The Southern Torch, Vol. 1, No. 27

THURSDAY NOV. 26, 2015 / VOL. 1, NO. 27 / $1.00

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL EDITION

COMMUNITY

BUSINESS

POLITICS

RAINSVILLE COMMUNITY LOSES AN ICON

SOUTHERN TORCH TREAT OF THE WEEK REVIEW

GRATITUDE, HAPPINESS, AND AMERICA’S FOUNDING

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Gov. Bentley visits Fort Payne Announces more than $800,000 in grants for DeKalb

By Joseph M. Morgan joseph@southerntorch.com

Following a grant announcement ceremony at Fort Payne City Hall on Monday, Gov. Robert Bentley visits with a small group of DeKalb residents. Photo by Joseph M. Morgan

Fyffe faces Randolph County tonight in semifinals of 2A State Championship

By Joseph M. Morgan joseph@southerntorch.com

FYFFE, Ala.—For the third consecutive year the Fyffe Red Devils will compete in the semifinals

of the AHSAA Class 2A State Playoffs. The Red Devils face the Randolph County Tigers (13-0) at 7:30 p.m. at Fyffe tonight.

The defending 2A State

Champions came from behind last week to defeat Ranburne 24-20 in dramatic fashion in the final seconds of the the 4th quarter in the AHSAA football quarterfinals of the state playoffs.

Fyffe will have their hands full in tonight’s 2A semifinal showdown.

Randolph County has an explosive offense and

have proven they can put the ball in the endzone.

The Tigers have scored 175 points in the first three rounds of the 2A playoffs, posting score of 70-7, 56-27 in rounds one and two, and 49-28 in last week’s victory over Cleveland High School.

The Tiger offense is led by quarterback John Mark Prestige who averages CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

McGill kicks off U.S. Senate campaign

By Joseph M. Morgan joseph@southerntorch.com

McGill kicks off U.S. Senate campaign DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — Republican Shadrack McGill from Jackson County held a kickoff rally Tuesday for his U.S. Senate campaign outside the Jackson County Courthouse in downtown Scottsboro.

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McGill recently announced that he will be running against current U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby in 2016 to represent Alabama in Washington, D.C. McGill told the crowd of supporters that conservatives across the state are enthusiastic about electing a proven CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

The Southern Torch – Southern Torch, Inc. News every Friday.

For Subscriptions: Call (256) 638-4040 or email subscriptions@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala.— Gov. Robert Bentley visited Fort Payne on Monday to announce more than $800,000 in federal grants awarded through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to the Dekalb County area.

ADECA grants were awarded to the towns of Rainsville, Fort Payne, and Sylvania while ARC grants were awarded to improve science and outdoor education opportunities in the Fort Payne area.

Gov. Bentley, having CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THIS WEEK IN COMMUNITY

Gift wrapping station set up Amy Johnson of Addie Kate’s in Fort Payne has set up shop beside The Bookshelf for the holiday season…

Page 3

OPINION / EDITORIAL

Trump: Make America Great Again or make Hillary President?

Last week, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump made his second campaign stop in Alabama…

Page 9

THIS WEEK IN FAITH

A Moment with Megan: Fill Him Up Hi friends! Thanksgiving is among us and I don’t know about you, but I am super excited…

Page 11

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS

Fyffe keeps rolling toward the Championship!

Fyffe-Nov 20, 2015- The Fyffe Red Devils hosted the Ranburne Bulldogs Friday night for the quarterfinals of the AHSAA State Championships…

Page 12 PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 60 RAINSVILLE, AL

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

Publisher, Joseph M. Morgan Layout editor, Dwayne Adams

ELECTION 2016:

2016 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES BEGIN FEB. 1 WHO WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS? WE TAKE A LOOK

By Tyler Pruett tyler@southerntorch.com

With all the media coverage of 2015, it can

be hard to believe that the first electoral event for the presidential primaries is almost two months away. Much like

seeing Christmas decorations in early November, the campaign season seems to start sooner with every cycle.

Here in Alabama, votes will be cast on March 1st, as part of the SEC Primary. New to 2016, our state, along with Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee will all cast primary votes on the

same day. This was orchestrated by Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and his Georgia counterpart Brian Kemp to make the southern states more viable in the primary process. Due to this, Alabama has seen visits by major candidates from both parties.

Traditionally, campaign events in our state have

been rare and geared more towards private fundraisers than rallies for the average voter.

Although both parties have clear front runners, things could change dramatically in the coming months. In fact, rarely does the candidates with the highest polling numbers a year CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Continued from page 1

Gov. Bentley visits Fort Payne twice served as chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission said that he enjoys traveling the state to see how grants are being used.

“I travel all over the State of Alabama doing this,” Bentley said. “ And each of the grants we are here to announce today go to one purpose—to help the lives of people.

That is what I think is so important about these CDBG grants and ARC grants. We are in the business of helping people. That is why I’m the governor, to help people. That is why the men and women here—the legislators, mayors, city council, county commission members—are here to help the people. That is why I’ve always said the best government is local government.”

The City of Rainsville was awarded a $28,000.00 grant to develop a plan to manage growth and plan the city’s future. The program will help the city establish policy involving transportation, infrastructure, utilities, and capital improvements, as well as economic development and tourism. The city is providing $12,000 in local funding.

Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones said long-term planning has been a top priority of his administration. “We are a young city,” Jones said. “And with this planning it is exciting to be setting the stage and tone for the

economic future of Rainsville and what will hopefully be the next 40-50 years of growth.”

The cities of Fort Payne and Sylvania were awarded ADECA Community Development Block Grants to complete repairs to their sewer systems. In Fort Payne, the $450,000 grant will be used to fix aging clay sewer lines in a nineblock area, while the city is committing $100,000 to the project.

In Sylvania, the $326,000 grant and $32,600 contributed by the town will replace more than 5500 feet of sewer pipe in Meadowbrook Mobile Home Park, which was poorly designed by a developer in the 1980’s.

“We are a very small town with less than 2,000 people,” Sylvania Mayor Emily Wooten said. “We only have a small sewer system compared to larger cities like Fort Payne and Rainsville, but we are dealing with some of the same issues with rainwater infiltration.

This money will go to greatly improve the problems and issues we’ve been facing. Thank you.”

Grants totaling $150,000 were awarded to One World Adventure, a non-profit organization, and the Fort Payne city school system for upgrading facilities used for science and outdoor education. $100,000 will allow One World Adventure to renovate

the former Quinn Hotel building, which was donated to the organization. This will serve as a hub for environmental education activities and a headquarters for programs around Little River Canyon and Desoto State Park. $50,000 of this grant will be utilized to renovate Fort Payne High School’s science and chemistry lab, which was built 50 years ago, allowing the school to teach more advanced chemistry, physics, and science classes.

Bentley praised the office of U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt for assisting in securing the federal funds for and ADECA for distributing them in DeKalb County. Bentley also commended the action of local legislators, Alabama Sen. Steve Livingston and Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter for voting in the Alabama Legislature to match the funds from the federal government with state funds. He also expressed his gratitude to the local elected officials involved in the process to improve their communities, saying, “the best government is a local government.”

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

COMMUNITY History of Thanksgiving

By Karah Wilson karah@southerntorch.com

DEKALB CO., Ala.—In Sept. 1620, the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying over 100 passengers. The passengers were searching for a chance at religious freedom. After 66 days, anchor was dropped at the tip of Cape Cod. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay. Since the ship had landed near the winter months, most of the colonists did not leave the ship. However, they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease.

When March rolled around, only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew survived to see their first New England spring. The remaining settlers moved onto land, where they received a visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English.

Days later, he returned with Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe.

Squanto had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London. He returned to his homeland on an exploratory expedition.

Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate

corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers, and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped the settlers forge an alliance with the Wampanoag. In November 1621 Governor William Bradford organized a feast and invited a group of the colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit, which is now remembered as America’s “first Thanksgiving.”

Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving in 1623 to mark celebrate the end of a long drought that prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast. Days of fasting and thanksgiving on an annual or occasional basis became common practice. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress designated one or more days of thanksgiving a year. In 1789, George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States. He called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the end to the country’s war of independence and the ratification of the Constitution. John Adams and James Madison also designated

days of thanks during their presidencies.

In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday.

Each state celebrated the holiday on a different day, but the South unfamiliar with the tradition. In 1827, Sarah Josepha Hale began a campaign to make Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous articles and sent letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians.

