Democrats, educators hold rally
Democrats in the Alabama legislature were joined by over 100 teachers, school support personnel and retirees in a rally held on the front steps of the Alabama State House in Montgomery on Tuesday (March 18) to promote public education and a cost-of-living pay increase for current and retired educators.
“State leaders in Montgomery have failed our educators and our public schools,”
Local dance conservatory to perform in Europe
By Laura Ann Brown Tipps/Staff Writer
On March 22, Linze Rickles McRae and 15 of her Downtown Dance Conservatory students will travel to Europe for a weeklong performance tour of London and France.
McRae is the artistic director of the conservatory located in downtown Gadsden, which she opened 10 years ago with the help of the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation.
The upcoming trip
Etowah County spelling bee winner claims state title
By Laura Ann Brown Tipps/Staff Writer
2014 Etowah County Spelling Bee winner Josh Kelley now holds the title of Alabama Spelling Bee champion.
On March 8, after 17 rounds of competition and spelling words like coiffure and oscitation, Kelley was declared the winner after correctly spelling Macedonian.
This summer, Kelley will travel to Washington, D.C. for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He is
Farewell to a hero: Col. Ola Lee Mize, 1931-2014
By Donna Thornton/News Editor
Family, friends and many who may not have known Col. Ola Lee Mize personally, but knew of the heroism that earned him the Medal of Honor, said goodbye to the Etowah County veteran on March 15.
Service was at Southside Baptist Church, with burial in Crestwood Cemetery, complete with an honor guard and helicopters flying over the cemetery
Girls Scouts to recognize local Women of Distinction
The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama is bringing back the Women of Distinction Luncheon to East Alabama on April 4, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Anniston City Meeting Center in Anniston. This luncheon will recognize 10 outstanding women representing Etowah, Taladega, Calhoun, Cleburne, Cherokee, Clay and Randolph counties.
The Women of Distinction program pays tribute to women who
Gov. Bentley meets, talks with local business owners
By Laura Ann Brown Tipps/Staff Writer
Last Friday, Gov. Robert Bentley visited Etowah County for a roundtable discussion of small business with Chamber of Commerce officials as part of Bentley’s Road to Economic Recovery Tour.
Representatives from a diverse group of small businesses in Etowah County met at the Gadsden Chamber of Commerce, where they expressed concerns and conversed candidly with Bentley.
Bentley
GSCC students to attend conference
Four students in the Gadsden State Community College Practical Nursing Program recently were chosen to attend a conference at the Lonnie E. Mitchell Behavioral Health Policy Academy in Atlanta, Ga.
Carissa Martin of Heflin, Samantha Blevins of Gadsden, Precious Jackson of Anniston, and Charlemaine Barger of Southside will be joined by Carl Byers, Jr., Valley Street HBCU campus director, and Kassie