By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

Mayors from all across Shelby County recently signed a statement, which vocalizes their support for the nation of Israel in the wake of the war crimes committed by Hamas.

“We recognize the brutality of war and the death and destruction it wreaks; however, the battle for justice against injustice and good versus evil must prevail to protect the innocent and ensure liberty,” the statement reads. “We pray for a speedy end to hostilities and a lasting peace.”

The statement goes on to condemn Hamas attacks on civilian populations on Oct. 7, Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself against terrorist forces and demands the immediate release of all hostages currently held by Hamas. 

The document itself cements the mayors of Shelby County as being firmly on the side of Israel, and focuses heavily on the crimes Hamas has committed against the Israeli people. However, the document neglects to mention many of the war crimes also perpetuated by Israel itself on its Islamic population and citizens in Gaza which include the violation of medical neutrality.

The letter was signed by the following local politicians:

• Tony Picklesimer, mayor of Chelsea
• Scott Brakefield, mayor of Alabaster
• Theoangelo Perkins, mayor of Harpersville
• Frank Brocato, mayor of Hoover
• Rusty Nix, mayor of Montevallo
• James Latimer, mayor of Vincent
• Ricky Ray Morris, mayor of Wilsonville
• David Mitchell, mayor of Columbiana
• Jon Graham, mayor of Calera
• Brian Puckett, mayor of Helena
• Brenda Bell-Guercio, mayor of Indian Springs
• Gary Waters, mayor of Pelham
• Larry Riggins, mayor of Westover
• Deborah Wilson, mayor of Wilton

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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – The Chelsea City Council approved an economic incentive for a new Waffle House coming to the city and made various appointments to the newly created Board of Zoning during a regularly scheduled city council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

During the meeting, the Chelsea approved an economic development incentive for HCI Chelsea, LLC which will support its efforts to bring a Waffle House to the city of Chelsea.

The new Waffle House will be located on Atchison Drive in front of the hotel—next to where Arby’s is currently located.

“We’re very excited about that, and we really appreciate all the work HCI Chelsea did in making that possible,” Mayor Tony Picklesimer said.

During the council meeting, Picklesimer shared that construction on the ABC wholesale distribution center is complete and that the business hopes to take possession of the building sometime in November and hopes to be operational by Friday, Dec. 1.

The expansion of ABC’s operations is expected to bring 15 jobs to Chelsea and the business will continue to be a revenue generator for the city.

The Chelsea City Council also approved the appointment of Councilmember Casey Morris to the library board.

“I’m excited to serve,” Morris said. “I attended my first meeting unofficially last week, and we’ve got a great library board doing some really cool things over there. I’m excited to be a part of it (and to) learn more.”

In other news, the Chelsea City Council:

• Approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a managed print services agreement.
• Approved a resolution to declare property as surplus and authorize its disposal.
• Approved the appointment of six individuals to the Board of Zoning and Adjustments.
• Approved an ordinance for an annexation request by Paul and Holly Preston for property located 755 Salser Lane.

The Chelsea City Council meetings for the month of December are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and Tuesday, Dec. 19. The Chelsea High School theatre is set to perform songs from its upcoming production at the Chelsea City Council meeting on Dec. 5.

The post Chelsea Council approves incentive package for new Waffle House appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – Locals enjoyed a variety of festivities during the first-ever Save the Camp Fall Festival Fundraiser

The festival took place on Nov. 18 from 5-8 p.m. at the field between Chelsea Corners and Winn Dixie where the Big Kaboom and the Bikes 4 Kids Rodeo normally take place.

The event brought an evening filled with smiles, food and a variety of entertainment for local families all while helping raise funds to save Hargis Christian Camp.

“We wanted to have something for our community,” said Aaron Knight who runs Hargis Christian Camp with his wife Kellie. “Our community has been really good to us and so really this festival is more than a fundraiser—it’s more of a way for us to show appreciation to the community that has helped us raise money to save this camp that means so much to our town.”

Attendees were also able to enjoy live music throughout the event and children were able to participate in a variety of games and enjoy a petting zoo.

The event featured around 80-90 different vendors, with a variety of food trucks and local merchants selling goods. Vendors at the event were able to register for free.

“There’s no vendor fee set up,” Aaron said. “We wanted them to be able to come in and be able to enjoy whatever they’re selling. If they want to give a portion of the proceeds to the camp, they can.”

