Regional officials helping to prepare for the upcoming Census say that implications point to Marion County recording a higher population.
Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments (NACOLG) Transportation Director Ryan Hayse is a part of his organization’s team working in collaboration with Census officials to produce the highest possible count in the northwest Alabama area.
Hayse said that NACOLG has been helping the Census Bureau locate previously unrecorded addresses by cross-referencing local address data to the U.S. Postal Service’s records.

HACKLEBURG - Community Church in Hackleburg baptized over 35 inmates at the Franklin County Jail on April 11.
For a little over a year, the church’s Hands and Feet outreach ministry has been holding men’s ministry nights at the jail with outreach leader Daniel Green.
Retired Hackleburg Police Chief Kenny Hallmark, who has worked with the ministry during the baptisms, expressed that he has seen a genuine change in the inmates’ lives as a result of the Thursday night meetings and baptisms.

HAMILTON -  Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill claimed that voter registration has grown significantly in the years since he was appointed as secretary at the Hamilton Kiwanis Club meeting on Monday, April 15, at Leonelli’s First Avenue Grill in Hamilton.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump has declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama and has ordered federal assistance to northern Alabama counties, including Marion County.
Trump signed the declaration on Wednesday, April 17, which will result in state and local recovery efforts to receive federal supplements to aid areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding from Feb. 19-March 20.

WINFIELD - The second car wreck in 24 days at a disputed Winfield road has a business owner concerned that the worst may happen before Winfield officials close the road.
“It’s just a matter of time before somebody gets killed,” Brandon Webster, the owner of Abby Nicole’s retail store in Winfield, said. “It’s not if--it’s when. It’s so dangerous,” Webster said, referring to Woodvale Road that runs parallel to his store.

Montgomery - Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, has been selected to serve on a key infrastructure committee that oversees select funds established through the recent Rebuild Alabama 10-cent gas tax increase legislation.
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth announced on Wednesday, April 17, that Gudger had selected Gudger to sit on the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP-II) Committee, the team tasked with overseeing local road and bridge projects funded by the ATRIP-II fund.

WINFIELD - Winfield City Schools Superintendent of Education Chris Cook reported that the Alabama Scantron Performance Assessment tests have begun at Winfield Middle School.
“We’ve had very positive results so far. I’m very encouraged with the results that we’re seeing,” Cook said during the Winfield City Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 11.

HAMILTON -  Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded grants totaling $1.9 million to assist low-income and elderly Alabama residents with weatherizing their homes to lower energy costs.
The grants have been awarded to 14 community agencies across the state that manage the program at the local level and receive applications from those individuals that wish to be considered for assistance.
This includes $142,562 to the Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. (Marion, Cullman, Lawrence, Morgan, Walker and Winston counties).  

GUIN-  After 28 years as director of the Guin Housing Authority, David Jackson is retiring.
Jackson looked back on a long and successful career during a retirement party at the Guin Housing Authority (GHA) Community Center in Guin on April 5. There, long-time friends, family and community leaders from across Northwest Alabama gathered to celebrate Jackson’s service.
“It’s been a great experience. I have had a wonderful and long career here,” Jackson said.

WINFIELD - Winfield Park and Recreation Department Director Gina Bryant announced that the Fifth Annual Park Fest has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 18, at the Ivan K. Hill Recreational Park in Winfield.
Bryant said the event will feature live music, fleamarket vendors, arts and crafts, inflatables, community helpers, local businesses and churches, city departments, state and marine police and the National Guard. The Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter will land at 10 a.m. and children will be allowed to look at it, Bryant said.

Shottsville community - Officials have determined that a low-grade EF-1 tornado touched town in northwest Marion County, causing moderate damage.
Marion County Emergency Management Agency Director Jimmy Mills told the Journal Record that on Saturday night, April 13, a tornado traveled approximately eight miles on the ground through the Shottsville Community, with the majority of the damage concentrated around County Road 13,  specifically between County Road 56 and Grant Road.

GUIN-  The Guin City Council voted to change the start time of its meetings from 5 p.m to 5:30 p.m. to allow for a work session before the start of its first meeting of the month. The council meets each first and third Monday of the month in the Guin City Hall council chambers. The council will now hold a 30-minute work session starting at 5 p.m. before the first meeting of each month.
The change was voted on after councilman Jerry Gann voiced his concerns about city financial statements.

HAMILTON -  Hackleburg’s Annual Neighbor Day will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, in Hackleburg.
The festival will begin on Friday, April 26, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will continue on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will feature music, arts, and crafts and several vendors throughout the weekend.
Musical artists Joseph Baldwin, Crossing Dixie, Kreek, Handshake Promise, Josh Armstrong, 1st Born Sons and Austin Lewis are set to perform at the weekend event.

HAMILTON -  Fayette-based West Alabama TV Cable has been bought out by Stamford, Conn.-based Charter Communications.
The Hamilton City Council unanimously approved a franchise agreement with Spectrum at its meeting on Monday, April 15.
Spectrum is the telecommunications brand for Charter  Communications, which services more than 28 million customers across 41 states.