By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

The Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council held two separate events on Thursday, Nov. 16 that recognized the award of more than $37,000 in total grant funding and bolstered a variety of projects in the local community.

Cawaco RC&D’s grant announcement day for Shelby County organizations consisted of two events that celebrated its latest steps

During the first event of the day, which began at 10:45 a.m., State Rep. Corley Ellis, Cawaco RC&D Council representatives, Drayton Cosby of the Cosby Company, students and other guests toured Shelby County High School as they were presented displays of two separate projects that received grant funding.

The first of these two projects was an outdoor instructional garden, which received a grant in the amount $5,000 to aid in its further expansion, support and development.

“We try to make sure that we find projects that are vetted, strong and have good support,” Cosby said. “We also get projects that need seed funding in order to get started. This (garden) is just one example.”

Currently, the garden serves as an educational tool to teach gardening skills and agricultural lessons to students and also serves as a source of activities presented to the school’s special needs students. The garden’s initial development also holds its origins thanks largely to preceding grants from Cawaco.

Thanks to community support and these grants, it has now grown from a collection of garden beds to an established, fenced and landscaped area that sits adjacent to an included greenhouse.

“The fact that it has moved from where it was—from just little (garden) beds—to this is just amazing,” Ellis said. “We could not do it without the funding from Cuwaco. It speaks volumes to me on why they do what they do, it gives me chills just thinking about it. When you come out here and watch the students—its teaching them life skills. It’s an amazing thing to do”

Dustin Cleckler, who serves as an agriscience teacher at the high school, also thanked Ellis, members of the Cawaco RC&D Council and the Cosby company, which works closely with the council in their grant efforts on both the state and local level, for their continued support of the garden and the school’s program.

The second grant to go toward Shelby County High School, in the amount of $10,000, was directed toward the purchase and installation of the school’s new theater and stage sound equipment. According to Ashlyn Kuyrkendall, who serves as the school’s choir director, the previous system had been in place since the school’s construction and was partially inoperable and had long needed improvements.

“The new system is such a blessing,” said Kathryn Myrick, the school’s theatre teacher. “We’re so glad it is setup, and everyone can now see everything.”

Following the tour of the high school, Rep. Ellis, Cosby and Cawaco representatives reconvened at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum for the second event at 1:30 p.m. and were met by State Sens. Lance Bell and April Weaver. There, all attendants boarded one of the museum’s historical passenger railcars for presentations of four grants amounting to $22,198.47.

“To everyone at Cawaco RC&D, I want to thank you for being here today and helping us work with our community partners,” Weaver said. “A lot of times we do things in Montgomery that we don’t actually get to see what the end result is. (Cawaco) has always been great partners to us from a legislative standpoint and to be here today seeing all of these worthwhile projects here in our district and our county—I just want to thank you again for supporting all of these efforts, our county and our community.”

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum itself was one of the grant recipients, with a grant in the amount of $5,000 that will go toward the planned establishment of a Discovery Center which will house a miniature train display.

“We had a large model train collection donated to us from a family in South Carolina that encompassed 2,400 square feet of trains,” said Mark Walker, with the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. “It is currently in storage here in Calera and for the last two and a half years we’ve been working on how to get a building to house it as right now we just don’t have the space to put it in. We started out trying to raise money for a master site plan and learned about Cawaco through Jackie Batson with Calera Main Street. Cawaco has helped us do this master site plan and we’re most appreciative of them and of course our legislators.

In addition, John Vanderford, who serves as county extension coordinator with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, spoke on the many efforts the 4-H program undertakes to provide learning experiences to children in Shelby County. This included outdoor activities and the 4-H Clover classrooms, which were the focus of the received grant in the amount of $4,861.91.

“We are extremely blessed in Shelby County, in our office with the partners that we have,” Vanderford said. “We can show kids the impact that farmers have on all of us every single day. It’s very cool to see that lightbulb go off when they see that. They learn that they can make real money (with agriculture) too. They don’t have to have a thousand acres and a tractor, they can make real money doing it with no background, they just have to be exposed to it.”

