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A look back at Pinhoti Fest 2025 in Sylacauga’s Noble Park this past weekend

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.

“The Block” undergoes demolition, but plenty of memories are still alive

Heavy equipment is finishing up the demolition work at an historic West 3rd Street shopping center, across from the Farmer’s Furniture building. Many regarded it as an eyesore, while others reminisced and shared memories of the good old days.

While the place had been abandoned for years and had become a dangerous nuisance, even before a recent fire broke out, the memories of time spent there in a long line of locally-owned businesses made their way around social media.

It’s gone by several names over the decades – Shephard Shopping Center, The Block. There were so many businesses that called it home over time – Dud’s Snack Bar, Hale’s Barber Shop, Theodore’s Laundromat, Ridgeway’s Kitchen, several beauty salons, and many more businesses. One of the community favorites was Hobo’s Restaurant, where the food was so good and the kitchen so small, if you didn’t get there close to noon, you missed your chance for lunch that day.

Cooper Steel celebrates expansion with an Open House and Grand Opening of the Cooper Clinic

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.

Alabama native famous for award-winning acting roles on screen and stage is dead at 88

Alabama native Polly Holliday, the actress known for portraying the sassy TV character Flo Castleberry and popularized the catchphrase “kiss my grits,” has died at age 88. Born July 2, 1937, in Jasper, Alabama, she died Tuesday, September 10, 2025 at her Manhattan home. Over the years, she was a frequent visitor to her adopted hometown of Childersburg.

Holliday won two Golden Globes and received four Emmy nominations for her portrayal of the beehive-wearing waitress, including her own spin-off series, “Flo.” But her acting history was quite storied along the way and beyond. She moved to New York in 1972 and landed a few roles in commercials for cereal and laundry soap and a small part in the soap opera “Search for Tomorrow.”

A few years later, her big break came when she acted in the off-Broadway production of “All Over Town,” directed by Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman was so taken with the acting skills, he helped her win a role in his next film, “All the President’s Men” as a secretary in the Florida State Attorney’s office where Hoffman’s character finds a link between the Watergate burglars and President Richard Nixon.

That role led Allan Shayne, the casting director for the Hoffman film, to recommended her for the breakout role of her career as Florence Jean Castleberry.

Along with numerous roles on television and the big screen, she kept finding her way back to Broadway, her first love, even earning a Tony nomination for her 1990 her role as Big Mama in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” as her many years on the stage paid off.