The Trussville Tribune – January 4 - 10, 2023

St. Clair County Commission declared Moody environmental landfill fire an emergency situation

By Hannah Curran Editor

PELL CITY — The St. Clair County Commission declared the Moody environmental landfill fire an emergency situation during an emergency called meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Pell City Courthouse.

“St. Clair County has 100,000 people, and we’re proud to represent that 100,000 people the best way we can; we know that people are suffering,” St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Bateman said.

Bateman explained that this will be a process, and will be a difficult process at that.

“I apologize to you, as being a member of an elected body all these years, that our government is full of bureaucracy and red tape,” Bateman said. “That’s something that holds us up when we really need to act quickly.”

Bateman said part of the commission job is “to take

Chamber

the heat and hopefully find a solution.”

The St. Clair County Commission entered into an executive session for 15 minutes to discuss actions that could lead to litigation. After returning from the executive session, the board voted and unanimously approved a resolution to declare the existence of emergency conditions.

“This resolution literally opens the door for St. Clair County to legally get on the property, to legally put the fire out, and to legally spend government money on that property,” Bateman said. “Those hoops had to be jumped through because they were illegal until Senator Lance Bell worked with some people in Montgomery, ADEM, and other people in

our county. We feel confident that we can take action.”

Bateman said that the St. Clair County engineer is already working on some requests for proposals (RFPs) for people who can extinguish the fire and has received some quotes.

“I think some good things will come out of what we’re doing,” Bateman said. “We’ll be able to tighten up some of these regulations, and you’ll see more definition of what the responsibility of the county is and what the authority of the county commission is.”

The resolution states on Jan. 3, 2023, the County Commission of St. Clair County found that due to a landfill fire located at 1317 Annie Lee Road, a condition of extreme peril to life and property exists in St. Clair County.

“The fire exists primarily, if not entirely, underground, creating additional and unknown risk to responders,” the resolution states. “St. Clair County does not have firefighting authority, resourc-

es, or expertise; however, St. Clair County recognizes the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens in the vicinity of the fire is jeopardized.

“St. Clair County recognizes the City of Moody, the City of Trussville, the Alabama Forestry Commission, and various other municipal and volunteer departments and agencies have put forth tremendous effort to preserve life and property, and their service and dedication is lauded by St. Clair County and appreciated by the citizens and residents in the vicinity of the fire.

“Pursuant to the above and in accordance with State law, the County Commission declares the fire to be a threat to person and property and declares that emergency conditions presently exist as a direct and proximate result thereof. It has now been found that local resources are unable to cope with the effects of said emergency or effectively mit-

New City of Leeds mural completed

From The Tribune staff reports

LEEDS — The City of Leeds is excited to announce that the new downtown mural is officially complete. This has been a project several months in the making between the City of Leeds and TA Services under the direction of the Leeds Redevelopment Authority.

Irondale mayor, council proclaim January 2023 ‘Human Trafficking Awareness Month’

By Crystal McGough Associate Editor

Leadership Trussville welcomes new executive director

By Hannah Curran Editor

TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for its 2022 Ned & Goldie Paine Memorial Gatekeeper Awards. Nom-

TRUSSVILLE — Dr. Kristi Bradford was named the new executive director for Leadership Trussville at the beginning of December 2022. Bradford brings her skills, knowledge, and experience to Leadership Trussville after serving as Executive Director of a literacy nonprofit in Central Alabama for the last five and a half years.

Bradford’s position entails keeping in touch with being a liaison for the board of directors. There is a five-member board of directors that serves Leadership Trussville. Leadership Trussville is a non-political, non-governmental, independent 501(c)3 nonprofit governed by a Board of Directors.

TRUSSVILLE — Mike Strength, General Manager of Trussville Gas and Water, said the utilities prepared for the demand that comes with several days of sub-freezing temperatures. Managing that

“Mayor Buddy Choat is a city liaison for us,” Bradford said. “In fact, this was his vision to have Leadership Trussville. Other cities have it. There’s a Leadership Birmingham, a Leadership Hoover, a Leadership Vestavia Hills, and Leadership St. Clair County.”

Trussville class forward,” Choat said. “She was an original board of director member, and after several meetings,

in our overall plan. We’re very excited to have her on board, and we look forward to her leadership.”

Mike Ennis, Chair of Leadership Trussville, said Kristi brings a wealth of relationships and experience to the position.

“We’re really privileged to have her lead this initiative that has been so important to the mayor,” Ennis said.

According to the Mission Statement, the purpose of Leadership Trussville is to encourage and educate an annual class of qualified and highly motivated individuals who want to strengthen their leadership skills, deepen their sense of civic involvement, and be more involved with ideas and initiatives to better our community while learning first-hand about the issues and needs in Trussville.

Coming up in January, the class members will be exposed to small businesses and economic development in Trussville, so they’ll hear from business leaders, tour the industrial park, and talk to

Local gas and water companies raise awareness, offer tips, brace for demand

now accepting nominations for annual Gatekeeper Awards

Leadership Trussville is modeled after those entities, and the mayor’s vision was to take these highly motivated people from our community

and expose them to different parts of Trussville.

“We’re very excited about Kristi and her leadership ability to move our Leadership

we saw how engaged she was

IRONDALE – Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. presented a proclamation during the Irondale City Council meet-

Dr. Kristi Bradford (Photo courtesy of Leadership Trussville)

Moody Brush Fire (Photo courtesy of the Moody Fire Department)

The Trussville Tribune

Irondale

From front page

ing on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, to Trudi Rollan of MPYD, proclaiming January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city of Irondale.

190 Main Street Trussville, AL 35173 (205) 533-8664

Scott Buttram, Publisher publisher@trussvilletribune.com

Hannah Curran, Editor news@trussvilletribune.com

Crystal McGough, Associate Editor news@trussvilletribune.com

Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor news@trussvilletribune.com

SALES STAFF

Leigh Hays, Account Executive Shari Moore, Account Executive Lauren Taylor, Sales Coordinator.

Butch Cole, Director of Business Development takebacktrussville@gmail.com

The proclamation states that “the City of Irondale seeks to enhance public welfare, protect public safety, and promote human flourishing for all residents and visitors by declaring that freedom from human trafficking is a fundamental human right; and … human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which victims are forced to work in various forms of exploitation, including debt bondage, forced marriage, labor and commercial sexual exploitation of adults and minors, that are induced through force, fraud, or coercion. The City of Irondale, Alabama is committed to ensuring that our community is prepared to recognize signs of human trafficking; and … due to its isolating nature, many individuals remain unaware that trafficking is a threat to their neighborhoods, families, and children. The first step in eliminating human trafficking in our community is to educate others. We must work diligently to ensure that all front-line industries, educators and first responders are aware of this issue and how to spot it; and … we will continue our efforts to make the City of Irondale a Trafficking Free Zone by combating the human trafficking of our children and vulnerable adults and mitigating the associated public safety, economic and health risks to our community in collaboration with the Child Trafficking Solutions Project and other anti-human trafficking organizations.”

Furthermore, the proclamation asks the citizens of Irondale to join the city in promoting zero tolerance towards human trafficking.

“My husband and I are residents of Irondale,” Trudi Rollan said. “I am the founder of an organization known as MPYD – basically, what that is, is we work youth development, meaning that we can do anything that improves the life of a youth. The division that I work with is the human trafficking side of that organization.”

Rollan encouraged people to look up a film made by The WellHouse called “I-20: The Sex Trafficking Superhighway,” which talks about how I-20, which runs through Irondale, plays a major role as a sex trafficking corridor.

