The long road back
Khloe Ford’s redemption season ends with prestigious awards
By KYLE PARMLEY
Khloe Ford was not prepared to give a speech.
When her name was called as the Class 7A Girls Player of the Year at the Alabama Sports Writers Association postseason banquet in Montgomery in April, she walked to the stage, grabbed the trophy and said whatever came to mind.
A few minutes later, her name was called again — this time as Miss Basketball, the state’s most prestigious individual honor in high school hoops. She made her way back up to the stage and did it all over again.
“I didn’t know I would have to give a speech,” Ford said, laughing. “The first time, I went up there and I was stuttering.
1596
to open in June.
By JON ANDERSON
formal grand opening will come later in the summer, he said.
The new Hoover Fire Station No. 1 at
Montgomery Highway is slated
Photo by Jon Anderson.
Hoover High School senior Khloe Ford earned Miss Basketball and the Class 7A Girls Player of the Year award at the Alabama Sports Writers Association postseason banquet in Montgomery in April. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Editor’s Note By Jon Anderson
This will be my last editor’s note for the Hoover Sun.
We’re doing some reorganizing in our company, Starnes Media, and I have switched into a new role as news editor for at least five of our newspapers, including the Hoover Sun, Vestavia Voice, The Homewood Star, Village Living and 280 Living.
In that role, I’ll be coordinating our government coverage across those publications.
I’ll still be keeping up with government news in Hoover, but our managing editor, Kyle Parmley, will be coordinating other types of news coverage in the community.
If you have news tips or story ideas
related to city government in Hoover, I’m your man, and you can reach me at janderson@starnesmedia. com. Otherwise, for story ideas outside the government realm, feel free to reach out to Kyle at kparmley@ starnesmedia.com.
We truly want to provide you with information that you want and need in order to live an informed life and make good decisions to better our community. Best to you all!
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CITY
By JON ANDERSON
Data centers have been making waves across the country as residents complain about water and power usage along with noise, light and air pollution associated with some new artificial intelligence factories, but the Hoover City Council took steps in May to guard against potential negative impacts.
As of mid-May, Hoover did not have any applications for a new data center in its city limits, but if a company had requested a permit for one prior to May 11, it would have gone straight to the city’s Inspection Services Department for permitting and site plan approval, City Planner Mac Martin said.
There is no zoning classification in Hoover’s zoning ordinance that specifically defines a data center use that fits most modern data centers, but the closest thing Hoover has is an “office/technical use,” Martin said.
An office/technical use is defined as an office use combined with equipment-intensive uses where 20% or more of the net usable floor area of a facility is devoted to large equipment use by administrative employees or for business process functions such as data processing and communications equipment, Martin said.
Hoover’s zoning ordinance was quite permissive of that use, making them permitted by right in the vast majority of the city’s non-residential districts, Martin said. No public hearings would have been required.
Given the concerns that city officials have heard from residents in the community about the potential impacts of data centers, Martin said it was wise to see if there is “a little bit more scrutiny we could add to the process.”
The Hoover City Council on May 11 voted to make “office/technical uses” something that requires “conditional use” approval, which
means any application for a data center now will have to be submitted to the Hoover Planning Commission and Hoover City Council for approval.
This will allow staff to review the concept with any applicants and advise them on the kinds of studies they need to submit to look at the potential impacts of what they’re proposing, Martin said.
Hoover Councilman Robin Schultz said this zoning change is a proactive step to make sure that Hoover doesn’t have a data center pop up in the city without proper vetting.
A Ross Bridge resident asked the council
why it didn’t just put a moratorium for data centers in place, similar to what Birmingham did after a company called Nebius submitted an application for an artificial intelligence factory on property that formerly was home to a Regions Bank back-office center off Lakeshore Parkway, not far from Hoover. Martin said data centers come in many different forms and take up varying amounts of land, with greatly varying impacts. The city doesn’t want to completely prohibit new ones or expansion of existing ones, but instead give the city a tool to review each one on a case-bycase basis and thoughtfully review the impacts
and consider ways to mitigate those impacts, or deny an application if it isn’t a right fit for the property in question.
Schultz said there are five data centers within two miles of the planned Nebius AI factory off Lakeshore, some of which are fairly small.
Martin said the May 11 action by the City Council gives the city some protection. The city also can consider supplemental regulations related to data centers, but developing those likely would take some time. The new requirement for “conditional use” approval is a good “starting point,” he said.
Nick’s Notes
By Nick Derzis
With the official start of summer arriving June 21, this is an exciting time across Hoover as longer days and warmer weather bring renewed energy.
We continue to make steady, meaningful progress on the issues that matter most to our residents — especially infrastructure, public safety and community engagement.
One of the most visible examples is the stormwater improvement project along U.S. 31 near the former Whole Foods shopping center. This area has long experienced flooding during heavy rains, creating safety concerns for drivers and first responders. Crews are replacing a failed underground pipe with a more durable system designed to improve drainage and keep traffic moving safely. This project is expected to be completed in June — ahead of schedule — and we appreciate your patience as work wraps up.
available. Rest assured, we are doing everything we can to expedite these projects and restore our parks to the standard our community expects and deserves.
June also marks an exciting opportunity for Hoover to take part in something much bigger. I’m proud to announce that Hoover is participating in the America 250 Alabama Semiquincentennial City program as we lead up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This initiative is about more than celebration — it’s about education, engagement and unity. It’s a chance to reflect on the principles that founded our nation, better understand our shared history and recommit ourselves to the responsibilities of citizenship.
In addition, drainage repairs on Laredo Drive are underway and should also be completed this month.
We are also proud to celebrate the completion of the lighting project at the Hoover East Sports Complex. This was an important investment that restores full use of a facility that serves so many in our community. I want to thank the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board for their leadership and partnership, as well as Alabama Power for their support in bringing this project to completion.
There is more work to be done across our parks system. We hear you, and we are prioritizing these needs while working as quickly and responsibly as possible with the resources
You’ll see special programming, events and partnerships throughout our community, and we are honored to fly the official semiquincentennial flag here in Hoover.
That spirit of patriotism will be on full display as we approach Independence Day. This year, we are excited to introduce “4th on the First” — our city’s Independence Day celebration on Wednesday, July 1, at the Hoover Met. This will be the largest celebration our city has ever hosted — with music, games, activities, entertainment and fireworks! You will not want to miss this year’s fireworks show!
Nick Derzis
BUSINESS
Business Happenings
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Dr. Elizabeth Adams has opened a neurotoxin studio called Still Studios at 1031 Brock’s Gap Parkway, Suite 177, in The Village at Brock’s Gap. Adams is a board-certified physician with more than 14 years of experience in aesthetic medicine. A native of Columbus, Mississippi, she earned her medical degree at the University of Mississippi before completing an internal medicine internship at the University of Kentucky and her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Mississippi. She went on to build a full-service aesthetic practice called The Aesthetic Atelier. She is currently completing a fellowship in aesthetic medicine through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and holds certifications as a registered yoga instructor. Adams offers services at a flat rate on a sameday basis with walk-ins welcome and no consultation required.
be-still.com, 205-202-0881
alongside bedroom sets, beds, headboards, dressers, and full collections for the living room, dining room, kids and teens rooms, home office and outdoor spaces. The store also stocks home accents such as lighting, mirrors, rugs and wall art, plus a rotating overstock section for discounted finds. Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Sunday. mysleeplux.com, 844-585-2589
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Birmingham region of PMI has taken over management of the Patton Creek Condominiums community off Patton Chapel Road, replacing Associa McKay Management. birminghampropertymanagementinc.com, 205-583-2500
dinners, corporate gatherings and private celebrations. The Mooneys were able to get a Small Business Administration loan through River Bank and Trust. Tre Luna Catering is just 3+ blocks away. While there are no current plans to move the catering company to the Theodore, the Mooneys may in the future build out the catering kitchen there and move all their catering operations there, Erin Mooney said.
