Hoover Sun July 2025

Where the heck am

By TAYLOR BRIGHT And TIM STEPHEnS

“It’s very confusing,” Flach said. “I’m still not sure who I call if we have a fire.”

Welcome to the U.S. 280 corridor.

No single city governs the congested stretch that extends from Interstate

Jefferson County east to Chelsea. What was once farmland and country stores has become a sprawl of big-box retail and gated subdivisions. And none of it happened by accident.

By KYLE PARMLEY

Sonny DiChiara’s college path may look normal today, but it was far from it.

The former Hoover High School star helped lead Samford to two Southern Conference titles before transferring to Auburn, where he became a fan favorite and helped power the Tigers to the College World Series in 2022.

“My college baseball experience was nothing short of amazing,” DiChiara said. “I won two Southern Conference titles at Samford University, and I went to Omaha with Auburn University. Safe to say there was a lot of winning and enjoyment.”

Jennifer Hogan is retiring as Hoover High School principal.

ABOUT US

Editor’s Note By Jon Anderson

Driving along U.S. 280 can get a little confusing sometimes. A lot of people are never quite sure exactly where they are. Are they in Hoover? Birmingham?

Vestavia Hills? Mountain Brook? Unincorporated Jefferson County? Unincorporated Shelby County?

There are “Welcome to Hoover” signs plopped down along the highway in spots, but the history of tentacle annexations by municipalities leaves you hopping into and out of cities as you drive along the road. And the existence of fire districts like Cahaba Valley only adds to the jumbled jurisdictional maze.

Taylor Bright tries to make sense of it all in his cover story for us this month and explain how things got the way they

are and how the various government entities make it work.

Also on our cover this month, Sports Editor Kyle Parmley continues to take a look at the changing face of college sports, this time examining how college athletes from our area are navigating endorsement deals, transfers and a system shifting beneath their feet. They’re also preparing for the next big change: direct pay from universities. Happy reading!

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PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER

Ballpark mom, coach Paepcke ready to give back on park board

By JON ANDERSON

Jennifer Paepcke has spent many a day and night at the ballparks in Hoover.

She coached her daughter, Julia, for many years in softball and was there to support her son, Jack, in baseball and football games and practices.

So when she heard there would soon be an opening on the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board due to Jeremy Vice being appointed to the Hoover school board, it piqued her interest. Paepcke, who has lived in Hoover’s Trace Crossings community for 14 years, was chosen to replace Vice on the park board for the final three and a half months of his six-year term.

She officially joined the board on June 10 and will continue in that role until at least Sept. 30, when that term ends. She’ll likely be reappointed for a full six-year term at that point.

She’s excited about it and, with her children growing up and venturing their own ways, she felt the timing was right, she said.

“This is an opportunity that I can give back to something that I’m passionate about, and that I’ve actually participated in,” Paepcke said. “I know how important it is to maintain these parks for families and to also attract other people into the area because we have such incredible parks.”

She and her husband, John, also like to go hiking and enjoy the outdoors, so Hoover’s offerings in that realm fit well for her as well, she said.

Additionally, in a former job running a cluster of radio stations in the Birmingham area for Crawford Broadcasting Co., Paepcke had worked with Parks and Recreation Director Erin Colbaugh in putting on

Hoover’s first Fourth of July fireworks show at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, she said. Colbaugh was the city’s events coordinator at the time, and they worked well together, she said.

Paepcke said one of her goals as a park board member is to make sure that money is spent wisely and that parks are well maintained, safe and up to date.

There also is a huge population in western Hoover that would love to have a big green space like Veterans Park closer to the west side of Hoover, Paepcke said. Of course, the city’s budget has limits, so budgets are always an issue, she said.

A survey of residents in 2023 identified a skate park as the No. 1 desired amenity in city parks. Paepcke said funding is a major issue. Birmingham has a beautiful skate park, but the maintenance is expensive, she said.

Paepcke grew up in LaGrange, Georgia, and graduated from Columbus State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in health science. She thought she wanted to go into pharmaceutical sales, but getting into that industry was difficult, she said.

She got a job at a radio station in Columbus and fell in love with the radio industry, she said. She and her husband moved to Hoover in 2002, then to Helena in 2003 but came back to Hoover in 2011, she said.

Paepcke spent 13 years with Crawford Broadcasting Co., serving as national sales manager and later overseeing three stations in Birmingham. She has spent the past nine years with Salem Media as a national media strategist. She also serves on the boards for First Priority of Alabama and the Brock’s Gap Swim Club and previously was very involved with the Trace Crossings Elementary PTA.

Jennifer Paepcke, a new member of the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board, with her husband, John, and children, Jack and Julia. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Paepcke.

Candidates gear up for 2025 city election

By JON ANDERSON

The city of Hoover’s 2025 election is now less than two months away.

Campaign signs are popping up all over town. Some of the candidates have hit the speaking circuit, meeting with neighborhood and trade groups, while others are flooding social media with videos, and still others are taking the old-fashioned route of going door to door to introduce themselves to residents.

Candidates were still qualifying to run for office when this edition went to press, but as of the press date, there still were just two candidates for mayor.

Incumbent Mayor Frank Brocato is asking voters to give him a third term after first winning election in 2016 in a three-way race and then defeating challenger Gene Smith in 2020.

This year, Brocato is being challenged by Nick Derzis, who has been Hoover’s police chief for 20 years and served more than 45 years as a Hoover police officer.

Brocato has been touting the numerous accolades the city has received in recent years, including being named the best city in which to live in Alabama by the 24/7 Wall Street website and being ranked Hoover No. 25 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-26 list of the 250 best places to live in the United States.

“While others talk about change,

we’ve delivered results,” Brocato said. “Our schools are thriving. Our economy is booming, and our quality of life — never better. Hoover is hitting its stride, and nothing is going to slow us down.”

Brocato said his mission for the future is simple — “keep building on this momentum so that Hoover remains not just a great place to live — but an even better place to thrive.”

Derzis said Hoover is a dynamic city and great place to live, but to

him, it feels tired. He remembers when the city was thriving and full of energy and opportunity, but today other cities don’t look to Hoover for leadership like they once did, and he wants to bring that mentality back and “make Hoover Hoover again,” he said.

“Instead of excitement, I hear some frustration. Instead of opportunity, I see missed chances, or worse, maybe opportunities that weren’t envisioned,” Derzis said. “Instead of

answers, sometimes we get silence. Instead of leadership, sometimes we get confusion.”

Derzis said the city needs leadership that prioritizes safety, manages the city’s finances wisely and restores trust in city government.

In the Running

As of press time, these were the known council

► Unannounced council seat: Liz Lane

See profiles of candidates online at hooversun.com and backgrounds on candidates in the August print edition.

When Hoover voters go to the polls Aug. 26, they also will elect seven City Council members. Each council member is elected at large and represents the entire city, because Hoover is not divided into council districts, so voters will get to choose a person for each seat.

Hoover City Council candidates participate in an election event at the Green Trails at Lake Wilborn Clubhouse in Hoover on Sunday, June 8. Photo by Jon Anderson.

SCHOOLHOUSE

Leaving her mark: Jennifer Hogan retiring as Hoover High School principal

By JON ANDERSON

Hoover High School Principal Jennifer Hogan shocked a lot of people with her announcement in late May that she would be retiring July 1.

Hogan has been principal at Hoover High for two years and had planned to stay at least three more years, but with her parents experiencing health challenges, she felt it was more important for her to be there for them than remain at Hoover High, she said.

She didn’t feel she could do what she needs to do for her parents and still give 100% at Hoover High, and the school deserves someone who can give it 100%, she said.

Even though Hogan had been principal just two years, she had a total of 14 years at the school and made a lasting impact, observers said. Here is what various people had to say about Hogan and her contributions:

Hoover school board member Amy Tosney said she was one of the people who recruited Hogan to come out of retirement to be principal at Hoover.

Tosney said she was devastated when she heard Hogan was leaving. “She was the perfect administrator for Hoover High School. It is the hardest job that we have in our district, I think by far,” Tosney said. “I’m always nervous, but I have not been nervous for two years … She is a great leader. She handles teachers very well. She’s just a calming person in the building.”

Hogan was an athlete at Berry High School, but she doesn’t give preferential treatment to a certain segment of the student body, Tosney said.

“Kids really like her. She shows up at their stuff,” Tosney said. “She understands the athletes. She understands the fine arts kids. She understands an academic kid.” Even though Hogan was an athlete, “she will show up at a random show choir event, a band event. She just wants to make sure she shows up for every kid.”

When the previous principal, John Montgomery, left many teachers said they wished they could get Hogan to return from her first retirement as an assistant principal in 2021, Tosney said.

Hogan has a deep love for Hoover High, Tosney said.

“She loved everything about it, and she loved being in charge of that school. When I called her the other day, I could tell she was really sad,” Tosney said. “I don’t think this is what she wants, but she’s the kind of person … if she can’t give it 100%, she’s not going to give it 80. She'd rather give it nothing — just clean-cut it and let somebody else step in, which is so admirable. I think she’s fantastic.”

When controversy erupted over Hoover’s new head football coach and the treatment of players by him and another coach in practice in August 2024, Hogan handled it well, Tosney said. Both coaches were placed on administrative leave while the incidents were reviewed and then quickly resigned.

“That was something that none of us knew quite how to handle,” Tosney said. “She doesn’t shy away from getting in the face of things that need to be done. She took the helm, and she handled it how she needed to handle it. That was just a mess.”

Tosney said she has always been impressed with Hogan’s spirit and character. In her first year as principal, Hogan did a book study with parents on raising teenagers. She was interested in the whole child and walking alongside the whole family, Tosney said.

Hogan’s departure has “rattled everybody because they settled into her leadership so quickly,” Tosney said. “This is a big loss. Hoover High School is the biggest beast we own, and she is just so great … It’ll be big shoes to fill.”

Janet Ort, a science teacher at Hoover High for 27 years, said Hogan sets some of the highest standards that any leader or faculty member at the school has ever had. She not only expects a lot of others; she first expects a lot of herself, and she lives what she preaches, Ort said.

Hogan encourages those around her to dream big, Ort said. She listens to people, gives

She is a great leader. She handles teachers very well. She’s just a calming person in the building.

AMY TOSNEY

“ ”

feedback and works hard at knowing what it will take for everyone to be successful and then works to make it happen, Ort said.

“She always wants people to grow professionally,” Ort said. “In the past two years, she has set this amazing tone of excellence and character and encouragement and knowing students on a lot of different levels and knowing all types of students and knowing a lot of different faculty.”

Hogan stands in the gap for people and removes impediments that are holding them back, Ort said.

“That’s the mark of a very secure and visionary leader — to be able to remove impediments.”

Ort said. “She’s a person I respect greatly, and she’s who we needed.”

Mara Read, incoming president of the Hoover High School Parent Teacher Student Organization, said Hogan will be missed greatly.

“Her personality suits her to a tee with a job like that. She is so open and welcoming of thoughts and ideas. I just feel like she just has a really positive presence at the school. Many of us are going to be very sad to see her go,” Read said. “As much as I’m going to miss her being at Hoover High School, I’m so proud of her for this decision that she’s making. I know it was a very difficult decision, but she is doing the right thing. There’s no greater thing than to have your parents long enough to be able to care for them. I’m really proud of her as a human for making this tough decision.”

Hogan has been a really good leader with a no-nonsense approach when dealing with complications, and her communication to the parents has been wonderful,” Read said.

“I admire how she doesn’t jump to communicate with parents until she has all the information,” Read said. “Instead of us receiving early misinformation, she will wait until she has dotted her i’s and crossed her t’s. She’s so, so professional. I think she’s just been a real gift

to Hoover High.

