When I was a teen-ager I worked summers as a baby sitter for $10 a week. Now days one is paying close to that amount for one hour of this service. Our grand-daughter insists this is the price she must charge in order to buy the latest clothing one that carries the correct label. “That’s the only thing that fits right,” I was informed.

By Scott Johnson
Managing Editor

By JESSE LAMAR General Manager Tuscaloosa - The Hamilton Lady Aggies swept every opponent they faced in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Class 4A West Regional softball tournament to punch their ticket to the Class 4A state softball tournament. The Lady Aggies, who finished the regular season as the Class 4A, Area 12 runners-up, started the regional tournament with an 8-4 win over Oak Grove High School. Hamilton took the lead early, posting three runs to the board in the top half of the first frame.

By JESSE LAMAR
General Manager

Florence - The Hackleburg Lady Panthers and the Marion County Lady Red Raiders saw their respective seasons come to an end in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A North Regional Softball Tournament that was held at the Florence Sportsplex between Wednesday, May 12, and Thursday, May 13.
The Lady Panthers and the Lady Red Raiders faced off in the first round of the tournament with Hackleburg earning the 7-5 win over Marion County in the double-elimination tournament.

By Scott Johnson
Managing Editor

HAMILTON - Kayleigh Mariah Childers, a senior at Hamilton High School, has signed with Bevill State Community College to compete on the Bears’ collegiate volleyball team.
Kayleigh, 17, who is the daughter of Jamie and Stephanie Childers, signed with the Bears on Friday, May 14, outside of the Hamilton High School Library. She plans to study forensic science with the goal of becoming a pathological assistant in the morgue.

By JESSE LAMAR
General Manager

Tuscaloosa - The Winfield City High School Lady Pirates saw their season come to an end on Friday, May 14, after losing back-to-back games in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Class 3A West Regional Softball Tournament.
The Lady Pirates, who are coached by Zac Wakefield, came into the tournament as the Class 3A, Area 10 Runners-Up, and matched up with Hale County in their first round contest.

By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer

WINFIELD - State Rep. Tracy Estes, R-Winfield, honored the Winfield City Schools Board of Education during a regular meeting held on Tuesday, May 11, at Winfield Middle School.
Estes stated that he had a resolution passed in Montgomery honoring those working in education during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included those working in the Winfield City School System.

By Scott Johnson
Managing Editor

Albertville - Hamilton’s Kyle Sims finished with a loss in his debut Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) match, which was a three-round bout that ended in a judge’s decision.

Sims, 27, who is 5-foot-9-inches was matched up with 24-year-old Will McCown of Hoover, who stood at 6-foot-2-inches during the Marshall County-based American Fighting League (AFL)’s fight night on Saturday, May 8, at the Sand Mountain Park in Albertville.

MONTGOMERY - Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Alabama is expanding COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to include individuals age 12 and older, effective immediately.
This was announced during an address on Thursday, May 13, in Montgomery.

By LOUIS MELLINI Staff Writer

WINFIELD - Win eld’s historic Zion Missionary Baptist Church will be celebrating its 185th Year Anniversary on Monday, May 23.

The church’s theme for the day will be “Going Back”. Former pas- tor, Bro. James Bunger (1979-1998) will be the guest speaker in the morning service.

Special to the Journal Record

While the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention (CDC) announced May 13 that people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 may go maskless in most places, Alabama’s nursing homes and hospitals are still under federal mask re- quirements.

The Alabama Nursing Home Association and the Alabama Hospital Associa- tion are reminding citizens that they will be required to wear masks when they visit their facilities, even if they are fully vaccinated.

By Scott Johnson Managing Editor HAMILTON - A woman running what neighbors have called a “puppy mill” has been arrested on animal cruelty charges. Julie Akins, 50, of Hazel Avenue in east Hamilton, was arrested on Tuesday, May 4, on 13 counts of second-degree animal cruelty and booked into the Marion County Jail. She was released the same day on a $6,500 bond.

By Scott Johnson Managing Editor HAMILTON - Motorists will soon spend less time waiting at red lights due to a now-approved overhaul of the city’s traffic light system. The Hamilton City Council voted unanimously during a meeting on Monday, May 3, to purchase camera-based sensors for $105,000.

By LOUIS MELLINI Staff Writer Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Alabama’s COVID-19 public health order will end Monday, May 31, 2021, and the state of emergency will end Tuesday, July 6, 2021.

By Scott Johnson Managing Editor Montgomery - The Alabama Legislature has voted to legalize the use of medical marijuana and now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk. The bill will give Alabama residents with qualifying medical conditions the ability to obtain a medical cannabis card to purchase marijuana for medicinal use if recommended by a physician.

MONTGOMERY – In light of a recent debate in the Alabama Legislature, Rep. Tracy Estes, R-Winfield, has confirmed his commitment to public education and his opposition to using public tax dollars to fund charter schools.
“Those who know me will attest to my long-standing commitment to public education, as a parent, journalist and former school board member,’’ Estes said. “Since returning to Marion County in 1991 to raise my family, I have worked closely with public education in some form or fashion and will continue to do so as long I have the health to serve.’’

By Scott Johnson
Managing Editor

Hackleburg - As of late April, the Town of Hackleburg is now operating its own sanitation detail to roughly 700 local accounts.
All customers east of U.S. Highway 43 will have their garbage collected on Wednesday. Those west of Highway 43 will be served on Thursday.
Customers are recommended to have their cans out by the road no later than 7 a.m.

By Scott Johnson Managing Editor HACKLEBURG - Nearly 70 individuals formed a human cross under Hackleburg’s caution light on Highway 43 on Tuesday, April 27. Over the last decade, the formation has become the way for Marion County and Hackleburg residents to remember the 25 people that were tragically lost when three tornadoes plowed through the area. The cross symbolizes the hope of resurrection in spite of the imminence of death--a hope that Hackleburg has seen realized as the town has been reborn out of the rubble of April 27, 2011.

Some of you have inquired how Alabama will fare in Washington after Senator Shelby retires at the end of 2022. The answer is that it will be nothing less than devastating for the Heart of Dixie. The amount of federal dollars that Senator Shelby has individually brought home is incalculable and irreplaceable. Alabama is going to be in the proverbial boat without a paddle in 20 short months. We will have negligible power in Washington and for a state that depends on federal dollars, that is not going to be a good position to be in for Alabama.
 

First-time Marion County authors M. J. Carley and Martha Young have both had works published in the past year. Both authors secured contracts with Christian publishing Covenant Books Inc. of Murrells Inlet, S.C.--Carley’s mystery and suspense novel Right as Rayne hit shelves in May 2020; Young’s Finding April was released Feb. 18, 2021. Carley and Young are both employees at NTN-Bower in Hamilton.