“Which is why the city of Irondale is so important for us to get the training that we have done in this city,” she said. “They’re stopping at our gas stations and using our hotels.”

Additionally, Rollan said that Irondale Police Chief Jason Wiggins, as well as Mayor Stewart, have already played huge roles in supporting the efforts against human trafficking in Irondale.

“Trudi had been very instrumental in helping us to go through training here in

the city of Irondale,” Stewart said. “We support the work that she’s doing here in the city, and we also plan on going into the schools this year to be able to make an impact, as well.

Stewart said that in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day being Monday, Jan. 16, the city is offering funding for citizens to do “Martin Luther King Jr. Service Projects” under $1,000 (each). Citizens must submit their service project application to the city by no later than Jan. 12.

“I know there are some people out there who have some projects that they want to do around the city,” he said.

In accordance with this, the city council later approved Resolution 2023-R-02, authorizing the allocation of public funds from the 2022-23 FY Discretionary Fund of Mayor James D. Stewart Jr., in an amount not to exceed $3,000, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Service Project Grant, to be given to selected public service project submissions to assist in bringing such projects to fruition and that will be announced on January 17, 2023.

The council also approved the following: Resolution 2023-R-01, authorizing the execution by Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. of a Certificate of Authorized Signers for the City’s Escrow Account for Wells Fargo Bank

• Resolution 2023-R-03, authorizing the execution by Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. of an agreement with Mobile Communications America for the servicing of Irondale Police Department communication equipment in an amount not to exceed $16,947 annually

Ordinance 2023-01, approving the rezoning of property located at 6001 Old Leeds Road, Irondale, Alabama 35210 from an Inst.-1 Institutional Zone District to a C-1 Commercial District

• Resolution 2023-R-05, declaring property at 1020 Navarro Lane, Irondale, Alabama 35210 a public nuisance and ordering its abatement

• Resolution 2023-R-06, authorizing the use of McGriff Insurance Services as the City’s Insurance Broker and the execution of any documents necessary for such purposes and for securing insurance on behalf of the City Council President David Spivey added two additional items to the agenda, which were both approved:

• Resolution 2023-R-07, amending a date on former Resolution 2022-R-236, which was approved at the council’s last meeting

• Resolution 2023-R-08, authorizing a liquor license for Marty’s GM for a festival on Jan. 18, 2023.

The next regular meeting of the Irondale City Council will be Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at Irondale City Hall, beginning at 6 p.m.

Contact Crystal McGough at mcgoughcrystal@ gmail.com

Trudi Rollan, of MPYD, and Irondale Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. (Photo by Crystal McGough)

igate the ongoing conditions giving rise to the same.”

A copy of the declaration has been forwarded to Governor Kay Ivey through the State Director of Emergency Management with a request for State and Federal Assistance, and that she proclaims a state of emergency to exist in St. Clair County.

The resolution states that the County EMA Director is hereby designated as the authorized representative for coordination, and the County Chairman is hereby authorized to execute for and on behalf of St. Clair County, a public entity established under the laws of the State of Alabama, this declaration and to solicit the assistance/intervention of state and federal agencies under the Disaster Relief Act (Public Law 100-707) or as may otherwise be available from the President’s Disaster Relief Fund or any State Funds available for mitigation of the emergency conditions described herein.

“It is further resolved that without assuming responsibility for the mitigation of the fire, St. Clair County will provide administrative or professional support as it has available and as may be required for the purpose of administering and/or coordinating State and Federal assistance,” the resolution states.

Concerns about air quality have already been circulating, and Bateman explained that there are monitors that measure the particulate matter in the air but do not explain what the matter is.

St. Clair County Attorney James Hill said some people have asked that the landfill be shut down.

“Unfortunately, or fortunately, however the pub-

lic may see this, St. Clair County, along with the vast majority of other counties in the state of Alabama, doesn’t have zoning authority,” Hill said. “We don’t permit landfills. We don’t regulate environmental laws. These are all things done by other agencies and, simply put, we don’t have the authority to do any of those things.”

There was not a public comment section during the meeting, but after the meeting adjourned, the county commission waited and heard comments from the public.

Members of the community asked if temporary living arrangements would be created for individuals who are affected by the fire.

“We will be working with another agency called the State Department of Emergency Management and our local emergency management,” Bateman said. “So we might not have a local environmental manager, but we do have a local emergency management, so if there are funds for housing – like a tornado occurred and they bring in temporary housing – we’ll look at that and see if there’s an opportunity for that.”

After a question was asked about the thermal mapping of the area, Hill reminded the public that the county commission cannot and will not seek to usurp the authority of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which is the sole entity and agency that governs environmental laws in the state.

“So this is environmental issues, and they’re legitimate issues, and this commission understands they’re legitimate, but any investigations into environmental issues and mitigation of those things and enforcement of those laws do not fall under the purview of

the commission and cannot,” Hill said. “ADEM will be included in the conversations.”

Another audience member explained to the county commission that the air quality was so bad that families have had to leave their homes.

“We have a sense of empathy and sympathy about that situation,” Bateman said. “We’re gonna address it as fast as we can.”

Audience members asked if the county commission had any legal resources against ADEM, but Bateman said that they do not.

“Individuals do have a way on a civil case, but the county commission does not,” Bateman said.

Hill said that the county commission has begun coordinating with agencies working on the fire to try and find a solution to the problem.

“When we leave this meeting today, I don’t think we will have the answer,” Hill said. “As the chairman alluded to, our county engineer has already been working on what is the right answer, along with the Moody fire marshal and our EMA director. What’s the right answer to mitigate the situation? What’s the answer that’s going to cause the least exposure, that’s going to effectively put this out in the quickest manner without creating any unintended ancillary detrimental effects?”

Hill explained that after a short period of time, the county engineer will be able to bring back to the public a recommendation for how this emergency can be mitigated. The next step is taking those recommendations to the state of Alabama with what they believe to be a viable plan and how to fund that plan.

There is not a set date that a plan will be presented to help resolve the problem.

Mural

From front page

“As Mayor of Leeds, I give high praise and my personal thanks to Scott Schell, owner, and CEO of Transportation Associates, for his great contribution to our downtown with his full underwriting of this project,” Mayor David Miller stated. “He worked with both me and the Redevelopment Authority to make this beautiful addition to our City Center a reality. This gorgeous mural is an especially fitting tribute to Leeds’ history as a stagecoach venue and its historical association with the railroads. In addition, this further enhances our multiuse public parking/downtown activity site, which is seeing more and more use as a meeting place and entertainment area.”

Schell provided the artist, the design, and the materials for the project.

The Artist, Scott Harvey,

shared the inspiration for the artwork on his Facebook page, “The old steam train is painted on the right. The small trees in front and behind the stagecoach are cedar saplings symbolizing growth and the old name of our town Cedar Grove. The stagecoach represents the historic stagecoach route that ran through Leeds. The feather to the left of Est. represents the Indians who took part in trade and helping develop the foundation of Leeds. There is a small wave to the right of 1887, representing the home of the Green Wave. Lots of history in our town to be proud of.”

The mural was painted by Mammoth Murals & Signs.

“The new mural is located on the concrete wall of the newest parking lot in downtown Leeds on the corner of Parkway Drive and 8th Street across from Regions Bank and Leeds Jane Culbreth Library,” Leeds Redevelopment Authority Chairman Mike

Cauble stated. “The downtown space was designed to be more than just a parking lot. Much attention to detail was taken so that the parking lot could have a multi-use function. We have already had a number of events after hours in the space, including the city’s downtown outdoor movie nights this past summer. We appreciate TA Services coming to us to select the mural from all of the designs they provided and are extremely happy with the final artwork chosen and the completed mural.”