She’s going to be missed for sure, but I have complete faith that our school board will find the next right fit for us.”

David Bannister, a board member for the Buccaneer Touchdown Club and founder of the Neighborhood Bridges program, said Hogan’s departure is a huge loss, but he understands why she made the decision.

Hogan’s hire as principal probably was the most consequential hire the system has had since Gene Godwin was hired to start Hoover High in 1994, Bannister said. Hogan got the job because of her past accomplishments and because she was the most qualified person, but it meant a lot that she was the first Hoover principal to be an alumnus of the school system, he said.

“Jennifer has always taken a very technology and student-focused approach to all of her administrative work,” Bannister said. “I think that’s important both pre- and post-COVID because the needs of the students have shifted from when you and I and others have been in

school. Today’s administrators certainly have a lot more challenges. Jennifer was really up for that challenge. She was really putting some of the shine back on Hoover and making it the top job in the state again.”

Hogan also was a very hands-on principal, Bannister said. While she delegated some work to her assistants and others and empowered them, she was involved in things herself, too, Bannister said.

“She was at almost everything,” he said. “I don't know how she found the time. I don't know how she was able to cover it all, but she somehow did.”

Hoover school board President Alan Paquette said Hoover High is the largest high school and most diverse school in the state and has remarkable achievements in academics, fine arts and athletics.

“It takes a very special person and a top-ofthe-class leader to make all of these great things happen,” Paquette said. “That is who Dr. Jennifer Hogan is, and she will be difficult to replace.”

Jennifer Hogan is retiring as the principal of Hoover High School. Photo by Jon Anderson.

Brock’s Gap Pharmacy coming soon!

Providing personalized care and community-focused health in Hoover

Independent pharmacies make neighborhoods healthier, according to pharmacist Patrick Devereux, co-owner of Brock’s Gap Pharmacy, which is opening soon. “Independent pharmacies emphasize personalized service,” said Devereux, a Hoover resident. “We get to know our clients and their health, and we find solutions not always available at the big chains.”

Customers appreciate independent druggists. “They enjoy the personalized service and convenient delivery options, and they like having a neighbor as their pharmacist, someone they can build a relationship with,” Devereux said. “Every independent pharmacist I've ever met tries to form strong bonds with the community.”

At Brock’s Gap Pharmacy, Devereux has a lot to offer, including compounding. The pharmacy’s coowner, Noel Chaney, worked in commercial drug development, and she has a passion for custom compounding. “Our ability to compound medicines to the exact specifications of the doctor helps us get our patients to the goals and outcomes they need,” Devereux said.

Brock’s Gap Pharmacy offers special packaging to organize patient medications into convenient, easy-to-use calendar packs as an alternative to weekly pill planners.

“I’m also passionate about educating patients,” Devereux said. “I want to make sure our patients have the tools and knowledge needed to take their medicines correctly.”

For decades, pharmacists have been a

Patrick Devereux Pharmacist, co-owner of Brock’s Gap Pharmacy

go-to source of health information, and Devereux continues that tradition. “Whether a customer uses our pharmacy or not, we want them to feel comfortable stopping in for advice,” he said.

Brock's Gap is a great location for the store. “I saw a need not just for a pharmacy but an enhanced retail presence because of the growth in the neighborhoods there,” he said. “It’s a great, local option where people can come on their golf carts or walk there.”

The Brock’s Gap Pharmacy retail section will offer a wide selection of over-the-counter products, supplements and health items. “We’ll work closely

Brock’s Gap Pharmacy

• Where: 5860 Elsie Road, Hoover

• Call: 205-354-6080

• Web: brocksgappharmacy.com

with nearby health providers to carry products they recommend to their patients — even products not carried by other retailers,” Devereux said. The store will also stock household items, event supplies and unique, high-end snacks and drinks.

Brock’s Gap Pharmacy will also feature a unique Marketplace section, with gifts, home goods and other items, many from local vendors. “It’s important to us to support the community in any way possible — everything from sourcing vendors to promoting events that our neighbors in the shopping center are doing,” Devereux said.

A pharmacist since 2005, Devereux spent 18 years as managing pharmacist for FMS Pharmacy in Bessemer. He lives in Hoover and has three children, Joseph, Colin, and Lorelei. “Getting to know patients and solving problems is the reason I've enjoyed practicing pharmacy for 20 years,” Devereux said.

Devereux’s also passionate about patient independence — “having the right care in the home to help patients stay in their home longer and age in place,” he said. In 2023, Devereux opened Happier at Home, offering in-home senior care, and this service is part of the pharmacy.

“We give patients and their families a trusted partner in keeping them independent,” he said. “Having a pharmacist-owned home-care company gives our clients access to medication management tools and advice not available elsewhere.”

BUSINESS

Business Buzz

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

NOW OPEN

Taziki’s Mediterranean Café held a ribbon cutting for its new location at 5880 Elsie Road in the Knox Square shopping center in Trace Crossings on June 3. 205-255-5858, tazikis.com/location/knox-square

Hoover Steaks and Wines is now open at 5868 Elsie Road in the Knox Square shopping center across from Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The gourmet grocery and wine store offers an in-house dining menu and wine bar with high-end specialty meats and more than 550 wines from around the world, plus gourmet sides and desserts to go. 205-238-5359, hooversteaksandwines.com

COMING SOON

Construction is progressing on the new Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar in the Tattersall Park development off Alabama 119. The goal is to open the new restaurant by mid-July, according to an employee of the Big Whiskey’s at Stadium Trace Village, which opened in July 2020. Earlier plans indicated the new restaurant would be a 6,000-square-foot stand-alone restaurant off Tattersall Boulevard, not far from the Publix grocery store. Big Whiskey’s signature items include chicken ranch alfredo, a honey stung burger, boom boom shrimp tacos, a brunch melt, buffalo chicken wontons, a blackberry bourbon sidecar and beer cheese pretzels. In addition to the main menu, Big Whiskey’s features a weekday lunch menu, a weekend brunch menu and an extensive drink menu with more than 120 whiskeys, including rare and allocated bottles. The new restaurant will employ about 80 staff members, the company previously said. Big Whiskey’s was founded in downtown Springfield, Missouri, in 2006 and now operates in Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma. bigwhiskeys.com

Wild Birds Unlimited plans to open a new location of its nature shop in the Tattersall Park development off Alabama 119. The new store will be at 6215 Tattersall Blvd., Suite 109, in the row of stores with the Publix at Tattersall, next to the Goodwill Donation Center. The company sells items such as bird feeders, bird feed, mounting and hanging hardware, and other items related to birds. birmingham.wbu.com

Kung Fu Tea plans to open a location in the Tattersall Park development off Alabama 119. The tea shop will be at 6215 Tattersall Blvd., Suite 101, in the row of stores with the Publix at Tattersall, next to the Goodwill Donation Center. Kung Fu Tea is a Taiwanese bubble tea franchise founded in Queens, New York, and now with more than 350 locations across the United States and at least three locations in Canada under the KF Tea name. kungfutea.com

Qdoba Mexican Eats plans to open its second Birmingham area location at 1539 Montgomery Highway in Hoover. The fast casual restaurant was founded in 1995 as Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill in Denver and has changed its name a few times, becoming Qdoba Mexican Eats in 2015. The chain now has more than 750 locations, mostly in the United States, but with a few locations in Canada, Japan and Puerto Rico. Its first location in the metro area was in Birmingham at 425 20th St. S., Unit 106. Four more locations are being considered in the metro area, including in the U.S. 280 corridor, Trussville and Alabaster. qdoba.com

RENOVATIONS AND RELOCATIONS

Krispy Kreme reopened its location at 1990 New Patton Chapel Road on June 9 after being closed for several months for renovations and equipment replacement. 205-822-8272, site.krispykreme.com/al/hoover/ 1990-new-patton-chapel-rd

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Capstone Building Corp., based at 1200 Corporate Drive, Suite 350, in the Meadow Brook Corporate Park, on June 5 held a ribbon cutting for the recently completed 143-unit Southtown Senior independent senior living housing development in Birmingham. The 158,384-square-foot project, done in collaboration with The Benoit Group and Housing Authority of Birmingham District, is part of the city of Birmingham’s Edgehill at Southtown redevelopment plan. The complex has floor plans with one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments that are in close proximity to UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. It also has a fitness center, community room, business center and tenant services that include monthly arts and crafts, blood pressure screening and holiday festivities. 205-803-5226, capstonebuilding.com

Hoover Sun contributor Solomon Crenshaw Jr. on June 8 received a first-place award from the Alabama Sports Writers Association for best general sports story writing without a deadline in 2024. The award was for a May 2024 story he wrote about four orphans from Uganda who were adopted by metro area families. All four of the orphans excel in track and field, including a set of twins who lived in Hoover. The story also won first place in the

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

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

feature story category of the Alabama Media Professionals’ communications contest. Crenshaw, a Hoover resident, also received a second-place ASWA prize in best baseball story without a deadline for a June 2024 story he wrote about the Birmingham-Southern College baseball team savoring its final bus ride, returning to the campus that closed days before. 205-313-1780, hooversun.com

The Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Jennifer Wilson, a trust advisor for Regions Bank, to its board of directors. Wilson graduated with honors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with an accounting degree, then earned her master’s degree in business administration and law degree from the University of Mississippi. Her legal career spans securities litigation, estate and trust planning and elder law. She was the first-ever appointed staff attorney in Jefferson County Probate Court under Judge Alan King before transitioning into banking in 2015.

205-988-5672, hooverchamber.org

PERSONNEL MOVES

Alabama Goodwill Industries, which has a donation center at 6215 Tattersall Blvd., Suite 105, in the Tattersall Park shopping center and a store and donation center at 5287 U.S. 280 in the Brook Highland shopping center, recently promoted three key team members. Daniel Hancock was promoted to South district director, while Steve Lovette was named North district director, and Vivian Hubbard was named payroll manager. Hancock brings nearly 16 years of experience, including his early years with Goodwill Manasota in Florida and a recent 14-month role with Amity Goodwill in Ontario, Canada. Before joining AGI, Hancock consulted with Goodwill organizations throughout North America, helping to shape strategies and grow the organization’s impact. Lovette, a seasoned leader and U.S. Air Force veteran, brings deep experience in safety, operations and contract management. Following two decades in the military, Lovette served in leadership roles at Palmetto Goodwill in South Carolina and later at Goodwill San Antonio. His career has spanned safety and security oversight, loss prevention, and government contracts supporting military bases. Hubbard, who has helped oversee accounts payable operations across the organization, previously worked as the East region accounts receivable supervisor at Coca-Cola. She is a certified Arabic and French interpreter with training in legal interpretation. 205-438-6010, 205-775-0288, alabamagoodwill.org

ANNIVERSARIES

Higher Roof Solutions, a roofing company based in Inverness, in June celebrated its second anniversary. 205-386-0565, higherroofsolutions.com

George McCluney had a 15th anniversary party for his Beef O’Brady’s franchise location in The Grove shopping center at 5519 Grove Blvd. scheduled for June 20. Musician Robert Abernathy, a former teacher at Simmons Middle School, was scheduled to provide the entertainment. 205-987-9464, beefobradys.com/hoover

Crenshaw

Lovette

Hancock

Hubbard

SPOTLIGHT

Jimmy Valiani, owner of Let’s Play on U.S. 280

By STAFF

Q: Tell us briefly about your business.

A: Let’s Play is an indoor play center where kids can play, climb, jump and unleash their imaginations — rain or shine. With three locations across Alabama, we’ve created a vibrant space that not only ignites joy in children but also invites parents to relax, connect, or join in on the adventure.

Q: How did you get involved with the business?

