Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Wed., Dec. 28, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.40 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.40 inches

Month to Date Rainfall:  6.35 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: 0.40 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 48.35 inches

Notes: Today in the 363rd day of 2016 and the eighth day of Winter. There are three days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Dec. 27, 2016

19 YEARS AGO

DEC. 25, 1997

School Board has free coal to give away: Modernization can take its toll on everything, and it can also leave you with a surplus of items left that are no longer needed. Also, at this time of year, coal can be a blessing.

Case in point is something the Conecuh County Board of Education is giving away: Coal. With the schools no longer using coal burning heaters, a supply is left and Superintendent Ronnie Brogden wants it gone.

He said this is surplus coal left from the system’s coal burning days. He also said it is free to anyone who will remove it.

Richard Cobb, seven, won the World’s Largest Christmas Stocking recently in a drawing held at the Shell Food Mart. Presenting the stocking was Ozetha Grace, manager of the store. Cobb is a student at Lyeffion Junior High School.

Winners of Christmas in the Park decorating contest were first place, Evergreen Technologies, Inc. Second place was Aubrey Padgett’s Garage and third place went to Pugh & Son. The festivities began Thursday evening and continued until Saturday. The festivities are hosted annually by the Conecuh Children’s Foundation, and proceeds benefit area schools. This year, the recipient of funds is Evergreen Junior High School.

(During a Conecuh County Commission meeting on Dec. 22), County Attorney Fred Stevens told the commission he was giving them an early Christmas present by foregoing his regular comments.

34 YEARS AGO

DEC. 30, 1982

Evergreen weather observer Earl Windham reported .05 inches of rain on Dec. 24 and 1.04 inches between 4:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Tues., Dec. 28. He reported highs of 72 degrees on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24 and a low of 28 on Dec. 20.

Winston Pierce was recently presented a plaque by City Councilman Lomax Cassady in recognition of Pierce’s 35 years of dedicated service with the City. Looking on are Street and Sanitation Superintendent Matthew Davis and Mayor Lee F. Smith. Winston, a member of the Class of 1943 at Evergreen High School, served with the U.S. Army Infantry in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during World War II and was decorated for his courageous service. He is married to the former Gertrude Perdue of Evergreen, and they live on Pierce Street. Winston started working with the City of Evergreen in November 1947.

Mrs. Ellen Winifred Weaver Key, 96, of Evergreen died Fri., Dec. 24, in a Monroeville nursing home after a long illness. She was a member of a prominent pioneer county family and was much loved and respected by all who knew her. She was a longtime resident of Evergreen and her late husband was an educator who served this county as superintendent of education.

Survivors include one son, Circuit Judge Robert E.L. Key, Evergreen; one daughter, Mrs. Frances Scott Key Bateman, Lexington, Tenn.; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

49 YEARS AGO

DEC. 28, 1967

Miss Elizabeth Ann Key is Conecuh County’s 1968 Junior Miss and Miss Patricia Montgomery is the first alternate. They were selected at the Evergreen Jaycees’ Junior Miss Pageant last Thursday night. Miss Key is the daughter of Judge and Mrs. Robert E.L. Key. Miss Montgomery is the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Don Montgomery. Miss Key will compete in Birmingham to become Alabama’s 1968 Junior Miss.

Coburn earns Combat Badge: Dau Tieng, Vietnam – The Combat Infantryman Badge, mark of distinction for the fighting soldier, was awarded to Staff Sgt. James E. Coburn, 26, near Dau Tieng, Vietnam, Dec. 9.

Sgt. Coburn, son of Mrs. Lillie M. Coburn, 251 Pecan St., Evergreen, is assigned to Co. B, 2^nd Battalion of the 25^th Infantry Division’s 12^th Infantry as a squad leader.

Brewton man dies in accident on ‘Coal Kiln’ curve: A Brewton man was killed and a local woman was injured in an accident Friday night on “Coal Kiln” curve some 5.5 miles south of Evergreen on U.S. Highway 31.

George Thomas Barrentine, 23, died in the one-car crash when he lost control of the car he was driving. Miss Dorothy Mason suffered lacerations and bruises and was admitted to the Conecuh County Hospital.

According to State Trooper Charles Cottingham, who investigated, the accident happened at approximately 8 p.m. Friday night.

64 YEARS AGO

DEC. 25, 1952

City To Advertise On New Water Tank: The City of Evergreen will do a little advertising of itself on the new elevated water tank. The council last week proposed to install floodlights on top of the tank and paint the city’s name on it. Then, day or night, tourists and others passing through Evergreen will know that they are in Evergreen, Alabama.

The new tank with 250,000 gallons capacity went into operation this month when the installation of the first of two new pumps was completed.

