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

U.S. Navy submarine tender USS Nereus (AS-17)

13 YEARS AGO

DEC. 29, 2005

Dewberry joins staff: Josh Dewberry, a Pensacola native and resident of Excel, has joined The Journal’s staff as a staff writer and copy editor.

Dewberry, 24, moved to the Repton area with his family in 1995. He is a 1999 Monroe County High School graduate and earned his B.S. in English with a minor in journalism from the University of West Alabama (UWA) in Livingston in 2003.

Among his college honors, he was named Staff Member of the Term for UWA’s student run newspaper, The Life; he won the Betty Jean Tucker Award for Critical Writing in 2003; and was runner-up the same year for the Tucker Award in Creative Writing.

Dewberry worked for South Alabama News in Evergreen for over two years as composition editor and managing editor.

MC spoils it for Panthers: Monroe County High School’s Terrell Armstrong and Josh Stallworth teamed up for 26 total points in a 59-54 win over in-county rival, Excel, Tuesday of last week in Monroeville.

Armstrong, a 6-0 senior point guard, and Stallworth, a 6-2 senior center, scored 13 points each in the win, handing previously undefeated Excel their first loss of the year.

28 YEARS AGO

DEC. 27, 1990

Restoring the dome: Workers erected scaffolding at the Old Monroe County Courthouse last Thursday and Friday to prepare for restoring the exterior of the dome. In coming weeks, workers will structurally upgrade the dome and give it a new coat of paint, replace and repair windows, and add a balustrade like the one built originally in 1903. The dome renovation, along with repair work on the clock and chime, is the first step in a project spearheaded by the Old Courthouse Restoration Committee.

Journal names its all-county team: Excel High School’s Bo Bishop and Monroe Academy’s K.J. Lazenby have been named coaches of the year for The Monroe Journal’s annual All-Monroe County all-star football team.

Excel senior Mack Ross is the Offensive Player of the Year, and Monroe Academy (MA) senior Chris Hare is Defensive Player of the Year.

(Other first team members of the All-County team included John Abernathy, MA; Nick Ackerman, MA; Greg Betts, Monroe County High School (MCHS); Carlos Booker, MCHS; John Bradley, Excel; Doug Brown, Blacksher; Kendall Deas, Excel; Jason Gunn, Blacksher; Michael Hanks, Excel; Trey Harris, Excel; Drexel Lambert, Excel; Tony Maye, Excel; Josh Mixon, MA; Ray Pharr, Excel; Tim Rigby, MCHS; Todd Salter, MA; Justin Sawyer, Excel; Damien Siglar, MCHS; Jamie Thomas, MCHS; Jerrod Thompson, MA; Luke Waller, MA; and Lorenzo Williams, MCHS. Honorable mentions included Coach Keith Cardwell, MCHS; Dallas Gamble, MA; Shane Stafford, MA; Larry McCorvey, MCHS; Chris McCall, Excel; Oliver Wright Shields; Chris Casey, Excel; Bart Lloyd, Excel; Craig Ivey, MA; Anthony McClain, MCHS; Todd Watson, MCHS; Warren Wood Blacksher; Shannon Richardson, Frisco; Jason Holmes, MCHS; A.J. White, Frisco; Ronald Marshall, Shields; Steven Ledkins, Excel; Larry Shirley, Frisco; Chris Harrell, MA; Stephen Graham, Blacksher; Michael Stacey, MA; Craig Peavy, Blacksher; Bart McCrory, Frisco; Bryan Luker, Excel, Curtis Sanders, Shields; and Joey Downs, MCHS.)

43 YEARS AGO

DEC. 25, 1975

Harold Harris, engineer and manager of radio station WMFC, has resigned from his position to enter an electronics business in Yazoo City, Miss.

He began his career with WMFC nearly 20 years ago as station engineer. He has served as manager and engineer for the last 15 years.

Several football players from the Monroe County area have been listed on the Birmingham Post-Herald’s 1A state football teams.

Rhett Barnes (a 175-pound senior running back, strong safety and kicker) of Coach Lee Holladay’s Excel High School Panthers was the only player from the area to make the first team, although Daniel Boothe (a 190-pound senior fullback and middle linebacker), also of Excel, was listed on the second team. Receiving honorable mentions were (linebacker) Patrick Brown of Repton and (junior quarterback and defensive back) Ben Rhodes of Blacksher.

Contract for hospital 10-year plan signed: Monroe County Hospital last week signed a contract for development of a 10-year master plan expected to include expanding the number of patient beds by two-thirds.

The plan should be adequate through 1990, said hospital administrator Harold Pittman.

Ellerbe, a firm of hospital architects, engineers and planners based in Bloomington, Minn., is to begin work on the plan early next month, Pittman said.

Pittman said the plan is expected to include construction of two additions of about 25 beds each by 1985. The hospital now has 74 beds.

58 YEARS AGO

DEC. 29, 1960

Miss Nelle Lee of New York City is a holiday guest of her father, A.C. Lee, and sister, Miss Alice Lee.

Mickey Ryland, star tackle on the champion Monroe County High School football team, is pictured above signing a four-year grant-in-aid football scholarship to Auburn University. Signing Ryland is B.H. Stallworth Jr., Monroeville businessman and Auburn alumnus, upon instruction from the Auburn Athletic Department. The MCHS athlete made All-Pine Belt Conference and was named to several state teams during the season.

Monroe Sailor Is Aboard Submarine: James D. White, electrician’s mate third class, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. James W. White of Route 1, Monroeville, is serving aboard the submarine tender USS Nereus, operating out of San Diego, Calif. White enlisted Oct. 11 for six more years. Before entering the Navy in June 1958, he graduated from Excel High School, Excel, Ala.

The Beatrice High School Eagles captured second place in the Conecuh County Invitational tournament last weekend.

The Monroe quintet, after winning over Evergreen, 68-51, and Flomaton, 48-35, lost in the finals, 41-40, to Castleberry.

Beatrice placed three men on the all-tournament team. They were Paul Luker, guard; Mickey Tatum, forward; and Kenneth Armstrong, center.

“Songs of the Late Hank Williams” will be presented on radio station WMFC, Monroeville, at 10 a.m. Mon., Jan. 2, in a special program. Guest of honor for the occasion will be E.H. Williams of McWilliams, father of the late country and western singer.

73 YEARS AGO

DEC. 27, 1945

Miss Nelle Lee, student at the University, is spending the holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee and family.

Nelvin Stacey is on his way home from Pearl Harbor about the U.S.S. Shamrock Bay after serving in the Navy in the South Pacific. His wife, Dorothy Stacey, lives on Monroeville, Route 1.

Landslide Fatal To Three Men: Three men were killed and a fourth was injured last Thursday afternoon when they were buried alive by a landslide in a gravel pit near Uriah.

The men were under a bank of earth in the pit to protect themselves from the cold when the whole side of the pit caved in, covering them with tons of earth. Gordon Williams and Percy Taylor were killed instantly and Roy Moore died a short time after reaching the hospital. Sam Turberville escaped with minor injuries.

Early A. Walden of Vredenburgh has been discharged from the Army after serving 43 months. He is the son of Mrs. J.D. Walden.

Mr. A.B. Blass Jr., student at the University, arrived last weekend to spend Christmas with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Blass Sr.

JESSE R. HARRISON ON THE WAY HOME: Naval Staging Center, Pearl Harbor, T.H. – Jesse R. Harrison, radio technician, first class, Frisco City, is getting ready to rejoin the ranks of civilians, together with thousands of others going through this Naval demobilization center headed for the States.