SCOTTSBORO, AL - The Jackson County legislative delegation of Sen. Lowell Barron, D- 
The Jackson County legislative delegation of state Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe; Rep. Butch Taylor, D-New Hope; and Rep. John Robinson, D-Scottsboro presented county officials with a $1 million check today for schools, towns and the County Commission.Scottsboro; Rep. Butch Taylor, D-New Hope; and Rep. John Robinson, D-Scottsboro presented Jackson County officials with a $1 million check today for education, towns and the County Commission.
Most of the money is from an increase in TVA-in-lieu-of tax money the delegation helped to get through the Legislature and $300,000 is from the delegation's own fund.
Jackson County will continue to get this amount each year in addition to the $1 milllion it had already been getting from TVA and the delegation.
"This is the best news we could have possibly received today," said Scottsboro City schools Superintendent Judith Berry.
Berry and Jackson County schools Superintendent Ken Harding said the money is timely as the Legislature looks at having to cut the education budget as it prepares to discuss it next week in Montgomery.
Barron said the education budget is about $1.4 billion less than what it was in 2007.
View full sizeAirTran jets will be parked at Huntsville International Airport's gates on May 27.HUNTSVILLE, AL - Huntsville International Airport is asking area businesses to kick in 10 percent of their projected travel savings to support low-fare carrier AirTran's upcoming entry into the market.
Nearly 400 people attended six town hall meetings in Decatur, Athens and Huntsville last week to hear the airport's pitch to help AirTran sustain its service once its here and expand service later to Atlanta.
Officials announced two weeks ago that AirTran will begin service to and from Baltimore and Orlando on May 27.
AirTran's lower fares to those two cities will press other commercial air carriers serving Huntsville to decrease their fares, officials have said.
Airport spokeswoman Laura Gipson said Friday the airport has "begun to receive pledges in limited numbers," but that most of the businesses represented at the meetings will take some time to evaluate the airport's pitch.
The airport is asking area companies to contribute 10 percent of their projected annual travel budget savings from AirTran's lower fares.
For example, a company with a $1 million annual air fare budget could save $260,000 with AirTran's presence in the market. The airport would ask that company to contribute $26,000 to the effort.
The contributions will go with a $1 million federal transportation grant that the airport received to help with marketing and $1.5 million in landing fee waivers for the low-fare carrier.
More airports and cities in the country have begun offering incentives to recruit commercial air service, said consultant Damon Hylton, who was hired by the airport and led the town hall meetings.
Some of those include partnerships with businesses in the cities.
For example, Hylton said in his presentation, Pensacola, Fla., has raised $2.1 million from local businesses; Sarasota, Fla., has $1.2 million from a federal transportation grant; Wichita, Kan., has $6.5 million a year for five years from state and local governments; and Panama City, Fla., has $24 million over three years from St. Joe Co.
Hylton told people at the meetings that in the existing economic environment, AirTran can't afford to lose money launching new routes.
He said that existing carriers will match AirTran fares and offer other inducements to keep people from using AirTran. If those carriers are successful, AirTran will leave the market and Huntsville air fares will return to their present high level or more.
A federal agency survey found that Huntsville has had the most expensive average air fare in the country for the last three quarters.
If AirTran has success with the Baltimore and Orlando flights, it will be more willing to consider expanding service to Atlanta, Hylton said at the meetings.
The airport may hold more town hall meetings in its 18-county service area, Gipson said.
Guy Baker walks his service dog Maze with Lions Club member Wayne Perkins HAZEL GREEN, AL -- Wayne Perkins, a funeral director and embalmer for Berryhill Funeral Home, moved to Hazel Green five years ago from the Washington D. C. area.
Guy Baker, a native of Madison County, is a retired truck driver who is legally blind from glaucoma.
This unlikely pair shares a common bond -- a dog -- a very special dog.
Maze, a yellow lab, is a service dog and constant companion for Baker who has lived alone after his mother, Louise Baker, died last June. Her death left Baker to survive on his social security check each month -- less than $700.
Three years ago, Baker was referred to Leader Dogs for the Blind by a local Lions Club. He went to Rochester Hills, Mich., for 26 days to train with Maze, which was given to him at the conclusion of the orientation.
