Julie Stough and Brenda Webb took their oaths of office prior to the Nov. 10 Fayette County Board of Education meeting. Stough is the new member from District 5 and Webb is representing District 4. Details of the Nov. 10 meeting will be presented in next week’s The Times-Record.
The Belk Town Council held its first monthly meeting following this year’s qualifying and election cycle. All members of the council were present for the Nov. 10 meeting. The council members officially took their respective oaths of office on Nov. 2. The members of the council are as follows: Sherry Spack, Place 1; Bill Davis, Place 2; Karen Strickland, Place 3; and Jeannie Hollingsworth, Place 4. Mike Ellison is the mayor of Belk.
Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker on Tuesday, Nov. 10, named Dr. Joel Hagood as President of Bevill State Community College. “When you combine Dr. Hagood’s proven leadership with his local expertise you get an ideal candidate for Bevill State’s next President,” Baker stated. “Bevill State’s diversity in programs matches its diversity in geography and I’m confident that with Dr. Hagood at the helm the college will continue to move the needle on student success.”
The Glen Allen Town Council, during its Nov. 3 meeting, elected to cancel the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting event for this year due to constraints posed by the COVID-19 virus.
Mayor Allen J. Dunavant presented the agenda item before the council at its regularly scheduled council meeting. Discussion among the council raised numerous concerns with regards to planning, preparing and hosting the annual event, with the overall concern being for the safety of those who would be participating and attending the event.
The Berry Wildcats made the trip to Randolph County to face the Woodland Bobcats in the second round of the playoffs. The game featured a matchup of running offenses, and possessions were at a premium. The offenses for both teams got the ball seven times each during the game. The Wildcats scored on four of its seven possessions to take a 26-16 victory and advance to round three.
Hubbertville welcomed the Winterboro Bulldogs to Wiley Hollingsworth stadium on Friday night for the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Bulldogs entered the stadium with a 9-1 overall record and was representing Region Five as the number 1 seed in the playoffs.
District Attorney Andy Hamlin announced on Friday, Nov. 6 that Blue Berry Hill was sentenced to serve life in prison for a 2019 murder in Fayette County. Hill, 19, of Cullman, was charged with murder in the 2019 shooting death of Joshua Devin Bush. Bush, 18, was found dead in the intersection of Sand Springs and Bly roads in rural Fayette County on Aug. 30, 2019. A passerby reported finding his body around 2:30 p.m., adding they had seen nothing when they drove through the same intersection two hours prior.
Many veterans attended the 2020 Veterans Day Program, held at John Morgan Brown Stadium on Nov. 9. The event was sponsored by Fayette County High School and Bevill State Community College, and featured Captain Brian Walden of Sanford University as the guest speaker.
After filing paperwork challenging Virettia Whiteside’s residency and subsequent election to the Fayette City Council from Ward 1, Scottie Porter later asked to dismiss the case. However, Porter now has filed additional paperwork asking to withdraw his “Motion to Dismiss” and proceed to allow a judge to decide the case. The paperwork asking that his motion to dismiss be withdrawn was filed in Fayette County Circuit Court on Oct. 30.
The new mayor and council members for the City of Fayette officially began their terms after taking their oaths of office on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Prior to the beginning of the meeting, Scott Davis, pastor of Fayette First Baptist Church, led the attendees in prayer. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by members of Scout Troop 45. Municipal Judge Steven Nolen administered the oaths, first to Rod Northam as mayor and then collectively to the city council members.
The Berry Town Council held its organizational meeting after receiving their oaths of office on Nov. 2. Fayette County Probate Judge Mike Freeman administered the oaths of office to the council members and mayor prior to the start of the meeting. Charles Tidwell was sworn in as the only new member of the council, replacing former Councilman Chris Rice in Place 2. Rice chose to not seek re-election.
Advancing to the first round of the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season, the Lions traveled to Cherokee County to face-off against the Cedar Bluff Tigers. Winning the coin toss, the Lions elected to receive the opening kickoff, with Austin Berryhill making the reception at the Hubbertville 41-yard line.
The Berry Wildcats entered the playoffs as a home team for the first time since 2015. Berry welcomed the Sumiton Christian Eagles to Fred Webster Stadium in the first ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. The Wildcats made quick work of the Eagles by taking an early lead and cruising to a 50–14 victory.
The 24th Judicial Circuit’s District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Oct. 30, the arrest of 16 defendants indicted in Fayette County on drug-related charges following an extensive multi-agency investigation that spanned several months. Law enforcement agents seized more than $10,000 in cash, multiple vehicles, and numerous firearms during the operation intended to curtail narcotics distribution in Fayette County. Drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana were seized from the defendants.
Sherrin Leigh Henegar, 46, of 706 Black St., Millport, was arrested on Oct. 21 as the result of a grand jury indictment and charged with 14 counts of possession of a forged instrument and four counts of first degree theft of property. The Fayette County Grand Jury returned the indictment in September, and the indictment was filed in Fayette County Circuit Court on Oct. 2.
A candlelight prayer rally was held on Sunday, Nov. 1 on the lawn of the Fayette County Courthouse to pray for healing and unity within the community, state and nation. The candlelight prayer rally was sponsored by the Fayette County Baptist Pastor’s Conference. The rally was not a political rally, but a time to seek prayers for the land and citizens. A large crowd of participants gathered on the courthouse lawn for the rally.
Evelyn Howard addressed the Fayette City Council concerning mobile homes within the city limits during its Oct. 27 meeting. Councilman Cedric Wilson was absent from the meeting, with all other council members present. Howard said that there is a resident in her neighborhood who has expressed an intent to move a mobile home into the area. She said that the city ordinances do not allow a mobile home in her area as currently zoned.
At the conclusion of the Fayette County Board of Education’s Oct. 22 meeting, Fayette County Superintendent Jim Burkhalter presented board members Sam Sullivan and Tim Fields with framed resolutions commending them for their service on the board. Board member John Aaron was absent from the meeting, with all other board members in attendance.
The Fayette County Commission voted to hire two substitute workers for the Fayette County Aging Program during its Oct. 19 meeting. All commissioners were present for the meeting. Commissioner Joe Acker made a motion to hire two workers for the program, and the motion was approved unanimously. The two substitute workers will be used to fill in at any of the Aging Programs within the county when needed.
The Fayette Tigers traveled to Red Bay for its final game of the 2020 football season. Despite a gallant and hard-fought effort by Fayette, the team lost to the Tigers of Red Bay by a score of 36-20. Following an exchange of punts to start the game, Fayette began its second possession of the contest at its 24-yard line. After advancing near midfield, Fayette’s quarterback Blake Johnson was sacked for a seven-yard loss, then threw an interception on the next play that was returned by Red Bay to the Fayette 34-yard line.
