The Trussville Tribune – December 21 - 27, 2022

By Crystal McGough Associate Editor

TRUSSVILLE

Pinson Mayor spreads awareness about ALS after diagnosis, ‘I’m just thankful for all the support’

By Hannah Curran Editor

PINSON — Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function, ultimately affecting a person’s motor nerves, such as walking, eating, speaking, and breathing.

Pinson Council creates ‘Operations Director’ position

By Crystal McGough Associate Editor

PINSON – The Pinson City Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday night, Dec. 15, establishing a new full-time employment position within the city: Operations Director.

For Pinson Mayor Joe Cochran, the realization of this disease became all too real after he began noticing problems with his physical abilities over a year ago.

“I was limping, and my hands started acting up,” Cochran said. “So I went to the doctor and said, ‘Look, something’s going on here.’”

Cochran was sent to a neurologist, where he received a preliminary diagnosis of ALS. He was then sent to a neurologist specialist, who confirmed the ALS diagnosis in July 2022.

“It’s all been kind of quick, really, when you think about the way things go,” Cochran said. “It’s weird when

you sit there, and somebody tells you, ‘We believe you have ALS.’”

When you receive a diagnosis like ALS, Cochran explained that it makes you take a step back and think about the life you’ve lived.

“You take stock of your life, and you look back and

Superintendent Gonsoulin presents updates on Clay schools

By Terry Schrimscher For The Tribune

CLAY — The Clay City Council met Tuesday night, Dec. 13, for the first scheduled meeting of the month. Dr. Walter Gonsoulin, superintendent of Jefferson County Schools, delivered an update on schools to the Council and

TRUSSVILLE

say, ‘What have I done?’ and ‘Have I done it well,’ because I know now my time is more limited,” Cochran said. “To be honest, I’ve looked at my life, and it couldn’t be any better. I couldn’t ask for more goodness or better friends and family. I have a wonderful wife and daughter. It’s been

just one absolutely magnificent life.”

Cochran explained that ALS is a rare disease that affects everyone differently. Only about 16,000 people are living with ALS in the United States. ALS affects people between 50 and 70 years old, most of whom are diagnosed around 55. Also, men are 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ALS than women, but as a person ages, the likelihood that a male or female is diagnosed is almost equal.

Additionally, 90 percent of ALS cases occur without any family history of the disease. Cochran falls into that 90 percent range with no knowledge of any ALS diagnosis in his family.

“No family history for me,” Cochran said. “My mom and dad both died pretty early. My dad was 62, and my mom was 50; nothing was in their DNA that told us anything. It’s just one of those diseases.

Ascension St. Vincent’s East schedules 300th Watchman Procedure

By Hannah Curran Editor

BIRMINGHAM — Ascension St. Vincent’s East has scheduled its 300th Watchman Procedure, which will be performed before the end of the year.

Dr. Corey Coleman, Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Ascension St. Vincent’s East, explained that the Watchman procedure is where they implant a small device inside the heart to help lower a person’s risk for stroke from a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation.

“It’s a catheter-based procedure where we use a small catheter in the vein at the top of someone’s leg to then go in and access the heart,” Coleman said. “The device is loaded inside this catheter and then deployed inside the heart in a specific location where clots can develop that will immobilize or move out of the heart and go to the brain, causing strokes. So we close off this area of the heart to

help lower the risk of stroke.”

Coleman said it’s designed to try and help remove the need for blood thinning medications to lower the risk of stroke.

Dr. John Parks, Interventional Cardiologist at Ascension St. Vincent’s East, explained that atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm abnormality that comes with an increased risk of blood clots and stroke.

“People normally are put on a blood thinner for atrial fibrillation, but we have a large number of patients who have bleeding issues or have other reasons that it’s not ideal for them to take up blood thinner for the rest of their life,” Parks said. “So this procedure is a minimally invasive alternative for them to have another way to protect against stroke without taking a blood thinner.”

The Watchman Procedure also helps improve a patient’s overall quality of life.

“Patients have a lot of frustration with the problems with taking blood thinners,” Parks said. “So once we’re able to successfully do the procedure, they have protection against stroke, but they also have less complications with bleeding, and have less emotional angst with the risk of taking a blood thinner. So it’s, in general, an improvement in their quality of life, and also can help keep them out of the hospital with bleeding complications.”

Coleman said this procedure has increased in volume over the last several years.

“This is a relatively new procedure in our field,” Coleman said. “It’s only been available really for widespread use in the past decade.”

Coleman explained that prior to the procedure, people who were in this situation

Center Point Council discusses purchase of vehicles

By Nathan Prewett For the Tribune

CENTER POINT – The Center Point City Council met on Thursday, Dec. 5, to discuss the proposed purchase of two vehicles.

The council first considered the purchase of a Dodge

By Hannah Curran Editor

TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Council approved a

By Hannah Curran Editor

Trussville Council approves resolution endorsing road improvement project on North Chalkville Road

resolution endorsing a road improvement

Dr. Corey Coleman (in green) and Dr. John Parks (holding the sign). (Photo courtesy of Shea Allen)

June and Joe Cochran (Photo courtesy of Joe Cochran)

Joslyn Marie Campbell

Scott Buttram,

Hannah

Crystal

Johnny

Moody breaks ground on Starbucks development

From The Tribune staff reports

MOODY — Commuters and coffee drinkers will soon have a new choice. This week, a project to bring Starbucks to one of Moody’s busiest gateways broke ground. Developers and city leaders gathered Thursday for a groundbreaking ceremony on the future site of the Starbucks at Moody Parkway and Blue Ridge Drive in Moody.

Will Roark, Brice Johnston, and Chris McCoy with RJ Development thanked all the stakeholders involved in the project, saying the project was coming up on about the one-and-a-half-year mark.

“We’re excited to see this project come to fruition and want to thank all those

involved in the process. We have enjoyed working with the City and County on this project,” McCoy said.

The 2,500-square-foot Starbucks is scheduled to open in June 2023 and will create approximately 20 jobs. Customers will have the option of indoor and patio seating, as well as a drivethrough. The project brings a multi-million-dollar investment to the City of Moody.

“The City Council and I listen to our neighbors about the different retailers we would all like to see in Moody,” Mayor Joe Lee said. “Most times, this involves our team connecting the right developer, who has a relationship with the retailers we want, with a property owner who is willing to work with them. I am happy we were able to make this happen on this project. I know this project will be a tre-

mendous success because this is a brand many have talked about, and Chris McCoy’s team has worked hard to make it happen. It’s all about working as a team.”

“We are happy to once again be able to partner with Mayor Lee and his team on another great project,” Chairman Stan Batemon of the St. Clair County Commission said.

“Chris and his development team have been wonderful to work with, and I believe this is just the first of many of their investments in Moody and other parts of our community.”

RJ Development specializes in all aspects of commercial real estate with a primary focus on the development of new retail shopping centers. The company has developed more than 2 million square feet of retail space.

Adobe Stock Image.

Doctors are trying to find the connectors; they just haven’t found anything yet.”

So far, Cochran said he is doing pretty good. He is still able to walk, and while he does have some struggles with his conversation, he doesn’t plan to let it hold him back.

“That’s just part of the disease sometimes; everyday things are occasionally more difficult,” Cochran said. “I’m just thankful for all the support I found in my community; people are reaching out to help in any way they can. I’m very blessed.”

