Opelika Observer 03-03-21 E-edition

Vol. 13, No. 22

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

pelika Observer O

“An award-winning publication for local people, by local people.”

Opelika, Alabama

MARCH 26, 2021 11:30 A.M.

Still in our hearts and minds

Photo by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer

These crosses were made by Greg Zanis and were donated to the families of those who lost loved ones during the March 3, 2019 tornadoes.

Response and recovery

By Hannah Lester hlester@opelikaobserver.com

Two years later, recovery is ongoing for those affected by the March 3, 2019, tornadoes.

March 3, 2019: When the tornadoes hit the community and claimed 23 lives, the immediate public safety response fell on the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, said Sheriff Jay Jones. “Due to the fact that we have personnel who actually live in the area where the storms came through, they fortunately did not suffer major damage to their residences and injuries to themselves and their families and were able to respond immediately,” Jones said.

Part of the work that was immediately

necessary was coordinating agencies, search and rescue and the unfortunate task of working with the coroner’s office for recovery of the deceased.

“Making sure that we were in contact with the families to let them know their loved ones weren’t alone,” Jones said. “Even though they couldn’t see them.

But we made it a point to ensure that we had personnel in every single location where we had storm victims. That we didn’t want them to be alone.”

The sheriff said that when working scenarios like the 2019 tornadoes, it’s important to focus on what needs to get done and reflect later.

“You can’t lose focus, you cannot hesitate and lose focus,” Jones

said. “… Our people were heartbroken, they were devastated at what they were seeing.

Especially when you’re looking at the loss of citizens, people in the community. And any loss at all, but especially the fact that we had children as well.

And that just made it particularly affecting on our personnel.”

Jones said that the men and women of the sheriff’s department are compassionate and know that it is not only their job to be there for people, but their passion.

Though the sheriff’s office was the primary response agency, the recovery was the work of multiple agencies, he said.

The sheriff said that there were 20-plus See RECOVERY, page A6

‘I want to remember, even through the tragedy’ The Thorntons remember their daughter Taylor

By Hannah Lester hlester@opelikaobserver.com

Two years ago today, the Thorntons lost their daughter Taylor.

Taylor Thornton was ten years old when she was memorialized as a victim of the March 3, 2019, Lee County tornadoes.

The tornadoes turned an ordinary day into one that changed the lives of families across Lee County forever.

23 people lost their lives that day, and countless others lost their homes and their property.

It’s been two years, but as Taylor’s father, David Thornton, put it, “the hole’s still there.”

The land is changing

as homes are rebuilt and the trees grow back, but for some families there are constant reminders of what they lost.

“In our mind, it’s fresh every day,” David said. *** Taylor had been camping with her best friend Kayla Grimes, along with Kayla’s family, before the storm. They decided to return to the Lee County home ahead of the tornado, out of concern for safety.

“For those it was concerned we’re home safe before the storm getting it ready for the cold weather God bless have a marvelous day,” Lynn Grimes, Kayla’s

father, posted on Facebook, minutes before the tornado.

David said that after hearing of severe weather, he headed out to Lynn’s home to pick up Taylor. Lynn, KaySee REMEMBER, page A6

Contents OPINION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4

SPORTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. . . . . A7

POLITICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B9

RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A13

PUBLIC NOTICES. . . . . . . . . . . . B10

COMICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A14

CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B11

To nd out more and to stay up to date with developments sign up for the mailing list at protectbeulahstopthequarry@gmail.com

A2 March 3, 2021

Free headshots for women in Auburn, Opelika What better way to complete or jumpstart your career profile and make it stand out from the crowd of job applications?

Contributed

by Dream Mentorship Dream Mentorship is sponsoring a community headshot event at Elisabeth Boutique in Auburn on March 20, 2021. The purpose of the event is to give women an opportunity to have their photos professionally taken, regardless of if they are used for revamping business cards, career profiles or to stand out on job applications.

Food and beverages will be provided, as well as giveaways from leading brands in the cosmetic industry for those attending.

"In summer of 2018, God put it on my heart to mentor young women in the Auburn area,” said the founder of the Dream Mentorship, Mac Jane Crayton. "I never want to see a woman not living her best life because she doesn't have access to resources, mentoring or tools."

Dream Mentorship was founded in 2018 as

a faith-based non-profit organization for women by women. The organization provides women with the resources, strategies and tools they need to pursue their dreams with confidence and clarity, regardless of whether that is working in a 9-5 job or starting their own business.

Dream Mentorship accomplishes this and more through the various resources they provide through mentoring programs, networking opportunities and webinars.

Dream Mentorship's

team members take mentoring seriously because they believe every dream is valid.

"We are about equipping women with the right resources, tools and strategies to live life to the fullest,” Crayton said. “Every woman needs a village of other women cheering her on, and that is why we are building this village.

We are here to help you discover your purpose, thrive in your calling and live your dream because your dream is valid.”

One Voice opens second location

By Kayla Evans For the Opelika Observer One Voice Shelter Coalition had an open house on Feb. 26 to show its new location located in Opelika.

One Voice provides emergency, temporary or transitional shelter for homeless women in Lee County. Its goal is to provide a safe place for women to get back on their feet

and get integrated into society. The women have to meet a few conditions to be taken in by One Voice: they need to want help, live in Lee County, be working and be drug and alcohol free.

The new house has 14 rooms with a half bath in each room and showers down the hall. It also has a kitchen, living room, day room with computers and an outside patio. Each room

pelika Observer

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Phone: 334.749.8003 editor@opelikaobserver.com Michelle@opelikaobserver.com

looks a little different to let the women feel like they have their own space, and a few of the rooms are bigger, for the women who have children. To keep the house running, the women living there also help with cooking, laundry, cleaning and outside work.

Seven women moved in on Monday, and seven more See VOICE, page A5

Publisher: Michelle Key Associate Editors: Will Fairless and Hannah Lester Marketing: Woody Ross Photojournalist: Robert Noles Associate Sports Editors: Wil Crews, Rick Lanier and D. Mark Mitchell

www.opelikaobserver.com

207 N. 3rd St. Unit B, Opelika, AL 36801 Copyright 2009. All right reserved. Opelika Observer is published weekly

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CORRECTIONS The Opelika Observer will correct any errors, omissions or inaccuracies deemed to be substantive. Corrections may be requested by contacting the editor at (334) 749-8003.

Photo by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer Pictured (left to right): Steve Benson, Ashley Cross, Resident manager, Jean Causey and Robert Ham

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A3 March 3, 2021

Covington Recreation Center holds grand opening

By Kayla Evans For the Opelika Observer The Covington Recreation Center had its grand opening on Jan. 24. The center originally opened in 1962. It opened 28 years prior to the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act being passed, and changes were required in accordance with the city of Opelika’s ADA Self Evaluation/ Transition Plan.

After a majority of the building was gutted, they had a new space to make their vision come to life with a $1.8 million renovation. The building’s exterior was updated, and high-end materials were used for new windows, stonework and siding. The office spaces, lobby area, game room, concession stands, locker rooms and kitchen were completely updated.

The northern lobby was turned into a welcoming reception area and can be used as a conference room.

Furthermore, many upgrades have been adding to the building such as a new bottle hydrating system, new paint and doors. The basketball gym also was updated

Photo by Kayla Evans/For the Opelika Observer

with new lighting, a volleyball system and new heating and air. There are now parking spaces at the south end of the building and new landscaping as well.

The amenities of the Covington Recreation Center include a basket-

ball gym, outdoor swimming pool and baby pool, playground, game room, adult softball fields with press box and concession stand, picnic tables with grills, meeting rooms and a kitchen.

The center’s preschool program relocated

back to Covington, and basketball rentals have resumed. Senior exercise classes resumed earlier this month, and the staff will resume meeting rooms and game room rentals soon.

The staff is looking towards swim lessons,

day camps and other summer programming to open back in the summer.

They are still uncertain, however, because of COVID-19.

“We all hope and pray this place will be the place for fun, family and friends for many years to

come,” said Covington Area Director Bobby Nix. The Covington Recreation Center is located at 213 Carver Ave. in Opelika. For more information, visit www. opelika-al.gov/643/Covington-Recreation-Center.

Shane Boyd named chief of Opelika Fire Department Contributed by the city of Opelika The city of Opelika is pleased to announce Shane Boyd as the city’s new fire chief, effective April 1, 2021.

Boyd is replacing Chief Byron Prather, who retired on Jan. 31, 2021.

Boyd comes to Opelika from Bessemer, where he served as the deputy fire chief for three years.

“After an extensive search across the southeast by an outside recruiting firm, we interviewed seven outstanding candidates,” said Mayor Gary Fuller.

“Shane Boyd was our choice because of his experience and proven track record of leadership. The Opelika

Fire Department has a long and proud history in our community. I believe Shane will take us to a higher level of service for our citizens and community.”

Boyd began his career as a firefighter EMT at the Birmingport Fire District in 1993, before moving to the Concord Fire Department as a firefighter paramedic.

He then served the city of Bessemer for some 25 years as a firefighter paramedic, fire sergeant, fire lieutenant, fire captain and battalion captain. In those roles, he was responsible for every aspect of fire safety, including training and EMS programs. He has an extensive list of certifications from standard

fire training such as a firefighter, HazMat and rescue technician to training in terrorist bombings, radiological/ nuclear awareness and FEMA incident safety.

“I want to say how humbled I am to be afforded the opportunity to join the city of Opelika and the Opelika Fire Department family,” Boyd said. “I was not looking for a job, but when this position opened, it was too good to ignore it. I’d like to thank Mayor Fuller and City Administrator Joey Motley and the citizens of Opelika for giving me this opportunity. I owe a great deal of appreciation to the members of the Bessemer Fire Department and Chief

McFarland. They have been extremely encouraging the past few weeks. It’s difficult to leave, but they are in great hands. I can’t wait to get to work with Opelika Fire.”

Boyd has already clearly established goals for the first 30, 60 and 90 days as fire chief. He plans to work with administration and staff to gather information pertinent to operations and build relationships internally; learn about and connect with the community, various agencies and school officials; analyze and develop fire department budget; and improve community outreach, develop strategic plans and operational goals for the extended future.

1 OUT OF 10 ELDERLY PERSONS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE BEING: Abused, Neglected or Exploited If you suspect this is happening to someone you know, please report it to Adult Protective Services by contacting your local DHR office or calling the

ADULT ABUSE HOTLINE at 1-800-458-7214

HELP STOP THE ABUSE

IF YOU SEE IT, REPORT IT

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ELDER ABUSE

“This project was supported by Subgrant #18-VA-VS-050 #16-VA-VS-076 awarded by the Law Enforcement / Traffic Safety Division of ADECA and the U.S. Department of Justice.” The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or grant-making component.”

BOYD

A4 March 3, 2021

A

Bills to strengthen military presence in Alabama are worth saluting

t Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1990, the 5,000 soldiers stationed there and the 1,500 civilian employees awaited news on whether the Anniston fort would be on the “hit list.” This was part of Base Realignment and Closure for 1991 in which many military installations would face elimination or big cuts over several years. The strange idea: implement a “peace dividend” by dismantling the very tools of our triumph just after we buried the Soviets.

Go figure!

Finally, the Big Call came from the commander-in-chief. Per policy, he tells the highest-ranked officer on a base what BRAC plans.

Soon after President Bush hung up with MG Charles Hines,

S

heppy-boy and I have a bedtime tradition that began when he was 4 years old. He was never one to sit still and look at word books like his older brother, so I began telling him made-up stories that I pulled out of thin air.

The stories began as a way to get his attention and to get him to be still, but story by story, night by night, it became something much greater.

We were capping off our night, me and my boy, with more adventure and fun than one can imagine.

To top it off, every story was about a boy named Shep.

L

ast night, amidst the biting Michigan cold, a baby was born at 10:03 p.m.

And while none of the major news outlets or camera crews had reason to tell you about this average birth, in an average town, in an average hospital, the baby’s family doesn’t feel it was average.

The baby’s name is Kristen. And this was a happy night for her family. Kristen’s dad, for example, took 3,122,391 cellphone pictures of Kristen within the first five minutes of her life. Which is very different from how things were done when I was born shortly after the Civil War. We had delivery-room sketch artists.

I talked to Kristen’s father this morning. He was emotional on the phone. In fact, he was all-out crying about the birth of his first child.

He blew his nose loudly and said, “This is the happiest day of my life.”

Alabama’s legislative delegates (U.S. Sens.

Howell Heflin and Richard Shelby, 3rd District Congressman Glen Browder, etc.) held a much-watched press conference. That 1991 BRAC plan failed, as the fort gained seven more years but finally closed in 1998.

“The federal military bases located in Alabama play an important role in our state’s economy and job climate, so retaining and, when possible, expanding their footprint must always be a top priority,” Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth said recently. “The bills passed by the State Senate will enhance the educational and occupational options for dependents of active armed forces personnel, and they will implement guidelines

that make Alabama even more attractive for military investment and expansion.”

Ainsworth is chair of the Alabama Military Stability Commission, a panel created by state statute in 2011. The group includes several elected officials and cabinet members, as well as regional appointees from across the state that have a heavy defense concentration.

One of its laudable elements is that it is built to last and will not likely be dropped under less favorable political winds.

I was editor of The McClellan News as an Army staff sergeant and had to keep my opinions of the BRAC news to myself. As active-duty soldiers, we could not advocate

By Greg Markley for the base’s survival.

After all, we were with The Feds and suspicious anyway. But like most soldiers, I enjoyed the beautiful, quaint military and base. Its demise was not my choice.

Alabama has four federal military bases: Maxwell-Gunter AFB in Montgomery; Fort Rucker Army Base, in Dale; Redstone Arsenal Army Base,

in Madison; and Anniston Army Depot, in Bynum. Supporters of those are grateful to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby for his decades protecting and expanding these bases. He retires in January 2023.

Godspeed, Senator!

When Fort McClellan was a federal installation, under threat of closing, we added something interesting to the news.

On the front page, above the fold, we put “Showplace of the South.” This came about as we saw other places call themselves the “Showplace” of this or that. Why not our fort? It was pretty with abundant trees and other natural delights, surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Range. The homes with Spanish architecture

were picturesque, too.

Also, I added up the number of Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard soldiers based at the fort, and then the estimated 1,500 civilian employees and an educated guess for the family members. Finally, I got totals for the retirees in the counties around the base, within 75 miles. This composed our likely readership, indicating the fort’s reach well beyond Anniston. We thought that perhaps the BRAC people might finally realize the base’s impact.

Maybe establishing that we had 12-16,000 readers was against anti-BRAC protocols, but it was subtle and no one fussed about it.

Community leaders and politicians rallied See MARKLEY, page A5

The Day the Turkeys Got Away Turkey season is upon us, and seeing as we are a farm family, inclusive of outdoor life, I thought I’d try out a “Shep Story” with all of you. It is fiction of course, but then again, knowing Shep, it could really happen.

We are southerners, and by nature that makes us excellent storytellers.

I hope this story draws a sweet and funny picture for you or takes you back in time, but more, I hope it opens up a story in your soul to share with the people you love too.

Once upon a time there was a good little boy who lived on a farm. He loved tractors, he loved any-

By Bradley Robertson thing in the dirt and he loved learning new things with his dad, the Farmer.

One night when the boy was getting ready for bed, the father came in and said, “Hey buddy, Daddy is going to shoot a turkey in the morning, you think you might want to come with me?”

The little fella grinned the biggest grin in days, for he had been waiting years for his father to invite him on a real hunt. “Really, Daddy?” he asked, with a defined southern drawl.

“You bet!” replied the father, and so the two laid out all their camo and hunting gear and quickly went to bed. For to catch a turkey, one must rise way before the sun and

greet the creature in its path.

The next morning, an hour before daylight, the father woke the boy.

“Hey buddy, are you ready to go catch a turkey?”

Within minutes, they were dressed head to toe in camouflage and walking out the door. The father and the boy each carried a gun on their shoulder. The father knew the experience was not only about the kill of a turkey, but about teaching his son the ways of life.

Under black skies and cold, frosty air, the boy followed his father across the pasture, quiet as a

mouse. He could barely see in front of himself, but he kept both eyes on his father’s boots to direct his own foot path.

The father had told the boy of the quiet and still needed to catch a turkey, and as the boy was an excellent listener, he walked in complete silence to the forest.

Five minutes passed, and the two came upon the wood line of the forest. The father began to weave in and out of tall trees, brush and bushes, looking for the perfect spot to sit still and wait for Mr. Turkey. The See ROBERTSON, page A5

About Last Night It’s too bad the newspeople didn’t tell you about it. Maybe they were busy.

Also, it’s a shame nobody told you about Hilary’s dog, Dingo.

Last night in Albuquerque, Hilary’s dog passed away.

A little about Dingo: He was golden colored.

He loved eating corn chips, pizza, carrots, Jergens Ultra-Healing Moisture Lotion and expensive electronics.

He was a very special animal.

Dingo watched Hilary graduate high school when he was a puppy.

He saw Hilary into college. He was around when she got married.

He was also beside her when her first husband walked out on her.

Dingo, the lab-mix with the big smile, was the one who helped carry Hilary into adulthood.

He deserved a headline or two.

Hilary knew on Friday that something wasn’t right with Dingo

By Sean Dietrich when he started having multiple accidents indoors. It was bad.

Pancreatitis. Hilary made the decision no pet owner wants to make. They put Dingo down.

“I just wanted someone to know about the best dog in the world,” wrote Hilary.

So, now you do.

Meanwhile, 1,397 miles away, more breaking news was happening in Georgia.

Fifteen-year-old Paul was preparing for a first date. Paul was standing before his closet mirror,

getting dressed. He was nervous because he does not find himself attractive.

“I’m kinda overweight,” says Paul.

“Not super fat, but, you know, kinda fat.”

Paul believes that most girls think he is ugly, although his mother adds that Paul is flat wrong.

His date’s name was Sophia. For a long time now — two years — Paul has had a crush on Sophia, but she never really paid him any attention. Until last Saturday when Paul’s

uncle gave the kid a pep talk, saying, “If you don’t ask this girl out you might regret it for the rest of your life.”

So Paul summoned his intestinal courage and got Sophia’s number from a friend and texted her with his trembling thumbs. Paul was bold. Paul was courageous. Paul almost vomited in his mouth.

But he actually asked her out. And within the six agonizing minutes it took Sophia to respond, he died one thousand deaths. Her text response was: “Sorry I missed your text! My phone was on vibrate!

Yes, I’ll go out with you!”

You could have buried Paul with a grin on his face.

The two had a date yesterday evening.

During the date, Sophia voiced her serious interest in follow-up dates.

And then there was Elaine’s big news. She vacated Dallas last week amidst the mass power

outages. She carried her two kids home to Tennessee and moved in with her elderly parents.

And last night she made a pivotal life decision.

“I’m gonna go back to school and finish my education,” she says.

Elaine plans on getting a GED, then she’s aiming for college, then nursing school. It’s a tall order, there is a lot of work ahead, but there is joy in her voice.

I asked why she chose nursing.

“When I got the coronavirus this past summer,” says Elaine, “I was pretty scared, and the ER nurses were so amazing. I knew I wanted to do THAT with my life.”

Classes start in the summer, Elaine is so excited that her face could light up four city blocks.

And don’t forget the newsworthy thing that happened 3,845 miles across the Atlantic, in Dublin. Alana had been injured from an on-theSee DIETRICH, page A5

A5 March 3, 2021

Opelika Main Street launches Annual Membership Drive Contributed by Opelika Main Street Opelika Main Street has launched its 2021 annual membership drive, aimed at encouraging the community to support downtown.

Membership dues go

VOICE >>

FROM A2

will move in at a later date. Upon arrival, the counselors give the women a full assessment and begin planning what each woman needs.

There are counselors who live in the house and help guide the women through the process and work with them through trauma situations.

Each woman will stay for about six months; the hope is to get them back on their feet and able to afford their own places.

One Voice has partnered with Mercy Medical and Southern Union to get the best care for the women. One Voice will work

to support the many programs and services Opelika Main Street organizes each year including economic development efforts, special events, business development and downtown beautification.

“Supporting downtown means you are

helping all of Opelika,” said Opelika Main Street Executive Director Ken Ward.

