Dancing With Our Stars

Returns to Pell City for 12th Year

Story by Cherith Glover Fluker
Submitted Photos

Looking for a high-energy evening that brings the community together while supporting a meaningful cause? Dancing With Our Stars, Pell City’s version of the popular television show Dancing With the Stars, returns for its 12th year this spring, continuing a beloved local tradition with a few thoughtful updates.

The event will take place on March 14 at 6 p.m. at the Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA).

For more than a decade, Dancing With Our Stars has showcased performers from Pell City and surrounding areas in a fun competition that celebrates creativity, connection and community pride. While the Pell City Line Dancers organized and headlined the event for its first 11 years, this marks the first year CEPA has taken on full responsibility for planning and hosting the event.

CEPA Executive Director Ash Arrington says the transition feels like a natural next step. “We’re excited to expand off the stage and get into the community planning this event,” Arrington said. “It’s always been our goal to reach more people, and having this under the CEPA brand adds a level of legitimacy to our desire to serve the community in new ways.”

CEPA Assistant Director Maci Johnsey acknowledged that taking on the event has been a big challenge for the organization’s small staff, but also a rewarding one. “It’s been a lot to take on, but that also makes it more personal,” Johnsey said. “We have a small committee, which makes communication easy, and everyone involved really cares about keeping the heart of the event intact.”

What is New This Year

This year’s program introduces expanded performance categories, with group sizes classified as Duo/Trio, Small Group (3–15 participants) and Large Group (16–30 participants). The number of participating groups will also be capped to keep the total runtime at approximately 2.5 hours.

The event is open to community members who want to participate. Groups perform a short routine of their choice.  Registration is free and open until capacity is reached. Participants can register at www.pellcitycepa.com, where full performance guidelines are available, or in person at the CEPA Box Office. Questions may be directed to Johnsey at maci@pellcitycepa.com.

“We want to keep the event fun while also keeping the audience engaged,” Arrington said.

Judging will include first-, second-, and third-place awards, along with several special recognitions. Winners will be selected by celebrity community judges, and awards will be given in each category.

Audiences can expect a diverse lineup of performers, including children, professional dancers, neighborhood groups, local schools and dance studios. Returning favorites include Red Apple Dance, an Asian dance group based in Birmingham, along with the Pell City Line Dancers. Both groups remain a cornerstone of the event.

Giving Back to the Community

In keeping with CEPA’s mission, proceeds from the event will benefit organizations whose work aligns with community enrichment. This year’s primary beneficiary is the Pell City Education Foundation, with a junior recipient, The Hartzog Foundation.

“We love spotlighting these organizations and bringing awareness to the incredible work they’re doing right here in our community,” Arrington said.

In addition to the dance performances, the evening will feature a silent auction, concessions and beer and wine available for purchase.

A Night That Brings People Together

For Johnsey and Arrington, the impact of Dancing With Our Stars goes beyond dance. “People show up year after year to support their family and friends,” Johnsey said. “It’s a tradition.”

Arrington agrees and says one of her favorite moments is greeting attendees as they arrive. “So much work happens behind the scenes,” she said. “Seeing people walk through the doors and watching the program come together makes it all worth it.”

In a time when connection feels especially important, Dancing With Our Stars continues to offer something simple and powerful: a reason for the community to come together, celebrate one another, and support causes that matter. lfluence generations to come. Hold fast to your dreams and keep on collecting history. Your dream has strong wings.

Longhorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden

Much-anticipated restaurants set to open in Pell City

Story by Paul South
Photos by David Smith

There’s a recipe for cooking up a broader restaurant menu for hungry St. Clair County residents and visitors – patience, hard work and teamwork.

And that formula will come to life in 2026, with two popular national chains coming to Pell City in early Spring – Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse. Groundbreaking for the restaurants took place in March 2025, and Longhorn Steakhouse is expected to open first with Olive Garden’s following about three weeks later, officials say.

The two newcomers will join Outback Steaks and prove an unwritten economic development adage, said Pell City developer Bill Ellison. Brands follow brands.

