The Madison Record - December 27, 2023

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WEDNESDAY

December 27, 2023

SECTION B: Check out our special look at stories featured in Madison Living Magazine

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50 cents • Published Every Wednesday

madisoncountyrecord.com

@themadisonrecord

ALEA launches its annual ‘12 days of safety’ campaign

INSIDE

Successful season

Orion Amphitheater closed out a successful 2023 season setting records with an outpouring of support from both the community and artists. Page 2A

By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com

Esports Champs!

With quick thinking and lightning reflexes, students on Esports teams from Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools claimed first-place wins in State Esports Championships in Montgomery. Page 3A

Maelin Carlson, a student at Heritage Elementary School, stands at the statue of the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Winning photo

Cristie Clark of Captured by Cristie Photography in downtown Madison secured the top spot of the Alabama Big 10 Mayor’s Photo Contest with her photo of a train moving through downtown Madison. Page 5A

it’s Another New Year!

NEW YEAR WORD FIND

New Year’s Eve is the night that we say goodbye to 2023 and welcome in the Year 2024! New Year’s Day is the first holiday celebrated each year in the United States. People welcome in the New Year with friends and family by following traditions and making resolutions to improve their health and lifestyles. Many people stay up until 12:01 a.m. to ring in the New Year. January 1 was first declared the first day of the year during the Roman Empire with the creation of the Julian calendar. Many traditions, such as resolutions, surround New Year’s. A resolution is a decision you make in order to improve yourself. The most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. Others may resolve to eat healthier, keep your home or office cleaner, or to do more charitable acts. Other New Year’s traditions include eating special foods for good luck, e.g., black-eyed peas and collard greens in America and doughnuts in the Netherlands. Parades are also a common New Year’s tradition. The first Tournament of Roses Parade occurred in California in 1886 to celebrate the orange crops. The Rose Bowl was added to this tradition in 1902 and is still a popular New Year’s celebration. The famous Waterford Crystal Ball drop in New York’s Times Square is televised each year on New Year’s Eve and is watched by people around the World.

fIND 10 DIFFERENCES IN THE PICTURES

Heritage student benefits from St. Jude’s, named “Patient of the Year” By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com

MADISON – Maelin Carlson, a student at Heritage Elementary School, is one of countless patients who has benefited from fundraising efforts for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In one of those fundraisers, seven people represented Heritage Elementary School in the 2023 St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend. These Heritage Heroes raised approximately $9,000 for the hospital. “Maelin is nine years old. She has Fanconi Anemia. It’s a genetic blood disease that re-

sults in bone marrow failure. She had a bone marrow transplant four years ago,” according to her parents, Paul and Megan Carlson. “We adopted Maelin at three years old, and, by the grace of God, St. Jude was able to diagnose her soon after arriving in See MAELIN Page 5A

STATEWIDE - The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is launching its annual “12 days of safety” campaign which started last week and will run until January 1. The aim of this operation is to educate and provide drivers with safety information throughout the holiday season. ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said, “Often, the smallest of actions cause a ripple effect and create an enormous impact.” “We need everyone to incorporate safety into their holiday plans and help share our message because you are truly the greatest gift you can give your family. All our enforcement details, driving license checks, safety campaigns and daily operations are in an effort to protect and safeguard the citizens of Alabama and keep everyone returning home to their loved ones. We ask you to join the Agency’s efforts and give the gift of safety this holiday season.” Taylor said. The agency especially wanted to warn drivers of the risk of driving under the influence. According to data compiled by the Center for Advanced Public Safety (CAPS), 5,005 crashes occurred in 2022 because of impaired driving, and resulting in 260 lives lost in the state of Alabama. So far, in 2023, impaired driving has been a contributing factor in 4,398 traffic crashes, resulting in 154 lives lost. ALEA wanted to remind drivers to be courteous on the road and ring In the New Year while making safety a top priority. ALEA says travelers can expect an uptick in checkpoints.

TURNING PAIN INTO PURPOSE

PA ARTY HAT AT M MAZE START

Cake, Clocks, Confetti, Cou untdown, Ball,, Drink, Family, Food, Frie ends, Hats, Kisses, Midnight, Music, Noise Makers, Radio, Streamers, Tellevision

chinese new year

Chinese New Year is Saturday, Febrruary 10, 2024. In the Chinese zodiac ca alendar, each year is assigned an anima al that represents that year. There are 12 total animal assignments. This year, 202 24, is the year of the Dragon! The Dragon is the fifth anima animal in the e 12 12-year year cycle.

END

a special thank you to all our sponsors!

Special Weekly Pages

Check our weekly Kids and Church pages with games and activities for kids, and area church listings. Pages 6A and 7A

ONLINE CHECK US OUT! Check out more local news, school stories, sports and events at themadisonrecord.com and find us on Facebook and Twitter.

INSIDE Local News ....... 2A Living................ 5A Events............... 6A Sports .............. 1B

themadisonrecord

Schools ............ 4B History.............. 5B Kids.................. 6B Faith................. 7B

16 pages • 2 sections

A Discovery Middle School shooting survivor’s story Editor’s note: The newspaper issue between Christmas and New Year’s is always a chore to fill up with good content due to the rush of the holidays and early print deadlines. This year we have decided to try something a little different. In Section B, we have included a look at some of the feature stories from one of our publications, Madison Living Magazine. If you are not familiar with this monthly magazine, this will hopefully give you a chance to see the kind of stories we use to showcase Madison each month. We start off with our cover story from the current December issue. We hope you enjoy it and we wish you, your family and friends a very happy New Year! - John Few

By MARIA RAKOCZY maria@themadisonrecord.com MADISON - Lyndsie Wade is an apprentice at Arab Heritage Memorial Chapel Funeral Home. Personal encounters with Lyndsie make hard times just a little bit easier for family and friends of lost loved ones. Little may they know that her caring and attentive demeanor, which makes them feel loved and their family important, stems from a deep empathy formed by her own very close encounters with tragedy. It is no accident that Wade works See MADISON LIVING Page 8A

Lyndsie Wade’s story is featured in the December issue of Madison Living Magazine. For more, check out www.madisonlivingmagazine.com.

NO DEALER FEES EVER!!

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FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!


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