The Observer 11-10-2022 E-edition

Lee County Election Results

LEE

BY WIL CREWS AND MICHELLE KEY

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

These results are not official. Results will be certified by election officials next week.

ALABAMA

ALABAMA

ALABAMA

CFEA Awards Mini-Grant

CONTRIBUTED BY CFEA

OPELIKA —

The Community Foundation of East Alabama (CFEA) announced Nov. 1 that the Alabama Rural Ministry (ARM) is the recipient of one of its mini-grants in the amount of $500.

Alabama Rural Ministry seeks to combat poverty by primarily providing home repair. Typical ARM projects include repairing and/or replacing roofs, ceilings, floors and walls and building steps and wheelchair ramps. ARM’s staff works

with and through volunteers and volunteer teams to complete these projects. It is a Christ-centered interdenominational ministry but connected to the United Methodist Church.

“This is a small amount, but lots of

small amounts have a huge impact in assuring sustainable homes for those who need some help,” said Debbie Allen, chair of the CFEA Grants Committee.

The Community Foundation’s mini-

CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA

OPELIKA —

The city of Opelika, in partnership with AO Tourism, Opelika Parks & Recreation, the Opelika Public Library, the Opelika Chamber of Commerce, Opelika Main Street and Victo

moment in

the

career

P H O T O B Y R O B E R T N O L E S / F O R T H E O B S E R V E R “This was a pinnacle

COUNTY — Residents around the state turned out to vote in Tuesday's general election. The results from Lee County ballot boxes are as follow. These numbers do not reflect votes cast outside of Lee County.

STATE SENATOR FOR DISTRICT 13: Randy Price ran uncontested.

STATE SENATOR FOR DISTRICT 27: Jay Hovey defeated Sherri Reese by receiving 65.38% of the votes cast.

STATE

REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 37: Bob Fincher ran uncontested.

ALABAMA STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 38: Debbie Wood defeated Charles A. Temm Jr. by

prised — but over whelmed with gratitude for being recognized," P H O T O C O N T R I B U T E D T O T H E O B S E R V E R

MCCOLLUM,

Sherri McCollum Named Alabama Realtor of the Year

Opelika Prepared for 'Very Merry Christmas'

BY

ALABAMA HEALTH

OPELIKA —

Next week, East Ala bama Health will begin of fering SoftVue, the world’s first 3D whole breast ultrasound tomography system that is FDA-ap proved for use as a supple mental imaging exam to digital mammography for screening asymptomatic women with dense breast tissue. East Alabama Health will become only the second healthcare system in the United States to offer SoftVue, with the first one being located in Detroit, near the headquar ters of Delphinus Medical Technologies — makers of SoftVue — in Novi, Michigan.

The SoftVue exam requires no compression or radiation and can be performed at the same

appointment as a screening mammogram. Clinical studies have shown that the Softvue system finds 20%cmore cancers in women with dense breasts compared to mammogra phy alone.

“We’re extremely pleased to have this new breast imaging solution for women with dense breasts“ said Laura Grill, East Alabama Health pres ident and CEO. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this new technology will allow us to better serve our patients with dense breasts. And it’s exciting for us to be only the second organi zation in the world to have this new technology.”

Grill added “We’re very appreciative to Mark For chette, who is the president and CEO of the company that produces SoftVue. Because Mark received his bachelor’s degree from

Auburn University, and because he is involved with Auburn in several capacities, he offered SoftVue to us at this early stage. We could not be more proud to bring this new technology to women who have dense breasts and have had trouble previously with thorough breast screenings.”

It’s estimated that 40% of women in the U.S. have dense breast tissue, and they have a four-tosix-times greater risk of developing breast cancer. Mammography alone misses about half the can cers in women with dense breasts, as dense tissue and cancer both appear white on mammogram images. SoftVue was developed to address this unmet clinical need and provides a new annual screening solution for this historically under served population.

The SoftVue System identifies more cancers using a proprietary TriAD (Triple Acoustic Detec tion) technology that effectively characterizes tissue by capturing reflec tion, speed and direction of sound waves moving through breast tissue, unlike traditional ultra sound, which utilizes only reflection.

During the exam, the patient relaxes on her stomach with her breast submerged in a warm water bath. The breast is comfortably stabilized and centered with a disposable Sequr Breast Interface gel pad. Imaging is performed with a proprietary 360-de gree ring transducer, scanning each breast from chest wall to nipple in an average of three minutes, capturing new images every two millimeters. The captured signals are then

analyzed using sophis ticated algorithms that provide cross-sectional slices of the entire volume of breast tissue. After both breasts have been scanned, a radiologist reviews the SoftVue images alongside the patient’s mammogra phy images to determine if any areas need further examination.

East Alabama Health will offer SoftVue exams at its Breast Health Center, located at 900 Camp Auburn Road in Auburn. To learn more, please visit www.eastalabamahealth. org/softvue.

AU GRAD MARK FORCHETTE IS CEO OF SOFTVUE MANUFACTURER

As Grill mentioned, a large reason why East Al abama Health will be the second facility in the U.S. to offer SoftVue is because Delphinus Medical Tech nologies President and

CEO Mark J. Forchette graduated from Auburn University and wanted to give back to the commu nity where his college education provided the foundation for his career in health care.

“As an Auburn grad uate, I am excited that this community is at the forefront of dense breast screening innovation and has an opportunity to lead a transformation in imag ing that will save hundreds of thousands of lives,” Forchette said.

Forchette has more than 35 years of experi ence leading innovative medical device companies to transform patient care and earn market leadership positions. Prior to joining Delphinus, he served as president and CEO at Op tiMedica Corp., a Silicon

Charter Launches Spectrum One, Aiming to Offer Unrivaled Connectivity And Value

CONTRIBUTED BY CHARTER

COLUMBUS, GA —

Charter announced a new era of customer con nectivity with the launch of Spectrum One for new and existing subscribers across all its markets. Spectrum One brings together Spec trum Internet, Advanced WiFi and Unlimited Spectrum Mobile to deliver seamless, reliable and secure online connectivity

in and outside of the home, with the fastest internet speeds in the U.S., at an exceptional value.

“With Spectrum One, we have created the nation’s first fully converged connectivity experience to power today’s wireless world,” said Adam Ray, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Charter. “Just as the cable industry expanded and improved

television, replaced dial-up with broadband and saved consumers money with wireline voice, now we are bringing our successful Mobile services together with internet and advanced wifi to make customers’ connected devices work better, faster, securely and less expensively than before.”

SPECTRUM ONE DELIVERS SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS, ENHANCED PRIVACY AND

SECURITY

Charter’s introduction of Spectrum One comes as consumer demand for online connectivity virtu ally everywhere continues to explode. Today, Charter counts more than 450 million wireless devices connected to its network, and during the third quarter of 2022, the company’s non-video internet custom ers used nearly 700 giga bytes of data per month,

with nearly a quarter of those customers using a terabyte or more of data per month. Additionally, more than 85% of mobile customers’ activity occurs over WiFi, reflecting how consumers actually use their wireless devices.

Spectrum One is designed to support this level of con nectivity, now and in the future, by combining: Spectrum Internet with starting speeds of 300

Mbps, the most reliable download speeds¹ and no modem fees or data caps; Advanced WiFi via Charter’s Red Dot Design Award-winning WiFi 6 router, with bandwidth to support up to 200 devices simultaneously, Security Shield to automatically block online threats and phishing attempts, and cus tomer controls to manage which devices are con

See CHARTER, page A3

Thanking All Veterans For Their Service

Leading Safety, Security Company Partners with Local Law Enforcement, Government Officials, Retailers to Make Communities Safer

CONTRIBUTED BY LVT

OPELIKA — LiveView Technologies (LVT), a leader in intelligent safety and security ecosys tems, announced last week that it is collaborating with the Opelika Police Department, the city of Opelika and retail ers in Opelika.

MCCOLLUM

FROM

is how Sherri McCollum described the moment she learned of her selec tion as 2022 Alabama Realtor of the Year at the Association’s 2022 annual convention.

“I was humbled be cause I believe no one is successful on their own,” McCollum said. “People are successful because others come alongside them and have poured into their lives.”

The Realtor of the Year Award recognizes an AAR member who demonstrates passion for community service and embodies the Realtor spirit through service at the local, state and national levels.

The collaboration launches the Alliance of Companies and Communities to Enhance Safety and Security (AC CESS) Taskforce with the mission to improve communi ty safety and reduce organized retail crime one city at a time.

Organized retail crime is on the rise and expected to escalate during the holiday

“I really think it’s important to give back to the organizations and the communities that help make you successful,” McCollum said.

A qualifying bro ker with RealtySouth Auburn–Lake Martin, McCollum is a longtime member of both Auburn and Opelika Chambers of Commerce. She also is a former board mem ber for Haddie's Home in Opelika — a home that was for girls removed due to neglect, abuse or the need for separa tion — that provides a nurturing environment in a family setting.

A member of First Baptist Church Opelika, McCollum has served as Sunday School director, taught Sunday school and led numerous other

season. LVT’s ACCESS Taskforce is a first-of-its-kind collaboration that creates seamless communication and safety orchestration efforts between municipalities, law enforcement and retailers such as Dollar General, The Home Depot, JCPenney, Lowe’s, Walgreens and Walmart so customers may have positive

bible studies. For more than 20 years, she and her husband have been involved with Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras, which houses between 550 to 600 children ranging in age from newborn to young adults. They have visited the orphanage dozens of times.

McCollum began serving her professional association almost imme diately after joining AAR in 1992. She led the Lee County Association of Realtors as president in 2002 and 2017, after serving as chair as most of the local association committees. Her key roles with AAR include state director, education trustee and several other key committee posts including chairing the

shopping experiences.

By deploying LVT’s mobile surveillance units and worldclass software capabilities, the city of Opelika will be capable of deterring and detecting behavior commonly associat ed with shoplifting and other crime.

“The influx of shoppers ahead of the holiday season

Professional Standards Committee in 2021. Since 2021, she has served as an Alabama Realtors Political Action Committee trustee. Mc Collum also is a member AAR’s Leadership Class of 2005.

McCollum said she is not one to seek recogni tion and, instead, tries to live by this Zig Zeigler maxim: “You can get ev erything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.”

“I’ve many times thought of my real estate career as a min istry opportunity,” she explained. “You help people meet a need — often at their happiest times but also at their most difficult times.”

creates additional complexities at brick-and-mortar locations,” said Opelika Chief of Police Shane Healey. “In an effort to best serve the friends and families that make up the heart of Opelika, we are excited to partner with LVT and our valued local retailers to streamline response efforts and bolster community safety.”

CFEA >>

FROM A1

grants may be used to support a nonprofit’s general operations, which is rare for grants, and the grant funds come from the unrestricted monies of CFEA. Through the generosity of its donors, the Community Foundation of East Alabama is able to make a difference and strengthen nonprofits to do great work.

The CFEA looks forward to awarding

LVT’s combination of hard ware and software provides its retail customers with access to real-time data to quickly deter crime.

“We created our ACCESS Taskforce with communities in mind,” said Ryan Porter, founder and CEO of LVT.

more grants. The deadline for the next round of proposals is Dec. 31, 2022; however, the foundation encourages nonprofits to apply now. For more information, visit www. cfeastalabama. All nonprofits may apply, but preference is given to those that have been in operation between two and five years and are in need of operating support.

Valley-based ophthalmic medical device company. He led the start-up venture through development and growth, completed mul tiple rounds of financing and oversaw the compa ny’s acquisition by Abbott Laboratories in 2013.

He began his career in the medical technology industry as a sales repre sentative at Grieshaber and Company Inc., where he later became vice president of U.S. sales and marketing and led the company through its ac quisition by Alcon. During his tenure at Alcon, he led the retina business unit to substantial global share growth and advanced to vice president of vitreo retinal sales and global marketing.

Forchette is a director on the Auburn University Foundation Board, serves on the Harbert College of

Business Dean’s Advisory Council at Auburn Univer sity and is the creator of the idea behind the Har bert College of Business’s Tiger Cage, Top Tigers, and the Entrepreneurial Summit.

In addition to his bach elor’s degree in marketing from Auburn University, Forchette completed the Harvard Program for Management Develop ment.

ABOUT DELPHINUS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Headquartered in Novi, Michigan, Delphinus Medical Technologies Inc. is a pioneering medical imaging company that has developed SoftVue, featur ing the first circular array transducer technology. The patented technology is a 3D whole breast ultra sound tomography system that delivers no radiation, requires no compression and images the entire breast with a single scan. For more information, vis

NATION’S

it www.delphinusmt.com.

ABOUT EAST ALABAMA HEALTH

East Alabama Health encompasses East Ala bama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pa vilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional refer ral hospital with a 26-bed Skilled Nursing Facility, while EAMC-Lanier provides inpatient services as well as a nursing home, an acute rehab unit and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,500 em ployees and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Au burn University. For more information, visit www. eastalabamahealth.org.

MERRY>>

FROM A1

likaChristmas HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Nov. 13 – noon to 5 p.m. Opelika Main Street

SMALL BUSINESS SATUR DAY Nov. 26 – Normal shopping hours Ope lika Main Street OPELIKA’S VERY MERRY STROLL Dec. 1 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Lighting at 6:30 Runs through Dec. 31 Friends of the Ope lika Library SNO*PELIKA, PARADE & TREE LIGHTING Dec. 2

Parade begins at 5 p.m. Opelika Chamber of Commerce Rain Date: Dec. 3, 5 p.m. FAMILY MOVIE & CRAFTER NOON Dec. 3 – 2 p.m. Movie: “Elf” Opelika Public

Library OHS/OMS HOLIDAY CHORAL CONCERT Dec. 6 – 6 p.m. Opelika Center for Performing Arts REINDEER EXPRESS & CHRISTMAS MARKET Dec. 8 through 10 –5 to 8 p.m. Opelika Parks & Recreation COLLINWOOD LUMINARIES Dec. 9 – 5 to 9 p.m. Rain Date: Dec.10 –5 to 9 p.m. CHRISTMAS IN A RAILROAD TOWN Dec. 9 – 6 to 9 p.m. Opelika Main Street VICTORIAN FRONT PORCH TOUR Dec. 9 through 13

Walking Tour: Dec. 10 – 6 to 9 p.m. Driv ing Tour: Dec. 9, 11, 12, 13 Bike Tour: Dec. 10. – 10 a.m.

Carriage Rides: Dec. 11 through 13 OHS/OMS CHRISTMAS BAND CONCERT Dec. 13 – 7 p.m. Opelika Center for

Performing Arts

CHRISTMAS MOVIE AT THE PLEX Dec. 16 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Opelika Parks & Recreation Sportsplex Movie: “The Grinch” FA LA LA FEST Dec. 17 – 10 a.m. to noon Opelika Public Library

CHRISTMAS MOVIE MARA THON Dec. 23 – Starts at 10 a.m. Opelika Public Library

The city would love to share your mem ories on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Please use the hashtag #myopelikachristmas and tag the city of Opelika. For more details on each event, please visit www.ope likachristmas.com.

City offices will be closed Dec. 23 and 26. Garbage and recycling for Christmas week will not change.

nected and when; and Spectrum Mobile with unlimited data², access to 5G at no extra cost and unlimited talk and text.

To power the Spectrum One experience to its mil lions of customers, Charter has harnessed its extensive wired and wireless assets throughout its 41-state operating footprint. These include broadband speeds up to 1 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) via the company’s approximately 800,000 miles of hybrid-fiber net work; tens of millions of WiFi access points; Spec trum Mobile Speed Boost from Charter’s Advanced WiFi routers; and 5G un limited mobile service.

SPECTRUM ONE COMBINES

As customer demand for faster speeds accelerates, Charter has established itself as the overall market leader in connectivity.

Spectrum has the nation’s fastest internet³ and wifi⁴, according to consum er-initiated tests taken with Ookla Speedtest. Addi tionally, by combining wifi and cellular, Spectrum Mobile has delivered the fastest overall speeds⁵ in its footprint for 12 consec utive quarters. Integrating Spectrum Internet, Ad vanced WiFi and Unlimit ed Mobile enables Charter to provide the fastest speeds in the U.S., giving customers an even better connectivity experience for all their online activities,

including streaming 4k video, video conferencing with coworkers and class mates and online gaming.

SPECTRUM ONE OFFERS

EXCEPTIONAL VALUE FOR NEW AND EXISTING CUSTOMERS

For new customers, Charter currently is making Spectrum One available for the unprece dented promotional price of $49.99/month for 12 months. This introductory price includes Spectrum Internet, Advanced Wifi and one free line of Unlim ited Spectrum Mobile for a year – with no contracts and no added taxes or fees – for an annual savings over those 12 months of nearly $420 off regular promotional rates (stan dard rates will take effect after the promotional peri od ends). Charter also has

lowered the everyday price of Unlimited Spectrum Mobile to $29.99/month for the first and every Unlimited line (previously $45/month for a single line of Unlimited). To highlight Spectrum One’s value as the future of wireless connectivity, Charter has kicked off a mass media campaign across its service area.

Additionally, Spectrum One is available to existing Charter Internet and Ad vanced WiFi customers by adding a line of Unlim ited Spectrum Mobile.

Beginning Friday, Oct. 28, current non-Mobile subscribers who switch to Spectrum Mobile and buy an Unlimited line for $29.99/month will get an additional Unlimited line free for 12 months,

a savings of nearly $360 during the one-year promotional period. And existing Spectrum Mobile customers who add an Unlimited line for $29.99/ month will get an addition al line free for 12 months.

As always with Spectrum Mobile, there is no extra charge for 5G and there are no contracts and no added taxes and fees. Any free lines will revert to the $29.99/month regular price when the 12-month promotional period ends.

