New Homewood Office of Bryant Bank to Celebrate Grand Opening on Friday

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July 6, 2026

Bryant Bank Homewood — Bryant Bank has opened the doors to its new Homewood office, located at 1725 28th Avenue South, just down the street from Bryant Bank's previous Homewood location. (Provided)

Special to the Times

Bryant Bank has opened the doors to its new Homewood office, but customers can expect to see familiar faces at the new branch.

The new office, which opened on June 22, is located at 1725 28th Avenue South, just down the street from Bryant Bank’s previous Homewood location.

“This new office gives us a beautiful place to do what we love most, and that is taking care of our neighbors in Homewood,” Homewood Branch Manager Gina Squires said of the new single-story, 3,100-square-foot facility. “I am looking forward to seeing familiar faces walk through the door and showing them around their new Bryant Bank.”

While the address has changed, the people have not. Customers will continue to be served by the same Bryant Bankers they know and trust and can call by name.

Jonathan Rutland, Commercial Banker, has deep ties to the Homewood community and is excited to welcome customers to the new office.

“Homewood is more than where I work. It is where I have built relationships and watched this community grow,” Rutland said. “Helping open this new office means a great deal to me, and I look forward to welcoming our neighbors into a space built with them in mind.”

While the address has changed, the people have not. Customers will continue to be served by the same Bryant Bankers they know and trust and can call by name. (Provided)

Founded in 2005 by Paul W. Bryant, Jr., Bryant Bank’s vision is to see every Alabamian experience a financially stable future and live in a thriving community. The Bank operates 18 branches in five Alabama markets – the Huntsville area, the Birmingham area, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, and Baldwin County – and employs over 300 Bryant Bankers.

Bryant Bank first opened in Homewood in 2007, and Jeremy Tuggle, Birmingham Market President, is proud of the nearly two decades the bank has been a part of the community.

“The Homewood community has been an incredible home for our team, and this new space allows us to serve our customers there at an even higher level,” Tuggle said. “With bankers like Jonathan Rutland and Gina Squires and the rest of our Homewood team, we have people who truly know and care about this community, and that is what makes this new location feel like home.”

Grand Opening Celebration

Bryant Bank invites the community to celebrate the new Homewood office at a grand opening event.

When: Friday, July 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: 1725 28th Avenue South, Homewood, AL 35209
Ribbon Cutting: The Homewood Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting at 11:00 a.m.

Guests can enjoy a Taste of Homewood featuring bites from local restaurants and enter to win a summer prize pack that includes a Solo Stove, RTIC Cooler, and Turtlebox Speaker. Neighbors, customers, and friends are all welcome to stop by and join the celebration.

Alabama AME Bishop on Redistricting: “The Role of Black Church is to Be the Guardian of Democracy.”

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Birmingham Times

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July 5, 2026

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_DSC3972(1) — Bishop Julius McAllister is the 144th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama where he serves as the Presiding Prelate of the Ninth Episcopal District. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Shauna Stuart | The Birmingham Times

In May, Bishop Julius McAllister, Jr. knew he had to join the fight against redistricting in Alabama.

McAllister is the 144th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama where he serves as the Presiding Prelate of the Ninth Episcopal District, leading parishioners across 250 churches in the state. McAllister is a South Carolina native, and one of his political inspirations is educator and civil rights activist Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina’s only Black Democratic Congressman and one of the longest serving members of the U.S. House of Representatives. In South Carolina, McAllister says he saw the work Clyburn was doing in the community and his leadership within his congressional delegation.

A fourth-generation minister, McAllister says religious leaders should be involved in the democratic process.

“I really believe as a faith leader, that democracy functions best when maps are fair. And communities remain intact when voters choose their elected officials, rather than elected officials choosing their voters,” said McAllister. “This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is an American issue. It is a constitutional issue, and for people of faith, it’s a justice issue.”

McAllister closely monitored the rapid timeline of Republican-led states’ efforts to redraw voting district lines immediately after the Louisiana vs Callis decision on April 29.

So, when Gov. Kay Ivey called a special legislative session to authorize plans that would eliminate the state’s only two Democratic majority legislative seats, McAllister knew he had to make the trip to Montgomery to convene with fellow voting rights activists.

The week of the session, on the grounds of the state capitol, McAllister attended press conferences where politicians and activists from around the state, including Rep. Terri Sewell, gave passionate speeches condemning the dismantling of voting rights protections and urged concerned crowds to stay involved in the political process. During the rallies, he saw attendees holding signs raised high with phrases saying, “Jim Crow Doesn’t Live Here” and “We’re Not Going Back to the 60s.”

The displays of unity inspired McAllister to start creating a plan of action to motivate more clergy to join the battle.

“When we see this rapid succession of folk trying to dismantle democracy, the Black church cannot be guilty of moving at a snail’s pace when the enemy is moving at lightning speed,” said McAllister. “We have to gird up our loins, and we have to go to work.”

Bishop Julius McAllister Jr. gathers with a group of fellow faith leaders in Selma on May 16 during the All Roads Lead to the South. (Provided, Bishop Julius Mcallister Jr.)

An ecumenical movement

At the Capitol, he spoke to Rep. Sewell about an idea. Drawing on the historic role Black churches played during the voting rights movement of the 1960s, McAllister wanted to organize a large press conference at one of the AME churches near the state capitol where faith leaders, politicians, activists, and community members could gather to discuss concerns about redistricting. He and Sewell talked about bringing together clergy people, state legislators, and community members from different jurisdictions.

“We talked about making this an ecumenical movement. And then, after having that type of ministry experience in the church, then we would go to the state capitol and walk from the church to the state capitol and then begin to expound to a larger audience,” said McAllister.

Sewell and other leaders had similar ideas. McAllister says Sewell started putting “feet to the vision” and shared his concept with other stakeholders and partners who also wanted to organize a mass political convening.

“And in my wildest dreams, I never thought that we would be able to move forward in such a high-powered way,” said McAllister.

McAllister soon heard talk of “All Roads Lead to the South,” a campaign for thousands of people to return to Selma and Montgomery in the footsteps of the historic voting rights movement as a clarion call to protest efforts to redraw redistricting maps. The effort would call for attendees to gather for a mass meeting in the morning, march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, and then rally in Montgomery at the Alabama State House.

As the idea for “All Roads Lead to the South” continued to evolve, McAllister and his wife, Deana — the ninth district’s leadership supervisor, wanted to ensure other faith leaders would heed the call to get involved and spread the word about the campaign. So they helped to organize a massive virtual town hall, sponsored by the Ninth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. They extended invitations to leaders of the AME Church, the CME church, and the AME Zion Church. And they sent out calls to historically Black fraternities and sororities and to politicians, including U.S. representatives Terri Sewell, Shomari Figures, and James Clyburn, as well as Alabama State representative Anthony Daniels from Huntsville.

Days later, on May 16, the All Roads Lead to the South campaign started with a mass meeting at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, the site of the first mass meeting of the Selma voting rights movement in 1963. That morning, Bishop McAllister stood among more than 30 faith leaders from around the country to pray for the nation and decry efforts to dismantle the voting rights protections activists fought and died for more than 60 years ago.

After the mass meeting, as attendees left the church in groups to march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge and pay homage to the non-violent activists beaten by Alabama State Troopers during the Bloody Sunday march of 1965, McAllister led an assembly of clergy members.

Reflecting on that morning, McAllister says he was proud to stand in the footsteps of ministers who heeded the call to action during the 1960s voting rights movement in Selma. He recalls the story of I.H. Bonner, the presiding Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama.

During the 1960s, Black churches across the state, including Selma, hosted mass meetings to help organize and educate Black citizens about securing the right to vote. In 1964, Gov. George Wallace ordered Alabama courts to issue an injunction to prohibit meetings in Black churches. Churches that disobeyed the order would risk losing their nonprofit status. Rev. P.H. Lewis, pastor of Brown Chapel AME Church and Bishop Bonner defied the injunction.

“Bonner said he would not allow anyone to tell him what to do with his church,” said McAllister. “And he told Brown Chapel to remain open and allow Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis, all of the stalwarts from the Civil Rights Movement and everyday people to meet.”

Brown Chapel would ultimately become the site of mass meetings leading up to the 1965 marches from Selma to Montgomery. This history is one of the reasons why McAllister calls Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham sacred.

“I really believe that those places are holy ground,” said McAllister. “Because men and women risked everything so future generations could have a voice.”

