Alabama Ledger - June 2022

Alabama Ledger - June 2022

A LABAMA L EDGER June 2022 Northeast Alabama Print Edition www.AlabamaLedger.com 12 Pages Published by The Sports Ledger, LLC

WHAT'S INSIDE State Park Amendment - Page 3 Area Death Notices - Page 4 New College Equipment - Page 5 Area Graduations - Pages 6-7 Apprenticeship Programs - Page 9 Dale Pruitt Returns - Page 10 JSU Volleyball Schedule - Page 11 College Football - Page 12 According to a news release these funds will help advance the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, supporting locally led trails, parks and outdoor access projects across the nation. In celebration of Great Outdoors Month, the United States Department of the Interior has announced the distribution of $279 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia for state-identified outdoor recreation and conservation projects. $279 Million for Recreation and Conservation Projects Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 1.6%, Marshall County at 1.8%, and Morgan, Limestone, Elmore, and Cullman Counties at 1.9%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 8.5%, Lowndes and Perry Counties at 5.9%, and Dallas County at 5.4%. Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Alabaster at 1.4%, Homewood and Trussville at 1.5%, and Hoover and Madison at 1.6%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 7.0%, Prichard at 5.4%, and Gadsden at 3.8% One Dead in Motorcycle Crash A single-vehicle crash on Saturday, June 18 has claimed the life of a Collinsville man. According to Alabama State Troopers, Timothy Austin Mims, age 25, was fatally injured when the 2015 Suzuki 600 motorcycle he was operating left the roadway and struck a cable barrier. Mims was pronounced deceased at the scene. The crash occurred on Interstate 59 near the 181 mile marker, approximately two miles north of Attalla, in Etowah County. No additional information was available at press time Nothing further is available as State Troopers continue to investigate to incident. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has announced that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted May 2022 unemployment rate is 2.7%. According to Ivy this is a new record low, down from April’s rate of 2.8%, and below May 2021’s rate of 3.6%. “Once more, we are seeing the resiliency of Alabama’s workforce,” said Governor Ivey. “Yet again, we’re breaking records that were set only a month ago. We’re nearly a full percentage point below the nation’s unemployment rate, we’ve been consistently ranked as having the lowest unemployment rate in the southeast, and our wages are growing at a remarkable pace.” “In fact, Alabama’s average weekly wages have once again reached a brand-new record high, rising by 20% since May 2019. Alabamians are working, and our business community is reaping the benefits.” May’s rate represents 61,621 unemployed persons, a new record low, compared to 63,184 in April and 80,191 in May 2021. Additionally, the number of people counted as employed grew to 2,222,977 in May, a new record high. This represents an increase from 2,213,187 in April, and an increase from 2,169,710 in May 2021. Alabama’s average weekly earnings grew to a new record high of $1,004.65 in May, up from $995.44 in April, and $978.06 in May 2021. "All of the elements needed for positive economic growth continue to improve and are consistently breaking records,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “This prolonged growth bodes well for Alabama. More people have joined the labor force than at any other time this year, showing that people have confidence in their ability to find a job. More people are working, and fewer people are unemployed than ever before. I’d say these are all things to celebrate” The Civilian Labor Force (CLF) increased by 34,697 over-the-year to a 2022 record high of 2,284,598. Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 45,700, with gains in the leisure and hospitality sector (+8,300), the professional and business services sector (+7,700), and the construction sector (+6,900), among others. Wage and salary employment also increased in May by 9,800. Monthly gains were seen in the professional and business services sector (+4,600), the construction sector (+1,900), and the leisure and hospitality sector (+1,900), among others. Alabama Sees Record Low Unemployment

Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, Alabama Ledger

Music On The Mountain to Feature Shenandoah The legendary Country Music Group ALABAMA held its Fan Appreciation Week on June 16-19, which included a concert for Fan Club Members on Saturday night in Fort Payne. ALABAMA Holds Fan Appreciation

Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) has announced that the 2022 Music on the Mountain celebration will feature acclaimed country music group Shenandoah. The event will be held Thursday, July 28 at 7:00 p.m. in the Tom Bevill Lyceum in Rainsville. NACC’s Music on the Mountain 2022 is one stop on Shenandoah’s 35th Anniversary Tour. “We are extremely pleased to bring Music on the Mountain back with the band Shenandoah,” stated NACC President Dr. David Campbell. “Our area has a very rich musical heritage, and I know people will appreciate the music of this great band.” When country music lovers talk about the greatest groups in the genre, Shenandoah is always at the forefront of any discussion. Fueled by Marty Raybon’s distinctive vocals and the band’s skilled musicianship, Shenandoah became well known for delivering such hits as “Two Dozen Roses”, “Church on Cumberland Road”, and “Next to You, Next to Me”. Shenandoah has recorded ten studio albums (3 certified gold) and placed 26 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The boys from Muscle Shoals have left a

potent legacy at country radio with over a dozen #1 records. Shenandoah became known for delivering songs that celebrated the importance of faith and family while reveling in the joys of small-town life. “Next to You, Next to Me” topped the charts for three weeks and “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart,” a beautiful duet with Alison Krauss, won a Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the year and a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Shenandoah also won the Academy of Country Music’s Vocal Group of the Year in 1991. Music on the Mountain has been providing entertainment for the local community for quite some time and has become a treasured community event. Tickets for Music on the Mountain are $20 and went on sale Friday, June 3 at 9:00 a.m. Tickets may be purchased online by visiting www.musiconthemountainnacc.com. Complete event information may be obtained by contacting Chasley Brown, Event Planner at NACC at 256-638-4418 or 256-228-6001, ext. 2248, or by email at [email protected]. For more information about Northeast College, visit nacc.edu.

Three Dead in Church Shooting enforcement arrived. Authorities say that one

By Brandon K. Pierce Alabama Ledger Three senior citizens are dead following a shooting at Saint Stephens Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills near Birmingham. According to authorities a 70-year-old male allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire during a Boomer's Pot Luck Dinner on June 15. The subject, who has been reported as Robert Findlay Smith, was subdued by an attendee at the event until help from local law

also later died. Although her name was not immediately released by authorities, some reports have identified the women as Jane Pounds of Hoover. According to Captain Shane Ware with the Vestavia Hills Police Department, the suspect was taken into custody by the Vestavia Hills Police and will remain in jail awaiting warrants for Capital Murder from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. No additional information was available at press time.

elderly person died at the scene and the two others were transported to the local hospitals, where both later succumbed to their injuries. Walter "Bart" Rainey, age 84, of Irondale was pronounced dead at the scene. Sarah Yeager, age 75, of Pelham, was transported to the UAB Hospital where she later passed away.. An 84-year-old women was also transported to a local hospital, where she

Riley Edwards was recently named the new head football coach at Crossville. For more coaching changes see the inside of this issue. New Coach

Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, Alabama Ledger

Demolition is underway at Guntersville High School. Constructions crews have been removing some of the older buildings on campus to make way for a new High School. The proposed plans for the new Guntersville High School include an Academic building with 16 classrooms, 2 science labs, 3 flex labs, an art lab and a STEM lab. A few of the many other proposed improvements include a Career Tech Lab, a Fine Arts Center with a 750 seat auditorium and 150 seat band room, cafeteria and gymnasium. Goodbye Guntersville High School

The Rhythm and Music of Summer PAGE 2 JUNE 2022

By Brandon K. Pierce ALABAMA LEDGER With summer heating up and 4th of July just a few days away, many folks are ready for hot dogs, ice cream and music. The country group Confederate Railroad will be making a stop in Rainsville to perform at the 2022 Freedom Fest on June 25 and on July 28 the band Shenandoah will headline the 2022 Music on the Mountain event at Northeast College in Rainsville. Some artists and venues around North Alabama have already kicked off the summer music concert season. The award winning and legendary country music group ALABAMA held their annual Fan Appreciation Days on June 16-19, and the new Amphitheater at the Sand Mountain Park in Albertville has had folks rocking with the rhythm of the music with a number of different concerts and artists. This included the 2022 Dailey and Vincent American Made Music Festival. The pictures on this page represent some of these music events, as well as Teddy Gentry's Singing with the Stars talent show, which featured some of the best young musicians from around DeKalb County.

ALABAMA Fans Carmen Dailey, of Fort Payne, and Jerah Murphree, of Birmingham, tour the ALABAMA Fan Club Museum ahead of the band's Fan Appreciation concert in Fort Payne on Saturday, June 18, 2022.

Photos by Brandon K. Pierce, Alabama Ledger Laney Travis, age 16, won Teddy Gentry's Singing with the Stars talent competition for her performance of the song "Blue".

Jimmy Fortune (left) joined Dailey and Vincent on stage during their performance at 2022 Dailey and Vincent American Made Music Festival in Albertville on Friday June 10, 2022. Other artists performing on Friday were the Jolley String Quartet and Martina McBride.

Madison Chatman, age 15 of Fort Payne, won 2nd place in Teddy Gentry's Singing with the Stars talent competition for her performance of the song "Black Velvet".

