President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the March 19 storms that wrecked Jacksonville, Wellington, Angel, Nances Creek and other areas a major disaster. The declaration means federal money will be available to help local governments pay the cost of cleanup, and to help individuals with uninsured damage.
Houses can be rebuilt. Trees not so fast. Many Jacksonville residents are grieving the loss of the lovely trees that graced the Jacksonville State University campus and adjoining neighborhoods before the March 19 tornadoes.
Community pride is often measured by the outstanding quality of a school system. One of those most excited about the eminent opening of Alexandria Middle School is the architect, a parent with five children who attend Alexandria schools. His feelings are paralleled by a thrilled principal.
Jacksonville State University officials raised undergraduate tuition by 5 percent on Tuesday to avoid a $2.7 million deficit in the next fiscal year.
The Jacksonville Tree Commission is taking donations to help with re-treeing the tornado-damaged areas of the city. Members Richard Lindblom, Truman Norred, and Janice Cain are heading the program.
Officials have said many times that cleanup will take months, but the county’s cleanup contractor, DRC Emergency Services, was expected to complete its first sweep of the city by the end of last week.
Mike Wingo left the comfort of his home in Greenville, S.C., and the responsibility of running a business there to be a mobile ministry center chaplain coordinator in Jacksonville as part of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association response to a call for help after last month’s tornado ripped through Calhoun County and Jacksonville.
The tables were turned – at least the breakfast table – one day last week as the community served the staff and volunteers of Samaritan’s Purse who have been in Jacksonville since a tornado ravaged the city March 19.
The product you hold in your hands is really not something new. It’s a merging of two of the state’s best weekly newspapers into a more powerful newspaper.
By combining The Jacksonville News and The Piedmont Journal into The News Journal, we are making a better product for our readers.
PIEDMONT — Taking a dip in the city pool jumped in price on Tuesday.
The Piedmont City Council voted to raise costs for individuals, families and parties at the city aquatic center. Council members said the rate increases were needed to help cover pool maintenance costs and fill needs in the city’s tight budget.
The council approved the rate jumps during its regular Tuesday meeting.
The city pool opens to the public on Memorial Day.
The winds in the March 19 tornado slid down the mountain in front of Stan Barnwell’s home on Hollingsworth Road before leveling his house. Like a ball rolling faster and faster down a hill, meteorologists from the National Weather Service suspect the tornado in that spot may have measured ev…
It’s hard to believe I’ve been at Consolidated Publishing since May 10, 2006. In that time I’ve served as a reporter at the Jacksonville News and publisher of Jacksonville, The Piedmont Journal and The Cleburne News.
In those 11-plus years I’ve seen many changes. All have been good for the readers and the publications. Now we are about to embark on another change that I know will help the subscribers of The Jacksonville News and The Piedmont Journal.
