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By Nathan Prewett, ForPINSON, the Tribune Ala. – The Pin-
son City Council approved a LEEDS, Ala. – The City design by architectural firm of Leedsand hasHuckestein announcedfora Hendon of paving projects that aseries proposed veterans memowill park address 20Bicentennial full or parrial at the tial streets in Leeds starting Park. thisPreviously, week. Erik HeninvestdonThe from$1,128,995 the firm attended will inuse over 7 tons ament meeting June to present See 3 SeeREPAVING, COUNCIL, Page 4
New owners Former Yea of Dobbs Ford Alabama celebrate content director first year of pleads guilty to managing solicitation dealership charge, sentenced to By Chris Basinger, one year News Editor BIRMINGHAM, Ala. COLUMBIANA, Ala.– has former been a content year ofdirecfirsts –It The for ofDobbs Ford as Robnew tor Yea Alabama, owners and pleaded Rachel ert AaronJoey Suttles, Goshein guilty on recently Mondaycelebrated to misdetheir firstsolicitation year as managing meanor of prospartners in andShelby as members of titution County, See DOBBS FORD,, Page 4 3 See DIRECTOR
FRI
SAT
SUN MON TUE
WED
57 94 39 73
69 92 52 73
68 90 43 72
60 92 38 71
65 94 39 67
75 91 44 69
78 92 50 70
2% 16%
7% 59%
59% 64%
19% 24%
16% 14%
4% 22%
35% 19%
Dear Grandson, Here’s What You’ve County Missed Blount
6 Page 4
Pinson drops state championship to Paul W. Bryant Trussville growth
Page Page10 6
www.TrussvilleTribune.com
March 6 - 12 September 10 - 16
Leeds Pinson Council approves announces design for series of major proposed repaving Veterans projects Memorial Park
THU
2025 2026
Trussville Theme for After prolonged political lecture Council Leeds Board of Education 2026 Trussville recognizes Christmas from hears Mayor Thomas, Springville Presidential Parade concerns on Award recipient announced; Council approves pay raise for police Dimler ‘Christmas communication with public Melanie
By Terry Schrimscher Nathan Prewett
SPRINGVILLE, Ala. – TheLEEDS, Springville CounAla.City – Several cil tookduring a detour Monday spoke public comnight it returned to ments before to voice concerns, unfinished business held notably in regard to commuover fromtothe 17 Board meetnication, theFeb. Leeds ing. After an extended work of Education during a meetsession and a short break, ing on Monday morning. the The March 3 meeting began first was Victoria around 6:45 p.m. McDonald, who said that the meeting unher Asaccount with got Ready derway, council manapSub – an the application proved the minutes from aging substitute teachers the lastdeactivated meeting in February. – was after her Mayor Dave moattendance at aThomas contentious tioned reconsidmeetingforofthem the to Leeds City er the minutes Council on Aug.noting 24. membersShe motioned to she adjourn asked why was before business removedconducting and stated that on that she the hasagenda had notwithout complaints motion beingyears recognized. in her four of being Thomas then proceeded a substitute teacher. She to deliver records a dissertation, requested to see as if he called for the next 55 there wereit, any infractions. minutes, cross-referencing Superintendent John Moore political said that history, he wouldaddressing look into recent editorials, and quotit. ing Afterwards Teddy Roosevelt, Jesus, was Leeds and along theSabriway. CitySocrates Council member Although not technically na Rose, requesting that thea filibuster, the lecture wassugdeboard consider several signed to prolong the meetgestions. ing She allowing Thomas to air said that the phone his displeasure at the lack of numbers of board members
Mayor Dave Thomas delivers a lengthy dissertation to members of the city council. (Terry Schrimscher/Trussville Tribune)
are not on the district’s webfocus onasked city business. site and that they conAtadding one point, sider them. Thomas challenged of the “Well, I members think I am ofcouncil raise their hands ficially to your secretary beif theywhen agreed never again cause they can’t get to in leave a meeting beforecallthe touch with you they’re conclusion of business. No ing me in order to get your hands Along the contactraised. information andway, you he council’s lackand of all said are the public officials leadership on salaries would you should be accessible be burden on the city. to athe community without “The council hadtold every gatekeepers,” Rose the opportunity to redress the board. error chose up otherwise, Shebut brought that she wanting to move showcame to the board on, in the past ing theiragendas frustration the about notand being effectiveness thenot filibusposted but thisofhas been
addressed. She suggested an ter,” Thomas “The RSS feed on thesaid. website so example theyand setother by refusthat agendas inforing to adjust mation can besalaries visible.wasn’t about martyrdom, Shetheir alsofaux suggested resacrificing for the greater cording or streaming meetgood,” added. ings, ashewell as scheduling “The for example they set meetings the evenings as was if you an some that parents havemake told her error it can’t be able corrected. that they are not to atThat themorning error becomes tend the meetings.a mistake,” said. “But now Anita he Thompson then the window to act closed spoke, saying thathasshe has as of last Wednesday, grandchildren in the shackschool ling the and nextthat administration system, it was “very with the to consequences of difficult” contact memtheir actions,” he said. bers of the board, as well as The Tribune the Speaking morning to meetings. She
afterward, Thomas said he just needed airsaid his needs frusstressed whattoshe trations becausecommunicathe council to be stronger sometimes making tion betweendelays the board and decisions needs to make. parents andit students. He “Our discussed his motion to children in Leeds add itemsstated. from are unaddressed suffering,” she the February “There’s a lotmeeting of socialtois-a consent calendar forandap-I sues that’s going on proval. was feel likeThat someapproach of the people denied. that’s in the board room – in the youMany guys other are a cities little out of Tribune area aptouch andcoverage we need to bridge prove that gap, sonon-controversial there’s commuitems a single vote nicationwith because we need to through a consent provide some typeagenda, of sociala procedural process used to services to see what’s going reduce on withthe ourneed kids.”for discussionAfter and lengthy meetings. the meeting Moore After re-introducing parreplied to the concerns liamentary rules to the meetabout communication and ing process, led the insisted that Thomas all members of council through new busithe board are “accessible” ness which involved accepfor the public. tance ofjust bidssay forthat a new “I’ll we sewhave er project whichtradition will need a longstanding of further actionand for available financial being open decisions. The council also to the community,” Moore renewed thefor city’s garbage commented the Tribune. collection contract are with “Our board members all Waste Management. residents of Leeds. They all fromofthe FebruliveItems here, most them have ary agendaor were addressed children grandchildren individually. purchase involved in theThe system.” See SPRINGVILLE, See BOARD, Page 2 5
Through the Years’
By Chris Basinger, News Editor
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – The Trussville City AreaCouncil Champassed during ber ofa proclamation Commerce recentTuesday night’s“Christmas meeting ly announced honoring the Hewitt-Trussville Through Years” as this High School year’s themePhysics for theteacher 2026 Melanie Dimler. Trussville Christmas Parade
SeePARADE, AWARD, Page 4 3 See
Human bones Ivey honors found by Alabama local dog are workers in connected, Labor Day coroner says message
From Tribune staff reports MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Gov. Kay Ivey released BIRMINGHAM, a message for Labor Ala. Day – A human skull and a left honoring workers across the tibia found bythem a dogfor in their East state to thank Birmingham last year are contributions. confirmed to have of belonged “The strength Amerto the person, ica hassame always livedaccordin the ing to the Jefferson hardworking men andCounty womCoroner’s Office. en who rise each morning The linktowas determined buildconfirmed a bright-
SeeSee BONES, 4 IVEY, Page 5
Leeds High Schoolsmuggler freshmen human Foxhound BeeWitches Company Alleged Trussville take action to address rising with kidnapping to bee-gin construction Ride founder named charged school shootings 13-year-old she met Birmingham Realtor on new education center online in Moody of the Year By Tanna McGuire
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – Founder and former president of the Trussville Witches Ride, Christy McDonald, has been named Realtor of the Year by the Birmingham Association of Realtors, where she will represent the organization statewide later this year. McDonald has spent more than 23 years in the real estate industry, serving in several leadership roles, including managing broker at two brokerages, and A concept of the new education center in Irondale. (Foxhound Bee Company) currently as a qualifying By Chris Basinger, in thesuccess comingisn’t weeks, openedononbusiness Saturday. broker. Since 2005, she has that just which about focus planning, News Editor will serve an expansion “When and looking closed more than 935 hous- how many as homes you sell marketing, growth.for a from current in place to build ourMcDonald new beees, a total value of more than or theits awards youlocation receive,” Currently Hardware keepingasstore, continued IRONDALE, Ala. – Bee she $243 million in sales. said. “IPark. care much more serves the we Birmingham In addition educationto hear comments about enthusiasts will soon be about “Receiving REALhow I’vetotreated peo- Association of Realtors how Irondale wasShedoing al opportunities and STEM Board swarming to vis- ple TOR® of to theIrondale Year honestly along the way.” of Directors. also great things,” saidCommufounder it a new beekeeping means more to me thaneducaI can programming, Beyond her the work center clos- serves as its 2026 will houses, also sell a range has of nity Adam Hickman. tion into center designed to teach ing put words,” McDonald McDonald Affairs Work Group. products sourced from bees, “Everyone the projstudents community said. “Afterand 23 years in real spent substantial portions She was alsoonselected as including honey bees- Birmingham’s ect seemed to speak highly members about the fortunate world of of estate, I’ve been her career as and a mentor nominee for wax, other as well up-and-coming as supplies for the of working Irondale pollinators. to have a career I’m incred- for Alabamawith Association beekeepers. andRealtors its leadership. Fox- real iblyBirmingham-based proud of, but this award estate agents, where she of Realtor of So, the will be training built across whenanwe approached hounddifferent.” Bee Company is pre- has Itdeveloped feels pro- Year, honor which willthe be from the Ruffner paring break ground on grams, “As toI’ve gotten further and all-new helped organize Sports Complex, whicha BEES, Page 4 3 the 5,000 squareI’ve footrealized facility development into my career, groups with See See WITCHES,
LEEDS, Ala. – Over the past 25 years, school shootings the United MOODY,in Ala. – A States have surged alarm46-year-old womantowas aring levels, with a reported rested and has been charged 574 incidents occurring with second-degree kidbetween after 2000picking and 2025, napping up a according to 13-year-old girl data from afrom gas Statista.inThree Leeds station Moody and High later School recovered freshmen,during Ameliaa being Davis, stop Madilynn Johnson, traffic in Bessemer, acand Beatrice McCormick, cording to the Moody Police members of the Leeds High Department. School Chapter of Future Carmelita Arguijo was Career Community Leaders booked into the St. Clair of America County Jail (FCCLA), Sept. 1 onarea determined to address kidnapping charge andthis is pressing issue their being held onthrough a $500,000 state conference project. cash bond. Federal charges youngasleaders have are The expected the investinot only compiled critigation continues, according calofficials. statistics but are also to working with local The case beganofficials Sept. educators promote 1andwhen Moodytopolice restronger a safety ceived report measures about a in schools. Their project, missing 13-year-old girl. It which willthe begirl presented was noted was notata the FCCLA state conferresident of Moody. ence in March, raise Officials saidaims the to person awareness who initiallyabout calledthe 911devhad astatingtheimpact of school taken 13-year-old and shootings andbrother proposefrom acher younger tionable changes improve Tuscaloosa the to prior day safety protocols in Alabama without permission from
