Superintendent Stephens petitions commission to establish date for school ad valorem taxes



A petition to establish an election date for school ad valorem taxes was presented to Clarke County Commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting by Clarke County Superintendent of Education Gerald Stephens. The taxes, which were levied 25 years ago, come up for renewal in 2005. The resolution requests the matter be placed on the Nov. 2 ballot. The tax renewal election consists […]

War prevalent in 1942 issue



As this is written, August 23, we are having another rainy Monday. The clouds hang heavy and the raindrops are falling softly. Even though it’s hard to believe, school is back in session. We urge everyone to drive carefully and watch for school buses and children at bus stops, especially on these rainy days. As we look back again to […]

Rhone elected second vice-president of Alabama County Commission Association



Clarke County Commissioner Rhondel Rhone has been elected second vice president of the Alabama Commission association, which represents Alabama’s county governments. Under the Association’s officer rotation, Rhone is expected to become President in August of the year 2006. Rhone would become the fourth Clarke County Commissioner to serve as president of the association during its 75-year history. “We are excited […]

Pine Hill leadership gets no shake-up



More than 30 people gathered around Pine Hill Town Hall anticipating the result of Tuesday evening’s election. An impressive 333 of 600 registered voters, a better than state-wide average, turned out to participate in the democratic process. About an hour after the poll closed residents learned that not much had changed in their town government. Incumbent mayor Harry Mason retained […]

Cutting edge Renewal Project proposed to Thomasville Council



Election day passed uneventfully in Thomasville, as mayor and city council reclaimed their respective positions in city government. The first big dish on their civic plate is approving a new budget by Oct. 1. With this in mind, Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day proposed a new program for the upcoming fiscal year. The Thomasville Renewal Project, as described by the mayor, […]

Editor calls Thomasville and Clarke County home



The Thomasville Times is under new leadership beginning this week with the addition of Martha Gramelspacher as editor. “This is exactly the kind of job that could get me excited about being back in the workforce,” said Gramelspacher. She and her husband, Kevin, moved to Thomasville from Jackson in 2001. Since that time she has primarily fulfilled the role of […]

School report gives false impression



With so much attention being given to testing and school performance the State Department of Education added a new report to the mix of performance indicators. The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report was submitted state-wide last week, causing quite a bit of confusion. The report is in compliance with the national mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act. The […]

Community deserves a dependable and holistic newspaper



Creative writing and news reporting have been part of my life since elementary school. My experience in news reporting began in second grade with my stint as a news anchor for NBC in Ms. Merritt’s language arts class. Except for a minor issue with the map of Iran (I held it upside-down for the duration of my news report) Ms. […]

Siegelman may play sympathy card in 2006



Bob Ingram has been involved in politics and writing about state government longer than many of The Times readers have been in this world. He was a reporter for The Montgomery Advertiser before becoming a member of Gov. Albert Brewer’s cabinet back in the late 1970s. He’s seen his fair share of unusual happenings on “goat hill” in Montgomery. Ingram’s […]

Trust Fund ends with surplus



MONTGOMERY—It is a most unanticipated development, but after months of gloom and doom predictions it now appears that the Special Education Trust Fund will end the current fiscal year with a surplus of $120 million. When you consider the SETF budget exceeds $4 billion, that is a paltry amount, but it is wonderful news after all the talk of massive […]