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Christmas is coming City sets date for parade. 5A

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Warriors roll THS takes down Wildcats. 12A

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ALABAMA’S BEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Boy, 10, asks council to change BB gun law By NEAL WAGNER

Managing Editor A L A B A S T E R — Thompson Intermediate School fifth-grader Logan Robbins wanted to go about things the right way after learning an Alabaster city ordinance prohibited him from shooting his BB gun in his backyard. After researching the city’s firearm ordinance, which states it is unlawful to fire weapons such as BB guns, firearms, air rifles, crossbows and bows and arrows in city limits unless a person is protecting their home, attending a firearms or archery school or if they have

more than 20 acres, 10-yearold Logan asked his parents about the process to change the ordinance. “He asked how to change the ordinance, and we told him only the City Council can do that,” said Logan’s mother, Jennifer. “So he asked us if he could bring it up at a City Council meeting,” his father, Jon, said with a laugh. Logan’s parents contacted their City Council member, Tommy Ryals, and asked if the TIS student could present his concerns to the council. Council members agreed, and placed Logan at the top of their Oct. 8 work session agenda.

Logan worked with his mother to construct a speech to give at the work session, which he delivered to the council professionally and without hesitation. In his speech, Logan asked the council to consider dividing the ordinance into two categories: One covering standard firearms and crossbows and another covering BB guns, air rifles and pistols and standard bows and arrows. He asked for the ordinance to remain the same for the first category, and for changes to be made for the second category. While presenting his case, Logan said BB projectiles have significantly slower

velocities than firearms and crossbows, and said a halfacre would provide adequate space to shoot a BB gun. He said eye protection should be required, and said shooting BB guns is a good way to hone firearms safety practices. “I don’t hunt, but I love to shoot and hopefully I will competitively shoot one day. Since firearms cannot be shot at my home, a BB gun can help me learn to shoot,” Logan said, noting he currently travels to his grandparents’ house in Adamsville to legally shoot his BB gun. “My parents and grandparents have taught me responsibility when shooting a BB gun.”

City Council members praised Logan for bringing his concerns to their attention, and said they will consider changing the ordinance. “If we can find a way to amend this to also cover the people who may not be as responsible as you are, I think there may be room to modify it,” Ryals told Logan. “You’re doing it exactly right by coming to us. Some people would just shoot until they got caught.” How would Logan feel if his actions led to a change in the city ordinance? “I would be so happy,” Logan said. “I don’t know of anyone else who has done that.”

CONTRIBUTED

FIfth-grader Logan Robbins prepares to enter Alabaster City Hall to present to the City Council on Oct. 8.

Alabaster Ulta store opens doors By NEAL WAGNER

Managing Editor ALABASTER—As a frequent shopper at the Ulta Beauty store at Hoover’s Patton Creek shopping center, Julie Glasscock found her perfect job when the company began looking for a manager for its new Alabaster location. “I just love Ulta anyway,

and I frequently shopped at the store in Hoover,” Glasscock said during an Oct. 12 interview as she managed the freshly opened Alabaster Ulta store. “I live in Helena, so it’s nice to have this store a little closer to home.” Glasscock and her employees have seen a

See ULTA, Page 2A

REPORTER PHOTO/NEAL WAGNER

Alabaster resident Carolyn Ledbetter, right, is overjoyed as Suzi Daniels, left, presents her with a new tiller purchased through a community fundraiser.

REPORTER PHOTO/NEAL WAGNER

Alabaster’s new Ulta store in the South Promenade opened its doors to customers on Friday, Oct. 9. The store held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 16.

‘It’s a miracle to me’ Alabaster OKs Community rallies for 78-year-old theft victim By NEAL WAGNER

Managing Editor ALABASTER—In her 78 years alive, Alabaster resident Carolyn Ledbetter had never gotten a surprise like she received on the morning of Oct. 15.

As she walked down from her front porch to greet fellow Alabaster resident Suzi Daniels, she was astonished by what Daniels had to tell her. “We have such a great community. They really went above and beyond,” Daniels

said as she told Ledbetter about the fundraiser she established to help Ledbetter recover from a recent theft. On Sept. 22, Ledbetter was preparing to have her son-inlaw, Donnie Snow, till a plot of land in front of her house in preparation for a gar-

den when the family noticed their new Husqvarna tiller was missing. Ledbetter had just purchased the tiller from the Alabaster Lowe’s store a few months prior, and was still making payments on it.

See MIRACLE, Page 2A

America’s Thrift Stores report breach By NEAL WAGNER

Managing Editor ALABASTER—The America’s Thrift Stores company, which operates a location off Second Avenue North in Alabaster, is warning its customers of a recent credit and debit card security breach, the company announced on Oct. 9. According to information distributed by the company, America’s Thrift Stores, which also operates stores throughout Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, was “recently the victim of a data security breach that occurred through software used by a third-party service provider.”

FILE

America’s Thrift Stores, which operates a location in Alabaster, recently reported a security breach. “This breach allowed criminals from eastern Europe unauthorized access to some payment card num-

bers. This virus/malware is one of several infecting retailers across North America,” America’s Thrift

Stores wrote in a statement. “The U.S. Secret Service tells us that only card numbers and expiration dates were stolen. They do not believe any customer names, phone numbers, addresses or email addresses were compromised.” The breach may have affected credit and debit card transactions between Sept. 1 and Sept. 27, according to the company. After learning about the breach, the company said it began working with an independent external forensic expert and the U.S. Secret Service to examine the breach and remove the

See SECURITY, Page 2A

moratorium on some business types By NEAL WAGNER

Managing Editor ALABASTER—The city of Alabaster will not issue any new business licenses to payday loan, cash advance, used car dealerships and several other types of businesses in the Medical Mile district for at least the next six months after the City Council passed a temporary

REPORTER PHOTO/NEAL WAGNER

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Lifestyles ....................4A Classifieds .............. 7-8A Sports.......................12A Obituaries ...................4A Worship......................9A

See MORATORIUM, Page 2A

The Alabaster City Council passed a six-month moratorium on some types of businesses in the Medical Mile, which includes old downtown Alabaster, pictured.

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moratorium during its Oct. 12 meeting. The council voted unanimously during the meeting to approve the temporary business license moratorium, which will be in effect through March 31, 2016. Council members Rick Walters and Bob Hicks were absent from the meeting.

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Want to see who topped the weekly health ratings?

See page 5A for public records and a list of this week’s restaurants with the best scores.


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