Brilliant - With a desperate need for a trained workforce, the trucking industry is making investments into Marion County students.
The Diesel Mechanics Program at Brilliant High School is the brainchild of Eddie Posey, who operated Winfield Truck Parts for 22 years. He is currently a Certified Director of Safety and Transportation Risk Specialist for Professional Safety Consulting based in Libertyville, Mo.
“I go into trucking companies that own 10 to 2,000 trucks and everybody is saying the same thing: ‘We need people in our shops,’” Posey said.

GUIN - Councilman Roger Agnew voiced his concerns about the lack of officers on duty at night during the Guin City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 3, at the Guin City Hall.
Guin Police Chief Doug Webb stated that there is one individual that will begin training for the department in August, but Agnew questioned what would be done until that time.
“What are we going to do from now until August? There’s only one man on at night by himself,” Agnew stated.

WINFIELD - Following the agenda of a regular Winfield City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 4, a Winfield resident asked mayor Randy Price what could be done about supporting a specific individual in need in the city that had asked the resident for food.
Price stated that there was nothing that the city would be able to do financially and further took the time to voice his compassion for those in need and voice his frustration with the court system.

HAMILTON - The Marion County Commission unanimously approved a bid for 15 new computers and docking stations for the Marion County Sheriff’s Department during a special-called meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, at the commission office in Hamilton.
The accepted bid was for $60,126.90 from Vernon Hills, Ill.-based CDW Government LLC, a company that provides computers and software to businesses, government offices, and education and healthcare organizations.

MONTGOMERY - Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed state Rep. Tracy Estes (R-Winfield) to represent the state as a member of the Alabama Legislative Advisory Council to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
The association is comprised of 16 states across the region ranging from Delaware to Texas. The association was created in 1948 by governors and state legislatures to enhance public education as a means to improve the overall quality of life in the region. The SREB was the first such regional board created in the U.S.

HAMILTON - Sisters Calva Cooner and Gwinna Boyd of Jasper and Tommy Colley of Eclectic have been recognized as Alabama manufactured housing greats.
The Montgomery-based Alabama Manufactured Housing Association (AMHA) hosted its 19th Annual Hall of Fame Ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at the Bevill Business and Community Center in Hamilton.
Since 2001, AMHA has inducted key industry figures into its Hall of Fame. With the new additions, the number of honorees now totals 53.

WINFIELD - The historic Pastime Theatre in Winfield has announced its 2020 Concert Series which will begin on Saturday, Feb. 15, with season headliner Pam Tillis and her trio.   
“This group performed at The Pastime Theatre several years ago and we are delighted to bring them back again for our Valentine concert,” said Mary Hyche, Pastime Theatre board chairman.
Prior to the concert, theatre goers may have dinner next door at the Pastime Civic Center. Dinner tickets are $20 and reservations are required.

HAMILTON - Brown’s Pottery and Sons in Hamilton hosted the annual Molding Hearts, Hands and Minds for students of Phillips Elementary School on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 4 and 5.
 The Northwest Alabama Arts Council (NWAAC) is supporting the arts and art education program in Marion County.
In 2007,  in conjunction with Hamilton potter Jerry Brown, a program was created for fourth-grade Alabama History students entitled “Molding Hearts, Hands & Minds.”

Marion County’s December 2019 unemployment rate experienced a slight increase.
According to data published by the Alabama Department of Labor on Friday, Jan. 24, Marion County’s rate rose to 3%—a 0.2% increase from the previous two months, which maintained rates of 2.8%.
The county’s unemployment rate this time last year was 4.2%.
Surrounding counties’ unemployment rates include: Fayette County at 2.7%, Franklin County at 2.4%, Lamar County with 2.7%, Walker County with 2.8% and Winston County with 3%