Top Stories

Wife, 65, admits she shot, killed husband
Main, News, Russellville
by Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – A 65-year-old woman is facing a murder charge after she admitted to shooting her husband Sunday evening inside their residence on Dunca...
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3 firefighters receive Lifesaver Awards
Main, News, Russellville
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — More than two months after city firefighters responded to a cardiac arrest call that left Steven Bledsoe without a pulse for 27 minutes...
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Suspect’s boyfriend held without bond
Main, News, Russellville
by By Brady Petree For the FCT 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A 26-year-old Georgia man charged with dozens of counts ranging from sodomy to producing and disseminating child pornography will remai...
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Judge grants attorney’s request to withdraw
Main, News, Russellville
by By Brady Petree For the FCT 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Brandy Dowdy’s original attorney will no longer be part of her case moving forward. Birmingham-based attorney Jessica Bugge filed a mot...
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Main
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
by By Addi Broadfoot Staff Writer 
May 13, 2026
M urders, assaults aren’t the crimes residents in Franklin, Lauderdale and Colbert counties have to worry most about. A six-year review of the crimes ...
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Main
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Voters in the Belgreen and Frog Pond fire districts will decide May 19 whether to approve a $3 monthly fire protection service fee.
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Main
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — City councilmembers approved $133,796.46 for a new playground at City Lake Park to replace equipment that parks and recreation Director...
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Birthdays
May 13, 2026
May 13
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Marriages
May 13, 2026
April 29
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FBLA students earn honors at state
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Members of the Phil Campbell High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter earned honors during the Alabama FBLA State Leader...
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News
May 13, 2026
Many voters don’t seem to realize the primary election is one of the most important phases of an election. We encourage our voters not to make that mi...
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The protection system you’ve never heard of
Columnists
May 13, 2026
When you visit a doctor, you might notice the framed medical license on the wall. For most patients, that document is simply reassurance that their ph...
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Retired educators hear state updates
Columnists
HERE AND NOW
May 13, 2026
Retired educators met at the Russellville First Methodist Church Ministry Center for the last meeting for the Franklin County Retired Educators Associ...
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Students get life lessons with hatching classes
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Students at Phil Campbell Elementary School and Phil Campbell High School recently got some handson lessons about animal life cycles a...
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STEAM expo highlights student projects
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Middle school students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade presented the findings of their STEAM Expo projects last week.
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UNA nursing cohort achieves 100% passage
News
by Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
May 13, 2026
FLORENCE — The University of North Alabama’s nursing program has reached a new first.
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The joy of piecing it together
News
by Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
May 13, 2026
Most days, Taryn Chase Jackson might be found at her desk, writing grant proposals or combing through reports for non-profits and other clients from a...
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Belgreen Bulldogs
by Bart Moss For the FCT 
May 13, 2026
The Belgreen Bulldogs overcame some bumps in the road this year to once again earn an area championship by beating the Sulligent Blue Devils in back-t...
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Red Bay moves to Final Four of Class 2A playoffs
High School Sports
by Bart Moss For the FCT 
May 13, 2026
The Red Bay Tigers are in the Final Four of the Class 2A baseball playoffs. And, best of all, they will get to play in front of their home crowd for t...
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Land Transactions
by Griffin Traylor 
May 12, 2026
April 29   Mary Ruth Harp and Darrell Harp Sr to Sharion Aycock and Darrell Harp Jr, warranty   Mildred L Gambill, Rosa Diana Gambill, Richard Palmer ...
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Main
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — County commissioners have approved a $121,600 project to add an industrial entrance to Highway 36 near Alabama Stone. County Engineer J...
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Main
May 6, 2026
MONTGOMERY — The unemployment rate for Franklin County dropped below 3% in March, according to the latest statistics from the Alabama Department of Wo...
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Vina spends $50K to upgrade park
Franklin County
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
VINA — Mayor Sue Raper said concerns about deteriorating playground equipment at the park helped spark a broader effort to improve and beautify the to...
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Higgins celebrates 100th birthday
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Eunice Greenhill Higgins celebrated her 100th birthday April 26 with a gathering of more than 70 relatives, friends and others at the F...
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Vets clean park at county archives
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Members of VFW Post 5184 gathered Saturday at the Franklin County Archives to clean the Veterans Park located outside the building.
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News
Resilience, compassion
May 6, 2026
OPINION: When a tornado a mile-and-a-half wide tears through a town the size of Phil Campbell, it’s only natural to wonder when – or if – the survivor...
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State’s outdoors is key to economic growth
Columnists
May 6, 2026
OPINION: From the mountains of the Tennessee Valley to the shores of the Gulf Coast, and everything inbetween, our state is second to none in the coun...
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Book Lovers Club honored at state
News
HERE AND NOW
May 6, 2026
OPINION: Members of Russellville’s GFWC Book Lovers Study Club joined clubwomen from across Alabama for the 131st annual GFWC Alabama Federation of Wo...
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Picking strawberries, making memories
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A pick-your-own strawberry patch run by Jerri Ann Oliver draws visitors from across the area each season.
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Students test-drive careers in RHS workshop
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — High school students used virtual reality simulators and augmented reality stations recently to explore careers in health care, transpo...
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Vela advances to national FAME competition
News
by María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Edwin Vela of Russellville will represent Northwest Shoals Community College on the national stage as part of a team competing in the F...
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