Fayette County Probate Judge Mike Freeman said that he learned quickly that he would have to get his “on-the-job training” after he was elected as probate judge. “Nothing I had done prior to being elected fully prepared me for the job of probate judge, he said. “You learn quickly, but everything has gone pretty smoothly.”

At the beginning of the school year, a group of eighth grade students at Fayette Middle School who were enrolled in a Family and Consumer Science class decided they wanted to do something to help publicize the wonderful things going on in their school. This decision was initiated by Taylor Kelly, the FMS FCCLA Vice-President, for this school year.  After talking to his classmates, Kelly approached the Principal Ron Hannah with his idea. With the principal’s support, Tiger News was created.  

Fayette cashed in two Oak Grove turnovers at the conclusion of the third quarter to take a 31-point lead and cruise to a 31-15 victory. The Fayette Tigers moved the ball on the opening possession of the game from its 27-yard line to the Oak Grove six, but a run and two failed pass attempts failed to gain additional yardage. Kent Bagwell kicked a 23-yard field goal on fourth down and with 9:34 left in the first quarter, Fayette took an early 3-0 lead.

When wildcats and bears attack each other, it’s going to be the bear everyone thinks will win. However, the Berry Wildcats put up a winning fight on the Lynn Bears’ home turf Friday night, Oct. 4, and came out a winner by 21 points in a 37-16 win.

Returning to region play on Friday night, the Lions traveled to Guin to face-off with the Marion County Red Raiders. Winning the coin toss, the Lions elected to receive. Marion County was penalized on the opening kick for an offsides infraction, forcing a re-kick from the 35-yard line.

Manufacturing Day, Oct. 4, is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. In honor of that, Bevill State Community College’s Vehicle Technology and Repair (VTR) students from the Hamilton campus and Electrical Systems Technology (ELT) students from the Fayette and Hamilton campuses were invited to tour the Mercedes-Benz plant on Thursday, Oct. 3.  

The Fayette City Council approved its fiscal year 2020 budget during its Sept. 24 meeting. A local resident, Bobby Avant, led the council in prayer prior to the beginning of the meeting. He also addressed the council concerning the purchase of land from Norfolk-Southern Railroad for the proposed Rails-to-Trails. “My first observation is that the price the railroad is charging is outrageous,” Avant said.”The fact that a donor has come forth to help with the purchase does not make it any less egregious. Building the trail is also based on getting future grants that may not happen.”

The Fayette County Commission approved its FY 2020 budget during the continuation of its Sept. 23 meeting. The Monday night meeting was recessed until Tuesday morning to take one last look at the budget before it was approved.

Qualifying for next year’s primaries and general election opens Tuesday, Oct. 8 and will end on Friday, Nov. 8. Local offices on the ballot will include county commission seats in districts two, four, five and six. Fayette County Board of Education seats up for election will include districts four and five.

Fayette County High School celebrated homecoming on Sept. 27 with a parade and homecoming football game against Sipsey Valley.

The annual Frog Level Festival returns this weekend to downtown Fayette. The festival will open at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 with entertainment provided on the big stage by B.J. Reeves. At 5:45 p.m., The Chris Simmons Band will take the stage, followed by “Nationwide Coverage” at 7:30 p.m. Nationwide Coverage will feature The Tuscaloosa Horns and Fayette native Mart Avant. Avant is always a crowd favorite when he performs in the Fayette area. On Saturday, Oct. 5., there will be a Cruise-In in downtown Fayette beginning at 8 a.m. Also at 8 a.m., the Bama Dancers will entertain the crowd.

Fines for overdue items are now a thing of the past for Fayette County Memorial Library. On Aug. 1, the library quietly implemented a new fine-free policy for its patrons. This change removes a barrier for people who cannot afford fines and wish to use the library, and it ensures that all members of our community have equitable access to library books and materials.

The Tigers’ Jason Robinson ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries as Fayette defeated Sipsey Valley 34-26. Fayette received the opening kickoff and following an exchange of punts, the Tigers moved 76 yards in seven plays for the first score of the game. Carter Sanford threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Kaleb Owens to complete the drive and following a Kent Bagwell kick for the extra point, Fayette led 7-0 with 5:28 remaining in the first quarter.

The Hubbertville Lions welcomed the Hackleburg Panthers to Wiley Hollingsworth Stadium on Friday night and won an old-time slugfest by the score of 71-48. The total points scored tied for the 16th most points scored in the history of Alabama high school football in one game. Ironically, Hubbertvile was also involved in a game with the second highest point total in history, as Parrish defeated Hubbertville 81-58 in 2003. The Panthers won the coin toss and deferred. Brodie Porter advanced Caden Jones’ opening kick eight yards, setting the Lions’ offense up at its 40-yard line.

The Berry Wildcats returned to Fred Webster Stadium to welcome the Donoho Falcons in the third-ever meeting between the two schools and the first to be played in Berry. The defenses from both teams set the tone of the game. In a game that would go back and forth all night, Donoho got the 17–14 victory on a late field goal.  Donoho won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Donoho put together an 11-play drive deep into Wildcat territory.

On the surface, Hester Whittaker, a fifth grade student at Fayette Elementary School, appears to be one of the nicest, most polite 10-year old boy in the world. He has a genuine smile and charm that seem to mask the fierce competitor he becomes on a karate sparring mat. Make no mistake, he is still nice and polite to his opponents. He smiles at the beginning of the match and he is still smiling when the referee raises his hand in victory. Whittaker recently traveled with his parents to Lynchburg, Va. to compete in the “State Games of America.”

A multi-year FCHS reunion, for the years of 1960-82, was held on Sept. 21 on the Fayette County Courthouse lawn. The local "C-Plus Band" provided music for the three-hour event.

Beginning on Oct. 12, area code dialing will become mandatory for all calls made within the traditional “205” area code region of the state. Earlier this year, it was announced that an “overlay” area code would be implemented within the 205 area code region. The new area code is “659” and will serve the same region as the 205 area code currently serves.

The Fayette County Tigers scored 35 first half points and coasted to a 48-23 victory over Curry.
Carter Sanford had a career day passing for Fayette while playing only the first half. He completed 14-of-18 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns, and he also ran twice for 18 yards.

The Berry High School Alumni Association held its 19th annual reunion on Aug. 17. Attendees ranged from the Class of 1943 to the Class of 2019. VictorBonner opened the meeting in prayer. Tracy Fields directed those assembled in singing the Alma Mater with Linda Clark playing the piano.