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THE SOUTHERN TORCH / FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019 / VOL. 5, NO. 11 / $1.00
BODY FOUND
From Gary Buchanan ALEA Patrol Commander
Shortly before 5pm on Tuesday, ALEA received information that fishermen had discovered a body in the area of South Sauty Creek near Morgan's Cove boat ramp. The Department of Forensic Science took the body back to its Huntsville lab last night for positive identification and autopsy. Investigators from both ALEA Marine Patrol and Highway Patrol will continue their investigations.
LIKE
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TWEET
ALABAMA PASSES GAS TAX INCREASE
By Zach Hester Reporter
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — On Tuesday, after passage through the Alabama House of Representatives and the State Senate, Governor Kay Ivey signed the Rebuild Alabama Act into law. This is the first time that the gas tax has been raised since 1992. The Rebuild Alabama Act will raise fuel taxes by ten cents per gallon over the next three years and includes additional tax
measures like annual fees for electrical and hybrid vehicles. At February’s meeting of the DeKalb County Commission, District 1 Commissioner Shane Wootten stated, “Right now, in DeKalb County, and most other counties in this state, the infrastructure is in a state of crisis.” “We haven’t had an increase in infrastructure [funding] since 1992,” he continued. “Since that time,
> GAS TAX, P2
Governor Kay Ivey signed the controversial Rebuild Alabama Act into law at a special ceremony on Tuesday in Montgomery. (Photo by Mike Cason | al.com)
COMMISSION BOE SEARCHES FOR SOLUTIONS AT VALLEY HEAD DISCUSSES ROAD REPAIRS
New Charges Filed in FP Case
Shane Lee Henagar (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)
By Staff Reports DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden addresses the Commission on personnel changes in his office. (Photo by Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
The Board received a $25,889.83 check for rebates they received from issuing purchase cards to their employees through SunTrust. (Photo by Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
By Marla Jones, Managing Editor
By Marla Jones Managing Editor
DeKALB COUNTY, Ala. — The DeKalb County Commission held their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 12 in the DeKalb County Activities Building. Road Superintendent Tom Broyles gave a maintenance update, stating that his department was “just trying to survive and keep up with pothole patching” after all the recent wet weather. County Administrator Matt Sharp reported two damage claims. The first being in the amount of $1,596 and the second being $2,925. Both incidents occurred on County Road 90 and were forwarded on to the County’s insurance carrier. DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden asked the Commission to approve the transfers of Dan Jordan from full-time transport officer to a full-time correctional officer and Gary Bouldin from full-time correctional officer to full-time transport officer. He also requested that David Smith and Devell Bell be allowed to attend ACCA Training in Prattville later this month. Welden also reported that the Sheriff’s Office would begin moving to 10-hour shifts instead of 12-hour shifts which will result in a 80-hour pay period instead of an 84-hour one. Due to this two part-time deputies, Gregg Brown and Jerry Fortner, would need to made full-time
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DeKALB COUNTY, Ala. — At Tuesday’s DeKalb County Board of Education workshop, Valley Head Athletic Club President and concerned parent Dave Vest addressed the Board regarding the lack of a baseball field for Valley’s Head Varsity Baseball team. For approximately two years, the team has been working to renovate a field at Hammondville for their use. When speaking to Superintendent Dr. Jason Barnett, Vest stated that Barnett had advised that due to legal reasons, county funds could not be used. He suggested that the Athletic Club meet with the Town of Hammondville
Dave Vest addresses the Board at Tuesday's workshop. (Photo by Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
and acquire a lease to alleviate the issue and funds could begin for renovation efforts due to insurance regulations. For several years, the Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative deemed the light poles at the field a safety hazard that the Town of Hammondville would be liable. The Town
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removed all the lighting, virtually giving the team no place to play. After a back and forth, there was no resolve and Vest came to the Board looking for a solution. “I’m hopeful that a solution is come up with for our kids,” said Vest. “That’s been my only priority this entire time. We are in a unique position that we don’t have a town that supplies us with a park. I stand by my statement that the Board is lucky that they have these other towns that are basically furnishing their schools with a place to play and absorbing the cost.” “With insurance changing all the time, [who's] to say they will not
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FORT PAYNE, Ala. — On Wednesday March 6th, new charges were filed on Shane Lee Henegar, age 47 of Fort Payne. Henegar is currently in the Dekalb County Detention Center on charges he was unable to make bond for in 2018. Chief Randy Bynum stated those charges were Robbery 1st, Sexual Abuse 1st, Breaking and Entering a Vehicle and Theft, bond on those charges was $305.000. Bynum stated new charges for Henegar stem from a case that was originally reported to another agency in April 2018. Fort Payne Police Detectives Andy Hairston and Mike Grant have charged Henagar for Attempted Sodomy 1st and Attempted Rape 1st with bond being set at $1,000,000 for these new charges Bynum stated.
