The Haleyville City Board of Education met Tuesday, May 24 with Beth McAlpine absent. The first order of business was the election of officers for the coming year.

Kris Burleson was elected president and Barry Burleson was elected vice-president.

Under new business, the Board approved the financial statements and board expenditures for April in the amount of $1,242,798.80, a budget amendment, salary schedule and the scheduled monthly board meeting calendar.

The Board also approved a job description for and the creation of an Intervention Teacher position and the creation of an additional class size reduction unit at Haleyville Elementary School.

Summer school at Haleyville High and math tutoring services at Haleyville Middle School were approved.

The Board approved the use of the HES Cafeteria by the Winston County Sports Hall of Fame on July 16, 2016. Two field trips and three fund-raisers were also approved.

Because it was the last Board of Education meeting of the school year, there were 29 personnel actions taken.

Kaleb Baker was hired as an indoor/outdoor summer student worker

The Board approved the non-renewal of Diane Benford as an employee and the

resignation of Tiffany Boyles as a teacher at the HES.

Mark Burleson was hired as paraprofessional at HHS.

Janna Carruth was hired as a teacher at HES.

Board approved non-renewal of Kristy Clark as paraprofessional at HES.

Holly Comeens was hired as a teacher at HES.

Leah Epperson was hired as intervention teacher with Haleyville City Schools.

Board approved the non-renewal of Misty Fannin as paraprofessional at HES.

Amy Morgan voluntarily transferred from HMS to HES as physical education teacher.

Casey Fox was hired as physical education teacher at HMS.

Abbey Harbin was hired as physical education teacher at HMS.

The Board approved the non-renewal of Kavla Holcomb as a teacher at HES.

Renee Horton was hired as Special Education Paraprofessional.

The Board accepted the resignation of Cheryl Letson as a teacher at HHS.

Jyl Loden was hired as speech-language pathology assistant.

Chandler McAlister was hired as Special Education Teacher at HES.

Board approved a voluntary transfer of Cecil Reynolds from HMS to HES.

The resignation of Jessica Sartin as a math teacher at HHS was approved.

Shelly Cooper was hired as math teacher at HHS.

Dusty Farris Yealock was hired as Special Education Paraprofessional.

Tenure was approved for the following certified personnel at HES: Lisa Emerson, Lauren Hall, Melanie Hogan and Leah Lyle.

Tenure was approved for Mandy Townsend at HMS.

Tenure was approved for Caleb Beason, Dwayne Melton and Jamie White at the Haleyville Center of Technology.

Non-probationary status was approved for Jesse Lyon at the Central Office and Gary Tidwell and Linda Thomas HHS.

William Farris was hired as summer student maintenance worker.

The Board approved the resignation of Wayne Frazier as Principal of Haleyville Elementary School.

The Board will soon be advertising for a replacement for the position of principal at HES.

Graduation for the 2016 Class of Haleyville High School will be Friday night at 8 p.m. at Bubba Scott Field.

The Haleyville City Council met Thursday afternoon with Jonathan Bennett absent.

After approving the minutes of the last meeting on May 2, approval was given to the general operation bills in the amount of $434,472.91.

Resolution 2016-21 was approved authorizing Mayor Sunseri to enter into a contract with RDS, Inc for the collection of all Haleyville sales and use taxes, business licenses, occupational fees and alcohol taxes for the city. This agreement is for 3 years.

The council approved two resolutions establishing 3 year agreements for police officers and firemen which is a way for the city to recoup any money spent on training if the officer or fireman leaves the city’s employment before serving 3 years service.

Ralph Trallo was appointed to the Haleyville Water Board.

The City Court date was changed from September 22 to September 29.

Mayor Sunseri announced the hiring 6 lifeguards at the Park and Recreation at 7.25/hour.

The next meeting of the Haleyville City Council will be Monday, June 6, 5:30 p.m. at city hall.

At 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, a maintenance employee from Lippart Components’/Kinro in Double Springs received a bomb threat on his cellular phone. Workers were told to come back later due to the threat. The Double Springs Police Department responded and in turn called for the Florence bomb squad to come sweep the building.  Police had the immediate area close to the building blocked off to keep Kinro employees from harm until the sweep was complete. After a thorough search, the bomb squad determined there was no bomb and the workers were able to resume work around 10 a.m. The Double Springs Police Department is                                                                                                     investigating the threat. 

Former Winston County Sheriff Elton “Cotton” Townsend passed away Friday evening, May 14. He had a long a distinguished career as Sheriff of Winston County from January 1971 through January 1987. He was the 3rd Democrat elected Sheriff in Winston County and the first to be elected to three consecutive terms. He was the only sheriff elected a total of four terms. He was loved and respected by many people. His funeral arrangements are listed by Nichols Funeral Home of Double Springs.

Sixty-nine Haleyville High School Seniors and seven faculty sponsors left about 6 a.m. Saturday morning by bus on the annual educational trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City. The literary included Mt. Vernon, pictured above, and a visit to the Ford Theater and the Smithsonian on Sunday. Audio reports can be heard daily on Paradise 92.7 following the noon news and also at 1, 2, 3 p.m. and on the 5:30 news. The seniors will return this Saturday with graduation the following Friday, May 27 at 8 p.m. at Bubba Scott Field.

