AHKEEM LEE, DIRECTOR OF THE BIRMINGHAM YOUTH CHOIR AFTER THE GROUP WAS ELIMINATED DURING THE SEMIFINALS OF AMERICA’S GOT TALENT; BIRMINGHAMTIMES.COM, SEPT. 18.
Times Staff Report
The Birmingham City Council has approved $2.5 million for the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) to manage the city’s microtransit program, which provides on-demand rides to areas not covered by regular bus routes.
This move essentially transfers the contractual obligation from the City of Birmingham to BJCTA to oversee and manage. The funding will support microtransit (rideshare) services that have expanded to much of the city since first being launched in 2019.
City officials believe this will also lead to better coordination of services for riders between fixed routes and microtransit services. Roughly 13.5 percent of households in Birmingham do not own a car, so continued investments in alternative transportation is crucial for the city’s economic growth.
It is expected that the BJCTA will launch their own platform for riders to request pickup in January.
“Having a consolidated system for both fixed routes and microtransit is really going to help alleviate a problem for some of our riders,” Council President Darrell O’Quinn said. “Public transportation is a lifeline for a lot of people in Birmingham.”
O’Quinn said public surveys have consistently shown that public transportation is the number one thing people want to the city to invest in. “We’re committed to that, and we’re committed to building out a more inclusive system that works for everyone despite the challenges we face in the state of Alabama in terms of public funding from the state,” he said.
This funding is part of the city’s transportation budget and comes in addition to the $14 million allocated for the city’s transit system two weeks ago.
The microtransit program, operated in partnership with Via, a private company, charges $1.50 per ride.
BJCTA CEO and Executive Director Charlotte Shaw said the $2.5 million will go to Via to continue providing services while BJCTA oversees the program in alignment with the city’s 70/30 transit plan.
“We are now going to be managing the subcontract with the city of Birmingham to work congruent with our 70/30 plan, which is the whole plan that we’ve been rolling out for the past year,” Shaw said. “Continuing to roll out as part of that plan will help move things along a lot faster.”
As rides are tracked, the data will feed into the national transportation database, O’Quinn added.
“It will eventually take a couple of years for that money to start coming back from that activity, but we’ll eventually start getting some additional federal support for those services,” he said.
While riders will not see changes in their day-to-day trips, Shaw said BJCTA oversight will make microtransit more convenient and reliable for users.
WIAT-TV contributed to this post
bhm.k12.al.us
Birmingham’s Ramsay International Baccalaureate High School will host a 95th Anniversary Breakfast Celebration on Friday, September 26 at 9:30 a.m.in Ramsay’s Willie Scoggins Gymnasium.
The affair will unite alums, community members, dignitaries, faculty, staff, and others in an event dedicated to celebrating the excellence of the school on the city’s southern border.
Special presentations from students and supporters are planned.
Tickets can be purchased from the school office located at: 1800 13th Avenue South. The celebration is the culmination of homecoming week where Ramsay will face Minor High School at Legion Field on Friday. The anniversary celebration also falls during Ramsay Alumni Week. Forty classes from the Class of 1973 through 2020 will gather in Birmingham to celebrate the school.
For more information contact Jennifer Gilbert at jgilbert@bhm.k12.al.us or 205-231-9616.
By Ameera Steward | For The Birmingham Times
Thirty-three-year-old Dewon Moton was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in Pinson, Alabama. His life often didn’t have much structure, so he “needed a coping skill,” he said.
“I got a pencil and paper and found out I could draw, [which gave me] the ability to re-create different worlds,” he said. “I could literally draw myself into my new existence. … I’m a big believer in if I could draw it, I create it, and I live it. I feel like that’s the key: to be able to visualize something and bring it into existence.”
Moton has been using art to express himself ever since.
As for his style, his mom, Shonda Moton, was a fashionable diva, and she sparked his interest in fashion.
“As a straight male, it was … conflicting,” he said. “I could be more like her because that was my role model at the time. Or, [I could be more like] what a man [traditionally] looks like. I feel like I’m a blend of the two, still being able to dress out and [be] comfortable. … [I’m] comfortable in myself no matter what I’m wearing.”
For the past three months, The Birmingham Times interviewed some of the area’s leading fashion designers and tastemakers about the cultural and historical examination of Black style.
Moton is a “very avid thrift shopper,” he said.
“I just simply found out that all the great stuff is in the women’s section,” he explained. “It has everything—all the patterns, all the lace, all the colors, all the textures. Things from the women’s section fit really well; they are just tailored way better.”
Moton believes wearing women’s clothes is a physical interpretation of how clothes can be art because of their fit, flow, patterns, and colors. His favorite women’s pieces are lace shirts and bell-bottom pants.
“Sensory wise, people love to feel, to touch, to see how things are made. … I feel like textured clothes make you more interesting. … And, I mean, it kind of works for me because I’m an artist and I can get away with that. [People] expect me to be weird anyway, so I kind of use it to my advantage—without a doubt.”
Moton graduated from E.B. Erwin High School (now Center Point High School) in Birmingham in 2010 and went on to earn a degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Pennsylvania in 2013.
Despite having a degree and a passion for his craft, Moton didn’t realize that being an artist could be a lucrative career. In 2010, he was commissioned to paint his first mural on Commerce Street in Dallas, Texas—and then he brought his talents back to Birmingham.
“I got my first opportunity to do a mural downtown and realized the money was 10 times better [than anything else I had done], so I’ve been a full-time muralist for the past seven to eight years,” said Moton, who works under the name Dewon Moton Arts.
You can follow Dewon Moton on Instagram: @dewonmotonart.
Q&A
The Birmingham Times (BT): Why is dressing well important as a Black man?
Dewon Moton (DM): “Because it’s having a platform to be able to show that we are not exactly what people think we are. … I am a straight Black male, but some of my clothes, people don’t consider them clothing a straight man would wear. … But [fashion allows] you to be what you want.”
BT: What is your process when getting dressed for the day?
DM: “Color matching. … My pants have to match my shoes. And I’m crazy about a crop top. … Color theory is a thing [for me], for sure. I just graduated from a business class [in which] they were talking about [elevating your business], and one of the topics was colors and how emotions are tied to [them]. I thought that was cool because it’s like science.
[Moton along with other artists applied for the City of Birmingham Community Arts Grant Program through Create Birmingham. As part of the grant, the artists received business development training, including classes held at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).]
“You can make people react with just what you wear. It could be a loud red that [attracts] very sharp attention. Wear soft blues, and it’ll seem like more of a calm vibe. … The demeanor changes with the outfit. … [For instance], when you see a businessman, his attire is set to [appeal to] a specific demographic.”
BT: Any advice for young Black men who wish to dress well?
DM: “Judgment is inevitable, so be aware. … Know how to carry yourself and speak for yourself, so you can be comfortable regardless of what people see … or what people say.”
BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times
MALINDA T. AND ERIC WHITE
Live: Fultondale
Married: Oct. 24, 2009
Met: January 2009, at Faith Chapel in Wylam. Malinda, a minister, caught Eric’s eye when she first entered the sanctuary, but it was her moving prayer before the congregation that led him to ask a friend who she was.
“She was very attractive, and once she got up and started praying it piqued my curiosity even more because I saw that she had a deep relationship with God,” Eric said. “My friend, Tony Hearns, said if you’re going to approach her you’re going to have to be right in your walk with God, and I said, ‘I’m ok with that.’ So, I walked up to her after service and began talking to her and that day we got familiar with one another. I shared some things [about myself] and she shared things [about herself]…”
The pair did not exchange numbers that day, as Malinda was in a hurry. “I really wasn’t into the conversation at that point, but only because I was trying to leave. [In the weeks to follow] we had a couple of events at the church, and we had a singles conference, and I saw him worshiping God and I had never seen a man worship and freely express his love for God the way that he did,” said Malinda. “I saw tears rolling down his eyes, he’d get on his knees, and it seemed to me like he saw no one else there, like it was just him and God. That’s how attuned his worship was. … and every Sunday after church, he would come up and talk to me and one of my friends noticed he’d [taken an interest in me], and she said I needed to pay special attention to him. So from that moment, I had been waiting quietly for him to ask for my number, and one month went by and he hadn’t asked, and at six weeks, he still hadn’t asked, so I took out a sheet of paper and wrote my number down on it and just gave it to him, Malinda laughed.”
