Alabaster, Calera fire departments awarded $413,000 grant

The Alabaster and Calera fire departments will be better equipped to respond to emergency situations – including joint response emergencies – thanks to a nearly $413,000 federal grant.

Calera crushes Sumter Central

The Calera Eagles made quick work of the Sumter Central Jaguars, dominating the first half 36-6 on their way to a 60-point win, 66-6.

Calera volleyball takes down Shelby County

The Calera High School volleyball team looked to send its seniors out with a huge win over county rival Shelby County on senior night Oct. 16, and succeeded, taking down the Wildcats in three sets, 3-0.

Eagles race past Huskies

It was a showdown between Shelby County 5A powers on Oct. 10, as the Helena Huskies traveled to Calera to take on the Eagles in a battle for Region 4 bragging rights. The Eagles came out swinging on their homecoming, crushing the Huskies, 45-21.

Eagles soar in road contest with Wildcats

In what is becoming one of the more prominent inter-county rivalries, the Shelby County Wildcats hosted the Calera Eagles in a AHSAA Class 5A matchup on Sept. 26.

Eagles take down Choctaws at home

The Calera High School Eagles and Bibb County High Choctaws faced off in high school football action Friday, Aug.9. The game was the Eagles’ first game playing in the 5A classification. Their inaugural game was a success as they defeated the Choctaws 28-8

No Clark, no problem as Eagles cruise in jamboree

While former Calera standout Ronnie Clark is preparing to help the Crimson Tide win another national championship, the community of Calera quietly wondered what the Eagles would do without him.

Calera Chamber honors former coach Burdette

The Calera Chamber of Commerce honored former Calera High basketball coach Robert Burdette at a meeting held at Timberline Country Club April 15.

Calera baseball takes area opener over Jemison

Tyler Harrell provided plenty of power at the plate while Matthew Marfice turned in a complete game on the mound as Calera opened area play in style with a 7-4 win over visiting Jemison in varsity baseball March 20.

Calera softball dominates Jemison at home

While the temperatures were dropping close to freezing March 4, the Calera Eagles softball team’s bats were anything but, taking down neighboring Jemison 17-7.

ShaKeith Tyes caps off stellar Calera career with Mr. Football banquet

Calera running back ShaKeith Tyes attended the Mr. Football banquet held in Montgomery on Jan. 14 to be honored as one of the top football players in the state for the past season.

Calera overpass widening shoots for fall groundbreaking

Plans to renovate the bridge on U.S. 31 over Interstate 65 at exit 231 in Calera are now 90 percent complete and city officials hope to see groundbreaking in the fall of 2015.

Calera Chamber announces new executive director

The Calera Chamber of Commerce recently named Alabaster resident and small-business owner Jennifer Hand as its new executive director.

Calera High students participate in annual Career Day

On the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 19, Calera High School was abuzz with excitement.

Calera Elementary Student Named Honorary Officer for the Day by the Calera Police Department

A student at Calera Elementary School got a big surprise today when he was notified that he will serve as “Honorary Officer for the Day” with the Calera Police Officer on December 6.

Calera High hosts third annual Veterans Day program

Every year Americans get the chance to show their appreciation to veterans and to pay respects to those fallen soldiers that fought for the country’s freedoms.

Roy Downs Library raises money for military families suffering from PTSD

The Roy Downs Calera Public Library is partnering with Usborne Books to raise money for “The Whatif Monster Military Challenge.” The challenge is to help support children from military families struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.

CHS named top 15 high school in state from recent report

In a recent U.S. News and World Report, Calera High School was named the 15th best school in Alabama.

The report discussed how CHS students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams. The AP participation rate for CHS is 39%.

Calera crushes Sumter Central

The Calera Eagles made quick work of the Sumter Central Jaguars, dominating the first half 36-6 on their way to a 60-point win, 66-6.

Calera kids rewarded for character

Calera High School student Marina Dimas Gaytan isn't afraid to get involved in her school and in the community. In addition to being a member of the National Honor Society, Future Teachers of America and Future Business Leaders of America...

Calera volleyball takes down Shelby County

The Calera High School volleyball team looked to send its seniors out with a huge win over county rival Shelby County on senior night Oct. 16, and succeeded, taking down the Wildcats in three sets, 3-0.

Calera crushes Dallas County in road contest

Dallas County (2-6) saw its playoff hopes come to an end Friday night after a 43-19 loss to Class 5A, region 4 rival Calera (7-1).

Shelby and Calera Chambers form collaborative partnership

A collaborative partnership was announced at the Calera Chamber’s monthly meeting at Timberline Golf Club that includes both the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Calera Chamber coming together for the future.

