Annual City Appreciation luncheon Page A8
Hometown newspaper of Willard Springer- since 1933
Tigers defeat Cullman in final second win Page B1
Hartselle Enquirer
50 CENTS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 2
By Russell Frye For the Enquirer
Bert Newton is the new head coach of the Hartselle Tigers football program. He replaces Bryan Moore, who left to become the new head coach at Opelika. Newton, who was the defensive coordinator in two stints for six years, was named the new head coach following a school board meeting Jan. 2. “I am super excited about the challenge,” Newton said. “My family is now here, and my kids are in the schools here. I feel more connected to Hartselle City Schools than ever before.” Hartselle High School Athletic Director Jake ENQUIRER PHOTO BY RUSSELL FRYE. Miles believes Newton is perfect for the job. Bert Newton stands with Hartselle Superintendent Dr. Brian Clayton, “We are excited to announce Coach Newton as HHS Athletic Director Jake Miles and HHS Principal Dr. Brad Cooper the next head football coach at Hartselle High after being named the new head coach of the Hartselle football pro- School, and we are excited about the future of our football program under his leadership,” Miles gram.
said. “It became pretty evident as our search began that the best fit for our future and school was currently on our campus. What makes Bert the perfect fit for us is not that he simply understands football, but more importantly, he understands Hartselle Football and our Hartselle High School culture and kids.” The Hartselle head coaching position will be Newton’s first head coaching position. He has previously served as defensive coordinator at Mountain Brook and Vestavia and as an assistant coach at Hoover. He worked under former Hartselle head coaches Bob Godsey, Bo Culver and Moore. “We want to build championship people in the classroom, on the field and in the community,” Newton said. “We also want to continue to be a championship program and bring region and state championships to Hartselle.” Newton will begin his head coaching career Aug. 23 with a home game against Austin.
Calvert, center, with HHS Principal Brad Cooper, left, and superintendent Brian Clayton.
Dutton, center, pictured with superintendent Brian Clayton, left, and Barkley Bridge principal Laura Lamb.
Dutton, Calvert named HCS teachers of the year The teachers and support personnel of the year of Hartselle City Schools were recently surprised by central office visitors announcing the awards. This tradition, now in its sixth year, continues to honor deserving individuals just before the fall semester concludes. Barkley Bridge Elementary School proudly recognized Jamie Dutton, the library media specialist, who not only received accolades at the school level but was also named the district’s elementary teacher of the year. School nurse Rebecca Summerford was recognized as the support staff member of the year. Meanwhile, Crestline Elementary School honored first-grade teacher Krista Blaxton and custodian Melinda Shaddrix with the
prestigious awards. At F.E. Burleson, Shane Owens and school nurse Wendy Crawford received the recognition from their peers. The efforts of special education teacher Luke Southerland and administrative assistant Kelly Smith were acknowledged as they were named the teacher and support staff member of the year at Hartselle Intermediate School. Hartselle Junior High School celebrated the achievements of science teacher Leah Roden and secretary Theresa Bailey, who were named the winners. Meanwhile, Hartselle High School had the pleasure of acknowledging Melanie Calvert as the teacher of the year, and school nurse Tiffany Worley as the support staff member of the year. Calvert also holds the See TEACHERS, page 5
Obituaries
For full obituaries, see page A-2
• r. Junior William Hill • Stephanie R. (Maddock) Moorehead • Betty Jean Woodall Waits • Ruth E. Crowell • Jeffrey Wayne Baker • Duane Byron Henson • Shannon Hugh Brown • Kermit Kenneth King
• Warren A. Garner • Linda Hays Goodman Elmore • Brenda Sue Johnson Alvis • Barbara Blackwell Eaton • Jerry Sue Edwards Trammell • Douglas Ray Kilgore • John Raymond Fuller
FILE PHOTO
Evangelist Junior Hill, of Hartselle, died Jan. 3 at the age of 87.
By Catherine Godbey For the Enquirer Hartselle evangelist Junior Hill, the man who shared the Gospel with hundreds of thousands of people at more than 1,800 revivals spanning 48 states and 12 countries, the man described by fellow pastors as a “giant” in the ministry, “one of America’s greatest evangelists” and a mentor, died this past week at the age of 87. “Junior Hill was one of the most beloved preachers and one of the most influential leaders in the Southern Baptist Conference,” said Craig Carlisle, president of the Alabama Baptist Convention. “God used him in some incredible ways to influence so many people. There is no telling how many people came to know Jesus Christ because of Junior Hill.” Fellow evangelists and church leaders described Hill, who grew up in Hartselle, as selfless, authentic, genuine, sincere, encouraging and humble. “For a while when I traveled, the number one question I was asked by preachers was ‘Have you ever met Junior Hill?’” Decatur evangelist Phil Waldrep said. “In all of my years, I’ve only met one person who was not impressed with Junior Hill and that was Junior Hill himself. I
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think he was so respected and made such an influence on people because he never forgot where he came from.” Hill’s introduction into the church began at the age of 13. “My family was not church people, unfortunately,” Hill said in a 2017 interview. “When I was 13, a little lady named Zula Montgomery saw me playing ball in a field and invited me to Sunday school at First Baptist Church. At 17, I was saved.” In 1955, Hill preached his first sermon at First Baptist Church in Hartselle. “I was very nervous. Even though I didn’t know what I was doing, several people were saved. I began to preach around at local churches and, most every time I preached, someone was saved. I thought people got saved every time. I distinctly remember the first time I preached and no one was saved. It was at Hopewell Baptist Church. I was so discouraged and upset. The preacher said, ‘Well, Junior, remember, people don’t get saved every time you preach,’” Hill recalled. After graduating from Hartselle High, Hill attended college on a football scholarship at Livingston College (now Huntington University) then transferred to Howard University (now Samford) after accepting his calling into the ministry.
That call came at 19 years old while coming home from a revival at First Baptist. “I pulled off to the side of the road, across the railroad tracks from where the National Guard used to be. I felt very troubled. I cut on the radio and there was an old country song playing on the radio, ‘Preach the Gospel.’ There, sitting on the side of Hickory Street, I made my decision to be a preacher,” Hill said. For seminary, Hill attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, which named him a distinguished alumnus in 1995. After preaching at Woodlawn Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham from 1962-67, Hill became a traveling evangelist. Waldrep remembers the first time Hill preached at his childhood church of Enon Baptist in Lawrence County in the late 1960s. “Even then I was impressed with him as a very gentle, kind and humble servant, yet someone, when he spoke, people just sat up and listened. When you heard Junior Hill speak, you knew he loved the Lord and you sensed he loved you and he did,” Waldrep said. “When I started in the ministry, one of my life’s ambitions was to meet Junior Hill.” See HILL, page 5
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