Rick McCabe of McCabe and Associates addressed the Glen Allen town council at its Feb. 5 council meeting. Council member Dustin Youngblood was not in attendance for the meeting.

Steven Nolen received the oath of office as Fayette's new municipal judge during the Feb. 12 meeting of the Fayette City Council.

In 2018, the Alabama Public Service Commission approved a new area code overlay for parts of west and central Alabama, including Fayette County, The area code 659 will soon be used in conjunction with area code 205. AT&T announced the new area code change, according to local telephone service provider CenturyLink.  The addition of the 659 area code does not mean customers will have to change phone numbers, and officials have made plans for a smooth transition.

The Fayette Medical Center Family Council and Fayette Garden Club members provided food on Feb. 20 for the Fayette Medical Center Long-Term Care and Hospital staff in appreciation for the services they provide to the patients under their care. This is an annual event that is hosted on the first Wednesday after Valentine’s Day by the two organizations.

Fayette County High School held its annual Coronation on Saturday, Feb. 23. Campus King is Blake Wallace, son of Rick and Stella Wallace, and Campus Queen is Lindy Hindman, daughter of Dale and Jeanie Hindman. Capebearers for the King and Queen were Camden Tucker, son of Luke and Lori Tucker, and Riley May Hindman, daughter of Dustin and Donita Hindman. The Royal Court was introduced, and 24 ladies and 24 men competed for the titles of Most Beautiful and Most Handsome.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. History. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African-Americans. Since 1976, each U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Fayette Middle School annually celebrates Black History month by hosting an assembly.

The Ms. Bevill State Pageant 2019 will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 12 in the Rowland Auditorium  on the Jasper Campus of Bevill State Community College. The following Bevill State Scholarships will be awarded: Winner: - $500 Scholarship, First Runner-up - $350 Scholarship, Second Runner-up - $150 Scholarship.

February is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month.  Fayette County has nine CTE programs countywide and two of those nine programs are located at Fayette Middle School: Business Management Administration and Family and Consumer Sciences.  CTE prepares both youths and adults for a wide range of careers and further educational opportunities. These careers may require varying levels of education—including industry-recognized credentials, postsecondary certificates, and two or four-year degrees.  

A “BEAR Tracks - The Path to Your Future” event will be held from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 at Bevill State Community College, Hamilton Campus. It is never too late to get on track for your Education and Career! Come to the Hamilton Campus during the event (you choose when you want to attend) and get on track.

The Berry Lady Wildcats opened the 2019 softball season by playing a three-game series in a “Umpires Tournament" in Vernon on Feb. 16. The games were limited to a strict one-hour time limit. Berry defeated Sulligent in its first game by a score of 9-5. Brooke Blanton pitched 2 2/3 innings for the Lady Wildcats in securing the victory.

The Fayette County High School Baseball Boosters held its annual Banquet and Steak Supper on Friday, Feb. 15 at Bevill State Community College in the Earl McDonald Auditorium. The keynote speaker for the event was Rick Karle, former sports director at WBRC/Fox 6 in Birmingham. Karle worked 30 years as the sports director for WBRC/ FOX 6 in Birmingham. During those years, he won numerous state and regional awards for sportscasting, including 23 Emmy Awards from the Atlanta Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Science. Additionally, Karle won six prestigious Edward R.

The Fayette City Council awarded checks in the amount of $20,000 during its Feb. 12 meeting.
Councilmen Jason Cowart and Jerry Nichols were absent from the meeting with all other council members present. Fayette Elementary, Fayette Middle and Fayette County High School each received a check for $5,000 from the council. The Fayette Area Chamber of Commerce was also awarded a $5,000 appropriations check during the meeting.

The Fayette County Commission made additional board appointments during its Feb. 11 meeting. All commissioners were present for the meeting. Commission Chairman Mike Freeman opened the meeting with a moment of silence in memory of Edwin “Punk” Turner, who died on Feb. 10. Fayette County EMA Director Russ Taylor told the commissioners that FEMA has given its final approval for the Fayette County storm shelters, and has also closed the grant application for the shelters. Paperwork concerning the shelters has to be kept on file for an additional three years.

Alabama Pawn and Cash in Fayette has donated a limited edition, commemorative Alabama Bicentennial Henry 22 Rifle to be given away on April 19. Tickets are $10 each and all proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Fayette County Animal Shelter. Only 300 tickets for the rifle will be sold. Tickets are available at Alabama Pawn and Cash.

The Alabama Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit had its grand opening at Hubbertville School on Saturday, Feb. 16. Many historical exhibits pertaining to the state’s history, in addition to displays of a local nature were on display. Herb Hollingsworth was the keynote speaker for the event. The exhibit will remain on display at Hubbertville School until Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.

The Fayette Exchange Club honors the “Student of the Month” at Fayette County High School throughout the school year by presenting them with plaques at an Exchange Club meeting. These awards are presented to students who achieve academic success in the classroom, and are also very involved in extracurricular activities both at school and in their communities. The club presented the awards for December, January and February at its meeting on Feb. 4.

The Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance (EDA) honored Congressman Robert Aderholt, John Riley of Bolzoni Auramo and current and former board chairmen as the EDA held its eighth annual “State of the Region” meeting at the Vernon City Complex on Thursday, Jan. 31.

The eighth annual Alabama Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will be observed Feb. 22-24. The tax holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday Feb. 22 and continue until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24. The towns of Berry and Fayette are participating in the tax holiday, and Fayette County is also participating, which means that no sales tax will be charged on covered items in those areas during the holiday. Glen Allen has chosen not to participate in the sales tax holiday this year.

The Bevill State Bears split a doubleheader with Motlow State of Tennessee, losing the early game 11-2 and winning the second game by a score of 11-1. Jared Barnes led Bevill in hitting with two hits, including a solo home run. Parker Hubbard suffered the loss for Bevill, allowing four hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Berry Lady Wildcats finished its basketball season on Feb. 11 by losing in the sub-regional tournament to Falkville by a score of 72-39. Brooke Hill led Berry with 15 points, five steals and five rebounds. Bailey Thomas added seven points for the Lady Wildcats, while Tyner Bowling and Zoe Mauldin each scored six points.