PLEASANT SPRING DAY: The sky is partly to mostly sunny across Alabama this afternoon with temperatures in the 60s and 70s A few isolated showers could form this evening over the Tennessee Valley otherwise tonight will be mostly fair with a low in the 50s Read More it will likely be October before we see weather this nice again across Alabama with a few more clouds the farther north you go as an upper-level low spins over the Ohio River Valley Read More knew he made the right decision to open his own business but it wasn’t until he won the 2023 Birmingham Small Business Week Pitch Competition that he got an additional boost Read More COOL START: Temperatures are in the 40s across much of North/Central Alabama just before daybreak… for some places this will most likely be the last morning with temperatures in the 40s until late September or October Read More Sunday brought Alabama a taste of early spring and a mix of sun and clouds—especially north of the Tennessee River where a few sprinkles are still possible Read More Exceptional Anglers events at Oak Mountain State Park teach basic fishing skills to students with disabilities from Alabaster and Pelham city schools and the Shelby and Jefferson County school systems Read More Sunday brings Alabama a breath of fresh air—literally and figuratively—with cooler temperatures and low humidity replacing Saturday’s storms in a refreshing pattern shift worthy of a “Cool Change.” Read More but dense fog may pose a travel hazard overnight and into Sunday morning across north Alabama and southern Tennessee Read More the severe threat is nearly over in Alabama as storms shift east into Georgia Read More strong storms remain active in eastern Alabama this evening with gusty winds Read More A new severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for northeastern Lee County and heavy rain moving east toward Auburn and Opelika Read More Severe storms continue across east Alabama with warnings active in Chambers County and strong storms impacting several others under Severe Thunderstorm Watch #221 through 10 PM Read More Strong to severe storms continue moving through east-central and southeast Alabama this evening with the threat of damaging winds and frequent lightning continuing through 10 PM Read More Severe storms with 60 mph winds and quarter-size hail are moving into Tallapoosa and Chambers counties Read More The Alabama high school baseball quarterfinals has started and scores are rolling in from around the state Alabama high school baseball: See first round playoff resultsClass 1AAddison (27-9) 12-11 Lynn (20-12) 1-6 (Addison (27-9) wins series 2-0) Tuscaloosa Academy (16-21) 1-11-2 (Pike Liberal Arts (20-15) wins series 2-1) Sumiton Christian (24-9) 1-4 (Vincent (30-6) wins series 2-0) Saint James (20-12) 2-0 (Glenwood (30-4) wins series 2-0) Whitesburg Christian (23-12) 5-0-4 (Gordo (24-14) wins series 2-1) Trinity Presbyterian (25-9) 1-0 (Oak Grove (30-3) wins series 2-0) Central-Florence (23-15) at Etowah (24-12) 1-0  (Etowah (26-12) wins series 2-0) ASWA BANQUET: Alabama high school basketball: Player of the Year Award winners and Mr. and Miss.Basketball DATES: Alabama high school baseball: AHSAA 2025 playoff and championship schedule, locations, times Falling tree limbs in Birmingham kills one person The Etowah County Sheriff's Office has announced its transition to the Axon Body Camera 4 upgrading from the previous Axon Body Camera 3 model The sheriff's office said the move aims to enhance transparency The new Axon Body 4 cameras feature a 160-degree field of view Equipped with a 5MP high-resolution sensor these cameras are designed to capture critical moments with greater clarity and reliability "Keeping our equipment up to date is essential to keeping our deputies safe and ensuring we serve the public to the best of our ability," said Sheriff Jonathon Horton "The Axon Body 4 gives us the tools we need to be more effective The upgrade also includes automatic activation during critical incidents and optional point-of-view attachments offering more flexibility in capturing events as they occur The Sheriff's Office remains committed to protecting the people of Etowah County with the highest standards of professionalism and service — Justice advocates in Alabama have reignited the "Shut Down Etowah" campaign demanding the immediate closure of the Etowah County Detention Center and the release of detained immigrants In 2022, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it would cease using the facility due to a long history of serious deficiencies identified during facility inspections "Our comrades are telling us of the incredible inhumane conditions inside this detention center," said an organizer of the Shut Down Etowah campaign and neglect are rampant behind the center's closed doors Executive Director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice described the facility as "a horrible place for anyone to be held." She added "We heard the news just within the last month or two that Etowah was reopening Hamilton expressed concern over the impact of recent deportation efforts She emphasized the importance of protecting individuals against such systems which she said are becoming places "where people have no way out." Organizers claim inmates face conditions such as no sunlight A woman at the rally claims to have been speaking on the phone with someone on the inside who also alleges these claims "Sometimes they don't want to feed us sometimes they shut us down for 23 hours and they only let us 1 hour out," said one inmate it's bad for real; they're not treating us like humans up in here," said another Attempts to reach the Etowah County Sheriff's Office for comment on the conditions inside the facility have not yet been successful The Etowah County Sheriff's Office did however deny claims that immigrants are held longer than the 72-hour holding period stating that the facility is only a short-term holding center including local students Alia Wilson and Sarah Burger "I would want people to speak up for me if I was in that position too," said Wilson "Even if we don't have the direct power to do something we have power to influence—make them uncomfortable Protests change lives; everything we know now is because of protests." AL (WBMA) — Etowah County Sheriff Jonathan Horton announced on Thursday the largest fentanyl seizure in the county's history made the discovery during a traffic stop on Tuesday Highway 431 from Calhoun County to the city limits of Glencoe K9 "TEDI" uncovered 2.27 pounds of pure fentanyl during the stop encased in a Louis Vuitton style of packaging identified as 40-year-old Tostig Denard Moore of Atalla was arrested and charged with drug trafficking (fentanyl) Moore is currently being held in the Etowah County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond Sheriff Horton highlighted the severity of the situation "There was enough fentanyl in this package to kill everyone in Etowah County." having been previously convicted of armed robbery in 2002 and weapons offenses in 2009 He was out on bond for trafficking and methamphetamine at the time of his arrest Sheriff Horton warned the public about the dangers of fentanyl noting that it is increasingly being laced into various drugs Etowah County expressed gratitude to the Rainbow City Police FBI North Alabama Criminal Enterprise Task Force and the District Attorney's Office for their assistance in the case was sentenced to 50 years in the state penitentiary after pleading guilty to multiple charges of child sexual abuse and possession of obscene material Yother appeared before Etowah County Presiding Circuit Judge George where he entered guilty pleas on four counts of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old and eleven counts of unlawful possession of obscene matter The investigation began in July 2024 when the Etowah County Sheriff's Department received a report from Walton County Three young females reported that Yother had been sexually abusing them over a period of time in both Florida and Etowah County It was later determined that at least one other child had been victimized Yother admitted to the abuse during recorded telephone calls with at least one of the victim's fathers and was subsequently arrested and held on a $13.3 million bond SEE PREVIOUS: More charges against Gadsden man arrested for sexual abuse of child a person convicted of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 faces a sentence of not less than 10 nor more than 20 years in the state penitentiary This sentence is not eligible for probation District Attorney Jody Willoughby expressed gratitude to the James M Etowah County Sheriff's Investigators Shannon Thomas and Brandi Fuller and his staff at the District Attorney's Office particularly Victim Service Officers Angel Grogan and Susan Tallman He also praised the minor victims and their families for their courage throughout the investigation and prosecution of the case Leslie Moore and Chad Hopper represent Yother AL (WBMA) — The Etowah County Sheriff's Office says they have arrested a suspect in connection to the largest Fentanyl seizure in the county's history The Etowah County Sheriff's office A.C.E (Active Criminal Enforcement) Unit reportedly arrested 40-year-old Tostig Denard of Atalla Denard is charged with Drug Trafficking (Fentanyl) and is being held in the Etowah County Jail on a $1,000,00.00 bond as part of an interdiction operation targeting drug trafficking deputies initiated a traffic stop on Hwy 431 South in the Glencoe area for a traffic violation The stop was conducted as part of the Sheriff's Office ACE Unit's proactive efforts to combat drug trafficking in Etowah County K-9 "TEDI" alerted deputies to the presence of illegal narcotics Deputies discovered over two pounds (approximately one kilogram) of Fentanyl a lethal narcotic responsible for countless overdoses nationwide Before the new year, the Etowah County Commission approved bids for a section of new water and sewer lines for the Northeast Alabama Regional Megasite and renovations for the Etowah County Courthouse The sewer and water project involves running lines under I-59 to the 1,250-acre megasite It is one of several ongoing projects to provide water and sewer services to the site from an existing supply line at Canoe Creek "It is specifically the water and sewer under Interstate 59," said Shane Ellison "The installation of the water and sewer won't affect the road at all because it will all be done via directional bores under the roadway." The project is funded by $1.35 million in American Rescue Plan funds the county received but very small segment of the project just basically from one side and they will come out on the other," explained Ellison "This puts us really close to actually tying into the site." Construction is already underway on other parts of the new sewer and water lines that will run to the megasite A 500,000-gallon water storage tank was recently installed at the site The county is partnering with the Utility Board of Rainbow City to supply the water and treat sewage The county has invested in the megasite for several years "We have leveraged our APRA dollars to apply and obtain state grant funding which we benefited from three rounds of there from the state and our partners at Norfolk Southern railroad SEEDS grant money requires a little over 50% of matching funds we are in a position to have those matching funds," explained Ellison Ellison added that the county is well-positioned to attract a large industry One hundred acres of land have been cleared The county is also developing a plan to create an interstate interchange near the mega site Rainbow City has contributed $1 million to make the interchange a reality "The goal is to have those construction plans complete when we actually sign a deal and begin construction of an interchange and a factor simultaneously," said Ellison "The interest in our site has been extremely diverse and lots of different types of industries are looking at Etowah County We are actually talking with an industry as we speak." The goal is to attract an industry that will make a major capital investment in the property and create at least 1,000 jobs We use that term and don't use it lightly If we were to land an OEM or some other type of industry clean industry that could provide high-paying jobs it would change the entire northeast quadrant of the state," said Ellison "The pad size at 100 acres and the overall 1,250 acres is basically like a unicorn in the southeast There's just not a lot of megasites that are this far along in the development stage We have suddenly become the pretty girl at the ball," said Ellison the county commission also approved a bid for renovations at the Etowah County Courthouse The courthouse has areas with water damage Since another set of renovations 20 years ago "We are taking steps to seal up the courthouse We want to make sure we step it up and keep it in good condition," said Ellison The initial bid a year ago included renovations to the courthouse which allowed them to negotiate for the project The price for the renovations at the courthouse alone is $2.04 million See how the project goes and add the judicial building and add the detention center down the line," said Ellison Ellison does not anticipate the renovations at the courthouse to disrupt county business for citizens Late in April nearly every year of my