As we approach the end of 2024, we’re taking the time to highlight the best 24 photos that appeared in the Homewood Star this year—hoping to illustrate how vibrant life was in Homewood this year along the way.
#24:
The Homewood High School volleyball team shone on the court this season, advancing to the Class 6A North Super Regional in October. At the tournament, ultimately, fell to Buckhorn, but fought hard against their opponent—storming back after losing the first two sets to force a fifth set. The Patriots finished the season with a record of 13-16.
Read the full article here.
#23:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Sam Adams, a shift supervisor, works with Russelle Williams as he counts the hearts on a customer’s order card at Bitty & Beau’s Coffee.
Bitty & Beau’s coffee shop, located in Homewood on Oxmoor Road, has been serving up drinks all year, while also creating jobs for people with disabilities in the community. 80% of adults with disabilities do not have jobs, but Bitty & Beau’s—whose slogan proclaims it’s a “human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop”—is seeking to change that one cup of coffee at a time.
Read the full article here.
#22:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Kids go up and down the slide during the Fall Festival before the Witches Ride in Homewood on Oct. 27, 2024.
In October, Homewood residents turned out for a day of fall fun at Homewood Central Park. The event, put on by Homewood Parks & Recreation, featured costumes, face painting, inflatables and lots more family fun.
Read the full article here.
#21:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
(L to R) Matt Grainger and Haley Flanery pose with their "owl-ways stay on guard" sign at the scene of the owl attacks on Lakeshore Trail on Oct. 1, 2024. The pair wish to promote awareness of the danger of the bird to runners and walkers on the trail.
Throughout the fall, early morning runners and walkers who frequented the Lakeshore Trail began to be terrorized by an owl. The feathery fiend would swoop down on unsuspecting trail-goers—often targeting hats, including Haley Flanery and Jason Smith, pictured here. Following their encounter, the pair began to work to raise awareness of the owl to other runners and walkers.
Read the full article here.
#20:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Homewood K Judson Eanes (40) kicks off in rain in the Woodlawn vs Homewood homecoming game at Waldrop Stadium on Sept. 13, 2024.
All fall long, the Homewood High School football team was a force to be reckoned with under the Friday night lights. The Patriots made another playoff appearance this season, making it to the second round of the playoffs and ending their season with a 9-3 record.
#19:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Edgewood Elementary School displays a pop up museum exhibition in their gym in Homewood, AL for their 100 year celebration on Nov. 17, 2024.
In November, Edgewood Elementary celebrated a century of education with a 100th birthday party. Current students and alumni alike gathered at the school to celebrate and swap memories with one another.
Read the full article here.
#18:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
John Carroll cheerleader does flips during the John Carroll vs West Blocton game at JCHS on Nov. 1, 2024.
Fans turned out all fall long to cheer on the John Carroll Catholic High School football team throughout their season. The Cavs might not have had a dream season, finishing with a 3-7 record, but the school’s cheerleaders, band members and other fans were there through thick and thin.
#17:
Photo courtesy of Swede Umbach
The owl of Lakeshore Trail sits on a branch after attacking runner Swede Umbach on Sept. 26, 2024 at around 5:30 a.m.
After weeks of terrorizing walkers and runners along the Lakeshore Trail, a mischievous owl was finally caught on camera in late September. Thanks to these photos, the Alabama Wildlife Center was able to identify the Lakeshore Owl as a barred owl.
Read the full article here.
#16:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Homewood mayor Alex Wyatt in front of Homewood City Hall on Dec. 6, 2024.
After nearly a decade of public service in Homewood, Alex Wyatt is now the city’s mayor. Wyatt never went out looking for this job. Instead, he assumed the role after the previous mayor, Patrick McClusky, retired from the position. Wyatt is not planning to run for reelection, and will be finishing out his term next year.
Read the full article here.
#15:
Illustration courtesy of Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress’ newsletter
Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center has proposed a plan to renovate and convert the former Belk building in Brookwood Village into a roughly 135,000-square-foot medical office.
In early November, Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center made a proposal to renovate the former Belk’s department store in Brookwood Village to a new medical office. Developments about this project will continue to come in 2025, as the city of Mountain Brook and the city of Homewood agreed to enter into an intergovernmental cooperative agreement with one another in December to decide the fate of the project.
Read the full article here.
#14:
Photo courtesy of Timothy Hontzas
Timothy Hontzas is the owner of Johnny’s Restaurant, where he melds Greek cuisine and Southern culture to create delicious dishes.
In September, two Homewood restauranteurs participated in the FOOD + Culture Festival in Birmingham, which turned a focus on Greek food this year. Fanoula Gulas, the owner of Greek Kouzina, and Timothy Hontzas—pictured here, owner of Johnny’s Restaurant, both brought their talent and culture to the festival.
Read the full article here.
#13:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Homewood Fire Chief Brandon Broadhead on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Broadhead is Homewood’s sixth fire chief.
