Shelby County Reporter | Former Columbiana resident dies in plane crash

Shelby County Reporter | Former Columbiana resident dies in plane crash: "Former Columbiana resident Tommy Shelton was killed in a plane crash south of Forest City, Iowa.

Shelton, of Destin, Fla., was piloting the plane when it went down on Friday, Feb. 12. There were no passengers on board.

Shelton was a former pastor of the River of Life Church in Columbiana and later became pastor of the Maranatha Church. He retired from the ministry and left the area about four years ago, said a former member of his congregation, Yvonne Raia of Columbiana.

Shelton was an employee of Mayes Aviation of Orange Beach, Ala., a subsidiary of Columbia Southern University of Orange Beach. Part of his job was flying employees of Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, back and forth to Orange Beach for meetings with officials and staff at Mayes Education, Inc., which recently purchased thecollege. Mayes Education also owns Columbia Southern University."