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is the primary outreach organization for the land-grant mission of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University, which delivers research-based educational programs that enable people to improve their quality of life and economic well-being.

In addition, The Shoal Creek Park Foundation was awarded a grant in the amount of $7,826.03 for their efforts in bettering and expanding the parks offerings including the emplacement of park benches along the trail.

The Shelby County Historical Society also received funding with a grant in the amount of $4,510.53 for their development of the Shelby Iron Works Park’s Historic Ruins Walking Trail.

Cawaco Resource Conservation & Development is a non-profit organization that supports educational and community development projects in Central Alabama throughout Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby and Walker Counties.

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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 BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – Heather Lynn Hammond, 28, was arrested near a residential building on Egg and Butter Road on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m.

Hammond was arrested on four separate charges, and all of them were drug-related. These charges break down into:

• Two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
• Two  counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Allegedly Hammond had an unspecified amount of methamphetamine and Suboxone strips in her possession at the time of her arrest. Suboxone is a combination of two drugs – buprenorphine and naloxone—that work chemically to decrease the severity of withdrawal symptoms and is often used to treat patients suffering from opioid dependency. That said, it is still a controlled substance and can be abused, as Suboxone is known to create a feeling of painlessness and euphoria at certain doses.

In addition to the drugs in her possession, Hammond is said to have had two meth pipes. Both are said to have been made of glass, and one is specified as being pink as well. 

Currently, Hammond is being held at Shelby County Jail in Columbiana on a bond of $12,000. A date for her initial hearing has yet to be determined. 

The investigation is still ongoing and details shall be released as they become available.

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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTGOMERY – The Cornerstone Christian Chargers entered the AISA 8-Man State Championship game at the Cramton Bowl on Thursday, Nov. 16 with two goals: get revenge against the Springwood Wildcats, who beat them in the semifinals last season, and claim the school’s first football state championship.

They did both, and the Chargers walked out of Montgomery with the trophy thanks to a 66-18 win over the Wildcats.

“I’m in shock, to be honest with you,” Cornerstone coach James Lee said. “This is a wonderful feeling. These guys have worked so hard and the coaches have worked so hard to get to this point, and we’re so thankful.”

However, before dominating down the stretch, the Chargers had to overcome some early adversity.

Springwood took command of the game in the early moments, and that started with a 1-yard rushing touchdown less than two minutes into the game.

The Wildcats’ CJ Johnson then took advantage of a Cornerstone turnover on downs to reel off runs of 42 and 31 yards, the latter for Springwood’s second touchdown of the half. However, the Wildcats lead was just 12-0 after a pair of failed two-point conversions.

That let Zeke Adams cut the lead to just four, countering a great Springwood kickoff with a 97-yard touchdown run on the first play of the drive.

The Wildcats responded just two plays later with a 82-yard catch and run by Cole Pearson, but another stop on a two-point conversion only let them go up 18-8.

From there, Adams led an efficient drive in the air with a pass to Noah Schober to the 20 and then another first down pass to Seth Dillard inside the 10. Adams then took a carry at the goal line into the end zone for the score to cut the deficit to 4.

That helped swing the momentum into Cornerstone’s favor. The Chargers defense came up with a quick punt, which let Adams take it to the house from 90 yards out on the first play of the drive. The ensuing two-point pass to Dillard succeeded, and the Chargers had their first lead of the game at 22-18 with 47 seconds left in the first quarter.

Then, the Chargers kept the pressure coming and were rewarded with a fumble in the backfield and a scoop and score touchdown by Cash Causey.

On the next drive, disaster struck again for Springwood thanks to a high snap on 4th down just two plays after similar one, which forced a turnover on downs.