Abraham Lincoln finally took to her request in 1863 in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

Lincoln scheduled Thanksgiving for the last Thursday in November until 1939 when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week.

Roosevelt’s plan, known as Franksgiving, was not liked and in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.

Here in DeKalb County, we celebrate this holiday with plenty of events throughout the month of November with events such as Turkey Trot in Collinsville and 5Ks throughout the county. Thanksgiving also kicks off the season of giving. There are many opportunities to volunteer around the county. Southern Torch wishes everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Gift wrapping station set up

By Karah Wilson karah@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala.— Amy Johnson of Addie Kate’s in Fort Payne has set up shop beside The Bookshelf for the holiday season. Johnson and some volunteers are using the building to provide gift wrapping services for anyone who wants to use them. This was the first time Fort Payne Main Street has

been voted one of the top for Alabama and the Fort Payne board members came up with the idea to open up this gift wrapping station.

The station is open three days a week until Dec. 19: Thursdays from 4 P.M. until 8 P.M., Fridays from 1 P.M. until 5 P.M., and Saturdays from 10 A.M. until 2 P.M. The building that the station is set up in was donated

for the use of anyone who wants to help. Several businesses have agreed to run a trail to remain open later through the beginning of next year.

“There are no set fees for the wrapping, but we are asking for donations that will go towards Fort Payne Main Street,” Johnson said. “We will wrap anything from anywhere. It does not have to be purchased from the downtown area.”

“So far it has been kind of slow. We fear we started it a little early but we look for it to speed up after Thanksgiving once Black Friday is over.”

Johnson says that there are still some volunteer spots available. “It’s all about participation,” Johnson said. To volunteer to be a gift wrapper, you can call Johnson at 256-273-6765.

To submit community news, contact: news@southerntorch.com Tel. 256 638 4040 www.southerntorch.com

What Southern Torch is thankful for Dwayne Adams: I’m thankful that I live in a country that embraces equality, diversity, and inclusion. I’m also thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given to work for the Southern Torch, and for the opportunities my role on the staff continues to bring.

Joseph Morgan: Joseph Morgan - I’m thankful to have grown up in such a loving, supportive family, church and community.

I’m also thankful for all of my nieces and nephews—Elijah, Isaiah, Bentley, Gloria, Sara and Hannah Morgan. I’m thankful to be a part of Southern Torch and for the family we have built these past months. Last but not least, I’m thankful for my buddy Curtis Loew aka CeeLo, my 2-year-old chocolate lab. Happy Thanksgiving!

Diego Reynoso: I’m thankful for my loving and beautiful wife Angie. Also I’m thankful for my wonderful kids and family. And also the support of friends during my hard time of whipping cancers tail. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Angie Reynoso: This year I am most thankful for the struggles my family and I have come through and for the happiness, bond and strength that we have as a family. We are truly blessed and thankful. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.

Marla Jones: I am so thankful for my family. I have been married to husband Scott for 29 years. We have two great sons, Justin and Logan. We have been blessed with three grandchildren, Tate, Caroline Lee and Tripp. I also am thankful for the opportunity to work at Southern Torch. All my coworkers are like my own family. I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Tyler Pruett: I’m thankful for my loving family and the opportunity to have a job that I love. I’m also thankful for my community, state, and to be a citizen of the greatest country on earth. And last but not least, my Jack Russell Opie!

Karah Wilson: I am so thankful for my family. My parents, Steve and Wendy Wilson; my sister, Kelsi Wilson; my dog, Shilo; and my grandparents, Annell and Irlen Stephens, and Roger and Carolyn Wilson. I am also thankful for my best friends Brianna Alting, Kalli Wilborn, Madison McAllister, Amber Stafford, Savannah Morris, and William Woodall. I am also thankful for my Southern Torch family and the opportunity to expand my knowledge at Northeast Alabama Community College.

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

COMMUNITY

Cider under the Cedars

Join Southern Torch for some cider and stay warm by the fire before the Rainsville Christmas Parade. Our staff will be under the cedars awaiting the Parade at 2:00pm, parade will start at 4:00.

Look for our News Boys walking beside the Southern Torch Jeep in the parade to get your copy of our latest issue. We will have a business card attached to each paper with a number.

Look for your number on our website and fb page and you could win $100.00.

We are located at 203 Main Street E Rainsville.

Hope to see you there!

2015 Schedule for Christmas Parades & Events Fort Payne: December 11th Christmas in the Park starts at 4:00 pm with free soft drinks, hot chocolate, refreshments and caroling. Parade starts at 6:00 pm Sylvania: December 12th Christmas Parade at 12:00 pm and immediately following Cookies and Cocoa with Santa at Sylvania Town Hall.

Crossville: December 12th, Parade at 5:00pm and immediately following Christmas in the Park.

Collinsville: December 12th Parade at 2:00pm. Tree Lighting On November 26th at Square at 5:00pm

Fyffe: December 12th, Parade at 12:00pm Ider: December 5th, Parade at 1:00pm

Henagar: December 5th, Parade at 10:00am, 2nd Parade Henagar Lighted Western Christmas Parade with Lighted Horses and Wagon Only at 5:00pm followed

by Christmas in the Park with a Christmas Tree Lighting, Chuckwagon Cookout and Santa Claus.

Rainsville: December 12th Christmas at the Crossroads featuring parade starting at 4:00pm Geraldine: December 12th Parade at 2:00pm

5th annual Merry Market success

By Karah Wilson karah@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala.— Rainsville shoppers took to the Bevill Enrichment Center this past Sat. to get some early Christmas shopping in. The 5th annual Merry Market was held from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. with more than 30 vendors set up selling their merchandise.

April Parnell started the market in 2011. That year there around 100 shoppers. “We had a great turnout this year!

We had over 250 people to come through,” Parnell said. “I have heard nothing but great feedback from both customers and vendors. I have had several vendors say this is the best and most organized event they have participated in with lots of advertising and lots of space!” Parnell is also a Mary Kay representative who had a booth set up at the market. “I had lots of customers saying how much they enjoyed it and was able to get lots of Christmas shopping done, get ideas, and loved the cute stocking stuffers that were available.” If you would like to contact April about setting up as a vendor next year or to learn more about Mary Kay, her email is merrymarketevent@ gmail.com One of the vendors that was set up was Boresha. Representative

Angela Gilbert was set up with samples of her company’s coffee and tea.

“This is my third year to be involved in the market. It is a great tool to keep my product and my name recognizable! I believe I met a larger number of people from a greater geographical distance this year! That would make me assume that word of mouth marketing and intentional marketing is getting to a broader area!” Gilbert said.

“Everyone loved Boresha Lean Coffee! It has a smooth flavor and is less acidic than ‘other’ coffees. And our Tea is so very refreshing. A great healthy alternative to sodas! Many people decided to make a healthy change and invest in themselves.”

Gilbert’s husband, Scott, is also involved with Boresha. “My husband and I have been outspoken advocates of healthy living and healthy choices for almost 20 years now. We are health practitioners and we chose to use Boresha Coffee and Tea as tools to help people with weight management and overall body health and energy. We chose Boresha because the company took a beverage that most people drink and traded the cons for pros!

Caffeine without the problems associated with it!” Gilbert said. “Boresha

Coffee and Tea have a lower glycemic load and supports weight loss and lean body mass, as well as a healthy glucose metabolism. Yes, both are caffeinated, so you get the energy you are desiring and without spiking blood sugar! Our coffee is made with Organic, Fair Trade AA Arabica ground coffee beans in a state of the art infrared roasting system that produces a smooth, great tasting coffee.” You can contact Angela at 205-612-7061 or at bfitbhealthy@gmail. com.

Another popular vendor amongst the customers was JewelScent. Jennifer Childress, the Northeast Alabama representative, was set up with her assortment of candles and wax tarts.

This was JewelScent’s first Merry Market. “Not many of the locals in Rainsville had actually heard of JewelScent before, so it was fun to tell everyone about the company and provide them a free sample and let them sniff and touch the products! Everyone was curious and lots of laughs were had once they figured out that there really was rings inside ALL the products!

We had fun and will most likely be back next year!”

Childress said.

JewelScent has Soy candles and Soy Wax Tarts, Aromatherapy Fragrance beads, Pure Cane Sugar scrubs, and Moroccan argan oil soaps all with a hidden ring inside! You get to choose your ring size when you order (sizes 5 – 10). The value of the rings are

between $10 - $7,500! The products are amazing and the rings are like the cracker jacks prize inside!

