Columbiana is a city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Alabama. It is part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metro Area. It became the county seat in 1826, when it was still called Columbia. The name was changed to the present Columbiana in 1832, and was incorporated in late 1837. The city now has a total area of 15.2 square miles. 0.26% of the total area is water, and the rest is land.

County offices such as the Shelby County Board of Education, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, the Shelby County Jail, and Harrison Regional Library (the main office for the Shelby County Library System), are all located here. The public school system has one elementary, one middle and one high school, along with school of technology. Construction, trade and manufacturing are the most important economic activities here. A popular local attraction is the former Shelby County Courthouse, which is now Shelby County Historical Society Museum and archives. The closest hospital is the Shelby Baptist Medical Center, located about 13 miles away in Alabaster. Columbiana's cost of living is 11.40% lower than the country average, making living here comparatively cheaper.

The town gets about 56 inches of rain annually, with about 80 days having measurable precipitation. Snowfall is about an inch annually.

Where Have All the Honeybees Gone?

  Written by : Lee Ann Rush Since 2006, a strange phenomenon has been occurring in the United States, Europe, and other countries across the globe:  the honeybee population is disappearing.  Opinions vary regarding the root cause of this mass die-off of honeybees, known as colony collapse disorder; some blame parasites, bacteria, loss of natural habitat, poor nutrition or genetic issues.  The primary..