Established 1935 in Jasper, Alabama LOCAL DECISIONS, LOCAL INVESTMENT. Pinnacle Bank is a community-based bank headquartered in Jasper, Alabama. We have 3 locations in Walker County to serve you. DOWNTOWN JASPER 1811 2nd Avenue, Jasper, AL 35501 Phone: (205) 221-4111
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299 Carl Cannon Blvd., Jasper, AL 35501 Sales: (877) 535-2112 | Service: (866) 268-8081 | Fax: (205) 295-4941 www.carlcannon.com FALL 2020 A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE WALKER MAGAZINE
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FromTheStaff... MAGAZINE Established October 2012
PUBLISHER James Phillips EDITOR Jennifer Cohron ART DIRECTOR Malarie Brakefield CONTRIBUTORS Jake Aaron, Johnathan Bentley Scott Eric Day Photography, Nicole Smith ADVERTISING Jake Aaron, Brenda Anthony, Renee Holly, Andrea Phillips, Liz Steffan DISTRIBUTION Michael Keeton
Walker Magazine is a publication of and distributed seasonally by the Daily Mountain Eagle, a division of Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without written consent from the publisher. Walker Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. Walker Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or changes in information. The opinions of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its publisher. Our mission is to promote Walker County and to showcase its many attributes as a quality place in which to live, to work and to play. We welcome ideas and suggestions for future editions of the magazine. Just send us a brief note via email. © 2020 Daily Mountain Eagle WALKER MAGAZINE P.O. Box 1469 Jasper, AL 35502 (205) 221-2840 email: walkermagazine@mountaineagle.com
The Daily Mountain Eagle has told the story of the COVID-19 pandemic since it began. Our focus has been on trying to give as much information as possible so our readers could stay ahead of the curve as it related to the coronavirus. With the Fall 2020 edition of Walker Magazine, the DME wanted to put our focus on the healthcare heroes who have worked tirelessly to continue to treat patients during this most difficult time. In this edition, we highlight 20 healthcare professionals from Walker County who have done just that. Life in a pandemic has cut down on local events, leading area residents to stay at home, streaming movies and listening to their favorite podcasts. Drake Pittman, an Empire native, is the founder and host of “Pass the Jar,” a podcast focusing on the positive things in Walker County. His story is featured inside these pages. Snapshots, where we usually take a look at local events, has changed in this edition of Walker Magazine as well due to the coronavirus. Without many local events, the DME held a photography contest with the best entrants featured in this magazine. With our sports feature, we take a break from anything related to COVID-19 to catch up with one of the greatest athletes in Walker County history, former Parrish Tornado and Kentucky Wildcat Tony Dixon. The record running back from the early 2000s catches us up on his life these days. Each Walker Magazine features a photo spread. This edition is no exception with a series of photographs dedicated to former school buildings that have been repurposed. We feature Eldridge School, T.S. Boyd in Dora and Townley School. The 2020 fall magazine could not be published without something to do with elections featured inside, so we look back in From the Vault to an interesting election in 1983. With all that, and even a small focus on Santa Claus, the Fall 2020 Walker Magazine seems to have something for everybody.
James Phillips, Publisher
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What’sInside
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FROM THE VAULT
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Election Day 1983
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HEALTHCARE HEROES
Podcaster Drake Pittman
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Walker County’s healthcare workers
KEEPING A STEADY PACE
SCHOOL PRIDE NEVER DIES Old schools repurposed
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Parrish’s Tony Dixon
SNAPSHOTS PHOTO CONTEST A look into life in quarantine
OnTheCover
GetHooked! For your entertainment we have placed this fishing hook (actual size) within the pages of Walker Magazine. This will be a permanent feature for our readers. We hope you enjoy searching for the fishing hook in each issue.
HINT:
Invert this page to reveal the page number. Find the hook hiding on page twelve. 6 / WALKER MAGAZINE
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PASS THE JAR
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In this issue we learn from some of Walker County’s finest in the medical field on what it means to them to be a“healthcare hero.” Photos by Scott Eric Day Photography
510 17th Street West, Jasper
Find us online! HarbinsJasper.com
205.512.1515
Vault From The
Election Day 1983 Compiled by Jennifer Cohron Photos courtesy of the Daily Mountain Eagle
Walker County had two elections in quick succession in 1983 — a GOP primary in September and a general election to decide one state Senate race and two state House races. Turnout for both was light. Two hours after polls opened in the primary, some locations had not had any voters and some had had fewer than 10. Fewer than 4,000 people voted in the District 5 Senate race, which was won by Charles Bishop.
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Pass The jar Text and Photographs by JAMES PHILLIPS
D
RAKE PITTMAN GREW UP in the small Walker County community of Empire with the hopes that he would one day leave the area and never come back. Pittman now lives in Jasper and never wants to leave his home area again. Pittman is the founder and host of “Pass the Jar,” a podcast that he says focuses on “stories, thoughts and conversations with Walker County business owners, music artists, content creators and dreamers.” “My plans didn’t really work out, and I never really found my true niche in college,” Pittman said. “I have always been good at talking to people, but it was only after I got married when I learned how to listen. That is when I saw my conversation skills go way up. “After moving back here the last time, I knew that I wanted to leave Walker County better than I found it,” he added. “I’ve always had a passion for social media and content creation. The podcast industry has been booming, and it was something I thought a lot about doing. My wife finally said that I needed to do it now or I never would.” Since that time, Pittman has now released almost two seasons of “Pass the Jar,” and he has interviewed more than two dozen Walker County folks, ranging from musicians to barbers to football coaches.
