2 Police News and 2 Country Crossings | Community Spirit

School Safety Meeting
Educators, Law enforcement and elected officials including Helena's Mayor Hall attended a meeting about school safety at the Indian Springs City Hall according to an article by Amy Jones. You can read the full article HERE. There has been a lot of concern shared by parents after the shooting at the school in Conn. so there has been a lot discussion about what needs to be done to keep our students safe. Mayor Hall was mentioned in the article because he, along with others, were looking into adding another officer. They would be part time and could supplement the support we have currently are using.

The Mayor spoke to the City Council during the work session about this need earlier. He felt we needed some additional coverage. We can't really post the details about the routine of theses safety officers and how they will be placed since someone could use this information for the wrong purpose. Speaking of extra officers...

Helena Police Opening
At the last council meeting the Mayor Hall said that Deputy Chief Tim Carter was retiring but instead of  promoting someone to that position he would like the council to approve that the money be used to hire a new police officer (so there will be a savings in salary and another officer on the street).  Here is that job posting:
The City of Helena Police Department is accepting applications for the position of Police Officer to fill current and future vacancies. Applications will be accepted until Friday, February 1, 2013 at 5:00PM. All applicants are required to have valid and current certification through Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission and at least two (2) years of experience as a sworn law enforcement officer. Officers must provide their cumulative final scores from the Police Academy the applicant attended. Applicants will be ranked based on their academy scores. Applications can be picked up at the Helena Police Department located at 816 Highway 52 East Helena, Al until the close of business on Friday, February 1, 2013.

169 Walk for World Peace
This from Fire Chief John Wilder: A man from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has decided to make a walk across America in one-hundred-and-ninety-six days to represent each country and the need for world peace. He is spending some of his nights at Fire Stations as he travels from  Pennsylvania to California.  Javier Janik stayed at the Harpersville Fire Department yesterday night and last night he stayed at the Helena Fire Department. Javier started his trip on November seventeenth at Virginia Beach and will end in California. He averages around fifteen miles a day wearing a different country’s flag on his t-shirt.His website is
www.196days196countries.wordpress.com

Driven to Divide
A Helena Resident will be attempting to do something similar but it will a 2,700+ mile race from Canada to Mexico on a mountain bike.  There is no support team, no one to stop and hand you water and he will be a one man show. So he needs your help to succeed. You can donate and read more at his website and you can get this cool shirt.LINK