BY GENA HUFF, Editor

With deer season fast approaching, bow hunters in particular should be wary of the lures they use to attract deer. Some popular deer urine lures could contain Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), an always fatal, debilitating disease similar to mad cow disease. CWD is a neurodegenerative disease found in most deer species including moose, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. Deer can spread the disease among themselves before symptoms develop, and symptoms may not develop for up to two years.

BY GENA HUFF

Editor

A lawsuit filed August 3 in the circuit court of Pickens County names Pickens Academy, Pickens Academy Board of Trustees, and Brach White, Pickens Academy principal, as defendants. The suit was filed on behalf of one of the victims of Charli Jones Parker, a former teacher at Pickens Academy currently serving out a three-year imprisonment for improper sexual contact with two students under the age of 19 years.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

An appeal filed February 6 in the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals was denied for Charli Jones Parker, the former Pickens Academy teacher currently serving a sentence after a guilty plea of improper sexual contact with two students in 2016.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

James (Jamie) Franklin Parker III, was sentenced on August 14 for the charge of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under the age of 19 years. The sex acts involved a former female student at Pickens Academy. Parker pled guilty before going to trial.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

Some dispute was had over the upgrading and purchasing of new motor graders for the county last week at the August 14 bi-monthly Pickens County Commissioners meeting. A seemingly innocuous item on the agenda reared its head as items were added, pursued, and challenged.

Usually, items are brought off the agenda, motioned, seconded, approved, and the meeting moves at a steady pace.

Tommy Hyche, lifelong resident of Northport/Tuscaloosa County, formally announced today he is running to represent the citizens of District 61 in the Alabama House of Representatives.

“No matter how hard they work, too many folks across our District still live paycheck to paycheck in constant fear of an unexpected illness or expense,” said Hyche. “It’s time that we have someone in Montgomery who understands these everyday struggles and will work to address them.”

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

With a new fiscal year approaching in October, the city of Gordo is gearing up to pass its budget for 2018-2019. During the August 6 city council meeting, Mayor Craig Patterson discussed budget with the council members. Patterson wanted to answer any of the council’s questions regarding the budget in anticipation of getting it passed at next month’s council meeting

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

The Reform City Council made decisions regarding two properties in the city at the council’s first meeting this month, held August 7. Mayor Bennie Harton and the city’s building inspector went to a mobile home which had been so neglected, “We were afraid to go in,” Harton told the council. “The door was open, but trees had grown to the door so, we really couldn’t enter the building.”

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

Butch Hobson, manager of the Chicago Dogs professional baseball team and formerly of Aliceville, gave away third base during an August 7 game between Hobson’s Dogs and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Hobson was unhappy a RedHawks’ runner on third base was not called out in the second inning. Hobson proceeded to let American Association umpire, Mike Jarboe, be sure he understood his disagreement with the call.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

The city of Aliceville will be having a community Clean-Up Day, August 25. The event is being led by Councilman Robert “Cookieman” Wilder. When it was brought up during the August 8 city council meeting, it garnered a few suggestions and comments.

Mayor Marva Gipson suggested Wilder ask each council member to get help from their districts. “And then you’ll meet at a certain area, but we’re all going to have to meet here first,” Gipson said.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

At the July 25 meeting of the Pickens County Board of Education, one of the first items on the agenda was the approval of the Jamari Terrell Williams Student Bullying Prevention Act.

The policy is named after a ten-year-old boy from Montgomery, Ala., who committed suicide in October 2017 after being bullied. This policy is expanded to cover kids off-campus as well as on and includes cyberbullying and harassment. It was signed into law by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on May 21, 2018. The policy took effect on June 1, 2018.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

The Carrollton Town Council met for its monthly meeting August 2. Talk was about the improvements taking place in the town and the positive feedback from business owners and residents.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

At the July 25 meeting of the Aliceville City Council, Councilman Thomas Wilkins placed an item on the agenda regarding improvements to Aliceville’s old Armory location.

“I’ve got a committee,” said Wilkins. “I’m getting them up now. I want to get about seven or eight people getting to work down there. We can have baby showers, yard sales. I am going to come up with a new name (for the location).”

Parents, a new school year is beginning. The Alabama Department of Public Health reminds you it is time for parents to make sure that their children have everything they need to protect them as they return to school. In addition to pencils, paper and other classroom essentials, vaccination should be included on every checklist.

Bevill State Community College (BSCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Jones as Dean of Finance for Bevill State Community College.  Ms. Jones brings sixteen years of experience in accounting roles to Bevill.   

Rick Burnham, an attorney based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, formally announced his candidacy for State Senate with a series of events throughout Pickens, Lamar, and Tuscaloosa Counties on June 21. Since that date, Burnham has been actively campaigning in Pickens County and the surrounding areas and has spoken with local civic groups.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

Charles T. Manning, 68, was reported missing by the Aliceville Senior Citizens Center Wednesday, July 18. A lunch tray provided by the Center had not been removed from his porch from the previous day. His family had not seen him

since Sunday, July 15. e last time Aliceville police could verify anyone having seen Manning was Monday, July 16.

Aliceville Police Chief Tonnie Jones conducted a welfare check on Man- ning and found the doors locked and no one at the residence. Jones noti ed the Pickens County Sher-

BY BRIAN HAMILTON, Sports Correspondent 

Pickens County will un- dergo changes at the top, as former Tornadoes coach James ompson accepted the head coaching job at Carver-Montgomery this summer. Williams came back to Pickens County in the spring, where he was serving as a volunteer coach, but once there was a vacancy, he decided to in- terview for the head coach- ing job.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor 

The Pickens County Forestry Team recently competed in the 2018 Alabama 4-H Invitational on June 12-13 at the Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula, Alabama. Coaches were Stewart and Ashley Koon, with help from Sam Wiggins.

The senior team competed in a written quiz, tree identification, compass and pacing, insects and diseases, and tree measurement. They placed in second place. Team members were Abel Abernathy, Grace Williams, Luke Koon, and Logan Snipes.

High Individuals Overall: Logan Snipes, third place; Luke Koon, fifth place.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

The Aliceville Museum is presenting a traveling exhibit dedicated to Alabama’s 200th Bicentennial birthday. Alabama became the nation’s 22nd state on December 14, 1819. This informative exhibition is traveling to all 67 Alabama counties through December 2019 and will only be in Pickens County July 14 – July 28, 2018.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

Early Tuesday morning, July 17, the Aliceville Police Department received a 911 alarm call for Food Fare around 2:30 a.m. Officers responded to the call within minutes but found no one at the scene.

BY GENA HUFF, Editor

A New York-based equity firm filed a complaint in 2017 to the U.S. Department of Commerce after buying a paper mill in Longview, Wash. The complaint alleged Canadian newsprint companies had an unfair advantage over U.S. domestic mills because of Canadian subsidies. The Department of Commerce responded by levying a tariff on uncoated groundwood paper, the official name for newsprint.

On the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, at 6 p.m., the Pickens County Commission holds its formal meeting for approval of agenda items. It is also at this time public comment from citizens who sign in with the County Administrator may be heard.

At the most recent meeting, July 10, commissioners:

Gov. Kay Ivey has announced grants totaling $1.55 million to help eight Alabama communities address and improve infrastructure. The town of Carrollton is one of the eight communities who received a grant. Carrollton was awarded $150,000 to rehabilitate the town’s wastewater treatment plant lagoons.

The funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will enable the communities to improve sewer systems, roads, and other concerns.