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THE SOUTHERN TORCH / FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018 / VOL. 4, NO. 28 / $1.00
RUN FOR THE FALLEN
LIKE
FOLLOW
TWEET
Setting the Record Straight
Run for the Fallen gives citizens the chance to show our support and honor every fallen military service member who died while serving during the War on Terror. (Zach Hester | Southern Torch)
By Zach Hester Reporter
(WHNT.com)
zach@southerntorch.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — On Monday, July 9, a group of runners representing Run for the Fallen made their way through the cities of Rainsville and Fort Payne. The runners were greeted by cheering crowds on both occasions with American flags waving and hands over hearts as they called out the names of fallen heroes every time they completed a mile. These runners have travelled from the West Coast on their way to Arlington Cemetery in remembrance of our country’s fallen soldiers. On the way, they pick up a few new runners who are local to this area. DeKalb’s local runners included Circuit Clerk candidate Todd Greeson, the Fort Payne State Championship-winning Cross Country team, members of the Plainview State Championship-winning basketball team, and Rainsville Freedom Run Race Coordinator Jerry Clifton. “I have been blessed to do runs across our Country but today was [the] most meaningful and rewarding of any run I’ve done or will do,� said Clifton. “God bless our men and women who serve and protect us.� America’s Run for the Fallen began on April 7 in Fort Irwin, Calif. and ends on August 5 at Arlington National Cemetery. Rotating teams of dedicated runners, both military and civilian, will traverse more than 6,000 miles through 19 states over five months. We were honored to be able to show our support of these runners on Monday! Check out our community section for plenty of pictures from our time at the events. See our Facebook for full LIVE videos as well!
By Marla Jones, Reporter • marla@southerntorch.com FORT PAYNE, Ala. — The Fort Payne Fire Department had a very busy holiday week. They responded to three structural fires with the most notable being at GameTime. In spite of popular belief, these fires are not related, according to Fort Payne Fire Chief Ron Saferite. There were two house fires last Monday, both being in the laundry room. The Department is inclined to believe
that both were dryer type fires due to lint build-up, but nothing has been confirmed as of our print time. The fire at GameTime’s holding facility occurred on Wednesday, July 4 with stations 1, 2 and 4 responding as quickly as possible. The fire was extinguished within a few hours, but a cause is still undetermined at this time. No casualties were reported in any of these three fires. Southern Torch will keep you updated on this developing story as new information comes in.
The Race Is (Still) On By Zach Hester Reporter
zach@southerntorch.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — The race is still on for several elected positions not only here at home in DeKalb County, but across the whole state of Alabama. After over a full year of a tumultuous campaign season, six Republican races will appear on the The race to become the next Lieutenant Governor of Alabama is expected to be very close between Will Ainsworth and Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh. (Photos by Will Ainsworth on Facebook and twinkleforalabama.com)
>> ELECTION, P2
Commission Approves Speed Limit Change By Marla Jones Reporter marla@southerntorch.com
TORCHCAST
FRIDAY 7/13
89 • 71
SATURDAY 7/14
88 • 70
SUNDAY 7/15
87 • 72
DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — The DeKalb County Commission held their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 10. DeKalb County Road Department Superintendent Tom Broyles said that the weather was cooperating and work was running smoothly throughout the County. He reported that the approach work on County Road 212 had been completed and the slab had been poured on the new building in District 1.
(Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
Engineering Supervisor Ben Luther presented the Commission with his recommendation to award the bid for County Road 20 & 843 to Reed Contracting in the
amount of $790,832.74. This will be an 80/20 split with the state with $675,360 allotted by the state, they will be under budget for this project. The Commission also
approved a resolution to reduce the speed limit of County Road 6 beginning at Highway 68 to the Etowah county line, to 20 miles per hour. Personnel changes
were presented to the Commission from the following:
>> COMMISSION, P2 Visit our website at www.southerntorch.com for daily news updates and pick up your weekly print edition at news stands every Friday.
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FRIDAY – JULY 13, 2018
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
Wright Retires from Collinsville By Staff Reports
(collinsvillealabama.com)
COLLINSVILLE, Ala. — City Clerk Peggy Wright has retired from working at the City of Collinsville after 37 years of service. She also served as the municipal court clerk during this time. We wish Peggy a very happy retirement!