theodorebytreluna.com, 205-910-7780
PERSONNEL MOVES
Little Luna Pizza has opened at 2142 Tyler Road in the Bluff Park Village shopping center. The new business operates as a carryout and delivery pizzeria, specializing in New York-style pizza. Pizzas feature cold-fermented dough, topped with ingredients such as California-grown tomatoes, aged mozzarella, and fresh meats and vegetables, and baked in a high-temperature stone oven for a thin, crisp crust. In addition to pizza, the menu includes fresh salads, gelato and desserts. The pizzeria is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. littlelunapizza.com, 205-407-4619
HomeWell Care Services has opened at 2337 Valleydale Road. The business provides in-home non-medical care for people who need assistance to remain in their own home. homewellcares.com/in-home-care-al-birmingham-al315, 205-651-7333
Sleep Lux, a furniture and mattress retailer offering a wide range of home furnishings, opened April 1 at 1100 Inverness Corners, Suite 310. The new showroom sits in the Inverness Corners shopping center off U.S. 280. Sleep Lux carries mattresses in memory foam, hybrid and latex options — including cooling gel and Eurotop styles —
Capstone Building Corp., based at 1200 Corporate Drive, Suite 350, in Meadow Brook Corporate Park has started construction on Charleston Ridge Apartments, a multifamily development in New Port Richey, Florida. The complex will span 247,000 square feet and feature a mix of residential offerings, including six two-bedroom townhomes above 10,000 square feet of commercial space and four four-story apartment buildings with 224 units. The apartments, accessible by elevator, will consist of one to three bedrooms. Community amenities include a clubhouse with a fitness center, clubroom, lounge, tenant market, 2,700-square-foot pool, more than 12 electric vehicle charging stations, smart vehicular and pedestrian access controls and community-wide Wi-Fi with Gig speeds. The Dobbins Group, based in Homewood, is the developer for this project. capstonebuilding.com, 205-803-5226
Brian and Erin Mooney, owners of Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen in Hoover and Tre Luna Catering, have bought the nearly century-old Theodore building in downtown Birmingham. The building at 3211 Second Ave. S. was built in 1929 and had been converted into event space in 2017, Brian Mooney said. He and his wife were approached then about taking on the liquor license for Theodore but had just taken over the liquor license for the Alys Stephens Center and didn’t want to take two new ones on at the same time, he said. When the building went up for sale again last year, the Mooneys put a bid in for it, but they were second in line, he said. They thought they weren’t going to get it but were approached again in mid-December when the first offer fell through, he said. They ended up closing on the sale March 31 and plan to continue to use the building for weddings, rehearsal
Cody Thompson has joined the Cobia Realty Group based at the Keller Williams Hoover office at The Village at Brock’s Gap.
Megan Scarano, a former weekend anchor for the ABC 33/40 television station, based at 800 Concourse Parkway in Riverchase, in May joined NewsChannel 5 in Nashville as a reporter on the morning news team. Scarano’s last day on the air with ABC 33/40 was March 4. Scarano was with ABC 33/40 for three years. Before that, she spent two years and five months with WCTI in New Bern, North Carolina, according to her LinkedIn page.
ANNIVERSARIES
Hoover Steaks and Wines in May celebrated its oneyear anniversary at 5868 Elsie Road in the Knox Square shopping center across from Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The shop is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. hooversteaksandwines.com, 205-238-5359
Milo’s Hamburgers, with a location in Hoover at 1210 Inverness Corners, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. miloshamburgers.com, 205-991-6456
Knox Square Dental recently celebrated its first anniversary in the Knox Square shopping center at 5848 Elsie Road. The practice is run by Dr. Brittany Rich and offers exams and cleanings, dental implants, full-mouth rehabilitation, root canals, extractions and custom dentures. knoxsquaredental.com, 205-202-9445
Sunshine Nutrition Hoover celebrated its five-year anniversary at 3421 S. Shades Crest Road on May 9. Sunshine Nutrition Hoover on Facebook, 205-882-1609
SPONSORED CONTENT
Care Where It Counts
homeRN Hoover Vestavia delivers concierge-level nursing and caregiving — right in your home
The nurses and caregivers at homeRN Hoover Vestavia are trusted experts who offer clients and families a wide range of premium, in-home healthcare services in Hoover, Vestavia and nearby communities.
homeRN Hoover Vestavia is a family business. Alyssa’s co-owner is her sister, Emily Harmon. They are identical twins who both earned their nursing degrees from Auburn University.
“homeRN delivers private-pay concierge caregiving, nursing, urgent care, IV therapy and vitamin support — personalized to your needs, right where you live,” says co-owner and registered nurse Alyssa Weyandt.
Whether you’re a senior, recovering from an illness, managing chronic health needs, or focusing on your wellness, homeRN Hoover Vestavia is here to help.
“We love receiving a phone call where the caller says their friend or family told them to ‘call the twins,’” Emily says.
Alyssa and Emily are proud of their strong roots in Hoover and Vestavia. They were raised in Hoover, and both remain in the area.
“Emily lives in Hoover with her family, and I live in Vestavia with mine,” Alyssa says. “We’re honored and blessed to be able to serve our own communities.”
In addition to giving expert care, homeRN takes away stress and worry for clients and families.
Many families today find themselves in the “sandwich generation” — balancing the demands of raising children while caring for aging parents at the same time. “We see it constantly — families stretched thin, trying to do everything for everyone,” Alyssa says. “That’s exactly where we come in.” By providing concierge-level nursing and caregiving directly in the home, homeRN allows families to ensure their loved ones receive consistent, expert care — without sacrificing their own family’s needs. homeRN’s nurse-led team becomes a trusted extension of your family, so you can show up fully for everyone who needs you.
“Our goal is to provide consistent, individualized care, thereby giving loved ones peace of mind,” Emily says. “We’re owned and operated by registered nurses, and our caregivers receive close nurse oversight and training. We thoughtfully pair caregivers with clients, and each client receives ongoing nurse oversight and continuous care refinement.”
The caregiving and nursing services at homeRN complement each other seamlessly, Alyssa says. “Our nursing services provide an extra layer of care customized to your needs. We’ll collaborate with your primary-care provider, hospice company or home health to ensure comprehensive care and the best combination of services for you and your family.”
The sisters and their staff also take great satis-
faction in their work.
“We love being able to use our experience and skills to help support our clients and families,” Alyssa says. “We enjoy being able to navigate a complex or challenging case and help to make it less overwhelming for clients and families. There are times when families don’t know when the right time is to arrange caregiving — we encourage them to call, and we can help assess in-home needs and educate on what support they may benefit from.”
Alsies gourmet ice cream truck is rolling into Hoover
By APRIL COFFEY
On any sunny day in Hoover, a brightly painted truck rolling down the street is turning heads — and it’s not just the colors or the traditional ice cream truck music that draw a crowd. Alsies, a new gourmet ice cream truck, is serving up more than frozen treats; it’s delivering nostalgia, fun and a fully customized dessert experience for schools, weddings, corporate events and private celebrations throughout Hoover. Driving up to Finley Park by the Hoover Met or Veteran’s Park in front of Spain Park High School, the truck’s arrival is accompanied by delighted sounds of joy from both children and adults.
will do it.”
Founded by local entrepreneur Rob Tibbs, Alsies aims to redefine the classic ice cream truck. “What makes Alsies unique is that we focus on creating a great experience, not just serving ice cream,” Tibbs said. “We offer a more polished, event-friendly setup with curated treats, friendly service and a presentation that fits well at everything from school events to corporate gatherings. We’re reliable [and] easy to work with, and [we] handle the dessert portion in a way that feels special but still simple for the host.”
Chief Operator Monica Rogers emphasizes the truck’s versatility. “We love school events — field days, teacher appreciation, back to school, end-of-year events and quarterly visits,” she said with a laugh. In Hoover, customers can find the truck at school events, such
as the Prince of Peace Catholic Church picnic and a celebration of the students completing their technology certificate at Greystone Elementary. Outside of school events, the Alsies van can also be seen drifting through the community to parks and private offices, such as celebrating veterinarian tech week at Oak View Animal Hospital and stopping at Shades Cliff Pool during hot summer months.
The Alsies’ truck is also a frequent visitor to Riverchase United Methodist Church.
Alsies offers not only traditional fare such as bomb pops and Sonic the Hedgehog popsicles but also unique treats like birthday cake and strawberry ice cream sandwiches.
“We hope to serve the Hoover schools more and more. Beyond schools, we cater weddings, showers, employee appreciation days, birthday parties and private events,” Rogers said. “This past summer, we partnered with a local welding company weekly. You name it — we
Alsies stands out not only for its gourmet treats but also for its tech-enabled, mobile-first platform. Customers can browse a fully digital menu that is flexible and can be adjusted to fit the needs of any event. From classic ice cream flavors to specialty gourmet options, each selection is designed to delight guests and complement the event’s atmosphere. The combination of convenience and customization allows Alsies to deliver high-quality desserts seamlessly, whether it’s a corporate gathering, school celebration or backyard party.
Tibbs stresses that the focus is as much on the experience as the flavor. “We’re about fun, nostalgia and memories,” he said. “But we also take the stress out of the dessert portion for the host. Our setup is polished, our staff is friendly and our service is reliable — so guests get a special treat without anyone worrying
about logistics.”
The trucks have already made a visible impact on the community. Families gather for impromptu treats, colleagues enjoy a midday pick-me-up at office events and students get excited about scheduled visits to their schools. Rogers says seeing smiles at every stop reinforces the company’s mission. “The joy we bring is what it’s all about,” she said. “It’s more than ice cream — it’s shared experiences and little moments of happiness.”
As Alsies continues to roll into neighborhoods and event venues across the Hoover area, the company is quickly becoming a local favorite.