Cochran said that due to how rapid the disease is for some people, it’s hard to put a timeline on anything.

“Some people get the diagnosis, and they’re gone within 18 months; some people live years and years with ALS,” Cochran said. “Kerry Goode has been battling it for seven years, and he’s out advocating for ALS. I applaud him. I would like to kind of mirror history and be here a little longer, to be here for my family, friends, and community. I just want to be here as long as I can.”

Cochran is not letting this disease hold him back from his duties as mayor, and he said that he’s living life without any complaints because “nobody is guaranteed tomorrow.”

“My intention is to remain the mayor of Pinson until I can’t be the mayor,” Cochran said. “Right now, I’ve got three years left on this term, I plan on finishing these three years, and if I feel good, I’ll run for re-election.”

Cochran is also trying to raise awareness for ALS. He explained that the ALS As-

L oca L / R egion

sociation in Birmingham has been an incredible advocate for them.

“They have helped us with the journey, putting us in touch with the right people to talk to, the right clinics to go to, and things that are available to help,” Cochran said.

Cochran said that there are two specialty clinics in the Birmingham area, the Kirkland Clinic and Dr. Weiser in Homewood. In addition, there’s help all over the country, and a lot of research is being done at the Mayo Clinic to find a possible cure for the disease.

The ALS Association also held a walk a couple of months ago that raised money for ALS awareness.

“I would like to say a personal thank you to Charles Barkley,” Cochran said. “He recently gave a million dollars for ALS awareness. He’s a great guy who does great things in our community, and I appreciate it. The support I found here is beyond anything I could ever imagine. I’m really lucky to be very fortunate.”

The next event will be at Regions Field on Thursday, Feb. 9, so join the ALS Association for “an inspirational evening dedicated to raising awareness and defeating ALS at the Changing the Game gala.”

Lou Gehrig, the iron horse of baseball, showed extraordinary commitment to the game for many years. Even in the face of the devastating diagnosis of ALS, his spirit of courage remains an inspiration to this day. Changing the Game forever secures the Spirit of Lou Gehrig Award Honorees as champions of ALS who, like Lou Gehrig, “Changed the Game.”

“The gala brings together individuals to generate funds

that further our mission to discover treatments and a cure for ALS and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest,” the ALS Association stated.

“The semi-formal event will feature a dinner, awards ceremony, silent and live auction, and a keynote address from Walter Woltosz, creator of the first PC-based Augmentative Communication Device. Please join us as a supporter of The ALS Association’s research and care services programs, which makes a difference in the lives of hundreds of individuals and families across Alabama.”

Earlier this year, Cochran was recognized for his decades of service to the Pinson Valley athletic program and the community at large. Surrounded by family and close friends, Cochran was surprised with several honors, including the renaming of the press box at Willie Adams Stadium to the Joe Cochran Press Box.

Moving to Pinson in the early 1990s, Cochran quickly found himself volunteering in a number of roles in the Pinson Valley High School athletic program. He said he spent ten or 11 years calling Indians football games, 15 years or so in the girl’s softball press box, and even more time calling baseball and basketball games. He was even drafted into service as a coach for the girl’s softball team several years ago.

Over the years, Cochran has worked tirelessly to raise money for area schools, even operating an educational foundation for the better part of a decade. Shortly after Pinson was incorporated in 2004, Cochran was elected to the city council and eventually as mayor.

Pinson

From front page

The Operations Director position will be filled by existing Director of Public Works, Eric Winfrey.

“The mayor came with a proposal here regarding having one of our current employees basically modify his position – Mr. Winfrey, who is over our Public Works Department,” Councilor Robbie Roberts said. “I was able to meet with Mr. Winfrey, along with one of the other council members, and we had a good conversation there about what the role would require and compared notes with what the mayor had expressed in this job. I think that, for the situation as it stands right now, I think this is an excellent idea. I feel like this is basically an affirmation of something that has already been taking place to some extent. Eric’s stepped up a lot here over the last several months on these things and been helping the mayor out. So, I think this is going to be a good move.”

Resolution No. 22-36 states that the Operations Director will directly report to the mayor and the mayor will supervise the activities of and make all employment decisions relating to the position.

According to the official job description, the Operations Director will be a full-time, at-will employee of the city, with a sal-

Missing

From front page

SPRINGVILLE

ary range of $57,000-$81,000 per year. In this position, Winfrey will assist the mayor with various operations of the city, including directing operations of the Public Works Department, Park and Recreation Department, any outside contractors, events, parades, building maintenance and repairs, construction projects, IT issues, upgrades and repairs, software operations and issues, and communication with vendors.

“It’s basically outlining what he’s already doing, for the most part,” Mayor Joe Cochran said. “With some expansion on that, but mostly what he’s already doing.”

The council also approved a bid from Vanguard Cleaning Systems for janitorial services at City Hall, the Rock School Complex, the Pinson Community Center and the Palmerdale Homestead Community Center.

The total bid amount was $4,182/month, with service

18, around 6 a.m.

According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), the Springville Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance locating 6-year-old Joslyn Marie Campbell.

Campbell was last seen in the 6000 block of US 11 in the Springville area. She was

rates divided up as follows:

City Hall – $1,170/month, for service two days per week

• Rock School Complex –$1,612/month, for service two days per week

• Pinson Community Center – $600/month, for service one day per week

PHCC – $800/month, for service one day per week

City Hall and other city offices will be closed on Friday, Dec. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) employee training.

Pinson Public Library will be closed all day Friday.

The next regular meeting of the Pinson City Council will be Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at Pinson City Hall, beginning at 7 p.m. A pre-council workshop will be held before the meeting at 6:15 p.m.

Crystal McGough can be contacted at mcgoughcrystal@ gmail.com

last seen wearing a Cheetah print onesie. Campbell is 3 foot 7 inches tall and around 45 pounds; she has hazel eyes and brown hair.

Authorities ask anyone who has any information regarding the whereabouts of Joslyn Campbell to call the Springville Police Department at (205) 467-2701.

L-R: Councilor John Churchwell, Councilor Brad Walker, City Clerk Marie Turner, Councilor Clinteshia Irvin, Operations Director Eric Winfrey, Councilor Glenda Kirkland, Mayor Joe Cochran, Councilor Robbie Roberts (Photo by Crystal McGough)

From The Tribune staff reports

— An Emergency Missing Child Alert has been issued for a Springville 6-year-old who was last seen on Sunday, Dec.

project located at the North Chalkville Road, Pineview Road, and Green Drive areas within the city limits, as proposed by the Jefferson County Roads & Transportation Department.

The council authorized Mayor Buddy Choat to convey a temporary construction easement and a right-of-way to Jefferson County.

It’ll help alleviate the traffic that backs up on Chalkville Mountain Road. It’s a problem the county has jumped on for us. It’s long overdue, and we’re happy to be able to have it.”

Jefferson County Roads and Transportation Department is embarking on a road improvements project (Project No. 37-20-007) on the North Chalkville Road, Pineview Road, and Green Drive areas within the city limits of Trussville.

During Council reports, Councilmember Jaime Anderson mentioned that the museum would be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17.

The Veterans Memorial is on schedule, and they plan to have the project done by the end of January for the dedication on Mar. 28, 2023.

Also, Choat explained they’re sending out the business license letters this week.

