The Trussville Tribune – February 1 - 7, 2023

Principal Finkley notifies parents of ‘weapon on campus’ situation at Clay Elementary School

From The Tribune staff reports

CLAY – Clay Elementary School Principal Dr. Jacqnaii Finkley sent a message out to parents this morning at 9:36

The Trussville Tribune presents: 2023 Alabama Wedding Showcase

Contract student aide at HTMS arrested for possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE – According to Birmingham Crime Watchers, and confirmed by the Trussville Police Department, Hewitt-Trussville Middle School Principal Jennifer

Trussville Council recognizes police promotions, HTMS bowling team

By Nathan Prewett

Clay Council extends moratorium on storage unit construction

By Terry Schrimscher

For the Tribune CLAY – The Clay City Council held its second scheduled meeting of 2023 Tuesday night, Jan. 24. With only two items listed on the agenda, the meeting moved quickly to conclusion in less than 20 minutes.

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE – The 2023 Alabama Wedding Showcase is in the books and the inau

held at the Trussville Civic Center on Sunday and was hosted by Shirley’s Florist and The Trussville Tribune.

“It was an amazing turnout,” Tribune Publisher Scott Buttram said. “We had a lot of people waiting at the door at 11

a.m. when the show opened.” Dozens of vendors in the wedding industry welcomed crowds of brides-to-be and their entourages to share their products and services designed to elevate weddings to the next level.

Showcase attendees met multiple caterers, formal wear clothiers, venue hosts, photographers, videographers, and experts in starting a new family and home.

From Irondale to the stars, how one girl’s dreams became a reality

By John Goolsby For The Tribune

Mortimer Jordan teacher dies in tragic accident on campus

am not surprised at all with her extraordinary success.”

By Will Blakely 1819 News

Robinson was a well-rounded and successful student at Shades Valley. She was a member of the school dance team, the Mountiettes, excelled in mathematics, and won numerous county and state math competitions.

Trussville Chamber reestablishes scholarship program

From The Tribune staff reports TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the re-establishment of its scholarship program for high school seniors. The application period for students

IRONDALE — When Dr. Kimberly Sanland Robinson, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, was called to a ceremony in the Shades Valley auditorium on April 20, 1985, little did she realize that the trajectory of her life was about to change. Robinson received an award for science and mathematics from the Society of Women Engineers in that ceremony. After speaking to the female astronaut, who presented her with the award, Robinson caught the astronaut bug. While Robinson was still unsure what an engineer was or did, for that matter, she was pretty sure of one thing: she wanted to become an engineer and an astronaut. Nine years later, Robinson would find herself training a crew for the Space Shuttle Columbia.

an interest of hers. She recalls an early assignment at Irondale Community School.

“In Mrs. Zarovsky’s fifthgrade class, I did my first term paper, in the little school library, on Dr. von Braun and his rocket team,” Robinson said.

“There was a great community feeling where everyone watched over and helped each other; Richard Russo once said, ‘People in small towns, much more than in cities, share a destiny.’”

“I really feel like I got a wonderful math background at Shades Valley,” Robinson said.

KIMBERLY – Jefferson County School System administrators canceled school on Wednesday after a teacher died on a high school campus early Wednesday morning.

See MORTIMER, Page 3 See CLAY, Page 4

Peggy Harrell, Robinson’s Honors Mathematics teacher at Shades Valley, positively impacted Robinson and prepared her for math competitions.

“She was extremely helpful and inspirational,” Robinson said of Harrell.

Harrell also has fond memories of Robinson.

Scholarship open for soon-to-be Birmingham area graduates

That encounter with the astronaut at Shades Valley was not Robinson’s first exposure to space travel. Planes and rockets had always been

Robinson grew up on Second Avenue South in Irondale.

“I thought growing up in my small town was rather magical,” Robinson said.

“Kim was a wonderful, intelligent student with a great attitude,” Harrell said. “I am thrilled to know that wearing my teacher space suit, presenting space shuttle tracking lessons, and teaching her mathematics may have had a tiny part in inspiring her.”

From The Tribune staff reports BIRMINGHAM – Spherion Staffing and Recruiting (Spherion) has announced that its Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship is accepting applications now through April 30, 2023.

See SCHOLARSHIP, Page 5 See CHAMBER, Page 5

Opinion - Page 7

Finance - Pages 8-9

Outdoors - Page 10

Calendar - Page 11

Classified - Page 11

Obituary - Page 12

Sports - Pages 13-16

“Kim was incredibly smart, genuinely kind, friendly, beautiful, compassionate, talented, humble, and quick to smile,” Shades Valley classmate Jami Gigis Wetzel said. “With all of those qualities, I

Robin’s Sewing Shoppe

www.robinshoppe.com 5886 Trussville Crossings Blvd 205.655.3388

- Fabric - Machines - Classes - Demos

CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Photo Credit: John Goolsby)

Robinson as a Shades Valley student (Photo Credit: Dr. Kimberly Sanland Robinson)

The 2023 Alabama Wedding Showcase (Photo by Scott Buttram)

The Trussville Tribune

Tree Talk: How trees can reduce the worst pollution in our rivers

By Jean Cox, VP of Friends of Pinchgut Creek

Commentary

TRUSSVILLE – When you think of pollution harming our waterways, do you think of litter or industrial discharge? While these are serious concerns, the greatest source of pollution in Alabama rivers is sediment. Sediment can enter our rivers from land disturbances such as construction sites. However, much of it is caused by bank erosion that can cause sections of riverbank and creekbanks collapse and fall into the water. When water is clouded with sediment wildlife suffers, and when that sediment settles downstream it can alter the channel of the river.

When we remove forests and pour concrete, we are speeding up the rate at which rainwater runs across the land and into the water. In urban areas, this rapid mov-

ing stormwater rips apart the banks of our rivers and streams creating erosion and sediment.

The roots of a tree are strong and beautifully designed to dig into and hold onto the soil. When planted next to a river those roots can hold the banks, even when the river is raging and trying to tear them apart. Grass might have roots, but those roots are shallow and don’t serve the purpose as well as the roots from an established tree. Our creekbanks and riverbanks need trees.

The roots and canopy of trees a mile away from the water’s edge are also doing their part to protect our rivers. Rain is drastically slowed and filtered when it falls on trees instead of solid surfaces like rooftops and driveways. If you live in Trussville, your yard and rooftop are in the Cahaba River Watershed, the area of land that drains into the Caha-

ba River. If you are in a neighboring city, you might be in the Coosa or Black Warrior watershed. When you plant trees and shrubs anywhere in your watershed, you are helping to protect your river. For the gardeners that are excited about hitting up the garden centers and doing some early Spring planting, try to fit trees in your planting plans. We need the trees; as long

they aren’t planted too close to your house, the road, or a powerline, go for it! Plant all the trees and shrubs you can. If anyone tells you that you don’t need more plants, just let them know you are doing your part to save the planet. Our urban forest needs those trees and so does our river. She needs the earth to hold and shelter her on her journey. She needs the roots of trees to hold on to the earth when she swells and dances, And she needs the canopy of her forest to slow the rain that becomes her or destroys her.

Trussville’s Arbor Week, the last full week of February, is a great time to plant new trees. Tree Talk at the Library with Henry Hughes will be Thursday, February 23rd, and the Tree Commission will be giving away tree saplings on Saturday, February 25th, from 9am-12pm at the Mall Pavilion.

Monday Friday 8am 4pm

Photo courtesy of Jean Cox

Photo courtesy of Jean Cox

Trussville City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The council recognized the promotion of the officers to the rank of corporal.

“The city’s growing,”

Police Chief Eric Rush said. “So that means the police department grows. Within that growth, we noticed the need for additional supervision in our ranks, so these corporal positions will fill that need. The corporal rank is a lead supervisor position, so we really needed that in our specialty positions more than anything.”

Rush talked about each officer, beginning with Scotty Bates, who has been with the department for 20 years and is a school resource officer at the high school. David Warmus has been with the department for 11 years and serves as a detective for white collar crimes.

Casey Davis has been in the department for 10 years and is a motor scout. James McCool is in charge of the drone unit and social media. He has been with the department for eight years. Lastly was Michael Montana, who has been with the department for two years and is a night shift patrol officer.

“Very, very proud of these guys,” Rush said. “They’re all excellent police officers. They do a great job.”

A proclamation for the HTMS girls bowling team was read, honoring them as the 2023 Birmingham Metro Champions. They finished their season with a perfect record and defeated three rival schools at the Birmingham Metro Championship in December.

The proclamation, in part, states that “the fantastic five showed excellent team chemistry according to their coach by always encouraging them, encouraging each other and having a lot of fun.”

Present to be recognized were Coach Daniel Adamson and students Emery Edge, Annie Georgia, McKenzie Martin, Isabella Nero and Sophia Shipman. “I’m super proud of these girls, what they’ve done in two years under the program,” Adamson said. “Looking forward to what they do in the next with our varsity.”

The usual reports from Mayor Buddy Choat and the council were delayed for the next meeting as it was decided to go into executive session to discuss real estate and potential litigation. The executive session lasted briefly before the council returned and Choat said that they had settled an agreement to close on purchasing the Glendale Farms property. “We haven’t determined yet,” said Choat on what the property may be used for once it’s purchased. “We have a lot of options. We’ve had a lot of discussion about it, but until we own the property and we

can do our due diligence, it’ll probably take us three or four months to overlay and decide what we want to do. We’ve got 230 acres to consider.”

In other business, the council:

• Reappointed Public Safety Committee member John Patterson with a term ending on Jan. 11, 2026, Extended a contract with Rivertree Systems Inc. through 2025 to audit non-compliant businesses operating in Trussville,

• Granted an alcohol license to Moe’s Original BBQ,

• Adopted the Division G Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which allows federal assistance for natural disasters.

The Trussville City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of every month at City Hall on 131 Main Street.

Buttram described it as a “one-stop-shop.”

In addition to finding everything a bride-to-be would need to plan the perfect wedding under one roof, those who attended the free event also had the opportunity to win top-notch door prizes including a beautiful house plant from Shirley’s Florist; “his-and-hers” champagne flutes from the Cruise Planners Clarissa Winchester Franchise; gift vouchers from Just Lenx Permanent Jewelry and Orangetheory Fitness; charcuterie boxes from April’s Catering; a Keurig K-Duo S, a Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System, a two-piece set of Samsonite luggage and a JVC 50” screen Roku Smart TV from The Trussville Tribune, with free

Mortimer

From front page

According to reports, the teacher, who was also a bus driver, passed away just before 7:30 a.m. at Mortimer Jordan High School. The incident occurred in the parking lot and involved a school bus, and no students saw it happen, but authorities offered no other details.

Officials did not offer the teacher’s identity but told the press that the family had been notified. The teacher had been working at the school for more than 20 years.

According to WVTM 13 News’ Guy Rawlings, the teacher is Mark Ridgeway, whose wife also teaches at the school.