City’s Future Growth Comes Under Zoning Ordinance Next Week: The future growth of the City of Evergreen will be regulated under the provisions of a proposed zoning ordinance which will become law next week. Final hearing on the zoning plan was held by the council last week and there was no one present to lodge formal complaints against its provisions.

Passing of this ordinance follows a year’s work by the City Planning Commission which was organized about a year ago with Byron Warren as chairman.

Lt. Nielsen Stationed At Camp Rucker Now: CAMP RUCKER, Ala. – Lt. John M. Nielsen, son of Mrs. Mary R. Nielsen of Evergreen, assigned to the 47^th “Viking” Infantry Division in training here.

His new unit, the 47^th, was called into active service in January 1951. A Minnesota-North Dakota National Guard Division, the 47^th is now composed of men from all 48 states and three territories.

79 YEARS AGO

DEC. 30, 1937

Holidays Pass Here In Quiet Manner: The holiday season passed in Evergreen in a quiet manner. Officers of the law report that the large crowds which thronged the streets on several days before Christmas was perhaps the best behaved in the history of the city. They report a minimum number of arrests and these were for minor infractions of the law. No doubt the vigilance of these officers in discharging their duties was largely responsible for the good behavior.

L.B. Craig returned to CCC camp at Chatom Sunday after spending the holidays here with Mrs. Craig.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hagood were weekend guests of Dr. and Mrs. J.W. Hagood leaving Sunday for Atlanta, where Mr. Hagood has been transferred as manager of the Singer Sewing Machine office.

Local Merchants Enjoy Good Christmas Business: The majority of the businessmen who were seen by The Courant representative this week stated their holiday business was good. Some were a little pessimistic over the outcome but on the whole merchants were found with their chins up and in a good frame of mind.

Holiday business was a bit slow in getting started but last week saw it gain in momentum to climax and overflow crowd in virtually all stores and shops on Christmas Eve day.

Nearly all stores are engaged this week in taking an inventory of their stocks in preparation for closing their books for the year.

Today in History for Dec. 27, 2016

Dec. 27, 1512 – The Spanish Crown issued the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World.

Dec. 27, 1571 – Astronomer Johannes Kepler was born in Wurttemberg, Germany.

Dec. 27, 1780 - American Brigadier General Daniel Morgan detached a force of approximately 275 troops commanded by Colonel William Washington to destroy a force of 250 British Loyalists under the command of Colonel Thomas Waters, who had been terrorizing Patriots in the vicinity of Fairforest Creek, on Bush River, South Carolina. Hammonds Store was a blacksmith’s shop and trading post in what became Laurens County, northeast of Mountville, in the district of Fort Ninety-Six, and Colonel Washington, a cousin of General George Washington, surprised the Loyalists and Redcoats camping at the store. American forces killed or wounded 150 British Loyalists and captured 40 prisoners during the four-day siege without incurring any losses of their own.

Dec. 27, 1814 – Duriing the War of 1812, the American schooner USS Carolina was destroyed. It was the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's makeshift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

Dec. 27, 1816 – Early Conecuh County teacher and minister Rev. Hanson Lee was born in Johnston County, N.C. He would go on to serve as president of Mount Lebanon College and as editor of the Louisiana Baptist.

Dec. 27, 1822 – Chemist Louis Pasteur was born in Dole, France.

Dec. 27, 1831 – Charles Darwin embarked on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate the theory of evolution.

Dec. 27, 1846 - Mobile’s Jewish community, which was called “Congregation” Shaarai Shomayim (Gates of Heaven), dedicated a small building on St. Emanuel St., between Church and Government Streets as the first Jewish house of worship in Alabama. Shaarai Shomayim moved to a larger location on Jackson St., between St. Louis and St. Michael Streets, in 1853. The structure burned in 1856 but was quickly rebuilt through the combined ecumenical efforts of Christians and Jews in 1858.

Dec. 27, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought near Hallville, Mo.

Dec. 27, 1861 – During the Civil War, Confederates skirmished with Creeks and Seminoles in Indian Territory. The Confederate Cherokee Mounted Rifles were under the command of CSA Col. Stand Watie.

Dec. 27, 1861 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Mossy Creek, New Castle, and Somerville, Tenn.

Dec. 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Snyder’s Mill, on the Yazoo River, in Mississppi as Federal General William T. Sherman moved within a few miles of Vicksburg, Miss. Two days of skirmishes occurred before Sherman ordered a major attack on Dec. 29. Sherman was thwarted in the attempt that became known as the Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs.

Dec. 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Elizabeth City, N.C.; and at Huntingdon, Stewart’s Creek Bridge and Triune, Tenn.

Dec. 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, three days of Federal operations on Dumfries and Fairfax Station, Va. began.