Bishop Julius McAllister Jr. says the role of faith leaders is to continue to engage society. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

The role of the Black church: The guardian of democracy

McAllister moved from Tallahassee, where he served as the senior minister of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church, to Birmingham in August 2024. He says he is honored to serve his first assignment as bishop in such a sacred historic district.

“To hear (more) about the major civil rights movement in cities and places like Selma and Montgomery, Birmingham, and Mobile, it gave me a clear sense of what our ancestors had to go through.”

Since arriving in Alabama, McAllister and his family have attended historic commemorations and met living witnesses to history.

Last year, McAllister gave remarks at the unveiling of the Statue of Rosa Parks on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol. It was a full circle moment for McAllister. He met Rosa Parks in 1995 as a young cleric at an annual conference in Detroit.

When McAllister moved to the district, he also met Joyce Parrish O’Neal. O’Neal, a longtime member of Brown Chapel AME who currently serves as the church’s historian. As a teenager, O’Neal was active in the voting rights movement in Selma and walked on the final leg of the Selma to Montgomery marches with her mother and sister.

“And the stories that she tells along with her sister, it continues to pierce the canyons of your soul to understand the tremendous amount of sacrifice and commitment they made at a very, very young age,” said McAllister. “But they did not allow that to stay on that bridge. They took it with them and became civil rights leaders in their own right. And we praised God and received an inordinate amount of strength from the stories they share with us even today.”

Fast forward to more than 60 years after the voting rights movement of the 1960s, McAllister says activists joining the fight against redistricting are coming to complete unfinished business. And to McAllister, the role of the Black church is to be the guardian of democracy.

In early June, the Supreme Court ruled to allow Alabama to use a congressional map favoring Republicans in this year’s upcoming elections. The move blocks a lower court ruling that the redistricting plan intentionally discriminates against Black people, reports the Associated Press.

Now, McAllister says the role of faith leaders is to continue to engage society.

“The role of the Black church, as you know, has never been confined to the four walls of the sanctuary. The same church that preached salvation on Sunday, organized voter registration drives all during the week,” said McAllister. “I think when it comes to redistricting and gerrymandering, I think that faith leaders and the Black church have a responsibility to educate, to mobilize, and to advocate. And I think the last piece would be what we do best — inspire.”

Bishop Julius McAllister is the 144th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

Unbound: ‘Freedom to Read’ Event Aims to Celebrate Black Voices, Community

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Birmingham Times

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July 5, 2026

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Law. — Black Contractors Association of Alabama Chapter is hosting Unbound: Freedom to Read Friday at Innovation Depot, bringing together local artists, musicians, community leaders and residents to celebrate the importance of protecting Black stories and ensuring those voices continue to be heard. (Adobe Stock)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

As conversations surrounding book bans and the preservation of Black history continue across the country, the Black Contractors Association of Alabama Chapter (BCAAC) is inviting the Birmingham community to gather for an evening centered on literature, culture and conversation.

The organization’s inaugural Unbound: Freedom to Read event will take place Friday, July 10, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Innovation Depot, bringing together local artists, musicians, community leaders and residents to celebrate the importance of protecting Black stories and ensuring those voices continue to be heard.

Hosted by Lady Woo with music by DJ Chocolate, the event will feature spoken word performances, live entertainment by vocalist Deirdre Gaddis and saxophonist Pedro Moore, light hors d’oeuvres, networking opportunities and one complimentary drink ticket included with each admission. Tickets are $25 and are available through the Banned Books Tour website.

Hosted by Lady Woo with music by DJ Chocolate, the Unbound: Freedom to Read event is organized by the Black Contractors Association of Alabama Chapter, and its President Jarrod Sims. (Provided)

For BCAAC President Jarrod Sims, the event represents far more than an evening of entertainment.

“We don’t just build buildings,” Sims said. “We build communities. We build opportunities.”

Community engagement has always been one of the organization’s core missions, Sims added. While the association advocates for Black contractors and construction professionals throughout the state, he believes its responsibility extends beyond the construction industry.

“We are intentional about being a part of the community,” he said. “Whether it be supporting local businesses or other nonprofits that are doing work.”

That commitment led to the creation of Unbound: Freedom to Read after a conversation among the organization’s executive leadership.

With book challenges and bans increasing nationwide, Sims said members recognized an opportunity to contribute to a broader conversation about preserving Black history, culture and contributions.

“With the climate that we have here in the United States, with the banning of books and trying to basically nullify our contributions, we saw this as another opportunity to be a part of the community, engage the community and raise our voices,” he said.

Sims also sees parallels between efforts to suppress Black literature and the historical challenges Black professionals — including contractors and builders — have faced in gaining visibility and recognition.

“It’s consistent with some of the efforts with respect to Black construction professionals,” he said. “At the end of the day, we wanted to be part of raising our voices.”

While the evening will feature music and spoken word performances, organizers also hope attendees leave with a renewed appreciation for those who have spent years advocating for civil rights and educational equity.

Among those expected to be recognized are community leaders who have long championed social justice and civic engagement, including Dr. R.L. Patterson, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Metro Birmingham chapter, and Dr. Martha Bouyer, Executive Director of the Historic Bethel Baptist Church Community Restoration Fund.

“We’re going to celebrate folks who have already understood the importance of raising their voices,” Sims said. “It’s about celebrating people in our community who have stood up before us.”

Organizers hope the event encourages meaningful conversations while creating space for residents from all backgrounds to connect.

“We just want the community to come out,” Sims said. “This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community, raise our voices, talk through a few things that are pressing and be part of a movement that helps make sure our stories are told.”

Beyond attending, Sims said residents interested in supporting the initiative as a sponsor. “It is perfect for small businesses and entrepreneurs and community organizations looking to support the movement,” said Sims. “You can help to expand the impact of the banned books tour while giving your brand the premium visibility.”

He also encouraged individuals who have ideas, resources or information they believe would benefit the community to reach out about becoming involved.

“We certainly want to hear from them,” he said.

Although Unbound: Freedom to Read is a new event, Sims hopes it serves as the beginning of continued conversations surrounding literacy, representation and community engagement.

“Our concern is simply bringing people together,” he said. “Bring somebody with you. Let’s celebrate our voices and continue telling our stories.”

If You Go

What: Unbound: Freedom to Read
When: Friday, July 10, 4–8 p.m.
Where: Innovation Depot, 1500 First Ave. N., Birmingham
Admission: $25 (includes one complimentary drink ticket)
Features: Spoken word, live music, networking, light hors d’oeuvres and community recognition
Hosted by: Lady Woo
Music by: DJ Chocolate
Performances by: Deirdre Gaddis and saxophonist Pedro Moore

Tickets are available at bannedbookstour.com/event/unbound-freedom-to-read/. Additional information is available through the organization’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Birmingham Black Nurses Association, Children’s of Alabama Help Next Generation Envision a Future in Nursing

By

Birmingham Times

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July 3, 2026

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Aubree Jones_provided — Aubree Jones participates in the 2026 Summer Nurse Camp at Children’s of Alabama. (Provided)

By Mia Watkins | For The Birmingham Times

A group of middle school students left the 2026 Summer Nurse Camp at Children’s of Alabama with greater clarity about their future careers and with medical skills they can use immediately.

“Everything about it was just so fun,” said 13-year-old Aubree Jones, a student at Phillips Academy. “We learned so many different things. We learned how to do CPR, we learned how to use an EpiPen and what to do when someone is unconscious. I just loved everything about it.”

The camp, in its second year, is a four-day collaboration with the Birmingham Black Nurses Association (BBNA) and Children’s of Alabama. Students get to learn other skills such as suturing, the importance of nutrition and how to change a tracheostomy. They also got to tour the hospital and interact with other health professionals.

Theresa Rodgers, DNP, president of the BBNA, said the goal of the program is to introduce nursing as a career option as students begin to consider what they want to do as adults.

“We give them opportunities to practice doing some of the nursing skills that we do and thinking through what a nurse would have to do,” she said.

The nurses who participate in the camp enjoy giving back to the community and passing on their knowledge, Rodgers said.

“Seeing how the young children just absorb the information that we’re giving them, I think that’s part of it,” she said. “Seeing the enthusiasm of the children, a lot of us didn’t have that opportunity growing up, to have somebody to introduce this to us.”

