County commission raises rates on cities housing inmates at Winston County Jail


WInston County Sheriff Caleb Snoddy, left, and Commission Chairman David Cummings go over figures related to housing inmates at the county jail, after the meeting, where a vote was taken to increase housing and food costs for municipalities providing inmates.
WINSTON COUNTY - Municipalities with inmates housed at the Winston County Jail will see a rise in costs for housing and food for those inmates.

Grant helping Camp McDowell Farm School continue to educate children


Executive Director Lauranne James, Operations Manager Vanessa King and Media Design Specialist Anna Morrison of Northwest Alabama RC&D, Economic Developer Dr. Nicole Wadsworth, Rep. Tim Wadsworth and Grants Administrator Mary Yancey and Farm School Program Coordinator Kelly Baker of Camp McDowell celebrate a grant that paid for a new tractor, on which Farm School Director Scotty Feltman is seated, along with students who came from Jackson, Miss., to attend Farm School.

NAUVOO - The Camp McDowell Farm School recently purchased a new tractor to replace one the camp has been using since at least 1987 using a $30,000 grant from the Alabama Association of Research, Conservation and Development Councils (AARCDC).

"We are funded by the state legislature," explained Mary Kendall Dixon, AARCDC's communications specialist. "There are nine local RC&D councils and our state office, so we split that money among all ten councils. To apply for a state grant, your project has to affect three or more council areas."

Winston County Rescue Squad celebrates one year of saving lives


Housed within the Arley Fire Department, the Winston County Rescue Squad is ready to roll 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to save lives.
ARLEY - On November 7, the Winston County Rescue Squad (WCRS) celebrated the one-year anniversary of the day it began serving the communities in the east of the county and beyond.

Wild Alabama art exhibit brings hemlock conservation into focus


Part of the “Saving Alabama’s Hemlocks” exhibit now at the Little Rock Building in Double Springs.
DOUBLE SPRINGS - A Wild Alabama art exhibit called “Conservation through Art: Saving Alabama's Hemlocks” opened at the Little Rock Building in Double Springs last week, and a number of related workshops and events are coming up.

Smith Lake cleanup this week


Volunteers drag trash they've collected from Smith Lake to a dumpster during a 2022 lake cleanup.
CRANE HILL - Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Inc. will hold its fall Renew Our Rivers cleanup of the lake and its shorelines with Alabama Power this week, and volunteers are needed. The cleanup will take place by boat on Thursday, Nov. 14, and Friday, Nov. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Winston County Christmas Festival’s debut planned for December 14


Members of the committee organizing Winston County's first Looney's Country Christmas Festival meet with J.D. Snoddy, president of the Winston County Arts Council, which owns the Looney's complex. Shown from left, Dawn Taliaferro, Snoddy, Karmel Campbell, Lori Fredell Patten and Tammy Shedd, seated.
LAKESHORE - The level of donations and countywide support will determine how grand of a scale Winston County’s inaugural Christmas Festival will be on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Addison business owners angry after sewer project stalls


Johnny and Sherry Porter have held up completing construction of a new business, after having laid the foundation, awaiting on a new sewer line to be installed at a row of businesses off HIghway 278 near the Texaco station in Addison.
ADDISON - A sewer line installation project - already delayed several months - has come to a grinding halt after the Addison Town Council voted at their Monday, Nov. 4, meeting to rescind a resolution for the project and reject all bids.