Hargis Christian Camp has been a staple of the area since 1965 and has served a space for generations of local residents to congregate and spend time together.

“It’s more than just (a) church camp and church camps are great—what we do is we try to connect with the community and be an asset,” Aaron said. “The local teams come in—the Shelby County High School football team, Chelsea football team, the volleyball team, soccer team, baseball team—local teams come in and we share the gospel with them. Also, a lot of special needs groups come in to the camp.

Aaron and Kellie have working over the last two years to pay back a $2.5 million loan in order to keep the camp after buying back the camp’s property.

“Not every town gets to have a camp, not every town around here has a camp,” Aaron said. “And so, in saving the camp, we wanted to make Jesus known, that was our main objective for this generation. We also wanted to be an asset to our community and (be) something that people could use and come around be able to share in God’s creation out there.”

The Knights are close to meeting their goal of raising funds for the camp. After a recent donation by Avadian Credit Union, Hargis Christian Camp needs to raise $475,000 by Dec. 31.

“We’ve raised almost half a million dollars in six weeks—that’s a good spot to be in,” Aaron said. “We’ve gotten kind of used to being uncomfortable. “It’s a good place and it’s a challenging place but it’s fun to see how the Lord raises that money. It’s really not up to us, it’s up to him.”

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By JOSH BOUTWELL | Special to the Reporter

TROY – It’s been a long road, but Alabama’s very first legal bourbon whiskey distillery attraction, Conecuh Ridge Distillery, is planning for a May 2024 opening as the complex in Troy nears completion.

Conecuh Ridge Distillery will produce the official state spirit of Alabama, Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey. The moonshine whiskey was made famous by former moonshiner Clyde May, a native of Alabama.

After proudly serving his country in the Army’s 77th Infantry in World War II – earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart – Clyde May returned home to Alabama and became known as one of the “most wanted” moonshiners in the state. His original still was set up close to Pike County in nearby Bullock County.

While Clyde May passed away in 1990, his son, Kenny May, launched the legal Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey in 2001 and it became the official state spirit of Alabama in 2004.

While Conecuh Ridge Distillery has bottled and produced its products outside of Clyde May’s home state of Alabama over the years, it will now return to Troy, Ala., when it opens in 2024.

Conecuh Ridge Distillery will produce numerous products, including Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey, Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon, Clyde May’s Cask Strength, Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey and Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The facility will feature not only the distillery but also a bottling plant, a restaurant and bar, tasting rooms, a retail shop and a barrelhouse to age barrels of whiskey.  All of that will be part of tours that will be featured at Conecuh Ridge Distillery.

The distillery will create approximately 50 new jobs in Pike County once it is fully operational and up to capacity.

Steve May (no relation to Clyde May) serves as vice president and general manager of the Conecuh Ridge Distillery. Prior to joining Conecuh Ridge, May served as director of marketing operations for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Tennessee.

During his tenure there, he oversaw significant growth in the distillery’s retail sales and annual guest count, which grew from 191,000 to over 300,000 annually. That growth also added to the economic growth of the area. During his tenure, the Jack Daniel’s Distillery invested more than $25 million in capital improvements at the site, as well.

“I was responsible for marketing operations for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, one of the largest tourist attractions in Tennessee,” May said. “Before the pandemic, we had over 300,000 people a year taking tours there and 190 employees just in marketing. It had an enormous economic impact on the area and it’s our hope that we can do similar things in Troy.”

The distillery will offer five different types of tours when it opens with prices ranging from $20 to $45. Tours will begin at the Clyde 240, Clyde May’s original moonshine still, which was named so because it took $240 worth of copper to make the still. After learning the history of May and Conecuh Ridge Distillery, tourists will get to tour the entire distillery facility and process.

“We will be very family friendly. If you bring your children you can take a tour that doesn’t include any alcohol,” May said. “We have a little bit of everything going on here. We are not just a tourist attraction but a full-fledged distillery with a bottling plant that will produce Clyde May’s whiskey and Conecuh Ridge whiskey.”

“We’ll be buying local grain grown in Alabama,” May said. “Our corn will come from farms right here in this area.  We’ll sell our spent grain, which is very nutritious, to local cattle farmers.”

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said that he believed the distillery would bring a unique tourist experience to Troy.