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“Empire and Dora used to be big mining communities. Most of Walker County was made up of mining communities that thrived at one point in time. It was our dynasty years,” Pittman said. “I see a new generation who has that same work ethic now with people coming back home and flourishing.
County is usually negative.
“We are getting rid of the stigmas and preconceived notions that people have had about Walker County,” he added. “Walker County is a welcoming place to anybody and everybody. I tell people on the podcast to talk to someone different than you. If we do that, we make new friends and see that our differences shouldn’t divide us. I want to let people know how diverse Walker County is. I can talk to someone different from me on every corner.”
The podcast currently gets between 750 and 2,000 downloads per episode. It is available on all podcast outlets such as Apple and Spotify. Pittman said it has grown tenfold in the last eight months. He also said it is difficult to narrow down a favorite episode.
Pittman said it is all about putting “good eyes” on Walker County. He said other than stories in the Daily Mountain Eagle, anything that makes it to the news from Walker
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“We have way more positive things to talk about here than we do negative. It is about taking the time to let people know about the people, places and things that make Walker County great,” he said.
“The first episode is special to me because it solidified everything, and one that was a great interview was Cody Lockhart who does ’64 Sessions.’ We are both content creators,” he said. “I try not to be biased to different episodes, because I want each one to be outstanding and make the guests look good.”
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Pittman with best friend and co-host Shane Murray in their recording studio.
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“
We have way more positive things to talk about here than we do negative. It is about taking the time to let people know about the people, places and things that make Walker County great. - DRAKE PITTMAN
The “seven-episode curse” is something that worried Pittman early in the process. “They say if you can make it past seven episodes that it will more than likely continue for a while. Most people don’t make it to that number.” He also said there is no worry concerning running out of guests, adding, “There is always someone interesting to talk to in Walker County, even if it is just my friends.” Pittman recently added a co-host to the podcast with his longtime best friend Shane Murray coming on board. The two have been friends as long as they can remember but bring different dynamics to the podcast. “Drake has a structured mind. He knows the direction that he wants to go and keeps everything on track,” Murray, a veteran of the United States Air Force, said. “Once he has it all set up, we just have good, honest conversations with the guests. “I’m just a people person,” Murray added. “I have never met a stranger. I can have a conversation with anyone at any time about anything. Drake just needs to drop a little nugget into the conversation sometimes to gently point us in the direction we need to go.” Pittman said having Murray join the podcast has been great. “He is my best friend. He understands my craziness,” Pittman said. “I texted him one night to ask him to join me, and all I got back was a simple, ‘yes.’ It is so much better to have another person to help the conversation flow.” Pittman said conversation is where the name for the podcast was derived. “Some southern families, mine included, like to have big gatherings, and sometimes passing the jar is a part of those gatherings,” he said. “I was at a gathering and heard someone say, ‘pass the jar,’ and I registered the name that night. It is my plan to keep passing the jar for a long time and asking others to talk to someone different from them.” •
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(205) 221-2100 | 400 19th St. W, Jasper, AL 35501 | www.jaspercity.com A PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE FALL 2020
School Pride Never intro Dies Schools are the heart of a community. When one closes, the people are left with a building that holds some of their fondest memories but no longer serves a purpose. Many former Walker County schools have been lost through the years, but a few have been reclaimed and given a new role. Text by JENNIFER COHRON | Photographs by JAKE AARON and MALARIE BRAKEFIELD
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Townley Elementary and Jr. High The small community of Townley has produced many leaders, including two Congressmen, Carter Manasco and Tom Bevill. Townley’s children had a school to call their own from 1894 to 2011. The one that most current alumni remember was built in 1964. When the Walker County Board of Education voted to close Townley Jr. High as well as Farmstead Elementary in 2011, the community rallied in protest and the board of trustees sued the BOE in a futile attempt to save the school. Several years later, Townley residents and alumni banded together to turn the old school into a community center. By that time, many of the windows had been broken and graffiti covered parts of the walls. In addition to stripping the building’s plumbing and electrical equipment, vandals had also defaced the property with paintballs and a campfire in the gym. Once community members were able to reclaim it, volunteers worked together to mow and clean. Several thousand dollars were raised to replace windows around the building. Additional fundraisers
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were held to replace the plumbing and electrical. In 2015, the school doors were opened once again for a Halloween carnival, a longstanding tradition for Townley students. The halls were soon packed with people. A car show the following year proved equally popular. In 2018, the Walker County Sports Hall of Fame opened in the Townley Community Center. At the time, there were 85 members of the Hall of Fame. The inaugural class was inducted in 2015. In 2019, the Walker County Sheriff’s Office opened its second substation at the Townley Community Center. The opening of a community storm shelter followed several months later. The community center is also used by the Walker County Fairy Godmothers Association to house hundreds of dresses that are made available each year to local girls who otherwise could not afford to attend prom. •
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T.S. Boyd T.S. Boyd School in Dora has a storied history. Built in 1963, it replaced a wooden high school building for black students that was proof that separate was never equal in the time of segregation. It was named in honor of the board member who pushed for a better facility to be built. When it was closed by the Walker County Board of Education in 2014, the school was serving 193 students in grades K-8. The school was turned over to Dora city leaders shortly after it closed. The council, unable to keep up with maintenance costs, sold the facility and 15 adjoining acres to Sumiton Church of God pastor Victor Massey in early 2018. The City of Lights Dream Center opened in September 2018 with a vision “to empower our community for a brighter future by eliminating the darkness of poverty and addiction in Walker County.” Today, City of Lights operates an after-school
