A brief but powerful thunderstorm in Fayette County cused some minor damage to trees and one residence in the county, according to Fayette County Emergency Management Director Russ Taylor. Taylor said that Fayette was never under a tornado warning, but much of the county was under a severe thunderstorm warning and a tornado watch for much of the afternoon and early evening on Thursday. March 14.

Christopher Lee Price is scheduled to be executed by the Alabama Department of Corrections on April 11. Price, 46, was convicted in the 1991robbery and murder of Bill Lynn. According to court documents, Lynn, a minister at Natural Springs Church of Christ, was fatally stabbed by Price outside of Lynn’s home on Dec. 22, 1991.

The Fayette County Sheriff Department made a major drug bust this month, removing several grams of illegal drugs from the streets. While in the course of a routine investigation, Deputy Justin Watkins and Deputy Chris Hubbert arrived at the home of James Sherman Jones, located at 1507 2nd Ave. SW in Fayette.

The Fayette County Commission held a brief regular meeting on Monday, March 11. All commissioners were present for the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, only one item of business was on the agenda. The item of business was discussion about the aging program director and at the beginning of the meeting, the commissioners agreed to remove that item of business from the agenda.

The Fayette City Council received a monthly report from the fire and police chiefs in addition to hearing an update on the former Cotton Mill property litigation during its March 12 meeting. All council members were present for the meeting. Prior to the beginning of the meeting, local resident Bobby Avant offered prayer. Avant also spoke breifly to the council concerning his experience as a visitor to a recent Fayette Municipal Court proceeding.

The Fayette County High School baseball team defeated Bibb County and South Lamar in games played at Fayette on Saturday, March 16. In the first game of the day for the Tigers, senior Austin McCaleb pitched an outstanding game for Fayette to win a pitchers’ duel for the Tigers by a score of 2-1.

The Hubbertville girls’ softball team played two games last week, losing 16-0 to Lynn on the road and defeating Phillips 4-3 at home. During the 16-0 loss to Lynn on March 11, Hubbertville managed only two hits during the game. Chelsea Porter and Cayla Tidwell were each one-for-two at the plate for the Lady lions.

The Fayette County High School Lady Tigers sandwich three impressive wins between two losses last week in softball. Fayette played its first game of the week on Wednesday, March 13, losing to the Haleyville Lady Lions 3-1.

Berry played two softball games last week, defeating Pickens County at home before losing the next day at home to Vernon. On March 12, Berry defeated Pickens County by a score of 11-1.

The Hubbertville baseball team traveled to South Lamar on Tuesday, March 12 and was defeated by the Stallions 10-2. Despite the score, the game was tied at two going into the sixth inning.

Berry’s baseball team traveled to Guin on March 11 to face Marion County and was defeated by a score of 12-1. Hunter Harrison was two-for-two at the plate for Berry, with a single and a double.Isaiah Kizzire was one-for-two with a RBI and was also hit by a pitch. Johnathan Locke had a double in the game, and Gabe Jones scored Berry’s only run.

Bevill State Community College suffered through a tough stretch of games during the past week, winning only one out of six games played against Itawamba (Miss.) and Central Alabama. Itawamba traveled to Fayette on March 12 for two games and defeated the Bears 4-1 in the first game.

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association membership elected Randy Slay of Fayette as regional vice-president at its annual membership meeting, held in conjunction with the 76th annual convention and trade show in Birmingham on Feb. 16.

The Fayette Two, 12 and Under, Fayette Park and Recreation basketball team had a very successful 2018-19 season. The team was 7-3 during the regular season, finishing the year 8-4 after the season-ending tournament. Madden said he enjoyed coaching the young players and commented that the team improved throughout the year. He  added that he is anxious to see the players compete next year at Fayette Middle School.

The Sipsey Arts Alliance Artists’ Collective held its Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting on March 14. The new facility will have studio space for the alliance’s artists, and will also have local art available for purchase. The new business is located at 117 East Columbus Street in Fayette.

By a 28-6 vote, the Alabama Senate approved Governor Kay Ivey’s Rebuild Alabama Plan (House Bill 2) for increased infrastructure funding. Alabama Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed (R-Jasper) said it was a major step toward modernizing Alabama’s crumbling infrastructure.

Governor Kay Ivey has awarded a $700,000 grant for a new way to help victims of sexual abuse and violent crime better cope with the fallout and the anxieties that can come with criminal justice proceedings. The Office of Prosecution Services is using grant funds to place Certified Facility Dogs throughout the state. Four facilities in Chilton, Houston, Montgomery and Madison counties will house, train, transport and care for the service dogs, which can be deployed to any of the 67 counties in Alabama.

Dr. Richard O. Rutland was honored by a reception and dedication ceremony on March 10 at Fayette Medical Center, honoring his lifetime of medical achievements in the Fayette community and naming the new medical library in his honor. Sandy Nolen, chairperson of the Fayette Medical Center Board, opened the ceremony by thanking Rutland and the other “forward thinking leaders” who helped lead Fayette into the future.

Fayette County High School held a “Meet and Greet’” at the school on Sunday, March 10 for new FCHS football coach Bill Smith and his wife, Ann Smith. Many people attended the two-hour event to speak with the coach and his wife. The Smiths said that they were very encouraged by the support of the community and Bill Smith said that he is eagerly looking forward to a successful football season with the Tigers.

The Fayette County Commission held a special called meeting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 7 to consider adopting a resolution in support of the “Rebuild Alabama Act” that is being considered by state legislators. All commissioners were present with the exception of Commissioner Barry Corkren and Commissioner John Underwood.

As part of Sheriff Byron Yerby’s pledge when running for office, he stated that the sheriff department vehicles that had formerly been unmarked would be identified.

