CULLMAN - Below are the arrests reported for Oct. 11. All persons are innocent until proven guilty.

Cullman County Sheriff’s Office

Alexander, Kody Dean, 28

• grand jury- unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle
• grand jury- third-degree theft of property

Allen, Manda Shea, 31

• unauthorized use of a vehicle

Allred, Danny Ray, 46

• establishment of residence SORNA

Baker, Robin Lee, 45

• grand jury- third-degree burglary
• grand jury- third-degree criminal mischief
• grand jury- third-degree criminal trespassing
• grand jury- possession of burglar’s tools

Brown, Brandon William, 20

• grand jury- second-degree rape
• grand jury- second-degree sodomy

Brown, Kevin Paul, 39

• grand jury- attempted murder
• grand jury- shooting into an occupied automobile or building
• grand jury- second-degree domestic violence

Clowers, Riplee Allen, 29

• grand jury- chemical endangerment of a child

Coats, Timothy Wayne, 45

• negotiating a worthless negotiable instrument

Cochran, Daniel Stewart, 44

• failure to appear- expired driver’s license
• fourth-degree receiving stolen property
• failure to appear- possession of drug paraphernalia (3 counts)
• failure to appear- required lighting equipment
• failure to appear- unlawful possession of a controlled substance (2 counts)

Collins, Justin Blake, 24

• grand jury- second-degree theft of property

Copeland, Robyn Emmalinarich, 26

• possession of drug paraphernalia
• unlawful possession of a controlled substance
• possession of prescription medicine

Crow, Ronald Shane, 40

• failure to appear- open container in vehicle

Daugette, Paula Ann, 40

• second-degree receiving stolen property

Dillard, Clayton Eugene Jr., 39

• grand jury- first-degree theft of property

Fanning, Nathan Dewayne, 33

• grand jury- unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle

Ferguson, Amanda Louise, 35

• grand jury- first-degree identity theft
• grand jury- third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument

Ferguson, Richard Lee, 30

• grand jury- first-degree identity theft
• grand jury- third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument

Fitch, Charles Daniel, 35

• probation violation- unlawful distribution of a controlled substance

Freeman, Nicholas Todd, 34

• second-degree receiving stolen property

Godsey, Christopher Hoyt, 43

• probation revoked- possession/use of a credit/debit card (3 counts)

Graham, Kayla Nicole, 24

• failure to appear- possession of drug paraphernalia
• failure to appear- unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Harder, Amanda Michelle, 33

• grand jury- first-degree criminal trespassing
• grand jury- unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Hester, Bradley Dewayne, 35

• second-degree receiving stolen property

Higginbotham, Justin Blake, 25

• grand jury- third-degree receiving stolen property (2 counts)

Hurt, Brandon Rorylavelle, 22

• grand jury- third-degree burglary

Land, Kendall Ann Marie, 39

• grand jury- felony leaving the scene

Martin, Justin Bradley, 29

• grand jury- third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument
• grand jury- third-degree forgery

Mickle, Joseph Lee, 26

• grand jury- third-degree burglary (3 counts)
• grand jury- first-degree receiving stolen property
• grand jury- first-degree theft of property (2 counts)
• grand jury- second-degree theft of property
• grand jury- third-degree theft of property (2 counts)
• grand jury- unauthorized use/unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle (3 counts)

Miller, Jan Denise, 45

• grand jury- aggravated child abuse

Miller, Leroy Steven, 40

• grand jury- third-degree burglary
• grand jury- sexual abuse of a child under 12
• grand jury- first-degree sodomy

Monroe, Mitchell Ryan, 38

• probation revoked- unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Moon, Paul Nathaniel, 35

• unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Morin, Carol Diane, 32

• grand jury- third-degree forgery
• grand jury- possession/use of credit/debit card (3 counts)
• grand jury- unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle

Mullins, Robert Calvin II, 34

• possession of drug paraphernalia
• possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
• second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana

Ortiz, Francisco Aviles, 25

• grand jury- third-degree burglary

Pugh, Justin Randall, 22

• grand jury- first-degree theft of property

Sheppard, Rufus J., 41

• grand jury- first-degree theft of property

Sigala, Brent Donald, 44

• grand jury- first-degree theft of property
• grand jury- second-degree theft of property

Smith, Gary Wayne, 43

• grand jury- false Medicaid statements

Steele, Justin Lee, 27

• grand jury- fourth-degree forgery
• grand jury- second-degree theft of property
• grand jury- unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Stevens, Leroy Cletus, 35

• failure to appear- possession of drug paraphernalia

Suhy, Dusty Michelle, 36

• grand jury- third-degree forgery (24 counts)

Surrett, Larry Dewayne, 58

• grand jury- driving while revoked
• grand jury- felony leaving the scene
• grand jury- tampering with physical evidence

Cullman Police Department

Freeman, Charles W. II, 46

• DUI

Mullett, Latishia L., 26

• third-degree criminal trespassing

Manning, Andy L., 71

• harassment

Hutton, Steven P., 31

• grand jury- first-degree theft of property (2 counts)
• grand jury- fraudulent use of a credit/debit card
• failure to appear- expired tag
• failure to appear- insurance violation

Cochran, Daniel S., 44

• first-degree possession of forgery instrument

Wynn, Chadwick K., 37

• unlawful distribution of a controlled substance (2 counts)
• unlawful possession or receipt of a controlled substance
• possession of drug paraphernalia

James, Megan N, 33

• unlawful distribution of a controlled substance (2 counts)

Hanceville Police Department

No arrests reported

HANCEVILLE–Wallace State Community College was named this week one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges.

Wallace State was selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize.

“An Aspen Prize nomination is among the highest accolades a community college can receive, and this recognition is especially gratifying for Wallace State. It represents the dedication of our administration, faculty and staff to student success as evidenced by our extensive work in Achieving the Dream and the American Association of Community Colleges’ Guided Pathways Project, the addition of stackable credentials leading to greater opportunities for completion, and the investment we have made in success coaching for students. All of these efforts have contributed to ever increasing rates of students earning credentials before transferring and/or entering the workforce,” said Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics.

This is the third time in five years Wallace State has been named to the list.

Awarded every two years since 2011, the Aspen Prize recognizes institutions with outstanding achievements in four areas: learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.

Wallace State will move forward to the next round of the competition for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence by submitting an application to be reviewed through a rigorous evaluation for a spot on the top 10 Aspen Prize finalists list. Top 10 finalists will be named in May 2018. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data. A distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner, finalist(s) with distinction and rising star(s) in spring 2019.

CULLMAN - Cullman Middle School hosted Madison Academy Thursday night for the final game of this year’s season and it was a dominant night for the Bearcats. The game appears on the eighth-grade teams’ schedule, but Cullman played with a mixture of seventh and eighth graders. The mix of players put together a 64-38 win to wrap up an undefeated season for both the seventh- and eighth-grade teams.

