Alabama News

Birmingham’s Design Review Committee approved several projects in July, but a team working on a residential project in Norwood learned that asking for permission afterwards doesn’t always work out.

At its first meeting of July, the DRC tabled an exterior residential renovation in Norwood, a corporate-owned rental project being prepared for sale. The reason: a stop work order issued due to construction being performed without a permit.

The work completed prior to the order included removing the historic cedar siding, changing the historic dormer, removing brick columns, infilling some windows and replacing the remaining ones with vinyl-clad versions – something not allowed under the neighborhood’s guidelines.

The committee expressed a variety of concerns about this project, especially since it is a contributing structure in the historic district. The choice in replacement siding is allowed, but the manufacturer does not make a product that replicates the historic lap of the original cedar panels. The removal of the dormer and columns also caused concern.

Ultimately, the committee tabled the item until the neighborhood association weighs in. The committee also told the owner’s representative that when the project returns, the owners would need to include archival photos and elevations as part of the presentation.

The owner’s representative asked for “forgiveness” for the project, but the committee noted that neighborhood residents are becoming more prone to complain about work being undertaken either without permission or by unlicensed contractors.

At that same meeting, however, the committee approved three signage projects across the city, and gave final approval on the new Muslim Student Center near UAB on Southside.

Signage and new developments

Properties in Downtown’s Northwest and Cultural District will see updated signage projects being installed over the next few weeks.

Hallmark Automotive, a car dealer focused on Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram vehicles, is installing new, internally lit channel letter signs representing the different brands sold at the dealership.

Phillips Academy downtown is the next school to have its existing reader board replaced by a digital version. The design and zoning guidelines are specific for digital reader boards in this district and the committee was assured they would be followed.

The new Muslim Student Center in Phelan Park on the Southside received final approval on the building design. The project had appeared before the committee two other times. In June, the committee held a work session for the center to discuss concerns with the applicant, including the balance of the brick-to-window ratio, the need for parapets to hide the rooftop mechanical, and some missing elevation details.

A representative of the project expressed her appreciation for DRC input, noting it has improved the project.

May and June meetings

The final May meeting featured two construction projects. The First Presbyterian Church recently received a grant to update the wall and gate encircling the children’s playground. The height of the wall will be raised to six feet and a new gate installed. The contractor intends to reuse the existing concrete wall cap. The landscaping will remain in place.

The Ensley demolition project returned to the committee from the previous meeting. The building’s owner, who had purchased the property from the State of Alabama after it was taken for back taxes, presented conceptual plans to demolish the remaining walls of the structures and reuse the existing foundations for parking and landscaping.

The owner will return with the final designs for the parking area.

In June, the committee only met once. Besides the Muslim Student Center, at that meeting, they discussed new signage for Joe Hudson’s Collision Center downtown, which was approved.

Committee decisions by neighborhood, July 9

Twice a month, the city of Birmingham’s Design Review Committee considers plans to alter structures that fall within one of the city’s many historic and commercial revitalization districts. This column recaps DRC meetings from May, June and July 2025.

Downtown – Cultural District

Signage – Phillips Academy, 2316 Seventh Avenue North – The committee approved as presented.

Downtown – Northwest

Signage – Hallmark Automotive, 1409 Fifth Avenue North – The committee approved as presented.

Forest Park

Residential – The committee approved as presented.

Norwood

Residential – The committee tabled the request.

Phelan Park

New Construction – Muslim Student Center, 1531 13th Ave. South – The committee approved with the condition the new drawings are submitted to staff and followed.

June 25 Committee decisions by neighborhood

Downtown – Northwest

Signage – Joe Hudson’s Collision Center, 517 14th Street North – Approved as presented.

Phelan Park

New Construction – Muslim Student Center – Tabled for a work session immediately following the meeting.

May 28 Committee Decisions by Neighborhood

Downtown – 21st Street North

Reconstruction – First Presbyterian Church, 2100 Fourth Avenue North – The committee approved as presented.

Ensley

Demolition and Conceptual Plans – vacant buildings, 109-115 19th Street North – The committee approved as presented.