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FRIDAY — MARCH 15, 2019
Crossville Man Charged with Murder By Staff Reports FORT PAYNE, Ala. — From the Office of DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden: Early Saturday morning, the DeKalb Ambulance Service (DAS) and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a home in the Painter community, after a man had notified them his girlfriend was unresponsive. The victim, Melissa Nicole Waldrep (31 of Crossville), was pronounced deceased on the scene. The DeKalb County Coroner, Sheriff’s Office Investigators, the District Attorney’s Office, and JSU – Center for Applied Forensics responded to the incident, and an investigation was soon underway. A preliminary autopsy in the case showed the cause of death to be strangulation. After a diligent investigation and questioning witnesses, Christopher Lee Snow (33 of Crossville) was arrested and charged with murder in the incident. Snow remains in the DeKalb County jail with a cash bond of $250,000. DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the murder charge: “I’d like to
Christopher Lee Snow (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)
commend our investigators on another job well done in quickly resolving this case. It’s unfortunate that they’ve had to deal with yet another murder investigation this weekend.” “Incidents involving violence are always a top priority to our investigative team. Those that take the life of another will be held accountable,” he said. “I pray that these incidents are not the start of a trend in our county. We ask that you please keep the family of the deceased in your thoughts and prayers,” said Welden. “God Bless,” concluded Sheriff Welden.
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
COMMISSION from Page 1 employees. The Commission approved all of the requests from the Sheriff’s Office. The Commission opened the floor for a public hearing concerning the vacation of County 283. No comments were made and the road was vacated. County Engineer Ben Luther announced that Donohoo Chevrolet was the
BOE from Page 1 eventually run into this issue with another town and school at some point down the road,” he concluded. In a statement made to Southern Torch, Dr. Barnett said: “It is very unfortunate that the Hammondville baseball field lease taken this long to resolve. There has many many hours and days spent on finding a mutually agreeable resolution. Unfortunately, we are not able to agree to the terms they have presented. To that effort, we have provided various avenues to come to an agreement. I want to note that we will continue to work to come to a resolution and am hopeful
Administrator Sharp and Commission President Ricky Harcrow to enter into a High Risk Rural Roads (HRRR) funding agreement for safety funds to replace guard rails on two bridges in the amount of $125,384. The agreement is a 90-10 split with federal and local funds, respectively. DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency Director Anthony Clifton gave an update on the State of Emergency that was declared last month by Governor Kay Ivey, who
extended the declaration to include the recent tornado damage in Lee County. Clifton felt sure that this would prompt a presidential declaration. The State Preliminary Damage workers with County Engineer Luther and agreed on Tutwiler Gap and Wade Gap damages, as well as County Road 835’s damage. The next meeting of the DeKalb County Commission will be held at 10am on Tuesday, March 26 at the DeKalb County B Activities Building.
this will come sooner rather than later.” In the regular session, Brad Green of Raymond James reported that while obtaining their first bond issue, the Board received an A+ in their credit rating. John Whitley of SunTrust presented the Board with a $25,889.83 check for rebates that the Board received from issuing purchasing cards to their employees through SunTrust. The Board approved the following: Retirements / Resignations • Diane Pointer, Secondary General Science Teacher at Crossville High School (retirement, 6/1/19) • Ray Troxtel, Maintenance Worker at Facilities (retirement, 5/1/19) • Jeanie Croft, Elementary P.E. Teacher at
Ider High School (retirement, 6/1/19) Leave of Absence • Lindsay Little, Elementary Teacher at Fyffe High School (3/5/19-5/22/19) • Miranda Edwards, Elementary Teacher at Collinsville High School (4/1/19-5/23/19, revised from 4/15/19-5/24/19) • Katie Willingham, Elementary Teacher at Ruhama Jr. High School (2/8/19-5/13/19, extended from 4/15/19) Placements Certified • Leah Faye Vaughn, Elementary Teacher at Fyffe High School (Leave from 4/1/19-5/23/19) • Amelia Fugatt, English Language Arts Teacher at Crossville High School (ending 5/23/19) • Brenda Trotman, Elementary Teacher at Collinsville High School
(ending 5/23/19) Support • Cynthia Wilt, Itinerant Special Education Paraprofessional at Crossville Middle School (ending 5/23/19) Volunteer Coaches • Jeremy Henderson at Valley Head High School (softball) Principal Contracts • Jon Peppers, 12-month principal at Crossville High School (7/1/19-6/30/20) • Wayne Lyles, 12-month principal at Ider High School (7/1/19-6/30/20) • Westley King, 12-month principal at Sylvania High School (7/1/19-6/30/20) The next meeting of the DeKalb County Board of Education will be held on Thursday, April 18 at 5pm with a work session beginning at 4pm.