A: It all began with a personal need. As a parent, I constantly searched for a safe and clean place where my kids could play and have fun in a safe environment, but I realized there weren’t many great options nearby. This realization sparked my idea, and before long, Let’s Play was created. It’s been incredible to see it evolve into a space that serves so many families all over Alabama.

Q: Give us your 30-second elevator pitch.

A: Let’s Play is a place where kids can have fun while parents enjoy a moment to relax or join in on the excitement! We focus on active play, unforgettable birthday parties, and maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming environment every time you walk through our doors.

Q: What would your customers say they like about you?

By CHRISTIANNA HORNIGOLD

Founded in 2018 by licensed professional counselor Pamela Quekemeyer, Birmingham Therapy Services is a private mental health practice committed to mind-body healing through experiential therapy.

The practice, located in the Century Park South office complex off Tyler Road, offers an approach that moves beyond traditional talk therapy. The team there tries to engage the nervous system directly through somatic practices, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, brainspotting and other experiential techniques.

The idea is to use experiences such as movement, breathwork, expressive arts, outdoor activities, role playing, grounding and mindful awareness to help clients process emotions and release trauma stored in the body and brain.

Each clinician at the practice brings specialized training, offering diverse modalities that integrate body awareness, emotion, sensation and memory. This diversity ensures that clients receive care tailored to their unique needs.

Birmingham Therapy Services also recently launched somatic workshops and intensives for health care professionals. Plans for the rest of 2025 include drop-in somatic workshops aligned with lunar phases — a creative approach to grounding clients in natural rhythms of release and renewal.

With more than a decade of experience in addiction recovery, Quekemeyer’s path to therapy is deeply personal.

A: I believe they would say that we genuinely care, and it shows. Parents often share that they appreciate how clean and safe our environment feels, how friendly our team is, and how much their children enjoy being here. Let’s be honest — when kids end their day happy and exhausted, everyone wins.

“My passion for this work is deeply rooted in my

Above left: Pamela Quekemeyer, above right: Katie Pietri, left: Nicole Jenkins, below left: Laetzia Bojara, below right: Candace Headland. Photos courtesy of Birmingham Therapy Services.

Sips and Bites

SPOTLIGHT

Kristi Sibley, HR manager at Edgar’s Bakery

By STAFF

Q: Tell us briefly about your business.

A: Founded in 1998 by Dottie and Terry Smith, Edgar’s Bakery quickly became a staple in the Birmingham area and later in the Huntsville area. Expanding to 11 locations across Alabama, we have cakes, pastries, breakfast, lunch and everything in between!

Q: How did you get involved with the business?

A: I have been with Edgar’s for … pretty much my whole life! I started as a cashier when I was 16, moved to customer service, and now, about 20 years later, I am the HR/ payroll manager. It has been such a wonderful experience getting to know Edgar’s from so many vantage points!

Q: Give us your 30-second elevator pitch.

A: We are a family owned and operated bakery and café that prides ourselves on providing kind service and delicious food to our community. Your celebrations, our creations!

Q: What sets you apart from your competitors?

A: The cakes and the people! Not only are our cakes delicious but the people who make them genuinely care about the quality of our products. It makes coming to work every day a treat!

Q: What would your customers say they like about you?

A: Our customers would say they love our wide selection and our ability to personalize their experience. Most of all they would say they love our strawberry cake!

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be unique or interesting about your business?

A: Since launching nationwide shipping through Goldbelly, we have shipped cakes as far as Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada!

Hacienda Mexican Grill evolves with the times

By JON ANDERSON

The Hacienda Mexican Grill at the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road has been offering customers traditional Mexican fare ever since Rick and Carolina Martinez opened there in 2004, but these days, you’ll find some newer items on the menu as well.

A little over a year ago, customers started asking for a more authentic Mexican dish called quesabirrias, said Armando Martinez, who took over ownership of the restaurant from his parents in late 2023. So he added it to the menu to meet the demand.

“It’s slow-cooked short rib meat, and it comes served on corn tortillas dipped in the broth that the meat is cooked in, and then it comes with cheese inside and cilantro and onion and the broth on the side to dip the quesadillas,” Martinez said. “Basically, it’s a quesadilla, but it’s with short rib in it.”

While he wants to evolve the menu, Martinez said he also doesn’t want to stray too far from what has made them successful. People especially love the street tacos, the chunky salsa, fajitas and margaritas with freshly

squeezed lime, he said.

And consistently friendly customer service is key, he said. “We’ve gotten to know so many families over the years. There are so many people that we know on a first-name basis. They know us.”

Martinez’s parents are originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. They moved to California in 1982 and then to Chelsea in 1997. They opened their first Hacienda Mexican Grill in Chelsea in 2001 and then added the Valleydale location in 2004. The Chelsea restaurant closed in 2011, but the Valleydale spot has remained fruitful, he said.

Outfitting Birmingham’s children for over 70 years

Customers eat dinner at the Hacienda Mexican Grill in the Caldwell Centre at the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road. Photo by Jon Anderson.

The inside of the Colonnade location of Edgar’s Bakery. Photo courtesy of Edgar’s Bakery.

Served on Hoover City Council from 2004-2020

Served on City Council President from 2016-2020

Served on Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission

Served for 17 years at Hoover Fire Department, retiring as Captain

Served on the UAB 310 Mental Health Commission

Over 30 years of business experience

► ADDRESS: 2019 Chalybe Way

► BED/BATH: 4/2.5

► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,140 sq. ft.

► NEIGHBORHOOD: Chalybe in Ross Bridge

► LIST PRICE: $520,000

► SALE PRICE: $520,000

► ADDRESS: 4570 Everlee Parkway

► BED/BATH: 3/2.5

► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,610 sq. ft.

► NEIGHBORHOOD: Everlee

► LIST PRICE: $427,721

► SALE PRICE: $427,721

GRAND OPENING PARTY!

► ADDRESS: 1874 Tall Timbers Drive

► BED/BATH: 3/2

► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,960 sq. ft.

► NEIGHBORHOOD: Green Valley

► LIST PRICE: $374,900

► SALE PRICE: $402,000

SOURCE: GREATER ALABAMA MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE

Diana S. Knight, CPA, CVA

Jeff W. Maze, CPA, MA Jason Lybrand, CPA, MBA • Income tax planning and compliance • Audit, compilation and review services • Estate tax planning and compliance

Business valuations • Tax compliance–non-profit organizations • Trustee and elder care services

Employee benefit plan audits

STEVE McCLINTON HOOVER CITY COUNCIL

God, Family, Community

I’ve had the honor of representing the best city in Alabama, a city regularly recognized as one of the best places to live in the United States - that doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of hard work and a testament to the dedication of our city employees.

I am committed to ensuring the City Council represents the people of Hoover, holding our government accountable, and ensuring citizens know exactly what is being done in their name with their hard-earned tax dollars. Transparency and trust are the foundations of effective governance. For Hoover to continue thriving, we need leaders who are unafraid to make tough decisions and do what’s right for its citizens. It is my hope that the citizens of Hoover recognize my actions and dedication over the years, and I humbly ask for your support as I seek your vote once again.

Save the Date

WORLD POLICE & FIRE GAMES

► Where: More than 30 venues across the metro area, including the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, Inverness Nature Park, Spain Park High School and Veterans Park in Hoover

► When: June 27-July 6

► Contact: info@bhm2025.com

► Web: bhm2025.com

► Cost: Free for spectators

► Details: More than 8,500 first responders from more than 70 countries will compete in more than 60 sports. In Hoover, there will be competitions in soccer, tennis, baseball, basketball, flag football, motorcycle rodeo, firefighter challenge and ultimate firefighter challenge at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex

MISS HOOVER/ MISS HOOVER’S OUTSTANDING TEEN

► Where: Hoover Library Theatre, 200 Municipal Drive

► When: Thursday, July 17, 6 p.m.

► Contact: 205-354-9383

► Web: Miss Hoover Foundation on Facebook

► Cost: $25

► Details: The competitions are preliminary competitions for the Miss Alabama 2026 and Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen 2026 competitions. The winner of Miss Hoover receives a $5,000 scholarship, and the winner of Miss Hoover’s Outstanding Teen receives a $1,000 scholarship. Miss Hoover is open to women ages 18 to 27, and Miss Hoover’s Teen is open to ages 14 to 17.

FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS

► Where: Hoover Metropolitan Complex

► When: Tuesday, July 1, 9 p.m.

► Cost: Free

► Details: The city of Hoover is putting on a fireworks show at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex near Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. People are invited to watch from the stadium parking lot, but the fireworks also can be seen from nearby areas. Many people typically gather at places like The Village at Brock’s Gap and The Grove shopping center to watch as well. Music that goes along with the show will be broadcast on 87.9 FM. The show is being put on by Pyro Shows of Alabama and is costing the city $27,500.

SCI-FI FANTASY FEST

► Where: Hoover Public Library, 200 Municipal Drive

► When: Saturday, July 19, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

► Contact: 205-444-7800

► Web: SciFi/Fantasy Fest on Facebook

► Cost: Free

► Details: This annual festival includes science fiction, fantasy and “geeky” activities, featuring discussion panels on fandom favorites, a costume contest, vendors, open gaming, an interactive movie experience and “geeky” crafts. There also will be a KidCon inspired by the yellow minions. A full event schedule will be posted on the Hoover Public Library website as the event gets closer.

► For more events news, connect with the Hoover Sun online by scanning the QR code.

► Have an upcoming event to share? Email Jon Anderson at janderson@starnesmedia.com.

HOOVER CITY DAD BRIGADE

► Where: Each school in the Hoover school system

► When: Saturday, July 12, 7 a.m.

► Web: Hoover City Dad Brigade on Facebook

► Cost: Free

► Details: This annual back-to-school cleanup event invites fathers, grandfathers, other men in the community and boys in the eighth grade or older to volunteer time at the school of their choice to help clean up the campus. Jobs typically include tasks such as spreading pine straw in landscaped areas, pressure washing concrete, trimming trees and hedges and removing weeds and trash. Volunteers are asked to register in advance to help organizers prepare.

STARDOME COMEDY CLUB

July 3: Hack and Forth presented by Comedy Break-In (ages 18 and older), 7:30 p.m.

July 5: Double D (ages 18 and older), 6:30 p.m.

July 6: Buddy Love with Twaun and Chelle (ages 18 and older), 6:30 p.m.

July 10-12: Henry Cho (ages 16 and older), 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday

July 13: Auntie Pam (ages 18 and older), 6:30 p.m.

July 16: Rickey Smiley New Material Night (ages 18 and older), 7 p.m.

July 17: Double Chuckle Comedy Tour with The Real John King and Patrick Madison (ages 18 and older), 7:30 p.m.

July 18-20: Shelly Belly (ages 18 and older), 7 p.m. Friday, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

July 18: Amber Brenton (ages 18 and older), 7:30 p.m.

July 27: Damon Williams (ages 18 and older), 6:30 p.m.

JALEN MILROE YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP

► Where: Hoover High School, 1000 Buccaneer Drive

► When: Saturday, July 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

► Contact: hooverahead@gmail.com

► Web: flexworksports.com/camps-1/ jalen-milroe-hoover%2C-al

► Cost: $137.87

► Ages: 6-16

► Details: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe, a former star quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and other coaches will provide football knowledge and hands-on instruction in an environment designed to be fun, positive and high in energy. Camp activities will include lectures, fundamental skill stations, contests and awards. The camp is open to children ages 6-16.

