The Fayette Medical Center - Long term Care facility celebrated National Nursing Home Week with its residents from May13-19 by hosting several special events throughout the week. In keeping with the theme of the week, “Celebrating Life’s Stories,” four of the residents recalled their unique life’s stories.

The June 5 primaries for the Democratic and Republican parties are June 5, as several loca candidates seek their parties’ nominations. In the Republican race for Sheriff, current Fayette police chief Danny Jenkins, Byron Yerby and Justin White face each other for the nomination. The Democratic nominee, Tierre Agnew, is unopposed and current Sheriff Rodney Ingle will be on the general election ballot as an Independent.

Fayette County High School held its annual awards day on May 3 at Bevill State Community College. The top 10 academic seniors were announced at the ceremony. Valedictorian for 2018 is Anna Kate Pinkerton and Salutatorian is Luke Avery. The R.C. Cobb Memorial Scholarship, a full academic scholarship to the University of Alabama, was awarded to Jake Beede.

Hubbertville presented scholarships to three of its athletes during the annual awards banquet held at the school. Kristen Lowery was recipient of the Megan McClusky Memorial Scholarship, Alaina Oden received the Rodney Marcum Scholarship, and Erica Marcum was awarded the Andy Stovall Memorial Scholarship. Many other awards were given to various athletes during the banquet.

Fayette Middle School has experienced wonderful success since the implementation of the WIRED Robotics program began last year. Next year as part of this program, seventh and eighth grade students at FMS will be allowed to take a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Connections class as an elective. This will allow Fayette Middle School to teach robotics/STEM as part of the curriculum.

The 2018 American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life events will be held on Friday, June 1 at Bungalow’s in downtown Fayette. The Cancer Survivor’s Dinner will be held at 5 p.m., followed by the survivor’s lap and the luminaria ceremony. The luminaria ceremony is a time of remembrance and hope for those whose lives have been touched in some way by the ravages of cancer. The ceremony is a solemn way to honor those who have faced the dreaded disease and won the battle, and also a time to remember the many who were overcome by cancer and lost the fight.

Bevill State Community College (BSCC) is announcing that the career tech programs slated
to close, as announced on April 18, will remain open. The programs include Auto Body
Repair, Diesel Mechanics Technology, Automotive Technician, Advanced Design
Engineering, and Machine Tool Technology. After meeting with local business and
industry leaders, the College understands that there is a demand in the career tech fields.
In light of this decision, BSCC will be reviewing curriculum and working to improve the

Hubbertville School held its high school awards day on May 8.  The following awards were presented: Class of 2018: Carley Anthony – Bevill Academic Honors Scholarship, A/B Honor Roll, President’s Education Award; Amber Bobo – Spencer Benton Memorial Scholarship, A/B Honor Roll, Highest Average English 12;  

Hubbertville School presented the following awards to its elementary students for the 2017-18 school year. Kindergarten: (Jones) Citizenship Award – Eric Taylor, Callie Bosch; Certificate of Participation – Denver Aldridge, Kolston Ashby, Callie Bosch, Rivers Burgess, AlliAnna Cox, Rylee Cox, Tanner Guyton, Maci Hall, Lucas Hallmark, Camryn Hughes, Anna Johnson, Jabe Morris, Cameron Parks, Skylar Sturkie, Eric Taylor, Ellie Tidwell, Gavin Walker, Amelia Watts:  

An estimated 500 people attended the 21st annual “March for Jesus” walk and rally held in downtown Fayette on Saturday, May 19. Marchers arrived early for the event and at 9 a.m., the march began at the Depot Museum and concluded at the parking lot adjacent to the First Baptist Church on Temple Avenue. When the marchers reached the parking lot, balloons with Bible verses attached were released in a segment of the event that is known as the “Balloon Bless.”

The Fayette County Cattlemen Association held its annual PCA Rodeo in Fayette on May 18-19. The rodeo was held at the Fayette County Multi-Purpose Complex Center.

A Fayette resident died Friday, May 18 when the vehicle that he was driving struck the front of a building located in the Fayette Housing Authority. Chester Wilson, age 55 of Fayette, was driving a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer when witnesses say the vehicle veered toward the apartment building and crashed into the brick divider between two of the apartments. Emergency personnel was immediately called and upon arrival, found that Wilson was unresponsive.

Fayette County Engineer Luke Porter again discussed his equipment needs and concerns with the Fayette County Commission during its May 15 meeting. Porter reviewed his priorities for equipment needs for the county road crew. He said that a 1/2 ton truck is needed for the superintendent, a one ton truck for the pipe/ditching crew, a mini-excavator, chip spreader, distributor truck, asphalt spreader, grader, tractor, and Bush-Hog. He said the total estimated cost for all of this equipment is approximately $945,000

The Fayette County Board of Education approved the non-renewal of nine teachers in the system during its May 15 meeting. All board members were present for the meeting. Prior to the start of the business session of the meeting, Superintendent Jim Burkhalter recognized the Valedictorians and Salutatorians at each of the area schools. Anna Corkerin and Maggie Herren of Berry High School, and Anna Kate Pinkerton and Luke Avery of Fayette County High School were present for the recognition.

Dennis Stripling, the newly elected Executive Director of the West Alabama Regional Commission, addressed the Glen Allen Town Council during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 1. Following standard opening procedures for the meeting, Mayor Allen J. Dunavant introduced and welcomed Stripling. Stripling stated that although he had only been Executive Director of the Regional Commission for a short time, he had expressed to the board of directors his personal desire to visit with all municipalities and governing bodies within the seven counties which make up the Regional Commission.

Fayette County Memorial Library is proud to present the 2018 Summer Reading Program, “Libraries Rock!” from June 1 to July 20. The Summer Reading Program is comprised of the Summer Reading Challenge and a variety of events and programs offered throughout the summer. The Summer Reading Challenge asks patrons ages three to adult to pledge a number of books they believe they can read during the summer. If they meet their goals, they will receive a reading award and prize, and their names will be entered into a drawing for one of three grand prizes.

Bevill State Community College is announcing the cancellation of the remaining town hall meetings to be held on the Hamilton Campus on Thursday, May 17, the Jasper Campus on Monday, May 21, and the Fayette Campus on Thursday, May 24.  After listening to the concerns of our communities and industry, Dr. Kim Ennis, president of Bevill State, is in communication with leadership at the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) regarding the college re-evaluating program closures across the campuses.

Fayette County has been awarded federal funds made available through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program, Phase 35. Fayette County has been chosen to receive $8,005 for Phase 35 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.

Fayette County’s 21st “March for Jesus” celebration and prayer rally will be held Saturday, May 19, beginning at the Fayette Depot Museum and concluding at the First Baptist Church on Temple Avenue. The event has been held in Fayette each year since 1997, with the exception of 2003. March for Jesus is an annual interdenominational, global event that started in England in the 1980s before spreading to other countries. The first known march in the United States was held in Austin, Texas in 1989 and has been observed nationwide since 1992.

The 2018 Southeast Fiddle Championship and West Alabama Fiddle Fest appeared to be a huge success, based on the number of participants and the attendance of the two-day event. Committee member Glenn Taylor said that it appears the festival has found a new home.
“This has been a wonderful weekend,” he said. “Good venue, good attendance, wonderful support. We couldn’t be more pleased.”