Over the last two years, there has been a heightened number of attacks on female runners, which begs the question — are we safe alone?
The Memphis case in which Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year-old mother and teacher was found slain after her early morning training run, was one of several...
Father's Day is the day that we come together to honor and appreciate the extraordinary fathers in our lives. From the moment we take our first breath, fathers assume a pivotal role in shaping our lives. They become our protectors, mentors and providers. Whether biological, adoptive or a father...
Governor Ivey has proclaimed Nov. 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as Small Business Saturday in Alabama.
Small business really is the bedrock of Alabama’s economy. It accounts for 99.4 percent of all businesses in the state and employs about 47 percent of the workforce, according to the latest figures from the...
As the new year begins and we reflect on 2020, we are faced with the sad reality that almost 4,800 Alabamians have died from COVID-19, the highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Last spring when we learned about the illnesses and deaths due...
Cheaha State Park's Callie Thornton takes in the vista at Bald Rock. (Photo by David Rainer)
By David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
From a shaded retreat on John’s Bay in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta to the boardwalk atop the highest mountain in the state, the Alabama State Parks...
“But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.”
John 16:13 NIV
Personal trainers are a wonderful asset in a person’s life. Almost everyone would love to have one. They work with individuals on a one-on-one basis to help them develop strong and physically...
Christmas is my favorite season of the year. Christmas music is one of things about the season that I love so much. I love the story of the birth of our Savior, and the best Christmas music tells that wonderful story through song.
Some of the most beautiful songs that...
Carol Berry, left, with Jamie Sims, right, of Victim Services of Cullman, Inc. (contributed)
I am excited to partner with the Cullman Tribune to write this weekly series, “Community with Carol.” This series is focused on community awareness.
As a lifelong Cullman resident, I love my community! I have owned and...
Each year, a local veterans’ organization leads our county observance of Memorial Day. Since this occasion is meant to remember and honor those Americans who have perished in service to our nation, this is a more subdued and solemn event.
This year, our county Memorial Day observance will be hosted...
The Cleaning Agent That Has Superpowers
With the many uses and capabilities of vinegar, it’s astonishing that there hasn’t been an infomercial about this amazing product. I can see the video reel now: “It cleans, it shines, it disinfects, it deodorizes, it protects. But wait, there’s more! It’s naturally derived...
For whatever reason, I decided today was going to be the day. Without hesitation, I walked into the bedroom with purpose and called to my wife Carol, who was watching a movie on her iPad.
I got right to the point and said, “Hey, the time’s come. I should have...
The summer mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, are the setting for this book, which is about three women in three different eras written by three different authors. Money, old and new, and secrets held in the boathouse dominate the story.
The first storyline is set in present-day Newport with Andie Figuero, who...
I drove by our community ballpark the other day and saw that the All-Star baseball games were well underway. It’s hard to believe that the Little League baseball season has already come and gone. Has it already been two months since Opening Day? It seemed like I just saw...
“The First Lie Wins” is a thrilling mystery. Evie Porter seems to be a typical Southern woman living the dream in Louisiana. She and her boyfriend, Ryan, have an idyllic home with a white picket fence, friends and money. Except, Evie does not exist. She is a con artist and Ryan is...
Here are three books to consider adding to your summer reading list, reviewed by Cullman County Public Library Director Sharon Townson.
"Daisy Jones & The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In the 70s Daisy Jones is a well-known party girl on the Sunset Strip club scene. She is a songwriter and singer,...
Ross Harrison, left, with Carol Berry, right (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
This week on Community with Carol, I continued my interview with Ross Harrison, the PTO president at Sacred Heart School. The history that Sacred Heart has in our community was too much for one interview. (See part...
CULLMAN, Ala. - Cullman County was enveloped in a thick sheet of ice and sleet in the early days of the week, creating the perfect scenery along with ingredients for the perfect storm: slick and treacherous roads. A winter storm brought the wintry mix on Monday night; projections that...
I’ve noticed in recent years, even though I’ve paid for a motel/hotel room in advance, the check-in clerk always wants my credit card for incidentals. That’s so I don’t skip out without paying for that Coke Zero and peanut M&Ms I scarfed down, or that $5 bottle of water...
Left to right: Jamie Brown, Carol Berry and Barbara Whitehead (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
Jamie Brown is my guest this week on Community with Carol. Jamie founded the Senior Outreach Organization back in April of 2018. I have personally attended the Outreach and enjoyed watching Jamie serving the...
I think I may have surely come to that stage and age in life where I can’t…I can’t…well, now I can’t remember what I was going to say. Oh, that was it, that stage where I just can’t seem to remember things. I’ve come to that time in life...
Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force Chairperson Kathy Wilson, left, with Carol Berry, right (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
What is human trafficking? That is what Kathy Wilson explained this week on Community with Carol. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud or coercion...
