Steeped in History By Barry Smith It’s hard to imagine while driving the busy roads of Alabaster today, that the vibrant, growing city was once a rural area with rolling hills and farmland. As Alabaster looks forward to a bright future, it’s helpful to reflect back on who and what came before. In the early … Read More
Twelve years of making Alabaster a cleaner place to live and work. By Lee Hurley In 2012 when Stacy Rakestraw had recently joined the City Council, she noticed a pressing need to improve the aesthetics of the city, especially the situation with litter around major roadways. So, she took the initiative to start planning and … Read More
Thompson Warriors head volleyball coach Judy Green has built a winning culture—and notched her 1,000th win—during her almost 40-year coaching career. Story by Barry Wise Smith You would never know from talking to Coach Judy Green, Thompson High School’s head volleyball coach and director of volleyball operations, that she is an honest-to-goodness legend. Soft-spoken and … Read More
By Barry Wise Smith As the movie says, “If you build it, they will come.” And in Alabaster, Birmingham United Soccer Association (BUSA) is building a successful soccer program in partnership with the city and Shelby County. The BUSA Alabaster program started in 2019 with a partnership between BUSA and Shelby County, the Alabaster schools, … Read More
By Jamie Cole and Brent Thompson Jubilee # 3 promises to be another musical filled Alabaster afternoon into early evening. Headlined by country duo, Thompson Square, the event will begin at 2 PM on Saturday, October 28, at the green space around the old Siluria water tower, on the grounds of Alabaster’s municipal complex at … Read More
Mayor Scott Brakefield What was once old is new again—with poetry to celebrate our iconic landmark. Last March the city council and mayor’s office approved and initiated a facelift for the historic, iconic water tower. The $320,000 project was finished in June, and the water tower is now beautifully restored to its original grandeur. A … Read More
South City Theatre brings award-winning drama, laughter, and music to Shelby County. By Cara Clark Photos by Steven Ross For South City Theatre (SCT) Artistic Director Donna Williamson, the theater is an all or nothing enterprise. From her first introduction to the stage, she knew it would be a lifelong commitment. “It seems like … Read More
How has your first year on the City Council gone? My first year has been truly amazing. This opportunity has allowed me to serve in a capacity that I would have never thought possible. I now see how vital a communicative and transparent team of not only council members but city administrators, employees, and Mayor … Read More
Thompson head football coach Mark Freeman reflects on past success and more to come. By Barry Wise Smith Photos by Neal Wagner When Mark Freeman came to Thompson High School in 2015 after successful runs at Bessemer Academy, Gulf Shores High School, and Spanish Fort High School, he inherited a program that was struggling under … Read More
Coast Guard Veteran Shannon Layton turned her trauma into support for others By Lori Culpepper After enduring the devastating effects of a hospital-acquired infection that occurred soon after joining the military, Shannon Layton started down a path to improve the quality of healthcare for veterans like herself. Layton is part of a home church group … Read More
