Last week the Cullman Alabama Bicentennial Committee met for the first time to discuss the upcoming state bicentennial. The state is branding it “ALABAMA 200.” State director of the event, Jay Lamar, came up from Montgomery to kick off the planning stages of the multi-year celebration, which starts next year and ends in the actual bicentennial year of 2019.
Chairman...
The newly upgraded game room in the Colony Educational Complex, seen in this photo from August, will be open for area children over the Christmas break.
COLONY - The Town of Colony is planning something special for its kids and those of the surrounding area. On Dec. 19, the Parks and Recreation Committee will open a game room at the...
CULLMAN - Cullman City Police Department (CPD) Investigator Chris Thomason, Sgt. Scott Sanford and Sgt. Adam Clark on Tuesday arrested Louie Lauton Farr, 64, of Crane Hill on three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Investigators made three controlled buys from Farr in which Farr allegedly sold them synthetic cannabinoids, also known as Spice/K2 or “fake weed.”
Farr is...
Students in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at Wallace State Community College pose with representatives of Footprints Ministry. Pictured from left, are, in front: Erica Barnhouse (Decatur), Gloria Delaney (Madison), Ashley Acker (Huntsville), Alena Jakway (Cullman), Katie Bowers and her children Pearce and Irene, and Michelle Nali with daughter Skylar; middle: Joy Calloway (Fultondale), Makayla Owens (Moulton), Jeri Todd...
HANCEVILLE - Wallace State Community College’s Future Foundation recently introduced a new option for supporters to help meet the needs of students working toward completing their educations. Fund a Need offers supporters a breakdown of specific needs students can face each semester. These needs range from basics such as food and gas to assistance with tuition and fees.
“We see...
Cullman City Schools’ nurses
CULLMAN - It was a night of recognizing outstanding achievements when the Cullman City School Board met Tuesday evening.
First up was the Cullman High School competition cheerleading team, who recently won the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 6A championship at Wallace State Community College and qualified to participate in the upcoming National High School...
The Colony Town Council members are (front) Julian Fields, (center) Jamelle Dimbo, (back, l-r) Mayor Donnis Leeth, Tam Malcolm, Myra Twitty and Curtis Johnson.
COLONY - Council members couldn't say when the town last had a full town council, but it has one now. At their regular meeting Tuesday evening, the council unanimously voted to appoint local residents to fill...
GOOD HOPE - The Good Hope City Council met this week, fresh off a successful parade and Christmas in the Park event over the weekend.
“It was a huge success,” said Councilman Greg Brown. Mayor Jerry Bartlett commended Brown for his hard work with the event, citing Brown’s ability to raise a large amount of funds that the city can...
BAILEYTON - Hundreds turned out this weekend for Baileyton’s fifth annual Christmas celebration at the Baileyton Senior Center. Free food, drinks, fresh fruit, gifts and a free picture with Santa were provided for all those in attendance. The building was packed to near capacity, with more people coming in every few minutes.
“A lot of these kids need this;...
Representatives from the Cullman County Department of Human Resources address the commission during Tuesday's meeting.
CULLMAN - Tuesday’s Cullman County Commission meeting was a packed house, with a public hearing for Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) funding for the Cullman Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) and the execution of a licensing agreement between the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and...
Pictured are CCCDC member Bradley Williams, Dodge City Mayor Tawana Canada, Rep. Corey Harbison, R-Good Hope and Senior Center Director Ann Rice.
CULLMAN COUNTY - The Cullman County Community Development Commission (CCCDC) recently awarded two grants.
The Dodge City Senior Center received $12,000 for upgrades to the interior and the purchase of tables, chairs and other items.
Also receiving $12,000 was the...
Cullman City Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Patterson, Councilman Andy Page, Cullman High School Band Director Christopher Smith, Assistant Director Doug Teuscher and student representatives of the CHS band program (including both marching and symphonic bands)
CULLMAN - The Cullman City Council met Monday evening, with Mayor Woody Jacobs and council members Jenny Folsom, Clint Hollingsworth and Andy Page in attendance. ...
