Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Wed., Jan. 31, 2018

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.70 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  2.60 inches.

Winter to Date Rainfall: 3.20 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 2.60 inches.

Notes: Today is the 31st day of 2018 and the 42nd day of Winter. There are 334 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Jan. 31, 2018

USS Shangri-La

NINE YEARS AGO

JAN. 29, 2009

Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported .05 inches of rain on Jan. 24. He also reported a high of 72 degrees on Jan. 23 and lows of 19 degrees on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21.

Brief filed in election lawsuit: Another chapter in the ongoing lawsuit over Evergreen’s disputed mayoral election unfolded this week as attorneys for Pete Wolff III filed a legal brief in support of their side of the case.

At the end of an evidentiary hearing on Dec. 23 in Evergreen, Judge Edward McDermott, a retired Mobile judge who was appointed to hear the case, gave Wolff’s attorney, James H. Anderson of Montgomery, a timeline to file his position on a number of legal points in the case. Wolff ran for mayor against incumbent Larry Fluker only to lose by two votes in the Oct. 7 runoff election.

Fluker’s attorney, Edward Still of Birmingham, will have a given number of days to respond to Anderson’s brief, which was filed with the Conecuh County Circuit Court on Tuesday of last week. Anderson will then have until Feb. 9 to file any reply he might have to Still’s response.

Anderson’s brief, a six-page document, makes the argument that the outcome of past lawsuits and state law support Wolff’s side of the case.

Mary Mims named EMC’s 2008 Employee of the Year: Mary Mims of Evergreen received the 2008 Billy G. McKenzie Employee of the Year award during a ceremony last Thursday afternoon at the hospital in Evergreen.

24 YEARS AGO

JAN. 27, 1994

Members of the Evergreen City Council and Conecuh County Probate Judge Rogene Booker are pictured with newly appointed Evergreen Police Chief Thomas Booker moments after he was administered the oath of office by the probate judge Tues., Jan. 18. Pictured are council members Larry Fluker, Jerry Caylor, Elizabeth Stevens, James King, Phyllis Brock, Chief Booker, Mayor Lomax Cassady and Judge Booker.

Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported 1.11 inches of rain on Jan. 17 and a trace of rain on Jan. 23. He also reported a high of 60 on Jan. 17 and lows of 16 on Jan. 18 and Jan. 19.

Committee Picks City Ambulance; Commissioners Approve Decision: The Conecuh County Commission has approved the recommendation of the Conecuh County Emergency Medical Services, Inc., and chosen City Ambulance, Inc. as the contract holder for Conecuh County. The vote was taken during a special meeting of the commission last week.

The Conecuh County Commission and election officers in Conecuh County met Monday afternoon to discuss possible solutions to potential problems brought about by the new House of Representative and State Senate division lines which split the county. The problem at hand is that the court-approved lines do not follow the current district and voting precinct lines in the county.

39 YEARS AGO

JAN. 25, 1979

Weather reporter Earl Windham reported 1.87 inches of rain on Jan. 20 and .01 inches on Jan. 21. He reported a high of 70 on Jan. 18 and a low of 19 on Jan. 15.

John Coburn, 71, of Evergreen died Sat., Jan. 20, in a local hospital after a long illness. A lifetime resident of Conecuh County, Mr. Coburn was a member of a pioneer family and was widely and favorably known.

Mr. Coburn, a retired contractor, was much loved and will be deeply missed by his family and many friends. An excellent builder, he was associated with the group which built the houses in the first subdivision in Evergreen. He was also the contractor for many other lovely homes, churches and other buildings in Evergreen and this area.

Commander Joe Patten receives his new collar devices from Master Chief Joe Everheart after being advanced to that rank by Commander Stu Langdon, commander of Air Wing Five. Patten was promoted during ceremonies aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway on which he is serving as the Air Wing Maintenance Officer. CDR Patten entered the Navy shortly after graduating from Evergreen High School in 1954. He resides, when not at sea, with his wife, Miyoka, and daughter, Elena, in Yokosuka, Japan. Their other daughter, Lorena, lives in Phoenix, Az. Joe is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Patten of Evergreen.

Nina and Lewie Wilson’s home was totally destroyed by fire on Dec. 10.

54 YEARS AGO

JAN. 30, 1964

Flxible Southern takes over Southern Coach Saturday: Flxible Southern Company will begin operations here Saturday. Culmination of the transaction in which the Flxible Co. of Loudonville, Ohio purchased the assets of Southern Coach & Body Co. is being completed in Cleveland, Ohio.

Flxible Southern Co., a subsidiary of the Flxible Company, takes over as of Feb. 1 in a historic moment for Evergreen and Conecuh County.

O.B. Tuggle, vice president of Flxible Southern Co., in a letter to employees is offering employment to all present employees of Southern Coach & Body co. Tuggle lived here for a number of years when he was president of Southern Coach Manufacturing Co. He has been with Flxible since leaving here.

Bill Griffin, ship’s serviceman third class, USN, son of Mrs. Laura Griffin of Evergreen, Ala., visited Palma de Mallorca in the Mediterranean on Jan. 16 aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La.