First date: March 2009. The pair met for coffee at a Starbucks in Hoover. “We spent a lot of time talking, laughing, and enjoying one another. From my end, I thought it was a fantastic date. I got to know more about her, her family, and her relationship with her parents. I learned she had a sibling who’d passed…. I got to know a lot more about her outside the church and it caused me to look at her in a deeper way,” Eric said.
“I thought the date was very refreshing. It was nice to be able to talk about my life. For instance, I had a daughter that was killed in a car accident… and he had the right words and actions. He didn’t say much, he just held my hand. He understood and was able to empathize with where I was in my life, and how strong I was to have overcome so many things and said that I had the victory,” Malinda said. “And for the first time in a long time I felt alive. I was able to express myself authentically without reservation. I am a person that likes to talk, and he just listened and he listened so intently that he could spit back everything I said and he made me feel special and like he was interested. I had a smile plastered across my face and it didn’t leave when the date was over, I [wore that smile all day].”
The turn: May 2009, over the phone. Malinda was home in Fultondale, and Eric was home in Pelham.
“I brought the conversation up,” Eric said. “I really felt a connection with her after we had been talking for a while and knew there was more to it than a friendship. I felt like we should be exclusive to see where the relationship could go, and I wanted it to go to the next stage so I called her and told her what was on my heart and mind to see where she was, and what her thoughts were.”
“I couldn’t resist any longer,” said Malinda. “From the time we met, he told me ‘you’re gonna fall in love with me’, and I thought this guy sure is confident. And when he asked me [to be exclusive], that thought came to mind. Little did he know that I had already fallen in love with him. It was something that I had been anticipating and the answer was ‘yes’. It was like a prophecy had come to pass and by that time I was deeply in love with him.”
The proposal: July 4, 2009, at Malinda’s mother’s home in Irondale for a holiday barbecue.
“I called her mom to see if they were going to have anything for the 4th, and to let them know what my plans were. I had already asked for [her hand in marriage]. So I called her friend, Marcella Roberts, to help me get everyone there,” said Eric.
With the additional help, Eric made it seem as though all of Malinda’s friends and extended family were present to celebrate Marcella’s birthday.
“After we finished cooking, I asked everyone to come in so we could pray over the food and sing Happy birthday to Marcella and I said ‘I know we are here for Marcella’s birthday, but I have something to say’. I got down on one knee and took the ring out and asked Malinda if she would marry me, and she was shocked,” Eric said. “Everybody started jumping up and down, and Malinda accepted my proposal.”
“I was thinking he sure is smart [because] how did he know this was exactly what I wanted? I didn’t want anything elaborate, I didn’t want him to take me on a trip, I wanted it to be intimate and with my family present because my family is important to me… I was overwhelmed with him and God because I felt like God had answered my prayers and I was so full of gratitude I just fell to my knees…”
Although grateful, Malinda said she didn’t respond right away. “First I wanted to see the ring,” she laughed, “and the ring was bling blinging. Sometimes love is love at first sight, but sometimes love evolves. And the thing that I loved most about Eric was that he was patient.”
The wedding: At Faith Chapel in Wylam, at 11 AM, officiated by Minister Connie Blaylock, of Faith Chapel. Their colors were peach, teal, and brown.
Memorable for the bride was when Eric read the vows that he wrote to her. “He took out a sheet of paper and he read his vows to me, and the last thing he said was ‘you are my wife for life’ and that is a mantra that we say all the time,” said Malida. “His vows were so personal, intimate, and soulful that when he finished, everybody in the sanctuary got up and started clapping.”
Memorable for the groom was their exit from the sanctuary at the end of the ceremony. “We kinda danced our way out. It was the music and the excitement… it was a rap song, and all the bridesmaids and groomsmen danced out, it was a big celebration of a new beginning,” said Eric.
They honeymooned in Nashville. “It wasn’t really a honeymoon, we just got away for the weekend,” Malinda said. “…. during the drive we reminisced about the wedding, our courtship, it just gave us an opportunity to [reflect] because everything [their courtship] went so fast, and finally we could be together as man and wife in the same bed,” she laughed.
Words of wisdom: “Communication, but I want to make it known that it’s more than talking. One is talking and the other is listening to actually hear the heart of what the other is saying so that you are listening to act upon, and change to make the marriage better,” Eric said.
“Make space for fun. Remember the moments and why you fell in love and keep yourself grounded in that because life will life, and storms will come. But if you keep laughing and make space for fun, you’ll always keep your marriage alive and fresh.”
Happily ever after: The White’s attend Faith Chapel in Wylam, where Malinda serves as the senior director of growth and development (staff), and Eric as a lay minister. They’re a blended family with one adult daughter from Eric’s previous relationship, Taketa Nelson, and five grandchildren.
Malinda 62, is a Birmingham native and West End High School grad. She attended Tuskegee University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in k-12 education, and Samford University, where she received a master’s degree in educational leadership. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and runs a speaking and consulting business called the Forward Company LLC., and is a part of the Momentum Executive Leadership, class of 2025.
Eric, 62, is a Montgomery native, and Carver High School grad [Montgomery]. He attended Rhema Bible College online, where he obtained a diploma in biblical studies, and Jefferson State Community College, where he earned an associate’s degree in bio-med equipment technology. Eric is retired from Birmingham Logistics as a truck driver. He spends his retirement volunteering in ministry at Faith Chapel, and mentors and coaches young men in spiritual development.
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
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MERCHANDISE
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EMPLOYMENT
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Guest Experience Coordinator
BJCC, is recruiting for a 1) Guest Experience Coordinator, for information & to apply visit https://www.bjcc.org/jobs/ or send resume to careers@bjcc.org /fax resume 205-458-8530.
BT09/18/2025
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LEGAL
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CASE NO. CV-2025-902103.00
ORDER TO SERVE BY PUBLICATION
STA DRY ROOFING, LLC,
Plaintiff,
V.
HOWEL DARNELL,
HOWELL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION LLC,
Defendants
This matter came before the Court upon the Motion to Serve by Publication (the “Motion”) filed by Sta Dry Roofing, LLC, pursuant to Alabama Rule of Civil Procedure 4.3(a) to serve Darnell Howell (“Defendant”), an individual with the last known address of 422 Liberty Lake Drive, Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35242 located in Jefferson County, Alabama, with the Complaint by publication via The Birmingham Times, which is published in and of general circulation in Jefferson County, Alabama. Upon Consideration of the Motion, and for cause, the Motion is hereby GRANTED, and the Court hereby ORDERS that the Defendant shall be served by publication which is to appear in The Birmingham Times at least once a week for four successive weeks. The Court further ORDERS Defendant,
Darnelle Howell, to send a copy of the answer to Curtis H. Seal, the attorney for Plaintiff, whose address is Graham Neal Seal & Bell, 880 Montclair Road, Suite 450, Birmingham, Alabama, 35213, and file an original of the answer with the Clerk of Court of Circuit Court for Jefferson County,
BT09/18/2025
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CASE NO. CV-2025-902468
NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION
TO: WALTER EVANS; ANNIE K. EVANS; SYLVESTER DUNN; 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 June 18, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:
Lot 22, Block 8, Druid Hills, being the Sudduth Realty Company’s Sixth (6) Addition to Birmingham, Alabama, situated in the NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Section 26, Township 17 South, Range 3 West as recorded in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama in Map Book 14, Page 3.
