Profile 2021

PROFILE 2021

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Amanda G. Scott, CPA

Revenue Commi ssionerof Morgan County, AL I

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The RevenueCommissioner Commissioner is elected by theofpeople Morgan The Revenue is elected by the people Morgan of County for County for a six year term and is responsible for the mapping, a six year term and is responsible for the mapping, appraising, assessing, appraising, assessing, andtaxes collecting of by adthe valorem taxesThe as office levied and collecting of ad valorem as levied government. by the government.

The office collects approximately 62 million collects approximately 62 million dollars annually. dollars annually.

Since my election in 1996, I have endeavored to bring the Revenue Since my election in to 1996, I have bring Commissioner’s office the people of endeavoured Morgan County.toWe now the haveRevenue satellite Commissioner's office to the people of Morgan County.

We now have offices in Hartselle and Lacey’s Spring for your convenience. You may now sateIIiteofficesin Hartselleand Lacey'sSpringforyourconvenience.

You research your property tax data online, view GIS (Geographic Information may nowdata, research your property tax data online, viewthe GIS (Geographic System) and pay your property taxes online.

I hope information on the website is System) beneficial to you. and pay your property taxes online.

Information data, IIt hope the toinformation on this website is beneficial to you. is an honor serve you.

It is an honor to serve you.

If you are 65 years of age or disabled, you may qualify for an exemption which will result in a decrease of your property tax.

Please call our office for further information.

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Each May, tax delinquent property is auctioned off to the highest bidder in front of the Morgan County Courthouse in Decatur, Alabama.

Tax sale property is advertised during the month of April. T he tax sale will be in May. Go to our website, www.morgancounty revenue.com, to view a list of properties.

How To Contact Us Appraisal Division - 256-351-4694 • Assessment Division - 256-351-4691 Collection Division - 256-351-4690 • Mapping Division - 256-351-4698 Business Personal Property - 256-351-4862 • Board of Equalization - 256-351-4674 Phone: 256-351-4690 - Fax: 256-351-4699 • Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Mailing Address Amanda G. Scott, CPA Revenue Commissioner P.O. Box 696 Decatur, AL 35602

Morgan County Courthouse 302 Lee Street, NE Second Floor Decatur, AL 35601

Hartselle Satellite Office 241 Highway 31, SW Cr estwood Shopping Center Suite 10, Har tselle, AL 35640

Lacey's Spring Satellite Office 423 Union Hill Road Somer ville, AL 35670 Mon.-Thur s. 6 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

www. mo r g a nco u n tyre v e n u e.co m

615 Mynatt Street e 615 My y6 yn n1at na a5tt t M Sty St renet re eattSu Stui uS ite it tterE

Suite ite E, E Ha artse eH el lle le, ea, rAL AtL 3l56 5le 640 40A Hartselle, se35 AL 35640 Office eO e: : 25 2f56 5 6 -e 7:7( 77 32 3-2 -2 9679 7)9773-2979 Office: fi6c-7 (256) 597 Fax Fa ax: 25 5656 6 -x773 7: ( 32-2 3-5 298 29 9 8 Fax: F a-7 (256) 686 )67 773-2986

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PROFILE 2021

ON THE FRONT LINES FEATURES

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Tania Burgess

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Candy Roden

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Chris and Rebecca Hill

Jeff Chunn

Joseph Hardin

Kelli Morton

Caleb Blackman Profile 2021

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Tyler Stinson

Lori Henry

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FROM THE EDITOR

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When trouble comes knocking, who are you going to call?

All “dad jokes” aside. We know it’s not the Ghostbusters; it’s our friends and neighbors in the community who wake up every day and put on scrubs, gloves or a badge. When we need help, we turn to the frontline heroes in Hartselle and Morgan County who don’t shy away from danger but rather embrace it with open arms.

We depend on Candy Roden and her colleagues at Morgan 911, who keep us calm when we’re calling for emergency services, and people like Perry Shands and his fellow patrol officers, who keep our streets safe. We turn to mental health professionals like Caleb Blackman, who help us protect ourselves from the invisible problems that sometimes wreak havoc on our lives. We count on nurse practitioners at our local healthcare facilities who have been fighting this pandemic on the front lines while being there for us when we’re sick – people like Lori Henry, who practices at Cedar Street Primary Care. We also look to those who, like Kelli Morton, are putting their vast knowledge of the healthcare industry to work every day in the school system protecting the children of Hartselle City Schools.

These are the people on the front lines serving, protecting and sacrificing every day. These are the people we want to honor for their tireless efforts to keep our communities safe from things that threaten us. For their service, we say thank you.

EDITORIAL REBEKAH YANCEY ALISON JAMES

CONTRIBUTORS LAUREN LEE RACHEL HOWARD CLIF KNIGHT JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS JERONIMO NISA

MARKETING ANNA BAKER EDDIE JOHNS TERRI HASTON BECKY SPIVEY SHELIA SMITH BARETTA TAYLOR

ADMINISTRATION BETH JACKSON Hartselle Enquirer P.O. Box 929, Hartselle, AL 35640

Advertising Inquiries 256-773-6566

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CONTRIBUTORS ALISON JAMES, copy editor

Alison James earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Auburn University, graduating in 2012. She began her career in community journalism in Alexander City and Dadeville, followed by a stop in Opelika before landing in north Alabama. She loves sharing the stories – and correcting the grammar of those stories – of the people and places that make north Alabama such a special place.

CLIF KNIGHT, writer

Clif Knight is a Lineville native and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served from 1953-57. His resume boasts various stints at newspapers and media outlets in Alabama and Mississippi. He is a former part-owner and editor of the Hartselle Enquirer as well as former mayor of the City of Hartselle, serving a four-year term from 2000-04. He has been married to Geanell for 63 years, and they have three adult children, three granddaughters and one great-granddaughter.

JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS, writer

Jennifer L. Williams is an Alabama girl with Louisiana and Kentucky roots who is proud to now call Hartselle home with her retired-Army husband and their three children. An award-winning journalist and editor, she has more than 20 years’ experience with newspapers and magazines. She stays busy as an ambassador with the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce and as a member of Hartselle First United Methodist Church, Hartselle Kiwanis, Hartselle Historical Society, Morgan County Junior League and Morgan County Master Gardeners.

