
The system operates a primary school, intermediate school, middle school and high school. Total enrollment is 1,800. Visit www.attalla.k12.al.us for more information.
Etowah County Schools - Visit SiteThe system operates 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 6 high schools and a career technical center. Total enrollment is 9,047. The Etowah County School System ranks third among the state’s county school systems in academic performance. For additional information, visit www.ecboe.org.
Gadsden City Schools - Visit SiteThe system operates 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, a high school, a career technical center and an alternative school. Total enrollment is 5,331. The new Gadsden City High School offers extensive curricula in foreign languages; a full slate of Advanced Placement courses; enhanced fine arts classes including drama, photography, strings, and multiple instrumental performance ensembles; as well as more career-technical courses such as engineering technology, web page design and video technologies. For additional details, visit www.gcs.k12.al.us.
Private SchoolsCoosa Christian Schools , Episcopal Day School , Lighthouse Christian Academy , St. James Catholic School , and Westbrook Christian School. In addition, local churches and other establishments offer pre-school and kindergarten programs.
This private institution focuses exclusively on career education. Programs include Accounting Specialist, Administrative Office Specialist, Business Management, Computer Operations, Medical Assistant and Medical Office Specialist. For more information, contact gbc@cableone.net.
Gadsden State Community College - Visit SiteGadsden State is a two-year postsecondary educational institution with more than 5,000 students. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate Degrees in Science, Arts and Applied Science. Most academic division graduates transfer to Jacksonville State University and to Auburn University. GPA reports indicate that they do as well as, or better than, native university students at both campuses. Click www.gadsdenstate.edu to visit the GSCC website.
Academic programs include Art, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer and Information Science, Education, English, Health Sciences, History, Humanities, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Psychology and Sociology, to cite only a few.
Engineering technology division programs include Automotive Manufacturing Technology, Drafting Design Technology, Electronic Engineering Technology, Electrical Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Mechanical Design Technology, Machine Tool Technology and Telecommunications Technology.
Information technology degree programs consist of Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Software Engineering, Management Information Systems and Computer Science Technology.
Jacksonville State University - Visit SiteJacksonville State University’s main campus is 20 miles southeast of downtown Gadsden. JSU has 7 colleges offering 40 undergraduate majors leading to a Bachelor’s degree, 25 Master’s degree programs and several Doctoral degree programs.
JSU’s Gadsden branch is on Gadsden State’s campus, providing advanced studies for those acquiring a Bachelor’s, Masters or Doctorate degree. Instruction is offered in accounting, economics, finance, management and marketing. An MBA program also is offered. Visit www.jsu.edu for more information.
The Department of Technology at JSU offers degree programs accredited by The National Association of Industrial Technology, in Electronics Technology, Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Occupational Safety and Health, and Industrial Technology Management. All Technology majors must take these core courses: Technical Writing, Microcomputers, AC/DC Circuits, Computer Aided Design I, Advanced Technical Math, Managing Engineering and Technology, Manufacturing Cost Analysis, Materials and Processes of Industry, Continuous Quality Improvement, and Industrial Safety and Health.
University of Alabama's Gadsden Center - Visit SiteThe Gadsden Center of the University of Alabama offers residents the opportunity to earn graduate-level credits in 32 fields without traveling to the university’s main campus. In addition, a Master’s degree in Engineering program is being planned, delivered by asynchronous distance learning means as well as on-site professors. For additional details, click www.gadsden.ua.edu.