adult life I’ve been getting ready for final exams — either studying for ones I will soon take or preparing ones I will soon give That’s a sure marker that summer is near for me Regular readers know that I’m fascinated with nostalgia Toward the end of my formal studies in graduate school I was studying the origins of the concept of nostalgia and applying what I’d learned to the British literature of that period and I’ve kept up with thinking in “nostalgia theory.” And regular readers will know that I’m leery of nostalgia as we see it in contemporary America I mean that I no longer believe that it is necessarily a positive thing We can get so caught up in nostalgia for a past that’s largely imagined that we ignore our own memories of that time for the more pleasant memories of our nostalgic imaginings And there’s no harm in a little wistfulness “nostalgia-neering.” I went out on the front porch just after a light rain I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t noticed the beauty of it all There are two loropetalum shrubs on the walkway to the driveway — they’re very common ornamental shrubs which many people call Chinese fringe-flowers I’ve never been so delighted as when I found out that professional landscapers call them “loros,” so I’ll go with that phrase More: Biblical Easter story brings new meanings each year | DAVID MURDOCK their leaves turn a deep purple that is quite lovely  Both shrubs were covered in deep purple leaves that were “glazed” with a light rainwater Also glazed with rain were the Japanese miniature holly shrubs lining the porch light green leaves that were set against the darker green of the older leaves and the orient pearl drops of the rain brought all of it together Yes ― I do make references to several poems in that paragraph ― in addition to the English hard rock band And today is Shakespeare’s traditional birthday so there’s the obligatory “deep cut” in there for his fans there is one poem that I didn’t directly reference that came to mind that morning Housman’s “Loveliest of Trees.”  When I was young I loved it enough that I read it over and over but I never understood it until I hit my 50s Housman describes how beautiful blooming cherry trees are when they are “Wearing white for Eastertide.” Housman concludes the poem by observing that he only has about 50 more years to look at blooming cherries He concludes that thought with “And since to look at things in bloom/Fifty springs are little room” indicates that it’s not enough time he concludes the whole poem with the idea that he’d better get at it I’m fairly sure that he wasn’t 20 when he wrote that poem ― there is too much the sense of wasted time for such a young man Although I said earlier that I didn’t get it then like I do now maybe I did ― I got it enough to remember it Here’s the thing ― rarely does an Easter pass without my remembering that line about Eastertide the more I indulge in pleasant nostalgias … like recalling favorite poems But the danger of nostalgia is in the idea that a feeling of missing out on what I once cherished As all this nostalgia hit me on the front porch I looked up and around and was astounded at how much the trees had bloomed since I’d really looked at them last … not just glanced their way I indulged a few moments with looking at them we live in a truly beautiful corner of the world Here’s another harmless nostalgia ― carefree childhood summers Y’all remember how long the days seemed back then These days of my 50s don’t seem that long ― too many times I look at my watch and think “Where has the day gone?” I read something somewhere sometime that it all has to do with what’s familiar and that’s why the days go by quickly for us when we are older when we have those moments like I did last week ― the “good nostalgia” ones ― we regain a little of that “time slows down” feel Those few moments looking around at the various trees seemed to last forever The old folks had it right all along: All that matters is beauty David Murdock is an English instructor at Gadsden State Community College. He can be contacted at murdockcolumn@yahoo.com The gray wrapping on the package bore a Louis Vuitton logo on one side Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton said it should have been the Grim Reaper Inside were 2.27 pounds — a little more than a kilogram — of pure fentanyl the synthetic opioid that is killing overdose victims here and across the United States either by itself or mixed into other drugs It was discovered by two deputies in the sheriff’s office’s Active Criminal Enforcement Unit 431 in the area of North Glencoe Baptist Church The driver of the Chevrolet truck stopped by deputies Lucas Hallmark and Summer Doran is in the Etowah County jail on $1 million cash bond Horton said it was the largest seizure of that drug that anyone can recall in Etowah County noting that it was enough “to kill every person in the county.” Drug Enforcement Administration fact sheet a kilo of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people Horton said officers typically find fentanyl in 8- to 12-gram allotments made national headlines earlier this week for seizing a pound of fentanyl succeeding a previous unit called Rural Area Patrol and the deputies with K-9’s Tedi and Sonya have made several other arrests from traffic stops Horton said Hallmark and Doran were concentrating on drug interdiction in this instance — a skill they’ve been trained in — when they noticed Moore’s vehicle allegedly driving erratically “from one line to the other.” They made the traffic stop and Tedi giving an alert gave them probable cause to search the vehicle Hallmark said he found the fentanyl in a pouch in the back seat “We’re thankful that they saw enough indicators to make the stop and take that off the streets,” Horton said the Rainbow City and Southside police departments and the FBI’s North Alabama Criminal Enterprise Task Force were also involved in the operation Moore has a 2002 armed robbery conviction on his record plus arrests for weapons offenses and trafficking in meth which is the reason for the high bond in the case “That’s a great amount of drugs taken off the streets,” Horton said “that could have taken no telling how many lives should it have made it to its destination.” but the way it’s commonly being mixed into things like pills which could mean fatal consequences for unsuspecting users Toxicology reports show that 75% of the overdose deaths in Etowah County last year involved fentanyl in some way and deputies used Narcan roughly 40 times on overdose victims can make any substance look like another pill “A lot of these drugs are not what users think they’re purchasing,” he said “We’ll be happy to put those cases