“A strong downtown reverberates throughout the entire city!”

A few of the projects Opelika Main Street has helped bring about include the construction

of Courthouse Square, updated landscaping in the Breezeway, restoration of the Depot and the placement of downtown way finding signs. Businesses and individuals can become members by going to opelikamainstreet.org or by contacting the Ope-

lika Main Street office at 334-745-0466.

About Opelika Main Street Founded in 1987, Opelika Main Street helps assist in the revitalization of historic downtown Opelika through facade grants, beatification projects,

economic development efforts, business professional development programs and various community events.

Learn more about Opelika Main Street by going to opelikamainstreet.org or by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

with women who never graduated high school to get them their GED. A few hairstylists are also working with them and will style their hair if they have an interview or meeting to go to. With many volunteers, the new house costs $12,000 a month to run.

Lee County Commissioner Robert Ham said that this wasn’t the work of one person. This was the work of Lee County and many people who had a passion for this.

One Voice Shelter Coalition already has one location that was established in May 2018. Since then, they have handled 70 requests for shelter.

For more information, visit www. ovscleecounty.org/.

Photos by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer

MARKLEY >>

FROM A4

for the fort; powerful retired Women’s Army Corps, Chemical Corps and MP Corps generals and colonels promoted the base in Washington, D.C. When the Persian Gulf War erupted, the value of the Chemical Branch was highlighted. A command sergeant major noted: “People used to joke that NBC [(Nuclear, Biological and Chemical threats)] really stood for ‘Nobody Cares,’ but now with

ROBERTSON >>

FROM A4

boy’s steps crackled over leaves and briars, but soon the thicket opened to a clear stand of plantation pines.

The father stopped at a pair of pine trees and motioned to the boy to sit down. The boy’s breath was seen clearly in front of his little nose as he and the father sat down, side by side, backs leaned against the trees.

The father positioned the guns just so, and the two began to wait.

In the silence of the forest, far in the distance,

DIETRICH >>

FROM A4

job accident for a few years. She decided to get surgery to deal with this at age 41. After her operation, the surgeon recommended physical therapy.

Saddam Hussein acting up it is called ‘No Bigger Challenge.’”

Now in 2021, there are bills at the State House of Representatives to allow military dependents who are in public colleges and universities in Alabama to pay in-state tuition while stationed here and provide additional state services to military veterans. Also awaiting House member votes are measures that guarantee the acceptance of out-of-state occupational licenses for military dependents in various

professions and other issues. I knew several military family members who struggled to get their occupational licenses accepted with dispatch.

“Passing these bills just three days into the session offers solid evidence that Alabama is rolling out the red carpet for the U.S. Space Command,” said State Sen. Tom Butler (R-Madison). “Those of us who live in Alabama understand it is a special place to live, work, worship, and raise children, and the military families who report for

duty will soon learn that fact, as well.”

Butler chairs the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

(Redstone Arsenal was recently announced as the headquarters for the new U.S. Space Command.)

I still remember the anguish in then-U.S. Rep. Glen Browder’s face at the press conference after the BRAC 1991 targeting of Fort McClellan. A highly respected professor at Jacksonville State University, he had only been a congressman for less than two years. The

fort closed in 1998, but Browder was reelected in 1990 and two more times.

Despite the efforts of other officials and admirers of “The Showcase of the South,” Fort McClellan closed as an active-duty base in 1998. (It is a major ALARNG site, and I go there three times a year to “walk the old, nostalgic paths” of my military career.) Thus, the bills promoted by Lt. Gov. Ainsworth, State Sen. Butler and the other members of the Alabama Military Stability Commission

are necessary and prudent. Our state’s motto is “We Dare Defend Our Rights.” Perhaps we should add this: “And We Defend Our Military Bases, Too.” Greg Markley first moved to Lee County in 1996. He has master’s degrees in education and history. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama.

An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to the Observer for 8 years.

He can be reached at gm.markley@charter.net.

the boy began to hear a low gobble. At first it scared him, and the boy looked to his father for assurance. The gentle dad grinned back in satisfaction, placing his finger in front of his mouth and making the “shh” sign with his lips.

The gobble of the turkey, as well as its footsteps, came closer and closer. The boy’s eyes were darting back and forth trying to find the source of the sound in the grey light. The father tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to their far right, and just beyond the tenth tree, within 16 paces, was Mr. Turkey.

The boy could not believe his eyes. It was there, slowly walking directly in front of them.

The two sat still as statues, the boy waiting on his father to make the next move.

In seconds, the turkey just 12 feet in front of the boy, the father lifted his gun and aimed to shoot. The boy could not believe what was happening, and naturally, he picked up his arms as to cover his ears from the sound of his father’s gun.

At that very moment a wooly, red fox darted out from behind the boy and made a beeline to the turkey. The father

had not yet pulled the trigger, and the quick fox bounced toward the turkey, hoping for his own morning meal. However, Mr. Turkey, being able to fly, darted into the air and quickly disappeared into the dark branches of the early morning.

The father and son sat in disbelief. Without even a minute to evaluate what to do next, another turkey, larger and closer than the one before, walked right up into view, coming from the father’s left side.

He stood still as could be, just four feet away, perhaps having no clue of the action that just took

place in his very own woods.

“Is this really happening?” the boy thought to himself.

Would they catch this turkey?

And with no hesitation, the fun of the moment overcame both father and son. They looked eye to eye and burst into laughter causing their prize turkey to run away.

The boy was falling over in belly laughs, and the father was right alongside him, soaking up every second of joy and goodness found in his son.

The two sat at the pine trees for what seemed like endless time, recall-

ing what happened, both adding in bits and pieces of the story as they saw it, chuckling and grinning and sharing a moment they both knew they would never forget.

They finally stood to make the trek back to the house, guns in tow, light beginning to creep up over the horizon.

The father patted his son on the head at the top of the hill, in full view of their farm and this sweet place they call home.

“You’re my turkey ticket Shep,” he said.

“All I need is you and all the good stories will fly right to us wherever we go.”

Alana went faithfully to each session, three times every week where a therapist named Ricky helped her regain mobility by engaging in unusual, moderately embarrassing exercises involving weighted balls, squatting positions and fitness contraptions

that resemble medieval chastity hardware.

Ricky was handsome. And nice. He had longish brown hair, a gentle disposition and Alana found herself giggling for no apparent reason whenever he was nearby.

Finally, the inevitable

happened.

Ricky asked if she was busy that weekend.

Alana said no, so Ricky asked would she like to do something, and she said yes, and he said what time, and she said any time is good, and he said okay how about six, and she said six sounded

fine and then they got married.

Okay, it didn’t happen THAT fast, but they did get married one year later. And as it happens, Alana and Ricky just celebrated their 31st anniversary yesterday.

Which, in case you forgot, was the same

day baby Kristen’s birth took place, along with all the other stuff I just told you about.

So the next time you feel like the world is falling apart, take a moment and think of the 7.6 billion happy stories the headlines forgot to mention.

A6 March 3, 2021

Rob's Rib to open in downtown Auburn

Photo by Adam Johnson Photography

By Will Fairless Associate Editor Mark Coxwell and the eponymous Rob Goodwin are bringing Butcher Paper BBQ’s unique taste to Auburn. Rob’s Ribs, which will be located in what was Mike and Ed’s Bar-B-Q at 307 N. College St., will have expanded hours and an expanded menu.

The menu will have all of the same Butcher Paper favorites like brisket and macaroni and cheese, but with a bigger kitchen than in Opelika, Rob’s Ribs will offer spare ribs, baby back ribs, beef ribs and potentially wholehog barbecues on the weekends.

Breakfast will be made from scratch, with eggs made to order. New additions to the lunch menu include fried pickles, barbecue nachos and a pimento cheese sandwich.

There will be vegan entre options like a smoked portobello mushroom sandwich and jackfruit subbing in for pulled pork

REMEMBER >>

FROM A1

la, Taylor and Lynn’s fiancée Sheila Creech were all in the home.

David reached a blockade, and a deputy told him he wasn’t allowed any further.

“I asked the state trooper, or sheriff’s deputy, ‘Hey, I need to get by there to go to 38.’ He said, ‘You can’t go,’” he said.

So, David parked on a dirt road and walked past.

“It was the most eerie feeling walking in because it was still overcast, calm, quiet with all that noise,” he said.

“You can hear people hollering, but your mind takes you to a place where it’s just quiet.

There’s no birds, nothing. The wind wasn’t blowing. It was just still and quiet and it was just so eerie feeling.”

Lynn’s home was gone. David said he only recognized it because Lynn’s motorcycle was still out front.

At this point, David still didn’t know where his daughter was.

“I saw people walking up the hill holding a girl … and it was Kayla,” he said.

David was asked to look after Kayla, who was alive, but he said that after he knew Kayla was okay, his priority was finding his own daughter, Taylor.

While searching for Taylor, David was stopped by another dep-

on a sandwich.

“We’ll have something for everyone here,” Coxwell said. “We’re very happy to be able to create a space that is uniquely Auburn, that is made for Auburn by Auburn people.”

Goodwin said, “Auburn is a big part of my life, and it’ll be nice to give back to the community in a way that I’ve always wanted to do, but now we have the opportunity to do it.”

Coxwell said that Rob’s Ribs will fill Auburn’s need for more breakfast options and its never-satisfied desire for barbecue.

One of the ways that the new restaurant will be suited for the college town is that it will have later hours, serve alcohol and have snacks available even after the kitchen closes for the night.

Coxwell is aiming to open Rob’s Ribs by midApril, but that is not set in stone. Go to Butcher Paper BBQ’s Facebook page to stay up to date on the new restaurant.

RECOVERY >>

FROM A1

agencies from across the state that assisted Lee County.

“To see our first responders just covered … they were covered in mud and blood and tears and sweat — to see that, you can write about it, you can watch a movie about it, but to see that — that’ll break your heart,” said current Lee County EMA Director Rita Smith.

Smith was the public information officer at the time for the tornadoes, dealing with media response and requests.

“We had over 400 media outlets represented,” she said.

These were not just local outlets, but media agencies from across the United States and the world.

“We made a little side comment that it must have been a slow week nationwide because we were the news,” Smith said.

Former President Donald Trump visited the area five days after the tragedy; Smith was FaceTiming agencies at three and four in the morning from Greece and Australia; Families of those affected were interviewing the day after with Lester Holt; The governor visited three times the first week.

In fact, Smith said she even lost her voice in the aftermath of the tornadoes.

Recovery Now: The last two years have been a long-haul recovery effort.

“Recovery effort has been remarkable given the scale of the damage that was suffered in the community,” Jones said. “… A lot of people had generations on that land and have always been there and they had that feeling, ‘We’re

just not leaving,’ and they’ve rebuilt. And that’s significant, to show that.”\ Despite homes being rebuilt, he said you can still see the marks left by the tornado.

“We’ve had so many groups that have come in and just dedicated thousands of hours to help others and rebuild homes and find places for those affected to live and to support them and that needs to continue,” Jones said.

There are a lot of Lee County citizens who suffer from storm PTSD, Smith said. Even when there is a marginal risk of storms, she receives calls, texts and messages from people who are concerned.

Following the storms, a big part of recovery was the Lee County EMA applying for grants for individual storm shelters, which will hopefully help relieve the fears of those who were affected.

“Any time there is a federally declared disaster that gets a federal number attached to it and a certain percentage of whatever that disaster costs goes into a hazard-mitigation grant,” Smith said. “And a hazard mitigation plan must be updated every five years in your county and it has to be FEMA approved in order to be eligible for federal-declaration funds.”

There are items listed in the hazard-mitigation plan that show how the county benefits, Smith said, such as how lives are saved, e.g., with storm shelters.

After the county lost 23 residents in the tornadoes, the process of using federal funds was moved to a need for storm shelters, she said.

“We did this after the 2011 tornadoes, we started the process and we had a list of names of people who would be interested

uty who said he could go no further.

“I was like, ‘Well, I’m looking for my daughter.’ And he said, ‘Well, there is a girl down there.’ And I was like, ‘Is she okay?’ And he was like, ‘Well, I don’t know.’”

The deputy began asking David questions, what Taylor looked like and what her name was.

“I guess in the back of my mind I kinda knew what he was doing,” he said. “But still it hadn’t registered.”

David found his daughter, Taylor, and unlike Kayla, she had not survived the tornado. *** The days surrounding the tornado were a whirlwind, but the community rallied around the Thornton family, and not only the Thorntons, but all those involved in the tornado tragedy.

“That night, we went home with some family friends, I mean I had people, Messenger was just blowing up,” said Ashley Thornton, Taylor’s mom.

There were messages from people across the United States and even the world.

“Everybody would just not get out of our business in a good way,” David said.

“They were not going to let us fall through the cracks.”

Additionally, David said they want to thank first responders, nurs-

es, law enforcement, sheriff’s deputies and all those who helped following the tragedy, along with the community.

“Us two appreciate them,” David said.

“We’re not much, but we appreciate them.” *** It’s been two years, but the pain is fresh.

“That Sunday will never leave my mind,” David said.

Not only can David not move past the events of that day, but he doesn’t want to, he said.

“I want to remember, even through the tragedy,” David said.

“I don’t ever want to forget my daughter or anything that had to do with her life.”

But there are parts of life that do move on.

In fact, the land around

them is growing up … and so is Kayla.

David and Ashley do still see Kayla, and the rest of her family. Though Lynn and Creech also died in the tornado.

“That’s a relationship that I would never want to see us lose,” David said.

It’s difficult, David said, to watch Kayla get older, while Taylor cannot.

“Thinking, ‘Man, Taylor should be right there with her,’” he said.

David said that he and Ashley decided they cannot be resentful because they are thankful Kayla’s life was spared.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t hard to live each day without Taylor.

“We just get up and do what we’ve got to

the next time and that all went out the door [after the 2019 tornadoes] and priority was given to those who were affected by life loss or total destruction of their homes,” Smith said.

FEMA will pay 75% of each shelter with the individual paying 25%. After two years, applicants are beginning to see the grants federally approved, Smith said.

Two Years Later: “The victims and families that suffered these losses, and they’re still grieving and always will, should never feel like they’re alone and their loved ones should always be remembered,” Jones said.

The two-year anniversary of the tornadoes is today, and there are four events in the area to help celebrate and remember these affected families and individuals.

MEND, in partnership with The Chattahoochee Fuller Center, is hosting a home dedication at 10 a.m. CST at 102 Lee Road 721 for Carol Dean.

There will be a remembrance ceremony at noon central time at courthouse square.

Smiths Station will host a minute of silence at 2:03 p.m. central, 3:03 p.m. EST, at 2336 CR-430, Smiths Station.

Providence Baptist Church will host a candlelight memorial at 7 p.m. CST at Providence.

Smith said that those who still wish to help those affected can donate through The United Way of Lee County or MEND with EAMC. Jones said that outside of volunteering and donating, it’s important too to offer emotional support.

“Just letting these people know that they care, I think that carries more significance than so many things,” he said.

do,” David said. “I mean, at any loss you just get up and keep moving forward. You put your feelings aside enough to go do your job. You’ve got a family you still have to be there for. We’ve got a son we’re still raising.”

Ashley keeps a photo of Taylor as her lock screen on her phone.

David has a tattoo with Taylor’s name on his arm. The two wear “Beauregard Strong” bracelets. They left her room as it was the day she died, and just shut the door.

“We have a latest picture of Taylor and it was her last weekend here and she’ll never be 12, she’ll never be a teenager, she’ll never go to prom, she’ll never go to high school, she’ll never get married,” David said. “So, it hurts.

It hurts to think about that.”

The family said their faith is what helps them stand strong. *** Their son, McCrae, is now two and although in looks, similar, his personality is growing into that of a “fireball,” his dad said.

McCrae was less than a year old when Taylor died, so his parents do not know that he’ll ever remember her, but they make sure he knows he had a sister.

“Watching him learn how to walk for the first time when his sister got to see him sit up for the first time, but she never got to watch him walk,”

David said.

Taylor was so excited to be a big sister, he said.

“We were driving, me and her … just driving down the road in our truck and she just pops up from the back seat, ‘Momma, can I have a baby sister?” said Ashley. “I said, ‘What?

Where did this come from?’ I thought I was going to wreck the truck, it just took me off guard. I said ‘Well, not right now, baby.’ I said, ‘Maybe later.’ She would keep asking for a sister and I said, ‘Baby, well when the time comes I’m sure you’ll be happy with a brother or sister.’”

In fact, Taylor told Ashley and David’s parents the news that Ashley was pregnant.

Taylor was also the first to hold McCrae after Ashley.

“Of course, they do the hour skin-on-skin mommy, but I didn’t hold him, grandparents didn’t hold him first, she got to hold him first,” David said.

David said that the family looks forward to the days where they will be able to talk about Taylor more to McCrae, when he will understand.

“We have to stand true in our faith that we know she’s in a better place,” David said.

“And we are going to persevere through this.

We weren’t promised that it was going to be easy but we’re not going to quit.”

Opelika E vents, Society & Food

Auburn Area Community Theatre presents Sally Cotter and the Censored Stone March 5 at 6:30 p.m.

March 6 at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Newcomer Cindy Avery enjoys sharing love of cooking with others Ann Cipperly

Southern

Hospitality

S

unday dinners at grandmother’s house with homemade ice cream and blackberry cobbler in the afternoon, breakfasts with country fried steak and family fish fry suppers are cherished childhood memories of Cindy Avery’s. She inherited her grandmother’s and mother’s love of cooking and finds being in the kitchen relaxing. Cindy especially enjoys baking a variety of delicious pound cakes to share with others.

Cindy and her husband, Houston, moved to Opelika last September from Dothan to be near their daughter, Shannon Edwards, and

granddaughter, Grace, who live in Auburn.

They purchased a new house in Trillium and are enjoying the area, as they make Opelika their home.

When Cindy was born, her family was living in Corpus Christi, Texas, where her father and grandfather were working with Brown and Root, a large construction company. When they built a chemical plant in Washington County, Alabama, the family moved to Jackson when she was 5 years old.

Her maternal grandparents also lived in Jackson, and her grandmother had a love of cooking. “I got my love

of cooking from my grandmother,” Cindy said. “She was a great cook. There were eight siblings in my mother’s family. Every Sunday, my grandmother would have the family over for big Sunday dinners after church. She would cook roast, fried chicken or chicken and dumplings.”

In the spring, when blackberries were ripe, Cindy and her family would pick the berries for their grandmother to make cobbler to serve with homemade ice cream. There were so many grandchildren that they would fuss over who was going See CIPPERLY, page A9

KOB planning 2021 Garden in the Park Contributed by Keep Opelika Beautiful The 15th annual Garden in the Park is now planned for Saturday, May 1, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be held at the Opelika Municipal Park.

This free event features all handmade or homegrown art.

Festival attendees will have the

opportunity to shop the work of 60-plus artists and makers who work with an array of mediums from jewelry, fiber, glass and ceramics.

There will also be garden items such as plants, pots and birdhouses.

Safety precautions due to COVID-19 will include enforcing a mask mandate for attendees. Hand sanitizer stations

will be available throughout the park.

Applications for artists are currently being accepted and can be downloaded from the Keep Opelika Beautiful website.

For more information about Garden in the Park, contact Keep Opelika Beautiful at (334) 749-4970 or tipi@ keepopelikabeautiful. com.

Photo special to the Observer Cindy Avery and her husband, Houston, are newcomers to Opelika. Cindy is sharing wonderful childhood memories of her family gathering to enjoy time together and southern dishes. She inherited a love of cooking and enjoys sharing her delicious cakes. Cindy is pictured with slices of her Pecan Sour Cream Pound Cake.

Waverly’s First Saturday Market to be March 6

By Michelle Key Publisher The Standard Deluxe in Waverly is bringing back the First Saturday Markets starting March 6. The event will run from 11 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

Patrons can enjoy: - Delicious lunch - Local artworks - Fresh bread - Tasty coffee - Amazing juices - Silkscreened T-shirts - Poster prints

- Music The market is scheduled to run on the first Saturday of each month for the next six months.

The venue is at 1015 Mayberry Ave. in Waverly.

