BROUGHT TO YOU BY
August 2025 | Volume 18 | Issue 10
Don’t wait til prices drop!
Sell your GOLD today!
Cummings JEWELRY DESIGN
SERVING THE 280 CORRIDOR, HOMEWOOD, HOOVER, MOUNTAIN BROOK, TRUSSVILLE AND VESTAVIA HILLS
THE 280 CORRIDOR’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE 280LIVING.COM | STARNESMEDIA.COM
3166 Heights Village Cahaba Heights
205-298-9144
cummingsjewelrydesign.com
RECORD HIGH PRICES!
2025 VOTER GUIDE
Face off
Hoover mayoral race
Chelsea mayoral race
Voters in Hoover, Chelsea set to choose mayor, council races Frank Brocato
By JON ANDERSON and TIM STEPHENS
Cody Sumners
VS.
Voters across the U.S. 280 corridor will face key leadership choices on Aug. 26, with competitive mayoral contests in both Hoover and Chelsea — and a full slate of council seats also on the ballot. In Hoover, a high-profile race between Mayor Frank Brocato and police Chief Nick Derzis has drawn sharp contrasts in vision and tone. In Chelsea, residents will choose between longtime City Councilman Cody Sumners and business owner Mike Rochester to replace outgoing Mayor Tony Picklesimer, who is not seeking a third term. The candidates are focused on managing growth, infrastructure and support for the local business community.
VS.
See VOTE | page A6
Nick Derzis
On the Ballot: Meet the candidates running to serve as the next mayor or City Council member. See page A8
Ask the Candidates: Candidates for mayor and council share their views on key issues facing Hoover and Chelsea. See page A16
Mike Rochester
Follow us for more: Stay up to date with election news by connecting with us online.
From father to son, from Berry to Spain Park, the Kerleys reflect a city’s tradition — and a school that has arrived By TIM STEPHENS The air outside Spain Park’s stadium is heavy with July humidity, thick and still under the late-afternoon Alabama sun. Eric Kerley barely notices. He stands in the shadow of a stadium that didn’t even exist when he wore this jacket — his old Berry High letter jacket, draped over his shoulder, the black-and-orange pirate stitched on the sleeve faded but still proud. Next to him, his son EJ tosses a
Eric and EJ Kerley, a father-son duo who represent a divided family. Eric is the last Buc to make it to the SEC from the old Berry High before the school closed to make way for Hoover High. He's a Hoover Athletics Hall of Famer. But his son now stars for Spain Park. They're Hoover through and through on both sides of the rivalry. Photo by Tosha Gaines.
football in his Columbia blue Spain Park shirt, the son of a Buc now wearing Jaguar colors as he steps into his senior season. Father and son. Buc and Jaguar. Two colors — one family. Two schools — one city. Berry High School may have closed in 1994, but its black-and-orange Bucs lived on under a new name and a new roof.
See SPAIN PARK | page A26
INSIDE
Sponsors..........................A4 Schoolhouse.................... B2
Business...........................B4 Real Estate...................... B7
Events...............................B8 Sports............................. B10
Community.................... B14 facebook.com/280living
Back to School
Under the Lights
New faces, upgrades and pride greet students in the new school year
Check out previews of the football teams at Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park.
5 © All Rights Reserved. Closets by Design, Inc.
See page B2
See page B10-13