By WBRC Digital StaffPublished: May. 3, 2025 at 11:18 AM CDT|Updated: May. 4, 2025 at 10:19 AM CDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCALERA, Ala. (WBRC) - A Missing and Endangered Person Alert from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has been canceled The Calera Police Department was searching for 49-year-old Patrick Cohill Calera Police reports the man was located and is safe Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience The Chelsea Hornets will host the Class 6A baseball semifinals after surviving a wild three-game series with the Calera Eagles that included offensive surges and phenomenal pitching from both sides CHELSEA – Fireworks were expected when the Chelsea Hornets and Calera Eagles took the field in the Class 6A Quarterfinals but not many were expecting what was to come a 16-run no-hitter in game two and a game three split across two days due to weather Chelsea’s 16-0 and 6-4 victories in games two and three on May 1 and 3 at Chelsea High School sealed the 2-1 series win and a home semifinal series “It’s just a roller coaster trying to catch a window in which we can get games in with this series,” Chelsea coach Michael Stallings said very proud of how our guys responded through the delays and just their resilience and determination to still show up and we’re playing with a lot of confidence today and just super excited for them and how they showed up.” Aiden Hughes started the bottom of the first with a single and stole second to get into scoring position for Chase Lackey an error at first by Calera led to a Hughes scoring the opening run for the 1-0 lead The next two innings didn’t bring any runs as both Hughes and Calera’s Aiden Agee settled into a rhythm on the mound Chelsea flipped the script in the bottom of the fourth when Aiden Craven was hit with a pitch ahead of a Paxton Stallings walk While the next batter struck out to drop the Hornets to two outs Bryant Wisdom drove a single into left to send Craven home and double up the lead Chelsea doubled the lead again on the very next pitch when Logan Carson plated both runners with another line drive to left While he got out at second to end the inning it happened after the Hornets took the lead to 4-0 Hughes struck out three of the four batters he faced in the fifth to get to eight strikeouts but the Eagles chased him in the top of the sixth Jaiden Brown hit a lead-off double one pitch before a Mac Graham single and Ash got his team on the board with an RBI ground out Disaster then struck for Chelsea as a groundball to the mound was mishandled along with the throw to first scoring another run to cut the deficit to 4-2 Paxton Stallings came in and regained control with four-straight outs to get the Hornets one out away from sealing game one back-to-back singles from Kegan Johnson and Brown kept Calera alive and forced another pitching change Graham then sent a ball into left field and Kegan Johnson beat out the throw to make it a one-run game A passed ball put both runners in scoring position Ash dropped a ball into center field for the tying and go-ahead runs Given a chance to respond in the home half of the seventh Chelsea got the lead-off man Wisdom aboard with a single but a sacrifice bunt turned into a double play That set up the final out and the 5-4 Eagles win Agee got the win by going the distance with three of the four runs he faced being earned and working around seven hits and three walks Brown was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs Graham finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Ash had three RBI in a 1-for-4 game Wisdom went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run and Hughes finished 2-for-4 with a run The Hornets immediately got a chance to respond in game two as three-straight Chelsea batters walked after lead-off ground out in the top of the first Craven then stepped up and scored two runs with a single Paxton Stallings walked ahead of a pitching change Luke Neill scored two more runs off a single ahead of RBI singles from Wisdom and Hughes and Lackey took the lead to 7-0 with a run off a sacrifice fly Calera started the second inning better with back-to-back outs but each of the next four batters reached base including three off walks to score another run Neill then scored off a wild pitch for the 9-0 lead Jackson Price then worked around a second-straight lead-off walk to begin the second and secured three-straight strikeouts to keep his dominant day going Lackey kicked off the third inning in wild fashion breaking his metal bat at the handle on a first-pitch single down to third base A Cade Mims single and Mack Breazeale walk followed to load up the bases and force another Calera pitching change Craven made it a double-digit lead off an RBI single but he left the bases loaded for Paxton Stallings That was crucial as he launched a 3-1 pitch to left-center field for a grand slam and a 14-0 lead after three innings The Eagles got a two-out base runner in the bottom of the third but the Hornets quickly recovered to get out of the inning Chelsea scored again on a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and a Craven RBI single in the fifth to make it a 16-0 game Price then forced three quick outs to seal the run-rule victory and tie up the series He finished with nine strikeouts against just two walks and five shutout innings He was officially credited with a no-hitter but it hinged on the third-inning base runner that the Eagles scored a single and the Hornets scorer an error Chelsea went right to work again in the third and decisive game using back-to-back singles from Hughes and Lackey to set up a one-out sacrifice fly from Breazeale Craven followed that up with a two-out RBI single to take the lead to 2-0 Silas Osbourn worked around a pair of free base runners in the top of the second to preserve the shutout but when Calera got another two-on spot to start the third Kegan Johnson and Brown came home to tie the game at 2-2 The Hornets quickly retook the lead in the bottom of the third using a one-out Lackey single to set up a Mims RBI single and retake the 3-2 lead Breazeale and Craven then loaded up the bases with a single and a hit by pitch and Stallings made it a two-run lead with a sacrifice fly Calera got its first two runners of the fourth aboard and Chase Herring bunted them both into scoring position storms rolled in and forced a stoppage until the next afternoon After Chelsea got out of the world’s longest half-inning with a fly out Wisdom singled to start the home half of the fourth and went to second off a bunt That led to back-to-back singles from Hughes and Lackey that made it a 6-2 game Neither team got any runs across in the fifth or sixth after a Hornets turned a double play to end the fifth and the Eagles overcame a pair of base runners in the sixth to keep the lead within striking distance Calera got a window to claw back thanks to a one-out error in the top of the seventh Paxton Stallings recovered with his second strikeout of the inning but Graham then launched a two-run home run to cut the gap to 6-4 The Hornets prevented any additional damage by securing the final out and securing the series win coach Stallings complimented his pitchers for powering them through the series and he said that performances like that are crucial to surviving and advancing in the playoffs “We’ve been very fortunate we’ve gotten great performances from our starting pitchers and then the guys that we’ve been bringing in relief behind them have given us a chance and that’s what it takes at this point in the season,” coach Stallings said you’ve got to have guys that come in and give you a chance to stay in a game get back in a game or whatever the situation might be but they’ve done a great job and super proud of how they’ve responded.” he and his ball club can look forward to a date with the Stanhope Elmore Mustangs on Thursday with game three to take place if needed on May 9 at 4:30 p.m but he is confident that his players will prepare well for a big game on their home stage really good ball program,” coach Stallings said of Stanhope Elmore “I’m excited about the challenge knowing that we get to play a game of that magnitude at our place we got a week to get ready for that series Just one AAC game is on Monday’s college basketball schedule That contest is the Wichita State Shockers squaring… The Memphis Grizzlies (38-22) face the Atlanta Hawks (27-33) as 8.5-point favorites on Monday take on the Brooklyn Nets (21-39).… The Wichita State Shockers versus the North Texas Mean Green is a game to catch on the Monday… The Monday college basketball slate has plenty of exciting matchups in store Our computer model has suggested picks… What would make you consider a digital subscription to Shelby County Reporter View Results 1/59Calera at Chelsea Playoff Baseball.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By AL.com ReportsCalera stunned rival Chelsea with a comeback win to take the first game of the AHSAA Class 6A best-of-3 quarterfinal baseball playoffs but the Hornets exploded for 16 runs to win Game 2 The deciding Game 3 is scheduled for 5 p.m After unranked Calera (21-16) scored 5 runs over the final 2 innings to win Game 1 third-ranked Chelsea (24-10) scored 7 runs in the first inning of Game 2 and cruised to the victory including a 2-run single in the first and 2 runs scored Paxton Stallings belted a grand slam and scored 3 runs while Aiden Craven was 3-for-5 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs 3 runs and an RBI and Mack Breazeale had a double throwing only 5 innings because of the 10-run mercy rule Calera managed only 4 walks in the first 5 innings of Game 1 as Chelsea sped to a 4-0 lead Jaiden Brown leading off the sixth with a double followed by a Mac Graham single Dalton Ash’s groundout scored Brown and a Chelsea error made it 4-2 Chelsea got the first 2 outs in the final inning before 4 straight singles gave Calera a 5-4 lead Kegan Johnson started the 2-out rally then Brown singled and Graham produced a run-scoring single and Ash’s 2-run single gave Calera the lead for good Brown was 2-for-3 with the double and scored 2 runs while Graham was 2-for-4 with 2 runs Chelsea’s Logan Carson was 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs while Bryant Wisdom was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Aiden Hughes was 2-for-4 with a double 1/31Trinity at Oak Grove 4A Baseball PlayoffsOak Grove 4-10 Top-ranked Oak Grove scored 3 seventh inning runs to earn the Game 1 victory then left no doubt with a 10-0 shellacking in Game 2 The Tigers (30-3) face the winner of Tallassee-Bibb County in next week’s semifinal best-of-3 series The Tigers added 2 runs in both the third and fourth innings to close out the 5-inning game shortened because of the 10-run mercy rule but 9 Trinity walks and 2 hit batters contributed heavily Pitcher Brody Black scattered 4 hits and stuck out 3 and had 2 RBIs Oak Grove trailed 3-1 in the final inning of Game 1 when Black led off with a single but Trinity got 2 quick outs before Jay Fuller walked and Dalton Troncalli was hit by a pitch to load the bases Olen Bryant tied the game 3-all with a run-scoring single and Weston Hyche’s RBI single was the game-winner Bryant was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs while Black was 2-for-3 Colton Praytor pitched the complete-game win Trinity pitcher Patton Mitchell started the scoring with a 2-run single 5 Deshler won the decisive game of a top-five series and advanced to the state semifinals with a Game 3 victory over No The Tigers will face Central-Florence or No Along with pitching all 7 innings of the victory and allowing just 4 hits Deshler pitcher Jacob Alexander went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a 2-run home run in the top of the first to score G Reid Reid went 3-for-4 for Deshler and scored twice while Brycen Williams logged a pair of RBIs for the Tigers Carson Gilbert and Even Howard each had a hit for Haleyville with Gilbert and Howard also crossing home plate in the loss A pair of solid pitching performances from both teams saw Class 4A No 3 Etowah pick up a sweep of Central-Florence on Thursday to advance to the state baseball semifinals 5-ranked Deshler next week for a spot in the state championship series Etowah took the Game 1 pitching duel backed by a solid complete game from Damon Devine The starter allowed just 4 hits and no earned runs (1 unearned) while walking 2 and striking out 