Kirk and Robbie Sue Vantrease
CULLMAN - Kirk and Robbie Sue Vantrease of Cullman are among the nine featured cooks in the just released “Best of Alabama Living” cookbook, published by the Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA).
The Vantreases, members of Cullman Electric Cooperative, are longtime contributors to the recipe pages of “Alabama Living,” the official publication of the electric cooperatives...
Cullman Fire Marshal Chris Chaffin talks fire safety.
CULLMAN - As we approach Christmas, Cullman County fire officials are encouraging citizens to be aware of the unique safety challenges this season brings. Homes often see more clutter, more activity around fireplaces, more cooking, more electrical usage (often with "creative" use of wiring), more people and more distractions.
An informal survey of...
CULLMAN - On Nov. 12 a suicide bomber managed to make his way onto Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. According to Jeremy Hogan, founder of the local veterans’ support organization Saving Forgotten Warriors (SFW), the harm at the base extended beyond the immediate tragedy of lost lives and wounded personnel. Bagram's Post Exchange (PX) was also damaged, which has...
CULLMAN - To quote country music legend Garth Brooks, “It's boots and chaps; It's cowboy hats; It's spurs and latigo; It's the ropes and the reins; And the joy and the pain; And they call the thing rodeo,” and that is exactly what the fans wanted Friday and Saturday night as they filled the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center...
WEST POINT - Ty Parker and the students of the West Point High School Performing Arts program are hard at work. The band may have finished its marching season, but it hardly paused to catch its breath before jumping into its next project: a full-length Christmas program featuring singers, instrumentalists, dancers and even a light show synced to the...
HOLLY POND - On a chilly Saturday afternoon, the Holly Pond Civitan Club put on its Christmas parade with the help of local officials and churches, the Holly Pond and Berlin fire departments, local businesses and organizations and the Holly Pond High School band. Mayor Bill Oliver served as grand marshal.
More than 20 entries took part. In addition to...
CULLMAN - Cullman Christian School's Cullman Christmas Festival and Market (previously hosted by St. John's Church) took place on Saturday, boasting more than 50 unique vendors, providing great food and showing off some of Cullman’s top live entertainment groups. Traditional horse-drawn carriage rides gave the day a old-time Christmas feel.
The Cullman High School (CHS) Jazz Band, local entertainer Shannon...
CULLMAN - In the first week of December, the Cullman High School (CHS) theater department, Cullman Theatre, participated in the State Trumbauer Theatre Festival. After winning best-in-show at district with their one-act production “Godspell,” the group went on to state competition on the campus of the University of North Alabama. They performed to a packed house of more than...
GOOD HOPE - The City of Good Hope held its sixth annual Christmas Parade and Christmas in the Park celebration on Saturday, with the parade starting at Good Hope High School and proceeding to the park by city hall. Local bands, including Hanceville High and Good Hope High, marched, along with Boy Scouts, horse riders, local church groups and...
Tori Partridge
CULLMAN - The Cullman County Democrats met this week, with local sexual education reform activist, Tori Partridge, as their special guest speaker. Partridge spoke to those in attendance about her work in education reform and about the Alabama Alliance for Healthy Youth. After she spoke, the Democrats held their regular meeting where they discussed plans for several events.
Roger...
CULLMAN - Do you have overdue book fines? Now's the time to settle up. The Cullman County Public Library is conducting a "Food for Fines" campaign from now through Dec. 15. For each non-perishable food item you bring in, $1 will be deducted from you total fine amount. All food items received will be donated to local food banks.
Lost...
The winning team
HANCEVILLE - Wallace State Community College hosted the annual Cullman County Scholar’s Bowl tournament on Friday, with county high school and middle school teams converging on the Hanceville campus.
Every year, county schools, along with St. Bernard Prep and Cullman High School, compete against each other in battles of wits and reflexes during the fall semester. Then, just...
Case Graham having fun at Guitars and More, where he works as an instructor.
CULLMAN - Belmont University in Nashville is a pretty high goal for a teenage amateur guitar picker. Its music program is considered the best in the South, and in various polls it ranks among the top 10 in the country. Admission to the program involves academic...
GHMS Robotics team with its robot and recent awards.
