By Donna Bain
Staff Writer

The Pickens County Board of Education held its January meeting on the 17th at Pickens County High School. The meeting opened with an invocation.  Students from the school sang the national anthem for the Board Members followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. A handful of students from the school also stood in front of the Board members and shared with them their dreams for the future. 

By Donna Bain
Staff Writer

Circle J Dairy has opened its doors for business in the Zion Community on Highway 159 outside of Gordo, Alabama. The business is family owned by Jessica and Tyler Vails and Jessica’s parents, Robin and Ralph Junkin, Jr.  They held a small grand opening at their farm store on January 1, 2023, and they have been selling out of their farm fresh milk daily ever since. 

By Donna Bain
Staff Writer

By Felicity Holman
Managing Editor

By Doug Sanders Jr
News Correspondent

GORDO- The Gordo Town Council received an update on two bridge/culverts at the Jan. 9 meeting by Mayor Craig Patterson.

He first reported on the wooden bridge on Fifth Avenue SW near JetPep. He said he had talked with the County Engineer, and the bridge needs to be replaced with an oval corrugated metal culvert, measuring approximately 40 feet long, six feet wide and five feet tall.

MONTGOMERY – Over the course of 2022, Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division investigated crashes that resulted in 19 fewer lives lost on Alabama’s roadways.

This past year, ALEA Troopers investigated a total of 31,990 traffic crashes, which resulted in 10,914 injuries and 586 fatalities reported. Crashes declined by 2,185, and injuries were down 646 in 2022 from the 2021 totals.

By Felicity Holman
Managing Editor

CARROLLTON- The Pickens County Board of Commissioners meeting took place on December 27, 2022.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jerry Fitch.

A motion was made by Commissioner Drew Elmore to approve the consent agenda. Commissioner Jody McGee seconded the motion, and it was approved.

By Donna Bain
Staff Writer

The City of Reform held its groundbreaking ceremony on January 5, 2023, to kick off the beginning of a five-year construction project that includes a water test well, a new water well, a monitoring well, a new water storage tank, a new water treatment plant, and new pipes within the water pipeline system. The second part of this project will include the construction of two new lift stations, upgrades and improvements to the current lift stations, and improvements with the city’s sewer system.

By Donna Bain
Staff Writer

Pickens County experienced some extremely cold temperatures over the Christmas Holiday weekend that resulted in frozen pipes and water leaks in two areas of the county. Residents on County Road 30 in Ethelsville experienced water outages as well as residents of Reform. 

By Felicity Holman
Managing Editor

ALICEVILLE- The Aliceville City Council meeting was held on December 28, 2022. Mayor Terrence Windham called the meeting to order. Councilmember Rebecca Gilliam was absent.
The council approved the minutes of the last meeting.
In new business, Mayor Windham read the resolution, recognizing the life of long-time employee Jeffery “Boot” Lewis.