Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

Mrs. Lillie Mae Faulk Capote.

10 YEARS AGO

AUG. 7, 2008

Beatrice is now the only place in Monroe County with emergency alert sirens.

Town water superintendent Stanley Watson said Monday night the sirens – which will sound in the event of impending severe weather or if there is an industrial accident or chemical spill – are now operational and can be triggered either on site or by Monroe County E911 dispatchers.

Beatrice is the lone municipality in the county to have sirens after a countywide plan proposed by former Emergency Management Agency Director Chuck Murph was rejected by Excel, Frisco City and Monroeville.

Monroe Academy became the first football team in The Journal’s coverage area to open summer football practice this season when the Volunteers started a four-day minicamp last Thursday at MA.

Head coach Mitchell Turberville welcomed 27 varsity players in grades 9 to 12 and an eighth-grader last Thursday morning at the first 7 a.m. workout.

(Standout players on MA’s team that year included Bryars Bishop, Dustin Ellison, Drake Martin, Greg Oakley, Cody Philen, Tyler Rigdon, Fields Stallworth, Paul Vermilyea and Sam Vermilyea.)

The Alabama Fire Marshal’s office is investigating a fire that damaged at least half of a wooden bridge on a Monroe County roadway Sunday morning, officials said.

According to county engineer Robert English, the bridge on Old Salem Creek Road will be closed for two to three weeks before the road department can begin repairs after a fire left it impassible.

Fire Marshal Ken Smith has taken samples from the charred wood on the bridge, English said, and the fire is under investigation.

34 YEARS AGO

AUG. 2, 1984

New dental office to open: A husband-and-wife team is opening a family dentistry office in Monroeville.

Dentists Andrew M. and Lori M. Gearhart moved to Monroeville last year from Birmingham and first opened an office in Pine Hill.

The Gearharts’ office at 1116 South Alabama Ave. will open Monday and they are currently accepting appointments, both for adults and children.

J.F. Shields grad has desire to make Buffalo Bills’ team: (Dwight) Wright, 23, was among some 80 players attempting to nail down spots on the Buffalo Bills professional football team last week at the team’s summer camp in Buffalo, N.Y.

Wright, a Beatrice native, graduated in 1979 from J.F. Shields, where he played tight end, wide receiver and linebacker on the football team under the direction of coach John Wiley.

He spent the last five years at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville. He was red-shirted his freshman season, but saw action as the team’s starting wide receiver his final four years.

Waiting to fall into the convoy of the Monroeville National Guard Armory unit headed for two weeks at Camp Shelby, Miss., are Lt. James H. Ward Jr. and Sgt. Richard Horton. About 85 members of the local unit left Saturday morning for the annual field training, where they will experience military operations in a field environment.

59 YEARS AGO

AUG. 6, 1959

Registration and the official opening date for Monroe County schools is Wed., Sept. 9, H.G. Greer Superintendent of Education, said here Wednesday.

He said buses will run on that date and all students are expected to be on hand to register at their respective schools.

The Troy Babe Ruth League All-Stars won the 7^th District championship by defeating the Monroe County All-Stars, 1-0, in the tournament finals Saturday afternoon (in Monroeville).

Monroeville advanced to the finals by beating the same Troy team, 1-0, and defeating Andalusia, 9-7.

(Players on Monroe’s All-Star team included Jimmy Andress, Freddy Biggs, Bob Burns, Dale Cobb, Johnny Dorough, Rodney Dunn, Kenneth Gall, Frank Godbold, Kenneth Johnson, Laurie Jones, Louie Hayles, Kenneth Jones, Charles Rumbley, Mickey Ryland and Tommy Ray Waters.)

Mr. and Mrs. Geo. T. Jones have returned from a vacation trip to the Grand Canyon and other points in the West.

Fort Bragg, N.C., Aug. 6 – Army 2^nd Lt. Albert A. Nettles Jr., 23, whose parents live at 409 York St., Monroeville, was graduated July 24 from the 82^nd Airborne Division Jump School at Fort Bragg, N.C.

The lieutenant is a 1954 graduate of Monroe County High School, a 1958 graduate of Alabama Polytechnic Institute and a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Lt. Nettles received his parachutist wings after completing four weeks of intensive ground and aerial training which included five parachute jumps.

84 YEARS AGO

AUG. 2, 1934

Mrs. J.G. Capote of New York has been spending several days with her aunts, the Misses Faulk. She was accompanied home Wednesday by Misses Jennie and Lucille Faulk. Miss Jennie will purchase her Fall stock of ladies ready-to-wear, millinery, etc. while there.

The voters of the town of Monroeville will go to the polls on Mon., Sept. 17, for the purpose of selecting a mayor and five council members to serve two-year terms. Those elected will take office on the first of October.

As yet there have been no announcements concerning candidates for the municipal offices to be filled but it is likely that the next few weeks will bring announcements from aspirants for those places.

Town Paving Nears Completion: With a week or 10 days of good weather the paving project in Monroeville will be completed. On Tuesday of this week, one side of the paving on the south side of the square was opened to traffic and work was started on the only remaining places where concrete is to be poured.

The paving on the street leading toward Frisco City has been completed and while the concrete is being hardened, work has been done on walls and copings which were removed at the time the work began.

The Hooper Construction Co. crew will arrive in Monroeville the last of the week to begin work on the Monroeville-Claiborne highway. The grading will begin just outside the city limits of Monroeville and proceed toward the river. Machinery is being shipped here this week.

134 YEARS AGO

AUG. 11, 1884

Perdue Hill – Yesterday evening just after the Gastrell had passed near Denards Bluff, two men tried to cross the river through the rough waves of the boat and the boat they were in swamped and Abe James and a little girl with him were drowned. (James) was a good and very hard-working man and son-in-law of Monday Daniels.

T.H. BRANTLEY – Dealer in FINE WINES, Whiskey, Lemons, Ice, Etc. – AT ALL TIMES, Thomas H. Brantley, Repton, Alabama.

The Best Boarding School – Dr. Cotter will board, lodge and educate pupils for $10 per month at Perdue Hill.

Mr. Julius Wiggins, one of our best young farmers, recently brought into Monroeville on exhibition a stalk of corn measuring 15 feet in length and 10 feet to the first ear.

Died – On Tues., the 29^th ult., Mrs. Mary E. Royster, wife of Mr. – Royster and daughter of Mr. Orien Brantley, of typhoid fever.

Prof. G.L. Graham let the light of his genial face shine upon his many friends at this place last week.

The local man of The Journal had the pleasure of stopping at the hotel kept by Dr. J.W. Cotter and the Hill several days ago, and he was made to feel at home by the kind and considerate attentions of the host and hostess. Their charges are moderate, and they keep an excellent table. Travelers will find a warm and hospitable welcome at the Cotter hotel, and don’t you forget it.

Mr. D.B. Wiggins places us under obligations for a fine peach weighing 13 ounces and a pear weighing 17 ounces. Who can beat them?