2020
María Camp
Abstract Artist - Freelance Writer, Editor, & Photographer
United States
United States
2020
Franklin County folks are keeping busy with a variety of activities while practicing social distancing. Among them are reading, writing, painting, drawing and going for walks. Others include taking photographs and attending online yoga classes, guided meditations and religious services.
A one-year celebration was planned for Phil Campbell's Little Free Library March 21, but because of coronavirus safety measures regarding halting public gatherings, the event was canceled. Phil Campbell's Little Free Library was installed last year in Memorial Park. The grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony was held March 25, 2019, mostly in the First Baptist Church ...
The Bay Tree Council for the Performing Arts presents "Til Beth Do Us Part," the second show of its current season. As always, the community turned out in droves for the show. PHOTOS BY MARIA CAMP Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
The first Krewe de Guard Mardi Gras parade was held in downtown Russellville Feb. 8 at 4:30 p.m. Krewe de Guard, a recently-formed environmentally-friendly club made up of current and former Franklin County residents, works with existing groups to achieve common goals and chose the Russellville Public Library as its beneficiary of the Saturday parade.
Krewe de Guard, an environmentally-friendly group founded by Anna Carol Porter in February 2019 is hosting a Mardi Gras parade Saturday - with all the fun going to support a local library. Krewe de Guard, a group made up of current and former Franklin County residents, will host its first Mardi Gras parade in support ...
The Franklin County Cattlemen's Association held its annual meeting Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. at the recreation center in Russellville. Steak dinners and door prizes, along with status updates and special recognitions, were all part of the evening's activities. The Franklin County Junior Leaders served the meal.
Mountain Valley Hee Haw celebrated New Year's Eve in its usual style - with a potluck, live music and dancing. Supper began at 7 p.m., and the music started at 8 p.m. and continued until midnight. Special guests included Chad Bradford, Big Joe and The Catfish Junkies. Owner Gene Welch Jr.
2019
PHOTOS BY MARIA CAMP The 2019 Spirit of Hodges Festival draws the community out to enjoy a fun fall day Oct. 12 in the Town Park. Live music was in great supply to provide the Saturday soundtrack. Visitors were able to shop the myriad vendors, and plenty of activities and fun were on tap for ...
July 27 at 1 p.m., local author John Cantrell held a book launch at the Russellville Public Library to promote his first book, "Kids on Patrol," a picture book about bullying. The story follows main character Jimmy Clofton and his friends as they have to deal with a bully and shows how they work together ...
Oct. 5 upwards of 30 people attended a free guided tour of Sadler Cemetery on North Jackson Avenue in Russellville as part of an ongoing series of bicentennial events being held in celebration of two hundred years of Russellville, Franklin County and the state of Alabama.
The Tharptown High School band, Pride of Wildcat Country, participated in the Northwest Alabama Marching Classic at Russellville High School Sep. 28 - one of 29 bands that participated. The band is in its sixth year - second year for the color guard. Saturday's event was the group's first marching competition.
"Art & Tradition at Spruce Pine Pottery" will be exhibited Sep. 22 through Nov. 1 at the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, 511 N. Water St., Tuscumbia. The exhibit will represent the many potteries - places where clayware is made and fired - once found throughout Alabama.
Jam on Sloss Lake promises fun for the whole family in July, with inflatables, a car show, festival foods, live music and fireworks.
Two volunteers from the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art in Tuscumbia, Barbara Hendricks and Pam Wright, teach and guide students at Phil Campbell Elementary School in hand-building coil pottery. The TVMA has provided activities for area students for the past six years. PCES students got to design and craft their pots and, after they air-dried, ...
Students of Russellville Academy for the Performing Arts present their spring recital at the A.W. Todd Center. Small ensembles of different ages brought their skills to the stage to applause from parents and friends. Students were instructed by Lindsey Hall and her assistant instructors.
Teaching assistants Hannah James and Ellen McGee, instructor Lindsay Hall and princesses Kaylee Butcher and Kennedy Watkins enjoy a day of princess fun at Russellville Academy for the Performing Arts. Princess songs and games accompanied twirling and stretching, punctuated by pizza, snacks and lots of smiles.
The annual Franklin County Junior Cattlemen's Summer Field Day was held June 29 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Madden Brangus Farm in Spruce Pine. Ali Cantrell, director of education and outreach for the Alabama Cattlemen's Association, was on hand to speak about beef cuts.
Sherry Hutcheson, Spruce Pine resident and FACS teacher at Red Bay, has been quilting for 10 years, a skill she learned from her mother and older sister. She brings her quilts to The Little Stitch in Red Bay to have the machine quilting done because she doesn't enjoy that part; the owner of The Little ...
