CP&R Executive Director, Nathan Anderson, was named Outstanding New Professional by the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association. / Photo courtesy of CP&R

CULLMAN - It was a great weekend for Cullman Parks and Recreation, culminating on Tuesday night when it brought home two awards from the annual Alabama Recreation and Parks Association Conference in Tuscaloosa. CP&R was named Agency of the Year while, Executive Director Nathan Anderson was named Outstanding New Professional.

Anderson was excited to receive the prestigious award but believes it’s as much a team award as it is an individual one.

“It’s truly an honor to receive an award like that; however, I don’t feel, even though it’s an individual award, that its something that is achieved individually,” Anderson said. “That truly is something that was acquired through the great efforts of an incredible parks and rec team, the support and work of an amazing board and the support felt at the council and mayor level.”

The chairman of that board is Judge Wells Turner, and he was excited for the department’s Tuesday night haul as well.

“The members of the Cullman Park and Recreation Board are excited that the hard work and dedication of the staff of the department was recognized by the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association,” said Turner. “We also appreciate the continuing support of Mayor (Woody) Jacobs and the city council for the programs and facilities that are for the benefit of all of Cullman County and the surrounding communities. As a board, we are committed to improving the quality of life through excellence in facilities, programs and events, but it could not be accomplished without the best employees which we are blessed to have.”

Despite Anderson’s humility, CP&R’s Marketing, Programs and Events Director Waid Harbison is excited for him and the new opportunities this will bring to the department.

“The award Nathan won was the Outstanding New Professional Award, so that is basically the best parks and rec professional in the state that has been in parks and recreation management (for less than five years),” Harbison said. “We go to the state conference every year and I think absolutely we learn something new all the time. We are blessed to be one of best departments, and like Nathan said we have a great board, we have a great mayor and council and they’re always backing us, but there are always other departments doing unique things and we visited a lot of their facilities; we’ve looked at a lot of things and I think there are things we can take from it and develop in the future for sure.”

As excited as the department is to receive the awards, they had these kinds of expectations early on considering the amount of support and history they have in the community.

“For our agency, Cullman Parks and Recreation has a rich history in doing things with excellence and having outstanding facilities and programs, an amazing team and support from the board, the council, the mayor; there’s always been that rich history here,” Anderson said. “So, it was something that doesn’t surprise me because it didn’t take me long to see how special we have it here in Cullman with such an amazing team.”

The Agency Award is given out annually but judged on the cumulative state of a department. Anderson understands that well and his goal is to not only maintain the department’s high standards but continue to raise them.

“Our mission statement is that Cullman Parks and Recreation is dedicated to improving quality of life through exceptional parks, facilities, events and recreational opportunities for all; that’s something that is ongoing,” he said. “Everybody that shows up to work every day is committed to that mission and we’re always looking for ways to excel and improve so that we can ultimately give an opportunity for everyone to get out and live and enjoy a quality of life in our community.”

Not everyone that works for CP&R could go to the conference in Tuscaloosa, but Harbison credits the success of the department to the staff working all across the community.

“We have an awesome team here at parks and rec; our staff is awesome. Winning the Agency of the Year Award, you’re looking at 10 administrators over their different facilities; we really have the best facilities. I mean to me we have the best golf course of any park and rec, we’ve got the best wellness center of any park and rec, we’ve got the best water park. I mean we just have administrators that come in and work around the clock. They’re awesome, they put in a lot of hard time. All of their employees, all of their staff do a lot, from our maintenance department, to our front desk people, we just put it all on the best from top to bottom and it’s because of how awesome our staff is,” he said. “Really this is a huge and awesome award for all of our staff and all their hard work and what they’re doing because they come in and they understand the mission statement and it’s not just a job for them. They’ve bought into this, they’re trying to help the community and they show up every day and do that. I think that’s what really sets us apart from everybody else is we’ve got a staff of 250 people, part-time and full-time, that comes to work every day and they get it and they want to work for the community.”

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

MONTGOMERY - Six law enforcement agencies across north Alabama are set to receive upgraded equipment thanks to $144,000 in grants awarded by Gov. Kay Ivey. The governor’s office said, “The grants will enable police and sheriff’s departments to purchase vehicles, communications equipment and other items needed by officers and deputies during their patrols.

The Cullman County Commission has been awarded $24,000 for the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to purchase a new K-9 unit and patrol vehicle with kennel.

“We put in for it,” said Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry. “We’ve bought K-9s in the past, our drug K-9s, using grants. We’d already purchased one K-9, from the sheriff’s office, from our funds, and we put in for this grant to purchase a K-9 vehicle and a K-9 for narcotics enforcement in the county. That’s one of my top priorities is going after drug traffickers, distributers, any body using or selling drugs. So it was a good opportunity.”

The grant will be matched with funds from the CCSO’s budget.

The CCSO currently has four drug K-9s and one tracking K-9. This new K-9 will be used for narcotics detection.

“The brave men and women of our law enforcement agencies put their lives on the line to serve and protect our communities every day, and they need and deserve the proper equipment to carry out their duties,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to help these agencies obtain the equipment they need to do their jobs effectively.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation development.

The following agencies were also awarded a $24,000 grant:

• Lauderdale County Commission for the sheriff’s department to upgrade radio communication equipment in patrol vehicles.
• Lawrence County Commission for the sheriff’s department to purchase Tasers, flashlights and police radios.
• Winston County Commission for the sheriff’s office to equip patrol cars with laptop computers and purchase body cameras and winter wear for deputies.
• City of Muscle Shoals for the police department to purchase new laptop computers
• City of Tuscumbia to purchase a patrol SUV for the police department.

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo courtesy of the Cullman County Sheriff's Office.

Updated 2-1-18 7:18 p.m.

CULLMAN -  The Alabama State Department of Education (ASDE) on Thursday released the 2016-2017 State Report Card, part of 2012's Alabama Accountability Act, which required the ASDE to come up with a report card to assign an overall letter grade for each public school system and each public school in Alabama.