JewelScent is proud to be created and operated it the USA and handpoured by local craftsmen.” Childress said. “I had kind of lost myself in the craziness of being mom, wife, and workaholic! So, one day while researching a fundraiser for one of my three boys karate tournaments, I found JewelScent and a lightbulb went off in my head; this is just what I needed to find myself again! Two years later, I know that I made the right choice; now I have a team of over 100 empowered women all over the united states and while the company is small it is growing by leaps and bounds daily. I have gotten to take my family to the beach and to Disneyworld with my commissions and I personally will be heading to California for our “GEM” Conference in January!” To contact Jennifer, call 256-5092517 or email childressj@ uab.edu. You can also go to her representative website at www. jewelscent.com/ jenniferc.

Doorhangers are always a popular home item, which is why Lindsay Hughes’ booth, Crafted with Love, was so popular. It was also Hughes’ first Merry Market. “The customers were very interested in the doorhangers as well as the ornaments I had at Merry Market. I also received several ordered for new designs. This was my 1st year attending

Merry Market, but I really enjoyed it,” Hughes said.

“I paint any kind of design you can think of.

All of my doorhanger are made of wood and hand painted,” Hughes said. “I first started out when I made a wooden monogram board for a cousin that was getting married as a gift. At the shower, everyone loved it and said I should start making them to sale, so I sold a couple as well as continue to make for gifts. I had noticed how big of a trend the doorhangers were becoming so I ordered a few cutouts to paint just to see how well the would sale. The more people that saw them the more orders I have got. I still do this just as a hobby, since I do work full time. I work on painting them at night and on weekends in my spare time but truly enjoy it.” Crafted with Love is locally owned and located in Section. To contact Lindsay, go to her Facebook page “Crafted with Love” or call 256-601-1693.

“This year I feel that all the vendors came together helping me to advertise and promote this event and with a positive attitude, and in return we seen it pay off. I really enjoy seeing other businesses succeed. I am still receiving feedback and looking to make positive changes to continue to grow this event in the years to come. I already have a list of people interested in setting up next year and who knows maybe we will look into having Santa pictures for kids and more vendors for the men!” Parnell said.

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

COMMUNITY

Benefit Turkey Shoot Sylvania Baseball

and the City of Sylvania will be having a benefit turkey shoot Saturday December 5th beginning at 9:00 on the baseball field at DeKalb Lake.

All proceeds from this event will be given to Mr. Nelson Gregory and his fam-

Meeting Notice: The DeKalb County Board of Education will be holding an emergency board meeting on Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. at the DeKalb County Facilities Building in Rainsville.

RETRACTION In an article published on Nov. 20 titled “Hot Thanksgiving Meal,” we mistakenly reported that “Randall’s Chapel uses the donations given during this event for things such as maintenance on the church, mission trips, and donations to other churches and events.”

Randall’s Chapel does not use the donations for the above, but the money is put back into the Thanksgiving fund. I apologize if anyone was confused by this.

ily. The cost to enter will be $5 per round. We will be giving away $20 Foodland gift cards to the winner of each round and also will be giving away door prizes.

We will also have youth rounds (ages 12 and under).

Open to any age or gender, please only stock shotguns with open sights will be alllowed. No scopes or props will be allowed (unless deemed handicapped).

Continued from page 2

Election 2016: 2016 Presidential Primaries from the general election secure the nomination.

While the nomination of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has seemed inevitable, she was also presumed to be inevitable in November 2007, and as we remember the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary concluded in a different way. This however does not prevent Clinton from projecting dominance as a strategy; only attacking potential Republican nominees and rarely even acknowledging the competition from her own party in order to portray the best hope for a Democratic victory. According to a recent Bloomberg Politics Poll, Clinton leads Senator Bernie Sanders by a margin of 25%.

Sanders, the Independent Senator from Vermont, held a rally in Atlanta on Monday night. While attendance was high,

none of the high-ranking Elected or Party officials from the state were present, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. While Sanders has repeatedly refused to accept help from Super PACs throughout the campaign, it was revealed this week that one such organization had already spent almost $600,000 on his behalf.

On the Republican front, the field remains large with thirteen candidates vying for the nomination. Though each poll varies slightly from others, most have Donald Trump as the frontrunner with a 4-5% lead over Dr. Ben Carson, whose trailing in second with Florida Senator Marco Rubio in third with 12% of the support, according to the latest Bloomberg Politics poll.

As we near the primaries, many of the bottom tier

candidates will begin to step out of the race. It’s to anybody’s guess who their supporters will vote for, but this will provide a clearer picture of how the race will shape out. The same poll shows undecided voters make up 12% of the individuals surveyed; enough to tie Rubio for third. It is likely that these undecideds will gravitate towards Rubio as we near voting.

His effort for the nomination is the only campaign to show significant forward momentum in the last few months. Historically, a candidate in a trailing position, but showing momentum when voting begins will become the eventual nominee. The senator will be holding his first rally in Alabama next Tuesday in Guntersville.

Following the multitude of polls conducted on a weekly

basis can be confusing in this early stage. Only time will tell, but early polls tend to be inaccurate for several reasons.

Most are conducted electronically via landline telephone. The majority of people contacted refuse to participate, leaving a watered-down pool of respondents. Another increasing problem with this method is that many younger supporters aren’t included, because fewer have a landline telephone. This could misrepresent data for a candidate with strong support among millennials. These factors are compounded by many of the individuals surveyed having not come to a conclusion yet. Typically, likely voters don’t pay adequate attention until only weeks before ballots are cast.

As for the success of the new Southern

Primary, many have mixed opinions. Thus far, it has been successful in bringing more candidates to the state, but the overall goal of the five states unanimously choosing a more conservative candidate remains undetermined until March 1. Southern Democrats tried this approach in the late 1980’s with the same goals, only to split among two candidates, which neither won the nomination. While all states involved lean Republican, conservatism varies between each. For example, Texas voters will likely support Ted Cruz more than voters in Alabama. If it doesn’t succeed in 2016, perhaps it will in a future primary without thirteen options on the ballot.

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

BUSINESS CHAMBER CHATTER

REVIEW 9/11/15

Topher’s wings

BBQ covered Nachos Earned 4 stars 9/18/15

South End Market Club sandwich Earned 4.5 stars 9/25/15

Katy’s Katfish Two item Platter Earned 4 stars 10/2/15

College Corner Messy Mexi Burger Earned 3.5 stars 10/9/15

San Antonios

Steak Burrito Grande Earned 3.5 stars 10/16/15

Wildflower Cafe Tomato Pie Earned 4.5 stars 10/23/15

Rib Shack

½ Slab of ribs Earned 2.5 stars 10/30/15

Little James Bar B-Q- BBQ plate Earned 4 stars 11/6/15

Yo Moe and Danali’s Deli Club sandwich sub Earned 5 stars 11/13/15

Nancy’s Lunch Box Chicken salad sandwich Earned 4 stars

November 24, 2015 Carol Beddingfield, Executive Director When Congress lifts the trade embargo with Cuba, a North Alabama based company will be one of the first to create a business located in Cuba that will benefit both the USA and Cuba.

CleBer LLC is owned by Horace Clemmons and Saul Berethal. They plan to promote an Alabama-based tractor company which will be built near Havana for small family farms.

Their company was the first US company approved by the Cuban government to do business there since the US and Cuba restored diplomatic relations earlier this years.

Horace comes from a long line of farmers and lives in Jackson County.

According to Horace, Cuba imports 80 percent of its food. The Cuban government does not want agribusiness, but does want small, family farms of about 40 acres.

Allis-Chalmers built a tractor between 1948 and 1955 which was designed for small farms. However, due to the increase in the size of farms the company dropped the production.

All the patents on the Allis-Chalmers tractor has expired, so CleBer designed a model like it with some adjustments. The tractor can be fixed in the field with standard off the shelf parts.

The prototype of the tractor will be shown at the Havana tradeshow this month. If approved, CleBer will build a small assembly plant in the Mariel Special Economic Zone near Havana. For the first three years, the parts will be manufactured in Alabama and then shipped to the plant.

The two men agree it will be difficult navigating all the changing regulations between the two countries. But both will stick to their belief in the business world. “We always say, anything worthwhile is always worth doing.”

RAINSVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE November 25, 2015

By Tim Eberhart, Executive Director Who will walk away with the cash at the float contest at the Rainsville Christmas Parade on December 12?

We are offering a total of $1,100 in prize money in the contest which is intended for non-commercial entries only. “Non-commercial” would be just about any float that is not affiliated with a business in some way. A “float” would be just about any trailer, cart or other mobile object attached to a vehicle prepared especially for traveling up Main Street while portraying tidings of great joy or other Christmas messages to spectators.

