City to host “community listening session” today
By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – Madison city leaders are inviting residents to attend the next Madison City Council work session scheduled today (June 26) at City Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m. for a community listening session.
According to the city’s communication director, Samantha Magnuson, the listening session will facilitate discussion with council representatives and their constituents in regards to the fiscal year 2025 city budget and prioritizing
funds for impactful projects.
“After hosting the spring Citizen’s Awareness Academy session, we heard from engaged citizens that they want to be more involved in the budget process. This listening session is a great way to hear from our residents about where they would like to see their dollars make a difference,” Madison Mayor Paul Finley stated.
Madison residents will be given two minutes each to address the council and provide input on where revenues should be spent in the city of Madison.
“Work sessions are not generally open to public comments, however, the listening session provides transparency and an additional avenue for residents to voice their opinions,” Magnuson added.
“We view this as an opportunity to follow our mission statement by providing excellent services through the responsible use of public resources, enhancing the quality of life for our community,” Finley said.
The listening session will be held in the council chambers at Madison City Hall, 100 Hughes Road.
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – The Madison Board of Education recently confirmed Madison Elementary School principal Jamie Golliver as Security and Emergency Management Coordinator for Madison City Schools.
By accepting the new position, Golliver fills the open slot left from the retirement of Dr. David West, who has accepted a job in Fayetteville, Tenn.
“I am excited to continue to serve Madison City Schools in my new role as Coordinator of Security & Emergency Management for the district,” Golliver said. “These areas have always been top priorities for me as an educator, and I look forward to working with our MCS administrators, school resource officers, teachers, staff and stakeholders to collaboratively and proactively ensure their enhancement and prioritization.”
Duties and responsibilities for this position include evaluating, planning, coordinating and implementing security and emergency management measures throughout the district. In addition, Golliver will partner with agencies and officials in support of those measures.
“My career in education has spanned a total of 28 years, all in Madison,” Golliver said. For 16 years, he taught at Bob Jones High School and Liberty Middle School. Then at Liberty, he served as Assistant Principal for six years. That experience led to his work as Principal at Madison Elementary School for the past six years.
Golliver graduated from the University of North Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 1990. He received a master’s degree in
Limestone County rejects proposed tax for North Alabama zoo
By ERICA SMITH The Decatur Daily
ATHENS — The Limestone County Commission last week responded to a request from the North Alabama Zoological Society to tax county citizens 3% on their electric bills by passing a resolution rejecting the idea that they would impose a tax to build or operate a zoo.
“We’ve been getting a whole lot of calls, emails, texts about not wanting this tax. I mean
“Their first proposed site is in Huntsville, and they want the people of Limestone County to pay for it...They’ve raised $65,000 on a $65 million project, phase one, and they’ve never built a zoo before. If we get a bond, it’s for buildings or roads, not to build a zoo.”
- District 3 Commissioner Derrick
a lot,” said Limestone County District 4 Commissioner LaDon Townsend. “I can’t even put a number on how many emails and text messages and people in the community who have talked to me. And that’s every one of us. So, we thought, let’s just put this on here and kind of give a little ease to the community to
let them know that, hey, right now we’re not supporting this.” The North Alabama Zoological Society’s (NALZS) proposal was to have the Limestone County Commission obtain a $65 million bond to cover the first phase of building their zoo. NALZS suggested a countywide vote to add a 3% monthly charge on citizens’ electric bills. Athens Utilities also provides services to Madison residents in Limestone County.
Gatlin
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! - The skies lit up over the Redstone Arsenal last weekend to celebrate the 249th birthday of the U.S. Army. A celebration was held at the Redstone Gateway near Madison on June 15. The celebration included a cake cutting ceremony, cruise-in car show, kids play zone, craft/market vendors, food trucks, entertainment and fireworks show. More fireworks are planned to celebrate America’s Independence Day. Local events to celebrate the 4th begin this week and continue through the holiday. See pages 2A and 7A for details. See more photos from the birthday celebration on page 5B. Photo by Cristie Clark of Captured by Cristie Media Co. (cbcmediaco.com).
- Friday, or email news@ themadisonrecord.com.
He
confirm that all students have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. His wife Diana Golliver teaches second grade at Midtown Elementary School. The Gollivers are parents of two adult daughters, Jocelyn and Anna Belle. Jocelyn, a Registered Nurse, works at Shoals Hospital; her husband, Seth, teaches eighth-
Bridge girders are
Nighttime I-565 Exit 10 detours to continue
By STAFF REPORTS
MADISON - The next series of bridge girders for the Town Madison Interchange on I-565 will be installed on multiple nights during the next three weeks.
According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, contractors will place the final girders for the westbound off-
Zoo
Continued from page 1A
At last Monday’s commission meeting, the first item of business on the agenda was to “approve a resolution opposing the use of taxes or fees imposed on the public to pay for construction or operation of a privately owned zoo.”
The resolution passed unanimously.
Townsend said NALZS, a Huntsville-based nonprofit, is a private company that needs to find a different source for the money.
“They need to either fundraise for the money or go get a loan or do whatever they need to do,” he said. “We just don’t want to put this on the taxpayers. I’m definitely against raising taxes on anything. Especially right now; everybody’s struggling. Groceries are high, gas is high, everything’s high. They can’t afford anything else. It’s hard times right now.”
NALZS Executive Director Ethan Woodruff, who did not attend the meeting, said later that under his proposal the zoo would be publicly owned and would serve the public.
“It would be a public zoo and that would be why you would use public funding to do it,” he said. “That was part of the proposal that the zoo would be done through a public/private partnership with Limestone County. And as such, technically, the county would own the zoo.”
NALZS was created in 2020, which is when they announced their plans to build a zoo near Buc-ee’s in Limestone County. It would be in between Decatur and Athens and along Interstate 65. Woodruff said the animals they plan to have will be along the lines of what can be seen at the Birmingham and Nashville zoos.
Woodruff said they plan for the zoo to be on 250 to 300 acres, and he estimates the total cost will be $1 million per acre. He said there will be five phases.
“The $65 million will help us purchase the site,” he said. “Roughly $35 million for the construction of the first phase of the zoo, and some money to help with initial operating cost, and getting the animals here.”
When the proposed zoo was announced in 2021, the second phase of the project would be the creation of a 200-acre location along Limestone Creek in Madison that “will focus on sustainable farming research for humans and animals,” NALZS stated at the time. Agricultural products from the site would be used to feed zoo animals and to supply restaurants at the zoo.
District 1 Commissioner Daryl Sammet said in the meeting that the resolution is one all commissioners should support.
“Shows that we’re not going to tax the people of Limestone County for a zoo. If anything, it’d be for infrastructure, but we’re not even looking at that,” he said in the meeting. “This is to plainly show that we are not in support of a tax.”
Woodruff said he would have appreciated some notice before the resolution came before the commission.
“It would have been nice to get a heads
ramp and begin setting girders on the west-bound on-ramp.
“The eastbound roadway will be closed for the safety of the public while the girders — massive steel beams to support the future bridge decks of the Exit 10 ramps — are hoisted into place by crane,” an advisory issued Monday stated. “Weather permitting, all eastbound traffic will be
See I-565 Page 8A
guess I’m sorry about, but it’s not unexpected,” he said. “That’s not going to stop us from moving forward with talking to the public and educating them.”
