The Wallace State Student Bowl team took first place in the scholar’s bowl competition at the annual conference of the Alabama Society of Radiologic Technologists. Pictured from left are Hollye Funderburk, Makaela Mote, instructors Kelli Rich and Jim Malone, Lelia Brooke Daniel and Lauren Dean.

HANCEVILLE - Diagnostic Imaging students from Wallace State Community College made a strong showing at the recent annual conference held by the Alabama Society of Radiologic Technologists. The Student Bowl team brought home a first-place trophy for their win in the scholar’s bowl competition and student Rebecca Watkins brought home the first-place prize in the science exhibit competition.

The win by the Student Bowl was a first for the program, with director Jim Malone getting to keep the trophy in his office until next year’s conference. “I’ve been coveting this award for quite some time,” Malone said, adding how proud he is of his students

The team was made up of Hollye Funderburk, Makaela Mote, Lelia Brooke Daniel and Lauren Dean.

Funderburk said their Diagnostic Imaging classes at Wallace State helped them prepare for the event, along with some books they had to study with.

The contest was pretty nerve-wracking, Dean said, the competing teams seated right next to each other. Funderburk said they used a code system of hand signals to communicate with each other without giving the answers away to their competitors. They won the competition by one point.

Malone said competing in the scholar’s bowl encourages students to put in additional study time which will in turn help them as they prepare to take their national registry exams.

Along with the trophy, the students won $200 they will split between them.

Rebecca Watkins received her first-place award in the science exhibit competition by showing how scientists are using diagnostic imaging to piece together strips of papyrus used to wrap ancient mummies, without damaging the wrappings or the artwork applied to them.

Watkins display explains how ancient Egyptians recycled previously-used papyrus to bury their dead, layering strips of the discarded paper or linen with paste over an embalmed body to create “a cocoon-like shell called a cartonnage.”

Similar to papier-mâché using old newspapers, the cartonnage featured several layers of ink-stained paper. Using diagnostic imaging equipment and techniques, the scientists were able to determine the different types of inks used on the strips of papyrus and use that to piece together the images and read what was written on the paper.

Unlike ancient text that’s been preserved in scrolls or carved onto walls, the messages found on the wrappings provided insights into the everyday lives of ancient Egyptians. Watkins’ report said that shopping lists, tax returns, bills of sale, hate mail, contracts and a “diary ramblings of a hypochondriac” were discovered.

Watkins’ display called “All About That Ink” includes verses of information set to the tune of “All About that Bass,” images and information matching the different verses, an example of the casting process, and an x-ray image she created using three different types of ink.

“I had fun doing it, even though it was a lot of work,” Watkins said.

She said she was very excited when she won the award. “I was super excited, I’m still excited,” she said.

The Diagnostic Imaging program is a five-semester program offering an associate in applied science degree. A new class is installed each fall, with applications accepted through June 1. For more information, visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256-352-8000.

CULLMAN - Below are the arrests reported for April 30. All persons are innocent until proven guilty.

GJ = grand jury; FTA = failure to appear

Cullman County Sheriff’s Office

Benafield, Harley Davidson, 19

• possession or sale of a short-barrel shotgun

Campbell, Christopher Dale, 51

• permitting dogs to run at large

Estes, Cynthia Kinsey, 53

• second-degree receiving stolen property
• third-degree receiving stolen property

Estes, David Champ, 58

• second-degree receiving stolen property
• third-degree receiving stolen property

Friedrich, Jeremy Daniel, 39

• establishment of residence- SORNA

Hipp, Charles Daniel, 53

• third-degree domestic violence- harassment

Hipp, Sherri Perkins, 50

• third-degree domestic violence- harassment

Moore, Tammy Rena, 31

• possession of drug paraphernalia

Smith, Kenneth Ski, 46

• FTA- driving while revoked
• failure to provide registration information- SORNA
• probation violation- failure to register upon relocation- SORNA

St. John, Christopher Gary, 44

• third-degree domestic violence- harassment

Tubbs, Corey Lee, 28

• probation violation- possession of drug paraphernalia
• probation violation- unlawful possession of a controlled substance (3 counts)

Cullman Police Department

Reynolds, Kristopher A., 33

• FTA- switched tag
• FTA- insurance violation
• FTA- driving without a license (2 counts)
• FTA- failure to signal

Swann, Nathaniel B., 32

• FTA- driving without a license
• FTA- failure to register vehicle

Curvin, Meschach J., 22

• first-degree receiving stolen property

Rogers, Brendan R., 23

• failure to remit payment for gas (2 counts)

Hanceville Police Department

No arrests reported.

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

HANCEVILLE - Wallace State Community College’s ArtsKids! program will wrap up this week with the performance of “Annie Kids,” featuring students from third through eighth grade who have been participating in BroadwayKids during this spring semester.

ArtsKids! offers area students in grades three through eight the opportunity to participate in vocal, theatrical or studio art classes at Wallace State. In the case of SingKids and BroadwayKids for vocal and theatre ArtsKids! participants, they are mentored by Wallace State students and get to perform in Wallace State productions.

