Elaine Hobson Miller adds to extensive list of honors
Ashville’s Elaine Hobson Miller has been named the 2025 Communicator of Achievement of Alabama Media Professionals.
The St. Clair County resident won the award previously in 2017. That year, she went on to be runner-up in the National Federation of Press Women’s COA race when NFPW held its Communications Conference in Birmingham that year.
As the Alabama winner, Hobson Miller again vied for the national award when NFPW held its 2025 conference in Golden, Colorado.
The Alabama honoree has been writing since elementary school, when she penned a piece for her school’s newsletter. Throughout high school, she worked on her school’s newspaper staff and served as news editor during her senior year.
Hobson Miller began her lifelong career as a professional journalist and freelance writer in1968, the summer before her senior year at Samford University. She accepted an internship at the Birmingham Post-Herald, that city’s former morning newspaper.
The following year, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish. Hobson Miller accepted a full-time position at the Post-Herald. Within a year, she became that newspaper’s first woman to cover the Birmingham city government beat.
She left the Post Herald in 1972 when her first child was born and freelanced for several years. She was a full-time features writer for Birmingham Magazine from 1978-1980, returning to the Post-Herald in 1980, working first as a copy editor and then as food editor and features writer.
As a freelancer, she was editor of PrimeLife, a Birmingham-based magazine for people over 55, during the four months of its existence in 1988. She wrote a twice-monthly house column for the Birmingham News, 1992-1997, and was a regular contributor to Southern Lumberman from 1990 to 2001. She also wrote content for various local corporate and government newsletters, brochures and pamphlets, including Jefferson County, Shelby Medical Center (now Baptist Health Shelby Hospital), First National Bank and Vulcan Materials. She edited Birmingham Home & Garden magazine in 2002.
Hobson Miller took a brief sabbatical from journalism in 1996 following the death of her husband, who owned an independent pharmacy. She did enough freelance writing during that time “to keep my fingers nimble and my brain active,” she said. She sold the pharmacy in 2012 and resumed her focus on writing.
Although the honoree considers herself semi-retired, her work has appeared regularly in the magazine, Discover the Essence of St. Clair, since it was launched 15 years ago. She also writes for its sister magazine, LakeLife 24/7, both published by the Pell City-based multimedia marketing firm, Partners by Design.
Active in mission work, Hobson Miller has made four medical mission trips to Peru with Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood and Texas-based E-3 Partners, plus an independent mission trip to Peru. She did one mission trip to Spain and continues to participate in mission trips to Zacapa, Guatemala, where three Alabama churches have an ongoing relationship with the small village of Conevisa.
If all goes as planned, Moody will begin seeing the beginning of a $100 million retail development along U.S. 411 and the Little Cahaba River.
Proposed by noted developer Stan Pate of Tuscaloosa, city officials are hailing it as a “real win” for the city, according to Moody Mayor Bill Lee.
The 200,000 to 250,00 square foot retail space is targeting property between 7 Brew and Joey Adkins Drive on Moody Parkway.
It took some incentives to land the deal, but Lee and the city council believe it to be a wise investment. The property has had its challenges because of the environmental concerns about the creek running through it, but the incentives will help overcome what had been financial roadblocks in the past.
According to the incentive agreement the council approved, worth about $65 million in incentives, it involves abatement of selected sales and property taxes, fees and permits, for up to 40 years or until the total it is paid. Pate has five years to begin the incentive process after his company invests a minimum of $10 million.
The 30-acre site will be mixed use of shopping and dining options. Clearing has already begun on the property. Existing property owners sold their land to Pate and businesses on that property now will be demolished after their leases are up.
Not every season of life will look productive on the surface. Some years are meant for planting, others for harvesting … but the fallow season – the one where the soil rests – often feels the longest and hardest.
But in that rest, unseen forces are still at work. The ground is regenerating and restoring itself and what looks like emptiness now is actually preparation for future abundance.
Our lives often follow the same rhythm. There are seasons where we strive, create, and flourish. And there are seasons where we’re called to pause, recover, and be still.
This time may look and feel unproductive, even wasted. But the fallow season is not for nought – it’s a period of necessary preparation.
