HAMILTON - For the week-period ending Wednesday, Dec. 18, a total of $30,122 has been donated toward this year’s Christmas for Kids campaign—leaving the charity $10,000 short on Christmas Day.

WINFIELD - The historic Pastime Theatre in Winfield has announced its 2020 Concert Series which will begin Saturday, Feb. 15, with season headliner Pam Tillis and her trio.   
“This group performed at The Pastime Theatre several years ago and we are delighted to bring them back again for our Valentine concert,” said Mary Hyche, Pastime Theatre board chairman.
Prior to the concert, theater goers may have dinner next door at the Pastime Civic Center. Dinner tickets are $20.00 and reservations are required.

HAMILTON – Education sales tax for the first two months of Fiscal Year 2020 have broken records.
According to the Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West, the county education system collected $10,107 more in sales tax this November compared to last year at this time, with a total of $162,357.70 collected—a new record.
Taxes generated in October also set records, with $142,435.02 being collected.
For the first two months of the Fiscal Year 2020, $304,792.72 has been collected in sales tax.

HAMILTON – Third- through eighth-grade students may now enroll with Marion County Schools’ virtual academy.
The Marion County Board of Education unanimously agreed to expand its virtual academy to include students grades three through 12 during its monthly meeting held on Tuesday, Dec. 17, opening up the opportunity to elementary and middle school-aged students to receive a public education online.
The service was already available for high school students.

HAMILTON - Longtime Journal Record Editor Les Walters was honored with the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Communications Award for Print Journalism on Monday, Dec. 9, during the group’s 98th annual meeting in Montgomery.
Walters worked with the Journal Record for more than 40 years and retired as the newspaper’s editor in November.
Marion County Farmers Federation Reporter Lesa Enlow nominated Walters for the award, which is presented annually to a journalist or news outlet that excels in sharing the story of agriculture with their audience.

HAMILTON – Travis Trotter of Red Bay has been hired with the Hamilton Police Department.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page announced the hiring during a Hamilton City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 16, noting Trotter already possesses an Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training  (APOST) certificate.
Hamilton City Clerk Angela Owen told the council Trotter was currently employed with the Red Bay Police Department.
The council unanimously agreed to pay Trotter $16.38 per hour.

HAMILTON - Incumbent Marion County Revenue Commissioner Barbara Cooper will run unopposed for the 2020 elections.
Qualifying for both Republican and Democratic candidates ended on Friday, Nov. 8, and Cooper remained the only candidate to register with a party. Independent candidates will not begin qualifying until after the March primary election on March 3, 2020.

MONTGOMERY - Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $18.7 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for improvements in 58 Alabama communities.
From these grant funds, the Town of Hackleburg will receive $85,000 for street improvement projects, including widening and paving or sealing, and the Marion County Public Water Authority will receive $350,000 to provide public water service to the Bexar Church area.

HAMILTON - For the week-period ending Friday, Dec. 13, a total of $26,635 has been donated toward this year’s Christmas for Kids campaign. Sandy Sandlin, coordinator of the campaign, says this year’s goal is $40,000 to help purchase holiday gifts for more than 400 children—with just a week left until Christmas, the charity lacks $13,365. All of the money will go toward buying clothing and shoes for children.

WINFIELD - Rep. Tracy Estes, R-Winfield, has announced middle school students in House District 17 may apply for one of two scholarships to attend space camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.
Officially known as Space Academy for Leading Students in Alabama (SALSA), the annual event will be held from May 24-29, 2020, with a graduation ceremony scheduled for the final day of the week-long event. However, the application deadline to earn a scholarship to attend is scheduled for Jan. 31, 2020.

HAMILTON - The Marion-Winston Counties Community Action Agency (MWCAA) will begin making appointments for financial assistance for utility bills for low-income residents.
The assistance will be provided through the federally-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
For residents 60 and older or disabled, MWCAA will begin taking calls on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Hamilton office.
Individuals may call the office at (205) 921-4224 Monday-Friday.

MONTGOMERY – Local school board members from Marion County and Winfield school boards were among the honorees recognized at the Alabama Association of School Boards’ (AASB) annual awards luncheon on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Hyatt-Regency in Birmingham at The Wynfrey Hotel. The luncheon was held as part of AASB’s Annual Convention, which drew more than 500 school board members from across the state to Birmingham from Dec. 5-7. In all, 318 school board members statewide were recognized for advancing in the AASB School Board Member Academy, a school for school board members.

BIRMINGHAM – State House Rep. Tracy Estes, R-Winfield, was recently presented with the Legislative Award, as chosen annually by officials with the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB). The first-term lawmaker was honored by the association at its annual convention on Friday, Dec. 6. The award is designed to recognize a member of the Alabama Legislature for outstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of public education.

SULLIGENT - A Hamilton woman  died on Wednesday night, Dec. 11, after  her vehicle collided with an 18-wheeler.
Lorie Clark Hallman, 48, Hamilton, was killed after the Nissan Altima she was driving collided with a tractor trailer truck, according to Alabama State Trooper Cpl. Richard Itter of the Highway Patrol Division-Hamilton Post.
The crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. on State Highway 17, one mile north of Sulligent.
Hallman was pronounced dead at the scene.