WINFIELD - The annual Mule Day celebration in Winfield is only days away.
The festival is scheduled for this weekend (Sept. 21-23) with the Friday portion now highlighted by Mule Night Madness, as local merchants will remain open until midnight offering special sales to local residents and visitors.
While the main focus is still on the Saturday festivities and the annual parade, there is so much for visitors now to enjoy the evening before.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - A former Marion County resident has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for shooting and killing a University of Utah student.
Austin Jeffery Boutain, 24, formerly of Guin, pled guilty to aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping on Wednesday, Sept. 12, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

HAMILTON - Two people from South Carolina were charged with felonies after a woman left her purse in a shopping cart at the Hamilton Walmart Supercenter.

“All I know is what I read in the newspapers,” was a quote by Will Rogers back in the days when communications were slow.
He was also quoted as saying, “Politics has got so expensive that it takes lots of money to even get beat with!”

This question was recently asked by one of the middle school students in my Sunday School class. It had been asked of me several years ago by another student, whose query was quickly followed by, “Yeah! I want to know that, too.”
The answer I gave on that first date was, “Ask your father…he’s the pastor.”
“I did,” said Emma Lue. “He said to ask you.”
“Could we talk about this next Sunday?” I asked, playing for time to investigate this mystery, so I, too, would know."

Since this is a gubernatorial election year, allow me to share an epic Governor’s Race with you.
The 1986 Governor’s Race will be remembered as one of Alabama’s most amazing political stories. In 1978 Fob James sent the Three B’s--Brewer, Beasley and Baxley--packing.
Brewer and Beasley had been permanently exiled to Buck’s Pocket, the mythical destination for defeated Alabama gubernatorial candidates.

GUIN - Derek Tesney of Guin approached the Guin City Council at its Tuesday, Sept. 4, meeting and proposed a business idea for the city.   
“What I’d like to propose is that I’d like to open up a carwash/lounge with a facility at the back where you could sit back in the back while you’re getting your car washed and play a game of pool or drink a beer,” Tesney said.

HAMILTON - Hamilton’s three school—elementary, middle and high school—have been written checks totaling $135,000 to enhance education.
The Hamilton City Council presented checks to Hamilton Elementary School Principal Lynda Hall, Hamilton Middle School Assistant Principal Benja Jackson and Hamilton High School Principal Steven Deavours at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Councilwoman Tami Lewis Williams noted that Hamilton teachers will be budgeted $21,000 (roughly $200 per teacher) and $38,000 is being given to each school.

Hamilton Police Department

HAMILTON - The following arrests and activities were reported by the Hamilton Police Department for the period of Sept. 4-10:
Incident, offense cases

HAMILTON - The Marion County Health Department released the following health inspection scores for 26 restaurants conducted through the month of August.
(Priority violations, whose application directly contributes to the elimination, prevention or reduction of hazards associated with foodborne illness or injury, are listed following the restaurant name when applicable. Core violations are not listed.):
• Taco Bell #029165, Hamilton - 97;
• That Seafood Place, Hamilton - 97;
• Subway Hamilton - 96: Damaged bread pan;

HAMILTON - A single-vehicle crash on Interstate 22 has claimed the life of a Winfield man.
Early Monday morning, Sept. 10, at approximately 12:10 a.m., Kenneth Lowery, 55, was killed when the 2008 Chevrolet pickup he was driving left the roadway and struck a tree.
The crash occurred one mile west of Hamilton on Interstate 22. Lowery was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nothing further is available as Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate.

HAMILTON - Hamilton First Baptist Church’s King’s Closet ministry will be open on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. giving families with K-12 students the opportunity to pick of up new and very-gently used clothes at no cost.
Those wishing to participate in the program should enter the church through the front doors of the church across from Hamilton High School’s main entrance.

WINFIELD- According to a recent study done on behalf of the Winfield Board of Education,  55 percent of stakeholders believe that the school system is headed in a good direction.
The study also suggests that the majority of constituents are indifferent as to whether or not the Winfield Board of Education should hire its new superintendent from outside or within the system.

Marion County schools saw mixed results in Week 3’s slate of games.
Marion County and Winfield each came away with key region victories to remain unbeaten in 2018
Brilliant suffered its second-consecutive region loss. Hackleburg is still searching for its first win of the year while Hamilton encountered its first setback.
This week continues region contests for county schools before returning to non-region contests next week.
Last week saw me go 3-1 in my prep picks which put my record at 14-2 this year.

GUIN - Marion County defeated longtime county rival Brilliant 49-14 at Don Jones Field at Bill Rayburn Stadium on Friday, Sept. 14.
These two schools are each others’ longest running rivalry with 86 matchups between them. Marion County holds the advantage with a 44-37-5 record.
The victory improved the Red Raiders to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Class 1A, Region 6 while the loss dropped the Tigers to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in Region 6 action.

HOLT - The Winfield Pirates scored early and often en route to a 42-7 region win over the Holt Ironmen on Friday, Sep. 14, in Holt.
The win improved the Pirates to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in Class 3A, Region 4 play.
Jackson Elkins threw four touchdown passes to lead the Pirates offense to a 42-0 halftime lead.

