SPORTS: New Bob Jones High School head coach is no stranger to Patriot basketball
M adison RECORD WEDNESDAY June 28, 2023
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Celebrating Independence
INSIDE
themadisonrecord
Libertarians approved to participate in next Madison Co. primary By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
Carnegie Hall performance Practice, in countless hours, led Liberty Choir to the extraordinary opportunity to perform at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City. Liberty’s performance was associated with the prestigious Honors Performance Series. Page 5A
LIVING The Trash Pandas are kicking off another homestand at Toyota Field on Tuesday, July 4 as they take on the Chattanooga Lookouts. A special firewworks display will be held after the game to celebrate Independence Day.
BBQ joints
Joe Hobby talks about barbecue joints in his latest column. Page 5A
EVENTS
Youth orchestra
Boys, girls and teenagers in Madison City Youth Orchestra or MCYO are learning to play or keeping their playing in top form during their 2023 Summer Session. Page 6A
This weekend
Check out what top events are being planned for this weekend Page 7A
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INSIDE Local News........ 2A Editorial............. 6A Living................. 7A Sports............... 1B
Kids................... 5B Faith.................. 6B History............... 7B Schools............. 8B
16 pages • 2 sections
Several activities planned to celebrate the 4th of July By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – Patriotic sights and sounds will make you feel like a ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ when the City of Madison presents “The Star-Spangled Celebration.” The event on July 3 will run from 5 to 9 p.m. at Dublin Park, 8324 Old Madison Pike. “We hope everyone can come out for the event,” Kory Alfred said. Alfred is Director of Madison Parks and Recreation Department, which is sponsoring the city celebration. The event is free to the public. For live entertainment, the band, Groove, will keep the pace upbeat with their music. Several food trucks are scheduled to sell refreshments to the crowd. The trucks and entertainment will be set up on Soccer Field no. 1. A set of inflatable amusements, like a moon bounce and slides, on Soccer Field no. 2 will offer fun activities for the boys and girls.
Madison will enjoy the Fourth of July at “The Star-Spangled Celebration” at Dublin Park on July 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. The event will include live entertainment, children’s activities, food trucks, fireworks and the “Battle of the Paddle” pickleball tournament. Parking will be available at Bob Jones High School, 650 Hughes Road, and shuttle buses will transport visitors roundtrip to Dublin Park. The shuttle service will begin at 4:30 p.m. This transportation is free. The Star-Spangled Celebration’s finale will be a rousing
fireworks show. Madison police officers and firefighters, along with HEMSI first-responders, will cover safety for spectators. In addition, the second annual “Battle of the Paddle” pickleball tournament will be held See CELEBRATIONS Page 8A
MADISON COUNTY - Madison County is making history with the next general election. The libertarian party has been approved to participate in the 2024 primary election, marking the first time in Alabama history libertarians have achieved this feat. According to a press release Monday, the Libertarian Party of Madison County, Alabama (LPMCA), filed a resolution on June 22 for participation in the 2024 primary election. “This follows Libertarian success in the 2022 general election, with Madison resident Alan Barksdale for sheriff getting 23 percent of the vote and Laura Lane for public service commission getting 26 percent,” stated the press release. “Due to achieving at least 20 percent in those races, the LPMCA was declared a major political party for elections in Madison County, which entitles libertarians to participate in primary elections. Additionally, it removes the requirement for the LPMCA to petition for ballot access for any election for county office or below.” While this isn’t the first time the libertarians have been a major party, this does mark the first time since the founding of the state party in 1975 that they are participating in a primary election. “The LPMCA is fully prepared to support new candidates with a series of training courses, and registration is open now for anyone interested in learning how to run for office in Madison County as a libertarian.” Should someone desire to be a candidate in the 2024 primary for the LPMCA, the filing window begins on July 2, 2023, and ends November 11, 2023. More information can be found at LPMCA.org.
Raise Your Hand program raising local education excellence By MARIA RAKOCZY maria@themadisonrecord.com MADISON COUNTY - North Alabama is already home to several accomplished school districts, but the Committee of 100, an organization of local business owners and executives striving to improve the area, wants to accomplish even more for the three school districts in Madison County. The Raise Your Hand Program
was the initiative born out of the committee’s non-profit arm, Creative Cities Fund, and works with the Schools Foundation to increase the number of Nationally Board-Certified Teachers (NBCT) in the area by five hundred. A National Board Certification is the highest credential a teacher can earn. The process consists of four major parts and can take from one to three years. The process to certification comes with a cost, as well,
that the Schools Foundation and Creative Cities Fund are helping to mitigate by providing scholarships for five-hundred teachers. According to Chair of the Creative Cities Fund Kris McBride, “We set out to achieve the highest density of NBCTs in comparable communities in our nation. So, to achieve twenty-seven percent NBCTs in our three systems, we would need to provide scholarships for five hundred certified teachers. The challenge
was accepted again, and we have made tremendous gains toward that goal.” The Committee of 100 hosted a breakfast last Wednesday where speakers shared updates on the progress made by the Raise Your Hand initiative and extrapolated on the benefits of NBCTs to students’ learning. Since 2020, Raise Your Hand has increased the total number of NBCTs across Huntsville See RAISE YOUR HAND Page 2B
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