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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.

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.

Decades of service and support for education acknowledged with 70th chair presentation for SCSF

The Sylacauga City Schools Foundation presented its 70th chair this week, honoring the Hodges Family. Don and Lynn Hodges were surrounded by a host of family members as the chair and plaque were unveiled in the Sylacauga High School foyer.

The Hodges have been tied to the Sylacauga community since the late 1960s, with Don Hodges having served the region as a teacher and coach before becoming a Balfour representative for decades, and Lynn Hodges as a teacher and administrator for 25-years in the Sylacauga School system.

The Hodges legacy continues today with dozens of Sylacauga High graduates, with several still serving as employees of the local school system. Those family members have been a part of every fund-raising effort put forth by the Sylacauga City Schools Foundation since it began in 1988.

The 70th Chair presentation represents more than 32 years of financial support for the state’s oldest such foundation.

The next step in a proposed new recreation center and pool takes place Thursday evening during the Sylacauga Planning Commission meeting

The Sylacauga Planning Commission will hold a special called meeting Thursday, August 28, starting at 5:00 p.m. in the council chamber at the Municipal Complex. The subject at hand is the most important plan for recreation facilities in the City’s history.

“We are asking our Parks and Recreation family to attend this meeting Thursday. As most of you are aware we have been discussing this location since 2023 and our first meeting about the site approval was in October of that year. We are in the final design phases of the project and at this point we are at a standstill to finish the design until the site is officially approved,” explained Steve Masters, Executive Director.

Masters added, “Each month this project is delayed is another month that kids are not learning how to swim, parents have to decide which one of their kids games they are going to because we have to use multiple gyms all over town, teams don’t have enough courts to practice on, seniors don’t have access to water aerobics, water therapy and a climate controlled walking track to stay active. Finally it’s another month that kids don’t have somewhere to play after school because our one gym is fully scheduled with programs.”

A Thursday ALDOT meeting in Childersburg to decide fate of Highway 235

A public meeting has been called by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to present proposed changes to Alabama Highway 235, known as Plant Road. A large crowd is expected to voice opposition to the proposed changes.

ALDOT has informed city officials that they want to take the road back to two-lane traffic with a left-turn lane. Both city officials, as well as existing industries along the highway have already said the proposed changes will interfere with both current operations and expansions that are underway.

“We want and need people to show up for the meeting,” said Childersburg Mayor Ken Wesson. “And at the end of the day, it’s a state highway, which means that they can move ahead any way. That’s why we have gotten our state representatives and senators involved, even taking the matter to the Governor’s Office. We’re experiencing growth in our industrial park, and the last thing we need right now is to stifle that growth and make it harder.”

The meeting is set for Thursday, August 28th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Church of Christ on Plant Road. In the meantime, area residents may also leave their thoughts or opinions on the proposal on the department’s website, www.dot.state.al.us. The comment period will remain open until Friday, September 19, 2025.