Overall, Cullman County Schools received a B.  The grades by school were as follows:

• Cold Springs Elementary - B
• Cold Springs High - C
• Fairview Elementary - B
• Fairview Middle - B
• Fairview High - D
• Good Hope Elementary - C
• Good Hope Middle - B
• Good Hope High - C
• Hanceville Elementary - C
• Hanceville Middle - B
• Hanceville High - C
• Harmony - C
• Holly Pond Elementary - C
• Holly Pond Middle - B
• Holly Pond High - C
• Parkside - B
• Welti - B
• West Point Elementary - B
• West Point Intermediate - C
• West Point Middle - C
• West Point High - C
• Vinemont Elementary - C
• Vinemont Middle - B
• Vinemont High - C

Overall, Cullman City Schools received an A. The grades by school were as follows:

• Cullman High- B
• Cullman Middle School- A
• East Elementary- A
• West Elementary- A

FULL BREAKDOWN OF DATA AND RESPONSES FROM SUPERINTENDENTS

Glossary

The Report Card Technical Guide offered the following definitions of terms used in the Report Card and on the dashboard:

• Academic Achievement– A report card indicator determined based on the percentage of proficient students in the areas of reading and math utilizing assessments in tested grades 3-8 and 10.
• Academic Growth– A report card indicator determined based on individual students who demonstrate improvement in reading and math from one year to the next using multiple years of data.
• Letter Grade– The alphabetic letter assigned to a school, district or the state that correlates to a grading scale in order to give a summative indication of the school, district or the state.
• Alabama Act No. 2012-402– Alabama law (commonly referred to as the “Alabama’s Report Card Law) that requires the state superintendent of education to develop a school grading system reflective of school and district performance.
• Chronic Absenteeism– Percent of students who missed a total of 15 or more days (excused or unexcused) of the school year. Points are based on students present.
• College and Career Readiness (CCR)– A report card indicator determined based on the percentage of students in the 4-year Cohort who met at least one of the CCR indicators.
• Full Academic Year (FAY) Students– Those students who are used in the calculation of Academic Achievement and Academic Growth.
• Graduation Rate– A report card indicator determined based on the percentage of high school students who graduated within 4 or 5 years of first entering the 9th grade.

The ACT Aspire test

The Academic Achievement and Academic Growth scores in the Report Card are based on ACT Aspire scores from tests administered as follows:

• reading proficiency, grades 3-8, 10
• mathematics, grades 3-8, 10
• science, grades 5, 7, 10  

State contract canceled

The 2016-17 school year was the last in which the ACT Aspire assessment was planned to be used.  For years, Alabama students across the board scored lower than expected on the test, and lower on average than they did on the previous state assessment, leading to concerns that Aspire might not be properly aligned with Alabama’s curriculum content.  After the results of the spring 2017 Aspire test returned to Alabama by ACT were found to contain bad data, the ASDE voted to cancel its contract with ACT for the Aspire.  According to Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette, that bad data was not corrected and was used in the scoring for the grade.  The state will continue to use the 11th-grade college readiness assessment and 12th-grade work readiness assessment from ACT.

How the grade was calculated

According to the Report Card Technical Guide, the letter grades were calculated as follows:

SCHOOLS WITHOUT A GRADE 12

• Academic Achievement (Weighted) 40%
• Academic Growth (Weighted) 50%
• Chronic Absenteeism 10%

SCHOOLS WITH A GRADE 12, SCHOOL SYSTEMS, AND STATE

• Academic Achievement (Weighted) 20%
• Academic Growth (Weighted) 30%
• Graduation Rate 30%
• College and Career Readiness 10%
• Chronic Absenteeism 10%

Each Indicator Score will be multiplied by the indicated “Percent of Score.”  The products will then be summed in order to obtain a numerical score.  The numerical score will be matched to a grading scale and the resulting letter grade will be displayed on the Alabama Report Card.

Grading Scale:

• 90 – 100 . . . . A
• 80 – 89 . . . . . B
• 70 – 79 . . . . . C
• 60 – 69 . . . . . D
• 0 – 59 . . . . . . F

Student Engagement indicators on the Report Card could include extracurricular and cocurricular activities such as student government, sports, the arts, community volunteerism and others.

College and Career Readiness Indicators on the Report Card could be the benchmark on any ACT subtest, the qualifying score on an AP or IB exam, military enlistment, approved transcript college or postsecondary credit while in high school, Silver Level or higher on the ACT WorkKeys, or approved industry credentials.

Results

STATE OF ALABAMA

Grade - C

Academic Achievement - 60.27

Academic Growth - 87.86

Graduation Rate - 87.0

College and Career Readiness - 66.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 17.68

CULLMAN CITY SCHOOLS

Grade - A (92 points)

Academic Achievement - 85.03

Academic Growth - 100

Graduation Rate - 93.0

College and Career Readiness - 86.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 12.97

Student Engagement - 100%

Expenditure Per Student - $8,643

Cullman Primary School - not included

East Elementary School

Grade - A (95)

Academic Achievement - 90.33

Academic Growth - 100

Chronic Absenteeism - 10.83

Student Engagement - 100%

West Elementary School

Grade - A (94)

Academic Achievement - 88.04

Academic Growth - 100

Chronic Absenteeism - 10.83

Student Engagement - 100%

Cullman Middle School

Grade - A (93)

Academic Achievement - 84.95

Academic Growth - 100

Chronic Absenteeism - 10.75

Student Engagement - 100%

Cullman High School

Grade - B (88)

Academic Achievement - 67.83

Academic Growth - 97.94

Graduation Rate - 93.0

College and Career Readiness - 86.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 17.13

Student Engagement - 100%

CULLMAN COUNTY SCHOOLS

Grade - B (80 points)

Academic Achievement - 62.47

Academic Growth - 89.55

Graduation Rate - 85.20

College and Career Readiness - 72.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 17.69

Student Engagement - 100%

Expenditure Per Student - $9,109

Cold Springs Elementary School

Grade - B (85)

Academic Achievement - 71.92

Academic Growth - 95.85

Chronic Absenteeism - 17.81

Student Engagement - 100%

Cold Springs High School

Grade - C (79)

Academic Achievement - 39.64

Academic Growth - 96.88

Graduation Rate - 88.8

College and Career Readiness - 72.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 17.42

Student Engagement - 100%

Cullman County Child Development Center - not included

Fairview Elementary School

Grade - B (81)

Academic Achievement - 62.71

Academic Growth - 94.83

Chronic Absenteeism - 12.28

Student Engagement - 100%

Fairview Middle School

Grade - B (86)

Academic Achievement - 72.83

Academic Growth - 96.30

Chronic Absenteeism - 14.42

Student Engagement - 100%

Fairview High School

Grade - D (68)

Academic Achievement - 34.39

Academic Growth - 78.79

Graduation Rate - 81.80

College and Career Readiness - 66.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 37.21

Student Engagement - 100%

Good Hope Elementary School

Grade - C (77)