OFFICIAL

July 7: Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission, work session 5:30 p.m., action meeting 6 p.m., Hoover City Hall

July 8: Hoover Board of Education, 5:30 p.m., Farr Administration Building

July 8: Hoover Parks and Recreation Board, 5:30 p.m., Hoover Recreation Center

July 9: Hoover Arts Council, 5 p.m., Hoover City Hall

July 14: Hoover City Council action meeting, 6 p.m., Hoover City Hall

July 15: Hoover Library Board, 5 p.m., Hoover Public Library

July 17: Hoover Board of Zoning Adjustment work session, 5:30 p.m., Hoover City Hall

July 21: Hoover Board of Zoning Adjustment action meeting, 5:30 p.m., Hoover City Hall

July 24: Hoover City Council work session, 5:30 p.m., Hoover City Hall

July 28: Hoover Beautification Board, 1 p.m., Hoover City Hall

Hoover Bartender Challenge, Restaurant Week return in July

By JON ANDERSON

The Hoover Restaurant Alliance is gearing up for its annual bartender challenge and Hoover Restaurant Week in July.

The bartender challenge, now in its third year, will start on July 14 with about six bartenders competing in a preliminary competition to see who’s the best at making drinks at The Anvil Pub and Grill in The Village at Lee Branch.

The top three from the preliminary competition will move on to the finals on July 17 at the Beef O’Brady’s at The Grove shopping center.

Each of the competitions will be at 6 p.m., said David Cohen, founder and president of the Hoover Restaurant Alliance. Judges were still being determined at press time, but the judging panel for the events was expected to include: state Rep. Mike Shaw; state Rep. Leigh Hulsey; Joseph Mitchell, the director emeritus for the Jefferson State Community College Culinary and Hospitality Institute; Paul Dangel, sales director at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel; and Uriah Price, a bartender at The Anvil Pub and Grill who won the contest both of the previous years.

Next, Hoover’s 2025 Restaurant Week will be held from July 18 to July 26, spanning nine days. During the week, participating restaurants will be offering specials that will be advertised on the Hoover Restaurant Week’s website and Facebook page.

Typically, close to 50 restaurants participate in the campaign — everything from fine dining establishments to barbecue joints and everything in between, Cohen said. Many Hoover restaurants that have participated in the past year’s events will be taking part again this year, but one new one that already has committed is Umi Sushi Poke in the Trace Crossings shopping

center that includes Publix, Cohen said.

“Just trying to highlight Southern hospitality — Hoover style,” he said. “Our goal is just to promote our local industry with all the great restaurants that we’ve got. We’ve got 125 to 150 independent and corporate restaurants in this town.”

That includes a great selection of international restaurants that serve Mexican, Asian, Indian, Pakistani, Thai and African food, he said.

Hoover Restaurant Week also is a way for

restaurant owners and managers to connect, Cohen said. It’s easy for independent restaurants to feel like they’re alone sometimes, and it helps to bring people together to realize there are others facing the same challenges they do, he said. Sometimes they even help each other in times of need.

Hoover Restaurant Week will start with a kickoff event at 7:30 a.m. on July 18 that will feature probably 15 or so restaurants that are participating in the campaign, Cohen said. Those restaurants will be sharing samples of

some of their food, he said. The location of the kickoff event was still being determined at press time.

Any food left over from the kickoff event will go to Grace’s Kitchen, a nonprofit that serves food to homeless people, Cohen said. Some of the restaurants participating in Hoover Restaurant Week also have signed up to be regular donors to Grace’s Kitchen as well, he said.

Check out the list of participants in Hoover Restaurant Week at hooverrestaurantweek.com.

Uriah Price makes a Manhattan drink at The Anvil Pub and Grill in The Village at Lee Branch in Hoover. Price was the winner of the Hoover Bartender Challenge in 2023 and 2024 and will be serving as a judge in 2025.

Photo by Jon Anderson.

SPORTS

All-South Metro Baseball

Adams named Hitter of the Year

By KYLE PARMLEY

The quality of high school baseball in the Birmingham area is elite, and the 2025 season was no different. The annual Under the Lights AllSouth Metro Team is packed full of talent and could almost pass as an all-state team.

This year’s Player of the Year is Hewitt-Trussville shortstop Steele Hall, who has potential to be a high pick in this summer’s Major League Baseball Draft. Hoover’s Will Adams is Hitter of the Year, although he is another great two-way player for the Bucs.

Aiden Hughes of Chelsea and Jack Ross of Homewood share the Pitcher of the Year honors. Hughes led the Hornets to the state championship series, while Ross notched 10 wins to cap off a terrific career at Homewood.

Michael Stallings is the Coach of the Year, taking Chelsea to the state finals for the second time.

► Player of the Year: Steele Hall, Hewitt-Trussville

► Hitter of the Year: Will Adams, Hoover

► Pitchers of the Year: Aiden Hughes, Chelsea, and Jack Ross, Homewood

► Coach of the Year: Michael Stallings, Chelsea

1ST TEAM

► Pitcher: Aiden Hughes, Chelsea; went 9-0 with a 0.94 earned run average, while racking up 59 hits at the plate.

► Pitcher: Jack Ross, Homewood; won 10 games, while hitting .402 with nine homers and 49 RBIs.

► Pitcher: Bryant Diddell, Mountain Brook; one of the top strikeout pitchers in the area, punching out 85 hitters.

► Pitcher: Jackson Price, Chelsea; went 8-1 with a 1.74 ERA for the state runner-up.

► Catcher: Parker Daniels, Briarwood; led all catchers with 39 hits and finished with a .482 OBP.

► First base: Will Dobbins, Homewood; knocked in 34 RBIs and stole 16 bases.

► Second base: Cam Simpson, Hewitt-Trussville; finished with an impressive .514 OBP, knocking in 30 RBIs and swiping 20 bases.

► Third base: Gavin Smith, Vestavia Hills; hit .422 with five homers and 40 RBIs.

► Shortstop: Steele Hall, Hewitt-Trussville; an upcoming high draft pick, capping off his high school career with a .484 average, 60 hits, eight homers, 35 RBIs and 33 stolen bases.

► Infield: Charlie Taaffe, Vestavia Hills; hit .369 with five home runs.

► Infield: Noah Eady, Oak Mountain; picked up 36 hits and drove in 28 RBIs.

► Outfield: Will Adams, Hoover; got on base at a .608 clip and hit eight home runs as the top hitter in the area.

► Outfield: Jack Bland, Homewood; stole 39 bases and finished with 39 hits.

► Outfield: Cross Tonsmeire, Vestavia Hills; got on base at a .526 clip, scoring 34 runs and stealing 21 bases.

► Designated hitter: Jaxson Wood, Hoover; one of the top players in the area, hitting eight homers with 43 RBIs.

► Designated hitter: Seth Staggs, Briarwood; racked up 50 hits.

► Utility: Christian Helmers, Hewitt-Trussville; one of the top all-around players in the area, going 9-1 on the mound, while hitting .322.

► Utility: Caleb Barnett, Mountain Brook; last year’s Hitter of the Year put forth another strong year, posting a 1.61 ERA and getting on base at a .521 clip.

2ND TEAM

► Pitcher: Hudson Mitchell, Hewitt-Trussville; led the area with 11 wins, posting

a 1.11 ERA.

► Pitcher: Jude Davidson, Mountain Brook; went a perfect 7-0 with a 1.48 ERA.

► Pitcher: Ivan Hand, Briarwood; posted eight wins without taking a loss, with a 1.46 ERA.

► Pitcher: Chase Rafferty, Vestavia Hills; went 6-2 for the Rebels.

► Catcher: Drew Ollis, Hewitt-Trussville; reached base in nearly half of his at-bats and hit .387.

► First base: Sam Estes, Mountain Brook; knocked in 25 RBIs and got on base at

a .418 clip.

► Second base: Finn Hecklinski, John Carroll; finished with a .476 OBP.

► Third base: Parker Johnson, Hoover; finished a strong year with a .491 OBP.

► Shortstop: Paul Barnett, Mountain Brook; finished with 35 hits and had a .453 OBP.

► Infield: Chase Lackey, Chelsea; knocked in 20 RBIs and stole 20 bases.

► Infield: Rhys Jones, Spain Park; put forth another solid season, finishing with a .472 OBP.

► Outfield: William Tonsmeire, Vestavia Hills; got on base in half his at-bats, drawing 24 walks and swiping 18 bases.

► Outfield: Joe Cross, Spain Park; finished with 35 hits and 26 RBIs.

► Outfield: Will Weaver, Mountain Brook; knocked in 32 RBIs.

► Designated hitter: Cooper Huffman, Hewitt-Trussville; finished with a .351 average and 32 RBIs.

► Designated hitter: Will Langston, Vestavia Hills; hit .365 and drove in 31 RBIs.

► Utility: Houston Hartsfield, Briarwood; hit .327 and won four games as an all-around player.

► Utility: Levi Nickoli, Homewood; saved four games with a 0.98 ERA, while playing shortstop for the Patriots.

HONORABLE MENTION

► Pitcher: Cooper Anderson, Vestavia Hills; Wilson Szymela, Vestavia Hills; Will Daniel, Vestavia Hills; Colin Jones, Vestavia Hills; Patrick McQueeney, Spain Park; Charlie Kramer, Spain Park; Max Vinson, Spain Park; Baker Williams, Oak Mountain; Brady Sheppard, Hoover; Gavin Letcher, John Carroll; Jacob Francis, Hewitt-Trussville; Rylan Clark, Hewitt-Trussville.

► Catcher: Cooper Mullins, Homewood; Cade Mims, Chelsea.

► First base: Jacob Harris, Vestavia Hills; James Au, Hoover; Luke Neill, Chelsea.

► Third base: Blake Bales, Hewitt-Trussville.

► Shortstop: Cale McIntosh, Hewitt-Trussville.

► Outfield: Aiden Craven, Chelsea; Owen Edwards, Oak Mountain; Baylor Hardy, Hoover; Atticus Barton, Hoover; Cooper Dunn, John Carroll; Cam Graham, John Carroll; Will Clark, Briarwood; Koal Duckett, Hewitt-Trussville; Mack Breazeale, Chelsea; Noah Crosby, Mountain Brook; Carson Mann, Vestavia Hills.

► Designated hitter: William Yoder, Oak Mountain; Colby Durden, Hewitt-Trussville; Ben Roberts, Homewood.

► Utility: Garrett Barnes, John Carroll; Braxton Williams, John Carroll; Gabe Jones, Oak Mountain; Ben Heath, Oak Mountain; Paxton Stallings, Chelsea.

Above: Hoover’s Will Adams (8). Left: Jaxson Wood (3).

Below: Parker Johnson (6).

Photos by Richard Force and Lindsay Handey.

SPORTS

All-South Metro Softball

Westhoven named Pitcher of the Year

By KYLE PARMLEY

The 2025 Under the Lights All-South Metro Softball Team, published by Starnes Media, aims to recognize the top individuals from across the area.

The Player of the Year honors go to Hewitt-Trussville’s Corey Goguts, who tied for the state lead with an eye-popping 31 home runs on the year. Katie Hopson from Chelsea, a true utility player, takes Hitter of the Year honors after sparking the Hornets offense.

Hoover senior Haley Westhoven is the Pitcher of the Year, finishing her career by leading the area with 13 wins for the Bucs. Her coach, Trey Matlock, takes Coach of the Year honors after leading the Bucs to winning Area 6, arguably the toughest in the state.

► Player of the Year: Corey Goguts, Hewitt-Trussville

► Hitter of the Year: Katie Hopson, Chelsea

► Pitcher of the Year: Haley Westhoven, Hoover

► Coach of the Year: Trey Matlock, Hoover

1ST TEAM

► Pitcher: Haley Westhoven, Hoover; tied for the area lead with 13 wins, posting a 2.85 earned run average.

► Pitcher: Kelsey Crain, Oak Mountain; posted the lowest ERA in the area with a 2.24 mark, winning eight games.

► Pitcher: Jaley Young, Spain Park; led the area with 110 strikeouts, winning nine games.

