The Fayette City Council distributed $5,000 to each of the three public school within the city during its Feb. 11 meeting. Councilwoman Linda McCraw was absent with all other council members present. Representatives from Fayette Elementary School, Fayette Middle School and Fayette County High School each accepted a check from the council, totaling $15,000 to the three schools. The money was appropriated to the schools in this year’s budget, contingent on funds being available.

LaTasha Windham of Aliceville was the featured speaker at this year’s “Celebrating Black History Month” program, held on Feb. 13 at Bevill State Community College in Fayette. Windham is a native of Pickens County, and a graduate of Bevill State and Mississippi University for Women. She is currently employed with the U.S. Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Prisons, working as a contract specialist.

David White addressed the Fayette County Commission at the beginning of its Feb. 10 meeting concerning the condition of county roads, especially roads in the Mt. Lebanon Community. All commissioners, with the exception of Commissioner John Underwood, were present at the meeting.

Christine Fink, a resident at Fayette Medical Center Long-Term Care, celebrated her 100th birthday on Wednesday, Feb. 12, surrounded by family and friends. A lifelong resident of Fayette, she said that she still enjoys visiting with people and reminiscing about the way things used to be.

The ninth annual Alabama Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will be observed Feb. 21 - 23. The tax holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday Feb. 21 and continue until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23.

The Bevill State Bears hosted Bishop State for an opening day double-header on Saturday, Feb. 8 and swept the games by the scores of 12-11 and 1-0.The first game was a matchup of offensive power, with Bishop State scoring a single run in each of the first five innings. Bishop State took an early 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second inning before Bevill managed to break through with three runs to take the lead.

Both the Fayette and Berry girls’ basketball teams wrapped up successful season despite losses in their sub-regional games. Fayette traveled to the number three ranked Class 4A girls basketball program in the state and lost to Priceville by a score of 54-23.

Several local officials and community leaders delivered the “State of the Community” during the Feb. 4 Fayette Area Chamber of Commerce’s “First Tuesday” Luncheon. Fayette Mayor Ray Nelson said that the state of the City of Fayette is very strong, with the city experiencing significant growth in 2019. He said the unemployment rate in the city is currently 2.7 percent. “If you’re looking for a job, you should be able to find one,” he said.

The March 3 primaries, which will determine the outcome of several local races, are less than three weeks away. There will be contested general elections for Fayette County Commission Districts 5 and 6, with the incumbents in both districts running as Democrats and facing Republican opposition.

The Tom Bevill Readiness Center, home of the horizontal unit of the 168th Engineering Company of the Alabama Army National Guard, held its ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on Feb. 7. The building originally opened in 1983 and was acquired for $1,700. The latest total restoration on the 29,000 square foot building and the 19 acres on which the building sits costs approximately $4 million.

The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles denied parole to two Department of Corrections inmates who are currently serving five years each for drug-related crimes. Tommy Lee Moore was denied parole by the board on Feb. 4. He was sentenced in Jan. 2019 to five years in prison for two counts of possession/receiving a controlled substance. Jason Glenn Dalton was denied parole on Feb. 5. He was sentenced in May 2019 to five years for one count of possession/receiving a controlled substance.

Elementary school students from the county recently visited Bevill State Community College for “Career Exploration Day.”

Rick McCabe of McCabe and Associates, Inc. addressed the Glen Allen Town Council on Tuesday, Feb. 4 during the town’s regularly scheduled meeting. McCabe reviewed his findings from the annual audit of the town’s accounts for fiscal year 2019, informing the council that he had discovered no discrepancies nor had he experienced any significant difficulties in dealing with the town’s management in performing his audit.

The Berry Wildcats girls’ basketball team hosted the Class 1A, Area 10 tournament last week. The Berry girls played South Lamar in its opening round game on Feb. 6, defeating the Lady Stallions 56-46. Leading the Lady Wildcats was Brooke Hill with 19 points, three assists and three steals, followed closely by Zoe Mauldin with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Iannah Fields contributed nine points and three steals, with Katelyn Willcutt scoring six points and pulling down six rebounds.

The Fayette girls’ basketball team finished second in the area tournament, defeating Cordova in the first round before losing to Haleyville in the championship game. The Lady Tigers hosted the area tournament and defeated Cordova 64-41. Holley Files led Fayette with 19 points, followed closely by Jada Savage with 15 points and Samantha Cox with 14 points. Meredith Collins also scored in double figure, notching 11 points for the Lady Tigers. Rounding out the scoring was Mackenzie Nelson with three points and Karlie Rushing with two points.

