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‘We Got Married on 8/18/18 and We’re Still on our Honeymoon Today’

BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY Special to the Birmingham Times “You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love […]
The post ‘We Got Married on 8/18/18 and We’re Still on our Honeymoon Today’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY

Special to the Birmingham Times

“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.

NATASHA AND GREGORY GLASTER

 

Live: Pleasant Grove

 

Married: Aug. 18, 2018

 

Met: Fall 2005, at Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in West End. Natasha was a member when Gregory was sent to be interim pastor. Soon after, he was appointed to full pastorship, but they did not make a personal connection until more than a decade later, in 2017.

“I was over the youth ministry and the praise team so we communicated about those [matters], but one Sunday he preached a message on relationships and … and it just progressed from there,” Natasha said.

“On first Sundays, we would go out and visit and give communion to the sick, and she came and knocked on my office door and asked me had I eaten anything and I said ‘no’ and didn’t think any more of it. But less than 30 minutes later she came back with a sandwich she and bought me some lunch and that got my attention,” Gregory remembered.

The chairman of his deacon board would be in the office when Natasha would come by, and Gregory pointed out “that woman right there would make a great wife to somebody … I didn’t even know that I was speaking it on myself,” he said.

First date: July 6, 2017, at Logan’s Roadhouse in McCalla.  “God had changed my heart to have feelings for him right before we started to date and I kept running from the feelings because I said I could not like or date my pastor,” Natasha said. “I was schoolgirl nervous, but it was a good date, he was great company.”

“Looking from a pastor’s view I was cautious because I was in a pastoral role but I had feelings for this young lady, and I didn’t want to offend her or stain my calling,” Gregory said, “but she was company that was needed, I could take off all my hats and finally be human.”

The turn: By September 2017 the two were a pair. “It didn’t take long because both of us were praying for spouses, so we went into the next two dates expressing that to each other. We knew we didn’t want to play, and be going out on dates just to be girlfriend and boyfriend… We wanted to get to know one another to see where it could go seriously. I can’t pinpoint the date, but it was very shortly after that we became exclusive,” Natasha said.

“Each time we were in each other’s presence it was something that we knew. We both had been searching for something for so long, and it’s hard to put into words but you just know when you’ve found it,” Gregory said. “That void that had been empty for so long was finally filled.”

“When we decided, we were going to date seriously, I called her up [to the front of the church] and held her hand and made an announcement to the congregation that we were seeing each other because I didn’t want any [whispering],” Gregory said.

The proposal: Eight days before Christmas 2017, at their church, Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in West End after Sunday service.

“I did it before the congregation. After the sermon, I asked can we have as many people as possible stay behind because we have some business at hand and I won’t keep you long. I had already asked her mother [who is also a member of their church] if I had her blessing in marriage when [Natasha and I] started to date seriously…

“And I had the youth [department] escort Natasha up to the front, it was about 12-15 of our youth, and she didn’t know why she was being called to the front I got on my knees and asked her to be my wife. The church was elated, she was crying all over the place, I don’t know who was crying more, her or her mama. Natasha was reared in that church, she came through the ranks and played a role in so many of the youth’s lives…she’s always wanted a family of her own and now it was coming to pass and everybody was elated to see it come to pass in God’s house,” Gregory said.

“My best friend doesn’t go to our church, and he invited her, and right before he got on one knee he asked for the doors of the church to be opened and she walked in and when I saw her I knew something was up,” Natasha said. “And when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, I put my hand over my mouth and gasped and said ‘yes’. And when people started coming up to hug me I started remembering my prayers to God and realized that God didn’t forget about me, I was 39 and had been praying for a husband. …I asked God to bless me with somebody who could pray over me and for me, and I specifically asked for it to be somebody at my church because I love my church family and I didn’t want to have to leave and go to another church… It became so overwhelming that I just couldn’t stop crying.”

Proposing eight days before Christmas and deciding to get married on Aug. 18, 2018, was no coincidence. “Eight is the number of new beginnings and the Lord told me it was time for a new beginning,” he said.

The wedding: At their church, Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in West End, officiated by Bishop Raymond Whitsey [Gregory’s pastor]. Their colors were red, black, and silver and their reception followed at the Marriott Hotel Ballroom on U.S. 280.

Most memorable for the bride was internal reflection. “I didn’t want the day to end, I loved every minute of it. When I came down the aisle my eyes went on Gregory and I just remembered ‘he [God] didn’t forget about you, and he didn’t forget about him [Gregory] either… And there was a part when they had the other First Ladies come and pray over me and the spirit got so high, I thought I was going to pass out, but they ended the prayer just in time,” Natasha laughed.

Most memorable for the groom was laying eyes on his bride. “When they opened the doors and I saw her, I knew I had finally gotten it right. I have messed up so many times in my life, that when I saw her, I said ‘Lord, if I don’t get nothing else in this life right, I know I got this right, Lord, I thank you’. It was like the final piece of my life was about to come together. She was what I had been missing in my life, and I finally had enough sense to let God do it, and it was finally done right…,” Gregory said.

They honeymooned in Gatlinburg, Tennessee at the cabins.

“We got upgraded when we got there and were put in a [newly renovated] cabin at the top of the mountain, and we’re still on our honeymoon today,” Gregory said.

Words of wisdom: “Never think that God has given up on you, what you’ve been praying for [is coming]. Keep God first, communicate with one another, and stay friends,” Natasha said.

“The bottom line is this– it’s one thing to love somebody, but you better make sure you’re in love, because if you’re in love, regardless of what comes up you can overcome it. There’s a difference between loving someone and being in love; I’m in love with Natasha,” Gregory said.

Happily ever after: The Glasters are a blended family with six children and their youngest, Isaac, 3 1/2, born of their union.

Natasha, 45, is a West End native, and West End High School grad. She attended the University of Alabama, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology; Grand Canyon University [online], where she received a master’s degree in education; and Walden University [online], where she obtained an Ed.S. in education. Natasha teaches 7th grade science at Hueytown Middle School.

Gregory, 64, is a Roosevelt City native, and Shades Valley High School grad. He attended the now-closed Southern Junior College of Business in Birmingham where he majored in business administration and played on the basketball team. Gregory pastors Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in West End and is Chaplain of Pleasant Grove High School’s varsity football team.

Birmingham Personal Injury Attorneys | Guster Law Firm, LLC

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post ‘We Got Married on 8/18/18 and We’re Still on our Honeymoon Today’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

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The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.


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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

 

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