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program on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In the winter, a portion of the building is open as a warming shelter and the gym is open to youth athletics. A women’s residential drug and alcohol recovery treatment program opened in July 2019. Recently, the program began allowing women to bring their children to stay with them. City of Lights partners with Bevill State Community College to offer GED classes and other vocational training and also hosts 12-step meetings. City of Lights recently opened a thrift store in downtown Sumiton that allows the women to work while completing the program. Proceeds from the thrift store support their various programs. City of Lights is also planning to use a portion of the school for a homeless shelter and opening a similar residential facility for men across the street. •
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Eldridge Jr. High From 1953 to 1992, Eldridge Jr. High School was the place where local children learned reading, writing and arithmetic. Today, it is a place where residents go to remember. The building now serves as a combination of Town Hall and a community center. Trophies and team photos of past generations still fill several display cases that line the halls. A history room opened in 2010 in the former classroom of Ozema Kelley, who taught first grade for 42 years. Kelley, who died in 2012, was the unofficial town historian. One of the displays in the history room tells the story of the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department and Kelley’s brother, Raymond Gilder Kelley, who was a longtime firefighter and founding member of the department. Other displays pay tribute to the school’s former faculty and staff, the town’s veterans and former mayors and council members. Across the hall from the offices of the town council and water board is the gymnasium, dedicated to longtime 26 / WALKER MAGAZINE
Eldridge supporter Dr. Marcus O’Mary Jr. The annual Eldridge Fire Department Fireman’s Gala is held in the gym and draws people from all over the county each May for an evening of music, comedy and food. Members of the fire department serve as waiters and provide the entertainment, which frequently involves skits in which they dress in women’s clothing. Several renovations were made to the gym to improve the acoustics and make the space more suitable for the fire department fundraiser. Due to COVID-19, the gala was canceled this year. Council members also moved their meetings to the gym temporarily so they could observe social distancing while discussing town business. The school lunchroom is still in good shape and is rented out for birthday parties, family reunions and other gatherings. Grants and donations have been used to make improvements to the community center. A recent grant from the Cawaco RC&D Council allowed the town to paint playground equipment left over from the building’s school days and add new pieces of equipment like a tire swing, monkey bars and baby bucket swings. •
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HEALTHCARE HEROES Healthcare employees have made headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic for being selfless in their everyday dedication to patients. In this edition of Walker Magazine, we wanted to pay tribute to Walker County’s healthcare heroes, all of whom say that caring for people is simply what they love to do. While we couldn’t interview every healthcare employee in the county’s borders, we want to thank them all for serving our community. They may not wear capes like traditional superheroes, but they all provide vital services while wearing scrubs of armor to combat all illnesses and heal the sick. Text by NICOLE SMITH, JENNIFER COHRON & JAMES PHILLIPS Photographs by SCOTT ERIC DAY PHOTOGRAPHY
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Jenna Harkness N U R S E P R A C T I T I O N E R | C A P S T O N E R U R A L H E A LT H
Jenna Harkness may be a fairly new nurse practitioner, but her calling to nurse people back to health came early, as did her desire to help those in need. She first earned her registered nursing degree from the University of Alabama in 2013 and worked for five years in the ICU and emergency room settings. Harkness decided to further her career and later obtained a family nurse practitioner degree from UA. Initially, she worked as a nurse practitioner at a family physician’s office. In November 2019, she was offered a position as a family nurse practitioner at Capstone Rural Health Center in Parrish, which she accepted. When Harkness isn’t seeing patients, she is busy with church activities, deer hunting, cheering on the Tide, or is spending time with friends, family, and her beloved husband and family dog. “To me, being a healthcare hero means being there for your patients when they need it the most,” Harkness said. “I wanted to work in the healthcare industry to help people. My faith is the most important thing in my life, and I wanted to work in a field where I could show God’s love by meeting people’s needs in a practical way.”
Neil Evans
PHAR M AC IST | E N GLISH PL A Z A PHAR M AC Y
Neil Evans has spent over 30 years serving Walker Countians with their pharmacy needs. “During my latter years of high school, I made the choice to pursue pharmacy as a career. I was interested in science, and I took a test that helped me score in areas that piqued my interest,” he said. “My choices pointed toward the healthcare field and when I looked at possible careers there, pharmacy seemed appealing. I saw an opportunity to help other people.” Evans is a graduate of Walker High School and later Auburn University’s pharmacy school. He has worked with the same company since 1975, first with the Jefferson Health Foundation. Since 1986, however, he has been serving his hometown at English Plaza Pharmacy in Jasper, where he is the pharmacist and manager. Evans is married to Sandra Gurganus and they have two children, Bridget and Courtney, as well as four grandchildren. “When I think of ‘hero,’ I envision someone who is respected for something they do or have done,” Evans said. “I would hope the profession in the healthcare field that I have chosen is one that people respect because they have in their pharmacist, first a friend, and second someone they can trust to provide helpful, truthful information on medications.” FALL 2020
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Dr. Ike Baker
G E N E R A L S U R G E O N | WA L K E R B A P T I S T M E D I C A L C E N T E R
Dr. Ike Baker followed in his father’s footsteps to become a general surgeon. He performs surgeries at Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper and has also worked at Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Trinity Medical Center, and Grandview Medical Center, all in Birmingham, as well as other hospitals. Baker is a Jasper native and a graduate of Samford University and the University of Alabama School of Medicine at UAB. He says caring for people is simply in his blood. In addition to his dad, Dr. John Baker, being a local surgeon, his mother and sister are both nurses, one brother is an orthopedic surgeon, and another brother works with at-risk youth in the state’s health system. Baker believes, “God gives us the tools to heal and that doesn’t really make me a hero, but really an instrument for Him.” “I always felt a pull to come back home and continue what my dad was doing here. I would work in his office some when I was growing up. I really enjoyed the atmosphere as well,” Baker said. “Dad was always such a personable person, and I loved seeing those connections he had with his patients. That was something I wanted as well in a profession. I am also a believer that it was definitely a calling, too. I felt like God set me on this path and gave me the abilities to do it.”