You’ve Got Options !
GAS TAX from Page 1 road construction costs have went up over tenfold.” Wootten went on to state that necessary infrastructure improvements could improve the odds that Alabama, and DeKalb County, become a more appealing place for companies to begin working in. The bill passed the House last Friday by a margin of 83-20. It passed the Senate on Tuesday by a margin of 28-6 with Senators Barfoot, McClendon, Roberts, Shelnutt, Stutts and Figures being the few dissenters. Senator Priscilla Dunn (D-Birmingham) was absent for the vote. Before the vote, Sen. Vivian Davis Figures stated that she would oppose the gas tax because of how it would affect the poor and because of the Governor’s refusal to have talks on expanding Medicaid in the state. “Gas is a necessity...I still know and see people who go into a service
low bid for 2019 ½ Ton 4WD Crew Cab trucks in the amount of $37,104.50 (base price) per vehicle. Add-ons were $795 for a LED strobe light system. The vehicles will be delivered within six to eight weeks. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) opened bids for resurfacing projects on County Roads 165 and 631. The bid was granted to Charles E. Watts of Gadsden. The Commission authorized County
0%
FINANCING
0% interest
At the bill signing, Ivey called the Rebuild Alabama Act an investment in Alabama's infrastructure for the years to come. (Contributed Photo)
station who get five or 10 dollars’ worth of gas because they can’t afford a full tank,” said Figures. “I cannot vote yes on this way to pay for the infrastructure.” The state Republican Party executive committee voted at their meeting last month to oppose a gas tax hike without offsetting it with a tax decrease somewhere else. “There’s no doubt in my mind [that] today is a game changer for the State of Alabama,” said House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) as he thanked fellow
legislative leaders for their work on the gas tax passage. When signing the bill, Governor Ivey stated, “What the members of the Alabama Legislature have done today is to improve Alabama’s infrastructure for generations to come.” The bill will raise the gas tax from 18 cents to 24 cents beginning in September 2019 with two cent raises per year in 2020 and 2021. Beginning in 2023, the gas tax will be adjusted annually according to the national highway construction cost index.
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COMMUNITY . CROSSVILLE ADDED TO COLLEGE FP ROBOTICS READINESS/AP PROGRAM Submit your upcoming events and community news to zach@southerntorch.com
Congratulations to the Fort Payne Middle School Robotics for placing at the state's First LEGO League Championship! The Short Circuits won the 1st Inspiration Award. The High Voltage team finished 4th in the Robot Games and won 1st Place in Research. The Gigawatts won 2nd Overall and the Global Innovation Award for their Astrofit suit!
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Crossville High School joins 178 other Alabama High Schools in offering AP courses and additional resources to help students earn a qualifying score on AP exams. (Photo by Southern Torch)
By Staff Reports CROSSVILLE, Ala. – Beginning next fall, Crossville High School will join 178 other Alabama high schools in offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses and other resources to help students earn a qualifying score on the AP exam. According to aplusala. org, A+ College Ready partners with high schools and feeder middle schools to facilitate a culture of
high academic expectations for students, teachers and administrators across the State of Alabama in order to better prepare students for college and the workforce. "As principal...I wanted to find a program that would help increase our rigor in the classroom, provide quality professional development for my faculty, and help increase our students' success rate as they entered into college," said Crossville High School Principal Jon Peppers. "This
program meets all three of those goals." "We are elated that Crossville High School leaders and classroom teachers have chosen to implement this program in order to increase access and opportunity for their students," said Tammy Dunn, the Vice President for Academic Affairs at A+ College Ready. State Superintendent Eric Mackey lauded the program as "one of the most impactful education
initiatives the state has ever seen." "In less than 10 years, Alabama's enrollment in Advanced Placement courses has more than tripled," Mackey continued. "From saving Alabama's families significant amounts of money in college tuition, to preparing Alabama high school seniors to meet and exceed the expectations of college – the advantages of AP coursework are evident."