and Bessemer police later spotted the vehicle traveling west on I-20/59. Officers stopped the car near mile marker 103 and took Arguijo into custody. The girl was recovered without incident. Both the 13-year-old and her brother are safe and in good health, according to Moody police. Pictured: Beatrice McCormick, Madilynn Johnson, Bessemer police Davis. said and Amelia their parent or guardian. investigators learned the schools. sentiment, emphasizing had reportedly met the Tuscaloosa police are con- girl Current federal requireemotional andsocial psychologithrough media tinuing to investigate that adult ments of mandate that schools and cal toll thatinformation school shootings that gathaspect the case. perform lockdown or the in- ered take on students and their during the investigaInvestigators claim truder drills;had in prior Alabama, families. shouldn’t raised“You concerns about 13-year-old con- tion public schools required have to worry being humanabout trafficking. tact with Arguijoare through an potential to conduct two such you’re just curtryThewhen investigation online platform beforedrills the scared per semester. However, Da- rently ing to learn,” said. involvesJohnson the Moody two met in person. Police vis believes measures “We need to make sure that Department, the FBI said Arguijo these picked up the Police are at insufficient and is I-20 ad- North every school feels safe and Alabama Violent girl a gas station near vocating frequent Crimes ready toTask handle anything Force, and in Moodyfor withmore the intention andcrossing comprehensive that could withhappen.” the ALEA’s Inof state lines. drills. agents “When people’s lives are on ternet McCormick highlightCrimes Against ChilDuring the investigation, the line,police we can’t justsurveildo the dren ed the importance of turnunit. Moody used bare minimum,” Davis camsaid. ing Federal awareness action. courtinto documents lance data from Flock “Schools intrud- show “School shootings such Arguijo was are charged eras and should nearby take businesses er drills as the seriously as they a huge problem,earlier and this we New Mexico to identify suspect’s ve- in do fire or tornado drills.” hicle. Johnson this SeeSee STUDENTS, 3 MOODY, Page 4 A BOLO echoed was issued,
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September 10 - 16, 2026
ALEA releases 2026 Labor Day safety report MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) has released its Labor Day 2026 report after four days of increased patrols on the highways and waterways. According to the report there were six deaths in crashes in in Baldwin, Cleburne, Colbert, Shelby, and Lauderdale counties. Troopers investigated 322 traffic crashes in which there were 107 injuries. “Every number in these statistics represents a person, a family or a community impacted by what happened on Alabama’s roadways and waterways this weekend,” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor. “While we are thankful no lives were lost on the water, six families are now facing an unimaginable loss following traffic crashes. We
extend our deepest condolences to them and ask everyone to carry the same safety mindset beyond the holiday weekend. Slow down, buckle up, put distractions away and never drive impaired. The most important drive is always the one that gets you home safely.” Additionally ALEA listed the following: Highway Patrol Enforcement During the four-day period, ALEA Troopers: • Investigated 322 traffic crashes, resulting in 6 fatalities and 107 injuries • Issued 2,481 citations for various traffic violations • Issued 1,369 warnings for various traffic violations • Made 34 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests
warnings • Made 2 Boating Under the Influence (BUI) arrests • Provided 32 boater assists • Patrolled 4 marine events
Marine Patrol Enforcement ALEA Marine Patrol Troopers reported zero boating or non-boating fatalities during the Labor Day period. Troopers also: • Investigated 3 boating incidents, resulting in 3 injuries • Conducted 380 vessel inspections • Issued 106 marine safety citations • Issued 544 marine safety
“Our Troopers were highly visible throughout the weekend, but enforcement is only one part of preventing crashes and saving lives,” said ALEA Department of Public Safety Director Colonel Jonathan Archer. “Drivers and boaters ultimately play the most important role. We need everyone to make responsible decisions every time they get behind the wheel or take to the water. The end of the Labor Day enforcement period does not mean the end of ALEA’s safety efforts.”
Central Alabama Water launching new customer portal on Sept. 8 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Central Alabama Water will launch a new online customer portal Sept. 8, changing the system to pay bills, access account history, receive text notifications, and autopay. The current customer portal will close at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 6, and the new portal is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Sept 8. Customer account information will transfer to the new system, and existing usernames will stay the same. Customers should expect to receive an email on Sept. 8 with a temporary
password that can be used to access the portal and make a new password. Customers will have to re-enter payment information and set up autopay again after logging into the new system. “We are always working to make it easier for customers to access and understand their account and do business with CAW,” CEO Jeffrey F. Thompson said. CAW’s new portal will allow customers to enroll in text notifications and pay bills via text. Customers using automatic drafts will also be able to set a maximum pay amount. If a bill exceeds that amount, the system will notify the customer before payment. The previous limit of $500 will also go away, which will allow the customer with larger bills to make a single digital payment. Customers will be able
to see up to two years of billing and water usage history, compared with 13 months from the older system. CAW is further expanding options for customers who pay cash. Participating locations will include Walmart, Dollar General, Family Dollar, CVS, Walgreens, and more. Customers will be able to have a barcode on their bill scanned by a cashier before paying in cash.
No fee will exist for customers enrolled in the system who pay via a linked bank account. Debit and credit card payments, as well as non-eligible bank accounts will carry a 3% fee. In person payments will have a $2.49 transaction fee. CAW is encouraging customers to update their contact information and enroll in paperless billing while the transition is underway.
Donaldson Correctional Facility inmate found dead in cell BESSEMER, Ala. — An inmate at William Donaldson Correctional Facility was found unresponsive inside his cell Sunday morning, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. 52-year-old Robert Earl Armburst Jr. was found in
his three-man cell around 7:15 a.m. Monday, Sept. 7. He was pronounced dead at the facility at 7:37 a.m. According to the coroner’s office, Armburst was serving a life sentence following a parole revocation. An autopsy is scheduled
for Sept. 8 to help clarify the cause of death. At the moment, authorities claim to have found no evidence of trauma or foul play. The Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division is investigating.
The Trussville Tribune
September 10 - 16, 2026
Page 3
Local / Region
Beside 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham Opens a New Door to History
On the 62nd anniversary of the 1963 bombing, a new center opens beside 16th Street Baptist Church — and Birmingham confronts its past to shape its future By Tanna M. McGuire
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – It began as a Sunday like any other. On Sept. 15, 1963, four girls slipped into the basement of 16th Street Baptist Church in their Sunday best. Minutes later, a bomb planted by Ku Klux Klan members tore through the wall and killed them. Addie Mae Collins. Denise McNair. Carole Robertson. Cynthia Wesley. Four names. One morning. A wound the nation could not look away from. Sixty-two years later, on that same date, the ground beside the church opens again. This time, it opens as an invitation. The 16th Street Education and Visitor Center welcomes its first guests September 15, in the heart of Birmingham’s Civil Rights District. The roughly 13,000-square-foot building sits steps from where the girls died. It has been about five years in the making. Its purpose is not to reopen the wound. It is to ask what the city does with it. “Our mission is to take those lessons from the past — the things we’ve learned and cannot forget — and carry them forward to help inform how we need to live and how we create the society we wish for,” said Terrence Brown, Ed.D., the center’s executive director. For a city once known for fire hoses and police dogs, the date carries weight. Birmingham did not choose to
be a battleground for civil rights. It became one. And in the decades since, it has worked, slowly and imperfectly, to become something else. Brown believes the center marks that turn. “The building is up,” he said. “Now what are they going to do with it? For me, that is the transformative part.” A visit that asks something of you The center is built to reach the senses. Sight. Sound. Smell. Visitors move through spaces that shift between conversation and quiet. A communal-style restaurant offers the comfort of gathering around a table. Music and programming draw from traditions that shaped the Black church and the civil rights movement. Some rooms invite talk. Others invite stillness. That balance is deliberate. Brown knows the history here is not easy. “Some of the content that we deal with is heavy,” he said. “But there are stories of triumph and overcoming. You need time to process all of that.” The heart of the experience is a two-story interactive “river wall.” There, visitors choose from about 60 commitments — plain actions they can take in their own communities. Brown said each one is written to be clear to a fourth grader and still challenge an adult. The idea is simple. Learn
Community leaders and project partners gather around the table to review development plans for the 16th Street Education & Visitor Center. Their collaborative discussion marks an important step forward, shaping a space that will welcome visitors and honor the neighborhood’s rich history for generations to come.
from the past. Reflect on its meaning—act where you live. “We can make what you’ve experienced here at 16th Street not a one-anddone,” Brown said. Programs that gather people Two signature programs anchor the visit. Harmony Group Sing brings as many as 150 people together to sing songs rooted in faith and perseverance. Skill is not the point. Presence is. “I don’t care whether you can sing a little bit or sing a lot,” Brown said. “One hundred and fifty voices can change the world — or at least change a heart and mind.” Quilt of Many Hands pairs a cultural tradition with service. Participants gather around quilting tables to share stories and stitch. The finished quilts go to children in foster care
through nonprofit partners. “What greater way to show love to people that you may not know?” Brown said. A place for students Schools sit at the center of the mission. Programming has been aligned with Alabama courses of study for students in grades four through 12. Organizers plan to work with administrators, teachers, parents and students to shape those experiences. Brown said the center also wants to remove the barriers that keep classrooms away, including transportation and admission costs. A visit should not depend on a family’s means. The center also plans partnerships with colleges and universities. Among them is programming built around Wallace A. Rayfield, one of the nation’s earliest licensed Black architects and the man who designed
16th Street Baptist Church itself. His work still stands. His story deserves telling. Brown brings his own classroom roots to the effort. Before joining the center, he spent more than a decade as director of arts education for Jefferson County Schools and served as a high school principal. Open to everyone The center is operated by the 16th Street Educational Enrichment Foundation, an organization tied to the church in mission and values but governed separately. Brown said it is meant to welcome all. “Some faith, no faith, little faith, no faith at all — you’re welcome,” Brown said. Access is a priority. The building is ADA compliant. Through a partnership with the nonprofit KultureCity, the center adds sensory-inclusive accommodations and staff training. A Spanish-language tour is planned for 2027. That reach matters in a city still learning how to hold everyone at the same table. Brown compares the vision to the old Southern front porch, or “stoop,” where generations once gathered to hear stories from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors. “In this day and time, I think it is easy for us to forget the stories that held us together,” Brown said. “We have come to the intersection where we need story-
tellers to stand up and tell these stories.” Speaker series, book discussions and oral histories are also planned. Brown hopes the center becomes a place Birmingham turns to when the community needs to come together. “I realize that everybody wants a better world,” he said. “Sometimes we just don’t agree on how to get there.” What this city carries Birmingham has spent 62 years living beside this history. It walks past the church on the way to work. It teaches its children. It carries the weight, and the pride, of a place that helped change a nation. The new center does not erase what happened here. It cannot, and it does not try. What it offers instead is a next step. A way to turn grief into purpose. A way to turn memory into action. Four girls never left that church. This city has spent decades making sure the world remembers them. Now, beside the place where they were lost, Birmingham opens a door and asks a quiet question of everyone who walks through. What will you do with history? The 16th Street Education and Visitor Center opens Sept. 15 and is located at 1512 6th Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. More information is available at 16thstreetevcenter.com.
