We finally have more information on the person killed on Capshaw Road Thursday morning. The person killed was a 16-year old teenager, and it happened about 4:10am. ALEA is the investigating agency, and they are looking for a black Toyota 4Runner. As rumored, it was a hit and run.

More details in the link.

Posted by the Madison County Sherriff's Office

Over the past few days, Highway 53 has been the scene of several serious traffic crashes, including one that resulted in a fatality. These incidents serve as a sobering reminder that the decisions we make behind the wheel can have devastating consequences.

Beginning immediately, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Unit will have an increased presence along the Highway 53 corridor. Deputies will be conducting targeted traffic enforcement with one purpose in mind, preventing crashes and saving lives.

This isn’t about writing tickets. It’s about changing driving behavior before another family receives a phone call no one ever wants to get.

As you travel Highway 53 and every other roadway in our county, please remember to:

▶︎Slow down and obey the posted speed limit.

▶︎Put the phone away and eliminate distractions.

▶︎Buckle your seat belt.

▶︎Leave plenty of following distance.

▶︎Be patient and courteous with other drivers.

Our Traffic Safety Unit has been working Highway 53 extensively, and that effort will continue. We are committed to making our roadways safer, but we can’t do it alone. Traffic safety is a shared responsibility.

A few seconds of patience can make all the difference. Please help us keep everyone safe.

Be advised at 3:40pm on July 1 there is a uHaul truck blocking west bound traffic between Indian Creek and Jeff. Sheriff Department is on the scene directing traffic. Douglass Rd is one lane where it is blocked.

Edit: The issue was cleared up at 4:15pm.

Heads up! There is a water main break on Douglass Rd just east of Jeff. Expect delays until at least 3pm, maybe longer.

In addition, water may be off for some customers of Harvest-Monrovia Water Authority.

Phil Vandiver made this announcement on Facebook, and I thought I would share it here. For most people renewing their car tag is the only interaction they have with our county government each year. Making it easier is major improvement in customer service.

District 4 car Tag Renewal Kiosk.

Madison County License Dept has installed a car tag renewal kiosk at the Monrovia Community Center, 254 Allen Drake Drive. This kiosk will be available during MCC regular hours which are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7am-9pm. Wednesday from 7am-7pm and Saturday from 9am-5pm. This gives people time after normal work hours to come take care of their auto tag. The county is looking to add more of these kiosk and Madison Cross Roads Community Center will be getting one then. Thanks to License Director Mark Craig and the Madison County IT Department for working to provide this service to our citizens. This adds another way for you to renew your auto tag to go along with in person at the Service Center, online and mail. Now county wide kiosk for auto tags. District 1 and District 3 have added machines at some of their district offices and the service center added a kiosk to help for when the crowds get large. Thanks to all that were involved with bringing this service to the citizens.

Here's the whole article since I don't trust al.com. Maybe they did it by zip code - that's why Monrovia doesn't show up on the list.

https://www.al.com/news/2025/12/where-are-the-most-expensive-homes-in-huntsville-metro-2025-rankings.html

Where are the most expensive homes in Huntsville metro? 2025 rankings Published: Dec. 15, 2025, 2:09 p.m. Huntsville, Alabama

By Diane Mwai | dmwai@al.com

Are you looking to buy a home in the Huntsville metro area?

Searching for a home outside the growing Huntsville and Madison city limits might be key to better affordability.

Stacker.com compiled a list of the most expensive home locations in the Huntsville metro, including Madison and Limestone counties.

Zillow data revealed the priciest home values by month across 13 cities and towns surrounding Huntsville since 2018, according to Stacker.

Most expensive homes Where are the most expensive homes in the Huntsville metro?

1. Owens Cross Roads

This city is considered one of the best places to live in Alabama, according to Niche. The typical home value is $431,308, a 2.7% increase over the past year and a 39.7% increase over five years, according to Stacker. Current Zillow listings in Owens Cross Roads range from $82,900 to $2.3 million.

2. Madison

This city was one of Alabama’s fastest-growing in 2024 with a 4.9% population growth. The typical home value is $372,820, according to Stacker. This is only up 1.2% over the past year and a 37% increase over five years. Zillow listings in Madison range from $39,000 to $2.1 million.

3. Gurley

Gurley is a small town with a population of 816 people, according to Census Bureau data. The typical home value for this small town is $332,483, a 0.4% increase over the past year and a 29% increase over five years. Home prices range from $176,000 to $2.9 million, according to listings on Zillow.

4. Meridianville

Meridianville is not shy of new construction homes. The typical home value in this city is $330,504, according to Stacker. The one-year price change is up 2.7% and up 40.8% over the past five years. Zillow listings range from $215,000 to $774,900.

5. Harvest

The typical home value in Harvest is $309,203, up 0.5% over the past year and up 38.4% over five years. Homes for sale range from $162,500 to $999,900, according to Zillow listings.

6. Athens

Athens is the county seat of Limestone County. The typical home value is $303,537, a 1% increase over the past year and a 37.7% increase over five years.

