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

EIGHT YEARS AGO
JUNE 11, 2015

FC to buy bank: Frisco City will purchase the former Superior Bank building next week for its new Town Hall.
The town is buying the building from veterinarian, Dr. Hal Noble, for $125,000.
Last year, black mold was discovered in the present Town Hall and the town was forced to find a new location.

Dixie Youth announces Ozone all-stars: Monroeville Dixie Youth League recently named its Ozone all-star team. Team members are Jackson Tatum, Jon Byrd, Chico Hixon, Trinity McDonald, Matthew Owens, Caleb Powell, Tayvis Davis, Corey Barnes, J.T. Lolley, Dagan Feaster, Jordan Witherington, Brody Byrd and coach Ricky Powell.

McPhaul’s Mercantile opening in Excel: There will be a grand opening celebration for McPhaul’s Mercantile in downtown Excel Friday from 4-7 p.m.
Owners Ashley and Jessica McPhaul purchased the former Excel Hardware and are breathing new life into the store.

Officers announced: American Legion Post 61 meetings are held on the second Thursday night of each month at Vanity Fair Golf Club at 6:30 p.m. The 2016 officers for American Legion Post 61 are Bob Steward, First Vice Commander; Wayne Crutchfield, Adjutant; Tommy Wright, Post Commander; Herb Kennedy, Sgt. At Arms; Hillary Grimes Jr., Finance Officer; Bill Scruggs, County Commander; Mac McKinley, Second Vice Commander; and Charles Sawyer, Chaplain.

33 YEARS AGO
JUNE 14, 1990

Area students are attending Boys, Girls State: Several Monroe County students are attending Boys State and Girls State this week. Boys State is being held at Samford University in Birmingham, and Girls State is at Huntingdon College in Montgomery.
Those chosen to attend were: John Godwin and Amy Scruggs of Excel School; Benjamin Malone and Melissa Butler of Monroe County High School; Jesse Nicholas and Tracy Dunn of Monroe Academy; and Spence Maughon and Amy Cave of Frisco City High School.

Bishop, Johnson in all-star game: When the third annual Alabama-Mississippi Shrine High School All-Star Classic football game kicks off Saturday in Mobile’s Ladd Stadium at 7:15 p.m., Excel’s Bo Bishop and Brady Johnson will be there.
Bishop was selected to help coach the Alabama team after leading Excel High School to the finals of the 1A state playoffs in December. Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound senior lineman, is the only player in the 1A classification on Alabama’s roster.

Recycling addition set for ARN: A $55.6 million wastepaper recycling plant to be built at Claiborne was announced Tuesday by Parsons & Whittemore, Inc. of New York and Abitibi-Price, Inc. of Toronto, Canada.
Abitibi-Price chairman Bernd K. Koken and Parsons & Whittemore chairman George F. Landegger, whose firms are partners in Alabama River Newsprint Co., Inc. (ARN) at Claiborne, announced the companies would team up again to build the recycling plant. They hope to have it built and in operation by late 1991.
The recycling plant is the most recent addition announced for what will become a $1.4 billion pulp-and-paper complex at Claiborne, which company executives say will be the largest of its kind in the world.

58 YEARS AGO
JUNE 10, 1965

Jimmy Brooks of Uriah won grand champion of the Monroe County 4-H Fat Calf Show & Sale last Wednesday with his Hereford steer. Jimmy is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Brooks.
Sammy Wiggins, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wiggins of Excel, took reserve champion honors with his Angus steer at the 4-H Fat Calf Show & Sale in Frisco City.

First Cotton Bloom Grown At Uriah: The first cotton bloom turned in to The Journal this year was grown on the farm of J.C. Mims & Sons at Uriah. The bloom was sent in last Wednesday, June 2.

Albert G. Simmons Receives Degree: The Medical College of Alabama announces that Albert Grayson Simmons of Monroeville received his M.D. degree at commencement exercises held at the University of Alabama, May 30.

Industrial Board Names Officers: L.L. Dees was named Chairman of the Monroeville Industrial Development Board at an organizational meeting Monday. The meeting was the first of the full seven-man committee and was for the purpose of naming officers.
Named vice-chairman was Norman Barnett with Mickey Kennedy being named secretary-treasurer of the board.
The board was formed by the Monroeville City Council in January for the purpose of promoting and gaining new industries for the Monroeville area.
Members of the board, other than the officers, are Shall Dunning, B.C. Hornady, Bill Owens and J.P. Williamson Jr.

83 YEARS AGO
JUNE 13, 1940

Mr. George Thomas Jones left last week for New York City, where he will spent two weeks with friends and taking in the World’s Fair.

Mrs. C.F. McKinley and Mr. J.C. Finch of Atmore are visiting Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee.

EXCEL F.F.A. WINS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: The Excel Future Farmers of America basketball team won the “Little River State Park District” F.F.A. basketball tournament held at Frisco City Friday afternoon.
Excel F.F.A. boys making the team were Jim Gardner, Merril Faircloth, Clemmie Sims, James Murphy, Winford Petty, J.T. Petty and Shelly Sims.

Boxing Bouts To Be Held Here On Monroe Mills Day: The entertainment committee for Monroe Mills Day, June 21, has arranged a boxing match for the visitors that day, and has secured several fighters who have the reputation of being the best in their section.
Battling Kid, a welterweight and undefeated fighter from the State Prison Farm at Atmore, has issued a challenge to any boxer to meet him in a bout here over the 15-round route. A handsome purse will be given the winner.
Battling Kid has only one leg, but this does not seem to handicap him as he has won every fight of his career.
Several preliminary bouts have also been arranged and all boxing fans have a real treat in store for them here on Monroe Mills Day.

Prof. J.S. Lambert of the State Department of Education, Montgomery, was a visitor to Monroeville last week.

109 YEARS AGO
JUNE 11, 1914

Prof. Geo. A. Harris attended a conference of principals of county high schools in Montgomery last week after which he spent a few days at his old home in Pike.

The dwelling of Mr. L.W. Hanks at Lufkin was destroyed by fire on the night of June 3, together with all household effects. The loss amounted to about $800 with no insurance.

The “first” cotton blooms have been received at The Journal office. One was sent by Mr. S.A. Barnes of Franklin on June 5, and the other by Mr. F.L. Taylor of Mexia on the 10^th inst. Mr. Taylor reports boll weevils plentiful in his crop.

A carload of cement consigned to the Claiborne Ranch Co. was handled by the Manistee & Repton Railroad last week. The cement will be utilized in the construction of concrete silos for the preservation of forage. These will be the first silos of the concrete type to be erected in the county.

Mrs. J.T. Sawyer died at her home near Tekoa on Mon., June 8, after an illness of several days. Interment was made at Shiloh cemetery on Tuesday, the service being in accordance with the ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star of which the deceased was a member. Several members of the local chapter attended the funeral.

Mr. E. Talbert is at home after several days absence demonstrating harvesting machinery.

There will be an ice cream supper at the Mexia Schoolhouse June 18, Thursday night, for the benefit of the Mexia Baptist Church. All invited to attend.