Classic western vibe at Longhorn Steakhouse

The restaurants come on the heels of the Pell City Square retail development that features Hobby Lobby, PetSmart, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Ross, Ulta and others. Ellison was a co-developer of the shopping center.

The new restaurants, located at the intersection of U.S. 231 and Hazelwood Drive adjacent to the I-20 interchange, are in response to residents who have long hungered for new full-service eateries in one of Alabama’s fastest growing counties.

“This has been something  the community has really wanted,” Ellison said. “We’ve  had a lot of retail success, but we just didn’t have the full-service restaurants. We’ve done well with everything else.”

He added, “I think when Pell City Square shopping center came in with that store mix, that’s  sort of a regional type shopping center. The tenant mix that’s there, we had hoped, would bring in at least one full-service restaurant to the community, and we got Outback.”

Outback has had blockbuster success, Ellison said. “It’s a truly outstanding restaurant. As I understand it, the restaurant had the highest opening volume of sales in the history of Outback, and it’s been extremely high volume ever since.”

Booth waiting on customers to sit at Olive Garden

Pell City Square’s arrival lured more shoppers to Pell City than had shopped there in the past, Ellison said. The restaurants are the culmination of two to three years of work, Ellison said.

“The expansion of the trade area helped us to recruit Olive Garden and Longhorn to Pell City. It’s kind of like brands follow brands. When we got that shopping center, and Outback came, other brands look at Pell City, and they say, ‘Those stores came to Pell City. We might need to look at that.’ That just kind of gets the synergy going.”

Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council, said bringing in new full-service restaurants was part of the public’s wish list.

“Having more sit-down restaurants was something that the community had expressed a desire in having here,” Smith said. “The elected officials have listened and made it a priority for us to work on. Through collaboration and partnerships with the developer, property owner, the city, the county and the EDC, we were fortunate to get those national chains to come to the community, to go along with those shoppers who are coming from outside of Pell City to shop at the new Pell City Square.”

Longhorn and Olive Garden are under the Darden Restaurants umbrella of brands, Ellison said. Darden operates 2,100 restaurants nationally with more than 200,000 employees.

Pell City’s growth, local industries and the Honda plant, tourism with Logan Martin Lake and a growing health care landscape all fueled the company’s decision to come to the county.
“Needless to say, that’s a big honor for Pell City, Alabama,” Ellison said. “To attract those restaurants to this city, that really says something.”

All of this economic activity can have a snowball effect that can bring more restaurants and retail to the area. Big picture is that it can mean a regional boost to northeast Alabama.

“Like I said  earlier, brands follow brands,” Ellison said. “It’ll just be a continuing progression. We’re expecting St. Clair County to continue  to grow with a very bright future moving forward. As long as St. Clair County continues to grow and Pell City continues to grow, our region will continue to grow.”

Smith credited Ellison’s efforts.

“Bill Ellison worked really hard on a number of different retailers and eateries,” Smith said. “He felt, and we felt that these two brands (Longhorn and Olive Garden) filled a void that had existed. I think the community’s demographic fits really well with (the restaurants’) target customer.”

Ellison makes a critical point. “I didn’t do this by myself. I’m a hard worker and the rest of it. But the elected officials in Pell City and in St. Clair County and the EDC and Metro Bank through the years, have been with me hand in hand through all of this. It’s a team effort.”

New Nature Center

Historic Springville Rock School will once again focus on education

Story and Photos
by Graham Hadley
Architectural renderings
Courtesy of Stewart Knox
Centercut Creative

Springville’s old Rock School has always been a cornerstone for education and community activities in the region. So it should be no surprise future plans for the historic structure continue that tradition.

The Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners will be developing parts of the building as an educational Nature Center – an immersive and interactive walk-through experience highlighting the natural wonders of the preserve and surrounding areas to help better educate people of all ages about the importance of the regional biome.

“The Nature Center will teach people about all the diverse animals and plants in the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, all the biodiversity, the Big Canoe Creek watershed and what a watershed actually is,” said Preserve Manager Doug Morrison.