The eighth graders got things started by scoring on their first play on offense with a double pass play. Quarterback Hayden Stancil bounced the ball off the turf to Will Bradberry who threw a pass deep downfield to wide receiver Jamar Kay for a 39-yard touchdown.

Madison Academy fumbled on its next possession and gave the ball back to the Bearcats. Cullman forced five turnovers in the first half. The ‘Cats took advantage with a 15-yard touchdown run from Jake Dueland just a couple plays later.

Thanks to interceptions from Noah Kee and Hunter Brooks, Cullman ended the first quarter with a 30-0 lead.

A younger lineup for the Bearcats entered the game at the start of the second quarter and after forcing a fumble, quarterback J.T. Blackwood extended the lead with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Hall.

The ‘Cats really displayed their control of the game when they scooped up a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and ran it in for another score to take a 42-0 lead into the half. Some of the starting eighth graders didn’t re-enter the game. Quarterback Hayden Stancil finished off his night 6-of-8 passing with 84 yards and a touchdown, and running back Drew Conway finished with 43 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Madison Academy scored points on offense and special teams in the second half but could not keep Cullman out of the end zone and wasn’t able to get back within three scores at any point in the game.

Head Coach Gerald Turner wraps up his ninth season as head coach at Cullman Middle School with perfect records for his seventh and eighth grade units. Coach Turner gave a lot of reasons for why this team has had so much success this year.

“This is a really special group; we’ve really been blessed here these past several years,” Turner said. “I’ve got a whole lot of help with me. I’ve got a lot of really great coaches and a special group of kids that really play hard.”

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Image: Nick Griffin

CULLMAN - A single-vehicle wreck involving a Honda CBR sport bike occurred on Cherokee Avenue near Wal-Mart Distribution tonight, and the driver apparently fled on foot following the crash.

Cullman Police Department Officer Joey Duncan said, "The driver crashed and took off on foot, into the woods. Witnesses told us he appeared to be hurt and that he may have been intoxicated."

Duncan said officers combed through the woods just south of the intersection of Cherokee Avenue and Main Avenue, attempting to locate the driver. "We wanted to see if he's OK, and render aid if necessary," he said.

The incident happened at approximately 7:50 p.m., and emergency responders, including the CPD and Cullman Fire Rescue, have now cleared the scene and ended the search.

Duncan said that a driver's license was found at the scene, so the CPD has an idea of who the driver is. He was not found.

"Witnesses reported he was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour," said Duncan. "They said he looked pretty injured. We have just ended the search. We believe he obtained a ride and left the area."

Anyone with information about the wreck is asked call the Cullman Police Department at 256-734-1434 and ask to speak to Officer Duncan.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

St. Bernard's Leahrose Mami / Josh McBrayer

FAIRVIEW - Fairview's Randall Shedd Community Park was full of eager runners Thursday afternoon as the 2017 Fairview Hay of a Run was set to get underway at 4 p.m. It was the girls who lined up first, and when they were finished, runners from Cullman County had taken the top five spots.

Taking first place was St. Bernard’s Leahrose Mami with a time of 20:30.41. Mami also took first in the Jessie Owens Classic last week in Oakville.

"I just try to get out there and stay in front and gap," Mami said of her ability to run off and leave the rest of the pack. "I took out like normal and just tried to keep a steady pace."

Joining Mami in the top five were Alex McDonald of Fairview in second, Abigail Kusz of Holly Pond in third, Camilla Chambers of Holly Pond in fourth and Bijou Phillips of Good Hope in fifth.

Girls’ 5,000-meter run (Local finishers)

• 1 Leahrose Mami St. Bernard 20:30.41
• 2 Alex McDonald Fairview 21:24.12
• 3 Abigail Kusz Holly Pond 21:42.95
• 4 Camilla Chambers Holly Pond 21:53.88
• 5 Bijou Phillips Good Hope 22:04.28
• 9 Eva Barck St. Bernard 23:13.62
• 10 Lizbeth Medina St. Bernard 23:15.80
• 11 Claire Sanders St. Bernard 23:43.20
• 13 Anna Beth Guthery St. Bernard 23:57.45
• 14 Carrington Chambers Fairview 24:15.44
• 16 Alyssa Harper Fairview 24:20.88
• 18 Angelica Antibero Fairview 24:28.00
• 19 Kennedy Chambers Fairview 24:30.90
• 20 Emma Gardner Fairview 24:35.71
• 21 Breanna Tankersley Holly Pond 24:43.02
• 23 Addie Stripling Good Hope 24:52.70
• 24 Martiza Ramon Holly Pond 25:01.92
• 25 Kathleen George St. Bernard 25:07.38
• 30 Brianna Lodge Fairview 26:24.04
• 34 Garcie Loyd St. Bernard 26:42.52
• 35 America Diaz Fairview 26:44.70
• 37 Madison Frnka Holly Pond 26:47.68
• 38 Korey Butler Holly Pond 27:18.40
• 40 Emily Bryan Fairview 27:50.25
• 42 Lily Weissand Fairview 28:35.56
• 44 Paris Bolinger St. Bernard 28:50.16
• 45 Daisey Gutierrez St. Bernard 29:13.44
• 46 Cassidy Campbell Hanceville 29:23.13
• 47 Isabella Edgeworth Good Hope 29:29.97
• 49 Anna-Marie Kusz Holly Pond 29:34.86
• 52 Michaela Jenkins Holly Pond 31:26.44
• 53 Brittney Day Fairview 32:03.56

Girls’ Teams

• 1 St. Bernard Average Time 22:56.10
• 3 Fairview Average Time 23:47.87
• 4 Holly Pond Average Time 24:01.89

BOYS

Andrew Sweeney of St. Bernard has been on a tear recently, winning several races this year including the Jessie Owens Classic last week. He ran a time of 17:04.54 Thursday to best the next runner by almost 24 seconds.

"Right now, I am running petty well," said Sweeney of his impressive list of victories this season. "I am probably in one of the best shapes I have ever been. Today was an off day."

Sweeney didn't look as if he was having an off day as he was able to cruise into the finish line to best the field of 113 runners.

Rounding out the top five were Hanceville's Aaron Brown, Quinton Chambers of Fairview, St. Bernard’s Caleb Guthery and Conner Lowery from Holly Pond.

