April 16, 2014 Section A

Helicopter egg drop
in Clay Saturday,
page 11
Hewitt-Vestavia
baseball playoffs
preview, page 16
www.trussvilletribune.com
The Trussville Tribune
Your news source for Trussville, Clay and Pinson
April 16 - 22, 2014
50¢
Governor to attend Northern Beltline groundbreaking in Pinson
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The groundbreaking for
the Northern Beltline is
scheduled for Monday,
April 21 in the PinsonPalmerdale area, the Coalition for Regional Transportation announced last
week.
The groundbreaking will
begin at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Alabama Highway 75 and Clay-Palmerdale Road. Alabama Gov.
Robert Bentley will lead
the event, which is expected to draw a significant
number of elected officials
from the federal, state and
local levels. State Sen. Jeff
Sessions and Sen. Richard
Shelby have been invited
to attend.
file photo by Gary Lloyd
Alabama Department of Transportation crews set up at the
intersection of Clay-Palmerdale Road and Highway 75 near
Pinson in February.
The initial project will
connect Alabama Highway 79 to Alabama Highway 75. The entire project
will consist of a 52-mile
multi-lane highway that
will stretch from Interstate 59 in northeast Jefferson County to the Interstate 459 interchange with
I-20/59 near Bessemer.
The contract for the first
phase of the project was
awarded to Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc. of Charleston,
Tenn., last year. The estimated cost for the first
phase of the project is $46
million and is expected to
be completed by mid fall
2016.
“Certainly I think that
will bring some commersee PINSON page 2
Commercial development Matt Pitt released from
Shelby
County
Jail
picking up in Trussville
‘Steady, controlled growth’ is mayor’s goal
photo by Gary Lloyd
The Eastminster Presbyterian Church property is up for sale.
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The questions are asked
about as often as the signs
are popping up.
What’s going on at the intersection of Deerfoot Parkway and Husky Parkway?
An “Under Contract” sign
emerges on U.S. Highway
11 near the Tutwiler Farm
subdivision.
Why is land being cleared
near Trussville Springs? A
brown “For Sale” sign is
planted in front of Eastminster Presbyterian Church.
That last item is the most
recent. A merger of Eastminster Presbyterian Church and
Grace Presbyterian Church
is making the 5.5-acre site
on U.S. Highway 11 in
Trussville available for retail development. The two
churches merged last year to
form Cahaba Springs Presbyterian Church on Deerfoot
Parkway. The Eastminster
Presbyterian Church property is now up for sale, and
Shannon-Waltchack is taking offers on the property.
Ali Wilburn and George Elliott, two of the company’s
brokers, are taking bids for
the property from developers
until Sunday, April 20.
The minimum bid for the
property is set at $2.85 million.
According to a ShannonWaltchack brochure about
the property, an estimated
80,836 people lived within a
five-mile radius of the property in 2013. Those residents
had a median age of 37.1
years and a median household income of $50,369
with a per capita income of
$24,638. Within one mile of
the site, however, the median
see TRUSSVILLE page 5
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
At 6:05 a.m. Sunday,
Matt Pitt, surrounded by
family and supporters,
scanned the early-morning sky, the sun still not
quite peaking over the
Columbiana hills.
Pitt, wearing a striped
turquoise shirt and blue
jeans, smiled as he
photo by Gary Lloyd
walked out of Shelby
County Jail on Sunday The Basement founder and youth evangelist Matt Pitt
morning.
leaves Shelby County Jail on Sunday morning.
“I can’t believe it,” Pitt
said, looking toward the and languished during press or any interviews,”
sky.
this time. Matt didn’t. Ritchey said.
