Cullman Today, Monday, Sept. 21

0:01 >> Good morning, Cullman. I'm Crystal Corley, and today is Monday, September

0:14 21st. Coming up, Cullman approves a nearly $158.8 million budget for the new fiscal year.

0:22 Plus, Holly Pond takes a step towards removing a water tower that stood since

0:27 1966. And Cullman City Schools ranks second in Alabama for its share of teachers with

0:35 national board certification. We'll also recap Friday night's football, catch up on four more local

0:42 stories, and check your forecast. First, here are today's top stories. Cullman's new city budget takes effect

0:55 October 1st with lower overall spending and no planned cuts to services. The city council approved nearly $158.8

1:04 million for fiscal year 2027. That includes a $58.4 million general fund, about $760,000

1:14 less than the amended budget for fiscal year 2026, a decrease of roughly 1.3%.

1:23 City Clerk Wesley Moore said the city does not plan to reduce staffing, operating hours, services, or

1:30 programming. Spending across all city funds will drop by nearly $36 million. Moore said that

1:38 largely reflects fewer capital projects moving through the city budget. About $31 million of that decrease comes from a US Highway

1:48 278 project that the state, rather than the city, will now oversee. Quality Quality of life spending will

1:58 fall by about $5.2 million mainly because the lazy river project at Wildwater is finished.

2:06 Spending on public works, public safety, and general government will increase. The city expects local sales tax

2:14 collections for fiscal 2026 to reach about $29.1 million, roughly 2% below last year. Online sales tax revenue is

2:23 projected to rise about 14%. The city says it plans about $5.1 million in broader road infrastructure

2:32 investment. Water and sewer spending will rise as well, driven by inflation, maintenance projects, and debt payments.

2:41 >> [snorts] >> The budget includes a 3% adjustment to the city employee pay scale, and the

2:47 budget adds a health insurance benefit for retirees. In Holly Pond, a water tower that's been

2:53 a part of the skyline for decades is a step closer to coming down.

2:58 The town council voted to declare the tower surplus property. It stood since 1966 but has been out of service for

3:06 years. Mayor Carla Hart said an inspection led officials to decide removal was the best option because of

3:13 safety and liability concerns. The town is reviewing how to take it down. Council members also agreed to update

3:22 the business license ordinance so event licenses stay valid when weather forces a postponement.

3:28 And Hart said several improvements at Governor's Park were finished. The town is still waiting on quotes for upgrades

3:35 to the softball and baseball fields. Cullman City Schools has one of Alabama's highest percentages of

3:43 teachers with national board certification. The district ranks second amongst the state's public school systems according

3:51 to a 2025 ranking it shared. Piedmont City Schools ranked first and Homewood ranked third.

3:59 National Board Certification is a voluntary advancement teaching credential. Cullman did not provide its current

4:05 percentage. In 2021, the district reported that more than 20% of its teachers held the certification.

4:13 Statewide, Alabama has 3,116 national board certified teachers ranking seventh in the nation. Still ahead, Addison and Cold Springs

4:26 stay unbeaten. Good Hope posts a shutout and Vinemont wins a county match-up. Your Friday night football roundup is

4:35 next. >>

4:58 >> Welcome back. Two area teams kept their unbeaten seasons going Friday night. Addison beat county rival Meek 56-6

5:07 building a 49-0 lead by halftime. Zane Smith ran for three touchdowns. Elijah Roberts threw for three and ran

5:15 for another. The Bulldogs held Meek to just 58 total yards and improved to 5-0 overall

5:22 including 3-0 in Class 1A Region 7. Cold Springs rallied past Cleveland 36-21 to improve to 4-0.

5:32 Kason Alexander ran for 102 yards and a touchdown and Cooper Johnson scored twice. Brooks Black added a 90-yard

5:40 fumble return for a touchdown. The Eagles visit Holly Pond this Friday. Fairview beat Sardis 41 to 2. Connor

5:50 Scott threw three touchdown passes and six different Aggies scored. Fairview's defense did not give up an

5:58 offensive touchdown. The Aggies are now three and two and have an open week.

6:05 Vinemont scored 46 points in the first half on its way to a 54 to 14 win over

6:11 Holly Pond. Josh Rhodes threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score. Caleb Speegle

6:17 intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown. The Eagles improved to three and two

6:23 overall and two and one in class 3A region six. Holly Pond dropped to two

6:28 and two overall and one and two in region play. Coldman lost to Huffman 28 to 14 in

6:36 Birmingham. Clayton Colbert threw touchdown passes to Nelson Hollingsworth and Samuel Samuel Ellerby. The Bearcats are now two and three

6:46 overall and one and two in class 5A region five. They're off this Friday.