District 3 Commissioner Derrick Gatlin said he wanted the resolution on the agenda because there has been a misconception among citizens.
“A lot of people think we’re pushing that, and we’re not,” he said. “It’s something the zoo people are pushing.”
Woodruff said NALZS has been asking Limestone County residents whether they are in favor of the 3% electric tax to build the zoo’s first phase.
“We’ve done a few little surveys and polls, and the support looks very good,” he said. “It is actually slightly better to being in favor.”
Commission Chairman Collin Daly said they put the resolution on the agenda because so many citizens are opposed to the tax.
“The commission body came to me and asked me several times, could we do something like this,” he said. “The impression is that the county is going to put a 3% utility tax. … They want the county to administrate the funds. We don’t have the manpower to administrate funds.”
County citizens want to vote on the tax, Woodruff said.
“The thing that people are getting a little bit frustrated with is that the County Commission and some of the legislative delegation are preventing them from being able to vote on it,” he said. “Even people who want to vote no on it want to vote on it.”
District 2 Commissioner Danny Barksdale said he wanted the resolution on the agenda because of public outcry.
“I’ve probably had 50 calls on that opposed to using tax money for a zoo,” he said.
“I’m personally opposed to it. I wouldn’t tie that utility tax up with a zoo when there may be some infrastructure needs for the county. … I just put priorities on other things higher than a zoo.”
Gatlin said one reason he is opposed to the zoo is because of the location they were considering.
“Their first proposed site is in Huntsville, and they want the people of Limestone County to pay for it … The city of Huntsville is putting no money into it, is my understanding,” he said. “They’ve raised $65,000 on a $65 million project, phase one, and they’ve never built a zoo before. … If we get a bond, it’s for buildings or roads, not to build a zoo.”
Woodruff said they do not know exactly where the zoo would be located, except that it would be in Limestone County.
“The land we had initially gone after, yes, is in Huntsville,” he said. “But at this point we’re not putting our finger on any specific property until we have funds to buy the land. … There’s land out there that’s annexed by Athens, there’s land out there that’s annexed by Huntsville, there’s land out there annexed by Decatur. All are potential places, but there’s plenty of land that’s not annexed by anybody yet.”
Daly said the commission is not op-
SCHOOLS
James Clemens High School honors Michelle Hyams as ‘Teacher of the Year’
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – Michelle Hyams, Career Coach at James Clemens High School, believes in setting high expectations...but helping students reach that full potential. Hyams is “Teacher of the Year” at James Clemens.
“I’m a firm believer all students will perform to the level of expectation they’re given,” Hyams said.
Her teaching career started in 1993 for special education at B.L. Moor School in Crawford, Miss. Her assignments have included Walhalla Middle School, Walhalla, S.C.; Clemson University; Anderson and Greenville, S.C.; Starkville and Oktibbeha County, Miss.; Mississippi State University or MSU; and Chattanooga Christian School.
During 2014-2022 for Madison City Schools, Hyams worked as job coach, homebound teacher and special education teacher.
In 2018, Hyams founded Alabama’s first highschool chapter of Best Buddies. “We opened chapters in all our high schools, middle schools and elementary schools,” she said. “This past year, we transitioned to Madison City Friends to better suit students’ needs.”
In 2023, she accepted the position of Career Coach at James Clemens. “It’s my responsibility to help James Clemens students know their strengths and how to pursue a career (with) happiness and suc-
cess.”
Hyams has enjoyed working with students in classrooms and one-onone sessions with career interest inventories, skills matchers and values assessments. “The ability to develop community partnerships has been extremely valuable with many diverse companies (that allowed students) to job shadow, intern, participate in co-op and gain employment,” Hyams said.
Hyams and other teachers worked to open all pathways in Career Tech Education or CTE to students.
In a new venture, MCS seniors in all CTE paths can interview for the Madison Hospital Ambassadors, “an immersive, leadership-based program . . . with immense potential to develop connections with senior staff and discover career pathways in a community hospital environment.”
“Mentorship is crucial to success. The program is built upon three fundamental pillars: intentional leadership, career pathways and relationship development,” Hyams said.
A native of Pearl, Miss., Hyams was heavily involved with music groups at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Majoring in country/commercial music, she participated in Campus Country, Northeast Jazz Band, chorus as soloist and as lead actress in “The Sound of Music.”
At MSU, Hyams earned a bachelor’s degree in spe-
World Records
Six sisters from Missouri, USA, have been verified to have the highest combined age of six living siblings. The Overall sisters range in age from 88 to 101, combining for a total of 571 years 293 days and counting. The oldest, Norma, now lives in Ohio, while the other five –Lorene, Maxine,
and Elma – still reside in Missouri.
Science Fair
Sahishnu Saha encourages peers to enter science fairs for valuable experience
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – With a stellar record at in-school, regional and state science exhibitions, Sahishnu Saha encourages fellow students to enter science fairs and boost their preparation-for-college credentials.
“I was inspired to participate in science fairs from fifth grade when I won an award from the U.S. Army,” Sahishnu said. “Very few students from public schools participate in science fairs. For example, only three students out of 2,000-plus participated from James Clemens this year.”
Sahishnu, a junior at James Clemens High School, hopes to motivate more students to join the experience.
At the North Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair or NARSEF on March 6, Sahishnu was Overall Winner in the Senior Division. He was also the Overall Winner in that division at the 2023 NARSEF.
“The U.S Army presents this award to one student at the fair every year,” Sahishnu said. “The award carries with it a medal and a certificate.”
Sahishnu’s project in 2024 was entitled, “To Identify a Multi-Gene Biomarker Based on Most Frequently Occurring Genetic Mutations Across Cancers Through Bioinformatics and Verify its Efficacy to Detect a Wide Range of Cancers Using Statistical Analysis.”
In addition, he was awarded first place at 2024 NARSEF in the Bio-
medical Engineering & Biomedical and Health Sciences category, along with a Certificate of Excellence from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
In the same category, Sahishnu claimed second place at the 2024 Alabama Science and Engineering Fair or ASEF, the state-level competition, on April 13 at Auburn University. He ranked in second place in Category 800: Biomedical Engineering & Biomedical and Health Sciences.
Sahishnu’s project from tenth grade was “Predicting Cancer and Determining the Course of Treatment using Gene Expression Models.” He won third place at the 2023 NARSEF in the category “Medicine, Health and Translational Medical Sciences” in addition to winning Overall Winner in Senior Division.
At 2022 ASEF, he was first-place winner in ninth grade in the category, “Medicine, Health and Translational Medical Sciences,” for his project “Identification and Classification of Brain Tumors from MRI Images Using Amazon Rekognition (or cloud-based image and video analysis; Machine Learning).”
At 2021 ASEF in eighth grade, he was also first in the category, “Physics and Astronomy,” for his project “Machine Learning to Identify Near Earth Objects (NEOs).” For this project, he and Arian Phillips from Liberty Middle School were nominated to the Broadcom Masters 2021. Sahishnu subsequently won and placed in the Broadcom Masters Top 300 in September 2021. For this project, he also was awarded Certificate of Outstanding Achievement by the
Missile Defense Agency and Naval Science Award by The Office of Naval Research.
