Phillip Brown Elected as First African American Chairman of the Jefferson County (AL) Republican Party

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February 3, 2025

PhilipBrown1a — As Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party, Phillip Brown said his top priorities will be working alongside community leaders to address public safety, strengthening education for our children, and fostering economic growth. (File)

algop.org

The Jefferson County Republican Party last week elected Phillip Brown, a longtime grassroots leader and ardent Donald Trump supporter, as its first African American Chairman.

“As Chairman, my top priorities will be working alongside community leaders to address Jefferson County’s challenges, particularly improving public safety, strengthening education for our children, and fostering economic growth,” said Brown, who has served as Chairman of the Alabama Minority GOP for over a decade, as well as a member of the Alabama Republican Party Executive and Steering Committee. “The Republican Party’s platform provides the solutions our county needs, and I look forward to sharing that message with voters from all walks of life.”

A retired high school teacher, Brown is particularly passionate about helping young people, he said.

Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl applauded Brown’s leadership and commitment to conservative values.

“Phillip Brown’s election is a historic moment for the Jefferson County Republican Party, and it is well deserved,” Wahl said. “He is one of the hardest-working Republican leaders in our state, and I have no doubt he will bring fresh energy and determination to this role. I look forward to working with him as we continue to advance Republican principles in Jefferson County.”

Under Chairman Brown’s leadership, the Jefferson County Republican Party will be focused on expanding outreach, strengthening its grassroots network, and promoting the Republican vision for a safer, more prosperous community, he said.

History Classes at UAB Collaborate with Local Groups to Preserve Birmingham History

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Birmingham Times

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February 1, 2025

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oral_history_project — University of Alabama at Birmingham students from two classes collaborated on “Go Tell It on Red Mountain.” (UAB)

By Tehreem Khan | UAB News

University of Alabama at Birmingham students from two classes collaborated on “Go Tell It on Red Mountain,” a Jefferson County Greenways initiative aimed at delving into Birmingham’s rich industrial history and the legacy of its historic company towns. This oral history partnership project between the Red Mountain Park, the Alabama Humanities Alliance and UAB’s College of Arts and Sciences Department of History was launched at Red Mountain Park in November 2024.

Michele Forman, director of the Media Studies Program at UAB, learned about Red Mountain Park’s interest in sharing the history of the iron ore miners and their families who worked and lived in the area and saw opportunity for a natural collaboration between UAB Public History and UAB Media Studies.

“Red Mountain Park is primarily a recreational site today — people come to hike, run, cycle and visit the dog park every day from all over the region — but it is also an essential place to understand Birmingham’s industrial past,” Forman said. “This is where the iron ore was mined that fueled Birmingham’s iron and steel economy. We wanted to make sure that today’s visitors hear about the lives, culture and communities that made that happen.”

Inspired by this vision, members of the newly launched Blazer Core Curriculum’s “City as a Classroom: Civic Engagement in Birmingham” class formulated interview questions for scholars specializing in labor, industrial and race relations history. These questions, drawn from the scholars’ biographical backgrounds and academic work, were used by students from the “Community Ethnography and Public History” class to conduct the interviews.

“The goal was for students to think beyond the classroom, see themselves as part of a community, and find ways to give back using the historical research and writing skills they learned in class,” said Britney Murphy, Ph.D., assistant professor of history and African American studies.

Participants learned how to operate professional cameras, audio equipment and editing software to conduct community-based interviews.

“Students gained valuable research and filmmaking experience working with scholars and residents, creating a set of short films,” Forman said. “We hope park visitors have insight into the incredible history that took place here.”

These informative oral history videos and audio clips created by UAB students are available for the public to access on their phones and engage in the history of Red Mountain via interactive signage at four key historical sites around the park: Mine No. 13, the Smythe Mining Camp excavation site, Mine No. 10 and the park’s Wenonah entrance on Venice Road.

HBCU Professor’s Book Initiative Tackles Child Literacy and Hair Bullying

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Birmingham Times

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February 1, 2025

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By Ashley Brown | HBCU Buzz

Dr. Linda J.M. Holloway, a passionate educator and advocate for children’s welfare, has embarked on a mission to address two alarming issues facing young students: low literacy rates and the epidemic of hair bullying, particularly among Black children.

When she discovered that one in three children were not reading at grade level and learned of the emotional distress caused by taunts about their hair, she felt compelled to take action.

In response, Dr. Holloway, an Alabama State University counselor educator, launched the “1,000 Free Books Giveaway” campaign three years ago to provide books to children in marginalized communities. Starting locally in Alabama, her initiative has expanded significantly, yielding over 2,500 free books distributed to children in need.

I Love My Happy Hair

Her first book, “I Love My Happy Hair,” is central to her campaign, which addresses hair bullying while promoting a positive self-image. The story follows a little girl named Little Miss Linda who grapples with her feelings about her hair until her mother teaches her to appreciate its uniqueness. Through the enchanting tale, Little Miss Linda inspires other children to celebrate their hair and reject the negativity associated with hair bullying. Her journey is complemented by the uplifting “Happy Hair Song” and an anti-air bully pledge.

Dr. Holloway’s impact has even reached South Africa, where her books have helped educators establish libraries, ensuring that children no longer need to travel long distances to access literature.

With over 30 years in academia, Dr. Holloway is more than an educator. She is a story activist dedicated to using the power of storytelling to uplift and empower children. She has been featured across various media platforms, including The Roland Martin Show and The Grio, and has received multiple accolades for her contributions to education and social justice.

For those interested in following Dr. Holloway’s impactful work, her YouTube channel showcases her efforts and provides additional resources for families seeking to support their children’s literacy journey.

This story was first reported on Blacknews.com.

January 30, 2025

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Birmingham Times

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January 31, 2025

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Birmingham, Alabama, USA downtown city skyline. — By multiple measures, the Birmingham area has seen dramatic declines in unemployment since the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

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Employment

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LEGAL

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CASE NO. CV-2024-904561

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: VONCEIL SANDERS; ESTATE OF ALVIN STEELE; ESTATE OF CLARA STEELE; ESTATE OF ELVIN STEELE; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 12, 2024, 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:

Lot 3, Block 12, according to the map and survey of Druid Hills, being the Suddeth Realty Company’s 6th Addition to Birmingham, as the same is recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama, in Map Book 14, Page 3.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Inst. No. 2017058306 as follows: LOT 3 BLK 12 DURID HILLS 6TH ADD

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-26-1-011-021.000

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 March 7, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-904469

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: JOYCE ALEXANDER; CHANDRA HOUSE; MORCAP, INC.; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 6, 2024, 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:

East 33 1/3 feet of Lot 15, Block 145, according to the map and survey of North Birmingham, as recorded in Map Book 1, Page 111, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2018031055 as follows: E 33 1/3 FT of Lot 15 BLK 145 NO BHAM

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-14-4-042-014.000

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 February 27, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 11:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-904602

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: CLARA BROWN TAYLOR; ESTATE OF CLARA BROWN TAYLOR; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 14, 2024, 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:

Lot 6, in Block “B”, according to Gallagher’s Map and Survey of the SE 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 19, Township 17 South, Range 3 West, said map being a plat of “West Highland” Addition to Pratt City, Alabama, as recorded in Map Book 4, Page 74, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2024057630 as follows: LOT 6 BLK B MARY E GALLAGHERS MAP OF WEST HIGHLAND ADD TO PRATT CITY

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-19-.3-008-006.000

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 February 27, 2024, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 11:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-904578

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: LACOREY D. WILLIAMS; FIRST FEDERAL BANK; ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 13, 2024, 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:

Lot 9, Block 2, according to the Survey of Germania Place, as recorded in Map Book 5, Page 35, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2023095595 as follows: LOT 9 BLK 2 GERMANIA PLACE

and assigned Parcel ID No. 29-00-08-3-026-018.000

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 February 27, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 11:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-904628

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: WILLIAM FOSTER; ALMA FOSTER; ESTATE OF JOHN OLIVER SMITH, SR.; ESTATE OF VIVIAN SMITH; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 15, 2024, 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:

Lot 4 in Block 8 of the J. R. Phillips Survey, as recorded in Map Book 5, at Page 7, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama, and situated in Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in 2021001951 as follows: LOT 4 BLK 8 J R PHILLIPS

and assigned Parcel ID No. 23-00-28-3-013-004.000

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 February 27, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 11:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-904626

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: ESTATE OF TOMMIE CARGILL A/K/A TOMMY CARGILL; ESTATE OF NEBRASKA CARGILL; ESTATE OF GEORGE CARGILL; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 15, 2024, 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:

Lot 3, Block D, Mary Gallagher Survey, map of which is recorded Map Book 4 Page 74 in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama, and lying in Section 19, Township 17, Range 3 East, Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2024057635 as follows: LOT 3 BLK D MARY E GALLAGHERS MAP OF WEST HIGHLAND ADD TO PRATT CITY

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-19-3-001-097.000

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 March 7, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-905112.00

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: LEONARD HUTCHINSON, individually and as heir of TERESA M. HUTCHINSON; REGIONS BANK, as successor to UNION PLANTERS BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; 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 December 16, 2024, 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:

Property Address: 7332 3^rd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35206

Tax Parcel ID No.: 01-23-00-15-1-025-008.000

Legal Description: Lot 9, Block 54, map and survey of East Lake, Map Book 1, Page 217, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama, situated in Jefferson County, Alabama (It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument No. 2020086391 as follows: LOT 9 BLK 54 EAST LAKE)

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 March 21, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Cherokee W. Wooley, Law Offices of Thomas J. Skinner, IV, LLC, at (205) 802-2545.

