The Madison Record - July 7, 2021

INSIDE: Check out fun photos from Madison City Schools summer camps - 8A

M adison RECORD WEDNESDAY July 7, 2021

THE

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House Speaker Mac McCutcheon will not seek reelection

NEWS

By MARY SELL Alabama Daily News

Very high risk Madison County has been classified as “very high risk” area for COVID transmission. The Alabama Department of Public Health classified four North Alabama counties in the category on Thursday. Page 3A

MONTGOMERY – House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, will not run again for his House District 25 seat and will therefore also be retiring as speaker after the 2022 elections.

In an email to his House colleagues obtained by Alabama Daily News, McCutcheon said he and his wife, Deb, made a family decision to “make the

most of our golden years” away from the State House.

“I will remain active in our local community and busy checking off many ‘honey do’ items that have accumulated in the past decade,” McCutcheon wrote. “Words cannot express the rewarding and fulfilling feeling to sit in the Speaker’s Chair and watch each of you work through the legislative process.”

McCutcheon confirmed the news in a press release later last

Monday saying it was “an honor and a privilege to represent the people of District 25 in the House and the citizens of Alabama as speaker, but after four terms it’s time to go home.”

McCutcheon’s work welding the Speaker’s gavel is not yet done. According to the email, he will remain in office until after the 2022 elections, meaning he will preside over any special sessions Gov. Kay Ivey calls this fall See MCCUTCHEON Page 2A

EVENTS

McCutcheon

Rainbow principal accepts job at Madison County intermediate school

By JOHN FEW john@themadisonrecord.com

40 years of recovery

Partnership for a Drug-Free Community will present “40 Years in Recovery - #Giving Hope” to honor a longtime board member of the organization. Page 5A

EDUCATION Teacher Kristen Smith, center, with some of her students who successfully petitioned the state to make the sweet potato the state vegetable. The group was featured in the June issue of Madison Living Magazine (www.madisonlivingmagazine.com).

Local students’ efforts to create official state vegetable to be featured in national tv show

By STAFF REPORTS

Their minds were focused on trends and statistics, which paid dividends at the Alabama Economics Challenge 2021 for students from Bob Jones High School. Page 6A

MADISON - Students from the Learning Exchange homeschool program in the Madison area who completed their effort to name an official Alabama state vegetable will receive statewide and national exposure with a feature on Simply Southern TV. The show will premiere locally on July 11 on WAFF-TV 48 in Huntsville at 9 a.m. and will be rebroadcast on national cable network RFD-TV the following Wednesday at 3 p.m. Central time. It features a sweet potato celebration in May held at the North Alabama Agriplex with interviews from State Sen. Garlan Gudger and State Rep. Randall Shedd, who sponsored the legislation.

“These students, backed by teacher Kristin Smith, were truly inspiring,” said Simply

See SWEET POTATOES Page 2A

BJHS Techer of the Year Kim Krome’s classes are difficult because of challenging material so she tries to reduce stress for students. Kromes is 2021 “Teacher of the Year” at Bob Jones High School.

Page 7A

CLASSIFIEDS

FIND JOBS INSIDE: There are plenty of jobs within today’s classifieds pages.

See page 4A.

INSIDE Records .......... 2A Events ............. 5A Education ........ 6A Sports ............. 1B

Business ......... 4B Kids................. 5B Church ............ 6B Lifestyles ......... 7B

16 pages • 2 sections

LifeSouth: Local blood shortages occurring, blood donors urgently needed

By STAFF REPORTS MADISON – A national blood shortage is impacting the country, news of the shortage has been covered on a national level, and locally LifeSouth is also experiencing shortages. Blood donors of all types are needed now to help.

A decrease in donations during summer months historically causes the blood supply to drop to emergency levels, and that coupled with an increase in need, as hospitals resume elective surgeries and those who did not seek medical

JOURNEY MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SELECTED - Dr. Treva Stewart is pictured left addressing the Madison City Board of Education after being named principal of Journey Middle School which is scheduled to open in fall 2022. Dr. Stewart is assistant principal at Liberty Middle and served in similar administrative positions at James Clemens High School, the alternative school, and in metro Nashville across her education career. You can read more about the school district’s selection at www. themadisonrecord.com.

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Southern TV co-host Mary Wilson. “They saw a need and got to work to make something happen through state legislation. Even when COVID-19 cut the 2020 session short, they persevered and brought the bill back in 2021. And now, we can all celebrate the sweet potato as Alabama’s official state vegetable!”

The students discovered the state did not have an official vegetable while researching a dinner party to celebrate Alabama’s bicentennial celebration in 2019.

Simply Southern TV is a 30-minute show that celebrates Alabama’s farmers, gardeners, makers, rural communities and oneof-a-kind destinations. Episodes are also available on the show’s website at SimplySouthernTV.net and segments can be viewed at Facebook.com/SimplySouthernTV.

MADISON - A popular elementary school principal in Madison is leaving to accept a position with Madison County Schools.

Brian Givens, who has been the principal at Rainbow EleGivens mentary School in Madison, has been approved as the new principal of Riverton Intermediate School in Madison County.

Givens became the principal at Rainbow in 2017. Before that he served as assistant principal at Columbia Elementary, and as assistant principal and athletic director at Bob Jones High School. Before coming to Madison City Schools, Givens taught for five years for Madison County Schools at Hazel Green High School.

“I am thankful for the seven years I proudly served as an administrator with Madison City Schools, along with the wonderful people in the Rainbow Elementary community. My journey in education began as a teacher in Madison County.

I’m honored Mr. Perkins and the Board of Education have given me the opportunity to return and become principal at Riverton Intermediate School,” said Givens.

2A • THE RECORD

July 7, 2021

McCutcheon

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and the 2022 Regular Session that starts in January.

A new speaker will be chosen by the House after the November 2022 elections during an organizational session.

McCutcheon referenced that process in his note to members.

“Whenever there is an announcement of a change in leadership, individuals will step up and pounce on the opportunity to lead. I respect the courageous effort and applaud their willingness to be challenged.

I ask that we be mindful of our roles through this term and the leadership we have in place. Let’s stay the course and finish this legislative session together!”

McCutcheon has now

served as Speaker of the House for five years, elected by the body in 2016 after the conviction and removal of former Speaker Mike Hubbard. “Mac,” as he is colloquially known in the State House, made waves in his first speech to the body declaring that “the days of the imperial speakership are over.”

That was in reference to Hubbard, who tended to preside over the House with a heavier hand to advance the Republican agenda.

McCutcheon’s style has been much more subdued, allowing much more robust – and sometimes seemingly endless – deliberation on issues on the floor and within the Caucus. While the new style was appreciat-

ed by many at the beginning, some lawmakers have complained in recent years that the House could be a more tightly run ship.

McCutcheon was first elected in 2006 to the district that includes eastern Limestone County and portions of Madison County.

“Fair” is how several of McCutcheon’s colleagues described the former law enforcement officer whose career included hostage negotiation.

“Probably we’ve never had a better man in the Legislature,” long-time Rep. Lynn Greer, R-Rogersville, said. “If he had a problem, it was probably that he was too fair.”

House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Hunts-

ville, said it was a great opportunity to have someone from the same north Alabama delegation as him as the Speaker of the House.

“We were together 100% of the time on things that impacted north Alabama,” Daniels said. “I certainly respect and understand his decision to step down and I’ve enjoyed working with him and look forward to working with him through 2022.”

Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, has served with McCutcheon since 2010 and said her message to him Monday was that he made a wise decision to spend more time with family.

“He’s been committed to the process, he’s been extremely fair to everybody,” Collins said.

of idea needed to be introduced as a bill. And she wanted that bill. Smith emailed Butler about the discrepancy and on Feb. 4, 2020, he introduced a bill to name the sweet potato the official state vegetable.

Then COVID. No ratification of the bill.

During this time, the students continued to research the sweet potato, discovering that the majority of the state’s production of the vegetable is in Cullman and Baldwin counties.

“Those two are like twin brothers,” Ray said.

Doug Davenport, the Director of Parks and Recreation in Cullman, heard about the students’ project and contacted them.

The students learned that Cullman hosts an annual Sweet Potato Festival in September. Davenport introduced the students to Sen. Garlan Grudger of Cullman.

“Sen. Grudger loved the idea. He called Sen. Butler to take the bill over since it affected his constituents directly. Butler said yes,” Smith said. “He live streamed readings of the bill, committee meetings and even recognized the students so they could wave. He texted throughout the process and just elevated it all because it was so important to his community” The project became a full circle learning experience, now including legal and political lessons.

The students watched as the senate passed the bill unanimously and as the house debated the bill for 10 minutes.

“It was not really a debate per se,” junior Kyra Smith said. “It was more about the peanut support-

ers wanting to be heard.

I learned that the filibuster can be an annoying thing.”

The bill passed the house, 94-4. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill on April 16, making the sweet potato the official vegetable of the state of Alabama.

“We would have loved to have been there when Gov. Ivey signed it,” Kristin said. “It was such a big thing for us. We tried to get it through for two years.”

The students are basically royalty in Cullman.

After the signing, Grudger arranged for the students to visit the Cullman Agricultural Complex for a celebration. They were treated to a sweet potato feast, featuring sweet potato cornbread, dumplings, cupcakes and casseroles. They even got to plant a few of the orange vegetable plants. They have already been invited to the 2021 Sweet Potato Festival to continue their reign as Cullman royalty.

“I have anxiety and am not one to talk a lot, but I grew during this project,” Ray said. “Hearing from the farmers on how the sweet potato affects them and how important it is to them, pushed me to grow out of my comfort level. It was not just our project.

We did it for them.”

Senior Junior Matthew Riley said what started as students describing a “lame” idea, turned into a much bigger lesson on the political process, state history and even on the act of writing formal letters. It was much more than a project.

“We made Alabama history,” Kyra said. “We took a break from learning Alabama history to actually making it.”

