Sparks fly at work session


Guin City Councilman Roger Agnew says the council needs to be given more detailed bank statements during a work session on Monday, Oct. 7.

GUIN - The Guin City Council held a work session before the start of the regular council meeting on Monday, Oct. 7, in the Guin City Hall.
The council members were given copies of statements that showed what bills were paid and what money was received in the month of September.
During the work session, Guin City Councilmen Roger Agnew and Jerry Gann requested that more detailed financial bank statements should be supplied to council members.  

Rec center renovation complete

HAMILTON - Hamilton seniors and youth will soon be utilizing the E.T. Sims Jr. Neighborhood Facilities building, as the large $3-million renovation project has finally been completed.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page told the Journal Record that Lynn-based contractor Jerry Dyar, of Dymac Contracting, handed the city the keys to the recreational center on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

City investing in five repaving projects

HAMILTON - Five streets in Hamilton have received the go-ahead for a new layer of asphalt—a project valued at more than $316,000.
The Hamilton City Council unanimously voted at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 7, to accept a bid by S.T. Bunn Construction in Tuscaloosa for $316,728 for the work.
The city will designate $116,728 out of the its general fund to fund the improvements.

 

Board passes nearly $34M budget

HAMILTON - The Marion County Board of Education approved its fiscal year 2020 budget during its monthly meeting held on Thursday, Sept. 12.
FY 2020, which officially began Oct. 1, will operate with a $33,979,451 expense budget.
The school system expects to collect a total of $34,756,115 in federal, state and local revenues, leaving $910,450 in excess funds. This is a significantly larger stopgap than last year’s $115,600 in excess revenues.

Carothers looks back on 50 years in banking


Robert “Bubba” Carothers is seen here in his Citizens Bank office

WINFIELD - Fifty years ago, Robert “Bubba” Carothers was working in production control at Continental Conveyor in Winfield when he received a call from his brother, Russell, at Citizens Bank in Winfield.
“Russell asked if I would like to come up to the bank and work with the family and I said, ‘Well, let me think about it.’”
Carothers consulted his wife, Rebecca , about the job offer.
“My wife said, ‘You need to go up there.’ So, it didn’t take me too long to think about it,” Carothers said, laughing.

Board votes to contract directly with Apple to lease iPads

WINFIELD - The Winfield City Board of Education has voted to lease 100 iPads directly from Apple Inc. for the price of $10,280 per year for three years.
The decision was voted on unanimously at the board’s Tuesday, Oct. 8, meeting.
Apple is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.

Guin Elementary wins coveted Blue Ribbon title

(From left) Guin Elementary School Principal Joshua Weatherly, Reading Specialist Angie Jefferies and Counselor Jessica Johnigan pose with the banners the day U.S. Secretary of Education Nancy DeVos announced the school is the recipient of the Blue Ribbon award.

GUIN - “This is exciting and this is a big deal!” Guin Elementary School Counselor Jessica Johnigan exclaimed after watching U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announce that her school is the recipient of the coveted Blue Ribbon School award.
Johnigan, along with reading specialist Angie Jefferies and principal Joshua Weatherly, were all overjoyed as they watched DeVos make the announcement via an internet video message in the school’s main office on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Josie Beth Jones on The Voice

HAMILTON - A Hamilton High School student has selected Blake Shelton’s team on NBC’s reality singing series The Voice.
Josie Beth Jones, 17, a Hamilton junior, appeared on national television on Monday, Sept. 30, on The Voice’s season 17, performing Julie Roberts’ “Men & Mascara.”
Jones is the daughter of Danny and Juli Jones of Hamilton. She has an older sister, Danni Brooke, and a younger brother, Jesse Luke.
A clip of Jones’ blind audition on The Voice’s Facebook page has collected 1.9 million views.