The Berry Town Council approved the hosting of a September car show in Berry during its March 4 meeting. Councilman Russell Madison and Councilman Troyce Townsel were absent from the meeting.

Hubbertville traveled to Marion County for its first baseball game of the 2019 season and defeated the Red Raiders by a score of 5-4. The game was tied at four until Cannon Alexander had a RBI single in the seventh inning to give the Lions the victory.

Hubbertville defeated Brilliant 17-16 and lost to Marion County by a score of 6-3 during the week.

The Berry softball team traveled to Holy Spirit on March 7 and was defeated by the Lady Saints 15-0. Brooke Blanton pitched 2 2/3 innings for the Lady Wildcats, surrendering two earned runs on four hits and striking out two batters.

Each year, Kindergarten - 12th grade students from across the country can enter their artwork in the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest. The contest requires student artists to depict a state fish. Prizes are awarded at the state and national levels in four categories: K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12, with students in grades 4-12 writing a one-page essay about the fish, its natural habitat and the importance of that habitat in addition to submitting the artwork. Complete contest rules and the entry form can be found on the Wildlife Forever website, www.wildlifeforever.org

The Fayette County High School softball team suffered through a tough week of losses, losing a single game on the road on Thursday before dropping a pair of games during a tournament at Hamilton on Friday. Fayette jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning against Curry on Thursday, March 7, but the Lady Yellow Jackets stormed back with five runs in the third to take the 9-3 victory over the Lady Tigers.

Bevill State played Lawson State Community College a pair of home-and-away doubleheaders last week, splitting each of the doubleheaders. On March 7, Lawson State traveled to Fayette, with Lawson winning the first game by a score of 3-2.

National Nutrition Month is an annual nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign, celebrated each year during the month of March, focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. In addition, National Nutrition Month promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically-based food and nutrition information.

The West Alabama Mayors Association (WAMA) elected its 2019 officers during a regulary scheduled meeting held on Feb. 21 in Glen Allen. Millport Mayor Stanley Allred was chosen as president and Carrollton Mayor Mickey Walker was chosen as vice-president.  Each will serve a one-year term.

Bill Smith, a graduate of Russellville High School and former punter for the University of Alabama, has been named the new head football coach and athletic director for Fayette County High School. Smith was approved for the position at the Feb. 26 meeting of the Fayette County Board of Education. Smith said that he decided to apply for the coaching position because he had always admired the sports programs at Fayette County High School.

If NBC’s Monday night telecast of “The Voice” is any indication, Dexter Roberts is ready for another chance at the big time. Roberts, a Fayette County native and 2010 Fayette County High School graduate, literally had the four judges on the talent show begging him to select them as his coach. Roberts’ near-perfect rendition of Randy Houser’s country song, “Like a Cowboy” had judges Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend pressing their buttons simultaneously early during the song, while judge Adam Levine joined the party later.

The highly-anticipated reopening of the Fayette County Public Lake will occur at sunrise on Thursday, March 28. The 60-acre lake closed on April 2, 2015, and has remained closed for almost four years. Matthew Marshall, state lake coordinator for the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, said that prior to the closure of the lake, “The fishing was poor and the catch rate was low. Something had to be done.”

The Fayette County Board of Education honored its selections for Teachers of the Year in the county during its Feb. 26 meeting. Board members Waldon Tucker and John Stowe were absent from the meeting. Winning the honor at their schools were the following people: Kerri Smith, Berry High; Veronica White, Berry Elementary; Laura Lee Cochrane , Fayette Elementary; Jackie Dodd, Fayette Middle; Susan Ingle, Fayette County High School; and Darla Brantley, Hubbertville School.

The Fayette County Commission toured the new jail facility that is under construction prior to its Feb. 25 meeting. All commissioners were present for the tour and the subsequent meeting.
Work on the site preparation for the new jail began on April 2, 2018 and has proceeded at a fairly rapid pace despite a lot of rainy weather. The new jail is scheduled to be completed by mid-August.

The Fayette City Council heard an appeal from the Forestry Commission concerning a proposed three mil property tax increase to benefit the fire departments in the county during its Feb. 26 meeting. Council member Jason Cowart was absent from the meeting with all other council members present.

Bevill State Community College received an Alabama Power “Good Roots” grants totaling $4,900 this year for each of its five locations - Fayette, Jasper, Hamilton, Sumiton, and the Pickens County Educational Center. These funds will be used to plant trees and for various landscaping projects on each of the campuses. The Good Roots Grants were created to encourage projects that improve the quality of the environment in our communities, towns and cities by planting more trees.

During the month of February, designated as Career Technical Education Month, the Fayette County High School FBLA worked hard to raise money to implement its most recent community service project entitled “Messy Masterpieces.” Messy Masterpieces is an outreach project for schools that have after-school programs and is designed to provide a free activity for the children involved in the program.

Bevill hit the road for its first road trip of the season last week, winning two games and losing four. The Bears traveled to Itawamba Community College in Mississippi for a Monday doubleheader, losing the first gane 8-0 before winning a pitchers’ duel in the second game by the score of 2-1.

The West Alabama Juniors’ Club Volleyball team (Purple Storm) took first place in the Eighteens Division at the Cupids Battle Tournament in Moulton on Saturday, Feb. 2.

The Fayette County High School Lady Tigers opened its 2019 softball season with two impressive road victories. On Feb. 26, Fayette traveled to South Lamar to face the Lady Stallions and were victorious by a score of 8-6. Brandy Johnson pitched 6 2/3 innings to record the victory for the Lady Tigers. She allowed 11 hits and five earned runs while striking out four and walking three. The game was tied at six each entering the final inning, when Fayette scored two runs in the top of the seventh to seal the win.