Crewmembers toured the 2,000-year-old city of Palma on the island known as the ‘Pearl of the Mediterranean.’ The crew is scheduled to visit several more ports of call throughout the Mediterranean as the carrier operates with the Sixth Fleet.

Pink Ladies Will Organize Tuesday Night: A woman’s auxiliary for the Conecuh County Hospital is to be organized in a meeting Tuesday night, Feb. 4, at seven o’clock in the Civic Room of the Conecuh County Courthouse.

69 YEARS AGO

JAN. 27, 1949

Mayor Fountain Dies At Monroeville: MONROEVILLE, Ala., Jan. 25 – Funeral services were held here today for Mayor Fred A. Fountain, 58, of Monroeville.

The mayor died at his home yesterday of a heart attack. He had been ill since Saturday.

Fountain was elected mayor last September without opposition in his first bid for public office.

Miss Mary Cunningham, Evergreen Postmaster, revealed early this week that the Evergreen Post Office Building is to be painted both inside and out in the very near future. The Evergreen Post Office was one of the few in the state to be approved for this work.

Escaped Russian Minster To Speak Here Sunday: Rev. Robert Tarzier, Field Secretary of the Russian Bible Society, Washington, D.C., will speak at the regular morning hour of the Evergreen Baptist Church Sun., Jan. 30. Rev. Tarzier escaped from the Soviet secret police a little over four years ago. At that time, he was pastor of one of the largest Baptist churches – the well known church in Riga, Latavia.

Rev. Tarzier is a reformed Communist. Under the influence of atheist teachers at the outbreak of the first World War, he lost sight of God and became a hardened infidel communist. But, shortly after the outbreak of the Revolution, the cruelty and suffering brought by the communists plus the fact that the communist government sentenced and executed his father, a poor evangelical preacher, turned him back to God. Since that time, he has become a zealous evangelist.

Today in History for Jan. 30, 2018

Winton M. Blount III

Jan. 30, 1661 – Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, was ritually executed more than two years after his death, on the 12th anniversary of the execution of the monarch he himself deposed.

Jan. 30, 1703 – The Forty-seven Ronin, under the command of Ōishi Kuranosuke, avenged the death of their master.

Jan. 30, 1776 - The Continental Congress directed that no apprentices be enlisted for military service without the written consent of their master or mistress.

Jan. 30, 1780 - Alabama's third governor, Israel Pickens, was born in North Carolina. The former U.S. Congressman moved to St. Stephens, in the Mississippi Territory, in the spring of 1817 to take a job as a register of the land office for Washington County. Wasting no time in establishing himself in his new home, Pickens purchased almost 3,500 acres in southwest Alabama in less than a year and became the first president of the Tombigbee Bank of St. Stephens. He served as Alabama's governor from 1821 to 1825.

Jan. 30, 1781 - Maryland became the 13th and final state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, almost three years after the official deadline given by Congress of March 10, 1778, and the Articles took effect on March 1, 1781, remaining the law of the land for only eight years before the Constitutional Convention rejected them in favor of a new, more centralized form of federal government. They crafted the current U.S. Constitution, which took effect in 1789, giving the federal government greater authority over the states and creating a bicameral legislature

Jan. 30, 1816 - Union General Nathaniel Banks was born in Waltham, Mass. Banks was a political general – he had few military skills, but as an anti-slave Republican from Massachusetts, he helped President Abraham Lincoln’s administration maintain support in that region.

Jan. 30, 1820 – Edward Bransfield sighted the Trinity Peninsula and claimed the discovery of Antarctica.

Jan. 30, 1835 – In the first assassination attempt against a President of the United States, Richard Lawrence attempted to shoot president Andrew Jackson, but failed and was subdued by a crowd, including several congressmen.

Jan. 30, 1847 – Edgar Allan Poe’s wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, passed away from tuberculosis at the age of 24 in Fordham, Bronx, N.Y.

Jan. 30, 1847 - Larvae and snow fell together in the Eifel Mountains in Germany.

Jan. 30, 1860 – Reuben F. Kolb of Kolb’s Battery married Callie Cargile (also referred to as Mary Caledonia Cargile), the daughter of Thomas and Louisa Ann Cargile also of Eufaula. The couple would have three children: Reuben F. Kolb Jr., William H. Kolb, and Emily F. Kolb.

Jan. 30, 1861 – During the Civil War, the Federal revenue schooner, Lewis Cass, was captured by Alabama State Troops in Mobile Bay, Ala.

Jan. 30, 1862 - The U.S. Navy's first ironclad warship, the "Monitor," designed by John Ericsson, was launched at Greenpoint, Long Island, N.Y., into New York's East River. The vessel was commissioned on Feb. 25.

Jan. 30, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Dyersburg, Tenn.; and at Deserted House, Kelly's Store, near Suffolk and at Turner's Mills, in Virginia. Confederates also captured the US Steamer, Issac Smith, in the Stono River, in the vicinity of Charleston, S.C.

Jan. 30, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought in the vicinity of Chickamauga Creek, Ga.; at Windsor, N.C.; and at Medley, West Virginia. A five-day Federal operation also began between Batesville and Searcy Landing in Arkansas, and a Federal reconnaissance began between Culpeper and Madison Courthouse in Virginia.