Adams tested the deep ball, but ended up carrying the ball into the end zone from 19 yards out. His fourth rushing touchdown of the half put Cornerstone up 36-18 at halftime.

Lee said that the turnaround in the first half was due to the perseverance the players have developed both this season and throughout their entire careers.

“They started for us at seventh and eighth grade, taking their beats,” Lee said. “They persevered at that point, and we persevered all season long with everything they’ve gone through. They’ve been down in games and they didn’t rattle them one bit. They just weathered the storm and went with it.”

On the first drive of the third quarter, the Chargers embarked on a lengthy drive, getting the ball past midfield before being forced into a 4th-and-3 situation. However, Springwood jumped offside, and that kept the drive alive for a goal-line touchdown by Adams to go up 42-18.

The Wildcats got a fourth down conversion of their own on their next drive, but Hampton Etheredge came up with a big fumble recovery to flip the field.

Then, Jackson Moore came into the game and scored the next eight points by himself with a rushing touchdown from just outside the red zone and a two-point conversion to get the Chargers to 50 points with three minutes left in the third quarter.

That third quarter effectively put the game away, but Cornerstone would take advantage of a pair of turnovers on downs to add to its lead.

Drake Dunning scored a 5-yard touchdown early in the quarter for eight more points, and then, after coming into the game at quarterback, TC Sanders scored from 25 yards out for another eight points to put the finishing touches on a 66-18 win and a state championship.

After the game, Adams and the team agreed that this win was a long time coming.

“Honestly, this is a moment I’ve been waiting for a very long time,” Adams said. “I’ve been under my coach for a very long time. I really wanted it for me and the team.”

Schober said that playing together and relying on each other was a key reason why Cornerstone claimed the championship.

“It comes from the brotherhood we’ve had all season, the brotherhood we’ve built just knowing that your brother next to you is going to do their assignment, and you’ve got to play your game and just know your brothers are going to take care of you,” Schober said. “So, just sticking to our assignments was a big thing.”

With Cornerstone only losing a pair of seniors and returning nearly their entire core, Lee said that anything is possible for the Chargers going forward.

“The sky’s the limit with our guys,” Lee said. “I really do. Great leadership, but they’re great young men overall. They are just phenomenal young men, good godly men. They’re the leaders of our school, and I see our school going even farther because of these men, but our football program going even farther because of them too.”

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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 NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is set to receive body cameras for its officers—bringing enhanced transparency between local first responders and the public.

The Shelby County Commission awarded a bid for 135 body cameras to be used by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Nov. 13.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to deploy body cameras for our field operations,” Chief Deputy Clay Hammac said. “I am even more grateful for the foresight and partnership with our county commissioners for funding this project.”

The SCSO was already utilizing camera systems in patrol vehicles as well as an audio recorder for each deputy, but now it can take advantage of body cameras that will be compatible with the same server and systems.

“The Commission has discussed it for the last three years and we knew we were going in that direction, we were just waiting for the product to catch up and this year was that year,” Sheriff John Samaniego said.

Samaniego said the SCSO was concerned with the use of cameras when they were first released on a widespread basis, due to the possibility of the camera battery dying or the camera losing connection.

“The worst thing you can have is to be wearing a body camera and it doesn’t work because nobody is going to believe you (when you say) it wasn’t working properly,” Samaniego. “What we wanted to do is make sure that product met the quality of Shelby County. We try to stay top-shelf all the time.”

Samaniego said he believes that some of the negative thoughts citizens have about police will be dispersed thanks to the addition of the cameras.

“We polled the deputies, ‘What is your feeling on body cameras,’” Samaniego said. (And) 80-something percent of the deputies wanted them. So, that means they’re going to support that, they’re not going to try and get around it.”

According to Samaniego, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office hopes to have the cameras deployed by the first of next year or the first quart of net year.

