WINFIELD - At the  Thursday, Oct. 18, Winfield City Council meeting, the council voted to add the amounts of two properties to the already existing hospital bond issue, increasing the bond issue amount by $2.7 million.
In a followup interview, city attorney Todd Atkinson explained that by increasing the amount of the bond issue, the city would be able to pay off existing loans for the property behind the Chevron gas station off Interstate 22 Exit 30 and the former Sterling RV property.

HAMILTON - The Hamilton City Council held a public hearing on the matter of three potential street closures.
The council held the hearing on Monday, Oct. 15, at the Hamilton Police Department’s municipal court room, prior to their second October council meeting.
No action was taken on the roads that night as councilors want to give enough time for details to be figured out and further comments made.
1st Ave. NE

Brilliant, Hackleburg and Hamilton all end the regular season with matchups this week while Marion County and Winfield await the playoffs--in the Red Raiders’ case, hopefully.

MOUNDVILLE - The Winfield Pirates finished their regular-season schedule with an easy 42-0 victory over the Hale County Wildcats on Friday, Oct. 26, in Moundville.
The win improved Class 3A’s third-ranked Pirates to 10-0 on the season and a perfect 7-0 worksheet in Class 3A, Region 4 play. This was Winfield’s first perfect regular season since 2004, and also head coach David McKinney’s first as a head coach in his career.

GUIN - Marion County ended the regular season with a 42-18 victory over  Fayette County rival Berry on Friday, Oct. 26.
With the win, the Red Raiders improved to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in Class 1A, Region 6. The Wildcats ended their season at 2-8 overall and 2-5 in Region 6.
Red Raider head coach Kyle Williams noted that six Marion County players found the end zone in the victory.

HACKLEBURG - Hackleburg earned its second win of the year with a 44-8 shellacking of Vina on Friday, Oct. 26.
The Panthers improved to 2-7 overall and 2-4 in Class 1A, Region 8 while Vina remained winless at 0-9 overall and 0-6 in Region 8.
Hackleburg struck early on offense when Kaleb Moore raced in from 37 yards away. Moore found Sawyer Lynch for the 2-point conversion to give the Panthers the 8-0 lead with 11:10 left in the opening quarter.

Hamilton - Hamilton put up a valiant fight against Jasper on Friday night, Oct. 26, in perhaps one of the best games the Aggies have played this season, but the Vikings still handed Hamilton its sixth loss of the season.
The Aggies now stand at 3-6 overall and 2-5 in Class 5A, Region 7 play.

BRILLIANT - Brilliant suffered the team’s 29th-straight region loss with a 45-0 loss to South Lamar on Friday, Oct. 26.
The Tigers fell to 2-7 overall and 0-7 in Class 1A, Region 6. The Alabama Sports Writers Association’s fifth-ranked South Lamar improved to 9-0 overall and 7-0 in Region 6.
Despite the loss, Brilliant head coach Brian Gunnels was proud his Tigers’ effort in the contest.
“We came out tonight and played hard,” Gunnels said. “Our guys played hard for four quarters. That’s all I can ask from them.”

HAMILTON - The City of Hamilton has repaved Smokey Bear Road, which services the city’s parks and recreation district.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page told the Journal Record that Murphree Paving of Tupelo, Miss., worked Thursday and Friday, Oct. 18 and 19, repaving the city street, which he says was in poor condition.
Page said that the city chose the street to work on as it carries a high traffic count due to the nearby park, ball fields and Hamilton Elementary School.

WINFIELD - Mule Day 2018 was a blazing success, as thousands showed up to take part in the annual festivities although temperatures were through the roof.
The Journal Record annually reports the winners for the pageant, car show and mule judging that take place during the festival.
Pageant winners crowned
The Mule Day Pageant was full of adorable contestants ranging in age from newborn to 10-years-old.
Miss Bella Tidwell was crowned as Miss Mule Day 2018 on Sunday, Sept. 9.

The month of September didn’t break any local weather records, but locals didn’t get to experience any fall weather as they did their best to beat the heat.
The high temperature for the month was noticeably high at 97 degrees on Sept. 26. As National Weather Service Observer Eddie Pearce noted, this number is simply temperature of the air, it does not factor in how hot it may feel due to humidity and other factors.
The hottest day of the month took place only three days after the summer season officially ended and fall began.