In sixth grade, Sahishnu won a special award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE at 2019 NARSEF for his project, “Harnessing Wind Power to Generate Electricity - Design and Analysis.”
In fifth grade, he won a Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Project in the Junior Division by the U.S. Army for his project, “Rheostat: Resistance in Metallic Conductors” at 2018 NARSEF. This award inspired him to participate in science fairs every year since then.
Saha and Connie Guo, also from James Clemens, were selected as finalists and were invited to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair or ISEF in Los Angeles, Calif. on May 11-17. For the first time, James Clemens students were nominated to the international fair from the 2024 North Alabama fair. “Typically, only two students are nominated to ISEF from NARSEF, but this time it was three students, and two were from James Clemens,” Saha said. Along with Guo and Saha, Gabe Gordon from Life Christian Academy was invited.
Kathryn Weir, a National Board Certified Teacher who teaches biomedical science/forensics, sponsors the science fair at James Clemens. Sahishnu is interested in pursuing a career in biosciences. His father, Subhra Saha, is an Engineering Manager at Adtran Inc.
Doris, Margaret
Michelle Hyams has been chosen as 2024 “Teacher of the Year” at James Clemens High School.
Sahishnu Saha, a student at James Clemens, knows the importance of outside-classroom ventures because of his outstanding record at science fairs. He encourages fellow students to consider entering these competitions.
seen.”
Liberty student wins first place globally in military art contest
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – An eighth-grader at Liberty Middle School has won first place for her age group in an art contest. Military Child Education Coalition sponsors the global contest.
Annabelle J. was judged as firstplace artist for grades 6-8 in the “Call for the Arts” contest.
Since 2002, thousands of military-connected children have shared their experiences, dreams and challenges through art. Ac-
Annabelle J.
cording to contest officials, the coalition’s 2024 contest was a resounding success. The contest generated entries from around the world. The contestants’ work inspired officials with the expressions of strength and community.
Annabelle’s family is associated with the U.S. Army. “As a military brat, I’ve moved to many places,
and I have met tons of interesting people. I remember the scenic views and snowy winters of New York, the beautiful sunsets and dry climate of Texas, Route 66 in Oklahoma, the wheat fields in Kansas and the nature of Alabama,” Annabelle said.
“I see all of these places as my home, and I’m thankful for the people I’ve met, and the places I’ve seen,” Annabelle said.
To commemorate scenes and locations where her family has lived, Annabelle entitled her design, “Invisible Strings.” For her unique cre-
See CONTEST Page 8A
A fruity sprinkle surprise for any fun bash
By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – At the next party you’re hosting, try this delightful Fruity Sprinkles Smoothie that fits the theme for nearly any colorful bash.
It’s made with frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries and frozen mango for a healthier alternative to sugar-filled birthday cake. Topped with fluffy, fun whipped cream and mini sprinkles, it still provides a sweet, festive treat. Plus, this smoothie can be made in a matter of minutes using only one kitchen appliance for easy clean up.
To make it, blend frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, frozen mango, milk and yogurt until well combined. Pour the mixture into four smoothie glasses and garnish each with whipped cream and sprinkles to add some extra color.
It’s that easy to make and even better to enjoy while watching your kid make wonderful memories with friends and family. Find more fun celebration recipes at Culinary. net.
If you made this recipe at home, use #MyCulinaryConnection on your favorite social network to
See RECIPE Page 8A
You are my sunshine
By BRUCE WALKER Columnist
Karen and Ed live in the mountains of North Alabama; he works at the Toyota engine factory in Huntsville. Karen is a nurse taking a pregnancy leave from the hospital.
As any mother would, she was preparing her 3-year-old son for a sister that was on the way. Every night, it became a ritual, before tucking Michael in, talking to her unborn child, and encouraging Michael to do the same. She would read “Goodnight Mr. Moon” to them, then have their goodnight prayer.
She would kiss him, and Michael would lean over and kiss her round stomach and sing, “You are my Sunshine,” then tell his sister good night, and he loved her. You could see a tight bond was already forming.
The pregnancy was nearing its term, after prayers, Karen left Michael’s bed, and as she stepped into the hallway she collapsed, as a searing pain tore through her stomach. Calling for her husband, Earl, he rushed into the hallway and cradled her head, picked her up, and got Michael out of bed. With 4-ways flashing, he began the harrowing journey to Huntsville, 45 minutes away.
Earl alerted the emergency room he was on his way, he had never been much to pray but tonight he needed a miracle, as he navigated the highway at high speed, he asked God to protect his family and glanced over at Michael who was leaning up against his mother.
An ambulance met them halfway to Huntsville and Earl and Michael followed behind. Reaching the hospital, a crew was waiting at the entrance, rushing Karen into the examination room, Earl and Michael waited, finally the doctor came and explained the mother was doing fine but there were complications in the delivery of the baby. The best thing to do is to go home
and come back in the morning.
Earl asked his parents to keep Michael while he returned to the hospital. When he arrived, instead of joy over the birth of their little girl, there was sadness and resignation from what the doctor told them. “The umbilical cord had wrapped tightly around her neck and deprived her brain of oxygen, if she even survives there will be profound limitations to her life.”
The next day, Karen and Earl hugged each other as they began an aroundthe-clock vigil outside the NICU. Day after day they continued, one or the other would leave just long enough to get fresh clothes and check on Michael.,
Whenever Earl or Karen would walk into the nursery they had decorated for their little girl, pangs of grief would just intensify, it was hard to pray or have hope. Instead of planning a welcome home party, they were planning a funeral.
Every time one of them would come home Michael would ask plaintively when he could see his little sister, he wanted to sing to her and give her the picture he had drawn for her, a big bright yellow sun. Each time one of them would make an excuse why he couldn’t see his sister; not knowing how to tell him she was slowly losing her battle with life.
At the beginning of week two, the doctor said she only had a few days, Karen and Earl decided today was the day to bring Michael to see his baby sister.
Hospital protocols, or not, with the help of a kind-hearted tech, with oversized scrubs on and a bright yellow mask, Karen snuck Michael in. Immediately he walked up to her bed and before they could grab him, he put his little hand through the rail and with the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old began to sing, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are blue”. Michael continued to sing, and his mom and
Annabelle J. won for her artwork “Invisible Strings”. “As a military brat, I’ve moved to many placed, and I’ve met tons of interesting people. I remember the scenic views and snowy winters of New York, the beautiful sunsets and dry climate of Texas, Route 66 in Oklahoma, the wheat fields in Kansas, and the nature of Alabama. I see all of these places as my home, and I’m thankful for the people I’ve met, and the places I’ve
chestra and Chancel Choir for
of
Gratitude,
Remembrance. Invite a service member or veteran to honor, and join in uplifting moments of joy and meaningful contemplation as you hear selections form patriotic hymns and classic favorites such as America the Beautiful, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and the Armed Forces Salute. To learn more about being part of a music group for all ages and skill levels at Asbury, visit weareasbury.com/music.
Independence Day Celebration & Firework Spectacular!
