Andalusia Star News
Andalusia Elementary students Marion Starnes (left at camera), Amanda Majors (at table) and Drew Seymore (far right) get ready to go on air Thursday morning. | Andrew Garner/Star-News
Andalusia Elementary fifth graders Drew Seymore and Amanda Majors get their cue and the broadcast begins.
Seymore and Majors are the lead anchors for the WAES Morning News, a broadcast TV station based in the elementary school.
For more than two months, talented and gifted (TAG) students in grades 3-5 have been delivering the news via closed circuit TV to students in grades K-5.
“The kids do it all,” AES fifth grade teacher and sponsor, Barbara Peek said. “I’m just a whip cracker.”
Peek, who has been playing the roles of director and producer for the small TV station, helps write the script for each day’s broadcast. Every afternoon, the on-camera personality goes through a rehearsal.
Majors and Seymore get right to work reading the script for Thursday morning’s airing. Peek chimes in with cues to either slow down their pace or when to pause for background music.
During yesterday’s news, WAES paid tribute — as it does often — to Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame because it was his birthday. The team also wishes happy birthdays to students and teachers in the school. Third grader Emmy Mixson told the school about Nimoy.
Peek said the station does it all — news, birthdays, weather and sports.
“The weather report is here because teachers asked for it,” she said. “We asked teachers what they’d like to see on WAES Morning News.”
Peek said some other suggestions included what’s on the menu for lunch, giving a famous quote and others.
In addition to the on-air talent, WAES has students working a mixer, soundboard, cameras and the teleprompter. A mixer changes the different cameras during the broadcast, a soundboard controls the background music and... READ MORE>
Andalusia Star News
The Andalusia Ballet will present its Spring Ballet Concert at 7:30 p.m. this Fri., March 27, at the Dixon Center for the Performing Arts.
Andalusia Ballet’s company dancers will perform a mix of classical and contemporary pieces. Les Sylphides, Etudes, and A Western Tale. Tickets are $15 and are available at the Andalusia Ballet, at andalusiaballet.com, and at the door.
By Andrew Garner
Andalusia Star News
The Andalusia City Council took another step toward the expansion of city sidewalks down Prestwood Bridge Road, when it agreed Tuesday to let bids for the project.
Alabama Department of Transportation notified the city in late 2013 that it had been awarded $382,206 Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant for the sidewalk project. The city will be required to provide 20 percent matching funds for the project, and pay design and engineering fees.
Civil Southeast Engineering has completed the engineering work, which has been approved by the state. Bids are being let with two possible alternates, which the council can add if it can afford to do so.
As drawn by Civil Southeast, the project as bid would extend the sidewalk from Dunson Street, across the bypass, and down Prestwood Bridge Road to the intersection of Cedar Road. The base project also extends sidewalks between Dunson and Church Street on Snowden Drive, and extends the sidewalk on Church Street to Snowden.
The first bid alternate continues the sidewalk from Cedar Drive to Rosewood Lane (previously called Blueberry Hill). The second bid alternate puts a sidewalk from Church Street and Snowden to the bypass.
Councilwoman Hazel Griffin expressed her discontent that the base bid did not include a sidewalk for the portion of Prestwood Bridge Road between Cedar Drive and Rosewood Lane.
In other business, the council:
• Accepted the low bid for a new shredder for the recycling center for $36,989.
• Approved a special event alcohol license to the National Wild Turkey Federation for a fundraising event.
• Heard an update from Bob Young of Frazier Lanier on a plan to refinance two city bond issues at an expected savings of more than $250,000.
• Agreed to contribute $2,500 to the LBW Foundation for its golden anniversary gala fundraiser.
By michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
Andalusia Star News
ER personnel shown, (front row, from left) include DeAnna Donaldson, Emergency Department Director Amy Herrington, Steve Marcotte, Chief Clinical Officer Melissa Davis, and Sonya Syler; (back row) Dr. Mark Griffin, medical director of the ER, Dr. Rick Roller, CEO Steve Selzer, and John Elms.
About 18 months ago, Dr. Mark Griffin, medical director of the emergency room at Andalusia Regional Hospital, made a bold statement.
Griffin, who had just learned that his ER ranked 16th of 19 similarly-sized hospitals within Lifepoint, its parent organization, said ARH would be ranked No. 1 by April of 2015.
Based on numbers released last week, the Andalusia emergency department has already met that goal. The designation is based upon how quickly patients get in and out of the emergency room, core measures based on national standards, and patient satisfaction scores.
“Our physicians, mid-levels and staff worked very, very hard on that goal, and as of Dec. 31, 2014, we earned the top designation,” ARH Emergency Department Director Amy Herrington said. “We had to look at our processes for getting patients back here to see physicians and providers quickly. Our goal is for them not to sit out in the waiting room.”
More specifically, the goal is to get patients in and out of the ER in 114 minutes. At present, they are exceeding the goal with an average of 109 minutes per patient.
To do that, the staff has changed protocols. For instance, if someone presents with an ankle injury, he or she is taken straight to radiology. That way, when they see a physician in the ER, that doctor already has the test results needed for treatment... READ MORE>
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
Rickey Wiggins was an award winner at the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce banquet Thursday night. 
| Incoming Chamber President Stallion Sasser presents the Presidet Stallion Sasser presents the Distinguished Service Award to Rickey Wiggins. |
Wiggins received the Chamber’s Distinguished Service Award.
“Our recipient this year is not one that you will have seen in the paper for organizing countless community event or fundraisers, but we know that many of these wouldn’t be possible without his hard work and dedication to our city,” Mohon said
“Rickey Wiggins and his entire crew from the maintenance department at the City of Andalusia work countless hours behind the scenes to make this a great place to live and work,” he said. “Rickey displays an incredible work ethic in all that he does and receives little to no recognition in return. Anyone that works with Rickey would agree, he takes great pride in his work and strives to make all of our community events a success."
Mayor Johnson: "Congratulations to Ricky Wiggins for receiving the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce 2015 Distinguished Service Award. Ricky is an outstanding leader in the City of Andalusia's maintenance department. His hard work, dedication, and team spirit serves as a great example for all of us. I am so proud of Ricky as well as his fellow city employees who work unselfishly hard every day to serve our great city!"