The Berry Wildcats began its 2019 football campaign by traveling to Sulligent to face the 2A Blue Devils in the hopes of avenging last year’s loss. The Wildcats were bitten by the turnover bug and the Blue Devils took full advantage of to claim a 33–8 victory. Sulligent won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Johnathan Locke returned the opening kick for the Wildcats to the Berry 28-yard line to begin play.

The Lions opened its 2019 season by hosting the Phil Campbell Bobcats in a jamboree game. The varsity teams competed the first three quarters of the game, and the junior varsity closed out the contest playing the fourth quarter. The Bobcats received the opening kick, advancing the ball from the five-yard line to the Lions’ 46-yard line. Hubbertville’s defense held the Bobcats on its opening possession, turning the ball over on downs at the Lions’ 48-yard line. The Lions could not capitalize on the field position and four snaps later, Phil Campbell took possession on its 48-yard line.

Those who appreciate wildlife art now have the ability to purchase new collectible licenses with a variety of flora and fauna from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). Licenses for Alabama’s 2019-2020 seasons and the new hard cards were available for purchase starting Monday, Aug. 26. Eight different cards that depict a variety of outdoors scenes are available for an extra $5 fee. The art scenes include deer, turkey, freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, wildlife heritage with an indigo bunting, sandhill crane, or shooting sports.

During its Aug. 13 meeting, the Fayette City Council took the first step toward considering the passage of an ordinance that would allow for Sunday alcohol sales. All council members were present for the meeting. Councilman Jason Cowart said the Alabama legislature passed a law this year that allows municipalities already selling alcohol to pass an ordinance to sell alcohol on Sundays between the hours of noon and 8 p.m.

Fayette Medical Center hosted a reception on Sunday, Aug. 18 for its two new doctors, hospitalist Dr. Dakota Acton Jones and surgeon Dr. David Evans.

The Fayette County Commission held its Aug. 12 meeting in the Fayette County Board of Education chambers due to the large number of visitors to the meeting. All commissioners were present for the meeting.

Governor Kay Ivey has awarded a $500,000 grant to upgrade a manufacturing plant in the City of Fayette and preserve 186 jobs. The Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) awarded to the City of Fayette will provide infrastructure needed for the expansion of Showa Best Glove Inc. The company manufactures gloves made of latex and similar materials for use in the medical, industrial, fishing and food industries.

Donald Jones, administrator at Fayette Medical Center, was the featured speaker for the Fayette Area Chamber of Commerce’s “First Tuesday” luncheon on Aug. 6. “What a great year for Fayette Medical Center,” Jones said. He said that the hospital again received a “Five-Star” rating from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. He said the rating places the hospital in the top 6.5 percent of hospitals in the country for quality and patient care.

For the first time since the 1983 football season, the Fayette County High School Tigers’ football team will be coached this year by someone who is not named Tucker. Head football coach Bill Smith comes to Fayette from Munford High School and is well aware of the legacy of winning that Waldon and Lance Tucker brought to the school. He knows this will be a transitional year for the Tigers, but he hopes that the transition does not mean a drop in the quality of play.

Caleb Hynds is starting his third year as the head football coach of the Berry Wildcats. He knows his first two seasons as coach were not up to the standards expected for football at Berry, but he sees a lot of reason for optimism this season. “We have a lot more older guys on the team this year,” Hynds said. “We have eight seniors and 24 players on the team that are in 10th - 12th grade. We have eight returning starters on each side of the ball. Our experience and maturity should make a big difference.

In 1977, Jimmy Carter was president of the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was under 1,000, the average cost for a gallon of gasoline was 62 cents, and a first-class postage stamp sold for 13 cents. A lot has changed since 1977, but one thing in Fayette County and the history of Alabama high school football has remained the same - Lamar Harris is still the head football coach at Hubbertville School.

