oak Mountain.

The versatile senior had 403 assists and 196 digs.

HONORABLE MENTION

► Outside: Leighton Hendley, Briarwood; Helen Morrison, Briarwood; Peyton Harrington, Spain Park; Reese Wolfe, Hewitt-Trussville; Lucrezia Vavassori, Hoover ► Setter: Anna Burnett, Chelsea; Brynn Toenes, Hoover; Kendall Wilkins, Hoover ► Libero: Addison Wood, Homewood; Presley Hull, Hewitt-Trussville; Maria Binder, Hoover; Lilly Kerr, Oak Mountain ► Middle: Anni McCarthy, John Carroll; Loren Purnell, Hewitt-Trussville; Eden Rainbolt, Hoover; Ally Ross, Oak Mountain; Chloe Shumate, Spain Park ► Right side: Emory Congleton, Hoover

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22 • January 2026

Hoover Sun

SPORTS

Jonah Winston (4). Photo by Barry Stephenson.

Hudson Reed (55). Photo by Richard Force.

All-South Metro Football Brock Bradley earns second straight Player of the Year award

1ST TEAM DEFENSE

► DL: Nic Gagliano, John Carroll; registered 92 total tackles despite being double-teamed frequently. ► DL: Jovon Pulliam, Hoover; finished with 91 tackles and nine sacks on a loaded defensive line. ► DL: Colton McIntyre, Clay-Chalkville; another disruptive campaign, with 21 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. ► DL: Boyd Cooper, Mountain Brook; finished with 55 tackles and 10 for loss. ► LB: Parker Floyd, Hewitt-Trussville; another triple-digit tackle season, with 103 tackles and 11 for loss. ► LB: Gage Nasworthy, Briarwood; led the area in tackles with 161, including three pass breakups. ► LB: EJ Kerley, Spain Park; reached 100 tackles as the leader of the Jags defense. ► LB: Alex Plaia, John Carroll; finished with 137 tackles and forced two fumbles. ► DB: Jayden Aparicio-Bailey, Oak Mountain; broke up five passes and totaled 40 tackles despite being thrown away from. ► DB: Tate Burdeshaw, Homewood; intercepted three passes and totaled 89 tackles from the safety spot. ► DB: Will Phillips, Hewitt-Trussville; another stellar campaign with 75 tackles. ► DB: Xavier Starks, Clay-Chalkville; finished with 68 tackles and 16 pass breakups. ► ATH: Woogie Crawford, HewittTrussville; had 100 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

By KYLE PARMLEY Each year presents a mixed bag when it comes to individual performances. Some of the top players in the area put forth the great seasons expected of them. Others, however, come out of nowhere and emerge as the new stars of the area.

The 2025 high school football season presented exactly that. Brock Bradley, the Spain Park quarterback, earns the Under the Lights All-South Metro Player of the Year award for the second straight year. He completed his senior year with another incredible campaign, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and leading a young Spain Park team to another impressive season.

Parker Floyd earns a share of the Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight year, posting yet another 100-tackle season and leading the Hewitt-Trussville defense to another lights-out campaign.

Then there are players who ascended to a new level, each capitalizing on the opportunity to become a top player on their team.

Homewood quarterback Kaleb Carson and Clay-Chalkville’s Aaron Frye share the Offensive Player of the Year honors, posting tremendous dual-threat seasons to cap off their high school careers.

Gage Nasworthy, Briarwood linebacker, will also be one of the Defensive Players of the Year after leading the area in tackles by a wide margin. ► Player of the Year: Brock Bradley, Spain Park ► Offensive Players of the Year: Kaleb Carson, Homewood, and Aaron Frye, Clay-Chalkville ► Defensive Players of the Year: Parker Floyd, Hewitt-Trussville, and Gage Nasworthy, Briarwood ► Coach of the Year: Stuart Floyd, Clay-Chalkville

1ST TEAM OFFENSE

► QB: Kaleb Carson, Homewood; entered his name into the Homewood record books with a big year, throwing for 2,697 yards with 29 touchdowns and rushing for 726 yards with 14 touchdowns. ► QB: Brock Bradley, Spain Park; threw for 2,939 yards and 32 touchdowns to lead the

Brock Bradley (5). Photo by Todd Lester.