UPCOMING EVENTS Every Monday, By His Hands Outreach Ministry - The By His Hands Outreach Ministry will host a soup kitchen beginning on Mondays at 6pm. The Clothes Closet will be open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Both are at 2494 Church Avenue in Rainsville. Donations are greatly appreciated! Every Monday, Sons of Confederate Veterans - The Sons of Confederate Veterans meets the 2nd Monday of each month at Burnt Church at 6pm in Sylvania. Every Monday, Sons of the American Revolution - The Sons of the American Revolution meets the 3rd Monday of each month at Western Sizzlin' in Fort Payne at 6pm. 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 Avenue 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. March 16, Spring Fling Vendor Event - Join Pine Ridge Baptist Church for their Spring Fling vendor event on Saturday, March 16 from 8am to 4pm! The event will have arts, crafts, food and more! March 16, Spring
THE FISHERMEN SOUTHERN GOSPEL QUARTET
Festival of Books - You’re invited for a book signing at Boom Town Makers Market with local authors from 11am to 1pm at Saturday, March 16. March 16, Spirit Searchers at TBEC - Spirit Searchers, a local paranormal research team, will host an event at the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center from 5pm to 11pm on March 16. There will be two speakers and no cover charge. March 17, Dogtown Fire BBQ Dinner Fundraiser - The Dogtown Fire Department will be hosting their annual BBQ dinner fundraiser from 11am until all of it is gone! Plates are $7 and include meat, bread, beans, slaw, dessert and a drink. For more information, please call (256) 996-1314. March 17, Flat Rock Church Singing - There will be a gospel singing at Flat Rock Church near Grove Oak on Sunday, March 17 at 5pm. The Sexton's will be the special singers. Everyone is invited! March 17, Fish Fry Fundraiser - The Valley Head and Mentone Police Departments will be hosting a fish fry fundraiser at Tiger’s Inn Restaurant in Valley Head on Sunday, March 17 beginning at 11am. Plates are $8.50 each. All proceeds benefit Toys for Tots. Tickets may be purchased from any Valley Head or Mentone police officer, City Hall or can pay
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on the day of the event. March 22-24, Krazy Kudzu Follies - Join community leaders and citizens as they take the stage to perform skits at this year’s Krazy Kudzu Follies! The event will be held at 6pm every night from March 21-23 at the DeKalb Theatre. For more information, contact Donna Chesser by email or by phone at (256) 997-6995. The event is sponsored by the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce. March 23, Confederate Railroad at the Pickin’ Post - Confederate Railroad will be performing at The Pickin’ Post in Fort Payne at 6pm on March 23! Tickets are $30 per person and are available at Black’s Tire in Rainsville and Roger’s Pawn in Fort Payne. For more information, you can call (256) 845-4115, (256)
657-3817 or (256) 996-8910. March 31, Chavies Singing - There will be a singing at Chavies Baptist Church on Sunday, March 31 at 6pm! The special singers will be Chosen Generation from Geraldine. Everyone is invited to attend! April 9, QPR Community Training for Suicide Prevention - Increase your awareness of the warning signs, clues and suicidal communications of people who may be considering suicide and learn how to intervene with at risk individuals at QPR Community Training for Suicide Prevention
presented by the SAM Foundation from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the DeKalb County 911 Center in Rainsville on April 9. A - Join the Mentone Educational Resource Foundation (MERF) for our 6th Annual Taste of the Mountain and Art Auction! The event begins at 6pm on April 6 at Moon Lake Elementary Gymnasium. Tickets are sold in advance at the Mentone Market at $35 per ticket or $250 for a table of eight. The event includes a wonderful dinner and a live auction for art made by local artists and students at Moon Lake Elementary School.
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475 Main Street W Rainsville, AL
OPED: Gasoline Tax...Really?