Boys’ 5,000-Meter Run (Local finishers)

• 1 Andrew Sweeney St. Bernard 17:04.54
• 2 Aaron Brown Hanceville 17:28.44
• 3 Quinton Chambers Fairview 17:42.75
• 4 Caleb Guthery St. Bernard 17:56.29
• 5 Conner Lowery Holly Pond 18:12.29
• 7 A.B. Diaz Fairview 18:47.55
• 8 Keagan Hardin Fairview 18:49.20
• 9 Zackery Reynolds Holly Pond 18:58.13
• 10 Cody Fallin Fairview 18:59.92
• 11 Joey McCarthy St. Bernard 19:02.21
• 12 Joseph Arriaga St. Bernard 19;05.10
• 20 Peyton Bailey Fairview 19:40.16
• 21 Parker Sellers Holly Pond 19:43.74
• 22 Francis Mami St. Bernard 19:51.87
• 23 Jonathan Baillargeon St. Bernard 19:52.43
• 25 Austin Lowe Fairview 20:06.28
• 31 Will Butler Fairview 20:28.68
• 32 Charlie Huddleston Holly Pond 20:32.79
• 35 Austin Martinez Hanceville 20;40.98
• 38 Nikolas Borths St. Bernard 20:51.80
• 39 Jiovan Arriaga-Aguilar St. Bernard 21:04.93
• 40 Jacob Hankins Fairview 21:10.06
• 46 Logan Self Good Hope 21:26.06
• 48 Seth Self Holly Pond 21:35.24
• 49 Oscar Merano Good Hope 21:40.05
• 50 David De Jesus St. Bernard 21:41.45
• 52 Matt Self Good hope 21:44.36
• 54 Noah Frasier Hanceville 21:52.21
• 59 Daniel Bamberry St. Bernard 22:03.86
• 65 Josh Chido St. Bernard 22:23.30
• 67 Carson Smith Good Hope 22:27.25
• 68 Girvin Garcia St. Bernard 22:29.03
• 74 Ian Sidley St. Bernard 23:11.56
• 76 Andrick Lindsey Fairview 23:19.93
• 78 Christopher Putman Holly Pond 23:33.51
• 79 Allen Jones Hanceville 23:37.40
• 81 Nate Boro Fairview 23:40.88
• 82 Isaac Chambers Fairview 23:42.22
• 83 Chandler Lane Hanceville 23:42.75
• 84 Colton Lindsey Good Hope 24:04.10
• 87 David Owens Good Hope 24:39.50
• 89 Isaiah Carnell Hanceville 23:42.53
• 91 Preston Seymore Good Hope 25:04.90
• 93 Andy Light Holly Pond 25:15.56
• 95 Lincoln Calvert Good Hope 25:19.87
• 96 Douglas Mahaffey Hanceville 25:40.58
• 101 Ayden Turner Good Hope 27:07.13
• 102 John Martin Holly Pond 27:10.59
• 103 Austin Alexander Good Hope 27:24.77
• 107 Kevin Jones Good Hope 28:40.72
• 112 Caleb Knedlik Holly Pond 35:56.81

Boys’ Teams

• 1 Fairview Average Time 18:47.92
• 2 St. Bernard Average Time 18:36.01
• 5 Holly Pond Average Time 19:48.44
• 7 Hanceville Average Time 21:28.36
• 9 Good Hope Average Time 22:16.37

See a full photo gallery on The Tribune's Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/CullmanTribune.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HANCEVILLE - Thursday was a less-than-usual day for three of Hanceville’s firefighters, as they were called on to make a special delivery in town.  For the first time in years, the Hanceville Fire Rescue (HFR) assisted in the birth of a baby.

At 7:22 a.m., the fire department received a call about a woman in labor at a location off Highway 31 at the north end of Hanceville.  Britt Banks, Bradley Jones and Brennen Stricklin responded to the scene.

Assistant Chief Bart Absher explained, “Everything went well.  Cullman EMS was on the scene and, as they were loading mom into the ambulance, the baby decided to come on out, come into the world.  So they paused what they were doing and helped her, and got the baby, and made the announcement on the radio, because that’s typical policy--to say that now you’ve got two patients.”

From first call to delivery, the entire event only took about 15 minutes.

Absher continued, “Mom and baby boy were transported to Regional (Cullman Regional), and everything was healthy--baby was healthy and mom was doing well when they left her at the hospital, in the care of the ER.”

According to the assistant chief, firefighters receive training in childbirth during basic EMT courses, and review the material at each level as they advance.  They also receive periodic refresher classes.

“So it wasn’t a shock,” said Absher, “it’s just the fact that it actually happened in the field.  Usually it’s ‘load, grab, go, get ‘em to the hospital,’ and they deliver at the hospital.  It’s a rarity to do it out in the field.

“They did an absolute great job on the call, as always.  They do a great job on all their calls.  They always act professionally, and mitigate the situation with the utmost responsibility and training.  They do a good job on everything they do.”

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo: Tribune file photo

WEST POINT– The Blue Devils of Mortimer Jordan were all over the West Point Warriors from the opening kickoff to the last play of the game, claiming a resounding 41-7 victory to drop West Point to 4-3 and 3-2 in region play.

From nearly blocked punts to fumbles near the goal line, the Warriors kept putting themselves in a hole for the entirety of the first half. It took less than 60 seconds for the Blue Devils to hit the scoreboard first, 7-0, over West Point.

The Warriors’ Rylan Jones completed a 60-yard pass to Skyler Bowers to give the West Point faithful hope. However, that was dashed just moments later as Jones fumbled just outside the end zone and the Blue Devils quickly recovered the ball.

The Blue Devils were forced to punt after making it 22 yards following the recovered fumble just minutes earlier. The Warrior defense began to put pressure on Mortimer Jordan and eventually forced a punt to take back possession at its 19-yard line.

Not even a minute ticked off the clock before West Point was forced into yet another three-and-out. A mid-range punt gave the Blue Devils possession inside West Point territory. Warrior Austin Dubberly brought a spark to the defense when he forced a long third-down attempt. This momentum did not last long following a short screen pass on the following play to back the Warriors into their own goal line.

Multiple penalties put the Blue Devils back to the 28-yard line, setting up a long third-and-26 attempt. The deep setback proved to be a disadvantage as the ensuing 42-yard field goal attempt fell short, giving the ball back to the Warriors with just a few ticks left in the first quarter.

The struggles continued into the second quarter as Brayden Martin fumbled the snap on the punt. The botched punt resulted in a first-and-goal from West Point’s 3-yard line. A quick run up the gut extended the lead to 14-0.

The following kickoff was fumbled as well as Anthony Woods attempted the catch, but he was able recover at the Warriors’ 11-yard line. Another quick three-and-out forced West Point to punt again which backed the Blue Devils to midfield. However, just two quick plays later Mortimer Jordan scored again, putting them comfortably ahead 21-0.

The Warriors’ Hunter Persall kept the team pushing forward on the next drive, though the Blue Devils had different plans as the Warriors were forced to punt yet again with just more than two minutes left in the half. Mortimer Jordan took over at its 12-yard line.

A couple quick plays and the Blue Devils exploded for a huge 92-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 27-0, following a missed extra point attempt, to end the first half of play.

The second half did not improve for the Warriors, as Mortimer Jordan took the kickoff to the house to increase the Blue Devil lead to 34-0. A fast three-and-out by the Warriors put the ball back in hands of the Blue Devils. A few short plays later, including a 40-yard pass play, Mortimer Jordan scored yet again to increase its lead to 41-0.

West Point was determined not to end the evening scoreless. With two consecutive fourth-down plays the Warriors finally broke through the Blue Devils’ defense as Martin carried the ball in for a 1-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 41-7.

Mortimer Jordan replied instantly with a 50-yard run deep into West Point territory. The Warrior defense stepped up to take over the ball on downs at its 8-yard line. West Point allowed the clock to run out as the Blue Devils took the region win, 41-7.