“The Conecuh Ridge Distillery will provide a quality tourism destination and investment on the north side of Troy,” Reeves said. “It will be a unique opportunity for those traveling through Troy as well as those within a few hours who would like to take a weekend or even a day trip to see our community and the Clyde May brands’ process. I have no doubt it will be a distinctly fun experience.”

Steve May said that the distillery is planning for a May 2024 opening, but weather and other issues may push that back. Regardless, Summer 2024 looks like it will see the opening of Alabama’s first whiskey distillery that will be located off Highway 231 where 3 million cars travel annually.

The post Alabama’s first bourbon distillery experience to open in 2024 appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By SASHA JOHNS | Special to the Reporter

Shelby County Schools is on the lookout for new school bus drivers to meet the ongoing needs and growth of the county’s school transportation system.

Currently, there are available driver positions all over the county, but there is also a great need for substitute drivers, particularly in the Helena and Oak Mountain school systems.

Wanda Adams, who works out of the main Bus Shop in Columbiana, wants potential drivers to know that there are benefits to both having a regular route and being a substitute driver and that each offers attributes that may appeal to different kinds of candidates.

“The obvious benefit to taking on a regular route is the county benefits like health insurance and retirement, but substitute drivers have more flexibility in their schedules and can choose which days they want to work,” Adams said. “And of course, there (is no working on) weekends or holidays for drivers.”

There are also available opportunities for drivers to pick up extra work, such as driving for field trips and transporting students and teams for games.

Bus driving is a great job for retirees and stay at home parents, but often entrepreneurs find that it works well with their schedules too, and it presents a viable route to receive benefits.

The Bus Shop will accept a new class of trainees on Thursday, Jan. 4, but wants interested parties to know there are a few things that candidates need to accomplish to qualify for the class. Most importantly, those interested need to acquire a CDL Learners Permit and must submit to a background check as well as a few other prerequisites.

One new driver, Connor Preston, is one of several new additions to the roster who completed the most recent class this past fall and did so in a search to acquire insurance. Preston, who is also a children’s minister at a local church, is currently working as a substitute driver in Columbiana.

“When I first started the classes, I didn’t realize all the things I’d have to learn when it came to the safety checks you have to memorize for the pre-trip and it was a little intimidating,” Preston said. “Austin Shifflet, one of the bus mechanics, was a great trainer though and it ended up being a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

Interested candidates can hear more information about the qualifications and prerequisites needed to join the January bus class by visiting the Shelby County Board of Education website under the Transportation tab or by calling the Bus Shop at 205-682-7130.

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

A hazy smoke fills the air, forcing cars to a stop as police close one of the busiest highways between Columbiana and Alabaster on Friday, Nov. 3 as local firefighters tried to control a fire spreading across the dry grass and leaves along County Road 26.

This has been a common theme recently with seven brush fires occurring in Shelby County during the past 30 days, while 393 have been spurred across the state with more than 3,000 acres burning.

“It’s definitely very dry,” said Chelsea Fire Chief Joe Lee, who recently had his department battling a brush fire near U.S. 280. “We haven’t had significant rain in a couple of months now.”

A fire requires only three specific things in order to occur which are fuel, the right weather conditions and a single spark. At the moment, Alabama is dangerously abundant with all three.

Fuel

In Alabama, the months of October, November and December are marked by a steady dryness and lack of humidity. Weeks can and do go by without a drop of rain, rivers and streams run lower and lower and combustibles, such as dead leaves and dry grass,  gather on the forest floor. For the last 60 days there has not been any rain in the entirety of Alabama, and Gov. Kay Ivey has officially declared both a statewide “no burn order” and a “drought emergency.” 

“We haven’t gotten a lot of rain recently,” said Dave Holley of the Alabama Forestry Commission. “When you combine that with other weather conditions like relative humidity that dries out the leaves, the grass and just everything else. You can hear it when you walk through the forest. Everything just goes ‘crunch, crunch, crunch.’”

Similar to starting a campfire, a forest fire begins with small combustibles being set aflame. The fire then rapidly builds from there, spreading out and consuming sticks then logs and then finally larger materials, such as trees and buildings

“The number of wildland or grass fires has increased this year,” Calera Fire Department Deputy Chief Shane Stoudenmire said. “Nothing has been really big yet, and we’ve been significantly blessed for that.”

To some people, the obvious answer to the problem of having this degree of kindling lying around and simply waiting to start a massive fire is to just have a series of controlled burns. But this is not viable for a couple of reasons.

