The Southern Torch, Vol. 2, No. 14

THE SOUTHERN TORCH / FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016 / VOL. 2, NO. 14 / $1.00

COMMUNITY

FAITH

POLITICS

RAINSVILLE CHURCH HOLDS RUN FOR UGANDA 5K > PAGE 3

A MOMENT WITH MEGAN: FAITHFUL IN THE FIRE

ALABAMA LEGISLATORS CALL FOR BENTLEY RESIGNATION

> PAGE 6

> PAGE 7

Fort Payne, Rainsville announce city merger City officials finalize largest municipal merger in Alabama history

Officials from Fort Payne and Rainsville announced today that the cities will merge to form one single community. The seal above represents a local artist's rendering of one of several proposed city names—Willstown

SOUTHERN TORCH EXCLUSIVE:

By Joseph M. Morgan joseph@southerntorch.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ala.— The cities of Fort Payne and Rainsville will soon combine to become the largest

city in DeKalb County and the 26th largest city in the state of Alabama.

Officials from Fort Payne and Rainsville announced today that the cities will move forward with plans to execute the largest municipal merger in Alabama history, effectively

combining the two communities into one DeKalb County “mega city” that will span from Lookout Mountain to Sand Mountain covering more than 70 square miles and boasting a population of more

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Mentone Wedding Chapel

For details, turn to

Page 11

Fort Payne Main Street program enters new phase

THIS WEEK IN COMMUNITY

Aderholt calls for entries in 4th District Art Competition Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) recently released a statement calling for entries in the 2016 4th District Art Competition.

"I am pleased once again to be a sponsor of the United States Congressional Art Competition for high school students within the 4th District.

This is an annual nationwide event that recognizes and encourages the artistic talent we have in our district.

Students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to compete…

Page 3 THIS WEEK IN POLITICS

Presidential primary update, April 1

Almost nine weeks has passed since the first caucus goers cast their votes in Iowa, kicking-off the presidential nomination process. Since, the Republican field has narrowed significantly, while the Democratic focus remains…

Page 7

By Joseph M. Morgan joseph@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala.— The Fort Payne Main Street Alabama program

is entering a new phase next week, kicking off a round of two surveys on Tuesday April 5: one for local businesses and an

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additional survey for residents of Fort Payne and the surrounding area.

Fort Payne Main

Street Executive Director Beverly Pike said local real estate company Fort Payne RE/MAX Property CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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

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

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS

The Road to the Final Four

It wasn't the first upset of the 2016 NCAA men's basketball tournament, but it was perhaps the most thrilling as Syracuse downed No. 1 seeded Virginia 68-62 to advance to the final four, after a year in which the Orange had to watch from afar after self-imposed sanctions kept them from the tournament.

Behind Malachi Richardson…

Page 10 PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 60 RAINSVILLE, AL

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

Publisher, Joseph M. Morgan Layout editor, Dwayne Adams

Meet the staff See the faces behind the stories

Angela Reynoso - Office Manager

Angela Reynoso is married to Diego Reynoso for 4 years, 5 children, Tiffany, Ryan, Breanna, Raven and Kaden, 1 grandson, Anthony. I was born and raised in Elkmont/Athens Alabama and moved to Fort Payne in 2003. Work Background.. Office Manager, CNA, Receptionist, X-ray tech and Transcriptionist. I love cooking and Gardening. Favorite Quote.. At first if you dont succeed....try again.

Joseph M. Morgan - Editor & Publisher

Joseph Morgan is a native of Collinsville, Ala. and is a proud graduate of Collinsville High School. Morgan has spent more than a decade working in communications, public relations and politics. Morgan is a graduate of the University of Alabama where he earned degrees in public relations and political science and minored in journalism. Morgan has served as managing editor of numerous Alabama magazines and other publications. In addition to his communications work, Morgan has worked on the staffs of an Alabama U.S. Congressman, Alabama’s former Attorney General, two Pro Tems of the Alabama Senate and numerous Alabama Legislators. Morgan is a veteran of political campaigns throughout the state, has served as statewide political director for an Alabama political party and has managed or worked on political campaigns in more than 50 Alabama counties. Morgan has a 2-year-old chocolate lab named Curtis Loew.

Dwayne Adams - Layout Editor and Graphic Design

Dwayne has specialized in visual communications for over 11 years, building everything from flyers and brochures, to logos and websites, to garment decoration and full product catalogs. Known by his clients for his attention to detail and meticulous nature, Dwayne brings everything one would expect from a creative professional to the table. He's also familiar with brand structuring and management, and knows what it takes to achieve an audience's attention in a targeted and visually appealing way. But it's not all about business. Dwayne also brings a little fun to the office environment with his often random but always professional wit and candor."

Diego Reynoso - Manager of Distribution

Marla Samples Jones - Sports Editor

Tyler Pruett - Managing Editor

Nathan Cavitt - Southern Torch Intern

Diego Reynoso age 34, is married to Angela Reynoso. Diego and Angie have been married for 4 years and have 5 children. Diego’s work background includes work with Renfro, Fergusons and Credit Central. Diego is from Collinsville and grew up in Fort Payne and attended Fort Payne High School. Diego is the son of Vincent "Taco" Reynoso from California and Teresa Jordan from Virginia. He has a brother, Nakia Reynoso, who lives in Austin, Texas. Met my wife Angela Reynoso December 2009. Married March 17 2011.

Tyler Pruett grew up on a family farm in Cherokee County. After graduating Cedar Bluff School in 2004, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Infantryman and served deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. After his service was completed, Tyler attended the University of Alabama, majoring in Political Science and is an alumni of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. Tyler has worked as a political consultant and has served on the staffs of political campaigns throughout the state of Alabama, including a position as Coalitions Director for the State of Pennsylvania for a nominee for U.S. President in 2012.

His hobbies include hunting, shooting, politics, and music festivals.

Marla is Married to Scott Jones. She is the mother of Justin and Logan Jones. Marla is the grandmother of Tate, Tripp and Caroline. Marla is a graduate of Sylvania High School. Marla has more than 10 years experience in marketing, advertising sales and public relations.

Marla is an avid sports fan.

Southern Torch would like to welcome new intern Nathan Cavitt to the Torch family. Nathan was born in Fort Payne and raised in Rainsville where he attended Plainview High school.

After high school he attended Northeast Alabama Community College and graduated with an Associates degree in Applied Sciences. Nathan is currently a junior at Jacksonville State University where he is majoring in communications with a focus on digital journalism.

Cavitt is married to Megan Petersen, a Fort Payne native and graduate of Fort Payne High School.

Continued from page 1

Fort Payne Main Street enters new phase Center—Annette Wright and team—have volunteered to distribute the first of the two surveys, the Fort Payne Main Street Business Survey, to businesses within the Fort Payne Main Street District.

“Annette Wright and

her crew at Fort Payne RE/MAX Property Center will begin distributing our Business Surveys the "old fashioned" way—in person,” Pike said. They will then be returning to pick them up on Thursday, April 7.”

Pike said the second

survey, the Main Street Fort Payne Community Survey will give the organization an opportunity to hear from the public in addition to local businesses.

