HOW OUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE VOTED - 3/5/2012

MegaVote for Alabama's 5th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Motion to Table Blunt Amendment House: Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act House: Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Surface transportation authorization House: Tariffs on non-market economies House: Hydropower development House: Cost of going public for businesses Recent Senate Votes Motion to Table Blunt Amendment - Vote Agreed to (51-48, 1 Not Voting) The Senate rejected an amendment to the surface transportation bill that would have allowed employers to exclude certain health services from its insurance plans based on religious grounds. Sen. Richard Shelby voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Jeff Sessions voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Recent House Votes Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act - Vote Passed (303-114, 16 Not Voting) The House passed this bill that would overturn an Education Department regulation defining credit hours and rules education institutions must adhere to in order to operate in a state. The bill is intended to ease regulations on the for-profit education industry. Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act - Vote Passed (246-175, 1 Present, 11 Not Voting) This House bill is intended to increase access to water for agricultural and municipal uses in the San Joaquin Valley in California. The Senate is unlikely to take up the measure. Rep. Mo Brooks voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Upcoming Votes Surface transportation authorization - S.1813 The Senate is scheduled to continue work on their two-year, $109 billion bill to fund transportation projects. Tariffs on non-market economies - H.R.4105 This House bill would impose higher tariffs on goods imported from state-controlled economies. Hydropower development - H.R.2842 The House is scheduled to take up this bill to speed up the approval process of hydropower projects. Cost of going public for businesses - H.R.3606 This bipartisan House bill is intended to make it easier for small and mid-sized companies to go public.

ELKMONT BASEBALL BEGINS - DUST DEVIL AT THE DIAMOND

The Elkmont varsity baseball season has started and they have already played four games. The Red Devils'  record stands at 2-2.  Elkmont lost to Brewer 14 - 3, but played without six starters who were still playing basketball.  Elkmont also lost to East Lawrence, 10 - 5, when those six players joined the team and played their first game without any practice.  They were able to get in a couple of days of practice with the full varsity team before their next game.  Since then, the Red Devils have won their next two games; beating Falkville, 17 - 4 and Addison, 12 - 5.  Against Falkville, Cole Glass had three hits and Jared Bailey hit a grand slam.  Tyler Thomas pitched well against Addison picking up the win and the whole line up hit well.


OBSERVATIONS:
The team will be an excellent defensive team.   Both the infield and outfield are solid and the catcher position is strong.  The Red Devils also will be an excellent hitting team with both power and speed.  In particular, the first five batters will be a tough out every time.  Elkmont is well coached.  Coach Holt knows the game and continues to work with the players no matter the score.  


The Dust Devil sees two weaknesses that this team must improve in order to have a winning season and make the playoffs.  The first weakness is the number of strike-outs.  Even though Elkmont is an excellent hitting team and has scored enough runs so far, but good varsity teams seldom strike-out and put the ball in play to force the other team to make outs.  The second weakness is pitching.  The Red Devils have several good pitchers but none are dominate yet.  Ben Ferguson, Tyler Thomas, Michael Haney and Skyler Gant have the potential to become that top level pitcher.


PREDICTION:
The Dust Devil believes that Elkmont will be a fun team to watch and hitting and defense will be the strength of the team.  He also believes that the strike-outs will be reduced as the players get more practice.  The real question is the pitching.  The Dust Devil is going to watch a few more games before predicting if the Elkmont Red Devils will have a winning season or make the playoffs.


Don't forget to check the Elkmont Baseball Blog for more information about the various teams.

ELKMONT BASEBALL BLOG

The records of the Varsity Red Devils are 2-2,  JV Red Devils 3-1 and the Middle School is 3-1.  The teams had a good week.  To read all the news, visit the Elkmont Baseball Blog.

ARE YOU EATING THESE FOODS?

Eating well doesn't just mean cutting down on McDonald's and KFC. It also means eating food that's genuinely good for you. Unfortunately, this has been made difficult by food manufacturers who are trying to promote everything as being healthy. These days it's not uncommon to see "Low Fat!" or "No High-Fructose Corn Syrup!" labels on junk foods.