More information about Spectrum One is available at www.spectrum.com and by visiting a Spectrum Store.

¹Based on fiber partici pants in the 2022 Measur ing Broadband America Report.

²Spectrum Internet re

quired. Auto-pay required.

For Unlimited, speeds are reduced after 20 GB of usage per line. Restrictions apply. For details, refer to www.Spectrum.com/poli cies/mobile-terms.

³Fastest Internet claim based on analysis by Ook la of Speedtest Intelligence data U.S. fixed median download speeds in Q3 2022.

⁴Fastest WiFi claim based on analysis by Ook la® of Speedtest Intelli gence® data U.S. median WiFi download speeds in Q3 2022.

⁵Fastest Overall Speeds claim based on Global Wireless Solutions’ com bined cellular and WiFi speed test results in Spec trum service area where WiFi is available. Cellular speeds vary by location.

FASTEST INTERNET, WIFI AND FASTEST OVERALL MOBILE SERVICE

SEAN DIETRICH

Itwas late. Her name was Lacy. She jumped out of her car and walked into work, wearing her food-service uniform. Visor on her head. Tired eyes. Slumped posture.

Lacy had been working herself silly to support her two children. This was her second job.

A man approached her. He pretended to ask for directions. He was car rying a knife. A big one. The kind of blade you’d use to clean a boar hog. He backed her against a wall. He told Lacy to get on the ground.

Then, another man appeared. He was wearing a plain T-shirt. Jeans. And he was barefoot. Also, he was roughly 9 feet tall. At least that’s how Lacy remembers it from her position, lying on the ground.

The man with the knife took one look at Barefoot Guy and sprinted for parts unknown.

Lacy was going to thank her rescuer, but by the time she got to her feet, he was gone. Nobody nearby recalled seeing a barefoot man.

“I know what I saw,” Lacy says. “I ain’t crazy.”

A truck driver. The rural parts. He was driving a backroad. It was late. There were no other ve hicles in sight. The roads were poorly marked. He was lost.

It gets dark in the coun try. City mice aren’t ready for the kind of blackness found out in the sticks. He drove through the inky dark, hoping to get a sense of where he was. Hoping to figure out how to get back to civilization. But he only grew more lost.

Then. He saw a figure on the side of the road. Flagging him down.

It was a boy. He was maybe 19. The kid looked like he was hitchhiking. Except he wasn’t. The young guy refused to get in the truck. The young man instead told the trucker he had been sent to deliver a message.

“A message?” the truck er asked.

“The road’s washed

Among Us

out,” said the young man. “Turn around. Go back the way you came.”

The trucker managed an agonizing jackknife turn. He took a detour. The next morning, a Chevy Impala was found where the road had collapsed. The car was full of teen agers. All deceased.

“I don’t know who that kid was,” he said. “For 30 years I’ve seen his face in my dreams.”

Years ago. A young woman was on her way to pick up her brother from a friend’s house party. Her brother had too much to drink. She was 17.

“My brother was a fun loving guy,” she remem bers.

And by “fun loving,” she means he was the kind of party animal who made John Belushi look like a librarian.

Her brother crawled into the backseat of her car and passed out. He was asleep in a matter of

nanoseconds.

She aimed her car for home. When she reached the first stoplight, there was a woman standing at the light.

The old woman looked like she was begging for money from motorists. She was ratty looking. Stringy hair. She ap proached the car window. She used a voice that did not sound elderly. It was strong and commanding.

“Your brother needs a doctor,” she said.

“What?” said the girl. “No. He’s just drunk.”

“Your brother needs a doctor right now. He is having an aneurysm."

Just to be safe, the girl drove to an urgent care. Her brother was whisked away by medical person nel, placed in critical care. It was an aneurysm. He’s alive and well today.

So I know you’ve probably had a busy day. I know you’ve got a lot go ing on in life. Your world

is probably crazy right now with unpredictable variables and complicat ed situations that look hopeless.

You have cancer. You have lupus. Diabetes. Au toimmune problems. You have a child who is dying. You had to put your dog down. Your spouse cheated.

Your son is addicted. Your business is col lapsing like a pup tent in a hailstorm. Your bank account is in the red. And just when it couldn’t get any worse, your college team sucks.

There are days when you aren’t sure whether you’re going to survive. Days when you feel so completely alone you aren’t certain what the point is.

Well, Lacy just wanted to take a moment and tell you something.

“You are not alone,” Lacy says. “Not even a little bit.”

Voters Are Heroes

“America could seem like that as well, a country mov ing so fast and with so much weight that only a head-on collision with itself could make it stop.”

That’s where we are. The existential threat to all that we as freedom-loving Americans hold dear is not so much a virus, nor an external enemy, it is the fight going on within our own culture. It will take America colliding with itself at the polls to make it stop.

was awful. But declaring businesses nonessential, shuttering society, keeping loved ones from visiting dying relatives in hospitals and then using federal relief dollars to largely fund more government has created cyn icism. And now they want “pandemic amnesty” as if it never really happened. It is possible to forgive while still demanding accountability, but that will only come with a red wave on election day.

treatments. The CDC now refers to “pregnant people”, and the Department of Defense is determined to pay for abortions. This will only change at the polls.

I have a keyboard and a mi crophone. And I am just one of many who is not content to sit idly by. Not for a minute.

Inmy study at home there are a number of memorials to my fam ily’s service. There are three rifles hanging on the wall. My grandfather, my father and I each brought home these reminders from WWII, Vietnam and Afghanistan, respectively. There is my grandfather’s General Offi cer’s pistol and belt buckle in a shadowbox. A ceramic elephant my father sent home from the far east. A framed certificate from civilians I helped in Iraq and the rug I had made in Afghanistan. They are essentially three generations of memorials from a family that has been committed to military service for most of a century.

My father and grandfather have both passed away now.

They were patriots. They were true believers in Amer ica and what it stands for. But I know what they would say if they could see today’s news cycle.

They would wonder aloud who will stand up. Well, standing up can be done by voting.

I’m reminded of Sebastian Junger, who wrote a book called “Freedom”. In one scene, he and several friends were camping near a train track and marveled at the size, weight and speed of a freight train going by. He asked his hiking buddies what they thought it would take to stop something like that dead in its tracks. The only response they could fig ure was another train coming from the opposite direction. But then Junger said this,

Like many conservatives across the nation, I feel at times as though I’ve gone through Alice’s looking glass.

Conservatives are so often told now that what we have always believed is right is now wrong, and that basic discourse is not allowed.

The president of the United States just gave a full-blown speech last week for no other purpose except to brand me and anyone else who dares to think or vote like me as a threat to democracy itself.

I have a study and memo ries full of the evidence that I fought for democracy! I, for one, look forward to a change on election day.

For the past several years government leaders at all lev els have browbeaten citizens and ruined their lives, crush ing businesses by declaring the winners and losers of society during the pandemic. To be sure, the coronavirus

“Big Tech”, long protected by sanctuary laws written to protect them, is in full surviv al mode now knowing that they must cancel opposition in order to maintain their status quo. There is still hope that a revision of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, or institutional change such as Elon Musk buying Twitter, will bring Big Tech back into a place of free discourse. But that will not happen unless election day brings conservative change.

Also on the menu at the Mad Hatter’s tea party is actual government action being taken to legitimize the misguided notion that a boy can be a girl, and that defining a woman scien tifically is impossible. The Biden Department of Justice has weaponized against any state that would dare protect its children from transgender surgeries and life-altering

Liberals across the nation continue to argue that they will do all that they can to diminish the Supreme Court, degrade the efficiency and accuracy of voting and spend our grandchildren’s money. There is no hope of these matters being corrected to a more conservative world view without a wave of concerned voters making themselves known at the polls.

It is not a question of ac cepting a differing viewpoint. Politics is always cyclical – what goes around comes around, they say. I have often debated the issues and at times I did not feel as though I was prevailing, but I learned to keep working, continue with life and just fuss at po litical differences. This is not that. This feels different.

For conservatives, what we are experiencing today feels like a fight to push back against a crushing attempt to literally change our way of life. Forever.

And that will not happen, at least not quietly. Joe Biden may believe that like his former boss, Barack Obama, that he has some mandate to use his “pen and phone.” But

I asked rhetorically earlier on behalf of my father and grandfather: “Who will stand up?” I said that standing up can be done by voting, and I believe that. Voters are heroes.

And yes, there are heroes left. They are out there. Cit izens who vote, with voices, and sound reason and a sense of mission have always been the mainstay of our society. Individual citizens still have rights and a say in what hap pens in their homes and lives. I’ve said before that dark days do not deter resolved people and there are many who I believe will work within a time such as this to set the world back on its proper axis. Ordinary people do extraordinary things when times call for them.

This mid-term election is so important. All elections matter. And to be sure, every vote matters. But this election feels different. This one feels like far more than just that obligatory vote for that per son who we read about who is running for some office removed from our sphere of influence. No, my friends — this one — this election — it feels more like a reckoning.

PHIL WILLIAMS

High Value Opens Office in Auburn

CWJC Celebrates Fall Graduates

CONTRIBUTED BY HVM

AUBURN — Bill May, president of May Consulting Services LLC doing business as High Value Manufacturing (HVM), announced last week the opening of a new office location in Auburn.

The addition of the Auburn office will pro vide manufacturing companies based in the Alabama-Georgia-Flori da region more personal access to the experienced professionals and services offered by HVM, based in Nashville, Tennessee. This expansion marks the company’s second office location.

“Given the established manufacturing community in the Auburn area, we feel right at home,” May said.

“The U.S. is experiencing onshoring and reshoring of manufacturing operations that bring products closer to customers. I believe Alabama and surrounding

MAY

states are poised to benefit from such growth in the manufacturing sector with a ready workforce and avail ability of quality education al and training resources.”

May founded HVM in 2015 following a long career in manufacturing, working with auto industry giants like General Motors and Ford. By launching the consulting company, he sought to share his knowl edge and hands-on experi ence with small-to-medium enterprise manufacturing companies that seek to improve operations and become more profitable.

Each member of the HVM Leadership Team and labor resource pool working in client facili ties across the U.S. has a minimum of 25 years of plant floor and managerial experience. The vast expe rience and deep knowledge of manufacturing processes equips the HVM team to easily identify key issues in plants and to implement immediate, sustainable

solutions. HVM’s propri etary operational assess ment tools uncover core causes of unnecessary higher costs and inefficient processes.

In addition to opera tional assessments and performance improvement planning, HVM provides highly skilled and highly experienced labor resources to deliver the necessary technical expertise for op erational challenges or sup plemental staffing needs.

As a manufacturing in dustry thought leader, May has led the HVM Lead ership Team to adapt to changes in the manufactur ing sector, such as launch ing the division of “HVM Resiliency Partners” to address supply chain issues impacting client facilities. He continues to research and write about important manufacturing topics on the company’s blog.

For more information, visit www.highvaluemanu facturingconsulting.com.

CONTRIBUTED

BY CWJC

LEE COUNTY —

The Christian Wom en’s Jobs Corps (CWJC) of Lee County recently celebrated nine women who graduated from its fall session.

Christian Women’s Job Corps exists to min ister to women in need with a hand up, not a handout. This is done by providing a vast array of life skills and job skills training, Bible study and a mission’s context of helping women rebuild their lives.

The following are some of the things the graduates said about the program after their re cent graduation:

“I have especially en joyed the time to know and think about myself. Because of CWJC, I will be better able to

find my strength. … As each week came and went, I got excit ed for the next week because I could learn about myself, devel oping self-confidence and discovering I can do everything I want to do if I believe in myself. … I believe I am a different person now because I learned a lot through CWJC. ... I am proud to graduate from CWJC and know I will get a job and be a strong woman on the inside and outside. ... Because of CWJC, I will be better able to do whatever I want to do. ... My heart has been changed through CWJC. They gave me spiritual practices for life. ... Be cause of CWJC, I will be able to live in Amer ica with greater under standing. ... Because of

CWJC, I will be more able to forgive, have a more thankful heart and know myself better. ... I learned to be grateful to be alive and that I can be an important person in the world.”

CWJC is a nonprofit, faith-based agency is recognized as a Nation ally Certified Site by the Women’s Missionary Union of the Baptist Church. It joins more than 200 other CWJC sites around the country in providing a Christian context in which to re build women’s lives. It offers two sessions per year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Wom en participating in this program attend an in tensive 10-week life and work skills course from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, at no cost.

receiving 91.13% of the votes cast.

ALABAMA STATE

REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 79: Joe Lovvorn defeated Amanda Frison by receiving 81.27% of the votes cast.

ALABAMA STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 80: Chris E. Blackshear ran uncontested.

ALABAMA STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 81: Ed Oliver ran uncontested.

ALABAMA STATE

REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 82:

Pebblin Walker Warren defeated Lennora "Tia" Pierrot by receiving 58.96% of the votes cast.

ALABAMA STATE

REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 83: Jeremy Gray ran uncontested.

LEE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 2: Ross Morris ran uncontested.

LEE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 4: Tony Langley defeated Lance Farrar by receiving 89.72% of the votes cast.

LEE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 5: John Andrew Harris ran uncontested.

LEE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT 2: Randy Courson ran uncontested.

LEE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT 3: Richard "Dickey"Brown also ran uncontested.

LEE COUNTY SHERIFF: Jay Jones ran uncontested.

LEE COUNTY CORONER: Interim Coroner Daniel Sexton ran uncontested in this race following his appointment to the position aft the death of Coroner Bill Harris earlier this year.

DISTRICT COURT JUDGE, LEE COUNTY, PLACE NO. 1: Steve Speakman ran uncontested.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY, 37TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT: Jessica Ventiere ran uncontested.

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, 37TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, PLACE 1: Jeff Tickal ran uncontested.

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, 37TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, PLACE 2: Chris Hughes ran uncontested.

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, 37TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, PLACE 3: Mike Fellows ran uncontested.

STATE-WIDE CONTESTS GOVERNOR: Kay Ivey defeated Yolanda Rochelle Flowers and James "Jimmy" Blake by receiving 67.15% of the votes cast.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Will Ainsworth defeated Ruth Page-Nelson by receiving 82.08% of the votes casts.

UNITED STATES SENATOR: Katie Britt defeated Will Boyd and John Sophocleus by receiving 66.49% of the votes cast.

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Mike Rogers, defeated his opponents, Lin Veasey, Thomas SickofDC Casson and Douglas A. Bell by receiving 65.28% of the votes cast.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: Steve Marshall defeated Wendell Major by receiving 67.28% of the votes cast.

STATE AUDITOR: Andrew Sorrell defeated Leigh Lachine by receiving 82.52% of the votes casts.

STATE TREASURER: Young Boozer defeated Scott Hammond by receiving 82.53% of the votes cast.

SECRETARY OF STATE: Wes Allen defeated Pamela J. Laffitte and Jason "Matt" Shelby by receiving 65.29% of the votes cast.

ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT, PLACE 5: Greg Cook defeated Anita L. Kelly by receiving 66.97% of the votes cast.

ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT, PLACE 6: Kelly Wise ran uncontested.

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES: Rick Pate defeated Jason Clark by receiving 82.98% of the votes cast.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER DISTRICT 2: Tracie West ran uncontested.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, PLACE 1: Jeremy H. Oden defeated Ron Bishop by receiving 82.20% of the votes cast.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, PLACE 2: Chip Beeker defeated Laura Lane by receiving 81.52% of the votes cast.

CONSTITUTION OF ALABAMA OF 2022 passed.

All 10 of the proposed statewide amendents passed, including the one dubbed "Aniah's Law."

WILLIAMS

FROM A3

Every voter should feel like they have a mandate and a mission. And they should not only vote, but they should also remind their friends, their coworkers, loved ones, church goers, the lady at the fast food window, the guy who sprays their house for termites, the lifeguard at the pool, the mailman, everybody. They should tell them all that this vote is more important than any vote in recent memory.

Because it’s about our nation. It’s about standing up. It’s about saying no more to the madness. It’s about bringing clarity back to our day-to-day.

Voting should feel like a scene from the movie “The Outlaw Josey Wales”. Clint Eastwood appeared up on the hillside with the sun at his back, just one

SECURITY

man standing in the way of the Comancheros who had kidnapped his friends. Two of those friends hunkered down behind a wagon, an old lady they called “Granny” and an old Native American named “Chief Lone Watie”. The Chief knew what was coming next and he quietly said, “Hang on Granny. Hell is coming to breakfast.”

I hope that liberals feel that way about the results of this election. I hope they can sense it. I hope they can feel it like some kind of political dread. It’s their reckoning coming to breakfast.

There is much at stake but there are heroes still among us. Ordinary folks who vote, and truly every vote counts. I look forward to the aftermath that comes when good folks put the sun at their back and stand up for what they believe in for such a time as this.

Voters are heroes.

units, is the next step forward in LVT’s commitment to ensure community safety.

Retailers who utilize LVT’s technology have seen up to a 69% reduction in organized retail crimes.

Phil Williams is a former state senator, retired army colonel and combat veteran and a practicing attorney. He has served with the leadership of the Alabama Policy Institute and currently hosts the conservative news/ talkshow Rightside Radio Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. on mul tiple channels throughout north Alabama. (WVNN 92.5FM/770AM-Huntsville/ Athens; WXJC 101.FM and WYDE 850AM – Birming ham/Cullman) His column appears every Monday in 1819 News.

To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engage ment go to www.rightsid eradio.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the publisher.

The creation of the ACCESS Taskforce, which includes an investment of over $3 million and the production of 100 mobile surveillance

For more information on how LVT quickly and easily secures any physical environment with intelligent automation and actionable insights — for industries like retail, transportation, critical infrastructure, emergency services and more — visit www.LVT.com.