Jan. 30, 1865 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Chaplintown, Ky.; near Lake Verret and at Bayou Plantation in Louisiana; in La Fayette County, Mo.; and near Lawtonville, S.C. Federal reconnaissance was also conducted from Long Bridge to Bottom’s Bridge in Virginia.

Jan. 30, 1878 – The Pickens County Sheriff, discovering that citizens of the town were furious and wanted to lynch former slave Henry Wells for burning Carrollton’s courthouse in 1876, took Wells to the new Pickens County Courthouse and secured him in the garret room at the top of the building in an effort to protect him. In the midst of a thunderstorm on this night, Wells stood at the garret window, looking down at the mob that meant to kill him. Legend says that a flash of lightning etched Wells’ face onto the window pane.

Jan. 30, 1882 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, N.Y. He served as the thirty-second president of the United States from 1933-1945. He was the first president to serve more than two terms.

Jan. 30, 1885 – W.B. Green Sr. died at Burnt Corn, Ala. at the age of 89. A veteran of the Seminole War of 1836, he moved to Monroe County in 1838.

Jan. 30, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that Willie Louiselle had returned to his home in Michigan after a visit with his son, the Hon. W.H. Louiselle of Manistee, Ala. “The old gentleman has fallen very much in love with south Alabama,” The Monroe Journal reported.

Jan. 30, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that A.E. Peterman, who for several years had been “the clever and accommodating” L&N Agent at Repton, Ala., had been transferred to Scranton, Miss., and was to be succeeded by W.S. Teas.

Jan. 30, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that Postmaster Ricou and his family were occupying the dwelling vacated by J.T. Salter.

Jan. 30, 1908 – The Conecuh Record reported that the Baptist Church of Evergreen, Ala. planned to hold opening services in its “new building.” Construction of the building began 2-1/2 years before this event and had just reached completion.

Jan. 30, 1912 – Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Barbara Tuchman was born in New York City. She won her first Pulitzer Prizes for 1963’s “The Guns of August,” and she received her second for 1972’s “Stilwell and the American Experience in China.”

Jan. 30, 1915 – William H. Wright, 28, died of consumption on this Saturday night. His funeral was conducted the following afternoon and was conducted by the Rev. W.T. Ellisor. Wright was buried in the Evergreen, Ala. cemetery.

Jan. 30, 1915 – German SS officer Joachim Peiper was born Berlin, Prussia, Imperial Germany.

Jan. 30, 1917 - Mr. J.W. Lizenba, sometime a merchant at Roy, was in Monroeville on this Tuesday. Lizenba had recently sold his stock of goods to Mr. C.E. Eddins whose store had recently burned at Roy.

Jan. 30, 1917 - Prof. James A. York of Marion, the principal of the Perry County High School, visited Monroeville on this day. Prof. York was a brother-in-law of Prof. H.E. Jones and B.E. Jones, Esq., of Monroeville.

Jan. 30, 1918 – The Evergreen Courant published the following “Notice to Dog Owners” from Evergreen Town Clerk H.A. Shields – “Unless the town tax on dogs is paid by Feb. 15, 1918, the owners are liable to the penalties as provided. Tags may be secured at the Town Clerk’s office, the fee is $1.”

Jan. 30, 1928 - A movie version of Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen's book, “Horns and Orange Blossoms,” was released.

Jan. 30, 1931 – National Book Award-winning novelist Shirley Hazzard was born in Sydney, Australia.

Jan. 30, 1933 - With the stirring notes of the “William Tell Overture” and a shout of “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!” “The Lone Ranger” debuted on Detroit’s WXYZ radio station.

Jan. 30, 1933 – President Paul von Hindenburg named Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (or Nazi Party), as chancellor of Germany.

Jan. 30, 1933 - Capt. Dave Lewis, Lt. Homer Kindig and Lt. Jessie Jackson attended a meeting of the officers of the National Guard in Montgomery, Ala. on this Saturday night, according to The Evergreen Courant.

Jan. 30, 1935 – Richard Brautigan was born in Tacoma, Washington. He is best known for his best-selling 1967 book, “Trout Fishing in America.”

Jan. 30, 1941 - Alabama author Gregory Benford was born in Mobile, Ala.

Jan. 30, 1942 - The P.N. Owen home, located one mile north of Frisco City, burned early on this Friday afternoon “with only a few of the household furnishings being saved.” The exact cause of the fire was unknown, but the fire started in the kitchen. Owen received a few severe and minor burns in an attempt to save a trunk.

Jan. 30, 1942 – Monroe County High School’s boys and girls basketball teams played J.U. Blacksher in Monroeville. MCHS’s boys beat Blacksher, 20-13, but Blacksher’s girls beat MCHS, 14-13.

Jan. 30, 1948 - Evergreen High School’s boys basketball team stopped a last quarter rally by J.U. Blacksher High School in Evergreen, Ala. on this Friday night to win, 44-40. Gulsby led Blacksher with 20 points. Benton Carpenter led Evergreen with 13 points, Mickey Logue scored nine, Gillis “Crip” Jones and Jack Cunningham had eight points.

