Community,
Nation Honors
Firefighter
Killed In The
Line Of Duty
March 27, 2009
is a day that
Ruby Gilbreath
will not forget
in the very near
future. It is
the day that her
husband, Mike
Gilbreath, died
while doing his
job as a
firefighter in
Double Springs.
He was struck by
a passing
motorist as he
helped remove
storm debris
from a local
road. Gilbreath,
the former chief
of the Double
Springs
Volunteer Fire
Department,
along with 80
other
firefighters who
died in the line
of duty, was
honored in a
national
ceremony in
Emmitsburg, MD
on October 3rd.
The ceremony,
which included
candlelight
vigils and the
awarding of
American flags
flown over the
Capitol, was
witnessed by
over 5,000
people, and
including the
etching of
Gilbreaths name,
along with 104
of his
colleagues onto
the Fallen
Firefighters
Memorial at the
National Fire
Academy.
Locally,
Gilbreath will
be honored on
October 24 by
the naming of a
walking trail
and park in his
honor, along
with a five foot
granite memorial
with his
portrait. Pat
West, current
fire chief said
" just think its
going to be a
good way to
remember a
really good guy"
Ruby Gilbreath
said she still
is approached by
residents of the
community who
tell her stories
about her
husband’s
bravery.
Vikings
Celebrate 2010
Homecoming
Walker Vikings
fans from across
the city, began
celebrating the
2010 Homecoming
with a parade
through downtown
Jasper Friday
afternoon, and
followed that
with a 58-22 win
over West Point
Friday night at
Kiro-Gambrell
Field.
Positive
Maturity
Expanding AWARE
Program To
Walker County
There's a new
program in
Walker County
for workers age
50 and older
that assists the
unemployed and
underemployed
with job
placement,
interview skills
and resume
writing, helping
that population
to compete in
today's job
market. That
program is
Positive
Maturity's AWARE
(Aging Workers
Are Reliable
Employees)
career
counseling
program. Long
time Jasper
Resident Marcia
Norris will
serve as a VISTA
volunteer for
the program here
in Jasper.
Positive
Maturity, a
United Way
partner, has
served growing
numbers of
seniors in
Jefferson,
Shelby, Walker
and Blount
counties since
1970.