GOOD HOPE - While high school robotics is becoming all the rage, some areas of the field are open to middle schoolers with enough nerve to play with the big kids. The BEST program, outlined in part 1 of this series, has a competition category for middle schools, and Good Hope...
VINEMONT - A Vinemont man was arrested for burglary this week by Cullman County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) investigators. Jeffery Lynn Grandstaff, 30, was charged with two counts of third-degree burglary, first-degree receiving stolen property and fourth-degree receiving stolen property.
Grandstaff was arrested with two truckloads of stolen property, which he allegedly obtained by breaking into storage buildings. According to a...
HOLLY POND - On Thursday evening the choir and band of Holly Pond High School put on their annual Christmas concert. The students, 85 choir members and 63 band members (with a few performing with both), gave entertaining performances.
The choir and ensemble, under director and Holly Pond Elementary School music teacher Melissa Roberts, performed several favorites:
“The Little Drummer Boy”
“The...
Wallace State students, from left, Jordan Dover, Zach Brooks, David Hinds, Matt Rush and Lindsey Pope listen to a HudsonAlpha scientist during their visit to Huntsville.
HANCEVILLE – Thanks to Wallace State graduate Casey Smith teaming up with Dr. Jeremy Prokop at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a group of current biology students at Wallace State are getting a leg up...
Dusty the clown and bronco rider Kody Rinehart pose with a young fan.
CULLMAN - The rodeo's in town! The annual Cullman County Sheriff's Office Jimmy Arrington Memorial Rodeo is happening this weekend at the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center. The event, put on by 4L and Diamond S Rodeo Company and the Professional Cowboy Association, will take place Friday...
CULLMAN - A Russellville man was arrested in Cullman County yesterday for allegedly sexually molesting a child.
Cullman County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) investigators arrested Jason Allen McCurry, 38, for sexual child abuse. The arrest stemmed from an investigation that began when McCurry's alleged victim came forward and reported the incident to CCSO investigators. McCurry was indicted by a grand jury...
CULLMAN - Cullman City Primary School teachers Anna Anderson and Amanda Stidham were two of only three Alabama teachers recognized by Athens State University on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Anderson and Stidham each received the Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award in Education ("Outstanding Educator of the Year") for going above and beyond their routine duties. They were recognized for using their...
GOOD HOPE - Good Hope Middle School received the highest middle school award presented at the South’s BEST, or Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology, robotics championship held at Auburn University Dec. 3-4. The team received the first-place Middle School BEST Award, which is given to the middle school team that most embodies the concept and spirit of the competition....
BAILEYTON - The Baileyton Town Council held its first council meeting this week since the new council was sworn in last month. On the agenda were the 2016-2017 budget for the town and discussion of the upcoming Christmas celebration.
In old business, the council discussed the lighting situation at the storm shelter located at 112 Fairview Road. During the most...
CULLMAN - An undercover operation lead by the Cullman City Police Department (CPD) on Tuesday led to the arrest of a Haleyville man on charges of trafficking.
CPD Investigators Chris Thomason, Justin Craft, Scott Sanford and Adam Clark conducted an undercover operation in the area of Highway 157 and Interstate 65, where Marvin Edward Grace, 60, was stopped and subsequently...
Larkwood Drive, following the Christmas 2015 flood
CULLMAN - On Christmas Day 2015 the rain was falling...and falling...and falling. Estimates ranged from 8-10 inches in a 24-hour period, rivers and creeks overflowed, roads were washed away and bridges were submerged. Larkwood Bridge in Cullman sat 5 feet below the water line, while the city's wastewater treatment plant suffered more than...
CULLMAN - A Cullman man is behind bars after being arrested Tuesday on charges of displaying obscene material to a minor, according to a report from the Cullman County Sheriff's Office (CCSO).
Ray Charles Schultz, 26, was arrested by CCSO investigators after a two month-long investigation. Schultz allegedly sent obscene material to a person he believed to be a minor...
CULLMAN - The David Mathews Center for Civic Life (DMC) held its final forum in Cullman Tuesday evening to not only finalize and recap previous discussions, but also bring heart to action.