On Wednesday, May 2 the BroadwayKids participants will present “Annie Kids!” an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on the popular comic strip. The 7 p.m. show will be held in the Recital Hall of the Burrow Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Admission is free.

Wallace State students Hannah Stringer and Duke Cleghorn have been acting as directors for the production. Students participating in the show include: Adam Cooner, Henry Crocker, Felicity Driver, India Flannigan, Emma Gray, Anabelle Howze, Aubrey Martin, Mary Claire Page, John Isaac Richter, Vella Richter, Madison Smith and Rylee Taylor.

For more information, call 256-352-8277 or email stefany.keisler@wallacestate.edu.

Image: Tribune Media Services, Inc.

CULLMAN - A 9-1-1 call reporting smoke coming from an air conditioner unit on top of Warehouse Discount Groceries on Alabama Highway 157 in Cullman prompted an emergency response a short while ago.

According to Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper, "It was contained and it is out at this time." Culpepper said there were no injuries.

The Tribune is awaiting comment from Cullman Fire Rescue.

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Preston Corum placed third in SkillsUSA district competition in 10-inch miter saw, qualifying him to attend state competition. He is the first CDC student ever to compete in SkillsUSA. (Photo courtesy Mike Burkett/CATA)

CULLMAN COUNTY - Cullman Area Technology Academy (CATA) Building Construction Tech teacher Mike Burkett has been doing a lot of bragging recently about his students, and with good reason.  Three recently won a state level SkillsUSA competition and are headed to nationals, while three others placed second in another category. See (www.cullmantribune.com/articles/2018/04/28/cata-students-compete-state-s....)

He’s proud of all of his students, but there’s one he had to single out: Preston Corum, who placed high enough in district SkillsUSA competition to qualify for state.  He didn’t place at the state competition, but he’s still a big winner for himself and his schools (all three of them!).

In addition to being a Construction Tech student at CATA, Corum is also a student at the Cullman County Child Development Center (CDC), the county’s school for special needs students.  And because of the progress he has made, his teacher informed us, he will soon transition out of the CDC and will graduate next year from Good Hope High School.

Burkett told The Tribune that Corum “does a wonderful job despite all of the challenges in his life.  Anyway, he placed third last month at the SkillsUSA district competitions in the Job Demonstration category--he did the 10-inch miter saw--which qualified him for State, and while he did not make the top three last week, he had a great attitude and represented the CDC and CATA very well.  We are all very proud of him. And if I am not mistaken, he is the first student at the Cullman County CDC to not only compete, but place in a SkillsUSA event. Preston is just a joy and an inspiration to us all and I am very proud to be one of his teachers.”

CDC Principal Chris Chambers said of Corum: “He is what you’re looking for in a young man that has matured to the point where he is self-monitoring himself, where he’s going to be a productive employee for somebody one day.  We’re always trying to place our kids, and talk to local businesses about our students, and realize that there is an untapped workforce out there. And he is one of those kids that is very employable and will be a good employee, if given the opportunity.  

“And he’s one that right now, if I had a business in industry, that I would hire him right now.  A lot of kids have to go through that maturation process, and he’s one that’s been through it. And, if given the right opportunity, I think he could be an asset to somebody here locally.  You know, he’s not going to be one of those kids that probably moves off one day. He’s one of those that follows through with things. He’s very conscientious, he’s very humble, he wants to be a team player, and that’s a lot of characteristics you’re looking for in somebody to be an asset to a business.”

Chambers then added, “I can’t say enough about CATA, CATA and (Principal) Billy Troutman--from a principal to another principal: the programs, Mr. Burkett, and all them at CATA.  Mr. Troutman, the director over there, has been phenomenal, awesome to our kids. And he looks for opportunities.

“And then that follows suit, too, with our board and also our superintendent.  They’re looking for opportunities for our kids at the CDC to go out and be part of the community.  And we find a diamond in the rough every once in a while, with a Preston Corum. But he wouldn’t be able to do what he’s doing, or you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation, if we didn’t have people like Billy Troutman and then our board, and then Mr. (Shane) Barnette to have that vision for our kids.  I couldn’t do what I do without them. It’s very much appreciated.”

For more about the CDC, see www.cullmantribune.com:8080/articles/2017/01/21/get-know-cullman-county-... and visit http://cdc.ccboe.org.

For more about CATA, see www.cullmantribune.com/articles/2017/02/01/tools-life-cullman-area-techn... or www.cullmantribune.com/articles/2017/02/17/cata-showcases-career-program... and visit  http://cacc.ccboe.org.

Find CATA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cataschool/.

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

CULLMAN - According to the Cullman County Animal Shelter’s Donna Ruttkay, “We have seen an uptick of young families, looking for canine companions doing various jobs for their children. What a blessing!”

On Monday, Ruttkay introduced us to The Tribune’s Pet of the Week, Thumper.