Stacy Aaron R E G I S T E R E D N U R S E | WA L K E R C O U N T Y B O E
Registered nurse Stacy Aaron used her experience working in a pediatrician’s office to go on and serve children in a school setting. “Even as a little girl, I knew that I wanted to work in the healthcare field,” Aaron said. “At one time, my younger brother was very sick. It was during this time that I knew what I wanted to do once I grew older.” For the past 16 years, she has worked as a school nurse for the Walker County Board of Education, and she spent the 15 years prior working for pediatricians Dr. Dabbs and Dr. Hyland in Jasper. She earned her associate degree in nursing from Walker College and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama. She is the mother of two daughters and proclaims her love for school nursing. “Being a healthcare hero, to me, is getting to be a part of the lives of the children I help provide care to. I feel blessed that I get to see these children throughout the day and am able to give them BandAids for their boo-boos, administer medications for a variety of conditions, assess injuries, or just give them a warm smile when in the hallways — and provide them with a safe place to come if they need help,” Aaron said. “Working as a school nurse for the Walker County Board of Education has given me the opportunity to serve others medically and has also allowed me to minister to the students that I encounter.” 34 / WALKER MAGAZINE
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Wilma Abrams
N U R S E | WA L K E R B A P T I S T M E D I C A L C E N T E R , R I D G E W O O D H E A LT H S E R V I C E S
Wilma Abrams works around the clock caring for others. She currently works in the women’s center at Walker Baptist Medical Center, where she has dedicated 12 years of her career. Abrams also works part-time at Ridgewood Health Services in Jasper and cares for her mother. In addition, she has mothered three grown children, Dennis, Dana, and DeVante’. “I’ve always liked to care for people, and I’ve always had a compassionate heart for people,” she said. “In the women’s department, it’s just a joy. I deal in postpartum and labor and delivery, so to be a part of someone bringing another life into the world is very rewarding.” Abrams said working at Ridgewood during the COVID-19 pandemic has brought its own set of challenges. “With my nursing home job, with COVID, the residents there aren’t able to see family. Sometimes, working there, you’re the only person they do see, and sometimes they feel alone,” she said. “I enjoy being that listening ear and to be there for them. It’s very fulfilling. It’s a great reward to know that I can make a difference in someone’s life.”
Ginger Seiberling L A B O R AT O RY T E C H N I C I A N | WA L K E R B A P T I S T M E D I C A L C E N T E R
For Ginger Seiberling, it took some time before she found her calling to work in healthcare. “Becoming a laboratory technician wasn’t something that I always dreamed of doing when I grew up. I took many different avenues before I found myself in this profession,” she said. “I now see it as my calling and believe the Lord has directed my path every step of the way.” After a chance meeting with the director of the medical laboratory technician program at Bevill State, Seiberling went on to graduate from the program at the college and later earned her bachelor’s degree in medical technology from UAB. Seiberling has worked for nearly 22 years at Walker Baptist Medical Center where she is now laboratory director. She is married to her husband, Bob, and they have two children, Merrick and Madelyn. “I may be behind the scenes without direct contact with the patient but my job is vital to their care. All laboratory staff, from phlebotomists to the director, are part of a team that provides answers to the physician to help make critical decisions and provide the appropriate treatment,” she said. “Without the people who collect the samples and perform the tests, there would be a lot of guessing as to what was going wrong with the patient.” FALL 2020
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Anita Williams EXECUTIVE DIREC TOR | HARBORC HASE ASSISTED LIVING OF JASPER
“Good leaders” ultimately inspired Anita Williams to spend a life of service in the healthcare industry. “My first job after graduating high school was at People’s Hospital,” Williams said. “One month after moving to the new hospital I went to work for two very caring physicians. I learned so much from them and knew caring for all people was so important.” Williams entered the realm of assisted living in 2003 when she made a visit to The Terrace (now HarborChase Assisted Living of Jasper). She enjoyed the atmosphere and hoped for the opportunity to work there someday. It was later that same year that she was offered the position of business office manager at The Terrace. Now 17 years later, Williams still feels at home by serving the residents at HarborChase as executive director and says she “can’t think of a better place to be.” “Being a healthcare hero is all about the ones that could be there to care for residents when families could not. Everyday workers in healthcare have always been the unnoticed heroes to me,” Williams said. “We do what we do every day and don’t think too much about it. The hero part just came into it when families could no longer be with their loved ones and we filled in. When associates are agreeable to spend numerous hours working just to make sure that someone’s needs are met, it makes them the true heroes.”
