Alabama News

Someone in Brookside deleted the police department’s emails, according to attorneys for a group of drivers suing the town over allegations of ticketing for profit.

It’s unclear exactly who deleted the account, said attorney Jaba Tsitsuashvili. But, regardless, the drivers are asking a federal judge to hold Brookside responsible for it.

“There’s a lot of finger-pointing and cross-recriminations here, but I think what it boils down to is that Brookside is responsible for this email deletion,” said Tsitsuashvili of the Institute for Justice, a libertarian nonprofit based in Virginia. “We’re confident that the judge will understand that the town deleted four years worth of police policy emails after the town had already been sued several times for its police policies.”

The nonprofit is suing Brookside, a town of about 1,300 people north of Birmingham, on behalf of four drivers. They allege the town exploited them by arresting, ticketing them and towing their cars to buoy the police department’s funds, the lawsuit says.

Reporting by AL.com in January of 2022 found that Brookside’s finances were buoyed by tickets and aggressive policing. Revenues from fines and forfeitures soared more than 640% between 2018-2020 and came to account for more than half of the town’s income.

Mike Jones, the police chief who orchestrated the department’s expansion and crackdown on drivers, resigned almost immediately after the first story published. And in April of 2022, the Institute for Justice filed the class-action lawsuit, one of at least a dozen brought against the town and its police.

In a court filing earlier this month, attorneys for the drivers said that Brookside blamed Jones for deleting the email account. But Jones testified in May that he hadn’t deleted emails, according to court records.

“The e-mail system went dark when litigation concerning the police department’s policies was already ongoing—including, almost certainly, this case,” the July 7 filing reads. “The mayor, the interim police chief, and the current chief all knew. Yet no one did anything to try to preserve or recover anything.”

Brookside has not responded to the filing. Warren Kinney, an attorney representing Brookside, declined to comment for this article.

Attorneys for the drivers allege that the town could have attempted to recover the email account system through Google for up to two years after it went dark, according to court records.

“Instead, they let the clock tick and quietly switched to a different e-mail system altogether,” the July 7 filing reads. “The town made those decisions knowing full well that it was already facing ‘numerous lawsuits and civil claims’ concerning its police department.”

In response to the lawsuit, Brookside has asked the judge to dismiss the case. The town denies the allegations, and says police had a right to tow the drivers’ vehicles.

“Each and every action taken was done so in good faith belief that the same was legal and lawful at the time so taken,” the town said in an April 2023 filing.

The attorneys for the drivers requested the emails in discovery in July 2023. It wasn’t until late 2024 when Brookside said that the email system had been deleted, according to court records.

The drivers are asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Staci Cornelius to enter an order “presuming the deleted police department emails were unfavorable to Brookside” as a sanction. They asked that that sanction establish that Brookside’s spikes in citations and towing were part of an intentional policy to fund the town’s growing police department and that those policies were communicated to every officer via their email accounts, according to court records.

“The police-department e-mail system was used extensively — and daily — for internal communications during the whole of Chief Jones’s four-year tenure,” the July 7 filing reads. “What few e-mails have been salvaged are (charitably speaking) unfavorable to the town.”

The lawsuit seeks damages, repayment of fees with interest, return of property and a declaration that the town had an unconstitutional policy to increase revenue, according to the complaint.

Meanwhile, attorneys for the drivers and the town are currently in settlement talks. Those discussions started on Tuesday, and Judge Cornelius scheduled the mediation to continue on July 31, according to the court docket.

Tsitsuashvili added that the details of the mediation process are confidential, but any settlement deal that comes out of it would be public.

“This wholesale deletion of Brookside Police Department email accounts is indicative of the way we’ve seen the town behave in the course of this litigation,” he said.

Unreleased Beyoncé music was reportedly stolen from her choreographer and one of her dancers out of their rental car less than 48 hours before she kicked off her run of “Cowboy Carter” shows in Atlanta.

An arrest warrant was issued on Monday for an unidentified suspect who allegedly broke into the rental car on July 8, stealing jump drives containing unreleased music, footage plans for her live show, and previous and upcoming set lists.

