By Ingrid Schnader When Vestavia Hills High School biology teacher Mary Busbee got off a plane this past summer, she couldn’t believe the notification that popped up on her phone. She had been in Missouri grading AP biology exams. Before the trip, she had been nominated for the 2018 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Alabama. She didn’t think she would win though; she had … [Read more...]
Spanish Exploration: Homewood Native’s Book Is an Insider’s Look at Basque Country Food, Culture
By Donna Cornelius A new book about an enigmatic, food-centric region in Spain already is stirring up a stateside buzz. “Basque Country: A Culinary Journey Through a Food Lover’s Paradise” made Food and Wine magazine’s recent list of the best cookbooks debuting this fall. Highly regarded chefs Frank Stitt and José Andrés are praising the book, with Andrés writing: “This is … [Read more...]
A Shared Experience: Homewood Theatre’s Bass Looks Forward to Another Successful Season of Live Community Theater
By Emily Williams Though establishing a successful local theater has seemed a slow process to Kyle Bass, the Homewood Theatre is looking forward to its third season with a new strength. “A comment that we get a lot is people saying that they didn’t even know Homewood had a theater,” Bass said. “One of the hardest parts about this process has been getting the word out … [Read more...]
Brotherly Bond: Queens Savoring Experience as Teammates at Samford
By Rubin E. Grant When the Samford Bulldogs opened their 2018 season last week against Shorter University, senior long snapper Tyler Queen from Vestavia Hills was wearing the Charles Williams Memorial Jersey. His younger brother, Tucker Queen, a sophomore defensive back, said he couldn’t think of anyone more deserving to wear the No. 5 jersey, which is awarded to a different … [Read more...]
‘Bitten by the Beatles’: How J. Willoughby Became the Rocker Behind Black Jacket Symphony
By Ingrid Schnader It isn’t hard for Black Jacket Symphony founder and guitarist J. Willoughby to remember what motivated him to pick up a guitar when he was 5 years old. “I got bitten by the Beatles,” he said. “Just became a weird freak about the Beatles at age 4. I mean, I was an only child, and I think it’s because I didn’t have video games to play or anything. I just went … [Read more...]