before (District Attorney Jody Willoughby) because it’s killing our kids it’s killing all members of our population Not that it’s right for someone to be out doing any kind of narcotics but to have narcotics that are laced with something that’s much stronger than anticipated is just horrible Willoughby pledged to “prosecute these cases as far as we can as far as the law allows,” and echoed Horton’s warning about other drugs being laced with fentanyl “All our drug labs are coming back with fentanyl,” he said The reason for the spiking: Customers want it “We have a case now where two individuals were seen slumped over in a vehicle and law enforcement responded to them but the passenger was taken to the hospital and later passed away and I realize they had a good kick,’” he said Asked what kind of message he’d like this seizure to send we’re going to do everything we can to win at the end of the day (This story has been updated to add more information.) Renovations to Etowah Park are in full swing and a ribbon cutting could be held in late May or early June Work crews lost about six weeks due to Helene Henderson County Director of Parks and Recreation Bruce Gilliam told the Board of Commissioners during their Feb but they are still on track to finish the project before the October deadline Additions to the park include two pickleball courts similar to those at Edneyville Community Park 21 panels placed along the walking path by the library and the construction of stormwater wetlands The most costly addition is all-new playground equipment It's going to be a big playground,” Gilliam said A walking path will be installed around the playground similar to the Donnie Jones All-Inclusive Playground at Jackson Park Walkways at the park are being removed and replaced with accessible paths Half of the project’s $572,250 cost was funded by a matching grant from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund of $286,125 The remainder of the funding came from the county’s 2024 general fund the most costly items were surfacing work and the pickleball/basketball courts at $100,000 each and concrete and drainage expenses of $76,000 Correcting the drainage in the wetland area has been “a hard deal,” Gilliam said But Gilliam said they are well ahead of that date and could hold a ribbon cutting at the end of May or early June “Thank you for retrofitting that park to suit those residents fitting in as much as you could,” Commissioner Sheila Franklin said “We tried to give them everything that we could out of that money,” Gilliam answered as he thanked the board for its support I knew that was on the list of Etowah residents … it was on their mind they have been wanting this,” Commissioner Jay Egolf said but it’s really nice to see a lot of good progress.” business and education officials gathered recently at a place most folks try to avoid — the booking unit at the Etowah County jail 21 for an open house to show off a monthlong sprucing up of the facility they received an update on the jail’s history and operations from Sheriff Jonathon Horton Horton also shared that Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees will be returning to the jail for the first time in three years although not in the way or scale as before The sheriff said a pre-occupancy inspection was completed a couple of weeks ago and 60 ICE detainees are expected to arrive March 3 in Gadsden Those detainees will then be moved to another facility and ICE plans to bring in new ones twice a week keeping the average detainee population at 60 ICE will reimburse the county $45 per inmate per day and also cover any medical or transportation fees involved Horton said the county has applied for an increase to account for inflation Etowah County took in ICE detainees awaiting deportation proceedings or actual removal from the U.S. for roughly a quarter century before the agency discontinued that relationship in 2022 sometimes housing as many as 300 at a time Over the years, the jail drew regular protests over how long those detainees were housed and some reports alleged mistreatment inside Jail officials repeatedly stressed that the facility had not failed any regular More: Gadsden City Council OKs new fee schedule for renovated Noccalula Falls campground The jail also is housing an average of 45 to 50 federal inmates with pre-sentencing status for the U.S (Horton said it’s one of the largest in the state although Etowah is Alabama’s smallest county in square mileage and ranks just 13th in population.) On the day of the open house, the sheriff said, there were 602 people in custody: 530 in the main jail and 72 in a nearby 112-bed annex for IMPACT, a 10-week program launched in 2020 to teach life skills to those jailed on drug or alcohol charges or for not paying child support All initially arrive through the booking unit Horton said the renovation was the brainchild of Scottie Hardy and included new paint and a general face lift “There’s a tremendous difference in what this place looks like compared to three weeks ago,” he said “because of the wear and tear it takes every day.” Horton said 40 to 50 inmates a day sometimes pass through the unit The average stay for misdemeanor prisoners who bond out and aren’t held in custody is about four hours More: Etowah County lands another $3.3 million in SEEDS grant funds for NEAR Megasite Step one is a breath analyzer test for blood alcohol then inmates must pass-through a Tek84 body intercept scanner to check for contraband and record an individual’s biometrics There’s also a fingerprint scanner that’s biometrically equipped as well There are eight holding cells and two “drunk tanks” in the area The booking counter is deliberately high to make it difficult for someone to climb over and confront the officers on duty Those who end up going to jail are sent to showers before moving into one of the 10 units on the facility’s seven floors and Horton discussed some of the issues involved there in his presentation at the open house where corrections officers are stationed in pods that provide protection in case there’s trouble in which those officers are among the inmates 21 reflected 1,800 meals that had to be served even though the state reimburses the county just $2.50 daily to feed state inmates and the county pays $4 to feed the others (That money must be accounted for separately and is scrutinized by auditors.) “I went to McDonald’s this morning and paid $5.27 for two Egg McMuffins,” Horton said “That’s a little bit of money for three meals a day.” He credited discount arrangements with suppliers and donations from food ministries with making it work whose only option is to call an ambulance and take a sick inmate to a hospital Etowah County