(Gadsden, AL - March 10, 2010) The Gadsden - Etowah County Chamber Executive Director Tom Quinn will be announcing the slate of artists for the 2010 RiverFest.

The 25th Anniversary of Gadsden's RiverFest will be held June 11th and 12th, on Albert Rains Boulevard, on the banks of the Coosa River.

Chamber officials have said that they have some exciting surprises in store for their silver anniversary celebration. In addition, rumors have spread across town that this could be Quinn's final RiverFest production.

RiverFest is an annual concert festival which includes two nights of musical entertainment, food and merchandise vendors, a kids play area, and a concluding fireworks show.

As soon as the announcement is made today, GadsdenMetro will present the lineup of artists for our readers.

(Gadsden, AL - March 10, 2010) The National Weather Service office in Birmingham is warning of potential flooding conditions across two-thirds of the state, including the Etowah County area.

This morning at 4:06 a.m., the NWS issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of the state, and a Flash Flood Warning for five central Alabama counties later this morning, at 6:19 a.m.

The watch extends through late tonight, as several rounds of thunderstorms are expected to cross the state. The storms are expected to bring between two and three inches of rain through noon today. Then following a brief decrease in intensity, to re-strengthen again later this afternoon. Storms later today are expected to bring another two to three inches of rain in a rather short period of time.

The combination of morning rains saturating the ground, followed by heavy afternoon and evening rains could cause flash flooding, according to NWS meteorologists.

You should stay close to an emergency alert radio, and follow local media for any changes in the conditions in your area. And, you are asked to keep children away from storm drains, water catchments, and waterways. Shallow, gently flowing water can become a raging torrent in a matter of minutes when heavy rains occur.

Interestingly, a rapid rush of water as shallow as six inches can pick a grown man up off of his feet and wash him downstream, so do not walk across flooded streams.

A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding.

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
406 AM CST WED MAR 10 2010
... SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...

ALZ011>015- 017>050- 101800-  /O.NEW.KBMX.FF.A.0003.100310T1006Z- 100311T1200Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z. 000000T0000Z.OO/
MARION- LAMAR- FAYETTE- WINSTON- WALKER- BLOUNT- ETOWAH- CALHOUN-  CHEROKEE- CLEBURNE- PICKENS- TUSCALOOSA- JEFFERSON- SHELBY- ST. CLAIR-  TALLADEGA- CLAY- RANDOLPH- SUMTER- GREENE- HALE- PERRY- BIBB- CHILTON-  COOSA- TALLAPOOSA- CHAMBERS- MARENGO- DALLAS- AUTAUGA- LOWNDES- ELMORE-  MONTGOMERY- MACON- BULLOCK- LEE- RUSSELL- PIKE- BARBOUR-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF... HAMILTON... SULLIGENT... VERNON... FAYETTE... DOUBLE SPRINGS... JASPER... ONEONTA... GADSDEN...  ANNISTON... CENTRE... HEFLIN... CARROLLTON... TUSCALOOSA...  BIRMINGHAM... HOOVER... COLUMBIANA... PELHAM... ALABASTER...  PELL CITY... MOODY... TALLADEGA... SYLACAUGA... ASHLAND... ROANOKE...  LIVINGSTON... EUTAW... GREENSBORO... MOUNDVILLE... MARION...  CENTREVILLE... CLANTON... ROCKFORD... ALEXANDER CITY... DADEVILLE...  VALLEY... LANETT... LAFAYETTE... DEMOPOLIS... LINDEN... SELMA...  PRATTVILLE... FORT DEPOSIT... HAYNEVILLE... WETUMPKA... TALLASSEE...  MONTGOMERY... TUSKEGEE... UNION SPRINGS... AUBURN... OPELIKA...  PHENIX CITY... TROY... EUFAULA

406 AM CST WED MAR 10 2010
... FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA... EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA... NORTHEAST ALABAMA... NORTHWEST ALABAMA...  SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA... INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA... AUTAUGA... BIBB...  BLOUNT... CHILTON... COOSA... DALLAS... ELMORE... JEFFERSON...  LOWNDES... MONTGOMERY... PERRY... SHELBY... ST. CLAIR... TALLADEGA AND WALKER. IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA... CALHOUN... CHAMBERS...  CLAY... CLEBURNE... LEE... MACON... RANDOLPH... RUSSELL AND TALLAPOOSA. IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA... CHEROKEE AND ETOWAH. IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA... MARION AND WINSTON. IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...  BARBOUR... BULLOCK AND PIKE. IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...  FAYETTE... GREENE... HALE... LAMAR... MARENGO... PICKENS... SUMTER AND TUSCALOOSA.

* THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
* SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. MANY LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH NOON TODAY BEFORE A BRIEF DECREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE ARE NOTED. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AND EXPAND IN COVERAGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WHEN ANOTHER 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE RAINFALL MAY OCCUR IN A RATHER SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
DURING HEAVY RAINS... KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS... WATER CATCHMENTS... AND WATERWAYS.  SHALLOW... GENTLY FLOWING WATER CAN BECOME A RAGING TORRENT IN A MATTER MINUTES WHEN HEAVY RAINS OCCUR.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

Etowah County VOAD Meeting set for March 16th,

(Gadsden, AL - March 9, 2010) The Gadsden-Etowah County EMA announces a meeting of the Etowah County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and Citizen Corps Council next Tuesday, March 16th at 3 p.m.. The meeting will be held at the GCEMA.

The VOAD and CCC consists of representatives of various local governments, social service organizations and interested individuals who volunteer assistance and resources during times of need.

The meeting is open to anyone with interest in assisting during times of emergency.

The GECEMA is located in the basement of the Police Department building at the Gadsden City Hall. For more information, contact the EMA at (256) 549-4575.

Illustration from book, "When Rebecca Woogie Came to Town" The musical supporting this book will be performed in Gadsden Thursday, March 11th, ad Friday, March 12th, including a free performance at the Gadsden Public Library.

(Gadsden, AL - March 9, 2010) Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra musical director Michael Gagliardo announces “Rebecca Woogie”  is coming to Gadsden!

On March 11th and 12th, composer and author James Woodward will be in Gadsden to share his music and his book, “When Rebecca Woogie Came To Town,” with students throughout Etowah County.

On Thursday, March 11th, Woodward will visit Duck Springs Elementary, Stowers Hill Intermediate, and John S. Jones Elementary Schools to present a special program for students that will include a reading of the book, along with a presentation of the book’s artwork and of the music that inspired the book.  Woodward will make the same presentation at the downtown branch of the Gadsden Public Library that afternoon at 3:30 PM.  The GPL presentation is free and is open to the public.

On Friday, March 12th, Woodward will be with the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra at Curtiston Primary School and Whitesboro Elementary School as the EYSO presents the composition “When Rebecca Woogie Came To Town” for narrator, piano, and orchestra.  The concerts, which are sponsored annually by Wachovia Bank N.A., will include the presentation of the artwork from the book, and Woodward will also address the students and meet with them to answer questions following the performances.  The EYSO will also perform “Rebecca Woogie” at Children’s Concerts in Cherokee County on Friday, April 2nd.

“When Rebecca Woogie Came To Town” is the story of a young pianist who makes her first trip to the big city to participate in a piano competition.  Written by Woodward and illustrated by Gentry Smith, “Rebecca Woogie” is a great story of the importance and power of music.  James Woodward’s residency is funded in part through Meet The Composer's MetLife Creative Connections program.