So to cut through the confusion, here are ten foods that you can eat confidently, knowing they're truly worth their weight in nutritional value.

1. Spinach

Instead of putting lettuce on your cheeseburger, opt for spinach instead. Spinach is arguably the healthiest food available today. It's high in niacin, zinc, dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, and iron. To keep spinach's nutritional value, eat it raw.

2. Red Beets

Often referred to as "red spinach" by nutritionists, red beets are the most common type of beet and are loaded with nutritional value. Eat red beets for vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, folic acid, manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. Red beets have been linked to liver health, low blood pressure, and pregnancy health.

3. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is associated with sweets, so many people don't associate it with health benefits. This is a tremendous mistake. Cinnamon is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. It's also believed to help cure a wide range of maladies, including common colds, digestion problems, toothaches, and diarrhea. Cinnamon is also thought to reduce your risk of colon cancer.

4. Lemons

Adding a lemon to your tea or water (or eating it raw if you can stomach it) is a tremendous health boost. Lemons are packed with vitamins. Lemons are a particularly good source of immune-boosting vitamin C. Additionally, lemons are thought to inhibit the spread of cancer.

5. Salmon

Fish (and salmon in particular) have incredible health benefits. The best part about salmon is its high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, a crucial nutrient that most Americans don't consume enough of. Omega-3s reduce your risk of heart disease, keep your blood pressure low, are good for arterial health, and keep your brain healthy.

6. Garlic

Like spinach, garlic is something of a miracle food. With no fat, no cholesterol, and only four calories per clove, garlic is also rich in nutrients. Garlic produces antioxidants which are crucial for heart health. Garlic is very effective at reducing blood pressure. Garlic also reduces cholesterol and battles against digestive conditions like diarrhea and dysentery. Finally, garlic is a very potent aphrodisiac. Just make sure you use mouthwash!

7. Garbanzo Beans

All beans have great health benefits, but garbanzo beans stand apart from the pack. Low in cholesterol and sodium, garbanzo beans are very high in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, folate, and manganese. They're a perfect addition to a salad and can also be mixed with rice.

8. Watermelon

Watermelon is sweet, so many people assume that it doesn't have huge health benefits. But watermelon is actually a heavyweight in the nutrition department. It's very high in potassium and vitamin A. The downside? Watermelon derives a fair number of calories from sugar, which isn't always optimal if you're trying to watch your weight.

9. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are delicious and not nearly consumed enough by the average American. They're loaded with dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese. They contain very little sodium, saturated fat, or cholesterol.

Those with poor eyesight should make a point of eating sweet potatoes. A single one contains 769% of your daily intake of vitamin A.

10. Broccoli

Your mother probably told you to eat your broccoli when you were a kid – and she was right. Broccoli contains protein, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and manganese.

REPORT FROM HILLSPIRIT'S HOUSE

FIRST LINE OF STORMS: RAIN (about 9:30 am)


SECOND STORM: DIME SIZED HAIL AND LOTS OF RAIN (about 2 pm)


THIRD STORM: QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN; SOUNDED LIKE A TORNADO A FEW MILES SOUTH AND EAST (about 3:40 pm)  














FOURTH STORM:  Line weakened; just lighting to the North and South; few sprinkles - Storms got their act together once it passed Elkmont.


Be sure to check on your neighbors and friends

HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - FEBRUARY 27 - MAR 2

• FRIDAY:
• No track practice today!
• Congrads to Middle School Baseball; beat Skyline 11-3 and Guntersville 3-1.
• Beauty walk tonight  MOVED TO MONDAY 
• Beauty walk will continue as scheduled tomorrow
• Varsity/JV baseball host Addison tomorrow; starts 11 am
• Middle School travel back to New Hope tomorrow for two games; starts at noon
• 
  
• TUESDAY:
• • Boxtop Winners for this week are: Stephen Ezell, Nicholas Haggermaker, and Kalei Faye.
  • Beauty Walk practice tonight at 6:00 pm; 7-12th grades.
  • Thursday is beauty walk practice @ 6:00 pm for babies-preK,  K-6th grade practice is at 7:30 pm.
  • Congratulations to the Softball team. They beat Madison County in the Season Opener.
  • Varsity Softball plays here today at 4:45 vs. Athens.
  • Middle School Softball plays here at 6:00 vs. Liberty Middle.
  • Varsity Baseball hosts Falkville @ 4:30
  • JV Baseball plays Falkville after varsity game - 6:30?
• 
  
