Area News

The late Jimmy King was approached 30 years ago to host a fundraiser event for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event is still going strong, and now the 30th installment of Saddle Up for St. Jude is set to cross the $5 million mark in all-time funds raised for the nonprofit. The event will…

Efforts to revitalize the city were the main items on the agenda for the July 6 meeting of the Tuscumbia City Council. Resident Susan Bentley, who lives on the east end of Tuscumbia, brought a proposal before the Council to put in some work to spruce up the area. “The proposal is about investing in…

Returning Spring Park to its peak condition has been an ongoing effort for the City of Tuscumbia for some time. Whether it be grass removal from the pond, fixing the waterfall or the pond fountain show, a number of items have had to be addressed. One such item the city can now mark off its…

Farming is a difficult industry to break into these days. Not only does it take the actual land to build a farm on, but there is always a large upfront cost to obtain the necessary vehicles, equipment, buildings and people. Most larger farms these days have been passed down across multiple generations. However, new ventures…

The 48th annual Helen Keller Festival is in the books, with visitors treated to another year of music and fun. According to Kevin Johnson, who is among a number of volunteer members of the Helen Keller Festival board, this year’s event brought in almost 5,000 people to Spring Park, which is 700 more than last…

Visitors attending the Animalogy program at Muscle Shoals Public Library on June 26 had a hoot. In more ways than one. Bob Tarter of Natural History Educational Company of the Midsouth introduced the crowd to several different animals, including an owl and various reptiles, as part of the MSPL’s summer reading program. “Each summer, the…

The issue of pay for Tuscumbia’s first responders returned to the forefront at the June 15 meeting of the city council. Interim Police Chief Steven Higginbotham and Fire Chief J.T. Fox presented Council members with a potential new pay scale that includes increased pay after a certain amount of time with the department. “We have…

Flooding has been an issue in parts of Alabama over the last few weeks due to the amount of rain the state has seen. When it came to the flood of water spotted in Spring Park on June 17, however, the weather had nothing to do with it. A burst section of water line caused…

The Tuscumbia City Council voted unanimously to host a water parade on the Fourth of July during its meeting on June 15. The idea originated with Council member Len Gregory, who said he has seen a similar event in another state and wanted to do something like it here. “We have a huge water parade…

The story of how Anne Sullivan broke through the barrier and managed to communicate with and teach Helen Keller has captivated audiences for generations. In 1962, the film “The Miracle Worker” starring Anne Bancroft as Sullivan and Patty Duke as Keller was released, and earlier that same year, a play version has been performed on…