“Population density plays a big role in that, because of air quality,” Stoudenmire said. “When you start burning off all the underbrush in rural areas some of it will start to settle in the nearby urban areas and create all sorts of issues with air quality.”

Stoudenmire noted that the way the winds have been working the last few months plays a big factor in this, both in how they push smoke into more populated areas and how they can help wildfires spread quickly.

Correct weather conditions

In addition to a fuel source, fire also requires the presence of oxygen and active winds help flames grow and spread. This leads to wildfires finding purchase in more of the dry grass and kudzu that covers much of the county.

“Windy days are when you’re at your highest risk when you burn, because the wind is gonna push these embers in the direction of the land,” Stoudenmire said.

Higher wind speeds and drought are both major contributors to wildfire risk, and both have also been linked to global warming and climate change.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has stated that increased temperature has resulted in a severe lack of moisture in potential fire fuels such as trees, shrubs and forest debris. Studies have also shown that this has in turn more than doubled the rate of large wildfires in the US since 1984.

The current weather conditions may be providing the perfect environment for wildfires, but ultimately a fire cannot be started without a source. While wildfires do naturally occur, brought about by lightning and other natural phenomena, more often than not they are brought about through human action and error.

The spark

When the Saginaw Fire Department reported that six acres of land was burned in a brush fire near County Road 26 on Friday, Nov. 3, they were able to determine that the fire’s origin stemmed from a single bottle rocket.

When conditions are as primed and prepared for fire as Alabama is currently witnessing, something as small as a bottle rocket can lead to a wildfire that can potentially consume countless acres. It was only thanks to the immediate action and reaction from firefighters that this latest fire only spread across six acres.

According to Stoudenmire, the incident was hardly an outlier, saying he has been called to multiple scenes where fires have been started from something as small as someone tossing a smoking cigarette out of their window while driving down the highway.

“Luckily those fires are usually small, but if you get a good windy day, they can quickly get hard to control,”  Stoudenmire said.

Similar to the Smokey Bear saying, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” local fire departments across Shelby County are asking for the help of the public to make sure residents aren’t put into those dangerous situations.

“The best thing that people living in the community can do is just refrain from outdoor burning of all types,” Lee said. “If they can just hold out until this winter when we have plenty of rain, then it’ll be fine. But this isn’t the right time of year to have fires outside.”

The Dangers of fighting fires

When fighting a wildfire, it’s less about putting the fire out and more about just keeping the flames contained and preventing the spread of destruction.

“Depending on the terrain and where the fire’s at, we sometimes just can’t get water up there,” Cahaba Valley Fire Chief Buddy Wilks said. “A lot of times, it just gets into a position where we’re just trying to contain it by clear-cutting lines into the ground.”

Wilks noted that fire departments often call in the local forestry commission to aid in wildfire containment efforts by using tractors to dig trenches around the fire. 

“It’s a lot,” Wilks said. “It’s a very strenuous activity because we are just basically using rakes, hoes and chainsaws to cut down trees and to monitor things.”

Alarmingly, these wildfires can continue on for days. Wilks went so far as to comment that several fire departments in Shelby County have been fighting the same fires for days on end at the time of this writing.

“It’s a very difficult operation we go through and very manpower intensive,” Wilks said. “Just rotating companies around and working with the forestry commission to keep things contained.”

Sometimes, though, the environment gets ahead of the firefighters. The wind may start blowing the other direction, or a stray ember may jump over the trenches and into a fresh batch of dead leaves. That’s when things get truly dangerous.

“There comes a point that you just have to let it go because you can’t get can’t get ahead of it,” Wilks said. “Then it’s all just trying to protect houses and doing your best.”

Luckily, there have been no recorded fatalities in Shelby County from any of the recent wildfires, and all of the firefighters across the assorted departments in the county have expressed their dedication to continuing fighting fires and keeping people safe. They all stressed the importance of abiding by the burn ban as long as it lasts.

“The rain this weekend, if we get it, will probably help the fires that are burning right now,” Wilks said. “But it’s not going to change the drought conditions enough to keep fires from starting elsewhere. It’ll help a little bit, but we’ve got a long period of time for us to get out of real danger.”

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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

After another strong season from teams around Shelby County, many of the top players in the area received All-State honors.

