LEEDS- David Kilgore won the Bass Pro Shop bass master Southern Open on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City. Kilgore held the lead going into Saturday. Several inches of rain changed water conditions drastically from the first two days, but Kilgore was able to reel in four fish that weighted in 12 pounds and 11 ounces to win the tournament. “It started out really bad actually,” Kilgore said.” I hit my best spot and I only fished it for 45 minutes and I finally caught a three-pound spot (bass). That settled me down a little. I went to my next spot where I caught then yesterday really good. I fished half of it, so good left. I didn’t want to fish the other half, because I needed them today. Of course on the way down there I was thinking this thing is going to be over in 30 minutes. I get down there on my second cast I catch a three and half (spot bass) and I was really thinking it was going to be over quick. After that I ran back to my starting spot and caught that big large mouth and a little squealer. After 10:15-10:30 I didn’t catch a fish.” Kilgore had success using a white ½ ounce Strike King Pure Poison chattering jig and a white Strike King Rage Tail Craw. “Day one and day two, I probably had 12-15 keepers,” Kilgore said. “Today, it just shut off, but I got the right three and that is all that matters.” With the win, the Jasper native earned $10,000, a Nitro Z-9 by Mercury 225 Pro XS. For his success on the lake, he also earned a berth in the 2014 Bass Masters Classic at Lake Guntersville. “I missed the Classic by one spot once and two spots twice,” Kilgore said. “It is one of those feelings that never leaves your gut. You think about it all the time. I have been so close and I am over there working at the Classic thinking man. When it was over at Lay Lake, I missed it by one spot sat in agreement with me.” Greg Vinson finished second in the Southern Open at Logan Martin Lake. The Wetumpka native caught five fish that weighted in at 12 pounds and 11 ounces. His three-day total was 40 pounds and 11 ounces. David Walker finished third with a total weight of 40 pounds and 11 ounces. Walker caught five fish for nine pounds and 12 ounces. Walker earned $1,500 bonus check for being the highest finishing owner of a Toyota truck. Paul Elias finished fourth with a total of 38 pounds and nine ounces. Ott DeFoe finished fifth with a total weight of 37 pounds and 13 ounces. Oxford native Tim Hurst finished sixth with a total weight of 37 pounds and three ounces. Chris Lane finished 11th, but he won $500 in bonus earnings for winning the Big Bass of the tournament award with a weight of five pounds and eight ounces. He also won the Heavy weight of the tournament award with a weight of 18 pounds and 10 ounces on the first day of the tournament on Thursday. Grayson Smith won the co-angler division. On Saturday, he caught 10 pounds and three ounces. For the three days, he caught a total weight of 24 pounds and an ounce. Smith has qualified in the final 12 in each of the three Bassmaster Southern Opens in 2013. With the win, Smith earned a Triton 17 Pro bass boat with a Mercury 115 Pro XS motor.

An early-morning thunderstorm caused flooding in multiple areas in Talladega and St. Clair counties Saturday. Torrential rainfall beginning at around 1 a.m. forced area firefighters into action, made more than a dozen roads impassable and resulted in the cancellation of three community events — Pell City’s Third Annual Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show, the Munford Car and Tractor Show and the Munford Farmer’s Market. In St. Clair County, Fox Hollow subdivision on Fox Run Circle seemed to be hit the hardest. According to St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency director Ellen Tanner, nine homes in the subdivision were flooded, causing an estimated $200,000 in damages. “Most of these homes are owned by young couples,” Tanner said. “It’s just heartbreaking what they are going through. Water can ruin just about everything a family has. These families are all working hard right now to salvage what they can. We will stay in touch with them daily to determine their needs.” The Pell City Community Center on 19th Street was also flooded. The Talladega Fire Department responded to multiple emergencies, evacuating a woman, child and four blind people from houses on Coffee Street. After the rescue, the firefighters took the evacuees back to the fire station and gave them some blankets to keep warm. “When we arrived on the scene, the water was steadily rising into the houses,” Capt. Ronny Davis said. “We started waking people up and evacuating them from the houses as quick as possible. In the second and third homes, the blind evacuees were unaware of the water level rising. Inside the third house, the water had gotten as high as 3 feet.” On West, East and Court streets, Talladega firefighters used a boat to evacuate eight people, several of whom were stranded motorists. A stranded motorist whose vehicle was swept off the road by flood waters was also rescued near the National Guard Armory on Broadway Avenue. Firefighters assisted at the scene of a motor vehicle accident at the corner of Jemison and 19th streets, rescuing a motorist from a vehicle turned on its side. Residents in a house on Cherry Street and a house at West and Coosa streets were evacuated due to gas leaks caused by rising water levels. Firefighters continued their work on Coosa Street by rescuing another stranded motorist. The department received two calls regarding downed trees, one at Mountain View Road and one at Wall Street. The downed tree at Wallace Street brought down some power lines, catching the tree on fire. Firefighters secured the area while workers from Alabama Power responded to the downed lines. As of 2 p.m. Saturday, Tanner said U.S. 78 from Eden to Interstate 20, U.S. 174 from Odenville to Mt. Moriah Road in Pell City, Mineral Springs Road in Pell City and Cook Springs Cut-Off Road between Mountain Top Loop and Wolf Creek Road remained impassable in the St. Clair County area. In Talladega County, Scott Murphree, alert notification manager for the Emergency Management Agency, confirmed a section of Alabama 21 in Munford and sections of Eastaboga Road, Brickstore Road, and Curry Station Road near Choccolocco Creek were closed. Murphree recommended the public remain watchful of the weather due to potential for more rain occurring Saturday and during the day today. “Due to the vast amount of rain that fell this morning, we would like to advise citizens that live along waterways, creeks and rivers to pay close attention to water levels as they may continue to rise,” Murphree said. “Also, roadways along waterways, creeks and rivers may become impassable. If you leave your home, please do not drive through standing water or go around barriers.” No significant incidents were reported in Sylacauga or Childersburg.