The Warriors will travel to Good Hope on Friday, Oct. 20.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

DOUBLE SPRINGS -  The Eagles of Cold Springs traveled to Double Springs Friday night to face the Winston County Yellow Jackets. They came home with a loss, 38-7.

The Eagles won the toss to start the game and were forced into a three-and-out. After a seven-play drive, the Eagles defense forced the Yellow Jackets to punt.

On Winston County’s next series, Austin Owens broke free for a 74-yard run and a touchdown. With a good extra point, the score was 7-0 in favor of the home team with 5:36 to go in the first.

Not much later, Cold Springs’ Brodi Williams was picked off by Owens, who turned it in for a 30-yard TD. With just more than two minutes left in the quarter, the Yellow Jackets went up 14-0.

The Eagles put together a nice drive next, but they fumbled the ball and Yellow Jacket Andrew Kelley recovered it at the 25-yard line.

Defenses stepped up for both teams, forcing punts, before the Eagles put together another great drive, only to fumble the ball again, this time at the Yellow Jackets’ 30-yard line. Jacob Elliot made the recovery for Winston County. 

Seven plays later Justin Richie rushed in for a 26-yard TD.  The extra point was no good. At the half, the score stood at Winston County 20, Cold Springs 0.

The Yellow Jackets got the ball to start the second half, and get it they did. Owens exploded for 95 yards, returning the kickoff for a touchdown. With 11:45 to go in the third, it was Winston County 26, Cold Springs 0.

The Eagles dug in for a 12-play drive, but came up short on fourth down.

On Winston County’s next series, Ethan Moore passed to Zachary Wright for a 55-yard TD, and it was 32-0 with 2:55 to go in the quarter.

The Eagles continued to have trouble holding onto the ball. They fumbled again, and this time Kelley recovered at the Cold Springs’ 24.

The Eagles got some revenge, however, when two plays later, Francisco Ayala intercepted Moore in the Yellow Jackets’ first turnover of the game.

The Yellow Jackets defense held, though, and the Eagles were forced to punt.

Kelley ran the ball in from 32 yards for another TD, making the score Winston County 38, Cold Springs 0 with 7:51 in the contest.

With 24 seconds to go in the game, Cold Springs scored on an Ayala 3-yard TD run.

Final score: Winston County 38, Cold Springs 7

Cold Springs falls to 1-6 and 0-4 in region play. Winston County is now 2-5 and 2-2 in the region.

Cold Springs will host Tanner next week.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

ARLEY- The annual gridiron matchup between the Addison Bulldogs and the Meek Tigers carries the moniker of the Backyard Brawl, and Friday night, the game lived up to the hype. The Bulldogs took the hard-fought victory, 36-14.

Big hits, stout defenses and smash-mouth football was the name of the game as Addison and Meek played to an 8-8 tie at halftime, thanks to a touchdown run by Zayne Guthrie for Addison and a matching one from Meek's John Mark Abercrombie.

As tight as the first half was, the second half was anything but as Addison came out firing on all cylinders and quickly blew the game wide open.

The Bulldogs took the ball first to start the second half and drove it methodically down the field, capping the drive with a 7-yard run from Tyler Borden. This made the score 14-8 in favor of Addison.

Addison then executed an onside kick and recovered the ball. It wasn't long before the Bulldogs were in the end zone again, this time on a 35-yard run. The PAT was no good and the score stood at 20-8.

Following a Meek punt, Addison got in the end zone for the third time in the third quarter when Guthrie found Logan Wilkins for the 69-yard touchdown. After adding the 2-point conversion, Addison took a 28-8 lead into the fourth quarter.

Down but not out, the Meek defense came up with a big stop and a forced fumble, recovering on the Addison 26. The Tigers moved the ball down the field on the ground and ended the drive with a 6-yard touchdown from Abercrombie. The 2-point conversion was no good, and the score stood at 28-14 with eight minutes left to play in the game.

Addison put the game away on its next drive when Borden helped the Bulldogs move the ball down the field and was rewarded with a carry in the red zone that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown, making the score 36-14 after the 2-point conversion.

That was the last score of the game, as the Addison Bulldogs took down the Meek Tigers 36-14 the 2017 edition of the Backyard Brawl.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

BLOUNTSVILLE - It was all J.B. Pennington Tigers Friday for homecoming night; they beat the visiting Vinemont Eagles, 49-6.

Vinemont won the toss and elected to receive hoping to get on the scoreboard first, but instead got a quick three-and out. The Tigers didn’t seem to have a problem on their opening drive, going 83 yards, and capping it off with Jalon Bullard rumbling in from 3 yards out with 6:09 remaining in the opening quarter to put the Tigers up 7-0 after the PAT.

After another quick three-and-out by the Eagles, the Tigers only needed one play to find the end zone again, when Noah Allison found Austin Hyatt for a 48-yard touchdown to put the Tigers up, 14-0, after the good extra point.

Pennington found the end zone again with ease when Allison found Cole Littleton for a 46-yard touchdown, stretching the Tigers’ lead to 21-0 with 11:50 to go in the second quarter.

It just wasn’t the Eagles’ night as they seemed to have everything go against them, giving the ball back to the Tigers by way of a fumble. Two plays later Sheldon Blythe scored from 1 yard out to make the score 28-0 with 10:53 remaining in the first half.

The Eagles didn’t lay down, continuing to fight, and a Jack Hill to Dustin Moore 80-yard catch and run set up a Carl Price 1-yard touchdown at the 7:50 mark of the second quarter, putting the Eagles on the board 28-6.

Pennington’s Allison to Littleton combination struck again, this time from 19 yards out, stretching the Tigers’ lead to 35-6.

Halftime couldn’t come quickly enough for the Eagles as Pennington tacked on another score when Nikolas Brown ran it in to make it 42-6 with 2:39 til the break.

Late in the third, Allison added a 1-yard touchdown run to his already impressive night.

To start the final quarter, the Eagles’ defense stepped up on fourth-and-goal, forcing the Tigers to turn the ball over on downs. Vinemont’s offense took over at the Eagles’ 10-yard line and marched almost the whole length of the field, using up the entire fourth-quarter clock. Taking one last shot, the Eagles saw the final seconds run off the clock as the pass fell incomplete, ending a miserable night for Vinemont.

Final score: J.B. Pennington 49, Vinemont 6

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HANCEVILLE - The Hanceville Bulldogs hosted the Broncos of Holly Pond Friday night at Ray Talley Stadium for a critical matchup in Region 6 of Class 3A. Both teams leaned on the running game in a physical matchup that favored Holly Pond, who came away with a 40-20 win.

The ground game for Holly Pond was effective for the entire contest thanks in large part to a stellar performance from junior running back Jeremiah Holmes. Holmes put up 217 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. Three of those touchdowns came in the first half, including a 61-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game.

Holly Pond's front seven on defense also stood out, generating eight negative plays and holding the Bulldogs to just 115 yards of offense in the first half, 81 of which came on a single play.