Concept designs from Centercut Creative on what the Nature Center will look like

The project will use between 1,200 to 1,900 square feet of space in the historic Springville building. Some of that space is already being put to use as office space for the Preserve staff, which was previously primarily operating out of a small building at the preserve.

The idea for the educational Nature Center came to Morrison a little over a year ago during a planning and zoning meeting.

“The Springville Preservation Society owns the building and has done a great job restoring it. They needed to rezone the property to properly make use of it. During one of the zoning meetings where that was being discussed, the idea for the center just came to me. The old school would be ideal for that,” Morrison said.

“It gives us room for the Nature Center, office space, handicapped parking and has a ramp for ADA compliance. It checks all the boxes. The Preservation Society remodeled it and were looking to lease it.” The Rock School has been a centerpiece of the community for decades. “My son used to do Scouts here years ago,” Morrison said.

Frank Waid, president of the Preservation Society, told Morrison they had the big room and some other space available for lease, and things started coming together.

Community support has been instrumental to the success of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, and this latest project is no different.

Doug Morrison in front of the blackboard in the Rock School where organizers brainstormed ideas for the center

Morrison is quick to point out how much help he, Education Coordinator Lucy Cleaver, Maintenance Tech Jake Tucker and the others who work to make the preserve such an amazing place, receive from the non-profit Preserve Partners. It was organized to handle fundraising and similar activities for the preserve. From the Board of Directors to the individuals and businesses that donate, along with the City of Springville, none of what they are doing would be possible without that collective support.

Shortly after discussing the idea with Frank Waid, Morrison was sitting in Nichols Nook drinking coffee with Justen Burns when he shared the vision for the Nature Center. Burns immediately responded, “I might be interested in helping out with that.” His company, Peritus Wealth Management, quickly stepped up to cover a portion of the lease expenses.

Granger Waid and his company, Norris Paving, also jumped on board to cover the remaining portion of the lease, saying, “I believe in what they are doing here.”

“We have the first year of the lease taken care of thanks to these good folks in our community,” Morrison said. “And thanks to other donors in the community and the Alabama Power Foundation, we are already accumulating funds for next year’s lease. If anyone would like to contribute to the Nature Center and the Preserve, donations can be made through our website at bigcanoecreekpreserve.org. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful support in this community, and we are extremely grateful.”

Once they had the fundamental pieces in place, things started moving quickly. Morrison and Cleaver have already moved into their new offices, making use of much-needed space for managing the preserve and planning for its future.

Morrison, Cleaver, Granger and Jessica Waid sat down after discussing the project and, using one of the old blackboards in the school’s big room, Granger mapped out exactly what their vision was.

What they have come up with is something very special for the city and the region.

“We have a guy, Stewart Knox with Centercut Creative, doing the master plan for the Nature Center,” Morrison said.

“He was involved in parts of the Natureplex at the Alabama Nature Center in Millbrook. I really like their 3D and interactive displays, especially this giant beehive you can go into. I want to have displays like that here.”

The walk-in behive display at the Natureplex in Millbrook designed by Stewart Knox

Knox, an Auburn graduate with a degree in industrial design, said it is “all concept-based design.” His work has focused on special projects – like the beehive at the Natureplex. “I am very hands-on; you have to be with this. I am good at coming up with complex plans.”

According to the design proposal Knox has put together, “The design will highlight the mission of Big Canoe Creek through storytelling, visual engagement and hands-on learning, while maintaining flexibility for future growth and programming.”

It incorporates free-standing and wall-mounted displays, interactive 3D installations and more. Knox refers to it as “nature’s classroom.”

Morrison said that they would also like to possibly have live animals at the center – “fish and turtles, maybe snakes. People have already started donating fish tanks that I need to go pick up.”

They also want to include displays about how the local native people lived in the area and others about community involvement in the Preserve and the conservation process.

This display case was originally in Laster Sundries

“It goes to our core ideals: Preserve, Explore, Discover,” Morrison said. “When you educate people about everything that makes up the biome here, those are going to be the people who want to help preserve it.”