Academic Achievement - 66.40

Academic Growth - 83.19

Chronic Absenteeism - 16.23

Student Engagement - 100%

Good Hope Primary School - not included

Good Hope Middle School

Grade - B (81)

Academic Achievement - 67.52

Academic Growth - 93.11

Chronic Absenteeism - 22.76

Student Engagement - 100%

Good Hope High School

Grade - C (73)

Academic Achievement - 33.20

Academic Growth - 84.40

Graduation Rate - 85.40

College and Career Readiness - 81.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 24.27

Student Engagement - 100%

Hanceville Elementary School

Grade - C (72)

Academic Achievement - 55.73

Academic Growth - 80.99

Chronic Absenteeism - 11.66

Student Engagement - 100%

Hanceville Middle School

Grade - B (83)

Academic Achievement - 66.09

Academic Growth - 95.55

Chronic Absenteeism - 13.59

Student Engagement - 100%

Hanceville High School

Grade - C (79)

Academic Achievement - 41.54

Academic Growth - 98.61

Graduation Rate - 85.60

College and Career Readiness - 70.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 19.72

Student Engagement - 100%

Harmony School

Grade - C (78)

Academic Achievement - 64.86

Academic Growth - 86.82

Chronic Absenteeism - 11.82

Student Engagement - 100%

Holly Pond Elementary School

Grade - C (79)

Academic Achievement - 75.78

Academic Growth - 80.41

Chronic Absenteeism - 17.90

Student Engagement - 100%

Holly Pond Middle School

Grade - B (85)

Academic Achievement - 69.26

Academic Growth - 95.66

Chronic Absenteeism - 7.14

Student Engagement - 100%

Holly Pond High School

Grade - C (75)

Academic Achievement - 34.33

Academic Growth - 91.91

Graduation Rate - 87.0

College and Career Readiness - 73.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 25.14

Student Engagement - 100%

Parkside Elementary

Grade - B (81)

Academic Achievement - 71.95

Academic Growth - 88.01

Chronic Absenteeism - 20.52

Student Engagement - 100%

Vinemont Elementary School

Grade - C (73)

Academic Achievement - 66.67

Academic Growth - 74.66

Chronic Absenteeism - 9.84

Student Engagement - 100%

Vinemont Middle School

Grade - B (89)

Academic Achievement - 76.87

Academic Growth - 100

Chronic Absenteeism - 13.13

Student Engagement - 100%

Vinemont High School

Grade - C (73)

Academic Achievement - 37.81

Academic Growth - 84.19

Graduation Rate - 84.80

College and Career Readiness - 70.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 22.13

Student Engagement - 100%

Welti Elementary School

Grade - B (80)

Academic Achievement - 71.77

Academic Growth - 84.56

Chronic Absenteeism - 11.11

Student Engagement - 100%

West Point Elementary School

Grade - B (83)

Academic Achievement - 82.57

Academic Growth - not available

Chronic Absenteeism - 12.30

Student Engagement - 100%

West Point Intermediate School

Grade - C (74)

Academic Achievement - 63.75

Academic Growth - 79.56

Chronic Absenteeism - 10.31

Student Engagement - 100%

West Point Middle School

Grade - C (76)

Academic Achievement - 61.06

Academic Growth - 85.73

Chronic Absenteeism - 15.96

Student Engagement - 100%

West Point High School

Grade - C (77)

Academic Achievement - 35.96

Academic Growth - 91.06

Graduation Rate - 91.80

College and Career Readiness - 75.0

Chronic Absenteeism - 21.87

Student Engagement - 100%

Statistics

Certain statistics about schools and systems appeared on the initial ASDE dashboard.

In the Cullman County school system:

• 62.4 percent of students qualify for free or reduced meals.  Economically disadvantaged students in the county system averaged seven to eight points below the system average on the Aspire.
• 13.9 percent of students have physical or mental disabilities.  Special needs students in the county system averaged 30 to 36 points below the system average on the Aspire.
• 53.5 percent of teachers/staff have master’s degrees
• 6.1 percent of teachers/staff have post-graduate credentials

In the Cullman City school system:

• 32.1 percent of students qualify for free or reduced meals.  Economically disadvantaged students in the city system averaged 14 to 15 points below the system average on the Aspire.
• 8.0 percent of students have physical or mental disabilities. Special needs students in the city system averaged 33 to 44 points below the system average on the Aspire.
• 52.7 percent of teachers/staff have master’s degrees
• 4.9 percent of teachers/staff have post-graduate credentials

Superintendents’ responses

On Thursday morning, County Superintendent Shane Barnette held a press briefing before the State Report Card data on the dashboard went live.  His message stated in part:

“The Alabama Department of Education released the Alabama State Report Card today, containing a letter grade for schools and school systems across the state, including all the schools in Cullman County.  This year’s State Report Card is simply a prototype, with expected changes to come in the future.

“The majority of the report card is based on the Aspire Test, which is important to point out that the State Department has since ruled ineffective and discontinued its use already.  But the results that we’ll be talking about today are based on that test, that we no longer use.

“The State of Alabama introduced the Alabama State Report Card so students, parents, taxpayers and others could easily understand how their schools are performing; and just as report cards help parents understand how their children are performing, these report cards help the parents understand how the schools are performing.

“Alabama as a state received a letter grade of a ‘C,' and Cullman County Schools has received a ‘B,’ which reflects several different factors including academic achievement, academic growth, chronic absenteeism, as well as graduation rates and college and career readiness for high schools.  Every student in our system is included in the data regardless of exceptionalities or challenges.  We take a lot of pride in educating all of our students regardless of these individual challenges.

“Schools within our school system received a wide range of scores.  Due to various grade level makeups of schools in Cullman County, many of their scores were determined by only a few indicators or maybe even didn’t even have a score, much like Good Hope Primary.  They had none of those indicators in their school, so they were not even assigned a grade.  I am confident that Good Hope Primary would have helped our overall score in our district if they had have gotten a grade.  And that’s one reason that (this version of the Report Card is) a prototype, and they’re looking at changes, and they’re welcoming changes from the public and from educators about things they can do to help this Report Card mean more than it currently does.

“Someone may ask, ‘Does a low grade mean that my school is bad?’  There are many factors that influence the quality of a school.  The letter grade is simply a snapshot of how a school or school system performed during the previous year.  The grades will be used to identify areas that are performing strongly and areas that need improvement.

