By Rubin E. Grant By the time the 2018 season ends, Hoover senior George Pickens could be the No. 1 receiving recruit in the nation. The 6-foot-4-inch, 190-pound Pickens already has garnered a five-star rating from Rivals.com. “Pickens’ size, speed, play-making ability and relentless competitiveness remind me of the best wide receivers I’ve seen since I’ve been doing this … [Read more...]
True to Life: Architect James Carter’s House Is Full of His History
By Donna Cornelius When architect James Carter meets with clients, he asks a question: What do you want your house to say about you? His own house makes a statement, but not in stark black-and-white terms. “I wanted to express the duality of my personality – casual and formal, city and country,” Carter said. Thus, the house he built three years ago in Mountain Brook is full … [Read more...]
Pretty and Practical: The Pearsons’ Bonita Drive House Is Stylishly Family-Friendly
By Donna Cornelius One of the stars on this year’s Historic Hollywood Tour of Homes is a house that manages to be fashionable, functional and family-friendly. Mary Scott and Blake Pearson’s home at 9 Bonita Drive was built in 1926. Its original owners were Laura B. and Fay B. Belt, who lived there until 1947. The house, called the Bailey-Hardin House in honor of two … [Read more...]
It’s An Honor to Serve’: Vestavia Native Soaring into Tuscaloosa This Month on the Wings of the Blue Angels
STORY BY RUBIN E. GRANT | PHOTOS BY LEE WALLS JR. Dave Steppe's young son, Wyatt, doesn’t understand what his dad does for a living. But whenever 1-year-old Wyatt sees his dad in uniform, he gets excited. So do a lot of other folks who attend one of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels’ air shows. Steppe is from Vestavia Hills and is a lieutenant with the Blue Angels, having joined the … [Read more...]
Barker Bama Bound: But Says He’s Not Following His Father’s Path
By Blake Ells On Feb. 7, senior athletes from across the country made their college choices known by signing their Letters of Intent on National Signing Day. Former Spain Park quarterback Braxton Barker accepted an offer to join the Alabama Crimson Tide as a preferred walk-on, a decision that seemed predestined. His father, Jay, led the Tide to a national championship in … [Read more...]