Sweet Potato More about their story “When we did not find an official state vegetable, we were like what is more prominent in the state of Alabama than agriculture,” said the group’s teacher Kristin Smith.

“So, we sent an email to the archives and within a couple of days they wrote back and could not find one, either. They said that we had them all in chuckles down there.”

This led to a class discussion of what vegeta-

A new day.

A new beginning.

It all starts with amazing care in a new facility nestled at the base of Monte Sano – the mountain of health.

The Orthopedic & Spine teams move to a new free-standing tower which is likely to become a destination for people seeking life-improving treatment options — a new beginning to do the important things in life.

It’s what people want from orthopedic and spine treatment.

ble should represent the state. From collard greens to squash, the students brainstormed an idea for the state’s official vegetable.

“We took out corn because it is too common and squash is basically a fruit,” senior Kiley Ray said. “We all got on our phones and sweet potato kept coming up so we researched it further.”

With their research now focused on the sweet potato, the class discovered that Alabama is fifth in the country in sweet potato production and that the vegetable raises 9 million in state revenue.

“Each student was then given an assignment about sweet potatoes, focusing on subjects like health, culture, money,” Kristin said. “We even contacted the Alabama Sweet Potato Association out of Cullman to discuss the sweet potato. They told us that Alabama’s sandy loam soil allows for the sweet potato to grow in a tubular shape.”

The students of the Learning Exchange found a problem. Now, they wanted to solve it. They wrote letters to state representatives and state senators, not expecting much out of it. Within two weeks, they received a letter from Sen. Arthur Orr. “Sen. Orr sent a letter dated Nov. 18 stating that he talked with Sen. Tom Butler and that Butler could not agree with us more on the matter,” Kristin said. “We were told that Sen. Butler had a joint resolution ready on his desk to put forth.”

Being a former paralegal, Kristin knew that Title 1, Chapter 2 referring to state symbols and honors stated that this type

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Blood shortage care during the COVID-19 pandemic do so, has been detrimental to blood supply levels.

LifeSouth blood donors help patients at 17 North Alabama Hospitals, and a growing concern for hospitals has been expressed as blood transfusions increase. Maintaining a stable blood supply makes sure blood is available when needed for victims of accidents, those having surgery or patients being treated for cancers and other illnesses.

LifeSouth urges the community to donate blood soon. It is a great time to become a blood donor and learn your blood type, or for regular blood donors to

Staff Directory French Salter, General Manager, 256-722-6677 french.salter@theredstonerocket.com

Madison County Record is published each Wednesday by Madison Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 859 Madison, AL 35758.

John Few Editor 256-772-6677 john.few@madisoncountyrecord.com Gregg L. Parker News Writer gregg.parker@madisoncountyrecord.com Bob Labbe Sports Writer bob0873@yahoo.com

donate and bring a friend.

Those who received the COVID-19 vaccine, including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna are eligible to donate blood if they are symptom free and feeling well at the time of donation.

All donors receive a thank you gift, and a mini-physical, including blood pressure, temperature, iron level and cholesterol screen.

Donors must be at least 17 or 16 with parental permission, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in good health. A photo ID is needed. LifeSouth’s donor center in Madison, Decatur, Albertville, Florence, and Cullman. LifeSouth’s Subscription Rates In county one year ............. $28.08

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sierra.jackson@madisoncountyrecord.com Donna Counts Advertising Sales Donna Counts 256-714-7152 Advertising Sales 256-714-7152 Public Notice Advertising

Public Notice Advertising

Classified Advertising 256-260-2226 Classified Advertising 256-260-2226

Mail rates for state residents One year ............................. $112.32 For questions about advertising rates, subscriptions or to contribute to our newspapers in education program, please call 256-772-6677.

Corrections The Madison County Record will be happy to correct any errors which appear in the newspaper or clarify any statements which are unclear. To request a correction or clarification, call 256-772-6677 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday -Friday and ask for the publisher.

bloodmobiles will also be out at many locations in coming days.

For additional information about donation or to find a blood drive near you, call LifeSouth toll-free at 888-795-2707 or visit www. lifesouth.org.

Madison Donor Center 8190 Madison Blvd.

Monday: 9am-5pm Tuesday: 9am-7pm Wednesday: 9am-5pm Thursday: 9am-7pm Friday: 9am-5pm Saturday: 8am-Noon Sunday: 8am-Noon Madison Donor Center #2 12060 County Line Road, Suite F Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-6pm CLOSED Sunday and Monday Comments Have a comment about a story or a suggestion?

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July 7, 2021

THE RECORD • 3A

ADPH labels Madison County as being “very high risk” for COVID transmission

By STAFF REPORTS

BANANA PUDDING AWARD - Madison Hospital says they are “bananas” about making patients and visitors feel extra special. To prove their point and encourage employees to keep displaying their best hospitality, they created the “Banana Pudding Award” to recognize physicians, nurses and other staff members who never “wafer” in their commitment to providing amazing care and customer service.

They recently congratulated their latest winners: Food & Nutrition hospitality assistant Velma Lockett (above); Medical Surgical Director Frederick Richardson (bottom left); and OBGYN Dr. Morgan Tucker (bottom right).

MADISON COUNTY - Madison County has been classified as “very high risk” area for COVID transmission. The Alabama Department of Public Health classified four North Alabama counties in the category on Thursday, along with and two counties as “high risk” for coronavirus.

This classification is determined by the risk of spread in the counties based on the number of new cases in those counties in the last week.

Neighboring Limestone County is included in the “very high risk” label with

DeKalb and Lauderdale counties.

Previously, those four counties were classified as “low risk.” The state has not said what caused such dramatic changes in a week.

Jackson and Marshall counties are at “high risk” in the updated data.

According to data last updated by the state last Wednesday, Madison County has had 154 new cases of coronavirus diagnosed in the previous 14 days. Limestone County had 21 new cases of coronavirus diagnosed in the same time period.

Madison Hospital only reported one COVID patient with three under investigation on Wednesday.

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APPRAISALS & AUCTIONS

The Pinta last came to the Huntsville area in 2019, along with a replica of the Nina.

Pinta replica coming to Ditto Landing July 16

By STAFF REPORTS

HUNTSVILLE - Area residents will have a chance to view a replica of the Pinta, one of the three ships Christopher Columbus used to travel to the new world on July 16 at Ditto Landing in Huntsville.

The caravel-style replica was launched in Brazil in 2002.

Historically, the Pinta was the first ship to sight land in the new world on Oct. 12, 1492.

Historians consider the caravel the “space shuttle” of the 15th century.

The Pinta tours as a sailing museum for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the caravel style ship used by Columbus and many early

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While in port, the public is invited to visit the ship for a walk around, self-guided tour.

Admission is $6.50 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5.50 for students age 5-16. Children under 4 are free.

The ship will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from July 16 until July 25.

Teachers or organizations wishing to schedule a 30-minute tour with a crew member should call 1-850-686-3612, or visit ninapinta.org and click the “take a tour” tab.

A minimum of 15 persons is required for a tour at $4.50 per person.

Ditto Landing is located in South Huntsville at the Tennessee River, 293 Ditto Landing Road.

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4A • THE RECORD

July 7, 2021

Suspect in Krispy Kreme robbery charged with previous armed robberies in Madison County

By STAFF REPORTS

DRUG ARRESTS - Last week, Madison County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence located on Thistle Lane in Huntsville to serve a felony warrant on a subject. Upon arrival, MCSO officials said deputies made contact with Nicholas Dewayne Jones, 36. The felony warrant was served on him, at which time he was found in possession of a handgun. The investigation resulted in a large seizure of drugs and cash off the subject. Jones was arrested on the felony warrant as well as charged with one count of certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, one count of drug trafficking, and resisting arrest. While on the scene, deputies said they also made contact with Tameshia Lashay Harris, 25 who was found in possession of narcotics. She was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance. While on the scene, deputies made contact with a third subject, Dareon Jones, 32 who was found illegally possessing a handgun. He was arrested and charged with one count of certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm. All three subjects were booked into the Madison County Jail without incident.

Nicholas Dewayne Jones

Tameshia Lashay Harris

Dareon Jones

HUNTSVILLE - Zachary Cornez Lilley, 32, of Huntsville, was apprehended Saturday by U.S. marshals on a charge of first-degree robbery and was released from Morgan County Jail the same day after posting a $250,000 bond.

The robbery occurred at 7:08 a.m.

Sept. 27, a Sunday morning. According to an affidavit filed by Decatur police Detective Sean Mukaddam on April 14 when an arrest warrant was issued for Lilley, the defendant entered the 1648 Beltline Road S.W. business with a pistol and stole $1,100.

Surveillance photos released by police at the time showed a male wearing a mask and a black hoodie confronting a Krispy Kreme employee with hands raised.

In the affidavit, Mukaddam described the investigation that led to Lilley being charged.

“Approximately a quarter mile away from the business, responding officers located clothing in the middle of the roadway,” Mukaddam wrote. “At the same location, a homeowner observed a heavyset black male pull into a driveway.

“The black male exited his vehicle and removed his clothing. The clothing was left on the side of the driveway and (he) fled the scene. The clothing matched the clothing the suspect wore during the robbery.”

Mukaddam said the clothing was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for DNA analysis, and on April 9 police were notified the DNA matched Lilley.

“Additionally, the DNA was a match to a 2020 armed robbery of a nail salon in Madison Police Department’s jurisdiction,” Mukaddam wrote, although court records do not indicate Lilley had been charged for that robbery as of Wednesday.

Lilley has faced such charges before.

In February 2007, when he was 18, Lilley was charged with armed robbery when he allegedly carried a shotgun into Supervalue Grocery in Madison County and stole $320. He was released on bond while awaiting trial.

