The Tribune
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By Crystal McGough For The Tribune
Trussville — Ford Fitts and Carter Irmscher, of Streamline Development, See TRUSSVILLE, Page 3
Leeds Mayor addresses walled doorway at Main Street meeting room By Nathan Prewett For The Tribune
LEEDS – At a meeting on Monday, August 15, of the Leeds City Council at City Hall, a resident brought up a doorway near the room being used by the Leeds Main Street program that was found to See LEEDS, Page 5
Pinson Council and Historical Society President discuss Rock School Centennial Celebration
By Hannah Curran Editor
JEFFERSON COUNTY — Two hundred and fifty apartments may potentially come to a parcel of property located on the interstate side of Service Road in unincorporated Jefferson County near the Echo Hills neighborhood. This has created concern for Clay schools which are already at capacity, and Trussville traffic. Bill Dobbins, Founding Principal of the Dobbins Group, said that the potential apartments are still in the planning stage, but they would be “luxury apartments.” The Dobbins Group just finished the Easterwood Apartments located in Gardendale. “We’re a long way from starting; we’re just in an exploratory stage at this point,” Dobbins said. “They’re very nice, upscale, on the upper end of the market. They’ll have a clubhouse, pool, and a very nice amenity package.” Dobbins said that the apartment’s price range would start at about $1,200
PINSON – The historical Pinson Rock School held its Centennial Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, and
CLAY — The Clay Council passed an ordinance to cut the grocery tax by two cents at the regular council meeting on Tuesday, August 23. Alabama is one of only three states with no tax break or rebate for low-income households on groceries, and it appears that the City of Clay may be the first city in Alabama that cuts the grocery tax. This ordinance removes two percent of the levied sales tax of four percent on certain food items as defined by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for a period of two years, beginning November 1, 2022, and will end on October 31, 2024. This ordinance affects any food for the household such as fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, dairy products, breads and cereals, other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages, and
By Crystal McGough For The Tribune
ARGO – The Argo City Council, in a 4-0 vote on Monday, Aug. 22, appointed Thomas Suggs to fill the vacant seat on the council left by the resignation of Michael Hicks. Hicks resigned due to See ARGO, Page 6
Inside the Tribune News - Pages 1-6 Calendar - Page 7 Classified - Page 7 Obituary - Page 8 Sports - Pages 9-12
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Easterwood Apartments in Gardendale (Photo courtesy of Dobbins Group website)
and go up to almost $3,000. In addition, a second piece of property south of the apartments would be developed in the future for single-family homes. Dobbins said they haven’t started working on that project, but they are purchasing that piece with the apartments. A third parcel of land that has not been purchased could eventually add to the development. Jefferson County Board of Education member and City of Clay Manager Ronnie Dixon said that the children
who are school age would “shoehorned into the ClayChalkville feeder pattern, and there is simply no room.” “There’s just no possible way that an apartment complex should fit into a space between Trussville and Clay,” Dixon said. Dixon explained that every school in the ClayChalkville feeder pattern is at capacity. The ClayChalkville feeder pattern has approximately 750 students at Bryant Park, 750 students at Chalkville, 750 at Clay Elementary, roughly 1,100
Photo by Hannah Curran
seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat. According to Clay City Manager Ronnie Dixon, the premise of the ordinance is to help the people in Clay who shop at Piggly Wiggly, Publix, or either one of the Dollar General Stores. “As a way of trying to cut their grocery bill, because even though the legislature has talked about it for several years, they still haven’t
removed the tax on food that everyone has to pay,” Dixon said. Clay Mayor Charles Webster said the two cents for two years would put about $1.2 million back in the pocket of the citizens of Clay. “I think it’s going to be good for our community; it’s going to help people out a little bit,” Webster said. “We can’t do a whole lot, but we were looking at ways to help the citizens of Clay with all
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Walk-On’s in Trusville
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CCHS pounds Briarwood
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2022 Clay to get new drive-through Chick-fil-A
at Clay-Chalkville Middle School, and roughly 1,400 at Clay-Chalkville High School. “We just built me Bryant Park Elementary two years ago,” Dixon said. “That was to relieve crowding in Chalkville Elementary, so we reduced the student population at Chalkville Elementary from roughly 1,000 down to 750, and we then inherited the children that live in Grayson Valley that for 14 years had been bussed over to the Pinson feeder pattern. They were put where they’re properly supposed to be in the ClayChalkville feeder pattern.” Dixon said that where the proposed location is said to be, all of the school-age students would be zoned to Clay Elementary, Clay-Chalkville Middle School, and ClayChalkville High School. The proposed apartments would also fall under the Center Point Fire District. Dixon said that one of the things that would affect an apartment complex would be the height of the structure in consideration of the ladder truck. See APARTMENT, Page 4
the increases they’ve had, with a garbage increase, grocery increase, and fuel increase. So we’re just trying to figure out a way to help, and I think this is the fairest way that we get help the most people in Clay across the board and be fair to everybody.” Clay Councilmember Chris Nail said the city has discussed the economic burden that has increased over the last several years. “That’s kind of what we were thinking, when it was brought up that we could try to do something for our citizens of Clay,” Nail said. “We thought about it, there was a recent garbage increase of over 50 percent. So what we did is we want to give back to the community and lessen their burden.” Nail said the city control’s it’s sales tax, so it’s their way to “lessen the burden of the economic impact of the inflationary period that we’re in.”
Robin’s Sewing Shoppe www.robinshoppe.com 5886 Trussville Crossings Blvd 205.655.3388 -
Fabric Machines Classes Demos
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‘It’s the people’s money’: Clay Council passes ordinance to cut grocery tax By Hannah Curran Editor
Argo Council appoints new member to fill City Council Place 2
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250 apartments potentially planned for Service Road
By Crystal McGough For The Tribune
See PINSON, Page 5
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www.TrussvilleTribune.com
August 24 - 30
Developers address Trussville Council about proposed Starbucks development on Chalkville Mountain Road
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See CLAY, Page 3
By Loyd McIntosh For The Tribune
CLAY — The City of Clay may be in line to get a new drive-through-only Chickfil-A on the corner of Old Springville and Chalkville Mountain Road. At the Clay City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 23, City Manager Ronnie Dixon outlined a proposal to See CHICK-FIL-A, Page 2
Center Point Council approves media proposal, garbage exemptions By Nathan Prewett For The Tribune
CENTER POINT – During a meeting at the community center, the Center Point City Council voted to enter into an agreement with LRY Media and approved See CENTER POINT, Page 4
Moody Council approves joining Janssen, McKesson opioid settlements By Nathan Prewett For the Tribune
LEEDS – During a short meeting on Monday, Aug. 22, the Moody City Council passed two resolutions authorizing them to enter into settlements related to what was called the “opioid crisis.” See MOODY, Page 2
Irondale Council approves resolutions regarding new library facility, Ruffner athletic facility By Crystal McGough For The Tribune
IRONDALE – After much deliberation and hearing from residents, the Irondale City Council passed two motions, See IRONDALE, Page 4
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