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Thursday, January 2, 2014
Hunting for history LAURA CAMPER
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On a recent day off from work, Heath Jones was exploring an old graveyard in Cleburne County with his metal detector. He was looking for clues about where the now-missing church that supported the cemetery used to stand. He might find old coins or keys, old nails or some other piece of the church’s history. He might find a bottle cap from a recent party in the area. The fun is in the search, said Jones, a Heflin resident. History and metal detecting aren’t an obvious match, but Jones and some other people he met through his affiliations with other metal-detecting associations have the common interest of using their metal detectors to dig up history. So, Jones founded the Alabama Archeometalology Historical Society in April to give them a forum to discuss their finds. He spread the word through a Facebook page. The Old Liberty Church used to be on what is now County Road 414. When he was a boy, the cemetery was overgrown and almost forgotten, Jones said. Now it’s mowed once or twice a year, Jones be-
lieves, by county staff. Searching through the headstones, Jones has found graves for soldiers killed during the Civil War, but the site of the church has been lost over time. Jones said he has always been intrigued by it. “So much history in Alabama is undocumented,” Jones said. “It needs to be discovered. The story needs to be told.” There are now 14 members in Jones’ group, including Ray Camp, who accidently discovered a Native American burial in Wetumpka with his metal detector, Jones said. Camp said he was testing some new equipment he’d bought Dec. 15 on farmland in Wetumpka. He wasn’t looking for anything and didn’t expect to find anything historic, especially in fields that had been plowed and seeded for the last 20 years. So when he got a reading similar to one he’d expect for a can, he stopped to dig it up just to make sure he was reading his new equipment properly. But he found copper, beads, bones and teeth. When he found the human teeth, Camp stopped dign See Hunting page 2
Heath Jones uses a metal detector as he searches for artifacts near his home in Cleburne County. Photo by Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star
Cleburne program a help for rural cancer patients LAURA CAMPER
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Cancer can devastate more than just the health of those it afflicts. Finances can take a beating because of lost wages, medical bills and travel to and from treatments, according to Roger Wood of Ranburne. And patients must face their own mortality as they go through their treatment options, he added. “People who have cancer are devastated in one way or another,” Wood said. He would know. Wood was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. Wood, then 50, went from diagnosis to surgery in just a few days. But the speed didn’t make it any less scary. He’d lost his mother and two aunts to the disease, and well knew its toll. But Wood took his difficulties and turned them into help for others. “God brought me through it,” Wood said. “God had a plan.” In April, just a year after his first surgery, Wood held a fundraiser with the Cleburne County charity group Helping Every Area Resident to Succeed to set up and fund the HEARTS Cancer Relief Program. The program offers financial support to area residents battling cancer, along with volunteers who give emotional support, Wood said. In the short time since, the program has raised thousands of dollars and used the money to help more than 30 cancer
patients, according to organizers. Higher mortality here Many area residents likely need the help. Cancer has been the second-leading cause of death in Alabama since 1966, said Dale Quinney, information specialist for the Alabama Department of Public Health and the executive director of Alabama Rural Health Association. Alabama’s cancer mortality rate is higher than the national average. The nation averaged 185 cancer deaths per 100,000 people from 2009 to 2011. In Alabama, mortality from cancer averaged 213.1 deaths per 100,000. Cleburne County has an even higher rate, according to Quinney, a trait it shares with many rural counties in the state. Rural Alabama counties’ average mortality rate was 232.8 deaths per 100,000, according to Quinney. That’s 9 percent higher than the state’s urban counties from 2009 to 2011. Rural Clay County has the third-highest cancer mortality rate of all counties in the state at 296.3 per 100,000 people, Quinney said. He believes the increased mortality rate has to do with access to health care, behavior and environment, Quinney said. People in rural areas may have more exposure to chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides that could contain carcinogens, he said. In addition, much of the upper part of the state — including Cleburne County — has higher than normal rates of tobacco use, Quinney said. He
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also believes that rural areas where people have to travel long distances to get to a doctor or hospital could increase cancer mortality because it could mean that people aren’t diagnosed as quickly. “I have absolutely no doubt that late diagnosis is one of the contributors,” Quinney said. Setting up support Jackie Howle, director of HEARTS, said she didn’t realize until starting the group’s cancer program how prevalent the disease is in the county. “I never heard of so many cases of cancer in my life,” Howle said. “It’s every day.” HEARTS raised $8,200 in April to launch the Cancer Relief Program, Howle said. It uses that money to pay rent and utility bills, or buy gas for patients to travel to treatments, she said. As of this week it has served 33 people in Cleburne and other Alabama counties and Carroll County, Ga. Because the program serves people in Carroll County HEARTS was also able to win a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of West Georgia. That money must be used primarily for medical expenses, Howle said. The program requires three things of applicants: an application for the program; a letter from a cancer treatment center or doctor confirming that they are n See Cancer page 2
The Internal Revenue Service announced recently that it will be shortening the tax filing season by 10 days this year due to delays caused by the government shut down in October. The deadline for filing taxes hasn’t changed. Taxpayers are still obligated to file their returns by the Apr. 15, the service said. But the IRS will not be accepting returns until Jan. 31, 10 days after it had originally planned. The delay will allow the service to program and test its tax programming systems before taxpayers start filing their tax returns, the IRS said in a news release dated Dec. 18. “About 90 percent of IRS operations were closed during the shutdown, with some major work streams closed entirely during this period, putting the IRS nearly three weeks behind its tight timetable for being ready to start the 2014 filing season,” the news release said. The 2014 tax filing season will begin one day later than the 2013 season, the IRS noted. The 2013 season was delayed after Congress passed its American Tax Payer Relief Act, the service wrote in the news release. Kathy Smith, owner of Heflin Accounting Service, said the public is paying for the back-to-back delays as the IRS in December is still approving its forms for this upcoming tax season. “I’ve been doing this since 1984,” Smith said. “I’ve never seen things this disorganized with the IRS.” Still, Smith said taxpayers have to be n See Filing page 8
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2 • The Cleburne News, Thursday, January 2, 2014
Heflin Highlights by: Suzanne Payne Words to Ponder
Leadership…the ability to see what no one else sees, to listen when others talk, to act on their suggestions and the ability to be optimistic when others see nothing but the negative.
Happy New Year
My wish for all of my friends…Today (January 1) is the first page of a 365 page book. Fill every page with joy, hard work, love, unselfish acts and some well selected carbohydrates.