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Jefferson County deputy Man charged in triple Man sh charged with & homicide that claimed liferape Valley of Center Point 5-year-old human trafficking in
Council From front page
preliminary concepts for an ADA-compliant runway along Sweeney Hollow Road leading to a 40-foot concrete circle. Hendon returned on Thursday night where he presented options on the layout with lighting and flags honoring all branches of the American military. The council approved a design that has plaques for oaths taken by enlisted and officers at the entry point and a cross in the center of the memorial to represent the end of service. Hendon said that handicap parking will be part of the plans as well. The design was favored by Councilor Brad Walker, who is a veteran himself, with agreement from all else on the council. When asked when construction will begin and then be completed Hendon said that there will be planning and a bidding process that will take time but estimated that it could possibly be completed before Memorial Day 2027. Palmerdale Fire District Chief Taylor Hancock gave a brief report on the month of August, saying that there were 187 calls and two structure fires. One was an abandoned building with another was a family home that was saved on Aug. 29. The fire began in the crawl space of the home; the smoke alerted the family during the night. Hancock stated that firefighters responded quickly to the scene and put the fire out before the family could safely go back inside. There were no injuries in either inci-
September Tribune 10 - 16, 2026 The Trussville
From Tribune staff reports
From Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A 25-year-old Birmingham man has been charged in the deaths of Eric Ashley, Jr., Akira Berry, and Landon Brooks, who were shot and killed while driving last summer. Jacorrian McGregor, 25, has been charged with capital murder (two or more persons) and is being held in the Jefferson County Jail with no bond. On July 13, 2024, Ashley (28), Berry (28), and Brooks (5) were shot in their car in the 1700 block of Indian
Bones
From front page
following a DNA analysis of the bones, though authorities still doarchitectural not know Erik Hendon from the Hendon and Huckestein thePhoto identity of who Prewett. they befirm. by Nathan longed to. dent, he said. 17, The coroner’s office has “They did a fantastic reported • Approved a usage agreethat multiple missjob,” Hancock remarked. ing ment with thehave Jefferson person cases been “We’ve made some really ruled County of Educaout byBoard the DNA analgood hires in the past two ysistion use of of facilias for thethe identity the months. We’ve got some remains. ties and really experienced people • Held reading for The the skullfirstwas discov– they’ve worked with Bir- eredan byordinance regarding a homeowner on mingham and Hoover and the donations and conshoulder of thelitter roadway Vestavia and everywhere nexttrol. to his residence near else and they bring really the 1300 block of 5th Place good experience to us and NWPinson Council on Aug. City 20, 2024. it’s starting to show.” meets on the first and third Investigators believe In other business the Thursdays of every month the skull was moved from council: at Halllocation, on 4410 which Main its City original • Set an abatement hearing Street. remainsLive-streamed unknown, tomeetthe on a property on Miles ings can bybethe seen on the property homeownSpring Road for Sept. city’s Facebook page. er’s dog. The coroner’s office per-
Director
was arrested by the Homewood Police Department on a DUI charge. On Aug. 13, prosecutors moved to have his bond revoked. A judge granted the request on Aug. 18. Suttles was taken into custody on Aug. 20, where he was held without bond until a hearing was held. Suttles formerly covered the University of Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News and Alabama and the SEC for The Athletic, a subsidiary of The New York Times. Thereafter he served as director of content for Yea Alabama.
Blount County
Summer Drive, just outside of Center Point. Officers found the vehicle with multiple bulBLOUNT COUNTY, let holes in the side of it Ala. – A sheriff’s deputy wrecked in the front yard of with Jefferson County was residence. arrested on charges that inAll three victims were clude rape and human trafpronounced dead at the ficking, according to court scene. records. Police believed it was a Robertshooting Nicholasand Lisle is targeted that charged with second-degree the suspect fled the scene in trafficking, first-deahuman vehicle. greeFollowing rape, second-degree an investigaunlawful imprisonment, and tion, BPD’s BPD’s Crime third-degree domestic vioReduction Team partnered lence-harassment. with the U.S. Marshals SerchargesTask involve viceThe Fugitive Forcea woman identiand the documents State of Alabama fied as Lisle’s girlfriend. Investigators allege Lisle obtained the woman for sexual servitude between July and August by threatening to report her to immigration officials and using blackmail to pressure her into sexual acts.
Jacorrian McGregor
Pardons and Parole to apprehend McGregor on Tuesday, rape Feb.The 24 infirst-degree the 900 Block of charge Von Dalestems Lane.from an incident that allegedly took place on July 15, where court documents say Lisle had sex with her by force. More charges stem from an alleged Aug. 14 event. Investigators say Lisle barricaded the woman inside a bathroom and prevented her
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. – The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a man was shot from leaving while attemptat a bingo hall near Grayson ing to force her to delete Valley early Monday mornvideos from her phone. ing. Documents also allege Deputies responded Lisle grabbed the woman to the bingo hall, located by 5712 her ponytail and throat, at Chalkville Road, attempted to unlock her shortly after 5 a.m. where phonefound usinga facial recognithey male employtion, pushedfrom her down, and ee suffering a gunshot struck her in an area she had wound. recently undergone surgery. Center Point Fire and Lisle responded has been to placed Rescue the on leave from the Jefferscene and transported the son County Sheriff’s Office victim to UAB Hospital while an administrative inwith non-life-threatening vestigation is being coninjuries. ducted, according to Chief According to the sherDeputy Henry Irby III. A bond and Aniah’s Law hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 3 in Blount County District Court. His first call is scheduled for Oct. 7. The case is set to go before a grand jury Oct. 26.
Leeds P help id retail All students safe after
gunshot heard near Paine Elementary
From Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE – A gunshot near the Paine Elementary School formed an campus autopsyreceived on the plenty of attention fromthat the skull and determined Trussville Police Departthe victim had been shot. ment Tuesday morning, Theonsame dog found the but students remained second bone, a left tibia,safe on throughout the ordeal, acDec. 12, 2024. cording to Superintendent Dr. Patrick Martin. “Earlier today, Trussville Police were called to a neighboring property of Paine Elementary School,” Martin said in an email to parents. “We were notified that at no time were the students of Paine Elementary and their safety in jeopardy. Out of an abundance of caution, Principal Jaime Giangrosso put Paine Elementary in “secure perimeter” status. This was not a lockdown.” Martin said the shot was heard by one of the two School Resource Officers assigned to Paine who im-
mediately notified TPD and school officials. The City of Trussville paystrackers, for all SROs Using GPS offiat each of the TCS campuscials have outlined the dog’s es. roaming range, but searches Martin the students of the areassaid frequently viswere never in danger thanks ited have not turned up any to the quick reaction of poadditional remains. lice and school officials. “We’re grateful to Trussville police for their quick response and appreciate Mayor Ben Short and the City Council for putting an extra SRO in the budget for Paine,” Martin said. Paine is the largest elementary school in Alabama in terms of student enrollment. An “all clear” has been given by Trussville Police Department. “We will continue the secure perimeter at Paine Elementary for the remainder of the school day,” Martin said. Trussville Police Chief
LEEDS, Ala. – Police in Leeds are asking for the public’s help in identifying an individual believed to be involved with an organized retail theft investigation. Dave Morrette officers “The Leeds said Police Dewere dispatched at 9:48 a.m. partment requests the pubafter assistance an SRO atinPaine Elelic’s identifymentary advised Trussville ing this individual,” officials dispatch that he heard“He a sinis said on social media. gunshot the adjaaglesuspect in from an Organized cent property, just south of Retail Theft Investigation. Paine Elementary. If you recognize this “At thatortime, individual havePaine any Elinementary was on a formation aboutplaced this crime, secure contact perimeter please Crimestatus,” StopMorrette said.Alabama.” “At approxpers of Metro imately 9:58 a.m. aofperson CrimeStoppers Metof interest was detained in the 7400 block of Gadsden Highway After a brief investigation it was determined this person was responsible for discharging the firearm. There is no immediate threat to Paine Elementary or the community. This incident remains under investigation.” Martin thanked the Trussville Police for their swift action and continued partnership with Trussville City Schools.
years. The event has raised at least $25,000 annually, often higher, for local children and families in need who have faced hardship due to disabilities or illness. She has also helped Trussville by supporting
ald said. “If one day I can look back and know that I made a positive difference in this industry and in the lives of some of the people I met along the way, that will mean more to me than anything else.”
Notice is hereby given that Hand based on court records. Service Company, Inc., 110 49-year-old Suttles, of Hoover, was fined $200 plus court costs and was Greenbrook Dr., Hazel Green, AL sentenced to one year in the Shelby County Jail. The 35750, has completed all work on the sentence was suspended for two years, and he will reWell #17 and #18 Project 3-010-23 and ceive credit for the time he has already served. Prosecutors further with3-011-23, for Trussville Gas and Water. drew a motion to revoke Suttles’ bond. Court records a prostitution sting by the All persons having any claim for labor, indicated he was set to be Shelby County Drug Task released Wednesday. Force. He was released on materials, or otherwise in connection Suttles was among 15 $1,000 bond. arrested on July 23 during Two days later, Suttles with this project, should immediately Witches means a great deal to me,” local law enforcement and notify and Moody plaint filed in April claims change for money.the above named contractor she said. first responders, youth she agreed to transport three Because the investigaBeyond her work as a sports organizations, eduGasawarded andat the Water, Main people who were unlaw- tionTrussville remains active and ingroup’s an-127 realtor, McDonald was the cations programs, and other year in connection with an fully in the U.S. from near volves a minor, police said nual conference in October. founder of the Trussville community initiatives. alleged human smuggling the U.S.-Mexico border to no further information about “No matter hap- Witches Ride, where she “More than anything, Street, Trussville, ALwhat 35173. operation. A criminal com- Chandler, Arizona in ex- the girl will be released. pens in October, just being served as president for five I’m just grateful,” McDonFrom front page
From front page
From front page
chosen to represent Birmingham at the state level
Parade From front page
on Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. The parade will follow its traditional route, starting on Parkway Drive before heading down Main Street and through downtown Trussville, continuing onto Chalkville Road, and north to Oak Street. “Having a theme has provided a great starting point for some winning entries, and everybody seems to enjoy it,” Chamber Director Melissa Walker said. Participants can compete
for awards including Best Interpretation of Theme, Most Original, Most Innovative, Best Overall, and Best Walking Group. Registration is open to businesses, organizations, groups, and individuals based out of Trussville, or who are members of the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce. The entry fee is $30 per parade entry. Registration is available through the Chamber’s website at trussvillechamber.com. For more information, contact the chamber at 205655-7535.