Dec. 27, 1863 – During the Civil War, a three-day Federal operation began between Newport Barracks and Jackson, N.C. Skirmishes were also fought at Huntingdon, Talbott’s Station, Colliersville, Grisson’s Bridge, La Fayette and near Moscow, Tenn.

Dec. 27, 1864 - The broken and defeated Confederate Army of Tennessee finished crossing the Tennessee River as General John Bell Hood’s force retreated into Mississippi. After crossing the Tennessee River in December, Hood reported some 18,700 officers and enlisted men, a figure that another Confederate general, Pierre Beauregard, thought was significantly inflated. The Confederate Army of Tennessee was no longer a viable fighting force.

Dec. 27, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Decatur, Ala.

Dec. 27, 1864 – During the Civil War, a Federal operation was carried out between Pine Bluff to Simpson’s Plantation, Ark.; and a skirmish was fought at Okolona, Miss. Federal forces also withdrew from the vicinity of Fort Fisher in Wilmington, N.C.

Dec. 27, 1901 – Film actress and cabaret singer Marlene Dietrich was born Mary Magdalene Dietrich in Berlin.

Dec. 27, 1904 – The Abbey Theatre opened in Dublin as a permanent space for the Irish Literary Theatre, a company created by a group of writers that included W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory.

Dec. 27, 1905 - A church festival was scheduled to be held at the home of Dr. W.A. Stallworth in Beatrice, Ala. on this Wednesday evening for the benefit of Moore Street Baptist Church.

Dec. 27, 1908 - The world didn't end as Nyack, New York's would-be prophet Lee J. Spangler claimed it would.

Dec. 27, 1910 – Poet Charles Olson was born in Worcester, Mass.

Dec. 27, 1912 – The No. 2 Passenger Train, which passed through Evergreen, Ala. at 5:19 a.m., wrecked at Garland. The engine and three cars overturned, and it was reported that the engineer, fireman and several others were injured. This was the third wreck on that division of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad in 10 days.

Dec. 27, 1915 - F.R. Whittle’s gin, one of the largest in Conecuh County, Ala., was completely destroyed by fire on this Monday night and the fire was believed to have been of “incendiary origin.”

Dec. 27, 1915 - W.S. Keller, State Highway Engineer, spent this Monday in Monroeville, Ala., supervising the letting of a contract for a section of state aid road.

Dec. 27, 1915 – The Rev. N.H. Gibson, who was pastor of the Franklin, Ala. circuit during the previous year, left the Monroeville area on this Monday for Greenville “to take up the duties of his new charge.”

Dec. 27, 1930 – Novelist Wilfrid Sheed was born in London, England.

Dec. 27, 1934 – The Monroe Journal reported, under the headline “Frisco City Tree Attracts Attention,” that “many night travelers through Frisco City have commented favorably on the outdoor Christmas tree erected by the town.” This large tree was located on the highway at the well in front of the McWilliams store. “At night, it presents a very striking appearance with its many colored lights and other Christmas ornaments, and can be seen from some distance,” The Monroe Journal reported.

Dec. 27, 1948 - Captained by pilot Robert Linquist, NC16002 ended its Miami to San Juan leg at 19:40 EST. During its return trip to Miami, it would disappear over the Bermuda Triangle a few hours later.

Dec. 27, 1959 – Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett was born in Birmingham, Ala. He went on to play for Iowa and the New England Patriots. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Dec. 27, 1964 – Marine Pvt. James Marshall returned to his station at Camp Lejeune, N.C. on this Sunday after spending the Christmas holidays with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Marshall in Monroeville, Ala.

Dec. 27, 1966 – The Cave of Swallows, the largest known cave shaft in the world, was discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Dec. 27, 1966 - A United States and South Vietnamese joint-service operation took place against one of the best-fortified Viet Cong strongholds, located in the U Minh Forest in the Mekong Delta, 125 miles southwest of Saigon.

Dec. 27, 1968 - Three teenage girls were slightly injured on this Friday in a one-car accident on Clausell Road in Monroeville, Ala. Ann Gordon, Nancy Lynch and Jennifer Andress, all of Monroeville, received minor cuts and bruises when the late model automobile in which they were riding went out of control, ran up a four-foot embankment and turned over, City Police Sgt. Jim Cave said.

Dec. 27, 1969 - In the fiercest battle in six weeks, U.S. and North Vietnamese forces clashed near Loc Ninh, about 80 miles north of Saigon.

Dec. 27, 1969 – Journalist, essayist and author Sarah Vowell was born in Muskogee, Okla.