It’s a season of hidden and holy work, preparing the soil … and our soul … for the future fruits of our labor.
– Mackenzie Free –
Wife, mother, photographer & current resident of the unassumingly magical town of Steele, Alabama
Changes, innovation, expanded education on the horizon for nature preserve
Story by Paul South Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted photos
“Come to the woods, for here is rest.” — John Muir, American naturalist
Even in late August on the banks of Big Canoe Creek, change was in the air. Doug Morrison can see it from his side porch as he sips his morning coffee.
Leaves turned red, yellow and gold. Some even surrendered without a fight to the coming autumn. Soon, a crisp chill will be at home in the air, exciting stuff after months of heat and humidity.
But for Morrison, manager of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, nature isn’t the only architect of transformation. There are exciting human changes coming this fall to the 422-acre preserve in Springville, part of Alabama’s Forever Wild lands.
The preserve, one of the most biodiverse parcels of land in the nation’s fourth-most biodiverse state, has a new education coordinator, Auburn University graduate Lucy Cleaver.
“We’ve got endangered species and threatened species in the Big Canoe Creek watershed,” Morrison said. “She will be working with different educational programs. We’re about to light it up and make it happen.”
Local students learning about the animals found in the Preserve
Cleaver, a native of Salem, Ala., holds a master’s degree in natural resource management from Auburn. She assumed her current role in August but has worked for the City of Springville for about three years.
Her work extends beyond the preserve and area schoolchildren, she said, even though she’s already conducted field trips for classes.
“When people think about outdoor education, they think it’s mostly about K-12 groups,” she said.
“But it’s also my goal to reach out to our landowners in St. Clair County. It’s equally important to me to educate them as to what they can do on their own property to help our entire watershed. It’s not just about what’s going on at the preserve. I want to make sure everybody has access to the knowledge that we have.”
Cleaver also plans to partner with entities like The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Geological Survey of Alabama, St. Clair County Soil Conservation District and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service.
The preserve, which opened in 2024, boasts some eight miles of trails, including one hiking only trail (Creek Loop), two combination hiking and biking trails (the Fallen Oak and Slab Creek trails) and one combination hiking and horseback riding trail, called the Easy Rider trail.
Biodiversity on display
The magic of the preserve’s flora and fauna – even Creation’s s smallest treasures – captures the imagination of visitors.
Some examples? Consider the Canoe Creek Clubshell, a freshwater mussel found only in the Big Canoe Creek Watershed and listed as endangered on the Endangered Species List. It’s an important barometer of the health of the creek, Morrison said.
“Mussels are important to the water system because they’re livers for the river because they filter the water,” Morrison said. “They are also good bio-indicators. If they are there, it means the water hasn’t been polluted enough to kill them. Their food source comes from the water and as they ingest the water, they filter the water, thereby cleaning turbid water of sediment.”
Lucy and Doug at the cabin and preserve office
The tri-spot darter, featured on the preserve’s logo, is a threatened species. It also calls the preserve home. The small fish features three dark saddle-like markings on its back. But during the mating season, males become brightly colored reddish orange and green.
Other aquatic species in the watershed found in a tributary of the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve are the Western Blacknose Dace, a creature not documented in the area since the 1980s. A new find, the Gold Striped Darter was recently discovered, which is a rare find above the Fall Line.
For plant lovers, there are an array of blossoms – Mountain Laurel in the spring and wild azaleas are plentiful. The oak leaf hydrangea has bloomed out for the season. There are stands of Woodland Spider lilies, similar to the Cahaba Lily and a variety of irises and other wildflowers.
In the fall, Morrison said, the resplendent purple Beauty Berries are plentiful. The forest becomes more open as the leaves tumble to the ground.
“There are beautiful, big patches of old hardwoods,” Morrison said. “We have persimmons, paw paw trees, Muscadine.”
The unique finds fit the preserve’s motto, “Explore and Discover.”
An exciting journey ahead
As far as future goals for the preserve, Morrison is excited.
“We’re wide open,” he said.
An August grant of more than $335,000 from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will help fund the construction of a new open-air educational pavilion. The project will also get a boost of nearly $84,000 in local matching funds.
The new facility will house restrooms, an area to host educational classes and general gathering space.