"We bonded pretty quickly," said Baker who got Maze when the dog was 16 months old.
Baker, 58, was struggling to pay for Maze's vet bills and could only afford his shots, but nothing extra such as teeth cleaning. But service dogs need to be in top shape physically and having clean teeth goes a long way to ensure good health. So Baker turned to the Huntsville Pacesetters Lions Club for help.
When Perkins, a member of the Pacesetters Lions Club, learned about Baker's plight, he offered to help since he lives nearby.
"The Lions Club has been involved in helping people with sight problems since 1925," said Perkins. "Since Guy is nearly blind, we wanted to help."
While the Pacesetters have provided some financial assistance with food for Maze, Perkins said the club needs more help.
"We have several other projects and our money is limited," he said. "We're just trying to find someone who could help with food and veterinary care on a regular basis."
Guy Baker with service dog MazeAfter learning about Maze, Banfield Animal Hospital at PetSmart in Jones Valley, offered to put him on its wellness plan, which includes all shots and yearly exams, and the Banfield Foundation will pay for a teeth cleaning. Flint River Animal Hospital has agreed to provide a free grooming for the 85-pound dog.
Maze only eats one kind of food -- Purina One chicken and rice. Purina One representative, Jim Davis, is donating coupons for Baker to purchase Maze's food.
"Wayne and the Lions Club have done so much for me and I can't thank them enough," said Baker. "And my church (First Baptist of Hazel Green) has been real good to help, too."
Shortly after Perkins arrived for a recent visit to see Baker and Maze, Baker immediately began to search in a drawer for his mother's eye glasses. He found three pairs which he gave to Perkins who collects them as part of the Lions Club ongoing project for needy people with sight problems.
Anyone wishing to help provide food or money to purchase dog food or who have old eye glasses to donate should contact Perkins at 425-4756 or Rodney Taylor at 933-0723.
Leader Dogs for the Blind is a nonprofit organization founded in 1939 by a Detroit-area Lions Club which purchased 15 acres of land in Rochester Hills, Mich., to train guide dogs for people who are legally blind.
It is funded entirely by private donations, the majority coming from Lions Clubs throughout the world which are dedicated to helping the visually impaired. It also operates on corporate donations and grants.
Just this month, the 14,000th team graduated from its facilities. One of those teams included a Hazel Green man, Guy Baker, and his dog, Maze.
Dogs, and replacement dogs, are given to qualified applicants who must come to the training facilities alone and spend 26 days training with the canines, most which are bred on the property.
The cost, which includes the dog, training and travel expenses to and from the facilities, can cost more than $35,000, according to Leader Dog Marketing Specialist Rachell Kniffen.
The organization accepts applications for dogs from anyone age 16 and over. Leader Dog officials are always in need of people who are willing to take the puppies and then return them to the facilities after a year. The dogs are then trained for four months before being matched with a human companion, said Stacy Benmark, Leader Dog director of consumer services.
For more information on Leader Dogs for the Blind, visit www.leaderdog.org or call 888-777-5332.
Any service dog in the United States or Canada certified by a formal training program or organization, or currently enrolled in a formal training program, is eligible for a free eye exam during the month of May.
The American College of Veterainary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) and Merial and I-MED Pharma Inc., is teaming up for the third annual National Service Dog Eye Exam throughout May. Online registration begins April 1 and runs through May 16 (www.ACVOeyeexam.org).
Once registered online, the owner/agent of the dog can locate a participating opththalmologist in their area and contact that doctor to schedule an appointment during May. Appointments are based on a first-come, first-served basis. There are more than 150 board certified veterinary ophthalmologists in the U. S. and Canada who have agreed to provide exams at no cost.
Stacee Daniel, executive director of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists says "It we can assist more dogs, then the dogs can better assist people. This event is a success each year due to the outstanding support of our volunteer ophthalmologists, our sponsore and the service dog community. All ae instrumental in helping these dogs."
