Month: September 2025

Celebrate with downtown Childersburg businesses with the 3rd Thursday Block Party tonight

With the aim of drawing attention to the growing number of businesses in Childersburg, especially downtown, the 3rd Thursday Block Party is back with more on Thursday, September 18th.

A pair of new businesses are gearing up for ribbon-cuttings tomorrow. There’ll be new vendors along with some old favorites. There’s classic music outside and karaoke inside The Nevermore Bar & Grill, along with plenty of delicious food from the Chicken Coop and Dominos, plus Bubble Cheese, a visit from Berry Calhoun’s great entres and sides, and cool treats from Lulu’s Ice Cream, and more.

From handmade woodworking, to indoor and outdoor plants, to fragrances, crafts, gifts, books, and lots more unique vendors from across the region. Bring the whole family and enjoy what downtown Childersburg has to offer!

Sylacauga couple indicted on willful child abuse charges in Talladega County

Court records show that a Sylacauga couple has been indicted on charges of willful child abuse in Talladega County.

Felicia Dawn Gates and Deavon Scot Burtran were each indicted for willful abuse of a child under the age of 18.

According to complaints filed in 2024 when Gates was first taken into custody on December 6, 2024 by the Talladega County Sheriff’s Department, she was reported to have struck the child in the face with a shoe and withheld food from the child.

Burtran is accused of grabbing and fracturing that child’s arm, as well as malnutrition. Burtran entered a not guilty plea and waived arraignment.

Childersburg holds its first meeting in their new City Council Chamber

Read the accounts of the meeting &/or watch the meeting video below:

When Mayor Ken Wesson called the Tuesday, September 16th meeting to order, it opened a new era, holding their first meeting in their new City Council Chamber inside the new Judicial Complex on Highway 280, “We have hosted a number of out-of-town visitors the past few weeks, and they have all been quite complimentary of our entire new complex.”

In New Business, the Council adopted Ordinance 1150 which approves the 2025 Floodplain Development update, under the umbrella of the Talladega County plan.

Resolution 2025-24 was approved, awarding the Forest Hills Paving Project to James Paving Company out of Tuscaloosa. The total cost of the paving will be $317,150 and will begin once several procedural steps take place through the state as a Rebuild Alabama funded project.

Also gaining approval was Resolution 2025-25, which gives approval to Mayor Ken Wesson, in his capacity as LRA Chairman, to execute a letter of intent for 500 +/- acres at the Childersburg Industrial Park with a potential buyer(s).

The Council approved Johnny Swain to install an additional parking area on city property adjacent to 8th Avenue SW in downtown Childersburg.

Approval was given to the Street Department to hire Corey Jones as a full-time, permanent Crew Leader at a rate of pay of $11 per hour.

The Council approved payment of invoices in the amount of $292,445.39.

During the pre-meeting work session, it was announced that Another Level Cards will host a downtown festival on Saturday, October 11th from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. featuring a host of food and other vendors, along with a meet and greet with former Atlanta Braves centerfielder, Andruw Jones.

You’re invited: Ground-breaking for the new ALICE Center and Head Start facilities in Childersburg

Gerald Wallace’s dream of a unique new type of community center is taking a step forward on October. The ALICE Center and TCR Childcare are partnering to create a new community hub at the corner of 9th Avenue and Southern Street in downtown Childersburg.

There will be a ground-breaking ceremony and celebration for the new facility that will feature:

  • Head Start for children ages 6-weeks to 5-years-old
  • Tech Center for youth programs, workforce training, and family support

The ground-breaking event will take place on Monday, October 13, 2025, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. The event will include food and drink, remarks from Gerald Wallace and TCR Childcare, and the ground-breaking ceremony. Please RSVP to the event by following the attached QR Code below.

Help build beds for students in need – Making a difference together

Last school year, a student project led to dozens of students got something they didn’t have, their own bed. This year, they’re taking up where they left off, but they could use your help.