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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-905115.00

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: GERALD L. TUCKER, MARLON L. TUCKER, and MARSETTA DEWITT TUCKER, as heirs of LLOYD TUCKER and EMMA TUCKER; BRIGHTON FUNERAL HOME SERVICES, INC. a/k/a BRIGHTON FUNERAL HOME, INC.; ALABAMA MEDICAID AGENCY; BATESVILLE CASKET COMPANY, LLC f/k/a BATESVILLE CASKET COMPANY, INC.; DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; U.S. ATTORNEY FOR NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA; STATE OF ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE; 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 December 16, 2024, 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:

Property Address: 408 Gamma Street South, Birmingham, Alabama 35205

Tax Parcel ID No.: 01-29-00-02-3-020-017.000

Legal Description: Lot 12, in Block 4, according to the survey of Elyton Highlands, as recorded in Map Book 8, Page 94, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama, situated in Jefferson County, Alabama (It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument No. 2017095426 as follows: LOT 12 BLK 4 ELYTON HGLDS)

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 March 21, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Cherokee W. Wooley, Law Offices of Thomas J. Skinner, IV, LLC, at (205) 802-2545.

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.

BT01/30/2025

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CASE NO. CV-2024-905009

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: VINCENT WASHINGTON; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 December 9, 2024, 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:

Lot 18, in Block 2, according to the Resurvey of St. Marks Village, as recorded in Map Book 30, Page 30, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama, being situated in Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2021124268 as follows: LOT 18 BLK 2 RESUBDIVISION OF BLKS 1 THRU 6 ST. MARK VILLAGE

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-27-4-010-015.000

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 March 21, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

______________________________

CASE NO. CV-2024-904175

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: MILTON SHARPE; LISA YOUNG-SHARPE; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 18, 2024, 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:

Lot 3, in Block C, according to Gallagher’s Map of West Highland-Addition to Pratt City, as recorded at Map Book 4, Page 74 in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama (Birmingham Division).

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2024057629 as follows: LOT 3 BLK C MARY E GALLAGHERS MAP OF WEST HIGHLAND ADD TO PRATT CITY

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-19-3-001-100.000

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 March 21, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

______________________________

CASE NO. CV-2024-904655

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: ESTATE OF JAMES WALTON; REGINA B. WALTON; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 18, 2024, 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:

Lots 3, 4 and 5, in Block E, according to Gallagher’s Map of West Highland Addition to Pratt City, as recorded in Map Book 4, Page 74 in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2024057635 as follows: LOTS 3 & 4 & 5 BLK E MARY E GALLAGHERS MAP OF WEST HIGHLAND ADD TO PRATT CITY

and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-19-3-001-092.000

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 March 21, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

______________________________

CASE NO. CV-2024-904563

THE BIRMINGHAM LAND BANK AUTHORITY, a Public Corporation,

NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION

TO: WAYNE HAWKINS; WA PROPERTIES I, LLC; VELOCITY INVESTMENTS, LLC; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; J.T. SMALLWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, 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 November 12, 2024, 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:

Lots 22 and 23, in Block 1, according to the Map of Lucy E. Smith’s Resurvey of Block 7 of The Walker Land Company Addition as said map of said Resurvey is recorded in Map Book 10, at Page 117, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama.

It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2021106006 as follows: LOTS 22 & 23 BLK 1 LUCY E SMITH SUB OF BLK 7 WALKER LD CO

and assigned Parcel ID No. 29-00-03-4-026-001.000

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 March 21, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 9:00 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 Jake A. Kiser at (205) 918-5037.

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 case 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.

BT01/30/2025

______________________________

NOTICE OF COMPLETION

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

Comfort Systems USA Mid South, Inc. has completed the Contract for

BCS HVAC Split Unit Upgrades – Minor ES, Barrett ES, Huffman MS, and Sun Valley ES for the State of Alabama and the City of Birmingham, Owners, 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 Charles Williams & Associates, Inc., 3601 8^th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222, Architect.

Comfort Systems USA Mid South, Inc.

3100 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N

Birmingham, AL 35203

BT1/30/2024

______________________________

NOTICE OF COMPLETION

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

Comfort Systems USA Mid South, Inc. has completed the Contract for

BCS HVAC RTU Package I – Glen Iris Elementary, Green Acres Middle, Hudson K-8, Jones Valley Middle, West End Academy, Wilkerson Middle for the State of Alabama and the City of Birmingham, Owners, 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 Charles Williams & Associates, Inc., 3601 8^th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222, Architect.

Comfort Systems USA Mid South, Inc.

3100 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N

Birmingham, AL 35203

BT1/30/2024

______________________________

NOTICE OF COMPLETION

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

Comfort Systems USA Mid South, Inc. has completed the Contract for

BCS HVAC RTU Package II – Huffman High, Inglenook K8, Parker High, Ramsay High, Washington K8, WJ Christian K8 for the State of Alabama and the City of Birmingham, Owners, 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 Charles Williams & Associates, Inc., 3601 8^th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222, Architect.

Comfort Systems USA Mid South, Inc.

3100 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N

Birmingham, AL 35203

BT1/30/2024

______________________________

THE WATER WORKS BOARD OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM

WESTERN FILTER PLANT SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE CONVERSION, LIQUID LIME AND ELECTRICAL UPGRADES

Project Number: P.03696 Capital Budget Number: BP-658-20

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed Bids for the construction of the Western Filter Plant Sodium Hypochlorite Conversion, Liquid Lime and Electrical Upgrades will be received by The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham Engineering Department, Attn: Hattye McCarroll. P.E.; Chief Engineer, 3600 First Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35222 until 10:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday February 11, 2025. Bids received after said time will be rejected and returned unopened.

Construction of a new sodium hypochlorite

New Bulk Sodium Hypochlorite Building
Sodium Hypochlorite Storage Area with grated access platforms above containment area.
Bulk sodium hypochlorite storage tanks, day tanks and access platforms.
Removable skylight access panels for tank removal.
Sodium Hypochlorite metering, transfer, and sump pumps.
Chemical Piping and valves.
Electrical Room.
Mechanical Room with HVAC equipment for the building.
New interior and exterior sodium hypochlorite piping and inject points. Containment piping with carrier tubing extends from new building to existing chemical injection points throughout the site. Chemical vaults are to be installed along piping runs to facilitate installation and replacement of chemical tubing.
New Liquid Lime Storage and Feed system in new outdoor concrete containment area
Liquid Lime storage tanks.
Liquid Lime pump enclosure with transfer pumps, feed pumps, power and control panels, safety shower, and sump pumps.
New Liquid Lime Truck Unloading Station with LCS, remote from new outdoor containment area.
New interior and exterior liquid lime piping, tubing, injection points, and junction boxes. Containment piping with carrier tubing extends from new containment area to existing chemical injection points at the rapid mix and clearwells. Chemical junction boxes are to be installed along piping runs to facilitate installation and replacement of chemical tubing.
New MCC equipment in the Electrical Room to replace existing MCC equipment in existing plant’s Chemical Building. New power feed from Filter Building to New Sodium

Hypochlorite Building.

