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

MONTEVALLO – Residents are used to downtown Montevallo looking like a Norman Rockwell painting during the Christmas season, and on Thursday, Nov. 30, downtown will become even more festive during the city’s Christmas parade.

The annual Christmas parade will start at 6 p.m. at the intersection of Wadsworth and Ashville Road (Alabama 119) and proceed south on Main Street for five blocks ending at Shelby Street.

“The event will start with Christmas music from JQ’s One Man Swing Band on the post office lawn prior to the tree-lighting ceremony by Tim Tingle at 5:30 p.m.,” said Adele Nelson, executive director of the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce.

Parade attendees will be able to enjoy the holiday window decorations in businesses’ storefronts, and will also have the chance to win awards in a variety of different categories; Best Overall, Most Creative, Most Christmas Spirit and Best Theme.

“The winners of the Montevallo Main Street 7th Annual Holiday Window Decorating Competition will be announced at the tree-lighting ceremony”, Nelson said. “Our Christmas tree, Christmas banners, lights and parade will help kick off the holiday season.”

Parade registration is free, but those wanting to participate must return a completed application to the Chamber either by emailing it to montevallochamber@gmail.com or mailing it to P.O. Box 270, Montevallo, AL 35115 no later than Monday, Nov. 20.  Participants and attendees are encouraged to follow all safety guidelines during the parade.

This year’s Montevallo Christmas Parade sponsors include the City of Montevallo, Dixie Decorations, Dixon Designs, Lucky’s Foodland, Montevallo Main Street, Team Lehman, The Type Shop, Trustmark Bank, Slice, Montevallo ACE Hardware, State Farm/Bob Butterworth, Blue Phrog Gallery, Falcon Art Supply,  University of Montevallo and State Legislators: Sen. April Weaver, Rep. Russell Bedsole and Rep. Kenneth Paschal.

The post Montevallo plans Christmas parade appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTEVALLO – For a couple of hours on Wednesday, Nov. 15, Trustmark Arena became wrestling heaven in Alabama as high school teams, local wrestling fans and members of the Montevallo community watched the Montevallo Falcons win their first ever home match over the Midway Eagles, 27-16.

“It’s incredible,” Montevallo coach Daniel Ownbey said. “Our guys wrestled tough, they wrestled hard and we beat a top 25 NAIA team who thought they were going to come in here and have a close match with us, and our guys went out there and they took it to then, and I’m so incredibly proud of them.”

The energy was electric even before the start as a large crowd for the Thompson vs. McAdory match that preceded it grew even larger and greeted the Falcons with a wall of noise that only grew as the night progressed.

“I think that was probably one of the best Division II crowds I’ve ever seen,” Ownbey said. “I’m super proud of it.”

Colt Brown started the night out strong for Montevallo by earning a technical fall as time wound down in the opening 125-pound match, beating Andrew Vogeler 19-3 at 5:45 in the match.

The Falcons’ lead automatically grew to 11-0 as former Thompson wrestler Gabe Hixenbaugh won his 133-pound match by forfeit due to his opponent missing weight.

However, Midway proved why it is one of the top 25 NAIA teams by surging to the lead.

Kyler Adams rolled to an 8-0 major decision over the Falcons’ Chad Strickland in the 141-pound match. Then, Trent Gilham came close to a victory to stop the bleeding, but he lost a 9-8 decision to his 149-pound opponent, Chris Sperin.

Montevallo then lost its 11-7 lead to Midway after Abe Hafez pinned Finley Jameson just 45 seconds into the match to put the Eagles up 13-11.

However, that was the closest Midway would come to victory as a trio of former Thompson wrestlers sealed the dual win for Montevallo.

Carson Freeman put on a show for his former teammates, cruising to a 11-2 major decision over Jabril Williams in the 165-pound match to reclaim the lead and swing the momentum back in the Falcons favor.

Freeman was proud to get a win in front of his friends and family cheering him on.

“I’ve never experienced something like this,” Freeman said. “It being this packed out, this loud, it was amazing.”

With the crowd now back in the match, Derek Hussey used the friendly fans to his advantage. As the fans chanted his name down the stretch, he gutted out a hard-fought 5-3 decision over Daylon Stafford to claim victory in the 174-pound match.

Then, the most electrifying moment of the night happened when Jeffery Tubbs took the mat against Michael Colligan in the 184-pound match.

