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By Scott Mims | Community Columnist

I would like this first column to serve as a “re-introduction” for those who don’t know me. That said, I do not plan on highlighting myself but rather great people who are doing great things in Chilton County.

I also wish to highlight places, things, events or ideas — either within Chilton County or with strong ties to the area. Subjects of interest could also be within close proximity to our county—not necessarily within its borders but close enough to provide opportunity or pique interest.

For a quick introduction, I am a lifelong resident of Clanton, a graduate of Chilton County High School and a graduate of the University of Montevallo. I started my journalism career at UM writing for The Alabamian, and from there I completed my internship here at the Clanton Advertiser where I became news editor until 2011. That year, I transitioned to the production department where I worked until the summer of 2019. From 2019-2021, I worked at our sister paper, the Shelby County Reporter.
These days, I work multiple jobs but I continue to write on a freelance basis. This has included covering high school football for 13 years (not consecutive). I have truly enjoyed standing on the sidelines each Friday night for this long-running tradition.
This column is not an opportunity I take lightly—I want it to share the stories of people; stories that might otherwise go untold. I think that is perhaps a journalist’s greatest fear—the untold story. And I know there are many of them to tell in Chilton County.

My question to you is, what’s going on in your orbit? Each of us has a different perspective, and we all know people with extraordinary stories to tell. Perhaps you would like something highlighted about our county that deserves to be made known. It could be someone who performs a small deed that lifts people’s spirits every day, or it could be an organization doing something to give back.

Either way, if you have an idea I want you to reach out to me. You may reach me via email at scott.mims98@gmail.com for any ideas. I look forward to sharing them.

Scott Mims is a freelance writer, editor and photographer who is a lifelong resident of Chilton County.