According to WSB-TV Atlanta, choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue reported that the thieves also took clothes, designer sunglasses, laptops and a pair of AirPods Max headphones.

Police were led to an undisclosed location after using the “Find My” function to ping the headphones, and are following up on multiple leads. “Mr. Grant advised he was also carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician Beyoncé,” reads the incident report.

“He advised he was her choreographer and Mr. Diandre Blue was a dancer for her and that her hard drives for her upcoming show in Atlanta were stolen also. The hard drives contained water marked music, some un-released music, footage plans for the show and past and future set lists.”

A representative for Beyoncé did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

Beyoncé is nearing the finish line of her “Cowboy Carter” tour, with plans to wrap her four Atlanta shows tonight.

She is next scheduled to perform in Las Vegas for two nights that conclude the trek, which initially kicked off in Los Angeles on Aug. 28.

© 2025 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

From the food, friendliness, football and more, there’s a lot to love about living in Alabama, but often times, those qualities can get overlooked.

That’s why This is Alabama recently asked its Facebook followers what they think is underrated about life in our state. We received hundreds of answers, ranging from Conecuh Sausage and Irondale Cafe to the sense of community and all the shades of green found within the Alabama landscape.

Related: 10 underrated small towns in Alabama perfect for a day trip

One thing all the responses had in common? They all made us happy to call Alabama our home sweet home.

You can read some of the submissions below, and you can read all of them on the This is Alabama Facebook page.

“Sunsets, clouds and more shades of green than I knew existed.” — Karen Rawls

“Wonderful Alabama people who help their neighbors when needed.” — Maxine Rains

“The landscape diversity of the state. You’re always in driving distance to beautiful mountains, waterways, waterfalls or beaches. Alabama has great state parks.” — Terri Nance

“Cycling is great in Alabama.” — Stan Palla

Related: Huntsville named one of the best running towns

“Great food at any random gas station,.” — William Griffin

Related: 12 Alabama restaurants that should be more popular than they are

“The musicians we have here. I’ve been a lot of places, and our music scene is one of the best. Some places hardly have one and ours have personality too.” — Lynne Elsberry Bates Ferrante

“Famous writers….Harper Lee, Winston Groom, Kathryn Tucker Windham, etc.” — Donna Israel McCay

“The cost of living, easy winters and long growing season.” — David Tehranchi

“The Irondale Cafe has the best fried green tomatoes. The Grand Hotel and Spa in Point Clear has the best spa and brunch. Mentone is the best place to see the sunset.” — Donna Shelton Smith

Related: 5 reasons we love marvelous Mentone

“Country living with peace and quiet. Doesn’t get much better than a dirt road, a few friends, a fish fry, some good music and Saturday football. Bonus if you have a creek, pond, river, etc., nearby.” — Togo Uganda Coles

“Not having to shovel snow every morning.” — Jpl Lancaster

“The people are the salt of the Earth and the best people I’ve ever met in my life.” — Gary Clem

“Conecuh Sausage. That is Alabama.” — Will Jackson

Related: 5 Conecuh Sausage dishes to put on your Alabama bucket list

“How beautiful it is and how kind and respectful most are…especially in the small towns.” — Bonnie Tucker Ware

“That there is white water rafting, mountain views like Cheaha, and a beautiful beach all within a few hours’ drive. Cotton fields and space and rocket research in the same city, rich history and culture, symphony music live or bluegrass by the river, soul food or the best hidden gourmet meal in the South. The diversity of Alabama is endless. It truly is – Alabama the Beautiful.” — Rebeka Attaway Moore

“That whole first abbreviation on the list and first state covered on video lists about the 50 states is pretty convenient.” — Tammy Wakefield Laughlin

Related: Which fast-growing Alabama college city still has a ‘small-town feel?’

“Our college towns. All of them!” — Ginny Skater

“While we were in Hawaii, I gave one of our guides a pecan!! He was so confused about how that nut grew!” — Nelda Faulkner

New market rate and affordable housing developments are coming to Woodlawn this Fall.

