State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, presented $9,000 in state education grants July 21 to Thompson High School Principal Daniel Steele at the school. The grants were requested in early 2011 by faculty and staff members from Thompson High. The grants will be used to fund two programs at the school. The first award was for $6,000 that will be used to purchase new equipment for the school journalism department. Ward also presented a $3,000 grant to THS girls’ athletics.