OPERATION BACK TO SCHOOL ELECTION from Page 1
By Staff Reports In partnership with We've Got Your Back, Fort Payne Pediatrics is sponsoring for their second year, Operation Back to School! It's a fundraiser designed to help DeKalb County children who are currently in DHR custody. This fundraiser is specifically aimed at buying these children back to school clothing. Our goal is to provide each of the 68 children starting school this year with a $200 gift card to purchase shirts, pants, shoes, and a jacket. Many of these children will not be able to have new back to school clothing without this assistance. All fundraising progress is being shared on the Facebook page for Fort Payne Pediatrics. The deadline is August 1 for donations at the office or on their gofundme page. Thank you in advance for your donations!
COMMISSION from Page 1 • Revenue Commissioner Tyler Wilks announced the retirement of Renee Connell at the end of September, her last work day was Friday, July 6 • DeKalb DHR (Department of Human Resources) announced the resignation of Laura Kirby Patterson from their Board County Administrator Matt Sharp presented the Garbage Exception list for
the County. This is an annual recommendation. Commission President Ricky Harcrow announced that Beeson-Scott Cemetery in Fort Payne had been added to the Historical Commission registry. DeKalb County now has 53 cemetery recognized by the Alabama Historical Commission, and there are 798 statewide. The Back to School Sales Tax Holiday will begin on July 20, 2018 due to schools starting back earlier this year. “We believe that
education is the key,” said Harcrow. “Whatever we can do to assist our citizens and the students in our schools, we’re thankful to do that.” “Not every county in the state, if I’m correct, is able to do this,” continued Harcrow. “Our county is as financially sound as any county in the state of Alabama, and it’s because of the gentlemen that sit around this table.” The next meeting of the DeKalb County Commission will be held at 10am on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.
runoff ballot next week. For Lieutenant Governor, state representative Will Ainsworth will face off against Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh. For Alabama Attorney General, former Attorney General Troy King will face incumbent Steve Marshall. For Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Place
No. 1, incumbent Brad Mendheim will face Circuit Judge Sarah Stewart. For Court of Civil Appeals Judge Place No. 1, Judge Christy Olinger Edwards will face Michelle Manley Thomason, the District Judge for Baldwin County. For Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Place No. 2, Assistant Attorney General Rich Anderson will face Chris McCool, District Attorney for the 24th Judicial Circuit, which consists of Fayette, Lamar, and Pickens counties. For Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries,
state senator Gerald Dial will face Lowndesboro Mayor Rick Pate. Depending on your school district, you may see one of the following races for DeKalb County Board of Education: For District 3, Carol Hiett will face incumbent Jeff Williams For District 4, Monty Darwin will face incumbent Matt Sharp For a full sample ballot, please visit our website. We hope to see you at the polls on Tuesday, July 17. We will have LIVE updates on our Facebook on that night!
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FRIDAY – JULY 13, 2018
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
COMMUNITY
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Submit your community events to: zach@southerntorch.com
RUN FOR THE FALLEN COMES THROUGH DEKALB
MANITOU CAVE OF ALABAMA
WOODY'S CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING
Woody's Steakhouse officially held its grand opening last month with a ribbon cutting with the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce! Woody's is located at 105 County Road 89 in Fort Payne (Dogtown) close to Akins Furniture. Woody's is owned by Woody and Holly Caldwell. They have a great lunch menu and daily specials, go check them out, and tell them Southern Torch sent you!