New potable water line feeding the new Sodium Hypochlorite Building and additional fire hydrant connections.
Replacement of existing water heater beneath alum storage tank, installation of new tempered water valve, and new interior and exterior piping for hot and tempered water.
Demolition of old chlorine feed equipment, piping, scales, and scrubber system.
Demolition of old MCC’s in Chemical Building.
Demolition of old lime storage and feed equipment in the Chemical Building. Repair of Chemical Building roof after removal of old lime silo.
New DCS equipment in Sodium Hypochlorite Building and in Chemical Buildings.
Temporary power requirements for Carbon Building and new permanent power.
Modifications to electrical distribution at field motors, including disconnects, local control stations, and motor terminations.
Electrical improvements including video cameras, back boxes, and access control system.
Miscellaneous site improvements, electrical duct banks, conduits, and site piping as required.
Other miscellaneous associated items as necessary to complete the work.

Bids shall be based on a lump sum plus additional unit price items as indicated in the Bid Form.

Bidding Documents may be examined at the office of the Chief Engineer of The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham, 3600 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL; and the office of Arcadis U.S., Inc., 1143 1st Ave. South, Birmingham, AL.

Prime Contractor bidders may obtain one complete set of Bidding Documents on or after January 8, 2025, from the office of the Chief Engineer of The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham upon payment of $300.00 deposit by company check or by certified check and signing a nondisclosure statement. No personal checks or any other form of payment except as noted will be accepted. This deposit shall be refunded in full to each prime contractor bidder upon the return of the Bidding Documents in a reusable condition within 10 days after the bid opening. Additional sets of Bidding Documents for prime contractor bidders, subcontractors, vendors or dealers may be obtained upon payment of said $300.00 deposit and signing a nondisclosure statement. This deposit shall be refunded less the costs of printing, reproduction, handling, and distribution, upon return of the documents in reusable condition within 10 days after the bid opening. Company check or Certified check for documents shall be made payable to The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham, 3600 First Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama, 35222 and mailed to the Attn: Hattye McCarroll P.E.; Chief Engineer. No additional charge will be made for delivery via UPS ground. Those requesting shipment of documents via carriers other than UPS ground will be made at the requesting firm’s expense. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available to any Bidder. Prime Contractor bidders who have paid for Contract Documents as described above may also request electronic copies (PDFs) of the Contract Documents by sending request to the Owner & the Engineer in writing. Neither the OWNER nor the ENGINEER will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including any addenda, obtained from other sources. No Bidder may withdraw or alter a bid within 60 calendar days after the actual date of the bid opening.

A mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit, will be held at 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, January 16, 2025 at the OWNER’s Western Filter Plant, located at 1400 Bankhead Highway, Birmingham, Alabama 35214. All prospective Bidders and interested parties are required to attend the pre-bid conference and the pre-bid site visit. The purpose of the pre-bid conference and site visit is to raise questions pertaining to the Bidding and Contract documents and for the OWNER or its representatives to clarify any points. Bids will NOT BE ACCEPTED from any Prospective Bidder who does not attend the mandatory Pre-Bid Conference.

This project includes a Preconstruction Planning Period that begins when the Contract Times commence. Construction Work onsite will not be allowed until completion of the Preconstruction Planning Period. The Preconstruction Planning Period is the first five months of the Contract Times set forth in the Agreement.

Each bid shall be accompanied by a cashier’s check, drawn on an Alabama Bank, or bid Bond in the amount of five percent (5%) of the bid not to exceed $50,000.00 in the form and subject to conditions provided for in the Specifications.

The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond each in an amount equal to 100 percent of the Contract Award.

Bidders shall comply with all statutory requirements in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Bids will only be received from Contractors who are licensed by the State of Alabama.

Contract time of commencement and completion will be in accordance with the Agreement.

The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham (“BWWB”) has adopted a voluntary Historically Underutilized Business (“HUB”) Program designed to encourage the participation of HUB firms in construction projects. To that end, the BWWB will never exclude any firm from participation in, deny any person benefits of, or otherwise discriminate in connection with the award and performance of BWWB contracts based on racial, gender, social, or economic status.

It is the intent of the BWWB to foster competition among contractors, suppliers and vendors that will result in better quality and more economical services for the BWWB. Under this program, the BWWB has established a goal of 30% participation of HUB firms for services required for BWWB construction projects. The BWWB’s stated goal will not be the determining factor in construction contract awards; rather bidders must demonstrate compliance with the Good Faith Efforts, more particularly outlined in the HUB Program, toward meeting said goal.

Failure on the part of a bidder to fully submit the information required herein may be considered by the BWWB in evaluating whether the bidder is responsive to bid requirements.

Alabama Code §31-13-9 (1975) provides that as a condition for the award of any contract by The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham, a business entity or employer that employs one

or more employees within the state of Alabama shall provide documentation of enrollment in the E-Verify program.

Each Prospective Bidder must complete, as a condition for the award of any Contract by The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham, the Certification Regarding Debarment in Section 00201. The Certification must be complete in its entirety and must be included with the Prospective Bidder’s Bid (NO EXCEPTIONS).

Legislature of Alabama Act 2013-205 grants the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) the authority to issue certificates of exemption from sales and use taxes for construction projects for certain governmental agencies. Pursuant to Act 2013-205, Section 1(g) the Contractor accounts for the sales tax not included in the Bid Form by submitting an Accounting of Sales Tax- Attachment to BWWB Bid Form. Failure to provide an accounting of sales tax shall render the bid non-responsive. Other than determining responsiveness, sales tax accounting shall not affect the bid pricing nor be considered in the determination of the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. After Notice of Award, Contractor and Subcontractor licensed by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must comply with ADOR requirements for making application for qualification of the exemption and are responsible for ADOR reporting requirements for the duration of the project.

If a Contract is to be awarded, it will be awarded to the Bidder with the best price on the best terms for the OWNER, who has neither been disqualified nor rejected pursuant to these Contract Documents, and whose Bid based on an evaluation by the OWNER indicates that the award will be in the best interest of the Project and will result in the lowest overall cost to the OWNER for completion of the project. If a Contract is to be awarded, it will be awarded within 90 calendar days after the day of the opening of bids.

The OWNER reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, the right to waive irregularities or to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the OWNER.

Owner:

The Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham 3600 First Avenue North

Birmingham, Alabama 35222 Hattye McCarroll, P.E

Telephone number (205) 244-4182

Engineer:

ARCADIS, U.S., Inc.

1143 1st Ave South, Suite 109

Birmingham, Alabama 35233 Mr. Dhiraj Parekh, P.E

Telephone number (205) 930-5956

BT1/30/2024

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NOTICE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT

OF JEFFERSON COUNTY ALABAMA

)

Plaintiff, ) CASE NO. 01-CV-2024-902848.00

)

)

Diane Moore )

Defendant(s) )

) PUBLICATION NOTICE

To:	Diane Moore
Last Known Address	2700 30TH ENSLEY, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35208

You are hereby notified that REO 2023-NR1 LLC filed a Complaint for Ejectment on July 19, 2024 in the Jefferson County Circuit Court against Diane Moore (“Defendant”). Numerous attempts to locate the Defendant for service of process have been unsuccessful.

This notice is to run for four consecutive weeks. You are hereby notified that you must answer the complaint by the. 8th day of March, 2025, which is 30 days from the last date of publication or default judgment may be entered against you for not answering.

BT1/30/2024

______________________________

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

The City of Birmingham gives notice that sealed bids for the Pavement Patching 2025 (ENG # 2025-001) project will be received by the City Engineer in Room 220, City Hall, Birmingham, Alabama until 2:00 pm (CDT) on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read in Conference Room 220, 2^rd Floor City Hall, Birmingham, Alabama. The award of this Contract will be made pursuant to Alabama Code: 39-1-1, et seq. (Public Works)

The primary Items of Work related to this project are:

Asphalt Seal – 950 Tons, Asphalt Binder – 150 Tons, Curb & Gutter (type varies) – 150 LF, Aggregate Base (#57 Stone) – 75 CY; 6” Concrete Paving w/ WWM (Alternate Item) – 800 SY; Excavation and Tack Coat are Incidental to the Bid Items

Bid documents are open to public inspection in the Office of the City Engineer, Room 220 City Hall, 710 20th Street, North Birmingham, AL 35203.

Bid documents may be viewed and purchased through the City of Birmingham online plans room site at https://www.birminghamplanroom.com under the project name “Pavement Patching 2025”. Any cost for reproduction shall be the responsibility of bidders.