Residents can follow the truck’s locations, seasonal specials and menu updates on Facebook at facebook.com/alsiesbhm or @alsiesbhm on Instagram. To book the truck for private events, call 205-210-8844 or go online to alsies.com/franchisee/birmingham.
Monica Rogers serves as chief operator of Alsies, a gourmet ice cream truck. Photos courtesy of Alsies.
The Alsies gourmet ice cream truck features a
digital menu ranging
classic fare like bomb pops and Sonic the Hedgehog ice pops to gourmet options like birthday cake and strawberry ice cream sandwiches. Tibbs
Hoover resident Moon Punjani builds spa empire from childhood hustle
By DIANE POOLE
What started as a childhood hustle has grown into a thriving beauty business for Muneeiah “Moon” Punjani, owner of Moon’s Day Spa. Despite the name, the spa’s primary focus is on eyebrows and eyelashes — services that have built a loyal following over the years.
“Moon’s Day Spa sounds like a day spa, but we mostly do eyebrows and eyelashes,” said Punjani, who recently opened her ninth location of the business.
In addition to threading and lash extensions, the spa offers facials, eyebrow tinting,
waxing, henna tattoos and select noninvasive treatments, with independent stylists also providing hair services on site.
Punjani’s journey into the industry began early. Growing up in India, she started doing facials for neighbors at just 11 years old, inspired in part by watching her mother shape her eyebrows. “I was a hustler from childhood,” she said. By her late teens, she attended beauty school, earned her license and began training others, including in traditional bridal henna.
After moving to the United States in 2008, she launched her business with a small cart at Eastdale Mall in Montgomery, offering threading and lash services. From there, the business
expanded to multiple locations across Alabama and beyond, at one time operating 14 locations. She now owns nine and lives in Hoover.
The name “Moon’s Day Spa” came about unexpectedly. Punjani said her husband had long called her “Moon,” and while she was working at a mall cart, a manager encouraged her to move into a larger space. When it came time to submit paperwork, he suggested the name in a letter of intent — and it stuck.
“We didn’t plan it — it just happened,” she said.
Today, Punjani credits her success to a focus on facial services and building strong relationships with clients. “When you do the face, it
needs to look right,” she said. “When your face is good, you are good.” Many clients return every two to three weeks for maintenance and often follow her from location to location. “I don’t feel like I’m working with strangers,” she said. “They feel like family.”
Looking ahead, Punjani hopes to continue growing at a steady pace while encouraging others to support local businesses. “When you are new, you need support from the community,” she said. “Once they come, they will love it and keep coming back.”
For more information on Moon’s Day Spa, follow them on Facebook or visit moonsdayspa. com.
Left: Muneeiah “Moon” Punjani and her husband at the newest Moon’s Day Spa location in Trussville, the ninth in her Alabama-based chain specializing in eyebrow threading, lash extensions and facial services.
Above: Punjani, who lives in Hoover, launched the business with a single mall cart in Montgomery in 2008 after moving to the United States and has built a following of clients who return every two to three weeks for maintenance. Photos by Diane Poole.
BUSINESS
BumperNets turns 26 inside the Galleria
By AMASICO RAINER
Homer Brown had a good career: 27 years in the retail oil industry, a string of executive roles and a COO title at Vulcan Oil Company in Birmingham. He also had a nagging idea he couldn’t shake: open America’s first table tennis store. In August 1999, he stopped shaking it off and acted on it.
More than a quarter century later, BumperNets occupies three storefronts inside the Riverchase Galleria, a stretch now known as the BumperNets Wing, and draws customers from as far as four hours away. Brown is the longest-tenured independent retailer in the mall, and he’s not going anywhere.
“I was so motivated and passionate about doing it that I never expected it to fail,” Brown said. “I really believed in this retail concept, and I think anyone who thought I was crazy kept it to themselves because I was so positive about making it succeed.”
The concept Brown built is straightforward but hard to replicate: buy it here or play it here. Walk into BumperNets, and you’ll find more than 35 pinball machines, pool tables, air hockey, shuffleboard and darts all available to play by the quarter or dollar, no card system required. You can also buy the demo unit you just fell in love with or order something new. Leagues, tournaments, lessons with a table pro and private parties round out the offerings.
It’s a different experience than the Dave & Buster’s that shares the Galleria. Brown points out that BumperNets focuses exclusively on table sports — the kind you can actually take home — and keeps pricing accessible. The “retail is detail” mindset he brought from his oil industry days shapes how every customer interaction is handled on the floor.
“My goal is to make sure customers feel welcomed,” he said. “I try to get them to play new games, even with a free game or two to get the ball rolling. ‘This is the coolest store and arcade I’ve ever seen anywhere’ is something I hear a lot, and that never gets old.”
Running alongside Brown is his son, Adam, who started at the store in college and went on to become a U.S. Open National Table Tennis champion. Today Adam serves as store manager and vice president, the same kid Homer put a paddle in the hands of at age 3. The family dynamic, Brown says, has been one of
the most rewarding parts of the whole journey. BumperNets has stayed relevant through recessions, a pandemic and the rise of home gaming by leaning on consistency and community. The store has hosted table tennis exhibitions at area schools, sponsored the Alabama State School Table Tennis Championships and built a Facebook following of more than 26,000. Sales flow through the Galleria locations, bumpernets.com, and storefronts on eBay and Amazon. “The secret to staying in business is to be consistent and take care of the customers so they keep coming back,” Brown said. “I still love coming to work every day
to greet and serve customers and to see the business continue to grow.”
For Brown, the store is more than a retail operation; it’s a community anchor. Families rent tables by the hour, regulars sharpen their games with weekly visits and first-timers discover a hobby they didn’t know they were missing. At 26 years in, he’s still the one at the door, ready to hand someone a cue or a paddle and see what happens next.
BumperNets is located inside the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. Visit bumpernets. com, find them on Facebook at BumperNets or call 205-987-2222.
BumperNets, located across three storefronts in the Riverchase Galleria’s BumperNets Wing, offers more than 35 playable units including pinball machines, pool tables, air hockey, shuffleboard and darts alongside retail sales, leagues, tournaments and private parties. Owner Homer Brown opened the store in August 1999 and has become the longest-tenured independent retailer in the mall, drawing customers from as far as four hours away. Staff photo.
Dr. Ann Ardovino practiced general dentistry in private practice in Alabaster for 15 years, providing top-quality care for her patients.
She gradually developed a profound interest in the connection between the anatomy of the airway and bruxism, which is grinding and clenching of teeth. This led her to her training at the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, where she completed the Mastery Program and became a Diplomate.
“I started helping sleep apnea patients a few years ago and it became my passion,” Dr. Ardovino says.
She has now devoted her career to dental sleep-apnea treatment and snoring treatment.
In 2025, she sold her general dentistry practice and moved her sleep practice, Alabama Dental Sleep and Wellness, to Hoover.
“My practice is unique,” she says. “It’s dedicated solely to dental sleep apnea, including sleep-apnea and snoring appliances.”
In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway gets blocked during sleep,
causing pauses in breathing. Sleep apnea can contribute to such serious medical problems as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, cognitive impairment, depression and fatigue. Even worse, sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed.
Do you wake yourself up snoring? Do you grind your teeth or have morning headaches? Do you wake to use the bathroom frequently? Do you wake up
Say goodbye to restless nights!
Call (205) 346-1488 or go to www.alabama dentalsleep.com to book your appointment today.
feeling tired already? All these can be symptoms of sleep apnea.
“I treat sleep-apnea patients with a custom-fabricated, FDA-approved device that moves the jaw forward,” Dr. Ardovino says. “We also scan digitally, so there’s no impressions, which patients love.”
CPAP is great for some patients, but others can’t tolerate it. “I’m providing an alternative,” Dr. Ardovino says. “We work closely with patients and their physicians throughout the process.” Dr. Ardovino will determine the most effective position for the appliance.
Alabama Dental Sleep and Wellness also treats snoring and bruxism, which can sometimes be a sleep apnea symptom. Snoring can be disruptive to your spouse or bed partner and Alabama Dental Sleep and Wellness can help with that.
Alabama Dental Sleep and Wellness welcomes Medical Insurance, such as Medicare, VA Continuing Care Insurance, and supplemental plans. We also file most private commercial plans as well.
Dr. Ardovino has over 200 hours of sleep dentistry education and completed a TMJ fellowship at the Dawson Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. She’s a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Ann Ardovino
RC3 cosmetology and barbering students shine in first-ever hair and fashion showcase
By APRIL COFFEY
What began as classroom instruction and hands-on practice culminated in a runway celebration of creativity, skill and career readiness as students at the Riverchase Career Connection Center (RC3) unveiled their first-ever Cosmetology and Barbering Hair and Fashion Show on Thursday, April 30. The afternoon event marked a milestone for the program, bringing together students, families, faculty and community partners to witness three years of technical training come to life on the runway.