July 4 • Gates open at 5 p.m. • Toyota Field in Madison
The Rocket City Trash Pandas will host their annual Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Spectacular during the Trash Pandas vs. Birmingham Barons game on July 4 at Toyota Field in Madison. For more information, go to www.trashpanadsbaseball.com.
Independence Celebration at MidCity • June 30, July 4 and 6 MidCity District, 5901 University Drive • www.midcitydistrict.com
Join MidCity District for the annual Independence Day Celebration! The 2024 MidCity fireworks show is on Thursday, July 4 accompanied with live music by Madison City Orchestra. It all starts Sunday, June 30 with The Market at MidCity and the Watermelon Carving Contest. Come back on Thursday, July 4th for music at The Camp and 20 minutes of spectacular fireworks with the Madison City Orchestra. On Saturday, July 6, The Camp is hosting a Mullet and Mustache Contest. Find MidCity District on Facebook or go to www.midcitydistrict.com for times. Parking is free.
Ditto Landing’s Independence Day Celebration June 29 • starting at 5 p.m. www.dittolanding.org
The Ditto Landing Independence Day Celebration will be held June 29. Located in south Huntsville, the celebration is one of the best of the year with live music, food trucks and fireworks -- all along the scenic Tennessee River. Gates open at 5 p.m. It is a free event.
Summer concert series
GLOBAL RHYTHM & BLOOMS is an enriching event series dedicated to celebrating the vibrant tapestry of cultures from Huntsville’s international communities that make this city so special. Through a series of engaging and immersive experiences, attendees will have the opportunity to appreciate and learn about diverse cultural traditions and contemporary expressions through music, dance, food, and drink. The event series will take place in the Cedar Glade. Join this enriching cultural journey every Thursday under the Cedar Glade canopy at Huntsville Botanical Garden.
CONCERTS IN THE PARK - A Huntsville summer tradition, Arts Huntsville and Huntsville Parks & Recreation’s Concerts in the Park is held every Monday evening starting at 6:30 p.m. at Big Spring Park in downtown Huntsville. The free series showcases local music talent in a mix of genres. It is held behind the Huntsville Museum of Art. The upcoming schedule includes: July 1 - The Nerve / O’Rian, July 8 - The Ricky J Taylor Combo / 3Way Handshake Band, July 15 - Jimmy Henderson Trio / J-Class Band, July 22 - Groupo 100F / Emily Joseph Band, and July 29 - Remy Neal / Charles and Tanya Harris. Go to artshuntsville.org for more information.
Contractors will complete installation of girders for the westbound I-565 Exit 10 off-ramp and begin installing girders for the westbound on-ramp during the next three weeks.
detoured between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. nightly Sunday through Thursday each of the next three weeks.
However, no closures will take place on July 3-4.”
This series of closure is anticipated to end July 11.
The detour for eastbound traffic will be Wall Triana Highway from Exit 9 to Madison Boulevard to Exit 13.
Hyams Continued from page 4A
cial education. At Clemson University, she received a master’s degree in education/emphasis in ‘school to work.’ Her husband, Dr. Daniel Hyams, works as a lead engineer at a Huntsville defense contractor. They met and married at MSU. Their children are Bob Jones graduates. Nate, an MSU graduate, studied biomedical engineering; he’s in the fourth year of a doctoral program at Clemson University. Nate received the National Institutes of Health Fellowship with funding until doctorate completion.
Their son Sam graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in computer science and statistics. In 2025, he will receive a master’s degree in statistics at MSU. Daughter Adrienne will graduate from University of Alabama in December with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She will serve in the U.S. Navy as a medical officer.
Growing up, Michelle was passionate about singing. She sang in six languages and majored in country music. “I had a full ride in college. While at MSU my senior year,
I performed a senior recital as a non-music major.”
Michelle is “known as the lady that will bring you a meal and drop a chocolate-chip pecan pie at your door anytime you need it. I love serving at House of the Harvest (her nickname is ‘Hot Chocolate Lady’).” When traveling, Michelle learns about new cuisines.
Avid travelers, Daniel and Michelle study a destination’s history. “My husband is an amazing planner. I’m always excited for any new adventure that he plans, usually involving a cooking class.”
assisting with traffic control.
The above closure and detour dates may be subject to change but will remain limited to late night/ early morning hours on weeknights, when traffic volume is lowest, to minimize travel impacts.
Signal timings on Madison Boulevard have been modified to accommodate the detour, and Madison Police Department will be
Motorists can visit ALGOtraffic.com or download the ALGO Traffic app for real-time traffic and road condition information and to subscribe to personalized traveler alerts. I-565 Continued from page 3A
dad, with tears running down their faces, joined in a quiet joyous little serenade. As they sang, Karen noticed that the heart monitor, which had been erratic began to stabilize and the EEG screen which measures brain activity, began to come to life! Karen turned to Michael and said, “keep singing sweetheart, keep singing!”
By then, a NICU nurse came in to tell them they had to get the child out of there. When the nurse looked at the monitors she gasped, and said to the child, “Honey, keep singing.” The struggling breath of the infant
ation, Annabelle placed a cutout of the states where she has lived: New York, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Alabama.
A heart on each state represents her family’s city of residence. She connected each state by pieces of string to a larger heart in the design’s center. Knowing that her family has fond memories of those cities, anyone viewing Annabelle’s art could see the connecting threads as ‘heartstrings.’
The Military Child Education Coalition conducts the Call for the Arts contest annually. Contest
became as smooth as a kitten’s purr.
The attending Doctor examined the baby from head to toe, all vitals were normal. Karen, Earl, and little Michael all were giving thanks to God for this miracle. The doctor told them, “If indeed the little girl survives, she will be severely brain damaged.”
Before they left the room, Michael insisted that his drawing of the sun is taped above her bed and that her name is Sunshine. Several days later, they took little Sunshine home. Every week, for six months, Sunshine came back for a check up
officials encourage military-connected students to create artwork that symbolizes the lifestyle of a military-connected child. (militarychild.org)
Madison has approximately 3,000 students in military-connected families that attend Madison City Schools. The school district works diligently to support military families and to address transitional challenges through the efforts of students, teachers, counselors, school administrators and the Department of Defense Education Activity or DoDEA grant administrator.
Madison THE RECORD
share your work.
Fruity Sprinkles Smoothie Servings: 4
and she progressed at a miraculous pace. The medical staff called her a modern medical miracle. Sunshine’s family called her a Miracle of God’s Love. Every time her name was spoken, it testified to her brother’s love.
Never give up on those you love.
Love is so incredibly powerful (Ask Jesus if you don’t think so). I know I am here 70 years later because my mother wouldn’t give up on me! Well, some would say, “What if I pray and it doesn’t happen,” Yeah but what if it does!!!! Pray on!
Federal Impact Aid has generated approximately $4 million to MCS in the past 10 years. Additionally, the district has acquired more than $12 million in DoDEA grant funds, which support military-connected programs.
(madisoncity.k12.al.us)
The coalition, a 501(c)3 global nonprofit organization, supports all military-connected children by educating, advocating and collaborating to resolve education challenges associated with military life.