6 in the third-round playoff matchup Reed Bruce pitched all 6 innings for Florence allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out 5 in the solid performance; he didn’t surrender a walk in the matchup Etowah scored both of its runs in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back two-out RBI singles; the first came from Bennett Reeves to score Jameson Scissum and the next came on an Ethan Mendoza single that brought home Devine Elijah Lambert’s triple to score Cole Wilcoxson in the top of the fifth provided the lone run for Central; Lambert went 2-for-4 for Central in the loss Both of Etowah’s runs in Game 2 came in the bottom of the fourth with the first on a sacrifice fly from Reeves to score Devine A bunt from Dayton Porter two at-bats later resulted in a fielder’s choice and brought home Conner Dingler for the second run for the Blue Devils Scissum — a Jacksonville State baseball and football signee — pitched a complete-game shutout for Etowah as he allowed 5 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5 while five different players had a hit for Central-Florence 6 Choctaws survived elimination with the Game 2 win at Tallassee on Thursday as Ethan McMillan threw a 3-hitter The junior right-hander struck out 7 and walked 4 Bibb County’s McMillan scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning He had reached on a fielder’s choice bunt attempting to move pinch-runner Jacob Upton to second after Bodie Giddiens had led off with a single McMillan went to third on a double by Antonious Steele and scored on a Daniel Stringfellow groundout The Choctaws (26-10) pushed their lead to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the fifth when Giddiens drove in Jordan Leverette and Xavier Rhine with a line-drive triple to left Leverette had led off the inning with a single and Rhine was intentionally walked Giddiens was 3-for-3 on the day and Leverette finished 2-for-3 Thomas Lemmond took the loss for Tallassee allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk over 6 innings Bryson Rigsby went 1-for-1 with a double and a run scored for the Tigers (23-11) Brue Milner and Lemmond had singles with Lemmond driving in a run Tallassee pounded out 12 hits and capitalized on 5 Bibb County errors to earn the win After Bibb County’s Rhine led off the game with a solo homer on a 3-2 pitch and finished 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored Tallassee answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first Cash Gough reach on an error to lead off and went to second when Rigsby reached on an error on his bunt to the pitcher Milner drove in Gough with a single and Lemmond singled Milner’s home courtesy runner Avery Brantley Tallassee scored another run in the second Abram Whittington was 1-for-2 with a double and Milner was 3-for-4 with a double and 4 RBIs in the win Lemmonds and Chase Webster had 2 hits apiece allowing 2 runs – 1 earned – on 4 hits with 4 strikeouts and a walk in 5.2 innings allowing 8 runs – 2 earned – on 12 hits with 3 strikeouts in 6 innings After being shutdown by top-ranked Prattville Christian in the opening game Lee-Scott bounced back to even the series in the nightcap The Warriors (25-12) scored the first four runs of Game 2 and held on for the win 2 Glenwood in the state semifinals next week Easton Gregory was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in Game 2 to lead Lee-Scott Barrett Cook pitched the first 4.2 innings Harrison Short pitched the final 2.1 to earn the save Ethan Walls gave up 4 runs in 5 innings to take the loss Bowman threw a 2-hit shutout and struck out 9 batters as the Panthers cruised Gavin Oates and Tyson Houston all driving in runs the Panthers scored three times in the fourth and three more in the sixth Starter Braden Martin took the loss for Lee-Scott Brayden Butler had both of Lee-Scott’s hits James 20-2 in two games to sweep its way into the state semifinals The Gators (29-4) will play Lee-Scott or top-ranked Prattville Christian next week Glenwood rallied from an early 2-0 deficit with a single run in the third and 4 more in the fourth Mason McCraine had an RBI double in the big innings and Hudson Campbell had a two-run double Starter Charlie Cutler took the loss for the Trojans allowing all 5 runs – 4 earned – on 6 hits Glenwood scored 6 runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back The Gators added 4 in the third and 5 more in the fourth to complete the sweep McCraine homered and drove in 4 to lead the offense Campbell pitched all 5 innings of the run-rule shortened game 5 Gordo scored 9 runs in the first two innings on Thursday to secure a third-round victory over Whitesburg Christian and punch its ticket to the state semifinals 7 Vinemont for a chance to advance to the state championship series following Thursday’s win in Huntsville An RBI double from Noah McDaniel to score Jase Neel got the scoring started for Gordo with a 2-RBI single from West Pate and two more runners scoring 4 more runs in the first inning Pate finished 2-for-3 with a double and a game-high 4 RBIs for Gord while Neel went 2-for-4 with a double and McDaniel drove in a pair of runs Ford Hewitt picked up the win for Gordo with 5.2 innings of work allowing 2 earned runs while striking out 6 Ryab Kretz and Kaleb Robinson collected 2 hits apiece for Whitesburg Christian in the loss Pike Liberal Arts scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning and held on to eliminate Tuscaloosa Academy in Game 3 of their quarterfinal series The Patriots (20-15) will play Reeltown or Cottonwood in the state semifinals next week Pike Liberal took the lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Luke Barron and a Tuscaloosa Academy error Barron finished with 2 of his team’s 3 RBIs Jackson Bowen was 2-for-3 and 2 runs scored Barron also went the distance to get the win on the mound Ellis Hamiter was 2-for-4 for the Knights (16-21) Senior Braylon Morris shut out visiting Reeltown as the eighth-ranked Bears avoided elimination with the Game 2 quarterfinals win on Thursday Morris struck out 11 and allowed 4 hits with a walk for Cottonwood Reeltown sophomore standout JaMarkius Smith struck out 10 in the Game 1 win The teams will play Game 3 on Friday to decide who meets Pike Liberal Arts in the 2A semifinals Cottonwood out-hit Reeltown 9-4 in the Game 2 win Reeltown (19-12) committed a pair of errors to none for the winners The Bears (22-6) broke open a scoreless battle with 3 runs in the top of the fourth inning Ethan McNeill got a 1-out single to move Ethan Simmons who had been hit by a pitch and took second on a groundout Taylor McCord brought Simmons home with a sacrifice fly to center field with a line drive single to center for a 2-0 lead Kade Strength rapped a ground ball single and Moore scored on an error The winners added 4 runs in the top of the sixth and another in the seventh Leadoff hitter Austyn Miller had a double in 3 at-bats Klete Meadows went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for Cottonwood McNeill was 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs and a double and 2 RBIs Starter Brody Smith took the loss for the Rebels allowing 5 runs – 4 earned – on 7 hits with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks in 5 innings Xander Johnson and Branton Spraggins added singled for Reeltown sophomore starter JaMarkius Smith – the No 1-rated pitcher in the state – sat down 10 Cottonwood hitters on strikes in 4.1 innings gave up 3 unearned runs on no hits with 5 walks Brody Smith gave up a run on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief 9 hitter Preston Lynn had a triple in 3 at-bats with an RBI and a run scored for Reeltown Slade Carleton and Spraggins also had hits in the win Cottonwood’s 3 hits were all doubles – from Austyn Miller McNeill drove in a pair of runs and Meadows had 1 RBI allowing 3 unearned runs on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks in 6 innings A walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth of Game 2 for Class 2A No 6 Red Bay forced a split between the Tigers and No 7 Mars Hill Bible on Thursday in the third round of the state playoffs A decisive Game 3 is set for Friday at 4:30 p.m 1-ranked Vincent in the state semifinals; the winner will punch its ticket to the Class 2A state championship series The walk-off victory for Red Bay came when Jeremiah Robinson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded scoring Harley Strickland for the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning Ty Reynolds went 3-for-5 for Red Bay in the extra-inning victory while Jeremiah Thorne had a double from the leadoff spot while Oakley Bevis had a 3-for-4 day with 3 RBIs for the Panthers and Cam Isbell collected 2 hits of his own Red Bay scored first in Game 1 with an RBI single from C McGee to score H Strickland in the top of the second inning Luke Fowler and William Mann scored in the bottom of the fifth to give Mars Hill a lead it never lost Beau Willis picked up the win with a complete game for Mars Hill in Game 1 allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run while walking 2 and striking out 6 who allowed just 3 hits and 1 earned run while walking 2 and striking out 6 across 6 innings of work The third-ranked Bulldogs rallied from a 4-run deficit to tie visiting Lynn and pushed across 5 runs in the top of the sixth inning to clinch the series with a doubleheader sweep Addison (27-9) will face the winner of the South Lamar-Hackleburg in the semifinals The Stallions are scheduled to host the 11 a.m playoff doubleheader on Friday with a third game Addison got a 2-run home run from Jedidiah Wilkins another on a passed ball on a third strike and Lane Stewart stole home for a run Both teams pounded out 11 hits with Lynn committing 3 errors to 1 for Addison was 5-for-5 with a pair of runs scored for the Bulldogs Stone Talley smacked a 2-run home run in the fifth inning as Addison scored 3 runs to knot the score at 6 Kaden Dyson was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the win allowing 6 runs – 5 earned – on 11 hits with 6 strikeouts and a walk Caden Key went 2-for-3 for the Bears with 2 RBIs Coby Sherer had a double and drove in 2 runs Bryce Baughn was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and Julian Scott finished 2-for-4 with a double Austin Dodd took the loss in relief of starter Dylan Dunagan Dodd was tagged for 5 runs – 2 earned – on 2 hits with 2 strikeouts without retiring a batter in the sixth inning Dunagan gave up 6 runs – 4 earned – on 8 hits with 3 walks in 5 innings Addison jumped on the Bears early for a 4-0 first-inning lead and closed out a 5-inning mercy-rule win with 7 runs in the bottom of the fourth Both the Bulldogs and Lynn had 4 hits on the day – all singles – but Addison capitalized on 8 walks and an error Jaxson Williams was 1-for-2 and drove in 3 runs while Dyson drove in 2 runs on a ground out in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the third Thompson went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored allowing a run on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks Sherer and Ashton Hopkins had hits for Lynn (20-12) allowing 9 runs on 4 hits with 2 strikeouts and 6 walks in 3 innings Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and 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All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Calera Parks and Recreation hosted the Strawberry Festival on Saturday April 26 at Oliver Park from noon to 6 p.m a car show and more for local residents to enjoy CALERA – Live music echoed about Oliver Park as residents perused items from a number of vendors during the 14th annual Calera Strawberry Festival “It is a great day to be in Calera at the Strawberry Festival,” Council member Debbie Byers said The weather has cooperated and there’s lots of vendors Families browsed the event’s vendors which were spread across the park and featured a variety of handmade goods such as wood-carved items coffee and plenty of homemade goodies such as peanut butter Children in attendance had no shortage of activities to choose from with the park’s playground in full use an electric bull riding machine and plenty of snacks to feast on several bands hit the stage and performed live music for the crowd with a variety of genres The following bands performed at the 14th annual Calera Strawberry Festival: “This is one of things that Calera is all about,” Council member Calvin Morgan said The Strawberry Festival has been going on for several years and it seems as if each year it’s getting bigger and bigger We want to invite families to come out and have a good time and listen to good music and enjoy the vendors and strawberries that are everywhere Everybody is just having a good family fun event.” 