Amanda Key E N V I R O N M E N TA L S E R V I C E S S U P E R V I S O R C O R D OVA H E A LT H & R E H A B I L I TAT I O N , L L C
Amanda Key, the environmental services supervisor at Cordova Health and Rehabilitation, LLC, has been on the frontlines of keeping residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has had to manage new cleaning guidelines and protocols daily, keep track of the personal protective equipment on hand and order when necessary, as well as oversee testing up to twice a week. Though it has been stressful, Key, who has been in healthcare for 16 years, is quick to point out that it has been more stressful on the residents. “I can go home and hug my family. They can’t,” she said. Key has been in her current role for five years. Before that, she worked as a CNA for five years and as a support specialist in a group home for six years. Though her role is important to safeguarding the health of residents, Key doesn’t consider herself a hero. “This is my job and things happen we can’t control. You adjust and make the best of it. I do it for my residents. They count on all of us,” she said. 36 / WALKER MAGAZINE
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Cruz Lugo N U R S E T E C H & S T U D E N T | WA L K E R B A P T I S T M E D I C A L C E N T E R
Cruz Lugo worked nearly four years in construction to save money to go to college and a job as a nursing tech helped him realize he wanted to become a nurse. “Those long, hot days taught me how hard my parents worked so that my brother, sister, and I could have an opportunity to follow our callings,” Lugo said of working in construction. Lugo has spent three years working as a tech in the emergency room at Walker Baptist Medical Center, and he is now almost finished with nursing school. He is a graduate of Curry High School and plans to stay in Walker County and work in the very emergency department that has taught him so much. He says people do not work in the healthcare industry for the recognition; rather it’s simply about helping people. “One of the most rewarding things to me is being able to help people who need it,” Lugo said. “We just have a calling to help other people in the times they need someone the most.”
Brandi Rudolph Bolling P S YC H I AT R I S T | C A P S T O N E R U R A L H E A LT H
Many kids fear a visit to the doctor, but for Dr. Brandi Rudolph Bolling, her pediatrician inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. “My pediatrician played a major role in my quest to become a physician. As a child, I appreciated how she kept me well and was wowed by her ability to use clinical decision-making skills to solve medical problems,” Bolling said. “But what truly left a lasting impression on me was her ability to reassure my parents by using education and an understanding bedside manner.” Bolling obtained a degree in neuroscience from Vanderbilt University and a medical degree from Meharry Medical College. She went on to complete a triple board residency program at Indiana University School of Medicine. She now works as a psychiatrist for Capstone Rural Health Center and is married to Frederic Bolling. They have two sons, Frederic and Franklin, and one daughter, Faith. “Those who know me know that I consider myself only human and equal to all others I encounter. However, working during the COVID-19 pandemic is leading me to consider that maybe I am a healthcare HERO: a Human Excelling over Rare Obstacles,” Bolling said. “As a medical doctor, and particularly a psychiatrist, my role has been to help my patients and their families navigate the rare experience of a lifetime — living through a pandemic.” FALL 2020
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Heidi Thompson N U R S E | C A P S T O N E R U R A L H E A LT H
Since 2005, Heidi Thompson has served in many nursing roles in Walker County. “I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was young,” she said. “I watched my grandmother go through cancer and saw how her nurses were always so good to her and became like her friends. They always seemed to love their job and did whatever it took to help her.” In seeking her dream to become a nurse, Thompson attended Bevill State Community College and earned a degree in licensed practical nursing. She worked for Dr. Roy L. Sims in Jasper for 12 years and then spent one year serving seniors at Ridgewood Health Services. She has been employed with Capstone Rural Health Center in Parrish (her hometown) for the past two years. She is married and has three children, Andrew, Abigail, and Hailey. “Being a healthcare hero, to me, means that you are devoting your life to help others, no matter what it takes or who your patients are,” Thompson said. “You get up every day and try to make a difference for someone.”
Dr. Adam Cox D E N T I S T | C OX FA M I LY & C O S M E T I C D E N T I S T RY
A love for science and a family of healthcare workers ultimately inspired Dr. Adam Cox to be a dentist. Known to his patients as Dr. Adam, Cox has been employed since 2008 at the dental practice his father started in 1993 in Jasper, Cox Family & Cosmetic Dentistry. His father, Dr. James Cox, retired from the dental practice this year. His uncle is also a dentist. “Being able to practice with my dad for 12 years before he retired meant a lot, and I am very thankful for that opportunity,” Cox said. Dr. Adam Cox is a graduate of UAB School of Dentistry in Birmingham and said it is a great reward to help people regain self-confidence through restorative dentistry. “A person’s smile is often the first impression made. Dentistry can be stressful and trying at times but when you are able to restore someone’s smile — and possibly their confidence — it is something that means a lot to me,” Cox said. “Helping people any way I can, to the best of my ability, is my goal every day.”
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Carolyn Mixon E N V I R O N M E N TA L S E R V I C E S | WA L K E R B A P T I S T M E D I C A L C E N T E R
Carolyn Mixon’s duty is to make a patient’s stay in the hospital as comfortable and sanitary as possible. “Serving within healthcare gives me great pleasure to be able to help every patient that enters the doors of Walker Baptist,” Mixon said. Mixon works in environmental services at Walker Baptist Medical Center, where she has been employed for 55 years. She is a graduate of Walker County Training School, a faithful church member, and the wife of a pastor. She says working in the healthcare industry is a blessing. “Helping others is a natural trait of my being and purpose that God invested within me. However, being in the healthcare environment allows me to provide a sense of hope and faith to the patients,” Mixon said. “Choosing to work in healthcare at Walker Baptist for the last 55 years has allowed me to fulfill my civil duty within the Walker County community.”
