HAMILTON - The City of Hamilton kicked off the holiday season Tuesday night, Nov. 19, during its Christmas Tree Lighting.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page told the Journal Record he estimates that 600 to 800 people attended the city’s second official Christmas Tree Lighting event.
Page said the city hosted a lighting three years ago and only a handful of people attended. Last year, the city invited several youth performance groups to the event to participate, resulting in hundreds of people gathering at city hall.

HAMILTON - Real estate agent Kerry Howell wants city officials to do more to crackdown on land negligence and enforce ordinances that are in place.
Howell, who sells houses in Hamilton, addressed the Hamilton City Council on Monday, Nov. 18, saying property and business owners are not maintaining their land because there is no accountability.
Howell addressed the council at a November meeting last year, raising concerns that poorly-managed and neglected properties are damaging property values around the city.

HAMILTON - Marion County Emergency Management Agency Director Jimmy Mills handed in his letter of resignation during a Marion County Commission regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the commission office in Hamilton.
Mills is resigning after 12 years as Marion County EMA director effective Dec. 31, 2019.
“It has been an honor to serve the citizens, public safety agencies, businesses, as well as the municipalities and you (the commission) for the past 12 years,” said Mills.

GUIN - Guin Elementary School Principal Joshua Weatherly and members of the school staff were honored for receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award during a regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 18, at Guin City Hall.
Guin Elementary School was one of only six schools to receive the award in the state this year.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the recognition is based on Guin Elementary School’s overall academic performance and progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups

HAMILTON - For the week-period ending Thursday, Nov. 14, a total of $9,075 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.
All of the money will go toward buying clothing and shoes for children.

Marion County’s October unemployment rate tied the state’s rate and is likely a new record.
According to data published by the Alabama Department of Labor on Nov. 15, Marion County dropped two points from September’s rate of 3%, falling to 2.8%—the same rate as the statewide average. The county’s unemployment rate this time last year was 3.9%.

• Scholarship program established in honor of Wayne, Joyce Pyron

By Scott Johnson
Managing Editor

VERNON - A Lamar County has been sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder for his actions involving kidnapping a woman from a store in Hamilton.
Marshall Lee Gray, 33, Vernon, pled guilty to attempted murder on Oct. 28 in the 24th Judicial Circuit Court held at the Lamar County Courthouse in Vernon and was sentenced to life in the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections, according to a press release issued by Andy Hamlin, District Attorney of the 24th Judicial Circuit Court.

HAMILTON - On Saturday, Dec. 7, the Hamilton Civitan Club and Bevill State Community College-Hamilton Campus will hold their annual Breakfast with Santa event, which will take place from 8 - 11 a.m. in the Bevill Business and Community Center on the north end of the campus.
Children 12 years and under will be admitted for free, and attendees over 12 years old will be admitted for $5. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Cold weather on Wednesday, Nov. 13, broke records, according to National Weather Service Observer Eddie Pearce.
Pearce said temperatures dropped to 13 degrees on Nov. 13, bringing trace amounts of snow and breaking the previous record for November, which was set in 1968 when 17 degrees was measured.
The record high for the month of November was set in 2016, when 91 degrees was measured on Nov. 1.
Pearce said this is the second-earliest signs of snow on record. The earliest occurred in 1966, when snow was measured on Nov. 2.