Jan. 30, 1949 – Escaped Russian minister, the Rev. Robert Tarzier, Field Secretary of the Russian Bible Society in Washington, D.C. spoke at the Evergreen Baptist Church in Evergreen, Ala. “Tarzier escaped from the Soviet secret police a little over four years ago. At that time, he was pastor of one of the largest Baptist churches – the well known church in Riga, Latavia.”

Jan. 30, 1950 – Ollie Finklea retired at the age of 70 from his duties as Buena Vista, Alabama’s postmaster, a position he assumed after his father’s retirement on June 3, 1910.

Jan. 30, 1950 – Lola B. Harwell, a fifth and sixth-grade teacher at Georgiana (Ala.) Elementary School, died unexpectedly on this morning in her classroom, where she had just returned from a movie that was shown to her students. Harwell had been a teacher since September 1906 and had never once been absent or tardy since taking her first job at Ebeneza in Butler County. She also taught in Conecuh County and was principal at Avant in Butler County before going to Georgiana.

Jan. 30, 1950 – For the second straight year, the strawberry season in Castleberry, Ala. began several weeks ahead of schedule as several growers on this day brought in crates of strawberries. Lonnie Beasley of Hamden Ridge arrived in Castleberry with the first crate of the 1950 crop, and those berries were sold to local buyer, R.T. Holland. Normally, the strawberry season ran from March 15 to April 1.

Jan. 30, 1951 – Army Cpl. Oland H. Kirkland of Escambia County, Ala. was killed in action in Korea at the age of 25. According to the Korean War Veterans Honor Roll, Kirkland was a member of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was killed in action while fighting the enemy in South Korea. Kirkland was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.

Jan. 30, 1956 - With the Montgomery Bus Boycott about to enter its third month, segregationists bombed the home of boycott spokesman Martin Luther King Jr. The home sustained moderate damage, but no one was injured. The young minister addressed the large crowd that gathered after the blast, declaring, "I want it to be known the length and breadth of this land that if I am stopped this movement will not stop."

Jan. 30, 1960 – Sharon Lynn Johnson was born to Bill and Phylis Cunningham Johnson at St. Margaret’s Hospital in Montgomery.

Jan. 30, 1964 – In a bloodless coup, General Nguyễn Khánh overthrew General Dương Văn Minh's military junta in South Vietnam.

Jan. 30, 1965 – Isaiah Mims, 31, of Owassa was killed instantly when his car was hit by an L&N train on this afternoon at the main railroad crossing at Owassa, Ala. State Trooper Pitchford investigated the accident and said that Mims “evidently heard the train approaching too late to bring his 1957 Ford to a stop and skidded to rest on the tracks in the path of the oncoming train.”

Jan. 30, 1965 – Some one million people attended former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill's funeral, the biggest in the United Kingdom up to that point.

Jan. 30, 1966 - Alabama experienced its coldest ever recorded temperature of -27° F at New Market in Madison County. The average low temperature during January for nearby Huntsville was around 29°.

Jan. 30, 1968 – During the Vietnam War, what is now known as “The Tet Offensive,” began at dawn on the first day of the Tet holiday truce, as Viet Cong forces – supported by large numbers of North Vietnamese troops – launched the largest and best coordinated offensive of the war, driving into the center of South Vietnam’s seven largest cities and attacking 30 provincial capitals from the Delta to the DMZ.

Jan. 30, 1971 – A “Rattlesnake Rodeo,” sponsored by the Escambia-Conecuh Wildlife Association, was scheduled to get underway on this Saturday morning. There was to be a grand prize of $100 for the largest rattlesnake turned in during the rodeo which was scheduled to end on Feb. 6. Contestants were required to register in advance for a $1 fee at Flo Drilling & Pump Co. in Brewton, Ala. Area of the rodeo was limited to Escambia and Conecuh counties. Snakes had to be turned in by 3 p.m. on Feb. 6 at Flo Drilling & Pump Co.

Jan. 30, 1971 - Operation Dewey Canyon II began as the initial phase of Lam Son 719, the South Vietnamese invasion of Laos that would commence on Feb. 8.

Jan. 30, 1972 – British army parachutists shot 27 unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Derry, Northern Ireland – an event known as “Bloody Sunday.” The protestors had been marching to oppose the new British policy of imprisoning people without a hearing.

Jan. 30, 1974 - Christian Bale was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He would go on to portray Bruce Wayne and the Batman in the movies “Batman Begins” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012).

Jan. 30, 1977 – Local weather reporter Earl Windham reported 1.01 inches of snow in Evergreen, Ala.

Jan. 30, 1978 - The defending state champion Wilcox Academy Wildcats had to go into overtime to defeat the Sparta Warriors, 47-40, in a game on this Monday night in Camden, Ala. Terry Peacock had 10 points; Gray Stevens, Steve Dubose and Tony Raines, eight each; John Hall, four; and Johnny Ralls, two. The loss dropped Sparta to 11-7 on the season, according to Sports Information Director Byron Warren Jr.

