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

J. Thomas Heflin

24 YEARS AGO
NOV. 12, 1998

Town Council appoints Willie James Nicholson as new mayor of Repton: With Mayor Scott Dees’ resignation effective Dec. 15, the Repton Town Council chose his replacement at its regular meeting Tuesday.
Following Dees’ recommendation, the council appointed Willie James Nicholson to finish Dees’ term as mayor. The term expires in September 2000.

Tucker has Super game in SW: SWEET WATER - Frisco City’s John Tucker had a super effort Friday here in the Whippets’ 51-20 victory over Sweet Water in the 1A state football playoffs.
Tucker, a 5-9, 190-pound senior fullback, ran Frisco into the second round of the playoffs and put himself into the Alabama High School Athletic Association record book.
He scored eight touchdowns and 51 points in what head coach Rodney Dollar called a “super human effort.” In addition, he kicked three extra points and rushed for 391 yards on 36 attempts.
In a performance that the comic book hero Superman would envy, Tucker became only the second high school player in the state to score eight touchdowns in a single game.

New bank breaks ground: Officers and directors broke ground for a new bank in Frisco City last week. The new facility will be called The Bank of Frisco City and will be located across the street from Frisco Tractor & Equipment Co., next to the Frisco City Co-Op. Present for the groundbreaking were Bill Scruggs, Frisco City branch manager; Billy Jones, Sam Carter and George Hughes, board members; John Gittings, CEO and director; Billy Eddins, president and director; and Dr. L.A. Knight, chairman of the board.

49 YEARS AGO
NOV. 8, 1973

$24,000 cotton loss: An Evergreen fireman tries to salvage some of the $24,000 worth of cotton which was destroyed by fire Friday night at Belleville Gin near Repton. Monroeville Fire Chief Wilbert Pickens said the 80 bales of cotton were on a trailer outside the gin when they caught afire. Firemen managed to push the cotton off the trailer with a forklift, saving the trailer, but the cotton was damaged beyond use. Firemen were unable to determine the cause of the blaze. The Bermuda, Peterman, Evergreen and Repton fire departments, as well as Monroeville’s, were summoned to the fire, which started about 9:30 p.m.

Excel goes undefeated: The Excel High School Panthers racked up their 10^th win of the season Friday night, downing McKenzie, 40-0, in McKenzie.
Rex McCants led the rushing for the Panthers with 95 yards, and Frank Lassiter totaled 48 yards.
(Other top Excel players in that game included Pat Browning, Chuck Countryman, Neal Dawson, Jiles Hands, Theodore Hixon, James Jordan, Keith McMillian, Jerry Nall and Paul Wiggins. Lee Holladay was Excel’s head coach.)

Local trooper made sergeant: J.D. Stuckey, who has served Monroe County for the past seven years as a state trooper, has been promoted to the rank of sergeant and will assume duties today (Thursday) as commander of the Dothan highway patrol post. The 35-year-old Greenville native came to Monroeville as a trooper in 1966 and in September 1970 was promoted to the rank of corporal, serving Monroe and Conecuh counties.

74 YEARS AGO
NOV. 11, 1948

Even Fish Stories Can’t Beat This: Monroeville’s Sam McCall believes he has a story about a cat that will outdo any fish tale he’s ever heard.
In April 1946, when Mr. McCall and family moved to Monroeville, a tiny kitten took up at his home on Mt. Pleasant Street. Very little attention was paid to the kitten until a few months later when, by some unknown means, it became completely blind. Then it was accepted as a regular pet of the family.
When the McCall family moved several months later to their present home on Pecan Street, the cat went along with them. There it remained until Halloween week in 1947, when the entire family was out of town for a period of a week. Back home again, they found the cat had disappeared. In the weeks that followed, no sign of the feline was found.
One year after its disappearance, however, the cat reappeared – back at the home on Mt. Pleasant Street, now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lee. No one knows how it got there.
In the space of a year’s time, the blind cat had traveled a distance of only about 1,200 yards.

Excel Team Defeats Red Level, 26-0: Excel defeated Red Level 26-0 last Friday afternoon at Red Level. Curtis Johnson scored three touchdowns for the Monroe County team, and Gerald Skipper added another. It was the second victory of the season for Excel.

99 YEARS AGO
NOV. 8, 1923

Senator J. Thomas Heflin is scheduled to address the citizens of Monroe County at the courthouse on Fri., Nov. 9, at 10 o’clock.

Editor Bob Vail of Bay Minette came up to Monroeville Friday to root for the home team in the football game between the Bay Minette and Monroeville High School teams. The visitors were worsted in the encounter, 26 to 0.

There is estimated to be at least 1,500 automobiles, trucks and other motor vehicles in daily use in Monroe County, yet less than half this number have paid license fees up to this date. Licenses will become delinquent on Nov. 14. After that date heavy penalties will be incurred.

Judge Fountain urges that owners of automobiles who have not already obtained the license required by law do so without delay. The legal formalities involved require time and many will incur penalties if the matter is delayed.

The Tax Assessor and Collector have completed their round of sittings and may be found in their respective offices for the accommodation of those who have neglected to render returns and make payments.

GINNERS’ REPORT: There were 7,530 bales of cotton ginned in Monroe County prior to Oct. 18, 1923 as compared with 9,534 bales ginned to Oct. 18, 1922. – Charles N. Nettles, Special Agent.

Rev. A.E. Shafer delivered his farewell sermon at the Methodist church Sunday evening. An unusually large congregation was present to receive the parting message. General regret is felt at the termination of the pleasant relationship which has existed between pastor and his people during the last four years.

155 YEARS AGO
NOV. 9, 1867

METEOROLOGICAL – The flurry, bluster and rain of last Sunday was succeeded by a brilliant frost and several light ones, and thus we are to have some bracing beautiful weather, if we are to judge from the present, serene indications.

THE HOP – We attended the dance given at Masonic Hall last evening, at which we spent the evening exceedingly pleasant. The dance was conducted in style and the young folks seemed to enjoy themselves finely – especially those who took an active part in the Terpsichorean performances. We should feel irreprehensible if dancing was the worst of our transgressions.

CUTTING SCRAPE IN BALDWIN COUNTY – A difficulty occurred on Friday last near Fish River between two men, George Bowen and John Thomas, about a damsel named Eliza. It resulted in the cutting of Thomas in several places. Bowen immediately fled and has not yet been apprehended. Thomas is lying in a critical situation, and it is hardly probable that he can survive the injuries received, being of a serious nature.

CASTALIAN ACADEMY: This school was opened the third Monday of September 1867 and is pleasantly situated one and a half miles from Claiborne, near the site of the old Academy, and near also to three beautiful springs from which was suggested its Classic name.
Our session of 9-1/2 months will close the last Friday in June 1868. Board can be obtained in Claiborne or on Perdue Hill at reasonable rates. Sons of clergymen of all denominations will be educated at half price.