Franklin County Times - January 17, 2024

Page 1

Winter precautions. See page A4.

Cottons for Christmas. See page A4.

Business Spotlight: Pilgrim’s. See page A8.

50¢ | Vol. 144, No. 3

Hometown Newspaper of Bob Rogers — Est. 1879 | Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Free job training available to qualifying Alabamians

Elect

Jason

Miller PROBATE JUDGE

Pd.Pol.Adv.by Jason Miller, 605 Elm Circle, Russellville, AL 35653

Russellville, Phil Campbell offer warming options during cold spell By Staff Reports

Russellville In Russellville, the police department lobby is open 24 hours a day. Those needing to warm up during this cold spell are invited to stop by. The Park and Recreation Department opened the Old Canteen next to the A.W. Todd Centre on Washington Ave. as a warming station starting on Monday morning at 8 a.m. This location was available for overnight stay Monday night. The situation was set to be reevaluated during the day Tuesday as to how long it would remain open. For questions, contact the Russellville Police Department at 256-3322230.

Phil Campbell The Phil Campbell Community Center on College Rd. opened beginning on Sunday at 7 p.m. and is set to remain open until Wednesday at 7 p.m. The situation will be reassessed at that time, and a decision will be made to stay open longer if needed. No pets, and no smoking or vaping. Patrol units will check in. Those who know of anyone that cannot make it to the community center and are in need of blankets are requested to let the Phil Campbell Police Department know. They can be contacted by phone at 205-993-5313.

Index

Records ........................ A3 Opinion ........................ A4 Kids ............................... A5 Worship ........................ A6 Sports ........................... B1 Classifieds ................... B4 Akins Funeral Home Our family has been serving Franklin County since 1949.

Offering compassionate service and advice during the most difficult of times. Staff is always available, 24/7 13455 Hwy. 43 – Russellville, Alabama

256-332-1131

Franklin County winter weather brings sleet, ice, freezing rain By María Camp maria.camp@ franklincountytimes.com With uncharacteristically low temperatures along with sleet, ice and freezing rain, it’s not just time to bundle up and stay warm but also time to stay put as much as possible. The Franklin County Emergency Management Agency, effective Jan. 15 at 11 a.m., posted a public notice of an “impassable travel advisory” explaining all county roads and bridges should be considered impassable “until

further notice,” advising all travel be suspended or delayed, explaining only emergency vehicles should travel on county roads and bridges “until further notice.” In light of the situation, Russellville and Phil Campbell have made warming station options available for those who need it. The Russellville Police Department has been patrolling the roads to gauge potential dangers and posting reports on their Facebook page. See page A4 for information about protecting the “four p’s.”

College Counts scholarship program applications open through Feb. 29 By Staff Reports CollegeCounts, Alabama’s 529 college savings fund — offers awards of $4,000 for four-year college enrollees and $2,000 for twoyear college enrollees in scholarships to eligible recipients pursuing higher education at institutions in Alabama. The CollegeCounts Scholarship online application is available now through Feb. 29 at treasury.alabama. gov/Colle geCountsScholarship. To be eligible, applicants must be high school seniors or first-time college freshmen planning to enroll in an Alabama eligible educational institution in fall 2024. They must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 with an ACT score of 26 or below and demonstrate financial need. In addition, scholarships are awarded equitably across the state with at least two awards per county depending on applications.

CONTRIBUTED CollegeCounts scholarship program applications are open. These scholarships must be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for course load, including

computers. Funds can also be applied to oncampus room and board expenses or off-campus housing if enrolled at

least half-time and billed through the school. “Since 2013, we have been pleased to award $10.5 million to more than 3,000 Alabama students going to Alabama colleges,” explained Alabama’s state treasurer, Young Boozer. “We encourage school counselors and financial aid officers to let students know about this scholarship program. CollegeCounts is investing in Alabama’s students, and we hope they will invest in our state’s future.” To learn more about the CollegeCounts Scholarship and eligibility requirements, visit the website. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CST on Feb. 29. Award recipients will be notified via email by the end of April. For more information about CollegeCounts, Alabama’s 529 Fund and how to open an account, visit CollegeCounts529. com. No taxpayer funds are used for this scholarship program.

By Staff Reports

Alabama has won a $4.4 million federal grant to help more of the unemployed in North Alabama gain free jobs skills training. Individuals can sign up for free job skills training by visiting career centers located throughout North Alabama or by visiting https://wioa-alabama.org/ self-service/. Alabamians can register for the free job skills classes or enter employer based onthe-job training. To find a nearby career center, visit alabamaworks.alabama. gov. The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) funds are designed to help Alabamians living in the following counties: Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston counties. The federal funds are administered at the state level by the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Workforce Development Division. Alabama’s Career Centers are managed by the Alabama Department of Labor.

Ivey issues proclamation designating state of emergency By María Camp maria.camp@ franklincountytimes.com

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a proclamation Jan. 14 designating a state of emergency to exist, as of 2 p.m., for Franklin County, Lauderdale County and Colbert County, as well as Lawrence, Marion, Lamar, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Jackson, Jefferson, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Pickens, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston Counties. The proclamation addressed the activation of the Alabama Emergency Operations Plan, including direction pertaining to activation of the Alabama National Guard and other state agencies, as well as measures to avoid price gouging and considerations regarding actual expense reimbursement and other matters.


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Franklin County Times - January 17, 2024 by Franklin County - Issuu