TA Services is a full-service premier integrated solutions provider for domestic and international freight brokerage, managed transportation, third-party warehousing & fulfillment, and cross-border logistic needs, with headquarters located right here in Leeds, Alabama. TA Services is a great community partner, and we appreciate their contributions to our city.

New City of Leeds mural completed. (Photo courtesy of Dona Bonnett)

inations must be received in the chamber office by Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at 4 p.m.

Since 1966, the Gatekeeper awards have honored outstanding service to the Trussville community. Nominations for individuals and

groups are accepted. Submit nominations online at www.trussvillechamber.com/forms-and-nominations/. For more information or to request a printable nomination form, email june. mathews@trussvillechamber. com or call the chamber office at (205) 655-7535.

Award winners will be honored during the cham-

business owners in the industrial park. The class members will also hear from Danny Garret on Innovate Alabama and how they bring businesses to the state.

“It’s focusing on Trussville, but it’s also looking at how Trussville is part of the bigger picture with the city of Birmingham, with the state of Alabama, with the nation, and sometimes even the world because the businesses we have here in Trussville impacts other places in the world,” Bradford said. “So it’s really amazing what Trussville has, and it’s highlighting those things that make Trussville Trussville and make us such a good city and community.”

Before her nonprofit work, Bradford had a successful twenty-five-year career in Alabama’s public education system. She worked

for 18 years in Trussville as a gifted teacher, technology teacher, and assistant principal at the elementary level. Bradford embraced the transition from Jefferson County Schools to Trussville City Schools. She was also integral in Trussville’s expansion from one elementary campus (Paine Primary & Intermediate Schools) to three elementary schools.

“In any organization or business, the greatest resources you have are time, money, and people, and Leadership Trussville focuses on people,” Bradford said. “So it takes leaders in the community, and we want to strengthen their leadership skills, and we want to deepen their sense of civic involvement. We want them to be more involved with the community, so it’s a way to take our leaders, make them shine, and get them involved with our city. In that effort, take our city to a new level

and new heights.”

Bradford and her husband reside in Trussville, and their children are all Hewitt Trussville High School graduates. Current leadership activities include chairperson for the Summer Learning Committee of Governor Ivey’s Grade-Level Reading Campaign; president-elect, Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club; Birmingham Business Journal’s Who’s Who in Nonprofits, March 2021; member of United Way of Central Alabama’s Bold Goals Initiative; manager, The World Games, Community-wide Read Aloud event in Bessemer.

This will be Bradford’s first role in which she has worked with adults, and she said this position has made her grow as a person because she has surrounded herself with a variety of people with a vision for success.

“This is all very exciting to me,” Bradford said. “I get to work with the cream of the

crop; I get to work with this select group of leaders.”

Leadership Trussville meets one day a month from September through May and exposes them to different parts of the city. In May, the class members of Leadership Trussville will have a graduation where they will present group projects they have been working on throughout the year to help improve the city of Trussville.

“These projects have to improve Trussville in some way,” Bradford said. “It may improve an organization in Trussville, may improve the lives of the citizens in Trussville, but it will improve Trussville in some way, and each group has their own project that has to be sustainable for three to five years.”

If you are interested in participating in the next class of Leadership Trussville, applications will be available in April 2023 and will close in June 2023.

Tips

From front page demand is now the focus.

“Leave faucets dripping, cover your pipes,” Strength said. “All those tips you’ve picked up over the years? It’s time to put them to use.”

Strength said if customers follow tips to conserve and help avoid things like burst pipes at home, it goes a long way in helping control demand during a peak time.

“When it’s cold out, it takes more energy to keep your home warm,” said Spire Alabama president Joe Hampton in a company statement. “Plus, more people will be inside this week – gathering and preparing for the holidays. That means more demand is being placed on the system.

“The next 48 hours are critical while temperatures decrease each night and are compounded by winds.”

Tips offered by Spire include:

Turn thermostats down a few degrees, with 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit the recommended range

• Turn down thermostats if traveling

• Limit use of natural gas fireplaces and hot water During the day, open curtains on south-facing windows to let sunlight heat the home. Close curtains at night to reduce potential incoming cold from any drafty windows

• If windows feel drafty, install insulating drapes, shades or weather sealing tape to prevent cold air from seeping in Seal areas around the home where air could come in. These leaky areas often can be found around pipes that connect to the outside, unfinished spaces behind cupboards, recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and closets.

File Photo

ber’s “Toast of the Town: Celebrating Trussville’s Best” event on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce seeks to provide leadership and a coordination of efforts that will contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of the Trussville-area community.

Photo courtesy of Trussville Chamber of Commerce.

o utdoo R s

Find, share recipes at Outdoor Alabama’s Wild Eats page

By David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

If your hunting season has gone well and you have plenty of wild game to prepare, you may be looking for new ideas on how to put the best dishes possible on the dinner table. Or you could be a novice hunter getting ready to prepare a meal with wild game for the first time and looking for helpful resources.

With that in mind, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) website, Outdoor Alabama, has just what you’re looking for in the new Wild Eats page at www.outdooralabama.com/WildEats. The page features a list of tasty recipes for a variety of wild game.

“The culmination of a hunting or fishing trip is food,” said Billy Pope, ADCNR’s Communications and Marketing Director. “We wanted to provide a platform on Outdoor Alabama that gives everybody the opportunity to cook wild game with unique recipes and a place for everybody to share their recipes.

“We’re asking people to submit their unique recipes for wild game and fish. We’ve already had submissions for stir-fried duck and collard green soup with venison.”

Pope also said ADCNR realizes many late-onset hunters are pursuing wild game with a different mindset from who grew up in a hunting culture.

“People being introduced to hunting or wanting to learn to hunt are doing it for a different reason,” he said. “They want to harvest their own meat, so they know where it

comes from. They want sustainable, healthy protein for their families.

“More and more people are interested in wild table fare, which has made learning to hunt a priority. ADCNR’s Adult Mentored Hunting Program has been able to fill the void and introduce new hunters to the art of field-dressing and butchering wild game.”

Justin Grider, ADCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division R3 Coordinator, said the process of placing tasty wild game dishes on the dinner table starts well before the hunt.

“Before it’s time to hunt, you need to become proficient with whatever firearm or bow you’re using,” Grider said. “You want to make sure it is shooting where you’re aiming so you can make a good, clean, quick kill. You owe that to the animal as a hunter to make that as quick and painless as possible. When you are proficient with the firearm or bow, it leads to a better end-product when it comes to putting it on the dinner table.”

When the hunter makes a quality shot, it leads to a quick recovery of the animal, and the processing of the animal can proceed without delay.

“The quicker you can get those internal organs and entrails out of that animal, especially deer, and get that body cavity cooled down, the better,” Grider said. “You’re fighting three things – heat, moisture, and dirt. You’re trying to avoid all three.

“Most days in Alabama are relatively warm, so if you don’t have access to a skinning shed, grab a couple of bags of ice from the nearest gas station and throw it into

the cavity so it starts to cool down that body cavity. Make sure you get the ice between the hip joints. There’s a lot of heat down there. When you get that cooled down, it will delay any bacteria growth and meat spoilage.”

Grider said when you’re able to get the animal fielddressed in a reasonable amount of time, it allows you to move to the next step in providing that quality wild game for the family.