“Thumper is a Lab mix, approximately 3 months old.  He’s a medium-energy pet who enjoys playing in the yard and walks on a leash easily.  He’s smart and alert and craves human contact.”

Thumper’s adoption fee is $90 including: DHLPP vaccine, Bordetella vaccines, rabies vaccine, wormer, general exam at the vet, spay, microchip, free 45-day health insurance policy issued by 24PetWatch (with valid email only) and a free bag of food from Cullman Pet Depot (you must pay sales tax).

Animal shelter staff and volunteers work with their dogs to make sure they are accustomed to being around people, walking on a leash and practicing good behavior.  Several of the shelter’s dogs have even been “hired” recently to work as special needs service dogs.

Please consider adopting to give a rescued pet a chance at a happy and healthy life.

Contact the Cullman County Animal Shelter at 256-734-5448, or visit them at 935 Convent Road NE.  Reach them by email at cullmancountyanimalshelter@gmail.com.

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Dozens of kids came out to enjoy the new playground equipment at Carroll Acres Park on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. Several can be seen in the background as the ribbon is cut at the park. (Nick Griffin for The Tribune)

CULLMAN - Cullman Parks and Recreation (CP&R) cut the ribbon on its latest project Thursday afternoon: a new, state-of-the-art playground at Carroll Acres Park on the city’s southeast side. Before officials could bring out the ribbon, nearby children had already covered up the new equipment. The first 50 in attendance for the ceremony received free hot dogs as part of the celebration.

CP&R Director Nathan Anderson talked about the need for park renovations in the community and how much the department’s been able to get done since the issue has become a priority.

“About three years ago we started talking about the needs of all our small parks that need attention. These neighborhood parks have meant so much to the communities they’ve sat in for decades and they haven’t gotten the attention that they’ve needed over the last 20 years, so it was important to the board, the council and all of us to start working on these projects,” Anderson said. “Stiefelmeyer (Park) was our first one and we were fortunate to have the Lions Club’s support for that one. Then we moved on to Culpepper (Park) and this park and both of those were funded by the (Cullman) City Council. It was a big need and a lot of people stepped up to make it happen.”

Most of the new park equipment is made up of net-climbing material that presents a different challenge for different age groups and makes for a safe climbing surface. There’s also a zipline and new swings. Anderson thought it was important that this park have unique features that could be fun for a wide range of ages.

“When we started planning each park that we have, we were keeping age ranges in mind. We met with the neighborhood, we asked what the age of the majority of the kids that live in the area were, and we also wanted to make sure, looking at the community, that we had a park for every kid,” Anderson said. “Whether that’s kids that are toddler aged or a kid that’s 13 or 14 years old. In this particular neighborhood, we saw a higher demand with kids aged 5 to 14 or 15 years old. So, when we worked with our playground designer we wanted to make sure we had a unique design unlike any other playground in town that catered to the older children in the community and particularly this neighborhood.”

Carroll Acres Park is located in the Carroll Acres subdivision at the corner of Briarwood Lane Southeast and Timberlane Drive Southeast.

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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

GJ = grand jury; FTA = failure to appear

Cullman County Sheriff’s Office

Mynes, Matthew Lawrence, 49

• FTA- unlawful possessi on of  a controlled substance

Northcutt, Chanda O’Neal, 44

• FTA- first-degree criminal trespassi ng
• FTA- negotiating a worthless negotiable ins trument

Self, Cody Lowell, 27

• DUI- controlled subs ta nce

Sparkman, Dustin Ray, 41

• FTA- driving while su sp ended

Swann, Joshua Keith, 33

• FTA- driving while suspended ( 2 counts)
• FTA- proof of liability insurance required
• probation revoked- unlawful manuf acture of a controlled substance

Taimi, Tei Ti Jr., 36

• FTA- driving without  a li cense

Wallis, Anatasia Sheyenne, 20

• third-degree criminal mis chie f

Cullman Police Department

Swindle, Mona R., 54

• unlawful possession  or receipt of a controlled substance
• possession of drug par aphernalia

Shaw, Stephanie A., 27

• possession of drug paraph ernalia
• FTA- possession of drug par aphernalia

Runyon, Jeremy A., 31

• first-degree theft o f  property

Guthery, Valerie D., 18

• first-degree theft of pr o perty 

Colwell, Mindi M., 33

• unlawful possession or receipt of a controlled substance
• second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana
• possession of drug paraphernalia

Hanceville Police Department

No arrests reported.

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

Keaton, Lynicia and Aubry Lovell are all Wallace State alumni, with Lynicia currently taking classes as a transient student while working on a bachelor’s degree in management at Athens State. Keaton transferred from Wallace State to Belmont University where he earned a degree in audio engineering and is currently touring as a lighting tech with Kenny Chesney. Aubry went through Wallace State’s Fast Track program, graduating with an associate degree form Wallace State before graduating high school. She’ll graduate this month from Belmont University with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience.

HANCEVILLE - What do a management major at Athens State, a neuroscience major at Belmont University in Nashville and a lighting tech currently on tour with Kenny Chesney all have in common? They all currently attend or attended Wallace State Community College. Oh, and they are all from the same family.