“Absenteeism is an area that hurt many of our schools, and this is an area that parents can definitely help us in.  Unfortunately, excused and unexcused absences count negatively toward our absentee rate.  For instance, this is flu season right now, and we have several students out with the flu as of today.  We have several teachers out with the flu today.  And then, this situation: students that are out with the flu, even with doctors’ excuses, currently count against us in our absenteeism rate, and affect us negatively on this State Report Card.”

After listing the letter grades for each school, Barnette continued:

“Yes, when you see these grades--I mean they’re painful for me to look at, especially knowing the great things that are going on in the schools when I go out there and visit every day.  At the same time, I take it personal because these scores are a reflection of our leadership; and that starts with me, and secondly starts with our Principals.  Over the last couple of weeks, the schools have been holding data meetings to discuss the areas of need and ways that we can improve those, and ways that we can target those areas.

“The letter grade is a snapshot of the school and a conversation starter for communities. It’s not about pointing fingers.  It is intended to be a catalyst for discussion and improvement.  Together, we will continue to identify ways that we can provide our students with the best educational experience possible.

“The graduation rate for this report card is based on the graduation rate for the 2015-2016 school year.  As a district that year, our graduation rate was 85 percent, fairly high when you compare it to several of the other graduation rates in Alabama.  I’m proud to say that, as of last year--for the 2016-2017 year, our graduation rate was the highest ever: it was at 92 percent. So as you can see, even though this Report Card comes out today, we’ve already improved in a lot of areas from this data.  Once again, this data is based on an 85 percent graduation rate, and last year we had 92 percent. Every one of our high schools last year was in the 90’s.  We had anywhere from a 91 percent graduation rate at one school, to a 95 percent at other schools. So I’m really proud about what we’re doing in that area. 

“While we are not satisfied with our scores, we accept them. We have many exciting things happening in Cullman County that are not measured on this Report Card.  Almost daily we have students and teachers, and schools earning awards or recognitions for their accomplishments. We have a really good school system and it’s getting better every day.  Just this week, we had a school recognized as a School of Excellence again, for all the AP exams that they have students taking and passing, and we’re really excited about that.

“Some of the things that we have going on, that are not measured on this Report Card: we have athletic teams that are winning state championships, we have academic teams that are consistently winning state championships and competing at the National Level, band students earning state level awards, multiple Blue Ribbon Schools, a Leader In Me Lighthouse School for Leadership.  We have a US News-rated Top School in our school system.  We have an A+ School of Excellence school, based on their AP exams that I mentioned earlier.  We have an INSPIRESS Team that will be going up at the end of this school year to Washington D.C. to be presenting to NASA about some projects that they’ve done, because they won a state competition.  We’re real excited about that. We have FFA quartets that are ranked third in the nation. We have CATA teams that are winning state and national competitions. We have Certified Outdoor Classrooms, and we have students that are being recognized as National Merit Semifinalists.  We have partnerships with businesses and industries, and Wallace State Community College, and the list goes on.

“We also have many students that face a list of challenges from homelessness, poverty, mental and physical disabilities; we have broken families, victims of drug abuse, and early parenthood.  While these may be challenges, they are not crutches for the students of Cullman County.  If the student is willing to try, our educators will try multiple strategies to help them become successful and overcome any obstacle.  We have faculty and staff that have stood in the gap for children that range in age from Pre-K to 12th grade, to give them a fighting chance to break that cycle of poverty.  This may include providing food or clothes, many times providing money, school supplies, a warm home, and many times just a shoulder to cry on. And none of those things will show up on a State Report Card, but we’re going to continue to do them, because that is what makes Cullman County great.

“Our students become the backbone of our society.  Our past students include homemakers, farmers, mechanics, plumbers, builders, doctors, sheriffs, state representatives, judges, reporters, engineers, lawyers.  We even have a Fortune 500 executive that’s graduated from a Cullman County school.  We have many teachers and principals, and we even have a superintendent that attended a Cullman County school.  And the list continues to go on.  We have people that are going to our schools and becoming successful contributors to our society, and we’re excited about that.

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Cullman County School System!  Of course we have room for improvement, and we have a strategic plan to help us do that.  And we continue to believe that the future is very bright for the students in Cullman County!”

On Thursday afternoon, Cullman City Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Patterson commented to The Tribune via email:

“The A-F Report Card was designed by the Alabama State Department of Education to meet the requirements of Alabama law.  As with any measure, our focus is on how we can provide continuous improvement for our students and schools. Just as no one single measure can accurately report everything about a student, there are multiple ways to assess the successes of a school or school system.  We are very proud of the many different accomplishments our students and teachers make on a daily basis, in academics, arts, and athletics.

“Along with these areas we also value the support of our community and parents, it is the collective efforts of everyone that will ensure the future success of our students.

“An additional area measured by the A-F Report Card is chronic absenteeism. Attendance is an area where the supports around our students impact their performance. Daily presence is critical to success in learning, and this is an area we have taken a renewed focus on, by working with parents and others. Our school board approved our upcoming school calendar last month so that families could make plans for family events based on when students would have breaks in the school year. The intent of approving this as early as possible was to provide everyone plenty of time to make their family plans in a way that would least require students to miss scheduled school days.

“The majority of the report card scores came from our student performance on the ACT Aspire, which is no longer being used by the Alabama State Department of Education. This is why our focus is always on teaching and learning that continually improves because the standardized assessments and instructional standards change every few years.

Patterson ended, “Cullman City Schools are committed to rigorous instruction and student success. It is our goal to ensure that each child increases their achievement as they progress through our system. We continually focus on the performance of students, so that when they graduate from Cullman High, we know they have the foundation for life-long success.”

The ASDE Report Card dashboard can be viewed at http://ap.alsde.edu/accountability/EducationReportCard/selectschool.

View Barnette's press conference at www.facebook.com/CullmanTribune/videos/1628957897165899/.

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Eaves, age 76, passed away Monday, January 29, 2018 at Woodland Village Nursing Home. The family is planning memorial services for a later date. Cullman Funeral Home directing.

Funeral services for Vanessa Lashae Swann, 29, were Thursday, February 1, 2018 at Hanceville Funeral Home; with interment in Garden City Cemetery. 

Miss Swann passed away on Tuesday, January 30, 2018. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jerome Swann and Betty Isbell Burdette. She is survived by her grandmother, Clara Swann; son, Zayden Horton, fiancé, Jarrell Horton; sister, Alexis Millican; brother, Elijah Swann and a host of other family and friends.

