Category: Community Feature

“Ride to the Rescue” from the Childersburg Rescue Squad has multiple purposes and even more aspects for the public to enjoy the weekend of Saturday, October 11, 2025.

First of all, the big tourist event is a fund-raising event to support the all-volunteer squad’s year-round rescue efforts in the local area and well beyond. Besides sponsorship opportunities, there’ll be entertaining and delicious opportunities to help the cause, plus a need for community volunteers before, during, and after the ride.

Jim Dennis invites bikers from our area to join bikers from all over the southeast, “There’s lots of reasons to ride along – the scenery along country roads, a huge awesome meal guaranteed to leave you full and satisfied, the fellowship with friends and new friends to be made, and last but not least, your support of Childersburg Rescue Squad helps us to answer the call for help when a family is having the worst day of their lives.”

The Childersburg Rescue Squad responds to a variety of calls ranging from mass casualty events to a child lost in the woods, water recovery of drowning victims, storm recovery, and a host of other emergencies. They’ve made sure that local schools have disinfectants and cleaning supplies. They’ve gathered and distributed emergency supplies, and even Christmas gifts to storm-ravaged locations, as part of an association with other rescue squads that they helped create.

The things they do aren’t just important, they’re life-saving and life-changing. And that requires intense professional training, that requires investment in reliable emergency equipment. That’s why they appreciate your support.

The “Ride to the Rescue” has two routes – 32-mile and 62-mile. It starts and ends at the Childersburg Baseball Complex on Pinecrest Road. And the need for community volunteers starts at 6:00 a.m., with the rides starting at 8:00 a.m.

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.

Every year, the Childersburg Water, Sewer Gas Board hosts a fun and rewarding community event, whose purpose is rooted in safety – Natural Gas Public Awareness Day!

They invite the public to join them ons Friday, October 3rd, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for Natural Gas Public Awareness Day. The goal is to educate the public on the many dangers associated with natural gas and what to do if you smell natural gas.

But it also provides a lot of community fun and fellowship – free hot dogs, chips, popcorn, and drinks, along with giving away gift bags while supplies last. Reading an informative card about natural gas safety and the importance of the 8-11 call before you dig, and signing and returning it, makes you eligible for cassh drawings, too.

The crowd is already gathering in Sylacauga’s Noble Park for Pinhoti Fest 2025, that lasts through the weekend, bringing together hikers, families, and enthusiasts for a celebration of Alabama’s outdoor heritage. Tonight, the Sylacauga Parks and Recreation Departments adds Food Truck Friday to the festival line-up.

The annual event is to highlight 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 a community 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.

Mayor Ken Wesson welcomed a large crowd to celebrate a dual ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Nevermore and Salon Paragon, “I’m so happy, watching all the new business coming into our downtown.”

Up first was the ceremony for the new bar and grill, The Nevermore. Owner Aaron Campbell said, “It’s been a long road that’s still not at its end, as we are still working to add our kitchen to feed our patrons, as well as our own micro-brewery next door, The Argyle. I’m really in love with the town. Watch us grow!”

Right now, they’re open Wednesday through Sunday starting at 3:00 each afternoon. They’re open until 9:00 on Wednesday and Thursday, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 7:00 in Sundays. The Nevermore features Mikey’s trivia on Wednesday nights and karaoke on Friday nights.

Kayedee Phillips Garner wanted to be closer to home and family, so she relocated her Chelsea salon to 8th Avenue in downtown Childersburg as Salon Paragon, “I wanted a warm, earthy, welcoming atmosphere. It’s been a lot of work, but that’s what we have created.”

Besides Kayedee, she has already added a pair of hair stylists as well as a lash tech. Salon Paragon is open from 9:00 to 5:00 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9:00 to 3:00 on Wednesdays and 8:00 to 1:00 on Saturdays.

Mayor Wesson added that the crowds these two businesses have attracted to 8th Avenue, along with their across the street neighbors, Another Level Cards, has pushed the City to add more off street parking, “We’re upgrading the lighting through Alabama Power, and work on a new parking lot begins next week on City property behind 1st Street businesses, as 8th bends back around to 1st Street across from Kiwanis Park. We’re excited to grow even more.”

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.

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.