Per Rawlings, Ridgeway was “completing his pre-trip bus inspection when it started

installation sponsored by ihangTVs.com.

Buttram said the Alabama Wedding Showcase will be an annual event.

rolling and pinned him.”

Classes resumed Thursday, and the school made grief counselors available to students and faculty.

Principal Craig Kanaday issued the following statement: “Mark Ridgeway, a graduate of Mortimer Jordan, dedicated his life to serving people. He pastored a church until his recent retirement this past summer all while teaching the students of Mortimer Jordan High School and driving a school bus. He was a selfless and devoted person to his faith, his family, and his school. As a personal colleague of mine for more than 25 years, Mark leaves behind cherished memories but also a great void among all circles of his life. It’s in times like these that I am reminded that life is fragile and precious.”

“Based on the feedback from vendors and attendees, I think it’s safe to say that the Wedding Showcase is here to stay,” he said.

“Always look at the big picture before making a decision. Don’t react – respond.” – Mark Ridgeway (Photo from Mark Ridgeway’s Facebook page)

Several other members of the community took to Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday to ask for prayer and offer their condolences for the teacher’s family.

Trussville officers: Scotty Bates, David Warmus, Casey Davis. James McCool, and Michael Montana. (Photo by Nathan Prewett)

HTMS bowling team: Coach Daniel Adamson and students Emery Edge, Annie Georgia, McKenzie Martin, Isabella Nero and Sophia Shipman. (Photo by Nathan Prewett)

Door prizes (Photo by Lauren Lawrence Taylor)

Clay

From front page

Abney reported to the Trussville Police Department on Jan. 12, 2023, that multiple faculty members had complained of a contracted special-needs student aide smelling like marijuana. Abney, along with assistant principals Goodwin Scott and Erin Piper, met with the aide, Tiariah Pollard, to discuss the odor.

Pollard claimed that her jacket possibly smelled like marijuana because of her boyfriend, and she removed the jacket. An officer searched the jacket for contraband but found none.

Pollard also mentioned having used a vape, which she kept in her vehicle, but said she never used it on school property. The officer asked for consent to search Pollard’s vehicle, which she granted.

During the search, the officer found the following items in a small black handbag in the trunk of the vehicle: plastic “SpongeBob” pipe with residue pill bottles with Pollard’s name; a pink change purse containing a clear plastic bag of a green leafy substance, believed to be marijuana; a clear plastic bag containing mushrooms, which, through his training and experience, the officer believed to contain psilocybin, a controlled substance; a small black grinder with marijuana residue; two 9mm bullets.

Pollard was arrested for

Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana Second Degree, and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Pollard was handcuffed and transported to Trussville City Jail without incident. A sergeant transported the evidence to Trussville Police Department, where he photographed and unpackaged all evidence before placing it in the evidence vault. The green leafy substance tested positive, via a field test kit, for the presence of marijuana. It weighed 3.1 grams. Pollard’s vehicle was impounded, and she was transferred to Jefferson County Jail.

TCS Superintendent Dr. Frank Costanzo confirmed that Pollard was a contracted employee and therefore not an employee of Trussville City Schools. Additionally, Costanzo said no students were in any danger at any point. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

The agenda contained an update on properties at 789 Chestnut Drive and 6791 Old Springville Road. Both properties were given 14-day extensions during the public hearing held in the Jan. 10 meeting.

“Both of them have cleaned their yards,” said City Manager Ronnie Dixon. The city will issue letters to both property owners stating their properties are now in compliance with city ordinances on public nuisances and should be kept in compliance going forward. The resolution on abatement for the two properties was removed from the agenda.

The other item on the agenda, renumbered to 202301, was in reference to a city moratorium on the construction of mini warehouse and self-service storage units within the city limits.

“This council put a moratorium on mini warehouses several years ago,” Dixon said. “It’s time to renew that mora-

Weapon

From front page a.m. to notify them of a situation at the school involving a weapon on the campus.

One parent sent a screen shot of the email to The Trussville Tribune, which reads:

“Clay Elementary School Family,

“In the interest of transparency, I wanted to make you aware of a situation that occurred on our campus.

“A parent notified the administration of a weapon on campus this morning. The administration immediately took action and the weapon was secured within minutes with the assistance of the school’s

torium. We did a study back then and determined there were two mini warehouses for every citizen of Clay.”

The council had the option to extend the moratorium from one year to three years to the completion of the current terms of office.

After a brief discussion, the council voted unanimously to extend the moratorium for 36 months.

In his report to the council, Dixon mentioned a situa-

tion with a need for repairs on Clayton Road. Responsibility for the upkeep of the road is shared between the city and Jefferson County. Dixon said county engineers measured the road and designated 94% to the city of Clay.

“Their estimate for our portion if they paved it was $276,761,” Dixon said.

“From what the county is claiming, that’s what we’ll have to put our pennies in the jar for to get to that $300,000

mark by the time you claim striping and the right of way that goes with it.”

Additionally, Dixon said work is being scheduled to patch the road, which the city does annually. Patching could cost approximately $20,000.

“Yesterday, asphalt was $120 a ton,” he said. “This time last year it was $45 a ton.”

The next meeting of the Clay City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 14.

our school day is continuing as normal.

“This is now a law enforcement matter, and I am limited with the details I can release. However, I felt it was important to be upfront with you and tell you what I could. Please know we take student safety seriously and JEFCOED has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to situations such as this one.

“I want to reiterate that all students and staff are safe.

“Thank you.

“Dr. Jacqnaii Finkley

“Clay Elementary School Principal”

resource officer. The individual believed to be responsible was immediately identified

and was taken into custody by school resource officers.

“All students are safe and

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

The City of Clay extended a moratorium on the construction of storage units for three more years. (Photo credit: Paul Brennan)

Clay Elementary School (Photo courtesy of Clay Elementary School Twitter)

Tiariah Deion Pollard (Photo credit: sheriff.jccal.org)

Chamber

From front page

a tour of Ascension St. Vincent’s East in Birmingham. This visit consisted of an indepth explanation of the hospital’s history, the progress it has made throughout the years, current improvements to the working environment and advanced technology, a Q&A session, and of course, a tour through five of the eight main units in the hospital.

We learned that St. Vincent’s East has the second busiest Emergency Department in the state after UAB and has the busiest robotics use in all Ascension hospitals throughout the Southeast. East added its first orthopedic robot, named Rosa, in 2020 and is now evaluating for its third.

This year, St. Vincent’s East is planning to open an entirely new and renovated floor dedicated to the Cardiology unit, which has been designed to best treat people with serious or acute heart problems. St. Vincent’s East is constantly expanding and innovating in order to handle the large number of patients it receives.

During the Q&A, some tough questions were asked of our tour guides, one main question being how the hospital handled issues throughout Covid, including short staffing.

In response, an effective business-like model of how to bring employees together and the means in which they are supported was shown to us. St. Vincent’s East makes sure to let its employees know they are valued and often plan bonding opportunities, even doing small things like having themed T-shirt days. This was incredibly valuable to us Chamber Diplomats as our entire organization is oriented around business and efficient business strategies. Throughout the Pandemic and now, if Covid numbers are high, the hospital ensures that its med-

ical professionals are not given more than they can handle, having a deep understanding for the pressures and stress of the medical field. It was proven to us that St. Vincent’s East cares deeply both for its patients and its workers.

On our guided tour we were shown the chemical lab, the ICU (intensive care unit), the Emergency Room, the Radiology unit (imaging), the upcoming Cardiology floor and the education center. Each different sector was explained by either our tour guide or the individual unit manager, and throughout the tour, it was evident that they had a wide range of knowledge and appreciation for their job and colleagues.

Another aspect that was clearly proven through the tour is that the technology used in this field is constantly evolving and improving thousands of patient and worker lives. Almost every unit tour guide noted that the technology used throughout the hospital is incredibly beneficial, making tasks that took up a lot of time and resources 15 years ago as simple as riding a bike.

Something that I found particularly interesting is that St. Vincent’s East provides constant education and improvement for its workers. In the educational center, nurses, PCTs and any other worker can practice a variety of skills without feeling the need to

impress anyone. It is a low stress environment meant for the benefit of medical workers.

Overall, this was an incredibly enlightening experience and an inside look into what it means to work in a hospital from all different perspectives. Though the medical field is incredibly demanding and taxing, working at a hospital like St. Vincent’s East will make the experience all the more worthwhile.

About the Writer – Darcy Phillips is a Leeds High School senior and member of the FBLA organization at her school among other accolades. Darcy is also a 20222023 Intern with Everyone Leeds.

graduating in Spring 2023 is now open.

Awards range from $1,500 to $3,000 and include academic scholarships for students headed to four-year colleges, scholarships for future career/trade school students, and a TACC Chamber Champions Scholarship to be awarded to the child of a Trussville Chamber member based on the parent’s service

Scholarship

From front page

Founded in honor of former President Sandy Mazur, who served an 18-year tenure at Spherion, the scholarship honors her significant contributions to the company and will award at least $2,500 to a select group of winners.

The purpose of the scholarship is to support aspiring students of all ages seeking higher education who demonstrate the qualities that Mazur embodied. Her unwavering passion to make a difference in the lives of others served as an example to the teams at hundreds of local Spherion offices nationwide, including Birmingham, and continues to inspire them to fund this scholarship program. This year’s application is open to anyone seeking secondary education, including college, technical school, or skilled training programs. To qualify, applicants must hold a GPA of 2.5 or above, be pursuing a continuing education program, and must reside in a county with a Spherion office. Applicants’ financial need will also be considered.

“I am thrilled to be part of a program that celebrates the contributions and impact our future leaders are making,” Mazur said. “Spherion’s dedication to giving back continues to amaze me. Each year I am so impressed. Good luck to

to the chamber in addition to the student’s qualifications. A printable application form is available online at www.trussvillechamber.com/ tacc-scholarships-2023/. Completed applications, along with the requested attachments, must arrive in the chamber office at 400 Main Street no later than April 5, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. For more information, contact the chamber office at (205) 655-7535 or email june. mathews@trussvillechamber. com.

this year’s applicants!”

The 2022 Sandy Mazur scholarship recipients were Jacob Reeder, Emma Schultz, and Elizabeth Wunderlich. Spherion’s scholarship committee selected these winners based on their embodiment of the characteristics of leadership, excellence and passion that distinguished Mazur’s legacy at Spherion. Each winner earned $2,500 to put towards their continued education.

The Spherion franchise community, led by Beth DeLaney and Michael Chalmers, coordinates the online application with Ohio-based nonprofit The Richland County Foundation, which disburses grants for charitable organizations. The application asks entrants to share examples of their community service involvement and how they “pay it forward.” With names and locations removed, the Scholarship Selection Committee will review applications and select the winner(s) based on merit.

For more information or interested applicants, the Sandy Mazur Scholarship application is available online at www. spherion.com/scholarship.