► Catcher: Lindsey Westhoven, Hoover; one of the leaders for the Bucs, finishing with a .404 on-base percentage and 33 runs batted in.

► Infield: Claire Robinett, Mountain Brook; hit .417 in her senior season, finishing with 40 hits.

► Infield: Marianna Murray, Mountain Brook; hit eight homers and finished with a .458 OBP.

► Infield: Sheridan Andrews, Oak Mountain; put together another strong year, hitting .421 with 10 doubles.

► Infield: Mollie Hanson, Hoover; one of the top hitters in the middle of the order for the Bucs, driving in 32 runs.

► Infield: Charlee Bennett, Spain Park;

capped off her career with a .411 OBP.

► Outfield: Madison Letson, Homewood; put together a great sophomore year, hitting .576 and driving in 27 runs.

► Outfield: Reagan Rape, Mountain Brook; caused havoc for opponents, hitting .600 and stealing 41 bases.

► Outfield: Reagan Lawson, Hoover; got on base at a .483 clip and stole 30 bases.

► Outfield: Evelyn Splawn, Vestavia Hills; hit .426, racking up 52 hits and stealing 23 bases for the Rebels.

► Designated hitter: Emily Williams, John Carroll; hit 14 homers with 52 RBIs.

► Designated hitter: Corey Goguts, Hewitt-Trussville; hit .521 with 31 homers and 78 RBIs, drawing 32 walks.

► Designated hitter: Sydney Carroll, Chelsea; hit seven homers and drew 20 walks as one of the area’s most feared hitters.

► Utility: Katie Hopson, Chelsea; hit .461

with 16 home runs, racking up 70 hits.

► Utility: Zaylen Tucker, Hewitt-Trussville; worked her way back from injury, hitting .448 with six homers and throwing critical innings in the circle.

► Utility: Marian Cummings, Oak Mountain; hit .402 and won nine games in the circle.

2ND TEAM

► Pitcher: Maxie Provost, Spain Park; had a brilliant eighth-grade season, going 10-6 with a 2.98 ERA.

► Pitcher: Larsen Cummings, Briarwood; posted a 2.48 ERA and struck out 102 batters.

► Pitcher: Alaysha Crews, Chelsea; the top pitcher for a strong Hornets team, winning nine games.

► Catcher: Anna DuBose, Oak Mountain; capped off her career with a solid year and only made three errors in the field.

► Infield: Klara Thompson, Spain Park;

hit six homers and stole 20 bases without being caught.

► Infield: Lorelei Beck, Chelsea; drove in 38 runs and was a solid pitcher for the Hornets as well.

► Infield: Peyton Hull, Hewitt-Trussville; the Montevallo signee registered 42 hits.

► Infield: Caroline Brown, Chelsea; the Kennesaw State commit hit .363 with six homers.

► Infield: Brooke Monosky, Oak Mountain; put together an impressive freshman season, with a .367 average.

► Outfield: Ava Hyde, Hewitt-Trussville; had a great senior year, with 60 hits and 29 stolen bases.

► Outfield: Presley Hull, Hewitt-Trussville; contributed heavily as a sophomore, hitting .403.

► Outfield: Cheyenne Conner, Hoover; finished with a .402 OBP with 39 hits and 18 RBIs.

► Outfield: Bella Williams, Oak Mountain; got on base at a .427 clip for the Eagles.

► Designated hitter: Mia Gonzalez, Homewood; hit .444 with 33 RBIs.

► Designated hitter: Allie Whitaker, Spain Park; hit seven homers for the Jags.

► Designated hitter: Makaila Hope, Hewitt-Trussville; drove in 21 runs and posted a .467 OBP.

► Utility: Kaylynn Nutter, John Carroll; posted a .521 OBP with 30 RBIs.

► Utility: Evie Andrews, Hewitt-Trussville; a versatile player for the Huskies who drove in 32 runs in a strong season.

► Utility: Allie Stuman, Homewood; the sophomore infielder hit .420 and drove in 49 runs.

HONORABLE MENTION

► Pitcher: Emma Parmley, Chelsea; Anne Hope Howell, Homewood; Kinley Poe, Hewitt-Trussville; Elizabeth Yother, Vestavia Hills; Caroline Chaney, Hoover; Aaliyah Hayes, Hoover.

► Catcher: EJ Bragan, Vestavia Hills; Chloe Wade, Spain Park; AT Goldman, Mountain Brook; Ashley Heinemann, Briarwood.

► Infield: Kindal Whistle, John Carroll; Erin Coleman, Hewitt-Trussville; Ryleigh Wood, Hewitt-Trussville; Lilly Ferguson, Vestavia Hills; Scout Staggs, Briarwood; Avery Chaney, Hoover.

► Outfield: Reagan Roberts, Spain Park; Jordan Weiner, Spain Park; Sophia Williams, Oak Mountain; Ava Robinson, Homewood.

► Designated hitter: Sydney Moore, Hewitt-Trussville; Tatum Lasseter, Spain Park; Edith Kaplan, Mountain Brook.

► Utility: Molly Shea, Mountain Brook; Kate Flanagan, Vestavia Hills; Darcy Hill, Hewitt-Trussville.

Left: Mollie Hanson (0). Right: Reagan Lawson (24). Photos by Kyle Parmley.

Haley Westhoven (10).

Bucs, Jags rack up spring accolades

By KYLE PARMLEY

Several Hoover and Spain Park High School athletes were recognized as part of spring sports postseason teams.

Hoover baseball placed two players on the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 7A first team. Outfielder Will Adams and designated hitter Jaxson Wood, both juniors, were key contributors for the Bucs and earned well-deserved recognition.

Adams was one of the top players in the state. He got on base at a .608 clip, hitting eight home runs, tallying 46 hits and earning 35 walks. Wood also hit eight home runs, knocking in 43 runs.

The ASWA released its annual all-state softball team as well, recognizing the top players from the 2025 high school season.

Hoover’s Lindsey Westhoven and Reagan Lawson were each named as Class 7A honorable mention players after highly productive seasons. Westhoven was the Bucs’ primary catcher, producing a .353 batting average and 33 runs batted in for her senior season. Lawson had a stellar junior year, setting the table for the offense with a .423 average, piling up 55 hits. She was lethal on the base paths, stealing 30 bases on the season.

The 2025 postseason soccer honors have been announced, recognizing top high school players from the Hoover and Spain Park programs for their outstanding performances this season.

Hoover had several players earn prestigious accolades. Senior forward Patrick Anderson led the way with selections to the first team overall all-state, first team Class 7A all-state and first team all-metro. Senior defender Benjamin Bruns earned second team 7A all-state, honorable mention overall all-state and second team

all-metro honors. Junior goalkeeper Sawyer Houlditch was named to the second team 7A all-state and also received honorable mention for both overall all-state and all-metro. Seniors Henry Patterson and Hadi Saad each picked up honorable mention nods for both overall allstate and all-metro.

On the girls’ side, senior midfielder Elise Marquardt garnered second team overall allstate, first team 7A all-state, and first team A Division all-metro honors. Sophomore goalkeeper Lane Morton was named to the second team 7A all-state and first team A Division allmetro. Junior forward Julie Cooke received honorable mention overall all-state and was

selected to the second team A Division allmetro. Sophomore forward DeeDee Udeh also earned honorable mention overall all-state and honorable mention A Division all-metro. Junior midfielders Ella Kappler and Kelly West each received honorable mention overall all-state and were named to the second team A Division all-metro, while senior midfielder Reeves Knox earned honorable mention all-metro.

Spain Park also saw multiple players recognized. Junior forward Reese Oldfield and senior midfielder Addy Soehn were both selected to the first team Class 6A all-state and first team A Division all-metro. Junior defender Gianna Thornton earned second team 6A all-state and

Hoover’s Jaxson Wood (3) making the throw to first in the game against Vestavia Hills Rebels at Vestavia Hills High School on April 8. Photo by Lindsay Handey.

first team A Division all-metro. Junior midfielder Morgan Anthony received honorable mention overall all-state and was placed on the second team A Division all-metro.

On the boys’ side, senior midfielders Cole Russell and Andrew Walters, senior defender Hudson Alexander, senior forward Bobby Propper, and junior midfielder Ken Lin all earned all-metro recognition—Russell and Alexander on the second team and the others as honorable mentions. Junior goalkeeper George Everly also picked up an honorable mention. On the girls’ side, junior defender Addison Bayne and senior goalkeeper Morgan Pritchett received honorable mention in the A Division all-metro selections.

Former Hoover High graduate learns dedication as he furthers music career

By EMILY REED

At 23 years old, Cameron Rodgers-Johnson has learned that if success isn’t immediate — keep trying. A 2020 Hoover High School graduate and recent UAB music education graduate, Rodgers-Johnson spent years auditioning for drum major roles before finally earning the title at UAB. Now, as he prepares to enter graduate school at LSU, he reflects on the lessons, setbacks and inspiration that shaped his journey.

“Just because something is hard doesn’t mean you walk away from it and quit,” Rodgers-Johnson said. “It simply means you try harder.”

Rodgers-Johnson auditioned for drum major each year in high school but was not selected. At UAB, he kept trying — and after multiple attempts, he was finally named drum major, a role he held for two years beginning in 2024.

“It was definitely hard to continue being told no over and over,” Rodgers-Johnson said. “You start to really doubt things and get in your head. Sometimes it is hard because when you start believing things you doubt then you really shouldn’t keep going. But I was determined to just keep trying.”

Rodgers-Johnson said he can now look back and see that a lot of the work and effort he put into becoming a drum major would not have been doable when he first wanted the position.

“If I had been drum major during freshman year of high school, I don’t think I would have been able to handle it,” Rodgers-Johnson said. “I think I would have been thrown into the fire and the fire might have burned me. Over the years, with the growth that I have made as just a person, I have been able to learn that in

leadership, you don’t need a title to be a leader. I think it was definitely important for me to grow as a person and in the field of music before having the position of drum major, and I am able to see that now.”

Rodgers-Johnson began playing the trumpet in sixth grade and quickly developed a passion for music. At Hoover High, he performed in the marching, concert, jazz and show choir bands. He was also selected as a back field conductor during his freshman year.

Rodgers-Johnson credits his mom, Sybil Rodgers, with encouraging him to continue pursuing what he was passionate about over the years.

“There were a couple of times I would tell my mom that I wanted to quit because I wasn’t sure I was cut out for this,” Rodgers-Johnson said. “I

Hoover High alum Cameron RodgersJohnson recently graduated from UAB after serving as the drum major for the Marching Blazers. Photo courtesy of UAB.

knew I loved music, but there were times it was hard to keep going. My mom was the one who would encourage me to just keep showing up and pursuing what I wanted to do, and I am very thankful for her.”

Rodgers-Johnson said his first go as drum major at UAB was the perfect situation because he got to experience it with his two best friends.

“I knew I was going to audition one more time, so I had talked to one of my friends and said, ‘I am going to try this,’” Rodgers-Johnson said. “We talked to another friend and just said we would see how it goes. I remember getting the contract email when I was named drum major the first time and then my other two friends called me and said, ‘We did it.’ It really was the best experience to be able to do

it together.”

Rodgers-Johnson said his second year as drum major was also a valuable experience, learning from peers and preparing him for graduation from UAB in May.

During his time at UAB, Rodgers-Johnson performed in the Symphony Band, Wind Symphony Concert Band, jazz combo, jazz ensemble and the Marching Blazers. He also won awards for music he composed and arranged — recognition that helped affirm his future path.

For him, music has the ability to tell a story.

“I think what I fell in love with early on with music is the power music has to convey emotions and drive viewpoints,” Rodgers-Johnson said. “I don’t think I internalized that as much as a kid, but as I have gotten older and attended various concerts, or even listening to music in the car, there is always a message behind what the artist or composer is trying to tell and that has always been fascinating to me.”