offers around-the-clock medical care with a doctor and nurse practitioner on staff EMTs and paramedics available to help and dental and mental health services also provided He said that’s an offshoot of the relationship with ICE which requires high standards for medical care Horton described the constant “cat-and-mouse game” to keep contraband out of the jail crediting the placement of wire fencing on either side of the facility to prevent inmates from hauling items from the outside through windows (He detailed how inmates learned how to melt supposedly unbreakable windows and cut through metal screens installed to reinforce them before the screens were ultimately replaced with hardened steel.) “This is the only (jail) I know of that doesn’t have exterior perimeter fencing or security because of where it sits on a geographical downtown city street corner with concrete and pavement,” the sheriff said The fencing and scanner have helped — Horton said there’s only about one overdose a month in the jail now compared to 10 a month before — and a new canopy for the front portion of the jail is in the works to cut off that path for inmates to haul in stuff from outside 21 in separate ceremonies at the Etowah County Judicial Building Brynn Crain was sworn in as Circuit Judge Place No had served as an Etowah County deputy district attorney since 2014 successfully processing criminal cases including capital murders he was a civil litigator as an associate for the Cusimano and his candidate’s announcement touted his experience in both civil and criminal cases also a veteran of the Etowah County DA’s office replacing Clark Hall who resigned to return to private practice He won full terms in 2012 and 2018 but announced in 2023 he wouldn’t seek re-election Matt Skelton was sworn in as District Judge Place No who didn’t seek re-election after serving in the seat since his appointment by then-Gov family and probate law as a partner in Inzer Neither of the new judges faced opposition in the 2024 Republican primary or general election Both seats are in Alabama’s 16th Judicial Circuit Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - The Etowah County Sheriff’s Office says scam phone calls have been made from people falsely claiming to be police Authorities say these scammers are using deceptive tactics to appear legitimate and federal law enforcement will never call to demand money Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here 🚨 SCAM ALERT – PLEASE SHARE 🚨\n\nThe Etowah County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of scam phone calls from.. The Etowah County School System All-County teams were announced on Friday with Sardis girls and Glencoe boys headlining the awards The all-county teams are voted on by the coaches Sardis' Jacee Holcomb earned player of the year honors on the girls side while Glencoe's Garrett Morgan won player of the year honors on the boys side Hokes Bluff's Evan Talbot and Sardis' Heath Collum split the honor on the girls side Ryan Chambless won the award on the boys side as he helped lead Glencoe to a Final Four bid That broke an Etowah County wide drought that dated back to 2009 with Gadsden City also breaking the drought HALL OF FAME: Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame set to welcome 12 new Class of 2025 inductees AHSAA RECORD SETTER: Guntersville boys soccer AJ Shumate sets AHSAA soccer all-time record with 172 goals All-Etowah County Schools Girls basketball teamAlli Jo Amos Etowah County home listings asked for more money in March - see the current median price hereUSA TODAY NetworkThe median home in Etowah County listed for $259,000 in March, up 2.6% from the previous month's $252,450, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows the median home list price increased 4.4% from $248,950 The statistics in this article only pertain to houses listed for sale in Etowah County, not houses that were sold. Information on your local housing market, along with other useful community data, is available at data.gadsdentimes.com Etowah County's median home was 1,988 square feet The price per square foot of homes for sale is down 1.3% from March 2024 at a median 60 days listed compared to the March national median of 53 days on the market homes had a median of 81 days on the market Around 152 homes were newly listed on the market in March an 18.8% increase from 128 new listings in March 2024 The median home prices issued by Realtor.com may exclude many The price and volume represent only single-family homes but exclude most new construction as well as pending and contingent sales The median Alabama home listed for sale had 1,891 square feet The median American home for sale was listed at 1,800 square feet The median home list price used in this report represents the midway point of all the houses or units listed over the given period of time Experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average list price which would mean taking the sum of all listing prices then dividing by the number of homes sold The average can be skewed by one particularly low or high price (WBMA) — As a winter storm approaches Central Alabama local authorities are ramping up preparations to ensure public safety The Gadsden-Etowah County Emergency Management Agency held a briefing Thursday morning gathering government and agency leaders to finalize plans "I wanted to bring everybody together put faces with names," said Derek Mummert Mummert said the agency has planned for the event since last week such as emergency transportation for essential employees like nurses The Etowah County Sheriff's Office will be transporting essential employees The Alabama National Guard is also on standby we are going to have five vehicles available to help transport assist," said a National Guard representative "We do have capabilities for tree assistance that is definitely something we can respond to with our saws and at least get the process started." The National Guard will also have a wrecker and a maintenance team The EMA's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be fully staffed starting at 9 pm Thursday The agency is responsible for responding to and collecting local resource requests and compiling logs of resources used across the county for potential reimbursement during the state of emergency "We may not have any resource requests I know everyone has been prepping for this I would rather be over-prepared than underprepared," said Mummert The EOC will be staffed through the entirety of the event Gadsden-Etowah County EMA is a part of Division F for the statewide EMA Division resources will be based in Marshall County If a resource is needed that's not in Etowah County the local EMA will