Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Alabama

Tennessee Congressman Finis J. Garrett

13 YEARS AGO

JAN. 27, 2005

711^th Sig. Battalion returns: Local members of the Alabama Army National Guard’s 711^th Signal Battalion returned home Monday and Tuesday after nearly a year on active duty in Iraq.

At 4 a.m. on Monday, about 250 members of Headquarters Company and Companies A and D, located in Mobile and Atmore, touched down at Hunter Army Airfield, near Savannah, Ga.

MC retires jersey, downs Shields: In a night marked by sadness at the passing of a fallen teammate, Monroe County High School’s varsity boys closed out their regular season home schedule with a 50-45 win over in-county rival, J.F. Shields, Saturday night in Monroeville.

Prior to the start of Saturday night’s varsity game, MCHS retired the No. 10 game jersey of 18-year-old Anthony Stovall. Stovall was diagnosed with a cerebral aneurysm on Jan. 6 and slipped into a coma during surgery on Jan. 7, just four days after his last high school game. Stovall died Jan. 15 in a Mobile hospital.

Following the emotional pre-game ceremony, in performances that would have made their former teammate smile, MCHS’s Terrell Armstrong and Gecoby Penn combined for 27 points to put Shields away for the night.

EMA certifications: Rusty Russell presents EMA certifications to Heather Walton, Conecuh County EMA Director; Rennie Raines, special operations and training officer for Monroe County’s EMA; and Chuck Murph, Monroe County EMA Director. They received these certifications during the American Association of Emergency Managers 2005 mid-year conference in Huntsville.

39 YEARS AGO

JAN. 25, 1979

The City of Monroeville apparently won’t be opening an animal shelter any time soon.

All six city council members voted Tuesday night to put the project on the back burner after Councilman Raymond Bayles said that operating a shelter would be too expensive and other projects must take priority.

During the council’s regular meeting, Bayles reported on a recent meeting of a committee Mayor B.C. Hornady appointed in December to study the possibility of opening a shelter. Bayles is on the committee, as well as Public Works Superintendent Lyle Salter, veterinarian John Grider and three Monroeville residents Gail Boros, Carnell Moore and Donna Arkin – who have been trying for about a year to get a shelter established in Monroe County.

Blacksher outclassed the Excel Panthers Friday night in Excel, 54-37.

Calvin English led the Blacksher scoring with 18 points. Willie Bonner topped Excel’s scoring with 10 points.

(Other players on Blacksher’s team that season included Harry Akins, Kevin Barnes, Phil Hollinger, Allen Mack, Timmy Qualls and Bob Weatherford. Other players on Excel’s team included Robert Costic, Earl Hollinger and Jimmy Walden.)

Three Frisco City Police Department employees have been fired because the town cannot afford to pay their salaries, Mayor Harvey Martin said yesterday (Wednesday) morning.

Patrolman Johnny Griffis, hired six weeks ago, and two radio dispatchers, Mrs. Jim Bayles and Mrs. May Beth Bird, were to have received their notices yesterday, Martin said.

64 YEARS AGO

JAN. 25, 1954

FOLSOM SPEAKS TONIGHT AT BEATRICE HIGH SCHOOL: James E. “Big Jim” Folsom, Alabama gubernatorial candidate in the Democratic May primary will speak at Beatrice High School tonight (Thursday) at 7:30.

The Excel High Panther cage quint wrote off the final session of the season in triumphant form last Thursday night by tripping a team seeded second for the current District One Class “A” tournament, Flomaton, by a score of 60-58.

High scorer for Excel was Jack Matchett, forward, with 27 points, while Turner, center, paced Flomaton with 23.

In the “B” game, top netter for Excel was McQueen, forward, with 16 points, while Turner, forward, led Flomaton with 18. The Excel “B” squad was loser however, 59-41.

Miss Ann Mosley and Mrs. George Klepac Jr. of Alabama College, Montevallo, were guests of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Mosley, in Peterman recently.

Local Knights Templar Unit To Name, Install Officers On Friday: Officers for the Monroeville Commandery No. 47 of the Knights Templar will be elected and installed at the annual meeting of the organization, M.L. Bergman of Monroeville, Emminent Commander, declared recently.

The meeting is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the local Masonic Lodge.

The local Commandery covers a widespread area in South Alabama. Members are included from Monroe, Clarke, Conecuh, Butler, Baldwin and Wilcox Counties.

89 YEARS AGO

JAN. 24, 1929

Rev. A.F. Howington, pastor of the Frisco City Methodist Church, was among Monroeville friends Wednesday.

Sheriff Kilpatrick is under treatment at a Mobile infirmary for a dislocated shoulder sustained in an encounter with a prisoner was resisted arrest several weeks ago.

Congressman John McDuffie was one of 12 Democratic members of the House invited as guests of Speaker Nicholas Longworth at a dinner given in his home on Jan. 16 in honor of the retiring minority leader of the House, Hon. Finis J. Garrett.

Mrs. Lucian Jones entertained the Three Arts Club at its regular meeting Friday afternoon, Jan. 18. There were 10 members present. Mrs. Lathram was leader. The following program was given:

Placement of Shrubs – Mrs. John Fleming.

Placement of Flowers – Miss Benie Carter.

Placement of Shields, Background, Hedge and Etc. – Mrs. Cliff Hines.

Parliamentary Drill – Mrs. Thos. Walker.

During the social hour, the hostess served delicious refreshments.

Rev. M.E. Grant, 52, a superannuated Methodist minister who was reared in Conecuh County, died at Gantt, Ala., in Covington County Saturday and was buried Sunday afternoon in Gantt cemetery. Funeral services were in charge of the Masonic order, of which he was a member.

Rev. Grant was born in Monroe County, but his parents moved to Brownville, Conecuh County, near Owassa, shortly thereafter. Because of ill health, Rev. Grant was superannuated at the last Methodist conference.

114 YEARS AGO

JAN. 28, 1904

The Journal Delayed: The Journal has been issued a little late the past few weeks on account of the overcrowded condition of our job printing department, and is late again this week, due this time, however, to a slight breakage of the engine by which the press is driven. We ask the kind indulgence of our readers until the difficulty is remedied. We hope soon to get the paper out with greater promptness than ever.

Cotton sold on the streets of Montgomery Saturday at 14-1/2 cents, the highest price known since the war and the few years of abnormal agricultural conditions immediately succeeding the war. For large lots of cotton, the papers state, 14-1/2 cents could have been easily obtained.

Robbers attempted to wreck a passenger train on the P&A division of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad at Mulat on the night of the 17^th. Crossties and other obstructions were piled on the track but were fortunately discovered by a section hand.

Dr. L.E. Ray, the specialist, will spend one week at Jones Mill for the accommodation of patients in that neighborhood.

PETERMAN NEWS: We are pleased to note the quietude of our little town since the occurrence of the homicide on the night of the 1^st inst. We regret for the unfortunate man that he had to be the victim caused by the lawlessness carried on in the community, but if it required this to break up this lawlessness, we can spare one.

DREWRY NEWS: C.W. Burton returned on Sunday evening’s train from a trip to Peterman. He was entertained by Messrs. L.C. Baggett and Ed Green, who returned to Drewry with him.