Initial design renderings of new pavilion
“One of our locals, Mike McCown worked diligently with me and (St. Clair Economic Development Council Grants and Leadership Director) Candice Hill on the grant application. Mike really put a lot of time and effort into this. As a matter of fact, he inserted many links to past articles in Discover (magazine)that I believe helped craft the story. Our journey speaks for itself, a journey of perseverance, faith and huge community involvement. We are beyond thrilled this will be underway soon,” Morrison said.
Also in its earliest phase, a Nature Playscape for kids crafted not from plastic, but from rock and other natural features is planned. It is hoped that the playscape will open in 18 to 24 months.
“We just got the concept plan for that created by Learning Landscapes Design,” Morrison said. “We’re waiting on the projected costs of that, and then we’ll go after grants to help build that. Hats off to donor, G.T. LaBorde, for funding the Concept Plan and coming up with the idea. This design is incredible and will be a big attraction once built. Again, more community involvement.”
Already, Cleaver has scheduled fall field trips with homeschool and other school groups from as far away as Birmingham.
When Cleaver talks about the preserve, she thinks of a spot in Slab Creek where stones like flat dominoes seem to provide a natural footbridge over the water.
“What makes (the preserve) special is there’s nothing else like it in this community,” she said. “We don’t have another nature preserve where people can go for free and go hiking or horseback riding or mountain biking. To me, it’s very special that we offer this to the community.”
With all the happenings at the preserve, Morrison and Cleaver are like kids at Christmas. Cleaver’s addition only adds to the excitement as the preserve charts a course into the future.
“It’s a great journey, and it’s a great job,” said Morrison. “We are beyond grateful for our community support.”
Under a blazing St. Clair County summer sun, Mallory Walls worked at her art, transforming a blank exterior wall at Small Town Blanks – a T-shirt shop – into an 11-foot brick canvas of patriotism, pride, military service and memory.
As Walls painted the work of art at the intersection of Cogswell Avenue and 20th Street North, motorists honked their horns or called out words of encouragement. Pedestrians came with ice cold lemonade or brownies. As she toiled on the orange scaffold, art became life in a small town.
Mallory at work
Some veterans stopped to say thanks. Others wept.
A country was celebrated.
Veterans were honored.
And with a single letter and two numbers, a local boy was remembered.
This story is about more than Pell City’s first downtown mural
The mural was commissioned by Michelle and Craig Tumlin to honor veterans, men and women close to their hearts. Their story is well known.
Their son, Houston Lee Tumlin served honorably in the United States Army. He was known to the wider world for his role as Walker Bobby in the Will Ferrell film, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby. But to folks in Pell City, he was just Houston, a kid who “lit up a room,” his mother said.
But after his military service, Houston, plagued by CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, Houston sadly became a heartbreaking statistic – one of the 22 veterans who each day take their own lives.
A decorated veteran, he died on March 23, 2021. He was 28.
Even as they walked through the valley of the shadow of grief, the Tumlins created Houston Project, a charity working to help veterans and their families.
Mallory Walls’ creation, funded by money raised at Houston Project’s recent gala, is just another way to honor veterans and their service and sacrifice.
The Artist and Her Art
Mallory Walls can’t remember a time when she wasn’t painting. She began art lessons in kindergarten. Her mother, Rachel Gilbreath, was also an artist who crafted murals.
Mallory got her first commission at 14. Her first mural, a casino-themed portrait for a Nashville, Tennessee, bed and breakfast came at 19. She’s painted more than 100 murals in her career.
“Ever since my first commissioned piece, I’ve painted a lot. I decided to go full time with art in 2024.”
Mallory signing her work
As for the Houston Project commission, Walls is a longtime friend of Craig and Michelle Tumlin and their family, attending Victory Christian School with their daughter, Hayden. As well as Pell City’s Victory Church.
“I got to know them through a small-group Zumba class at church,” she said of the Tumlins. “They commissioned a couple of pieces from me before, watercolor paintings.”
The process for the downtown mural began two years ago, to create a piece that honored vets. From the time she began painting, it took five days – 10 to 12 hours a day – to finish the 11 feet tall by 18 feet wide work of art. She completed it during one of the hottest weeks of the year, through rain and shine and off-the-charts humidity.