Hosted in the Flex Space at RC3, the showcase highlighted the growing impact of career and technical education (CTE) in preparing students for high-demand, hands-on professions. The runway event featured student-designed hair and fashion looks across multiple themed categories, including Homecoming and Prom, Quinceañera, Modern Day, Deep Blue Sea and Ocean Odyssey, Futuristic, 007: Men’s Formal Wear Suits, and Avant-Garde/High Tech — each reflecting both technical mastery and artistic vision.
According to Cosmetology and Barbering instructor LaNeka Smith, the show was not a one-day effort but the result of a yearlong instructional process embedded in state-aligned curriculum. “Preparation for the show was embedded directly into our curriculum and aligned with the Alabama State Standards for Cosmetology and Barbering,” Smith explained. “Our students have been developing their concepts and bringing their segments to life throughout the entire school year.”
Not only was the show a reflection of student learning during the current school year but also
the culmination of the skills they developed throughout the three-year Barbering and Cosmetology program. Third-year senior students served as designers, taking ownership of their creative direction by selecting models — many from within the academy, while others were peers invited from across RC3’s various programs. Throughout the year, students practiced hairstyling techniques, developed fashion concepts, and participated in structured rehearsals that mirrored real-world salon and production environments.
Samantha Giffin, a third-year student in the Barbering and Cosmetology Department, credits the program for building her confidence and helping her build necessary skills for her future even in high school. “I have known for a long
A model wears a Quinceañerathemed look during RC3’s Cosmetology and Barbering Hair and Fashion Show on April 30. Third-year seniors served as designers, directing their own creative concepts as the culmination of the school’s threeyear cosmetology and barbering program Photo courtesy of Riverchase Career Connection Center.
time that I wanted to do hair as a career,” Giffin said. “The RC3 program has helped me to gain confidence in my skills and confirmed that cosmetology is really what I want to do.”
The event also stood out for its cross-academy collaboration, a hallmark of RC3’s career-focused learning model. Students from Culinary Arts supported event presentation and décor, with Culinary Academy student Bryan Parsons serving as master of ceremonies. Construction Science students contributed structural design elements, including PVC pipe installations used in stage displays. Nursing and Culinary students also joined the runway as models, underscoring the school’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning and teamwork.
Smith emphasized that this collaboration is
intentional, designed to reflect industry conditions students will encounter after graduation. “This allowed our students to experience a realworld, cross-industry production environment,” she said.
The event was made possible through the support of community and industry partners, including Great Clips and PNC Bank, whose sponsorship helped elevate the scale and professionalism of the showcase.
Beyond the fashion and creativity, educators say the deeper purpose of the program is workforce development. Short-term goals for the department include expanding student participation in industry-based events and strengthening partnerships with other academies and local stakeholders. Long-term aspirations include expanding advanced certification opportunities, increasing internship pipelines, and further establishing the program as a premier training ground for future cosmetologists and barbers.
Smith also noted the importance of teamwork among instructors in the Barbering and Cosmetology Department, crediting colleagues Kareemah Saadiq and Cassi Leach for their essential roles in preparing students for the event. “We truly operate as a team,” she said, underscoring the collaborative foundation behind student success.
As the final models exited the runway, the event stood as more than a fashion show — it was a demonstration of what career and technical education can achieve when creativity, industry standards and student ownership intersect. For RC3 students, the experience offered not only applause but preparation for futures after high school graduation built on skill, confidence and professional readiness.
Hoover City Schools welcomes new district leadership
By APRIL COFFEY
Hoover City Schools has announced a series of leadership changes and administrative roles for the 2026-27 school year.
Scott Mitchell has been appointed chief administrative officer. He has spent 27 years working in Hoover City Schools in a range of roles, including classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal. He is currently the longest-serving principal in the system, having been principal at Brock’s Gap Intermediate School since the school was established in 2011.
Leah Colley has been selected as the next principal of Deer Valley Elementary School. Colley brings 21 years of experience in education, having served as a teacher and in several instructional leadership positions such as instructional coach, reading specialist and assistant principal in both Tuscaloosa County Schools and Hoover City Schools. She has been an assistant principal at Shades Mountain Elementary School
the past three years.
Sherita Williams will assume the role of principal at Riverchase Elementary School. She has more than three decades of experience in education and has worked in both teaching and administrative capacities. Her prior leadership experience includes assistant principal positions at Greystone Elementary and South Shades Crest Elementary. Williams is also a graduate of the district’s Aspiring Principals Academy.
Emily Dunleavy has been appointed the new principal at Brock’s Gap Intermediate, where she has been an assistant principal under Scott Mitchell for three years. Dunleavy has 15 years of experience in education. She began in January 2011 and spent 6½ years as a classroom teacher and five years as a technology specialist for Homewood City Schools. She was Teacher of the Year for Shades Cahaba Elementary School in 2017. Dunleavy then served as assistant principal at Inverness Elementary School for two years before coming to
Brock’s Gap in 2023.
The school board also approved several new assistant principal appointments or transfers and a new athletic director:
► Aldric Bennett, an assistant principal at Simmons Middle, is moving to become assistant principal at South Shades Crest Elementary School.
► Darrius Taylor, currently an assistant principal at Leeds High School, was hired as an assistant principal at Berry Middle School.
► Logan Greene, who has been a history teacher at Berry the past five years, is moving to become an assistant principal at Simmons Middle School.
► Lindsay Morgan, an assistant principal at Trace Crossings Elementary the past four years, is moving to become an assistant principal at Shades Mountain Elementary.
► Alyson Patton, an exceptional education teacher at Bluff Park Elementary School the past two years, was hired as an assistant principal at
Trace Crossings Elementary.
► Chris Blight was named the new athletic director for Hoover High. He was the girls soccer coach at Oak Mountain for 10 years, and the Athletic Director for the last 3.
OTHER NEWS
► The Bumpus Middle School band has been selected to perform at the 80th Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference. The clinic will be held in Chicago Dec. 16-18 and will focus on the business and trends in music education. The clinic will have more than 18,000 attendees from more than 40 countries.
► Hoover City Schools was named one of only nine districts in Alabama as a 2026 Best Community for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants. Selection for this award reflects strong support for music across the district, as well as the opportunities students have to learn, perform and grow through arts education.
Aldric Bennett, Sherita Williams, Leah Colley and Scott Mitchell are among the Hoover City Schools administrators taking on new roles for the 2026-27 school year. Mitchell has been appointed chief administrative officer after 27 years in the system, Colley will serve as principal at Deer Valley Elementary, Williams will lead Riverchase Elementary and Bennett is moving from Simmons Middle to become assistant principal at South Shades Crest Elementary Photos courtesy of Hoover City Schools.
Math teacher and coach Pat White
Pat White has spent 15 years in the classroom teaching middle and high school math, and has coached baseball, softball and golf along the way. A graduate of Samford University’s Educational Specialist program in Instructional Leadership, White has built a career around helping students find their footing in mathematics while developing a broader interest in character development and inspiring people to reach their potential.
Q: What are the lessons that you hope students learn most from you?
A: I have experienced being a father at a young age and have built resilience along the way to strive for better lives for my family and people around me without financial hardship. I believe in people that have fought to be where they are today, have shown heart and grind throughout their lives and [who] strive to serve one another. I seek to serve those that have not been thought of or have experienced hardships in a way where they can have the freedom to live their lives.
Woods. My dream is to help bring people to golf and to allow golf to give back to each person that tries, grinds, endures and pushes past the frustrations of the sport. I taught at i3 for half a year without coaching before I missed it so much and the relationships that can be built from having a program. I knew that I would have at least one student that felt that it was a brand-new opportunity to try something that could help them in life or create a safe environment to learn a game or life skills. My hope for the program is to make sectionals, substate and eventually compete at a level where we can think about a state appearance, but first, it is to create the love of golf, what it can give back, and to help golfers understand the importance of hard work and creating healthy relationships.
Q: What is next for you? What are your goals for the future?
Q: What do you love most about teaching at i3 Academy?
A: I love how supportive our administration is and the family vibe that my colleagues bring to the workplace every day. My eighth grade team of teachers has been my rock in the hardest times, and we have all helped one
I work to learn goals, needs and wants first, educate along the way and strive to build a strong, long-lasting relationship based on positive character values that bring out the best in one another. I see opportunities to build teams and be more efficient, building culture with my interactions and conversations, and want to develop the best possible way for those that I serve to win with strategy, dedication and commitment. In the end, I want to provide people with the opportunity to live and dream big — or at the very least provide them with something they can take forever and remember.
another with a family-first and self-care mindset. I enjoy the opportunity to be a pathfinder and start a golf program at i3 Academy and the openness to break down barriers and open new doors.
Q: What inspired you to begin a golf program at i3? What are your hopes for the program?