Contributed by Jennifer McCurdy Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce FORT PAYNE, Ala. — The Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce held our After Hours at Manitou Cave of Alabama last Thursday. What an adventurous After Hours. Annette Reynolds, founder and steward of Manitou Cave of Alabama, hosted a group of twenty-five at the Educational Center. Annette discussed the history of Manitou Cave of Alabama and was joined by Walter Raymond, whose family made Manitou Cave of Alabama a visitor’s center and tourist destination in the 1940s. Mr. Raymond had not seen the cave in years but knows it like the back of his hand. He actually toured with a group of twenty and he and Annette gave a fantastic tour with a detailed history of Manitou Cave of Alabama. Roger Lee Holt - Biologist, Partners for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Program in Decatur, spoke to the group about the wide variety of flora and fauna found at Manitou Cave of Alabama. Specifically, Mr. Lee spoke about the Antrorbis breweri, or Manitou cavesnail. This is a freshwater snail with gills found only in Manitou Cave of Alabama. The specific name breweri is in honor of Dr. Stephen Brewer, the former owner of Manitou Cave. Manitou Cave of Alabama is a 501(c)3 non-profit located Fort Payne and has been a place of early aboriginal shelter, ceremony and Cherokee inscriptions. Today the cave is the focus of conservation efforts by Manitou Cave of Alabama, Inc. to preserve this living natural museum and world treasure. Annette is very passionate about Manitou Cave of Alabama and hopes to see the community come together and help restore the Educational Center (once known as the Visitors Center). She would love to see the Educational Center become a true learning center, so children and adults can learn about our Cherokee Indian heritage and the journey of Manitou Cave of Alabama and the lives that have touched it. For more information about Manitou Cave of Alabama, please visit www. manitoucaveofal.org.
ENDLESS LOVE Congratulations to these lovebirds! T and Gennie Moore of Geraldine celebrated seventy years of marriage last week with their friends and family. They are a testament to how true love is endless! Happy Anniversary!
Staff: Southern Torch (USPS Periodicals #19790) is
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FRIDAY – JULY 13, 2018
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
BUSINESS with Marla & Marshall
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$12.50 UPCOMING EVENTS NACC Fall Registration - Northeast Alabama Community College registration for the fall semester is going on now! Visit nacc.edu, call (256) 638-4418 or (256) 228-6001 or download the free app for more information! Every Wednesday, Parents of Addicted Loved Ones - A new support group for Parents of Addicted Loved Ones is starting in Fort Payne at Word of Life Ministry, located at 3610 Gault Ave North. The meeting will be held every Tuesday
from 6pm to 7:30pm. Any adult family member over 18 is welcome to attend these PAL meetings, however, for insurance reasons, no one under the age of 18 may attend and child care will not be provided. For more information, visit palgroup.org. Every Wednesday, Breakthrough Church free meal - Come and enjoy a free meal and hear the Word of God on Wednesday nights starting January 3 at 5:30pm. If you need a ride, please contact: Lynn
Haas at (256) 605-7854 or Connie Holdem at (256) 605-1776. July 14, Cornerstone Christian Academy BBQ Cook-Off & Car Show - Cornerstone Christian Academy will host a fundraiser on Saturday, July 14 with the official KCBS Car Show, Ribs and Chicken Cook-Off, BBQ lunches, live music and much more! It will begin at 9am and last until 3pm at Cornerstone Christian Academy. Entry fee for the cook-off is $100, $25 entry fee for the car show, and the BBQ lunches will be sold for $5 each. Contact Melissa Mays for more details at (256) 899-5454. July 15, Chavies Baptist Church Singing There will be a singing at Chavies Baptist Church on Sunday, July 15 at 6pm featuring the Fortner Brothers for Christ! Everyone is welcome to
Jared Gore - Sales
attend! July 21, Third Saturday Sunset Cruise-In - This month’s Third Saturday Sunset Cruise-In will be an afternoon of family fun activities in the Main Street District of Fort Payne. This public event will include food, live music, antique car show, and much more! It begins at 5pm, lasting until 9pm and is free to the public! July 28, Fyffe 50 Club Reunion - The Fyffe High School 50 Club Reunion will be on July 28, 2018 at the Fyffe Senior Center from 11am to 3pm. This reunion is for those classes who have been out of Fyffe High School for 50 years or more! That would be the class of 1968 and all the classes before that. The class of 1969 is invited, and they will host next year. The reunion is potluck.