Pitt, the founder of He spent a lot of time,
Pitt in September 2012
The Basement youth most of his time, minis- pleaded guilty to imperministry, had been in- tering to others, using his sonating a peace officer
carcerated since August unique style to make an after he allegedly pulled
2013, serving time for impact, to make a change behind traffic on Interan October probation in other people’s lives. state 65 near Calera in
revocation on an imper- That’s really the story May 2012 and activated
sonating a police officer about what’s been going flashing blue lights.
charge. Pitt was released on the past eight months,
In August 2013, Pitt
about four months early not him sitting in jail but was charged with the
for good behavior.
actually what he’s done same offense in Jeffer“On behalf of Matt to other people.”
son County relating to
and his family, I want to
A reception for Pitt a June 2013 incident in
thank all his supporters was held at The Base- Grayson Valley, in which
that stood by him dur- ment offices in Truss- he presented a Jeffering this difficult time,” ville on Sunday night. son County honorary
said Brian Ritchey, one Pitt then left on a “much sheriff’s badge to Branof Pitt’s attorneys. “This needed” vacation with don Vessels and Brad
has been a long period his wife, Ritchey said.
Lunsford after the two
for him, eight months
“During this time Grayson Valley residents
sitting in a jail. A lot of he’s not going to have
people could have sat any statements with the
see PITT page 4
Family of Clay teen killed in tornado raises awareness at Barons game
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The family of a Clay teenager
killed in the Jan. 23, 2012 tornado threw out the first pitch at
Friday’s Birmingham Barons
baseball game against the Jacksonville Suns at Regions Field.
Christina Heichelbech, 16,
was killed during the tornado in
the Steeplechase subdivision off
Old Springville Road in Clay
two years ago. Her brother, Josh,
threw out Friday’s ceremonial
first pitch.
Parents Darrell and Carol
were also there, helping to bring
awareness to being prepared for
severe weather.
Renee Crook, a volunteer,
said Midland Radio Corporation
donated about $10,000 worth
of weather radios to the fans in
attendance. That’s about 200
weather radios, she said. Academy Sports & Outdoors donated
Inside The Tribune:
News – pages 2 - 7
Lifestyle – pages 8 - 12
Calendar – page 13
Opinion – page 14
Sports – pages 15 - 16
8
63150 00000
5
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file photo
the batteries for the radios, she
said.
Crook said she’s given away
nearly 600 safety helmets since
2012. She plans to work with the
Heichelbech family in the future
to raise awareness for severe
weather safety.
Christina Heichelbech was a
student at the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate
School, a member of the Valley
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news@
ad atand
trussvilletribune.com and follow
receive
him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
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Page 2
April 16 - 22, 2014
|
The Trussville Tribune
School board to discuss zoning lines for new schools
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
E!
The Trussville City Board
of Education will meet in a
board retreat Monday, April
21 to discuss zoning lines and
the possibility of intra-district
transfer relative to two new
community elementary schools.
The retreat begins at noon
at the Central Office on North
Chalkville Road and lasts until
4:30 p.m., when a work session
begins. A board meeting is at 6
p.m.
Trussville
City
Schools
Superintendent Pattie Neill said
earlier this year that the board
retreat will be “very important.”
Zoning lines will help
determine if the new elementary
schools should be built for 400
or 500 students. One will be
constructed near the Magnolia
Place subdivision, while the
New Deal-era school building on
Parkway Drive will be renovated.
Trussville residents Feb. 25
voted to approve the sevenmillage property tax increase to
file photo by Ron Burkett
Trussville City Schools Superintendent Pattie Neill holds up vote
totals Feb. 25.
PINSON continued from page 1
cial growth to our area,”
Pinson Mayor Hoyt Sanders said earlier this month.
“We’re excited about what
that will mean.”
A federal judge in January denied a request for a
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fund the two schools. The vote
passed by a result of 2,813 voting
for the increase to 1,935 voting
against it. Seven additional
mills in property taxes will cost
Trussville residents $70 per year
on homes appraised at $100,000,
$140 per year on homes appraised
at $200,000 and $210 per year on
homes appraised at $300,000.