“How do we get to where we want to go?” was the question the community discussed in the third forum in the “What’s Next, Cullman?” series. Participants came...
Nineteen farmers from Cullman County attended the Alabama Farmers Federation 95th Annual Meeting Dec. 4-5 in Montgomery. Attendees and elected leaders set organizational policies and raised money for agricultural education. The event also included a keynote address from political commentator Dana Perino, who served as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush; presentation of the Service to...
The Fairview Robotics team attended the South's BEST tournament at Auburn University last weekend.
FAIRVIEW - Robotics is a hot new field, not only of study, but of competition for high schoolers and middle schoolers across the country. For students at Fairview High School (FHS), their studies are starting to pay off in the competition arena.
FHS is involved in a...
HOLLY POND - The Holly Pond Town Council met Monday evening at the Guy Hunt Library. In attendance were Mayor Bill Oliver, Clerk Linda Pope and all council members: Carla Hart, Gladys Wisener, Paul Brown, Michele Bell and Lou Thomas.
The minutes of the previous meeting, along with the town's financial report, were approved without discussion.
The floor opened to public...
CULLMAN - A project to formalize a community-wide strategic plan to guide the growth and development of the Cullman area is underway. The Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Chamber President & CEO, Leah Bolin are pleased to announce the launching of the Chamber’s new five-year strategic plan for the community.
After completing a comprehensive interview process...
CULLMAN - A report of a possible armed subject walking on Denson Avenue near U.S. Highway 278 led to the arrest of a Cullman man for unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance on Monday.
Cullman City Police Department (CPD) Investigators Justin Craft, Chris Thomason and Scott Sanford, along with Lt. Jeff Warnke and Officer Adam Walker, responded to the call,...
Vendor Jackie Wade
CULLMAN - It was a drizzly weekend, but that didn’t keep the droves away from this year’s Holly Market at the Cullman Civic Center. The market, formerly called the Christmas Arts and Crafts Show, was hosted by Cullman City Parks and Recreation and featured approximately 80 vendors. While the rain dampened some of the outside inflatables, the...
CULLMAN - The Cullman City Planning Commission on Monday evening unanimously denied Foresite/Verizon Wireless' request to build a 120-foot, monopole design cell tower on Meadowview Circle in the Stiefelmeyer Park neighborhood in northeast Cullman.
The cell tower proposal sparked fierce opposition from some, especially those in the neighborhood, which is zoned R-1, Residential. Opponents argued that the construction of a...
Katie Fine, who attended Wallace State from 2009-2011, is the owner of Karma’s Coffee House in Cullman.
CULLMAN - Katie Fine made it a point to participate in campus activities when she was enrolled at Wallace State from 2009-2011.
“It made me feel good to get involved any way I could. It helped me become more confident in myself and around...
Then Alabama Gov. "Big Jim" Folsom and Tom Drake, right
The Cullman Tribune would like to take this opportunity to wish a very Happy Birthday to one of Cullman County’s most colorful figures, Tom Drake, who turns a very young 86 years old today.
Drake was born on Dec. 5, 1930 and raised during the Great Depression. That era probably played...
WEST POINT - The West Point High Fine Arts program is up to something, and it’s good! On Dec. 10 and 11 in the West Point auditorium, West Point High School Director of Bands Ty Parker and his students will present “All I Want for Christmas is You,” a holiday concert with a stunning light show.
Admission is only...
When: Friday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Cullman Civic Center
Details: Freeman will make his first ever appearance in Alabama at the Cullman Civic Center on Friday, December 9 with one show at 7:30 p.m. He will sing Elvis’s Christmas, gospel and rock-n-roll hits in an almost 2-hour performance. Tickets are $25 and $20 are on sale now at www.kingtributelive.com.
CULLMAN...
CULLMAN - During the holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas, most of us at some point find ourselves in a state of saturation: too much shopping, too much stuff, way too much food. But during this season many Cullman area families, including more than 4,000 children, will hope that they might find just enough to get by. Hunger and...