Hamilton Police Department

HAMILTON - The following arrests and activities were reported by the Hamilton Police Department for the period of Oct. 16-22:
Incident, offense cases
Two for third-degree domestic violence; and one each for first-, second-, and third-degree theft of property, third-degree burglary, third-degree criminal trespassing, third-degree criminal mischief, third-degree forgery, harrassing communications, possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence (DUI).

WINFIELD - The Winfield City Council made progress on a solution to the crumbling curbs that have been causing tension between the Chevron gas station and the Med 360 clinic located on State Highway 129, just off Interstate 22 Exit 30.
The council heard from attorney Courtney Smith, who represents Midstates Petroleum of Vernon, the owners of the Chevron station in question, which owns the gas station, at the Thursday, Oct. 4, meeting.

GUIN - Local author Dorothy Thompson White has published a new book through Dorrance Publishing Company. The new book, titled A Marriage That Almost Wasn’t, will be published this week and will be available at book signings White said. The book is a 20-chapter book about her life in Kentucky and her marriage to Albert White of Henderson, Ky., in 1981.

MONTGOMERY - Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Tuesday, Oct. 9, that 16 programs throughout the state that assist domestic violence victims will receive a total of $1.5 million in funding from the state’s Domestic Violence Trust Fund.
Safeplace, Inc., which assists victims from Marion County and which will be opening an emergency housing shelter in the county in early 2019, will receive between $80,000 and $100,000 of these funds.

WINFIELD - The Winfield Board of Education named Chris Cook, currently the Marion County Board of Education Central Office Supervisor, as the next superintendent of education for the Winfield City School System on Tuesday, Oct. 23.

HAMILTON - Marion County voters will head back to the polls for the third and final time in 2018 on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
The people will decide the fate of nine statewide races, seven local races and four ammendments.
Statewide races will include the:
• Gubernatorial race between Democratic candidate Walt Maddox and Republican Kay Ivey;
• Lieutenant Governor race between Democrat Will Boyd and Republican Will Ainsworth;
• Attorney General race between Democrat Joseph Siegelman and Republican Steve Marshall;

Marion County voters will head back to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6, to decide who will fill a variety of public positions which are due for re-election. The following  local Democratic, Independent and Republican candidates will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Once again, it has become more and more evident that the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) and, by extension, Bevill State Community College (BSCC) exist and operate in the safety of their own bubble.

One-hundred fiftyfive years ago this week, a Civil War Battle took place just outside the borders of Marion County. But you most likely have never heard of this battle. The battle happened after a Confederate army intercepted 500 Union soldiers returning from Alabama to Corinth, Miss.

Those of us who are Baby Boomers remember the tumultuous times of the 1960s. We lived through the Civil Rights revolution. Those of us who grew up here in the Heart of Dixie witnessed the transpiring of racial integration first hand.

GUIN - Guin Park and Recreation Director Keith Rhudy presented a year-end report to the Guin City Council at the council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Oct. 15.
Rhudy said the Guin Water Park finished the 2018 fiscal year $1,776.04 in the red. The water park had a total revenue of $68,247.94 and $70,023.98 in total expenses.
The negative difference, Rhudy said, was due to the Guin Park and Recreation Department’s choice to keep the water park open through Labor Day.

WINFIELD - The Pastime Theatre in Winfield is excited to announce its 2019 concert series.
The 2019 series will open on Saturday, March 9, with Jason Petty’s “Hank & My Honky Tonk Heroes.” According to  Pastime Theatre Chairman Mary Hyche, “There’s only one Hank William’s and Jason Petty portrays him best.”
Petty starred as Williams in New York City’s hit Off-Broadway musical, “Lost Highway,” as well as at Nashville’s world-famous Ryman Auditorium.

HAMILTON - The Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 13th Annual Buttahatchee River Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 27, in downtown Hamilton.
The fall festival, which will officially kick off at 9 a.m. that morning, is a family-friendly event and there is no charge for admission.
This year’s festival will be as jam-packed with fun for the whole family as it has been in the past, according to  Hamilton chamber president Lacy Williams.