Marion County is currently trailing behind the statewide Census response rate.
As of Wednesday, June 10, 57.2% of Marion County residents have self-reported to the 2020 Census while 58.8% of Alabamians have responded.
Bear Creek - 60.4%
Brilliant - 53.7%
Guin - 51.6%
Gu-Win - 53%
Hackleburg - 62.3%
Hamilton - 61.3%
Twin - 57.3%
Winfield - 61.7%
Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments (NACOLG) Regional Director Beau Cooper is encouraged that Marion County is not far behind its 2010 self-response rate of 59.8%.

Don’t be caught unprepared for the Republican Primary runoff election on Thursday, July 14.
Voters have until Monday, June 29, to register to participate in this year’s primary election.
Two Republican races will be on the July 14 runoff ticket: the Alabama Senate race between Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tuberville and the race for Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place 2 between Beth Kellum and Will Smith.
The winner of the senate runoff will face incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D).

HAMILTON - Summer conferences which attract thousands of out-of-town guests to Marion County will not take place this year.

The Ramp publicly announced the cancelations by email on Monday, June 15, noting challenges presented by COVID-19. The Hamilton-based ministry normally hosts two summer youth conferences and a children’s conference each year.

HAMILTON - Substantial changes are ahead for Hamilton’s garbage detail.
City officials have given the OK to place an order for a new garbage truck. The new unit will feature a robotic lift arm that will be used to grab trash receptacles from the side of the road and empty them into the truck’s compactor.
The change will require all residents to have compatible trash cans. Most pick-up schedules will likely be affected as well.

Local camps have had a unique challenge while attempting to plan programs this summer.
Regulations and guidelines issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have left camp administrators with limited options for hosting campers.
Maywood Christian Camp in Hamilton has had to cancel the first four weeks of its camping season. Trinity Camp in Guin has made the difficult decision to cancel camp altogether.

HAMILTON -  freedomFIBER is gathering local superintendents and government leadership today, Wednesday, June 10, at 9 a.m., to discuss ways to reach students who live without internet access.
Trey Cunningham, freedomFIBER Marketing and Public Relations coordinator informed the Journal Record that more than 9 million children nationwide lack internet access at home.
“When you bring the numbers down to Northwest Alabama the size might lessen, but the percentage increases,” said Cunningham.

WINSTON COUNTY - In a press conferences Thursday morning, May 28, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris and U.S. Senator Doug Jones discussed the increase in COVID-19 cases in Alabama over the last week, an increase that cannot be attributed to an increase in testing, but might have to do more with Alabamians’ personal behavior.
Jones hosted the virtual press conference on his Facebook page, opening the meeting by discussing how the U.S. now has over 100,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19, a grim milestone.

HAMILTON -  The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) was informed via self-reporting that one staff member employed at Hamilton Aged and Infirmed prison has tested positive for COVID-19.   
Samantha Rose, Public Information Specialist with ADOC stated that the individual promptly self-quarantined under the direction of their healthcare provider.
According to Rose, ADOC’s Office of Health Services (OHS) has initiated an investigation to determine which, if any, ADOC inmates or employees may have had direct, prolonged exposure to this staff member.

GUIN - A photo captured by an 11-year-old Guin resident will hang in Congressman Robert Aderholt’s office in Washington, D.C.
Ava Bellew, 11, daughter of Bobby and Heather Bellew, submitted a photograph to Aderholt’s Picture of the District Contest in May.
Her photo was selected as the districtwide favorite by popular vote on social media. The image, titled “Spring in Alabama,” has also been uploaded as Aderholt’s cover image on Facebook and Twitter.

Brilliant - A family will have roughly 80 acres of land de-annexed from the Town of Brilliant.
Six tracts of land belonging to the Wild’s family will be removed from Brilliant’s incorporated limits effective Aug. 1.
The land was de-annexed through a local act of the Alabama Legislature, Senate Bill 331, which was passed by the lawmakers on Friday, May 8. The bill was made into law on the last day of the 2020 Legislative Session (Monday, May 18).

HALEYVILLE - A Haleyville man has been arrested, charged with an ethics violation in relation to his work as a probation officer.

MONTGOMERY - The Marion County Commission is another step closer to a new Marion County Jail.
Marion County State Rep. Tracy Estes, R-Winfield, introduced local bills to the Alabama House of Representatives during the 2020 Legislative session, one of which may help the Marion County Commission in its plans to build a new jail facility.
One bill sees Marion County applying a new 7% lodging tax that Estes stated will see individuals visiting the county effected and not residents inside the county.