(LAGRANGE, Ga.) Billy Fred McCain, 80, of LaGrange, Ga., died Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, at West Georgia Medical Center, LaGrange.Mr. McCain was born Oct. 20, 1927, in Randolph County, Ala., the son of the late Myrtle Lee Huey McCain and the late Olin Grady McCain. Mr. McCain retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years…

(MUNFORD) Services for Catherine S. Wallace, 79, of Munford were Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, at 2 p.m., at Talladega Funeral Home with the Revs. Joe Brown, Luke Camara and Roger Young officiating. Burial followed at Pine Hill Memorial Park. Mrs. Wallace died Friday, Jan. 4, at her home. She is survived by her husband, Kennith…

(NEWELL) Jean Roberta Wiggins, 62, of Newell died Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Mrs. Wiggins was born Sept. 28, 1945, to the late Claude and Lilla Douglas Tucker. She was a homemaker and was a member of Antioch Baptist Church in Newell. Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Wiggins, and son, Ken Wiggins, both of Newell; brother,…

(ROANOKE) Services for jasper Bruner Stewart Jr., 83, of Roanoke will be Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, at 2 p.m. at Benefield Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Bobby Burroughs officiating. Burial will follow at Highway First Congregational Methodist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday, Jan. 6, from noon until 2 p.m. at the…

(ANNISTON) Services for William Merrill “Bill” Horton, 80, of Anniston will be 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, at Gray Brown-Service Mortuary Chapel with the Revs. Jimmy Russell, Jason Gurley and Mike Farrell officiating. Burial will follow at Forestlawn Gardens. Mr. Horton passed away Tuesday, Jan. 1, at his residence. Survivors include his wife, Bobbie…

(MABLETON, Ga.) Marvalene Prince Philpott, 86, of Mableton, Ga. died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008 at the Lexington (S.C.) Medical Center Extended Care Center. She was born on April 3, 1921 in Roanoke, daughter of William Ezekiel Prince and Carrie Maud Prince. Marvalene grew up in Roanoke and was married to Woodie Wyatt Philpott. They lived…

(WEDOWEE) Services for Lum Pierce Whaley, 81, of Wedowee will be Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008, at 2 p.m. at Benefield Funeral Chapel, with the Revs. Max Cummings officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Benefield Funeral Home. Mr. Whaley…

(WADLEY) Services for Elva Mabelle Noles Stewart, 90, of Wadley will be Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008, a 2 p.m. at Corinth Christian Church, with the Rev. Gordon Taylor and the Rev. Jerry Patterson officiating. Burial will follow in the Forresters Chapel Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Quattlebaum Funeral Home from 5 to 8…

(WEDOWEE) Sallie Mae Dukes, 88, of Wedowee, died Wednesday, Jan 2, 2008, at Wedowee Hospital. Services will be Saturday, Jan. 5, at 1 p.m. at Friendship Baptist Church, Wadley, with the Rev. Calvin Trammell officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Survivors include her husband, Albert Dukes of Wedowee; and three daughters, Mary Heard…

RANDOLPH COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: ESTATE OF WANDA CLACK NOTICE Notice is hereby given that Sherrilyn Yarbrough has filed a Petition for Final Settlement of the Guardianship of Wanda Clack. A hearing on this Petition has been set for the 22nd of Jan., 2008, at 11 a.m. Notice is hereby given that anyone having an…

NEWELL – Two people were arrested following the discovery of a methamphetamine operation in Newell. According to reports from Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the bust happened on Dec. 26 at approximately 8:46 p.m. at 16576 County Rd. 82, the home of John Edward Traylor. Probation officers were seeking Savannah Lynn Conn, 21, of 898 County…

(ROANOKE) Services for Robert Michael Stephens, 60, of Roanoke will be Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, at 10 a.m. at Quattlebaum Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Don Quick officiating. Burial will follow at Concord Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3.…

A story in last Thursday’s Birmingham News was about Jefferson County, but it served as a reminder of how fortunate we are in Randolph County to have the level of fire protection we enjoy. The News story was accompanied by a map showing the many areas of Alabama’s most populous county that have no fire…

RANDOLPH COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF CLARENCE HAROLD HALL NOTICE TO FILE CLAIMS Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Jean C. Hall on the 18th day of December, 2007, by the Honorable George Diamond, Judge of Probate of Randolph County, Alabama, notice is hereby given to all persons having claims…

So here we are facing a bright, shiny, new year to start over, to once again try get it right, or work towards making it more right, knowing in the back of our minds we will never reach what we aspire to be or do. However, that shouldn’t stop us. Most of us can be…

Gather round the fireside, children, while Uncle Gene entertains and amazes you with his stunning predictions of things to come — predictions that in the past have proved 99.44 percent baloney. Here is a month-by-month preview of 2008: January: Football’s Super Bowl is staged in Phoenix with more hype than the Parousia. College football’s national…

I don’t know whether it was intentional or not, but there appears to be something seriously wrong with the campaign financial reports filed under the Fair Campaign Practices Act by the campaigns of Gov. Bob Riley in 2002 and 2006. We reported in The Montgomery Independent last week that in those campaigns, Gov. Riley’s campaign…

U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) will join the residents of Randolph County for a county visit on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 2 p.m. The visit, which is open to the public, will take place in the courtroom at Roanoke City Hall, located at 809 Main Street. Sen. Shelby will discuss his legislative agenda for the…

RANDOLPH COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JANE C. WHALEY, DECEASED A Summary Distribution of a Small Estate being probated by the Office of the Probate Court of Randolph County, Alabama, the Honorable George Diamond, Judge of Probate of Randolph County, Alabama, does hereby give notice that all persons having claims against said estate…

RANDOLPH COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: FRED MIDDLEBROOKS, DECEASED NOTICE TO FILE CLAIMS Letters Testamentary on the estate of Fred Middlebrooks, deceased, having been granted to the undersigned on the 21st day of December, 2007, by the Judge of Probate of said County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate, are…