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PAGE 6B February 2026
Jax State's Ken and Jenny Howell Football Indoor Practice Facility
During its quarterly meeting, the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees voted to approve the naming of the University's future football indoor practice facility as the Ken and Jenny Howell Football Indoor Practice Facility, honoring longtime supporters whose commitment to Jax State has helped shape the institution for decades. A resolution honoring the Howells was presented during the Board's Athletics Committee meeting. The formal naming approval followed with the vote of the full Board. The naming of the facility also recognizes a transformational commitment by the Howells. Their $10 million gift-the largest in Jacksonville State University history-will help fund the construction of the privately funded football indoor practice facility and support the continued growth of the University's athletics programs. "Ken and Jenny Howell represent the very best of the Jacksonville State family," said Jax State President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. "Their generosity comes from a deep love for this institution and for the students who call it home. While this will be called a football facility, its impact will reach far beyond one program-serving other groups across campus and creating opportunities that will enhance the student experience in meaningful ways. What Ken and Jenny have done for Jax State is almost immeasurable in the lives they have helped shape, and we are profoundly grateful for their trust, their friendship, and their enduring commitment to this University." Ken and Jenny Howell's support of Jacksonville State spans decades and reflects a deep commitment to student success, academic excellence, and campus life. Ken was named Alumnus of the Year in 2014 and is a member of the University's Lifetime Leaders Society. The Howells' philanthropic impact is visible across campus through previous naming gifts, including the Ken and Jenny Howell Dance Studio and Rehearsal Hall at the Randy Owen Center for Performing Arts and the Kenneth and Jenny Howell Auditorium in Merrill Hall, home to Jax State's College of Business and Industry. "Jacksonville State has meant a great deal to Jenny and me for a long time," said Ken Howell. "We love this University and all of its students who make it such a special place, and we're proud of the young people who represent Jax State as Gamecocks. It means a great deal to us to support something that will serve the University for years to come." In addition, the Howells established the Ken and Jenny Howell Scholarship to support full-time undergraduate accounting majors, with preference given to students from Calhoun County and cadets in the University's ROTC program. Mr. Howell, a 1972 graduate,
Image Courtesy of Jax State
Jacksonville State University released this artist rendering of the Ken and Jenny Howell Football Indoor Practice Facility.
participated in the University's advanced ROTC program before earning his degree in accounting. The planned facility will include an 84,282-square- foot indoor practice facility and an 11,424-square-foot football performance center featuring a weight room and cardio training space. Together, the facilities will serve as a year-round training environment for Jax State Football. The indoor facility will feature a full-length 120-yard synthetic turf practice field, complete with goal posts, catch netting, and a dedicated viewing platform. Designed with a long-span steel gabled framing system and a standing seam metal roof, the facility will be fully climate-controlled with HVAC systems to allow consistent training regardless of weather conditions. The exterior design will include brick veneer and metal exterior panels, aluminum storefront glazing units, and translucent panels that allow for natural, diffused light throughout the interior space. Inside, the building will utilize CMU construction and acoustical metal wall panels. The project also includes additional vehicular parking to the east of the facility, along with RV parking along the west and south sides.
"This gift is truly transformational for Jax State Athletics," said Jax State Vice President of Athletics Greg Seitz. "The Ken and Jenny Howell Football Indoor Practice Facility will provide our student-athletes with a first-class training environment and demonstrate, in a very tangible way, the level of support behind our programs. Ken and Jenny's generosity elevates what we are able to offer and strengthens our ability to compete at the highest level." "This facility will make an immediate difference for our football program," said head football coach Charles Kelly. "Having an indoor practice space allows us to train consistently, develop our players more effectively, and prepare the right way regardless of the weather. More importantly, it shows our student-athletes that they are supported and believed in. We are incredibly thankful to Ken and Jenny Howell for what this means to our team and to Jax State Football." The naming of the Ken and Jenny Howell Football Indoor Practice Facility stands as a lasting expression of gratitude from the Jacksonville State University family and reflects the enduring impact of generosity founded on service, loyalty, and belief in the mission of the University.
By DAVID RAINER Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources The Etowah Public Shooting Range is closed until fall for renovations, but it will be well worth the wait. The range near Gadsden, operated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, will get a total makeover and will become one of only three WFF shooting ranges to be staffed by certified range personnel. A 3,000-square-foot building that will be used for training and education classes will also be constructed. “The Etowah Public Shooting Range is the third most utilized range in our Public Shooting Range System,” said WFF Enforcement Chief Michael Weathers. “All of the existing ranges at Etowah are going to be renovated, and an additional 50-yard pistol and rifle range will be installed. “To this point, it has been one of our unstaffed ranges. When it reopens, it will be fully staffed with range safety officers, which will make it a more safe and friendly environment. It will be like our Swan Creek and Cahaba ranges. The public really likes staffed ranges.” Weathers said the WFF’s 13 public shooting ranges see a wide variety of shooters, some with little or no experience to expert shooters. “We have everyone from those who have just purchased their first firearm to competition shooters who are polishing up for their next match,” he said. “It’s going to be a great resource for the public, especially the 3,000-square-foot training facility that will host our hunter education classes as well as our Firearms 101 classes. People can come out and receive training in the classroom environment and then move out to the range to do a little bit of shooting, get used to the environment, learn range etiquette and learn how to handle their firearm safely. When range renovations are complete, the new rifle/pistol range will be a 10-position facility with covered shooting positions and benches. The rebuilt and enhanced 100- yard range will have 12 shooting positions, while the rebuilt and enhanced pistol range will have 10 stations with firing from 25 yards. “We will be able to accommodate 30 shooters at any one given time,” Weathers said. “The training facility will seat 150, big enough for our largest classes and public meetings.” Weathers thanked Sheriff Jonathon Horton and the Etowah County Commission for providing the match money for WFF to receive grants to enhance the range from the Pittman-Robertson Act, which derives its funds from an excise tax on firearms, ammo and archery equipment. WFF Conservation Enforcement Officer Sgt. Ben Kiser serves as Shooting Sports Coordinator in District II and said the upgrades at Etowah are going to make it a quality range. “A lot of the construction will include dirt work that will correct water issues,” Kiser said. “In the past, the site held water. The dirt work will reroute drainage, so you won’t have to walk through mud to change a target. The training facility will be utilized for anything from departmental hunter education training to citizen firearms classes. We have citizen firearms classes just about every weekend. It will be an ideal place for our Firearms 101 classes. “Any time we build a shooting range, especially a staffed range, we want it close to a good population density so it will get utilized. We want it less than 30 miles or 30 minutes from where people are. We’ve found that if people have to drive more than 30 minutes there is less of a chance they will use that facility. Etowah is in a great location.” Weathers said the shooting sports have become so popular across Alabama and the nation that they have become the basis for a majority of the federal funding WFF utilizes. “That has been the case for quite some time, at least for the federal funding for wildlife restoration, purchase of new lands and the construction of these ranges,” he said. “In fact, 75 cents out of every dollar comes from a target shooter. This is a success story. It’s a way for us to take those dollars that Alabamians are paying and give them something back." Renovations Underway at Etowah Public Shooting Range
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