New high school to be built in central Alabama
A new high school will be built in central Alabama. The new school in Fultondale is part of Jefferson County Board of Education’s $200 million capital outlay plan, Al.com reported. The school system announced in September plans to build new schools and conduct major renovations on nine others in the next three years. The new Fultondale High School will cost around $38.5 million. The site of the school has not been confirmed. Fultondale Mayor Jim Lowery says the high school is the oldest in the county. The school was built in 1967. “I feel very positive that all of the children that attend our school in Fultondale will be in a new facility,” he said. “That is very important to me. We are behind when it comes to technology and the type facilities that education is in now in other communities.” Jefferson County Board of Education President Oscar Mann says there is no intent to merge schools from Fultondale and Gardendale. The county is also considering renovating the current Fultondale High School for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, which is currently housed at Pleasant Grove. The county’s plans were contingent on a U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on whether Gardendale could form its own school system. The court denied Gardendale’s request on Feb. 13. Gardendale announced two weeks later that it would cease its efforts to start a school system. Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Craig Pouncey said if the plans for Fultondale are approved by the court, he didn’t know when construction could start. He said the first project to be built will be the expansion and renovation of the Grantswood Elementary School in the Irondale area. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Safest cities in Alabama: 50 safest spots in the Yellowhammer State
Safety has always been an important factor when searching for a new place to call home, but a contentious national political system combined with an increase in violent crime across the country, has made safety the number one priority for many Americans. Since navigating through crime statistics can be a difficult and time-consuming process, Alarms.org, part of the National Council for Home Safety and Security, took it upon themselves to crunch the numbers and rank the safest places to live in Alabama. Their experts analyzed FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics in conjunction with their own population data and internal research to find which communities across the Yellowhammer State are the most secure, eliminating any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and removing cities with populations under 5,000. Taking home the top spot is Helena. Made up of 17 square miles, 18,109 residents, the city has the lowest crime rates in the state with the average violent crime rate five times lower than the state average. And the average property crime rate is 4.7 times lower than the state average. “Helena residents enjoy movies in the park, citywide softball competitions, an annual Christmas parade, and everything else that pairs nicely with a white picket fence,” reads the report. As the city motto suggests, “it’s where you want to be.” Following Helena, three of the remaining top five cities also come from affluent Birmingham suburbs. With Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Fultondale taking the second, third and fourth spots on the list. Here’s a look at the 50 safest cities in Alabama:
Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica coming to Ala. July 6
In the wake of celebrating our nation’s 240th birthday, the city of Fultondale is bringing a special Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica to town, giving many Alabamians a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pay their respects to those lost during the Vietnam War. The 360-feet long wall, which is a three-fifths replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., will be available for the public to visit July 6 to 10 at 3321 Lowery Parkway in Fultondale, a northern suburb of Birmingham. The Vietnam Memorial Wall lists the names of 58,195 veterans — husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and friends — who never returned home from the war. This traveling memorial allows everyone to honor those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of America. The American Veterans Traveling Tribute brings the wall to various communities across the country, providing an opportunity for people who otherwise cannot visit the nation’s capital to pay their respects. This is the first time the wall will be in Fultondale. The family-friendly event is free to the public and includes an kick-off parade, ceremonies to honor Vietnam veterans, as well as Cobra and Huey helicopter rides. Below is the full schedule of events: Wednesday, July 6 Welcoming ceremony 6 p.m.: Parade of the Wall escort (begins at Uptown/BJCC parking lot, north on Highway 31, turn on Walker Chapel Road and then on Lowery Parkway) Thursday, July 7 Noon: Viewing of the Wall begins 3 p.m.: Wreath-laying ceremony Friday, July 8 10 a.m.: Ceremony Huey ($65) and Cobra ($310) helicopter rides Free kids zone Saturday, July 9 10 a.m.: Vietnam flag dedication Entertainment all day Free kids zone Huey ($65) and Cobra ($310) helicopter rides 9 p.m.: Fireworks Sunday, July 10 10 a.m: Church service 1 p.m.: Ride of Honor 2 p.m.: Closing ceremony The city of Fultondale is also in need of volunteers for this four-day event. If you are interested, call Fultondale City Hall at (205) 841-4481 or fill out this online form.
