Marion County

Foster children are resilient but need our help

Dear Editor:
It is time to come together on behalf of over 400,000 American children and youth who are in foster care because their families are in crisis, and they cannot currently provide safe, nurturing home environments. Approximately 5,800 of these children are in Alabama’s foster care system, and 45 of them are right here in Marion County. These children need safe, stable and loving homes where they can stay until they can safely reunite with their biological parents or establish other lifelong family relationships.

What’s happening to senior centers?

MARION COUNTY — Marion County’s Senior Centers have been facing quite the problem with funding in the last several months.
With federal COVID funding now coming to an end, many centers are reporting that Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments have been unable to support centers with much needed funds to pay for meals and taking on new clients.

Marion County hosts weather radio giveaway

Weather radio

Pictured is one of the radios that will be supplied to those who attend the Marion County EMA weather radio giveaway.

MARION COUNTY — The Marion County Emergency Management Agency will  host a weather radio giveaway and HyperReach sign up event  on Saturday, April 22, in Hamilton and Winfield.
Marion County EMA Director Eric Terrell stated the event will be held in Hamilton at the Hamilton City Hall and at Winfield City Hall from 8 to 11 a.m.
Interested individuals may attend the event to sign up for Marion County’s free HyperReach weather notification system and receive one weather radio per household.

Early morning tornado leaves behind destruction

Tornado

An early morning tornado batters the northeastern part of Marion County, between Hackleburg and Bear Creek, Saturday. What is left of the residence of Eugene and Tracy Marbutt on Chalk Mine Road is shown above.

After early Saturday’s major storm, north Marion County has now suffered two tornadoes in just a week.
Just as the county was catching its collective breath from last week’s tornado weather, Marion County was hit by yet another storm system that brought with it another tornado, this one making it to an EF-1.
According to the National Weather Service, the tornado began at 2:32 a.m. on Saturday morning just east of County Highway 348, three miles south southwest of Hackleburg.

County suffers storm damage

MARION COUNTY — Marion County was hit by severe weather yet again this weekend, with many fearing the worst after reports that a tornado damaging much of Amory, Miss., was heading close to home.
Just as storm winds made their way to the county line, the tornado dissipated, but straight-line winds continued to cause damage and power outages across the county late Friday night.
Marion County Emergency Management Agency Director Eric Terrell stated many in Marion County suffered from property damage as well as downed trees and power lines.

Drive: The Roberson Coy Sullins story

Coy Sullins

Coy Sullins stands with a creation of his about 1940 in Florida.

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer — With information from Rob Swinney and Marie Sullins Holmes
When it comes to car transmissions, many folks nowadays don’t know how to operate manual transmissions, or “stick-shifts.” Manual transmissions have mostly fallen out of favor after the rise in popularity of the automatic transmission.
One Marion County man might have had a significant role to play in this transmission transition.

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