Amidst the aftermath of the April 15 mass shooting, business owners agree one thing that shines through is a community that continues to come together.
A couple doors down from the site of the massacre in Dadeville’s square is the Dadeville Performing Arts Center. President and founder Kim Walls said the week after the shooting the center closed to pay respects for those affected.
kAmkDA2?m%96 7@==@H:?8 H66< E96 46?E6C C6@A6?65[ 2?5 (2==D ?@E:465 2 492?86] %96 49:=5C6?’D >FD:42= C6962CD2= H2D ?@E 7F== E92E H66<[ 3FE E9@D6 H9@ 42>6 H6C6 23=6 E@ 7@C86E 7@C 2 >@>6?E 23@FE E96:C H@CC:6D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mr@?E:?F:?8 E@ 9@=5 AC@8C2>D 7@C <:5D[ E96 G@=F?E66CD 92G6 <6AE 2? 6IEC2 6J6 @? E96 DEF56?ED’ 2?I:6E:6D] $@>6E:>6D 49:=5C6? >2<6 4@>>6?ED 23@FE ?665:?8 E@ 36H2C6 @7 E96:C DFCC@F?5:?8D :? 42D6 D@>6E9:?8 92AA6?D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m(2==D D2:5 D96 >2<6D :E 2 A@:?E E@ E6== 96C DEF56?ED E96J 2C6 D276 2?5 E96 A6@A=6 :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2C6 E96C6 E@ 42C6 7@C E96>[ H9:49 >:89E 36 ECF6C E92? E96 DEF56?ED C62=:K6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“pD 2 ?@?AC@7:E H6 5:5?’E <?@H 9@H E92E H@F=5 27764E @FC 24E:G:E:6D @C @FC 23:=:EJ E@ A=2? 7@C E96 7FEFC6[” D96 D2:5] “qFE :E’D 366? 2>2K:?8 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 4@>6 7@CH2C5 2?5 D2:5[ ‘$:?46 E96 D9@@E:?8 92AA6?65[ x H2?E E@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46 :? @FC 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 x H2?E E@ 8:G6[ @C x H2?E E@ H@C<] x H2?E E@ 4@>6 @FE 2?5 36 E96C6 7@C 2 A6C7@C>2?46]’ %92E’D C62==J 366? 6?4@FC28:?8]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m(9:=6 s256G:==6 :D C64@G6C:?8[ (2==D 766=D E96 4@>>F?:EJ :D 364@>:?8 4=@D6C 2?5 >@C6 A6@A=6 2C6 FD:?8 E96 2CED E@ 96=A E96> AC@46DD E96 A2DE 4@FA=6 @7 >@?E9D] %9:D J62C[ E96 46?E6C :D 4@?E:?F:?8 :ED DF>>6C 42>AD 2?5 2 E9:C5 H66< @7 42>AD H2D 25565] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“(6 H6C6 9@A:?8 E92E 49:=5C6? H@F=5?’E 92G6 E@ 7@C8@ E9:D 2CED 6IA6C:6?46 3642FD6 @7 762C[” (2==D D2:5] “(6 2C6 C62==J 6I4:E65 E92E A2C6?ED 92G6 4@>6 7@CH2C5 2?5 E96 42>AD 2C6 7F==]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m~? E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 DBF2C6 :D @?6 @7 s256G:==6’D ?6H6DE 3FD:?6DD6D — %96 uF?<J v@2E] ~H?6CD y6C6>J 2?5 $E246J y6774@2E H6C6 :? 5@H?E@H? s256G:==6 E92E ?:89E 2?5 D2H E96 A@=:46 42CD 2?5 3=F6 =:89ED] u:?5:?8 @FE H92E 925 92AA6?65 =2E6C[ y6C6>J D2:5 :E’D @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D E92E AFED 2 A:E @7 96=A=6DD?6DD :? J@FC DE@>249] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96 76H 52JD 7@==@H:?8 E96 6G6?E[ 96 76=E s256G:==6 925 2? 2:C @7 GF=?6C23:=:EJ 23@FE :E[ 3FE ?@H EH@ >@?E9D =2E6C[ y6774@2E 92D D66? :E D9:7E E@ C6D:=:6?46] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“|@G:?8 7@CH2C5 :? 2 A@D:E:G6 5:C64E:@? x E9:?< :D 2? :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 962=:?8[” 96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mpD A2CE @7 :ED @A6?:?8 H66<6?5[ %96 uF?<J v@2E 9@DE65 2 4C2H7:D9 3@:= :? A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 &?