1 / 59VASHA HUNT2025 HS Baseball - Calera at Chelsea playoff gameChelsea's Paxton Stallings pitches against Calera during an AHSAA Class 6A third-round playoff baseball game in Chelsea The teams will play Friday in a deciding game-three matchup at an AHSAA Class 6A third-round playoff baseball game in Chelsea two-out single during an AHSAA Class 6A third-round playoff baseball game against Chelsea in Chelsea He knocked in two RBIs on the play but the inning ended on the play at second bringing his team within a run of Chelsea during an AHSAA Class 6A third-round playoff baseball game in Chelsea while batting with two outs in the final inning during an AHSAA Class 6A third-round playoff baseball game against Chelsea in Chelsea during an AHSAA Class 6A third-round playoff baseball game in Chelsea TUSCALOOSA – The Calera Eagles needed to work hard in the back half of the match to do it but they are heading to the quarterfinals of the Class 6A boys soccer playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons Calera defeated the Northridge Jaguars 2-0 on Tuesday April 29 at Northridge High School to punch its ticket to the final eight avenging last year’s second-round defeat in the process The Eagles and the Jags engaged in a tight battle throughout the opening half Both teams held strong in the back line and kept their opponents out of the back of the net they went to the halftime break tied at 0-0 and in search of a breakthrough That moment came right at the hour mark of the match when Northridge committed a foul inside the box Sam Njoroge stepped up to the spot to take the penalty for the Eagles and he buried the effort to put his team up 1-0 on the road with 20 minutes remaining That goal provided a shot in the arm for Calera and paved the way for the second goal and he fired a shot into the back of the net to double up Calera’s lead to 2-0 That goal put the nail in the coffin as the Eagles defense held on for the final eight minutes to secure the clean sheet and reach the next round Calera will now hit the road for an all-Shelby County showdown against the Chelsea Hornets on Saturday at Chelsea High School in search of their first quarterfinal win in school history The Eagles previously made the quarterfinals in 2023 but automatically advanced to the Final Four after McAdory self-reported an ineligible player The Calera girls soccer team also played Northridge before the boys took the field but they fell 2-1 in a close contest with the No The Eagles did score during the match as the offense came up big on a Reece Collier corner kick She sent the ball in for Sarah Hubbard who headed the ball back to Brianna Collier for the tap-in goal that got the visitors on the scoreboard it wasn’t enough as Calera conceded two goals on the road to end their season at Northridge for the second-straight year the Eagles still had a successful year under first-year head coach Austin Ford Area 5 championship with a perfect 4-0 record and breezing past Brookwood in the first round Calera finishes out the season with a 12-6-1 record and will look to next year to continue its upward trajectory MONTGOMERY – It was a banner day for local esports programs as they took the stage at Huntingdon College’s auditorium to compete against other top gamers in the state and the Thompson Warriors and Pelham Panthers took home top honors Pelham won its first esports state title in program history when Xavier Merchant won the Madden NFL 25 championship and Thompson took home its sixth title across multiple games thanks to its Super Smash Bros Ultimate team The Admirals’ win on Tuesday Merchant took the stage to represent Pelham against Bob Jones’ Corey Robinson The two battled it out in a best-of-three series in the latest edition of Madden NFL to decide a spring 2025 champion Merchant chose to play as the Baltimore Ravens while Robinson selected the Buffalo Bills and Merchant took a 20-10 victory in game one to take a 1-0 series lead the two engaged in an even tighter second game of the series Merchant won 27-24 to sweep the series and earn the state title who was formerly Thompson’s esports coach before he moved to Pelham to help the school win its first esports title His former program proved to be just fine as it secured the championship in Super Smash Bros Coach Cole Pruitt guided his team of Gavin Martin Luke Shields and captain Hayes Paganelli against rival Hoover in the finals Each player competed in a best-of-three game of three stocks with a seven-minute time limit to decide the winner of each set The first team to win three sets took the championship in a best-of-five series The first game saw Martin go against Hoover’s Parker Sims with Martin selecting Fox and Sims choosing Kazuya Martin won the first game at Pokemon Stadium 2 to take the 1-0 set lead before closing out the set with a victory on Kalos Pokemon League Shields then faced off against Rehan Jiwani in the second set Shields used Steve to defeat Sephiroth on Small Battlefield in game one before earning the win on regular Battlefield for the second game to sweep the series and take a 2-0 match lead Paganelli stepped up for the third set with a chance to close out the match against Chase Gaston With Paganelli choosing Samus and Gaston using Bayonetta the Warriors captain won game one at Town & City before Hoover won game two at Battlefield Gaston took the game three tiebreaker for the Bucs on Kalos Pokemon League to extend the match to a fourth set Shields and Jiwani rematched in the fourth set with the same characters as the second set on Small Battlefield Shields secured wins in both game one and two to sweep the fourth set and take the state title with a 3-1 series win Calera also took the stage for the first time in Rocket League but matched up with the biggest dynasty in Alabama high school esports–BJHS Fusion from Bob Jones High School With coach Colin Miller’s Blue team of Blake Williamson Christian Ritchey and Brayden Myers taking the stage they lost the first game of the best-of-seven series 3-1 before bouncing back with a 2-0 win in game two to tie the series Bob Jones retook the series lead with a 2-0 win in game three and went up 3-1 in the series with a 4-3 victory in game four Calera surged back with a 5-0 win in game five but the Patriots closed out their 11th-straight Rocket League state title with a 7-1 victory in game six The other state champions in the spring 2025 edition of the championship were Auburn High School in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Columbia High School in NBA 2K25 and Splatoon 3 The esports state championships started in 2019 and have been held twice a year in the fall and spring every year except for spring 2020 I always knew Calera had a great reputation in our local town but it wasn’t until I started to dive into the wine world when I realised it’s reputation around the world I started to drink the wines towards the end of my time at UC Davis and realised then that this would be a dream for me to work for Josh Jensen You have made your winemaking name at the estate - but going back to the beginning what were your thoughts when Josh Jensen gave you the opportunity to join in 2007 Mike Waller says he has so much to thank Josh Jensen for not only in how to make consistently good wine At that point I already knew I wanted to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I was working for Chalone at the time and was ready to jump into a bigger role at another winery I had met Josh several times prior to the move and was actually calling him for a reference when he said that he was just thinking of calling me for a position at Calera How would you describe Josh Jensen as a winemaker and what unique qualities did he have but got his start at two of the most renowned wineries in the world Josh learned to make wine in the early 1970s and brought that back with him Josh had a very hands off approach and allowed the wines to make themselves (whole cluster fermentations and native yeast) These were things I hadn’t experienced prior to Calera but you have to trust that these things have worked for him for the first 30 years of making wine What did you learn most from him that you think still helps you today in the wines you make and how you work with the vines and in the cellar Consistency is the key to good quality winemaking is a message that Josh Jensen has passed on to Mike Waller Josh believed in the property and never chased the latest trends He kept the winemaking style consistent year in and year out The quality of the soils and the location of the vineyards that make up the wines for Calera are what give it the edge How do you think the wines you are making today have evolved since you first started in 2007 As far as the wines we were making in 2007 the wines are all holding up beautifully Our latest planting from the late 90s (Ryan and deVilliers) were very tannic in those first five to 10 years of being here as the roots dig deeper into the limestone soils the tannins soften and the wines take on more complexity What do you see as being the biggest milestones - key decisions that you and the estate have made during that time The Central Coast wines (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) have changed over time We partnered with great growers and learned how to work the vineyards I think these wines have much more consistency and bolder flavours than they did in the early years Harlan Chardonnay gets more contact with lees and longer barrel aging time but found that 15 months of aging gave the wine more richness and complexity What would you pick out as the key characteristics of a Calera Pinot Noir that makes it so distinct from other wineries in California Our wines have structure and great phenolics that give these wines tension I believe it’s a combination of three components: limestone soil; elevation; and the ability to use whole cluster fermentations Not all vineyards can achieve stem ripeness like Mt How do you see the use of oak now and ageing compared to what was being done 20 years ago Our oak regimen has also remained consistent We use about 10% for the Central Coast wines What are you still learning from your single vineyards and the unique qualities of the Mt Harlan area We would love to be able to keep these in the ground forever but unfortunately some vineyards begin to decline in production to a point that it’s not sustainable The Jensen and Reed are 50 years old this year and still producing beautiful fruit The Ryan and deVilliers are very healthy closing in on 30 years What are you still learning from the limestone that is at the heart of your Pinot Noirs The Calera range of wines are now part of Top Selection's portfolio in the UK as part of its partnership with Duckhorn that took over the estate in 2017 Limestone is for sure the heart of our story We’ve learned that our original rootstock of St George is really integral in dealing with calcareous soils and drought conditions In the mid 70s there were basically two rootstocks most people were using - AXR 1 and St What differentiates your Pinot Noir from the classic styles of Burgundy Like all great wines around the world it’s all about the site and terroir I can easily identify our wines in a flight of Burgundy - they have a true sense of place Harlan wines to Burgundy is their ageability and structure What do you see as your biggest opportunities still as a winemaker and for the estate Focusing on the vineyard replants and possibly finding a more reliable water source Our average annual rainfall is around 16 inches We rely heavily on rain because we don’t have very productive wells Our soils are very porous and don’t hold a lot of water but it allows the roots to dig deeper into the limestone As a winemaker I feel that I will continue to tell the story as Josh would It’ll be my job to pass the torch down to next winemaker but for now I feel like I can do this for another 20 years What do you see as your biggest challenges and how do you look to overcome them From the vineyard standpoint it’s all about the water We need it to keep these vines healthy and productive From the wine standpoint we are in tough times with tariffs and