Helms Healthcare opening second location in Pell City

At 90 days after opening Helms Healthcare in Vincent, Dr. Rock Helms could see his business plan was working. Be a good listener and deliver personal, quality healthcare like days gone by, and patients will follow.

One thousand patients three months later are testament to that.

It didn’t stop there. At the eight-month mark and approaching 2,000 patients, Helms announced that he will be opening a second location in his hometown of Pell City.

Targeting May 1, 2026, Helms Healthcare plans to open the new location near the industrial park at Comer Avenue and John Haynes Drive. Helms is renovating an existing building to accommodate the medical offices, an imaging center and infusion suites.

The 7,500-square-foot building is space he said is going to be developed into “really nice” state-of-the-art imaging center with a cutting-edge CT scan capable of a comprehensive range of diagnostics for coronary cardiovascular risk.

Cardiac imaging of this caliber will be able to serve certain patients for precision cardiovascular screening, which may not be covered by insurance. But, Helms predicts by 2030 in the healthcare industry, it will be standard and covered. “The fact that we’re going ahead now tells you just how good the technology is.”

The new clinic will offer extended hours for urgent care and a full-service lab. They are adding new staff – CT technician, laboratory technician, ultrasound technician and more office and support staff.

At present, the Vincent clinic is led by Helms with the assistance of three certified nurse practitioners.

Jonathan Windham, CRNP, one of four providers now at Vincent clinic. More will be added.

Helms will divide his time between the Vincent and Pell City clinics, but plans call for the physician roster to increase to meet the needs. “We expect to quickly grow providers over the next 24 months,” he said.

The decision to return to Pell City with a significant presence was guided by his ties to his hometown. Pell City, he said, has “excellent healthcare with multiple services available. It is my community, and I want to maintain that level of care and build on it.”

While he acknowledges the tremendous strides made with Helms Healthcare since its inception only eight months ago, he stressed that it was not a solo effort. It came from “the Lord and good work of good people.”

As for returning the practice of medicine to days gone by, he said Helms Healthcare will continue this path of care. “When you call, a person answers the phone. They’re happy to see you. They care. All those things are really important.”

He expects Helms Healthcare to “continue to grow and be marked by excellence and doing it in a loving, old fashioned way. I don’t want that to go away.”

In 2001, Helms founded Northside Medical Associates in Pell City, beginning with only a handful of providers and staff. He grew it into an expansive campus of medical facilities, a pharmacy, urgent care and multiple specialties and locations in other communities with over 200 employees.

After selling the practice and fulfilling contract commitments, he founded Helms Healthcare in Vincent.

Gilreath expands to new location

Story and photos by Carol Pappas

From ink to digital presses, from invitations and business cards to signs, vehicle wraps and at bed printing, Eddie Gilreath and his family have seen it all. Just like the printing industry itself, Gilreath Printing & Signs has evolved over the past 32 years.

A new era has dawned for the family-owned company with the opening of their new facility a block from their old location in downtown Pell City.

Jeremiah Gilreath under special lighting system

The difference? A state-of-the-art, 10,000 square foot facility that is expected to grow to meet the current needs of the varied formats in the printing industry and well into the future.

Gilreath Printing began in an 800 square foot building behind where Pell City Coffee Company is now. At the five-year mark, they outgrew it. He eyed a piece of property on Cogswell Avenue at the corner of 20th Street, which had been vacant for 30 years. A friend was building custom log homes at the time, and he asked if he could build one for his office on that lot.

The lot’s owner, Johnny Turner, sold it to Gilreath, they built their office in that log home, “and we had plenty of room.”

“Or so we thought,” said son, Jeremiah, who has taken the lead in operations today.

In 2004, they started printing signs. Their first wrap – vinyl signage that conforms to the contours of a structure like a vehicle or a window – came in 2008. It was on their own vehicle – a Ford Explorer.

Now, the business is 50-50 printing and signs. They even do wall wraps and offer any type of advertising specialty.

New cutting-edge equipment giving them the ability to print directly on any substrate, has been added. Many more technological advances are on the way. “When we started, we didn’t even have a computer,” said Susie Gilreath, Eddie’s wife and Jeremiah’s mother.