Rodgers-Johnson draws inspiration largely from classical music that is rooted in African American culture including jazz, hip-hop, rap and gospel.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to tap into what I want to do as a composer, and a lot of it comes from my roots in jazz, R&B and gospel music,” Rodgers-Johnson said. “Wynton Marsalis, Kevin Day and Marie Douglas are three people who have been very influential to me over time.”

Rodgers-Johnson will continue his musical journey this fall at LSU, where he will pursue a graduate degree in music composition. His longterm goal: to teach music at the collegiate level while also composing professionally.

Brookwood Hospital seeks new volunteers

Hoover residents shares joy of service

By SARAH OWENS

As Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital begins a new chapter under Orlando Health, the changes aren’t just behind the scenes — the hospital is calling for more volunteers to bring fresh energy to its halls.

Brookwood already has a strong team of volunteers, made up of adults and college students, but leaders say they’re looking to expand the adult roster to ensure full support across departments.

Volunteers assist patients, staff and visitors throughout the hospital — greeting guests at the information desk, giving directions, delivering mail, managing the gift shop, and more.

Few know that better than Joanna Holmes, a Hoover resident who has been volunteering at Brookwood for nearly three decades.

“I’ve lived in Hoover 44 years. I’ve been volunteering for 28 years, and have almost 11,000 hours,” Holmes said.

Holmes primarily works at the hospital’s main information desk, where she has witnessed countless moments of anxiety, relief and even joy.

“The main information desk is just the best… You don’t know if they are visiting a family member that’s been here for a while, or they’re about to have a test that they’re scared with the results. And I feel like, you know, if we can just smile and say, ‘good morning,’ maybe for a few seconds, it will help them,” she said.

“There are those people that you see five

and six weeks at a time, every day… it’s like when you finally see them go home and then you don’t see them anymore, it’s almost like you miss them, because you’ve just kind of gotten to be a part of their story to try to get well.”

She describes the volunteer work as personally rejuvenating — something she truly misses when she can’t be there.

“If I miss a Friday, I just feel lost. I feel like I need to come and, you know, get re-energized by helping,” Holmes said.

But volunteers like Holmes do far more than guide guests and offer directions. They’re part of the hospital’s heartbeat — quietly meeting emotional needs in unexpected ways.

“Not just that too. Sometimes employees, if we’re here, they’ve had just one bad thing happen to them after another, we’ll just specifically send them flowers,” she said.

Holmes is also part of the hospital’s auxiliary board, a fundamental extension of the volunteer program, serving as a major fundraising arm of the hospital. One of the newest projects is Operation Christmas Morning, which serves employees facing difficult financial circumstances during the holidays.

“It’s a project that takes the families of employees who can’t afford Christmas for their kids, and we help them… we’re actually helping our own people provide Christmas,” she said.

While the hospital undergoes physical upgrades and operational changes under its new ownership, volunteers like Holmes continue to offer consistency, care and community to every patient and staff member who walks through the doors.

To learn more about volunteering at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital, visit baptisthealthal.com/about-us/volunteer.

Hoover resident Joanna Holmes has volunteered at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital for 28 years. The hospital offers volunteer opportunities for college students and adults in the Birmingham metro area.

Photos courtesy of Sarah Owens.

COMMUNITY

Get to know 2025-26 Hoover Service Club President Heather Pierce

By JON ANDERSON

Heather Pierce has lived in Hoover for 25 years. She is in her sixth year as a Realtor and is the newly-elected 2025-26 president of the Hoover Service Club.

Q: Where are you from originally?

A: Dothan. I went to Troy State, which is now Troy University, and that’s where I met my husband, Clay. He’s from Baton Rouge.

Q: Why did you move to Hoover?

A: We spent about five years in Salt Lake City with his job. … We knew we wanted to get back to Birmingham closer to family, so we started looking in the area. We rented a little house in Homewood while we were looking around. We kind of fell in love with Hoover and the school system, and we moved to Green Valley. We lived in Whispering Pines there on Patton Creek and loved that house for several years until we outgrew it and were having our second child. Then we moved to Trace Crossings in 2003. … All of our three boys went to school in Hoover City Schools and have really enjoyed it.

Q: What prompted you to get involved with the Hoover Service Club?

A: As my kids got older and I grew out of PTO and helping with the school system, that’s when I got my real estate license about six years ago, and so I wanted to do something more involved with the community. … I have a friend who … invited me to go. … It was one visit, and I was immediately drawn to that group of women that kind of really loved Hoover and the community and giving back. I always tell people it’s a true service organization.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about living in Hoover?

A: Being in Trace Crossings and being close to the Met and the high school. It’s so convenient to so many things.

Q: If you could change one thing about Hoover, what would it be?

A: I would love to see more areas for entertainment, not only for adults, but for young people. We have amazing restaurants and housing developments and shopping, but I would love to see more entertainment, whether that’s for the arts or other areas — just more things for especially our youth to do as they’re growing up.

Q: Do you have any hobbies? How do you like to spend your free time?

A: I love to spend my free time gardening. I love to spend my free time visiting with friends and catching up. … If I have a chance to go on vacation, the beach is always going to be my No. 1 pick to spend any spare time that I have. I don’t get to go as often, so being outside and outdoors — somewhere at the beach or somewhere around nature would be my ideal vacation.

Q: Tell me about your family.

A: We have three boys. They are all grown now. We have an 18-year-old, a 21-year-old and a 23-year-old. They’re all young men. They’ve all grown up in Hoover — real proud of them. We have a son that’s at Jacksonville State. We have one that works full-time in the Tuscaloosa area, and then our youngest son is at home deciding where he wants to go next.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

A: There’s plenty of those. Now I’m trying to think of something I would admit. Goodness gracious. I would say my guilty pleasure is going to The Whole Scoop and having a big scoop of peanut butter cookie dough ice cream.

Heather Pierce has lived in Hoover for 25 years, is a Realtor and is the 2025-26 president of the Hoover Service Club. Photo courtesy of Heather Pierce.

56 for 56: We’re in the home stretch

By TIM STEPHENS

Time’s almost up. When you read this, the weigh-in will be just days away — and I’ll be staring down the final miles of a goal I’ve been chasing since January.

The public goal was clear: lose 56 pounds by my 56th birthday.

But that wasn’t the full story. Privately, the number I was chasing was 76. I had already dropped the first 20 before I ever went public.

Scan the QR code to watch

5 of 56-for-56: A Transformation Project.

This wasn’t just about optics or vanity — it was about proving I could still summon the kind of focus and discipline that had once come easily.

But more is in play now than in my 30s or 40s. Back then, I could drop 50 — even 100 — pounds with pure willpower. The truth is, this is the hardest it’s ever been.

Part of that is physical. At 55, the metabolism doesn’t bend as easily. Recovery takes longer. The tools that used to work like magic now need coaxing.

There’s also something new: For the first time, I’m doing one of these sprints knowing I have ADHD. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 53 — which, looking back, explains a lot. There’s still a lot to unpack, but just understanding that has changed how I approach challenge and recovery.

A full-on ADHD burnout hit in the spring. I kept pushing — running six newspapers, navigating personal turbulence and refusing to slow down. I crashed hard. When I finally came up for air, there were just six weeks left — and I was still 30 pounds away from the public goal.

I could’ve written it off. Said it was too much. Blamed the schedule, the stress, the

age. But instead of walking away, I reset. In May, I got honest with myself. I built a plan — not just to push through the final stretch, but to do it smarter.

Here’s what the final sprint looks like:

► Nutrition: A high-protein, low-calorie liquid protocol — just 800 to 1,200 calories a day, with 240 to 260 grams of protein. It’s built around two large blended shakes a day (split into four servings), a combination of whey isolate and collagen.

► Training: Target: burn more than 1,600 active calories daily, on top of a 2,400 basal metabolic rate (BMR). That’s a 4,000-calorie burn target, driven by Hotworx sessions, kettlebell work, walking miles, and HIIT. The approach isn’t flashy, but it’s relentless.

► Tracking and recovery: I’m logging everything through MyFitnessPal. Whoop helps guide recovery. IV therapy at Prime IV helps support hydration and fat loss, while Hotworx saunas assist in both calorie burn and recovery.

Whether I cross the 56-pound finish line exactly or fall a few steps short, the real success has already taken shape. I’ve learned how to adapt — not just to age or to stress, but to the realities of neurodivergence. For the first time, I’m trying to win not with raw intensity, but with systems.

And maybe that’s the true milestone — not just what I lose, but what I learn to let go.

Join the Mission: Have you made a remarkable personal transformation of some kind or know someone who has? Nominate their story by emailing tstephens@starnesmedia.com.

Starnes Media General Manager

Tim Stephens takes a progress selfie after a workout at Hotworx. Stephens is in the final days of his effort to lose 56 pounds by his 56th birthday. Photo by Tim Stephens.

On the Mainstage

SPOTLIGHT

Guitar Center piano teacher Kevin Taylor

By JON ANDERSON

Kevin Taylor teaches piano at the Guitar

Q: How long have you been doing this?

A: Since a little before COVID. I was a customer, and one of the guys said, “Man, you would be great as a teacher.” I kind of brushed it off at first, and then I was like, “Hmmm, a little extra money?” So I started. I’ve learned a lot about how to actually hone curriculums for different people and their needs.

Q: Is this your only job?

A: I play for a church. I’ve probably been playing for churches longer than anything else. I’m also a music producer, so I do some sound design. I have a book out — shameless plug — called Sound Design Secrets.

Q: So you’ve played for a lot of churches?

A: I’ve played for a few. At 13, they put me on the piano in Sunday School once they found out I could play anything, so I learned all the hymns — that kind of thing. I didn’t actually learn Black gospel until my sophomore year in high school.

Q: What’s your favorite kind of music to play now?

A: Jazz fusion worship … but I can kind of produce across several genres. I like regular worship, too.

Q: How frequently do you teach here?

A: Tuesday through Saturday — usually in the afternoons, when kids are out of school or people are off work.

By JON ANDERSON

Vallie Pate doesn’t have a deep background in dance, but she hasn’t let that stop her from building a business that teaches dance to children.

In 2017, after becoming burnt out in her art business, Pate was offered an opportunity to start the Birmingham franchise for the Tippi Toes dance company. The company began in 1999 in Oklahoma and started offering franchises in 2009, but it didn’t have a strong presence in the Deep South.

Pate, a resident of north Shelby County, launched a Birmingham-area franchise and became the company’s rookie of the year for 2017, growing it faster than any franchise in the history of the company at the time. In less than six months, Pate had 10 locations with at least 10 students each, and since then, she has grown to more than 50 classes in more than 35 locations, including 13 in the Hoover area, Pate said.

Tippi Toes offers classes at Riverchase Day School, Riverchase Elementary, Rocky Ridge Elementary, Green Valley Elementary, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Christ Kids Preschool, Lakeside Baptist Church, Valleydale Church, Hoover Kindercare, Pioneer Play School, Primrose School of Meadow Brook, Prince of Peace Catholic School and The

There are classes for children ages 18 months to approximately 10 years old. There is ballet, tap and jazz instruction and a full recital at the end of each semester. While Pate herself isn’t a dancer, she has hired an amazing team of dancers who lead the instruction, and she focuses on the business, she said. There were 365 students this past school year, and Pate’s goal for the coming year is 500.

Pate said the company’s motto is, “We encourage children, cultivate character and build confidence through the love of dance.”

For more information, go online to tippitoesdance.com.

Adventure Nook.

Tippi Toes instructor Sumiyah Morris leads a ballet class. Photo courtesy of Tippi Toes.