In October 2008, he was charged with using a handgun in an armed robbery

Lilley

of an individual. He pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of second-degree robbery for the 2007 and 2008 offenses and was sentenced to six months in jail followed by nine years and six months of probation. Probation was revoked in 2012, but restored and reduced after Lilley wrote a letter to the court in 2013 outlining the counseling, anger management and plumbing courses he had taken while out of jail.

“I guarantee if I were to get a second chance, I would be the productive citizen that my counselors and program have installed in me these last couple of months,” Lilley wrote.

Also in October 2008, Huntsville police charged Lilley with breaking into two vehicles. He was indicted, but charges in those cases were dropped.

In June 2020, Lilley was charged in Huntsville with breaking into and entering a street sweeper truck. He was released on $3,000 bond and the charge is still pending.

According to Kristi Simpson, deputy to the chief of staff of the Alabama Department of Corrections, Lilley served two stints in prison on the Madison County robbery charges.

He was admitted to ADOC custody March 12, 2009, to serve a second-degree robbery sentence and was released on probation five months later on Aug. 23, 2009, Simpson said. He entered ADOC custody again April 26, 2012, also for second-degree robbery, and was released on probation Sept. 17, 2013.

Parole denied for Huntsville man convicted in 2007 of murdering wife

By STAFF REPORTS

Bank Independent has been recognized as part of Forbes’ annual nationwide list of America’s Best-In-State Banks 2021

Bank Independent ranks nationally in Forbes Best-in-State Banks for 2021

By STAFF REPORTS MADISON - Bank Independent has been recognized as part of Forbes’ annual nationwide list of America’s Best-InState Banks 2021 and ranks number 1 in the State of Alabama for a second year in a row. This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The awards list was announced on June 24, 2021 and can currently be viewed on the Forbes website.

Forbes Best-In-State Banks 2021 is comprised of the top banks based on the results of independent surveys involving approximately 25,000 U.S. consumers who were asked to rate the financial institutions at which they have or have had checking accounts.

Participants made recommendations regarding overall satisfaction; they also assessed banks and credit unions in the following areas: ‘Trust,’ ‘Terms & Conditions,’ ‘Branch Services,’ ‘Digital Services,’ and ‘Financial Advice.’ Based on the results of the study, Bank Independent is ecstatic to be recognized as one of Forbes’ 2021 list of America’s Best-InState Banks.

“I want to thank our customers who made the Forbes Best-in-State Bank 2021 award possible for a second year in a

HUNTSVILLE - Lorenzo Lee Cole, who in 2007 was convicted of murdering his wife Dava Pettus Gray, was denied parole Thursday.

According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, Cole has been housed at the Camden Community Work Center.

He was sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty for the 2005 murder of 33-yearold Gray. He has served nearly 16 years of that sentence.

According to news reports at the time, Pettis was found shot to death inside her Twickenham Village apartment. Cole and Gray’s relationship had been marred by a pattern of domestic violence. A few months before her murder, Gray report- Cole edly filed a protection order against Cole. ages 3 and 4 at the time, who reportedly Their marriage produced two children, witnessed the gruesome event.

Wardlaw row,’ said Rick Wardlaw, CEO of Bank Independent. “The past year, operating through a pandemic, presented many challenges and opportunities to meet and exceed your expectations. Thank you for trusting us to meet your financial needs.

On behalf of our more than 600 Bank Independent team members who strive every day to provide excellent customer service with the end goal of creating raving fans, we’re truly honored.”

Bank Independent has been serving the needs of the community since 1947.

You can find the full list at www.forbes. com/best-in-state-banks.

To advertise in The Madison Record, call Donna Counts at 256-714-7152

M adison RECORD THE

www.themadisonrecord.com

IRONMOUNTAIN EMPLOYEES AWARD $55,000 IN GRANTS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS - The IronMountain Solutions (IMS) Employee Peaks Fund contributors are pleased to announce that they have awarded $55,000 to 13 local non-profit organizations. Contributors have now given nearly $245,000 back to the community since the Employee Peaks Fund was established in 2018. “I’m encouraged by the generosity displayed through the contributions of our employees. I look forward to seeing how these funds will benefit our community,” says IMS President & CEO Hank Isenberg. Award recipients received their grants from Employee Peaks Fund Contributors at a Grantee Reception held at IMS’ corporate office. The following 501(c)3 non-profit organizations received grants from the IMS Employee Peaks Fund for the first grant period of 2021: AFAPA-Grandparents as Parents, Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama, CASA, Friends of Florence Lauderdale Co. Animal Services, Harris Home for Children, Kids to Love, National Children’s Advocacy Center, New Hope Children’s Clinic, Next Step Farms, North Alabama Search Dog Association, Rose of Sharon Soup Kitchen, Still Serving Veterans, Village of Promise The IMS Employee Peaks Fund grants awards to qualified applicants twice a year based on votes from employee contributors. Grant applications will be accepted again in the fall of 2021. For more details, visit https://www.ironmountainsolutions.com/ community.

EVENTS

5A

July 7, 2021

Partnership for a Drug-Free Community’s event to recognize ’40 Years in Recovery’ with Rev. Draper President Karen Crowson, Second Vice President Missy MingSmith, Secretary Jacques Cothren, Treasurer Dave Draper and Nominating Chairperson Sharon Tibbs.

Offering a glimpse into the complex and sometimes surprising practices of sobriety, the Partnership can state signs and symptoms of use and abuse of drugs: * Impaired social and occupational functioning, leading to withdrawal from interaction with the public. * Impaired attention, forgotten memories of actions or verbal comments. * Bouts of anxiety, depression or both, along with paranoia. * Aggressive behavior, anger and even fighting. * Fatigue, slurred speech,

drowsiness or clumsiness. * Talkativeness, tension and restlessness.

This list does not represent all signs and symptoms, Reeves said. The degree or extent any one individual can display signs and symptoms of abuse can vary, depending upon the drug of choice and the individual body’s response.

For more info about 40 Years in Recovery luncheon, call 256-539-7339, email dbower@thedrugfreepartnership. org or visit partnershipforadrug-freecommunity.org, Facebook/Partnership for a DrugFree Community or Twitter #Giving Hope.

Partnership for a Drug-Free Community will present “40 Years in Recovery” luncheon and panel discussion on July 15.

The event honors the recovery of Rev. Dave Draper Jr.

DRONES: IS THE SKY THE LIMIT? US Space and Rocket Center ALL MONTH

MADISON CITY FARMERS MARKET - Madison City Farmers Market, open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, is the area’s original local, producer-only farmers market, founded in 2007. Everything sold at the market is grown or crafted by local farmers and craftspeople. The vendors provide a wide selection of the freshest local veggies, fruits, cheese, eggs, meats, milk, herbs, honey, jams, relishes, home-baked goods, plants and flowers. The Madison City Farmers Market is Located at 1088 Hughes Road, Madison at Trinity Baptist Church. Check online for more information and updates: www.madisoncityfarmersmarket.com

BRAVO BRAVO GALA FUNDRAISER - On Saturday July 17 at 6pm, Opera Huntsville presents their annual Bravo Bravo Gala Fundraiser. This entertaining evening includes live opera performances by select singers coupled with a silent auction and dinner catered by Bubba’s Silver Spoon Catering at the Stone Event Center at Campus 805.

Cash bar will be available, and dress is festive formal attire. The musical program features opera aria favorites alongside highlight performances for our 20212022 season. It includes music by renowned composers such as Verdi, Bizet, Bartok, Strauss, and Donizetti side-by-side living and Huntsville local composers Erin Huelskamp and Wayne Bucknor. Additional ambience music will be provided by the Rocket City Flute and Harp duo. Tickets available online: www.operahuntsville.org

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ST. JOHN’S ADVENT CRAFT FAIR 2021 - St. John’s will host their annual craft fair during Advent this year instead of Lent. It will be held Saturday, November 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Parish Hall, 1055 Hughes Road. The vendor registration opened July 1 and will close on July 15, so act now to reserve a spot. Go to https://sites.google. com/view/2021stjohnscraftfair to register. For questions, please contact sjbcraftfair@gmail.com

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by Imagine Exhibitions, Drones: Is The Sky The Limit? explores the modern phenomenon of drones, their uses throughout history and the exciting possibilities of the future role that drones will play in our society. Drones: Is The Sky The Limit? features real drones, in-depth label paneling and rich audio-visual content. For more information, go to www. rocketcenter.com.

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HUNTSVILLE - Partnership for a Drug-Free Community will present “40 Years in Recovery #Giving Hope” to honor a longtime board member of the organization.

Rev. Dave Draper Jr. of Huntsville will observe the milestone of 40 years of sobriety on July 18.

The 40 Years in Recovery luncheon and panel discussion on facts about sobriety will be held at Downtown Huntsville Library, 915 Monroe St. on July 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

“Be inspired by his story and a few others as we recognize the journey of those in recovery,” Wendy Reeves said. Reeves serves as Executive Director of Partnership.

Draper’s interesting life story started as a child of a minister.

He entered a darker period of his life, then served in the U.S. Army and eventually turned his life around by becoming a preacher himself, Reeves said.

“Pastor Draper got involved with Partnership to try to make a difference in the community,” Reeves said. “He has served in just about every position in the agency, including board president for many years.”

Tickets to the 40 Years in Recovery event are $15 and are tax-deductible. Guests must make a reservation. For a reservation, visit igfn.us/form/6dyIXA or text PARTNER to 91999.

Registration deadline is July 9.

Officers for Partnership’s Board of Directors are President Tommie Batts, First Vice

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EDUCATION

6A

July 7, 2021

Bob Jones reigns with state champs, runners-up at Alabama Economics Challenge 2021

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – Their minds were focused on trends and statistics, which paid dividends at the Alabama Economics Challenge 2021 for students from Bob Jones High School.

The contest, nicknamed EconChallenge, encourages students to apply their knowledge of this field as they work in teams to win state, regional and national awards. EconChallenge receives support from Alabama State Department of Education, Council for Economic Education, Medical Properties Trust, Alabama Economics Club and University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Testing students’ knowledge of economics, online competition deter-

mined the champions this year.