the next generation of wine drinkers I am proud of the opportunity I have had here and I hope he would be proud of how I am carrying on the story * You can find out more about Calera and it wines at its website here. * You can taste the Calera range of wines at Top Selection's 25th anniversary portfolio tasting on May 12 at Riverside Room, IET Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL between 11am-6.30pm. Click here for more details and to register. * Top Selection is a commercial partner to The Buyer. You can find out more about their range for the premium on and off-trade here. The Buyer TVClick below to watch The Buyer's library of online debates, videos and webinars. Falling tree limbs in Birmingham kills one person cleanup and power crews were out in force in Calera following a severe storm that left a trail of destruction One of the hardest-hit areas was Burton Campers where multiple campers were flipped over and mangled metal was strewn across the property Several camper owners said their vehicles were there for repairs Calera Baptist Church also suffered damage Crews and volunteers gathered at the church on Sunday to clear out insulation and metal debris Pastor Jason Jarvis expressed gratitude for the community's support saying we've had thirteen pastors calling us offering help." He added that they are exploring options for the congregation to meet in the coming weeks and urged the community to provide emotional and spiritual support for each other "We don't lean on things we have as far as buildings Tim Striegel's mobile home was demolished in the storm He narrowly escaped by seeking shelter in a neighbor's basement he had just purchased insurance the previous Friday Calera Police released a statement on Facebook detailing their response efforts "This morning we brought in additional staff to direct traffic for power crews while they work to restore power," the statement said Although no serious injuries were reported the storm caused significant damage to many individual homes The police department highlighted the need for improved temporary housing solutions for displaced families found outside their destroyed residence with two pets was brought to the police department for shelter after no immediate assistance was available The Red Cross was unable to provide help until the following day police staff provided the family with food and a safe place to sleep at the department "I hope that we can learn from this and come up with a better alternative for people in this situation in the future," the statement concluded thanking officers and dispatchers for their dedication in ensuring the family did not fall through the cracks 1/59Calera at Chelsea Playoff Baseball.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By AL.com ReportsChelsea scored 4 middle-inning runs then held off Calera for a 6-4 Game 3 victory in an AHSAA Class 6A quarterfinal baseball playoff Third-ranked Chelsea (25-10) broke a 2-all tie with 2 runs each in the third and fourth innings after Calera (21-17) got a 2-out 2-run single that tied the score from starting pitcher Dalton Ash in the top of the third Chelsea’s Cade Mims stroked a run-scoring single to take the lead for good in the bottom of the third and relief pitcher Paxton Stallings added sacrifice fly in the inning to make it 4-2 Run scoring singles in the fifth by Aiden Hughes and Chase Lackey gave the Hornets a 6-2 lead Calera’s Mac Graham belted a 2-out 2-run homer in the seventh but Stallings coaxed a ground ball from the next batter to end the game Three Chelsea pitchers combined for 4 hits and 2 earned runs Starter Silas Osbourn pitched 2 hitless innings while Cade Mims gave up 2 runs in an inning and Stallings allowed 2 hits 2 runs and struck out 6 over the final 4 innings Chelsea’s Lackey was 3-for-3 with an RBI while Hughes was 2-for-3 and each scored twice Chelsea plays Stanhope Elmore in semifinal action 10 Tuscaloosa County (29-12) overcame a 2-run deficit with 3 sixth inning runs to win Game 1 over seventh-ranked Hoover (25-17) despite being outhit 9-3 The best-of-3 series will continue on Monday Tuscaloosa County started the sixth inning with a double by Camden Barnett and walk from Brooks Mellown A strikeout was followed by Ford Traweek’s 2-run triple to tie the score and a Hoover error led to the winning run Kole Nichloson had Tuscaloosa County’s only other hit as four Hoover pitchers combined for 8 strikeouts Atticus Barton and Will Adams each had 2 hits for Hoover The Bucs scored in the first inning on Parker Johnson’s run-scoring single and added another run in the third on Barton’s single Tuscaloosa County starter Tate Pettus pitched 5.2 innings allowing 9 hits and 2 runs with 5 strikeouts and 3 walks Reliever Traweek struck out 3 with 2 walks in 1.1 innings Gardendale pitchers continued their mastery of second-ranked Mountain Brook posting the second straight shutout to win the best-of-3 series This time it was Caiden Combs who quieted the Spartans throwing a 3-hit shutout of the game that was resumed today in the second inning after Friday’s Game 2 rainout that followed a 1-0 Gardendale win allowing a double in the second inning along with singles in the third and fifth then retired six straight to end the game He walked 3 and hit 2 batters and produced a run-scoring single along with a double at the plate The unranked Rockets (26-9) gave Combs the only run he needed when Carson Burdette stroked a run-scoring single in the third after Carter Jenkins led off with a single followed by Combs’ double to move Jenkins to third Combs’ single in the fourth scored Rowan Warmack who started the 2-out rally with a single and Burdette got his second RBI-single for a 3-0 lead Burdette scored the final run on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh inning after leading off with his third single Burdette was 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs while Combs had an RBI and Jackson Firestone drew the bases-loaded walk for an RBI Luke Houser doubled for Mountain Brook (28-11) while Henry Gimenez and Sam Estes had singles Gardendale plays the Hartselle in semifinal action Hartselle punched its ticket back to the Class 6A semifinals with a sweep of Pell City on Saturday evening at Decatur High School 1 Tigers will face Gardendale in the state semifinals with the winner advancing to the state championship series; Gardendale swept No UAH signee Jace Meadows pitched Hartselle to a victory in Game 1 allowing 5 hits and an earned run while walking 2 and striking out 9 across a complete game Cain Falciani racked up 3 RBIs batting ninth in the lineup highlighted by a 2-RBI double that scored Chris Hutson and Sam Gillette Braden Weathers had a 2-for-2 day for Hartselle with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the second to score Asher Doepel Brooks Laminack’s RBI double to score Parker Rice gave Pell City its lone run of the ballgame Connor Stiles dominated with a complete game in Game 2 with a shutout allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 5 batters in the victory Easton Nelms scored on a fielder’s choice in the top of the first for Hartselle while Hutson scored on a passed ball in the top of the third for the Tigers Karter Perry pitched all 7 innings for Pell City allowing 4 hits and an earned run while walking 5 and striking out 2 Jacob Burgos had the lone hit in Game 2 for Pell City The second-ranked Patriots swept their way into the AHSAA state semifinals with a pair of wins over Scottsboro at home on Saturday American Christian continued its power hitting streak with a pair of home runs and a triple on the way to 7 hits to 5 for the Wildcats American Christian scored 3 runs in the third and 3 in the fourth in the nightcap tacking on 2 more in the sixth and a run in the seventh Starter Brandon Garth blanked Scottsboro to get the win striking out 4 and walking 3 in 6.2 innings Hutner Elmore got the final out with a strikeout Clayton Rice had a solo home run and Eric Hines smacked a 3-run homer in the third inning for American Christian Cade Hastings and Will Porterfield had doubles for Scottsboro giving up 6 earned runs on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts and 6 walks in 5 innings Reliever Hastings allowed 3 runs – 2 earned – on 2 hits with a strikeout and 5 walks American Christian pounded out 13 hits – 6 for extra bases including a pair of home runs – and overcame 4 errors to beat the Wildcats Scottsboro scored in the top of the first inning but the Patriots responded with 5 runs in the bottom of the inning to pull away Cade Durrett opened American Christian’s first inning with a home run to right field on the second pitch he saw and Elmore doubled in a run two batters later before Gritton Taft singled in a run for a 3-1 edge Taft went to second on a hit by Caleb McAusland and took third on a wild pitch Two straight balks brought in Taft and McAusland Elmore finished with a pair of doubles in 3 at-bats and Hines and Lightsey also doubled Jaylen Crocker was 1-for-2 with a 3-run home run for the winners allowing 2 unearned runs on 5 hits with 7 strikeouts and a walk Porterfield was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles for Scottsboro giving up 9 earned runs on 13 hits with 7 strikeouts and 4 walks over 6 innings The third-ranked Pirates advanced to the state semifinals with the Game 2 win on Saturday as a pair of Pirates shut down Vinemont on 3 hits Winfield rolled to a 14-2 win on Friday in Game 1 before the second game – tied at 1 in the third inning – was postponed by rain The final game was played at Cullman High School allowing a run on a hit with a strikeout and 3 walks before giving way to Spencer Haney The senior gave up a run on 2 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk in the final 4.2 innings Winfield scored a run in the bottom of the second to answer Vinemont’s run in the top of the inning another run in the fifth and 4 in the sixth The Eagles picked up their second run in the top of the fourth The winners finished with 12 hits to 3 for Vinemont Brayden McCaleb and Kyson Key all had doubles for Winfield McCaleb went 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs – on a 2-run double and a 2-run single – and Key was 1-for-3 at the plate Hayden Ballard was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Brandon Whitley had 2 RBIs Rylan McRae and Rush Sandlin – got Vinemont’s hits Sandlin drove in both runs with a sacrifice and a single allowing 10 runs – 6 earned – on 11 hits with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks in 5 innings Winfield will meet Gordo in the semifinals 6 Leroy scored 6 runs in the first 2 innings took advantage of 6 Florala errors and advanced to the Class 1A state semifinals 5 Brantley in the state semifinals next week Florala tied the game at 6-6 with a four-run fourth the Bears countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good Leadoff hitter Keegan Giles went 2-for-4 with 3 runs scored Jason Byrd was 2-for-2 with a run scored and 2 walks Jacob Lara took the loss in relief of Florala Dalton Jackson was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for Florala (20-10) GULF SHORES – The Calera Eagles were down but not out on the road against the Gulf Shores Dolphins coming back not once but twice to sweep the series Calera defeated Gulf Shores 5-4 in game one and 8-6 in game two on Friday April 25 at the Gulf Shores SportsPlex to advance to the Class 6A quarterfinals Both times saw the Eagles score the final five runs of the game without allowing one in return as Calera finished strong to set up a county battle with Chelsea in the next round The first game saw the Eagles unable to score for the first three innings as the Dolphins took the early lead With two on and one out in the bottom of the second Gulf Shores sent a grounder to second and plated a run for the 1-0 lead off a fielder’s choice After the Dolphins turned two to end the top of the third they capitalized off a lead-off single to hit an RBI single and RBI double on back-to-back pitches Gulf Shores took the lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly That would be the last Dolphins run of the game as Calera rallied to score five unanswered runs Facing a two-out hole in the top of the fourth David Gutierrez ripped a triple to right to get the Eagles on the scoreboard Demetrius Davis came in as a pinch runner and was sent home shortly after thanks to a balk While the fifth inning came and went without a run