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The Trussville Tribune
September 10 - 16, 2026
Page 5
Columbiana man Jefferson County charged with robbery & unveils to new assault after shooting statewide emergency in Shelby County alert system
COLUMBIANA, Ala. – A 61-year-old Columbiana man has been charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree assault after a shooting took place in south Shelby County Saturday. According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the area around County Road 37, also known as Egg and Butter Road, at around 5:22 p.m. Sept. 5, after receiving reports of a person having been shot. Upon arrival, deputies found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. Southeast Shelby Rescue provided medical aid while deputies started investigating. Following a preliminary investigation, deputies identified 61-year-old Herbert
Board
From front page
“They’re highly accessible through the website, through email, through board meetings, through telephone calls. Their telephone numbers are not secrets whatsoever, so we don’t have any unreturned calls or messages.” Prior to public comments Moore highlighted new Leeds Elementary School Assistant Principal Neil Lawler, who was present at the meeting. He comes from St. Clair County Schools but has previously served at Leeds in various roles. Additionally, the board approved the budget for the fiscal year 2027. On social media the district an-
Rupert Stanfield Jr. as a suspect. Deputies and investigators went to a local residence where Stanfield was taken into custody without incident. Stanfield was subsequently charged with first-degree robbery and
first-degree assault. He is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail without bond. “I am also extremely proud of the work of our deputies and investigators, who responded quickly, secured the scene, gathered the necessary information, and were able to identify and take the suspect into custody without further incident,” Sheriff John Samaniego said. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Darin Banks at 205-670-6045 or the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 205-670-6000. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 205-2547777.
nounced that it maintains more than 3.4 months in reserves for operations. 73.8% of the general budget goes directly to personnel. Projects in the budget include HVAC upgrades at the elementary school, new lighting at Leeds Middle School, and ongoing gym improvements at Jerry Oxford. The child nutrition program continues to provide free meals for the fourth year. Chief Financial Officer Ryan Miller presented the financial statements for the month of July, reporting that 82.09% of the General Fund revenues and other financing sources were received. Expenditures and other fund uses in the General Fund were 84.60% of
budget, beating a target of 83% due to approximately $1 million of unbudgeted Capital Outlay expenditures in the General Fund versus Capital Projects Fund. Accounts payable were $1,430,478. Gross payroll expenditures were $1,422,078. The month was ended with an excess of revenues over expenditures in the General Fund of $1,666,038. The unreserved fund balance on July 31 was $10,794,905. Meetings generally take place every second Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Leeds Board of Education Building located on 1517 Hurst Avenue. Due to a scheduling conflict the next meeting will be held on Oct. 15.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Residents of Jefferson County will begin receiving notifications of local emergencies through Alabama’s new statewide Rave ALERT following a transition by the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency. JCEMA moved away from its former CivicPlus system to Rave ALERT with Smart911 on Tuesday, Sept. 1, retiring the system on Aug. 31. The new system will continue to provide emergency alerts, weather alerts, and local notifications from municipalities, JCEMA, and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Residents who were previously subscribed to JeffCoAlerts were automatically transferred to the new system and will keep receiving tornado warnings with-
out needing to re-register. JCEMA is encouraging current subscribers to review their account information to ensure addresses, location settings, contact info, and notification preferences are correct. Users also have the option to add extra weather watches and alerts. Existing users can access their accounts by using their email address as their username and choosing the “forget password” icon to make a new login. New users can do the same through the Smart911 portal.
The statewide system also allows residents to opt into alerts from other counties and cities across Alabama. JCEMA said email alerts will come from JeffCoALert@jccal.org. Voice calls will display 205254-2505. Text alerts may come from the short codes 226787, 67283, 78015, or 77295. Residents are encouraged to save those numbers. Questions can be directed to JCEMA at 205-2542039.
all you do to make Alabama stronger and America
greater. Happy Labor Day, y’all!”
Ivey
From front page
er future,” Ivey said. The governor focused on workers’ efforts in industries from agriculture and manufacturing to education and construction. “From our factories and farms to our classrooms and construction sites, hardworking Alabamians continue to prove that there is no substitute for an honest day’s work,” Ivey said. Ivey ended the message by thanking Alabama workers for helping empower both the state and the country. “Today, we honor you,” she said. “Thank you for
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The Trussville Tribune
Page 6
September 10 - 16, 2026
Trussville Doesn’t Have a Growth Problem. It Has a Growth Management Problem
Businesses want in. Families want in. Tax revenues are strong. Trussville’s next challenge is making sure growth pays its way instead of leaving residents to deal with the consequences. Austin Kilpatrick
Trussville has achieved something many American cities would envy: People want to be here. The city added 7,340 residents from 2010 through the 2025 estimate, an increase of about 36.8%. Growth since 2020 has been considerably slower: about 4.4% measured from the decennial Census count. The population has climbed from 19,933 in 2010 to an estimated 27,273 in 2025. Median household income is around $123,000. Retail activity is substantial, new restaurants and businesses continue to arrive, and city finances remain strong. By late August, Trussville had collected roughly $26.7 million in sales taxes for the fiscal year, about $1 million ahead of projections, while the city was projecting a year-end surplus substantially larger than originally budgeted. This is not an economic-development failure. But success has a way of creating its own problems, and Trussville is beginning to encounter them. The question facing the city is no longer simply how to attract development. Trussville has proved it can do that. The better question is whether each major development makes the city stronger after accounting for traffic, infrastructure, public services, schools and the long-term character of the community. That requires a different economic strategy. For years, Trussville has benefited enormously from retail growth. Sales taxes help finance city government, and Alabama’s municipal tax structure gives cities an obvious incentive to pursue stores and restaurants. In Trussville’s FY2025 budget, sales taxes accounted for nearly 64 percent of the combined operating revenue in several major city funds. So when another restaurant or retailer opens, the benefit is real. It creates jobs, gives residents another option and generates tax revenue. Still, there are only so many chicken sandwiches a city can sell itself into prosperity. A restaurant opening is not economically equivalent to a corporate headquarters, medical office, professional-services firm or light-industrial employer. The latter can bring new income into the community, create higher-paying jobs and diversify a tax base that remains heavily dependent on consumer spending. That is why the redevelopment of the old Gold Kist
property may matter more to Trussville’s long-term economy than some flashier announcements. Plans for the property include relocating Milam & Company’s corporate headquarters and making additional land available for future industrial development. More of that would be useful. Trussville should certainly continue attracting retailers. But the next generation of economic development should place greater emphasis on employers and productive investment, particularly on properties that can be redeveloped without simply pushing the city farther outward. Downtown offers another encouraging example. The entertainment district and surrounding redevelopment have helped turn downtown Trussville into more of an actual destination. Restaurants, public spaces, entertainment and pedestrian activity reinforce one another in a way that scattered commercial development cannot. The city recently expanded its Downtown Overlay District across the railroad tracks toward Watterson Parkway. Done carefully, that can encourage private investment while creating a more coherent downtown. City government’s role here should be important but limited: build good streets and sidewalks, establish predictable zoning, maintain public spaces, solve parking and access problems, and then allow entrepreneurs to figure out what customers want. Government should build a good stage. It does not need to write every line of the play.
fic.
The harder issue is traf-
Anyone who regularly travels Highway 11 hardly needs an economic study to know that Trussville’s transportation network is under strain. ALDOT’s roughly $70 million I-59 widening project should eventually improve interstate capacity, but widening I-59 will not magically fix every intersection, feeder road or bottleneck inside the city. And traffic is more than an annoyance. It is an economic cost. Congestion consumes time, complicates emergency response, makes businesses harder to reach and eventually reduces the quality of life that attracts residents and investment in the first place. This is where Trussville needs to change the order of operations. Too often in growing suburbs, development comes first and infrastructure follows later. Houses get built. Businesses open. Traffic increases. Then government begins figuring out how to widen a road or improve an intersection. By then, somebody has to pay for it. The recent controversy over the proposed Camp Coleman Road and Praytor Road development shows why residents have become skeptical. The proposal involved approximately 235 homes, along with land for greenways and a potential future school site. Residents and officials raised concerns about traffic and surrounding infrastructure. The City Council ultimately pulled the proposal and requested a full traffic-impact study, environmental testing and stronger legal protections before re-
considering it. That was the right instinct. It should also become standard procedure. For substantial developments, Trussville should determine transportation, drainage and public-service requirements before final approval. If a project creates the need for a turn lane, signal, intersection improvement or other infrastructure, those obligations should be settled in writing while the city still has negotiating leverage. Developers should not be forced to repair every infrastructure deficiency that existed before they arrived. But existing taxpayers should not automatically receive the bill for infrastructure made necessary by new private development either. Growth should pay a reasonable share of the cost of growth. The same discipline should apply to economic incentives. Earlier this year, the city approved an agreement involving a proposed grocery-anchored development near Main Street and Watterson Parkway. The project represented more than $25 million in anticipated private investment and potentially substantial taxable sales. The incentive structure would return a portion of sales-tax revenue generated by the project to the developer, subject to limits. Such arrangements can make economic sense. If an incentive causes an otherwise impossible project to happen and the city receives more revenue and infrastructure than it gives up, taxpayers can win. But Trussville should remember its negotiating position.
This is not a distressed community desperately searching for somebody willing to open a grocery store. It is a growing, affluent suburb with considerable purchasing power. Developers want access to this market. That means incentives should have to pass a demanding test: Would the project probably happen without them? The city should publish a straightforward cost-benefit analysis for major incentive agreements, including projected tax revenue, public costs, infrastructure commitments, performance requirements and what happens if the developer fails to deliver. There is another wrinkle. New retail sales are not necessarily new economic activity. If a new store generates $10 million in annual sales but much of that money previously would have been spent at another Trussville business, the project has moved economic activity rather than created all of it. Ribbon cuttings rarely include that calculation. They should. Housing presents an even more difficult balancing act. Residents are understandably concerned that hundreds of additional homes will mean hundreds of additional vehicles, more students and greater demands on public services. Those concerns are legitimate. But simply shutting the door on housing carries costs too. In a desirable community, restricting supply can push prices higher, make it harder for young families to enter the market and leave older residents with fewer opportunities to
downsize while remaining in the city. The sensible alternative is not unlimited growth. It is selective growth tied to infrastructure. Some locations can support more density. Others cannot. Senior housing, smaller homes and carefully located mixed-use projects may meet needs that another sprawling subdivision does not. The city's new comprehensive plan therefore matters enormously. Trussville's previous comprehensive plan dates to 2006. The community has changed dramatically since then. The new plan should answer questions that individual rezoning fights cannot: Where should the city grow? Where should it remain less dense? Which roads need investment before more development occurs? Where should commercial and employment centers go? What infrastructure will be required five, ten and twenty years from now? Then the city should actually follow the plan. That last part sounds obvious. In local government, it occasionally qualifies as radical thinking. Trussville should also publish an annual economic-development scorecard. Residents deserve more than announcements about what is coming soon. Show them what happened afterward: tax revenue generated, private dollars invested, jobs created where reliable figures are available, infrastructure commitments fulfilled, incentives paid and major projects completed. Economic development should be judged five years after the ribbon cutting, not five minutes after it. None of this amounts to an argument against growth. Trussville’s ability to attract families, businesses and investment is an enormous advantage. Cities that stop growing altogether often discover that stagnation has plenty of inconveniences of its own. But the economic question facing Trussville has changed. Twenty years ago, much of the challenge was making Trussville a place where people and businesses wanted to invest. Today, the city has considerable evidence that they do. Now comes the harder job: deciding which growth deserves a yes, which deserves a no, and what conditions should accompany the answer. The goal shouldn't be to build the most Trussville possible. It should be to build a better Trussville.