More cutting-edge equipment allows Gilreath to meet the needs of customers

As they walk through the new, spacious facilities, they talk about their ability to do the job better, faster, and at competitive pricing. The newly installed equipment helps them meet demands of the future and grow their business in the right direction.

A suite of offices is just beyond the lobby with a glass window that lets visitors see the open bay area, where work is done. That vantage point allows them to observe the whole operation.

Through the window, a freshly wrapped service van is spotted, ready to be pressed into duty by Allen Service Company.  A Mustang wrapped especially for Talladega Superspeedway sits nearby under a special lighting system that allows the Gilreath crew to do their work without reflections and shadow.

Digital printers of all shapes, sizes and capacities anchor the center of the floor, and a flurry of activity is ongoing throughout the day by family and long-term employees. There’s even a third generation, Jeremiah’s son, Brody.

The log cabin still stands at the corner of Cogswell Avenue and 20th Street, ready to lease, Gilreath said.

The Gilreaths still believe in doing the right thing, creating value and helping businesses get results.

As for the size and scope of the operation as it heads into the future from its new headquarters, it’s all in a day’s work at Gilreath Printing & Signs.

New OB/GYN services at St. Clair Hospital

Dr. Sarah Whitehead seeing patients in Pell City

UAB St. Vincent’s Women’s Health is expanding gynecologic services to UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair. Dr. Sarah Whitehead will now be holding gynecology appointments at the Pell City hospital located at 7063 Veterans Parkway.

 Whitehead is accepting new patients, and appointments can be scheduled by calling the main office at 205-939-7800. Patients should specify UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair facility when making an appointment with Dr. Whitehead.

 Whitehead is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and provides gynecologic care to girls and women of all ages.

She strives to provide compassionate service to her patients by listening to and understanding their needs.

She has a special interest in treating polycystic ovary syndrome and helping patients achieve their weight loss goals.

Trying to be better…

What if, instead of making lofty New Year’s resolutions, we all agreed to simply try a little harder to be a little better than we were the year before?

To be kinder – not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard and inconvenient. To be more honest, even when it’s uncomfortable, and to forgive more readily, knowing we’ve all fallen short at some point.

What if we gave a little more – of our money, our time and our patience? What if we extended a little more grace to the people who need it most, including ourselves?

What if instead of looking too long at what’s behind us or constantly chasing what’s next, we took more time to appreciate what’s here now?

What if we loved a little better the people we often take for granted? The people who stand beside us and see us clearly – flaws and all – and choose to love and support us, not just for who we will be … but for who we already are today.

What if we try a little harder to find joy in the present moment – and keep our feet firmly planted in appreciation for the beautiful gift of life right now?

– Mackenzie Free –

Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama

Piecing together a story

Quilting is art, storytelling, therapy

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free

It was 1863, and America was imploding, ravaged by the effects of the Civil War. Brother met brother in battle, homes were burned and cities destroyed.

In Bennington County, Vermont, 46-year-old Jane A. Stickle channeled her energy, creativity and wartime grief into creating what is now one of the most famous quilts in the world. She stitched into one corner of her masterpiece the simple, yet haunting words – “In War Time 1863.”

Stickle’s quilt, now called the “Dear Jane” quilt, is a sampler, meaning that each of the squares is unique. Unlike most sampler quilts which typically use blocks created by different quilters, Stickle created each of the elements herself. She created most of the patterns for the blocks herself, utilizing established patterns for less than a third of her quilt. She also did not repeat a patterned fabric in any of the blocks.

The Dear Jane quilt has been housed in the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont, for nearly seven decades. To protect the integrity of the fragile fabrics, the quilt is only displayed for one month each year, with thousands of quilters making the pilgrimage from as far away as Europe and Australia to view the piece.

County historian Joe Whitten talks history of quilts in special presentation

Rhonda Humphries has not yet been to see Stickle’s Dear Jane quilt but has spent thousands of hours on her own replica. Humphries, a member of the Friendship Quilters Guild of St. Clair County, was encouraged in the project by other guild members and her friend and mentor, Brenda Franklin.