Morrison sees other parts of Springville and the county working with the center. “Lucy is already putting together plans with the Springville Library to collaborate on educational programs. And we have two other businesses leasing space in the school – a photographer and an artist. I can see both of those being very much resources we can collaborate with.”

The Nature Center and the Preserve are the sort of big-picture projects that benefit the area by attracting people to Springville from all across the region and the state, he said.

The Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve is already doing just that. This past Christmas, more than 1,200 people came through the preserve to see the holiday light display called “Christmas in the Pines,” an event that Morrison expects to grow next year. 

“This was a great idea from Lucy and working with Jake, myself and our many volunteers, it turned out to be a huge success. People loved it!” And the Nature Center is only one of several projects attached to the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve that is in the works, including an education and multi-use pavilion. All of which, Morrison reiterated, are made possible through the support they receive from the city, Preserve Partners, grantors and many others who are working to make the preserve and center successful regional destination points.

Museum on the move

Much more than the history of Pell City on display

As Museum of Pell City approaches its third birthday, it’s hard to imagine a ‘down time’ for this quickly growing museum.

On Feb. 5, the museum will present its third edition of the Breaking Barriers series focusing on the Black community and its place in the city’s history. Headed by Museum Board Member Tonya Forman, its popularity has grown right along with the program itself.

This year’s theme is Education: Foundation for Success and pays tribute to the early Black educators whose guidance and compassion transformed the lives of Pell City students.

St. Clair District Attorney Lyle Harmon takes inaugural flight on simulator at opening

The day’s program, which begins at 11 a.m. features a reception and a film premiere of family and former students of these educators on the legacy of their impact. It will also mark the opening of an expanded Breaking Barriers exhibit.

Opening the next day, Feb. 6, and extending for two weeks until Feb. 21 is an art show by Sundi Hawkins. The show is a continuing series of the museum, giving the art community a home to display their works.

The museum board invested in a hanging system, and the exterior walls of the atrium just outside the museum have already displayed the creations of artist Nettie Bean and her students, a spectacular quilt show and Duran Jr. High’s art show. The quilt show will return in 2026, and more art shows are scheduled.

In December, the museum’s art gallery hosted the wood carvings of Eric Knepper, intricate, creative pieces of artwork crafted by the local artisan.

Upcoming are shows by Penny Arnold, Williams Intermediate students, a return of Nettie Bean and her students and the Helen Keller Foundation Art Show of Alabama.

In November, the museum opened an expansion of its military section and added a flight simulator, which is already drawing crowds of young and old alike. Designed by Jeremy Gossett, the simulator resembles the cockpit of a Boeing aircraft with a curved monitor that displays various flight patterns including Pell City and Logan Martin, Mosul and the French countryside.

The software is highly sophisticated and gives museum visitors a real feel of flight – from takeoff to landing. It was made possible by a special fundraiser providing nearly $7,000 to build and equip it.

In April, just a few days past its third anniversary, the museum is celebrating with the official opening of its long-anticipated model train exhibit – Where It All Began. Headed by retired architect Malcolm Sokol with a team of volunteers – David Smith, Max Jolley, Erik Grieve and Winston Greaves – it took a year to build.

The museum hosted artist Nettie Bean and her students

The 16-foot train runs through a replica of 1920s-30s Pell City and will be surrounded by artifacts, narratives and photos depicting the train’s history in Pell City. After all, that is where it all began – when founder Sumter Cogswell missed his train to Talladega in 1890 and spent the night in what is now Pell City.

Nationally known artist Dirk Walker has donated an original painting of a Pell City train depot that will be used as a fundraiser for the museum.

An evening reception is planned along with tributes to the museum’s volunteers and naming “Volunteer of the Year.”

“We are so humbled by the community support we have been given since our opening,” said President Carol Pappas. Our docents give their time every week to guide visitors through our museum. We could not operate without them, and we are so appreciative of their work.”