Tubbs scored a pin just 1:26 into the first period to set the arena on fire and put the Falcons up 24-13 as the Warriors alumni went 4-0 on the night.

Mark Pennison nearly put the dual away with a technical fall in the 197-pound match, but David Emfinger surged back to put the pressure on Pennison.

However, Pennison prevailed in the end with a 15-13 decision to survive the onslaught and wrap up the victory for Montevallo, nullifying Midway’s Bryon Pierce’s 4-0 decision in the 285-pound match over Noah Todd.

After the win, Ownbey chalked up the big turnaround to his team’s conditioning and the Falcons using that to attack their opponents when they were tired, which he sees as a positive as the team grows and builds momentum ahead of the postseason in March.

“You can see it getting close to the end of the second, end of the third,” Ownbey said. “These guys were starting to break. They were starting to get tired, and our guys saw that and they knew to take advantage of it. The fact that they just went out there trusted the fact that they’re not going to get tired and the other guy will just put everything that we’ve been working for right on display for the whole nation to see.”

Montevallo will host its second and final home match of the season against in-state foe Huntingdon College on Tuesday, Jan. 30. While Ownbey was grateful for the thousands that showed up for the first match, he hopes to replicate that atmosphere going forward.

“I want to thank everyone who showed up tonight and showed out,” Ownbey said. “It was an absolutely incredible crowd, an electrical crowd, and I could not have asked for more. The only thing I can ask from this crowd is that they show back up on [January] 30th and give that same energy.”

The post University of Montevallo wins historic first home dual against Midway appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

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.

The post Shelby County Schools seeks new bus drivers appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

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.”

The post Battling the blaze: Local fire departments combat wildfires during recent drought appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – American Village in Montevallo will celebrate all veterans at its annual Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 10 with a special Veterans Day Salute.

The Salute will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include a variety of family-friendly activities. At 11 a.m., a service will be held at the Colonial Chapel, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Veterans Shrine.

“We’ll be having a service in remembrance and thanksgiving for our veterans,” said American Village’s communication officer Melanie Poole. “Then for the family events you can meet the patriots of the past and tour the National Veterans Shrine.”

The National Veterans Shrine is a building at American Village modeled after Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia that honors veterans from Alabama both past and present.

“The Shrine combines large-scale paintings, sculpture and technology to tell the stories of those veterans,” Poole said. “It answers questions like: ‘Who are our veterans? What did they do for us and for our country? And what do we owe them in return?’”

Visitors will also have the chance to learn about the history of Veterans Day itself and how it became a national holiday.

Veterans Day initially began as ‘Armistice Day’ which commemorated the cessation of hostilities with Germany after WWI. However, it was not until 1945 that Veterans Day became the holiday we know it today.

In 1945, after serving in the American Navy during WWII, Birmingham native Raymond Weeks came up with the idea that Armistice Day should be set aside to honor veterans of all wars, not just WWI. 

The very next year, Weeks wrote and personally delivered his petition for a “National Veterans Day 1947” to then Army Chief of Staff, General Dwight Eisenhower. The first Veterans Day was subsequently held in Birmingham in 1947, but it would not be until seven years later, in 1954, that President Eisenhower would officially rechristen ‘Armistice Day’ ‘Veterans Day’ and made it into a national holiday honoring all veterans of the military.

American Village will be honoring that rich history and more with this year’s Veterans Day Salute, and Poole promises that visitors can expect a good time.

“It’s a beautiful campus,” Poole said. “We have over 20 historically inspired buildings and a beautiful picnic area, and to spend the day with us is totally free.”

The post American Village to host Veterans Day event Friday appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

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

The post Youth Leadership Shelby County celebrates new class at opening retreat appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The University of Montevallo welcomed Dr. J. Drew Lanham on Thursday, Nov. 2, for the third annual lecture of the Dr. Wilson Fallin Jr. Lecture Series.

“The Dr. Fallin Jr. Lecture series was established by the University of Montevallo’s Black Heritage committee in the spring of 2021,” said Dr. Gregory Samuels, chief diversity and inclusion officer and associate professor of Secondary education. “In recognition of Dr. Fallin’s lifelong efforts teaching the true reflective history of African Americans and leading social justice initiatives throughout Alabama and the Deep South.”

The lecture series highlights educational and sociocultural topics related to African-American heritage, social justice and racial justice. Past speakers have included individuals such as Dr. Bernice King.