Happy Birthday
Jonathan Fordham
Ranburne Art Show A collection of art work at Ranburnes 2013 art show. Teacher - Alicia Hendrix
Happy Anniversary
Diabetes Education January 14 Diabetes Education will be held January 14 at Heflin Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. The topic will be what is diabetes? with Gary Wright, RPh, CDE. January 28 Diabetes Education will be held
January 28 at Heflin Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. The topic will be Problem solving with Gary Wright, RPh, CDE. February 4 Diabetes Education will be held February 4 at Heflin Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. The topic will
January 2-Olin and Melody Thompson…Phil and Debby Morris.
be putting the pieces back together with Christopher Randolph, MD February 25 Diabetes Education will be held February 25 at Heflin Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. The topic will be Living with diabetes with Louis Divalentin, MD
Hunting “So much history in Alabama is undocumented,” Jones said. From page 1 digging and called police. They called professional archaeologists, who determined the find was a Creek burial site, Camp said. “This is by far one of the strangest and most incredible finds I’ve done,” Camp said. It’s gratifying to pull something out of the ground that’s been buried for more than 100 years, he said, but the hunt is what keeps him detecting. The members do a lot of research, Camp and others said, which helps them locate properties that might contain historical metal artifacts. It also helps them identify their finds and put those finds in perspective, they said. For instance, Mike Roper, another member of the society, said he found a Union soldier’s Civil Warera uniform button in Cherokee County, something he couldn’t understand
because there had been no battles there as far as he knew. He eventually found the answer to his questions in Gaylesville. During the Civil War, Gen. William T. Sherman massed his troops in Gaylesville before his infamous March to the Sea through Georgia, Roper said. “He planned his march through Georgia in Gaylesville, Ala.,” Roper said. That piece of information isn’t found in the history books, but it was part of the city’s lore, he said. Mark Schuessler of Attica, N.Y., president of the Federation of Metal Detector and Archeology Clubs, said the two interests are very similar and metal detectorists work closely with archeologists when they find historical artifacts. “We want the same thing in the end,” Schuessler said. “We just have different ways of getting to it.”
The federation, an advocacy group for metal detecting, has about 2,000 members, Schuessler said, but there are probably hundreds of thousands of metal detectorists. However, there are many different aspects to the hobby, including those who look for newer lost items, beachcombers and historical-artifact hunters, Schuessler said. Many people take on the hobby alone, but some, such as those in the newly formed society, like to get together to talk about their finds or to hunt together, he said. Jones, who has organized some group hunts, said he enjoys the camaraderie of hunting with other people. “There’s a back and forth,” Jones said. “Kind of like when guys go golfing together.” Staff Writer Laura Camper 256-463-2872. On
Twitter @LCamper_Star.
Heath Jones shows a handmade "frog gig" he found using a metal detector near his home in Cleburne County. (Photo by Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star)
From page 1 gives him money to go to his treatments in Carrollton, Ga., at Tanner Health System’s Roy Richards Sr. Cancer Center. The gas to and from costs him about $25 a day and he had a stretch of 33 days traveling to the center, Kelley said. “It put all my bills in a bind,” he said. But just having someone to talk to who understands what he’s going through is a blessing, Kelley said.
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Wood checks on him regularly by phone or just dropping by, he added. “One day, he drives up in my yard and brings in three or four bags of groceries,” Kelley said. “I am so grateful. They really have been a blessing to me and my family.” Howle said HEARTS already is planning its second annual fundraiser for the program in April. It will be known as the “Day
of Hope,’ she said. Staff Writer Laura Camper 256-463-2872. On Twitter @LCamper_Star.
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Obituaries Wylodine R. Lines
Cancer : “God brought me through it,” Wood said. “God had a plan.” undergoing treatment for cancer; and a meeting with a member of the ministering team of cancer survivors, including Wood. That’s worth it to the people who receive help through the program. James Kelley, 47, Woodland has received financial help from the program a few times since his diagnosis with thyroid cancer. The program has paid his water and electric bills and
Lauren Ghee celebrated her birthday on December 27th and I do hope this special young lady had a great day. Jan. 2-Jerry Norton, Kyle Yancy, Eric Turner, Jennifer Swafford and Barbara Sprayberry. Jan. 3-Betty Steen, Margaret Norton, Terri Harris, Walter Moore and Geneva Robinson. Jan.4-Gary Jones, Marie Payne, Joy Ervin, Gary Wright, Verline Ervin and Shannon Wheeler. Jan. 5-Jerry Moore, Brett Borden and Terri Burson. Jan.6-DeWayne Thompson, Phil Jarrell and Ducan Grantham. Jan.7-Will Gaines, Shalamar Heard and Preston Jarrell. Jan. 8-Claire Dryden, AnthonyPoindexter, Clayton Mobley, Kolbey Hightower and Kassandra Clark and Angie Monroe.
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Wylodine R. Lines, 77, died Friday, December 27, 2013 at her residence. Funeral services were held December 29, 2013, at Dryden Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Mac Prichard,and Rev. Grover Robinson, officiating. Burial followed in Oak Grove Cemetery. Dryden Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Survivors include: Husband - Robert C. Lines, Heflin; Daughter - Vicky L. McGuire, Heflin; Sons - Danny Lines, Jimmy Lines, both of Heflin; Sister - Kay Crutcher, Lawrenceville, GA; Brother - Tom Fincher, Lauderhill, FL 5-Grandchildren 2- Great-Grandchildren Pallbearers: Jay Edwards, Ricky Hosner, Devan McGuire, Steven Lines, Drake Lines, Caden Lines Mrs. Lines was a resident of Cleburne County for most of her life. She was a home maker and a Baptist by faith.
Nell Zaner Nell Zaner, 97, died Saturday, December 21, 2013 at Cleburne Co. Nursing Home. Funeral services were held December 23, 2013, at Dryden Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Randy Morris, officiating. Burial followed in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Survivors include: Sister - Mertie Pullen, Heflin, AL Brother - Clarence Williamson, Anniston, AL Mrs. Zaner was a native and life long resident of Cleburne County. She was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.