It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2019111389 as follows: LOT 22 BLK 8 DRUID HILLS and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-26-1-002-007.000
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 November 3, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 a.m. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.
The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th 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.
BT09/18/2025
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CASE NO. CV-2025-901363
NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION
TO: ESTATE OF THOMAS A. BANKHEAD; C.R. COOKE, JR.; KEVIN W. BANKHEAD; PHILLIP C. BANKHEAD; STACY BANKHEAD ODOM; COREY F. BANKHEAD; 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 April 9, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:
Lot 3, according to A. G. Ware Subdivision of North Highlands as recorded in Map Book 4, Page 39, in the Probate Office of Jefferson County, Alabama.
It appears said legal is the same as that certain legal described in Instrument Number 2019111392 as follows: LOT 3 A G WARE SUR and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-23-4-005-014.000
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 November 3, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 a.m. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.
The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th 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.
BT09/18/2025
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CASE NO. CV-2025-901366
NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION
TO: ESTATE OF JULIA LOUISE COLVIN; ESTATE OF DENNIS JAMES COLVIN; HOME BANK, SUCCESSOR TO STATEWIDE BANK, A CORPORATION; 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 April 9, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:
The North 1/2 of Lot 9, Block 1, according to the map and survey of E. A. Westbrook, as recorded in Plat Book 74, Page 356, 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 2019111758 as follows: N 1/2 OF LOT 9 BLK 1 E A WESTBROOK PB 74 PAGE 356 and assigned Parcel ID No. 22-00-23-4-032-001.000
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 November 3, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 a.m. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.
The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th 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.
BT09/18/2025
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CASE NO. CV-2025-900038
NOTICE OF CIVIL ACTION
Larissa Lueders, who refuses service by Certified Mail through the U.S. Postal Service and service by Sheriff, must answer Kim McKinley’s complaint seeking damages as a result of a motor vehicle collision that occurred in Wilcox County, Alabama on or about August 20, 2023.Said answer must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the fourth week of publication in the Birmingham Times or thereafter a default judgment may be rendered against her in Wilcox County Case No. CV 2025-900038.
Done this 8th day of September, 2025.
s/ Collins Pettaway, Jr.
Circuit Judge
BT09/18/2025
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CASE NO. CV-2025-903605.00
NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION
TO: BETTY L. BOSTON; 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 August 28, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:
Property Address: 2505 23rd Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35234
Tax Parcel ID No.: 01-22-00-23-4-001-002.000
Legal Description: Lot 8, Block 6, according to the map of North Birmingham, as recorded in Map Book 3, Page 50, 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. 2020086576 as follows: LOT 8 BLK 6 NORTH BHAM)
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 November 3, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.
The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th 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.
BT09/18/2025
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CASE NO. CV-2025-903668.00
NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION
TO: CARL E. SCOTT; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF EVA C. SCOTT; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF GRADY VINSON D/B/A ACTION CONSTRUCTION COMPANY; J. E. MELVILLE, JR. D/B/A ACTION CONSTRUCTION COMPANY; TUCKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.; STRATEGIC MUNICIPAL INVESTMENTS LLC; 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 September 2, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:
Property Address: 2625 22nd Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35234
Tax Parcel ID No.: 01-22-00-24-3-027-002.000
Legal Description: Lot 3, except the East 45 feet thereof, of Block 15, according to the map of North Birmingham, as recorded in Map Book 3, Page 50, in the Office of the Probate Judge, Jefferson County, Alabama. Also described as Lot 3, except the East 45 feet thereof, in Block 15, according the map of Haskell and Miller, as recorded in Map Book 1, on Page 357 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. 2016132708 as follows: W 50 FT LOT 3 BLK 15 HASKELL & MULLER)
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 November 3, 2025, in Room 360, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:00 A.M. The judgment of the Court may result in title to the property vesting in the Birmingham Land Bank Authority. Any person who proves to the Court’s satisfaction a right to redeem the property pursuant to Alabama Code §§ 40-10-73 (1975) et seq. or Alabama Code §§ 40-10-83 (1975) et seq. may redeem the property pursuant to those statutes within five (5) days after the appropriate Order on Final Hearing is issued. FAILURE TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT PROOF OF REDEMPTION TO THE CIRCUIT COURT WITHIN THE 5-DAY PERIOD MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.
The address of the Birmingham Land Bank Authority is City Hall, 710 North 20th 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.
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CASE NO. CV-2025-903669.00
NOTICE OF FINAL HEARING BY PUBLICATION
TO: JAMES LARRY JORDAN and unknown heirs of JAMES LARRY JORDAN; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF GERALDINE K. JORDAN a/k/a MYRTLE GERALDINE JORDAN; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF JAMES D. JORDAN; ELBERT BURT III; 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 September 2, 2025, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority filed the above-styled Complaint, and the Land Bank asserts that it has recorded notice of a pending quiet title and foreclosure action in the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama concerning the rights and/or interests in the following real property:
Property Address: 2704 27th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35207
Tax Parcel ID No.: 01-22-00-14-1-024-002.000
Legal Description: Lots One (1) and Two (2) in Block Two (2) in the survey of North Birmingham Land Company’s Sixth (6th) Addition as recorded in Map Book 13, Page 54, 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. 2017095420 as follows: LOTS 1 & 2 BLK 2 NORTH BHAM LAND COS ADD NO 6)
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 November 20, 2025, in Room 340, Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama at 10:30 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 20th 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.
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NOTICE OF COMPLETION
Viking Industrial Painting gives notice of completion of Painting and Repairs to Cahaba Cove and Warrior Potable Water Tanks for the Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham (Central Alabama Water). This notice will appear for four (4) consecutive weeks beginning 09/01/25 and ending 09/27/25. All claims should be filed at our office,10905 Harrison St. La Vista, NE 68128, or with the owner, the Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham (Central Alabama Water) 3600 First Avenue North Birmingham AL 35222.
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NOTICE OF COMPLETION
In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended, notice is hereby given A.G. Gaston Construction Company ,Contractor, has completed the Contract for (Renovation) of City of Montgomery Intermodal Transfer Facilities at 2346 West Fairview Ave, 495 Molton Street for the State of Alabama and the (County) (City) of Montgomery, AL , Owner(s), and have made request for final settlement of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Barry Robinson
Robinson and Associates Architecture, Inc. 906 South Perry Street Montgomery, Alabama 36104 (334) 269-5590
(Architect / Engineer)
A.G. Gaston Construction Company
(Contractor)
1820 3rd Ave North, Suite 400
Birmingham, AL 35203
(Business Address)
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NOTICE OF COMPLETION
Grout, Inc., hereby gives notice of completion of contract with Birmingham Airport Authority AIP Project No. 3-01-0014-127-2024 Terminal Apron Pavement Rehabilitation. This notice will appear for three (3) consecutive weeks beginning 09/11/2025 and ending 10/02/2025.Any and all claims against this project should file same in writing to Barge Design Solutions, Inc. at 500 Corporate Parkway, Suite 100, Hoover, Alabama 35242, within seven (7) calendar days after this period.
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LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Completion of Public Works Projects (Over $50,000)
Pursuant to Ala. Code §39-1-1 (1975), notice is hereby given that REV Construction, Inc. has completed its contract with Jefferson County Commission for the Stadium Trace Pump Station Chemical Feed for Odor Control, Contract no. 20240145. Any person or firm having claims on said Project for materials or labor should contact the above contractor at 5801 Grover Burchfield Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 All claims should be filed within 30 days of the first publication of this notice.