Calera teacher wins Riley Scholarship

Lindsey Irvin, a third and fourth grade teacher at Calera Elementary School in Shelby County, was one of six Alabama teachers awarded the Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship by Alabama Humanities Foundation in a special ceremony Oct. 6.

Bray earns spot on Under Armour team

The Calera native has earned 75 podium (first, second or third place) medals in her career. She’s also qualified for a spot on the AAU and USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in her first two seasons of competition.

Eagles race past Huskies

It was a showdown between Shelby County 5A powers on Oct. 10, as the Helena Huskies traveled to Calera to take on the Eagles in a battle for Region 4 bragging rights. The Eagles came out swinging on their homecoming, crushing the Huskies, 45-21.

Calera Elks host ninth annual car and truck show

Calera Elks hosted their ninth annual Car and Truck show Saturday, Sept. 27 on a day that was filled with custom cars, a woodcarving artist and plenty of entertainment for the whole family.

Calera Junior Chamber of Commerce to host open house

The Calera Junior Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a homecoming open house at Calera High School Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. for any students, parents or community members who would like to tour the school and see the pride of the Eagle Spirit.

Eagles soar in road contest with Wildcats

In what is becoming one of the more prominent inter-county rivalries, the Shelby County Wildcats hosted the Calera Eagles in a AHSAA Class 5A matchup on Sept. 26.

Calera Chamber of Commerce seeks new executive director

The Calera Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting applicants for the position of executive director following Gail Blankenship’s retirement from the role on July 31.

Calera Chamber of Commerce unveils new logo

The Calera Chamber of Commerce announced two new logos on Sept. 9, Holly Stanley, chamber president, said.

“We’re very, very excited about them,” Stanley said. “It’s more in line of what the chamber is looking to do in the future.”

Shelby County BOE appoint assistant principal at Calera High School

The Shelby County Board of Education unanimously approved Michael Jones as the new assistant principal at Calera High School during a meeting on Sept. 4.

Alabaster, Calera fire departments awarded $413,000 grant

The Alabaster and Calera fire departments will be better equipped to respond to emergency situations – including joint response emergencies – thanks to a nearly $413,000 federal grant.

Shelby County NAACP hosts family fun day

The Shelby County NAACP’s Family Fun Day will provide both entertainment and education to the community, event organizer Dorothy Guillory said

Eagles take down Choctaws at home

The Calera High School Eagles and Bibb County High Choctaws faced off in high school football action Friday, Aug.9. The game was the Eagles’ first game playing in the 5A classification. Their inaugural game was a success as they defeated the Choctaws 28-8

Timberline Golf Club opens Hank Johnson School of Golf

Timberline Golf Club is excited to announce the arrival of the Hank Johnson School of Golf. Head Golf Professional Joe Kruse approached the instruction staff at the Hank Johnson School of Golf to grow the game in and around Calera

Appraising your valuables: Calera library hosts certified appraiser

Ever wondered if your family heirloom has as much monetary value as sentimental meaning?

No Clark, no problem as Eagles cruise in jamboree

While former Calera standout Ronnie Clark is preparing to help the Crimson Tide win another national championship, the community of Calera quietly wondered what the Eagles would do without him.

Calera paints the town pink

The city of Calera and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama will team up during breast cancer awareness month in October to present “Paint Calera Pink.”

The Alabama Power Foundation awards a $2,000 Gateway grant to Calera

Calera and Columbiana will both receive new signs after being named among 19 cities across the state as recipients of the Alabama Power Foundation Gateway grant.

Calera Chamber of Commerce announces junior chamber members

The Calera Chamber of Commerce announced members for their Calera Chamber of Commerce Junior Chamber during the Aug. 12 luncheon at Timberline Golf Club.

Vizzini Farms Winery hosts winemakers dinner

Vizzini Farms Winery will hold a three-course winemakers dinner on Aug. 23, with reservations starting at 6 p.m.

The event will feature live music, with indoor and outdoor areas as well as an open solarium, said Whitney Maske, a server at the winery.

ABC store to open in Calera

An Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board liquor store will be the newest addition to the Calera Marketplace shopping center, which is currently home to such stores as The UPS Store and Publix.

Sequel documentary chronicles trip to Honduras

For Calera High School junior Alex Miller, the watershed moment of his recent trip to Honduras was when he helped fit a man with a prosthetic leg.

American Family Care opens in Calera

American Family Care opened a clinic in Calera on July 28, and business has “been going pretty good,” according to Felicia Fortune, director of marketing for American Family Care.

