By Luke Brantley
Staff writer
HAMILTON — The Marion County Board of Education recognized several students during its meeting on Thursday, May 19. Among the students recognized were Riley Pyron and Austin Berry, the outgoing and incoming state Beta Club vice-president.
Pryon and Berry are both students at Marion County High School. Pyron ran for state vice president last year, and this year Berry was elected as his successor to the position.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — Hamilton residents may have noticed some increased road work this past week in Hamilton’s downtown area, leading to some increased traffic on Military Street South.
Residents should expect some more road work as the Alabama Department of Transportation aims to solve Hamilton’s “bottle neck” issue at its main intersection.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — The Marion County Department of Public Health invited residents of Marion County to a foster parent recruitment session on Thursday, May 19, at the House of Plenty in downtown Hamilton.
DHR director Kier Vickery, Judge Mark Hammitte, foster parent licensing worker Melanie Norris and foster parent Melissa Mathieson spoke to those interested in fostering or helping foster parents in Marion County.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — Marion County families relying on formula have had a rough time as of late, with the previous stocked shelves being left completely bare in some cases at local stores throughout the county, state and nation.
Back in February, formula manufacturer Abbot Laboratories, whose product Similac is among the most popular formula brands, shut down a major plant in Sturgis, Mich., after it recalled infant formula products following a federal investigation where four babies taking the formula developed bacterial infections.

Marion County
Primary Election
May 24, 2022
Unofficial Report

Precincts Counted (of 17) - 16  votes, 94.12 %
Registered Voters - Total -  27,715 votes
Ballots Cast - Total -  5,851 votes
Ballots Cast - Alabama Democratic Party - 147 votes, 2.51%
Ballots Cast - Alabama Republican Party - 5,702, 97.45%
Ballots Cast - Nonpartisan -  2 votes, .03%
Ballots Cast - Blank  - 0
Voter Turnout - Total - 26.94
Voter Turnout - Blank

By P.J. Gossett
General Manager
GUIN — Widely known as May Fest, the Town of Guin is changing things a little this year. The event is now called Spring Fest and will be held later in the month on Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21, at the town square in Guin.
While the name and date have been changed, it still promises to be fun-filled family days. The event will begin Friday evening at 6 p.m. with country music star John Berry headlining the show.

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer
GUIN — According to Guin Park Director Tyler Markham, the Guin Water Park is set to open in mid-June after repairs are completed.
 “We are going to do our best to have it open by the middle of June,” Markham said. “There are some structural repairs, just from time, that we’re having to replace and repair. That’s what will be the delay in opening it.”

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
MARION COUNTY — The Marion County Emergency Management Agency has officially launched its new telephone-based mass notification system county wide on Wednesday, May 4.
The EMA began taking sign ups for the new program EMA Director Eric Terrell has been pushing for since his arrival in the position a little over two years ago.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — The Marion county Stampede on I-22 and Hamilton’s first Cowboy Day were huge successes this weekend, drawing big crowds from all over and outside of Marion County to enjoy Hamilton’s first inaugural rodeo event.
The event took place on Friday night, May 6 and Saturday night, May 7, at the field near the Tombigbee Electrical Co-op property with a special Cowboy Day held on Saturday morning in downtown Hamilton before the second day of the rodeo.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — Artists and local business owners have been raving about the Alabama Plein Air Artists event that took place during the week of April 18 in Marion County.
Artists with the Alabama Plein Air Artists organization visited Marion County to paint scenes in front of businesses in Hamilton and other areas in Marion County.

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer
WINFIELD — The City of Winfield is moving forward with plans to purchase the old national guard armory. The building, if purchased, will serve as a new police station, according to Mayor Randy Price.
“What we’d like to do is move our police department over there, because they are out of room,” Price said. “We’d move the whole police department and court system over there and make it a municipal building. We’d remodel it to where the police would have more room.”

TWIN — Concluding almost three years of persistent effort and teamwork, the Twin Town Council hosted a public open house to showcase a new community center and storm shelter.
The two-hour event was held on Sunday, April 24, with dozens of visitors from across Marion County in attendance to see the finished product. The facility was originally constructed to serve as the home of Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Alabama, which had since ceased operations leaving the almost new facility vacant.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — Hamilton resident Katie Harrison was caught in the middle of an armed robbery this past week at the Citgo gas station convenience store located on U.S. Highway 43 at the old Harper’s Junction.
The robbery took place at 5:30 p.m. on April 15 while Harrison, who is six weeks pregnant with her third child, was the only person working inside the convenience store.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — The inaugural Marion County Stampede is nearly here and event coordinator Matt McCracken is rallying support and sponsorship for the event that will take place in Hamilton.
McCracken addressed the Marion County Commission to ask for sponsorship during a regular meeting held on Monday, April 18, at the commission office in Hamilton.

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer
GUIN — Local artist Missy Miles will begin renovating the “Freedom Eagle” mural in downtown Guin this week. Miles originally painted the mural back in 2008, but over time, some of the colors and finer details have faded in the sun.
The mural is painted on the side of the Marion County Banking building overlooking Guin Memorial Park on the corner of U.S, Highway 43 and U.S. Highway 278.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON — Governor Kay Ivey made her well anticipated visit to Hamilton at the Tombigbee Electric Cooperative facility on Wednesday, April 20.
Ivey came to Hamilton and addressed the public in an event hosted by the Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce.

By Louis Mellini
Staff writer
HAMILTON - Marion County Emergency Management Agency Director Eric Terrell assembled a large group of municipal officials and first responders to meet in a major emergency preparedness meeting held in downtown Hamilton at the House of Plenty on Thursday, April 14.
In attendence were municipal mayors and officials from all first reponder organizations in the county.

HAMILTON — The Hamilton Police Department is currently working a missing person case.
Resident Justin Kyle Lovett was last seen on Monday, April 11, at approximately 8 p.m.
Lovett is five feet, seven inches tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds and has brown hair.
Anyone with information on Lovett’s location is encouraged to contact the HPD at 205-921-7424.