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

There are so many different ways to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving.

First, you need to find the right bird. Most folks will be going down to their local Publix or Winn-Dixie to pursue the different frozen butterballs. There will be muttered discussions and asides, debates really, about which turkey will be the best on Thanksgiving.

Size is probably what most folks will look at first. Is it better to get a large bird, something you can feast on for days, or a smaller poultry specimen that will take less prep and time to cook? 

Then there’s the consideration of brand. Do you go for the tried and tested factory-raised turkey that has that helpful little plastic thing that pops out when it’s cooked all the way through, or do you venture out to one that’s certified organic and has all the giblets tucked away in the bird’s chest cavity in a little pouch?

Either way, you take a bird home. Put it in the sink to defrost, and then comes the fun part of figuring out how to cook the blasted thing.

This is perhaps the most stressful part of the entirety of Thanksgiving. 

Mostly because everyone and their mother seems to know the “perfect” and “best” way to cook a turkey.

There’s deep frying, brining, smothering in butter, dry rubs, injections and a plethora of other turkey cooking techniques that somehow become more and more elaborate as time goes on.

There’s also the “stuffing debate.” Do you stuff the turkey’s gulet with your tenderly prepared cornbread stuffing, laboriously executed from a Bobby Flay recipe found online and toasted to perfection? Or do you cook the turkey and stuffing separately? 

Or do you just say, “Why are we making stuffing? Does anyone actually eat this stuff? Because I feel like we’re just wasting food at this point.”

This is then usually followed by someone, usually a sibling or parents saying, “Of course we have to make stuffing. You can’t make turkey without stuffing. Why do you hate Thanksgiving?”

And you may want to yell back, “I don’t hate Thanksgiving Mom, but I hate stuffing and if you think it’s so important that we need stuffing then why aren’t you the one making it?”

But by then she’s left the kitchen and you’re just left there alone with headless turkey and half a dozen frozen cornbread muffins that are waiting to be chopped up and turned into stuffing that you just know that no one’s going to eat.

So you take a deep breath and just get back to getting the turkey. Because the turkey is the central dish on Thanksgiving, and it needs to be perfect and delicious.

Of course, inevitably, something goes wrong. There’s a missing spice, someone forgot to buy enough butter to slather the bird with, and the little plastic thing didn’t actually pop out. Regardless, something has gone wrong, and it’s Thanksgiving day, and nobody. Nobody is ever open.

There’s panic. Obviously. Then there’s the desperate search for something, anything, that can fix whatever’s gone wrong. You swap out missing ingredients for whatever weird spices are floating around the very back of your grandma’s spice cabinet. You slather a half-cooked turkey in olive oil, toss it in the oven and just hope for the best. 

I’m not going to admit how often one of these scenarios has happened to me over the holidays. But I will freely say, and with a great deal of convection, that it is possible to cook a turkey that’s deep fried to a crisp on the outside and almost inedibly raw on the inside.

At a certain point you need to know to just throw in the towel, pour a glass of wine and just serve your turkey no matter what sort of horrific state it’s in.

Because ultimately, as much pressure as we put on ourselves to have an awesome, delicious turkey on Thanksgiving, it isn’t about that. Thanksgiving is about being with your family and being thankful that you have people around you that you love.

Besides, the side dishes are better anyways.

The post Thanksgiving turkey tribulations appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

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.

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – As a homage to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the students of the Linda Nolen Learning Center paraded around the school and through the halls at the second-ever Balloons Over LNLC parade on Thursday, Nov. 16.

“Just seeing the excitement from the children, the joy on their faces and the excitement that the teachers and faculty and staff had, we just all had a blast,” LNLC’s Librarian Meredith Hornsby said.

The Linda Nolen Learning Center is a specialized learning center in Shelby County Schools that serves students with special needs by individualizing programs to prepare these students mentally, physically, socially and emotionally for independence. 