Calera High School's new principal leaving leadership role at Vincent Middle High

The Shelby County Board of Education during a special meeting this morning named Joel Dixon as principal of Calera High School.

Calera High School to get new principal

The Shelby County Board of Education unanimously approved Calera High School Principal Richard Bishop’s resignation during its July 24 meeting.

Bishop has served as principal of the school since 2008.

‘A man is not a financial plan’: Investment advisor offers free course

Jerri Gray knows what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck.

“I was that single mother raising four children, living paycheck to paycheck,” Gray said, and notes this background makes her passionate about sharing financial knowledge with women.

Calera event benefits community member

On Sunday, July 27 at 2 p.m., friends, family and community members will gather at the Calera Community Center for an event benefiting Calera resident Joyce Roy.

Library hosts weekly dance class

The Shelby Stompers 4-H dance class, held every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Roy Downs Memorial Calera Library is a “free class run by the 4-H center,” according to Rhonda Cracraft, who works in the children’s department of the library.

A Night with Calera Police and Fire Department

Kids in Calera will experience forensic science in action as part of the “Fizz, Boom, Read!” children’s summer reading program.

Local cities named best in state for homeowners

Six Shelby County cities are among the best in Alabama for homeowners, according to a list compiled by a national consumer advocacy website.

Calera Chamber of Commerce undergoes change

Executive Director Gail Blankenship will retire from her role with the Calera Chamber of Commerce on July 31.

Evergreen Transport celebrates opening of CNG station

City and state officials looked on as a transport truck tore through the ribbon at the grand opening of a Gain Clean Fuel compressed natural gas station at an Evergreen Transport fueling and maintenance facility in Calera....

Calera hosts first farmer’s market of the season

Approximately 100 people attended the first farmer’s market of the season at Oliver Park in Calera during the first two hours, estimated Jeff Stewart, an employee with the city of Calera....

Winners announced for first annual chamber 5k

The Calera Chamber of Commerce hosted a 5k before the Strawberry Festival, which will become “an annual thing” according to Calera Chamber of Commerce President Holly Stanley.

Calera food pantry to give away 10,000 pounds of produces

CALERA—Feed My Sheep, a food pantry run by Calera First United Methodist Church, will be distributing approximately 10,000 pounds of produce to the Shelby County community on May 22 at 10 a.m.

Calera Chamber of Commerce announces junior chamber

The Calera Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced a new program named the Calera Chamber of Commerce Junior Chamber in an email sent out on May 11.

Calera ‘pioneer’ Rusty Ryan passes away, leaves rich legacy behind

Sometimes, an athlete’s legacy transcends what he or she does on the field. Such is the case with the late Rusty Ryan.

Calera high school student is ‘truly a hero’

When Evan Majewski was born, the doctors told his parents his chances of survival were slim to none, and that even if he survived he would be unable to walk, talk and would be cognitively challenged.

Calera High School ranks among top Alabama high schools

Calera ranked 15th on the list of best Alabama high schools released recently by the U.S. News and World Report.

Calera quartet signs scholarships

Four of Calera High’s finest athletes inked scholarships April 18, as three senior football players and one senior softball player announced their plans to continue their careers on the collegiate level.

Calera Chamber honors former coach Burdette

The Calera Chamber of Commerce honored former Calera High basketball coach Robert Burdette at a meeting held at Timberline Country Club April 15.

Alabama Power General Services Complex in Calera seeks to expand its industrial park

The Alabama Power General Services Complex in Calera has petitioned the Shelby County Department of Development Services to designate a tract of land adjacent to the complex as an industrial park.

Calera Chamber of Commerce to host candidates for Shelby County sheriff

Calera Chamber of Commerce president Holly Stanley is passionate about the importance of law enforcement. Stanley cites being married to a law enforcement officer for over a decade as one reason, and a concern for safety as another.

Students design hydroelectric power plant

Brian Copes’ engineering class at Calera High School is at work again, this time creating a hydroelectric power plant that will provide a reliable source of electricity in Honduras.

A day out with Thomas

Despite the grey skies and intermittent rain, a great crowd showed up for the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum’s Day Out With Thomas event.

Calera High School Gastsby prom held at the American Village in Montevallo

The Calera High School Gatsby Prom was held at the American Village in Montevallo, Ala. Saturday April 5, 2014. The prom began with a senior lead out in front of parents and friends lining the front of Liberty Hall.

Double Tap Training Grounds opens in Calera

At first glance, Double Tap Training Grounds is unremarkable. It is just a big, industrial building with a single flagpole in front, surrounded by woods.