Sophomore quarterback Kyler Chaney and junior running back Brody Rowell contributed in the running game, with 52- and 55-yard performances respectively. Each of them finished with a touchdown as well. As a unit, the Broncos ran the ball for 343 yards, controlling the clock and the line of scrimmage throughout the game. The Broncos won the game despite not completing a single pass.

The Bulldogs were unable to move the ball consistently on offense despite an impressive performance from junior running back Romael Simmons. Simmons ran for 189 yards and two long touchdown runs of 81 yards and 56 yards. He accounted for two-thirds of the Bulldogs' total offense.

Hanceville made a push late in the game with one of Simmons' touchdown runs and an 11-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Bo Joles to senior wide out Brendan Flanigan after recovering a fumbled snap, but the Bulldogs couldn't get closer than two possessions behind the Broncos.

Holly Pond senior running back Dustin Stancill put the game out of reach on a 15-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes to play.

The win puts Holly Pond at 5-2 on the year and 2-2 in region play. The Broncos will look to keep their rushing attack going next week when they host Fultondale. The loss at home drops the Bulldogs to 1-7 this season, 0-5 in region play. The Bulldogs will try to finish their season on a high note starting with a road trip next week to Locust Fork.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

GOOD HOPE - Good Hope's play-off hopes were hanging by a thread when the Raiders hosted Haleyville Friday night. It was a battle throughout the whole game, but Haleyville came out on top, 20-13.

After each defense forced a punt to start the game, the Lions started their second drive in excellent field position at the 33-yard line. They kept the ball on the ground behind tough yards by Jarred Tucker, Jackson Kennedy and Ty Black. They faced a third-and-7 at the 20, and Scott McAlpine found Tucker over the middle for a 20-yard score with 4:50 remaining in the opening quarter to put Haleyville on the scoreboard. The Lions struck again after a three-and-out by Good Hope, when Morgan Long and Tucker had huge receptions for first downs during the drive, and Black finished the six-play, 31-yard drive with a 5-yard scamper to give the Lions a 13-0 lead with 1:04 remaining in the first.

Good Hope looked to get something going on offense. A key catch by Kyle Carlton on second-and-10 from the 25-yard line gave the Raiders 12 yards and a big first down. Will Dickerson got another first down during the drive as they looked to continue the momentum, but on a fourth-and-1 from the 44-yard line, Bailey Quick got stopped for no gain, and Good Hope turned the ball over on downs.

The Raider defense forced the first turnover of the game when Matthew Dixon laid a big hit on Black after he caught the ball, forcing a fumble, and Mason Moniz recovered it. But the Raiders turned the ball over on downs on the next drive. Dixon intercepted a McAlpine pass on the next series at the 30-yard line. On a second-and-11 from the 31-yard line, Quick found Carlton over an outstretched Lion defender for a 30-yard reception, and Quick scored on the next play to cut the deficit to 13-6, which mirrored the score at the half.

Good Hope came out fired up to start the second half, as a hard-fought run by Dixon and a 10-yard pass from Quick to Carlton put the Raiders close to midfield at the 41-yard line, but they went backward after that, as a Dixon 2-yard reception, followed by back-to-back sacks by the Lion defense, forced them to punt. Haleyville tired out the Raider defense on the ground behind McAlpine and Kennedy. McAlpine completed big passes to Taylor and Nichols Sadler, but a touchdown run by McAlpine was taken away because of a block in the back penalty. The Lions found the end zone later in the drive on an 8-yard end-around run by Tucker to stretch their lead to 20-6 with 2:53 remaining in the third.

Colton Bagwell gave Good Hope a big boost on the ground, gaining 52 yards on three carries, including a 48-yard run, to put Good Hope at the 22-yard line. A few plays later, on a fourth-and-7 from the 19-yard line, a pass interference call gave the Raiders new life, and after a false start on the next play, Quick scrambled out of the pocket and found Dickerson over the middle for a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it a 20-13 game with 11:45 remaining in the contest.

The Raider defense got a big stop after Bagwell sacked McAlpine to force a turnover on downs, but they turned the ball over on downs themselves on their next drive. The Raiders forced a missed field goal on their next defensive series and Good Hope had a chance to tie the game on its final series. After Quick got sacked for a 5-yard loss, the Raiders quickly turned the ball over on downs and Haleyville kneeled the final minute to end the game, along with Good Hope's play-off chances.

Final score: Haleyville 20, Good Hope 13

McAlpine finished 15-of-19 for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Black had 16 rushing yards and a score, plus 29 receiving yards. Tucker had 62 yards on three receptions and a score, plus a touchdown on the ground. The defense sacked Quick three times on the night.  Haleyville improves to 3-4 on the season and 2-2 in the region. The Lions will head home to take on Dora next week.

Quick finished 5-of-11 for 70 yards and a touchdown, plus 20 more on the ground and a touchdown. Carlton had 42 yards on two catches. Bagwell finished with 57 yards on six carries. The entire Raider defense played another great game, forcing two Lion turnovers. Good Hope falls to 3-4 on the season and 1-4 in region play. The Raiders will be at home next week against West Point.

"The defense played their hearts out tonight," Good Hope coach Alan Scott said. "We gave up some big plays early, one on a double move, and another on a busted play, and they were up 13-0, and to see the defense play the way they did for the rest of the game, it was great. I hate it for the kids though. Matt Dixon played big on both sides of the ball tonight. Haleyville has a great team and a great defense. We are in a tough region, but we keep competing. We just have to get over that hump. We will continue to do us right now, and then we will watch some film on West Point, and Don Farley has done a great job over there."

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

JASPER - The Fairview Aggies traveled to Jasper Friday night to face the Curry Yellow Jackets in a regional battle. It was a low-scoring, defensive affair, and the Yellow Jackets came out on top, 8-3.

The Yellow Jackets received the opening kickoff and started at their own 35-yard line. Curry was no match for the Aggie defense, however, and went three-and-out.

The Aggies started at the 47-yard line. Running back Grant Howard rushed for a 7-yard gain before going down with an apparent leg injury. He did not return. Curry forced a three-and-out and the Aggies gave up the ball.

Curry took the ball on the 10 after the punt by Ethan Satterfield. The Yellow Jackets rushed for 59 yards on the drive, with carries by Payton Key, Tristan Jones, Kaden Williams, Hunter Glass and Wendall Ball, all the way to the Aggies’ 32-yard line. Then Scoot Bennett, on the next play, picked off Curry quarterback John Moon.

On their next drive, the Aggies took it 49 yards. Dayne Black and Tyvn Ellis rushed for a combined 22 yards with Garret Dunn chipping in with a 26-yard reception. Fairview couldn't quite find the end zone, though, and settled for a field goal. Jaxxon Swann kicked the 23-yarder through the uprights and the Aggies took a 3-0 lead with no time left in the first quarter.

Nothing else was doing for the rest of the half, and the teams went to the break with Fairview up 3-0.