The Trussville Tribune
September 10 - 16, 2026
Page 7
Coming Out of the Closet Joe Hobby
I laugh when I think about college students today. They go off to school with interior designers, then buy curtains, expensive sheets, nice furniture, throw pillows and wonderful décor for their apartments and dorm rooms. I believe this is fundamentally wrong. College may be the only time in your life when it is perfectly acceptable to live in poverty. It’s a rite of purification. During my four years, I experienced just about every type of college accommodation there was: the dorm, the apartment, and the fraternity house. And one semester, I lived in a closet. Really. It was certainly not an extra bedroom. This apartment could barely sleep two people, and I’m pretty sure the fire marshal would have had some questions about the setup we came up with. But it worked. Thank goodness. During the second half of my freshman year, I roomed with two of my high school friends in an apartment. And I actually had a bed. The following semester, Uncle Sam claimed one of my roomies, throwing our living arrangements askew. And somehow, due to a communication breakdown - I like to think it was - I found myself starting the fall semester with no place to live. Essentially homeless. Before I began searching for refrigerator boxes to live in, or worse, going back to a dorm, I approached two friends who were splitting a one-bedroom apartment. I appealed to their sense of decency. They wanted to help. The problem was that there simply wasn’t anywhere to put another person.
This was an efficiency apartment, and that was being generous. I had seen more space in a Volkswagen. There was barely enough room to hang a Farrah Fawcett poster. However, once I stepped into the closet, I had a stroke of genius. Or maybe it was just a stroke. “What if I sleep on a mattress in the closet and we split the rent three ways?” They looked at me. I
looked at them. And apparently nobody could come up with a better plan. At some level, it appealed to all three of us. Like most college students, we were struggling financially, so it seemed like a win-win situation. I would have a place to live, and they would have another person helping with the rent. The only difference was that at night, my bed was a mattress in the closet.
And so it began. One of my new roommates, in a thoughtful gesture, or perhaps as a semester-long practical joke, strung some beads across the opening of the closet to give me a little privacy. Classy. It didn’t turn the closet into a master suite, but at least I had a semblance of a doorway. There was definitely an adjustment period for all three of us. Unfortunately
for me, one of my roommates had an 8 o’clock class on the day I had a 10 o’clock. That meant he was rooting around the closet for his shoes or a sweatshirt or a raincoat while I was trying to get an extra hour of sleep. At times like that, it might have been easier to sleep in a cardboard box. To further complicate matters, I had acquired a girlfriend during the summer, and those beads offered
very little in the way of privacy. In the unlikely event you’ve tried to maintain a romantic relationship while sleeping in a closet, let me save you some trouble. Laying on a mattress in a closet, with someone else’s T-shirts and sneakers as your only decor, can be a serious mood killer. A few times during the semester, both roommates would go home for the weekend and give me a couple of days of normalcy. I got to spend a couple of nights in a real bed. It felt like the Presidential Suite at the Waldorf Astoria rather than a student apartment that was smaller than Barbie’s house. Honestly, once you got past the humiliation of sleeping in a closet, it really wasn’t that bad. Aside from the seven hours a night I spent sleeping, it was pretty much like being a visitor. And being in the closet muffled the sound in case anybody in the bedroom was snoring. The bathroom arrangements were managed without much problem - remember, it was three guys. And we had a little more money in our pockets - money that was probably funneled into fast-food joints or student bars downtown. Some of it may have been wasted, too. In the meantime, I had made some connections with guys at a fraternity that I really liked. So, when the spring semester rolled around, I traded my closet for a bed in a frat house. I stayed there until I graduated. It was a lot like the dorm from the first semester, except it was more intimate. There was one floor, and I knew everybody. We also ate together, socialized together, and grew up together. And all of that happened after I finally came out of the closet.
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The Trussville Tribune
Page 8
September 10 - 16, 2026
Alabama’s next road to nowhere Jeff Poor
Seven hundred and thirty-seven miles from Montgomery is Belton, Texas, the terminus of Interstate 14, a 25-mile freeway and one of the shortest two-digit routes in the U.S. Interstate highway system. However, federal transportation planners have much grander plans for I-14. Ultimately, the plan is for I-14 to start in West Texas, near the oil-rich Midland-Odessa area, stretch across five states, and complete its trek in Augusta, Ga. Proponents have dubbed it the “Texas to Georgia forts-to-ports connectivity corridor.” It has also been designated the 14th Amendment Highway to commemorate one of the most significant amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as it crosses the Black Belt region of the American South, where much of the slavery-reliant plantation economy of the 19th century was located. The proposal includes a 224-mile section through Alabama, from the Mississippi-Alabama line near York to the Georgia line near Phenix City. It would follow the existing U.S. Highway 80, as it passes near Demopolis, Selma, Montgomery, Tuskegee and Phenix City. Some of the elements of a potential new interstate have been completed in Alabama. Part of it includes a small section of the long-awaited Montgomery outer loop that opened near Pike Road to traffic in 2016. However, despite the completion of the $150 million intersection with Interstate 85, no further progress has been made. When President Dwight Eisenhower envisioned the interstate highway system, he was trying to copy the autobahn that served the military efforts of the Germans in World War II, and part of the justification for I-14 is
just that — connecting Texas’ Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Hood, Louisiana’s Fort Polk and Camp Beauregard, Mississippi’s Camp Shelby, Alabama’s Maxwell Air Force Base, and Georgia’s Fort Benning, Robbins Air Force Base and Fort Gordon. It would also open access for port-bound traffic to Savannah, Mobile, Gulfport, Beaumont, Port Arthur and Corpus Christi. As admirable as it may seem to locate a potential major east-west thoroughfare through an economically beleaguered region of Alabama, the route won’t alleviate many of the state’s existing congestion concerns. At face value, it seems another road to nowhere steeped in symbolism with
possible do-gooder attributes but would not add much to shoulder the burden of existing infrastructure woes. Alabama is making strides in building roads to nowhere. During the Bentley administration, Interstate 22 was completed north of Birmingham, intersecting Interstate 65 and finalizing a Memphis-to-Atlanta interstate highway route. I-22 was part of the 1967 Appalachian Development Highway System, a congressional brainchild partially based on need but also a relic of the era’s politics — a mix of ranking Mid-Atlantic and southern lawmakers able to steer federal dollars back to their home states and districts. Traffic counts remain low on I-22, but at least in
theory a Memphis-to-Atlanta freeway makes sense. The crown jewel of roads to nowhere is the northsouth West Alabama Corridor, now under construction. It would give Alabama a four-lane route connecting Mobile and Tuscaloosa. Roadbuilders are racing the clock to complete as much of it as possible before the end of Kay Ivey’s last term in office. The route is being built with no federal funding and is financed with bonding that obligates the next 20 years of revenue generated by the 2019 Rebuild Alabama Act gas tax increase. If I-14 ever comes to fruition, an intersection of roads to nowhere would be just north of Faunsdale, probably best known for the on-again, off-again Alabama
Crawfish Festival. A long-standing misconception is that major road projects are the magic elixir for economic development. They certainly can play a role, but only if there is a skilled workforce to employ. Not only is that part of West Alabama lacking a skilled workforce, but it also lacks a workforce. Population declines have hit Alabama’s Black Belt counties by 10% or more. “If you build, they will come” doesn’t apply to population growth. As of 2026, Alabama Department of Transportation officials have not signaled any interest in signing on to the multi-state Interstate 14 project. Given that Alabama is historically last to the party to join in on these kinds of endeavors (see I-22, I-20
and I-59), our state’s policymakers won’t be leading the charge. Still, never underestimate the allure of a big pot of federal money to this state. America’s still in the throes of a national Democratic Party motivated by diversity, equity and inclusion gestures. Something branded as the “14th Amendment Corridor’ could be too hard to pass up if the time comes when the United States is under the leadership of a Democrat-controlled White House and Congress. The issue is that real infrastructure deficiencies still exist. If a few billion dollars are allocated for the state to build a road to nowhere, the money available for transportation projects that are actually needed becomes much more limited.
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September 10 - 16, 2026
The Trussville Tribune
Birmingham police searching for missing women BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Investigators of the Birmingham Police Department are asking for help in locating two missing women. Aisha McGhee, 38, was last seen at the beginning of August. She is a black female standing at 5’6” and weighing approximately 165 pounds. Her last know location is the 2800 Block of Wenonah Road. Her clothing is unknown. She reportedly left the location voluntarily and has a medical condition that may impair her judgment, says and announcement from the BPD. The second is Cassandra Cade, 57, who was last seen on Sept. 3 around 7:55 p.m. She is a black female standing at 5’3” and weighing approximately 190 pounds. Her last know location is the 200 Block of Fox Glen
Road Northwest. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt and floral shorts. She also left the location voluntarily and has not made contact with her
daughter since then. Anyone with information on their locations is asked to contact the Birmingham Police Department at 205-328-9311.
Ivey announces Dolly Parton specialty license plates to be produced MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Specialty license plates featuring the iconic Dolly Parton will be available to Alabamians, said a recent announcement from Gov. Kay Ivey. Parton’s Imagination Library program received enough pre-commitments to begin producing them. The plates are expected to be
ready in the next eight to 12 weeks. Getting a plate will also benefit the Imagination Library. According to Ivey’s statement proceeds from each one will stay in the county where it is registered and will be able to provide monthly books to enrolled children. “Dolly Parton gave
us more than a book program,” said Ivey. “She gave us a mission rooted in the simple, but powerful belief that every child deserves the opportunity to read, learn and dream. Alabama is honored to be part of that legacy, and we will continue putting books into the hands and homes of our children.”
