SHINING THE LIGHT ON SELMA AND DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA June 27, 2019 | Volume 4, Issue 22
www.selmasun.com
50 ¢
Search for Selma police and fire chiefs heats up BY FRED GUARINO Selma Sun Staff
Selma city leaders started discussion this week on how to fill the vacant first responder leadership positions in what is reportedly the first time in the city's history to be without a police and fire chief at the same time. Selma City Council's Public Safety Committee on Monday talked about appointing a search committee and the need to appoint an interim police chief. Council President Corey D. Bowie, who presided over the meeting, said the council would appoint an interim police chief at the council’s regular meeting on June 25. The city already has an interim Fire Chief Chris Graham.
Bowie also suggested the addition of an assistant police chief position to the city's budget. He said it has been five or six years since the city last had an assistant police chief to help with the administrative side of things. Bowie said there will be a search for both a police and fire chief once the positions are posted. "We have to do our due diligence to move forward and find the most qualified police chief and fire chief," he said. The search committee for a new police chief will include two law enforcement personnel, a citizen, the Public Safety committee, a Weed and Seed Committee representative and a representative from business. He said he has also reached out to three former firefighters
to serve on the committee for the fire chief. Monday's meeting was attended by Council members Carl Bowline, Jannie Thomas, Susan Youngblood and Johnnie Leashore. Bowline told the Selma Sun the appointment of an interim chief would not be effective until July 30 because current Police Chief Spencer Collier is scheduled to retire July 30 but is on leave until then under the Family and Medical Leave Act. "My opinion is we need to make sure we do some things to ensure that it is going to be successful instead of trying to do something after the fact," Bowline said. He said the council has time to act, but he would defer to the council president's leadership.
Bowline noted, however, "We're doing everything we can to boost morale in any way we can... We don't need to go down. We’d like it to go up." In other business, Bowie announced the annual community event National Night Out will be held on Water Avenue on Aug. 6. The event will be held for police, fire, the sheriff departments and state troopers to mingle with the public for a good time with food, fun and games. Monday’s Public Safety Committee meeting was also attended by Dallas County Sheriff Michael L. Granthum and the Weed and Seed Committee of Dallas County represented by Executive Director Maggie DrakePeterson, Grace Hobbs and Carolyn Cox.
Selma City Council President Corey D. Bowie talks to the media about searches to begin for a new police and fire chief at the same time. Photo by Fred Guarino
Dozens descend on Dallas County to dig for dino bones BY TODD PRATER Selma Sun Staff
Millions of years ago, Dallas County was prime beachside property. In a recent summer camp, students and members of the public worked with University of Alabama scientists to uncover fossils from an era when dinosaurs swam above what are now familiar homes, businesses and farmland. Every year since 1979, The University of Alabama Museum of Natural History has offered Summer Expeditions, a summer camp where middle school and high school students and the
and monuments – of past human life and activities. Todd Hester, the expedition leader, said this year the expedition looked for fossils from the Cretaceous period, which is the geologic period that started at the end of the Jurassic 145 million years ago and ended 65 million years ago with the mass extinction event that included the end of the dinosaurs. During that time, South Alabama, including what is now Dallas County, was under a shallow sea. The white chalk frequently seen on roadsides, especially Highway 80 West and Highway 22 West, and in
Participants found fossil turtles, fish, shark teeth and bones from a cretaceous marine lizard known as a mosasaur. The fossils will go to the UA Museum of Natural History collections, which Hester said is the repository for fossils found around the state. Although the dig was in Marion Junction, the base camp was at Old Cahawba Archeological Park in the same place the camp was two years ago when the dig, expedition 39, was archeology at Old Cahawba. The camp is truly home away from home, complete with shower and bathroom facilities, a dining
tent, a lab tent and tents for sleeping. Water is brought in in a military surplus water trailer affectionately called the “Water Buffalo” that has been on every dig since 1979. There is also a kitchen trailer not too different from the chuck wagon of the 1800s. Propane provides cooking heat, and a generator provides lights and fans when needed. Allie Sorlie runs the camp kitchen and prepares healthy and tasty food, because nutrition and hydration are imperative when working in the summer sun. The Museum Expedition program was started in 1979
The group excavates a mosasaur jaw bone. by historian, naturalist and educator John Hall. His vision was to introduce middle and high school students to the earth sciences with hands-on work in the field with real scientists, helping the researchers get needed manpower and exposing students to real science and discovery. Hall passed away in 2016, but his legacy lives on through the Museum Expeditions and the many students that have gone on to careers in archeology, paleontology and the earth sciences. Many former campers work at The University of Alabama and other universities in the state. There are quite a few expedition members who work in the earth sciences in other states, including Georgia, North Carolina and even Washington.
Many who have been on one expedition come back for many more. Now, after so many years, the children and even grandchildren of past expedition members are now joining the expedition. Hester said next summer’s expedition may be archeology at Moundville, one of the state’s and nation’s largest Mississippian culture native American sites just south of Tuscaloosa. He said it’s always a good idea to sign up early. This is the link to the facebook; https://www.facebook. com/museumexpedition/ The website is https:// almnh.museums.ua.edu/programs/museum-expedition/ You can also email for more information; museum. expedition@ua.edu Or call (205) 348-7550
Walking the chalk gullies looking for fossils. general public work with scientists in their digs and research. Scientist doing actual research get much-needed help, and the participants get to learn while having a great time. Some years the Summer Expedition is a paleontology dig, and some years it’s an archeology dig. This year, expedition 41, featured a paleontology dig in chalk gullies here in Dallas County. There were separate expeditions for middle school students, high school students and the public during June. To clarify, paleontology is a science dealing with the life of past geological periods as known from fossil plant and animal remains. Archeology is the scientific study of material remains – such as tools, pottery, jewelry, stone walls
fields around Dallas County was deposited during this time. UA’s Dr. Takehito Ikejiri was the paleontologist on this year’s expedition. Dr. Ike, as he is called, is studying the marine life from this period. The chalk is rich with fossils from this period. The actual dig was in chalk gullies on land owned by UA in Marion Junction known as Harrell’s Station. The students walk in the bottom of the gullies looking for fossils and follow them up the gully until they no longer find fossils in the bottom. They backtrack to the point where fossils show up again and start looking up to the walls of the gully to see where the fossils are washing out of the ground. That is where they dig.
Working in the lab tent.
Subscribe today at
www.selmasun.com