Guided by economics teacher Loren Springer, Bob Jones teams claimed first and second places, advancing them to national semi-finals.

First-place finishers in the David Ricardo Division of the contest were Emma Bordelon, Liam Kilpatrick and Julia Pimmel. Earning second-place honors in the Adam Smith Division were Brandon Clark, Ethan Gann, Quin Goins and David Reynolds.

Winning teams earned prize money, which students divided among themselves.

All team members were enrolled in one of Springer’s economics classes during spring semester 2001. Teams applied material that they learned in the classroom to ad-

vance to a win. They also reviewed pertinent facts with Springer before the competition.

Senior Julia Pimmel said her team “studied with Ms. Springer for a couple of days to refresh what (they had) learned in the class, since it was last nine weeks.” For the EconChallenge test, the teams received a large packet of sample questions as study material, according to “Patriot Pages,” the student news site for Bob Jones. (bjhspatriotpages.com) For the competition’s second half, Pimmel said the team did not prepare as much, although “questions were a lot harder.

There was stuff we hadn’t even learned about in class.”

The competition was “basically like a second econ final,” senior Emma

State champs and runners-up in Loren Springer’s class at Bob Jones High School impressed their peers at the Alabama Economics Challenge 2021 or EconChallenge. Photo by “Patriot Pages” at Bob Jones High School Bordelon said.

After their success in the competition, the Bob Jones team advanced to another round, Julia Wilhide wrote in her article. Wilhide, a “Patriot Pages”

writer, recently graduated from Bob Joes.

Alabama Council on Economic Education, the competition sponsor, improves financial education in Alabama by

providing professional development and curriculum resources for K-12 teachers in public and private schools.

For more information, visit econalabama.org.

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TruAuraBeauty.com/trubeauty4u Martha Cox, center, is 2021 “Staff Member of the Year” at Bob Jones High School. Congratulating Cox are Bob Jones Principal Sylvia Lambert, at left, Dr. Ed Nichols, Superintendent of Madison City Schools, and other school district officials.

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Bob Jones names Martha Cox as leading staffer

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – Martha Cox feels the most pride in her work when she can help students and parents solve

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problems that they may have. Cox is 2021 “Staff Member of the Year” at Bob Jones High School.

In her job as registrar, she works with student records, enrolls and withdraws students and answers requests for transcripts and student records. “I work with administration and counselors on class setup, inputting data in the database,” Cox said.

“I work with teachers with grades, report cards and homeroom assignments. I also work with

reports for the State of Alabama,” she said.

Before moving to Alabama, Cox worked at Clarkmoor Elementary School in Fort Lewis, Wash. She started working for Madison City Schools in 2008 and has worked at both Bob Jones and James Clemens High School.

Cox graduated from Falkner High School in her hometown of Falkner, Miss. “I grew up singing in my church,” she said. Cox earned an associate’s degree at Northeast Mississippi Community College

in Booneville.

Her husband Andy Cox retired from the military and currently works as a contractor on Redstone Arsenal. “We have two daughters, Caitlin and Brittany. Both are graduates of Bob Jones High School. Caitlin graduated from University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Brittany graduated from Athens State University,” Martha said.

When away from work, Martha enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with her family.

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REMINDER FROM MADISON CITY SCHOOLS - Madison City Schools requires all returning students to re-enroll or risk being withdrawn if the process has not started by July 30. Please share to help spread the word. Go to www.madisoncity.k12.al.us for more information.

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July 7, 2021

THE RECORD • 7A

Water skills, swimming among summer programs at Hogan Family YMCA

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – Hogan Family YMCA has new program offerings that offer fun and educational sessions for children and teenagers during July.

Swim lessons for infants and toddlers from six months to three years old will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on July 5-15 from 4 to 4:30 p.m. or from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at Hogan Family YMCA. A parent must accompany the child.

The child will learn to fell at ease in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences. Parents will learn about water safety, drowning prevention and importance of supervision.

Water Discovery (Stage A) in-

troduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment. Water Exploration (Stage B) focuses on exploring body positions, blowing bubbles and fundamental safety and aquatics skills. The YMCA requires swim diapers for all infants who are not potty trained; parents can buy swim diapers for $1 at the Member Services Desk.

Fees for these swim lessons are $59 for members or $99 for families who are not members.

For anyone at least 15 years old, the American Red Cross Lifeguard course will run July 6-9. The sessions are designed to give participants the basic skills and knowledge required for lifeguards in pools and aquatic environments.

This comprehensive course offers up-to-date information about guarding procedures, anticipating and preventing problems and taking action to help

swimmers in need. CPR, first aid and certification for an automated external defibrillator or AED are included.

The lifeguard course blends in-pool work with a combination of self-paced online learning, involving approximately seven hours outside of classroom time that the student must complete before the first day of class and instructor-led skill sessions.

YMCA staff will email a link to the participant for the blended learning seven days before sessions start.

Participants must pass a swim test on the first day of class. A participant who does not pass the skills test will receive a 50-percent refund. Participants must attend all class dates.

Registration will close on July 8. Fees are $200 for members or $300 for families who are not members. For more information, call Farris Williams at

This summer, Hogan Family YMCA has programs related to swimming for youngsters and teenagers.

256-705-9622 or email farris.williams@ymcahuntsville.org.

For three- to five-year-old pre-schoolers, swim lessons will run July 5-15 on Monday through Thursday from 9:30 to 10 a.m. or another class from 4:30 to 5 p.m.

Fees are $59 for members or $99 for families who are not members. For more informa-

tion, call 256-705-9622.

For youth who are six to 12 years old, swim lessons will be available from July 5-15 on Monday through Thursday from 5:15 to 6 p.m. or another class from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. Fees are $59 for members or $99 for families who are not members. For more information, 256-705-9622.

MIDTOWN ELEMENTARY NEARING COMPLETION - Madison City Schools shared some photos last week showing progress as construction of Midtown Elementary continues toward completion for the 2021 school start in August. The $34 million school is located along Wall Triana next to Kroger.

A second school, Journey Middle School, will be located behind the district’s central office on Celtic Drive. It will be completed in time for the 2022-23 school year. Madison residents overwhelmingly approved a 12-mill property tax increase in September 2019 to fund the construction of the schools, plus additions at Bob Jones and James Clemens.

Kim Krome is “Teacher of the Year” at Bob Jones High School.

Bob Jones ‘Teacher of the Year,’ says her students keep her focused

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madisoncountyrecord.com MADISON – Kim Krome’s classes are difficult because of challenging material so she tries to reduce stress for students.

Kromes is 2021 “Teacher of the Year” at Bob Jones High School.

“I try to keep my classroom relaxed and fun, so students enjoy being there, even though the curriculum is tough,” Krome said. She teaches three advanced-placement physics classes and Principles of Engineering.

Krome first taught astronomy and introductory engineering at James Clemens High School in 2017. She formerly worked as an engineer at NASA for seven years but ‘retired’ to raise her children, working periodically as a consultant.

“After that 17-year break, I went back to work as an engineer (contractor to NASA) and decided to follow my heart and apply for a teaching position,” Krome said.

Krome sponsors Interact Club and Physics Club and previously sponsored boys’ soccer.

“As I imagine will be true for all nominees, I love, love, love this job! I’ve always known that my students were amazing and have loved being around them,” Krome said.

COVID-19 forced a fully virtual semester and complete redesigns of lesson plans for Principles of Engineering, including at-home, hands-on projects for students. Applying each units’ concepts, students delivered projects using Google Slides and presentations with Screencast.

“It was a great success,” Krome said.

“I was repeatedly impressed with my students’ designs using items (at) home, like straw bridges, Rube Goldberg machines and projectile launchers. I’ll con-

tinue to use these lesson plans, because they worked so well, and the kids had fun (and) developed communications skills.”

“My dad was military, so I grew up everywhere from Boise, Idaho to Athens, Greece,” Krome said. She graduated from high school in Woodbridge, Va. Krome earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and teaching certification through Athens State University.

Her pastimes are water and snow skiing, outdoors activities, cooking and working out.

Her children are Sophia Krome Garcia, a graduate of Bob Jones and University of Alabama in Huntsville College of Nursing in 2020. Married to Federico Garcia, Sophia is a trauma-certified nurse in Huntsville Hospital ER. Celia Krome graduated from Bob Jones in 2018 and is studying building science at Auburn. Rett Krome, a Bob Jones senior, plans to attend Auburn and major in broadcast journalism specializing in sports. Rett is active in theatre, Green Power and church worship band (He plays bass, guitar and piano.).

“My spouse was Mark Krome. He was an engineer working SLS at NASA. He passed away unexpectedly in January,” Kim said.

“This year, after my husband died, (my students) found so many ways to reach out to me and make sure that I was OK,” Kim said. “There were gifts, sweet notes, big hugs and grace when I wasn’t having my best day.”

One week after Mark’s death, Kim returned to work “because I so missed my classroom and my students. ‘My kids’ kept me moving forward. Without knowing it, they kept me focused, learning and laughing even when times were tough. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

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8A • THE RECORD

July 7, 2021

Snapshot

MCS SUMMER CAMPS - Summer is anything but quiet in many Madison City Schools. Hundreds of students are taking part this year in summer learning programs for elementary, middle and high school students. More than half of MCS schools have activities going on ranging from ELL (English Language Learners) programs for students still new to the English language to Extended School Year (ESY), and reading and math classes. Last week, Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols and MCS Board of Education members toured the schools along with State Sen. Tom Butler, Assistant Superintendent Eric Terrell and several MCS administrators. Here aare some fun photos from their visits.

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C oming Soon to Madison!

