Sunday, March 10, 2019

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

Congressman John McDuffie

17 YEARS AGO
MARCH 14, 2002

WMFC radio to celebrate 50 years April 10: Monroeville radio station WMFC will observe 50 years of broadcasting April 10 with a 12-hour show featuring popular music of the past 50 years and present and former staffers who will reminisce on the air.
(Station General Manager David) Stewart’s father, the late William M. “Bill” Stewart, and James H. “Jimmy” Faulkner, who became partners in The Monroe Journal and The Baldwin Times newspapers in the 1940s, started WMFC on April 10, 1952. Offices, studios and transmitter were housed in a Quonset hut on Highway 21 South, where Hardee’s restaurant stands today.
Faulkner and Steward dissolved their business partnership in 1958. The Stewart family sold The Monroe Journal to Bolton Newspapers in 1996. Bill Stewart’s widow, Carolyn Stewart, and David Stewart are the current owners of WMFC.

Monroe Academy’s baseball team is off to a 3-0 start with wins over Escambia, South Choctaw and Greenville academies.
MA opened its season Tuesday of last week with an 11-9 win over Escambia Academy at MA. MA improved to 2-0 Saturday at MA when the Vols upended South Choctaw’s Rebels, 6-0. In the 11-0 win over Greenville Academy Monday in Greenville, (Bryan) Kilpatrick and (Colby) Mixon combined to get the win on the mound.
(Other top MA players in those games included Bryson Crutchfield, Tyler Dawson, Trey Dobson, Charles Ramsey, Jeremy Reeves and Jeff Wasden. Gary Caldwell was MA’s head coach.)

42 YEARS AGO
MARCH 10, 1977

Vanity Fair Mills Foundation has offered to give all its recreational holdings in Monroeville – valued at millions of dollars – to Monroe County.
J.C. Niehuss, vice president of Vanity Fair Mills and a foundation trustee, appeared before the County Commission in its regular meeting Tuesday morning and offered, on behalf of the foundation, to make an unrestricted gift of Vanity Fair’s golf course, community center, swimming pool, tennis courts, golf club house and all other properties in Monroeville.
The commission took the offer under advisement.

Wolfe Ambulance Service of Monroeville will continue operating despite illness that has disabled owner Frank Wolfe, he said Monday.
Wolfe has been unable to drive his ambulances since a heart attack Feb. 2, but he said he would continue to supervise the service and others would drive.
The service has two ambulances, one of them leased from Monroe County Hospital. It has nine emergency medical technicians, four of whom are drivers, Wolfe said.

‘New’ FC town hall planned: If all goes as planned, the town of Frisco City will be conducting its business in a like-new town hall by July.
Meeting informally Monday night, the mayor and councilmen finalized plans for renovating the existing town hall.
Councilmen Harvey Martin, Douglas Williams and Gilbert Norris and Mayor Gary Talley met this past Monday to review proposed plans and make suggestions. All agreed that the plans are good, and the work is needed.

67 YEARS AGO
MARCH 13, 1952

The opening of Monroeville’s new radio station, which had tentatively been scheduled for about March 15, will be delayed for several days pending receipt of a crystal to be used in the station’s transmitter. Announcement to this effect was made Wednesday by George C. Shurden, formerly of Brookhaven, Miss., who has been employed as manager of the station.
The station, located a quarter of a mile outside the town limits on Highway 11, is housed in a new metal building and has a tower 210 feet high. The call letters are WMFC.

Monroe County High School, facing a tough 10-game schedule for 1952 with eight first line men gone from last year’s team via graduation, settled down to a steady, three-week grind of spring training this week.
Head Coach Levaughn Hanks reported that around 25 candidates reported for drills.
Coach Hanks and Assistant Coach Robert Riley are faced with the difficult problem of finding replacements for regulars such as Bobo Andress, end; Havard Jaye, guard; Joe Lee Nettles, tackle; and James Lloyd, fullback. Also leaving the local squad through graduation will be Jack Whisenhunt, defensive guard; Carl Dyal, guard; Alvin Hendrix, guard; and James Ingram, center.

Five 7,000-gallon capacity whiskey stills, the largest outfit believed to ever have been taken in Monroe County, were discovered Monday by county authorities.
According to Sheriff E.E. Nicholas, the stills were found near Finchburg, following a lead from information which had been given him.
The entire outfit, when in full operation, was capable of turning out approximately 100 gallons every four hours, the county official stated.

92 YEARS AGO
MARCH 10, 1927

The spring term of the circuit court for Monroe County will convene on Mon., March 21.

The board of deacons of the Monroeville Baptist Church have been advised of the acceptance by Rev. W.H. Black of the call recently extended to become the pastor of the church for the ensuing year. Mr. Black will take up the work here on April 1.

Mr. Austin Rumbley has been advised by Congressman McDuffie of the nomination of his son Austin Rumbley Jr. as a cadet at the West Point Military Academy. Mr. Rumbley is a bright and promising young man and his many friends are confident that he will successfully pass the necessary entrance examination.

Prof. G.A. Harris attended the national convention of superintendents of education in Dallas, Texas last week. More than 1,500 superintendents were in attendance.

M&R RAILROAD EXTENDS LINE: The application of the Manistee & Repton Railroad for certificate of necessity and convenience having been granted by both the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Alabama Public Service Commission, the company has begun the work of extending its road from Monroeville to make connection with the Southern Alabama division of the Louisville & Nashville at or near Monroeton.
The new connection will afford more direct and prompt service to the city and the territory served at Excel and Jones Mill than is now practicable through the connection at Manistee Junction. That portion of the road between Manistee Junction and Dottelle will be discontinued.

117 YEARS AGO
MARCH 13, 1902

Confederate Veterans: The meeting of the Geo. W. Foster Camp of Confederate Veterans has been postponed until Sat., March 22, at 3 p.m. Every member urged to attend. Business of the utmost importance.

The elegant residence of Hon. N.J. Stallworth, together with a portion of its contents, was destroyed by fire on Friday morning. The alarm was given about 8:15, but by the time assistance arrived, the flames, aggravated by the prevailing wind, had gained such headway that, with the limited water supply available, it was impossible to check them. Every effort was exerted to save the furniture, but before this was completed the heat became so intense that the work had to be abandoned. Fortunately, the wind was from the southeast; had it been blowing from almost any other direction it would have been next to impossible to prevent other buildings from catching, and a general conflagration might have resulted. It is not known just how the fire originated. When discovered, volumes of smoke were issuing from a closet in one of the living rooms. Judge Stallworth’s residence was remodeled and rebuilt six or seven years ago, and was one of the most beautiful and costly in town. His many friends sympathize with him in his misfortune. The loss is estimated at about $3,500; insurance $2,000.

PETERMAN: There has been two lots secured for two new churches, Methodist and Baptist, and shingles are being hauled for the Methodist church, and over $200 has been raised in the last few days, while the Baptist Church is not far behind.

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