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Event supports stand agains bullying

 By Donna Thornton/News Editor

Gadsden and Etowah County young people gathered Wednesday night for music and for a message about standing for the silent.

The Alabama Talent Company presented the Gadsden Challenge 2012 Anti-Bullying Concert to teach students about the effects of bullying and encourage them to support the other young people around them.

James M. Barrie Center Executive Director

Hardin Center programs grow, move

 By Donna Thornton/News Editor The Hardin Center is keeping the arts in motion, literally.  One program moved to a new home recently and another is moving back to the spot of its origin, with a great deal of expansion and improvement, at the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts. The Etowah Youth Orchestra began […]

Gadsden State, City of Gadsden deal nets property for soccer fields

Donna Thornton/News Editor

The Gadsden City Council approved an arrangement with Gadsden State Community College that will give the city access to more property near Dub Parker Park for needed soccer fields.

Mayor Sherman Guyton said getting assess to the 17 acres of property is part of an agreement that includes the city contributing $150,000 to Gadsden State’s Gateway project

Welch to join Peace Corps

 By Donna Thornton/News Editor

In a matter of days, Patrick Welch embarks on an adventure – 27 months in the Peace Corps, working in Nicaragua, to bring environmental education to schools and communities in the Central American country.

Welch, a Gadsden native educated in the city school system and a recent graduated from Birmingham-Southern College, leaves Sept.

Legislature’s Republicans failed people of Alabama

  As Republicans like to point out, for 136 years, Alabama voters continued to re-elect Democrats to represent them in Montgomery. During those 136, Alabama’s taxes were among the lowest in the nation, yet we still balanced the budget every year without gutting our schools, or the state’s Medicaid program. Even in the Great Depression and the economic stagnation of

 Along with several other adventurers from the Etowah Historical Society, the Vagabond recently traveled to Ashville to view all of the town’s historical landmarks. Here are some of the sites we visited:

Inzer House

The place known as the John W. Inzer home was built in 1852 by an early settler, Moses Dean. Dean and his wife, Eliza Hoke Dean, entered

Southside’s Hunter signs with Snead State

2012 Southside High School graduate Karlee Hunter recently signed a softball scholarship with Snead State Community College in Boaz.  

Karlee was six years old when she participated in rec league and travel/tournament softball.  Her school softball career began when she was in the 7th grade at Rainbow Middle School. 

During her freshman year after her junior varsity season

Area volleyball squads kicking off 2012 seasons

By Gene Stanley/Messenger Sports Correspondent

With the advent of high school volleyball season, balls started bouncing for real last Thursday,

While all remains the same for the start of the year, there are some real changes on the horizon for playoff-caliber squads.

Starting this season, the volleyball postseason will resemble that of softball, in that after the area tournaments,