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THE CLEBURNE NEWS, Thursday, January 2, 2014 • 3
OPINION/EDITORIAL
Bentley probably has clear path to re-election With each passing day it becomes less likely that Gov. Robert Bentley will get any serious opposition Steve in his reelection bid. We Flowers are only five months away from the June 3, 2014 GOP primary. It would be very difficult for someone to mount a significant challenge to the popular Inside The Statehouse incumbent in that time span. It also appears that Sen. Jeff Sessions and Attorney General Luther Strange will have smooth sailing towards their reelections. Young Boozer and John McMillan also appear to be headed towards reelection to second terms as Treasurer and Agriculture Commissioner. Under our state constitution, the aforementioned statewide incumbents are term limited after two fouryear terms. However, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions has no limitations on the number of six-year terms he serves. This lack of competition portends a quiet and dull 2014 election year. This is disappointing to those of us who thrive on following political races. Therefore, political pundits will begin their speculation of who will follow Gov. Bentley as governor in 2018. Political junkies are already thinking about the 2018 races since the 2014 contests will be sleepers. All four of the major constitutional officeholders will have to move up or out. That means that speculation will obviously focus on Luther Strange, Kay Ivey, Young
Boozer and John McMillan as possible entrants into the 2018 horse races. None of the four could be called spring chickens. McMillan and Ivey will be over 70. Strange and Boozer will be in their mid-60’s. However, by today’s standards that is not old. Therefore, if they have the fire in the belly for a chase at the brass ring their age should not be a deterrent. One major player, who has opted out of the 2014 races, is Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard. Some Goat Hill observers say he would lose power moving from his position as Czar of the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, most of the action surrounding next year’s elections will center on Hubbard’s legislative election activities. It is expected that the legislative races will be the best contests in 2014. Hubbard has amassed his power and control of the House of Representatives by garnering the money doled out by lobbyists and special interest groups. He has corralled the lobbyists to give the money to him or his PACs and he doles it out to his friends and loyal subjects. The state has become so divided when it comes to partisan allegiances and voting patterns that it is fairly predictable whether a Republican or Democrat will occupy a House or Senate seat in the legislature for the foreseeable future. The legislative lines were drawn two years ago for the upcoming 2014 elections. They will be in effect for the remainder of the decade. These district lines are designed to keep the GOP in control of both the State House and State Senate by about a two to one majority. There are only a handful of seats that will be in
play on a partisan battle basis. The districts are drawn to provide for 65 safe Republican seats and 35 safe Democratic seats in the House. There are about five seats that could go either way. If they split, it remains a two to one Republican advantage. The Senate is drawn about the same way. It is designed to be a 25 to 10 Republican advantage in the upper chamber. There are only three or four seats that are in play on a partisan basis. Therefore, the liveliest challenges next year will probably be within the GOP ranks. There will be intraparty battles to see who sits in these solidly safe Republican seats. Hubbard may attempt to purge some districts that have not totally followed his reactionary orders. This super majority Republican legislature has emasculated the only Democratic friendly organization, the Alabama Education Association, during this quadrennium. They have driven daggers into the heart and soul of this once vaunted union. In three short years, they rolled back 30 years of union accomplishments under the leadership of the legendary King of Goat Hill, Dr. Paul Hubbert. It will be interesting to see whether the AEA will roll over and play dead or fight back. If Hubbert were still in charge, my guess is that he would fight back with a vengeance. His approach would be to strike strategically within the GOP primary. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His column appears weekly in more than 70 Alabama newspapers. Steve served 16 years in the state legislature. He may be reached at www.steveflowers.us
Roberts’ new year is to bring a new home
Sometimes, the joy of a New Year’s celebration is more special than others. Lineville’s Jim Roberts hopes to see the fulfillment of a long-delayed dream. Roberts hopes to finish the bulk of necessary work on his dream home during 2014. However, he will live in his home much sooner, maybe by the end of January. He said the experience might be more like camping out. Roberts, who is 67 years old, has been thinking for decades of the type of house he wanted to build. Around 2002, he received 70 acres of land in the Prairie Creek area of Lineville from his late father, Theron “T.L.” Roberts, the manager of Alabama Power Company in Lineville. Long before then, though, Roberts thought about his dream. He wanted a house that would prevent high power bills; provide a view of a pond, meadow, and forest; and survive a tornado. Roberts is a retired military captain who flew armed helicopters during the Vietnam War. While serving in the military, he traveled the world. After retirement, he became a computer software expert and lived in Richmond, Va., and Atlanta. After a second retirement in 2008, he concentrated on his house. Here are some present and proposed features of the house: • Two years ago, Roberts dug a giant hole in the hillside to sink the house beneath the ground on three sides. The accomplishment will allow him to better control the temperatures and protect the house from high winds. • He built the house with 12-foot cubes of laminated
beams sitting on 12 tons of concrete. Each cube base is similar to an insuSherry lated bathtub and is partially filled with Kughn sand. Heated water then flows through PEX tubing and warms the sand, Sherry-Go-Round which heats the floor and then the house. • Solar panels that are positioned nearby provide some of the electricity for heating the water. • Three of the walls are made of concrete blocks. They are reinforced with concrete and re-bar. Soon he’ll cover the interior walls with a layer of thin bricks. • The front wall is made of glass windows and a door to take advantage of the view. • Roberts has plans to build thick shutters under the eaves located over the glass windows. The operation of the shutters will be tied into the weather-alert system. Whenever weather warnings are issued in Clay County or when the temperatures drop below a certain degree, the shutters will automatically move down and cover the glass. “It will be sturdy and cozy,” said Roberts. The design reminds him of an upscale restaurant – a
lofty ceiling, lots of glass, and an open-kitchen design. It is amazing that Roberts has done all of the work himself, his first experience in homebuilding. Many of his sources have been from the Internet, where he has researched numerous articles by innovative builders throughout the nation. He has held two parties for friends to view his work, and he entertained his sons and grandchildren at the house during Thanksgiving. For the time being, Roberts lives in a trailer near the house. “People ask me if I get overwhelmed by all that needs to be done,” he said as he climbed the unfinished, twotiered set of stairs from the main floor to the exit at the back of the house. “I tell them no. I focus on one task at a time and move on to the next.” Roberts said he will probably be needing to live in a nursing facility before he finishes all that he wants to add to the house, which includes guest bedrooms, a deck, a hot tub, a small pool for his numerous grandchildren, an underground parking garage, a storage room, and a workshop. The work is different from anything else Roberts has ever done, he said. “At the end of the day, I can touch what I have accomplished.” Those interested in viewing the construction may visit www.prairiecreekelectricfarm.shutterfly.com Email sherry at sherrykug@hotmail.com
