By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A pair of local officials were injured in two separate incidents over the past several days, Pelham officials announced during a July 16 meeting.

Shelby County District 5 Commissioner Joel Bearden, 81, of Helena, was transported to the hospital with head injuries after he had a “serious wreck” recently while riding a bicycle, District 4 Commissioner Daniel Acker Sr. told council members.

Acker told council members Bearden suffered head and brain injuries in the wreck, and is completing rehabilitation at HealthSouth Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital.

“He’s very slow in his thinking right now,” Acker said. “We don’t know when he will be able to recover from the injury to his brain.”

Pelham Mayor Don Murphy also said Pelham Fire Department Battalion Chief Blair Sides is recovering from a leg injury he sustained after falling off a ladder recently.

“He only fell about 2 feet, but the way he landed, he shattered his tibia and fibula and they had to reconstruct his ankle,” Murphy said, noting Sides is still being treated for his injuries.

In other business, the council also heard a status update from Murphy on the possible purchase of the former Moore-Handley Hardware property and the possible sale of the Pelham Civic Complex to the Sportsplex company.

Murphy’s update came about three weeks after the council voted unanimously to authorize Murphy to negotiate a contract to purchase the property from the HHH Acquisition Company.

After working with Shelby County and the Shelby County Economic and Industrial Development Authority to purchase the property, Murphy will negotiate a contract for Pelham to sell a portion of the facility to the Summer Classics furniture company.

During the July 16 meeting, Murphy said negotiations currently are on hold while the owner of the Moore Handley property is out of the country.

“The City Council asked me to negotiate a deal. I can’t negotiate until I get all the players together,” Murphy said.

Murphy also said the city’s attorneys are working to explore the possibility of selling the Civic Complex to the Sportsplex company. Plans for the possible sale have not yet been finalized, he said.

“As quick as we get any information, I’ll pass it back to you,” Murphy said. “