Jeanette Filpi
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Jeanette Filpi recently moved to Pickens County to serve as the CEO of the Pickens County Medical Center. Filpi has been in Pickens County for just over two weeks now and is looking to make a difference at the PCMC and in the local community. She sat down with Pickens County Herald Editor Brian Hamilton for the inaugural publication of ‘People of Pickens’.
Q: How did you end up hearing about the PCMC opportunity?
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Mayor Marva Gipson was out last meeting due to sickness, but two meetings ago Police Chief Tonnie Jones asked Gipson and the council about the possibility of storing vehicles in the gated lot by the police department for a small storage free, to be deposited into the police department’s fund. This discussion was brought up again during the Aliceville council on Wednesday, March 13th.
Everett Owens is awarded the Citizen of the Year award by Donny Sanders at the Aliceville Chamber Banquet last Tuesday night.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Everett Owens was named Aliceville’s Citizen of the Year for 2018 at the Aliceville Chamber of Commerce banquet last Tuesday.
“I’m very humble, very thankful, and very appreciative, but I’m also aware that this has not been done just by me alone,” Owens said.
“I have a wonderful support system and surprisingly they’re all here tonight. I know you’ve all heard the old saying that ‘Behind every successful man, there stands a woman, rolling her eyes’,” Owens joked.
House fire at 945 7th St. in Aliceville.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Two weeks ago there was a house fire at 945 7th Street in Aliceville and with an individual inside the home, Chief Deputy Jonathan Gann and Jordan Powell pulled the man to safety. Gann is from the Pickens County Sheriff’s office and Powell is
from the District Attorney’s office.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Gordo City Council began their meeting on Monday, March 4th by listening to a proposal by Shawn McDaniel of the Gordo Dixie Youth board. The proposal asked the council to consider the board and city working together in a partnership to raise money to renovate the fields.
“What we’re asking is that if we raise $50,000, that the city, being a city park, and holding that responsibility, would the city park be willing to come that, to raise $50,000?”
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Carrollton council began on Thursday, March 7th by discussing a surplus of an old 1-ton pickup truck. Mayor Mickey Walker said he would like for the city to either trade or sell the pickup. Walker said there was also a surplus on an old Army fifth-wheel truck that the council needed to make a motion to trade or sell.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Gordo town council was presented with the results of the 2018 audit on Monday, March 4th by Ryan Alexander from LeCroy and Hunter. Alexander said the town’s revenues were up, due to grant income. There was a $95,000 increase in revenues, so he said if the grants were removed, the town’s expenses would go down.
By Ginger Pearson, Correspondent
The Reform City Council met on Tuesday, March 5th, with all present, except for Councilman Richard Richardson and Councilwoman Pat Wheat
From left, Alexia Bishop-Sommerville, Cheyenne Livingston, Anthony Guy, Riley Campbell, Laci Sanders, Madison Acker, Blake Bridges, Joshua Williams, Daniel Carr, John Harless, and Tyler Britt.
Members of the Pickens County College & Career Center Health Science/PLTW chapter of HOSA recently attended the Alabama State HOSA competitive events in Montgomery where members representing Aliceville High School, Gordo High School, Pickens County High School and Pickens Academy participated in various health-related competitions.
Pickens County Commission members
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Pickens County Commission meeting on February 26, 2019 began with commissioner Jerry Fitch making a motion to add an item to the agenda regarding changing the name of the Sapps Community Center to Sapps Multi-Purpose Center, Inc. However, Commission Administrator Cheryl Bowles said that the commission would not need to vote on the name change.
YouthBuild students working to build new shop on property.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
When Wayne Davis took over as the Director of Pickens County YouthBuild in September 2018, he had a vision to help young people succeed in life, as he has done with his 327 non-profit organization and with Gordo Youth Football.
Aliceville councilman Terrence Windham talks to the council and attendees about bringing youth soccer to the city.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Mayor Pro-tem Warren Lavender led the Aliceville City Council meeting on February 27, as Mayor Marva Gipson was ill Wednesday evening. The first order of unfinished business discussed was to activate the Parks and Recreation committee and establish the proposed members' terms.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE
Jeanette Filpi
Boa Vida Healthcare in coordination with the Pickens County Medical Center Board of Directors is pleased to introduce Jeanette Filpi to serve as CEO of PCMC beginning March 4th, 2019.
Ms. Filpi comes to us with a clinical as well as an administrative background, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Colorado State University, a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado and a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from Trinity University.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Reform City Council began its bi-weekly meeting on February 19 by going over old business regarding a lease agreement for a local business. The lease agreement was concerning Asia Criswell looking to rent the old city hall building to relocate her business, Asia’s Salon.