Building Construction students from Childersburg, Comer, Fayetteville, Winterboro, and Agriscience students from Munford High and Middle want to once again build beds for children in our community who do not have one of their own.

Last year, thanks to a grant, students across the county built over 60 beds for their fellow classmates. One of the most powerful moments came when a student who had been helping with the project quietly shared with his teacher that he had been sleeping on the floor at night. Without anyone knowing, a bed was built for him. That’s the kind of life-changing impact this project makes.

Unfortunately, right now there’s no grant funding to cover the cost of lumber. It takes about $2,500 in materials to build 15 beds. Students will volunteer their time and skills in class to construct the beds, gaining both hands-on training and a deeper sense of empathy for their peers. Sleep In Heavenly Peace volunteers partner with our career technical programs to begin the bed build at the schools and to finish the build, pick up the beds, and thank the students. SLP delivers the beds to volunteers from the United Way of Talladega who deliver the beds and bedding weekly to children on the waiting list across our county. There were 700 names on this list at one point.

How you can help:

  • Please consider making a donation to support this effort.
  • Donate directly to Childersburg High School or Munford High School by scanning the QR code on the included flyer.
  • When donating through Venmo, include in the note: “Munford Bed Build” or “Childersburg Bed Build” to ensure your support goes to the correct school’s effort.
  • Every dollar brings us closer to ensuring no child in Talladega County has to sleep on the floor. Please also share the included flyer with your students and families. Some may discover resources they didn’t know were available, and together we can reach even more children in need.

Thank you for supporting this incredible mission. With your help, we can make sure “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.”

CACC Announces Summer 2025 President’s and Dean’s Lists

Central Alabama Community College (CACC) has announced the students named to the President’s and Dean’s Lists for the Summer 2025 semester, recognizing academic excellence and dedication across its campuses.

To qualify for the President’s List, students must maintain a perfect 4.0 grade point average while completing at least 12 semester hours of coursework. This summer, 16 students earned this top academic honor.

The Dean’s List recognizes students who achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher under the same course load requirements. For Summer 2025, 22 students reached this distinction.

“These lists reflect the hard work, focus, and commitment our students bring to their education,” said CACC President Jeff Lynn. “We are proud of these individuals for setting a high standard and representing the strength of our college community.”

President’s List:

Stephanie Battle-Gaddis, Alpine AL
Thomas Brandt Bishop, Auburn AL
Gracey Bradley, Prattville AL
John David Brown, Ashland AL
Kye Elizabeth Burel,Talladega AL
Lucas Isaac Craig, Prattville AL
Serenity Mae Goolsby, Sylacauga AL
Jacey Hay, Sylacauga AL
Sterling Brooke Heath, Goodwater AL
Tabitha Marlowe, Eclectic AL
Madison McDonald, Millbrook AL
Scout Montgomery, Prattville AL
Emily Rebecca Nabors, Talladega AL
Katherine Susanne Trammel, Prattville AL
Nora Elizabeth Whitworth, Talladega AL
Brycen Staton Wilson, Sylacauga AL

Dean’s List:

Laura Elizabeth Battle Alexander City, AL
Joseph Baughman, Wetumpka AL
William Donald Bolton, Wetumpka AL
Rodney Brantley, Prattville AL
Robert Hunter Cleveland, Sylacauga AL
Hayden Corey Cole, Auburn AL
Matthew Cost, Pelham AL
Angel Renee Heath, Sylacauga AL
Darren Chance Henderson, Prattville AL
Kadynce Marianne Jacks, Dadeville AL
Celeste Gallops Lewis, Alexander City AL
Hunter Ivan McClendon, Alexander City AL
Edwyn Mendez-Perez, Alexander City AL
April Michelle Peppers, Sylacauga AL
Caitlyn Era Cheyenne, Pike Alexander City AL
James Adam Roberson, Montgomery AL
Trice B Sanders, Lanett AL
Meori Xalae Smith, Goodwater AL
Tran Tran Smith, Alexander City AL
Charles William Douglas Tillman, Goodwater AL
Brianna Townsend, Sylacauga AL
Pearson Reed Yarbrough, Arab AL

