BROUGHT TO YOU BY
July 2025 | Volume 13 | Issue 10
Sun All-South Metro
2025 © All Rights Reserved. Closets by Design, Inc.
Installation 15% Off
PLUS TAKE AN EXTRA
SPECIAL FINANCING for 18 Months! With approved credit. Call or ask your Designer for details. Not available in all areas.
See page 18-20
205-827-4911 SP
SERVING HOOVER, THE 280 CORRIDOR, HOMEWOOD, MOUNTAIN BROOK, TRUSSVILLE AND VESTAVIA HILLS
Locally Owned and Operated! Licensed and Insured.
SPECIAL REPORT
Where the heck am I? How annexation and urban sprawl turned US 280 into a bureaucratic maze
Real Estate......... 14 Events.................. 16 Sports.................. 18 Community........ 23
Hoover
Inverness Birmingham
Cahaba Heights
I
t wasn’t the grease fire that shut down Hamburger Heaven on a rainy June Saturday afternoon. That had happened the week before — the Hoover Fire Department showed up for that one. But this time, it was an electrical issue, and the flashing red lights belonged to Cahaba Valley Fire & Rescue. Same restaurant. Different day. Different departments. That wouldn’t surprise owner Pete Flach, who opened this location in 1997. “It’s very confusing,” Flach said. “I’m still not sure who I call if we have a fire.” Welcome to the U.S. 280 corridor. No single city governs the congested stretch that extends from Interstate 459 in Jefferson County east to Chelsea. What was once farmland and country stores has become a sprawl of big-box retail and gated subdivisions. And none of it happened by accident.
INSIDE Sponsors.............. 4 City........................ 6 Schoolhouse........ 8 Business..............10
Terms and Conditions: 40% off any order of $1000 or more or 30% off any order of $700-$1000 on any complete unit order of custom closet, garage, or home office, and any other products. Take an additional 15% off on any complete unit order. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any unit order of $850 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Expires 7/31/25. Offer not valid in all regions.
www.closetsbydesign.com
By TAYLOR BRIGHT and TIM STEPHENS
See which Hoover and Spain Park athletes made the All-South Metro baseball and softball teams.
40%FreeOff
Call for a free in home design consultation and estimate
Leaving Her Mark
See page 8
Custom Closets, Garage Cabinets, Home Office, Pantries, Laundries Wall Beds, Wall Units, Hobby Rooms, Garage Flooring and more...
Plus
HOOVER’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE HOOVERSUN.COM | STARNESMEDIA.COM
Jennifer Hogan is retiring as Hoover High School principal.
Imagine your home, totally organized!
Cahaba Valley Greystone Chelsea
See MAZE | page 28
INSIDE
► Mapping the maze: How decades of annexations and sprawl created a confusing corridor. ► Jurisdictional roulette: On U.S. 280, even 911 calls depend on which lane you’re in. ► Maze of consequences: Your ZIP code, taxes, trash pickup and voting precinct might not match, and that’s just the start.
Former local prep stars like Hoover’s Sonny DiChiara have navigated the new, professionalized world of college sports in real time THE NEW PLAYBOOK
facebook.com/hooversunnews
By KYLE PARMLEY Sonny DiChiara’s college path may look normal today, but it was far from it. The former Hoover High School star helped lead Samford to two Southern Conference titles before transferring to Auburn, where he became a fan favorite and helped power the Tigers to the College World Series in 2022.
“My college baseball experience was nothing short of amazing,” DiChiara said. “I won two Southern Conference titles at Samford University, and I went to Omaha with Auburn University. Safe to say there was a lot of winning and enjoyment.”
Sonny DiChiara had a magical 2022 season at Auburn University, helping lead the Tigers to the College World Series. Photo courtesy of Auburn Athletics.
See THE NEW PLAYBOOK | page 30
RE-ELECT COUNCILMAN DERRICK
HOOVER CITY COUNCIL
SERVANT LEADER “In order to be a great leader, you must first be a great servant.” - Derrick M. Murphy
www.derrickmmurphy.com Paid for by the Campaign to Elect Derrick M. Murphy PO Box 360571 Hoover, AL 35236