Jags back to the playoffs. ► RB: Joshua Woods, Clay-Chalkville; ran for 1,546 yards and 24 touchdowns. ► RB: Marty Myricks, Oak Mountain; one of two area running backs to go over 1,000 yards, scoring 10 touchdowns. ► WR: Corey Barber, Clay-Chalkville; still one of the top receivers in the area despite being the target of opposing defenses, going for 1,130 yards and 13 scores. ► WR: Tomon Felton, Homewood; had 1,160 yards and 10 touchdowns in a breakout season. ► WR: Kena Rego, Spain Park; went for 986 yards and 11 touchdowns in his lone season at Spain Park. ► WR: Dylan Cope, Hewitt-Trussville; posted 905 yards and nine touchdowns as the top Huskies target. ► TE: Nasir Ray, Clay-Chalkville; the “Swiss Army knife” of the Cougars offense, scoring five receiving touchdowns. ► OL: Caleb Boylan, Vestavia Hills; started for three years at center, finishing with a 90% grade this season. ► OL: Carter Fountain, Briarwood; one of the Lions’ leaders, starting for three years and grading out at 95%.

2ND TEAM OFFENSE

► OL: JT Jones, Clay-Chalkville; one of the top linemen in the state, played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. ► OL: Hudson Reed, Spain Park; an Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic selection as a leader on the Jags offense. ► OL: Rocco Gray, Mountain Brook; played several different positions for the Spartans and started 37 games over three years. ► ATH: Aaron Frye, Clay-Chalkville; threw for 2,305 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 1,320 yards and 19 touchdowns. ► ATH: Charlie Taaffe, Vestavia Hills; threw for 1,592 yards and rushed for 827 in just nine games, totaling 29 touchdowns. ► ATH: Jonah Winston, Hoover; one of the most versatile players in the state, rushing for 625 yards and totaling eight touchdowns. ► K: Joseph Del Toro, Clay-Chalkville; converted all of his extra points for the state champions. ► P: Ryan Swetz, John Carroll; averaged a whopping 47 yards per punt. ► ST: Hardy Butler, Homewood; one of the top-ranked long snappers in the state. ► ST: Tyler Kirkland, Chelsea; no bad snaps in four seasons as the starting long snapper.

► QB: Cayden Hofbauer, Mountain Brook; threw for 1,666 yards and 16 touchdowns while nearly rushing for 1,000 yards, as well. ► QB: Kaleb Freeman, Hoover; threw for 2,130 yards and had 23 total touchdowns. ► RB: Chase Malone, Chelsea; finished with 822 yards and 12 touchdowns while battling injuries. ► RB: Deuce Alston, Hewitt-Trussville; finished with 694 yards and nine touchdowns. ► WR: Luke Stubbs, Vestavia Hills; caught 54 passes for 726 yards and four touchdowns. ► WR: Mason McClure, Spain Park; came on strong this year with 826 yards and nine scores. ► WR: Jeremiah Tabb, Hoover; had 741 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bucs. ► WR: Sam Canale, Briarwood; moved to receiver this year and posted 786 yards. ► TE: J.T. Watts, Homewood; scored a couple of touchdowns. ► OL: Luke Kelly, Oak Mountain; led the Eagles in knockdowns in his third year as a starter. ► OL: Rob Schoenvogel, Mountain Brook; moved over from the defensive line and only allowed two sacks. ► OL: Lamar King, Hoover; played three positions as a versatile piece for the Bucs.

HooverSun.com

January 2026 • 23

SPORTS

Left: EJ Kerley (7). Photo by Michael Jackson. Center: Jovon Pulliam (7). Barry Stephenson. Right: Kena Rego (0). Photo by Todd Lester.

► OL: Brooks Dixon, Chelsea; had a 17-knockdown game and graded at 91% on the year. ► OL: Christian Bennett, Clay-Chalkville; paved the way for a strong running game. ► ATH: Jackson Rankin, John Carroll; scored nine offensive touchdowns and a defensive touchdown and made 71 tackles. ► ATH: CJ Davis, Hewitt-Trussville; scored eight total touchdowns. ► ATH: Morgan Barnes, Chelsea; totaled 10 touchdowns. ► K: James Bryant, Hoover; nailed all 10 field goals, including the 55-yard game-winner against Thompson. ► P: Grant Morrison, Hoover; averaged 40 yards per punt, putting 14 inside the 20-yard line. ► ST: Lincoln Anderson, Hoover; played center and long snapper for the Bucs. ► ST: John Leith, Chelsea; one of the most versatile players in the area, kicking, punting and playing defense for the Hornets.