Congress is making laws prohibiting religious freedom The First Amendment in the Bill of (individual) Rights states plainly: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Our founders believed these two rights were sacrosanct and necessary to protect the people from the government. After all, they had suffered from an oppressive government that had established its own religion and prohibited the free exercise of other religions, and they had suffered censorship from that same government. Unlike the majority of charges of violations of the First Amendment today (like nativity scenes or postings of the Ten Commandments on public property, which are not the result of Congress making any law but are actions of local citizens) Congress has made a law that prohibits the free exercise of religion in the Affordable
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Care Act (ACA) aka Obamacare. The ACA requires every person, orgaDaniel nization, or business Gardner that purchases health insurance to pay for abortion-inducing drugs. The Catholic Church and Catholic My Thoughts service organizations along with groups like the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) have filed suits in many courts challenging the constitutionality of the federal government’s power to force purchasers of health insurance to pay for prescriptions or agents that violate their religious beliefs. So far, the courts are ruling overwhelmingly in favor of religious freedom. Ultimately, the Supreme Court will decide these suits. The issue goes far beyond providing “free” contraceptives or abortifacients (agents that induce abortions). The question before the courts is whether the government can force individuals, organizations or businesses to pay for and otherwise support actions that violate their religious beliefs. Digging a little deeper into the mindset of our Founders, we see the importance they placed on religion, morality, and knowledge in the Northwest Ordinance passed in 1787, before the Bill of Rights were passed. It stated: “Article 3: Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of
education shall forever be encouraged.” Remember, neither Congress nor the federal government conducted or funded education in 1787. Education was strictly a local responsibility through churches and other community organizations. The Northwest Ordinance merely offered rationale why local education including lessons in religion, morality, and knowledge was important. Our founders believed these three pillars were “necessary” for good government and the happiness of mankind. As Washington and the states have taken more control over local education, we have seen how federal and state laws have stripped out all lessons in religion and morality in “approved” curricula. Furthermore, many of our teachers have bought into the PC notion there are no absolute morals or values, and we are raising a generation of citizens who believe truth is not absolute, but is relative. In essence, by forcing one-size-fits-all federal and state approved curricula bereft of religious or moral education on local schools, Congress has made laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion. These are just two examples how the government is prohibiting the free exercise of religion, eroding teaching of moral values, forcing individuals to violate their religious beliefs, and ultimately ushering in an age opposite to our Founders’ intents and purposes. Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicated columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at Daniel@ DanLGardner.com, or visit his website at http://www. danlgardner.com Feel free to interact with him on the Clarion-Ledger feature blog site blogs.clarionledger. com/dgardner/
What’s your opinion? The editorial page provides a forum in which readers may present their views. Send your comments to: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 67, Heflin, AL 36264 or email news@cleburnenews.com. Deadline for consideration is Monday at 5 p.m. for the following Thursday’s edition. All letters submitted must include a signature, address and daytime phone in case verification is needed. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Letters from groups should either be legibly signed by all members or by one or more names as representatives of the group. No anonymous letters will be published. The Cleburne News reserves the right to select which letters will be published and to edit all letters for grammar, punctuation, clarity, length and content. Letters are published as space permits. Writers are asked to submit no more than two letters per month. Political letters will not be published in the edition immediately prior to an election.
Happy New Year from The Cleburne News
4 • The Cleburne News, Thursday, January 2, 2014
Bulldogs entertain Pleasant Valley in a Class 2A game Friday RIP DONOVAN
News Sports Correspondent
In the Jacksonville Christian Holiday Classic, Ranburne lost then won in the boys’ bracket. The Bulldogs fell 5554 to eventual tournament champion Donoho in their first game Friday. The game was nip-and-tuck all the way. Each team had 13 points after the first quarter and 26 at halftime. Ranburne led 40-39 after three quarters then Donoho held a 49-46 advantage with just over three minutes remaining. Ranburne fought back as Jay Smith scored an inside basket, was fouled and converted the three-point play to make the score 49-all. The Bulldogs created two Falcons turnovers but could add just one point off the pair of steals. Donoho answered with a free throw, tying the game at 50. With 1:49 to play, Kyle Lovvorn netted two shots from the line to earn Ranburne a short-lived 52-50 advantage. Just 15 seconds later, it was 52-all. On the ensuing possession, the Bulldogs ran 45 seconds off the clock before Lovvorn drove for a basket and a 54-52 lead. A Donoho reserve netted a 3-point basket with 30 seconds left, his only points of the game and just the second trey overall for the Falcons, to complete the scoring but not the suspense. Ranburne turned the ball over without a shot but got some help when Donoho missed both ends of a two-shot trip to the free throw line. After a timeout with 10 seconds left, the Bulldogs’ final shot wouldn’t fall. Lovvorn finished with 18 points. He was 8-for-10 at the free throw line. Jay Smith scored 13 points. Eight came in the first quarter to help keep his team in the game early. Brayden Wilson had eight points including one of Ranburne’s two 3-point baskets. Dylan Wiggins also had a
trey and scored six points. Mark David Smith tallied four points for the Bulldogs. Spence Florczak and Logan Sibley each scored two points and Owen Smith had one point. In Saturday’s consolation game, Ranburne withstood a second-half challenge by host Jacksonville Christian and defeated the Thunder 84-75. The Bulldogs led 12-9 after one quarter. In the second quarter, Owen Smith scored 15 points and his teammates added another 18 points to earn Ranburne a 45-30 halftime lead. JCA had the hot hand in the third quarter with a 27-18 advantage and Ranburne’s 15-point halftime lead was just six points when the fourth quarter started. The Bulldogs also were whistled for 10 fouls in the third, putting the Thunder in the double bonus the whole fourth quarter. First Wilson and then Lovvorn drilled 3-pointers early in the fourth to give the Bulldogs a little breathing room but JCA wouldn’t go away. With just over a minute to play, Alex Jones hit a trey for the Thunder and Ranburne led just 77-75. Ranburne’s final seven points came on free throws. With exactly a minute to play, Florczak netted two and 20 seconds later he made one of two. Lovvorn made a pair with 13.5 seconds on the clock and Wiggins closed the scoring with another pair with six seconds remaining. Mark David Smith had 11 points and an equal number of rebounds for a double-double. Lovvorn ended with 21 points, five assists and three steals. Wiggins and Owen Smith each scored 17 points. Wiggins added nine assists and six rebounds. Florczak ended with nine points. Wilson contributed seven points and four boards. Jay Smith scored Jonathan Fordham two points. Now 7-4, the Bulldogs entertain Pleasant Valley in a Blake Young is carrying the ball down the court Class 2A, Area 10 game Friday. Spring Garden comes to for the Bulldogs.