Dec. 27, 1973 – The Monroe Journal reported that Riley Nicholas Kelly of Excel, Ala. had published his third volume of poetry, “The Human Way.” The new volume, released by Exposition Press of New York, “succeeds in bringing a vibrant and dramatic new dimension to the sonnet form, and it most surely marks Riley Nicholas Kelly as a bright new star in poetic skies,” Richard G. Beyer of Florence, founding president of the Alabama State Poetry Society, said in a review. Kelly, a former Monroe Journal editor who was a partner in Kelly Mill Mercantile Co. of Dottelle, earlier published “In Search of Light” in 1969 and “Patterns” in 1970.

Dec. 27, 1973 – The Monroe Journal reported that Lee Roy Jordan of the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Alabama and Excel High School had been named to the All-Star team of the National Football Conference. Jordan, a 10-year veteran of the NFC, was “having his best year with seven interceptions.” Jordan was defensive captain for the Cowboys, calling all defensive signals, and was also co-captain of the team.

Dec. 27, 1974 - Fred Stinson and Tommy Hutcheson killed three bucks on this Friday in Wilcox County, Ala., two three-pointers and one five-pointer with Stinson claiming two of them.

Dec. 27, 1976 – Actor Aaron Stanford was born in Westford, Mass. He is best known for his role as Pyro in “X2” and “X-Men: The Last Stand.”

Dec. 27, 1978 – Spain became a democracy after 40 years of fascist dictatorship.

Dec. 27, 1979 - The Monroe Journal released its fourth annual all-star football team, which was selected from the largest number of players ever nominated for the elite team. The 1979 Coach of the Year was Rob Kelly, who led the Monroe Academy Volunteers to the Alabama Private School Association 3A title in 1979. The year’s first team offense was headed by two 1,000-yard rushers, Randall Norris of Monroe Academy and Henry McPherson of Monroe County High School, as running backs. Other first-team members of the all-star team included Thomas Agee, Chuck Black, Jimmy Bonner, Davison Carter, Sammie Carter, Curtis Childs, Dennis Cole, Doug Cook, Errol Cook, Kenny Harris, Daryl Lambert, Curtis Lee, Cedric Logan, Charles McGinnis, Norman Montgomery, Daryl Nettles, Jeff Tatum, James Prevo, Doug Smith, Alphonso Stallworth, Tripp Stallworth, Jerry Waters and Rick Williams.

Dec. 27-29, 1984 - Sparta Academy was scheduled to host a “Tournament of Champions” in the school gymnatorium in Evergreen, Ala. Teams in the boys division were Minor of Birmingham, Pike Liberal of Troy, Lakeside Academy of Eufaula, Woodland of Phenix City, Edgewood Academy of Elmore, Wilcox Academy of Camden, Jackson Academy of Jackson and Sparta Academy of Evergreen. Teams in the girls division were Sparta Academy, Jackson Academy, Wilcox Academy, Pike Liberal and Woodland.

Dec. 27, 1984 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Gerald W. Rolling killed a seven-point buck in Conecuh County, Ala. that weighed 185 pounds. Tommy Hall also killed a 150-pound, seven-point deer in Butler County.

Dec. 27, 1984 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the office of Chairman of the Conecuh County (Ala.) Commission would change from a part time position to full time position if a proposed piece of local legislation became law. The proposed bill was being advertised in The Courant at that time and was to be introduced in the legislature early the next year.

Dec. 27, 1984 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the entrance of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Owens won first place in the Evergreen (Ala.) Chamber of Commerce Decorations Contest.

Dec. 27, 1984 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Sparta Academy’s Kindergarten class had visited the Evergreen, Ala. Post Office and mailed their letters to Santa Claus. Their teacher was Katrine Sanford. Postmaster Eugene Hyde assisted the youngsters.

Dec. 27, 1991 – “Fried Green Tomatoes,” a movie version of Alabama author Fannie Flagg's book “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe,” was released.

Dec. 27, 1992 - The U.S. shot down an Iraqi fighter jet during what the Pentagon described as a confrontation between a pair of Iraqi warplanes and U.S. F-16 jets in U.N.-restricted airspace over southern Iraq.

Dec. 27, 1994 - Only half of the Monroe County’s commissioners – Charlie McCorvey and Silas Tucker – and Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs attended the final meeting of the year on this Tuesday and heard reports relating to road work and environmental concerns over the county shop. Commissioners Carlisle McClure and Alex Roberts were absent. Monroe County was to receive as much as $400,000 in federal aid for repair of three problem roads, according to County Engineer John McAnulty.

Dec. 27, 1994 - At about 6 a.m. on this Tuesday, the Frisco City High School varsity cheerleaders left on a trip they had been preparing for since October. The six girls were to join 2,500 cheerleaders from around the country in the televised halftime performance at the 50th anniversary of the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. on Dec. 20. Going on the trip were April Lott, Leslie Sims, Renee Stinson, Misty Godwin, Spring Evans and Rhonda Luker.

