Newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Ala.

Alabama State Senator Lister Hill

20 YEARS AGO

OCT. 9, 1997

Fonde Melton was sworn in Sept. 17 as Monroe County’s first Revenue Commissioner. The position was created last year when the state combined the duties of the tax collector and tax assessor’s offices. Monroe County Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs administered the oath to Melton. Retiring tax collector Charlie Deer was sworn in as supernumerary.

Utsey possible MCHS interim: Reid Utsey of Monroeville is anticipated to be named interim head baseball coach at Monroe County High School today (Thursday) when the school board holds its regular monthly meeting at the Resource Center on South Alabama Avenue in Monroeville at 10 a.m.

Utsey, who coached the Tigers’ junior varsity baseball team last spring and assisted former head coach Randy Allison with the varsity team two years ago, has been recommended to assume Allison’s coaching duties this spring by MCHS principal Larry Turner.

FCHS crowns queen: Frisco City High School principal Jane Bradley crowned Kim Maye as its 1997 homecoming queen Friday. Miss Maye was escorted by Ralph Gibbs.

The Kiwanis Monroe County Fair opened Tuesday night at the Fairgrounds at the Monroe County Coliseum providing a chance for family entertainment and a little friendly competition.

The Monroeville Kiwanis Club uses the fair to raise almost 75 percent of its annual budget of about $23,000. The club gets a percentage of the midway and all the admission funds.

35 YEARS AGO

OCT. 14, 1982

If General Dynamics gets a federal contract to build a new-fangled military jeep, it plans to assemble the vehicle in Monroeville’s former Arvin Industries building, gradually providing as many as 500 new jobs.

The announcement was made Wednesday morning by 1^st District Congressman Jack Edwards, accompanied by Monroe County Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs and others, to about 200 spectators in the large courtroom of the Monroe County Courthouse.

General Dynamics, a Michigan firm, is competing with two other companies for the contract to build the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, dubbed the HMMWV and pronounced “hum-vee.”

Monroe Academy capped off a 72-yard drive Friday night on a 26-yard Keith Langham to Don Smith pass to overcome a 9-6 deficit, defeating Glenwood Academy, 13-9, in Monroeville. Smith’s touchdown reception in the last play of the drive represented the only completed pass play of the last drive.

(Other top Monroe Academy players in that game included Tim Carter, Scotty Croft, Pat Downs, Shannon Eskridge, Donald Foster, Eugene Garrett, Mark Steadman, Scottie Stuckey and Chuck Owens. Rob Kelly was MA’s head coach.)

Repton High School held its annual homecoming last week. Donna Boatwright was crowned homecoming queen Friday morning when she and her court were presented to the school during an activity period.

50 YEARS AGO

OCT. 12, 1967

Monroe County citizens who have been isolated for many years in the Packers Bend community across the Alabama River soon will have transportation to the rest of the county. A ferry boat will bridge the river, bringing Packers Bend families to nearby towns and facilities and taking road equipment, county officials and others to the isolated community.

The ferry boat project, long discussed as a solution to the problem, was announced this week by the Little River Community Action Program and the Monroe County Commission.

Monroe County Engineer R.M. English Jr. says the ferry boat operation will save enough in two years over the costs of long hauls for road equipment to pay for the project. The county now must move heavy equipment 70 miles to reach the Packers Bend community.

The project has been in the planning stages for several months.

The J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs came back in the last half to defeat the Frisco City Whippets, 26 to 14, last Friday night on the Frisco City field.

Halfback Tommy Cartwright led the Blacksher offense with 110 yards and quarterback Keith Cardwell followed with 73 yards.

(Other top Blacksher players in that game included Edwin Jeter, Gary Hilburn and Howard Metts. Top Frisco City players included Bill Grant, Andy Harrison, Randy Manning, Larry Norris, Ronnie Ray, Rex Ryder, Eddie Sawyer and Jimmy Tucker.)

COMPLETES TRAINING: J.W. Lassiter has completed his basic training at Fort McClellan and will be leaving for duty in Vietnam Oct. 6. He is the son of Mrs. Margaret B. Lassiter of Monroeville.

65 YEARS AGO

OCT. 9, 1952

Monroe County’s courthouse here is now in the process of receiving a newly decorated interior.

All of the inside walls of the structure, which has housed county legislative offices for the past 50 years, are being repainted and plans are underway for the floors to be refinished.

The most recent interior decoration on the courthouse was completed around five years ago. The most recent addition to the building was a fireproof record room, which was added to its north side earlier this year.

Monroe County High’s Tiger eleven racked up its fourth straight win of the season and second victory against out-of-county opponents by out-scoring the Evergreen Aggies, 13-0, here Friday night.

Tiger TD trotters were left half Rip Regan and fullback Jake Smith, while QB Jackie Pickett was responsible for the single conversion.

(Other top MCHS players in that game included Ronald Biggs and Howard Nichols.)

Miss Alice Lee has returned from Mobile and is recuperating from an operation at her home.

Officers for 1953 for the Monroeville Kiwanis Club were elected at the regular luncheon meeting of the group held at the Hi-Ho Restaurant Friday.

Selected as president was Charles Ray Skinner, veneer mill executive, who will replace M.L. Bergman, local realtor.

(Other new officers included J.F. Nettles, first vice-president; R.A. Wible, second vice-president; and Johnson Lathram, treasurer.)

80 YEARS AGO

OCT. 14, 1937

Lister Hill Addressed Voters Here Monday: Hon. Lister Hill of Montgomery, candidate for the United States Senate, spoke to a large crowd of Monroe County citizens at the courthouse on Monday at 11 a.m.

Frisco City Boy Plays In Band For Harvard-Navy Football Game: Neil Kilpatrick will play in the N.N.A.S. band from Newport News, Va. for the Harvard-Navy football game to be played on Oct. 15. Neil received his early training in band under Mr. Williams at Monroe County High School.

Sixty-five young men from Monroe County were enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Brewton last week and will be sent to various camps.

The Frisco City High School football team won its fifteenth consecutive victory Friday night when it romped Wallace High with a score of 14-0.

Those who receive mention for their playing in Friday night’s game were Nub Stacey, backfield; John Merrill Sawyer, line; and Hartwell Sawyer, line.

Frisco’s next combat will be with McCullough High Friday night, Oct. 15, at eight o’clock in Frisco City.

Quite a number of Monroeville football fans motored down to Frisco City Monday night to witness the game played between Monroeville and Uriah. The local boys won by a score of 32 to 0, after a hard fought game.

The census report issued Monday shows a gain of 2,094 bales over the same date last year. The report shows that prior to Oct. 1, there were 20,168 bales of cotton ginned in Monroe County from the present crop as compared with 18,074 bales ginned to the same date last year.

(The News Flashback column printed above was originally published in the Oct. 13, 2016 edition of The Monroe Journal.)