Gadsden Regional Medical Center (GRMC) is a 346-bed full-service facility that includes OB, Cardiac, Orthopedic, and Emergency services. GRMC holds National Chest Pain Accreditation with PCI and performed more than 280 open heart procedures in 2010 alone. GRMC is the second largest employer in Etowah County with nearly 1,200 skilled hospital staff with extensive experience. GRMC has served Northeast Alabama for more than a century and boasts a medical staff of more than 200 that includes 50 specialties. To learn more about the dedicated care at GRMC, visit www.gadsdenregional.com
Riverview Regional Medical CenterLocated in Gadsden, Riverview Regional Medical Center is a 281-bed acute-care hospital serving more than 350,000 residents in Etowah and the contiguous counties. A full range of services and programs are offered, including a Heart and Vascular Center, Sleep Lab, Heartburn Treatment Center, Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center, and Imaging Center. Riverview Regional Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
Charter Communications
317 West 5th Avenue
Attalla, AL 35954
800-955-7766
Comcast Cablevision
241 South 3rd Street
Gadsden, AL 35901
256-547-6821
Newspapers
The Gadsden Times (daily) - www.gadsdentimes.com
The Messenger (weekly) - www.gadsdenmessenger.com
Many special-interest groups are here, including:
The Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts opened in 1990 in downtown Gadsden. Today, more than 100,000 persons visit the exhibits, performances and functions held there each year. Click www.culturalarts.com for information. It is home to:
The Etowah Youth Orchestras is made up of four ensembles: the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra, EYS Honor Strings, Etowah Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and June Bugg Prelude Strings. It has been recognized as one of the top three youth orchestra programs of more than 200 nationwide by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the American Symphony Orchestra League. Click www.culturalarts.com/eyo_aboutus.asp for more information. (Gadsden also has an adult symphony orchestra.)
Classes in ballet, lyrical dance, yoga, jazz, piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, voice, conducting, visual arts and theatre are offered by the Gadsden Community School for the Arts, regardless of age or experience level. Click www.culturalarts.com/gcsa.asp for details. (Additionally, there is private instruction throughout the county in dance, music, drama, painting and other activities, plus many non-credit, special-interest classes at Gadsden State Community College.)
The Imagination Place Children's Museum has activities in the arts and sciences that promote exploration and discovery, and provides interactive learning environments through participatory, hands-on exhibits and educational programs. More details are at www.culturalarts.com/ip_mission.asp.
The Gadsden Museum, located next to the Cultural Arts Center, provides a year-round schedule of programs and services, including permanent collections of fine arts, a collection of historical local artifacts, monthly changing exhibits, special annual events and educational outreach programs. It is the only museum in the state specializing in Alabama artists. The Alabama City Museum contains records and artifacts honoring early citizens and businesses. The Carver Museum houses the oral history collection and memorabilia of the former Central High School and Carver High School.
In addition to musical and theatrical events sponsored by "Center Stage Presents," the Theatre of Gadsden and the Gadsden-Etowah Community Choir perform throughout the year. Also, concerts featuring national performing artists are brought to the community by BIGMEN (Business and Industry in Gadsden Mean Entertainment Now) and the Tams Committee.
The Gadsden Public Library has 160,000 books, 10,000 serial volumes, 6,000 audio recordings, 4,500 video recordings, almost 200 periodicals and 60 internet work stations. Public libraries in Rainbow City, Attalla, Sardis, Altoona/Walnut Grove, and Hokes Bluff have a combined 90,000 additional holdings.
Public SafetyThe Etowah County Sheriff’s Department has 62 employees in its criminal, civil, corrections, patrol, court house security and narcotics divisions. The City of Gadsden Police Department has 92 sworn and 34 civilian personnel in the following divisions: patrol, hit and run, crime against property, crime against persons, fugitive, juvenile, vice and narcotics, canine, crime prevention, school guards, animal control, field training, records and communications. Surrounding municipalities have police departments of varying sizes. Gadsden, Attalla and Rainbow City have full-time fire departments. Gadsden has a Class 4 fire insurance rating; Rainbow City and Attalla have a Class 5 rating. There are 24 rural fire departments throughout Etowah County.
The Gadsden Fire Department has 7 stations currently in operation and another under development. It has 8 engine companies, 2 ladder/aerial trucks, 3 rescue units, a brush truck, a unit for hazmat/special operations/high-angle rescue, and a decontamination unit. The department’s 109 career firefighters include 44 Paramedics, 8 Intermediate EMTs, 29 Basic EMTs and 28 First Responders. The average response time for engine companies is 4.32 minutes and the average response time for rescue units is 4.56 minutes.
The Gadsden-Etowah Emergency Management Agency has the responsibility of planning for emergencies. The EMA has provided hundreds of tone-alert radios to child-care centers, schools, churches, nursing homes and emergency responders. Severe weather warning sirens have been installed throughout the county.
