Hamilton - The Hamilton Police Department has been approved to move ahead with the hiring of a new police officer and the purchase of two new Chevrolet Tahoe police cruisers.
The Hamilton City Council voted unanimously on Monday, Nov. 4, to move forward on the addition to the police force.
At a work session on Wednesday, Oct. 30, Hamilton Police Chief Ronny Vickery said he currently has 13 officers—including himself and two investigators.

HAMILTON - Keith Jones, executive director of the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments (NACOLG), met with local leaders to discuss planning for the upcoming 2020 Census at Hamilton City Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
In attendance were Hamilton Mayor Bob Page, Ramp School of Ministry (RSM) Director Samuel Bentley, NACOLG Regional Planner Robert Cooper, NACOLG Transportation Planner Ryan Hayse and Hamilton Attorney Scott Hunt.

MONTGOMERY - Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $386,250 to support a network of 20 Community Action Agencies across the state that assist Alabamians by providing programs to reduce and eliminate poverty.     
The Community Action Association of Alabama is using the funding to support programs offered by the local agencies to help low-income families improve their lives and achieve self-sufficiency.
This funding will also assist in the functions of the Marion-Winston Community Action Agency (MWCAA).

HAMILTON - ‘Tis the season for Christmas for Kids to partner once again with the Marion County Department of Human Resources and Christ Community Fellowship to help distribute Christmas gifts to children in need.
Officially launching in 1985, the charity is celebrating 35 years of generosity this year.
Prior to 2014, Christmas for Kids was helping provide Christmas gifts to children throughout Marion County courtesy of donations received from county and area residents.

HAMILTON - North AlabamaWorks, in partnership with Bevill State Community College-Hamilton, will host the Worlds of Work Career Expo for Marion and Winston County students on Friday, Nov. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Bevill State Community College Hamilton Campus.
This event will help students learn about high-demand, high-wage career opportunities available to them in Northwest Alabama.
Companies and organizations will provide hands-on activities in which they can participate, allowing students to explore potential careers.

WINFIELD - “I’m lucky to be alive and that’s what I convey in this book,” Lt. Larry Hunter (Ret.) said holding his newly published book, Fire Mission, Fire Mission!, while sitting in the den of his Winfield home.
Two large boxes filled with copies of the book sit nearby.
The book is about Hunter’s experiences during his tour of duty in Vietnam, “Where I almost lost my life,” Hunter said.
This weekend and the following Tuesday, Hunter will be speaking and signing copies of his book at various Veterans Day events around Marion and Winston counties.

HAMILTON - Marion County commissioners Bobby Burleson, Dale Holt and Keith Nichols approved Marion County Engineer Mike Shaw’s request to change job classification and adjust the pay of six of his employees during a regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 21, at the commission office in Hamilton.
Commission chairman Tim “Ears” Estes did not vote and commissioner Kenneth Cochran abstained from voting as his brother, Kent Cochran, was among the names involved in the pay adjustments.

As qualifying comes to an end, Marion County’s last remaining elected Democrat has switched parties.
According the Marion County Republican Party Chairman David Hall, Marion County Precinct 15 Constable Joe Vasquez, has qualified as a Republican for the 2020 elections.
“The Marion County Republican Executive Committee met Tuesday, Oct. 29, and voted unanimously to allow Joe Vasquez to switch parties,” Hall said.
Commenting on the switch, Marion County Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Cobb said, “I’m very disappointed this happened.

HAMILTON - Marion County administrative ­assistant Kalyn Moore has been appointed as the new county administrator as longtime administrator Brooke Nichols-Slatton handed in her resignation during a regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 21, at the commission office in Hamilton.
Slatton will officially resign on Jan. 21, 2020, after 15 years as the Marion County administrator. Slatton has accepted a job as the Fayette County administrator.

HACKLEBURG - Hutty Hutcheson,  owner of Big 95.5 WFMH Hackleburg Radio, which is housed in the old town hall building, passionately addressed the Hackleburg Town Council concerning the payment of his rent and power bill during a regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 28, in the council chambers.
“I’ve been up there (at the station) for nine months, you (Kevin Barnwell) haven’t been up there, she (Tabby Lolley) hasn’t either, how are you going to tell me what’s going on if you can’t come up there and see what’s going on?” said Hutcheson.