“A new thing Stacy and I talked about this morning, after the first of the year, there will be an ability for business owners to go online and do the business license online for the first time, and that’s included in the letter that’s going out this week,” Choat said.

“We’re very excited,” Choat said. “That’s a widening of North Chalkville Road to

from about the Stone

neighborhood over to the interstate.

The next city council meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 6 p.m. at City Hall Annex, located at 113 North Chalkville Road.

truck to be used for code enforcement for $32,430.50. Mayor Bobby Scott said that the current vehicle has been used since 2006 and is often in need of repairs, which he said is expensive.

Councilman Glenn Williams pointed out that a car might be less expensive and asked what the reason would be for a truck instead. Scott said that the Dodge truck on the agenda is being considered based on its availability as no cars were available, so if they did not approve purchasing it, he doesn’t know when they will be able to buy another one. The truck is on the state bid list.

Later Williams reiterated that he did not see the reason to have a truck in lieu of a less expensive car that could be just as sufficient. After discussion Councilwoman Tiffany Moore motioned to solicit bids for a different vehicle, which was approved.

Afterward, a lengthier discussion was had for purchasing a van for the community center for $56,747.20. Scott said that staff at the center are using one of the city vehicles to transport people to the after-school program there.

Councilwoman Sharon Jones asked how many children were enrolled in the program, to which Scott said

there were only two now because the current transportation was inadequate. She asked if there were others interested, and Scott replied that there is a waiting list of parents interested in enrolling their children.

Jones supported the idea but expressed concerns about the program and urged making sure that it has health and safety requirements in place, noting an apparent lack of protocols. Later, Moore said there was not enough information about the proposal and program. Councilwoman Ebonee Copeland echoed Moore’s concerns, saying that there is too much going on in the city without the council’s knowledge, citing a recent mural project she didn’t know about as an example.

Moore asked Scott if he approved the program before it was implemented. Scott replied that he intended to bring

it before the council but wanted to start it.

“We checked our insurance; we checked our liability,” Scott said. “We thought it wouldn’t be an issue, so we wanted to go ahead and get started. However, Councilwoman Jones did bring forth some things. That’s why I wanted to revisit it with you all. I wasn’t trying to bypass you all.”

Moore then expressed her disagreement, saying that there needed to be more information.

“We’ve all sat here, and we’ve said on many occasions about other stuff, about us wanting thorough information when it’s presented,” Moore said. “Not after the fact, not having to go back. And I’m having to sit here, research questions, and look up stuff about something that should’ve been given to me before the night to look in.”

After more discussion, the council ultimately voted to table the matter.

In other businesses, the council voted on two items on the consent agenda. The first was to pass a resolution to participate in Alabama’s medical cannabis industry. A resolution must be approved in order to do this.

The second item was an agreement with Capstone Realty, which was voted on at the previous meeting. The reason that it was brought up again, Collins said, was that the council “missed some steps” and had to hold a hearing before passing it. The hearing was held last week, where Collins said no one spoke for or against it.

The agreement is a tax incentive to Capstone for their renovation projects in the Upland and Southwind apartment complexes.

The council also announced that a public hearing for a sign ordinance is scheduled for Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. The Planning and Zoning Commission made several amendments to update the ordinance, such as allowing penalties for dilapidated signs.

The Center Point City Council meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month at City Hall at 2209 Center Point Parkway.

Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@ gmail.com.

Mayor Choat discussed the road improvement project on North Chalkville Road.

(Photo by Hannah Curran)

Bobby Scott on Dec. 15, 2022. (Photo by Nathan Prewett)

capacity crowd in lieu of the usual City Manager’s Report.

“During COVID, we learned some students can learn best in virtual. Not a whole lot,” Gonsoulin said. “Now that we’re out of COVID, we have an attendance issue.”

Gonsoulin said most students do better in brick-andmortar locations with faceto-face interaction. The state defines chronic absenteeism as students who miss 18 or more school days in a school year.

Gonsoulin reported the chronic absentee rates of the five Jefferson County schools service the Clay area. The rates for each school were: Clay Elemen-

tary (17 percent), Chalkville Elementary (22 percent), Bryant Park (22 percent), ClayChalkville Middle School (26 percent), and Clay-Chalkville High School (29 percent).

In the most recent school report cards, Clay-Chalkville High School was added to Alabama’s list of failing schools.

The Alabama Accountability Act of 2015 mandates that all schools in the bottom 6 percent of scores be listed as failing. Clay-Chalkville High School received a grade of 69, with 13 percent of students considered proficient in English language arts and only 4 percent proficient in math.

“I don’t think people realize how important attendance is to student achievement,”

Gonsoulin said. “You have 4536 students. Of that, 1101 of those students missed 18 or more days. That’s a total for those students; at a minimum, that’s 19,818 days. The message here is clear. I can’t teach you if you’re not there.”

Gonsoulin took questions from the crowd and Council about ways to improve test scores. He also introduced the school board’s Signature Academy program, which is designed to increase student engagement by offering specialized courses throughout the school system on a wide variety of professional subjects ranging from agriculture, biomedical, technology, art, music, and more designed to allow students to move quickly into a

career or secondary study.

In other business, the Council passed four proclamations honoring freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior youth cheerleading squads for their hard work and success in competitions in 2022. Each age group, ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade, competed and won recognitions in the United Youth Football of Alabama and Battle of the South cheerleading competitions.

Girls from each age group were present, with their coaches, to receive a trophy and a copy of the resolution for their group from Mayor Webster.

Due to the holiday schedule, the next meeting of the Clay City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 20.

TCSF

From

tal giving of $31,108 back to Trussville City Schools Teachers who sent awards are:

• Cahaba Elementary School

» Incredible Infographics

– Lisa Rish ($1,500)

» Cahaba Lights the Way!

– Tina Fortenberry ($1,500)

» Let’s Get Moving in Math – Kylee Coggins ($904.45)

» Sensory Room Makeover – Sarah Jackson ($1,500)

» Mindfully Managing Moods and Emotions and Kindergarten – Angela Shorter ($1,500)

ing through Nonfiction Books – Rebecca Waylander ($1,495.50)

» Brick Based Counseling – Lauren Blake ($804.23)

» Creating Classroom Calm Corner – Frances Box ($1,018)

• Paine Elementary School

» Paine Podcasts – Lynsey Phillips ($1,466.36)

» Building Creative Brains – Susan Brand ($1,500)

» Making Learning Come Alive – Heather Cates ($692.59)

» ARTchitects – Kelsi Olcatt ($1429.89)

» Full STEAM Ahead –Lesley Rogers ($1,500)

Hewitt-Trussville Middle School

Place subdivision in Trussville, where local resident and Clay-Chalkville Middle School teacher Matthew Yerby roasts and sells his special Fly Line Coffee from his home.

With a background in business and a passion for coffee and the outdoors, Yerby founded Fly Line Coffee Co. in September 2022, with a dream to provide coffee drinkers both near and far with fresh-roasted, high quality coffee from around the globe.

“I’ve always been passionate about coffee – the different origins of where it comes from – and I wanted to make it more accessible, price-point-wise, to the general population.,” Yerby said. “And then, I love fly fishing. I wanted to combine both passions, so that’s where Fly Line – fly fishing and coffee –comes in. I can’t live without either.”

Yerby said that his first step to starting a coffee company was “lots of reading.” Once he felt he was ready, he began roasting and sampling his product. He now offers roasts from Colombia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Honduras, Panama and Kenya.

