No, this is not about the Mrs. Santa Claus outfit advertised in “Costumes for all occasions.”This is about what my 22-year old son gave me for Christmas.A little background.After a pretty uneventful boyhood (knocked-out teeth, broken arm, emergency surgery when he was at camp, that sorta thing), my son settled into his teenage years and…
Some of us can recall when Art Linkletter did a segment on his radio show called “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” He would ask questions of children and in their wonderful innocence they would give answers that often made us laugh. I read or hear comments from politicians that deserve to also be called “the…
(ROANOKE) Funeral services for Mabrey Gerald Stitt, 82, of Roanoke, will be Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church with the Revs. Jeff Burns, Larry Armstrong and Tim Whaley officiating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memory Gardens. Mr. Stitt died Tuesday, Jan. 27, at East Alabama Medical Center. A lifelong Randolph…
(LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.) Funeral services for Ernestine Finch, 73, of Lawrenceville, Ga., will be Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Riley Street, with the Revs. Gilbert Staples and Jeffery Rosser officiating. Burial will follow at Skyview Memorial Gardens in the Welch community. Ms. Finch died Sunday, Jan. 25, in Roanoke. A…
(ROANOKE) Mattie Crowder Emory Smedley, 90, of Roanoke died Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at Wedowee Hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m. at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in Roanoke (Welch community) with Dr. Mario McDaniel officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Mrs. Smedley is survived by a son, Rickey…
(WADLEY) Funeral services for Ruby Anna Heard Daniel, 80, of Wadley, formerly of Florence, were Monday, Jan. 26, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Mt. Springs Baptist Church with the Revs. Chris Underwood and Jimmy Sprayberry officiating. Burial followed at Wadley City Cemetery. Mrs. Daniel died Friday, Jan. 23, at East Alabama Medical Center. A Randolph…
(ROANOKE) Funeral services for Jimmy Baird, 82, of Roanoke will be Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, at 2 p.m. at Roanoke First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Ralph Barrow officiating. Burial will follow at Cedarwood Cemetery. Mr. Baird died Sunday, Jan. 25, at his residence. A Roanoke native, Mr. Baird was born Aug. 31, 1932,…
(ROANOKE) Funeral services for Maurine V. Olds, 88, of Roanoke will be Monday, Jan. 26, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church with the Rev. Jeff Burns officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Louisville, Ala. Mrs. Olds died Saturday, Jan. 24, at Columbus Hospice House. A Barbour County native,…
Manuel Durward Patterson, 83, died Jan. 22, 2015, at his residence. Mr. Patterson was born in Carroll County, Ga., on April 23, 1931, the son of the late Letha Powers Patterson and Manuel Patterson. He was a veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Patterson was a Christian and was retired from Lockheed Martin…
(NEWELL) Larry Laney, 62, of Newell died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015, at Regional Medical Center in Anniston. The funeral will be Monday, Jan. 26, at 11 a.m. CST at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Wadley with the Revs. William Russell and Douglas Jones officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Mr. Laney is survived…
(ALABASTER) Jack Chalkley Awbrey, 84, of Alabaster was born Sept. 21, 1930, and died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. A graveside service was held at Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo. He was predeceased by his parents, Henry Pate and Mattie Willie Awbrey. Jack was a U.S. Air Force veteran and later graduated from Auburn University with…
(LOUDON, Tenn.) Gregory Barton Hewett, 59, of Loudon, Tenn., died Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Harrison Cemetery, Loudon, with the Rev. Brian Courtney officiating. Born in Atlanta, Greg graduated from Druid Hills High School. He relocated to East Tennessee with family and reestablished his Loudon…
(OPELIKA) Travis Hambrick, 34, of Opelika, died Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015, at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika. The funeral will be Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. CST at Macedonia Baptist Church in Five Points with the Rev. Tommy Carwell, pastor, officiating and the Rev. Joe Cofield, eulogist. Burial will follow at Rock Mills…
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) Funeral service for Charles Edward Crook, 66, of Charlotte, N.C. will be Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. at Greater Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. Hershal Taylor officiating. Interment will follow in Dogwood Trail Cemetery. His remains will arrive at the church one hour prior to his service. Mr. Crook died…
RCHS took the floor last Thursday against Woodland with an air of confidence that only emanates from a first-place team. The Tigers were entering their second game since clinching first place in Class 2A, area 10, and they played like the area’s team to beat. The boys knocked off Woodland 70-45 to cap a two-game…
The Handley Tigers have hit a midseason swoon that has put their hopes of hosting the area tournament in peril. After starting the season 13-1, Handley was 1-3 in its last four games heading into Tuesday’s game against Cleburne County. Two of those losses were crucial area games against Childersburg and Leeds that left Handley…
As individuals, organizations, and those associated with Wedowee Hospital work to bring a new hospital to the county, this area is fortunate to have two ambulance services that wish them the best. An earlier story was done on Emergency Medical Transport in Roanoke. This one is on Southern Ambulance Transport, Inc., based in Wedowee. Shane…
There were two very successful and well-attended Martin Luther King, Jr. Day activities in the Roanoke area on Monday, hosted by the Randolph County Chapter of the Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC). The first was a sold-out Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Prayer Breakfast, which took place Monday morning at 431 Banquet Hall south of Roanoke. …
Each year, SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology) hosts a training event on the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This year approximately 200 people came from six states, including a number of towns in Alabama, to participate in SIFAT’s 48-hour Slum Experience. The staff and volunteers for 48 hours lived out the roles…
Average retail gasoline prices in Alabama have fallen 5.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.92/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 3,348 gas outlets in Alabama. This compares with the national average that has fallen 5.8 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.05/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.…