In recent years, church groups or ministries have been responsible for the majority of the floats, and subsequently, taken home most of the cash. Rescue squads, school clubs, scouts, and non-profit organizations have entered, as well. We hope to have 15 or more non-commercial floats in this year’s contest.

The prizes will be $500 for first place, $300 for second, $200 for third and $100 for fourth.

The parade will be at 4 p.m. with lineup starting at 3 p.m.

We welcome commercial entries, too. That would be floats and other parade entries that are affiliated with businesses. But the cash prizes will be for the non-commercial category only. We also welcome vintage automobiles, horses, buggies, ATVs, and just about anything else that would look cool going up Main Street as an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 people look on. There is no charge to enter. We ask that all parade entries other than livestock, and fire and rescue trucks, have some kind of Christmas ornamentation.

With no less than four other parades on Sand Mountain on the same day, we urge everyone that participates in the other parades to consider making their way over to the Rainsville parade, too. We would love to have you.

For parade entry details, visit the parade web page at rainsville.info or call me at 638-7800.

If you will be among the spectators, the best place to watch the eastwardmoving parade would be just about anywhere between Boykin Tractor and First Bank of the South. Being within walking distance of the Bevill Center would be a good idea for those who would like to enjoy chilling with Santa, and the free hot dogs and hot chocolate found there after the parade.

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

CLASSIFIEDS For Sale ELECTRIC SPORT VEHICLES. Perfect for car shows, RV enthusiasts, motor home owners, horse shows, and more. Call Bama C r i c ke t at 256-638-7562.

FOR SALE..2010 Yamaha Wave Runner FX HO Cruiser 84.3 hours. $9500.00. Call Marla at (256) 605-4427.

NEW MINI WILLYS JEEP. Gasoline powered 125 cc engine. 3 forward speeds and reverse. Electric start.

Call 256-996-1188.

Tupperware: Michala Cloud Tu p p e r wa r e Consultant, call or text (256) 605-4531 michalacloud.mytupperware.com.

Appetite Control and Energy, Saba ACE G2. Call Rhiannon Jones Independent Consultant (256) 326-0680, Sabaforlife. com.

Skin Care- Rodan + Fields, Ciera Brown and Ali Hunt (205) 789-0641 or (256)

438-4665.

info or estimates.

256-899-6418.

Gigglemugg- Infused honey, flower jelly and infused sugar. Victoria Nichols (205) 643-0485 victorianviolets@gmaill. com.

ROBERT BU L LO C K Handyman Services No Job to Big or Small 256-601-0281.

Mobile Homes for Sale

The Pampered ChefMelissa Wagner (256) 996-6237, www.pamperedchef.biz/melissawagner.

Hand painted door hangers, wall decor and ornaments Crafted with Love. Lindsay Blackwell Hughes (256) 601-1693 www.facebook.com/ CraftedwithLoveLMBH. Scentsy- Heather Marks Smith Lead Consultant (256) 657) 1554 heather. marks.smith@gmail.com.

PLANTATION SHUTTERS custom sizes installation available call Jon at 256-638-5270.

REFINISHING Antiques Furniture call for a free estimate Jamey at 256-638-2467.

METAL ROOFING, roll up doors, and all types utility and enclosed trailers. Call Wilco Metal Roofing at 256-638-7562.

Homes for Sale

Services

HOUSE FOR SALE 3 BR and 2 Bath. Recently renovated home on 4 acres conveniently located near Rainsville amenities. $139,000 Call Shari @ Kim H o r to n Re a l t y at 256-638-5281.

RAIN TECH GUTTERS Installs seamless gutters 5 or 6 inch in any color, call 256-899-2620 for more

NEW HOUSE FOR SALE at 76 Keef Avenue Rainsville, AL. 2 Bedroom, 2 bath. $99,500 Call

Tattered & Torn- www. facebook.com/tatteredandtorngifts Contact us at (256) 899-7615.

8.42 acres just south of Henegar over 600 ft. paved road frontage, with 2000, 16x76 Palm Harbor mobile home, fully furnished. Call 770-941-6546, 404-2771617, or 256-638-2006.

Help Wanted Berry & Dunn Office Equipment is now accepting applications for employment.

You will need to perform varied clerical and secretarial duties which will require knowledge of office routine and understand procedures related to the work of the office (filing, typing, answering telephones, etc.) Must have the ability to read, write and follow instructions both oral and written, and have the ability to communicate effectively and interact well with customers and

coworkers. You must have basic computer skills and be able to multi-task. A minimal requirement of educational experience is a High School Diploma.

All resumes MUST be brought to 64-3 Main St. East Rainsville NO phone calls will be accepted.

Miscellaneous Celebrate Recovery South.

Dealing with addiction?

Join us for the for our new Celebrate Recovery program on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Geraldine Methodist Church, 13394, AL Hwy 227, Geraldine, AL 35974.

Contact Paul Vick: 256-401-3474.

Lots for Sale LOTS FOR SALE- Kilgore Sub-division Rainsville, AL. Owner Financing Available call Jamey at 256-638-2467

OBITUARIES Mr. Gary David Hamilton

Claborn, Kenley & Cason Cline & Dylan & Alexis Galloway

Age 63, of Fort Payne passed away Monday, November 16, 2015. A Grave side service will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015 from the Walker’s Chapel Cemetery with W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel directing services.

Burial to follow. Bro. John W h i t a ke r will be officiating.

Mrs. Galloway was preceded in death by her Husband - Gweyn Galloway, and Parents - Braxton & Erma Murdock.

Survivors: Brother, Calvin (Haley) Hamilton; Niece, Katy Brook Hamilton; Nephews, Wesley & Weston Hamilton Arrangements Entrusted to W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel

Mrs. Roma Jean Galloway Age 77 of Guntersville, AL passed away on Tuesday, Nov 17, 2015. Funeral is set for 11AM on Friday, Nov 20, 2015 from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel with Rev Gene Lambert officiating, burial will follow in New Harmony Cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Nov 19, 2015 from 5-8PM from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel.

SURVIVORS: DaughtersJan (Rickey) Hedricks and Melissa (Edd) Wilborn; SonCarey Galloway(Special FriendJalaine Mauldin); Grandchildren- Miranda Neisler, Halie Orr, Brody & Heather Hedricks, Kyle & Kelly Cline, Corey & Jessica Galloway, Zane & MaLeea Fleming, Hollan Fleming & Jake Nelson; Great Grandchildren- Zach & Rylee Niesler & Cannan

Mrs. Kay Jennings

November 23, 2015.

Arrangements Entrusted to W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel.

Survivors: Daughters, Denise Martin & Lori Ogles; Sons, Brian & Ronald Simpson; Sister, Linda Ru s s e l l ; 9 Grandchildren; 18 Great Grandchildren; 2 Great Great Grandchildren

Age 60 of Ft Payne, AL passed away on Thursday, Nov 19, 2015. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, Nov 20, 2015 at 2PM from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel with Bro James Ledwell and Jerry Williams officiating, burial will follow in Husky’s Chapel C e m e t e r y.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Nov 19, 2015 from 5-8PM from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel.

Mr. Simpson was preceded in death by his Wife, Patricia Simpson & Parents, Hulon & Wilma Simpson

SURVIVORS: HusbandGlenn Jennings; SonLeonard Jennings; SistersDarlene Grimes and Sarah Ledwell; Brother- James Ledwell; GrandchildrenMiranda, Brooke & Kristen Fowler

W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel

Arrangements Entrusted to W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel

Mr. Jimmy. A. Simpson Age 76, of Sylvania passed away Saturday, November 21, 2015.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel with burial to follow in Trinity(Burnt Church) Cemetery. The Family will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. on Monday,

Mr. William Leo “Bill” Neill Age 90 of Dawson passed away Saturday, November 21, 2015 at his residence.

Funeral: 3pm - Monday, Nov. 23, 2015 Minister: Watkins

Rev.

Chris

Burial: DeKalb Memorial Gardens Visitation: 5 till 8pm (Sunday) Survivors: (daughter) Cheryl & Randy Hood, of Dawson; (stepdaughters) Beverly & Paul Reed, and Marsha & Eddie Phillips of Ft Payne; (stepdaughter-inlaw) Linda Whitley of Ft Payne; (son) Darrell and Debra Neill of Fyffe; (stepsons) Rodney & Teresa Whitley, and Gary & Emily Whitley of Georgia; (sister) Wilda Rosse of Springfield, Missouri; (brothers) Raymon & Irene Neill of Fairplay, Missouri, John & Sue Neill of Illinois, and Rex & Judy Neill of Illinois; 20 Grandchildren; 32 Great

Grandchildren; 44 Great Great Grandchildren

Griffis; A Host of Nieces & Nephews

A Special Thanks to Ca re g ive r St a c y Satterfield.