Office: (256) 878-1050 www.howardbentley.com Cell: (256) 558-3166 Email: jared@howardbentley.com
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LEGALS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF DEKALB COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO. DR-2016-900176.01 CLEM HAWTHORNE, Plaintiff v. SHARRON CARROLL HAWTHORNE, Defendant NOTICE OF COURT ORDERED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY This sale of real property having been ORDERED under and by virtue of a Court Order in the above-styled cause dated May 31, 2018 and rendered by Honorable Shaunathan Bell, Circuit Judge of DeKalb County, Alabama, notice is hereby given by Pam Simpson, Circuit Clerk of DeKalb County, Alabama that on August 14, 2018 at 11:30am, the DeKalb County Circuit Clerk shall proceed to sell the following described real estate with the sale being conducted on the front steps of the DeKalb County Courthouse: Commencing at a point on the North section line which point is 23.76 chains (1,568.43 feet) East of the Northwest corner of said Section 1, Township 7 South of Range 9 East in DeKalb County, Alabama, which said point is 190 feet West of the East margin of the
public road loading South from Fischer’s Crossroads and from said point run South 4° 49' West and parallel with the East margin of said public road for a distance of 3,132 chains (206.8 feet) to the point of beginning. (hence continue South 4° 49' West and parallel with the East margin of said public road for a distance of 1,566 chains (103.4 feet), thence West and parallel with the North line of the Northwest Fourth of said Section 1 for a distance of 1,008.4 feet; thence North and parallel with the said public road for a distance of 1,566 chains (103.4 feet), thence run North 89°34' East and parallel with the North line of the Northwest Fourth, said Section l for a distance of 1,008.4 feet to the point of beginning, and lying and being in the Northeast Fourth of the Northwest Fourth Section 1, Township 7 South of Range 9 East. In DeKalb County, Alabama. The above-described property shall be sold for cash to the best, highest and last bidder for cash. This sale is subject to confirmation by the Court. Done this the 25th day of June, 2018.
Publish: June 29, July 6, July 13
FRIDAY – JULY 13, 2018
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
5
DEATH NOTICES WT WILSON Charlie Stevan Croft - 63 of Dawson, passed away on Wednesday, July 4. Visitation was held on Saturday, July 7 from noon until 1pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 1pm on Saturday, July 7 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel with Bro. Doug Alverson officiating. Burial followed in DeKalb Memorial Garden. Danny Joe Mills - 46 of Fort Payne, passed away on Wednesday, July 4. Visitation was held on Friday, July 6 from 1pm to 8pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 3pm on Saturday, July 7 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel with Rev. Chris Bell officiating. Burial followed in Bankhead Cemetery. Barbara Lee Blevins - 72 of Flat Rock, passed away on Saturday, July 7. Visitation was held from 5pm to 8pm on Wednesday, July 11 at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 1pm on Thursday, July 12 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel with Bro. Roger Burton officiating. Burial followed in Pea Ridge Cemetery. Jennifer Jones - 25 of Albertville, passed away
on Saturday, July 7. Visitation was held from 5pm to 8pm on Wednesday, July 11 at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 3pm on Thursday, July 12 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel. Burial followed in Chaney’s Chapel Cemetery. Barbara Poe Davis 65 of Ider, passed away on Saturday, July 7. Visitation was held from 5pm to 8pm on Monday, July 9 at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 1pm on Tuesday, July 10 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel with Bro. Richard Hartline officiating. Burial followed in Whitehall Cemetery. Adrienne D. Reese - 30 of Fort Payne, passed away on Sunday, July 8. Visitation was held from 4pm to 8pm on Wednesday, July 11 at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 11am on Thursday, July 12 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel with Bro. Darrell Haney officiating. Burial followed in Glenwood Cemetery.
CORNER STONE Perry Don Allison - 64 of Flat Rock, passed away on Sunday, July 8 at his residence. Visitation was held on Tuesday, July
10 from 2pm to service time at the funeral home. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 10 at 6pm at Corner Stone Funeral Chapel with Bros. Charles Smith and David Marona officiating. Kimberly Gail Hughes Johnson - 48 of Ider, passed away on Monday, July 9. Visitation was held from 11am to 6pm on Wednesday, July 11 and from 8am until service time on Thursday, July 12 at the funeral home. Funeral services were held on Thursday, July 12 at 11am at Corner Stone Funeral Chapel with Pastor Frankie Carroll and Bro. T. Mike Little officiating. Burial followed in Bethlehem Cemetery.