“As the law enforcement profession continues to evolve, we must seize every opportunity to continue to communicate our devotion to accountability and transparency, through excellence in service, in all that we do,” Hammac said. “The body camera simply serves as a tool to reassure our community that our priorities are unchanging; that we safeguard lives, property and protect the Constitutional freedoms and rights of all.”

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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 SCOTT MIMS | Special to the Reporter

COLUMBIANA – The Cornerstone Christian Chargers are headed to the AISA 8-Man state championship game after a 44-20 victory over the Evangel Christian Academy Lions of Montgomery on Thursday night, Nov. 9.

The Chargers were neck-and-neck with the Lions in the first half, but in the third and fourth quarters, they pulled away to control their own destiny and score 30 points in the second half alone.

Cornerstone coach James Lee said he was proud of the progress the team had made.

“I’m speechless,” he said immediately after the game. “They’ve always battled—just ups and downs and we’ve persevered for so long. This is a big step for our program and these young men.”

Charger quarterback Zeke Adams drew first blood, and the resulting 2-point conversion made it 8-0 in the first quarter. Then, the Lions’ Mekhi Williams answered with 6:41 in the second, and the game was tied 8-8.

Evangel’s DJ Mack stacked on another 6 points with 1:07 before the half, but with seconds remaining, the Chargers struck again as Adams completed a touchdown pass to Noah Schober. Neither conversion attempt was good, resulting in a 14-14 halftime score.

Cornerstone recovered an onside kick just prior to the half, but the resulting drive ended with an Evangel interception.

After the break, the Chargers came out fully recharged as Adams scored a rushing touchdown and later fired a rocket to Schober, who took it all the way and made it 28-14. Adams would cross the goal line again with 28 seconds left in the third; the conversion put the Chargers up 36-14.

Adams found the Lions’ end zone again with 11:07 in the fourth and also ran a conversion to give the Chargers their 44 points on the night.

Evangel Montgomery would answer with another rushing touchdown, but it would be too little too late as the Chargers were too far ahead.

Adams completed 5 of 15 passes for 169 yards and rushed for 261 yards on 23 carries Thursday night, and T.C. Sanders rushed for 12 yards on one carry. Schober caught three passes for 99 yards, while Keaton Keef had 60 yards receiving and Drake Dunning had 11 yards receiving.

Now, Cornerstone will face Springwood on Thursday, Nov. 16 at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Lee shared some thoughts going into the biggest game of the year:

“They’re well coached, they’ve got great players. We’ve got to be on our A-game to beat them. We’re excited about the opportunity and the chance to do it,” he said.

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – On June 22, 2022, deputies from the Shelby County sheriff’s office found the body of Dinah Davis Northcutt, age 77.

Northcutt had been stabbed to death with a knife.

Now, more than a year later, Northcutt’s grandson Richard Alan Howell, 31, has plead guilty to her murder.

Howell had originally been arrested and charged for the murder of his grandmother on June 22, 2022, at approximately 7:20 p.m. after a Shelby County 911 dispatcher received a call in reference to a suspicious person in the 100 block of Highway 97 in the Summerhill community near Columbiana.

The responding sheriff’s deputies would later receive additional information that resulted in them finding Northcutt’s body, and law enforcement would quickly deem her death a homicide.

Information gathered by investigators at the scene quickly led to Howell’s arrest, and he was subsequently held at Shelby County jail on a $150,000.00 bond for the charge of murder.

Howell remained in custody at Shelby County Jail for the entirety of the 496 days since his initial arrest and his decision to plead guilty to the murder.

Judge Lara Alvis sentenced Howell to life in prison, though he will receive credit for the time he has already spent in jail.

 The lead investigator for this case was Derek Dixon from the Shelby County Sheriff’s department, and it was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney’s Sarah Beth Eldridge and Matthew Kimbrough.

“We are pleased to bring justice to the victim’s family in this tragedy and secure a plea that both the family and law enforcement thought was appropriate,” District Attorney Matt Casey said. “We are also very thankful for the hard work of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation of this case.”

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