RACHEL HOWARD, photographer

Rachel Howard is a Hartselle native who is proud to own and run a business in her hometown. She graduated from Hartselle High School in 2010.

She pursued her nursing degree at Wallace State Community College and graduated as the August 2013 Nursing Class President. After working in the nursing field, she picked up a camera – and found a passion for photography. She is an avid fitness-lover and teaches spin classes as a side hobby. She enjoys singing, taking slow boat rides with her husband Nick and being a dog mom to Ralphie and Bud.

JERONIMO NISA, photographer

Jeronimo Nisa, who is originally from Spain, has been a photojournalist with The Decatur Daily since 2008. He earned a master’s degree in photojournalism from the University of MissouriColumbia. He previously worked for radio and news agencies in Italy and South Africa. If he’s not taking pictures, he’ll probably be riding his bicycle.

ERIC SCHULTZ, photographer

Eric Schultz grew up in the Rocket City and, after attending the University of Florida, returned to Huntsville to work as a newspaper photographer.

Over the years he has covered everything from high school football to rocket launches. He loves telling local stories with his photos and being a part of Team Redstone. He lives on a hillside in south Huntsville with his uber-creative wife and two stepdaughters and their little black dog, Nova.

LAUREN LEE, writer

Lauren Lee is a 2018 graduate of Jacksonville State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in communications. She and her husband, Josh, recently celebrated their two-year anniversary and will be welcoming their first child in June. In her free time she enjoys reading, knitting and playing with her two rescue dogs, Jax and Ari. ON THE FRONT LINES

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BURGESS A DREAM TO SERVE STORY BY LAUREN LEE | PHOTOS BY JERONIMO NISA AND CONTRIBUTED

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Even as a girl, Tania Burgess dreamed of making a difference in her community. Like many children, she wanted to be a police officer when she grew up – a vision that solidified as a teen and young adult.

Now serving as an investigator with the Hartselle Police Department, Burgess is living out her dream every day.

Burgess got her start in the department in 2000. After earning two associate degrees relating to criminal justice from Wallace State Community College, she applied at Hartselle PD. “Hartselle was the first and only place that I had to put in for a job. I was green; I had never been in law enforcement; but this was the only place I ever filled out an application for,” Burgess said.

She started out tagging along with other patrol officers until completing the police academy in Jacksonville. She said despite the challenges of the academy and her first days on patrol, she knew she was where she was meant to be.

“The roads were iced over, and you’re nervous already – you’re away from home and away from what you call normal – but it was one of those things that, if this is what you want, you have to go after it,” Burgess said.

Burgess said she spent the early parts of her career on second shift patrol. She said she has fun memories from her time there and wasn’t looking for a change when she was approached about an opening in the investigations divisions. “They said, ‘We think you would have good qualities to become an investigator. What do you think?’”

She initially said no.

“My biggest thing was that we spend a lot of time in court. I really didn’t think I was good enough for this,” she said. “I don’t think I could have convinced myself, but even my buddies on the shift, on patrol, said ‘You really should give it a try; you’d be good at it.’”

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Our camaraderie has always been great.

We get along here; we are each other’s family. You want to find the people and solve the case. On the other side of that, you are trying to find justice for the family. You owe it to the family to do it right.

-Tania Burgess

Burgess found she was in for a challenge, but she said investigator is a role she has come to enjoy.

“It was busy. It was definitely a learning curve,” she said. “We deal with the same people that patrol does, but a lot of times, it’s in a different way. Patrol gets dispatched to calls, and they are required to make a decision right then. We primarily investigate felony cases, and more times than not, we don’t have to make that quick decision.

The report comes in, and then we can start our investigation and round up all the information we need.”

Most recently, Burgess worked on the capital murder investigation of Larry Sheppard. After long hours of painstaking effort alongside her team, Burgess said it was a highlight of her career to be able to help give the victim’s family justice.

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“That would be in September, when the capital murder suspects were all in jail. This whole department chipped in on that; that was not just a one-investigator ordeal,” she said. “I don’t think there is anyone here that didn’t have some part in helping that case come together like it did.”

Burgess said it’s that companionship and familylike bond that always helps her feel supported, even while handling heavier cases. She said she is grateful for the support from within her own department and all of those who play a hand in helping resolve cases.

“Our camaraderie has always been great. We get along here; we are each other’s family,” she said. “You want to find the people and solve the case. On the other side of that, you are trying to find justice for the family. You owe it to the family to do it right.”

Burgess also credits the department with helping

make her dream a reality. She said she has been given every chance to make her dreams come true.

“Females don’t always get treated the same. We’ve had classes before and talked to some of those females from other departments where they have just really been put through the wringer; they get asked to do extra stuff to prove themselves. It’s just different for them,” Burgess said. “I cannot think of one person or one incident where we have been treated differently here. We are looked out for, and it’s almost like having big brothers: We fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day, you turn around, and there they are. We come here, and sometimes, it’s not like having a job. We have fun and do our job at the same time.”

Aside from her coworkers, Burgess said her 13-yearold son is her entire world. After a long shift or an especially heavy case, he is what makes it easier to leave the job at the desk.

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RODEN SERVING FROM THE HEART STORY BY LAUREN LEE | PHOTOS BY ERIC SCHULTZ AND CONTRIBUTED

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For Candy Roden, serving her community comes from the heart. A wife and mother of three, Roden has worked as a dispatcher since 2013 and has a family legacy of working in civil service.

The daughter and sister of police officers, who also married into a family of law enforcement, Roden says she has always been indirectly connected to their world. She stepped into that world when she became a dispatcher at the recommendation of a friend, after having spent a few years being a mother to her children before re-entering the workforce in 2013.

After spending a couple of years at Marshall County dispatch, Roden applied and was hired at Morgan County 911 to work closer to home. Despite the high-pressure nature of the job, Roden said she is right where she needs to be.