Kate Quinn has done it again! After authoring numerous gripping novels about women in World War II, she does not disappoint with “Diamond Eye.” It is based on the true story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a sniper for the Russian Army during the German invasion. There were 2,000 female snipers...
When I saw the handwriting on the wall, I knew we were no longer in Kansas; excuse me, I meant Alabama. As a matter of fact, we were approximately 4,500 miles east of my home in Opelika. I didn’t need the prophet Daniel to interpret this handwriting, or even...
My Fellow Republicans,
My name is David Andrews. I am a loyal supporter. Tomorrow is primary day. We will go to the polls and select our favorite candidate for president. I am proudly supporting Marco Rubio. Some people are supporting other candidates. That is okay, because it's part of the...
F-WORDS ̶̶ there are so FLIPPIN’ many FANTASTICATIOUS ones! Here are a few more fun, FLAVORFUL faves after all of these from the former feast: FOOTLOOSE, FANFARES, FUNFAIR, FLATTER, FABOLICIOUS, FAH SHIZZLE MY NIZZLE, FACE-FANCY, FANDANGO, FORGIVENESS, FATHERLY, FAUNA, FELICITY, FRANKNESS, FRATERNIZE and FABOPHILIA.
F-WORDS are figured to form 7,138...
This is the true story of heartache, physical, sexual and alcohol abuse, love, hate, financial burdens and finally, finding joy, happiness and hope.
We trust that you will understand why the names and some of the circumstances had to be changed to protect the privacy and safety of some of...
My first drinks of choice were either a Sun-Rise Orange, Nehi Grape or NuGrape. When I was a little older, my favorite became Coca-Cola. The one I loved most came in a green-colored, 6.5-ounce, thick glass bottle. Maybe it is just my imagination, or my sentimental nostalgia, but I...
CULLMAN – Ten years waiting for the announcement that there would be another movie. Waiting a month and a half after purchasing tickets for the day to arrive. Three hours waiting in line to grab a seat. Waiting through thirty minutes of previews. But when the timeless opening theme...
Jeremy Hogan, founder of Saving Forgotten Warriors (Carol Berry)
Saving Forgotten Warriors’ mission statement is “Advocating for the health, safety and wellbeing of our military veterans no matter the era or conflict.” This statement was exactly what Jeremy Hogan described in our interview this week.
Jeremy didn’t really set out...
I know some of you are going to think I’m out of my mind, and maybe I am. I bought tickets to see the Rolling Stones. Yes, the guys who are in their late 70s and early 80s; the guys whose faces have more wrinkles than a cotton shirt left...
When in the process of moving forward in life, do you ever find yourself gravitating toward what you ran from in the first place? Maybe not the exact circumstances or person, but the recognition of patterns you were trying to break reemerging?
Maybe you left a job due to mistreatment...
During the peak of storm season, our greatest concern is for the safety of everyone who will be affected by a storm. State Farm encourages all residents in the projected path of any storm to protect themselves and their property.
Despite taking proper precautions to prepare your home for a...
Every working-age, able-bodied person needs a good paying job.
Not too many years ago, the dominant manufacturing industry in Alabama was the textile industry. Just as Ross Perot predicted in presidential debates, the textile industry moved to other countries when Congress approved NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).
Alabama’s textile jobs...
Martha Lawrence, left, and Carol Berry, right (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
Martha Lawrence was my guest this week on Community with Carol. In April 2017, Martha started Cullman’s Little Pantry, the first in the state of Alabama. The pantry, a wooden box located on Fourth Street Southeast behind the...
The collector’s edition of “WUNDERGARTEN,” the folktale I set in 1870s Colonial Cullman, was birthed this week. (Signed copies available at Leldon’s in the Cullman Warehouse District by April 25, in time for Mother’s Day gifts.) Saluting the forested hills of north Alabama, it has an engraved wood binder,...
I am the former activities director for Westminster Assisted Living. The reason I am writing you is to provide feedback regarding the CHS Band. My daughter is a clarinet player in both marching and symphonic bands for Cullman High School. She also has chronic asthma and sees a pulmonary...
As we all get ready to remember or celebrate Mother’s Day May 14, my memories of my mother will always remain special to me. I will never forget the moment she passed away and how green her eyes were as she lay still in death.
She always told me she...
Carol Berry, left; Kelsey Rice, right (Photo courtesy of Carol Berry)
“Community with Carol” recently sat down with Kelsey Rice to talk about the local nonprofit, Hope Horses, Inc. Kelsey is a beautiful, soft-spoken young lady with a true love for what she does. As Kelsey began to speak...
Bones and Barrels is one of the most underrated trail races you will find. Zombie Trail Races, a local running company, hosts seven of these races annually. The Bones and Barrels Endurance Beer Mile 5K took place at Palomino RV Resort in Cullman on March 16.
