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

14 YEARS AGO
JULY 3, 2008

Retirement ceremony held for Mixon: Co-workers, friends and family shared a special time with Superintendent of Schools Dennis Mixon Monday morning during his retirement reception in Monroeville.
Tony Powell, chairman of the Monroe County Board of Education, presented Mixon with a gift on behalf of the board and said the board and Mixon have had an outstanding working relationship the past nine years.
Mixon began his career as a teacher 32 years ago in Monroe County.

South Monroe will compete in the District 3 Little League Baseball tournament Saturday in Monroeville. Team members are Jacob Lee, Chaztin Taylor, Tyler Mitchell, Justin Burgess, Garrett Casey, Jonathan Monk, Jacob Norris, Ty McMullen, Lawrence Hyde, Dusty Greene, Manager Billy Hyde and Coach Shannon Casey.

Ferguson named to highest office: A Monroe County man was named to the highest office in the state American Legion at the 90^th state convention June 27 in Huntsville.
Bill Ferguson, who many know from his duties as veterans service officer (VSO) in Monroe and Conecuh counties, was named commander of the Alabama American Legion and is now responsible for the 23,500 legionnaires in the state.
Ferguson is the first state commander from the Monroe County area, and he said his first Naval commanding officer with the Hurricane Hunters, Paul I. Siverty of Orlando, drove up to pin him.
Ferguson has been active in the American Legion for eight years, making his climb to commander historic because it is generally a 15 to 20-year trip.

39 YEARS AGO
JULY 7, 1983

Main river bridge bids to be opened: Bids on the construction of the new main bridge over the Alabama River at Claiborne will be opened July 22.
The main bridge, which will span four-tenths of a mile, is expected to cost $6.5 million to $7.5 million, according to a legal notice in this week’s Journal.
The new bridge will be about 200 feet upstream (north) from the present 51-year-old Claiborne-Murphy Bridge, which it will replace, carrying U.S. Highway 84 across the river.

The 1983 Monroeville Little League all-star team will play in the District 5, Area 2 double-elimination tournament in Jackson Monday at 8 p.m. against Butler. The players and coaches of this year’s team are Sidney Carmichael, Torey Kimberl, James Fleming, Willie Peoples, Mitch Turberville, Derrick Black, alternates Jess Henry Malone and Lisa Anderson, manager Gaines McKinley, Duran Odom, Cedric Hollinger, Darren Gibbs, Shannon Curry, Wynard Williams, Jeff Harrison, Joseph Curry, coach Scott Newland and assistant coach Mike Smith.

Scout honors: Several local Boy Scout troops and patrols received honors during the spring camporee at Evergreen. Thirteen troops and 30 patrols in the Alabama-Florida District participated in the event. Those receiving honors were Kevin Rice, Eagle patrol leader, representing top patrol; Tom Abernathy Jr., Troop 24 senior patrol leader, representing top troop; and Jeff Smith, Wolf patrol leader, representing runner-up troop.

64 YEARS AGO
JULY 3, 1958

V.P. Burns Is Named Veterans Service Officer: V.P. “Junie” Burns of Monroeville has been named new Monroe County service officer, State Department of Veterans Affairs. He replaces C. Johnson Lathram, who resigned the post to assume fulltime management of a private business with his brother, J.F. Lathram Jr.

All-Stars Are Named In County Little League: Twenty players were chosen recently for the Monroe County all-star Little League team. The squad, to compete in district play, will schedule an initial contest some time in late July.
All-Stars, chosen according to teams, are as follows: Braves, Tim Jones and Ree Locklin; Indians, Tommy Dailey; White Sox, Louie Hayles, Paul Griffin, L.W. Locklin, Joe Tucker and Larry Ikner; Dodgers, Roy Black, Jerry Jackson, Rob Sanderson and Bob Knapp; Yankees, Victor Norris, Guy Sawyer and Herbert Broughton; Reds, Joe Kelly, Jack Kelly, Mike Lawrence, Laurie Skipper and Johnnie Mack King.

Two Youths Drowned In Fishing Accident: Two Monroe County youths were drowned Friday night when the boat in which they were fishing on the Alabama River was capsized.
Sheriff Charlie Sizemore said Charles Hartley, 19, and Zollie Riley, 17, were fishing with two other men at the mouth of Bailey’s Creek, approximately 20 miles south of the Claiborne landing when the accident occurred around 8:30.
The bodies were recovered Saturday at 3 p.m., the Sheriff declared. He said the accident was reported by the other men, whose names were not obtained, to a store owner in Uriah. Both deaths were pronounced accidental, Sheriff Sizemore asserted.

89 YEARS AGO
JULY 6, 1933

Fifth Man Jailed In Bank Robbery: B.F. Suttles of Birmingham was placed in jail last Friday in connection with the attempted robbery of the Beatrice bank. According to the sheriff’s force, Suttles was the last man seen with the torch used to gain entrance to the vault. He is said to have left Birmingham the day before the robbery and stated that he was carrying the torch in order to do some repair work on a shinny still. He is held for questioning.

Fourth of July Passed Quietly In Monroe County: The Fourth of July passed quietly in Monroe County. No celebration was held in Monroeville other than a doubleheader ball game in the afternoon and a dance that evening at the American Legion club house. The games with Brewton and Bay Minette brought Monroeville a victory and a loss. The Brewton game played first resulted in a 7-1 score for Brewton. The Bay Minette game brought the locals a 5-4 victory. Picnics and barbecues were held in various sections of the county during the day.

MASONIC CONFERENCE AT FRISCO CITY ON JULY 12^TH: The Monroe County Masonic Conference will be held at Frisco City on Wed., July 12. (One day only.) Mr. J.W. Thurmond of Castleberry, district lecturer, will have charge of the conference and will give instructions in the ritualistic work. A cordial invitation is extended to all Masons to attend this conference.

Miss Emma Yarbrough, Miss Ivie Turnbull, Mrs. John C. Hybart, Mary Emily Hybart, Mr. and Mrs. S.W. Westbrook, Mrs. A.J. Locklin and Charles Locklin are leaving today for Chicago to visit the Century of Progress Exposition.

114 YEARS AGO
JULY 2, 1908

The jury term of the county court will convene next Monday. The condition of the docket indicates that the court will be occupied for several days.

Mrs. J.I. Bizzelle and daughter, Miss Lucile, are spending a few weeks of the heated term at the Wilcox Mineral Springs, Schuster, Ala.

Mr. and Mrs. James B. McBryde of Nashville, Tenn. visited relatives in Monroeville this week, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Q. Satler. They attended the recent reunion of Confederate Veterans at Birmingham, since the close of which they have been with relatives and friends in Wilcox County. Mr. and Mrs. McBryde are first cousins of Capt. F.M. Jones, whom they had not seen for more than 50 years, and the meeting and few days of association were most pleasant.

Recently elected officers for Mizpah Lodge No. 667, Manistee, Ala., for the ensuing year are: W.R. Blackwell, Worshipful Master; G.H. Harper, Senior Warden; J.W. Wilkinson, Junior Warden; W.M. Florey, Treasurer; A.S. Herlong, Secretary; J.H. Herlong, Senior Deacon; T.N. Ikner, Junior Deacon; J.H. Anderson, Tyler; V.J. Herlong, Chaplain; H.W. Herlong, Marshal; and W.J. Galloway and Alex Davis, Stewards.

L.J. Bugg, Esq., left Sunday for Montgomery on the happiest mission of his life. He was united in marriage to Miss Evelyn Hill in Montgomery on Tuesday evening and leaves today with his bride for an extended trip to the west, including Denver, Colorado, where he will attend the national democratic convention.