To donate to the Sandy Mazur Scholarship, please visit the following link and select “Sandy Mazur/Spherion Excellence in Leadership Scholarship” from the drop down menu. richlandcountyfoundation.org/donate.

L-R: Sandra McGuire, Haylee Cook, Avery Ford, Randell Pickering, Chrisley Harper, Tripp Bishop, Rhyan Carson, Kate Moore, Darcy Phillips, Cayleigh Vance, Alicia Wilson, Caden Vance and Dona Bonnett. (Photo credit Dona Bonnett)

During high school, Robinson worked at Stuart’s, a large retail clothing store at the old Century Plaza mall, before becoming an assistant manager of another clothing store at Brookwood Village at 17 years of age.

“I was so proud of that,” Robinson said. Robinson figured her career path was in retail sales if the opportunity to attend college did not materialize.

Robinson was interested in Stanford University, several Ivy League schools, Alabama and Auburn. She filled out scholarship applications and wrote essays with the assistance of her Honors English teacher Sydney Rickman. Fortunately for NASA and the U.S. space program, Robinson did not end up with a career in retail. Years later, Robinson has fond memories of those part-time jobs.

“Closing the store, counting and depositing the money each night taught me responsibility,” Robinson said.

Ultimately, Robinson chose Vanderbilt because of its academics, significant scholarships, and proximity to home. In the fall of 1985, the Shades Valley Valedictorian took her first step towards becoming an engineer and headed north on I-65 to Nashville. Robinson graduated in 1989 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She later earned a Masters and Ph.D. from UAH.

After graduating from Vanderbilt, Robinson joined NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville as a Project Engineer. As a female engineer, Robinson didn’t fit the mold of a NASA engineer in the 1980s.

“As a southern blonde beauty, she could easily have been Miss America,” Harrell said. “I’m sure she’s shattered many stereotypical ideas and glass ceilings as she’s trailblazed her path.”

One of Robinson’s first projects at NASA was creating and developing a complex system that helped determine bearing life wear within turbopumps of the Space Shuttle. Robinson held numerous roles and leadership positions in her long and decorated career with NASA. She worked as an engineer, Flight Controller, Project Manager, Utilization Manager, Payload Mission Manager, Fellow, Adjunct professor, Communications Director, and Special Assistant to the Marshall Space Flight Center Director. One of her more interesting roles was an astronaut trainer for six years. She trained crews for Space Shuttle flights 65, 67, 73, 75, 78, and 83.

Five of the six crews she trained flew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. However, Robinson did not train any astronauts who perished in the Columbia accident, but the NASA community is tightly knitted.

“The Columbia accident was devastating to me and everyone at NASA,” Robinson said. “Everyone felt it was their responsibility to keep all the astronauts safe. While the accident set the agency and many projects back for some time, that paled in comparison to the loss of life.”

Robinson applied to the Astronaut Corps three times but was not accepted due to NASA’s stringent vision requirements at the time. Robinson, who had almost perfect vision, had hoped that the requirements would be relaxed over time. Unfortunately, they were not, and she never had the opportunity to fly. However, Robinson is satisfied knowing she had the trust, respect, support, friendship, and advocacy of the astronauts she trained.

When Artemis I launched last November, Robinson was there to cheer on her former co-workers and watch a rocket she had been a part of

from the planning stages take flight. “It was very special to see it launch and show once again that the Americans have the ability to launch astronauts into space,” Robinson said. “I needed to be there cheering them on and to be able to tell others about the story of it.”

The Irondale native played a significant role in conceptualizing the Artemis program. She was a member

of the first study team to create the concept of Artemis.

“It went from closed-door meetings to planning how we were going to accomplish the national objective to get back to the moon,” Robinson said.

Robinson wrote the project plan and charter for Artemis. She put together the first standing review board for the program as NASA was rolling out designs to “see what we were going to actually do.” Robinson then worked

on various projects throughout the program for several years before retiring in 2021.

Another one of Robinson’s proudest accomplishments at NASA was her leadership as the Project Integration Manager of Ares I-X, a new rocket configuration at the time. Robinson assisted in the overall management of the design, development, build, and test flight of the new rocket.

“It was an incredible experience with a wonderful group of people,” Robinson said. “We were challenged with an extreme budget and schedule pressure and managed to complete a successful rocket launch in 39 months from Authority-to-Proceed, and we stayed within five percent of the budget.”

The Ares I-X was named Time’s 2009 Invention of the Year and made the magazine cover.

“I am still honored to be associated with that awesome team and that accomplishment,” Robinson said.

The space industry has evolved over the years. NASA is no longer the only entity that is in the rocket business. Robinson strikes a patriotic tone when discussing the direction of NASA.

“It is great that we were able to build up the commercial market, but there is nothing like seeing the American flag leaving our soil,” Robinson said.

Robinson is looking forward to the first human-crewed flight, Artemis II, and the return of American astronauts to the moon’s surface, Artemis III.

Robinson left NASA in January of 2021 after 31 years with the agency. She was awarded numerous commendations for her outstanding service and multiple achievement recognition awards from NASA. She received the Silver Snoopy Award and the Special Service award for excellent leadership in developing and

implementing a plan for an Ascent Development Test Flight, to name two.

Robinson took over as the CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in February 2021. The role was not one she had considered when she was approached.

“I was having a good career at NASA, and I really liked what I was doing,” Robinson said. “Several people told me this job was meant for me because all the things I had done led to this job, and I was like, does it?”

As Robinson began researching the job, she became more intrigued by it. In many ways, the complexity of the Space and Rocket Center is not unlike the complexities Robinson had to manage and solve at NASA.

“The thing about this place is that it’s complicated,” Robinson said. “The facility is not only a museum; it is twelve different things put together as one. It is a camp, a museum, an event space, a hotel, an education center, a planetarium, a gift shop, and a cafeteria, among other things.”

Further adding to the complexity of leading the Space Center is that it only receives about five percent of its annual budget from the state. The rest of the budget must be met through revenue and donations.

As a native Alabamian, Robinson understands the responsibility of the job, as the Space Center is very symbolic and is the state’s largest tourist attraction.

“No pressure, just don’t mess up!” Robinson said.

When Robinson walked into that auditorium at Shades Valley all those years ago and shook the hand of an astronaut, never would she have dreamed of the career she has had. It has been a fantastic ride, for sure, but one that’s not over. There is no doubt that Robinson will continue shooting for the stars.

Artemis I (Photo Credit: NASA)

Phil Williams: For our kids

By Phil Williams, 1819 News Commentary

This past week was National School Choice Week, bringing a renewed focus on the assertion that Americans value our children and want what is best for them in every way, including the best in education. We want to know that our children are taught the highest possible levels of reading, writing, arithmetic, science, technology, history and civics. In essence, we want actual outcome-based education that rewards success and remediates failure, while focusing on what is best for the child. Sounds reasonable, right?

Let me state it clearly: Conservatives want our children to be educated. Liberal progressives just want our children.

Think back to your own school days. Do you remember when we were taught in school to literally conspire with our teachers to say or do things that our parents wouldn’t like, and to enjoy the salacious nature of having a trusted adult help us rebel against our own families?

You don’t remember doing that? Neither do I. None of us do. It’s wrong, and any teacher who tried that back in the day would find himself out on his ear.

But I’m sure that you recall those halcyon days of learning when you learned about the fundamentals of biology, anatomy and physiology. Even though the course content said one thing, your teachers told you that the science was all bunk and the textbooks were wrong, be-

cause any male could be a female and vice versa.

You don’t remember that? Neither do I. None of us do. Any teacher who tried that would be run out of town on a rail.

Okay, but remember when we were taught in English class to use proper pronouns based upon the standards of use for the English language, and then went down the hall to our next class and had another teacher tell us that we could misappropriate pronouns for our own satisfaction? That she could be used for a he, and that they/them could be used on a singular person?

Yeah, that didn’t happen in my school, and I guarantee it didn’t happen in yours either. But it happens far too often now. Any teacher back in the day that attempted such tripe would be sent packing forthwith.

Okay, maybe those things didn’t happen, but I’m sure you recall when you were taught that these United States that won two world wars, abolished slavery, put a man on the moon, invented the modern industrial age, and more, really didn’t come to be in 1776. Our country started in 1619 with slavery, and this great nation is systemically racist and not worth saving.

Was that in your history books? It was not in mine either, and any teacher who tried to foist that kind of dogma on kids would be looking for work the next day.

Every single day we are catching more glimpses into the activist factories that some schools have become. Too often a new social media post or TikTok video shows

us schools where every value, belief, patriotic verve, and faith-based position is laid bare and vacated by activists who pose as teachers.

I know and believe that many educators are not on board at all with the kind of educational indoctrination that I just described. Most classrooms are filled with wonderful people who have a calling to truly love and educate our kids. But too many of them are also aware of off-putting activism that happens in the neighboring classroom, and they are reticent to get involved.

Whether for fear or complacency, too many real teachers choose silence in the face of the foolishness perpetrated by their coworkers. It’s a vain attempt to avoid the shouts and aspersions that liberals often employ.

In my view, good teachers need to take back their profession from the crazies who are trying to co-opt it, making a mockery of the education profession in the process. I guarantee that parents will rally for a teacher that brings common sense back to these uncommon times.

If a teacher or superinten-

dent calls out a neighboring classroom set up as so-called safe space for kids to change their names, pronouns, and allegedly their genders, or the classroom down the hall where students are taught to despise the flag of the United States or deny scientific reason by proclaiming that men can get pregnant, parents will appreciate it. Good teachers will find that parents and concerned citizens get their backs. But that means we’ve got to keep up our end of the bargain. Gone are the days when we can just turn a blind eye. Gone are the days where we can just shrug our shoulders and say, “that’s not my kid so it’s not my fight.” Progressive liberals want our kids, and if it’s not your kid today, then it will be your grandchild tomorrow, or that sweet neighbor’s kid who plays in the yard, or the little minions that run in the hallways of your church, play on the playground on the corner, and get too loud in the grocery store. Our communities must rally for our kids.

This nation is filled with good teachers — educators who value children and real education, and who will take a stand for our kids. And when they do, it is our mission to get their back.

It’s for our kids.

To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engagement, go to www.rightsideradio.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.

Paul DeMarco: Current Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles Has Put Public Safety First

By Paul DeMarco

Alabama has seen so much violent crime the past couple of years that unfortunately the headlines are no longer shocking.

And it was not too long ago that a triple murder by a violent parolee in Marshall County led to the Alabama Legislature enacting permanent reforms of the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Before those changes, the parole board would regularly release many felons who were a danger to the public and who had many years left on their sentences – all to the dismay of prosecutors, law enforcement and crime victims. The current parole board, led by Chair Leigh Gwathney, is now performing the difficult task of determining who should receive the privilege of being released early from prison. Alabama does not have truth in sentencing. Thus, the Board has an important role in determining who does not have to finish their sentence as imposed by a judge after being found guilty of a crime by a jury of their peers (or when the defendant enters a guilty plea).

