Aria Pons
Shoals Bureau Reporter
Florence, AL
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Aria grew up in Florence, AL, and she is thrilled to be back in the Shoals area reporting for WAFF 48. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and minored in Spanish while there.
Watch Aria weekday evenings as she focuses on stories in the Shoals portion of WAFF 48's viewing area.
If you have any story ideas in the Shoals counties, reach out to Aria with your contact information.
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Lauderdale County deputies are still actively searching for the suspect with K9 units along County Road 8 and County Road 13.
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A homicide in Sheffield is currently being investigated following confirmation from Colbert County Deputy Coroner Matt Moore on Tuesday morning.
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The Colbert County Sheriff’s office wants to help out senior citizens in the area.
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The final touches are being put on plans for the new Colbert County jail and sheriff’s office.
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A substitute bus driver was on her regular route when she pulled over to help a man get away from his burning home.
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A nonprofit in the Shoals is trying to give a family a car who might need one.
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The Shoals MTB non-profit organization is inviting all bike riders to join in on its 3rd annual Shoals 3 State Ride at the end of September.
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The Police Ranger program invites people between the ages of 16 and 20 to come along on calls, help with traffic and get real world experience.
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New Bethel Elementary School in Colbert County is recognizing its students for excelling in literacy and mathematics proficiency.
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Waterloo School was hit with storm damage in May 2023 but the school is finally almost finished repairing what was damaged.
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Leaders in Florence want to renovate the Handy Recreation Center and have already put out construction bids.
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The group of protesters that wanted the Confederate Monument in Florence moved, filed a lawsuit in April that the City of Florence has now settled.
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Leaders in Florence are in the early stages of creating a new walking and biking trail system that would connect several neighborhoods with Wildwood Park.
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The school’s planetarium will be back open on Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.
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Harlan Elementary school counselor Amanda Green tried something new to drop the out of school suspension from sixteen to six in just one year.
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The weapon and the student were turned over to law enforcement officials.
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A judge in Colbert County said the men and women who served their country should have a second chance.
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The Workout Anytime Fitness in Florence and Muscle Shoals asked people to climb 110 floors on their stair masters, in remembrance of the first responders.
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Sixty years ago today, one student decided he was going to change the course of history in Florence just by applying to college.
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At the 21st annual Oka Kapassa Festival, people from all over come to share their culture and history with the people of the Shoals.
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The University of North Alabama approved a new budget for the upcoming year and they expect to spend more than they are bringing in.
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Colbert County Deputies spent all of Thursday learning CPR and how to administer NARCAN.
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The first contract bid was awarded on the construction and renovation of Colbert County’s new Justice Center.
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Almost a year after the Attention Homes of Northwest Alabama burned down, crews have rebuilt the girls’ home.
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After a week of being shut down, all of the businesses at the Southgate Mall are back open.
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Work is beginning to bring a new Lauderdale County School building next to where the AG Center is planned.
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A Shoals doctor and his wife are trying to get people who need help the most to the front of line at the dermatologist’s office.
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Every Labor Day, the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard hosts people from all over to celebrate the hard working dogs put to rest there
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If you heard some loud noise over by the University of North Alabama, it could have been from excited students.
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Kaiden Garner’s family is inviting the community to a cookout on Saturday in honor of the three-year-old who died in 2020 at the hands of his father and his father’s girlfriend.
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Russellville High School and Fire Department teamed up to create a class to fill positions in the fire department over the next few years.
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Leaders with the Muscle Shoals City School district are sending out an urgent warning to students.
Fire officials say this is because the building’s water lines are not operating
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After nearly nine months of being closed, the Shoals Salvation Army Center of Hope has reopened.
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Homeowners in the Shoals are seeing their property values climb as more people move into the area.
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A jury ruled that Cornelius Landing LLC is not responsible for the damage done in Cornelius Landing.
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A woman in Lauderdale County is on trial, accused of beating a 3-year-old child to death in 2020.
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Administrators at Weeden Elementary School in Florence are celebrating the opening of their new main office.
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Veterans flocked to Florence from all across North Alabama in order to attend the Veterans Affairs PACT Act screening and resource fair.
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City officials said they are looking into what can be done in order to create a cleaner and more beautiful Sheffield.
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A 10-year-long tradition continues as students came back to campus for their first day at the University of North Alabama.
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The Lawson family who has owned Milner Rushing since 1977 recently sold the retail pharmacy part of their business.
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Pine Street from Tuscaloosa Street to Tennessee Street went from one lane to no lanes.
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Today was the first move-in day for students at the University of North Alabama.
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Florence City Schools rescheduled their school drive giveaway for the third time this afternoon and there was a line down the block.
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Holos Hope is a nonprofit looking to make a difference and take on more people after their fundraising event.
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Firefighters in Colbert County have a new resource meant to help the whole community.
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Florence City Schools is one of the last shoals-area, public school systems to send students back to campus.
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A tree on Prospect Street fell over due to high winds from Wednesday’s storms and crashed into a house.
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At a hearing held on August 9, Mayor Mike Lockhart officially terminated Parks and Recreation Director Rusty Wheeles’ employment.
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