By Rubin E. GrantPhoto by Campbell BrewerPerhaps no one enjoyed Mountain Brook’s history-making girls basketball season more than Libby Geisler.Geisler, the Spartans’ lone senior, was elevated to the varsity for the 2020-21 season when she was in the eighth grade. Mountain Brook finished with a 10-16 record that year.Now, flash forward to this year. The Spartans … [Read more...]
For the Love of the Game: Mountain Brook’s Caleb Barnett’s passion for baseball makes him a ‘Dynamic Player.’
By Rubin E. GrantPhoto by Jordan WaldCaleb Barnett was born in Oxford, England, but he doesn’t remember anything about living there.His dad, Christopher Barnett, was working on his Doctor of Philosophy in Theology from the University of Oxford at the time, and when he finished, the family moved back to Alabama. Caleb was two.What Barnett does remember is he fell … [Read more...]
Home Sweet ourHome!: Amanda Owens creates an organization to enable independent living for adults with cognitive disabilities
By Barry Wise SmithPhoto by Jordan Wald and courtesy of ourHomeGrowing up, Amanda Owens did not enjoy sharing a bathroom with her younger brother Chris Clark. But as Chris, who has cognitive disabilities, got older, Owens worried if he could ever expect to have his own bathroom. Chris was fortunate to live with his parents, and his sister when it became … [Read more...]
It’s A Family Tradition: Teen Pilot Perry Stringfellow Takes to the Air
By Anne RuisiPhoto courtesy the Stringfellow familyNot too long ago, Allen Stringfellow watched his teenaged son, Perry, guide a green and white Cessna 172 in for a landing at the Shelby County Airport. The 16-year-old’s flight instructor standing next to him quipped, “I wouldn’t trust most 16-year-olds with a weed whacker, much less an airplane.” While most … [Read more...]
Shining Light: Vestavia Hills native Abbie Stockard reigns as Miss America 2025
By Barry Wise SmithAbbie Stockard, a Vestavia Hills native, didn’t grow up dreaming of being Miss America. She was a dancer. “I’ve been dancing since I could walk,” she says. “First and foremost, I’m a dancer and a performer.”Abbie grew up a student at Birmingham Dance Theatre and served as captain of the Vestavia Hills High School Rebelettes dance team as a senior. … [Read more...]