Police blotter
Unless otherwise noted, the following incidents were reported to Huntsville police Thursday and Friday. In items with incomplete addresses, police withheld the information:
North Precinct:
Canada Avenue: A home was burglarized between 6 a.m. and noon Friday. A computer and a Smith and Wesson handgun were stolen.
Laverne Drive: A vehicle parked at a home in the 1700 block was burglarized between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 6:30 a.m. Thursday. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen.
Sam Drive: Police recovered a stolen 1998 Lexus GS 300 about 1 p.m. Friday.
Sparkman Drive: A vehicle parked at a home in the 1500 block was broken into between 8:45 p.m. Wednesday and 6:45 a.m. Thursday. A tachometer was stolen.
Stringfield Road: A business was burglarized between 7 p.m. Thursday and 6:30 a.m. Friday. A cutting torch kit valued at $300, a lock and large chain and a Craftsman screwdriver were stolen; 34 large truck tires and four engine blocks were damaged.
Stringfield Road: An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen by fraud from a home about 3 p.m. Feb. 22. The fraud was not discovered and reported to police until Thursday.
Stringfield Road: A business reported the theft of copper wire and copper pipe between Monday and 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Union Drive: One person is facing drug charges after officers found two bags of marijuana during a traffic stop at Peachtree Street at 2:18 a.m. Friday.
Wilkenson Drive: A 1981 Olds Cutlass was stolen from a home between 11:59 p.m. Thursday and 8:15 a.m. Friday.
South Precinct:
Bass Circle: A vehicle parked in the 400 block was burglarized between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Thursday. A GPS system and a radar detector were stolen.
Beirne Avenue: A set of jumper cables, a bottle of Roundup, a push mower and a sprayer were stolen from a residence in the 200 block between March 1 and 10 a.m. Monday. The theft was not reported to police until Friday.
Dallas Avenue: A 52-year-old man was assaulted at a home in the 400 block about 4:55 a.m. Friday.
Garrison Street: One person is facing a charge of child endangerment involving a 3-year-old girl at a home between 4:40 and 6 p.m. Thursday.
Holmes Avenue: A 38-year-old woman was robbed in a parking lot in the 100 block about 1:55 a.m. Friday.
Memorial Parkway: A 2005 model, 12-foot utility trailer was stolen from a parking lot in the 13300 block between 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Memorial Parkway: A storage facility was broken into between October 2009 and 11:10 a.m. Friday. Two hand planers, a toaster and a can opener were stolen.
Orchard Street: A central air conditioning unit was stolen from a home in the 1000 block between March 11 and 1 p.m. Thursday.
Petitt Circle: A home was burglarized between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen.
Sivley Road: A 74-year-old woman reported the theft of her purse, an undisclosed amount of cash, $9,000 worth of jewelry and other personal property between 4 p.m. Feb. 14 and 9:27 a.m. March 3. The theft was not reported to police until Thursday.
West Precinct:
1st Street: A vehicle parked at an undisclosed location was broken into between 4:30 p.m. Monday and 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. Several hand tools were stolen.
9th Avenue: A 44-year-old man was assaulted at a home about 6:55 p.m. Thursday.
Cypress Avenue: A 54-year-old man reported the theft of about $15 worth of gas from his vehicle parked at his residence between 8 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Governor's Drive: A quantity of prescription medications and an undisclosed amount of cash were stolen from a home between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday.
Henderson Road: A home was burglarized between 3 p.m. Wednesday and noon Thursday. Four cabinets were stolen.
Laurelwood Drive: A .40-caliber handgun was stolen from a home between March 4 and 3 p.m. Thursday.
Lawson Ridge: A vehicle parked at a home in the 4000 block was broken into between 10:30 p.m. Thursday and 7:30 a.m. Friday. A CD player, an amplifier, a shovel, cordless drill and two speakers were stolen.
McVay Street: Police are investigating the death of a 53-year-old man found in his apartment in the 3900 block about 9:20 a.m. Thursday. The man was last seen alive Feb. 15. No other details were made public.
Providence Main Street: A home was burglarized between 6 a.m. Monday and 3:30 p.m. Thursday. A 26 inch TV was stolen.
