By Anne RuisiVestavia Hills Mayor Ashley C. Curry recalls being an up-and-coming FBI agent more than 40 years ago in Tampa, Florida, when he could have had his pick of assignments anywhere in the country. That he chose a transfer to Birmingham was at the recommendation of doctors at Tampa’s Shriners Hospital – one of a network of nationally renowned children’s … [Read more...]

By Lee HurleyThis Father’s Day story starts with a mother. Marcia Weinacker of Mobile passed away in 2015 at the age of 88 after leaving a legacy that few will equal. Marcia held multiple state championships in tennis, including singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. She was nationally ranked in singles and played in tournaments both nationally and … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. GrantIf ever a kid could have been called a chip off the block, it was Braxton Weidman.At least that’s the impression Chris Weidman gives when he describes his late son.Braxton was the middle child of Chris and Brandie Weidman. He had an older brother, Cason, called Case, and a younger sister, Lyla.“He was more like me with his personality,” Chris … [Read more...]

By Anne RuisiKayaking on the Cahaba River makes for a great day for most outdoors enthusiasts, and some may even extend their trip to an overnight camping trip.Then there’s Halley Cotton, a University of Alabama at Birmingham English instructor who kayaked the length of Alabama’s longest stretch of free-flowing river and one of its most scenic and biologically … [Read more...]

By Lee HurleyMay is a busy time for Moondance Adventures founder Hayes Hitchens and his 180 leaders. They are in staff training at Camp Wayfarer, in North Carolina, preparing themselves mentally, physically and philosophically for the nearly 2,000 students they will lead on a cornucopia of travel adventures this summer from Alaska to Zanzibar. This may … [Read more...]