A8 March 3, 2021

Making the Grade: Chappy’s Deli

By Stacey Patton Wallace For the Opelika Observer

When we were teachers, my husband Mike and I were paid on the last work day of the month. Now, as retired teachers, we are paid on the first day of the month. Getting paid only once a month is more challenging for me than it is for Mike. In fact, budgets and I don’t like each other very much.

Tom Patton, my daddy, was an amazing money manager. Daddy and Mama sent Jim and Mike, my two much older brothers, to Auburn University; for two years, they were there at the same time.

Daddy once told me that sometimes he didn’t even have 50 cents to buy himself a Coke at Russell Mills, Inc., on his break. “That’s when I became a coffee

drinker at work because it was free,” Daddy said. Also, he once told Mama, “If I ever really sat down and tried to figure out how we’re paying for both Jim and Mike to go to Auburn, it would scare me to death!”

Thankfully, my parents recovered a little financially before I entered Auburn University as a transfer student in September 1983.

Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit Daddy’s skill in money management.

For instance, I once wrote a 67-cent check for an ice cream cone to Baskin-Robbins in the mall. Now that I’m 58, I can only shake my head at how stupid I was back then. However, years ago, I heard that researchers had discovered that the part of the brain that controls reason and logic isn’t fully developed until a person is at least 25. That made me feel a little better,

but it was still an idiotic thing to do.

Also, once as an Auburn student, I drove up to my bank to cash a $5 check because I needed gas. Much to my embarrassment, the teller came over the loudspeaker and said, “I’m sorry, but you don’t have sufficient funds to cover this check.” I was a real Dave Ramsey.

Right.

For those of you who are as economically challenged as I am by the end of the month, a great, inexpensive place to eat is Chappy’s Deli in the Glenndean Shopping Center in Auburn.

Last week, Mike and I met two friends for supper at Chappy’s.

Madison, our waitress, was sweet and very patient. Also, COVID-19 safety protocols were followed; all employees wore masks, and social distancing was observed since patrons could only sit at every other table.

Cannon Farms hosting Spring Swap Day

My friend Jack and I ordered the N.Y. Pastrami and Swiss, a delicious choice, which had pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, special dressing, mayo and spicy mustard on dark rye. Mike chose the Healthy Harvest, a salad made with apples, walnuts, dried cranberries and gorgonzola cheese.

Our friend William ordered the Chicken Salad and Apple Wrap, which consisted of homemade chicken salad with apples, pecans and grapes. All of our food was delicious, including Mike’s free ice cream (You can’t beat that with a stick!), my red velvet cake, and our friends’ hummingbird cake.

Chappy’s Deli has a wide variety of menu choices, including sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, healthy eats, soups and desserts.

In addition, diners may choose from several

side items that come with their entrees.

Before I grade Chappy’s, I need to mention that my Mama didn’t like me calling myself “fat” in my first two restaurant reviews. She suggested I use “pleasingly plump” instead.

With love, I explained to her that “pleasingly plump” people only need to lose about 10 pounds, so I’m way too big for that designation.

However, I am about 56 pounds lighter than I have been; at that time, I was “horribly huge.” (I love alliteration.)

Also, I must give a shout out to Kayla, a very kind person on Facebook who, like Mama, didn’t like me using the term “fat.”

She suggested that I instead refer to myself as “Pooh-sized.” Thank you, Kayla; I like that very much.

Chappy’s Deli makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English

teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food.

Enjoy!

If you are looking for a real bargain and want to know what’s going on in our wonderful community, you can have the Opelika Observer delivered to your home. A year’s subscription costs $32.00 a year; that’s only 62 cents a week!

Also, you won’t have to leave the comfort and safety of your home or get out on those cold, rainy days to pick up our paper. Just go to opelikaobserver.com/ subscribe-today/.

Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner.

Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear each week in the Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@ gmail.com.

Personalize Your Plate Contributed by Allison Drake, MS, RD, CDCES Healthy eating can be something for which we have an idea of what we “should” be doing, but it is unfortunately something we naturally do not want to do. Why is that? I would have to venture that we are creating this idea based on how someone else may eat or what someone else has once told you about healthy eating.

This year, try focusing on foods that you love and enjoy that are also nutritious and healthful. Start by thinking of some meals you enjoyed while you were growing up, I bet you could probably think of some favorites and also identify some healthy things about them. Being true to the foods you enjoy and want to eat is really the only sustainable way to approach a healthy

lifestyle. I like to tell my patients, “You hate cauliflower? Well don’t eat cauliflower!”

There are so many healthy foods to choose from, so focus on the healthy foods you love and go from there.

Trying new foods and new ways to prepare foods you already love is also another great way to personalize your plate.

I personally do not like boiled Brussels sprouts, but when I buy them fresh, slice them, drizzle with oil, add salt and pepper and roast them in the oven, I can’t get enough.

Cooking methods can change the way foods taste and also the texture, which can play a large role in how we enjoy our foods.

A good reminder on how to build a healthy plate, personalized to you, is to be sure to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables. Some examples

of non-starchy vegetables are salad, yellow squash, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, okra, onions, peppers, tomatoes, collards and carrots, to name a few, but the list really goes on and on. If you read this and think, “I really do not like any of those!” I would encourage you to do a quick web search for list of non-starchy vegetables, and I bet you will find some that you do like. Once you have your plate half full of non-starchy vegetables, add in protein for one fourth of your plate and then a carbohydrate for the last fourth. Following this simple guide will help you better build a healthy meal.

For a personalized meal plan, contact your local Registered Dietitians at the Diabetes and Nutrition Center of EAMC at (334) 528-6800 or diabetesandnutritioncenter@ eamc.org.

Call me for all your real estate needs!

1810 E. Glenn Ave. Suite 130 Auburn, AL 36830

By Michelle Key Publisher Cannon Farms is hosting a Spring Farm Swap Day on March 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Interested parties are encouraged to bring livestock, farm products and local produce to sell. There

will be a $5 vendor fee.

The event is open to the public and they ask that no cats or dogs be brought to the event.

Cannon Farms will have laying hens, roosters, chicks, farm fresh eggs and bunnies available, and Keefarosa 19% layer

feed will be available as well.

Other vendors will be offering canned goods, rabbit hutches, chicks, chickens and more.

The farm is located at 2005 County Road 160 in Opelika. The public is encouraged to visit the farm for a fun-filled day.

Cell 334.444.8041 duffystewartrealtor@gmail.com www.BHHSPreferredAuburn.com A member of the franchise system of BHH Affliates, LLC

A9 March 3, 2021

Rock 'n Roll Pinball hosts Boy Scouts after food drive

Photos by Josh Fisher/For the Opelika Observer

CIPPERLY

>>

FROM A7

to sit on top of the old-fashioned handturned ice cream maker.

Cindy has many happy memories with her cousins. Her grandparents had a big front porch with swings on each end. The cousins would race to see who could get on the swings.

Her grandmother lived three or four blocks from where she attended school. Many mornings, Cindy and her siblings would go to her grandmother’s house for breakfast.

She always had a pan of homemade biscuits with honey on the side.

While some breakfasts could be eggs and bacon, many times her grandmother would have pork chops or chicken fried steak and gravy with rice.

Her grandmother had

a red Formica countertop. Cindy would sit on bar stools to watch her cook. Her grandmother didn’t have written recipes, but Cindy managed to get the blackberry cobbler recipe.

Vanity Fair had several factories in Jackson and Monroeville and built a park with a huge swimming pool that was springfed. Her family would go there during summer for picnics. They would put watermelons in the cool spring to get cold. Cindy recalls how refreshing the chilled watermelon slices were on hot summer days.

After her grandmother passed away, Cindy’s mother took on being the matriarch of the family and doing the cooking. Cindy’s father and her paternal grandfather fished often.

They would cook freshly caught fish, hand-cut French fries and home-

made hushpuppies for family fish fry suppers.

Her parents owned a cabin in Miller’s Ferry where they would go to fish. They were in a fishing tournament, and her mother caught the largest crappie, winning the $3,100 first place prize.

Cindy and Houston met in Jackson. After high school, she attended Auburn University.

After they married, the couple moved to Dothan, where they lived most of their married life. Houston worked for Michelin Tire and then started a lawn care business in 2002 at which he worked until he retired.

Cindy worked at an oral maxillofacial practice for 15 years in Dothan.

The Averys were active in their church, which was the hardest part about leaving Dothan. Houston was

in charge of ushers and served on the board.

Since moving to Opelika, they have been attending Trinity United Methodist.

They also miss the Wiregrass Angel of Hope memorial at the West Gate Park for parents who have lost a child. The founder, Steve Hardwick, places flowers once a month at the memorial for children who have birthdays that month. Cindy and Houston lost a little girl.

The memorial is dear to their hearts.

Their other daughter, Shannon, has a daughter, Grace, who is 11 years old. When Shannon was growing up, Cindy made lots of cookies and brownies.

She has always enjoyed making pound cake, and now bakes more cakes since Shannon is grown.

Cindy makes layer cakes as well and recently learned a method

for baking the layers so that they don’t rise in the center. She takes a strip of towel, gets it wet and then wraps it around the cake pan, securing it with straight pins. She found this method on a recipe.

Having a love of baking, Cindy has been baking cakes and sharing them. She recently took her Pecan Sour Cream Pound Cake to the office at Trinity United Methodist Church, where she and Houston are attending services. It was a huge hit!

“I just love being in the kitchen,” Cindy said. “Cooking is therapy for me, and I love it when people enjoy what I cook. Most of what I cook are various recipes that were handed down in the family. I like to look at recipes and will try new dishes to share with others too. I love cookbooks and especial-

ly cherish the ones from my mother that she has written notes in the margins.”

When making pound cakes, she has the butter and eggs at room temperature. If using cream cheese, she lets that reach room temperature too before using. She really likes her Kitchen Aid mixer but treasures her grandmother’s hand mixer.

“We really like Opelika,” Cindy said. “I like the quaintness and the Historic District. We went to the Victorian Porch Tour and loved it.”

As Cindy and Houston are making Opelika their home and becoming involved in the community, be sure to give them a big welcome to our wonderful community. Just maybe, Cindy will have a slice of cake to share.

Ann Cipperly can be reached by email at recipes@cipperly.com.

A10 March 3, 2021

RECIPES

>>

PECAN SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans 3 cups cake flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 3 cups sugar 6 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup sour cream Glaze 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 3 Tbsp. orange juice 1 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour large Bundt pan or regular pound cake pan , depending on size you may need two loaf pans.

Sprinkle pecans in bottom of Bundt pan and set aside.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at the time until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla.

Add flour mixture, alternately with sour cream. Mix well.

Pour batter in prepared pan. Bake for 70 to 90 minutes until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes and turn out.

Prepare glaze by whisking together the confectioners’ sugar with orange juice and vanilla.

Drizzle over warm cake. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup sour cream Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream and buttermilk.

Add half of the flour mixture to butter mixture. Beat to combine. Add the sour cream mixture.

Mix well. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix well.

Spread mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes, then turn out.

When cool, sprinkle powdered sugar over top. Good served warm with vanilla ice cream.

HOT CHOCOLATE MARBLE POUND CAKE 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 4 large eggs, at room temperature 2 Tbsp. sour cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix (do not use hot chocolate or cocoa mixes that contain powdered milk or other dairy products) Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan.

Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk together eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a small bowl.

Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, to cream.

Continue to beat butter mixture until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Beat in flour, 1/4 cup at a time, then beat the batter for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in egg mixture. (Do not overmix.)

Transfer about 1/3 of the batter to a medium bowl and stir in the hot chocolate mix.

Spoon 1/2 remaining vanilla batter into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth over the top with a spatula.

Using 1/2 the hot chocolate batter, drop spoonfuls on top of the vanilla batter. Repeat with the remaining vanilla and hot chocolate batters. Run a skewer (or knife) through the loaf pan to swirl the 2 batters together.

Tap the pan on the counter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed, which will be about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Let cake cool in the pan for a few minutes, then invert and let cool completely on a rack.

BUTTER PECAN CAKE 2 1/3 cups chopped pecans 2 1/4 cups unsalted butter, divided, room temperature 2 cups sugar 4 eggs, at room temperature 2 tsp. vanilla 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup milk Frosting: 1 cup softened butter 7-8 cups confectioners’ sugar 5 oz can evaporated milk 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans (you can use Baker’s Joy which is a combination of both).

Melt ¼ cup of the butter and add to pecans. Toast pecans in oven for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool while preparing cake batter.

Cream remaining butter with sugar until light and fluffy and lighter in color, usually about 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time until well combined. Stir in vanilla.

Mix flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, alternating with milk. Mix well. You can add 1 1/3 cups of toasted pecans to batter or you can add pecans between layers after frosting, depending on what you prefer.

Place even amounts of batter into cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick in the center of cake.

Cool for 15 minutes and turn layers out to cool.

When cooled completely, frost cake.

To make frosting, mix softened butter with confectioners’ sugar, adding a little milk at a time. When all sugar and milk are mixed to frosting consistency, add vanilla.

Note: I frost layers, then add pecans in-between the frosted layers.

Once frosted, I garnish with pecans halves and finely chopped pecans on top. Slice and enjoy!

Tip: Tear strips of from an old cloth or towel to fit around cake pans.

Drench in water and leave enough water in strips so that it doesn’t drip.

Secure around cake pans with straight pens. This will keep cake

layers even without rising in the middle.

SUGAR CREAM PIE 1 prepared unbaked deep dish pie shell 4 Tbsp. cornstarch ¾ cup sugar 4 Tbsp. melted butter 2 ¼ cups heavy cream 1 Tbsp. vanilla Topping: 3 Tbsp. melted butter ¼ to ½ cup cinnamon sugar (mix 2-3 tsp. cinnamon w/1/4 to ½ cup sugar) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prick deep dish pie shell with fork, then bake for 12 minutes in oven. Set aside.

Mix cornstarch with sugar. In heavy quart saucepan, mix melted butter, sugar mixture and heavy cream. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thicken (it will get thick and creamy).

Remove from heat, add vanilla.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Spoon melted butter evenly on top of mixture, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Broil until bubbly for about 1 minute but watch carefully. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate for 1 hour to set. Store in refrigerator.

HONEY PECAN SQUARES 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 3 cups all-purpose flour Filling: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup honey 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream 1/4 tsp. salt 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring or vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper (or foil), letting ends extend up sides of pan.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a small saucepan, combine the first six filling

ingredients; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in pecans and maple flavoring. Pour over crust.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Use the parchment paper to lift bars from the pan before slicing.

SOUTHERN GIRLS BREAKFAST CASSEROLE 2 lbs. ground sausage 2 cups water 2 cups chicken broth 1 tsp. salt 1 1/4 cup quick cooking grits 1 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese 6 Tbsp. butter 1 cup milk 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 6 eggs, beaten Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown sausage and drain; set aside.

Bring water and chicken broth to a boil; add salt and grits. Bring to a boil again and turn down to simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. This will take 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and add grated cheese, butter, milk and seasonings; stir until well mixed.

Add sausage; stir well. Then add beaten eggs to mixture. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake 45 to 55 minutes until golden and bubbly, and a knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

This can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Set at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Individual servings can be made and pour into ramekins, baking for 20 to 25 minutes.

ZESTY CHICKEN DIP 3-4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into small cubes 2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded 1 red onion, diced 1 green, yellow, and red bell pepper, diced Chopped parsley 2 avocados, cubed Chopped garlic Salt and pepper to taste 1 small bottle of Zesty Italian dressing Mix all ingredients except avocados. Refrigerate overnight,

stir occasionally.

Add avocados right before serving. Serve with bagel rounds or Dorito scoops.

QUICK AND EASY CHICKEN POT PIE This is a take on my mother’s homemade chicken pie.

She used cooked potatoes, cooked carrots and English peas with a chicken stock roux. You can certainly cook it this way. Since I worked, I modified her recipe to be quick and easy!

1 rotisserie chicken , cut up meat (can substitute 3 cups cooked chicken breasts) 2 large cans Veg all, drained 1 can mushrooms, drained (optional) 1 can cream of chicken soup Chicken broth 1½ tsp. poultry seasoning 1 can biscuits Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix chicken, Veg-All, and mushrooms.

Heat cream of chicken soup; add chicken broth to thin soup just a little to get to desired consistency (You do not want to get it really thin, but do not want it gravy consistency).

Add poultry seasoning. Mix with chicken and vegetables. Pour in greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Flatten out biscuits and arrange on top of chicken mixture.

Bake 25 minutes or until biscuits are browned on top.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS 16 oz. jar picante sauce 1 cup sour cream 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breasts 2 tsp. chili powder ½-1 cup Fiesta blend or Monterey jack cheese Six 6-inch flour tortillas 1 can red enchilada sauce Chopped green onions Toppings: chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, jalapenos, guacamole Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread ¼ cup of picante sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Combine remaining picante sauce with sour cream and chili powder. Add cubed chicken to mixture. Add ¼ to ½ cup cheese to mixture. Spoon chicken mixture down center of each tortilla, sprinkle more cheese on top. Roll tortillas up and place seam side down in casserole dish.

Cover with enchilada sauce. Bake for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle green onions over top.

Serve with toppings of choice.

A11 March 3, 2021

T

A Relationship with Jesus

hat’s an expression used commonly to answer the question, “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?” It’s a phrase that’s been around for a while, so people use it assuming everyone understands it. That can be a dangerous assumption because over time, even the most clearly defined words or phrases tend to become blurred and mean different things to different people.

What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Jesus?

We have a clear answer to that from Jesus in John 15:1-17, where He talks about the vine, its branches and fruitfulness. Israel had been spoken of as a vine or vineyard (Isaiah 5:7ff, Jeremiah 2:21 and other texts), but on the whole,

Church Calendar • Church of Christ at Cunningham - meeting at their building at 9:30 a.m. for Bible class, 10:30 a.m. for worship, 5 p.m. for evening worship and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

• St. Marys Catholic Church/ St. Michael’s Church SMCC is having Daily Mass on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 a.m. and on weekends they are distributing holy Communion on Sundays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. A Mass is also held on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. at St. Michael's Church over in Auburn. For more information people can call the office at 334-749-8359 or go to the parish website: stmarysopelika.org.

• Union Grove Baptist Church In-person gathering with social distancing. Masks are available.

Sunday worship is at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Wednesday worship is at 6:30 p.m.

Services are streamed live on Facebook — the page is UGBChurch • First Baptist Church Opelika The following are held in-per­son and online on Sundays.

8:30 a.m. Tra­ditional Worship and Message at The Worship Center 9:45 a.m. Sunday School Hour 11 a.m. Contemporary Service at The 3:16 Center 6 p.m. Evening Worship and Message at The Worship Center 6:30 p.m. Church on Chadwick at Chadwick Lane in Auburn To watch services online, go to fb­copelika.­com/­media

the nation had failed to produce fruit for God by living righteously. In contrast, Jesus modeled the life God had desired the nation to exhibit (compare His wilderness experience/Matthew 4:111 with the wilderness experience of Israel/Hebrews 3:16-19). Therefore, when He speaks of Himself as “the true vine” (John 15:1), He is speaking as a true Israelite who fulfilled God’s purpose for the nation.

He goes on to say that His disciples are branches — no one can “bear fruit” without a relationship with Him. “If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (v. 5).

That’s clear enough, but how do we “remain” in Him and He is us?

It’s unfortunate that many hear the word

By Bruce Green Teaching Minister at 10th Street Church of Christ in Opelika

“remain” and conclude that it means as long as someone doesn’t actively unfollow the Lord, everything will be fine.

There’s nothing sadder than a person who has worn the name of Jesus for years and their greatest accomplishment is they haven’t left Him. If spiritual health is gauged solely by what we don’t do, then that makes us good by doing nothing, which is another way of saying . . . good for

nothing. That is not the way of Christ (Acts 10:38).

“Remain in Me” means that we continue to grow in Christ. Jesus speaks of us remaining in His words (v. 7) and His love (v. 10). The idea is clearly that these things are guiding and shaping us in all that we do. “Remaining in Me” then is a rich, relational phrase meant to convey the truth that we continue to allow Jesus to shape and transform our lives.

“A relationship with Jesus” then isn’t a label we can slap on our lives to justify living anyway we want to because we know Him and “Jesus is cool with that.” We don’t listen to voices in our heads, our hearts or from our culture when they conflict with what He has said by the Spirit

through the biblical witness. If we have no Lord, we have no life!

