CHILDERSBURG, Ala. – The new Childersburg Police/Judicial Complex building on Highway 280 was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Monday, November 3rd.
“The process took a few twists and turns and a bit more time than we anticipated,” said Childersburg Mayor Ken Wesson, “but we’re quite proud of this new facility that will serve the City for a long time.”
Wesson detailed some of the decisions along that path to the new facility, “We looked into a new construction project in our downtown, but the price to do that kept rising. When this property became available, we were able to gut the inside of the building to the outer walls, to rebuild the way we wanted and needed to meet the needs of our Police Department and our Municipal Court, as well as Council Chamber.”
“It’s a great day that we celebrate a 10,420 square foot building, larger and less expensive than any of our original options,” added the Mayor.
Cooper Steel South showed off their new office facility Wednesday, along with the new Cooper Clinic, holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony and looking forward to a new plant expansion project set to begin in the next few weeks.
“We are a third generation company, celebrating another growth milestone today,” Said Cooper Steel South COO, Cory Cooper. “We celebrate another example of our Cooper culture in our family of workers and investment in the community that is home to our company.”
Cooper Steel executives were joined by local officials, city and business leaders during an Open House for their state-of-the-art new office facility. And that building hosts a unique commitment to their family of employees, the new Cooper Clinic.
“The Cooper Clinic has been operational for about two months now,” explained Human Resource Manager, Macie Huey, “And it’s already a hit. We are staffed through RMC – Anniston. It’s an Occupational Health Facility, open two days per week, on Mondays and Thursdays for our employees and their immediate families. It’s a free service for them, paid for by Cooper Steel South.”
Managing the facility and overseeing the upcoming expansion is a dream job for Reid Crockett, “I blessed that they chose an old lifetime steel and iron guy like me. We have a great crew, setting production records, and looking forward to growth. We just completed the demolition of our original office and are clearing acreage for a new plant expansion that will help us add employees and better serve our customers.”
That expansion project will get started in the next few weeks on a 106,000 square foot facility, with a projected completion date between October and December, 2026.
“I am so excited for and about Cooper Steel South as a growing industrial employer in Childersburg,” said Mayor Ken Wesson, “And I have to add that they have proven to be a true community partner for the City. Every time we have called on them, they have stepped up to show their commitment to invest in Childersburg and its people.”
Read the meeting accounts &/or watch the meeting video below:
With projected revenues of $5,901,950, the Childersburg Council has approved Resolution 2025-27, which is the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, scheduling spending of $5,874,150, with a surplus of $27,800.
Resolution 2025-28 allows the Childersburg Fire and Rescue Department to enter into an agreement with the American Red Cross to provide a monthly blood supply for the purpose of administering emergency blood transfusions.
The Council approved the following appointments to the Planning Commission: Bill Moody to a term effective November 1, 2025 to October 28, 2028; Gene Piatkowski reappointed through October 8, 2031; Frank Black reappointed through October 28, 2031; Mayor Ken Wesson and Councilman Tommy Ivey as Municipal Official members, effective November, 2025 – 2029.
Also approved were the following appointments to the Commercial Development Authority: Robbie Riddle as the Council Representative, effective November, 2025 – 2029; Bruce Hunt reappointed through March 15, 2029; Billy Moody to a term effective November 1, 2025 through March 15, 2029.
The following were appointed to the Water and Gas Board: Mayor Ken Wesson and Councilman Wesley Allen as Municipal Official members, effective November 2025 – 2029; Angie Twyman to a term effective November 1, 2025 through March 6, 2030.
Approval was given for the Childersburg Police Department to have Flock Group install four (4) License Plate Readers at a total cost of $36,000 for three years. $18,449.48 is derived through state grant funds, with the additional $17,550.52 paid from Fund 55. After the three-year period, there is an option to renew.
The Council approved payment of invoices in the amount of $313,482.62.
On Monday, November 3, 2025, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., there will be an Open House for the new Police/Judicial Complex on US Highway 280, to include a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The organizational meeting of the newly elected Council members will follow at 4:00 p.m. The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Prior to the meeting, a public hearing was held to allow comment on a proposal from Long Lewis of Coosa Valley, LLC for a ten year tax abatement period for their new location at 36115 US Highway 280. If ultimately approved after another public hearing prior to the November 4th regular meeting, 65-percent of the sales tax revenues they generate will be returned to Long-Lewis to help cover development costs of the used car supercenter. For the remaining four years, the company will receive 50-percent of the sales tax revenues they generate.