Jan. 30, 1978 - Dr. John Dan Hagood, 71, a native of Evergreen, Ala., died on this Monday in Santa Fe, Fla. Graveside services were to be held in Evergreen on Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. in Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Braxton McCurley officiating. Dr. Hagood was the son of the late Dr. and Mrs. J.W. Hagood of Evergreen and a member of a prominent, pioneer South Alabama family. He was one of Florida’s most eminent and respected surgeons and served with distinction in the U.S. Navy in World War II.

Jan. 30, 1986 - The Evergreen (Ala.) Chamber of Commerce was scheduled to hold its annual Promotion-Membership Banquet on this Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn. Sheldon Morgan, well-known Mobile bank executive, was to be the guest speaker, according to President Willene Whatley. Whatley was to preside and report on 1985 activities and give the response and conclusion after the program. The invocation was to be brought by Dr. Lamar Jackson. The report of the Nominating Committee was to be given by Chairman Gerald Salter. Judge of Probate Frank T. Salter was to introduce the speaker, Sheldon Morgan, who was head of the marketing division of First Alabama Bank of Mobile.

Jan. 30, 1992 – Winton M. Blount III of Montgomery, Ala. was the keynote speaker at the Evergreen-Conecuh County Chamber of Commerce’s annual membership banquet at the Quality Inn in Evergreen, Ala.

Jan. 30-31, 1993 – Weather observer Harry Ellis reported lows of 29 degrees on both of these days in Evergreen, Ala.

Jan. 30, 1994 - Natalie Cole sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXVIII. The Dallas Cowboys won, 30-13, over the Buffalo Bills.

Jan. 30, 1994 - Alabama author Lucile Vernon Stevens died in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Jan. 30, 1996 - Comet Hyakutake was discovered and was dubbed “The Great Comet of 1996” due to its close passage.

Jan. 30, 2000 - The New York Mets announced that Garth Brooks would begin training with the team on Feb. 20.

Jan. 30, 2000 - John Rocker of the Atlanta Braves was suspended from Major League Baseball for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in an interview published by Sports Illustrated.

Jan. 30, 2009 – Former Alabama governor Guy Hunt passed away from lung cancer at the age of 75 in Birmingham, Ala.

Jan. 30, 2010 - Evergreen’s Chris Hines started for the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team in a 58-57 loss to archrival Auburn on this Saturday at Beard-Eaves Memorial Stadium in Auburn. In the loss to Auburn, Hines played 23 minutes, scored two points and posted four rebounds, including two on defense and two on offense. 

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Tues., Jan. 30, 2018

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.70 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  2.60 inches.

Winter to Date Rainfall: 3.20 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 2.60 inches.

Notes: Today is the 30th day of 2018 and the 41st day of Winter. There are 335 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Jan. 29, 2018

Wendell Hart

NINE YEARS AGO

JAN. 29, 2009

No. 2 Sparta girls improve to 21-1: Sparta Academy’s varsity girls basketball team continued to waylay opponents during the past week, racking up big wins over a trio of 1A Region 2 opponents.

The Lady Warriors, ranked No. 2 in the state among AISA girls teams, slammed Sumter Academy, 61-20, Friday night in Evergreen. Last Thursday night in Evergreen, Sparta collected a 73-33 victory over Central Christian Academy of Selma. On Tuesday of last week in Eutaw, the Lady Warriors wiped out Warrior Academy, 57-17.

(Players on Sparta’s girls team that year included Madelyn Black, Emily Booker, Savannah Brown, Rebekah Coleman, Morgan Harden, Shaina Hutcheson, Mallory Kendrick, Erica Palmer, BreAnna Pate, Ashton Raines and Jordan Smith.)

Warriors slam dunk Sumter by 15 points: Sparta Academy’s varsity boys basketball team improved to 7-16 overall and to 6-6 in region play Friday night with a 48-33 win over region rival, Sumter Academy, in Evergreen.

Mason Black led Sparta with 15 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. Nicholas Hardin followed with nine points, two rebounds and two assists. Devlin Crosby finished the game with eight points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists.

(Other outstanding Sparta players in that game included Nick Andrews, Dalton Baggett, Joey Bradley, Michael Cook, Matt Johnson, Garrett McClain, Drayton Rodgers.)

24 YEARS AGO

JAN. 27, 1994

The Hillcrest High School varsity basketball team is pictured with their first year coach, Keith Nettles. The Jaguars will host the annual Hillcrest Invitational Tournament beginning tonight at Hillcrest High School. The Jags will be in action Friday night against the winner of the Excel-T.R. Miller game. Pictured are Derrick Rudolph, Roger Rudolph, Terry Holt, Lavon Lyman, Charles Thomas, Jason Boykin, Coach Nettles, Isaac McMillian, Marlon Tolliver, Ray Rudolph, Chris Watts, Gary Betts and Sherman Grace.

Members of the Sparta Academy varsity girls basketball team are Aundria Griffin, Janet Kendrick, Valerie Griffin, Carla Grimes, Kelly Booker, Nann Castleberry, Nikki Jones, Joy’l Lowman and Rachel Bohannon. Their coach is David Mallory.

