I just finished my annual reading of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Wow. As long as I live, I will read this novel. And for me, there’s a bonus. Every time I pick up the book, I’m reminded of a special graduation gift I gave to someone.
Let’s face the facts...
The time has come to paraphrase the lawyer Joseph Welch in the famous Joe McCarthy hearing and address Governor Kay Ivey instead: “Have you no sense of decency, ma'am, at long last?”
Alabama’s coronavirus infections and deaths continue to climb. And among the victims are poor people who fell below the...
Mark Wilson, M.D., health officer, Jefferson County Department of Health
Ray L. Watts, M.D., president, University of Alabama at Birmingham
As parts of Alabama’s safer-at-home measures relax Monday, May 11, health experts — including public health officials and world-renowned UAB infectious disease doctors and researchers — urge extreme caution.
According to...
Alabama Department of Mental Health
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Since 2005, the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) has hosted the Capitol Showcase, a consumer art show. Individuals with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders graciously offer their works of art to showcase throughout the month of...
F-WORDS are not used frequently enough. At least that’s true for some F-WORDS. There are so many FABU F-WORDS, I’ve FINAGLED them into two fragments, 25 in this installment and 25 MORE F-WORDS in the next.
To fortify your familiarity with the four basic facets of “The S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting,...
This is the fourth in a series of five. The average pastoral tenure is three-and-a-half to four years. True loyalty is developed over time and is tested by a variety of circumstances. How loyal are you and how loyal are those you consider trusted friends?
It is often stated that...
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...
I LOVE LIBRARIES and I have a dream of a beautiful, FREE, public one with happy colors, patron-selected seating, art murals, craft/study/activity areas, cubbies, tall windows for lots of daylight, tech/STEM assistance, an array of books + lots of integrated programming.
This innovative library in my imagination is NOT FOR...
On Friday members of the Cullman Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary took part in a march around Sportsman Lake in remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Carrying flags including Old Glory, all five branch flags, the Firefighter and Police flags, as well as...
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...
Anyone who has ventured into the world of animal rescue knows that the list of challenges facing them seems endless. Every day, there is another crisis, another urgent call for help and another day of feeling desperately overwhelmed. Despite the awareness of pet overpopulation and the knowledge that scores...
Good morning!
I have a HUGE project that needs publicity within our Cullman community. I am the librarian at East Elementary and I have a group of advanced sixth graders who have just completed a project-based learning unit where they researched “summer slide” and the benefits of summer reading.
These students...
Carol Berry with Angie Young (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
For the Christmas edition of Community with Carol, I wanted to showcase Hope for the Homeless, a division of Cullman’s Little Pantry. The Little Pantry was installed in April 2017, but this division is brand new. Angie Young is...
Over the next several days leading up to Christmas, Tribune columnist Loretta Gillespie will be sharing Christmas tips with our readers. They will include recipes, craft projects, unique home decorating ideas and more.
Most people start out with good intentions about holiday spending, but by the time Christmas Eve gets...
“If you have no charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”—Bob Hope
HILARITY FOR CHARITY is a perfect example of S.U.N.S. (Smile-Making, Uniting, Neighboring, Spellbinding) GIVING. Now known as, www.WeAreHFC.org, Hilarity for Charity is the brainchild of 21st century comedy legend, Seth Rogen and his...
The city and county schools always do an amazing job at taking care of Cullman’s students and with summer just around the corner, they don’t plan to slow down. This summer, both the City and County Schools are implementing a Summer Feeding Program.
Here in the City, the program begins...
There are a great many diets floating around these days, each with some extreme weight-loss claims and an eating regime that involves either cutting something out or adding something totally weird to your normal meal system. However, there is one in particular that currently holds the number 1 slot,...
Any time you open a new book, you are introduced to a world of endless possibilities. There are a thousand--no, a million different places that stories could take you. As local libraries begin to reopen at full capacity and access to hands-on literature becomes available again, let us not...
Our Congressional Representatives and Senators were called back last week and briefed before the fall session starts. They will have to decide whether to support Obama’s call for a military attack on Syria. I shudder when I think about this whole process. I remember that just before the invasion...
Long time, no see, readers. We are picking after She Reads’ small hiatus and hitting the ground running with this week’s story, ‘A Simple Favor’ by Darcey Bell. This mystery story is told from the three varying perspectives of the main characters Stephanie, her best friend Emily, who we...
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...
It was a horrible, sickening phone call. Within a few seconds, my hopes and dreams were crushed like someone stepping on a Coke can. And to think my mom did it!