Pappas lauded the dedication of the team who built the train, which now will be a centerpiece of the museum’s exhibits. “They met every Monday night for an entire year to assemble each rail of the track, recreate historic buildings from scratch, hand paint and place miniature figures throughout the town and so much more. It is so realistic. It is a must see. We cannot thank them enough.”

She noted that the museum is in the midst of a capital campaign, and businesses and individuals have stepped forward with multi-year sustaining funds. “They are the very foundation of our museum,” Pappas said.

“Recognizing the importance of cultural arts in our community as educational, historical, an enhancement to quality of life and a boost to tourism, the City of Pell City and St. Clair County have been supportive with appropriations over the past three years. Without their support, we could not have come this far.”

When the museum opened in a 4,000 square foot space provided by the City of Pell City, its mission was to preserve and promote the rich history of the city. Billing itself as the “small city museum that thinks big,” in less than three years it has attracted over 5,000 visitors from all over the state, country and points around the world.

It has created innovative, interactive exhibits highlighting the people, places and events that have shaped the city’s history, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

In October, the museum will reach back to the city’s real roots – Avondale Mills – with an impressive, interactive exhibition to celebrate and pay tribute to its first industry. Never-before-displayed artifacts, photographs and exhibits will tell the story of those early days along with a special film of oral histories premiering at the opening.

“As they say, we’ve come a long way since then,” Pappas said, “and Museum of Pell City is honored to be able to share that story along with countless others.”

Museum Exhibit Perfectly Blends History and Art

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free

mphasis on preserving the history of Pell City and that of its families and community.  One of its most recent exhibits perfectly blended that history with the art of quilting.  The museum, on the second floor of the Municipal Complex, typically contains its exhibits to the interior of the museum, but recently has been expanding outside its doors to showcase the work of the area’s talented citizens.

“Hosting exhibits like the quilt show allows us to celebrate the incredible talent in our own community,” said Museum Coordinator Erica Grieve.  “It reminds us that art isn’t just found in galleries far away.  It’s being created right here at home.”

The quilt exhibit ran from late October through November and featured roughly 40 quilts created by members of the Friendship Quilters Guild of St Clair County.  The opening featured a presentation by historian Joe Whitten, a quilt collector himself, who shared stories about the history of quilts and shared some of his quilts.  There were also demonstrations showing the making of a quilt from start to finish. 

Part of the history of quilting included the quilting bee, a social gathering of ladies whose focus was on finishing a quilt together.  Such was the case in the making of Janet’s Double Wedding Ring quilt on display by her daughter Janet Jones. 

A group at Pell City United Methodist Church got together to complete the quilt for a silent auction.  When the silent auction did not meet the minimum bid to cover expenses, the ladies voted to give it to Janet’s mother, Janet Weldon. 

Weldon had reportedly done much of the hand-stitching, including the stitching around each of the intertwined rings.  Her daughter said quilting was so important to Weldon that when her mom passed, they elected to drape her casket in the Double Wedding Ring quilt, rather than having a funeral spray.  “Because it was cold, we also took some of her other quilts to the graveside to cover our legs,” said Jones.  “She would have liked that.”

Ken Kilgroe came to the exhibit to honor his now-deceased grandmother, Roxie Moore.  One of her quilts, made more than 60 years ago, was on display.  Moore, an Eden native, reportedly hosted quilting bees often in the 1950s.

The Museum of Pell City’s next special exhibit opens Dec. 4 and features the beautiful woodcarvings of local artisan Eric Knepper.  A reception will be held on Dec. 5 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The museum is open to view other compelling pieces of the history of Pell City, St. Clair County and Alabama Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friends Bound for New Horizons

Travel adventures support good causes

It’s not often you get to take a trip of a lifetime – those ‘bucket list’ trips you’ve dreamed about – and help a worthy cause all at the same time.

But that’s precisely what Friends Bound for New Horizons does every time they take off for another destination. On their itineraries over the years has been Greece, Italy, a cruise down the Rhine River, the Calgary Stampede and Canadian Rockies, Christmas Markets, Alaska, London, Ireland, Normandy, Finland and the Northern Lights, Costa Rica, and national parks.