UAH garners 14 GSC All-Academic honorees

INSIDE SPORTS

By STAFF REPORTS

Obed Bartee Obed Bartee of Harvest, a recent graduate of Sparkman High, has his sights set on a magical ride with athletics. The 19-year old spent nearly a month in Colorado Springs, Colo. with some of the best boxers in the world.

Page 3B

BUSINESS

Will King shows the many awards that he has won in Alabama State Games. He recently earned gold in the Ninja challenge.

Groundbreaking A groundbreaking ceremony was held for five new restaurants at Town Madison last week. Page 4B

COMMUNITY

Will King takes gold in Ninja challenge at State Games

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com

Reopening celebration A new Pearl Harbor exhibit and an expanded Revolutionary War display are among the features of the Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives that reopened last week in a renovated building that has double the presentation space of its old location. Page 4B

KIDS & CHURCH

MADISON – With an interest sparked as a preschooler, Will King recently nabbed the gold medal in Alabama State Games’ Ninja Challenge.

King, a 15-year-old sophomore at James Clemens High School, has racked up numerous awards in ninja warrior competitions.

“I got involved when I first started watching “Ninja Warrior” on TV when I was five years old,” King said. “I started climbing walls in my house and hanging on anything … and building ninja obstacles in my backyard.”

King has been training since his first ninja competition at Ninja Obstacle Academy in 2017. Ninja is a solo sport, but he also participates with the Rocket City Ninjas

team for out-of-town contests.

His contest name is “The WilldaBeast Ninja.”

These games are affiliated with State Games Of America. (asffoundation.org/ninja-challenge) Ninja competitions feature obstacles that require different skills, such as balance, endurance, agility, strength and speed. “You need to have tenacity and drive to overSee KING Page 2B

HUNTSVILLE - The Gulf South Conference unveiled its academic honors for the 2021 Spring season recently, and The University of Alabama in Huntsville was represented by a total of 14 All-Academic Team members and 160 Honor Roll recipients.

The UAH women’s lacrosse team led the way with a total of five GSC All-Academic Team honorees, including Cara Brown, Hailey Gallant, Katie Gerber, Karissa Glover and Darby Smith. Both Gerber and Glover garnered their second career conference all-academic distinction.

Men’s track & field boasted four GSC All-Academic Team members, headlined by twotime honoree Hunter Nails to go along with Zach Hancock, Garrison Hill and Harold Lacroix.

Men’s soccer’s Ethan Wilson was recognized with his third career GSC All-Academic award, while softball’s Ashley Cornell and volleyball’s Abby Brooks both earned their second career honor.

Baseball’s Garrett Bodine, volleyball’s Kendall Scharbert and women’s track & field’s Emee Baldwin and Kaylee Stewart each garnered their first career GSC All-Academic honor to round out the Chargers 14 awardees.

UAH’s men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball teams competed this spring as See UAH Page 2B

Trash Pandas starter to pitch in top prospect showcase in Denver

By STAFF REPORTS

57 prospect overall by MLB.com, Detmers has spent his first minor league season in the Rocket City rotation. The Angels’ first-round (10th overall) selection in the 2020 draft spent last season at the Angels’ Alternate Training Site in Long Beach.

Over his first nine professional starts, Detmers is currently 2-2 with a 3.95 ERA (18 ER/41.0 IP). He leads Double-A South with 76 strikeouts, which is the most among Angels farmhands.

See DETMERS Page 2B

Special Weekly Pages

MADISON – The Rocket City Trash Pandas announced last week that starting pitcher Reid Detmers has been named to the American League roster for the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The prospect-filled game will take place on Sunday, July 11 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado as part of MLB All-Star Sunday.

Currently ranked as the Los Angeles Angels’ No. 2 prospect and No.

Check our weekly Kids and Church pages with games and activities for kids, and area church listings.

Pages 5B and 6B

Experts: Nutrition plays a pivotal role in helping athletes achieve success

By BOB LABBE bob0873@yahoo.com

HISTORY

Dr. Richard M. Fletcher Check out this interesting look at Madison’s past with John Rankin.

Page 8B

MADISON- Much like a wellgroomed athletic team, nutrients from foods combined together plays a key role in performing your best in any athlete endeavor. Carbohydrates (carbs), fat and protein all play a pivotal role in keeping the body in tip-top condition for those tip-top performances.

Carbs are the form of fuel that the body can use most efficiently; Fat helps the body retain vitamins

Nutrition is a must for any athlete. Experts agree that the correct nutrition can make the difference in the performance in See NUTRITION Page 2B a sporting event or just the efforts to get or stay in shape.

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2B • THE RECORD

Follow us at www.facebook.com/themadisonrecord

The 2021 Armed Forces Celebration Community Softball Game was played at Toyota Field last week and was a huge success. The benefit game pitted area community leaders, Including Madison Mayor Paul Finley (above left), against Team Redstone for the 2021 Armed Forces Celebration Week. It was hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

Nutrition and minerals; Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue.

Try and skimp any one of those nutrients puts you in on the course for failure. According to the Department of Health & Human Services, doctors recommend 55-60-percent of your daily calories come from carbs while 30-percent should stem from fat intake and the final 10-15-percent come straight from protein. To stay healthy and remain a constant performer in athletics, experts stress a healthy diet is the first step to great performances, and for athletes, knowing what and when to eat.

Experts teach athletes to treat their body like a prized possession, because the human body is just that and every person’s needs are different. Just like the glorious makings of the body all are not created equal and neither are foods and when it comes to choosing which carbs,

fats and proteins to consume, you must be discriminating. Consume the foods with the most amounts of nutrients possible. One thing is for sure- you can’t go wrong with keeping it simple.

Timing is always an important part of correct nutrition. Never consume a meal near the time of your workout or athletic events.

One of the main reasons, according to the National Institutes of Health, is the fact digestion uses up energy, and conserving energy is a must for best athletic performances. One of the most critical aspects of nutrition and getting the most out of a performance is staying hydrated.

The human body is made up of 60-percent water and during any athletic venture the body quickly loses fluid and thirst becomes the first sign of dehydration as the body is pretty intelligent in taking care of itself, but needs help. Run-

ners know this fact as well as any group of athletes. The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition has a guideline most athletes adhere to: “Drink water every day; drink half your body weight in ounces.”

For runners, perfecting the weekly mileage can be a very difficult task. The experts at Fleet Feet Sports of Madison indicate there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to choosing the correct mileage. Speed and endurance are two factors in determining how many miles to hit the roads or running track and those indications depend on what the reason is for with the treks in your running shoes.

Work with a registered dietitian and don’t experiment with diets on your own as this can lead to poor eating habits with inadequate or excessive intake of certain nutrients. Be smart. Help your body.

in University of Alabama at Birmingham Honor Band and District Honor Band.”

Earning straight A’s in classes, Will plays trombone in James Clemens’ Competition Marching Band and Wind Ensemble. “I’m looking forward to band camp, because I’ve missed playing in marching band.

I’m also excited to see my friends again,” he said.

His parents are Jeff and Vicky King. Jeff works as an engineer at The Boeing Company. Vicky is a preschool teacher at Madison United Methodist Church.

In July, Will will compete in Ulti-

mate Ninja Athletic Association‘s World Finals in Las Vegas. Primarily in America, the association is a ninja league with gyms nationwide that hold qualifier meets. “Those who qualify move on to the world finals. Around 125 kids currently are qualified in my division, but well over 1,000 competitors attend, ranging from 7 years old to over 40,” Will said.

“I’m working hard towards two of my goals. One is to compete and win on the “American Ninja Warrior” show, and the second is to be in the Million Dollar Band at the University of Alabama,” Will said.

on May 5 at Chattanooga and the inaugural game at Toyota Field on May 11 at Tennessee, Detmers has improved with each outing. In his first month of professional baseball, he went 0-2 with a 4.05 ERA (9 ER/20.0 IP) and 30 strikeouts over five May starts. In June, he finished 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA (9 ER/21.0 IP) with just five walks and 46 strikeouts. He struck out 10 or more in

four of his nine starts, with three of those outings taking place in the month of June.

Managing Detmers and the rest of his American League teammates will be former Angels relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins. Detmers will be joined in Denver by fellow Angels pitching prospect Hector Yan, who is currently pitching at High-A TriCity.

die Tankersley, Heather Thompson, Lila Young Women’s Lacrosse: Jai Bonertz, Cara Brown, Ryleigh Casserly, Cameron Crews, Shaina Doser, Sarah Farley, Hailey Gallant, Katie Gerber, Karissa Glover, Bryanna Hamblin, Chloe Johnson, Riley Kirby, Shannon Kruse, Katie Morris, Sara Pagotto, Savanna Robbins, Tori Ryan, Paige St. George, Darby Smith, Isadora Springer, Katie Williams Men’s Track & Field: Allan Anderson, Justin Bensinger, Caleb Boys, James Cain, Cameron Clark, Ryan Collins, Mitchell Cook, Miguel Cortes, Jay Day, Jeremiah Dervis, Alex Herbst, Zach Hancock, Bailey Herfurth, Garrison Hill, Hunter Hill, Zach Howard, Benji Knox, Harold Lacroix, Trey McFarland, Wilson McClain, Timothy McCloud, RJ Nelson, Hunter Nails, Alex Ponce, Marshall Rosenhoover, Steven Soles, Keaton Watts Women’s Track & Field: Morgan Aldridge, Serenity Andrus, Emee Baldwin, Chelsie Burnett, Erin Cannon, Claudia Dassow, Taylor Engram, Hannah Gant, Lauren Hamm, Ann Hampton, Nikki Mata, Emily McMurry, Emika Miyamoto, Tati-

ana Padgett, Kaylee Stewart, Madison Thome, Caroline Ursprung, Bailey Weible, Jasity White, Paige Wohlgemuth Men’s Soccer: Justin Alacantara, Vicente Arratia, Deivi Bucio, Shalev Keter, Giancarlo Martinez, Rafa Moreno, Bailey Morman, Colby Nesbit, Sander Van Der Sluijs, Michael Weston, Ethan Wilson, Connor Young Women’s Soccer: Malaika Albright, Claire Almaraz, Jessica Bissinger, Melanie Brannon, Caroline Buchanan, Annie Burd, Lucy Calhoun, Brynn Colvin, Kailian Davis, Carmen Endicott, Sophie Harris, Laura Hasani, Hailey Hicks, Mackenzie Kandil, Peggy Mathis, Marissa Miltko, Jillian Pilcher, Nova Schmiedtke, Sarah Trotter, Devyn Thompson, Mollie Valek, Gabby Westenberger, Taylor Wilson, Adriana Wright Volleyball: Laekyn Bennett, Abby Brooks, Kaelin Coe, Sabrina Duncan, Emma Jarrett, Ally Kennis, Hannah Lawless, Shayla Libby, Gracie McGee, Paris Morris, Eden Pafford, Molly Presnell, Kendall Scharbert, Kennedy Sellers, Katie Sharp, Olivia Stark

King 423191-1

What’s up at the

come each obstacle and be willing to (train and improve) in each aspect,” King said.

