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.
For founder/owner Branden Haley, ARCsoutheast has been a journey of growth that finally led them to Childersburg and the ribbon-cutting of the new plant on Plant Road just past the paper mill.
That five-year journey started when Haley was still a teen inside a storage building in the backyard of the family home in Talladega, starting with his Dad and couple of like-minded friends. But it wasn’t long before the realization of the potential of custom automation services. Next was a move to a location along US Highway 280 toward Chelsea, in the tiny community of Shelby, where he doubled the staff. Then, on to Pell City, where the company grew to 15, then 20.
“That’s all tied to becoming an all-in-one resource for custom automation services,” explained Haley. “We offer services in robotics, controls, vision systems, design and integration, welding, maintenance, all the way to turnkey custom machinery.”
“It finally meant that we needed a built-to-suit our needs, property big enough to keep growing without packing up and moving,” said Haley, “And while we were constructing this is building, it was with that future growth in mind. It won’t be long before we’re adding on our building and adding on our staff which has already grown to 31.”
Their priority is quality. The goal for their industrial clients often focuses on “Cycle Time,” an all important factor in plant output, “We are experts in the field of Cycle Time Reduction. Usually, programming changes alone can shave valuable time off the production process to maximize output.”
Some naysayers say that robotic automation leads industry to cut human staff, but Haley smiled at that notion and answered, “Not at all. We have seen the exact opposite, a negative job replacement. What we do adds to growth instead. It creates new employment needs and actually incentivizes growth.”
When it came time to cut the ribbon for the new state-of-the-art facility, Haley said, “It has certainly been a lot of work, as we continued to work while we grew this new facility.” And with a big smile. he added, “Worth every bit of that journey, and we’re not done yet.”
Childersburg Mayor Ken Wesson thanked Haley for choosing Childersburg, “It was such a pleasure helping to locate this industry in a perfect site for the present and well into the future. It is so neat what y’all are doing here. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all the young people wanting to enter this field.”
And with that in mind, Haley invited those interested to just, “Stop and ask. You don’t have to be an electrical engineer to be a designer.”
After all, he wasn’t when he started this journey as a teen in his backyard shop, and made it happen with classes at Central Alabama Community College.
With active programs focusing on aiding in the education of the next generation, the ALICE Center signaled the move to a brick and mortar foundation with a well-attended ground-breaking ceremony along 9th Avenue SW in downtown Childersburg on Monday, October 13th.
The ALICE Center concept has been one of bringing together so many aspects of the community to shape and support a bright future for the families and children that make up the local community. That cooperative effort was front and center during the ground-breaking event, highlighting why Gerald Wallace had a dream inspired by his mother, Alice to create an entity to meet community needs.
“With property secured, we focused first on getting programs started toward our mission, “explained Gerald Wallace, “and now we will work on creating a place where opportunity lives, a place for children to learn, grow, and thrive. I can promise you that we will see potential in every child, and we will invest in that potential.”
That first phase of building will be to add to the base line of work already in progress, creating a new, modern home for the Talladega, Clay, Randolph (TCR) Child Care Corporation in Childersburg, housing the Head Start program – The ALICE Head Start Learning Center. TCR, a non-profit corporation, is committed to elevating the lives of eligible children and families. With locations throughout Alabama, TCR has been providing services and programs centered on education and health for more than 45 years.
Kay Jennings, TCR Executive Director, said, “At the heart of our mission lies a steadfast commitment to nurturing the potential in every child and supporting Alabama families in their journey towards a brighter future, providing programs with a purpose. Thanks to a long time part of TCR, Jackie Hall introducing us to Gerald Wallace, we were able to do exactly what she suggested we would – share a common goal and difference-making purpose for new generations of children.”
Jodi Hopkins, Wallace’s personal assistant for more than two decades explained, “Watching this project transition from an idea to action is a testament to what is possible by coming together.”
Hopkins highlighted the groundwork already laid by ALICE Center programs – engaging programs, making an impact before buildings, like a tutoring program for Childersburg students. It’s a program conducted by local educators who literally grew up as products of, as students the schools they now serve through the ALICE Center – Jasmine Shepherd and Ashley Norwood.
“I look at it as creating opportunities where they did not already exists,” said Norwood.