Fairview received the ball coming out of halftime, only to surrender a safety to trim the lead to 3-2 with 10:37 remaining in the third. The free kick to Curry went down to the 21-yard line, but after gaining just 5 yards, the Yellow Jackets punted the ball away.

After a quick Aggie three-and-out, the Yellow Jackets drove the ball 57 yards and punched it in the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown run by Key. After the 2-point conversion failed, the score was 8-3 with Curry in the lead and 2:54 left in the third.

Following a big lull in the action, with 2:56 left in the game, the Aggies controlled the ball, and Black hit Ethan Holland for a 16-yard reception and Bennett for 21 yards to put the Aggies at the Curry 30-yard line. Ellis and Black rushed for a gain of 9 yards to put the Aggies at fourth-and-1, then a bad snap ended the Aggies’ hopes of a comeback as the ball went all the way to the 34-yard line and Curry recovered. 

The Yellow Jackets took the victory formation and the football game 8-3 over region rival Fairview.

Key rushed for 84 yards for the Yellow Jackets with Ball and Jones having big nights as well. For the Aggies, Bennett led with 37 yards receiving with Dunn and Holland also contributing.

The Aggies will host the Hayden Wildcats next week to continue region play.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HANCEVILLE - It’s a fall tradition. The 26th Annual Mud Creek Marching Festival will kick off Saturday at 11:50 a.m. at Ray Talley Stadium on the campus of Hanceville High School. Opening ceremonies will feature the National Anthem, performed by members of The Rocketeers Drum & Bugle Corps from Huntsville. 

The marching band lineup will be as follows:

Class A Silver Division

Noon- Curry High School, under the direction of Rachel Nix

Class AA- Silver Division

12:20 p.m. East Lawrence High School, under the direction of Donna Hairrell

12:40 p.m. Deshler High School, under the direction of Craig Weeks

1 p.m. Central High School, under the direction of Jeremy Thigpen

1:20 p.m. Lawrence County High School, under the direction of Donnie Settles

1:40 p.m. Cold Springs High School, under the direction of William Johnson

2 p.m. Hayden High School, under the direction of Cory Wills

Class AAA Gold Division

2:40 p.m. Cordova High School, under the direction of Sara Lipscomb

3 p.m. Good Hope High School, under the direction of Thad Walker

3:20 p.m. Dora High School, under the direction of Jeremy McFall

3:40 p.m. West Morgan High School, under the direction of Tim Clinton

4 p.m. Fairview High School, under the direction of Nathan Kilgo

4:20 p.m. Lexington High School, under the direction of David Wiseman

Class AAAA Gold Division

5:30 p.m. Rogers High School, under the direction of John McCombs

5:55 p.m. Athens High School, under the direction of Ryan Nix

6:20 p.m. Scottsboro High School, under the direction of Jimmy Leek

6: 45 p.m. Jasper High School, under the direction of Jason Lipscomb

7:10 p.m. Calera High School, under the direction of Luke Manning

7:35 p.m. Helena High School, under the direction of Jeff Burnside

8 p.m. exhibition Hanceville High School, under the direction of Steven Porter

“It is always a fun-filled, busy day for the Hanceville High School Boosters and Bulldog Band members,” said Hanceville High School Band Director Steven Porter. “There are some great programs coming promising to entertain.”

Porter said there are two special awards given out at Mud Creek, the Vanessa Watts Memorial Award and the Tam Easterwood Memorial Award.

The Vanessa Watts Memorial Award is presented to the drum major with the highest score of the festival, regardless of classification. The award is presented in honor of Vanessa Watts, who devoted her life to band and teaching young people to be the best that they can be. She graduated from German Town High School in Tennessee and received her degree in music education from the University of Mississippi. She taught at Good Hope High School for 23 years and retired in 2004. Watts taught music appreciation at Wallace State Community College, served as Alabama Bandmasters Association District 3 chairperson, was a member of the Cullman Community Band, and a Southeastern Music Camp instructor. Vanessa has always been a large supporter of bands, music education, and the Mud Creek Marching Festival. She served as a judge at Mud Creek and at many other marching festivals across the state.

The Tam Easterwood Memorial Award is presented to the color guard with the highest score of the festival, regardless of classification. The award is presented in honor of a man who devoted his life to developing some of the best color guards, winter guards and bands across the United States. He graduated from Holly Pond High School and Jacksonville State University. Easterwood went on to march with the world-famous Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps and other winter guards. His last judging assignment was at the third Annual Mud Creek Marching Festival. He was in wide demand as a judge and clinician.

Admission to the festival is $6, and parking is free. Attendees can access festival parking from the Commercial Street entrance.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Mae’s Food Hall is located in the Warehouse District in downtown Cullman.  / Heather Mann

CULLMAN - It’s been open for about a week, but on Friday morning, developer Shane Quick made it official when he cut the ribbon on the much-anticipated Mae’s Food Hall on First Avenue Northeast in the Warehouse District.  The event marked the official start of business for the multi-vendor dining complex that has already completed several days of trial runs.

Quick shared about the last few days, “It’s been amazing, honestly, way bigger than expected.  For the past few nights, we’ve been really packed out and doing some amazing testing on all the equipment and systems, and where to put this and where to put that.  It’s been very helpful, and, hopefully, it’s prepared us for today and the rest of the coming days.”

Mae’s is affectionately named after Quick’s beloved grandmother Linnie Mae.

Said Quick, “She was a massive influence on my life.  Her home was a place where everyone felt comfortable, everyone left with their bellies full.  She loved to play board games and different kinds of games.  If you came over to her house, you might find yourself staying three hours instead of 30 minutes, and that’s what we hope this place is.”

Mae’s is set up like a food court rather than a traditional restaurant, with five different restaurants and a bar housed in the building. Toward the back of the hall, there’s Big E’s Arcade, with vintage games like Pac-Man, Galaga, Ms. Pac Man, Donkey Kong and Mortal Kombat II (collected by Quick himself), Skee-ball and a dartboard. The back of the building also has a handicapped-accessible entrance and parking for those unable to climb the front stairs.

As of Friday, all six vendors are up and running:

Strada di Napoli - Neapolitan pizzeria with an oven and ingredients imported from Naples, Italy. Best sellers - Ciro (specialty pizza with sweet Italian sausage, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil and tomato sauce on top) and Cotto E Funghi (specialty pizza with ham, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, aged mozzarella, pecorino Romano, tomato sauce and extra virgin olive oil)

Ruckus - Bar and lounge. Customers can rent darts for the dartboard in the arcade area, and Kernel Kullman gourmet popcorn sells a Ruckus Treat Mix. Best seller - Ruckus Daiquiri

Lichita’s - Ice cream shop serving gourmet popsicles, milkshakes, scoops of ice cream and banana splits. Best seller - regular chocolate ice cream

Link’s - Gourmet hot dogs and hamburgers. Get quarter-pound all-beef dogs and Wagyu beef burgers. Looks good- Bacon Jam Burger, which comes with bourbon bacon jam, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on a brioche bun