“This is a pivotal moment for
the students in Trussville City
Schools,” Neill said after the
vote passed. “The voice of the
people has been heard. We will
act accordingly to move forward
ern Beltline’s first phase
of construction. The SELC
called the first phase “improper segmentation.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
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April 16 - 22, 2014 |
Page 3
The Trussville Tribune
Sisters, one from Trussville, arrested on
federal tax fraud charges
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Federal authorities last
Wednesday arrested two
sisters on charges that they
worked together in their
Taxes N More business
in Tarrant to prepare
fraudulent tax returns for
themselves and others,
often falsely claiming
a credit for first-time
homebuyers, announced
U.S. Attorney Joyce White
Vance and IRS Criminal
Investigation
Special
Agent in Charge Veronica
Hyman-Pillot.
A federal grand jury
indicted Lugenia L. “Gigi”
Conner, 31, of Trussville,
and Kaneshia L. “Kiki”
Conner-Goodgame, 34, of
Birmingham, in late March
on charges of conspiracy to
defraud the United States by
obstructing and defeating
collection of income taxes
by the Internal Revenue
Service. The indictment
also charges both sisters,
individually, with assisting
in the preparation and
presentation of false and
fraudulent returns for the
2008 tax year, and with
making and filing false
returns for themselves for
2008. The indictment was
sealed until both women
were arrested.
“Tax return preparers
who concoct schemes to
collect inflated refunds
are stealing from the U.S.
Treasury and cheating the
millions of hard-working
Americans who pay their
due share of taxes each
year,” Vance said. “The
U.S. Attorney’s Office will
continue to work with the
IRS to prosecute tax fraud
and protect the sanctity
and integrity of the tax
system.”
Hyman-Pilot said as
filing season comes to an
end, the arrests should
send a message that IRS
Criminal Investigation will
continue to enforce laws
that protect the integrity of
the tax system.
“Refund fraud is not
a victimless crime and
it affects everyone who
pays taxes,” Hyman-Pilot
said. “Honest taxpayers
who file accurate returns
can be assured that the
government will pursue the
individuals who attempt to
defraud the United States
tax system.”
According to the March
indictment,
Conner
and
Conner-Goodgame
conducted their scheme as
follows:
The sisters jointly owned
and operated Taxes N
More, where they worked
together to obtain inflated
refunds for their clients
in 2009 by falsifying
information submitted on
clients’ 2008 returns. The
sisters claimed the First
Time Home Buyer’s Credit
of up to $7,900 on returns
they prepared for other
taxpayers, knowing those
taxpayers weren’t entitled
to the credit. The women
also prepared third-party
tax
returns
claiming
itemized deductions or
business expenses that
clients neither had provided
information for, nor were
entitled to receive.
Conner
faces
five
counts of assisting in the
preparation of fraudulent
returns for falsely claiming
a total of $93,683 in
deductions and credits on
returns she prepared for
five different taxpayers.
Conner-Goodgame faces
two counts of the same
charge for falsely claiming
a total of $15,400 with the
First Time Home Buyer’s
Credit for two tax clients.
Conner and ConnerGoodgame also each are
charged with creating and
submitting 2008 personal
tax returns on which they
claimed the homebuyers’
credit,
knowing
they
were not entitled to that
deduction.
The Taxes N More
business had a dramatic
increase in the number of
returns prepared and the
amount of refunds claimed
from the 2007 to the 2008
tax year, according to the
indictment. For the 2007
tax year, it says the sisters’
business prepared 337
third-party tax returns,
claiming $1.3 million
in refunds. For the 2008
tax year, Taxes N More
prepared 670 third-party
returns, claiming $3.5
million in refunds.
IRS
Criminal
Investigation investigated
the case, which Assistant
U.S. Attorney Amanda
Wick is prosecuting.
The public is reminded
that an indictment is only
a charge and defendants
are presumed innocent.
It’s the government’s
responsibility to prove
guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt at trial.
by Gary Lloyd
The approval repeals
some municipal violations
and replaces them with
state code violations.
The ordinance states that
any person or corporation
committing an offense as
defined by the state of Alabama shall be guilty of that
offense in the city of Truss-
ville.