Contributed by Anthony Cooper
DeKALB COUNTY, Ala. — I believe we need government and taxes, but in a very small and limited role. Therefore, if we are going to increase taxes, do it in an area where the individual is given the choice to pay the taxes as much as possible. If an individual chooses to purchase an expensive house, vehicle, or boat, then they pay the appropriate taxes. If one chooses to buy cigarettes or alcohol then they pay the appropriate taxes. This way when an individual decides to purchase goods or services that are not necessities, they are choosing to pay those taxes of their own free will. In this day and time, reality shows if you are going to work and support your family, gasoline is a necessity. We as responsible citizens should promote that everyone carry their financial weight and support their family, but then some of those same citizens/legislators turn around and support a gasoline tax that adds an extra financial burden to the very individuals who may be struggling and are going through some tough times for whatever reason, but still keep their moral
A R o m o a t H a s 7 a 2 v t w
and ethical obligation to go every day and put in an honest day’s work and earn their wages. Those citizens should not be penalized for being responsible and staying off the government's dole. There should be no special interest or charity within the government. The government should not favor the white or the black person, the rich or the poor person, the male or the female individual, but should respect the responsible, hard-working, self-supporting citizen whenever possible. Give the citizens of the State of Alabama an individual choice whether or not they want to pay the additional taxes when possible. Also, every good and service purchased is affected by transportation/ gasoline cost. So in my opinion, a gasoline tax will create a double taxation for the individual citizen. Let me explain with a simple economic example: not only will an individual pay an additional amount for the gasoline needed to drive to work or the grocery store, but he or she will also pay a higher price for that gallon of milk or loaf of bread they purchase at the grocery store due to the freight cost increases that are passed along to the businesses; who in turn, pass along the increase of the freight cost
to the consumer by increasing the price of their goods. This procedure is called an embedded tax. If there is a real need for additional taxation for the roads and bridges in Alabama, at least increase the taxation where the individual chooses to pay for the tax of their own free will. The Alabama Trucking Association strongly supports the 10 cent gasoline tax. They claim to support the tax due to "safety of truck drivers and to deliver goods in a timely fashion." They also know any increased freight cost will be transferred to the individual citizen. I hope with all legislative bills, our state legislators diligently research and evaluate all the issues before they decide to support a bill or not, and don’t let any lobbyists’ financial contributions influence or persuade their decision. In my opinion, one of the main aspects of keeping any economy strong is making sure transportation costs stay at a minimum. So I think our state legislators should go back to the drawing board and find areas to cut current spending and use those funds to improve our roads and bridges, or at least find a different state tax to increase.
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LEGALS
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LEGALS
IN THE PROBATE COURT OF DEKALB COUNTY, ALABAMA
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF DEKALB COUNTY, ALABAMA
IN THE PROBATE COURT OF DEKALB COUNTY, ALABAMA
CASE NO. 19-71 IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR GUARDIANSHIP FOR MINOR EDVIN DANILO MORALES MENDEZ (DOB: 02/19/2001) NOTICE OF GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS NOTICE TO: MARIO MORALES MENDEZ, FATHER RE: Petition for Guardianship Order for EDVIN DANILO MORALES MENDEZ Please take notice that a Petition for Guardianship has been filed in said Court and that on the 4th day of April, 2019, at 10am said matter has been set for a hearing on the same in the Probate Court of DeKalb County. Please be advised that if you intend to contest said Petition for Guardianship you must file a written response with the attorney named below and with the Clerk of the Probate Court, 300 Grand Avenue SW, Suite 100, Fort Payne, AL 35967 as soon as possible but no later than the date of the currently scheduled hearing.
ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER: Gabriela Watson, Esq WATSON & WATSON P.O. Box 1068 Albertville, Alabama 35950 To be published for four consecutive weeks on March 1, 8, 15, and 22
CASE NO. CS-2019-900008 OLGA MARINA PEREZ COLAJ, Plaintiff v. UNKNOWN UNKNOWN, Defendant NOTICE OF CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS UNKNOWN UNKNOWN, whose whereabouts are unknown, must answer the Petition for Custody and other relief filed by Plaintiff/ Mother, Olga Marina Perez Colaj, by the 24th day of April, 2019, or, thereafter, a judgment by default may be rendered against him in Case No.: CS-2019-900008, in the District Court of DeKalb County, Alabama. ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF: Gabriela Watson, Esq WATSON & WATSON P.O. Box 1068 Albertville, Alabama 35950 To be published for four consecutive weeks on March 1, 8, 15, and 22
CASE NO. CS-2019-30 IN RE: The Estate of JAMES ROBERT WHITE SR., deceased NOTICE OF LETTERS TESTAMENTARY TO BE PUBLISHED BY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to JAMES ROBERT WHITE JR., Personal Representative of the Estate of JAMES ROBERT WHITE SR. on the 28th day of February, 2019, by the Honorable Ronnie Osborn, Judge of Probate Court of DeKalb County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within six months after the grant of letters, or within five months from the date of the first publication of this notice, whichever is the later to occur, or the same will be barred. RONNIE OSBORN, Probate Judge of DeKalb County, Alabama To be published for three consecutive weeks on March 8, 15 and 22
FRIDAY — MARCH 15, 2019
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
5
POLITICS
INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE
GOVERNOR & LEGISLATURE SUCCESSFULLY PASS INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM By Steve Flowers AL Political Columnist MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Gov. Kay Ivey made infrastructure improvement in the state her cornerstone issue for this year, and more importantly for her term as governor. Within less than three months in office she and the Legislature have successfully accomplished this mission. Last Friday the Alabama House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed monumental legislation on an 84-20 vote. It was a remarkable victory for the Governor and the House leadership. It was a bipartisan coalition of support. Only 18 of the 77 Republicans voted against the bills and only 2 of the 28 Democrats voted no. It is expected to pass in the Senate this week. The leaders in the House were the sponsor, Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa), Speaker Mac McCutcheon
(R-Madison), Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark), and Rep. Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville). The Senate leaders are Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville), who is the Senate leader-sponsor, Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston), Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia), Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro), and Sen. Greg Reed (R-Jasper). These legislative leaders, along with Gov. Kay Ivey, threw down the gauntlet and clearly dug in to make this Infrastructure Initiative their number one priority. These leaders recognized the need to improve our roads and bridges and the long-term economic expansion of our state. They are truly thinking about the next generation, not the next election. Huntsville is projected to grow faster than any city in America over the next decade. The job growth will continue to be in high paying, high tech jobs.
