A Fayette County man will serve the rest of his life in prison for the murder of Laci Cheyenne Whitson in 2024, 24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney Andy Hamlin announced Friday.

Michael Wade Tucker, 37, pled guilty to murder at a hearing in Fayette County Circuit Court Friday morning. Following the plea, Judge Sam Junkin ordered him to serve life in prison, the maximum possible sentence for murder.

Pictured above, from left to right, are Fayette Chief of Police Danny Jenkins, Matthew Lindsey, principal at FES, Christy Thompson, assistant principal at FES and Fayette Police Cpl. Jordan Roberts.

The Fayette Police Department has made a generous impact on local  education, donating between 250 and 300 books to Fayette Elementary  School. Chief Danny Jenkins shared that this annual initiative aims to  help children learn about important topics such as bullying, safety and making smart choices.

The State of Alabama has submitted a motion to the Circuit Court of Fayette County seeking a genetic sample from Wendy Pamela Jean Bailey, the defendant in a high-profile child abuse case.

The Fayette County Commission held a meeting on Monday, July 14, at the courthouse annex building. The meeting began with a prayer led by District Three Commissioner David Hubbert, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Commission Chairman Mike Freeman called the meeting to order with all commissioners present except for District One Commissioner Brad Cox. At the start of the meeting, Freeman recognized Ben Snipes, who was recently hired as the County Engineer. 

The Berry Town Council held its regular meeting on July 14 at Berry Town Hall. Mayor Mary Sue Lollar called the meeting to order. Councilors Nancy Shepherd, Charles Tidwell, Russell Madison, Chris Lindsey and Calvin Madison along with Town Clerk Marie McCluskey were present.

The Belk Town Council held a meeting on Tuesday, July 8, with Mayor Matt Belk, council members Deana Belk, Don Byars, Sherry Spack, Joe Waldrop and Town Clerk Kayla Ellis, in attendance

The City of Fayette held a meeting at Fayette City Hall on Tuesday, June 10, to get input from citizens concerning the Main Street Alabama program. Fayette is currently a network community, but is interested in applying for full Main Street designation in the future. Mariah Montgomery, a program development specialist for Main Street Alabama, presented information about the organization during the meeting.

Riley Dozier of Fayette was the winner of the 12,500 King of the Hill class in the 20th Annual Tractor and Truck Pull and Tractor show.

Other winners include:

The Fayette County Board of Education held an emergency meeting on Thursday, July 10, at the courthouse annex building boardroom. The meeting began with a prayer led by District Six Board Member Portia Stowe, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by District Two Board Member Tierre Agnew.

The Fayette City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 8, at city hall, with all members present. Police Chief Danny Jenkins led the meeting with a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 

A candidate meet and greet will take place on July 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fayette Civic Center, located at 528 Temple Ave. in Fayette.

This free event is open to the public and offers a casual opportunity to connect with the individuals running for city council. Candidates will deliver brief remarks at 6 p.m., and light refreshments will be provided.

Alabama residents can take advantage of the Back to-School Sales Tax Holiday starting 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 18 through midnight Sunday, July 20.

During this time, purchases of certain school-related items will be exempt from state sales tax, though local taxes may still apply.

Eligible items include:

• Clothing priced at $100 or less per item

• Computers, software, and school computer supplies priced up to $750 per purchase (complete packages only) • Books with a sales price of $30 or less

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a single vehicle accident on Thursday, July 3. The crash occurred in the 6400 block of Hwy. 96. Sheriff Byron Yerby reported that the occupant of the vehicle was transported by Fayette County EMS. Walnut Lane Volunteer Fire Department and Fayette County EMA assisted at the scene. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time and is under investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Community members gathered at Guthrie Smith Park on Wednesday, July 2, to honor and celebrate the lives of Kahleb and Ryleigh Collins with a candlelight vigil. . The drawings, pictured above, were done in honor of the Collins children who tragically lost their lives.

The Fayette City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 24, at city hall, with all members present. Judge Merrell Nolen opened the meeting with a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

A public hearing was held at the Glen Allen Town Community Center on Tuesday, July 1, to discuss the 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and to review a proposed grant application which the town will be submitting to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) for consideration. The Glen Allen Town Council met in regular session. Councilman Dustin Youngblood was not in attendance for the monthly meeting. 

On Thursday, June 26, Fayette Police and Fire responded to a single vehicle crash that occurred on 6th St. S.W. According to the crash report, the vehicle overturned on its side in a ditch and the driver was transported to Fayette Medical Center for her injuries.

In the morning hours of Thursday, June 26, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle accident in the 12000 block of Hwy 171 S. Sheriff Byron Yerby reported that the occupant of the vehicle sustained minor injuries and was treated on scene by Fayette County EMS then transported by private vehicle. Walnut Lane Volunteer Fire Department and the Alabama Department of Transportation also assisted at the scene. The crash is under investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.