Fayette County was awarded a $300,000 Community Development Grant last week that will be used to help construct a new medical clinic. The grant was applied for through the Fayette County Commission, and the funds were awarded from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Several farmers are offering for sale locally-grown, harvest-fresh produce at the Fayette Farmers’ Market, located near the Fayette County Multipurpose Complex on McConnell Loop Road in Fayette. Ronni Rena Brasher, Fayette County Extension Coordinator, said that the local farmers have produced a bumper crop of fresh vegetables this year that are offered for sale each Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the Fayette County Farmers’ Market.

The Fayette City Council voted during its July 13 meeting to extend the one-half cent sales tax that is earmarked for the Fayette Medical Center. All council members were present for the meeting. Prior to the start of the business portion of the meeting, Tim Oliver, assistant pastor at Olive Branch Church, led those in attendance in prayer. His daughter, Hannah Oliver, led the Pledge of Allegiance.

The more than 40 limelight hydrangeas that are located throughout Fayette are now in full bloom. The plants are taken care of by the Fayette Garden Club, and were purchased with a grant from the Fayette Community Foundation. Two new “Moon” Hydrangeas will be planted at the Flag Park in downtown Fayette.

Jerry Lacy, a former Fayette County Commissioner, spoke at the July 12 Fayette County Commission meeting in favor of the proposed county transportation plan. All commissioners were present for the meeting. Lacy thanked the commissioners for their unanimous vote earlier this year in reference to pursuing a transportation plan. He said that he wanted to speak to the commissioners from both his head and his heart.

The Berry Town Council approved a lease agreement with Alabama Power during its Monday, July 12 meeting, All council members were present for the meeting. Alabama Power has requested that the Town of Berry allow it to use a portion of the town’s industrial park on a month-to-month basis at a lease fee of $2,500 per month. Councilman Calvin Madison made a motion to allow Berry Mayor Jimmy Madison to sign the lease agreement with Alabama Power, and the motion was seconded by Councilman Troyce Townsel. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote.

There are many special occasions in life worth celebrating: births, engagements, weddings, and milestone birthday and anniversaries. Years ago, before social media outlets became commonplace, people celebrated these special events by submitting them to the local newspaper for publication. Now they are seldom submitted. The Times-Record is the community newspaper for Fayette County. We want to help share your momentous events with our readers. Many of our readers are your friends, neighbors and family members, and lots of our readers do not use social media.

After battling with Mississippi the past couple of weeks in a neck-to-neck race, Alabama now holds the dubious distinction of having the lowest COVID vaccination rate in the nation. That distinction is nothing to brag about, as the state is currently seeing the number of COVID cases and hospitalizations rise again after a few months of relative calm. Adding to the concern is a new, more contagious version of the COVID virus, the highly infectious Delta variant.

A pair of softball players for Berry High School combined to make the 2021 Alabama Sports Writers Association’s All-State Softball Team. Junior pitcher Kyla Edmonson made second team All-State, while her batterymate, catcher Allie Taylor, was named as All-State honorable mention. Berry played in the highly-competitive Class 1A, Area 9. Teams from the area placed two players on the first team, four on the second team, and three players were selected honorable mention.

A single-vehicle accident that occurred at approximately 2:37 p.m. on Saturday, July 10, claimed the life of a Cottondale man. Joseph T Box, 42, was killed when the 2006 Lexus GS300 he was driving lost control in a curve, left the roadway, and struck several trees.

The Fayette Career Center is partnering with the City of Vernon, West Alabama Works, and the Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance (C3) to present a multi-employer “Job Fair" on Friday, July 16 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Vernon City Complex, located at 44425 Highway 17 in Vernon. The event is free and open to all employers and jobseekers.

Fayette hosted its latest "Tractor and Truck Pull" in Fayette on Saturday, July 10. A large number of participants competed in several categories during the event.

The Fayette Central Church of Christ hosted its annual Independence Day fireworks on July 4, to the delight of people throughout the area.