• MONDAY:
• • Congratulations Middle School Softball. They won against East Town.
  • Varsity Softball plays today at Madison County.
  • Tech and Poetry Club meets today after school in Mrs. Bakers room.
  • Elkmont Varsity Baseball plays @ 4:30 at Elkmont,  game followed by Elkmont JV - GO TO ELKMONT BASEBALL BLOG FOR MORE INFO ON THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE:  LINK

SCHOOLS CLOSING - MORE STORMS COMING

DUE TO THE WEATHER, LIMESTONE COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE DISMISSED AND YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR CHILD AT SCHOOL.  BUSSES WILL NOT RUN  TODAY. 


LINK TO STREAMING VIDEO: CHANNEL 48
LINK TO TRACKING STORMS RADAR: link

BIG POSSIBILITY OF MORE MAJOR STORMS THIS EVENING


 National Weather Service in Huntsville Thursday issued a hazardous weather outlook for North Alabama counties, including Limestone, ahead of the possibility of severe weather on Friday.

The NWS said the activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel may be requested early Friday and may become more likely during overnight hours.

Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop along a warm front moving northward across the area early Friday morning, a few of which could be strong to severe with brief damaging wind gusts and hail the main threats. An isolated tornado, however, cannot be ruled out.

The thunderstorm threat early Friday is expected to diminish during the late morning hours as the warm front moves north of the area.

Another round of strong-to-severe thunderstorms is expected during the late afternoon hours and continuing into the evening period as a strong cold front approaches the area from the west.

A line of strong-to-severe thunderstorms is expected to develop along or just ahead of the cold front as is begins to move eastward through the region from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Isolated tornadoes are possible, especially with any discrete thunderstorms that develop well ahead of the front or with any breaks in the line of thunderstorms.

The severe weather threat is expected to diminish from west to east early Saturday morning as the cold front moves east of the area.

MORE TIPS FOR PREPARING YOUR HOME AS A SHELTER

 We must take our family's safety and security into our own hands. Please don't think this can't happen to you. Try telling that to those in Alabama today. There are things you can do...


READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE: CLICK HERE

IS YOUR HOME A SHELTER?

The severe weather season will be here before you know it.  By becoming more aware of conditions around us, we acquire a giant advantage by simply acting on common sense observations. 

When we look at our home and neighborhood, do we really “see” what an outsider might see in their first impression? Do we live in a high fire risk area? Have there been floods, earthquakes, or hurricanes where we live? Is the land around our house stable, or subject to landslides? Have there been natural or man-made disasters in our town? What is the history of our home area? What would the old-timers tell us about past emergencies in our town?

To protect the safety of our homes and families, there are a few things we can do now to prepare our house and property for trouble tomorrow:

To read the rest of the article, click HERE

JUDITH KAY CULLEN - OBITUARY

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Name: Judith Kay Cullen Dates: Birth date: November 24, 1942 Death date: February 27, 2012 Obituary: Judith Kay Cullen age 69 of Elkmont, passed away Monday, February 27, 2012 at Huntsville Hospital. Mrs. Cullen was born November 24, 1942 in Danville, Illinois to Marvin Frank Cancil and Arlene Stark Cancil.  Mrs. Cullen was employed at Champion Chevrolet in Athens for 10 years. Funeral services will be Friday, March 2, 2012 7:00 p.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home. Visitation will be Friday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. prior to the service. Survived by her husband, James P. Cullen, Jr. of Elkmont; two sons, Jeffrey Cullen of Athens and Jerold Cullen (Mary) of Wood Dale, IL. two daughters, Jodee Lynn Cullen of Crystal Lake, IL. and Jamie Marie Cullen of Athens; 7 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; brother, Marvin Frank Cancil, Jr. of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Memorials may be made to your favorite charity.