The city of Trussville’s
ordinances can be found
under the “Government”
tab at www.trussville.org.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Trussville adopts
state code violations
Editor
The Trussville City
Council last week unanimously approved an ordinance to adopt state code
violations as municipal
violations.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
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Page 4
April 16 - 22, 2014
|
The Trussville Tribune
Car chase leads to arrest of fugitive linked to JeffCo break-ins
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Just
after
midnight
Friday, April 11 deputies
attempted to stop a car that
was suspected of being
stolen.
The driver refused to
stop and a pursuit began
in the area of 12th Avenue
and 31st Street North.
The car was confirmed to
be stolen out of the city
of Hueytown. The chase
traveled through north
Birmingham and into the
Kingston and Woodlawn
areas. As the chase moved
through the Kingston area
three subjects jumped out
and fled on foot, but the
driver continued to flee in
the vehicle, said Jefferson
County Sheriff’s Office
Chief
Deputy
Randy
Christian.
Birmingham
police
file photo
A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office police cruiser
joined the pursuit as it
passed
through
their
jurisdiction and into the
city of Irondale. Irondale
police also assisted in
the chase. The suspect
vehicle entered Interstate
20 West heading back in
to Birmingham. Deputies
surrounded the vehicle
and slowed it to a stop
on the overpass above
Oporto-Madrid Boulevard,
Christian said. The driver
rammed two sheriff’s
office vehicles in an
attempt to escape, but was
unsuccessful.
The driver and passenger
were taken into custody.
Several stolen guns and
GPS devices were found
in their possession as well
as an amount of marijuana,
Christian said.
The driver of the
car was identified as
19-year-old Justin Hall,
of Birmingham. He was
arrested
and
charged
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with two counts of firstdegree assault, first-degree
receiving stolen property,
reckless
endangerment,
reckless driving, resisting
arrest,
attempting
to
elude and second-degree
unlawful possession of
marijuana. He was in
Jefferson County Jail last
week with bonds totaling
$96,500.
The passenger of the
car was identified as
20-year-old
Dewayne
Deon Thomas, also of
Birmingham. He was
charged with first-degree
receiving stolen property,
second-degree unlawful
possession of marijuana
and resisting arrest. He
was in Jefferson County
Jail last week with bonds
totaling $39,000. He also
has 31 outstanding felony
warrants with the Shelby
County Sheriff’s Office.
He will be turned over to
Shelby County when bond
is posted.
Thomas has been the
subject of an investigation
into several car break-ins
and vehicle thefts in the
Birmingham/Jefferson
Business briefs:
PITT continued from page 1
found what they believed
to be a rifle about 50 feet
into the wooded area near
their homes.
“This isn’t over yet,”
Ritchey said. “He still has
a pending charge in Jef-
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Business briefs: BB&T
opens, departments to be
recognized
The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for BB&T
Bank, one of the city’s newest businesses,
on April 4.
On hand for the ribbon cutting were
BB&T market leader Jason Sparks, Regional President Donta Wilson, Birmingham Market President Burton McDonald,
Business Services Officer Michael Hull,
Wealth Private Advisor Virginia Morris,
Investment Counselor Paul Vahle and
other staff.
In other business news, Trussville Police Chief Don Sivley and Trussville
Fire Chief Russell Ledbetter will address
chamber members at a luncheon Thursday
County metro area. He is
believed to have led law
enforcement on a chase last
month during which shots
were fired at a Deputy U.S.
Marshal, before he eluded
capture.
An increased number of
car break-ins have been
reported in Trussville, Argo
and other surrounding
areas in recent months.
submitted photo
The BB&T ribbon cutting
at the Trussville Civic Center. The Trussville Police Department and Trussville
Fire and Rescue will be recognized at the
luncheon, which begins at 11:30 a.m.
Contact Gary Lloyd at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter
@GaryALloyd.
ferson County. We are still
waiting to see whether the
(district attorney) is going
to pursue this case and get
an indictment. We stand
ready and willing, if that’s
necessary, to defend him
and to clear his name.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
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April 16 - 22, 2014 |
Page 5
The Trussville Tribune
TRUSSVILLE continued from page 1
household income jumps
to $63,412 with a per capita income of $42,075.