Smith keeps Lady Bulldogs in good condition RIP DONOVAN
News Sports Correspondent
The second half of the basketball season begins for the Ranburne girls Friday when they host Class 2A, Area 10 opponent Pleasant Valley. The Bulldogs entertain Spring Garden on January 6 then travel the following night to play another Area 10 game against Wellborn. “A couple of area games and Spring Garden, that’s a pretty good test,” noted Ranburne coach Tim Smith. “We need to step up our defense and definitely need to make sure we stay in good condition.” The Bulldogs enter 2014 as winners in eight of their last 10 games and sporting a four-game winning streak. The two most
recent victories came in the annual Jacksonville Christian Holiday Classic tournament in Jacksonville Friday and Saturday. The Bulldogs defeated Donoho 55-20 in the semifinal round Friday then downed Jacksonville Christian 67-46 Saturday in the championship game. Smith said following the win over JCA that his team’s goal had been to score in the 20s in the first quarter while holding the Thunder to single-digit points at the same time. He could just as easily have been talking about the Donoho contest as each game played out in the same fashion. Ranburne led Jacksonville Christian 12-0 after the first four minutes of play and 23-5 when the first quarter ended. Against the Falcons, the first quarter score favored Ran-
burne 24-6. Neither team could protect the ball against the Bulldogs’ full court pressure and turnovers created an abundance of transition points. In the championship game, Indiana Morgan scored 22 points, eight in the first quarter push. Jessie Ralston had seven points in the first quarter and 15 for the night. Kat Runels and Hannah Phillips each scored 10 points. Hali Wilson had eight points and Lacey Smith scored two points. By halftime, Ranburne led JCA 35-13. The Thunder out-pointed the Bulldogs 1914 in the third quarter but the outcome was never in doubt. The win upped Ranburne’s record to 8-5 for the season. Defeating JCA for the title was particularly sweet as the Thunder downed the Bulldogs in the first
round of last year’s tournament. Wilson led the first-quarter surge against Donoho with 12 points, including four free throws in four tries. She finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Phillips had 10 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Runels recorded 11 points and seven rebounds. Ralston scored 10 points. Morgan had five points, all in the first quarter, and Smith scored three. Illness kept Ranburne ‘s Alyssa Smith out of both tournament games but some good came from her absence. “It gave us a chance to see some other folks and I thought they came through well,” coach Smith said. “I really do feel good about our depth,” he added.
Cleburne girls make history in Haralson County RIP DONOVAN
News Sports Correspondent
Cleburne County’s girls appear to have made a little basketball history regardless of the outcome of the girls’ bracket championship game of Hilburn-Patterson Haralson County (Ga.) Invitational basketball tournament on December 30. “I’ve researched this. As far as I know, the girls had never won a game in this tournament,” Cleburne County coach Todd Gable said following Saturday’s win over Haralson County, his team’s second tournament victory in as many days. “We’ve been going to this tournament for many, many years and hadn’t been able to get a win over there.” Win or lose in the title game against Spring Garden, the Cleburne County girls are headed in the right direction as the second half of their season begins. “We come back Friday with Munford and White Plains on Saturday, two big games bang-bang, especially Friday. It’s a huge area game. … To me, this is huge momentum going into that area game Friday. We were so close a couple of times last year with Munford and we just couldn’t
finish the job. That’s been our main thing for them, finish the job this time,” Gable said. Both the Munford and White Plains games are road contests. The Tigers will also play a Class 4A, Area 10 game at Anniston on January 7. To reach the championship game with Spring Garden, the Tigers (8-4) edged host school Haralson County (Ga.) 31-25 in Saturday’s semifinal action. Haralson County had beaten Rockmart (Ga.) in its quarterfinal round game. For the second consecutive game, Cleburne County forced 20 turnovers as the Tigers’ quickness offset an opponent’s superior size. Alisa Norton and Kiara Akles each scored eight points to lead Cleburne County past Haralson County. Akles also grabbed five rebounds and made three steals before fouling out in the third quarter. Norton’s day included two rebounds and two steals. Toni Epps contributed five points and five rebounds. Despite early foul problems, Shawntavia Boyd had five points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds. Kaity Zeiders had five rebounds, three points and three steals. Madison Jones scored two points and pulled down three rebounds, all off the offensive glass. Lauren Brown had two assists. Cleburne County defeated Bremen (Ga.) 44-41 Friday
in the tournament’s opening round. The Tigers trailed 1716 at halftime then held Bremen to three points in the third quarter and built a 28-20 advantage. “We came out and played some really good defense that quarter,” Gable said. Their seemingly comfortable eight-point cushion disappeared in the fourth quarter and Bremen led with three minutes to play. A free throw by Erykah Ware, who deflected a pass for a steal before she was fouled, made it 42-41 Tigers with 51 seconds to go. Another steal, this one by Norton, led to a layup by Boyd that set the final score. Epps was 5-for-6 at the free throw line and Norton 2-for-2 in the fourth quarter, helping Cleburne County regain the lead. Boyd had six points in the fourth and finished with a game-best 15 points. Boyd also had five rebounds and two assists. Ware scored nine points and made three steals. Epps finished with seven points, all from the line, and four rebounds. Zeiders had seven points and two boards. Norton recorded five points, four assists and two steals. Akles nabbed three rebounds and scored one point. “We had a time on the boards but the turnovers really made a difference,” Gable said of his players’ efforts in contending with Bremen’s two 5-foot-10 post players.
Tigers travel to Munford Friday night RIP DONOVAN
News Sports Correspondent
Two slow starts led to two losses for the Cleburne County Tigers in the Hilburn-Patterson Haralson County (Ga.) Invitational tournament at Tallapoosa. Cleburne County opened the tournament against Rockmart (Ga.) Friday and fell 63-28. Rockmart was ahead 34-11 at halftime. Christian Henson led the Tigers in scoring with seven points. Cameron Kerr scored five points. Brandon Horn and Blake Pointer each scored four points. Griffin Turner, Matthew Morrow, Tyler Berry and Brent George scored two points apiece. In the consolation bracket on Saturday, Bowdon (Ga.) defeated Cleburne County 66-53. The Red Devils led 34-12 at the break. The Tigers played much better in the second half, outscoring Bowdon 41-32, but could never overcome the early deficit. Season scoring leader Max Prichard, who missed the Rockmart game due to illness then spent much of the first half of the Bowdon game sidelined because of early fouls, ended the contest with 15 points – all in the sec-
ond half. Henson had 10 points, eight after intermission. Berry and Turner each scored six points. All of Turner’s came after halftime as did four of Berry’s. Isaiah Ware also had four second-half points and five for the day. Kerr finished with four points. Horn, Geoffrey Teague and Jacob Lee had two points apiece and Pointer scored one point. The Tigers’ next four games will all be on the road. Cleburne County returns to Class 4A, Area 10 action at Munford Friday then plays at White Plains Saturday. On January 7, the Tigers visit Anniston for another Area 10 contest. Cleburne County is at Saks on January 9 before finally returning to Heflin on January 11 to host Ranburne.