From my perspective and to...
America’s Founders regarded a free press as so vital to the new nation that they took care to include that right in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Founders spoke glowingly about the press as a pillar of democracy and guarantor of liberty. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, famously wrote in...
Succulents require little care, and they reward you with beautiful foliage and occasional blooms.
The popularity of succulents has exploded over the past couple of years. That might be because these are such unusual looking, hardy plants – they practically thrive on neglect.
Most, but not all, succulents come from desert...
MONTGOMERY – We, the undersigned Alabama organizations, representing not just physicians but the thousands of low-income Alabamians served by them, want to express grave concerns with the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA).
The BCRA fundamentally changes how Medicaid is funded, dismantling the program by capping its funding, shifting much of...
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan released an open letter to Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama on Thursday. It appears in its entirety below.
An open letter to Senator Doug Jones:
Stop it, sir. Please just stop it. The NFL referees in the New Orleans playoff game may not have thrown...
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama
MONTGOMERY - On Friday morning, President-elect Donald Trump announced that U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama will serve in his cabinet as U.S. Attorney General. Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan issued the following statement on the nomination:
"The Alabama Republican Party is elated to see Sen. Sessions...
I recently went to see singer Jackson Browne perform at the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham, and a curious thing happened. After the first song, he looked around and said, “I remember this theatre. What a nice place to play music.” It’s a nice place to do most anything....
With any issue, finding the right balance is the key to success. The prison/criminal justice system issue is no different.
The purpose of prisons, in my view, is to keep the public safe! And, provide the opportunity for inmate rehabilitation when possible. We have to be careful with that one.
Innocent...
Dear Coach Saban,
Since I wrote a letter to Kalen DeBoer a few weeks ago and gave him some pointers about the South, I thought it was only fair to drop you a note and give you a tip or two about the strange new world that you are in...
These drone sightings over New Jersey remind me of a time years ago when mysterious lights were spotted over Birmingham, Alabama. I know because I’m the one who did it.
I have to make a confession: UFOs have always fascinated me. Maybe that’s because I watched “The Day The Earth...
Let me begin this review by simply saying, y’all, I could not put this one down. This week, the book of choice has been “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides. This story is a subtle psychological thriller which will have readers convinced they have figured everything out, and then...
Readers who frequent the Cullman County Public Library System share reviews of some of their recently read books.
Submission date: June 22, 2023
Reviewer: Paulette Gentry
Title: “A Corner of the Universe”
Author: Ann M. Martin
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts about the book: This book caused me to think about how a...
When it comes to writing, I have always enjoyed getting things done. I love the feeling that comes when I have completed a piece and feel satisfied by the result. Everyone has something that provides that little release. You are proud of whatever it is that you have accomplished...
This is the third in a series of five. There exists formal research data that reveals that incompetent leadership is a major cause of decline in the Evangelical Church. In my work as a church consultant my observation and research confirm this to be true.
I have often been robustly...
I’m certain that many of you have heard about the drug fentanyl in the news these last few years, the powerful opioid similar to morphine or oxycodone but 100 times more powerful than both of those drugs and much more addictive and deadly.
Fentanyl’s original uses included pain relief for...
Alabamians may have felt their wallets bulge a bit last month when the Legislature approved our bill that slices the sales tax on groceries in half and implements the single largest tax cut in state history.
Alabama was one of only three states that taxed groceries at the full rate...
March marked the 150th month of the war in Afghanistan. Since October 7, 2001, U.S. troops have been deployed there. Their primary task had been to eliminate Afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorism, specifically the bases used to train and harbor those implicit in the September 11th attacks...
After turning 70 this year, I’m performing in my first, classical ballet. Seeing all those ballerinas on tiptoe, I’m wondering—why didn’t they just get taller dancers?
I don’t claim to be an A-student in dance, but I’m trying to be. It’s been my experience that great dancers don’t expect the...
Back in Business: Alabama blows out Bulldogs. Despite a slow start offensively Alabama was able to turn a 21-6 halftime lead into a 49-9 blowout. Quarterback Bryce Young’s Heisman campaign continued with a 20 for 28 night for 348 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Mississippi State head coach Mike...
Obamacare or the “Affordable Care Act” continues to be highly debated four years after being signed into law. Conservatives present it as the poster child of liberal big government overreach. Liberals defend it as the reason they see for government to exist, to protect those with less, and to...
To the Editor:
First let me introduce myself. I am The Town of Colony Councilman Melvin Hammond (Finance) and have been a councilman for two and a half years.
This is in support of Mayor (Donnis) Leeth.
The other candidate, Curtis Johnson, is running for this office, but the following reasons (are)...
