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Year in Review
Jackson Mayor Richard Long highlighted growth in his city, including a plant expansion at New Era Cap Co., new businesses and the construction of a new Jackson Police Department. All total, about 400 new jobs are expected. State Rep. Marc Keahey, DKeahey, might have been only a few months on the job but he wasted little time in tweaking Gov. Bobby Riley on the Republican governor's use of state aircraft. Riley used the plane to fly he and his wife and other staffers to separate weddings of a staffer and a former staffer. Keahey introduced a legislative resolution calling for an audit of state aircraft usage and later introduced a bill seeking to ban personal use of state aircraft. Ellie Wilson, a student at Clarke County High School, was named Clarke County Junior Miss. Grove Hill girls did well in the competition. Other winners included Amanda Champion, Clarke Prep, Spirit of Junior Miss; Chelsea Beverly, JHS, fourth runner-up; Keke Cummings, CCHS, first runner up; Whitney Drinkard, CCHS, second runner-up; and Schaefer Bradford, CCHS, third runner-up. The long-awaited announcement of a new mega steel mill was announced. Alabama beat out Louisiana for the German manufacturer, ThyssenKrupp AG, to construct a $3.7 billion mill at Calvert. The construction will employ 28,000 workers between now and 2010 when production starts. It will work 2,700 permanent workers and could create up to 50,000 spin off jobs over the next 20 years. Clarke County leaders were elated, saying the county and region should benefit. Grove Hill is about 50 miles from Calvert while Jackson is only 35 miles. After months of talk and the development and passage of control ordinances, the Thomasville City Council set a date for a municipal referendum on whether or not to permit the sale of alcoholic beverages in the city. The vote was 4-1 with Mayor Sheldon Day joining the majority setting the Aug. 14 date and council member Charles Allen voting no. Council member Alberta Dixon was not at the meeting. The council really had no choice in setting a date as a petition had been presented late in 2006 requesting a referendum. It met all of the legal requirements of a local act that authorized the question to be voted on. Gasoline prices jumped over $3 per gallon, just in time for Memorial Day travel. Prices have yo-yoed up and down all year. Barbara Hough retired from teaching at Clarke Prep School after 37 years. She started when the school, then known as Grove Hill Academy, started in 1970. Lou Como, a Brewton contractor who specializes in restoration projects, started work on the Mathews log cabin. The 1830s cabin was moved from south of Grove Hill to the Clarke County Museum grounds in Grove Hill and Mathews descendants and others contributed funds for its restoration.
Irma Brady Carlson was recognized for her 50 years as an artist by the Alabama State Council on the Arts. The Community Study Club of Grove Hill nominated the Grove Hill artist for the recognition.
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