Decisions of the DRC, as noted in the application process, are final. Applicants are responsible for carrying out the plans as presented and approved. Any deviations from the approved plans cannot be undertaken without a return to the committee for approval.

Madison residents who will be unable to vote in person in the August municipal election may now submit an absentee ballot.

Alabama allows absentee voting for people in one of eight circumstances, including those who expect to be out of the county on Election Day, people with physical disabilities and residents living out of state or overseas. Madison’s election will be held Aug. 26, with polls open citywide from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mayor Paul Finley is not seeking re-election. The mayor’s office and three of the seven council districts are contested.

An absentee ballot can be requested in writing or in person from the election manager in the City Clerk’s office at City Hall, 100 Hughes Road. The request form can also be downloaded here.

The following information must be included with the application:

• Name and address
• A copy of your valid photo ID
• The election and date
• The reason for absence on Election Day
• Mailing address for the ballot
• Original signature. Electronic signatures will not be accepted. If a mark is made in place of a signature, it must be witnessed.

The city recommends you confirm your registration and address with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office before applying for an absentee ballot.

The absentee ballot application must be returned by the voter in person, by U.S. mail or by commercial carrier. Only one application is allowed per envelope.

The deadline to hand-deliver an application for an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Aug. 21. An absentee ballot returned by mail must be received by noon on Election Day.

In a series of stories, AL.com will continue to explore big ideas for transforming Birmingham.

Kat Files has danced since she was 4-years-old. Her talent has taken her around the country, yet every year she returns to Birmingham to give back.

Growing up, Files said she remembers traveling out of state to learn dance techniques that weren’t available in Birmingham. Instead of packing her bags and never looking back, Files created a program that has exposed more than 6,000 community members to opportunities in the arts.

“I am not based in Birmingham anymore, but I am still trying to have an impact and influence because I love the city that I’m from,” Files said. “We’re trying to uplift the community and move the needle forward.”

On Saturday, July 26, Files’ students will perform at the Smithfield Public Art Walk, a free community event celebrating the historic neighborhood through art and storytelling.

At the event, Files will also host a workshop to encourage community members to express themselves through movement.

“We’re incorporating all of these various art forms and making it about the Smithfield community. So many amazing, wonderful, talented and influential people have come out of that community,” Files said. “We want to highlight and bring awareness to those people through various art experiences.”

Over the years, Files’ work has connected people through art and exposed them to the talents that Birmingham community members have to offer.

Files’ story

Files has always loved dancing.

In her early years, she attended the Birmingham Ballet Academy and the Alabama School of Fine Arts to hone her skills.

But to become a professional dancer, she knew there was more to learn outside of Birmingham.

She trained at world renowned dance studios including the Bates Dance Festival in Maine and Ballet West in Utah, among others. At age 15, she trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, which is known for celebrating African American culture.

“That experience changed my life,” Files said. “I was able to see dancers who looked like myself doing something for their professional career, living their dreams.”

She went on to attend Fordham University, where she was awarded the highest scholarship for dance.

For years, Files lived her dream in New York performing on stages in front of hundreds of people.

In 2013, she returned to Birmingham to teach a small, free ballet class for children in Woodlawn.

Files said she never imagined becoming a teacher, but returned to teach again, nonetheless.

In 2014, she led a larger class at the Carver Theater to teach a modern dance technique, which wasn’t offered in Birmingham dance studios at the time.

“I wanted to just expose dancers to this technique that I had been learning in New York City and Atlanta,” Files said.

And she has returned every year since.

“That is where my true desire to teach and give back flourished,” Files said. “I know there’s a need and a want. It’s just about uplifting the next generation and giving back.”

The program

In 2014, Files launched a nonprofit alongside her brothers, Christian Files and Royce Files, who are both musicians, to give back to their community.

The program, The FILES Arts Project, is open to all ages and provides musical and dance training, performance opportunities and business workshops to community members.

The siblings train their participants like professionals, bringing teachers from around the country, teaching audition etiquette, perfecting choreography, building resumes and preparing them for performances.