Since new legislation passed in 2019, the Board has reduced the number of dangerous inmates released from prison, which was the

intent of the reforms led by Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall. This reduction in the number of inmates released prematurely has led to the advocates of criminal offenders to become angry. Of course, these advocates rarely disclose all of the facts of the heinous crimes that led to the criminals to be behind bars in the first place. Nor do they bother telling the public that 80 percent of those incarcerated in Alabama are there for violent crimes.

Now that the parole board is actually putting public safety first and ensuring that violent felons are serving more appropriate sentences, liberal advocacy groups and pundits are attacking the Parole Board for daring to hold these criminals accountable and serve more of the sentences that the judge imposed. However, these nasty attacks should be swept aside as the angry outbursts of those who are not truly worried about justice for crime victims or public safety.

Alabama citizens should be thankful the current board is doing its job and putting public safety first.

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

Phil Williams is Policy Director for the Alabama Policy Institute.

F inance

A Glance At The Year That Was and the Year Ahead

By David R. Guttery, RFC, RFS, CAM President, Keystone Financial Group-Trussville Al February 1, 2023

I celebrated my 31st anniversary of being in practice in December of last year. Across all of those years, in my opinion, 2022 will certainly be remembered as the most unique year, that demanded an extraordinary effort to navigate unusual circumstances.

Before we delve into my thoughts for the coming year, let’s briefly recap what made the previous year so odd.

Within last month’s article, suggested that if I had to caption the behavior of the markets in the previous year, I would describe it as being “shocked”. In November of 2021, the Federal Reserve began to nebulously hint at the thought of tapering. By January 2022, they also described the process of tightening, with an equally noncommittal description. Simultaneously, we were hearing about the transient nature of inflation.

Well, if tightening is the process through which inflation is controlled, and with both the Department of the Treasury, and the Federal Reserve suggesting that inflation is short-term and transient, then I believe markets anticipated that any subsequent approach to tightening would be mild.

Then, in March of last year the Federal Reserve rolled out what has proven to be the most aggressive approach to tightening in the last 35 years. I do not believe this is what markets anticipated, and it galvanized the attention of the market. Rather than focusing on the coming

years, markets became very fixated on the coming days, and when markets become shortsighted, it becomes increasingly easy to overly price nefarious assumptions into current valuations.

As the Federal Reserve tightened throughout the year, among other things, this involved selling treasury securities in the open global market that were purchased with printed money over the previous 30 months.

As this occurred, prices dropped sharply, and yields rose sharply. This resulted in a yield curve that hasn’t then this inverted since 1981. For context, I was in the sixth grade when that last happened. Clearly, this has created significant, and unique challenges with regard to the fixed income portions of our portfolios.

Normally, when building sleeves of fixed income into portfolios, we are looking for negative correlation. This means that we are looking for an element of the portfolio that will add buoyancy during times of volatility. In most years, we are able to obtain that from a laddered sleeve of fixed income bond investments, and particularly

from treasuries. We were not able to achieve that last year however, as bonds and stocks became positively correlated for the first time since 1972. Again, for context, I was three years old at that point.

Indeed, it is rare to see treasury securities post two consecutive years of negative results. That has only happened three times since 1928.

Prior to 2022, the last time we observed treasury securities posting losses in consecutive years was in 1959. Again, for context, my parents weren’t even dating at that time.

In the third quarter of 2022, the Bureau of Labor and statistics told us that inflation at the consumer level reached a point that we had not seen previously since the year 1980.

As this was happening, we almost observed a new, nearterm record high in terms of dollar strength against the

global basket of currencies. This is extremely odd when simultaneously dealing with a 42 year high on consumer price inflation.

In October, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey posted the lowest reading in the history of the metric going back to 1960.

If you think of a string of dominoes, when one is set into motion, the rest of the dominoes will be impacted, setting off a chain reaction. The actions of the Federal Reserve were driven by the need to arrest not only a historically bloated balance sheet, but also to arrest a historically high amount of money in the lendable system. This excess money, and bloated balance sheet, were necessitated by congressional measures taken to support an economy that had shut down for the first time in history over a disease

no one had heard of prior to 2019.

I could go on, but you get the point. These are just a handful of occurrences that we had either never seen before, or had not seen in many decades. Anecdotal evidence comes at a premium during such times. It’s hard to glean insight as to what might happen next from historical evidence, when there either isn’t any, or very little. So, I would characterize last year as being a shocked market, amid extremely unusual economic developments. With that context, we can begin to imagine how the current year may unfold.

I am encouraged by signs that market and economic

conditions are beginning to stabilize. With regard to market volatility, if there is any anecdotal evidence to suggest that markets may have found their bottom, it would be in the form of capitulation.

At a high-level, this is the average market participant hitting a point of emotional exhaustion, and locking in losses. Just get me out. Quantitatively, capitulation in my opinion looks like this chart.

At the end of September, we had an extremely high ratio of open put options to open call options. On the top chart, you can see that this peaked at the end of September, and furthermore it was the highest See KEYSTONE, Page 9

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indication of volatility that we had seen since Covid caused the economy to shut down.

On the bottom chart, bearish sentiment had not been this strong since September 2008, at the beginning of the great recession.

In and of itself, this really isn’t enough to feel comfortable that markets may have found their bottom. We must crosscheck that with other quantifiable metrics.

Taking a stochastic look at the market, it would appear that we bounced off of the same Bollinger band on four occasions last year, in February, and again in May, and again in July, and finally again in September. A double bottom is certainly encouraging, the triple bottom is very exciting. A quadruple bottom, in terms of stochastic analysis, is very rare. If you see one, you should pay attention to what the market is telling you by its actions. It’s even more rare to observe a quadruple bottom within the same year.

I did not draw this chart.

The market drew this chart with its actions. Stochastics, at a high level, is a fancy way of saying let’s play connect the dots. You observe patterns of behavior, and plot those dots. Connecting those dots form what we call Bollinger bands. In the media, when you hear that markets are running into support, or resistance, it is to such Bollinger bands that reference is being made.

So, as it pertains to market volatility, in my opinion, I do believe that markets have found their bottom, and we have stochastic evidence to support that conclusion. Volatility will likely be elevated throughout the first half of the new year, but I also believe in that it could abate from elevated levels over the latter half of the year. That depends on the Federal Reserve, and

how consistently they remain true to guidance given in early November of last year. It also depends on how quickly the markets can find assurance that the Fed will not deliver another shock.

It would also appear that the unusual strength of the US dollar against the global basket of currencies is subsiding as well. In previous articles, I mentioned that a strengthening dollar can negatively impact assumptions of earnings when weaker foreign currencies are used to purchase a company’s product in foreign markets. Throughout the year, as the Fed continued to follow a policy that was more restrictive than any other seen in the last three decades, the dollar became very strong against the global basket.

Since the November meeting of the Federal Reserve however, the dollar has relinquished quite a bit of the strength. If you’ll recall, in the article from October, I offered my opinion that the Federal Reserve would find the latitude to acquiesce, and pursue targets of tightening at a slower pace. I suggested that if this happened, we might observe the dollar relinquishing some of the strength that had caused markets to negatively reprice for the risk that

foreign revenues would be lower than anticipated.

Indeed, we have seen this happen, and I believe that such will continue in the new year, and further, I believe this will be a positive around which markets can continue to coalesce.

So, in closing, I believe that markets may have bottomed, but not necessarily the economy. I believe that markets can recover losses resulting from overly nefarious assumptions from the previous year even if the economy hasn’t yet found its bottom.

I believe that last year, when markets became very shortsighted, that overly nefarious assumptions were priced into the market with regard to economic activity. These assumptions were predicate on the thought that central bankers across the globe would follow prescribed targets of tightening without regard for evidence of economic deterioration. On many occasions last year, I suggested that I thought this belief was irrational.

Said another way, I believe that markets priced into themselves the likelihood of a very deep and a very long recession. I do believe that eventually the National Bureau of economic research

will confirm that we are in a recession, but I believe it will be a shallow recession, and relatively long in duration. So yes, I do believe that markets can continue to positively reprice for the risk that previously made assumptions went too far. That does not necessarily mean that the economy has bottomed, but I also don’t believe that this will be the kind of 2008 style recession that the market was expecting.

Frankly, there are some signs of good news on the inflation front. Recently, respondents to the ISM Manufacturing survey reported that commodities reported in short supply were declining, and commodities reported up in price were also declining. Said another way, the materials that go into the manufacturing of this pen are becoming more plentiful, and less costly. That’s good news, and I can assume that I should be able to pay a lower price for this pen in a few months.

However, the majority of inflation according to the Federal Reserve seems to be rooted in such places as food, fuel, healthcare, and shelter.

By its own admission, the Federal Reserve can do little to impact inflation at these levels with monetary policy. So yes, it will take time, but it appears that we seem to be moving in the right direction.

Having said that, at a high level, I would suggest that it would still be prudent to remain more defensively invested in companies that manufacture products and deliver services that are durable in nature, rather than have overweighted positions in companies that produce discretionary things. Said another way, invest in the companies that make the toothpaste, the shaving cream, the ibuprofen, and the food staples. At this point, I would avoid the companies that make the things that you don’t necessarily have to have. That strategy worked well last year,

and I believe it will continue to be of value as the new year unfolds.

Finally, I would just like to stress that everyone should be most concerned with the fruition of planning objectives, and where they stand in relation to those objectives, more so than what the Fed said last month, or how the market might react in response. The allocation of your portfolio should not be static. It should be fluid, and reflect where we are economically, but the primary concern should be are you still moving forward toward the attainment of stated goals. When you can take this kind of holistic view, it helps a lot with the emotional management of a volatile market.

(*) 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 State Parks’ Mitchum named Enforcement Officer of the Year

By David Rainer Alabama Department of Conservation

and

Resources

Natural

District Park Ranger Pete Mitchum, with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ State Parks Division, was told to wear his Class A uniform to work recently, and he didn’t know why. He complied and found out that Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association (ACEOA) President Vance Wood was on his way to meet him.

Wood, a Conservation Enforcement Lieutenant with the Department’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, showed up at Gulf State Park to present Mitchum with the ACEOA Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.

“That was kind of a surprise,” Mitchum said. “While we are not conservation officers, we are officers who work for the Conservation Department. The ACEOA covers the enforcement personnel in all four divisions – State Parks, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Marine Resources and State Lands.

“It was an honor to receive it. There are about 200 enforcement officers in the Conservation Department, and there is probably somebody out there that deserved it more than me, but I am grateful for the award.”

Director Greg Lein said Alabama State Parks is proud to have Mitchum considered for the ACEOA award.

“We think he’s a great recipient of the award,” Lein said. “I think the thing we’re

most pleased with is the fact that he was nominated by his own people, which says a lot about the kind of leader he is. They respect him and respect his leadership to a degree that they wanted to nominate him. We’re proud to have him as a part of our team.”