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INVITATION TO BID
Growth Builders invites land development contractors to bid on site work at Oak Hill and Shadowbrook. Interested contractors should email jdapogny@growth-homes.com to request site plans and scope. MWDBEs certified by ADECA or BCIA are encouraged to apply.
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INVITATION TO BID
Growth Builders invites residential homebuilding contractors to bid on new homes at Oak Hill, Woodlawn, and Shadowbrook. Interested contractors should email gmowatt@growth-homes.com to request architectural plans and scope. MWDBEs certified by ADECA or BCIA are encouraged to apply.
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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Sealed proposals will be received by Birmingham Board of Education, Central Administration Building, 2015 Park Place North, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203; UNTIL 2:00 PM CST; on Thursday, September 18, 2025, for:
BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS: CAPITOL IMPROVEMENTS
GROUP 3
at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read. The project includes, but is not limited to, miscellaneous repairs and improvements to the following schools:
Barrett Elementary School
Hayes K-8 School
Hemphill Elementary School
Parker High School
Phillips Academy
Ramsay High School
A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to Birmingham City Schools, Birmingham, Alabama, in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000, must accompany the bidder’s proposal. Performance and statutory Labor and Material Payment Bonds, and insurance in compliance with requirements, will be required at the signing of the Contract.
Drawings and Specifications will be available after August 28, 2025; and may be examined at the Alabama Graphics Plan Room. Follow link below.
Bidders may obtain documents from Alabama Graphics, for a non-refundable cost equal to the cost of printing. Other sets for general contractors, and sets for subs and dealers, may be obtained at the same amount. Partial sets will not be available.
Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof. All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the Provision of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended, and must show such evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by Architect or Owner; The bidder shall show such evidence by clearly displaying their current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered; Bidder must also include their current license number on the Proposal Form. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids for a period of NINETY (90) days.
A PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at the same location where bids will be received, at 2:00 PM CST, on Tuesday, September 8, 2025, for the purpose of reviewing the project and answering Bidder’s questions. Attendance at the Pre-Bid Conference is not required for all General Contractor Bidders but is highly recommended.
This project is being bid without sales taxes according to Act 2013-205 (of the Alabama Legislature). However, sales tax for the base bid and all other bid items must be accounted for on the contractor’s Bid Proposal Form. ABC Form C-3A indicates how the sales tax shall be accounted for on the bid proposal form and shall be modified by the project architect as appropriate for bid items on each project.
Completion Time: Work shall commence on the earlier of either the date of the owner’s written “Notice to Proceed” or the contractor’s receipt of the fully executed contract and shall be “Substantially Complete” within 240 Consecutive Calendar Days thereafter.
Supervision: Contractor to provide Superintendent(s) to ensure proper supervision for all work.
The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in their judgment, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted.
Owner:
Birmingham Board of Education
2015 Park Place North
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
Phone: (205) 231-4885
c/o
Project Manager/Owner’s Representative
Steel City Services, LLC
119 3rd Avenue West
Birmingham, Alabama 35204
205.306.3444
Architect:
Dorsey Architects & Associates Inc.
2301 1st Ave. North, Suite 101
Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: (205) 250-7100
Clay R. Dorsey, AIA
Wesley Henry, Project Manager
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INVITATION TO BID
ITB# 92-25R “Fresh & Frozen Meats”
JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL
Bids will be received by the Jefferson County Commission Purchasing Agent, Michael D. Matthews, Ph.D., C.P.M., until 4:00 (CST) p.m. on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, for ITB 92-25R Fresh & Frozen Meats.
All solicitation information, including forms and specifications, is available for download free at https://jeffcobids.jccal.org/Search.aspx .Interested parties must meet bidder requirements and qualifications as specified in the bid documents on or before the date that the bids are due.
All questions must be submitted in writing to procurementservices@jccal.org, attention Valerie Henderson.
A pre-bid conference will be held Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. (CST) in Purchasing Suite 830of the Jefferson County Main Courthouse, 716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N., Birmingham, AL 35203.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) 001-2025
General Legal Services
DATE ISSUED: September 5, 2025
TYPE OF PROJECT: The Agency is seeking proposals from qualified licensed and insured entities to provide a wide range of legal services. These services are a necessary supplement to the daily operation of the Agency. The successful proposer shall be the legal advisor to the Agency’s Board of Commissioners (BOC) and the Agency Executive Director (ED) for legal services which typically fall under General Legal Services
CONTACT PERSON: Renae Garrett, Executive Administrative Assistant
LAST DAY FOR QUESTIONS: Friday, September 19, 2025, by 12:00p.m. CST
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, October 6, 2025, 2:00 p.m. CST
SUBMISSION ADDRESS: FAIRFIELD ALABAMA HOUSING AUTHORITY
6704 Avenue D
Fairfield, AL 35064
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Abandoned Vehicles
2014 Mercedes Benz C300, VIN# WDDGF8AB2EA939038
2020 Audi Q5 Titanium Premium, VIN#WA1ANAFY9L2092642
Auction Time: 7:00 AM on 10/16/2025
Vehicle Location: 1525 Cherry Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35214
Vehicles will be sold at public auction for cash to the highest bidder. The seller reserves the right to reject any bid and the right to bid
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Abandoned Vehicle
2007 Chrysler 300 Touring, VIN#2C3KA53G27H742809
Auction Time: 7:00 AM on 10/16/2025
Vehicle Location: 1460 Minor Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35224
Vehicles will be sold at public auction for cash to the highest bidder. The seller reserves the right to reject any bid and the right to bid
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Abandoned Vehicle
Vehicle Information: 2013 Nissan Altima
VIN: 1N4AL3APXDC289018
Auction Information: June 26, 2025 at 12:00pm (noon), located at 600 Beltona Lane, Warrior, AL 35180
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ADVERTISMENT FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO RECEIVE BIDS FROM PRE-QUALIFIED BIDDERS
PRE-QUALIFICATIONS PROPOSALS will be received via mail or email, on behalf of the Owner, the Jefferson County Commission, by BDG Architects at 2308 1st Ave S, Suite 304, Birmingham, AL 35233 for the below referenced project until noon Central Daylight Time on Monday October 6th, 2025, after which no further applications will be considered. The pre- qualification procedure is intended to identify responsible and competent bidders relative to the requirements of the Project. Each prospective bidder will be notified of the results of the pre-qualification on Thursday October 9th, 2025. Pre-qualification proposal requirements may be obtained from the Architect by request via email to bids@bdgllp.com. The Owner will be prequalifying the following categories of trades: Prime General Contractors, Electrical Sub-Contractors, Mechanical Sub-Contractors, and Fire-Protection Sub-Contractors. Each Contractor must have proven experience in their Line of Work.
Within the bounds of good faith, the Jefferson County Commission on advice from General Services retains the right to determine whether a Contractor has met pre-qualification procedures and criteria. Only General Contractors who have been approved to bid pursuant to pre-qualification procedures and criteria established by the Owner will be eligible to bid for the Project. Written pre-qualification procedures and criteria are available for review at the office of the Architect or by email listed above. All bidders must be licensed under the provisions of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975. Construction Contracts shall be awarded only to a Prime General Contractor, licensed by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors, as required by Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama. Construction Contracts in excess of $100,000 shall be awarded only to Contractors licensed as required by the 1978 Code of Alabama, Title 34, Chapter 8 as amended. Bidders must be “responsible “in accordance with criteria in the Bid Documents and as stipulated by Title 39- 2-3-( e ) of the Code of Alabama.
JEFFERSON COUNTY 2121 BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FOR INTERIOR RENOVATIONS
The scope of Work is renovations to two Group B, Type IA buildings. The project will occur in multiple phases. The scope of Work for one building is an approximately 3,200sf interior office renovation of existing occupied office spaces within the Jefferson County Downtown Courthouse – Ground Floor. The scope of Work for the other building is exterior window replacement and RACM perimeter wall abatement of the 2121 Building, 2121 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35203, on the 12th through 19th floors which are currently occupied but may be unoccupied during construction. Required trades under
General Contractor’s Work will include but not be limited to electrical, mechanical, interior, and exterior glazing, abatement, structured cabling, non-load bearing framing, and millwork.
DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS may be examined at the office of BDG Architects at the above-listed address starting Thursday October 9th, 2025. Bid Documents will be distributed via SharePoint link for free to the prequalified contractors.
A MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at 2:00pm CDT on Tuesday October 14th, 2025 in the Jefferson County Courthouse, Room 22, Ground Floor at 716 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd, N, Birmingham, Alabama. Because of the nature of the project, General Contractors who have been pre-qualified must attend the Pre-Bid Conference. If the number of bidders who attend the Pre-Bid Conference decreases so there is little or no competition, the Bid may be postponed at the discretion of the Owner.
SEALED PROPOSALS will be received by the Jefferson County Commission at Room 1, General Services at the Jefferson County Courthouse until 2:00pm CDT on Thursday October 30th, 2025 after which time they will be publicly opened and read in the Commission Chamber, Second Floor, Room 270. No bids submitted after this time will be considered. This requirement will not be waived. The clock in the Commission Chamber will be used to determine the correct time for the completion of the bidding period. A bid bond, executed by a surety company duly authorized & qualified to make such a bond in Alabama, payable to Jefferson County in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000, must accompany the bidder’s proposal. Performance Bond at 100% of contract price and Payment Bonds, evidence of insurance required in the bid documents, and E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding will be required at the signing of the Contract.
BIDS must be submitted on a lump-sum basis and on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof. Submit 2 identical copies of the Bid on the proposal form provided without changes, in a sealed envelope bearing the Contractor’s name and current Alabama License number. All bidders must show evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by the Architect; the bidder shall show such evidence by clearly displaying his or her current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered. Bids that do not bear the General Contractor’s current license number will be returned without being opened. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in the Owner’s judgement, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted.
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BID 25-12-04(I)
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
The Birmingham Water Works Board will be accepting sealed bids for Chemicals – Liquid Aluminum Sulfate, BID 25-12-04(I).
The specifications may be examined and obtained in the Purchasing Department’s office at 3600 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35222, or by emailing derleda.abrom@bwwb.org, or on our website at www.bwwb.org.
Sealed bids for Chemicals- Liquid Aluminum Sulfate will be received in the Purchasing Department not later than Friday, October 10, 2025, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read.
Prospective bidders should deliver or mail their sealed bids to 3600 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35222, directed to the attention of LyTonja Levert, Purchasing Manager, and marked in the lower left-hand corner of the envelope as follows: “Bid Chemicals (and the name and letter of the particular chemical bidding) Friday, October 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.”
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BID 25-12-04 (H)
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
The Birmingham Water Works Board will be accepting sealed bids for Chemicals, BID 25-12- 04(H) Powdered Activated Carbon Slurry.
The specifications may be examined and obtained in the Purchasing Department’s office at 3600 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35222, or by emailing derleda.abrom@bwwb.org, or our website at www.bwwb.org.
Sealed bids for Chemicals – Powdered Activated Carbon Slurry will be received in the Purchasing Department not later than Thursday, October 9, 2025, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read.
Prospective bidders should deliver or mail their sealed bids to 3600 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35222, directed to the attention of LyTonja Levert, Purchasing Manager, and marked in the lower left-hand corner of the envelope as follows: “Bid Chemicals (and the name and letter of the particular chemical bidding) Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.”
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NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE
Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness described in and secured by that certain Mortgage executed between NATIONAL TREE SERVICE, INC., an Alabama corporation, and NEWTEK BANK, National Association, dated February 16, 2024, and recorded February 17, 2024, as Instrument 2024016611, and re-recorded on March 11, 2024, as Instrument 2024021984 in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama. Said default continuing, notice is hereby given that the undersigned as holder of said mortgage will under power of sale contained in said mortgage, sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder, during legal hours of sale on the 21st day of October, 2025, at the main entrance of the Jefferson County, Alabama Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama, the following described real property situated in Jefferson, County, Alabama, being the same property described in the referenced mortgage:
PARCEL ONE:
ALL THAT part of the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 9, Township 17 South, Range 1 West lying South and East of the road; BEGIN at the SE corner and run West along the South line 40 feet; thence I a Northwesterly direction to the road; thence in a Northwesterly direction along the East side of said public road to the East line; thence South along the East line to the point of BEGINNING
BEING the same premises conveyed to National Tree Service, Inc. by Warranty Deed from Geralyn Murphree, as personal representative of the Estate of Grace M. Salerno, deceased, Case No. 171288, dated April 28, 2006, filed for record in Official Records [Book LR200608, Page 2131], in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama.
PARCEL TWO:
ALL THAT PART of the Southeast quarter of the Southwest quarter which lies South of the right of way line of the Southern Railroad Company in Section 9, Township 17 South, Range 1 West.
BEING a portion of the premises conveyed to National Tree Service, Inc. by Statutory Warranty Deed from Dennis Peppers dated March 23, 2007, filed for record on May 10, 2007 in Official Records [Book LR200707, Page 22191], in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama.
Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process.
This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure.
This property will be sold on an “AS IS, WHERE IS” basis subject to all easements, encumbrances, and exceptions contained in the Mortgage and those contained in the records of the Office of the Judge of Probate where the above-described property is situated. This property will be sold without warranty or recourse, expressed or implied as to title, use and/or enjoyment and will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled thereto.
The holder of said Mortgage reserves the right to bid for and purchase this property and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage, as provided by the terms of the Mortgage.
The foreclosure sale for this property is subject to postponement or cancellation. Contact the person named below prior to attendance.
This sale is made for the purpose of realizing the mortgage debt, together with all expenses of the same, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.
NEWTEK BANK, National Association
As Holder of said Mortgage
Joshua D. Friedman
Helmsing Leach, P.C.
Post Office Box 2767
Mobile, AL 36652
(251) 432-5521
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ADVERTISEMENT for BIDDER PRE-QUALIFICATION
And NOTICE of INTENT to RECEIVE BIDS
from PREQUALIFIED BIDDERS
Pre-qualification submittals will be received by the Owner’s Representative/Project Manager, David McCabe on behalf of Office of the Chief Facilities Officer, UAB Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Alabama Board of Trustees at UAB Hospital Planning on the 8th Floor of the Daniel Building at the following address: DAN Fl 8 Facilities, 15 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233 until 4:00 PM Central Time, October 3, 2025.The original and two (2) flash drives with duplicates of submittals are required for pre-qualification approval; however, email transmission copies may be transmitted to the Project Manager at dcmccabe@uabmc.edu and cc’d to joey@wba-architects.com to expedite the review process with a hard-copy of the submittal and two flash drives to be delivered within 24 hours.
Quarterback Tower 6th and 7th Floor Demolition
For The
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Project No.:H255008
The project will consist of demolition of two existing Procedure Rooms and shared Control Room on 6th Floor, and multiple Office / Administrative spaces on 7th Floor of Quarterback Tower. Demolition scope will include flooring, millwork, cast-in-place, select partitions, overhead framed equipment supports and associated miscellaneous steel framing, and existing mechanical, plumbing, med gas, and electrical systems.
The work will be performed in an occupied hospital and is adjacent to functioning health care units (above and below) and particular and specific care will be required to limit disturbances, coordinate shutdowns, and follow strict Infection Controls and Interim Life Safety Measures (ICRA/ILSM) requirements for the protection of patients, family, and staff. Adjacent spaces are sensitive to noise, vibrations, and dust and will require implementation of measures to mitigate these issues. The General Contractor will require experience with similar size and type projects performed in an operating hospital environment and with the implementation and maintenance of infection control measures, interim life safety measures, coordinating shutdowns, and maintaining a clean and organized job site in an operating hospital as a General Contractor (not as a Construction Manager, Program Manager, etc.). The estimated budget is $350,000 – $375,000.
