People in Fayette County and the surrounding area woke up on Monday, Jan. 11 to a blanket of snow on the ground. The snow appeared to have caused few traffic problems in the area, as schools were cancelled and some businesses delayed their morning openings.

The City of Fayette will celebrate its bicentennial (200th anniversary) as an incorporated city on Jan. 15, 2021. Fayette was first incorporated on Jan. 15, 1821 as “Fayette Court House.” The name has changed many times throughout the years, and the central location of the town has also shifted from its original geographic location. The town was originally called Lafayette, but due to other towns bearing the same name, the town was incorporated as Fayette Court House.
 

Two players from Hubbertville and six players from Berry were chosen as All-State football players for the 2020 season. Both teams had great success during the football season.  Berry finished with an 11-2 record , including 11 straight wins, and made it to the Alabama High School Athletic Associations’s playoff semifinals. Hubbertville finished with a very respectable 9-3 season, and the Lions reached the quarterfinal round of the state football playoffs.

The Berry Town Council held its regular monthly meeting on Jan. 4 at the Berry Town Hall. All council members were present for the meeting. The only item on the agenda was a review of fees charged by the town for water service installation. Mayor Jimmy Madison told the council that the town charges $1,500 for a road bore under a state highway and $750 for a road bore under a county road or city street.

Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) on Friday, Jan. 8 announced that the ADPH will provide COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 years old or older, as well as first responders, including law enforcement and firefighters, statewide by appointment only effective January 18. Appointments at locations throughout the state are made first come, first served. The addition of these groups is not a full expansion into the next phase of the vaccine rollout.

Cynthia Nalls Day, a graduate of Fayette County High School and The University of Alabama, was recently awarded the 18th annual Lattie Pate Whitehead Evans Award. The award recognizes women serving on for-profit board for their achievements in business. The award is named for Evans, who was one of the first women to serve on a major corporate board. Evans was appointed to the board of directors for the Coca-Cola Company in 1934, and served on the board for nearly 20 years.

The Glen Allen Town Council met in regular session on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at the community center. Council Member Bobbie S. McCraw and Dustin Youngblood were not in attendance for the monthly meeting. Following standard opening procedures, Rick McCabe of McCabe and Associates, addressed the council. McCabe, who is a certified public accountant, recently completed the 2020 audit of the town’s financial statements.

Both the Berry boys and girls basketball teams defeated cross-county rival Hubbertville in basketball on Friday, Jan. 8. The girls’ team defeated Hubbertville by a score of 58-39. Brooke Hill led Berry in scoring with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven steals. Katelyn Willcutt had 14 points, seven rebounds and four steals, followed by Zoe Mauldin with 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Anna Kate VanDee scored five points against Hubbertville, and Allie Taylor added a free throw.

Dr. John Killian, director of the Fayette County Baptist Association, participated as one of the nine electors for Alabama casting votes on Dec. 14 in Montgomery for Donald Trump as president and Mike Pence as vice-president.

Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, Bevill State Community College will begin the 2021 Spring Semester with classes in a virtual, online, or remote format. Classes will begin as scheduled on Friday, Jan. 8. Students should log in to their canvas accounts on that date for communication from their instructors with course-specific details. BSCC President Dr.

The Fayette City Council approved an alcohol permit for Heenak LLC, doing business as Spirit Food Mart, during its Dec. 22 meeting. All council members were present for the meeting. Miracle Bailey led those in attendance in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the beginning of the meeting. A public hearing was held to discuss the proposed alcohol license for Spirit Mart. No one in attendance spoke either for or against the proposed license. Councilman Jerry Nichols made a motion to approve a license for the business to sell beer and table wine for off-premises consumption.

Fayette’s first graduating class from the certificate program offered through the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary participated in a graduation ceremony at Fayette First Baptist Church on Dec. 27. The classes were sponsored in Fayette by the Fayette County Baptist Association.

Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 pandemic tightened its grip both locally and worldwide in the second half of 2020. We continue our look back at last year with headlines and highlights from July - Dec. 2020.

The Berry Town Council held a brief meeting on Dec. 2, with only one item of business on the agenda. Councilwoman Mary Sue Lollar, Councilman Charles Tidwell and Councilman Troyce Townsel were present for the meeting. Councilman Russell Madison and Councilman Calvin Madison were absent from the meeting.

An early morning traffic stop by the Fayette Police Department resulted in the arrest of four possible suspects in a rash of recent pharmacy burglaries. Fayette Police Chief Danny Jenkins said that Sgt. Mike Kelley and Police Officer Trace Norris spotted a suspicious car from out-of-county that made a “U-turn” in the road near Cannon Pharmacy on the north end of town at about 3 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17.

A stalwart member of the Belk community beginning her eighth term on the Belk Town Council passed away on Friday, Dec. 18 after losing her battle with the COVID-19 virus. Jeannie Hollingsworth, age 69 of Belk, had been visiting with her daughter Dana Hollingsworth in Charlottesville, Va. during Thanksgiving week when she became ill and was taken to the hospital. Dana Hollingsworth said that her mother was admitted to the hospital with “COVID-related symptoms” from which she never recovered.

Editor’s note: As we approach a new year, we pause to take a look back at some of the top news stories of the first six months of 2020. In a year that was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there were also numerous other newsworthy stories throughout the year.

Former Fayette City Councilman, Robert Neil McCabe, passed away at his home on Saturday, Dec. 19 following a short illness at the age of 90. McCabe was first elected to the Fayette City Council in 1992, then was re-elected to a second term in 1996. He served his first term under the direction of Fayette Mayor Jerry Bobo, and his second term was served under the leadership of Mayor Wayne Meherg.