The brochure states that
the property is “an extraordinary chance for a site in
a very high demand retail
market.”
Land owners and developers are apparently taking
note of Trussville.
“I don’t see a boom
coming, but I do see that
the economy is slowly
but surely coming back,”
Trussville Mayor Gene
Melton said. “The private
sector looking to build out
here and to open up new
businesses is very encouraging.”
An “upscale commercial
development”
is
planned for the intersection of Deerfoot Parkway
and Husky Parkway. Signs
along Deerfoot Parkway
suggest a new cleaners
business and a church are
in the future. A funeral
home is also likely to be
built there. Blackwater Resources has the option on
property starting at Gloria’s Hair Salon and up to
and including the boardedup house across from the
Tutwiler Farm subdivision
entrance on U.S. Highway
11 for the possible construction of a strip mall.
Trussville Springs is making way for a new entrance,
where eventually there will
be shops, restaurants and
offices.
Housing permit
numbers ‘pick up’
ville should issue close to
200 permits this year.
“It’s very encouraging to
see the numbers pick up,”
Melton said.
‘Steady, controlled
growth’ is the goal
photo by Gary Lloyd
A new fire station will become the city’s fourth at some point in the future. It will be
located at the corner of Service Road by Trussville-Clay Road.
lieves the continued residential growth of Trussville is attracting commercial development.
“Even through a really
tough market downturn,
Trussville wasn’t hit quite
as bad as some other areas,
and actually continued to
grow, mostly due to our
strong school system,”
Marlow said. “So the commercial side sees this and
wants to be here.”
Two new elementary
schools are being constructed in the city. Neighborhoods such as Glen
Cross and Stockton are
seeing continued growth.
“Retail stores and restaurants want to be where
there are patterns of good
growth, and Trussville has
proven that to be true,”
Marlow said. “It’s exciting
to see new places opening.
If we have all the places we
want to shop and eat here
locally, then we don’t leave
Trussville to spend money.
It’s a win-win.”
In 2005, Trussville issued 421 residential building permits for the construction of new homes,
the most of any year since
1998. That number decreased to 361 in 2006, 197
in 2007, 89 in 2008, 85 in
2009, 66 in 2010 and 45 in
2011. In 2012, 125 were issued and 180 were issued
last year. Through the first
three months of 2014, the
city has issued 48 residential building permits. If
that trend continues, Truss-
Melton said the Trussville City Schools system
and new road connections
-- such as the future Valley Road extension to the
Pinnacle at Tutwiler Farm
shopping center and the
Husky Parkway bridge
over the Cahaba River -are playing a role in the
“steady growth” of the city.
Melton said that Trussville is $150,000 ahead of
where it was last year economically. With a $25 million budget, that’s “pretty
small but it’s not negative,”
Melton said. Last year, the
city garnered $18.6 million in sales tax revenue.
That number was $17.39
million in 2012 and $11.91
million in 2011, before an
increased sales tax kicked
in. Through the first six
months of this fiscal year,
which began Oct. 1, 2013
and runs through Sept.
30, the city has brought in
$9.52 million.
Melton said he’d much
rather see a “slow, controlled growth” so that
the city can cover all its
bases, to take advantage
of all it can and have the
right things in Trussville
for the right reasons. The
downturn in the economy
a handful of years ago allowed Trussville to find
and replace failing infrastructure in the city, something that will serve it well
now as developers eye the
city.
“I think Trussville has arrived,” Marlow said. “We
have continued to steadily
grow and change. New
construction is evident in
all pockets of Trussville.
People from out of state
who are relocating to Birmingham read online all
the great news about Trussville and want to come
here. We are a desirable
area. People want to live in
a community-driven area
that values good education,
hard work, family values,
and these are all things we
have here. The public sees
this and wants to be a part
of it.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Jefferson Memorial Gardens-Trussville
6 lots, will split into 2s. Garden of Everlasting
Life. Value of lot $3000 each will sell for
$1500 each. Value of 2 openings and
closings $1545 each will sell for $500 each.