For more information, visit militarychild.org or Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
whipped cream sprinkles In blender, blend blueberries, strawberries, mango, milk and yogurt until combined. Pour smoothie into four glasses. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkles.
The 2023-2024 school year was a banner session for local athletes receiving scholarships
By BOB LABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON - The recent completed school year was another banner session for local student-athletes from the four local high schools who many times worked through adversity and achieved enormous success both in competitions and the classrooms. The elite members of the athletic program at each of the schools have many times put forth a lifetime of efforts to earn their way to obtaining an athletic and/or academic scholarship and advancing their education while participating in athletics for the school of their choice.
Douthitt is a former Bob Jones Patriot, and just finished her sophomore year at UAH
By STAFF REPORTS
HUNTSVILLE - UAH softball
sophomore and former Bob Jones standout Alexa Douthitt has been named a College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-America honoree.
Douthitt becomes the 33rd CSC Academic All-American in department history and the sixth in UAH softball program history. She is also the first UAH softball player to earn the distinction since Jenny Hess in 2007.
The 2023-2024 school year was filled with outstanding award-winning efforts including Braden Booth of Bob Jones being named Mr. Baseball by the Alabama Sports Writers Association and signed to play baseball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Madison Academy football player Reese Baker took his talents to Tulane University where the huge offensive lineman is expected to excel. Auburn University picked up two outstanding young men from James Clemens as Luke Davenport signed with the Tigers to play baseball and Cade McComb, a two-sport athlete, signed with the Tigers’ swimming program. Sparkman High athletes earned $2,435,500 in academic and athletic scholarships and included athletes in a bevy of sports including cheerleading with Madison Fletcher signing with UAB.
Bob Jones
At Bob Jones, Braden Booth has left a legacy that will be hard to top after being named Mr. Baseball, the first in the
A native of Madison, Douthitt was named an NFCA Second Team All-American after leading the Chargers offense with a .439 batting average, 12 doubles, 14 home runs, and 60 RBI in the 2024 campaign. The sophomore garnered Gulf South Conference Co-Player of the Year as well, boasting a .430 average to go along with seven doubles and 11 homers in conference play.
Douthitt appeared in all 58 games for the Chargers this season, while carrying a 4.0 cumulative GPA as a management major following the conclusion of her sophomore year. She is one of 15 of the 33 CSC Academic All-America Division II softball honorees to own a perfect 4.0 GPA.
UAH wrapped up the season with a 40-18 overall record that included a 22-8 GSC record, as the program also earned its 21st consecutive berth to the NCAA tournament.
The Division II Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist the College Sports Communicators with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Division II Academic All-America program.
Bob Jones sensational track star Jordan Urrutia committed early and stuck with his choice by signing with Ole Miss of the Southeastern Conference.
Sparkman had several good basketball players in the recent school year one of which was Abethany James who signed a scholarship with Shelton State Community College.
James Clemens track athlete Ben Thomason had an outstanding career with the Jets and looks to continue his quest to be the best after signing with Samford University.
Bob Jones’ Jolissa Coe signs with Alabama
By BOB LABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON - After a record-setting senior season that led to numerous offers from several colleges, Jolissa Coe has decided to remain close to home and continue her track and field career at the University of Alabama.
Famil
Jolissa, known by her coaches and friends as JoJo, is a 2024 graduate of Bob Jones High School, where she excelled in track and field. JoJo began competing in track and field as a ninth grader. During her first two years, her main events were the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run, as well as the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays.
During her junior year, Coach Weaver suggested she train for the 300-meter hurdles due to her strong 400-meter base and athleticism. She was quite successful that year, continuing to work on her technique over the summer with the local AAU team, Parker Track Club. Her pursuit of excellence paid off during her senior season, as she finished second in the 7A Outdoor State Championships.
Her 300-meter hurdle time of 45.29 seconds is the fastest in Bob Jones history, and her 800-meter time of 2:17.97 is the fastest in school history for both outdoor and indoor seasons.
JoJo is the daughter of James and Audrey Coe and has three older sisters. She was recruited by several schools, including Alabama,
Scholarships
school’s history. He was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year as an outstanding pitcher and hitter and had a 3.7 grade point average while helping the Patriots to a Class 7A State Championship. Jordan Urrutia also exited the school leaving a legacy as the multi-champion track star and signed with Ole Miss. Urrutia was named an Adidas All-American had a 3.9 grade point average and scored a 31 on his ACT. He’s one of the best sprinters in the country. Samantha Chan signed to swim for Georgia Tech after assisting her swim team to two consecutive State Championships. She posted a marvelous 5.3 grade point average placing her third among the senior class. Overall, the school earned $37-million in scholarship money with 67-percent of the students having received a scholarship.
Here the signees from Bob Jones for the 20232024 school year: Samantha Chan (swimming) Georgia Tech, Ebba Detulleo (soccer) Union College, Peyton Free (soccer) Georgia Southern, Morgan Dunham (soccer) Alabama State, Peyton Brady (swimming) Milligan University, Michael Tretyakov (swimming) Florida Southern, Natalia Kenyatta (softball) Michigan State, Charlotte Herron (softball) Western Kentucky, A.J. Vineski (softball) Northwest Florida, Meg Jarrett (volley-
Jacksonville State, Meridian Junior College, Miles College, UAB, UAH, and Troy. After carefully considering each option, she decided to attend the University of Alabama.
JoJo was the 2024 Bob Jones HIgh School Homecoming Queen and has a 3.9 GPA. She plans to major
Continued from page 1B
ball) UAB, Eliza Tyrell (volleyball) Montevallo, Rachel Mecklenburg (volleyball) Wallace State, Janiyah Bone (basketball) Shelton State, Alana Obianozie (basketball) Shelton State, Jordyn Fields (basketball) Bishop State, Zamyra Goode (basketball) Calhoun, Anthony Charbonnet (soccer) Millsaps College, Myles Cook (football) UAB, Brandon White (football) Alabama A&M, Christian Abrams (football) Tuskegee, Hezron Kincey (football) Kentucky Wesleyan, Frankie Hill (football) Bellarmine University, Tyren Washington (football) Tenn Valley Prep, Dylan Willingham (football) Tenn Valley Prep, Corbin Martin (football) Tenn Valley Prep, Braden Booth (baseball) Mississippi State, Jacob Pearl (baseball) Montevallo, Gresham Baker (baseball) Bevill State, Parker Free (tennis) Samford, Jolissa Coe (track) Alabama.