A: My dream is to find the next Tiger
A: My goals are to continue to build the golf program and build relationships so that my golfers can experience what other kids their ages experience within the sport. My goal is to leave a lasting legacy within i3 Academy and to build a program with prestige and integrity. I3 Academy has treated me with respect, has shown me so much support in this endeavor and has made me feel at home. I seek to raise the bar in mathematics and to have my students progress, close gaps, and grow within mathematics to give them a better opportunity to be successful in math or careers of their choosing.
To read the full Q and A with Pat White, go to hooversun.com.
Pat White with members of the i3 Academy golf team, a program he launched after missing the relationships that coaching brings. Photo courtesy of Pat White.
Hoover High School junior Hannah Hwangpo won the Class 7A No. 1 singles title at the state tournament in Mobile on April 21, rallying from a first-set loss to defeat Huntsville’s Mazie MacGrotty 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 in the championship match.
Hwangpo leads Hoover to strong showing at state tennis championships
By KYLE PARMLEY
Hoover High School’s Hannah Hwangpo arrived at the Class 7A state tennis tournament at the Mobile Tennis Center as one of the top players in the field, and she left as the No. 1 singles champion.
The junior beat Huntsville’s Mazie MacGrotty 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 in the championship match, rallying after dropping the first set to claim the individual title. MacGrotty was one of the toughest opponents in the draw, entering the final with just one loss over her last 37 matches across two seasons. Hwangpo had worked her way through a competitive bracket to get there, beating St. Paul’s Emma
Jane Hamilton in the semifinals 2-6, 6-4, 10-7.
The Hoover boys put together an equally impressive week, finishing tied for second in the team standings with 29 points behind champion Vestavia Hills (35). Senior Brady Conti and senior Diego Harris were the standouts, winning the No. 1 doubles title together. They beat Bob Jones’ Cam Watson and Nathan Chiu in the semifinals before taking the championship match over Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa’s Griffin Armstrong and Ryan Mathewson 7-6(6), 6-4. Harris also reached the No. 3 singles final, falling to Auburn’s Tony Park in three sets, 2-6, 6-4, 10-6, after winning his semifinal against Vestavia’s Alex Nelson.
Junior Shiv Jaikumar reached the No. 2 singles semifinals and teamed with eighthgrader Matthew Hwangpo in the No. 2 doubles bracket, where they won their opening match before falling to Vestavia’s Andrew Pipkin and John Brooks Harris in a tight three-set semifinal. Eighth-grader Matthew Hwangpo also had a strong singles run at No. 5, winning his opening match and reaching the final before falling to Montgomery Academy’s Bo Johnston. Sophomore Stephen Sellers reached the No. 6 singles semifinals. Senior Brady Conti competed at No. 1 singles as well.
The Hoover girls finished fifth in the team standings with 9 points. Senior Alaina Sanders competed at No. 4 singles, winning her
first-round match before falling to Huntsville’s Sophie Shearburn.
Senior Irfa Porbanderwala lost her firstround match at No. 5 singles in three sets. Junior Anna Claire Cencula competed at No. 3 singles.
Hwangpo and Cencula teamed in No. 1 doubles, winning their opening match and reaching the semifinals before being eliminated by the eventual champions from St. Paul’s. Sanders and sophomore Alice Moon also competed in No. 3 doubles.
Sophomore Saharsh Prasanna and sophomore Adithya Mohanraj teamed in No. 3 doubles on the boys side, winning their first-round match before being eliminated.
The Hoover High School boys and girls tennis teams competed at the Class 7A state tournament on April 21, 2026. Photos courtesy of Nilam Patel and Dilberlyn Garcia Gonzalez.
SPORTS
Bucs take home boys state outdoor title
By KYLE PARMLEY
Hoover High School captured the Class 7A boys outdoor track and field championship at the state meet, finishing with 130 points at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores in early May. The Bucs’ girls squad finished second in the 7A standings with 100 points, falling just short of a sweep.
The boys championship was built on individual excellence from top to bottom. Hunter Purdue was one of the meet’s premier performers, winning the 100-meter dash in 11.12 seconds and the long jump at 24 feet, half an inch. Paxton Weatherly complemented Purdue in the sprints, finishing third in the 100 in 11.21. Jeremiah Tabb won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.97 seconds and placed third in the long jump at 23-0.50, making him one of the most versatile scorers on the roster.
Norman Settles won the boys pole vault at 15-0, a commanding victory in one of the meet’s marquee field events. Nigel Thomas and Langston Smith delivered a strong one-two punch in the throws, with Thomas placing second in the shot put at 55-9 and fourth in the discus at 165-2. Smith placed third in the shot put at 51-7.25 and fifth in the discus at 164-10.
Ian Chatterton placed fourth in the 800 in 1:55.15 and fourth in the 1,600 in 4:17.23. Jamie McCarthy added a fifth-place finish in the 1,600 in 4:17.40 and seventh in the 3,200 in 9:38.59. KJ Wright placed seventh in the 300-meter hurdles in a personal best of 39.85. Jameson Coleman placed fourth in the 400 meters in 48.36.
The boys 4x100 relay won the Class 7A title in 41.63 seconds. The boys 4x400 relay placed fourth in 3:18.20, and the boys 4x800 relay finished second in 7:50.70, the fourth-fastest
time in Alabama and 47th-fastest in the country this season.
On the girls side, Daisy Luna was the team’s most productive individual scorer, placing second in the 400 meters in 56.13, fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 44.75 and sixth in the 200 meters in 26.35. Chloe Jones placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.53.
Audrey Gault won the girls pole vault at 11 feet, a personal best and the sixth-best mark in Alabama this season. Amelia Vann placed third in the 800 meters in 2:17.08 and fourth in the 1,600 in 5:05.87. Reese Gonzalez placed
second in the 1,600 in 4:58.28 and won the 3,200 in 10:50.28. Khloe Ford placed fifth in the girls shot put at 37-6.50. Cassie Richardson placed ninth in the long jump at 17-0 and seventh in the triple jump at 38-2. Nyel Settles placed fourth in the high jump at 5-4, and Dallas Rooks placed fifth at 5-2.
The girls 4x400 relay won the Class 7A title in 3:51.49, the second-fastest time in Alabama and 84th-fastest in the country this season. The girls 4x800 relay placed fourth in 9:39.05.
Owen Chatterton swept the para ambulatory
events for Hoover, winning the boys 100 meters in 22.77, the 200 meters in 49.87, the discus at 21-9 and the shot put at 12-2.
Spain Park’s JD Thompson was one of the most versatile performers from any area school at the Class 6A meet, placing fourth in the 100meter dash in 11.21, fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.02 and fifth in the long jump at 22-4. Jonathan Fonbah placed third in the high jump at 6-4 and fourth in the triple jump at 46-11. Graydon Moran placed second in the boys pole vault at 14-0, a personal best and the seventh-best mark in Alabama this season.
The Hoover High School boys track and field team won the Class 7A state outdoor meet on May 2, 2026, in Gulf Shores. Photo courtesy of Hoover Athletics.
Chris Blight to become next Hoover athletics director
By KYLE PARMLEY
Chris Blight spent 10 years at Oak Mountain High School building something he hoped would outlast him. On May 14, Hoover High School gave him the chance to do the same thing in a new chapter of his career.
Blight was named the Bucs’ new athletics director, stepping into the role vacated by Harley Lamey, who departed for Pell City in April. For Blight, the move represents the culmination of a career that started on the soccer field in England, continued at Huntingdon College where he played collegiate soccer and evolved into something much larger.
“It’s been a goal of mine to be a full-time AD at a school like Hoover,” Blight said. “It’s one of the premier athletic programs in the state, has an incredible history, has a great identity, and I’m really excited to go join them and hopefully continue to propel their athletic department forward and build on the success that they’ve already had.”
Before arriving at Oak Mountain, Blight built his high school coaching resume at Auburn High. He went 69-8-6 over three seasons there and also spent time as an assistant at Auburn University at Montgomery and with the Birmingham Hammers.
Blight arrived at Oak Mountain in 2015 as the girls soccer coach, spent two years as an assistant AD, then took over as full-time AD three years ago, all while continuing to coach. He leaves with a coaching record of 254-4522, a 2021 Class 7A state championship, a No. 1 national ranking in 2020 before the season was cut short, and the fresh sting of a 1-0 loss to Auburn in this year’s state final.
“It’s been an incredibly emotional few days,” Blight said. “Obviously it didn’t end
in the way that we wanted on Saturday, but I was so incredibly proud of the girls and what they gave.”
The Eagles finished 24-1-1, winning their first three playoff matches by a combined 23-0 before Auburn’s Lulabelle Hammer scored the only goal of the final just past the 47-minute mark. It was a painful finish for a program that dominated throughout the postseason.
Even in defeat, Blight found validation in the response that followed.
“One of the things that stood out to me these past few days is the number of messages that I’ve received from former players, former parents, people that have coached with and have been part of my athletic department, and it’s
those messages that make you realize why we do what we do,” he said.