Page 9
Alabama officials warn of cattle scams targeting buyers on social media MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama agriculture officials are warning cattle buyers and producers about fake livestock listings showing up on social media. The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries said recent scams have included fake social media accounts posing as genuine cattle operations and advertising heifers for sale. In some instances, buyers have paid for cattle and traveled to pick them up, only to discover the business had no knowledge of the transaction. According to officials, some sales have even taken place across state lines. “Producers and buyers must remain diligent, verify who they are doing business
with and take the necessary steps to ensure transactions are legitimate before purchasing,” Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate said. The department is advising that buyers independently verify contact information, use caution before sending money online, ask for references, and confirm the operation is genuine. Officials are also warn-
ing buyers about AI-generated cattle images being used in these fraudulent listings. Indicators include distorted faces, uneven legs, warped backgrounds, blurry edges, or images that seem unnaturally polished. Duplicate photos showing up in multiple listings, and a lack of images showing a full herd may also be warning signs of fake images. Officials said buyers should also look for identifying marks such as brands or ear tags when reviewing listings. Suspected livestock fraud can be reported to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Rural Crimes Unit at 334-288-8328 or the Alabama Securities Commission at 334-242-2984.
Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club hosts new library director TRUSSVILLE, Ala. — Trussville Public Library Director Michelle Hamrick was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club on Sept. 2. Hamrick shared her lifelong love of libraries and her career path prior to being a librarian, including working in medical records, at “Alabama’s oldest
prison” and being a picture framer for artist Daniel Moore, said a press release from the club. A point that she made during her remarks is that libraries are not only about books. “Libraries have never, ever been about books,” she was quoted as saying. “Libraries have always been about information.”
She spoke about what the library offers, including a “Library of Things” that allows patrons to borrow sports items such as pickleball sets and nature kits along with bird and tree identification books. The Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club meets at First Baptist Church Trussville on Wednesday at 7 a.m.
Page 10
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of each month at 6 p.m. ● Pinson City Council Meetings: 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. Local Meetings ● Center Point City Coun● Trussville City Council 1st and cil Meetings: Meetings: 2nd and 3rd 4th Thursday of each Tuesday of each month, month at at 6:30 p.m. 6 p.m., City Council Annex Trussville Edu● Argo City Board CouncilofMeetcation2nd Meetings: Monings: and 4th3rd Monday day of each month at 5 of each month at 5 p.m. p.m., TCS Central Office ●● Springville City Council Clay City Council MeetMeetings: Monings: 2nd 1st andand 4th 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6at p.m. day of each month 6 p.m. Pinson City Coun●● Irondale City Council Meetings: Meetings: 1st 1st and and 3rd 3rd cil Thursday of each month at Tuesday 7 p.m. of each month at 6● p.m. Center Point City Coun●cil Leeds City Council MeetMeetings: 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, of at ings: 1st and 3rd Monday 6:30 p.m. each month at 6 p.m. Argo City Council Meet●● Moody City Council ings: 2nd and 4th Monday Meetings: 2nd of each month at 5and p.m. 4th Monday of each month at 6 ● Springville City Council p.m. Meetings: 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 6 p.m. Trussville Public Library ● Irondale City Coun●cil Young Adult1stD&D: Meetings: and Fri3rd March 7 at month 4 p.m. atday, Tuesday of each 6 p.m.for ages 18-25 D&D Leeds City Council Meet●● ACT Prep: Saturday, ings: 2nd and 4th Monday March 8 at 10 a.m. - Extenof each month at 6 p.m. sive ACT review class ● Moody City Council ●Meetings: ACT Prep: Sunday, 2nd and 4th
Club meeting at Ferus Artisan Ales ● Ukulele Club: Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. - Beginner ukulele club of each month at 6 ●Monday Preschoolers at Play: p.m. Wednesday, March 12 at ● The M.W. Hosey Amer10:30 - Join us for a ican a.m. Legion Post 205, short movement and story Clay-Trussville, meets on the 2nd Monday of each with Ms. Alicia followed by month at with 6 p.m. at thetoys Clay free play various ● Children’s Storytime: Thursday, March 13 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. - Join Ms. Alicia for stories, songs, bubble time, and lots of fun ● Homeschool Hangout: Thursday, March 13 at 1 p.m. - A place for homeschool teens to hang out, socialize, and play games ● Cult Classic Cinema: Thursday, March 13 at 5:30 p.m. - An evening highlighting the other half of Trussville’s Core Collection of movies–Cult Classics. This month’s feature: “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986) Pinson Public Library ● Dahl’s Delightful Kits: March 3-8, All week - Join us as we celebrate the imaginative world of Roald Dahl! Stop by the library
● Goat Yoga: Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m. - Announcing “Goat Yoga” with our friends at Olive Valley Farms & our host, “Yoga with Kayla.” Center. This will be Community Meetall veteraings dayare of open yoga, tolaughter, & ans. adorable Post 205company also meets the of on the goats! 3rd Thursday of friendly Registration each month at 6 p.m. at the required Trussville Applebee’s for a ●Veteran’s Tech Tuesdays: Pub night. Tuesday, March 11 at 10 a.m. Drop by for helpful tech tips and tricks with Mr. Keith! Please bring your device with you if you are able ● Geek Guild D&D (Teens): Tuesday, March 11 at 4:30 p.m. - We’re playing Dungeons & Dragons! Delve into the Forgotten Realm in this fantasy Role-Playing Game. ● Junior Jamz: Wednesday, March 12 at 10 a.m. - Bring your little kiddos to jam at the library! We’ll provide a variety of musical instruments for the children to explore ● Let’s Jam!: Thursday, March 13 at 4 p.m. - Are you learning to play an instrument or have you been playing for years? Come jam at the library!
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The Trussville Tribune
Page 12
Obituaries
September 10 - 16, 2026
Shirley Fay King
Joseph Raymond Williamson
may 5, 1941 —
august 26, 2026
october 26, 1946 — august 28, 2026
Joseph “Joe” Williamson, 79, of Steele, Alabama, passed away peacefully at home on August 28, 2026, following an illness. Born on October 26, 1946, in Lakeland, Florida, Joe developed a remarkably strong work ethic from a very early age, starting out with jobs like delivering newspapers and bagging groceries at a local grocery store. As he grew up, he attended Jacksonville State University, where he participated in ROTC and most memorably met the love of his life, Sara Wehunt. Following his time in college, he answered the call of duty by joining the United States Army, proudly serving his country during the Vietnam War. By grace, he survived the hardships of his service and returned safely home to build a meaningful life with Sara. Professionally, Joe carried that lifelong dedication into his career, spending most of his working years in Birmingham, Alabama, as an electrical estimator for Stone & Sons Electrical Contractors up until his retirement. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sara Wehunt Williamson; his sister, Jane, and brotherin-law, Ken Willoughby; nephew Dale and his wife Frances Patton, niece Cheryl Patton, and several other extended family members. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Grayson Williamson; his parents, Ray and Mildred Beason Williamson; his sister, Judy Patton, and brother-in-law, Myron Patton; his nephews Robert Patton and Matt Willoughby, his aunt, Helen Smith; and his uncles, Arther Beason and Donald Beason.Joe’s steadfast work ethic, quiet strength, and deep devotion to his family and country left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and former colleagues.
Bertha Dean Strickland
september 7, 1937 — september 1, 2026
Bertha Dean Strickland “Bert” was born in Winfield, Alabama in 1937. She passed from this life on September 1, 2026. She lived her life as a faithful follower of Jesus and taught her family to do the same through her words, actions and by service to others. She leaves behind a legacy of devotion to Christ and the example that she gave to her daughters and grandsons. Bert was a talented seamstress for most of her life and made her daughters’ clothes as children and patiently taught them to sew. She later began making custom made drapes and home furnishings, some of which were featured in Birmingham Decorators’ Showhouses. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 64 years, Gary Strickland, her mother and father, George Austin and Rebecca Drusilla Aldridge and seven of her eight siblings. She leaves behind a loving family who cherish her memory, including her children: Gina West (Chuck) and Rhonda Brown; grandsons, Garrett West, Gary Brown and Chris Brown and her brother, Frank Aldridge as well as many nieces and nephews. Though she will be deeply missed, her family finds comfort in the knowledge that she could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Vera Stol Milton july 3, 1928 —
august 13, 2026
Mrs. Vera Stol Milton, age 98 of Pensacola, Florida, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2026, surrounded by her family. Vera was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, and was a witness to the events of World War II. She met her husband, Arthur Doyal Milton in Vienna while he was serving in the U.S. Army. They married on March 31, 1955. After Arthur retired from the Army, they settled in Pensacola, Florida, where Vera worked for the Florida school system. After her retirement, Vera and Arthur camped across the U.S. with their faithful schnauzer. Vera enjoyed bowling, and was a big 49’ers football fan. Vera is survived by her husband, Arthur; their two sons, Rickey Milton (Terri) and John Milton (Rebecca); their grandchildren, Daniel Milton (Kati), Gary Milton, Bryan Milton; four greatgrandchildren.
Shirley King, age 85, of Cullman, Alabama, passed away on August 26, 2026. Born on May 5, 1941 in Mississippi, She was the child of Henry McCreight and Lucille McCreight She worked at GUIDE ONE as an insurance agent. She married Bobby King in 1996, and together they shared 30 wonderful years. Shirley was a loving, supportive, and fun mother, wife, grandmother and great grandmother. Her family was her greatest passion and she was unable to contain how incredibly proud she was of them. She is survived by husband, Bobby King, son Charles Reeves III (Jordan), step sons Buddy King (Kelly), Jeff King (Mary) King, Grandchildren Megan Reeves, Baylee Polson (Ryan), Cross Cantor, David Reeves (Kelsey), Kathleen Ferrelli (Will), Kennedy King, Kassidy King, Andrew King, Allie King, Katie King Hood (Chris), Nathan King, Rachel King and Hannah Newman (Michael), eight great grand children niece Mary Dodd (Mike), great nephew Michael Dodd (Stacey) great niece Melissa Dodd. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Reeves II, Brother David McCreight, Sister Sue Hogan, Son David Glenn Reeves and Daughter in law Claire Reeves. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children’s Hospital in Shirley’s memory.