“I like to let my deer age for seven days,” he said. “If you have access to a walk-in cooler, you can let it hang and allow that deer to go through rigor mortis. That whole product will start to break down and become more tender. If you don’t have a walkin cooler, which most of us don’t, you can quarter the deer and age that animal in a 55-quart cooler.”

The key to using an ice chest/cooler is to keep the meat elevated above the ice by using some type of rack or baking sheet to keep the meat from coming in contact with any water from the melting ice. Refresh the ice often to maintain the proper temperature.

“That will accomplish the same result as if you had used a walk-in cooler,” Grider said. “That’s going to lead to your best-tasting product. Any time you can age that meat for seven days, that’s kind of the magic number.”

After the aging process is complete, Grider starts with the hind quarters. He debones the quarters and separates the muscle groups. He trims as much of the connective tissue as possible and decides whether to use the meat for roasts, steaks, jerky or ground venison.

“I start from the back of the animal and work my way forward, all the way up to the neck,” he said. “I save that neck roast for slow cooking to break down the connective tissue and make it really tender. Of course, it depends on your needs. Later in the season, after you’ve got some steaks and roasts set aside, you may just focus on grinding the whole thing, so you have plenty of ground meat for the year.”

Grider removes all the venison fat, which can cause the meat to have a gamey taste. Instead, he heads to a butcher shop or grocery store and procures beef or pork fat to mix with the venison for grinding. He tries to get the ratio of venison to fat to around 85-15 or 80-20.

“You can call the day before you plan to grind the meat and ask them to set aside 10 to 15 pounds of fat,” he said. “Venison is so lean, you need to put in a little fat. I’ve seen people use bacon ends, or you can buy a chuck roast and grind that in.”

If your hunt ends in a difficult recovery, Grider says hunting conditions will dictate whether the meat is salvageable.

“If the temperature is above 45 degrees, which is pretty common for most of the hunting season in Alabama, and the deer is out in the field for 6, 8, or 12 hours, be cautious about that end product,” he said. “Bacteria grows so fast. Rancid meat has a distinct odor and color. Use your eyes and nose to make the best judgment.”

When the hunt goes well and the deer is processed correctly, it’s time to dine on some delicious wild game. One of Grider’s favorite preparations is venison burger, and he depends on the Maillard reaction to help him serve the best dish. The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs when browning meat. After that reaction has occurred, the meat won’t stick to the cooking surface.

“When I’m cooking burgers or Korean beef on a grill or cast iron, I’m cooking it so that it gets a crisp, nice brown edge to it,” he said. “That’s the Maillard reaction, and it gives it a better taste. I see people browning meat, and they put it in the pan long enough for it to turn brown. If they leave it in just a little longer and continue to stir it, it gets a nice crispy edge from the Maillard reaction and the breakdown of the sugars. It changes the flavor profile for the better.

“A good way to check on the grill is if you try to flip the burger and it’s stuck to the grill, the Maillard reaction hasn’t happened. If you wait a little longer, it will unstick from the grill, and you can flip it easily.”

Grider said the worst mistake consumers of venison can make is to overcook it. If you’re not going the slow

and low route with plenty of liquid, don’t go past medium rare.

“If you cook venison burgers hot and fast on the grill or flattop about 2 minutes on each side, that will leave you with a medium rare burger, which, in my opinion, is the best,” he said. “With a backstrap or inner loins, and you grill it hot and fast, you get a really crispy, tasty outside with a medium rare center. If you cook a burger or loin too long, it gets dry and tough. A well-done venison burger is not palatable.

“If you’re cooking shanks or neck roast, you want to cook it long and slow and keep it in some type of braising liquid.”

When it comes to waterfowl, Grider uses the same techniques that he does for venison with one exception. He does not trim the fat on waterfowl.

“The only thing is I may go even a little rarer on waterfowl,” he said. “A lot of people just cut the breast out, and you can be missing a great opportunity with the skin and fat. If you’re lucky enough to harvest a duck with a good layer of fat, like early-season teal or wood ducks in a cypress brake, you leave the skin on and add a ton of flavor. You can also pluck the duck and cook the thigh and leg meat, which is delicious.”

Even with small game, Grider prefers to age the meat before he prepares it. He removes the entrails from small game and waterfowl and ages them in the refrigerator.

“Not to say you can’t cook it right out of the woods, but I find that if you age it to break down the protein, it makes for really tasty wild game,” he said.

One of the most common ways to cook venison is to grind with added fat and make burgers for the grill. (Photo courtesy of Billy Pope)

F inance

2022 In Review and A Look Ahead To 2023

By David R. Guttery, RFC, RFS, CAM President, Keystone Financial Group-Trussville Al

I believe that one of the biggest factors that contributed to volatility last year was the tendency for global markets to become shortsighted. Over a year ago, Chairman Powell and Treasury Secretary Yellen suggested that inflation was transient. In my mind, this implies that inflation would be short-lived. Simultaneously, we heard the Federal Reserve beginning to offer thoughts pertaining to tapering, and ultimately tightening. I believe that markets largely discounted the impact of tightening, because after all if inflation is transient, you can easily make the assumption that tightening, in an effort to control that inflation, would also be relatively mild.

In March of last year, when the Federal Reserve laid out a schedule for predetermined increases in the discount rate, and also indicated the degree by which it would begin to unwind its balance sheet, I believe this shocked the markets. Very quickly, markets moved away from considering the next 30 months, to considering the next 30 days, before the next Fed meeting.

I’ve always believed that the Federal Reserve was aware of the impact that tightening was having on the economy, and that it was my belief that the Federal Reserve wished to avoid being a catalyst for stagflation. In this chart, out of the four possible economic outcomes, it would appear that the overwhelming majority of responses received from economists in

this survey indicated the belief that we would indeed find ourselves in a stagflation environment.

When a schedule for tightening is offered early in the year, the assumption is that such a schedule will be followed in a scripted manner without deviation. Frankly, who can blame the markets for coming to that conclusion when over 90% of the world’s central banks are seemingly doing the same thing, in tandem, it leaves you with the impression that economic declines may accelerate, and result in a period of stagflation, rather than the soft landing about which we have heard so much.

I have spoken before about how unusual it is to observe the Federal Reserve in tightening mode while the economy is contracting anyway. It is even more unusual when these patterns of tightening are more restrictive than we have observed during any other period of time over the last 35 years.

Furthermore, as late as last week, chairman Powell once again reiterated that the target of the Federal Reserve was to achieve a personal consumption expenditures price index level of 2%.

Clearly, we remain far away from that target. When markets become shortsighted, and fixated on a period of days, rather than periods of months or years, it becomes increasingly easy to overly price risk into current assumptions. I believe that was the theme of 2022, and as I described in my previous video, I am encouraged that we are finally beginning to see evidence that suggests markets may be once again be considering what may happen over the long run instead of the next week.

I’ve recently celebrated my 31st year in practice, and

in many ways, the year of 2022 was a year of “firsts”, or at least, things we haven’t seen in many decades.

The Federal Reserve is trying to regain control over a monster of money that was printed during a 30-month period of time, so that it could be the single largest central purchaser of treasury securities, as the Congress promulgated new measures of spending, to support an economy, that had shut down for the first time in history, over a disease that no one had heard of prior to 2019.

The Federal Reserve has only begun to unwind its balance sheet. As a precedent-setting amount of money was printed, it was used to purchase treasury securities as the country went more deeply into debt, to fund such things as two CARES Acts, a SECURE Act, and infrastructure bill, and a myriad of other initiatives designed to bridge economic shutdown, and recovery.