Students Olivia Davis and Jacee Summers participate in the 2026 Summer Nurse Camp at Children’s of Alabama. (Provided)

Nurses giving back

One of the nurses eager to share her knowledge is Jennifer Coleman, who recently retired from Children’s but wanted to come back to participate in the program. She now teaches full-time at Samford University.

“I feel like I’m expanding my calling as a nurse when I’m here,” she said of the camp. “Being a nurse is what I’ve always wanted to do, but being here, when I see the kids’ faces light up, we also have nursing students here, it just helps me know that I’m really fulfilling my calling as a nurse and doing what I was supposed to be doing.”

She said Children’s of Alabama is the perfect place to learn family-centered care.

“When you’re here working as a nurse, it’s like a big family,” she said. “Everybody’s all about the kids and the families who come through here. Every person you interact with, no matter what their job, they’re all focused on the family. I think that sets us apart.”

Jones, who wants to be an anesthesiologist or a pediatric nurse, said she walked away from the camp knowing more about the day-to-day life of a nurse.

“I don’t know what I thought a nurse was, I just knew they listened to your heart with the stethoscope,” she said. “They’ve come a long way since the 1800s. I learned that they not only take care of people’s health, but they’re there for people who are going through mental things.”

This was her second year as a camper. She said it felt amazing to graduate from the program.

“I just feel like I did it,” she said. “I learned more about this environment and being in the hospital. I did it once again.”

Twelve-year-old Jacee Summers said it was her first time participating in the camp.

“I thought it was a really great opportunity for kids like me to get to experience one of the things we would like to do when we get older,” she said.

She wanted to be a nurse before camp, but now her interest has deepened.

“At first, I did want to be an OBGYN, but once I learned about what other nurses do, I actually thought about working in labor and delivery and working at Children’s to help kids and preemies,” she said. “I want to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.”

A group of middle school students participated in the 2026 Summer Nurse Camp at Children’s of Alabama. (Provided)

Real-world experience

One of the biggest attractions for the students was the Pediatric Simulation Center at Children’s. There, they used teamwork to practice in real-life emergency scenarios. It’s the only simulation center in Alabama.

“We got to experience what it would actually be like if we were doing CPR on someone or testing their vital signs,” Jones said.

These are skills that they can use even before they get to high school.

“They learned to help somebody if they were choking,” Coleman said. “They could be at school, and someone could choke in the lunchroom. They know now what to do. They have mannequins in the simulation center, so they practiced. What I hope they come away with is that at their age, they can do something to help someone.”

Ultimately, the nurses hope the students learned more about what they can do to help their communities.

“We hope they will choose something in the medical field,” Coleman said. “We prefer nursing, but something in the medical field, and know that they can make a difference.”

To learn more about the Birmingham Black Nurses Association, visit birminghambna.org.

Thunder on the Mountain Returns to Vulcan Park & Museum on Saturday

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Birmingham Times

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July 3, 2026

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PPT0703 1 — Thunder on the Mountain at the Vulcan Park and Museum will celebrate July 4. (File)

visitvulcan.com

Thunder on the Mountain, Alabama’s most spectacular and largest Fourth of July fireworks show, returns to Red Mountain on Saturday. Vulcan Park & Museum invites the community to experience this annual tradition as the city’s sky lights up in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.

At approximately 9 p.m., Pyro Shows of Alabama will launch the first of more than 2,500 fireworks shells and effects in a 20-minute show synchronized to a patriotic soundtrack.

The fireworks spectacular will also air on WBRC 6 News, after MLB on FOX allowing viewers throughout the metro area to take part in the celebration from home.

Presented by UAB Medicine, Thunder on the Mountain is organized by Vulcan Park Foundation with support from the City of Birmingham, the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the City of Homewood.

Vulcan Park & Museum, Valley View Drive, and the surrounding streets will be closed to the public during the fireworks show. Thunder on the Mountain is visible from multiple vantage points across downtown Birmingham and Homewood.

Months of planning and $75,000 have gone into making the show a reality. Vulcan Park and Museum will be closed starting at 3 p.m. to ensure safety from fallout, but Cardona said the fireworks will be visible from anywhere in Birmingham where Vulcan can be seen.

Viewers can tune into iHeartMedia Birmingham radio stations, including:

102.5 The Bull
103.1 The Beat
103.7 The Q
Magic 96.5
News Radio 960 WERC
La Jefa 98.3

‘We’ve Been Called to Build Something’: In the Fight Against Redistricting, Political Activist Dee Reed Wants All Hands on Deck

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Birmingham Times

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July 2, 2026

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_DSC4346(2) — Activist Deanna “Dee” Reed, seen at the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, was dragged from the Alabama House Chamber gallery by security and Alabama State Troopers as she and other activists loudly protested a debate about S.B. 1. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Shauna Stuart | The Birmingham Times

Deanna “Dee” Reed had a lot on her mind on May 8.

That morning, the political consultant and organizer for Black Voters Matter gathered outside of the Alabama State Capitol with politicians, faith leaders, fellow activists and community members to protest the special legislative session Gov. Kay Ivey called to reassess Alabama’s congressional maps.

Before entering the Capitol, the crowd gathered outside to set the tone for the day with protest songs. One of the songs: “Woke up this morning (With my Mind Stayed on Freedom)”.

“That morning I literally woke up with justice and with freedom on my mind,” said Reed. “And it was by any means necessary.”

Hours later, Reed was dragged from the Alabama House Chamber gallery by security and Alabama State Troopers as she and other activists loudly protested a debate about S.B. 1, a bill that would authorize Alabama to hold a new special primary election if federal courts allowed the state to redraw voter maps.

The moment went quickly, but Reed remembers a lot — particularly the support of her peers.

“I didn’t realize that I was the only one getting carried out until I was already outside. But I will say that there were a number of people that were willing to risk arrest that day,” said Reed. “People saw me being removed, but there were so many other people that were also fighting in their own way.”

Fellow protesters chanted “Let her go!” Politicians, including Rep. Juandalynn Givan, boldly confronted Capitol security. Others went live on social media to tell the story. Reed remembers another moment that makes her emotional.

“I will never forget Representative Travis Hendricks. He comes up, and he embraces me, and he literally says, ‘I got you,’” said Reed. “It’s just a reminder that none of us are in this fight alone.”

But Reed says her strongest memory was recognizing that she and her peers were witnessing “a public crucifixion of voting rights.”

Deanna “Dee” Reed of Black Voters Matter (left) speaks with Reps. Juandalynn Givan (center) and Travis Hendrix, after being removed from the Alabama House gallery on May 8. (Bryan Lyman, Alabama Reflector)

All Roads Lead to the South

Reed and her fellow organizers had been at the Capitol every day of the special session. They went with a plan — to catch the attention of people who weren’t following the news cycle but were active on social media.

“We thought ‘what can we do that now generates some conversation within the community?’” said Reed. “So, we came up with the idea that we were going to meet the moment, whatever that looked like.”

As video of Reed’s removal from the Capitol rippled across social media, organizers knew they had to capitalize on the momentum. And when Reed left the grounds of the Capitol that day, she joined a planning call with more than 200 organizations that were adjacent to Black Voters Matter.

They wanted to create a massive clarion call about the state of the Voting Rights Act. In April, the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais struck down both a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana and a landmark civil rights law that increased minority representation in Congress– a move that politicians and voting rights activists say guts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The decision ignited a rapid timeline as Southern states, including Alabama, clamored to call special legislative sessions to redraw voting maps.

So when Reed and her fellow organizers decided to organize a massive rally to discuss the future of Black political representation, they wanted the meeting ground to be in Alabama.

“The South has always really served as America’s testing ground. We’ve seen it with segregation being perfected. We’ve seen it with voter suppression, different attacks on public education, and civil rights,” said Reed. “This really is this nation’s political laboratory.”

So, they got to work, making phone calls and tapping into their networks to pull together a massive campaign in eight days. The result: “All Roads Lead to the South,” a national day of action where thousands of people rallied in the cradle of the Voting Rights Movement of the 1960s as a to protest efforts to redraw redistricting maps.

That morning attendees gathered in Selma for a mass meeting at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, followed by a march across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, where they listened to testimony from foot soldiers including Annie Pearl Avery and Sheyann Webb-Christburg, who fought the battle for voting rights more than 60 years ago. That afternoon, thousands of people gathered in front of the Alabama Capitol to hear the rallying call of activists and politicians from Alabama and around the country.

Reed, who served as the event’s emcee, called the rally a “political and spiritual revival.”

