Winston County Commission Chairman Roger Hayes, Alabama Representative, Tracy Estes, Paul Housel, representing Congressman Robert Aderholt, Steve Foshee, CEO, Tombigbee Electric, Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri, Commissioner David Cummings, met Friday, October 25 to discuss a new Federal grant for Freedom Fiber and what it means to this area.

Tombigbee Electric the mother company of Freedom Fiber, has been approved for another grant  in the amount of $775,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission to help fund the rural broadband initiative.  According to Steve Foshee, this money will be used to. buy more equipment enabling a longer reach for the installation of fiber in Marion, Winston Fayette and Lamar Counties.

Mr. Foshee stated the ultimate plan for Freedom Fiber was to reach to Smith Lake, thus making fiber available to almost everyone throughout Winston County,  This could happen in early 2020. Installations are progressing rapidly, however, with 1,000 square miles to cover, filling all the requests is not an overnight project. Several technical delays have held up the installations, but all applicants should hear from Freedom Fiber sometime soon.

To sign up for Freedom Fiber, find them on Facebook or go to freedinfiber.com. You will need to put you name and address on the application. There is no obligation to actually subscribe to their service. You will be contacted when your address is ready for an installation.

The Haleyville City Council held a special called meeting Wednesday afternoon. The purpose was to consider a tax abatement for Bassett Furniture. A resolution was unanimously passed. (see resolution below) Bassett recently purchased the assets of Crimson Casual a locally owned company which manufactures out-door furniture, See the previous story on the purchase of Crimson Casual on hbtv.us. More on this story will be coming soon, including future plans by Bassett Furniture.  Continue reading

Today, October 22, a dedication was made at the HMS flag pole in memory of Mark Forester. The HCS added a memorial to ensure that students, faculty/staff and the Haleyville community can read about our hometown hero for years to come.

HAMILTON POST – A two-vehicle crash at 12:45 p.m. today, October 21, has claimed the life of a Haleyville man. Scottie Lee Cagle, 42, was killed when the 2016 Toyota Corolla he was driving collided with a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Hubert Brady Pratt, 24, of Eldridge. Cagle was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred on US 278 at the 24.6-mile marker, approximately twelve miles east of Hamilton. Nothing further is available as Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate.

Miss 9-1-1 Lauren Reaves

The Haleyville Rotary Club sponsored competition on Saturday, October 19 included a Miss 9-1-1 Outstanding Teen 2020 competition which took place interspersed with the Miss 9-1-1- competition. The MC for the competition was the current Miss Alabama, Tiara Pennington. The candidates were judged in the following categories on-stage question, talent and evening wear, and social impact. The Winner of Miss 9-1-1 was Lauren Reaves, 1st runner-up, Madeline Rigdon, and the talent winner was Kate Webb. Tracie Bishop was the winner of the Miss 9-1-1 Outstanding Teen competition. The first runner-up was Holly Ferguson. Macie Bishop also was the talent winner.

Miss Alabama Tiara Pennington, Miss 9-1-1- Outstanding Teen, Macie Bishop

The Haleyville City Council met Monday with Councilman Jonathan Bennet absent.

The council approved the “First Responders Benefits Program”  this will provide cancer and disability insurance to all of the City Haleyville Volunteer and Full Time Fireman for a total of $3,964.80 per year. This program will meet the guidelines and requirements of the house bill that was signed by the Governor in 2019. This bill became law, ACT 2019-361, and will be effective on January 1, 2020.

The Council voted to absorb the 4.9% increase to employee health insurance set forth by the Local Government Health Insurance Board for 2020.

Four main intersections, including 195 at 20th Avenue (Chevron Station), 13/195, and a couple of others will have Freedom Fiber monitoring at a cost of $75/mo each. This will notify the police dispatcher of the operational status of the lights.

The Council also approved the promotion of Eddie Collins, Haleyville Police Officer to Sergeant with the pay increase which goes with the position.

The next scheduled Haleyville City Council is Monday, Oct 21, 5:30 p.m. at the Haleyville City Hall.

The body of Kelsey Starling, the missing passenger from a two-vessel crash July 4 at Smith Lake, was recovered  Saturday, Oct.5.

Search efforts had resumed on Thursday, Oct. 3. Divers from Houston County Rescue Squad located what they believed to be Ms. Starling today in approximately 140 feet of water.  She was located in the approximate location that the accident occurred in Rock Creek.

Houston County Rescue Squad, Crane Hill Fire Department,  Logan Fire Department, Trimble Fire Dept., Smith Lake Task Force, Winston County Sheriff’s Office, Winston County Coroner’s Office, Winston County EMA, Cullman County Coroner’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division were involved in recovery efforts.

Sgt. Chad Pate, ALEA-Marine Patrol Division, Northern District Assistant Commander

Hal Guthrie, 82, who found Guthrie’s Restaurant in Haleyville in 1965 passed away Monday afternoon, September 30 after a lengthy illness. Funeral arrangements can be found here: HBTV Funerals