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

A.V. "Shorty" Culpepper

FIVE YEARS AGO

DEC. 5, 2013

Johnson is Citizen of the Year: Rev. Kenneth E. Johnson, a longtime minister and former business owner in Monroeville, was named the Monroeville Kiwanis Club’s Citizen of the Year during the club’s annual awards banquet in Monroeville.

Johnson, who owned Johnson’s Jewelers on the downtown square for many years, is associate pastor at Woodlawn United Methodist Church on U.S. Highway 84, east of Monroeville.

Excel football awards handed out: The Excel Panther football team held their annual football banquet last week at First Baptist Church of Monroeville. Team Captains are Lawrence Hyde, Garrett Casey, Dekota Welker and Tyler Mitchell. Team MVPs are Jamonte James, Offensive Lineman MVP; Axelrod Avalos, Defensive Skill Player MVP; Jarvis Moss, Defensive Lineman MVP; and James Hudson, Offensive Skill Player MVP. Scout team MVPs (were) Ofwson McRory, Caleb Gandy, Henry Faulk, Robert Richardson, Nick Richardson and Jordan Brown. Roy Stacey Award presented by Beverly Marrow to Lawrence Hyde. Team MVP (was) Dekota Welker.

Toni McKelvey named Kiwanian of the Year: Monroeville Kiwanis recognized its most outstanding member of 2013 Monday during the club’s annual awards banquet at Vanity Fair Golf Club in Monroeville.

Monroeville City Clerk and Kiwanis Treasurer Toni McKelvey was honored as Kiwanian of the Year. She has been a member since 1996 and has served as treasurer since 1998.

30 YEARS AGO

DEC. 1, 1988

Making the move: Monroe County Department of Human Resources personnel are moving today (Thursday) to their new building on Legion Drive at West Claiborne Street, from a much smaller office on Courthouse Square. The food stamp department will also move there from its location a couple of blocks to the south on Legion Drive. The new building has 26 offices and a conference room, computer room, reception area and employee lounge.

Seniors B.J. Wallace and Marshall Crim and junior Billy Groves led Monroe Academy to victories over Greenville, Fort Dale-South Butler and Crenshaw academies last week in Greenville Academy’s tipoff tournament in Greenville.

Wallace, Crim and Groves were named to the all-tournament team after leading the Vols in scoring through the three-game stand.

(Other outstanding Monroe players in those games included Jeff Blanton, Laurin Booker, Dallas Gamble, Matt Moorer, Donald Myrick and Land Sikes. Gary Caldwell was MA’s head coach.)

Streets renamed for town’s mayor: Vredenburgh Town Council members discussed and ruled on a variety of issues during their recent regular meeting.

The council passed a unanimous resolution to rename Poplar and Magnolia streets as Stewart Circle in honor of Mayor Frankie Stewart. Council members told Stewart, who is approaching his tenth year as mayor, that he has contributed considerably to residents’ well-being by spurring and completing such projects as the sewer system installed last year.

55 YEARS AGO

DEC. 5, 1963

COUNTY TREASURER IS RE-APPOINTED: D.M. Maxwell Jr. was re-appointed Monroe County treasurer at a special meeting Monday of the County Commission. He will serve for the 1964 calendar year.

County Teams Place Nine Men On Pine Belt Team For 1963: Nine Monroe County football players were named to the 23-man All-Pine Belt Conference Team selected Monday night at the group’s annual winter meeting.

Monroeville placed four, the largest number. The Monroe County High School Tigers were officially recognized as the Pine Belt Conference champion grid group at the meeting. The Frisco City and Uriah schools have two players each on the squad, while Excel placed one.

(Those players included end Tim Jones, MCHS; end Victor Ray Norris, J.U. Blacksher; end Johnny Mack King, FCHS; interior lineman Larry Godwin, MCHS; interior lineman Aaron White, Excel; back Joe Kelly, FCHS; back Louie Hayles, MCHS: back Coy Tatum, MCHS; and back Larry Ward, JUB.)

W.P. Albritton was elected president of the Frisco City Chamber of Commerce at a meeting Dec. 2.

Other officials elected to serve with Mr. Albritton include Charles Grant, first vice-president; George Burns, second vice-president; and Bob Carter, secretary-treasurer.

New members of the board of directors are Charles McNeil, immediate past president, Alton Johnson, Roy Ray, Henry Rowell, Claude Wilkerson and I.W. Williamson.

Guest speaker for the Monday night meeting was Monroe County Probate Judge David M. Nettles of Monroeville.

80 YEARS AGO

DEC. 1, 1938

Miss Nelle Harper Lee spent several days last week with her sister, Miss Alice Lee, in Birmingham.

Football Team Feted At Banquet: The Monroe County High School football team, who went through the entire season without a defeat, was given a banquet Tuesday night by the Monroeville Chamber of Commerce at the High School cafeteria.

The banquet was well-attended and an entertaining program was rendered, consisting of talks by Coach Huckabee, who introduced the members of the team, Prof. H.G. Greer, Messrs. A.C. Lee, G.I. Nettles, Loxley Dees, Prof. and Mrs. J.A. York and others. Ed Lee and Boyd Pullen, both members of the team, made short talks.

“Shorty” Culpepper, the inimitable toastmaster, presided and as usual a grand job was done.

Misses Mary Elise and Thomasine Jones of Frisco City will tap dance at Excel High School Friday night, Dec. 2.

GINNING REPORT: Census report shows that 18,652 bales of cotton were ginned in Monroe County from the crop of 1938 prior to Nov. 14 as compared with 26,441 bales for the crop of 1937.

DEC. 20 SET FOR NEXT HOG SALE: The next hog sale will be held on Tues., Dec. 20. At the time of going to press, the hog sale is in full swing, but it will not be possible for us to get the total number of hogs and cattle nor the price paid until next week. There are already over 300 hogs and several truckloads of cattle in the pens and this promises to be one of the biggest sales yet.

105 YEARS AGO

DEC. 4, 1913

The Bank of Peterman formally opened its doors for business on Dec. 1. The bank occupies its own building, a handsome brick structure, equipped with modern fixtures and the stockholders are among the most prosperous merchants, farmers and businessmen of Peterman and vicinity. James K. Kyser is President; Dr. D.R. Nettles, Vice President; and P.S. Jackson, Cashier. The directorate is composed of Jas. K. Kyser, W.J. Nettles, J.L. Tatum, J.J. Jernigan, D.R. Nettles and C.A. Smith.

Riley Kelly was up from Excel Monday.

Mr. J.U. Blacksher of Maros was a business visitor to the city (Monroeville) the first of the week.

Solicitor John McDuffie left Sunday for Grove Hill where the Clarke County Circuit Court convened on Monday.

Mr. P.D. Hudson is having his store across from the bank remodeled which adds greatly to the appearance of that part of town.

We are authorized to announce that there will be a meeting at the Courthouse on Wed., Dec. 10, at three o’clock p.m. for the purpose of organizing and perfecting the Monroe County Underwood Club. All citizens of the county are invited to attend.

There were 18,829 bales of cotton ginned in Monroe County from the crop of 1913 prior to Nov. 14 as compared with 17,009 bales ginned prior to Nov. 14, 1912.

The next teacher’s examination will be held at the courthouse in Monroeville, beginning at 10 o’clock a.m., Mon., Dec. 15, 1913. All applicants are requested to be present by 9:30 o’clock. – J.A. Barnes, County Superintendent.