The Alabama Beacon

Betty Swindal Garner, 81, of Centreville, died peacefully on Monday, June 22. Betty was born on February 14, 1945, in Perry County. She lived a life centered on family and service to others. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend whose warm heart, gentle spirit, and unwavering devotion to her family touched...

Keep Kids Safe in Sun, Water this Summer

With summer in full swing, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System reminds parents and guardians of the risks tied to sun exposure and water activities. Silvia Vilches, a family and child development specialist with Alabama Extension at Auburn University, said being aware of these risks lets families enjoy the season safely. “Being aware of risks of...

Safe Firework Use: Protecting Nature, Homes This July 4th

Fireworks are a festive part of the 4th of July, but they also carry wildfire risk. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System offers the following tips for safe use this Independence Day. Choose a large, open launch site with little vegetation, staying roughly 300 feet from forests, woodlands, or grasslands and 150 feet from homes and...

Cooking in the Black Belt

Life has been a rat race lately—one place after another. It’s next to impossible to pin me down for any length of time. Between washing windows, scraping paint, the usual loads of laundry, all this summer heat makes me want to do is sit down and read a book in a rocker. Sure, I wouldn’t...

State party orders District 1 recount; county sets Turner’s bond at $8,500

The Alabama Democratic Party has ordered a recount in the Perry County Commission District 1 Democratic primary. Following this order, the Perry County Democratic Executive Committee set an $8,500 security deposit that challenger Albert Turner Jr. must post up front before the recount can officially move forward. In a four-page decision, the State Democratic Executive...

Final two PREP Center escapees captured after Selma standoff; all four now in custody

The two inmates who remained at large for nearly a month after escaping the Perry County Correctional PREP Center in Uniontown are back in custody. This closes out the search that began with the May 30 breakout, putting all four escapees, along with the woman accused of driving their getaway car, behind bars. Marquavious Billingsley,...

Perry small businesses could qualify for SBA disaster relief loans

Here is the text structured into clear, readable paragraphs with strategic bolding and italics for quick scanning, keeping all of your original content fully intact and without any headings: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Alabama to offset...

Summer EBT benefits coming to families with eligible school children

The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), in partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), plans to distribute Alabama SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) benefits to eligible children again this summer. Alabama SUN Bucks will provide a one-time issuance of $120 per school-aged child to low-income families to assist them in purchasing groceries over...

TSH sweeps public service, wins First Amendment honor at state awards