(Photo by Devin Dudley)
On Friday, July 5, at approximately 9:08 p.m., the Fayette Fire Department responded to a building fire in the 100 block of 2nd St. NE. Three downtown businesses were damaged during the incident.
The Fayette City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 25, at Fayette City Hall. All council members were in attendance, with the exception of Councilwoman Virettia Whiteside. The meeting commenced with a prayer led by Rick McCabe, an elder at Central Church, and the Pledge of Allegiance recited by Councilman Tommy Williams.
On Monday, July 1, the Berry Town Council held its regular meeting at Berry City Hall. All council members were present, except for Councilman Chris Lindsey. The session began with prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
On Saturday, June 29, Michael Wade Tucker was taken into custody and subsequently charged with the murder of 21-year-old Laci Whitson, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. Reports show that Tucker was the last known person to be with Whitson who was reported missing by her family earlier this week.
The Berry Fire Department has recently been placed under new management and is actively seeing new recruits for the volunteer fire department.
On Saturday, June 29, around 1:18 a.m., Berry Police were alerted to a possible break in at Berry Discount Apothecary. According to Berry Police Officer Randall Kelley, surveillance cameras began recording the incident when the suspects broke out the windows of the establishment.
The new city transit system is officially on a roll! The Fayette Transportation System began operations on Monday, July 1.
Ashtin Berryhill applied to the casting call on June 4 and was selected later that same day and filmed in Nashville on June 5. She was not informed of who the singers would be prior to arriving on set but was overwhelmed with excitement when she found out it was Post Malone and Blake Shelton.
On Tuesday, June 4, the Glen Allen Town Council met in regular session at the Town Community Center. All council members were in attendance except for Councilman Joel Isham. Following standard meeting procedures, Mayor Allen J. Dunavant announced to the council that the lone bid for the Telemetry Upgrades on the Water System Improvements Projects had been accepted and cleared the review of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), authorizing Kazmier and Associates, Inc. to move forward with implementing the proposed project.
As we gear up to celebrate Independence Day with friends and family, it’s important to prioritize safety while traveling. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) kicked-off its annual ‘101 Days of Summer Safety’ campaign that began on Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day in September. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office will also be taking steps to safeguard travelers, ensuring that everyone reaches their destinations safely.
The Fayette County Board of Education held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 11, at the Courthouse Annex building. All board members were present except for District Three Board Member Tom Hubbert. District Four Board Member Brenda Webb conducted the meeting in the absence of Hubbert. District One Board Member John Aaron opened the meeting with prayer followed by District Six Board Member John Stowe reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting began with Mollie Prewitt, a parent of a Fayette County School student, addressing the board.
An early morning motorcycle fatality occurred in the pre-dawn hours of June 11, when a motorcycle left Highway 13 near the Natural Bridge intersection and crashed. Walter David Watkins Jr., 52, of Bankston, was killed around 4:50 a.m., when the 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle he was riding left the roadway and overturned, according to troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Friday June 14 the men residents of Fayette Long Term Care were honored and served at the annual LTC picnic. Several pastors from the community of Fayette participated in the event. The residents enjoyed foods prepared by FMC Dietary.
The Berry High School Football team went to two football camps at Auburn University. They competed at a seven on seven camp on Friday, June 7. The Wildcats went 3-3 at the camp. Players that participated in the seven on seven camp were Kemari Hollingsworth, Lake Norris, Max Westbrook, Jayden Smith, Ace Norris, Seth Traweek, Luke Ward, Ashton Waltrip, Drayke Parr, Dalton Greene, Dale Gray, Cody Lollar, and Jake Martin. The Wildcats then attended a linemen camp on Sunday, June 9.
On Monday, June 10, the Fayette County Commission held its regular meeting at the Courthouse Annex Building. Commissioner David Hubbert opened the meeting with a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. All commissioners were in attendance.
The Fayette City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 11, at Fayette City Hall. All council members were present, except for Councilwoman Aliska Hughes-Monroe. The meeting began with prayer by Councilman Eddy Campbell, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Former State Representative William Edge Thigpen, Sr., died Saturday, June 8, 2024, at his residence in Montgomery. In addition to owning and operating several businesses in Fayette over the years, Thigpen represented House District 16 for 12 years, which includes Fayette County. He went on to be Assistant Director of ABC agency.
On Wednesday, June 5, severe storms moved into Northwest Alabama around 6:30 p.m. that produced winds up to 60 mph, lightning and heavy rain. Approximately 115 Fayette County residents were without power after Wednesday evening’s storms according to Alabama Power. Fayette County EMA Director, Michael Stoker, along with the National Weather Service (NWS) traveled the path of the storm in Fayette County. During the preliminary survey, the NWS was able to confirm an EF-0 tornado started at Coffee Creek Rd. in Fayette County and moved into Marion County.
On Monday, June 3, the Berry Town Council held its regular meeting at Berry Town Hall. All council members were present except Councilman Charles Tidwell. The session began with prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
UPDATE 6/10: The leak has been repaired and operations have returned to normal.
