By Alabama
NewsCenter

Alabama Power says a Facebook post that warns residents to stay out of Smith Lake this summer is fake.
The scam impersonates Alabama Power, warning people who intend to boat or swim in Lewis Smith Lake to stay out of the water due to a significant increase in the amount of flesh-eating bacteria found in the lake. The fake alert also warns of increasing amounts of bacteria to come this summer due to lowering lake levels.

By SCOTT JOHNSON
General Manager

By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer

The time for Alabama’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday is coming soon as it is observed this month.
From Friday, July 16, until midnight on Sunday, July 18, the state will waive its sales tax on school-related supplies and clothing.
The 16th annual tax-free weekend, which was originally held statewide in August of each year, happens in July each year after a legislative vote in 2017 to ensure that the tax-free weekend occurs before school starts throughout the state every year.

By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer

By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer

HACKLEBURG - Jeremy Booth was sworn in as the new Hackleburg police chief during a regular Hackleburg Town Council meeting on Monday, June 28, at the Hackleburg Town Hall.
Booth came to Hackleburg a month ago as a retired officer with Taylor-Hardin Secure Medical Facility in Tuscaloosa.
Booth and his wife, Tanya, own and operate I-Deal Fitness in Hamilton, where he serves as the gym’s jiu

Two more state media awards have been announced for Marion County’s newspaper.
The Alabama Press Association (APA) released the results of a number of additional categories during its annual convention held in Orange Beach on Saturday, June 27. The Journal Record earned second-place for Division C for the 2021 Most Improved publication and as the runner-up for the Community COVID-19 Award.

CULLMAN — Alabama Farm Credit recently hired Josh Warmack as regional vice president over its 16-county western territory. In this role, he’ll lead sales efforts for the Athens, Cullman and Tuscumbia branches.
Warmack has 15 years of experience in agricultural and commercial banking. Before joining Alabama Farm Credit, he served as a senior relationship manager, agricultural underwriting manager and agriculture credit analyst at Regions Bank in Cullman. At Regions, Warmack developed expertise in row crop lending in western Alabama.

The individual citizen is the greatest person I know.
With the building collapses of late, it hurts to turn on the news and see someone suffering because they’ve lost a loved one or because they don’t know whether or not the one they care for is alive or dead.

Alabama lost its oldest past Governor when John Patterson passed away last month (June 4, 2021). He died on the same land where he was born in rural Tallapoosa County.
Patterson was 99 years old, and he would have been 100 in September. He was the epitome of the greatest generation. He was a veteran of World War II. He volunteered for the Army as a private and left the Army at the end of the war as a major.

I asked this question last week. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I stock the newspaper racks outside of Shoppers Value Foods in Hamilton and I’ve noticed hordes of thirsty locals storming the 50-cent soda machines outside the grocer’s front door. Yes, hordes.
I didn’t think much about it until I watched a woman feed quarters into one of the machines for a good five minutes before hauling off a plastic bag full of soda.

By Scott Johnson
General Manager

By Scott Johnson
General Manager

Hamilton – According to a recent survey conducted by the Alabama Hospital Association (AHA), 94% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were not vaccinated.  
North Mississippi Medical Center-Hamilton Administrator Robert Trimm says that these statistics hold up for Marion County.
“We have had no patients hospitalized with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who have been fully vaccinated,” said Trimm in an email response to questions from the Journal Record.

HALEYVILLE -  About 100 grams of methamphetamine, along with marijuana, were removed from the streets and three people were arrested in another traffic stop conducted by Haleyville police at the Imperial Inn.
Arrested in the parking area of the motel, located on Highway 13, were Tammy Sue Bell, 41, Hamilton; Megan A. Hooker, 37, living at the Imperial Inn; and Chasity L. Kelley, 36, of County Highway 145, Haleyville, noted Lt. Eddie Collins, investigator with the Haleyville Police Department.

By Scott Johnson
General Manager

HAMILTON – Marion County commissioners have formally affirmed the First and Second Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
County officials voted unanimously during a commission meeting on Monday, June 21, to enact a resolution to “ensure and publicly communicate” to Alabama and federal politicians their support of free speech and the right to bear arms and to call on elected officials not to “dilute or violate” these rights with any policies.

By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer

MONTGOMERY - Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced that $3.11 million in state funding was awarded to cities and counties for various road and bridge projects on Monday, June 14. This included two Marion County projects.
ALDOT grant funding is made available through its annual grant program, a program created under the Rebuild Alabama Act, better known as the gas tax.

By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer

By Scott Johnson
General Manager

HAMILTON – Another record has been set for local sales tax collections for the Marion County School System.
Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West told members of the Marion County Board of Education during a meeting on Tuesday, June 15, that $220,160 was generated through the local one-cent education tax, which is paid to the county school system for sales outside of Winfield.

By Luke Brantley Staff Writer

WINFIELD - The Winfield City Council approved a motion to sell the old downtown Sewell building during its meeting on Tuesday, June 22. The building, located just across State Highway 253 from city hall, is owned by the city but is not currently being used. The building was previously owned by Northwest Medical Center and was donated to the city several years ago. According to city clerk Angie Oliver, the building has several issues due to the age of the building, and the council has been undecided on how to handle the issue until now.

By Luke Brantley
Staff Writer

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) has launched a new high-speed notification system known as CodeRED, designed to notify residents of missing person alerts throughout the state.
ALEA unveiled the new system on Tuesday, May 25, to highlight National Missing Children’s Day.
“Our Alabama Fusion Center (AFC) will use the new state-of-the-art system to issue alerts in the event of a missing person and it will have the capability to quickly deliver essential information to citizens throughout the state or in a targeted area, depending on the situation,” Gov. Kay Ivey said.