Dec. 27, 1998 - The Dallas Cowboys became the first team to sweep all of their NFC East games in a season.

Dec. 27, 1998 - Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys set an NFL record for career touchdowns.

Dec. 27, 1999 - Alabama author Michael McDowell died in Boston, Mass.

Dec. 27, 2003 - New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fainted at a memorial service. He was released from the hospital the following day.

Dec. 27, 2004 - In a game against the San Diego Chargers, quarterback Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts found wide receiver Brandon Stokely in the end zone for his 49th touchdown pass of the season, breaking the previous National Football League (NFL) single-season record held by Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins. Manning's record stood until 2007, when Tom Brady of the New England Patriots threw 50 touchdowns in a single season.

  

Dec. 27, 2014 – Weather reporter Betty Ellis reported 1.95 inches of rain in Evergreen, Ala.

Dec. 27, 2014 – Witnesses reported seeing a UFO around 3:30 a.m. near Pell City in St. Clair County. The witness in this case was traveling on Interstate Highway 20 from Powder Springs, Ga. to New Orleans when he spotted something strange between Lincoln and Pell City. The witness said that he saw a “bright flash of silvery-white light” to the southwest about 15 miles away and close to the ground on the horizon.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Tues., Dec. 27, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: Trace.

Month to Date Rainfall:  5.95 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: Trace.

Year to Date Rainfall: 47.95 inches

Notes: Today in the 362nd day of 2016 and the seventh day of Winter. There are four days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Dec. 26, 2016

Morris Higginbotham, at right.

19 YEARS AGO

DEC. 25, 1997

Robert Lee Franklin and Quintin Galloway of the Sparta Hill community killed their first deer (eight point) this year in the “WOODS!”

34 YEARS AGO

DEC. 30, 1982

Sparta girls, jayvees win: Sparta Academy’s girls defeated Fort Dale Academy, 35-28, while the junior varsity won, 48-42, in a battle of Warriors (nickname for both schools) in games played in Greenville on Dec. 17, according to Sports Information Director Byron Warren Jr.

Leah Carrier had 10 points, Tina Bybee and Cheri Johnson nine each, Jan Coker five and Tammy Booker two for the Sparta girls.

Dewan Salter hit for 19 points, and Wes Brown 15 to lead the Sparta Jayvees. Ed Carrier had eight points and Jason Evers, Scott Pate and Richard Starr two each.

Vol boys beat Sparta, but ‘our’ girls win: Sparta Academy’s girls beat Monroe Academy, 39-34, to prevent a visit to Monroeville on Dec. 18 from being a complete disaster for the Warriors. The boys varsity lost, 81-66, and the junior varsity boys were edged, 38-35, by the Vols.

Cheri Johnson, Jan Coker and Tina Bybee hit for 10 points each, Leah Carrier seven and Tammy Booker two for the Warrior girls.

Chris Blatz led the Warrior varsity in their losing cause with 25 points, and Al Etheridge was also in double figures with 15. Britt McNeil and Russ Brown had nine each, Connery Salter six and Joe McInvale two.

Mark Rigsby and Thad Ellis netted 11 points each to pace the Jayvees. Chad Grace had six, Tim Brantley five and Scott Salter two, according to Sparta Sports Information Director Byron Warren Jr.

49 YEARS AGO

DEC. 28, 1967

Faulkner gets letter at LSC: A Conecuh County boy has received a football letter at Livingston State College for his play during the 1967 season.

Head Coach Morris Higginbotham announced that Homer Faulkner, a kicker from Evergreen, is among the 31 boys receiving letters.

Coach Higginbotham’s Tigers, hard at work rebuilding, won four games this year, including one over Arkansas A&M, Champion Small College in Arkansas.

64 YEARS AGO

DEC. 25, 1952

Letters Awarded Nineteen Aggies At Annual QB Banquet Thursday: Billy Lewis Receives D.T. Stuart Trophy: Nineteen members of the 1952 Evergreen Aggie football team were awarded letters at the annual Quarterback Club Banquet last Thursday night. The group included nine seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and one freshman. The seniors were given gold footballs by the Quarterbacks.

President Brown Boykin was master of ceremonies at the banquet which was one of the best ever staged by the club. A wonderful speech by guest speaker James (Bubber) Nisbett, Alabama assistant coach, highlighted the program staged in the Evergreen High Cafeteria.

Coach Nisbett, an All-SEC fullback at Alabama in the thirties, was introduced by Bob Kendall.

Sportswriter Bob Bozeman of The Courant introduced Sam Hanks, all-state tackle at Evergreen High School in 1948 and letter winner at Auburn for the past three years. Hanks, starting right tackle at Auburn this year, is a senior and was recognized by the Quarterbacks for his fine record at Auburn.

