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

Prof. Leland Ossian Howard

15 YEARS AGO
OCT. 4, 2007

112^th homecoming: Woodlawn United Methodist Church will celebrate its 112^th homecoming on Sun., Oct. 7. The worship service will begin at 11 a.m. Rev. Thomas Smith, pastor, will bring the message.

Excel upends Shields: Excel gained nearly 500 yards of offense in their 41-14 thrashing of J.F. Shields Friday night in Beatrice.
The Panthers had 269 yards on the ground off 39 carries and 213 passing yards on Marcus Anderson’s 8-for-13 performance.
Senior standout Johnny Flores had another strong night defensively with six tackles and five assists, and Brett Harris had four stops and three assists.
(Other top Excel players in that game included Kiara Betts, Britt Bowen, Steven Brown, James Davis, Shelby Jordan, Josh Mack and Akeem Williams. Top Shields players included Bruce Lewis.)

Blacksher queen: Brooke Little was named J.U. Blacksher High School’s senior-high homecoming queen Saturday during a pregame ceremony at the school’s football stadium. Little is a senior, and she is the daughter of Angela Craven of Uriah.

Council agrees to tear down Medline building: A 200,000 square foot building that has been home to several businesses, including Arvin Industries, over the last 35 years, was declared surplus property by the Monroeville City Council at Tuesday’s meeting at city hall.
Councilman Mike Kennedy said the building is in disrepair, and the repair costs would be very expensive. He asked the council to declare it surplus property, so it can be torn down.

40 YEARS AGO
OCT. 7, 1982

In principal’s memory: Three members of J.U. Blacksher High School’s Class of 1962 lay an arrangement of gladioli and carnations Sunday afternoon on the grave of John M. Sawyer, who was principal of the Uriah school when the class graduated. Sawyer, 42, died from an illness a few days after graduation. The three (James Edward Jaye of Vinton, La., Annette Johnson Tolbert of Atmore and Donald Murphy of Mexia) were representing the 17 out of 27 living class members who held a reunion during the weekend. The gladiolus is the class flower. The Sawyer grave is in Shiloh cemetery near Frisco City.

Volunteers march over Hooper 20-12: Monroe Academy’s 20-12 win over Hooper Academy Friday night in Monroeville has set up a showdown for tomorrow (Friday) night between the Volunteers and Glenwood Academy at Volunteer Stadium.
Donnie Foster paced the Volunteer ball carriers with 84 yards in 19 rushes. Volunteer linebacker Tim Carter led the tackle chart with seven solos.
(Other top Monroe players in the Hooper game included Dwight Chandler, Scotty Croft, Keith Langham, Mike McCrory, Chuck Owens, Pat Owens, Steven Simmons, Don Smith and Anthony Wilson. Rob Kelly was head coach.)

Frisco rec center dedicated: Frisco City First Baptist Church dedicated its new $149,000 recreation building Sunday and started a program for all ages which church officials hope to utilize for community outreach.
Jim Bethea of Montgomery, a consultant in the Brotherhood Department of the Alabama Baptist Association, spoke during Sunday afternoon’s service. Following the program, refreshments were served, and guests toured the 125- by 65-foot facility, which includes a gym, kitchen and dining area, rest rooms, meeting room and upstairs classrooms.

65 YEARS AGO
OCT. 3, 1957

Flu Cases Cause Closure Of School At Beatrice: Less than a week after the first official confirmation of Asian flu in Monroe County, the school at Beatrice was forced to close Tuesday as the result of an influenza epidemic.
H.G. Greer, Monroe County Superintendent of Education, stated the Beatrice school would not hold classes for the remainder of the week in an effort to prevent spread of flu among students.
The action came Tuesday after around 100 of the school’s 293 pupils were absent from classes because of the illness.
Reports from the Excel school, hit hard by the flu bug during the past several weeks, showed early this week the number of absences was tapering off. Principal William Brandon said he hoped illness at Excel was on the decline.

Whippets Smother Repton Hi, 41-0: The Frisco City Whippet 11 of Coach Don Anderson displayed the same kind of skill that made them Monroe County champions of last year last Monday night as they turned up an easy 41-0 victory over the Repton squad. The tilt was played in Frisco City.
Coach Mack Primm’s Bulldogs, running from a single-wing attack, were unable to produce any serious penetration in the Frisco City defense, headed by tackle Billy Pugh, except for an outburst by Rayburn Nall, who broke loose for 75 yards in the third canto.
(Other top FCHS players included Boris Brogden, Phil Brogden, Johnny Dunn, Reggie Dunn, Vance McCrory, Lonnie Turberville and Percy Williams.)

90 YEARS AGO
OCT. 6, 1932

PEACHTREE VISITORS REPORT POOR CROPS: Messrs. D.G. Mayer, B.W. Slaughter, J.J. and J.W. Green of Lower Peachtree were visitors to Monroeville last week. They reported that cotton and other crops will show a great decrease compared with the 1931 production. One part of the “Bend” was drowned out by too much rain during the growing season, while the other part parched for lack of rain. The sugar cane crop in that section is almost a complete failure.

Monroeville Tigers Win Second Game: The Monroe Tigers kept their defeat column clear last Friday afternoon by bouncing the fast Pine Apple team by the score of 19 to 7.
The game was opened by the Pine Apple team returning the kick of 75 yards for a touchdown. At this point, the first string was rushed into the fray. They went into action, and after losing the first touchdown on a fumble, “Red” Tidwell swept over left tackle for the Tigers’ first score. The Tiger veterans opened the second half with plenty of fight and ran across touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters. Albert Biggs scored the last counter on a beautiful 45-yard jaunt.

Scout Executive Will Address American Legion: Mr. R.J. Seeger, Boy Scout executive of Mobile, will speak in the interest of the Boy Scout movement at the regular meeting of the American Legion on Tuesday night. All who are interested in Boy Scout work are urged to attend the meeting.

MONROEVILLE CHAPTER WILL HAVE HALLOWEEN PARTY: The Monroeville Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, will sponsor a Halloween party, which will be given on Fri., Oct. 28. Further announcements will be made later.

115 YEARS AGO
OCT. 3, 1907

Sheriff M.M. Fountain made a business trip to Cincinnati and Louisville last week.

E.R. Green, the photographer, of Peterman, will be in Monroeville during court prepared to do all kinds of photographic work, especially postcard photos, which are now so popular. He invites all desiring work of this character to call on him.

Rev. George Hudson of Hangchow, China delivered an interesting and instructive lecture at the Presbyterian church last Thursday night on China and the progress of Christian Missions. Mr. Hudson has spent 16 years in the Celestial Empire and is thoroughly familiar with conditions in that country. He says the door is now open and the people in a condition of receptivity as never before, and the home church should take advantage of the opportunity offered.

Prof. L.O. Howard, chief of the bureau of entomology, announces that the boll weevil has reached the Mississippi River and the genuine article has been found at a point opposite Natchez. During the present season, it has made about the same advancement as it has for several years past, and Prof. Howard does not believe that the Mississippi River can stay its progress into the southern states east of the Father of Waters. At the same time, Prof. Howard will not be surprised to learn any day of the finding of a parasite which will destroy the weevil.

Hon. I.B. Slaughter, Dr. T.M. McMillan and Messrs. F.W. Hare, M.M. Fountain and Q. Salter attended the ninth reunion of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite bodies in Mobile this week.