This issue of The Randolph Leader is Number 1, Volume 115. That means the paper is beginning its 115th year of operation. In September of 1892 the first four-page Leader rolled off the hand-cranked, hand-fed press.That was a time when each community of any size at all had one or more newspapers since newspapers were…

(ROANOKE) Services for Lera Atkins Townley, 75, of Roanoke will be Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006, at 2 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church with the Rev. Richard Richie officiating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memory Gardens. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Mrs. Townley…

Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Henry W. Hawthorne, a married man, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for Coldwell Banker Mortgage, on the 15th day of September 2005, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Randolph…

Woodland’s varsity volleyball team continued its winning ways over the past week, winning best three-of-five sets against Beulah and Handley. Against Beulah on Thursday of last week, the Woodland Lady Bobcats won the first two games 25-20 and 25-15, but Beulah claimed victory in the third by a 25-19 score. In the fourth game, Woodland…

(LYNN HAVEN, Fla.) Howard Gene Cooper, 75, of Lynn Haven, Fla., died Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. He had been a resident of the Lynn Haven area since 1970, coming from Okinawa, Japan. He was in the United States Air Force for 22 years and was a decorated veteran. He enjoyed volunteering for Covenant Hospice and…

DADEVILLE – For the second straight week the Handley Tigers went into the locker room at halftime locked in a tense battle with a formidable region foe. And for the second straight week things unravelled in the second half as the Tigers fell to 0-3 on the season with a 28-7 loss to Dadeville. Handley…

We’re just three weeks into the 2006 college football season and the new clock management rules intended to shorten the average college contest already have the vast majority of college coaches in an uproar. But I’m not sure I really understand why. If you’re not familiar with the rules, here’s what all the hullabaloo is…

I learned a while back that we the people of Alabama are paying for the upkeep of Hank Williams’ grave. And his wife Audrey’s, too, right there beside him. Well, finally our tax money is going for something worthwhile – in addition to teachers’ salaries, thank you very much. We are picking up the tab…

(LINEVILLE) Services for Mr. Bonnie Whaley, 73, of Lineville were Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006, at 11 a.m. at Barfield Baptist Church with the Rev. Don Carroll, the Rev. Wayne Adams and Dr. Wayne A. Stephens officiating. Burial followed in the adjoining cemetery. Mr. Whaley died Thursday, Sept. 14, at his residence. He was a native…

(VALLEY) Martha LeMerle Brand Birdsong, 86, of Valley, formerly of Roanoke, died Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006, at Lanier Memorial Nursing Home. Surviving are children Bobbie Hester of Valley, Pat Hudson of Opelika, Howard Birdsong of Kingsland, Texas, and &#8220adopted daughter” Brenda Perry of Valley; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in…

(WEDOWEE) Roy Minnifield Sr. of 10717 County Road 15, Wedowee, died Monday, Sept. 18, 2006, at his home. Services will be Friday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Co. Rd. 15, Wedowee, with the Rev. William Dillard and the Rev. Henry Sterling officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Survivors…

(WEDOWEE) Services for Maye Cofield Strain, 97, of Wedowee will be Monday, Sept. 18, 2006, at 10 a.m. at Wedowee First Baptist Church, with the Rev. Don Paris officiating. Burial will follow in Wedowee City Cemetery. Mrs. Strain died Friday, Sept. 15, at Wedowee Hospital. Mrs. Strain is survived by a host of nieces and…

(ROANOKE) William C. “Bill” Gordy, 73, of Roanoke died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at his home. Survivors include his wife, Iris CoRene Gordy; two daughters, Brenda Sue Baker of San Antonio, Texas, and Memory Dawn Nichols of Roanoke; two sisters, Rosalee Roberts of Columbus, Ga., and Shirley Thomas of Phenix City; a brother, Lamar Gordy…

(LAGRANGE,Ga.) Ralph Lamar Smith Jr., 59, of LaGrange died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006, at West Georgia Medical Center. Mr. Smith was born Oct. 1, 1946, in LaGrange, son of Ilene Carr Rushing and the late Ralph Lamar Smith Sr. He was employed at Aerotran LaGrange. Survivors, in addition to his mother, include his wife, Shirley…

(DAYTON, Ohio) Carolyn Christine Smith, 64, of Dayton, Ohio, died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006. She was a native of Roanoke and resided in Dayton for more than 40 years. She was a member of Collegiate Heights Church of Christ and a retiree of Mary Scott Nursing Home. Christine was preceded in death by her father,…

(WEDOWEE) Services for Calvin C. Weaver, 80, of Wedowee were Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006, at 2 p.m. at Liberty Grove Congregational Methodist Church, with the Rev. Greg Norred and the Rev. Bobby Jones officiating. Burial was in the adjoining cemetery. Mr. Weaver died Friday, Sept. 15, at his home. Mr. Weaver is survived by his…

(BIRMINGHAM) Services for J.D. “Mickey” Ussery Jr., 82, of Birmingham, formerly of Roanoke, will be Friday, Sept. 15, 2006, at 1 p.m. at Quattlebaum Funeral Chapel, with the Rev. Paul Messer officiating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memory Gardens. Mr. Ussery died Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Beverly Riverchase in Hoover. Survivors include one son, Daryl…

(WEDOWEE) Services for Sara Frances Mitchell Loveless, 60, of Wedowee will be Friday, Sept. 15, 2006, at 2 p.m. at Mt. Grove Baptist Church, with the Rev. I.C. Holloway, the Rev. Tim Whaley and Sara Carson officiating. Mrs. Loveless will lie in state at the church one hour before the service. Burial will follow in…