Call Center Company in Montgomery, AL

A divided Montgomery school board Tuesday night voted to choose Zickeyous Byrd as the district's new superintendent after a selection process that was criticized by city leaders and business officials.

Pamela Cloud, Pam Portis, Arica Watkins-Smith and Lesa Keith voted for Byrd. Byrd was one of two final candidates for the position. The other was Harold Wright.

Board Member Brenda DeRamus-Coleman first made a motion in favor of Wright. DeRamus-Coleman, Claudia Mitchell and Cassandra Brown voted for Wright. The vote failed.

At the beginning of the meeting, Board Member Claudia Mitchell moved to remove the superintendent pick from the meeting, asking for more time to deliberate further. Her motion failed but illuminated the division among the board members and in the community, where Mayor Steven Reed and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce voiced displeasure with the process.

“Instead of building on recent momentum, the school board has pursued a process that appears predetermined and dismissive of highly qualified candidates. Montgomery’s children deserve better,” Reed said in a statement.

Text messages have also swirled throughout the community, lodging accusations at Byrd. They appear to be automated, and it is unclear who is responsible for them. The accusations appear to be based on the fact that while Byrd was superintendent of Conecuh County Schools, the district was swept up in fraudulent activity that resulted in a lawsuit. Byrd was not named in the lawsuit, according to AL.com.

Shawn Joseph — an associate with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, the national search firm that conducted the superintendent search — presented the firm's process.

While Joseph did not name Byrd in discussing the controversy, he did say that he received an email from Brown on March 28 about an article circulating about a candidate. Joseph said that one of the candidates was a sitting superintendent when his district was defrauded and that he was not named in the lawsuit. Joseph specifically said that the candidate did nothing wrong.

“The two candidates that you’re left with are qualified," Joseph said.

Board Member Pamela Cloud said she was alarmed by the situation. “We’re seeing a smear campaign, and that in itself concerns me," Cloud said.

Through his presentation, Joseph tried to reassure the board.

“You had one of the most thorough processes in the country," Joseph said.

Byrd previously served as both the Selma City Public Schools and Conecuh County School superintendent. He is a Montgomery resident and a previous Montgomery Public Schools employee. He is from Alabama.

Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's education reporter. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @gladlyalex.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Mario Enriquez grew up around food.

As a young man, he opened two restaurants in New York, then another in California.

Five months ago, he moved his family to Alabama deciding it was time to bring some NYC flavor to the MGM.

His restaurant La Trattoria just opened.

“I’m nervous and excited,” said Enriquez.

He’s had restaurants on both coasts, but says New York is always home.

“I actually lived 10 minutes away from Yankee Stadium.”

La Trattoria opened at 503 Cloverdale Road, which used to be another Italian-inspired eatery, Tomatino’s.

The preceding pizzeria closed in 2023. Now it’s time for a new Italian flavor.

Enriquez describes it as “a casual, mom and pop small restaurant.”

He and his family have been working around the clock to get ready for opening.

“It’s hard to start from zero. This place was closed down. As you can see we did everything from zero to 100 in a few months.”

When you walk inside, it’ll be like a trip from the MGM to NYC.

“I’m not just Italian food, I’m New York Italian food. We have pizzas, lots of pizzas. We have dishes, lasagna, salads, a little bit of everything.”

When it comes to the dough:

“We don’t buy it frozen. We make it in the house.”

As for the taste:

“We don’t do deep dish pizzas. We do New York style right here on the stone. Nice and crispy on the bottom. You can hold it and it’s flat.”

He can cook 24 at a time in his stacked ovens.

If you need dessert:

“The beauty is I make my own gelato. I have a machine and make it different than anyone else.”

It’ll be a taste and atmosphere that he hopes will make folks say.

“Oh my. This is different. You don’t see something like this in Montgomery.”

The wait is over and it’s time to serve up some New York Style Italian. Stop by at 503 Cloverdale Road, or give them a call at 334-604-2251.

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Alabama's diverse habitats make it a top spot for birdwatchers, and in the last seven days alone, three rare bird sightings have been confirmed, showcasing the state's birdwatching potential.