Members of the Sparta Academy varsity boys basketball team are Casey Grant, Adrian Mitchell, James Johnson, Larry Wright and Nicholas Jones; Coach Keith York, Sandy Salo, Britt Ward, McPherson Cook, Andy Clanton, Aaron Albritton and Brian Gorum.

Ward leads Sparta to victory over Colts: The Sparta Academy Warriors defeated the Catherine Academy Colts by the score of 72 to 69 in a cage game played in Evergreen last Friday.

Senior Britt Ward paved the victory path with 27 points. Sophomore James Johnson collected 16 points and played an excellent defensive contest, according to Sparta Academy Sports Information Director Byron Warren Jr.

39 YEARS AGO

JAN. 25, 1979

Jackets edge Uriah 56-55: The Lyeffion High Yellow Jackets defeated the Uriah Bulldogs, 56-55. Scorers for the Jackets were Adrian Woods with 25 points and 13 rebounds; Eric Finklea, nine points; James Riley, eight points; Donald Lee, seven points and five rebounds; Ricky Hall, four points; and Ricky Johnson, three points. Their record now stands at 9-1.

Blue Devils beat Cyclones: The Conecuh County High School Blue Devils defeated the Southern Normal Cyclones, 65-64, on Jan. 9.

Scorers for the Blue Devils were William Griffin 26 points, three rebounds; Ronnie Sanders, nine points, 16 rebounds; Henry Sanders, seven points, 15 rebounds; Curtis Scott, six points, six rebounds; Robby Moye, four points, four rebounds; Paige Stokes, 13 points, 11 rebounds.

Monroe’s big, tall and undefeated Vols speared Sparta Academy’s Warriors, 62-44, Saturday night to win the championship in the boys division of the Sparta Academy Invitational Tournament held here at the school gymnatorium Friday and Saturday.

Terry Peacock gunned for 15 points to pace the losing cause of Sparta. John Hall had eight points; Bobby Padgett and Tony Baggett, six each; Terry Shipp, four; Tony Raines, three; and Jeff Johnson, two.

Peacock and Padgett were named to the all-tournament team, according to Sparta Sports Information Director Byron Warren Jr.

54 YEARS AGO

JAN. 30, 1964

After So Long EHS 84, C’berry 59: It’s a long trail that has no end, and Conecuh County High’s long trail of victories over Evergreen High finally ended Friday night. Score Aggies 85, Blue Devils 59.

Evergreen’s last victory over Coach Wayne Pope’s cagers took place back in the dark ages, or so it seems, but Coach John Law Robinson’s men were not to be denied.

Pope, recuperating from surgery earlier in the week, was unable to attend the game. Principal M.C. Thomasson filled in for him, coming out of coaching retirement to do a fine job of handing the boys.

The Aggies used a balanced attack and tight defensive play to curb the Blue Devils. Sid Lambert and Kenny Harper sacked up 18 each to lead the charge. Joe Sasser sank 16; Ronnie Jackson, 11; and Scott Cook, 10; to put all starters in double figures. Jimmy Warren added five; Mike Fields, four; and Wayne Tolbert, two.

George Godwin paced the Blue Devils with 17 points. James Glass added 13; Donald Sawyer, 12; Don James, 10; Bobby Ellis, four; Larry Heaton, two; and Jim Oliver, one.

The Evergreen High Aggies edged Frisco City, 63-62, in a nip-and-tuck thriller Monday afternoon at Memorial Gym. Sid Lambert led the balanced attack with 18 points. Joe Sasser warmed up late for 15; Kenny Harper had 14; Ronnie Jackson, 10, before he fouled out; and Scott Cook, six.

69 YEARS AGO

JAN. 27, 1949

Aggies Trounce Whippets 51-35 In Frisco City: The Evergreen High Aggies went on a scoring binge Tuesday night in Frisco City and recorded their highest total of the season, cracking the Whippets, 51-35. Coach Wendell Hart’s cagers played by far their best offensive ball of the season.

John Greel Ralls, playing his second game at the pivot post, continued to show improvement. Time after time the speedy Ralls faked off the Whippet defenders and drove into the basket for layups. Ralls sacked 10 points in the first half. Playing a few minutes of the third period he grabbed another basket and returned in the final three minutes for two more buckets. His total for the night was 16.

The Evergreen Aggies were handed their fourth loss of the current cage campaign by the UMS Cadets in Mobile last Wednesday night. The Cadets took an early lead that the Aggies could never overcome to win, 33-27.

Dickey Bozeman and Guerry Moorer shouldered the load for Evergreen. Bozeman hit for 12 points, and Moorer, nine.

The Aggies of Evergreen High bounced back into the win column here Friday night, trimming the Georgiana Panthers, 47-38. It was the sixth win of the season for Coach Wendell Hart’s cagers, and they have lost four.

Gwyn Daniels showed up well in his first appearance with the varsity. He was promoted Thursday from the ‘B’ squad when it was learned that Jack Cunningham was lost for the rest of the season.

Today in History for Jan. 29, 2018

George Rutledge Stuart Jr.

Jan. 29, 1737 – American Revolutionary figure Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, Norfolk, Great Britain. He would publish his most influential work, a pamphlet called “Common Sense,” in 1776.