Fly Line Coffee starts with green coffee beans that have been imported from their countries of origin, which Yerby then roasts at his house.

“Right now, I have an Ethiopian that I roast to a specific light roast,” he said. “It’s hard to find light roasts that honor the specific taste of each origin. Then I have a Columbian coffee that’s from the Narino region, and I roast it to a darker-medium to bring out the chocolate notes. So, I’m focusing on the single origin of the coffee. You can trace it back to a farm or coffee mill that’s owned by a certain family there in that country.”

The Columbian roast is also known as Rudy’s Roast, named after the Yerbys’ 10-year-old Yorkie/Jack Russel terrier mix.

“Rudy is there with me when I’m roasting, pretty much every single day,” Yerby said.

“He’s just a big part of our life and I wanted to bring him into the brand, just to kind of cement him into the company.”

Rudy’s Roast is available as an 8-ounce bag of whole bean coffee, and all the other roasts are available whole-bean in 10 once bags. Fly Line Coffee also offers the Columbian roast in single-serve coffee pods.

“I had so many people asking me if I carried the Keurig pods,” Yerby said. “I don’t carry the Keurig brand because that wouldn’t be my coffee, but I do sell another pod that I fill myself.”

Yerby said the pods he uses hold more coffee than the mass-produced brand name pods and they are 100% recyclable.

“And it’s obviously fresher because I’m roasting it,” he said. “Let’s say I roast it on Monday and then two days later I’m grinding it and filling the pods, and it’s shipped out the next day. So, it’s usually a three-day turnaround from when you order it to you receiving it.”

Trussville residents can enjoy the free pick-up option when they order at www.flylinecoffee.com, and for those who don’t live as close, Yerby offers standard shipping.

“Anything that’s on the website is available for local pick-up,” he said, and that includes merchandise such as Fly Line Coffee Co. T-shirts and stickers. “I hope to offer tumblers after the first of the year. I’m just trying to build the brand and get that exposure more.”

In addition to the website, Fly Line Coffee and merchandise can also be purchased through the company’s Instagram and Facebook pages.

For anyone interested in Fly Line Coffee, Yerby has two simple messages: support your local small businesses and “don’t drink bad coffee.”

“I’d love for people, especially here in Trussville, to give my coffee a try,” he said. “I’ve realized it before, but I really realize it now, that you need support from your community first to help grow a business.”

Crystal McGough can be contacted at mcgoughcrystal@ gmail.com

» Collaboration, Creation, and Communication – Tara Vincent ($1,347)

» Engineering Genius Phase 2 – April Smith ($1,500)

» ABCDEFG…Make Reading Fun for Me – Monique Summers ($1,259.81)

» Special Education-Multisensory Swell Printer – Stephanie Young ($1,500)

» Makerspace Projects and Partners – Porshia Franklin ($,1500)

• Magnolia Elementary School

» Vox Books-Growing Our Love for Read-

» Sensory/Calm-Down Rooms – Kelley Shirley ($750)

» Sensory Area (Outdoor or Indoor) – Jordan Dickerson ($750)

» Flexible and Active Seating for the Middle School Learner – Michelle McCaull ($1,489.48)

• Hewitt-Trussville High School

» Improving Educational Impact Through Community Engagement –Amber Benson ($1,500)

» Yoga in the Classroom –Missy Lynam ($1,500)

» Sensory Classroom Overhaul – Dana Dechellis ($1,111.55)

The board heard from Acting Principal Joy Young about the proposed changes to Husky Hour during the second semester.

“We’re just talking about a change in one area, which is the period that connected lunch,” Young said. “Four days it will be connected to fourth period, and then one day it’ll be connected with fifth period.”

Young explained that HTHS will keep the same bell and class schedule.

“The only thing we’re changing, of course, is the way that we do lunch,” Young said. “So instead of the Flex Huskie Hour time where we had lunch embedded in with a study time, what we’re doing now is our lunch and study time is going to be most of the time to fourth period.”

What that looks like is all students will eat in the lunchroom when it’s their scheduled time to eat. Then they’ll return to their fourth-period class, and they will have a study.

“Four days a week, that’s a 20-minute study time, and they’ll be in there with their fourth-period teacher on Thursdays,” Young said. “Wednesdays, they’ll be with their fifth-period teachers. For our seniors, they are going to have the option to stay in the lunchroom or sit on the senior patio, which is attached to our lunch room. Or if they want to return back for their study time with their fourth-period class, they can do that; that’s

their option.”

Students will be allowed to have their phones in the lunchroom, but once they return to class, it will be placed in a phone caddy.

Thursdays will be longer with 55-minute study times, which students and teachers can utilize for make-up class work.

Teachers would have to communicate with other teachers to make sure students can complete makeup work.

Also, students can make up work on another day of the week during study time.

“We feel really good about this change,” Young said. “We’re doing it for safety purposes, and we are also doing it to help our lunchroom staff, who have been quite frazzled with trying to serve 1,600 students in 50 to 55 minutes.”

The board also heard from AASB Dr. Michael Barber about what to expect with the superintendent search. He said all the information about the superintendent search could also be found on the system’s website.

“I believe this will be one of the easier searches I have ever done,” Barber said.

“When you start talking about Trussville, I truly believe that

people are going to line up.”

Barber said that they would have stakeholder meetings. Which means they will meet with local government officials, the community, and parents; it’s directed at any stakeholder that wants to meet and will have an opportunity.

AASB will also have an online survey on the website on Jan. 5, 2022, through Jan. 13, 2022, allowing people to fill those out and make comments. Then, Barber will return to the board on Jan. 23, 2022, and present the information found during the surveys and meetings.

Each board member starting on Tuesday, Dec. 13, will meet one-on-one with Barber to give their input.

“Dec. 13 is a big day because it’s the day that the superintendent search launches,” Barber said. “We will start advertising the position on Dec. 13.”

Barber will meet with the community at the BOE building on Jan. 12, 2022, starting at 11 a.m. Barber said he would hold another meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for anyone who missed the morning meeting. Then, he will meet with TCS faculty and staff.

The application deadline for the superintendent search will end on Jan. 3o, 2022.

“Then the next part of that process is we will take all of the applicants, and the School Board Association, there will be three of us, will look at everything that you’ve told us and look at everything that the board has told us, and we’ll take what is important to you, and we’ll start screening those applicants,” Barber said.

Then Feb. 20, 2022, through Feb. 28, 2022, the interviews will take place for the next superintendent. So the projected start date for the next superintendent is around Apr. 10, 2022.

“We will people applying from out of state,” Barber said. “This is not a novice position; this is a destination position.”

Birmingham-Southern basketball player, former Hewitt Husky passes away

From The Tribune staff reports

TRUSSVILLE — A Birmingham-Southern basketball player and a Hewitt-Trussville High School graduate, Colin Glover, passed away on Friday, Dec. 16. Trussville Police Department Chief Eric Rush said he was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Birmingham-Southern College Athletics announced on their Facebook page, “Today, the Birmingham-Southern community grieves with the Glover family on the passing of men’s basketball student-athlete Colin Glover.”

“Colin was a tremendous student, a hard-working athlete, and an exceptional teammate,” a joint statement from Athletic Director Kyndall Waters and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Graves stated. “We are praying for his family, including his twin brother Cam, who is also a member of the BSC Men’s Basketball team. We pray for peace and comfort for the Glover family, BSC Basketball, and all those that

Colin impacted.”

