By William C. Singleton III Unlike his two previous elections, Vestavia Hills Mayor Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza has competition in his attempt to win a third term next month. Zaragoza, who ran unopposed in 2008 and 2012, will face retired FBI agent Ashley Curry for the right to become mayor when Vestavia Hills residents go to the polls Aug. 23. Both candidates stressed the … [Read more...]
Master of All: Vestavia Hill’s Hopkins Excelled in Athletics, Academics
By Lee Davis Jack Hopkins is a man who has always had a keen sense of his surroundings. The former Vestavia Hills soccer star, who graduated from Marshall University last spring, is spending his summer performing environmental field work in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. In the fall, Hopkins will pursue a master’s degree in environmental sciences at … [Read more...]
Ice Age: OTM Fifth-Grader Prepares to Shine at Magic City Figure Skating Competition
By Sarah Kuper Creative, kind and intuitive. Those are the words Amy Stiftel-Sedlis uses to describe her 10-year-old son, Jared. “He is a unique and compassionate person and very well-rounded,” she said. A rising fifth-grader at Brookwood Forest Elementary, Jared has not spent his summer poolside or boating on the lake. Rather, he has been busy practicing on the cool ice of … [Read more...]
Top Cop: Police Chief Ted Cook Says Policing is Tough in the Best of Times
By Lee DavisUnlike some in his profession, Ted Cook admits that he enjoys watching police procedural dramas on television. “I like them. NCIS is probably my favorite, along with Hawaii Five-0,” Cook said. “But they are only marginally realistic.” Cook probably gets enough realism in police work every day. As chief of police in Mountain Brook for the past five years, … [Read more...]
Birmingham Company Highlights Need for Cyber Security
By Sarah Kuper In the past five years, large-scale instances of internet and credit card hacking have created headlines and compromised sensitive data of large companies such as Target and Sony. But the director of business development and general counsel for ShadowSafe, Tommy Mayfield, said corporations and non-profits of any size are vulnerable. “Any business with … [Read more...]