The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE • ARGO• IRONDALE • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO CENTER POINT • SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • TRUSSVILLE • IRONDALE LEEDS • MOODY • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE TRUSSVILLE • LEEDS • IRONDALE • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • CLAY • IRONDALE PINSON • CENTER POINT • IRONDALE • SPRINGVILLE • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • IRONDALE • SPRINGVILLE LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • IRONDALE ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • IRONDALE CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • CENTER POINT
Nathan Prewett, For the Tribune
LEEDS, Ala. – The Leeds City Council approved a proposal for a significant economic development project at Exit 140 during a meeting on July 15, with dissent comSee DEVELOPMENT, Page 3
Trussville City Council approves $7.6 million sports complex project By Chris Basinger, Staff Writer
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – The Trussville Sports Complex is gearing up for a major renovation following the city council’s approval of a $7.6 million project at the facility during its July 9 meeting. See SPORTS COMPLEX, Page 3
Trussville man sentenced in health care fraud case From Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Another man has been sentenced in a series of cases involving multimillion-dollar health care fraud and kickback conspiracies, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday. Earlier this week, U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced See SENTENCING, Page 5
Leeds Board of Education creates position to address absenteeism By Nathan Prewett
LEEDS, Ala. – The Leeds Board of Education approved a resolution to create a new teaching position that will address chronic absenteeism in addition to promoting the school district. Superintendent John Moore said that the position See LEEDS BOE, Page 4
FRI
SAT
SUN MON TUE
WED
87 70
81 70
84 70
83 69
83 69
84 70
83 70
82%
67%
75%
58%
58%
58%
58%
Springville Tigers Season Preview
Lass But Not Least
Page 14
Page 8
www.TrussvilleTribune.com
July 18 - 24
Leeds Council approves $60 million economic development project
THU
2024
A look inside the new Moody Police Department By Chris Basinger, Staff Writer
MOODY, Ala. – After over a year without a permanent station to call home, members of the Moody Police Department spent the week getting settled into their brand new building, which looks to serve the growing city for years to come. Former Police Chief Thomas Hunt started the push for the new building in 2021, citing the need for additional space and the deterioration of the old station, which had been hit by multiple tornadoes and had signs of mildew. “Basically we had outgrown what we were in,” said Moody Mayor Joe Lee. “We were, at one time, six officers and now we’re 28 officers, so we gotta have somewhere for those guys to work out of.” When the project started to gain traction in 2022, current Police Chief Reece Smith, who was the patrol captain at the time, said officers began touring other police stations, including Homewood and Alabaster,
The exterior of the new Moody police station. Chris Basinger/Trussville Tribune
to get inspiration for the design of their new building. “We kind of came up with a hybrid plan and, you know, chiseled away at it and tried to get it to fit us and we finally decided on this plan,” Smith said. “We felt like it fits our department and it will fit our department for the future to come. I don’t foresee myself or Mayor Lee ever seeing this building get full, but it will one day.” Ultimately, the city chose to demolish the old building and build the new station on the existing site at
2900 Daniel Drive next door to City Hall. They officially broke ground on Feb. 1, 2023. Since then, the police department has been working out of two locations–a mobile trailer in a lot across the street from the station and a smaller municipal building. “It had its ups and downs but we were able to make it work,” Smith said The approximately $7 million project was mostly funded by a bond issue while around $1.5 million came from the American Rescue Plan Act and other
city funds. The new 18,000-squarefoot, two-story building boasts numerous offices for the growing department as well as additional space for storage and evidence. “The biggest thing was space,” Smith said. “We needed space to grow cause we’re a growing city and we think the future’s bright for the City of Moody and we want to be prepared for that rather than have to adjust to that.” The new evidence lockup is triple the size of the previous one and is attached to a basic crime lab. Outside the lockup and the lab, which are only accessible to certified personnel, are a set of lockers where officers can now drop off evidence to be processed. The new building also has a secured storage facility, which can be used to store seized vehicles on-site as opposed to having to use a third party. Though the new station does not have a jail, its booking facilities have also See MOODY PD, Page 6
Pell City set for Bulls on the Lake Rodeo weekend From Tribune staff reports
PELL CITY, Ala. – People from all over the state are shaking the dust off their boots ahead of two days of rodeo action at the 10th Annual Bulls on the Lake Rodeo at the Pell City Sports Complex this weekend. Hosted by the Pell City FFA Alumni and Triple H Bucking Bulls, the rodeo
See RODEO, Page 4
Streaming service picks up Pinson movie By Chris Basinger, Staff Writer
PINSON, Ala. – “Frienemy For Life,” a local film shot right here in Pinson, is now available to stream. TBH Network, short for To Be Honest, recently picked up the movie, which is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. The film follows two women whose friendship is
See PINSON MOVIE, Page 4
approves ‘On par with a state championship;’ Clay $100,000 donation to Center Point Hewitt-Trussville outperforms Fire District state, national AP Test scores By Terry Schrimscher
CLAY, Ala. – The Clay City Council met for the first regular meeting of the month on Tuesday night, July 9. Most of the published agenda focused on public nuisance resolutions dealing with weeds or debris.
By Chris Basinger, Staff Writer
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – Trussville City Schools recently announced that the Advanced Placement (AP) Test scores at Hewitt-Trussville High School were double the state average and significantly higher than the national average, according to preliminary data. AP classes are college-level classes, which can count for college credit, offered to high school students. Tests are graded on a 1-5 scale with a passing score being a 3-5. Of the 1,752 AP tests taken by 701 HTHS students, 1,327 received a passing score. H e w i t t - Tr u s s v i l l e ’s passing rate of 75.7% far exceeded the state AP passing rate of 36% as well as the national average passing rate of 57.5%. “As far as kind of what we’re seeing with this AP-the number of kids in the program and the pass rates
See CLAY, Page 5
Adamsville man faces multiple charges after police chase in Leeds Alabama high school coach Chris Smelley.
that they’re achieving-I’d put this on par with a state championship,” said Hewitt-Trussville High School Principal Aaron King. “This is pretty incredible stuff.” HTHS saw 11 of its AP courses increase their yearover-year pass rate and three
courses have above a 4 average student score--Calculus BC (4.67), United States Government and Politics (4.29), and Precalculus (4.03). King attributed the school’s success to its talented teachers as well as training and incentives from A+ College Ready, an orga-
From Tribune staff reports
nization that partners with schools to help raise academic expectations for all students. “The people that were hired here have not only the content knowledge but they have a love for kids and a heart for teaching and a lot
LEEDS, Ala. – An Adamsville man now faces multiple drug charges after he was arrested following a pursuit with police along Interstate 20, according to the Leeds Police Department. On July 8, officers with Leeds PD conducted a traffic
See HTHS, Page 7
See CHASE, Page 5
Inside the Tribune
News - Pages 1-7 Lifestyle - Page 8 Opinion - Page 9 Calendar - Page 11 Classified - Page 11 Obituary - Page 12 Sports - Pages 13-16
Service & Maintenance • Lift Kits • Accessories 3620 Vann Rd Birmingham
205-661-3828