Gadsden-Etowah EMS, Inc. and Rural Metro Ambulance are Advanced Life Support providers serving the Gadsden area. The Etowah County Rescue Squad has 40 members, nine vehicles, four Rescue One boats and a service boat.
Radio StationsWAAX 570 AM
WFXO 105.9 FM
WGAD 1350 AM
WGMZ 93.1 FM
WJBY 930 AM
WKXX 102.9 FM
WMGJ 1240 AM
WQSB 105.1 FM
WSGN 91.5 FM
WVOK 97.9 FM
With 555 square miles of mountains, valleys, forests, rivers and lakes, Etowah County is one of the most diverse areas for outdoor sports and recreation in the southeast. Whether it's a trophy buck or largemouth bass, chances are you'll find it here. Or you can hike, bike or horseback ride through scenic trails, as well as sail, jet-ski or canoe on a river or lake. Golf is a year-round activity at Gadsden’s 257-acre Twin Bridges municipal golf course (named in Golf Digest’s 2004 list of America’s Best New Courses) and at the Hidden Oaks, River Trace, Wills Creek and Gadsden Country Club courses. The 36-hole Silver Lakes championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones is a 20-minute drive from downtown. Golf Digest’s Metro Golf Survey ranked Gadsden as the #9 metropolitan area in the nation for being golfer-friendly.
Noccalula Falls Park, three miles north of downtown, features a 90-foot waterfall. Nestled among the trees in the park is a pioneer village, a group of rustic, hand-hewn log buildings representing a display of pioneer living conditions. Included in the village are a country store, grist mill, pioneer home, smoke house, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, covered bridge and more. Other park attractions include a botanical gardens, hiking trails, sightseeing train, playground, carpet golf, picnic pavilions, war memorial, law enforcement memorial, campground and meeting facilities.
The James D. Martin Wildlife Park is located on the 300-acre Lake Gadsden in the center of the city. It contains a boardwalk, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and pavilions. The wide range of upland, wetland and open water habitats support a variety of species including water fowl, songbirds, birds of prey, amphibians, fish, small mammals, insects and native plants.
The Gadsden Sports Complex consists of a five-field softball complex, a twelve-court tennis center, a combination football/soccer field, a baseball field, a one-mile lighted walking track and a sports coliseum. The complex has hosted numerous local and state-level competitions in softball, tennis, soccer, football and basketball. The coliseum is home for the city’s Therapeutic Recreation Department.
Other municipalities in Etowah County also have sports complexes, and throughout the county are public parks, playgrounds and community centers. Local sports activities include Little League, Babe Ruth and Pony League baseball; youth football, basketball and soccer associations; adult softball leagues and tournaments; tennis tournaments; bowling leagues; swim meets; and water skiing. There are private schools for gymnastics, martial arts and other pursuits, three health clubs and a large YMCA, plus many non-credit, leisure-activity classes at Gadsden State Community College.
Area Walking Trails:
Gadsden’s Riverside Bait Shop on the Coosa River is host each year to many local, state and national fishing tournaments. The city has co-sponsored such events as Crappie USA, the Bass Federation, Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society, and the Women's Bass Fishing Association.
Information about hunting seasons and bag limits for deer, dove, quail, duck, goose, turkey, fox, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, bobcat, beaver, wild hog and coyote is at www.outdooralabama.com. There are local ranges for bow, pistol, rifle, muzzleloader and skeet shooting.
Racing fans will enjoy our Green Valley Speedway and the Alabama International Dragway. The Alabama International Motor Speedway and the Barber Motorsports Park are less than an hour away. For hobbyists, there are local go-cart, slot car and R/C race tracks.
The Chamber, Gadsden & Etowah County host Gadsden RiverFest on the second weekend of June annually. This 27th annual outdoor festival is held on the banks of the beautiful Coosa River. More than 80,000 attend the family-oriented, weekend event, which features national recording artists, many vendors, children’s events, fireworks extravaganza and other outdoor activities. Click www.gadsdenriverfest.com for details, dates, vendor and ticket information.