The Sweet Tea Trio was the opening band for the second day of the 2022 Dailey and Vincent American Made Music Festival in Albertville on Saturday, June 11. Other artists performing on Saturday were: Jake Hoot, Dailey and Vincent, and Diamond Rio.

15-year-old Anna Beth McSpadden, of Sylvania, performs at the 2022 Singing with the Stars talent competition.

Karlie Mann, of Ider, won 3rd place in Teddy Gentry's Singing with the Stars talent competition for her performance of the song "Easy".

Awarding winning artist Nelly performed at the Tacos & Tequila Festival in Albertville on May 20, 2022. Other artists taking part in the event at the Sand Mountain Park Amphitheater were Chingy, Baby Bash, and DJ Skribble.

Branson Jones, age 15 of Fort Payne performs at the 2022 Singing with the Stars talent competition.

Charlee Roesner, age 11 of Geraldine, performs at the 2022 Singing with the Stars talent competition.

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Paxton Price of Valley Head performs at the Singing with the Stars talent competition.

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PAGE 3 June 2022

Alabama Voters Approve State Parks Amendment

When the world was a mess, Alabama showed plain common sense By: Alabama Governor Kay Ivey When the world was a mess, Alabama showed plain common sense. Our tourists are proof positive of that. Over the last two years, tourists and vacationers have flocked to Alabama to escape unnecessary restrictions and mandates. They also traveled here in record numbers because Alabama has something for everyone. From our white sandy beaches on the Gulf Coast to the river valleys across the state to vibrant cultures and top- ranked cities, we remained open, welcoming and promoting normalcy. Google searches, alone, proved Alabama was one of the county’s most desired getaways. More people searched for information about our state than they did other tourist hot spots, like California, Hawaii and New York. Alabama travel information jumped from 30th place to fourth among the 50 states. Other states and the national tourism industry suffered a drop of 45%. But here in Alabama, we did not just recover; we thrived. In 2021, 26% more tourists vacationed in Alabama and spent a record amount of almost $20 billion. It’s no secret that economic growth is a priority of mine, and that includes expanding Alabama tourism. During my tenure, we have seen the tourism industry almost double in revenue. Revenues went from $10.7 billion in 2012 to $19.7 billion in 2021. Now, this growth could be attributed to new tourism attractions and good advertisement, or the truth of the matter: Alabama has it going on. Even more importantly, tourists create good-paying jobs. Tourism helped fund 227,334 jobs last year. With that many jobs and $6.8 billion in payroll, the Alabama tourism industry is, no doubt, important to the overall health of Alabama’s economy. It does not stop here. Alabamians just voted to provide more funding for state parks and public historical locations. This constitutional amendment will help improve, renovate, construct and maintain our 22 state parks which encompass 48,000 acres of endless opportunities to fish, camp, canoe, hike and enjoy the great outdoors. We are keeping Alabama the Beautiful, beautiful. Tourism down on the Gulf Coast is a money-making machine and the rest of Alabama isn’t far behind. You can retrace the steps of the Civil Rights Movement, discover outer space in Huntsville at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, hike the start of the Appalachian range at Pinhoti Trail or spend a weekend on the lake at one of my favorite Alabama destinations, Lake Jordan. Whether you are a first-time tourist, a frequent visitor or a local, I invite you and your family to explore all that Alabama has to offer this summer.