request the resource from the division level "We have to go through the process," said Mummert Communication with the public is a key responsibility and the EMA will utilize a real-time mapping system called Perimeter to inform residents about road problems "It is a map that has what is called an auto-refresh feature so they don't have to sit there and constantly refresh It has proven to be a very vital tool to get information out to the citizens," said Mummert "We've had that tool since July of last year This will obviously be the first major incident that we will be using it for it's worked flawlessly and has got the information out." A link will be posted on the agency's social media pages The link will provide the public access to the map The community can also report issues to EMA by calling 256-549-4575 or sending a Facebook message to the agency's official page Mummert advised residents to stay home if possible Check on those people that may not have adequate heat in their home—the elderly those with functional needs or accessibility needs," he said Warming stations are open across Gadsden and Etowah County There’s going to be a school tax election on May 20 but superintendents of Etowah County’s three school systems are stressing that it’s simply about preserving the status quo Gadsden City’s Keith Blackwell and Attalla’s Jeff Colegrove attended the Etowah County Commission’s Feb and commissioners accommodated them by authorizing the vote At issue will be the continuance of district school taxes — 5.6 and 3.4 mills for Etowah County and Attalla City and 6 and 4 mills for Gadsden City — that have been in place since 1946 The levies provide a chunk of annual revenue for the three systems: $6.9 million for Etowah County $6.2 million for Gadsden City and $800,000 for Attalla City 2005 and voters by a wide margin approved their continuation “Our big message is ‘no new taxes,’ ” Cosby told commissioners “Y’all have seen different school systems around the state ask for increases in millage in the last few months that haven’t been successful We’re not asking for anything we don’t already have.” “You look at it in terms of what that does it could be anywhere from 80 to 100 teachers as far as salaries go More: Etowah County gets ATRIP-II grant for intersection improvements on U.S. Highway 431 questioned whether scheduling an election for this single issue was wise given the importance of the taxes’ renewal Commissioner Tim Ramsey observed that it would draw people who really understand the issue to the polls rather than voters who show up for a big election and are inclined to oppose taxes The superintendents cited another reason for having the vote in May “It gives (us) and the principals an opportunity to go to all the honors day programs and things that go on in May,” Blackwell said “So you are going to be in front of a lot of parents to help them get out to vote “We have three graduations scheduled that day so our message is ‘go vote’ and ‘go graduate.’ ” Probate Judge Scott Hassell said ballots have been designed — there will be a single measure covering all the taxes to avoid confusing voters — and absentee voting should begin March 19 who have been working with him on setting up the election is not an easy thing.” He praised their boldness “For them with a lot going on to do this so quickly is admirable.” Hassell said scheduling the vote early would enable a “second bite at the apple” should the measure fail Each of the six Etowah County school system schools stakes its pride on the Etowah County basketball tournament with a yearly goal to bring a county title home The boys basketball tournament started in 1969 with the girls tournament starting in 1978 Glencoe has won the most county titles on the boys side with 19 Hokes Bluff leads the way on the girls side with 18 titles including six straight from 2012 to 2017 with scores and MVPs for every year that the Gadsden Times could find information on: AHSAA INTERVIEW: Exclusive Q&A with AHSAA executive director Heath Harmon: Future of NIL, transfers and more ALBERTVILLE GIRLS BASKETBALL: Albertville girls basketball off to fast start to kick off Natasha Smallwood's first year as coach BoysGlencoe - 20 (28 championship appearances) Southside - 19 (33 championship appearances) Hokes Bluff - 9 (11 championship appearances) West End - 3 (10 championship appearances) Hokes Bluff - 18 (29 championship appearances) Glencoe - 16 (26 championship appearances) Southside - 2 (16 championship appearances) Etowah County boys basketball tournament champions (This story was updated to add new information.) The Etowah County School System released its list of fall all-county teams, including players of the year for football and volleyball The teams only encompass players from Gaston Gadsden City and Westbrook Christian student-athletes are not on the team as they are not in the Etowah County School System The teams were selected by the coaches in each sport 2024 FOOTBALL RECAP: Alabama High School Football: 7 of the most memorable moments from the 2024 season GLENCOE: How new coach Bayley Blanchard plans to help get Glencoe football back to old winning ways (WDEF) —  Three buildings were destroyed in a major blase last night in Etowah 2025 at the intersection of 5th Street and county road 6-29 The fire involved two abandoned warehouses and one abandoned home Seven fire departments took part in fighting the blaze No injuries were reported from the incident According to Etowah fire officials tell us the cause of the fire is under investigation A traffic stop by the Etowah County Sheriff's Office ACE Unit in North Gadsden led to the arrest of a man on drug charges who alerted officers to the presence of illegal narcotics This led to the discovery of controlled substances and the arrest of Matthew Banister Banister was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and taken to the Etowah County Jail focuses on patrolling rural areas of Etowah County and serving arrest warrants to enhance community safety with one assigned to the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force Sheriff Horton commended the ACE Unit for their dedication and proactive efforts in maintaining safety in Etowah County arrest warrants and rural patrols are a top priority for this unit," Horton said "I appreciate the hard work of our deputies and K-9 SONYA in ensuring these dangerous substances are removed from our community." — A former Etowah city commissioner faces dozens of charges after a grand jury says he violated hunting laws in McMinn County A grand jury filed an indictment on Tuesday against John James We're still working to learn the particular details of that incident, but here's a list of the charges