Approximately 100 former students and faculty members of the former Kennedy High School in Lamar County gathered on Saturday, Aug. 17 at the Kennedy Historical Building for a school reunion. The attendees enjoyed reminiscing about the good times they enjoyed at the school, and they also enjoyed seeing former classmates that they had not seen in years.

Heath Nails, the new band director at Fayette County High School, said that he is well aware of the legacy of the FCHS band program, including the tremendous success the program enjoyed for many years under the direction of legendary director Jerry Bobo. “The Fayette band program has a long history of excellence,” Nails said. “Everybody knows Jerry Bobo and the quality bands that he had at Fayette. I saw this as an opportunity for me to be a part of something special.”

The Berry Town Council voted at its Aug. 5 meeting to repair the town’s water tank and adopt its plan for revenue expenditures under the new “Rebuild Alabama Act.” Councilman Troyce Townsel was absent from the meeting and Councilman Chris Rice arrived late. All other council members were present at the beginning of the meeting.

No police report was given for the month in the absence of Berry Police Chief Gerald DeDeaux.

A new family physician has opened a practice at Fayette Medical Center (FMC). Dakota S. Acton-Jones, MD, is accepting patients at the Family Medical Clinic at Fayette Medical Center. She will also see patients admitted to the hospital as a hospitalist. Dr. Acton-Jones comes to FMC from Pickens County Primary Care. She is board certified in family medicine and is certified in advanced cardiac life support, advanced trauma life support and pediatric advanced life support.

The Glen Allen Town Council elected to add the town’s mural to the proposed statewide mural trail. The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UACED) is in the process of inventorying all existing murals and is collaborating with municipalities across the state in the endeavor of creating a statewide mural trail.

Dr. Henry A. Spies of Bonham, Texas recently left $600,000 to the Fayette Medical Center Foundation and an equal amount of $600,000 to Fayette Medical Center Long Term Care.

After suffering cancellations in June and July due to the weather, the first “Tunes on Temple” of the summer took place on Aug. 2, despite being delayed by over an hour due to rain.

The Fayette County Sheriff Department reported that a man was shot on Wednesday, July 31 near the Bazemore Community following an apparent domestic violence altercation. Sheriff Department Investigator Heath Bolton said that the department received a phone call on the afternoon of July 31, stating that a person had been shot on County Road 65 near Bazemore.

A new surgeon with extensive experience has opened his medical practice in Fayette. David Evans, MD, MBA, MPH, has practiced general and vascular surgery since 1988. He is now taking appointments to perform surgery at Fayette Medical Center.

The Fayette County Board of Education met on July 30 to approve contracts and personnel changes prior to the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. The board accepted the resignations of Shuana Silas, elementary teacher at Hubbertville School; Sherry Taylor, part-time math teacher at Fayette County High School; and Allyson Tilley, teacher at Berry Elementary School.

The Glen Allen Town Council unanimously elected to refrain from seeking funding from the Alabama Power Foundation’s “Good Roots” grant program during its July 9 council meeting. Councilwoman Bobbie McCraw was not in attendance for the meeting. The Good Roots grant is available for municipal governments, educational institutions and non-profit organizations for the purpose of purchasing trees for planting in locations deemed as prominent areas, such as parks, landscaping projects and gateway areas.

The following people were sentenced in Fayette County Circuit Court during the month of June. The list was compiled from information received from the Fayette County Circuit Court.

John Thomas Campbell, quarterback of Fayette County High School’s 1949 undefeated 10-0 football team, died on July 16 at the age of 86. Campbell was the starting quarterback on the 1949 team, with Mickey Smith as the backup quarterback. The team’s closest contest during the season was a 7-6 win over the Hamilton Aggies.

The Fayette County Board of Education approved several personnel changes and contracts during its July 23 meeting. Board members Tim Fields and John Stowe were absent from the meeting, with all other board members being in attendance. The board approved Family Medical Leave for Barbie Mochelle Fields, beginning on July 31 and continuing until approximately Sept. 16. The resignation of Dustin Silas, assistant principal at Hubbertville, was accepted, effective July 5.