James Clemens
The outstanding year of athletics at James Clemens featured four student-athletes signing with major power-five schools including two with Auburn University. Jared Smid signed to play soccer at Michigan State while Jaylen Brown, a FirstTeam All-State selection and Huntsville Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Year, signed with Missouri of the Southeastern Conference. The 6-foot-6, 242-pound defensive end had 55 tackles, including 10 for loss, in his senior season with the Jets. His defensive end co-hart, Nate Jennings (65, 250) signed to play for South Alabama. He had 53 tackles on the season with 26 solo stops and 11 tackles for loss.
in MIT. When she is not competing, she enjoys computer games, reading, and traveling. During her senior year, she also competed in cross country and played basketball at Bob Jones for two years before deciding to focus solely on track and field.
ens during the 2023-2024 school year: Cole Robinson (cross country/track) UAH, Dylan Dryer (cross country/track) UAH, Austin Abney (track) Montevallo, Ben Thomason (track) Samford, John Luke Stovall (track) South Alabama, Shaylin McFarland (soccer) Huntington, Jared Smid (soccer) Michigan State, Francisco Ramirez (baseball) Marion Military Institute, Hayden Markfort (baseball) Marion Military Institute, David Sharp (baseball) Calhoun, Carson Loosier (baseball) Calhoun, Satchel Wheeler (baseball) Snead St., Mason Bush (baseball) Snead St., Luke Davenport (baseball) Auburn, John Thomas Johnson (baseball) Snead St., Gabrielle Stigger (basketball) Calhoun, Hunter Headley (football) Campbellsville, Jaylen Brown (football) Missouri, Nate Jennings (football) South Alabama, Marc Woods (football) Jacksonville State, Jaylon Ruffin (football) Miles College, DJ Williams (football) Andrew College, Logan Eggert (football) SE Missouri St., Devon Cooper (football) Tuskegee, Brody Stinson (football) Thomas University, Kaylee Tucker (cheerleading) Troy, Sydney Snodgrass (cheerleading) West Georgia, Cade McComb (swimming) Auburn.
Sparkman
The Auburn signees were baseball player Luke Davenport and swimmer/ baseball player Cade McComb. Davenport (6-3, 185) was one of two main hurlers for the Jets. The righthander was 8-3 on the year with an impressive 1.08 ERA. Meanwhile, McComb also played baseball for the Jets, but he was also one of the brightest swimmers in the state and will swim the 50 and 100 freestyle events for the Tigers.
Here are the signees from James Clem-
The Senators had a group of talented student-athletes sign scholarships including girls wrestling as Khloe Robb signed to continue mat action with Misericordia University. Longtime Sparkman competitor Samantha Menikheim concluded her running years with the Senators by signing with South Alabama to run in college and five members of the softball team chose to extend their playing time in college by signing scholarships. Here are the signees from Sparkman during the 2023-2024 school year: Imani Hamilton (soccer) Troy, Sofia Sasan (soccer) Troy, Chelsey Curtis (soccer) UAH, Ryan Everly (baseball) Wallace State, Wyatt Shears (baseball) West Virginia St., Israel Parker (baseball) Arkansas St., Abethany James (basketball) Shelton St., Jamya Griffin (basket-
ball) Nicholls St., Laryn Scott (basketball) Nicholls St., Jemihya Carter (basketball) LeMoyne-Owen College, Brynlee Silletti (softball) Snead St., Leah Haynes (softball) Calhoun, Fiona East (softball) NW Shoals, Kailey Hardin (softball) Alabama A&M, Kaitlyn Fletcher (softball) Tuskegee, Samantha Menikheim (cross country/track) South Alabama, Nicola Peters (track) Jacksonville State, Jay Hunt (cross country) Freed-Hardeman, Jenna Duncan Wade (cross country/track) Montevallo, Jayden Lamar (football) Miles College, Jalyn Chambers (football) Miles College, Sir John Draper (football) NE Mississippi, Kirkland Whittle (football) Allen University, Christian Burrus (football) Coffeyville C.C., Khloe Robb (wrestling) Misericordia University, Madison Fletcher (cheerleading) UAB. Madison Academy Seven players off Madison Academy’s state runner-up football team signed college scholarships to sweeten what was a sour ending to a spectacular 2023 football season for the Mustangs. Racing their way through a superb season, the Mustangs were derailed 55-28 by Mobile Christian in the Class 3A State Championship Game thus closing out a season which ended in a spoiled fashion. Three of the signees were FirstTeam All-State selections and included running back Ken Cherry, who ran for 2,836 yards and 44 touchdowns, Reese Baker, a 6-4, 280-pound offensive lineman, and Jackson Reece who recorded 87 pass receptions for 1,383 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Here are the signees from Madison Academy during the 2023-2024 school year: Sam Hall (cross country) Calhoun, Jaedyn Martin (tennis) Wallace State, Brandon Tanner (football) Alabama State, Jackson Reece (track) UAH, Jake Poldiak (football) Ave Maria University, Khamoni Merrell (football) Miles College, Tyler Long (football) Kentucky Wesleyan, Ken Cherry (football) Samford, Austin Chambers (football) (walk-on) Auburn, Reese Baker (football) Tulane.
Four Chargers represented on CSC Academic All-District squads
HUNTSVILLE - College Sports Communicators announced its 2023-24 Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Academic All-District honorees, and UAH was represented by a combined total of four CSC Academic All-District performers. The Chargers men’s honorees included Nathan Knox, Wilson McClain and Sam Wilhelm as McClain and Wilhelm repeat as Academic All-District in 202324.
UAH’s women’s squad was represented by Emily McMurry, who also earned the honor in back-to-back seasons.
In order to qualify for Academic All-District, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA as well as being a significant contributor.
The 2023-24 Academic All-District Track & Field and Cross Country Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program
separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced July 9-10.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2022-23 Divisions
Discovery Middle School hires Sweatman as Assistant Principal, Athletic Director
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – After establishing a solid record at Bob Jones High School, Matthew Sweatman will work now as Assistant Principal/ Athletic Director at Discovery Middle School.
In 2015, then Principal Robby Parker hired Sweatman as head wrestling coach, football offensive line coach and special education teacher. In 2021, he joined Coach Whitney Deaver’s softball staff. “I learned a tremendous amount from Coach Deaver,” Sweatman said.
For nine years, he has worked in these areas with Principal Sylvia Lambert.
As Discovery Athletic Director, Sweatman will direct all sports. “I’ll be working daily to help streamline our middle-school athletics and better prepare them to compete at the highest level (at) Bob Jones,” he said.
“As an Assistant Principal, I’ll wear multiple hats, including discipline, busses and curriculum,” Sweatman said.
“I’ve always been known as a disciplinarian but most of it comes from being consistent and maintaining that in all situations,” Sweatman said. “I’m very routine-based and think students, faculty and community members respect honesty, accountability and an open line of communication.”
Sweatman believes an outstanding school culture depends on building relationships, keeping a high level of consistency and communicating appropriately. “Luckily, Discovery’s current administration and faculty have an outstanding reputation in all these areas. I look forward to joining the Discovery team and contributing.”
At Bob Jones, Sweatman’s major successes involved the wrestling
team’s qualification for 7A State Championship Duals in back-toback years. “Winning the state title in 2018 and being runner-up in 2019 will always hold a special place in my heart due to work by those young men and faith in me to get them to that level,” Sweatman said.
“Wrestling is such a tough sport,” he said. “The daily grind to get to that level is a compliment to the wrestlers’ mental toughness, community support and administration backing.”
Because wrestling is so difficult, student-athletes improve as better men and women, he said. “As a coach and a parent, I appreciate successes of our former student-athletes. (Since 2015), our program has produced doctors, military personnel, veterinarians, college football players, college wrestlers and a plethora of other highly successful
adults.”
Sweatman is filling the vacancy left by Kurt Yancey, who has transferred to Bob Jones as Athletic Director.