“It’s a lot. You have to compartmentalize everything, and you have to be able to let it go. You have to let it go because the next call might be someone calling because their grandpa is having a heart attack, and they need the same level of help I just gave to the lady

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trying to do CPR,” Roden said. “It’s hard in a way, but it makes it easy if you can detach from it, and I am really good at that.”

In the course of her career, several incidents have reaffirmed that she was where she needed to be. In one instance, a welfare check was called from someone out of the area. She said the woman was concerned about her sister due to some texts she had sent, and Roden was able to send an officer for a wellness check. Roden informed the officer about the texts, and after speaking with the woman, the officer called for medical assistance when she began to show signs of something being wrong.

“The sister sent a thing to our director that said that she appreciated us so much because the husband was at work, and if we hadn’t responded, by the time anyone found her, she would have been dead,” Roden said.

“When my director forwarded me that email – that is why we do it. There’s all the crappy days we have and the sucky days, and then you think about that lady who is alive and just needed some help.”

Roden said for her, it’s that personal approach to each call that can make all the difference.

“My personal approach is that I try to find out their name. Usually if you can get someone to tell you their name, there is something about just saying it. It just puts you on a more personal level. If you are just screaming your head off, and I can say your name, it’s just that little bit of connection,” Roden said.

Roden said it’s also important to treat every call like a “big call.” She said she is often dealing with people in a low spot in their lives, and she uses some of what she’s learned from being a mother to help her.

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“For a lot of people, it’s the worst thing they have ever had happen. It’s it’s a whole other game,” Roden said. “I am very pro law enforcement, weird, but lots of times you have to be firm with them and almost use your so it wasn’t like ‘Oh, the bad cops are going to hurt my sweet son,’ it mama voice. Lots of times they are just screaming, and I can’t send help was just both sides of it. My brother was still an officer at the time, and if I don’t know where you’re at.

I didn’t want him going At least let me get the address up and putting hands on out of them. Even if I don’t someone that he didn’t have know what’s going on, I can to because he didn’t know.”

You have to compartmentalize everything, and After speaking with the send someone to figure out you have to be able to let it go.

You have to let it go Alabama Autism Society what’s going on,” Roden said.

In addition to her work and reaching out to Orr, because the next call might be someone calling with Morgan County 911, Roden said she was able to Roden has also made an work with him to get the because their grandpa is having a heart attack, and impact in the community on card created. In addition, they need the same level of help I just gave to the a state level. When her son she began working with with autism reached driving Dustin Chandler, a former lady trying to do CPR. It’s hard in a way, but it makes age, Roden began working law enforcement officer with Sen. Arthur Orr to and father to a child with it easy if you can detach from it, and I am really good create the Alabama Autism autism, to begin offering at that.

Identification Card.

She training to law enforcement said many of the behaviors and first responders for -Candy Roden exhibited by individuals when they are interacting with autism might appear with an individual with autism. suspicious to law enforcement, Roden said her family is her motivation behind everything she does. and she wanted a way to help make it easier for both parties.

“My concern was that if he ever got pulled over, they are going to think “You are kind of raised for it. I am just drawn to it for some reason. I am ‘Why is he acting the way that he is?’ and pull him out the car, and then very family-driven to serve.”

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CHRIS AND REBECCA MARRIED AMBULANCE WORKERS MAKE A GREAT TEAM ON AND OFF THE JOB

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Chris and Rebecca Hill have a unique situation on the job – one Chris said he’s never seen before in his more than 10 years as a paramedic for First Response Ambulance. The Hills, a Danville couple, are a husbandand-wife team who work together on an ambulance. They often work 24-hour shifts together, with little time for breaks.

Three years ago when Chris’ previous partner left the company, Rebecca who joined as an EMT. They became fast friends and worked well together, and eventually began spending time with each other outside of work.

“We would go out and watch a movie or something just because we to have some company because we enjoyed being around each other,” Rebecca added.

“When you’re around someone for 24 hours straight, you get to know them and talk about everything, no matter how personal is just, you know, there’s no boundaries,” Rebecca said. The pair even joked about their love lives and troubles with online dating, all the while slowly realizing the person sitting opposite would make a good partner when off duty as well.

Their working relationship translated well into a romantic one after some persuasion. Chris said he was afraid of “messing up a good thing” and was still healing from a bad breakup. Once the two started dating he then wondered if they could continue working together.

“We’ve come to find out now that as a team, we work so well together that now that when we work with other people, it’s really difficult,” Chris said.

“I instinctively know what he’s wanting me to do before he says anything,” Rebecca said. “So, everything runs a lot smoother, especially

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when we’ve got a difficult call. The other side of it is if when do have a difficult Chris has worked for several ambulance services in his decade in the field – call, we can talk to each other about it, which makes it easier for us to kind of First Response he said is a family and is where he is most comfortable serving unwind from it. If there’s something that’s a little bit more traumatic or a little bit the community. Having his wife by his side and in the same ambulance is worrisome, we have each other to lean on.” something that Chris said plays a big role “And as you know if you’ve got a partner in that comfort.

I instinctively know what he’s wanting me to do that’s not in the same sort of field as you, it “She is like a NASCAR driver,” Chris can be very hard for you to go home and for said with a laugh. As the higher-ranking before he says anything... So, everything runs a them to understand why you’re exhausted paramedic, on emergency calls, Chris and you don’t feel like going out or going is tending to the patient while Rebecca lot smoother, especially when we’ve got a diffito the movies - Or believe you when you’re makes sure they arrive to the hospital cult call. The other side of it is if when do have working late,” Chris said. “So, for us, we quickly and safely. “She can dodge never have those issues.” obstacles all day long, but the people on a difficult call, we can talk to each other about Chris has a military background, serving the road panic. They will pull out right in 10 years in the U.S. Army before he was front of you or overthink and wait until it, which makes it easier for us to kind of unthe last minute to change lanes.” medically discharged after an injury. He had wind from it. If there’s something that’s a little The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has previously worked in various plants before presented Chris and Rebecca with issues being laid off and retrained as a paramedic. bit more traumatic or a little bit worrisome, we on the job. Chris had the virus right after He said he chose the field because of its Christmas and the pair had to quarantine stability. He also knew he could put his skills have each other to lean on. together. Rebecca had already received to use helping people in their most critical -Rebecca Hill the vaccination and they are both now in times. “I’m not worried about the emotions good health. of it, I’m just making sure I do what needs to Longer shifts, staffing shortages and overtime are among challenges they be done,” he said. Rebecca, who is originally from England, is a former horseback instructor who pursued her EMT license for insurance purposes while she was have faced during pandemic. Rebecca said she is hopeful for the future and can teaching lessons. A part-time stint as an EMT eventually lead her to her full-time see the “light at the end of the tunnel.” career with First Response and her husband.