Nov. 2’s speaker, Dr. J. Drew Lanham, is an American author, poet, wildlife biologist and a 2022 recipient of the McArthur Genius Award for his work combining conservation science with personal, historical  and cultural narratives of nature.

Lanham has published many essays and books, including a memoir titled ‘The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature,” that explore the concepts of naturalism and conservation through the lens of ethnicity, race and history.

Having spent the day at the University of Montevallo guest lecturing students and touring the land surrounding the university’s local wildlife at Ebenezer Swamp, Lanham delivered a keynote address in lyrical prose. 

Lanham talked about his love of birdwatching, the importance of biodiversity and the need for greater conservation efforts across the nation. After Landham’s address concluded, he answered questions from the audience and displayed his skill in birdcalls.

Upon the end of Landham’s time on stage, UM faculty shared a drone video taken from above the University meant to simulate a ‘bird’s eye view of campus.’

This was in turn followed by a reception in the lobby of UM’s Song Arts Center, which included a book signing by Lanham and the chance for guests to meet and talk with him in a more intimate setting. The event ultimately concluded at 7 p.m. and was attended by roughly 100 participants.

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – For the last 10 years, Indigo Aulbach has been working as a nurse, but now he’s opening a restaurant on Montevallo Main Street.

Indigo had previously attended culinary school in San Francisco and then worked in a series of restaurants and catering companies all over the country.

“I’ve been working in restaurants since I was a teenager and then in my early 20s, I did culinary school in San Francisco,” Indigo said. “I graduated from culinary school in ‘95, and I did all sorts of catering up in Napa, Sonoma and Santa Cruz. Then in 2004, I moved to Minneapolis and I worked at a couple of restaurants and I ran a couple of big restaurants out there.”

Ultimately though, the long hours of the restaurant life did not leave much time for Indigo to spend with his then grade-school daughter, Bennet. Indigo decided to put his culinary skills on the back burner and pursue a career in nursing.

“At the time I was actually the executive sous chef for a major chain of restaurants in the area called Parasole,” Indigo said. “So I left Parasole, went to nursing school, and I’ve been a nurse for the last ten years.”

Indigo worked in many different medical fields during his time as a nurse, including organ transplant, pediatric psychology and cancer treatment. He enjoyed it as it allowed him better hours to spend time with his daughter and watch her grow up. Then, when she was old enough, Bennet decided that she wanted to go to the University of Montevallo for college.

“So she moved out here last year and I followed shortly thereafter because I missed her,” Indigo said. “I started working at Children’s Hospital in psychiatry, emergency and inpatient psychiatry, and I’ve been there for the last year.”

It was only a short time after moving to Montevallo that Indigo fell in love with the city, and realized that there was a need for an affordable fine dining space.

“My daughter goes to the University of Montevallo. She and her fiance deserve to go have a nice meal, a nice home-cooked meal and not break the bank and be able to do that on a regular basis,” Indigo said. “These kinds of dining experiences make up our lives and our memories.”

He found an empty space on Montevallo’s main street and decided that it was finally time to break back into the culinary scene.

“I just came across this space, and it had been defunct for years,” Indigo said. “It was the original Tavern on Main Street, and it’s this beautiful historic building that’s over 100 years old.”

Indigo’s plan for the Indigo Cafe and Bar is to create a space inspired by the “creative misfits” of America’s 20th century, such as Billie Holiday, Anthony Bourdain and the Ramones. 

“We are inspired by the great American artists, adventurers and misfits of the 20th century,” Indigo said. “That whole late ‘70s and early ‘80s New York scene of art, fashion and music is the epitome that to me in the 20th century was the highlight when all of that was brought together.”

Indigo Cafe and Bar is currently set to open on Friday, Nov. 24 and is seeking to hire people for all positions. The restaurant will be open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to Midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Indigo Cafe and Bar will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, with a brunch on Sunday.

Indigo also promises ‘more in the works’ after the restaurant has been open for a while including a library of books and possibly a live music venue at some point in the future.

“It is not just about the food, listen, I make phenomenal food,” Indigo said. “My chicken noodle soup will bring tears to your eyes. But it’s not just about that. It’s about welcoming someone in and making them feel whole with food with music, beautiful art on the walls, kindness, real genuine hospitality and going out of our way to be an important part of the community.

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