Dawn Michale Simpkins died December 17, 2025, at the age of 67. She was born August 2, 1958, to Kaye and Mary Spencer in Pontiac, Michigan. She graduated from Avondale High School in 1976. She met the love of her life, Michael Dean Simpkins, and they were married on December 17, 1977. They settled in... Read More

Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced Alabama has officially received its award number from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), formally approving Alabama’s plan and unlocking $203,404,327 in first-year funding. The five-year program, seeking to help improve healthcare access, quality and outcomes in the state,... Read More

The Alabama Extension Food Safety and Quality team is excited to launch the new Alabama Cottage Food Lawonline course. This selfpaced course is open to anyone who is interested or planning to produce food for sale to the public from their home kitchen. It is a flexible, accessible resource designed to allow participants to work... Read More

United Way of West Alabama (UWWA) announced today that its annual fundraising campaign has surpassed its goal, raising a record-breaking $4,907,705 to support critical programs and services across West Alabama. The campaign exceeded its ambitious $4.8 million goal, marking one of the most successful campaigns in the organization’s history. The announcement came during halftime at... Read More

The Marion City Council voted on Tuesday, Jan. 5, to approve a tax abatement for a project tied to the former Judson College campus, confirming that a deal to repurpose the property has advanced beyond preliminary talks. The action came in the form of Resolution 2026-1-05-001, described in the meeting as “an agreement between the... Read More

The City of Marion has missed a key deadline tied to its water and sewer funding, and Mayor Dexter Hinton says he has asked the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for more time while auditors continue working on the city’s 2023 financial report. Councilmembers learned of the missed deadline at their first meeting of the New Year on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2026. ADEM... Read More

It is with great pleasure that Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) congratulates the following students on being named to the Fall 2025 President’s List. The fall terms run from September to December. Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.700 or higher for the reporting term are named to the President’s... Read More

An Oxford man has been charged with public lewdness after authorities say he urinated on a Moundville police vehicle parked along Alabama Highway 69, with traffic passing by. According to a complaint filed in Hale County District Court, Randal Marcus Deramus, 58, is accused of committing “a lewd act in a public place which he…knew... Read More