He also leaned on a philosophy he set for himself when he first arrived at Oak Mountain.
“I came to Oak Mountain 10 years ago, and I said all along I want to make it and leave it better than how I found it,” Blight said. “I really hope that I’ve done that. We had some success on the soccer field and in other sports, but really, I’m hoping I left a lasting impact on lots of people’s lives. That, for me, that’s what made it successful.”
As for his coaching days, Blight said that chapter is closed.
“No, I’m fully done. I am a retired soccer coach,” he said. “I’ve been in Alabama for 18
years, and I’ve coached youth soccer, high school, collegiate, coached semi-pro with the Birmingham Hammers. It’s been a humongous part of my journey and one that I’m incredibly grateful for. But that’s a chapter in my book that’s closed, and I’m really, really excited for the next chapter.”
What excites him most about the transition is the chance to be a full-time AD without splitting his focus between the front office and the field.
“The thought of being able to give 100% to being AD and doing that role is an incredible opportunity,” Blight said. “My biggest goal right now is to get in there and meet every person in that building, and there’s a lot of them, but I can’t wait to do it.”
Hoover has long been one of the state’s most prominent athletic programs, and Blight said his approach to stepping into that environment will be measured and deliberate.
“I’m not going to come in with all the answers. It’s going to take a period of evaluation,” he said. “I want to get in there and meet everyone and learn about everything. They’ve got such a great foundation, and I want to come in and see how my vision and my goals and what I’ve done throughout my life can combine with that to continue to build on the incredible stuff.”
The Oak Mountain hiring process for both his soccer coaching vacancy and the AD role is ongoing, and Blight said he plans to remain involved through the end of the school year to ensure a smooth transition.
Blight’s wife, Katie, is a Hoover High graduate, adding a family connection to his new role.
“I’m going to work hard for them every single day,” he said.
Hoover High School’s new Athletics Director Chris Blight spent 10 years at Oak Mountain High School, where he compiled a coaching record of 254-45-22, won a 2021 Class 7A state championship in girls soccer and served as full-time AD for the past three years.
Blight takes over a role vacated by Harley Lamey, who departed for Pell City in April. Photo by Michael Jackson.
EVENTS
Save the Date
ALDRIDGE GARDENS HYDRANGEAS UNDER THE STARS
► Where: Aldridge Gardens, 3530 Lorna Road
► When: Saturday, June 13, beginning at 6 p.m.
► Details: An annual fundraiser and garden gala featuring both silent and live auctions benefiting Aldridge Gardens. A reception and silent auction begins at 6 p.m. in the Aldridge House; dinner and live auction begin at 7 p.m. under the pavilion. No printed ticket required — attendees will be on the will call list.
► Cost: $300 for an individual; $2,400 to reserve a table of eight.
► More info: aldridgegardens.com
ROSS BRIDGE FARMERS MARKET
► Where: 2101 Grand Ave., Hoover
► When: Fridays, 4–8 p.m.
► Details: The Ross Bridge Farmers Market features local farmers, artisans, bakers, food trucks and local entrepreneurs. Each market has a seasonal theme with special vendors, live music and free kids’ face painting. See the website for the full 2026 schedule of market dates and themes.
► Cost: Free to attend
► More info: rossbridgefarmers market.com
PARKS AND REC FOUNDATION CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT
► Where: Brock’s Gap Brewery, 500 Mineral Trace, Suite 100
► When: Sunday, June 7, 1-5 p.m.
► Details: The Big Drop Auto Spa Cornhole Tournament benefits the Parks and Recreation Foundation, supporting parks, trails, playgrounds and recreational opportunities in Hoover. Teams of two compete for prizes, with up to 32 teams participating. Music, food and drinks available.
► Cost: Free to sign up
► More info: hooveral.org
CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH
► Where: Hoover Library, 200 Municipal Drive
► When: Thursday, June 18, 6-7 p.m.
► Details: Hoover Public Library is partnering with Hoover-AHEAD to help our city celebrate freedom and commemorate Juneteenth with a variety of family-friendly activities.
► Cost: Free
► More info: hooverlibrary.org
► For more events news, connect with the Hoover Sun online by scanning the QR code.
► Have an upcoming event to share? Email Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.
HOOVER LIBRARY DINOMAN: DINOSAURS!
► Where: The Hoover Library, 200 Municipal Drive
► When: Tuesday-Wednesday, June 9-10
► Details: Dinoman performs in the library’s theatre at multiple times. June 9: 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. June 10: 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Part of the library’s summer reading program, themed “Unearth Your Story.”
► Cost: Free
► More info: hooverlibrary.org
GOVERNMENT MEETINGS
June 4 and 18: Hoover City Council work session, 5:30 p.m., Hoover City Hall
June 8 and 22: Hoover City Council meeting, 6 p.m., Hoover City Hall
June 9: Hoover Parks and Recreation Board, 5:30 p.m., Hoover Recreation Center
June 10: Hoover Arts Council, 5:30 p.m., Hoover City Hall
June 11: Hoover Zoning Board of Adjustment work session, 5:30 p.m., Hoover City Hall
June 15: Hoover Zoning Board of Adjustment, action meeting, 5:30 p.m. Hoover City Hall
June 16: Hoover Library Board, 5 p.m., Hoover City Hall
June 9: Hoover Board of Education, 5:30 p.m., Farr Administration Building
UNITE: BIRMINGHAM WITH CHANDLER MOORE AND STS WORSHIP
► Where: The Hoover Met
► When: Saturday-Sunday, June 6-7, 5:30 p.m.
► Details: Unite is a free two-night experience for the whole family. Join Grammy Award-Winning singer Chandler Moore and worship artist STS Worship, with Scott Dawson speaking each night.
► Cost: Free
► More info: eventbrite.com/cc/ unite-birmingham-4835566
STARDOME COMEDY CLUB
June 7: Eric Freedman, 7:30 p.m.
June 12-14: Ian Lara, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday
June 19-21: Caleb Elliott, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday
June 28: Charles Engle, 7:30 p.m. Sunday
EVENTS
Low-cost ways to enjoy summer close to home
By KRISTI SELLERS
Summer in Hoover offers plenty of ways to stay active, cool off and enjoy time with family without spending a fortune or leaving town. One of Hoover’s biggest strengths is its variety. From scenic hiking trails and splash pads to public parks, lakes and community spaces, it’s easy to build a fun weekend close to home.
Whether you’re looking for a low-cost outing with the kids, an evening walk after dinner or a simple way to enjoy the hot summer days, Hoover has something for nearly every age and interest. These activities are affordable, easy to access and available throughout most of the summer season.
HIKE THE TRAILS AT MOSS ROCK PRESERVE
Moss Rock Preserve is one of the best outdoor destinations in the Hoover area, offering beautiful scenery, shaded hiking trails, rock formations and creeks without requiring a long drive or expensive fees. It feels like a true getaway while still being close to home. Visitors can choose easier walking trails or more rugged hiking sections depending on experience level. Located off Preserve Parkway in Hoover, the preserve is free to enter and open daily. Wear sturdy shoes, bring a water bottle, and plan to visit in the morning or evening during hotter weeks. Parking is available near the main trailheads. Find trail maps and details at hooveralabama.gov/214/ Moss-Rock-Preserve.
COOL OFF AT THE HOOVER MET COMPLEX SPLASH PAD
For families with younger children, the splash pad at the Hoover Met Complex is one of the easiest ways to beat the summer heat. It combines active play with affordability and convenience. Kids can run through water features while parents relax nearby, making it a good low-stress outing during school break. Located at the Hoover Met Complex near Stadium Trace Parkway, the splash pad is free to access and open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bring towels, sunscreen, water shoes and extra clothes for the ride home. Find details at hoovermetcomplex. com/explore-play.
WALK OR BIKE AT THE PRESERVE
The Preserve is a favorite local spot for evening walks, bike rides and slow summer strolls, offering sidewalks, green spaces and a scenic neighborhood setting. It is accessible and peaceful, and it works for families, couples and solo walkers alike. Bring bikes, strollers or comfortable shoes, and enjoy a casual outing without needing tickets or reservations. Located off Alabama 150 in Hoover, The Preserve includes parks and common areas that are open to the public. Early mornings and sunset hours are especially pleasant during the summer. Parking is available in designated
community spaces and nearby public areas. Find details at hooverpreserve.com.
SPEND AN AFTERNOON AT VETERANS PARK
Veterans Park is one of Hoover’s most versatile public spaces. Families can enjoy playgrounds and open grass areas, while walkers and runners can use the paved paths throughout the park. Sports fields and shaded seating areas make it easy to stay awhile without needing a structured plan. Located along Valleydale Road, the park is free to enter and has
ample parking. Bring water bottles, sunscreen, and maybe a frisbee or soccer ball for extra entertainment. It’s especially popular in the evenings after temperatures cool down and youth sports activities begin. Find park details and recreation information at hooveralabama. gov/1239/Recreation.
