By Lauren Helmer My father changed my life one day when he wrote me a note, and the significance of that note really set my compass for the rest of my life,” said Oak Mountain resident Billy Ivey. “When I was 14, he was diagnosed with ALS, and when I was 15, I got cut from the basketball team. And I was devastated, because my father was a great athlete,” Ivey said. “I … [Read more...]
Surgeons’ Ties That Bind: Doctors John and Winn Mathews Say Working Together Has Deepened Their Father-Son Bond
By Sam Prickett Dr. John Mathews tried to talk his son, Winn, out of becoming a surgeon. “It’s a difficult life,” he said, and after a 40-year career as a surgeon, he would know. But Winn decided to follow in his father’s footsteps anyway. Some inspiration came from reading Dr. Ben Carson’s 1992 autobiography “Gifted Hands” while he was in third grade, Winn said, but he also … [Read more...]
Cricket, Tea and Trade Training: Group Brings International Flair to Hoover as it Reaches Hands Across the Globe
By Ingrid Howard When Hoover City Councilman Mike Shaw’s daughter Melodi began studying Japanese, Shaw noticed how learning the language and culture gave her a purpose. Now a student at Auburn University with a minor in Asian studies, Melodi’s passion inspired her parents last year to begin a non-profit organization called Destination Hoover International. “Hoover is an … [Read more...]
Life After the Bureau: Retired Agent Develops a Fictional Flair After a Life Spent Chasing Truth
By June Mathews Sit down for an hour or so with Homewood author Jack Owens and the conversation could go in just about any direction. A retired FBI agent, Owens has experienced life in a way few people do. The 30-year veteran of the bureau wound up working for the FBI, he said, “because Annapolis turned me down. My whole life, since I was 3 or 4 years old, I was going to be … [Read more...]
OK for FUN: Diving Into the Ultimate Family Experience
By June Mathews About eight years ago, Dina Marble and her husband, Will, began noticing a disturbing trend among teens. As a licensed professional counselor and an experiential educator, respectively, both Marbles worked with students on a regular basis. “Teenage anxiety and depression seemed to be up, and their resiliency and coping skills seemed to be down,” said Dina … [Read more...]