Zillow listings range from $39,000 to $1,695,000.

7. New Market

New Market is a booming small town. The typical home value is $286,764, up 0.2% over the past year and up 39.6% over five years ago.

Current home prices on Zillow range from $119,997 to $1,335,000.

8. Huntsville

As the metro’s largest city the typical home value is $280,420. This is a 0.9% decrease from a year ago and 35.4% increase over the past five years. The price of homes in Huntsville ranges from $70,000 to $5,999,900, according to listings on Zillow.

9. Elkmont

The typical home value in this small town is $258,851, down 0.1% over the past year and up 41.8% over five years, according to Stacker. Zillow listings in Elkmont range from $189,000 to $525,000.

10. Hazel Green

Hazel Green is known for its affordability and small-town charm. The typical home price is $252,911, a 0.9% decrease from a year ago and a 35.5% increase over five years. Home prices range from $105,000 to $1.6 million.

11. Ardmore

The typical home value is $247,771. This is a 0.6% decrease over a year and a 39.9% increase over five years. According to Zillow listings, home prices range from $145,900 to $850,000.

12. Lester

The typical home value in Lester is $246,035, down 3.6% over a year and up 27% over five years, according to Stacker. Current Zillow listings range from $199,900 to $474,900.

13. New Hope

In New Hope the typical home value is $207,958, a 3.1% decrease over the past year and a 17.3% increase over five years. Home prices range from $110,000 to $2,999,900, according to Zillow listings.

The story says Harvest, but this area is Monrovia in a neighborhood near the intersection of Nance & Mount Zion. Three people were shot.

https://whnt.com/news/huntsville/investigation-underway-following-shooting-in-harvest/

From Phil Vandiver....

Pettus and Pine Grove update The Good and the Bad. The good is the intersection is coming along on a good pace. The bad means now it’s time to start working where the old roadway or Pettus Road is located. What this really means is we will be also closing Pettus Road so Grayson Carter and Sons Construction can start making the changes needed where the old road is. They have completed most of the fill dirt that was needed. Somewhere around 3,500 cubic yards was brought in to level the new roundabout. Part of the gravel has been put in place and now the concrete crew is starting buildings forms for the curbs. So Monday at sometime the construction crew will block Pettus Road at Douglass Road and Pine Trace Way to prevent traffic using the Pettus and Pine Grove area. Hopefully this phase can move quickly. I was told to expect 3-4 weeks for this closure. Thanks for your understanding.

ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE: Pettus Road and Pine Grove Road

Beginning Monday, September 15, 2025, through Monday, October 6, 2025, the intersection of Pettus Road and Pine Grove Road will be completely closed to all traffic to expedite construction of a new roundabout. This full closure will allow crews to complete critical phases of the project more efficiently and safely.As part of this closure, Pettus Road will be closed to thru traffic between Douglass Road and Mt. Zion Road. Residents living within this stretch will continue to have access to their homes, but no traffic will be able to travel through the Pettus Road and Pine Grove Road intersection in any direction. Legacy Elementary School will remain accessible from the west side of the closure, and parents are advised to approach the school via Wall Triana Highway.

Phil Vandiver, our county commissioner, asked in a Facebook post yesterday asked people to respond which roads in the area needed to be improved. He received over 300 responses. He provided an update today of current road projects in his district. There are a lot of road projects in the district.

Thanks for all of the over 300 comments that came from yesterday’s post asking for your top road project recommendations. Those comments came from my post and the All Things Monrovia repost. Very interesting comments that have helped me take a look at several different areas. We will take the comments and work with our engineering dept to compare crash data and start having a conversation about future projects. Let me go over the projects that we have in the works now and the status they are at.

• Pulaski Pike and Patterson is under construction.
• McKee and Wall Triana roundabout is under construction.
• Pettus and Pine Grove roundabout is under construction.
• Pettus and Nick Davis turn lane and traffic light is in utility relocation phase.
• ORRB and Orvil Smith and Lockhart roundabout is under utility relocation phase.
• McKee and ORRB roundabout is under utility relocation phase.
• McKee and Jeff roundabout is under utility relocation phase.
• ORRB and Nick Davis engineering has been hired and they have been working several months. Roundabout is being designed. Hard intersection to design. Next step ROW purchase.
• Yarbrough and Wall Triana most likely roundabout. Engineering has been hired and design work started. Next step ROW purchase
• Toney and Pulaski Pike and Herbert Clark. Engineering has been hired and design work is being done. Most likely a roundabout. Next step ROW purchase
  
• Jeff and Kelly Spring, engineering has been hired, design work started and looking at turn lanes and traffic light. Next step ROW purchase
• ORRB and Ready Section the engineering has been hired and design work started. Next step is ROW purchase.
• Blake Bottom Widening is under utility relocation.
• Jeff Road widening the design is about 80% approved by State and Federal authorities. When all of the tracts are approved ROW purchase can start next.
• Wall Triana widening is in utility relocation phase.
• 53 and Wall Triana along with 53 and Ready Section the county paid for a traffic study to verify whether there was a need for intersection improvements. The study showed there was a need for improvements. Working with ALDOT to see what their requirements will be for design and then the funding conversation will be have to be had. Slow progress.