Undaunted by the 5,602 individual pieces it takes to make the project, Humphries worked for two and a half years until the 169 five-inch blocks, 52 triangles, and four corner kites came together in her own finished masterpiece.

Humphries used Civil War era reproduction fabric and followed patterns created by Brenda Manges Papadakis, who viewed Jane’s original quilt in the museum in 1992 and meticulously traced each piece.

Papadakis so admired Stickle’s work that she was inspired to write a book published four years later called The Two Hundred Twenty-Five Patterns from the 1863 Jane A. Stickle Quilt, which included the patterns quilters could use to reproduce the quilt. Many quilters are inspired by the Dear Jane Quilt, and many bring their finished pieces when they make the trip to the Bennington Museum to view the original.

Like the Dear Jane Quilt, Humphries’ quilt is hand-pieced and hand-stitched, an effort that took incredible patience, perseverance and precision. “The most difficult part,” says Humphries, “was one block with a star inside. It’s made up of 30 pieces and, by itself, took three days to complete.” She has been quilting for eight years and has made 40-50 quilts but hadn’t done many quilts at the time she took on this challenge.

“Most people who start this quilt do not finish. It’s pretty involved,” admits Humphries. The blue ribbon and people’s choice awards from her recent entry in a quilt show pinned to the top say the effort has been well appreciated.

Humphries’ quilt was on display recently in a special exhibit at the Museum of Pell City, along with dozens of other quilts made by members of the Friendship Quilters Guild. Looking at each quilt is like looking at fine art in a gallery. Each quilt tells a story, whether one of whimsey or of more important historical matters.

Naomi Kircus is the creator of The Underground Railroad quilt. Its blocks relate the story of the freedom seekers during abolition. Created with Civil War replica fabric, the quilt is made up of 16 blocks, each a reproduction of one that would hang in the windows of safe houses. “When the slaves were running for their freedom, people would have safe places for them to stay,” explained Kircus. “They would display quilts [in the windows] where each of the squares was a message they were communicating to those they were helping.”

The personal narratives and messages communicated through quilting continue to be a source of pride and precious history for families and communities today. Quilts are handed down from generation to generation, becoming treasured heirlooms.

The Friendship Quilters Guild occasionally offers classes in quilting for those wanting to learn the skills and process. The guild has been together for more than 25 years and meets on the second Saturday of each month at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Pell City.

Rhonda Humphries and her Dear Jane Quilt

Organizer of the quilt exhibit and guild member Deb Cearley adds that the group has a passion for service. They make covers for cancer ports, fidget quilts, hospital bedrail bags and full-size quilts that they donate to area hospitals, cancer centers and hospice groups. 

“Service is the main thing we do,” said Cearley. “I came to a program here for Veterans and saw many of them come in with their blankets on their laps in their wheelchairs, and that just inspired us to make more.” They also provide placemats for Meals on Wheels and pet beds for Pell City’s animal shelter.

Florence Kerr, one of the oldest standing members of the organization, adds one more benefit to quilting, beyond its artistic and storytelling value. “Quilting is therapy,” she says. “It’s therapy because you have to be in a quiet place and really focus on the process.”

Perhaps the process really is the heart of the matter for the quilt’s creator, though it is the product that inspires the rest of us.

Bella Vista Winery

An event venue for every occasion

Story by Paul South
Photos by Mackenzie Free
Submitted Photos

At James and Margie Sanford’s winery, nature’s bounty is on full display. While seven varieties of native bronze and black Alabama muscadines ripen on the vine as they ready in the rich soil for future harvests, eagles soar overhead.

Red foxes prowl the 21-acre property, where the breathtaking scenery, like a perpetual postcard, changes daily.

So, the name of their vineyard fits – Bella Vista Winery – Italian for “beautiful view.”

During the holiday season, indeed all year long, Bella Vista is open to serve an array of wines and to host celebrations of every kind, from small weddings and events to everyday visitors who want to raise a glass at one of St. Clair County’s most breathtaking spots.

As a way to realize return on investment until they were ready and approved by the state for the winery, the idea for an event space took root. A pavilion was built in early 2024.

