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    In many areas of Alabama, blogs or Facebook pages have begun to function as news agencies. While those entities can be helpful in distributing information, they lack the accountability to be considered an actual news outlet. In my opinion, a news outlet should be credentialed in some form. Being a...
    On any given day, there are tens of thousands of people being trafficked into and within the U.S. A large percentage of the victims are minors, often young females, who are brutally forced to perform commercial acts of sex or labor against their will.  January is National Human Trafficking Awareness...
    The doctors call it “COVID fog,” and it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as respiratory issues and ventilators. It is a very real effect of COVID-19, though, and it can be difficult to define as it strikes different victims in different ways, including striking some not at all.  This...
    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...
    There was an article concerning the Alabama Legislature 2021 Session in The Cullman Tribune on January 2, 2021. Garlan Gudger and Randall Shedd commented on whether or not to allow gambling and in which forms it might take. I am concerned that the article did not mention that there...
    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...
    Prescription benzodiazepines can treat several conditions, including epilepsy, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. However, professionals continue to debate as to whether long-term use of these drugs is medically acceptable. As more information has surfaced regarding these drugs' addictive potential, medical professionals have shied away from prescribing them. Psychiatrists...
    At midnight on Jan. 1, 2020, I was at Goat Island listening to the band perform with my dad and thinking about the year ahead. Even in my wildest dreams, I don't think I could've predicted how things actually turned out. My spring break stay at home turned into an...
    This year has seemed longer than others, and it's hard to believe that J. Lo and Shakira’s Super Bowl halftime performance was less than a year ago. Remember when THAT was the craziest thing about 2020? Looking back at 2020 could be a stroll down gloomy lane for some,...
    On behalf of Double CK Bucking Bulls and Second Chance Rodeo Ministry we would like to take a few minutes to say thank you to our sponsors from this year and give you a brief glimpse into the year and what your sponsorships made possible. I couldn’t possibly put...
    Editor's note: A post on a local Facebook page Saturday afternoon used a second-hand quote from Cullman physician Dr. Adam Harrison regarding in-person worship services without context or verification from Harrison himself. Sunday, Harris responded due to the heated debate that ensued as a result. Below is a letter,...
    “I Miss Precedented Times.” That’s a T-shirt slogan seen recently, and indeed the year 2020 has brought unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus COVID-19. As December begins and the weather becomes colder, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have increased in Alabama, and it is feared that activities associated with...
    My family and I experienced a near tragedy this week. I want to share this to give some insight into our current COVID situation but also for other reasons. My precious Mother fell, causing a brain bleed. I want to give a big shout out to Cullman Medical Center...
    This Thanksgiving will be different from any other we have had in our lifetimes.  This past year has been a struggle, as every single one of us has had their normal lives disrupted.  Many of us have also lost friends and family as the coronavirus has swept through our...

    Op-Ed: An inspirational pick

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    A century ago, the Suffragettes finally succeeded in winning the right to vote for women. They would be thrilled to see the nomination of a woman so uniquely qualified to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court as Judge Amy Coney Barrett, were they alive today. It’s easy to imagine...
    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...
    Editor:            Almost 20 years ago we retired to the great state of Alabama. When the “dust” settled we began to pay attention to our local representation and learn all the new names and faces. It took a long, long time to figure out who our U.S. House Representative was. Congressman...
    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...
    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...
    September 11, 2001 – Sarasota, Florida: It was a beautiful day as I stepped out of a bungalow at a tennis resort where President Bush and his traveling team, including Secretary of Education Rod Paige and I, had stayed overnight. As Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of...
    This will be a cross between a sports story and an opinion piece.  When you first start reading, you may ask, “Why is this in this paper?  This isn’t about a local sports player.” Read to the end, I think you will understand….. Kaetlyn McGriff is a volleyball player from Huntsville Junior High School...
    After the recent Letter to the Editor from my opponent, I commented that I have never heard, thought or said that Mayor Dodson has done anything illegal whatsoever. I want to say, in this election, the choice is between two very different candidates. We have  tried to knock on every...
    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)...
    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 far as this election goes, there have been several things said defaming my character. One, there’s things that have been said about things that have happened in the town that I have done illegally. I want to set several things straight. First of all, I have lived in this...
    Editor’s note: Heather Mann is a reporter for The Cullman Tribune who recently returned to campus at Auburn University for her junior year. Classes at Auburn University started Monday, but events have been taking place since Aug. 10 (the start of the university's Welcome Week). With more than 30,000...
    CULLMAN, Ala. – When it comes to needing some “wind therapy,” sometimes you can only afford a day ride, which is sometimes all you need. I want to share some personal favorite trips of mine and other local roads I’ve seen recommended. If you don’t ride, you don’t have...
    In a few weeks, kids will be heading back to school for the first time in five months. Wednesday, Governor Kay Ivey addressed the state informing us that students and teachers from second grade through college will be required to wear a mask at school until Aug. 31. The...
    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...
    My fellow Alabamians: In a few days, America will celebrate her 244th birthday. Traditionally, many towns and cities around the country light up the night with fireworks and music festivals. In 1776, John Adams predicted that Independence Day would be “celebrated by succeeding generations” with “pomp and circumstance…bonfires and illuminations.” However, largely...