Bozeman also reviewed the 1952 season, paying tribute to Coach Wendell Hart and Assistant Coach Ralph Law for their splendid work not only as coaches but also as builders of character.

Quarterback Billy Lewis was honored by his selection for the annual D.T. Stuart Football Sportsmanship Award. G.L. (Dock) Wilkinson explained briefly the purpose behind the giving of this award each year and the donor, D.T. Stuart, presented the handsome trophy to Lewis.

The other award made each year to an individual player, The Martin Theatres Trophy, was given by the Pix Theatre to the outstanding player as voted by the fans, went to Shirley Frazier. The junior award was made to Tommy Melton.

Coach Hart introduced the captains of the 1953 team elected last week. Sam Cope will captain the team next season with Ward Alexander serving as alternate captain. This year’s Captain Pace Bozeman and Alt. Capt. Shirley Frazier presented gifts in behalf of the team to the coaches.

Raymond DaLee presented the gold footballs to the senior letter winners. Principal C.W. Claybrook paid tribute to the team and coaches.

Coach Hart awarded letters to the following players:

Seniors, Pace Bozeman, Shirley Frazier, Billy Lewis, Bill Robinson, Joe Stowers, Cullen Edson, Sammy Robison, James Ansley and Clayton Cobb; Juniors, Sam Cope, Paul Hanks, Bud Ward, Lamar Sheffield; Sophomores, Ward Alexander, Jimmy Frazier, Wayne Douglas, Richard Taylor and Wayne Bell; Freshmen, Ronnie Edson.

Cheerleaders, Elaine Hassel, Phyliss Cunningham, Barbara DaLee and Patricia Alexander, and manager Garvin Langley were other letter winners.

Aggie Cagers Play Castleberry Quintet There Tuesday Night: Coach Wendell Hart’s Evergreen High Aggies will return to cage warfare Tuesday night, journeying to Castleberry for a brace of games with Coach Ray Owens’ Blue Devil five.

The Aggies posted a 4-1 mark in pre-Christmas play for their best start in several years. After racking up wins over Beatrice (2), Frisco City and Pine Apple, the Evergreen club was edged in its final game before the holidays by W.S. Neal, 53-50, on the East Brewton school’s court.

Coach Owens has made a successful coaching debut at Conecuh County High with his team posting a 4-1 record prior to Christmas. The Blue Devils lost their first game last Thursday night to the defending State Class A Champions, T.R. Miller High. They have defeated Lyeffion (twice), Pine Apple and Repton.

Capt. Shirley Frazier has led the Aggies to their early season successes. In five games, Frazier has racked up 77 points for an average of better than 15 a game. His high for the season was against Neal last week when he stripped the cords for 24 points.

(Other players on Evergreen’s team that year include Hugh Ellington, Wayne Douglas, Alt. Capt. Pace Bozeman, Ward Alexander, Cullen Edson and John Henry Brantley.)

79 YEARS AGO

DEC. 30, 1937

Bodies Of Two Hunters Found: Andalusia, Ala. – The bodies of two huntsmen Monday had been recovered, and three other men whose airplane crashed into a lake near here while they searched for the death victims, were being treated at a hospital here, the aftermath of a hunting trip which started last Thursday.

Charles Burke, 24, and T.J. Morgan, 23, both of Andalusia, lost their lives while hunting ducks on the lake Thursday. Their small boat was found intact and investigators said they had no clues as to how the pair went overboard.

Subsequently an airplane, used in the search for the two huntsmen, fell into the lake, injuring “Curley” Tathem, Grand Rapids, Mich., pilot; C.L. Tranium and Clyde Duggan, both of Andalusia.

Tathem suffered a fractured leg, Tranium a fractured skull and leg, while Duggan suffered a fractured skull, attaches to the hospital said.

The body of Burke was recovered Sunday, which that of Morgan was taken from the lake Monday morning.

THE ROSE BOWL GAME: All Alabama, as well as the nation, will be watching and listening with much interest Saturday when the Crimson Tide of Alabama meets the Golden Bears of California at the Rose Bowl for the Tournament of Roses game. Despite the fact that Alabama has played four games in the Bowl, winning three and tying one, she is going into this game as the underdog. (Cal won, 13-0.)

Today in History for Dec. 26, 2016

James Murray Mason

Dec. 26, 1620 - The Pilgrim Fathers landed at New Plymouth, Mass. to found the Plymouth Colony, with John Carver as Governor.

Dec. 26, 1776 – During the American Revolutionary War, in the Battle of Trenton, at approximately 8 a.m. on the morning, General George Washington’s Continental Army reached the outskirts of Trenton, New Jersey, and descended upon the unsuspecting Hessian force guarding the city. Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian defenders were still groggy from the previous evening’s Christmas festivities and had underestimated the Patriot threat after months of decisive British victories throughout New York. The troops of the Continental Army quickly overwhelmed the German defenses, and by 9:30 a.m. Trenton was completely surrounded.

