Looking back, moving forward

By Staff
School tax proposal, I-65 work leads the list
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The top 10 news stories that appeared in the Hartselle Enquirer in 2007 dealt with a variety of subjects ranging from efforts to find a way to fund a new high school to an email investigation involving county officials and their staffs.
A capsule version of the top 10 newsmakers follows:
After months of wrangling, the future of Hartselle’s proposed new high school is now in the hands of voters. The city council unanimously passed a resolution Dec. 11 to give voters the opportunity to vote on a proposed 7.5 mill property tax, the proceeds from which would be used in part to pay for the construction of a new high school. At the same time, the governing body resolved to vote for a one-half cent sales tax to help fund the project if the property tax is approved. The combined taxes would generate about $1.4 million a year. The move came on the heels of a petition bearing the names of some 900 residents who indicated their support for a school tax referendum. Earlier in the year the council majority voted in favor of giving voters the opportunity to vote on a 12-mill school property tax; however, the local legislative delegation refused to support a local act needed to bring the measure to a vote because it didn’t have unanimous council support.
I-65 sewer project approved
Hartselle City Council voted in August to proceed with plans to extend sewer service to the east side of Interstate 65 .
The project involved the construction of a 60-inch tunnel under the interstate and the installation of encasements for water, sewer and gas mains and fiber optic cable. Tunco Inc. received the contract on a bid of $532,875. The project was prompted by the city’s purchase of an18-acre tract of undeveloped land in the southeast corner of the interchange in 2006. Earlier, the council rejected a bid of $1.4 million and opted to rebid the project on an incremental basis. At the same time Hartselle Utilities agreed to pick up a portion of the cost by installing encasements to accommodate other utilities. The tunnel was completed in December and the sewer line hookup is scheduled to be completed in January.
3. Morgan County email investigation
An investigation into the content of emails sent and received by Morgan County’s elected officials and members of their staffs was the subject of heavy news coverage during the first quarter of 2007. In January the county commission voted not to go any further in its efforts to retrieve information on hard drives in the offices of the sheriff, revenue commissioner and probate judge, after the three office holders claimed they were protecting sensitive information from public disclosure under state law. Instead. it was agreed that steps would be taken to clarify and strengthen an existing computer use policy. This move was followed a week later by a report from Alabama Computer Data Services that showed two of the 17 computer hard drivers examined earlier showed pornographic. Those two computers were assigned to Commission Chairman John Glasscock and Jack Underwood, former human resources director. Subsequently, District 4 Commissioner Stacy George sought judgment in circuit court against two commission members and a county employee because they refused t him access to emails on computer servers. That suit was later dismissed. Meanwhile, the revenue commissioner volunteered to allow her office’s computer servers to be examined provided she was allowed to observe the procedure. A follow-up report revealed no sexually explicit emails were found.
4. Drought persists
Farmers were the hardest hit. Their spring and summer hay crops were drastically reduced, pasture grass vanished and un-irrigated corn crops were badly damaged or destroyed. It forced many produce growers out of business and those who survived did so by turning to water from the spigot. This caused prices for fresh garden produce to increase substantially.
Many rain-fed farm ponds dried up and some municipalities in North Alabama including Cullman were forced to restrict water uses because of low water supplies. Even the celebration of the nation’s birthday was quieter than usual because of the drought. The sale of above ground fireworks was prohibited by law. “It’s the driest it’s been in my lifetime, a 75-year-old farmer told a Hartselle Enquirer.
5. New businesses locate in Hartselle
The location of several new businesses in Hartselle was a big newsmaker in 2007. Captain D’s seafood restaurant got the ball rolling in July when it opened on Highway 31, North, in July to standing-room only patrons. Bender’s Gym and Redstone Federal Credit announced plans build new facilities in Hartselle in February. The modern gym is now open on Highway 31, North, and the credit union plans to open in a new building on Highway 36, East, next spring. Also, a new Walgreen Store is complete and is expected to open for business in a couple of months. But McWhorter Properties of Anniston triggered the distinct possibility of Hartselle landing an even biggest retail business fish in October when it received zoning variance for a business development on a 27-acre tract on Highway 31, north, across from Abercrombie Chevrolet. It has been speculated that the company is planning to build a new Lowe’s development on that property. As of now, the company has now confirmed such plans.
6. Cage fighting controversy
A controversy between city officials and Robert Clairday of Clairday’s Boxing and Sports Center over “Extreme Cage Fighting” matches erupted in August and lasted until November. City officials questioned the legality of the fights and tasked City Attorney Larry Madison to seek an Attorney General’s opinion. Madison later reported that such events are not regulated by the state but may be regulated by municipalities. Subsequently, the state fire marshal ruled that the old Abercrombie Chevrolet Building on Sparkman Street, where the fights were being held, did not meet the state fire code. Meanwhile, Clairday, who had previously held mixed martial arts events in Sparkman Civic Center, decided to move his business and the cage fights outside of the city.
7. Hartselle men convicted of sex crimes
Two Hartselle men were convicted of sex crimes in January and March and sentenced to prison terms in connection with a July 2006 indecency sting at a public boat dock/recreation area on the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in 2006. Walter E. Brannon, 48, was found guilty on one count each of public lewdness and indecent exposure and Gradson Tanner, 48. a former Hartselle minister was found guilty of indecent exposure. Both were tried in U.S. District Court in Decatur and will be required to register as sex offenders.
8. Falkville lands Love’s Travel Stop
The announcement of plans to locate a Love’s Travel Stop in Falkville at Highway 55 and I-65 in March created more excitement than townspeople can remember. The project was officially launched in September with a groundbreaking ceremony. Construction is moving at a fast pace and is expected to be completed in April 2008. The business, which will include a McDonald’s and a Subway , is expected to generate about $288,000 per year in fuel and sales tax revenue for the town. “This is a win-win for our town with a large portion of the taxes being paid by people who travel on the interstate,” said Mayor Jimmie Walker. “The extra money will be put to good use upgrading infrastructure, helping our schools and improving services. “ Councilman Matt Stiles added, “This is going to change our community in a positive way. Others businesses will follow and everybody will benefit. “It’s an exciting time to be involved in city government.”
9. 152nd MPA Company returns home
Members of Hartselle’s 152nd Police Company returned home April 27 after spending 17 months on active duty. They cross-trained as military policemen in Missouri for six months and provided security for Fort Benning, Ga. for 11 months. A welcome home ceremony for the soldiers was conducted at the Ferrell Vest Armory on April 30. The soldiers were greeted with “welcome home:” banners and displays of red, white and blue balloons and sat with family members as battalion officers commended them for a job well done. They also enjoyed refreshments and were entertained by Tam my Lee, a local vocalist.
10. SNAP project makes progress
An all-inclusive education campaign combined with a variety of fundraisers kept SNAP, a Special Needs Accessible Playground, in the public eye in 2007. The project was initiated by Hartselle Civitan Club in 2002 but suffered from lack of pubic exposure. That changed in 2006 when it became a joint community project with support from Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs. Subsequently, it attracted other sponsors including Wal-Mart,
Morgan County United Way and Hartselle Medical Center. The playground will be built in Sparkman Park near the swimming complex and will cater to special needs children. Its estimated cost is $600,000. Plans are to begin construction next spring.