Author: Tom Roberts

Hometown celebrity brings a pair of magical events to the Comer Museum

David Merlin’s “magical” events are usually reserved for places like New York City, Las Vegas, or prime time television. In fact, his act is fresh off October appearances in the Big Apple, but his hometown of Sylacauga gets two shows next week from Merlin.

Merlin’s performance history includes shows with Penne & Teller, David Letterman, America’s Got Talent, the Mike Huckabee Show, appearances on Comedy Central, and so many more. And he has something brand new for a pair of shows at Sylacauga’s Comer Museum next week.

His magical illusions are legendary, with dozens of magicians including them in their international shows. But those will have to wait for another day, because Merlin will delve into a whole new area of mind-reading for his Sylacauga shows, “I’ve done shows in the area of paranormal phenomenon. I’ve read minds and made predictions as a mentalist. I’ve performed shows which include complete audience participation. But I’m about to feature a brand new experiment in mental telepathy,” explained Merlin, “You’ll be the star of my new show at the museum, as the audience will read MY mind, instead.”

Prepare to be “wowed” on the evenings of Wednesday and Thursday, October 23rd and 24th. The shows are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. each night, with a limited number of seats available for each show. Get your tickets at the Comer Museum. Call (256) 245-4016 to reserve your seats now.

HSCU presents, “All Things Considered” on 10/21, 11:00 a.m. at the BB Comer Library

The Heritage South Credit Union Foundation has commissioned an original play about the reality of financial scams, “All Things Considered.”

The play is scheduled to be performed live at the B.B. Comer Memorial Library on Monday, October 21st at 11:00 a.m. A FREE Lunch will be provided for the first 100 guests.

“We wanted to do something to raise awareness of financial scams,” said HSCU’s Kevin Whitman, who is directing the play, “We obtained a grant to make the production possible, including having Sylacauga native Logan Chance write the script, along with myself, Beth Chance, and Jessie Vincent.”

Heritage South held auditions back in early September, and the troupe has been rehearsing since. They held a dress rehearsal for staff members on Monday, October 14th at the main branch in Sylacauga. The cast features:

Janie Giddens as Marjory
Donna Walker as Sara
Randy Clark as Ed
Michael Giddens as Jon
Robin Wallace as Stella

Ribbon-Cutting & Open House for College Park development

Rausch-Coleman Homes held a Ribbon-Cutting & Open House event on Thursday, October 15th. Twelve homes of a planned 132-home College Park development have been completed and more are currently under construction. A great crowd was on hand as College Park gave its first public peek at its new homes.

Here are some scenes from the big event:

We talked with Rausch-Coleman’s in-house College Park representative, Robbyn Duncan:

Childersburg approves a $.5.7-Million FY 2025 City Operating budget

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

The Childersburg City Council approved Resolution 2024-20 for a FY 2025 Operating Budget that includes a pay raise and an increased health insurance contribution.

The budget approval calls for $5,797,150 in projected revenues; $5,765,867 in expenses; and a surplus of $31,283. Employees will receive a one-time longevity increase, a three percent wage adjustment, along with an increase in the City’s contribution to health insurance premiums to 85%. The budget also set the new year’s holiday schedule.

In other new business, Bruce Hunt was appointed to the Boards of adjustments and appeals for a term ending 11/15/2027.

The Council gave approval for the Rural Transportation System to hire a pair of temporary, part-time drivers on an as-needed basis, paying $10 per hour.

Approval was given to adjust the salary of the Senior Center/Transportation Director, Demetra Reynolds to $27,500.

It was announced that the Childersburg Police Department has been awarded an ADECA Traffic Grant of $3,000 per month. CPD officers received training in 1st Amendment Auditors, 2nd Amendment Activists, new laws, new drug trends, along with firearms qualifications.

Approval was given to pay invoices in the amount of $298,453.22.

The next regular meeting of the Childersburg Council will be held on November 5th at 6:00 p.m.

Wow! What a weekend!

Wow! What a weekend in the Greater Coosa Valley! There was NO shortage of things to do in the region on Saturday (10/12), all full of family fun! A pair of annual festivals drew crowds in south Talladega County, as well as a big veteran-related music event in the Lincoln area.

Childersburg’s John Cox Stadium hosted a “combo” event – the “Pumpkin Festival & Coosa Fest 484,” while the Childersburg Rescue Squad’s “Ride to the Rescue” brought hundreds of bike riders to town, along with a Classic Car, Truck & Bike show and some of the south’s best BBQ and all the fixings.

And for the 14th consecutive year, Oak Grove’s Fall Family Festival was the biggest and best ever, along with a great collection of vintage vehicles from the Marble City Cruisers.

