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By Hannah Caver Staff Writer
MOODY — Moody is painting the city pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month in honor of those who are fighting this disease and in memory of those who have lost their battle. See PINK, Page 4
Adelynn’s Army moves into action to raise awareness for rare disease By Hannah Caver Staff Writer
SPRINGVILLE — A Springville family hosted Moving into Action for OCNDS on Saturday, October 16, at 10 a.m. at Lakeside Park in Pell City to bring awareness to Okur-Chung Neurodevelopmental Syndrome (OCNDS). See ADELYNN, Page 6
Springville Police Department accepts Toys for Tots donations From The Tribune Staff Reports
SPRINGVILLE — The Springville Police Department is accepting donations for Toys for Tots through December 10, 2021. See TOYS, Page 4
Leeds Council hires new school resource officer, approves culvert repairs By Nathan Prewett For The Tribune
LEEDS – During a meeting of the Leeds City Council on Monday, Oct. 18, the council hired a new school resource officer in addition to amending the budget for new streetlights, as well as for emergency culvert repairs, among several other items. See COUNCIL, Page 5
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Rotary names studentteacher of the month
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Hewitt-Trussville Band
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Trussville woman’s murderer faces Thursday execution date By Bobby Mathews and Erica Thomas
ATMORE — The execution of Willie B. Smith can proceed, a federal judge ruled on Sunday, October 17, 2021. Smith, who was convicted in the 1991 killing of Trussville woman Sharma Ruth Johnson, is currently on death row in William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. His execution is now scheduled for this Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 6 p.m. In the ruling, made public on October 18, U.S. Chief District Judge Emily Marks denied a request for a preliminary injunction sought by Smith’s lawyers. The Associated Press reports that Smith’s attorneys are appealing the ruling. The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ordered Marks to consider the injunction request, which she denied after ruling that Smith was not likely to prevail in the lawsuit, which was brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This means that Smith’s execution will move forward, pending a suc-
cessful appeal by the court or a stay by the governor’s office. If the execution goes forward, it will occur nearly 30 years to the day that Smith and an accomplice kidnapped and murdered their victim. Johnson was 22 years old when she was murdered. She was abducted from an ATM off Parkway East, in the Center Point area by Smith, who was the same age as the victim at the time, and a 17-yearold female accomplice. That teen, Angelica Willis, was charged with capital murder as well but struck a plea deal with prosecutors to testify
against Smith. Testimony at the trial revealed that Johnson had no prior relationship with Smith and Willis, and that she had been picked at random to be the victim of the crime. Willis said Smith directed her to ask Johnson for directions to a fast-food restaurant on the night of Oct. 26, 1991. According to trial testimony, the two had no relationship with the victim and simply picked her to be the victim in the random crime. When Willis asked Johnson where Krystal’s Hamburgers was located, Johnson
said she did not know. At that time, Smith approached the car with a sawed-off shotgun and demanded Johnson get in the trunk of the car. The two suspects then got in the car, with Smith driving and Willis in the passenger’s seat, drove to the Huffman area, then back to the ATM where they withdrew the remaining $80 from the victim’s account. Video from the bank was used to track down the suspects. It showed the incident at the ATM happened around 1:25 a.m. on Oct. 27. The suspects then drove to Huffman to pick up Willis’ brother. Willis testified that once her brother learned the woman was in the trunk, he taunted her. The three then drove to Zion Memorial Cemetery, where Smith shot Johnson, execution-style. Willis said before the shooting she and her brother tried to tell Smith he didn’t have to kill her. She said Smith told Johnson, “I’m going to have to kill you” because he thought she would call the police. He then shot her in the head. See TRUSSVILLE, Page 5
Price’s Ice Cream is a blast into the past By Hannah Caver Staff Writer
PINSON — The old Price’s Drug Store located at 4300 Pinson Main St. in Pinson has been resurrected to its former glory, but with a sweeter touch as Price’s Ice Cream. As you step into Price’s Ice Cream, music blasts through the speakers pulling each customer further down memory lane. The owner of Price’s Ice Cream, Kevin Nelson, said the Price’s Drug Store was shut down in 1985 and the building has been empty ever since then. Nelson recognized the space as a relic that should be cherished, so he purchased the building in 2015. “I wanted to keep this all original,” Nelson said. “The soda fountain has always been here. I wanted to restore the drugstore, so I made a museum in the corner where the drugstore originally stood and kept the overall building actually what it was.” Candy red bar stools line the counter beckoning all who enter to sit and enjoy
one of Price’s Monumental Hotdogs or to dive into a delicious dessert. “People just grab ice creams or hot dogs and sit on on the stools and eat at the bar like old school,” Nelson said. Nelson explained how he sat at those same stools as a kid with his little brother spinning him around as they waited for their ice cream. He wants his grandkids to experience the same joy he felt as a child sitting on the stools and eating ice cream. Nelson loves having kids come into his shop; he wants to give
them a memory that they will cherish for the rest of their life. “Every kid that walks in the door they’re telling their parents they want to go back and see the magician guy he pulled gummy bears out from behind my ear,” Nelson said. “I give all the kids who come in here gummy bears because you’re planting seeds.” As you gaze around the ice cream parlor, you are pulled further into the past, almost as if you stepped into the original Price’s Drug Store. Nelson explained that
people enter the ice cream shop to share memories and bring more items to add to the museum. A couple who met in the original drug store when they were 15-years-old came back to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The couple has been married for 71 years and wanted to walk down memory lane and visit the original place they met. Others have brought back toys that were brought back toys like model airplanes to give to Nelson. “He walked in the door, and he handed to me it’s a model airplane in the box,” Nelson said. “He said, ‘I bought it here in 1961 when I was nine years old for 98 cents; I saved the money for a long time.’ He never touched it, never built it brand new in the box, and now it’s sitting in the showroom case.” Nelson said these stories alone keep Price’s Ice Cream alive because it brings something beautiful back to the community that was lost a long time ago.
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Paint it Pink Moody for Breast Cancer Awareness month
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Choat to address Trussville ‘State of the City’ during monthly luncheon From The Tribune Staff Reports
TRUSSVILLE — Mayor Buddy Choat will give his annual State of the City Address at the Thursday, October 21 monthly luncheon of the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce. See CHOAT, Page 3
Springville replaces trash disposal vendor, approves city budget By Terry Schrimscher For The Tribune
SPRINGVILLE — The Springville City Council met for the second regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday night, November 18, with a full agenda including downtown lighting, city budgets, and trash disposal services. See SPRINGVILLE, Page 6
Leeds Board of Education discusses AASB delegation, state funding at meeting By Nathan Prewett For The Tribune
LEEDS – During a short meeting of the Leeds Board of Education, the board discussed a delegation to the upcoming Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) in Montgomery. See LEEDS, Page 3
Trussville family creates haunted house By Hannah Caver Staff Writer
TRUSSVILLE — A Trussville family plans to host a fundraiser to raise donations for veteran suicide awareness in the form of a haunted house in Stockton from dusk until 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 30 – 31. See HAUNTED, Page 4