Shannon Allen D I E TA RY S U P E R V I S O R | C O R D OVA H E A LT H & R E H A B I L I TAT I O N , L L C
The COVID-19 pandemic changed all aspects of daily life for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Even mealtime became more complicated. At Cordova Health and Rehabilitation, LLC, dietary supervisor Shannon Allen had to change dining services to adjust to social distancing and change the way deliveries are handled because vendors are not allowed in the facility. Allen, who has worked in healthcare for 24 years, wants to serve hot, nutritious meals each day, but hopes to offer residents more than that as well. “I am blessed to have a career that allows me to hopefully make a positive impact in my residents’ lives by offering comfort and kindness in these uncertain times,” Allen said.
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Dr. Mark Ferris OPHTHALMOLOGIST | FERRIS EYE CLINIC
When Dr. Mark Ferris experienced weak eyesight as a child, his doctors became his role models and ultimately sealed his career choice. Ferris, an ophthalmologist, established Ferris Eye Clinic in Jasper in 1997, and has been practicing in the city since 1988. He studied biology at the University of Maryland, optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and theology at the Pontifical College Josephinum. He is married with two children. Ferris decided to temporarily close his eye clinic in early 2020 when COVID-19 started impacting communities, but he soon found solutions that made him feel comfortable enough to reopen and continue his love for patient care. “I ordered an industrial isolation filtration system to clear the office air of lingering virus particles and called friends looking for pre-COVID N95 masks. We reopened for emergency patients, who all had COVID red eyes, two weeks later,” Ferris said. “My point is that I was facing a known danger with a plan. What takes real bravery, however, is to face the unknown danger with no control over your environment. So, for me, it is the support staff — wherever they may work — who are the real healthcare heroes.”
Trent Kennedy R A D I O L O GY T E C H N O L O G I S T | WA L K E R M E D I C A L D I A G N O S T I C S
As a native of Walker County, Trent Kennedy is dedicating his life to serving its patients and children. Kennedy has been a certified radiology technologist for 25 years and has spent over half of his career as a CT technologist at Walker Medical Diagnostics in Jasper. “I think the good Lord just gives us a skill to use, and I feel like mine was helping others through my field,” he said. “He’s blessed me and my family through my time as a technologist.” Kennedy also serves children as a member of the Walker County Board of Education. He is married to his wife, Angela, and they have a daughter, Lynlee. Kennedy said he is thankful to his parents, Billy and Donna Kennedy, for teaching him to have a good work ethic and for encouraging his career choices. “I don’t consider myself a healthcare hero. I consider my patients the heroes, and my coworkers,” Kennedy said. “These patients battle through so much, and to be able to keep a positive attitude and a smile on their face — I look forward to seeing those patients come in, and you build relationships with them. They’re the real heroes.” 40 / WALKER MAGAZINE
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Heidi Young Batson S O C I A L S E R V I C E S D I R E C T O R | C O R D OVA H E A LT H & R E H A B I L I TAT I O N , L L C
“Undivided empathetic attention” is what residents, family members and staff can expect from Heidi Young Batson, the social services director at Cordova Health and Rehabilitation, LLC. “Every resident, family member, co-worker and any service related person deserves the best customer service care I can give, period,” said Batson, who worked in banking for 30 years before starting a second career in healthcare about two years ago. Batson sees her role as focusing on each person as if he or she is the only person that matters at that moment, all while staying organized to handle ever-changing daily tasks. Batson is busier than ever since front porch social distance visits between residents and families began Oct. 1. “The residents and their families are the real superheroes during this time. They have all abided by the rules we’ve had to put in place,” she said. To cope with the additional stress placed on healthcare workers during the pandemic, Batson has turned to her art, counseling and her family. “I feel I am obviously experiencing a historic time in our world. I am so proud to serve in healthcare,” Batson said.
Malissa Niver A C T I V I T I E S C O O R D I N AT O R | L A K E W O O D S E N I O R L I V I N G
Malissa Niver has spent her entire career serving seniors in Walker County. “My grandmother worked at a nursing home and when I was a kid, on the weekends and the days we were out of school, I would go with her and volunteer at the nursing home. I just always loved it and enjoyed it,” Niver said. At 19 years old, Niver started working at Lakewood Senior Living of Jasper as a resident care aide while going to college at Bevill State Community College in Sumiton to become a nursing assistant. She briefly worked for Alacare Home Health & Hospice but has dedicated a total of 12 years to the seniors at Lakewood. Over time she has worked as a cook and an assistant administrator. Niver is now the activities coordinator at Lakewood and is following in her grandmother’s footsteps, who also once coordinated senior activities at a nursing home. “I have always enjoyed what I do, working with the elderly, and my goal for them is just to see them happy, to keep them active, and for them to enjoy where they’re at,” Niver said. “It makes me happy to do for them and to see them happy.” FALL 2020
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Pam Taylor A C T I V I T I E S D I R E C T O R | C O R D OVA H E A LT H & R E H A B I L I TAT I O N , L L C
Pam Taylor, the activities director at Cordova Health and Rehabilitation, LLC, has worked in healthcare for 22 years. She never expected to see the day that visitors and volunteers would be banned from the facility. “It (the activity calendar) was always full. There would be 50 or more people and pets scheduled each month that would come in and share their talents or gift, be it musical, spiritual, crafty, funny or just reminiscing. In the 11 years I have been at Cordova Health Care, we have been so blessed. Small town love is so big,” Taylor said. During the pandemic, group activities have been canceled. Activities are now offered on an individual basis to residents in their rooms. Taylor makes rounds daily with things to do, some of which are supplies donated by family members and the public so that residents can stay occupied. Everyone at Cordova Health and Rehabilitation is looking forward to the day that visitors can return. Those visitors have been the unsung heroes of the pandemic, Taylor said, because the memories of the hours they spent at the facility through the years are what has helped residents deal with isolation now. “It’s those people who visited and volunteered and without fail brought those big hearts and warm smiles. Not a day goes by that someone talks about wishing they could see someone or missing something we did together,” Taylor said.