I Love Bacon - Sandwiches, wraps, etc., with bacon (of course). This place started out as a food truck business, but now has brick-and-mortar locations (one at Mae’s, another underway in Huntsville). Best seller - hard to say, but the Carrie Underwood wrap is very popular (grilled chicken, bacon, house-made ranch, lettuce, tomato and a spinach tortilla)

Cantina Taqueria - A Mexican restaurant specializing in several different kinds of tacos. Best seller - Nachitos (crunchy tortilla chips, shredded chicken tingo, cheese dip, refried beans, crema and pico de gallo)

Mae’s is open seven days a week, serving lunch and dinner every day except Sunday, with an abbreviated Sunday schedule:

11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday

11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday, serving lunch only

“One thing we keep hearing from people as they come in here,” said Quick, “is they feel like they’re in another city, they feel like they’re in Europe, or they feel like they’re in Nashville, or whatever.  Cullman’s open for business, and there’s really nothing we can’t accomplish here.  You can build anything here, you can do anything here, and I’m hoping that this place inspires people to know that, to live that way, and to remember the Linnie Maes in their life--the people that helped them become who they are, and also inspire them to be a Linnie Mae to someone else.  Hopefully, it’s a place that inspires people.

“It’s a great atmosphere.  It’s a beautiful building, amazing food.  Every vendor in here has gone above and beyond to have the very best food possible.  Great atmosphere, great food and a perfect area right here in the Warehouse District.  We really believe it’s going to be a big deal, and, hopefully, the start of many things; young entrepreneurs come to this city and do their own thing, build their own thing.  We believe that Cullman’s at a tipping point, and it’s about to really do some massive things, like we have in the past.”

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Melissa Kay Rock, left; Megan Nail James, right / Cullman Police Department

CULLMAN -  Two area women were arrested recently, in two separate and unrelated incidents, for meth distribution.

The first incident occurred on Oct. 7, when the Cullman Police Department’s Sgt. Chris Thomason, Investigator Justin Craft, and Officers Trey Higginbotham, Cole Kelley and Dustin Colburn conducted an undercover operation in which Melissa Kay Rock, 42, of Huntsville allegedly sold a half ounce (approximately 14 grams) of methamphetamine to the officers. 

Rock was arrested for unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. At the time of her arrest, Rock was also served with two outstanding felony warrants for two additional counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. The CPD said the outstanding warrants stemmed from a previous sale of meth to the same undercover officers.

Rock, who has been living in Cullman for a short while, was placed in the Cullman County Detention Center and has since made bond.

The second incident occurred on Oct. 11, when Thomason, Higginbotham, Colburn and Kelley arrested Megan Nail James, 33, of Cullman, who is also alleged to have sold methamphetamine to undercover CPD officers on two separate occasions.

James was out on bond for a previous arrest when she was arrested on Oct. 11. This time she was charged with two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.

James remains incarcerated in the Cullman County Detention Center on a $60,000 property bond.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail proclaimed the week of Oct. 16-20 as Medical Assistants Recognition Week in Hanceville. Students and faculty of the Medical Assistant program at Wallace State Community College were on hand for the proclamation signing. From left to right are, first row: Melissa Johnson, Laura Smithson, Serena Adair, Faulyn Childs, Allison Whatley, Courtney Underwood, Elizabeth Gazca, Jamyrah Ingram, Judea Hullett; second row: Megan Rodgers, Jessie Gunter, Kathie Massey, Hannah Pendley, Megan Pendley, Victoria Jones, Bryanna Neely, Desi Hackney, Kelsey Wren, Emily Campbell, Macy Walker, Alyson Linn, Sydney Snider; third row: Taylor Bain, Kana Schofield, Leandra Mendoza, Nikki Horton, Tracie Fuqua-program director, Kenneth Nail-mayor, Lorie Strane-instructor, Savannah Calvert, Angela Ramiscal, Danielle Canterbury, Kyndall Hardin, Rebecca Bryant; fourth row: Courtney Phelps, Adan Campos, Chad Fines.

HANCEVILLE - Students at Wallace State Community College are gearing up to celebrate Medical Assistants Recognition Week Oct. 16-20, 2017, as designated by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Medical Assistants across the country will be recognized during this special week and honored on Medical Assistants Recognition Day on Oct. 18.

Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail has issued a proclamation declaring the week as Medical Assistants Recognition Week in Hanceville.

Medical assisting is an allied health profession whose practitioners function as members of the health care delivery team and perform administrative and clinical procedures. With their unique versatility, medical assistants are proving to be the allied health professional of choice for this decade and beyond. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assisting continues to be projected as one of the fastest growing occupations.

The AAMA is the premier organization serving the professional interests and educational needs of medical assistants. It provides numerous services that help medical assistants put their careers on a successful and rewarding track and keep them there.

Wallace State’s Medical Assistant program is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2018 semester. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 1. The program is a five-semester program, offering an associate in applied science degree.

Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 23 percent from 2016 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Students currently enrolled in the Medical Assistant program at Wallace State include:

• Blount County: Rebecca Bryant, Jessie Gunter, Leandra Mendoza, Bryanna Neely, Courtney Phelps, Sydney Snider, Macy Walker
• Cullman County: Serena Adair, Savannah Calvert, Emily Campbell, Adan Campos, Chad Fines, Elizabeth Gazca, Desi Hackney, Kyndall Hardin, Victoria Jones, Hannah Pendley, Megan Pendley, Kana Schofield, Laura Smithson, Courtney Underwood, Allison Whatley, Kelsey Wren
• Etowah County: Nikki Horton, Angela Ramiscal
• Jefferson County: Taylor Bain, Alyson Linn
• Marshall County: Jamyrah Ingram, Melissa Johnson Tasha Kreps, Kathie Massey
• Morgan County: Faulyn Childs, Judea Hullett, Megan Rodgers
• Shelby County: Alejanddra Saucedo
• St. Clair County: Danielle Canterbury

Participants walked with ribbons over their mouths to represent the silence that makes trafficking such a hard problem to confront./W.C. Mann

CULLMAN - Human trafficking is a worldwide issue, and it affects Cullman County. On Saturday morning, the Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force took part in anti-trafficking organization A21’s “Walk for Freedom” campaign, which took place in more than 300 cities around the world. In Cullman, the walk started and ended at the Cullman County Courthouse, with participants hoping to increase awareness of human trafficking in our community.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as “a form of modern-day slavery, and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit human beings for some type of labor or commercial sex purpose.  Its victims include those forced into prostitution, as well as unpaid and severely underpaid domestic servitude, factory, and farm labor jobs.  They are often lured into bondage with offers of jobs, drugs or immigration assistance.”

Human trafficking is a $150 billion per year criminal industry involving millions of people around the world.  A21 estimates that fewer than one percent of victims escape bondage.

“Today the human trafficking task Force has partnered with our local chapter of A21, which is a national organization, to end human trafficking,” said Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force Chairperson Kathy Wilson.  “This walk has gone on worldwide, at the same time, all over the world, and it’s simply to raise awareness.  That’s what the goal of our task force is: to raise awareness and to bring light to the problem, because as we know, it does exist here.”

