The Cleburne News - 10/17/13 by Consolidated Publishing Co.

Serving Cleburne County since 1906 CCHS - RHS I SPORTS 4

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Look inside for sports scores from Cleburne County High School and Ranburne High School.

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Thursday, October 17, 2013

County’s request denied Cleburne County’s request to do some of the preparatory site work for its numerous bridge replacement projects was denied by the Alabama Department of Transportation, a county official said this week. However, ALDOT will work with the county to save money in the design phase of the projects, said DeJarvis Leonard, division engineer for ALDOT. The county has 12 old bridges that are each eligible for replacement with a new bridge capable of handling school bus traffic under the Alabama Transportation and Rehabilitation Program. It applied for the Rural Assistance Match Program to fund the replacements. The RAMP program was designed to provide the matching dollars required in ATRIP. In the first round of RAMP allocations, the county was awarded $5 million — $4 million in federally-funded ATRIP money and $1 million in state-funded RAMP money. Gov. Robert Bentley allocated an additional $1.6 million in federal funding to Cleburne County in July in the third round of RAMP allocations. That last $1.6 million will require a 20 percent match, Leonard said. County Engineer Shannon Robbins was unsure whether the money would stretch to replace all 12 bridges without some cost-saving measures. It depends on the market conditions, he said. With bridges all over the state being rebuilt at the same time, the competition for the labor and materials may drive up costs, he said. The county was hoping to stretch its grant dollars by doing some of the site preparation work at eight of the bridge locations with county staff and requested permission from ALDOT, which is administering the two

Misty Pointer

n See Bridge page 7

Bridge located on County Road 2 in Hollis Crossroads is one of the bridges that is included in the

Henson applauds construction of outdoor bathrooms at Arts Center LAURA CAMPER

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Members of city baseball teams practicing on the fields at the Heflin Community Arts Center will have bathrooms to use during the games next season. It’s the fulfillment of a goal of Councilman Elvin Henson, who is serving his first term on the council, but it’s the result of a lot of cooperation, Henson said. Members of city staff are building the bathrooms. The Cleburne County Commission contributed $4,000 toward the project, and Commissioner Emmett Owen sought donations of building supplies for the bathrooms. “I was tickled to death things just fell into place,” Henson said. “It happened because everybody worked together — something they can’t do in Washington.” The city hasn’t always had such good results with the park that’s planned for the site. The City Council had to turn down a grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to build a handicapped accessible playground on the site. The city’s portion wasn’t figured properly, and the council had to pay about $130,000 out of the city’s general fund to receive a $206,000 match. The council members had hoped city staff working on the site would provide most of the city’s match. At the April meeting, City Council members reluc-

tantly voted to return the grant. But Henson is excited to see another piece of the park almost ready for use, he said. Mayor Rudy Rooks said the bathrooms will someday serve people using a walking trail and playground on the site. The playground the city plans now will be scaled back from the original vision, and it won’t include the handicapped-accessible equipment, Rooks said. Once finished, the park will be the fourth in Heflin, said Tammy Perry, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The city also has a park at the Heflin Recreation Center, an archery and air-gun range and the Lake Point Disc Golf Course. The city’s plans call for the walking track to be built next at the arts center and then the playground, she said. Perry said it’s going to be an improvement for an underused city property. The planned attractions will accommodate both the children and adults who currently use the arts center for ballet lessons, scouting and adult education classes, she added. The building where the arts center now resides used to be the Heflin Training School, the city’s segregated school for blacks, said Henson, who attended there. The school system integrated in n See Art Center page 8

Stovall in need more treatment LAURA CAMPER

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Jackie Stovall, a Heflin police officer injured in a December shootout in Oxford, has had a setback in his recovery and will likely need more treatments and more time away from work, he said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Fraternal Order of Police Merrill-Bentley Memorial Lodge No. 79 is attempting to raise more money for Stovall’s family. Stovall said the nerves in his legs are not regenerating as expected. Since his last surgery in June, he hasn’t had a painfree day, he said. He is trying to walk and has a brace that helps him, but it’s a painful process. However, Stovall said, that’s expected with any kind of physical therapy. But with the results of his latest tests, Stovall said he may be facing more treatments, possibly in Minnesota. Doctors pushed back his return to work from December to the spring, he said. Stovall, though, is hoping to return before spring, maybe in February, he said. “There’s nothing like being back to work with the people I care about and doing what I love,” Stovall said. Stovall was shot in the

Alecia Stovall and Emily Stovall daughters of Jackie Stovall is pictured with him. thigh Dec. 15 during a has gone down and expenses shootout with Romero Ro- have gone up, he said. The officers wanted to berto Moya, 33, whom police and sheriff’s deputies support their fellow officer, had chased to Oxford from Turley said. “It’s part of that thin, blue Heflin after Moya had shot and killed his three brothers, line,” Turley said. “We don’t wounded his own son and want to see anyone strugforced his wife into a car. gle.” Stovall is grateful for the Moya crashed at the scene of the shootout, stole a car support from the communifrom a passer-by, and was ty, both financially as well as later shot dead by police fol- through prayer and encouragement. He considers himlowing another crash. The FOP lodge started a self blessed even during this benefit fund for the family difficult year, he said. “There’s no reason to feel on Dec. 17, just days after the incident, said Heflin po- sorry for me,” Stovall said. lice Sgt. Kevin Turley. So, “I’m still here. I will never complain.” far it has raised $17,468. Anyone wishing to conThe family can use the money for expenses asso- tribute to the fund can conciated with Stovall’s treat- tact Small Town Bank in ment, such as travel to Bir- Heflin at 256-463-2790 for mingham or Minnesota or details. Staff Writer Laura Campto make up for lost wages, Turley said. Because of his er 256-463-2872. On Twitter injury, the family’s income @LCamper_Star.

INDEX:

For news stories call Laura at 256.463.2872

Opinion/Editorial . . . . . . 3 Church Sponsor . . . . . . . 5 Sports . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 4

Heflin Highlights. . . . . . 6 Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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