BURT Hazel Lee Phillips - 84 of Fort Payne, passed away on Sunday, July 8 at her residence. Visitation was held on Tuesday, July 10 from 11am from 2pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 10 at Burt Chapel-Fort Payne at 2pm with Rev. James Ledwell officiating. Burial followed in Wesley’s Chapel Cemetery.
KERBY Mary Marjorie Hope - 96, passed away on Thursday, July 5 at Crowne Health Care in Fort Payne. Visitation was held on Saturday, July 7 from 10am to 11am. A private family funeral service will be held at a later time. Burial will be in Henagar Cemetery.
RAINSVILLE Robert Chapman 69 of Rainsville, passed away on Thursday, July 5 at DeKalb Regional Medical Center. Visitation was held on Sunday, July 8 from 9am to 2pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held on Sunday, July 8 at 2pm at Rainsville Funeral Home Chapel with Bros. Earnest Corbitt and Rodney Powell officiating. Burial followed in Rainsville Memorial Park. Bobbie G. Cooper 83 of Rainsville, passed away on Tuesday, July 3 at her daughter’s residence. Visitation was held on Wednesday, July 4 from 5pm to 8pm and Thursday, July 5 from 8am to 11am at the funeral home. Funeral services were held on Thursday, July 5 at 11am at Rainsville Funeral
Home Chapel with Bros. Kenneth Goggans and Orien Ledford officiating. Burial followed in Rainsville Memorial Park. Janell Anderson Wirchball - 70 of Dutton, passed away on Tuesday, July 3 in Chickamauga, Ga. Visitation was held on Friday, July 6 from 2pm to 8pm and Saturday, July 7 from 12pm to 4pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held on Saturday, July 7 at 4pm at Rainsville Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Dennis Chambers officiating. Burial followed in Union Grove Cemetery.
WILSON Wesley Ross Hairel - 27 of Fort Payne, passed away on Monday, July 2. Visitation was held on Thursday, July 5 from 5pm to 8pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held on Friday, July 6 at 2pm at Wilson Funeral Home. Burial followed in Glenwood Cemetery.
Jessica Lee Aletha Kuykendall - 31 of Fort Payne, passed away on Wednesday, July 4. Visitation was held on Saturday, July 7 from 4pm to 7pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 2pm on Sunday, July 8 at Wilson Funeral Home. Jean Shrader - 86 of Fort Payne, passed away on Thursday, July 5. Visitation was held on Friday, July 6 from 5pm to 8pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 2pm on Saturday, July 7 at Wilson Funeral Home with Rev. Rayford Bethune officiating. Burial followed in Glenwood Cemetery. Harold Eberhart - 81 of Fort Payne, passed away on Friday, July 6. Visitation was held on Saturday, July 7 from 4pm to 7pm at the funeral home. Funeral services were held at 4pm on Sunday, July 8 at Wilson Funeral Home with Rev. Shaunathan Bell officiating. Burial followed in Adamsburg Cemetery.