Melanie Evans R E G I S T E R E D N U R S E | WA L K E R B A P T I S T M E D I C A L C E N T E R
Melanie Evans has worked in the healthcare industry for more than 20 years with the dream of becoming a registered nurse one day. She achieved that dream this year when she graduated from the RN program at Bevill State Community College. “I’ve worked as a medical assistant for the past 20 years, most recently with Dr. Barton in Jasper for the last 10. Becoming a registered nurse has always been a dream of mine and when my kids got older I went to school to fulfill that goal. I recently graduated and am now working at Walker Baptist in the ortho department,” Evans said. Seeing her career as more of a calling than a job, Evans said patient care is always her top priority. “I have always felt a lifelong calling to serve those in need of medical attention and my goal as a nurse is to bring my patients as much comfort and care as I possibly can in their path to healing,” she said.
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Keeping A Steady Pace Text by JOHNATHAN BENTLEY | Photographs contributed
T
ONY DIXON WAS HARD TO CONTAIN on the football field. It should be no surprise that the Parrish native and former SEC football player has carried that trait over to his adult life — he never slows down. Now living in Somerset, Kentucky, Dixon is a gym owner, runs a property management company, is a behavior health case manager, serves as an assistant football coach and is the father of 7-year-old daughter Kali. “When I was playing, I was busy during those times being both a football player and a student, but I was happy. That’s why I keep myself busy now,” said Dixon, 34. Before making his home in Kentucky, Dixon grew up in Parrish, where he eventually starred on the football field for the Tornadoes, graduating in 2004. “When I look back, it doesn’t seem that long ago,” Dixon said. “When I think of Parrish, of course it’s football and family. It saddens me that the school shut down (in 2014). The school was the heartbeat of the town. Everybody came to one place. I miss it. I think about high school football weekly. I was showing my girlfriend my high school photos. It’s hard to believe so much time has went by. It is what it is. I hold on to the memories that I have.” Dixon started as an 8th grader in 1999. His high school career culminated with Parrish winning the state
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championship in his senior season in 2003. The Tornadoes dropped their first game to Oakman that season before reeling off 13 straight wins. Dixon was the state championship game MVP and was named the AHSAA Class 1A Back of the Year. “I don’t remember a whole lot as far as daily things go, but I remember everything about my senior year. I remember it all,” said Dixon, who still recalls the music he listened to on bus trips to games that season. “Those times never leave me. I think it’s because of the passion I had for the game. That stuff stays with me.” Dixon said two games during that senior year at Parrish stand out. The first is the championship game, a 20-17 victory over American Christian. “I really thought we were going to lose. We were down 17-7. We were able to come back. It was a really good game,” said Dixon, who had two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the Tornadoes to victory. The second game came in the next to last regular season game at Hubbertville when Dixon set a state record that still stands 17 years later. Dixon rushed just 21 times for a staggering 531 yards (25.3 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. “That game sticks out for me because of the record. I’m coaching high school football now and I will show my kids that stuff. That night, Coach (Jimmy Gay) didn’t want me to play defense. It was the first and last time it ever happened. I didn’t play a whole lot. I don’t even think I played the whole game,” said Dixon, adding that he had a 90-yard touchdown run called back. Parrish beat Hubbertville 81-58. The contest set a record for total points scored in a game (139) that also still stands. From Parrish, Dixon made his way to Lexington, Kentucky, after signing with the Wildcats and Coach Rich Brooks. At Kentucky, Dixon played as a freshman, sat out his second year due to injury and was a key contributor his final three seasons as the Wildcats won 23 games over that span — the most wins over a three-year period since Bear Bryant coached Kentucky in the early 1950s. Dixon had memorable moments as a Wildcat. As a sophomore, Dixon scored a touchdown with 1:21 left in the game as Kentucky defeated a Georgia team led by Matt Stafford, 24-20. He also scored a touchdown in a bowl win vs. Florida State as a junior and had one of his best games against East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl in
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his final game, totaling a team high 106 offensive yards in a 25-19 victory. He was part of a team that ushered in change in Lexington. “Kentucky is a school that didn’t really love their football like they love their basketball. By the time I left, the playing field had changed. They still love basketball, but they came around to loving football as well,” said Dixon, who credits Brooks for the turnaround at the school. He holds his former coach in high regard. “I sat together with Coach Brooks on the bus for four years on the way from the hotel to the stadium, and he wouldn’t mention football. He would ask me how I was doing and how my grandmother was doing. He showed that he cared about me as a person. He had a lot on his plate at that time, and he’s talking about my grandmother. That meant so much to me as a person. That’s the kind of coach that you will go out and fight for.” Dixon’s college football career set him on the path he continues on today. “SEC college football is a different world, and I can’t explain it to the point of understanding. You love it, but it’s hard and very competitive. You are going to feel like you lose a lot —but I loved it,” he said. After graduating, Dixon found a home in Somerset, located 75 miles south of Lexington. “There were just so many opportunities that presented themselves at the time of my graduation. It came back to all the things I could get into if I came back home — and a lot of them are not on the good side. I met people and formed relationships,” he said. Though his football playing days are behind him, he can still be found on the gridiron as a running backs coach at Southwestern High School in Somerset. “I don’t think that I ever lost my passion for it. I think that’s why I’m taking time that I don’t have to coach,” Dixon said. •
Top left: Dixon being awarded the 2003 Player of the Year award as a Parrish Tornado. Top right: Dixon playing offense for the University of Kentucky. Bottom right: Dixon with his daughter, Kali.