“When I when I came and worked for the company for 3 years ago, I was brand new EMT,” Rebecca said. “Never been in this sort field before and I guarantee that when I was back home in England, thinking about what my career would be, I would have never believed in a lifetime that I would be sitting on an ambulance in Decatur, Alabama.”

“Because his vast experience, Chris has been able to teach me a whole lot, and I feel like I’m constantly learning under him.”

“For me, I enjoy that there’s something I can do to help somebody else because Yea rs in Busi s I’m really fortunate,” Rebecca said. “I am very healthy, never have any issues, ne s and being able to actually help somebody that is in crisis can be very satisfying.

With that, we also form bonds with people too,” she said. “We take our regular people to dialysis appointments and before the pandemic, we would take some folks out to each every now and then, we haven’t been able to do that lately. It’s kind of like because we are their families in some cases.”

That is just one of the struggles the job presents. Rebecca says at times it is hard to not become despondent when she sees people in need in Morgan County.

Enterprise, LLC “We’ve taken someone who is homeless to the hospital and watched them walkout and call for an ambulance to the next hospital because they want a warm place to stay for the night,” Rebecca said. “Some of those folks and many others don’t seem to understand that they are having what I would call a & Used Motor Vehicle Dealer nonemergency and we’ve got somebody else down the road that’s having a real Specializing in Restorations, emergency, and our resources are already tied up.”

Candy, Pearl, Flakes, Graphics, “I sometimes feel like there’s got to be more that we can do,” she said. “Is Motorcycle Painting and RV & Boat Repair there another service that’s available to help them out? More beds available at a local shelter or resources at the Salvation Army - something like that or something where they can because there again it’s a drain, specially at the moment with pandemic,” she added. “You know when you’ve got these people taking up beds and then you’ve got people that are in critical condition coming 3953 Highway 67 • Somerville, AL 35670 in and we haven’t got that bed service for critical patients - it makes it hard.

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CHUNN DEALING WITH DEATH 24-7 IS HIS JOB STORY BY CLIF KNIGHT | PHOTOS BY REBEKAH YANCEY AND CONTRIBUTED

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“I carry a heavy heart home some nights. That’s my job. I have to shake off the feeling and be ready help the family of the next person who dies.”

Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn, 57, is serving in his third four-year consecutive term as an elected public servant. He overcame opponents in his first two terms and ran unopposed for his third term.

“Conveying the message of an unexpected accidental death to the family is the hardest part of my job,” he said. “The death of a loved one is hard for them to accept. All we can do is hug and comfort them and make phone calls to notify other family members and friends. A law enforcement officer usually accompanies me, and we’ll answer the family’s questions to the best of our knowledge.”

He said the upside of his job is when families express their gratitude for the compassion and assistance he extends to them following a death in their family. “I don’t always recognize them by name but greatly appreciate their thoughtfulness and generosity,” he added.

Chunn’s public service career began long before he became coroner. At age 16 he joined the voluntary force of Hartselle Fire & Rescue, receiving his license as an Emergency Medical Technician two years later. He qualified as a paramedic while attending Wallace State Community College and served with Hartselle Fire & Rescue for 10 years.

He also ran ambulance calls with the late coroner Guy Holloway as an EMT/paramedic, which is when he first began to develop an interest in the coroner’s position. He was elected coroner in 2011 after retiring as a captain from the Huntsville Airport Authority.

Chunn has continued serving as a volunteer with Hartselle Fire & Rescue throughout his 39-year career as a paramedic. “I’m not physically able to make all the calls,” he said, “but I respond from time to time and do what I can to help.”

Chunn said he keeps two different shirts on hand, allowing him to distinguish in what capacity he is serving when he responds to accident scenes.

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“I have one shirt that is designated ‘coroner’ and one ‘paramedic and coroner,’” he explained. “I carry both of them with me on an accident call. Law enforcement officers working the accident, in the rush of providing emergency medical attention to the drivers or passengers, mistake me for being a paramedic after glancing at my shirt and call on me to assist. I’ll change shirts in my station wagon when I arrive at the scene to ensure my identity.”

Chunn said his responsibilities range from determining the manner and cause of death at accident and crime scenes to ordering autopsies in deaths where one is needed. He is also responsible for creating and signing death certificates, doing blood work and lab sampling in certain deaths and approving cremations throughout the county.

He has an office in the Morgan County Courthouse and another in his home in Hartselle. He is subject to receiving calls at any time, seven days a week.

“Most of my calls come in early mornings or late afternoons,” Chunn said.

“Most suicides occur in the early months of spring.”

As a rapid responder, Chunn received the vaccine for the coronavirus several weeks ago.

“I feel lucky to be virus-free,” he said. “I am a survivor of lung cancer and also a member of the COVID-19 Morgan County Committee. I feel like wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and following good health habits helped keep me virus-free.”

Chunn is a native of Valhermoso Springs and a graduate of Cotaco High School. He and his wife Lisa, an assisted living employee in Decatur, reside in Hartselle. They have two adult children – a son, Matthew, and a daughter, Kimberly – and two grandchildren.

“I feel comfortable in my job. I’m fortunate and very blessed,” Chunn said. “If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

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Joseph Hardin is continuing a long family legacy of serving his community.

The chief at Oak Ridge Volunteer Fire Department and a national guardsman, Hardin said he serves to help not only his family but his community.

