What began as an eighth grade English project in 1976 has grown into a nearly 50-year friendship that spans continents and cultures.

Jackie Moore, a Fayette County native, was in middle school when her teacher assigned each student with a pen pal. At first, she was paired with a boy. Moore said that after exchanging a few letters, she asked a friend to help her connect with a girl instead. That’s when she was introduced to Yasuyo Kusakabe, a student living in Japan.

The Hubbertville Lions hosted the University Charter School Trailblazers on Friday night at Wiley Hollingsworth stadium.

The Fayette Tigers made a statement Friday night with a 49-6 win over South Lamar at John Morgan Brown Stadium.

The Wildcats kicked off their 2025 campaign by traveling to Carrollton to face the Pickens Academy Pirates. The Berry defense staked the Wildcats to an early lead and senior running back Lake Norris scored five touchdowns as Berry cruised to a 51-28 victory. This marked the third year in a row that the Wildcats started with a win and it was Coach Danny Raines’s 150th career victory as a head coach.

The Fayette County Commission held a work session on Monday, Aug. 25, at the courthouse annex building. Commissioners met to discuss the 2026 Rebuild Plan, focusing on coming to terms with road projects and available funding.

The Fayette City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, at city hall, with all members present. Brad Cox led the meeting with a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Asher Cox.

Unofficial results from Tuesday’s municipal election show close contests in Wards 2, 4 and 5 for seats on the Fayette City Council, with one race heading to a runoff.

In Ward 2, Micky Joe Morgan led with 56 votes (43.08 percent), followed by Ron Hannah with 48 votes (36.92 percent). A runoff between Morgan and Hannah is set for Sept. 23. Other candidates included Amanda Henry and Priscilla Gray, each with 11 votes (8.46 percent); Michael Deane with 3 votes (2.31 percent); and Kyle Cook with no votes.

The Fayette Fire Department was called out to a structure fire at a home located at 514 Co. Rd. 53 S. on Friday, Aug. 22. The home sustained heavy damage

The Berry Town Council held a special meeting on Monday, Aug. 18, at Berry Town Hall.

The Fayette County Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, Aug 19, at the courthouse annex building board room. The meeting began with a prayer led by District One Board Member John Aaron, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by District Six Board Member Portia Stowe.

The Fayette City Council held a public hearing prior to its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at city hall. Fayette Junior City Council Mayor Sean White opened the meeting with a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Jake Rickman believes that his story isn’t being written by his diagnosis — it’s being written by faith. The 17-year-old Fayette County High School athlete was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) last November, midway through his sophomore football season. Since then, he’s faced challenges few his age ever imagined.

A multi-vehicle crash involving an ambulance injured three people around 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14. The incident occurred on Hwy. 171/43 near Walmart. According to the crash report, a 2007 Honda Accord failed to yield at a stop sign while pulling out of the Walmart parking lot. A 2017 North Star EMS ambulance struck the Honda on the drivers side. The ambulance was transporting a patient at the time and had an EMS worker on board.

The Fayette County Commission held its regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 11, at the Fayette County Courthouse Annex building. The meeting opened with a prayer led by District One Commissioner Brad Cox, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Belk Town Council held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12, with Mayor Matt Belk presiding and all council members present. The meeting was called to order with an opening prayer led by Councilman Terrell Stripling.

On Monday, Aug. 11, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle crash that occurred around 6:45 a.m. in the 15000 block of Hwy. 102. Sheriff Byron Yerby said no injuries were reported in the incident.

The Glen Allen Town Council met in regular session on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at the town’s community center. All councilors were present for the monthly meeting.