Deanna Lawley presents check to Jason Goodgame, president of Pell City Schools Education Foundation

 Their latest adventure was Scotland in August and in addition to the precious memories they made, they raised nearly $40,000 for four nonprofits, strengthening their good works in the community.

On the receiving end were Pell City Schools Educational Foundation, Pell City Library, Museum of Pell City and St. Clair Sheriff’s Boys Ranch.

The effort started years ago when retired English teacher Deanna Lawley created a fundraiser for the education foundation. She joined forces with a travel company, Collette, who suggested she might be the ideal fit for leading group trips with the commissions earned going straight to the education foundation.

With her background in education for researching the sights they will see, coupled with her ability to tell a good story, she shares tidbits of history and anecdotes that enhance their memories of each place they visit.

She later expanded the trips’ beneficiaries to include the library and museum, both groups with which she is involved, and managed to add funds for the rebuilding effort at the Boys Ranch this year, too.  

A celebration dinner held to present the checks drew quite a crowd with travelers reminiscing with old friends as well as the new friends they made on their trip to Scotland. A trio of travelers even wore kilts for the special occasion.

Travelers tend to agree that beyond the stunning sights, rich experiences and a host of good memories made, they cultivated new friendships – an added treasure they did not expect. While each group has familiar faces who routinely travel together, they welcome newcomers in what is becoming an expanding circle of good friends.

Ask the ‘regulars,’ and they’ll quickly tell you about the value in the investment. The excursions, the accommodations, the travel, the price – it’s an unrivaled buy, they say.

Inside St. Magnus Cathedral on Orkney Island begun by Vikings

The end result has been welcome news for the nonprofits they help. Jason Goodgame, president of the education foundation, said his goal when he took the helm of the foundation 10 years ago was to build the endowment to $1 million. With help from Lawley and Friends, teachers received grants, and investments built from $10,000 chair donations reached that milestone this past year..

Library Guild President Pat DeMotte echoed Goodgame’s sentiments, saying that the library is able to expand its programs to better serve the community year after year.

“We could not have done what we have been able to do at the museum for the past three years without the help from this group,” said Museum President Carol Pappas. “We like to think big, offering special programs and expanded exhibits, but our funding could not match the lofty goals we have without Friends Bound for New Horizons’ help. We owe them a debt of thanks.”

 Sheriff Billy Murray, whose wife had been one of the travelers, was surprised by the donation to the Boys Ranch. He expressed his heartfelt thanks, noting that being able to reach and teach these boys at risk will go a long way in changing lives and keeping them away from the judicial system later on.

Next up for this band of travelers are two excellent adventures – Portugal in May and Spain in late September. They offer recreational days along with history, art and architecture tours. Each has a tour manager whose knowledge enriches the sightseeing.

Traveler Dana Merrymon at the check presentation dinner, wearing his kilt for the occasion

In Sunny Portugal, they will visit Lisbon, the historical capital of Sintra and the beaches of the Algarve. Several will do an extension to the Madeira Islands.

In September, travelers will experience Spain’s Costa del Sol in a beachfront hotel. There is an opportunity to take a ferry to North Africa for dinner and sightseeing.

One night, the Spanish Fado music and dance will be entertainment at a three-course dinner. Learning about Spain’s Number 1 wine, Port, will be included along with the opportunity to see Picasso’s works. The group will only change hotels one time as it moves to the capital city of Madrid. Luggage will be collected and transported while travelers get to experience the 200 miles per hour fast train, the Ave (bird).

Madrid is full of history and the incredible Prado Museum.

As Friends Bound for New Horizons will tell you: “The only trips you’ll ever regret are the ones you don’t go on.”

Want to Go?

Friends Bound for New Horizons welcomes one and all to join them on another adventure. Next stop? Spain. Want to know more? Jack Brinson of Collette has negotiated a $600 reduction in price for this group and will be at the Pell City Municipal Complex on Jan. 13, at 5 p.m. to present the trip and accept bookings.