CULLMAN - This weekend, Emerging Professionals Impacting Cullman (EPIC) held an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party at Top of the Town. The night, including live entertainment provided by Burke Buster Music, a photo booth, food, an open bar and the aforementioned ugly sweater contest, was a chance for Cullman’s next generation of business leaders to gather, celebrate a year of...
HANCEVILLE - What a day for a parade! "Months and months of drought, and now it rains," complained one observer in the crowd. But the complaints were all made with smiles, as the Hanceville Civitan Club put on its 27th annual Cullman County Christmas Parade in Hanceville Saturday afternoon. Rain started less than an hour before the parade and...
CULLMAN - This year’s Share Club Christmas Tour of Homes promises to be filled with wonderful ideas that you can take home and incorporate into your own décor. The tour is Sunday, Dec. 4, from 1-5 p.m.
You’ll see everything from Diane Brown’s impressive Jim Shore collection, which includes a treasured nativity and crèche, as well as numerous ornaments, to...
CULLMAN - On Friday evening, thousands of Cullman area residents lined downtown streets for the city's annual Christmas parade, then filled the stretch from Depot Park to the Festhalle to celebrate the season in style. More than 40 floats and vehicles took part in the parade, and the Grand Marshal was none other than Santa himself, who stopped his...
CULLMAN COUNTY - This week, agents with the Cullman Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) arrested four people on drug charges, in two separate incidents, resulting in the seizure of 19 grams of liquid methamphetamine, a methamphetamine lab, crystal methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The first incident occurred in the Crane Hill community on Nov. 30, when agents executed an arrest warrant...
CULLMAN - A Winston County man was arrested in Cullman Thursday for two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Preston Cheyenne Johnson, 34, allegedly sold Cullman Police Department narcotics investigators methamphetamine in two controlled buys.
Johnson was booked into the Cullman County Detention Center on a $60,000 bond.
Citizens who would like to report illegal drug activity are asked by...
Bethsadia VFD Chief Buddy Carden and former assistant chief Maurice Reynolds agree to meet Saturday.
BETHSADIA - On Thursday evening the board of the Bethsadia Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) met amid high department and community tensions over the recent mass resignation of seven members, including the assistant chief. This departure leaves the BVFD with only four certified firefighters and no...
Abbie Kate Hancock, Carter Bowen, Noah Fondren and Wheeler Eastman broadcasting a bowling game.
CULLMAN - Evolution is a necessity in the world of news and communication, no matter the level in which you are involved. Take ESPN for example. The worldwide leader in sports that broadcasts such huge events as the college football playoffs, Wimbledon and the Masters, started...
Image courtesy of Cullman Police Department, 2014
CULLMAN - This year, the Cullman City Police Department (CPD) will hold its fourth annual Shop-with-a-Cop event on Saturday, Dec. 17.
The event, which is part of a year-round CPD community outreach program, brings less-fortunate children from the city school system together with members of the CPD, giving the kids the opportunity to spend...
Updated 12/1/16 at 6:33 p.m.
HANCEVILLE - The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) on Wednesday released a consent order against American Proteins in Hanceville. The company has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $50,000. The penalty was levied against American Proteins for violations including the company's release of at least 80,000 gallons of wastewater into the Mulberry Fork...
Bethany Kerr and Elena Caudle are the artist and writer of "Serendipitous," a book featuring Kerr's pencil sketches paired with the poems written by Caudle. They are taking donations for copies of the books to be given to children at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, at $10 each. The regular price for the book is $15 for those who would...
CULLMAN - The Brooks’ Place annual Christmas Parade of Trees silent auction will take final bids on Dec. 1. Auction winners will be announced at the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Thursday evening. The proceeds benefit the Child Advocacy Center of Cullman, better known as Brooks’ Place.
Brooks’ Place is a private, comfortable, child-friendly setting that provides a safe space...
Updated 12/14/16 at 6:46 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 2- Friday, Dec. 23
Winter Wonderland
Sportsman Lake Park will be hosting its annual Winter Wonderland light display during the month of December, beginning on Dec. 2 and ending on Dec. 23. This event features animated light displays, Santa Claus, candy and hot chocolate, Victorian-style carriage rides and a Winter Wonderland train. The hours are...