Glover was a guard for the Birmingham-Southern Men’s Basketball team. During the 2021-2022 season, Glover was a Southern Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll selection, appeared in 19 games for the Panthers, and was a member of the team that ranked in the top 30 of three statistical categories: three-pointers attempted, offensive rebounds per game, and total rebounds per game.

He transferred from UAB, where he earned Dean’s List. He also played basketball at Hewitt Trussville High School and was a member of the National Honor Society.

“I am saddened by the loss of former HT student-athlete Colin Glover,” Trussville City Schools Athletic Director Lance Walker said on Friday. “He had a positive spirit and was an outstanding teammate. He represented Hewitt-Trussville athletics with class. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Glover family.”

eff Baker, who coached Glover at Hewitt-Trussville

High School, said he was devastated to hear the news of his former player’s passing.

“You never expect to hear such sad news about someone so young and someone so vibrant and full of life,” Baker said. “What you remember the most about someone is how they make you feel and he always made people feel loved. Colin brought life to whoever he was around.”

Baker said it was Glover’s love of people that set him apart.

“He loved his family so much and he loved people well,” Baker said. “Colin was always so kind. He was so optimistic. He was a very resilient young man because of his optimism. It was a joy and an honor to coach Colin and his brother Cam.

“When I heard the news today my first thought was Colin’s smile and his optimism and kindness. He will be missed greatly. But his light and life will not be forgotten.”

Glover is the son of Melanie and Charlie Glover, and he planned to study health sciences at BSC.

who had anemia, bleeding problems, maybe they had cancer and blood disorders related to their cancer and couldn’t be on a blood thinning medication, all of these people would have been left with no alternative, they would have been just chronically left exposed to an increased risk for stroke.

“I think it has a huge impact on the long-term health

of all our patients in this area,” Coleman said. “It will be seen and felt, I think, for decades, lowering the risk of stroke in our patient population.”

Parks explained that they are trying to reach a wide patient population, help provide this service, and reduce the risk of stroke for patients that previously had less access to specialized procedures if they live in a rural location.

“We’re trying to expand our reach and serve a wider

patient population,” Parks said. “I would say that hospital space has been a limiting factor over the last year. So we’re trying to increase volume through the Cath Lab and the Cardiac Service Lines. This is often completed with an overnight stay. So us being able to do this and have a place for these patients to stay overnight in a comfortable setting will help us expand the number of patients that can get it done in a timely fashion.”

Acting HTHS Principal Joy Young explains the changes to Husky Hour. (Photo by Hannah Curran)

c a L enda R

Preschoolers at Play

Wednesday, December 21

10:30am - 11:30am

Join Ms. Alicia for a playtime program for preschool-aged children. A guided sensory time will begin at 10:30, followed by free play at several stations set up around the auditorium.

Join Ms. Alicia for special playtime program for preschool-aged children. A guided sensory time will begin at 10:30, followed by free play at several stations set up around the large auditorium with various toys. We will briefly highlight an activity to help your child with reading and school readiness that you can also use at home.

Parents are asked to stay with their children and travel with them as they play with the different selections of toys.

Ages 2-5 years old. Held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 10:30 am. No Registration is Needed.

Venue

Trussville Public Library

Urgent Need for Volunteers in Jefferson & St. Clair County

December 30

The American Red Cross has an urgent need for volunteers in Jefferson & St. Clair County. There are many roles to be filled, such as the Blood Drive Donor Ambassador and Blood Transport volunteer positions. The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies through the mobilization power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. You can turn your compassion into action with the gift of time serving in one of our critical volunteer roles. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer or email sandy.zuiderhoek@redcross. org to learn more about volunteer opportunities and how to apply.

Ukulele Club

Tuesday, January 03: 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Beginner Ukulele Club

Interested in learning the ukulele or looking for somewhere to play? We have a professional ukulele player here to

help you learn and perfect your skills! This event is open to all ages.

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

Venue

Trussville Public Library

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

Free play video game program for teens.

The first Wednesday of each month the library will be hosting a free play video game program. The library will provide several gaming systems and games as well as a large projector for use. From there we will battle, explore, and race through various games.

This is a great chance for our game loving teenagers to meet other gamers and enjoy a digital past time in person.

The program is open to anyone in the 6th to 12th grade. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

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

Venue

Trussville Public Library

Children’s Storytime

Thursday, January 05: 10:30am - 11:30am

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

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

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

Venue

Trussville Public Library

Yarn Manglers (Knit & Crochet Group)

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

Knitters and crocheters, join us for fellowship and creativity!

Knit & crochet meetup group

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

Join our Facebook group: YARN MANGLERS ANONYMOUS

Venue

Trussville Public Library

Dungeons and DragonsMiddle School Thursday, January 05: 4:00pm - 5:30pm D&D group for 6th to 8th grade.

Dungeons and Dragons is a classic tabletop roleplaying game that encourages creativity and cooperation. The players form a party, go on quests, explore ruins, and (probably) save the world.

Registration for the event is required as space is very limited. This event is for adventurers in the 6th to 8th grade.

If you have any questions about D&D or about groups you can reach out to us at Jacob.Sartain@jclc.org or at 205-655-2022.

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

Venue

Trussville Public Library

YMCA Enrichment programs

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

Food and Fun (ages 5-12)

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

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EDUCATION

ATTENTION ACTIVE Duty & Military Veterans! Begin a new

learning, hands-on learning, and physical activity. (Winter Session I & II)

Start Date | January 4 Day & Time | Wednesdays: 6pm-7pm

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

Start Date | February 20 Day & Time | Mondays: 6pm7pm Cost | $36 YMCA Members | $72 Non-Members Volleyball Skills Clinic (ages 8-16)

Learn or sharpen the basic skills of playing volleyball. Join us for this 7 week clinic to either sharpen your current skills or begin learning the

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Start Date | January 4 Day & Time | Wednesdays: 6:30pm-7:30pm (ages 8-12) | Wednesdays: 7:30pm8:40pm (ages 13-16)

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

STEM Enrichment (ages 5-12)

Learn about the exciting world of stem . We will follow the PCS edventures curriculum.

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more. (Winter Session II) Start Date | February 20 Day & Time | Mondays: 6pm7pm

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

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

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

Edward Dennis Mewbourn

o bitua R y

Shirley Heard

july 1, 1946 ~ december 10, 2022 (age 76)

The Lord took Mrs. Shirley Ann Heard home on Saturday, December 10, 2022. A

Graveside Service will be held at Jefferson Memorial Gardens Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 12:00PM.

She is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, Robert T Heard; aunt, Gale Turk; cousins, Terry Turk, Tim Turk, and Mark Turk.

She is preceded in death by her son, Robert Micheal Heard; daughter, Charlene Denise Heard; and parents, Forrest P Hankins and Lillian I Hankins.

Mrs. Shirley never met a stranger. She was always smiling and would offer a hand to anyone who needed it. She was an avid Alabama Football Fan. Shirley enjoyed working with flowers and crafts. She loved to talk and could talk the horns off a billy goat. She was the light of Bob’s life and will be greatly missed.