against James in the indictment, according to online court records in McMinn County: This is not the first time John James has faced charges related to hunting the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) charged James with 3 misdemeanors after police say he and his son hunted turkey illegally on a Calhoun Tennessee property where they didn't have permission And in January,TWRA officials charged James with hunting without permission violation of proclamations or rules and regulations and not wearing daylight fluorescent orange while hunting big game The 2025 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and there are some very talented players and teams across Alabama Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area at the AISA or AHSAA state championships but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Alabama We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason top-10 rankings in each AHSAA classification Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state Each week we will be releasing our Players of the Week updating the top-10 ranks in each AHSAA classification as well updating our Power 25 overall rankings you don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state as well as the recaps and previews of the big games we’re covering *Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason High School: Etowah Blue DevilsHead Coach: Blake BoneClassification: AHSAA Class 4AArea Number: Class 4A Area 112024 Record (Finish): 23-14 (Eliminated in Sweet Sixteen)No of Returning Pitchers: 7Team Strengths: Pitching & Offensive Depth   Etowah enters the 2025 season with a deep and experienced roster returning eight positional starters and seven pitchers from a squad that reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2024 With a strong pitching staff and an athletic lineup the Blue Devils have the pieces to make a deeper postseason run this year has a strong work ethic and could see time as a freshman and a mix of veteran leadership and young talent and Westbrook Christian for a spot in the playoffs at the end of the regular season If the Blue Devils can stay healthy and maximize their offensive depth they have the tools to make a serious run at the Class 4A state championship in 2025 Find more information on the 2025 Etowah program below: + Follow them on X: @EtowahBaseball2+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2025 HS Team Previews + Prep Baseball Alabama on X+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook             (This story was updated to add a video and new information.)  Several inches of snow that fell across Northeast Alabama in the early morning hours Friday brought Gadsden and other Etowah County municipalities to a standstill. The area remains under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Saturday. No official snow totals were available, but anecdotal social media reports indicated that as much as 3 inches may have fallen in some places. The Gadsden-Etowah County Emergency Management Agency in a Facebook post about 8 a.m. reported that all roads in the county should be considered impassable and shared a report from the Reece City Fire Department that Bruton Gap Road is closed until further notice. The Rainbow City Police Department on its Facebook page echoed that roads there are impassable, and said Alabama Highway 77 between Whorton Bend Road and Hillside Trail should especially be avoided as multiple vehicles have been unable to make it up the incline coming from the bridge over the Coosa River. Other law enforcement agencies urged drivers to stay home until conditions improve. However, the National Weather Service’s Birmingham office in an early morning forecast discussion said slick and hazardous road conditions could linger through Saturday morning. Temperatures were expected to rise above the freezing level by the afternoon, but precipitation will continue and some of it could be freezing rain or sleet, plus Friday’s forecast low temperature was only 29 degrees. And it will be chilly again on Saturday, with a high near 36 and a low of about 15, according to the NWS. Sunday’s high will be in the low 40s, which should help melt off any residual snow. The Etowah County Courthouse and Attalla City Hall were closed on Friday. Gadsden’s City Hall remained open, but with only a skeleton staff according to city officials. The city’s Public Works Department used its new Snowdog snow plow attachment on a spreader to clear roads all over the city, according to Director of City Services Tena King. The setup also included a salt spreader as a rear attachment. King said the equipment was purchased in October and this was the first time it’s been used. Mayor Craig Ford said it helped clear major roadways for first responders and essential workers who had to travel. Multiple local businesses reported closures on their social media accounts. BREAKING: Former Chatt. Prep. teacher Kenya White intends to plead guilty to enticement charges in federal court. Tennessee pours new money into Etowah's water infrastructureby WTVC — Tennessee has approved two loans totaling $884,000 to enhance the City of Etowah's water infrastructure Etowah will receive a $279,000 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program for pump station replacement and improvements This loan carries a five-year term at 1.46 percent interest The remaining amount will be repaid as principal Etowah will benefit from a $605,000 loan for the expansion of a wastewater treatment plant This loan also has a five-year term at 1.46 percent interest provided through the State Revolving Fund Loan Program was sanctioned by the Tennessee Local Development Authority — Newton secured their spot in Atlanta on Wednesday night as the boys basketball team clinched a spot in the Final Four with a 68-53 win over Etowah It was a tightly contested game between the Rams and the Eagles but Newton began to break away more and more as the second half went on the Rams came away with the 15-point win on the back of big games from senior Ted Neal and junior Jordan Green head coach Barry Browner was overcome with emotion when he discussed how the Final Four berth was a full-circle moment for him to be back in the Final Four,” Browner said “I was an assistant here when we were in the Final Four a couple years ago coach T — they have been here and the last two years we have been grinding.” the Lady Rams secured their spot in the Final Four for the girls bracket with a road win over Buford With the chance for Newton to have two teams in the Final Four the opportunity carried a different meaning for Browner and the players “We talked about it when the girls won last night,” Browner said “A couple of guys in the group chat were saying So us getting the chance to represent Covington on the state stage The battle between Newton and Etowah on Wednesday started off neck-and-neck the Eagles managed to find open guys in the paint on multiple occasions as Etowah was able to scheme their way to points before holding a 16-11 lead at the end of the first quarter Etowah starter Alex Young had a strong opening frame as the 6-foot-6 forward was able to have a presence on the inside while also knocking down a shot from the perimeter When the game transitioned into the second frame began to take over as Newton broke out for a 27-point quarter Neal went for eight points in the frame while Harden finished with 10 that included a three-pointer Harden had a strong moment in the second quarter that saw the Minnesota-football commit score on three consecutive possessions(three-pointer With many eyes on Marcus Smith and his recent stretch of strong games dating back to the regular season Browner discussed how that has allowed Harden to take another step up “[It was] Zach coming in and really helping Marcus We know teams were going to start trying to take the ball out of Marcus’ hands and now you have to pick your poison — it is either Marcus or Zach,” Browner said He garners respect and he is an everyday guy.” Although his points mostly arrived late in the frame junior Jordan Green knocked down a trio of three-pointers that proved to be crucial in the Rams ability to hold a 38-28 lead at halftime “The first half we started out [slow] and the second half we really picked it up Newton managed to hold on to its 10-point lead despite some big shots from Etowah’s Colton Etter and DC Kelly-Godinez The third quarter saw the Rams go a combined nine of 10 from the free throw line Newton managed to keep pace in the fourth quarter with big final frames from Green and Bryce Jackson who combined for 12 points in the final eight minutes Etowah put up 12 points as a team in the final quarter but the Rams ultimately came away with the 68-53 win at home The Rams knew they had the size advantage going in but that did not stop the Eagles from attacking the inside against bigger bodies throughout the game Browner spoke on the game plan to stop the Eagles We had a lot of respect for Alex Young and Aiden Weaver,” Browner said “We knew they could get the ball inside and score they play in one of the toughest regions in the state so they have played against good competition We just kept watching the film and were trying different things to stop them Neal and Green finished with 19 and 18 points Harden and Jackson ended their days with 12 points apiece scoring was led by Etter with 15 points while Will Myles had 11 points Newton moved to 20-9 on the season and have a spot in the Final Four for the first time since the 2021-22 season the Rams are set to take on the Pebblebrook Falcons who will enter the game with a 22-8 record after a win over 77-70 Walton in the Elite Eight The Rams and Falcons will face off in the Final Four at Georgia State on Saturday The Etowah County Commission approved the transfer of $150,000 from Opioid Funds to the Etowah County District Attorney's office for fiscal year 2025 The funds will be appropriated to the DA's office through fiscal year 2029 upon yearly approval from the commission Etowah County Chief Administrative Officer Shane Ellison said the funds would be used to hire additional staff in the district attorney's office "So that [DA Jody Willoughby] can get some of the cases either prosecuted or get them settled in some other shape This should help to clear those up quickly." [Willoughby] had one staffer that is one assistant district attorney that is devoted mainly to prosecuting these cases This will help this person immensely," explained Ellison Opioid funds have also been appropriated to the Etowah County Sheriff's Office for drug education "Their goal is to educate children so they don't ever become involved with opioids," said Ellison The total funding transfer for drug education has been around $50,000 over the last two years The county is also working with a consultant to put up a canopy in front of the county detention center "The inmates evidently figure out a way to make fishing line or rope and try to pull in contraband from the outside We have the contraband issue at the front of the detention center and then we have a water issue with the patio A canopy helps alleviate both of those issues simultaneously," said Ellison The canopy project is expected to cost around $250,000 The bid process for the project is slated to start in December Ellison expected opioid settlement funds to continue to aid Etowah County and other counties "There's a significant amount of funding that will come over the next so the bulk of the money came with the initial payment Some of the [settlements] are spread equally over the next 10 years A lot of the funds that we received would not be possible without the help of the district attorney's office It felt appropriate to return those funds in some shape or fashion to the district attorney's office," explained Ellison The first transfer to the district attorney's office will happen this month Additional funding will be distributed on a quarterly basis beginning January 2025 ABC 33/40 has reached out to the Etowah County District Attorney's Office regarding the opioid funding It's officially county tournament week for Etowah County Schools 13 at Sardis High School and features a varsity boys and girls bracket along with a junior varsity boys bracket and some junior varsity girl games The varsity portion of the tournament will be the final two games each day mainly starting at 5:45 except on Tuesday when it starts at 5 p.m and on Championship Friday which sees the girls title game start at 6 p.m Keep up with the scores from each day of action here: PREVIEW AND PICKS: Etowah County boys and girls basketball tournament preview, players to watch, predictions BOLD PREDICTIONS: 25 bold predictions for 2025 from around Gadsden area high school sports Junior Varsity boys Game 1: 4-seed Sardis 71 DAY ONE THOUGHTS: Glencoe's Kinlee Montgomery continues recent run: Takeaways from Etowah County tournament Day 1 DAY 2: Hokes Bluff boys basketball light up scoreboard: Takeaways from Etowah County tournament Day 2 Junior Varsity boys Game 2: Southside defeated Sardis DAY 3: Sardis' Lucas Montgomery has career night in loss: Takeaways from Etowah County Tournament Day 3 Junior Varsity boys Game 3: Hokes Bluff 45 Junior Varsity Girls Championship game: 1-seed Sardis vs Junior Varsity Boys Championship Game: Hokes Bluff vs Varsity Girls Championship game: Sardis 53 Varsity Boys Championship game: Glencoe 67