Cleburne County Boys Schedule:
January 3 - Munford - Away January 4 - White Plains - Away January 7 - Anniston - Away
Jonathan Fordham Isaish Ware going up to block a shot.
Church News East Heflin by: Bruce Wright We close on one year and Rejoice in another year found faithful to Christ! If you are looking for a church home, come visit us and plug into all we do. We began a new series on “Risk-takers or Undertakers in 2014”. Bro. George opened to Phil. 3:13+14, “Vision or Division?” For many, we must find dissatisfaction. Not the kind where we are mad at the world but that we find we have not arrived as the perfect church and should not arrive. For if we ever do, we find ourselves to be comfortable and complacent with a don’t care attitude of service. We find we are dead on arrival due to being compromised by sin. When you are absent from the Word of God, you set yourself up to be consumed by the world. We must find devotion. A once a week Christian is nothing. It should be our life! We must find some direction. Don’t look back at others faults. We do it but when someone does it to us we hold on to it. Don’t forget- it’s won’t forget! God forgot- why can you not? We look at others faults and we should see that bitterness poisons the creator. You! Then, don’t look back for looking back destroys your present. We must find some determination. We need to forgive and forget. Do we want vision or division? Must focus on commitment, on service, and on sacrifice. Focus on what God wants from you. What will your vision be for 2014??
Mt. Olive Church of God by: Susie Smith We wish everyone a Happy New Year! Our Sunday School lesson was from Luke 2:21-40, “Song of Salvation”. Christ came just because He loved us, without him we would not have had the opportunity to be saved. Today’s lesson tells how Mary and Joseph fulfilled all the laws of Moses for Jesus. We also learned of Simeon and Anna, who both saw and recognized Jesus for who he was, we should look for Christ’s return with the same eagerness. Brother Ronnie’s message this morning was from Acts 1:1-8, “What are we going to do with the last Sunday in 2013?” We’re no different than the believers at Pentecost, we should have the same signs following our lives (Mark 16:15-18). We need to let the devil know the church is alive and filled with the power of Almighty God. Tonight’s message was from 1st Kings 9:1-9 on “Personal Integrity”. Our light needs to shine brighter in the world; we need to keep our reputation up. We are God’s children and have to behave like we are. People judge us by what we do, it takes years to build a Godly testimony and only minutes to destroy it. The best way to start 2014 is with Jesus! We invite you to join us any time. We at Mt. Olive want to love everyone the way Jesus loves us. For spiritual or physical help 24 hrs. a day Brother Ronnie’s number is 256-201-9444.
Church Guidelines 1. From this point forward any new participant on our Church page must make their article submission via e-mail to: mpointer@cleburnnews. com Churches now submitting material typed or hand-written will be grand-fathered but we would appreciate it if they also would make an attempt to email their article. 2. Again due to space we are limiting each column to 250 words. Your article may include church news, happenings, singing events, title of pastor's sermon with a couple of lines description and if you like you may also now include in your article news from your community. 3. Thank You's and Congratulations will NO longer be used, they will be edited out and must be considered paid ads. 4. Deadlines remain the same 5 p.m. each Monday with NO exceptions. Free announcements in the Community Calendar (The Cleburne News) do not include reunions, personal yard sales, anniversaries, birthdays, thank yous, invitations or events that charge admission. If these are included within your church news, they will be edited.
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The Cleburne News, Thursday, January 2, 2014 • 5
Hayes and team head to Mobile RIP DONOVAN
News Sports Correspondent
There’s not a lot of time away from football activities for a college football player, especially one whose team earns a postseason bowl invitation. Heflin’s Rocky Hayes falls into that category. Hayes and his Arkansas State teammates have an appointment with Ball State on Sunday in Mobile’s GoDaddy.com Bowl. For those who can’t make the trip to Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium to see the former Cleburne County High School star in person, ESPN will televise the game beginning at 8 p.m. The bowl commitment left Hayes with a short Christmas vacation. He got home the Friday before Christmas and left the Friday after to return to Jonesboro. 2013 has been a productive season for Hayes, even though he moved from offense to defense when Gus Malzahn left Jonesboro for Auburn and Bryan Harsin became head man for the Red Wolves. “We were kind of short at the corner position in the spring. Coach Harsin shot me a text one day and called me in for a meeting. I had to go to his office and he just let me know that he needed me on the defensive side of the ball,” Hayes recalled during his visit home. “He felt that was where I could help the team the most at the moment. He asked me if I felt I could do it.” “Definitely, it isn’t going to be a problem,” was Hayes’ reply. The remainder of the spring and over the summer he was fully committed to defense. He helped Arkansas State to a 7-5 overall record and a 5-2 Sun Belt Conference mark. Non-conference losses came to SEC members Auburn and Missouri and finally to Memphis. In
conference play, Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Kentucky edged Arkansas State. Hayes said the change from offense to defense was challenging. Playing cornerback at Cleburne County helped but not until his new position coach taught him the proper way to view film with a defensive mindset did he really become comfortable with the change. Because he had watched film with Malzahn strictly from an offensive perspective as a freshman his mind continued to drift toward offense as a sophomore. “When I actually sat down with my DB coach with him teaching me how to actually watch film from the corner position, the game changed for me. It just slows down. You see things that you really never saw even though your eyes are where they’re supposed to be,” he said, adding that he considered adding that skill his personal highlight of the season. “I was pleased with how I played for the second half of the season more than anything,” Hayes added. “The first half of the season, it was really more my transition period. I really didn’t make the plays I wanted to make.” Whether he made all the plays the wanted to make, Hayes made enough to earn second-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors as a sophomore playing a new position – quite an accomplishment. The first half of his season included a diving interception late in the game deep in Arkansas State territory that led to the go-ahead touchdown in his team’s 41-34 win over conference rival Troy. His second interception came in a 48-24 win over Idaho and he returned it more than 40 yards. He got his third pick of the year in the loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Overall, his three interceptions led the team