Homewood Fire Department got a new chief in April, spending the rest of the year under the leadership of Brandon Broadhead. Broadhead has been involved with fire service since he was 14, starting with the Boy Scouts Fire Explorer Program in Montevallo, including 20 years with the Homewood Fire Department.
Read the full article here.
#12:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Jonathan Vickery, a Vestavia Hills firefighter, holds a catfish that was caught by Levi Killian, a kindergartener at Shades Cahaba Elementary, as Killian touches the fish, accompanied by Allie Harrington, one of the special education aides at the school, during the Fishin’, Not Just Wishin’ event at Oak Mountain State Park for special education students in Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Homewood city school systems on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
In May, students with disabilities and parents and teachers from the Homewood school district participated in the Gone Fishin’, Not Just Wishin’ event at Oak Mountain State Park. Participants fished, but also took part in other activities such as inflatables, face painting and arts and crafts.
#11:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Mollie McFarland reads to her daughter at the Homewood Public Library in March 2024.
During the summer, Homewood residents took advantage of all the events and programs that the Homewood Public Library had to offer. From puppet shows to Dungeons and Dragons to fencing classes, there was something for everyone happening at the library.
#10:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
RJ Teter, 17, slaloms at LymanLand USA in Duncanville on Friday, June 14, 2024. Teter has qualified to compete in the slalom competition of the International Waterski and Wakeboard World Under 17 Championships at the end of July in Calgary, Canada.
Read the full article here.
#9:
Photo by Katherine Ives, courtesy of Steve Skipper
Homewood native and renowned artist, Steve Skipper, unveils his painting featuring Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the 200th anniversary of the British Consulate in Savannah, Ga. on May 9, 2024.
This year, Homewood-based artist Steve Skipper unveiled a painting he was commissioned to paint of Queen Elizabeth II, titled “Majesty.” Skipper, who was the first African American to be commissioned by Buckingham Palace to create artwork for the Royal Collection, spent more than 1,500 hours working on the painting.
Read the full article here.
#8:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Construction crews work on updates to the Central Park playground on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
In the spring, the city of Homewood unveiled a newly renovated and accessible Central Park playground. The playground is the first full-scale playground in Homewood to be compliant with the American With Disabilities Act.
Read the full article here.
#7:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Homewood’s Slate Rohrer competes in the boys 60-meter hurdles during the Class 6A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.
Homewood High School’s indoor track team added some hardware to their collection in February at the Class 6A state meet. The boys team finished as the runner-up at the meet, while the girls team came in third overall.
Read the full article here.
#6:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Kids play on a vintage Homewood firetruck front of Edgewood Elementary School in during their 100 year celebration on Nov. 17, 2024.
In November, Edgewood Elementary celebrated a century of education with a 100th birthday party. Current students and alumni alike gathered at the school to celebrate and swap memories with one another.
Read the full article here.
#5:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Homewood's Jace Harden (12) practices a layup during the Homewood vs Chelsea basketball game at Homewood High School.
As fall turned into winter, the Homewood High School boys basketball team geared up for their season. This is the first season Elijah Garrison will lead the Patriots, following the retirement of longtime coach Tim Shepler.
Read the full article here.
#4:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
(L to R) Kyle Bass, Stark Newton, and Ellise Mayor practice lines for their December show, Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" at the Homewood Theatre on Oct. 23, 2024.
In December, the Homewood Theatre put on a production of “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. In order to perform this show, the theatre had to receive special permission from the Truman Capote Literary trust, making the show a special holiday treat for theatre-goers.
Read the full article here.
#3:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
(Clockwise, starting at the bottom left) Henry Delk, Andrew Ferderbet, Oscar Jiminez and Brooks Jackson practice English exercises during Mrs. Drake's ACT prep class at Homewood High School on Oct. 25, 2024.
It was another outstanding year for Homewood City Schools, and they have the test scores to show for it. Homewood High School’s composite average ACT score was 23.48, increasing by nearly 0.9 points since last year and well above the state average score of 17.72.
Read the full article here.
#2:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Farley, the beloved cat of Nadeau Furniture store in downtown Homewood, greets visitors at the door.
If you wandered the streets of downtown Homewood this week, you may have caught a glimpse of Farley the cat. Farley lives at the furniture store Nadeau, but can be seen visiting neighboring stores, such as Homewood Toy and Hobby Shop.
Read the full article here.
#1:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Drum sensation Jack Mitchell raises his hands in victory while playing the drums in the Woodlawn vs Homewood homecoming game at Waldrop Stadium on Sept. 13, 2024.
If you saw the Homewood Patriot Band’s halftime show this fall, you were in for a special surprise. During the show, drummer Jack Mitchell would spin around in a gyroscope, all while still playing the drums. A video of Mitchell performing went viral on TikTok in September, racking up millions of views and likes.
Read the full article here.
