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Downtown Wetumpka merchants dance their troubles away while waiting for shutdown to lift

WETUMPKA — Business owners in downtown Wetumpka busted a move Friday morning, all part of a combination hootenanny and dance off. Main Street Wetumpka and the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce, along with downtown merchants, danced to Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling." The party was videotaped and will be posted on social media. "With everyone staying at home, the Wetumpka businesses are ready to get back to work as soon as guidelines say it is time to open the economy again," Pam Martin said. It all kicked off in the mayor's office, with Mayor Jerry Willis doing the old soft-shoe.

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Meet Andrew Jones, CEO of Fly V Apparel Brand

As a small-business owner, Andrew Jones pays attention to detail. Take, for example, the name of his apparel brand, FLY V. “FLY is an acronym for Forever Live Young, and V is symbolization for wellness and empowerment,” Jones said. “V is the only letter in the alphabet that has one origin and grows upward in two different directions. I took on the meaning for the letter V having one origin, meaning no matter the direction, you always grow upward, stay rooted, and remember where you started.” Jones, FLY V founder and CEO, opened his first store in 2016. Now his clothing is sold in more than 30 stores across the Southeast, and his flagship FLY V Showroom is in downtown Birmingham’s historic 4th Avenue Business District.

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Montevallo small businesses struggle as COVID-19 restrictions continue

MONTEVALLO, Ala. (WBMA) — This is Main Street in Montevallo, in Shelby County, Ala. It was booming not long ago. The mom and pop businesses here give this small city of 6,600 people its personality. But now, COVID-19 restrictions have forced businesses to temporarily close or operate on a much smaller scale. Phil and Suzanne Hurst own Falcon Art Supply. It’s closed for now. And the schools it supplies are closed, too.

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Music on social media: Artists share songs of hope, strength

DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — With bars, restaurants, performance spaces, concert halls and arenas shuttered due to the coronavirus, musicians, from up-and-coming artists to regional draws to international stars, turned to social media. Performing in front of cellphones and iPads, the artists share songs of hope, strength and encouragement. “Music is essential. Vital. I’m not sure I know of a time when music is as important as it is when there’s suffering and fear,” said Decatur singer-songwriter Tim Tucker.

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Are you ready for your close-up?

In the days before COVID-19 and social distancing dominated the headlines, Montevallo Main Street Design Committee volunteers Jan and John McKinnon designed and built an interactive photo spot downtown. “The Main Street Design Committee was looking for interactive activities that would engage the public and bring them to the downtown area,” Jan said. She and her husband created a free-standing frame that invites people to take a photo under Main Street’s tagline, “Make your mark on Montevallo!”

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