In June, Files hosted 80 students at the program’s twelfth annual, week long Dance and Music Workshop and Showcase at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and the Boutwell Auditorium.

Students came from across Alabama and some traveled from Georgia and Florida to participate.

Over the years, more than 500 people have participated in the workshops and showcases, including community members like Kira Fonbah and A’Zuri Hubbard.

Fonbah, a 44-year-old working mom of four, said she never let life get in the way of her passion for dancing. In college, she learned ballet and even danced as the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Blaze mascot.

In 2023, when she signed up for the Files’ arts program, Fonbah said she knew it was special.

“When you walk in, you are made to feel at home. It is so welcoming,” Fonbah said.

“I remember walking into one session, and Kat was at the front repeating, ‘I am bold, I am kind, I am brave.’ I’m telling you, I was tearing up. It was so inspirational. They care about not just building beautiful dancers, but they’re building beautiful human beings who are strong, who are kind, who are also go-getters.”

Hubbard, a 16-year-old Star Spangled Girl at Homewood High School, joined the arts program in 2021.

She said Files’ program has helped her grow as a dancer through health and wellness workshops, mock auditions and solo performances.

“They make you feel seen,” Hubbard said. “The instructors really do believe in me…If you want to be in that professional setting, they’re there to help you.”

Hubbard said she appreciates how professional yet affordable the program is.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you just always wanted to dance, and you don’t have the funds to just go out and do some of the crazy dance intensives and stuff, I think that this is a good opportunity,” Hubbard said.

Files said art programs like hers would normally cost $400 to $500.

“We understand that everyone cannot afford that. So bringing high quality training and performing opportunities to all of the communities, and making this accessible to expose these students to something that they might not even realize is a possibility for them, that’s what we’re rooted in,” Files said.

She said the program also exposes other states to what Birmingham has to offer.

“There’s so much talent in Birmingham,” Files said.

What’s next

Files said she hopes to expand her nonprofit to offer more professional arts experiences and longer programming, though funding is limited.

“We’ve had some amazing partners in Birmingham which have allowed us to continue to do what we’re doing, because, quite frankly, more funding is needed,” Files said.

Click here to donate to the FILES Arts Project.

Files said she will continue bringing resources back to Birmingham community members.

“This is a phenomenally massive undertaking they’re doing. There are scores and scores and scores of kids who participate. And this thing is so well organized and it flows seamlessly,” Fonbah said.

“Kat didn’t have to turn back. But she was very intentional about giving back to underserved communities, those communities that would not always have access to dance, or it’s not easy to access. And it’s not a half hearted effort. This is done with excellence.”

World Market has issued a recall on Emek brand pistachio chocolate spread due to a potential salmonella contamination, according to a recent FDA release.

The product is packaged in clear glass jar and is sold primarily in World Market retail stores nationwide.

The spread, and others like it, have become popular with shoppers looking to make their own Dubai chocolate, a Middle Eastern confection that has taken TikTok by storm this year.

World Market initiated the recall after samples of the product tested positive for salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

And in rare circumstances, salmonella infection can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis, the release adds.

The recall was recently raised to a Class 1 alert, meaning there is a “reasonable probability” that ingesting the spread could cause serious illness or even death, according to the FDA.

No illnesses have been reported as of July 24.

The affected products were distributed between June 11 to July 9, 2025.

Consumers who have purchased these products have been urged not to consume them and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or they may discard the product.

Consumers with questions may contact Customer Service at 877.967.5362 Sunday – Saturday 7:00 am – 12:00 am EST, the release says.

Kate Bolduan’s reaction during a live CNN broadcast pretty much summed it up.

“Oh, Jesus,” she shrieked.

She had just witnessed Savannah Bananas baseball player RobertAnthony Cruz attempting a backflip. He face planted instead.

“That never happens,” Cruz said in the awkward moment following the failed stunt on CNN News Central Thursday.

The camera cut back to a surprised Bolduan.

“That – that what you just saw there, is a brand new twist on America’s favorite pastime,” CNN co-host John Berman said.

