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THE SOUTHERN TORCH / FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019 / VOL. 5, NO. 21 / $1.00
An Angel Gains Her Wings
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TAHERI: "YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE" By Marla Jones
Managing Editor
Alaina Catherine Olivares 2 015- 2 019 By Marla Jones
Managing Editor DeKALB COUNTY, Ala. — Alaina Catherine Olivares, 4 of Collinsville, passed away on Saturday, May 11, 2019. The community rallied behind a balloon release and ceremony to honor Alaina's life. The balloons were all her favorite color: red, the same colors as the Cornerstone Christian Academy, where she attended the Pre-K program. She is survived by her parents, Javier and Lucila Olivares; sisters, Cielo and Victoria Olivares; brother, Christian Olivares; grandparents, Maria Duran
(Submitted Photos) Ortiz, Oscar Javier Olivares, Maria Balcazar and Rafael Balcazar; and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins. Alaina's funeral service was held on Friday, May 17 at Antioch Baptist Church. Burial followed in Corinth Cemetery in Fyffe. Southern Torch remembers the angel who received her wings far too early. Rest in Peace, sweet Alaina.
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — At the May 6 meeting of the Rainsville City Council, Councilmember Bejan Taheri made a motion to withhold $1,200 from the Rainsville Chamber of Commerce. Due to the suspension of funds, six members of the Rainsville Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, including Chamber President Mandi Cooper, resigned. The withholding of funds, according to Taheri, was due to, “the way the Chamber Board... wanted to do was unacceptable or feasible [for] the way we wanted it to be done�, regarding the hiring of a new assistant director for the Chamber of Commerce. “[When] the Chamber Board [makes] a decision to hire [an] assistant director, the money will be put back in their account,� Taheri stated to Southern Torch. The suspension of funds was successfully passed with a 4-2 vote with
TWEET
LYLES moves to
fyffe (Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
Councilmembers Brandon Freeman and Marshall Stiefel voting against. In her resignation letter, Cooper stated: “From the beginning, my goal was to change the way things were being handled and get all aspects of the Chamber of Commerce in line with our by-laws. Since our meeting on Tuesday, I have continued to study those by-laws. The section that Scott [Wynn] mentioned (Article VI) concerning the term limit is correct. It states a board member may only serve for three years, after the 3rd year they must come off the board for at least one year. I am in my 5th year. There may
be others who are also over their term limit but that is up to the board on how to handle that situation.� Board Member Scott Wynn also released a statement on his resignation: “The Board of Directors for the Rainsville Chamber of Commerce is made up of volunteers who sacrifice their time and money in an attempt to help better the local economy and the community we all love and call home. Recently, our integrity and professionalism was not only
> CHAMBER, P3
(Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
By Marla Jones
Managing Editor DeKALB COUNTY, Ala. — (Full Video on our Facebook) At Wednesday's meeting of the DeKalb County Board of Education, the transfer of Principal Wayne Lyles from Ider to Fyffe was made official. Lyles will begin his tenure as Principal at Fyffe High School effective June 1. For a full list of placements, retirements, resignations, and non-renewals, please visit southerntorch.com.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING By Staff Reports FORT PAYNE, Ala. — From the Office of DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden: Last night at approximately 11 pm on I-59, a DeKalb County Patrol Sergeant and K-9 Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle from Texas. Nine occupants were inside the vehicle. After a further investigation, it was
determined that the occupants were in the United States illegally and it was a human smuggling operation to transport them into the country from the Southern Border. Department of Homeland Security Investigators were called, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainers were placed on the subjects.
Federal charges are pending. The case is still ongoing and currently under investigation. DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the arrests: “This is a great arrest on I-59. Due to the highways and interstates intersecting our county, it’s highly likely that human trafficking as well as illegal narcotics regularly move through.�
“We have an opportunity to do our part as a department and help curb this illegal activity. Pro-active law enforcement can not only build a better county, but also help clean up our country,� he said. “I’d like to commend these deputies on their dedication to this.�
(DeKalb Co. Sheriff's Department)
RAINSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT PROMOTES BELOVED OFFICER By Marla Jones
Managing Editor
Officer Tim Devlin of the Rainsville Police Department was promoted this week. He is seen here in one of his many costumes that he wears while directing traffic at Cornerstone Christian Academy. (Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — (Full LIVE Video on our Facebook) At Monday’s meeting of the Rainsville City Council, the Council promoted beloved School Resource Officer (SRO) Tim Devlin to the position of Captain. Devlin is known for his many costumes that bring a laugh to all the students at Cornerstone Christian Academy and road travelers
of Highway 75 every holiday. Devlin will continue to serve as an SRO along with his other duties. Councilmember Brandon Freeman reported that the Parks and Recreation Department was running smoothly. All lifeguards employed with the Rainsville City Pool had passed their certification and that the City Pool will open on May 28, 2019. Freeman stated that the Field of Dreams will host
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twelve baseball tournaments along with several softball tournaments in the coming weeks. The Council accepted the resignation of Sgt. Nick Knopps, who had served Rainsville for seven years as a police officer. His official last day will be June 8, 2019. Knopps will further his career in law enforcement as an Alabama state trooper. The Rainsville Police Department will be adding two new officers to complete
their staff: Sgt. Josh Wilson and Jason Johnson. Sgt. Wilson will report for duty on May 29, while Johnson joined the staff on May 22. Johnson will be required to take a refresher course and sign a one-year contract with the City. The Rainsville Fire Department accepted the resignation of Justin Harper, effective on May 20, 2019.
> RAINSVILLE, P3
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