The Woodland Lady Bobcats volleyball team is still playing excellently in the early days of October. Woodland, ranked fifth in the last state volleyball poll, has continued winning over the last two weeks. The Lady Bobcats scored wins over Ranburne, 3-0, Cleburne County, 3-1, and Randolph County, 3-0, before falling to Horseshoe Bend, 3-2, and…

Sometimes I like to imagine the SEC as Europe in the early parts of the Middle Ages. Or at least the Middle Ages portrayed in fantasy movies and literature. After the fall of the Roman empire, Europe was a vast expanse of chaos and fighting between regional groups and infant nations. Think about the movie…

Now that the calendar has flipped to October, there are a few observations that we can make about the SEC football season so far this season. First, LSU and Alabama are as good as advertised. They both have defenses that can shut down almost any offense, not just in the conference but perhaps in the…

(DAVISTON) Darryl Thomas, 46, of Daviston died Monday, Oct. 3, 2011, at University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham. Services will be at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Wadley on Friday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Cornelius Reese officiating. Mr. Thomas will lie in state at the church one hour before the service.…

(GRAND BAY) Funeral services for Julia Davidson Browning, 84, of Grand Bay, formerly of Randolph and Clay counties, were at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, at Benefield Funeral Chapel, Wedowee, with the Rev. Bobby Burroughs officiating. Burial followed in Lineville City Cemetery. Mrs. Browning died Thursday, Sept. 29, at Providence Hospital in Mobile. Mrs.…

(DELTA) A memorial service for Mr. Jimmie P. Gray, 72, of Delta will be Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, at 1 p.m. at his farm. Mr. Gray died Sunday, Oct. 2, at his residence. A Wedowee native, he was a former resident of Manila, Iowa, where he had worked as the manager of a corn seed…

(RICHLAND, Wash.) Esther Brazzell of Richland, Wash., died Oct. 1, 2011. She was born Nov. 22, 1924, in Wedowee, Ala., to John and Effie Howell. Esther married Hubert Brazzell on June 1, 1947, in Phenix City. They had been married 52 years when Hubert passed away on Aug. 16, 1999. Esther lived her life to…

(MATAMORAS, Pa.) Mildred Edna Ludwig “GG” Burkhalter, 90, of Heaters Hill, Matamoras, Pa., formerly of Roanoke, died Sept. 30, 2011, at Belle Reve Senior Living Center. She was born Aug. 6, 1921, in Secaucus (North Bergen), N.J. She was a licensed beautician and telephone operator. Additionally, she was a member of Roanoke United Methodist Church,…

(LINEVILLE) Funeral services for Wanda G. Finch, 60, of Lineville, will be Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at 11 a.m. at Benefield Funeral Home in Lineville with Bro. James Bolan and Bro. Benny Moore officiating. Burial will follow in Cedarwood Cemetery in Roanoke. Mrs. Finch died Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega.…

(WEDOWEE) Funeral services for Margie Pool Gray, 63, of Wedowee will be Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at 11 a.m. at Benefield Funeral Chapel with Bro. Mike Rollins officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery. Mrs. Gray died Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Wedowee Hospital. Mrs. Gray was born May 2, 1948, the daughter…

(COLUMBUS, Ga.) Carolyn Myers Lavender, 82, of Columbus, Ga., died Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011, at St. Francis Hospital. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 30, at Parkhill Cemetery. Mrs. Lavender was born Oct. 16, 1928, in Columbus, daughter of the late Charles Oliver Myers and DeLa Davison Myers. She was a…

(CARROLLTON, Ga.) Mary Grace Washington Bishop Guyton, 80, of Carrollton, Ga., died Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, at Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton. She was born Oct. 22, 1930, the daughter of the late James Lester Washington and Ruby Kate Lovin Washington. She was a homemaker. She is survived by her daughter, Wanda Sue Clayton of…

WEDOWEE- “Whenever we get out of hand, spank us on the hand and say, ‘Watch your spending!’” Commissioner Lathonia Wright told county administrator Cindy Arrington as he congratulated her and the staff on a balanced budget. During its meeting Monday, Randolph County Commission approved its budget for fiscal year 2011-2012. Commissioner Doyle Allen said the…

WEDOWEE–Randolph County Board of Education approved a budget of more than $15 million during its meeting on Sept. 15. The system, which serves close to 2,300 students, expects to receive $16,209,576 in revenues. That’s $12,386,283 from the state, $1,380,427 in federal funds and $2,442,866 from local sources. Its expenditures will include an estimated $10,391,970 for…