Lynicia Lovell and her two children, son Keaton and daughter Aubry, are all Wallace State students and/or alumni. Lynicia is a transient student at Wallace State, taking history classes to help complete her bachelor’s degree in management from Athens State. She also holds an associate degree in paralegal from Wallace State.  Keaton transferred from Wallace State to Belmont University, where in 2015 he earned a degree in audio engineering. Aubry will graduate from Belmont University with a degree in neuroscience, but she earned her associate degree through Wallace State’s Fast Track program the same month she earned her high school diploma.

“Wallace State has been a great opportunity for all three of us to be able to reach our educational goals so that we can further our career goals,” Lynicia said. “I don’t think any of us would feel like we would have the opportunities we’ve had if we had not had the foundation of Wallace.”

Lynicia started taking classes off and on before Aubry was born. As a stay-at-home mom and military wife to her husband Brian, her first priority has always been her family. But in the back of her mind, she said she always knew she would go to college. With a long-time interest in the law, she began taking Paralegal classes at Wallace. Shortly before Aubry was born, she was offered a brief internship in the Cullman County District Attorney’s office. “A two-week internship turned into a 17-year career, which I don’t regret,” she said.

Lynicia eventually earned an associate degree as a paralegal. After leaving the DA’s office, she began working for the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and has continued her education at Athens State, working toward a bachelor's degree in management. She’s taking history classes at Wallace State as a transient student, first to save on tuition and second on the recommendation of her son, Keaton, who encouraged her to enroll is Bob Davis’s history classes.

Keaton attended Wallace State from 2012 to 2013, completing his basics in preparation for transferring to Belmont University.

“I knew I wanted to go to Belmont early on in high school, but I decided to be smart and save some money,” Keaton said. Belmont is a private university and more expensive.

He said he initially started out wanting to be on the stage performing. “But I got involved in the technical side of it and fell in love with it,” he said.

While at Belmont learning how to be a sound engineer for studio and live events, he started interning for a company in Nashville, helping set up small shows and working on the lights and sound programs. When he graduated in December 2015, he took a job with that company. “They sent me on the Kenny Chesney Spread the Love tour in 2016,” Keaton said. “That was my first mega-stadium tour.”

Last year, Keaton toured with Montgomery Gentry and this year he’s back on tour with Kenny Chesney.

Keaton said he loves life on the road and adapted to tour bus living pretty quickly. “It can be challenging for some people,” he said. They can have a lot of down time while traveling in between shows. Some of his favorite venues so far have been Pittsburg, where the stadium sits right on the river, and Seattle, where the coffee lover could find  a coffee shop on every corner.

Keaton said he doesn’t regret his time spent at Wallace State. “I had some cool teachers there at Wallace,” he said. “I had Mr. Davis for history,” he said. “I absolutely loved that class. He’s a fun teacher and made the class a lot of fun. I told my mom to take his class because he was so funny and so comedic. I had Dr. Boyd for math and I’m not a big math guy. He made me enjoy math and made it a lot easier to understand.

“Wallace was a good stepping stone for me,” Keaton added. “It let me see what college was all about, to step into it slowly and get some experience under my belt before I moved away from home.”

Aubry feels the same. “If I would have graduated from high school and went straight into a four-year college, I would have been completely lost,” she said. “I would not have known what to do.

“It taught me responsibility, time-management skills and all kinds of things like that.”

Her two years as a Fast Track student helped her prepare for attending a four-year university and put her ahead of her peers in completing her education. After a one-year detour at UAB, Aubry transferred to Belmont University in Nashville, where she will be graduating this month with a bachelor’s degree, one year ahead of her high school classmates.  After a gap year, where she hopes to work in a research facility, she plans to go on and earn her master’s and doctorate in neuroscience and become a researcher.

Alabama Attorney Gen. Steve Marshall / Image source: WVTM 13

MONTGOMERY– Alabama Attorney Gen. Steve Marshall on Wednesday joined a coalition of seven attorneys general who filed a lawsuit this week to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Marshall’s office released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:

“Alabama Attorney Steve Marshall is one of a coalition of seven attorneys general who filed a lawsuit Tuesday calling for the halt of the unconstitutional Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which was implemented by an Obama administration memo without the legal consent of Congress.  On Wednesday, Attorney General Marshall joined the same multi-state coalition in filing a preliminary injunction against DACA.

“Since the Obama administration’s unilateral creation of the DACA program in 2012, nearly one million unlawful aliens have been given legal presence and work eligibility in the United States. 

“’The U.S. Constitution is quite clear that Congress alone has the legal authority to write U.S. immigration law, not the President through an executive branch memo,’ said Attorney General Marshall.  ‘We are a nation of laws and when those laws are ignored by a branch of the federal government, as we have witnessed with the creation of DACA without Congressional approval, the proper response is to take legal action as our coalition of seven states has done. This purpose of this pursuit has never been to steer immigration policy, but to rightfully return policymaking to the legislative branch of government.’

