Author: Tom Roberts

Need Employees? Need a Job? Be a part of a Sylacauga Area Job Fair

The first step in creating a successful job fair is gathering employers in need. The Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce would like to invite your organization to join them on Thursday, October 2nd, as we all work together to fill available jobs in our region by hosting a Community Hiring Fair.

If that’s you, then click HERE to register by September 26, 2025 confirming your participation.

The doors will be open to the public from 9:00 am. t 1:00 p.m. at the J. Craig Smith Community Center (2 West 8th Street) in Sylacauga, AL. Set Up will begin at 8:00 a.m.You will have access to electrical and WiFi. Tables and chairs will be provided.

And, there will even be space available should you like to conduct interviews on site. See you all there!

Tickets are on sale for the sixth annual Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce ConnectHER Women’s Conference, presented by CVMC and is themed “Next Chapter.”

The Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce will host its sixth annual connectHER Women’s Conference on Friday, October 24, at the J. Craig Smith Community Center. Tickets are on sale now for individual tickets and tables of 8. See the Sylacauga Chamber for ticket details.

Make plans to join the Sylacauga Chamber for a day filled with soul-stirring moments, profound connections, and the celebration of our collective journey. Let your heart be moved, your spirit uplifted, and your strength renewed. Secure your place at this unforgettable event and be part of a sisterhood that believes in the beauty of rising above.

Two amazing speakers are gearing up to motivate and inspire women from all walks of life and backgrounds. If you are a business woman, or a stay at home mom, or everyone’s favorite grandma, you need a seat at this event!

The Woman of the Year Award will be presented to a woman who will be selected by an outside panel based on her commitment to the community. Your ticket also provides you with breakfast, lunch, and the much-anticipated tote bag.

Childersburg Municipal Court moves into the new Judicial Complex on Highway 280

Several weeks back, the Childersburg Police Department moved from downtown to the new Judicial Complex on Highway 280. With only a few cosmetic details to go, the Childersburg Municipal Court has followed suit.

Beginning on Wednesday, September 10th, the Childersburg Municipal Court will be held at the new Childersburg Judicial Complex located at 34011 US Hwy 280. All future court dates of the Childersburg Municipal Court will be held at this new location. The City of Childersburg Court Magistrate will continue to be located at Childersburg City Hall.

Also, during this week’s Childersburg City Council meeting, it was announced that the City Council will also begin holding their regular meetings at the Childersburg Judicial Complex, inside the Municipal Courtroom. That includes the next regular meeting, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

State sales tax on groceries dropped to 2% this week across Alabama

In case you haven’t noticed yet, the state sales tax on most grocery items declined by 1 percentage point to 2% this week. It’s the second such cut since 2023. The decrease, approved by lawmakers and Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this year, is expected to have a nearly $122 million impact on Alabamians – and the state’s Education Trust Fund, which supports education.

“The Legislature has been over the last several sessions reducing taxes and we’re happy that we’ve cut the grocery tax 50%,” Representative Danny Garrett announced this past Friday. Garrett, R-Trussville, is chairman of the House education budget committee and sponsored this year’s legislation.

“We expect there’ll be more tax relief provided in the future,” Garrett said. “Part of our mindset is that we’re going to continue to provide tax relief on a measured basis.”

Advocates for years have argued the sales tax on food disproportionately hurts the low-income. They’re celebrating this latest decrease and pushing for further reductions in the future. The state grocery tax reduction from 4% to 3% came in 2023, and this year’s reduction to 2% continues that trend.

“Flawless Delivery” certification training will help one of the region’s largest industries

Whether you realize it or not, the Greater Coosa Valley region’s many attractions combine to form one of the region’s largest industries – Tourism. And there is support in the form of free “Flawless Delivery” certification training this month.

It’s a two-day training session that can transform your ability to provide better customer service. That includes restaurants, attractions, lodging, retail, and any other customer-facing businesses. The session will be on September 22nd and 23rd at Sylacauga’s B.B. Comer Memorial Library. Follow the QR code to register.

Participants learn essential communication, conflict resolution, empathy, and interpersonal skills needed to deliver Flawless customer service. This certification provides a standard for 21st century service that supports individual career development as well as the industry’s growth as a whole. This certification is practical and implementable.

Delivered in a fun and supportive learning environment, the program includes many tools for increasing resilience and retention in the rapidly growing and changing hospitality industry.

More progress for the industrial park highlights the latest Childersburg Council meeting

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

The Childersburg City Council passed Resolution 2025-23, which approves Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood to make an ALDOT grant application for additional access road development in the Industrial Park, with City commitment for funding for engineering fees. The resolution authorizes Mayor Ken Wesson to execute any necessary documents.