2ND TEAM DEFENSE

► DL: Ethan Walton, Oak Mountain; had a

huge season with 75 tackles, seven sacks and 17 hurries. ► DL: Miller Lee, Mountain Brook; totaled 86 tackles and seven quarterback pressures. ► DL: Keith Richmond, Clay-Chalkville; had 17 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. ► DL: Justyn Hartley, Hoover; had 75 tackles, 11 for loss and seven sacks. ► LB: William Yoder, Oak Mountain; went for 106 tackles and a couple of forced fumbles. ► LB: Porter Schott, Chelsea; the leader of the Hornets defense, finishing with 126 tackles and six sacks. ► LB: Quinton Lowe, Clay-Chalkville; totaled 115 tackles and 17 for loss. ► LB: Zay Brown, Clay-Chalkville; led the Cougars with 122 tackles, including 20 for loss and seven sacks. ► DB: Hayden Chauvin, Hewitt-Trussville; finished with 61 tackles and led the Huskies’ secondary. ► DB: Deon Callins, Clay-Chalkville; broke up 14 passes. ► DB: Brandt Aho, Briarwood; registered 64 tackles and broke up seven passes. ► DB: John Martin, Homewood;

intercepted two passes and made 54 tackles. ► ATH: Trey Sanders, Hoover; went for 105 tackles.

HONORABLE MENTION

► QB: Charlie Vacarella, Oak Mountain; Jack Floyd, Hewitt-Trussville; Zach Benedict, Hewitt-Trussville; Charles Dedmon, Briarwood. ► RB: Stuart Andrews, Mountain Brook; Davis Griffin, Homewood. ► WR: Kasen Lemons, Oak Mountain; Hunter Purdue, Hoover; David Walden, Homewood; Dane Whitehead, Briarwood. ► TE: Hayes DeCoudres, Homewood. ► OL: Pearson Tucker, Vestavia Hills; Adam Brooks, Chelsea; Hugh Tighe, John Carroll; Hank Freeman, Briarwood; Adrian Derico, Briarwood. ► ATH: James Kelly, Hewitt-Trussville. ► P: Harrison Hebert, Briarwood. ► DL: Rodregus Lambert, Homewood; Jamarion White, Hoover; Baasel Alabsi, Hewitt-Trussville; D’ante Seals, HewittTrussville; Randall Jaquez, Homewood; Paxton Ussery, Vestavia Hills; Garrett

Witherington, Briarwood. ► LB: Daniel Richardson, Vestavia Hills; JC Schwender, Oak Mountain; Miller Crumpton, Mountain Brook; Jarrett Goldsby, Hoover; Antonio Wynn, Hewitt-Trussville; Harrison Malone, Hewitt-Trussville; Jamario Yadao, Clay-Chalkville; Joey Luckianow, Homewood; Parker Lindsey, Homewood; Luke Eldridge, Homewood; Brooks Allred, Briarwood; Briston Hardy, Chelsea. ► DB: Owen Wilbanks, Vestavia Hills; Kennedy Silas, Oak Mountain; Clay Mills, Oak Mountain; Kolby King, Oak Mountain; Caden Ali, Hewitt-Trussville; George French, Homewood; John Griffin, Homewood.

Starnes Media’s publications cover several communities throughout the Birmingham metro area. Schools included for consideration on this team were Briarwood, Chelsea, ClayChalkville, Hewitt-Trussville, Homewood, Hoover, John Carroll, Mountain Brook, Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills.

The team was selected by Starnes Media’s sports department in collaboration with the coaches.

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24 • January 2026

TEACHERS

Hoover Teachers of the Year

CONTINUED from page 1

SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR Simmons Middle School Principal Walter Womack said Pettit is known as a teacher who is great at building relationships with students.

Pettit said she has a deep love for science and enjoys sharing her excitement for science with students, but more than anything, she loves building relationships with her students and watching them grow and develop as people.