Rime Village Drive: A vehicle parked in a parking lot was broken into between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday. A wheel was stolen.
Thomas Road: A home in the 3800 block was burglarized between 9 a.m. and 1:08 p.m. Thursday. A 36-inch plasma TV and two pair of shoes were stolen.
University Drive: A vehicle parked in a parking lot was broken into between 6 and 10:40 p.m. Thursday. A wallet, undisclosed amount of cash, two debit cards and personal ID were stolen.
Gov. Bob Riley has selected Alison Strickland Austin, a veteran prosecutor who grew up here, to become a Madison County district judge, filling a vacancy created last month.
Strickland Austin, 39, was selected by Riley Friday, just over a week after being named one of three finalists for the position by the county Judicial Commission.
"Alison Strickland Austin brings a solid legal background of civil and criminal law to the bench in Madison County," Riley said in a statement. "I'm confident she will serve the people of Madison County with distinction."
Strickland Austin is an assistant U.S. attorney, having worked for the Department of Justice since 2002. Before that she was a prosecutor in the Madison County District Attorney's Office for five years. Her last day as a federal prosecutor will be Monday, Strickland Austin said, and she expects to be sworn in next week.
"I am humbled and honored, and I look forward to serving the people of Madison County," she said Friday.
She was born in Virginia and grew up in Huntsville. She attended Huntsville High School and graduated from Auburn University in 1993. She earned her law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1995.
Strickland Austin's experience as a prosecutor began in District Court here in 1997 and she prosecuted misdemeanor and traffic cases. She moved on to prosecute child abuse and sexual assault cases, murders and other violent felonies. During her last year in the District Attorney's Office, she was involved in 15 jury trials, which was more than anyone else in the office, according to her judicial application.
As a federal prosecutor she has worked on bank robbery, drug, weapons, wire fraud and other fraud cases.
With engineers still searching for the cause of the sinkhole, northbound Interstate 65 remains closed near Hartselle.HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The sinkhole in the northbound lane of Interstate 65 is proving to be a stubborn problem.
Excavation is continuing this afternoon but the Department of Transportation still has not reached the void in the ground that's causing the sinkhole near Hartselle. And that means no end in sight for the detours on I-65.
Department of Transportation engineer Johnny Harris said this afternoon that workers had dug more than 20 feet in search of that void -- which must be sealed off before repairs can be made and the interstate reopened.
Asked about a timetable for the repairs to be complete, Harris said he wouldn't want to put a specific timeframe on it but "it will be later rather than sooner."
Reed Construction of Huntsville is handling the repairs, Harris said, and will be working around the clock in the hopes of getting as much work done as possible before rain forecasted for Sunday arrives.
See more coverage from today's Huntsville Times about the sinkhole and alternate travel routes.
Read more in Saturday's Huntsville Times
View full sizeSgt. Mike Salomonsky shows the drugs recovered after searching a Moores Mill Road home and a storage facility in north Madison County.
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Madison County drug agents discovered more than 20,000 pills and $180,600 cash in a storage facility during one of the county's largest investigations into illegal prescription medication sales.
Sgt. Mike Salomonsky of the county's narcotics team said the drugs are valued at about $240,700. Investigators confiscated the following:
Investigators also took a gun and the cash from the facility.
"In my 14 years in law enforcement, I have never seen this amount of prescription pills together," he said.
View full sizeChristy McBride, 27, is charged with trafficking in marijuana.
Salomonsky said the bust was the result of an investigation that started in the summer of 2009, when 49-year-old Ricky Glenn Taylor was arrested for trafficking in prescription pills.
The Madison County Narcotics Team received information from a confidential informant and from an anonymous e-mail that led them to execute a search warrant Thursday at Taylor's house at 6967 Moores Mill Road and at the storage facility.
Salomonsky declined to release the address of the storage unit, citing concern for the business owner, who was not involved in the drug ring. Deputies arrested Taylor's girlfriend, Christy McBride, 27, who had been living in his home since his arrest last year. Taylor is still being held in the Madison County Jail without bond.
The storage unit was listed under McBride's name, Salomonsky said. After drug agents searched the home, she gave them the keys to the storage unit.