Robert Marion Helms III

july 30, 1946 ~ december

Robert

Robert

9, 2022 (age 76)

(April), Kim Lackey (Daniel), stepson Jim Ray, grandchildren Kaylin Helms, Kia Jones (Jacob), Colten Helms (Alex), Krimson Helms, Houston Lackey, and Hunter Fals, great-grandchildren Whitt Jones, Clay Simmons, and Autumn Stephens. He is also survived by his loving sister Linda Pannell (Kenny) and nephew Dwayne Henderson (Donna).

Robert moved to Munford in 1971 to begin a long career as a teacher and coach at Munford High School, where he impacted many generations of students and community members. After retiring, he became a volunteer coach with the Randolph County High School Lady Tigers softball team where he continued to mentor student athletes. He may have been small in stature, but he demanded respect and discipline. He felt it was his duty to help as many female student athletes get scholarships to further their academic and athletic careers, and he took great pride in knowing he helped them.

Robert loved history, sports, trivia, traveling, playing cards, and attending church of late. Over the last few months, he loved going to Leon Stephens’ house for Sunday dinner and fellowship. He left an impression on so many people, with his quirky sounds and jokes, to his coaching stories, his drivers ed stories, and even some bus driving stories. Memories that lasted him a lifetime, as well as others.

Pallbearers will be Leon Stephens, Jimmy Mac Stephens, Corky Stephens, Bobby Hayes, Kenny Brewer, Tony Motley, Bill Chappelear, Billy Wilson, Jim McGill, and Thomas Pridmore. Honorary

Visitation will be December 13, 2022 at Munford Church Of Christ from 4-7pm, followed by a Memorial/Celebration of Life service.

Burial will be December 14, 2022 at 12pm at Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Trussville.

In leiu of flowers donations be made to the Munford Lady Lions Softball Program or Randolph County Lady Tigers Softball Program.

Dad “Coach” will be deeply missed by all.

Roger Dale Johns

january 21, 1946 ~ december 8, 2022 (age 76)

Roger Dale Johns, 76, of Birmingham passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2022.

Roger was preceded in death by his father, Henry Ellis Johns, his mother, Clennie Mae Loyed Johns, his son, Terrell Dale Johns, his brother, J.W. “Dub” Johns, and his sister, Grace Robertson.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce Sutton Johns, daughter, Sharon Whaley, son, Darrell “Pug” Johns, his grandkids, Cynthia Tidwell, Stetson Johns (Megan), Justin Haynes, Aaron Johns, Savannah Johns, Devon Johns, and Connor Wahl, and great grandkids, Destin Tidwell, Dylan Tidwell, Ansley Johns, Marlee Johns, and Kade Johns.

Roger enjoyed spending time with his family, spending time with the church, cooking for the church camp, driving the church bus, woodwork, and truck driving.

“The idea of life isn’t to live forever, but to create a memory that will” Viewing will be held at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home. Located at 1591 Gadsden Highway Birmingham, Al 35235 on Monday, December 12, 2022 at 5:00 pm- 7:00pm. Funeral Services will be held at the same location on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 10:00 am.

How to Plan Your Own Funeral

The viewing

This is when friends and family have time to sit peacefully with the body. It typically happens in a funeral home, but can also happen at a house of worship or home.

The wake

The wake is a time to gather to celebrate the life of a person who passed. This gathering is typically an important part of the mourning process, and allows friends and family members to provide comfort to each other.

The funeral

The funeral is a memorial ceremony that typically occurs in a house of worship or funeral home. The body is usually present, either in an open or closed casket. There are no rules for a funeral; you are free to shape the service as you see fit.

A memorial ceremony

A memorial ceremony is another alternative if you are not comfortable with the idea of a funeral service. Memorials typically happen a few months after the person has passed, and the body is not present. The memorial service is a place for family members and friends to commemorate the life of the person who passed. People can eulogize the deceased, and explain what they meant to them.

Your surviving family members and friends will take comfort in knowing that they are executing the after-death services exactly as you had wished, and you can relax knowing that the arrangements will be handled in a way that you find suitable.

Jimmy Earl Courington

august 28, 1930 ~ december 8, 2022 (age 92)

Jimmy “Jim” Earl Courington, 92 of, Trussville, AL passed away on December 8, 2022. He was born August 28, 1930, in Oakman, AL.

Jim was a Korean War Army veteran and also served in Germany. In 1956, he went to work for Hayes International which later became Pemco Aeroplex after a 45 year distinguished career as Vice President. While working Jim graduated with a business degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After retirement in 2001 Jim worked with his son, Richard, at Courington Sales Company for 17 years.

He was a longtime member of Roebuck Park Baptist Church where he taught 8th grade Sunday school influencing many young lives. Later he moved his membership to First Baptist Church of Trussville.

Jimmy was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Mildred Lovett Courington, his parents, Steve and Lorene Courington, brothers, Barney and Gerald Courington. He is survived by his son, Richard Courington (Leannah), daughter, Debra Click (Kenny), grandchildren, Danah Courington, Ashlea Courington, Lorianne Steed (Tyler), Lindsey Massey (Evan), great grandchildren, Tanner Steed and Samuel Massey.

A visitation will be held at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home in Trussville on Monday, December 12th from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The Funeral service will be held at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home’s chapel at 12:00 p.m. Burial to follow at Walker Memory Gardens in Jasper AL at 2:30 p.m.

We would like to say a special “Thank you” to Valencia Browder for taking such loving care of our Dad during his illness.

Billie Jean Mize

may 29, 1929 ~ december 8, 2022 (age 93)

Billie Jean Mize, 93, of Irondale, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, December 8, 2022, surrounded by her family. She was born May 29, 1929, the eldest child of William M. and Jewell E. Williams.

Ms. Mize was a devoted member of Overton Road United Methodist Church for over 50 years, where she served in many capacities. She is a member of Irondale United Methodist Church. She was a true Christian and loved her church, family and friends.

She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, William A. Mize (Bill), her son, William A. Mize II, her parents, William M. and Jewell E. Williams, two brothers, Howard E. Williams and William M. Williams Jr.

She is survived by her son Byron L. Mize, two daughters, Kelli M. Dailey and Traci M. Harper (Mark), all of Birmingham, five grandchildren, Lauren A. Dailey, Corey J. Dailey (Tina), Tabitha J. Harper, Zachary R. Harper and Benjamin W. Bramlett, one great grandson, Cooper L. Stewart, one sister, Linda W. Giambrone, a special family friend, Kim Bramlett and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Visitation will be held in the chapel at Jefferson Memorial in Trussville on Tuesday, December 13th from 11am – 12pm. Funeral services will be held at 12pm with burial in Jefferson Memorial Gardens. The family request in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Irondale United Methodist Church, 400 Deering Street, Irondale, Alabama 35210. Jefferson Memorial Trussville directing.

Coach Robert Marion Helms III, 76, passed away on December 9th, 2022, in his home, surrounded by his closest friends and family members, after a hard fought battle against pancreatic cancer. He was born on July 30, 1946 in Birmingham, Alabama to Robert Helms Jr and Pauline Helms.

graduated from Phillips High School in 1964 and went on to earn a BA from Livingston University and MA from Montevallo University.

is preceded in death by his parents Robert and Pauline Helms. He is survived by his wife Lonnie Ray Helms, his children Chris Helms

pallbearers are Robyn Wortham Thompson and the 2001 Munford Lady Lions State Softball Champion Team.

Eddie Seal, General Manager

Jefferson Memorial is a full-service funeral home and perpetual care cemetery dedicated to serving our community with dignity and compassion. We Make it Personal® , one family at a time.

