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

19 YEARS AGO
OCT. 18, 2001

Firefighter awards: Four Monroeville firefighters and a local civic club received awards during the Monroeville Fire & Rescue Department’s annual awards banquet held last Thursday night at the Monroeville Community House. (Award recipients included T.J. Mann, Rookie of the Year; Ben Rawls, Firefighter of the Year; Eddie James, Leadership Award; Lee Pettis, W.D. Pickens Award for Best All-Around Firefighter; and Robert Sims, representing the Monroeville Kiwanis Club. The Kiwanis Club received the department’s Citizen of the Year Award.)

Volunteers rout Morgan 35-14 to remain unbeaten: Monroe Academy put 28 points on the scoreboard in the first half and coasted to a 35-14 victory over Morgan Academy Friday at MA.
Senior halfback Karl James (K.J.) Lazenby and junior fullback Tyler Dawson led Friday’s charge as both backs rushed for over 100 yards. Lazenby finished with 134 yards on just nine carries. Dawson had 108 yards on 12 totes.
(Other top Monroe players in that game included Trey Dobson, Brian Kilpatrick, Decatur Lazenby, Joah Norris, Charles Ramsey, Cameron Stacey and Jeff Wasden.)

Weatherman visits area schools: Alan Seals, WKRG-TV5 meteorologist, recently spoke to Excel School’s elementary students and Monroeville Elementary School’s students. Seals spent about an hour at each school, explaining how weather forecasts are formulated. He also told the students how much education it takes to become a meteorologist.

44 YEARS AGO
OCT. 21, 1976

A patrolman from the Atmore police department has been hired as police chief of Frisco City.
The new police chief is Arthur G. Gunn, and the new patrolman is Ralph M. Tatum, a former member of the Frisco City auxiliary force.
Tatum was sworn in Oct. 9; Gunn was sworn in Monday. Jim Bayles was acting police chief until Gunn’s hiring.
Frisco City’s former three-man police force was dismissed when the present town council took office Oct. 4. The reason for the dismissals was not made public.

The J.F. Shields Panthers won a big area game and their second home game of the season Friday night, downing Wilcox County High, 38-22.
Step Burgess, the Panthers’ hard-running fullback, rushed for two TD’s in the first half and gained 209 yards during the night for an outstanding performance. Judge Nelson, Thomas Dale and Dwight Wright also made TDs.
The Shields defense was led by Willie Black with nine tackles and three assists.
(Other top Shields players in that game included Tyrone McFadden, Larry Nettles, Oscar Stallworth and Clifford Williams.)

Journal’s editorial page tops nationally: The Monroe Journal has placed first among newspapers over 4,000 circulation in the “Best Editorial Page” category of the National Newspaper Association’s 1976 National Better Newspaper Contest.
Awards, based on issues published during calendar year 1975, were announced in connection with the association’s annual convention last week in Lake Geneva, Wisc.

69 YEARS AGO
OCT. 18, 1951

Frisco Soldier Given Purple Heart Award: Pfc. Wiley G. Sawyer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Sawyer of Frisco City, was recently awarded the Purple Heart medal by the U.S. War Department for wounds received in action in Korea.
He has had Korean combat duty for four months as a member of Co. C of the 35^th Infantry Regiment.
Having been wounded in the arm and foot, Pfc. Sawyer is now recuperating in an Army hospital in Pusan, Korea.

Excel Eleven Downs Baker High 20-0: The Excel High Panthers found little opposition in downing the Baker High team in Mobile last Friday night.
Left half Ray Scruggs and right half Charles Stacey starred for Excel in the 55-yard drive which ended in a TD for the Panthers in the second period by gaining most of the territory covered. Scruggs finally scored from the five-yard stripe.
Scruggs was winner for the Excel squad again in the last period when he ran 25 yards on an off-tackle play, while Stacey again shared the spotlight as he rammed his freedom over tackle during the same quarter for the Panthers’ final TD.

Monroeville Residents Receive Scout Offices: Four Monroeville residents were recently elected to serve as officers of the Gulf Coast Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
A.A. Nettles has been named to the executive board while Max Bradley, M.I. Hanks and R.A. Wible will serve as council members at large, all of whom have been active in state Scout work for some time.
Announcement of these appointments was made earlier this week by Bob Radford, executive for the Gulf Coast Scout Council.

94 YEARS AGO
OCT. 20, 1926

HOMICIDE AT MEGARGEL: Jesse Steadman Jr. shot and killed Ben Hawkins at the home of Steadman about noon on Tuesday. From the best that can be learned concerning the circumstances leading to the tragedy, it appears that there had been feeling between the parties for some time over matters of a domestic character. Hawkins having been warned both by Steadman and mutual friends to stay away from the Steadman home. Returning home about noon Tuesday, Steadman found Hawkins in his house in a compromising position with his wife, whereupon Steadman fired two shots into the body of the trespasser, killing him almost instantly. Steadman surrendered to the Sheriff but was promptly released on bond to await the action of the grand jury.

Mr. R.B. Williams is having a new brick building erected on the lot adjoining the Sanitary Market. It is understood that the building will be occupied by Mr. Clyde Marshall as a garage and auto repair shop.

A canvass will be made of each home and the business district on next Friday afternoon, Oct. 22, to solicit contributions and books for the City Library.

MAMMOTH POTATOES: Some of the largest sweet potatoes ever grown in the county are on exhibition in The Journal office. Judge Fountain brought in a “whopper” of the Porto Rico variety 12 inches long and 18 in circumference, which tipped the scale at eight pounds, while Mr. F.L. Rutherford of Franklin left with us specimens of the Jersey variety of almost equal size and weight. The potato crop of the county generally is reported unusually fine and good prices are obtained in the local market.

119 YEARS AGO
OCT. 17, 1901

The following attorneys are in attendance on the circuit court this week who were not present last week: C.J. Torrey, Mobile; N. Stallworth, Evergreen; J.F. Stallings, Greenville; J.N. Miller and Gen. R.C. Jones, Camden.

Manistee: R.F. Lowrey and Messrs. Agee and Florey are contemplating putting in a stock of merchandise near this place.
Dr. George H. Harper of this place was called away last week to visit his family at Franklin, where his wife and children are sick with scarlet fever.

The Journal received a pleasant call from Mr. M.V. Middleton of Buena Vista Tuesday afternoon. For 20 years or more, Mr. Middleton has handled The Journal as postmaster in his town, but this is the first time it has been our pleasure to meet him. Mr. Middleton will resume his mercantile business in a few days, as will be seen by reference to his card in this issue. The Journal wishes him prosperity and success.

JORDAN M. CRAWFORD: Died on the morning of Oct. 3, 1901, at his residence near McNeil, Ala., Jordan M. Crawford. The deceased was born at Burnt Corn, Monroe County, Ala. on May 9, 1838. He united with the Missionary Baptist Church at Bethany, near the above named place, at an early age. He enjoyed the distinction of being a Mason, though at the time of his demise was not a member of any lodge. With a conscious pride of patriotic duty, he served in the Confederate army.