ALL IN THE FAMILY: That’s how I like to think about this week’s paper. You’ve got the Hanson family celebrating the Birmingham tradition of turning historic buildings into parking lots and the Soprano family replacing the Corleones as America’s all-time favorite crime clan.

A few members of “the family” headed up by Richard Scrushy — not his current wife, his ex-wife, his other ex-wife or the brood of nine children and 15 grandchildren, but rather the wily band of HealthSouth accountants who helped to manage a $4.6 billon fraud at the company – managed to extract themselves from the moneyed melee before winding up criminals. Ken Livesay, for instance, demanded a transfer to HealthSouth’s IT division in 2002. However, Livesay remained involved with one of Richard “Big Daddy” Scrushy’s pet projects, Computer Help for Kids. Serving as treasurer for that organization eventually meant entanglement with the Langford family’s Holy Family Foundation.

Even amid widespread dysfunction, there’s something to be said for family values. Ralph Hicks was an admirable head of his family and the family of regulars at John’s City Diner misses him already.

Catch these stories and others in this issue of Birmingham Weekly.

— Glenny Brock