Moody Boys get Rivalry Win over Springville, 66-58

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

MOODY — The week referred to as “Rivalry Week” by the Moody basketball team ended with a big win over a high-powered Springville team that came into the game with a 7-3 record. Moody was coming off of a win as well so this one looked to be a true battle, and it was.

Moody would jump out to a commanding 23-11 lead in the first quarter, that would

prove to be detrimental to the Tigers in the closing quarters of the game. Davion Dozier (11 points) and Kolby Seymour (8 points) owned the first quarter for Moody. For Springville, Collin Lockhart had 5 points to go with Brodie Frederick’s 4.

Moody’s offense would be halted in the second quarter, only putting up 7 points to Springville’s 13. Jake Connor led the Tigers with a pair of three pointers. Seymour led Moody with a 3 pointer. The

Moody Girls Get Back to Winning ways with 50-44 win over Springville

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

MOODY — The Moody Lady Blue Devils were looking to recover after a poor showing Tuesday night against St. Clair County. And recover, they did. The Springville Lady Tigers brought an 8-2 record to Moody on Friday with hopes of continuing their winning ways, but the Lady Devils had different plans.

“We looked as good tonight as we did bad Tuesday night,” said Moody coach Becca Davis.

The first quarter was a close one with Moody edging

out

Moody would create a little more distance in the second quarter, scoring 13 and holding Springville to another 10-point period. Bella Bullington led the Tigers with 6 points in the quarter while 7th grader Serenity Rutledge led Moody with 6 points, followed closely by Pyles who had 5 of her own.

“Serenity Rutledge played up with us tonight. Having her on the roster gave us a spark and allowed everyone to do the things they do best,” Coach Davis said. The half would end with Moody leading 24-20.

Page 11

See MOODY GIRLS,

half would end with Moody in the lead 30-24.

Coming out of the locker room, Moody’s offense would wake up yet again with Seymour scoring 8 of the team’s 16 points and Dozier with 5. Springville would stay close with 14 points, led by Ben Wood who had 5 points.

The final quarter ended in a 20-20 tie as Springville did all they could to catch the Bule Devils, but Moody was just too much on this night. Seymour and Carson Dil-

lashaw had 7 points each and a pair of Tigers, Zack Brown and Ayden Walton led their team with 6 each. The final would be 66-58, Blue Devils.

Brown led the Tigers with 11 points followed by Walton with 8. Seymour had a monster night, scoring 26 points, followed by Davion Dozier who added 18.

“Kolby Seymour played lights out tonight. He finally started hitting shots and his

Mounties hold off Greenwave

By John Goolsby For The Tribune

IRONDALE – Shades Valley held off a second-half comeback by Leeds and escaped with a 55-53 win at home Thursday night.

Valley entered the non-region contest with a 5-5 record and a win over Center Point Monday night. The Greenwave came into the game with a 2-5 record and a loss to Oak Mountain Tuesday night.

The first period was a defensive affair, and Shades Valley closed out the first eight minutes with a 10-7

See MOUNTIES, Page 11

the Lady Tigers 11-10.

For Moody, Kendall Stephens owned the paint and scored 4 points while Tori Pyles had 4 of her own with a three-point-

er and a made free throw. For Springville, Audrey Taylor hit a pair of threes to lead her team in scoring in the first frame.

See MOODY BOYS, Page 11

Photo by Johnny Sanders

Photo by John Goolsby

Photo by Johnny Sanders

Mounties go the distance, defeat Center Point in physical battle

By Loyd McIntosh For The Tribune

IRONDALE — The Shades Valley Mounties went toe-to-toe with a scrappy Center Point squad Monday night before pulling away late to win by 12 points, 56-44.

The Mounties came into the non-region matchup with a record of four wins and five losses and were coming off a tough 67-53 loss to Auburn High School on Saturday. Their opponent, the Eagles of Center Point, made the trip to Irondale with a 4-4 record and were also looking to avenge a 29-point loss to Wenonah on Thursday, December 8.

From the opening tip, the pace was blisteringly up-tempo as each team looked to establish itself on defense and find the upper hand on offense. In the end, the Mount-

ies’ defense was the winning factor as they denied the Eagles’ the ability to establish an inside game and controlled the boards en route to the 12-point victory.

Center Point jumped out to a slim lead in the first quarter as freshman Jeremy Chatman had the hot hand early, sinking a pair of three-pointers, catching Shades Valley, coaching staffing included, off guard.

“That little freshman (Chatman) kind of took us by surprise. We didn’t know he could shoot it like that,” said Shades Valley Head Coach Audwin Howard.

Shades Valley would eventually establish control in the first period, relying on an aggressive style of zone defense that shut access to the paint down. Offensive-

Moody Boys Blast St. Clair, 61-44

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

The Moody Blue Devils traveled to St. Clair County on Tuesday night with a chip on their shoulder after the Friday night loss to Leeds at home. They took it out on the Saints in dominant fashion as they welcomed back Davion Dozier, who missed the Leeds game due to being at the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Football game. “It’s pretty evident how good of a player he is and how much he means to the team and the spark he gives us on both ends of the court. He’s a huge part of our team,” said Chad Bates, Moody’s head coach.

The Blue Devils burst out of the gate with a 17-8 first quarter that saw Aden Johnson hit both of the 3-pointers that he attempted. Carson Dillashaw crashed the boards and owned the paint with 5 points of his own to go with the 4 that Dozier put up as the de-

fense consistently smothered the Saints offense. Moody would take a 17-8 lead into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the scoring would be spread out a bit more as names like Caden Helms (4 points) and Koby Seymour (5 points) would join Dozier, Dillashaw and Johnson in the scoring frenzy. The defense would continue to have success and cause the Saints fits on the offensive side of the ball as they held them

to just 8 points again. Dozier would also send the Moody crowd into a frenzy with a pair of thunderous dunks in the quarter. The teams would head into the locker room with Moody leading 37-16.

Moody wouldn’t score quite as many points in the third as they had the previous quarters, but it would not be a quarter without excitement.

Dozier would continue his

Pinson Dominates Center Point 79-34

By Johnny Sanders Sports Editor

Tuesday night, Pinson Valley welcomed fellow 6A and cross-town rival Center Point Eagles to their gym but they were not very welcoming. In a dominating performance, the Indians crushed the visitors 79-34 behind a smothering defense and dominant scoring. Pinson Coach Darrell Barber said, “I thought we played a complete game on the defensive side of the ball. We were able to

force them in to 28 turnovers. I’m proud of the fact that we placed 4 guys in double figures.”

Pinson came out of the gate shooting and put up 24 points in the first quarter, led by Caleb White who had 12

of those points for the Indians. Meanwhile, the defense held Center Point to just 7 points in the first frame. That would set the tone for the rest of the night.

In the second quarter, Pinson would take it a bit easier as they would have their lowest-scoring quarter of the night with just 17 points to Center Point’s 9. The teams would go into the locker room with Pinson in commanding lead at 41-16.

Photo by Loyd McIntosh See

See PINSON,

Photo by Johnny Sanders

Stock Photo

for her team while Abby Byrd would score 5 points.

The third quarter would continue to be a dog fight between two great teams with Moody keeping the upper hand and putting up 14 points to Springville’s 13. Springville’s Farrah Hawkins would hit a pair of threes

From

ly, the Mounties overcame some struggles in their outside shooting game, leaning on their big man, Kendarius Irvin, who made his presence known inside.