Mitchum’s law enforcement career began in 1994 with a sheriff’s department in South Carolina, his wife’s home state. He worked patrol, K-9 and narcotics before being hired by the U.S. State Department in 2006 as a police advisor to advise and mentor the Afghanistan National Police.

“The whole concept was to teach an Islamic police force democratic policing,” said Mitchum, who said he’d always wanted to be in law enforcement since Mobile Police Officer Dan Buck gave him a short ride in a squad car when he was 7 years old. “It sounds challenging, and it was. I think we did a lot of good over there. I made a lot of longtime friends.”

After eight months at home, a friend called and asked him about being a bomb-detection dog handler back in Afghanistan. Mitchum only had experience with dual-purpose police dogs, not bomb dogs. After some convincing, he headed back overseas.

“Got my dog, and we were searching cars and buildings,” he said. “I had a really awesome dog (a Belgian Malinois named Brutus). He was a sharp, sharp dog. He received several recognitions while we were over there. It was all the dog. I was just holding the leash.

“The camp (near Kabul) got hit in 2015, and he devel-

oped a little PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Loud noises made him shut down. They retired him, and the general at that time was kind enough to fly him back to the states to be with me. That was pretty awesome.”

About six months later, he got a call about job openings as a WFF Conservation Enforcement Officer.

“I had always wanted to do this, but the stars never lined up,” Mitchum said. “Fast forward, I get hired as a game warden.”

Mitchum went to Perry County to start his WFF career, then moved to Escambia County before ending up in Mobile County.

The District Park Ranger’s position with Alabama State Parks was being developed, and Mitchum was intrigued by that possibility because of his appreciation for the State Parks System. Although the COVID pandemic delayed the process, he was hired to that position to cover the Southwest District, which includes Gulf State Park and Meaher State Park at the

head of Mobile Bay.

“Meaher is easy,” he said. “We have a great staff up there. The Gulf State Park is a big park with more than 28 miles of trails, six beach accesses, the Gulf State Park Pier and the campground. That can keep any man busy.”

Mitchum oversees two park rangers and six security personnel with another park ranger scheduled to join the staff on February 1.

“First and foremost, we’re ambassadors for the park,” he said. “Our park users see us all over the place. I initially had a misconception of what we actually did. I’m thinking it was mainly guest relations, which is a big portion of it, and riding the trails and beaches. But it’s so much more. We have to consider the hospitality/tourism side of it because we are in the hospitality/tourism business. That’s our bread and butter. But we’re also law enforcement and deal with break-ins, burglaries, narcotics and other drugs, DUIs and traffic problems. And we have hurricanes, like Hurricane Sal-

ly that hit the first year I was here.

“We put on so many hats. At times, we may have to put on a maintenance hat. We may be out cutting trees and clearing trails after a hurricane. We may be helping put up road signs or a fence. It’s not the norm. We have to be very versatile, very fluid in our dayto-day activities. But that’s what makes this job so great. You get to do it all. I ended up where I was meant to be. I love it down here. I’m truly blessed to be here.”

Mitchum said visitors come from all over the world to experience what Gulf State Park has to offer.

“You can hit close to 30 miles of trails and see bobcats, turtles and deer,” he said. “Then you can drive a halfmile and walk onto sugar-sand beaches and see all the marine life. Then you can go out on the pier and catch a wide variety of fish. There’s no other place like it.”

Mitchum’s District Park Ranger position hasn’t been the only change to the Parks’ State Personnel register for enforcement, according to Lein.

“The most important is the Park Ranger entry level position,” Lein said. “That is now open for continuous recruitment, and it’s been rewritten to clarify the approach we take to law enforcement now. We are always looking for good officers and would love to add to our Park Ranger staff around the state.

“As Commissioner (Chris) Blankenship was saying the other day, the park ranger job may have the most complicated law enforcement respon-

sibilities in the Department,” Lein said. “They do such a diverse array of work, and they’re doing it in a hospitality setting. They’re almost like policemen in a city, managing for those normal enforcement duties, like speeding, DUIs, domestic disputes. Then we have the regulations about the conduct of guests in park. Then we have the natural resources, making sure they’re not being abused. That’s a lot.

“They have to be really tactful. They have to educate our guests on why the speed limit is important, that there are cyclists on the road and wildlife in the park. The same goes for going into the campground to enforce quiet hour. We don’t want to alienate our customers who we depend on to make our State Parks great, but we won’t tolerate behavior that detracts from the enjoyment of our beautiful parks by our other guests.”

Visit www.alapark.com/ law-enforcement-career-opportunities for more information.

Alabama State Parks District Park Ranger Pete Mitchum recently received the ACEOA Enforcement Officer of the Year award. (Credit: David Rainer, Pete Mitchum)

Brutus, the Belgian Malinois bomb-detection dog, spent his last days with the Mitchum family. (Credit: David Rainer, Pete Mitchum)

c a L enda R

National Sew Day with Birmingham

Quilts of Valor

February 4 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Trussville Public Library, 201

Parkway Dr

Trussville, AL 35173 United States

Free

Quilts of Valor Foundation is a non-profit organization providing handmade quilts to military members and veterans touched by war. Volunteers across the nation donate their time and materials to create these quilts of healing, and over 150 quilts have been presented in the Birmingham area. The tenth annual QOVF National Sew Day is a time where members and the public can join together to make a quilt! No experience is necessary. All materials will be provided. Participants can either drop in and sew for a few minutes, or bring a sewing machine and sew all day! For more information, please visit https://www.katiemaequilts. com/quilts-of-valor

Samford Legacy League

Events with Susan Yates

February 9 @ 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

A Country Club in Vestavia Hills, 400 Beaumont Dr, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 United States

$55.00

Bestselling Christian Author Susan Alexander Yates to Speak at Two Legacy League Events on February 9

On Thursday, February 9, the Legacy League will host Susan Alexander Yates, bestselling Christian author of 16 books, including Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God who is Bigger Than Your World and Cousin Camp. Susan will speak at a luncheon and a casual supper where she will share timely, life-shaping messages relevant for all ages and stages of life. “Our friend Susan has walked with God for decades. … Her encouragement is intensely practical. Her life stories give hope to anyone of any age who desires to know God more deeply,” say Barbara and Dennis Rainey, co-founders of Family Life. Proceeds from both events will provide life-changing scholarships to students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances.

“Discovering an Infinite, Intimate God” is the theme of Susan’s message for the Legacy League’s annual Scholarship Luncheon to be held at a country club in Vestavia. Premium sponsors are Brookdale University Park and Wells Fargo Advisors. Doors will open at 10:45 a.m. for the Silent Auction for Scholarships, and the program will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Reservations

(required) are $55, $26 of which is a tax-deductible donation.

That evening, Susan will speak on “Trusting God in Life’s Transitions” at an event on Samford’s campus which is open to the public. Guests will enjoy a light supper and table conversation facilitated by Susan.

Reservations (required) are $20.

A returning and beloved guest of the Legacy League, Susan is a mom to five, grandmother to 21 and wife to John. The couple lives in Falls Church, Virginia, where John served as a senior pastor for 40 years. Susan’s powerful gift of communication extends beyond book pages and blog posts as she frequently speaks on topics of faith, scripture and family. If it’s up to Susan, you won’t find her in the kitchen or at the mall — she’ll be outside enjoying God’s creation with her golden retriever.

The Legacy League, a philanthropic organization with nearly 800 members ranging in age from 22 to 100, offers meaningful volunteer

opportunities, inspirational programs and a friendly, caring community to all who become involved. To date, the Legacy League has awarded over $1.3 million in scholarships to assist students who have endured challenges including homelessness, inner city violence, death or disability of a parent, abandonment, parental addiction and incarceration and the sacrifices of full-time ministry.

For more information and to make reservations, visit samford.edu/legacyleague.

Video Games – Teen

Wednesday, February 01: 4:00pm - 5:30pm Trussville - LBK Auditorium

AGE GROUP: TEEN (6TH12TH GRADE)

EVENT TYPE: TEEN PROGRAM, GAMING

Free play video game program for teens.

cLassiFied

Storytime for Growin’ Beans with Ms. Allison: Stars Fri Feb 3rd 10:00am - 11:00am

AUCTION

REAL ESTATE AUCTION - February 4th, 11:00am 377 plus or minus acres to be offered in eight parcels or as an entirety. Fayette County Alabama for brochure and more information call Redmont Auction & Land Inc. Eddie Propst AL License 1161. 205822-4229 or 888-285-8408

SERVICES

(All ages)

Join us for Storytime for Growin’ Beans with Ms. Allison on Friday, February 3rd at 10 AM. Our theme is stars! We’ll read books, have fun, do a craft, & have a snack.

Storytime is designed for pre-K children, but all ages are welcome.

Winter Wonderland Book Fair

Mon Feb 6th

9:00am - 7:00pm Pinson Public Library, 4509 Pinson Blvd, Pinson, AL 35126, USA

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)

Children’s Storytime

Thursday, February 02: 10:30am - 11:30am

Trussville - LBK Auditorium

AGE GROUP: EARLY LEARNERS (BIRTHPRE-K)

EVENT TYPE: STORYTIME, CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

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

(All ages)

Welcome to our Winter Wonderland Book Fair on Monday, February 6th from 9 AM to 7 PM & Tuesday, February 7th from 9 AM to 6 PM!

Browse our selection of USED books & media as well as new toys, trinkets, candy, posters, & more! All sales will benefit programming at the library. All sales are final. This event is not affiliated with Scholastic.

Teen-Valentine’s

Cookie Decorating

Monday, February 06: 4:30pm - 5:30pm Trussville - Cahaba Room

AGE GROUP: TEEN (6TH12TH GRADE)

EVENT TYPE: TEEN PROGRAM

Join us to decorate cookies.

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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.

Yarn Manglers (Knit & Crochet Group)

Thursday, February 02: 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Trussville - Cahaba Room

AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+)

EVENT TYPE: DROP-IN, CRAFT, ADULT PROGRAM Knitters and crocheters, join us for fellowship and creativity!

Teens (6th-12th) Join us to decorate a Valentine’s cookies. All supplies will be provided. Must register as space is limited.

(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)

Yarn Manglers (Knit & Crochet group)

Monday, February 06: 6:00pm - 7:45pm

Trussville - Parkway Room

AGE GROUP: ADULT (AGES 18+)

EVENT TYPE: DROP-IN, CRAFT, ADULT PROGRAM Knitters and crocheters, join us for fellowship and creativ

Knit & crochet meetup group (aka The Yarn Manglers). Bring any projects you are working on; join us for fel lowship and creativity. This is a great way to

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!

o bitua R y

Mary Ruth Jones Roper 09/09/1934 –11/29/2022

Mary Ruth Roper passed away November 29, 2022. She attended Woodlawn High School, and although she lived all over the United States, she lived the majority of her life in Trussville, AL. She loved the Lord and was a faithful member of Trussville Southside Baptist Church. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister to seven siblings. Mary Ruth was the administrator for the family business, Roper Lumber Company, for over 20 years. She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed making clothing for her family.