Calera used a one-out Mac Graham double to set up an RBI single from AJ Johnson with two outs That left it a one-run game going into the seventh inning The Eagles kicked off the inning with a lead-off single but the next two batters got out Gulf Shores opened the door with three-straight walks including one with the bases loaded to tie the game at 4-4 The Dolphins couldn’t walk it off in the bottom of the inning a Johnson single and Gutierrez double put two in scoring position and no outs for Parker Breeding He stepped up and delivered a double to left plating the go-ahead run and setting up the 5-4 win Aiden Agee went the distance and got the win allowing four runs off eight hits and two walks in eight innings Johnson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run while Gutierrez secured a 2-for-4 game with an RBI Calera went ahead quickly after Kegan Johnson reached on a bunt to third advancing to third on the throw before scoring off a passed ball during the ensuing at-bat AJ Johnson took a 2-0 pitch yard for a two-run home run and the 3-0 lead Gulf Shores quickly erased that lead and built one of its own Each of the first six batters reached base The Dolphins stole home to open the lead ahead of a pair of RBI singles and a play at the plate where they were safe Calera got the next three outs to get out of the top of the second and kept Gulf Shores scoreless in the third The Dolphins would take advantage of a lead-off walk to score off a pair of passed balls that made it a 6-3 ball game the Eagles locked down on defense and scored their final five runs unanswered After a lead-off single from Gutierrez and a passed ball to put Davis on second Breeding doubled to left to score the runner and make it a 6-4 game A sacrifice bunt put Breeding on third ahead of a quick strikeout that dropped Calera to two outs an error off a Kegan Johnson ground ball led Breeding score and cut the gap to 6-5 at the end of the fourth inning Calera got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth and immediately got a runner on thanks to a Brown single The next two batters got out ahead of AJ Johnson’s spot Johnson launched a deep fly ball that went over the wall for a two-run home run erasing the deficit and giving the Eagles a 7-6 lead and after Davis reached second as the courtesy runner an error brought him home to take the lead to 8-6 Calera didn’t allow a single run in response for the final two innings to seal the sweep AJ Johnson was 2-for-3 with his pair of two-run home runs while striking out six batters in 6.1 innings to take the win Five of the six runs he faced were earned as he survived nine hits and six walks Dalton Ash got the save by making the final two outs Calera will now face the Chelsea Hornets on the road on Friday May 2 at Chelsea High School in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A playoffs Times will be announced in the coming days CALERA – Local residents will take the stage at the Calera Courtyard to display their talents to the crowd while visitors enjoy a selection of activities during Calera’s Got Talent Calera Main Street will host the next installment of its First Friday summer festival series on Friday Each First Friday features a different theme and a different sponsor with the ultimate goal of promoting Calera’s historic district and its downtown shops and merchants Calera’s Got Talent will feature a night of entertainment that highlights local talent with live performances and music from a DJ to keep the energy high between acts “What makes this one special is that it’s a different type of First Friday than what we’ve done before,” said Dennis Torrealba “We’re going to highlight talent in our community and we’re going to give them a platform to show us their creativity and highlight their unique talents.” residents will take the stage to demonstrate a variety of family-friendly talents such as dancing “The goal of Calera’s Got Talent is to give people a platform to showcase their unique abilities at all different levels,” Torrealba said “It’s not necessarily a competitive atmosphere but an opportunity for talented individuals to gain organic exposure.” The May installment of First Friday will also feature a selection food trucks for attendees to enjoy visitors can take advantage of the businesses located on Calera Main Street Those interesting in displaying their abilities at Calera’s Got Talent can still sign up to perform on May 2 by filling out an application online at Eventeny.com For event information and vendor applications, visit Eventeny.com/company/caleramainstreet or follow Calera Main Street Facebook at Facebook.com/CaleraMainStreet2019 Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans identified Lakisha Franklin as the decedent in the recent vehicular accident on Interstate 65 in Calera one fatality was reported to have occurred after an accident took place involving an 18-wheeler and a passenger car on Interstate 65 on April 7 Calera officers responded to the scene of an accident on I-65 northbound near mile marker 227 involving an 18-wheeler and a passenger car At least two individuals were involved in the collision with one deceased at the scene and the second seriously injured Paramedics responded to the scene and provided aid to the injured The Calera Police Department reopened the northbound lane of I-65 at 9:30 p.m Alabama State Troopers then arrived and took over the investigation and shut down both northbound lanes and the Shelby County coroner was called to the scene The State Traffic Homicide Team treated the area as a crime scene due to the possibility of criminal charges and civil action the Calera Police Department released an official statement on the incident due to the nature of the accident and calls that were received from residents “We did not provide updates because we did not have any,” Calera Chief of Police David Hyche said “Our dispatcher was flooded with angry calls—many by the same callers—until about 12:30 a.m which hindered our ability to take and respond to both routine and emergency calls.” Hyche said he understands the frustration and hardship of being stranded in traffic for an extended period of time with no information and said that he would have been frustrated too “I just wanted to make this post to explain how traffic homicide investigations work and that I cannot provide updates on an investigation being conducted by another agency,” Hyche said Hyche also expressed his condolences to the family which lost a loved one “I also want to send my prayers and condolences to the family that lost their loved one last night,” Hyche said The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is continuing to investigate the accident CLANTON – The Calera Eagles are heading back to regionals after finishing as the runner-up in the Class 6A Area 5 tournament on April 25 and 26 at Chilton County High School emerging as one of the two finalists from the three-team area Calera secured that spot with two wins over the Benjamin Russell Wildcats first in a 9-7 first-round game on Friday before winning a 7-5 elimination game on Saturday the Eagles fell behind by multiple runs in the top of the second A lead-off error turned into an RBI double on the very next pitch a two-run single with one out and a pair of errors led to a 4-0 lead for Ben Russell building off a lead-off single in the bottom of the second from Armiya Shamburger to get on the board off a Lily Townsend RBI double An error put two runners on for Alexi Johnson who ripped an RBI single to right ahead of another RBI single from Neeley Carstensen to cut the deficit to 4-3 The Wildcats got a lead-off triple in the top of the third and would on to score two runs first off a fly out and then off a two-out RBI single to extend the lead back to 6-3 Townsend got the Eagles back within two with a two-out solo shot in the bottom of the third While the fourth inning came and went without a run a dropped third strike in the bottom of the fifth put two on with two out for Calera Megan Overton then came in and made it a one-run game with an RBI single The Eagles continued the rally in the bottom of the sixth as two of the first three batters singled she tied the game up on an RBI single while leading the bases loaded for Kinley Rodgers Disaster then struck for Benjamin Russell as an error at short led to two runs crossing home plate Shamburger followed that up with an RBI double to increase the lead to 9-6 A couple of errors in the top of the seventh let the Wildcats draw within two but the Eagles secured the final two outs to take the win Townsend was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs Issy Overton finished 2-for-4 with a run and Shamburger went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run Carstensen had a 2-for-3 game with an RBI and a run and Johnson finished 2-for-3 with an RBI striking out four batters in seven innings while working around seven runs Calera would then lose the winners’ semifinal 11-3 to Chilton County sending the Tigers to regionals and the Eagles to a do-or-die elimination game against Benjamin Russell the Wildcats broke through in the bottom of the second with an RBI single after a two-out triple to take a 1-0 lead two walks and an error loaded up the bases with one out for Megan Overton who sent a hard grounder to left field to plate two runs for a 2-1 lead Ben Russell took the lead right back in the bottom of the third after two walks and a bunt set up an RBI single and a two-run double for the 3-2 Wildcats lead Quintanilla immediately punished the new Ben Russell pitcher in the top of the fourth with a triple and Carstensen quickly got her home with an RBI single to tie the game A single and an error kept the rally alive and forced the Wildcats to get the out at first while allowing two runs to score Shamburger then made the score 6-3 in Calera’s favor with a run off a fly out Issy Overton took the lead to 7-3 with a two-out RBI single to keep the momentum in the Eagles’ favor Back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fifth set up a one-out but that was as close as they would get as Calera didn’t allow a hit the rest of the way The Eagles faced a bit of adversity from back-to-back one-out walks in the bottom of the seventh but a 5-3 double play sealed the 7-5 victory and a spot in regionals Megan Overton was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI Issy Overton finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run and Carstensen went 2-for-3 with a walk Townsend finished the job in the circle with 2.1 hitless innings against just two walks Calera would go on to lose the championship game 8-0 to Chilton County but still advances to regionals as the runner-up The 11-20 Eagles will play in the Class 6A Central Regional at Lagoon Park in Montgomery on May 7 and 8 *Update: The Shelby County coroner has identified the victim of the accident CALERA – The Calera Police Department has confirmed that one individual has died following an accident involving an 18-wheeler and a passenger car on Interstate 65 on Monday Calera officers responded to the scene of an accident on I-65 involving an 18-wheeler and a passenger car Alabama State Troopers then arrived and took over the investigation and shut down both northbound lanes and Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans was called to the scene More information on the accident and the identity of the victim will be released as it becomes available CALERA – Calera Chief of Police David Hyche and Detective Jacob Reach gave a presentation to the City Council on how the department is updating its methods of tracking sex offenders during a meeting on Monday The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency keep a public database for residents to use that catalogues the images and addresses of the more than 200 sex offenders in Shelby County The registry allows residents to manually search for sex offenders near their home address and in surrounding communities The tracking system was made possible by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act During a recent internal audit of the sex offender notification program for the city the Calera Police Department discovered ways to improve the program and how its current utilization was falling short in Calera “We found offenders that had registered with the sheriff’s department but had not registered with the city of Calera Police Department as required by law,” Hyche said The CPD identified