The Starr behind the crown: Meet the inaugural Miss Strawberry
STORY BY ELISABETH ALTAMIRANO-SMITH PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED For the first time in history, Chilton County has added a Strawberry Festival to its agricultural heritage. Strawberry season 2022 was a fruitful... Read More
Southern favorites: Main Street Café popular spot for comfort food
STORY BY JOYANNA LOVE PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY Local favorite Main Street Café in Clanton has been serving up homemade Southern classics for the past 17 years. The restaurant was born in October 2004 wh... Read More
Celebrating in Spanish Ambiance: Rojases open Red Sparrow’s Villa
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ELISABETH ALTAMIRANO-SMITH Alex and Xochitl (pronounced SO-cheel) Rojas of Jemison, have an eye for recreating space and giving new life to a building. After graduating from Chilto... Read More
Looking for Treasure: Pickers find unique items in common places
STORY BY JOYANNA LOVE PHOTOS BY JOYANNA LOVE AND CONTRIBUTED Treasure hunting is not just fiction for Susan Cornelius. Instead it is a hobby, which has turned into a business, often called picking. WH... Read More
Restoring the Skies: Local aviation mechanic enjoys restoring helicopters
STORY BY ELISABETH ALTAMIRANO-SMITH PHOTOS BY JOYANNA LOVE AND CONTRIBUTED Whether watching an action movie on television, taking an aerial tour on vacation or seeing old military documentaries, helic... Read More
Local icon: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Chilton’s Big Peach
STORY BY ELISABETH ALTAMIRANO-SMITH PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY JIM GILL People passing through Chilton County on Interstate 65 and Lay Dam Road have beheld a terrific sight for decades — the “Big Peach... Read More
Face to Face: Freddy Smith finds father after years of searching
Story By JOYANNA LOVE “I used to sit around and imagine my dad finding me and coming and saying, ‘I’m his dad. I am here to take care of him, and then I’d belong.” Freddy Smith essential... Read More
With a thankful heart: Local volunteers carry Thanksgiving tradition of serving community
STORY BY EMILY REED PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED Every Thanksgiving, many volunteers show up to Clanton First United Methodist Church to help make the holiday special for those throughout the community. “Than... Read More