Mr. Griffis was preceded in death by his Parents, Evelyn & Lindsey Griffis; Son, Joshua Griffis; Grandchild, John Dawson Griffis.

Mr. Neill was a mason, a member of Geraldine Lodge # 838, and a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner. He was a World War II Combat Veteran with 5 Battle Stars.

He was preceded in death by (wife) Juanita Peek Neill and Katie Whitley Neill; a (daughter-in-law) Patsy Neill; (brother) Jim Neill; and (sister) Mary Henry.

Mr. Ira Glenn Griffis Age 66, of Pisgah passed away Saturday, November 21, 2015.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 23, 2015 from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel with burial to follow in Macklin Cemetery. Bro. Jason Hawkins will be officiating. The Family will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. on Sunday, November 23, 2015 and from 10am until the time of service on Monday. Mr. Griffis was a Veteran and served in the United States Army.

SURVIVORS: Wife, Theresa Russell Griffis; Daughter, Dawn & Brian Osborne; Son, Jamie & Beth Griffis; Sisters, Sandra Hawkins, Elizabeth & Leslie Durham; Brothers, Ricky & Joan Griffis, Royce Williams; In-Laws, Ernest & Linda Russell; Grandchildren, John Osborne; Jaden Stover; Austin Griffis; Hunter Griffis; Hallie

Mrs. Mildred Gilreath Norris Kelley Age 72, of Crossville passed away Sunday, November 22, 2015. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow in Hopewell cemetery. Bro. Brian Hughes & Bro. John Maddox will be officiating. The Family will receive friends from 4-8 p. m . on M o n d ay.

Arrangements Entrusted to W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel Survivors: Daughters, Jane (Phillip) Grimes, Jean (Danny) Wilks, Melba (William) Childress; Sons, Lavon (Arlene) Norris, Danny (Traci) Norris; Sisters, Lyvette (Tommy) Myrick, Wyomia Petty, Delinda Duncan, Wynelle (Robert) Smaley; Brothers, Herman (Ann) Gilreath, Archie (Shirley) Gilreath, Alvin Gilreath, Teddy Gilreath, Eddie (Rebecca) Gilreath, Melton (Wanda) Gilreath; 11 Grandchildren; 7 Great Great Grandchildren Mrs. Kelley was preceded in death by his Parents, Charlie & Emma Gilreath; Daughter, Dianne Norris; Brother, Randal Gilreath

8

Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

OBITUARIES

Rainsville community loses an icon

Submitted for publication by the family of the late Maxine Barron: Metta Maxine Culpepper Barron, aged 87, beloved wife of Dr. Marvin L. Barron, died on November 11th at their home in Rainsville, Alabama. She was born December 1, 1928, to Green Walter Culpepper and Etta Hilda Tilley Culpepper in Section, Alabama.

Maxine grew up in the Powell community, and attended Powell Elementary School. She graduated from Fyffe High School, and attended Montevallo College near Birmingham. She loved her Culpeper and Tilley family heritage, and worked tirelessly to

publish two books on her family history titled “Tilley – Ireland” and “Culpepper – England.”

These books were published in 2000 and 2004, respectively.

Maxine dreamed of starting a library for Rainsville from the first time she worked in the library at Auburn University while her husband attended classes. Maxine’s work at the University library not only gave them financial support, but gave her a firsthand knowledge of how a large library operates and was therefore a footprint for the Rainsville Library.

Rainsville’s first library was started in Rainsville City Hall, and after the first year was moved to a renovated garage

building behind the City Hall, where it remained for five years. As the library grew, it moved to other locations until some years later it had a new building built on Highway 35 in Rainsville.

Maxine started the first Girl Scout and Brownie troops for Rainsville, and was a troop leader for many years. The entire Barron family was involved in the Scout organization, and Maxine made sure the family attended weekly activities.

Maxine was talented with her crewel embroidery for pillows and wall hangings, and their home reflects her beautiful work. She loved embroidery and made Christmas ornaments for the family, including grandchildren, every year. She especially loved tea towels to give as gifts to brides starting a new home. Her grandmother, Eliza Ann Culpepper made this a custom of the Cupepper’s, and Maxine continued the custom into her mid-eighties.

Each design was made for the individual and for the color of their kitchen.

Long after it was easier to just buy new towels, she wanted the bride to have a towel made by her hands. She was also an accomplished knitter, making slippers and afghans for family and

friends. If you were lucky enough to have one of the afghans on a cold evening, you will think of Maxine and all of the beautiful things she made for those she loved.

Maxine was instrumental in the early beginnings of the Upper Sand Mountain Parish.

She approached the Methodist Bishop Dr. Lawrence Dill of the North Alabama Methodist District, in the summer of 1967 to discuss the possibility of a Parish for Sand Mountain. In June of 1969, the Parish had its first Director, Reverend Doyce Gunter, and the first Church and Community Worker, Betty Purkey. Maxine worked side by side with them to start the Upper Sand Mountain Parish.

They worked on canning food, showing others how to plant and grow their own vegetable gardens, and soon, the Gardens of Plenty was born.

The first thrift store was opened in an old church, and Maxine and Betty would sort donated items along with other volunteers from the Parish. Today, the Parish helps hundreds of families in the greater Sand Mountain area with food, clothing, and housing. Maxine received the prestigious

Denman Evangelism Award in 2004 for her service and commitment to the Methodist Church.

She was a member of the Section Methodist Church, where she served on numerous committees over the years.

In addition to her husband, Dr. Marvin L. Barron, to whom she was married for 66 years, Maxine is survived by her brother, Cecil Gene Culpepper. She has three daughters, Sheila Cox (Steve), Hilda Neis (Arn), and Tina Barron. She is predeceased by her son, Marvin L. Barron II, who passed in July of this year.

Grandchildren are Laura Jane Cox, Marvin Barron III, Carmen Jean Barron, Henry Hobdy Barron, Claude Barron, and Seth Armstrong.

Maxine died exactly as she lived, with great dignity and very much on her own terms. She was surrounded by family members and her loving husband. Two of their grandsons, Marvin III and Hobdy took Dr. Barron for an early morning walk on their woodland home property just moments following Maxine’s passing, and we know she would have approved. She had to have approval in all things, and to her end, she had this right down to a walk in the woods just after her passing.

9

Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

OPINION / EDITORIAL

Trump: Make America Great Again or make Hillary President?

By Tyler Pruett tyler@southerntorch.com

Last week, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump made his second campaign stop in Alabama. Trump spoke for nearly an hour, reiterating his plans to “make America great again.” The crowd of several thousand supporters seemed to hang on every word, making their enthusiasm known by applauding every statement. This isn’t unique to Alabama; the businessman turned politician has held rallies in most states since announcing his candidacy, without much change in rhetoric.

Although many of Trump’s assertions are later proven to be false, he hasn’t experienced any significant decline in poll numbers or number of supporters who attend events. Many political insiders predicted his demise months ago and still assert that he will never secure the nomination. However, with the Iowa caucuses rapidly approaching, many are starting to

rethink their assertion.

But is this new brand of politics good for the Republican party, and more importantly good for America?

Of course no Trump rally is without controversy, commonly stealing the spotlight from less incendiary candidates, who generally do not spend a good fifthteen minutes referring to opponents and critics as “lightweights” or “dummies.” Such tirades would make headlines if another candidate stooped to that level.

Trump has long since surpassed that, making such a headline for him “old news.” While the rest of the field struggles to find media attention for good reasons, the Trump campaign has made it their strategy to retain the spotlight for negative reasons. While it seems counter-productive, this leaves many voters with only exposure to one candidate.

The main focus of this attention from last week’s rally was the treatment of a Black Lives Matter protester. From my

personal experiences staffing events during the 2012 Presidential Elections, one of the most frustrating things is having a heckler attempt to shout down a candidate. Several times this resulted in them being asked to leave the premises by staff and security. The reaction from bystanders was to either ignore that individual, or in some cases, start a supportive chant to drown out the protester. Never have I witnessed supporters physically attack or behave in the way this crowd did on Saturday, but nor have I seen a candidate encourage it, saying “get him the hell outta here.” Then Trump doubled down for the national media afterwards, claiming, “he deserved to be roughed up.” Shouting at candidates isn’t how democracy works, but neither is “roughing up” someone who was exercising their freedom of speech.