Players from Thompson, Chelsea, Spain Park and Pelham received spots on the All-State teams from the Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

In Class 7A, Thompson’s Olivia Kelly and Chloe Mittelstadt earned First Team honors, while Anne Shelby made the Second Team.

Kelly surpassed the 1,000-assist mark for the season by earning 1,004 assists along with 53 kills, 227 digs, 34 blocks and 62 aces. Mittelstadt also had a strong season with 458 kills, .320% attacking percentage, 68 aces, 54 blocks and 251 digs.

Both Kelly and Mittelstadt earned All-American honors as well, with Kelly making the All-American Third Team and Mittelstadt earning an honorable mention.

Chelsea’s Lauren Buchanan made the 7A First Team as well, with Cara Belcher and Kaleigh Hall making the honorable mentions list.

For the Spain Park Jaguars, Megan Ingersoll earned a place on the Second Team, while Cailyn Kyes and Reagan Gilbert took home honorable mentions for their role on Spain Park’s Elite 8 team.

Ingersoll was the Class 7A kill leader with 536 kills, and the outside hitter also earned 286 digs, 57 aces and 30 blocks. Kyes earned 865 assists, 153 digs and 52 aces from the setter spot, and Gilber, has 316 kills, 264 digs, 91 aces and 14 blocks.

In Class 6A, Camryn McMinn of the Pelham Panthers earned a spot on the First Team. The junior outside hitter earned 372 kills, 282 digs, 43 aces and 38 blocks during the 2023 season.

In addition, Panthers setter Kylee Hester and outside hitter Londyn Wynn both made the 6A Second Team. Hester earned 917 assists and 323 digs along with 73 kills, 54 aces and 29 blocks, while Wynn had 305 kills, 260 digs, 63 aces and 38 blocks.

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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer 

CHELSEA – The Chelsea City Council approved the creation of a Board of Adjustments and approved various appointments to the Planning Commission during a regularly scheduled city council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

During the meeting, the Council voted to suspend the roles for the immediate consideration of two ordinances, one of which established a Board of Adjustments in Chelsea.

“This city has never had a BZA before, so it’s time we had that and (took) that next step,” Councilmember Scott Weygand said.

The Board of Adjustments will meet and quarterly and on an as-needed basis for the purpose of reviewing requests involving zoning issues.

“There are certain things that the Planning and Zoning Board can and cannot approve,” Weygand said. “Once that happens, if it’s one of those that they cannot approve, then the next step would be to go to the Board of Adjustments.”

The Council unanimously voted to create the Board of Adjustments and the members will be determined at a later date.

“This board will basically hear special requests from our citizens for anything that doesn’t exactly fit in the box of planning and zoning,” Mayor Tony Picklesimer said. “This board will hear those and it gives us an opportunity to try and work with our citizens if something doesn’t fit right in the box.”

During the meeting, the City Council approved the reappointment of Amanda Hardy to the Chelsea Planning and Zoning Commission.

Hardy was previously appointed on Oct. 17 to fulfill the remainder of Arthur Fisher Jr.’s term on the board after he was selected as the newest member of the Chelsea City Council. After she served the remainder of the term, the Council chose to reappoint her for a new term.

The Chelsea City Council also approved the appointment of Tyler Henden and Leigh McKinnon to the Chelsea Zoning and Planning Commission.

“Tyler is in the audience tonight—thank you so much for the willingness to serve our city on the planning commission,” Picklesimer said. “The future of our city and how it grows and goes is in the hands of the planning commission. It’s a very important board and we appreciate your willingness to serve.”

In other news, the Chelsea City Council approved an ABC license for Shop N Go that is located on the corner of Old Highway 280 and Highway 11.

The Council also approved a proposed ordinance for an annexation request by Jeremiah and Linh Doan for property located at 8120 Old Highway 280 Chelsea and the mayor delivered a proclamation to the council declaring Nov. 1, 2023 as Family Literacy Day in Chelsea.

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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – During a span of two days, youth leaders from across Shelby County participated in a special kickoff event at the Alabama 4H Center in Columbiana along the banks of Lay Lake.

The group of carefully selected leaders are members of the Youth Leadership Shelby County Class of 2024 and were hand selected by a committee.

The class of 33 were picked from more than 100 applications to participate in the prestigious program and took part in the opening retreat Nov. 5-6.

The retreat kicked off a special start to a journey that will last throughout the school year with the students participating set to take part in different class days that will occur each month.