ABOUT LVT LiveView Technologies (LVT) is an enterprise SaaS and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution for remote live video, safety surveillance, IoT and analytics gathering, processing and delivery.

LVT is trusted by some of the largest and most well-known organizations in the world, including companies in retail, emergency services, critical infrastructure and more to keep their properties safe. For more information, visit www. LVT.com.

“LVT’s integrated security solutions utilize multiple technologies to proactively prevent crime so cities like Opelika can stop threats before they happen. We are excited to help do our part in making the community of Opelika safer.”

Pictured in the top row, from left to right, are Ana Claudia Alves Valeriano, Jungeun Seo, Sin Young No, Da Eun Jeong. Pictured in the bottom row are: Soyeon Kim, Jisoo Park, Chayeong Yang, Seulgi Kim. Sunhee Hong is not pictured.

SinceVeterans Day officially became a holiday in 1954, Nov. 11 has been a day to honor our servicemen and women. While Lee County has many heroes who are serving and have served our country, one of our most honored has been Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins, who received the Medal of Honor. The hero’s daughter, Mary Ann Adkins Blake, looks back at her father’s

Ann Cipperly

SHouthernospitality

life and how he influenced her, as well as sharing family memories with their favorite recipes over the years.

Bennie received the mil itary’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, as an upgrade from his 1967 Dis tinguished Service Cross on Sept. 15, 2014, from Presi dent Barack Obama. Bennie received the honor for “acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty

during combat operations against an armed enemy at Camp A Shau, Republic of Vietnam from March 9 to 12, 1966.”

While Mary Ann’s father grew up in Waurika, Okla homa, her mother, Mary Nell Arington, lived in Ope lika. Her parents met when her father was in the infantry at Ft. Benning. A friend of her mother, who was dating a soldier from Ft. Benning, introduced them. At first, her

Ho Ho Ho Hike Tickets on Sale

mom was not that interested in meeting him but decided that she would. Mary Ann remembers her mother say ing he was a gentleman and the most polite man she had ever met.

They began dating and were married five months later. After marrying, the couple moved to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He served

in Special Forces for the military for 22 years, retiring in 1978 while serving in the Panama Canal Zone.

When he retired, the family moved to Opelika. Mary and Bennie had five children, Michael Adkins, Dr. Keith Adkins, Mary Ann Adkins Blake, Dennis Ad kins, who is deceased, and Wayne Adkins, who is also

deceased. Mary Ann and her hus band, David Blake, are both retired. After Mary Ann graduated from Auburn University, she lived in Atlanta for 16 years where she worked in the financial field. When she moved back to Opelika, she worked as a

Sweetland on Ice to Open Nov. 18 Free Holiday Movies Offered to the Community

CONTRIBUTED BY SWEETLAND AMPHITHEATRE

LAGRANGE, GA. —

The Great Lawn at Sweetland Amphitheatre transforms into Sweet land on Ice beginning Friday, Nov. 18.

Stole Christmas”

• Friday, Dec. 16, 7 to 9 p.m.: “The Polar Express”

TICKET INFORMATION (tax not included in pricing):

- Ice Skating plus Skate Rental: $15

Private Parties

• Thursday and Friday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Saturday and Sun day: Noon to 9 p.m.

HOLIDAY HOURS:

• Thanksgiving Week (Nov. 21 through Nov. 27): Noon to 9 p.m.

CONTRIBUTED BY THE KREHER PRESERVE

AUBURN — Santa Claus is com ing to town. The Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center and the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center are joining to present the Ho Ho Ho Hike and Holiday Cele bration.

Children of all ages are invited to this holiday

celebration on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center.

The event will include nature-themed crafts, performances, cookies and hot chocolate, along with a special appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus. There will also be a hike and a "Santa-hunt." Attendees are encour aged to wear comfortable

walking shoes and to cel ebrate the holiday season with the Clauses.

Tickets went on sale Monday, Nov. 7, at auburn.edu/preserve. A link to the event is also posted at auburnal abama.org/arts. Chil dren are required to be accompanied by an adult ticketholder. Tickets are $15 per person for

The 5,500-square-foot open-air ice-skating rink is completely covered by a tent, providing a festive atmosphere for the whole family. Bring your family and friends to this winter wonder land and enjoy holiday decorations and a spec tator section with heaters to enjoy the ice-skating action and affordable concessions.

New this year, Sweetland will offer free holiday movies to the community on the following Fridays:

• Friday, Dec. 2, 7 to 9 p.m.: How the Grinch

- Kids Ice Skating plus Skate Rental (10 years & under): $10

- Bring Your Own Skates: $9

- Group Rate (10 plus people): $12 adults/ $8 children.

Tickets include twohour enjoyment of the ice rink. Once you turn in your skates, you will need to purchase another ticket to skate again that day. The ice rink will be cleared periodically for ice maintenance and special programming.

DAILY HOURS:

• Monday through Wednesday: Closed for

• Christmas Break (Dec. 19 through Dec. 30): Noon to 9 p.m.

• Closed: Thanksgiv ing Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day.

To book a holiday par ty or birthday celebra tion contact Mary Kate Nix at mk@sweetlan damp.com or 706-2985434.

To keep up with the latest news involving Sweetland Amphitheatre, sign up for our eNews letter at sweetlandamp. com or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Mary and Bennie Adkins

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

A group of visitors await the Ho Ho Ho Hike last year at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center.

See HIKE, page A11

STACEY PATTON WALLACE

Mikeand I have been retired from teaching for almost twoand-a-half years now. And I must say that I highly recommend retire ment. I’ve found that the secret to a happy retire ment is to find activities which you really love. Otherwise, boredom can set in quickly.

Besides being an active member of my church, Central Baptist of Ope lika, traveling with Mike and writing this column, I have also really enjoyed being a member of Osher Lifelong Learning Insti tute (OLLI) at Auburn University.

OLLI offers classes primarily to people who are age 50 and up, and tuition is extremely rea sonable. A wide variety of classes are offered, some of which include writing, history, art, line dancing, Spanish and many others.

In September of 2020, I signed up for “Writing Our Lives,” a memoirs writing class taught by Dr. Terry C. Ley, professor emeritus from Auburn University (and my former and favorite English/language arts professor) and Cathy Buckhalt, a well-known educator in Lee County.

In this past fall term, which we just completed, our class was in person and not virtual. As a former teacher and once again a student, I much prefer face-to-face in struction. Classmates get

Making the Grade: Well Red

to talk to each other in person, and as a great bo nus, you can make new friends such as Leslie.

Leslie and her husband Randy are originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and they have lived in Auburn for 34 years. Leslie is a retired commercial interior de signer, and Randy retired from teaching economics at Auburn University.

Recently, I met Leslie at Well Red, a really unique establishment, at 223 Opelika Road in Auburn, across from the post office. Well Red offers customers not only a great selec tion of coffees, baked goods and wines; it is also a bookstore.

When we entered Well Red, I really ad mired the cozy couch, chairs and tables. As a retired English teach er, I also felt right at home with books lining the walls.

Leslie ordered tea while I chose a drip coffee and a s’mores tart. I loved that we were each given a bookmark. I used to chide my sweet Mama for “dog-earing” her books to save her place.

I still get onto my husband for the same offense. After all, books are our friends and shouldn’t be man gled. However, I con tinue to be ignored.

That s’mores tart was oh, my two times delicious. There I was, a “Pooh-sized” woman, surrounded by baked goods and books. What’s not to love?

Besides our tea and drip coffee, Well Red of fers customers a variety of beverages, some of which include espres so, macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, Americano, latte, French press and hot chocolate.

Also, that day, besides my delectable s’mores tart, Well Red’s talented bakers served up Snick

erdoodle, chocolate chip and red velvet cookies, apple crumble bars, dark chocolate cake, Affogato, a charcuterie plate, vanil la bean cheesecake and apple cider crème brulee. The Affogato, cheese cake and crème brulee were gluten-free. Run and do not walk to Well Red for a great treat.

Well Red is locally owned by Crystal and Richard Tomasello.

Crystal was so kind to take time out of her busy day to tell me about their business.

“We started construc tion smack-dab in the middle of the pandem ic in March 2020 and opened in June,” Crystal said.

According to Crystal, she and Richard went to

a wedding in Ashe ville, North Carolina, where they visited Battery Park Book Exchange, which sold coffee, wine and used books.

Crystal and Richard said that they thought that Auburn could use something like that, so they took the idea and made it their own. Well Red sells new books and has three in-house bakers who bake every day. Well Red serves cinna mon rolls, bacon cheddar biscuits and quiche daily. The bakers change out what other desserts they bake during the week.

“The community really embraced us,” Crystal said. “We have bi-monthly wine tasting, author events and poetry

nights. We also cater and do special events such as engagement parties, wedding showers/wed dings and baby showers. All ages come here; we run the gamut.”

When I asked Crys tal why her business was called “Well Red” instead of “Well Read,” (a good question which Leslie brought up), she said that it was a play on words.

“I wanted people to know that we sell wine as well as books,” Crystal said. Well Red offers customers at least 50 different wines from which to choose.

Well Red is open on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2

p.m.; Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; on Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Well Red makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!

Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teach ing language arts for 30 years, is a profession al diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear each week in The Observer. Sta cey may be reached at retiredlangartsteach er2020@gmail.com

Lucy's Offers Thanksgiving To-Go

BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

AUBURN — Lucy’s, a modern American eatery located in Auburn, is looking to make Thanksgiving a little easier this year by offering Thanksgiv ing entrees, sides and desserts available for pre-order.

“Thanksgiving To Go” is an option for busy hosts, the cook ing-challenged or anyone wanting to bring some of their Lucy’s favorites to

the table this Thanksgiv ing, Nov. 24.

Lucy’s is offering an all-in-one Thanksgiving Feast for $295, which includes everything from turkey and stuff ing to various sides and cheesecake for dessert, but guests can also opt to order items a la carte or as add-ons.

The Thanksgiving Feast includes the fol lowing:

• citrus herb roasted turkey breast

• roasted Brussels sprout and quinoa salad

• Hasselback sweet

potatoes

• pancetta and leek stuffing

• Yukon gold mashed potatoes

• artisan breads

• cookie butter cheese cake

A la carte and addons vary in price and include:

• citrus herb roasted turkey breast

• lavender and black pepper crusted prime rib

• Lucy’s pimento cheese

• “The Farmer’s Daughter,” a Lucy’s favorite

• Hasselback sweet potatoes

• roasted root vegeta

ble hash

• pancetta and leek stuffing

• Yukon gold mashed potatoes

• roasted Brussels sprout and quinoa salad

• cookie butter cheese cake

Guests can pre-order any of these until Nov. 17 at https://www.toast tab.com/lucys/v3. Pickup will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 23.

Lucy’s is located at 2300 Moores Mill Road.

PHOTOS BY MIKE WALLACE FOR THE OBSERVER

Opelika Raises Awareness for Epilepsy

PHOTOS BY JOHN HILLSMAN / FOR THE OBSERVER

The local nonprofit Compassionate Hands of Hope Inc. hosted its second annual Glow for Epilepsy event at Courthouse Square in Opelika Sunday, Nov. 6, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The main goal of the event was to bring awareness to and highlight the disorder of epilepsy. Opelika Police and Fire officials were present to aid in informing attendees about the do's-and-do-not's when it comes to epilepsy.

PHOTOS BY MATT AUSTIN / FOR THE OBSERVER

The city of Smith Station held its annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Smiths Station Government Center. Local vendors and businesses set

booths as attendees got a jump on shopping for the Christmas season.

FROM A7

bookkeeper and ended her career as an administrative assistant at Opelika Power Services.

Mary Ann was entering the fourth grade when her fa ther retired from the military, and they moved to Opelika. She remembers that her fa ther gave her encouragement throughout her life.

“We had rules to follow in our household,” she said. “He was such an encourager. There was never anything that we could not accomplish in our life. He would say, ‘If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.’”

When she was growing up, Mary Ann never heard her father say much about his military career. She remem bers when one of his friends who served with him came to visit, that they reminisced with stories of their time in the military.

Since her father owned an accounting business, Mary Ann thought she needed to

CIPPERLY RECIPES >>

Blake

This is how I remember my dad cooking them.

1 lb. bag dried pinto beans

1 white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped, optional Ham bone or ham

2 fresh jalapenos, deseeded and diced Salt to taste

2 cups water (may need more as beans cook, just use your judgement)

2 cups ham/chicken/ beef or vegetable broth, optional Pick out any bad beans and soak overnight in water. The next day, drain the dried beans and all the other ingredients and combine well in a stockpot. Add water and broth until beans are fully covered.

Bring beans to boil over high heat for approximately 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to simmer until beans are tender, adding water as needed. Cook time may take 2 to 3 hours. Serve with cornbread.

CHILI Mary Ann Adkins Blake

Dad would cook larger portions of chili for his annual chili cooks. He would cook chili in an old iron pot over an open fire.

2 lbs. ground beef

1 pkg. original chili seasoning

1 pkg. hot chili seasoning

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans

1 onion, chopped

Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain. Mix cooked ground beef and remaining ingredients in a stockpot and cook on low.

follow in her father’s foot steps and work there. While attending Auburn, she real ized that the work was not for her. Her father supported her when she changed her major to finance, encourag ing Mary Ann to do what was best for herself.

Michael Adkins, who lives in Opelika, is retired from Uniroyal. His best memories of his father are when they plowed the land and planted a garden at the family home place. They also cut a trail for horses, built fences and a covered bridge over a creek. They enjoyed riding horses together.

Their father had grown up on a farm in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl, and the family was very poor.

When Bennie’s parents got married, the only thing his mother could cook was pinto beans and a chocolate cake. Those two dishes, along with chili, remained family favorites for Bennie and his six siblings.

When the Adkins family got together, they all helped

EGG SALAD

Mary Nell Adkins

“Everyone loved my mother’s egg salad sandwiches,” said Mary Ann. “She made them for showers and any family function. Now, my brother, Keith Adkins, is carrying on this tradition and makes egg salad as delicious as our mother.”

Boiled eggs Hellman's mayonnaise Salt and pepper to taste

Grate eggs, mix in mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.

ENGLISH PEA SALAD

Mary Nell Adkins

This was a favorite for family gatherings. Keith Adkins is carrying on this tradition a makes wonderful English Pea Salad.

15 oz. can Le Sueur peas, drained

¼ cup chopped onion 2-3 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 boiled eggs, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate.

VIDALIA ONION DIP

Dr. Keith Adkins

Dad enjoyed anything made with onions.

2 ½ cups coarsely chopped Vidalia onions

2 cups Hellman’s Mayonnaise

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until top is beginning to become golden brown. Serve piping hot with Ritz or Club crackers.

CHEESE LOGS

Mary Nell Adkins

cook the beans and chili, while his mother made the chocolate cake. The dishes are also some of Mary Ann’s favorites.

At Thanksgiving, the family usually went to the “ole’ family place” in Ope lika where large meals were served and included extend ed family. On Christmas Eve the Adkins hosted everyone and served heavy hors d’oeu vres.

Mary Ann’s mother en joyed making salads. The family favorite was her egg salad that is simply made by grating the eggs instead of chopping them. When they had a family gathering, her mother would serve English Pea Salad. Chicken and rice was another favorite. Fam ily get-togethers were held about once a month.

When Mary Ann and her siblings first learned their father was being considered for the Medal of Honor, they were surprised.

“It was a shock,” said Mary Ann, who did not know about her father’s

“One of our family favorites from the 1970’s when we lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina,” said Mary Ann, “when my dad was in Special Forces.” 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded 8 oz. Colby jack cheese, shredded 2 Tbsp. onion powder 1 Tbsp. garlic powder

Pecans, chopped, optional Mixture of chili powder and paprika to taste

Let cheese get to room temperature. Mix everything together, except chili powder and paprika mixture, on wax paper.

Shape mixture into equal sizes. Makes approximately 5 logs. Roll logs in chili powder/paprika mixture. Wrap each log in wax paper and then aluminum foil. Chill in refrigerator. Slice and serve with crackers.

EMPANADAS

Mary Nell Adkins

“This was a favorite from our days while living in the Panama Canal Zone,” said Mary Ann. “My dad was the Command Sergeant Major and led training at Ft. Sherman’s Jungle School.”

Dough:

2 cups flour 1 stick butter

2 Tbsp. oil ¼ cup water 1 tsp. salt

Cut butter into flour with pastry blender. Add oil, salt and water (mixed together) a little at a time. Knead dough a little and roll out on floured surface with floured rolling pin.

Cut with biscuit cutter and place a small amount of meat in the middle. Fold one side over and seal edges with a fork. Put on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Makes 20-30 small ones.

brave actions. “… After the announcement by the White House that he was going to receive the Medal of Honor. I heard the full story for the first time in an interview at Ft. Benning. I didn’t know what happened in Vietnam. Helping him later read through the materials for his book, 'A Tiger Among Us,' helped me know the story.”

For the ceremony at the White House, they allowed Adkins to invite 90 people, which is more than usual. Those attending included all of his children and their spouses, family from Okla homa and about 20 people from Opelika, including Sheriff Jay Jones and his wife and members of the city council. Four men who served with the honoree at tended the ceremony.

For Mary Ann, the cere mony was emotional.

“One of the most emotion al parts was seeing the emo tion on my father’s face and that it was difficult for him to keep his composure,” she said. “When the medal was

Filling:

Approximately ½ lb. ground beef ½ onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced Season to taste with chili powder, tobacco sauce, salt and pepper. Fry beef until brown, with onion and garlic. Season with salt, chili powder, etc. Tomato sauce may be added to make mixture moister, if desired. Meat should not be too runny.

