Photographer of veterans named GoFundMe hero
Jeff Rease, a Birmingham photographer who created the WWII Portraits of Honor project, has been named a GoFundMe hero by the crowdfunding platform. Rease created a GoFundMe fundraiser to help defray the costs of traveling to photograph as many World War II veterans as possible.
Rease has toured the world and captured the stories of more than 290 veterans. He traveled to Normandy, France, with 29 WWII veterans to commemorate the 78th anniversary of D-Day.
Rease’s project was spotlighted in the November 2020 issue of Alabama Living. To learn more, visit www.PortraitsOfHonor.us.
1818 Farms to start venture with BloomTV
1818 Farms, located in historic Mooresville, Alabama, celebrated its 10-year business anniversary this summer, and announced a new partnership with BloomTV, an online streaming service and network for all things floral.
1818 Farms was founded by Natasha McCrary and her family; they produce handmade products and educate the public on the value of sustainability, craftsmanship and a sense of community. Their bath and beauty line of creams, bath soaks, wax sachets and more are available in 572 stores in 45 states and online.
McCrary was named Amazon’s Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year in 2019 and was featured in Alabama Living magazine in September 2021. For more, visit 1818farms.com.
State Archives debuts new website
The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) recently debuted a new website, the culmination of a multi-year project to improve and enhance the agency’s online presence. The new site (archives.alabama.gov) features powerful new research tools, user-friendly databases for educators and public officials, information for planning visits to the ADAH’s Museum of Alabama, and many more opportunities for the public to connect with the ADAH and Alabama history online.
Highlights of the new site include robust databases for conducting historical and genealogical research in the ADAH’s extensive archival collections; the Alabama History Hub, a one-stop resource for K-12 educators classroom resources curated by ADAH staff; an events calendar for at-a-glance information about ADAH programs; and a new database of retention schedules and other helpful resources on records management for state and local government offices.
Alabama Living wins national awards
Alabama Living writers and staff won several awards in August at the Statewide Editors Association Annual Willies Awards competition. The awards were presented at the group’s SEA Institute in Chicago.
John Felsher, outdoors writer, won a Willie Award in the category, Best Entertaining Feature, Less than 650 words, for his September 2021 story, “Serpent Saving,” about Alabama Snake Removers, a south Alabama group dedicated to removing and safely relocating snakes.
The following won Awards of Excellence:
Personality Profile, Allison Law, managing editor of Alabama Living, for her January 2022 story on State Rep. Jeremy Gray of Opelika; Best Entertaining Feature, More than 650 Words, writer Jennifer Kornegay for her May 2022 story, “Five Essential Dishes Every Alabamian Should Know How to Make;” and Hardy Jackson, Best Column, for “Mr. Dave and the Barbershop,” from April 2022.
The Statewide Editors Association is a professional organization representing 32 statewide magazines that reach 12 million readers in 42 states served by electric cooperatives. Combined, statewide magazines are the third largest consumer publication in the United States.
