Markevious Forte
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Markevious Forte, 29, of Aliceville, was recently arrested and charged with murder and aggravated child abuse in the death of Taylor Cunningham, 4. Cunningham was taken to the Pickens County Medical Center on September 18, 2018, where he succumbed to multiple injuries. Authorities believe that the 4-year-old was already dead when arriving at the hospital.
By Lindsey Turner, Correspondent
The Carrollton City Council met on Thursday, May 2nd to discuss several items on their agenda. Mayor Mickey Walker opened the meeting in prayer. The first order of business that Walker brought up to the committee was to appoint a member to the Board of Equalization.
Ultimately, the council decided to appoint David Stokes.
Aliceville Elementary Students learn to plant and grow flowers.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Pickens County College and Career Center's Teacher Cadet program, which is headed up by Instructor Haley McGee, includes 10th-12th grade students from Aliceville High School, Gordo High School, Pickens County High School, and Pickens Academy who have a desire to become teachers.
Carlee Jane Criswell, 14, won the 2018-19 Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association Big Gobbler Photo Contest. The eighth-grader at Gordo High School took this turkey in the Palmetto community north of her hometown.
Carlee Jane Criswell, a 14-year-old from Reform, is the winner of the seventh annual Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association Big Gobbler Photo Contest.
The contest, open to hunters who took turkeys in Alabama’s 23-county Black Belt region during the 2018-19 season, drew 27 entries. Carlee Jane wins a prize package worth $175 for attracting the most votes on the ALBBAA website – AlabamaBlackBeltAdventures.org.
West Alabama Bank employees pose with the Easter bunny at the Bunny Hop. Pictured (from left): Donna Nance, Easter Bunny, Robyn Taylor, and Pam Acker.
By Lindsey Turner, Correspondent
The 3rd annual Carrollton Bunny Hop was held on Saturday, April 20th at the Courthouse Square. The event was sponsored by the Carrollton Beautification Committee and was hosted by the community, along with several local churches and organizations. Myra Shufflebarger, who helped coordinate the Bunny Hop, says that the committee decided to start this event after the Face In The Window Festival, which is also hosted by the Carrollton Beautification Committee, and helps raise money for the beautification of the town.
Scotty Pennington
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Pickens Academy will move in a new direction this fall, as Wade Goodman steps aside to give way to new head football coach Scotty Pennington. Goodman will remain on staff as girls basketball and softball coach, while Pennington will assume the football and weightlifting duties. Pennington will also serve as assistant athletic director.
Andrea Ellis
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
On Thursday, April 18th, Pickens and surrounding counties endured massive damage and power outages, causing much of the county to spend Easter weekend without power, while cleaning up trees and debris from the storm. The damage was due in part to 60-70 mph straight line winds that blew apart tin roofs and uprooted trees and power lines. Pickens County Herald Editor Brian Hamilton recently sat down with Pickens County’s Alabama Power Business Office Manager Andrea Ellis to discuss the situation.
From left: Former Aliceville student Kelly Lessard, Principal Terry Sterling and Bernice Craig.
By Ginger Pearson, Correspondent
On Thursday, April 25, I went to Aliceville Elementary School to cover a story about a former student donating school supplies and by the time I left, realized that I had three intriguing stories in one. I would like to introduce you to two special ladies and how their love for children and education brought them together to benefit the children of Aliceville Elementary School.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Pickens County Commission meeting on April 23rd was short and sweet, as usual, with the biggest change being that Representative Bobby Bain took over as commission chairman for Commissioner Mark Gray.
The commission began by discussing new business, where they approved the hire of Katherine Thomas as appraisal clerk, which is effective as of May 6th. Commissioner Drew Elmore made the motion to appoint Thomas, which was seconded by Jerry Fitch. The motion passed unanimously.
By Ginger Pearson, Correspondent
The City of Aliceville Council met on April 24th and began the meeting by discussing unfinished business. The first item discussed was the rental agreement for the old National Guard armory for events. City Attorney John Russell III spoke concerning the need to establish regulations. Russell recommended that alcoholic beverages not be served at events there.
Front row, from left: Shaniah Doss, Cheyenne Livingston, Tyler Britt, Riley Campbell, Kayle Pate, Madison Acker, Laci Sanders, Alexia Bishop, Blake Bridges, Joshua Williams, Daniel Carr, John Weston Harless.