However, if Jesus is our Lord, then listen to what He says about disciples who remain in His word and His love: “I have told you this that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (v. 11). Joy comes through living under the reign of Jesus!

The world hears that and sadly it sounds like oppression to them, but disciples know better.

We’re never more alive or more joyful than when we’re living for Him. If you need to start your relationship with Him, read Acts 2 and do what 3,000 people did in making Jesus their Lord.

You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: atasteofgracewithbrucegreen.com.

ABOUT BRUCE GREEN You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: atasteofgracewithbrucegreen.com.

Hunley Group Lambert Transfer & Storage An Interstate Agent for North American Van Lines 1102 Fox Trail Opelika, AL 36803 745-5706

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. — — Numbers 6:24-26 APOSTOLIC HOLINESS God’s House of Prayers Holiness Church 301 Highland Ave., Opelika 334-749-9672 True Deliverance Holiness Church 936 N. Donahue Dr., Auburn 334-502-4700 BAPTIST Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-8506

ANGLICAN Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd 2312 Center Drive Unit D 334-758-6749 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Bridge Church 1000 Lee Road 263, Cusseta 334-742-0144 AME Mount Zion AME Church West Point Hwy 334-749-3916 St. Luke AME Church 1308 Auburn St. 334-749-1690 St. Paul AME Church 713 Powledge Ave. 334-745-6279 Thompson Chapel AME Zion 187 Columbus Pkwy 334-749-8676 BAPTIST Abundant Life Baptist Church 1220 Fox Run Ave. Suite B 706-4421464 Airview Baptist Church 2301 Airport Rd. 334-444-5148 Antioch Baptist Church 605 W. East Morton Ave 334-742-0696 Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St. 334-745-7528 Bethel Baptist Church Hwy. 29 Sasser Rd 334-745-4865 Central Baptist Church 1611 2nd Ave. 334-745-2482 Community Baptist Church 154 N. 16th St. 334-745-6552 Cornerstone Missionary Baptist 500 N. Railroad Ave. 334-742-2008 Eastview Baptist Church 1208 Spring Dr 334-749-9595 Farmville Baptist Church 3607 Alabama Hwy N. 334-887-7361 First Baptist Church of Opelika 314 S. 9th St. 334-745-6143

Church Directory

Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184 Lakeview Baptist Church 1600 E. Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-7094 Pepperell Baptist 2702 2nd Ave., Opelika 334-745-3108 Providence Baptist Church 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika 334-745-4608 Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika 334-749-0461 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ at

First Baptist Church 301 S. 8th St. 334-745-5715 First Baptist Church Impact 709 Avenue E 334-741-0624 First Freewill Baptist Church 103 19th St. 334-703-3333 Friendship Missionary Baptist 432 Maple Avenue 334-742-0105 Greater Peace Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave. 334-749-9487 Heritage Baptist Church 1103 Glenn St. 334-363-8943 High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673 Love Freewill Baptist Church 1113 Frederick Ave. 334-745-2905 Ridge Grove Missionary Baptist Church 1098 Lee Road 155 - 334-745-3600 Northside Baptist Church 3001 Lafayette Hwy 334-745-5340 Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Uniroyal Rd 334-749-2773 Purpose Baptist Church 3211 Waverly Pkwy #704-0302 St. James Baptist Church 1335 Auburn St. 334-745-3224 Union Grove Missionary Baptist 908 Huguley Rd 334-741-7770 BUDDHIST Buddha Heart Village 3170 Sandhill Rd. 334-821-7238 CATHOLIC St. Mary’s Catholic Church 1000 4th Ave. 334-749-8359 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy 334-742-9721 Southside Church of Christ 405 Carver Ave. 334-745-6015 CHURCH OF GOD

Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika 10th Street Church of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika 334-745-5181 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Changing Hearts of Destiny Ministry 936 N. Donahue Dr., Auburn 334-502-4700 METHODIST Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St., Auburn 334-826-8800 Beulah United Methodist

Airview Church of God 3015 Old Opelika Rd 334-749-9112 Church of God 114 17th Place 334-749-6432 Tabernacle Church of God 3 Oak Court 334-745-7979 CHURCH OF NAZARENE Opelika Church of Nazarene 1500 Bruce Ave. 334-749-1302 EPISCOPAL Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave. 334-745-2054 HOLINESS Eastside Emmanuel Holiness Church 86 Lee Road 186 JEWISH Beth Shalom Congregation 134 S. Cary Dr. 334-826-1050 LATTERDAY SAINTS Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints 510 Groce St. 334-742-9981 METHODIST First United Methodist Church of Opelika 702 Avenue A 334-745-7604 Hopewell United Methodist 1993 Lee Rd 136 334-745-0460 Pierce Chapel United Methodist 8685 AL Hwy. 51 334-749-4469 Pepperell United Methodist 200 26th St. 334-745-9334 Trinity United Methodist Church 800 Second Ave. 334-745-2632 Wesley Memorial United Methodist 2506 Marvyn Pkwy 334-745-2841 PENTECOSTAL Full Gospel Pentecostal Church Hwy. 29, PO Box 1691 334-7418675 Gateway Community Church 2715 Frederick Rd 334-745-6926 PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church of Opelika 900 2nd Ave. 334-745-3421

Church 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-745-4755 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Church At Opelika 1901 Waverly Pkwy., Opelika 334-524-9148 St. Ellis Full Gospel Church 5267 US Hwy 80W, Opelika 334-298-4319 PRESBYTERIAN Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Outreach Seventh-Day Adventist 1808 S. Long St. 334-749-3151 NON-DENOMINATIONAL Apostolic Holiness Church 610 Canton St. 334-749-6759 Auburn Opelika Korean Church 1800 Rocky Brook Rd 334-7495386 Beauregard Full Gospel Revival 2089 Lee Road 42 334-745-0455 Christ Church International 1311 2nd Ave. 334-745-0832 Fellowship Bible Church 2202 Hamilton Rd 334-749-1445 Ferguson Chapel Church 310 S. 4th St. 334-745-2913 First Assembly of God Church 510 Simmons St. 334- 749-3722 Garden of Gethsemane Fellowship 915 Old Columbus Rd #745-2686 Grace Heritage Church Opelika #559-0846 Holy Deliverance Church 831 S. Railroad 334-749-5682 Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1250 McCoy St. 334-737-1488 Living Way Ministries 1100 Old Columbus Rd 334-749-6241 Move of God Fellowship Church 1119 Old Columbus Rd 334-7411006 Connect Church 2900 Waverly Pkwy 334-749-3916 New Life Christian Center 2051 West Point Pkwy 334-741-7373 New Life Independent Church 10 Meadowview Estates Trailer 334-741-9001 Opelika’s First Seventh Day 2011 Columbus Pkwy 334-737-3222 Power of Praise, Inc. Church 3811 Marvyn Pkwy 334-745-6136 Shady Grove Christian Church West Point Hwy 334-745-7770

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Email: editor@opelika observer.com Call: 334-749-8003

A12 March 3, 2021

OBITUARIES David Owen Noles David Owen Noles, a resident of Tallassee, passed away Monday, February 22, 2021 at the age of 56.

Mr. Noles is survived by his wife Amy Taylor Noles; siblings Amy Noles Lowery, George Robert (Alice) Noles.

In addition to a number of nieces and nephews, David leaves behind numerous young men that he loved, mentored and fathered. As the founder and director of The Least: A Ministry of Compassion, his outreach was always to the least and the lost. He will be forever missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to The Shed, a halfway house for men struggling with addiction. David helped found and remained as a board member. Memorial donations can be sent to: The Shed, 501 Peace Church Rd., Wetumpka, AL 36093 A memorial service for Susan Koons, 71, of Opelika, Alabama was held at 11 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2021 at JeffcoatTrant Funeral Home in Opelika. Public visitation proceeded the service at 10 a.m.

Ms. Koons passed away Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika after a hard-fought

battle with COVID. She was born Jan. 7, 1950 in Jeanette, Pennsylvania. She moved to Opelika in 1995 to be near family and she loved living out her retirement years in the South.

She is survived by: her son, Opelika Police Chief Shane Healey (Christie Hill) of Opelika, AL; granddaughter, Alyssa Healey of Opelika; grandsons Dallan Healey (Erika) of Hanover, MD and Aaron Healey (Tori) of Camp Lejeune, NC; and a host of other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made to Lee County Humane Society.

Gertrude Harris Dennis Gertrude Harris Dennis was born in Crenshaw County, Alabama on Dec. 25, 1927 and passed away at Arbor Springs on Feb. 23, 2021. She was 93 years old.

She attended Dozier High School Class of ’46.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sidney D. Dennis; parents, Lessie and Melvin Harris; sisters, Mae Guice, Ruth Bozeman, and Judy Harris; sister-in-law, Flora Burroughs; brother-in-law, Charles Dennis; grandson, Craig Henderson.

Gertrude is survived by her

children, Linda Tittle of Franklin, MA. Sue Schoonhoven (Bobby) of Cusseta, AL. and Gary Dennis (Debbie) of Ponchatoula, LA; grandchildren, Deborah Few (Janson), Jason Schoonhoven (Renea), Sean Henderson (Liz), Crystal Hartmier (Ryan), Nathan Dennis (Wan), Hannah Poche (Jeremie), Brandy Breaux (Jerod), and Hunter Wells (Brooke); 23 great grandchildren; 3 great-great grandchildren; sister, Mary Joyce Forwood of Mobile, AL. sister-in-law, Eunice McDaniel of Opelika, as well several nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family members.

A private graveside service was held at Garden Hills Cemetery on Feb. 27, 2021 with Dr. Gary Dennis officiating The family would like to thank all of the caregivers at The Harbor at Opelika and at Arbor Springs.

Margie Rollo Roberts Margie was born in Union Springs, AL but spent her entire life living in Opelika, AL. She died February 24, 2021 at East Alabama Medical Center. She graduated from Smiths Station High School. She was the

valedictorian of her senior class and head cheerleader. Margie was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. She worked at Uniroyal Tire Company for 37 years as the EEO and retired at age 54.

She’s survived by her husband, Clayton Roberts, son Cliff (Cindy) Roberts; brothers, Jimmy Rollo and Bob (Beth) Rollo; grandchildren, Rachel (Brandon) Elliott, Parker (Rachel) Roberts, Lindsey (Chad) Fullerton; great grandchildren, Natalie Elliott, Camille Elliott, Olivia Fullerton, and Jackson Fullerton.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Margaret Rollo and Jimmy O. Rollo; and her brother, Ike Rollo.

Visitation will be held on February 27, 2021 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home. A graveside service will be at 2:00 PM on Sunday, February 28, 2021 at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church cemetery with Dr. Rusty Sowell officiating.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home and Crematory directing.

Gertrude Harris Dennis Gertrude Harris Dennis was born in Crenshaw County, Alabama on Dec. 25, 1927 and passed away at Arbor Springs on February 23, 2021. She was 93

years old.

She attended Dozier High School Class of ’46.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sidney D. Dennis; parents, Lessie and Melvin Harris; sisters, Mae Guice, Ruth Bozeman, and Judy Harris; sister-in-law, Flora Burroughs; brother-in-law, Charles Dennis; grandson, Craig Henderson.

Gertrude is survived by her children, Linda Tittle of Franklin, MA. Sue Schoonhoven (Bobby) of Cusseta, AL. and Gary Dennis (Debbie) of Ponchatoula, LA; grandchildren, Deborah Few (Janson), Jason Schoonhoven (Renea), Sean Henderson (Liz), Crystal Hartmier (Ryan), Nathan Dennis (Wan), Hannah Poche (Jeremie), Brandy Breaux (Jerod), and Hunter Wells (Brooke); 23 great grandchildren; 3 great-great grandchildren; sister, Mary Joyce Forwood of Mobile, AL. sister-in-law, Eunice McDaniel of Opelika, as well several nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family members.

A private graveside service was held at Garden Hills Cemetery on Feb. 27, with Dr. Gary Dennis officiating.

The family would like to thank all of the caregivers at The Harbor at

Opelika and at Arbor Springs.

Rodney Carlton Davis, Sr. Rodney Carlton Davis, Sr. of Beauregard, Alabama was born in Opelika to the late Jack and Patricia Ann Cole Davis on Jan.13, 1971 and passed away at his home on March 2, 2021. He was 50 years old.

He was of the Baptist Faith.

He was preceded in death by his son, Mathew Davis.

He is survived by his children, Brittany Davis, Pamela Davis, Rodney Davis, Jr., Kaese Davis and fiancé, Tonya Lacy; grandchildren, Kelsee, Dalton, Channing, Lydia, Mason, Spencer, Easton, Sophie; sister, Pamela Strange; brother, Jack Davis; aunt, Judy Roberts (Charles); nephews, Zachary Hobbs, Brandon Parker, and Kenny Ray, as well as numerous cousins and other family members.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 3, 2021 in the Parlor at FrederickDean Funeral Home from 5 to 7 p.m.

Funeral service will be held in the Chapel at FrederickDean Funeral Home March 4, 2021 at 11 a.m. with Reverend Henry Dawson officiating. Interment will be at Rosemere Cemetery.

A13 March 3, 2021

COVID-19 testing site ceasing operation Contributed by EAMC After being in operation for more than 11 months, EAMC’s COVID-19 testing site will be discontinued after this Friday, Feb. 26.

“When we opened it last March, it was

the main source of testing for this area and we tested as many as 825 people a week last July," said John Atkinson, P.R. and Marketing director at EAMC. Since then, testing has expanded in the community and is available at many physician offices, ur-

gent care offices and pharmacies.

“Over the past year, our employees have been reassigned at times to work in areas specific to COVID-19,” Atkinson said. “The need for testing has been declining for several weeks now, and

we’re hopeful it will continue to do so as vaccinations increase.

We feel that now is the time to bring that portion of our COVID efforts to a close. We will still be running our COVID Infusion Center, Call Center and the Community Vaccine Clinic, while

also trying to return as many employees to their regular jobs.”

As always, the Emergency Department is available for patients in need of medical care, and COVID-19 testing will continue to take place for these patients in the Emer-

gency Departments in Opelika and Valley.

The Emergency Department is not a site for routine COVID-19 testing.

Persons in need of routine COVID-19 testing may still call 334-528-SICK to help locate a testing location in the area.

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2195 FIRST AVENUE • OPELIKA

A14 March 3, 2021

COMICS

“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.” ― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

S

S

School Board meetings

INSIDE • OPELIKA SCHOOLS • LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS • COMMUNITY SPORTS

Opelika: March 25 at 4:30 p.m. at 300 Simmons St. Lee County: March 9 at 6 p.m. at 2410 Society Hill Road

Etheredge named Auburn High School head football coach

On the Mark

By D. Mark Mitchell

OHS varsity boys’ track wins Opelika Invitational

T

he OHS Track and Field Team hosted the “Opelika Invitational” at Sam Mason Track on Saturday. The meet featured nine teams in the girls’ middle school division, five teams in the boys’ middle school division, nine varsity boys’ teams and five varsity girls’ teams.

The OMS girls team finished fourth, scoring 30 points. Tyra Pitts scored all 30 points by winning three events: the 100-meter dash, 200 and the 400. The OMS boys team placed third, thanks to Tyrese Pitts’ first place finishes in the 400-meter dash and the 800-meter run.

Opelika High’s varsity boys’ track team won the meet with 285 points, a whopping 147 points in front of second place Wetumpka.

The following won events: Ben Royal, pole vault (9-6) Jarell Stinson, javelin (143-3) and 100-meter dash (10.89) Justin Short, 110 hurdles (16.50) and 300-meter hurdles (44.69)

Eric Watts, high jump (6-4) Anthony Edwards, long jump (19-6) Trevon Moore, shot put (46-3.75) Second Place Finishes: Caleb Phillips, 200-meter dash (23.34) ANT McGuire, 400-meter dash (54.03) Kyrian Moss, 800-meter run LaJaden Tolbert, Javelin (140-3) You can find all team and individual results by going to www. alabamarunners.com SOCCER The girls’ and boys’ soccer teams played Benjamin Russell and Smiths Station last week.

The OHS girls tied Benjamin Russell 0-0.

Despite multiple shots on goal by Amiya Brown, Erica Mathews and Scarlet Posadas, the Lady Bulldogs could not manage a goal. Phoebe Darcey matched the defensive effort in goal, deterring all shots from entering her net to secure the tie.

Next, coach Button’s team tied SSHS 4-4 last Thursday at the W See SPORTS , page B5

Photo by Daniel Chesser

By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com

As "On the Mark" sports radio airing on Fox Sports the Game 910-1310 first reported last Thursday, former Oxford head football coach Keith Etheredge was named Auburn High's new football coach at a called board meeting by Auburn City Schools Superintendent Dr. Cristen Herring on Friday.

Etheredge comes to

Auburn after spending the past two seasons as head coach at Oxford High School, where he compiled a 25-3 record, winning the 6A State Championship in 2019.

He brings an overall record of 150-51 in 15 years as a head coach, including five state championships.

For comparison, the last two coaches at Auburn High, Tim Carter (2006-2014) and Adam Winegarden (2015-2020),

combined for 140 wins and 34 loses, for an average of just over nine wins a season.

Etheredge's first head coaching job was at Leeds High School in 2006. While there, he won 107 games while losing 34 over 10 years, including four state championships.

Etheredge then spent two years at Pell City (2016-17), one at TR Miller (2018) and the last two seasons at Oxford.

Etheredge attended Leeds High School and Jacksonville State University.

His coaching career started as an assistant basketball coach at Erwin High School in Birmingham. He started coaching football in 2004 as an assistant at Leeds.

Etheredge replaces Winegarden, who resigned to take the Tuscaloosa County head coaching position on Feb. 8.

Pickleball Tournament at Sportsplex March 4-7 Contributed to the Opelika Observer

There will be a pickleball tournament at the Opelika Sportsplex on

March 4-7.

Play starts at 8 a.m. and goes to about 8 p.m. each day. There will be more than 300 people from all over

the United States participating in this tournament. The ages range from 18 to 80.

Pickleball is one of the fastest grow-

ing sports in America, and the Opelika Sportsplex pickleball facility is one of the top 10 in the United States.

B2 March 3, 2021

SUSCC and UWA sign concurrent enrollment agreement Contributed by SUSCC

Southern Union State Community College (SUSCC) and the University of West Alabama (UWA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Feb. 22 making concurrent enrollment between the two colleges official.

The concurrent enrollment agreement with the University of West Alabama, one of the most affordable institutions in the state, will allow students to simultaneously pursue an Associate in Science degree at SUSCC and a bachelor’s degree at UWA in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). Students may choose from optional tracks in Graphic Design or Sports Communications.

“Such a unique course of study is not

offered at any other four-year institution in Alabama,” said Tyler Laye, director of academic programs at SUSCC. “The IMC program boasts a 100% job placement rate and prepares students for a variety of careers, including social media marketing, website design, advertising and business communications, so this is a great advantage for our students who are pursuing this route.”

Students will take UWA IMC major classes online while enrolled in general education required courses at SUSCC. After graduation from SUSCC, students can choose to complete their bachelor’s degree fully online or transfer to UWA’s beautiful 600-acre campus in Livingston, AL. Students who transfer from SUSCC upon completion of the

concurrent enrollment program and earning an Associate in Science with a 3.0 GPA or higher will be eligible to apply for an academic scholarship providing

Smiths Station waiting on offensive breakthrough

$3,000-4,000 per year that is renewable for up to four consecutive semesters for on-campus classes. SUSCC students who receive an academic scholarship will

Smiths Station

Varsity Boys Soccer played four hard fought matches over the week and came away with a victory,

two ties and a loss.

“It was a good team win,” head coach Jeff See BOYS , page B6

to SUSCC students beginning the Fall 2021 Semester. For more information on concurrent enrollment programs at SUSCC, contact Laye at tlaye@suscc.edu.

Determination and defense propel Lady Panthers to strong start

Photo by Josh Fisher / For the Opelika Observer

By JD McCarthy For the Opelika Observer

also be eligible to apply for housing scholarships at UWA ($2,000 for their first year on campus, non-renewable).