Russellville Academy of Performing Arts hosts the Glitz & Glam Saturday Summer Camp June 30.
Sheri and Jody Farris, owners of the restaurant Mason Jar on Main, 102 4th Ave. SE, Red Bay, recently expanded what they offer. June 21 was the official grand opening of Back Door at the Mason Jar, located in the back of their restaurant. It connects to the restaurant area but also has its own ...
The Phil Campbell City Council met at 7 p.m. July 2. Mayor Steve Bell and all city council members - Danny Brown, Lynn Landers, Mike McQuary, Eddie Barton and Jim Cartee - were present. From a fairly short agenda, the council discussed and acted on several items. A backhoe injector pump has stopped working, and ...
Crafting opportunities for children have been in regular supply this summer at The Little Stitch in Red Bay. July 17 owner/instructor Jeffery Dick held a slime creation class. Ingredients included Borax, distilled water, white and clear Elmer's glue, food coloring and shaving cream as the basic ingredients for two types of slime.
July 16 the U.S. Space & Rocket Center marked the 50th anniversary of the July 16, 1969, launch that put the first men on the moon. In homage to the milestone anniversary, the rocket center planned a special record-breaking event - and with Russellville's historic success in student rocketry programs, Russellville City Schools decided to ...
Shenandoah, featuring Marty Raybon, performed Sept. 5 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center in Florence for the Fourth Annual Tunes and Tees Music Event, a yearly fundraiser for FAME Girls' Ranch, located between Russellville and Littleville. "What we do at FAME is take care of girls who cannot live with their families because of the ...
Jeffery Dick, a 2006 graduate of Red Bay High School and owner of The Little Stitch in downtown Red Bay, discovered his lifelong passion for sewing at 5 years old when he began to learn the basics from his mother.
In honor of the return of high school football, Phil Campbell Elementary students enjoy Spirit Day Friday at PCES. For 50 cents or $1, students were able to emblazon themselves with face painting and face tattoos as well as dozen bracelets and stickers in honor of the occasion.
The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce delights visitors to downtown Russellville Friday and Saturday. The annual festival boasts music, vendors, tasty treats, car show, tractor show and other fun activities for all ages. For more photos from the weekend festival, pick up a copy of the 8-21 Franklin County Times.
An inflatable slide, bounce house, games, live music, food trucks and free backpacks with school supplies - all were components creating ROC the Lot Sunday in downtown Russellville. Redemption Outreach Church hosted its annual ROC the Lot event from 5-8 p.m. in front of the church.
Music-lovers of all ages turned out for the monthly Rockin' at the Roxy show in Russellville in June.
The Red Bay City Council met July 15. The work session started at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting began at 7 p.m. The mayor and all city council members were present. In city departmental reports, Parks and Recreation director Dean Hubbard reported: The new splash pad is doing well.
It's been five years since Marty Raybon rejoined the band that originally formed in Muscle Shoals in 1985, after his 17-year hiatus. It was last ...
Nora Baker (4), Sadie Marie Nichols (5), Heidi Smith (4), Iris Hall (4), Kerry Grissom (5) and Brilynn Green (5) enjoy a day of all things fancy, including a tea party, photo booth and plenty of dancing and twirling at Russellville Academy for the Performing Arts.
Photos by Bart Moss and Maria Camp
With summer underway, there can be a need to find interesting ways to fill school-free days. The Little Stitch, 104 4th Ave. SE, Red Bay, is having an ongoing summer series of classes for children Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon, every week except for the Fourth of July week.
As explained by one description by NASA, if Earth were the size of a United States nickel, the moon would be about as big as a coffee bean. The moon is an average of 238,900 miles from Earth, and NASA reports show about 30 planets the size of Earth could fit between the earth and ...
While the Russellville Public Library has two bookcases permanently dedicated to books for sale, there is currently a surplus of books available to be purchased. In an effort to regain storage space and help get more books out into the community, two tables are set up for patrons to peruse the surplus titles for sale.
Donation-based Qigong classes were offered at First United Methodist Church in Russellville June 6. Instructor Anna Carol Porter of Holistic Harmony taught the classes. Porter grew up in Russellville and recently moved back after living in California, where she said she learned to love Qigong.
June 7 the Russellville Public Library held its second summer program. Library worker Perla Martinez read the book "Animal Parade," written by Christine Ricci with illustrations by Tom Mangano - a story was about Dora and her friends and the challenges they encountered and solved along the way as they traveled to see an animal ...
The City of Red Bay and the Red Bay Police Department held a reception at Red Bay City Hall Monday to honor German Shepherd K-9 Unix - born April 4, 2006, in Hungary - and his handler, Lt. Scottie Belue, on the occasion of Unix's retirement.
