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PAGE 8 March/April 2025
News, Events & Announcements SMOKE ON THE FALLS - The Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition is set to fire up the grills April 12, 2025, at Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden. Pitmasters from near and far will compete for the title of barbeque champion, showcasing their best ribs, brisket, chicken and pork. And new this year, competitors can also show off their skills in two brand-new categories: That’s Amore-A Cocktail and Pizza Cook-off, celebrating the theme of a football party, and It Ain’t Your Mama’s Recipe-A Dessert Cook-off, encouraging participants to showcase their unique dessert creations. There are also two divisions for the youth, ages 5 to 9 years old and 10 to 15 years old. Registration is available at gadsden.recdesk. com. Smoke on the Falls is free to the public. The Gates open at 11 a.m. and wraps up at the conclusion of the awards ceremony. Live music fires up on the Adams Beverage Stage from the Tim Roberts Band from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The awards ceremony follows at 4:30 p.m. CULLMAN BLOOMIN' FESTIVAL – Arts and crafts will be on display for two days in April when the St. Bernard Abbey and Prep School in Cullman hosts its annual Bloomin’ Festival. Set for April 5-6, 2025, the outdoor event, now in its 41st year, features the handcrafted works of talented artists and craftsmen, music and festival food and is expected to draw more than 25,000 visitors. During Bloomin’ Festival, over 150 talented artists and craftsmen from across the southeastern United States make their way to North Alabama to showcase their unique handcrafted work. Festivalgoers can expect to find many of the unique items found in year’s past including driftwood birdhouses, hand-carved Bethlehem olivewood, pottery, paintings, blacksmith copper and iron, cypress outdoor furniture and more. A highlight of the event this year is the grand prize giveaway on Sunday afternoon, April 6, featuring a brand-new 2025 Buick Encore GX, generously provided by Bill Smith Buick GMC of Cullman. Additional prizes include a portable projector, Apple AirPods, a mini foldable drone and a Fitbit Inspire Watch. Tickets for the prizes are $5 each or six for $25 and may be purchased online. Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily rain or shine. Admission is a suggested donation of $10 per person with children five years old and under admitted free. Pets are not allowed. Proceeds benefit St. Bernard Prep School, a private co- educational boarding school for grades 9-12. For more info visit www.bloominfestival.com or call (256) 255-5860. ART ON THE LAKE - For over 60 years, artists and crafters from across the southeastern United States have made their way to the beautiful North Alabama lake town of Guntersville to display their works of art and unique creations for two days in April. Held alongside picturesque Lake Guntersville, Art on the Lake is set to take place April 26-27, 2025. Now in its 64th year, Art on the Lake is a family-friendly festival with a huge offering of artwork, handmade creations and one-of-a-kind items from around 100 artists and craftsmen. Members of the Twenty-First Century Club will have homemade baked goods, such as cakes, cookies and pies, available to purchase. Art on the Lake is held at the Guntersville Recreational Center located at 1500 Sunset Drive in Guntersville. Hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for ages 13 and older. The event will be held rain or shine. No animals allowed. YEAR OF ALABAMA TRAILS - The Alabama Tourism Department (ATD) has designated 2025 the Year of Alabama Trails, a year-long celebration of the state’s diverse and scenic outdoor trails. From breathtaking hiking paths and serene nature walks to thrilling bike routes and peaceful paddling adventures, North Alabama offers an incredible variety of trails that cater to all skill levels. The Year of Alabama Trails initiative highlights North Alabama’s vast outdoor recreational opportunities while promoting healthy lifestyles. Throughout 2025, residents and visitors alike can participate in special events, guided hikes and community activities designed to showcase the region’s incredible natural landscapes. North Alabama boasts a rich variety of outdoor experiences that include Hiking Trails : Scenic routes like Little River Canyon National Preserve, Cane Creek Canyon, Dismals Canyon, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and Walls of Jericho; Biking Trails: Thrilling rides at Monte Sano State Park, Cutchenmine Trail at Lake Guntersville State Park and Wade Mountain Greenway; Paddling Trails: Serene waterways such as the Sipsey River, Terrapin Creek, Bear Creek Lakes, Limestone County Canoe and Kayak Trail and Flint Creek Canoe Trail; and Greenways and Walking Paths: Urban escapes like Downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring International Park, Old Railroad Bridge in Sheffield and Decatur’s Point Mallard Park. In addition to outdoor hiking, biking and paddling trails, other themed trails include: waterfalls, wine, mural, agriculture adventure, patriot sites, barbecue, craft beer, motorcycle routes, historic churches and train depots. For more information on themed trails, visit https://www.northalabama.org/places-to-visit/trails/. TOP MICROPOLITAN - The Fort Payne micropolitan statistical area, which encompasses DeKalb County, was named a Top Micropolitan of 2024 in Site Selection Magazine’s Governor’s Cup Awards. The honor is given to the top micropolitan statistical areas which have a core urban area of 10,000 to 50,000 people with a high degree of economic interconnection. With seven qualifying economic development projects in 2024, DeKalb County ranked 11th out of 100 micropolitan statistical areas around the country. The area had the 8th highest number of qualifying economic development projects in the country. The rankings were published in the March 2025 edition of Site Selection magazine which is distributed to over 41,000 subscribers – most of whom are involved in corporate facility location decisions at the executive level. According to Site Selection, 125 micros from 29 states found spots in the 2024 ranking, the threshold for inclusion being a minimum of two qualifying projects of at least $1 million invested, 20 new jobs created or 20,000 sq. ft. of new or expanded facility space. Populated all year long by the Conway Data research team, led by Daniel Boyer and Karen Medernach, Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database focuses on new corporate end-user facility projects with significant impact, including headquarters, manufacturing plants, R&D operations, data centers and logistics sites, among others. It does not track retail and government