This new degree path will be available

Photo by Robert Noles/Opelika Observer

By JD McCarthy For the Opelika Observer

The Smiths Station

Girls soccer team has big goals for the season and their experienced defense and determination are going

to get them there.

“I’ve been impressed with their See GIRLS , page B6

B3 March 3, 2021

March and spring Stroll In

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1.

T

his year has slowed us all down in enjoying the simple pleasures all around us. March is “National Umbrella Month.” I know we usually think April is the month for rain showers, but March has been declared as “National Umbrella Month” to possibly prepare us for the April showers.

March is also recognized as “Strolling into Spring Month.” This week, we welcome in a new month, and soon we will welcome a new season. As early childhood teachers, we know March blows in with a lot of wind but also a gust of wonderful ideas

that we can engage our children and families in to get outside and enjoy spring days. Auburn and Opelika schools are approaching spring holidays.

I absolutely love to fly kites with my class.

The March winds offer wonderful opportunities to do this. One is reminded of “Mary Poppins” singing “let’s go fly a kite up to the highest heights” and the looks of joy and glee on the children’s faces as they dashed outside to the fun and freedom and amazement of watching their kites fly and dance in the wind. I witness that same joy in young

children’s eyes today as they join family or their friends on an afternoon kite adventure. It is so much worth the time for families to prepare for a kite-flying adventure.

Where did kites come from? Kites have been around for 2,000 to 3,000 years. According to records and legends, China was the country that invented the kite.

Thailand and Japan have used kites in their celebrations. We especially notice that brightly colored kites are used in The Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan, and they are used for Children’s Day in Japan as well. Too, the kite has been used for scientific purposes, as we remember from the story of Benjamin Franklin. Too, it has been used to record temperatures and for military purposes.

Our environment in Opelika and Auburn provides wonderful places and parks to go fly kites. I love the lakes and streams in our area where families can catch winds off the water to fly kites.

There are so many sites on the web to show parents how to make simple newspaper kites, box kites and other forms of kites with their children. It’s so much fun to work

together on a project like this.

Too, sometimes it is just better to purchase a kite if you don’t have time to make one. This spring entertainment object is not expensive and well worth the investment for memorable family fun!

I’d like to remind my readers of just some commonsense safety rules: (1) Remember Benjamin Franklin’s discovery; the line can carry electricity.

So don’t fly kites in a thunderstorm; electricity has already been discovered!

(2) Never fly a kite near electric lines or poles.

(3) When making a kite, don’t use metal parts or lines that will attract electricity. Too, fishing line or wire can cut a young child’s hands.

(4) Fly the kite in a safe location, not near trees, ditches or steep hills.

(5) If a kite gets caught up in a tree or pole, just leave it alone.

As I look at my March teacher calendar and my lesson plan book, there are other neat events that happen during the month of March. Here are some events that you might want to jot down for

you and your child to celebrate. This month is American Red Cross Month. Take time to explain to your young child how important the American Red Cross is to our community in helping to take care of us after a crisis hits an area. Explain that they provide needed items and take care of us after bad weather or other times when we need help.

Too, this is Music in Schools Month. You can make a lot of easy homemade music instruments out of empty boxes, paper plates, rattles, etc.

March is “National Nutrition Month.” Take time to explain what are good foods to eat versus foods that are not good to eat. During this month, I love to bring to my classes vegetable and fruit trays to guide them on what good nutrition is. This can simply be done at mealtime at home.

A wonderful intergenerational activity is on Friday, March 12, which is “National Plant A Flower Day.” Choosing the kind of flower to plant can include a field trip to the store or garden nursery to choose the flowers, a bag of soil and whatever else needed. The sights, scents and textures delight

young children and bring back many good memories to us seniors.

“Newspaper in Education Week” is this week, March 1-5.

Our newspapers are such valuable tools in teaching young children about our community and world. The Opelika Observer does a wonderful job in covering educational and community news. Sit down with your young child and show them the newspapers and what is happening all around them. Young children love to look at the pictures. This is a good way to teach some reading and comprehension skills from the newspapers.

“National Bubble Week” is celebrated in March too. What fun it is to blow bubbles or wave that wand through the air and see your little ones chase the bubbles all around. Young children love bubbles!

I love to have my students do this at recess.

Hours of bubble fun can be had right in the backyard.

I hope Classroom Observer has given you some ideas to share spring fun with your children and families.

Time spent with children spells LOVE! Beth Pinyerd Classroom Observer

Hornets preparing for area play

By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com The Beauregard Varsity Girls’ softball team travelled to a tournament in Auburn last Friday in search of pitching depth.

The Hornets lost the first game of the tournament to the Wetumpka Indians.

Their search for confidence behind any pitcher, besides Chattahoochee Valley

Community College commit Madison “Mac” McDonald, continued. Ninth grader Keely Kirby got the start and went 3.1 innings.

The Beauregard defense didn’t do the freshman pitcher any favors with three errors, and neither did their bats. Despite Tori Gouker pitching the final 1.2 innings and allowing only one unearned run on two hits, Beauregard fell 12-4. Madison

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Champion went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI to lead the way for the Hornets at the plate.

“We told our team if they will solidify the defense and swing the bats like we are capable of, a 12-4 game is 6-4, and a chance to win – and that is what we have to do,” said Beauregard head coach Scott Meadows.

Photo contributed by Coach Scott Meadows

See SOFTBALL, page B4

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B4 March 3, 2021

‘Run production, period.’

Glenwood baseball has up and down week

By Wil Crews sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com The Glenwood Varsity Boys’ baseball team began its week hotter than noon on the Fourth of July, hosting Southern Prep Academy on Feb. 23.

The Gators took the diamond and must have been boosted by the fair weather as they dominated Southern Prep like a totalitarian powerhouse, withholding the fun from their inferior opponent, subjecting them to an onslaught of tyrannical run production, winning 20-0.

“That was enjoyable for sure,” said Glenwood head coach Tim Flanning. “You know everyone practices just as hard as everyone else but everyone doesn’t get to play. So having a chance to see some guys who don’t get a lot of playing time be successful is always fun for me and the other guys too.”

Colton Dempsey led the way for Glenwood, going 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. Not to be outdone, Blakely Estes made good on his one atbat, knocking in four RBI with the play of the day – a grand slam. Kody Bence and Ty Smith both went 1-for-2 with 2 RBI, scoring two times apiece themselves. Hunter Deason (1-0) – already the sixth different pitcher to start a game for Glenwood this season – picked up the win on the mound.

“Our pitching staff is very versatile; it is very deep,” Flanning said. “That’s also a first-month-of-theseason deal. You’re trying to develop a rotation and determine roles. We’re getting closer to that.

We’re extremely blessed with a lot of arms. You try to keep pitch counts to

SOFTBALL >>

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The second game of the tournament against Houston Academy saw the same pitching combo of Kirby and Gouker on the mound again for the Hornets. This time it was Gouker starting and Kirby coming in relief, but the end result was the same. Champion had a double and one RBI and Caroline Willis was 2-for-3, but it was not enough.

“Houston Academy

a minimum at the beginning of the year until their arms develop to where they need to be. And fortunately for us, we are able to do that because we have a lot of guys.”

The next test for the Gators was an away game at Chattahoochee County last Thursday.

Jackson Kennon threw three innings, struck out seven batters, allowed zero hits and earned the win en route to a 13-2 victory for Glenwood.

Dempsey again showed his prowess at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, two RBI and two runs. Trent Edwards went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs.

Smith had two RBI with his two hits.

And, to top it all off, Garrison McClary went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI himself.

In what was a busy weekend, the Gators then travelled to Troup High School of LaGrange on Friday night. Glenwood struggled mightily with the Tigers’ pitching and Avery Robinson (1-1) struggled on the mound for the Gators. Robinson allowed zero runs and zero hits in three innings of quick work in what was his first start of the season against Social Circle two weeks ago; things went much differently for the Gator pitcher this time around. By game’s end, Robinson was on the hook for the loss and the Tigers offense had consistently plated batters, winning 9-2. Despite the lack of run production (Glenwood was held to just five hits), a couple Gators still had productive nights individually.

Dempsey continued his hot streak, scoring Glenwood’s only two runs of the game, going 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. Edwards went 2-for-3 with a double also.

had a solid lineup with some good sticks in it and our heads were down a little, contributing to the loss,” Meadows said.

“If our pitchers will eliminate some of the walks, our defense plays solid and we apply pressure with the bats, we can be competitive with other pitchers in the circle besides McDonald.”

On Saturday, Beauregard played two games, the first against Alabama Christian Academy with McDonald in the

“He had a great week,” Flanning said of Dempsey. “We expected that … Last year, before we got shut down, he was unhittable as a sophomore. It seems like he has kind of settled in and he’s done a tremendous job and is really getting better.”

Finally, the Gators had a chance to bounce back from their loss as they travelled to face Calvary Christian in a non-conference matchup on Saturday.

Like yin to yang, Glenwood’s strong two-win start to the week was matched by a disappointing two-loss end.

With the two teams relatively evenly matched, Glenwood and Calvary played a glorified chess match on the field, with Calvary emerging with the slim 1-0 win. For all his good done in the batter’s box throughout the week, Dempsey (1-1) took the loss as the starting pitcher on Saturday, although to little fault of his own. The Gators were stifled at plate all afternoon, shut out for the first time this year. About all the positives in the hitting department: Bence went 2-for-4 and Edwards went 2-for-3.

“We’ve just thrown the ball so well,” Flanning said.

“Defensively we have been fine. It’s just hitting that we’ve been pretty inconsistent with.”

The Gators (54) Glenwood is scheduled to play Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn on Wednesday, but results were not available at press time.

Fanning has one goal in mind for the game.

“Come out ready to hit. Come out focused at the plate. I don’t care who gets the hits, I don’t care what the averages are or anything like that.

I just want our team focused on run production, period.”

circle.

“The whole team mindset was like it should be every time we take the field,” Meadows said.

The Hornets scored three in the first inning and never looked back on the way to a dominant 11-0 win. Mac scattered four hits across four innings of work.

Cooper Watson led the way on offense, going 3-for-3 with a home run, double, four RBI and three runs scored. Katie Wilkerson went

Beulah softball not worried by slow start Despite their struggles to open the season, the Beulah softball team is focused on the positives and getting better every day.

“The girls know that we are young, but they haven’t quit, and they know their potential, so nobody is down,” said head coach Stan Pepper. “We know we just have to go to work and get better and as long as they keep that attitude we will be just fine.”

While he is still positive, he did not mince words about his team's 2-8 record.

“We’re extremely disappointed in the outcomes," Pepper said. "We are making way too many simple errors.”

However, neither Pepper nor his team is letting the losses get to them, as he believes that their work will “start showing here sooner rather than later” and that “by no means are we down or anything like that.”

The mistakes may be frustrating, but Pepper has been able to put it in perspective by reminding himself that he has only had his full team for five practices, and six of his girls were playing basketball fulltime just two weeks ago. In fact, five to six of his girls would ideally be playing for the junior varsity but instead playing for the varsity team. While Pepper believes these girls have the ability to contribute and play well on the varsity team, they have never played the game at this level and are still catching up to the speed of the game.

“We expect the hitting to be down, but I’m concerned about out fielding,” Pepper said.

“We have to remind ourselves that we are a very young team, we are getting better, but we have to get a lot better to get where we expect our program to be” The simple errors were key in several of

their losses over the weekend, as their five losses over the week were by a combined 10 runs.

“We are that close,” Pepper said. “We have played some very stiff competition and we are knocking on the door.

We just have to get to the point where we are winning by one or two runs not losing by one or two.”

Some of that stiff competition was by design, as the Lady Bobcats have yet to play a school that competes in the same classification as they do, with all 10 of their games coming against teams that are 4A or higher compared to their 3A status. Pepper and his staff thought this would be a good way for his girls to play some good competition and get some experience for a roster that does not have a single senior.

He admitted that he would like to have a little more success but thinks the early challenges will be worth it at the end of the season when the games mean the most.

The fielding might not be where he hoped it would be, but the pitching has been a highlight so far, despite their No. 2 pitcher Brandy Phillips battling elbow tendonitis.

“Katie Morris has been doing an outstanding job in the circle,” Pepper said of his team’s ace and the West Georgia commit.

With Phillips limited in the circle, Morris stepped up and pitched 30 of a possible 37 innings in their past six games. Despite going 1-5, Morris was far from the problem, allowing 11 runs, nine earned and striking out 42 batters.

Her best start was against Smiths Station when she went seven innings, allowed just one run on three hits and struck out 14 batters and picked up her win.

Phillips may be unable to pitch, but she

still made her presence felt, making several plays at short stop and leading the offence.

She is tied for the team lead with two home runs and hit a grand slam in the loss to Houston Academy.

Overall, she went 8-for16 with two home runs, five RBI, five runs and stole six bases.

Morris has also contributed at the plate, going 5-for-16 with a home run, three RBI and four runs.

Offensively, Pepper would like to see more runs but is comfortable with where his team is headed and with what they can become.

“We’ve had five home runs, which we are usually not a power team, but we have gotten some home runs from some girls we did not expect, and we are excited about that area of our hitting, we just want to get more consistent and get our averages up. Overall, I feel comfortable where our hitting is if we continue to improve.”

The main source of that power alongside Phillips has been Kassidy Kirby, who also has two home runs. While those two were expected to bring some thump, Abrianna Green has shown some unexpected power from leadoff spot and already has one home run.

The Lady Bobcats will have a chance to clean up their mistakes with a big week that saw them face rival Valley Tuesday night.

On Thursday, they will have their home opener against Reeltown for their first region game of the season and will cap the week off by competing in the “Valley Tournament” Saturday.

“We are hoping that by the end of this week we are closer to .500 than we are right now,” Pepper said.

“Hopefully we can have a better week than we did last week, and with the girls attitude the way they are we should be able to.”

2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs. To add to her impressive performance on the mound, McDonald went 1-for3 at the plate with a triple and two RBI. The second game of the day was against Auburn High.

“I told our girls if they didn't feel like we could win to sign out and go on home,” Meadows said.

His message must have lit a fire under his girls as the Hornets came out and put up three runs in

the first inning. Then they scored four in the third, one in the fourth and one more in the fifth to secure the 9-2 win.

Mac was on the mound once again, instilling confidence in her teammates through her performance. The senior went five innings, giving up only one earned run on three hits, striking out six batters. She also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBI. Wilkerson went 2-for-4 with a

double and three runs scored; Gouker went 2-for-3 with two RBI; Champion and Willis went 2-for-4 with one RBI apiece to round out the hitting highlights.

The Hornets now sit at 7-5 on the season, with their first area game upcoming against Brewbaker Tech later this week.

However, first, Beauregard has a date at home versus Benjamin Russell on Wednesday. Results were not available at time of press.

By JD McCarthy for the Opelika Observer

B5 March 3, 2021

Hoops for Trees event to take place at Sam Harris Park

By Lofton Wheeles For the Opelika Observer

The Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Science, the city of Auburn and Land & Trees Unlimited will be hosting their Hoops for Trees event at Sam Harris Park this Friday afternoon.

Those who come to the event will participate in a game of H-O-R-S-E and will

plant a tree once eliminated from the game, according to a press release from the city of Auburn.

“My plan is [to] invite the students to join us in a friendly competition between the groups (Forestry Club, Natural Resources Management, MANRRS and Wildlife, Sustainable Biomaterials),” said Denise Cole, director at the Auburn University Center for Envi-

Penta earns second SEC Freshman of the Week honor Contributed by AU Athletics

Tossing her second no-hitter in three weeks, freshman pitcher Maddie Penta was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for the second time this season.

Penta was named CoFreshman of the Week on Feb. 15, following her phenomenal collegiate debut during opening weekend. Penta is the first Auburn Tiger to win multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors in the same season since Kasey Cooper in 2014. She is the first Auburn pitcher to win the award multiple times in a season since Anna Thompson in 2007.

The Chesapeake City, Md., native tossed two complete-game shutouts for Auburn over the Tiger Invite. Penta allowed just four hits and four walks over her 14.0 innings of work, while striking out 27 batters.

Auburn’s undefeated weekend was highlighted by Penta’s lights-out

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James Samford Soccer Complex. Amiya Brown scored all four goals with assists from Erica Mathews, Karley Phatsadavong and Fatima Santamaria.

The OHS boys lost to Beauregard 3-1 and tied Smiths Station 0-0.

Janathan Blanco scored the only goal of the Beauregard game off of an assist

by Landon Faison.

The Bulldogs missed several players due to COVID protocols relating to contract tracing.

OHS and Smiths Station played to a 0-0 tie at the Sportsplex. The match was very physical; Smiths Station received three yellow cards from the official due to rough play.

The physicality of the match made things scrappy on the pitch,

performance against IUPUI. Penta struck out 16 consecutive batters over the first six innings.

She carried a perfect game bid into the top of the seventh before issuing a walk. She closed the game with her 17th strikeout to secure her second no-hitter of the season.

The right-hander’s 17 strikeouts tied for the second most in a single game in Auburn history.

She was one shy from the program’s single-game record of 18. She is the first Auburn pitcher to toss multiple no-hitters in the same season since Marcy Harper (2) in 2014. Penta improved to 5-0 in the circle, which is the best start to a freshman campaign since Makayla Martin went 100 in 2016.

Penta holds a 0.85 earned run average in the circle behind a SECleading three shutouts.

She has allowed just four earned runs and 12 hits in 33.0 innings pitched.

She leads all SEC freshman with 49 strikeouts. and despite some good looks at goal from the Panthers, OHS goalkeeper Miller Isaacson shut out Smiths Station.

OHS/OMS SOFTBALL The OHS Softball team lost 15-0 to Auburn High last week in a mercy-rule game.

AHS scored 10 runs in the first inning, two runs in the second and third innings and added a run in the fourth inning, ending the game early. Opelika did not record a hit.

OMS Softball team finished second in the “MS Invitational” at West Ridge Park. OMS won three games, beating Floyd Magnet 6-5, Russell County 9-0 and Johnnie Car Middle School 15-2. The only loss was 3-2 to Sanford Middle School.

The Lady Bulldogs received solid pitching from Jade Jones, Katie Harrelson, Katelyn Foley and Emily Bir-

ronmental Studies at the Urban-Rural Interface Outreach. “We will play the game H-O-R-S-E except we will spell out T-R-E-E since we are tree people … We [will] all eventually end up planting the trees for a great hands-on learning experience.”

The event is also a new idea to bring people together to have a fun time while planting a tree, a goal that is imperative to Cole, she

said.

“Well last year, we had an event just like this and it was [called] First Down for Trees and we used football players when we did it,” Cole said. “So, the idea is I’m always looking for fun things to do.”

The event is also a good opportunity to help students learn more about tree planting and to help students find future opportunities.

“Our goal here is to help the students to get practical tree planting experience as we grow the next generation of urban foresters, arborists, horticulturists and natural resource professionals,” Cole said.

“Also, this is a good way for the students to network with the organizations that will be there for jobs and interns.”

The green initiative’s goal is to improve wa-

ter quality, increase urban forest canopy and provide numerous social, environment and economic benefits throughout the city of Auburn and other high school campuses across Alabama, according to the press release.

The event will take place at Sam Harris Park on Friday, March 5 at 1:30 p.m. For more information, contact Cole at coleden@auburn.edu.

Thompson, Levy earn SEC postseason honors Contributed by AU Athletics

Auburn senior Unique Thompson was named to the All-SEC Second Team, and freshman Romi Levy earned a nod to the SEC All-Freshman Team as the league announced its annual awards Tuesday.

Thompson, a native of Theodore, Ala., leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation with 12.9 rebounds per game. She also leads Auburn with 17.8 points and 2.4 steals per game. Thompson is the SEC’s active career leader in rebounds and steals and is fourth among active players in scoring.

She had two games this season with 20 points and 20 rebounds, one of only two players nationwide to accomplish that feat twice this year.

She will leave Auburn as the program’s all-time leader in rebounds, rebounding average and double-doubles, and she is in the top 10 in field goal percentage, scoring average and field goals made. Thompson broke the school rebounding record with her 1,119th in the Tigers’ game at Mississippi State on minham. Offensively, Jasmine Smith, Kennedy Soltau, Emily Birmingham and Katie Harrelson recorded three hits apiece.