Speaking of an unprecedented amount of money, clearly, we have never seen the M2 money supply at these levels, and this is creating a

unique problem for the Federal Reserve, which requires a unique solution.

There is a glut of U.S. Treasury debt on the open global market right now, and as the

old the last time we observed a phenomenon like this.

This has resulted in a treasury yield curve that is more inverted than at any point since 1981. I was in the sixth grade the last time we observed such an inversion.

I’m not sure what those of you reading this article were doing in 1960, but in October, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey indicated the lowest reading ever recorded since the inception of the metric in 1960.

Staying with the consumer for a moment, it is also disheartening to see that the average household in the United States is in more revolving debt right now, then at any other point in the history of observing this metric.

Federal Reserve continues to unwind its balance sheet in the billions of dollars per month, throughout the year, prices of these treasury securities have plummeted, and yields have risen sharply. This has resulted in a period of time where fixed income and equities are positively correlated, meaning, prices are moving in the same direction, and seemingly in lockstep, for the first time since 1972. I was three years

These are just a few examples that I can offer to indicate how unusually strange this year has been. It has required a very deliberate and tactical approach to the management of money in this environment. Throughout the year, I have suggested that within an environment such as this, it would be best to give deference to areas where demand

See FIANCE, Page

7

Fiance

From page 6

was likely to be durable, and to avoid discretionary areas where demand was likely to be variable.

To illustrate this point, I assume that over the last 30 days, most of us have likely used a razor blade, touched a bar of soap, turned on their lights, eaten something, used a paper towel, put gasoline in a car, paid a health insurance premium, and made a mortgage payment. If you had a headache, you likely took an ibuprofen, or Tylenol.

These are six sectors of the economy right there. The point being, you will take whatever is left of your income after taxes and inflation and continue to consume the things that you need. The only question, is how many cups of that nine-dollar designer coffee are you not going to

consume this month. Indeed, through November, this approach seems to have worked well this year.

A key for 2023 will be to monitor the Federal Reserve, and hopefully we see their conviction to pursue targets of tightening in a less hawkish manner. Should that be the case, then I believe that markets will be encouraged to return to normalcy as it pertains to discounting risk over longer periods of time.

I believe that the Federal Reserve had to act quickly, while the window was open, and in a unique way to address a precedent-setting inflationary threat. My hope is that the first phase of this effort is behind us, and continuing toward long-term inflationary targets can occur with less disruption to the economy and assumptions made by capital markets.

In conclusion, regardless of the period of time, or the

state of the economy, remember that the achievement of long-term goals is predicate on the consistency with which you meet the implementation of the strategy. The compo-

sition of the investment accounts should change to reflect current periods of time, but the approach, dedication, and commitment to the strategy should be unwavering. I

pinion

believe that we’ve seen a point of inflection, and now is the time to have conviction, and intestinal fortitude, to continue working through periods of time such as this, and avoid

the risk that comes with riding the emotional roller coaster.

(*) David R. Guttery, RFC, RFS, CAM, is a financial advisor, and has been in practice for 31 years, and is the President of Keystone Financial Group in Trussville. David offers products and services using the following business names: Keystone Financial Group – insurance and financial services | Ameritas Investment Company, LLC (AIC), Member FINRA / SIPC – securities and investments | Ameritas Advisory Services – investment advisory services. AIC and AAS are not affiliated with Keystone Financial Group. Information provided is gathered from sources believed to be reliable; however, we cannot guarantee their accuracy. This information should not be interpreted as a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

Alabama voters watch to see if campaign promises by state leaders will be kept in upcoming legislative session

Editor’s Note:

This is an opinion column.

By Paul DeMarco

As we start a New Year, everyone begins making plans for resolutions that they want to make for themselves. Of course, most of them fade away within weeks.

So what goals are our state leaders making for Alabama in the new year, and will they actually work to achieve them

in the upcoming legislative session?

This past year, the Alabama Legislature was ranked as the most conservative group of lawmakers in the Nation. You would then expect the plans for the year would actually match the political ideology the legislators promised on the campaign trail.

There were statements made of being fiscally conservative with taxpayers’ dollars

and ensuring public safety to protect against criminals. We also heard Alabama parents and students would be a priority regarding education and improving academic achievement in state schools.

Thus, these should be the first bills that the state representatives and senators address when they convene in Montgomery in 2023.

In the past couple of sessions, some bills addressed strengthening the criminal

school choice. A number of these bills were debated but could never get a final vote to send to the governor’s desk.

Lobbyists successfully shot them down, so we will see if these bills have better success this year.

There is also talk about what legislators will do with the $1 billion left in Federal COVID relief funds. There are a lot of players jockeying for the use of this money. Thus it remains to be seen

whether taxpayers will also receive back any of the budget surplus dollars as other states have done this past year.

As the new year begins, we will watch to see if the lawmakers push through the conservative legislation they promised to Alabama voters.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on Twitter at @ Paul_DeMarco.

justice system, banning critical race theory in classrooms, and bills that implemented

Paul DeMarco

o bitua R y

Melinda Blackmon

august 6, 1961 ~ december 19, 2022 (age 61)

Melinda Jo Uzzell Blackmon, 61, went home to be with Jesus her Lord on Monday, December 19, 2022. She was born on August 6, 1961 and was part of the Baby Boomer Generation. She was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Randolph Uzzell, Jr; her mother, Martha Taylor White Uzzell; and her sister Jane Uzzell Dowling. She is survived by her husband Kenneth Edwin Blackmon; her brother Thomas Randolph Uzzell, III (Libby); three children, Mary Jo Blackmon Buckley (Gene), David Kenneth Blackmon (Mary Claire), Jonathan Taylor Blackmon (Lindsey); three grandchildren (Lucy, James Rowe, Kate), and many nieces and nephews. Melinda graduated from Vestavia High School in 1979. In 1983, she graduated from Auburn University with a Computer Engineering degree. In her time at Auburn, she was involved in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was a FarmHouse Fraternity little sister. She worked countless hours in the home pouring into her children and for 16 years as a computer teacher at Briarwood Christian School. In 2011, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Through the sustaining hand of her heavenly Father, she was able to see her three kids graduate from college and get married. She was also able to love on three grandchildren for the last 3 years. During this season her faith was refined like silver in the furnace so that the likeness of Christ became increasingly evident for all who were watching. She chose to cling to Christ, her Hope, and make His good news known to all God brought along her path. During her journey as a patient with cancer, she told countless doctors, nurses, caregivers, friends, and strangers of God’s goodness and the path He made to eternal life through his Son. Even in her last days the phrase “The story is true” rang repeatedly from her lips. It would be her and her family’s greatest joy to know that God used her life and death to draw just one more person to know Christ as their Savior. We know she was received into Heaven with a rich entrance by her Savior and heard the words, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” A celebration of life will be held at Briarwood Presbyterian Church on December 22 at 2:00 PM, preceded by visitation at 1:00 PM. A private family graveside will be held at Jefferson Memorial in Trussville.

Sherry Davlin Faulkner

september 16, 1952 ~ december 23, 2022 (age 70)

Sherry Davlin Faulkner, age, 70 of McCalla, AL, passed away on December 23, 2022 after a long battle of illness. The family will receive friends at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home on Thursday, December 29, 2022 from 5pm-7pm. The Funeral Services will be held Friday, December 30, 2022 at 12:00pm at the funeral home Graveside Services will follow.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Jim Faulkner; her first husband and father of her children, Jessie “Bo” Davlin; her parents, Sam and Madeline Posey; her siblings, Janice King, Sam “Bubba” Posey, and grandson, Dakota “Cody” Cole.