Prospective bidders are advised to check their source of bid documents frequently for any addenda to the bid documents. It is the bidder’s responsibility to bid on the correct set of bid documents.

Bids shall be accompanied by a cashier’s check drawn on an Alabama bank, or a bid bond executed by a surety company duly authorized and qualified to make such bonds in the State of Alabama, in an amount equal to 5% of the bid (subject to a maximum of $10,000) and payable to the City of Birmingham. Bid bonds of the three (3) lowest bidders will be held for a period of ninety (90) days unless bidders agree, in writing, to a longer period of time. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids and for a period of ninety (90) days thereafter.

A performance bond equal to 100% of the contract amount and a payment bond equal to 100% of the contract amount will be required of the successful bidder. Said bonds shall be executed by a surety company duly authorized and qualified to make such bonds in the State of Alabama.

Liability insurance certificates shall be required of the successful bidder and such certificates shall list the City of Birmingham, its officials, agents, and employees as additional named insured.

Only bids submitted by General Contractors licensed in the State of Alabama in accordance with Title 34, Chapter 8 of the Code of Alabama (1975 as amended) will be considered.

Bids shall be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “SEALED BID – Pavement Patching 2025”. Contractors shall write his or her State of Alabama general contractor’s license number and the name of the company submitting the bid on the outside of the sealed bid envelope.

The sealed bid envelope shall contain the following documents: (1) the Form of Proposal, (2) the Authorization to execute the Form of Proposal, (3) bid bond, (4) MBE/DBE Form A, Form C, and Form D, (5) a copy of the Contractor’s State of Alabama General Contractor’s License, and (6) Addendum Acknowledgement.

Special attention is called to the applicability of the Birmingham Plan-Construction Industry Program to this project. Under this Program the utilization of Minority Business Enterprises and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“MBE/DBE”) is encouraged. The Construction Industry Authority establishes a system of floating MBE/DBE goals which may differ from year to year and project to project. Overall, these goals shall not be less than the historical participation of MBE/DBE’s in construction projects of the City and its agencies.

Bidders may contact the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA) to request additional information about the required MBE/DBE forms by contacting the Executive Director, Birmingham Construction Industry Authority at 601 37^th Street South, Birmingham, AL, 35222; telephone (205) 324-6202 or info@bcia1.org. For federally funded contracts, the provisions of the President’s Executive Order 11246 and federal agency regulations requiring affirmative action to achieve employment and utilization of minority persons and businesses, and the Davis-Bacon Act provisions are applicable.

As a matter of public policy, the City of Birmingham agrees to make opportunities available to the maximum extent possible, to actively include Historically Underutilized Business Enterprises (HUBE’s) such as architectural firms, engineering firms, investment banking firms, other professional consultant services providers, and construction contractors as part of business, economic and community revitalization programs.

It is the bidder’s responsibility to make sure that the bid is in the possession of the City Engineer on or before 2:00 pm, February 19, 2025. Bids received after this time will not be considered. Bids can be dropped into the Bid Box located in Room 220 of City Hall or delivered to the City Engineer in Room 220 City Hall.

A MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held on February 5, 2024, at 3:00 pm in Room 220 of City Hall.

The City of Birmingham reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informality in any bid.

Jesse P. Miller, PE

City Engineer

BT1/30/2024

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HOUSING AUTHORITY BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT

NOTICE OF INVITATION FOR BID

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) No. B25015

Loveman Village Daycare Renovation

Issued January 16, 2025

AGENCY CONTACT PERSON		Darryl Grayson, Procurement Analyst Telephone: (205)521-0611 E-mail: dgrayson@habd.net TDD/TTY: 800-548-2546
HOW TO OBTAIN THE RFP DOCUMENTS ON THE EPROCUREMENT MARKETPLACE		1. Access ha.internationaleprocurement.com (no “www”). 2. Click on the “Login” button in the upper left side. 3. Follow the listed directions. 4. If you have any problems in accessing or registering on the Marketplace, please call customer support at (866)526-9266.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE & SITE VISIT		Monday January 27, 2025 11:00AM
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS		Tuesday February 4, 2025 4:00 PM CT
SUBMITTAL RETURN DEADLINE		Friday February 14, 2025 2:00 PM CT 1826 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, Al 35233
[Section 3, Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

BT1/30/2024

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID

The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority will be accepting sealed bids from pre-qualified contractors for:

Birmingham Sheraton – Presidential Suites/ Adjoining Rooms

Prequalification information, bid information, requirements, plans and specifications may be downloaded at https://www.bjcc.org/vendor-opportunities/. There is no charge for downloading bid documents. They may also be examined, and an electronic copy obtained at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Purchasing Office, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, North Exhibition Hall, 3^rd Floor, Birmingham, AL 35203.

The scope consists of 4 Presidential Suites, 2 large (approximately 1700SF each), 2 small (approximately 1100SF each), and 4 adjoining guestrooms (approximately 380SF each). The Presidential Suites each consists of one master guestroom, with full bath and new soaking tub plus tiled shower: one large open living space with kitchenette, dining area, office area, and living/television space. The suites include an entry foyer and a powder bath, as well as a millwork storage niche. Each suite has one adjoining guest room. Currently Engineering is limited to electrical and plumbing.

Plumbing: Existing metal garden tubs to be removed; tile deck and stairs to be demolished as well as empty surrounding chases. All kitchen and baths to be fully updated including new fixtures and piping.

Electrical: Each suite to get trenched floor power to feed three locations. New lighting and relocated boxes for dining chandelier. All new light fixtures. Lighting to be evaluated for compliance and to provide adequate entry suite lighting and overhead lighting in the smaller suites. Emergency fixtures or lighting as required by code. Installation of new appliances where applicable in kitchenettes and closets for min-refrigerators.

Finishes: All new finishes: paint, drapery, sheers, paint, ceilings at vestibules (replace ACT). All new flooring, LVT flooring and inset carpet tile flooring at beds, dining and living, new tile at full baths.

Partitions and doors: new full-size doors at adjoining rooms; partition work at tub (see above), large suite foyer (demo empty chases and redo walls and ceiling, include glass wall panels). New hardware except entry door hardware.

Millwork: Wood panel walls at master bedroom, dining and living area. Wall mounted television monitors at living, master bedroom and adjoining suite. All new millwork in bathrooms, kitchenette, and storage. New shelving in closets.

Furniture: all new; not in GC scope.

NOTES:

BJCC is a tax-free entity.
Bonds – must extend 3 months after contract completion.
Permits – handled by the contractor.
Materials may be stored on BJCC property.
Daytime work hours from 6AM – 6PM 7 days a week. No phasing.
One parking permit allotted to job superintendent. Lot parking for workers 2 blocks from site. Street parking at GC cost is available.

Prequalification submissions must be received by 4:00 pm local time Friday, February 14, 2025. Applications may be emailed to Sharon.Proctor@bjcc.org, mailed or hand delivered to BJCC, Attn: Sharon Proctor, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35203.

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. in the Forum Building, 2nd Floor, Meeting Room “E”, located at 950 22^nd Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203.

Bids will only be accepted from prequalified bidders. Bids must be received for public opening on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. in the Forum Building, 2nd Floor, Meeting Room “E”, located at 950 22^nd Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203. All bids received after 1:00 p.m. on the bid date will be retained in the file unopened.

Prequalified Bidders will be required to make a good faith effort to include MBE and DBE companies in the execution of this project.

Questions should be emailed to Jerry.Reece@bjcc.org and Sharon.Proctor@bjcc.org. Telephone inquiries are not accepted.

Sharon Proctor

Purchasing Manager

Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority

BT1/30/2024

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Project-Based Section 8: Southtown Senior Waitlist

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD) will be accepting applications for the project-based waiting list, Southtown Senior, located at 920 24th Street S, Birmingham, AL 35205. This building is for seniors age 62 or older.

DATE & TIME OPENS: Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

DATE & TIME CLOSES: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 8:00 a.m.

All interested applicants should go to the website www.habdportals.org during the time period above to apply online.

HABD will provide a paper application to seniors who need them. Paper applications can only be obtained in person for the individual who will apply for housing and a government photo ID will be required in order to receive the paper application. Paper applications will only be available during business hours within the timeframe the waitlist is open. Paper applications should be obtained at the below address and once the application is completed it should be returned to the same address via U.S. postal mail only. Applications have to be post marked by 02/18/2025 in order to be added to the waitlist. No paper applications can be hand delivered or dropped off.