Courtesy of DAVID RAINER Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Alabama voters approved an amendment on 2022 ballot to provide as much as $80 million in funding for improvements and enhancements to Alabama’s State Parks. “I would like to thank the voters of Alabama for their overwhelming support of our beautiful State Parks,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). “This will give us the funds to make much-needed improvements to the campgrounds across the state, bringing them into the 21st century. A lot of our campgrounds were built when camping was a pop-up camper and a tent. We’re way past that now with the larger motorhomes with three air conditioners that need 50-amp service. We want to make sure we provide for citizens and our guests moving forward. Our day use areas need some new bathroom facilities to try to expand the day use in our parks. We want to build some accessible playgrounds so that our citizens of all ability types will have the opportunity to play at our playgrounds and enjoy our parks. “We have parks that don’t have cabins. If people don’t have an RV or motorhome, they are not able to enjoy our parks as much as we would like. Our State Parks have been very successful the last few years under (Director) Greg Lein and our new Deputy Director Matthew Capps. Every dime we make at the parks we put back into the parks to do good work.” During a recent Alabama Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) meeting at Lakepoint State Park in Eufaula, Commissioner Blankenship welcomed Governor Kay Ivey, who won the 2022 Republican nomination without a runoff, to the Board meeting and highlighted her accomplishments in outdoor recreation. “In the time that Governor Ivey has been in office, we (DCNR) have acquired 63,000 acres of property that has gone into public ownership for conservation and enjoyment of our citizens forever,” Commissioner Blankenship said. “Thank you, Governor, for your leadership in allowing ADCNR to do good work for the people and natural resources of Alabama. In my 28 years at Conservation, I don’t ever remember a governor joining us at one of our CAB meetings.” Governor Ivey highlighted the impact outdoor recreation has on Alabama’s economy as well as reiterating her support for State Parks. “Hunting, fishing, hiking and outdoor recreation, as managed by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is a $14 billion, with a B, economic driver for our state,” Governor Ivey said. “That’s especially important for rural areas. I thank the men and women of the DCNR for their hard work and their passion that they display every day to ensure we have fish, wildlife and access to public lands and waters, both today and tomorrow for future generations. Conservation also manages our beautiful Alabama State Parks, many of which I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. With this bond money, we can make the needed improvements and upgrades to our State Parks. “One thing is for sure. In a state like Alabama, folks are passionate about hunting, fishing and wildlife, and they have plenty of opinions of how they should be managed. Commissioner Blankenship and his team do a wonderful job of balancing long seasons with appropriate bag limits to ensure that we don’t overharvest the bounty that God has blessed us with. Alabama is truly a great place to hunt, fish, camp, hike and spend time in the great outdoors. So, y’all keep up the good work so that we remain Alabama the beautiful. Thank you for having me today, and may God bless each of you and the great state of Alabama.” State Parks recently held ribbon cuttings at several parks, including Cathedral Caverns, where a new campground was opened. State Parks worked with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to use rubberized asphalt to pave roads and parking lots at Guntersville State Park. The Joe Wheeler State Park campgrounds that were destroyed by a tornado in 2019 have reopened, and a project at DeSoto Falls included dredging an area of the river there and a new beach for the day-use area. The rubberized asphalt will be used to pave the roads and parking lots at the day-use area. Also, all 1,300 overnight units at State Parks received new mattresses. “We also recently celebrated an addition of 1,650 acres (Belcher Tract) at Oak Mountain State Park, the largest park in our system, right there in fast-growing Shelby County,” Commissioner Blankenship said. “That was monumental. That was purchased by the Forever Wild Land Trust, which is managed by State Lands and Director Patti McCurdy. You don’t get those opportunities very often, and I’m thankful to the Forever Wild Board for moving on that.” Commissioner Blankenship also provided an update on the effort to rebuild the portion of Gulf State Park Pier that was demolished by Hurricane Sally in 2020. The bids to do the work far exceeded expectations from the engineers. “We thought the bids would come in between $4 million and $6 million; that was the estimated range from the engineering firm,” he said. “The lowest bid ended up being $12.5 million, so it was more than twice what we thought would be the high bid. We’re working with FEMA to get approval for the new amount. We’re not going to be shutting the pier down this summer to do the construction that we had planned. We’ll have to bid that again in late summer or early fall once we get the FEMA approvals.” Alabama’s private recreational red snapper season has opened. The quota is 1.12 million pounds. “Just for information for the Board, NOAA Fisheries recently announced the South Atlantic red snapper season for 2022,” Commissioner Blankenship said. “It will be July 8 and 9. That is their season – two days. The work that Marine Resources Division Director Scott Bannon and Kevin (Anson, MRD Head Biologist) and their team have done with other Gulf states has made a huge difference. Had that work not taken place, our season in the Gulf would