EXPLORE HOOVER PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Hoover Public Library is one of the best low-cost summer destinations, offering air-conditioned activities, summer reading
programs and quiet indoor space during Alabama’s hottest months. It combines education, entertainment and community programming in one location. Families can attend children’s activities, teens can find books and study space, and adults can browse or use free Wi-Fi. Located on Municipal Drive near city hall, the library is free to visit. Some summer programs may require registration, so check the library calendar online before attending. It’s a great backup plan for rainy or extremely hot afternoons. Check the calendar and plan your visit at hooverlibrary.org.
FISH OR PICNIC AT ALDRIDGE GARDENS
Aldridge Gardens is one of Hoover’s most relaxing summer spots, with walking paths, lake views, and shaded picnic areas that feel peaceful and scenic while remaining affordable and easy to access. Visitors can walk around the lake, photograph flowers or enjoy a simple picnic under the trees. Located on Lorna Road, Aldridge Gardens is free to enter during regular hours. Bring bug spray, comfortable shoes and water if you plan to stay outside for long. Early mornings and evenings are ideal for cooler temperatures and quieter visits during peak summer heat. Plan your visit at aldridgegardens.com.
CLIMB AND PLAY AT FINLEY CENTER AT THE HOOVER MET COMPLEX
The Finley Center gives families an indoor escape from Alabama heat while still keeping kids active, with a climbing wall, open recreation areas, a walking track and a family-friendly atmosphere. On especially hot or rainy days, it’s one of the easiest ways to burn energy without staying outside for hours. Located at the Hoover Met Complex off Stadium Trace Parkway, the facility regularly offers public access hours and affordable activities throughout the summer. Before visiting, check the Hoover Met Complex schedule online for open climbing times and activity availability. Bring athletic shoes and comfortable clothes, and expect low-cost admission depending on the activity. Check the schedule and find details at hoovermetcomplex.com/ finley-center.
GRAB ICE CREAM AND STROLL THROUGH ROSS BRIDGE
Ross Bridge is a great place for a low-key summer evening, combining walkable scenery with dessert stops and neighborhood charm. Families can grab ice cream or a sweet treat and take a walk around the sidewalks and green spaces as the sun goes down. Located in western Hoover near Ross Bridge Parkway, the area is easy to explore on foot. Costs vary depending on what you purchase, making it flexible for different budgets. Visit in the evening for cooler temperatures and a lively atmosphere. Explore the area at rossbridge. com.
The splash pad at the Hoover Met Complex near Stadium Trace Parkway is free to access and open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is one of eight affordable summer activities highlighted this season for Hoover families looking to stay close to home. Staff photos.
Moss Rock Preserve off Preserve Parkway offers shaded hiking trails, rock formations and creeks at no cost, with trail options ranging from easy walking paths to more rugged terrain. The preserve is free to enter and open daily, with parking available near the main trailheads.
The Finley Center at the Hoover Met Complex offers a climbing wall, open recreation areas and a walking track as an indoor alternative during Alabama’s hottest summer days. Public access hours and activity schedules are available on the Hoover Met’s website.
Jack Burnette, CFP® (205) 510-9072 | jack@iterfw.com
Alison Castellano (205) 894-4071 | alison@iterfw.com
Adrian Castellano (205) 894-4263 | adrian@iterfw.com
LIFE
New Hoover resident opens Visual Feast Gallery
By JON ANDERSON
Rose Cook moved into Hoover’s Lake Wilborn community late last year, and it didn’t take her long to realize there’s a gap in the arts community here.
There are not a lot of art galleries in the Birmingham area — particularly in Hoover — and she’s always wanted to start one, so she did, she said.
Cook, a Northern transplant who first moved to Alabama about 12 years ago, in January opened the Visual Feast Gallery in the Patton Creek shopping center. It’s a 1,000-square-foot space near the Dick’s Sporting Goods store and features Cook’s paintings and jewelry along with the works of about seven other artists, she said.
She believes she can accommodate at least four more artists in her current space and hopes to attract more work to display, she said.
Currently, in addition to her abstract paintings and jewelry, the gallery includes photography, ceramics, and other watercolor and oil paintings, she said. Prices so far typically range from $200 to $1,800, but oil painter Steve Carmichael has some paintings that are larger that go up to $2,500, she said.
Other artists there include: Florida art teacher Barbara Casey; Birmingham photographer George Elliot; oil painter Joe Furman of Houston, Texas; Hoover ceramic artist Lee Barnes; animal painter Carolyn Mitchell; and Richard Brown, a light painter from Atlanta.
Cook, who has been doing art for nearly 40 years, said there’s a shortage of places in the Birmingham area for artists to display their work. Most of the galleries that are here require artists to sign contracts saying they will display only in that one location, she said.
She doesn’t like that model and doesn’t require exclusive contracts with artists in her
gallery, she said.
Cook said she has a two-year lease in the Patton Creek shopping center and is hoping the center can make a turnaround with new owner RCG Ventures. She’d like to see more tenants in the numerous empty spaces in the center, she said.
Artists are having a tough time right now, Cook said. Inflation has made it tough for a lot of people to live, and art — a discretionary expense — suffers during inflationary times, she said.
Darla Williamson, a visual artist who is a member of the Hoover Arts Council, said she’s glad to see a new art gallery open in Hoover.
Rose Cook opened Visual Feast Gallery in Hoover’s Patton Creek shopping center in January, filling what she describes as a gap in the Birmingham area’s arts community. Cook, who has been making art for nearly 40 years, does not require exclusive contracts with participating artists — a deliberate departure from the model used by most area galleries. Photos by Jon Anderson.
There aren’t many places in Hoover for artists to display or sell original artwork, she said. Daniel Moore’s New Life Art off Lorna Road and Alabama Goods in Stadium Trace Village are among the few, she said. Shades Mountain Mercantile in Shades Mountain Plaza has some original artwork, but it’s not a traditional
gallery, she said.
And other studios have closed or moved. Amy Anderson closed her art studio and gallery in Bluff Park in 2023, and Liz Lane moved her art studio and gallery out of Bluff Park Village to downtown Birmingham in April of this year.
Cook was raised in New Jersey. She grew up poor on food stamps, she said. Her mother died when she was 19, and she took care of her two younger siblings for three years before moving on with her life, she said.
When she got a job in sales at IBM at age 28, her life and financial situation completely changed, she said. “I was the only woman in that office with 20 guys,” she said. “It was very entertaining.”
She stayed with IBM for three years and then began changing jobs every two to three years in an effort to keep advancing, she said. Most of her career was spent in marketing, sales and word processing training, she said.
She spent a lot of time in Manhattan and
loved being in New York, but she moved to Alabama 12 years ago to be near her sister and met her husband, Bill Cook, who is retired as a pathologist from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
They lived in the Birmingham area for a short time before moving to Manhattan and then Mexico and more recently returning to Alabama to be near children and grandchildren.
“I love it because of all the greenery. I think it is a really pretty cosmopolitan community,” Cook said of the Birmingham area. “It’s lacking some of the things we were used to, but it’s just really pretty. … I’m getting adjusted. I also like the fact that the kids say ‘Yes, ma’am’ and ‘No, ma’am.’”
Opening the Visual Feast Gallery has been a challenge, but she’s determined to make her new art gallery work, she said. “I don’t give up on anything.”
For more about the Visual Feast Gallery, go to visualfeastbyrose.com.
Above: Ceramics by Hoover artist Lee Barnes. Right: Jewelry by Rose Cook and paintings by Steve Carmichael.
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The second time, I still stuttered. I was actually shaking really bad. People said they could see me shaking on the stage.”
It was an uncharacteristically unsteady moment for a player who has spent four years being one of the most composed and dominant forces in Alabama high school basketball. But then again, Ford herself admitted she wasn’t sure the award was coming.
“I came in there thinking, if I don’t win, I’m still pretty blessed to be able to be in this room with all these people,” she said. “But I’m just very happy that I won. It’s kind of crazy still.”
THE MAKINGS OF A FORCE
Ford arrived at Hoover High as a freshman with size, skill and enough raw talent to turn heads during early morning scrimmages.
During one of those preseason sessions (6:30-7:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the whole program in the gym together), Ford landed on the radar of then-senior Reniya Kelly, who would go on to win Miss Basketball herself in 2023.
Kelly, who was not even playing that day, watched Ford hit a turnaround jumper on an older defender and walked straight to head coach Krystle Johnson.
“She came over and she was like, ‘Coach, I want her on varsity. She can catch the ball. She’s tall,’” Johnson recalled.
Ford didn’t play much that freshman year, as the roster was loaded with experienced post players, but Johnson believed the experience of going up against older, stronger competition every day was exactly what Ford needed.