McCoy Building 1301 25th Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35204

Attention: Section 8 PBV: Southtown Senior

How does the Project-Based Section 8 Voucher Program work?

Under the Project-Based Section 8 Voucher Program, the rental assistance is tied to the unit and is not transferable to another unit. Since the assistance is tied to the unit, a family who moves from the project-based unit may not have any right to continued housing assistance. The HABD will refer families from the project-based waiting list to the Southtown Senior “owner” to fill their vacancies.

Application Process to Be Placed on The Project-Based Waiting List:

Applications are available electronically online at www.habdportals.org/ All applications received between Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. and Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. will be accepted onto the waiting list based on the date and the time of the application.

Additional eligibility requirements will have to be met once your name reaches the top of the waiting list. Mailed paper applications will be entered into the electronic system.

How can I check my status on the waiting list?

Everyone that applies for the waiting list will be required to register for the applicant portal. Through the applicant portal, you will be able to update your contact information (including address and phone number), view what income is being used, and what household members you added to your application. You will also be able to view where your place is on the waiting list.

Special preference points will be given to applicants who fall under the below listed criteria:

Southtown Senior will have the following preferences:

– Returning Southtown Resident 10 points

– Public Housing Resident 10 points

Public housing residents in good standing who reside at developments targeted for redevelopment, demolition, or other repositioning activity which may require displacement and/or relocation are eligible for this preference. Verification of claimed preference will be required when your name reaches the top of the waiting list.

Income Limits

Applicants must be within the applicable income limits based on family size (see chart below).

1 Person	2 Person	3 Person	4 Person	5 Person	6 Person	7 Person	8 Person
$39,660	$45,360	$51,000	$56,640	$61,200	$65,760	$70,760	$74,820

Unit Size Mix

The following lists the available unit sizes for Southtown Senior: 118 – 1-bedroom units 25 –2-bedroom units

Subsidy Standards

Depending on the family composition (number, age, and gender of persons in the household), applicants will qualify for a specific bedroom size, also known as the subsidy standard. The following chart lists the subsidy standards for Southtown Senior.

Number of Bedrooms	Number of Persons Minimum Maximum
Number of Bedrooms
1 BR	1	2
2 BR	2	4

When will I be contacted from the waiting list?

HABD will contact applicants that made the waiting list based on preference points and date/time of receipt of application when there is unit availability based on your household composition.

Project-based waiting list applicants will be notified through email (if applied electronically) and

U.S. Postal Service (if paper application) once they are placed on the waiting list.

IMPORTANT:

If you have an address change throughout the application process, it is your responsibility to change your address in the Housing Choice Voucher applicant portal at www.habdportals.org/. We always recommend updating your address with the Post Office, but you must also update your address with our office, as forwarding mail has an expiration date and may prohibit you from receiving important information and/or an appointment regarding housing.

HABD does not discriminate based on sex, race, color, religion, natural origin, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, age, or marital status.

Duplicate applications will not be accepted! Hand delivered applications to any HABD location will not be accepted!

BT1/30/2024

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Midair Collision Kills 67 People in the Deadliest US Air Disaster in Almost a Quarter Century

By

Birmingham Times

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January 31, 2025

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PLANE — Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Mark Schiefelbein, AP)

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, TARA COPP, ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and LEA SKENE | Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A midair collision between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot in the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines regional jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, and three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

President Donald Trump told a White House news conference that no one survived.

“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital.

The crash occurred before 9 p.m. in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles (about 4.8 kilometers) south of the White House and the Capitol.

Air crash investigations can take months, and federal investigators told reporters they would not speculate on the cause.

The flight data recorders, for example, were still underwater, National Transportation Safety Board chairman Jennifer Homendy said.

The plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water, and first responders were searching miles of the Potomac, Donnelly said. The helicopter wreckage was also found. Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the plane was making a normal approach when “the military aircraft came into the path” of the jet.

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press. Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30 p.m, once traffic begins to slow down. On Wednesday the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report said. A person familiar with the matter, however, said the tower staffing that night was at a normal level.

The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, during shift changes or when air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, and other officials, speaks during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Mark Schiefelbein, AP)

The Federal Aviation Administration has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers.

Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.

A top Army aviation official said the crew of the helicopter, a Black Hawk, was “very experienced” and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around the city.

“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.

The helicopter’s maximum allowed altitude at the time was 200 feet (about 60 meters), Koziol said. It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision.

Koziol said investigators need to analyze the flight data before making conclusions about altitude.

Trump opened the news conference with a moment of silence honoring the crash victims, calling it an “hour of anguish” for the country.

But he spent most of his time casting political blame, lashing out at former President Joe Biden’s administration and diversity efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration, saying they had led to slipping standards — even as he acknowledged that the cause of the crash was unknown.

Without evidence, Trump blamed air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots and Democratic policies at federal agencies. He claimed that the FAA was “actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.”

Inside Reagan National, the mood was somber Thursday as stranded passengers waited for flights to resume, sidestepping camera crews and staring out the windows at the Potomac, where recovery efforts were barely visible in the distance.

Aster Andemicael had been there since the previous evening with her older adult father, who was flying to Indiana to visit relatives. She spent much of the long night thinking about the victims and their families.

“I’ve been crying since yesterday,” Andemicael said, her voice cracking. “This is devastating.”

Flights resumed around midday.

The deadliest plane crash since November 2001

Wednesday’s crash was the deadliest in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight slammed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, just after takeoff from Kennedy Airport, killing all 260 people aboard.

The last major fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, along with one person on the ground, bringing the total death toll to 50.

Experts often highlight that plane travel is overwhelmingly safe, however. The National Safety Council estimates that Americans have a 1-in-93 chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash, while deaths on airplanes are too rare to calculate the odds. Figures from the Department of Transportation tell a similar story.

But the airspace around Reagan National can challenge even the most experienced pilots no matter how ideal the conditions. They must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites.

Just over 24 hours before the fatal collision, a different regional jet had to go around for a second chance at landing at Reagan National after it was advised about a military helicopter nearby, according to flight tracking sites and control logs. It landed safely minutes later.

Tragedy stuns Wichita

The crash devastated the Kansas city, which prides itself on being in America’s heartland. Wichita hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this year for the first time, along with training camps for top young skaters.

The city has been a major hub for the aircraft industry since the early days of commercial flight, and it is home to the U.S. headquarters for Bombardier, which manufactured the jetliner. So many regional workers have jobs tied to the industry that the area’s economy slumps when sales dip.

Several hundred people gathered in the city council chambers for a prayer vigil.

“We will get through this, but the only way we will get through this is together,” said the Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason of St. Paul AME Church.

Collision happened in tightly controlled airspace

Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it rapidly lost altitude over the Potomac, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-700 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.

A few minutes before the crash, air traffic controllers directed the jet to a shorter runway, and flight-tracking sites showed that it adjusted its approach.

Less than 30 seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight.

A crewmember said the aircraft was in sight and requested “visual separation” — allowing it to fly closer than otherwise might be allowed if pilots did not see the plane. Controllers approved the request.

Seconds later, the two aircraft collided.

Gomez Licon reported from Miami. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Meg Kinnard, Chris Megerian, Michael Biesecker in Washington; Claudia Lauer in Arlington, Virginia; Brian Melley in London; John Hanna in Wichita, Kansas; and Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, contributed.

Birmingham Influencers on Body Positivity and Weight Loss Drugs

By

Birmingham Times

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January 31, 2025

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Birmingham-based makeup artist and beauty influencer Precious Sanders. (Melissa Newton)

By Javacia Harris Bowser | For The Birmingham Times

For the past several years the body positivity movement has pushed back against the notion that the only way to be healthy or to be beautiful is to be thin. Thanks to the work of activists, artists, scholars and social media influencers, American culture has seen more body diversity in advertising and media, larger size ranges for clothing, and an overall push for body acceptance.

Then a new class of weight loss drugs, called GLP-1s, entered the chat and the conversation shifted. As celebrities and everyday people began to drop pounds more easily, body positivity seemed to have dropped from the spotlight.

But for some Birmingham-based fashion and beauty influencers body positivity has never been a trending topic. It’s a way of life.

What is body positivity?

Today’s body positivity movement grew out of the 1960s fat-activism movement, which advocated for people who were deemed overweight to receive the same rights and treatment — especially medical treatment — as thin people. The fat-activism movement also urged women to stop endless cycles of dieting.