The new Toyota-Mazda plant there will be the largest in the world. They were promised roads and highways as part of their incentive to locate in North Alabama. Our port city, Mobile, could be as large as Houston, Texas but our Mobile docks are outdated and need widening and deepening, as well as proper facilities built to handle large vessels and transport barges. It is geographically better located than Houston or New Orleans. If the port was deepened and widened, it could accommodate exponentially more cargo ships. Currently it is too small and shallow for the Mercedes vehicles manufactured in Tuscaloosa to be shipped out of our Alabama port. The primary reason that the Legislature needs to act now is because there is more than likely a federal infrastructure program on the horizon. If we are to participate in
garnering federal funds, we undoubtedly will have to have state revenues to match and draw down the federal funds. Twenty-eight states have already raised their fuel tax to match the anticipated federal money. Let me tell you a little secret, ain’t any of those 28 states going to get to the federal trough ahead of us. None of them have the Chairman of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee. Our Senior Senator, Richard Shelby, chairs the Appropriations Committee. He writes the federal budget. Therefore, he controls the United States federal checkbook. If we become the 29th state to get the ability to match federal funds, we don’t become the 29th state in line. We move to number one on the list. Alabama has a treasure in Richard Shelby. He has not only been the longest serving U.S. Senator in Alabama history, he is also the
most powerful U.S. Senator in Alabama history. His prowess and adroitness at bringing home the bacon to Alabama is legendary. In my book, Six Decades of Colorful Alabama Political Stories, I have a Chapter entitled “Alabama’s Three Greatest U.S. Senators.� My suggestion was that U.S. Senators Lister Hill, John Sparkman, and Richard Shelby have been Alabama’s greatest. However, if I was writing that Chapter today, Shelby would be in a league of his own as the most powerful Senator in Alabama history. Senators Hill and Sparkman were powerful and left a legacy, Hill in medical research and rural hospitals
throughout the nation and Alabama. Sparkman was the Father of the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville and delivered hallmark legislation that afforded housing for Americans as Chairman of the Banking Committee. Senator Shelby over his 32 plus years in the Senate has chaired the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Intelligence Committee and Rules Committee. However, his current perch as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee is unparalleled. Alabama has never had a Chairman of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee and more than likely never will again.
with burial following in New Hope Cemetery in Rosalie.
Wilborn officiating.
DEATH NOTICES WT WILSON William Pace - 54 of Section, passed away on Thursday, March 7. A graveside service was held at 1pm on Sunday, March 10 at Bluff Cemetery in Section with Bro. Michael Owens officiating. Hayward Killough - 80 of Fort Payne, passed away on Friday, March 8. A memorial service was held at 3pm on Monday, March 11 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel. Carol Henson - 59 of Fyffe, passed away on Saturday, March 9. Funeral services were held at 2pm on Tuesday, March 12 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel. Burial followed in Mountain View Memory Gardens. Nancy Hargiss - 103 of Grove Oak, passed away on Saturday, March
9. Funeral services were held at 1pm on Monday, March 11 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel with Bro. Ted Hall officiating. Burial followed in Davistown Cemetery. B.M. Clayton Woodall - 89 of Fort Payne, passed away on Sunday, March 10. Funeral services were held at 2pm on Wednesday, March 13 at WT Wilson Funeral Chapel with Minister Larry Kirby officiating. Burial followed in Smith Gap Cemetery. LWanda Lingerfelt Baldwin - 70 of Fyffe, passed away on Sunday, March 10. A graveside service was held at 3:30pm on Tuesday, March 12 at Green’s Chapel Cemetery with Bro. Kenny Brown officiating. Burial followed. Rickey McElroy - 64
of Fyffe, passed away on Sunday, March 10. The family will hold a private graveside service at a later date.
