— WEATHER

Today, partly sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming west between 10 and 15 mph. Tonight, mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

AROUND THE COUNTY

• The Cruise in on the Square for vintage car enthusiasts will be from 3-9 p.m. today in downtown Athens. The Redstone Jazz Project, a division of the Army Materiel Command Band, will perform. Admission is free.

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY:

In Limestone County:

Local volunteer to chair Athens Grease Festival

ATHENS, Ala. – Christy Hubbard has volunteered at fundraisers that incorporate golf, chili cook-offs, Easter egg hunts and selling apples.

She’s tackling a new endeavor, serving as festival chair of the inaugural Athens Grease Festival. The festival, sponsored by the Spirit of Athens, aims to celebrate the Greek origin of the city’s name and feature fried foods that Southerners have enjoyed at their mother and grandmother’s tables.

“I thought that the Grease Festival sounded like such a fun and exciting event,” Hubbard said. “I was honored to be asked to be a part its inaugural year.”

http://enewscourier.com/local/x234180211/Local-volunteer-to-chair-Athens-Grease-Festival

In Athens:

Dad accused of slapping 7-month-old

A 21-year-old Athens father is charged with child abuse for allegedly slapping his 7-month-old child, leaving a bruise on her face.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Deputy John McCormick responded to a report Thursday night from the mother who said she had returned home from work to find her baby had bruising and a hand print on her face, Chief Investigator Stanley McNatt said Friday.

http://enewscourier.com/local/x915998592/BREAKING-Dad-accused-of-slapping-7-month-old

In Madison County:

Madison County trail, 13 others get national designation

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Fourteen more Alabama trails have received the designation of national recreation trails.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis announced that 54 trails nationwide had been added to the list, including the 14 in Alabama. There are now 1,200 trails nationwide with the designation, including 50 in Alabama.

The trails receiving the designation Thursday include: Alabama State Lands Bartram Canoe Trail in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Blevins Gap Nature Preserve Trail System in Huntsville, Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary Trail System, Goose Pond Colony Nature and Walking Trail in Scottsboro, Monte Sano Nature Preserve Trail System in Huntsville, Oak Mountain Red Trail in Birmingham, Scottsboro City Park Walking Trail, Sokol Park Mountain Bike Trail System in Tuscaloosa County, and Wade Mountain Nature Preserve Trail System in Madison County.

http://enewscourier.com/local/x1968179136/Madison-County-trail-13-others-get-national-designation

Alabama hires Paul Gonnella as player personnel chief

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama football coach Nick Saban has hired Paul Gonnella as director of player personnel.

Gonnella spent last year in the same post at Purdue. He replaces Ed Marynowitz, who recently left to take a job with the Philadelphia Eagles.

http://enewscourier.com/sports/x1647292565/Alabama-hires-Paul-Gonnella-as-player-personnel-chief

Zimmerman must surrender; bond revoked

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A judge on Friday revoked the bond of the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with murdering Trayvon Martin and ordered him returned to jail within 48 hours, saying George Zimmerman and his wife misled the court about how much money they had available when his bond was set at $150,000.

http://enewscourier.com/statenews/x234180149/Zimmerman-must-surrender-bond-revoked

WATER COOLER

LA police officer sets Ferris Wheel ride record

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After a record-breaking 25 hours on a Ferris Wheel, Los Angeles police Detective Gus Martinez likely knows better than anyone that what goes around comes around.

Martinez climbed aboard the 130-foot-tall wheel at Santa Monica Pier's Pacific Park at 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Except for hourly five-minute breaks, he didn't stop riding it until 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Several hours into his run, he didn't even bother to take some of the allotted breaks.

"He finished quite solidly," said Guinness World Records adjudicator Philip Robertson, who traveled from London to the park to verify that an official Guinness record was being set. The previous mark, 24 hours and 30 minutes, was set by a woman in Dublin, Ireland, last year.

Witnesses said Martinez seemed to hit his stride after some worrisome queasiness during the first few hours, when the big wheel stopped and started repeatedly to let other riders on and off.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE DAY

President Obama’s cure for the economy? Buy more thingamajigs!