CORNBREAD

Mary Ann Adkins Blake

2 cups self-rising corn meal ¼ cup oil 1 1/3 cups milk or buttermilk

1 egg, beaten Preheat oven to 450. Pour oil in iron skillet and put into oven while preheating. Mix cornmeal, milk and egg together. Take skillet out and pour mixed batter into skillet. Bake until golden brown.

HAM ROLL UPS

Mary Nell Adkins

This is one of our Christmas Eve traditional favorites.

1 pkg. long ham sandwich meat 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 bunch green onions

Spread cream cheese on ham slices. Lay one green onion on the ham crossways. Roll it up. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Slice into small pinwheels. Serve with crackers.

CHOCOLATE ICING FOR CAKE

Mary Nell Adkins

“This was always a favorite of my dad’s,” said Mary Ann. “My mother would split her cake layers and ice between each layer and then ice the entire cake.”

2 cups sugar ½ cup cocoa 1 stick butter

wrapped around his neck, it was the emotion on his face and my mother’s eyes that I will never forget. The sound of so many cameras taking photos was not like anything that I had ever heard before.”

The Adkins family spent a week in Washington going to meetings, interviews and parties. The sergeant major of the Army hosted a party in Washington, and there were many other parties and receptions to attend in Wash ington before and after the Medal of Honor ceremony.

“His life changed after that,” Mary Ann said. “He started his fourth career at age 80 by teaching patriotism every time he wore the Med al of Honor. He said if he could change one person’s life by teaching them patrio tism, then he did his job. He wore the medal with pride and dignity.”

Mary Ann traveled with her parents to New York City, Washington, Oklaho ma, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and other places. He was honored at numerous

1 cup milk 2 whole eggs

Mix all dry ingredients. Add butter and milk. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Let it come to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Enough to frost two cake layers.

COCONUT SHEET CAKE

Mary Nell Adkins

This was a family favorite at Easter. Mother would decorate with miniature chocolate eggs and make a nest with coconut mixed with green food coloring. Bake a white or yellow cake mix following directions on the box. When cake is baked, poke holes in cake with a fork. Spread a can of Eagle brand milk over the top. Cover with Cool Whip and then put coconut on top.

BUTTER PECAN COOKIES

Mary Nell Adkins and Dr. Keith Adkins

“This was a Christmas Eve tradition for my mother to make these cookies,” said Mary Ann. “Now, my brother, Keith, has continued the tradition.”

1 cup butter, room temperature

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup white sugar

2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, soda and salt; add to mixture. Stir in pecans. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

OVEN BAKED CHICKEN AND RICE

Mary Nell Adkins

events. One of his favorite places to visit was Gaines ville, Texas, as he wore his cowboy hat and ate brisket. His family in Oklahoma were only about two hours away and would visit, attend parades and play dominoes.

“It changed my life, too,” Mary Ann said. “It really opened my eyes to the mili tary. It changed my life when I traveled with my parents and saw the emotions of the servicemen and women. They have given for their country not just their time but their life, some of their limbs and health, so we have our freedom every day.

“We take that freedom for granted, but they don’t. That changed my life because now I don’t take that free dom for granted anymore.”

Mary Nell Adkins passed away in February 2019, and Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins died on April 17, 2020, from complications from COVID-19 at 86 years of age. They are both buried at Arlington National Cere mony.

made this recipe often for Sunday dinners.

Oil for pan

Chicken, cut up pieces, or chicken wings Salt and pepper to taste

Flour to coat chicken

Pat of butter

Rice: 2 cups water 2 cups instant white rice

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can crem of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup Salt and pepper to taste

1 stick butter, sliced into pats

Oil pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper; coat chicken with flour. Put chicken in oiled pan and pat with butter on top. Bake at 350 degrees until chicken starts to brown.

Remove chicken from oven and take out of pan. Combine rice ingredients in pan; place chicken on top. Continue baking until chicken and rice are cooked.

JANUARY THAW

Idell Adkins, Bennie G. Adkins’ mother

“Our Grandma Adkins would always make Christmas cakes and candy,” said Mary Ann. “When we visited them in Oklahoma, we would always bring home a candy tin full of goodies.”

2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

½ cup white Karo syrup

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup pecans

1 Tbsp. butter

Combine sugar, milk and syrup in a big pot and cook over low heat until boiling, stirring while it heats. Add soda. When it is gold brown, test until firm ball, almost a hard ball. Don’t overcook.

Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients and beat until good and firm. Pour into a greased pan. Cut into slices when cool.

PINTO BEANS

Mary Ann Adkins

HIKE >> FROM A7

participants 2 years old and above. Children 23 months and younger are free with the

of an adult ticket. Those interested in attend ing are encouraged to purchase tickets early, as the event typically sells out quickly.

Attendees are asked to

arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the event begins at 10 a.m. Kreher Pre serve and Nature Center is located at 2222 N. College St. in Auburn.

family favorite that were

butter. Drop by spoonsful onto wax paper. Let cool until slightly firm.

MISSISSIPPI MUD

CAKE

Idell Adkins, Bennie G. Adkins’ mother Cake: 2 sticks butter

2 cups sugar

2 Tbsp. cocoa 4 eggs 1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cups coconut

butter. Add sugar, cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil

Remove from heat and

1 cup pecans Topping: 1 jar marshmallow cream

Cream butter and sugar together. Add cocoa and eggs, beating after each addition. Add rest of cake ingredients. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes in greased and floured 9 by 13 inch pan. When done, spread marshmallow cream over hot cake. Let cool completely. Then cover cake with icing.

Icing: 1 stick butter, melted 1 box powdered sugar 1/3 cup cocoa ½ cup canned evaporated milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and spread over cooled cake.

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN OR PORK STEAKS

Mary Nell Adkins

Oven fried pork steaks were one of my dad’s favorites.

Oil 1 fryer chicken, cut up, or pork steaks Flour Salt and pepper to taste Butter Oil pan. Season chicken or pork steaks. Coat chicken or pork steaks with flour. Put in oiled pan and pat butter on top.

Bake at 350 degrees until meat starts to brown. Flip with spatula after the bottom is crispy, turning once. Bake until fully cooked.

What's Happening in Lee County

CAMP HILL MAIN STREET FALL HARVEST DAY

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, come to Main Street in Camp Hill to buy some yummy food and wander around checking out the market while you listen to some good light music. Farmers, hot food vendors, artisans and musicians will be in downtown to give you a chance to buy fresh goods and have a good time.

There will be 20 vendors selling vegetables, homemade baked goods, jams and jellies and more. Bring the kids for a picture with Spidey and friends. Parking is near the storm shelter on South Main or along Holley Avenue.

NAMI MEETING

NAMI East Alabama, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will meet on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

NAMI supports families dealing with mental illness through mutual support, education and advocacy. There will be a time for sharing. The public is invited. Meetings are held at 714 E. Glenn Ave. in Auburn. There will not be a December meeting.

O GROWS — SATURDAYS AT THE GARDEN

Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon outside the Southside Center for the Arts, located at 1103 Glenn St. in Opelika. Activities will include planting, storytime, crafts or art projects for children and hanging out with the goats.

MOPS International encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women and leaders in relationship with Jesus, and in partnership with the local church. Preschool mothers learn to take time out for motherhood during MOPS meetings around a theme and discussion. MOPS helps moms share their experiences and learn more about children’s unique needs from infants to kindergarten.

During MOPS’ meetings, a Moppets program is available for children. This program is taught and facilitated by volunteer childcare teach ers. This program allows little ones to work on lessons, activities, arts, crafts, and play. While the mothers are making friends, their children are too.

Auburn/Opelika MOPS meets twice a month on the first and third Thursday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. at Pepperell Baptist Church at 2702 2nd Ave. in Opelika. MOPS’ autumn schedule is Sept. 15; Oct. 6, 20; Nov. 3, 17 and Dec. 1 and 15.

The MOPS theme this year is "coming together as friends." You can contact Coordinators Rachel Elrod at 706-244-5620 and Kaela Sexton at 719-351-8093, or you can email auburnopelikamops@gmail.com.

LEE/RUSSELL COUNTY LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUP

The group will meet every month on the third Wednesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The meeting will be held at the AIDB-Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Opelika Regional center on 355 Dunlop Drive in Opelika. Every month there will be different topics discussed to make life more manageable living with low vision.

Contact Shiquita Fulton, M. ED/Vision Rehab Therapist for additional details at 334-705-2024, or Melody Wilson, case manager for the blind, at 256-368-3258.

COFFEE & CONVERSATION WITH VFW

POST 5404

VFW Post 5404, 131 E. Veterans Blvd., Auburn, next to Ray's Collision off of South College Street, will be open on Wednesdays 8 to 11 a.m. with coffee, donuts, cake and conversation about service and benefits for all veterans and spouses to stop by.

The Taylor Made Designs Ornament Party offers eight ornament choices that can be personalized. Ornaments will be featured that night only or until they sell out.

The party is Tuesday, Nov. 22 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Light snacks and refreshments will be offered as well.

VETERANS DAY EVENTS

Auburn and Ope lika will each host a Veterans Day event on Friday, Nov. 11. Auburn's ceremony is at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Memo rial, located at the northeast corner of Glenn Avenue and Ross Street.

The Opelika cele bration will begin at 10 a.m. in the Cooper Room at Opelika Public Library, 1100 Glenn St.

AUBURN/OPELIKA MOTHERS OF PRESCHOOLERS (MOPS) UNITE FOR A NEW YEAR!

RELIGION —

Anxiety is a serious issue in our world today. In this five-part series, we’ll explore this problem, as well as the difference faith in God can make.)

“Monk” aired from 2001 to 2009. It not only achieved, but surpassed the requisite

100 episodes needed to enter into the afterlife of syndication, so you can find it today in the cable/satellite tv world as well as on some streaming services.

“Monk” is a police procedural show, a dramedy, but mainly it is about Adrian Monk. He had been a detective with the police department, but then his wife was killed in a car bombing and his world imploded. He lost his job, and his quirks, compulsions and phobias (which had been under control) went off the rails. It’s all exquisitely captured in the show’s opening where Randy Newman sings “It’s a Jungle Out There” as Monk

walks down the street with his eccentricities on full display. He has to touch each parking meter as he goes by it and then must immediately wipe his hand off on his coat because he has a thing about cleanliness. That’s Adrian Monk — like us, he is a collection of contradictions — his are just more obvious and easier to laugh at.

He has 313 known fears. He is afraid of heights and harmonicas, dentists and driving, mixed vegetables and X-ray machines, milk and, of course, he is a worldclass germaphobe. He has an assistant who carries around

sanitizing wipes. (And yes, Monk made an appearance during the pandemic in a short clip from Peacock that showed him wearing gloves on his hands and feet, running his fruit through the dishwasher, microwaving his mail, etc.)

But Monk’s biggest problem is that Randy Newman is right — it is a jungle out there! And Adrian Monk is no lion. He’s more of a possum — fearful and likely to curl up and play dead at the first sign of trouble.

Can you relate to Monk? Probably not at the extreme level, but my guess is that most of us can see a little bit of ourselves

BIBLE VERSE OF THE WEEK

CHURCH DIRECTORY

334-710-2117

ANGLICAN

The Good Shepherd

Anglican Church 3015 Opelika Road, Opelika

APOSTOLIC HOLINESS

God’s House of Prayers Holiness Church 301 Highland Ave., Opelika 334-749-9672

BAPTIST Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St., Opelika 334-745-7528

Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538

AFB - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-8506

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 3089 Judge Brown Rd., Valley

CHRISTMAS MARKET 2022

Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022

Auburn United Methodist Church 137 S. Gay St. in Auburn from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There is no admission to attend. Parking is available in the church lots on Magnolia and on Gay streets.

Shop local arts, crafts, food, tra ditional baked goods, frozen soups and casseroles.

For more than 50 years the United Women of Faith at Auburn United Methodist Church have used all proceeds from their annual Christ mas Market to support local area missions.

Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave., Opelika 334-749-9487

Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184

High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673 334-524-8750

Pepperell Baptist 2702 2nd Ave., Opelika 334-745-3108

Providence Baptist Church 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika 334-745-4608

Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika 334-749-0461

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Church of Christ at Cunningham 2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika

10th Street Church Of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika 334-745-5181

Church Of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy., Opelika 334-742-9721

Southside Church Of Christ 405 Carver Ave., Opelika 334-745-6015

EPISCOPAL

Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave., Opelika 334-745-2054

METHODIST

Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St., Auburn 334-826-8800

in him. After all, even if we’re lions, we’re still vulnerable. Life is unpredictable. It can change in the blink of an eye. You don’t know what might be around the next corner — it could be something good or something not-so-good. How do we live with such uncertainty? How do we live in what has been referred to by many people as an age of anxiety?

Next week, in Part 2, we’ll take a look at what’s going on in our world in regard to anxiety.

You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-tasteof-grace-with-brucegreen.com.

Beulah United Methodist Church 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-745-4755

NON-DENOMINATIONAL Church At Opelika 1901 Waverly Pkwy., Opelika 334-524-9148

Connect Church 2015 West Point Pkwy., Opelika 334-707-3949

St. Ellis Full Gospel Church 5267 US Hwy 80W, Opelika 334-298-4319

PRESBYTERIAN Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Opelika Outreach S.D.A. Church P.O. Box 386, Opelika 334-749-3151

BRUCE GREEN Teaching Minister at 10th Street Church of Christ in Opelika

Faith Matters

The creed is a summary of basic Christian beliefs. Composed in the year 325 A.D., the traditional version contains little more than 100 words. Many Christians can recite it from memory.

WALTER ALBRITTON

RELIGION —

is impossible without faith. We cannot survive without it. We must have faith in ourselves, faith in the people with whom we live and work and especially faith in God. That’s why every Sunday, our congregation recites together the Apostles’ Creed, that ancient statement called the Affirmation of Faith.

Life

The creed begins with these words: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord.”

Christians cannot prove that God exists. By faith they “believe” that he does. So the reciting of the creed is a way for believers to say: This is what we believe. We have faith in God, and this faith is grounded in the teaching of the Bible.

The Bible says plainly that faith in

God is necessary. The writer of Hebrews says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (11:6).

God has given all people the freedom to ignore him and to even believe that he is a figment of the imagination, a myth created by the world’s religions. That freedom also permits us to have faith in God, and faith in God makes a remarkable difference in the way we live.

That difference can be illustrated by the life of the brilliant composer Franz Schubert, whose music has been loved by millions for several

centuries. Not long before his death at age 31, Schubert wrote this to a friend: “I feel myself to be the most unhappy, unfortunate creature in the world.

Every night, when I go to sleep, I hope I will not wake again, and every morning reminds me only of yesterday’s unhappiness.”

That sad comment motivated me to learn more about Schubert’s life. In reading the biography of his life, I found no mention of God. Though he was a musical genius, composing during his brief life hundreds of marvelous pieces of music, he evidently lived a “godless” life. The only reference to religion was the casual observation

OBITUARIES

LARRY J. SANDERS

Larry J. Sanders, 82, of Opelika, passed away Nov. 4, 2022. Mr. Sanders was born March 23, 1940, to Chester and Eunice Sanders in Newville, Alabama. He was a member of Lake Martin Baptist Church in Dadeville, Alabama and also many civic organizations in the community. He retired from Alabama Power in Dadeville, Alabama after 35 years of service.

Mr. Sanders is survived by his wife of 60 years Judith Folds Sanders; children Susan S. Patterson (Lance) of Tallassee, Alabama, Kathy Ray (Justin) of Chesapeake, Virginia; grandchildren: Laney Green, Ryan Green, Alivia Ray, Alex Ray; siblings: Mariann Granberry (Herman) of Ozark, Alabama, Betty Blume of Colorado; brothers-in-law Billy W. Folds (Doris) of Opelika, George W. Folds (Lena) of Beauregard; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2022 at JeffcoatTrant Chapel.

In lieu of flowers the family request to make donations to

your favorite church or charity.

EDWARD FARGASON JENNINGS

Edward Fargason Jennings, of Opelika, passed away Nov. 2, 2022, at the age of 80.

Mr. Jennings was born April 5, 1942, to Gaines and Ethel Jennings.

Mr. Jennings is survived by his wife Anita Louise Jennings; son Jeffery Gaines Jennings; brother George Terrell Jennings (Linda); sister-in-law Syble Lindsey (Ned); brotherin-law Herman Hand (Judy). He is preceded in death by his parents; brother Thomas Brown Jennings, sister Laura Sue Jennings, and sisterin-law Dot Odom (E.B).

Visitation was held at 6 until 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., on Nov. 5, 2022, at Lafayette City Cemetery.

Saturday, Oct. 29, at home surrounded by his family. He was born and raised in Gadsden, Alabama. In 1981, he graduated from the University of Alabama with degrees in finance and banking. Soon after he met and married his wife of 39 years, Julie Green Cantrell. His career in banking took him from Nashville, Tennessee to Johnson City, Tennesse to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he began his consulting business, CantrellHenry + Associates. He enjoyed working with many clients throughout the world where he developed lasting friendships. His last 2 clients, located in the Dominican Republic, were among the most special.

songwriter and musician; sharing his joy for music with family and friends was something he cherished. If you knew Steve, you knew he loved everything golf. One way he will be remembered is through the Fellowship Cup, which is an event that he and lifelong friend Dwayne began, lasting 20 years. We take comfort knowing that his real impact on earth was eternal.

that Schubert was an agnostic.

Why did Schubert die so young? His death was caused by syphilis, which he contracted through “his association with prostitutes.”

Schubert worked in the church, sang in the choir, played musical instruments in worship and even received the Holy Sacrament on his death bed. Hopefully, before his death, he found peace with God through faith in Christ, but I found no evidence that he did so.

