August 2021 | Volume 14 | Issue 12
280LIVING.COM
THE 280 CORRIDOR’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE
Serving a Purpose
BACK TO SCHOOL,
BACK TO NORMAL Shelby County Schools prep for students’ return
Adam Rader finds that his ministry background meshes well with his new position as director of sales and brand growth at Greystone Chick-fil-A.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
T
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Prep Preview
The Friday night lights will soon be shining for the 2021 season. Find out what’s in store for Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park.
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INSIDE Sponsors........... A4 280 News...........A6 Business........... A12 Chamber......... A20 Community..... A23
Schoolhouse.... A24 Faith................. A29 Sports.................B4 Events............... B16 Calendar...........B23
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Students arrive at Oak Mountain Elementary School for the first day of class for the 2020-21 school year on Aug. 13, 2020. Photo by Erin Nelson.
he 2021-22 school year will feature a return to normalcy after last year’s COVID-19 pandemic. Shelby County Schools Superintendent Lewis Brooks said the plan is for the upcoming school year to be as normal as possible. This is Brooks’ third year in this position and his 31st in education. “More than anything, we are looking forward to the opportunity to not have to deal with so much uncertainty,” Brooks said. “Our goal is to open our doors for in-person instruction and have a normal year.” Brooks said last school year was challenging and full of uncertainty. However, he and the school board made the decision to open the doors last August for in-person learning. Students in K-12 also had the option for remote learning. “When it comes to the education of our children, that does not always put people in a comfortable space,” he said. “But it puts us all in a space where we can give our kids what they deserve. If anything, what our children deserve is the opportunity to have an outstanding education. It’s something we as a school district have been proud of.”
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Rerouting project underway in Chelsea By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE A road project years in the making is finally coming to fruition. Construction to create a new intersection at Shelby County 47 and Shelby County 39 in Chelsea began in May and is scheduled to be completed in November. The project is a joint collaboration between Shelby County and the city of Chelsea to both alleviate traffic
congestion at the intersection, as well as make it safer at the railroad crossing. County Engineer Randy Cole said his first concern is always public safety. “This has been a top priority for a number of years, and I’m very glad to see this under construction. Unfortunately, there have been fatalities on this stretch of road, particularly at the railroad crossing, and this has been a
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Construction is underway to create a new intersection at Shelby County 39 and Shelby County 47 and is expected to be completed by November. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.