POLITICS
Inside the Statehouse By Steve Flowers AL Political Columnist MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Well folks, if you vote in the Republican primary you may want to go back to the polls next week and finish selecting the GOP nominees for several important state offices. If you are a Democrat the only reason you will need to vote on Tuesday is if you have a runoff in a local race and there are very few of those around. We are still a very red Republican state. There are 29 elected statewide officials in Alabama. All 29 are held by Republicans. When all the votes are counted in November, that 29 out of 29 figures will more than likely be the same in the Heart of Dixie. The Blue wave has not reached here. There were twice as many Republican voters, 590,000 to 283,000, as Democratic voters on June 5. In addition to having all 29 state offices held by Republicans, six out of seven of our members of Congress are members of the GOP. That will also
remain the same when the dust settles in the fall. The only contested Congressional race is for the Second District, which encompasses most of the Montgomery River Region, including Elmore and Autauga Counties, coupled with the Wiregrass. It is a very conservative district. Therefore, it is a Republican seat. The winner of the GOP runoff between Martha Roby and Bobby Bright will be the Congressman. Whichever one is elected will vote consistently conservative with the GOP leadership in Congress. Roby is on the ropes because she vowed openly, two years ago, that she would not vote for Donald Trump for President. That unnecessary display of disloyalty has made her very unpopular in the district. Trump has a 90 percent approval rating among Republican primary voters in southeast Alabama. She would have lost two years ago if the primary had been held after her statement. There was an unprecedented number of write in votes against
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her. She has been considered very vulnerable since that time. National special interests stuck to their script and stayed loyal to the incumbent and loaded her up with Washington money. She was able to outspend her four male opponents by an over 2 to 1 margin. However, she fell short in the primary garnering about 38 percent. Bobby Bright received 27 percent and is well known and liked in the district. However, President Trump’s endorsement of Roby three weeks ago may have wiped the slate clean for Roby and given her a clear path to reelection. Winning the Republican nomination for Attorney General and Lt. Governor in Alabama is still pretty much tantamount to election in Alabama, although the Democrats have a viable candidate for Attorney General in young Joseph Siegelman in November. Don
Siegelman’s son Joseph along with youthful Tuscaloosa mayor, Walt Maddox, have viable chances of winning as a Democrat in November. The GOP race for Attorney General has been the best contest in the primary season. Troy King began the race as the favorite and will probably prevail next Tuesday. There were four formidable horses in this race. King has previously served as Attorney General and therefore was perceived as the incumbent. Bentley appointee Steve Marshall had been a Democratic DA for a while. This one will boil down to who votes. In a GOP runoff, only the hardcore Republican base will vote. Those voters will not be excited about Steve Marshall who was appointed by Robert Bentley and as late as a few years ago was expediently a Democrat who was appointed by Don Siegelman. In fact, he voted
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for and contributed to Barack Obama. My guess is that folks will vote for Troy King, a lifelong Republican. The race for Lt. Governor will be close between Twinkle Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth. This contest has attracted more attention and money than ever. The odds say that there is a 50-50 chance that whoever wins this contest next Tuesday will ascend to Governor over the next few years. Our current governor moved from Lt. Governor to Governor without being elected. It
has happened more than once over the past few decades. If you vote on Tuesday, you will be in a pool of about 10 to 12 percent of voters. Therefore, if you show up, your vote will be enhanced exponentially. 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.
THE FISHERMEN SOUTHERN GOSPEL QUARTET
For Bookings call: Glenn Smith (256) 572-6146
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FRIDAY – JULY 13, 2018
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
inside the huddle
By Marla Jones Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com
GERALDINE, Ala. — For my fourth stop of “Inside The Huddle”, we visited with the Class 3A Geraldine Bulldogs! Geraldine has more than their share of talented players and I expect them to be a powerhouse this fall. Coach Brad and Brian Waldrop have been family friends for many years and I was excited to come watch them and the
Bulldogs in action. It seems like only yesterday, I was watching the Waldrop boys play high school football. Now they are known across the area, along with their coaching staff, as a force to be reckoned with. The team is on their way to becoming a team that will be hard to handle come September. Getting to the top is not easy and requires tons of practice. Geraldine practices three days a week at 5 p.m. Monday is designated on speed training. Tuesday
practices work on agility and Thursday packs a powerful punch as the team does a series of “Explosion” workouts. After each practice the players hit the weightroom for strength training. When I arrived at Coolidge-Isbell Field my car thermometer read 98 degrees. As I sat, watching the team warm up with several sets of sprints, I was uncertain if I could make it onto the field without melting from the heat. The heat did not seem to phase the Bulldogs
at all. I could sense that the Bulldogs are willing to go the extra mile because that is what it takes to succeed. Geraldine has 9 returning seniors with 5 returning on offense and 4 on defense. Coach Brad Waldrop will return for his fourth season as Head Coach for the Geraldine Bulldogs. His brother, Coach Brian Waldrop will be his offensive coordinator. Coach Tim Arnold will return as offensive and defensive line coach. Coach
SPOTLIGHT ON COACHES
GERALDINE, Ala. — The Southern Torch Coach of the Week is Brad Waldrop, Head Coach for the Geraldine Football team. Coach Waldrop graduated from Sylvania High School where he was a standout football player. After several years in the workforce, Waldrop pursued his dream and went back to college. He obtained a math degree from Athens State University. Waldrop has been married to his wife, Ashley for seventeen years. They have three sons: Styles, Slaytor, and Sander. Waldrop’s favorite quote is, “Excuses are monuments of nothingness, used to build bridges to nowhere, those who use them are seldom good at anything else. Southern Torch would like to wish Coach Waldrop and his Geraldine Bulldogs the best of luck in their upcoming season!
