Posts by davidsher:
A Multimillion-Dollar Downtown Birmingham Project Nobody Seems to Know About?
November 10th, 2026
By David Sher
I think I have a pretty good handle on what is happening in Birmingham.
I’ve been writing ComebackTown for nearly 15 years, talking with business leaders, public officials, and people involved in economic development.
But something Senator Tommy Tuberville said recently at a prominent Birmingham civic club meeting caught me completely by surprise. Read the rest of this entry “
What Outsiders See in Birmingham That We Don’t
November 4th, 2026
By Don Keith
We were at the quietest point of any commercial airline flight, the final approach to Shuttlesworth International, when the lady in the window seat on my row voiced an observation to no one in particular, one heard throughout our 737: “It’s so greeeeen!” Read the rest of this entry “
The Day Joe Namath Told Me the Words I’ll Never Forget
November 3rd, 2026
By David Sher
Have you ever had the opportunity to meet a really big celebrity?
Better yet, did that celebrity actually speak to you?
If so, chances are you remember exactly what was said.
I certainly do. Read the rest of this entry “
Mountain Brook Mayor: Something Unexpected Is Happening Behind the Scenes
October 27th, 2026
By Graham Smith
Mountain Brook is fortunate in many ways.
We are sometimes viewed as a community unto itself—a place with its own schools, its own resources and its own concerns. Read the rest of this entry “
Birmingham’s Greatest Single Asset Completely Took Me by Surprise
October 21st, 2026
By Dan Williams
I’ve spent almost 30 years selling cities for a living. I’ve sat across the table from mayors, business executives and nonprofit leaders in communities across the country.
So when I arrived in Birmingham a bit over a year ago as the new President & CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, I thought I had a pretty good sense of what to expect. Read the rest of this entry “
They Made Millions. What They Did Next Could Change Birmingham Forever
October 20th, 2026
By David Sher
What would you do if you sold your company and suddenly had enough money to never work again?
Buy a yacht? Travel the world? Move to a tropical island? Read the rest of this entry “
Birmingham Mayor: ‘One Plus One Still Equals Two’
October 14th, 2026
By Randall Woodfin
A little more than 10 years ago, I announced my first run for mayor. As that anniversary passed, I’ve been thinking about how much our society has changed since then.
Back then, if I had told the people of Birmingham that one plus one equals two, I believe every person listening would have accepted it as true. Read the rest of this entry “
Jefferson County Is Doing What Many Thought Impossible
October 6th, 2026
By Danny Carr
Something remarkable is happening in Jefferson County – and almost no one is talking about it.
Only three years ago, we faced a deadly problem that seemed nearly impossible to solve. Today, the numbers tell a dramatically different story. Read the rest of this entry “
Birmingham Residential Electric Bills Are 41% Higher Than Huntsville’s
September 30th, 2026
By Joyce Lanning, Ph.D.
Huntsville is booming. Metropolitan Birmingham is growing at a fraction of Huntsville’s pace.
Electricity prices may not be the reason. But they certainly don’t help.
A Huntsville Utilities residential customer using 1,200 kilowatt-hours pays about $147 a month. An Alabama Power customer using the same amount pays about $207 — 41% more. Huntsville Utilities presented those numbers earlier this year (p 116)
And this isn’t just a homeowner problem. Read the rest of this entry “
Vestavia Hills Lost 49–0. So I Started Digging
September 22nd, 2026
By David Sher
I have to admit I don’t know much about high school football.
But I have grandchildren who attend or previously attended Vestavia Hills High School, so I pay some attention to the Rebels.
On September 4th, Vestavia Hills was ranked No. 2 in Class 6A.
Thompson was No. 1.
Thompson beat Vestavia 49–0.
Forty-nine to nothing.
How’s that even possible? Read the rest of this entry “