Hardin said the training he receives empowers him to be able to serve those around him. Between his time at Oak Ridge Volunteer Fire Department and his 23 years with the National Guard, he said he has had many opportunities to advance and learn more.

“A lot of it is the knowledge and the training that allows me to help my family, and I can also help other people with my knowledge and the skills I have learned.

It’s kind of the same with the National Guard. I have progressed with the same unit my entire career, and I have gained the skills and knowledge to not only help my entire family but, bigger and broader, the town, the state of Alabama and the country,” Hardin said.

Hardin first got involved with Oak Ridge Volunteer Fire Department in 2002 after a friend joined and encouraged him to do the same. Despite working a full time job, and being a husband and father, Hardin said he is passionate about his duties as chief.

“It’s like anything: If you put passion into it, you’re obviously going to be a whole lot busier. My whole time in the fire department I have been passionate about it, and my family has been passionate about it and helping me with all kinds of stuff too,” Hardin said.

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everybody, but as long as we make the best attempt we can, we are doing what we’re supposed to. That really stuck with me. Even the people you are not able to save their life or prevent further injury, their family will come back later on and tell you thank you, and the ones you have helped come back and thank you too. That’s what we are there for: to help people and our community.

-Joseph Hardin

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In addition to providing support, Hardin’s wife is also a longtime member of the volunteer fire department, and their son has spent most of his life involved in some way. With the help of his family and other members in the department, Hardin said he has been able to grow in his career there.

“As I progressed, starting out as the rookie and getting more training, I became the maintenance captain in 2008 and then got some more training and became assistant chief in 2011. I became chief in 2015,” he said. It almost in itself is a full-time job. Luckily, I have a great assistant chief and other members of the department that help me out, but it’s basically another full-time job making sure everyone in the department is doing the best we can in the community.”

Serving others is something Hardin learned early from his parents. He said his mother volunteered and helped those in the community with mental illnesses, and his father served 24 years in the same National Guard unit where Hardin has spent his own military career. Hardin now serves alongside his nephew in that same unit.

“When I was a kid, even before I got in, I was helping my dad get his uniform ready and helping him pack his stuff when he had to do his guard duty. That was something I would do with him, and then all the extra time that he would spend at the armory when he wasn’t necessarily on

We are not going to be able to save

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come back later on and tell you thank you, and the ones you have helped come back and thank you too,” Hardin added. “That’s what we are there for: to help people and our community. Me and my assistant chief speak often of that: We do it for the community.”

In addition to fire service, Hardin said the department is involved with emergency medical services, small-scale hazardous material cleanup, vehicle extrication, national disaster response and various educational resources for fire prevention and safety. In addition, the department has two storm shelters with a 100-person capacity to help serve the community.

Hardin said all the volunteer fire departments receive a percentage of tax money, and County Commissioner Randy Vest has worked to provide additional assistance to the department over the years. The department also relies on donations from the community.

“In 1993 or 1994 it was voted by the citizens to give all volunteer fire departments in Morgan County a percentage of tax money. From what

I have heard, I don’t think other counties in Alabama get that high of a percentage of tax money,” Hardin said. “It is split evenly between all 22 volunteer fire departments in the county.”

Hardin said the department has about 25 active members with various levels of availability, and they are always looking for more volunteers.

“We have a Facebook page, and there is contact information there. We also have a department phone number with an answering machine, or they can simply come to the community meetings. We have meetings the first and third Thursday of every month, and they are more than welcome to stop by there and ask questions.”

Volunteers have to meet age requirements and live reasonably nearby. “Across the county and really the whole country, volunteers for the volunteer service are getting very slim. There really is a job for everybody,” Hardin said. “Even if it’s just mowing the yard, cleaning the station, administration or if you want to do fire or EMS, or even just support service, there is a job here, to help the department and the community.”

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drill status, I would go out there and help him,” Hardin said. “It’s kind of the same thing with my son: He will help me get my things ready and go with me to the armory when I am not on drill status ... It’s all carrying on the family tradition.”

During his time with the National Guard, Hardin has been deployed twice: once in 2005 to Iraq and again in 2012 to Qatar. He has advanced through the ranks and now serves as the motor sergeant for his unit, and he said he tries to pass on his leadership training not only to his soldier, but to his officers at Oak Ridge Volunteer Fire Department.

Hardin said he also tries to pass along to those in the fire service the same advice he received starting out. “I had to learn through several members starting out young: We are not God; we work for him,” Hardin said. “We are not going to be able to save everybody, but as long as we make the best attempt we can, we are doing what we’re supposed to. That really stuck with me.

“Even the people you are not able to save their life or prevent further injury, their family will

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MORTON LIVING PASSION EVERY DAY AT HARTSELLE CITY SCHOOLS

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STORY BY REBEKAH YANCEY | PHOTOS BY RACHEL HOWARD AND CONTRIBUTED

When Kelli Morton began her career in the healthcare industry, it was vastly different than the position she now holds as the lead nurse for Hartselle City Schools.

Morton was working as a nurse educator for Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham until her husband Neal accepted a job in Huntsville, moving the family to the Tennessee Valley. She said they

chose to plant roots in Hartselle in 2017 because of its size, proximity to both Neal’s job and Birmingham and the school system. She said she has never doubted her career choice; she declared her nursing major as a freshman at UAB. Beginning as a substitute school nurse after their move, Morton said she prayerfully considered the move to her current position when it

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became available. “I truly felt like God’s hand had guided my path, and in January 2019 I accepted the position as Hartselle City Schools lead nurse,” she said.

Hartselle City Schools – with its reputation of excellence – being one of the reasons the family decided on Hartselle, Morton said being a part of HCS is surreal. “Every day I get to, not have to, go to work, and I work with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met,” she said.

This school year has been unlike any other, one she calls “interesting” and one that has taken her back to her roots in a hospital setting in more ways than one.

“School nursing, in general, is very different from hospital nursing,” she said. “As a school nurse, we function very independently and are 30

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responsible for making sure students are cared for in a way that allows them to be successful in the classroom. This can involve anything from providing a daily ADHD medication to having an emergency medication readily available for students with seizure disorders or diabetes.