CORNER STONE Jerry Stiefel - 64 of Henagar, passed away on Saturday, March 9 at DeKalb Regional Medical Center. Funeral services were held at 2pm at Corner Stone Funeral Chapel with Bros. Robert Elliott and Darrell Sears officiating. Burial followed in Biddle Cemetery. Richard Carter - 71 of Henagar, passed away on Sunday, March 10 at his residence. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. Lila Mae Riddle Brown - 81 of Flat Rock, passed away on Tuesday, March 12 at her residence. Funeral services will be held at 1pm on Friday, March 15 at Corner Stone Funeral Chapel with Bro. Reggie Byrum officiating. Burial followed in Pisgah Cemetery.
RAINSVILLE J.P. “Pete� Goldin Jr. - 90 of Rainsville, passed away on Saturday, March 9 at his residence. Funeral services were
held at 2pm on Monday, March 11 at Rainsville Funeral Home Chapel with Bros. Lee Bryant and Rock Stone officiating. Burial followed in Trinity Cemetery. Georgia “Dodie� Carter - 92, passed away on Sunday, March 10. A graveside service will be announced at a later date.
WILSON Oleta H. Curl - 97 of Fort Payne, passed away on Wednesday, March 6. Funeral services were held at 11am on Saturday, March 9 with Revs. John Keefe and C.L.
Burial followed in Fort Payne Memory Gardens. Jackie Sue Burt - 78 of Fort Payne, passed away on Tuesday, March 12. A private burial will be held at Glenwood Cemetery at a later date.
BURT Thomas McClung - 71 of Fort Payne, passed away at his residence on Friday, March 8. Funeral services will be announced at a later date.
KERBY Donald Craze - 80 of Henagar, passed away on Tuesday, March 5 at his residence. Funeral services were held at 12pm on Wednesday, March 6 at Kerby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Robby Ferguson officiating. Burial followed in Mountain Home Cemetery. Dorothy Kennedy - 94 of Griffin, Ga., passed away on Wednesday, March 6 at Brightmoor Nursing Center. Funeral services were held at 2pm at Kerby Funeral Home
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FRIDAY — MARCH 15, 2019
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
ALL-DEKALB COUNTY TEAMS
The DeKalb County MVPs are Brittany Rivera of Collinsville and Caden Millican of Plainview. (Submitted Photos) DeKalb County Girls All-DeKalb County Team: MVP - Brittany Rivera, Collinsville; Gracie Flynn, Ider; Alexia Barbery, Fyffe; Madison Myers, Fyffe; Maggie Woodall, Fyffe; Kenadie Lee, Sylvania; Hadley Hamilton, Collinsville; Joanna Hammett, Geraldine; Cassie Black, Geraldine; Olivia Akins, Collinsville; Bethany Davis, Sylvania; Tobi Trotter, Plainview; Anabelle Taylor, Fyffe; Bailee Carter, Valley Head; Laura Lopez, Crossville; Marie Woodall, Fyffe Sand Mountain Super 5: Alexia Barber, Fyffe; Molly Heard, Pisgah; Annie Hughes, Pisgah; Madison Myers, Fyffe; Anabelle Taylor, Fyffe; Kaylee Vaught, Pisgah
SYLVANIA SOCCER RECAP! By Staff Reports SYLVANIA, Ala. — The Lady Rams defeated Whitesburg Christian 8-0 on Monday night. Gabi Garcia led the Lady Rams with 6 goals. Savannah Roper had 1 goal and 2 assists Paula Ortiz had 1 goal, Lauren Bewley had 1 assist, Libby Privett finished the night with 1 save. The Sylvania Boys Soccer team fell to Whitesburg 4-0. • Jake Mcspadden had 15 saves for the night. On Tuesday, the Lady Rams beat the Douglas Eagles by a score of 4-0. • Gabi Garcia- 2 goals; Rachel Bewley- 1 goal; Lauren Bewley- 1 goal; Libby Privett- 6 saves The Boys won 2-1 over Douglas. • Christian Andrade- 1 goal and 1 assist; Peter Ramirez- 1 goal; Jake McSpadden- 9 saves.