Deanna “Dee” Reed and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones speak at the “All Roads Lead To The South” rally in Montgomery. (Shauna Stuart, For The Birmingham Times)

Reed, like many political strategists, says there isn’t a singular answer to explain the assault against Black political representation.

“This is a decade’s worth of strategy that we are seeing at play,” said Reed.

But Reed has a plan to combat redistricting. And it involves meeting people where they are.

Reed has been working on a series of intimate organization sessions around the state. In June, she was in Butler County with other organizers from Birmingham.

“We were in someone’s living room,” said Reed. “We met, and we probably had roughly 50 or so people that came together. And a lot of these folks did not have titles. They labeled themselves as concerned citizens. We had neighborhood presidents. Now, we did have some organizations that were represented, but it really has been this idea that everyone is coming to the table with something.”

Reed’s mantra — everyone can be an organizer because everyone has skills to contribute to the movement.

Deanna “Dee” Reed and Isaiah Smith drive though Smithfield while canvasing for The People’s Project June 20. (Shauna Stuart, For The Birmingham Times)

Strategy and Purpose

Reed keeps a brick in her home office. The brick is labeled with the words “Strategy” and “Prov. 16:9,” a Bible chapter and verse that reminds Reed that the Lord will help her determine her purpose.

“We’ve been called to build something,” said Reed. “What I’ve been saying is, I don’t want to give you any new tools. I just want to help you sharpen the ones that you already have. And so, if everyone brings their brick, the idea is that we now get a chance to rebuild.”

Reed likens this new voting rights movement to two periods in history: Freedom Summer, the massive 1964 summer of protests, teach ins, and voter registration drives designed to increase voter participation, and “Nation Time,” the documentary film about the 1972 National Black Political Convention in 1972 Gary, Indiana, where thousands of Black activists, politicians, artists, and citizens converged to discuss a national political agenda.

“I think with what we are seeing, it truly is Nation Time,” said Reed. “You can’t have the conversation around fair representation and not create space for us to begin to radically reimagine where we go from here.”

For Reed, creating space starts with speaking to the community. And her strategy this season is to target and speak to people who haven’t voted and try to engage them in the political process.

One of Reed’s latest campaigns is The People’s Project, a series of workshops designed to train attendees to help educate community members about voting during the midterms and in local elections. The day after Juneteenth, organizers launched the project in Smithfield. After a morning training session at Old Pentecost Temple — the church founded by her late father, Rev. Michael Reed, attendees canvassed the neighborhood to knock on doors and get residents registered to vote.

“We must make voting tangible and personal to inspire desire to participate,” said Reed. “There’s a great work that we’ve all been called to do, and that great work is tied to the livelihood, the quality of life, the dreams, the freedom, and the liberation, not just for ourselves, but for so many other people.”

Activist Deanna “Dee” Reed, seen at the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

“It’s everybody’s movement”

Though some people criticize today’s social justice movement because there are no singular, outstanding leaders as seen in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Reed believes this era calls for all — regardless of age or status — to get involved.

“It’s everybody’s movement, so everybody has to be a part of it,” she said.

One way to make the movement more welcoming, Reed said, is to pay attention to the language being used around political organizing.

“We have to demystify our language and our approach because they’re disconnected for a reason. That’s by design,” she said. “And so we really want to call all these folks in and really help them find ways that they can show up.”

Reed offered an example: “Instead of just saying ‘They’re trying to silence our voices,’ we have to say ‘we are being denied the opportunity to choose leaders who impact our schools, our healthcare, our jobs and our communities.’”

She wants everyone — especially young people – to stop waiting for permission to get active.

“We can’t afford to wait. We have to be able to do the thing. We have to be able to say the thing. Sometimes, we have to be able to kick the door down. We’re not waiting on anybody to give us permission to do the thing that God has already given us permission to do,” Reed said.

“There are new leaders that are rising up. They may not have the notoriety, but they have the heart and they have the hands. And for me, that’s enough.”

Finding the Story: How Je’Don Holloway-Talley Turned Her Lifelong Love of Writing into a Life of Purpose

By

Birmingham Times

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July 2, 2026

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Birmingham writer Je’Don Holloway-Talley has turned her talents to print and film, and everything in between. (Provided)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

Long before she became an award-winning journalist, before she penned nationally recognized screenplays or chronicled Birmingham’s most compelling stories, Je’Don Holloway-Talley was a little girl in Southern California who simply couldn’t stop writing.

While her classmates wrote a few sentences during journal time, Je’Don filled pages. When the school day ended, she pulled her notebook back out to complete stories she couldn’t bear to leave unfinished. To her, writing wasn’t an assignment — it was joy.

Her third-grade teacher, Pam Boyer, noticed.

One day, she placed a young Je’Don’s journal beside another student’s, covering the names, and pointed to the difference.

“This,” she told her young student, “Is how much everyone else is writing.”

Je’Don’s stories stretched page after page.

“I just know I’m going to see your name in lights one day,” Boyer told her. “You’re going to write movies. You’re going to be a journalist.”

At the time, little Je’Don was puzzled by the prediction.

“I didn’t even realize movies had to be written first,” she said with a laugh.

More than three decades later, that childhood prophecy has become reality.

Today, Holloway-Talley is known throughout Birmingham as an award-winning journalist, communications strategist, public relations professional, speaker, coach, entrepreneur and, most recently, an acclaimed screenwriter whose feature film Funny Feelings premiered at the American Black Film Festival and earned four nominations, including one recognizing her work as a screenwriter.

Yet despite the accolades, she insists her journey has never been about chasing titles.

“I just wake up and walk the path,” she said. “To God be the glory on all of it.”

Je’Don Holloway-Talley on the set of “Funny Feelings” with female lead actress, Vena “Pretty Vee” Excell. (Provided)

A Different Road

Although many know Holloway-Talley as a Birmingham journalist, her story begins nearly 2,000 miles away.

Born and raised in Inglewood, California, she attended Inglewood High School before life redirected her path.

Her family relocated to Birmingham while she was still in school, but because her credits would not transfer, she returned to California to graduate with the Class of 2003. Shortly afterward, she came back to Alabama — not to pursue college or begin a career, but because her family needed her.

The second oldest of seven children and the oldest daughter, Holloway-Talley was raised primarily by her grandmother, affectionately called “Gama,” and her great-aunt, “Nana.”

When her grandmother’s health began to decline, the responsibility of helping raise her younger sisters fell to her.

“I came home and helped raise my little sisters,” she said. “At the time, there were three under me, and I was playing mom.”

Those responsibilities delayed many of the experiences she imagined for herself, but they also shaped the woman she would become.

“My story is complex,” she admitted.

It is also rooted in grace.

Holloway-Talley explained that while she and her siblings were raised by their grandmother and great aunt because their mother dealt with her own struggles, theirs was not a story of abandonment. Their mother remained present in their lives, and Holloway-Talley speaks about their mother with deep respect. Rather than bitterness, she carries gratitude for the women who raised her and admiration for the mother who rebuilt her life.

Journalism Found Her Early

Writing had always been part of who she was.

By fifth grade, another teacher introduced her to television news by requiring the class to watch the evening broadcast and summarize three stories using the classic journalistic questions: who, what, when, where, why and how.

A young Je’Don loved every minute of it.

On Fridays, students delivered their reports on camera using a bulky camcorder.

“I ate that assignment up,” she recalled.

By middle school, she was designing magazines from scratch.

For one seventh-grade English assignment, students created a publication complete with advertisements, interviews and layouts. While most of her classmates dreaded the project, she embraced it.

Her great-aunt drove her to Kinko’s every day for nearly a week so she could use the computers to typeset her magazine.

The finished publication became the model that teachers showed future classes.

Even then, storytelling wasn’t simply something she enjoyed — it was how she saw the world.

Church further nurtured that gift.

She wrote speeches, welcome addresses and articles for a youth newsletter, discovering that words could inspire community just as much as they informed it.

Room to Dream Again

When life finally allowed her room to dream again, Holloway-Talley enrolled at Lawson State Community College, where she entered the television production program.

There, she learned scriptwriting, editing, production, location scouting and filmmaking fundamentals.

Although she left just a few credits shy of completing the certificate program, those lessons would quietly prepare her for opportunities decades later.

She also became active in Birmingham’s spoken-word community, performing poetry throughout the city while continuing to write.

Still, traditional journalism seemed out of reach.

Without a journalism degree, she believed newsroom doors were closed.