Location is 249 C these lots are next to the
road in the Cemetery.
Please call 1-205-913-5816
for additional information.
Trio’s
Local real estate agent
Local
Lee Marlow
said sheBar
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Page 6
April 16 - 22, 2014
|
The Trussville Tribune
Alabama changing method 6 from Clay, 2 from Pinson
of tax collection on CNG named Super Scholars
by Gary Lloyd
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Alabama is changing the way it taxes
natural gas sold for transportation fuel in
the state.
A measure passed by the Legislature
and signed by Gov. Robert Bentley suspends a motor fuel road tax decal program
for compressed natural gas vehicles that
fuel in the state. The bill provides a tax
holiday for natural gas used in vehicles
and gives state agencies until Oct. 1,
2016, to develop a program to collect motor fuel road taxes at the point of purchase
for compressed natural gas and liquefied
natural gas.
In addition to moving tax collection to
the pump, the legislation also establishes
standards for the sale and taxation of CNG
and LNG based on energy equivalency
with gasoline and diesel (5.66 pounds of
CNG = 1 gasoline gallon equivalent, and
6.06 pounds of LNG = 1 diesel gallon
equivalent).
Alabama legislators passed the bill 29-0
in the Senate and 101-0 in the House of
Representatives. Bentley signed the measure into law April 9.
Under the former system, 300 CNG vehicles had purchased annual decals from
the LP Gas Board at a rate of $75 to $150
per year. The decal program was difficult
to enforce on out-of-state CNG vehicles
and did not cover LNG vehicles. The new
law will result in CNG and LNG being
taxed in the same fashion as gasoline and
diesel.
“This legislation creates a level playing
Editor
Six
Clay-Chalkville
High School students and
two from Pinson Valley
High School were named
2014
Superintendent’s
Super Scholars last week.
From Clay-Chalkville
High School, Cole Garrison, Caleb Dunaway,
Jacob Neil, Rebekah
Sewell, Jared Baker and
Jessica Ray earned the
honor. Madalyn Goff and
William Rogers earned
the honor from Pinson
Valley High School.
The recognition is for
high school sophomores
who scored between 25
and 32 on the PLAN test,
a pre-ACT examination.
Scoring a 25 places a stu-
dent in the 97th percentile
nationally.
The top 100 sophomores in the Jefferson
County Schools System
were honored earlier this
month.
Leadership Excellence has
identified and recognized
the top 500 leadership organizations and their strategies and solutions in their
yearly ranking. This year’s
award winners have been
published in the April issue
of Leadership Excellence
Essentials.
“Leadership is an art that
requires constant practice
and focus to master,” said
HR.com CEO Debbie McGrath. “The firms recognized in the Leadership
500 Excellence Awards
program significantly help
firms grow and develop
their leaders through some
of the most impactful programs we have ever seen.”
This year’s award recipients were selected based
on an application or nomination process as well as
voting. The voting was
completed by users of the
leadership program and
was promoted by the nominees as well as through social media campaigns.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
JeffCo Personnel Board
recognized for leadership
file photo by Gary Lloyd
A man fills his truck with compressed natural gas in Trussville last March as Jefferson
County Commissioner Joe Knight looks on.
field, and it also serves the state’s interest
as more companies and individuals adopt
alternative fuels,” said Phillip Wiedmeyer, president of the Alabama Clean Fuels
Coalition. “It helps expand the market
for alternative fuels and ensures the state
doesn’t lose motor fuel tax as we decrease
our reliance on foreign oil.”
A CNG pump at the Chevron station on
Deerfoot Parkway in Trussville opened
last March. The CNG dispensing station is
the result of a public-private partnership.
The Trussville Utilities Board loaned McCullough Oil $1.08 million for the project
and will be repaid with part of the proceeds of CNG sales. The city of Trussville
already uses CNG to operate 40 city vehicles, from police cruisers to dump trucks.
