GSCC Alumni Association honors Outstanding Alumni Alabama Ledger www.AlabamaLedger.com PAGE 6A February 2026 The Sports Ledger www.TheSportsLedger.com
The Gadsden State Community College Alumni Association proudly announces its 2026 Alumni of the Year award recipients, honoring distinguished graduates whose commitment to service, leadership, and community impact continues to uplift their alma mater and the region it serves. The Alumni of the Year Awards recognize individuals who exemplify the values of excellence, civic engagement, and lifelong learning. This year’s honorees were selected for their remarkable contributions to their professions, their volunteerism, and their ongoing dedication to supporting students and the mission of Gadsden State Community College. “These outstanding alumni embody the spirit of our institution,” said Julie White, president of the Gadsden State Community College Alumni Association. “Through their leadership, generosity, and dedication to service, they demonstrate how education can transform not only individual lives, but entire communities. We are incredibly proud to recognize their achievements.” The 2026 Gadsden State Alumni of the Year recipients include: • Distinguished Alumni of the Year – Donice Snow, Class of 1998, AAS degree in Office Administration, retired Gadsden State Athletics, Alumni Association Lifetime member • Emerging Alumni of the Year - Hannah Russell, Class of 2015 transfer scholar and former President of Phi Theta Kappa • Outstanding Faculty/Staff Alumni of the Year - Cory Chandler, Class of 2014, AAS Electrical Technology, current staff member, Maintenance Division • Outstanding Athletic Alumni of the Year - Josh Johnson, Class of 1998, AAS degree in Business Administration, member of the Gadsden State Baseball team Each honoree has given back to the college in meaningful ways, whether through mentoring students, serving on advisory boards, supporting scholarships,
Submitted Photo Outstanding Alumni of the Year recipients left to right: Donice Snow, Cory Chandler, Hannah Russell, and Josh Johnson. Also pictured (center) Julie White, president of the Alumni Association and Alan Smith, president of Gadsden State Community College. or volunteering their time and expertise to advance educational access and opportunity.
festivities on February 2, where recipients were celebrated alongside faculty, students, community leaders, and supporters of the college. Each honoree received a commemorative brick to be placed in the quad on the Gadsden State Wallace Drive campus. For more information about the Alumni of the Year Awards or how to get involved with the Gadsden State Community College Alumni Association, please visit www.gadsdenstate.edu/alumni or contact the Office of Advancement at 256-549-8377.
“Our alumni are some of our greatest ambassadors,” said Hillary Folsom, director of advancement and alumni relations. “Their continued engagement helps ensure future generations of students have the resources, encouragement, and opportunities they need to succeed.” The Alumni of the Year Awards were presented at the Gadsden State Community College homecoming
The 2026 tax season is officially underway, and while millions of Americans prepare to file, IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office officials are urging taxpayers to stay vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers who prey on unsuspecting filers. In fiscal year 2025, IRS-CI identified $4.5 billion in tax fraud, more than double the amount identified during the previous fiscal year. “IRS Criminal Investigation plays a critical role in safeguarding the nation’s tax system,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Over 60% of our time is devoted to investigating criminal tax cases ranging from questionable refund schemes and return preparer fraud to abusive tax shelters and other complex financial crimes. These efforts ensure that those who attempt to cheat the system are held accountable, reinforcing fairness and trust in our tax administration.” Taxpayers are reminded to remain vigilant against becoming victims of fraudulent refund schemes by following these important tips. • Choose a trustworthy tax return preparer. Avoid preparers who promise large refunds or charge a fee based on your refund amount. A trustworthy preparer will also provide their Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) on your tax return and give you a complete copy of your return for your records. • Protect your return. Never sign a blank tax return, and make sure your refund goes to your account, not your tax preparer’s. Do not file your return if it reports false income, expenses, or dependents. • Be cautious with emails and texts. Don’t click links or open attachments from unknown senders claiming to be from the IRS. These could be scams that steal your personal information or install malware on your device. • Don’t fall for social media scams. Ignore social media influencers who encourage you to falsify your tax return with inaccurate income, false withholdings or credits. You could owe a hefty sum to the IRS if your tax return is not accurate, including penalties and interest. • Report suspicious activity. If you think someone is trying to scam you during tax season contact law enforcement and the IRS. Vetted tax preparers can be found at www.irs.gov/chooseataxpro and free IRS- certified help can be obtained at