After going to a break, Berman returned to say Cruz was fine. However, he didn’t return to the broadcast.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

This is an opinion column

Once there were six; now there are five. One left this earth just last week. I called us Beach Readers, but we read other places as well, back in our home towns. A group of high school friends, some who met each other in the long ago days of first grade, got together every year at a friend’s beach house for a few days of swimming, sunning, story telling, and reading. Conversations started with “Remember when?”

Most of us were in reading circles in grade one, grouped by our ability to stammer out the sounds that somehow made words and told a simple story. if you were a Red Bird, you caught on quickly; if you were a Blue Bird, you needed a little help, and God help the Yellow Birds who must have dreaded reading circles since they guessed at every single word.

Our first grade teacher was not the kind to soothe or help children who were struggling. We watched in fear as she stalked around the circles, listening to our small voices as we hoped we got the pronunciation right. If we didn’t, she uttered some sharp words about being held back in school. As far as I know, nobody was held back. I don’t believe in scaring children, but I guess her stern method worked.

In spite of that rude introduction to the reading life, we learned to love it. Most of us grew up to be readers of novels and members of book clubs. Most of us packed some paperbacks to pass around at the beach. By the end of our stay, the pages were damp or dog-eared.The paperback covers might be torn. But we kept reading, out there on the beach where the chairs were comfortable enough to hold a reader who might doze off right in the middle of a chapter but pick up the story line as soon as she woke up.

Nobody reads serious books at the beach. No “Crime and Punishment” or “1984.” Beach books didn’t necessarily have complex themes or literary merit. But they could hook you from the first chapter with their descriptions of beautiful blondes who fell in love with hunky guys who stopped on a deserted highway to help them change a tire, or women who were clever enough to foil a plot by the bad guys and save the day.

We read mysteries, thrillers, best sellers, and historical fiction. In later years, we read on Kindles, iPhones, and Nooks. We passed around reading glasses if someone had left hers in the room. As beach books became more acceptable as a genre, book stores accommodated readers with whole sections of them. One chain book store, Books- A-Million, calls them “Cozy Reads”. These are the thrillers, mysteries, and romance novels you throw in your suitcase, zip through, and leave at the condo for the next reader to enjoy.

Another local bookstore, The Snail on the Wall, has a section called “Paperbacks for Poolside Reading.” It features escape literature; entertaining literature, and what used to be called “light reading.” It takes the reader away from the problems and worries of real life, and who doesn’t need that right now?

I live hours away from the Beach Readers, way up in North Alabama. But once you’re a reader, you’re a reader for life. If you live somewhere long enough, people know this about you, the way they know your hair color and height and can spot you across the room. After a funeral today, a friend pulled me aside. We talked about the family that was mourning and ways we could help them.

Then, on the way to the parking lot, she said, “I’ve got a book for you. I think you’ll love it.”

Contact Beth Thames at [email protected]

After Miami obtained safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in an NFL trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers on June 30, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said on Wednesday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had shared his first impression of his former Alabama teammate: “Who is this psychopath?”

“He told me his first on-field impression, which was hilarious,” McDaniel said. “As a freshman, they’re running gassers, and they’re gutted. And as a freshman, you have a bunch of peers, upperclassmen that you’re trying to prove yourself towards. And then Minkah, just this silent dude in meeting rooms, all of a sudden blacks out, starts talking about overtime and talking all sorts of — not a bad word — but stuff, all sorts of that, and pushing his entire team. And Tua was like: Who’s this psychopath? I fear him.

“First day on the job, before any practice. You got to condition to see where people are at, and it took one team moment for him to feel his impact. So that was a cool story because it was like one of his first memories as a college-football participant. They weren’t playing football. It was just conditioning. But I think it speaks to the type of impact that a player who reserves his work — he’s a soft-spoken guy — but he plays the game the way we envision playing it.”

Tagovailoa and Fitzpatrick were Crimson Tide teammates for one season. In Fitzpatrick’s final game at Alabama, Tagovailoa threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith to lift the Tide to a 26-23 overtime victory against Georgia in the CFP national-championship game on Jan. 8, 2018.

