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www.TrussvilleTribune.com
Trussville superintendent gets A+ in evaluation of first year
UAB Health System to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s in $450 million deal
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – The results of the end-of-year evaluations for the Trussville City Schools superintendent and chief school financial officer were announced during a presentation at last week’s Board of Education meeting. See SUPERINTENDENT, Page 3
Trussville Beautification Board announces 2024 contest winners From Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – The Trussville Beautification Board has announced the winners of its annual beautification awards, highlighting some of the prettiest properties in the city. Members of the Beautification Board presented the See BEAUTIFICATION, Page 3
Suspects in Leeds home, vehicle burglaries arrested From Tribune staff reports
LEEDS, Ala. – A multi-department effort has led to the arrest of two men suspected of multiple burglaries in Leeds, according to the Leeds Police Department. On the morning of June 9, officers were dispatched See BURGLARIES, Page 5
Trussville Police vehicle involved in collision during chase From Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – A Trussville Police Department vehicle was involved in a collision during a pursuit Sunday morning, according to Lt. Clint Riner. The collision occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Highway See CHASE, Page 5
From Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System Authority is set to assume ownership of Ascension St. Vincent’s in central Alabama in a deal totaling $450 million after the University of Alabama Board of Trustees voted to approve the agreement on Tuesday. Under the agreement, UAB Health will assume ownership of all Ascension St. Vincent’s sites of care including the hospitals in Birmingham, Blount, Chilton, East, and St. Clair as well as the One Nineteen Campus, the Trussville Freestanding Emergency Department, and imaging centers and other Ascension Medical Group clinics. The deal will also include current Ascension St. Vincent’s services, facilities, caregivers, and associates, including a robust network of providers serving the region. UAB Health System and Ascension St. Vincent’s will
Courtesy of UAB
continue normal operations while their teams collaborate to plan the transition. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024, subject to standard regulatory approvals and pending satisfaction of closing conditions and approval by the Catholic Church. “Patients will continue to have access to the healthcare services and providers they’ve come to trust, and ultimately gain access to a larger care network,” said UAB Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella, who also serves as CEO of the UAB/ Ascension St. Vincent’s Al-
liance. “UAB and St. Vincent’s exist to improve lives, and that purpose will drive our actions in the coming months and beyond.” According to UAB, patients will be able to continue seeing their current doctor or provider and should not experience any changes in their care. UAB also plans to continue operating St. Vincent’s facilities with the caregivers and associates that are currently serving their communities. UAB has also stated that the deal will not affect how much patients pay for ser-
2024
vices. “As part of our shared commitment to our patients, caregivers, associates and community, we have continued to discuss options to better deliver on our missions in an increasingly complex environment,” Ascension St. Vincent’s CEO and Ascension Senior Vice President Jason Alexander said. “It became clear that adding Ascension St. Vincent’s to UAB Health System’s network of owned hospitals–and combining and optimizing our collective strengths–is the solution to ensure that our community retains access to sustainable, high-quality healthcare. Among other benefits, patients will gain access to a larger network of local services through UAB.” The UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance launched in 2020 in an effort to increase Alabamians’ access to high-quality, innovative medical care and to help paSee UAB, Page 2
City of Pinson audit shows growth, raises concerns By Nathan Prewett For the Tribune
PINSON, Ala.–The Pinson City Council heard an audit report for 2022-2023 year during a meeting on Thursday, June 20 in which the council discussed several items members found troubling. Dawson Horton from Boreland Benefield delivered an overview of the report in which he noted that there were positive findings, one being a statement of net position in which the total assets had increased more than $1 million during the year. Another, Horton pointed out, was the unrestricted net position of slightly more than $1.7 million, which he said was an estimated five months of city operations whereas having at least three months of operation funds are recommended. Total tax revenue was up more than $400,000 during the year. But in the end there were three concerning issues in particular that were identified. The first was segregation of duties and oversight of financial reporting where
Pinson Mayor Pro-tem Robbie Roberts. Photo by Nathan Prewett.
“management” is responsible for preparing and presenting the city’s statements free of material misstatements. Mayor Pro-tem Robbie Roberts later asked what constituted “management”, to which Horton replied that this would be the mayor, council and administration. The report found that there were accounting functions that “lacked adequate segregation amongst the staff without proper mitigations or review.” The second was inconsistencies and delays in the performance of account
reconciliations, the purpose being to verify the accuracy of amounts that were recorded in the accounting system. The audit reports that a number of financial statement accounts were not reconciled on time, were not done accurately, and other times not at all. The third regarded oversight of the payroll process in which it was found that there were no documented review and approval of times entered by department heads for overtime and compensatory time. Despite the concerning revelations, there were no
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June 27 - July 3
By Chris Basinger Staff Writer
Rickwood
Tree Talk: Fire Blight
indications that there were any improprieties with how the city employees handled the finances of the city. According to Roberts and Horton, the issues were largely caused by the Tyler accounting system that was used. There were reportedly technical difficulties that arose when it was being implemented during that time to replace an old one. Another factor was when accountant David Stewart left in 2022, further complicating communications that apparently caused delays with reporting when the city was working with the old software before using Tyler. “I want to point out the fact that I do not want to place any blame on anyone of our staff members,” Roberts said. “I do believe that this team here has done everything in their power to try to overcome what has turned into a very bad situation.” Roberts described the situation as being a “perfect storm.” “This is really bad,” he remarked. “I think that See AUDIT, Page 4
Birmingham mayor vacates assistant police chief and deputy police chief positions By Erica Thomas 1819 News
BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin removed two members of Police Chief Scott Thurmond’s command staff. According to reports, the positions of assistant poSee BIRMINGHAM, Page 5
Center Point announces First Responders Day of Service in memory of CPFD firefighter From Tribune staff reports
CENTER POINT, Ala. – The City of Center Point announced this week that it will hold a Day of Service for First Responders this Sunday, June 30 at the
See CENTER POINT, Page 7
New real estate agency opens in Moody By Chris Basinger Staff Writer
MOODY, Ala. – The Moody Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Moody held a ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday afternoon to welcome a new business to the city, which seeks to help community members find their “road to home.” EXIT Realty Crossroads is a new real estate agency
See EXIT REALTY, Page 4
Former Jefferson Christian Academy coach facing student sex charges From Tribune staff reports
IRONDALE, Ala .– A Jefferson County Grand Jury has indicted a former Irondale private school employee on charges related to having sex with a student, according to court documents made public on Friday.
See JCA COACH, Page 5
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