But following the death of her beloved Nana in 2014, Holloway-Talley felt an urgent need to pursue the creative passions she had put on hold while raising a family and working in retail management.

So she launched a blog.

Initially unsure of what she wanted it to become, Holloway-Talley found clarity in an unexpected place — a gas station.

Standing in line with her young son, she met a man whose face had been permanently disfigured after his mother fed him hydrochloric acid as an infant to collect insurance money.

Instead of turning away, Je’Don listened.

Then she asked if she could tell his story.

Driving home, everything clicked.

“I want to talk about life,” she remembered thinking. “I want to talk about culture. I want to talk about people.”

Life. Culture. People. The title became the name of her blog — and eventually a digital publication celebrating Black stories and perspectives.

“I wanted stories that touched people on a human level.”

Betting on Herself

Through Birmingham’s growing blogging community, Holloway-Talley immersed herself in conferences, workshops and networking opportunities.

One conversation changed everything.

After explaining her dream of creating a publication centered on Black experiences, another creative granted her permission she hadn’t realized she needed.

“You can have a Black publication,” the woman told her. “Nothing anybody creates is for everybody.”

The advice freed Holloway-Talley to build the platform she envisioned.

She recruited writers covering travel, fitness and culture while she focused on deeply reported features exploring humanity.

Then, in 2016, another opportunity appeared.

A post circulated seeking someone to write what was described as “the definitive Beyoncé piece” following the release of Lemonade.

Holloway-Talley submitted her work.

It landed on the desk of veteran editor Barnett Wright of the Birmingham Times.

“He told me I was raw talent,” she said.

When she apologized for not having a journalism degree, Wright dismissed the concern.

“‘That doesn’t matter,'” she recalled him saying. “‘I’ll train you.'”

He compared their future partnership to Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.

“We’re going to make hit after hit.”

That’s exactly what happened.

Wright taught her how to report rather than simply comment, how to let interviews shape stories, how to seek out expert voices and allow facts — not opinions — to guide readers.

“It became an art form,” Holloway-Talley said.

Under his mentorship, she flourished.

She eventually created what she called the newspaper’s “millennial beat,” profiling young entrepreneurs, creatives and changemakers reshaping Birmingham.

She also inherited the beloved “You Had Me at Hello” column, originally created by Chanda Temple, documenting Black love stories throughout the city.

Along the way, her work appeared in multiple regional publications, while her reporting earned statewide recognition.

In 2020, the Alabama Press Association honored her with first place for Best News Feature for a series chronicling the stories of Birmingham women who survived childhood sexual assault.

Je’Don Holloway-Talley at American Black Film Festival’s ‘Best Of’ Awards night in Miami, Florida. (Provided)

From Newsprint to the Big Screen

For Holloway-Talley, journalism was never the destination. It was preparation.

She often describes having what she calls “movie dreams” — vivid stories unfolding while she sleeps.

One dream in 2024 refused to leave her.

She woke up and began outlining what would become her first feature-length screenplay.

Initially, she intended only to sell the concept to longtime client, Ron Brown of Pivot Motion Pictures.

Instead, Brown encouraged Holloway-Talley to write it herself.

That script eventually led to the opportunity to help with what would become Funny Feelings.

Through multiple outlines, rewrites and collaborative script sessions, Holloway-Talley refined the screenplay until it became the version audiences would eventually see.

The film premiered at the American Black Film Festival, earning four nominations, including recognition for her screenwriting and will now screen at Essence Film Festival on 4^th of July weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana.

For someone who was once told she lacked the credentials for journalism, the moment felt almost surreal.

Yet even as career milestones accumulated, life delivered unimaginable heartbreak.

Holding Joy and Grief Together

In February, Holloway-Talley’s younger sister, Jayce, died unexpectedly at 26 from a pulmonary embolism.

The loss came just months before one of the biggest professional moments of her career.

“It has made it hard to feel,” she admitted quietly.

Work became both refuge and distraction.

Between journalism, public relations, speaking, coaching and family responsibilities, she rarely stopped long enough to process her grief.

Yet even in mourning, her family leaned into the humor that has long sustained them.

They laughed together through tears because, as Holloway-Talley says, that’s simply who they are.

One day, she hopes to tell their story in a dramedy titled Seven — a tribute to the seven siblings whose shared experiences shaped each of them differently but forever bound them together.

“It’s about how we trauma bond and find laughter in the darkest times.”

Walking the Path

Though Holloway-Talley never forgets where she started, she proudly represents Birmingham.

She credits the Magic City with giving her something Los Angeles never could: room to grow.

“Birmingham is where I became a woman,” she said. “It’s where I spread my wings.”

She believes the city’s smaller creative community allowed relationships to flourish and opportunities to connect in ways larger markets often cannot.

Looking back, she no longer sees detours. Helping raise her sisters. Retail jobs. Blogging. Public relations. Journalism. Screenwriting. Each chapter prepared her for the next.

Her career has never followed a straight line. Instead, it has unfolded like one of the stories she loved writing as a child — full of unexpected turns, deeply human characters and moments that only make sense once the ending begins to reveal itself.

Perhaps that’s why Holloway-Talley remains grounded despite every accomplishment.

She still speaks less about awards than purpose.

Less about success than obedience.

She doesn’t claim to have orchestrated her journey.

“I used to make plans,” she said. “Then I realized I’m just doing whatever God wants me to do.”

For the little girl who once stayed after journal time to finish one more page, the story was always there. She simply had to keep writing until she found it.

July 2, 2026

By

Birmingham Times

-

July 2, 2026

0

Birmingham, Alabama, USA downtown city skyline. — Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin presented a proposed $615 million operating budget for the Birmingham City Council. (Adobe Stock)

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EMPLOYMENT

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PART TIME Administrator/Clerical

We seek an energetic, enthusiastic, and well-organized person for the position of Office Administrator/Clerical part-time. This is a part-time position of 20 to 25 hours per week at $680, depending on workload. Need to be detail-oriented, possess good customer service skills, some cash & items handling skills. Apply Email:application@thedebbiestaffing.com

BT7/2/2026

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LEGAL

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LEGAL NOTICE

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given

that Williford Orman Construction LLC, Contractor, has completed the Contract for (Construction) of __New Enclosed Hallway for Tarrant Intermediate at County of Tarrant_ for the State of Alabama and the (City) of Birmingham, Owner(s), and have made request for final settlement of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Lathan Associates Architects PC

Williford Orman Construction LLC PO Box 1985, Pelham, AL 35124

BT7/2/2026

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LEGAL NOTICE

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, that E. Cornell Malone Corporation notice is hereby given , (Contractor ) Contractor, has completed the Contract for (Renovation) Owner: Jefferson County Board of Education Project: Jefferson County Various Re-Roofs DCM #2025269, ECMC JN 25-1178 at Bagley ES, Minor ES, Hueytown MS, Brookville ES, Grantswood Community School, Bryan ES, Snow Rogers ES, Corner MS Jefferson County for the State of Alabama and the (County) of Owner(s), and have made request for final settlement of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Ward Scott Morris Architecture, Inc.

Cornell Malone Corporation (Contractor)

185 Davis Johnson Drive, Suite A, Richland, MS 39218 (Business Address)

BT7/2/2026

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LEGAL NOTICE

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given that Hendricks Construction Group, LLC Contractor, has completed the UAB Quarterback Tower 6^th & 7^th Floor Demolition Project, UAB Job #H255008, in Birmingham, Alabama, for The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Owner, located at 601 19^th Street S., Birmingham, AL 35233, and have made request for final settlement of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise, in connection with this project, should immediately contact Williams Blackstock Architects, Inc., 2204 First Avenue S., Birmingham, AL 35233.

Hendricks Construction Group, LLC

919 31^st Street

Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

BT7/2/2026

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CASE # CV-25-905064

In the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama Case # CV-25-905064 Publication Notice to: Neil Finlayson and other party who holds an interest in a property more particularly described as follows: Commonly known as: 308 Hilltop Road, Adamsville, AL 35005; Jefferson County Parcel ID #: 21-02-1-006-001.000-RR-01; Legal Description (more particularly described in Deed Book: 514 Page 2565 recorded on 08/26/88): Legal: corn inter S/L Hilltop Rd & E/L NE ¼ SEC 2 TP 17S R4W th W 262.8 ft to POB th cont W 1017.2 ft th S 190 ft th E 1027.2 ft th N 196 ft to POB SECT 02 TWSP 17S R4W

A Complaint has been filed in this Court to quiet title to any interest you hold in the above-mentioned property. You must file an answer to the Complaint within 30 days of perfection of service by publication. Your answer is to be filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, 716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd N Ste 400, Birmingham, Al 35203.

