HAMILTON - A bridge building constructed during the World War II-era was torn down in April. 
Despite rumors, there are no plans to bring an armory back to the Alabama National Guard base in Hamilton.
Lt. Col. Lee Desmond, who is based out of the Alabama Army National Guard Headquarters in Montgomery, told the Journal Record that a large building on the Hamilton base was subject to routine demolition.
Desmond said that the building was originally constructed in 1941 and was 79 years old.

HAMILTON - The Hamilton Area of Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its final “First Fridays” downtown shopping event on Friday, June 7.
The event will take place from 6-9 p.m. with local and satellite vendors setting up booths lining the city square and downtown businesses extending their usual hours to host shoppers.
Local musician Chris Williams will be providing entertainment, sponsored by the Alabama Power Foundation and Bevill State Community College.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting applications on June 3 for certain practices under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) continuous signup and will offer extensions for expiring CRP contracts. 
The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorized CRP, one of the country’s largest conservation programs.

BATON ROUGE, La. - The following local residents were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society:
Anna Kimbrough,  Hamilton, was initiated at University of North Alabama (UNA) in Florence; and 
Loreanna McKinney and Taylor Goodwin, both of Winfield, were initiated at UNA.

HAMILTON - The City of Hamilton’s municipal court magistrate’s office will be relocated inside Hamilton City Hall.
The Hamilton City Council voted unanimously to relocate the office during its meeting on Monday, May 20. It also voted to relocate the West Alabama Cable office to the Hamilton Police Department.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page said that office space used by the cable company inside city hall will now be used for the magistrate’s office.

Montgomery - Marion County’s local legislators say they have faced backlash for their decision to vote to ban nearly all abortion in the state
The Alabama State Senate voted 25-6 on Tuesday, May 15, in favor of a near-complete ban on abortions after the state House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved it in April, 74-3.
All three of Marion County’s legislators—Rep. Tracy Estes, R-Winfield, Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman and Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia—voted in favor of the ban.

HAMILTON -  Renowned Alabama photographer and Alabama promotor John Dersham, who helped start the Image Masters photo club in Marion County, has published a new book of Alabama photography. The book, “My Alabama -- John Dersham Photographs a State,” consists of 218 color photographs that capture the diversity of Alabama’s natural landscapes.

HAMILTON -  This year for Memorial Day, I sat down with U.S. Navy veteran Don Collins, 92, who was kind enough to share some of his memories of his time in the U.S. Navy. Collins served as a cook in the Navy during the final year of World War II.

HACKLEBURG-  Hackleburg High School Principal John Hardin will be retiring at the end of the school year after 38 years in education.
“I honestly had no intention of ever being a principal, but as time went on, I got my administration degree,” said Hardin.
“I did apply and was fortunate enough to get hired.”
In 2011, one year after he was appointed as principal of Hackleburg High, Hardin was faced with the challenge of keeping students and staff members organized and united after the 2011 Hackleburg tornado.

HAMILTON - There will be a number of principal changes in the Marion County School System as the summer months begin.
The Marion County Board of Education unanimously approved the transfer and resignation of two of its current principals during its meeting on Thursday, May 13. It also took appropriate action to begin searching for a new principal for one of its schools.

WINFIELD - The Winfield City Council voted at its Tuesday, May 21, meeting to rezone the property where the Pirates Den restaurant is located from a residential classification to a business classification. The restaurant is located in an area zoned as a residential district.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -  Much to the dismay of world, state and local leaders, John Walker Lindh, dubbed the American Taliban, was granted an early release from federal prison on Thursday, May 23, after serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed the release on Fox News Thursday, calling it "unexplainable and unconscionable.”

HAMILTON - An anticipated Love’s Country Store and Truck Stop  will receive a tax incentive worth $2 million.
The Hamilton City Council unanimously passed a development agreement with Love’s during its meeting on Monday, May 20.
Through the agreement, the city commits to rebate Love’s for taxes collected on diesel sales, which is taxed at 2 cents per gallon.
Love’s will be reimbursed on diesel tax for up to $2 million or for no more than 20 years, which ever comes first.

 HAMILTON -  For this year’s Memorial Day edition of the Journal Record, I sat down with 20-year Army veteran Hytower Lewis. Lewis, 87, was kind enough to share some of his memories of his time in the United States Army. Lewis served in the Army from 1949 to 1970 and fought in the Korean War and the war in Vietnam.
 
“I have some good memories and some not so good memories,” Lewis said of his time in the service.

 HAMILTON -  For this year’s Memorial Day edition of the Journal Record, I sat down with 20-year Army veteran Hytower Lewis. Lewis, 87, was kind enough to share some of his memories of his time in the United States Army. Lewis served in the Army from 1949 to 1970 and fought in the Korean War and the war in Vietnam.
 
“I have some good memories and some not so good memories,” Lewis said of his time in the service.

MONTGOMERY - The Alabama State Senate voted 25-6 in favor of a near-complete ban on abortions.
The Senate approved the measurelate Tuesday night, May 15 and Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill into law the next day, Wednesday, May 16.
The ban bill only allows exceptions to avoid serious health risk to an unborn child’s mother, ectopic pregnancy and if the unborn child has a lethal anomaly.
Both of Marion County’s senators—-District 4 Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, and District 6 Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia—voted in favor of the legislation.

MONTGOMERY - A bill allowing medical marijuana has been passed by the Alabama Senate.
The bill passed quickly on Thursday morning, May 9, less than 24 hours after District 6 Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, successfully delayed a vote by debating bill sponsor Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, until time expired on Wednesday night, May 8.
Stutts said that he and Melson went back and forth for about two hours before the session was dismissed for the day.
When a vote was called immediately the next morning, Stutts said no one had time to do anything.

HAMILTON - The Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 16th Annual Shrimp Boil on Tuesday, June 11, from 5-7 p.m. at the Hamilton Fire Department. 
Local musical group Crossing Dixie will be providing entertainment.
“We encourage everyone to come out for a fun-filled evening with friends listening to some entertainment,” said chamber president Lacy Williams.
Pre-sale tickets are $10.00 each and on the day of the event, tickets are $12 each. To-go plates will be available.

HAMILTON -  Hamilton High School graduate Katie Humphries, who in the fall of 2018 wrote an article entitled “Grandfathered In: Grandparent Intervention in Mississippi Adoption Proceedings,” has had her article published by the Mississippi Law Journal.