HAMILTON - Coach Rodney Stidham’s Hamilton Aggies suffered their first loss of the season to the Dora Bulldogs on Friday night, Sept. 14, after turning the pigskin over six times courtesy of four fumbles and two interceptions.
Aggie fans saw the game head in the opposite direction to what they were expecting as Dora exited Sargent Stadium with a 37-12 victory in Hamilton’s 2018 home-opener.
Hamilton’s record is now 2-1 overall and 1-1 in Class 5A, Region 7 competition.

HACKLEBURG - Hackleburg’s home-opener did not end how the Panthers hoped with the squad losing to Waterloo 47-34 on Friday, Sept. 14.
The game marked the first loss for Hackleburg against Waterloo in 19 matchups. The loss dropped the Panthers to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in Class 1A, Region 8 while Waterloo improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in Region 8.
Hackleburg received the opening kickoff but was unable to get anything going and went three-and-out before punting to Waterloo.

WINFIELD - Steve Reaves enters his 22nd year as the Winfield track and field coach with some new hardware to maintain.
Coming off the school’s third outdoor track and field state championship in four years, Reaves was named the Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year in Alabama for the second time since 2016.
Reaves noted that winning the award was “humbling” but that it “belongs to the kids, the young athletes that go and compete,” the 39-year Winfield teacher added. “It also belongs to the assistant coaches, Evan Shipp and Jake Seals.

FAYETTE - Marion County lost in straight sets to Class 4A Fayette County by scores of 25-15 and 25-16 on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
The Lady Raiders’ Madison Norris finished with four kills, two digs, one service ace and a block.
Caitlyn Jones added six assists, one service ace and a kill. Sara Roberts had two kills and a block.

MONTGOMERY - Winfield remains the only school in Marion County ranked inside the Top 10 of their respective class.
The Class 3A squad rose from ninth-place to No. 6 after defeating previously sixth-ranked Gordo, who dropped to No. 9, 18-14 on Friday, Sept. 7.
While the Pirates remain the only team from the county in the Top 10, both Hamilton and Marion County received votes as potential Top 10 schools.

MONTGOMERY - Hamilton running back Jathan Jackson was recognized in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Prep Spotlight for Week 2.
The junior back collected 304 rushing yards and three scores on 34 carries in Hamilton’s 48-42 victory over West Point.
The win gave the Aggies their first Class 5A victory since realignment and also marked the team’s first Region 7 win on the season.

MONTGOMERY - Gov. Kay Ivey announced 200 state schools as official Bicentennial Schools, including Hamilton Elementary School, Phillips Elementary School, Winfield Elementary School, Winfield Middle School and Winfield City High School.
Launched by Ivey in December 2017, the Alabama Bicentennial Schools Initiative encourages all public, private, and homeschool students and teachers to participate in the celebration of Alabama’s 200th anniversary of statehood in 2019.

WINFIELD - During the Thursday, Sept. 6, Winfield City Council meeting, the director of the Winfield Public Library, Regina Sperry, recommended to the council that Tess Raburn, a junior at Winfield City High School,  be hired to a part-time position at the library.
“She can come and work in the afternoon and with special programs and help us on Saturdays,” Sperry said. Sperry said Rayburn has previously volunteered at the library. The council voted in favor of Sperry’s recommendation.

HAMILTON - Brenda Real, the district administrative coordinator for the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District approached the Marion County Commission at its Monday, Sept. 10, meeting to request a funding increase of $4,330. The commission currently awards the soil and water district $5,670 per year. “We would like that to be increased to $10,000 because, along with helping the agricultural industry in Marion County, we also do educational activities,” Real said, as she handed out copies of the program’s yearly budget to the commission.

WINFIELD - During  a special-called meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 21, the Winfield Board of Education updated its qualifications for the superintendent position and approved an expected salary range for the position of between $120,000 and $130,000.
In the previous meeting, board president James Garner told the board that the language of the superintendent qualifications needed to be updated in order to meet legal requirements. The called meeting was to approve these changes before the posting of the superintendent position.

HAMILTON - A group of student volunteers from Missouri recently cleaned up three historic Marion County cemeteries, reclaiming the sites from overgrowth and weeds.
The local preacher who headed up the service project is hoping that the students’ service will inspire other local organizations to adopt and care for the local treasures.
On July 23 and 24, Burleson Church of Christ Preacher Todd Clippard led a team of five adults and 11 young men from Arnold, Mo., in a cleanup project of three historic Marion County cemeteries which had overgrown.

WINFIELD - The group of Winfield Middle School students that became the first group in the state to be selected to send a science project into space to be performed on the International Space Station, was recognized by the middle school on Friday, Aug. 24.
The team included students Will May, Cole Kirkpatrick, Seth Birdsong, Banks Roebuck and Izzy Stewart. Together, the group formulated an experiment that would test the effects of gravity on the germination of kudzu seeds.

By Elaine Softley, MS Home Science Agent II
Family Nutrition and Health
Alabama Cooperative
Extension System