Survived by her husband of 68 years, Robert J. “Scratch” Roper; daughter Lynn Roper McDaniel (Belton), son Lane Roper (Lesli); granddaughters: Amber Roper Long (Kevin), Brittany Roper Flatau (Marsh), Alana McDaniel Robertson (Austin), Loryn McDaniel Groover (Cory), Kaylyn McDaniel, and eight great-grandchildren; siblings: William “Buddy” Jones, Henry Jones, Gwendolyn Roper, Leroy Jones, and Janice Turner; and a host of nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her parents, Jack Clark and Ethel Jones, and siblings Carolyn Crawford and Bobby Jones. The family would like to thank special caretakers at Amedisys Hospice: Velvet, Mary, Shawanna, and Chaplin Luis Orteza.

Joseph Dylan Jacobs

july 20, 1996 ~ january 15, 2023 (age 26)

It is with great sadness that we announce our beloved son, Joseph Dylan Jacobs, passed away January 15, 2023, in Birmingham, AL at the age of 26.

Dylan was born July 20, 1996 in Birmingham, AL, to Joseph Shane Jacobs and Jessica Weaver. Dylan attended Chelsea and Locust Fork high schools and completed his education in 2015. He worked in various trades following high school, but in the last two years he has been honing his job skills as a plumber. His most loved and important role the last 3.5 years has been being an incredible Daddy to his son, Kade.

Dylan was known for his sense of humor, love of music and fishing. He was a self-taught guitarist beginning in his teenage years and had an appreciation for all genres of music. His favorite pasttime since he could walk was 'wetting a hook', with Emerald Valley Lake being one of his favorite local spots. He took great joy in helping his son, his brother, his cousins, and a host of friends cast their first lines.

Dylan is survived by his son Joseph Kade Jacobs; parents Shane & Lisa Jacobs and Jessica Weaver; brother Colin Jacobs; sister Mary Caroline Jacobs; grandparents Joe & Carol Jacobs, Tommy Weaver, and Richard & Rosemary Parker; aunts Andrea (Jon) Bevan, Kathirene (Brian) Kenney, Marion (BJ) Glasgow; April (Ray) Warren; uncles Joshua Weaver and Dale (Kayla) Parker; first cousins Conner Bevan, Landon Bevan, Noah Glasgow, and Katielyn Warren; along with a host of friends and extended family.

Dylan is preceded in death by his grandmother Libby Weaver; great-grandparents Helen & Tommy Stewart, Anita & Clarence Roberts, Ruth Wicks & Darryl Tucker, and Vernelle & Charles Weaver.

There will be a memorial service for Joseph Dylan Jacobs on Tuesday, January 24th at 2:00 PM at Jefferson Memorial

Funeral Home. Preceding the service, there will be a visitation period with the family from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM. Dylan wasn’t one for formal attire, please feel free to dress casually

In place of flowers, please consider donating to Kade's education and trust fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ in-memory-of-dylan-jacobs?qid=f57c2c30ceebfcca26ade64293aa550e

Jimmy Ray Wright

july 20, 1947 ~ january 22, 2023 (age 75)

JIMMY RAY WRIGHT, age 75, of Hanceville, Alabama went to be with the LORD, on Sunday January 22, 2023. He was born in Lauderdale, AL. to Hiram and Virgie Wright. He is preceded in death by his wife Billie Sue Wright, grandson Matt Heath, and son Charles Wright (Charlotte) along with 8 sisters Mildred, Lois, Opal, Marcel, Dean, Nell, Dolly, and Brenda, and 2 brothers J.T and Thomas. Jimmy is survived by his daughters Susan Wright (Terry) and Rebecca Wright. Granddaughters Samantha Miller (Will), Heather Heath, Hannah Heath, and great grandson Dekker Hallmark. Jimmy was a friend to all and a great Uncle to many nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews. He was a lifetime Auburn Tiger Fan, War Eagle! Jimmy’s race has been run and his faith has been made sight! He is now with countless family and friends. Until we meet again. See you

AskEddie

How did African American Funeral Directors Support the Civil Rights Movement?

During the early 1900’s African American funeral directors were excluded from national funeral societies. As a result, they formed their own funeral director’s association, allowing them to continue to work in the profession and grow their businesses.

During the Civil Rights Movement, funeral directors wore many hats. In addition to burying the dead, they offered support, guidance, dignity, and respect to grieving communities. Most were highly regarded in their communities and took on other leadership roles, such as pastors, activists, and mayors.

Funeral directors also provided other services that were crucial to the movement. For example, Martin Luther King’s security detail was provided by a funeral home. Funeral employees helped him, and other activists travel safely by transporting them secretly in hearses and housing them overnight in funeral homes.

Whether they were able to help in big or small ways, the support African American funeral directors were able to provide during the Civil Rights movement had a powerful and long-lasting impact.

Deborah Gregory Vatovec

december 6, 1950 ~ january 19, 2023

(age 72)

Deborah Ann Gregory was born on December 6, 1950 in Amma, West Virginia. She was lovingly adopted by Delbert and Mildred Gregory of Charleston, West Virginia. She graduated from Charleston High School in 1969. Was married to Richard J Vatovec on June 23, 1973 becoming Deborah G. Vatovec. She attended Jefferson State Junior College for about a year. Debby was very active in our Catholic Parish lady’s groups for church support and craft fairs. Both Debby and Rich were active in Church choirs at Our Lady of Lourdes and Holy Infant of Prague parishes. Debby was loving and giving. When friends had a new baby, were out of the hospital or fighting cancer, She was the bunny with a care basket and concerned look on her loving face. Debby gave up her freedom to care for her elderly mother for 10 years. Debby and Rich were active in the Central Alabama Miata Society driving their little car all over the country. She loved to visit craft fairs and was talented at crafts. In later years she suffered from disabling mobility issues that limited her involvement in the activities that she loved. She loved cooking, listening to music and watching English mysteries. Debby was the Queen of my life. It was an honor and a privilege to share my life with her. We were not blessed with children, but we were blessed with each other. Debby left us to be with the Lord on January 19, 2023. She is predeceased by her parents Delbert and Mildred and brother Jackson. She is survived by Richard her loving husband of 49 years, her Sister Fonda Thomas of Beckley, WV, her Brother Donald Curtis of Parkersburg, WV, her Sister-in-law Margie Kipp and Brother-in-law Ed Kipp of Gardendale, AL. as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Service will be held on Wednesday, January 25 at Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church 8090 Gadsden Highway (Route 11), Trussville, AL. There will be visitation at the church at 10AM followed by a funeral mass service at 11AM. Internment of the urn will follow the mass at the church.

George "Steve" Jackson

october 22, 1942 ~ january 21, 2023 (age 80)

George “Steve” Jackson, age 80, of Trussville, Alabama passed away on January 21, 2023. Steve was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Thelma Ensey Jackson. Steve is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marcia O’Barr Jackson, a daughter Leah Erwin (James), and a son Jarrod Jackson (Natalie). He also leaves behind his grandchildren Jack and Layne Erwin and Grey and Helen Reese Jackson, his brother Stanley (Gwen), his mother-in-law Helen “Toots” O’Barr, his sister-in-law Donna Smith Robinson (Lester), his brother-in-law Rod O’Barr (Janeen), his special cousins Pam Brakefield and Paula McLendon, and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom he adored. Steve was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up in the Crestwood neighborhood, which he loved to visit throughout his life. The Crestwood service station where he pumped gas into his car and air into his tires in his younger days was converted to a pizza restaurant that he loved to visit in more recent years and reminisce about his youth. Steve served his country with honor and pride as an airman in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. A member of First Baptist Church Trussville, his love of God was evident in the way that he lived, served, and loved.Steve had a passion for all things golf - practicing golf, playing golf, watching golf, reading books about golf, talking about golf - and the Auburn Tigers. His easy going nature, genuine kindness, and gentle spirit made him a valuable friend and a fun companion. He could find the beauty in any moment, the silver lining of any cloud, and took joy in each day, grateful for each of his blessings. We will honor him by looking for the good in every situation, loving our families well, making time for happiness and the things that we love each day, and turning off the lights when we leave a room.If you are so moved, contributions can be made to the Student Ministry of First Baptist Church Trussville (PO Box 27, Trussville, AL 35173).Steve’s life will be celebrated during a service on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 3:00 PM in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church Trussville. Visitation will precede the service at 1:30 PM.

Ruth Ellon Marrs

september 1, 1927 ~ january 24, 2023

(age 95)

Ms. Ruth Ellon Marrs, age 95, passed away January 24, 2023. The family will receive friends at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home on Friday, January 27, 2023 from 1:00pm – 2:00pm. Funeral Services will begin at 2:00pm and Graveside Services will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, AL. She is survived by her son, William “Bill” Marrs (Camille); daughters, LeeAnn Mcannally (Russell), Janice Hill; sister, Pat Rush (Jesse); grandchildren, Thomas Marrs, Justin Tyler (Christina), Nicole Windle (Spence), Amanda Tyler (Cody), Virginia Mcannally, Jon Mcannally, Camden Bittle (Sean); 10 great-grandchildren; and life long friend, Jane Fox. She is preceded in death by her husband, Horace Marrs; parents, William Mack Henderson and Minnie Marie Henderson; and brother, William Henderson. Ruth was a huge Alabama Football and Atlanta Braves fan. She loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren dearly. Ruth’s kindness was unsurpassed, she was full of laughter, wit and mischief. She was loved greatly and will truly be missed.

Sandra Diane Payton Spivey

august 19, 1947 ~ january 25, 2023

(age 75)

Sandra Spivey, 75, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on January 25, 2023, in Springville, AL.

Sandra Spivey was born on August 19, 1947 in Birmingham, AL, to James Payton and Irene Payton. Sandra married Emmett Spivey, on April 2, 1962 in Birmingham. The couple had three children, Teresa, Dewayne, and Ken. Sandra was best known for her selflessness, sense of humor, and above all, her love for her family. She drove a school bus for over 14 years and was a beautician prior to that for many years. Sandra enjoyed spending time with her family, going on cruises, attending numerous sporting events her grandchildren played in, gambling, thrift shopping, and going to the lake.

Sandra is survived by her husband, Emmett Spivey; sister, Shirley (Bill) Self; brother, Charles (Karen) Payton; daughter, Teresa Swaney; son, Dewayne Spivey; son, Ken Spivey; and daughter-in-law, Dena Spivey. She is also survived by her ten grandchildren - Brad, Brittany (Ryan), Brooke (Daniel), Dylan, Justin, Baleigh (Adam), Kendall, Abby, McKenzie, and Kinley; as well as five great grandchildren, Landen, Karleigh, Rhett, Beau, and Jaxon.

Sandra is preceded in death by her father, James Payton; mother, Irene Payton; four brothers, James, Johnny, Raymond, and Larry Payton; sister, Linda Gamble; son-in-law, John Swaney; and daughter-in-law, LeAnne Spivey.