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Recipients of the Leadership 500 Excellence
Awards for 2014 were
named last week for outstanding achievements in
leadership
development
and programs at the 2014
Global Leadership Excellence Forum held in Vail,
Colo.
The Personnel Board of
Jefferson County earned
second place in the government/military category.
For the past 30 years,
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
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April 16 - 22, 2014 |
Page 7
The Trussville Tribune
PVHS ‘excited’ about Buy-a-brick at HewittTrussville Stadium
hybrid schedule
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
Pinson Valley High
School Principal Terrence
Brown said in a video that
the school is “excited”
about a new hybrid schedule that aims to prepare
students for college and the
workforce.
Brown said the new
hybrid schedule was approved by the Jefferson
County Board of Education in March.
Brown said the schedule,
which features five class
periods instead of eight, is
designed to provide three
functions for students:
enrichment and remedial
photo courtesy of www.pinsonvalleyhigh.jefcoed.com
Pinson Valley High School
Principal Terrence Brown
support, an opportunity to
provide internships and
learning experiences in a
variety of academic and
job-related areas, and an
opportunity to create academies based on student interest.
“Pinson Valley High
School is excited about
these
opportunities,”
Brown said. “We look forward to communicating
with you and getting your
feedback and input on this
schedule and various opportunities available.”
For more information or
to watch Brown’s video,
visit www.pinsonvalleyhigh.jefcoed.com.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
Trussville to provide mutual
aid to St. Clair County
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The Trussville City
Council last week approved a countywide all
hazard response assistance
agreement with St. Clair
County.
Alabama law allows governing bodies of any city
or town to authorize or require its fire department to
render aid in cases of fires
and other emergencies beyond their corporate limits.
According to the resolution, it was determined that
it is in the best interests of
the city of Trussville and
its residents to enter into
the agreement to “secure to
each the benefits of mutual
aid in public safety and the
protection of life and property from an emergency
or disaster and to provide
for communications procedures, training and other
necessary functions to further the provision of said
protection of life and property from an emergency or
disaster.
Trussville City Councilman Brian Plant said it’s
a “fairly standard” agree-
deadline nears
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The deadline to order a
commemorative brick at
the new Hewitt-Trussville
Stadium is Thursday, May
1.
A $35 donation gets you
a personalized brick embedded in the walkways at
Hewitt-Trussville Stadium.
The 8-inch by 4-inch bricks
allow for one to three lines
of engraving with 18 to 20
characters per line, including spaces.
The new Hewitt-Trussville Stadium, being constructed by Trussvillebased Blalock Building
Company for $14,626,550,
photo courtesy of Trussville City Schools
A rendering of Hewitt-Trussville Stadium
is expected to be complete by early October.
The Hewitt-Trussville varsity football team plays
2014 home games against
Gardendale (Aug. 29),
Vestavia Hills (Sept. 12),
Oak Mountain (Oct. 3),
Hoover (Oct. 24) and Clay-
Chalkville (Oct. 31).
For more information,
visit www.tcsf.org.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
ment, one Trussville has
agreed to in the past.
In other news, the city
council last week approved
of purchasing four new zero-turn commercial mowers for Trussville Parks and
Recreation from Servicestar Outdoor Solutions for
$33,316. The mowers will
be paid for with funds acquired from a contract the
city has with Birmingham
Coca-Cola.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.
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dropping another 1000 eggs from a helicopter.
 Where: Clay Baseball fields behind the Library (Old
Springville Road)
 When: Saturday April 19th @12:00 noon
 How: There will be two SAFE sections for gathering
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elementary age kids.
Kids will be in a safe area away from helicopter.
Bonus: There will be 2 golden eggs. Whichever child
finds one of these golden eggs gets a FREE helicopter
ride (Parents must be present and give permission.)
Lifestyle
Page 8
April 16 - 22, 2014
|
The Trussville Tribune
HTHS engineering students win at TSA competition
by Gary Lloyd
Editor
The
Hewitt-Trussville
High School Engineering
Academy placed second
overall at the state Technology Student Association
competition in Tuscaloosa
on April 3-4.