She is being held in the Madison County Jail on a $200,000 bond for trafficking in marijuana, Salomonsky said. He said additional charges are pending, but he hopes to arrest another eight or nine people first as part of a criminal enterprise case. By charging all the suspects under the state's "kingpin law," they would be subject to a stricter sentence if convicted.
Drug agents also arrested Taylor's brother, Ronald Edward "Bo" Taylor, 60, and Albert Ernie Maples, 53, in connection with the trafficking of prescription pills. Their bonds were set at $500,000 and $200,000 respectively, but they have both made bond and have been released from jail.
FORT PAYNE, AL - A DeKalb County man who led police on a high-speed chase on
Jody Daniel Phillips Thursday from Fort Payne to the top of Sand Mountain near Sylvania has been charged with making methamphetamine.
Police Commissioner Ron Ogletree said today that Jody Daniel Phillips, 34, of Fort Payne was charged with first-degree manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, attempting to elude law enforcement and reckless endangerment
Phillips was being held in the County Jail in Fort Payne today awaiting a bond hearing.
Ogletree said Fort Payne Police Officer Sgt. Nick Brown tried to stop Phillips after he was seen about 9 a.m. speeding in a pickup truck on Sylvania Road near the city limits.
Officers from the Sylvania Police Department and the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department helped in the pursuit.
As the chase continued past the Blake Volunteer Fire Department, Brown noticed several objects being thrown from the truck. Phillips stopped about a half-mile from that point.
Inside Phillips' truck, officers found an alleged shake and bake meth lab, drugs and drug paraphernalia, Ogletree said.
The case has been turned over to the DeKalb County Drug Task Force for further investigation.
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The National Pan-Hellenic Council, North Alabama Chapter, along with Commissioner Bob Harrison will sponsor a "Come Out, Be Counted in 2010" event Saturday to encourage people to participate in the 2010 United States Census.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Northwest Community Learning Center, 3404A Blue Springs Road in Huntsville. The event will include entertainment and education about the census.
James Fowler of Madison is new UA SGA presidentMADISON, AL -- As a student attending Discovery Middle School, James Fowler became interested in student government.
His interest in student government continued in high school, where he was elected SGA president at Bob Jones High School. On March 9, it came as no surprise to Bob Jones Assistant Principal Julie Finley when Fowler was elected SGA president at the University of Alabama.
"Even in a class of 700, every year there are those amazing kids who simply rise to the top and become recognized as young adult leaders," said Finley. "James is a natural. He steps forward with a genuine concern and a readiness to accept responsibility -- the very essence of strong leadership. He'll do great things for UA."
Finley's boss and James' father is Madison City School Superintendent Dee Fowler, who encouraged his son to pursue his dreams.
Fowler said he has "always badgered James with motivational quotes: 'Do not take council of your fears' and 'It's better to try and fail than to have never tried.' Then when he decided to jump into the fray of politics, I was the one with fear."
James, a political science and business major, said he sought the challenge.
"When first becoming involved at UA, I knew I wanted to serve in some capacity in the university's SGA," James wrote in an e-mail. "SGA has become a passion for me. Many students pursue athletics, art, drama and other passions in college, and I have been fortunate to pursue my passion, SGA."
His new role keeps him busy; he is already planning for the SGA to host a 2010 gubernatorial debate at the Capstone.
James also hopes to start a laundry delivery service to serve all campus dorm rooms and a transportation master plan to expand the university's campus transit system on and off campus.
A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, James has worked on a number of SGA projects, including creating the weekend, late-night shuttle, which transported more than 16,000 riders during its pilot semester last fall; expanding UA's initial textbook rental program with a $300,000 federal grant; and hosting a UA Date Auction that raised over $13,000 in student scholarships.
He is a member of several honor societies, including Omicron Delta Kappa, Cardinal Key, Order of Alpha, Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Alpha Lambda and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
View full sizeSince 1987, Nellie Pike has been in charge of Berachah Gym on Sparkman Drive, a facility for adults that hosts co-ed volleyball, men's basketball league games and square dancing. Pike will retire on March 31 after 50 years with the city of Huntsville.HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Nellie Pike didn't know she was making a career decision when she agreed to teach a women's "Slimnastics" class for the city of Huntsville on Sept. 1, 1960.