Still, the Eagles battled back keeping the game close, trailing by only four points, 25-21 at halftime. Shades Valley managed to push its lead to 10 points early in the third quarter before the Eagles’ Chatman and Malik Brown sank back-to-back three-pointers to pull within four points. By the end of the

For Moody, Rutledge would prove that calling her up for this game was a good idea, scoring half of her team’s points (7) for the quarter.

The final stanza of the game would actually be advantage Springville, but only by one point (11-10), which

third quarter, the Mounties’ lead stood at five, 38-33.

In the fourth quarter, Shades Valley finally broke things open, holding off frantic efforts by Center Point to keep things close. Midway through the final frame, Center Point sophomore guard Deon Moore picked up his fifth foul and was sent to the pine for the remainder of the game.

Center responded with two ferocious back-to-back dunks, first by Rashad Bryant, followed moments later by Irvin, pushing Shades Valley’s lead to 15 points and out of reach for a comeback by Center Point.

would not be enough to overcome the lead that Moody had built to that point. Hawkins would have 10 of those 11 points for Springville. Pyles would add 4 points for Moody to close out the game with a final of 50-44.

Springville’s leading scorers were Farrah Hawkins with 18 points and Bella Bulling-

Final score: Shades Valley 56, Center Point 44.

‘It was a hard-fought win,” said Howard. “Some of our guys that really make shots weren’t on tonight, but we played good, solid defense down the stretch and I think that really helped us get to where we need to be.”

Cent Point Head Coach Rodney Chatman said he believes the lass to Shades Valley could be a good learning experience for a young Eagles squad with limited experience on the varsity level.

“We hope that we grew up tonight,” said Chapman. “We’re very and we have a lot

ton with 8 points. Moody was led by Tori Pyles, who had 18 herself, and Serenity Rutledge who had 15 points.

“It was a great night for Moody basketball,” Coach Davis said.

Moody heads into a Christmas break with a 6-4 record while Springville falls to 8-3.

of inexperience from some of our older guys. We only really have one player that is back from last year and that’s #1, the point guard.

“A lot of it is our lack of maturity. Untimely turnovers, a missed rebound on a stop where they got a second chance,” Chatman added. “They fought tonight, so hopefully, this will help us grow up.”

The Eagles fall to 4-5 on the year and will face undefeated Pinson Valley on Wednesday, December 13.

Shades Valley improves to 5-4 and will host Leeds on Thursday, December 15

Moody Boys

From

26 points were monumental for us,” Moody coach Chad Bates said. “Davion had another great game with 18 points and he anchors our defense.”

“I thought our team defense was really good tonight. Springville is a good team, very well coached with good players, so I knew to win we would have to play well and

Mounties

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lead. Freshman Jeremiah Williams ignited the Mountie offense with two three-pointers late in the period.

Twelve of Shades Valley’s seventeen second-quarter points came from the free throw line. Sean Crawford made four trips to the charity stripe and came away with eight points. Leeds kept the game close and went into the locker room trailing by six, 27-21.

we did for most of the night,” Coach Bates said. “Josiah Dozier played well for us at the point guard sport for us. That helped our offense get going. It was a great team win for us. Hopefully it will spring board us into the second half of the season.”

Moody improved to 5-3 heading into Christmas break, while Springville falls to 7-4 with a game against Fairview on Saturday before their break.

solid defensive effort by the Valley defense and three free throws from Crawford down the stretch preserved the win for the Mounties, 55-53.

While Mountie head coach Audwin Howard was happy with the win, he sees room for improvement with his team.

“We’ve got to learn to close out games, and we aren’t doing the simple things,” he said. “We just didn’t play our best brand of basketball.”

Leeds head coach and Trussville native Jeremiah Millington was pragmatic about the loss.

From

dunk-fest with 3 more jams (2 of them coming on consecutive possessions) to keep the Devil fans on their feet. But, the one that really got them 411 crowd going was when Blaine Burke found himself on a fast break and dunked

it to join the party. Moody would keep dominating, heading into the final frame up 4923. “Blaine asked me in the locker room if he got a break away, could he dunk it. I told him to boom it! He’s a super good kid and wants to be good and the transition from football to basketball can be tough but he’s figuring it out.”

St. Clair would show lots of fight in the fourth as they outscored Moody 21-12, but that would not be enough to top the red-hot Blue Devils. The final would be 61-44.

“Aiden Johnson came in and hit some threes and that was huge for us. We don’t shoot the ball particularly well yet. Our defense stepped

up really well against the press.”

Dozier led all scorers with 14 points while Johnson was 4-4 from outside to add 12 points.

Moody improves to 5-4 (1-1 in region) as they prepare to welcome the 7-3 rival Springville Tigers on Friday night.

Shades Valley’s Ethan Johnson came up with six big points in the third period and was a defensive presence in the paint. Leeds continued to play hard, and behind two three-pointers by KD Jones, another three-pointer by Ronald Miller, and five points by Tabari Davis, cut the Mountie lead to three, 40-37, as the two teams headed to the final period.

“We had the lead with about a minute to play, and they made the plays, and we didn’t,” he said. “Free throws and a slow start hurt us.”

The Greenwave struggled from the free throw line, making only 6 of 15 attempts.

Shades Valley capitalized on their trips to the line and made 27 of 32 attempts.

The quarter changed, but the script stayed the same. Lock-down defense and lots of scoring, as more new faces got in on the action and put up points in the third. White would continue to dominate as would Terry Conor, who had 9 of the 20 points that Pinson scored in the third

quarter. Center Point continued to struggle getting anything going, scoring just 6 in the period.

Some fresh faces started to trickle in during the final quarter but again, the dominant performance continued and Pinson put up another 18, holding Center Point to 12 points and finishing the game off 79-34.

For Pinson, Caleb White

finished the night leading all scorers with 24 points to go with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Terry Conor followed closely with 21 points, 4 steals and 3 assists. Austin Coner scored 10 points with 10 steals and 7 rebounds and Amarion Bowens scored 10 points with 8 rebounds and 2 steals.

Leading scorers for Center Point were Jeremy Chatman with 23 points and Khryston

Travis with 6 points.

“We are about to hit a grueling stretch of our season so we are about to find out a lot about ourselves,” said Coach Barber.

Pinson, now 9-0, will travel to Paul Bryant on Thursday to take on The Stampede. Center Point, now 4-7, will try to rebound against the Clay Chalkville Cougars Thursday night.

In the fourth quarter, the Mounties saw their lead evaporate and found themselves trailing, 43-44, after a Jones three-pointer with 4:38 remaining in the game. The game was a back-and-forth affair over the next three minutes with the two teams swapping the lead. A Miller three gave Leeds their final lead of the night, 51-50, with 1:33 to play.

Shades Valley regained the lead with 1:11 to play on two Crawford free throws. A

“We shot the ball well from the free throw line.” Howard said.

Crawford led the Mounties with 22 points, Johnson added 10 points and Williams chipped in 9 points.

Jones led the Greenwave with 14 points, Davis contributed 13 points, and Miller added 6 points.

The Greenwave falls to 2-6 and squares off against Minor.

Shades Valley improves to 6-5 and will play at Huffman Friday night.

Kolby Seymour - Moody High School