And, for weekend getaways, the Smoky Mountains and Gulf Coast beaches are within a half-day drive.
Go to www.etowahtourism.com and www.cityofgadsden.com for more information about these and other recreational activities.
ShoppingDowntown Gadsden is a thriving retail and business district, undergoing a remarkable transformation during the past decade. In 1993, the newly formed Downtown Gadsden, Inc. reclaimed downtown as a centerpiece for the city’s economic progress. Since then, 95 new businesses have opened in the central business district and 398 building improvements have been completed. The new private-sector investment exceeds $26 million, stimulated by a public investment of more than $5.5 million. Now, the occupancy rate exceeds 90%. Click www.downtowngadsden.com for more information.
Gadsden Mall has almost 500,000 square feet under roof, with 40 stores including three major department stores and a 16-screen cinema. Local "big box" stores include two Wal-Mart supercenters, two K-Marts, OfficeMax and Lowe's. There are numerous strip shopping centers throughout Etowah County. Local "big box" stores include two Wal-Mart Super Centers, K-Mart, Academy Sports, OfficeMax and Lowe’s. There are numerous strip shopping centers throughout Etowah County.
Gadsden’s Commercial Development Authority is attracting additional retail stores to the city. The 300,000-squart-foot Coosa Town Center is home to Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Shoe Depot, Petco, Rue 21, Burkes Outlet, Game Stop, and more. Riverview Plaza has Hobby Lobby, Kirklands, Tuesday Morning and Super Dollar Tree, along others. Click www.gadsdencommercial.com for more details.
A planned development along the banks of the Coosa River includes a Chili’s Restaurant, The Fish Market Restaurant, and contains water features, a boardwalk, pavilion, new landscaping and future plans for a nature park and walking trails.
The Noccalula Gateway Shopping Plaza, which is in the process of a major renovation, is home to the new 40,000-square-foot Marvin’s Home Center that relocated to the plaza in March 2007 and was the catalyst for redevelopment of the entire plaza.
Downtown Attalla has become a regional center of antique stores. Mountain Top Flea Market, also in Attalla, attracts more than 1,500 dealers with 2.6 miles of shopping. Additional information is at www.attallacity.com.
Television Stations
WJXS-TV
One Commerce Square
Gadsden, AL 35901
256-543-0124
WPXH-TV
510 Chestnut Street
Gadsden, AL 35901
256-547-4444
WTJP-TV
313 Rosedale Avenue
Gadsden, AL 35901
256-546-8860
Alabama Gas Corporation (Alagasco), a subsidiary of the Birmingham-based Energen Corporation, is the largest natural gas utility in Alabama. The company serves approximately 463,000 customers in nearly 200 cities and 27 counties in central and north Alabama.
The company started as the Montgomery Gas Light Company in 1852. Today, Alagasco has more than 1,000 employees in 7 operating divisions – Gadsden, Montgomery, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston, Opelika, and Selma – and in smaller district offices in the surrounding areas.
Alagasco serves more than 25,000 customers in Gadsden and neighboring communities through 5 delivery stations, all in Etowah County. Delivery pressures range from 4 ounces to 150 psig. The heating value averages 1021 BTUs per cubic foot at a specific gravity of 0.57.
In the early 1980s, Alagasco purchased nearly all of its natural gas supply from one major interstate pipeline. Today, the company purchases its gas from more than 20 different suppliers. The gas is transported to Alagasco’s distribution system through two major interstate and two smaller intrastate pipelines. The distribution system, which includes service lines for individual customers, encompasses nearly 20,000 miles of pipe.
A portion of Alagasco’s gas supply comes from sources in Alabama, such as Mobile Bay, the gas fields of Tuscaloosa and the coal seams in Oak Grove and Vance. Additional supplies come from the Gulf of Mexico, Texas and Louisiana. A diversified gas supply portfolio allows the company to offer its customers the lowest possible price and be more flexible in its gas purchases.
Visit Alagasco for more information.
