Tucker sentenced to life in prison

Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby, pictured at right, escorts Michael Wade Tucker to a hearing at the Fayette County Courthouse on Friday, July 18.

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.

Fayette Police donates book to FES

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.

Commission welcomes new county engineeer

Photo of Ben Snipes | Contributed photo

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. 

Main Street Alabama presents program

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.

Board questions hiring practices

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.

Get to know the city candidates

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.

Back to School Sales Tax Holiday starts this Friday

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

Dump truck flips in single vehicle crash

Photo by Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby

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.

Hearing held to discuss grant application

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. 

Crash result in injuries

Photo by Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby

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.