Hubbertville ended its 2019-20 basketball season Monday, Feb. 3 with losses during the area tournament. The Lady Lions played South Lamar at Berry and lost by a score of 60-38. Laikyn Wright led Hubbertville with 15 points, followed by Haylee Pollard with nine points. McKenna Fisher scored six points for Hubbertville, followed by Kendal Dunavant with three points. Madison Cribb and Haley Watkins each scored two points, with Krissa Comer adding a free throw. South Lamar was led by Savannah Crimm with 20 points.

The Fayette City Council, during its Jan. 27 meeting, voted three to three against an ordinance that would have allowed a referendum to permit Sunday alcohol sales within the city. Several citizens were in attendance at the meeting, with three citizens speaking in opposition to the proposed ordinance. Pastor Scott Davis from the Fayette First Baptist Church was the first citizen to speak in opposition to the ordinance.

The Fayette County Commission made several board appointments during its Jan. 27 meeting. All commissioners were in attendance for the meeting. Commissioner John Underwood made a motion to appoint Charles Brandon to the Fayette Medical Center Board, replacing Danny Palmer. Commissioner Shane Hughes seconded the motion, and the motion passed by a unanimous vote. The commission also voted to keep Bill McCollum on the E911 Board, and to replace Adam Smith on the board with Jay Lawrence.

Samuel Morrison and Jessie Lindsey of Fayette traveled to Decatur on Dec. 7 and brought home medals and new records to add to the growing collection earned by members of the “West Alabama Barbell Club.” Lindsey, who competes in the Masters 40-44 year old class, had not competed in about a year and was moving up a weight classification at the Decatur “Golden Apes Power Challenge. He said the event is drug tested, which means that participants have to build their strength and stamina through natural means and weight training, without the use of steroids and illegal drugs.

The Berry Wildcats had another successful week of basketball, with the boys’ team winning two-of-three games and the girls winning all three games. The Wildcats enter area tournament play this week playing solid basketball and with a lot of momentum.

The Fayette girls’ basketball team hosted Northside on Jan. 28 and dominated the Lady Rams by a score of 53-4. The Lady Tigers led 19-2 at the close of the first quarter, and 32-3 at halftime. The score was 45-4 after three quarters, with Fayette winning the game 53-4. Jada Savage led Fayette with 12 points, followed by Samantha Cox with 11 points. Meredith Collins had nine points, Holley Files scored seven points, Iteria Walker added six points, Mackenzie Nelson scored five points and Julie Beavers notched three points for the Lady Tigers.

The Hubbertville boys’ basketball team traveled to Hackleburg on Jan. 28 and lost a close game by the score of 51-48. Gage Key and Landon Morrow led the scoring for Hubbertville with 18 points each. Morrow also contributed eight rebounds and four blocked shots. Brady Porter scored eight points, while Gage Alexander also scored four points for the Lions.

The death of a Bankston woman last week is being investigated by law enforcement authorities as a possible homicide. Maronda Parker Williams, age 49, of the Bankston community, was found dead in her home off Highway 18 East on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

ABC 3340 Meteorologist James Spann visited Fayette Elementary School on Jan. 23 to talk to students about weather.

An arrest was made after a search warrant was executed on a motel room at China Inn and Suites in Fayette. Mario Prewitt, 31, of Fayette, was arrested at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of probation violation.

Crystal Faye Anders, of Millport, was injured and transported to Fayette Medical Center by ambulance when the 2010 Ford Escape she was driving collided with a 2005 GMC Sierra, driven by Wayne Stowe of Fayette. The accident occurred on 2nd Ave. NE on Friday, Jan. 24.

The Fayette County Board of Education accepted a bid to build dugouts at the Hubbertville School baseball field during its Jan. 21 meeting, held at Fayette County High School. Board Member John Stowe was absent, with all other board members and Superintendent Jim Burk- halter present for the meeting. Board President Tom Hubbert made a motion to approve a contract with Savage Construction in the amount of $12,000 to build the dugouts, and the motion was seconded by Board Member Waldon Tucker. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

The Berry Lady Wildcats wrapped up the area portion of its 2019-20 basketball season as area champs and will host the area tournament beginning Feb. 3. The Lady Wildcats will play their first game in the tournament on Feb. 5, and will face the winner of the South Lamar – Pickens County game. Berry opened last week with a game against South Lamar and defeated the Lady Stallions 49-44.

The Fayette girls’ basketball team finished its area season in a three-way tie for the area championship, sharing the title with Haleyville and Curry. The Fayette girls’ team won the tie breaker to determine the number one seed in the area, and will host the area tournament beginning Monday, Feb. 3. On Monday, Jan. 20, the Lady Tigers defeated Lamar County 56-35.

The Hubbertville boys returned to the win column with a 51-24 win over Vina. Landon Morrow led the Lions with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Gage Key also scored in double figures with 16 points. Gage Alexander added six points, while Austin Berryhill and Brady Porter each scored four points. Carter Hollingsworth rounded out the scoring for Hubbertville with two points. Vina was led by David Davidson with 10 points.