Pastor Jim Hill january 5, 1952 — august 30, 2026
Pastor Jim Hill, age 74, of Palmerdale, Alabama passed away Sunday, August 30, 2026. Born in Grand Junction, Michigan on January 5, 1952, Jim was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, William Lee Hill, Jr. and Marjorie Pugh Hill. He is survived by his loving and supportive wife of 55 years, Julia Bunch Hill and their two sons: Jimmy (Evelia) Hill and Jason (Kim) Hill. Jim was the proud grandfather of Jordan (Tasia) Hill, Morgan (Landon) Wallace, Jace Hill, Jeremiah Hill, Jake Hill, Kaydiann Hill, Jackson Hill, Sam Leach, Johan Limon and great grandson Chandler Hill. Jim is also survived by his brother, Bill Hill and sisters Janis Hildreth, Jeanine (Paul) Ivy, and Marcia (Ted) Dennis. Jim was a 1970 graduate of Bloomingdale High School in Michigan, where he lettered in football, baseball and basketball. His football team was conference champions in each of his 4 years in high school. In 2025, Jim, along with the class of 1970 football team, was inducted into the Bloomingdale Athletic Hall of Fame for being undefeated in conference play four straight years. In 1971, Jim met the love of his life, Julia Bunch and they married in February of 1972, beginning their life together in Michigan as he worked for Ford Motor Company as a metal finisher. In 1973, Jim moved the family to Morristown, Tennessee to assist his brother Bill in opening Southland Piano & Organ Company. There, he sold a piano to Dr. Doug Ripley who led Jim to the Lord and became his pastor. In 1974, under the ministry of Dr. Ripley, Jim was called to preach. Jim became a full-time pastor in 1981 and moved to Alabama. In 1988 Jim was called as Pastor to Bible Baptist Church in Tarrant. In 1994, after significant growth, the church relocated and built a new building on Faucett Road in Pinson. The church was renamed to Cross Baptist Church. In 2020, Jim became the interim pastor of Robertson Chapel Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and served there for two years. Jim loved to share the gospel with everyone he encountered and was instrumental in leading many souls to Christ. In retirement, Jim became very active in the Senior Olympics of Alabama and the National Senior Olympics, winning the gold medal in 2022 in basketball. Jim loved to spend time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Visitation was held Thursday, September 3, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Palmerdale Cross Baptist Church, 4950 Faucett Road, Pinson, Alabama followed by a service at 2:00 p.m. Immediately following the service, an escorted procession will travel to Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Trussville, Alabama for the Burial/Graveside. Serving as pall bearers are grandsons Jordan Hill, Jace Hill, Jeremiah Hill, Jake Hill, Jackson Hill, Sam Leach, Johan Limon and Landon Wallace. Dr. Doug Ripley and Dr. Jim Collins officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made for Baptist Missions in honor of Pastor Jim Hill online at palmedalecross.org or by check to Palmerdale Cross Baptist Church.
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sports Leeds Greenwave vs Central Clay County Volunteers, Prep Football, Homer Smiles Field, Friday, September 11, 2026
Shades Valley Mounties at Fairfield Tigers, Prep Football, Clements Field, Friday, September 11, 2026
Springville Tigers at St Clair County Saints, Prep Football, Mickey Venable Stadium, Friday, September 11, 2026
The Trussville Tribune
September 10 - 16, 2026
Floyd earns 100th win at Hewitt as Huskies knock off No. 4 Hoover By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE – Ninthranked Hewitt-Trussville gave head coach Josh Floyd his 100th victory at the school in impressive fashion Friday night, knocking off No. 4 Hoover 40-24 in the region opener for both teams. The Huskies (2-1) bounced back from a loss to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa by scoring 35 first-half points and taking control with 21 points in the second quarter. The Huskies entered the game looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, while the undefeated Bucs came to Husky Stadium looking to remain perfect. The Husky offense struck quickly. On the second play of the game, Daniel Williams went 68 yards for a touchdown to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead. Hoover answered with a 22-yard touchdown on a screen pass, tying the game at 7 with six minutes remaining in the opening quarter. The Huskies responded with a 51-yard, 10-play drive that ended with Harrison Malone scoring from 2 yards out. The score gave Hewitt a 14-7 lead with
10:14 remaining in the first half. The Bucs answered again to tie the game at 14 before Hewitt took control. Jack Floyd capped a 55-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 7:44 remaining, putting the Huskies back in front, 21-14. Floyd scored again with 3:49 left, scoring from 19 yards out to finish a 50-yard drive and extend the Husky lead to 28-14. Hoover cut the Husky lead to 28-21 with 1:32 remaining, but Hewitt wasn’t done. Williams scored from 19 yards for his second touchdown of the night with 10 seconds left, sending the Huskies into the locker room with a 35-21 lead. Hoover’s first possession of the second half ended when Hewitt-Trussville
intercepted the Bucs at the Hoover 30-yard line. The Huskies capitalized on the turnover when Rivers Harbison hit a 29-yard field goal to extend the Husky lead to 38-21 with 7:55 remaining in the third quarter. Just seven seconds later, Hoover was called for intentional grounding in its own end zone, resulting in a safety that pushed Hewitt-Trussville’s lead to 40-21 with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter. The Huskies later moved into Hoover territory but were unable to find the end zone. Harbison’s field-goal attempt was unsuccessful with 3:54 remaining in the third quarter, keeping the score at 40-21. Hoover closed the quarter with a field goal on the final play of the period, cutting Hewitt’s lead to 40-24 heading into the fourth. The Huskies moved deep into Hoover territory midway through the fourth quarter with an opportunity to put the game away, but the Bucs intercepted a pass in the end zone. Hoover then drove to the Hewitt 18-yard line, aided by a pair of personal foul penalties against the Huskies. See FLOYD, Page 15
Jerry Hood’s Green Wave squad beat Sylacauga 57-7. Credit: Ron Burkett
Leeds rolls past Sylacauga in region opener By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
Sylacauga – Leeds traveled to Sylacauga on Friday night to open region play, and the Green Wave showed their dominance early and left with a 57-7 win. Leeds (1-1, 1-0) got on the board first when Brennen Archer hit Taylon Gaiter with a 51-yard touchdown pass. The Green Wave converted the two-point try to take an 8-0 lead. Leeds then went up 15-0 when Bennett Schorfhaar found Jacauri Swain for a 21-yard touchdown. Sylacauga answered with a 36-yard touchdown pass to cut the Leeds lead to 15-7. From there, the Green Wave dominated the Ag-
gies. Schorfhaar hooked up with Archer for a 30-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 22-7. He then went back to Swain for a 26-yard score to give Leeds a 29-7 lead at the break. Gaiter found the end zone again after hauling in a 52-yard touchdown pass from Schorfhaar to make the score 36-7. Leeds’ special teams got in on the scoring, too when Sebastian Nava blocked a kick and sophomore cornerback Aidan Williams returned it for a touchdown to give the Green Wave a 43-7 lead. Jacarrious Davis scored on a 44-yard run to make it 50-7 before Braxtin McClain added a 64-yard touchdown run, pushing the
lead to 57-7. “They played really, really great. I mean, they really did,” Leeds coach Jerry Hood said. “It was a very tough loss last week. To bounce back with purpose and be able to do what we did tonight, it was much needed, to be honest with you.” The Green Wave piled up 591 yards, including 344 through the air and 247 on the ground. Leeds held Sylacauga to 189 total yards. Schorfhaar completed 16 of 17 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Archer completed all four of his attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries.
See LEEDS, Page 15
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The Trussville Tribune
Page 14
September 10 - 16, 2026
Mounties outlast Eagles By Shane Paschal, For the Tribune
IRONDALE – Two years removed from his tenure there, Coach George Bates and his Shades Valley Mounties welcomed the Center Point Eagles to Frank Nix Stadium for their Class 4A, Region 5 opener. Shades Valley led the series 18-8-1 coming in, but the Eagles had won the last two meetings, with Bates at the helm. The Mounties received the opening kickoff but fumbled on their first play, giving the ball to the Eagles at midfield. The Eagles bobbled their punt on the ensuing drive, falling on the ball at their own 44. The teams swapped punts, and on the Eagles’ next possession, Valley blocked a Center Point punt out of the end zone, giving the Mounties a 2-0 lead with 5:12 left in the first quarter. Valley started at midfield following the safety and took the ball down the field, culminating in a five-yard keeper by Antwan Kelser for a touchdown. With the extra point, the Mounties led 9-0 with two minutes left in the first quarter, which was how the quarter ended. The Eagles punted their next possession back to the
Shades Valley vs. Center Point. Credit: Ron Burkett
Mounties, giving Valley good field position at the Eagle 40. A 20-yard keeper by Kelser and a 14-yard run by Kourtney Moore gave the Mounties a firstand-goal. Kelser scored his second touchdown on a twoyard keeper. The extra point failed, and the Mounties led
15-0 with 6:15 left in the half. The teams swapped possessions, and the half ended with the home team ahead, 15-0. The Eagles got the ball to start the second half, and Valley’s Moore intercepted a pass right away and returned it to the Eagle five.
Kelser was sacked, and Valley attempted a 35-yard field goal, which was no good. Center Point took over and marched down the field, scoring a touchdown on a Gardneir keeper with 3:52 left in the quarter. The extra point was no good, and the Eagles trimmed the Mountie
lead to 15-6. Valley fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving the Eagles the ball at the Valley 33. The Mounties intercepted the ball right back at their own 11. Kelser had a 30yard run on the Mounties’ next possession, but Valley fumbled, giving the ball
back to the Eagles as the quarter ended. The Eagles scored on a Gardneir 25-yard keeper, trimming the Mounties’ lead to 15-12. The point after was no good. The Mounties drove down the field but were intercepted at the Eagle three. Center Point kept the ball for almost the remainder of the game but could get no farther than the Valley 45. The Mounties intercepted the ball at their own 15 with only seconds left and ran out the remaining time, sealing the win. After the game, Mounties coach George Bates said, “Kids played hard but too emotional. I understand why and truly appreciate it. The game wasn’t supposed to be close, refs made a tackle on a touchdown next play touchdown called back which would have made it a three score lead to end it early. We played to the competition too much in the second half. All in all we move forward 1-0 in region play.” Shades Valley improves to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in region play, while Center Point falls to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in region play. The Eagles visit region foe Carver next week, while the Mounties go on the road for the first time this season as they visit Fairfield.
Clay-Chalkville opens region play with shutout win at Springville By Henry Williamson, for the Tribune
SPRINGVILLE, Ala. – The Clay-Chalkville Cougars set the tone from the start and stayed in control, beating the Springville Tigers 68-0 Friday night at Bagley Harris Stadium to open 5A Region 6 play. “We had a good week of practice.” Clay-Chalkville head coach Stuart Floyd said. “We played those games to find out what we’re made of, what we’re good at, and what we’re not good at. That’s kind of the stuff we worked on this week. We fixed all those things and really needed a game where we could create some depth, so just a good week.” The Cougars received the opening kickoff and went straight to work. CJ Eldridge tossed a 60-yard pass to an open Cartier Barnes with room on the sideline before being brought down at the Springville 30. Nasir Ray caught a bullet pass from Eldridge to move the ball inside the two and Isiah Brown followed that up with a carry into the end zone for a 7-0 lead at the 9:10 mark in the first. Springville came up empty on its first offensive series. A short punt posi-
Credit: Britney Bailey
tioned the Cougars at the 30. Barnes continued to assert himself and sped his way to the 19 on the reception from Eldridge. He was found again and tackled just shy of the goal line at the one. Cayden McGhee took it in for the touchdown for a 13-0 advantage after the failed PAT.