Jade Jones and Stella George added two hits apiece. Jancyn Thompson, Cailey Morgan and Kaley Morgan recorded singles.

OMS beat Russell County 2-1 last week.

Jade Jones struck out six Lady Warrior batters, and Katie Harrelson sat down five batters. Offensively, Jones, George and Harrelson added hits.

OMS improved to 5-11.

BASEBALL The OHS Varsity Boys baseball team split games last week, losing 3-4 at Oxford and beating BRHS 4-1.

The Bulldogs lost a close 3-4 game to Oxford last Monday.

Brantley Davis pitched five innings, allowing one run on one hit while striking out six

Feb. 23. She has 15 double-doubles this season and 57 in her career – the most in program history, and tied for 8th most in SEC history.

Levy, who came to Auburn from Herzliya, Israel, made her way into the starting lineup just four games into her freshman season. She is Auburn’s fifth-leading scorer with 5.6 points per game and third-leading rebounder with 4.0 per game. Levy is also third on the team in assists and steals (1.5/game in each).

She scored a season-high 13 points at Ole Miss and 12 points against North Florida, and she had two double-digit rebound games in SEC play with 12 at Arkansas and 11 at LSU. Thompson has been honored by the SEC’s coaches in three of her four years at Auburn. She was an All-Freshman selection in 2018, and an All-SEC First Team pick in 2020.

The All-SEC team and other annual awards were selected by the league’s 14 head coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

Auburn will begin postseason play

batters. J.T. McArdle relieved Davis, throwing one inning, allowing three runs on two hits. Offensively, Jackson Harris, Paul Goodman and Jacob Smith added hits.

The game ended on a very controversial call by the home plate umpire. OHS had runners at second and third in the last inning.

Harris was at the plate with an 0-2 count. The next pitch was inside, hitting Harris. The umpire yelled “strike three,” saying Harris leaned into the pitch by stepping toward home plate. Instead of having bases loaded, the game was over.

The umpire made a judgement call, and the game was over.

However, I watched video of the play, and Jackson Harris did NOT lean over the plate.

OHS beat Benjamin Russell 4-1 in the second game of the week.

Wednesday as the Tigers face Florida in the first round of the 2021 SEC Tournament. Game time is 3 p.m. CT at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., with a national broadcast on SEC Network.

All-SEC First Team Jasmine Walker, Alabama Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas Rhyne Howard, Kentucky Khayla Pointer, LSU Shakira Austin, Ole Miss Aliyah Boston, South Carolina Zia Cooke, South Carolina Rennia Davis, Tennessee N'dea Jones, Texas A&M All-SEC Second Team Jordan Lewis, Alabama Unique Thompson, Auburn Destiny Slocum, Arkansas Lavender Briggs, Florida Jenna Staiti, Georgia Aijha Blackwell, Missouri Rae Burrell, Tennessee Aaliyah Wilson, Texas A&M Jonathan Chase led the offense with two hits, followed by hits from Jackson Long, Harris, Luke Murry, Goodman and Smith.

Harris earned the win, pitching six innings and allowing one run on two hits.

DIXIE BOYS BASEBALL REGISTRATION: 13-14-15 YEAR OLDS Registration for Dixie Boys Baseball begins March 22 at the Opelika Sportsplex.

The baseball league is for 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds wanting to play baseball. The cost is $45, which includes a shirt and cap.

All players will be placed on a team. AllStars will play in the State Tournament on July 9 at West Ridge Park in Opelika. For more information, call D. Mark Mitchell at 334-787-1514 or email at foxonthemark@yahoo.com.

HIGH SCHOOL

All-Freshman Sarah Ashlee Barker, Georgia Madison Scott, Ole Miss Madison Hayes, Mississippi State Marta Suárez, Tennessee Snudda Collins, Ole Miss Jordyn Merritt, Florida Mama Dembele, Missouri Romi Levy, Auburn All-Defensive Que Morrison, Georgia Aliyah Boston, South Carolina Chasity Patterson, Kentucky Tamari Key, Tennessee Khayla Pointer, LSU Coach of the Year – Joni Taylor, Georgia Player of the Year – Rhyne Howard, Kentucky Freshman of the Year – Madison Scott, Ole Miss Co-Defensive Players of the Year – Que Morrison, Georgia & Aliyah Boston, South Carolina 6th Woman of the Year– Destiny Pitts, Texas A&M Scholar-Athlete of the Year- Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M

COACHING NEWS Stay tuned for more coaching news. One or two schools are expected to make changes. The two schools are well known and have good football programs.

ON THE MARK RADIO Listen to “On the Mark” sports radio show, weekdays 6 a.m.-9 a.m. on FOX sports the game 9101310 AM. Jeff Sasser and I host the guest-driven show concentrating on local sports and news. You can also listen online at foxsportsthegame. com on the Iheartradio app.

D. Mark Mitchell is the Sports Director at iHeartMedia, host of “On The Mark” on Fox Sports the Game 910-1310, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball State director.

B6 March 3, 2021

Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship semifinalist announced Contributed by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced today that Lauryn Marshall of Southern Union State Community College is among the semifinalists selected for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

Through this award, the Foundation supports exceptionally talented community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

Today, nearly half of postsecondary students begin their college journey at a two-year institution. Research commissioned by the Foundation found that community college students who transfer to selective

GIRLS >>

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determination and willingness not to give up,” head coach Dennis Jones said.

While their mental fortitude has stood out to Jones, the defense has stepped up in the early part of the season, turning in four clean sheets in their first seven games.

“I’ve got three seniors and a junior as my starting back four defenders,” Jones said.

“They’re seasoned, and they are veterans who have been playing together for a long time, they are just solid. They play very well together.”

The group is led by their starting center backs Sarah Bruce and Alana Tapia, who Jones believe do a great job covering for

BOYS >>

FROM B2

Carrero said of the win.

“Defense and keeper made adjustments and had an outstanding second half.”

The Panthers picked up their first win of the week with a 4-1 victory over Brookstone. The four goals matched the Panthers’ previous season total and may have been the offensive breakthrough Carrero has been looking for.

“I felt we let opportunities get away in the first half,” Carrero said. “[I] challenged the team to score three goals in the second half. They increased their work rate, controlled the game and delivered.”

The Panthers opened the week on the road, travelling to Dothan and Opelika where they came away with two ties.

institutions have equal to or higher graduation rates as students who enrolled directly from high school or transferred from four-year institutions. Yet, at the nation’s top colleges, only 5% have transferred from a community college.

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship seeks to increase the number of community college students completing their education at top fouryear institutions.

This year’s 406 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of over 1,500 applicants attending 398 community colleges in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Lauryn is one of three students selected from Alabama. “This accomplishment moves

me one step closer to achieving my goal of graduating college debt-free. I am honored to be selected as a semifinalist for this national scholarship and will work diligently to represent Opelika well through the remainder of this process,” Marshall said.

“The research is clear: our community colleges are full of talented students with a diversity of experiences that contribute to their educational journey. We see this in our applicant pool every year and are excited to recognize this group of semifinalists for their academic achievements,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We are especially impressed

by the incredible perseverance and drive these students have exhibited during such an unprecedented year.”

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients will be announced in April.

In addition to financial support, selected Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising from the Foundation to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their careers.

Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network

of over 2,800 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

Cooke Transfer Scholars are selected based on their exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service and leadership. Students must be currently enrolled in community college and residing in the United States.

If selected as a finalist for this scholarship, Lauryn will receive up to $40,000 for up to three years.

A list of this year’s Cooke Transfer Scholar Semifinalists, their community colleges and their state of residence can be found here: www. jkcf.org/our-stories/2021-cooke-transfer-scholar-semifinalists/. Learn

more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship at www.jkcf.org/ our-scholarships/ undergraduate-transfer-scholarship/.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $222 million in scholarships to over 2,800 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $115 million in grants to organizations that serve such students.

each other and leading the defense. Making the defense all the more impressive is a lack of starting goalkeeper, the job is still an open competition between senior Katie Haws and eighth graders Charlee McDonald and Savannah Harlan.

The defense and mental strength has carried them to a 4-1-2 record.

It took until the third game of the season for the Lady Panthers to allow their first goals of the season in a 3-1 loss to Montgomery Academy.

“I give Montgomery Academy credit; they had an all-around effort from their team,” Jones said of the loss.

“They were very fast, very quick to the ball and very aggressive.”

Jones admitted his team had a chance at a

1-1 tie but some mistake by the goalie allowed two easy goals that put the game out of reach.

When the Lady Panthers travelled to Opelika on Thursday, it was a chance for the Lady Panthers to show the determination that Jones has been so impressed by. They battled back from a 4-1 deficit with just 20 minutes to go in the game to earn a 4-4 draw, scoring their fourth goal with just under two minutes to go.

“The girls never got down, never hung their heads and never thought that they were beat,” Jones said.

“They kept on going and finally pulled off the tie, it made it feel like a win.”

Despite allowing four goals Jones was

not disappointed in his defense, admitting that it was more about the speed and athletic ability of Amiya Brown who scored all four goals for Opelika, than a team effort or mistakes on their own part.

Despite coming away with a draw, Jones was pleased with the result and believes it helped his team realize what they were capable of.

“They realized what they could do Thursday night after that big comeback.

Even though we haven’t trailed in the two games we had Saturday, it took us a while to get on the board and it was the same theme. Their determination, they just keep grinding and keep going for it they never get feeling

where they can’t do something. They know that they can as long as they keep playing as a team and hustling.”

That belief has been turned into results as they responded with back-to-back wins over Albertville and Brookside on Saturday, winning 1-0 and 2-0, respectively.

The strong defense has been crucial for the Lady Panthers as the offence is still coming together and has cooled off after scoring 10 goals in their first two games.

Scoring eight goals in the four games since.

“It’s just been kind of unlucky, we had plenty of shots against Albertville and Brookstone but just been kind of unlucky with the shots. It’s coming along and it’s

getting better, we’ve got two new players in the offence and they are still growing with the team, learning how we play but it’s coming along very well.”

The teams primary goal scorer is senior Kylie Pritchett with Morgan Ritter being “instrumental” as a distributor and getting a lot of assists.

The Lady Panthers will host CentralPhenix City Thursday to open up area play, and Jones is looking for his offence to take a step forward.

“I’m really hoping to be impressive,” Jones said. “I am really wanting to focus on attacking and finishing in the final third.

I’m hoping to get the attacking girls more on the same page and being able to finish a little but better.”

“They were ours to lose and ours to win and we didn’t do either,” Carrero said.

While the box score showed the first two games as even, Carrero thought his team was the better team in both games but they were unable to finish clinically on offense and earn the wins.

The Panthers did however complete a thrilling comeback against Dothan, scoring two goals in the final 20 minutes to force the tie. But Carrero thinks his team could have done better.

“It was a game we felt like we should have won, and we didn’t,” Carrero said of the tie.

“I felt like we had a lot more opportunities.”

When they played later in the week against Opelika, it was a similar story. Carrero estimated they had about 20 good looks to just

a handful for Opelika, but neither team was able to get a goal and break the nil-nil tie.

“We’re passing the ball around and we are controlling the game, but our finishing has not evolved like it should,” Carrero said.

“Up top when we get around the 18, we are just not taking advantage of our opportunities or the goalkeeper just makes a fantastic save.”

The Panthers played their fourth game in seven days Monday against Northside and suffered their second loss of the season 4-1.

The came out “flat with no energy” and gave up an early goal and Northside who seized the momentum and used their team speed to take a 3-0 lead at half.

While they haven’t seen the results they would like, just nine

goals in six matches, Carrero believes his offense is close to breaking through and his players need to keep believing in themselves and eventually the shots will start to hit the back of the net.

“I’m happy with our shots, they are just not going in,” Carrero said. “Sometimes, it’s like, ‘Golly, what do we have to do to get it in there?’ Cause when we do have a good shot the keepers make a good save and we have them diving all over the place, so it’s a credit to their schools to train their keepers real well.”

While the Panthers have been struggling to score goals, they have excelled in every other phase, allowing just nine goals in six matches and controlling the ball despite the lack of goals.

“My midfielders, Lukas Ruof and Ayden

Green, are doing a phenomenal job up in the middle,” Carrero said.

“My defense has been solid; Latham Girona and everybody has been doing a great job back there.”

It has been a complete team effort on defense as a thin roster has forced several midfielders to play defense for the Panthers, and there has not been a drop off.

“I’ve had to sub some midfielders back there when a defender gets hurt and they’ve done an excellent job,” Carrero said.

Carrero does not have a set goalkeeper but that is not because of poor play. It’s just the opposite actually, with both Jacob Quinones and Xander Paschal doing a “great” job whenever they are in goal.

“To me it’s a flip of a coin [between the

two],” Carrero said.

“It’s two different styles of goalkeeping and the styles work for each of them. I’m just blessed to have two keeps who can probably start for any team. Both do exceptionally well, have no fear and have good hands.”

Quinones, who has the smaller reach of the two, is more aggressive when coming out of the goal and tries to make the play develop for him. Meanwhile, Pashal prefers to play a little farther back and wait for the play to develop before he reacts.

The Panthers will look to end their slump against Central-Phenix City on Thursday in their first region game of the season.

“I think once we break through with some goals it will be fine. It will bring our confidence even further up,” Carrero said.

B7 March 3, 2021

Down on their luck OHS girls lose to Central; Boys fall to Auburn

by Robert Noles / Opelika Observer

B8 March 3, 2021

All tied up: OHS, Smiths play to draws

Girls soccer photos by Robert Noles / Opelika Observer

Boys Soccer photos by Josh Fisher / For the Opelika Observer

Opelika, L ee County & A labama Politics

B9

March 3, 2021

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Will Legislature Allow Alabamians to Vote on Gambling Revenue for State?

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n 1998, Gov. Don Siegelman ran for Governor of Alabama on a platform of proposing that his administration would enact legislation creating a state lottery. It would be patterned after Georgia’s lottery, which gave the bulk of the proceeds to an educational fund. That was over two decades ago.

Our neighboring state of Georgia has reaped billions of dollars from its lottery in the last three decades, which has allowed them to outdistance us by a country mile in educating their children. A good many of those Georgia students attend college in their state free under the Hope Scholarship Program funded with these lottery dollars. A substantial amount of these funds going to Georgia students come from Alabamians who buy Georgia Lottery tickets.

Siegelman proceeded to push this lottery program through the legislature and placed it on the ballot for a referendum in 1999. It was poised to pass. However, in the waning days of the referendum campaign, the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Gambling Syndicate placed millions of dollars of misleading information and ads into the state to defeat the referendum and avoid competition.

They narrowly defeated the Alabama referendum. The state has lost untold billions in revenues to our sister states of Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida in the last 20 years.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if a lottery referendum were put on the ballot now or in 2022, it would pass in a New York minute.

Even the most conservative folks in our state would vote for it, if for only one reason: they are sick and tired of their money going to our neighboring states to fund their schools, roads and prisons while we go wanting.

Last year, one of the legislature’s most respected and influential members, Steve Clouse (R-Ozark), offered a lottery bill. It might have passed, but he acquiesced to Gov. Ivey, who wisely said let’s look at all the alternatives. She did the right thing to look at the big picture. A simple lottery is outdated. We missed the boat 20 years ago. Gambling has evolved technologically like the rest of the world. If there was big money for the state to garner 20 years ago, it has multiplied by more than 20 times in

Alabama House Democrats Caucus unveil legislative agenda for 2021

By Lofton Wheeles For the Opelika Observer

STEVE FLOWERS those years.

Therefore, the Governor said, “Let’s look at the big picture, and if we are going to do it, let’s do it right and get a really good bite of the apple.” She appointed one of the most stellar blue-ribbon panels of Alabamians ever assembled to study all aspects, parameters and revenues available from gambling.

Ivey’s study group on gambling policy came back with its recommendations in December. Its study shows that Alabama could raise between $500 million and $700 million from a lottery, casinos and sports betting if voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding gambling in the state. The group said that gambling will work in Alabama, and its conclusion was that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

The advantage would be tremendous new revenue for the state plus creation of new jobs. A disadvantage would be the costs surrounding mental health, social and legal problems from those who develop gambling disorders.

They found that 60% of Alabama’s adult population would likely participate in expanded gambling and about 3% would become compulsive gamblers who would cost the state.

The study group found that a lottery would raise an estimated $200 to $300 million. In addition, casinos could raise $300 to $400 million. The new gambling revenue could raise as much as one-third of the General Fund budget. The expansion of legalized gambling could create 19,000 jobs in Alabama.

See FLOWERS, page B11

House Democrats met on Wednesday, Feb. 24, on Zoom to discuss several key issues and unveil their legislative agenda for 2021. The theme of the agenda was “Working Together. Achieving Results.”

The key issues discussed were strengthening small businesses and revitalizing the state’s economy, criminal justice reform, combating COVID-19, ensuring access to affordable healthcare, law enforcement reform, voting rights, equity, social justice and education advancement.

“The message from communities across the state has been uncomplicated and unchanging from North Alabama to counties along the Gulf Coast and to all points east and west the refrain is clear: We are in this together,” said Alabama 97th House District Representative Adline Clarke.

“It is in that spirit that House Democrats return to Montgomery.

We come again with a renewed commitment to work with Governor Ivey, to collaborate with colleagues across the aisle, to partner with local governments, to support state agencies and associations alike and to be relentless in pursuing relief and remedy that serves all Alabamians.

While this aim is not new, it is stronger than ever before.”

The issue that was

NOW OPEN

on the minds of viewers, who were able to ask questions on the Zoom call, was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the distribution of vaccines to combat the virus.

“Right now, we are working with the Alabama Department of Public Health to ensure that … vaccinations are going to be distributed fairly,” said Minority Leader Anthony Daniels.

“Right now, I think the focus is expanding distributions through … various providers across the state.”

Alabama 103rd House District Representative Barbra Drummond advocated for urgency to Alabamians regarding the pandemic.

“We can prevent this,” Drummond said.

“This is something we each have to take personal responsibility for.

If we want to stop this virus, we have got to be responsible … We have got to step up to the plate and do it not only for yourself, [but] for your community and for your family.”

The House Democrats took the opportunity to note the flaws in Alabama’s health care system.

Mary Moore, 59th House District representative, said that the current system has been adversely affected by the pandemic.

“Hundreds of thousands of Alabamians are living without health coverage,” Moore said. “Rural communities are weathering the staggering impact of COVID without

hospitals and larger city hospitals are bursting at the seams managing surges from their urban centers and underserved neighborhoods.

“This legislature has been unwilling to address the limits of Alabama health care system. COVID-19 has shown us that we can no longer hide or shy away from the issue.”

House Democrats are looking to expand Medicaid, extend Medicare coverage for new mothers up to one year after childbirth, enhance access to maternal health care services, ensure fair and equal distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, create and support incentives to bring qualified health care professionals to Alabama and its rural communities and increase telemedicine programs across the state, according to materials provided by the Alabama House Democratic Caucus.

House Democrats noted, regarding criminal justice reform, that they were in favor of common sense reform, reducing recidivism and focusing on fairness, according to the House’s press release regarding the legislative agenda.

“Following the theme of working together and achieving results, true criminal justice reform is going to require us working together,” said Alabama 70th House District Representative Chris England.

House Democrats See ALABAMA, page B11

Indoor shooting range is open to the public

2195 FIRST AVENUE • OPELIKA

B10 March 3, 2021

Rush Limbaugh gave a voice to forgotten Americans; but oodles of lies hurt his legacy

By Greg Markley For the Opelika Observer

Rush Limbaugh, groundbreaking and polarizing broadcaster and conservative commentator, died Feb. 17 at age 70. He was one of the most loved and hated public figures. I was never a “dittohead,” or devoted follower of Rush. I hated his lies, half-truths and intolerance. But in assessing his legacy I find George Orwell’s novel 1984 helpful.

In his 1949 dystopian novel, Orwell created a totalitarian state with Thought Police, who squash free and independent expression.

Orwell said this “was designed to diminish the range of thought.” In the real world after 1988, Limbaugh offered a corrective to Orwell’s “newspeak;” he welcomed listeners who were not liberal into the conversation. Good news for First Amendment purists!