WINSTON COUNTY - Addison High School student Will Gunnin, 16, died in an automobile crash Tuesday evening, four days after he and his Bulldog football teammates played Pickens County in the Alabama High School Athletic Association 1A state playoffs.
According to Alabama state troopers, Gunnin lost control of the 2005 Chevrolet pickup he was driving on Winston County Road 39...
CULLMAN - Cullman Police Department (CPD) Narcotics Investigators Chris Thomason and Justin Craft on Monday arrested Jammy Lee Guthery, 43, of Valley Grove for unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. Investigators previously purchased methamphetamine from Guthery in a controlled buy.
Guthery also had warrants for child support at the time of the arrest and was out on bond for unrelated...
CULLMAN - Local organization Karma in Cullman is coordinating relief efforts for victims of the fires in Gatlinburg.
"Karma in Cullman is working on gathering items to aid in relief efforts for Gatlinburg, Tennessee," said Karma in Cullman Founder Rachel Bryant. "We have a truck going Sunday morning. We are needing bottled water, hygiene products, diapers, wipes, clothing, formula, coats,...
Below is the current list of Cullman County storm shelters, per the Cullman County Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
Community Shelter List by cullmansense on Scribd
GOOD HOPE - The Good Hope City Council held a regular meeting this week, where the council, alongside Grady Parsons of Living Water Services, discussed the future of Good Hope’s utility system, raising the possibility of establishing a long-term maintenance budget in the near future. The proposed budget would be used for needed repairs to the utility system in...
Members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol help rescue people from wildfires Monday night. (Image: Tennessee Highway Patrol)
CULLMAN - Local organization Karma in Cullman today announced relief efforts for victims of the fires in Gatlinburg.
"Karma in Cullman is working on gathering items to aid in relief efforts for Gatlinburg, Tennessee," said Karma in Cullman Founder Rachel Bryant. "We have a...
Keith Chumley and his daughter, Brittany Hamm
VINEMONT - For Brittany Hamm, daughter of Vinemont house fire victim, Keith Chumley, Thanksgiving was bittersweet. She spent the most of the day at the University of Birmingham (UAB) ICU Burn Unit, visiting her father as permitted, thankful that he was alive, although suffering with third-degree burns over approximately 40-50 percent of his...
Councilwoman Jenny Folsom presents the council's resolution to CHS cheerleading coach Erica Ball, with the team and staff in attendance.
CULLMAN - The Cullman City Council met Monday evening, with several orders of business before its members. Mayor Woody Jacobs and all council members were present.
The council accepted the minutes of the Nov. 14 meeting, before moving to committee reports.
Only...
Update 9:03 p.m. Dispatch reports that the fire was contained, but has rekindled. Firefighters are back on scene. The area is 10 County Road 700/ Bolte Road.
CULLMAN - Another fire has been reported in Cullman County. This one is on County Road 700 off off Old Hanceville Highway.
Johnson's Crossing Volunteer Fire Department and the Alabama Forestry Commission are on...
CULLMAN - A Georgia woman was arrested Sunday at a Cullman Wal-Mart store after Cullman Police Department Officer Matt Hollingsworth responded to a call of a possibly intoxicated female on the premises.
Hollingsworth located the suspect exiting the Wal-Mart parking lot in a vehicle. After observing the suspect’s vehicle cross the center line multiple times, Hollingsworth initiated a traffic stop,...
Updated 5:44 p.m. According to Cullman County Fire and EMS Dispatch, there are eight departments still on the scene battling the fire; however, "It is contained at this time."
High winds are keeping the fire active, but firefighters are hopeful that the impending rains will aid in their efforts to extinguish the blaze.
Updated 11 a.m. Logan, Good Hope and Trimble...
Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry recently received the 2016 PALS Governor's Award for helping reduce litter on the roads in Cullman County.
Cullman County Sheriff's Office deputies and inmates helped remove, as of the award date, more than 5,500 lbs. of trash from the roads of Cullman County.
"This is truly a team award for all the deputies and personnel who...
