He was there–then he wasn’t. Handley High School junior Quentin Pitts was doing conditioning work with his teammates Wednesday when he disappeared from view.“We were doing drills. He’d fallen. He just disappeared. The ground just gave away. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Mike Battles, head football coach. At that time the hole was…
(LaGRANGE, Ga.) Jessie Mae Paige, 82, of LaGrange, Ga., died Tuesday, March 22, 2011, at Florence Hand Home. Mrs. Paige, a native of Roanoke, was the daughter of the late Sally Boyd and the wife of the late Eddie Paige Sr. She was a faithful member of Solomon Grove Baptist Church, where she served on…
(ROANOKE) John Will Johnson Sr., 73, of Roanoke died Sunday, March 20, 2011, at LaFayette Extended Care Nursing Home, LaFayette. The funeral will be Saturday, March 26, at 1 p.m. at Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church, Wadley, with the Rev. Thomas Knight officiating and burial in the adjoining cemetery. Survivors include his wife, Shannon Johnson of…
(AUBURN, Ga.) Joyce D. Johnson, 78, of Auburn, Ga., died Friday, March 18, 2011. A native of Fulton County, Ga., she was preceded in death by her parents, the late Steward and Mary Robinson Leonard. She is survived by her husband, Harry Johnson of Auburn; son Charles Dressler of Winder, Ga.; daughters Martha Cobb and…
(BARNESVILLE, Ga.) Tracy Holt, 48, of Barnesville, Ga., died Monday, March 21, 2011. He was born in Fayetteville, N.C., to Herbert J. and Carolyn Holloway Holt. He was a member of Rock Springs Church. Mr. Holt is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen Turner Holt of Barnesville; mother, Carolyn Holloway Holt of Stockbridge, Ga.; sons,…
Two people were injured in a Roanoke accident Wednesday afternoon, in which a truck overturned. According to the report from Roanoke Police Department, Krista Lynn Lance, 16, of 519 West Ave., Roanoke, was at the stop sign on Stewart Drive traveling west, attempting to cross over U.S. 431 in a 2002 Kia Optima. Hollis Dirk…
(ROANOKE) Funeral services for Ruth Helen Jackson Key, 92, of Roanoke will be at noon, Saturday, March 26, 2011, at Roanoke Church of Christ with Bro. Gerald Romine officiating. Burial will follow in Cedarwood Cemetery. Mrs. Key died Wednesday, March 23. Mrs. Key was born Dec. 18, 1918, the daughter of Luther Andrew and Margaret…
(ROANOKE) Funeral services for Martha Lee Folsom Johnson, 72, of Roanoke will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 26, 2010, at Quattlebaum Funeral Chapel with the Revs. Cecil Halsey and Stoney Halsey officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Home Congregational Christian Church Cemetery. Mrs. Johnson died Tuesday, March 22, at Atlanta Medical Center. Mrs. Johnson…
(GRAHAM) Darrell Arrington of Graham died Tuesday, March 22, 2011. He was 76. Funeral services for Mr. Arrington will be Friday, March 25, at 11 a.m. EDT at the Chapel of Rainwater Funeral Home. The Revs. Jerry Wiggins and G.W. Burson will officiate. Interment will follow at Bowdon City Cemetery. Mr. Arrington was born on…
Jon Dixon said Tuesday that on a daily basis they are releasing staff from Randolph Medical Center, where he is administrator. They are now working with a skeleton staff. RMC was formerly one of the town’s largest employers before the closing process began. He said he does not know how many employees still remain. The…
Randolph Medical Center employees filled Roanoke City Council chambers Monday night looking for answers on the sudden closure of the hospital. They were not on the agenda, as is required, but Mayor Mike Fisher, recognizing the situation for its unusual aspect, allowed the group’s spokesperson, Latisha Wright, to speak for them. Wright has been in…
The city of Roanoke Water Sewage Gas and Filter Plant board is still struggling with eliminating water violations in its sewer system. Greg Thompson with the Alabama Municipal Engineers, who is working closely with them, updated the situation related to the consent decree from 2007 they were not aware of until some months ago. He…
Randolph County Industrial Development Council and Randolph County Chamber of Commerce hosted a group of Korean industrialists and local government and business leaders at a reception and dinner at 431 Banquet Hall Monday evening. The gathering followed a day of touring local industrial sites, existing industries and the Roanoke community by the visitors from Korea.…
A Lineville man died while winding up his fishing trip at the Lee’s Bridge boat ramp on Sunday evening. According to the report from Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the body of Steven Morris Luker, 57, of 5931 East Mill Rd., Lineville, was found beside his vehicle and fishing boat at approximately 6:48 p.m. No foul…
A Roanoke area man was arrested and his companion hospitalized following a car chase on Friday night. According to public information officer Chad Joiner of the Alabama State Troopers, the accident was reported at 9:40 p.m. on County Road 689 near Rock Stand. The driver, Roy Gene Brown, 29, of 334 County Rd. 671, was…
Randolph County Animal Shelter board president Chuck Smith met with the Clay County Commission last week in hopes of joining forces with Clay County. He said the commissioners seemed to be for a proposal to build onto Randolph County’s shelter in Wedowee, and one commissioner has been over to visit. Smith anticipates the addition could…
A Wedowee man was injured in a two-vehicle accident on County Road 26 in the Broughton community on Sunday evening. According to Alabama State Troopers public information officer Chad Joiner, Nathan Wortham, 22, was the driver of a 2007 Mazda and was transported to Columbus Medical Center for treatment of his injuries, which are not…
WEDOWEE–Woodland High School will see more of its assistant principal at the last meeting of Randolph County Board of Education as Jeff Thompson was approved by the board. Thompson was previously a part-time teacher, part-time assistant principal. Now he will be assistant principal on a full-time basis. He has been with the system since 2004.…
As upsetting as the demise of Randolph Medical Center is, the closing of another medical facility is being welcomed by some local folks. The Alabama Department of Mental Health this month announced plans to close W.D. Partlow Developmental Center in Tuscaloosa, with a target date of September 30. Founded in 1923 as Bryce Hospital, the…
I have been covering the hospital story since I have been working at the paper, all the trials and travails and bright spots, but last Friday was an extremely upsetting experience. I watched in shock as the last doctor left, the emergency room and front doors were locked and the heartbeat of the hospital stopped.…