In 2018, Forbes listed his earnings at $84.5 million. In 2019, Talkers Magazine said Limbaugh’s show drew a weekly audience of 15.5 million listeners. It was the most

A

s the U.S. House of Representatives voted recently to strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of all her committee assignments, I was reminded of two sections of the Constitution. The first is Article 1, Section 5, which reads, “Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.” Clearly the Constitution gives the House the power to punish its own members for wrongdoing. Yet, at the same time, I also cannot help thinking of the First Amendment, which states, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech.”

Coming to terms with these two sections can be difficult. If members of one party say something that members of the opposite party find extremely offensive, should the opposite party be able to censure someone from the first party? What rights to freedom of speech are given to members of Congress and what have we seen historically?

Anyone who has ever

listened-to radio show in the U.S. This was made possible in 1987 by repeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s fairness doctrine.

The doctrine, introduced in 1949, required the holders of broadcast licenses to present controversial issues of public importance in a manner that was truthful, fair and balanced.

With the discarding of the doctrine, radio and TV shows became more negative and one-sided.

Limbaugh’s was among the first successful radio shows that featured a bombastic star whose comments about liberal leaders and ideas were demeaning and unrebutted. Rush was so powerful within conservative circles by 1994 that when Republicans regained control of Congress that November after a 40-year hiatus, Limbaugh was presented with an honorary membership in their caucus.

With his wide success, Limbaugh became ever more controversial. He opposed Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy in the 2008 presidential election. He even made the false claim that Obama was not born

in the U.S., as a way to disqualify him for president. Limbaugh said about the incoming Obama presidency: “I hope he fails.” This, wanting a new president to fail even before being inaugurated, struck most Americans as impolite.

Politifact rated 84% of select statements by Limbaugh as ranging from “Mostly False” to “Pants On Fire.”

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), a liberal-leaning media critique organization, alleged 50 different inaccuracies and distortions from Rush’s 1994 radio shows. (I have not vetted FAIR’s claims, but study based on previous reports by ideology-based groups makes me think that about one-fourth of the claims are not clearly lies.)

There was also a very good side to Rush Limbaugh. For 30 years, he held a fundraising telethon, The EIB Cure-a-Thon, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; it annually raised multiple millions of dollars.

The Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation benefitted from donations that paid for scholarships for children

taken a class from me has at least once heard me rant against the misunderstanding of freedom of speech. That clause of the First Amendment does one thing and one thing only; it protects you from government censorship and perhaps prosecution. It does not protect you from the consequences of your words. For politicians it could cost you an election, but not your freedom. You can say that Trump is a dictator or that Biden is senile, and government officials will not come kick down your door and take you away.

However, if you are in your workplace and rant about how your bosses are tyrants or senile, you may be fired. The First Amendment does not protect that speech. Not even all political speech is protected. If you wear a shirt that says “Make America Great Again” or “Black Lives Matter” at a workplace that has a policy against wearing political slogans, you can be fired. This is not a First Amendment Issue.

This is the most confused amendment in the Bill of Rights. The Founders did not intend to

remove people’s responsibility for their actions or speech. They wanted to protect the people’s right to say what they thought, even peacefully protest the actions of their government. When passed, the Bill of Rights only applied to federal cases, not state ones, so, before the 1920s, the Bill of Rights actually had little effect on most people’s lives. Yet today, “freedom of speech” is thrown around like some sort of weapon every time anyone is criticized for their words.

Where I am torn is that it seems like the one place where there truly should be freedom of speech is in the Congress. The amendment says, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech,” yet is that not what is happening? Please understand that I am no way supporting the comments made

by Rep. Green. What I am saying is the Constitution does not give freedom of speech only to statements we agree with or only for intelligent comments. No, it’s there for the exact opposite, for the outlandish and controversial things.

I said I was torn. It does seem like there should be a

of Marines and law enforcers who died in the line of duty. Limbaugh’s charitable contributions earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.

His first two books were non-fiction NYT Best Sellers: The Way Things Ought to Be (1982) and See, I Told You So (1983). In 2013, with his wife Kathryn, Limbaugh wrote his first children’s book, titled Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel with Exceptional Americans.

He received the Author of the Year Award from the Children’s Book Council for this interesting, patriotic work. His four other Rush Revere books were also popular and heralded.

Limbaugh in life infuriated many people

due to his heavy-handed approach and issue stances. But hectored in death, too? A UAB archaeology professor with a record of insulting ideological opponents made national news again after Limbaugh’s death. “When a terrible piece of scum who caused immeasurable harm to millions dies, there is no sympathy,” Sarah Parcak tweeted. “…Only a desire that (he) suffered until the last breath.”

Alabama GOP Chairman Terry Lathan tweeted: “So @UABnews how many times will you be ‘disgusted’ over her antics? You should be making national news for your good things.

Other than another ‘we are appalled’ statement what are you going to do?” UAB President Ray Watts replied: “Parcak’s poor judgment is completely counter to our shared values as an institution that include integrity and respect. We are reviewing the matter.”

In Florida, after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered flags to be flown half-staff to honor the late broadcaster, a state official told her staff not to

do so. “Lowering to half-staff the flag of the United States of America is a sacred honor that pays respect to fallen heroes and patriots,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat, said Monday. “Our state must not celebrate hate speech.”

From academia to government to media, Rush Limbaugh was criticized for his sexist, racist and homophobic comments.

Like the embattled UAB archaeology professor, he was condemned for dumb things he said.

But he broadened the Republican Party, advanced the cause of U.S. conservatism, and built a wider marketplace of ideas. Like most high-profile political figures, his legacy is mixed. Perhaps that’s the way things ought to be.

Greg Markley first moved to Lee County in 1996. He has master’s degrees in education and history. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama.

An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to the Observer for 8 years. He can be reached at gm.markley@charter.net.

line that our elected representatives do not cross. But the Constitution does not say that either. The courts have weighed in on this and have deemed some speech is not protected, such as incitement to lawless action or child pornography, but conspiracy theories are not on the list. Maybe, especially with the House, it should be up to the voters if they think she has gone too far in the next election.

Having said that, there is precedence. In 2019, Republicans removed one of their own, Rep. Steve King of Iowa, from committees after he questioned why “white supremacy” was offensive. Even bigger was the 1954 censure of the junior Senator from Wisconsin Joseph McCarthy. There is no room for many details here, but McCarthy took advantage of American’s fear of communism to make himself powerful.

He claimed to have a list of communists who had infiltrated high levels of government and the entertainment industry. He set up a committee to hold hearings to expose anyone supporting the communist cause. During the hearings, he accused people of

being communists, without evidence, to the point that it ruined their careers and lives. After four years, he finally fell when he questioned the U.S. Army after they refused to defer one of his staff from the draft. With no evidence, he made several accusations on TV that finally showed him as the bully he was.

With his fall from grace, the Senate voted 67-22 to condemn his actions and strip him of key committee membership.

There is one key difference between Steve King and Joe McCarthy and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

In the cases of King and McCarthy, Republicans punished their own as is tradition. With the Greene case, the Republicans condemned her comments, yet the Democrats (now the majority party), along with only 11 Republicans, did not feel the punishment was strong enough and stripped her of committee assignments. It is highly irregular to interfere with committee assignments made by each party. Though her comments were inappropriate and have been disproven in the courts, it might just be a slippery slope for the opposing party to start the

practice of punishing their opponents for comments made, especially ones they made earlier in their lives.

Some Republicans have even talked about retribution if they take over in 2022. They point to racist and violent comments made by Democratic legislators. Is this really how we want Congress to spend their time?

Free democratic governments are hard. There is a reason that historically there have not been that many successful ones.

Freedom of speech is one of the things necessary for a free government. Yet freedom of speech means people will say things you despise. Green was elected by her state because of who she is. If her constituents deem her unfit, they are not bound by the First Amendment and have the opportunity to make changes next year.

Dr. James Finck is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha.

He is Chair of the Oklahoma Civil War Symposium. Follow Historically Speaking at www.Historicallyspeaking. blog.

By Greg Markley

B11 March 3, 2021

Auburn-Opelika area receives national recognition Contibuted by the city of Opelika The Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area recently received national recognition, having been named as the 6th Best MSA in the United States for Total Projects and 9th Best MSA for Projects per Capita.

Mayor Gary Fuller said, “We are extremely fortunate to have industry that continues to invest in our community. Whether it be a new company or an expansion, it says a great deal that

companies choose to call Opelika home.

Our industry partners bring good paying jobs to our citizens, which improves the quality of life for all.”

Site Selection's yearly analyses are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as "the industry scoreboard." With 48,000 subscribers, most of whom are involved in corporate site selection decisions, the magazine provides valuable recognition of Opelika’s accomplishments in 2020.

Lori Huguley, CEcD,

Director of Economic Development for the City of Opelika, said, “We are excited to be recognized by Site Selection magazine. In spite of the challenges of COVID, we were able to announce the creation of 183 new jobs with an additional investment of $74.2 million. We are proud of the growth and development we continue to see year after year.

For a copy of the full report, visit www.siteselection.com/issues/2021/ mar/top-metros-of2020-a-year-like-no-other.cfm.

Alabama is poised for economic development success

By Megan Crouch

Thank you, Gov. Kay Ivey, President Pro-tem Sen. Greg Reed, and Rep. Bill Poole. There is no more competitive endeavor than economic development. The competition for projects that will create well-paying jobs in all Alabama communities has never been more fierce. Fortunately, we have all the ingredients to be successful. Alabama is enhancing its transportation infrastructure, constantly striving to develop a workforce with skills necessary to succeed in a new economy and maintaining a

FLOWERS >>

FROM B9

In conclusion, they were adamant that there should be a regulatory authority to regulate, administer

ALABAMA >>

FROM B9

said economic changes must be anticipated with a swift response to ensure businesses have access to the skilled workforce and human capital necessary to thrive.

“Small businesses are the backbone, not only the backbone, but they’re also the heartbeat of Alabama’s economy,” Drummond said.

“Today, it is uncertain how many of our small business will continue to survive.”

House Democrats look to reduce the tax burden for small business owners via the renewal of the Unemployment Trust Fund, require procurement officials to maintain data on diverse enterprises qualified to service and supply goods to the state and incentivize business owned by minorities and women to scale and create new jobs through

business climate appealing to a broad spectrum of industrial and business sectors.

A critical component of the economic development process is the prudent use of economic development incentives to compete for those projects necessary for Alabama to continue to grow. The Alabama Jobs Act and the Growing Alabama Tax Credit are the foundation of the state’s economic development efforts, and without these tools, Alabama would be at a distinct disadvantage.

The new Jobs act offers a 3% jobs credit on payroll of qualifying

new jobs for Alabama residents. However, this jobs credit is increased to 4% for African American and women-owned enterprises as well as small businesses in low-income communities. The additional 1% increase is also available to companies locating in all of Alabama’s rural counties as well as “jumpstart counties”. Jumpstart counties are those that have a demonstrated a population decline over the past five years.

These programs would not be available without the efforts of Ivey and Alabama Commerce Secretary

Greg Canfield who recognize the importance of fiscally responsible sustainable incentives to maintain Alabama’s economic momentum.

Outstanding legislative leadership was demonstrated by President Pro-tem, Greg Reed, who sponsored the legislation in the Senate, and Representative Bill Poole, who sponsored the legislation in the House.

These incentives will provide a catalyst for efforts to attract high-quality sustainable jobs to all regions of the state. Both rural and urban communities will benefit and the

infrastructure that will result from the Growing Alabama Tax Credit will ensure economic success in every region of the state, and that investment will pay benefits for decades to come The Economic Development Association of Alabama represents Alabama’s economic development professionals. Our members work tirelessly to secure new industries and their associated jobs to the state and support our existing industries in their efforts to increase their investment and expand their workforce. Having the support of the state’s

political leadership is a valuable asset and they deeply appreciate the continued support of their efforts.

The pursuit of economic development that positively impacts all of Alabama is a goal that can unite all Alabamians and the efforts of Ivey, Secretary Canfield, Reed and Poole should be commended as we move the sate forward. The future for Alabama’s economy is indeed bright thanks to their efforts.

Megan Crouch is the 2021 President of the Economic Development Association of Alabama.

and enforce the laws.

This regulatory commission should make sure laws and regulations are adhered to and should be flexible, protective of consumers and responsive to technology

and be competitive in payouts unlike the current Indian casino monopoly in the state.

This Creek Indian Gambling Syndicate has garnered a lot of political muscle in the state legislature, and

it will be the largest obstacle that will stand in the way of a constitutional amendment reaching the voters in Alabama.

Hopefully, the legislature will see fit to allow the people

of Alabama the right to vote on whether or not they want to reap the rewards of gigantic gambling dollars.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading

political columnist.

His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers.

He served 16 years in the state legislature.

Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

accessible tax credits, according to materials provided by the House Democrats.

House Democrats also look to level the playing field by giving small businesses opportunities to have more access to capital, bolstering rural and underserved economies, shutting the income inequality gap and cultivating entrepreneurship.

Alabama 71st House District Representative A.J. McCampbell touched on law enforcement reform while unveiling the agenda and discussed the issues between law enforcement and some Alabama communities during the meeting.

“The unfortunate divide between law enforcement and many of the communities they serve is wide, but it is not impossible for us to close,” McCampbell said. “As elected citizen leaders in this state, we are called to approach this gap to examine the

scattered pieces and acknowledged the shining stars as policy makers.

“We are called to fix the breach, to lead this state to long-term change and in many cases even redemption.”

House Democrats look to rebuild the trust between the community and law enforcement and improve training for officers.

Alabama 19th House District Representative Laura Hall touched on voting rights, equity and social justice on behalf of the House Democrats during the unveiling.

House Democrats look to make Alabama’s voting system more inclusive through no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, automatic voter registration upon the age of 18, the elimination of requirements to pay fines and fees to regain suffrage and the expansion of eligibility for restoration of voting rights.

They also look to fight for equity and

social justice through the elimination of gerrymandering, redistricting and protecting civil rights.

Alabama 54th House District representative Neil Rafferty discussed advancement in education.

“The surest way to change a person’s condition without a doubt is to ensure that they’re rounded and prepared with a strong education,” Rafferty said.

House Democrats look to further invest in educators, support public schools, fund higher education as a priority, prioritize early childhood education and focus on college and career-readiness to better prepare young people for these institutions.

House Democrats look at these objectives in the agenda as ways that Alabama can move in a direction that betters the state.

“We look forward to working hard on behalf of all Alabamians in

the days and months ahead,” Clarke said.

“As together, we fight to move Alabama forward.”

To read the House Democrats’ full agenda, go to bit.ly/AHDC2021 and download the document. To view the full recording of the live release of the agenda, go to facebook.com/ ALHouseDems.

Put in quote about being responsible because this something we can stop (Barbra Drummond) Alabama 97th District Representative Adline Clarke gave a message of urgency.

“COVID-19 has left no person untouched and our state is forever changed,” said Clarke. “… We are again reminded of the work that must be done in the statehouse. Work to keep our hospitals open, to ensure lifesaving vaccines reach every part of our state, to keep students safe and learning, to help this state

and its citizens and find a path forward during these tough times.”

“Right now, we are working with the Alabama Department of Public Health to ensure that distribution of vaccinations are going to be distributed fairly,” Minority Leader Anthony Daniels said.

“Right now I think the focus is expanding distributions through right now I think Walmart has either started or will start doing vaccinations, various providers across the state.”

“Alabama’s health care infrastructure was already under strain before the pandemic,” said 59th District Representative Mary Moore. “Since 2010, 17 rural hospitals have closed. Today, 63 percent of rural hospitals are at risk of closing.

And 56 percent are at an intermediate risk of closing. Take a moment and let that settle in.”

B12 March 3, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE OF APPOINTMET ESTATE OF ELIZABETH GEORGE COURTNEY, DECEASED COURT OF PROBATE LEE COUNTY Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 9th day of February, 2021, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Witness our hands, and dated this the 9th day of February, 2021.

KRISTEN ELIZABETH COURTNEY HUGH DANIEL GEORGE Legal Run 02/17/21, 02/24/21 & 03/03/21 -------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MARGARET LINCH MELSON, DECEASED IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2021-061 Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 10th day of February, 2021, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

LELA M. LOFTON Personal Representative Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 368032345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Notice 02/17/2021, 02/24/2021 & 0303/2021

-------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA In the Matter of the Estate of VELMA CHRISTINE WRIGHT, deceased Case Number: 2021-035 The Hon. Bill English presiding NOTICE TO CREDITORS The State of Alabama, Lee County Probate Court.

Estate of Velma Christine Wright Letters of Administration upon the Estate of said decedent, having been granted to

Ruth G. Carreca on the 2nd day of February, 2021, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said Estate are required to file an itemized and verified statement of such claim in the office of the said Judge of Probate within six (6) months from the above date, or said claim will be barred and payment prohibited.

Legal Run 02/17/21, 02/24/21 & 03/03/21 -------------STATE OF ALABAMA, COUNTY OF LEE To:Margaret Teresa Lucas, last known address, in or around Hixson, TN but whose whereabouts are otherwise unknown, and any known or unknown heirs of the Estate of Margaret Baucom Lucas, deceased.

You will please take notice that on the 12th day of February, 2021 a certain paper in writing, purported to be the Last Will and Testament of Margaret Baucom Lucas was filed in my office for Probate by Andrea Lee Lucas and that the 19th day March, 2021 @10:00 a.m., CDT was appointed the day and time for the hearing thereof, at which time you can appear and contest the same, if you see proper.

Given under my hand, this the 1 2th day of February, 2021.

BILL ENGLISH, Judge of Probate Legal Run 02/17/21, 02/24/21 & 03/03/21 -------------NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT COURT OF PROBATE, LEE COUNTY ESTATE OF EVEYYN F. HOCKERSMITH, DECEASED Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned of the 18th day of February, 2021, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be batted.

Witness our hands, and dated this the 18th day of February 2021.

MARY A. HOCKERSMITH MOORE

Legal Run 02/24/21, 03/03/21 & 03/10/21 -------------NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT COURT OF PROBATE ESTATE OF MAVIS MCHARGUE THOMAS Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on 8th day of February 2021, by BILL ENGLISH, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Witness my hand, and dated this the 8th day of February 2021.

CAMERON M. MCHARGUE Legal Run 02/24/2021, 03/03/2021 & 03/10/21 -------------INVITATION TO BID #21008 Opelika Power Substations 1, 2, 3 and 6 Control Houses Replacement Project Sealed bids for the project shall be received at the Opelika City Hall Conference Room, 204 South Seventh Street, Opelika, Alabama, until 2 pm local time on March 15, 2021, and then publicly opened and read aloud. All interested parties are invited to attend. Only bids from competent general contractors will be considered. At the time of contract award, the successful bidder must be a properly licensed general contractor.

The attention of all bidders is called to the provisions of State law governing “General Contractors” as set forth in the Ala. Code §34-8-1, et.seq. (1975) and rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. Bidders must be licensed by the Licensing Board for General Contractors when bids are submitted. A State of Alabama General Contractor License is required with the Municipal Utility classification.

Bidders are required to have a State of Alabama General Contractor’s License with a specialty of “Highways and Streets, Clearing and Grubbing, Earthwork, Erosion, Site Work, Grading or Municipal and Utility”.

All bidders must submit

with their proposal, contractor’s license number and a copy of the license. State law Ala. Code §34-8-8(b) requires all bids to be rejected which do not contain the contractor’s current license number.

Evidence of this license shall be documented on the outside of the sealed bid envelope.

No proposal will be accepted from anyone except a qualified Contractor licensed by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors. State of Alabama License Number must be written on the outside of the envelope.

Contact the City of Opelika Purchasing Department for specifications at 204 S. 7th St, Opelika, AL 36801. The specifications can also be downloaded from the city’s website at www.opelika-al.gov.

Questions regarding these Bid/Contract Documents may be directed to Mr. Brent Poteet, Opelika Power Services Assistant Director, City of Opelika, P.O. Box 390, Opelika, Alabama 36803. Phone: (334) 705-5572. The bidder’s proposal must be submitted on the complete original proposal furnished to him/her by the City of Opelika. All information in the proposal must be completed by the bidder for the proposal to be accepted.

A Bid Bond in the amount of five (5) percent of the bid amount made payable to the City of Opelika must accompany each bid. Performance and Payment Bonds for the full contract sum will be required of the successful bidder.