Shepherd echoed her thoughts, “I am a native of Childersburg, shaped by Childersburg, sharing my blessings this new generation of students.”
There was a large placard with names of partnering business, industry, and other community entities that are already on board with the goals and missions of the ALICE Center. Together with ALICE Project Director, Ty Knight and a strong ALICE Center team, this is not a project from Gerald Wallace. It’s a project for, from, and by the community itself, whose purpose will be to help the community grow and prosper. Together.
The final announcement came as a surprise to the crowd. The ALICE Center has acquired the former Phyliss Wheatley High School and Community Center, allowing for programs to be located on both sides of US Highway 280.
WEOGUFKA, Ala. – As part of “Alabama’s Year of Trails,” the Alabama Trails Foundation and the Alabama Forestry Commission held a special dedication ceremony to recognize Flagg Mountain’s Observation Tower as the southernmost point of the Pinhoti Trail and to celebrate a project that has finally brought reliable water to the mountain, from the Stewartville Water Authority.
Flagg Mountain, the southern-most Appalachian peak in Alabama at 1,156-feet, and the tower at 54-feet, the Pinhoti Trail Head was officially moved to the Flagg Mountain Observation Tower in the Weogufka State Forest.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the iconic stone tower in the 1930s, which served as a fire lookout for decades. Its recent restoration returned the tower to its original grandeur, allowing visitors to once again climb to the cab for panoramic views of the surrounding landscape that, on a clear day, allows visitors to see across seven counties.
In keeping with this restoration, the tower will now Officially serve as the iconic beginning of Alabama’s longest footpath, the Pinhoti Trail that connects with the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.
“The restoration and work done on Flagg Mountain is more than just a project; it’s a celebration of Alabama’s natural heritage,” said Paul DeMarco, President of the Alabama Trails Foundation. “By preserving this historic structure and formally linking it to the Pinhoti Trail, we are creating a world-class destination that will attract hikers and nature lovers from across the country while providing a better experience that all Alabamians can enjoy.”
Rick Oates, State Forester of the Alabama Forestry Commission, added, “This partnership demonstrates the great things that can happen when we all work together for a better Alabama. The renovated tower complements the new Pinhoti trailhead. We hope the combination of the two will encourage not only avid hikers, but also outdoor enthusiasts to embark on exciting adventures right here on the peak of beautiful Flagg Mountain. We are proud to help make this historic resource accessible to the public.”
Thousands flowed through Sylacauga’s Noble Park for the 3-day Pinhoti Fest 2025 over the past weekend, bringing together hikers, families, and enthusiasts for a celebration of Alabama’s outdoor heritage. The addition of the Rec Department’s Food Truck Friday to the festival line-up got things kicked off Friday evening with a great crowd.
“We had, by far, the largest crowd ever for Friday thanks to the partnership with the Sylacauga Recreation Department and their food truck event,” said Kimm Shock Wright, one of the event organizers, along with her husband Nathan Wright. “Besides all of our exhitors and vendors, that helped bring out a lot of locals, who got the chance to experience what the event is all about.”
The annual event highlights the 351-mile Pinhoti Trail, a scenic path that winds through Alabama and Georgia. The trail’s southern end lies near Sylacauga at historic Flagg Mountain, a popular access point &/or end-point for adventurers across the region. Festival organizers say Pinhoti Fest is more than an outdoor expo. It features live music, vendors, workshops, and food, combining with outdoor gear displays, family activities, and a lot of visitors camping in Noble Park for the weekend.
The gathering has grown into an annual tradition that underscores the cultural and recreational significance of the Pinhoti Trail. Its mix of adventure, education, and entertainment that connects people of all ages with the landscapes that make Alabama a destination for hiking and exploration.
Childersburg’s Cooper Steel South is experiencing growth, and they are teaming with the Greater Coosa Valley Chamber to show off a part of that expansion with an Open House on Wednesday, October 29th.
GCV Chamber President/CEO John Mark Freeman invites the public to the event, “Come help us celebrate their brand-new office space and the grand opening of the Cooper Clinic. We are proud to support Cooper Steel South as they continue to grow and invest in our community.”
The Open House will take place on Tuesday, October 29th from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 Noon.
