Cullman Today, Thursday, Oct. 8

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

0:14 Thursday, October 8th. We have a lot to look at in local news today, including a

0:18 local task force working to fight human trafficking. Part two of our series on lawsuits

0:25 against Cullman Regional and record-breaking year for Cullman Oktoberfest. All of this plus sports,

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

0:34 Cullman today. The Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force is working to rebuild and

0:44 it's asking for your help. The group met Wednesday to hear from local advocates and Sheriff-elect Chad

0:51 Whaley. Secretary Shirley Arnett says the task force started in 2015 but lost momentum over the last few years.

0:59 >> I'm Shirley Arnett. Uh I'm the secretary for this group and Cullman County

1:04 Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force. Uh we're trying to build it back up to

1:09 create awareness. Uh this group started in 2015 and since 2021 or two, it sort of slowly went away and

1:19 we're trying to get it back up because we need awareness because it's you know,

1:23 you uh you see all the stories that's every day. Multiple stories come up on your feed

1:30 and it's very important that we uh have awareness of what's going on around

1:37 here. The District Attorney's Office also shared information listing apps that all parents should know about, including

1:45 Snapchat, TikTok, Discord, and Roblox. Some can share your child's location or connect them with strangers. So, Arnett

1:54 says keep an eye on the games and chats your kids are using and who they're

1:58 talking to. The task force is looking for new members and volunteers and you can learn

2:04 more at alabamagains trafficking.com. And if you suspect human trafficking, call the national hotline at

2:11 1-888-373-7888 or 911 in an emergency. Next up, part two of the Cullman Tribune's "Aging Out" series it looks at

2:24 a second age discrimination lawsuit against Cullman Regional Medical Center. Former cardi- cardiology nurse Amanda

2:31 McCormick sued after she was terminated in March of 2023. Court records show her pay- pacemaker

2:39 clinic duties were handed to a practice coordinator who is not a nurse. The hospital said that work was mostly

2:47 clerical and McCormick testified she saw it as clinical work. In August, a federal judge sided with

2:55 the hospital and dismissed the case finding there was not enough evidence of intentional age discrimination.

3:02 The final part of the series is still to come and a hearing in Dr. Hansel

3:06 Nosinger's separate lawsuit is set for October 23rd. To finish out our top stories, if

3:13 Oktoberfest felt extra crowded this year, you weren't imagining it. Organizers say a record 75,000 people

3:21 came out over the four days and hotels were booked at record levels as well.

3:27 Even with a 70% chance of rain on Sunday, nearly 10,000 people still showed up. Ev- Events director Daniel

3:35 Wyatt says one highlight was a 200-ft conga line with folks from 3 to 93 years

3:42 old. And if you're already missing it, the Cullman Christkindlmarkt returns to Depot Park November 19th through

3:49 December 23rd with a big new surprise feature organizers are not quite revealing just yet.

3:56 And that's our top stories for today. We'll take a quick break and be right

3:59 back with sports. Hello and welcome back. Now it's time to

4:25 find out what's going on in the world of sports. Football kicks off a night early for the

4:30 Cullman Bearcats. Cullman travels to Gardendale tonight at 7:00 for class 5A region 5 matchup. Both teams are looking

4:39 to snap three-game losing streaks. The Bearcats are two and four and one and

4:44 three in the region while Gardendale is three and four. We'll have the rest of this week's

4:50 Friday night football preview for you tomorrow, so be sure to tune in. And

4:54 that covers sports for today, but make sure to check with the Cullman Tribune

4:57 each day for the latest in sports coverage from across the area. We'll be

5:00 right back after this message. >> Still refreshing three different pages to find one score? There is a better

5:11 Friday night plan. Follow local football scores, schedules, and team pages at colmanscoreboard.com. Your team, your town, your scoreboard.

5:20 colmanscoreboard.com from the Cullman Tribune. >> Hello and welcome back to Cullman today. Now it's time to speed things up with

5:32 your four and four, four stories in under four minutes. First up, it's a big week for Good Hope

5:41 families. Cullman County schools cut the ribbon on the new Good Hope Elementary School on Wednesday. The new school is

5:47 right next to the primary school and students will walk through the doors for

5:51 the first time this Monday, October 12th. Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnett says Good Hope is one of the fastest growing

5:59 communities in the district and the new site has room for future additions as

6:03 the community grows. Next, congratulations to Cullman High School senior Isaac Haynes who has been

6:10 named a National Merit semifinalist. He's one of only two students from Cullman County and Cullman City High

6:16 Schools to earn the honor, putting him in the running for a National Merit

6:21 Scholarship next spring. Way to go, Isaac. Our pet of the week is Finn, a

6:26 2-year-old Australian Shepherd mix with a big smile and a love for lap time. He

6:31 attaches quickly and just wants to be close to his person. Finn's adoption fee is $130, which

6:38 includes neutering, vaccinations, and microchipping. And you can meet him at the Cullman County Animal Shelter, 935

6:45 Convent Road Northeast, or call 256-734-5444. And finally, calling all fur babies, Cullman Today's Halloween pet costume

6:57 contest presented by First National Bank of Cullman is underway and the entries are already rolling in.

7:05 We've got Arya and Asher, Buddy in his groovy shades, and Ditzy behind bars.

7:10 There's Drake, Floyd, also known as House Horse, and Nemo and Yogi in the

7:15 pumpkin patch. Plus Nessie, Nico, a spooky little clown, a colorful duo, and Tater Salad, all ready for the wrestling

7:24 ring. To enter, send a photo of your pet in costume to Cullman Today through

7:29 Facebook Messenger by Wednesday, October 28th. The winner will be announced October 30th and take home a

7:36 pet-inspired swag bag. We'll take a quick break before we look back at the weather ahead and remember

7:41 the members of our community that we've lost. We'll be right back after this.

8:17 Welcome back. Let's take a moment to pause and remember the members of our

8:20 community who have passed away this week. Vicki Darlene Lindsey Suggs, 66 of Hartselle,

8:31 passed away Saturday, October 3rd. A celebration of life will be held Sunday, October 25th at 1:00 p.m. at the Eva

8:37 Community Center. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and family. Now, let's take a look at today's

8:46 weather forecast. First, an important update. Governor Kay Ivey has declared a state of emergency

8:55 for 40 Alabama counties in ahead of Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to become a hurricane and make landfall

9:03 along the Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. Cullman County is not one of the 40

9:10 counties, but we could still feel it here. The National Weather Service says rain bands could arrive Friday night,

9:17 followed by a windy and rainy Saturday with possible gusts of 30 to 40 mph, as

9:23 well as up to 3 in of rains possible across north Alabama through Sunday

9:28 evening. So, take a few minutes now to get ready for possible power outages and never

9:33 drive through flooded roads. As for today, we'll enjoy one more warm sunny day with a high near 89. Tonight,

9:41 mostly clear with a low around 58. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a

9:46 high near 84, but it'll get breezier with a with gusts up to 20 mph.

9:52 Tomorrow night, a 40% chance of showers after 1:00 a.m. and the rain could be

9:57 heavy at times. Low around 58 with gusts up to 30. Condi- conditions should improve by

10:04 Sunday evening and we'll keep you updated. That concludes another edition of Cullman today. Thank you for joining us.

10:13 We'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. Until then, I'm

10:17 Crystal Corley and this is Cullman today. Have a good one, Cullman.