Dec. 26, 1799 – Four thousand people attended George Washington's funeral where Henry Lee III declared him as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

Dec. 26, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Chustenahlah, Indian Territory, between some Confederates and some Pro-Federal Creek Indians lead by Hopoeithleyohola.

Dec. 26, 1861 – During the Civil War’s “Trent Affair,” Confederate diplomatic envoys James M. Mason and John Slidell were freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and United Kingdom. The two men were aboard the British mail steamer Trent on Nov. 8 when they were pulled over by the U.S.S. San Jacinto. They were headed to London to lobby for recognition of the Confederacy.

Dec. 26, 1862 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou began in Warren County, Miss.

Dec. 26, 1862 - Union General Rosecrans moved his forces south to meet Confederate troops at Stones River. The actual battle began on Dec. 31.

Dec. 26, 1862 - In Mankato, Minnesota, 38 Dakota Indians were executed for their role in an uprising that ended with 500 white settlers and 150 Sioux warriors dead. It was the largest mass execution in American history. U.S. President Lincoln commuted about 260 sentences.

Dec. 26, 1862 – During the Civil War, four nuns serving as volunteer nurses on board the USS Red Rover became the first female nurses on a U.S. Navy hospital ship.

Dec. 26, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Munford, Nolin and in Powell County, Ky.; and at Franklin, Knob Gap, La Vergne and Nolensville, Tenn.

Dec. 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Sand Mountain, Ala.

Dec. 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought with Indians near Fort Gaston, Calif.; near Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory; at Port Gibson, Miss.; and at Salem, Mo. An eight-day Federal operation began between Forsyth, Mo. and Batesville, Ark.

Dec. 26, 1864 – During the Civil War, a seven-day Federal operation against Indians began in Central Arizona, and a two-day Federal operation between Fairfax Courthouse and Hopewell Gap, Va. began. A skirmish was also fought at Sugar Creek, Tenn.

Dec. 26, 1891 – Novelist Henry Valentine Miller was born in Manhattan.

Dec. 26, 1893 – Communist leader Mao Zedong was born in Hunan province, China.

Dec. 26, 1900 – A relief crew arrived at the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles of Scotland, UK, only to find the previous crew has disappeared without a trace.

Dec. 26, 1902 - Alabama author Andrew Lytle was born in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Dec. 26, 1905 - The regular term of Conecuh County (Ala.) Court was scheduled to be held on this day.

Dec. 26, 1915 – The Rev. H.S. Ellison preached his first sermon at the Methodist church in Evergreen, Ala. on this Sunday morning. “The sermon, the prayers and the songs all breathed the Christmas spirit and the service was greatly enjoyed by all. The new preacher at the evening service was greeted by an unusually large congregation, the Baptist people and others joining in the service.”

Dec. 26, 1919 – Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox was sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee, allegedly establishing the Curse of the Bambino superstition.

Dec. 26, 1922 – Sgt. Henry Smith Skinner died at the age of 83 in Belleville. Born in Carroll County, Mo. on Sept. 8, 1839, Skinner enlisted at Milton, Fla. on Sept. 17, 1861 in Co. C of the 3^rd Battalion of the Florida Cavalry. He was promoted to Fifth Sgt. on Dec. 1, 1862 and to Third Sgt. on May 1, 1864. He was paroled in Montgomery on June 14, 1865. He is buried in the Belleville United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Dec. 26, 1927 - The East-West Shrine football game featured numbers on both the front and back of players’ jerseys.

Dec. 26, 1924 - W.A. Sims, the “veteran rural carrier of Jones Mill Route 1,” was a business visitor to Monroeville, Ala. on this Saturday.

Dec. 26, 1933 - Mayor W.A. Gunter of Montgomery, Coach Chet Wynne and Prof. John Pitts of Auburn were guests on this Tuesday of Mr. C.A. Jones of Conecuh County, being among those who attended the annual camp hunt.

Dec. 26, 1933 - China Industrial School’s boys basketball team was entertained on this Tuesday afternoon by their coach, Evelyn A. Brown, at her home on Cary Street in Evergreen, Ala.

Dec. 26, 1939 – Alabama native W.C. Handy recorded the classic "St. Louis Blues."

Dec. 26, 1939 - Work was started on this day on the construction of a city hall for the Town of Monroeville, Ala. The Hall, a two-story brick building, was a Federal WPA project, and the building was to cost around $21,000. The building was to occupy a lot 90 x 280 feet and was to be located just north of Dr. W.H. Hines’ Veterinary Hospital. The building was to house the offices of the various city officials and was to contain a large auditorium. The building would also house the city fire department.