She is survived by her sister, Mary (Jerry) Boone; her sons, Jeff (Erika) Davlin, Ben Davlin, and Jamie (Lindsay) Davlin; grandchildren, Nicole (Max) Bourque, Jordan Davlin, Brianna (Marcus), Zac Cole, Haley Davlin, Gage Davlin, Gabbi Davlin, and Brooklynn Davlin; and a host of nieces and nephews. She enjoyed being with her family and cheering on her grandchildren. She was a huge fan of Alabama Football.

Hestel G. Broome

august 3, 1923 ~ december 22, 2022 (age 99)

Hestel Gilliland Broome, 99, of Birmingham, AL, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, December 22, 2022. She was born August 3, 1923, in Pierce Mills, AL to William Franklin and Gertrude (Martin) Gilliland. She attended school in Birmingham and Isabella, AL. She then returned to Birmingham, AL to attend and graduate from the School of Cosmetology. In the late 60's, she began to paint. She was best known for her flowers and landscapes. She was a charter member of PACE (Patrons Art Council East) and a member of Vestavia Art Association. Being very creative, in the 80's, she began to paint beautiful pieces of china using her love for flowers and fruit as her motifs. In the 90's she returned to another creative expression - rug hooking. She was a member of the rug hooking group the Birmingham Rug Hookers until she could no longer attend due to her health. She was a self-taught artist, and her work is dearly loved by friends and family. She enjoyed reading as a pastime, and spending time with her family. She never drove a car, but all her lovely friends were always so willing to be her chauffer which was such a

Dixie Lee (Moreland) Myrick

march 31, 1946 ~ december 24, 2022 (age 76)

Shirley Walker

april 6, 1942 ~ december 20, 2022 (age 80)

Shirley Walker, 80, passed away on December 20, 2022, in Birmingham, AL. Shirley is preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Walker; father, AJ Driggers; mother, Gladys Driggers Bates(Steward); sisters, Sylvia Graves, Sara Jackson, Judy Wilson; and brother, AJ Driggers, Jr. She is survived by her sister, Sharon Lockwood (Micheal)

Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 2:00PM at Jefferson Memorial Gardens.

Elton Ray "Buck" Loveless

july 4, 1925 ~ december 23, 2022 (age 97)

Buck Loveless age 97 of Center Point, Alabama passed away at his home on December 23, 2022. Mr. Loveless was one of the remaining pioneers of Center Point where he lived his entire life. Mr. Loveless served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and was employed by L & N Railroad/Seaboard Systems for 37 years. He was the youngest of 7 children and his entire family lived long, productive lives. Mr. Loveless was born in Center Point on July 4, 1925. He was preceded in death by his parents Earl and Maude Loveless, two brothers and four sisters, and his wife of 56 years Eunice Chatham Loveless. Mr. Loveless was a member of Cahaba Springs Presbyterian church on Deerfoot Parkway. Mr. Loveless is survived by his daughter, Linda Karen Smith (Raymond) of Kimberly, AL, son Thomas Ray Loveless (Debbie) of Shelby, AL, son Elton Bennett Loveless (Debbie) of Springville, AL, 9 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 6 great-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Tuesday, January 3rd, at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home with services immediately following. Interment will be at Jefferson Memorial’s adjoining gardens. Dr. Dawson Harmon officiating.

How to Support the Bereaved in the Aftermath of a Suicide

Losing a loved one is never easy, but losing a loved one to suicide can be particularly taxing. Not only do the surviving loved ones have to grapple with what is typically a sudden death, but they also find themselves overwhelmed with questions that will likely never be answered.

Those who are bereaved in the aftermath of a suicide need love and encouragement as much as anyone else doesbut how do you offer this support for someone dealing with such a tragic loss?

Be there for them. Listen to them as they unload their emotional burdens, or simply offer them companionship when they feel like they need it. Offer to help with daily tasks and chores that may be hard to deal with in the wake of a loss.

Also remember there are innumerable reasons for suicide, and you will probably never know the real reason why the person in question chose this path. As such, it is imperative to avoid anything that might sound like a judgment or a diagnosis. Accept there are questions that will never be fully resolved.

You don’t need to provide them with answers; what they need more than anything is your love and friendship.

blessing to her family. She will be missed by her family and her dear friends. Her family will always be grateful for the generosity of those who loved Hestel and supported her and them, especially during the last three years. She is survived by her daughter, Carolyn Broome Brewer, granddaughters: Brandi Broome Green (Trey) and Kasie Broome and grandson: Taylor Brewer and great granddaughters: Sadie Johnson Acton (Jordan) and Madalyn Green. She is preceded in death by her husband, Otis Lee Broome and son, Otis Leon Broome (Jessica). Arrangements are with Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Trussville. There will be a graveside service on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at 2PM. Dr. Mark Gainey will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to 1040 Connections, P. O. Box 1141, Hixson, TN 37343

Dixie Lee Myrick, age 76 of Talladega, AL passed away on December 24, 2022. She is preceded in death by her husband, Donald Myrick and her daughter, Donna Myrick. She is survived by her daughter, Candi Shirey; grandchildren, Lester Haynes, Jr., Daniel Haynes, C.J. Shirey (Jessica), Stephanie Haynes and Courtney Ross (John); 13 great grandchildren.

a L enda R

YMCA Enrichment programs

January 4, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - February 20, 2023 @ 7:00 pm

Food and Fun (ages 5-12)

Through this 7 week program your child will explore the power behind the foods we eat and why physical activity is important. Sessions will offer children the opportunity to learn about healthy eating, fitness, social development, and build lifelong relationships with other children their age. Children will learn through the Food & Fun Curriculum led by a Program Instructor. Sessions will be 1-hour, once per week and include classroom style learning, hands-on learning, and physical activity. (Winter Session I & II)

Start Date | January 4

Day & Time | Wednesdays: 6pm-7pm

Cost | $36 YMCA Members | $72 Non-Members

Click HERE to register.

Start Date | February 20

Day & Time | Mondays: 6pm7pm

Cost | $36 YMCA Members | $72 Non-Members

Click HERE to register.

Volleyball Skills Clinic (ages 8-16)

Learn or sharpen the basic skills of playing volleyball. Join us for this 7 week clinic to either sharpen your current skills or begin learning the skills to becoming a volleyball player. (Winter Session I)

Start Date | January 4

Day & Time | Wednesdays: 6:30pm-7:30pm (ages 8-12) | Wednesdays: 7:30pm8:40pm (ages 13-16)

Cost | $60 YMCA Members; $120 Non-Members

Click HERE to register for ages 8-12 and HERE for ages 13-16.

STEM Enrichment (ages 5-12)

Learn about the exciting world of stem . We will follow the PCS edventures curriculum. PCS edventures curriculum includes activities such as the introduction to scratch camp, flight and aerodynamics, making air balloons, model rockets, we will also explore the world of kite making and much more. (Winter Session II)

Start Date | February 20 Day & Time | Mondays: 6pm7pm Cost | $36 YMCA Members | $72 Non-Members

Click HERE to register.

2023 Alabama Wedding Showcase

January 28, 2023 @ 10:00 am - January 29, 2023 @ 5:00 pm

Video Games - Teen Wednesday, January 04: 4:00pm - 5:30pm

Join our Facebook group: YARN MANGLERS ANONYMOUS

Venue

TRUSSVILLE

Cahaba Room

Books & Brews Monday, January 09: 7:15pm - 8:15pm

Free play video game program for teens.