Prime contractor bidders interested in submitting a proposal must apply for pre-qualification and must be licensed under the Provision of Title 34, Chapter 8, and Code of Alabama, 1975. A copy of current Alabama Contractors license is to be included in pre-qualification submittal.
Only prime contractor bidders who have completed the pre-qualification process and that have been approved will be eligible to submit a bid for the Project. Prospective Bidder’s Pre-qualification Package must be received by the Owner’s Project Manager no later than 4:00 PM Central Time, October 3, 2025 after which no further requests will be considered.
Pre-qualification Requirements Information Package may be obtained from the Architect upon letterhead request. Any addendums to the prequalification requirements will be issued to documented prime contractors only.
The pre-qualification procedure is intended to identify responsible and competent prime contractor bidders relative to the requirements of the Project. Each prospective prime contractor bidder will be notified of the results of the pre-qualification, on or about October 6, 2025.
The Owner reserves the right to waive technical errors in applications, or abandon the pre-qualification process, should the interests of the Owner appear to be promoted thereby.
Progress Design and Construction Documents:
Prior to the pre-qualification deadline, project progress plans and specifications may be examined at the following location:
Architect:
Williams Blackstock Architects
2204 1st Avenue South, Suite 200
Birmingham, AL 35233
Joey Tudisco
(205) 252-9811
joey@wba-architects.com
Documents:
Bid documents will be available at the following locations after notice to pre-qualified bidders is given. Drawings and specifications may be examined at; ALGX Digital Plan Room, http://www.algraphics.com, 2801 5th Ave, South, Birmingham, AL 35233: Dodge Data & Analytics, http://www.construction.com, 2860 S State Hwy 161, Ste 160 #501, Grand Prairie, TX 75052-7361; at the AGC Internet Plan Room, 5000 Grantswood Road Suite 100, Irondale, AL 35210; at the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority, http://www.bcia1.org, 601 37th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222; and at the Construction Market Data, http://www.cmdgroup.com, 30 Technology Pkwy, South, Suite 500, Norcross, GA 30092-2912.
Bonds:
A certified check or bid bond payable to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000 must accompany the bidder’s proposal. Performance and Statutory Labor and Material Payment Bonds will be required at the signing of the Contract.
Bids:
Bids must be submitted on proposal forms or copies thereof furnished by the Architect. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids for a period of ninety (90) days. The Owner reserves the right to reject bids if such action is determined to be in the best interest of the Owner. The Owner reserves the right to revoke pre-qualification of any bidder in accordance with Section 39-2-12, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended in 1997 (by Act 97-225). The Bid Date is October 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Hospital Planning – Large Conference Room on the 8th Floor of the Daniel Building at the following address: DAN Fl 8 Facilities, 15 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233. Bids shall be clearly identified on the exterior of the package with the bidder’s name, address, State license number, the name of the project being bid, time and place of the bid opening. Sealed bids shall be properly identified.
Proposals may be hand delivered or received by mail on the date of the bid opening at the Office of David McCabe, Project Manager Facilities and Capital Projects, Daniel Building, DAN Fl 8 Facilities, 15 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233, until 12:00 noon. After 12:00 noon of the date of the bid opening, proposals must be hand delivered and presented at the bid opening. Sealed proposals shall be submitted in triplicate and shall be properly identified. All proposals received after 2:00 p.m. on October 23, 2025 will be returned unopened.
Nonresident Prime Contractor Bidders:
Under Section 39-3-5, Code of Alabama, 1975, nonresident prime contractor bidders must accompany any written bid documents with a written opinion of an attorney licensed to practice law in such nonresident prime contractor bidder’s state of domicile as to the preferences, if any or none, granted by the law of the state to its own business entities whose principal place of business are in that state in the letting of any or all public contracts. Resident prime contractors in Alabama, as defined in Section 39-2-12, are granted preference over nonresident prime contractors in awarding of contracts in the same manner and to the same extent as provided by the laws of the state of domicile of the nonresident.
A mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be scheduled prior to the date set for receipt of bids. It is mandatory that all pre-qualified prime contractor bidders attend the Pre-Bid Conference.
BT09/18/2025
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Notice to Bidders
The Birmingham Airport Authority (“BAA” or “Authority”) is soliciting sealed bids for the Dollar Rent-A-Car Demolition project (BAA-046) at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Work includes demolition and removal of the former building, utility capping, grading, and asphalt paving. Complete bid documents are available electronically from Ed Seoane, VP of Purchasing, at eseoane@flybhm.com. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on September 29, 2025, at 2:00 PM in Meeting Room A, Airport Terminal, Lower Level. The deadline for bids is October 10, 2025, at 2:00 PM, at which time bids will be publicly opened.
BT09/18/2025
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By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
It’s not easy to sum up all that Birmingham resident Norma Dean Ray has experienced over nine decades, but she would say that she’s been able to find peace after years of pain.
Ray, once a professional singer in Chicago, Illinois — where she rubbed shoulders with entertainment icons like Nat King Cole, Della Reese, Lena Horne, and Ella Fitzgerald — has also worked as cardiovascular technician at UAB Hospital and the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before retiring.
And now the 92-year-old Ray (she turns 93 on September 28) has become a first-time author.
Her memoir, “From Redemption to Restoration: A Memoir of My Journey to Finding Peace After Pain,” was published recently by the California-based Urban Author Incubator, a subsidiary of Urban Ingenuity LLC, an organization dedicated to helping first-time authors bring their stories to life.
The book is described as one that chronicles Ray’s journey from music to medicine, from addiction to recovery, and from pain to peace.
During an hour-long interview at her home in Birmingham’s Smithfield Estates community, Ray said she’s looking forward to her birthday next week but there’s another anniversary that makes her extremely proud and figures prominently in her book — 45 years of continuous sobriety.
“I’m not afraid of death, but I’m afraid to take that drink, that torture” she told The Birmingham Times. “To think that insanity would have set back in and I put myself through that, I don’t think I would ever recover.”
In her book, Ray writes openly and candidly about the toll alcohol had taken on her life — from being suspended from her job to destroying her marriage and to even shooting a man.
Ray, who was born in Birmingham, moved to Chicago, where she began a thriving singing career. While working at a store, she met her husband Charles Bennett, and they were married on June 17, 1952.
“Unhinged”
The drinking problem began almost immediately. Recalling her wedding night, Ray writes in her book that she’d never drank such an “exquisite drink as Dom Pérignon,” a brand of Champagne, and she was really “tipsy.”
She remembers her husband holding her up as she was about to fall, and she asked him, “You think I’m drunk, don’t you?” He said, “No. I think you are high but not drunk.” I was starting an argument for nothing,” she writes.
She remembers her husband grabbing her by the hand: “I snatched my hand from Charles and slapped him so hard that my hand began to throb. He looked at me as if I had lost my mind,” she writes.
“He was bewildered, and I didn’t know what was happening to me. The only thing I knew was when I would drink, if someone said something to me I didn’t agree with I would become unhinged really quickly.”
The couple had two sons. The first, Charles Jr., was born on Nov. 11, 1953. “I would love to say that having a baby improved the quality of our marriage. It did not,” she writes. “Our selfishness and being inconsiderate of one another led to our marriage beginning to deteriorate.”
Her second son, Timothy, was born 14 months later on Jan. 4, 1955.
Ray writes that she stopped singing and was drinking more. On one trip while taking the children to the store, in addition to getting groceries, she writes, “I would also get about two cases of beer and [two different brands of whiskey]: a fifth of Jack Daniels and a bottle of Crown Royal.”
