Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

Sue Bell Cobb

11 YEARS AGO

JAN. 10, 2008

Sue Bell Cobb, Alabama Supreme Court chief justice, will be the featured speaker at the Monroeville-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce annual dinner meeting Feb. 7.

Sandy Smith, the chamber’s executive director, said the dinner will be held at the Monroeville Community House.

(Chamber board members at that time included Dick Deas, Jim Kelly, Corky Fountain, Joe Pridgen, Al Brewton, Jonathan Byrd, Mary Ellen Day, Kenny Johnson, Dennis Kress, Paul England, Harvey Gaston, Amber McDonald, Joseph Oglesby, Angie Sanchez, David Stewart and Lee Taylor.)

J.F. Shields’ Lady Panthers defeated Frisco City and Monroe County (MCHS) last weekend to win the Shields tournament in Beatrice.

Shields smoked MCHS 66-29 Saturday in the tournament finals and blasted Frisco City 59-34 Friday night in the first round. Shields sported an impressive 14-2 record as of Monday.

(Players on Shields’ girls team that season included Carnesia Huff, Mariah Jones, Latresha Lymon, Dahrica McIntosh, April Montgomery, Japlesha Primm, Tyika Robinson and Claudia Williams. Herbert Blackmon was their head coach.)

Several personnel changes in the Heritage Museums’ staff were approved by the Monroe County Commission at Tuesday’s meeting in Monroeville.

Jane Ellen Clark, museums director, announced that Assistant Director Dawn Crook resigned effective Monday and asked the commissioners to approve the appointment of Stephanie Rogers as assistant director.

36 YEARS AGO

JAN. 13, 1983

The Repton Town Council appointed the town’s first black councilman and discussed fire protection in its regular meeting Tuesday night.

Town Clerk Mrs. Billy Mims reported that Sam Nicholson, an employee of Vanity Fair Mills, was appointed to serve the unexpired term of Ronnie Williams, who moved out of town.

Nicholson is the first black to serve on the council, according to Mrs. Mims.

Monroe Academy head football coach Rob Kelly has resigned after a successful four years at the helm of the Big Orange.

Kelly notified headmaster John Ross of his decision last week, and his formal resignation was presented to the academy’s board of directors Monday. The resignation, which will become effective in May when the school lets out for the summer holidays, was accepted by the board.

Kelly came to the school in 1979 and took the Volunteers through a tough season to finish with a 12-1 record and the Alabama Private School Athletic Association 3A championship. Since that year, Kelly has kept the Volunteers in the thick of the APSAA 3A race with records of 9-2 in 1980, 8-3 in 1981 and 10-3 last season.

United Bank opens branch in Monroeville: United Bank (formerly Peoples Bank of Frisco City) opened a Monroeville branch Friday in temporary facilities and plans to start construction soon on a new building in the same location.

A trailer outfitted with three teller windows, desks and offices were set up Friday on the bank’s recently purchased property at 1803 South Alabama Ave.

61 YEARS AGO

JAN. 9, 1958

Monroe Countian Is Recipient of Highest York Rite Degree: At an election of officers of the Alabama Priory No. 31, held in Tuscaloosa, Jesse P. Turpin of Peterman, was elected to the highest office of York Rite Masonry, Knight Eminent Prior of Knights of the York Cross of Honour. The annual ceremony was held Dec. 14 when he was installed with other officers by Knight Claud Stallworth, Grand Sentinel, who acted as Grand Master General of the Convention of General Knights of the York Cross of Honour.

Since Mr. Turpin has been in Monroe County, he has been very active in the highest degrees of Masonry, and was instrumental in securing the Royal Arch Chapter of the Commandery for the Masons of Monroe County.

Ten Monroe County players were named recently to the 1957 All-Pine Belt Conference football team.

The conference is comprised of teams from Monroe, Clarke, Washington and Conecuh counties.

Monroe representatives on the team are Lee Roy Jordan of Excel; Billy Pugh, Reggie Dunn, Borris Brogden and Alto Smith, all of Frisco City; Herbert Adams, Carl McMillan, Wendel Middleton, all of Uriah; and Wayne Tait and Mickey Kennedy, both of Monroeville.

Three Confederate Pensioners In County: Monroe County now has three widows of men who served with the Confederate forces during the Civil War. According to a report of Confederate pensioners by the Monroe County Dept. of Pensions and Security, released Jan. 6, they are as follows: Mrs. Susan C. Easley of Beatrice, Mrs. B.A. Porter of Frisco City and Miss Sallie Reed of Uriah Route.

86 YEARS AGO

JAN. 12, 1933

Royal Skinner was painfully injured near the Skinner Veneer Mill last Friday. Mr. Skinner was attempting to load a truck from a log ramp when his head was caught between two logs, breaking both his jaw bones. He was given medical attention immediately and his many friends are pleased to know that the wounds are rapidly healing.

URIAH: On Tuesday of last week, the J.U. Blacksher High School organized its student body, and the following officers were elected: President, Lawrence Quimby; Vice President, Keith Ferrell; Secretary, Mary Scott; Reporter, Fred Hayles.

Coach Booker will present 14 football lettermen their letters the latter part of the week.

The boys of the J.U. Blacksher high school are planning to have a successful baseball team this season.

The Barrett lumber mill of Beatrice has been purchased by McDuffie Stallworth and T.T. Ivey has become manager of the same. Mr. Ivey is a well known mill man and it is expected larger plans and larger operations will be put into effect.

Mrs. W.W. Riley, a long resident of Beatrice, died last week at Mobile at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Kilpatrick. The body was brought back here for funeral services and burial in the Pineville cemetery. A large number of friends attended the occasion.

111 YEARS AGO

JAN. 16, 1908

The largest crowd that has assembled in Monroeville in many a day was that which greeted Governor Comer and State Auditor Brandon on the occasion of their visit to the capital of Monroe last Thursday in the capacity of the High School Locating Board. The announcement and invitations had gone out more than a week in advance and every nook and corner of the county responded with a liberal representation of its citizenship. The people began assembling the evening before and by 10 o’clock Thursday morning private dwellings, stores, offices and the public streets were thronged with visitors.

Gov. Comer and Auditor Brandon arrived on the noon train from Selma and were met at the railroad station by a committee of citizens with carriages and conveyed to the city.

Married at Jones Mill, Ala. on Wed., Jan. 15, 1908, Mr. Riley Kelly of Excel and Miss Rosalie Nicholas. Rev. H.T. Strout officiating. The bride is one of Monroe’s most attractive and amiable young women and is the favorite of a large circle of friends. Mr. Kelly is a prominent and successful merchant at Excel.

SKINNERTON: The Woodmen of the World have a camp here and gave a public dinner for the benefit of the order. There was plenty of dinner and fresh fish. About $20 was raised from the dinner for the charity fund.

MONROEVILLE R.F.D. NO. 2: Hunting is the foremost employment among the young men in our vicinity while the older ones are preparing for another crop, such as plowing in oats, log rolling, clearing, removing fences, etc.