She had an umbrella to fend off the sun and rain and also got a helping hand from her cousin, Mia Holland, who helped her fill out the red and white stripes of Old Glory.
“I wouldn’t have been able to finish it in five days without her help. We really had to work to get in between the bricks coated. It paid off to be deliberate with it.”
The goal for the piece?
“We wanted to create a piece that was very timeless,” Walls said. “We wanted something that people could enjoy not just now, but for years to come. The message behind it was to honor our veterans who had done so much and the families of veterans. Most everybody knows a veteran or is related to a veteran. We wanted to let veterans know that they are seen and honored and that we are so thankful for them.”
More broadly, there is a deeper meaning. In the painting, a male and female soldier stand facing the Stars and Stripes with a smart salute, their backs to the viewer. It’s not known if the soldiers are Black, white, brown, yellow or red, Catholic or Protestant, Republican or Democrat. They are simply American soldiers.
“You can’t see their age. You can’t see their race. Everyone who knows or is a veteran can relate to it and be impacted by it on some level,” Walls said.
As she worked, townsfolk stopped to ask questions, or offer words of encouragement.
“Of all the murals I’ve done, I’d have to say this was the most community involved,” I got to meet so many people. I grew up around Pell City, but I met so many people and got to experience Pell City in a whole new way. Strangers were so kind, bringing me lemonade and brownies to keep me going. It was just amazing to see the community response. It was very special in that way.”
She added, “That’s one of the things I love about doing an outdoor mural is the community response. I love it … Even in the early days when it was in its ugly stage, people would come up, and I’d say, ‘You have to come see it when it’s done.’”
What does she hope townsfolk and visitors to Pell City take from the mural?
“I hope it tells veterans that we see them, we honor them, and we thank God for them.”
A Mom and H44
Michelle Tumlin has received a flood of messages – phone calls and social media posts –even the wife of a veteran who was moved to tears by the mural.
But she is quick to give thanks, to donors at the Houston Project gala, to Joanna Hagan and her son, Wayne, who own the building that’s home to the mural, to city officials like City Manager Brian Munger.
And she’s thankful for Mallory Walls, the artist.
Michelle Tumlin reflects for a moment at mural
“She’s very talented,” Tumlin said. “She’s done work for us over the years, and I knew there was no better artist to do this.”
The idea for the mural was an extension of the work of Houston Project.
“We’re a non-profit that helps veterans, but we also honor our son,” Tumlin said. “I’ve been brainstorming. I called Mallory and told her, ‘I see a flag. I see a male and female soldier saluting,’ and she made it happen.” Captioning the image were two words: “Never Forgotten.”
“It could not be more perfect,” Tumlin said. “I wanted it to be a mural that all veterans’ family members could go, think of their loved ones and have ‘that moment’ (of remembrance), you know. I think it has done that. Just the reaction of this town was … I felt like we were part of a patriotic Hallmark movie.”
Fittingly, the mural gives the Tumlins “that moment,” too. As Michelle remembers Houston, tears flow. And tucked in a spot on the mural are dog tags bearing a letter and a number. For the Tumlin family, every time the number comes up, it’s a message from their beloved son.
The letter on the dog tag is H for Houston. The number is 44, the number he wore on sports teams growing up.
“My heart is just beaming,” Tumlin said. “And I know Houston Tumlin is just smiling down from heaven. When I see that mural, I see my son.”
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Mackenzie Free Submitted Photos
To know him is to love him, say family and friends. They’re describing 15-year-old Caden Nelson, a young man with profound physical challenges but equally profound gifts. At first meeting, it will likely take a bit of effort to understand his speech, but his words pack such enthusiasm and joy, the effort is well spent.
Describing an encounter with Caden is like trying to describe light. He is both complex and simple. His thoughts are deep, but his activities are childlike. He is a beautiful combination of youthful exuberance and parental encouragement. He is both challenged and accomplished. He entered the world with a mountain of challenges before him, yet he describes the mountains with wonder and determination.
