Cullman Today, Tuesday, Oct. 6

0:01 Good morning, Cullman. Thank you for tuning in to Cullman Today. I'm your

0:13 host, Crystal Corley, and today is Tuesday, October 6th. We have a lot to

0:17 look at in local news today, including a deadly crash in Cullman County, a

0:21 hearing set in a federal lawsuit against Cullman Regional, and a look back at the

0:26 very first October Fest. All this plus weather and more. But for now, let's

0:31 dive into the top stories happening in Cullman today. We begin with sad news from Sunday

0:40 afternoon. A bluntful woman was killed in a single vehicle crash in Cullman County. State troopers say 52year-old

0:48 Tanya Basinger's car left Alabama Highway 67, struck a ditch and a tree, and caught fire. She was pronounced dead

0:55 at the scene. The crash happened about 3 mi southeast of Baon. Aaliyah troops are

1:02 still investigating and our thoughts are with her family. Next up, a federal judge will hear

1:08 arguments later this month on whether to dismiss an age discrimination lawsuit against Cullman Regional Medical Center.

1:15 Dr. Hansel Nosinger sued the hospital after his employment was terminated in June 2022.

1:22 Court records include a 2022 proposal to change his bonus to a percentage of

1:27 collections with a note that read, "This will make him leave." The former vice

1:33 president, who wrote it, says the note predicted his reaction and was not a

1:38 wish for him to leave. Cullman Regional denies discrimination. It says the decision came down to profitability and

1:45 professionalism, including billing and documentation concerns. NSer's attorney disputes the hospital's financial explanation. The hearing is set for

1:55 October 23rd in federal court in Huntsville. This is part of one of a

2:00 threepart series from the Cullman Trabune. To finish out our top stories, the Cullman County Historical Society took a

2:08 trip back to the very first October Fest. At the society's September meeting, Cullman native Dr. Thomas

2:14 Mezermith explained that the original October Fest was not a festival at all. It was a royal wedding celebration in

2:22 Munich in 1810 for Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Teresa. He also shared that

2:30 the events first focused on horse races and farming, not beer, and that Munich's

2:37 first mayor to tap the keg in 1950 needed 17 swings to get it done. This

2:44 year's Burgermeister, Edgar Vigel, also spoke at this meeting. The ne the next historical society meeting is Sunday,

2:51 October 18th at 2 p.m. at the North Alabama Agroplex. And that's our top stories for today.

2:57 We'll take a quick break and be right back. Hello and welcome back to Cullman Today.

3:24 Now it's time to speed things up with your four and four. Four stories in

3:27 under four minutes. First up, some of October Fest's fastest low to the ground competitors

3:37 hit the track Saturday at the wiener dog races presented by Citizens Bank and

3:41 Trust. Welcome to the 2026 Wii Dog Race proudly sponsored by Citizens Bank of

3:48 Trust. I'm Alan Wood, president of Citizens Bank of Trust here in Colin. We're glad to sponsor this event. It's

3:54 great fun family fun event. We're glad to see everyone show up. Hope you have

3:57 fun today. >> Fans and Durn's packed depot for the races. Dishons from sleek short-haired

4:06 reds to fluffy long-haired creams were held up by their proud owners and some

4:12 fans even wore team t-shirts. Spectators lined the fence several rows deep as owners lined up behind Bavarian style

4:20 starting gates. They were then off dashing down the grassy track and straight into the owner's arms at the

4:27 finish line. Next, students at Cullman City Primary School celebrated Oktoberfest with a story walk. Kindergarten through 2 grade

4:37 students walked a path in the school's outdoor learning center, reading pages of the Cullman Oktoberfest book,

4:44 The Magical Adventures of Hans and Freda Haye, and doing activities along the way.

4:50 Media specialist Hillary Nicks says the story takes students to Cullman landmarks like Sacred Heart Church, the

4:56 Avaria Grotto, and Clarkson Covered Bridge, building excitement about reading and their hometown. Runners, grab your favorite storybook

5:06 costume. The third annual Spooktacular Storybook 5K and onemile Run Fund is Saturday, October 24th at 8:00

5:14 a.m. The race starts and ends at the Cullman County Public Library with a new

5:19 route this year. There will be awards for the fastest runners, age groups, and the best costumes. The race

5:27 kicks off the library's 12 month capital campaign for the renovation and expansion of the Cullman Library.

5:34 Register at storybook 5k.com. And finally, the Good Hope Varsity Cheerleaders are hosting free pumpkin

5:43 painting and hay rides this Saturday, October 10th, from 11 to 2:00 p.m. at Gibbs Garden Center. Pumpkins

5:49 can be purchased at the Garden Center, and those proceeds go to the cheerleaders. The first 300

5:55 people get free ice cream. Gibbs Garden Center is at 5847 County Road 616

6:01 off I65 at the Good Hope exit. And we'll take a quick break before we look at the

6:07 weather ahead and remember the members of our community that we've lost. We'll be right back after this.

6:16 Still refreshing three different pages to find one score? There is a better Friday night plan. Follow local football

6:23 scores, schedules, and team pages at Colemanscorboard.com. Your team, your town, your scoreboard. Colemanscorboard.com

6:32 from the Cullman Tribune. Welcome back. Let's take a moment to pause and remember the members of our

6:43 community who we have who have passed away this week. Rodney Dale Lawrence, 54, of Cullman,

6:52 passed away Friday, October 2nd. Visitation is today from noon to 2:00 p.m. at Cullman Funeral Home with the

6:59 funeral service to follow. Burial will be at Blair Methodist Church Cemetery. Sandra Jane Morgan, 68, of Cullman,

7:08 passed away Friday, October 2nd. Visitation will be tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Hville Funeral Home

7:15 Chapel with the funeral service to follow. Burial will be at Bethlehem East Cemetery.

7:22 Robert Noel Tedwell, Senior, 92, of Cullman, passed away Sunday, October 4th. Visitation will be tomorrow

7:29 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Moss Service Funeral Home with a celebration

7:33 of life to follow. Burial will be at the Cullman City Cemetery. Visitation for Dorothy Jane Ston, 91 of

7:41 Vinemont will be Thursday, October 8th from noon to 2 p.m. at Cullman

7:46 Heritage Funeral Home with the funeral service to follow. Burial will be at Mount Zion Cemetery.

7:53 Larry Thomas Hammonds, 72, of Aniana, passed away Thursday, October 1st. No services are scheduled at this time. Our

8:01 thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and families. Now, let's take a look at today's

8:09 weather forecast. Today will be sunny with a high near 82. East to southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. And

8:21 tonight, mostly clear and cool with a low around 52. Tomorrow, more sunshine with a high near

8:27 83. And tomorrow night, clear with a low around 51. And that concludes another edition of

8:37 Cullman Today. Thank you for joining us. We'll be back bright and early tomorrow

8:41 morning at 6:30 a.m. Until then, I'm Crystal Kley and this is Cullman Today.

8:46 Have a good one, Cullman.