December Residential Award Winner The Ward 2 home of Mike Maner at 112 Spinnaker Lane is the December Residential Beautification Board award winner. The traditional home features a tidy lawn with colorful plantings in raised bordered beds. The beds feature lantana and vinca, and Ligustrum Sunshine shrubs, Yaupon holly shrubs and variegated grass define the … Read More
By Lee Hurley Brandon Matthews moved to Alabaster in 2011 to plant Cultivate Church, and he still pastors it today. Brandon began volunteering with For Tomorrow in 2017 at its inception and in 2019, For Tomorrow received a DFC (Drug-Free Communities) grant for a total of five years. Upon receiving the grant, there was a … Read More
By Barry Wise Smith Photo by Brit Huckabay Growing up in Shelby County, Neal Wagner, the City of Alabaster’s first ever Public Information Officer (PIO), couldn’t have predicted that this is where he would land. “I thought I might retire from the University of Montevallo,” Wagner says. “But then my dream job came open.” Wagner … Read More
By Barry Wise Smith Stacy Rakestraw is serving her third term on the Alabaster City Council representing Ward 3 where she lives in the Apache Ridge subdivision. Alabaster Connection: How long have you served Ward 3 and what inspired you to run for the seat? Stacy Rakestraw: I am in my third term on the … Read More
Industrial parks add jobs, bring higher pay, and help promote a higher quality of life. Story and photos by Cara Clark Along with his famed words about early to bed making us healthy, wealthy and wise, Benjamin Franklin had some words of wisdom on the importance of industry in creating success: “The way to wealth … Read More
The Thompson High School Warriors capture their third consecutive 7A football state championship. Photography by Neal Wagner On December 1st, the Thompson High School Warriors nabbed their third straight AHSAA 7A football state championship—becoming the first team to ever accomplish that feat. While the final score was Thompson Warriors 38 to Central-Phenix City Red Devils … Read More
Alabaster expands its portfolio of public parks to serve residents. By Barry Wise Smith Photos by Brit Huckabay In 2019, Alabaster city leaders undertook a parks needs assessment to survey residents about what they felt was lacking in the city’s park portfolio. When the survey wrapped up in spring 2020, residents had spoken and … Read More
By Barry Wise Smith Photos by Brit Huckabay and Courtesy of the Mitchells After a successful 30-plus-year career in real estate, Tim Mitchell relished the idea of giving back to the Alabaster community he calls home. So around 2005, Mitchell and his wife Jessica created The Tim Mitchell Community Support Foundation as the non-profit arm … Read More
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 17th and African-American History month in February, Frances Smith, the Youth Services Librarian at the Albert L. Scott Library, has book picks for kids of all ages that celebrate the giants of the Civil Rights movement and the rich history of African Americans in the … Read More
Dear Friends, City leadership is excited for what 2022 holds for the City of Alabaster. There are so many wonderful things to look forward to (like the new Alabaster Police Department building under construction) and great things to reflect on from last year. As a proud Thompson High School alumni and a former Warrior athlete, … Read More
