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TWLN Staff Reporter | The Weekly Ledger News TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A Tuscaloosa woman has been charged with multiple offenses after authorities say she provided false information to police following the accidental shooting of a juvenile during the filming of a TikTok video. According to court records, Sanchessica Fields is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, giving a false name to law enforcement, obstructing governmental operations, and tampering with physical evid

TWLN Staff Report | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ala. — A St. Clair County man was found deceased Friday morning after authorities discovered a vehicle submerged in the Coosa River near Riverbend Road. According to Riverside Mayor Rusty Jessup, Riverside Police responded to a report of a car in the water at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Friday, January 16. Upon arrival, officers located a vehicle partially submerged and observed a body inside. The Pell Ci

TWLN Staff Reporter | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News ETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. — Funeral home directors in Etowah County report a growing number of unclaimed bodies, raising concerns about dignity, responsibility, and long-term solutions for those who pass away without family or friends stepping forward to make final arrangements. In many cases, the deceased are left at hospitals or funeral homes due to family estrangement, lack of contact, or financial hardship. West Gadsden F

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Local News CENTRE, Ala. – The City of Centre is accepting applications for a part-time Police Officer. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, have a current Alabama driver's license, pass a background check, and must be certified through an APOSTC law enforcement academy. Applicants must apply at Centre City Hall at 635 Armory Road, Centre, Alabama on or before January 23, 2026. The City of Centre is an equal opportunity employe

By Bro. David Woodard | The Weekly Ledger News | Faith & Inspiration Column Failure is a shared human experience. No one walks the path of faith without stumbling along the way. Yet Scripture reminds us that failure is never the end of the story for those who belong to God. 1. It happens to us all Proverbs 24:16a The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. Perfection would be nice, but it won't happen this side of heaven. The godly trip. No one is immune to fa

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — In response to dangerously cold temperatures forecast across DeKalb County, Marked For Life Ministries, in partnership with the DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency and local officials, will operate the DeKalb County Warming Station on Thursday, January 15, providing a safe and warm shelter for individuals in need. The warming station will open on Thursday and will remain operational as weather con

TWLN Staff Writer | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — Longtime Guntersville resident Randy Jones was officially sworn in Friday morning as a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors during a ceremony held inside the historic Guntersville Dam. The event drew a crowd of local leaders, community members, and TVA officials to the nearly 90-year-old facility, which stands as a symbol of progress and innovation in the Tennessee Valley. “It’

TWLN Staff Reporter | The Weekly Ledger News | Breaking: Area News MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. — The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a man wanted for questioning in connection with a First-Degree Rape (strong arm) investigation. According to authorities, the alleged incident occurred in March 2024 but was not reported to law enforcement until May 2024, after the victim became aware that the assault had resulted in a pregnancy. Off

TWLN Staff Writer | The Weekly Ledger News | Nationwide News Verizon announced Wednesday night that it has resolved a widespread service outage that disrupted wireless voice and data services for customers across the United States and said it will provide compensation to those affected. “The outage has been resolved,” Verizon said in a statement. “If customers are still experiencing issues, we encourage them to restart their devices to reconnect to the network.” The telecommu

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Local News GADSDEN, Ala. — Gadsden is set to welcome a second Chick-fil-A, with city leaders approving plans for a new restaurant at a highly visible and strategic location along Alabama Highway 77. The Gadsden City Council voted Tuesday to approve an agreement with the fast-food chain to develop a restaurant on city-owned property at the intersection of Highway 77 and Airport Road, directly in front of Church of the Highlands. The sit

TWLN Staff Reporter | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — A single-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon claimed the life of a Wellington man, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The crash occurred at approximately 5:20 p.m. on January 13 along Alabama 204 near Lloyds Road, about five miles east of Jacksonville in Calhoun County. State Troopers said 32-year-old Sujit Ganguly was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette when the vehicle left the roadway, s

TWLN Staff Reporter | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News NORTHWEST Ga. — Voters in Northwest Georgia are facing a crowded and fast-moving race as 22 candidates have officially qualified to seek the congressional seat once held by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. With less than two months remaining before voters narrow the field, the race has quickly become one of the most competitive and closely watched contests in the region. The large number of candidates underscores the

TWLN Staff Writer | The Weekly Ledger News | Local News CENTRE, Ala. — The Centre City Council convened Tuesday evening for its regular January meeting, approving multiple expenditures, receiving quarterly departmental reports, and addressing community concerns. Council members approved accounts payable and heard updates from several city departments, including fire, police, parks and recreation, sanitation, and administration. Fire Chief Robert Pace reported a continued ris

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Local News NATIONWIDE - On January 14, 2026, Verizon’s wireless network suffered a major nationwide outage affecting voice, text, and mobile data services for a large number of customers across the United States. Users reported their phones switching to “SOS” mode, indicating a loss of connection to Verizon’s network even though emergency calling remained possible. Outage-tracking site Downdetector showed hundreds of thousands of repor

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | State News MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall says states presented a compelling case before the U.S. Supreme Court this week defending their authority to enforce laws aimed at protecting fairness in girls’ sports. Marshall issued a statement following oral arguments in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J ., two cases challenging state laws that restrict participation in girls’ athletic programs to biolo

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Local News CENTRE, Ala. — Local residents will have the opportunity to hear directly from candidates seeking statewide and federal office when the Cherokee County Republican Party hosts its January GOP Breakfast later this month. The breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, January 24, and will feature two guest speakers actively campaigning in upcoming elections. Jeremy Oden, a candidate for Alabama Public Service Commission Place One, wi

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Local News CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ala. — Cherokee County District Attorney Summer McWhorter Summerford announced that Bobby Honeycutt has been sentenced to life in prison following a conviction for Aggravated Child Abuse, one of the most serious felony offenses under Alabama law. The sentence was handed down on Monday, January 12, by Circuit Judge Andrew Hairston in Cherokee County Circuit Court. Honeycutt received the maximum sentence allo

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Local News | Public Health CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ala. — Cherokee County is currently experiencing widespread flu activity, according to information released by the Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) through its official social media page. EMA officials report that the majority of positive flu test results are Influenza A (Flu A), with multiple flu strains circulating, including H1N1, H3N2, and one Influenza B strain. The inc

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Area News GADSDEN, Ala. — A commercial structure fire prompted a large emergency response and caused traffic disruptions late Monday morning at an auto business in West Gadsden. Gadsden Fire Department crews were dispatched at approximately 11:42 a.m. to Economy Auto, located at 852 West Meighan Boulevard near North 9th Street, just a short distance from the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office. As firefighters worked the scene, thick smoke

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden. Photo courtesy: Nick Welden. TWLN Staff Writer | The Weekly Ledger News / Local News FORT PAYNE, Ala. — DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden has officially qualified to run for re-election, filing paperwork Monday morning at the DeKalb County Courthouse surrounded by family members, deputies, staff, and supporters. Welden, who is currently serving his second term as sheriff, is seeking a third term. He brings more than 25 years of law enforceme