Caden patiently plays with little sister, Alyssa
Those who meet him are blessed by his ability to fill the room with joy. That joy comes from his appreciation for life and an intense gratitude for those who have encouraged him and who continue to support his journey. This is Caden’s story.
Caden was born prematurely at 30 weeks, weighing just over three pounds. His mother, Anna, was under the care of a maternal fetal specialist in Miami, Florida. Her prenatal testing had revealed that the baby was suffering from a bladder outlet obstruction, which required doctors to insert a shunt through the amniotic fluid to help his body flush fluids. A host of additional medical issues were discovered at birth.
“Caden was not expected to survive,” says Anna. “We were told when he was five days old and had gone for his first surgery that he would bankrupt us physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. We knew about the bladder obstruction, but after he was born, we learned he had paper-thin abdominal muscles, neuronal intestinal dysplasia, prune-belly syndrome, scoliosis and kyphosis. The doctors said we should just let him pass away.” When Anna and Chad rejected that option, and Caden outlived the doctor’s expectations, doctors stopped issuing life expectancies.
Unlike most teenagers, Caden has never eaten a hamburger or grabbed a handful of cookies, never hung out with friends to share a pizza. In fact, he’s never taken a bite of anything. Neuronal intestinal dysplasia type B essentially means his intestinal system does not work. Because of that condition, he cannot digest food, so it is fed through a central line which goes through one of the veins near his heart.
All this, he takes in stride and doesn’t let it dampen his appetite for life. “Making people happy is a good day for me,” Caden says. He talks openly about his faith and his gratitude for life’s journey. “Jesus is like my first Dad before I met my Dad,” he adds. “He’s helped me all my life through all my surgeries on my back and with the halo surgery.”
It is difficult to imagine all the surgeries in Caden’s young life. They began with exploratory surgery at five days old, spinal fusion surgery at seven months old, more surgery at 10 years old to put rods in his back, which required a halo for six weeks to keep his back aligned so he could heal properly. After those rods broke, he required additional surgery to replace them.
In hospital with halo
“He can walk but has a walker and a wheelchair to help sometimes,” says dad Chad. “If we are going somewhere like the zoo or the mall, we take the wheelchair. If he just needs to walk from the house to the car, he can use the walker.” Anna adds that it is crucial that he not fall, so they must be very careful.
“He has some breathing issues because the scoliosis and kyphosis caused restrictive lung disease,” explains Anna. “If he gets sick with a cold or something, it’s harder for him to get over it.” You wouldn’t know it on a typical day, though, she says, other than he gets winded walking any distance.
Most days, he doesn’t walk far. School comes to him in the form of Anna’s cousin, Kyla Dunn. Everyday Lala, as he calls her, comes to the house to take care of him and his younger sister, three-year-old Alyssa, while Chad goes to work as a firefighter. Anna does contract work as a speech therapist.
When Alyssa goes down for her nap, Lala and Caden, who is in 9th grade, get to work. “Initially, I was just going to help a couple of days a week,” says Kyla. “But I was needed, and I believe with all my heart that this is the ministry God put me in. I’m grateful for every day we have.” Sitting on the arm of her chair and beaming at her, Caden says, “I love school, and I love Lala. We’ve been together almost 13 years.” He says he wants to be a caregiver like Lala when he grows up.
“We’re just happy to be celebrating another birthday with him,” Anna adds, talking about his summer birthday. “He still picks out what kind of cake or cupcakes he wants. He just can’t eat them.”
Usually given the choice to have a birthday party or to go on a trip to celebrate, most often he chooses to travel. He’s been on many trips that coincided with out-of-town specialist visits to New York City but has also taken the Christmas train out of Blue Ridge, Georgia, gone to both Disney World and Disneyland, and last year went to Branson, Missouri and rode the train to the Ozarks.
“We try really hard to give him all the experiences we can,” Chad explains. “His pediatrician asked him recently if there was anything else he wants to do that he hasn’t done already, and he couldn’t think of anything.”
One thing Caden checked off his list recently was being baptized. He’d never done it because, even though he had professed his faith, there was a problem, and its name was water. Because he receives his nutrition through the central line in his chest, known as a TPN (total parenteral nutrition), that line must stay dry to keep from getting an infection from bacteria. For that reason, he’s never been in a pool, a lake or a bathtub.
