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48 The Magic City Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) honored Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and paid tribute to Sgt. Wytasha Carter, who died in the line of duty in Ensley on Jan. 13. Carter is the 52nd Birmingham police officer killed in the line of duty and the first since 2004. Carter also worked at the Alabama Power Huffman Office during his off-time. Magic City members worked at Red Mountain Grace House, seing up living quarters, moving furniture and decorating an apartment. Red Mountain Grace House is a Birmingham nonprofit that provides extended stays for families with a loved one in the hospital. In addition, members of Magic City's Shelby County sub-area chapter commemorated MLK Day by helping to clean a kitchen and pantry at the Safe House of Shelby County, which assists domestic abuse victims. They assembled hygiene bags for women and children and organized donations. On Jan. 18, about 20 Southern Division APSO volunteers served as ushers at the fih annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at the Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts in Montgomery. The event is a collaboration between friends of the theatre, Troy University and Alabama State University. On MLK Day, Miller APSO members cleaned up the West Jefferson community from 8 a.m. to noon. Miller Chapter President Kevin Chappell said, "We feel that serving the community in this way is an excellent way to honor Dr. King's legacy. We'll be disposing of garbage on the roadside. Intentional or not, trash that blows out of vehicles or trailers becomes lier that oen pollutes our local waterways." Volunteers picked up roadside trash and bagged it for disposal. Birmingham Division hosted a college fair for 150 employees as part of its 2019 safety kickoff at the 12th Street Crew Headquarters. Representatives from 12 colleges and universities provided information and answer questions posed by employees interested in pursuing their degree. "John Quincy Adams once said, 'If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader,'" said Birmingham Division Vice President Jonathan Porter. "I am proud of the entire Birmingham Division leadership team for their support of our employees and for helping them achieve their dreams." Birmingham Division Customer Services Specialist Vanesia Grady coordinated the event. Montgomery in January launched the latest initiative in its Smart City plan. Mayor Todd Strange, County Commission Chairman Elton Dean and Southern Division Vice President Leslie Sanders of Alabama Power made the announcement. Together with Alabama Power and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, the Montgomery Smart Community Alliance announced the formation of a smart corridor in areas of downtown Montgomery. Progress can already be seen downtown as construction crews lay fiber optic cables that will be the backbone of the tech surge. Free Wi-Fi connectivity, smart parking solutions and the conversion of 22,000 streetlights to LED lights spearhead the efforts. The LED conversion alone is expected to save the city more than $500,000 over the next five years. Thumbs Up! Carter guarded Huffman Office. Southern Division APSO members ushered on MLK Day. Birmingham Division had a college fair.