The biblical story of Joseph illustrates the difference that faith in God makes. While a young man, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers who hated him. But the Bible says Joseph survived because

“The Lord was with him and gave him success in everything he did.”

Joseph had faith in God. Long before the Apostles’ Creed was written, Joseph believed in God the Father Almighty. His faith was never more beautifully displayed than in that dramatic moment when he forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery and said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” Faith in God enables us to forgive the people who hurt us.

Does faith in God make a difference?

Oh yes, a profound difference. Faith truly matters. And faith comes alive when I choose to say with all my heart, “I believe!”

one hour prior to the service and a lunch/ reception following the ceremony.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following:

STEVEN LEE CANTRELL

Steven Lee Cantrell, 63, of Opelika, passed away peacefully on

He will forever be remembered as a loving husband, father, brother, son, uncle and friend. He treasured his relationships with his wife Julie, son Stewart, and soon to be daughterin-law Kristen. He enjoyed precious times spent playing games, laughing and talking with the people he loved. Steve was also a very talented singer,

Steve was preceded in death by this mother, Sonya Cantrell and father-in-law, Peter Green, Sr. He is survived by his wife Julie Cantrell of Opelika; son Stewart Cantrell (Kristen) of Accord, New York; brother, Mark Cantrell (Carol) of Gadsden; Father, Charles Cantrell of Alex City, Alabama; mother-in-law, Shirley Green of Huntsville, Alabama; aunt and uncle, James and Cedricia Wilson of Opelika; several nephews, nieces, sister-in-law's, brotherin-law's and cousins.

Steve's Celebration of Life will be held at First Baptist Church Opelika located at 301 8th St., in Opelika. Dr. Mike King will officiate on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 11a.m., with visitation

HaShemMinistries, online at: hashemministries.org or 160 Lee Road 413 Opelika, AL 36804; Great CommissionIndia Ministry, GCIM P.O. Box 837 Auburn, AL 36830

China Partnership, online@chinapartnership. org/stevecantrell or P.O. Box 588 Metuchen, NJ 08840

The family would like to thank the Spencer Cancer Center and Compassus Hospice for their excellent care.

in Opelika. Pam was the cornerstone of the family, giving selflessly as a devoted wife, mother and Mimi. She was a friend and mother to all, offering wisdom and love with open ears and arms. She radiated love, joy and touched the lives of everyone she encountered.

She is survived by her husband, Raymond T. Davis Jr.; children, Angy (Malek Eljiche), Tripp (Shelly) Davis; sister ,Janice (Dan) Goodwin; grandchildren, Zach, Avery, Brantley and Aiden; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and family members.

PAMELA SAVARESE DAVIS

Pamela Savarese Davis, a longtime resident of Opelika, went to be with her Heavenly Father on Oct. 30, 2022, at the age of 75. She was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on July 4, 1947, to Alvin and Lucille Savarese.

She was a member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church

Visitation and the funeral service were held at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. Internment followed at Garden Hill Cemetery in Opelika. Pastor Paul Ferrell officiated.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.

Frederick-Dean Funeral Home & Crematory handled arrangements.

First Baptist's Fall Festival Draws Crowd to Courthouse Square

First Baptist Opelika's second annual Fall Festival was held Sunday, Oct. 30, at Courthouse Square in Opelika. From 4 to 7 p.m. thousands gathered to enjoy festivities including bouncy houses, a basketball competition between Auburn Mayor Ron Anders and Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller and a fireworks show.

Opelika's Villains Ball took place Saturday, Oct. 29, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Heritage House in Opelika. A DJ and stunt performers entertained those dressed up rogues, wretches and ne'er-do-wells. All attendees enjoyed a ball, a costume contest and eats from local food trucks.

COMICS

“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.”

― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

LEE COUNTY: NOV. 15 AT 6 P.M.

OPELIKA: DEC. 8 AT 4:30 P.M.

AUBURN: DEC. 13 AT 6 P.M.

Area Football Roundup: Playoffs

OHS XC Goes

State

OPELIKA —

Opelika High School’s cross country team participated in the 7A State Cross Country Meet last weekend at Jessie Owen Park in Oakville, Alabama.

Brantley Turnham finished 14th in Class 7A, and was Opelika's top finisher with a 5k time of 16:04.7. See the results below.

GIRLS' 5000 METER RUN 20:59.40 - Paola Torres - 60th 21:30.76 - Violett Alcorn - 90th 21:40.87 - Caroline Couey - 98th BOYS' 5000 METER RUN 16:04.73 - Brantley Turnham - 14th 16:36.03 - Chas Brewer - 38th 17:51.86 - Michael Hart - 99th 18:21.97 - Trey White - 120th 18:39.44 - Zalen Shaw - 129th 19:15.60 - Zane Sexton - 151st 19:18.85 - Amari Bynum - 153rd 19:35.53 - Burch Harris - 157th 19:43.76 - Ben Bell - 158th 20:11.91Murphy Williams166th

AHSAA/AISA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

The Alabama

High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) and the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) are both in the sec ond round of the high school football playoffs.

The AISA is in the semi-final round of its playoffs. LeeScott Academy (LSA) hosts Valiant Cross Thursday at Judd-Scott field on the LSA cam pus. Glenwood hosts Morgan Academy on the Gators’ campus. The Warriors and Gators were off last week, thanks to win ning the region cham pionship and finishing No. 2 in the region, respectively.

The AHSAA are playing second round playoff games this week. Locally, the fol lowing teams are alive: Class 1A Loachapoka (9-1) travels to play Millry (10-1), Class 3A Dadeville (10-0) hosts Thomasville (8-3), Class 4A Beauregard (10-1) plays UMSWright (11-0) in Mobile, Auburn (10-1) hosts Dothan (8-3) and Central (9-2) hosts Enterprise (8-3).

The Super 7 Championship will be held at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

LEE COUNTY —

Area high school football teams in playoff action Friday, Nov. 4, went 3-0, each advancing to the next round of the AHSAA playoffs. This Friday, Nov. 11, five teams — Auburn, Beauregard, Loachapoka, LeeScott and Glenwood

— continue their post season journeys. It’s win or go home for everyone.

The following is a breakdown of how ar ea teams fared in the first round of the 2022 high school football playoffs, and match ups going forward. All stats were compiled firsthand, by school sources or by www. Maxpreps.com.

AHSAA

AUBURN 35 | FAIRHOPE 17

The varsity Auburn High School foot ball team defeated Fairhope, 35-17, in the first round of the AHSAA 7A playoffs on Friday, Nov. 4. The Tigers racked up 379 total yards — 166 passing, 213 rushing — while allowing Fairhope to gain just 280. Falling behind 3-0 after one quarter,

and despite losing the turnover battle, 1-0, the Tigers outscored the Pirates 35-14 over the last three quar ters. The win means Auburn advances to the quarterfinal playoff round for the eighth consecutive year. Auburn hosts Dothan at DuckSamford Stadium Friday, Nov. 11. The

Cadillac’s Debut Spoiled, But Still Special

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

AUBURN —

For the first time in many weeks, it was fun to watch the Auburn Tigers play football.

On the road facing Mississippi State, the Tigers ultimately fell 39-33 in overtime, but smiles returned to the sidelines, and a level of a resiliency that has been missing all sea son was shown.

See AUBURN, page B6

PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

Last weekend marked the beginning of round one of the AHSAA and AISA high school football playoffs.

Interim Auburn football head coach Cadillac Williams gives a speech to his team pregame against Mississippi State, Nov. 5.

PHOTO BY TODD VAN EMST AU ATHLETICS

OHS Runner Trey White Signs With SUSCC

Opelika Swim Takes Top Marks SCA Football Wraps Successful Season

BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

tournament this year for the first time.

Opelika High School senior Trey White signed a cross country scholarship with Southern Union State Community College on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, at 8:15 a.m. in the OHS Sports Arena Lobby. This year marks the first season of Southern Union having a cross country team, and head coach Markita James-Smith said she is glad to have White as a member of the team. White recently finished No. 120 overall out of 178 individual runners — with a 5k run time of 18:21.97 — at the AHSAA Cross Country State Championships in Oakville, Alabama, Nov. 5.

(Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2). The Super 7 starts with the Flag Football Championship game at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30.

This will be the sev enth AHSAA football

championship hosted by the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, Auburn University, AO Tourism and the cities of Auburn and Opelika.

AHSAA HALL OF FAME, CLASS 2022-23

The AHSAA Sports Hall of Fame commit tee selected 13 people

to be inducted in the AHSAA Hall of Fame.

Football coaches were: Paul Benefield, David Powell, Mike Robertson and Trent Taylor.

Basketball coach es were: Tim Miller, Homer Davis, Ronald Jackson, Jack Steele and Lafayette's John T.

Woody. Administrators were: Steve Giddens and Charlie McCaleb. The old timers' division included: William "Earl" Griffen and Mathew Jones.

Woody was the long time boys’ basketball coach at Lafayette High School. Woody won 14 area titles, made five Elite 8 appearances, eight regional appear ances and three trips to the state finals, winning two state championships (1980, 2002). Woody finished with 435 wins and saw Lafayette High School rename its basketball court after him as "John T. Woody Court.”

Congrats to coach John T. Woody!

The class will be for mally inducted in the AHSAA Sports Hall of Fame in March of 2023.

OPELIKA — Southern Christian Academy (SCA) end ed its season with a bang, winning all three games last week and securing the Alabama Christian Sports Conference (ACSC) junior varsity cham pionship with an 8-0 undefeated record.

The varsity squad had its best season going 4-5, and were one touchdown away from its first ACSC playoff game. The varsity squad did receive an invite to play in the National Association of Christian Athletes 8-Man football

OHS BASKETBALL

Opelika High girls' basketball teams opened the season this week.

The girls played Eufaula on the road but the results were not avail able at press time. The Lady Dogs play in the St. James Tournament Friday and Saturday.

The OHS boys open the season next Friday (Nov. 18) at Enterprise. The home opener for both teams will be Dec. 2 against Russell County.

CITY OF OPELIKA UPGRADES ATHLETIC FACILITIES

Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller committed to upgrade sporting fa cilities in his last term.

The softball fields at West Ridge are turfed and ready to use. Fuller appeared on my radio show, "On the Mark" to

Junior QB Josiah Frick holds the No. 3 spot for total yards in MaxPreps' Alabama 8-man football lea derboard, pulling in almost 1,500 total yards for the season. He also received ACSC Special Teams Player of the Year, The Doug Harrison Christian Character Award and was selected for the ACSC All-Conference Team. Freshman line backer Jagger Scott currently holds the No. 3 spot for the Maxpreps leaderboard on the defensive side of the ball, bringing in 66 tackles for the year

talk about the upgrades.

"We are going to redo the pool at Covington Recreation Center, build a new outdoor competition pool at the Sportsplex, complete the turf fields at Floral Park, including renovations to the property, renovat ing Denson Recreation Center, the playground at West Ridge and turfing the remaining baseball fields at West Ridge,” Fuller said.

“When completed, Opelika will have some of the best recreation facilities in Alabama.”

D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of “On the Mark” Fox Sports the Game 9101310, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball state director.

PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER

PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES THE OBSERVER

The Opelika swim team competed in the 2022 Veterans Classic against five other teams on Saturday, Nov. 5, taking top hon ors in both the men's and women's groups. The men totaled 2,436 points, ahead of second place Auburn Aquatics (1,059), and the girls totaled 2,700.5 points, ahead of Columbus Aquatics (1,029.5).

with only nine games played this season. With an additional game, Scott would have easily taken the No. 2 spot as a freshman.

Hornets Head to Second Round

“Winning all three games decisively last week was a huge lift for the coaches and the guys, it really was the cherry on top for us this season,” said SCA head coach Jason Scott. “We will only lose one player,

Tigers Tame Pirates

Lee Trotter, who is our only senior this year. We should come back very strong and ready to give Evangel and Ezekiel a run for their money in the conference next year.”

The Patriots have

declined the offer to play at NACA this year, but look forward to making some noise there next season.

“We have a lot to cele brate this season,” Scott said. “We are young but we are tough, going

undefeated in our confer ence is nothing to scoff at. We’ve added cheer leading to our fall sports program, which made a huge difference in team morale this season. And lastly, we are growing our numbers every season, as

word gets out who we are and what we stand for. More kids will be drawn to SCA going forward; I know we are getting big ger and better every year thanks to hard work of our people and the favor of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES THE OBSERVER

On Friday, Nov. 4, the varsity Beauregard Hornets defeated Marbury, 35-10, in the first round of the AHSAA 5A football playoffs. The Hornets face UMS-Wright Prep on the road, Nov. 11, in the second round. For more information about the game, read "Area Football Roundup: Playoffs" page B1.

PHOTOS BY JERRY BALLAS / FOR THE OBSERVER

On Friday, Nov. 4, the varsity Auburn High Tigers defeated Fairhope, 35-17, in the first round of the AHSAA 7A football playoffs. The Tigers host Dothan, Friday, Nov. 11, in the second round. For more information about the game, read "Area Football Roundup: Playoffs" page B1.

'Poka Pushes Past Bears

game will be a rematch of the Tigers’ 42-14 win over the Wolves on Sept. 2.

BEAUREGARD 35 |

MARBURY 10

The varsity Beauregard High School football team defeated Marbury, 3510, in the first round of the AHSAA 5A playoffs on Friday, Nov. 4. The Hornets’ offense was electric on the night, totaling 434 yards — 146 passing and 288 rushing. The Beauregard defense also impressed, al lowing just 144 total yards to the opposing Bulldogs and forcing three turnovers. The

Hornets exploded for 28 points in the third quarter to blow the game open and secure a berth in the second round. Junior running back Jacori Tarver and senior quarterback A.J. Wallace combined for 396 yards and four touchdowns. The Hornets now travel to face undefeated UMSWright Prep on Friday, Nov. 11, in the second round. Beauregard is 0-2 all time versus the Bulldogs, with the last meeting resulting in a 28-7 loss. The Hornets last advanced past the second round of the playoffs in 2017.

LOACHAPOKA 28 | KEITH 24

The varsity Loachapoka High School football team

(9-1) defeated Keith, 28-24, in the first round of the AHSAA 1A playoffs on Friday, Nov. 4. It was the first playoff win for Loachapoka since 2013. Trailing for much of the game, the home team Loachapoka scored the go-ahead touchdown with 48 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter via a three-yard run from senior running back Ga’Kuan Palmer. The Loachapoka defense, which held Keith to 43 passing yards on the night, made one final stop to secure victory. Palmer was responsible for two touchdowns on the night, while Auburn commit J.C. Hart found pay-dirt in the first quarter on

a 91-yard touchdown catch, and senior run ning back Jamaroun Satterwhite found the end zone in the third quarter. Loachapoka was spurred to the win by an overall balanced offensive attack — passing for 103 yards, and rushing for 164 yards in total. Loachapoka also won the turnover battle, 3-1. Loachapoka now face Millry (10-1) on Thursday, Nov. 10, for a road, second round playoff game. On pa per, Loachapoka is the slight underdog, aver aging six fewer points per game than Millry, and allowing three more points to its op ponents on the season. The two schools are 1-1 historically, with the

most recent meeting in the first round of the 2021 playoffs result ing in a 28-18 loss for Loachapoka.

AISA

LEE-SCOTT

The varsity Lee-Scott Academy football team enjoyed a first-round AISA 3A playoff bye last weekend. The sec ond round, semifinals begin Friday, Nov. 11, when the Warriors will host Valiant Cross Academy in a rematch of the two teams’ earlier meeting this season. Lee-Scott won the first matchup, 42-7, and are the favorites as the conference’s top regular season team.

Valiant Cross defeated Monroe 30-20 in last weekend's first round. The winner advances to

the State Championship game, Nov. 17, at Montgomery's Cramton Bowl.

GLENWOOD

The varsity Glenwood Gators football team enjoyed a first-round AISA 3A playoff bye last weekend. The second round, semifinals begin Friday, Nov. 11, when the Gators host Morgan Academy in a rematch of the two teams’ earli er meeting this season.

Glenwood won the first matchup, 63-32, and are the favorites as the No. 2 regular season team in the conference. The winner advances to the State Championship game, Nov. 17, at Montgomery's Cramton Bowl.

On Friday, Nov. 4, the varsity Loachapoka football team defeated Keith, 28-24, in the first round of the AHSAA 1A football playoffs. Loachapoka will face Millry, Friday, Nov. 11, on the road in the second round. For more information about the game, read "Area Football Roundup: Playoffs" page B1.

PHOTOS BY MATT AUSTIN / FOR THE OBSERVER

Defense carries No. 15 Auburn to 70-52 opening night win vs. George Mason

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN ATHLETICS

AUBURN —

Defense carried No. 15 Auburn to a 70-52 season-opening win over George Mason Monday at Neville Arena.

“A good win tonight,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “To hold them to 52 points and to turn them over 19 times with a veteran team, our defense was really good. It’s a good start.”

Dylan Cardwell set career highs with nine rebounds and five blocked shots as the Tigers rejected 10 shots, made 14 steals and outre bounded the visitors 48-37.

“This is the best Dylan has played,” Pearl said.

“Dylan had pop, he was powerful, he was a factor at the rim, he got a lot of traffic rebounds. He moves about as

AUBURN

FROM B1

What is best, after the final whistle, inter im Auburn head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams — who had been in charge for less than a week — took ac countability for the loss.

“We’ve got to get better on the discipline part,” Williams said. “We did some things that will get you beat … that’s starting with my self. It ain’t all on these kids, man. They fought their tails off. I could have done some things better. I really could have.”

Williams’s post-game

well as anybody his size in college basketball. That’s the key to his effectiveness.”