However, this year I have found a unique connection back to hospital nursing.

“I find myself in a fierce protective mode,” she explained. “We have worked hard to protect our faculty, staff and students from COVID-19 – particularly those who are high risk. In addition, we are in a position where we are responsible for slowing the spread in the community so that our fellow front-line workers are not overwhelmed. As we learn of the stress our hospitals are facing, we are even more determined to enforce the guidelines

set forth by Department of Public Health and CDC so that the level of transmission in the schools does not negatively impact our community.

“We are very much public health nurses and have locked arms with ADPH in the COVID-19 fight,” she added. “In addition to assessing potential COVID-19 cases and identifying those who are close contacts to the virus, we are responsible for providing the most up-to-date information to our faculty, staff and students. We work hard daily to be sure everyone has the tools they need to slow the spread within the classroom.”

For Morton, doing what is right and having integrity is her passion.

“Integrity is my passion and has always been my battle cry, but I’ve seen integrity take on another form this year,” she said. “I am so thankful for

people who have dedicated their lives to science, and I’m thankful their research and dedication has provided us with information on the right thing to do to save lives. So, right now, integrity means not only doing the right thing but doing what it takes to save lives – even if it’s hard and inconvenient.”

Morton leads a team of six school nurses in the district to care for the faculty, staff and students of Hartselle City Schools. She said she is honored to be able to work with and for the people of HCS. “These nurses are selfless and 100 percent dedicated to the health and safety of all Hartselle City School children, faculty and staff. It has been such a joy to see these ladies thrive in their roles this year,” she said. “I already knew that working as a team is essential in accomplishing goals, but this year, I learned that the words in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 are truer than I ever realized. I can do hard things, but with others, those hard things become more bearable,” Morton added.

Her Bible passage of inspiration states, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.

Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

“When we all come together with a common goal, we are all better because of it,” Morton said. “In the midst of what will go down in history as one of the most challenging years ever, we have been able to keep our students safe and healthy. – and because of the steadfast efforts of our teachers and parents, we have seen them grow academically.”

The Mortons have been married since 2004, and the couple have three children: Lanie Mae, 14; Hudson, 11, and Jake, 6, who are all students in Hartselle City Schools.

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BLACKMAN FINDS FULFILLMENT AS CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER STORY BY REBEKAH YANCEY | PHOTOS BY JERONIMO NISA AND CONTRIBUTED

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Every day when Caleb Blackman goes to work in the social services department at Decatur Morgan Hospital, he is able to share insight and information that helps his patients better themselves and their situations – which he said was the driving force behind his career choice.

During his freshman and sophomore years of college, Blackman studied history and anthropology, but he said he soon found those fields left him unfulfilled in life. In his job at Decatur Morgan Hospital as the child and adolescent program coordinator, the Hartselle man said he loves being able to help others every day, and through his work, he has found fulfilment.

Blackman graduated from Hartselle High School in 2008. From there, he first studied at Wallace State before transferring to the University of Alabama, where he declared a major in social work.

“For me, I don’t know how to describe it other than a ‘calling from God,’” Blackman said. “I worked in a computer lab at the university, and I was at work one day and just felt this pull like I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing – like I was going in a direction I wasn’t supposed to be going in.”

Blackman said he knew then that while he enjoyed his studies in anthropology and archaeology, the fields and any career opportunities that would come his way after graduation would leave him wanting something more.

“I had decided on archaeology because I love history and going to museums, and I wanted to be the person who found those things and got to preserve them – but at the same time, I didn’t feel like it was the right thing and felt somewhat selfish, so I started praying a lot about it and trying to figure out what the right move would be,” he said. “That’s when I found social work.”

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sophomore at the University of Alabama. A decade later, Blackman said he has no regrets about his decision.

“As soon as I made that choice and committed to it, it was like a huge weight was lifted,” he said. “I think I would have been happy on the path I was on, but I could just tell this would bring so much more fulfillment.”

Blackman said his contentment and joy have only grown in recent years. “I have so much I want to give, and it feels really good to be able to do that, especially with children who sometimes come from less-than-ideal situations,” he said. “I came from a very fortunate and blessed background; my parents are still married, and I have great relationships with all of my siblings. This job gives you, or at least it gives me, a different perspective on children who are getting themselves in bad situations.”

Blackman is working toward a degree to become a licensed clinical social worker so, in addition to his work at Decatur Morgan, he could see patients on his own time. He said his work should be completed sometime this summer.

He said is goal is to help people realize “that no matter what situation they are born into or handed, they have more control over that than

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thy think they do. That makes my job enjoyable,” he said. “The more they think that and notice that, the more they will be able to take responsibility and get themselves out of situations like that, and the more of the cycle they will be able to break. I hope I’m making some kind of difference; even if it is one in every 10 kids I see, that’s still some sort of difference.”

Blackman said individual, group and family therapies are used in his department. His favorite clients are the children.

“As your life is going along, you compile baggage, and especially if you start off with a lot, it can become very difficult to resolve that in adulthood,” he said. “It is often easier to help a child change those habits when they’re young.”

Blackman said he’s doing his best at his job when he conducts group therapies, and he gets good feedback from the children. “My favorite part of the family sessions is when everyone is involved and hungry for information on what they can do to improve their family lives and situations.”

Caleb and his wife Rebecca have a son, Nathanael, and are expecting another baby boy next month.

The family are members at East Highland Baptist Church, where Caleb’s father is the minister.

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Beginning his law enforcement career as a corrections officer in the After spending 14 weeks at the academy, Shands returned to Morgan Morgan County Jail, Perry Shands is a prime example of leading from County to begin working on patrol. After spending several weeks in the front. The Hartselle man has training, he said he was excited always had an interest in law to get started. “I guess you can I like for the guys that work here now to have enforcement and has served as say it was a dream come true. the Morgan County Sheriff ’s I’ve always wanted to ‘clean it better than when I came up through patrol.

