FROM STAFF REPORTS

Editor’s note: Below is the first part of a four-part series looking back at the top news stories of 2014. This installment covers January through February. Look for the second installment in the Dec. 31 edition.

Band students with local ties to perform at Rose Bowl

When the Auburn Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles squared off in the college football BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 6 in Pasadena, Calif., several Chilton County natives were instrumental in making sure the excitement and noise levels in the stadium were high.

Ian Velasquez, Schylar McBride and Heather Foshee were among about 380 Auburn University students in the AU Marching Band that traveled to Pasadena to perform at the Rose Bowl, the site of the game.

In addition, Jemison native Drake Anderson was listed on Seminoles.com, the official athletic site of Florida State University, as the student portraying Chief Osceola, the well-known Seminole Indian leader, who charges down the football field riding an Appaloosa horse named Renegade and plants a flaming spear in midfield at the start of every FSU home game.

Osceola and Renegade are part of one of college football’s most recognized pre-game traditions.

Exploding gas containers limit firefighters, home destroyed

Firefighters found an unpleasant surprise when they responded to a structure fire Jan. 7 off County Road 454, just east of Clanton.

The blaze at the home started at an adjacent shop where acetylene and oxygen containers were stored.

As the fire progressed, the containers exploded, with at least one shooting into the air higher than surrounding trees.

Clanton Fire Chief David Driver, whose department was among the first to respond, said firefighters were limited in putting out the fire by the danger posed by the gas cylinders.

“There wasn’t a whole lot we could do with it,” Driver said. “That was the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that.”

Driver estimated 20-30 containers exploded during the fire.

The residence was a total loss. No residents were harmed during the incident. Onlookers on the scene said those living at the home were able to get out after the fire started.

Meeting informs residents about gas pipeline expansion project

Williams held an informational “open house” meeting at Billingsley School on Jan. 13 to educate the public about a proposed expansion of the Transco natural gas pipeline that runs through Billingsley and part of Chilton County.

Chris Stockton, spokesman for Williams, said such meetings are held in the earliest stages of an expansion project.

“This is the first step in that process,” Stockton said and added that the next step is filing an application with the Federal Energy Regulation Commission. “A meeting like this is to address any issues that could come up.”

For example, a property owner might ask Williams to cross his or her land at a different point because of plans for the land, and the proposal might turn out to be a better scenario for all parties involved.

Or, a landowner might see that the proposed pipe path crosses a septic system and needs to be re-directed.

Transco is the longest natural gas pipeline in the United States, built to carry gas from sources in the Gulf of Mexico to customers in the Southeast and Northeast, including New York City.

The proposed Hillabee Expansion would allow the pipeline to feed the planned Sabal Trail Pipeline, which would serve customers in Florida.

About 20 miles of the in-ground pipeline lies in Southern and Southeastern Chilton County. One of many compressor stations, where the gas is pressurized to travel along the pipeline, is located in Billingsley.

No Chilton County schools listed as ‘failing’ by state

No schools in Chilton County were included on a list of failing schools the Alabama Department of Education released Jan. 16.

Seventy schools were listed as “failing” schools as defined by the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013.

“We’re all very happy,” Chilton County Schools Superintendent Dave Hayden said. “Certainly, we want to achieve the best way we can. We’re making progress.”

Last year, no Chilton County schools were included in the list ALSDE released of 72 schools listed as “failing.”

According to an ALSDE document, the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013 defines a “failing” school as a public K–12 school (i) that is labeled as persistently low-performing by the State Department of Education, in the then most-recent United States Department of Education School Improvement Grant application; (ii) that is designated as a failing school by the State Superintendent of Education; or (iii) that does not exclusively serve a special population of students and, until June 1, 2017, has been listed three or more times during the then-most recent six years in the lowest 6 percent of public K–12 schools on the state standardized assessment in reading and math or, on or after June 1, 2017, has during the then-most recent three years, earned at least one grade of “F” or, during the then-most recent four years, earned at least three grades of “D” on the school grading system developed pursuant to Section 16-6C-2, Code of Alabama 1975.

Long-time educator, community servant passes

James M. Hill Sr., 94, of Clanton passed away Jan. 20, leaving behind a legacy of immeasurable dedication to Chilton County schools and other service organizations throughout the county.

Hill was the first black person elected to the Chilton County Board of Education in 1978.

Family and friends of Hill shared memories of him and described him as an unfailingly generous person.

“He was a very giving man,” said James Hill Jr., Hill’s son. “He did anything he could for anyone that would ask him.”

Hill Sr. also served on the Chilton County Industrial Development Board, Chilton County Emergency Assistance Center board and was a member of Chilton County Retired Educators.

“He was a mild-mannered person that everybody liked,” Chilton County Commissioner Bobby Agee said of Hill Sr. “He was well received by all segments of the community.”

