Hamilton - During late February and early March pre-trial hearings in 25th Judicial Circuit Court, Marion County District Attorney Scott Slatton’s office accepted 75 guilty pleas.
During the hearings, which took place Feb. 25-27 and March 9 in Hamilton, The DA’s office also recommended 16 cases be dismissed and reached agreements on 10 additional cases for them to be placed on the inactive docket in order for defendants to complete certain requirements before official dismissal.

MARION COUNTY - Gov. Kay Ivey has formally signaled the open of Census 2020 participation statewide.
For the first time in history, the Census is now available online at my2020Census.gov.
Additionally, invitation letters have been mailed and will continue to arrive in mailboxes across the state through Friday, March 20.
Individuals can participate in the 10-question Census online, by phone or through traditional paper form.

HAMILTON -  Approximately 3,750 people from across the country and the globe packed out the Tombigbee Electric Cooperative’s warehouse in Hamilton for the 18th Annual Jerry Brown Arts Festival (JBAF) on March 6 and 7.
According to JBAF Public Relations Chairman Marla Minter, the event hosted attendees from Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. This year, there were even visitors from across the globe from Australia and Wales.

WINFIELD - Winfield Middle School will honor former superintendent of education Dale Brasher and the late Ray McGaha for their years of service  to the Winfield City School System.
During a meeting held on Tuesday, March 10, the Winfield Board of Education unanimously approved superintendent Chris Cook’s proposal to rename the Winfield Middle School gymnasium as the Dale Brasher Gymnasium and will place gold placards on seats in the football, baseball and softball fields to honor the memory of McGaha.

WINFIELD - Northwest Medical Center-Winfield Chief Executive Officer Robert Henger has stepped down from the position after returning to the hospital in July 2019.
Former CEO Michael Windham has returned to the hospital to replace the resigning Henger.
According to Henger, Windham worked for the hospital as CEO for approximately four years before leaving due to conflicts with the hospital’s previous owner.

• Public invited to attend ribbon-cutting on March 17

By Scott Johnson
Managing Editor

HAMILTON - Ann West has secured the Marion County Superintendent of Education seat, according to voting results from the Tuesday, March 3, primary election.
The results were publicly posted by Marion County Probate Judge Paige Vick as they arrived at the Marion County Courthouse in Hamilton beginning around 7:30 p.m. Officials were on- site through 11 p.m. recording results.
Results remain unofficial until provisional ballots are accounted for, which usually takes a week. Vick said there have only been two provisional ballots filed this year.

WINFIELD -  Parents of the Winfield City School system were informed through a letter from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) of an outbreak of pertussis, most commonly referred to as “whooping cough.”
According to the letter, pertussis begins with symptoms like the common cold such as runny nose, mild sore throat, minimal or no fever and a mild, dry cough. Additional symptoms may include vomiting and exhaustion.
The ADPH warns students and parents to avoid direct contact with a symptomatic individual.

HAMILTON - Hackers have compromised a server used by both the Marion County Revenue Commissioner’s Officer and the Marion County Probate Judge’s Office, suspending some services and access to electronic records.
Marion County Probate Judge Paige Vick told the Journal Record ransomware attacked the server on Monday, March 2, the day before the primary election (March 3).
Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

WINFIELD -  The Winfield City Council unanimously voted to financially support 25th Judicial Circuit Court District Attorney Scott Slatton’s new plan to support victims of abuse in the county for $2,500.
Slatton stated that the council would be able to pay a yearly rate of this amount as long as it is willing, noting there will be no obligation to pay a reoccurring amount if the city doesn’t wish to after the first year.

HAMILTON - Last year, the City of Hamilton paid out just shy of $190,000 in overtime pay to city employees.
Councilman Gene Sanderson brought up the matter during a Hamilton City Council work session on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
“Why do we have $65,000 in overtime in the police department?” Sanderson asked. “I don’t understand how it could be run up that much. We could hire two more police officers full-time.”

MONTGOMERY - Susan Cobb will keep her position as Marion County Democratic Party chairwoman as a result of a judge’s order on a higher-arching issue.
Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Greg Griffin dismissed a lawsuit on Feb. 27 filed by ousted Alabama Democratic Party Chair Nancy Worley to prevent the newly-elected chair, Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, from taking control.
Griffin dismissed the lawsuit, saying it was not the court’s place to interfere with the party dispute, meaning Worley is no longer in power.

Winfield - The Alabama Department of Economic Management is imposing a $50,000 fine on Joy Global Conveyors for “serious” hazardous emission violations that were reported last year.

Joy Global Conveyors currently owns and operates a facility located in Winfield, the former home of Continental Conveyor and Equipment Company. The company was acquired by Kamatsu Mining in 2016.
The company produces conveyor belts and other such equipment designed to transport coal and other natural elements across land or from underground up to the surface.

GUIN - Much debate ensued concerning the proposed hiring of a city manager for Guin to handle the day-to-day operations in the city.
Guin Councilman Bobby Bellew proposed the idea during a regular meeting on Monday, March 2, at Guin City Hall.
“I think, for day-to-day operations, (having a city manager) would open the opportunity to take some of the work and allow the mayor to go and approve and go do some other things for the city,” said Bellew.

The following are unconfirmed election results for Marion County.  (21/22 precincts reporting.)

Ballots cast: 6,504

Amendment 1 - Fire the elected state school board and replace them with a set of commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate.

Yes - 719

No - 6,208

Democratic Party

President of the United States

Michael Bennett - 5

Joseph Biden - 398

Michael Bloomberg - 104

Cory Booker - 0

Pete Buttigieg - 2

Friendship, the kind which begins when you were little kids in grade school to graduation and beyond, can make for great partnerships on projects.
Such as the Jerry Brown Arts Festival.
That’s the type of friendship Tyna Tucker Pyburn and Marla Avery Minter enjoyed and still have to this day.
These two Hamilton native women are considered the backbone of the Jerry Brown Arts Festival, the JBAF as it is known to many.

HAMILTON - A gag order has been issued in Jimmy Cooper’s case by 25th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Lee Carter.
According to official court documents, Carter handed down the order on Tuesday, Feb. 25, prohibiting lawyers, law firms, government agencies, law enforcement officers, court personnel, witnesses and legal representatives from making any extrajudicial statements or releasing any information concerning the case.