Cullman Today - 09-29-2026

0:09 Good morning, Cullman. Thank you for tuning in to Cullman today. I'm your host, Crystal Quarles, and today is

0:15 Tuesday, September 29th. We have a lot to look at in your local news today, including a storm shelter

0:20 tax credit that could put money back in your pocket, a big honor for the Ave

0:25 Maria Grotto, and a free family event coming to Firehouse Subs. All this, plus

0:30 sports, weather, and more, but for now, let's dive into the top stories happening in Cullman today.

0:39 If you've installed a storm shelter this year, the Cullman County Emergency Management Agency wants you to know

0:45 about a state tax credit and a deadline. Alabama offers an income tax credit of

0:50 50% of the cost of a qualifying storm shelter, up to $3,000. For example, a shelter that costs $4,000

0:59 could qualify for a $2,000 credit. The shelter must be installed at your primary home in Alabama and built to

1:07 withstand an EF5 tornado. Here's the catch. Your application has to reach the Alabama Emergency

1:13 Management Agency in the same calendar year the shelter is installed. For shelters installed in 2026, that means

1:21 by December 31st. Waiting until tax season could make you ineligible. You'll need engineer documentation for the

1:29 shelter, proof of residence, and proof of cost. Find the application at ema.alabama.gov or call the state EMA at 205-280-2200.

1:42 Next up, one of Cullman County's most treasured attractions has been named the best in North Alabama. The Ave Maria

1:49 Grotto was named 2026 Attraction of the Year at the Peak Awards presented by by

1:55 Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourism Association. The Grotto at St. Bernard Abbey features more than 125 miniature structures

2:04 created by Brother Joseph Tussle. Two Cullman leaders were also honored for their work in tourism, Senator

2:11 Garland Gudger and Visit Cullman Executive Director Harmony Heard Steed and Visit Cullman Marketing Manager

2:18 Delaine Van Dyke earned a scholarship to continue her tourism marketing training. Grotto Director Roger Steel called the

2:25 award a wonderful honor for the Grotto's team, St. Bernard Abbey and everyone who

2:30 supports it. To finish out our top stories, kids can get up to up and close with fire trucks

2:36 and patrol cars next month. Firehouse Subs in Cullman is hosting a free touch the truck event Saturday,

2:43 October 10th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Cullman firefighters will bring a fire

2:48 truck, Hanceville Fire and Rescue will show off a rescue vehicle with Jaws of

2:53 Life equipment and a Cullman County Sheriff's Deputy will be there with a patrol car. There will also be face

3:00 painting and kids activities. Firehouse Subs is also collecting bottled water for local fire departments, so bring a

3:07 pack of 24 or more bottles and you'll get a free hook and ladder sub.

3:12 Firehouse Subs is at 1302 2nd Avenue Southwest. Now that we have the top stories out of

3:18 the way, we're going to take a quick break for a before returning with

3:22 sports. Welcome back. Now it's time to find out

3:47 what's going on in the world of sports. In youth football, West Point and Holly

3:52 Pond will play their makeup games tonight at 6:00 p.m. The games will be

3:57 played with 6-minute quarters and 5-minute halftime. And a look ahead to Friday night

4:02 football, two county teams will put perfect records on the line. Addison at 6 and 0 returns to region play and home

4:11 against Bel Green, and Cold Springs at 5 and 0 hosts Gordo. Also Friday, Vinemont hosts Addison,

4:19 Good Hope hosts Sardis, Holly Pond travels to Hokes Bluff, Fairview hosts Brewer, Meek hosts Waterloo, Hanceville

4:28 hosts Susan Moore, and West Point travels to Brooks. Cullman travels to Jasper on Thursday.

4:35 And that covers sports for today, but make sure to check with the Cullman

4:38 Tribune each day for the latest in sports coverage from across the area, and we'll be back after the message.

5:15 Hello and welcome back to Cullman today. Now it's time to speed things up with

5:19 your four and four four stories in under 4 minutes. First up, parents, this one is happening

5:28 tonight. Cullman County Schools is hosting a free parent and student expo at Temple Baptist Church on County Road

5:34 1184. The focus is on online safety, the hidden dangers of the digital world, and

5:40 the warning signs and red flags that parents should know to help protect their kids.

5:45 Registration for dinner and giveaways run from 4:30 to 5:15 and the program starts at 5:30.

5:53 The first 500 registered get a free Zaxby's dinner and a free student bowling pass. Plus, there will be

5:59 giveaways including Yeti coolers, speakers, and gift cards. Next, the Cullman County Fair parade

6:06 rolled through downtown Cullman Saturday, a sure sign that fall has arrived. You can see a full photo

6:12 gallery from the parade at facebook.com/cullmantribune. Also Saturday, Goat Island Brewing held its sixth annual Goat Ober Fest with

6:23 German food, craft beer, live music, and activities for the whole family. That photo gallery is also on the Cullman

6:30 Tribune Facebook page. And finally, a food safety reminder from the Alabama Cooperative Extension

6:37 System. The US saw a big jump in cases of Cyclospora this summer. It's an illness

6:44 caused by a parasite and the FDA has linked this year's outbreak to iceberg

6:48 lettuce. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, cramps, bloating, nausea, and fatigue and they can linger for weeks. If your

6:57 symptoms don't go away, contact your doctor. Experts say you don't need to be

7:02 afraid of fresh produce. Make sure to wash your hands before handling food, rinse produce well, remove the outer

7:09 leaves, and refrigerate the cut produce right away. Now for a quick break before we look at

7:15 the weather ahead and pay our respects to the members we've lost in our

7:18 community. We'll be right back after this quick message. >> Welcome back. Let's take a moment to

8:03 pause and remember those we've lost. Danny Lynn Loggins, 64 of Hanceville, passed away Saturday, September 26th.

8:16 Visitation will be tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Hanceville Funeral Home, with funeral services to follow.

8:23 Burial will be at Bethlehem Cemetery in Locust Fork. John Andrew Warwick, 82 of Hanceville,

8:31 passed away Thursday, September 24th. A visitation and rosary will be Thursday, October 1st from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at

8:39 Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. Funeral mass will be Friday, October 2nd at 10:30 a.m. with burial to follow.

8:48 Our thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and families. Now, let's take a look at today's

8:56 weather forecast. Today will be sunny with a high near 85 and a calm wind. Tonight, clear with a

9:06 low around 57. Tomorrow, sunny and warmer with a high near 89. Calm winds becoming

9:14 south-southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. And tomorrow night, mostly clear with a low around 63.

9:25 And that concludes another edition of Cullman Today. Thank you for joining us. We will be back tomorrow bright and

9:31 early at 6:30. Until then, I'm Crystal Corley and this is Cullman Today. Have a

9:36 good one, Cullman.