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Snapshots: Safari Park Adventures
Submit Your Images! May Theme: “Flower Garden” Deadline for May: Mar. 31 Submit photos online: www.alabamaliving.coop/submit-photo/ or send color photos with a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Photos, Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124 Rules: Alabama Living will pay $10 for photos that best match our theme of the month. Photos may also […]
Medicare: Rules for those with higher income
If you have higher income, the law requires an upward adjustment to your monthly Medicare Part B (medical insurance) and Medicare prescription drug coverage premiums. But, if your income has gone down, you may use form SSA-44 to request a reduction in your Medicare income-related monthly adjustment amount. Medicare Part B helps pay for your […]
Working to bring Coosa’s Flagg Mountain to new heights By Jim Plott In April 1935, the Montgomery Advertiser proclaimed it would be one of Alabama’s most visited state parks once completed. Citing its proximity to Montgomery and Birmingham, the newspaper said, “The park will be a spot known far and wide throughout the South … […]
Alabama roads: Infrastructure improvements key issue in legislative session
By Minnie Lamberth Daryl Jones, general manager of Black Warrior EMC in west Alabama, is very familiar with the conditions of the roads in Alabama’s rural areas. Black Warrior has a service area that touches 12 counties. “We travel over about 7,000 miles of county roads,” Jones says. “On any day we will have about […]
On the Capitol beat With his Alabama Daily News website, aldailynews.com, Prattville native Todd Stacy has created a platform that not only aggregates the top stories from local, state and national media outlets, but also provides strong original reporting on statewide issues. Since its launch in January 2018, his morning email digests have become must-reads […]
WTD: No better place to toast St. Patty’s Day than Callaghan’s
By Emmett Burnett With oak lined streets embedded with happy folks on friendly front porches, Mobile’s Oakleigh Garden District is the essence of South Alabama charm. In the heart of such a storybook setting, one would expect a beloved eatery of Irish descent, right? Hold my Guinness. The hub of Oakleigh, Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, […]
Edible landscaping: Turning sod into sustenance
Consider the lawn. It’s an integral part of most Alabama landscapes, providing classic beauty and function to yards, parks and other open spaces. However, it can be a hungry element of the landscape, one that needs a steady diet of attention, water and nutrients. Now consider this: What if that lawn area fed you instead? […]
Fighting to keep the lights on
Electric co-ops are winning the reliability battles against squirrels, storms and hackers By Paul Wesslund Did you know squirrels, lightning and trees have something in common? They can knock out your electricity. Electric cooperatives work hard to keep your lights on all the time, but “you’re going to have power outages, and that’s just the […]
Weighing your lawncare options
By Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen Q: I’m seeing a lot of ads lately for electric lawn mowers. I want to save money and help the environment, but from what I’ve heard, a lot of electric mowers can be underpowered, and the cordless ones lose their battery charge too quickly. Do you think it’s worth making […]
Outdoors: Winds sometimes whip up good fishing conditions
March winds can whip up the waters in a large lake like Guntersville, making boating dangerous. Many anglers try to avoid the wind by seeking refuge in coves. Nobody likes to fish in a howling gale, but a good breeze can actually help anglers put more fish in the boat. “I love fishing in the […]
Practice prevents panic in case of a home fire
By Richard Bauman If the piercing squeal of a smoke alarm and the smell of smoke awakened you, what would you do? Call 9-1-1, report the fire and get out of the building following your escape plan. You don’t have an escape plan? Well, you’re not alone. Most of us probably haven’t defined escape routes […]
Pets: Loving yet aloof, companion cats rule the household
The winter is still with us. Pets still need to stay warm. After the January article about outdoor pet housing, an Alabama Living reader reminded us about straw (not hay) as an excellent bedding material. Another client asked about a Great Pyrenees puppy. When can they start to stay outdoors? Although the guardian breeds are […]
The go-to book for teachers of Alabama history
In 1954, fresh on the cusp of literacy and hungering for new and exciting stories, I entered the fourth grade at the Grove Hill Elementary School and was assigned to the class taught by Mrs. Willie Tucker. There, for the first time, I was “taught” Alabama History. Earlier I had absorbed bits and pieces of […]
Learn how to make the best use of one the hottest cooking tools to hit the market in years, the rapid-cooking, multi-tasking Instant Pot. BY JENNIFER KORNEGAY STYLING/PHOTOS BY BROOKE ECHOLS A few years ago, a new “must-have” kitchen appliance burst on the scene and gained fame at a rate that matched the product’s name. […]
Rattlesnake Rodeo features more than just reptiles
The 59th annual Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo will feature snake handling and demonstrations, for sure. But if getting up-close and personal with the venomous vipers is a little scary, there are plenty of other activities that will entertain adults and kids alike. The event, which is March 23-24 at Channell Lee Stadium in the south Alabama town […]
This Month in Alabama History: March 31, 1825
The Marquis de la Lafayette, the last surviving general of the Revolutionary War, arrived for his visit to Alabama at Fort Mitchell. On a grand tour of all 24 states in honor of the United States’ 50th anniversary, the French general attended lavish festivities in Montgomery, Cahaba and Mobile. Lafayette met with French settlers of […]
Where were you when man first walked on the moon?
Do you remember where you were on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon’s surface? Did you get to stay up late to watch on TV? Did you or your parents have a special watch party? We want to hear about it! The 50th anniversary of that historic event is coming up […]
In this periodic feature, we highlight books either about Alabama people or events or written by Alabama authors. Summaries are not reviews or endorsements. We also occasionally highlight book-related events. Email submissions to bookshelf@alabamaliving.coop Due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to feature all the books we receive. Alabama: The History of […]