HAMILTON - The Hamilton recreation and senior center renovation project is now two-and-a-half-months past its original deadline.
The Hamilton City Council discussed the prolonged work at the E.T. Sims Neighborhood Facilities Building during a work session on Wednesday, Aug. 15, in the Hamilton City Hall Tea Room. The council did not meet in the council chambers due to air conditioning issues.

HAMILTON - Democrat Sen. Doug Jones (D) hosted a town hall meeting in Hamilton on Monday night, Aug. 5.
Jones drew a moderate crowd of about 60 people from around the Marion County area to his meeting at the old city hall building in Hamilton (the current police department), where he gave a brief Congressional update and then opened the floor for questions, comments and concerns.
Jones openly encouraged both Democrats and Republicans and others to attend his meeting, saying any question was fair game.

WINFIELD - School is back in session and the lazy days of summer have ended.
The Pastime Theatre in Winfield wants to invite everyone to attend an “End of Summer” concert featuring two area acts.
“If we must say, ‘Goodbye,’ to summer, then let us say, ‘Goodbye,’ with a fantastic concert that is economically-priced, too,” said Pastime Theatre Board Chairwoman Mary Hyche.
The Winfield theater will be presenting the “End of Summer” concert on Saturday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m.

HAMILTON - Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) hosted a town hall meeting in Hamilton on Monday, Aug. 5.
The two-hour meeting took place at the old city hall building (Hamilton Police Department) and there were roughly 60 people in attendance.
Jones said the Senate is currently on recess until the week after Labor Day (Sept. 1). The U.S. House recessed one week prior.

WINFIELD - The Winfield City Council took action at its Tuesday, Aug. 6, meeting to address the issue of unsightly homes and businesses within the city.
The council voted to appoint three new members to the Winfield Housing Code Abatement Board. Mayor Randy Price said he would like to see the board become more active.

GUIN -  The Guin City Council voted to contract with Dixie Paving in Haleyville to pave three streets at a cost of $50,000 during the Monday Aug. 5, council meeting.
The streets are 14th Avenue East, 10th Street and 15th Ave. E that connect Alabama State Highway 43/278 with County Road 44.
Guin Mayor Max Maddox said he had spoken with a few different street pavers and they all quoted him near the same amount for the job.

HAMILTON -  Brent Oliver, owner and chief executive officer of the Tuscumbia-based mobile drug testing company Valley Source Drug Test, appeared before the Marion County Commissioners to present his company as a drug testing option for the county during a work session on Thursday, Aug. 8, in Hamilton.
Valley Source Drug Test operates as a strictly mobile drug testing facility that travels to the site in which the county would need drug testing to take place.
The company offers urine, hair, saliva, DNA testing and background checks.

HAMILTON - Extensive lawn care work at the Hamilton Cemetery each month is estimated to cost the city roughly $1,000 a month during the summer.
City officials are wondering if a different approach could result in savings.
The Hamilton City Council discussed the topic during a work session on Wednesday, July 31, when it was introduced by councilman Wade Sullins.
“Instead of our people having to take out from their jobs and go over there and mow and weedeat, maybe put it out for bid and let someone else take care of it,” Sullins said.

HAMILTON -  The Ramp in Hamilton has purchased the Hamilton Holiday Motel to house its incoming male students for the Ramp ministry school.
The Ramp purchased the building on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and the Ramp School of Ministry (RSM) students will begin moving into dorms on Thursday, Aug. 15, leaving them with very little time to renovate before the students’ arrival.
“We have to flip it in one week!” said RSM Director Samuel Bentley, laughing.

GUIN - Economic development officials are continuing to push to attract the automotive industry to Marion County.
“It’s hard to beat our area as a location for automotive,” said Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance (EDA) Executive Director David Thornell during the EDA’s annual membership appreciation luncheon on Thursday, July 25, at the Holiday Inn in Guin.

HAMILTON -  Grocery store owner Wally Kemp is shutting down his market after five years of running the Hackleburg Market in the over $2 million town-owned building.
The building that the store has been operating in is owned by the Town of Hackleburg and now leaves the town council with a major decision to make as the market’s closing will leave the town’s citizens without a major grocery store.
Mayor Daryl Colburn called a work session on Tuesday, July 30, to discuss what to do with the building once the current owner leaves.

HAMILTON -  “I know they have to have a jail and if you make it a vote of the people, they still have to have a jail,” said Don Barnwell, former Marion County District 3 commissioner and current Hackleburg town councilman, when asked by the Journal Record about a potential one-cent sales tax vote.
On Wednesday, July 24, the Marion County Commission held a special meeting in which Scott Hunt presented funding options for the new Marion County Jail.

WINFIELD - Marion County is the 10th Alabama county in the state to have a confirmed yellow jacket “super nest.”
“My husband (Herman) found the nest, but didn’t really know what it was,” said Kimberly Holcomb-Logan of Winfield,  who is a hair-dresser and owns the property where the nest was discovered.
The large nest, technically known as a perennial nest, was confirmed on Sunday, July 14, at Logan’s property in Winfield, according to Charles Ray, an entomologist and research fellow working with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in Auburn.

HAMILTON - Marion County School System has earned accreditation from AdvancED following an extensive evaluation process.
Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West announced at the Marion County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, July 23, that the system received official confirmation of its award.
“This is the first time ever!” said board chairwoman Belinda McRae in celebration.

HAMILTON - A large donation is making it Christmas time in July for the City of Hamilton.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page has announced that Brookwood Village shopping mall in Mountain Brook has gifted its iconic 25-foot Christmas tree to the city.
City employees, equipped with a truck provided by Kith Kitchens of Haleyville, delivered the massive  commercial tree to the Hamilton Fire Department on Friday, July 26.

HAMILTON - To avoid potential criticism, members of the Marion County Board of Education will hold prayer prior to official meetings
Marion County Board of Education Chairwoman Belinda McRae announced the change prior to the board’s meeting on Tuesday, July 23, at the Marion County Schools Central Office.
The board has traditionally held prayer in the board’s meeting room to officially open monthly meetings.

HAMILTON - Marion County teachers are receiving refunds totalling $321,7360.64 due to wrongfully-changed insurance premiums.
Clint Green, chief school financial officer for the Marion County School System, told the Marion County Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday, July 23, that the board received the $321,000 check from Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) on Thursday, July 18.
Green told the Journal Record in a phone interview that the refund amounts were $313,486.84, while an additional $11,249.80 was provided in interest.

HAMILTON - After a two-month decline in revenues generated from Marion County’s one-cent education  sales tax, education officials are thrilled to see a spike in collections.
Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West announced during a Marion County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, July 23, that sales tax gathered in June totalled $181,983.
West noted this was $22,224 more than the previous year when $159,759 was generated. The amount is up $79,000 from 11 years ago and the highest collection for June on record.

HAMILTON - Twenty-two Marion County School System faculty were issued pink slips.
Marion County Superintendent  of Education Ann West provided a list of those teachers to the Journal Record following the Marion County Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, July 23.
West noted that many of the names mentioned as pink slip recipients have already been recalled.

WINFIELD - The Winfield City Board of Education made a few last-minute hires and accepted a resignation during a special-called meeting at the WCBOE board room at Winfield Middle School on Tuesday, July 30.