By June Mathews After catching a glimpse in the mirror of myself wearing reading glasses the other day, I had to laugh. Not only were the glasses kind of funny-looking – blue and red half-frames dotted with snowflakes – they also presented hard evidence that I’m nothing like the stylish woman I used to imagine I’d be at this age. But that’s OK. Wearing those silly glasses allowed me to see well enough to re ...

By Chesley Payne A basic understanding of the court system in the state of Alabama is useful information for most individuals. Whether you are involved in a legal action or are simply voting for a particular judicial position, it is important to know these basic facts to allow you to be an informed citizen. The first court most people are familiar with are the district courts of each county. The district co ...

By Gary Lloyd Earlier this month, as I was gathering photos and a feel for the areas affected by the Jan. 23, 2012, tornado, I turned onto Somersby Parkway in Clay, just off Old Springville Road and across from the Georgebrook neighborhood that was so heavily damaged. A large group of residents was outside near the entrance. It reminded me of all the community members and volunteers last year, clearing debr ...

By Channing King As we start a new year, what are some of your goals? If you're like most Americans, you have set some health goals for 2013. Losing weight, eating healthier and exercising more are some of the most commonly set goals and are great to strive for. The problem, though, is that most never achieve those goals. Why is that? Why do so many fall short year after year? The answer may lie in some que ...

By Robert Wilkerson “Do you want me to get the pans out?” the old deacon asked the young preacher. “Pans. What would I need pans for?” the preacher asked. “Well, some people in this church like to wash feet,” he said. The preacher answered, “Just leave them where they are and if anyone asks for one—give it to them.” The practice of washing feet in church has been abandoned by most churches. Jesus washed His ...

By June Mathews It’s no secret that I love auctions, and truth be told, I’m probably a bit addicted. When the local auction houses shut down in December for the holidays, I went into some weird sort of withdrawal. Even though there were plenty of parties, programs and other Christmas-related diversions on the agenda, going auction-less for more than a couple weeks made me feel irritable and edgy, much like ...

By Zack Steele Since this month is Glaucoma Awareness Month, I thought I would share about a new study from Australia that may offer a new way of identifying people at risk of glaucoma years before vision loss happens. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. But because vision damage often occurs gradually, most people with the eye disease do not realize they have it until a good deal of their sight has b ...

By Robert Wilkerson “Abraham…obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going” Hebrews 11:8. The New Year is here. Most people take the entrance into a New Year seriously. They know the passing of years signals the passing of life. If we read newspapers or magazines, we’re encouraged to set goals, lose weight, and exercise, all of which are good, but not necessarily best. As we enter the New Y ...

By Dave Parrish On Jan. 1, the Senate and House passed H.R. 8, legislation to avert the fiscal cliff. I bet you thought you had heard the last on the fiscal cliff. You may have even thought you knew what the debate was all about. Maybe not. Here is a summary of real estate-related provisions in the bill. Real estate tax extenders Mortgage cancellation relief is extended for one year to Jan. 1, 2014. Deducti ...

By Dr. Zachary B. Steele As most of you know, I am a father of two.  Before I get to some mental illness topics, I wanted to take a minute to talk about my oldest child. Her name is Janie.  She is a kindergartner at Paine Elementary. Janie loves to dance. She asks to dance in the living room every night after her bath.  You can find her sitting with the cheerleaders at the Husky basketball games.  She wants ...