Early lapses altered the Tigers. On third down, the ball came loose on a handoff attempt and Clay jumped on it to stretch the margin to 20-0. The next drive, Cash Mobley threw it deep to Franklin Tripp, but it was incomplete to force another punt. The Cougars didn’t slow down as Oberon Hill
took the handoff and broke free for a 29-yard rushing touchdown to extend it to 27-0 with 1:12 in the first. Clay kept the foot on the gas in the second. Eldridge zipped a pass across the middle to Cayden Farris from 54 yards out to make it 34-0. Springville struggled to get any kind of movement
and gave the Cougars possession at the 34. Juandre Elliot chimed in the action and bounced off a defender a 19-yard rushing touchdown to increase it to 41-0 with 6:41 to go in the half. Freshman backup quarterback Harrison Richburg subbed into the game and connected with Barnes on
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a 23-yard reception as he sealed off his man to push it to 48-0. Not long after, Richburg created some space and accelerated 65 yards to the end zone for a touchdown of his own to put the Cougars up 55-0 at halftime. The second half was quieter as the Cougars scored two more times with a running clock Javarius Silmon carved inside and raced 51 yards to make it 62-0 with 4:21 in the third. Reid Palmer powered in from 24-yards with 2:31 left in the game for the final touchdown to cap it at 68-0 after the blocked PAT. “Playing against people that big and fast is great competition”, said Lumpkin. “You’re gonna be better from that. Maybe it’ll help slow the game down for us a little bit heading forward. We still got some really tough teams on our schedule, so hopefully we can stay healthy and be competitive.” Clay-Chalkville progresses to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in 5A Region 6. They will be back on the road and head to Southside-Gadsden for another region matchup next Friday. Springville drops to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in 5A Region 6. They will travel to meet region rival St. Clair County next Friday.
The Trussville Tribune
September 10 - 16, 2026
Indians drop region game to Pell City By Tracy Riggs Frontz, For the Tribune
Pinson – On the first Friday night in September of 2026, a quick 54-yard pass during the first drive led the Pinson Valley Indians to an early touchdown against the Pell City Panthers at home. Michael Giles ran the final 2 yards to start the scoring out strong at 6-0 with 9:52 left to go in the first quarter. The attempt for the 2-point conversion wasn’t successful, but the Indians had showed their fighting spirit right off the bat. Pell City answered that touchdown with one of their own on their corresponding first drive. A successful kick through the uprights brought them into the lead at 7-6. Pinson Valley continued to battle through the rest of the first quarter without a SERVICES gain in score but Pell City SELLING atoRV,add Tractor or Golf managed another Cart? ADVERTISE touchdown before theSTATEquarWIDE or by region in over 100 terNewspapers, ended to reaching make it over 14-61 Panthers. million readers each week! Run As adthe second quarter your in our Classified Network forthejustIndians $210 per again week! began, Make oneperseverance call to this newspaper showed and (participating Ala-SCAN newsjust missed adding to their paper) or call 1-800-264-7043 to score when another long find out how easy it is to adverpass was stripped by Pell tise statewide! City’s double coverage for anBATH incompletion. & SHOWER UPDATES theDAY! Panthers in They as little held as ONE Affordfrom six, but able getting prices - another No payments for 18 City months! Lifetime warranty Pell added an additionprofessional installs. Senior al&three with a 23-yard field & Military Discounts available. goal with 7:27 left in the first Call: 1-855-405-8901 half, making the score 17-6. The teams traded drives NEW AUTHORS WANTED! that withstaff each Our ended publishing willteam help punting the your ball ownaway. you self-publish book. Showing FREE author determination, submission kit! Limited offer! Valley Why wait? when Pinson hadCall a now: 1-877-567-9754 fourth down with one yard to go, they went for it but LONG MOVING: Pell CityDISTANCE put up a wall of deCall today for a weren’t FREE QUOTE fense and they able America’s Most Trusted Intofrom push it through. terstate Movers. Let us take the TheoutPanthers stress of moving! marched Speak to a the ball down thecallfield Relocation Specialist, 844925-3534 which resulted in a 14-yard touchdown play with just 14WATER seconds remaining in the DAMAGE CLEANUP & half. RESTORATION: A small first amount of water the can lead maIt appeared halftowas jor damage in your home. Our over when Aiden Padgett trusted professionals dry out the Robinson returned the to kickwet area and do repairs prooff for a 99-yard tect your family andtouchdown your home’s run. atvalue!Another If you have2-point water in your home missed that needs be dried, Call tempt itstomark as the 24/7: 1-877-727-2344 Have zip first half actually ended with
From page 13
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ALEXANDRIA – The Moody Blue Devils traveled for the first time in the Kyle Tatum era on Friday night, taking on region foe Alexandria in a game that saw Moody’s offense take a big step forward while the defense had their hands full with the Valley Cub offense en route to a 35-28 loss. The Valley Cubs started with the ball and drove it straight down the field go to up early on the visiting Blue Devils. Behind great running by Juju Hill, Moody was able to get the ball to the two-yard line where the Local running backMeetings would punch ● in Trussville it and, withCity 8:36Council to go Meetings: 2nd and 4th Tuesin the opening period, the day ofwas each month at 6 p.m., score tied at seven. City Council Annex Alexandria wasted little ● Trussville Board time answering withofanEdu11cation Meetings: 3rd Monyard run that put the home day of each month at 6 p.m., team up 14-7.Office TCS Central Moody’s offense would ● Clay City Council Meetstall the ball ings: out 2nd and and give 4th Tuesday back to month the Valley of each at 6 Cubs p.m. and at 9:58City point in theMeetsec● the Pinson Council ond, hold ings: Alexandria 1st and 3rdwould Thursday aof21-7 andatMoody eachlead month 7 p.m. was reeling. ● Center Point City Council The Blue Devils would Meetings: 1st and 3rd Thurscome swinging day ofout each month,and at drive 6:30 p.m. it down to the two-yard line where “Solo” MeetMur● Argo Trigg City Council ings: 2nd andpunch 4th Monday of doch would it in and eachthe month at 5 p.m.lead to cut Alexandria ● Springville Cityover Council 21-14 with a little sevMeetings: andin3rd en minutes1st to go the Monhalf. dayThe of each month at 6 swap p.m. teams would ● Irondale City forth Council punts back and and Meetings:pinned 1st andthe 3rdValley TuesMoody day of each at 6 p.m. Cubs deep month in their own ● Leeds City Council Meetterritory. A tipped punt set ings: 1stup andwith 3rd good Monday of Moody field each month at 6 p.m. position but an interception ● Moody Council Meetin the endCity zone by Alexanings: 2nd and 4th Monday of dria would send the teams each month at 6 p.m. into the half with the Valley Cubs up 21-14. Trussville Public Library Moody started the third ● Summertime Stories: Thursday, Julyin 25 at field 9:30 with the ball good and 10:30due a.m.to - the Join conMs. position Alicia for a summer-themed tinued effort by the Valley Cubs to complete an onside kick, but they would not be able to do anything with it. Facing a third and short, Alexandria lined up in a wing-t formation and their running back took it 65 yards for the score to make it 28-14 early in the third.
The Trussville Tribune
Classified
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Moody loses to Alexandria 35-28 to drop to 0-3 By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
July 25 - 31, 2024
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Calendar
storytime in the library audi- Bicentennial Park: Thursday, torium with stories, songs, July 25 at 4 p.m. - It’s time to bubble time, and lots of fun! say goodbye to another won● Yarn Manglers: Thursday, derful Summer Reading ProJuly 25 at 2 p.m. - Knitters gram! Enjoy free access to and crocheters, join us for the Splash Pad, crafts, food trucks, & so much more! fellowship and creativity! ● Parks and Rec Trivia: ● Glow Party: Teen Finale: Thursday, July 27 at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 25 at 6 p.m. ● Classic Cinema: Friday, - Celebrate the end of anothJuly 26 at 2 p.m. - Come and er successful teen summer watch a classic movie in the reading program during our Party Teen Finale. Enlibrary auditorium! Moody's Glow Jake Lowery awaits the call. joy snacks, games, music, & Credit: Captured by Savanna Pinson Public Library other glow-in-the-dark activi● Splash Bash at Pinson ties!
The Blue Devils got the ball in good field position once again and Jake Lowery hit the returning Jalijah Rutledge for a 53-yard touchdown to cut it to 28-21 with 5:38 to go in the third. On the next Alexandria drive, DJ Price would pick off a Valley Cub pass and return it to the 38-yard line and set the Blue Devil offense for another drive, but Moody could do nothing with it and Ryan McPherson would punt it away again with 2:09 to go in the third. The Moody defense would stand tall and the fourth quarter would begin with an Alexandria punt that set the Blue Devils up at their own 49. Once again, the offense would stall and Moody would punt. Another defensive stand by Moody would set things up for the offense at the 30. The Blue Devils would drive the ball to the 50 but a turnover and a personal foul would set the Valley Cubs up at the Moody 34.
Alexandria would milk most of the remaining fourplus minutes off of the clock before putting another score on the board to make it 3521 with two minutes to go in the game. On the first play of the next drive, Lowery hit Austin Dryburgh for a long touchdown to close it to 35-28 with 1:51 to go in the game. Moody would attempt an onside kick, but to no avail. Alexandria ran out the clock and finished with a 35-28 victory. “There’s no doubt. We are never going to quit. We have to become more disciplined. We are to make a few more plays to win. Gotta go on the road and see another good team. Our guys are fighters. We will get back to work Sunday and get ready for another one.” The Blue Devils (0-3; 0-1) heads to Anniston (0-3; 0-1) next Friday searching for their first win of the Kyle Tatum era.
We are a therapist-owned physical therapy practice providing quality, hands-on care. Our dedication to clinical Leeds long touchdowns, so he mined and have good attiexcellence is key towas ourfeeling successful From page 13 good. Itpatient was a outcomes. tudes,” Hood said. “They
good night. Good night for really paid attention to detail Hood said having both Leeds.” because it kind of woke us quarterbacks involved gives Swain had six recep- up a little bit. If you’re goTrussville opposing defenses more to TherapySouth tions for 120 yards and two ing to do something in your prepare for. touchdowns. region, 1483 Gadsden Highway, Suite 116 you better dang well “I think it gives other On the ground, Davis start right now.” 35235 people something to look Birmingham, carried eight AL times for 88 Hood is proud of his (205) 655-1921 at because we don’t just run yards and a touchdown, Mc- team on and off the field. Brennen,” Hood said. “He Clain finished with 68 yards “I’m very proud. This is Clinic Director: Mike Stallworth, DPT group. This is a realthrows the ball.” on two carries, including his PT, a good Gaiter led the receiving 64-yard score. ly good group,” Hood said. corps with eight catches for Hood was also pleased “I’m very proud of them 142 yards and two touch- with the way his team re- right now for more than downs. sponded during the week football, for the way they Clay/Pinson behave.” “Taylon Gaiter had a TherapySouth following its loss. 6723 Deerfoot Parkway, Suite 105 Leeds hosts Central-Clay big night, had two touch“I had no doubt they downs,” Hood said. “Two would come back deterPinson, AL 35126 next Friday.
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September 10 - 16, 2026
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