Customers enjoy the atmosphere

 “We knew (the winery) was a little bit down the road (timewise), so we invested our time and money into building this nice, covered pavilion,” she said.

So far, Bella Vista has hosted several weddings, with more on the calendar in the future. To be clear, the business markets itself as a winery that can also host small events – micro-weddings, baby showers, birthdays and the like.

“If it can be done with 50 people max, (the winery) is a good fit for that,” Margie said. “In the pavilion, we can handle 80 people or more. But if it’s rainy on the day of your event, we have to have a backup space to bring it inside and be comfortable.”

She added, “We’re not going to advertise ourselves as a venue going forward. We’re going to advertise as a winery with space for small events.”

For Margie, who spent more than 20 years as an event planner in the Birmingham area, and James, who worked in sales, the winery is a dream come true.

“Margie and I enjoy traveling, and we enjoy going to wineries,”  James said. “(Opening a winery) is something we’ve talked about for a long time. It’s something we decided to dive into with both feet.”

 In their winery wanderings, they learned lessons they now apply at Bella Vista. The laid-back vineyard vibe is different from the volume-driven restaurant business.

“One of the things that we found when we were going to all these wineries was a synergy in the kind of people that come to these places,” Margie said. “And it’s people who are looking for a place to meet their friends and get away and enjoy an afternoon and not feel like they are having a meal and being rushed away so the table can be flipped for somebody else.”

Charcuterie board a hit

Here, “we want people to come hang out with their friends,” she added. “We encourage people to bring a board game or something that they enjoy doing.”

The Sanfords are candid: This is not a kid-friendly place. “It’s a place for adults to come chill out, have a glass of wine and get things off their minds for a little while,” James said.

The Sanfords have obtained a license to sell wines obtained through distributors. Bella Vista sells wine from Georgia’s Chateau Elan Winery & Resort and from Childress Vineyards, a Lexington, N.C., winery owned by famed NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. But Bella Vista’s inventory also has a global perspective, carrying wines from all over the world.

Bella Vista Winery has an eye on the future. “We named it a winery for marketing purposes, with the hopes to have a local producer/distributor that could sell us wine made with our own fruit under a private Bella Vista Winery label.”

Along with the Muscadines, the winery property is home to peach, pear and apple trees that are still maturing, awaiting harvest time a year or two down the road.

The Sanfords are also considering planting other varieties of grapes.

While wine, fruit and fauna are the stars of the picturesque property, vineyards are a human endeavor. What have the Sanfords learned about themselves? It seems they are perfectly paired, like a nice cabernet with gruyere cheese. Thirty-three years of marriage and 40 years together can build that kind of pairing. You could call it a classic vintage. They met in high school.

“I’ve learned that my wife is the backbone of this whole thing.  As far as dealing with the bureaucracy and the paperwork and that kind of thing, she is the backbone,” James said. “She studies and makes sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.”

Margie agrees. But also trumpets her husband’s building skills. The pavilion is his handiwork.

“I’m the business end. But James has been in construction. He has the ability to take something that’s not working and figure out a workaround,” Margie said. “We’re very much doers ourselves, and I’ve always thought he can do anything. If I can dream it, he can do it.”

She added, “We’ve learned that where one doesn’t necessarily have a strength, the other can kind of lift up. We balance each other.”

The vineyard regularly hosts “Sip, Paint, & Repeat” nights that have been a big hit. The nights can involve painting on wine glasses or other media with the help of local artists.

Toasting another fun experience

The vineyard, in cooperation with the St. Clair County Health Department, serves flatbread pizzas and charcuterie. The winery is also open for small groups  and businesses to host holiday celebrations.  A photographer was onsite in late November for Santa pictures or Christmas family portraits.

As winter closes in, the low-maintenance native Muscadines bide their time. They seem to pair perfectly with Bella Vista’s chilled out atmosphere that Margie and James Sanford have created, perfect for small events and gatherings, all enjoying great wine.

“We’re not a party place,” Margie said. “It’s just more laid back.”d someone would come in and not love it the way we do and tear it down,” Tami said. “It doesn’t need to be torn down; it needs to be loved.”