Wendell Green Jr. led Auburn with 16 points and four assists, adding four rebounds. Johni Broome and K.D. Johnson each scored 12 points.

While the Tigers strug gled to make shots, sinking only 4-of-25 3-pointers, Auburn’s defense started the season in midseason form, holding George Mason to 37.5% shooting.

“When we start making those shots, we’ve got a chance to be pretty good,” Pearl said. “We haven’t yet.”

The Tigers built an 18-point lead on Johnson’s second-chance 3-pointer with 4:50 left in the half be fore Auburn went cold down the stretch, missing eight of its last nine shots while the Patriots made their last five

statement was a glimpse into the character that the coach of a Blue Blood football program should have, the per fect finish to an almost perfect head coaching debut for the temporary leader of the Tigers. The accountability and fight in Williams’s words paralleled his team’s performance on the night.

Trailing 24-6 at half time, the Tigers made no excuses. Auburn won the final two quarters, outscoring the Bulldogs 27-9, and positioning itself with a 33-30 lead with 1:05 remaining in the contest.

The Bulldogs man aged to tie the game

shots, ending the half on a 13-2 run to cut Auburn’s lead to 31-24.

The Tigers started strong, taking a 13-2 lead on Johnson’s steal and assist to Green for a transition layup.

“He’s such a factor,” Pearl said of Johnson. “He’s different than anybody else out there. Nobody’s as fast, quick and powerful and explosive. He’s a problem out there. He did a nice job at both ends. I want him to build on it.”

Auburn made seven steals and forced 12 turnovers in the first half, leading to an 18-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

Chris Moore’s corner 3-pointer restored Auburn’s double-digit lead early in the second half and the Tigers extended their lead down the stretch.

A testament to Auburn’s

— and even had another kick with a chance to win — before regulation ended. A three-andout and a missed field goal on Auburn’s first possession of overtime meant Mississippi State needed just three points on the next possession to win... And so the sto ry goes.

Seeing such a valiant comeback effort fall just short was disappointing for the orange-andblue. Adding insult, the loss practically eliminated Auburn from bowl-eligibility contention (barring an upset over Alabama in the regular-season fina le). However, the focus postgame was less on

depth, 10 Tigers played at least 10 minutes with all 10 scoring.

“We wore them down,” Pearl said. “I think that’s the only way we’re going to be successful. We are the sum of our parts.”

Auburn hosts South Florida Friday at 7 p.m. CT in the second contest of Auburn’s four-game sea son-opening home stand.

“If we continue to shoot the ball poorly, then we’ll have concerns,” Pearl said. “I’m not concerned now but we’ve got to shoot it better. South Florida is going to pack it in. We’re going to have all kinds of open shots. We’ve just got to do a better job of making open shots.”

GEORGE MASON POSTGAME NOTES

• Auburn went with the starting five of Wendell Green Jr., Zep Jasper, Chris

the result, but more on the renewed focus the Tigers seemed to have against the Bulldogs.

Look, the 2022 Tigers still have the same tal ent deficiencies they had when the season began under then-head coach Bryan Harsin. But, the players clearly respond ed with Cadillac at the helm last weekend.

Quarterback Robby Ashford once again completed fewer than 50% of his passes, but had his best career game on the ground, rushing for 108 and two touchdowns.

The defense, which has struggled mightily this season, was far from perfect, allowing

Moore, Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome. It was the first career start for Moore and first Auburn start for Morehead State transfer Broome.

• The Tigers’ starters contributed to 45 of the team’s 70 points against the Patriots, including a gamehigh 16 points from Green Jr., 12 points each from Broome and Johnson, 7 from Williams and 2 from Jasper.

• Auburn improves to 2-0 versus George Mason in the all-time series. Both games in 2017 and 2022 played on the Tigers’ home court.

• Auburn is now 86-31 all-time in season openers including 42-7 in its last 49 opening-night games. The Tigers also are 9-0 in season openers in the Bruce Pearl Era.

• The Tigers have now won 39 consecutive

360 total yards; but leaders Derrick Hall and Owen Pappoe led the unit to five sacks and 10 total tackles for loss — both season highs. Additionally, the defense, which has ranked near dead last in turnover margin this season, finished +2 in the category versus the Bulldogs.

“Nobody quit,” Williams said. “I ha ven’t experienced Auburn football in that way this year.”

Now, the focus turns to the matchups against Texas A&M Nov. 12. The two teams are vy ing for the title of “Not the Worst” in the SEC West. The crisp fall air

non-conference games at Neville Arena. Head coach Bruce Pearl is 49-3 at Auburn in non-conference home games.

• Dylan Cardwell came off the bench and brought down a game- and career-high nine rebounds against George Mason. Auburn outrebound ed Mason, 48-37 (+11).

• Auburn had a capacity crowd of 9,121 in the opener at Neville Arena to mark its 24th consecutive regu lar-season capacity crowd (minus the COVID season in 2020-21).

• The Auburn defense forced George Mason to turn over the ball 19 times in the game. The Tigers scored 21 points off of those miscues.

• AU made 14 steals, in cluding four from Johnson. It tied as the fifth-most in a single game under Pearl.

will set the stage for a ruckus at Jordan-Hare Stadium at night. The home debut of Williams — a former First Team All-SEC running back at Auburn in 2004, and the first Black head coach in program in history — would itself be enough to cement the occasion as momen tous. The effort, pride and quality the Tigers played with against the Bulldogs — if translat ed to another week — could mark a changing in the tide for the team, and the direction of the program, as a whole.

“Yeah, this game … the future is bright at Auburn,” Williams said.

PHOTOS BY TODD VAN EMST / AU

Beauregard Students Set New ‘Pumpkin Chunkin’ Records

BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

BEAUREGARD —

Students in Rachel Brown’s AP Physics class at Beauregard High School just had an un conventional lesson in the laws of physics.

For the first time since 2019, students voted on a project in September to build catapults and trebu chets to see how far they could launch a pumpkin. After more than a month of preparation, they spent Halloween morning put ting those catapults and trebuchets to the test in a “Pumpkin Chunkin’” contest to see which one could launch a pumpkin the farthest.

“In the past we have built and programmed battle bots, flown drones — but catapults and tre buchets seem to be the

most popular,” Brown said.

In what she called a “student-centered proj ect,” the students divided into teams of at least two and began researching their chosen launcher. They developed a list of supplies and began work from there, drawing up blueprints and recording their progress with pic tures and videos.

Brown said she set a series of deadlines to keep the students on track and helped them work through any issues that arose.

“I will give them sug gestions or help them develop an idea, but the class brainstorms, discusses and they lead the conversation,” she added. “… We discussed issues they were work ing on, and they would tell me how they were troubleshooting those problems.”

Catapults rely on the release of stored energy to launch a projectile from an arm across a great distance. Things like springs and elastics can be used to build up that tension before it’s released, similar to a slingshot. Once re leased, the arm rises in an arc motion to fling the projectile.

A trebuchet, on the other hand, relies on gravity to launch an object. According to PBS, it uses a lever that pivots on an axle. A counterweight is put at the short end of the lever, while the projectile often hangs in a sling attached to the other end. When the counterweight is dropped, the other end of the lever rises rapidly as the arm swings in an arc to launch the projectile.

According to Brown, the 2019 Pumpkin

Chunkin’ contest saw a record-setting pumpkin launch of 204 feet. This year, however, there were six entries in the contest and two beat that record. The second-place team overtook the previous record by more than 20 feet, launching their pumpkin 225 feet.

The winning team — consisting of students Carter Dees, Alex Martin and Kyle Seeley — used a trebuchet to launch their pumpkin even fur ther, measuring in at 235 feet. Brown said the team used a drum as their counterweight, but they filled it with water to give it extra weight.

The students’ parents were welcome to attend the Pumpkin Chunkin’ event, and Brown said she enjoyed seeing the joy from both sides.

“My favorite part was seeing our parents

interact with their chil dren,” she said. “We have wonderful, supportive parents that are invested in their children’s edu cation, and seeing them all come together to encourage and help their children was a wonderful thing to witness. The stu dents smiling, high fiving their dads and hugging their moms was nice to see. You can tell they were all invested in this project, which meant a lot to me, and knowing they had fun working on it.”

Besides the laws of physics and mechanics of these types of launchers, Brown said there were several other lessons to be learned from this proj ect. One thing she said she hopes her students learned is that trial and error is a good thing.

“Learning from failure can be the best way to learn because they have to set back and figure out

what went wrong, and how can they make it better,” Brown explained. “When a problem comes up, don’t give up, just continue to work the problem. I am proud to say that I believe my stu dents did just that.”

While some groups faced more challenges than others, Brown said they were all successful in the end.

“They never gave up, and I think it will be an experience that they will remember for years to come,” she said.

“It’s great to combine learning with a little fun competition. I am very proud of our students here at Beauregard High School.”

As the class moves on to a new physics unit, Brown said her students will continue learning new material and prepar ing for the upcoming AP exam in May.

Dual Enrollment Signup Underway for Southern Union

CONTRIBUTED BY SUSCC/BY KATIE JACKSON

OPELIKA —

More and more area high school students are discovering they can get early starts on rewarding, well-paying careers with out venturing too far from home thanks to Southern Union State Community College’s dual enrollment program.

Dual enrollment allows qualified students to take high school and college courses concurrently, providing opportunities for students to graduate from high school and get a jump on academic transfer courses while also working toward degrees

or certificates in certain fields. Dual enrollment can also save students money by offering many courses at consider ably less than four-year schools.

According to SUSCC Public Relations Director Shondae Brown, dual en rollment currently makes up 25-30% of all student enrollments across the Alabama Community College System and a growing percentage of Southern Union’s student enrollment.

“This fall, Southern Union had 498 dual en rollment students,” she said. “That’s approximate ly 11.3% of our total en rollment at the college and

it’s a trend that continues to grow.”

That growth is attribut ed to a variety of factors

including the reduction in time and cost of a college and technical education but also the success rates of dual enrollment stu dents. For many, especial ly those from smaller high schools and towns, dual enrollment programs help ease their academic and social transition from high school to college.

That’s certainly been the case for Anna Kate Cantrell, a senior at Woodland High School in Randolph County who began dual enrollment classes as a sophomore in high school. Cantrell, who is taking classes both at her high school and on SUSCC’s Wadley campus, said the experience has not only advanced her class work for college, it’s also given her insight into what to expect from college.

“I’m there (on the Wadley campus) all the time,” she said. “I’ve gained lots of friends, and one thing I like about Southern Union is that

everyone is a friend. I’ve also gained a lot of knowl edge and I’m getting expe rience in being in college.”

For Cantrell, the idea of going off to college was intimidating, but easing into it this way has given her confidence and has helped her build a strong GPA.

“I’m already in two hon or societies,” she said.

Though Cantrell is still trying to decide whether she’ll pursue a degree in early elementary/special education or social work, she said she appreciated the fact that the dual en rollment program allows her to take courses that prepare her for either track. In addition, she is saving lots of money thanks to dual enrollment scholarships, and she hopes her strong GPA will help her qualify for future scholarships, too.

“The dual enrollment program is a great way to start planning your fu ture,” she said.

Another advantage of the program, is that it can be tailored to each student’s career interests, whether that’s academic or technical. Matt Caypless found out about dual enrollment during a par ent-teacher conference at the start of his junior year at Wadley High School and immediately began taking HVAC classes along with other core classes.

When he graduated from SUSCC in 2017 with a certificate in HVAC technology, Matt went straight to work for

Auburn University’s facil ities management division and has since also started his own small business.

“I would probably nev er have gone to school if it hadn’t been for the program,” he said. “I tell everyone I see if they are interested in going into heating and air or any other technical field, they should do it. It gets you ahead.”

Seeing Matt’s success, his sister, Mallory, also took advantage of the pro gram though she took an other career path — nurs ing. With the help of Matt and their mother Tonya, who teaches in Southern Union’s nursing depart ment, Mallory mapped out her own path that began the summer before her 10th-grade year in high school. By taking classes concurrently at Southern Union and Wadley High, she graduated with her as sociate degree in nursing a week before she graduated high school and is now working on her bache lor’s degree in nursing at Auburn with hopes to go on for graduate degrees in the future.

“As these students illus trate, there are many paths to success through dual enrollment at Southern Union,” Brown said. “And now is the time to explore those routes.”

Registration for Spring semester at Southern Union is going on now. Classes begin Jan. 5, 2023. For more information, visit the college’s website at www.suscc.edu.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

Mallory Caypless, a 2022 graduate of SUSCC and Wadley High School, received her associate degree from SUSCC before walking across the stage to receive her high school diploma.

Students in Rachel Brown’s AP Physics class spent Halloween morning facing off in a “Pumpkin Chunkin” contest to see which of their projects could launch a pumpkin the farthest. Two teams beat previous students’ records by over 20 feet, with the winners reaching 235 feet.

As families, we are entering in to the month of gratitude and importance of caring for others.

Nov. 10 is “National Forget-Me-Not Day” — honoring our returning soldiers who have been injured. Friday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day. Classroom Observer wants to thank all our veterans who have served our country faith fully. On this day, explain to your child that veterans and their families truly sacrifice their own safety, special events with their own families, holidays and more in order to keep America free. As families, most of us know veter ans, some who may even live in our neighborhood.

Having your family reach out to a veteran’s family is much needed.

During this busy sea son of holidays, it can get lonely, stressful and exhausting when a mother or father is serving in the Armed Forces. A simple outreach of offering could be to grocery shop, take a meal to a veteran’s family, babysit younger children, help them with home re pairs, yard work or even invite a veteran’s family to join your family during this holiday season. These are wonderful ways to say thank you to veterans’ families as they support and serve us in protect ing the freedoms of our country.

Include your children in

Grateful For Our Veterans

praying for our veterans. Let veterans know that you are praying for them. Also, drawing pictures of gratitude and sharing cards with veterans truly brings them encourage ment, hope, love and peace. Our communities will be hosting Veterans Day ceremonies on Nov. 11. In Opelika, Veterans Day activities will begin at 9 a.m. at the Opelika Public Library on 1100 Glenn St. The event is serving breakfast for veterans and their fam ilies. The Veterans Day Program will begin at 10 a.m. at the Opelika Public Library. In Auburn on Friday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial located at the northeast corner of Ross Street and Glenn Avenue. In attending special cere monies such as these, chil dren begin to sense and feel the importance of our veterans.

Children are never too young to care for and help others. How can we teach children to learn and care for others? Here are a few helpful tips that I would like to share with families.

As parents and families, we have to keep in mind that the first five years of a child’s life are for values and moral development.

We as parents and teachers can truly focus on the first five years of children’s lives to teach morals and values.

Having experience in working with infants and toddlers, they do realize that they can make another child happy by being gen tle and helpful. Praise the child when they act in gen tleness toward others.

When a child is 2 or 3 years old, they can under stand and empathize the feelings, frustrations and hurts of others. What a moment of joy it is to see a young child share a toy, blanket or hug with other children.

Children who are 3 and 4 years old definitely un derstand the importance of being kind and sharing with others.

Children 5 years and older develop values like honesty, respect and kindness, and are able to understand moral judg ments. As you spend time and simply talk with older children, ask for their ideas on how they can reach out and help.

Holidays are right around the corner. This is a wonderful time to talk with your children about how they could help if certain situations arise. As families and friends come together, there are

so many wonderful inter generational opportunities of outreach between the young and old. True hap piness happens when we look for ways to help oth ers. Modeling appropriate ways to help others and to be thoughtful is the best teacher!

This Sunday, Nov. 13, is World Kindness Day. Creating an outreach proj ect of kindness to help others is a life lesson. Kindness can be planted in your child’s hearts early.

This coming Monday, Nov. 14, is one of my fa vorite days to celebrate “Loosen up, Lighten up Day.” The purpose of this day is to remind folks of the benefits of laughter.

As an early childhood teacher, I love to rock ba bies in the church nursery or preschool, see them smile and hear them laugh with a gleam in their eyes. They smile and cry in order to communicate with us, but laughter is another avenue of infant communication.

As parents and teachers, we love to hear the sound of children’s genuine giggles and laughs. Their sweet, innocent, infectious laughter is contagious. It is truly the best medicine for children and adults.

Laughter lifts our de pressed moods and eases

stress. A chuckle or hearty laugh seems to provide a promotion for good self-esteem in children. When children can find humor in their mistakes just by “laughing it off,” this triggers confidence to try again.

When a child is happy and expresses laughter, they experience security, which helps them sleep well. Reading bedtime sto ries can make them laugh, reduce anxious thoughts and stimulate good sleep. A good laugh when teaching young children makes them more mental ly alert to the lesson being taught, as well as encour ages creativity.

At times, young chil dren can experience separation anxiety when they go to school, pre school, Sunday School or similar places. Laughing with your child before separating from them will help in the transition from parent to teacher to caregiver. What a posi tive, happy way for you and your child to start the day.

I hope the ideas in Classroom Observer give you and your child sweet gratitude and attitude as we celebrate the month of November.

Beth Pinyerd Classroom Observer

BETH PINYERD

L labama Politics ee County & A

Inside the Statehouse

Kay Ivey is Governor Again

Lee County Discusses Homelessness

STEVE FLOWERS

OPINION —

Gov. Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelec tion victory run has been very im pressive. Some of you may be wondering how quickly I have been able to resolve that she has indeed culminated her victorious run when the general election was held Tuesday and my col umn’s published date is Wednesday. It is simply as I have told you numer ous times over the past two decades, winning the Republican Primary for governor in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election. The general election in Alabama is an afterthought. We are a one-party state when it comes to statewide races.

Ivey laid to rest the last hope of the Alabama Democrats being able to win a statewide race, es pecially for governor in my lifetime and probably in yours, when she beat Walt Maddox like a rent ed mule in 2018.