To state the obvious, the goal of the nomination process is to select

the candidate who has the best chance of securing the White House for that party.

While Trump may be faring well in this stage of the Republican primary, it’s unlikely that his rhetoric and tactics will have the same results in the general election, when Americans of all stripes will be casting votes. Polling data has shown throughout that Trump’s plans garner very little support from the majority of Americans. Those that do support it agree with the premise, but never question what his plans are to make these ideas into reality, believing that a “President Trump” will get it done. This belief will not suffice when the decision is placed in front of the American population as a whole.

It’s easy to promote grandiose ideas with no plan to make them reality on a debate stage with numerous other candidates, but if he reaches the general election, there will only be two candidates, and he won’t be able to run the

clock down with insults.

On Saturday, he referred to the likely Democratic nominee as a “lightweight” when it comes to foreign policy. While I believe Hillary Clinton’s performance as Secretary of State could be called abysmal, she’ll look extremely competent on a debate stage with a candidate whose only solution to ISIS is “bomb the hell out of them.” It seems Trump has missed the large amount of ordnance dropped on the Islamic State over the last year, and subsequently overlooked that it’s not achieving the end goal of destroying the growing terrorist state.

I sincerely hope that the Republican primary voters who seek to “make America great again” by voting for Donald Trump trusts Hillary Clinton with achieving that, because if Trump is the best we can nominate, President Clinton will be making the decisions.

While she may be a lightweight in most regards, Trump’s arrogant ignorance will make her look like a prizefighter.

preceding year. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations.

Traditionally most of us celebrate with Family, food, football, watching the Thanksgiving day parade and even some enjoy shopping. I myself enjoy each and every aspect of this holiday for all of these reasons. I think the majority of us do. I simply enjoy cooking and getting my family together for some quality time, sitting around catching up and

enjoying the Turkey and dressing we put on the table each year. Now, the traditional things are great but do we really take time to think of the things we are truly thankful for? I know I have been guilty of being so busy and the stressing about getting dinner ready in time, etc. that I tend to let the holiday pass without really giving thanks. After all that is what this holiday is about..giving thanks. No matter what obstacles we have been through this year or facing in the future I think we can all think of a lot of things

that we should be thankful for A few years ago I never dreamed I would be at a place in my life that I have to be the caregiver to my sick husband with Cancer.. well it’s not everyday that I have to wait on him hand and foot but there are a lot of days that I have to really be there for him. To push him to get out of bed and to eat are a few things I will mention. I know so many have been in my shoes and you know what it is like. For me I take this situation and make it a positive thing. I wake up every day and I am

truly thankful that my husband is still here. I have too much to be thankful for that I can not go a day without saying it out loud. So for me this holiday is very special. It means that I get to spend another day with my family that is complete. I still have a husband and he is well enough to laugh and enjoy the day with us. For me, I love the 3rd Thursday of November. As I will be doing this year, I hope you take a minute out of your busy schedule to do the same. Happy thanksgiving!

Truly thankful this Thanksgiving

By Angie Reynoso angie@southerntorch.com

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in the United States as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the

10

Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

OPINION / EDITORIAL Gratitude, Happiness, and America’s Founding

By Sen. Greg Reed

Thanksgiving is a great time for catching up with family members, watching football, and eating turkey, dressing, and pumpkin and pecan pies. The food is so good, you might even excuse your Uncle Jim’s fifth monologue on why Verne and Gary are the worst sportscasters since the dawn of television, as your family prepares for the Iron Bowl on Saturday.

It is a wonderful time of year. But have you ever wondered how Thanksgiving came to be? You might have a vague recollection of some early American settlers (the Pilgrims) with shoe buckles and big black hats celebrating a Thanksgiving with Native

Americans, but your memory may go foggy after that.

The story of Thanksgiving indeed began with the early harvest celebrations of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims were an interesting mix of adventurers and preachers, but most were committed Protestant Christians who split from the established Church of England in their homeland. In 1609, this group had been driven from England by religious persecution and landed on the shores of the Netherlands. The Dutch culture proved similarly inhospitable, however, so the Pilgrims sailed in the Mayflower to North America in 1620, where a Native American named Squanto helped this band of European settlers.

Even with Squanto’s aid, nearly half the group perished from disease and famine in the first winter. But the survivors reasonably saw the unexpected help of Squanto as a divine blessing, without which

they might all have died, and therefore celebrated God’s mercy with a harvest festival.

In 1776, at the start of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress set aside two days for solemn prayer and fasting, and in 1777, Samuel Adams helped draft a resolution calling for a “day of Thanksgiving” on December 18th to celebrate the colonists’ victory over the British at Saratoga. In 1778, the Congress approved a resolution setting aside December 30th for a day of thanksgiving, as it “pleased Almighty God through the Course of the present year to bestow great and manifold Mercies on the People of these United States.”

After the Revolutionary War, presidents George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison all issued proclamations setting aside certain days for thanksgiving to God during the early years of our Republic. Typical was the language of Washington’s proclamation in 1789:

“I do recommend… the 26th of November next to be devoted by the People of these States…in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually-to render our national government a blessing to all the people.”

In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation officially marking the fourth Thursday in November as the national holiday of Thanksgiving, enshrining in law a practice our nation has carried on since the days of the Pilgrims.

This year, I am deeply thankful for the Christian heritage our ancestors left to the people of America. Despite what the “politically correct” crowd might tell you, the Founding Fathers never intended our country to be free from religion. We are a nation founded explicitly on Judeo-

Christian notions of law.

As the Declaration of Independence says, we are “endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to slow down and consider how God has blessed your “pursuit of happiness.”

We live in a land of material and spiritual abundance, secured by the hard work of men like George Washington and protected now by the bravery of our American soldiers.

It is a tremendous honor to serve the people of Alabama in the State Senate. Yet the essential parts of my “pursuit of happiness” in life are found in the blessings of my dear wife and three sons, who keep me humble in the best of days and laughing in spite of the hardest hours, while my faith in Christ is the bedrock of everything. As G.K. Chesterton wrote, gratitude is indeed happiness doubled by wonder.

have impressive numbers of their own. They have a record of 40-2 over the past three years. The Red Devil offense is led by

Dilan Kilpatrick who has racked up 2,500 yards and 34 touchdowns. The Fyffe offense averages 39 points per game while giving up only 10 points per game on defense. The 2A semifinal matchup is guaranteed to produce an

exciting game from two explosive, championshipcaliber teams. The winner of tonight’s game will advance to the 2015 2A State Championship game next week at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

legislative delegation.

His committee assignments include Appropriations, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and he serves as Chairman of the Rules and Administration Committee. He is also one of the most prolific fundraisers in U.S. Senate history. Shelby has a warchest with $24 million in campaign funds, all cash-on-hand.

McGill served in the Alabama Senate from 2010 to 2014, representing Alabama Senate

District 8 that includes part of DeKalb County.

His victory came amidst a tidal wave of unlikely GOP victories in 2010 that flipped control of the Alabama Legislature from Democrat to Republican for the first time in 156 years. McGill edged out his opponent, Democrat powerbroker and 28-year incumbent Sen. Lowell Barron, by less than 600 votes.

Barron’s defeat made national news. As in his 2010 Alabama Senate race against Lowell

Barron, McGill again faces almost insurmountable odds against U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby.

In addition to incumbent Sen. Richard Shelby, McGill will face Republicans Jonathan McConnell and John Martin in the 2016 Republican Primary.

There are no democrats on the ballot, so the winner of the GOP primary will run in the general election in November unopposed.

Continued from page 1

Fyffe faces Randolph County tonight 130 yards in the air and has racked up a total of 1397 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.

The Randolph County

offense averages 44 points per game, giving up only 18 points on defense.

But the Red Devils

Continued from page 1

McGill kicks off campaign conservative leader who can provide fresh perspective and strong leadership.

“The good people of this state believe that it is time to pass the baton to the next generation,” McGill said. “As a man once rated Alabama’s most conservative legislator I believe I am ready for this job. As a member of the Alabama State Senate I was relentless in protecting

our Christian values and protecting freedoms. I was not focused on making friends or pleasing the political crowd. I rolled up my sleeves and did the job I was supposed to do.”

Shelby is the most senior legislator from Alabama’s 9-member U.S. legislative delegation to D.C. Many would say that he is also the most powerful and influential member of Alabama’s

11

Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

FAITH

Learning from a Taxing Situation

By Dr. John E. Morgan Pastor–Collinsville Baptist Church

I was just tired enough to learn something important.

