WEDNESDAY
January 10, 2024
SPORTS: Bob Jones High School basketball holds off late surge from Mae Jemison
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Madison high schools make National AP School Honor Roll
INSIDE
By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
Madison’s New Year Baby
Madison Hospital’s New Year’s Baby was born a little after midnight on New Year’s Day. Page 2A
The state’s first Safe Haven Baby Box is being unveiled today at Madison Fire Station #1, at the corner of Hughes Road and Mill Road beside city hall.
Artist spotlight
Lessons in history and nature from Huntsville artist Timothy Joe. Page 4A
Book club conference
The dedication of people who view reading as a joy will take the focus at the upcoming Book Club Conference at Madison Public Library. Page 6A
Jurassic World Live
Jurassic World Live Tour, a family entertainment experience that brings the wonder and thrills of Jurassic World to generations of fans, will be roaring into Huntsville Jan. 13-15 at the Von Braun Center. Page 7A
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INSIDE Local News ....... 2A Living................ 5A Events............... 6A Sports .............. 1B
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Schools ............ 4B History.............. 5B Kids.................. 6B Faith................. 7B
16 pages • 2 sections
State’s first Safe Haven Baby Box now ready in Madison By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com MADISON - Kids to Love and Madison Fire and Rescue is celebrating the first Safe Haven Baby Box in the state of Alabama, which was installed in Madison. The box is at Madison Fire Station #1, which is located at 101 Mill Road in Madison. It will be ready for public use after a ribbon cutting
at 2 p.m. today. Kids to Love began working to expand the state’s Safe Haven law in the spring of 2023, when it became apparent that changing abortion laws would lead to more children in need of a loving home in Alabama. The Legislature passed House Bill 473 later that year, expanding the law to allow a mother to surrender a child less than 45 days old to fire stations that See SAFE HAVEN Page 2A
Nurse’s idea leads Boy Scout to build NICU library for Eagle service project By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com MADISON – Erin Ball’s idea led to a source of comfort for newborns’ parents and motivation for an Eagle Scout service project. Erin Ball, a Staff Registered Nurse who has worked at Madison Hospital since its 2012 opening, “had the clever idea of creating a lending library within our NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Nursery as a convenience for parents who want to read to their newborns,” Madison Hospital President Mary Lynne Wright said. Coincidentally, Gabe Gossett from Boy Scout Troop 351 had asked Wright about possible
Erin Ball, at left, and Gabe Gossett collaborated on the Little Library in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU at Madison Hospital. projects at the hospital that he could tackle for service work to attain his Eagle Scout rank. “Babies in the nursery ac-
tually spend a lot of time just resting. We only do things with them or ‘cares’ at certain times See NICU Page 3A
MADISON - Madison City Schools has once again topped a list of outstanding high schools. Both Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools are among just 27 public high schools in Alabama that made the National AP School Honor Roll. That’s from more than 360 public high schools statewide. “I am so proud of the hard work and dedication of the students, teachers and staff across all levels of our district,” Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said. “While this recognition is focused on our high schools, our outstanding Pre-K through 12th grade programs allow our students to perform academically at their highest levels. We are certainly blessed to live in a community that supports our school district.” The Advanced Placement Program (AP) enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Madison City Schools repeatedly has among the highest AP participation in the state, with approximately 60 percent of each graduating cohort taking at least one AP course during their high school career. ALSDE said in a news release last week high schools that offer these college-level AP courses help build student academic skills through more in-depth learning and AP Exam offerings. The national AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools nationwide whose local AP programs are delivering excellent results for students while also broadening their achievement. “Schools earn this prestigious recognition annually, based on criteria, which reflects local commitment to increasing its college-going culture, providing opportunities for more students to earn college credit, and community commitment to maximizing college readiness,” ALSDE said. “The AP School Honor Roll offers four levels of distinction: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. For a See AP Page 8A
Madison Volunteer Fair to match people with groups’ needs By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com MADISON – Anyone who wants to make a New Year’s resolution for self-improvement while benefiting the community can look no further than Madison Visionary Partners or MVP for ideas. MVP will host Madison Volunteer Fair on Jan. 27 from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. at Madison Public Library auditorium, 142 Plaza Blvd. “We receive many inquiries about volunteer opportunities in Madison and the surrounding area,” MVP Executive Director Melanie Thornton said. “We know that many people aim to become more involved as part of their resolutions so we thought this would be a fitting way for
our community to hear from organizations and see what types of opportunities are available.” “Our goal is that Madison residents will leave with new information about organizations and be inspired on how they want to be involved in the community. We encourage residents to become engaged with the many organizations doing great work in Madison,” Thornton said.
Melissa Davison, who serves as MVP Project Coordinator, said the volunteer fair will be “perfect for newcomers, seasoned residents looking to become involved and high-school students who need to increase service hours” for their resumes and academic or club requirements. A representative cross-secSee FAIR Page 8A
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