Jan. 29, 1777 - Facing a surprise British counterassault in the bitter cold and with a snowstorm approaching, American commander Major General William Heath and his army of 6,000 abandoned their siege on Fort Independence, in Bronx County, New York.

Jan. 29, 1777 - General George Washington put Major General Israel Putnam in command of all Patriot troops in New York. Putnam was charged with the defense of the city and its water routes.

Jan. 29, 1820 - Britain's King George III died insane at Windsor Castle.

Jan. 29, 1843 – The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, was born in Niles, Ohio.

Jan. 29, 1845 – Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, "The Raven" was published for the first time in the New York Evening Mirror and became a popular sensation. Though it made Poe a household name almost instantly, he was paid only $9 for its publication.

Jan. 29, 1858 – Jasper N. Dennard became postmaster at Burnt Corn, Ala.

Jan. 29 1860 – Russian novelist, playwright and physician Anton Chekhov was born in the seaside town of Taganrog.

Jan. 29, 1861 - Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state. It was the 34th state to enter the Union. The struggle between pro- and anti-slave forces in Kansas was a major factor in the eruption of the Civil War.

Jan. 29, 1861 – The U.S. Revenue cutter, Robert McClelland, was seized by Louisiana State Troops near New Orleans.

Jan. 29, 1862 – During the Civil War, a six-day Federal operation began in the vicinity of Blue Springs, Mo. A skirmish was fought at Lee's House, close to the Occoquan Bridge, over the Occoquan River, in Virginia.

Jan. 29, 1863 - General Ulysses S. Grant was placed in command of the Army of the West and was given orders to capture Vicksburg, Miss.

Jan. 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought in the vicinity of Richmond, La.; at Pinos Altos Mines, New Mexico, with Indians; and near Collierville, Nashville, and Yorkville, Tenn. A Confederate expedition also began to Daufuskie Island, S.C. A Federal engagement also began on the Bear River (or Battle Creek), in the Utah Territory with Indians.

Jan. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes occurred near Cobb’s Mill and near the Tennessee River in North Alabama.

Jan. 29, 1864 – Joseph Ganes Sanders, the “Turncoat of Dale County,” resigned from the Confederate army.

Jan. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, a 26-day Federal operation began from Vicksburg, Miss. to Waterproof, La., laying waste to the countryside by raiding plantations and confiscating anything of value, not necessarily of military value--just of value. Skirmishes were also fought at Gloucester Court House and a second day of skirmishing occurred near Jonesville, Va. A four-day Federal operation began in Isla of Wright County, Va.

Jan. 29, 1865 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Danville, Ky.; near Harrodsburg, Ky.; and at Robertsville, S.C. A 10-day Federal operation began between Bayou Goula and Grand River in Louisiana, with skirmishing at Richland Plantation.

Jan. 29, 1880 – Actor W.C. Fields was born William Dukenfield in Darby, Pa.

Jan. 29, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that “a negro man was drowned at Hanter’s Mill, this county, last week, while floating saw logs into an aqueduct or canal made to convey them to the mill.”

Jan. 29, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that “Messrs. Wm. Smith, T.B. Baily and several others living on Flat Creek, while looking after some beaver traps last week, found the carcass of a catfish measuring four feet and two inches in length, and 13-1/2 inches across the head. The fish had swam out while the banks of the creek were overflowed, and when the water receded it was too shallow for the fish to return to the creek, it was frozen and died.”

Jan. 29, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported a “Singular Freak of Nature” in that day’s edition of the newspaper. “In looking over the little museum of curiosities accumulated by Capt. W.S. Wiggins, our attention was attracted by a forked ear of corn. It has three distinct and perfectly developed prongs all growing from one stem. They were all filled out with well matured corn and were all three encased in one husk. The above monstrosity was grown by Capt. T.M. Riley of Riley, post office, this county.”

Jan. 29, 1900 – The American League of professional baseball was organized in Philadelphia with eight founding teams.

Jan. 29, 1906 - J.H. Moore of Perdue Hill, Ala. passed through Monroeville on this Monday on his way to Selma to buy machinery for a saw mill plant which he was establishing at Perdue Hill.

Jan. 29, 1915 – The home of Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Foxworth in Beatrice, Ala. was nearly destroyed by fire.

Jan. 29, 1915 - In the Argonne region of France, German lieutenant Erwin Rommel led his company in the daring capture of four French block-houses, the structures used on the front to house artillery positions.

Jan. 29, 1916 – During World War I, Paris was first bombed by German zeppelins.

Jan. 29, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. James Scales of Jackson, Ala. “died from disease.”

Jan. 29, 1927 – Uncompromising environmentalist, novelist and essayist Edward Abbey was born in Home, Pa.

Jan. 29, 1936 - The first members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were named in Cooperstown, NY. The group included Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.

Jan. 29, 1948 – A British South American Tudor IV four-engine passenger plane called the “Star Tiger,” flying from the Azores to Bermuda, disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle with a crew of six and 25 passengers.

Jan. 29, 1959 – The Evergreen (Ala.) Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting and election of officers at the Evergreen High School lunchroom. Guest speaker was Dr. George R. Stuart of Birmingham, a former Birmingham-Southern College president, who worked for Alabama Power.