Funeral services for Donnie Paul Collins, Jr., age 38 of Cullman, were on Thursday, February 1, 2018 at Cullman Heritage Funeral Home with Keith Whitley officiating. Burial at Eidson Chapel Cemetery. Cullman Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Collins passed away on Monday, January 29, 2018 at his residence. He was born November 29, 1979 in Cullman, AL to his parents Donnie Collins, Sr. and Nina Hopper.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents; Melvin Kelso, and Ivan and Mary Lou Collins. Survivors include his daughter, Hannah Collins, parents; Nina (Curtis) Hopper and Donnie (Theresa) Collins, Sr., sister, Kristin (Brandon) Talley, nephew, Xavier Sellers, grandmother, Nellie Kelso.

Funeral services for Jimmy C. Denney, 77, of Walter will be held at 2 p.m. Friday February 2, 2018 at Hanceville Funeral Home Chapel; Wendell Peterson officiating. Interment will follow at Duck River Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home on Thursday evening from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Mr. Denney passed away on Tuesday January 30, 2018 at Hanceville Nursing & Rehab. He was born on August 9, 1940 in Cullman to Arthur & Mary Ross Denney and is preceded in death by his parents; a son, Matt Denney and three brothers.

Survivors include his wife, Linda Denney; daughter, Cyndi Wimbs; granddaughter, Meagan Wimbs; and six sisters: Barbara (J.C.) Cornelius, Cheryl (Baldwin) East, Marty (Luke) Lindsey, Carolyn (Rick) Leigeber, Brenda (Richard) Rush and Liz Dunkin.

Funeral service for Velera Kinney will be Sunday, February 4, 2018 at 3 p.m. at Enon Baptist Church. Tim Kinney and David Stancil officiating. Interment will be in the adjoining cemetery.

Mrs. Kinney passed away Monday, January 29. She was born November 7, 1923 to Luther and Bessie Wilkinson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Hershel Kinney, her parents, and her children Phil Kinney, Carrol Kinney, James Kinney and Phillis Bovey.

She is survived by her grandchildren Katrina Bovey and Patricia Bovey, a brother Marlon Wilkinson, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday at Enon Baptist Church. Cullman Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

CULLMAN - Below are the arrests reported for Jan. 31. All persons are innocent until proven guilty.

Cullman County Sheriff’s Office

Culver, John Wayne Jr., 45

• third-degree criminal trespassing
• unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Harbison, Vicky Pratt, 54

• third-degree burglary

Haynes, Joshua Aaron, 26

• failure to appear- third-degree burglary

Kelley, Shane Wesley, 31

• attempting to elude
• possession of drug paraphernalia
• reckless endangerment
• resisting arrest
• failure to appear- fourth-degree theft of property

McLeod, Randy Isaiah, 35

• probation violation- unlawful possession of a controlled substance (2 counts)

Millwood, Joshua E., 27

• attempting to elude
• harassing communications
• possession of drug paraphernalia
• tampering with physical evidence
• unlawful possession of a controlled substance
• unauthorized use of a vehicle

Smith, Billy Everett Jr., 46

• failure to appear- third-degree burglary

Swack, James Scott, 47

• judge’s order- first-degree assault
• judge’s order- second-degree robbery

Cullman Police Department

Jones, John C., 26

• failure to appear- possession of drug paraphernalia
• failure to appear- driver’s license not in possession
• failure to appear- improper lights

Hanceville Police Department

No arrests reported.

Find arrest reports online Monday-Friday at www.CullmanTribune.com.

West Point High School posted this photo of its team to the school’s Twitter page, with a note that the team has won the county tournament for six years and is 36-0 in tournament competition since 2012. / Photo courtesy West Point High School

CULLMAN COUNTY - Last week was a busy one for scholars’ bowl teams in Cullman County, with tournaments on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 26 and 27, that continued West Point High School’s six-year streak of dominance and sent three area middle schools to the state tournament.

Cullman County Schools Tournament at Wallace State

When Cullman County Schools were finally able to hold their scholars’ bowl tournament at Wallace State, after winter weather canceled the first attempt in December, West Point came out the big winner, taking first-place honors in both team and individual results at high school and middle school levels.

Christine O’Leary, who oversaw the tournament for Wallace State, named Will Parker, Tom Parker and Kohan Lovett, all from West Point; along with R.J. Bynum of Good Hope to the High School All-Tournament Team.  To the Middle School All-Tournament Team, she named Carter Duke of West Point, Manisha Adams and Caden Hamby from Hanceville, and Tripp Taylor of Good Hope.

Following are the tournament results:

High School

• First Place . . . West Point HS, with six wins and no losses
• Second Place . . . Good Hope HS, with five wins and one loss
• Third Place . . . Holly Pond HS, with four wins and two losses

High school individuals and point totals

• Will Parker, West Point . . . 280
• Tom Parker, West Point . . . 240
• Kohan Lovett, West Point . . . 240
• R.J. Bynum, Good Hope . . . 210
• Baylee Jennings, Vinemont . . . 140
• Seth Self, Holly Pond . . . 130
• Billy Ellis, West Point . . . 120
• Dakota Brunetti, Hanceville . . . 120
• Madalyn Williams, Good Hope . . . 110
• Zachary Reynolds, Holly Pond . . .  110

Middle School

• First Place . . . West Point MS, with eight wins and no losses
• Second Place . . . Hanceville MS, with seven wins and one loss
• Third Place . . .  Good Hope MS, with six wins and two losses

Top scoring middle school individuals and point totals

• Carter Duke, West Point . . . 430
• Manisha Adams, Hanceville . . . 290
• Caden Hamby, Hanceville . . . 260
• Tripp Taylor, Good Hope . . . 250
• Alana Nisley, Hanceville . . . 240
• Connor Nunn, Cold Springs . . . 200
• Adam McCluskey, Good Hope . . . 200
• Kelsey Campbell, Vinemont . . . 170
• Lydia Baker, Vinemont . . . 170
• Lauren Taylor, West Point . . . 160

In a message to The Tribune, Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette wrote, "I am continually blown away by the great things that students and teachers from Cullman County are accomplishing.  I am so impressed by the level of intelligence that our middle and high school students demonstrated at the scholars' bowl competition this past Friday.  Furthermore, when I asked some of them about their future plans after high school, they are setting the bar very high for what they want to accomplish.  I believe they all will reach those goals and more."

District Middle School Tournament at West Point

In the District Middle School Tournament on Saturday, 12 teams from around this part of the state came together at West Point to compete for berths in the State Tournament.  The teams were divided into pools, with the top two in each pool advancing to State.  