    Opinion: 112 days

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    112 days. That’s how long our seniors, the members of the Greatest Generation, have been locked down inside assisted living and nursing homes. 112 days. That’s how long the senior centers have been forced to remain closed. 112 days. That’s how long the rest of the world has continually...
    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...
    Since August of 2017, I've been surrounded by orange and blue and calls of "War Eagle." Auburn became my second home (though Cullman will always be my real home), and the friends I made became my second family. I didn't know how many other students from my graduating class...
    I have been practicing medicine 28 years, and coronavirus is an altogether new experience for me. The biggest surprise for me is how rapidly my own opinions have changed. I have gone from, “COVID-19 won’t be that big of a deal here” to, “This is a VERY big deal”...
    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...
    May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. If you remember my piece from last year or know me outside of my profession, you know I’ve been riding motorcycles since July 2018. The number of close calls I’ve had in that short amount of time is high. I’ve gained more experience...
    This is a difficult day for all of us. New unemployment numbers released this morning, some of the worst in our nation’s history, paint a grim picture of the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of Americans, and many of our fellow Alabamians, are out of work...
    Community colleges in Alabama and across the nation have responded quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic, making contributions to enhance capabilities of emergency responders and health care professionals.  Two-year public colleges have the unique capability to re-skill the workforce as the state and the nation prepare to return to productivity...
    It has been 75 years since the end of World War II. Today, May 8, we celebrate V.E. or Victory in Europe Day, the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. Later this summer, we will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of V.J. or Victory in Japan Day, the formal surrender...
    While we are all experiencing a NEW way of life during this pandemic, I have experienced and seen a lot of good during this time. The good of everyone working together and doing their part to keep themselves and families safe. The good of taking care of others and...
    As we honor our war dead this Memorial Day, please remember the extraordinary price Vietnam veterans have paid. If you have never visited the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., I urge you to do so. Being a Vietnam veteran, I knew from its construction that I must visit.  Yet,...
    It may not have sounded like it on the surface, but Gov. Kay Ivey recently made one of her most encouraging comments yet about Medicaid expansion. “It would be irresponsible,” Ivey told reporters Tuesday, “to think about expanding Medicaid just for the sake of expanding Medicaid without having a...
    The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted everyone’s lives in many ways. Those of us in the media are no exception. There are those, especially on social media platforms, who seem to believe that the media is enjoying this pandemic or even perpetuating it. This is simply not true. The last...
    Even in ordinary times, the more than 760,000 unpaid family caregivers in Alabama face a daunting set of daily tasks. Oftentimes with little or no training, they may be responsible for wound care, tube feedings, dressing, managing the finances and medical bills of their loved ones, transportation and more. Of course,...
    The coronavirus pandemic has been called a war with an invisible enemy. The Greatest Generation taught us to win a war; we have to be “all in” and we can win this one that way, too! Legislators begin each week with a conference call with Governor Ivey and her team to...
    I can remember a time when I dreaded sundown. I was a kid afraid of the dark and the monsters that lived under my bed. Eventually, I realized the monsters were not under my bed but in my head. As an adult, I remember an incident that scared me beyond terrification. (No, it‟s...
    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...
    March 3, 2020 the citizens of Cullman County have an incredible opportunity to set the course for their future.  Voting to support the proposed 1-cent sales tax has the potential to provide approximately $10 million of additional funding for Cullman County and Cullman City Schools.  Said funding will be...
    I am a Christian, an RN who has worked for over 40 years, a wife, mother, and grandmother. The politics and politicians in Washington are being used by the devil to destroy the United States created by our forefathers. We were a country with values based on the Bible....
    With the closing of the past decade, and at the beginning of a new one, economic conditions in Alabama couldn’t be much better.  We at the Alabama Department of Labor have been busy wrapping up statistics and facts for 2019, and we’re happy to share those positive results with...
    First, notice my topic is not the most important state agency. My topic is the most important agency in the state. What agency is the most important in the state? Which agency can impact reduction in crime the most, reduce and eliminate racism, friction among our people, and even reduce and...
    My legislative district is rural, therefore my voice in the Legislature is for rural issues. We’ve had significant success for “rural Alabama” in the Legislature in recent years, primarily because of a focus lead by the Rural Caucus in the Alabama House of Representatives One member of the Legislature told me...
    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...
    Can you imagine being without “city water” or electricity? Without either of those utilities readily available, life would be difficult, and our local economy would be almost nonexistent. Certainly, the poultry industry wouldn’t be what it is in our area today. We can’t imagine being without electricity and “city water,” and one...
    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...
    Holidays are exciting times for many but tough for some. For some, holidays are tough because of the loss of loved ones. Those of us who experience this sadness have to enjoy our good memories and focus on our loved ones still with us. Then, there are many who are lonely,...
    This question has numerous answers, but I would like to hear your answer or answers. I firmly believe education is important to our future. The very first economic development project during my time as mayor of my hometown was to recruit a high-quality preschool, Early Years Preschool. Education continues to be...
    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...

