Childersburg – You’re all invited to join Childersburg First Methodist for a fun-filled day with the community on Saturday, July 18th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 603 4th St SW, Childersburg, AL 35044.
There will be Food trucks, vendors, a waterslide, a car show, fun games & more for a FREE event that’s open to everyone. So bring your family and friends and come enjoy a day of fun.
Sylacauga – Sylacauga Parks and Recreation reopened Beth Yates Park on Thursday with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony, following months of renovation that included handicap accessible new playground equipment, shaded landscaping, and interactive signage.
“As part of a continuing project to update and upgrade our entire park system, we are here today to open Beth Yates Park,” said department Director, Steve Masters, “This park targets families with toddler age children – a safe place for young children to run and play.”
Masters noted previous projects that replaced the former municipal swimming pool with popular pickleball courts, along with an outdoor basketball court, along with major upgrades to the city’s largest park, Noble Park, “Next on our list will be South Highland and Fairmont Parks, as well as a new recreation center with an emphasis on swimming facilities and multi-sport gyms for basketball, volleyball, and much more.”
Masters thanked the City Council for their support and dedication to recreation facility improvements, “Thanks to their leadership, we have taken great strides with a lot more coming. And while we’re here, notice to work done to resurface our tennis courts. Four courts are already back in service, and the other two should be completed within a week.”
Following the rededication festivities, Beth Yates Park hosted a Storytime With Friends event, featuring Batman.
Oak Grove – Mayor Tony White updated the Council on bids for the next street paving plans this week. The town is accepting bids on the project with an pre-bid estimated cost of $314,883.
Grants totalling $250,000 have been secured, leaving the town with an $8,425 match, as well as various other relate costs of $48,033. Sealed bids will be opened at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 3rd and presented for council approval during their Tuesday, August 11th regular meeting.
In New Business, the Council approved Jonathan Reed Packer, Hannah Joy Smith, and Kevin Curtis Vines as new members of the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department. Chief Luke Lunsford detailed the process for training department members, regardless of their previous firefighting or EMT experience.
The Council discussed Resolution 657 which detailed proposals for an 8-yard garbage container service on a three-year contract. The Council approved the bid from Republic Services in the amount of $186.59 per month. The Council took no action on Resolution 658 concerning roll-off container rental and hauling service, opting instead for a temporary proposal from Peoples Sanitation for hauling items collected by the Street Department. The Council will study several internal options available at a later time once expense details are determined.
The Council approved the Public Works Director expenses to attend the 2026 Alabama Public Works Association summer meeting.
Another set of Town employee job descriptions were approved by the Council, this time for Town Clerk, Assistant Town Clerk, and full-time Receptionist – Clerk Assistant positions.
The Council voted to make a change in internet service provider for Town Hall internet service from Charter Communications to fiber optic broadband service from the Sylacauga Utilities Board.
The June 2026 Volunteer Fire Department report showed 43 medical calls (59%), two structure fires, two brush/woods fires, three other fires, nine motor vehicle accidents, six fire alarms, and eight other calls for service. Mutual aid was given to other departments eight times, and received from other departments on three occasions. 17 of the total service calls were inside the Oak Grove Town limits (23%), with 56 calls outside the town limits (77%).
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.