“I was excited to win. It felt great to know all my hard work and training paid off and helped me beat other competitors,” King said.

He realized the need to accelerate training to take his competitions and skill to the next level.

Since sixth grade, Will has played trombone. In eighth grade, he qualified for Alabama All-State Band, “where the Alabama Band Association gets all the best players and creates one band. I also had the honor of playing as first chair

Detmers In his most recent start on June 26 at Chattanooga, the southpaw set a new career-high and a Trash Pandas franchise record with 16 strikeouts over 6.0 innings at AT&T Field. In his most recent home start on June 20 vs. Biloxi, he struck out 14 Shuckers over 6.0 innings to earn a victory.

After making the start in both the first game in Trash Pandas history

UAH

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part of the GSC Spring Championship Series due to the cancellation of fall competition in 2020.

The GSC All-Academic Teams are comprised of student-athletes with at least a 3.20 GPA while also being a starter or significant contributor athletically.

The GSC Honor Roll recognizes all student-athletes who competed and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.

Below is a full breakdown of the department’s GSC Spring Honor Roll recipients.

Baseball: Garrett Bodine, BJ Bradham, Caleb Brewer, Brooks Brophy, Jake Christa, Wells Deloney, Zach Duvall, Austin East, Will Griffith, Parker Henson, Jeff Hunter, Dorien Jenkins, Dylan Johnston, Kody Keiser, Daniel McCary, Tyler McCown, Griffin Rivers, Mitchell Rottier, Sean Rooney, Hunter Schwartz, Tyler Self, Heath Senn, Carson Villalta, Parker Warren Softball: Ashley Cornell, Gracie Deaton, Gracie Green, Laura Harbin, Ava Jacobs, Eve Mallard, Reagan Malone, Carlie Monsour, Grace O’Berry, Peyton Perkins, Heather Phillips, Kelly Ann Sanders, Mad-

July 7, 2021

THE RECORD • 3B

MADISON LIVING THE GUIDE • AROU AAROUND ND TTOWN OWNN • CHAMBER CHAMBE AMB R CONNECTIONS CONNECCTIONS • OUT & ABOUT AB • RICKY RIC SHACKK

July 2021 / $4.95 madisonlivingmagazine.com

The Affair at Madison Station The largest battle in Madison County during the Civil War was fought in the town of Madison

Competition Cheerleading

John Rankin

Cheerleaders aren’t just a pretty face

Known as Madison’s historian, John Rankin was first known for his work in helping put a man on the moon

ALSO INSIDE MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols reflects on his first year leading Madison schools Around Town with Lee Marshall

Food & Dining

Out & About with Rainbow Elementary Memorial Day in Madison WWII veteran celebrates 101 years

Mangia Italian Restaurant

Madison Living 1

Look for the July issue of Madison Living this week. You can find it in Madison businesses or go to www.madisonlivingmagazine.com Obed Bartee of Harvest recently spent a month training alongside the USA Olympic Boxing Team in Colorado Springs, Colo. Bartee has dreams of possibly making the Olympic Team in the near future.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.Obed Bartee of Harvest and a recent graduate of Sparkman High has his sights set on a magical ride with athletics. The 19-year old spent nearly a month in Colorado Springs, Colo. with some of the best boxers in the world at the Olympic Training Facility as Team USA Boxing preps for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

“For me, I’m watching my dream unfold in front of me,” said Bartee.

The current USA Boxing’s 165-pound No. 1 ranked in Youth Men’s Division was invited to be part of the 15-member group of training partners for the USA Boxing Team along with several other Olympians from countries such as the Philippines, Jordan, and Aus-

tralia. Bartee was the only trainer in the 165-pound division and worked alongside Troy Isley of Alexandria, Va. who will represent the United States in the Olympics.

The 22-year old Islay, like the others on the U.S. Team, qualified for the games through numerous boxing tournaments and trials.

As for Bartee, he was chosen to assist the elite group of boxers for his past performances at the Nationals and numerous camps he has attended. He added, “You have to work for the spot I was in. They loved my work ethic at the camps and saw my potential for the future in boxing.”

Many of the boxers on the U.S. Olympic Team were in the same position as Bartee four years ago.

They, too, worked their way up the boxing ladder through years of hard work and life-changing ways

Obed Bartee, front row far right, was among 15 “new team” members who helped train the current USA Olympic Boxing Team in a month-long training session in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Training for the current USA Olympic Boxing Team recently featured Obed Bartee, second from right, a former Sparkman High graduate. He stands in a break from the month-long training with left to right, Eumir Marcial, current 165-pound Olympian representing the Philippines, Troy Isley, 165-pound USA Olympian, and a visiting boxer from Jordan (unnamed).

to become a member of the special group of athletes that want to stand in the boxing ring and proudly fly the colors of the Red, White & Blue.

“I’m beginning to accomplish what I want and working with others who have the same goals is great as we’re facing our future together,” said Bartee. “Facing the physical and mental hardships of boxing is difficult and it’s great to do so with others who understand.”

The boxers roomed at the MCM Elegante Suites and actually trained there for a week before moving their training to another facility, which was located inside a shopping mall and the athletes utilized an entire wing of what was a Macy’s Store. All of the necessary equipment was provided by the USA Team along with hotel accommodations and three meals a day.

Bartee’s day usually began at 7:00 a.m. with a breakfast and the usual athletic training for a few hours while the women’s boxing team used the facilities for its training sessions. Upon the mid-afternoon time frame, Bartee and the remainder of the throng of fellow athletes took to the setting for bag drills, shadow boxing, boxing skills workouts and the all-important sparring for a three-hour session. Each Olympic boxer would spar three to 10 rounds per day. The day was completed around 7:00 p.m. with dinner back at the hotel restaurant.

“Through all of these workouts I became a better boxer every day,” said Bartee, son of Obed and Syria Bartee, who once played football and transferred his talents to boxing fulltime. “In the training at Colorado Springs you had to grasp the concept. If you wasted a day in training you didn’t get better. For me, each day is one step at a time.”

The athletes were given weekends off from their daily trainings.

Those free days allowed the group to relax and conger up ideas to have fun and enjoy the majestic local scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Usually traveling as a group, the “new team” of Olympic hopefuls visited a mountain lake where their surroundings were spectacular and breathtaking. The treks away from the boxing ring gave each of them the time to enjoy the comradery of their fellow athletes and reflect on where they are in their lives.

“I’ve put a lot of my life into this as I’ve matured very fast and it’s paying off,” added Bartee, who stands 6-foot tall. “Each day is getting started on another day to help me reach my dream of making the Olympics. My experience alongside these Olympians was really eye-opening and I think I’m ready as I have the same skills as they do.

It will soon be my time. I plan on one day of representing my country in the ring.”

You can follow updates to news and sports impacting Madison at

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1 OUT OF 10 ELDERLY PERSONS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE BEING: Abused, Neglected or Exploited If you suspect this is happening to someone you know, please report it to Adult Protective Services by contacting your local DHR office or calling the

ADULT ABUSE HOTLINE at 1-800-458-7214

HELP STOP THE ABUSE IF YOU SEE IT, REPORT IT

Thereʼs no excuse for

ELDER ABUSE “This project was supported by Subgrant #18-VA-VS-050 #16-VA-VS-076 awarded by the Law Enforcement / Traffic Safety Division of ADECA and the U.S. Department of Justice.” The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or grant-making component.”

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By BOB LABBE bob0873@yahoo.com

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Sparkman grad Obed Bartee trains with USA Olympic boxing team

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July 7, 2021

Madison Landing wins “Major Rehab Community of the Year” national award

By STAFF REPORTS

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last Tuesday for five new restaurants coming to Town Madison in the coming months.

Groundbreaking held for five new restaurants coming to Town Madison

By JOHN FEW john@themadisonrecord.com MADISON – A groundbreaking ceremony was held for five new restaurants at Town Madison last week.

Town Madison developers and representatives for the new businesses were joined by city leaders and the Madison Chamber of Commerce for the ceremony on Tuesday morning.

The restaurants opening on Zierdt Road are Outback Steakhouse, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Super

Chix Chicken & Custard, Slim Chickens and a new rooftop bar, Prohibition.

Slim Chickens and Outback are expected to open in the winter of 2021. Five Guys, Super Chix, Slim Chickens and Prohibition will open in the Spring of 2022.

Over $400 million in new projects have now been announced or broken ground in Town Madison including Toyota Field, Duluth Trading Company, J. Alexander’s Restaurant, The Yard Milkshake Bar along with luxury apartments, townhouses.

An artist rendering of the new restaurants coming to Town Madison.