“Last September, after Alabama and nine other states first threatened to sue the federal government to end the lawful DACA program, the Trump administration agreed to phase it out by March 2018.  Since then, activist judges in at least three separate federal courts have issued rulings blocking the dismantling of DACA.

“The multi-state lawsuit asks a federal court to declare DACA unlawful and prevent the federal government from issuing or reviewing any additional DACA permits in the future.  Furthermore, the lawsuit does not call on the federal government to deport any unlawful aliens presently protected by DACA or rescind DACA permits already issued. 

“The preliminary injunction filed today asks the federal court to halt the issuance or renewal of any DACA permits while the seven-state coalition’s lawsuit is under court review.

“The lawsuit was filed May 1, 2018, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas by Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.”

Link to the multi-state lawsuit
Link to the preliminary injunction motion

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CULLMAN - An shooting overnight in the city of Cullman resulted in two people being transported to Huntsville Hospital. The incident happened on Adelsheim Circle Southwest at approximately 1:20 a.m., according to Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper.

Culpepper said he believes the shooting was a part of a domestic incident.

The Tribune will publish more details as soon as they are available.

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Gov. Kay Ivey and Topre America President Hideo Shimizu cut the ribbon on Topre’s new building and celebrated the company’s newly-announced $80 million expansion project, on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. (W.C. Mann for The Tribune)

MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Department of Commerce has released numbers on industrial growth in the state in 2017, and the numbers for Cullman County are impressive.  The county ranked first in the state in overall economic development projects and in expansion projects, and among the top 10 in the state in capital investment and new jobs created by those industry expansions.  The numbers on overall new job creation fell well behind other scores but remained only one place out of the top third of counties in the state.

State of Alabama total numbers

• 317 Economic Development Projects
  • 61 New Industry Projects
  • 256 Expanding Industry Projects
• $4,413,562,055 in Capital Investment
  • $1,696,919,260 New Investment
  • $2,716,642,795 Expanding Investment
• 15,465 New Jobs
  • 7,098 jobs from New Industry
  • 8,367 jobs from Expanding Industry

Cullman County numbers

• 31 economic development projects
• 253 new jobs created
• $61,923,438 in capital investment

Cullman County’s rankings out of 67 counties

• #1 in Total Economic Development Projects
• #1 in Expansion Projects
• #9 in Jobs Created by Expansion Projects
• #9 in Capital Investment by Expansion Projects
• #13 in Overall Capital Investment
• #23 in Overall Jobs Created

After receiving the report, Cullman Economic Development Agency Director Dale Greer told The Tribune:

“The Cullman County numbers released by the Alabama Department of Commerce are very similar to the $68 million in the previous year and continue to reflect the strong industry base that exits here.  Cullman continually ranks among the best in Alabama and the nation for number of companies that expand after locating here. That growth is validation that the companies can attract and retain quality, productive workers, and that their location decision was the right one.”

Greer also warned, “As more people find jobs in Cullman and Alabama, the challenge for all of us is to continue to attract workers here.  Cullman has the second lowest unemployment rate in the state, and Gov. (Kay) Ivey is boasting that more people have jobs in Alabama today than at any time in our history.  That is a double-edged sword, in that people wanting to work can find jobs, but it also makes it difficult for new and expanding companies to attract labor. We must focus more attention as a community on workforce attraction.”

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The annual Relay For Life Survivors’ Breakfast took place Wednesday morning. The Relay For Life Survivors’ Dinner will be this Friday evening at 5 p.m., followed by Opening Ceremonies at 6 p.m. at the Cullman County Fairgrounds. (Nick Griffin for The Tribune)

CULLMAN - Wednesday’s Relay For Life Survivors’ Breakfast saw dozens of cancer survivors and their caregivers come together at Cullman Church of Christ before the 25th annual Relay For Life event gets underway Friday night at the Cullman County Fairgrounds.

One of the event’s lead committee members, Gail Crutchfield, talked about the purpose of the breakfast as a teaser for Friday night’s main event and an opportunity for survivors and their families to celebrate together.

“We invite all survivors in the area along with their caregivers to come together and celebrate being a survivor and to honor their caregivers. We have a speaker, a little entertainment and a breakfast that is sponsored by the Holly Pond Key Club and Civitan Club,” Crutchfield said. “This is the ramp up to our main event on Friday at the Cullman County Fairgrounds, which is Relay For Life, and it’ll be our 25th event here in Cullman County. Jan Pierce and Linda Walker head up this event and organize it for us.”

Crutchfield touched on how Friday night’s events will get started as well as one of the things she is looking forward to most this year.

“Good weather, thank God,” Crutchfield joked. “We’ve been checking every day and it does vary, last year it was cold and wet, but we do it no matter what, rain, shine, cold or hot. We’ll kick off with a 5 p.m. Survivors’ Dinner and it’s sponsored by Cullman Regional and then at 6 is the Opening Ceremony and we’ll have a speaker who is actually a local cancer survivor that has benefited from the services that American Cancer Society provides.”