HANCEVILLE - Hunger is a bigger problem in Cullman County than we would like to think. In a recent interview, Laurel Moffatt of the North Alabama Food Bank stated that around 4,800 Cullman County children live under the constant threat of hunger. Several agencies are actively addressing the problem, and children in the Hanceville area have a special group...
CULLMAN - Garry Taylor is really into music. He is known to Cullman area residents as the retired band director for Cullman High School. And when a man who has spent a good part of his life conducting a band in Cullman decides to give it up, what does he do? Well, he conducts a band in Cullman, of...
CULLMAN - The Link of Cullman County is excited to announce that because of three generous donors, individuals who wish to give from now until midnight on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, can do so and have their dollars matched up to $55,000. This is part of The Link of Cullman County’s end of the year campaign, “One Heart at...
HANCEVILLE - Recently, the Hanceville City Council approved its new budget. Among the items included are eight new patrol vehicles for the Hanceville Police Department: a modified Ford Explorer for each full-time patrol officer in the department. The total cost of the new fleet, including purchase and law enforcement modifications, will be around $200,000. The surplus sale of 10-11...
HANCEVILLE - The Hanceville City Council held a regular meeting recently to welcome returning and new appointees to various commissions and boards.
The following appointments were made by the council:
Joann Walls was appointed for a three-year term to the Historical Preservation Commission.
Eddie Burkart was reappointed to a three-year term on the Zoning Board of Adjustments.
Jim Sawyer was reappointed to a...
BETHSADIA - A mass resignation at the Bethsadia Volunteer Fire Department occurred this week, with seven members leaving their jobs due to a multitude of reasons, all detailed in a letter sent to the Bethsadia VFD Board of Directors and Bethsadia Fire Chief Buddy Carden. The resignation leaves the community with no EMS or actively certified firefighter coverage.
Those leaving...
COLONY - The Colony Town Council met Tuesday evening at Colony Town Hall. Present were Mayor Donnis Leeth, Clerk Patricia Ponder and all current council members: Jamelle Dimbo (Finance), Curtis Johnson (Parks and Recreation) and Carolyn Twitty (Sanitation and Utilities).
After and invocation by Johnson, the October and Nov. 7 meeting minutes were approved.
The mayor then called for reports. Dimbo...
CULLMAN - The Cullman County Community Development Commission (CCCDC) met recently to distribute grants for the month of November. The amount available for distribution this month was $145,992; however, $100,000 was put into reserve.
Funding for CCCDC grants comes from taxes- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in lieu of taxes and beer taxes. CCCDC board members are appointed by Alabama state...
GOLD RIDGE - On Thanksgiving Eve, a handful of volunteers got up bright and early to feed those in need a Thanksgiving meal. Myra Walker, of Cullman, alongside Karma in Cullman, a local charity organization founded by Rachel Bryant, orchestrated the event for the third consecutive year at Gold Ridge Community Center.
One of the volunteers who dedicated her day...
WEST POINT - Local runners and a few not-so-much runners got together Thanksgiving morning to run a challenging course, enjoy a little fellowship and help raise funds for the West Point Elementary School Playground Project. The Lil’ Warriors 5K Turkey Trot drew 37 participants, a broad spectrum from young to old, from fit to fitness-challenged, from serious runners to...
Councilman Taft Dillashaw, Coach Alan Scott and members of the GHHS football team wash dishes.
Tribune reporter W.C. Mann shares his experience at yesterday's eighth annual Good Hope Community Thanksgiving Meal.
GOOD HOPE - In the Bible we are told, "The greatest among you will be a servant to you. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles...
Per City of Cullman:
City offices will be CLOSED Thursday & Friday, Nov. 24-25, 2016, for the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no residential sanitation and recycling pickup on Thanksgiving day (Thursday), but Thursday and Friday routes will operate on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. Please contact a specific department with questions about that department's holiday schedule of operations. Have a...
Diagnostic Medical Sonography students Leah Price, left, Vi Vo, and Macy Williams conduct an exercise at Wallace State Community College. The three students are members of the Class of 2016 graduating next month. Every member of the class passed their physics registry, which is one of the requirements for earning certification as a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.
HANCEVILLE - The...