Paulina and Dan Gilliland and Caden’s dad, Chad, assist with baptism
Never shy of a challenge, Caden insisted on baptism by immersion. “I wanted to do it right, the way God wants it to be,” says Caden, adding, “Mama was terrified because me and water don’t mix well. But I took it like a pro.”
“It was definitely a challenge,” says Chad. “I used Tegaderm (a waterproof wound dressing) under his line, put gauze over it, then covered it again with the Tegaderm so it was double layered.” This milestone made for a perfect gift for Dad, as it occurred on Father’s Day. A photo of the special event shows a very proud Caden in a victory pose after coming out of the water.
Anna and Chad are intentional in doing their best to give him experiences like those available to their younger children, 11-year-old Luke, 7-year-old Jacob and 3-year-old Alyssa. They also hold him to the same rules. “He just got ungrounded yesterday and got his PlayStation back,” says Anna. “In the beginning, I was worried about getting on to him, but now he’s held to the same standards as the other children.”
Anna says he knows he is different and that there are things he cannot do. “Regardless of his situation,” she says, “he stays so positive.” Chad echoes the admiration for Caden’s positivity. “Caden has changed my life. With him sharing his positive attitude and love for Jesus, he’s definitely made me a better person.”
Another trip to New York for doctors’ visits
“He is just very sweet and rarely has anything negative to say,” says Anna. “He normally doesn’t complain of pain or anything like that.” Chad agrees. “When he comes in the room, everyone is excited to see him. He loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor.”
His favorite things are trains, video games, his dog, Cooper, and his family and friends. Caden also loves singing and dancing and has recently sung a solo in church. The chance for the family to be in church together is a recent joy for Chad and Anna. First Baptist Church Pell City added a special needs class to their offerings this past year, allowing the family time to worship together while making sure Caden had opportunities that fit his needs.
Going to his class makes Caden smile. Dan Gilliland is one of his teachers at church, and he can’t say enough about being with Caden.
“He always gives the other students the best markers and serves others first,” says Gilliland. “From the minute he joined the class, he changed the lives of everyone in this class and all who meet him. Aside from my mother, no one has impacted my life by showing the way Jesus wants us to live more than Caden Nelson.”
Gilliland has a message for others. “If you get a chance to meet him, do it. He’s a joy, and he will pass some joy to you!”
And you’ll likely get a hug.
Tina Stallings and Winford Hill work with Caden in class
Special Needs Class First Baptist Church Pell City
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Mackenzie Free
When Dan and Paulina Gilliland started attending First Baptist Church Pell City over four years ago, they knew they wanted to be a part of a ministry that benefitted families with special needs. Dan had 40 years of experience working with special needs youth and adults in Shelby County and in Mountain Brook schools and as program director at Easterseals Camp ASCCA. Paulina, a registered nurse, worked with him at Camp ASCCA for several years.
The church leadership had been working on putting together a team to offer a special needs class, and the fit was right for the Gillilands to help support that vision. For nearly a year now, special needs students have had a place where they fit in, a place focused on meeting the needs of individuals with varied abilities. The class is regularly attended by three to four students.
“My wife, Paulina, is the core, the lifeblood of the class,” says Gilliland. “She holds everything together, gives us all assignments for the week.” Four other dedicated teachers – Jennifer Jensen, Joe McGaha, Winford Hill and Tina Stallings – round out the volunteer staff.
Chad Nelson is parent to one of those students and he describes the challenge of attending church prior to this class offering. “When they started the class, it allowed Caden to have a place, a group of teachers and friends that he loves and is excited to see,” explains Chad. “It allows Anna and me to attend worship, just the two of us without kids.”
Anna Nelson adds that other churches never seemed to “fit” their family. “It just never felt like there was a place that fit all of us,” she adds. “But I don’t think that population is being overlooked intentionally. Unless people are in a situation where they have kids with physical or mental limitations, that group gets overlooked inadvertently. This program at First Baptist could be a great outreach program for the community.”
For more information or to enroll your student in the class, email Rev. Chris Dewaal, minister to children and families at cdewaal@fbcpellcity.org or call the church at 205-338-9444. The class is held each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