Almost 50 years later, the petite manager of Berachah Gym on Sparkman Drive is retiring as the city's most senior employee -- and one of its most beloved. Her last day at work is March 31.
"I've always been interested in activity and exercising," Pike said Thursday. "It just turned out that I always enjoyed my job enough that I wanted to get up and come to work."
View full sizeRecreation has been a lifelong passion for Pike, who turns 80 in October. She started Huntsville's first volleyball league for women, directed the popular men's basketball league for 25 years and served on the state physical fitness board.
Pike has no intention of slowing down in retirement: she said the only thing on her agenda is exercising regularly at Huntsville Hospital's Madison wellness center.
"I can't just go sit down," she said.
She attributes her strong work ethic to growing up on a cotton farm in Monrovia.
"If we weren't working in the fields, we had chores to do," Pike said. "That was just sort of my lifestyle -- to be active."
When Pike went to work for the city, R.B. "Speck" Searcy was mayor and Dwight D. Eisenhower occupied the White House. Her career has spanned six Huntsville mayors and 11 U.S. presidents.
One of Pike's fondest memories from those early days is driving Searcy's convertible in a parade honoring Huntsville native Benny Nelson, who became an All-Southeastern Conference running back at Alabama in 1963 and played briefly for the NFL's Houston Oilers.
Since 1987, Pike has held court at Berachah Gym. The city acquired the gym from a private Christian school that went out of business.
"I remember the original floor was concrete with tile on it," Pike said. "I thought, 'What am I doing here?' But I hung in, and we got it redone."
Mike Thompson, the gym's recreation coordinator, said Pike is a tough but fair boss.
"She expects a lot out of you," Thompson said this week. "This gym is run very strictly. You could probably eat your lunch off the floor -- that's how clean it is."
Even though she runs a tight ship, Pike has a softer side. Thompson recalled her giving $25 to a desperate young mother who banged on the gym's back door one night.
"She said, 'Just make sure this goes to your baby and not for drugs and alcohol,'" Thompson said. "She's a real special person. It's not going to be the same without her."
Pike might have kept working if not for a buyout plan approved by the City Council in January. Looking to reduce salary costs, the council offered early retirement buyout incentives to 256 veteran municipal employees.
Twenty-five people have retired already or will do so at the end of the month.
"The city has been very good to me," Pike said. "I've had great directors and bosses, and I've had a great staff.
"When you've got people that love and respect you, you don't mind being there."
HUNTSVILLE, AL - Theresa Durboraw, a science teacher at Buckhorn High, and Donna McDaniel, a first-grader teacher at Julian Newman Elementary in Athens, are finalists for Alabama's 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year.
The final 16 - eight elementary and eight secondary from each state Board of Education district - were selected from 132 teachers who submitted applications. The final four will be selected soon and the Teacher of Year will be named at a presentation on May 12.
"These teachers are not only role models for the students of Alabama, but for their peers as well," said Dr. Joseph Morton, state superintendent of education, in a news release.
"Their hard work, innovation and compassion are seen in the accomplishments of their students. We are honored to have teachers of this caliber working in our schools statewide."
Alabama's Teacher of the Year spends the majority of the school year serving as the spokesperson for education and the teaching profession as well as presenting workshops to various groups.
The representative is also a candidate for the National Teacher of the Year.
Sheila McFerran is honored for her community serviceHUNTSVILLE, AL -- Sheila McFerran of Madison was among 30 women from throughout the nation invited to attend the fourth annual International Women's Day celebration in Birmingham March 5 as honorees.
What she didn't know until her name was called that she was one of two recipients of the "Women of Consequence" award she shared with Dr. Susan Allen, a professor at Emory University in Atlanta honored for her work as director of the Rwanda Zambia HIV Research Group.
The Birmingham International Center presented its awards during a day set aside to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women throughout the world.
McFerran is president and CEO of HandsOn Greater Huntsville, formerly the Volunteer Center of Madison County.
