By Lee DavisThe Oak Mountain girls soccer team fell short in its quest for the state Class 7A championship, but a Lady Eagle still brought home one of the most prestigious awards in the sport. Sophomore midfielder Julia Pack was named the 2016 Gatorade Player of the Year. Pack scored 18 goals and 17 assists in leading Oak Mountain to a 23-4-1 record and into the second … [Read more...]
Reluctant Hero: First Alabama Vietnam Veteran Reflects on Real Tragedy of Any War
By Lee DavisJim Lawrence’s professorial looks and soft-spoken manner give him the appearance of a college dean or a teacher. In fact, Lawrence has been both. But he is much more than that. The Vestavia Hills resident is a war hero – even though he disputes that description. Lawrence, a Troy native, had just graduated from The Citadel in South Carolina when he decided … [Read more...]
Through a Vet’s Eyes: WWII Vet and Broadcaster Appreciates American Village’s Mission
By Sarah Kuper If you ask Sterling Brewer where he grew up, he won't tell you about his childhood in Nashville. "I grew up in New Guinea and in Japan. At the age of 18 coming in direct contact with the dead, dying and wounded changes you," he said. Brewer was drafted into the Army the week he turned 18. He served as a surgical technician in World War II. With no previous … [Read more...]
A Life in Politics: OTM Legislator Looks Back on 50 Years but Isn’t Done Yet
By Sarah KuperSen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, has served the Over the Mountain area in an elected capacity for 50 years, but his political aspirations began before he ever ran for office. “My father served on the city commission in the 1950s, so we would all sit around the dinner table and talk politics and government,” Waggoner said. At the recent Jubilee for … [Read more...]
Blue Trophy Trio: Vestavia and Cav Girls , Oak Mountain Boys, Earn State Soccer Titles
By Lee DavisThe Over the Mountain area showed its domination of Alabama soccer in the state championships in Huntsville last weekend. Three area teams – Oak Mountain boys, Vestavia Hills girls and John Carroll Catholic girls – claimed blue trophies at the Rocket City’s John Hunt Park. The Altamont School’s boys team finished second in its bid for a title. In Class 7A … [Read more...]