Approval was given for Sgt. Lee Harris to attend the Advanced Field Training Officer Course in Andalusia on September 22nd and 23rd. Approval includes registration of $325, 2-day per diem, lodging, and use of a city vehicle.

Payment of invoices was approved in the amount of $70,973.48.

The next regular meeting of the City Council will be held on September 16th at 6:00 p.m. and will take place in the new Judicial Complex on Highway 280.

Childersburg Council certifies election results as official

During a called meeting, the lone matter before the Council at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 was approved, Resolution 2025-22, which canvassed the reported election results and certified them as officials as follows:

Mayor:
Wesson, K 583 – 74.44% – Winner
Warren, D E 183 – 25.55%

Ward A:
Riddle, R 80 – 50.95% – Winner
Robinson, B 59 – 37.58%
Lewis, A 18 – 11.46%

Ward B:
Spivey, P 87 – 36.40%v – Runoff
Barclay, J 82 – 34.31% – Runoff
Moody, B 53 – 22.27%
Swain, S 17 – 7.11%

Ward C:
Wallace, G – Winner, no opposition

Ward D:
Allen, W 53 – 53% – Winner
Haynes, E 47 – 47%

Ward E:
Ivey, T 62 – 44.29% – Runoff
Marbury, J 44 – 31.42% – Runoff
McLain, M 34 – 24.2%

ALDOT held a “Public Involvement” meeting concerning proposed changes to Alabama Highway 235

There was a steady traffic of local citizens during a Public Involvement meeting held Thursday afternoon (8/28) at Childersburg Church of Christ, located on Alabama Highway 235, for which the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has proposed traffic changes.

Maps were available for both current and proposed changes, as well as about a dozen ALDOT representatives that answered questions posed by meeting visitors. A written explanation of the proposal from ALDOT officials said that the project was to, “improve traffic flow and decrease congestion along AL-235 near Childersburg.”

That same document said that the project will consist of safety countermeasures to include: resurfacing, traffic striping, guardrail and guardrail-end anchors, geometry corrections, and a 2-foot safety widening. To affect that 2-foot safety widening, the existing four (4) travel lanes will be reconfigured to two (2) travel lanes and a center two-way turn lane.

Childersburg city officials as well as the local legislative delegation have been united in their opposition to the proposed changes, specifically the lane reduction.

“One of the major advantages our industrial park offers to current and future industries is the current four-lane highway access to US Highway 280,” said Mayor Ken Wesson. “We are currently making upgrades to the roads inside our industrial park to allow a pair of our currently expanding industries to take better advantage of that four-lane access to Highway 280. We feel that this proposal from ALDOT compromises that.”

AL-235 is frequently referred to as “Plant Road” due to numerous industrial sites along the road. We spoke with Sebastian Kidd, the Domtar Coosa Pines Mill Manager, who attended the gathering to study the maps and talk with ALDOT officials about their proposal.

“It’s certainly a lot to take in and consider for our operations, as well as for our neighboring industries,” said Kidd.

Kidd said that his initial observation was to inspect the provided maps for changes proposed for the entry and exit points that Domtar traffic uses on a daily basis, “We also have to look at what the proposed changes will mean for heavier industrial-related vehicles and their ability to get up to safe travel speed.”

Kidd pointed out that the new middle left-turn lane will help anyone needing them to turn left, but added that there are a number places where local traffic might need to make right turns, “I can see a number of deceleration lanes for those right turns, but is that enough to avoid the issues that right turns can create on a two-lane road? There are a lot of important things to consider from our industrial traffic point of view.”

ALDOT provided comment forms for those who attended the meeting. They accepted some written responses during the gathering and asked that others be mailed to the address provided within ten business days after the public meeting. Project information and comment forms can also be accessed from: www.ALDOTinvolved.com

Department of Commerce delivers a $1.6M check for industrial park sewer expansion in Childersburg

The Department of Commerce delivered a representative check for $1,658,800 to the Talladega County Economic Development Authority and the City of Childersburg to help fund a $2.9-million expansion of the sewer system in the Childersburg Industrial Park.

The expansion will include 2,000-feet of sewer line, valves, and a necessary lift station. The grant is from Alabama’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program. The remaining funding will be matched from the TCEDA and the City of Childersburg.

The Childersburg Industrial Park is one of two publicly-owned mega sites of over 1,500 acres in Alabama. The new sewer lines are the last needed utility to make the park more viable and attractive to larger industries. The park has natural gas, electricity, and water available in industrial volumes.

The Childersburg Park has rail service that connects to both Norfolk Southern and CSX rail lines, and currently has four-lane highway access to US Highway 280. However, the Alabama Department of Transportation is proposing to reduce Alabama Highway 235 to two lanes with a left-turn lane in the middle. Local officials and legislators have expressed their opposition to the lane reduction.