The Russellville Public Library kicked off its annual summer reading program May 31 with an educational animal show by Animal Tales Mid-South. The group's mission is to educate, entertain and inspire by traveling around and conducting shows for a wide variety of audiences. Each program is designed to be fun while promoting learning in an ...
Anna Carol Porter of Holistic Harmony is offering donation-based Qigong classes at First United Methodist Church, 311 Jackson Ave. N., in Russellville June 6. Porter, who will instruct the classes, is a native of Russellville. She recently moved back from California, which is where she learned about and came to love Qigong.
2019 Red Bay Graduation Photos
2019 Russellville Graduation Photos
2019 Vina Graduation Photos
2019 Phil Campbell Graduation Photos
2019 Belgreen Graduation Photos
At 2 p.m. May 22, Phil Campbell Elementary School held a special ceremony to dedicate the Sylas Hardin Memorial Garden, located at the front of the school, and to acknowledge the first two recipients of the scholarship fund in his name: Brianna Palmer and Brent Gonzalez of Phil Campbell High School.
May 31 the City of Red Bay will feature the Southern gospel band Purpose in Heritage Park, beginning at 6 p.m. "Since 2012, we usually have a couple of musical events in the summer," said Red Bay Mayor Charlene Fancher. "The bands can take up an offering, but we don't charge admission."
With school ending for the year, many will be looking for creative ways for their children to spend summer days. The Russellville Academy of Performing Arts is hosting a series of Saturday day camps that will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. It is not necessary to be a current student at RAPA ...
West Elementary School second-grade teacher Chasity Parker received recognition from the Air Force Association May 20 as the Tennessee Valley Chapter Teacher of the Year for 2019. The award covers grades kindergarten through eighth, and recipients are chosen for their outstanding work in STEM education.
May 15 was an exciting day at West Elementary - the culmination of an ongoing project between high school students and their much-younger fellow students. It all started when a student mentioned pen pals in class at Russellville High School, and it turned out some of the other students didn't know what pen pals are.
May 12-18 was National Prevention Week, an annual observance to increase public awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health. May 13's theme was Preventing Prescription and Opioid Drug Misuse, and visitors to the Wendy's in Russellville had a chance to take part in the campaign.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARÍA CAMP The Book Lovers Study Club held its last meeting of the year at Bennett Hall May 9. Hostesses were Debbie Nale, Leah Masterson and Cindy Bailey. Sixteen members enjoyed a seated dinner in a historic setting decorated with gingham tablecloths and spring flowers. The theme of the meeting was celebrating Book Lovers Study Club's 90 ...
May 4 Russellville's First Free Will Baptist Church held a toiletry giveaway. At least 25 women's toiletry bags and about 20 men's bags were given out at the event, which began at 9 a.m. and continued until the available bags had been handed out. Approximately 25 "combined" bags were distributed - bags containing items in ...
The American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life of Franklin County held the 2019 Cancer Survivor Dinner April 23 at the A.W. Todd Center ...
The American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life of Franklin County held the 2019 Cancer Survivor Dinner April 23 at the A.W. Todd Center in Russellville. Larry and Janice Dover coordinated this year's event, and entertainment was provided by the trio Three Strong. Carrie Rickman, a breast cancer survivor, was the featured guest speaker.
Countless soldiers have fallen in the line of duty, but one battle stands out in history and in Franklin County: the Battle of Meuse-Argonne. It ...
Russellville City Schools hosted Tiger Pride Night April 11.
At the Russellville City Council meeting April 15, the council passed a resolution to recognize April 2019 as Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Month. The resolution points out, "National statistics show 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will be raped at some point.
The annual Russellville City Schools Education Foundation Banquet was held April 8 at the A.W. Todd Centre, honoring a number of Golden Tigers. The Foundation, established in 2012, is a non-profit organization that operates outside of the school system. It distributes grants to teachers and scholarships to students.
By María Camp / For the FCT A bit of the Emerald Isle came to the Russellville Public Library March 30 with a free author and music event at 6 p.m. Eamonn Walsh, a native of Dublin, Ireland, has lived in Tuscumbia since 2004 with his wife Gail Seale Walsh, a Russellville native.
Music-lovers converged in downtown Russellville for the Mountain Breeze 2.0 concert at the Historic Roxy Theatre Feb. 9.
Literacy is being celebrated and encouraged in the Phil Campbell community with the development of a Little Free Library that will be placed in Memorial Park. March 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a ribbon cutting revealing the library, which was started by Phil Campbell Elementary School librarian Andrea Hogan.
After several years, the annual Franklin County Junior Cattlemen Beef Cook-off has resumed. The event took place March 1 at the A.W. Todd Center in Russellville as a collaboration between the Franklin County Cattlemen and the Franklin County Extension System.