Cullman Middle School took first place in its pool, followed by St. Bernard Prep School.  West Point Middle School finished second in its pool, behind Arab Junior High School.  All four teams will compete in Hoover on Feb. 24.

CMS team coach Bama Turner wrote to The Tribune, “The Cullman Middle School scholars’ bowl team is composed of nine students: Forrest Calvert, Avery Drake, Sarah Flores, Jessie Godbee, Matthew Gossett, Emma Hart, Kaydence Johnson, Kirin Tisdale and Sawyer Trimble.  All of these students participated in the regular weekly Cullman County Invitationals that were held at Wallace State College.  They walked away from that five-week tournament undefeated with an 11-0 record.

“For the recent district tournament, only six students are allowed to participate but only four were available.   The district team was made up of Avery Drake, Jessie Godbee, Matthew Gossett and Kirin Tisdale.   A couple of rounds were very close and came down to the last question.  They did an awesome job by winning every round of the tournament.  I am very proud of these students.  I have to give full credit to these students for all that they have achieved.”

The District Junior Varsity Tournament will take place this Friday, Feb. 2 at Wallace State. Hanceville, Holly Pond, Vinemont and West Point will compete against 12 other teams.   

The District High School Tournament will be at Wallace State on Friday, Feb. 9.  Fairview, St. Bernard and West Point will compete against seven other teams in Division One. Cold Springs, Good Hope, Hanceville, Holly Pond and Vinemont will compete against six other teams.

State competitions for middle school and jr. varsity will take place at Hoover High School south of Birmingham.  The middle school tournament will be Wednesday, Feb. 24 and the jr. varsity tournament will be on Saturday, Feb. 27.  The high school tournament will be at Jefferson State Community College in Hoover on Apr. 13.

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MONTGOMERY - On Jan. 24, Alabama Attorney Gen. Steve Marshall, State Mental Health Commissioner Lynn Beshear, and Acting State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris released the findings of the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, including a list of recommended actions the state can take to confront the opioid epidemic.

According to information from the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee, Alabama saw a more than six-fold increase in opioid overdose deaths between 1999 and 2015 (the most recent year for which complete records are available), rising from fewer than one death per 100,000 population to just over six per 100,000.   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alabama leads the nation in opioid prescriptions and opioid over-prescription.  A sobering comparison of numbers:

• Alabama physicians wrote 5.8 million opioid prescriptions in 2015
• Alabama has 4.863 million citizens

That means that every man, woman and child (including the perfectly healthy ones) in Alabama could receive one prescription for opioid pain medication per year, and there would still be almost a million prescriptions left over.  The opioid prescription rate in Alabama is 75 percent higher than the national rate.  These numbers reflect only legal prescriptions, and do not account for the state’s illicit drug trade, including improperly repurposed prescriptions, illegal mail order imports of foreign drugs and heroin use.  

According to Executive Order 708 issued by Gov. Kay Ivey in August 2017, the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council was created specifically to “identify a focused set of strategies to reduce the number of deaths and other adverse consequences of the opioid crisis in Alabama.”  Read the executive order at https://ago.state.al.us/legacy/File-Exec%20Order%20708.

The following comes from the official announcement of the issuance of the council’s strategic action plan.

“Families, healthcare professionals and government officials at every level seek real solutions concerning the impact the opioid crisis has on Alabamians,” said Lynn Beshear, commissioner, Alabama Department of Mental Health. “The next step in our effort will convene the Implementation Team of the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, as well as quarterly meetings of the full Council to implement researched opportunities. We believe the work of the Council offers preventive strategies, intervention and treatment options, and a community response that addresses this dire need. Working together, it will require organized sustained engagement of citizens and government with healthcare professionals.”

Acting State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said, “Opioid addiction and abuse is a tremendous problem that affects Alabama in many different ways. Our hospitals, schools, churches and prisons are all struggling to deal with the problems caused by addiction and by increasing numbers of opioid deaths. The comprehensive action plan the Council has developed includes improvements to the Alabama Prescription Drug Monitoring Program that make it easier for prescribers to identify opioid abuse and to motivate abusers to find help for themselves, their families and communities. We are encouraged that the Council has offered strategies that have the potential to reverse this crisis that affects so many Alabamians, and appreciate the input of so many individuals to find effective solutions.”

“After working with the dedicated people who have given so much of their time and concern to this Council and its subcommittees, I am heartened that we can make progress to fight the terrible blight of opioid abuse in Alabama,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall. “I want to thank Governor Ivey for bringing us together in a commitment to search for solutions and work toward implementing them. I have been proud to serve with Commissioner Beshear and Dr. Harris in this vital endeavor, and I am grateful to all the members of this Council and its subcommittees for their outstanding achievement in bringing forth these valuable recommendations.”

The council’s report presents a four-pronged action plan to address prevention of opioid misuse, intervention within the law enforcement and justice systems, treatment of those with opioid use disorders, and community response that engages the people of Alabama in finding solutions at a local level.   Some of the major findings are summarized below:    

PREVENTION

• Improve and modernize the Alabama Prescription Drug Monitoring Program so that it will be more user-friendly, and more prescribers will participate and be better informed; the governor is requested to support a legislative appropriation of $1.1 million to the Alabama Department of Public Health for this
• Strengthen prescription data and research capabilities and create a unique identifier for each individual patient
• Promote efforts to educate current and future prescribers, better implement current guidelines, adopt guidelines specific to opioid prescribing and impose mandatory opioid prescribing education
• Create a website and messaging campaign to reduce the stigma of opioid addiction; and implement an outreach program to teach young people the dangers and to avoid opioids
• Create a website and social media campaign to motivate opioid abusers to seek help and to effectively connect them and family members with ways to get help
• Create a partnership for the Alabama Department of Mental Health to provide training about addiction to law enforcement agencies and the judiciary

INTERVENTION

• Advocate legislation in the 2018 session to specifically prohibit trafficking in fentanyl and carfentanil, which is particularly important because vastly smaller amounts of these than other opioids can be deadly; for example, a lethal dose of fentanyl is 1000 times less than that of heroin, and the threshold amounts for the crimes of trafficking in fentanyl and carfentanil would better be measured in micrograms;
• As overdoses are 50 times greater for those leaving incarceration or other enforced abstinence, establish a process for the Department of Mental Health to reduce the stigma of medication assisted treatment, and begin a pilot program by the Department of Corrections in partnership with the Board of Pardons and Paroles to use naloxone, counseling and life skills to help released inmates remain drug free.