    Op-Ed: Local Legislation

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    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...
    It’s been a little over a month since we learned about the death of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney in Birmingham. That kind of violence against a beautiful child of God is just beyond comprehension. And in the weeks since, we’ve seen the tragic murders of Aniah Blanchard in Auburn and...
    It’s important for everyone to understand the process for road and bridge projects. First of all, please understand that legislators do not vote to do specific projects. We compete with every other legislator in the state for the same state funding for projects in our area. Our job is to try...
    I am thankful for faith, family and freedom! And, I am thankful for senior citizens; they’ve truly blessed my life! I’ve just always been able to connect with seniors. I guess it goes back to the wonderful grandparents I had. One of my proudest accomplishments in public service is the Cullman...
    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...
    This is a theme I’ve been promoting since I arrived in Montgomery. I firmly believe in the Christian principle, “We are to serve, not be served” and that should be the goal of elected officials and those working in public service. Just like all businesses, restaurants, corporate America and even our...
    Dear Supporters, On Oct. 1, 2019, Cullman County Bosom Buddies Foundation, Inc. held the (inaugural) Little Pink Dress (LPD) Benefit. It was a huge success! From that event, and because of your contributions, the Foundation raised over $22,000. We are very grateful to you for making this event such a big...
    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...

    Op-ed: Protect RSA

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    When I say my goal is to protect RSA, (Retirement System of Alabama), I am speaking of preventing changing the retirement of Alabama’s public employees from a defined benefit plan to 401k type retirement plans, which are at the whim of Wall Street. I led the fight in the legislature...
    Tribune Column: Funny Things from Yesterday Today’s article is not a funny, but a sad loss of a dear friend Rudene and I met a couple in Frankweiler, Germany, Basil and Ingrid Holmes, and they became very dear friends to us. We met in 1987 when we twinned Cullman and Frankweiler...
    Right-thinking, fact-driven Americans have hit their high-water mark, frustrated with the liberal news media fabricating stories about conservatives.  Every day, since the Nov. 8, 2016 election (almost three years ago), liberal Democrats and members of the counterfeit media have worked around the clock fabricating, packaging and pounding this president...
    September 11, 2001 – Sarasota, Florida: It was a beautiful day as I stepped out of a bungalow at a tennis resort where President Bush and his traveling team, including Secretary of Education Rod Paige and I, had stayed overnight. As Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of...
    The purpose of this letter is to draw public attention and awareness statewide to a travesty concerning a profession that should command better wages. Some states, cities and counties are much more equitable than others, however, some officials need to be held accountable for the inequity they allow and...
    A new Department of Homeland Security regulation published last Monday will harm the health and well-being of thousands of Alabama families. The so-called public charge rule also will threaten access to health and human services programs for U.S.-born citizen children. When proposed last fall, the regulation drew more than 266,000 public...
    More than half the time I conduct interviews, the episode concludes with the interviewee saying one of two things (actually the same thing in two different ways): “Make me look good, now!”  And yes, most of them add the “now;” this is the South, you know. “Please don’t make me look...
    I have a serious problem. Well, serious might be an overstatement, but it is as least an uncomfortable situation. I live in the deep-south, summer has arrived, and my home’s air-conditioner keeps going out. The breaker keeps tripping. The first time this happened, I didn’t realize the problem. A...
    I’m a combat veteran but I’ve got a job, two kids in sports and I’m busy, or, I’m retired with grandkids and church and keeping up my place, I’m BUSY!!! I just don’t have time to join, and besides, what’s in it for me? According to the VA reps at...
    For several months there has been discussion and downright controversy surrounding the use of lodging tax dollars by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce. It’s time for a formal audit to disclose exactly how and where the lodging tax money is spent. Secrecy and mistrust are two words you...
    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,...
    I have been riding a motorcycle since July 2018. Thankfully, I have not had the experience of having a cigarette butt thrown from a car window land on me, or someone throwing out a can filled with coke and smacking me. I have, however, nearly been hit by drivers...
