By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

COLUMBIANA — The Alabama Firefighters Museum and Education Center, which will be located in Calera, has named its inaugural executive director.

Lindsay Schluntz, who was the director of the Nebraska Firefighters Museum and Education Center, recently started in her new position. At the Nebraska museum, Schluntz facilitated the planning, design, construction and completion of the museum, as well as managing the day-to-day operations and programming, according to Ray Hamilton, chair of the Alabama Firefighters Museum and Education Center Foundation Board.

Schluntz, who was hired from a pool of 19 applicants, was introduced to the Shelby County Commission during the commission’s meeting July 8.

“She started the Nebraska Firefighters Museum without a building,” Hamilton said.

Schluntz said she appreciated the opportunity to put what she learned in Nebraska to good use with the Alabama museum.

“Thank you for the warm welcome into Alabama,” she said. “I’m very much looking forward to getting started.”

Schluntz said Alabama Firefighters Museum officials are getting ready for construction to begin soon, but a museum opening date has not been set.

In other news:

— The County Commission accepted a bid from Winston Contracting LLC to build the Oak Mountain State Park Spillway Bridge Culvert for about $107,000.

— The County Commission passed a resolution establishing a North Shelby Sewer Rate Review Board, which will serve as county representatives in communication with the Southwest Water Company, which runs the sewage treatment plant and wastewater collection system in North Shelby.

The review board will communicate with Southwest Water about adjustments to user fees and any other changes.

The board will have three members, the first of whom is Michael Cain, county manager of water services.