HAMILTON - The Arbor Day free tree giveaway in Hamilton has been set for Tuesday, Feb. 25.
Sponsored each year by the Hamilton Beautification and Tree Board, in conjunction with the Alabama Forestry Commission, the free giveaway allows residents to select various saplings at no charge.
The event will be held at the Hamilton City Hall from 9 - 11 a.m.
For more information, interested persons can contact city hall at 921-2121.

HAMILTON - Over the past few weeks, a parade of architects, designers and consultants hoping to win a contract to build a new jail in Marion County have presented themselves to Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams and the Marion County Commission.
Representatives from such architectural and design firms as Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, PH&J Architects, Volkert, Inc. and Hamilton architect Andrea Harbison have all made presentations to the commission.

The Marion County Board of Education and Winfield Board of Education have joined school districts across the state in calling for the repeal of the controversial Alabama Accountability Act (AAA).
Marion County school board members unanimously adopted a resolution at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12, calling for lawmakers to repeal the act in the upcoming 2019 session, which begins on Tuesday, March 5.
The Winfield Board of Education also approved a resolution recommending Legislators repeal the AAA at its Wednesday, Feb. 13, meeting.

(Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of 2 stories for the swearing in of county officials. See our last paper on Wednesday, Feb. 13, for Part 1.)
County officers elected during the 2018 election cycle have all taken their turn in raising their right hand and have sworn to serve the people.
The new and returning officers all officially assumed their positions on Tuesday, Jan. 15, not including the elected Marion County Board of Education members, who took their seats in December.

HAMILTON - Commemorative T-shirts for the 17th Annual Jerry Brown Arts Festival (JBAF) are now on sale.
The annual JBAF is set for Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3, in south Hamilton at the spacious Tombigbee Electric Cooperative facility. Admission is, as always, free and hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Hamilton-based Northwest Alabama Arts Council.

Both public school systems in Marion County have gone on the record recommending the repeal of the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA).
With the Marion County School System approving its resolution on Wednesday, Jan. 23, and the Winfield City School System following with the same on Wednesday, Feb. 13, leaders of the two school systems left no doubt where they stand. Nor did newly-elected District 17 State Rep. Tracy Estes.

HAMILTON - Marion County has split ways with Monroe County in south Alabama and is no longer one of two counties in Alabama using a fee model to operate its probate judge’s office.
Special legislation passed in 2017 has now taken effect in January 2019, ordering the Marion County Commission to furnish the local probate judge and office staff with paychecks and benefit packages through the county’s General Fund.

HAMILTON - Gears are beginning to turn in preparation for the 17th Annual Jerry Brown Arts Festival which will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3.
In its normal fashion, the Hamilton City Council voted to waive the city’s business license requirement for vendors at the festival this year at its meeting on Monday, Feb. 4. The artist will still be required to pay city and state sales taxes.
Northwest Alabama Arts Council President Tony Williams approached the council during the meeting, noting that the event is a hallmark for the city.

WINFIELD

WINFIELD - Two members of the Winfield Police Department were awarded the Medal of Valor for saving a wreck victim’s life last December.
Sgt. Marcus Carroll and Officer Jimmy Galbreath both entered a burning vehicle to free the unconscious driver from the wreckage.

HAMILTON - Love’s loves Hamilton.
In the wake of the announcement of a new Love’s Travel Stop & Country Store to be built in Hamilton, Love’s real estate project manager, William Gleason of Oklahoma City, Okla., appeared at the Hamilton City  Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

According to Hamilton Mayor Bob Page, Love’s is planning to purchase 20 acres on River Road Drive, right off of Interstate 22’s Exit 14, for a large truck stop.

MONTGOMERY - Fifty automotive scholarships are up for grabs.
Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Chancellor Jimmy Baker announced on Thursday, Jan. 31, that  the ACCS and the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association (AAMA) have partnered together and are giving away 50 scholarships to students who want to pursue a career in the automotive industry. The deadline to apply is Thursday, Feb. 28.

WINFIELD -  The Hampton Inn in Winfield has been ranked as the number one hotel in the state of Alabama in 2018 by TripAdvisor.  The award is given based on guest scores received through TripAdvisor.com.  
The hotel opened in February, 2011 and, for six out of the last seven years, has received Hampton Inn’s Lighthouse award for being in the top 5 percent of all hotels in the company. Hampton Inn in Winfield has  also received a Certificate of Excellence award from TripAdvisor every year since the location opened in 2011.  

HAMILTON - The Marion-Winston Community Action Agency (MWCAA) conducted a Point-in-Time (PIT) count  on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019.
The PIT count determines the number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night in January and helps the two counties receive funding towards resources and support for the homeless in the area.

HAMILTON -  Paul Davis, an organizer for the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign in Marion County, has extended his heartfelt thanks to the city of Hamilton and Marion County for volunteering their time and efforts during the holiday season of 2018.  
“From Nov. 23 to Dec. 23 of 2018, several dozen of your friends and neighbors stood in front of the Walmart Supercenter in Hamilton next to a red kettle ringing a little red bell in support of the Salvation Army,” said Davis.

HAMILTON - The Alabama State Council on the Arts has awarded the Pastime Theatre in Winfield two grants this year totaling $5,700.  