Maddox was the best shot and best mule the Democrats could ever dream up. Maddox is the young, articulate mayor of Tuscaloosa. He has been and had been may or of the Druid City for a good while. He has been an excellent mayor with an impeccable record. He ran a good, well-run, well-financed campaign for governor. He got 40% of the vote. This seems to be the threshold for a

Democrat for governor. Therefore, Ivey’s 2022 run may not be as im pressive as her 2018 race. Although, this run has been extremely impres sive. Probably the reason that 2022 has gone so well is because she ran so well in 2018. She beat a very formidable field four years ago. She beat the popular mayor of Huntsville, Tommy Battle, in the Republican Primary. His credentials and fundraising prowess were equal to Maddox’s, if not better.

Having beaten the 2018 thoroughbreds, Battle and Maddox, so thoroughly, made serious candidates not even con sider challenging her. In 2022, to compare Lindy Blanchard, Tim James and Yolanda Flowers to Battle and Maddox is like comparing Mutt to Jeff.

Ivey has done a good job as governor during the four years, 2019 to 2022, and folks knew that, and they knew her. There also have not been any scandals or contro versy. She had garnered one of the finest men and managers in Alabama political history, Congressman Jo Bonner, to be her right arm and chief of staff. Together, they ran a pretty solid ship of state.

Most of us who follow Alabama politics felt like Ivey was going to only serve one four-year term when she won the 2018 race. She, deep down, may have thought the same thing. Therefore, she governed with the attitude of what is right for the state and not what is right for reelection.

When she decided to run, most of us were in agreement that she would win. She would be well financed, and na tional polls revealed that

she was one of the most popular incumbent gov ernors in the nation.

My thoughts were — and I conveyed to you — that the only way Ivey could lose the race was if she beat herself.

If she misspoke or did a debate and made a mis cue or misstep. She did none of the above.

She ran a perfectly scripted, flawless cam paign. She campaigned as governor and looked gubernatorial. Most im portantly, her campaign TV ads were brilliant. They were folksy with the perfect Alabama flavor. They had her looking good, speaking well and southern with a grandmotherly appeal. They made her age and demeanor an advantage. She came out of the campaign being better liked than before. Some of her ads came close to being racist when she said, “Folks think we ought to require our schools to teach every one to speak Spanish. Well, I say, ‘No Way Jose.’” This prompted ultra-liberal Democrats around the nation to de ride her. When Maxine Waters, the liberal Democratic California congresswoman criti cized her, Ivey quipped, “I ought to give Maxine Waters an in-kind con tribution proxy for her help in my Alabama Republican Primary campaign.”

The big question in the Republican Primary was whether Ivey could win the May 24 primary election without having to go to a June 21 runoff to win. Some doubted that anyone could beat eight opponents without a runoff, especially giv en that Blanchard and James spent a total of $16 million dollars. She

BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

LEE COUNTY —

Residents of Lee County got together last week to discuss a pressing problem — homelessness. While it is difficult to provide a concrete solution for those in need, the event allowed residents to discuss how they can be more open and helpful to the homeless in Auburn, Opelika and Lee County.

The Homeless Education Forum included speakers in the area such as Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller, Opelika Police Chief Shane Healey and Clifford Jones with Greater Peace Baptist Church, among others. However, following the speakers, the event turned into a round-table discussion with solutions and ideas from audience members, based on their experiences.

“We want to thank you for coming today and supporting this event," said Jean Causey, with One Voice Shelter. "It seems like every time you turn around, there’s people in need and you think ‘no, not again,’ but that is life. That is life. And it will always be that way. Whether it’s needing food, needing shelter, needing counseling. People will always have needs. And we live in the best community in America to meet needs.

Everybody cares. Isn’t that wonderful?”

One Voice Shelter helps provide a temporary living space for those in need; it started with East Alabama Health, but evolved into its own organization, Causey said.

The organization can support up to 14 women right now, with or without children, she said.

“We’re just so thankful we live in a community that has open arms for people with needs,” Causey said.

The Northridge shelter from One Voice opened in March 2021.

“Our mission there is to assist the homeless population of Lee County by providing safe, affordable, emergency, temporary and transitional shelter … for individuals who are homeless, and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them,” Causey said.

Part of that goal is promoting independence in its residents, she said, to bring them back to the independence they once had.

Causey said that despite One Voice’s four years serving Lee County, there is a lot of unmet need in the area.

“We’re reaching out to you again because all of you know, the problem is not solved," she said. "It’s still happening every day. There’s still those that need

our help.”

Fuller echoed Causey’s earlier statement that Lee County people are the type to help out.

“I think we certainly have the people to do something; I think we have the resources,” he said.

Fuller quoted Matthew 25:40, which states: “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

Jones said that he hopes other churches, in addition to Greater Peace Baptist Church, will be willing to help with this problem.

Healey said that over the years, he has watched as the amount of homeless people in the population has increased. It used to be one or less times a year that the department had someone homeless in the community. However, now, it happens several times a week, he said.

Healey said that he and his team work to find solutions — such as getting the person needed help and a place to stay — rather than just a trip behind bars.

“Seeing it on a dayto-day basis, kind of an on-the-ground approach, firsthand ... I’ve seen how this community and these organizations can come together to solve a problem,” he said. “We have resources in this community.”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION

Represtatives Address Communist Threats

BY REP MIKE ROGERS & REP. JIM BANKS

OPINION —

The United States confronts two near-peer nuclear-armed autocratic adversaries: Communist China and the Russian Federation.

Both Beijing and Moscow seek to stamp out the sovereignty of nearby democratic na tions. As the world has seen in Ukraine, what the Russian military lacks in capability it makes up for in horrific brutality. In China, an even more brutal regime, enabled by a vast surveillance

state, enforces party loyalty with an iron fist.

At the same time, Xi Jinping openly engages in genocide against the Uyghur people. On the House Armed Services Committee, we’ve heard from every top military leader that China is a threat to U.S. security at home and to China's dem ocratic neighbors abroad. We must respond to this challenge.

Unfortunately, President Joe Biden doesn’t seem to take China's threat that seriously.

The Biden adminis tration and Democrats

in Congress prioritized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) America COMPETES Act. It was sold as legislation to take on the Chinese Communist Party, but the bill provided for a zero percent increase in defense funding. It did, however, allocate bil lions in new spending on Green New Deal projects. In the next Congress, House Republicans are fully committed to reversing course and standing up to Xi and his Chinese Communist Party.

House Republicans are clear about where we

stand. Our "Commitment to America" pledges to create a select commit tee tasked exclusively with countering China. Under a Republican ma jority, the House Armed Services Committee will prioritize securing America against the People’s Liberation Army. We'll assist the select committee on China’s work on national security concerns. At the same time, Armed Services Republicans will use our committee's oversight power to ensure that the Biden administration is following existing laws to keep the Chinese

Communist Party in check. We will ensure that Defense Department funds are not used to con duct research in China. It is common sense to stop the flow often of millions of U.S. tax dollars to Chinese entities. Sadly, this has been happening for years. Another com ponent of our oversight will involve ensuring that federal agencies provide Congress with up-to-date, comprehensive infor mation about China’s hypersonic missile capa bilities and any advanc es in China’s military technology.

The need for bold

action from Congress is urgent.

As China continues an unprecedented nuclear expansion drive, with evermore intercontinen tal ballistic missile silos seemingly sprouting up like weeds, Russia and North Korea have threat ened nuclear first-use strikes and modernized their own strategic forces at a rapid clip. The need for the U.S. to modernize its own nuclear arsenal has never been more cru cial. One problem? Biden has refused to invest adequately in our nuclear

Attorney General Steve Marshall Reaches $44 Million Agreement with Walmart to Fund Opioid Abatement Statewide

CONTRIBUTED BY THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVE MARSHALL

ALABAMA —

Attorney General Steve Marshall recently announced a $44 mil lion statewide agree ment with Walmart to fund opioid abatement in Alabama’s cities and counties. This is the fifth settlement nego tiated by Marshall to meaningfully address the opioid crisis in Al abama and comes with the promptest payout

ROGERS

FROM B10

deterrent. He ignored the advice of senior military leaders by trying to can cel a crucial weapon sys tem — the Nuclear SeaLaunched Cruise Missile. Congress restored fund ing for the program in the House-passed fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

Still, given China’s rapid military buildup, it

for local governments.

against addiction and overdose.”

According to the terms of the agreement, Walmart will pay $35.7 million to Alabama’s local governments for the purpose of opioid abatement, while $3 million will be dedi cated to improving the connectivity and inte gration of Alabama’s local court systems.

is imperative that we do more, more quickly. We must urgently strengthen the U.S. naval shipbuild ing program. Biden has embraced a "divest to in vest" strategy that shrinks the Navy's fleet over the next five years — at the exact same time as we enter into what the former head of the Indo-Pacific Command testified will be a window of profound vulnerability with China. Biden's strategy is incred ibly shortsighted. Indeed,

STEVE MARSHALL

“Many of Alabama’s cities and counties have been pummeled by an epidemic that began with prescription opi oids and has intensified to illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl,” Marshall remarked. “In fact, this year, fentanyl and other opioids were recorded as the number one greatest drug threat in the state of Alabama. The agreement we have reached with Walmart will accelerate another funding stream to our locals, providing imme diate aid to their fight

it is dangerous. Once again, Republicans, work ing with some like-mind ed Democrats, rejected the president’s strategy and sought to expand the Navy fleet. The safety of U.S. trade and U.S. citizens in our Guam and Northern Mariana Islands territories relies upon it.

A strong Navy is also a critical tool in deterring China from invading Taiwan and holding hos tage the global economy. In that same vein, we are

“I am especially pleased that Walmart has agreed to fund technological improve ments for our local

committed to ensuring that Taiwan has the re sources and weapons it needs to deter Chinese aggression. This requires clearing out the backlog of foreign military sales to Taiwan and boost ing the production of

courts,” Marshall said. “Our district and circuit courts have borne a great share of the bur den of navigating this epidemic. After conver sations with judges in some of the hardest-hit areas of our state, I was determined to recover funding for this effort. Fortunately, Walmart recognized the lasting value of what we are trying to build.”

The total value of the agreement is $44.2 mil lion, less $5.5 million for attorneys’ fees. The

munitions. The Biden ad ministration made a crit ical mistake by not surg ing advanced weapons to Ukraine before Russia’s invasion — we cannot afford to make the same mistake in Taiwan.

Republicans on the

state of Alabama was not a plaintiff in the case against Walmart; rather, the Marshall negotiated the statewide deal on behalf of local entities, many of which sued Walmart.

To date Marshall has sued seven opioid-re lated defendants and has finalized settle ments valued at more than $300 million for the state and its local governments to combat the scourge of opioids across Alabama.

House Armed Services Committee are commit ted to tackling China’s aggression before it’s too late. We must ensure the U.S. remains the world's foremost power. We must again provide peace through strength.

Auburn Church Battling Vandals, Intolerance

that is red meat and they might be the ones who are wrecking the sign at the church. However, it might be apolitical punks, teen-aged or in their 20s, as the culprits.

“In recent years, our social justice sign has been vandalized or sto len multiple times, to the point I’ve lost track of it,” said the Rev. Chris Rothbauer, minister at Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. “As a result, we’ve put up security cameras to try to both catch the per son doing the vandalism and discourage others.”

solidarity after these in cidents were publicized? Surely, fellow ministers would publicly pledge unity, right? Rothbauer notes that ecumenical or interfaith events have been rare since the pan demic lockdowns were established in March 2020.

OPINION —

In the drama

“Absence of Malice” (1981), a reckless reporter (Sally Field) gets her comeuppance from an honest character (Paul Newman). After a de vout Catholic woman tells the reporter she had an abortion, the reporter puts that into the paper, despite telling the lady she wouldn’t. When the morning edition comes out, the woman with the abortion frantically runs around the neighborhood picking up copies from her neighbors' yards be fore they can be read.

I was reminded of that movie when I found out an Auburn church’s

social justice sign was spraypainted or stolen repeatedly over the last year or two. The re peated vandalism is not easily stopped, just as in the movie the wom an’s attempt to hide an unfavorable story fell through. You see a va riety of “social justice” signs. A popular one says: “Science is real, black lives matter, no human is illegal, love is love, women’s rights are human rights, and kind ness is everything.”

Most of us may not agree with all those statements, but we are not drawn to destroy someone else’s prop erty. Yet, for zealous partisans, a sign like

The AUUF is known as the most liberal church in the area.

This defacing and stealing from a church’s entrance seems to me like when Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore put a monument of the Ten Commandments at the state Supreme Court. Judges associated with the decision to move the monument in 2003 got death threats. I wonder which Bible sentence promotes death threats as a Christian’s best way to challenge judg es? And which chapter and verse allows people to threaten murder at the drop of a theologi cal hat?

Did Rothbauer re ceive letters or emails of

“In 2019, prior to the pandemic, I was received warmly at the Auburn Ministerial Association,” the min ister said. “There is an other organization, the Lee County Ministerial Association, but they actively exclude us be cause we are not exclu sively Christian and they are opposed to LGBTQ+ rights.

“On the first couple of vandalisms, I received emails here and there, but there has been very little show of support since. The only show of support we received from another faith com munity following the last vandalism was from All Souls Universalist Church, a Christian Universalist church that meets in our buildings on Sunday evening.”

The reverend has been AUUL’s minister since 2019. Rothbauer’s identi ty is agender, which de notes a person who does not identify themselves as having a particular

gender. In a 2020 blog, “Black Lives Matter, but not yet in America,” Rothbauer pledged to inspire action to combat injustices. “Why are there more road potholes on the northwest side than in other areas? Of the thousands of new apartments in downtown Auburn how many are affordable for low-in come persons?”

Unitarian Universalism in the United States showed itself in the history of American religion, politics and culture.

Founding fathers John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin had Unitarian principles to drive their ideas in the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the U.S. Constitution (1789).

Rothbauer was born and raised in the south ern Indiana suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. The minister has master’s degrees in philosophy from the University of Sheffield, U.K.; in divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School, in Chicago, Illinois; and in arts (leadership studies) also from Meadville Lombard. The minister has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and English from Indiana University

Martha Henk Visits Opelika Kiwanis Club

Southeast.

Rothbauer said min isters in Universalist

Churches can be Pagan, Christian, Buddhist, Humanist or some other spirituality. The rev erend said the search process for ministers is “kind of like speed dating.” There is a long survey to fill out for the job seeker and the pro spective congregation.

There are several other steps, including a precandidate weekend and eventual candidate weekend if both sides are interested. For who ever succeeds Rothbauer in Auburn, though the minister has no exit plans, a course in han dling vandals may be appropriate. Learning the sentiments of the social justice signs may be needed someday, for let’s say, justice.

Greg Markley moved to Lee County in 1996. He has master’s degrees in education and histo ry. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama. An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to The Observer since 2011. He writes about politics, higher educa tion and books. Contact him at gm.markley@ charter.net.

FLOWERS

FROM B9

>>

proved them wrong. She beat the field of eight without a runoff and got 54% of the vote.

My guess is that she got a higher percentage than that on Tuesday.

Ivey is governor, again.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading po litical columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www. steveflowers.us.

PUBLIC NOTICES

IN RE THE ESTATE OF:

BETTY C. HODGE, Deceased.

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY

ALABAMA

CASE NO. 2022-591

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

LETTERS TESTAMENTARY of said deceased having been grant ed to the undersigned on the 19th day of October, 2022, by Hon. Bill English, Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

HAROLD

THOMAS HODGE JR.

Executor

Legal Run 10/27/2022, 11/3/2022 & 11/10/2022

NOTICE OF CIVIL ACTION

Jarvis S. Beasley, whose where abouts are unknown, must an swer AubumBank's complaint for Breach of Contract, Unjust Enrichment, Open AccountNote, Account Stated, and Money Lent by November 30, 2022, or, thereafter, a judgment by default may be rendered against him in case number 43-SM-2022900331.00, Circuit Court of Lee County. Done the 21st day of October, 2022.

Mary Roberson, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lee County Blake L. Oliver

P.O. Box 2345 Opelika, AL 36803-2345 Telephone (334) 745-3504 Facsimile (334) 745-3506 Email: oliver@samfordlaw.com Attorney for AuburnBank Legal Run 10/27/22, 11/03/22, 11/10/22 & 11/17/2022 ---------------

STATE OF ALABAMA

IN THE PROBATE COURT LEE COUNTY CASE NO. 2022-611

Estate of: RE: SHIRLEY BELL KEMP, Deceased, NOTICE OF PUBLICATION

Ancillary Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to the undersigned on the 20th day of October, 2022, by the Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

/s/ Charles Mark Kemp Charles Mark Kemp, Executor Jacob J. Key, Esq. Attorney for Executor Johnson, Caldwell & McCoy, LLC 117 North Lanier Avenue, Suite 201 Lanett, Alabama 36863 (334) 644-1171

Legal Run 10/27/22, 11/03/22 & 11/10/22

IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LINDA N. DOYLE, Deceased Case No.: 2022- 131

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Letters Testamentary of said_de ceased having been granted to James V. Doyle, Personal Representative on the 31st day of October, 2022, by Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby giv en that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby re quired to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

James V. Doyle Legal Run 11/3/22, 11/10/22 & 11/17/22

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE

WHEREAS, default has been made in the terms of the Mortgage executed on the 21st day of November, 2018, by Shermond Callaway, as Mortgagor in favor of Sanport Housing, LLC, as Mortgagee, as recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama, in Real Property Book 4433, at Page 420, and said default continuing, the mortgagee, under power of sale contained in said mortgage will sell at auction for cash to the highest bidder on the steps of the Lee County Courthouse in Lee County, Alabama on Thursday,

December 15, 2022, during the legal hours of sale, the following described real estate embraced in said Mortgage and Mortgage Modification, situated in Lee, Alabama, to-wit: “Lots 5 & 6, Block 6, MEADOWVIEW ACRES SUBDIVISION, according to and as shown by that certain map or plat thereof record in Town Plat Book 13, at Page 173, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama.”

THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN "AS IS, WHERE IS" BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVEDESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO.

Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the

foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and pro grams as a part of the foreclosure process.

Said sale is made for the purpose of foreclosing of said mortgage, paying the mortgage debt, the costs and expenses of foreclosure, including a reasonable attorney's fee. Mortgagee reserves the right to bid on the subject property.

Said mortgage is a first mortgage and is not junior to another mort gage of record. Said sale is also subject to unpaid taxes or assess ments whether of record or not.

This sale is subject to postpone ment or cancellation.

Sanport Housing, LLC, Mortgagee Brandon F. Poticny Davis, Bingham, Hudson & Buckner, P.C. Attorney for Mortgagee 724 N. Dean Road, Suite 100, Auburn, AL 36830

Legal Run 10/27/2022, 11/03/2022 & 11/10/2022

---------------

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA

THE ESTATE OF JACK GLEN WILLIFORD, JR., CASE NO. 2022-366

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to JUDITH A. WILLIFORD on 9-8-2022, by the HONORABLE

Andrew G. MacKenzie, Esq 288 Bells Ferry Road NE Rome, Georgia 30161 706-442-3556

Legal Run 10/27/2022, 11/03/2022 & 11/10/2022

--------------Form of ADVERTISEMENT OF COMPLETION

Legal Notice

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given that Crimson Contractors, Inc., Contractor, has completed the Contract for Roof Replacement at Jeter Primary School for the Opelika City Schools, Owner, and have made request for final settle ment of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, mate rials or otherwise in connection with this project should imme diately notify: Stephen Ward & Associates, Inc. 128 Jet Plex Circle, Madison, Alabama 35758. Phone (256) 774-3565.

Crimson Contractors, Inc. 1808 14th Avenue Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 (205)758-8659

Legal Run 11/3/22, 11/10/22, 11/17/22 & 11/24/22

The speaker during the Opelika Kiwanis Club meeting last week was Martha Henk with the Food Bank of East Alabama. Next week, on Nov. 17, the speaker will be Dr. Sara Smith T. She is over the Reach Out and Read and Beat Bama Book Drive campaign.

SAMFORD & DENSON, LLP

BILL ENGLISH, Probate Judge of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons hav ing claims against said Estate are hereby required to present same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

GREG MARKLEY

BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

OPELIKA—

With rising concerns about crime in Opelika, the Opelika Police Department (OPD) took some time last week to introduce new programs — and highlight a few existing ones — that aim to benefit both students and adults.

OPD Chief of Police Shane Healey explained and introduced these programs at a meeting for Opelika parents and students held Nov. 1 at Opelika High School.

“A lot of time and effort have gone into trying to figure out what’s really going on in Opelika,” Healey said at the meet ing. “We have to figure out what is going on in Opelika, Alabama. What are our needs? What do our kids need? What do our citizens need? How can we impact our community? How can we change the world in Opelika, Alabama?”

Healey said he has been working with Dr. Chenavis Evans, found er and CEO of Critical Insights, for more than two years to find the an swers to these questions.

Through more than a dozen community meet ings all over the city, the police department collected feedback from citizens about things they didn’t understand and changes they wanted to see.

“This started right after the George Floyd inci dent,” Healey recalled. “Let me tell you, some of those meetings were brutal. People had a lot of pain and a lot of hurt to wards the police depart ment. We were not there to solve that problem at that time. We wanted to hear what people had to say about it.

“We started to work

‘All Hands on Deck’ OPD Seeks Solutions with Community Support

with them, having those tough conversations and taking those body blows to figure out, what is the real problem? What is at the center of that feeling that you have about your police department, and do you have that specific feeling about your police department here? Have we done something, or is this a general fear?”

Evans and her team helped collect and ana lyze the data from those meetings, and Healey said there were a few main points that stood out to him. One was that many of the changes cit izens wanted to see were issues for which the city was responsible, not the police department.

“That wasn’t our lane, so to speak,” he ex plained. “But we imme diately were able to get the city leaders involved in those conversations so that they could start to bring resources to bear on those problems, and it helped.”

In addition to building better relationships and trust with the police de partment, citizens also wanted education.

“People wanted two things when they talked about education with the police department,” Healey said. “They want ed to make sure, first of all, that we were well-ed ucated — that we were training and teaching our police officers how to do things the right way. … But they also wanted us to help educate the com munity on what it is that we really do as police.”

That included topics like municipal court, as well as traffic stops — what police are allowed to do, what citizens are expected to do and what the laws are surrounding those situations.

“We really started taking a look at that, and the first program that we came up with was our

‘Knowledge Is Power,’ which is a class that not only do these [school re source officers] teach to every single student that goes through Driver’s Ed at Opelika High School now, but we go out and we teach it in the com munity,” Healey said.

Following the class at Opelika High School, Evans and her team gave the students a survey to fill out. At least 92.5% of the students who an swered said it should be come a mandatory class, Evans said.

Next came the “Policing and Me” class, implemented last year. Healey said this class is designed to teach citizens their rights and explain what certain laws and amendments mean.

While these programs have already seen some success, Healey said OPD and Critical Insights wanted to come up with a program that targets young citizens between the ages of 13 and 18. Thus, Healey introduced the Opelika Centers of Excellence (OCE) and ILEAD programs.

ILEAD includes two main components: the Student Leadership Development Workshop and the Liaison program. ILEAD liaisons are adult volunteers in the commu nity who are trained to be a support system and a listening ear for students and young adults who are facing different types of crises.

Liaisons attend OCE meetings and undergo

background investiga tions to be able to meet with students on cam pus at Opelika’s middle school, high school or learning center, but they may also meet with a student off campus or at the student’s home at the request of the student’s parents.

High School] knew how to lose … and didn’t have that desire to go be the winner. That’s what this program is designed to help.”

OBSERVER

In addition to talking with these students and young adults, the pro gram aims to connect them — and their parents — with community re sources as needed.

“Some of the expecta tions that we have with this program is building trust with our young folks,” Healey explained. “We want them to know that we’re committed to helping them.”

The mission of a liaison is “to help the students in our community rethink the decisions they make, reshape the behavior they exhibit and redirect the path they take to increase the probability of success in the classroom and in life.” That mission hits closer to home following a string of shootings over the summer that left one 17-year-old dead and several teenagers, among others, in jail.

“What we had this summer was one kid that lost a fistfight, that started shooting,” Healey said. Retaliation ensued, and the shootings went back and forth, even involving friends and family mem bers. “… Imagine the impact on this city if the kid that lost the fistfight that happened at [Opelika

Evans and her team visited the Opelika Learning Center to talk to the students there and learn their situations and needs. That feedback helped the team develop a training curriculum for liaisons.

“They will get the same training and edu cation that the Opelika Police Department has had, the city council peo ple, folks in the commu nity,” Evans said.

Thomas Sherfield, alternative program coordinator, said he be lieves a program like this will make a difference for students. He said the students at Opelika Learning Center mainly want to talk to some one who will listen and understand.

“We do our best, but at the same time, we’re on the inside,” he said. “We’re seen a certain way. I think if we have that community piece that just comes in and gives them an outlet, I definitely think it will make a difference.”

Often, liaisons will help teach students prob lem-solving and healthy conflict resolution, in cluding how to commu nicate to get to a solution. The goal of the training is for liaisons to be approachable, nonjudg mental and able to “meet students where they are” — crafting a message tailored to the individual.

OPD and the Critical Insights team have also reached out to local fra ternities and sororities, as well as church ministers, to join the program, but she also noted that any one interested shouldn’t hesitate to apply.

“If you’re an African American male and you

may be in your 30s, 40s or 50s, there’s a higher probability you have had some kind of interaction with police when you were younger,” she add ed. “… But you can still be a liaison because there are times you will work directly with a parent, or you may work directly with me … or someone else and meet them off campus. So it’s OK. This is not a judgment on what you have done. We want people who’ve had life experiences … that can help redirect these young people that need that.”

And liaisons won’t always be working in crisis situations, she said. Sometimes students just need some else to talk to, like a neutral third party.

Healey said simple things like talking and listening can be the solution.

“It doesn’t take a lot,” he said. “It takes some body that cares. It takes somebody that’s willing to take some time out of their day to think about somebody else. What if we had a program that taught community mem bers how to teach kids to rethink, reshape and redirect? How powerful could that be? Could we have changed what happened in Opelika this summer?”

With these programs, Healey said he hopes the community can start a movement to help the rising generation develop the tools and skills nec essary to be successful, productive adults and one day take the city to great er heights.

“If we can do these little things and we can start walking towards each other and making things better, we are go ing to change the world from Opelika, Alabama,” he said. “We can set the bar and the example for everybody else to follow.”

PHOTO BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH THE

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PUBLIC NOTICES

IN THE CIRCIDT COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA

CV-2022-900301.00

WILLIAM A. JONES, Plaintiff, v. A Parcel of Land Lying in Lee County, Alabama, to wit: Lot 3, Block C, Oakview Subdivision, according to and as shown by that certain map or plat of record in Town Plat Book 9 at Page 179, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama; and Tavarius Ingram; and Unknown persons who may claim an interest in said property whose identities are unknown and who cannot by reasonable diligence be ascertained, Defendants.

NOTICE OF ACTION

To: All Defendants herein, whose whereabouts are un known and which cannot be ascertained after the exercise of reasonable diligence. You are hereby notified that on the 18th day of May 2021, a Bill to Quiet Title was filed in the Circuit Court of Lee County, Alabama, regarding the following described real property:\ Lot 3, Block C, Oakview Subdivision, according.to and as shown by that certain map or plat of record in Town Plat Book 9 at Page 179, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Lee County, Alabama. All persons having an interest in said lands or any portion thereof, claiming any title thereto or any encumbrance or lien thereon, are hereby direct ed to plead, answer, or other wise respond to the Complaint on or before the expiration of 30 days after the last publica tion of this notice, or thereafter suffer judgment by default to be rendered against them it being intended that this notice shall be used to perfect service against all parties who cannot be personally served with a copy of the Complaint. Done this the 24th day of October, 2022.

Mary Roberson Circuit Court Clerk, Lee County Benjamin H. Parr 830 Avenue A, Suite A Opelika, Alabama 36801

Telephone Number: 334-749-6999 Fax: 334-203-1875 ben@benparrlaw.com Legal Run 11/3/2022, 11/10/2022, 11/17/2022 & 11/24/2022

IN THE PROBATE COURT FOR LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: CHARLES J. MARSHALL, SR. Deceased. Case No.: 2022-606 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Letters Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Benjamin H. Parr. Personal Representative on the 31st day of October, 2022, by Honorable Bill English, Judge of Probate Court of Lee County, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

BENJAMIN H. PARR Legal Run 11/3/2022, 11/10/2022 & 11/17/2022

CITY OF OPELIKA NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO: RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE CITY OF OPELIKA AND ALL OTHER INTERESTED CITIZENS NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Opelika, Alabama will hold a regular meeting and will be conducting public hearings on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Meeting Chamber at Opelika Municipal Court located at 300 MLK Boulevard, Opelika, Alabama.

A Planning Commission work session will be held at 2:45 pm before the regular meeting. The purpose of the public hearings is to receive public comment on the following:

I.Some items at this meeting will have a designated public hearing (noted below). Individuals are limited to one 5-minute comment peri od per public hearing.

II. Approval of Minutes

III.Update on Previous Planning Commission Cases

IV. New Business

A. Preliminary Plat Approval –

Public Hearing

1. A public hearing on a request by Goodwyn Mills Cawood, LLC, authorized representative for Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), property owners, for pre liminary plat approval of the National Village Plat 6B (re vised) subdivision consisting of 9 lots accessed from Robert Trent Jones Trail.

2.A public hearing on a request by Goodwyn Mills Cawood, LLC, authorized representa tive for Retirement Systems

of Alabama (RSA), property owners, for preliminary plat approval of the National Village Plat 3A subdivision consisting of 61 lots accessed from Robert Trent Jones Trail.

B. Final Plat Approval

3. A request by Daniel Holland, authorized representative for Holland Homes, LLC, property owners, for final plat approval of the Fox Run Phase 2A sub division consisting of 85 lots accessed from Village Drive.

4.A request by Doug Ransom, authorized representative for DRB Group Alabama, LLC property owners, for final plat approval of the Wyndham Gates Subdivision Pod 3, Phase 2 consisting of 8 lots accessed from Alana Court and Raiden Circle.

5.A request by Blake Rice, Barrett-Simpson, Inc. autho rized representative for 280 Land Company, LLC, property owners, for final plat approval of the Hidden Lakes Phase 4 Subdivision consisting of 73 lots accessed from Hidden lakes Drive.

C.Conditional Use – Public Hearing

6.A public hearing on a request by Kelly Wagoner and Foresite Group, LLC, authorized rep resentative, for THF/MRP Tiger Town, LLC and Cannon Timber & Land LLC, property owners, for conditional use approval for a tire store (auto maintenance) in the Tiger Town PUD and a C-2, GC--P zoning district accessed at 2125 and 2109 Frederick Road.

D. Rezoning – Public Hearing 7a. An agenda item related to a rezoning request concerns an amendment to the Future Land Use Map for 16.47 acres accessed from Society Hill Road from a light commercial land use category to a general commercial category. If the Planning Commission votes to send a positive recommen dation to the City Council to rezone the 16.47 acres and Council approves the rezoning, then approval of said amend ments to the Future Land Use map will be approved.

7b. A public hearing to con sider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by Reynolds Cook/W. F. Cook, Jr., authorized representative of W.F. Cook Jr., property owner, to rezone 16.47 acres accessed at 2701 Society Hill Road from C-2 to C-3.

8a.An agenda item related to a rezoning request concerns an amendment to the Future Land Use Map for 67.6 acres accessed at the 2700 block of Society Hill Road from a low Density residential land use category to a light commercial

category. If the Planning Commission votes to send a positive recommendation to the City Council to rezone thE 67.6 acres and Council approves the rezoning, then approval of said amendments to th Future Land Use map will be approved.

8b. A public hearing to con sider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by Bill Brown of The Brown Agency, authorized represen tative of Stephen Dee Ward & Shelby Dean Ward, property owners, to rezone 67.6 acres accessed at the 2700 block of Society Hill Road from a C-2 and R-1 to a C-2.

V. Old Business E.Rezoning – Public Hearing 9a. An agenda item related to a rezoning request concerns an amendment to the Future Land Use Map for 229.2 acres accessed from Anderson Road from a low-density residential land use category to a mixeduse category. If the Planning Commission votes to send a positive recommendation to the City Council to rezone the 229.2 acres and Council approves the rezoning, then approval of said amendments to the Future Land Use map will be approved. Tabled at September 27th PC meeting.

9b. A public hearing to con sider a recommendation to the City Council on a request by Brett C. Basquin, Foresite Group, LLC, authorized repre sentative of Keith B. Norman, Electra Estates, property owners, to rezone 229.2 acres accessed from Anderson Road from R-1 to PUD. Tabled at September 27th PC meeting.

F. Final Plat

10. A request by Brian Lee, authorized representative for SP Opelika Ventures, LLC, property owners, for final approval of The Villages of Opelika Phase 1 subdivision consisting of 50 lots accessed from 3000 Hi Pack Drive. Tabled at October 25th PC meeting.

VI. Other Business

11. Opelika/Lee County in ter-local agreement for plan ning jurisdiction

All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting/ public hearings and be heard. Written comments concern ing the above matters may be mailed to the Planning Director at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika, Alabama 36801 at any time prior to the meet ing/public hearings and may be further submitted to the Planning Commission at the meeting/public hearings. The Planning Commission reserves the right to modify

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or alter any of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and to make its recommendations accordingly to the City Council.

Please contact the Planning department at 334-705-5156 at least two (2) working days pri or to the meeting if you require special accommodations due to a disability.

PLANNING DIRECTOR Legal Run 11/10/2022

“NOTICE”

City of Dadeville is now solic iting proposals for demolition management to be provided relating to the various grant programs administered by the State of Alabama and Federal. The selection made from this solicitation will apply to calendar years 2022 through 2025. Proposals must be sub mitted to The City of Dadeville (City Hall – 265 N Broadnax St. Dadeville, AL 36853) no later than 4 pm, 11/21/2022.

Questions and requests for additional information con cerning this solicitation may be directed to Heather Graham, Regional Planner, East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission heather.graham@earpdc.org Telephone: (256) 237-6741. Legal Run 11/10/2022

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STORAGE TREASURES AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1412 Opelika Rd. Auburn, AL 36830 Thursday, November 17 at 10:00 am Unit A7 Unit B31 Unit D67 Unit I113 Unit M152 Unit O177 Unit R316 The auction will be listed and advertised on www.

storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes posses sion of the personal property. Legal Run 11/10/2022

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF Lonnie Ray Jones

NOTICE Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 29th day of September, 2022 by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said es tate are required to present the same within the time allowed by law or they will be barred. Pamela Jones Legal Run 10/20/2022, 10/27/2022 & 11/03/2022 ---------------

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF FRED HEARD, Deceased PROBATE COURT LEE COUNTY, AL CASE NO.: 2022-493

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Take Notice that LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of said deceased having been granted to Sharn Washington on the 26th day of September, 2022, by the Honorable Bill English, Judge of the Probate Court of Lee County, Alabama.

Notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

Sharn Washington Legal Run 10/20/2022, 10/27/2022 & 11/03/2022