offenders that were registered with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office who were living in areas that violated Alabama law The department also found other sex offenders who listed addresses where they don’t reside—including one offender listing the Calera Walmart as their home address who live outside the city but work in Calera “After learning of these deficiencies from the audit done by Jacob Reach we started the process of personally visiting and verifying every sex offender living or working in Calera that we had information on,” Hyche said “We’ve been working in conjunction with the sheriff’s department to help them get the countywide records up-to-date that have to do with the city of Calera as well.” offenders are required to check-in with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office every three months and on their birth month to update their photograph and home address Offenders must also notify law enforcement of any changes in employment As part of SORNA and the sex offender registry residents are notified of sex offenders living in their area Hyche shared that some notifications were not going out and that some offenders had lived in the area of residents for years without them knowing “I believe that the protection of the children and the citizens from sexual predators is too important to not do all we possibly can to ensure compliance,” Hyche said “It’s not our plan or goal to embarrass or harass people Prior offenders who are complying with the law are not going to be bothered at all.” As part of the process of ensuring compliance and transparency the Calera Police Department has established its own community web page for residents to access sex offender information instead of having to go through the entire county we’re going to have our own Calera portal which we will ensure is accurate and up-to-date,” Hyche said Residents can access the new webpage, made possible by OffenderWatch, by visiting the Calera Police Department’s website and selecting the portal residents can search for offenders in their area the city or find a list of those who are non-compliant Hyche swore in officer David Conley into the Calera Police Department during the City Council meeting Conley is a recent graduate from the Law Enforcement Academy in Tuscaloosa The Calera City Council approved the following items during the council meeting: the Calera City Council unanimously denied an alcohol license application to Mama Coco Cantina LLC on multiple grounds including that the entity had not fully paid its taxes owed to the city The next regularly scheduled Calera City Council meeting will take place on Monday CALERA – Calera City Council member Kenny Dale Cost announced his campaign to become the next mayor of the city of Calera on Thursday Cost has served on the Calera City Council since his election in 2020 where he received 78 votes Cost is a local homebuilder and has worked to be known as a problem solver and hard worker during his time on the Calera Council while supporting local businesses and schools I have been contacted by citizens from throughout the community who wanted a change in the mayor’s office and encouraged me to run,” Cost said “I sincerely believe that it is time for our city to have a different style of leadership accountability and listening to the citizens as to what they want our city to be are important aspects of helping Calera grow in the right direction.” Cost complimented the local schools and stressed the importance of small businesses in building the town while preserving the characteristics that make Calera a great place to live “Calera really is a great place to live for people of all ages That is a rare quality for a city and we need to keep that character while making sure we are working together to keep growing,” Cost said education and government leaders need to work together In addition to the mayor and City Council seats being up for reelection the city of Calera’s form of government will change after the next municipal election The Calera City Council approved a resolution to make the mayor a non-voting member of the council during a meeting on Aug After cities in Alabama surpass a population of 12,000 the mayor no longer sits on the council or has voting power on the council and instead has veto power Most of Calera’s surrounding municipalities have already moved on to this form of government will take on several of the responsibilities the mayor currently handles The Calera City Council has also discussed the possibility of pursuing a council-manager government which would require approval of Calera citizens through a vote as well as a petition with signatures from residents who voted in the last election The municipal election for 2025 will take place on Aug The Calera Eagles took care of business in round one of the Class 6A state playoffs defeating the McAdory Yellow Jackets in two games as a result of stellar pitching outings By SARAH TURNER | Special to the Reporter  CALERA – The Calera Eagles swept the McAdory Yellow Jackets in the first round of the 6A playoffs on Friday securing victory thanks to two games of stellar pitching The Eagles outscored the Yellow Jackets 18-2 across both games allowing just a combined eight hits for the night from their opponents Calera took care of the McAdory 8-1 at home looking to come away with a similar victory in the postseason Eagles’ senior pitcher Aiden Agee took care of business The Dean College commit had three easy strikeouts in the top of the first for the Eagles to quickly put Calera on offense an RBI single for AJ Johnson’s first at-bat put the Eagles on top first Agee saw only three batters in the top of the second inning Parker Breeding led off the bottom of the second with a walk which was followed by an error on a grounder from Chase Herring that put two aboard An RBI groundout from Kegan Johnson followed by an RBI single from Jaiden Brown quickly made it 3-0 through two innings of play McAdory’s first offensive production of the game came in the top of the third with a single from pitcher DJ Dozier but the inning ended on the next pitch after Dozier attempted to steal second base Herring continued to prove effective at the plate in the bottom of the third with a hard-hit ball to left field for a double that brought home another run to put the Eagles on top 4-0 Johnson singled to right field to bring Herring home and make it 5-0 Calera busted the game open with a five-run bottom of the fifth that ultimately finished the game An RBI single from Johnson was followed by a two-RBI double from Mac Graham that made it 8-0 Graham then scored shortly after due to pitching blunders from McAdory while Dalton Ash did the same with the game’s final run on a wild pitch Johnson’s three RBIs on a 2-for-4 day at the plate led the way while Herring finished with one RBI and a hit Agee took care of business on the mound with a complete-game shutout featuring seven strikeouts The second game of the doubleheader was tighter for a while but Calera’s offense prevailed once again which the Jackets held onto through the second inning Calera responded in the top of the third with a three-run outburst thanks to an RBI single from Ash a passed ball allowing Brown to cross the plate and an RBI single from David Gutierrez That became the first of three consecutive innings with runs as the Eagles got one in the top of the fourth with another passed ball allowing Herring to score and one more in the top of the fifth on another passed ball allowing Ash to score McAdory responded with a run in the home half of the fifth but that was the final time the Jackets crossed the plate in the series Calera gathered all of the insurance it needed in the top of the seventh with another three-run inning that featured two RBI triples as well as an RBI groundout from Herring to put the finishing touches on an 8-2 win Ash finished game two 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Eagles at the plate in helping complete the sweep Johnson and Breeding each added one hit and one RBI while Herring finished with an RBI and Johnson a hit Johnson also got the start on the mound and struck out seven in six innings of work Ash finished off the final inning with two strikeouts recorded The Eagles now move on to face the Dolphins of Gulf Shores in the next round of the playoffs on Friday Edible Monterey Bay 2025 – It was a chilly winter day in 1987 when I first drove through the faded tan Hollister hills to meet Calera Wine Company founder Josh Jensen at his humble home in the Cienega Valley.  He greeted me somewhat gruffly and with suspicion: what did this marketing person from a Silicon Valley optical character recognition company want from him A compliment on his beautiful blue Vermont castings wood stove earned me a cup of hot tea and a crack in the ice.  started by a gung-ho group of engineers with a fascination for Tolkien after the seeing stones called palantiri in The Hobbit.  Another group of equally ingenious engineers in Texas had also named their company Palantir but they had the smarts to trademark it.  After many thousands of dollars paid to naming consultants we had failed to come up with a name acceptable to the engineers our VC firm liaison called me to his office and said Ben (Rosen) wants a name that starts with a C and has two syllables.” He had already struck it rich with Cypress Semiconductor and Citrix so I asked him to go into his cellar and write down all the names that started with C I stopped at BevMo and found a couple of bottles of 1970s Calera Zinfandel along with a 1981 Calera Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara The front bore a strikingly simple etching of a masonry structure Jensen knew he’d hit the jackpot when he discovered white limestone soil and a quarry The limekiln dated back to the 19th century and was used to burn limestone to create quicklime for ag and construction use.  Dow asked me to go sell Jensen on the idea of sharing the name citing the recent kerfuffle between Apple Computer and Apple records which was absolutely understandable.  If you promise to never make optical character recognition equipment we promise to never make wine.” The faintest trace of a smile spidered out around the corners of his distinctly patrician mouth “Have your people call my lawyer,” handing me a piece of paper.   It turned out his attorney was a classmate of Steve Dow and we bought a lot of Calera wine as part of our incentive program for our dealer network I personally introduced the wine to people all over the country and wine shops from Chicago to Boston were very grateful He would step out of his old Porsche 911 in an auburn corduroy blazer with bright a red elbow patch on one sleeve and a green one on the other sporting a bright blue shirt and fantastically colored socks Josh was the sartorial eccentric long before John Charles Boisset took the wine fashion world by storm I brought that bottle of 1981 Pinot Noir and it was absolutely fantastic.  even though Jensen is now there only in spirit.  On a recent sojourn with the Wild Wine Women It strikes a perfect balance between lively and lush People who profess not to like Chardonnay were seen lining up to buy this one Waller told us that although the wine was excellent there just wasn’t enough of it to justify a separate SKU due to its popularity among young winemakers Once the darling of California white wines The first Calera red we tried was the 2021 Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir a vivid red-fruited beauty made from the Pommard clone You can tell it hails from a desert climate with sandy soils: there is a purity of cranberry and pomegranate and a vibrancy that makes the palate shine like a mirage.  The Chalone Vineyard Pinot is from the Vista block planted in 1996 which is the first part of the vineyard you see on your right as you go up the Chalone driveway Waller says that Chalone is “near and dear” to him as that is where he got his first job had started in the California wine business working there and buying Zin from Chalone for the 1974 and 1975 vintages.  Waller then poured us the 2021 DeVilliers Pinot Noir with aromas of black plum and earthy cellar rich buttery fig bars with a tinge of molasses.  