Jamie Gilbert will coach the outside linebackers and Coach Sid Gillilan coaches defensive secondary. The Bulldogs have an intense schedule this fall. They begin facing Crossville away on August 24 at the Battle of Skirum Creek. Their first regular season game is against rival Fyffe on the road on August 31. The next two games are home on September 7 and September 14 against Plainview and Brindlee Mountain, respectively.
The Bulldogs faced New Hope away on September 21 and Sardis away on September 28. The following week on October 5, the Bulldogs will travel to face Pisgah. After a bye week, Geraldine faces Susan Moore at home on October 19. They face Sylvania away on October 26. The final game of the season will be against Piedmont on November 2. With the excellent coaching staff and the drive that the Bulldogs have, I expect them to go deep in the State playoffs.
FRIDAY – JULY 13, 2018
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
7
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CATCH OF THE WEEK
This week’s Catch of Week is Neena Killian Wilson! Neena caught this bad boy while fishing on the Tennessee River!
Blackout brought home the bling as the ISA World Series Champions in Ooltewah, Tenn. The girls went undefeated in bracket play and won all four games by the run rule. Congratulations on your diamonds, girls! PICTURED: (Top Row, L to R): Macy Mashburn, Chloe Giles, AnnaLee Shrader, Addisyn Reed, Cali Jackson, Zoey Hutchins (Bottom Row, L to R): Kenli Burton, Kyree Shankles, Milee Troxtel, Kaleigh Roberts, McKenna Mitchell. Lyndi Elliott is not pictured.
Submit your photos to marla@southerntorch.com to be our next Catch of the Week winner!
ARMORY WINS BIG
The Armory 04 won the Jacksonville State Exposure Trial 14U Championship and went undefeated in the tournament! Pictured (L-R): (Back Row) Macey Herron (Southside), Lydia West (Geraldine), Lilly Rowell (Geraldine), Addison Yarbrough (Guntersville), Campbell Adams (Ragland) and J.J. Dismuke (Geraldine). (Front Row) Kylie Wilson (Oneonta), Emily Ellis (Fort Payne), Haley Lisenbee (Sand Rock)
RCC Welcomes First Softball Team
Rainsville Community Church Softball League took home the crown as the Fort Payne Softball Summer League Champs! In their inaugural season as a team, RCC had an impressive 16-2 record. PICTURED: (Front Row, L to R): Logan Hairel, Krymson Thrash, Chaz Ingle, Cole Patterson, Todd Phillips, Noah Harrison, Hunter Wigley, Dan Howard, Jacob Croft, Jaden Sayre, Brad Thomas, Cru Thomas, Bella Thomas, and Addie Wigley. (Back Row, L to R): Shawn Wigley, Heath Thrash, Lamar Patterson, Roger Wigley, Jeff Sayre, Jax Moon, Josh Moon, Cates Noles, Hallie Noles, and Chris Noles.
The Armory 16U won the Prospex Elite Exposure Tournament. The team went undefeated 7-0 in tournament play.
Big Tent Event Extended through Monday, July 16th! 9-8 Mon - Sat
8
FRIDAY – JULY 13, 2018
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
GRAND PRIZE*
WIN $20,000 CASH 2nd Prize 50” Flat Screen TV
3rd Prize Apple Laptop
4th Prize Brinkmann Flashlight
5th prize Apple Watch
To play simply scratch off the silver circle. If you have matching symbols, you qualify to win one of these prizes listed. The proced to the TENT EVENT with your mailer and confirmation code to claim your prise from our brize board!