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a national organization, but Crutchfield stressed how important its work is to people here in Cullman and some of the ways that the organization impacts them directly.

“Some people will say that ACS isn’t a local organization. Every person who works at Relay For Life in Cullman County is a volunteer; we don’t get paid for what we do, and that money that we raise goes to ACS and they send it back in the form of research, in the form of events, Hope Lodge in Birmingham that people in Cullman County benefit from,” Crutchfield said. “Our speaker for Friday spent six weeks at Hope Lodge saving her a 150-mile daily trip after having chemo. We wouldn’t have as many survivors here today if it wasn’t for the research and treatments and early detection. Getting the word out about early detection is important. Getting the tests done is not fun, sure, but it’s a lot better than getting cancer treatments.”

Crutchfield broke down the schedule of events for this year’s ceremony and said that even after being part of the event since 1997, she is still excited for Friday night

“After our speaker we’ll have a Survivors’ Walk. One unique thing about our event is that during the Opening Ceremony, any survivor who wants to can walk across the stage and give their name and tell us how many years survivorship they are, and it’s a very touching moment of celebration. They’ll get up there and shake their hands and it’s just great to see. Following that survivors will walk the first lap around the track and then we’ll ask the caregivers to walk with them. I’ve been doing this since 1997 and that Survivors’ Walk is why I keep doing this,” Crutchfield smiled.

“That first year, I was amazed at how many people I knew that had cancer but I didn’t know about it as they walked by me smiling and it’s just great. Then we have events throughout the evening and at 9 we’ll do the Luminaria Service which is sometimes even more touching I think than the walk. We’ll ramp things up again with lots of different activities and things to participate in. We have competitions to promote breast cancer awareness called the bra competition and we have one for colon cancer called the boxer shorts competition. Girls wear boxers decorated and the boys wear bras so it’s pretty fun.”

She continued, “We’ll start winding things down at 11:30 with the Fight Back ceremony and our closing and we’ll have another local survivor speak about the importance of the fight against cancer. Then we keep going. We’ll keep doing this until we put ourselves out of business.”

The Relay For Life Survivors’ Dinner will begin at the Cullman County Fairgrounds at 5 p.m. followed by the Opening Ceremony at 6 p.m. All survivors and caregivers are invited to attend.

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Academic Excellence Scholarships Front Row (L-R): Samantha Mendez – Oneonta, Joanna Crauswell -Hayden, Kennedy Howard -Cullman, Karson Guthrie – Cullman, Jordan Millican – Cullman, Rachel Carden – Cullman, Morgan Calvert – Bremen, Cheyenne Harper – Cullman
Back Row: (L-R): Emily Dia – Hayden, Faith Ford – Altoona, Wells Turner – Cullman, Ethan Burson – Vinemont, Alex Littrell – Oneonta, Emily Creel – Hanceville, Jacob Barnett – Hayden

HANCEVILLE - Area students awarded scholarships by Wallace State Community College were recognized during a celebration of student achievement on campus recently.

For the 2018-2019 academic year, Wallace State will award more than $1.2 million in Presidential, Leadership, Academic Excellence, Leadership, Health, Career Technical, Performing Arts, Athletic, Summer Honors and other scholarships in addition to providing scholarships for senior citizens, and GED graduates to students. The Wallace State Alumni Association and Future Foundation also award scholarships each year, and the college administers federal and state-funded financial assistance such as Pell Grants, WIA/TRA funds, Stafford loans, and the college work-study program. Wallace State was designated last year as a Pell Experimental Site for dual enrollment students, and thanks to authorization by Congress, Pell grants are newly available for Summer.

“Congratulations on your achievements and thank you for choosing Wallace State to begin your story,” said Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics.  She welcomed the group to an outstanding Wallace State student body.

Wallace State has been ranked three times by the Aspen Institute among the nation’s top 150 community colleges, ranked among the top 3 in the South for workforce development by Southern Business and Development and is the first-choice community college among Alabama High School students taking the ACT.  It is one of 30 community colleges selected by the American Association of Community Colleges to lead the Pathways Project, one of only 180 colleges and universities worldwide to be named an All Steinway School, and recently named by the National League for Nursing a Center of Excellence.

Registration for summer semester classes continues. Regular summer term and Mini-term I classes begin May 24. Summer Mini-term II classes begin June 28. The summer class schedule and online registration instructions may be found at www.wallacestate.edu. For more information, contact the Wallace State Admissions office at 256-352-8236 or 866-350-WSCC.

(Note:  Scholarship recipients at the ceremony are listed by award type. The list includes only those scholarship recipients who attended the awards ceremony and remained afterward for pictures. Recipients who did not stay for pictures, did not attend the ceremony, or who received subsequent notification of their awards are not included in the listing.)