“The Community Survey link will be live on April 5 for distribution as well,” Pike said. “It is an electronic link and we really want to encourage any resident of Fort Payne or anyone who lives within a 20-minute drive of Fort Payne to participate in the survey.

These surveys will be invaluable to our efforts to improve downtown Fort Payne and give business owners and members of the

community a real voice as we fine tune strategies to improve Downtown Fort Payne and enliven the heart of our city. . We hope once we release the link that everyone will share and pass it along.

We will be sending the link to all corporations in Fort Payne for them to distribute to their employees and encourage participation.”

Pike said that anyone that would like to participate but does not have a internet access, can contact the Fort Payne Main Street office by phone 256-996-2131 or via social media to make arrangements for submitting a survey.

The Fort Payne Main Street program hopes to receive feedback from 75 businesses through the Business Survey and set a goal to reach 2,000 participants/survey completions through the Community Survey.

For information regarding the Fort Payne Main Street Business Survey or Community Survey, contact Beverly Pike at 256-996-2131, or online at http://www. mainstreetalabama.org/ fort-payne/, http:// fpmainstreet.com/, or on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/ Fort-Payne-Main-StreetAlabama.

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

COMMUNITY

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

Rainsville church holds Run for Uganda 5k

By Tyler Pruett tyler@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala— Rainsville Community Church is hosting a “Run for Uganda 5k” on Saturday, April 9 at 8:30 am. There is a $25 entry fee and participants will

receive a T-shirt with their registration. All proceeds will go to fund the church’s mission work in Uganda. This is their third fundraiser since 2014. Their mission work focuses primarily on building churches and wells for remote villages.

This year’s run proceeds will be used to drill a well in the remote of village of Katunguru.

The well will be drilled next to a church in the center of the village, which was also built with proceeds from the annual 5k. While some us make take for granted clean

drinking water, it can be scarce in a place like Katunguru. Reverend Jeff Sayre, the Children’s pastor at Rainsville Community Church, has made it his mission to build wells and churches in the impoverished African nation.

“It’s a dainting task just to get a clean water source in the remote villages,” Sayre said. “One of the wells we’ve already completed had to be drilled 200 feet in order to find clean water.

Special equipment had to be brought in from larger cities. Before the well,

villagers had to get water from dirty streams and carry it long distances.”

The well at the center of the village helps strengthen communities and being located near an established church, strengthens ties to the word of God. On a previous mission trip, a government official for the area invited the group to his office, and expressed his personal gratitude for the work.

“He told us that the village was basically a dying area, and the community well brought new life into the village,”

Sayre said. “He wanted us to know how much he appreciated it and how much the Ugandan people appreciated our work.”

To register for the run or more information about Rainsville Community Church’s ongoing mission work, contact Rev. Jeff Sayre at (256)601-9236.

Participants may also register online at http:// www.racesonline.com and searching for “Run for Uganda 5k.”

Aderholt Calls for Entries in 4th District Art Competition

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) recently released a statement calling for entries in the 2016 4th District Art Competition.

“I am pleased once again to be a sponsor of the United States Congressional Art Competition for high school students within the 4th District. This is

an annual nationwide event that recognizes and encourages the artistic talent we have in our district. Students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to compete.

“The 2016 Congressional Art Competition award ceremony and reception will be held at Northwest Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals, Ala. The date for the ceremony is Tuesday, May 3rd at 10:30 a.m. All students participating in the competition, along with their parents and art teachers are invited to attend the reception where refreshments will be served.

“The ‘Best of Show’ artwork will represent Alabama’s 4th Congressional District by being displayed in the U.S. Capitol Complex for an entire year. In addition to having his or her artwork displayed in Washington, the winner will be awarded two round-trip airline tickets and $500 for expenses to attend the National Exhibition Reception in Washington, D.C. this summer.

“High School students wishing to compete should check with their school’s art teacher or administrators. High Schools within the 4th District will be receiving letters with more details.

Students who are home-schooled are also

eligible to participate.

For more information please contact Pam Abernathy in our Gadsden District Office at 256-546-0201 or by email at pam.abernathy@mail. house.gov. We look forward to seeing the creations of students in the 4th District on display soon in Muscle Shoals.”

In Washington Congressman Aderholt serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the powerful House Appropriations Committee; he is also a member of the Committee’s Defense Subcommittee, the Committee’s Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee, and the Helsinki Commission.

For more information about Aderholt’s work in Congress and the 4th District Art Competition visit: www.aderholt.house.gov.

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

COMMUNITY

Upcoming events for the week of 4/1 April 2:

Dekalb Shrine Club 3rd Annual Motorcycle Ride - This will be an escorted ride with a meal included following the ride, Meet at the Rotary Pavillion in downtown Fort Payne. Registration starts at 10 a.m. and kickstands up at 11 a.m. $20 per bike. This ride is to help benefit the Alhambra Shrine activities 256-630-1246.

April 2:

Book signing with John Dersham - John Dersham will be at the Book Shelf for a book signing.

256-844-8663.

April 2-3:

Northeast Alabama Cutting Horse Association Competition - Enjoy the team cutting com-

petition at the Northeast Alabama Agri-Business Center in Rainsville. 256638-1650

April 7:

Master Gardener Meeting - The Jackson Co. Master Gardener meeting will be April 7th at St Luke’s Episcopal Church fellowship hall on Scott St, Scottsboro, AL. The social time begins at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting begins at 10 a.m.. Our programs will be “Wildflowers” and presented

by Susanne Wadsworth from Shoals Wildflower Society and Shoals Master Gardeners. Please bring a door prize and/or finger food and as always guests are welcome.

April 9:

Run for Uganda 5k -

Rainsville Community Church hosting a 5k to raise money to benefit their missions team and the digging of wells in Uganda. Contact Rev. Jeff Sayre for registration info. Entry fee is $25 thru day of race. Rainsville Community Church 8:30 a.m. 256-601-9236

April 9:

Taste of the Mountain and Art Auction - A night of great food creations provided by Mentone area restaurants and for amazing artwork for auction by Moon Lake Elementary School students and local artist friends of MERF. Moon Lake Elementary School gym. Table of eight is $200 and single ticket is $30. Purchase tickets in advance at Mentone Market. 256-634-4673.

April 16-17:

Billy Berry Benefit Roping Competition - Please come out and support this event. All proceeds go to Billy Berry and his family. At Northeast Alabama Agri-Business Center in Rainsville.

256-638-1650

April 16:

Third Saturday Downtown Cruise-In - You can come and enjoy an afternoon of family fun activities in downtown Fort Payne. This public event will include food, live music, a car show, and more from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.. 256-996-3857

April 16:

Collinsville Duck Race - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m City Park.

Music includes Still Kickin, Logan Graves, Payton

Abigail's journey

Abigail Joy Mizzell

By Nathan Cavitt nathan@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala— She was quiet.

That was the first thing Barbara Mizzell noticed about her newborn baby. The second was that she refused to nurse, and had what the doctors referred to as “tremors.”

Abigail Joy Mizzell was born on March 24, 2011 in Fort Payne, the youngest of six children, to parents Barbara and Jimmie Mizzell. Abigail was born with a rare brain disorder known as Semi hemispheric Polymicrogyria.