Woodlawn United, a neighborhood revitalization nonprofit, is breaking ground on their mixed-income housing initiative. Developers are building four market rate houses on 50th Street North in West Woodlawn, each priced at $259,000 and expected to be up and running by September. Another project in the works is affordable housing in South Woodlawn on Georgia Road.

Local officials said the projects will ensure community members have access to housing that doesn’t price out or displace them.

“We have to make price points accessible for those who want to come into the community. We need to make sure that Woodlawn does not go the way of other neighborhoods where the original community is priced out,” Jason Avery, president of the Woodlawn neighborhood association, said.

“As long as we work together and we continue to make space for houses and developments like this, I think we’re going to continue to see a diverse, vibrant and growing community.”

For 15 years, Woodlawn United has prioritized the creation of mixed-use housing throughout the community while ensuring none of the neighborhood’s residents were displaced.

“We are really, really determined to make sure that we do it the right way that we have revitalization, not gentrification,” Avery, a Woodlawn United board member, said.

“In Woodlawn, we always want people to know that change is happening with them, not to them.”

Since its inception, homeownership in the neighborhood has increased 10%, according to President and CEO of Woodlawn United Mashonda Taylor.

“In West Woodlawn, we did not have a market rate product, so this enables us to fill a need within our community,” Taylor said.

“This house doesn’t just represent a house being built. It represents community, us coming together with a shared vision to say that we will lead the charge not only in Woodlawn, not only in the city, not only in the state, but people around the nation are recognizing that we are doing this the right way. Our community will not be priced out. We will be intentional.”

District Four Councilor J.T. Moore said additional housing and investments in the neighborhood will help to mitigate blight issues like illegal dumping in vacant, abandoned and overgrown lots.

“Anybody who has bought a house can attest to the fact that it’s a very scary thing…By having all of these partners come together to be able to find ways to make housing affordable, eliminates that fear,” Moore said.

“And I think that that is truly important, because the more we can eliminate that fear, the more we can get people into housing so that they can add value to their community.”

By fall, Woodlawn United will be breaking ground for the Cottages on Georgia Road which will provide housing for moderate-income and extremely low-income individuals and families.

“We’ve got market-rate housing today. We will be breaking ground on affordable in the next few weeks…People deserve high quality houses regardless of their income level,” Taylor said.

If you believe James Spann is already a ubiquitous meteorological presence, particularly during dangerous storms, just touch that dial.

On Aug. 11, the popular, award-winning Birmingham meteorologist will launch his own channel: The Alabama Weather Network. It will be available 24/7 on numerous streaming services (i.e. Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire), on social media (YouTube, Facebook), and through the Alabama Weather Network app and website.

“It’s long been a dream of mine,” says Spann, who will retain his position as chief meteorologist for ABC 33/40 while appearing on the new network.

“When I started doing this, you had television boundaries,” Spann said. “You had markets — you were on in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Aniston, and that’s it. Nobody else could see you. With digital and social media, that’s all changed; boundaries have faded away. Now, everybody in our business can decide where the boundaries will start for them and where they’ll stop. For me, the logical stopping point is the state line because I know the state better than anybody, including you, Gov. Kay Ivey, anybody.”

The network, whose production studios are based in Birmingham, will air recorded programming on events, activities and places to visit statewide. Statewide forecasts will air every 20 minutes and be updated several times daily. There will also be targeted forecasts aimed at, for instance, beaches, lawn care and gardening.

“There’s a hunger for adequate good weather coverage, and a lot of our rural parts of the state don’t have that. This will fill some holes,” said Spann. “We’re going to have the resources to do it right, resources I’ve not had. So, it’s an absolute dream come true for me.”

Shows will emphasize preparedness, both in the days and sometimes weeks before a storm hits, but also long-term readiness on subjects such as protecting your home and having a plan far ahead of inevitable storms.

“Some people are new here and this weather can be terrifying,” Spann says. “You come here from Portland or Boston and all of a sudden tornadoes are flying around. We have to take care of those who’ve lived here forever and people who are new here. We can do that in addition to obviously giving them short-term warnings so they know when it’s time to get to a safe place — respect the polygon and all that.”