Dec. 26, 1944 - Tennessee Williams' first major play, "The Glass Menagerie," was first performed publicly, at the Civic Theatre in Chicago, Ill.

Dec. 26, 1947 – National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk was born in Bellows Falls, Vermont. He would go on to play for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Dec. 26, 1947 – Estelle Taylor, nine-year-old daughter of Mrs. Albert Taylor, died at the Carter Hospital in Repton, Ala. on this night as a result of injuries sustained when she fell from a moving automobile that morning. The accident occurred in the Sandcut community.

Dec. 26, 1954 - "The Shadow" aired on radio for the last time.

Dec. 26, 1954 – National Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith was born in Mobile, Ala. He would go on to play for the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Dec. 26, 1956 – Humorist David Sedaris was born near Binghamton, N.Y.

Dec. 26, 1962 – Conecuh County, Ala. native Dr. Edwin White Hagood passed away at the age of 76 in a Dothan hospital. He was the youngest and last survivor of nine children reared by the Hagoods. Several of them were Baptist ministers and a brother, the late Dr. Hagood, practiced medicine in Evergreen for many years.

Dec. 26, 1963 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the State Highway Department had accepted bids on the stretch of Interstate Highway 65 from the Atmore intersection south to the Stockton area. Bob Kendall, assistant director of the State Highway Dept., said that the bids were accepted and it was assumed the contracts would be signed with construction to begin early in 1964. Kendall also said that plans were “on the boards” for the section of I-65 from Montgomery south to Ft. Deposit and that those contracts would be let in 1964. The former Conecuh representative and senator also said that the state planned to get the I-65 segment from Georgiana north to Ft. Deposit under construction in 1965. “By the end of Gov. George Wallace’s administration, we expect to have the Interstate Highway open from Montgomery to Mobile with the exception of a temporary route by Bay Minette on in to Mobile,” Kendall said.

Dec. 26, 1963 – The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There" were released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level.

Dec. 26, 1967 - Laotian Premier Souvanna Phouma reported that North Vietnamese troops had started a general offensive against government forces in southern Laos.

Dec. 26, 1971 - In the sharpest escalation of the war since Operation Rolling Thunder ended in November 1968, U.S. fighter-bombers began striking at North Vietnamese airfields, missile sites, antiaircraft emplacements, and supply facilities.

Dec. 26, 1972 – Former U.S. President Harry S. Truman, a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, passed away in Kansas City, Missouri.

Dec. 26, 1972 – During the Vietnam War, as part of Operation Linebacker II, 120 American B-52 Stratofortress bombers attacked Hanoi, including 78 launched from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the largest single combat launch in Strategic Air Command history.

Dec. 26, 1973 – “The Exorcist,” a horror film starring the actress Linda Blair as a girl possessed by an evil spirit, made its debut in theaters. It would go on to earn a reputation as one of the scariest movies in history. “The Exorcist” was based on William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel of the same name.

Dec. 26, 1975 – British explorer Ed Stafford was born in Peterborough, England.

Dec. 26, 1977 – Weather reporter Earl Windham reported a low of 20 degrees in Evergreen, Ala.

Dec. 26, 1980 - The first night of the Bentwaters UFO incident took place. Multiple witnesses at the UK military base reported seeing a luminous triangular shaped craft, pulsating fog and strange entities.

Dec. 26, 1982 – Alabama running back Kenneth Darby was born in Huntsville, Ala. During his career, he played at S.R. Butler High School in Huntsville, the University of Alabama, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the St. Louis Rams.

Dec. 26, 1985 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Army Pvt. Alexander Booker of Evergreen, Ala. had arrived for duty with the 204th Signal Battalion in South Korea.

Dec. 26, 1996 – Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

Dec. 26, 1998 – Iraq announced its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones.

Dec. 26, 1999 - Weather observer Harry Ellis reported a low temperature of 25 degrees on this day in Evergreen, Ala.

Dec. 26, 2004 – A tsunami devastated coastlines along the Indian Ocean. It was triggered by an earthquake in the middle of the ocean, 160 miles west of Sumatra, with a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3, the third strongest ever recorded on a seismograph, and it lasted for up to 10 minutes. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the quake released energy equivalent to 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, and an estimated 230,000 people from 14 different countries died; half a million more were injured.

Dec. 26, 2004 – Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White died at the age of 43 in Cornelius, N.C. During his career, he played for Tennessee, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Mon., Dec. 26, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): Trace.

Week to Date Rainfall: Trace.

Month to Date Rainfall:  5.95 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: Trace.

Year to Date Rainfall: 47.95 inches

Notes: Today in the 361st day of 2016 and the sixth day of Winter. There are five days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.