The first Wednesday of each month the library will be hosting a free play video game program. The library will provide several gaming systems and games as well as a large projector for use. From there we will battle, explore, and race through various games. This is a great chance for our game loving teenagers to meet other gamers and enjoy a digital past time in person. The program is open to anyone in the 6th to 12th grade. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

(Photographs may be taken during the program and used by the TPL. If you do not want pictures of your child to be taken please let the Librarian in charge of the event know)

Venue

TRUSSVILLE

LBK Auditorium

Children’s Storytime Thursday, January 05: 10:30am - 11:30am

An evening Adult Book Club meeting at Ferus Artisan Ales Join us for Books & Brews, an evening adult book club from the Trussville Public Library! Connect with your community and share your thoughts about this month’s book while enjoying delicious food and drinks at Ferus. We will meet each month on the second Monday of the month at 7:15 PM in the event room at Ferus. Contact the Adult Dept (205-655-2022 or tr.adult@ jclc.org) if you need assistance in obtaining books or if you have any questions. 2023 meeting dates are January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, July 10, August 14, September 11, October 9, November 13, and December 11.

Book selections are:

January: The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird February: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones March: Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

April: Book of Night by Holly Black

May: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John June: Devolution by Max Brooks

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ATTENTION ACTIVE Duty & Military Veterans! Begin a new career and earn your Degree at CTI! Online Computer & Medical training available

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The first annual Alabama Wedding Showcase presented by The Trussville Tribune, sponsored by Shirley’s Florist, will take place on January 28th and 29th at the Trussville Civic Center. We will have dozens of vendors for all your engagement, wedding, and honeymoon needs.

Join Ms. Alicia for stories, songs, bubble time, and lots of fun!

Join Ms. Alicia for stories, songs, bubble time, and lots of fun! The event will be held in the library auditorium every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

All ages. Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Venue

TRUSSVILLE

LBK Auditorium

Yarn Manglers (Knit & Crochet Group)

Thursday, January 05: 2:00pm - 4:00pm

July: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin August: Fairy Tale by Stephen King September: TBD October: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix November: TBD December: TBD

Venue

FERUS ARTISAN ALES

Teen Advisory Board Tuesday, January 10: 4:00pm - 5:00pm

ments provided. (Photographs may be taken during the program and used by the TPL. If you do not want pictures of your child to be taken please let the Librarian in charge of the event know)

Venue

TRUSSVILLE Cahaba Room

Dungeons and DragonsHigh School Wednesday, January 11: 4:00pm - 5:30pm D&D group for people in 9th to 12th grade.

Dungeons and Dragons is a

classic tabletop roleplaying game that encourages creativity and cooperation. The players form a party, go on quests, explore ruins, and (probably) save the world. Registration for the event is required as space is limited. This event is for adventurers in the 9th to 12th grade. If you have any questions about D&D or about groups you can reach out to us at Jacob.Sartain@jclc.org or at 205-655-2022.

(Photographs may be taken during the program and used by the TPL. If you do not want pictures of your child to be

please let the Librarian in charge of the event know)

Knitters and crocheters, join us for fellowship and creativity!

Knit & crochet meetup group (aka The Yarn Manglers). Bring any projects you are working on; join us for fellowship and creativity. This is a great way to check in, catch up, see what everyone is working on, and get help if you are stuck. Please join us - newcomers are welcome!

A place for teens help out at the library.

Teen Advisory Board is a place for local teens to get involved with their library. At TAB meetings we will discuss popular books, movies, and shows and bringing them to the library. We will also discuss programming and take part in projects to benefit the library. Open to 8th to 12 grade. Snacks and refresh-

Venue Trussville Civic Center

taken

Venue TRUSSVILLE Cahaba Room

Multiple area players make All-St. Clair County Football team

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

Trussville - The 2022 All County Football team was recently released and Tribune schools, Moody and Springville were very well represented with 16 players on the list.

Of the 14, Moody has 9 of them. Leading the way is Blaine Burke who was voted as the Offensive MVP. Zane Smith was voted as the Defensive Co-MVP along with Ragland linebacker Ethan Courtney. Carson Dillashaw (DL), Koby Seymour (WR), recent college signees Davion Dozier (WR), Cole McCarty (QB) and Mason Myers (OL) join Honorable Mention recipients Caleb Griffin (DL) and Dwayne Logan (LB) as Moody representatives on the all-county team. Head Coach Jake Ganus was also selected as the St. Clair County Coach of the Year for 2022.

Coach Jake Ganus had the following comments regarding his players who were selected.

“BB (Burke) is a cheat code; probably the hardest working kid I’ve been around. Zane is one of the smartest, most instinctive players I’ve been blessed to coach. Dilly (Dillashaw) is a one-of-akind kid and I’m so proud of

how far he’s come. Mason is by far the most dominant OL I’ve seen in person. Davion is a mismatch for any defender.

I’m prouder of the person he is than anything. Cole set multiple records and led our offense to the most points/points per game in Moody history.

I’m so proud to have been his coach. Kolby was our Swiss army knife. He had an injury that should have sidelined him for 6 weeks. With that SAME injury, he found a way to play in 6 days. I’m so proud of him and can’t wait to watch him at the next level. Griff (Griffin) battled through injuries all year and was a warrior on defense. Demanded double teams in the middle. Dewayne had to play linebacker for us some with no experience. He quickly became one of our best and one of the best in the area. I have so much love and respect for him. He led our team in tackles and was a huge leader for us.”

Springville’s Mahlon Alverson (RB), Jake Conner (DB), Noel Cox (WR), Brodie Ginn (OL), and Parker McAdams (LB) along with Honorable Mentions Collin Lockhart (WR) and Cole Tittle (LB) were also selected as all-county players for 2022.

Coach Jon Clements

Blaine Burke - Blaine Burke carried the rock 23 times for 229 yards and three touchdowns as Moody made a statement win by defeating reigning 5A Region 6 champ Alexandria. (Photo by Hannah Caver-Curran); Noel Cox - Springville wide receiver Noel Cox leaps over St. Clair County defenders Friday, October 21. (Photo by Hannah Curran).

See FOOTBALL, Page 12

Huskies pull out overtime thriller against Jasper, 60-56

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

Fort Payne – Coach Jeremy Monceaux took his red-hot Hewitt Trussville Huskies to Fort Payne, Alabama to take on the top-ten ranked Jasper Vikings during the New Year’s holiday and walked away with a hardfought win in overtime.

Hewitt jumped out to an 6-point lead in the first quarter, holding the Vikings to just 5 points while scoring 11 of their own. Karnell Smith wasted zero time, scoring 6 of the 11 points for the Huskies in the quarter.

The second quarter got more players involved in the scoring for the Huskies as 5 different players lit up the scoreboard for 18 points for the visitors. The defense continued to play dominant bas-

ketball, holding Jasper to just 9 points in the period. Ray Rolley had 6 points while Braxton Brown added another 5. The Huskies would take a 29-14 lead into the locker room.

The Hewitt offense would continue to put up good numbers in the third, but Jasper would come out of the locker room with a comeback on their mind. Behind 8 points from Reid Stodghill, the Huskies would put up 15. Jasper would put up 22 points to outscore the Huskies, led by John Bryant Beaty’s 4-4 from behind the three-point line, closing the gap to 44-36 Huskies headed into the fourth.

Jasper would continue that momentum and their defense would wake up and hold Hewitt to just 7 points while scoring 15 of their own to force overtime. Hewitt was

led by Stodghill, who scored 5 points in the quarter.