CULLMAN - More than 100 volunteers and approximately 30 drivers will serve 80 turkeys, gallons of dressing, vats of cranberry sauce and mountains of Cullman sweet potatoes today at St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church in Cullman.
An army of volunteers and the Community Thanksgiving Meal Steering Committee, made of up members of various churches throughout the community and spearheaded by...
Wallace State’s Chancellor’s Award recipients were recognized Tuesday at the Alabama Community College Association (ACCA) Conference luncheon in Montgomery. Pictured are, (left to right): Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics, Dr. Thea Hall, the college’s Career Faculty recipient; Christine Wiggins, the Staff member recipient; Allen Keener, the college’s Career Faculty recipient and Kelley Jones, the college’s Director/Administrative Staff recipient.
HANCEVILLE...
VINEMONT - Members of the Cullman Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) on Tuesday arrested Jonathan Craig Wilson, 39, of Vinemont, Randy Eugene James, 41, of Cullman and Justina Briann Guthery, 24, of Hanceville after executing a warrant at Wilson’s residence.
When agents arrived at the home, they found Wilson, as well as two other suspects, James and Guthery. A search of...
CULLMAN COUNTY - A Birmingham man was killed in an early morning crash on Interstate 65 in Cullman County on Wednesday.
According to Cullman County Coroner Jeremy L. Kilpatrick, Christopher Walker, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene, which was in the southbound lanes of I-65 near mile marker 294.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m., when traffic was stopped...
BALDWIN - Cullman City Police Narcotics Investigators Chris Thomason and Justin Craft, along with Capt. Becky Boyd, on Tuesday arrested James Gorden Adams, Jr., 63, of Baldwin for one count of trafficking in illegal drugs and four counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Prior to the arrest, investigators conducted several controlled buys from Adams, in which he allegedly...
Bennie and Faye Moore are seen here in a photo from 2013, when the couple celebrated their 50th anniversary. Image: The Blount Countian
BLOUNT COUNTY - Bennie and Faye Moore, who lived in northwest Blount County near the Cullman County line and the city of Hanceville, were shot and killed just before midnight Monday night. Their son, 41-year-old Heath Benson...
Plenty of folks came out to enjoy last year's Thanksgiving meal.
The City of Good Hope has some good things going on over the next few weeks, to get its folks into the swing of the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas holiday season. Councilman Greg Brown gives us a rundown.
8th Annual Community Thanksgiving Meal
On this coming Wednesday, Nov. 23, the city will celebrate Thanksgiving...
VINEMONT - Through social media, the victim of Saturday night's fatal house fire in the Vinemont-Providence community has been identified by family and friends as Kim Chumley, 51, of Vinemont. Those friends and family are using the platform to raise funds to both support Chumley's family and pay for her memorial service and burial expenses.
The investigation into the fire,...
You’ll discover everything from unique furniture pieces to fine linens and accessories for the home at Vintage West Home. “We are very proud to carry the full line of Magnolia Home from Joanna Gaines including furniture, home décor, rugs and even paint. We have the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint as well as Hunter Douglas window coverings. We can help...
Money round winner Shon Burton
JONES CHAPEL - On Saturday morning, groups of armed men converged on the west Cullman County community of Jones Chapel. There they shot it out for several hours, before giving up and going their separate ways again. What was the cause? Simple: meat, money and the children of Cullman County.
This was the fourth annual turkey...
Mayor Kenneth Kilgo prepares to call the meeting to order.
WEST POINT - The West Point Town Council held its first meeting since the new council was sworn in earlier this month. Present were Mayor Kenneth Kilgo, Town Attorney Dan Willingham, council members Darion Daniel, Frankie Jones, Gerald Schaefer, Michael Hall and Timmy Smith and Town Clerk Joann Jones.
The meeting...
CULLMAN - If you are looking for somewhere to spend Thanksgiving, either to eat, volunteer or both, here are some great options. As always, check our online calendar for an up-to-date listing of community events at http://www.cullmansense.com/calendar. If we learn of more free Thanksgiving meals, they will be listed there.
Happy Thanksgiving!
City of Good Hope 8th Annual Community Thanksgiving Meal
When:...