BT7/2/2026

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Civil Action No. 01-CV-2025-904402

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: WILBUR RYCE JR; ARMA RYCE; UNTIED STATES SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION; ASSOCIATES HOME EQUITY SERVICES, J.T. SMALLWOOD,; JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

TAKE NOTICE that on October 13, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

That parcel of real property located at 6600 Division Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35206 and having legal description of:

Lots 1 and 2, in Block 1-C, according to the Survey of East Woodlawn, as recorded in Map Book 3 Page 109, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama a/k/a LOTS 1 & 2 BLK 1-C EAST WOODLAND

(It appears said legal is the same as the certain legal described in Instrument No. (No Instrument Number Listed) as follows: Lots 1 and 2, in Block 1-C according to the Survey of East Woodlawn) and known as Parcel ID No.012300153030004000; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein, defendant.

Tax Parcel ID: 012300153030004000

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION. The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for July 30, 2026, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20^th St., Birmingham, AL 35203. The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Greer B. Mallette, Christian & Small, LLP, 505 20^th Street North, Suite 1800 Financial Center, Birmingham, AL 35203 at (205)795-6588.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this cause before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

BT7/2/2026

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Civil Action No. 01-CV-2025-904407

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: KEITH AARON; HEIRS OF ALBERT AARON, deceased,; JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

TAKE NOTICE that on October 13, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

That parcel of real property located at 425 Theta Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35205 and having legal description of:

The West 31 feet of Lot 7, in George S. Cox’s Subdivision, as recorded in Map Book 1, Page 135, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County Alabama a/k/a W 21 FT LOT 7 COX SUR

(It appears said legal is the same as the certain legal described in Instrument No. (No Instrument Number Listed) as follows: The West 31 feet of Lot 7, in George S. Cox’s Subdivision) and known as Parcel ID No.01290002202400800000; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein, defendant.

Tax Parcel ID: 01290002202400800000

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION. The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for August 10, 2026, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20^th St., Birmingham, AL 35203. The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Greer B. Mallette, Christian & Small, LLP, 505 20^th Street North, Suite 1800 Financial Center, Birmingham, AL 35203 at (205)795-6588.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this cause before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

BT7/2/2026

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Civil Action No. 01-CV-2025-904410

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: KENNETH W. EATMON, NONA EATMON; STRATEGIC MUNICPAL INVESTMENTS,LLC,; JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein,

TAKE NOTICE that on October 13, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:

That parcel of real property located at 6805 6^TH Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35212 and having legal description of:

LOT 12, BLOCK 1, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OF DROMGOLLE’S ADDITION TO GATE CITY AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 3, PAGE 5, IN THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALBAMA a/k/a LOT 12 BLK 1 DROMGOOLES SUR

(It appears said legal is the same as the certain legal described in Instrument No. (No Instrument Number Listed) as follows: LOT 12, BLOCK 1, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OF DROMGOLLE’S ADDITION TO GATE CITY) and known as Parcel ID No.0123002230170020000000; and any and all other unknown heirs, claimants or interested parties claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described herein, defendant.

Tax Parcel ID: 0123002230170020000000

ANY PERSON WITH A PROPERTY INTEREST IN THE ABOVE PROPERTY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY LOSE SUCH INTEREST, IF ANY, AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED QUIET TITLE AND FORECLOSURE ACTION. The final hearing on this quiet title and foreclosure action is hereby set for July 30, 2026, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20^th St., Birmingham, AL 35203. The Birmingham Land Bank Authority may be contacted care of Greer B. Mallette, Christian & Small, LLP, 505 20^th Street North, Suite 1800 Financial Center, Birmingham, AL 35203 at (205)795-6588.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the undersigned Clerk of Court that publication of this notice be made once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Birmingham Times, a newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama, and that all persons to whom this notice is addressed and any and all persons claiming any title to, interest in, or lien or encumbrance on the above-described land or any part thereof are hereby directed to plead, answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint in this cause before the hearing date or a judgment by default may be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint.

BT7/2/2026

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BID 26-12-09 NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Central Alabama will be accepting sealed bids for Ultrasonic Type Meters, BID 26-12-09. The specifications may be examined and obtained in the Purchasing Department’s office at 3600 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35222, or by emailing derleda.abrom@caw-al.gov, or our website at www.caw-al.gov. Sealed bids for Ultrasonic Type Meters will be received in the Purchasing Department no later than 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 9, 2026, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read. The Non-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. Prospective bidders should deliver or mail their sealed bids to 3600 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35222, directed to the attention of Derleda Abrom, Buyer, and marked in the lower left-hand corner of the envelope as follows: “for Ultrasonic Type Meters, BID 26-12-09, Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.”

BT7/2/2026

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LEGAL NOTICE

WARNER’S ATHLETIC CONSTRUCTION CO., LLC hereby gives notice of completion of contract with Tarrant City Board of Education. This notice will appear for four (4) consecutive weeks beginning 06/19/2026 and ending 07/17/2026. All claims should be filed at 570 Huntly Industrial Dr., Smyrna, TN 37167 during this period.

BT7/2/2026

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PUBLIC NOTICE of Real Estate Auction

On July 13-18, a public auction will be held at AuctionNetwork.com for former Dollar General building site at 430 Hwy 13 in Haleyville. Property contains 62,612+/-sf on an 8 ac lot. Property is vacant and can be viewed on Wed July 8^th from 11-2pm. For photos and auction terms, please visit AuctionNetwork.com, or call 800.8001.8003.

Williams and Williams Marketing Services, Inc., RE Lic. No. 76699; Emerson Jerry King, RE Lic. No. 136434. Williams & Williams Marketing Services, Inc., AUC Lic. No. C-6; Jerry King, AUC Lic. No. 5126.

BT7/2/2026

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LEGAL NOTICE

The Birmingham Airport Authority (“BAA” or “Authority”) is requesting quotes from qualified vendors to complete an airfield marking application project at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Copies of the RFQ can be obtained by visiting the airport’s website at http://www.flybhm.com/procurement . There will be a non-mandatory site visit on July 8, 2026, at 2:00PM and you must RSVP by July 7^th via email to jhoward@flybhm.com. Deadline is July 20, 2026.

BT7/2/2026

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LEGAL NOTICE

The Birmingham Airport Authority (“BAA” or “Authority”) is soliciting Proposals from qualified firms to provide professional consulting services for the planning, development, procurement, and implementation of airport concessions program at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Copies of the RFP can be obtained by visiting the airport’s website at http://www.flybhm.com/procurement .There will be a non-mandatory pre-submittal meeting in the BAA Terminal on June 29, 2026, at 2:00PM and you must RSVP jhoward@flybhm.com by June 26, 2026. Deadline is July 24, 2026.

BT7/2/2026

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LEGAL NOTICE

The Birmingham Airport Authority (“BAA” or “Authority”) is soliciting Proposals from qualified firms to provide consulting services for the development, optimization, and management of advertising opportunities within airport terminal facilities at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Copies of the RFP can be obtained by visiting the airport’s website at http://www.flybhm.com/procurement . Deadline is July 17, 2026.

BT7/2/2026

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ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

P O Box 301463 (Zip 36130-1463)

1400 Coliseum Boulevard (Zip 36110-2059)

Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1463

(334) 271-7700

PROPOSED ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

Account No. 330

Shelby County

Pursuant to the provisions of the Alabama Environmental Management Act, Ala. Code §§22-22A-1 to 22-22A-16 (2006 Rplc. Vol.), the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is proposing to issue an Administrative Order to Jason Seales, owner of property located in Sterrett, Shelby County, Alabama.

The violations listed in the Order consist of: Jason Seales operated in a manner that violated the state regulations in relation to open burning.

The Department is proposing a civil penalty in the amount of $27,000.00. The order, if issued, would require Jason Seales to comply with all applicable requirements of ADEM Administrative Code div. 335-3 immediately upon the effective date of this Order and continuing each and every day thereafter.