Back row, from left: McKenzie Bowles, Lila Belcher, Amy Blakney, Mykenzie Durrah, Jewlee Hill, Gracie Lang.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The April 15th Pickens County Board of Education Meeting began by recognizing the Pickens County College and Career Center students who competed at the HOSA state competition in Montgomery last month.
Ginny Lee
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Ginny Lee began her career with First National Bank of Aliceville as a junior in high school, when she took a summer job, which she parlayed into her current position, as the Chief Financial Officer of the Tuscaloosa FNB branch. Pickens County Herald editor Brian Hamilton sat down for an interview with Ginny in Tuscaloosa recently.
Q: How did you get your start in the banking industry?
Authors Erich Wildgrube (left) and Paula Wildgrube (center) with illustrator Alexis Jones (right).
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Carrollton’s Court Square Coffee held a book signing on Monday, April, 15th for a mother and son duo from Tuscaloosa. Erich Wildgrube’s book “The Empress and the Archer” was available for purchase and signing, while his mother, Paula Wildgrube, was also there with her book titled “To CATch a Thief”.
City Engineer Jonathan Bonner waits to speak before the council during Tuesday night’s meeting.
By Addie Grace Phillips, Correspondent
The Reform City Council began their meeting on Tuesday, April 16th with Mayor Bennie Harton calling the meeting to order. Under old business, Harton discussed the fountain and lamp post installation. He also mentioned that Brandon Garrison was the genius behind the lamp post installation and it was all thanks to him and a few others.
Joyce Ferguson and Joyce Ferguson
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
It was just another Saturday for a passer-by on the Benevola Road until someone happened to notice what looked to be roadkill lying in the middle of Highway 2.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a rodent lying lifeless in the highway; It was a human corpse.
The highway, better known as Benevola Road, runs from the southern part of Pickens County, called Bridgeville, near McCaa Bottom Road, and runs throughout the Benevola community, before turning into County Road 63 in south Gordo.
Veterans of Pickens County with Mr. Freeman.
By Melanie Harville, Correspondent
Residents of Pickens County had the opportunity to experience a treat on Thursday, April 11th at the Aliceville Museum. Bradford Freeman, a 92-year-old former member of ‘The Easy Company ‘of The Band of Brothers, that parachuted in before D-Day on the beaches of Normandy.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
Aliceville’s City Council meeting on Wednesday, April 10 began with the council once again electing to table the National Guard Armory rental agreement. The council also moved to keep an ordinance on providing storage for legally impounded vehicles on the unfinished business agenda.
The last item of unfinished business was appointment of the equalization board. The following were nominated to the board at the council meeting: Caleb Marine, Marion Bonner, Terry Windham, and David McCaffrey.
By Melanie Harville, Correspondent
On April 9, 2019, the Pickens County Commission held a brief meeting to vote on several items on their agenda.
The commissioners discussed the following items:
Recently, inquiries have been made about the decision of the Pickens County Health Care Authority, which owns and operates Pickens County Medical Center, to terminate its management agreement with Boa Vida Healthcare.
As you may know, Pickens County Medical Center has been under severe financial stress and, in an effort to improve the hospital’s financial condition, Boa Vida was engaged at the first of February of this year to manage the hospital.
Chanerya Rowland and her son Ethan at her book signing at the Aliceville Library on Sunday, March 31st.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Aliceville Public Library hosted its first book signing on Sunday, March 31st for Aliceville native Chanerya Rowland and her book titled Dear Ethan. Rowland, now a Tuscaloosa resident, mentioned that she was elated for the library to host her book signing and release amongst a crowd of friends and family.
“It really means a lot and it definitely meant a lot when (library director Frances Lewis) called and said she would help out. That really meant a lot to me,” Rowland said.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
H.E.L.P., Incorporated is an origin to destination demand response and contract transportation agency. The organization’s goal is to provide safe, reliable, affordable transportation for the citizens of Pickens County. Director Patricia McCafferty announced in the YouthBuild Advisory Committee meeting last Thursday that the service would soon begin transporting Pickens County residents to Tuscaloosa County for a round-trip fee of just $10.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The April 1st Gordo Town Council made quorum last Monday evening, but councilmen Terence Williamson and Tim Washington were both absent for the meeting.
The first item of new business addressed was an ordinance and resolution of permanent nature, as Mayor Craig Patterson introduced a new proclamation before the council to name April 21-27, 2019 as Parental Alienation Prevention Week. April 25th is Parental Alienation Awareness Bubbles of Love Day.