According to the Genetics Home Reference website, Polymicrogyria or PMG is a condition caused by

abnormal development of the brain before birth. The surface of the brain normally has ridges or folds, but with PMG the person develops a large amount of folds or none at all. With Abigail it was none.

PMG can affect all of the brain or half the brain. In Abigail’s case it was the left half of her brain, causing that portion of her brain to be smaller than the right. The entire left brain, the speech portion, was affected with the exception of her hearing and vision.

“I remember the doctor said don't bother researching because I won't find much. He was also concerned what I did find would cause me more stress. I didn't listen and

searched anyway, but he was right—I found one mention of it, and it was a mom blog of a little girl. I did find several related topics which I was able to read and piece some information together to help me maintain my sanity. I had to know more, anything,” Barbara said.

With Semi PMG, the affects can be numerous, ranging from seizures, developmental delay and impaired language, to name a few. Barbara began to notice those symptoms early on as she traveled from pediatrician to pediatrician looking for answers.

She found her answer at the Vanderbilt Children’s hospital. The answer broke her heart as Peter Konrad, Professor of Neurosurgery at Vanderbilt, discovered the abnormal growth which was diagnosed as Semi PMG. “It was significant. The malformation effected half her brain. He said we should expect and be prepared for seizures. We should get her into physical therapy and speech without delay because most of her improvements were going to come before she was five. We needed to simulate her brain as much as possible.

“We asked what kind of life would she have? What can we expect? Again wait and see. ‘Just take her home and enjoy her,’ they said. ‘We won't know what she can or cannot do until she gets older,’” Barbara said.

They didn’t know if she would speak or laugh. If she did, at best it would be delayed.

Abigail attended therapy, and as she got older she started riding horses to help with her strength. She struggled to walk, but with

and John Sells. Food, Blow up for the kids and Vendors. Duck Tickets are $5.00 or 6 for $25.00 (quack pack). Fastest Duck wins $500.00

April 17:

Wiffle for Savannah Wiffle for Savannah is Sunday April 17 at the Field of Dreams (Rainsville Sports Complex).

This is a slow pitch tournament and set to begin at 1 p.m. The deadline to sign your team us is April 13th. The cost is $40 and all proceeds will be donated to Savannah Willingham.. See Cody Coots, Brooke Debter or any field of nightmares board to pay. Register at http//fieldofnightmares. weebly.com/wiffle-forsavannah.html

braces, could manage a few steps at a time. The struggle was with her weight and communication.

In the following months multiple health issues started to make themselves known.

At nine months of age she was the size of a 2 week old, barely weighing nine pounds.

Her airway issues took over at this point. They became hard to live with.

“I slept with her in our bed where I could feel her

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 5

Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

THE FISHERMAN SOUTHERN GOSPEL QUARTET For bookings call: Glenn Smith (256) 572-6146 Check us out on Facebook

3 locations to serve you: Rainsville 256-638-8600 Scottsboro 256-574-2679 Fort Payne 256-845-3350.

RAINSVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

March 31, 2016 Tim Eberhart, Executive Director I didn’t have passwords in 1997. Now I have 56.

It was getting impossible to remember them all. Writing each of them on a single sheet of paper and keeping them in my pocket was risky. So, to better organize and protect them, I now keep them as an encrypted file in a clandestine folder on a third-party-based cloud solution with servers scattered across various continents.

Now, I know they’re safe.

Technology has really changed the world, hasn’t it? It has altered our routines, habits and attention spans. It has transformed how we fellowship, shop, learn, and sow and reap information.

It’s up to each of us on a personal level whether or not it’s a change for the better.

When I think about how things have changed in regard to business, my mind often goes back to the 1990s. It wasn’t just the lack of passwords that made my world different then. In the business world that I remember, people craved interaction with peers and potential clients to a greater degree, so they attended networking events. They craved knowledge that could help improve their sales, customer service and management skills, so they went to seminars–often in distant metropolises.

In reality, I suspect the business world hasn’t changed as dramatically as I see it. Networking opportunities and seminars are still some of the most valuable benefits a chamber of commerce can offer.

I am now seeking input from business people in regard to networking and seminars. Who wants to host a lunchtime, breakfast time or after-hours networking event during the second quarter of this year?

If we hosted a business seminar or two with expert presenters, would you come? What seminar topics would be best? Managing millennials? Social marketing? How about something irresistible such as allocating human capital across corporate divisions?

If you want to learn more about hosting a networking event, or want to help us decide about seminars, email me at timeberhart@ farmerstel.com.

In other matters, tickets are now on sale for our Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon on April 27. The event offer bosses an opportunity to treat their staff to a special event held in their honor.

Also, mark you calendar for Mayor Jones’ fourth State of the City Address. It, along with a town hall meeting, has been set for Thursday, April 21 in the coliseum lobby.

CHAMBER CHATTER

March 30, 2016 Carol Beddingfield, Executive Director

Are you getting annoying phone calls from telemarketers? Cell phone numbers went public this year. So expect to receive them on your cell phone as well.

There is a very simple solution to stopping these type telephone calls. Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry.

You can register as many as three phones in three easy steps online. Visit the National Do Not Call Registry. The first step is to list as many as three phone numbers that you would like to register and your email address.

The second step is to check for errors and then click the register button. An email will be sent to you verifying each of the three phone numbers. Open each email and click on the link. That completes the registration.

You must open the email within 72 hours.

Telemarketers have up to 31 days from the date a phone number is registered to stop calling. Your registration does not expire. You only have to register one time.

You can file a complaint if you do receive a call that you know is a scam or a telemarketer. Visit the Do Not Call Registry again and click on the compliment icon.

Remember charities, political organizations and telephone surveys are exempt from the list.

If you receive a phone call claiming to represent the National Do Not Call Registry, hang up immediately.

The calls claim to provide an opportunity to sign up for the Registry. These calls are not coming from the Registry or the Federal Trade Commission. Do not respond to these calls.

The National Do Not Call Registry will never call you.

Always protect yourself by never giving vital information such as your date of birth, Social Security number or account numbers.

These fake calls are just the latest scam. Be a strong guardian of your personal and private information.

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

FAITH

Hidden Really Well

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

One Easter when I was young my sister and I really stretched the holiday out. It was raining. We decided to have our own Easter egg hunt inside. There were no plastic eggs back then (or at least not many). We had decorated our boiled eggs with the same type dyes most people use

now. Different colors in each cup. Metal egg picker upper. Do I remember smelling vinegar? I think the dyes were even Paas. They came with a wax crayon that could be used to make designs or put your name on your eggs. Mine were the best. As I remember it.

We gathered the decorated eggs that we had left and put them in a

basket. Since Easter was winding down, our mother had already started having us eat them. I was great at decorating and hunting.

Not wild about eating them.

Our house had a living room that ran through the width of the house with a kitchen and dining room parallel to it.

The dining room had a table to eat and a couch for when we set the television in there. Add an ironing board and some other things and all the furniture in the living room, and there were lots of hiding places.

We took times about hiding and hunting.

After a while, we had to work a little harder to find new places to hide.