Mayor Ken Wesson announced that those who live on or along Forest Hills Drive, or regularly travel the city road, should expect delays starting at 8:00 a.m. next Tuesday, October 28th for the duration of a repaving project.
Childersburg’s Earl A. Rainwater Memorial Library invites you to stop by on Tuesday, October 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a Health Fair, sponsored by the Coosa Valley Medical Center.
Natural Gas Awareness Day is an annual October community event from the Childersburg Water – Sewer – Gas Board that offers food and fun, along with vital public safety awareness information.
“We add a few fun twists to an important message, said Travis Mizzell, “We want to emphasize safety for Natural Gas Awareness Month.”
The bid day was held on Friday, October 3rd at Kiwanis Park. In case you missed it, the first thing is to learn to identify line markers for underground natural gas lines. If you ever damage or knock over one of those pipeline markers, contact the Gas Board so it can be replaced right away.
Smell the rotten-egg odor of a leaking natural gas line? Leave the area immediately! Do not try to find or stop the leak. Don’t touch, don’t smoke, use a cell phone, a flashlight, turn on or off any lights or appliances, or anything else that could create a spark. Then, call the Gas Board at (256) 378-6063. After Hours, call (256) 761-1556.
And, to avoid a problem, remember that state law requires that you call 8-11 (Alabama One-Call) at least 48-hours before digging, ditching, leveling, or plowing by hand or machine. It’s a free service that could save a lot of problems.
With the aim of drawing attention to the growing number of businesses in Childersburg, especially downtown, the 3rd Thursday Block Party is back with more on Thursday, September 18th.
A pair of new businesses are gearing up for ribbon-cuttings tomorrow. There’ll be new vendors along with some old favorites. There’s classic music outside and karaoke inside The Nevermore Bar & Grill, along with plenty of delicious food from the Chicken Coop and Dominos, plus Bubble Cheese, a visit from Berry Calhoun’s great entres and sides, and cool treats from Lulu’s Ice Cream, and more.
From handmade woodworking, to indoor and outdoor plants, to fragrances, crafts, gifts, books, and lots more unique vendors from across the region. Bring the whole family and enjoy what downtown Childersburg has to offer!
Read the accounts of the meeting &/or watch the meeting video below:
When Mayor Ken Wesson called the Tuesday, September 16th meeting to order, it opened a new era, holding their first meeting in their new City Council Chamber inside the new Judicial Complex on Highway 280, “We have hosted a number of out-of-town visitors the past few weeks, and they have all been quite complimentary of our entire new complex.”
In New Business, the Council adopted Ordinance 1150 which approves the 2025 Floodplain Development update, under the umbrella of the Talladega County plan.
Resolution 2025-24 was approved, awarding the Forest Hills Paving Project to James Paving Company out of Tuscaloosa. The total cost of the paving will be $317,150 and will begin once several procedural steps take place through the state as a Rebuild Alabama funded project.
Also gaining approval was Resolution 2025-25, which gives approval to Mayor Ken Wesson, in his capacity as LRA Chairman, to execute a letter of intent for 500 +/- acres at the Childersburg Industrial Park with a potential buyer(s).
The Council approved Johnny Swain to install an additional parking area on city property adjacent to 8th Avenue SW in downtown Childersburg.
Approval was given to the Street Department to hire Corey Jones as a full-time, permanent Crew Leader at a rate of pay of $11 per hour.
The Council approved payment of invoices in the amount of $292,445.39.
During the pre-meeting work session, it was announced that Another Level Cards will host a downtown festival on Saturday, October 11th from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. featuring a host of food and other vendors, along with a meet and greet with former Atlanta Braves centerfielder, Andruw Jones.
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.
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.
The idea started as a Childersburg First Methodist Church cookout, but blossomed into a full community block party over this past weekend, filling church grounds with vendors and visitors.
“We wanted to create a fellowship activity,” explained CFMC Technology leader Tison Pearson, “And it just kept growing into what we have here today.”
Church Event Coordinator Jessica Smith said, “We wanted to involve the community, adding ways to engage local citizens. We organized a school supply giveaway, and invited candidates for the upcoming city elections. Then we figured we needed to feed the crowd and invited popular food trucks, then added more craft vendors and community exhibitors.”
There were lots of fun things going on, as well as a crowd that provided hope that even event will become an annual happening, and continue to grow.”