=:>:E65 s6D:8?D :? p=6I r:EJ] %96 3@:= C2:D65 ?62C=J S`[b__ E@ 8@ E@H2C5D E96 r2C:?8 7@C s256G:==6 uF?5 H:E9 E96 r@>>F?:EJ u@F?52E:@? @7 t2DE p=232>2] %96 7F?5 92D C2:D65 ?62C=J S`d_[___]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?my6774@2E D2:5 96 <?@HD E9:D :D?VE E96 @?=J 42D6 @7 s256G:==6 4@>:?8 E@86E96C] {2DE >@?E9 E96C6 H2D E96 |682 r@@<@FE H:E9 uFD:@? vC:==[ |6 |2>2’D vCF3 wF3 2?5 $2>’D z@F?ECJ z:E496?] p55:E:@?2==J[ :>>65:2E6=J 27E6C E96 D9@@E:?8[ >F=E:A=6 49FC496D 96=5 AC2J6C G:8:=D 24C@DD E96 4@F?EJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“(6 5@?’E <?@H E92E <:?5 @7 =6G6= @7 9FCE[” y6C6>J D2:5[ C682C5:?8 E96 G:4E:>D] “(6 42? 766= 7@C E96>] tG6CJ3@5J :D 96C6 :7 2 92?5 :D ?66565]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mp 4@FA=6 @7 DEC66ED 5@H? 7C@> E96 DBF2C6 :D E96 9:DE@C:4 |:E496== w@FD6] ~H?6C ':G:2? pFECJ D2:5 2 76H 52JD 27E6C E96 D9@@E:?8[ r@C3:? w@=DE@?’D >@E96C 2?5 =2E6C !9:= s@H56==’D 2F?E 2D<65 :7 E96J 4@F=5 FD6 E96 G6?F6 2D 2 A2CE @7 E96:C >6>@C:2= D6CG:46D] pFECJ 28C665 2?5 5@?2E65 %96 |:E496== w@FD6 E@ 3@E9 @7 E96 72>:=:6D E@ FD6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“(6 H6C6 92AAJ E@ 5@ E92E 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ[” D96 D2:5] “~3G:@FD=J :E :D 56G2DE2E:?8] x H2D D9@4<65 H96? x 7@F?5 @FE H92E 925 92AA6?65[ 3FE :? >J >:?5[ x 925?’E 6G6? E9@F89E 23@FE H92E H6 4@F=5 5@ E@ 96=A]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mw@H6G6C[ %96 |:E496== w@FD6 4@?E:?F65 E@ 8:G6 324<] pFECJ’D 52F89E6C[ {2FC6? |:?:I[ <?6H E96 @H?6C @7 |29@82?J |2DE6CA:646 s2?46 $EF5:@[ #2G6? %@=36CE[ 7C@> 324< H96? E96 EH@ 4@24965 E96 s256G:==6 J@FE9 4966C=6256CD E@86E96C] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m(:E9 E96 D:E6 @7 E96 D9@@E:?8 E2<:?8 A=246 2E E96 52?46 DEF5:@[ %@=36CE =@DE 96C A=246 @7 3FD:?6DD @G6C?:89E[ 2?5 |:?:I <?6H D96 H2?E65 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8] {F4<:=J[ |:?:I H2D 7C:6?5D H:E9 p>2?52 qCJ2?E H9@ CF?D E96 @?=:?6 3FD:?6DD $E:4<D 2?5 $E@?6D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m$E:4<D 2?5 $E@?6D 56D:8?65 s256G:==6 $EC@?8 %\D9:CED H:E9 2== E96 AC@4665D 8@:?8 E@ %@=36CE’D 3FD:?6DD] ~?6 27E6C?@@?[ |:?:I 2?5 qCJ2?E :?G:E65 %@=36CE E@ %96 |:E496== w@FD6 2?5 AC6D6?E65 2 S`[d__ 4964<] %62CD H6==65 FA :? %@=36CE’D 6J6D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m(:E9 E96 7F?5D[ %@=36CE H2D 23=6 E@ 86E 7FCE96C D6EE=65 :?E@ 96C E6>A@C2CJ =@42E:@? 2E xGJ rC66<’D (6==?6DD r6?E6C] pFECJ D2:5 D96 92D 2=D@ D66? E96 42C6 @7 s256G:==6 6IE6?565 36J@?5 E96 :>>65:2E6 4@>>F?:EJ] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mp3@FE E9C66 52JD 27E6C E96 :?:E:2= D9@@E:?8[ pFECJ H6?E :?E@ #6?7@6’D |2C<6E 2?5 DA@EE65 2 C6A@CE6C 7C@> @FE @7 E@H? 86EE:?8 3C62<72DE] %96J 925 2 3C:67 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ 3FE @?6 E9:?8 E92E DEF4< @FE E@ 96C H2D E96 C6A@CE6C ?@E:?8 9@H BF2:?E 2?5 <:?5 E96 E@H? C62==J :D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mpFECJ D2:5 H96? D96 7:CDE 7@F?5 @FE 23@FE H92E 92AA6?65 E96 ?:89E @7 pAC:= `d[ D96 H2D D9@4<65] $9@4<65 E92E :E 92AA6?65 2?5 D9@4<65 E92E :E 92AA6?65 :? s256G:==6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“(6 42?’E =6E E9:D 567:?6 FD[” pFECJ D2:5] “s256G:==6 :D 2 G:3C2?E[ 8C62E D>2== 4@>>F?:EJ E92E 92D D@ >F49 8@:?8 7@C :E] (6 5@?’E H2?E E@ 36 567:?65 2D 2 A=246 H96C6 2 D9@@E:?8 92AA6?65]”k^DA2?mk^Am