Throughout the year, the participants will also join together in different groups to work on projects that will help make a difference in the community by picking a non-profit or organization in need of help.

The students will use their different leadership skills and personalities to come together and make a difference in their community as juniors in high school.

Throughout the opening retreat, they got their first taste of what to expect throughout the months long venture that will culminate with a graduation near the end of the school year.

Activities included going through the ropes course at the 4H Center and working together as teams, personality assessments, a round table with Youth Leadership Shelby County alumni to learn what to take advantage of during the class, a class introduction featuring the participants introducing each other in unique skits and many more icebreakers.

“The Youth Leadership Shelby County Opening Retreat opened my mind up to so many different possibilities and ideas I had never thought of before,” said class member Abby Nave of Shelby County High School. “I got to meet so many wonderful, remarkable, and truly inspiring people, who I can’t wait to continue this journey with. The Class of 2024 is definitely the best class yet!”

The event, however, was centered around the goal of the class, which is learning about each other as leaders in the community.

Students, who range from high schools around the county, got to hear from Alabama Teacher of the Year Jeff Norris, motivational speaker Timothy Alexander and many more throughout the two days, showcasing the true definition of what it takes to be a selfless leader and leave your impact.

“The professionals we had the opportunity to learn from at the retreat provided great insights on how to successfully apply leadership qualities to life endeavors outside of school,” Pelham student Brenna Vickery said.

The opening retreat helped build bonds and friendships, while bring together young leaders in the community who all make a difference in their own way.

Now, they’ll work together the next few months to bring their leadership skills together to make a difference.

This year’s class includes:

-Grant Blakely, Chelsea High School

-Belle Casey, Oak Mountain High School

-Sofia Contreras, Spain Park High School

-Ella Fields, Vincent High School

-Sasha Gann, Thompson High School

-Andrew George, Chelsea High School

-Addison Grigsby, Shelby County High School

-Ava Horn, Calera High School

-Abe Ivey, Oak Mountain High School

-Mia Kendrick, Evangel Christian Classical School

-Addie Knight, Pelham High School

-Patrick Maddox, Chelsea High School

-Camdyn Martin, Pelham High School

-Ali Mims, Chelsea High School

-Halle Morris, Evangel Christian School

-Abby Nave, Shelby County High School

-Will O’Dell, Oak Mountain High School

-Lissy O’Kelley, Oak Mountain High School

-Abby Olsen, Briarwood Christian School

-Jake Parker, Evangel Christian School

-John Will Peterson, Oak Mountain High School

-Aiden Poe, Vincent High School

-Alyson Ragland, Helena High School

-Anjali Reed, Helena High School

-Kailyn Reynolds, Thompson High School

-Jarret Scott, Helena High School

-Maddie Shebs, Pelham High School

-Madi Claire Sims, Chelsea High School

-Thomas Starkey, Calera High School

-Mallory Venable, Shelby County High School

-Brenna Vickery, Pelham High School

-Sydney Williams, Calera High School

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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – Two local businesses are badly damaged after a pickup truck crashed into Merle Norman Hair Salon in Chelsea on Thursday, Nov. 2 damaging Bountiful Gifts & Apparel next door.

According to Chief Deputy Clay Hammac with the Shelby County Sherriff’s Office, it is currently believed that a single driver of a pickup truck left the roadway at a high rate of speed and crashed into Merle Norman Hair Salon after experiencing a medical emergency.

The driver has been transported for treatment at a local hospital. ALEA is conducting a traffic investigation, and no further injuries have been reported at this time.

“At least nobody got hurt,” said Chris Crosby, who owns Merle Norman Hair Salon with his wife Michelle. “We’ll start back tomorrow—gutting it, cleaning it and seeing what we (have) to do to get it rebuilt and reopened.”

According to Crosby, his wife had just left the business 20-30 minutes prior to the accident.

“She had just locked the doors and was just 20 minutes down the road,” he said. “Over here on the left side where her station was, she had somebody in the chair, they would have been killed.”

After crashing into the hair salon, the vehicle continued through a wall damaging Bountiful Gifts & Apparel next door which was set to have its grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 4.

“Thanks for all the calls and prayers,” read an official Facebook post by Bountiful Gifts & Apparel. “We are thankful for His protection and that our kiddos are safe. We will be back.”

More information will be released as it becomes available.

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