NWSCC Upward Bound 17-year-old to earn college degree before high school diploma
According to Northwest Shoals Community College, Mary Elizabeth Fisher will graduate with an Associate in Science degree days before she walks at her graduation from Phil Campbell High School.
Fisher is the Valedictorian of her high school class, is a first-generation college student and has excelled while participating in Dual Enrollment and the Upward Bound Phil Campbell Project.
Sherry Campbell, the project Manager of Upward Bound, said Fisher's story is a great example of how determination and access to education opportunities can change lives.
'We are so proud of her achievements and can't wait to see all that she accomplishes in the future,' Campbell said.
'She has earned numerous accolades, including the American Chemical Society Award, and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at NWSCC. As Vice President of her senior class, she has been involved in multiple organizations such as Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society and the Grass and Roots Project—a program she founded to provide companionship to elderly residents in assisted living homes,' NWSCC said.
Fisher is also a multi-sport athlete, playing Varsity volleyball, basketball and golf. She also earned the highest GPA award for her athletic participation.
'Her service efforts have been recognized at the state level, securing 2nd Place in the FBLA State Competition for her Service Project. She has dedicated time to various volunteer organizations, including Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) as well as numerous community outreach programs.'
NWSCC
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
04-07-2025
- New York Post
Nanny state, for real: Feds won't even trust parents with a baby pillow
Imagine a new parent, soothing her baby at home, grateful for a moment of peace while her infant reclines in a cozy, contoured lounger beside her: It's soft and portable, designed specifically for a baby's supervised awake time — a helping hand amid the chaos of early parenthood. Now imagine the federal government declaring this item to be too dangerous to exist. That's exactly what happened with the Podster, a baby lounger made by Leachco, a small family-owned business in Oklahoma. Advertisement Designed to cradle infants while they're awake and with an adult, the Podster is not a sleeper, not a car seat, not a crib. It's a contoured cushion, a glorified baby pillow, meant to keep infants comfortably propped up while under a parent's watchful eye. Since its release in 2009 Leachco has sold over 180,000 Podsters. When used as intended, it has a perfect safety record. Advertisement But after three infant deaths linked to serious misuse of the lounger were reported, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission labeled the Podster a 'substantial product hazard' and demanded a full recall. In one case, the infant was left unsupervised in a crib with the Podster for over an hour. In another, it was used in an adult bed, surrounded by pillows and bedding. In every case, the lounger was not being used according to its clear safety instructions. Advertisement There was no suggestion the Podster failed or malfunctioned. But the CPSC argued it was 'reasonably foreseeable' that some parents might ignore the warnings — making the product itself defective. That reasoning reveals a deeper problem. The CPSC was created in 1972 to protect Americans from dangerous products — items with clear, physical risks, like a too-small toy that poses a choking hazard or a battery-operated mobile that could overheat and catch fire. Advertisement It sets safety standards and can recall or even ban items it deems inherently hazardous. But the agency has drifted into overreach, defining 'risk' in increasingly abstract and paternalistic ways. Picture applying the Podster standard more broadly. Should we ban grapes because they're a choking hazard? Should we make backyard pools illegal because children can drown, or outlaw cars because some people don't wear seat belts? Obviously not — but that's the logic at play when the CPSC targets products like the Podster or the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play, a once-popular baby sleeper. The CPSC linked over 30 infant deaths to that product — all in situations where babies weren't restrained or were placed in unsafe sleep environments, despite manufacturer warnings. These are devastating tragedies, but they're not necessarily evidence of a defective product. They're examples of what happens when products are misused. Advertisement Instead of educating parents about safe practices, the CPSC has leaned on the idea that any possible misuse is enough to justify a recall. That sets an impossible standard, and one that disproportionately hurts small businesses. Complying with federal safety regulations comes at a high cost. Big companies might absorb it. But small firms like Leachco, run by a husband-and-wife team, often can't. Advertisement Even a 10% increase in regulation can shrink the number of firms and reduce small-business employment, analysts have found. And when smaller players are pushed out, competition suffers — leaving us fewer options, higher prices and less innovation. Regulatory overreach has another cost, too: the products that are never created. 'Trying to preemptively plan for every hypothetical worst-case scenario means that many best-case scenarios will never come about,' says policy analyst Adam Thierer. Advertisement In the quest to prevent all harm, we paralyze progress. And for what? The CPSC's own data shows that most injuries linked to nursery products don't stem from defects. They happen when caregivers misuse them. High chairs, for example, consistently top the injury charts. But kids get hurt because they're climbing, wiggling or not strapped in properly, not because the chairs themselves are dangerous. Worse, eliminating products like the Podster doesn't eliminate risk — it just shifts it. Advertisement Parents still need somewhere to put the baby. Banning safe loungers leads caregivers to improvise with regular pillows or folded blankets, introducing new hazards in the name of safety. A zero-risk world doesn't exist. The Podster is the poster child for bureaucratic overreach: A well-intentioned agency attacking a safe, helpful product because someone misused it. Congress should step in. Lawmakers can direct the CPSC to define what counts as a 'product defect,' and can require the agency to distinguish between genuine hazards and issues of misuse. Clear, objective standards will protect consumers without punishing responsible parents or businesses. Parents deserve safe products, but they also deserve the freedom to make their own choices — without a nanny-state government treating them like they can't be trusted with a baby pillow. Bethany Mandel writes and podcasts at The Mom Wars and is a homeschooling mother of six in greater Washington, DC.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
City of Huntsville provides public with information on recent uptick of alligator sightings
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The City of Huntsville said that their has been an uptick of Alligator sightings recently. Just like deer or snakes or even the ducks in Big Spring Park, alligators are a fixture in Huntsville's wildlife landscape. According to the city, wetlands, which are the homes of alligators are located in areas on both the east and west sides of Redstone Arsenal. Officials told News 19 that there have also been sightings recently in the Aldridge Creek area in south Huntsville. City officials are reminding residents that alligators do not want people in their homes just like people do not want alligators in their homes. 'You really just need to leave them in their environments,' said Jasmine Murree, program coordinator at Huntsville Animal Services (HAS). There have been no instances of alligators attacking or harming people in Huntsville, but sightings have been on the rise in recent years as developments have expanded near their natural habitats. Last month, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) confirmed that an alligator was euthanized in south Huntsville after acting abnormally. The City installed cautionary signs along the walking trail on Haysland Road in 2021 alerting people to the presence of alligators. More signs have been installed since then in other areas that are popular with alligators. 'We absolutely do receive calls and emails about alligators,' Murree said. 'Animal Services doesn't handle that but we do contact the game warden and usually if they are just going about their business and acting normally, they will remove them safely away from populated areas.' In 1938, Alabama became the first state to protect alligators. Almost 50 years later, alligators were removed from the endangered species list, though they remain a federally protected species. The City is providing a few tips to residents if they encounter an alligator: Don't feed them, this is illegal Be aware of your surroundings when swimming Don't allow pets near areas where alligators are known to be According to wildlife officials, alligators have a long history in Huntsville, the animals have gathered attention in recent years as sightings have ticked upward. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Redstone Arsenal experiencing ‘technical difficulties' at gates, expect delays
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) — Team Redstone announced that the gates are experiencing technical difficulties Thursday. On Facebook, Team Redstone said it is currently experiencing technical difficulties at all the gates, which could cause delays this morning. 'We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue. Please allow extra time for gate access. We will post updates on this page and the My Army Post app,' Team Redstone said. There is no word on what caused the technical difficulties or how long until it will take to fix them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
