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...]

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...]

By Ingrid Schnader 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...]