In overtime, the Huskies defense came alive again, allowing just 5 points from the hot hands of the Jasper Vikings. Though not as effective as they were earlier on, the Huskies offense did enough to get the win, fighting hard and scoring 9 points to get the win for the visiting team. Smith had another 4 points to lead the Huskies in the extra period.

“I thought our kids showed a lot of competitive maturity in the game,” said Hewitt Coach Jeremy Monceaux. “We played really well early which allowed us to get a big lead. But Jasper is a solid team and hit some tough shots in the second half which allowed them to close the

Fast start helps Springville defeat Etowah 68-42

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

Guntersville – On Thursday, the Springville Tigers traveled to Guntersville for the Christmas Tournament at Supreme Courts, defeating Etowah 68-42 in a game that saw Springville jump out to a big lead, take their foot off the gas for 2 quarters and then turn it on at the end to finish off the Blue Devils.

“It was good to get off to a fast start,” said Springville Coach Brandon Easterwood. “We were able to create some early turnovers which led to a

quick lead.”

Springville jumped on the board with 24 points in the first quarter. Ty Harrison had half of that with 12 in the first quarter.

Springville would score 16 in the second and just 9 in the third, but a 19-point fourth quarter would prove too much for the Blue Devils.

“We knew Etowah was a tough team and that they would not go away. They made some adjustments and outscored us in the second and third quarters, “said Coach Easterwood. “I was proud of how we finished the

game. We now have to put an entire game together if we are going to be successful in area play.”

Moody boys basketball go 1-2 at Daphne Tournament

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

Daphne – Over the holidays, the Moody Blue Devils basketball team traveled south to play in a tournament hosted by Daphne High School and finished 1-2, beating St. Michael Catholic Cardinals while losing to the host Daphne Trojans and the Theodore Bobcats.

In the first contest, Colby Seymour and Carson Dillashaw led the way with 13 points each but that would not be enough as Daphne pulled out the 9-point win, 80-71. Next up would be the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals

MOODY

BOYS, Page 12 See HUSKIES, Page 12

Photo by Zack Steele

Stock Photo

Photo by Johnny Sanders See

Pinson Valley continues domination over the holidays

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

Pinson - The top-ranked Pinson Valley Indians (#1 in ASWA 6A polls as well as ASWA Power Polls) took on the state of Georgia over the holidays this year, participating in 3 invitationals.

The first of these was the Peach State Classic, where the Indians defeated East Coweta, GA 60-42. Terry Coner Jr led all scorers with 22 points to go with 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists.

Caleb White had 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. Amarion Bowens and Austin Coner combined for 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Next up was the WKY Hoops Invitational where Pinson would face off against a tough Sandy Creek, GA team and beat them 76-75 in double overtime to stay perfect on the season. Caleb White, who won the tournament MVP, scored an amazing 31 points to go with 3 rebounds in the game. Terry Coner Jr. had 13 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds and Amarion Bowens added 12 points with 6 rebounds and 2 steals.

The final game of the holiday season was in the Big South Shootout, where the Indians faced off against Georgia’s defending 6A state champions, the Grovetown Warriors, who have 3 Divi-

sion 1 commits, one of which is Darrion Reid, who has 14 offers himself. Pinson held Reid to just 10 points in the 77-55 win. Caleb White stole the show once again with 24 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. Terry Coner was not far behind with 21 points of his own to go with 4 assists.

Raymon McCants added 14 points, 4 of those shots from behind the arch.

Coach Darrell Barber said of the win, “We knew coming into this game we had our work cut out for us. This team was preseason #14 in the country and their frontcourt are 6’8”, 6’9”, 6’7” and a 6’5” guard. I must say, our guys did an excellent job of

following the scouting report. They shared the ball and played extremely well in transition. I believe our tenacity and shot making was the difference in this game (We made 14 3pointers).

“I've always said if we're defending like I know we can and hitting shots it's going to be hard to beat us.

I'm proud of where we are now going into the second half of the season, but we know the road will get tougher as we begin Area play and strive towards our ultimate goal."

Pinson improves to 14-0 coming out of the holiday season. They will host rivals Clay-Chalkville on Friday night.

From

spoke highly of his recipients, “All are well deserving. I am really proud of them for accomplishing a goal that they set out to achieve. And with it being a difficult year as far as the record goes, all of these guys continued to do the right things day in and day out.”

See the entire list below with Tribune area players in bold.

2022 All County Football (Alphabetical Order)

Offensive MVP — Blaine Burke, Moody Defensive Co-MVPs — Ethan Courtney, MLB Ragland Zane Smith, Moody

Coach of the Year — Jake Ganus, Moody Dezmond Allen, DL, SCCHS

Mahlon Alverson, RB, SHS

Jake Conner, DB, SHS Jagger Cox, S, RHS

Noel Cox, WR, SHS

Carson Dillashaw, DL, MHS

Nigel Dowdell, C, SCCHS Davion Dozier, WR, MHS

Brodie Ginn, OL, SHS

Springville

From page 11

Harrison would finish the game as the leading scorer with 21 on the night, followed by Brodie Frederick with 13.

Huskies

From page 11

gap. Down the stretch, when things were not going well, we had a few guys really step

Moody Boys

From page 11

and the Blue Devils would use a suffocating defense to hold them to only 24 points.

Dillashaw would show up once again, this time with 12 points paired with 12 more from Caden Helms. Moody was now 1-1 in tournament play heading into a showdown with Theodore.

Moody’s final game of the tournament would not end the way they would have liked. A slow start and a 6-point second quarter would spell doom for the Blue Devils. Dillashaw was held in check this game, scoring only 2 points,

Kain Head, DL, AHS

Ezra Hill, C/WR, RHS

Trevor Horsley, DL, AHS

Parker McAdams, LB, SHS

Cole McCarty, QB, MHS

Cade Mickler, LB, RHS Ashton Mostella, DL, AHS

Lucas Mrachkovskiy, OL, SCCHS

Mason Myers, OL, MHS

Layden Olson, OL, AHS

Kolby Seymour, WR, MHS

Greyson Simpson, K, AHS

Jeremiah Thomas, WR, SCCHS

Devin Tilley, OLB, SCCHS

Davian Turner, OLB/RB, RHS

Jordan Turner, S/WR, RHS

Honorable Mentions: Will Clark, DL/OL, RHS

Caleb Griffin, DL, MHS

Drake Kay, S/QB, RHS

Will Keenum, DE, SCCHS

Collin Lockhart, WR, SHS

Dewayne Logan, LB, MHS

Ryan Parker, RB, SCCHS

Hunter Pyle, CB, AHS Travis Smith, RB, AHS Cole Tittle, LB, SHS

“Ty brought the energy on defense I thought he was very active and showed great senior leadership,” said Easterwood of his leading scorer.

Springville travels to Jacksonville High School on Tuesday night.

up and make plays on both ends, which was good to see.”

The win improves the Huskies to 13-5 on the year with a game against Columbia (GA) Friday.

but Seymour would come up with 14 to go with Davion Dozier’s 9 to lead Moody, but it would not be enough. Theodore was too strong and wound up winning the game 52-40.

“We came down South to play some teams we haven’t seen before,” said Moody Coach Chad Bates. “We played well at times and not so well at times. Hopefully we will learn from this tournament and put it all together down the stretch.”

Moody is now 6-7 heading into the last half of the season, which begins Thursday against Hueytown at Gardendale High School.

Caleb White - Pinson Valley Indians Basketball

Photo by Darrell Barber