and his interceptions plus 10 pass breakups gave him a team-best 13 passes defended. Hayes had six solo tackles, his biggest number of the year, in the Red Wolves’ season finale against Western Kentucky but that’s not what he remembers about the game. “Western Kentucky’s last drive, they took it 99 yards and they beat us. I’ll never forget that,” he said. The Hilltoppers needed 16 plays to get the job done and scored with 10 seconds left in the game. The 34-31 loss kept Arkansas State from winning the conference championship outright rather than sharing it. Although Harsin coached Arkansas State to bowl eligibility, defensive coordinator John Thompson will be interim head coach in Mobile. Harsin left Jonesboro for Boise State when Chris Petersen left Boise for the Washington Huskies after Steve Sarkisian left Washington for the Southern Cal Trojans. You get the idea. “I’ve never had to experience anything like it,” Hayes said of the coaching turnover each of his two seasons at A-State. “It helps when you’re winning. (Winning) helps your team stay together. We’ve all embraced it. We don’t feel negative about it. There’s a lot of positive energy always around the facility.” This year’s trip to Mobile and the GoDaddy. com Bowl is the third in a row for the Red Wolves. Last year, Arkansas State defeated Kent State. This year, A-State faces the 10-2 Ball State Cardinals – a team that has regularly put the ball in the air 40 to 50 times a game. “Looking at them on film, they’re pretty good. They’re explosive. Their offense is very explosive so it should be a fun game to watch. … It’s going to be a fun game to play, on a big stage. That’s when it’s
Rocky Hayes
the best so we’re all looking forward to it,” Hayes said. After the Ball State game, he’ll return to Heflin with his parents for his longest break of the year. School doesn’t begin again until January 24. January 24 will also be new Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson’s first day on the job. Anderson comes to Jonesboro after serving as offensive coordinator at North Carolina in 2012 and 2013. He had the same role at Southern Mississippi the previous two seasons. Hayes was a part of Anderson’s introductory press conference just before starting his Christmas break. “I met him and his family. We talked football a little bit but it wasn’t too much. It was more of a personal level. He asked me about my parents, everyone in my family. He knew who I was. He told me he had plans for me on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball so we’ll see what happens,” Hayes said. “I got a good vibe just because I felt like he was actually trying to get a personal relationship with me,” Hayes added later. “When you’ve got a personal relationship with your head coach, that’s always a good thing.”
6 • The Cleburne News, Thursday January 2, 2014
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NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE CLEBURNE COUNTY, ALABAMA
Default having occurred in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain Mortgage (“Mortgage”) executed by MATTHEW M. VAUGHN, an unmarried man, in favor of CITIZENS BANK AND TRUST OF WEST GEORGIA which subsequently merged into Columbus Bank & Trust Company and, which subsequently underwent a name change and is now known as Synovus Bank, (“Synovus”) on the 10th day of May, 2003, said Mortgage being recorded in the Office of INSTRUCTION MEDICAL OFFICE trainees the Judge of Probate of Cleneeded! Train to become a burne County, Alabama in Medical Office Assistant! No Mortgage Book 2003, beginexperience needed! Online ning at page 769, as modified training at SC gets you job by that certain Modification ready! HS diploma/GED & Agreement dated June 20, PC/Internet needed! 2003 recorded in Mortgage Book 2008, Page 3105 in the 1-888-926-6075. (R) _________________________ Office of the Judge of Probate of Cleburne County, Alabama, HELP WANTED-DRIVERS undersigned, Synovus 25 DRIVER TRAINEES need- the ed now! Become a driver for Bank, the current holder of the TMC Transportation! Earn Mortgage and successor to the $750 per week! No experience original mortgagee under and needed! Job ready in 15 days! by virtue of the power of sale contained in said Mortgage, 1-888-743-4611. ( _________________________ will sell at public outcry to the ATTN: DRIVER trainees need- highest bidder for cash, in front ed! $800 to $1000 a week plus of the main entrance of the at Cleburne benefits! Home weekly or OTR! Courthouse Everyone approved if qualified! County, Alabama, on the 24th Company sponsored, cash, fi- day of January, 2014 during nance, GI bill, WIA. No CDL, the legal hours of sale, the folno problem, will train locally! lowing described real estate situated in Cleburne County, 1-800-878-2537. _________________________ Alabama, to-wit: CRST offers the best lease A CERTAIN PARCEL OF purchase program! Sign on bo- LAND LOCATED IN THE nus. No down payment or EAST HALF OF VINEYARDS credit check. Great pay. Class- LOTS NUMBERED 1003 AND A CDL required. Owner Opera- 1004, ACCORDING TO A MAP AND PLAT RECORDED IN tors welcome! Call: PLAT BOOK I AT PAGE 85, 1-866-250-8266 _________________________ BEING MORE PARTICULARDRIVERS: RUN FB with WTI. LY DESCRIBED AS FOLBe home through the week and LOWS: weekends. Start up to 28% BEGINNING AT THE SOUTHplus fuel bonus. New equip- WEST CORNER OF VINEment. BCBS. Experience need- YARD LOT 1002; THENCE ed. LP available. Call NORTH 89 DEGREES 04 MINUTES 06 SECONDS EAST 1-877-693-1305. (R) _________________________ ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF DRIVERS - CDL-A drivers SAID LOT 133.45 FEET TO needed. Now hiring solos & THE NORTHWEST RIGHT OF WAY OFLINE OF U.S. HIGHteams in your area! Small company, big benefits! WAY 78; THENCE NORTH 60 Top pay for hazmat CDL grads DEGREES 07 MINUTES 13 SECONDS EAST ALONG welcome 1-888-928-6011 www.To- SAID ROW LINE A CHORD LENGTH OF 386.47 FEET; talMS.com _________________________ THENCE NORTH 34 DEOWNER OPERATORS - aver- GREES 26 MINUTES 06 SECage $3K per week! Be out up ONDS WEST 49.23 FEET; to 14 days and enjoy guaran- THENCE NORTH 02 DEteed home time! Weekly settle- GREES 30 MINUTES 24 SECments. Cardinal Greatwide ONDS EAST 166.99 FEET; pays loaded or unloaded. THENCE NORTH 55 DE100% fuel surcharge to driver. GREES 06 MINUTES 26 SEC-