Recruits for the proposed community theatre board meet with Wayne Cook (far right) after the public meeting.  L-R: Melva Jackson (seated), Linda Foley, Cindy Pass and Sarah Jane Skinner (W.C. Mann for The Tribune)

CULLMAN - On Tuesday evening, area residents interested in reviving community theatre in Cullman gathered at the Cullman Civic Center for an informal meeting to offer information and, hopefully, to lay the groundwork for the rapid formation of a local theatrical troupe.  Wayne Cook, Theatre Director at Cullman High School (CHS), is teaming up with Cullman Parks and Recreation (CP&R) to co-sponsor the new group.

Before the meeting, Cook told The Tribune, “I feel strongly that community theatre is an important part of a community like this.  It fills a need, fills a gap (with something) that we currently don’t have. And, with all the things that have happened in this community: the growth, the economic expansion that we’ve seen--we’ve seen growth in so many arenas; that’s the last link, in my view, of what we really need to explore.  And the arts in general, but I specifically come at it from a theatre perspective.

“You go to a lot of communities: you go to Decatur, you go to Florence, you go to Huntsville (which) has tons of opportunities for community theatre.  Birmingham has gobs of opportunities for community theatre. Even places like Arab and Guntersville have community theatre groups. So we really need an opportunity for adults and children, and students and people to work alongside each other to do productions in the community.  

“This would be an organization that would--it would obviously be a collaboration with the schools, but this is not a school-sponsored thing.  This will be a community-sponsored thing, and so it’ll have a little different approach, in the sense that we’ll open it up to all ages, all people that want to be a part.”

Cook emphasized that the proposed program would be open to people all over Cullman County, not just Cullman residents or Cullman City Schools students.  The group will also recruit talent from all age ranges, though Cook did specify that very young children would come on board as members of involved families.

The crowd that gathered to hear Cook speak was a wide-ranging group that included current and former CHS theatre students and tech crew members, members of Cullman’s previous community theatre group (of which Cook was a member himself), staff from local churches, members of a local homeschool group, and personalities from Cullman’s arts community.

According to Cook, CP&R will help underwrite the group and its projects by means of mechanisms already existing within that organization.  He told the assembled group, “They’re taking it on, because there’s a financial risk with theatre. You kind of have to have something undergirding it.  And so, that’s where they come in; they help us from that perspective, and also from the perspective that we don’t have to recreate all these things that you have to create if you create your own organization, which can be done with community theatre.  But if you have to create a total nonprofit, it’s pretty complicated, but we can go through CP&R, and they can operate some of this for us, and it works out pretty good.”

Waid Harbison and Kristy Patterson will serve as liaisons between CP&R and the community theatre.

Cook introduced the crowd to his proposed board of directors:

• Cindy Pass - local theatre and music teacher who has taught at CHS and East Elementary
• Melva Jackson - acting teacher and production director who has directed shows all over the country
• Sarah Jane Skinner - CHS Director of Choirs, who has overseen music for multiple CHS theatre productions
• Noah Carpenter - graduate of CHS and veteran of the school’s theatre program who has been active in technical work for numerous local productions
• Linda Foley - veteran of Cullman’s former community theatre troupe and director of multiple local productions

Though they could not attend the meeting, Cook also said that he had reached out to:

• Ty Parker - West Point High School Director of Performing Arts
• Lauren Cantrell Salerno - Wallace State Theatre instructor
• Tiffany Richter - Wallace State Fine and Performing Arts instructor

The proposed board listing is preliminary.  Not all invited members have yet decided about participating, and others could still be contacted.

Cook told the group, “There’s just all kinds of opportunities out there: to build relationships among generations, to establish and identify people’s creative abilities, to understand the talents this community has.  I know there are gobs of talent here. I went to Cullman High School and said, ‘There is talent at Cullman High School.’ And boy, when you uncover it, it is there! And if it’s at Cullman High School, it’s all throughout this county; not only amongst the high school kids, but it’s all over, amongst the adults and the people that are all in the churches and different places, that could get interested in something like a community theatre.  So there are lots of good reasons to get this established.”

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CULLMAN - Below are the arrests reported for May 2. All persons are innocent until proven guilty.

GJ = grand jury; FTA = failure to appear

Cullman County Sheriff’s Office

Ballard, Tricia Marie, 28

• negotiating a worthless negotiable instrument (9 counts)

Cales, Cristy Ann, 40

• probation violation- third-degree forgery

Franklin, Cristy Linn, 42

• GJ- second-degree theft of property

Hobbs, Justin Matthew, 36

• third-degree domestic violence- harassment
• third-degree domestic violence- reckless endangerment

Riley Kevin Wayne, 36

• illegal possession of prescription medicine
• unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Stallings, Brandi Elizabeth, 35

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

Vaughn, Dustin Ray, 28

• FTA- driving while suspended

Cullman Police Department

Noe, Savannah B., 25

• possession of drug paraphernalia

Baker, Robert D., 49

• unlawful possession or receipt of a controlled substance
• possession of drug paraphernalia
• tampering with physical evidence

Deboard, Gregory D., 27

• second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana

Willingham, Tyren S., 21

• third-degree domestic violence- assault

public intoxication

• possession of drug paraphernalia

Glenn Teresa H., 61

• unlawful distribution of a controlled substance (4 counts)

Hanceville Police Department

No arrests reported.

