Wesley Thompson—a local pastor, educator, and community leader—announces his bid for the Alabama House District 3 seat.
A native son of the Shoals, Thompson and his family moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma when he was eight years old upon his mother’s enlistment in the Army. But his path has always led him home to the Shoals—first for college at the University of North Alabama and then again when he answered the call to pastor Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptist Church.
TUSCUMBIA–(SHOALSINSIDER) Officials have set a trial date for a man accused of murdering a Sheffield man. According to court records, Richard Kevin Hester, 54, of Little Rock Avenue, Sheffield, was indicted by a Colbert County Grand Jury in January of 2020 for Capital Murder in the shooting death of John Thomas Call, also known as JT, 36, of Pinehurst Blvd, Sheffield.
ROGERSVILLE- Authorities say a man has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of arson after leaving his 3-year-old son in an apartment he set fire to. According to police, Jared Lynn Hazelwood, 44, stands charged with seven counts of arson in connection with the early morning apartment fire in Rogersville.
FLORENCE–On Tuesday, authorities arrested a Florence man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her dorm room at Mattielou Hall on the University of North Alabama campus. Joshua Caleb De La Hoz, 19, of 724 North Pine St., Florence, stands accused of multiple serious crimes such as 1st Degree Sexual Abuse, Domestic Violence Strangulation, Unlawful Imprisonment, furnishing alcohol to a minor, interfering with a domestic violence 911 call, and being a minor in possession of alcohol. According to court documents, De La Hoz reportedly brought alcohol to the female’s dorm room on Valentine’s Day, February 14th.
FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama has received the largest gift in the institution’s almost 200-year history, a $6.5 million gift from the Charles C. Anderson family. The gift is being given to academic and athletic areas of campus, with $1 million specifically earmarked for the women’s athletic programs in memory and honor of Hilda B. Anderson.
“(Hilda) was very passionate about the women’s athletic programs at UNA, and she wanted to ensure they had the necessary funding,” said the family patriarch Mr. Charles C. Anderson. “Our sons, Charlie, Terry, Clyde, and Harold, wanted to honor her and her legacy with this gift.”
FLORENCE – Lauderdale County full-time employees each will receive an additional $4,000 over the next four months through American Rescue Act funds, county officials said.
The Lauderdale County Commission approved dedicating the funds to the employees beginning this month.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a federal inmate on an assault charge, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
U.S District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Lemond Lawrence Burns, 22, of Alpine, to 150 months in prison. Burns pleaded guilty to the assault of a Morgan County Corrections Officer resulting in bodily injury in October 2021.
FLORENCE–On New Year’s Day, the Florence Police Department was contacted by a female who reportedly ran from a home at 1901 Conway Drive Florence. The female victim had several injuries and was taken to North Alabama Medical Center.
After an investigation, it was determined that the female victim was being kept at the Conway Drive residence without her consent and being physically and emotionally abused.
At approximately 2PM New Year’s Day, a 1996 Camaro was observed by sheriffs deputies in Graves County, Kentucky, loaded with items, suspected as possibly stolen. The vehicle in question was bearing Alabama registration plates. Campbell County and Graves County Sheriff’s deputies stopped the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that the items loaded in the vehicle has just been stolen from a resident on Pritchett Road in Mayfield that has been destroyed by the December 10th tornado.
(SHOALSINSIDER) Muscle Shoals Police gave an update Wednesday morning on the fatal forklift accident that occurred Saturday afternoon. Detectives say officers responded Saturday afternoon to an accident involving juveniles.
The juveniles were under the supervision of their parents and the incident occurred at the parent’s place of employment, in the area of 235 Boone Rd. Off of Reservation Road on the TVA Reservation in Muscle Shoals.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge recently sentenced a Mississippi resident for healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Phillip Minga, 56, of Amory, Mississippi, to 78 months in prison. In August, Minga pleaded guilty to four counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The court also ordered Minga to forfeit $7.1 million and to repay more than $16.1 million in restitution.
Last weekend Franklin, TN held their 36th annual Dickens of a Christmas. This festival has been going strong for 36 years. It’s held in downtown Franklin, TN. The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County recreated the time of Charles Dickens. People dress in clothing from that time and sing carols, sew quilts, show off woodworking and play music. It is so grand to be transporting back in time to another period that is also celebrating Christmas. There is fake snow spewing from the balcony of a building, people posing to take the perfect snowy Christmas photos while they’re lightly dusted with the stuff.
“If you educate a man, you educate a family and a village. To educate a woman, you empower a nation.” — Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Woman2Woman is a vision manifested by Linda D. Law with the WHOLE woman in mind.
Residing in Muscle Shoals since July 2008, Linda is an actual native of Marengo County, US Army Veteran, Entrepreneur, Educator, Life Coach & motivational speaker.
Her Facebook group has exploded within the past year to include women from all across the world and from all walks of life. She has begun to get a lot of traction and attention. I got with her over coffee to ask her about the group and this is what she said:
Anne Rice, arguably the most prolific vampire writer of the modern era, passed away on December 11th, 2021 at the age of 80. She wrote over 35 novels, including her most popular best seller, Interview with the Vampire.
Interview with the Vampire is part of The Vampire Chronicles series which consists of thirteen books. Some of her other series’ are Lives of the Mayfair Witches, and Songs of the Seraphim, including others.
She died late Saturday from complications involving a stroke.
Thanksgiving has ended and Christmas is less than two weeks away now. We’re all gearing up for the holy grail of the holiday season and another huge holiday meal. But, what do we do with all those leftovers after the holidays end? Well, I asked around and compiled a sort of holiday leftovers cookbook!
The classic Leftover Sandwich:
This one is pretty simple and I’m sure everyone has made it. All you do is stuff whatever leftovers you want between two slices of bread, add your condiment, and chow down!
Not all heroes wear capes, just as not all musicians are huge stage playing bands. Some artists can be found at some of our favorite places around here sitting on a stool with their guitar and pick just giving us a down-to-earth good night while we relax and that right there is exactly what Michael is.
Michael is good people. Running into him the few times I have, I’ve been met with a smile and what appears to be a heart of gold.
It was the week before Thanksgiving and I was standing in the middle of my living room. I was so stressed and overwhelmed that I’m surprised all of my stress and guilt hadn’t materialized into a dark cloud over my head. I could almost hear the thunderstorm above me as I looked around at the absolute disaster that surrounded me.
Not only that, but I had pets and their fur was everywhere. I’m a working mom with two kids and my entire days have been sucked away by homework, school projects, cooking, and working eight or more hours a day. I was just so exhausted after being a full-time mom and a working parent that I just had no more energy left to keep up with the ever-expanding list of chores that was looming over me at that moment.
This rock ‘n roll band is our very own Florence, AL They are currently on tour in the south and just released their second LP. They offer a heavy hitting guitar with traces of retro beats and melodic lyrics that leave you feeling like dancing all over the entire room
Once again I pop open Spotify and find their newest album “Welcome to the Modern World.” The cover art looks straight outta my dad or grandma’s record collection with a sky blue background and a red/yellow/orange arch. I immediately get the sense that they take inspiration from retro rock ‘n roll.