Jan. 29, 1960 - Eley Randerson scored only six points on this Friday evening, but his passing and ball handling led to many other scores as he led the Conecuh County Training School Eagles to a 58-36 victory over Georgiana. The Jones boys, Marvin and Leon, played their usual consistent game. Marvin as usual led the team in scoring with 20 points, (Douglas) Evans was runner-up with 14.

Jan. 29, 1963 - The first members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame were named in Canton, Ohio. The list included Sammy Baugh, Johnny Blood, Dutch Clark, Red Grange, Mel Hein, Pete Henry, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Jim Thorpe, Bert Bell, Joe Carr, George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara and George Preston Marshall.

Jan. 29, 1964 – Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed was born in Allentown, Pa. He would go on to play college ball at Kutztown and pro ball for the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Jan. 29, 1968 – Pro Hall of Fame cornerback and safety Aeneas Williams was born in New Orleans, La. He would go on to play for the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams.

Jan. 29, 1968 - In his annual budget message, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked for $26.3 billion to continue the war in Vietnam, and announced an increase in taxes.

Jan. 29, 1973 - The fighting continued in South Vietnam despite the cease-fire that was initiated on Jan. 28, 1973, under the provisions of the Paris Peace Accords.

Jan. 29, 1979 - San Diego teen Brenda Ann Spencer explained why she sprayed bullets on classmates on this day in 1979, saying “I don't like Mondays.”

Jan. 29, 1980 – The Cobb House in Grove Hill, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Jan. 29, 1980 – The Old Fort Dale Site, the Fort Dale Cemetery, the Old Log Barn and Oak Grove Methodist Church, all located in the Greenville, Ala. vicinity, were added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Jan. 29, 1988 – Frisco City High School’s varsity boys basketball team beat J.U. Blacksher, 59-53, in Frisco City. Top Frisco City players in that game included Cleveland Banks, Robert Byrd, Lorenzo Lawson, Terry Tucker and Clifton Tucker.

Jan. 29, 1989 - Billy Joel sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIII.

Jan. 29, 1989 - The television program “Home Fires Burning,” teleplay by Alabama author Robert Inman, was broadcast.

Jan. 29, 1991 – On this Tuesday night, Monroe County High School’s basketball teams were scheduled to play at Hillcrest, starting at 5 p.m.

Jan. 29, 1993 – Journalist, novelist and poet Gustav Hasford, a native of Russellville, Ala., died at the age of 45 in Aegina, Greece. He suffered from untreated diabetes and died of heart failure. His semi-autobiographical novel “The Short-Timers” (1979) was the basis of the film “Full Metal Jacket” (1987). He was also a United States Marine Corps veteran, who served during the Vietnam War.

Jan. 29, 1995 - The San Francisco 49ers became the first team in National Football League history to win five Super Bowl titles. The 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers, 49-26, in Super Bowl XXIX. San Francisco quarterback Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in the game.

Jan. 29, 1998 - A bomb exploded at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Ala., killing an off-duty policeman and severely wounding a nurse. Serial bomber Eric Rudolph was charged with this bombing and three other attacks in Atlanta.

Jan. 29, 2002 – In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush described "regimes that sponsor terror" as an “Axis of evil,” in which he included Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

Jan. 29, 2002 - The Monroe Health Foundation had raised more than $655,300 for the construction of a cancer treatment center in Monroeville, Foundation Director Pattie Crawford said in a report on this Tuesday to the Monroe County Hospital board. The foundation planned to break ground for the cancer treatment center in the spring of 2003 at property located adjacent to Regions Bank in Monroeville. The property was donated to the hospital by Peoples Exchange Bank and the Tommy Black family.

Jan. 29, 2004 - Major League Baseball owners approved the $430 million sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers from News Corp. to Frank McCourt.

Jan. 29, 2010 - Weather observer Harry Ellis reported 2.20 inches of rain in Evergreen.

Jan. 29, 2010 - More than two dozen Alabama Forestry Commission employees, along with local law enforcement and fire department members, turned out for a retirement luncheon and roast of Johnny Kline on this Friday at Frisco City Baptist Church. Kline retired on Mon., Feb. 1, 2010, after more than 28 years with the Forestry Commission in Monroe County.

Jan. 29, 2013 – A gunman killed a school bus driver and held a six-year-old boy hostage in an underground bunker in Midland City, Alabama.

  

Jan. 29, 2016 – A UFO was reportedly seen around 6:30 p.m. on this Friday in Jasper, which is in Walker County, not far from Birmingham, Ala. The witness in this case, along with his mother and sister, reported seeing three “balls of light” that changed both speed and direction. All three “bright lights” traveled south through the sky and made a pair of 90-degree turns, moving “dramatically” more slowly between these turns. At first, the witnesses thought the first object was a bright star, but realized it couldn’t have been a star when it began traveling toward them at great speed. All three lights were visible for five to 10 seconds.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Mon., Jan. 29, 2018

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.20 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.70 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  2.60 inches.

Winter to Date Rainfall: 3.20 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 2.60 inches.

Notes: Today is the 29th day of 2018 and the 40th day of Winter. There are 336 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.