and each is named for someone significant in Jensen’s life The first three were planted by Josh in 1975: the 5-acre Selleck Vineyard a longtime friend and the initial investor It would be 3 years before these vines produced their first miniscule crop Josh subsequently purchased the 100-acre parcel where the winery and tasting room now sit in 1977 purchased another 300 acres of limestone land on Mt “Every one of my friends and critics bet I would lose my shirt,” Jensen told me in a 2017 interview The DeVilliers Vineyard was planted on the eastern flank of Mt and lies between the two original plantings a South Africa born writer who chronicled the Calera story in The Heartbreak Grape Looking at the vineyard map explains a lot about each: their aspect ratio their steepness and how they soak up the sun and what little water mother nature squeezes out of the sky as it heads over this steep limestone terrain.  but will be replanted with what is now the Calera clone: descendants of those original cuttings brought by Jensen from the famed Burgundian vineyards in which he apprenticed while in France.  Waller explained that each of the wines we were tasting was made exactly the same way: whole cluster “What you are tasting here is the vineyard,” Waller reminded us Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make themselves.” He might be slightly exaggerating there But the gravity feed winery and the gorgeous underground caves for barrel aging are indeed the ideal setup for producing wine that springs from the earth and is left to ruminate into something magical.  and named for longtime Calera vineyard manager Jim Ryan who helped Jensen build the dream of great American Pinot Noir This is a truly brilliant wine: smooth as satin with bright spicy cherry flavors that just won’t quit energy and staying power of this wine is utterly striking Waller says it is one of the highest vineyards and is on the westernmost side of Mt Waller says they held a ceremony in 2022 to dedicate the vineyard in Jim’s name was named the 29th best wine in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list for 2024.  We then tasted the 2021 Reed Vineyard Pinot Noir Waller says he picks this late October into November one of the few people willing to bet on Jensen’s potential success must have been very proud to have his name on this vineyard The final wine of the tasting was the 2021 Jensen Vineyard Pinot Noir with a distinct hint of iron filings in the nose and is planted in four blocks that create an amphitheater Fruit is picked over a two-to six-week period depending on the vintage.  Super complex and almost mystifying This is the kind of wine that invites contemplation when he simply wants to relax he enjoys drinking things like sparkling and Grüner Veltliner which appear in the Duckhorn portfolio and are also available for tasting and purchase in the Calera tasting room “Pinot Noir makes me think too much.”  Waller told us that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of Calera Like many of the classic Napa and Sonoma labels columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food Digital EditionText Edition our mission is to celebrate the local food cultures of Santa Cruz and that everyone has a right to healthful We think knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing website and events will inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers EMB is one of 80+ magazines in the award-winning and beloved Edible Communities family We hope you enjoy all that we have to offer — The city of Calera is set to welcome three new hotels "The hotel is going to be for the travel ball teams and people that are traveling to beaches because we are the last city out of Shelby county so we’re that hub for the travel passing through," said Calvin Morgan, City Council Calera. With more hotels in the city, Morgan believes new restaurants and businesses will consider moving into the area. "The city is growing by leaps and bounds. We have subdivisions that are being developed. We’re looking to do a lot of work for our infrastructure and we’re looking forward to having some more business here that we can set aside and dine in," said Morgan. The city has no financial obligation for the hotel project but will provide developers with tax abatements. Construction of the hotels is already underway and are expected to be completed by 2026. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. General AlertABC 33/40   See MoreFalling tree limbs in Birmingham kills one person Two people were arrested in Calera last week when they were found to have 46 pounds of cocaine Officers made a traffic stop for no tag light and a search of the vehicle recovered the drugs The driver and passenger were both arrested Police say one of the people is wanted in Atlanta for drug trafficking and failure to appear Police also say they believe the pair was traveling from California to South Florida The suspects are each being held on a $10,000,000 bond — An EF-1 tornado carved a nearly ten-mile path of destruction through Calera last Saturday damaging the Calera Baptist Church and forcing the congregation to find a temporary place of worship Pastor Jason Jarvis of Calera Baptist Church described the scene upon discovering the damage: "To walk in and find that portions of the roof were missing it just really it hit and so to look at the damage inside the building as well and realize we were not going to be worshipping there the next morning." Last week's service was canceled due to the storm damage the congregation emphasized that the church is not the building but the people They relocated just over two miles away to Calera High School where they will hold services until repairs are completed SEE ALSO: One dead, two others injured in connection Iota Avenue shooting Friday night expressed mixed emotions about the situation A little emotional too to be honest with you just because that's our building The church is the people but you know it's still our building," he said Sunday morning's message focused on being tested in faith with the tornado serving as a test for many The church successfully negotiated a lease with the school to use the auditorium for services The first service on Sunday saw the auditorium packed with members "We were pleasantly surprised to see the majority of our congregation here today to celebrate together and worship together and it was a blessing to see that." Members expressed gratitude for the continued presence of their church family "It's just a blessing to be able to see our church family come together as it has even coming in a temporary home for right now," said Wilson (WBMA) - The city of Calera is expected to further discuss forming its own school system at Monday night's council meeting many parents were unhappy with the direction Calera's schools have been heading and said that something needs to change was representing a large group of her peers from Calera High School She said her experience in the schools has been full of distraction in the classroom and that Shelby County Schools has not been responsive to the concerns of her or her peers there's nothing we can do about it," Steward told ABC 33/40 Calera's City Council meets Monday at 6:30 p.m They are expected to discuss the proposed Calera City Board of Education Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the 256-page report that was presented at the June 2024 meeting: The study begins by providing a historical overview of Alabama’s public education system tracing its origins back to land grants and constitutional mandates including the Free Public School Act of 1854 the adoption of the 1875 and 1901 state constitutions and the establishment of Alabama’s Foundation Program in 1995 which serves as the primary funding model for public schools The report highlights the legal requirements for establishing a city school system and the role of local and state funding A major component of the study focuses on Calera’s demographics including its population growth and student enrollment trends Calera has seen significant development in recent years increasing the demand for quality educational facilities The study examines the number of students currently enrolled in Shelby County schools and projects future enrollment trends based on population data The city’s financial capacity is also analyzed particularly its ability to generate sufficient revenue through property and sales taxes to support an independent school district including existing ad valorem taxes and other local revenue sources to determine if Calera can sustain the operational and capital expenses of a new school system Alabama’s school funding model relies on a combination of state ensures that every public school system receives adequate funding based on student enrollment and other factors The study breaks down state funding allocations and federal funding opportunities that would be available to Calera should it establish an independent district The report provides an in-depth look at Shelby and Chilton County tax structures that support public education It also examines how Calera’s secession from the Shelby County School System would affect tax revenue distribution and whether the city would need to impose additional taxes to maintain financial stability A central question of the study is whether Calera has the financial capability to operate a fully functional city school system The report details projected revenues from state funding the study highlights any existing debts and liabilities that the new school system would inherit from the Shelby County School System This includes obligations related to school infrastructure While the study suggests that Calera has the potential to form an independent school system The report concludes by presenting possible scenarios for the city’s education future It suggests that while forming an independent school system is financially feasible careful planning and strategic decision-making are required The study recommends further evaluation of funding mechanisms and negotiations with Shelby County and state education officials Members of the community are working together to clean up debris after straight-line winds and a tornado devastated Calera the night of Saturday CALERA – Members of the community are working together to clean up debris after straight-line winds and a tornado devastated Calera the night of Saturday damage consistent with at least an EF-1 tornado with winds of 90 mph was found in Shelby County in Calera According to Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans A significant portion of the destruction was along 14th Street with uprooted trees destroyed roofs and broken windows with unrecognizable pieces of shrapnel littered everywhere Several local businesses in the area were damaged including Little Cubs Learn and Play Daycare and Calera Dance Academy was hit hard and saw potentially millions of dollars in damage done to campers with one landing approximately .3 miles away from the lot “Our main concern is the people in our Calera community that have had their homes destroyed or family members injured,” said Jody Gardner “We will assess our damages after we check on our customers and their families.” The business requested that those with campers on the lot be patient as they continue to assess damage from the storm The nearby Quality Inn off of I-65 also saw damage to parked vehicles with branches and metal strewn about One couple who traveled to the hotel for safety recalled the moment the storm hit “We were standing outside trying to figure out if something was going to drop,” they said “And everybody saw on the radar that it was heading this way so we all rushed inside We got into the interior of the bathroom of the lobby and all of the sudden we get hit—it sounded like being in front of a gigantic fan.” the couple were greeted by newly wrought devastation surrounding the area they had just been standing in “We came outside and there was debris everywhere,” they said “Metal from the building across the street was in the parking lot The road going back toward the campground was blocked off by a tree and power lines… There was a power line up the road that was arcing It pretty much made the entire area a turquoise blue almost… It was just insane” Calera Intermediate School was opened as a shelter for the community at 1 p.m before being hit hours later with damage to its awning Cleanup efforts at the school are underway and the facility will remain closed on Monday March 17 with the expectation to reopen on Tuesday the Calera Police Department worked late in to the night assisting the community by helping bring back power directing displaced