West Alabama area coordinators for Operation Christmas Child Chuck and Kristy Gross presented Frieda Blakney (center) with a plaque for her service as the drop-off center coordinator for Aliceville Baptist Church.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
On Sunday, February 10, Frieda Blakney was presented with a plaque for her dedication and service for the last five years as the coordinator for Aliceville First Baptist Church’s Operation Christmas Child drop-off center. Chuck and Kristy Gross, the West Alabama area coordinators for Operation Christmas Child, presented the plaque to Blakney during the Sunday morning service. Aliceville First Baptist was honored for five years of serving as a drop-off center, as the church became a drop-off location in August 2014.
The County Commission article titled “Commission: Property Taxes to remain the Same” which appeared in the Feb.
Ghost Girls Lesley Hyde (left), Heather Lawrence (center), and Gordo Mayor Craig Patterson (right) gave visitors haunted history and paranormal investigation tours.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
An organization called ‘Ghost Girls’ held a paranormal investigation at the Historic Pickens County Courthouse on Saturday, February 9th and many folks came from near and far for the opportunity to go on a live ghost hunt. Ghost Girls was founded by friends Lesley Hyde and Heather Lawrence because of their interest in the paranormal.
Genia Deason, niece of missing woman Janet Hamner, speaks to members of the press in the parking lot of Moe’s Travel Plaza on Tuesday, Feb. 12.
Six months to the day Coker woman Janet Hamner went missing, a search was conducted by her family members on Tuesday, Feb. 11 — also her 60th birthday.
Family members and other volunteers searched along side Highway 82 and wooded areas between the former Dunn’s store back to the Pickens County line. A candlelight vigil was held afterwards.
BY DOUG SANDERS JR., Correspondent
The Pickens County Commission held an uneventful and brief meeting last Tuesday night, including a delay on a decision about a real property appraiser, no change in property taxes, and a name change for the Sapps Communit Center.
Meeting for about 15 minutes on Feb. 12, the session began with the Commission agreeing to keeping the 2019 property tax rates the same as last year.
Real Property
Appraiser
Carrollton Mayor Mickey Walker has put up logs to keep people from parking and loitering at West Highland St. Walker said dumping trash and loitering has been a major problem here for years.
By Brian Hamilton, Editor
The Carrollton City Council on Thursday, February 7th began with Pam Acker and Jane Quarles being appointed to the library board. Also, it was announced that bids for the Carrollton City Hall remodeling would be opened on February 14, at 8am.
Dumping and Loitering on West Highland Street
Councilman Thomas Wilkins (left), Mayor Marva Gipson (center) and Warren Lavender II (right) listen as Chief Jones speaks regarding the police department.
By Brian Hamilton, Editor
The Aliceville City Council met on Wednesday, February 12, at the Aliceville City Hall. Mayor Marva Gipson began the meeting by appointing District Attorney Andy Hamlin and Demetrius Miller to the park and recreation committee and said that she would appoint at least two others at the next meeting. Aliceville librarian Francis Lewis asked that the city council re-appoint Susan Jones and John Paluzzi. The motion to re-appoint Jones and Paluzzi carried.
Warming Station
Pickens County Medical Center is located in Carrollton.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Pickens County Medical Center is entering into an agreement to partner with Boa Vida Healthcare, which will allow the hospital to maintain current operations and provide additional services to the community. Last February, PCMC brought in John O’Neil, the former CEO of St. Vincent’s Hospital, to be the hospital’s CEO and help identify a strategic partner to lead the hospital in the future.
Winners of the annual Pickens County Spelling Bee were presented their prizes at the end of the bee on Feb. 7. Pictured from left: Eli Dawkins of Gordo Elementary School, winner; Tammy Hall, representing the Las Amigas Club of Gordo; and Arterrica Brewer of Aliceville Middle School, runner-up.
BY DOUG SANDERS JR., Correspondent
Eli Dawkins, a fifth grader from Gordo Elementary School, correctly spelled the words “hundredth” and “mathematics” last Thursday morning to win the 2019 Pickens County Spelling Bee.
Six students from Pickens County gathered at the Central Office of the Pickens County Board of Education on Feb. 7 for the event.
BY BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Gordo town council meeting on Monday, February, 4th began with Gordo Fire Chief Sam Powell giving a monthly report. Powell said the fire department had received 17 or 18 calls during the month of January and gave report on a recent automobile accident in Gordo.
Councilman Hagan, left, explains the proposed details of getting a new sign at Reform City Park as Reform Mayor Harton listens.
BY BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Reform City Council is looking to replace the sign at the Reform City Park. Councilman Charles Hagan said the sign will be 4x8 feet and cost roughly $1,200. The city will then be responsible for having the sign mounted and painted.
“I think that it may cost a little more to get something like this, but that’s going to be there,” Councilwoman Pat Wheat said. “The sign that is there now has been there at least 20 years. I’d just rather pay a little more up front and be through with it.”