http://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep. Report suspicious activity using the Return Preparer Complaint form at www.irs.gov/dmaf/form/f14157 or call the IRS Identity Theft Hotline at 1-800-908-4490 to report fraudulent activity. Below are four cases that IRS-CI Atlanta Field Office investigated involving unscrupulous tax preparers include: Alabama tax professional sentenced (Alabama) Natoshia Lashawn Crawford, of Montgomery, was sentenced to 30 months in prison, Jan. 31, 2025, for making false tax returns and assisting in the filing of false tax returns. In addition to the prison sentence, she was also ordered to pay restitution to the IRS for losses from returns filed by her for the 2017 – 2021 tax years totaling $1,721,047.45. From 2018 through 2022, Crawford owned and operated On Time Professional Tax Service, LLC, in Montgomery where she prepared and filed federal income tax returns for clients. In her plea agreement, Crawford admitted that she included false information in tax returns filed on behalf of herself and others. Doing so caused Crawford and some of her clients to receive greater refunds than they were entitled to receive. Athens tax preparer sentenced for filing $3.5+ million in false returns (Georgia) Jessica Crawford, of Athens, Georgia, was sentenced May 8, 2025, to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on May 8. Crawford previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aiding and assisting in preparing and presenting false income tax returns on Nov. 22, 2024. Tax preparer sentenced to federal prison for filing false tax returns (Louisiana) Sharhonda Law, of Haughton, LA, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for tax fraud on March 20, 2025. Law was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $123,455. Sharhonda Law was a federal income tax return preparer who owned and operated Law’s Tax Service in Shreveport and was the sole tax return preparer for the company. Law prepared and filed a client’s 2019 tax return with the IRS. The return she prepared included a false and fraudulent Schedule F, “Profit or Loss from Farming,” which falsely claimed that the client had farming income and incurred farming expenses, resulting in a net farming loss. As a result of Law’s actions, the tax refund falsely showed the client was due a refund when, in fact, the client owed taxes for that tax year. Tax preparer sentenced and to pay $1.96 million in restitution (Mississippi) Slexcia Neal of Bolivar County, Mississippi was sentenced to 18 months in prison, January 25, 2025, for three counts of filing fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service. Neal was a tax preparer in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Neal owned a tax preparation business in Cleveland and Merigold, Mississippi. Taxpayers sought Neal’s assistance in preparing and filing tax documents to the IRS. When Neal submitted a number of these documents, they contained false information, which lowered the taxpayer’s income and ultimately increased the refund that they received from the IRS. Neal’s conduct resulted in a substantial loss to the United States and to all taxpayers. Neal was ordered to pay more than $1,960,000 in restitution to the IRS for her fraudulent conduct. Neal was also barred from preparing tax documents for others for life. IRS Officials Warn Against Fraudulent Tax Preparers
Submitted Photo The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention joined local and state leaders to present a check in the amount of $11.9 million to local grantee organizations in Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District, including the Skills Training Division at Gadsden State Community College. The Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, also known as the Children’s Trust Fund, provides annual funding to programs across the state dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Gadsden State received $185,000 to fund its Empowering Families through Workforce Fatherhood Initiative. The program helps participants from the community and those in area jails work toward economic stability through job training and soft skills while also providing workshops in parenting skills and relationship skills. It is designed to equip non-custodial and custodial parents with the training and employment opportunities necessary to achieve financial stability and to support themselves and their family. From left, Baisha Woody, director of skills training at Gadsden State; Sallye R. Longshore, director of the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention’s Children’s Trust Fund; and Dr. Tera Simmons, executive vice president of Gadsden State Community College.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Shop Downtown Gadsden
www.downtowngadsden.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026 SHAMROCKIN’ With MY GNOMIES! SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2026 St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl Participating Pub Crawl Locations from 3-10 p.m. Back Forty Beer Company Big D’s Game Changer Las Brisas Blackstone Pub & Eatery Chestnut Station Maters Pizza CJ’s Crab Shack Clover on Court Moe’s Original BBQ Coffee Bar Downtown Chief Old Havana Cigar Bar Elks Lodge #1314 Jefferson’s The Rail Public House Jake’s Music Room Smoke House 227 Tut Hookah Lounge
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