“The kind of kids that go here are typically students who have multiple disabilities. Some are medically fragile and can’t be served in their home school.” LNLC’s assistant principal Molly Parks said. “But we also have students who have emotional disabilities. And they need a smaller environment to thrive and be independent.”

The parade was inspired by “Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade,” which documents the origin story of the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.

“We read the book, and we talked about how the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade got started, how the balloons became a part of it, things like that,” Hornsby said. “And then we decided we were going to do our own parade because most of our students will never have the opportunity to participate in a city parade or something larger. So we wanted to give them that experience.”

Students had the chance to decorate their own balloons and parade through the hallways of LNLC, and several teachers even chose to accompany them. Along with the school’s students and teachers, members of the Oak Mountain High School’s Dance Line came to serve as an homage to the Radio City Rockettes. Several golden retriever puppies training to be facility dogs at Rover Chase also attended.

We had Leslie Claybrook, the general manager of the Birmingham Squadron, come and she was our grand marshal,” Hornsby said. “She (Claybrook) passed out a bunch of swag to all of our students and faculty.”

While this was LNLC’s second year putting on the event, it was Hornsby’s first year organizing it, and by all accounts, it was a wonderful experience for the students.

“It’s a very special school,” Hornsby said. “It’s the happiest place I’ve ever worked. We work hard every day to make each day awesome. We have fun every day, no matter what we wind up doing.”

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The city of Pelham officially entered contracts with RCX Sports, LLC for the right to operate both a NFL Flag Football and a NHL Street hockey programs for local youth at a regularly scheduled city council meeting on Monday, Nov. 20.

The possibility of creating these teams was previously discussed at a prior work session on Monday, Nov. 6. 

Both the NFL Flag Football and the NHL Street Hockey program would be youth leagues geared towards kids ages five to 13, and each team in the league will have NFL and NHL connections and logos on their respective equipment. Pelham will be one of only two cities in Alabama to have these leagues.

While the two new youth teams have been approved, no other plans have been announced at this time.

After the resolution was passed to officially enter contracts with RCX Sport, the city council then listened to a public hearing from business owner Ammar Alsabahi who is applying for a conditional use permit for a CBD, vape, alternative health and wellness store where Cahaba Cycles was previously located on Pelham Parkway. 

No formal decisions were made, and the city council decided to continue considerations of Alsabahi’s request at a future meeting. In other news, the Pelham City Council also approved the following items on the agenda:

• The designation of the city of Pelham as a Bee City USA affiliate.
• The approval of pay grades and changes to the job title for the position of Groundskeeper at Ballantrae Golf.
• Approval of the low bid and Notice of Award to JTL Golf, LLC for cart path and Bunker improvements at Ballantrae Golf Club and the amendments to the FY2024 Ballantrae Golf Club’s Project Budget.
• An agreement with the Shelby County Park and Recreational Authority to install conduit for the Campus No. 124 park project, to approve a quote from Alabama Power Company to install overhead to underground electrical service to the Campus No. 124 power meter, and to amend the FY2024 Campus No. 124 Project Budget to complete the park development.
• Approval of an agreement with the Shelby County Park and Recreational Authority for site preparation for the City Park Playground Project.

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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 BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY – Thousands of people in the Peruvian Amazon do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, but Kingdom Ventures International plans to change that with their 50/50 Water Challenge.

“It’s going to be taking place in Jacksonville, North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 9,” Pastor James Grayson Jr. said. “Basically, what I’ll be doing is that I’ll be walking, running and biking 50 miles and our goal is to raise $25,000.”

Grayson has been a pastor for the past 22 years, and during that time he has served on mission trips all around the world. But it wasn’t until a fateful trip to Mexico that Grayson became aware of the critical need for clean drinking water in many parts of South America.