Overturned 18-wheeler shuts down Fourth Avenue North in Clanton

An 18-wheeler hauling paper overturned on Fourth Avenue North, or Highway 22, near Clanton Accounting at about 5:15 a.m on Jan 22.

The road was shut down while the wreck was being cleaned up, according to Clanton Police Chief Brian Stilwell, and re-opened about noon on Jan. 22.

The truck, which was traveling east, struck a power pole, contributing to the delay because the truck couldn’t be righted until the electricity situation was addressed.

No injuries were reported.

The driver told authorities he thinks his load shifted, causing the wreck.

“He said that he could feel his load shift because it was just stacked with pallets of paper,” Stilwell said. “We’re still trying to determine exactly what happened.”

Winter storm blankets county, leaves travelers stranded

Chilton County Engineer Tony Wearren announced at 11:40 a.m. on Jan. 28 that all county roads and bridges were closed due to a heavy winter storm.

“We started sanding bridges at 9:30 a.m. trying to beat the schools,” Wearren said. “We have run out of sand and we are going to get more to try to sand this evening.”

Wearren said his crew would try to sand the roads a second time before Jan. 28.

Hotels in Chilton County were bombarded Jan. 28 with a heavy influx of stranded people looking for places to stay during the winter storm, and chances that any hotels had vacancies Jan. 29 night were slim.

Hundreds of people unable to make it home Jan. 28 occupied rooms at local hotels, including Holiday Inn Express, Scottish Inn, Best Western, Key West Inn and Inn of Clanton, all of which are located near the Interstate 65 corridor.

According to hotel managers, some of their guests were able to drive to the hotels or to businesses nearby to park, but others had to abandon their vehicles on icy roads and walk the rest of the way to the hotels.

Debra James, front desk manager at Holiday Inn Express off Exit 205 in Clanton, said most of the people occupying her hotel’s 63 rooms were there because of the storm.

James estimated between 20-30 people had to leave their vehicles and walk to the hotel.

Two people unable to book a regular room stayed in the hotel’s meeting room and slept on pallets they made on the floor.

“They were stranded,” James said. “Some people had to park at Whataburger and just walk up the hill to get here.”

James said Holiday Inn Express was full by about 1 p.m. Jan. 28.

“We had a line in the lobby for awhile just to get everybody checked in,” James said. “We were very understaffed. We manned the building with four employees.”

Road conditions remained hazardous throughout Chilton County on Jan. 29 with all of the roads still deemed impassable.

“We are asking everyone to stay off the roads,” Wearren said. “The temperatures will not get above freezing during the day today and if you don’t have to get out then you need to stay put.”

Wearren said all roads throughout the county were still slick with ice and snow from the storm, and crews are only responding to emergency situations.

Wearren said his crews were treating the roads with a mixture of sand and gravel but due to the severity of ice throughout the county his crews struggled making it everywhere.

“We had dump trucks sliding all over the place so it made it difficult for us to go out and treat some of the places,” Wearren said. “Everywhere from Jemison to Verbena was a mess.” 

FEBRUARY

Raptors visit Clanton Middle School

The Chilton Auburn Club hosted a raptor program in partnership with the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University on Feb. 4 at Clanton Middle School for all third graders in Chilton County.

Assistant Director Marianne Hudson and Raptor Specialist Andrew Hopkins from the center showed students seven different types of rehabilitated raptors they brought from the center.

As Hudson talked about each raptor, Hopkins removed the birds of prey from their compartments one at a time and walked around the gymnasium with them on his outstretched arm to give students a close-up view.

Students were able to see and hear about a barn owl, Eastern screech owl, great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, falcon, vulture and the American bald eagle named “Spirit,” one of the eagles that flies around Jordan-Hare Stadium before Auburn football games.

“These raptors live all around here,” Hudson told students Tuesday. “Your homework is to look for them.”

Governor visits Clanton during economic recovery tour

As part of his Road to Economic Recovery Tour, Gov. Robert Bentley visited Clanton on Feb. 7 to talk to residents and business owners about local economic conditions and state-level efforts to attract more jobs to Alabama.

“It’s good to be in Chilton County,” Bentley said to those gathered in Clanton City Hall for a small business roundtable. “We’ve been through some difficult times the last few years. Things are getting better. We know that by seeing how much we collect in taxes every year. We can tell that the economy is turning around.”

Bentley said although the state’s unemployment rate increased to 6.1 percent recently, 58,000 more people are working now than there were in 2011.

LeCroy Career Technical Center Director Tommy Glasscock asked Bentley about how to help more students in the county be college and career ready.

Bentley said his College and Career Ready Task Force is designed to brainstorm ways to create more skilled workers in Alabama.

“It’s essential that we do that,” Bentley said. “It takes knowledge of science and math. We need to be really concentrating on it.”