Year In Review: Birmingham's Newsmakers In 2017

BIRMINGHAM, AL - News in the state of Alabama in 2017 was, unfortunately for most Alabamians, not always good. Governor Robert Bentley resigned amid accusations he had an affair with a staff member, the Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard was charged with conspiracy and other crimes, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore was removed from office for defying a SCOTUS order to allow same-sex marriage. This means the heads of all three government bodies in the state had to be removed due to scandal. While it has been a dramatic year for the state, the city of Birmingham has had some shining moments in 2017. Here are 10 people that made headlines in Birmingham for the right reasons:

Ben Abercrombie - Abercrombie, a former Hoover High School football standout, was a student and football player at Harvard, when he sustained a major spinal injury in his first game Sept. 16, leading to a series of medical procedures. Community projects and campaigns have been launched throughout the metro Birmingham area to help support medical treatment for Abercrombie, who is still recovering in Atlanta's Shepherd Center where he is undergoing therapy six days a week, and is kept company by his parents, Marty and Sherri, who have temporarily relocated to be with their son. The cost of Ben's recovery has been continuing to grow, but the communities of Hoover and the Harvard Varsity Club, among others, are raising support to help cover costs. Awareness for Ben's medical and travel expenses for the family has now gone nationwide.

Bill Clark - At this time last year, UAB football did not exist. In 2014, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees voted to terminate the Blazer football program, but after an outpouring of local support, the program was brought back, set to play the 2017 season after a two year absence and with low expectations for success. Well, UAB coach Bill Clark took his Blazers to its best season in program history, capped off with ___ in the Bahamas Bowl. A crowd of 45,212 came to UAB's first game, which is what those who had doubted success of the program said UAB has needed all along. Clark was named Conference USA Coach of the Year, and the CBS Sports National Coach of the Year.

Jordan Fisher - Fisher, a Trussville native, was already making a name for himself on Broadway as a cast member of the award-winning musical, "Hamilton." But he was thrust even further into the spotlight in 2017 when he was asked to compete on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Fisher not only competed, but ended up winning the competition. Fisher, 23, said his ballroom journey isn't over. He and his partner, Lindsay Arnold, will embark on an 11-week "Dancing With the Stars: Light Up the Night" tour, which kicks off Dec. 30 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Lisa Herring - After a tumultuous and controversial interview process for the superintendent position for Birmingham City Schools, the board finally decided to hire Herring, who comes to Birmingham via Kentucky, where she was chief academic officer for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville. Herring is the 10th person to lead the system in about 18 years, and was hired after a rather sudden dismissal of Kelly Castlin-Gacutan who was fired after being accused of making fiscal decisions without consulting the board.

Doug Jones - Anyone who did not know who Doug Jones was before 2017 certainly knows his name by now. Jones became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama since 1992, and did so in the state's most publicized election ever. Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a race that included national headlines involving sexual misconduct accusations against Moore, and a rush of national celebrities and Democratic leaders heading to Alabama to help get Jones elected, starting with former vice-president Joe Biden. Although Moore has not conceded the election to Jones, Jones is set to take his Senate seat in January. Jones is filling the seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when Sessions was named Attorney General. He will serve in that capacity until 2020.

Anna Claire Pledger - Mountain Brook 8-year-old Anna Claire Pledger became a local hero in September when she saved her two siblings from a copperhead, but was bitten twice herself in the process. The kids were out playing in a wooded area by Mountain Brook Junior High School football field where their older brothers Ayden and Alec, both 9, were practicing, when Anna Claire felt something sharp on her leg. The Brookwood Forest Elementary student realized it was a snake and urged Adelaide and Anderson to run to their father, who was watching the practice. After making sure her siblings had cleared the area, she was bitten again as she attempted to flee. Anna Claire's father John Pledger, a teacher and coach, and another father identified the snake and the bite, and Anna Claire was rushed to the hospital, where medical professionals acted quickly to begin treating the bite. The emtire Mountain Brook community rallied around the Brookwood Forest Elementary School student, and she is recovering well, according to her parents.

Jake Pratt - Jake Pratt is a member of the Vestavia Hills High School football team along with dozens of other students, but what made Pratt newsworthy was his touchdown in August against Briarwood Christian and the subsequent video of the touchdown that went viral on social media. Pratt, who has Down Syndrome, captured the hearts of people across the country, including Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, ESPN football analyst Marty Smith and athletes and sports fans nationwide.

Scott Register- Register, better known throughout the Magic City as "Reg" celebrated 20 years on the local airwaves in 2017 as the host of "Reg's Coffee House," one of the city's longest running and most popular radio shows. Reg has his regular morning show gig on Birmingham Mountain Radio (107.3 FM) called "The Morning Blend," which he co-hosts with Will Lochamy, but it is his Sunday morning show that has made him a local celebrity. Just being on the air for two decades is an accomplishment, however, the significance of 20 years on the air comes also from the amazing growth and attention the Birmingham music scene has experienced. And Reg is a major reason for that growth, as he has been a champion of local music since the inception of Reg's Coffee House.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones- Those familiar with the music scene in Birmingham have known about St. Paul & The Broken Bones since they burst onto the local scene in 2012, playing gigs and festivals in the Magic City. But now, the band is a household name throughout the country and beyond. The band released a new album in 2016 and in the midst of touring for the album in 2017 experienced a bevy of international exposure, playing with music legends like the Rolling Stones and Elton John, and selling out venues nationwide. The band is currently working on its third full length album. The band also played a free show at Birmingham's Boutwell Auditorium in support of Senate candidate Doug Jones.

Randall Woodfin - Woodfin said it himself at a rally for Senate candidate Doug Jones: "I know what it is like to be told there is no way you can win. That you should not even try. And to come out a winner." Woodfin won Birmingham's mayoral election over incumbent William Bell. Bell, who has held a public office in Birmingham for 40 years, came close to losing the general election outright to challenger Woodfin, who received more than 40 percent of the total vote in August. Woodfin ran a solid campaign based on a promise to bring transparency and integrity back to the mayor's office, something Birmingham voters had expressed was a huge concern, considering some questionable expenditures by Bell's office and Bell's publicized fueds with the city council.

Photo of Ben Abercrombie courtesy of GoFundMe; Photo of UAB Head Coach Bill Clark by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images; Photo of Jordan Fisher by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images; Photo of Lisa Herring courtesy of Birmingham City Schools; Photo of Doug Jones by Michael Seale; Photo of Anna Claire Pledger courtesy of the Pledger family; Photo of Jake Pratt courtesy of Marty Smith; Photo of Scott Register courtesy of Scott Register; Photo of Paul Janeway of St. Paul & The Broken Bones by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Image; Photo of Randall Woodfin by Michael Seale