By Solomon Crenshaw Jr.Probate Judge James Naftel III used a 1971 Lipton TV commercial — Is it soup yet? — to address the ballot to fill the vacant District 5 position on the Jefferson County Commission.“It is soup. It is,” Naftel said Thursday. “We have three official candidates and one who didn’t have enough signatures, so her name will not appear on the ballot. The … [Read more...]

The Virginia Samford Theatre has announced that its 2023-24 season, which is the first season under new Executive Director Philip Mann, will follow the theme “History, Family & Magic.” “The VST family has created programming and educational opportunities that reflect the growth and diversity of Birmingham and our surrounding communities,” Mann said in a statement … [Read more...]

 By June MathewsRandy Haddock feels equally at home in two places. One is a house with walls, furniture and other conveniences. The other is a canoe in the middle of a river. But not just any river. The Cahaba River. The river Haddock has traveled and studied and treasured for three decades, from its headwaters near Springville to its confluence with the Alabama … [Read more...]

Twenty-two Over the Mountain businesses and their owners have been nominated for the prestigious Alabama Retailer of the Year Awards by the Alabama Retail Association.Nominees for the annual award must own, operate or manage a retail business in the state that has been in business for at least five years. A total of 81 retail businesses from throughout the state are among … [Read more...]

By Anne RuisiToo much space, not the lack of it, is prompting Eric Clay McClain to move his store, Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers, a few blocks away later this summer, from Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Village to 330 Rele Street in Lane Parke.“We knew we wanted a smaller space so we can serve our customers better,” McClain said. “We’re going to continue doing what we’ve … [Read more...]