Wilhite Enterprises Inc. of Opelika began work on an emergency water line in the Swagg area last week to bring water to Randolph County.Mark Prestridge, manager of the Randolph County Water, Sewer and Fire Protection Authority, said Wilhite has as many as five crews working on this project.The dry season hit early this year, and…
Last month several Wedowee merchants met to determine if there was any interest to form a local merchants association in town. Out of this meeting the Wedowee Area Merchants association was formed to help promote, preserve and improve the downtown area. The group will use the 2004 Small Town Design Initiative prepared by the Auburn…
Randolph County will get another dentist next month when Dr. James Tyrer of LaGrange, Ga., opens an office in Roanoke. On Aug. 10, Tyrer plans to open an office in the former office of Dr. Reed on West Point Street. His main office is in LaGrange. Tyrer, who has been in practice for seven years,…
A Roanoke teenager was injured in a one-vehicle accident on Thursday night of last week on Doublehead Road. According to the report from Roanoke Police Department, Taylor Allen Jacobs, 19, of 360 Fincher Rd., traveling north in his 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse and attempting to maneuver around a curve. The vehicle left skid marks on the…
French-Hammond Park, on the outskirts of Wedowee, has come a long way. But Chris and Lynne Hammond said there is still much work to do before the park’s potential is fully realized. The Randolph County High School baseball and softball teams played their games at French-Hammond for the first time during the 2007 season, but…
Nick Saban caused a stir in Alabama recently (What else is new?) when he just mentioned he would like to schedule teams like Notre Dame, USC, Penn State and Ohio State in the future. He just mentioned Notre Dame as one of the teams he would like to see on Alabama’s schedule, but a lot…
Success breeds success. That is the motto the Woodland Bobcats’ football team has lived by in the weight room this summer. Over the last three years, the Bobcats have made successful runs in the state playoffs, earning their spot as one of the elite high school football teams in the state. And according to head…
We know now that low water levels in Alabama reservoirs, including Lake Wedowee, have been lower than they should have been due to drought alone. We know now that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the flow of water into Alabama rivers from Georgia, has been violating its own policies and sending us…
Here I go again. Another column on football. I’m sorry people, I really am, but the pigskin has put a mark on me — a brand if you will. I’m a football guy, and I apologize for being so excited about fall, but I can’t help it. Let’s talk about college football, shall we? I…
A flyover of Randolph County on July 19 yielded no marijuana plants. According to Chief Deputy William Dillard, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and Alabama Reserve conducted the eradication exercise. Law enforcement agencies participating were Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and Reserves, Roanoke Police Department and Wedowee Police Department. Arrests July 23 – Barbara Akins, 43,…
“When I was in the ballpark, I felt like I was surrounded by angels and I had God’s hand on my shoulder.” —Hank Aaron When I was growing up in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, baseball glowed. The players were like gods. Kids looked up to them and wanted to emulate them. They stood…
If this summer of drought has reminded us of one thing, it’s that water is precious. While drought conditions may be slowly improving, many parts of our state are still feeling the effects and will for quite some time. The shortage of water this summer has negatively affected almost everyone. From business owners to weekend…
WEDOWEE – Wedowee Hospital Board will receive an offer in writing from Tanner Health Systems when it meets in August. Loy Howard, CEO of Tanner, met with the board during its regular meeting on Thursday night of last week. He told the group he is impressed with Wedowee Hospital’s management team and resources. Additionally, he…
WEDOWEE – Wedowee Town Council members were informed during their recent meeting of a new Mexican restaurant coming to the county. Luis Gomez, who owns Mexican restaurants in Carrollton and Hiram, Ga., told the council he is opening a restaurant in the former Hillbilly’s Restaurant, north of Wedowee. Gomez inquired about the process of being…
The last 50 years haven’t been easy for the counties I represent (Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph and portions of Lee and Cherokee). Like other rural areas, we’ve been caught in a changing economy and watched our job base decline and too many young people leave. But things are changing. The signs are all around us…
The Roanoke Police Department executed a search warrant Thursday that resulted in multiple drug charges being lodged against a Roanoke man, Chief Adam Melton said. Officers and investigators executed the warrant at approximately 11 a.m. at the 219 Centerway Drive, Apartment A residence of Kenneth Gerson “Mert” Pike, 39, the chief said. When they entered…
They that go down to the sea in ships, That do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, And his wonders in the deep. Psalms 107:23-24 (KJV) One of my great regrets in life is that apart from my occasional ventures out deep-sea fishing for a day, I have never actually…
Randolph Medical Center has been selected from the state by the Alabama Department of Public Health to partner with them to potentially obtain a $1.6-million federal grant that will be awarded in September. RMC administrator Tim Harlin said a major part of the reason the state department selected RMC to partner with was the commitment…
Defense attorneys for the Rev. Robert Stanley Daniel waived the scheduled July 24 preliminary hearing, according to Assistant District Attorney Amy Newsome. The prosecution’s next step would normally be to carry the case to the grand jury, which begins meeting Aug. 13. If the grand jury returns an indictment, the next step would be arraignment…
(ROANOKE) Services for Mildred Cummings Pike, 74, of Roanoke will be Thursday, July 19, 2007, at 2 p.m. at Forest Home Congregational Christian Church, with the Rev. Bill Calhoun and the Rev. Stoney Halsey officiating. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery. The family will receive friends at Quattlebaum Funeral Home from 5:30 to 8;30…