Ray and her husband would often fight. “I was thankful that the children were babies and didn’t know what was happening. … Finally, one night, our marriage ended.”
She said her husband came home one night and asked why she hadn’t cooked.
Of the encounter, she writes, “I told him he had hands to cook for himself. He slapped me. I took a lamp and threw it at him with all the force I had. It hit him in the face. That’s all I remembered. When I woke up, Charles and the boys were gone. There was a note Charles had left. He said he could not take me with my drinking.”
Eventually, her husband filed for divorce, and Ray was given a date to appear in court.
“On the date I was supposed to appear in court, I forgot and I was drinking,” she writes. “Charles divorced me and got custody of our boys because I was a no-show on that date. Just like that, no husband. No children.”
There were other incidents Ray recalls where drinking ruled her life.
At one job at a medical facility, she writes that one of her favorite doctors noticed that she would be sipping tomato and orange juice from a container, and he told her she was drinking too much acid.
“What he didn’t know was that my container had vodka and orange juice or tomato juice,” Ray writes.
“Please Stop Drinking”
Two men would come into her life and “both ended in a horrible way,” she writes. One was insanely jealous, and he attacked and choked her. They split up, and she never saw him again. The second she shot, she writes.
Ray believes the choking incident by the first man may have led her to shoot the second.
“I did not intend to allow a man, woman, or child to ever get me in a position where I might die,” she writes. “I pulled out the gun out [on the second man] and said, ‘Don’t walk up on me.’ He attempted to grab the gun, and I shot him. He ran in the closet and wrapped himself in one of my club gowns I sang in. … I called the police and told them I had shot this man, and he needed attention right away.
“The next day I had to go before the judge. He asked the arresting officer what the condition of the victim was. The detective said the doctor said the condition was critical.”
The case was dismissed after the victim declined to press charges. While she was relieved, Ray felt terrible “that I almost murdered a man because of the fear of what another had done to me.”
She saw him once more and asked why he didn’t press charges.
“He said, ‘Norma, I love those boys of yours. I could not live with myself knowing that I was the cause of their mother being in prison.’ And then I heard those words again,” she writes. “Norma, please stop drinking. It does something to you. It makes you mean.”
“One Day at a Time”
Ray moved back to Birmingham in 1969. She was 38 years old. “I started working at [UAB Hospital] within the month of my coming to Alabama not realizing I was a full-blown alcoholic when I arrived in Alabama,” she writes. “I found myself chewing garlic, putting coffee grinds in my mouth with Sen-Sen [breath freshener], and holding my breath on the elevator so no one could smell alcohol. I was having blackouts and not knowing what they were.”
Ray recalls when she forgot the floor where she left an electrocardiogram (EKG) machine. She was suspended for two weeks after her superiors knew she had been drinking.
Out of all the dates in her life, in addition to her birth date, Ray remembers another one that stands out — Aug. 20, 1980, “my last day of drinking.”
“I was getting ready for work, glass in hand. I took a sip of whiskey and looked in the mirror and what I saw engulfed me with a paralyzing fear I never knew existed,” she writes.
Ray would end up in Brookwood Lodge (now Bradford Health Services), where “I readily admitted I was an alcoholic and my life was unmanageable,” she writes. “I came to believe in a power greater than myself [that] could restore my sanity.
“One significant aspect of recovery is honesty. I might lie to everyone else, but I must be honest with myself; usually, if I’m honest with myself, I can be honest with others. With prayer and meditation, I try to be my best. Sometimes I make it one day at a time and sometimes I do not. If someone else is involved [and] I have said or acted harshly toward them, I try to make things right.”
Ray married a man with 55 years in the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) program in 1987, and he transitioned in August 2001. Her youngest son, Timothy, transitioned in 1989. Her eldest son, Charles Jr., transitioned in 2013.
“I took time to grieve the loss of those I loved dearly, [and] drinking never entered my mind. The obsession to drink had been lifted,” she writes.
Ray will celebrate her 93rd birthday on September 28. Asked by The Birmingham Times if she any plans, she said, with a laugh, “The family may take me out, if they’re not mad with me.”
Asked if she would like to add anything, Ray said, “My Higher Power, whom I call Jehovah God, has allowed me to have a good life in spite of myself — and I know it gets better one day at a time.”
To order a copy of “From Redemption to Restoration: A Memoir of My Journey to Finding Peace After Pain,” send an email to normadray7199@gmail.com (payments can be made via Cash App: $NormaDRay2).
NEW YORK — Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $70 million to the UNCF, as the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships to minority students works to raise $1 billion to strengthen all 37 of its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Alabama is home to 14 HBCUs, which is the largest number in the nation.
The gift is one of Scott’s largest single donations ever and among the first to be publicly disclosed in 2025. Famously private, Scott only discusses her donations through her website and does not confirm them until after the recipients do.
“This extraordinary gift is a powerful vote of confidence in HBCUs and in the work of UNCF,” the nonprofit’s President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax told The Associated Press in a statement. “It provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our member institutions to build permanent assets that will support students and campuses for decades to come.”
Lomax said Scott’s donation would be used for UNCF’s pooled endowment, which aims to establish a $370 million fund — $10 million for each UNCF member HBCU. That fund will be invested and designed to pay out about 4% annually, which will then be divided among the HBCUs to help stabilize their budgets. Increasing HBCU endowments is a priority since they trail endowments at non-HBCUs by 70%, according to the UNCF.
The broader $1 billion fundraising effort is an attempt to help HBCUs address the funding disparity they face when compared to other colleges and universities. A 2023 study by philanthropic research group Candid and ABFE, a nonprofit that advocates for investments in Black communities, found that the eight Ivy League schools received $5.5 billion from the 1,000 largest U.S. foundations compared to $45 million for the 99 HBCUs in 2019.
Since Scott, a novelist who received the bulk of her fortune after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, signed the Giving Pledge in 2019, promising to donate more than half her wealth, HBCUs have been among her favorite grantees. She previously gave UNCF $10 million in 2020.
Though Scott hasn’t addressed HBCU donations specifically, she wrote in 2020 that her funding decisions were “driven by a deep belief in the value different backgrounds bring to problem-solving on any issue.”
Scott hasn’t made any announcements about her giving since she acknowledged $2 billion in gifts in 2024, bringing her total to $19.2 billion. According to Forbes, Scott’s net worth is currently around $34 billion.
Her unusual donations — which are much larger than most foundations give at one time and carry no restrictions on when they can be used or what they can be used for — financially strengthened the nonprofits that received them, said Phil Buchanan, president of The Center for Effective Philanthropy, which studied Scott’s giving over three years.
“We didn’t see the fears people predicted come to pass,” said Buchanan, who disclosed that The Center for Effective Philanthropy received a one-time $10 million grant from Scott. Though some worried that the large gifts would cause the recipients to increase staffing too much or hurt their fundraising efforts, Buchanan said their study of 2,000 nonprofits saw little evidence of that. “Folks are pretty prudent,” he said. “This shows that if you carefully vet nonprofits, we can trust them to make good use of funds.”
It’s a lesson that UNCF hopes other funders will learn, following Scott’s example.
“We are deeply grateful for MacKenzie Scott’s continued support,” Lomax said. “By entrusting UNCF to decide how best to use these funds, she affirms that HBCUs merit investment at this scale and her generosity will strengthen our member institutions and provide pathways to success for tomorrow’s changemakers.”
By Ameera Steward | For The Birmingham Times
Daniel Grier is a designer under his brand, Splashed by DKG, and the founder of Magic City Fashion Week, an emerging designer competition.
“I’m someone who’s totally about community,” said the 39-year-old. “I love to see people win, see people succeed. The underrepresented populations really mean a lot to me in [regard to] visibility, access, [and] equity.”