Kevin Taylor teaches piano at the Guitar Center store in The Centre at Riverchase in Hoover. Photo by Jon Anderson.

Jurisdictional Roulette

The mix of municipal and jurisdictional lines isn’t just confusing for homeowners and business owners; it complicates things for first responders and the people responsible for getting the correct first responders to the scene.

“It’s crazy,” said Alan Campbell, executive director of Shelby County 911, which is responsible for dispatching the correct units to the correct places. “There are places in that 280 area where an agency will take one lane but not the other lane. So you’ve got places over there where it may be Hoover and the [Shelby County] Sheriff’s Office, but Hoover only takes the lane going towards Birmingham and not the lane going the other direction.”

Capt. Mark Bishop, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, said at times dispatch will send multiple agencies to the scene of an accident along U.S. 280 if there isn’t 100% clarity on where it is.

“If it’s anywhere remotely close to being in one jurisdiction or the other, they’re more than likely going to dispatch both agencies,” Bishop said. “And that increases the likelihood that, at the very least, that we get somebody to you as soon as possible, and then we can work through the details of who’s the primary investigative agency after that.”

Campbell said dispatchers try to get as much information as possible along the corridor to determine which agency has jurisdiction for a call. Because of the interwoven municipal lines, that is not always easy.

“Instead of we’re looking at a whole city, we’re looking at it at a parcel level, or all the way down to single pieces of property,” Campbell said. “So you can have a call come in at the Arby’s on 280, and that’s going to be the Sheriff’s Office and Cahaba Valley Fire, but at the office building right next door to it, that’s going to be Birmingham police and Birmingham fire [departments], so it comes right down to that level.

Campbell said while some areas can be tricky to know which agency to dispatch, they’re able to coordinate the calls with all of the agencies that work the U.S. 280 corridor to get them to the right location.

“There’s nothing magical about it,” Campbell said. “We have a really good map, and those calls come in, and we put them where they are on our really good map, and we notify the right agencies. But, everybody on that 280 corridor works really well together.”

The Shelby County 911 center handles all calls in Shelby County. Plus, Campbell said, they have contracts to handle the calls from Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills. Before the 1980s, there weren’t as many agencies in north Shelby County. Vestavia Hills was confined to west of U.S. 280. As was Hoover. “It just made sense for us to have all three of them because now we don’t have it like before where they had three centers and they had to transfer the calls between the three,” Campbell said. “Now they’re all in the same room, so having them consolidated in one space makes it better for them, and we work with those agencies just across the county line, so it works for us.”

MAZE

CONTINUED from page 1

Outside, the traffic never stopped. A trio of fire engines idled while customers wove around them to get into Walmart, Home Depot, gas stations and car washes that orbit the restaurant like moons. More than 70,000 cars pass through this stretch of U.S. 280 each day — and not just during rush hour. ALDOT traffic data shows the real gridlock comes midday, when life in this unincorporated suburban corridor hits full throttle. That’s when the confusion starts to matter most.

Because who answers your 911 call on U.S. 280 depends on which lane you’re driving. Where your kids go to school depends on which side of the street your mailbox faces. And your address might say “Birmingham,” even if you vote in Hoover — or live in unincorporated Shelby County.

This is not a city. It’s not even a neighborhood. It’s a municipal maze. And more than 80,000 people live inside it.

THE GREAT ANNEXATION WAR

In the 1980s and ’90s, this stretch of highway became the front line in a regional turf war — one fought with annexation petitions, water lines and legal loopholes. Birmingham and Hoover scrambled to grab land faster than the other. Shelby County tried to hold its ground.

Vestavia Hills launched a legal bombshell. The Alabama Supreme Court redrew the rules.

By the time the dust settled, U.S. 280 wasn’t just paved, widened and its lanes lined with urban sprawl; it was carved up.

MAP BREAKS DOWN HERE

U.S. 280 is a maze of municipal lines, and Hamburger Heaven sits right at its most tangled intersection.

The old-school burger joint has a Birmingham mailing address, but it isn’t in Birmingham. It’s technically in a sliver of Hoover. A nearby street sign points toward Inverness — once the first wave of urban sprawl on this side of the mountain. The wooded area across the parking lot? That’s unincorporated Shelby County. And depending on which corner of the parcel you’re standing, you’re in a different fire district.

Even the 911 maps can’t quite agree.

“We call Hoover; they say no, you're Shelby County,” said Jeremy Polk, who has worked at Hamburger Heaven for more than a decade. “We call Shelby County; they say no, y’all are Hoover. Most of the time we’re just like — I don’t care who, just send someone out here.”

He said he’s even been told to call Birmingham police — even though that jurisdiction doesn’t begin until you cross the Walmart lot behind the restaurant.

That jurisdictional ping-pong makes Hamburger Heaven the perfect avatar for the corridor it feeds.

Because what happens here — who responds, who collects taxes, who delivers services — is never as simple as looking at a street address. ZIP codes don’t match city lines. School zones shift every few years. And fire jurisdictions, like the one covering this restaurant, look like the most gerrymandered congressional districts in Alabama.

What started as one development became

Maze of Consequences

U.S. 280’s tangled lines don’t just confuse; they change how you live. What happens when ZIP codes ignore city lines and cities leapfrog across counties? Confusion, yes — but also real-world consequences.

► Your 911 call could get rerouted twice

► Your tax rate may differ from your neighbor’s

► Your address might say “Birmingham,” but your vote counts in Hoover

► School zones and trash pickup can shift with new developments

► Police or fire response depends on your side of the street You might owe Birmingham’s 1% occupational tax — or not

the epicenter of a boundary war — and now, a blur.

It’s not a fluke. It’s the result of a decadeslong municipal land war — one that redrew this corridor parcel by parcel, until the road stopped functioning like a community and started operating like a bureaucratic puzzle box.

The confusion doesn’t mean no one shows up; sometimes, it means everyone does.

“Everybody has a mutual aid agreement in this area,” said Ricky Milligan, a firefighter who lives along the corridor. “You’re generally going to have three departments show up. If it’s a minor call, they’ll turn people around. But if the building’s on fire, they’ll all be there.”

MAZED AND CONFUSED

Ask around along U.S. 280, and most people will tell you the same thing: they’re not quite sure where they live — only that it’s somewhere “off 280.”

“I live in Greystone,” said Lea Thompson. “I don’t know.”

She wasn’t kidding. Her ZIP code is 35242, which means her mailing address says “Birmingham.” But Greystone is in Hoover — mostly. The property lines zigzag so erratically that some homes fall under city services; others don’t, and neighbors across the street can pay different taxes for the same utilities.

Even her trash pickup is a mystery.

“We have our own inside Greystone,” she said. “I don’t know who it is, but someone comes.”

She’s not alone.

“I think it’s part of Hoover,” said longtime resident Sue Jones. “Hoover picks up our trash,” she added — then admitted they rarely cross town because “the traffic is horrible.”

In Edenton, Susan Deramus has a Birmingham address — but isn’t sure what it means.

“We’ve changed voting precincts three times since we moved here,” she said. “It’s constantly changing.”

Even longtime residents struggle to trace the dividing lines. And it’s not just a quirk

jurisdictions

of development; it’s an engineered outcome of the annexation tactics cities used to carve up the corridor. ZIP codes were never meant to follow city limits, and cities didn’t always annex based on ZIPs.

For homebuyers, the confusion isn’t just quirky; it’s contractual.

Clark Edwards grew up on 280. Now he sells homes here, which means he’s one of the few people who can actually explain which neighborhood belongs to which city. Or at least, try.

“Certain neighborhoods are Hoover, but then the next neighborhood is not,” he said. “And that, to me, made it a little more confusing.”

Buyers want Oak Mountain schools, but end up zoned for Birmingham. Some want Hoover and land in unincorporated Shelby County. The city line might run through a subdivision or between two driveways — and there’s no signage to guide them. Even veteran agents have to cross-reference parcel maps to confirm where a listing sits.

And then there’s the ZIP code.

“Greystone is Hoover,” said Rep. Susan DuBose, who represents the district. “But right outside of Greystone will be unincorporated Shelby County … all around. Like everything on Highway 41 and Highway 43 — that’s all unincorporated Shelby County.”

Yet the mailing address still says Birmingham. That’s because the area’s primary ZIP — 35242 — is assigned to Birmingham by the U.S. Postal Service, not by municipal boundaries.

“ZIP Codes do not always conform to municipal boundaries,” said Debbie Fetterly, spokesperson for the USPS. “A delivery area crosses multiple boundaries and counties. They are not intended to determine city, town or municipal identities.”

That’s how you can live in Hoover, sometimes be served by Cahaba Valley Fire and get a water bill that says “City of Birmingham.”

Residents have adapted — mostly by giving up. Ask where they live and many just shrug.

“I just tell people I’m from Chelsea,” Polk said. “Technically it’s unincorporated ... something. But nobody really knows. Saying Chelsea’s just easier.”

VESTAVIA ENTERS THE FIGHT

As Hoover and Birmingham battled parcel by parcel, a quiet ambush was forming north of the corridor.

In 1992, the developers of Liberty Park — a then 2,500-acre master-planned community southeast of I-459 — were shopping for a city. Mountain Brook passed. Then they turned to Vestavia Hills.

There was a problem: Vestavia Hills was more than three miles away. The land was non-contiguous — and legally out of reach.

The city and developer quickly agreed: annexing Liberty Park would benefit them both — if they could make it legal.

To make it work, the city pursued a legislative workaround. On Oct. 7, 1992, the Alabama Legislature passed a special act allowing Vestavia Hills to annex non-contiguous parcels.

Birmingham sued. The case went to the Alabama Supreme Court.

“We tried the case in a couple of days,” said Pat Boone, the Vestavia Hills city attorney. “The annexation is valid.”

The court upheld both the annexation and

A Hoover Fire Department truck sits outside the Hamburger Heaven location on U.S. 280 near the Alabama 119 intersection. The restaurant sits in the crosshairs of

that serve the 280 corridor. Four departments serve this small area as governmental borders collide: Hoover, Cahaba Valley, North Shelby and Birmingham. Photo by Malia Riggs.

Mapping the maze: A timeline of US 280’s evolution

In the 1980s and ’90s, Birmingham, Hoover, Vestavia Hills and others aggressively annexed land — not because of what was there, but because of what might be. With every parcel came leverage: taxes, water lines, business fees and control.

Cities reached — often awkwardly

— across wooded tracts and undeveloped hills. They weren’t drawing maps. They were drawing futures.

► 1978: Inverness begins development on former farmland, launching one of Birmingham’s first major golf-centered suburbs.

► 1984: Interstate 459 opens at U.S. 280, instantly accelerating eastbound growth.

► 1987: Meadow Brook attracts new residents to eastern Shelby County.

► 1989: Shoal Creek, a private gated golf community, opens farther down the corridor, intensifying exclusivity and expansion pressure.

► 1990–1992: Birmingham and Hoover escalate competing annexation efforts, targeting commercial parcels and extending sewer and water service eastward.

► 1992: Vestavia Hills annexes Liberty Park using a special legislative act permitting non-contiguous annexation.

► 1993: The Alabama Supreme Court upholds Vestavia’s move, setting statewide precedent for long-lasso annexation.

► 1995: Concerned about being absorbed by neighboring cities, Chelsea residents petition for incorporation.

► 1996: Chelsea formally incorpo-

rates with under 1,000 residents, halting Hoover’s eastward push

► Late 1990s: Greystone expands in fits and starts, some of it annexed into Hoover, some left unincorporated — setting the stage for longterm jurisdictional confusion.

► 1997: The Summit opens at I-459 and U.S. 280, re-centering retail and commuter patterns.

► Early 2000s: Lee Branch, The Colonnade and surrounding commercial zones take shape.