Did we dare to put any in the corner cabinet that had mother’s collectible glass ware? How about in the fireplace in the living room? We decided it was about time to quit and just watch television.

We gathered the eggs back into the basket and put them back into the refrigerator. We would be eating them over the next few days. One last time counting them. Did we have them all?

Mother would know. We closed the door and officially said good bye to Easter.

Time passed. About two months. We were playing in the dining room. As I jumped away from my sister and onto the couch, I heard a crack. Uh oh. What had I broken? I pulled the cushion out. And there was the Easter egg I hid two months earlier between the cushion and the arm. It had worked its way out from under the arm. And it was now completely crushed.

Little blue pieces of shell mixed in with the rotten egg.

And, yes, it really did stink. I tried to clean up before we were caught.

But the smell gave us

away. Gag. I should have counted more carefully.

Two month old Easter eggs? Not so good.

Hope you had a really meaningful Easter. It was special for our family.

Our grandson, Isaiah, was baptized Easter morning.

How great is that? And our building was full.

Lots of Easter excitement.

Some of you probably went to church Sunday for the first time in a long time. Excellent. Good for you. Just don’t hide your faith now. Easter faith is meant to be lived all year long. The Church calls every Sunday a “little Easter”. Another chance to celebrate Jesus being alive. Another chance to renew our Christian walk.

One day soon you will need your Easter faith.

Don’t hide it now. You may forget where it is.

And it may begin to smell. Or, as I hope you learned as a child, “Hide it under a bushel? NO. I’m gonna let it shine.”

A Moment with Megan: Faithful in the Fire

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

In Daniel chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image in Babylon and demanded that everyone bow down

and worship it. Anyone who went against his wishes would be thrown into the fiery furnace.

Little did he know how bold Sharach, Meshach, and Abendnego would be! The 3 of them refused to bow down and in Daniel 3:15, King Nebuchadnezzar responds with, “… If you do not worship, you shall be cast at once into the midst of the fiery furnace, and who is that god who can deliver you out of my hands?” Verse 17-20 says, “If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden image which you have set up! Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and his facial expression was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Therefore he commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated. And he commanded the strongest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.”

Y’all, the king ordered the furnace to be SEVEN times hotter than usual.

Think about the confidence and faith in

Christ that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had! The 3 of them were not intimidated by adversity; they knew God could deliver them.

Maybe some of you reading this feel like you are in the middle of a fiery furnace right now.

Perhaps things are not going your way and the “heat” is getting a little too hot for comfort. Lets keep reading in chapter 3, because its about to get good! Verse 24-25 says, “…

King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up and said to his counselors, did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?

They answered, True, O king. He answered, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the fourth is like a son of the gods!” Isn't that powerful, friend?! The Lord showed up, literally with them in the furnace!

Do we not serve that same God? A God who says He will never leave us nor forsake us. A God who is all powerful and all knowing. A God who saves.

The situation you are in may seem terrible right now but I challenge you to look around. Look who is right beside you.

Jesus is with you, friend and He is there to help you. No matter the situation, the Lord is with you and He is faithful in the fire. Daniel

3: 27 says, “…the fire had no power over their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed; neither were their garments scorched or changed in color or condition, nor had even the smell of smoke clung to them.” WOW! What a miracle! Back in the day, I couldn't even go to the bowling alley or to Captain D’s without coming out smelling like smoke. And here these 3 men have been IN A FIRE and don’t even smell like smoke!

This chapter reminds me that Jesus delights in working miracles and that He is forever faithful. Despite the difficult situation, God will still be there with you. He can handle the heat; He doesn't leave when things get “too hot.” I imagine Him getting excited to show himself to you in the fire, in the difficult times.

Looking back on my life, my hardest times were the times where I experienced Christ the most. Will you let Him walk with you through the fire? Will you allow Him to work a miracle in your life just like these 3 men in the furnace?

Lastly, please, friend, don’t be intimidated by adversity! Jesus is with you, always.

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

POLITICS

Alabama Legislators call for Bentley's resignation

By Joseph M. Morgan joseph@southerntorch.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala— On March 15, the Senate passed a bill introduced by Senator Greg Albritton (R-Bay Minette) that would abolish marriage licensing laws in Alabama. Senate Bill 143 would end the continuous same-sex marriage debate; neutralizing both sides of the argument.

About a century ago, probate judges simply recorded marriages based on affidavits between the two parties in lieu of issuing licenses, requiring a ceremony, or charging a fee.

SB 143 would effectively remove the state’s role from the issue of marriage, while retaining basic guidelines, such as minors between the ages of 16 and 18 being required to seek parental permission. Marriages would also still be between only two consenting parties.

“I’ve spent a year and a half developing this process in anticipation of the United States Supreme Court decision,” Albritton said, referring to the

supreme court’s decision to overturn the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling regarding same-sex adoptions and marriages.

“The U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Alabama court’s ruling, but that does not change the statute,” he said, “We must bring Alabama in line with the federal statutes, and this bill does that.”

“We’re changing the procedure so that we don’t have to give the state authority when you want to get married. The current law gives the probate judges the authority of an ordained minister because of the ceremony requirement,” Albritton added.

The current law treats marriage as a privilege granted by the state, and leaves open the possibility of a marriage being defined and potentially revoked by the state if it doesn’t meet certain criteria. SB 143 would remove that authority from the state, and place it in the hands of the responsible parties. It would also allow parties to record a marriage after the union takes place, as

opposed to the current system which requires individuals to seek a marriage license before.

In 2015, Albritton introduced a similar bill, which was passed by a majority of the senate, but died in the house. When asked if this bill might suffer the same fate, he replied, “I think we have the votes to get it through the committee and then the house. I think we are in good shape.”

“We’ve had opposition from the left and the right, which let’s me know we are in the middle on this issue,” Albritton said. “The Alabama Supreme Court can’t fight the issue anymore since their case has been dismissed.”

Regardless if Senate Bill 143 passes or not, the supreme court decision leaves a hole in Alabama marriage laws. With some probate judges choosing to follow the supreme court decision and others the state court’s decision, the current climate has caused much of the authority to rest on probate judges.

Marriage licensing can vary

now from county to county; with judges refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses in violation of federal law.

SB 143 will be voted on in the appropriate house committee and if passed, will go before the house for full approval.

Presidential primary update

By Tyler Pruett tyler@southerntorch.com

Almost nine weeks has passed since the first caucus goers cast their votes in Iowa, kicking-off the presidential nomination process. Since, the Republican field has narrowed significantly, while the Democratic focus remains on Clinton and Sanders. Clinton leads Sanders by 701 delegates in the overall count, while only needing a further 671 delegates to secure the nomination. In the Republican race, however, no candidate has a crystal-clear path to the 1237 delegates needed.

Trump rallies get even more controversial Earlier this month, a Donald Trump for President rally was cancelled in Chicago due to violence between supporters and protesters. This led to even more media scrutiny and

delegates to remain loyal at the convention in order to ensure Trump falls short.

While no longer in the race, a “suspended” campaign can still retain their delegates at the convention.

controversy over the volatile atmosphere of the real estate tycoon’s events.