For the past three months, The Birmingham Times interviewed some of the area’s leading fashion designers and tastemakers about the cultural and historical examination of Black style.
Grier’s initial interaction with fashion was through his grandmother, Ellen Jean Green, and his father, Kenneth Harris.
His grandmother often wore a different wig every day, sometimes multiple styles in a week.
“I felt like she was a different character, or like an avatar every day,” he added. “She’s [four feet, 11 inches tall], but she would walk into a room and everybody would look at her.”
His father worked at Flowers Bakery in downtown Birmingham, where he wore an all-white uniform. He would start getting dressed an hour and 15 minutes before work.
“Everything was white, everything was clean, everything had to [be hit] with the iron. … I would see steam going up in the air, pressing out that uniform, and by the time he left for work he was polished,” Grier recalled.
His father and grandmother both exposed Grier to luxury within their means by taking care of themselves—layering cologne, laying their outfits out the night before, and more.
Grier is originally from Fairfield, Alabama, but when he was in the fifth grade his family relocated to Gardendale, Alabama, where he spent the rest of his school years. He graduated from Gardendale High School in 2004.
“Gardendale was the first place that I really noticed community,” he said. “I started learning the power of connecting and making friends of your own. … I learned the power of joining clubs, joining organizations, playing sports.”
The community Grier built in Gardendale was so strong that he still dresses some of his classmates today.
“I now thank my mom for [moving to Gardendale] because, I didn’t know it at the time, but it was like a crash course for everything I’m doing now,” Grier said, adding that his Gardendale peers expressed themselves a bit more than his Fairfield peers when it came to fashion and art.
After graduating from high school, Grier attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to study community health education with a minor in human services. He made it to his junior year but felt unfulfilled and chose a different path.
One day, he was trying to repurpose clothes in his garage instead of giving them away, so he tried to tie-dye them with bleach. After seeing the end product and the response to his creations, he started his brand, Splashed by DKG, in 2013—and the rest is history.
You can follow Daniel Grier on Instagram: @thedesignerdkg.
Q&A
The Birmingham Times (BT): Why is dressing well important?
Daniel Grier (DG): “Personally, I could wake up on the wrong side of the bed, feeling the worst, … [and knowing] that day is a day I’m going to need some time to get ready because clothing is the armor we put on our body—it not only tells a story, it communicates. … The first thing you’re going to see is what I have on, how I’m presenting myself that day. … When you look great, you feel great, and you perform great.
“I’m a big communicator, so fashion is just a way to communicate with people without saying a word. They’ll know I’m feeling myself because I’m looking, I’m smiling … in my element. I think it’s extremely powerful. It’s extremely important to connect the physical with your confidence, to elevate it to where you need it to be. … It’s natural that we’re going to have a bad day, … but fashion is such a therapist.”
BT: Why is dressing well important as a Black man?
DG: “Over my 39 years, I have learned that we’re perceived a certain way when we come into the room, when people learn about us, when they see us, they just automatically have some type of preconceived notions about us.
“I’m not like every other Black man on the street. We’re all different. I want to be taken seriously. … We all have our own stories, our own backgrounds, our own makeup—respect us as such.”
BT: What is your process when getting dressed each day?
DG: “I try to pre-plan as many outfits as I can. For instance, if I go into a store, I can’t buy a shirt, pants, shoes, and just wear it that night. … That’s just not the make up of how I dress. … It really [depends on] what I’m going for. Every day [the goal] is just to feel my best about my body.”
BT: Any advice for young Black men who wish to dress well?
DG: “Start learning. … Is there anybody [you see] that you like the way they dress naturally? … [Ask yourself where] your style inspiration comes from. … Start learning about what it is that’s drawing you into this industry, even if it’s yourself.
“Fashion is mainly about the fit: understanding cuts, understanding designers, understanding [time] periods. … We have every method in the world [for research] right now. You have ChatGPT, Google, YouTube, fashion people who tell stories on Instagram—follow them, learn about these designers, their cuts, and why you like certain things.”
By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
For Jevon Tatum, being an entrepreneur is practically in his blood. As the founder of Essence Body Products, a sustainable wellness brand that uses natural ingredients to create eco-friendly products, his experience with wellness products started with his family’s business.
“A couple of years ago, my family used to have a kiosk in the [DeKalb Mall in Atlanta] that sold different oils and stuff. My dad used to sell shea butters,” said Tatum.” Once I got to [Talladega College] I wanted to start a business. I ultimately took it on and put my own twist on it. I started making the products like shea butters and selling it at school then everything kind of slowly evolved.”
While taking over the family business Tatum said the brand has evolved to include long-term goals of expanding into community farming and AI-driven gardening services.
Essence Body Products first launched in 2021 on the campus of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in Huntsville. Before Tatum attended Talladega, he was a student and basketball player on scholarship at A&M.
“I was an athlete at the time, so I was playing basketball and then, I ultimately transferred to Talladega for another basketball scholarship opportunity,” said Tatum.
The 24-year-old said a change in his lifestyle also contributed to “the spark” that ignited his drive to create Essence Body Products.
“I am a vegan, so on that played a part. I turned vegan my sophomore year of Tucker high school in [DeKalb County],” Tatum said. “Trying to find natural alternatives as well as different food options, skin care product options for me to use. I have sensitive skin. That was a spark as well.”
Move To The Magic City
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Tatum said he moved to Birmingham four months ago after he was accepted into the ECMC Group Education Impact Fund Bold Path Fellows, a program that provides capital and support to graduates of Birmingham post-secondary institutions.
“For me being an outsider coming into Birmingham, with the time I’ve been here and the young entrepreneurs I’ve been able to connect with, the city really does have something brewing. It’s something special, as far as the entrepreneurship and innovative theme,” said Tatum.
Although he is new to the Magic City, he’s familiar with Alabama.
At Talladega College, which he attended from 2021-2025, he served as the Student Government Association president and played basketball. He completed his degree in business management and marketing in May.
Tatum said he grew up playing basketball since age 4 and “that was my opening to everything, that was my first love I played with a lot of pros. I was able to have a great experience with it. It prepared me for the business side of everything.
“The discipline that goes into sports made my transition to business very easy,” he said. “I don’t think if I didn’t play sports or didn’t play basketball I wouldn’t be able to have the mindset the drive to make this business happen.”
If Tatum loves anything as much as business it’s basketball. He played point guard and shooting guard his freshman year at Alabama A&M and even played AAU hoops with Atlanta Xpress with future NBA Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
As an athlete naturally gravitated towards healthier food options. It wasn’t until he watched the Netflix documentary, What the Health?, that he switched made the switch to veganism.
He acknowledged that the documentary led to his conversion. “Being able to see what was needed for our body, it just made sense to me,” he said.
The wellness brand recently launched a gardening program at Tabernacle Baptist Church in the Smithfield Community, “one of the first places we will spearhead our movement of the urban garden,” Tatum said.
“Inno Under 25”
Tatum is one of four Alabama ECMC Group Education Impact Fund Bold Path Fellows.
“They (Bold Path Fellowship) gave me an opportunity to focus on my vision,” Tatum said. “We just added the urban farming component where we will be actually growing gardens and utilizing what we grow for our products and go into the community and provide fresh produce as well as these different health and wellness products to underserved communities.”
Tatum was recently honored as “Inno Under 25″ by the Birmingham Business Journal.
“It was shocking to me. When they reached out I had been here for not to long. I was honored just to see that they recognized the work that I was doing. … it was just an honor to see some of the work be recognized and be able to make a list with some of the great young entrepreneurs on that list.
Asked his favorite part about being a business owner in Birmingham, Tatum said,” the freedom to express myself. I know my business is trying to solve a problem within the different communities that I serve, but it’s still coming from me. Being able to create something that comes from you is still like a work of art.”
For more on the products visit essencebodyproducts.com
