In an official proclamation, Tuscaloosa’s City Council honored Lt. Beau Gunter of Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue on Tuesday after he broke the record in the age 45-49 male tandem category at the Firefighter Challenge earlier this month.
According to Mayor Walt Maddox, Gunter has captured four national championships and one world championship over the course of his career, and along with his teammate, Matt Coney of the St. Lucie County (Florida) Fire District, finished the challenge with a record time of 1 minute, 17.82 seconds.
“Physical fitness is a passion,” Gunter said. He said he hopes to instill that passion in the rest of his department and plans to keep competing in future firefighter challenges.
Additionally, the council allocated a $25.6 million reimbursement from the state of Alabama for major public works projects. The Saban Center received a large portion of the funds, with its budget nearly tripling to $38.1 million.
The funds are intended to convert the currently unfinished center into the “permanent STEM hub” of Alabama, according to Councilor Norman Crow.
The Saban Center is projected to be completed in 2025 and will house IGNITE, “an interactive platform for STEAM-based learning,” and Tuscaloosa Children’s Theater.
Snow Hinton Park’s life budget also received an additional $3.1 million, and the construction bid for its renovation was awarded to John Plott Company Inc. The project aims to revitalize “Tuscaloosa’s most visible park,” and it is projected to be completed by October 2024.