The task force has existed since 2015, and includes the Cullman County Department of Human Resources, local school systems, churches and numerous individuals including representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Its membership is not appointed. 

“Any concerned citizen can come,” said Wilson.

Leaders of A21 refer to themselves as “the abolitionists of the 21st century,” calling human trafficking slavery and vowing to end that slavery.  Its Walk for Freedom took place in more than 300 locations on Oct. 14.

Wilson explained, “Our goal as a task force is to end human trafficking, and with the help and support of Judge (Kim) Chaney, (District Attorney) Wilson Blaylock--the DA has been instrumental in starting the task force--we’re able to provide information, go out into the schools, to the public with such events as today, to raise that awareness.

“This is very special to me, because we live in a special community, and our goal is to keep it that way.  Our quality of life here is so much different than 50 miles either direction, and our goal is to keep quality of life here for our children.”

While Cullman County does enjoy much of a small-town peace-and-quiet atmosphere, Wilson wants no one to have any illusions about the realities of human trafficking right here among us.

“Here in Cullman, you know,” she explained, “we’ve just recently had the two arrests.  Those are the first two actual arrests.  Human trafficking has existed here for quite some time; we just didn’t call it that.  We’ve had parents that have been arrested for selling their children to the neighbor for drugs, but it wasn’t called that.  It was just a sexual abuse case, or something like that.

“So, it’s been here.  We’ve got boyfriends that have been trading their girlfriends, not for a monetary amount, but for a case of beer or something like that.  That’s what exists here in this county.

“I want folks to know that human trafficking exists here in this county.  I want people to open their eyes, see that it’s here, and to educate themselves and to educate someone else.  Awareness: it’s what we’re all about.”

For more information, or to contact the Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force, visit http://qrne.ws/cchttf.  For more information, or to contact A21, visit www.a21.org.

See photos and videos from today’s Walk for Freedom from all over the world at www.facebook.com/a21campaign.

More:

http://abc3340.com/news/local/cullman-county-grand-jury-indicts-man-on-1...

http://www.cullmantribune.com/articles/2017/09/05/vinemont-woman-charged...

http://www.cullmantribune.com/articles/2017/08/29/fairview-man-indicted-...

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

CULLMAN COUNTY - There was a packed slate of critical youth football games in Cullman County this weekend as several teams’ postseason hopes were on the line. All 10 teams were in action but not all of the age groups suited up. The action started at 4 p.m. Saturday with the Fireplug teams.

Cold Springs Eagles vs. West Point Warriors

Fireplug: The West Point Warriors captured a win in this matchup 28-22 in a tight game that was competitive for four quarters.

Wee Wee: The next group of Warriors had a little less trouble with the Cold Springs Eagles, running away with a 34-14 victory thanks to an impressive performance on both sides of the ball.

Good Hope Raiders vs. Cullman Cyclones

Fireplug: The Raiders pitched a shutout in this one 26-0. The Cyclones couldn’t get anything going on offense and the Raiders took advantage with some big plays of their own.

Wee Wee: It was a different story in this contest as the Cyclones routed the Raiders 34-0 thanks to some explosive plays on offense and a stingy defensive performance.

Pee Wee: The Cyclones bounced back in the final game with a 28-0 shutout behind a strong defensive showing of their own.

Holly Pond Broncos vs. Good Hope Outlaws

Fireplug: The Outlaws dominated the youngest matchup with a 46-6 blowout of the Broncos full of explosive plays and a strong showing defensively.

Wee Wee: The older group of Outlaws followed the Fireplugs with a win of their own in a tight defensive contest 12-0.

Vinemont Eagles vs. Cullman Bearcats

Fireplug: The Bearcats were in control for the first game of this matchup running away with a 28-6 win.

Wee Wee: The Eagles bounced back with an impressive shutout 18-0 where the Vinemont defense really got a chance to shine.

Pee Wee: The Bearcats took the last game of the night 14-0 behind an effective passing game and a strong showing on defense.

Fairview Aggies vs. Hanceville Bulldogs

Fireplug: The youngest Aggies got the day started with a 14-6 win over the Bulldogs thanks in large part to a good day on the defensive side of the ball.

Wee Wee: The Aggies put on a show in a 50-0 blowout of the Bulldogs featuring explosive running plays and a shutout from the defense.

Pee Wee: The oldest group for Fairview completed the sweep for Fairview in a close game with Hanceville that went down to the wire 24-22.

Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Central High School band members react after receiving the Silver Division Award from Hanceville Band Director Steven Porter. / Heather Mann

HANCEVILLE - Saturday saw the 26th Annual Mud Creek Marching Festival at Hanceville High School, kicked off by a performance of the National Anthem by members of the Rocketeers Drum & Bugle Corps from Huntsville. The festival hosted a total of 19 bands from around the state, with a special exhibition performance by the Hanceville Bulldog Band at the end of the night.

Each band was judged on its drum major, majorettes, dance line, color guard, percussion section and overall band performance, with each section receiving a score from 0-100, being placed into five ranks: I - Superior (90-100), II - Excellent (80-89), III - Good (70-79), IV - Fair (60-69), and V - Poor (below 60). The numerical scores are then used to determine Best in Class and Best in Division awards.

The following is a list of scores and special awards for each band, divided into classes with bands increasing in size:

Silver Division Class A*

Curry High School

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Excellent

Silver Division Class AA

East Lawrence High School

Drum Major: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Deshler High School

Drum Major: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Percussion

Central High School

Drum Major: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Band; Best in Silver Division Band

Lawrence County High School

Drum Major: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Cold Springs High School

Drum Major: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Excellent

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Drum Major and Color Guard

Hayden High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Excellent

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Majorettes and Dance Line

Gold Division Class AAA

Cordova High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Good Hope High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Dance Line

Dora High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Excellent

Overall Band: Excellent

West Morgan High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Drum Major, Color Guard, Percussion and Band

Fairview High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Majorettes

Lexington High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Color Guard: Excellent

Percussion: Excellent

Overall Band: Excellent

Gold Division Class AAAA

Rogers High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Athens High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Scottsboro High School

Drum Major: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Jasper High School

Drum Major: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Percussion

Calera High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Helena High School

Drum Major: Superior

Majorettes: Superior

Dance Line: Superior

Color Guard: Superior

Percussion: Superior

Overall Band: Superior

Special Awards: Best in Class Drum Major, Majorettes, Dance Line, Color Guard, and Band; Best in Gold Division Band; Vanessa Watts Memorial Award; Tam Easterwood Memorial Award

The Vanessa Watts Memorial Award is given to the band with the highest drum major score in the competition, and the Tam Easterwood Memorial Award is given to the band with the highest color guard score in the competition. Both awards are given without regard to band size or classification.

The night ended with a bang as Steven Porter, director of the Hanceville High School marching band, set off a firework display to celebrate the bands’ hard work and achievements.

*Curry High School did not qualify for any Best in Class awards as it was the only band in Class A.

See videos of all the bands' performances at www.facebook.com/mudcreekmarching.

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