Last week, in the tense aftermath of the tragic and deadly flooding of the Guadalupe River in central Texas that killed at least 130 people, Spann called for “empathy and kindness” on behalf of the families of victims. He received “nasty messages and verbal threats” in response to remarks about the impact of cloud seeding on the flood.

Spann is one of four owners of the Alabama Weather Network. The others are hotel industry executive Bill Murray, who partners with Spann on the Alabama Weather Blog, former meteorologist John Oldshue, and business and personal finance expert Bill Hardekopf, who was president and general manager of the Birmingham Barons from 1992-1998.

“James is a trusted voice and a community cheerleader,” says Murray. “Now he will be a statewide cheerleader. He has so much emotional equity with the people of Alabama. They care what he says. Beyond weather, he’ll drum up enthusiasm for things like UAB football, the World Police and Fire Games, and other important events across the state.”

Says Spann: “We live in a place where you’re going to deal with occasional events that can threaten your life. Tracking tornadoes in the Birmingham region is kind of what I’m known for, but you’ve also got hurricanes in coastal Alabama and winter storms in North Alabama, including some wicked ice storms. You’ve got severe thunderstorms with straight-line winds that can knock a tree right through your house and pick up a trailer and blow it three lots over. I could tell you stories about ice storms that would curl your toes.

“There are a gazillion weather apps, a gazillion YouTubers and TikTokers, but folks need a source they can trust. I’d like to think I’ve been here long enough where I understand them, they understand me, and I’m always there for them.”

And will now be there 24/7.

Leading up to the 2025 season, AL.com is highlighting the top high school football players in Alabama.

Our first statewide list focused on the best running backs in 6A, our second list focused on the best defensive linemen in 6A, and our third list focused on the best wide receivers in 6A. Our fourth list focuses on the best tight ends in 6A.

We contacted coaches across the state and asked them to fill out a survey requesting information about their team. These lists were compiled primarily based on the information provided by the coaches who chose to respond.

If you are an Alabama high school football coach who did not receive the survey, email [email protected] or [email protected]. We will continue to add to these lists throughout the summer.

BEST TIGHT ENDS, ALABAMA 6A

Connor Greb, jr., Spain Park

Greb is a tight end/fullback on the football field and a standout third baseman and left-handed hitter on the baseball diamond. He’s No. 8 in Prep Baseball Alabama’s class of 2027 state rankings. “He has a chance to have a really big year,” Jaguars coach Tim Vakakes said.

Nick Hampton, sr., Gulf Shores

Hampton received honorable mention on the Press-Register all-Coastal team after catching 35 passes for 378 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior. He racked up more than 20 college offers before committing to Troy last month.

Jackson Hanner, sr., Gardendale

Hanner hasn’t played football since his freshman year, but Rockets coach Eric Firestone is counting on him to be a major part of the offense. “We will lean heavily on him in both the run and the pass game,” Firestone said. “Very athletic and versatile.”

Ethan Haynes, sr., Hartselle

Haynes was mostly a blocker for the Tigers last season, but that will change this year. “We’re looking to expand his role as a physical skill guy,” Tigers coach Bert Newton said.

Anthony “Tank” Jones, sr., St. Paul’s Episcopal

Fans know him best as a dominant pass-rusher — he’s the No. 16 player nationally in the class of 2026 based on 247Sports’ composite rankings — but Jones also contributes on offense for the Saints as a tight end, wide receiver and Wildcat quarterback. As a junior, he had five rushing touchdowns and three touchdown catches. “If he wanted to be a tight end, he’d probably be the No. 1 tight end in the country because his ball skills are elite,” St. Paul’s Episcopal coach Ham Barnett said. “His route-running is elite. He could be anything he wants to be.”

Cohen Jones, jr., Chelsea

Jones said his strengths as a tight end are his stalk blocking and his ability to gain yards after contact. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he’s a great target in the red zone. As a sophomore for the Hornets, Jones caught 15 passes for 162 yards and five touchdowns. He said he’s spent the offseason working to improve his speed, footwork and agility. He’s also been keeping up on his schoolwork — Jones has a 4.07 GPA.

