Aaron Neville and his brothers plan stop in Birmingham before returning to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans
Birmingham News / al.com
The last year has been a bittersweet one for Aaron Neville. The 67-year-old singer and his brothers - Art, Charles and Cyril - made a triumphant return to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May, two years after Aaron and Art lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina.

Experts name the essential tools for stocking any kitchen
Birmingham News / al.com
Look around long enough and you may think there are more kitchen gadgets than people on this planet. But do you really need goggles to prevent tears while chopping onion? What about that lethal-looking barbecue fork with the built-in thermometer?

A Birmingham-area doctor fights heartburn injuries with fire
Birmingham News / al.com
Doctors are now fighting fire with fire, using a high-technology, nonsurgical procedure to flash-burn away precancerous cells on the esophagus caused by heartburn.

In Season: Sage
Birmingham News / al.com
As an addition to food, herbs such as sage can help reduce the need for salt and fat in meals. Sage adds a mint-like, almost lemon, flavor to foods and is typically added in dishes containing fish, meat, cheese and poultry stuffing.

Alabama soldiers returning from war have to cope with psychological challenge of getting to know their children all over again
Birmingham News / al.com
Six months after deploying to Afghanistan, and two months after being severely wounded by a roadside bomb near Kabul, Air Force Staff Sgt. Nick Bradley walked into a Scottsboro day-care center.