“I have so many good things to say about Minkah,” Tagovailoa said on Wednesday, “because when I was there my freshman year, that was his last year before we ended up parting ways when he entered the draft. But I have a lot of good things to say about him — the mentor in the way that he was for that locker room back in ’17, that ’17 year and ’18. I mean the leadership that he gives off, sort of the standard.

“I was talking to Mike about it, too. With Mink, there’s the standard and then there’s someone that you can look at and you can say, ‘That’s a standard.’ And I can’t put words to what that standard is, but I kind of want to gravitate towards that person, and I think that’s what Minkah gives off.”

The Dolphins obtained Fitzpatrick and a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft from Pittsburgh in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith and a seventh-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on Wednesday called trading Fitzpatrick “very difficult.”

“His experience here and the production that he gave us speaks for itself,” Tomlin said. “But you got to make tough choices, and, obviously, I’ve been speaking glowingly about two top-notch players that we acquired in that, but I don’t, obviously, lessen the impact of a player like Minkah.”

The trade returned Fitzpatrick to his original NFL team. After using the 11th choice in the 2018 NFL Draft to add Fitzpatrick, Miami sent the safety, a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 seventh-round pick to Pittsburgh for first- and fifth-round picks in 2020 and a sixth-round pick in 2021 on Sept. 16, 2019.

Fitzpatrick earned the first of his five Pro Bowl selections that season. He also was a first-team All-Pro pick in 2019, an honor he would earn again in 2020 and 2022.

“I don’t know necessarily if it was moving on from Minkah,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said on Wednesday. “We had an opportunity to acquire two Pro Bowl players that we felt with where we are as a team made sense for us. Have a lot of respect for Minkah. Minkah was a great football player for a few years for us.”

Tagovailoa said he was unsure if Fitzpatrick wanted to return to Miami after the acrimony associated with his departure.

“When we ended up getting Minkah,” Tagovailoa said, “I thought that was unique because Minkah started out here and then going there and then coming back. I just wasn’t sure how Minkah was going to feel about that given the prior scars that he had with what the media portrayed was happening behind the scenes. And then there’s just things that I didn’t know where his headspace was.

“Had lunch with him on Sunday, got to talk to him about a good amount of things. And it’s not catching up with me and (wide receiver Jaylen Waddle) because I’m on the opposite side of the ball, I only had him for one year and, I don’t know, it’s probably six, seven years that I’ve seen him. I’m a different person than I was in Alabama. He’s a different person than he was at Alabama, so just kind of getting to rekindle that fire of a relationship with him.

“But I’m excited. I’m excited to have him, and we’re going to see. I mean, we’re competing right now, so it’s good fun.”

The Dolphins held their first practice of training camp on Wednesday, and McDaniel said Fitzpatrick was glad to be there.

“Any sort of trade, you try to identify first and foremost that the player you’re receiving wants to play football for you,” McDaniel said. “… I’m elated to have added Minkah to the team because it’s an opportunity to have a player that I’ve been coaching off of and plays the position the way that we here want to play the position that he gets to actually play. It’s a real good fit based on his skill set both athletically and what he’s able to do with his transitions in the open field and then elite ball skills. And then leadership.

“The National Football League’s hard, especially when you’re a guy like Minkah that puts everything into it. And so there’s a lot of things that go on when you’re all in with a team and then your team changes. That being said, you’re a football first guy that wants to be around teammates that care about football and you’re driven to win and write your own story. Was very confident this would be a place that he would fit right in. Know a lot of Bama guys. Know a lot of guys in the NFL. So had a lot of foresight into what he was coming back to, and, shoot, he couldn’t get in the 29 jersey fast enough.”

Miami cornerback Kader Kohou said he’d already felt the difference Fitzpatrick can make.

“Minkah’s a baller, man,” Kohou said, “so he’s going to come in and ball. And he’s, like, a vet. Good leader, so we’re excited to have him here.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning jazz musician, died Tuesday at the age of 84.