Quentin Lewis, jr., Russell County

As a sophomore, Lewis recorded 28 receptions for 642 yards and 10 touchdowns playing wide receiver and tight end. He has picked up several Division I offers this offseason, including one from the University of Miami. “Quentin is a big target for our offense and always does something with the ball,” Warriors coach Dillon Griggs said. “He is great with or without the ball.”

James Newby, jr., Athens

Newby started at tight end as a sophomore. He’ll do the same this year in addition to taking on a starting position on the defensive line. “Great athlete; jumps and runs extremely well,” Golden Eagles coach Cody Gross said.

Nasir Ray, jr., Clay-Chalkville

Ray is the tight end/slot receiver in a high-powered Cougars offense. “A good blocker and route-runner; he has good hands and is good at using his body to get open,” said Clay-Chalkville senior quarterback Aaron Frye, who appreciates having Ray on his side — for multiple reasons. “Nasir is a chill person,” Frye said, “but he will fight for you and stand behind you.”

Carson Stephens, jr., St. Paul’s Episcopal

Stephens is a two-year starter with more than 40 receptions, 600 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns through his sophomore season. Now an upperclassman, he’ll assume an even bigger role on the team. “He has taken steps this offseason in being a leader on offense,” Saints coach Ham Barnett said.

Hayes DeCoudres and J.T. Watts, srs., Homewood

The Patriots boast two standouts at the tight end position. “Both are very good blockers with exceptional hands,” Patriots coach Ben Berguson said. “They both can attach as a traditional tight end, flex at receiver or line up as a sniffer back.” The classmates combined for 18 catches and 228 yards last season.

For complete coverage of Alabama high school football, including schedules, scores, recruiting news and additional player spotlights, visit AL.com’s high school sports section throughout the season.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am 64 years old. My mother insists that when I am offered another helping of food, it’s rude for me to reply, “No, thank you, I’m full.” She says I should just say “No, thank you” and leave it at that because no one wants to know whether I’m full.

If I say that I am full, she frowns and gives me a withering look. In fact, she gives me the same look when I just say “No, thank you” because she always thinks I’m going to add that I am full.

However, many of my other relatives regularly say that they are full! Is my mom right?

GENTLE READER: Always. And Miss Manners agrees that picturing your full stomach has a bad effect on other people’s appetites.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

DEAR ABBY: My spouse and I are retired and on Social Security. We’ve both worked hard all our lives and are content living a modest retirement. Our house is paid for, and we have little debt.

However, we’re both experiencing physical and mental decline. I worry about our house. We aren’t able to clean and maintain it like we used to because of our physical limitations. We used to have parties, but we’re embarrassed to have people over now, which means we’re kind of isolated.

We also worry that our Social Security and Medicare benefits will be stripped away. We rely on them to live. We both paid into the system since age 15. Shouldn’t we expect to reap the benefits of paying into the system all these years? We worry all the time about the future, which seems so grim right now.

Even if we can survive the next few years, I’m increasingly concerned about the disintegration of our home. I am not sure where to turn. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. — WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE

DEAR WORRIED: If there is a senior center in your community, reach out and ask if there are any services that could assist you in finding reasonably priced help with your house.

As to your embarrassment about entertaining friends, that concern may be needless. If you want company, invite friends over for afternoon tea, a picnic or a barbecue outside if the weather permits.

Regarding your anxiety about Social Security, you are far from alone in feeling worried. Approximately 70 million American seniors are worrying right along with you. Every senior should be writing to their local politicians, their state representatives, congresspersons and senators reminding them that those benefits were paid for and, if they are interfered with, it could cost them the next election.

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

As someone who has visited every county and most cities in Alabama, I can tell you our state has a love of quirkiness that rivals that of any other.