The right is reserved by the Owner to reject all Bids and to waive irregularities.

Envelopes containing bids must be sealed, marked, addressed as follows, and delivered to: Lillie Finley, PurchasingRevenue Manager, City of Opelika, 204 South 7th Street, P.O. Box 390, Opelika, Alabama, 36803-0390.

Attn: Opelika Power Substation-Excavating Project LILLIE FINLEYPURCHASING REVENUE MANAGER CITY OF OPELIKA 204 SOUTH SEVENTH STREET (36801) POST OFFICE BOX 390 OPELIKA,

ALABAMA (368030390) Legal Run 02/24/2021 & 03/03/2021 -------------THE STATE OF ALABAMA IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE WILL OF HAZEL M. JOHNSON, DECEASED NOTICE TO FILE CLAIMS Letters Testamentary on the Estate of Hazel M. Johnson, deceased, having been granted to William W. Johnson on the 19TH day of February 2021, by the Hon. BILL ENGLISH, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

William W. Johnson Legal Run 02/24/2021, 03/03/2021 & 03/10/21 -------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ANNIE RUTH EVANS, DECEASED CASE NO: 2021-100 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Letters of Administration of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 23rd day of February, 2021, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

TONDA EDWARDS Administrator D. Carter Weeks Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 368032345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Run 03/03/21, 03/10/21 & 03/17/21 -------------NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDINGS CASE NO. DERRICK GREEN IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Notice of the filing of Petition for Summary Distribution In the Estate of DERRICK GREEN, deceased

Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Summary Distribution has been filed in the LEE COUNTY Probate Office

by Ronnie Brundage on February 26, 2021 pursuant to Section 432-690, Code of Alabama and that 30 days after the notice of publication hereof and pursuant to law the Court shall be requested to enter an Order directing Summary Distribution of the estate of said decedent.

BILL ENGLISH, PROBATE JUDGE Legal Run 03/03/2021 -------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CARL HOPSON, DECEASED. IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2021-101 TO: CARLOS OSCAR HOPSON NOTICE: On the 23rd day of February, 2021, a certain writing, purporting to be the Will of CARL HOPSON was filed in my office for Probate by TRENTON GARRETT HOPSON and the 8th day of April, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., was appointed a day for hearing thereof at which time you can appear and contest the same, if you see proper.

Given under my hand, the 23rd day of February, 2021.

Bill English JUDGE OF PROBATE Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 Legal Run 03/03/21, 03/10/21 & 03/17/21 -------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE ESTATE OF HAZEL R. KLASE, DECEASED.

TAKE NOTICE that Letters Testamentary having been granted to Norman Neal Klase, Jr., as Executor of the Estate of Hazel R. Klase, deceased, on the 25th day of February, 2021, by the Honorable Bill English.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same be barred.

Norman Neal Klase, Jr., Executor Of the Estate of Hazel R. Klase, Deceased Marrell J. McNeal, Attorney at Law, PC PO Box 308 Opelika, AL 36803 334-745-7033 Legal Run 03/03/2021, See PUBLIC NOTICES, page B13

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B13 March 3, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE >>

FROM B12

-------------IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF STEVEN RUSSELL THRIFT, DECEASED. Case No.:2021-066 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that Letters Testamentary of the Estate of STEVEN RUSSELL THRIFT, deceased, having been granted to VICKIE LYNN THRIFT on the 11th day of February 2021, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama.

Notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said Estate are hereby required to present such claims within the time allowed by law, or the same will be forever barred.

VICKIE LYNN THRIFT Legal Run 03/03/2021, 03/10/2021 & 03/17/2021 -------------IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: The Estate Of Blake Lynwood Ware, Deceased.

Case No.: 2021-086 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION TO BE PUBLISHED Letters of Administration on said deceased having been granted to Christy Dean, Administrator on this the 19th day of February, 2021, by the Honorable Bill English , Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

BY: James E. Hall, Attorney for Administrator.

Legal 03/03/2021, 03/10/2021, 03/17/2021 -------------ORDINANCE NO. 00421 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “City”) as follows: Section 1. That Ordinance 124-91 entitled “Zoning Ordinance City of Opelika, Alabama”, adopted on September 17, 1991, and the Zoning Map of the City of Opelika provided for and referred to therein, as previously amended and/or modified, be and the same is hereby amended by rezoning or redistricting the parcel of land hereinafter in this section described, so as to change such parcel from one class of district to another class of district as follows, to-wit: From a R-4 District (Medium Density Residential District) to a C-2 District (Office/Retail District), the parcel of land hereinafter described: That certain property consisting of 21.20 acres of land at terminus of Center Point Subdivision and designated for future development on that

certain plat of Center Point Subdivision First Revisions and First Addition recorded in Plat Book 14, at Page 152, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama.

LESS AND EXCEPT, all of the portion of the above-described property that is currently zoned R-4.

The above-described property is located at the terminus of Enterprise Drive and Center Hills Drive and contains approximately 14.3 acres.

Section 2. Any ordinance or part thereof in conflict with provisions of this Ordinance be and the same are hereby repealed.

Section 3. This Ordinance shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Opelika, Lee County, Alabama.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED this the 2nd day of March, 2021. /s/ Eddie Smith PRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK TRANSMITTED TO MAYOR on this the 3rd day of March, 2021. /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK ACTION BY MAYOR APPROVED this the 3rd day of March, 2021. /s/ Gary Fuller MAYOR ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK Legal 03/03/2021 -------------ORDINANCE NO. 005-21 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA (FOX RUN EXTENSION PUD) BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council (the “Council”) of the City of Opelika, Alabama (the “City”) as follows: Section 1. FINDINGS. The Council has determined and hereby finds and declares that the following facts are true and correct: (a) The City of Opelika and Opelika Industrial Authority heretofore submitted to the City a development plan for a planned unit development (“PUD”) on approximately 38.4 acres, designated as “Fox Run Extension PUD”. (b) The proposed development is located at the terminus of Fox Run Avenue and each side of Douglas Street. (c) The proposed development is a residential development consisting of 51 singlefamily home lots and 3 undeveloped common area lots. Residential lots will range in size from 10,700 square feet to 24,470 square feet.

The minimum lot width will be 70 feet. (d) The Planning Commission heretofore conducted a public hearing of the proposed development

and referred to the City Council its recommendation to approve the proposed development. (e) It is advisable and in the interest of the City and the public interest that the proposed property described in Section 3 below should be developed as a residential planned unit development.

Section 2.

APPROVAL OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The Development Plan as submitted for review is hereby approved and affirmed as required by Section 8.18(N) of the Zoning Ordinance of the City.

Section 3.

DESIGNATION OF A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT. The official Zoning Map is hereby amended and the zoning classification for the following parcels of land shall be changed from a R-3 District (Low-Density Residential District), a M-2 District (Industrial District) and a I-1 District (Institutional District) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) on the official zoning map of the City.

PARCEL A Commencing at the southwest corner of Section 4, T-19-N, R-27-E in Opelika, Lee County, Alabama; thence N87 0 16 1 38”E, 1402.86 feet; thence N89 0 22 146”E, 500.03 feet; thence N89 0 22 1 36 1 ‘E, 387.76 feet to a 1” open-top iron pin; thence N19 005 1 12”W, 457.42 feet to a 1/2” rebar and the True Point of Beginning of the Parcel of Land herein described; thence N19 0 52’48”W, 43.93 feet to a 1” open-top iron pin; thence N47 0 11’28”W, 461.61 feet to a 1” open-top iron pin; thence N7 0 38’45”W, 131.23 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS26956; thence N8 0 26’13 11 W, 74.94 feet to a 1/2 11 rebar with cap marked LS26956; thence N8 0 18’23”W, 75.15 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS26956; thence N8 0 12’10”W, 74.85 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N8 021’38”W, 147.44 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap; thence N81 044 1 34”E, 73.55 feet to a 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” angle iron; thence N81 0 32’08 tl E, 73.09 feet to a 11/2” x 2-1/2” angle iron; thence N81 0 31 1 48”E, 51.52 feet to a 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” angle iron; thence N69 0 38 1 21”E, 71.03 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked LSI 1232; thence N69 035’40”E, 115.00 feet to a 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS11232; thence N69 D 35 140”E, 89.96 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N89 003’19”E, 75.72 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677 and the westerly R/W line of Douglas Street; thence, along said R/W line, southwesterly along a curve concave northwesterly and having a radius of 270.00 feet, an arc length of 23.17 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of S7 045’11”W, 23.16 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence S10 0 13’14”W, 198.80 feet to a 5 11 square concrete monument; thence southeasterly along a curve concave

northeasterly and having a radius of 330.00 feet, an arc length of 380.10 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of S22 048 t 01”E, 359.43 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence S55 04T35”E, 460.72 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence southeasterly along a curve concave southwesterly and having a radius of 270.00 feet, an arc length of 198.84 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of S34 046 1 37”E, 194.38 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence, leaving said R/W line, S89 0 05 1 29”W, 698.38 feet to the True Point of Beginning.

Containing 12.252 Acres, more or less.

PARCEL B Commencing at the southwest corner of Section 4, T-19-N, R-27-E in Opelika, Lee County, Alabama; thence N87 0 16’38 11 E, 1402.86 feet; thence N89 0 22 146”E, 500.03 feet; thence N89 0 22’36 1’E, 387.76 feet to a 1” open-top iron pin; thence N19 0 05 t 12”W, 457.42 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N89 0 05 1 29”E, 698.38 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677 on the westerly R/W line of Douglas Street; thence, leaving said R/W line, N89 005’29”E, 60.75 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677 on the easterly R/W line of Douglas Street and the True Point of Beginning of the Parcel of Land herein described; thence, along said R/W line, northwesterly along a curve concave southwesterly and having a radius of 330.00 feet, an arc length of 256.42 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N33 0 31B9”W, 250.02 feet to a damaged 5” square concrete monument; thence N55 047’20”W, 460.48 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence northwesterly along a curve concave northeasterly and having a radius of 270.00 feet, an arc length of 311.25 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N22 0 45’54”W, 294.30 feet to a 5” square concrete monument; thence N10 0 12’01”E, 198.81 feet to a damaged 5” square concrete monument; thence northeasterly along a curve concave northwesterly and having a radius of 330.00 feet, an arc length of 63.97 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N4 049 1 04”E, 63.87 feet to a damaged 5 1 ‘ square concrete monument; thence N1 0 12’58”W, 58.22 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence northwesterly along a curve concave southwesterly and having a radius of 430.00 feet, an arc length of 34.39 feet, and a chord bearing and distance of N3 0 12’42”W, 34.38 feet to a 1/2” rebar, bent; thence, leaving said R/W line, N84 0 29’20”E, 145.32 feet to a 1/2” rebar, bent; thence N75 0 19’29”E, 119.26 feet to a point in the center of a branch; thence, leaving said branch, N89 0 01’04”E, 90.53 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap; thence N88 057’24”E, 79.96 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap; thence N89 0 02 1 26”E, 79.97 feet to a 1/2” rebar with an unreadable cap;

thence N89 0 03 1 21”E, 79.85 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence S0 0 56 1 33”E, 730.96 feet to a 1/2” rebar; thence N61 0 23’24”E, 200.00 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence S0 0 56 1 33”E, 502.46 feet to a set 1/2” rebar with cap marked LS18677; thence S89 0 05’29”W, 191.11 feet to the True Point of Beginning.

Containing 13.304 Acres, more or less.

ALSO: Lots 13 and 14 of A Re-subdivision of Lot-6 & a Portion of Lot-8 Fox Run Industrial Park First Revision First Addition as recorded in Plat Book 13, Page 60, Probate Office, Lee County, Alabama. LESS & EXCEPT that area dedicated for Douglas Street through the middle of said lots.

Containing 16.23 Acres, more or less.

The above-described property, containing approximately 38.4 acres, is located at the terminus of Fox Run Parkway and lies on each side of Douglas Street.

Section 4.

RETENTION OF COPIES OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Copies of the Development Plan shall be maintained in the office of the City Clerk, City Planner, City Engineer and Building Official and shall be open for public inspection.

Section 5. REPEALER. Any ordinance or part thereof in conflict with provisions of this Ordinance be and the same are hereby repealed.

Section 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall become effective upon its adoption, approval and publication as required by law.

Section 7.

PUBLICATION. This Ordinance shall be published one (1) time in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Opelika, Lee County, Alabama.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED this the 2nd day of March, 2021. /s/ Eddie Smith PRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THECITY OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK TRANSMITTED TO MAYOR on this the 3rd day of March, 2021. /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK ACTION BY MAYOR APPROVED this the 3rd day of March, 2021. /s/ Gary Fuller MAYOR ATTEST: /s/ Russell A. Jones CITY CLERK Legal Run 03/03/2021 -------------IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF

DAVID WAYNE HARE, DECEASE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Case No: 2021-075 Letters of Administration of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 17th day of February, 2021, by the Hon. Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

JOHN EDWARD HARE, JR. Administrator Robert H. Pettey Samford & Denson, LLP P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 (334) 745-3504 Legal Run 03/03/2021, 03/10/2021 & 03/17/2021 -------------Public Notice for Estate of Barbara Singleton IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO: _20-21008 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BARBARA SINGLETON Letters Administration of the estate of _ Barbara Singleton __ having been duly granted to Keith A. Singleton_ on the _9th__ day of __February_ 2021 by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama. Notice is given that all persons having claims against the estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Gerald C. Brooks, Esq. Attorney for Keith A. Singleton, Administrator Legal Run 03/03/21, 03/10/21 & 03/17/21 --------------

STATE OF ALABAMA LEE COUNTY PROBATE COURT CASE NO. 2021-093 ESTATE OF VERLIE W. BENCE, DECEASED NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said Verlie W. Bence, deceased, having been granted to Melania B. Harrison, this 2nd day of March 2021, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by the law or the same will be barred.

Melania B. Harrison, Personal Representative Jeffery A. Hilyer 334-745-2564 Attorney at Law P.O. Box 30 Opelika, Alabama 36803-0030.

Legal Run 03/03/21, 03/10/21 & 03/17/21

LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED 87352- Sales Engineer- Available in Auburn, AL. Seek one with Bachelor of Chemical Engineering or related. Duties include promoting sales of company products that require technical expertise, preparing technical sales presentations, etc. Mail resume to “SCA, Inc.” at 764 W Veterans Blvd, Auburn, AL 36832.

B14 March 3, 2021

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Play online at www.opelikaobserver.com/puzzles/

B15 March 3, 2021

Samford Community Outreach hosts community event Contributed to the Opelika Observer

The Samford Community Outreach group partnered with Auburn and Opelika Moms Demand Action for their Inaugural MLK Jr. Beloved Community event on Feb. 20. The event was held at Christian Care Ministries in Opelika. The theme for the event was “building unity and empowering our people in the community”. The goal was to reach out and show love to the community

and everyone came together in unity!

Speakers and guests included Opelika councilwoman Erica Baker Norris, Dr. Herbert Denmark from Auburn and Opelika Moms Demand Action members, Opelika fire department Chief Rodger Collier and Opelika police department Community Relation Specialist Allison Duke. Camari Gray and Ja’veah Holloway, read a poem on black history during the event as well.

Missing-person case gives Auburn family a scare last weekend

By Opelika Observer Staff Although she was later found safe, twenty-two-year oldAbigail Toeneboehn disappeared into seemingly thin air Thursday night from her Austell, Georgia, apartment, according to her mother Heather Toeneboehn.

“She lives in Austell part-time and at home in Auburn with me, her dad [Mike] and brother part-time,” Heather said.

Abigail was last seen at 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 by her roommate, Heather said. She was in bed, watching tv on her phone. The two young women share a studio apartment, and by Friday morning she was considered missing.

“Wallet, keys, car, clothes, cosmetic bag, everything’s here, phone, money, she’s just gone and all of her things are here,” Heather said.

Her horses are still in the stable as well.

Heather reported her daughter missing to the

police Friday morning.

“They were on the farm property within minutes,” she said.

Heather said that the property was searched with dogs and ATVs. Abigail was placed on the both the state and national missing person’s registry Friday morning.

Abigail is an accomplished equestrian and travels between Auburn and Austell on a regular basis to train. She is also a pre-nursing student at Southern Union who graduated from Auburn High.

“Abi is so kind, and so trusting,” Heather said. “We are an intact, loving family and Abi does not do this.”

The past week was a busy and exciting week for Abigail, Heather said.

“This week she was here [in Austell] since Tuesday, had a fantastic week, a very exciting week,” Heather said.

“Looking at breeding one of her horses and buying a new horse so there was a lot going on this week that she

would never walk away from, not in a million years.”

Her mom asked for people to please share the information and if they saw anything to please let the authorities know.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help bring Abigail home.

“She would not be gone this long by her own choice,” Heather said.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Department was willing to provide any help necessary in the search for missing 22-year-old Abigail Toeneboehn said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones.

“We are aware of the situation,” Jones said. The Sheriff’s Department was ready to assist Cobb County in any way it can, Jones said, though it hadn’t been asked for help yet.

At 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, Abigail Toeneboehn was located. According to Austell Police Chief Robert Starrett Abigail left on her own and is safe.

From the desk of Congressman Mike Rogers Contributed by the office of Congressman Mike Rogers Congressional Art Competition Congressman Mike Rogers announced on Feb. 26 that the Third District Congressional Art Competition is officially open. Due to COVID-19, the competition will be held virtually again this year.

Rogers is inviting all artistic high school students from across East Alabama to participate.

The deadline for submission is April 23 at 5 p.m. If interested in participating, visit mikerogers.house.gov/ services/third-congressional-district-art-competition.htm for more information. Any additional questions can be directed to Rachel Wallace at 256-236-5655.

The winner’s artwork will be displayed in the Cannon tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building and on House.Gov’s Congressional Art Competition page.

On H.R. 1319 Rogers made the following statement on Feb. 26 ahead of the vote on H.R. 1319. The legislation was framed as COVID relief but has proven to be nothing more than Pelosi's plan to cater to progressives. Rogers is strongly opposed to the bill.

"It's a disgrace that this bill would even be brought to the House floor. Currently, $1 trillion in COVID-19 relief funding has yet to be spent.

"This bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing — extreme socialist initiatives falsely proposed as COVID relief. Less than nine percent of the funding in this bill is allocated towards public health spending. The Biden Administration is so focused on taking credit for the Trump Administration’s ‘Project Warp Speed’ that they have lost sight of the

mission — adequately distributing the Trump vaccine and stopping the spread of the virus. It’s pathetic and emblematic of what’s wrong with Washington,” Rogers said.

The almost $2 trillion bill does little to help open K-12 schools, will discourage individuals from getting back to work and does hardly anything to help Americans. What it does do is fund abortions with taxpayer dollars, threaten business owners with a minimum wage hike and bail out Democrat-led states who can’t spend their tax dollars wisely.

"I am disappointed in my Democrat colleagues and call on Speaker Pelosi to get serious about helping Americans instead of pandering to the progressives in her party.

Americans deserve better," Rogers added.

Rogers serves as Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Committee.

On Iran and IAEA inspection deal Rogers, House Armed Services Committee ranking member, released the following statement on Feb. 22 after reports that Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) struck a three-month deal limiting IAEA’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear

activity: “We cannot allow Iran to become a nuclear power and destabilize the Middle East further.

Inspections are a critical part of verifying that Iran is staying true to their commitment. We’ve seen this show before, and we cannot afford a repeat of the flawed, defective Iran Nuclear Deal.

“I am pleased that the Biden Administration confirmed the U.S. will not be lifting sanctions ahead of diplomatic talks, and I will continue to monitor the Biden Administration’s conversations with our P5+1 partners closely. The Biden Administration must keep the sanctions the U.S. imposed in 2018 and hold Iran accountable for their nefarious nuclear actions.”

On airstrikes in Syria Rogers released the statement below following Feb. 25’s airstrikes in Syria: “Last night, the U.S. showed that attacks on American personnel and interests will not be tolerated. I support President Biden’s response to provocation from Iranianbacked militias. We must defend our interests abroad, and I hope the Biden Administration continues to apply pressure to deter future aggression from Iran and its proxies.”

B16 March 3, 2021

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