BRILLIANT - The Brilliant Town Council unanimously approved to lease Kevin Bass 20 acres of the town-owned industrial property at Exit 30 on I-22 during a regular meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 23, in Brilliant.
According to town clerk Jessica Lee, Bass will use the property to hold auctions for heavy machinery and farming equipment.
Bass stated that the first auction date has not been set as he plans to search for an official auctioneer and the town has yet to determine when the lease will end.

HALEYVILLE  - A Haleyville man has been charged with cruelty to animals after he  allegedly shot his neighbor’s dog, then tied a strap around its neck and hung it out the window of a vehicle as he drove down the road in his neighborhood.
Donald Gene Nix, 57, was picked up by the Haleyville Police Department at his residence on County Highway 62 on Thursday, Oct. 31. He was and charged with cruelty to animals second degree, noted Lt. Tim Steien with the Haleyville Police Department.

HAMILTON - The Marion County Domestic Violence Task Force raised over $5,000 from its 12th annual fundraiser golf tournament held at the Pikeville Country Club on Friday, Oct. 4.
Kier Vickery, co-chair of the task force, said the $5,094.84 was raised through 11 corporate sponsors, 27 hole sponsors and 18 golf teams who  supported the cause.
“We have sponsors that have sponsored each year for the past 12 years,” Vickery said. “They feel this cause is important enough and we just appreciate folks supporting the cause every year.”

The Brilliant Alumni Association and Guin "Feed My Sheep" Community Food Bank will be hosting a joint auction on Tuesday, November 5th.  The Brilliant Basketball Teams will be selling dinner plates for $10 each.  The meal will be provided by Rowdy Hogs Smoking BBQ.  If you would like to order a plate, you can contact Ginger Tittle Eatman at 205-399-2023 by Friday, November 1st.  All activities will be held at the Guin National Guard Armory.  Pre-order plates can be picked up between 5-7pm.  The Silent Auction will be held from 6:00 PM-6:45 PM with the Live Auction beginning at 7:00 PM.  The

HAMILTON - The Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce has announced that the 14th Annual Buttahatchee River Fall Fest will be rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. in downtown Hamilton.
The chamber made the decision to postpone the event due to concerns surrounding the weather on the original Saturday, Oct. 26, festival date.
NTN-Bower also announced it would be rescheduling its trunk-or-treat event for for Nov. 2, as well. It will begin at 7 p.m.

HAMILTON - In October 1978, Hamilton became the home to a young, rising journalist, eager to sink his pen and ink into the newspaper business.
James Lesley Walters, longtime editor for the Journal Record, moved to Marion County that year on a business venture with The Itawamba County Times of Fulton, Miss., where a new Hamilton newspaper would be launching, The Hamilton Progress.

HAMILTON - The Marion County School System has improved its annual report card score by one point, but reactions are mixed as administrators believe they could have been named among the few A’s in the state.
The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) published its 2018-2019 Education Report Cards on Friday, Oct. 18. The Marion County School System earned an 88 (B)—a one-point jump from the 2017-2018 school year.
Out of Alabama’s 137 school districts, there were 23 A’s, 80 B’s, 29 C’s and 3 D’s.

WINFIELD - The Winfield City School System has earned an 89 on its report card for the 2018-2019 school year— an improvement over the previous school year’s score of 88.
The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) published its 2018-2019 Education Report Cards on Friday, Oct. 18.
 Out of Alabama’s 137 school districts, there were 23 A’s, 80 B’s, 29 C’s and 3 D’s.
“It’s not where we wanted to be, but we’re moving in the right direction,” said Winfield Superintendent of Education Chris Cook.

HAMILTON - Journal Record readers are reminded to turn their clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, as Daylight Saving Time ends and we return to Standard Time. The change will allow for an extra hour of sleep on Sunday.
Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins on the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November.

GUIN - Guin Police Chief Doug Webb introduced a new hire to the Guin Police Department during the Monday, Oct. 21, Guin City Council meeting.
The mayor pro-tem, councilman Bobby Bellew,  was filling in for Guin Mayor Max Maddox, who was absent. Councilmen Gary Randolph and Troy Hightower were also not present.

HAMILTON - U.S. Senate Republican candidate Tommy Tuberville addressed the Marion County Republican Party at J&V’s Ole Smokehouse in Hamilton on Saturday, Oct. 12.
“I want to help, I was never in the military, but I want to give public service,” said Tuberville, addressing the individuals in attendance. “I’ve had a job for 40 years, I’ve been out in the public and I’ve seen where we hurt. Our education is in bad shape, we’re broke as a country and we have huge problems everywhere.”