Shortly after, a protester was punched at a North Carolina rally while being escorted out by police officers. The assailant was charged with assault and on Tuesday, Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski was arrested for allegedly assaulting former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields at a Florida rally. In the immediate aftermath, Trump’s campaign went on the defensive, telling a crowd at a Wisconsin rally that Fields had fallen and Lewandowski simply helped her. Later that same day, Trump would tell CNN’s Anderson Cooper in a live interview that the reporter had grabbed him in a threatening manner, and his campaign manager was protecting him. The Jupiter Florida Police Department released the security

footage showing what appears to be Lewandowski grabbing Fields.

Kasich and Rubio seek to block Trump While the Republican Convention isn’t until mid-July, strategies are already being carried out to deny Trump the clear nomination. Most notably, former Ohio Governor John Kasich remains in the race, despite having only 143 delegates. While there is not even a remote mathematical possibility of Kasich earning enough to clinch the nomination, his campaign for president continues to deny as many delegates as possible to the front-runner. By staying in the race, it will prohibit his share of delegates from going to Trump. While Senator Marco Rubio, who suspended his bid for president after coming up short in Florida, has been actively lobbying his earned

States deciding in April While much of the month of April seems slow in terms of states holding elections, several key states will go to the polls. April 26 is the most significant date, with five states along the east coast heading to the polls. Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island will be casting ballots simultaneously. It’s difficult to forecast how the political winds might blow over the next few weeks, but Wisconsin’s primary will be held next week on April 5.

The most recent polling data shows Senator Ted Cruz with a commanding lead of over ten percent in Wisconsin, while Bernie Sanders is narrowly beating Clinton.

Controversy is the only certainty 2016 has proven to been unprecedented in terms of division, and media

attention. While American are accustomed to being dividing along party lines during election years, never before has such division existed among the major parties. This will only increase as we creep slowly towards November, as more and more Americans become engaged. While it seems that the whole country is already embroiled with the nomination, the majority of voters won’t be involved with the process until the conventions. And while we are accustomed to having a clear nominee by the time July arrives, it’s unlikely that the GOP convention will be that simple. The establishment is seeking to deny Trump the nomination no matter what the final delegate count. While he remains the clear front-runner, it’s likely that the delegates controlled by Cruz, Rubio, and Kasich will be enough to deny him the required 1237. Whatever the result of a “contested” convention, the only certainty is that it will leave the Republican party even more divided going into November.

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

OPINION / EDITORIAL Finding a Balance to Save Medicaid & Protect Taxpayers

Guest Editorial:

By State Sen. Steve Livingston

When I ran in 2014, I promised to keep you updated on the political debates in Montgomery. Today, I want to spend a few minutes explaining why funding Medicaid, the federally mandated insurance program for low-income pregnant women, senior citizens, children, and the disabled, is the central challenge for state lawmakers.

Last week, the Legislature

passed a $1.8 billion budget for the state General Fund. Keep in mind that Alabama is one of only a few states in the country with two budgets: the General Fund allocates all non-education state spending, which includes state troopers, prisons, Medicaid, Public Health, DHR, and our National Guard units; the Education Trust Fund is the budget for Alabama’s K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities.

Thankfully, the Education budget is in fine shape.

Republicans have worked hard over the past five years to build up Education’s fiscal reserves.

Proration – forcing schools to make drastic cuts in the middle of a school year because of budget miscalculations in Montgomery – hasn’t occurred since conservatives took over the Statehouse in 2010. This fiscal year there is a surplus in the Education budget and I am pushing for part of that surplus to go towards a pay raise for our hard-working educators.

Unfortunately, the picture in the General Fund budget is a bit more challenging. Costs for many programs – especially Medicaid and prisons – have risen faster than tax revenues.

Medicaid and prisons consumed forty-one percent of the General Fund budget in 2004. According to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Office, this year the two programs will eat up sixty percent of non-education state spending, with Medicaid alone accounting for forty percent or $700 million.

What is driving Medicaid’s costs up? A number of factors contribute, including a high number of disabled persons.

Alabama has the highest percentage of disabled persons in the country – thirty-one percent of adults identified as disabled, nearly all of whom

Continued from page 1

Fort Payne, Rainsville announce city merger than 20,000 residents.

Officials from Rainsville and Fort Payne say the merger represents more than 6 months of hard work, countless hours of complex legal maneuvering and intense negotiations to ensure that both municipalities benefit from the landmark merger.

“When I ran for mayor in 2012, I promised voters that Rainsville would see unprecedented growth and economic prosperity,” Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones said. “Today I am proud to announce that I have delivered on both of those promises.

With this merger, our population will more than quadruple from 5,000 residents to a population of more than 20,000, and our budget will go from $5 million to $25 million—all of this accomplished in less than four years. This is without doubt the most historic day in either of our fine cities’ histories and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Jones said there are still a number of details to be worked out, but that the Alabama Legislature approved the merger earlier this week and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed off on the measure to merge the cities on Tuesday.

“We’re still ironing out the details but the merger of Fort Payne and Rainsville is a done deal,” Jones said. “City attorneys are already hammering out a new city charter and we will post our notice of incorporation just before our big announcement on Monday.”

A name for the new city has not yet been decided, but some of the early ideas floated have been DeKalb City, Fortsville, Valley View, Fort

Mountain, Rain Payne and an early favorite among local historians, Willstown.

Plainview will merge with Fort Payne City Schools to form a new city school separate from the DeKalb County School system. The name of the new school has not yet been determined, but an educational subcommittee made up of representatives from both city councils has agreed that the new school’s mascot will be the “Bearcats.”

News of the merger already has local coaches excited about opportunities to excel in athletics.

It is unclear who will serve as the high school’s new football coach, but the education committee has already named Plainview Coach Robi Coker as the new head basketball coach, citing the recent resignation of Fort Payne Coach Danny Anderson who took a job with Hazel Green earlier this month as the reason for the early decision.

“I couldn’t be more excited about combining Fort Payne High School with Plainview,” Coker said. “This is one of the wildest things I’ve heard in a long time. Our new school will be a 7-A Powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with that will be able to dominate the competition and play ball with any school in the state. I say bring it on.”

The cities of Fort Payne and Rainsville have already pooled resources to roll out an aggressive marketing and PR campaign to create community awareness and promote the christening of the new city at a ceremony on Monday.

The efforts will employ a

number of celebrity spokesmen, including Randy Owen, Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry from the band Alabama, Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey from the nationally-syndicated radio program, The Rick and Bubba Show and Fort Payne High School alumnus and Alabama Crimson Tide football standout Marcus Carter.

Burgess, who has been named the official spokesman during the rollout of the new city, said he and Bussey have already begun recording promotional radio spots that will begin airing across the state later this week during the broadcast of their daily morning radio show.

Burgess said the band Alabama is also hard at work wrapping up the recording of a country music video for a new city anthem, "From Mountaintop to Mountaintop," that will debut on Country Music Television (CMT) and national radio next Monday night.

“We’ve been working with Randy (Owen) and the boys (band Alabama) to make sure we get the word out about the historic merger of Fort Payne and Rainsville,” Burgess said.