GRAND OPENING FOR NEW LOCATION - Chick-fil-A in Madison has reopened at its new location, in Clift Farm. A ribbon cutting and grand opening event was held last Wednesday. This is a relocation from the former store on U.S. 72, but just a bit farther west. The move was announced in July 2020. Clift Farm is also home to Publix and other restaurants, with more on the way. For more about the new location, see related story at www. themadisonrecord.com.

Madison company selected as a finalist in Alabama Launchpad competition

By STAFF REPORTS MADISON – A Madison company has been selected as a finalist in a Alabama Launchpad competition.

A program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), Alabama Launchpad has become the state’s most active early seed funding source and has funded 102 startups with over $5.6 million in non-dilutive money over the past 15 years.

Solved!, a Madison-based company that uses proprietary mathematical software to develop algorithms that greatly reduce calculation times involving large datasets, has been chosen to participate in Launchpad’s Cycle 2 2021 competition. It is competing with other entrepreneurs from Auburn, Birmingham and Montgomery for $25,000.

Alabama Launchpad has finalists in two stages of its competition: those in the concept stage, who are usually pre-revenue, and those in the early seed stage, who are looking to accelerate the growth of their existing business. Solved! falls in the concept stage category.

MADISON - The National Apartment Association (NAA) has announced Freeman Webb Company as a 2021 NAA Excellence Award winner in the category Major Rehab Community of the Year.

The award is for the company’s efforts at Madison Landing at Research Park and the Cottages, located at 2002 Flagstone Drive in Madison.

The annual awards program recognizes outstanding performance and leadership in the rental housing industry – celebrating communities, industry professionals and affiliated apartment associations that make unique contributions to the industry.

“This award is a tribute to our employees for their hard work and achievement,” said Freeman Webb’s Chairman Bill Freeman.

The original property, Madison Landing, was acquired in 2017 and is a late 1980s community with 514 units on 44.5 acres.

An adjacent property was acquired in 2020 that expanded the community with 48 additional 1- and 2-bedroom units to expand the total property to 562 units. The combined properties include three pools, multiple outdoor kitchen areas, covered pavilions, an outdoor wood burning fireplace, a large fitness center, walking trails, fire pits and many other amenities. Freeman Webb invested nearly $15 million to extensively refurbish the 44 acre property with quality upgrades, beautiful landscaping, and modern amenities to create a community more reflective of the growing city around it; a city known for excellent schools and large employers.

Vice President of Construction for Freeman Webb, Tommy Bumpous feels Freeman Webb was honored with the NAA Excellence Award based on the merits of the property and how extensively it was rehabbed.

“This is a 33-year-old property that was pretty tired, blandly painted, full of rot and it needed some TLC. It’s in a nice part of town but undesirable traffic was driving or walking through. We immediately put perimeter fencing all the way around it and gated it – then went to work to renovate the property.

We re-did the pools, created an awesome outdoor kitchen area, added a huge playground, did all these things to make it a family-oriented type property. For interiors, we used higher-grade carpeting, trendy paint colors, granite, things that add to the quality. We use high

quality products with good warranties because we want things to last long after the rehab team is gone.” Bumpous further added that Freeman Webb has the gift of a trifecta.

“We acquire the property, manage the property and we have our own in-house construction team, and we feel that’s pretty unique.

It allows us to provide the best in quality materials.

Further, wherever we live is our castle, so we strive to give our residents a place that’s very nice inside and outside.”

“I was a property manager here for about six months prior to Freeman Webb acquiring the property,” commented Michell von Oven, Madison Landing at Research Park’s community manager.

“Freeman Webb took over on August 26 of 2016, and by the end of September or early October that year we had our first interior renovated unit,” continued von Oven. “With 514 units, we were on a very aggressive two-year timeline to have the multi-million dollar renovation complete – all 514 were complete – and we pretty much hit the mark on that.”

Exterior improvements were found to be the detail that made significant improvements to security and occupancy rates.

“About nine months into the renovation process, we started with the exterior,” informed von Oven.

“Once we were able to see a difference in the exterior is really when we started seeing a change in demographic. The 2020 addition of the Cottages at Madison Landing has also afforded us the opportunity to expand our idyllic living experience to the residents of Madison in a meaningful way by expanding our footprint of gated living with stellar amenities.”

The community’s rehabilitation has been well received by both the community and residents; occupancy for the property was at 97% in 2020.

Madison Landing at Research Park and the Cottages are centrally located in Madison, Alabama near key employers Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park, Intergraph, Boeing and Madison Hospital. Further, Madison is home to some of the best schools in the See AWARD Page 7B

A program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), Alabama Launchpad has become the state’s most active early seed funding source Past winning companies have an impressive track record, having created nearly 900 jobs in the state and reached a combined post-money valuation of $400+ million.

“We are impressed with the applicant pool that was interested Alabama Launchpad’s Cycle 2 2021, and look forward to progress with the eleven companies our Launch Advisors have selected. Cycle over cycle, we are encouraged by the growth, commitment, and creativity of en-

trepreneurs across the state,” said Miller Girvin, EDPA Executive Vice President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “We are grateful to our Launch Advisors for providing their expertise to strengthen these promising companies and look forward to seeing the finalists’ growth over the next six weeks thanks to their mentorship.”

For more information about Alabama Launchpad, go to www.alabamalaunchpad.com.

Madison Landing at Research Park and the Cottages captured a national award recently for their renovation efforts. The apartments are located at 2002 Flagstone Drive in Madison.

July 7, 2021

THE RECORD • 5B

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July 7, 2021

THE RECORD • 7B

S.F.T.

By BECKY MILLER God’s Lemonade Stand “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt is with you.” - Deuteronomy 20:1

The Madison Chamber of Commerce held their annual Business Expo and Kids Day event on June 26 at Insanity Complex in Madison. A competition was held among the businesses that participated in the event to see which one could decorate their booth the best using a baseball theme. This week the Chamber announced the winning businesses, they are 1st place: Virtuous Realty Group (above), 2nd: Continental Roofing Company (below left), and 3rd: Rosenblum Realty (below right). Congratulations. For more information about the Madison Chamber of Commerce, go to www.madisonalchamber.com.

In the movie Seven Days In Utopia starring Alabama grown actor Lucas Black as a hot headed professional golfer, the see, feel, trust SFT letters on the golf ball actor Robert Duvall used as a reminder that God is everywhere.

God is everywhere. He is on the golf course, the tennis court, the running track, the classroom, your bedroom, in the waiting room of a car repair shop, at the doctor. You get the picture. You don’t see Him yet you believe. You feel his presence.

Trust is the ultimate goal.

Are you broken??Guess what friend no one is beyond repair. The hot headed golfer whose car wreck damaged a fence of former PGA golfer played by Robert Duvall who used 7 days needed for car repairs to teach this young golfer some life lessons. Even though a fictitious movie it has many good points and I recommend checking it out. Let God handle your battles big or small.

PRAYER: Jesus I need you in my life in good times and in bad. I need to stop leaning to the flesh and be guided by the spirit. Give me strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen. .

God’s Lemonade Stand is written by former Madison resident Becky Miller. Her daily devotions appear on a Facebook page entitled God’s Lemonade Stand or at www.godslemonadestand.blogspot.com. Becky can be contacted at writemiller2002@yahoo.com.

Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives reopens with new Pearl Harbor exhibit ATHENS — A new Pearl Harbor exhibit and an expanded Revolutionary War display are among the features of the Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives that reopened last week in a renovated building that has double the presentation space of its old location.

The reopening comes about a year and a half after the museum’s board received the deed for the Limestone County Event Center and renovated its northern half for exhibits.

The new museum space will enable the facility to “honor our veterans and heroes and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom,” said director Sandy Thompson. ”It gives us more room to honor more heroes.”

A ceremony to mark the reopening was held Thursday, with Gov. Kay Ivey

Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives director Sandy Thompson, left, and volunteer Sally Marks fit a Navy uniform on a mannequin as they prepare the new facility for its opening.

Award

cutting the ribbon to the new location on Pryor Street in Athens. The renovated building is across the parking lot from the space the museum had used since 2002 in a century-old former L&N freight depot.

The museum features military memorabilia and artifacts — uniforms, medals, photographs and weapons — from the Revolutionary War to the present day, and guided tours are given by local veterans. Thompson said the Revolutionary War display will grow from one case to a full exhibit. There will be a library for the museum’s collection of military books, and two virtual reality stations with headsets featuring local veterans.

The amount of display space will double to about 8,000 square feet of the 10,000-square-foot museum, Thompson said.

Longtime museum board member Fred Martin Jr., who’s an Army veteran, has checked on the construction project as it progressed.

“We’re now able to display items we didn’t before because we didn’t have room,” Martin said. “We’re fortunate that the County Commission deeded the property to us so we could use it.”

“I knew they would do great things” with the building, said Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly.

“It’s amazing what they’ve done. It’s better than we expected.”

There’s also 10,000 square feet of event space on the south end of the building, with a stage and kitchen. That area, which has already been rented for wedding receptions and after-rehearsal dinners, will seat 400 people and accommodate 300 for a seated dinner.

Members of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution present the colors for the national anthem during the Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives grand re-opening on Thursday.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey toured the Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives for its grand re-opening on Thursday.

“We can still use it for special exhibits,” Thompson said.

The event and museum space is separated by a wall, with a series of windows installed in it. “You can see from the event venue into the museum,” Thompson said. There’s also plenty of room to host monthly coffee calls.

Thompson said the project has cost more than $900,000, including architecture and design fees and constructions

costs.

The museum board had leased the former depot building from Limestone County, also the owner of the event center facility. The County Commission in late 2019 agreed to transfer the deed of the building to the museum board, which will now manage both the museum and event operations. The building will revert to the county if it’s no longer used as a museum.

Continued from page 4B

state, so many new residents are finding that the community improves the quality of their lives with shorter commutes and good schools while living in a top-notch property.