Let me elaborate. Growing up, I was a comic book kid. Beginning about the age of 8, I began...
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...
Morning listeners! This morning's selection also has a trivia question...Anyone know whose father was the lead singer of this 1973 hit song by the Main Ingredient? Here's a hint...the son is a very well-known movie star whose most famous line to-date is, "Show me the money!" from the 1996...
This year, the Cullman Elks Lodge will host a community-wide celebration of Veterans Day at Cullman Airport all day, Saturday, Nov. 4. The focus this year will be on honoring our Vietnam veterans. It will include helicopter rides over Cullman, provided by the Army Aviation Heritage folks from Ozark,...
“Shhh” in a Cullman County library was likely first heard in the home of Colonel John Cullmann, the county’s founder. The Colonel was known for having a sizeable collection of books written in his native German, and others in English, the language of his adopted country.
Shhh happens in libraries.
Shhh...
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...
As we approach Christmas, I would like to send a heartfelt wish of good luck to all of you parents out there with young children. You’ll need it. If this is your first time to have Christmas when Santa Claus magically delivers all of the gifts to your house,...
A letter to the editor, submitted by Cullman County District Attorney C. Wilson Blaylock, is presented below without edits:
I agree with the NRA, Alabama Citizens for Life, and the Alabama Farmers Federation: we need Steve Marshall to continue serving as our Attorney General. Despite the “fake news” being pushed...
This is the second in a series of five. In this article we focus on Courage. Perhaps a quote from the well-known exchange in “The Wizard of Oz” provides insight into this quality. Listen in as Dorothy challenges the Cowardly Lion.
Dorothy: My goodness, what a fuss you're making! Well, naturally, when you...
Today (Friday, March 6, 2020), when the Pickens County Medical Center closes its doors, it will become yet another sad statistic among the now 14 hospitals in Alabama that have shuttered their doors since 2011. Eight of those have been in rural communities.
There are other shocking statistics, too, about...
Census 2020 kicked off in March, shortly before the word “coronavirus” entered our everyday vocabulary and upended life as we then knew it. And while the Census is not presently on the forefront of the vast majority’s minds, it is enormously important to Alabama’s future.
Alabama is currently reporting a...
As the director of the state agency charged with safeguarding Alabama’s environment, I have great respect for and deep appreciation of our state’s wonderful natural resources and rich biodiversity of species and habitats, including many that are unique to Alabama. Protecting human health and those environmental treasures is precisely...
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)...
Moving forward...
CullmanSense was launched on Dec. 31, 2010 as a daily e-publication and quickly grew into Cullman's only Monday print publication in less than one year.
On April 1, 2016, CullmanSense acquired The Cullman Tribune, Alabama’s oldest continuously published weekly newspaper.
For the last year, CullmanSense has been the online presence...
Though I cannot speak much to what exactly I was expecting from “Then She Was Gone,” author Lisa Jewell’s name has come up several times amongst discussions with literary colleagues, and I was hopeful in finally including one of her works in my now routine search for new material...
The Protestant Church is in greater need of reformation today than the Roman Catholic Church was in the 16th century. Absolutely true!
“The Emperor's New Clothes” is a Danish fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen and first published in 1837. The phrase “the emperor has no clothes” is often...
While it sounds simple, creating places where neighbors get to know neighbors is the key to growing a thriving place to live. That’s what Dr. Ray Oldenburg, an urban sociologist, describes in his book, “The Great Good Places.” If first places are our homes, and workplaces are second places,...
CULLMAN, Ala. - National Agriculture Day, commonly referred to as National “Ag” Day, is coming up on March 24, and Cullman County’s Farm-City folks are gearing up for a series of events around the day and through the season to celebrate farmers and agriculture in Alabama and the Cullman...
I’m not a handyman. I truly wish I was, but it’s just not in my DNA. I can’t make a straight cut on a 2x4 to save my dog’s life. If you give me a hammer and a handful of nails, all you’re probably gonna get are bent nails....
Following is an opinion/guest editorial piece- Part 3 of 3: The American Church – The path to effectiveness- submitted by Pastor Tom Fillinger, IgniteUS Ministries- info@igniteus.net.
The decline of the American church is an issue that is beyond dispute. That being the case, what is the cure for what ails...
CULTIVATE CULLMAN: The Countywide Arts & Gardening Celebration, which includes “Culinary Cullman” and musicians with Cullman County roots, grew from a seed of an idea to a big, beautiful, flowering thing faster than kudzu after an Alabama summer rainstorm. (Date for the 2024 CULTIVATE CULLMAN Arts & Gardening Show...
