The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Aug. 13, 2024

USS Oakland.

35 YEARS AGO
AUG. 10, 1989

Harry Ellis reports no rainfall during the week, but plenty of high temperatures. Ellis, the local weather reporter, recorded high temperatures of 91 degrees on Aug. 4, Aug. 5 and Aug. 6 in 1989 and a low temperature of 66 on Aug. 7.

County Coroner Danny Garnett congratulates Jeff Armstrong, 25, whose prompt action saved a youngster’s life at the Carver Recreation Center Swimming Pool on July 14. Armstrong was the lifeguard on duty at the pool when his cousin, Trey Barlow, 5, had a seizure. Armstrong pulled the youngster from the pool, got the water out of lungs and got him breathing again. The victim was taken to Evergreen Hospital and then transferred to a Montgomery hospital in critical condition, but is doing OK now. Garnett credits Armstrong’s prompt action and trained procedures with saving the youngster’s life.

Mrs. Allie R. Faircloth celebrated her 100th birthday Aug. 5. On Aug. 6, about 200 family members, friends and relatives gathered at her home on the Appleton Road, Rt. 2, Castleberry, for a covered dish lunch. Mrs. Faircloth is a remarkable lady as she still enjoys working in her flower beds in the summer and then crocheting during the winter months. She was blessed with seven children, 24 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren and 15 great-great-grandchildren. She credits her long life and good health to her faith in God.

57 YEARS AGO
AUG. 10, 1967

U.S. Air Force Major Samuel W. Hanks, son of Mrs. Opal L. Hanks of 2054 S. Bucker Road, Mobile and formerly of Conecuh County, has been decorated with the Bronze Star Medal at Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam, for meritorious service while engaged in military operations against Viet Cong. Major Hanks, a member of the Pacific Air Forces, was cited for his performance as an air operations officer at Bien Hoa.

Evergreen city limits extension is now law: The City of Evergreen over doubled in size on July 31 and bet you didn’t even notice it.
Gov. Lurleen B. Wallace signed into law on July 31 Act. No. 106 which extended the city limits of Evergreen. With her signing of the Act, it became law and the city’s size increased from 6.25 square miles to 16 square miles.
The enlarging of the City began with the introduction of House Bill 227 by State Represenative Wm. D. (Billy) Melton. The bill passed the House on June 20 and was signed by Speaker Rankin Fite. It passed the Senate on July 11 and was signed by Lt. Gov. Albert Brewer.
The act was signed into law at 9:05 p.m. on July 31 by Gov. Wallace. It was received and enrolled by Secretary of State Mabel Amos at 11:27 a.m. on Aug. 1.

The first bales of cotton of the 1967 crop were ginned in Conecuh County on Tuesday. Both Castleberry Gin Co. and Evergreen Gin Co. reported ginning bales on that date.
J. Ed Glass, president of the Castleberry Gin. Co. reported that he ginned a bale brought to his gin by W.J. Davis, Route 2, Repton.
Crum Foshee of Evergreen Gin Co. also reported ginning a bale on Tuesday for Isaac Franklin and Les Crosby of Rt. E, Evergreen.

79 YEARS AGO
AUG. 9, 1945

H.S. Hagood Gins First Bale Today: The first bale of cotton of the 1945 season to be ginned here is being ginned today for H.S. Hagood at the gin plant of Evergreen Mfg. Co.

Conecuh County Schools Will Open Sept. Third: Announcement was made this week by County Superintendent of Education Harvey G. Pate that all schools of Conecuh County would open Mon., Sept. 3. The teachers institute will be held on Sat., Sept. 1.
Supt. Pate announced that for the first few weeks short schedules would be observed in order that pupils might assist in harvesting the cotton and peanut crops.

Aboard the USS Oakland: James E. Raines, seaman, first class, USNR, son of Mrs. Cummie Raines, Rt. 1, Evergreen, Ala., fought aboard this light cruiser when she helped sink a Jap destroyer and a 7,500-ton transport and shoot down 12 Jap plans as highlights of her combat career of 40 naval actions.

Mrs. W.M. Bateman and little son, Billy Bob, left Tuesday for New Orleans, where they will go by plane to the Panama Canal Zone to join her husband.

Jap City Dissolved By Atomic Bomb: GUAM – Equal in destructive power to an attack by 2,000 B-29s normally loaded with high explosive and incendiary bombs, the first single atomic bomb dropped on Japan dissolved the city of Hiroshima in a vast cloud of dust.

89 YEARS AGO
AUG. 8, 1935

Ulay Pitts Held For Killing Ben Smith: Ulay Pitts, young white man age about 21 years, is being held in the county jail charged with the murder of Ben Smith, white man age about 59 years, the shooting having occurred last Friday morning about eight o’clock near Smith’s home.
It seems from the facts The Courant has been able to gather that Pitts, who was a brother-in-law of Smith’s, they having married sisters, was farming on Smith’s place. He and his wife, according to the story told to officers, were passing Smith’s home that morning and he called Smith and told him to figure up what he owed and he would come back by shortly and settle with him. At this point, it seems that Smith went out toward where Pitts and wife were and a fuss arose between them. According to the story told by both Pitts and his wife, and corroborated by Walt Jordan, another witness, Smith took after Pitts with a pair of knucks and chased him up the road out of sight of the house and of Jordan and Mrs. Pitts. What took place after that was not witnessed by anyone except Pitts himself. He says that he fell down and when he regained his feet, Smith was so close upon him that he had to shoot him to keep him off.
Four shots were fired with a .32 caliber automatic, all of which took effect. The shot which resulted in Smith’s death passed through the abdomen. The other three took effect in his legs.

Mr. C.E. Mills, good farmer living five miles south on Castleberry highway, ginned two bales of cotton at the gin plant of the Evergreen Manufacturing Co. Tuesday of this week, being the first of the 1935 season to be ginned here and so far as The Courant has learned, the first to be ginned in Conecuh County.

117 YEARS AGO
AUG. 14, 1907

The 15^th annual session of the Agricultural school will open on Mon., Sept. 2. The school will be presided over by Prof. W.W. Hall with the following corps of assistants: Prof. W.G. Slappey, Latin and mathematics; Miss Susie Carmichael, English and history; Miss Vida Mae Jones, principal preparatory department; Miss Irene Chapman, assistant in preparatory department; Miss Kate Colyer, principal primary department; Miss Carrie Clindenen, assistant in primary department; Prof. R.E. Black, director music department.
The chair of Agriculture and allied sciences has not been filled as yet but will be by the opening of school.
The matriculation fee for each term will be $4 for primary and $6 for collegiate department.

Dave Lee, John Barnett and Lillie Aarons, who were arrested in Pine Barren, Fla. about two weeks ago by Sheriff J.F. Irwin and who were suspected of the murder of Jim Bullock, which occurred near Gravella last March, were given a preliminary hearing before Judge F.J. Dean Friday and were released from custody.
Dave Lee and John Barnett proved that they were in Pine Barren at the time the crime was committed. Jane Barnett, wife of John Barnett, who was arrested shortly after the murder of Bullock, and who was also shortly afterwards released and again re-arrested, was bound over to await the action of the grand jury without bail.
The testimony of some witnesses showed that she knew something about the crime.