Birmingham-based veteran plus-size fashion blogger Jeniese Hosey. (Isaac Nunn at Suburban Creative)

Decades later as fat activism moved online, #bodypositivity was born, focusing not only on fat acceptance but also the idea that all bodies deserve acceptance and that it’s possible to be healthy at any size.

Asked how she defines body positivity, the Birmingham-based veteran plus-size fashion blogger Jeniese Hosey said, “For me, it’s almost like body neutrality.”

Hosey, who can be found online @jenesaisquoithe added, “Body positivity means that there are no good and bad bodies. It means that everybody, no matter their size, skin color, height, weight — any of that — deserves all equal treatment. Everybody deserves the same privileges, no matter any of that. It’s also knowing that you have the right to feel good in your skin, no matter what that looks like for you.”

Body neutrality has built buzz in recent years too. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the term “body neutrality” began to surface online around 2015 and started to get more attention around 2019 once celebrities began to mention the concept.

Here’s an example of how body neutrality works: A person looks at her stomach and she’s not checking for belly bulge or for six-pack abs. She simply acknowledges and appreciates her stomach’s ability to digest food and give her energy for the day.

Birmingham influencer Funmi Ford. (Provided)

“I see it as a pathway to body positivity,” said local influencer Funmi Ford. People who have trouble loving or being positive about their bodies, can simply be grateful that their bodies are function, explained Ford, who can be found online @funmiford.

Birmingham-based plus-size fashion blogger Christena Williams said she was neutral about her body until she began to post fashion photos of herself on social media, who can be found on Instagram and TikTok @ChristenaMelea.

“I think it made me hyper aware of how other people saw my body,” she said. The recent wave of weight loss drugs has kicked this awareness into overdrive for Williams and she believes these drugs are forcing body positive content creators to ask themselves tough questions.

Birmingham-based plus-size fashion blogger Christena Williams. (Martin Lungu of Timeless Imagery).

“It turned our space into this confusing sphere,” she said. “There’s this thing that we can take, and we can actually be small. But then it made you confront the question of ‘Does that mean I don’t like my body?’”

Body Positivity and Weight Loss

What does it mean when a body positive influencer loses weight? Is she still body positive?

According to Hosey, it depends.

“For me, part of body neutrality is you get to do what you want with your body,” she said. In other words, she has no problem with a body positive influencer choosing to lose weight. “Where I think some of the problems have come in is that there are people who have lost weight and then started speaking down on the plus size industry and plus size women.”

She’s also seen companies and brands ditch their plus-size lines too.

“It adds into the feeling that we were just like a diversity inclusion market that’s being left behind again,” she added.

Hosey believes influencers who’ve become critical of the same plus-size communities they once uplifted have not been honest about why they’re losing weight or how they truly feel about themselves, and they lash out at other people, she said.

“You were never happy,” she said to those creators who once promoted body positivity but now – after using weight loss drugs – engage in fat shaming. “You were grifting. You were just lying to make money.”

In the past few years, Hosey has dropped several clothing sizes, transitioning from a size 22/24 to 14/16. Hosey, who has Type II diabetes, attributes the weight loss to changes to her diet that she made because of complications she was having with diabetes.

Yet she still proudly identifies as plus-size and as body positive.

“I’ve lost weight, but I’ve also not made a big deal about my weight,” she said. “I’m never going to do a before and after post because I was fine either way. There’s never a reason for me to speak down on my size 22/24 self. She served me a great purpose. She was good to me. I loved the way she dressed, and she was happy.”

Social Media and Self-Esteem

Though some studies have found that social media can have a negative impact on body image – especially for young people – other research shows that some social media content can boost self-esteem.

“It definitely has its ups and downs, but for the most part, it has definitely improved my image and my feelings with my body,” Hosey said when asked about social media’s impact on her self-esteem.

Yes, she’s often showered with compliments when she posts photos of herself serving fierce and fashionable looks, but that alone is not how social media has helped her. Her confidence has been cultivated by the community of other plus-size fashion bloggers she’s found online.

“The plus-size community, for sure, made me a better person,” she said. “I’ve learned so much from other women. I’ve learned how to care for myself, how to put myself first, how to know that I am deserving of all the good things — love and positivity and good fashion and comfortable travel — no matter what my body looks like.”

Community has been key for Ford, too. When she does face negative comments online, she turns to friends who are also content creators for encouragement and support.

“When you get on social media and you don’t come in that package that people expect –you’re a little bit heavier, you’re a lot heavier, you’re shorter – you have to have a good support system and you have to get to a place where you are mentally strong,” Ford said.

Aliscia Gilmore who can be found online @Aliscia.Marie, says social media forced her to be stronger.

“Being in this industry has built a level of confidence that I have not always had,” she said. “I have had to find new ways to love myself. I had to find new ways to embrace who I am, this body that I have, and know that it’s okay for me to show up and still want to show off outfits, even after I’ve gained 20 pounds.”

Do It Fat

To some, body acceptance may seem like a superficial matter. But Birmingham-based makeup artist and beauty influencer Precious Sanders believes worries about weight can stifle creativity and even community impact.

She shared that her insecurities about her body once kept her from doing a host of things from trying a new haircut to showing up online to promote her makeup artistry business.

Birmingham-based makeup artist and beauty influencer Precious Sanders. (Melissa Newton)

“All I would see was the round face,” she said. “I have been plus-size my whole life. So you grow up being shy about public speaking and even being called on in class because kids are cruel and they’ll find the smallest ways to make you feel bad about yourself.”

But eventually, Sanders, who can be found online @iam.precioussanders, had had enough of hiding in the shadows.

“I got to the point where I was tired of suppressing my creativity,” she said. “I also realized that when the spotlight was put on me, I shined and I kind of like shining a little bit! And I felt like I had something to say.”

That’s why she launched Do It Fat – a podcast and product line meant to encourage people to follow the old adage of “feel the fear and do it anyway.”

“We all have what I consider a ‘fat’” she said. “It’s not just do it fat, but do it broke. Do it single. We all have that thing that holds us back. At the end of the day, you owe it to yourself because we don’t get more time.”

Learning to Love Self

For Gilmore, the new wave of weight loss drugs has had no impact on her sense of self.

“I would not be able to get out of bed every day if I woke up wondering what everybody else was doing, if they were losing weight, if they were gaining weight, if they were making more money,” she said. “I would not be able to get through a day if I was focused on the world in that way.”

Practicing affirming self-talk is one of Gilmore’s top recommendations for anyone pursing body positivity.

“If you wake up telling yourself that you love yourself every day, you’re eventually going to feel that,” she said.

Williams and Ford also both recommend therapy for working through past trauma that can impact body image.

For Williams and many other fashion influencers, a nice outfit is like a coat of armor, protecting them from the arrows of negative comments from others and negative self-talk.

But Ford believes the strongest shield comes from within.

“You can’t take away anything you didn’t build,” that’s her message to anyone trying to pierce her armor of self-love.

“Sit with yourself and learn to accept you as you are because when you go out into the world, other people will come and try to tell you who you are, try to tell you what you can do, what you can’t do because of how you look,” she said. “Take time to build yourself in secret and then when you go out in the public, you’re a united front with yourself and nobody can tear you down.”

How the Tuskegee Airmen Emerged as Symbol of Resistance Against Trump’s DEI Rollback

By

Birmingham Times

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January 30, 2025

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U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell called on the U.S. Air Force to reinstate a training video, saying “the Tuskegee Airmen bravely fought and died for our freedom before this nation even granted them full benefits of citizenship.” (File)

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times

Numerous leaders and institutions in Alabama — including The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI), a non-partisan, non-political institution, and U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell — are expressing alarm as President Donald Trump rolls back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

That includes removing a Tuskegee Airmen history video from the Air Force instruction curriculum, which was later reversed after widespread criticism. Many fear the move against the Tuskegee Airmen may become part of a trend but also shows what can happen when “collective” voices are heard.

On Wednesday, those voices were again heard. Trump’s budget office rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.

The about-face was the latest sign of what can happen when voices are heard, say leaders.

“We cannot remain silent over President Donald Trump’s reversal of President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 Executive Order that promoted equal opportunity for people of color and women in federal contractors’ recruitment, hiring, training and other employment practices,” wrote Rosilyn Houston, Chair, BCRI Board of Directors, in a statement on Sunday. “This is merely the latest shock wave in the relentless rollback of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the federal and state levels as well as in the private sector.”

