The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for March 29, 2022

Buddy Raines and the 'Mystery Track of Loree'

10 YEARS AGO
MARCH 29, 2012

Local weather reporter Betty Ellis reported .20 of an inch of rain in Evergreen on March 22 and .21 of an inch on March 23.

Unusual tracks found at Loree: When Buddy Raines set off for Evergreen from his home in the Loree community last Thursday morning, the sharp-eyed 62-year-old spotted something unusual in a cornfield near his home.
At first, he thought that someone had driven a motorcycle across the corn that he’d planted the previous Sunday, but upon closer inspection, he could tell that it was no motorcycle.
“Whatever it was wasn’t so heavy that it mashed into the soft dirt or messed up the rows very much,” Raines said. “Whatever it was, the track wasn’t there during the day on Wednesday. This was done sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.”
Raines wondered if the track may have been left behind by a large snake like the exotic anacondas and pythons that have begun to plague Florida in recent years.
The track stretched all the way across the field and was 12 to 13 inches wide. The track was just deep enough to flatten the tops of the furrows in the field. There also appeared to be a line in the tracks that indicated that it may have been caused by an animal with a tail.
Individuals who examined photos of the unusual track offered up a number of theories about what could be responsible. Animals mentioned included various snakes, alligators, snapping turtles, gopher tortoises, beavers, peacocks and otters.

31 YEARS AGO
MARCH 28, 1991

Local weather reporter Harry Ellis reported .15 inch of rain on March 23. He reported a high of 81 degrees on March 24 and lows of 40 on March 18 and March 19.

Clint Hyde earns Eagle Scout badge: On Sun., March 10, Clint Hyde, son of David and Harriet Hyde, received the coveted Eagle Award. Many boys join the Boy Scouts, but very few reach Eagle.
The ceremony took place at the Evergreen Baptist Church and many Boy Scouts, friends and relatives attended. Clint was escorted by scouts Will Cook, Chris Lanier and Daryl Fox, who also were flag bearers. A brass ensemble which consisted of scouts Shannon Pugh and Brent Salter, scoutmaster Pat Poole, band director Phil Mika and friend Cynthia Pugh, provided patriotic music to start the ceremony.
Assistant Scoutmaster Richard Jenkins was the Master of Ceremonies with Assistant Scoutmaster Tim Johnson narrating “The Trail to Eagle.” Rev. Jack Williamson, who is Clint’s pastor, asked David and Harriet Hyde to help make the presentation of the Eagle Award to Clint.

Southern Pine selects students: Each year Southern Pine Electric Cooperative sponsors two students from area high schools to receive a one-week, expense-free tour of Washington, D.C.
Candidates representing Hillcrest High School are Casondra Cooke and Chris Lanier. Candidates representing Sparta Academy are Kimberly Jane Griffin and Chris Owens.

39 YEARS AGO
MARCH 24, 1983

Local weather observer Earl Windham reported 1.21 inches of rain on March 15; .41 on March 16 and .34 on March 17. He reported a high temperature of 76 degrees on March 15 and a low of 29 on March 13.

McArthur Thompson is still missing, in spite of a massive widespread search for him by the Evergreen Police Department, Conecuh Sheriff Edwin Booker’s staff, the State Troopers and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. Thompson, a black male, approximately six feet tall, 175 pounds, who drags one foot, was last seen about four weeks ago, according to his mother, who reported him missing.
Sheriff Booker said that all law enforcement agencies, including Conservation Department Enforcement Officers, were still working around the clock trying to locate the missing man. The sheriff also said that Larry Fluker, local NAACP leader, had offered the help of his organization and had “spread the word” in communities over the county.
Mack was last seen by some of his associates on March 11, 1983. The strangest thing about the case of missing Mack is that he was scheduled to appear in court as a prosecuting witness.

Trial of cases on the State Bar Criminal Docket, Conecuh County, are scheduled for trial next week. Circuit Court will begin Monday morning at 9 o’clock in the courtroom of the Conecuh County Courthouse with Judge Robert E.L. Key presiding.

55 YEARS AGO
MARCH 30, 1967

Wolfe Ambulance Service will begin offering ambulance service to all of Conecuh County this Sat., April 1. Cope Funeral Home will end this service Friday. Frank Wolfe of Monroeville, owner of the new service, is already operating an ambulance service in Monroe County.

Warrant Officer One R.B. Griffin has started a 12-months tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He is the son of Mrs. Bertha Griffin of Rt. 1, Evergreen.

Service station operators were warned this week by Evergreen Police Chief John Andrews not to sell gasoline or other combustible fluids in glass containers. He pointed out that to do so is a violation of a city ordinance.
Andrews said that each year about this time when lawn-mowing is resumed there are violations of the ordinance reported. He said that it is very dangerous for gasoline to be carried in glass containers and enforcement of the law is necessary for public safety.

Marine Private First Class James C. Salter Jr., grandson of Mrs. Emmie Tatum of Rt. 1, Evergreen, is in Da Nang, Vietnam serving as a member of ‘A’ Battery, First Battalion, 13th Marine Regiment.

Lyeffion Principal Roy M. Davis crowns Ollie Mae Ward as Miss Lyeffion at the annual pageant Saturday night, sponsored by the Lyeffion FHA.

65 YEARS AGO
MARCH 28, 1957

Unidentified Gigantic Balloon Found On Needmore Farm Monday: No Clues Are Given On Object’s Identity: A huge plastic balloon at least 150 feet long was found near Needmore Monday afternoon by the wife of a farmer. Upon being notified, the balloon was investigated immediately by the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office.
The gigantic balloon had fallen in a densely wooded area on the farm of Wilson and Martha Cross and was draped over several scrub pine trees. It looked like a huge tent, at least 40 feet long, and at the widest part about 25 feet. The remainder of the balloon was called up on the ground.
On following up the call by Martha Cross, Deputy Mancil Pearce called for the assistance of Probate Judge Lloyd Hart, game warden W.A. Thames and Leon Salter, who is a Colonel in the National Guard, and several men to help bring the object back to the Court House.
Officials were very puzzled with the only explanation being offered that perhaps it was a weather balloon of some type. Local officials were not the only ones perplexed however as officials of the U.S. Weather Station in Montgomery and Maxwell Air Force Base could offer no explanation either.
Deputy Sheriff Mancil Pearce expressed the desire to unfold the object and see just exactly how big it would be. Speculation by witnesses on the scene was that if unfolded, the plastic would be big enough to cover the Conecuh County Courthouse.