Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Jan. 17, 2017

David Bibb Graves
SEVEN YEARS AGO
JAN. 21, 2010

Evergreen weather observer Harry Ellis reported .11 inches of rain on Jan. 15, 1.16 inches on Jan. 16 and .02 inches on Jan. 17. He reported a high of 66 on Jan. 15 and a low of 14 on Jan. 11.

The Conecuh County Board of Education returned to a long-standing tradition last Thursday when it held its first meeting in recent memory at one of the county’s local schools.
For a number of years, the board has held its regular meetings at the Conecuh County Resource Center in Evergreen. Last Thursday, the board met in the cafeteria at Lyeffion Junior High School and plans to rotate the location of their meetings among the county’s local schools.

Reid State Technical College in Evergreen will be featured in a segment of “On the Job,” a Montgomery-produced television program airing weekly on Alabama Public Television and WSFA-TV 12.2.
Today (Thursday) at 10 a.m., “On the Job” host Bobby Jon Drinkard will get hands-on experience as he interacts with students and instructors at Reid State Technical College’s Industrial Electronics Program. Drinkard will go behind the scenes for a day in the life of a student in Industrial Electronics.

On Jan. 16, 2010, Ernestine Raines turned 101 years old. She was honored by Belleville Baptist Church, her home church, with a birthday party. The party was held at the Evergreen Nursing Home where she has lived for several years.

32 YEARS AGO
JAN. 17, 1985

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday morning to open the access road to the new industrial park of the City Industrial Development Board. The park is located off Highway 83 near the I-65 interchange (Holiday Inn) and is ready for industry. Take part in the ceremony were City Clerk Miller Sellers, Councilman John (Fat) Claiborne and Jones Sasser, Mayor Pat Poole, Board Members O.B. Salter and Judge Sue Evans, Councilman Aubrey Padgett, Mrs. Marjorie Gilmer, county coordinator for Gov. Wallace who got the site development funds for the project, Contractor Ronnie Mullen who paved the road, board member Jack Wainwright and Judge Frank Salter, chairman of the board.

Katrina Riley, 1985 Conecuh County’s Junior Miss, is greeted by Ginger Nettles, 1984 Alabama’s Junior Miss, as she arrives to compete in the 28th Annual Alabama’s Junior Miss Program. She will compete with 51 other contestants for nearly $750,000 in college scholarship awards. Preliminaries are Fri., Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. and Sat., Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. Finals are Sat., Jan. 19, at 8 p.m. All performances will be in the Montgomery Civic Center.

Evergreen-Conecuh Public Library reached a long-strived for goal this week when the Library Board announced the appointment of Mrs. Kay Evans as Librarian. Mrs. Evans is the first professionally trained librarian to head the staff at the Library.
She attended Mobile College and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Alabama in 1975. In December, Mrs. Evans completed requirements for her Master of Library Science degree at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

57 YEARS AGO
JAN. 21, 1960

Bible Salesmen Charged With DWI In County: Highway Patrolman Troy Smith noticed an automobile being driven in a weaving pattern on Highway 31 South near the Castleberry community. He stopped the car and found that the driver and two passengers were drunk.
The Highway Patrolman charged the driver, Noel Clifton Kent with driving while intoxicated, and Conecuh County Sheriff’s Deputy William Kent charged Charlie Kent and Glenn Smithers, all of Highland Home, Ala., with being public drunks. The trio was taken to the Conecuh County Jail.
The three men gave Bible Salesman as their occupation when questioned by the two officers.

Council approves line for airport gas pump: Things continued quite in 1960 for the Evergreen City Council at its second meeting of the year Tuesday night.
The council did agree to run an electric line to a proposed gasoline pump stand at Middleton Field. Whoever furnishes the gasoline at the pump is to pay the light bill. The line will be underground and is approximately 1,000 feet long.
The Evergreen Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol plans to make aviation gasoline available at the local airport. This service has not been available in the past and has kept many private plans from using the field.
The CAP hopes that when flyers learn that they may refuel here that traffic at the local field will pick up considerably.

82 YEARS AGO
JAN. 17, 1935

Castleberry Introduces House Bill Number One: Forrest Castleberry, representative from Conecuh County, enjoys the distinction of having introduced the first bill in the house at the present session of the legislature.
The bill which was introduced at the session last Thursday, provides for the abolishment of road and street taxes throughout the state. Most counties and municipalities are now collecting $5 per year from able bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45 in lieu of road and street work.
It is Mr. Castleberry’s contention that under present conditions with gasoline tax money available to the several counties for the maintenance of roads, that there is no longer necessity for this tax. He further contends that few if any counties and cities are enforced the collection of the tax.

Theatre Building Is Getting New Roof: It will be good news to theatre goers in Evergreen to learn that the building in which the Evergreen Theatre is located is getting a new roof. On bad rainy nights for the past several months it was impossible to occupy a number of the seats because of leaks. This especially inconvenienced a number Tuesday night of last week when an overflow crowd was present while it was raining.
Messrs. Hanna, managers of the Theatre, ask that their customers be assured that in the future they will not suffer from this annoyance of inconvenience.

Mr. J. Lee Hardee and Miss Thera Hardee are among those who attended the inauguration (of new Alabama Governor David Bibb Graves) in Montgomery Monday.

107 YEARS AGO
JAN. 19, 1910

Frank Howard, residing near Belleville, shot and killed his wife on last Saturday night. A pistol was used and the bullet penetrated the woman’s forehead between the eyes. She died instantly. The sheriff’s department was notified and deputy Hines made a record run to the scene and with his dogs captured the murderer at Repton a few hours later. He was given a preliminary trial before justice Riges and remanded to jail without bail.

Mr. R.N. Wright has opened up a barber shop in the building formerly occupied by Henry Adams. He invites his friends and old customers to call and see him.

John Deming was painfully burned about the head and face on Saturday evening by the explosion of oil about the automobile. He struck a match to adjust some part of the engine when the oil exploded.

Rev. J.W. Dunaway, who has been connected with the Orphans Home for several months, is preparing to remove with his family to Gadsden. He will be employed as traveling agent for the Home. During their stay here, he’s made many warm friends who will regret their removal from our midst.


Rev. J.R. Matthews will conduct a mission at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church beginning on Jan. 31 and continuing for one week. Mr. Matthews has many warm friends in Evergreen who will be glad to learn that he is coming in our midst again.

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