probably be two days. Our season last year was 124 days. That just shows tangibly that the work they do means so much for the economy and outdoor recreation in Alabama.” Bannon said Alabama’s private recreational anglers recently had the opportunity over the Memorial Day Weekend catch three of the state’s iconic offshore species – red snapper, greater amberjack and gray triggerfish. Triggerfish and amberjack seasons are open through May 31. Anglers are required to report the harvest of all three species through the Snapper Check feature on the Outdoor AL app. “We call it the trifecta weekend for reef fish where you can catch all three species,” Bannon said. “If you plan to come to the Gulf Coast this weekend, the boat ramps will be congested, which is about the nicest word I can use. Bring your patience with you. “Also, this year, reef fish fishermen must have a venting tool or descending device to reduce the number of dead discards.” Bannon provided the Board with updates on recreational saltwater fishing license sales, red snapper and a much- improved oyster season. More than 140,000 recreational saltwater licenses were purchased for the current season. “A lot of people are visiting the Gulf, and a lot of people are moving there,” Bannon said. “The increase in license sales reflects that. The Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement ($10 license) was created three years ago. We sold 23,000 the first year and more than doubled to 56,000 the second year. That helps identify the anglers participating in offshore reef fish fishing and those funds go directly to enhancing and managing offshore reef fisheries.” Bannon also highlighted the recent work to expand Alabama’s already unparalleled artificial reef program. About 1,200 square miles off the coast of Alabama is designated artificial reef zones. The reef zones were increased about 115 square miles recently with the addition of the Christopher M. Blankenship Zone and additions to several nearshore reef zones. In the overall reef zone complex, MRD deployed 456 25-foot pyramid modules, 1,203 juvenile reef fish modules, 327 circalittoral (nearshore) modules and built four new inshore reefs. MRD has also spent more than $10 million in recent years on oyster restoration, including the planting of cultch material and starting a “mounds and furrows” project that provides the oysters some relief from low-oxygen areas on the bottom. “Oysters are not only important to catch and eat, I call them the foundational critters,” Bannon said. “In the estuaries, we need those oysters. They clean the water. They’re a sign of a healthy water system. They feed other species out there. Without oysters, the whole system is out of balance.” The success of these oyster restoration efforts is revealed in the number of sacks oyster catchers have produced in recent years. The harvest went from zero for the fall 2018 through spring 2019 season to 11,333 sacks the following year. In the fall 2020 through spring 2021 season, 22,070 sacks were brought to market. In the most recent season, 50,020 sacks were harvested. That translates into more than $4 million going into the pockets of the oyster harvesters. “With the grid system, we can close one 500-meter area at a time,” Bannon said. “Our original harvest estimate for 2022 was 22,000 sacks. We harvested more than 50,000 because we could keep the catchers moving to new areas, and that also keeps from overharvesting certain areas. They quickly figured out the benefit to them and the oyster reefs.” On the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) side, the Alabama Legislature passed legislation to create an enclosure gun deer season. It sets the hunting dates for those enclosures that opt into that season, which will be October 15 through January 6. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education recently announced that the nationally recognized, high-quality Alabama First Class Pre-K program will add 96 new classrooms in 35 counties this fall. This includes one at Geraldine Elementary and four in Marshall County: (1) Asbury Elementary, (2) Douglas Elementary (3) Boaz Elementary, (4) and Kingdom Kids at Church Connect. This is the first round of new classroom funding that will be released by the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. Additional classrooms will be funded based on further evaluation of high-needs areas prior to the commencement of the 2022-2023 school year. New classrooms will expand access to the state funded, voluntary pre-kindergarten program to 26,658 children in the 2022-2023 school year, with more than 1,481 classrooms statewide, moving closer to Alabama’s goal of serving 70 percent of eligible four-year-old children. Also, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) announced that Alabama First Class Pre-K has once again been rated as the nation’s highest quality state pre-kindergarten programs for the sixteenth consecutive year. “Alabama’s First Class Pre-K has once again been recognized as a national model for delivering high-quality early childhood education that gives our youngest citizens a strong start to their educational journey,” said Governor Ivey. “I am glad to see that even more students will have access to pre-K next year and look forward to the day that

The Board also voted to allow the use of turkey decoys during the special youth and disabled hunting dates. For 2023 in Zones 1 and 3, those dates are March 17 and 18 for youth and March 24 for disabled hunts. In Zone 2, the dates are March 25 and 26 and March 31. The Snead State Community College Alumni Association recently presented Dr. Joe and Susan Nolen Story with the 2022 Alumnus and Alumna of the Year awards. Alumnus & Alumna of the year New First Class Pre-K Classrooms Announced

all Alabama families who want pre-K for their children have access.” “We are excited to serve an additional 1,728 students in our First Class Pre-K program in the coming year,” said Dr. Barbara Cooper, secretary of Early Childhood Education. “We are thrilled that Governor Ivey and our state leaders continue to invest in early childhood education supporting Alabama First Class Pre-K in maintaining all 10 NIEER quality benchmarks for 16 years running.” Alabama leads the nation in ensuring pay parity while expanding program access. Alabama’s strong policies result in high-quality learning experiences and teaching. The NIEER State of Preschool Yearbook summarizes progress nationally and state profiling of interstate variation in state pre-K enrollment, spending, and 10 benchmarks that support quality. The 2021 NIEER State of Preschool annual report, based on 2020-2021 academic year >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12

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