Since Freeman Webb acquired the properties, the Apartment Association of North

Alabama has awarded Madison Landing multiple awards, including the 2018 “Maintenance Team of the Year,” “Beautification,” and “Reaching for the Stars” awards, as well as repeating the 2019 “Reaching for the Stars” in 2019, which is the award given to the best rehabil-

M adison RECORD THE

itation services. There were no awards given in 2020 due to the pandemic.

According to a press release announcing the award, Freeman Webb is not only well regarded for rehabbing, they are also well known as a company that places their employees,

To advertise in The Madison Record, call Donna Counts at 256-714-7152

their residents, communities and investors first. The company has been repeatedly voted by its employees as a Top Workplace throughout its many decades, including the past five years.

Further, Freeman Webb recently received an additional

honor from StatisFacts (sister company to ApartmentRatings. com), which named four Freeman Webb communities in the Top 250 communities to live in the United States. That award was based on resident reviews and manager interaction and engagement.

You can follow the latest local news and events at

themadisonrecord.com

MADISON HISTORY with John Rankin

8B

July 7, 2021

A look at the history of Dr. Richard Matthew Fletcher

By JOHN P. RANKIN Madison Historian MADISON - In 1964 the Fletcher family privately printed a 36-page booklet written by Octavia Fletcher Frazier, who was born in 1875. The Madison Station Historical Society was granted permission to use the booklet, and portions are excerpted here with notes of explanation added in italics or parentheses.

Octavia, who was born in April of 1875, was the last-born child of Dr. Richard Matthew Fletcher and his wife Rebecca J. Mason of Athens, who were married in 1855. Octavia was the only one of their ten children to have been born in Athens. All of the others were born at Birnam Wood, the family’s plantation home in Limestone County.

Octavia’s father, Richard Fletcher, was born in 1830 in Richmond, Virginia, the oldest son of James Nicholas Fletcher. James was born in Virginia in 1785 and became the first sheriff of Nottingham County, Virginia. James moved his family to Limestone County of Alabama in 1833 when Richard was only three years old. James built a very large plantation of many acres in eastern Limestone County and in western Madison County. His house in Limestone County was called Aspen Dell, and James later provided land for his son Richard to build his own nearby home of Birnam Wood. The families were established in the area where Burgreen Road and Brown’s Ferry Road intersect today. They called the area “Nubbin Ridge”, according to Octavia’s account, “because the land was so poor … it could not produce even ‘nubbins’ of corn.”

Yet, Octavia’s book later described recollections of productive fields, beautiful knolls, and rolling meadows with perpetual springs of water.

Dr. Fletcher was the primary physician for the area in and around Madison during the Civil War years. He was taught at home in his early years by tutors hired by his father James. Later, he attended Lagrange College before going on to study medicine from 1850 to 1854 at the University of Pennsylvania.

Octavia wrote that her father would buy a horse, ride it to Philadelphia over a period of three weeks, then sell the horse while attending the university each year. At the end of each year of school he would purchase another horse in Philadelphia and ride it home to Alabama, requiring another three-week trip. Octavia recalled one of her father’s stories of seeing a whiskey store sign in Philadelphia during those school years with the names of the proprietors, “I. Ketchum” and “U. Cheatham”, hanging on a large sign.

It was in her adult life that Octavia detailed her memories of her father in the booklet entitled “DR. RICHARD MATTHEW FLETCHER, 1830-1906, A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND WORKS”.

Octavia was raised in Madison because the family home, Birnam Wood, at Nubbin Ridge burned during her early years. Her memories of the post-Birnam Wood times describe in vivid detail her life in the small town throughout the 1880s and 1890s. She also wrote about earlier historical stories that she heard from older family members and relatives. The family of Dr. Fletcher lived from late 1881 in the immediate Madison area of Section 17, west of today’s Sullivan Street and south of the railroad. Their land amounted to about one thousand acres, including land farther to the south of Section 17 and Palmer Road toward Interstate 65 today in Section 20.

While retaining that land until very late in their lives, Dr. Fletcher and his wife also by 1888 purchased Lots 19, 20, 27, & 28 on Front Street in Madison.

There was evidence given in the deed wording that they had already been living there since 1886. Today that land holds the large house of 19 Front Street, owned by Chad and Shay Lemond, but the house that stands there now was constructed in 1904-5. However, a one-story part of the current house was for most of his lifetime in Madison the dwelling place of Madison’s first depot agent and physician, William B. Dunn, who never married or had any children. William Dunn’s sister Jacky had married Richard A. Wiggins, and after Dunn’s passing, the lots were owned

by Richard Wiggins and several of his descendants, including Susan E. (Wiggins) Howard and Anna E. (Wiggins) Sanders, who sold these lots and the small houses on them to Dr. Richard and Rebecca Fletcher in 1888.

Among Octavia’s many anecdotes about Dr. Fletcher are several stories that run antithetical to plantation life stereotypes of modern times. One tells of a household slave who inadvertently poisoned to death Dr. Fletcher’s first baby girl. In Octavia’s own words, “A great sorrow which left an indelible scar upon my father and mother was the loss of their first baby girl, who was accidentally poisoned by a young slave girl of seventeen, whom they and

Mammy Agnes (another slave) were training to be a maid and seamstress.

Mammy, the most reliable in all the world, was in charge of the baby. Mother and Father had driven over to see Grandmother Mason (in Athens). The baby was asleep. Mammy wanted something from her cabin, so she told Eliza to watch the baby, but not to awaken her. The baby awoke soon after Mammy had gone and began to cry. She was subject to cholic. Eliza had seen Mammy give her catnip tea and sometimes put a drop or two of paregoric in it. She fixed the warm catnip tea and reaching on the shelf picked up what appeared to be the paregoric bottle – but it was a laudanum bottle. Dropping what she believed to be the paregoric into the tea, she fed this to the baby. When Mammy returned, the child was in a stupor and never regained consciousness. She was three months old. No, there was no punishment of the distracted and distressed Eliza; only mingling of tears, pity, and prayers.”

Octavia also wrote that Dr. Fletcher enlisted into the Confederate forces with his brother Algernon Sydney Fletcher at Huntsville on April 1, 1861.

Dr. Fletcher served as a Captain in the Medical Corps, according to Octavia. He treated Confederate and Union soldiers wounded at the first Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) in 1861. Because there were only a few elderly doctors left in Huntsville and Athens to treat the populace, several hundred citizens petitioned the unit’s commanding officer, requesting that Dr. Fletcher be returned to his practice in the Madison area. Octavia reported that when the request was honored, her father was not satisfied until he had hired a substitute to report for duty in his place. He paid a German-American $1700 to fight in his stead. However, at the second Battle of Manassas (1862), the substitute was fatally wounded, to Dr. Fletcher’s deep regret.

Octavia continued, “I do not remember who was in command at Athens (during the Union occupation), but Father told us after his return that there was an epidemic of pneumonia and many of the Yankee soldiers fell ill with it. The Commanding Officer requested Dr. Fletcher to treat them, notwithstanding there were many patients and friends so afflicted that his hours of sleep were few and far between. Nevertheless, Father did treat them and saved many an enemy’s life. For months Father was in and out of the Federal tents as a humanitarian, skilled physician, and faithful Christian.”

“In 1864 the (Union) troops were ordered elsewhere, and a new army of officers and men were sent to replace them.

Father and the former commander had become friends, though enemies. There were several Yankee soldiers too ill to be moved (to the new duty station), so Father continued to treat them. Consequently, he was arrested (by the new Union soldiers) as a spy (after the battle in Madison Station on May 17, 1864).”

Octavia’s detailed account of that arrest, which was carried out at Dr. Fletcher’s home after midnight, tells that the trusted (African-American) house servant, “Uncle Dick”, saved her father’s watch and wallet by hiding them from the soldiers. In Mrs. W. D. Chadick’s “Diary of Civil War Days”, on page 253 it was told that “On May 18, 1864, the Federals brought in Dr. Fletcher and (his neighbor) Mr. (Elisha F.) Betts (and Madison lawyer James F. Pride) from Madison Station. They were accused of guiding the rebel forces to the station”, where the Union forces had been routed and the cotton and railway depot had been burned the previous day.

Octavia related that her father was held in jail in Huntsville for months.

During that time, he heard the sounds of a scaffold being constructed for his hanging, as confirmed through overheard discussions among the workmen.

However, after months of trying to contact Dr. Fletcher’s friend, the former Union commander of Federal troops in Athens, the message finally got through.

The Union officer rushed to Huntsville, infuriated by Dr. Fletcher’s arrest. He had Dr. Fletcher released, and all those who were billeted near Athens were sent elsewhere, according to Octavia.

That Union commander may well have been the infamous General Turchin from Russia.

During their last couple of years, Richard and Rebecca moved into Huntsville to open a practice with another doctor there. Octavia wrote about that time to tell that her father was an invalid for two years. During their Madison years, Rebecca bought and sold several parcels of land in and near Madison. However, by 1903 she and her husband sold some of their Madison parcels to their children for token amounts, such as $1 total. This was done no doubt in order to distribute during their lifetime the remaining holdings to those whom they most wanted to have selected parcels.

During the last three months of his life,

Maple Hill Cemetery

Dr. Fletcher’s brother Syd would drive him over the plantation lands for last visits with the tenants, former slaves.

Octavia wrote, “The night before he died, Dr. (Isaac F.) Deloney thought he would not live past midnight. The next morning the family was with him. I leaned over his bed and took his hand.

He laid it upon my head, saying faintly, ‘My baby.’ I left the room. Syd lifted him up to adjust his pillow. In a moment his soul had winged its flight. The services were in the little (Methodist) church (on

Church Street in Madison) which had meant so much to him. It was packed with Black and White alike. The funeral procession from Madison to Huntsville was more than a mile (in length).

They came from far away homes – in wagons, buggies, on horseback, and on foot to pay their last respects to the doctor they had all known and loved.”

Doctor Fletcher had obviously deeply touched many lives during his medical career, and they had all become a part of his vast “extended family”.