“Bubba and I are working closely with Mayor Chesser and Mayor Jones and we’re really bringing in some heavy hitters—no pun intended—to help spread the word and share the exciting news with the entire state, and even nation.

“The Alabama Band’s new city anthem is really good stuff.. We got an early listen and I’m telling you, the song, ‘From Mountaintop to Mountaintop,’ is guaranteed to go full platinum and #1 on all

are on Medicaid. Combine that with a rising number of senior citizens and you start to understand why our state’s Medicaid costs have spiked from $314 million in 2010 to $700 million for the current fiscal year. And the governor wants another $85 million more for the program.

Thankfully, the Legislature passed an important reform in 2013 to move Medicaid to a managed-care model, administered by local health care providers. Independent experts estimated Alabama would save tens of millions over the next decade from this reform, but the state needed federal approval before we could overhaul how the Medicaid program is run. Just last month, federal officials announced they approved Alabama’s reform, with the caveat that we must continue to fully fund the state’s Medicaid portion before the new program could get off the ground.

All right, so that is a lot of numbers. There is no doubt Medicaid is a complicated program!

Here is the main reason you should care about the rise of Medicaid expenditures: if the state doesn’t cover Medicaid’s costs, health care providers in rural Alabama and hospitals everywhere will be in deep trouble, since

Medicaid recipients are a majority of their patient population. Further, the switch to the managed care reform, poised to save the state millions over the next decade, will be in jeopardy.

On the other hand, the state simply doesn’t have the money in the General Fund to continue covering Medicaid’s rising expenses, absent new taxes, a lottery, another transfer from the Education budget, or an unexpected source of one-time money.

This year, the Legislature’s budget could only afford to give Medicaid $700 million, an increase of $15 million over last year, but well short of the $785 the state agency requested.

The Governor has said he will veto the Legislature’s budget. If so, then I hope Governor Bentley will present a clear plan of action for where the additional $85 million will come from. I can say with confidence that the people of Alabama and its legislators are in no mood to consider tax increases to cover Medicaid’s rising costs.

As always, please contact my Senate office with any questions or concerns you may have: (334) 242-7890 or

the charts—country, rock, pop, you name it, it’s going #1.

"We’re also working with Fort Payne native Marcus Carter and some other big-time former Crimson Tide players and I’m proud to announce that we even have Nick Saban lined up to speak at the big announcement on Monday. I figure, in Alabama, if you’ve got Randy Owen on board, you’ve got Nick Saban on board, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be successful no matter what you’re doing. The city is definitely getting a lot of bang for their buck.”

As of press time, all of the details regarding the merger are not yet available, but some of the highlights were released yesterday in an exclusive report to Southern Torch and include:

school into the Fort Payne City School system and be located in the former city of Fort Payne. The name of the school will be based on the name of the new city and the mascot will be the “Bearcats.” The new school colors will be blue and gold.

• The new City Hall will be located on property that currently lies within the city limits of the former city of Fort Payne.

• The DeKalb County Courthouse will be relocated along with other essential county government buildings and services to a new DeKalb County Governmental Services Park yet to be constructed on Sand Mountain on property that lies geographically on land that is currently within the city limits of the former town of Rainsville.

• Registered voters will be given the opportunity in a special election on Monday, May 23, 2016 to choose a name for the new city, as well as elect or re-elect a 10-member city council and mayor consisting of five representatives from the former city of Rainsville and five representatives from the former city of Fort Payne, and a mayor selected from either former city.

• Fort Payne High School will absorb the current Plainview

steve.livingston@alsenate.gov.

• Before city finances are merged, Fort Payne will pay off the outstanding $3.5 million debt owed to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pay off the original loan for the construction of the Northeast Alabama Agribusiness Center.

• The Rainsville City Council has agreed to host workshops to assist the Fort Payne City Council in improving relationships between the mayor and council. Members of the Fort Payne city council promise to bring civility and a good faith effort at governance to the table, despite past inability to get along.

• Both mayors and each of the 10 members of the city council have been promised keys to the new city hall and all cityowned facilities.

• For the remainder of this term, the new 10-member city council will be made up of the combined existing city councils from Fort Payne and Rainsville.

• However, the title of mayor is up for grabs. Fort Payne Mayor Larry Chesser and Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones will compete in an armwrestling contest hosted at Body Vision fitness center in Rainsville. The winner of said contest will be appointed acting mayor, with the loser earning the title of mayor pro tem. Happy April Fools Day from Southern Torch.

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Friday–April 1, 2016

Wilson Funeral Home & Crematory Mrs. Mary Ruth Mince - 94 of Fort Payne passed away March 22, 2016 at Dekalb Regional Medical Center. She is survived by her son and daughterin-law, Bobby and Neta Mince; grandchildren Brian and Tiffany Mince, and Heather Mince; great-grandchildren, Damon Mince, Molly Mince, Breanna Hickman, and Sydney Hickman. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert D Mince.

Mrs. Julia Ann Malcom - 86 of Fort Payne passed away March 22, 2016. She is survived by her daughter, Gwen Wright (Richard); son, Steve Malcom; grandson, Ben Wright. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Malcom in 2000.

Mrs. Lottie B. Ingle - 90 of Valley Head passed away March 23, 2016. She is survived by her brother, Joe Barnett and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charlie Ingle; four brothers and four sisters.

Mrs. Janey Justice - March 24, 1979 - March 24, 2016. Survivors include daughter, Tabitha Brook Smothers; son, Harley Joseigh; sister, Joanna Lynn Fallow; grandmother, Evie Cole.

She is preceded in death by her parents, John Russell Cole, Sylvia Marie Cole and grandfather George Russell Cole.

Mrs. Linda Woods - February 25, 1944 March 25, 2016. Mrs. Woods of Fort Payne passed away March 25, 2016 at Riverview Medical Center. She is survived by her husband of 49 years Wayne Woods; son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Jeannie Woods; grandchildren, Blake and Katie Beth Woods.

Mrs. Margaret Inez Millican - 87 of Fort

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

DEATH NOTICES Payne passed away March 26, 2016 at her home. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, John Henry and Judy Jenkins, Charles Franklin and Doris Jenkins, and David and Susie Jenkins; daughters and sons-inlaw, Margie Helton and Tom Lawton, Stella and Robert Kilgore; 18 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; 4 great-greatgrandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her daughter, June Elizabeth Stinnett; and son, Robert Grady Jenkins.

W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel Mr. Charles Ray Jordan - 68 of Henagar passed away March 23, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Mary Teresa Jordan; daughters, Audra L. Townsend, and Maryann J. (David) Epperson; sons, Shawnon R. Jordan and Ben R. (Sandi) Jordan; grandchildren, Travis Jordan, Jimmy “Bo” Jordan, Nelson Jordan, Jarrett Townsend, Savannah Jordan, Mason Epperson, and Devron Epperson. He was preceded in death by his daughter-in-law, Crystal Jordan; grandson, Shawn Jordan; brother, Don Jordan; 3 sisters and parents, Sherman and Betty Jordan.