Office patrol captain since 2019. up the streets,’ so to speak,” he said.

Shands first began his It’s kind of like, with kids, you want better for Shands focused on leading career in 2004 at the Morgan by doing as he worked on County Jail while earning them than what you had. I want to make the patrol, even being awarded two associate degrees from right decisions to keep morale up and, at the the Morgan County Sheriff ’s Wallace State Community Office Deputy of the Year in College: criminalistics and law same time, have the guys out there with what 2010 by American Legion enforcement. Working in the Post 15. In 2012 Shands began jail until 2007, Shands attended they need. It’s a brotherhood; the whole sherserving as the lead officer the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s iff’s office is all one big family. before being promoted to Academy and began his journey sergeant in 2013. toward patrol captain. He said -Perry Shands “I have always been a doer. serving his neighbors has always I would hope my shift would been one of his goals.

“It’s something I wanted to do. I always wanted to help the community follow,” he said. “I am a supervisor that wants to be there with his guys and not expect them to be there by themselves.” and help people,” Shands said.

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wreckers, school resource officers, the vehicle fleet and firearm training.

He said that although his typical day might look different than it did when he was starting out, his heart still remains on supporting his team and community.

“I like for the guys that work here now to have it better than when I came up through patrol. I like for it to be better for them than it was for me,” he explained. “It’s kind of like, with kids, you want better for them than what you had. I want to make the right decisions to keep morale up and, at the same time, have the guys out there with what they need.

“It’s a brotherhood; the whole sheriff ’s office is all one big family.”

In 2017 Shands was recognized by the Morgan County Sheriff ’s Office as Supervisor of the Year, and he received the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal that same year from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

When he is not working in the office, Shands said he likes to continue to serve on patrol. He said his personal approach to law enforcement is to assess each situation individually, with a goal to always to make the decision that best serves the community.

“Every situation is different; everybody doesn’t deserve to go to jail,” Shands said. “You have to take what’s best for each scenario and evaluate it and try to make the best decision for that person, for the community and for the safety of others.”

Shands said the best advice he would give to anyone starting out in law enforcement is to try to never bring work home. For Shands, that is accomplished by going to the gym and spending time with his wife, Lynsey, and 6-year-old son, Brody.

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Shands said he continued to work his way up the chain of command, rgaining experience along the way. He spent about six months in the criminal investigation and narcotics divisions to gain more felony experience before returning to what he loves most: being on the road.

Shands said in his 16 years of working at the Morgan County Sheriff ’s dOffice, he has spent 12 of those years on night shift. s In 2019 Shands was promoted to patrol captain, taking the reins of patrol, maintenance, reserves and the Sheriff ’s Posse, chaplains,

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Tyler Stinson has worked as the chief of the Lifeguard Ambulance Service in Hartselle since 2015, but he’s been around and involved in the field since he was a teenager. “I grew up around this field, so it’s in my blood,” Stinson said. “I really don’t know what else I would do.”

He said his passion stems from seeing his father serve others in similar capacities. “After high school, I worked at Wolverine for a couple months … Then I worked somewhere else building cabinet doors, and I realized, you know, plant life is not for me,” he said.

The 2007 Priceville High School graduate soon found his passion when he attended EMT school and secured his first job working on an ambulance. That’s where he has been ever since, and that’s where he has found his passion for serving the public.

It was the rush of the job that enticed Stinson at first. “I guess in the beginning, that’s probably what gets all of us into it – the adrenaline you feel on the job,” he said. “But as you do it, you don’t get that adrenaline rush like you did when you started. For me, it’s the fact that I get to go to work every day and help people who are in their most critical moments in their lives. I love that I get to do that while being able to serve my community.

“Every day is different. Every call you run is different, so you’re always faced with a new challenge; no two calls are ever the same.”

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equipped with everything carried in an ambulance – except a stretcher. He Stinson said the job can be rewarding, too – in ways that often make the even carries a Lucas machine, which aids in performing CPR on patients grief and stress worth it.

“Sometimes you have those patients that come back to you, and they tell in cardiac arrest.

Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Stinson has found himself you thank you, and that’s what’s rewarding,” he said. “You know, we don’t out in the field more often because of occasional short staffing. When do this for the thank you’s, but every time you get one, it’s like, man, that he isn’t doing hands-on patient sounds good. That made everything I went through worth it. care, he manages the 35-40 full-time “Last year we had a patient that employees that make up Lifeguard in I’ve known literally my entire life Morgan County.

Sometimes we have those patients that “We run three 24-hour Advanced that went into cardiac arrest here Life Support ambulances,” Stinson in town, in a salon, and we got her come back to you, and they tell you thank said. “We have three ambulances for back. She talked to me all the way the county that run 24 hours a day, to the hospital and knew me by you, and that’s what’s rewarding... You name.” seven days a week, that each have a know, we don’t do this for the thank yous, Stinson said reflecting on those paramedic and an EMT onboard at memorable patients and being minimum. but every time you get one, it’s like, man, “We have one 12-hour truck seven able to have a positive impact days a week that is ALS … and then on people’s lives in their worst that sounds good that made everything three days a week we run a Basic Life moments – in their most critical Support truck that has two EMTs and most vulnerable situations – I went through worth it ...

Last year we onboard that work a 16-hour shift.” is a primary reason he does this Stinson said Lifeguard has seen job. had a patient that I’ve known literally my some challenges because of the “You know the old saying: If you pandemic – first, a shortage of enjoy what you do, you’ll never entire life that went into cardiac arrest Personal Protection Equipment, work a day in your life. Well, that and then staffing issues. is so true in this profession,” he here in town, in a salon and we got her “Those issues have mostly been said. back. She talked to me all the way to the resolved now, even though we don’t “If wasn’t for my employees, I yet know what this year will hold,” wouldn’t be able to do my job. They hospital and knew me by name. he said. “We’re fortunate in the fact make my job easier; they make it that we’re a national company that doable. I just I have to give them -Tyler Stinson has operations in 38 different states some props for what they do,” he added. and is supportive of the challenges In addition to his work at we face.”

