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

24 YEARS AGO
JUNE 12, 1997

Veteran reporter joins Monroe Journal staff: Art Culpepper has joined the staff of The Monroe Journal as a reporter.
Culpepper has roughly four years experience in various aspects of the newspaper industry. In 1991 and 1992, he worked as a reporter at The Troy Progress, a weekly paper in Troy.
More recently, he worked for 2-1/2 years at The Andalusia Star News, a daily, as a reporter, systems manager and managing editor.

Monroeville Dixie Youth Baseball League announced its all-star teams Saturday during closing ceremonies at the city ball park. Players and coaches named to the all-star team for 7- and 8-year-olds are Hunter Norris, J.D. Mohn, Stephen Jaye, Joey Blanton, Thomas Williams, Austin Smith, Stephen Ikner, Justin Chandler, Matthew Baxter, Todd Kilpatrick, Matthew McDaniel, Tyler Christmas, Anderson Hudson and coaches Randy Baxter, Dan Mohn, Kevin Norris and Alan Jaye. The team will compete in the district tournament tomorrow in Monroeville. The local all-stars play Grove Hill at 7:30 p.m.

MA hires first female chief: A Monroe Academy graduate has been chosen as the school’s new headmaster. Kim Smith of Bermuda will become the school’s first female headmaster. She will replace Dick Cleveland, who resigned in January after two years.
For the past four years, she has been the coordinator for Education Talent Search, a federally funded program which serves low-income, first-generation potential college students, at Alabama Southern. She worked with all high schools in Monroe and Conecuh counties.

49 YEARS AGO
JUNE 8, 1972

Kiwanians observe 25^th birthday: The Monroeville Kiwanis Club is 25 years old – the oldest service club in Monroe County. Its birthday was Tues., June 6.
Its membership dutifully noted the approaching occasion last Friday at noon at the regular weekly meeting at the Hi Ho when A.B. Blass Jr., past president and also a past division lieutenant governor, led the group in a discussion of the club’s accomplishments during the last quarter of a century.
Today the Kiwanis Club of Monroeville has some 84 members and is one of the largest small-community Kiwanis Clubs in Alabama.

Shield’s new football stadium: J.F. Shields High School’s new football field is well on its way of being completed. The field has been sodded and is being watered by sprinklers. The field is scheduled to be completed by the fall football season.

Journal lists staff changes: Two staff changes on The Monroe Journal were announced this week by Bill Stewart, publisher.
Larry O’Hara, editor of the paper for the past 18 months, has resigned to accept a position with the Woodmen of the World Insurance Society.
Stewart will assume the duties of editor pending the employment of a replacement for O’Hara.
Miss Barbara Dailey, former employee of The Journal, has rejoined the staff as assistant editor and social editor. She succeeds Mrs. Dianne Sellers, who has taken a leave of absence.

74 YEARS AGO
JUNE 12, 1947

Kiwanis Club Is Organized Here: Due to the efforts of several forward looking businessmen of our town and the help of the Greenville Kiwanis Club, a Monroeville Kiwanis Club was organized last Thursday night at a supper meeting at the Tally-Ho Café.
At that time, Warren Kinsey of Chattanooga, Tenn., a representative of Kiwanis International, was present and handled the organization of the local club.
The first president of the Monroeville Club is Owen Ivey, and he has proceeded to set up the working organization of Monroeville’s Kiwanians.
B.H. Stallworth Jr. was elected vice president and Douglas Hotch as secretary-treasurer. Thirty-two businessmen of Monroeville became the charter membership of the Monroeville club, which elected the following to serve as directors with the above named officers: Rev. L. Reed Polk, W.F. Christman, D.M. Maxwell Jr., Isadore Katz, Frank Lathram, M.L. Bergman and R.M. Lazenby.

Misses Nelle Lee and Elizabeth Snowden, who have been students at the University of Alabama, returned home last weekend for 10 days vacation, after which they will return to summer school.

Two Ball Games Here This Week: Monroeville’s baseball team will play two games at home this week. Thursday afternoon, the local team will play McCullough here. Sunday afternoon, Evergreen will play Monroeville here. Both games are scheduled to start at three o’clock.
McCullough defeated Monroeville Sunday in a game that was played under protest.

99 YEARS AGO
JUNE 8, 1922

The annual Masonic banquet under the auspices of Alabama Lodge No. 3, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, and Monroe Chapter No. 122, Royal Arch Masons, will take place at the Lake Park Club House on June 16. The occasion this year will differ from that of last year only in the fact that the festal board will be graced by the presence of Masons’ wives and daughters.

DEATH OF HENRY HUDSON: Mr. Henry Hudson died at a sanitarium in Selma on Thursday morning, June 1, where he had been under treatment for several weeks.
Mr. Hudson suffered an attack of influenza more than a year ago, developing pneumonia and other stubborn complications rendering him an invalid since that time.
Prior to his illness, he had been the efficient agent of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad at Repton for several years and resided with his family at that place.

MASONIC OFFICERS: At a regular convocation of Monroe Chapter No. 122, Royal Arch Masons, on Monday evening, the following officers were elected for the ensuring capitular year: Q. Salter, High Priest; L.S. Biggs, King; A.B. Coxwell, Scribe; J.A. Lazenby, Secretary-Treasurer; E.M. Salter, Captain of the Host; A.E. Shafer, Principal Sojourner; J.O. Simmons, Royal Arch Captain; A.L. Nettles, Master of the Third Veil; J.J. Hestle, Master of the Second Veil; H.A. Baggett, Master of the First Veil; T.F. Rumbley, Sentinel.

Prof. H.G. Greer, principal of the Jones Mill High School, will take a post-graduate summer course at Chicago University.

134 YEARS AGO
JUNE 9, 1887

Lightning struck an oak in Dr. McMillan’s yard not more than 30 feet from the house Monday. The doctor says the shock was felt quite sensibly.

Prof. W.M. Webb, principal of the Perdue Hill High School, left Sunday for his home at LaFayette, where he will spend a part of his vacation. We are informed that the people of Perdue Hill are highly pleased with him and have no intention of losing his valuable services as a teacher, which with the many attractions the Hill presents, we think it scarcely probable they will do soon.

There was a hail storm on Little River about five miles south of (Mount Pleasant) on the 26^th ult. The hailstones were from the size of a hen egg down, and it hailed so long and rapidly that the ground was literally covered with stones. Some of our oldest citizens say that they never saw such a storm before. The hail lay on the ground from four until seven o’clock before it all melted.

DIED – Near Monroeville, on Wednesday, June 8, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Broughton.

Mr. Charles Slaughter of Hunter’s Mill gave us a pleasant call Monday. He reports business very dull in his section of the county, the mill having shut down for the summer, but says crop prospects on the river are encouraging.

Mr. E.D. Conover and family of Athens arrived Friday on a visit to friends at this place, guests of the Watson House. They will remain during the greater part of the summer and we learn that Mr. C, who is an excellent and talented artist, will open his Photograph Gallery in a few days for the accommodation of the public.