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

CULLMAN - Cullman Police late Thursday afternoon identified the two men involved in a shooting around 1:15 a.m. Thursday morning on the city's southwest side.

"Victims from this morning’s shooting in the city of Cullman were Jody Duane Couch Jr, 25, of Hanceville and Jose Francisco Figueroa, 27, of Holly Pond," said CPD Capt. of Investigation Becky Boyd in a statement. "Both victims remain hospitalized in Huntsville Hospital, each with a single gunshot wound. Due to their condition, investigators have been unable to interview either victim. The case remains under investigation."

The incident happened at a residence on Adelsheim Circle Southwest. Both men were transported to Huntsville Hospital.

Boyd said in a statement Thursday morning, "On May (3) at approximately 1:15 a.m. (the) Cullman Police Department responded to a domestic violence call at 2061 Adelsheim Circle in the city of Cullman. Once on scene officers found two victims of a gunshot. Both victims were transported to Huntsville Hospital, one by ambulance and one by Air Evac. This is still an active investigation and no further information will be released at this time. Lt. Gene Bates is the lead investigator."

Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Wallace State Community College held its pinning ceremony for graduates of the Diagnostic Imaging program.

HANCEVILLE - The Wallace State Community College Diagnostic Imaging program graduated 27 students from its program on Tuesday, May 1, during its pinning ceremony. For them all it was a culmination of 21 months of lessons, exams and clinical rotations as they worked to earn their degree.

“One of my favorite quotes I’ve reminded myself of many times through my college experience is one from Theodore Roosevelt,” said Leila Brooke Daniel, president of the Class of 2018. “’Believe you can and you’re halfway there.’ It’s hard to believe that we are there.

“We’ve put a great amount of effort and hard work to accomplish our goals in this class,” Daniel added. “I’m extremely proud to be a part of the Diagnostic Imaging Class of 2018.”

On behalf of she and her classmates, Daniel express her thanks to instructors Jim Malone and Kelli Rich. “These two have went above and beyond to make sure we received the best education,” she said. “They have given us the ability to go out into the field of radiology and excel at the utmost professional level.”

Malone said this particular class has been very special. “Today marks a milestone in each and every one of your lives, especially as you leave here today and embark on your journey as radiologic technologists,” Malone said. “This pinning ceremony that we have here today is widely recognized as an event to celebrate and we’re celebrating you, the 2018 graduates of the Diagnostic Imaging program. It means the achievement of a goal, a stepping stone to other goals, recognition by other members of our profession, and the readiness to assume additional responsibilities. It also serves to celebrate the journey or entry into our profession.

“Wherever life takes you, wherever you work, I know you will be great technologists and will make a difference in the lives of your patients,” he added. “I encourage you to uphold the value of caring which should always be in the heart of every healthcare provider.”

A number of students were recognized with awards. Three students received the Academic Excellence Award achieving a 4.0 GPA. Those included Makaela Mote, Hollye Funderburk and McKayla Carroll. Clinical Excellence Awards were presented to Bailey Moody, Lelia Brooke Daniel, and Andrew Martin.

Wallace State’s Diagnostic Imaging program is a five-semester program offering an associate in applied science. The program is currently taking applications through June 1 for Fall 2018 entry. Call 256-352-8000 or visit www.wallacestate.edu for more information.

CULLMAN - Both the Cullman County Republican Party and the Cullman County Democrats will host candidates Saturday. Here’s where you can see them.

Saturday, May 5, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The Cullman County Republican Party hosts monthly meetings on the first Saturday of each month at the Cullman Elks Lodge, 1609 Brantley Ave. NW, Cullman.

7:30 a.m.- Breakfast ($10)

8 a.m.- Meeting begins (free)

Special guest speakers this Saturday will be:

• John McMillan, candidate for Alabama State Treasurer
• Troy King, candidate for Alabama Attorney General

Saturday, May 5, from 1-5 p.m.

The Cullman County Democrats, along with Indivisible AL, will host the Indivisible AL - District 4 Primary Candidates Town Hall Forum in the basement of the Cullman County Museum, 211 Second Ave. NE, Cullman.

Speakers will include:

Gubernatorial candidates

• Sue Bell Cobb
• Christopher Countryman
• James Fields

Alabama Attorney General candidates

• Heather Milam, (surrogate for) Chris Christie
• Joseph Siegelman

Alabama Secretary of State candidates

• Lula Albert

US House of Representatives, District 4 candidates

• Rick Neighbors
• Lee Auman

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Teresa Glenn (Cullman Police Department)

CULLMAN - The Cullman Police Department’s Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) on Wednesday arrested Teresa Hill Glenn, 61, of Cullman for allegedly selling methamphetamine.

The CSU arrested Glenn at her home. She is charged with four counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.

Glenn was transported to the Cullman Detention Center. She has since made bond.

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