Nestled on the upper side of Resaca, Georgia near Rocky Face Ridge, Fount P. Randle longed for home and family. He was too tired to write a letter, so he just soaked a piece of hardtack in water to soften it enough to eat, and then went to sleep with one eye open. The next…

(VALLEY) John D. Taylor, 87, of Valley died Friday, April 2, 2010, at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika. The funeral was Monday, April 5, at 2 p.m. EDT at Langdale Congregational Christian Church in Valley with Dr. Kenneth Holt officiating. Burial followed at Fairfax Cemetery. Mr. Taylor is survived by his wife of 64…

I’m usually a little preoccupied with things I shouldn’t be preoccupied with. If it’s not fall, I’m still thinking about football. And admittedly, that’s a bit of a disservice to all the kids in this county that excel at a sport other than football. Well, something caught my eye this week. Something that I—and I’m…

A year after the April 22, 2009 public hearing on re-routing of Alabama Highway 22 in Roanoke, the project is taking a step forward with the second public hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 16. The exact route is unknown, but where 22 meets North Main Street at the American Legion building in Roanoke it is…

Randolph County Narcotics Unit has executed several search warrants and made numerous arrests over the past two months. The cases include: Danny Trae Mayfield, 20, of 1704, County Rd. 71, Woodland, and Dustin Lee McCormick, 19, of 390 County Rd. 481, Woodland, were arrested on March 31 in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot after a…

Rep. Johnny Mack (his folks were Alabama fans) Morrow, D-Red Bay, has proposed, once again, to replace our state song “Alabama,” with the more familiar, more popular, “Stars Fell On Alabama.” Now every time something like this comes up to keep the legislature from dealing with mundane things like tax reform I ask myself “don’t…

WADLEY–The Wadley Town Council agreed Monday night to award the low bid to dismantle the old water tower next to town hall. By Tuesday the low bidder, David H. Corson of Top Knotch Tree Services, was beginning the process of taking down the 50 plus-year-old tank made of quarter-inch steel in exchange for the scrap…

Last season at this time of the year, everybody was convinced that Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead was the next big thing in the Southeastern Conference. Of course, Tim Tebow was the biggest thing, but the experts were convinced that Snead and the Rebels were in for a big season. So much for that. Tebow…

(LaFAYETTE) The funeral for Earl H. Gillespie, 81, of LaFayette will be Wednesday, April 7, 2010, at 2 p.m. at Quattlebaum Funeral Chapel with the Revs. Frank Foster and Greg Norred officiating. Burial will follow in Randolph Memory Gardens, Roanoke. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5 to 8 p.m. on…

(ROANOKE) The funeral for Rebecca Sue “Becky” Norred, 65, of Roanoke, will be Monday, April 5, 2010, at 2 p.m. at Fellowship Baptist Church with the Rev. Shannon Mapp officiating. Burial will follow at the adjoining cemetery. Mrs. Norred will lie in state at the church for one hour prior to services beginning at 1…

(LaGRANGE, Ga.) Eddie Clyde Laney, 66, of LaGrange, Ga., died Thursday, April 1, 2010, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Mr. Laney was born Sept. 5, 1943, in Woodland, Ala., son of the late Clyde Aubrey and Irma Nell Crenshaw Laney. He retired from West Georgia R.E.S.A. and was a veteran of the U.S. Air…

(PROSPERITY, S.C.) Mary Frances Platt Stone, 84, died Monday, March 15, 2010, of cancer at her residence. Born Nov. 20, 1925, in St. George, S.C., she was a daughter of Marshall LaRoche and Sally Fickling Platt. Mrs. Stone was predeceased by her parents, grandson, Hunter James Richardson and a brother, Marshall L. Platt Jr. Surviving…

(LaGRANGE, Ga.) Margaret Aughtman Eidson, 86, of LaGrange, Ga., died Friday, April 2, 2010, at Hospice LaGrange. Mrs. Eidson was born July 25, 1923, in Alabama, daughter of the late Jesse Aughtman and Pallie Hood Aughtman. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Eidson, and a daughter, Sherrill…

(HEFLIN) The funeral for Willie Mae Rasco, 94, of Heflin was at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3, 2010, at Liberty Hill Methodist Church with the Rev. Don Henley officiating. Burial followed at Liberty Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Rasco died Wednesday, March 31, at Regional Medical Center. She is survived by her daughter, Diane and husband Raymond…

(WOODLAND) Funeral services for Mattie Jo Willingham Bailey, 89, of Woodland will be Monday, April 5, 2010, at 2 p.m. at Oak Grove Church of Christ with Bro. Alan Daniel and Bro. Edward Herren officiating. Burial will follow at the adjoining cemetery. Mrs. Bailey will lie in state at the church for one hour prior…

(LaGRANGE, Ga.) Manley Mitchell, 87, of LaGrange, Ga., died Thursday, April 1, 2010, at West Georgia Medical Center. Mr. Mitchell was born Jan. 16, 1923, in Randolph County, Ala., son of the late Malcus A. and Rebecca Smith Mitchell. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He had lived in LaGrange since…

(WOODLAND) The funeral Marvin Luther Spradlin, 89, of Woodland will be Thursday, April 1, 2010, at 2 p.m. at Mount Carmel Church of Christ with Mark Carpenter and Rev. Donald Spradlin officiating. Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery. Mr. Spradlin died Tuesday, March 30, at Wedowee Hospital. Mr. Spradlin is survived by one daughter…

(WEDOWEE) The funeral for Jewell Bailey Fowler, 87, of Wedowee will be Saturday April 3, 2010, at 2 p.m. at New Home United Methodist Church with the Revs. Benny Cosper and im Robinson officiating. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery. Mrs. Fowler died Thursday, April 1, at her residence. Mrs. Fowler is survived by…

(EPHESUS, Ga.) Billy Wayne Smith, 73, of Ephesus, Ga., died Thursday, April 1, 2010, at his residence. Mr. Smith was born Aug. 10, 1936, in Heard County, Ga., to the late Jim and Maudie Mitchell Smith. He was the owner and operator of Billy Smith’s Auto Parts in Ephesus, and was of the Baptist faith.…

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs talked big when he fired Jeff Lebo as Auburn’s basketball coach. He talked about a nationwide search and how he was prepared to throw enough money at his new coach that he could attract a big name coach. After all, Auburn had a gleaming new basketball palace in place for…