Taylor sits in on final meeting
Winfield Superintendent of Education Chris Cook (standing) presents a gift to retiring Winfield Board of Education member Brenda Taylor during her final meeting as a board member on Tuesday, May 12, at the Winfield Middle School Library. [LOUIS MELLINI/STAFF]
By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer
WINFIELD - Long-serving Winfield Board of Education (BOE) member Brenda Taylor sat in on her final Winfield BOE meeting on Tuesday, May 12, at the Winfield Middle School library.
Members of the board such as Winfield Schools Superintendent of Education Chris Cook took the time to thank Taylor for her service on the board.
Smith named elite tourism professional
By LOUIS MELLINI Staff Writer WINFIELD - Winfield native Hilda Smith has been named a North Alabama Elite Tourism Professional, a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA). In Marion County, Smith, of Hampton Inn by Hilton Winfield, has been named a North Alabama Elite Tourism Professional for her contributions to the tourism industry. She was presented with a Walmart gift card.
Lancaster legacy lives on through scholarship
Since 2003, the Jerry Lynn Smith Lancaster Scholarship is granted annually to a female Marion County High School (MCHS) graduate in her name. Rachael P. Foster has been named the 2020 recipient of the scholarship.
Price concerned about pan-handling
By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer
WINFIELD - Winfield Mayor Randy Price expressed his concern about individuals pan-handling in downtown Winfield during a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 5, on the telecommunication app Zoom.
Price stated that he observed a family, who was traveling across the country, holding a sign and asking for financial assistance at the intersection in front of city hall and the Winfield Pastime Theatre.
United Way Regional office now serving Marion County
FLORENCE - As many smaller United Way’s across the nation have been forced to do recently, United Way of Guin has closed their doors.
To ensure that those in need are still served, United Way of Northwest Alabama has stepped up to cover responsibilities in the Marion County service area.
2020 Summer competition canceled
By CASEY MILLS
Sportswriter
MONTGOMERY - On Thursday, May 14, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) announced the cancelation of all 2020 summer competitions, as well as released updated guidelines on sports-related activities.
Human remains found near North Fork Bridge
Marion County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jeff Davis (left) and Marion County Sheriff’s Investigator Sgt. Daryl Spencer search for evidence near where Zach Pike’s remains are believed to have been found.
NORTH FORK - Authorities say the remains of a Marion County man have been found two years after he was last seen.
Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams told the Journal Record that local investigators have discovered substantial evidence that human remains found in the North Fork area belong to Zach Pike, who was last seen in May 2018.
ADOC confirms COVID-19 at Hamilton A&I
HAMILTON - The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) confirmed an inmate incarcerated at Hamilton Aged & Infirmed (Hamilton A&I) in Hamilton, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Hamilton A&I is a medium custody facility that opened in May 1981, for aged and infirmed inmates.
The facility is located just across the road from Marion Regional Nursing Home, one of the hot-spots for the COVID-19 outbreak in Marion County.
State health officer eases restrictions
MONTGOMERY - Restaurants, gyms, salons and churches are now open again.
Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Friday, May 8, that State health Officer Scott Harris has eased more regulations on the state’s economy, which took effect on Monday, May 11.
Any gatherings where attendees cannot maintain six-foot distances from one another are still prohibited. The previous 10-person limit has been removed.
Businesses countywide find footing as state reopens
Old School Barbershop owner Jeremy Ledbetter (left, standing) adds a fresh coat of paint to his storefront in downtown Hamilton. The barber took advantage of some downtime during the coronavirus shutdown to prepare to reopen. He also had a new metal roof installed. Ledbetter says his 12-year-old son, Jaxon, and his wife, Heidi, did the majority of the painting.
The Marion County economy is beginning to get back up to speed as restrictions continue to loosen statewide.
Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris issued orders on Tuesday, April 28, allowing “non-essential” retail stores to open back up on Friday, May 1.
Harris followed up that order with another on Friday, May 8, allowing churches, gyms, restaurant lobbies and personal-care businesses to operate again beginning Monday, May 11.
System will see 17 faculty members retire
HAMILTON - Marion County Schools saw an unusually large amount of teachers announce their retirement plans this year.
Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West told school board members during a meeting on Wednesday, April 29, that there were 17 retirements scheduled to take effect June 1.
“I’ve been hearing for a couple of years that this was coming, and it’s here,” West said.
United Way teams with Simon Solutions for ‘care networking’
FLORENCE - United Way of Northwest Alabama in Florence is partnering with Simon Solutions to empower communities to better serve those in need.
Simon Solutions is best known as a co-creator of the Shoals Emergency Assistance Network (S.E.A.N.Tracker), also known as CharityTracker, which has served over 65,484 people with over 361,219 acts of kindness and care.
Elective surgeries resuming
HAMILTON - North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC)-Hamilton resumed elective surgeries on Thursday, May 7.
NMMC-Hamilton provides general surgeries, ophthalmology (eyes) and otolaryngology (head and neck).
Gov. Kay Ivey’s Safer at Home order issued on Tuesday, April 28, allows hospitals to resume elective procedures as long as they follow certain health safety precautions. All dental, medical or surgical procedures have been forced to postpone since March 28.
Board will sell gas to Fayette
HAMILTON - Northwest Alabama Gas District (NWAGD) in Hamilton will begin selling natural gas to the Fayette Gas Board.
The Northwest Alabama Gas District Board voted unanimously during a meeting on Friday, May 1, to enter into a one-year contract to sell gas to the Fayette utility to supply enough gas flow for an expanding latex glove manufacturer, Showa Best Glove Inc.
Human remains found near North Fork

• Authorities say bones belong to local missing man
NORTH FORK - Authorities say the remains of a Marion County man have been found two years after he was last seen.
Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams told the Journal Record that local investigators have discovered substantial evidence that human remains found in the North Fork area belong to Zach Pike, who was last seen in May 2018.