On Saturday, Sewell called on the U.S. Air Force to reinstate the video, saying “the Tuskegee Airmen bravely fought and died for our freedom before this nation even granted them full benefits of citizenship,” said Sewell. “To strip them from the Air Force curriculum is an outrageous betrayal of our values as Americans. Their heroism is not ‘DEI.’ It is American history. I’m calling on the Air Force to immediately reverse this decision. We will not let our history be erased.”

One day later, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the removal of Tuskegee Airmen videos about the Tuskegee Airmen from its military instruction curriculum “has been immediately reversed.”

“While I am relieved that our collective calls have forced the Trump Administration to reverse course, the removal of the Tuskegee Airmen from the Air Force curriculum should have never happened in the first place,” Sewell said. “We should all see the Trump Administration’s attacks on DEI for what they really are — an attempt to whitewash our history and devalue the contributions of African Americans.”

Trump, during his inaugural address on Jan. 20, vowed to end federal DEI practices, which he alleges are the government’s efforts to “socially engineer race and gender” into public and private lives. He then signed an executive order aimed at dismantling federal DEI programs.

The decision drew immediate outrage from many groups.

“We stand with federal employees and those in the private sector threatened by this executive order which poses a threat to civil rights and equal opportunity in the workplace for all,” wrote Houston. “There are livelihoods at stake with people on the cusp of losing their jobs, just because the jobs are just. We call on President Trump, the U.S. government, all state governments, and the American private sector to stop the attacks on DEI so that all people can have an opportunity to pursue the American dream.”

In 2007, President George W. Bush awarded the Tuskegee Airmen the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda.

All of the nearly 1,000 Black military pilots who trained in the U.S. during World War II did so in Tuskegee, a city of about 8,700 residents today that is 87 percent Black.

Mark Brown, president and CEO at Tuskegee University, also said “the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is not one of diversity and inclusion rather it’s an American story of the evolution of Air Power and inclusion of all available talent.”

Brown, who spent 32 years in the Air Force culminating as the Deputy Commander of Air Education and Training Command, added, “the Tuskegee Airmen story is truly an American story. Collectively, these experiences help build the world’s greatest Air Force.”

The history video, which describes the exploits of the groundbreaking Black airmen trained in Tuskegee during World War II, was part of a DEI-related course taken during basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, a hub of Air Force training.

Birmingham-Area Leaders Launch Governance Partnership to Decrease Violence

By

Birmingham Times

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January 30, 2025

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LaTonyaTate — Birmingham City Councilor LaTonya Tate, at microphone, co-chairs the BJC-JGP. (Provided)

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times

In the wake of a record-setting year for homicides in the City of Birmingham, a nonpartisan research organization has launched a partnership with area leaders and agencies to decrease violence and increase health and opportunity in Jefferson County.

Birmingham ended 2024 with 151 homicides, the highest number of killings in the city in nearly a century.

The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) will serve as an intermediary for the newly formed Birmingham-Jefferson County Justice Governance Partnership which seeks to understand and address the conditions that give rise to crime in neighborhoods where violence is concentrated.

Birmingham City Councilor LaTonya Tate and Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson co-chair the BJC-JGP and convened the partnership’s leadership council last week at the Women’s Foundation of Alabama.

“You have to have every person a part of the ecosystem,” she said. “You have to have the health department, you have to have philanthropy, you have to have the city, you have to have the county, you have to have the state, you have to have the judges, you have to have the DAs – especially when you’re trying to transform peoples lives … if you’re telling people to put weapons downs or change their lives what am I going to replace it with?”

Other members of the JGP Leadership Council in attendance last week included Jefferson County Health Officer David Hicks, Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr, Bessemer District Attorney Lynneice Washington, Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates, as well as representatives from the offices of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Sherriff Mark Pettway, and philanthropic leaders.

The Justice Governance Partnership is being launched with the support of the Aspen Institute’s Criminal Justice Reform Initiative (CJRI), a nonpartisan educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.

Aspen’s Criminal Justice Reform Initiative brings together national experts in criminal justice, education, and budgeting with the aim of helping local communities develop more effective approaches to public safety.

“Without data we can sit up here and say we want to fight crime all day and decrease gun violence … [but] you have to have the data to introduce the evidence-based initiatives that’s happening around the country,” Tate said. “Those closest to the problem are the solution solvers.”

The launch of the JGP follows the release of the Birmingham Crime Commission Report, commissioned by Mayor Woodfin. The commission’s report called for the implementation of evidence-based violence reduction strategies, community engagement and investment, and sustainable governance to implement, monitor, and maintain short-term and long-term solutions.

The Growing Popularity of Andrea Mathis: Not Your Average Wellness Influencer

By

Birmingham Times

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January 30, 2025

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_DSC4358-Edit — Andrea Mathis — the dietitian and popular social media maven — said that weight is not the sole determinant of health. Proper nutrition education is also key, she said. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Javacia Harris Bowser | For The Birmingham Times

Andrea Mathis — the popular social media maven behind @BeautifulEatsandThings — wants to share a message about wellness many may not know: their weight is not the sole determinant of their health, a message she learned from personal experience, she said.

After getting frustrated with her doctors urging her to lose weight, Mathis started asking questions about her cholesterol, her blood sugar levels, and other health indicators. She learned they were all in a normal, healthy range.

“So then I started thinking, ‘I guess they just want me to lose weight so I can appear to look healthier to other people,” Mathis told The Birmingham Times.

After realizing her body was healthy as it was, she became committed to a message of body positivity.

“I’m not against weight loss by any means, but I do want people to understand that you don’t have to pursue a super-thin body in order to be healthy,” said Mathis, also known as Andy.

Andrea Mathis says that weight is not the sole determinant of health. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

The registered dietitian is not your average health-and-wellness influencer. She didn’t garner her 200,000+ Instagram followers, 117,000+ TikTok followers, or opportunities to write for Eating Well and Food Network magazines by hopping on the latest weight-loss trends or fad diets. Instead, she shares recipes for dishes that are both delicious and nutritious and offers food advice backed by science on her social media platforms and her blog “Beautiful Eats and Things.”

Be Kind to Yourself and Your Body

“I want to be a representative of living a healthier lifestyle but still remain in a body that’s, I guess, not the typical dietitian body,” Mathis said. “I’ve never been a small person. I think my body is meant to be a larger size.”

Mathis proudly calls herself a “body positive dietitian” at a time when it’s not as popular to do so. As weight-loss injections become more and more accessible, conversations about body acceptance are beginning to fade from social media and beyond.

“Not a lot of people are talking about body positivity right now,” Mathis said. “That message is kind of sliding under the radar. So, I’m going to continue to talk about it. If you stay true to yourself, I feel like that’s how you can stand out from others.”

While diet promotions seem ubiquitous at the beginning of a new year and Body Positivity Month is celebrated in February, Mathis said the key is self-compassion and being kind to yourself and your body.

“Instead of getting caught up in weight-loss messaging, focus on the factors that contribute to your overall health — whether that’s nourishing meals, joyful movement, or simply resting when you need it,” she said. “Surround yourself with supportive people and messages that lift you up, not tear you down. Prioritize feeling strong, happy, and healthy in ways that work for you.”

Healthy at Any Size

Mathis’ message is simple: It’s possible to be healthy at any size. She hasn’t always believed this, though. When she was younger, she was constantly searching for ways to shed pounds. In fact, it was this quest that led her to pursue a career as a dietitian.

“I’ve always been heavier than my family and friends, so throughout my years, I’ve always been trying to figure out what diet I can go on to be smaller,” said Mathis, 40, a Birmingham native.

While a student at A.H. Parker High School, from 1998 to 2002, she learned that her home economics teacher was a dietitian.

“I was like, ‘OK, this sounds like something I would like to do,’” Mathis recalled. “I initially thought it was just about putting people on diets. I thought that being a dietitian, I can help myself lose weight and help others.”

Mathis soon learned that being a dietitian was about much more. It was also about helping people gain access to proper nutrition education, which was her focus when she would later work as a clinical dietitian at Gadsden Regional Medical Center, in Gadsden, Alabama.

“I fell in love with the public-health aspect,” said Mathis, whose resume also includes working as the director of nutrition at Greenbriar, a long-term care facility based in Birmingham.

Sheena Gregg, who currently serves as the director of Health Promotion and Wellness at the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, first met Mathis in 2009, when both worked as dietitians for Gadsden Regional Medical Center.

“What makes Andy so special is that she is intentional with those small details,” Gregg said. “That’s what makes things really beautiful.”