Interested persons may submit written comments, including request for a hearing, within 30 days of the publication date of this notice, to:

Alabama Department of Environmental Management

Attention: Aubrey H. White III,

Chief of the Air Division

P.O. Box 301463

Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1463

The comment period shall end at the close of business 30 days from the publication date of this notice. A copy of the proposed order is available on the ADEM web page at https://adem.alabama.gov/public-notices or may be obtained by written request to the above address. A nominal fee for copying may be charged.

This notice is hereby given this 2nd day of July, 2026, by authorization of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

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Edward F. Poolos

Director

Nondiscrimination Statement: The Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in the administration of its programs.

BT7/2/2026

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ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

P O Box 301463 (Zip 36130-1463)

1400 Coliseum Boulevard (Zip 36110-2059)

Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1463

(334) 271-7700

PROPOSED CONSENT ORDER

Account Code: 202

Shelby County

Pursuant to the provisions of the Alabama Environmental Management Act, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is proposing to issue a Consent Order to McDonald & Sons, Inc. which operates Shoal Creek Golf Course-22610.01, ALR10C6ZE, located in the city of Shoal Creek, Shelby County, Alabama.

The violations consisted of not implementing effective BMP’s producing non-compliant discharges, discharge, and/or accumulation of sediment offsite, and water quality violations.

The order, if issued, would require the operator to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $31,000.00.

Interested persons may submit written comments, including request for a hearing within 30 days of the publication date of this notice, to:

Alabama Department of Environmental Management

Attention: Anthony Scott Hughes,

Chief of Field Operations Division

PO Box 301463

Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1463

The comment period shall end at the close of business 30 days from the publication date of this notice. A copy of the proposed order is available on the ADEM webpage at

http://www.adem.state.al.us/compInfo/adminOrders.cnt or may be obtained by written request to the above address. A nominal fee for copying may be charged.

This notice is hereby given this 5^th day of July, 2026, by authorization of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

Edward F. Poolos

Director

Nondiscrimination Statement: The Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in the administration of its programs.

BT7/2/2026

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New RFQ Released: City of Birmingham RFQ for R.E.D.E.S.I.G.N. Alabama CRISI Grant Project

The City of Birmingham’s (the City) Department of Transportation welcomes qualified firms and partners to work with us on projects that shape and support our community. The City is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified professional firms to provide Engineering, NEPA, and Project Management Services as part of the of the FRA CRISI Grant funded R.E.D.E.S.I.G.N Alabama Project.

Firms interested in responding are encouraged to review the RFQ in its entirety and should be aware of the following important dates and requirements:

All questions regarding this RFQ must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
Qualification submissions must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. (Central Time) on Monday, Aug 10, 2026.
Seven (7) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy must be submitted for each RFQ response

Hard copies will be mailed to:

City of Birmingham
Attn: Colin Alexander
Department of Transportation, 9^th floor
710 20^th St N, Suite 900
Birmingham, AL 35203

Electronic Copies will be sent to: colin.alexander@birminghamal.gov with the title “REDESIGN Alabama CRISI RFQ Response- [Company Name]”

The full RFQ can be found on at the following website (Click here to view the full RFQ.). All questions regarding this opportunity should be submitted in writing to Colin Alexander at colin.alexander@birminghamal.gov.

BT7/2/2026

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REQUEST FOR BIDS FOR FLAGG MOUNTAIN RESTROOM PROJECT

Sealed Proposals will be received by Alabama Forestry Commission, at the Alabama Forestry Commission State Headquarters Building 513 Madison Ave. Montgomery, AL 36130, until 3:30 PM CT, July 24, 2026 for the Flagg Mountain Tower Restroom (DCM Project Number 2023228) at which time received bids will be publicly opened and read via public conference call.

A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to Alabama Forestry Commission in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000, must accompany the bidder’s proposal. Performance and Payment Bonds and evidence of insurance required in the bid documents will be required at the signing of the Contract.

Bid documents will be made available on July 6, 2026. For more information on obtaining bid documents contact Charlie Hunter-Cook at chc@stickarch.com.

A mandatory Pre-Bid Conference and site visit for General Contractors will be held at the project site, [TIME and DATE, TBD]. For directions and further information on this meeting contact Charlie Hunter-Cook at chc@stickarch.com not less than (2) two days before the pre-bid conference.

Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof. All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the provision Title 34, Chapter *, Code of Alabama, 1975, and must show evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by the Architect; the bidder shall show such evidence by clearly displaying their license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered. The Owner reserves the right to reject and or all proposals and to waive technical error if, in the Owner’s judgement, the best interest of the Owner will thereby be promoted.

BT7/2/2026

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed Bid Proposals will be received by the Environmental Services Department, Jefferson County, Alabama, online at QuestCDN (eBidDoc #10209345), until 2:00 P.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2026, and then publicly opened and read via virtual video conference using Microsoft Teams for the SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM – ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM – CONTRACT NO. 2026 AMP05 – 2026 SERVICE LATERAL INSPECTIONS. Microsoft Teams can be accessed using a direct invitation link sent via email (request this link from Tad Powell, Hazen, and Sawyer, at email tpowell@hazenandsawyer.com).

The scope of work includes television inspection of approximately 4,927 four-inch diameter service laterals via launching from the mainline sewer, approximately 329,000 linear feet of 8-inch thru 15-inch diameter sanitary sewer mainline television inspection, approximately 25 internal protruding tap removals, locating approximately 15 buried manholes, and associated cleaning of service lateral pipe and mainline sewer pipe.

Bidding Documents are on file for inspection, by appointment only, at the following location:

Jefferson County Environmental Services Department

716 Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard North, Suite A-300

Birmingham, Alabama 35203

Contact for Appointment: Ron Thomas at (205) 215-1661

Complete sets of electronic Bidding Documents (Specifications and Drawings) are available at https://www.jeffcoes.org (navigate to “BIDS/CONTRACTS” to “NOTICE TO BIDDERS” to “Asset Management Program – Project Bid Information” for a listing of projects. Prior to downloading the Bidding Documents, Bidders will be required to set up a QuestCDN.com account and pay a $64.00 fee ($22.00 fee for download only). Hard copies of the Bidding Documents are the responsibility of the Bidders. Contact QuestCDN at 952-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance with navigating the website and digital project information.

Bids will only be accepted from pre-qualified contractors who are listed on the Plan Holders List, signifying that they have purchased a set of documents from the Engineer, and who attend the MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference.

NO BID PROPOSAL SHALL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE TIME STATED FOR RECEIVING BID PROPOSALS IN THIS NOTICE. A FORM CONTAINING THE CONTRACTOR’S NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE FIRM AND THE CONTRACTOR’S ALABAMA LICENSE NUMBER WITH THE DATE OF EXPIRATION IS REQUIRED WITH THE SUBMISSION OF THE BID. THESE REQUIREMENTS SHALL NOT BE WAIVED.

The Contractor is hereby advised that TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE on this project. The Contract Time for this project is seven hundred thirty (730) consecutive calendar days from the effective date of the written Notice to Proceed to achieve Final Acceptance. Liquidated damages will be assessed if this time limit is exceeded. The Contractor may apply for an extension of time in accordance with the provisions of the Contract; however, such an extension must be approved prior to the Contract Completion Date to avoid the imposition of liquidated damages.

The Contractor is hereby advised that a Pre-Bid Conference will be held via a virtual video conference on WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. This Pre-Bid Conference is MANDATORY for all contractors planning to submit a Bid Proposal on this project. The conference call will be held using Microsoft Teams and can be accessed using a direct invitation link sent via email (request this link from Tad Powell, Hazen, and Sawyer, at email tpowell@hazenandsawyer.com). If you are unable to join the call due to technical difficulties, call Tad Powell (Hazen and Sawyer) at 205-957-4151 or Ron Thomas (Jefferson County) at (205) 215-1661 for assistance.

Questions concerning meaning or intent of Bidding Documents shall be submitted to Tad Powell, PE, Senior Associate, Hazen, and Sawyer, at email tpowell@hazenandsawyer.com no later than 5:00 p.m. local time on FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026. All questions must be in writing on Bidder’s company’s letterhead or email.

THE ATTENTION OF ALL BIDDERS IS CALLED TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE STATE LAW GOVERNING GENERAL CONTRACTORS, AS SET FORTH IN ALABAMA CODE SECTIONS 34-8-1 THROUGH SECTION 34-8-28 (1975), AS AMENDED, CHAPTER 4, SECTION 65 TO 82 (INCLUSIVE) OF TITLE 46 OF THE CODE OF ALABAMA OF 1940, AS AMENDED; AND BIDDERS SHALL BE GOVERNED BY SAID LAW INSOFAR AS IT IS APPLICABLE. THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROVISIONS OF THE CODE MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR THE OWNER TO CONSIDER A BID PROPOSAL FROM ANYONE WHO IS NOT PROPERLY LICENSED UNDER SUCH CODE PROVISIONS.