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SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY
WE DO IT BECAUSE WE CARE.
From Your Jasper Main Strrt Busineees FALL 2020
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SNAPSHOTS PHOTO CONTEST
The Daily Mountain Eagle hosted a month-long photo contest in August to highlight life in Walker County during a year that has been full of surprises. The themes were Family Life, Fun with Pets, The Great Outdoors, Our Town, and Coping with COVID. Lindsay Aaron received first place for her photo of a Fourth of July Slow Spokes ride. Leneda Jones won second place for her photo of a salamander and Jennifer Reese won third place for her photo of Tripp’s first birthday party, which took place at the start of the pandemic.
Photographer: Cathy Cummings Category: The Great Outdoors Additional Information: Photos taken at Warrior River at Copeland Ferry
Photographer: Jennifer Reese Category: Coping with COVID Additional Information: “Tripp turned one on April 22nd and our photo shoot was canceled due to COVID so mom took his pictures with her iPhone in the dinning room. We improvised.” Photo taken on March 29, 2020.
3rd Place
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Photographer: Stella Stockman, age 9 Category: Fun with Pets Additional Information: Yellow Lab, Sunni Mae, age 3. Having fun playing in the pond with her girl, Stella. She is the sweetest and smartest dog. Picture taken March 2020.
Photographer: Anderson Stockman, age 7 Category: Fun with Pets Additional Information: 1 year old Labradoodle, Rowdy. Enjoying a fun day in the pond swimming with his best buddy Anderson, my son. Anderson snapped this picture when he was about to throw the ball into the water for him. Taken in March 2020.
Photographer: Amber Stockman Category: Family Life Additional Information: “My 9 year old daughter, Stella about to empty 15,000 bees into our hive box. Taken in April 2020. It’s our Family Life, teaching our children about natural resources for her generation. “
Photographer: Bob Coble Category: The Great Outdoors Additional Information: “Taken on August 21st in our front garden (off North Walston Bridge Road in Jasper). Butterfly bushes are named appropriately!”
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Photographer: Lindsey Weaver Category: Coping with COVID Additional Information: Kameryn Vines at Oakman High School
Photographer: Phillip LaShum Category: The Great Outdoors Additional Information: “We were driving down Airport Road and saw this hawk just sitting in the center lane of the road. We thought he had been hit by a car and when I pulled over in the road, my brother, Lonnie LaShum, jumped out and picked him up. We looked him over and he didn’t appear to be hurt. He was a friendly little fella, but seemed stunned and scared. We took him home and called the wildlife control and they told me something I never knew. They said that young hawks and owls will fall out of their nest before they know how to fly and will just walk around on the ground for 2 or 3 weeks or until they learn. The mother will keep up with them and continue to feed them. They suggested we take it back to the area we found him and his mother will find and feed him. We took him back and put him in a wooded area. We went back the next day and he was gone so we hope momma found him and he is OK.”
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Photographer: Shelia Aaron Category: The Great Outdoors Additional Information: “I always plant sunflowers in my garden and this one had several heads on one plant. I noticed the bees all working together to get the job done.”
Photographer: Lindsay Aaron Category: Coping with COVID Additional Information: Lindsay is a nurse at UAB and has to deal with COVID at work. To help her unwind she and fiancé, Blake Wade, like to ride with Slow Spokes. Here, they dressed for the Fourth of July. The photo at right shows Aaron at work.
1st Place
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Photographer: Leneda Jones Category: The Great Outdoors Additional Information: “Just one of my little friends this summer! I always have salamanders at my house. Who knew they could be so cute?” Photo taken on July 23, 2020
2nd Place
Photographer: Kendra Milligan Category: The Great Outdoors Additional Information: “I took this photo in Townley on March 29, 2020. Even with what’s going on in the world, nature is always beautiful.”
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Photographer: Brandy Feltman Category: The Great Outdoors Additional Information: Photos taken in June 2020 in Corona, Alabama, known as “The Garden Spot of the World”.
Photographer: Carriebeth Gulledge Category: Coping with COVID Additional Information: “One of the most significant changes in our family’s day-to-day life since COVID arrived is the necessity of wearing our masks whenever leaving home. In order to insure that we never forget them we keep them hanging with our car keys right by the door.” Photo taken on August 26,2020.
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WeAreWalkerCounty with
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Photo courtesy of Dream Event Photography
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I love coming to Walker County during my off-season. There are so many wonderful people who look out for their neighbors. There is a sense of community here that you can find nowhere else in the world. This gives my spirit a much needed boost right before I go into my busy season. And of course, you can’t beat the fishing at Smith Lake. Mrs. Claus and I have a cabin at Smith Lake for that reason. I love fishing. Plus, I don’t have to fight Fred, the polar bear, to keep what I catch.
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