On Saturday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. a benefit concert featuring The Marshall Tucker Band and Wet Willie will be held in downtown Sheffield (on Montgomery Ave.). The concert will be the sixth annual Sheffield Street Party to benefit the Northwest-Shoals Community College (NW-SCC) Foundation scholarship fund.

Along with The Marshall Tucker Band and Wet Willie, the concert will also feature the Fiddleworms.

The Marshall Tucker Band hails from Spartanburg, South Carolina, and has been a recognizable sound in the music industry for over 40 years. One of the band’s most recognizable hits is Can’t You See (Platinum Album, Greatest Hits), Heard It in a Love Song (Platinum Album, Carolina Dreams) and Fire on a Mountain. The Marshall Tucker Band hit, Can’t You See made it into the box office as it was used in the Kevin Costner 2008 movie, Swing Vote, and the 2001 film, Blow.

The group has scored five gold and two platinum albums. The Marshall Tucker Band was even nominated for a Grammy award in 1977 for the lyrics to the hit, Long Hard Ride.

Similar to the Marshall Tucker Band, Wet Willie, a 2016 Alabama Music Hall of Fame Inductee, has been a Southern Rock icon for more than 40 years with their blend of R&B, soul, blues rock and gospel harmonies. Wet Willie features frontman, Jimmy Hall, who is known for his vocals, harmonica and sax skills. The group is best known for their 1974 hit, Keep On Smilin’.

General admission tickets are available for $30. Tickets are available at the following sponsors: First Metro Bank (all locations), Valley Credit Union (all locations) and Zoey Belles. Tickets are also available at www.djpevents.com.

The Haleyville Lions Club carnival is open through Saturday night across from Wal-Mart on Highway 195 in the old Piggly Wiggly parking lot. The carnival is a fund raiser for the Lions Club local projects.

A single-vehicle crash at 12:25 p.m. today, May 10, has claimed the life of a Hamilton man.  Kerry Nicholas Cook, 30, was killed when the 2002 Chevrolet Tracker he was driving left the roadway, struck a bridge pillar and caught fire.  Cook was pronounced dead at the scene.  The crash occurred on Interstate 22, near the 22-mile marker, six miles east of Hamilton.  Nothing further is available as Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate.

A unique race was held Saturday with three electric cars on the campus of the Haleyville City Schools in the first competition of its type in Haleyville. The contest pitted cars built by student team members all following a set of rules to make it a level playing field for the competitors. In addition to the car built and driven by the Haleyville Center of Technology students, Decatur, and Clay County also competed. According to the HHS sponsor, Jamie White, two other schools had to withdraw because of school tests at the same time.

The winner was Decatur, Haleyville second and Clay County third overall following two races. The timed races were to determine how much distance the vehicles could travel in one hour. In the first race, Decatur was slightly over 23 miles and Haleyville approximately 15.

These cars can be built in any configuration, but the three-wheel design offers less resistance or drag. All the vehicles use the same size motors and batteries. The Haleyville Auto Zone furnished the batteries for the HHS entry. White pointed out the vehicles can cost as much as $7,000. Haleyville did not win, but the initial thought was the electrical wiring may have been too small. Jamie White pointed out there will be some other modifications.

The first race of this kind was held five years ago at Barbers Motor Speedway in Birmingham with only 4 cars participating. Last year the Haleyville students raced at Barbers along with 36 other cars in the same class. This was the first race hosted by Haleyville. White hopes to make this an annual local event. There are only three other such races in the state.

The students benefit by learning about engineering, electricity, mechanics, and working as a team. This is the fifth year of competition in Alabama and is becoming a unique sport which is developing a serious-minded following.

It takes a lot of people to support just one car. The driver is Clint Edwards. Tow crew is John Cavender, Hayden Ward, Brant White, Austin Taylor and Bryton Frost. Spotter crew is Austin Long, Dustin Childers, Conner Winters, Josefina Ruiz, Tyler Dodd, Gavin Godsey, Christian Marbutt, and Alex Smith. The Pit Crew is Dylan Bishop, Noah Tittle, Zack Cornelius, Luke Ryan, Hayden Kelly and Brandon Lyon.

Special thanks to the Haleyville Rescue Squad for providing traffic control for the two streets at the school during the races.

At the Haleyville High School Prom this year, just after the winner of Miss Havala Amelia Townsend had been selected, a life-long friend, Margaret Dale Stewert Pugh informed me about a four generation connection. Her mother Willie Mae Walker Stewart was Miss Haleyville in 1928, (before there was a Miss Havala). Margaret Dale was Miss Havala in 1960. Her daughter, Beth Pugh Townsend was Miss Havala in 1987 and Miss Haleyville in 1989. Her daughter, Amelia Townsend is this year’s Miss Havala. With Mother’s Day this Sunday, congratulations to all mothers for being the beautiful ladies you are. Thanks to Beth for the photos.