Memorial service to honor slain officers


Pictured is the memorial on the courthouse lawn where the anniversary service will occur.

Saturday, June 7, 2003 was a day that will forever be remembered in Fayette County for the heinous act committed in the early morning hours at the Fayette Police Department. Two Fayette Police Officers, James Crump and Arnold Strickland, along with police dispatcher Leslie “Ace” Mealer lost their lives that day due to the senseless act of violence committed by convicted murderer Devin Moore (also known as Devin Thompson).

 

Showa to have layoff



A press release from Showa Best Glove in Fayette, issued on May 24, indicates that the facility will undergo a major layoff of workers as it continues to upgrade its manufacturing facilities.

 

Junior City Council donates to library


Members of the Fayette Junior City Council are, from left: Sean White, Fayette Co. Library Director Jessica Crowe (accepting the check), Junior City Council Mayor Benjamin Olive, Semira King, Emily Huang, Ki-Jana King and Oscar Huang.

Members of the Fayette Junior City Council recently held a charity basketball tournament fundraiser and donated the $1,425 proceeds from the tournament to the Fayette County Memorial Library to help fund a section of the library that will be dedicated to “Autism Awareness.”

Commission holds meeting at Concord


Shown is a portion of the crowd that was in attendance for the May 22 Fayette County Commission meeting, held in the Concord Community.

The Fayette County Commission held its May 22 meeting at the fellowship hall of Concord Baptist Church, at the request of Commissioner Robert Townley. All commissioners were present for the meeting. A local pastor, Terry Oswalt opened the meeting with a prayer.

 

Fayette City Council considers request


Pictured at the May 23 Fayette City Council meeting, from left: Councilwoman Aliska Hughes-Monroe, Councilman Tommy Williams, Fayette Mayor Rod Northam, Councilman Eddy Campbell, Councilwoman Virettia Whiteside, Fayette Junior Mayor Benjamin Olive and City Clerk Dawn Clapp.

The Fayette City Council held its regular council meeting on May 23. Councilman Jerry Nichols was absent from the meeting, with all other council members present. The meeting was opened in prayer, led by Caleb Hall, pastor at Fayette Church of Christ.

 

‘March for Jesus’ draws huge crowd


Shown are some of the participants in this year’s “March for Jesus.”

Despite a light, misty rain during the start of this year’s event, Organizer Milborn Savage estimated that more than 500 people attended the 25th “March for Jesus” walk and rally held in downtown Fayette on Saturday, May 20. The march began at the Depot Museum and concluded at the Fayette First Methodist Church, where a rally was held for a standing-room only crowd. Before reaching the church, balloons with Bible verses were released to carry a portion of the Word to parts unknown.

 

Three arrested on drug charges


Shown are some of the items seized during the execution of the search warrant.

On May 21, the Fayette County Sheriff’s office, along with officers from the Berry and Fayette police departments, executed a search warrant in the 400 block of County Rd. 128 in Berry.
The search warrant was obtained after a lengthy investigation into the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.

 

Cowart receives Balfour Award


FCHS Principal Jennifer Sanford is shown presenting the Balfour Award to Celie Cowart.

The Balfour Award, the only award given to a senior at Fayette County High School during graduation, was presented last Friday night to Celie Cowart by FCHS Principal Jennifer Sanford.

BOE hires Sanford as FCHS Principal


The Fayette County Board of Education posed for a picture prior to its May 16 meeting. Shown from left: Board members Brenda Webb, John Stowe and John Aaron, Superintendent Jim Burkhalter, board members Tom Hubbert, Tierre Agnew and Julie Stough.

The Fayette County Board of Education approved personnel items and contracts during its May 16 meeting. All board members were present for the meeting, with the exception of board member Julie Stough. At the beginning of the meeting, the valedictorians and salutatorians for the county schools were recognized.

 

March for Jesus is this Saturday


Pictured are some of the participants in last year’s “March for Jesus.”

Fayette’s 25th “March for Jesus” celebration and prayer rally will be held Saturday, May 20, beginning at the Fayette Depot Museum and concluding at the Fayette First Methodist Church on Temple Avenue. The march and rally has been held in Fayette each year since 1997, with the exception of 2003, and also 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Local high schools celebrate graduation


Pictured are the Top 10 Seniors by Grade Point Average (GPA) of the Fayette County High School 2023 graduating class. From left, seated: Mary Kensley Lister (first), Celie Cowart (second), Claire Holliman (third), Brian Watts (fourth) and Lauren Seale (fifth). Standing: Sierra Stevenson (sixth), Kaleb Evans (seventh), Blake Johnson (eighth), Lauren Ballinger (ninth) and Jackson Kimbrell (10th).

Local area high schools will celebrate graduation this week. Berry will hold its graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m., while Hubbertville’s graduation will be Thursday, May 18 at 8 p.m. The graduation for Fayette County High School will be Friday, May 1 at 8 p.m.

Local mail carriers collect items for food bank


Some of the local mail carriers are shown posing with the enormous amount of food they collected, which will be donated to The Christian Center of Concern in Fayette.

Local mail carriers participated in the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual one-day food drive on May 13. The drive is held each year on the second Saturday of May, and is the largest one-day food drive in the nation.

Fayette City Council issues proclamation


The Fayette City Council presented a proclamation to local mental health workers during its May 16 meeting. From left, front: Rodney Battle (NWMH), Anita Bowles (NWMH), Mayor Rod Northam, Gwen Thomas-LeBlanc (NWMH), Pollyanna Hicks,(NWMH) and Nancy Kennedy (NWMH). Back: Councilman Jerry Nichols, Councilman Tommy Williams, Councilwoman Virettia Whiteside, Junior City Council Mayor Benjamin Olive and Councilman Eddy Campbell.

The Fayette City Council held its regular council meeting on May 9. Councilwoman Aliska Hughes-Monroe was absent from the meeting, with all other council members present. Prior to the start of the meeting, Fayette County Baptist Association Director John Killian led the council in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.