I enjoy nothing better than seeking out things like World’s Largest Business Shirt (Andalusia, Ala.), the World’s Largest Office Chair (Anniston, Ala.) or the movie town of Spectre used in the 2003 film “Big Fish” (Jackson Lake Island, Ala.)

I made a list of 11 cities in Alabama that are the definition of “eccentric,” meaning “unconventional” or “quirky,” in the best possible way.

Let’s see if you agree. What cities would you add? Email [email protected].

Abbeville

The Henry County town of Abbeville, whose population hovers at about 2,400 people, is not on the way to anywhere. Located in a far southeastern corner of the state, within spitting distance of the Georgia line, it’s a little town with tons of personality. Civic leaders and Abbeville’s most prominent resident, Jimmy Rane, have preserved the town’s historic buildings, encouraged new businesses and added fun and quirky touches to make Abbeville a destination city. Rane’s collection of vintage neon signs hangs on the city’s main street, filling it with color and nostalgia. Rane also opened a restaurant named for the legend of Huggin’ Molly, a witch of local lore. The eatery is filled with Rane’s collection of movie memorabilia.

Daphne

The city of Daphne is located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. With about 30,000 residents, it is the largest city in Baldwin County. Daphne gets its quirkiness from two things, one natural and one manmade. Daphne is nicknamed the “Jubilee City” thanks to the natural phenomenon of jubilee. This event occurs when oxygen levels in the water change and force fish, shrimp and crabs to jump onto the shoreline. When it occurs, people flock to the shore to collect their “catch.”

Daphne also benefits from the unique art of Bruce Larsen, who lives in nearby Fairhope. The U.S. Sports Academy in Daphne commissioned several sculptures from Larsen, who creates figures from found objects. The sports figures dot the campus and draw curious visitors.

Elberta

Elberta, located in Baldwin County, is home to about 2,000 souls. But at any given time, that number is much higher due to people who come to Barber Marina. People come for the usual reasons, to fish or boat, but they also come to take a little trip inside the mind of George Barber. Barber, the owner of the marina, has commissioned dozens of quirky artworks to adorn his property. Fish Trap Road, which winds its way to the marina, is dotted with four oversized dinosaurs and a Stonehenge replica. The bay itself is home to the Lady in the Bay, a huge female figure who seems to float in the water. But there are smaller surprises everywhere, including statues of knights, seahorses, alligators, dolphins, a giant metal spider and a massive ornate fountain adorned with horses and lions.

Enterprise

This city of 30,000 people is unusual from the get-go because it is located in two counties: Coffee and Dale. It is best known for having the statue of an insect in its main downtown intersection. The figure of a woman holds aloft an oversized boll weevil, which the city erected in 1919 because the bug’s destruction of cotton harvests forced farmers to diversify their crops and grow peanuts. But the insect statue is not the quirkiest thing about Enterprise. Just over 100 years later, in 2022, the local McDonald’s erected a boll weevil version of Ronald McDonald, complete with six legs and a snout. Enterprise is a city you don’t want to miss!

MORE: 7 clever Alabama roadside attractions that help tell their towns’ histories

Evergreen

Evergreen is a quaint small town in Conecuh County with about 3,500 residents. It is known as the Emerald City because it was once the smilax capital of Alabama (for the uninitiated, smilax is a type of beautiful greenery that can be draped as decoration. In the 1890s smilax was gathered from Evergreen to decorate the White House at the request of President Grover Cleveland, according to a marker outside the city’s historic train depot. But Evergreen makes this list not for its greenery but for its Bigfoot sightings. In 2017, the city council voted to name Evergreen, the “Bigfoot Capital of Alabama.” While Bigfoot hasn’t made an appearance in town, many folks claim to have seen him, or her, in the surrounding woods.

Fyffe

On Feb. 11, 1989, several people reported seeing UFOs over Fyffe, a DeKalb County town of about 1,200 residents. The sightings would become a national story.

