The following are unofficial results from 21 of Marion County's 22 voting boxes. Provisional ballot information will be available later in the week.
Steve Lolley: 5,030
Countywide: Lolley, 2,233; Stutts, 1,367
Phil Segraves: 3,732
• Low unemployment driving up competitive pay
HAMILTON - Low unemployment may mean more on your paycheck.
C3 of Northwest Alabama President David Thornell met with the Marion County Commission on Monday, July 9, to discuss the state of the county’s economy.
Thornell highlighted the flourishing opportunities for employment in the county and the lack of manpower available—something which he says is motivating employers to offer higher wages.
HAMILTON - The Marion County Public Water Authority will be expanding services into the Bexar and Shottsville Communities.
The Marion County Commission approved a match of $194,887 towards a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the expansion at its Monday, July 19, meeting.
The CDBG funds will supply $300,000 for the project.
BRILLIANT - Brilliant High School’s longtime principal, Jack Hayes, retired on July 1, after 38 years as an educator.
Hayes talked with a Journal Record reporter and took a walk down Memory Lane, discussing his long history at the school.
Hayes began teaching at Brilliant High School in 1980 and wore several hats, including teaching American history, physical science, government, economics and physics. He also coached several sports over the years, including baseball, football and basketball.
HAMILTON - A Hamilton man is being charged with first-degree rape and sodomy of a minor.
The four best will be Troy King versus Steve Marshall in the Attorney General’s race; the Lt. Governor runoff between Twinkle Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth will be interesting; the Agriculture Commissioner race between Rick Pate and Gerald Dial will be good; and it will be interesting to see if Bobby Bright ousted Martha Roby from Congress in the 2nd District.
WINFIELD - Self Express Productions of Winfield will be reenacting the classic musical “Mary Poppins” at the Fayette Community Center Thursday - Sunday, July 26 - 29.
This production carries particular significance as it is an official bicentennial event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Alabama’s statehood.
WINFIELD - Winfield Mayor Randy Price told the city council at its Tuesday, July 3, meeting that a definite policy was needed for sewer repairs.
Price said that because the city does not have a policy in place, issues have arisen when homeowners had a sewer problem that reached under a city street, but did not occur in a main line.
HAMILTON - Local business and industry stakeholders will be convening with college officials to discuss workforce development.
BSCC is hosting a Workforce Solutions Summit on Tuesday, July 24, at 10 a.m. in the Bevill Auditorium on the Hamilton Campus.
The local business and industry community and other stakeholders are invited to attend.
HACKLEBURG - Certified Public Accountant Don Wallace of Tuscaloosa presented copies of the 2017 Hackleburg audit to the mayor and council on Monday, July 10 at the Hackleburg Town Council meeting. Wallace said that the Hackleburg revenues were a little over $1,000,659 for 2017.
Wallace, who served on the Tuscaloosa County Commission for eight years, said one area of concern he had from the town’s audit is attaining funds for rebuilding aging infrastructure.
HAMILTON - The following arrests and activities were reported by the Hamilton Police Department for the period of July 3-9:
Incident and offense cases
• Legislature will have to act to change laws
HAMILTON - Despite fanatical conclusions, Gov. Kay Ivey has not and cannot executively end the state’s inmate meal predicament.
According to press reports, Ivey directed the state comptroller’s office on Tuesday, July 10, to stop depositing jail food money into personal accounts of Alabama sheriffs and instead, deposit it into official county accounts.
• Average bill lowered $9/month
HAMILTON - The average residential Alabama Power customer will see a reduction of $9 on their July power bills.
Alabama Power announced on Monday, July 9, that from a decision made by the Alabama Public Service Commission (APSC) in May, President Donald Trump’s Tax Cut and Jobs Act will begin to directly impact its customers.
• Vick tacks up $17,526 in probate judge bid
BRILLIANT - To accentuate newly-renovated Main Street, the Town of Brilliant is erecting decorative street lights that carry a special message.
Businesses and individuals have the option to donate $500 toward the beautiful street lights and receive a memorial plate on the light that has a message regarding a loved one or honoring the sponsors.
MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Pharmacy Association (APA) awarded Fred Coleman “Cole“ Sandlin III, Pharm.D., of Hamilton, with the 2018 Excellence in Innovation Award on June 11. The award was announced at the APA 137th Annual Convention held at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear.
WINFIELD - Construction has recently finished on Penney Plaza, located at the junction of Interstate 22, Exit 30, and State Highway 129, and it’s ready for new or existing businesses to move in.
The plaza is located in a large area just off the interstate, known as Grey’s Landing, where owner Grey Land has extensive plans for the area.
• Cities, county also tax-free
HAMILTON - State and local taxes will be temporarily waived for parents to prepare to send their children back to school.
In the past, the tax-free holiday was set for the first weekend in August, but due to the first day of school being moved earlier in the year, the holiday has been adjusted to the third weekend in July.
From 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 20, until midnight on Sunday, July 22, the state waives its 4 percent sales tax on school-related supplies and clothing.
HAMILTON - The historical WERH radio station building will remain standing for now.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page told the Journal Record that he recently spoke with Retail Strategies of Birmingham and they have reconsidered the precise location of a new Jack’s Family Restaurants they plan to construct in Hamilton. The original plan was to level the radio station and build at that location.
WINFIELD - Less than 24 hours after the Winfield City Council tabled the discussion about dangerous 18-wheeler traffic through the Med 360 Clinic parking lot and surrounding city owned areas, a storm drain cover was destroyed by one of the trucks, leaving a gaping hole and safety hazard for the city.
Med 360 Practice Manager Sheila Bozeman said she arrived for work on Wednesday, June 20, and saw new 18-wheeler tire tracks exiting the clinic.
• Hamilton Post trooper earns top award
MONTGOMERY- A Hamilton Post state trooper was awarded the Alabama State Trooper Association (ASTA) Trooper of the Year award on April 30 in Montgomery.
David Box of Winfield was nominated and selected to receive the special award based on not only his work as a state trooper, but also on the service he gives to his community.
BRILLIANT - Brilliant High School senior Kaitlyn Wyninger has put together a school-supply fundraiser called “Stuff the Bus,” that she hopes will make a huge (bus-sized) impact.
The 17-year-old plans to fill a school bus with the donated supplies and present the bus-load of supplies to teachers from both BHS and Brilliant Elementary School on Saturday, Aug. 4.