projects, schools, hospitals or infrastructure investments. COLLEGE PREVIEW DAYS - Gadsden State prospective students of all ages are invited to attend one of the college's upcoming Preview Days. The three dates remaining include: April 3 – 9 to 1 p.m., East Broad and Wallace Drive Campuses in Gadsden; April 9 – 10 to 12 p.m., Valley Street Campus in Gadsden, and April 14 – 9 to 11 a.m., Gadsden State Cherokee in Centre. At Preview Days, students can take guided campus tours to discover a variety of technical, health science and academic programs offered by Gadsden State. Students will also learn about admissions, financial aid scholarships, student life and more. All prospective students are also invited to watch the GSCC Softball team take on Northeast Alabama Community College. There will be two games, at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., April 3. For more information and to reserve a spot at Preview Day, visit www.gadsdenstate.edu/preview-days. Prospective students interested in previewing multiple campuses must register for each campus separately. SPRING WHITE HOUSE GARDEN TOURS - This spring, the White House will open its gardens and grounds to visitors. The grounds will be open on Saturday, April 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. On these days, visitors can explore the beauty of the South Lawn of the White House. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, and the White House Kitchen Garden will also be accessible to guests. This event is free and open to the public. A ticket is required, however, for all attendees (including small children). The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at a tent outside the White House Visitor Center each day of the tours beginning at 8:30 AM. The White House Visitor Center is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004, near the intersection of 15th Street and E Street Northwest. Tickets will be distributed—one ticket per person—on a first-come, first-served basis. The Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any personal items. However, strollers, wheelchairs, umbrellas (no metal tips), and cameras are permitted. All items needed for medical purposes will be permitted on the tour (such as wheelchairs, electric scooters, glucose tablets, and EpiPens). Please identify and explain all items needed for medical purposes to Secret Service personnel upon arrival. In the event of inclement weather, the event may be canceled. Please call the 24-hour information line at (202) 456-7041 to check on the status of the event. RADIOGRAPHY PROGRAM - The Gadsden State Radiography Program has earned the maximum eight- year accreditation from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Applications for the next cohort of students are being accepted through June 1, with classes beginning in August. For more information about the Radiography Program visit www.GadsdenState.edu and read more on the Alabama Ledger website: Alabamaledger.com.
The 2025 Alabama High School Basketball State Championship games were played at BJCC Area from February 24 through March in Birmingham. A total of 58,759 fans attended the 125 annual event. The results are below: Varsity Boys 7A: Hoover 66, Florence 56 6A: Paul Bryant 66, Pinson Valley 54 3A: Montgomery Academy 65, Mars Hill 56 2A: P. Christian 89, Tuscaloosa Academy 61 1A: R.C. Hatch 69, Brantley 67 Varsity Girls 7A: Hoover 51, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 44 6A: Park Crossing 49, Chelsea 39 5A: Scottsboro 54, Ramsay 53 4A: Trinity 67, Good Hope 27 3A: Lauderdale County 58, Saint James 52 5A: Vigor 59, Sylacauga 49 4A: Jackson 44, Plainview 42 2A: Pisgah 84, Decatur Heritage 72 1A: Spring Garden 73, Brilliant 43 AHSAA Basketball State Champions Freshman of the Year: Tre Johnson, Texas Sixth-Man of the Year: Caleb Grill, Missouri Defensive Player of the Year: Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee The Southeastern Conference unveiled its men’s basketball post season awards Monday as selected by the league’s head coaches. Auburn’s Bruce Pearl was named SEC Coach of the Year and Johni Broome was selected the SEC Player of the Year. South Carolina’s Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year; Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier was voted SEC Newcomer of the Year, Texas’ Tre Johnson was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Year, Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler was named Defensive Player of the Year and Missouri’s Caleb Grill was voted SEC Sixth Man of the Year. First, second, and third-team All-SEC honorees, All- Freshman team, All-Defensive team, along with Player, Coach and Freshman, Newcomer, Defensive, Sixth-Man, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year were chosen by the league’s 16 coaches. 2024-25 SEC Men’s Basketball Awards First Team • Johni Broome, Auburn • Walter Clayton Jr., Florida • Mark Sears, Alabama • Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M • Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee Second Team • Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State • Tre Johnson, Texas • Chaz Lanier, Tennessee • Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina • Otega Oweh, Kentucky Third Team • Chad Baker-Mazara, Auburn • Alex Condon, Florida • Jason Edwards, Vanderbilt • Mark Mitchell, Missouri • Sean Pedulla, Ole Miss All-Defensive Team • Denver Jones, Auburn • Jahmai Mashack, Tennessee • Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State • Anthony Robinson II, Missouri • Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee All-Freshman Team • Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma • Tre Johnson, Texas • Asa Newell, Georgia • Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn • Labaron Philon, Alabama Coach of the Year: Bruce Pearl, Auburn Player of the Year: Johni Broome, Auburn Scholar-Athlete Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, SC Newcomer of the Year: Chaz Lanier, Tennessee SEC Basketball Awards Crossville's Giovanni Peralta in action during the 2025 Lake City Cup soccer tournament. Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Snead State women finish season with 21-7 record The Snead State Women’s basketball team recently finished the season in Second Place in ACCC Division II. The program had a great season under first year Head Coach Kenny Hill, improving to 21-7 from 7-20 a year ago. The Lady Parsons cruised to the championship game with an 80-49 semifinal win over Wallace-Selma. All-Tournament Team selections included Tazi Harris of Guntersville and Nailah Mayes of Adamsville. Both players were also recognized as first-team All-ACCC. La’Mya McGrue of Oxford was named to the second team. Photo Courtesy of Snead State
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