As the anniversary of the BP oil spill approached I decided to check out the recovery of beaches that are near and dear to my heart. So after the annual meeting of the Alabama Historical Association, which was held in Daphne, I scooted down to the coast. The new “Hangout” at Gulf Shores is up…

The Wadley Bulldogs had a tough time overcoming errors and finding hits in a 2-0 series loss to Holy Spirit in the first round of the playoffs Friday. In game one, the Bulldogs had a solid pitching performance from starter Koty Tobin, who struck out five and walked none in six innings. But Holy Spirit…

The Handley Lady Tigers got back in gear after spring break by downing area opponent Central Coosa 4-0 last week, but suffered a three-game slide afterward. Against Central Coosa, the Handley defense was back to its normal mode of operation. Handley scored one run in the second, two runs in the third and one run…

Wait a minute. Is this real? Am I dreaming here? Is football being played on a diamond with a mound in the middle surrounded by four bases? Surely this isn’t spring, and I must be living in some dream within a dream a la the movie Inception. Woodland and Handley are both in the second…

Georgia coach Mark Richt has always been one of my favorite coaches. I’m talking about Richt as a person, not necessarily Richt as a coach. After his talk last week to the Bulldog Club in Jacksonville, Florida I like him even more. In case you missed it–and unless you are a big Georgia fan you…

Miss Peggy stumped her toe in the bathroom of Hotel Roanoke, and that’s how we came to occupy the Governor’s Suite for a night. Hotel Roanoke is one of the grande dames of Virginia hospitality, an English Tudor castle first opened in 1882 to accommodate the bigwigs of the Roanoke-based Norfolk & Western Railway. When…

(STROUD) Funeral services for Marilyn Stephens, 88, of Stroud will be Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at 2 p.m. at Five Points Methodist Church with the Revs. Russell Williams and Baxter Chisom officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Pisgah Church Cemetery, Stroud. Mrs. Stephens died at her residence on April 25. Born in Chambers County on…

(ROANOKE) Judy Magby Higgins, 57, of Clark Street, Roanoke, died Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at Wedowee Hospital. Visitation will be Friday, April 29, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Clark Memorial Funeral Service. The funeral will be Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m. at Peace and Goodwill Baptist Church with the pastor, Rev. L.B. Houston, and…

(ROANOKE) Services for Irma Mitchum Borders, 83, of Roanoke will be at Quattlebaum Funeral Home Chapel in Roanoke at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, with the Rev. Larry Armstrong officiating. The family will receive friends at Quattlebaum Funeral Home prior to the funeral beginning at 2 p.m. Interment followed at Randolph Memory Gardens.…

(WEDOWEE) Graveside services for infant Lleyton Gear Hinton of Wedowee will be Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at 11 a.m. at Wedowee City Cemetery. Survivors include his parents, Steven and Erin Brown Hinton of Wedowee; five brothers, Koi Pennington of Wedowee and Wes, Aaron, Bryant and Steven Hinton, all of Thomson, Ga.; his paternal grandparents, Raymond…

(WADLEY) Funeral services for Paul Parrish, 86, of Wadley will be Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at 2 p.m. at Hope Memorial Christian Church with the Rev. Bobby Burroughs officiating. Burial will follow at Forrester’s Chapel Cemetery. Mr. Parrish died Saturday, April 23, at Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega. A lifelong Randolph County resident, Mr.…

(LINEVILLE) Funeral services for Larry Paul “L.P.” Jones, 66, of Lineville will be Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at 2 p.m. at Liberty Grove Congregational Methodist Church, Wedowee, with the Revs. Greg Norred and Harold Pitts officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in the adjoining cemetery. Mr. Jones died Saturday, April 23, at his home.…

(LUBBOCK, Texas) Funeral service for Richard Duede, 27, of Lubbock, Texas, will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, 2011, in Shepherd King Lutheran Church with the Rev. Jerry Kaskela officiating. Richard died April 21 in Lubbock. He was born Jan. 11, 1984, in Lubbock. Richard attended Monterey High School. He was a carpenter by…

(NASHVILLE, Ga.) Eva Exum, 90, of Nashville, Ga., died Friday, Feb. 22, 2011, at Berrien Nursing Center in Nashville. Born Sept. 5, 1920, in Mitchell County, Ga., to the late George and Laura Atkins Simms, she was a homemaker and member of Flat Creek Baptist Church. She was married to the late Willie Exum. She…

(ROANOKE) Beatrice Smith Rowland, 84, a resident of Government Street, Roanoke, died Thursday, April 21, 2011, at her residence. The funeral for Mrs. Rowland was Monday, April 25, at 1p.m. at East Roanoke Pure Holiness Church of God in Roanoke. Pastor Timothy Wright officiated, along with elder Rodney Wright and minister Tom Staples Jr. Minister…

(ROANOKE) Funeral services for Marsha Re Allen of Roanoke were Friday, April 22, 2011,a t 1 p.m. at Rock Mills Baptist Church. The Revs. Jerome Fannin, L.B. Houston, Akhenaten Amon and Tom Staples officiated. Interment was in the church cemetery. Ms. Allen died Friday, April 15, at Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan. She was…

(LAFAYETTE) Charlotte Porter, 60, of LaFayette died Friday, April 22, 2011, at Bethany House Hospice, Auburn. Mrs. Porter was born in Dekalb County on April 17, 1951. She attended LaFayette Heights Baptist Church, LaFayette. Services will be at LaFayette Heights Baptist Church at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, with interment in LaFayette City Cemetery.…

The ad for Twister Data Services on Page 5B of the April 20 paper, is an apparent SCAM. Do NOT answer it.

(WEDOWEE) Graveside services for Wesley O. Woodard, 86, of Wedowee will be Monday, April 25, 2011, at 10 a.m. at Anniston Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Roger Woodard officiating. Mr. Woodard died Friday, April 22, at Lineville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Mr. Woodard was born June 2, 1924, the son of Early Bob and Onnie…