The Monroe Journal News Flashback for Nov. 4, 2024

Pioneer P-51 Mustang

FIVE YEARS AGO
NOV. 7, 2019

W.D. Pickens Award presented to Knight: Monroeville’s Fire-Rescue Department held their annual Fire Prevention Week awards banquet on Thurs., Oct. 10, at the Vanity Fair Golf & Tennis Club.
This year’s Firefighter of the Year was Peter Brewton, and Jerry Knight received the W.D. Pickens Award. Michael Leggitte was given the Brotherhood Award and the Leadership Award went to Assistant Chief Ronnie Darby.
The department has three outstanding rookies this year, so no Rookie of the Year award was given out. Instead, Chief Billy Black gave William Bell, Daniel Williams and A.J. Thomas challenge coins. Rod Sims was named Trainer of the Year.

MC edges EHS 32-24: On what was the coldest and possibly the wettest night of the football season, Monroe County High School edged county rival Excel School 32-24 in Excel.
After Excel battled back from a 24-0 deficit to tie the score 24-24 with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter, MCHS answered with a three-play, 65-yard, game-winning touchdown drive. Ty’Darius McClain scored the TD on a nine-yard run with 26 seconds left and added the conversion on a three-yard run.
(Top MCHS players in that game included Montrey Dailey and Justin Davis. Top Excel players were Kaleb Browning, Cole Chandler, Addarious Clausell, Jacodey Lett, Jacob Manuel, Justin Manuel, Tristian McBride, Ashton McPhaul, Blake Simmons and Koleman Wiggins. MCHS’s head coach was Marshall Locke, and Cody Sellers was Excel’s head coach.)

30 YEARS AGO
NOV. 3, 1994

Firefighters honor own Citizens of Year: Monroeville Volunteer Fire Department held its annual firefighters banquet Oct. 10 at the Monroeville Community House.
Lt. Billy W. Black was chosen by his fellow firemen as Monroeville’s Fireman of the Year. Fire Chief Eddie Everette said the firemen believe Black has shown dedication to the department and to being a professional firefighter.
Tim McLaurin, the grandson of W.D. Pickens, was the winner of the W.D. Pickens Award.
Dr. and Mrs. Woodrow Eddins received a plaque naming them the fire department’s Citizens of the Year. Also during the program, firefighter Ronnie Darby was promoted to lieutenant; firefighter Eddie James was named Rookie of the Year; and 10 firefighters received lifesaving awards for actions during fires and accidents over the past year.
Receiving the awards were Everette, assistant chief Walter Crim, assistant chief Bill Dailey, Lt. Al Brewton, Lt. Billy Black, Sheila Dailey, Mike Colquett, McLaurin, Lee McDonald and Darby.

Volunteers rip Cougars to get ready for Hooper: Monroe Academy earned the home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs Friday when the Volunteers ripped Escambia Academy 39-14 at Canoe.
Brad McKinley finished the contest with 146 yards on 24 rushes. Johnny Pickens led MA’s tacklers with seven stops.
(Other top MA players in that game included Tim Andrews, Robbin Chandler, Tom Davis, Luke McKinley, Brian Walker and Westley Welch. Tim Carter was MA’s head coach.)

55 YEARS AGO
NOV. 6, 1969

Postmaster Retires in Vredenburgh: Mrs. Alma Cardwell, postmaster at Vredenburgh since March 1935, retired Oct. 31. She will continue to make her home in Vredenburgh.
Mrs. Cardwell was first employed as clerk in the Vredenburgh Post Office in 1923. She held this position until she was promoted to postmaster in 1935.
She celebrated her 69^th birthday March 17 of this year.

Uriah Outscores Lyeffion 30-6: In a lackluster game with Lyeffion, the Uriah Bulldogs ground out 300 yards on the ground and 25 yards through the air to win at home in Uriah by a score of 30 to 6.
The game served as a warm up for the Uriah squad as they prepare for a Century, Fla. squad termed young but fast as greased lightning.
Three seniors will be playing their last game for the Bulldogs Friday night. They are Danny Booker, James Porterfield and Dale Gulsby.

Halloween Pranks Generally Minor In Monroeville Area: Generally speaking, Halloween night this year was a relatively quiet one in Monroeville though one Monroeville automobile owner might not agree with such an assessment.
Police Chief Jim Cave said a limited number of young persons appeared to be out celebrating last Friday night and that the greatest property damage seemed to be from such escapades as egg throwing.
In one such case, however, the damage appeared to be significant. The 1969 Oldsmobile belonging to F.A. Watkins suffered severe upholstery damage when someone apparently opened the back door and threw eggs onto the fabric seats. The car was parked in front of the residence of A.L. Nichols on Beechwood Drive.

80 YEARS AGO
NOV. 2, 1944

LT. LEE IS MEMBER OF FAMOUS FIGHTER GROUP: Destroying 50 enemy fighters in a single day, pilots of the Pioneer P-51 Mustang fighter group of the Ninth Air Force zoomed past the 500 victory mark to set a new European Theater of Operations record for time in service.
A member of the famous Pioneer Mustang fighter group is First Lieutenant Edwin C. Lee. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee, Monroeville. Prior to entering the service in April 1943, Lieutenant Lee was a student at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Lee is now a squadron adjutant under the command of Major Robert E. Brooks.

Mrs. W.S. Bowden, William Bowden, Miss Alice Lee, Mrs. Mildred Gardner, Miss Jewell Elder, Mr. and Mrs. G.E. Curry, Mrs. B.H. Stallworth Jr., Leslie Rutherford, Max Bradley, Clay Pittman, Mr. and Mrs. Karl Lazenby, Patsy Lazenby, Karl Mims Lazenby and Mr. and Mrs. John Coxwell were among those who attended the Alabama-Kentucky football game in Montgomery Friday night.

Miss Alice Lee spent last weekend with her sister, Mrs. H.H. Conner, at Eufaula.

Court of Honor For Boy Scouts: A Court of Honor for Boy Scouts will be held in connection with the Sunday evening services at the First Baptist Church, Monroeville, 7:30 o’clock. Mr. M.L. Bergman, Commissioner of this area, and Scoutmaster J.T. Moore, are doing a fine piece of work with the boys. – A.B. Blass, Chairman, Advancement Committee.

105 YEARS AGO
NOV. 6, 1919

Henry Goldsmith, aged 60 years, died at an infirmary in Mobile on Oct. 30. Mr. Goldsmith was born in Claiborne where his parents were among the prominent Jewish residents in the days when Claiborne was a populous and thrifty trade center. Mr. Goldsmith was at one time a clerk on Alabama River steamboats and was well known among merchants and shippers.

Mr. R.O. Duff, traveling representative of the Mergenthaler Linotype Co., was a business visitor to Monroeville Wednesday.

The old water tank which stood for many years on the northwest corner of the public square has been taken down, thus removing an unsightly object. A new tank of larger capacity will be erected near the pumping station, giving the city not only a more adequate water supply for domestic purposes, but greater pressure in case of fire. Meters will be installed and a water rate established based on quantity consumed in lieu of the flat rate heretofore in effect.

Clifton Shiver, the 12-year-old grandson of Mr. C.C. Davidson of Excel, died Friday evening from injuries sustained in falling from a pecan tree the day before. The little boy climbed to the top of a tree to shake the nuts, lost his footing and fell to the ground, sustaining internal injuries from which he never regained consciousness.

William Kearley sustained very painful, though not serious, injuries in the football game at Grove Hill on last Friday afternoon. His many friends will be glad to learn that he is on the road to recovery.