Matthew and his wife Anna have been married 10 years. Their children are seven-year-old Allie, a student at Madison Elementary School, and three-year-old Mac who will later attend West Madison Pre-Kindergarten Center. Matthew coaches his daughter’s 7u travel softball team, affiliated with Impact Gold. “I’m a very competitive person. I’ve played in a men’s 25+ baseball league (since 2019) that my childhood best friend, Haydn Hayes, and I started with friends named ‘Madison Expos.’”
A native of Trion, Ga., Sweatman worked as student manager for the University of Alabama with Coach Nick Saban from 2008-2011.
5 athletes to keep an eye on at this summer’s Olympic Games
PARIS - Sports fans across the globe will be glued to their televisions this summer, when the historic city of Paris hosts the Olympic Games. Beginning with the Opening Ceremony on July 26, the 2024 Olympic Games is sure to feature awe-inspiring athletic accomplishments that mark the culmination of years of hard work on the part of competitors. Once the games commence, fans can keep an eye out for these five
notable athletes who figure to put their stamp on this summer’s competitions.
1. Simone Biles: Few athletes at this summer’s Games are as recognizable as American gymnast Simone Biles. Biles’s accomplishments are already too numerous to mention, but the 27-year-old can pad her legacy even further by earning just one more medal this summer in Paris. Should she accomplish that feat, Biles will have earned more Olympic medals than any American gymnast in the history of the Games.
2. Daiki Hashimoto: A twotime gold medal winner at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (which were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Hashimoto, who will turn 23 during this summer’s games, will be seen as the athlete to beat in men’s gymnastics. Hashimoto is a four-time world champion, and NBC Sports notes three of those titles were earned in 2023.
3. LeBron James: The National Basketball Association’s all-time leading scorer is no stranger to the
See OLYMPICS Page 8B
The Sweatman family: Anna, clockwise, Matthew, Allie and Mac. Matt Sweatman has accepted the positions of Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Discovery Middle School.
HISTORY
with John Rankin
The 1867 Great Flood of the Tennessee River
By JOHN P. RANKIN Madison Historian
MADISON - When we wade through local floods, as experienced in the last few decades, we should be very thankful for the TVA system of dams that prevent and control or minimize flooding along the Tennessee River. Of course, that river did not always have a network of dams along it for such control, so nature ruled at variance each year. Such was the case with probably the most drastic flooding recorded in the history of the river. That great flood was in 1867. There are very few records of the 1867 flooding for Madison County’s experience, but the city of Chattanooga had much written about that flood, occurring just two years after the nearly complete devastation of that particular area during the Civil War. The Chattanooga story gives some insight into what it may have been like downriver for this area close to the river banks in that year and to a similar degree in later times until the TVA system was set up with 32 dams to prevent or control such episodes.
Chattanooga had begun to rebuild after the ruin brought about from the Civil War, which ended in 1865. In fact, they even put ads in newspapers to solicit “carpetbaggers” to come there to make investments in the growth opportunities presented by recovery and reconstruction. While remaining Indian residents had told of ancient accounts of the occasional flooding of the town by the river, reconstruction in the low-lying town areas along the river banks continued. In fact, it was told that the historical flooding levels were usually recorded by the Indian custom of marking tall trees with the top-most river levels during such floods. Still, money was to be made by those who saw the opportunity to utilize steamboat travel downriver through the navigable river system reaching eventually even to New Orleans. The fact that the town was located in a low-lying area between two very long north-south mountain chains that funneled the drainage from huge watersheds into the area was overlooked. Moreover, Chattanooga sits in a large U-shaped area of the river channel called Moccasin Bend. That bend leads to water piling up as it turns back from flowing against the roots of Lookout Mountain.
With such a location, it would seem that the site should have been abandoned, considering that flooding was a frequent occurrence. However, so far only the floods of 1867, 1874, 1875, 1886, and 1917 have been found in easily-available old newspaper accounts. While many of these floods are quite similar in the highest water levels, none of the later ones match the severity of the 1867 flood. Perhaps later developments took the likelihood of flooding into account. For the 1867 and the 1875 floods it was found that they both began with a period of torrential rains for many days in late February. The river had been noticed as beginning to rise on February 25 of 1867, but by Thursday of March 7 it was rising at the rate of one foot per hour. At that time, it was predicted by old timers to not exceed a rise of 45 feet above the low water mark. The Indians had told many years earlier that their people had marked trees with the low water mark and with the highest flood rise mark at 50 feet above the low mark during their centuries of occupation of the land. However, by Friday, March 8, the water was already over 50 feet above the low water mark and still rising. Within another day, there was 5 feet of water in the Crutchfield House hotel lobby, and smaller buildings began to float down Market Street in Chattanooga. People crowded onto the Military Bridge to observe the raging torrent, but the bridge began to creak and pop. A hasty exodus was executed just before the bridge was swept downriver. Two sawmills and all of their lumber and logs were taken away, as the Post Office hurried to sack up the mail and take it in boats across the street to another building with upper floors. It would be another month before that mail was delivered. Paddlewheel steamboats began to move along Market and other streets, some delivering their passengers to the porch of the Crutchfield Hotel. Water in the area reached over the top of rail cars and to horses’ bellies when they could find places to walk rather than swim.
One man was reported to have saved 100 people with his small boat, but many more were drowned and floated by the survivors. Another person told of seeing 15 bodies floating past his house. A newspaper printed a headline on Saturday, March 9 of 1867 that Chattanooga was under 10 feet of water. Streets were not visible until Tuesday night, March 12. Mud was everywhere, inside and out. Dry goods were no longer dry.
One resident found that his plain house had been swept away, but another that was far larger and more luxurious had settled as the water receded precisely where the old one had been. Another man had a floating bathhouse on the river. It was also swept away with him in it, but he was rescued by a steamboat that caught his bathhouse and towed it back upriver to Chattanooga at a safer point. Of course, businesses that dealt with such things as salt or sugar had to start over again with new stocks. Still, most people remained in good humor and looked forward to re-establishing their businesses. Some soldiers had stayed too long at their stations and had to be rescued by steamboats after firing their rifles to get attention. They and others were only thankful that they survived.
A similar situation arose in the Chattanooga flood of 1875, when another group of soldiers stationed around the National Cemetery stayed too long, until the water was nearly up to their necks. They also fired their rifles to get attention, and a steam ferryboat came to their rescue. The 1875 flood was not quite as high as the one of 1867, but it still took a heavy toll of people, structures, and equipment -- some of which was carried all the way to Florence, Alabama, at the shoals. The 1875 flood led to demands for a 40-foot levee to be constructed in Chattanooga, but it never happened.
The Tennessee River also flooded Chattanooga in 1874, 1886, and 1917. The 1917 flood rose to 47.7 feet above the low water mark, Such details were not found in the accounts of the other years, but the 1874 flood was well documented in Huntsville newspapers, where it was told that the Tennessee River at Whitesburg at that time was 3 to 5 miles wide.