“We heard about this group of Indians called Tzotzil Indians that had actually been kicked out of their village because they were following Christ and the Mexican government gave them land on the backside of this lake about 25 acres in a really arid area and so we went out to meet them,” Grayson said. “Their kids had really distended stomachs, and they were really sick. I had been in the Amazon, and I thought they had parasites, so we gave some money for them to take the kids to the doctor. The next day, though, we found out that it wasn’t parasites. It was their livers.  Their livers were inflamed from drinking directly from the lake where they get their water.”

In the United States, waterborne illnesses and diseases are thought to cause roughly 120,000 hospitalizations and 7,000 deaths each year according to the CDC. Both of these numbers are thought to be much higher in countries where healthcare resources are less readily available. 

“It’s estimated that there are 500,000 people in the area of the Amazon we work in,” Grayson said. “I would say that about 90 percent of them don’t have access to clean drinking water.”

A little while after discovering the need for clean drinking water in South America, Grayson and his wife Crystal founded Kingdom Ventures International, a nonprofit with a mission to provide clean water filtration systems to communities in the Peruvian Amazon.

“Iquitos, Peru is the largest city in the world that’s only accessible by boat or plane,” Grayson said. “There are no roads connecting it to the outside world. It’s basically only accessible by the stretch of the Amazon river, and in the next 15 years we want to see that every single family in that area has clean exit access to clean water.”

Kingdom Ventures International provides clean water to the people of the Peruvian Amazon in several different manners. Mostly though, it is by giving families a water filtration system for their homes, or by building a solar-powered well for a village. Either way, what sets Kingdom Ventures apart from many other nonprofits is that members regularly return to help maintain the water filtration systems and to teach locals how to do the same.

“The thing about their ministry doing this is that they don’t just go and give it to them and leave,” said Christy Kelley of Focus Church. “And then here it is, they go back and check off. They go back and see them and see how they’re doing and make sure it’s working properly.”

While Grayson and his wife may only spend a few months out of the year in Shelby County now, with the rest of their time split between North Carolina and their work in Peru, local churches like Focus Church in Shelby still actively support Kingdom Ventures’ humanitarian efforts and participate in mission trips.

“One thing that I really appreciate and love about Kingdom Ventures is that they really get to know the people and love them,” Kelley said. “They make sure that those people are going to have clean water for 20 years down the line.”

Kingdom Ventures International will have its 50/50 Clean Water Challenge on Saturday, Dec. 9. Donations can be given at Kingdomventuresintl.org/donate.

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY– Three men were recently apprehended by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office robbing a vehicle on Highway 280, on Tuesday, Nov. 14.

At 2:20 a.m. Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported car robbery in progress near Highway 280. When the deputies arrived, they found a black 2018 Dodge Charger with signs of an attempted break-in, but no subjects were found.

Deputies then proceeded to canvas the area and discovered one of the alleged perpetrators attempting to evade police custody on foot. It was then learned that two other accomplices were also in the area in a stolen vehicle, a purple 2023 Dodge Charger valued at $70,000, and would be returning to retrieve the first man. 

The two other accomplices were subsequently arrested. 

“This is an example of fantastic police work from some of our hardest working patrol deputies,” said Clay Hammac, chief deputy for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. “I think the residents of North Shelby County and business owners should be just as proud as I am of these deputies and the work that they put into their job to make sure that they’re keeping their community safe.”

The three men arrested for the alleged car break-in, Dexter Dewayne Williams, Isiah Demonte Henley and Maurice Antonio Summerville, were found to be in possession of not only a stolen car, but also two unregistered guns, a Glock 17, an altered short barrel rifle, and drugs and drug paraphernalia, including marijuana wax and a digital scale

The three men were then taken to Shelby County Jail in Columbiana and are currently being held there on the following respective bonds and charges:

Williams is being held on a bond of $60,500, and on the following charges:

• Receiving stolen property, first degree.
• Unlawful breaking and entering into a vehicle.
• Possession of a short-barrelled rifle.
• Attempting to elude law enforcement.