HAMILTON - Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded a $275,000 grant to help homeless citizens in Northwest Alabama find immediate housing and to assist others who are in danger of becoming homeless.

Foster Grandparent Project Director Jessica Latham and coordinator Rena Prince are desperately seeking more volunteers for the program for the upcoming school year.
“We are needing volunteers in all the schools,” Prince said. “We are wanting interested persons to call us now at (256) 332-6800 so they have time to get their applications in and get trained before school begins.”
Schools on the waiting list for volunteers include Brilliant, Guin, Hackleburg, Hamilton and Winfield.

HAMILTON- Two long-time county officials have taken their oaths once again to serve the people.
Marion County Commissioner District 5 (D-5) Bob Burleson and Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams are now the longest serving individuals for their respective capacities.
Marion County commissioners Keith Nichols (D-1) Kenneth Cochran (D-2), Dale Holt (D-3), Tim “Ears” Estes (D-4) and Burleson were all seated after taking oaths at a ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018.

HAMILTON - Members of the Marion County Board of Education are voicing their concerns over state laws which “divert” education funding to private schools.
Some of the officials are hoping that lawmakers consider toppling Alabama’s Accountability Act (AAA), which passed in 2013.

WINFILED - Winfield City Schools Superintendent Chris Cook has a plan in place to improve his system’s school report card, he said at the WCS Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 8.

HAMILTON - Marion County residents should be readying themselves to participate in the upcoming Census.
Local officials are already being briefed on the vital and rapidly approaching decennial Census in 2020, which will determine the amount of funding and congressional representation Alabama can lay claim to for the next 10 years.

HAMILTON - December 2018 saw the most sales tax for education on record collected for the month of December.
Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West told the Marion County Board of Education during its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 23, that sales tax for December 2018 collected nearly $20,000 more than the previous year.
This marks the fifth-consecutive month of record-breaking collections for the county school system.
“Sales tax in December was fantastic,” West said. “I believe that this is because a lot of people did their shopping at home this year.”

HAMILTON - Love’s loves Hamilton.
In the wake of the announcement of a new Love’s Travel Stop & Country Store to be built in Hamilton, Love’s real estate project manager, William Gleason of Oklahoma City, Okla., appeared at the Hamilton City  Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22.
According to Hamilton Mayor Bob Page, Love’s is planning to purchase 20 acres on River Road Drive, right off of Interstate 22’s Exit 14, for a large truck stop.
The City of Hamilton owns a three-acre plot of land at the site.

hamilton - Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded a $275,000 grant to help homeless citizens in Northwest Alabama find immediate housing and to assist others who are in danger of becoming homeless.
Ivey announced the grant funding on Wednesday, Dec. 26, which is a portion of a larger $2.5 million distribution to 14 government and community agencies. The funds are  from the Emergency Solutions Grant program, whose funds are available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

HAMILTON -  Marion County’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly from 3.8 percent in November 2018 to 4.1 percent in December. Though slightly up, the number marks the end of a downward trend that began in January 2018 when the rate was at 7.6 percent.
In December, 510 people in the county were unemployed, up from the 482 in November. In December 2017, 448 people in the county were unemployed.

HAMILTON - Marion County has split ways with Monroe County in south Alabama and is no longer one of two counties in Alabama using a fee model to operate its probate judge’s office.
Special legislation passed in 2017 has now taken effect in January 2019, ordering the Marion County Commission to furnish the local probate judge and office staff with paychecks and benefit packages through the county’s General Fund.
Up until now, the probate office has been funded by fee revenues collected from services provided by the probate judge. This was known as the “fee system.”

WINFIELD - A restricted use pesticide training will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 27, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Upper Coastal Plains Experiment Station, located at 171 Experiment Loop, Winfield.
This training is for a general applicator audience, including homeowners, farmers, nursery owners, pond owners and forested land owners.

HAMILTON - Bevill State Community College (BSCC) signed an agreement with homebuilders from northwest Alabama on Monday, Jan. 28, to partner in an effort to reduce employee turnover and implement the Ready-to-Work (RtW) program to enhance the pre-screening process to develop a strong workforce. The area homebuilders included in the partnership include Buccaneer Homes, Hamilton; Deer Valley Homebuilders, Inc., Guin; Platinum Homes, Lynn; Southern Homes-Russellville; Sunshine Homes, Inc., Red Bay; and Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc., Red Bay and Winfield.

HAMILTON - The Town of Hackleburg has welcomed a new police chief.
Hackleburg Mayor Darryl Colburn announced the hiring of new Hackleburg Police Chief Jeremy Marbutt at a Hackleburg Town Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 14.
During the meeting, Marbutt was sworn-in by Hackleburg Town Attorney Tony Glenn. Marbutt’s mother, Jerry, held the Bible during the ceremony.

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HAMILTON - On-table proposals to help offset large losses at Hamilton’s sewer and water operations could increase minimum bills by $2.04 for sewer customers and 22 cents for water customers.
During a work session on Wednesday, Jan. 16, Hamilton Water Superintendent Rodney Williams told the Hamilton City Council that increasing residential sewer rates by 10 percent and commercial rates by 30 percent could help soften the costly blow of providing sewer to residents.