The New York Times reported: “The prospect of seeing a UFO lured more than 4,000 people to this town of 1,300 in northeast Alabama Friday night, but for all the hoopla no unidentified flying objects were sighted. Visibility was difficult because of clouds and light rain. Fyffe got on the UFO circuit Feb. 10, when a woman reported seeing a strange light in the sky and the police later reported seeing a large lighted object passing silently over them. Numerous other sightings have been reported since then.” The sightings were given validity by the fact that then-Police Chief Charles “Junior” Garmany and Assistant Police Chief Fred Works saw the UFOs. Today, the tiny town commemorates the event with a festival called UFO (Unforgettable Family Outing) Days each August. It features hot air ballons and entertainment.

Leeds

Leeds, a Birmingham suburb that is home to about 12,000 people, is unusual because it crosses three counties: Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby. But it made this list because it’s another mecca for the quirky art of George Barber, a one-time racecar driver. Leeds the location of Barber Motorsports Park and Museum, where people can watch races or visit an exhibit of Barber’s collection of 1,300 motorcycles, for which he holds a Guiness World Record. He has also filled this property with statues and quirky figures such as a giant ant carrying an oversized Coke, a colorful horse, tigers, spiders and zombies. It is also home to a second (the other is in Elberta) giant woman in the water, this one called the Lady in the Lake. Read how Barber ended up commissioning two ladies in the water for Alabama here.

Mentone

Mentone, a mountain town in DeKalb County, is known for its arts colony and its plethora of natural wonders, including DeSoto Falls and Little River, as well as a ski resort with manmade snow. Mentone is home to about 319 people. A couple of its eccentricities include the Sallie Howard Memorial Chapel, which is a church built around a boulder that forms its pulpit, and the ruins of Mentone Springs Hotel, a Victorian-era lodge that burned in 2014.

Seale

Seale is an unincorporated community in Russell County with about 200 residents. What makes it quirky is resident Butch Anthony, an artist who invites people to his “drive-through” museums. Anthony created the Museum of Wonder, where he displays artwork outdoors on his property and encourages visitors to walk or drive through. He has also erected shipping containers at the corner of Alabama Highways 1 and 169 to display even more art, including paintings, taxidermy, found objects and folk art.

Slapout

This community makes the list for one reason: its name. It has now mostly been absorbed by Holtville, an Elmore County city of about 5,000 people. According to lore, Slapout community got its name from the 1920s-era general store, which was typically “slap out” of many staples. When quizzed about his stock, the owner would respond simply, “I’m slap out.” Residents still honor the legend by naming business Slapout Produce and Slapout Barber Shop.

Wetumpka

Wetumpka, the seat of Elmore County, is home to about 7,200 people. It received national attention in 2020 when it was featured on HGTV’s “Hometown Takeover.” It is also known as the filming location for many scenes in the 2003 film “Big Fish.” The 1874 Victorian home featured in the film is located on a hill overlooking the city. Other scenes were filmed outside Elmore County Courthouse and downtown businesses. An oversized catfish made from hubcaps is located in downtown Wetumpka to commemorate the film. It was also the location for filming the 1995 film “The Grass Harp,” by Truman Capote, as well as “The Rosa Parks Story.” Wetumpka is also unusual because it is the location of a meteor crater that is 4.7 miles in diameter and thought to be 85 million years old.

Dear Eric: My friend who lives in the same apartment building doesn’t drive. She insists I take her shopping or to other places. She knows I don’t like to drive, especially when she doesn’t give me gas money. I keep telling her to ask other people for a backup. I’m ready to just say no most times. She’ll never get mad at me. Should I just say no?

– No Guilt

Dear No Guilt: Yes. I notice that you say your friend insists, rather than asks. That’s a problem. It seems she’s treating you like her personal taxi rather than a friend helping her out.

Have a calm but firm conversation with her in which you tell her that you need to find other solutions for getting her to the store and to other errands. If you want, you can help her brainstorm. Perhaps there are other friends or relatives, perhaps she can make use of a grocery delivery service, perhaps she can use public transportation, if available in your area.

Doing kind things for friends can be mutually beneficial. We don’t always need payment as thanks. But when these generous acts don’t come with mutual respect, they can turn into resentments. Better to be honest with your friend about what you can and can’t do, than to risk the friendship.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.