Plans continue for U.S. 31 bridge renovation

Alabama Department of Transportation engineers are currently designing plans to expand the U.S. 31 bridge over I-65 at exit 231.

Calera baseball takes area opener over Jemison

Tyler Harrell provided plenty of power at the plate while Matthew Marfice turned in a complete game on the mound as Calera opened area play in style with a 7-4 win over visiting Jemison in varsity baseball March 20.

Calera Elementary students celebrate career day

Calera Elementary School second-graders let out a collective “ewww,” as endoscopist Matthew Vanscant inserted a flexible endoscope up his nose, so the children could see the inside of his nose, ears and throat.

Calera Chamber to host 12th annual golf tournament

The Calera Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 12th annual golf tournament May 12 at Timberline Golf Club.

Planning underway for third annual Strawberry Festival

Calera is gearing up for its third annual Strawberry Festival, set for April 26.

Each year, more that 3,000 people from Calera and neighboring cities gather for the festival, which boasts live music, a variety of food vendors and a kid-friendly zone.

Cowart Drug Co. in Calera teams with Health Mart to offer free screenings April 1

Free health screenings for risks associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and obesity will be part of the national Health Mart Healthy Living Tour that's coming to Calera on April 1.

ManUP to Breast Cancer and Young Breast Cancer Survivor Network plan Shelby County kickoff

Alton Doyle found out that his wife Becky had stage 3B breast cancer on an otherwise normal Friday in February while he was substitute teaching.

Author and sustainable living expert to visit library

In the early 1970s, Gwen Rowland and her boyfriend set out to live a simpler life. With no building experience or training, they managed to build a houseboat, which would be their home for eight years on the Atchafalaya River Basin Swamp in Louisiana.

Calera softball dominates Jemison at home

While the temperatures were dropping close to freezing March 4, the Calera Eagles softball team’s bats were anything but, taking down neighboring Jemison 17-7.

Book characters come to life in a Fairy Tale Ball held at the Calera Library

"The library is a little loud tonight," said Sara Dickens, a library assistant at the Roy Downs Memorial Calera Library.

Words hard to find when describing the high and lows of sports

My job is a relatively easy one.

I go to sporting events across the county, take some notes, and write stories that give hard-working student-athletes the credit they’re due. I report the facts and to a more subdued level, give the athletes and their...

Roy Downs Memorial Library offers free tax preparation

Roy Downs Memorial Library will offer free tax preparation on Tuesday, March 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Haynes’ buzzer-beater propels Calera to finals

The Calera Eagles’ girls basketball squad magical season continues, thanks to a buzzer-beating jump shot by Tyesha Haynes that propelled the squad past Anniston, 45-44.

Calera girls ready for state semifinals

The Calera Eagles girls basketball team is just two wins away from capturing the AHSAA Class 4A State Championship, but head coach James Knowles said he knows his squad can’t worry about trophies just yet.

Senator Richard Shelby visits A.C. Legg on statewide business tour

Senator Richard Shelby continued his statewide jobs and industry tour with a visit to leadership and employees at A.C. Legg, Inc. in Calera.

Clark honored by USA Today, National Guard

To say Calera’s Ronnie Clark is a great football player is akin to saying that Bear Bryant was a great coach; at this point, it’s an understatement.

Calera teacher named 2014 Best Environmental Educator

Calera High School teacher Brian Copes was named the 2014 Best Environmental Educator by the Environmental Education Association of Alabama.

PRADCO to open distribution center in Calera

PRADCO Outdoor Brands, a company that manufactures and markets major hunting and fishing brands, will open a new distribution center in Calera, the company announced.

Mayor drives students home in snow

“It was quite an adventurous day.” That’s the way Calera’s Mayor, Jon Graham, described the unexpected snowstorm that occurred on Jan. 28. “I picked up my boys from school here in Calera at 10:30 a.m.,

Shelby County governments ready to respond to winter weather

Shelby County communities are preparing for the possible arrival of winter weather tonight or Tuesday morning that many hope will not be a repeat of the Jan. 28 snowstorm that made roads nearly impassable with ice.

100 years old and ‘still figuring it out’

Frances Degroat—Ms. Frances to almost everyone—is a celebrity at the Calera Senior Center, and quite a crowd gathered on a rainy Wednesday, Feb. 5, to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Calera emergency crews, mayor reunite families after winter storm

Calera emergency responders worked around the clock transporting children from their respective schools to their homes following Tuesday’s winter storm.

Calera Eagle band changes plans due to weather

The Calera Eagle Marching Band send-off celebration has undergone a change of plans due to inclement, snowy weather today.

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