It’s not an easy job; it comes with its fair share of stress, Stinson said.

Lifeguard, Stinson is also a volunteer firefighter in Somerville, where his “There are the calls that you struggle with. Our profession as a whole, father has worked since 1985. He first began volunteering there in his early there’s not a lot of good training for how to handle those types of calls, and teenage years, and he said if he wasn’t on an ambulance, he would be at the that’s something you learn how to handle on your own as you go,” he said. fire station.

Stinson and his wife Allie have two children: Olivia, 6, and Jace, 6 “Fortunately, I work for a good company that provides an Employee Assistance months. program, where you can reach out and go talk to somebody if you need to.”

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HENRY EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP FIGHT COVID-19 STORY BY JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS | PHOTO BY RACHEL HOWARD AND JERONIMO NISA

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Cedar Street Primary Care nurse practitioner Lori Henry found herself in unfamiliar territory when COVID-19 caused sudden shutdowns across the world in March 2020. “We’d only been open about a year and a half when COVID hit,” the Cullman native said. “We shut down completely at first, since we did not meet the CDC guidelines.”

So in the middle of a worldwide health crisis in 2020, a healthcare worker could not see and help her patients. She said it was frustrating, to say the least, but her office, along with many others, found a way to diagnose, advise and treat patients remotely.

Telemedicine has been around for years, but smaller practices and communities have not used it because of the required additional training, equipment and insurance hassles. When in-person appointments became possible, however, the Cedar Street team stepped up to the challenge – and today, Henry and her colleagues see the majority of their patients remotely.

“We all had a big learning curve,” Henry said, “but we learned the ropes pretty quickly. We stuck with telemedicine exclusively for several months, and our patients – and we – found it to be pretty convenient. Now, I think it’s here to stay.”

Once masks were mandated by the governor this past summer, Henry said the office gave all their patients the option between in-person or telehealth appointments. “Most are choosing the telemedicine,” she said. “They do not have to come for their appointment and wait their turn, so, a patient can be at home or even work, and we will call them for their appointment. No taking off or waiting in the parking lot to be called inside.”

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Henry said the uncertainty and newness of the novel coronavirus understandably caused widespread fear and doubt. She herself contracted the coronavirus in November and had a few negative tests before her daughter started showing symptoms and they both tested positive.

The big issue with COVID-19, said Henry, is that the symptoms and effects are different for everyone. “Mine started with GI issues, some body aches, maybe a low-grade fever for a day or two,” she said. “I tested negative for COVID and got better in a couple days. I chalked it up to a stomach bug, but then it came back on days four and five with sinus pressure, reflux, loss of smell and altered taste. I had this off and on for about 2.5 to three weeks. I even went to the office a day or two, having the negative tests, but did not see any patients in person because my congestion made it hard to wear a mask.

“I was the only one in my family to run a fever,” added Henry, “and I had it with two negative COVID tests. My rule of thumb for everyone: If you’re sick, stay home!”

A Jacksonville State graduate, Henry spent 10 years as an ER nurse before earning her NP license from UAH and coming to Hartselle to open Cedar Street with Dr. Jeb Hornsby in 2018. Her husband, Greg, is a Morgan County native who owns Custom Tubs in Hartselle. The couple has two children and live in Vinemont. Their son, Hagen, is an eighth-grader at Hartselle Junior High School, and daughter Maddie is a sixth-grader at Hartselle Intermediate.

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RISE AND FALL Henry said the statewide mask mandate this past summer helped COVID-19 case counts to drop, but those numbers steadily increased after Halloween, then the election, then Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“The December numbers were particularly high – almost double those from November,” she said.

She said she expects and hopes to see a drop off in the new year. “A lot of people have had it and are believed to have immunity for about 90 days,” Henry said, “and there are not any huge gatherings or traditional family holidays coming up. Of course, we still don’t know exactly how the immunity works; there are still a lot of unknowns.”

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Most of the questions and concerns Henry said she hears from patients have to do with the new vaccines being distributed. Her advice? Do the research.

“Weigh the pros and the cons for you and your loved ones. There are definitely populations who need this vaccine,” she said. “Risk factors include age, race, obesity and underlying conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, COPD, asthma, etcetera. We also are seeing more men have more severe reactions to the virus.

“Of course, people are concerned that the vaccine is new,” she said. “For younger, healthier people, you have to weigh your options and decide if it’s right for you.” Henry cautioned it is difficult to guess what symptoms or reactions each person will have upon contracting the virus – no matter what their age.

We have found ourselves treating depression and anxiety more and more at all ages, across the board ... At f irst, we had some of our elderly patients tell us they were depressed because they couldn’t leave the house or go outside. We tell our patients to get outside.

Walk if they can, exercise, take their vitamins.

Getting outside is healthy. Being around people is not.

-Lori Henry

INCREASED ANXIETY Henry and other medical professionals have noticed a marked increase in patients with depression and anxiety, and she said that is the next big treatment area in the medical community.

“We have found ourselves treating depression and anxiety more and more at all ages, across the board,” she said. “At first, we had some of our elderly patients tell us they were depressed because they couldn’t leave the house or go outside. We tell our patients to get outside! Walk if they can, exercise, take their vitamins. Getting outside is healthy; being around people is not.”

Henry said both her children are attending school in person this year.

“Being in school has been better for them,” she said. “Even my son, who is more of an introvert, told me he was so glad to get back to school in person. We have had to quarantine, and we did the online thing.”

Signs and symptoms of depression for any age include sadness, withdrawal from family and friends, change in sleep patterns, change in appetite, excessive worrying, not doing things you once enjoyed, feelings of worthlessness, anger and irritability, trouble with focus, fatigue and suicidal thoughts.

“Be sure to talk to your family members – parents, grandparents, children,” she said. “Watch them and look for signs so they can get help.”

She said in other concerns, Flu A is on the rise in some areas of the state. “We should be able to curb the flu with the mask-wearing and checking temps at schools, but I ask that everyone still follow the rule: If you feel sick, stay home.

If you need a doctor’s excuse, that’s what we are here for.”

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