Alabama Power Company - Visit SiteAlabama Power is a member company of the Southern Company, one of the largest investor owned utilities in the U.S. This enables APC to have a very stable financial base, as well as the service reliability and power quality required by industry. With 6,715 employees, APC provides electricity and associated services to approximately 1,357,325 customers in Alabama. The kWh generation mix by source is 62% fossil fuel, 19% nuclear, 6% hydro and 13% oil, gas & other sources. APC is directly connected to the Southern Company transmission system that operates a total generating capacity of more than 40,000 megawatts in its control area. APC has numerous rates and rate options that are attractive to industry, which helps control the actual cost per kWh. In the past several years it’s Rates and Regulatory Section has created over 60 new rates and rate riders, providing customers with numerous pricing options, including real time pricing and time of use tariffs which may be customized to a specific operation. APC has strategies in place to control operating costs and increase efficiency, resulting in even more competitive pricing.
Rate LPLM (applicable to manufacturing entities in SIC Codes 20-39) and Rate LPTL (Time-of-Use Large) are two APC tariffs that are typically applied to metals fabricating and manufacturing operations. Under these rates, there are several factors that will impact a company’s average annual cost per kWh.
Rate LPLM is a demand tariff and Rate LPTL is a time of use tariff. Both rates are differentiated by Service Voltage Level. The following table represents Service Voltage Levels and corresponding Typical Service Voltages provided by APC. Industries have the option of owning and maintaining the local transformation facilities and receiving the savings from the applicable tariff for the demand and fuel cost discounts (i.e. Primary Service vs. Secondary Service).
Service Voltage Level Typical Service Voltage (select one)
Transmission 44,000 volts (phase – phase)
Primary 13,800 volts; 13,200 volts; 12,470 volts; 4,160 volts (phase – phase)
Secondary 120/208 volts; 120/240 volts; 277/480 volts
APC’s industrial rates have been extremely stable over the past ten years and customers continue to pay prices that are 15% below the national average. Competitive electric pricing, high power quality and attention to customer needs are why APC continues to rank in the top five of 80 regional electric utilities in independent customer satisfaction surveys.
Telephone and Internet - Visit SiteTelephone & Internet BellSouth is a Tier 1 internet provider offering dial-up, DSL, PRI ISDN, CENTREX, Frame Relay, ATM, fractional and full-service T-1 communications. Most industrial sites in Etowah County are within 6 miles of the central office. Dial-tone options range from POTS to PRI-SONET; other fiber transports are available as well. BellSouth also provides long distance, web hosting/email, and telephone/data equipment solutions. For more information, visit www.bellsouth.com.
Water and SewerWater and sanitary sewer service to the Gadsden area are provided by the Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board. The Board’s water filtration plant is a Grade III surface water plant that utilizes the Coosa River as its source. The plant has a daily production capacity of 26 million gallons, with an average daily usage of 13 million gallons and a peak daily use of 18 million gallons. This leaves an excess, or freeboard, of 8 to 13 million gallons per day available for future industrial use. Water is pumped from the plant to a distribution system that is comprised of more than 350 miles of mains ranging in size from 2” to 36”. Average system pressures are in the 80-pound range. The system has 17 reservoirs with a total storage capacity of 17.85 million gallons. The Board also provides wholesale water to Rainbow City, Southside, Reece City, Highland, Tillison Bend, Whorton Bend, Northeast Etowah County and West Etowah County.
Attalla, Glencoe and Hokes Bluff operate their own water treatment facilities utilizing ground water as a source.
The Board owns and operates two wastewater treatment plants that have a combined capacity to treat and discharge 16.5 million gallons per day. These are NPDES-permitted Grade III and IV trickle filter plants. The average daily combined treatment at these facilities is approximately 10 million gallons. Attalla, Glencoe, Southside and Rainbow City have sanitary sewer systems using lagoons as their treatment process. Hokes Bluff has a low-pressure pump system that discharges into and is treated by the Gadsden system. Gadsden’s pretreatment ordinance is at www.gadsdenwater.org/Pretreatment Ordinance.html. To summarize, prohibited discharges include:
For details about water and sewer rates, click www.gadsdenwater.org/rates.html.

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Redfield Auction Gallery this Thursday, February 23...starts at 5pm. Located on Hwy 77, Southside (Former...
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