A lady in my church had taken over the local branch of H. and R. Block. She asked me if I would be willing to help out during the busy season. I would be doing the really important work in a tax preparation place. Answering the phone. Emptying the garbage cans. Sometimes running the vacuum

cleaner. Going to the bank. Putting paper in the copier. Running the fax machine. The really important work. Not like all the other people in the building who were actually preparing tax returns.

Okay, you’re right. I was a general flunky. I would work eight hours or so there, and then I would go and do church work. It makes for a draining period every winter.

During the busy part of the busy season it can get even busier. And there can be lots of pressure. We Americans don’t like to wait. But there can be lots of waiting during tax season. I schedule most of the appointments, and people check in with me when they arrive. Then they sit and wait for their preparer if we are running behind. And

they stare at me a lot.

Mostly people are amazingly patient and nice. They can see everyone is working really hard.

It was during that busier time. There were about ten people waiting.

I had been fairly busy. I knew that I would need to go straight to Gadsden to visit in the hospital as soon as I finished at the work at Block.

One of those waiting knew me fairly well. He asked me if I was okay. I told him I was just tired. I knew I still had a long night ahead of me. I was actually doing a “poor ol’ me” act. Feeling a little sorry for myself.

One of those waiting looked at me and said, “As near as I can figure you have two full time jobs. I have been hunting a job for almost six months. I am about to file taxes with unemploy-

ment benefits for the first time in my life. I’d be glad to swap with you.” It was the year unemployment was at its worst in DeKalb County.

What could I say? I felt like crawling out. I looked at him and said, “You’re right. And I am sorry. No more complaining.” He had really put me in my place.

And my place was to be very thankful for my two jobs.

I have come to realize at Block that most people in DeKalb are not rich.

They are just ordinary people. The kind who hope to take their tax refund and pay bills. The kind of people who want to be able to buy their kids some new shoes. An awful lot of us live from paycheck to paycheck.

This is Thanksgiving.

Some of you will go around the table and say something you are

thankful for. That’s good.

Better is to live a life of thankfulness.

You do that by looking beyond yourself. Looking at your neighbors. Not at your own pitiful little pity party. Seeing if you can help them or they can help you.

Looking beyond yourself especially means that you look to God. In good times and bad times you look to God. You trust Him to give you what you need. Paul said to “rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice”. That’s Thanksgiving .

You might try it out.

Before somebody puts you in your place. Like they did me.

watering. When I think about the holidays, Thanksgiving in particular, I think of a big table full of food and great family conversations amongst each other.

However, we can’t just snap our fingers and food appear, right? If you can do that, consider yourself having a super power.

Preparing a family meal takes preparation; preparation that often goes unnoticed. It is the same as Christ! He is continually preparing something for you, as well as preparing you for something, yet it goes unnoticed. I would dare to say we point our finger at Him as if we are forgotten. But just think, great things often take TIME. If someone cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal in 15 minutes, I would probably be a little leery. I also imagine my taste buds would be disappointed. I honestly can’t think of one time

that I have been disappointed by a gift Christ has given me.

Sure, I may have had to wait weeks, months, or even years but it has ALWAYS been worth the wait. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want half a Thanksgiving meal, and I for sure don’t want half of what God has for me. I would rather wait and see the entire blessing come to fruition; I pray you would do the same.

So I have talked about how Christ loves to give great gifts, yes, I repeat He LOVES giving to his children. But how often do we give anything back to Him? If you haven’t realized it by now, I am a visual person, so lets use our imagination for a second. I imagine all of us sitting at a huge rectangular table with Christ sitting at the head of it. He has prepared a full course meal and our plates are literally overflowing with delicious food. It’s the

best food we have ever eaten! Then, I glance at Jesus and his plate is empty. We’ve given nothing to Him, yet He has given everything to us. Can we let that sink in? Are some of us guilty?

Do we go about our day consumed with telling God want we need or want and don’t give Him anything? I will echo my first sentence, Christ finds such joy in giving to us and will keep doing so even when we have sinned and even if we don’t give him anything in return. I’ve often found that Christ just wants our love, which includes quality time. He loves when we spend time with Him in prayer, read His Word, or sing songs of worship to Him. Maybe you’re reading this and your “plate” from Christ looks empty.

Friend, I would remind you Isaiah 55:1, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…” Christ is the well that will never

run dry, but friend, He won’t make you “drink.”

Psalms 34:8 says, “ Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

The awesome thing is, is that Christ invites everyone to His table.

Anyone can come and feast- those who are weary, hurting, happy, guilty, etc. Some of us could be missing out on the best parts of our life because we aren’t sitting at the right “table.” So, friend, as we enter into the holidays, I challenge you to not only fill up on Christ, but “fill up his plate” as well, by giving him your worship, prayer, and devotion. In closing, as we enter into this Thanksgiving holiday, I pray we all take time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. In the good moments and the bad, Christ promises to never leave us, and for that I am forever thankful. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Read Philippians 4 to see all that Paul says about being content in plenty and in want.

A Moment with Megan: Fill Him Up

By Megan Blansit

Founder of The Beautiful Movement - a youth ministry for high school girls. For more information, visit The Beautiful Movement’s Facebook page, where I post the time, place, and activity for each month

Hi friends!

Thanksgiving is among us and I don’t know about you, but I am super excited. Who doesn’t love family time AND food? …

Mom’s sweet potato casserole, my crockpot chicken and dressing (don’t knock it ’til you try it,) corn casserole, pecan pies.. okay, I’ll stop now before our mouths start

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

By Dustin Dobbins

Randolph County at Fyffe

Hello again, football fans. Fyffe has made it to the state Semifinals for the third consecutive year. Won last year but lost 3 years ago, so let’s look at this year’s game as Fyffe tries to repeat as State Champs.

Randolph County Tigers are 13-0 this season. The Tigers offense is led by Quarterback J. Prestridge he has thrown for 1397 yards and 16 TD’S with only 4 interceptions that is an average of 130 yards passing per game. Not to be left out R. Hannah has had an equally exceptional season rushing for 1835 yards and 29 TD’S rushing for 152 yards per game. At receivers, 6’3 185lb. A. Prestridge is the Tigers leading receiver

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

with 539 yards and 5 TD’S, on the other side 6’1 200lb, J. Roundtree has 404 yards and 6 TD’S Don’t leave out R. Hannah who has 263 yards and 2 TD’S. The Tiger’s have a very balanced and explosive offense averaging 44 points per game.

The Tigers Defense is allowing 18 points per game and have had 27 and 28 points scored on them in last two games.

The Tiger’s defense is led

by R. Hannah with 93 tackles, J. Wilson with 75 and J. Roundtree has 62 Tackles. R. Hannah also

has 6 sacks and 5 interceptions. D. Gullage has 3 interceptions. He is a tall defensive player at 6’5 180lb. He also plays a little receiver. Looks like their defense is a bit suspect and do get scored on some.

The Fyffe Red Devils are 12-1. Their last 2 playoff games have been very exciting. The Red Devils seem to be on the ropes but their will not to lose, is second to none.

Red Devils are 40-2 in the past 3 years. Red Devils offense is led by Kilpatrick with 2,500 yards rushing and 34

TD’S, Benefield playing Quarterback with ice running through his veins. (Cool) never gets rattled. Collins and Ashley both have over 10 TD’S rushing and receiving combined and Anderson has over 10 TD’S as well. Red Devils average 39 points per game.

Defensively the Red Devils are led by Ryan Martin, Daniel Martin, Cole Hosch, Ricky Butts, and Ethan Jones up front while Collins ,Ashley and Anderson patrol the secondary. Red Devils defense has been stingy

this year allowing 10 points per game.

Lets get to who will win, now. The Tiger’s will have to stop Kilpatrick and not let Benefield slip a long touchdown pass or 2 on them. The Red Devils will have to stop Hannah rushing and somehow keep Prestridge from beating them by passing to the Tigers oversized Receivers. I’ll take Red Devils with their playoff experience and their will not to lose. Fyffe 27 Randolph County 14. Save me some Hot Chocolate.

Fyffe keeps rolling toward the Championship

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

Fyffe 24Ranburne 20

Fyffe-Nov 20, 2015The Fyffe Red Devils hosted the Ranburne Bulldogs Friday night for the quarterfinals of the AHSAA State Championships. The teams were equally matched and it was back and forth throughout most of the game.