Sandra will be greatly missed by her loving family and beloved pets, Ellie Mae and Buttons.

The service for Mrs. Sandra Spivey will be held on Sunday, January 29th, at 2:00 p.m. at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will immediately follow the chapel service at Jefferson Memorial’s adjoining gardens.

Pastor Larry Wimberly will preside over the service who has been by her side throughout this journey. Thank you to the amazing team at Lakeside Hospice who have taken care of her, especially Danny, Tracey, Karen, Tameshia and Dr. James Tuck.

Eddie Seal, General Manager

Aniyah Griffin wins state wrestling title for Pinson

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

PINSON – At a school that is known for its football (state champions in 2017, 2018 and 2020 along with yearly playoff appearances) and basketball (currently ranked #1 in the state in 6A and 38th nationally), you might not think of Pinson Valley High School as a wrestling school. At the state wrestling championship last Friday, Pinson may have very well shown that they are indeed a wrestling school. A girls wrestling school at that, thanks to Aniyah Griffin and her teammates.

Aniyah capped off an amazing 35-0 season in her weight class, earning Most Valuable Wrestler for 3 weeks in a row during one point of the season. She also won first place in the Matt Tice Invitational at Lees High School as well as several first place medals over the course of the year, the biggest being her second state title on Friday. Griffin had won the first-ever girls state title in 2021 when she was in the 225-weight class. Last year, she moved up to 235 and finished second.

“It has truly been an honor to coach Aniyah. She is a great student and an amazing athlete. Most of all she is a true example of what a leader should be,” said Pinson Girls Wrestling Coach Myrna Cintron. “Aniyah is team captain and has been a true example

of what determination should be. She strives to make herself and the team better every day. She motivates her teammates to work hard and lead by example. She has been wrestling for 3 years and I have been her coach for 2 of those, along with Danny Davidson.”

In her first two years, Aniyah wrestled mostly boys, which fueled her desire to compete. “This made her stronger and even more determined to prove to herself that she can wrestle anyone,” said Coach Cintron. “Many times, I have walked into a wrestling event and boys would be intimidated to wrestle her. Some would even back out because they didn’t want to be embarrassed if they lost to a girl. This season has without a doubt been the most amazing one of all. Having

all girls on the team with their own events allowed Aniyah to truly shine, showing all the hard work she put into getting ready for this season.”

As one could imagine, Alexis Griffin, Aniyah’s mother, is very proud of her daughter. “When I think of

Aniyah, I think of a young person who is full of wisdom, kindness and courage,” said Ms. Griffin. “As a young child, she was always eager to try new things and was never afraid of the outcome. Aniyah says that wrestling is more than a sport to her. It has

taught her many lessons that she will need along the way. It has taught her to be mentally tough, disciplined, and that girls can do this sport as well. She is an honor student who puts the books before any sport.”

“There are no words that can express the joy that Aniyah brings to me,” Alexis continued. “I am proud to be her number one supporter and I look forward to witnessing the greatness that is to come. I have always told Aniyah to remember who you are and WHOSE YOU ARE!”

Faith is a big part of Aniyah’s life. She can often be seen praying before her matches and she wears a robe to the mat with the following prayer on the back. “Dear Lord, the battles I go through in life I ask for a chance that’s

fair, a chance to equal my stride. A chance to or dare if I should win, live by the code. Faith and Honor held me high if I should lose, stand by the road and cheer as the winners go by. Amen.”

“Wrestling is the best decision I have made for myself,” said Aniyah. “It has taught me that there is no one else to blame for your mistakes so it forces you to take responsibility and gain courage to get on the mat and perform. In my 3 years of wrestling I have learned a lot and made unbreakable bonds that will last a lifetime. I have met some amazing people and have gotten to experience some great opportunities because of wrestling.”

Like other female wrestlers, Aniyah is looking to change the narrative that this is a man’s sport. “For a long time, wrestling has been a man’s sport but myself and a lot of other females are working to change that persepective. I want other young females to know that you don’t have to put yourself in a box just because of what society says. Therefore, wrestling is not only a sport. It’s a way of life.”

As a team, Pinson finished tenth out of 61 teams in the state, which has Coach Cintron excited for the future of Lady Indians Wrestling. “Aniyah has set the path for girls wrestling at Pinson High School.”

Aniyah Griffin (Photo by Myrna Cintron);

Pinson wrestler Aniyah Griffin prays before her match. (Photo by Myrna Cintron)

Moody boys advance to county finals with win over Springville, 62-50

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

MOODY – In a big rivalry game with a trip to the Saint Clair County tournament finals on the line, Moody played their best defensive game of the year and got help from Blaine Burke and Caden Helms late to pick up the win over the top-seeded Springville Tigers on Thursday night.

The first quarter was a defensive battle between these two rivals with Moody squeaking out a one-point advantage, 10-9 at the end of the period. Springville was led by Ty Harrison who hit a three-pointer in the quarter, followed by 2 points each from Brodie Frederick, Collin Lockhart and Asa Morrison. Moody’s Davion Dozier led his team with 5 points to go with 3 from Blaine Burke and 2 from Carson Dillashaw.

The second quarter would be very similar with the defenses relaxing just a bit to allow both offenses a little more wiggle room, but we would get the same result at the end, a one-point advantage for the Blue Devils. This time 15-14 would be the score for the quarter. Ben Wood led the Tigers with 5 points while Frederick would add 4 of his own to go with 3 from Zach Brown. Burke would lead the Blue Devils with 5 points, followed by Mason Myers with 4. Moody would take a narrow 25-23 lead into the locker room.

In the third quarter, Moody would create a lot of distance between them and their rivals with dominant defense, outscoring the Tigers 19-6. Fred erick would lead Springville with 3 points to go with 2 from

Morrison and a free throw from Harrison. Caden Helms would have 6 of Moody’s 19 points and Dillashaw would add 5 of his own with a host of others contributing in the third. 44-29 Moody heading into the final quarter of play. With a championship appearance on the line, Springville refused to just go away quietly. Down by 15, they would have their most success on offense, scoring 21 points in the final period. Despite the numerous attempts at a comeback, the Tigers would not be able to conquer Moody on this night, as Moody almost matched the offensive output by Springville, scoring 18. Springville was led by an explosive quarter from Ben Wood with 7 points and Collin Lockhart with 8. Buke would be the clutch shooter for Moody, hitting three point shots to de-rail two separate comeback attempts by Springville and contributing 6 points to Moody’s total for the quarter.

Springville would be led on the night by Ben Wood

Springville girls advance to county tournament finals with 63-27 win over top seed Saint Clair

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

MOODY – They say “defense wins championships.” If that is the case, the Springville Lady Tigers are well on their way to winning a championship. At the very least, they are in the championship game of the Saint Clair County girls basketball tournament after dominating the top-seeded Saint Clair County Saints on Thursday night.

Blaine Burke, no surprise, led the Blue Devils with 14 points but Caden Helms was nipping at his heels with 13. Davion Dozier scored 10 points on the night as well.

Springville Coach Brandon Easterwood said, of his team’s performance, “Moody played harder than us. They beat us to loose balls and got offensive rebounds. Those plays led to points and big shots that beat us. All credit to them. Hopefully we can learn from a loss and finish the season on a positive. I know my group and I know what they are capable of.”

“Huge win for us over a really good Springville team,” said Moody Coach Chad Bates. “Blaine played lights out for us tonight and hit some really big shots. Caden did too.”

Having punched their ticket to the Saint Clair County tournament finals, the Blue Devils will play the winners of the Saint Clair County vs Ragland game that will be played at Moody Friday night. The championship

Pinson beats Clay, seals regular season area championship

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

CLAY – Underdogs typically play well when playing against their rivals. In the Iron Bowl, no matter how much better one team may be on paper, the game is usually a closer game than the experts think it will be. It is no different with Pinson Valley and Clay Chalkville in basketball.

The 2023 edition of the Pinson Valley Indians’ basketball team is nothing short of spectacular. They are undefeated, top-ranked in 6A, nationally ranked and have beaten some of the best Alabama,

Blaine Burke (Photo by Tucker Webb - Daily Home)

Coach House coaches up the Springville girls.

(Photo by Nannette Crocker Hill)

Caleb White with a dunk. (Photo by Darrell Barber)

See SPRINGVILLE, Page 16

Greenwave falls in overtime to Pelham, 55-54

By Loyd McIntosh For The Tribune

LEEDS — Down by a single point with 3.5 seconds to play in overtime, the Leeds Green Wave brings the ball upcourt following a time-out. The Leeds offense swiftly swings the pill to sophomore point guard Tabair Davis for a chance to win.

However, Davis’ off-balance jumper comes up just short, bouncing off the rim as the Greenwave lose a heartbreaker to the Pelham Panthers, 55-54.

The loss, which moves Leeds to 4-11 on the season, was indicative of the Greenwave’s personality all year long, finding themselves behind early and on the ropes, only the fight back valiantly with an opportunity to win, according to Leeds Head Coach Jeremiah Millington.

“A lot of times, we’re reacting and trying to play catch up instead of being the aggressor and being the bully, which we have the ability to do,” Said Millington. “We want to get hit first and then respond when we need to come out a little more assertive.”

The first quarter saw Pelham jump out to an early 5-1 lead as the Greenwave struggled to find its rhythm offensively. The Panthers opened up with a quick two-pointer and a three-pointer before going cold from the perimeter themselves. For most of the first half, neither team looked great from outside, missing many open looks for three-pointers in what was shaping up to be a bit of a brick fest.

However, Pelham’s fullcourt defense forced a handful of turnovers leading to points in transition as the Panthers led the Greenwave at the end of the first quarter, 16-12. “I didn’t think we were very

tough to start tonight,” said Millington. “They started the game tough and we kind of fought back a little bit. By the start, for us, just wasn’t very good.”

In the second quarter, Leeds leaned on their big man, sophomore forward Gavin Bowlin, and the shooting of Davis as the Greenwave went on a 7-3 to tie the game at 1919 with just under four minutes to play in the first half.

Pelham answered with a bucket and foul shot on their next possession to regain the lead, 22-19. The Panthers immediately stole the inbound pass and converted a layup pushing the lead to five points, 24-19.

Leeds battled back cutting Pelham’s lead to two points at halftime, 26-24.

The Greenwave started the third quarter hot as Bowlin hit a short-range jumper to tie the game, 26-26. Moments later, after Pelham once again regained the lead by three, Bowlin cut Pelham’s lead to one point after converting a nifty left-handed layup.

Leeds finally captured its first lead of the game following a driving layup by Chirs Burge with just under six minutes to play in the third quarter, 30-29. Pelham immediately answered as Jackson Germeck drained a long-range

Lady Cougars get rivalry win in dominating fashion over Pinson Valley

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

CLAY – The Clay Chalkville Lady Cougars welcomed cross-town rivals Pinson Valley Indians to their gym on Tuesday night and won in every facet of the game in what Coach Kevin Connor would call “one of the most complete games we have played all year.”

two-point jumper to regain the lead, 31-30.