A native of Dublin, Ireland, she was recognized for more than 18 years of community service and disaster relief efforts as a certified Master Trainer for National Disaster Preparedness.
Also, she was recognized for her passion for her native country by introducing the art of traditional Irish step dance to Alabama.
"Dance and music have no language barrier," said McFerran. "It is a way to communicate through touch and laughter.
"But what meant the most to me was the recognition for disaster recovery because that means we have helped change people's lives. People need to ask themselves, 'How do I want to be remembered.'"
She especially credits her mother with showing by example the value in volunteering and community service.
"My mother was a teacher and was a huge influence in my life," she said. "She always said everyone has something to offer -- time, talent or treasure. All of her children are in the service industry -- physicians, teachers or administrators."
McFerran said her work may not be the highest-paid profession, but that she doesn't do it for money.
"In my work you get to help change lives every day," she said. "It gives you a sense of freedom of mind that when you volunteer, you get to give back. Every day you see people who are so much worse off than you."
View full sizeCrews get ready to repair a sink hole on I-65 about 2 miles of north of the Hartsellle exit.
View full sizeTraffic exits I-65 at exit 318 for a detour north on U.S. Highway 31.
Jump to:
Video of the road work
A map of the detour routes
WATCHING TRAFFIC ON U.S. 31 - Edith Bennich rocked back and forth in her rocking chair Thursday afternoon, watching the traffic out her window in Hartselle go from slow to slower to stop.
"Honey," Bennich said, "we don't see traffic like this here."
A sinkhole near mile marker 328 on Interstate 65 shut down the northbound lanes Thursday. Department of Transportation crews are now making repairs to the road, which could force traffic to be routed away from I-65 for perhaps a month, according to DOT engineer Johnny Harris.
"Best-case scenario, we're talking about three or four days," Harris said. "Worst case, you could be talking about three or four weeks. We don't really know how blessed we're going to be."
Harris said the DOT expected to have a better idea of the timetable today based on investigation of the sinkhole. Work to determine its cause began around noon Thursday after northbound traffic was stopped.
"I wouldn't liken it to a dentist filling a cavity, but that's basically what you do," Harris said. "We'll put some material in there to fill up the bad spot, cover it back up and restore (the road)."
Traffic along U.S. 31 worsened as the day wore on, the inevitable result of more and more cars getting caught in the detour's web. At midday, it took about an hour to travel the detour's route. State troopers said 16 miles of I-65 northbound are closed - a span that would normally be driven in 12-15 minutes.
Bennich watched in amazement as the traffic backed up in front of her business, B&G OK Tires. "If it brings in business," she said, "I like it."
Then again, maybe not.
"It's a pain in the neck," Bennich said. "It really is. It's a pain."
Hoping to alleviate that congestion, officials announced Thursday afternoon that motorists in light vehicles could travel as far north as the Thompson Road exit in Hartselle before leaving the interstate.
But heavy trucks would still be required to exit in Lacon, which is where all traffic was rerouted Thursday. Traffic was backed up on I-65 more than two miles at midday at the Lacon exit.
"It was not too bad," said a woman from Auburn who declined to give her name. "We slowed down a little in the small towns. But it was not too bad."
Motorists drove through the sleepy town of Falkville and the Morgan County countryside before reaching Hartselle and its series of stoplights that ground traffic to a halt. At the Dairy Queen in Hartselle, dogs were walked in a vacant adjacent lot and cars with tags from Kentucky, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee and Oregon were spotted in the parking lot.
The detour continued to Decatur, forcing interstate travelers to encounter one of the city's busiest intersections at Sixth Avenue and Beltline Road.
John Lumkes was traveling with his family from a vacation in Gulf Shores back home to Lafayette, Ind. He said their estimated time of arrival at home was 10 p.m. "We're going to be a little later than that now," he said.
Lumkes said he wasn't even aware of the problem, only that throughout the detour his GPS kept telling him to turn right - back toward the interstate.
"At first, I was looking forward to seeing some of the Alabama countryside," Lumkes said.
But as his family was loading back in the car, though, Lumkes could only say, "I'm glad we're through it."