Feb. 2 from 2-6 p.m., Ashley Scott Brindley held a grand opening for her first hair salon, Studio B, located at 3417 Broad Street in Phil Campbell. Friends, family and members of the community attended in support of Brindley, who is the owner and sole stylist at the downtown salon.
2018
The annual Franklin County Relay for Life, an event to celebrate local cancer survivors, caregivers and fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society, took place May 4 at the Russellville High School stadium. This year's theme was the survivor and caregiver experience.
PHOTOS BY MARÍA CAMP Children get the chance to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce's annual Holly Day.
An event at the University of North Alabama's Guillot Center Aug. 20 commemorated the signing of the National Defense Education Act and remembered Carl Elliott for his role in its creation and passage. Sept. 2 will mark 60 years since the passing of the bill.
By María Camp / [email protected] The annual Northwest Alabama Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program was held at 6 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Norton Auditorium on the campus of the University of North Alabama. The theme for this year was "Becoming Your Greatest Self." Elizabeth Ann Pierce of Russellville High School was selected as Franklin ...
2017
The Franklin County Cattlemen's Association held a field day for its chapter of the Alabama Junior Cattlemen's Association Saturday at Michael Pounders' farm in Phil Campbell. The day started by educating members about the proper judging methods of cattle meant for food production versus cattle intended for breeding.
By María Camp for the FCT Oct. 12, the Franklin County Cattlemen's Association cooked free hamburgers for the participants of a Red Cross blood drive that was held at the Russellville Fire Department.
The North District of the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Alabama held its fall meeting Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Russellville.
By María Camp for the FCT The annual Red Bay Founders Day Festival took place Sept. 16 in Bay Tree Park, and many would agree it was well-attended. A variety of food and craft vendors were on hand, and bands performed throughout the day.
By María Camp for the FCT The annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival Beauty Pageant took place at the Russellville High School auditorium July 22 and produced this year's Watermelon Queen. Chloe Erin Brown, a 2015 graduate of Phil Campbell High School, was declared the 2017 Watermelon Festival queen.
By María Camp for the FCT The annual Northwest Alabama Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program was held Aug. 5 at Norton Auditorium on the campus of The University of North Alabama. Franklin County's 2018 Distinguished Young Woman is Alison Bryant. Twenty-eight young women from Franklin, Colbert and Lauderdale counties competed in the categories of scholastics, interviewing, fitness, talent and self-expression.
By María Camp for the FCT A release party for Teri Lynne Underwood's new book, "Praying for Girls," was held at Calvary Baptist Church in Russellville July 29. "My biggest prayer for this book," said Underwood, "is that those who read it will be better equipped to pray with boldness and confidence for their daughters."
By María Camp for the FCT July Fest, an annual community event in Vina, took place July 29. Vina Fire Chief Michael Moomaw said the festival benefits the rescue squad as well as the fire department. As with most community gatherings, food is a big part of the festivities at July Fest.
2012
Artist profile: Nicole Hugaboom - July/August 2012
Artist profile: Kathryn Rice - July/August 2012
2011
Profiles of local mayors: Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, & Tuscumbia -- Bobby Irons, David Bradford, Ian Sanford, and Bill Shoemaker.
Photographic artist profile: Trina Ross - July/August 2011
Artist profile: Vanessa Flakes - July/August 2011
Artist profile: Lisa Tyler - July/August 2011
Artist profile: Carol Howdyshell - July/August 2011
Artist profile: Barbara Sherrill - July/August 2011
2010
Rebecca Linam - Local author/teacher pursues multiple interests - March/April 2010
Artist profile: Ellen Goode. - July/August 2010
Artist profile: Maxine Williamson. - July/August 2010
Artist profile: Judy Coker. - July/August 2010
Artist profile: Sue Whitfield. - July/August 2010
Artist profile: Jody McFarland - July/August 2010
2009
John C. Campbell Folk School - North Carolina -- Fall 2009
Videos
About Me
María Camp A one-year celebration was planned for Phil Campbell's Little Free Library March 21, but because of coronavirus safety measures regarding halting public gatherings, the event ... Read more The Bay Tree Council for the Performing Arts presents "Til Beth Do Us Part," the second show of its current season.
"When I'm not actively doing art, I'm pretty much always thinking about it. Sometimes it's hard for me to do anything because I get so many ideas, or I'll be in the middle of one idea and I'll get 12 more."
I've nearly let the month of May go by without sharing some thoughts on our latest magazine. As I note in this issue, my favorite part of putting together Franklin Living six times a year is the opportunity to share the stories of Franklin County people and their most deeply-held passions.