DeKalb County Boys All-DeKalb County Team: MVP - Caden Millican, Plainview; Grant Atchley, Sylvania; Jesse Bailey, Crossville; Blake Bouldin, Crossville; Austin Buster, Fyffe; Gabe Gardner, Fyffe; Parker Godwin, Fyffe; Dane Haymon, Plainview; Jared Higgins, Sylvania; Kaleb Jones, Collinsville; Micah Johnson, Fyffe; Isaac Jones, Collinsville; Koby Tinker, Plainview; Haden White, Plainview; Tristan Willingham, Plainview; Xavier Works, Geraldine Sand Mountain Super 5: Parker Godwin, Fyffe; Jared Higgins, Sylvania; Caden Millican, Plainview; Koby Tinker, Plainview; Hunter Vest, NSM
BULLDOGS BITE THE RAMS
By Marla Jones Sports Editor
SYLVANIA,Ala. — After a rough start with losses to North Jackson and Scottsboro, the Geraldine Bulldogs began area play against their rival, the Sylvania Rams. The Bulldogs won the competition, 6-5. In the third inning, the Geraldine Bulldogs took a four-run lead and held on for the 6-5 victory over
Sylvania on Tuesday. The Rams scored five runs in their failed comeback rally with runs by Drake Casey, Fisher Goza, and Nathan King. For Geraldine, Peyton Mooney took the win from the mound. He pitched for six innings, struck out 10, and had three hits. The Bulldogs surrendered five runs on three hits in six innings. Mooney struck out 10. Brody Smith took the
PHOTO BY KRISTY GALLAGHER
loss for Sylvania. Smith went two innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Geraldine had 13 hits in the game with Bo Harper
leading the Bulldogs with four hits and four bats. Drake Casey of Sylvania went two for three at the plate to lead the Rams.
GAME. SET. MATCH. FP STOPS SYLVANIA HORNETS STING THE DEVILS
PHOTO BY KRISTY GALLAGHER The Sylvania Varsity Tennis Team defeated the Fort Payne Wildcats, 7-2. (Submitted Photo)
On Monday, the Fort Payne Varsity Wildcats defeated Sylvania 5-3.
PHOTO BY CHERYL BOYDSTON Brianna Smith of Ider throws the heat against the Fyffe Lady Red Devils, winning 4-1 on Tuesday.
ANDERSON SIGNS WITH AUBURN
MEJIA HEADS TO SHORTER
KINARD TO PLAY AT BSU
Payton Anderson signed his intent to continue his football career at Auburn University. (Photo by Cheryl Boydston)
David Mejia signed his intent to continue his football career with the Hawks at Shorter University. (Submitted Photo)
Tyler Kinard signed on Friday to continue his football career with Birmingham Southern University. (Photo by Cheryl Boydston)
• • • •   • •
FRIDAY — MARCH 15, 2019
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
e
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2019 SNEAD STATE BASEBALL SCHEDULE 2019 snead state baseball Schedule feb. 1
mineral area
1 pm
mar. 21
at marion military (DH)
12 pm
feb. 2
mineral area
1 pm
mar. 23
marion military (DH)
12 pm
feb. 9
at itawamba (DH)
1 pm
mar. 25
lagrange college (DH)
12 pm
feb. 12
at columbia
2 pm
mar. 28
calhoun (DH)
12 pm
feb. 19
itawamba (DH)
12 pm
mar. 30
at calhoun (DH)
12 pm
feb. 22
at lbw (dh)
Tbd
apr. 4
at lawson state (dh)
12 pm
feb. 23
at lbw (dh)
TBD
apr. 6
lawson State (DH)
12 pm
feb. 27
martin methodist (dh)
12 pm
APR. 9
columbia
2 pm
mar. 1
lincoln trail
1 pm
apr. 11
at bevill state (DH)
12 pm
mar. 2
lincoln trail (DH)
12 pm
apr. 13
bevill state (DH)
12 PM
mar. 8
southeastern
1 pm
apr. 18
wallace state (DH)
12 pm
mar. 9
southeastern
1 pm
ApR. 20
at wallace state (DH)
3 pm
mar. 10
southeastern
1 pm
apr. 25
at shelton state (DH)
2 pM
mar. 14
southern union (DH)
12 pm
Apr. 27
shelton state (DH)
12 pm
mar. 16
at southern union (DH)
2 pm
may 2
central alabama (DH)
12 pm
mar. 18
at martin methodist (DH) 2 pm
may 4
at central alabama (DH)
2 pm
Congratulations Coach Robi Coker & The 2019 3A State Champs Plainview Bears!
Fort Payne, AL 256-845-6101 | Rainsville, AL 256-638-2200 | Henagar, AL 256-657-2200 | Grant, AL 256-728-8000
www.fsbal.com
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*APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Must meet membership and credit requirements. Rate may vary based on each individual borrower’s credit history and other underwriting factors. Offer is not applicable to existing ATCU loans. Promo rates for model years 2015 - 2019. Estimated monthly repayment amount of $17.86 per $1,000.00 borrowed at 60 month term. Borrower(s) may elect to defer the first payment due date up to 90 days from the date the loan is originated; however, interest will continue to accrue from origination until the date of the first payment. Programs, rates, terms, and conditions subject to change without notice. For more information, see an ATCU loan officer. Federally insured by NCUA. ATCU NMLS# 402558
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FRIDAY — MARCH 15, 2019
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
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