“I want them to be kind and nice and work together,” she said. “I want them to feel like they’re appreciated and they are valued.”

Her love for her students is reciprocated, Womack said. When students from Hoover High come back and walk the halls of Simmons before they graduate, she is always one of the teachers they seek out, he said.

Pettit has photos of herself with former students pasted on the wall of her classroom.

Whenever they come to visit or she sees them outside of school, she snaps a photo with them, she said.

“I actually have a huge pile of photos I have not put up there because I’ve run out of space,” she said.

She has lunch with a group of ninth graders on Saturday every so often and another group of former students who are in their 20s, she said.

The most rewarding part of being a teacher is seeing the students grow up to live productive lives, she said.

Pettit is also always looking for ways to grow professionally, Womack said. She earned a master’s degree in special education and is certified as a behavior intervention specialist and in cross language academic development.

She is also certified by the National Institute for STEM Education and was certified as a lead teacher in a NASA program at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

Pettit served as a mentor for teacher candidates in California and Texas and first-year teachers at Simmons. She has also mentored teachers in Huntsville through Google Meet meetings.

In addition to her teaching duties, Pettit is the sponsor for the Scholars Bowl team and an assistant coach for the cross-country team.

Outside of school, she enjoys spending time in her garden, hiking and doing yoga classes.

ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Callie Miller taught for seven years at Brookwood Elementary School in Tuscaloosa County before coming to Riverchase last year.

She teaches 11 students with the most severe disabilities in a self-contained classroom but works hard to ensure that her students are active and visible members of the school community at large, Principal Taylar Posey said.

Miller’s students go trick-or-treating

► Elementary Teacher of the Year: Callie Miller, Riverchase Elementary ► Secondary Teacher of the Year: Krystal Pettit, Simmons Middle

Above: Krystal Pettit, a seventh grade science teacher at Simmons Middle School talks to students in her classroom on Thursday, Dec. 11. Behind her on the wall are photos of former students she has encountered outside of school in later years.

Below: Callie Miller, a special education teacher at Riverchase Elementary School, works with a student in her classroom on Friday, Dec. 12. Photos by Jon Anderson.

around the school at Halloween and have been involved in a school baking project. Through collaboration with colleagues, she creates opportunities for her students to serve on safety patrol, participate in student-led organizations and engage in weekly community groups that promote schoolwide inclusion.

“She goes above and beyond just to make them feel included,” Posey said. “Everybody loves her class, and a lot of that is due to Ms. Miller and the work that she puts in because she wants them to be able to excel and be their best.”

Even though her students have severe challenges, Miller still expects the most out of them, Posey said.

“She sets high expectations. She wants them

to participate and learn social skills,” Posey said. “She has a love for all of her students.

She wants them to be able to grow and learn.”

Miller said she knew early on she wanted to be a teacher. She loved school and her teachers as a child, and it was clear to her pretty quickly that she was drawn into special education.

“These kids really need somebody in their corner. They need a teacher who’s willing to give them everything they deserve,” she said. “I think sometimes people discount kids because they might have a disability or they might look different, but they can teach you something every day. They teach me more than I teach them. … I just wanted to be able to make a difference — to make my little spot where I can positively make an impact.”

Other individual school winners: ► Ashley Caffey: Bluff Park Elementary ► Kimberly Fain: Deer Valley Elementary ► Alyssa Pitts: Green Valley Elementary ► Karla Smith: Greystone Elementary ► Gwenda Gregg: Gwin Elementary ► Allison Byrd: Rocky Ridge Elementary ► Julia Danley: Shades Mountain Elementary ► Galey Thomas: South Shades Crest Elementary ► Kelly Jones: Trace Crossing Elementary ► Christy Bain: Brock’s Gap Intermediate ► Alisha Slay: Berry Middle ► Chad James: Bumpus Middle ► Parker Wade: Hoover High ► Ki Shin: Spain Park High ► Amber Friedman: Riverchase Career Connection Center

Miller said her job is challenging because her students are so diverse. Her class serves students from all the elementary grade levels, and they have a wide range of abilities, but she never dreads coming to work, she said.

“There’s never a dull moment,” she said.

“It’s so much fun to see their growth and progress. … They keep us laughing. We just have so much fun. They are just the light in this school.

They are what keeps us going.”