The team of Abby Lewis
and Tiffany Lopez placed
first in the state in the architectural renovations category, in which students had
to update an early 1990s
Sears catalog house, tasked
with designing additions to
an existing home to accommodate a family of five.
Students had to prepare a
detailed binder documenting all their design changes
to the original homes and
create a scale model of
their updated home.
The duo of Joseph Kearns and Gabrielle Sinsky
finished second, and the
team of Taylor Elliott and
Austin Norwood took third.
In the career preparation
category, Jonathan Adams
placed second in state. This
category required students
to prepare for three different future careers by creating a resume and cover letters for their future career
paths. Students then had to
complete a job application
and undergo a professional
interview for the job. A.J.
Ward finished third and Lopez placed sixth.
submitted photo
Hewitt-Trussville High School students at the Electrathon
America race at Barber’s Motor Speedway in Leeds
In the architectural computer-aided design category, Sinsky finished first
in the state, while Kearns
placed second. Students
had four hours to design a
small track house. Students
had to create an original design and a complete set of
drawings, and then defend
their design to a panel of
judges.
in the 3D computer-aided engineering design category, Gavin Slay finished
in third place and Emma
Burford took sixth place.
Students had to create a 3D
model utilizing the latest
engineering software. Students had four hours to create a multi-tool that could
be utilized in the kitchen.
Isaac Searcy, Amber
Gibson and Dalton Smith
won the engineering design category, in which
students created a working
prototype of an original
engineering design. The
group created a cane for
the blind that would help
guide them through buildings. The cane is equipped
with a metal detector and
a bar code reader that will
help a blind individual
navigate through a building by following a metallic tape path and by having
barcodes read to the individual through his or her
cell phone.
Sarah Bacon placed third
in the state in the extemporaneous presentation, in
which students chose one
of three technology topics
to present on in front of a
panel of judges. Bacon also
finished fourth in the prepared presentation competition.
Taylor Herrin placed
sixth in the flight endurance competition, which
required students to construct and fly a rubberband-powered balsa wood
airplane.
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The team of Rachel Keaveny, Lauren Townley and
Jonathan Stilwell won the
manufacturing prototype
competition, in which the
group designed a new packaging system for canned
soda drinks. The idea is to
have a permanent container that would be installed
into a machine to allow
you to fill it with the cans
of your choice. The group
of Michael Beaman, Nick
Walton and Chase Wigley
finished in third place, designing a toothbrush that
you purchase pre-filled
with toothpaste.
Bacon and Zach Smith
finished in fourth place in
the structural engineering competition, and Cody
Wilcox and Stuart Brockman placed fifth. They designed and constructed a
balsa wood bridge.
Travis Gunn, Eli Greene
and Tyler Jackson finished
in first place in the system
control technology competition, in which student
designed and constructed
a device using motors and
sensors to simulate a part
of a manufacturing facility.
Finishing in second place
were Stilwell, Keaveny and
Townley.
Adams, Burford and
Vishal Modi took first place
in the technology bowl, in
which students participated
in a Jeopardy-style game.
Emma Slay and Marlee
Mason placed second in
submitted photo
The team of Rachel Keaveny, Lauren Townley and
Jonathan Stilwell
technology problem solving. Amanda Green and
Luke Searcy placed third,
and Herrin and Damon
Purdy finished fourth.
In the transportation
modeling competition, Logan McCormick finished
first in the state. Beaman
finished second in the competition, which required
students to design and create a model of a zap car, an
electric car for cities that
you rent by the hour or day.
The group of Vince Corey, Nick Garrett and Andrew Patterson placed
fourth in the state in the vex
robotics category, in which
teams designed and built a
robot that could move balls
and beach balls into various scoring positions on a
course.
Last week, the Engineering Academy’s electric race
car teams competed at Barber’s Motor Speedway in
Leeds in the Electrathon
America. A girls’ team and
boys’ team competed in
two races, both of which
tied for third place.
Contact Gary Lloyd at
news@trussvilletribune.
com and follow him on
Twitter @GaryALloyd.