TREATMENT AND RECOVERY

• Promote adequate funding for treatment services and recovery support
• Establish collaboration between the Department of Mental Health and recovery support providers to increase access
• Support creating two addiction medicine fellowships to train Alabama physicians to recognize and treat substance abuse
• Expand access and target effective treatment and prevention programs to areas where there is greater need
• Improve education of professionals through continuing education for licensing and expand postsecondary and graduate curriculums

COMMUNITY RESPONSE

• Increase access to naloxone and maintain a list of participating pharmacies
• Prioritize naloxone to law enforcement and for distribution in areas of greatest need
• Provide naloxone training for first responders
• Encourage prescribing naloxone for high-risk patients
• Have a Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America program in each judicial circuit and work toward having them at municipal levels
• Engage employers, businesses, higher education and private-sector in a network to get resources into communities
• Encourage having a Stepping Up Initiative in each county to work with the criminal justice system regarding incarceration of those with mental health problems
• Develop ways to provide service to veterans regarding opioid issues

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Image credit: pixabay

CHARLESTON - Nicholas Shugarts, of Cullman, was awarded Gold Stars by The Citadel for achieving a 3.7 grade point average or higher for the 2017 fall semester. Cadets and students who achieve Gold Star recognition are also placed on The Citadel's Dean's List.

The Citadel with its iconic campus located in Charleston, South Carolina, offers a classic military college education for young men and women profoundly focused on leadership excellence and academic distinction. The 2,300 members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets are not required to serve in the military but about one-third of each class commission as officers in every branch of U.S. military service. Graduates of The Citadel have served the nation, their states and their communities as principled leaders since the college was founded in 1842. The Citadel Graduate College offers 26 graduate degree programs with 42 concentration options, 24 graduate certificate programs, and eight evening undergraduate programs, through an all-evening schedule with many courses now available online. The Citadel was named Best Public College in the South by for seven consecutive years, and #1 Best Public College for Veterans in the South for two consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report as well as Best Value out of all South Carolina colleges and universities by Forbes.

Image credit: The Citadel

Capt. Ed Potter, left, with Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry / Cullman County Sheriff's Office

CULLMAN -  On Thursday night, Cullman County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) Capt. Ed Potter received the VFW Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award. Potter was joined by his family and several members of the CCSO, including Sheriff Matt Gentry.

Potter joined the CCSO in 2004, and during that time he has worked in patrol, been warden of the Cullman County Detention Center and is currently the victim services deputy.

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Gov. Kay Ivey, Cullman Economic Development Agency’s Jamie Troutman and ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell in Montgomery / Governor's Office, Hal Yeager

MONTGOMERY – Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday awarded more than $10.5 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to 28 Alabama towns and cities. The City of Cullman received $450,000 for sewer and water systems rehabilitation, drainage and street improvements.

According to the Cullman Economic Development Agency’s Jamie Troutman, “This award is for the second phase of the Brunner Street Neighborhood Revitalization Project.  It extends for two blocks along Brunner Street – from Denson Avenue (where Phase I stopped) to St. Joseph Drive. This project will consist of the same improvements as Phase I: Replacing water and sewer lines, storm water drainage, road repaving and sidewalks.  Construction is anticipated to begin sometime this summer. 

Ivey said the CDBG program enables communities to address needed projects that affect the health and welfare of residents.

“Lives will be improved thanks to these projects funded through the Community Development Block Grant program,” Ivey said. “People who have been subject to impure water will get clean water to drink, bathe and wash. People who have been maneuvering unsafe roads will soon be traveling smooth streets, and the list goes on. I am so thankful for this program and the assistance it provides to communities who may be unable to afford these needed improvements on their own.”

Thursday’s was one of two award ceremonies representing almost $17 million in CDBG funds awarded for improvements in municipalities and counties.

Most CDBG funds are awarded annually in several categories through a competitive process based on many factors including the number of low-and moderate-income families affected, community need and cost efficiency of projects.  

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Other CDBG funds awarded Thursday include:

Small City

• Town of Brantley ­- $350,000 for sewer improvements   
• City of Bridgeport - $346,001 for drainage improvements
• Town of Brilliant- $350,000 for sewer improvements
• City of East Brewton - $350,000 for sewer improvements
• Town of Elmore - $350,000 for sewer system extension
• City of Florala - $350,000 for sewer improvements
• City of Hartford- $350,000 for sewer improvements
• City of Jemison - $350,000 for sewer system extension.
• Town of McKenzie - $350,000 for water line rehabilitation
• Town of Mentone- $335,322 for water system improvements
• Town of Napier Field- $238,770 for sewer system improvements
• Town of Notasulga - $250,000 for sewer system extension
• Town of Oakman - $350,000 for sewer system improvement
• Town of Reece City - $256,000 for drainage improvements
• Town of Rockford - $349,911 for demolition and rehabilitation
• City of Vernon - $350,000 for sewer and street improvements
• Town of Yellow Bluff - $350,000 for street improvements

Large City

• City of Albertville -  $450,000 for sewer rehabilitation
• City of Arab -  $450,000 for sewer rehabilitation
• City of Athens - $450,000 for drainage improvements/flooding prevention 
• City of Attalla -  $450,000 for sewer rehabilitation
• City of Brewton - $450,000 for sewer rehabilitation
• City of Daleville - $450,000 for water line rehabilitation and street improvement
• City of Hartselle -  $450,000 for sewer and water system rehabilitation and drainage improvements
• City of Jackson - $450,000 for sewer and water line rehabilitation and street and drainage improvements
• City of Livingston -  $450,000 for sewer rehabilitation
• City of Troy - $450,000 for water system, drainage and street improvements

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

CULLMAN - Below are the arrests reported for Feb. 1. All persons are innocent until proven guilty.

Cullman County Sheriff’s Office

Baird, Brandon Lee, 27

• third-degree domestic violence- third-degree criminal mischief

Coleman, Kenneth Wesley, 38

• attempting to elude

Gilland, Ciara Danielle, 25

• parole violation/revocation- unlawful possession of a controlled substance

James, Angela Pugh, 40

• nonsupport

Pannell, Tyler Austin, 23

• failure to appear- criminal littering

Sims, Matthew Jonah, 48

• parole violation/revocation- second-degree theft of property

Cullman Police Department

Bevington, Brian A., 50

• failure to appear- carrying brass knuckles
• possession of drug paraphernalia

Pannell, Tyler A., 23

• failure to appear- carrying a pistol without a license
• failure to appear- fourth-degree receiving stolen property
• failure to appear- second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana
• failure to appear- possession of drug paraphernalia

Hanceville Police Department

No arrests reported.