Ranburne (11-2) quickly started the game off with a six play, seventy yard drive to score by Theodore Smith with 9:07 left in the first.

Fyffe could not make the

connections to score in the first quarter. In their first possession, they had to turn the football back over to the Bulldogs on downs. Fyffe blocked a field goal attempt by Ranburne to keep the score, 7-0 going into the second quarter.

With 9:40 left in the second quarter, Fyffe had to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Andrew Dunston.

Kickoff to Ranburne and Fyffe recovered. Tyler Ashley caught the 27-yard pass from Seth Benefield to score with 9:26 remaining in the second quarter.

Ranburne would score on a 9-yard run to make the

score 14-10 going into the half.

With 4:55 left in the third, Fyffe regained the lead with a 24-yard run

by Seth Benefield. The point after attempt failed making the score 16-14.

In the fourth, Ranburne took back possession after the punt to Fyffe, when a controversial call was made that a Fyffe player touched the ball.

Ranburne took the lead when they scored with 4:42 left in the game. The 2-point conversion failed, score was 20-16. With 3:53 left in the game, Ranburne seemed to have the victory in the bag

when they intercepted the ball from Fyffe. Fyffe stood strong and with 1:40 left in the game, they took back possession.

With 32.7 left in the game, Dilan Kilpatrick stampedes into the endzone on a 13-yard run.

The Fyffe Red Devils went for two and were successful. Final Fyffe 24, Ranburne 20. Coach Benefield was very pleased with his team, “This is typical of this team. They kept fighting to the bitter end and never gave up.” When asked about this week’s game against Randolph County, Coach Benefield said, “ The games get

tougher each week with only four left. This week should be a good football game. Randolph has size, speed and are well coached.” Fyffe will face Randolph County Friday in the Class 2A Semifinals at Fyffe. Kickoff at 7 pm.

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

Fyffe’s biggest fan

Nathan Ashley and his dog

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

If you have ever been to a Fyffe football practice, chances are, you have met Mr. Dathan Ashley and his dog, Bob. They are permanent fixtures around the field house. “I don’t hang out at the coffee shops and talk football, I go to the dressing room and get to know the football players”, said Mr. Ashley.

He and his dog can be seen walking around the field as the team practices. If you come to the field, wanting to criticize the Coach or the players, “Bob will run you off”, said Mr. Ashley.

As I sat down and talked to Mr Ashley and his beautiful bride of

sixty-one years Nell, I was able to see the joy of Mr Ashley reliving his younger years. Mr. Ashley attended Fyffe High School and played football under Coach Aaron Hall. Mr. Hall was such a positive influence in his life, that he served as a pallbearer upon Mr. Hall’s death. He remembers going to his first football game in 1936. “Back then, there was no lights, the field was roped off and you got to the games on a flatbed truck, There was hardly any pads, no face masks, and you had to wear high top shoes. It cost 10 or 15 cents to get into the game.” “I remember having to walk home late at night from the game.

It was so dark you couldn’t see the road.”

“You have a better chance playing ball nowadays, back when I played, you had to practice for about forty-five minutes, then run catch the school bus and get home and start working.”

Mr. Ashley has always had a special place in his

Sports Moments & More Photography Kristy Gallagher 256-605-4048 Call for all your photo needs!

FANS OF THE WEEK! The Southern Torch fans of the week are Dathan and Nell Ashley.

They are the Grandparents of Tyler Ashley, #28 for the Fyffe Football Team.

They both would like to wish Fyffe the best of luck against Randolph County and to say “GO BIG RED!!!”

Submit your photos to Southern Torch and you could be the next Southern Torch Fan of the Week!

Congratulations,

Dathan and Nell Ashley

James Williams Photography

James Williams, Owner Geraldine, AL (256) 996-0288

jameswilliamsphotography@yahoo.com

heart for children. He said his love for children started early in life as he was serving in the Korean War. He would save his food and give to the young children who did not have anything to eat.

After the war, he started coaching baseball in the 1960’s. As he carries you thru his house and you see all the team pictures, you can see that each team was important to him. He tells the stories of past players calling him and telling him how much he meant to them.

He doesn’t want to be called a hero but I’m sure all his players would agree that he impacted their life. He certainly did mine as I was interviewing him.

Mr. Ashley’s grandson, Tyler Ashley plays for Fyffe, This is

Tyler’s senior year. I asked if he would still be a fixture at the Fyffe practices after Tyler had graduated. He said he would as long as his health allowed. He has glaucoma and his eyesight is slowing fading. He said “there was no use worrying about something you can’t do anything about.”

He is not only Tyler’s grandfather, he is the team’s grandfather. He wants to make sure that everyone that needs a ride to workouts and weightlifting is taken care off. “I love my home, my church and my school. I don’t go on vacations, I go to the football field,” It is Mr. Ashley’s idea that sports builds champions, on and off the field, “You can tell if a person has played

sports by the way they talk, walk and carry themselves. It shows in how they handle situations.” “Sometimes in life, you are going to have to eat dirt, just like on the field, being on a team helps you handle life.”

This past week as Fyffe defeated Ranburne, Mr Ashley went into the locker room and had the crowds attention. When he talks, you want to listen. He is not a big man in statue but a giant in motivation. He had this to say, “Don’t quit until quitting time and it ain’t no time to quit! We have two more games to play!” As Fyffe faces Randolph County Friday night, I hope his words ring in the player’s ears, “No time to quit.”

Collinsville defeats Valley Head 80-24

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

Valley Head, Ala.Collinsville defeated Valley Head Friday night 80-24. Collinsville led the whole game after jumping to an 22-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second

quarter, they outscored the Tigers 44-12. In the second half of the game, Collinsville outscored Valley Head 36-24 and finished with a 80-24 score.

The Leading scorer for Collinsville was Kaleb Jones with 16, closely followed by Keaton

Kilgore with 13.

Dominick Brockitt had 11 rebounds, Jesus Garcia with 8 and DeAndre Orr finished off with 7.

For Valley Head, Ethan Harrison was the leading scorer with 9 points. Dale Harold had 6 rebounds.

Lady Panthers defeat the Tigers

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

Valley Head, Ala- The Valley Head Tigers hosted the Collinsville Lady Panthers Friday night.

Collinsville defeated the Tigers, 70-33.

Collinsville led the entire game after taking a 19-10 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Collinsville lead

48-17. Going into the third quarter, Collinsville racked up 58 points to Valley Head’s 29. During the fourth quarter Valley Head scored 4 points but could never catch up to the early lead that Collinsville obtained.

Trinity Garner led the Collinsville Lady Panthers with 14 points despite suffering a foot

injury. Caroline Brannon had 11 points and Kendall Willingham add 10 points for Collinsville.

The Leading rebounders for Collinsville were Kendria Moore with 5 rebounds and 6 steals. Brittney had 5 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Arylee Jones contributed 7 rebounds and had 2 assists.

Ider wins big against Woodville

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

Ider, AL- Ider wins big against Woodville, Monday night. Ider took the early lead against Woodville and never let them catch up. In the

first half of the game, Ider led Woodville, 43-22.

Coming back after the half, Ider dominated Woodville in both quarters. Final 72-43.

The leading scorers for the Hornets were

Brandon Lassertter with 17 points. Closely following behind was Heath Phillips with 16.

The leading rebounders were Brandon Lasserter with 8 and Jared King with 6.

Plainview falls to Section 23-16 lead over Section.

Willingham with 14

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

Section, AL- Section Lions defeated the Plainview Bears 63-53, Saturday night.

Plainview led in the first quarter by 10 and went into the half with a

In the third quarter, Section started gaining momentum and took over to lead Plainview by 2. The fourth quarter, Section maintained the lead and won 63-53.

The leading scorer for Plainview was Cade

points, Kobly Tinker and Jeffrey Armstrong were close behind with 13 a piece..

Plainview is now 1-1 after defeating North Jackson 72-67 at their home opener, Thursday night.

Section Lady Lions win against Plainview

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

Section 57Plainview 40

Section, AL- The Section Lady Lions defeated the Plainview Lady Bears, Saturday night.

Section scored 20 points to Plainviews 8 in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Section continued to hang on to their lead scoring 17 more points. Going into the half, Section Lady Lions had the 37-28 lead. In the

second half, Section scored 20 more points to Plainviews 12. Section held on to their lead to win 57-40. The high scorers for Plainview were Jacey Bell and Annabelle Brown, with each scoring 11 points.

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Thursday–November 26, 2015

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

IT’S TIME FOR BLACK FRIDAY!