    One turkey hunter was extremely grateful that the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Law Enforcement Section has a K9 unit, although there is little public awareness of this enforcement asset. Of course, the reason few people have heard about it is this K9 unit does not fit the stereotype...
    UPDATE: "The project has not been shelved. The schedule for the sports complex has not changed because there never has been a schedule. It is a dream project that I hope to see come to fruition down the road, but right now all of the systems' resources are focused...
    If you gonna write for us, I want you to write positive. Anytime the commission name is in an article, it’s all positive. No negatives.” Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker Editorial- Noah Galilee, Cullman Tribune publisher Amendment I “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free...
    Farming Feeds Alabama, but our state’s farmers also help feed the world. That’s why the Alabama Farmers Federation is urging Congress to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement. Canada and Mexico are our first and third largest export markets. This agreement not only preserves our partnership with these neighbors, but it...
    I want to start off by introducing myself. I am an avid outdoorsman, a tournament angler and a high school fishing coach. I have fished all my life, and even though I fish professional tournaments such as FLW and BASS, I have never considered myself as a pro such...
    I am fortunate to work in a school system whose community voted to keep a local tax to improve schools. I am also fortunate to live in a community that has supported an ad valorem tax for the past 60 years. This tax has benefited me as a student,...
    Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman is seen here with supporters in Cullman on June 5, 2018. (Cullman Tribune file photo) On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey signed the Rebuild Alabama plan (House Bill 2) into law—understandably, this measure to increase Alabama’s investment in infrastructure has received a lot of attention. Alabama’s gas...
    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,...
    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...
    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...
    Last week we focused on assessment and why that process is so important. Assessment informs a local church of the true condition of ministry. It answers the question – “Are we making disciples fully formed in the image of Christ in character and conduct?' If not, you are merely...

    Always Reforming: Courage

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    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...

    Always Reforming: Tenacity

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    This is the fifth in a series of five. Our focus today is tenacity. Caleb has long been one of my favorite biblical personages. I marvel at his TENACITY. He made the right decisions. He trusted God. He obeyed. He also endured 40 years in the wilderness as a consequence of the...

    Always Reforming: Loyalty

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    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...
    Ross Harrison, left, with Carol Berry, right (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune) For this week’s Community with Carol, It was my pleasure to sit down with Ross Harrison to talk about a nonprofit that is near and dear to my heart: Sacred Heart School. Ross is the new PTO...
    Carol Berry, left, and Becky Goff, right (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune) I did not have a new guest this week on Community with Carol. I wanted another week to focus on the  United Way of Cullman County.  I could have spent a whole month writing articles and doing...

    Always Reforming: Competence

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    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...
    Becky Goff, left, and Carol Berry, right (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune) Becky Goff has been the executive director of the United Way of Cullman County since Oct 1, 2018.  I had never met Becky until she came to do our interview, but four hours later, I felt I’d...
    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...
    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...
    April German, left, and Carol Berry, right (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune) April German of Victoria’s Hope is my guest on Community with Carol this week. Back in May 2018 I had a conversation with April when she called to ask me how to start a nonprofit.   I gave her...
    These are the winners in the Good Citizen /Essay contest held by the Dripping Springs Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. They were announced at the January meeting. From Left are: Mrs. Julia Floyd, Regent; Catherine Hoffpauir, West Point High School; Madalyn Olivia Williams, Good Hope High School; Kristen...