Henly is being held on a bond of $60,500 and his charges break down as follows:

• Receiving stolen property, first degree.
• Unlawful breaking and entering into a vehicle.
• Possession of a sawed-off rifle/shotgun.
• Attempting to elude law enforcement.

Summerville is being held on a bond of $67,500. His charges break down as follows:

• Receiving stolen property, first degree.
• Unlawful breaking and entering into a vehicle.
• Use or possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Possession of a short-barrelled rifle.
• Attempting to elude law enforcement.
• Unlawful possession of marijuana, second degree.
• Unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

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

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd will be hosting a free health clinic on Sunday, Nov. 19,  from 2 to 5 p.m.

“They (Community Hope Health) plan on doing free health checks which will include things like blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, women’s health and behavioral health,” Reverend Andrew Brashier said. 

Previously, the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd hosted a health clinic with Community Hope Health back in August that helped distribute COVID-19 and other vaccinations to children going back to school. 

“It’ll be their mobile clinic and this time instead of doing shots we’re gonna be doing general wellness or health care checkups,” Brashier said.

Most healthcare professionals recommend that individuals should receive a wellness check every six to 12 months, but often people either forget or cannot afford to visit a physician due to financial reasons. Community Hope Health’s clinic will be free to anyone needing a check-up.

“Community Hope Heath has been looking for ways to collaborate with us and they’re always so supportive of the community,” Brashier said.

As part of their collaboration with Community Hope Health, members of The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd’s congregation will be helping patients get checked in, and providing the church’s building as a warm place for people to wait on their check-ups.

“Our mission is, to sum it up, ‘loving God by serving our neighbors’” Brashier said. “So this is just one small way to meet physical needs, specifically healthcare while also being there to do spiritual deeds by praying with and praying over people.”

Brashier noted that he hopes that his church will continue its partnership with Hope Health Clinic and host more free health clinics with the group in the future.

“We’re a local church that’s present and seeking to continue to be present with those in the community,” Brashier said. “Really helping local needs, and not overlooking the people who are right here in our backyards.”

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – On Friday, Nov. 10, students at Pelham Oaks and Pelham Ridge had the chance to learn about the history of Veterans Day and to meet former members of the Armed Services.

“I just think it’s a great way to honor those who served our country,” said Pelham Oaks Principal Chase Holden.

As part of their celebrations, Pelham Oaks students participated in a schoolwide essay contest about veterans. The winners of this contest then had the chance to read their essays during a school assembly attended by local veterans and members of the community.

“A lot of times it’s family members of students,” Holden said. “We’re never sure how many to expect but we accept anybody who comes.”

Pelham Ridge celebrated Veterans Day differently by creating a slideshow and video honoring the various veterans nominated by students and parents. The presentation was then viewed by students in their classrooms, and was followed by a parade through the hallways of the school by students and visiting veterans.

“This was the second year that we have honored the veterans in this way.,” said Pelham Ridge Library Media Specialist Laura Reeves. “Before COVID, we would do a program in the gymnasium, but the students had to sit in silence for most of the program. The veterans expressed to us last year that they loved seeing the students cheering in the hallways and much preferred this type of program, so this is why we have changed it to the parade style.”

Despite having different celebrations, both schools took time to educate students on the history of Veterans Day, and how the holiday actually had its origins in Alabama.

Veterans Day initially began as Armistice Day which commemorated the cessation of hostilities with Germany after World War I. However, it was not until 1945 that Veterans Day became the holiday it is known as today.

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

The 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 as Veterans Day and it became a national holiday honoring all veterans of the military.

Pelham Oak and Pelham Ridge’s Veterans Day celebrations are a testament to that rich history, and the honor deserved by past and present members of the armed services.

“I feel that the most memorable moment of our event was when a grandfather spoke after the sing-a-long,” Reeves said. “He talked about how important it was for veterans to be able to get together with comrades and be able to talk about their time in service, and expressed gratitude for the recognition of the veterans.”

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