Mayor Ray Nelson appointed a budget committee for the 2020 fiscal year during the Fayette City Council’s July 23 meeting. All council members were present for the meeting. Nelson asked the President Pro Tem of the council, Cedric Wilson, to be the chairman of the committee. Councilman Jason Cowart and Councilman Eddy Campbell volunteered to be on the budget committee, and was subsequently appointed to the three-man committee by the mayor.

The Fayette County Commission voted at its July 22 meeting to resume holding its meetings in the annex building instead of the Fayette County Courtroom. All commissioners were present for the meeting. Commissioner Billy Joe Rodgers made the motion to move the meetings, and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Joe Acker. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Josh and Casey Kauffman’s Self Express Productions company has once again delivered a big-time performance in Fayette, this time with an adaptation of the musical “Annie.” I attended the Saturday afternoon matinee performance, and if that particular performance was an indication of the quality of the other four performances, the play was a tremendous success with Fayette audiences.

A father is attributing God and prayers for the unexpected improvement of his son’s health.
“It’s a divine miracle from our Father in Heaven,” said Hamilton Police Department Lt. Jimmy Pendley, whose son was expected to either die or be brain dead after suffering a severe brain injury.

The Northwest Alabama Regional Congress was held on Friday, June 21 at the Russellville City Schools Complex. The Regional Congress strives to provide educational citizenship and leadership experiences, enhance youth self-esteem and teamwork, encourage the development of decision-making and problem-solving skills, provide opportunities for youth to develop social skills and to gain knowledge in cultural diversity, provide opportunities for youth to participate in regional-level competitive events, and to recognize and reward youth for project mastery and accomplishment.

Ronnie McCollum, a graduate of Fayette County High School, held his annual basketball camp at his alma mater last week. McCollum is currently the head basketball coach of a professional team in Lommel, Belgium. This is the 17th year that he has hosted the camp at FCHS.

During a special called meeting on July 16, the Fayette City Council voted to purchase the land from Norfolk Southern Railroad to build a walking trail. Councilman Jason Cowart was absent from the meeting with all of the other council members present. Mayor Ray Nelson scheduled the meeting during the council’s regular meeting last week for the expressed purpose of voting on the issue concerning the “Rails-to-Trails” land purchase.

Self Express Productions, in conjuction with The Fayette Arts Council, will present a theatrical version of the hit Broadway musical “Annie” this week at the Fayette Civic Center. Self Express Productions was founded nine years ago by the husband-wife team of Josh and Casey Kauffman. The Kauffmans met and married in New York, but opted to relocate in the Winfield area to be near Casey Kauffman’s dad, Ted Cox, who is a physician in Winfield.

Former state senator and longtime Fayette businessman George Bolling died at his home on July 21 at the age of 81. Bolling was born in the Brilliant in Marion County and grew up in Hamilton. After graduating from high school, he attended Auburn University, where he graduated with a pharmacy degree in 1959.

Morgan, Norris graduate from Law Enforcement Academy
Dustin Morgan and Trace Norris are shown with Fayette Police Chief Danny Jenkins after graduating from the Law Enforcement Academy of Tuscaloosa on July 18. Jenkins said that the two officers are the first to attend the academy from the City of Fayette in several years, and said that he is proud they chose to work at the Fayette Police Department.

Nineteen Fayette County 4-H members and three adults enjoyed session three of the 4-H Summer Camps at the 4-H Center in Columbiana on June 10-12. Campers participated in a variety of activities including canoeing, water games, climbing wall, giant swing, pool time, sports night and luau.

A Southern Gospel Concert at Belk Community Center will be on August 1 at 6:30 p.m. The featured group will be The New Revivers from Columbus, Miss., with Don Pennington,  Ryan Musgrove, Michelle Tucker,  and Michelle Tucker’s daughter, Lynn Tucker.