families to shelter and undergoing search and rescue operations at damaged homes one particular family was found standing outside their destroyed home with two pets and nowhere to go despite more dangerous weather still being a possibility “The family had nowhere to stay and storms were still possible so we brought them to the police department while we tried to locate shelter for them,” Calera Chief of Police David Hyche said “We called the Red Cross and everyone else we could think of but no one could help on such short notice The Red Cross said that they could provide assistance the following day we called dozens of hotels but no rooms were available our staff got the exhausted and traumatized family food and water and set up a safe place for them this one moment stands a lesson for how the city can better handle emergency shelter for those displaced in the future “I hope that we can learn from this and come up a better alternative for people in this situation in the future,” Hyche said I want to thank our officers and dispatchers who stayed after a long difficult day to make sure that this family didn’t fall through the cracks.” the Calera Police Department were also able to secure damaged homes and businesses in order to protect them from the threat of any potential looting “In spite of the overwhelming task of search and rescue we must also protect damaged homes and businesses from looting and continue to cover routine calls,” Hyche said “We could not have functioned without the help from our brothers and sisters from neighboring agencies I’m also very proud to report that we received no calls for looting in the storm’s aftermath This says a lot about our community.” members of the community flocked together to aid those who were impacted by the storm Collectivus Church assisted residents and business owners along 14th Street with cleanup operations as well as at the Baptist Church of Calera which saw its roof cave in during the storm those affected by the devastation were able to get a free meal at the mobile home park near Grace Community Chapel thanks to donations made by Collectivus Church — An EF1 tornado tore through Calera on Saturday night carving a nearly ten-mile path of destruction but miraculously leaving no reported fatalities or injuries The storm caused significant damage across the city impacting locations such as Burton Campers One of the homes struck by the tornado was left in ruins hundreds of volunteers had arrived to assist with the cleanup efforts "This was a need because probably did not think they were going to get the help they needed And then they wake up that morning and people are already helping them clean up what is their home." SEE ALSO: Calera community rallies after storm leaves trail of destruction SEE ALSO: Five Alabama tornadoes confirmed from Saturday, NWS damage survey underway was among those serving food to those affected and the volunteers She noted the overwhelming support from the community "I got out here about 7:30 and the streets were already filled with people already." Padgett remarked on the community's response "It just shows you that people do care And it shows people are ready to help others in time of needs." is offering assistance to anyone impacted by the storm the founder of radio station La Chula 97.5 has been identified as the victim of the car crash that took place on Saturday the Calera Police Department responded to a collision on the 3000 block of County Road 12 where officers discovered that one of the drivers was deceased The incident is under investigation by the Calera Police Department Traffic Homicide Unit the Shelby County Traffic Homicide Task Force and the Shelby County Coroner’s Office The name of the victim was withheld until Monday March 31 in order to notify the next of kin first Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans identified Castillo On Sunday, March 30, La Chula 975 announced Castillo’s death in an official Facebook post. Alejandro Castillo Andrade better known as ‘EL Potrillo’ has died in a car accident,” read the post by La Chula 97.5 we do not have the complete Information to share with you We ask for understanding and respect for the family It’s difficult times that we’re processing with a lot of pain We will be sharing more details for his funeral over the next few days.” Sobeida Sanchez has created a Gofundme fundraiser to support Castillo’s wife in the wake of the crash which has I’m creating this GoFundMe because I would like for his wife to have some time to grieve before having to make some tough decisions,” read the Gofundme post “They have two beautiful young daughters who now have to grow up without their father I would also like for Maritza not to have to worry about the funeral expenses I ask that you please keep their family in your prayers The city of Calera announced that three new hotels are set to open—bringing in new visitors and supplying the city with an increase in tax revenue CALERA – The city of Calera announced that three new hotels are set to open—bringing in new visitors and supplying the city with an increase in tax revenue A Comfort Inn and Suites is set to open on Beverly Drive next to Zapopan Mexican Restaurant with 78 guest rooms A Holiday Inn Express is planned to be located on Beverly Drive next to Eminence Urgent Care with 94 guest rooms and a Home2 Suites will be placed on Metro Drive behind the Hampton Inn with 115 guest rooms “This incredible development will not only expand accommodation options for visitors but also provide a significant economic boost to our city,” read an official Facebook post by the city of Calera Calera highlighted that hotels bring in a steady stream of visitors to the city which will likely take advantage of the city’s nearby restaurants—providing the Calera with additional tax revenue these visitors often prefer to dine locally especially after a busy day of travel or work,” read a post by the city of Calera “The addition of these new hotels creates a built-in customer base for a wide range of dining options from casual eateries to upscale sit-down restaurants and steakhouses.” Calera also shared that hotel developments lead to increased foot traffic which is a metric that can encourage the opening of new restaurants coupled with the increasing desire for fine dining in Calera will make our city even more attractive to the restaurants that our community is craving,” read a post by Calera A 2018 study by the National Restaurant Association and the U.S Travel Association found that each hotel room generates demand for 2.1 new restaurant jobs in the area “We can’t wait to see how these new developments will continue to shape the future of Calera,” read a post from Calera (WBMA) — An armed robbery happened at the 310 Marathon Gas station near I-65 exit 228 in Calera on Wednesday evening The Calera Police Department said the incident happened at 6:43 p.m No injuries were reported during the robbery The police department is urging anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 205-668-3505 CALERA – A new Wendy’s location celebrated its grand opening in Calera this morning with festivities and free coupons for a year of breakfast sandwiches a Wendy’s fast food restaurant opened for business at 10 a.m at 121 Supercenter Drive in Calera where Taco Bell was formerly located franchise owner Clarence Bailey led a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m the first 100 customers to the restaurant received free coupons for a free breakfast sandwich every week for a year “We see our new restaurant as more than a building but a place to better connect with the community while serving Wendy’s fresh famous food,” Bailey said in an official press release “We’re excited to celebrate with Calera and look forward to serving this wonderful community for years to come.” The new Calera location is part of a Wendy’s Built-to-Suit program which aims to deliver turnkey restaurant locations to franchisees which allows individuals The new Wendy’s in Calera serves all of the fast food chain’s popular menu items Hot & Crispy Fries and more as well as a breakfast menu The business shared that jobs are still available at the Calera location as well as others Those interested in applying may visit Wendys-careers.com/job-search — A masked gunman entered the 310 Marathon gas station on Tuesday evening robbing the attendant at gunpoint before fleeing the scene with the suspect taking money from the cash register and leaving in a small The suspect is described as a Black male wearing a ball cap He also carried a grey and black bag slung across his shoulder the suspect headed north on I-65 in the SUV Authorities urge anyone with information or who may have seen someone matching the suspect's description to contact Calera Police Department at 205-668-3505 AL (WBMA) — The Calera Police Department and Shelby County are working to investigate a fatal accident that occurred Saturday morning on the 3000 block of County Road 12 Calera Police responded to the scene and discovered one of the drivers was dead The Shelby County Coroner's Office confirmed the identity of the deceased driver as Alejandro Castillo Andrade The condition of the other driver is also unknown The incident is currently under investigation by the Calera Police Department Traffic Homicide Unit the Shelby County Traffic Homicide Task Force CALERA – The Calera Eagles are back atop Class 6A both the boys and the girls soccer teams reign supreme and will head to the playoffs as champions Calera defeated the Benjamin Russell Wildcats 4-2 in the girls game before a 5-0 victory in the boys match on Friday While the boys secured their third-straight area championship to host another home playoff game the girls returned to the mountaintop after securing runner-up honors in 2024 making this their second area championship in three seasons both teams are heading back to the playoffs for the third-straight season and will have the opportunity to host their first-round games together at Calera High School The girls faced off against their biggest test in area play in Ben Russell a team that took them to penalty kicks in the reverse fixture in Alexander City setting up a high-profile matchup for the area championship but a second goal before the break to take a 2-0 lead into halftime That score line not only jeopardized the Eagles’ perfect area record but their area title chances as well as a two-goal win for Benjamin Russell would give it the championship on head-to-head goal differential Calera made multiple adjustments at the break while coach Austin Ford rallied the troops for an inspired second-half performance Brianna Collier put the Eagles on the board by scoring early in the second half to cut the deficit to 2-1 Her sister Reece Collier then followed it up with a goal of her own tying up the game at 2-2 while putting more pressure on the Wildcats Calera got a big chance to take the lead off a free kick Jackie Martinez stepped up to the ball and delivered a stellar goal to give the hosts a 3-2 lead Reece Collier then finished off the job with her second goal of the night the Eagles’ fourth unanswered goal as they walked away with the 4-2 win and the area championship The boys also rolled on offense but paired that with a complete performance on the defensive end to secure a clean sheet setting the stage for the attack to capitalize Matthew Doerfler helped Calera open up the scoring as he sent a ball to Edson Gonzalez who put it away for the opening goal Alex Garcia doubled up the lead before the halftime break thanks to an assist from Sam Njoroge giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play Njoroge powered the second-half offense by playing a role in each of the final three goals He scored the first goal of the half unassisted to put Calera up 3-0 Njoroge then put the nail in the coffin with a second unassisted goal down the stretch giving him two goals and two assists on the night and sealing the 5-0 win for the Eagles the boys are now 12-5-1 overall and 4-0 in area play while the girls are 10-4-1 overall and 4-0 in the area The Calera boys will return to action on Tuesday at the Eagle Sports Complex for a tough test against the 7A No both teams will play together on Wednesday April 16 against the Shelby County Wildcats in a special game at Ricky Cairns Stadium Calera’s home first-round playoff games will take place between April 24 and 26 at Calera High School with the state’s default day being Saturday