Regarding the reports of the 1867 flood, the Huntsville ADVOCATE newspaper printed that the levels at Whitesburg were 2 feet higher then than the “great flood of 1848”. That 1867 flood was also described in Huntsville newspapers as occurring during a period of very cold weather that froze creeks and included snow with much ice in the area after 3 weeks of rain. It was further described as the most damaging ever for eastern and middle Tennessee, north Alabama, and Kentucky, with some impact on Virginia. The flood even stopped the mail to north Alabama from eastern reaches from March 1 for another 21 days.
Naturally, the Mississippi River also flooded below Memphis during these times, probably augmented by snow thaws to the north as well as the swelling of the Tennessee River. Heavy rains and thawing winter snow accumulations during the late February and early March periods often led to such disasters, but at least we now have the Tennessee Valley Authority to do a good job of preventing or controlling these things. Still, even in modern times, we have more localized flood events in north Alabama that may occasionally be triggered by hurricanes coming from the Gulf of Mexico. In this area, we also have tornadoes that remind us that we are not really in control of our weather or its consequences. Only a Greater Power can deal with such things effectively.
Across Clues:
1. Currency used in Britain.
6. South African currency.
7. Currency for 20 European countries.
8. Use of American dollar in other countries is called?
9. Currency used in Japan.
Down Clues:
1. The United States dollar was once backed up by what type of metals?
2. Currency used in America.
3. Term meaning money.
4. Currency used in Russia.
5. Money not backed by metal.
world currency
Money, or currency, is something that is used as a medium of exchange. Over the centuries, money has come in all different shapes and sizes. In the United States today, the dollar is the primary form of currency in circulation. Until recent decades, most types of money have almost always been made from, or backed by, a precious metal. This means that the coins themselves were made from silver or gold or that there were precious metals in a reserve to back up the worth of the money. In 1900, the United States Government passed the Gold Standard Act. For every paper dollar that existed, a certain amount of gold was kept in storage by the U.S. Government. In 1933, the United States began moving away from the gold standard because it restricted the number of dollars that could be produced. Today’s dollar, like most currencies, is called “fiat money.” This means it is backed by people’s faith in the government and not by precious metals. Every country uses some form of currency. Many countries have dropped their form of currency in favor of using the American dollar. This is known as dollarization. In Europe, the primary form of currency in 20 major countries since 1999 is the euro. The United Kingdom still uses the pound system. Canada and Australia call their currencies a dollar like the United States, but they’re separate from the U.S. system. Other countries have different names for their money. Brazil has the real; Mexico has the peso; China has the yuan; Japan has the yen; Russia has the ruble; and South Africa has the rand.
Rupee, Yen
Hidden Words: Colon, Dollar, Dram, Euro, Florin, Franc, Gourde, Koruna, Krone, Kuna, Lari, Mark, Peso, Pound, Quetzal, Real, Riel, Ruble,
By BECKY
“His
1:2
What brings you joy?
When you think of the word ‘delight’ what comes to mind? You may feel delighted over your children, your friends, a wonderful vacation, or just a beautiful day.
To delight yourself in the Lord is just like this
scripture refers to and that is meditating on his law or the commands in the Bible day and night or basically have scripture guiding your actions, thoughts, and words daily.
PRAYER: Lord in you I put my hope and trust. When I have a day that I am dwelling on things that bring me down help me to do a U turn and aim for delight. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God’s Lemonade Stand is written by former Madison resident Becky Miller. Her daily devotions appear on Facebook or at godslemonadestand.blogspot.com.
Strange Facts COMMUNITY
Students to benefit from MVP and MCS’ drive for backpacks, clothes
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – Local students can feel confident and prepared on Aug. 1 for the first day of school because of a collaborative project to support children in need.
Madison Visionary Partners or MVP is working with Madison City Schools or MCS for the fifth annual Madison P.A.C.T. or “Partnering for All Children in Town.”
“We are asking local partners to help our students in need by providing a backpack with their school supplies and a new outfit and shoes for their return to school,” MVP Executive Director Melanie Thornton.
“We ask that you fill the backpack that you pur-
chased with items off of the school supply list and also provide an outfit and pair of shoes for each student. Lots of our partners use reusable bags for the clothes/shoes,” Project Coordinator Melissa Davison.
Currently, 98 students district-wide are on the list with needs for starting school.
School supply lists are available on the first page for Madison P.A.C.T. One list identifies supplies for elementary grades, and another shows needs for middle and high-school students.
To choose individual student(s) to support, visit signupgenius.com/ go/10C0F49ACAF22ABF4C70-50037433-support#/. Or, visit mvpmadison.org, select the
602531-1
Madison P.A.C.T. option, and click the link for signupgenius.com.
Donors can review the list of 98 students, who are identified as “Angel 1,” “Angel 2,” etc., along with their gender and school grade. The list includes the specific needs for an ‘angel.’
For example, Angel 2, a girl who is a junior, needs “Size (Women’s Medium 8/10, Shoes (Women’s 8), Color (Black)”; and Angel 14, a girl in third grade, needs “Size (Girl XL 14/16), Shoe (5), Color (Pink).”
For correct distribution, the donor needs to label each backpack with the Angel’s number.
Dropoff times and locations for contributions will be July 28 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Madison Public Library’s back patio, 142 Plaza Blvd. and on July 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at West Madison Pre-Kindergarten Center, 4976 Wall Triana.
For any questions, contact Davison by calling 256384-3763 or email melissa@
Olympics
mvpmadison.org or Lee Shaw by calling 256-7838886 or email lshaw@madisoncity.k12.al.us. (Shaw is Development Coordinator for Madison City Schools.)
MVP is a community nonprofit founded in 2014
Continued from page 3B
Olympic Games, but the 39-year-old James has not played on the Olympic stage since 2012. Over the last several years, James made no secret of his desire to return to Olympic competition, suggesting this summer’s games will be the last time to see arguably the greatest player of all time compete at this level.
4. Léon Marchand: Born in Toulouse, France, in 2002, Marchand figures to be the center of attention this summer. Some suggest Marchand could put on a performance not
by community and business leaders to spearhead projects and initiatives that enhance the quality of life in Madison. The 501(c)3 organization is apolitical and governed by a board of directors.
unlike his fellow swimmer Michael Phelps’ efforts in the pool years ago, as the Frenchman is coached by Bob Bowman at Arizona State University. Bowman famously coached Phelps during his time at the University of Michigan and beyond, and swimming fans will be curious to see how the hometown hero Marchand performs in the pools of Paris this summer.
5. Summer McIntosh: The pride of Canada made a name for herself at the tender age of 14 during the 2020
MVP’s office is at 103 Spenryn Drive in Madison.
For more information, call 256-384-4358, email info@ mvpmadison.org or visit mvpmadison.org or Facebook/MVP Madison Visionary Partners.
Games, where she was the youngest athlete named to the Canadian team. McIntosh finished fourth in the 400-meter freestyle in Tokyo, narrowly missing a medal in that event but still breaking the Canadian national record. Now a seasoned 17-year-old, McIntosh returns to the Olympic stage this summer.
The Summer Olympics return this summer in Paris, and many talented, exciting athletes figure to make this year’s competitions as exciting as ever.
in Madison’s new mural
James Clemens two-sport athlete is a
The ribbon cutting event included an open house, was attended by Bank Independent executives, team members, and leaders from Huntsville and Madison County.