The second photo is approximately 40 minutes later than with most of the structure on the ground.

The third fire in three weeks of abandoned Haleyville houses has raised suspicions as to the origins of these fires. Sunday afternoon, September 8, the Haleyville Fire Department was dispatched at 3:08 p.m. to a structure fire on Highway 13 South, just across from H&R Block. HFD quickly called for help, mostly in manpower to fight the fire. Area Fire Departments including Bear Creek, Delmar, Craft, Pebble, Lynn, Hackleburg, Winfield, Brilliant and Ashridge responded. The building was originally the Boshell Chiropractic Clinic, then the Reece apartments. For quite some time the building has been vacant and empty.  The structure was a total loss. The fire is under investigation by the Haleyville Fire Department.

The Haleyville City Council held the first Council meeting of the month Tuesday, September 3, with Blue Russell absent. The Council first heard the financial audit report from the Sparks CPA firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.

The highlights of the report stated the City’s total net position exceeded its liabilities by $11,909,449. At the government-wide level, total assets and deferred outflows of resources decreased by $70,706 and total liabilities and deferred inflows of resources decreased by $1,067,302 for the prior year. The City’s governmental funds reported a combined ending fund balance of $3,868,464, an increase of $850,473 from the prior year. The portion of the total ending fund balance that can be spent at the City’s discretion is $2,813,517 and is presented as an unassigned fund balance in the governmental fund’s balance sheet.

Total revenues for the City’s governmental activities increased by $3054239, or 4% from the prior year. Sales and property taxes increased by $820,719, or 19% from the prior year. Fees, fines, and charges for services increased by $56,693, or 5.9%. Operating grants and contributions decreased $33,936, or 7.2% from the prior year. Capital grants and contributions decreased by $706,455 or 76.7% due to decreased federal funding. Miscellaneous revenues increased by $31,853 or 23.3%. Insurance proceeds increased $120,919, or 868.9%, from the prior year due to a roof replacement. Interest income increase $12,649, or 35.5%, from the prior year due to increased earnings.

Total expenditures for the City’s governmental activities increased by $483,100 or 7.7% from the previous year, The majority of this increase is due to expenditures related to the Health Care Authority of Haleyville and Winston County. The City provides funding to the Health Care Authority out of proceeds of its new one-cent sales tax. This increase was also offset by a decrease in public safety expenditures primarily due to a reduction in personnel costs.

In other business, the Council approved a bid from Fence Mart of hamilton in the amount of $2,585.00 for miscellaneous fencing repairs for the Dixie Youth Ball Field, the Sports Complex, and at the airport.

The next scheduled Haleyville City Council meeting will be on Monday, September 16, 5:30 p.m. at the Haleyville City Hall.

A single-vehicle crash has claimed the life of a Winfield woman.  At approximately 6:50 am on this date, a 2001 Ford Taurus was driven by Betty Jean Walker Sousy, DOB 1/24/1949, of Winfield, was traveling north on AL-233, approximately three miles east of Brilliant in Marion County.  The vehicle left the roadway to the right and struck a tree.  The driver, the only occupant, was transported to UAB Hospital in Birmingham where she later died.  Nothing further as ALEA Troopers continue to investigate.

The Haleyville Lions traveled to Central of Florence Friday night and came home with a 33-16 win for the first win of the season! A complete wrap-up of the game by Craig Wakefield can be heard on Paradise 92.7 on the 6:30, 9 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. news. Mathew Stevens was the Paradise 92.7 Lion of the Week. Tune in this Friday night for the play by play with Butch Foster and Craig Wakefield as Haleyville travels to Oak Grove for the first region game of the year. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Thursday, August 22, State Senator Garlan Gudger, Representative Tracy Estes, members of the Northwest Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council Lauranne James, presented a “representative” check to Haleyville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Holly Sutherland, HES Principal Christy Bice, HMS Principal Bo Wilcoxhen and Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri, for five projects which received funding from RC&D. Those projects included the following.

Virtual Computer Lab – HES         $4,213.00

CPR Training – City of Haleyville  $2,000.00

Apple iPad Project – HES                $4,000.00

Security Project  – HES                    $4,000.00

Plus Learning Project – HMS         $3,600.00

Northwest Resource Conservation Development (RC&D) is a 501 (c) (3) organization which supports educational and community development projects in Northwest Alabama. Northwest RC&D serves Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Marion, and Winston Counties.

The Haleyville City Board of Education met Tuesday, August 27 with all members present. The Board approved the Board expenditures for July in the amount of $1,503,481.71. They also approved the athletic supplement schedule, and the HHS cross country, fishing team, HMS football, and volleyball schedules. The General Liability/Errors and Omissions Liability Insurance Fund participation and instructional policy were approved.

Seven use of facilities, three field trips, and twenty-two fundraisers were approved.

Under personnel, the Board approved the Professional Services agreement for Jenny Holliman, a leave of absence for Whitley Fragale, Lee Frix as Assistant Cross Country Coach, the resignation of Guy Rains as Social Worker, Brandy Hulsey as a volunteer for HMS, and Steve Bryant as a part-time maintenance worker.

The Serve with Pride Awards this month were in honor of Gary Warren, the former head of the Haleyville Center of Technolgy and much-beloved teacher. His widow, Mrs. Warren (also a retired teacher) was on hand to help with the presentations.

Rylie Kate Johnson, HES

Larry Ray Morlan, HES

Andrew Barton, HMS

Will McCullar, HMS

Brantson Lambert, HHS

The Haleyville and Bear Creek Fire Departments battled an empty house fire at the corner of Dime road and Ellenburg Drive in Haleyville Wednesday morning from about 1 a.m. until 5:30 a.m.  This was the second abandoned house fire in two nights in Haleyville. The fire is being investigated by the Haleyville Fire Department.

The Haleyville and Craft Fire Departments responded to a house fire at 573 2nd Avenue (South Haleyville) at 2:33 a.m. Tuesday morning, August 27. The fire was at the rear of the house and caused extensive damage to the structure. It was uncertain whether the house was occupied at the time of the fire which is being investigated by the Haleyville Fire Department.

A two-vehicle crash on 11th Avenue, (Kelly Hill) Monday afternoon took the life of Jerry Parsons, 72, 2805 Dime Road who was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Coroner Tracy Yealock. A Toyota, driven by a teen male with one teen male passenger collided with the car driven by Parsons in the curve on 11th Avenue. Mr. Parsons’s funeral arrangements will be made by the Hamilton Funeral Home on Wednesday. The Crash is being investigated by the Haleyville Police Department.

Troopers in the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division August 21, arrested Nick Bowling Suggs, 50, and Jodi Wallace Suggs, 50, both of Decatur, on Criminally Negligent Homicide charges stemming from a fatal July 4 boat crash on Smith Lake. Kelsey Starling, 26, of Troy was killed in the crash in Rock Creek. Charges were handed down after a Winston County grand Jury convened earlier this week. Officials from the 25th Circuit District Attorney’s Office in Winston County will prosecute the cases. Nothing further is available as the investigation continues.

Efforts to recover Starling’s body resumed this morning and will continue through Friday, Aug. 23.