She feels like this honor is really a group award because special education is a job that can’t be done alone, she said. She has three aides who help her, and Riverchase is a great school with a great team of people, she said.

Miller is the lead exceptional education teacher at Riverchase and serves on the school’s leadership team and accreditation team. She has also served as a teacher mentor and is the head of Sunshine Committee, which organizes socials for faculty and staff.

Outside of school, she enjoys playing pickleball, going to concerts and doing CrossFit. Posey said that while this is only Miller’s second year at Riverchase, “She’s already been a shining light.”

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January 2026 • 25

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Hoover Sun

26 • January 2026

Above left: The fitness center in the Everlee amenity center overlooks the pool area. The fitness center has equipment for a range of fitness levels. Above right: residents living at Everlee can utilize the multi-use space for work meetings or gatherings. Photos by Emily Reed.

EVERLEE

CONTINUED from page 1 “We have never built an amenity center to that scale,” Belcher said. “It was really trying an idea and seeing if it worked. Everlee is a large community, and we wanted to create a space that could easily accommodate the entire community.”

Belcher explained that Signature Homes wanted something based off the size of the Hoover Recreation Center. The concept was largely an experiment, and they wanted to “push the envelope” architecturally, he said.

“I think the concept of this particular amenity center is to ultimately bring people together,” Belcher said. “You have this community of people sharing a space and all walks of life, but the amenity center is this central location that allows people to come together and form a really beautiful community.”

Whitney Zickafoose, Everlee’s on-site property manager, said the amenity center has a space for everyone.

“What is so cool about it is you really have so many amenities at your fingertips where you really don’t have to leave the community,” Zickafoose said. “If you want to wash your dog in the pet washing station, you can do that here and not take them somewhere to have it done.”

Yet, at the same time, residents living in Everlee are very centrally located to many businesses along Alabama 150, she said.

The pool officially opened at the amenity center in July and was immediately popular with the residents already living at Everlee, Zickafoose said.

“It was just really neat to see so many in the community coming to enjoy the pool,” she said. “You could really tell it just brought people together, and it is really easy to enjoy because it is so beautiful. It was a wide range of people — from those that wanted to come and do laps in the morning to young parents with kids in the afternoon.”

The other features of the amenity center, both indoor and outdoor, were officially opened to the community in November.

An open house was held for those living in the community to come and take a look at all that is offered.

“We had a great turnout with a lot of people from the community just coming to check out what will be available to them,” Belcher said.

“We were able to answer a lot of questions people had, which mainly stemmed from how they need to go about reserving certain spaces.

We did have a lot of questions about the golf simulator and how people could utilize that.

That seemed to be a really popular amenity.”

Inside the amenity center are large light fixtures and modern, upscale decor. “We wanted things to feel beautiful when you walk inside,” Zickafoose said. “Whether you are holding a Bible study for friends or a work meeting for coworkers, the spaces inside are meant to compel people to stay and enjoy it.”

The Everlee community is located between Lake Cyrus and Ross Bridge and is slated to

Above: An aerial view of the new amenity center. Photo courtesy of Signature Homes.

Left: The design throughout the amenity center was meant to feel open and modern with multiple options for gathering. Photo

by Emily Reed.

have 2,344 housing units. Six hundred of those homes will be restricted to people aged 55 or older and people without children under the age of 18 living in the home, leaving 1,744 homes potentially with children.

The community covers 833 acres, with

roughly 200 acres reserved for community green spaces, parks and trails.

More than 500 homes have been built so far, and 350 of them are occupied, Belcher said.

Residents officially began moving into the Everlee community in 2023.

Two additional amenity centers will be built within the Everlee community, Belcher said.

Primrose at Everlee has a projected completion date of summer 2026, and the Sage at Everlee amenity center is projected to be finished in the summer of 2027.

A playground will be completed in the spring of 2026, and a walking trail system is being developed that will connect the communities.

“I think what has been really exciting to see is people already living in the community making it their home,” Belcher said. “A lot of times when you picture these ideas, they are just concepts, and it may take a while to see them come to completion. Seeing a community form of people who have an active lifestyle and enjoy getting out and meeting their neighbors is something we are really excited about.

It is exactly what we envisioned when we were coming up with the concept.”

HooverSun.com

January 2026 • 27

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