The Tribune
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By Terry Schrimscher For the Tribune
IRONDALE – Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. took a few moments during the March 7 council meeting to honor first responders and members of a nonprofit search dog team for their work locating a missing Irondale woman over the weekend. See IRONDALE, Page 3
Cahaba Homestead Heritage Foundation president gives Stone Gateway Project updates at Trussville Council workshop By Crystal McGough Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE – Cahaba Homestead Heritage FounSee FOUNDATION, Page 5
Businesses of Pinson’s Main Street introduce monthly ‘Parking Lot Yard Sales’
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Huskies win JAG Classic
Share the Beach
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www.TrussvilleTribune.com
March 15 - 21
Irondale honors K9 search team after locating missing woman
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2023
Trussville BOE narrows superintendent search to 2 By Crystal McGough Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Schools Board of Education has narrowed its five superintendent candidates down to two. During a special-called meeting on Monday, March 13, the board unanimously approved a motion to bring back in Dr. Kevin Maddox, who is currently Assistant Superintendent at the Homewood City Board of Education, and Dr. Holly Sutherland, who is the current Superintendent of Haleyville City Board of Education. “The week before last we interviewed five people and over the last week we’ve been calling references and checking our references and all of that,” Board President Kathy Brown said. After taking time to talk with Interim Superintendent Dr. Frank Costanzo and Alabama Association of School Boards educational consultant Dr. Michael Barber about the procedure and what to do next, the board agreed to choose a couple of candidates to bring back in for additional
Dr. Kevin Maddox
Dr. Holly Sutherland
information and potentially one-on-one or two-on-one conversations with board members. “This may seem like a slow process but we are certainly doing our job,” Brown said. “We want to be diligent about it, to be checking everybody out and getting more conversation with the candidates that we feel qualified.”
Board member Mark Sims said that he found all of the candidates impressive. “I’d like to thank all of them for their interest and their passion for education,” he said. “That’s very important.” Brown added that TCS originally had 29 applicants for the position. “That’s certainly a compliment, and what you heard is
that they’re very complementary of our city, our schools, our faculty and staff, and everything that’s going on here in the community,” she said. “So (that) certainly was nice to hear and be a part of.” In other business, the board approved the following: • Four certified extra service agreements • One transfer/reassignment, classified • One resignation, classified • Facility Usage Agreement for Faith Community Fellowship to use the parking lot of Paine Elementary School • Job description for Homebound Teacher • Under $50,000 project to install lockers at Hewitt-Trussville High School • Service agreement for the elevator at Trussville City Schools The March monthly board meeting will be held Monday, March 20, 2023, in the board room of the TCS Central Office at 6 p.m. There will be a work session before the board meeting, beginning at 5 p.m.
Full Sail University bus pays visit to Leeds High School
Disability advocates to gather at State House on March 15 From The Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY – Over 100 disability advocates from across state will gather in Montgomery on Wednesday, March 15, to meet with policymakers. The day will begin with a rally on the State See ADVOCATES, Page 6
Trussville Council honors teachers, student athletes with proclamations By Crystal McGough Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville City Council recognized two teachers of the year, as well as individual HTHS 7A State Indoor See TRUSSVILLE, Page 7
Trussville Chamber, library team up to host job fair From The Tribune staff reports
By Crystal McGough Associate Editor
PINSON – The businesses of Main Street, Pinson, who brought the community “Pinson Trade Days” have a new monthly event to offer weekend deal-seekers.
TRUSSVILLE – Preparations are underway for the 2023 Trussville Job Fair, set for Thursday, March 16, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., at the Trussville Public Library. Presenting sponsor for the event is Darrell Walker Workforce.
See PINSON, Page 3
See CHAMBER, Page 6
Plant-based skin care company Love Life Naturals opens boutique in Pinson By Crystal McGough Associate Editor
PINSON – In 2020, while communities and individuals adjusted to a worldwide shutdown and isolation became the new normal, a cultural shift began taking place See BOUTIQUE, Page 6
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A close up of the logo for the Full Sail University Experience. (Photo by Nathan Prewett) By Nathan Prewett For the Tribune
LEEDS – Sometime in the future some of the visionaries and technicians in video games, the music industry and film could come from the city of Leeds after Full Sail University paid a visit to the high school on Friday, March 10. The event was organized by Jessica Kennedy, who teaches business and computer science at Leeds High School. Kennedy said that she received an email about the
program and then looked into it before finding out that the university sends the bus to campuses at no cost to them. It is promotional for Full Sail but offers students a glimpse of their potential career paths. The “Full Sail Experience” is a program where a bus is driven out to a school to give students an insight into some of the majors that the university offers. The bus is a Kenworth T2000 truck with a featherweight trailer and measures 85 feet by 20 feet. There are five interactive workstations
MARTY’S TRUSSVILLE
The Full Sail University Experience truck. (Photo by Nathan Prewett)
inside exhibiting art, animation and design; game design and esports; as well as video production, VR and audio engineering. “We’ve had a couple of students that said that they were interested in audio, music engineering,” Kennedy said. “So they were really drawn to that one station and kind of inquired about this school but maybe what was also offered in Alabama in terms of audio engineering, music engineering, video production. Several kids were super interested in that as a
possible career in the future.” On Friday Kennedy led her students into the bus where Full Sail staff members Ari Paris and Pat Stewart gave a presentation and then helped the students as they sampled the different demos. Several donned a VR headset and got to experience a type of gaming that is gaining steam in the industry. Full Sail is located in Winter Park, Florida and has graduated students who went on to get involved with game
Moody Council names new police chief at meeting By Nathan Prewett For the Tribune
MOODY – At a meeting on Monday, March 13, the Moody City Council named a new police chief after Thomas Hunt announced his retirement as of March 31. The meeting began with a recognition of Hunt, who has been chief at Moody for
See FULL SAIL, Page 4
See MOODY, Page 4
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