“The family of Chuck Mangione is deeply saddened to share that Chuck peacefully passed away in his sleep at his home in Rochester, New York, on July 22, 2025,” the statement read, per the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle.

Mangione, a composer and musician who released 30 albums in his career, composed “Feels So Good,” which became a 1978 hit.

He is also remembered for his recurring appearances as himself on Fox’s animated series “King of the Hill.”

Mangione won two Grammy Awards over his 60-year career in music, including one for best instrumental composition for “Bellavia” – named to honor his mother – and was nominated a total of 14 times.

Mangione composed and performed “Give it All You Got,” which was the theme song for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

“Chuck’s love affair with music has been characterized by his boundless energy, unabashed enthusiasm, and pure joy that radiated from the stage,” the family’s statement read. “His appreciation for his loyal worldwide fans was genuine as evidenced by how often he would sit at the edge of the stage after a concert for however long it took to sign autographs for the fans who stayed to meet him and the band.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

The landowners’ attempt not to be included in a lawsuit to stop the construction of a quarry in Belle Mina proved unsuccessful.

Limestone County Circuit Judge Matthew Huggins denied Elephants R Us and Landquest Properties’ motion to be dismissed from the lawsuit this week. They own the property where the quarry is being constructed on Mooresville Road.

“We’re pleased the court agreed with us that the law requires the landowners where this harmful quarry is located to continue on as defendants in this case,” said Barry Brock, director of the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Alabama office. “We can now focus on working alongside the Belle Mina community to protect their quality of life from the harmful impacts of this quarry. “

A hearing has not been set to hear the lawsuit.

A group of churches and residents filed suit to block the quarry less than a half mile from the heart of Belle Mina, a Limestone County community that is home to a mixture of farmers in historic homes and low-income families.

The quarry site is north of Interstate 565 and is near an almost 400-acre site recently annexed by Huntsville where up to 3,000 homes and retail development is proposed.

New Beginnings Covenant Ministries, Belle Mina Methodist Church, Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church, New Heavan Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Brad Vice, Nina Perez and Sandra Diaz are plaintiffs in the case.

Named as defendants are Stoned LLC and Grayson Carter and Son Contracting in addition to the property owners.

The plaintiffs unsuccessfully fought to keep the Alabama Department of Environmental Management from issuing Stoned LLC a permit to discharge water from the quarry site and Grayson Carter & Son a permit to emit air pollutants from the rock crushing site.

Vice told AL.com at a public meeting in February 2024 that he and his wife have been losing sleep over the quarry and what it would do to their daughter’s health. He believes his home is the closest to the site.

He isn’t alone in being concerned about what particles in the air from operations of the quarry would do to the children of the community. The plaintiffs in the case also raise concerns about the impact discharge of water into Limestone Creek and its tributaries might make on the health of residents in the community.

Vice and Perez told AL.com at the meeting last year they were concerned about construction of the quarry doing structural damage to roads and homes in the community. Vice was among residents concerned property values would plummet. Perez was concerned that insurance rates would increase with the quarry’s operation.

According to court filings, operations at the quarry site are conducted 11 hours a day, six to seven days a week, often waking residents in the middle of the night with light and noise.

The filing said dust from rock crushing, topsoil removal and transporting the dirt covers the plaintiffs’ properties, interfering with the use and enjoyment of their properties.

The plaintiffs are also concerned that overtime, activities from the quarry will deplete the community’s groundwater and alter water levels in Limestone Creek and its tributaries in addition to structure damage to roads, homes and churches.

During the permitting process, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service voiced concerns about the impact of the quarry on endangered species in the area. And representatives from Auburn University wrote letters to ADEM about their concerns on the impact on the water levels at the 700-acre Auburn University experiment station located about a mile from the site.

During a public hearing in March of last year, Randy Thomason, a Grayson Carter & Son Contracting corporate officer, promised his company would be a good community citizen. And supporters of the quarry said it would bring much needed jobs to the community and revenue to Limestone County.

Grayson Carter & Son, an Athens company, is one of the companies contracted to work on road projects in the city of Huntsville.