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From Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two local Leeds businesses were recognized at the Business Council of Alabama and Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama’s state Small Business Awards last week. See AWARDS, Page 2
Moody Council approves zoning amendments for small dwellings, vape shops By Nathan Prewett, For the Tribune
MOODY, Ala. – The Moody City Council approved a series of amendments to the city’s zoning ordinance during its brief meeting on Monday, opening up new opportunities... The amendments, which See MOODY, Page 4
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My Life As A Hobby: My Swingin’ Days Are Over
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www.TrussvilleTribune.com
Nov. 28 - Dec. 4
Leeds businesses recognized at Alabama Small Business Awards
THU
Moody dominates Ramsay, advance to semifinals
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2024
Trussville gets Former Pinson Mayor Hoyt set for 2024 Christmas Sanders appointed to council seat Parade By Nathan Prewett, For the Tribune
PINSON, Ala. – Former Pinson Mayor Hoyt Sanders was appointed to Place 3 on the Pinson City Council during a council meeting on Thursday, Nov. 21. He was one of eight who applied for the seat. Two people later withdrew their names. Sanders served as Pinson’s first mayor from when it was incorporated in 2015 until he lost the seat to Joe Cochran in 2020. Former councilor Dawn Tanner was also among the applicants. Sanders will fill Mayor Robbie Roberts’ former seat, which was left vacant after he was appointed mayor in the wake of Cochran’s death. Sanders will fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term, which expires in late 2025. The vote to appoint him, however, was not without some contention among members of the council. Sanders was nominated by Councilor John Churchwell and elected after a 3-2 vote, with councilors Clinteshia Irvin and Brad Walker opposing.
From Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce is preparing to light up main street with holiday cheer during its upcoming Christmas Parade on Dec. 14. This year’s theme will be “The Spirit of Christmas.” Floats taking part in the festive procession will be See PARADE, Page 3
Former Pinson mayor Hoyt Sanders is sworn into Place 3 on the city council Photo by Nathan Prewett.
Irvin later voiced her concerns with the vote. “I’m asking the council that we all start back working together,” she said. “This is our second meeting where something has been proposed that I had no idea about. I can’t speak for Councilor Walker or anybody else but this is the second meeting that something has been proposed and voted on without prior knowledge.” She referred to a past meeting in which council members were divided over
Cochran shortly before his death of ALS and how items were put on the agenda before meetings. “So my request is that we start collaborating and working together because we had citizens who–they notified us that they’ve already voted and they didn’t want Hoyt in the seat and if we were going to, by way of the people, we would have put Miss Tanner into the spot so that she may finish her term.” Tanner resigned from the position in 2022.
Irondale man sentenced to 9 years for Attorney General’s office bombing
Irvin further urged the council to collaborate and went on to criticize the fact that it had not been discussed in greater detail during the pre-council. Roberts pointed out that appointing a new member to fill the vacancy was on the agenda. Irvin acknowledged that it was on the agenda but said that there was more time spent discussing selecting a carpet type for the Rock School Center and that
WASHINGTON – Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 27, of Irondale, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for the malicious use of an explosive device outside of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in
See PINSON, Page 2
See BOMBING, Page 6
From Tribune staff reports
8 to plead guilty in multi-million dollar sports betting scheme From Tribune staff reports
Trussville councilwoman Lisa Bright has announced her plans to run for Mayor.
Councilwoman Lisa Bright announces run for mayor in Trussville From Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – Trussville City Councilwoman Lisa Bright announced her candidacy for Trussville Mayor on Friday. Bright has served on the City Council, including a stint as City Council President, since 2020. Municipal
elections are slated for August of 2025. The current five year term is a one-off put in place by the Alabama Legislature to move municipal elections off of a presidential election year. Mayor Buddy Choat announced at the State of the City address that he would not seek a third term after
nine years in office. Bright is currently the city council liaison for Trussville City Schools, Trussville Industrial Development Authority, and Trussville Public Works. “Since 1989, I’ve invested my heart in Trussville See MAYOR’S RACE, Page 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Eight of the men who were indicted in a multi-million dollar excise tax evasion and money laundering scheme have reportedly agreed to plead guilty to federal charges. Last year, a 114-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charged 11 people in connection to the scheme, which involved an illegal sports betting organization. The men charged include: • Timothy J. Pughsley, 51, of Birmingham, Alabama • Christopher Burdette, 30, of Chelsea, Alabama • Nathanael Burdette, 36, of Birmingham, Alabama • Jonathan Lind, 44, of Birmingham, Alabama • Thomas V. Zito, 57, of Vestavia, Alabama • Christopher Donaldson, 46, of Trussville, Alabama • Gary L. Rapp, Jr., 44, of Lakeland, Tennessee
• Mark Giaquinto, 50, of Upton, Massachusetts • Matthew D. Voorhees, 47, of Englewood, Colorado • David Richards, 38, of Las Vegas, Nevada • Joshua Gentrup, 36, of Athens, Georgia The indictment alleged that Pughsley had begun operating a bookmaking business at least 17 years ago. The organization, which eventually became known as “Red44,” operated bookmaking and betting activities online via an offshore server located in Costa Rica.
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Defendants named within the indictment are alleged to be senior agents in the Red44 organization or original founding members. The indictment goes on to allege that the organization accepted hundreds of millions of dollars in wagers from bettors between 2019 and 2021. Over those three years, Red44 is alleged to have earned a total gross profit of nearly $75,000,000. The excise tax owed to
See GUILTY PLEA, Page 5