Learn about & get involved with the Talladega County Extension Service

Talladega County’s Extension Service held an “Open House” on Thursday, October 10th to show of their many community education offerings, while expanding their network of partners. Extension Service offices are an “extension” of Alabama’s land grant universities – Alabama A&M and Auburn University – Offering a wide variety of educational programs to make your life better, richer, and more fulfilling.

The new Talladega County Extension Agent, Dr. Samuel Roberson has been a “regular” of late at all manner of community gatherings and events, to introduce himself and his mission. With this “Open House” event, the focus shifts to enlisting partnerships of community leaders and the businesses, organizations, and other entities they represent.

Check out the event photo slideshow, but also hear directly from Dr. Roberson in the video below:

To find out more, to pledge your support, you can contact Roberson at [email protected], by visiting the Talladega County Extension Service office at 132 North Court Street in Talladega, By calling (256) 362-6187, and/or visiting aces.edu.

HSCU hosts Sylacauga Chamber Connections, announces October events

Heritage South Credit Union hosted Thursday’s Sylacauga Chamber Connections, highlighting a pair of their October community events.

HSCU’s Fall Car Sale will gather a large crowd of dealers from the region at the credit union’s Highway 280 location in Sylacauga on October 16th through the 18th. And you can qualify for the event’s special low rates now, all the way through the end of the month!

HSCU will present an original live production, “All Things Considered” providing entertaining lessons on the dangers of consumer fraud. A public performance is scheduled for Monday, October 21st at Sylacauga’s BB Comer Memorial Library at Noon, with a light lunch provided, courtesy of HSCU. Below is the set for “All Things Considered.”

CHS hosts the October GCV Chamber Coffee

Childersburg High School hosted the October Chamber Coffee from the Greater Coosa Valley Chamber of Commerce. We got a good look at the new student kitchen and met members of the CHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

You can watch the event below, and also catch it on your home television on the GCV-TV streaming tv Network on Roku. It is available On-Demand on the TGOIS Channel.

Sylacauga Observes “Worldwide Communion Sunday”

On Sunday, October 6th, 2024, the Coosa Valley Minesterial Asscotiation presented a Sylacauga observance of “Worldwide Communion Sunday” at The Grove between First Presbyterian Church and Care House.

The occasion was taped as this week’s episode of “Blessed to be a Light” on the GCV-TV Network on Roku. Each week, Eddy Reese joins with GCV-TV to feature a church worship service from the region. You can catch this and other episodes “On Demand” on your home TV, as well as being featured on Eddy’s Facebook Page.

After witnessing tragedy, a call for help…

It is after 11:00 tonight (Tuesday, 10/1), and I am sitting in a recliner drinking iced tea and watching a little bit of TV while being very comfortable with an air conditioner blowing and the roof over my head and a plate of good food I had ate earlier. I have just returned from a deployment with Childersburg Rescue Squad into Erwin, Tennessee and this same scene I am fixing to talk about is playing out in many small towns as well as large ones at this moment.

When the hurricane hit it dumped enormous amounts of rain and brought about a lot of destruction with mudslides swollen creeks dàm breakage and a host of other things. Erwin was basically wiped out by flash flooding along with a few other natural disasters.

Their whole infrastructure is completely gone. There is no water to drink, no sewer system to be able to flush a toilet, no electricity, no cell phones, etc. Yet, here I am sitting here in a chair with all of these things. Just a few short nights ago the citizens in that area had the same thing, but tonight everything they do water-related from having water to drink to cooking, brushing their teeth, to even taking a bath for the next several months will be done with bottled water.

TV is not existent as they’re all in the ditches or in the river. Many are looking for loved ones that they have been disconnected from and not knowing where they are. Food is at a premium and gas is almost non-existent. Shelter is practically nonexistent, and they are living at this point in the most primitive of scenarios. Yet through all this tragedy, they are still reaching out to each other with neighbors helping each other.

I’ve witnessed very horrible things, but I saw the good things in a lot of people. With all the different drives going on for supplies please pick carefully who you donate to. Many agencies only get a portion of what is donated to those that are needing it or some send everything you donate.

If you have not considered donating, please do because a simple thing such as a bottle of water or a pack of crackers might be the difference between somebody living or dying. There is still hope for many people there, but they need our help desperately.

When I got back home the clothes I left in days ago are the clothes I came back home in. When I stepped into the shower, and I had plenty of water and hot water at that, it was a gentle reminder of how blessed I am. I have the love of my life beside me, and I have a TV that I’m looking at, and my home is comfortable and all of those people had that same thing just a few short nights ago, but not any more.

If you cannot give anything, take the moment to pray, because prayer will change many things. We serve a mighty God. He never promised us an easy road, but He did say we would never be alone. Keep the prayers coming for them because they are desperately needed.

Jim Dennis, Childersburg Rescue Squad