“That experience made her 10 times better,” Johnson said. “She went from being somebody who barely played to being our leading scorer and MVP at the [Class] 7A state finals [as a sophomore]. I credited a lot of that to her freshman year and the struggle she had to go through.”
Ford herself points to her sophomore campaign as the moment it clicked, the season where she started to believe she could do this at a high level.
“We did lose about six post players,” Ford said of the roster turnover heading into her second year. “And I feel like that season, it kind of showed me, hey, I can really do this.”
She averaged strong numbers, helped lead the Lady Bucs to another state title and established herself as one of the premier post players in the state. It looked like the foundation for something special.
Then came her junior year.
THE LONG WAIT
The injury did not announce itself all at once. Ford had felt something in her foot during an AAU event at the Finley Center the summer after her sophomore season. An opponent jumped on her foot, she felt a pop and she knew something was wrong. But she played through it. That became a habit.
When the high school season began her junior year, she missed the first two games and then returned. She kept playing, complaining occasionally about her toe, and her mother initially chalked it up to the mental grind of coming back.
Then came a routine follow-up appointment that changed everything. New X-rays revealed the damage was far worse than anyone had known. The whole bone had rotated. Surgery was the only option.
“My foot didn’t look like a foot,” Ford said.
She had played in 15 games before doctors shut her down for good. It was right before one of the biggest games on the schedule, and the timing stung.
“Of course we were upset,” Johnson said. “But there was nothing we could do about it. It was about the longevity of her career.”
Ford watched from the sideline as Hoover won another state championship without her. It was a different kind of hardship.
“Junior year was just a very hard time for me,” Ford said. “After my sophomore year, which was my breakout year, I’m thinking junior year is gonna be great and amazing.
I’m going to come back even stronger. And then, boom — I’m in a cast. It was kind of hard to just navigate through it.”
She tried to rush back, ended up in another cast and eventually learned to let the process run its course. But watching her teammates chase a title she couldn’t help them win gave her something, too.
Johnson believes the time away ultimately served a purpose.
“When you experience the success she experienced in such a short amount of time, sometimes taking the game away from you will make you love it more,” she said.
And watching from the bench while her teammates won another title without her?
“I think just having to sit there and watch probably got her motivation back where we needed it to be,” Johnson said.
Ford found other ways to contribute, communicating from the bench, calling out plays and defensive assignments and keeping her teammates accountable.
“I could be a leader in different ways,” she said. “Instead of just being a leader on the
court, scoring, I could help my team.”
THE RETURN
She knew she was back during AAU season, somewhere around her second or third tournament. The pain was gone. It just felt right.
“That’s when there was no type of pain or anything,” Ford said.
She came into her senior year with a simple mindset: be careful. But once the games started, careful gave way to dominant.
Ford was not even Hoover’s leading scorer to start the season. That was guard Aaliyah Blanchard. But as the calendar turned toward January and defenses began to make their choices, Ford made them pay. Over the final dozen games, she averaged more than 20 points per game.
“Khloe just kind of took over,” Johnson said. “The way that people were playing us, if you give it to us, then we’re going to take it.”
She finished the season averaging 17.6 points and 8.7 rebounds as Hoover went 35-1 and captured a sixth consecutive state
championship. Ford’s personal resume now includes three state titles, the 7A Player of the Year award, a Super All-State selection and Miss Basketball, making her the fourth Hoover player to win the honor, joining Kelly, Marqu’es Webb (2013) and Sidney Spencer (2003).
“She’s the most dominant player in Alabama,” Johnson said. “Nobody can guard her. There’s no defensive scheme. There’s no one person.”
Ford will take her game to the University of Missouri in the fall, where head coach Kellie Harper called her “a proven winner” whose “toughness and instincts on the boards” and ability to “stretch the floor” make her a perfect fit for the program.
She wore No. 5 at Hoover, a number Johnson said she reserves for players in which she sees something special. Ford is taking that number to Columbia with her.
She was given No. 5 at Hoover before she fully understood what it meant. It was previously worn by Aniya Hubbard, who also had a storied career at Hoover.
“She told me how she picks certain people to wear No. 5 — how she sees a lot of potential in them,” Ford said. “I took it, and it was very personal to me.”
Four years later, the potential she showed has turned into a resume.
Hoover High School senior Khloe Ford is the fourth player in program history to win Miss Basketball, joining Reniya Kelly (2023), Marqu’es Webb (2013) and Sidney Spencer (2003). Ford, who overcame a foot injury that ended her junior season after 15 games, finished her senior year averaging 17.6 points and 8.7 rebounds as Hoover went 35-1 and captured a sixth consecutive state championship. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Above: Ford (5) shoots the ball under the goal guarded by Hewitt-Trussville’s Ashlyn Howard (30) in the second half of the girls Class 7A state championship game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex in March 2024. The Lady Bucs defeated the Lady Huskies 5856. Staff photo.
Left: Ford and head coach Krystle Johnson at the ASWA postseason basketball banquet in April, at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
CONTINUED from page 1
Construction of Fire Station No. 1 has been “quite the challenge” from the start, Bentley said.
The city gave Kyser Construction notice to proceed on the project in April 2024, and it was supposed to be completed by August 2025.
But the contractor was slow to mobilize and get started on the job, putting the company behind schedule from the beginning, Bentley said.
The city in February of 2025 contacted the surety bonding company that guaranteed the work of the contractor, and that sped things up, but as the summer progressed, it became clear the job was not going to be completed by August, Bentley said.
There seemed to be a lack of supervision and accountability on the job site, and Kyser Construction had multiple superintendents assigned to oversee the job at different times, he said.
The surety bonding company was involved again in September, and city officials debated whether to terminate the city’s contract with Kyser Construction but decided it would end up costing more and take more time if they did, Bentley said. Plus, it was cleaner to keep one contractor so there could be no dispute about who was responsible for warranties with the work, said Tim Aho, the architect overseeing the project for the city.
Kyser Construction was to be fined $500 per day for each day the project was late. That would have amounted to more than $130,000, but city officials negotiated a penalty amount of $88,500 to bring the project to completion by the end of May, Aho said.
This is the first time the city has used Kyser Construction, and it likely will be the last, Bentley said. City officials knew there were
The new Hoover Fire Station No. 1 at 1596 Montgomery Highway in the Green Valley community is an 8,900-square-foot, two-story building with three vehicle bays, sleeping quarters and a kitchen, replacing the city’s original station tucked behind the Hoover Court shopping center. The $5.25 million station, which ran nine months behind schedule due to contractor delays, is expected to begin operations in June with a formal grand opening later in the summer. Photo by Jon Anderson.
some concerns about whether the company could complete the fire station in a timely manner, and there was not much of a difference in cost between Kyser and the next lowest bidder, but the previous administration and previous city attorney felt there was no reason the city shouldn’t award the contract to Kyser, Bentley said upon questioning by the City Council.
“I’m a little embarrassed about it,” Bentley said. “In hindsight, you can always make better decisions. In this situation, we feel like we’ve stood the course, and we’ve done the
best we can with the contractor. … I’m getting calls on a regular basis from citizens not happy. No one is more unhappy or upset about the situation than I am.”
There were at least 46 change orders for the job, but many of those couldn’t be avoided, Bentley said. The end result, including revenue from penalties, brought the final cost of the project to about $55,000 below the original contract amount, Aho said.
Efforts to reach Kyser Construction for comment before press time were unsuccessful.
Aho Architects did a fine job managing the
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project for the city and following the proper processes to hold the contractor accountable and make sure the company delivered a quality product, Bentley said.
The end result for the taxpayers is a very nice fire station, even if did take longer than expected, City Administrator Brian Muenger said.
“What’s really important at the end of the day is this is a station that’s going to serve our citizens for 50-plus years,” Muenger said. “I do think we’ll be very satisfied when it’s done.”
The new station at 1596 Montgomery Highway is a two-story station in a space between Salvatore’s Pizza and the Stone Creek Dental Care building. The roughly 8,900-square-foot station has three vehicle bays, one of which is a drive-through bay. The first floor has a kitchen, dining room, lobby and captain’s office, and the second floor has restrooms and sleeping quarters for the firefighters. The station will house at least 12 firefighters on a rotating basis over three shifts, Bentley said.
The station replaces the city’s original fire station, which sits just a couple hundred yards to the west behind the Hoover Court shopping center.
The current station is tucked out of sight in an area sometimes referred to as “dumpster row” because of all the dumpsters behind the Hoover Court businesses. This new location gives the Fire Department easier and quicker access to U.S. 31 and more visibility, Bentley said. Also, the design of the new station will allow firefighters to do their jobs better, he said. It also gives them a facility that is more comparable to other fire stations in the city.
City officials have not yet determined what will happen to the old Fire Station No. 1. There has been some discussion of selling it, but other ideas also have been considered, including letting the Hoover Historical Society use it or using it as a logistics center for Fire Department equipment.
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