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...
ODE TO WANDERLUST
I long to walk there, maybe there and then there.
More joy-filled I’ll return, you may surely trust.
In my lifetime, I shall flaneur everywhere,
Just my feet, my daydreams and wanderlust.
“I love to go a-flaneuring” just doesn’t have quite the earworm viability of “I...
From the Alabama Press Association:
The International Trade Commission unanimously voted today to reverse the newsprint tariffs. We will know about the commission’s reasoning when it issues a final report on Sept. 17. The cash deposits will be refunded to newsprint manufacturers, but that will take several months.
Thank you to...
I spent all day yesterday in my attic. Hunching over to avoid the gabled beams, I labored for hours packing away Halloween and Thanksgiving/fall decorations, stacking items collected over a lifetime to the rafters.
I was especially nostalgic this year, taking care to pack carefully in case someone else had...
Photo shows James Webb Space Telescope mirror segments.
“Yeah, sure, NASA launches rockets and sends probes into outer space. It’s neat I guess. But, so what? What they do doesn’t affect me personally.” I’ve heard a few folks say this in my 23+ years with NASA. And every time they...
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...
At the heart of every great community are its seniors. Cullman County is no exception, and with hard-working entities such as the Cullman County Commission on Aging and Senior Outreach, the county if full of fun activities for its seniors. So much so that the Cullman’s special events often...
Dear Editor,
On September 12, 2020, a horrendous crime was committed to someone very near and dear to our hearts. Herndon “Junior” Self was a hard-working and outgoing husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and uncle whose only fault was putting his trust in the wrong person.
The shocking part about this...
Local legislation is often required to authorize a local entity to do something specific that otherwise is not authorized by law or the state constitution.
Local legislation can usually be passed if all the local legislators, House and Senate agree or at least do not oppose the proposed local law.
For...
This spring at a yard sale, St. Bernard Abbey was selling some outdated student desks. My dad had been a professor at the college, and in a rare moment of sentimentality and reckless spendthrift-ery, I bought one for $35 and began photographing places around Cullman County where my dad...
Big 10 Equals Big Matchups. To kick Saturday off No. 6 Michigan faced No. 6 Michigan State in what would produce a classic. Although Michigan struggled to turn the redzone opportunities into touchdowns for much of the first half yet found themselves up 30-14 with 6:47 left in the third quarter. The...
Since the early part of 2020, Covid-19 has been a major element in our daily lives. It’s rare to speak to a neighbor, coworker, family member or church member that hasn’t lost someone to the Covid-19 virus. Altogether, the U.S. has had 80 million documented cases with over 984,000...
“The Lincoln Highway” is Amor Towles’ third novel. His previous books are “The Rules of Civility” and “A Gentleman in Moscow.” All three are bestsellers. Set in 1954, “The Lincoln Highway” is considered by many to be his best.
The book’s style is to have each chapter told by different characters. Some readers do not like...
“Love & Saffron” was written by Kim Fay, who is from Washington state. Her previous books are “Communion: A Culinary Journey through Viet Nam,” which was a Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner and “The Map of Lost Memories,” an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel. “Love and Saffron” is an epistolary (a...
The Dripping Springs Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented Good Citizens Awards to Owen Griffith Lovell, of Cullman High School, Jefferson Lee Wayne Boyett, of Cold Springs High School, Taylor Lee Dover, of Fairview High School, Dawson Foust, of Holly Pond High School, Hannah Nicole Sumner,...
MONTGOMERY - Final passage of a five-year farm bill by Congress today (Dec. 12, 2018) was welcome news for Alabama farmers eager to prepare for the 2019 crop year.
The House of Representatives approved the bipartisan legislation by a 369-47 vote, following Senate passage on Tuesday by an 87-13 vote....
“I am running. I am running through moonlit woods, with branches ripping at my clothes and my feet catching in the snow-bowed bracken.” With this line, “Into A Dark, Dark Wood” by Ruth Ware grabs readers’ attention immediately and refuses to let go until the story has reached its...
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...
Federal overtime rules which took effect Jan. 1 are having a big impact on Alabama’s small businesses.
The change means more management-level employees are eligible for overtime. According to the Labor Department, the new rule affects an estimated 1.2 million workers nationwide.
Previously, employees classified as managers who earn less than...
It's uncommon nowadays that a business can be prompt, knowledgeable, efficient, reliable, kind and helpful all wrapped in one. It's even more uncommon that you see a business that has all the above plus a team that works together to help get the job done efficiently, timely, and that...
