SHINING THE LIGHT ON SELMA AND DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA July 18, 2019 | Volume 4, Issue 25
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Selma sixth grader hopes to take the cake in Food Network’s Kid Baking Championship BY FRED GUARINO Selma Sun Staff
Big things can come from tiny packages, and 11-yearold Brooke Waters is a perfect example of that. The sixth grader at John T. Morgan Academy was born pre-
mature at 27 weeks and weighed in at just 2 pounds 8 ounces. But next month, the former preemie will compete for a big title of Kids Baking Champion on The Food Network. The daughter of Terry and Kellee Waters has been chosen to compete in the Kids
Contestants are given many dessert challenges with the winner taking home $25,000. Photos provided.
Baking Championship show that returns Aug. 12. Celebrities Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman will test the skills of nine talented young bakers, including Waters, who range in age from 10 to 13, in difficult dessert challenges to see who will measure up in the competition. Only one will take the cake and the sweet grand prize of $25,000, a feature in Food Network Magazine, and the title of Kids Baking Champion. The Waters family has been asked to wait to conduct local interviews. However, as a hint of what Selma area residents have to look forward to, Brooke’s father, Terry, posted on Facebook on July 8, “Well, well, well, we have been holding a big secret for a while. Our daughter was chosen out of thousands of kid bakers to be one of the competitors on Food Network.” He said in the post, “Make no mistake about it, she will be getting it done ‘for show, boo ya. Tune in Monday, Aug. 12, 2019 at 8 p.m. central @Food Network’s #KidsBakingChampionship to cheer on Brooke #Bookesbountifulblessings.” Courtney White, Food Network president, said in a statement that “viewers will be amazed by the baking abilities of this fresh batch of young bakers as they work through exciting new challenges featuring the latest dessert trends. Duff and Valerie add to the fun as they throw surprising curveballs, setting the bar even higher." Throughout the season, the kid contestants show off
Brooke Waters of Valley Grande competes next month in the Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship. their skills and creativity as they whisk through new confectionary challenges, from hedgehog poke cakes, to intricate pie art and to giant doughnut cakes. The classic imposter dessert challenge returns, as well, with a new surprising international twist, and the bakers will also have to tackle other desserts including creative cakes, sweets, and snacks. On the premiere, the bakers must use art
as inspiration to create two-layer splatter cakes - the brighter and crazier, the better. But that's not all, each baker must a choose a paint can to reveal what flavor their cake must be, such as chocolate chip, lemon, coconut, red velvet, and banana. The baker that crumbles under the pressure will be eliminated. On Sept. 16, the championship concludes as one talented baker will rise to the top in the grand finale.
Kids Baking Championship competitors include Trevin Alford of Washington, Ind., age 13; Tori Church, Nashville, Tenn., age 12; Sophia Elrod, Nashville, Tenn., age 10; Tarek Husseini, St. Louis, Mo., age 13; Taylor Pusha, Roanoke, Va., age 12; Dharma Sabapathy Austin, Texas, age 11; Brady Stewart, San Angelo, Texas, age 12; Sophie Tate, Stansbury Park, Utah; age 12; and Waters of Valley Grande, age 11.
Selma City Council vows to put money toward creation of cold case unit Mother of recent unsolved murder victim raises $10,000 for reward, begs public to step up with information BY FRED GUARINO Selma Sun Staff
Velma Shuford appears before the Selma City Council July 9 to give thanks for help in getting reward money to solve the murder of her son, Jermaine Javon Sanders, and to call upon the public to step forward with information. Photo by Fred Guarino
The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed a Selma man last November has now reached $10,000, and it may lead to the Selma Police Department forming a cold case division. Velma Shuford appeared before the Selma City Council on July 9 on behalf of her late son, 42-year-old Jermaine Javon Sanders, who was shot inside his vehicle on Church Street on Nov. 22, 2018. It has not been solved. She thanked the city, state and CrimeStoppers for pitching in funds for the reward, but she also called on the citizens of Selma to do their part. “Selma needs to wake up. I know the police do their work. Now, it’s time for the citizens around here to do their work. It’s time for y’all to get up and speak out. Speak out when you see something right and speak out when you see something wrong,” she said. “It doesn’t make any sense when you see all this crime going on in the neighborhood and nobody opens their mouth to say anything.”
Selma Council member Johnnie M. Leashore said the council is determined “to make sure there is money in the Police Department budget where they can establish a cold case unit. Their job will be only to be working on cold cases.” Shuford thanked everyone who signed a petition, Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson who wrote a statement to Gov. Kay Ivey, and thanked Ivey, who approved a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. But Shuford also said it’s time for the public to come forward with information. “I want to thank her (Ivey), Michael Jackson and everyone that signed this petition from the bottom of my heart,” she said. And she pointed out there was now a total of $9,000 reward to which she and her husband are adding $1,000 of their own to make it a $10,000 total. Council member Carl Bowline said the reward total includes $3,000 from the city and $1,000 from CrimeStoppers. She thanked Swift Drug Store, Brown Drug Store and everybody in the neighborhood that signed her petition. But
she also said a lot of people were cautious and scared to sign. “You’ve got to stand up sometimes and be brave and start speaking up and speaking out,” Shuford said. Shuford presented a photo of her son to Council member Bowline of Madden & Associates, a marketing company, for Tom Davis of Studio 205, a billboard company where her late son worked, to put on a billboard. She said she wanted it to say, “Who killed me? There is a $10,000 reward leading to any arrest and conviction of my murderer.” Bowline told the Selma Sun, Davis “was more than happy to assist us in getting some ‘vinyls’ in the air that could draw attention to the young man’s unsolved murder.” Shuford also said of those who killed her son, “I want them to know that they got the wrong mama.” Sanders was shot inside his vehicle on Church Street on Nov. 22, 2018. Anyone with information can call the secret witness line at 334874-2190 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-44CRIME.
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