Alabama native famous for award-winning acting roles on screen and stage is dead at 88

Alabama native Polly Holliday, the actress known for portraying the sassy TV character Flo Castleberry and popularized the catchphrase “kiss my grits,” has died at age 88. Born July 2, 1937, in Jasper, Alabama, she died Tuesday, September 10, 2025 at her Manhattan home. Over the years, she was a frequent visitor to her adopted hometown of Childersburg.

Holliday won two Golden Globes and received four Emmy nominations for her portrayal of the beehive-wearing waitress, including her own spin-off series, “Flo.” But her acting history was quite storied along the way and beyond. She moved to New York in 1972 and landed a few roles in commercials for cereal and laundry soap and a small part in the soap opera “Search for Tomorrow.”

A few years later, her big break came when she acted in the off-Broadway production of “All Over Town,” directed by Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman was so taken with the acting skills, he helped her win a role in his next film, “All the President’s Men” as a secretary in the Florida State Attorney’s office where Hoffman’s character finds a link between the Watergate burglars and President Richard Nixon.

That role led Allan Shayne, the casting director for the Hoffman film, to recommended her for the breakout role of her career as Florence Jean Castleberry.

Along with numerous roles on television and the big screen, she kept finding her way back to Broadway, her first love, even earning a Tony nomination for her 1990 her role as Big Mama in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” as her many years on the stage paid off.

Preview this year’s Pinhoti Fest during the September Chamber Connections gathering

The 2025 Pinhoti Fest is coming the weekend of September 26th through the 28th to Sylacauga’s Noble Park, and you can preview the big event during the September Chamber Connections gathering this week at the Pinhoti Center hostel.

Join the Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce next Thursday, September 11th for Chamber Connections hosted by Pinhoti Outdoor Center. The fun starts at 8:30 am at the hostel, located at 49951 US Highway 280. Bring your business cards, a friendly smile, and an appetite, because breakfast and connections are served.

Sylacauga Runoff Election is set for September 23rd – Absentee ballots now available at City Hall

Sylacauga’s municipal election continues with a run-off election in the mayoral race, along with two city council run-offs on Tuesday, September 23rd.

Dr. Matt Hubbard and Bryan Taunton face off in the race to select a new mayor for the city. Council races come down to Tiffany Nix and A.J. Stamps for District 2, with another for District 4 between Lee Perryman and Tim Vincent.

With voter turnout low for the general election last month, making your voice matter can be the deciding factor, and there’s no reason to miss out with absentee ballot supplies available at the City Clerk’s Office inside City Hall at 301 North Broadway Avenue.

Ask for Heather Long to get started with your absentee voting process. Be aware that there are important deadlines involved:

  • SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 is the last day to receive an absentee application by mail.
  • SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 is the last day to apply for a regular absentee application IN PERSON.

You also need to be aware that a Photo ID is required for both in-person and absentee voting, even by mail. Only the voter themselves can hand-deliver an application or ballot. Ballots and Absentee applications can also be mailed, as long as they arrive by the deadline. Call (256) 391-4236 or stop by the City Clerk’s Office if you have any questions.

Advanced training brings a new officer to the Childersburg Police Department

Childersburg Police Lt. Hughes has completed 240 hours of Drugs and Narcotics Detection and K9 Handler training. And that adds another officer to the force – K9 Maddux.

That means national certification through the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association (NNDDA), via Central Alabama Police K9. K9 Maddux is now on the road and working with Lt. Hughes.

Other departmental training includes Criminal Justice Information Services, Managing the Media, Gas Pipline Awareness, and the Mid-Level Supervisor Course.

In the meantime, Childersburg Police Cadets Blair and Glenn are well into their Basic Training at the Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy and have performed well on all academic and physical fitness tests thus far.