The second annual march and rally in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was held in downtown Fayette on Monday, Jan. 20. The event was organized by the Fayette County Ministerial Alliance. The celebration began at the Fayette County Courthouse and continued through the streets of Fayette to the First Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Drive. Despite the bitterly cold temperature, a crowd of approximately 100 people participated in some part of the walk and rally.

The City of Fayette received a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation that will aid with the resurfacing of Martin Luther King Drive and 10th Street. The grant, in the amount of $250,000, was announced last week by Governor Kay Ivey. The grant is the second round of special grants that have been awarded to counties and municipalities throughout the state as part of the “Rebuild Alabama Act.”

The Fayette County Commission reviewed the budgets for all departments within the county during a work session prior to the start of its Jan. 13 meeting. All commissioners were present for the meeting, along with Commission Chairman Mike Freeman and County Administrator Brooke Slatton. County Administrator John Gordon was not present at the meeting.

During its regularly scheduled monthly meeting, the Glen Allen town council elected to hire two part-time employees for roles within the town’s water department. Justin Rainey was hired as the town’s water operator and Matt Madison was hired as maintenance man for the water system. Both men were in attendance for the council meeting and following a brief introduction by Mayor Allen J.

The Fayette girls’ basketball team won two big area games last week to maintain a mathematical chance for a tie for the area regular season title. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Fayette traveled to Cordova and won by a score of 52-45. Samantha Cox led Fayette in scoring with 13 points, followed closely by Holley Files with 12 points. Meredith Collins added eight points, Jada Savage scored seven points, and Mackenzie Nelson notched six points, while Iteria Walker, Aerial Colburn and Callie Williams each scored two points for the Lady Tigers.

The Berry Wildcats boys’ basketball team suffered a loss to Pickens County before regrouping to defeat Marion County and Sumiton Christian later in the week. Pickens County dominated the homestanding Wildcats on Tuesday, Jan. 14 to take an easy 75-23 victory. Berry was led by Levi Cannon with 12 points. Tyler Lollar scored three points, while Josh Ward, Tanner Parr, Hunter Harrison and Johnathan Locke each scored two points.

Hubbertville School suffered through a tough week on the basketball court, with the boy and girls teams losing to South Lamar and to Pickens County during the week. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Lady Lions were defeated by South Lamar 66-45.

The Fayette City Council held a work session on Tuesday, Jan. 7 to discuss several issues prior to its next meeting. All council members and Mayor Ray Nelson attended the work session. Councilman Cedric Wilson started the work session by addressing the salaries to be paid the 2020 incoming council members and mayor. “In my opinion, the mayor should be paid more than the highest-paid employee in the city.” Wilson said. “I also believe the mayor deserves benefits and an annual cost-of-living adjustment.”

Two warrants served on Fayette County residences last week resulted in the arrest of 12 people. Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby said that on Jan. 8, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the 24th Judicial Circuit’s District Attorneys Office, the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Alabama Bureau of Investigations, a federal postal inspector, and the Berry Police Department’s Canine Unit executed a search warrant on a residence in the 2100 block of Pender Road.

Butch Thompson, head baseball coach at Auburn University, was the keynote speaker at the annual Fayette County High School Baseball Banquet, held Jan. 11 at Bevill State Community College. Thompson is entering his fifth season as coach of the Auburn Tigers, and is coming off a trip to the College World Series in 2019.

The Berry Town Council decided at its Jan. 6 meeting to leave the salaries for the incoming 2020 council members and mayor at the same level as the current administration. No vote was taken nor required on the item, but the consensus of the council and mayor was to leave the salaries at the present level. The Berry mayor currently makes $700 per month and the council makes $100 per month.

Bevill State Community College will begin a project to update the audio/visual equipment in the Earl McDonald Auditorium in the Tom Bevill Building on the Fayette Campus.  This project is being funded through multiple sources, including Senator Greg Reed, Rep. Kyle South, the Fayette Community Foundation, the Bevill Foundation, and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS).

The Alabama Power Foundation donated money to the Fayette Joey Day Project. The project buys clothes and toys for needy children in the area during the Christmas season.

Brandy Johnson, senior pitcher for the Fayette County High School softball team, signed a softball scholarship offer with Bevill State Community College on Dec. 11. The Bevill State softball team is located on the Sumiton campus of the college.

Fayette girls’ basketball team hosted Haleyville for an area game on Friday, Jan. 10 and captured a huge win by the score of 58-52. This was the first win by Fayette girls over Haleyville in several years, and it kept them in contention for the regular season area title with a 2-2 area record.
Leading the Lady Tigers in scoring were Jada Savage, Holley Files and Samantha Cox with 14 points each. Mackenzie Nelson also scored in double figures with 10 points, while Meredith Collins added six points.