The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Sept. 26, 2023

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley

SIX YEARS AGO
SEPT. 27, 2012

Evergreen weather observer Betty Ellis reported 1.22 inches of rain on Sept. 17 and 0.09 inches on Sept. 18. She reported a high of 86 degrees on Sept. 22 and lows of 55 degrees on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20.

Six local high school seniors will compete for top honors during Conecuh County’s Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program later this week in Evergreen.
This year’s program will be held Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. at Hillcrest High School in Evergreen.
Competitors this year will include Alexandria Evans, Grace Matlock, Jassmine Riley, Sequoya Stallworth, Amanda Thompson and Victoria Walden.

District Attorney Tommy Chapman announced on Tuesday afternoon that, effective Oct. 1, Gov. Robert Bentley has appointed him Supernumerary District Attorney.
Bentley also appointed Chapman’s Chief Assistant Steve Wadlington as District Attorney to serve out the remainder of Chapman’s term in office, which ends in January 2017.
Chapman was first appointed as District Attorney for the 35^th Judicial Circuit on May 3, 1990 by Gov. Guy Hunt. Chapman was re-elected in 1992, 1998, 2004 and 2010. As a Supernumerary District Attorney, Chapman can be called on to represent the State of Alabama at any time by the Governor, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or the Attorney General.

31 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 24, 1987

$4,330,000 is low bid on central high: A Mobile firm was the apparent low bidder on the proposed new countywide central high school with a base bid of $4,330,000, according to Conecuh County Superintendent of Education Steve Coker. The seven bids opened recently ranged up to a high of $5,078,000.
The base bid is on a contract that calls for a 92,000-square foot building, designed for 900 students, to be completed in 16 months. Coker said he expects to have all county students, ninth through twelfth grades, to begin attending classes there in the 1989-1990 school year.

Johnston will retire Oct. 1; Castleberry named: Tax Collector J. Marvin Johnston formerly announced this week that he would retire Oct. 1 after 20 years of service in that office.
Gov. Guy Hunt’s office notified The Courant on Tuesday that the governor has appointed Mrs. Carolyn Pate Castleberry to fill Johnston’s unexpired term of office, which ends Sept. 30, 1991. She will take the oath of office at 11 o’clock Friday morning in the old courtroom of the County Courthouse.
Johnston, a lifetime resident of Owassa, was first elected Tax Collector in 1966, succeeding the late Henry Wiggins. A popular official, he was re-elected without opposition in 1972, 1978 and 1984.
He graduated from Evergreen High School and Auburn University with a degree in accounting. After meritorious service in the U.S. Army, including a tour of duty in Europe in World War II, he was associated with Ivey Chevrolet Co. in Evergreen for 20 years as accountant and business manager.

56 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 27, 1962

Castleberry Bank Opening Is Today: It will be open house at the Castleberry branch of the Union Bank of Repton this afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. The new bank opened Monday.
The bank is inviting the public to come inspect its facility and the completely remodeled building. It is located in the former bank and post office building and is air conditioned.
Jerry Kelly of Brewton is manager and is being assisted right now by Carl Ryals, cashier of the main bank.

Wet-dry vote is set in county Nov. 6: Conecuh County voters will determine on Nov. 6, whether or not the legal sale of alcoholic beverages shall be allowed in the county.
Judge of Probate Lloyd G. Hart said today that over 600 county electors have petitioned for a “wet-dry” referendum and he has set the date for the election as Nov. 6.
This means that county voters will vote on three ballots when they go to the polls. Nov. 6 is general election and already there is the regular ballot for offices at stake as well as a vote on five constitutional amendments.

James D. “Jim” Martin, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, will be in Conecuh County and Evergreen today. He is scheduled to make a public address at 1:15 this afternoon.
John Nielsen, County GOP chairman, said that Martin will speak from an improvised bandstand in “No Man’s Land.”

76 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 24, 1942

A steel lookout tower has recently been completed near Belleville in this county, and a telephone line is being constructed to connect this tower with other towers in this forest fire protection unit.
This tower is No. 11 in the system of towers constructed by the Division of Forestry cooperating with local land owners. A towerman will be located in this tower at an early date for the purpose of detecting and reporting forest fires to the suppression crews. From this tower fires can be detected for a distance of from 12 to 20 miles, and before fires have reached any considerable size immediate action by the suppression crews brings such fires under control before they can do a great deal of damage.

IN SOLOMON ISLANDS: Sgt. Alton T. McIntyre, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. McIntyre, Herbert, Ala., enlisted in the Marines Aug. 18, 1940. He spent several months in Cuba, Virginia and North Carolina. Last May he sailed from Norfolk, Va. for overseas and his family didn’t know until the last few days where he was. They received a letter a few days ago saying he was on the Solomon Islands, was safe and fine and could tell plenty if he were allowed to.

Knud Nielsen, chairman of Conecuh County Salvage Committee, announced this week that arrangements had been worked out with the city to collect scrap metals at regular intervals when the garbage truck makes its rounds. Housewives and others are requested to collect and place all scrap metals near the can, box or other receptacle used for garbage and the city force will pick such scrap metals up and turn over to the committee. Proceeds from the sale of such metals will be used for the Crippled Children’s Fund.

81 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 23, 1937

Lloyd G. Hart Opens Law Offices This Week: Lloyd G. Hart, who completed the law course at the University of Alabama this spring, has opened offices in the Jones-Deming building on court square.
Mr. Hart is a native of this county, the son of Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Hart of the Centreville community. He received his early education in the rural schools near his home and graduated from the local high school in 1928. Since that time, he has been at the University of Alabama, having spent seven and one half years at that institution.

Truman Hyde Takes Over “Mack’s Café” – The eating establishment known as “Mack’s Café” has been taken over by Truman Hyde and will be opened to the public for business next Saturday. Mr. Hyde states that he will operate the café under the same name and at the same location. His wife will assist him.

Strange Ailment Afflicts Child of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce: Stricken with an unusual and strange ailment last June was one year ago, Little Hermione Pierce, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Pierce, still hangs on to life. When first stricken, her parents took her to a number of specialists and were told that her ailment was sleeping sickness or softening of the brain. She has not spoken since the first of August 1936 and has been confined to bed constantly since becoming ill. She has virtually no use of her limbs or muscles, but during the summer months has gained some weight. She takes her food very well, her mother says.
Before this illness came upon her, Hermione was a bright child and learned well in school. Physicians almost from the first have held little if any hope for her recovery.