The Alabama Ornithological Society's list includes 420 bird species, with 158 regularly breeding in the state.

See which rare birds have been confirmed and spotted in the past seven days and what we know about them.

The Clay-Colored Sparrow

The Clay-Colored Sparrow, typically found in open woodlands, was spotted in Jefferson, Ala., on March 28. While this species is usually an occasional visitor to Alabama during the fall and winter, a spring sighting is an uncommon and special event.

This small, slender bird is pale tan and gray, with a small bill. A key identifying feature is the gray collar around its neck.

The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, an endangered species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was spotted in Cleburne on March 30, giving the birdwatchers a rare and remarkable experience.

This black-and-white patterned woodpecker, roughly the size of a cardinal, is easily identifiable by the black and white bars on its back, large white cheek patches and a distinctive black cap and nape.

Preferring mature pine forests, the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker is unique in that, unlike most woodpeckers that create cavities in soft or rotted trees, it digs its cavities into living pine trees.

Far from home, this South American Native was spotted in Mobile

A Gray Gull, native to South America and far from its typical range, was spotted in Mobile on March 28 by numerous birdwatchers. This sighting is exceptionally rare in Alabama.

The gull has a gray body and wings, with black flight feathers that have white tips visible in flight. Its tail is tipped with black and edged in white, and both its legs and beak are black.

Birdwatching in Alabama

According to the Alabama Birding site, there are 129 spots in Alabama where you can get some birdwatching done.

For a memorable bird watching adventure, don't forget the essentials: binoculars for close-up views, a field guide for quick ID, a notebook to capture your observations and comfortable clothing to keep you at ease in the wild.

Where to go birdwatching in Montgomery

Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at [email protected].

Angelina Jolie is once again showing her support for Zahara Jolie-Pitt.

The Oscar winner, 49, attended a brunch in Montgomery, Ala., with her 20-year-old daughter on Saturday, March 1, to raise awareness for period poverty, which the National Institutes of Health describes as women and girls “having insufficient access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation facilities.”

Zahara, who joined Spelman College’s chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority in November 2023, was the keynote speaker for the Women in Training Inc.’s fourth Mother-Daughter Brunch at the Renaissance hotel.

Adorable Photos of Angelina Jolie's Kids Supporting Her on Red Carpets from L.A. to N.Y.C. and Beyond

“We are truly honored that Zahara Jolie-Pitt will speak at the Fourth Annual WIT Mother-Daughter Brunch about her passion to end period poverty, which is the mission of Women in Training,” the non-profit organization’s president and CEO Adeyela Bennett said ahead of the event, according to WAKA 8 Action News.

She continued, “We are also excited that her mother, the internationally renowned movie star Angelina Jolie, will join us to support her daughter and to support our goal of ensuring that every girl and young woman has the products she needs to live her life to the fullest extent.”

Angelina adopted Zahara in 2005 from Ethiopia when she was 7 months old while on a visit with her eldest son, Maddox, now 23.

The Maria actress shares six children — Maddox, Pax, 21, Zahara, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, both 16 — with her ex husband Brad Pitt.

Roughly one month before attending the mother-daughter brunch, Angelina and her kids got together to give back once more, this time for the families affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.

“Her kids are volunteering around the state, asking for what’s needed and jumping in," a source close to the Eternals actress told PEOPLE on Jan. 13.

"She went to see the firefighters at the Rose Bowl and is close to the team at World Central Kitchen," the insider added at the time, noting that Angelina first connected with the organization during a May 2022 visit to Ukraine.

"Overall she is trying to listen and follow and not get in anyone’s way," the source continued of Angelina’s efforts to help. "She knows what’s important is to bring supplies and donate and fall in line. She isn’t posting or announcing efforts. Just trying to listen and learn.”

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In addition to raising her children to give back to others, the actress has also spoken openly about the importance of self.

"My daughter is from Ethiopia, one of my children … And I have learned so much from her," Angelina said during a TIME 100 Talk in 2020. "She is my family, but she is an extraordinary African woman and her connection to her country, her continent, is her own and it’s something I only stand back in awe of."