The highway she’s hotter than nine kinds of hell        The rides they as scarce as the rain        When you’re down to your last shove with nothing to  sell        And too far away from the train.                    Billy Joe Shaver “Ride Me Down Easy”    Here’s a bit of…

Well, the American public has dictated to a reluctant government its solution to the economic woes: Cut taxes, balance the budget, repeal health care, stop sending jobs to China, and don’t mess with Social Security, Medicare or the armed forces. Good. Now we can get down to the really substantial issue: How much should we…

(ROANOKE) Wanda G. Shelnutt Higgins, 63, of Roanoke died Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, at Wedowee Hospital. A private family memorial service will be held at a later date. A Randolph County native, Ms. Higgins was born on March 8, 1950, the daughter of John Dorsey and Grace Richardson Shelnutt. She was an assembler at Candlewick…

(VILLA RICA, Ga.) Maxwell Quinton Ballard of Villa Rica died Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013. Memorial services will be conducted at a later date. He was born in Randolph County, Ala., the son of the late James Millard Ballard and the late Annie Eula Maxwell Ballard. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service after many years…

(ALABASTER) Graveside services for Lucy Staples Wood, 88, of Alabaster will be Monday, Dec. 23, 2013, at 3 p.m. at Cedarwood Cemetery. Mrs. Wood died Wednesday, Dec. 18, after a brief illness. Mrs. Wood was born and raised in the Roanoke area and spent several years in Colorado. The last ten years were spent in…

(WADLEY) Funeral services for Jones Neil Caldwell, 73, of Wadley will be Friday, Dec. 27, 2013, at 2 p.m. at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Wadley with the Revs. Richie Farrow and Alan Hurst officiating. Burial will immediately follow in the adjoining cemetery. Mr. Caldwell died Thursday, Dec. 19, at Trinity Hospital in Birmingham. A…

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Melba ‘Polly’ Zachery Cospy, 92, of Riverside, Calif., formerly of Five Points, died Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, at her residence. The funeral will be Saturday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. St. Paul United Methodist Church in Five Points with pastor Cecelia Broome officiating. Burial will follow at Skyview Memorial Gardens in the Welch…

(MARIETTA, Ga.) Anthony C. Joiner, 57, of Marietta, Ga., formerly of Lineville, died Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, at his residence. The funeral will be Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m. at Springhill Missionary Baptist Church in Lineville with the Rev. Tramaine Solomon, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Community Cemetery in Lineville. Mr. Joiner is…

(PHENIX CITY) James Marshall McManus, 84, of Phenix City died Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, at Columbus Hospice House. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. EST Friday, Dec. 20, at Smiths Station Baptist Church with the Revs. David Keys, Jimmie Hobbs and Rusty Arnett officiating. Burial will follow in Lakeview Memory Gardens. Mr. McManus was…

(LaGRANGE, Ga.) Paul Costley, 77, of LaGrange, Ga., died Dec. 17, 2013, at his residence. The funeral will be Thursday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m. CST at Providence Baptist Church in Woodland, Ala., with the Rev. Lamar Womack officiating. The remains will lie in state at the church one hour prior to the service. Interment…

(CARROLLTON, Ga.) Richard W. “Dick” Wright of Carrollton died Dec. 16, 2013. Funeral services will be Thursday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m. EDT at the chapel of Rainwater Funeral Home. The Rev. Ed Grooms will officiate and Lucy Herren will offer a eulogy. Jerry Rogers will provide the music. Interment will follow at Bethlehem Campground…

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Albert Lee Holloway and Jo Ann Holloway, husband and wife, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for Accredited Home Lenders, Inc., on the 25th day of January, 2006, said mortgage recorded…

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Billy Higgins, an unmarried person, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for Compass Bank, on the 18th day of December, 2009, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of…

STATE OF ALABAMA RANDOLPH COUNTY PROBATE COURT NOTICE TO FILE CLAIMS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JERRY JULIAN BRAZEAL, DECEASED Letters Testamentary on the estate of Jerry Julian Brazeal, deceased, having been granted to the undersigned on the 12th day of Dec., 2013, by the Judge of Probate of said County, notice is…

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE STATE OF ALABAMA RANDOLPH COUNTY Default having been made in the payment of the debt secured by that certain mortgage executed by MICHAEL K. BUTLER, Mortgagor, to SYNOVUS BANK formerly known as C B & T, Mortgagee, on July 23, 2004, said mortgage being recorded in the Probate…

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE STATE OF ALABAMA RANDOLPH COUNTY Default having been made in the payment of the debt secured by that certain mortgage executed by MICHAEL K. BUTLER, Mortgagor, to SYNOVUS BANK formerly known as Columbus Bank and Trust Company, as successor in interest through name change and by merger with…

STATE OF ALABAMA RANDOLPH COUNTY MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made in the terms of that Mortgage executed on the 8th day of July, 2009 by Phillip M. Ray, Sr. and Andrea C. Ray to I.B. Moore, which said mortgage is recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Randolph County, Alabama, in…