Ms. Joan Pace - 73 of Fyffe passed away March 23, 2016. She is survived by her daughter, Debra Nichols; son, Eddie Farmer; sister, Mary Grace Hammons; brother, Roy Pace, Jr.; grandchildren, Bobby Nichols, Nicole Nichols, Chris Nichols, Danielle Nichols, Roy Farmer, Jesse Farmer, and Jake Farmer; great-grandchildren, Kayla Alspaugh, Kelvin Butler, Feather Butler, Flower Butler, Digory Butler, Zavier Nichols, Rueben Hatt, and Dahlilah Stillwell.

She was preceded in death by her father, Roy O. Pace; mother, Beulah Pace; brother, Jesse Pace; sister, Gladys Loudermilk, and grandson, Aaron Farmer.

Infant Joseph “Payton” Ogles - 20 months of Crossville passed away on March 23, 2016. He is survived by his parents, Joseph and Keltsey Ogles; brother, Preston Levaughn Ogles; grandparents, Sandra Smith, Danny Robinson, Joseph E Ogles, and Tanya Ogles; great-grandparents, Marvin Sims, Jean Sims, Martha Ogles and Albert Barker; aunt, Tiffany Sims; uncles, Jason Sims and Malcolm Ogles; cousins, Bryant Sims, Abigail Sims and Kolby Lesley. He was preceded in death by his greatgreat-grandparents, Jewel Sims, Ruth Dowdy, and Joseph Chester Ogles.

Corner Stone Funeral Chapel and Crematory Mrs. Clara Christine White Smith - 82 of Harrison, TN passed away March 23 at her residence. Survivors include daughter, Lageita Ingo; son, Stephen Smith; sister, Sheila White; brother, James White (Mary); several cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William Newton and Ada Tucker White and brother, Edward White.

Mr. William Russell Bolton - 71 of Chattanooga passed away March 25, 2016 at Parkridge Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Unita Bearden Bolton; daughter, Judy Kirby; son, Charles Evers (Michelle); grandchildren, Brian Higdon, Andrea Higdon, Nathan Evers, Whitney Chamlee; great-grandchildren, William, J C, Jon, Chevell and Aston Higdon, Cali Chamlee, Brailyn Evers; sisters, Ether Cody, Sue Bolton, Judy Jones (Sammy); brothers, John Bolton (Girtha), James Bolton, Duvall Bolton (Joyce), Reece Bolton. He

was preceded in death by parents, Charles and Jimmie Jackson Bolton; sisters, Mary Fisher, Bonnie McNabb; brother Paul Bolton.

Survivors include daughter, Phyllis Wills; brother, H.C. Harper Jr.; sister, Imogene Crow; 4 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Mr. Robert “Bob” Houston Carter - 84 of Flat Rock passed away March 25, 2016 at his residence. Survivors include wife, Faye Smith Carter; daughters, Deb Holland (Joe), Sara Smith (Donny), Sheila Little (Tim), Donna Holcomb (Ricky); son, Bobby Carter (Jenni); sister, Mary “Sis” Smith; 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

Rainsville Funeral Home

Kerby Funeral Home Mr. Clint Chezem - 52 of Higdon passed away March 24, 2016 at Memorial Health Care.

He is survived by his father, Dale Chezem; brother, Jeff Chezem and wife Suzanne; niece, Allie Chezem. He was preceded in death by his mother, Beulah Chezem.

Burt Funeral Home Mrs. Mae Jackson - April 15, 1924 - March 25, 2016. Survivors include her daughter, Betty McCoy; 6 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her children, Ray Jackson, Wayne Jackson and Brenda Darwin; brothers, Hugo Henderson and Reuben Henderson and Sister, Ruth Roberts.

Mrs. Bessie Hazel Thornberry - May 12, 1925 - March 30, 2016.

Funeral 2:00 p.m. on Friday 4-1-16 at Burt Chapel-Fort Payne. Burial at Glenwood Cemetery.

Officiating will be Rev. Tommy Smith and Rev. James Grindstaff.

Mr. Roosevelt Payne - 55 of Powell passed away March 24, 2016 at Highlands Medical Center.

Mrs. Pat Land - 75 of Rainsville passed away March 28, 2016 at Collinsville HealthCare.

Survivors include 1 son, Jason Land and wife Trina; 2 brothers, Billy Ray Jones and Jerry Don Jones; 1 sister, Linda Jones; 2 grandchildren, Leslie Waldrop and Lizabeth Higgins; 5 great-grandchildren, Bristol, Paisley, Lila, Macon and August. She was preceded in death by her husband, Guice Lyndell Land; parents, Dorsi and Flora Jones; 1 sister Sue Jones Jacobs.

Mrs. Patricia Hicks - 64 of Rainsville passed away March 29, 2016 at Dekalb Regional Medical Center.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 3 p.m. from Rainsville Funeral Home Chapel with Bro.Phillip Webb & Mr. Michael Sean Swafford officiating, Burial will follow in Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery with Rainsville Funeral Home, Inc. directing.

Visitation will be Sunday April 3rd from 12 noon - 3 p.m. Survivors include husband, Gordon Hicks; 2 sons, Michael Sean Swafford and wife Sallye; Ryan Christopher Hicks; 1 brother, George Dorn Jr; 2 grandchildren, Brennan Abbott Swafford and Rowe Catherine Swafford.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George Dorn Sr. and Catherine Dorn and 1 sister Betty Cox.

Continued from page 4

Abigail's journey breath,” Barbara said. “If her head was not in a certain position she couldn't breathe so I was awakened by the silence. If she snored or gurgled I had to adjust her position, and if she was silent I had to wake her and adjust her position. I don't think even Jimmie realized the extent of what was going on.

He knew I was exhausted but I'm not positive he understood to what extent.”

She developed what is called Laryngomalacia, which meant the cartilage in her throat never hardened up like it was supposed to, so it needed to be trimmed back out of her airway. She also had enormous adenoids, so they removed them in addition to injecting a surgical gel into a cleft in her larynx.

In October 2012 she underwent a nearly two hour procedure and two very invasive tests—a scope of her stomach with biopsies and a scope of her lungs with biopsies. She spent 3 days in

ICU because of the swelling and the test of the lungs were positive for strep pneumonia.

It seemed there was improvement as she got older. She would never run a marathon or give public speeches, but Barbara, Jimmie and her siblings were just happy to have a sense of normalcy.

That changed last year when her seizures began to increase.

She had had seizures before, but the doctors had warned Barbara she would.

At the Fort Payne Christmas parade in 2011 she had her first full seizure. On Easter Sunday 2012 she had a four minute seizure, accompanied with a fever of 102.

In August of 2012 at Daytona Beach Abigail had a seizure as she was falling asleep. This was the kind that would lead to Abigail’s surgery at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital last year.

“The way I handle the day to day is get up go and get this

done for her,” Barbara said. “I have moments of weakness when I cry alone, or on Jimmie's shoulder. But only for a few moments. Then it's time to shake it off and do it for Abigail what she deserves and needs to be done.”

She began to have multiple seizures, many of which were only hours apart.

Some lasted well over a minute, leaving Abigail disoriented. The doctors in Birmingham decided surgery was necessary to remove the effected portion of her brain.