6:51 West Point came up short at Ardmore falling 15 to 10. Gage Patterson threw

6:57 for 200 yards including a touchdown to J.J. Mink. And Warriors drove inside Ardmore's

7:03 30-yard line late in the fourth quarter but a fumble ended their final possession.

7:10 West Point fell to 0 and 5 and will host Good Hope on Friday.

7:16 Good Hope earned its first shutout of the season winning 46 to 0 at

7:20 Crossville. The Raiders improved to three and one overall and three and 0 in class 4A

7:26 region eight. They visit West Point this Friday. And Hanceville lost to Glencoe 50 to 0.

7:33 The Yellow Jackets led 43 to 0 at halftime. The Bulldogs dropped to 0 and

7:37 5 overall and 0 and 3 in class 3A region six. After the break, a payment change for

7:45 county water customers, designer handbags for a cause, and a new business that lets shoppers bring their own

7:51 containers. >>

8:10 >> Now it's time for your four stories in 4

8:27 minutes. If you pay your county water and sanitation bill through Cullman Electric Cooperative, a change is coming this

8:38 week. Friday, September 25th, is the last day the cooperative will accept those payments. Anything paid to Cullman

8:45 Electric after September 25th goes to the customer's electric account only and will not be credited toward

8:52 water or sanitation. No payment can be processed September 26th through October 4th while

8:59 the billing system transitions. Payments resume October 5th through the Cullman County Water

9:05 Department with a grace period in effect. Customers who use automatic drafts will need to sign up again with the water

9:13 department. Their current enrollment through Cullman Electric will not carry over. A new Cullman store is giving shoppers a

9:22 way to reuse containers for everyday household products. The Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon

9:28 cutting September 17th for Shafer Refillery owned by Jennifer and Christopher Shafer. Customers can bring

9:35 containers from home and refill them with laundry detergent, dish soap, and household cleaners. The store also sells

9:42 soaps, reusable household items, and gifts. It's at 2018 2nd Avenue Northwest. Young artists have a chance to turn

9:52 their interest in plants into a prize. The Cullman County Master Gardeners are accepting entries for their

9:59 fifth annual youth art contest. It's open to students in first through sixth grades. This year's theme is

10:07 houseplants and mushrooms. Students should draw a plant or mushroom and research a few facts about it. Cash

10:14 prizes will be awarded in each grade. Entries must reach the Cullman County Extension Office by 4:00 p.m. Friday,

10:22 October 2nd. Designer Bag Bingo is coming back to support United Way of Cullman

10:29 County. The fundraiser is Thursday, November 12th at Cotton Creek Venue. The pre-party starts at the Goat at 4:00

10:37 p.m. Doors at the venue open at 5:30. Guests will play for designer handbags

10:44 with proceeds supporting United Way's 18 non-profit partner agencies and programs. Tickets and tables are available through

10:52 Eventbrite or the United Way office. And that's your four stories in four minutes.

10:59 After the break, we'll pause to remember those we've lost, then check your forecast.

11:09 >> I'm a star. >> >> I'm a star.

11:24 >> >> I'm a star. >> >> I'm a star. >>

11:44 >> Let's take a moment to pause and remember those we've lost. >>

11:53 >> Tommy Lavier Lang, 84, passed away Thursday, September 17th. A celebration of life will be held at First United

12:01 Church of Cullman with details to be announced at a later time. Misty Blake Lloyd, 46, of Cullman

12:09 >> >> passed away Saturday, September 19th. Visitation will be this evening from

12:13 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Cullman Funeral Home. Funeral service will be tomorrow at 1:00

12:18 p.m. at Eva Baptist Church. Burial will be at Center Grove Cemetery. >>

12:24 >> Our thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and families. Turning now to your forecast, we're

12:33 starting this week with more heat and rain chances pick up tonight and tomorrow.

12:41 We'll start today with areas of fog before skies turn mostly sunny. The high

12:45 will be near 94, but it could feel closer to 102. There's a 20% chance of shower

12:52 or thunderstorm this afternoon, and tonight that rain chance goes up to 50%. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a low

13:01 toward 68. Tomorrow brings a mix of sunshine and another chance for rain. The high will

13:07 be near 91 with showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. The rain chance is 60%.

13:15 Tomorrow night, there's a 30% chance of showers mainly before 1:00 a.m. After that, skies become mostly clear with a

13:22 low around 66. And that wraps up Monday edition of Cullman Today. Thank you for sharing your morning with

13:32 us and be sure to follow us on social media and visit Cullman Tribune.com for

13:36 the latest from across Cullman County. We'll be back tomorrow morning at 6:30, but until then, I'm Crystal Corley with

13:43 Cullman Today. Have a good day, Cullman.