► 2002: Vestavia Hills annexes Cahaba Heights by local referendum, connecting its core to Liberty Park.

► 2000s: Subdivisions like Highland Lakes and Mt Laurel rise in unincorporated Shelby County. Services struggle to keep up.

► 2005–2010: ALDOT deploys “innovative intersections” to reduce traffic delays. Residents remain skeptical.

► 2015: Grandview Medical Center opens, adding a healthcare anchor and new traffic pressures.

► 2020: Chelsea’s population approaches 15,000, validating its early effort to preserve autonomy through incorporation.

► 2023: Birmingham Water Works begins dam improvements at Lake Purdy — a reservoir annexed decades earlier for utility control.

► 2025 (ongoing): ALDOT plans major corridor improvements near The Summit and Grandview in an attempt to ease chronic congestion.

From Farmland to Puzzle: Today, ZIP codes don’t match city lines. Fire, police and trash services vary block to block. Schools shift by subdivision. What appears chaotic is actually the result of decades of deliberate — and often fragmented — decisions. Every twist in the map was a strategy in the larger game for control.

SOURCE: THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS, BIRMINGHAM POST-HERALD, STARNES MEDIA ARCHIVES.

the legislative act behind it.

“The legislature had the authority to annex two non-contiguous parcels ... the Constitution did not prohibit it,” Boone said.

That ruling reshaped the political map of metro Birmingham. Cities no longer had to annex slowly along connected lines. They could leap. Liberty Park was the first major leap — but not the last.

“When that case happened, man, things took off,” Boone said.

The developers pledged $15 million for public infrastructure, donated 35 acres for city use and built one of the region’s most sought-after school zones. Liberty Park Elementary opened in 1999. A middle school followed.

Ten years later, Vestavia annexed Cahaba Heights through a standard local referendum. Residents voted 2-to-1 in favor.

In 2000, Vestavia’s new mayor, Scotty McCallum, saw an opportunity to close the loop.

“We had Vestavia on one side, Liberty Park on the other, and Cahaba Heights in between,” Boone said. “He led the initiative to annex the Cahaba Heights Fire District. It took a legislative bill, and residents voted two to one to come in.”

Boone nodded. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but it sure has been good for all concerned.”

THE BIRTH OF CHELSEA

By the time the annexation wars peaked in the early ’90s, there wasn’t much left between Birmingham and Childersburg that hadn’t already been mapped, claimed or eyed for annexation.

But there was Chelsea — unincorporated and rural.

The Hoover City Council had been holding back-to-back annexation meetings, carving its way east along U.S. 280 with commercial properties, country clubs, undeveloped tracts and sewage systems. A 1991 map showed Hoover’s boundaries leaping past Inverness and Shoal Creek. They weren’t hiding their

ambition.

“Well, I did recently visit Childersburg,” joked Hoover Council President William Billingsley at the time.

It got a laugh at City Hall. But the people in Chelsea weren’t laughing.

“We just want to keep Chelsea the way it is,” Tim Crawford, who owned a local auto body shop, told The Birmingham News before the vote in 1995.

On March 1, 1996, Chelsea formally incorporated with a population of just over 900. As of 2020, it was nearing 15,000 — one of the fastest-growing cities in Alabama.

Chelsea drew a line east of Shoal Creek — and told the cities marching east: annexation stops here.

THE GRID(LOCK) LIVES

At Hamburger Heaven, the lights are back on. Jeremy Polk is back behind the counter. And the chaos? Still cooked into the system.

Today, the 280 corridor from I-459 to Chelsea is home to more than 80,000 people. Birmingham, Hoover, Shelby County, Vestavia Hills — all left their fingerprints on a stretch they couldn’t fully claim. It wasn’t designed for simplicity. It was designed for control — of taxes, water, schools, growth.

And even now, decades later, the patchwork lives.

ZIP codes still mislead. School zones still shift. And at Hamburger Heaven, the trucks still come — from multiple directions.

Because on 280, where you live isn’t about the map. It’s about where your kids go to school, whose fire trucks come — and who finally answers the call when something goes wrong.

But there’s one thing almost everyone agrees on.

“The worst part of living on 280 is the traffic,” Polk said. “Not even going to sugarcoat that.”

Starnes Media correspondent Malia Riggs contributed to this report.

On the surface, it might seem like DiChiara jumped from a mid-major to a power conference school in search of notoriety and money — the assumption many make in the current system.

He had no plans of leaving Samford, the program that offered him his opportunity out of high school. But after a coaching change at Samford, he explored his options, and Auburn was a perfect fit.

“It was tough to leave a place and teammates that had meant so much to me,” he said. “But there was a coaching change at Samford, and I saw that as an opportunity to better my career and to try and go to the SEC.”

That move paid off in a major way, as he excelled at Auburn and parlayed that into a fifth-round draft selection by the Los Angeles Angels in 2022.

THE GAME JUST CHANGED

If you played Division I college sports in the last decade — or your kid did — this summer, money’s coming.

Not from boosters. Not from collectives. From the university itself.

On June 14, a federal judge finalized House v. NCAA, a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that shatters the 119-year model of amateurism. For the first time, schools can pay their athletes directly — not for appearances, not through shell groups — but straight from university revenue.

If you are a fan of college sports, the games are now unlike anything you’ve known. And it starts now.

WHO GETS PAID – AND HOW

The House settlement triggers two historic changes:

Backpay: Any Division I athlete who competed between 2016 and 2024 can file for compensation. Payouts will depend on sport, tenure and school revenue — with football and men’s basketball expected to receive the largest shares.

Revenue sharing: Starting this fall, schools can pay current athletes up to $20.5 million annually. The cap will rise each year over the 10-year agreement. Most schools are expected to split it like this:

► 75% to football

► 15% to men’s basketball

► 5% to women’s basketball

► 5% to all other sports

This is not NIL 2.0. This is something else entirely.

NIL was always about outside money — sponsors, side hustles, booster funds. The House settlement puts the money on campus. Schools will now pay athletes from the same pool used for coach salaries, facilities and scholarships.

That makes it bigger. And messier.

Only the Power 4 conferences — SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 — were named in the suit. But all Division I schools must contribute to the backpay fund, even if they’ve never had a single NIL deal. Many smaller schools are already trimming rosters, adjusting scholarships and revisiting budgets. Some athletes will get paid. Others may get cut.

‘TRANSFORMATIVE

LEGISLATION’

Birmingham entrepreneur and athlete advocate Jim Cavale has been tracking this shift from the beginning.

“In just the first year — from July 2021 to July 2022 — we tracked $350 million in NIL activity,” Cavale said. “And 90% of that was donor-driven funds funneled through collectives to pay athletes to play.”

Now, he says, things are even murkier.

“The biggest issue athletes face is confusing and misleading contracts,” Cavale said. “These so-called NIL deals are often performance-based agreements in disguise.”

ESPN national analyst Tom Luginbill sees the same storm building.

“This is the most transformative legislation in college sports in the last 15 years, and it dropped with no guardrails,” he said. “[Resource-rich] programs like Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia can do whatever they want. Most others can’t.”

And he’s worried.

“What’s coming is this: players getting paid big money, surrounded by bad actors. Agents want 20–30%. A kid enters the portal, takes bad advice, spends the money — and doesn’t go pro. That’s the reality.”

NIL vs. Revenue Sharing: What’s The Difference?

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS (NIL)

WHO PAYS? Third parties (boosters, brands, collectives)

STARTED July 1, 2021

REGULATED BY? State laws, schools and soon the College Sports Commission

GUARANTEED? No. Athletes must negotiate their own NIL deals

WHO BENEFITS MOST? High-profile athletes, especially QBs, skill players

STILL ALLOWED? Yes, but will face more scrutiny from a new enforcement body

NEXT: CONGRESS AND COURTS

Just days after the House ruling, a bipartisan group in Congress introduced the SCORE Act — a bill that would:

► Cap revenue sharing and standardize disclosures

► Pre-empt state NIL laws

► Create a federal enforcement commission

► Affirm that college athletes are not employees

That last point might be the whole game.

The NCAA’s biggest fear isn’t payment; it’s employment. If athletes are ruled to be employees, everything changes: benefits, unions, workers’ comp, labor law. The House deal opened the door to paychecks. Congress is now trying to close it before anyone says the E-word.

But Cavale says the conversation still leaves out the people it claims to protect.

“These are being structured as NIL, not employment — and there’s still no agent regulation, no contract standards,” he said. “The athlete’s voice is missing. What’s really needed is collective bargaining.”

Meanwhile, legal uncertainty continues. The House settlement is not the final word — and

REVENUE SHARING (HOUSE SETTLEMENT)

The school itself

Starts July 1, 2025

NCAA settlement structure, new federal-style oversight

Yes. Schools can directly allocate a set pool of money

All scholarship athletes, potentially across all sports

Yes. Can be used alongside NIL

may not withstand future challenges.

In June, eight current and former female athletes filed a Title IX lawsuit challenging the revenue-sharing model, arguing that its disproportionate distribution to men’s sports violates federal gender equity laws. More suits are likely. Title IX, employment law and due process could all play a role in shaping — or unraveling — the current plan.

NCAA leaders say that’s why congressional intervention is critical. The proposed SCORE Act would codify House into law, protect it from further litigation and preempt conflicting state-level NIL rules. But despite years of lobbying, no federal college sports law has ever passed. For now, the policy landscape remains a moving target.

WELCOME TO NIL GO

On June 17, a new layer of regulation arrived: NIL Go — a clearinghouse overseen by the Collegiate Sports Commission and run by Deloitte.

Athletes must now report any deal over $600. Each gets reviewed for “fair market value.” If Deloitte flags it as inflated, it can be denied or sent to arbitration. There is no legal standard for

House vs. NCAA Settlement Explained

WHAT IS IT?

The House v. NCAA antitrust settlement marks the official end of amateurism in college sports. Starting July 1, schools can pay athletes directly for the first time in NCAA history. The new model applies to current and future Division I athletes — not just those already on campus.

KEY TERMS

► $2.8 billion in back payments (2016-2024) to former D-I athletes

► The annual cap grows by at least 4% per year

► 10-year agreement: runs through 2035

► Roster limits: schools must reduce rosters to meet compensation caps

► Revenue sharing begins: schools can share up to $20.5M per year with athletes

WHY IT MATTERS This formalizes athlete compensation, bringing college sports closer than ever to a pro model — and away from the 119-year “student-athlete” model.

that value. No consistent appeal process. Just a new filter between athletes and the opportunities they chase.

And that’s happening as university-issued paychecks are set to hit.

The result? Confusion, whiplash — and change.

Athletes like DiChiara have already weathered NIL, the transfer portal and scholarship changes. Now they face something even stranger: a paycheck from the school they play for.

What that means — and how long it lasts — is still in question.

The checks start July 1.

The system? Still up for grabs.

As a former Division I athlete, DiChiara is among those who could be eligible for backpay under the settlement terms of the House case.

But DiChiara is not a fan of the current system — even as he certainly understands why athletes would use it to their advantage.

“If you are a good college player at a mid-major, how could you not want to enter the portal and chase money?” he said.

He feels that the current setup is lessening the value of loyalty — something that means a great deal to DiChiara. He played for Casey Dunn at Samford and Butch Thompson at Auburn, and called it the “opportunity of a lifetime” to play for them.

“They care more about you as a person than as a baseball player, and that’s what makes them so successful,” DiChiara said.

To read part one of The New Playbook, visit us online at HooverSun.com.

Sonny DiChiara transferred to Auburn from Samford following a coaching change at Samford. Photo courtesy of Auburn Athletics.

Hoover’s Sonny DiChiara helped Hoover to the 2017 state championship.

Photo by Barry Stephenson.

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