Find arrest reports online Monday-Friday at www.CullmanTribune.com.

The Ark Encounter is one of the stops during the Wallace State Alumni Association's fall trip to the Cincinnati, Ohio area. The largest timber-frame building in the world, it is made up of three decks that include teaching exhibits and displays of incredible craftsmanship.

HANCEVILLE– This fall, the Wallace State Alumni Association will offer its first group excursion to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky and combine it with experiences featuring the German culture of nearby Cincinnati, Ohio. The four-day, three-night trip is planned for Sept. 13-16, 2018, and includes a brief foray into Indiana.

On tap for the tour are visits to the Genesis Creation Museum and Ark Encounter, dinner and entertainment at Hofbrauhaus German Restaurant, a tour of Cincinnati featuring German Heritage, a riverboat dinner cruise, visits to the Newport on the Levee, Findlay Market, and Schimpff’s Confectionery in Indiana. The cost of the trip includes motorcoach transportation, lodging, five meals (3 breakfasts and two dinners), a tour guide, luggage handling and all gratuities.

“This should be a great trip,” said LaDonna Allen, WSCC alumni coordinator. “The Ark Encounter opened in July 2016 and is a sister attraction of the Creation Museum located about 40 miles apart. We’ve heard lots of good things about both.”

The Ark Encounter is a full-size Noah’s Ark built using the dimensions given in the Bible. It’s 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high. It includes three exhibits: the ark itself, the craftsmanship in the woodworking, and teaching exhibits. There is also the Ararat Ridge Petting Zoo and Screaming Eagle Zip Lines on the museum’s campus.

The Creation Museum is a 75,000 square-foot facility that lets visitors “experience earth history as God has revealed it in the Bible.” There are 150 exhibits including animatronic dinosaurs, a world-class Allosaur fossil, talking heroes of the faith, and professional displays that honor God’s word. There is also a planetarium, petting zoo, nature trails, zip lines and more.

The cost for the trip for Alumni Association members is $749 per person for triple occupancy, $839 for double occupancy, and $1,079 for single occupancy. Non-members are charged an additional $100 per person, but can join the Alumni Association for $25 ($15 for students) to take advantage of the member discount. Optional travel insurance is also offered.

For more information, contact Allen at 256-352-8071 or ladonna.allen@wallacestate.edu or visit www.wsccalumni.org/ark18 to see the itinerary and register.

Cullman Regional employees show their support in the fight against heart disease on National Wear Red Day.

CULLMAN – February is National Heart Month, and Cullman Regional employees recently joined together to raise awareness and support the fight against heart disease by wearing red on National Wear Red Day, Feb. 2, 2018.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. Heart disease causes more deaths than all forms of cancer combined. It is often a “silent killer” with no symptoms.

The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute began National Wear Red Day in 2003 and encourage everyone to wear red on the first Friday of every February. This is meant to increase awareness and promote healthy lifestyle changes, specifically for women.

They have also been raising awareness of heart disease through their Go Red for Women program since 2004. You can “Go Red” by eating healthy, exercising, knowing the signs of a heart attack, knowing your heart score, wearing red and spreading the word about heart disease.

For more information about National Wear Red Day and Go Red for Women, visit www.goredforwomen.org.

For more information about Cardiovascular Services at Cullman Regional, visit www.cullmanregional.com

CULLMAN - The city of Cullman has been named one of the top 20 safest cities in the state of Alabama by the National Council for Home Safety and Security (NCHSS). Cullman is ranked no. 20.

The council is a national trade association comprised of licensed alarm installers, contractors and other relevant trade groups whose goal is to further knowledge about home safety and security.

According to Robyn Avery, NCHSS media director, "We reviewed the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics along with our own population data and internal research. We eliminated any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and removed cities with populations under 10,000. The remaining cities were ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft) per 1,000 people. These variables were then weighted, with violent crimes accounting for 1.5 of the total (due to their severity) than property crimes."

To see more, visit www.alarms.org/safest-cities-in-alabama-2018.

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HANCEVILLE - Current and future students of Wallace State Community College can begin applying for 2018-2019 scholarships through the Wallace State Future Foundation on Thursday, Feb. 15. The online application process will continue through March 23, with dozens of scholarship opportunities available to students.

“The Future Foundation was established to help fill the gaps often found in the financial aid process,” said Suzanne Harbin, director of advancement at Wallace State. “There are a good number of students who may fall between the cracks, where their family may make too much to receive traditional financial aid, but still not enough to pay for college expenses without putting a burden on their finances.”

Future Foundation scholarships run the gamut from small gifts that could help a student pay for books or that last class needed to graduate, up to a full year’s tuition and fees. There are dozens of scholarships available, some geared toward specific programs of study or student demographics.

Students applying for Future Foundation scholarships need to have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have the FAFSA Confirmation Page with EFC (Expected Family Contribution) to upload to the application. They will also need to thoroughly answer application questions, according to guidelines provided, regarding career choice, future plans and financial need. Students will need to supply current transcripts and any other documents required by the specific scholarship for which the student is applying.

The Future Foundation website, www.wsccfuturefoundation.org, has a list of the scholarships, as well as documents outlining things to know to apply and frequently asked questions. When the student registers, the information they provide will help narrow the scholarships for which they will be qualified to apply.

For more information about the Future Foundation, contact Suzanne Harbin at 256-352-8144, or Suzanne.harbin@wallacestate.edu.

JACKSONVILLE - Thirteen Cullman-area students were awarded degrees at Jacksonville State University's winter commencement on Dec. 15.

• Logan Allen, of Joppa
• Guy Baker, of Altoona
• Marilyn Cheney, of Oneonta
• Bradley Deaver, of Oneonta
• Casey Payne, of Oneonta
• Jake Thomas, of Oneonta
• Jessica Glover, of Cullman
• William Glover, of Cullman
• Sadie Gregory, of Cullman
• Meghan King, of Arab
• Seth Kurb, both of Arab
• Patricia Kyle-Bailey, of Horton
• Natalie Millar, of Vinemont

Founded in 1883 as a state teachers’ college, Jacksonville State University has grown from humble beginnings into the Alabama regional university with the highest percentage of accredited programs. Located in the Appalachian foothills midway between Birmingham and Atlanta, JSU offers more than 150 courses of study, including over 40 online programs, at the undergraduate and graduate level. To learn more, visit www.jsu.edu, call 1-800-231-JAX1 or email jaxfacts@jsu.edu.

Image credit: Jacksonville State University