The surgery was a success, and today Abigail has shown great improvement.

Her speech has cleared up to the point that she can speak some words, and she can now walk short distances, even without the braces on.

The one thing that hasn’t changed is Abigail’s way of making people smile. For more information about Abigail and her day-to-day activities, visit Abigail’s Army on Facebook.

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

The Road to the Final Four

By Nathan Cavitt nathan@southerntorch.com

It wasn’t the first upset of the 2016 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but it was perhaps the most thrilling as Syracuse downed No. 1 seeded Virginia 68-62 to advance to the final four, after a

year in which the Orange had to watch from afar after self-imposed sanctions kept them from the tournament.

Behind Malachi Richardson, who led No. 10 Syracuse with 23 points, 14 of which were scored during the Orange's 21-2 run after they trailed 54-39 with 9:30 left to play, the Orange showed they belonged in the tournament, after many had questioned whether they would make it at all.

That’s just one story going into the final four.

There are others: No. 2 seeded Oklahoma, led by senior Buddy Hield, won contest after contest in the NCAA tournament. The Sooners defeated Oregon 80-68, and will be play Villanova Saturday at 5:09 on TBS. Hield scored 37 points against the Ducks, and showed a plethora of skills that would dazzle any NBA executive. More than likely Oklahoma would have never made it to the Final Four if Hield had chosen to forego his senior season and enter the NBA

draft.

Then there’s Villanova who defeated Kansas. The Jayhawks were a tournament favorite, but the No. 2 Wildcats are headed to Houston after a 64-59 victory to face Oklahoma, a team which the Wildcats struggled against in an earlier loss this year.

Of course, then there’s North Carolina. The Tar Heels combined a late offensive explosion to add with their dominating defense, and down Notre Dame 88-74. This will be

North Carolina’s record 19th appearance in the Final Four—they are the only No. 1 seed remaining.

The North Carolina and Syracuse matchup will air at 7:49 on TBS Saturday night. Syracuse will once more be in the underdog role, but if their contest against Virginia proved anything, it’s that the Orange aren’t the type of team to be intimidated.

The nets will go down Saturday for two schools, and a champion will be crowned Monday night to end March Madness.

Former Fort Payne Sylvania native to bike ride Coach Danny over 250 miles Anderson settles in at Hazel Green

By Nathan Cavitt nathan@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala.— When former Fort Payne Head Basketball Coach Danny Anderson chose to leave for Hazel Green this offseason, the decision was not so much about leaving behind the Wildcats, but more so about returning home.

“The opportunity came for my family and me to get a little closer to home,” Anderson said. “My wife is from Huntsville, and I grew up in Athens, so that played a big part in it.”

Anderson’s new job in Hazel Green is only about a 20-minute to Huntsville and 40 minutes away from Athens—significantly closer than the hour and half-plus drive it took him to visit family when he was in Fort Payne.

Anderson said being closer to his mother was the key factor in his choice to leave the Wildcats to accept the job at Hazel Green.

“My stepdad passed away about two months ago with brain cancer,” Anderson said. “It gave me a chance to get back closer to my mom. Just being closer to her was something that was important to us as well.”

Anderson said the move to Hazel Green would also provide him with new

“The chance to coach in north Alabama at Hazel Green High School was just a good opportunity for me coaching-wise,” Anderson said. “The basketball that’s played in the area is really good basketball. It was very exciting to know that I could be a part of that.”

Anderson said he has good memories from his time coaching basketball in Fort Payne, and the hardest thing about leaving was telling his players goodbye.

“I appreciate the opportunity that I was given there,” Anderson said. “Just the support that my family and I had at Fort Payne was first class. We definitely enjoyed our time there.”

The Hazel Green Trojans are coming off a 14-12 season that ended in the first round of the area tournament in a 54-48 loss to James Clemens High School.

Anderson coached Fort Payne basketball for two years. In his first year with the Wildcats the team finished 7-21, but in his second year as coach the team showed improvement, finishing 13-15.

Anderson just completed his first week as Hazel Green’s new coach.

According to Anderson, Fort Payne principal Brian Jett would more than likely start looking for a replacement after spring break.

By Marla Jones, Sports Editor marla@southerntorch.com

SYLVANIA, Ala.— Sylvania native James Dawson will be participating in the Cycliad that starts April 1, 2016.

Cycliad is a 1000+ mile bicycle event that covers five Southeastern states

during the month of April. All fundraising efforts will be used to support the expansion of Patient Care Connect patient navigation program. Dawson will take part in the multi-day event. The first leg starts in Chattanooga and travels to Albertville, The

second leg will be from Albertville to Jacksonville. On April 3, Dawson will finish his bicycle ride in Hiram, Georgia. His part of the ride will be over 250 miles. “This is a sport where “winning” means surviving,” stated James Dawson.

Catch of the Week!

The Southern Torch Catch of the Week winner is Camdin Compton. This is his first fish!

Camdin is the grandson of Sid and Kim Williams, and he caught this beauty on Saturday, March 19. The fish weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces, was 23.5” long. Submit your photos to marla@southerntorch.com to be our next Catch of the Week Winner

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Friday–April 1, 2016

THE SOUTHERN TORCH

inside the chapel.”

The Mentone Wedding Chapel also offers other services not featured in the giveaway that the bride and groom can purchase. Flower packages are available, starting at $175 for a bouquet and boutonniere to $595 for extension package, including bouquets and boutonnieres for bridesmaids and groomsmen as well as corsages for mothers and grandmothers.

We’d like to invite all Interior of the famous Mentone Wedding Chapel.

By Tyler Pruett tyler@southerntorch.com

MENTONE, Ala— Southern Torch is proud to announce it has partnered with the Mentone Wedding Chapel to offer an exclusive wedding giveaway! At the end of April, we’ll be giving one lucky couple a free Mentone wedding. To enter, couples must be residents of DeKalb County and post an engagement photo (or any standard photo of contestant couple) to the Southern Torch Facebook page. The picture with the most likes by 10 a.m. on Friday, April 22 will be the winner! The winner will be announced on Friday, April 29. The winners will have one year from the date of announcement to redeem their prize.

The giveaway includes use of the famous Mentone Wedding Chapel, a wedding cake from Tina’s Cakes, candlelight and other basic decor (excluding flowers), and wedding music. The Preston House, which is next to the chapel, will also be offered to the couple at a discounted rate to host receptions. Guests will be limited to 50.

Linda Patterson, owner and operator of the chapel is pleased to offer her venue to the winners. Patterson built the chapel to be the perfect wedding location over 20 years ago. The location also has several outdoor sites to tie the

knot. The lucky couple can plan for an outdoor wedding, and use the chapel if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

our readers who are “You want to always have a backup plan when planning an outdoor wedding,” Patterson said.

“We have several spots

The Mentone Wedding Chapel

The Patterson House is available at a discounted rate for the reception!

around the chapel that make for a beautiful outdoor wedding, and if the weather turns sour, we can quickly move it

getting ready to tie the knot to enter. Help Southern Torch spread the word!

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Friday–April 1, 2016

Mentone Wedding Chapel

THE SOUTHERN TORCH