Despite going ice cold from long range, Pelham pushed its lead to four points, 37-33 as Millington called a timeout with 1:41 to play in the third quarter.

However, Bowlin was benched for the remainder of the game midway into the third quarter following a negative exchange with Millington during the timeout in which a handful of expletives by the head coach could be heard in the bleachers behind the bench.

The third quarter came to a close with Pelham up by only two points, 38-36. Leeds got off to a shaky start in the fourth quarter, forced to take a timeout on the opening inbound pass due to Pelham’s defensive pressure.

The Panthers and Greenwave played an exciting backand-forth fourth quarter. Leeds finally found success from the three-point line as Davis and Graham Gulock each hit huge three-pointers to keep Leeds in the game.

Then, with 1:30 to play in regulation, junior guard Jaelyn Felder sank a three-pointer to put Leeds on top, 49-47. However, Pelham’s Joe Wim-

See GREENWAVE, Page 16

The Pinson girls kept it pretty close in the first quarter, scoring 11 points against the Clay defense. Jada Griffin led the Indians with 6 points to go with Alisa Hawkins’ 3. The Cougar offense would find success scoring in the first quarter, putting up 17

with 6 of them coming from Kamoriah Gaines and another 4 coming from Cheyenne Pearson.

The Cougar defense would allow just 7 points from the Lady Indians with Griffin leading the scoring for Pinson with 4 points followed by Keke Riley’s 2 points. Offensively, Clay would hit their stride and score 23 on the Indians’ defense. Of the 23, Brooklyn Phillips would hit 3 three-pointers for 9 points in the quarter, paired with 7 from Kameron Sanders. The Cougars would have a commanding 40-18 lead heading into the half.

The third quarter would be much of the same as Clay outscored Pinson by 10 points and put more distance be-

See COUGARS, Page 16

Hewitt Trussville girls continue dominance with 55-point win over Oak Mountain

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

TRUSSVILLE – Anoth-

er night, another dominant performance by the Hewitt Trussville Lady Huskies. This edition of “Blowouts by Hewitt” took place on Tuesday night at “The Bank” in Trussville (Bryant Bank Arena) and the victims were the Oak Mountain Eagles.

The Lady Huskies started a little bit slow in the first, only scoring 11 points. On the defensive side of the ball, they allowed the Jaguars to match

them with 11 of their own.

Jordan Hunter did not start slow though, scoring 6 of the Huskies’ 11 points in the first.

The second quarter was a completely different sto-

See HEWITT, Page 16

Clay Chalkville Point Guard Aniyah Crenshaw.

(Photo by Loyd McIntosh)

Jordan and Tonya Hunter (Photo by Ken Shephard)

Devin Bedell lays it in. (Photo by Loyd McIntosh)

From page 14

Springville started the night by doubling up the Saints by a score of 14-7.

Bella Bullington scored 7 of those points, getting a head start on her great night. Olivia Carroll would add 3 points and Leah Bowden and Abby Byrd would contribute 2 each in the first period of play.

In the second quarter, the Tigers would smother Saint Clair on the defensive side of the ball, allowing just 6 points from the number one seed in the tournament. On the offensive side, a host of Tiger girls got involved with Bullington leading the way once again with 4 points. Carroll and teammate Audrey Talton would both add 3 points each to put Springville up 3013 heading into the halftime break.

The Saints would put up a bit of a fight in the third quarter, scoring 13 points on the Tigers’ defense, but Springville would answer with 17 of their own. Farrah Hawkins would explode on the scene for the night, scoring 9 of the 17 points for the Tigers while Bullington and Carroll had 4 apiece. With the score now 47-26, the Lady Tigers could taste that county tournament final heading into the final quarter of the game.

With that taste in their mouths, they held the Saints to a single point in the final quarter of play, an absolute lights-out defensive performance by Springville’s young ladies. On the offensive side of the ball, Bullington joined teammate Ava Vaughn with 4 points to close out the game as the Lady Tigers put up 16 points in the fourth quarter,

Pinson

sealing the 63-27 win and punching their ticket to the championship game in the Saint Clair County tournament.

No surprise, Bella Bullington was the leading scorer on the night, steadily putting up points in each quarter and scoring 19 points total on the night. Olivia Carroll had 12 points to help out her team. Both young ladies have really come alive in the latter part of the season. “Both are playing better as of late,” said Coach Warren House of both girls’ play. Farrah Hawkins had a nice game as well, scoring 11 points on the night.

Springville will now play the winners of the Moody vs Victory Christian game which will take place Friday evening. The championship game will be held on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm at Moody High School.

From page 14

have to offer. Tuesday night, the Clay Chalkville Cougars gave it all they had, but fell just short against the visiting Indians. “It was a defensive game that came down to ball security and rebounding,” said Chris Richardson, Head Coach of the Clay Chalkville Cougars.

In the first quarter, the Cougars held the high-octane offense of the Indians to just 7 points while putting up 12 in the process. Devon McKinnon led Clay with 6 points to go with 3 from Kevin Kirk and Tiawan Hardy. For Pinson, Ray McCants, Terry Coner and Amarion Bowens all had 2 points to lead the Indians.

Coming out of the locker room, Clay would continue to go toe to toe with the top team in the classification, only getting outscored 16-12 and keeping themselves within striking distance of their rivals. Kirk would lead the Cougars for the quarter with 5 points, paired with 3 from both McKinnon and Hardy. The Indians would be led White with 7, McCants with 5 and Clyde Walters with 4. The lead would grow to 39-34 in Pinson’s favor heading into the final quarter of play.

the field which displayed how both teams defended.”

Pinson coach Darrell Barber said, “We knew going on the road would be tough. They always play us tough at their house. Although it was not pretty, our guys showed grit and fight to get through some adverse situations.”

Caleb White would lead the Indians in scoring with 27 points on the night. Ray McCants and Jaylen Tyus would get some attention as well with Coach Barber saying, “Raymon McCants (13 points and 3 three-pointers) and Jaylan Tyus (5 points and 10 rebounds) had solid games for us.”

Cougars

From page 15

tween the two teams, despite Pinson’s never quit attitude.

Pinson would be led by Alisa Hawkins with 3 of the Indians’ 7 points in the period.

Pearson would have another good quarter for the Cougars, scoring 6 of their 17 points leading to a 57-25 lead for her

Greenwave

From page 15

Leeds had a go-ahead shot blocked and Pelham was unable to sink a last-second shot, sending the game into overtime. In the extra period, Pelham jumped out to a fast start only to see Leeds keep it close with a chance to win only to fall short of what would have been a gritty comeback for

team heading into the final frame.

The Clay defense would continue to show out as they did not allow a single point from the Pinson girls in the fourth quarter. The Cougars would show some mercy on their rivals by only scoring 6 of their own in the period, making it a final of 63-25.

“It’s a rivalry game so

Millington’s young Greenwave squad.

“They’re young and growing. We have a bunch of sophomores running around out there. We just Just moments of immaturity, lack of focus,” said Millington.

“But it speaks a lot to their competitive spirit the way we fought until the end,” Millington added. “They’re not just going to give up. They’re not going to quit in any game at any moment.”

Leeds will finish out the season with games against Gardendale, Carver, John

our girls wanted to prove a point,” said Coach Connor. “I thought defensively we made it hard for them to score which allowed us to get our offense going and pull away in the second quarter.”

The Cougars improved to 17-6 overall and 2-1 in the area. They will travel to Mortimer Jordan Friday night to take on the Blue Devils.

Caroll, and Briarwood leading into the area tournament. Millington said the quality competition will give them a chance to gain valuable experience as the season draws to a close.

“We have some really good competition to finish out the season and every one of those teams looks different. I hope every time we play we can run some different stuff and change it up a little bit,” Millington said. “But it’s going to be some good competition to get us ready for next season, that’s for sure.”

Pinson found some offensive success in the second quarter, putting up 16 points while the Cougars managed just 10. Caleb White got revved up, scoring 9 of the 16 to go with McCants’ 3 points. For Clay, Kirk had 4 points while McKinnon, Hardy and Immanuel Dothard had 2 each. The score heading into the break would be a close 23-22 Indian lead.

In the fourth quarter, Caleb White would take over on the offensive side of the ball for Pinson, scoring 10 of his team’s 19 in the final period. Bowens would add 4 points to help the Indians. Kirk would continue his great night shooting for the Cougars with 8 points in the quarter to lead his team, but 14 points would be all Clay could get on offense and it would not be enough to take down Pinson. The final would be 58-48 Indians.

“Pinson did a better job on defense and rebounding than us so they came out on top,” said Coach Richardson. “Both teams struggled from

Hewitt

From page 15

ry. Hunter would continue to shoot the lights out, matching her team’s first quarter total with 11 points alone to go with April Hooks’ 6 points and Avore Benson’s 5. On defense, the Huskies completely smothered the Oak Mountain offense, allowing a mere 3 points. Hewitt would head into the break with a 35-14 lead and tons of momentum on their side.

The third would be even worse for the visiting Eagles as Hewitt would continue to score at will. Hunter would get another 9, paired with 8 from Sara Phillips and 5 from DeAndrea Powell for

a 28-point quarter from the Huskies. Once again, the Husky defense would clamp down on Oak Mountain, allowing just 5 points in the period. The score heading into the final quarter would be a dominant 63-19, all Huskies.

In the final quarter, Coach Hunter and her girls would show a bit of mercy and only score 14 points, but the defense was much less benevolent, allowing another 3-point quarter (all free throws). Hooks would lead the quarter with 5 points and Hunter would cap off her spectacular night with 5 in the fourth.

Jordan Hunter absolutely dominated, outscoring Oak Mountain by herself with 29 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists

and a steal. Teammate April Hooks continues to be a scoring machine on the season, putting up 16 points along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals against the Eagles and Sara Phillips had 12 points of her own with an outstanding 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals.

For Clay, Kevin Kirk had an outstanding night, scoring 20 points to lead the Cougars. Teammate Devon McKinnon would add 14 for the Cougars. Pinson is now 22-0 on the season and 4-0 in area play. With the win, Pinson wins the 6A Area 12 regular season championship and will host the area tournament for the fifth year in a row. Clay falls to 12-10 overall and 1-2 in area play. They will travel to Mortimer Jordan Friday night to take on the Blue Devils. berly was fouled on a drive in the paint and sank both free throws to tie the game, 49-49, with under a minute to play in regulation.

Coach Tonya Hunter said, “Our pace on offense at the start of the game was entirely too slow. We challenged our girls to dig hard defensively. Our defense created our flow offensively.”

The Huskies are now 216, ranked in the top 5 in the state and riding an 11-game winning streak. They will welcome area foe Spain Park to The Bank on Friday night.

Aniyah Griffin Pinson Valley Girls Wrestling