Gregg believes this intentionality — along with Mathis’ warm personality — has helped her blossom in the blogosphere and beyond.

“I love that I can share Andy as a resource,” said Gregg, who not only shares Mathis’ blog and social media accounts with clients looking for approachable recipes and nutrition advice but also with students interested in pursuing a career in dietetics.

“I think that that’s so beneficial to students who are looking to pursue this career but maybe have been misinformed about needing to look a certain way or come from a certain school system or certain socioeconomic background or anything else,” Gregg said. “As someone who is a fellow minority in the field, I really love that I can use Andy as an example for other individuals who are interested in being a dietitian, too.”

Mathis, who has a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in dietetics and a master’s degree in Health Studies and Health Promotion, uses her knowledge and work experience to educate thousands via her blog and social media platforms.

Beautiful Eats and Things

Mathis became a social media superstar in the health-and-wellness realm, even though she never set out to be one. It was her love for makeup that led Mathis to build an online platform.

“I was a makeup artist. I worked for MAC [Cosmetics] for several years and loved it, so I wanted to be a makeup YouTuber,” said Mathis, who started the social platform @BeautifulAndyMUA in 2011.

By 2016, however, her love for cooking had taken over: “I started posting recipes, just stuff that I cook for my family. And people started asking, ‘Where’s your blog?’”

At the time, Mathis didn’t have one. But in 2017 she launched Beautiful Eats and Things, where she would pair her recipes for her favorite dishes with personal stories.

“I started the blog, and it just kind of took off from there,” she said. “I had no idea about blogging. I didn’t know that was a career path. I didn’t know anything. I was just posting consistently.”

Not only did she quickly build a loyal readership, but Mathis attracted the attention of food-related brands, too.

“I started to be approached by brands that wanted to pay me to create recipes,” Mathis said. “I was like, ‘Is this a thing?!’”

Mathis also looked for opportunities to write for various publications. Her recipes, food photography, and writing have appeared in several magazines, including EatingWell, Taste of Home, and Food Network, as well as on their websites and others like The Kitchn. She’s also been featured on major media outlets, such as Good Morning America, PopSugar, Shape, and Essence magazine.

In 2018, one year she after started her blog, Mathis was able to leave her job at Greenbriar to work on her Beautiful Eats and Things brand full time. Asked for her secret to building her platform so quickly, Mathis simply says, “Prayer.”

Family Matters

Being a full-time content creator has given Mathis, who lives in Trussville, Alabama, the freedom and flexibility to spend more time with her husband, Christopher, and her sons C.J., 10, and Caden, 8. Her boys love to join her in the kitchen and can even whip up a few dishes on their own. Eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches are their specialty.

Family is a top priority for Mathis, but she knows that for some people family can also be a source of body shame as relatives sometimes make disparaging comments about weight or size or give unsolicited health advice.

“You’re going to continue to get the chatter,” Mathis said.

Her advice is to try to change the subject when a family member or friend tries to discuss weight: “If they are persistent, I start asking questions, like ‘Why are you so concerned?’” Mathis said. “Some people are just projecting their own insecurities.”

Beautifully Social

Mathis is always seeking ways to expand her brand. Last year she launched a product line of clothing and accessories that all boast uplifting messages. This year, she’s starting Beautifully Social, a social media and branding course designed to help nutrition professionals, health experts, content creators, and entrepreneurs build their platforms.

And she will keep amplifying her message of body acceptance, too, no matter what weight loss trends may arise.

“The whole world is shrinking,” Mathis said. “You may see some of your favorite celebrities and people that you know shrinking. People need the message that it’s OK if you don’t desire to be thin. I’m now even more passionate about putting my message out there because I see that it’s really important.”

Andrea Mathis can be found online at BeautifulEatsandThings.com and on TikTok and Instagram @BeautifulEatsandThings.

Javacia Harris Bowser: Pilates, Body Positivity, and Me

By

Birmingham Times

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January 30, 2025

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Pilates-Javacia-Abby — Abby Lindley leads Javacia Harris Bowser through a Pilates workout. (Provided)

By Javacia Harris Bowser | For The Birmingham Times

(An Opinion)

I first tried Pilates for superficial reasons. I saw celebrities like Lori Harvey claiming this method of movement was the secret to their six-pack abs and I thought – sign me up.

But after my first class, I knew that Pilates was going to change my life in ways that had nothing to do with my body’s shape or size. Though I started Pilates hoping to change my body, my practice has, ironically, helped me fall in love with my body as is.

I was reluctant to try a Pilates class at first. I thought everyone else in the room would be skinny, white, 20-somethings. As a size 12 Black woman in her 40s, I would stick out. But after a curvy Black woman in my friend group told me she’d been taking classes regularly I decided to give her studio a try.

To my surprise, at the studio I saw not only other Black women but a variety of body sizes and ages too. Some of the instructors were Black and their body types ran the gamut as well. I didn’t feel out of place at all. Still the perception of Pilates only being for a certain type of body persists.

“I think that there needs to be a lot more diversity in Pilates,” said Abby Lindley, who teaches at Club Pilates in the Greater Birmingham area and Tuscaloosa. She specifically means more body type diversity. One of her favorite fitness influencers to follow is the woman behind the account @FatBodyPilates.

“She is so amazing,” Lindley said. “Props to anyone who posts videos on social media because it’s scary to do, but I think there needs to be more people like her.”

It was Lindley’s love for dance that drew her to Pilates.

“I started dancing when I was three and I’ve danced my whole life — competition teams, studio stuff, tap dance, ballet, hip hop — all the things,” she said. But after graduating from Pelham High School, Lindley wanted to find another way to move her body as she was studying exercise science at the University of Montevallo.

After seeing someone practicing Pilates on TikTok, Lindley searched for a nearby studio to give it a try. With just one class at Club Pilates, she was hooked because the movements of Pilates were so similar to the movements she grew up practicing as a dancer.

“I was like, ‘This is what I know and I’m good at it!’” Lindley said with a laugh.

Black Women and Pilates

Here’s a quick history lesson on Pilates: Joseph Pilates developed the technique in the 1910s and 20s in part while he served during the First World War as an orderly in a hospital on Isle of Man. Working with patients who were unable to walk, he put springs on the hospital beds to help support the limbs of the wounded soldiers. Much of the equipment he used would be adapted into the machines used in Pilates classes today.

But my notion that there was no place for me in Pilates as a Black woman couldn’t have been further from the truth. In fact, one of the most revered Pilates instructors was a Black woman.

Dancer and choreographer Kathleen Stanford Grant (1921 – 2010) studied directly under Joseph Pilates and taught the Pilates method for more than 50 years. She first began working with Pilates after a dance injury and eventually created Before the Hundred, a technique designed to prepare the body for the Pilates exercises. In the Pilates world, Grant is not only considered a first-generation Pilates teacher but is also revered as a pioneer and innovator.

My Pilates Body

After practicing Pilates for a year and a half, I consider it an essential act of self-care. Yes, it’s a great form of strength training but for me it’s so much more.

When I’m in class I can’t worry about work deadlines, family drama, or even the size and shape of my body because I’m focused on breathing and following the instructor’s cues. Outside of the Pilates studio I am the person everyone always turns to for help but in class, I relish getting help from the instructor as she assists me in positioning my body and equipment properly to perform the exercises safely.

In Pilates I’m focused less on what my body looks like and more on what it can do.

“I want people to realize that they’re a lot stronger than they think,” Lindley said when asked what she wants most for her Pilates students.

“When you first start taking classes you don’t know what the heck you’re doing, but the stronger you get, the more you realize how much you are actually capable of,” Lindley added.

That said, she also believes that Pilates can help you let go of perfectionism.

“Pilates is a practice,” she said. “You want to keep pushing yourself to be better, but you’re never going to the best of the best. But that means there’s always something to look forward to.”

Because I believe self-care is self-love in action, I am showing love for my body every time I show up for a Pilates class. And in class, I can push myself to get better without beating myself up for not being perfect.

Communication is key in any love relationship and Pilates has taught me how to listen to my body. So I can make better choices about what and when to eat and how much, and decisions about when to exercise and when to rest.

I celebrate my body when I do something in class that I couldn’t do before the week before. But even when I attempt something and can’t quite pull it off, I still celebrate my body simply for keeping me alive. To me this is what it means to be body positive.

Javacia Harris Bowser is a regular contributor to The Birmingham Times and the founder of See Jane Write, a website, community and coaching service for women who write.