The Messenger-Gadsden

10/04/2025

The CommUnity Thanksgiving of Etowah, which fed over 10,900 community members last year, is set to dissolve its charity prior to this holiday season.

The CommUnity Thanksgiving of Etowah, which fed over 10,900 community members last year, is set to dissolve its charity prior to this holiday season. “After 27 years of serving our community with Alabama’s largest Thanksgiving Day meal, serving nearly 11,000 plates last year, the board has made ...

10/03/2025

On Friday, Oct. 3, Downtown Gadsden will wrap up the 2025 First Friday season.

On Friday, Oct. 3, Downtown Gadsden will wrap up the 2025 First Friday season. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy a fall evening downtown while supporting local retail shops, restaurants, and The Gadsden Museum of Art and The Cultural Arts Center. Multiple locations along the street will feature li...

10/03/2025

“This initiative is about more than education; it’s about saving lives,” said Jay Freeman, Gadsden State Chief of Police/Public Safety.

Gadsden State Community College is excited to announce the launch of a new Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course designed for college students, with plans to expand into K–12 schools throughout the College’s service area. The kickoff session was held September 23, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Helderman Hall o...

10/02/2025

The Internal Revenue Service announced that paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers will be phased out beginning on Sept. 30, 2025.

The Internal Revenue Service, working with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, today announced that paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers will be phased out beginning on Sept. 30, 2025, as required by Executive Order 14247, to the extent permitted by law. This marks the first step of the...

10/01/2025

The Gadsden State Community College Theatre Program will present A Murder is Announced at 7 p.m. Oct. 23-25.

The Gadsden State Community College Theatre Program will present A Murder is Announced at 7 p.m. Oct. 23-25 in the Inzer Hall Black Box Theatre on the Wallace Drive Campus. “The Black Box Theatre has grown with the number of student cast members and the talent,” said Joe Fuselli, director of the...

09/30/2025

The students waved flags, wore Statue of Liberty crowns and counted down as Libby Liberty™ took the stage.

By Karla McArthur, Education Correspondent With the help of the Southside High School Ambassadors, elementary students from throughout the Etowah County School System gathered at Southside High School’s auditorium on September 15th to launch the 2025 Super Citizen Program and begin their journey a...

09/29/2025

“The growth we celebrate today is the result of a true team effort,” said President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr.

For the fifth consecutive year, Jacksonville State University (Jax State) has broken its all-time enrollment record – yet this fall’s achievement stands apart. For the first time in its history, the university has surpassed 10,000 students, a milestone long envisioned by the institution. This fa...

09/28/2025

“When people think of Shepherd’s Cove, they think of a hospice facility, which is accurate but not the complete picture,” Smothers said.

By Karla McArthur, Education Correspondent According to Dr. Alan Wolfelt, children coping with loss are often called “the forgotten mourners,” said Ryan Smothers, who helps lead grief support services for Shepherd’s Cove. Addressing that need is a priority for the organization, which extends b...

09/27/2025

When 21-year-old Hartley Reynolds was in middle school, she learned songs to perform for her mom, Melissa, who posted them on a YouTube channel.

By Karla McArthur, Education Correspondent When 21-year-old Hartley Reynolds was in middle school, she learned songs to perform for her mom, Melissa, who posted them on a YouTube channel. Reynolds noticed that Hartley and her younger sister, Molly, 15, had a special way of harmonizing when they sang...

09/26/2025

You asked — we delivered! We heard you Southside! You wanted a newspaper box in Southside again, and kindly agreed to let us put a box right by their front door!

Next time you stop by the pharmacy, bring two quarters so you can get a physical copy of The Messenger!

We are also taking this opportunity to share that all of our boxes have been replaced with these clean, large boxes painted blue. You'll know it is our box by the logo sticker on the bottom front. While we are sad to see the bright yellow go, we are glad to spruce things up a bit.

These newly restored and repainted boxes will serve Etowah County for decades to come.

09/26/2025

“There’s a lot of pedestrian traffic, there’s a lot of kids, and the cars fly up and down this road. I think it’s a miracle someone hasn’t been killed yet,” Reannon Doring said.

The traffic lights on Broad and Chestnut streets from First to Seventh streets will be converted into four-way stops, with the exception of the intersection at First and Broad streets by the Memorial Bridge.

09/24/2025

“I am beyond humbled,” Statum said. “The citizens of Southside spoke and said they wanted a change. I am honored they chose me — and I am excited. I am ready to get to work.”

Citizens in Southside voted in a new mayor in a run-off election on Tuesday, September 23. Incumbent Mayor Dana Snyder was facing challenger and current Etowah County Commissioner Joey Statum in the run-off after she faced off against Statum and former Southside Councilman Dan Childs in August. Stat...