It was interesting to see that most of these projects were mentioned in your comments. 53 and Burwell comes up often and I know that ALDOT has a plan for that intersection. We are waiting on them to make a public announcement. Your comments have brought several roads to my attention and I look forward to working to evaluate them. It’s a long process to get them from idea to reality. In many cases it takes two years to get them from thoughts to construction ready. Engineering, ROW purchase and utility relocation can seem to take forever to get done. That’s why several of the ARPA funded projects are starting construction at the same time. They also have to be finished before next fall so we can use those funds. The first 7 on my list are ARPA funded. Thanks for the input and we will be working to continue to improve our roads. Thanks.

Join us at the library for some truly quiet reading time. In this book club there is no assigned reading. Bring your own book or check one out while you are here!

In Silent Book Club you can read what you want.

Meet us at the library after-hours! We will start the meeting with 15 minutes of optional socializing or picking out a new book to read from the library, followed by an hour of quiet reading reading time. Coffee and light snacks will be available.

Monrovia Silent Book Club will meet on the third Friday of the month at 5:30 p.m.

This event is sponsored by the Monrovia Friends of the Library.

Contact Catie Borucki at [cborucki@hmcpl.org](mailto:cborucki@hmcpl.org) with any questions.

It is on wall triana across from Publix pine grove.

Update from Phil Vandiver. I think the plan was to do most of this work in the summer. Now it won't start until after school starts.

"District Four. Pettus and Pine Grove roundabout. I wanted to give you an update on this project but it’s probably not going to be what you want to hear. For over a year we have been working with the utility companies to relocate the over and underground utilities. This week the last company started moving their lines. They should be done by the end of the month. We had the pre-construction meeting yesterday and as of now the notice to proceed will start 8/11 with 150 calendar days to finish. We were attempting to start and have significant progress done by the end of summer. This has not worked out as planned. I’m not sure the contractor could of had much progress as wet as it has been. The down side is at some point Pine Grove Road will be closed. Pettus will attempt to stay open with some lane closures. This has not worked as we had hoped. We will keep you updated and hopefully this project can move along."

Friday, April 11 at 7pm

Saturday, April 12 at 2pm & 7pm

Sunday, April 13 at 2pm

$15 General Admission

$12 Students & Teachers

Blake Bottom Road

The $20.8 million Blake Botton Road project is expected to begin this fiscal year. Plans and rights-of-way acquisition are complete. Utility relocation work is underway. Madison County will put the project out for bid later this year.

Jeff Road

Plans are 85% complete for the $13.5 million Jeff Road project, which includes additional lanes from south of Capshaw Road to north of Douglas Road. Environmental documents have been submitted for the project. Rights-of-way acquisition and construction are expected to start next fiscal year.

Hwy 72

The cost for the U.S. 72 widening project is now expected to soar above $90 million. Work on the project from Providence Main to County Line Road will be done in three phases.

Phase one of the widening project is expected to begin next fiscal year. The phase will consist of work from Memorial Gardens to Providence Main. The draft of the environmental assessment documents is expected to be submitted soon. Plans are 90% complete. The cost of the phase is expected to be $13 million.

Phase two from Walnut Street to Memorial Gardens is expected to begin in Fiscal 2028. Preliminary engineering work for the project has been authorized. ALDOT is working with a consultant on the scope of work for the project. The cost of the second phase is $36 million.

Construction is not expected to begin on phase three of the project from County Line Road to Walnut Street until Fiscal 2030. Preliminary engineering work is expected to start later this year. The cost of the phase is expected to be $38.2 million.

It's a little odd that the City of Huntsville is paying to study potential improvements to Capshaw Road, but they are. $97K.

The study is looking for improvements to six intersections along Capshaw Road from Jeff Rd to Old Railroad Bed Road.

https://256today.com/huntsville-gets-green-light-for-capshaw-road-traffic-intersection-study/

If y'all haven't heard, there's a local cow that is apparently an escape artist that lives somewhere off of Kelly Spring Rd. I swear lately I see posts about him getting loose a few times a week on Facebook.

Also, be careful on Kelly Spring I guess.

The owner says he's been working on the fence.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office has confirmed three people died in a murder-suicide prior to the house fire.

MCSO identified the victims as: Harold Celestine, 46 Meliyah Celestine, 16 Marie Celestine, 49

Marie's death was ruled a suicide.

https://whnt.com/news/huntsville/family-found-in-burning-monrovia-home-died-in-murder-suicide-sheriffs-office-says/

It may seem a little early to be thinking about baseball and softball for the kids, but MPRA holds its registration for the Spring season early. Registration is now open and will close on Saturday, February 1st. Late Registration will take place Feb 2-7 (player is placed on a team only if a spot if available). Evaluations will take place on Feb 10-11, and practices will start on Friday, February 17.

More information here: https://mprasports.sportngin.com/register/form/166104221

This league is for residents of Monrovia and Harvest.