THE ATTENTION OF BIDDERS IS CALLED TO THE PROVISIONS OF ALABAMA CODE SECTION 39-2-14 (1975) AS AMENDED, REQUIRING A NONRESIDENT CONTRACTOR TO REGISTER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN THE PERFORMANCE OF A CONTRACT IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA.

THE ATTENTION OF BIDDERS IS CALLED TO THE PROVISIONS OF ALABAMA CODE SECTION 39-3-5 (1975) AS AMENDED, REGARDING PREFERENCE TO RESIDENT CONTRACTORS.

THE ATTENTION OF BIDDERS IS CALLED TO THE PROVISIONS OF ALABAMA ACT 2016-312 AS AMENDED, REGARDING NOT ENGAGING IN THE BOYCOTT OF A PERSON OR ENTITY BASED IN OR DOING BUSINESS WITH A JURISDICTION WITH WHICH THIS STATE ENJOYS OPEN TRADE.

THE ATTENTION OF THE BIDDERS IS CALLED TO THE PROVISIONS OF ALABAMA CODE SECTION 41-16-161 AS AMENDED, REGARDING NOT ENGAGING IN ECONOMIC BOYCOTTS.

ALL PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS MUST BE PRE-QUALIFIED WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT BY HAVING AN APPROVED PRE-QUALIFICATION LETTER FOR TELEVISION INSPECTION (TVI) WORK ON FILE WITH JEFFERSON COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT DATED AFTER JANUARY 14, 2010, IN ORDER TO BID ON THIS PROJECT. To pre-qualify with the department each prospective bidder must furnish written evidence of competency and evidence of financial responsibility to the county.

ACCORDINGLY, THE COUNTY WILL NOT ACCEPT PRE-QUALIFICATION APPLICATIONS AFTER FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2026. BID PROPOSAL FORMS WILL NOT BE ISSUED TO PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS WHO DO NOT PRE-QUALIFY.

CONTRACTORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, 716 RICHARD ARRINGTON JR. BOULEVARD NORTH, SUITE A300, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, (205) 325-5496 IN ADVANCE OF THE DEADLINE TO DETERMINE IF THE CONTRACTOR IS PRE-QUALIFIED TO BID TELEVISION INSPECTION PROJECTS, OR FOR OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION.

David Denard

Director of Environmental Services

Jefferson County, Alabama

BT7/2/2026

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BIRMINGHAM-SHUTTLESWORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

NOTICE OF TAXIWAY A RELOCATION DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AVAILABILITY & PUBLIC MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) has published a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Taxiway A Relocation project. In accordance with its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires BHM to complete an EA. During the EA process, BHM and its airport consultant evaluated the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the proposed development. The results of the analysis are published in the Draft EA document, which is available for public review and comment through July 23, 2026, at the following locations:

Online at https://meadhunt.com/client-access/bhm-taxiway-relocation/
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Administration Office

5900 Messer Airport Highway
Birmingham, Alabama 35212
United States

Monday – Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm

Avondale Library

Written comments can be submitted online at https://meadhunt.com/client-access/bhm-taxiway-relocation/, or via email or mail to:

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport EA Comments

Ocean Boyd, Planning and Development

5900 Messer Airport Highway

Birmingham, AL 35212

Email: oboyd@flybhm.com

All substantive comments will be addressed in the Final EA.

In conjunction with this public review period, BHM will hold a virtual public meeting to share information on the Draft EA for the Taxiway A Relocation project and answer questions about the environmental review. The meeting will take place on July 16, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. CDT via the Microsoft Teams platform. The meeting will begin with a brief presentation followed by time for Q&A. Visit the BHM EA webpage at https://meadhunt.com/client-access/bhm-taxiway-relocation/ to get meeting access details or register in advance.

BHM intends to undertake a project to realign, reconstruct, and widen parallel Taxiway A and associated connector taxiways; strengthen a portion of Taxiway A and its connectors, relocate or encapsulate approximately 3,200 linear feet of Village Creek; relocate portions of the vehicle service roads; and realign existing utilities. The project includes up to 0.67 acres of wetland impacts. The purpose of the proposed project is to enhance the airfield’s ability to accommodate the increasing demand for both passenger and cargo aircraft operations in a safe and efficient manner by addressing the non-standard runway to taxiway separation located on the southwest portion of Runway 6-24 and Taxiway A.

All comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. CDT on July 23, 2026. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time.

BT7/2/2026

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CDBG

Project # CY-SF-PF-23-119 and Cleburne County Project # CCP 15 85-25 Cleburne County Commission Separate sealed bids for Bridge Replacement on CR-10 over Knokes Creek will be received by Friday July 29 at the office of Cleburne County Engineers Office located at 302 Haley Rd, Heflin, AL 36264 Until10:00o’clock A.M.,C.S.T.2026, and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud. The Information for Bidders, Form of Bid, Form of Contract, Plans, Specifications, and Form of Bid Bond, Performance and Payment Bond, and other contract documents may be examined at the following location: 302 Haley Rd, Heflin , AL 36264 Copies of the CONTRACT DOCUMENTS may be obtained free of charge by email request to Jason Lawson, PE at Jason.lawson@aecom.com. A response will be received containing the .pdf bid documents and plan set. Alternatively, and with advanced notice, hard copies of the plans can be obtained at the office of AECOM Technical Services, Inc. located at 3800 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 400, Birmingham, Alabama 35243. The owner reserves the right to waive any informalities or to reject any or all bids. Each bidder must deposit, with its bid, security in the amount of5% of total bid, form of and subject to the conditions provided in the Information for Bidders. Attention of bidders is particularly called to the requirements as to conditions of employment to be observed and minimum wage rates to be paid under the contract, Section 3, Segregated Facility, Section 109 and E.O. 11246. No bidder may withdraw its bid within thirty (30) days after the actual date of the opening thereof. A Pre-bid Meeting will be held on July 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Bidder’s attendance is not required but encouraged. The meeting will held at 302 Haly Rd, Heflin, AL 36264.

BT7/2/2026

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Judge Recuses Herself in Birmingham AI Data Center Lawsuit, Forcing Trial to Restart

By

Birmingham Times

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July 2, 2026

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TamaraHarrisJohnson 1 — Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Tamara Harris Johnson recused herself from a trial concerning a proposed data center in Birmingham. (Provided)

Much of Thursday was spent hearing from Katrina Thomas, director of Birmingham’s Department of Planning, Engineering, and Permitting. A key argument from the plaintiffs’ attorney focused on Nebius receiving permitting approval due to being grandfathered in under previous zoning rules.

“Under the redefined requirements, Nebius would not be permitted to build at their site on Milan Parkway,” Thomas testified.

The plaintiffs had sought an injunction to immediately stop construction, but the request was not granted after the defendants agreed to proceed directly to trial.

Judge Tamara Harris Johnson also denied a defense request to combine the case with a separate class-action lawsuit filed in May by area residents challenging the project, ruling the cases would remain separate.

After testimony concluded Thursday, the trial came to an unexpected end when an attorney for Nebius asked Johnson to recuse herself because of her prior professional relationship with the plaintiffs’ attorney. Johnson granted the request, immediately ending the trial.

An artistic conception of a proposed “A.I. Factory” to be built by Nebius on Lakeshore Parkway. (Nebius)

An order filed Thursday states Johnson recused herself “to avoid the appearance of impropriety” and directs the Jefferson County Circuit Court clerk to randomly reassign the case to another judge.

The case will now be assigned to a new judge and tried from the beginning. No timetable has been announced for the new trial, and construction at the Nebius site will continue while the legal challenge proceeds.

“It’s different to see it on TV or hear about it or learn about it in school, but just to be there is a whole lot different.”

By

Birmingham Times

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July 1, 2026

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SINGER AND SONGWRITER CASE DISCUSSED HIS VISIT TO SOME OF BIRMINGHAM’S MOST SIGNIFICANT CIVIL RIGHTS LANDMARKS AHEAD OF HIS PERFORMANCE AT MATCHA MONDAY AT ALICIA’S COFFEE. THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES, JULY 2.