Samford University recognized 1,519 students who were named to the 2019 spring semester Dean’s List. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must have earned a minimum 3.5 grade point average out of a possible 4.0 while attempting at least 12 credit hours of coursework. The Dean’s List is the highest academic recognition given by the school at the end of each semester.
Local students receiving this recognition were: Anna Pinkerton of Fayette, Charles Nolen of Fayette, and Allie Taylor of Winfield.

The Fayette County Commission approved the closing of the Studdard’s Crossroads voting precinct during its July8 meeting. All commissioners and Commission Chairman Mike Freeman were in attendance for the meeting. Commissioner Barry Corkren made the motion to close the precinct, citing the small number of people using the precinct and the lack of adequate plumbing as reasons for the closure. Corkren added that the voters at the precinct could be relocated to nearby precincts without causing unnecessary hardships.

The Fayette City Council voted at its July 9 meeting to cancel its current contract with Avenu/RDS for sales tax collection and return to having the tax collected by the State of Alabama. Councilwoman Linda McCraw was absent from the meeting, with all other council members in attendance. Prior to the start of the meeting, current Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill spoke to the city council concerning his upcoming bid for a U.S. Senate seat.

Local artist and mural painter Missy Miles has completed a mural for the Town of Glen Allen depicting the town’s rich history. The mural is painted on the south wall of the Glen Allen Volunteer Fire Department, next to the Glen Allen Town Hall and Post Office. A grant from the Alabama Bicentennial Commission Foundation paid for the cost of the mural.

The municipalities of Fayette and Berry, in conjunction with Fayette County and the State of Alabama, will participate in the annual school sales tax holiday on July 19-21. This is the 14th year that Alabama has held the tax holiday, and the third time that the event has been held in July. The sales tax holiday will begin on Friday, July 19 at 12:01 a.m. and end on Sunday, July 21 at 11:59 p.m.

The Fayette Medical Center Long-Term Care facility hosted an Independence Day “Watermelon Celebration” for its residents. The Long-Term Care facility provides daily activities for its residents and always sponsors special events during the major holidays, as well as Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day.

Eli Champion, 12, an eighth-grader at Fayette Middle School, recently attended Space Academy for Leading Students in Alabama (SALSA) at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, home of Space Camp®, Space Camp® Robotics™, Aviation Challenge®, U.S. Cyber Camp® and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Official Visitor Center.

Fayette County 4-H, with help from grant proceeds from the Tombigbee RC&D, established a 4-H RiverKids program this year. Grant proceeds were used to have a kayak trailer built and to purchase nine kayaks. In addition, the grant helped pay for personal flotation devices, dry bags, throw ropes, whistles and other essential safety items.

The Fayette Garden Club selected the yard at the home of Jacqueline Johnson as its “Yard of the Month” for July. Johnson moved to Fayette from Indiana about 11 years ago, and she has worked very hard since moving to Fayette to transform her yard into the flowering oasis that it is today.

An accident within the Fayette City Limits on July 2 at approximately 4:24 p.m. caused multiple injuries to local residents. The accident occurred on Highway 18, approximately one mile west of Fayette. A 2011 Honda Ridgeline, driven by John Brasher of Fayette, was struck in the rear by a 2007 Chevrolet Colorado, driven by Leroy Dale Simmons of Fayette. The collision destroyed the back portion of the double-cab Ridgeline, and caused the Chevrolet Colorado to cross the four-lane highway and exit the road on the opposite side.

The local Baptist Association churches held a “Celebrate America Rally” on Sunday, June 30 at First Baptist Church in Fayette “to honor God for His blessings on America.” The event was organized by Fayette County Baptist Association Director John Killian, and featured special patriotic music, color guards from the Alabama Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and a featured message tracing America’s roots back to its Biblical heritage.

The Berry Town Council held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, July 1. Councilman Chris Rice and Councilman Troyce Townsel were absent, with all other council members present.
Councilman Russell Madison made a motion to appoint Andy Lowery to the Berry Park and Recreation Board, and the motion was seconded by Councilman Calvin Madison. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of the council members present.