ONDS EAST 258.29 FEET TO THE EAST LINE OF SAID WEST HALF OF SAID LOTS AND THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THE HEREAFTER DESCRIBED TRACT C; THENCE NORTH 00 DEGREES 19 MINUTES 25 SECONDS EAST ALONG SAID EAST LINE 147.48 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 47 DEGREES 55 MINUTES 26 SECONDS EAST 354.84 FEET TO THE OBSERVED RIGHT OF WAY OF DIRT ROAD; THENCE SOUTH 58 DEGREES 23 MINUTES 02 SECONDS WEST ALONG THE OBSERVED RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF CHORD LENGTH 311.95 FEET TO THE WEST LINE OF THE EAST HALF (E ½) OF VINEYARD LOTS 1003 AND 1004, IF EXTENDED; THENCE NORTH 00 DEGREES 19 MINUTES 25 SECONDS EAST ALONG SAID WEST LINE OF EAST HALF (E 1/2) OF LOTS, 253.85 FEET TO THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING. SUBJECT TO ANY RIGHT OF WAY ASSIGNED TO THE POWER LINE CROSSING SAID PARCEL, AS SHOWN ON PLAT. SITUATED, LYING AND BEING IN CLEBURNE COUNTY, ALABAMA. Said property will be sold subject to all liens, encumbrances, unpaid real estate ad valorem taxes and governmental assessments and to all prior restrictions, rights-of-way, and easements of record, if any, appearing of record prior to the date of the mortgage and those appearing after the date of the Mortgage and consented to by Synovus. The Mortgagee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said Mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. Attorney for Mortgagee Travis C. Hargrove Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford., P.C. 1111 Bay Ave., Third Floor P.O. Box 1199 Columbus, GA 31902 (706) 324-0251 The Cleburne News Cleburne Co., AL January 2, 9, 16, 2014
STATE OF ALABAMA CLEBURNE COUNTY
PROBATE COURT CASE# 2011-020 IN THEMATTER OF THE ESTATE OF GREGORY WAYNE CALDWELL, Deceased To: Claimants NOTICE OF INSOLVENCY & SALE OF REAL PROPERTY Notice is hereby given that on the 18th day of November, 2013, Paula Caldwell Personal representative of the Estate of GREGORY WAYNE CALDWELL, by and through her attorney of record, the honorable Patrick P. Casey, has filed a Notice of Insolvency & Petition for Ratification of sale of Real Property. It is Ordered that the 9th day of January, 2014, at 2:00 PM be, and the same hereby is, appointed as the day for hearing of the said petition and for the auditing and stating of said account, at which time all persons interested may appear and contest the same, if they desire to do so. Witness my hand the 9th day of December, 2013. Ryan Robertson Judge of Probate Cleburne News Cleburne Co., AL December 19, 26, 2013, January 2, 2014
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The Cleburne News, Thursday, January 2, 2014 • 8
Piedmont to take a plunge
Filling : “I’ve been doing this since 1984,” Smith said. From page 1
LAURA GADDY
Consolidated News Service
Until recently, Piedmont officials didn’t plan to open the city’s new pool until the summer, but on Saturday [JAN. 4] the public will have its first chance to make a splash there. The city is opening the pool for the Piedmont Polar Plunge, an event the city will host to help a local charity and to give residents the opportunity to do something new. The idea is for participants to brave the elements, wading into the water during the coldest time of year. Piedmont Mayor Bill Baker got the idea while watching people take a dip in Lake Michigan on TV years ago. “I knew I’d never go to Michigan so I thought, ‘Let’s bring it to Piedmont,’” Baker said. “I have a little daredevil in me.” A $10 entry fee will be charged to anyone who wants to take a dip, but bystanders can watch for free. The money will go to the Venecia Foundation, a local charity that cares for cancer patients undergoing treatment. “People normally just won’t jump in the water in January unless there is a good reason,” Baker said. Records on the National Weather Service’s website show that an average high temperature of 53 for Jan. 4 in Anniston, the nearest site on record.
The average low, according to the site, is 33. People who decide to take a dip will be able to jump, slide or run into the new salt-water pool. It has a diving board, a spiral slide and sloping beach-style access into the shallow end. Local emergency medical personnel will be on hand to help if anyone experiences health problems from the plunge, and members of a dive team will be waiting in wet suits just in
case they need to make a rescue, Baker said. The city also will have a bonfire, coffee and hot chocolate to help people warm up after get out of the pool. The new facility also has locker rooms where participants can change into dry clothes. “It just really fell into place,” Baker said. “I hope we have a tremendous crowd.” Staff Writer Laura Gaddy: 256235-3544. On Twitter @LGaddy_Star.
ready for the season when it rolls around and she offered some tips to help them along the way. First off, Smith said don’t try to file paper tax forms before Jan. 31. Banks and businesses are required to have their forms to taxpayers by the end of January, she said. So, filing and mailing a paper before then may mean filing an amended return later. “The first return can’t be processed until Jan. 31 anyway,” she said. In addition, people have until Apr. 15, 2014, to make donations to their individual retirement accounts to be included on their 2013 tax return, Smith said. Charitable donations though have to be made by today (Dec. 31) to be used on this year’s tax return, she added. For those taxpayers who need to file an extension, Smith said they must remember the extension is for filing the return, not an extension to pay taxes. To file an extension, taxpayers need to estimate what their tax payment might be and pay that by April 15, Smith said. Smith also suggested that taxpayers educate themselves. Go to IRS.gov and read up on the tax issues, she said. “Don’t be afraid to call and ask a question,” Smith said. But she said, taxpayers may be better off going with a paid preparer. The tax code is very complicated and it’s difficult for a novice to keep up with all the changes year to year, Smith said. “D.I.Y.-ers often cheat themselves,” Smith said. If you do go with a paid preparer said Robin Johns, who works for Smith, ask friends for recommendations and be sure to go with a professional. The fee should be a secondary concern, Smith added. “Don’t bargain shop on your taxes,” Johns said. Staff writer Laura Camper 256-463-2872. On Twitter @LCamper_Star.
Arrest Report Pamela Michael Owen, 39, Heflin - theft of property first degree and burglarly third degree. Derick Dwight Wilson, 35, Heflin - theft of property first degree and burglarly third degree.
Coy Blake Jackson, 23, Heflin - domestic violence third harassment. Shawn Paul Armstrong, 38, Heflin - DV strangulation/SUF, assault third degree.
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Marvin Oneal , 61, Heflin - DUI Aaron Glenn Skinner, Muscadine - assault third degree. Matthew J. Gaines, Heflin - hunt without license
12 mo in Cleburne County .. $22.00
and hunting with no hunter orange. The people listed in this arrest report, whose names and charges are obtained from public records, are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
The Cleburne News
6 mo in Cleburne County .....$13.00 12 mo out of County .............$36.00 6 mo out of County ...............$21.00
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