'It's the Unknown'
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A3 / NEWS A5 / NEWS Study hints, can’t Report: Post Office prove, survivor plasma warns 46 states about fights COVID-19 mail voting delays Daily Mountain Eagle “The newspaper that cares about Walker County” MOUNTAINEAGLE.COM WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 15-16, 2020 $1.50 State health INSIDE officials encouraged by COVID-19 numbers Jasper football Governor’s chief of staff announces ticket quarantines after exposure / A9 policy for 2020 With COVID-19 still By KIM CHANDLER posing a threat, Jasper Associated Press High School has an- MONTGOMERY — Alabama health nounced its ticket policy officials are encouraged by a decline in for the 2020 football sea- COVID-19 cases about a month after son, which will see the a state mask order took effect but cau- stadium at 50 percent tioned that people should not abandon capacity and ticket sales precautions as the moved online. / A7 state heads to Labor Day gatherings and school openings. Photo Special to the Eagle “Things are Dora High School English teacher Miranda Barnes decorates her classroom in DORA encouraging, at the preparation for the start of the school year. CITY COUNCIL moment, in terms of the numbers of new cases per day, in Council terms of the percent positives and in ‘It’s the unknown’ terms of the track of Dr. Scott honors hospitalizations. All Harris Teachers preparing for unprecedented school year those are better this two local week,” State Health Officer Scott Harris said Thursday. By NICOLE SMITH The seven-day average number of Daily Mountain Eagle citizens daily cases has dropped below 1,000, after being 1,800 in mid-July. The Teachers in Walker Coun- From Staff Reports number of hospitalized patients has ty and Jasper City schools DORA — City officials dropped from about 1,600 to 1,400 are preparing for what may took time Thursday during and the percent of positive tests has be one of the most challeng- the Dora City Council meet- dropped to 12.3%, down from 16.7%. ing school years to date. ing to recognize two area Harris urged people to continue Students enrolled in Jas- citizens for their work in the taking precautions such as wearing a per City Schools will return community. mask in public. “Just because numbers to school beginning Aug. Dora Mayor Randy Ste- are getting better is not the time to 20, while Walker County phens said proclamations suddenly put it all in jeopardy by being Schools’ students will re- aren’t given out often by the unsafe,” Harris said. sume traditional instruction city, but he felt Phillip Walk- Since the pandemic began, more on Aug. 27. Daily Mountain Eagle - Nicole Smith er and Rick Watson were than 100,000 people in Alabama have Teachers have complet- Jasper Jr. High School teachers Amy Stracner and deserving of the honor. See OFFICIALS, A9 See TEACHERS, A9 Christi Ballard discuss the upcoming school year. Walker is a Dora High graduate and is currently youth pastor at Sumiton Church of God. Stephens JASPER PUBLIC LIBRARY said Walker was being rec- ognized specifically for the work he has done in recent Jasper library reopened month regarding racial rec- onciliation in the area. with new procedures “Phillip Walker does a lot for Dora. He is of high char- inside at a time. They will be acter, and we appreciate By JENNIFER COHRON him,” Stephens said. “His Daily Mountain Eagle asked to sign in as they enter. Restrooms will be closed, work with students means The Jasper Public Library, and library telephones will not so much for the future of which has been closed due be available for public use. Dora.” to the COVID-19 pandemic, A clear screen has also been Walker was asked to lead reopened on Monday with a installed around the circula- the opening prayer during number of new temporary pro- tion desk for the protection of the meeting. He asked those cedures in place to deal with staff and patrons. Daily Mountain Eagle - Ed Howell in the audience to specifi- cally remember students, the coronavirus. All seating in the facility Tables and chairs have been temporarily taken out of the Masks will be required in has been removed except in parents and teachers over the library, and no more than main reading area of the Jasper Public Library to deal with See DORA, A2 22 patrons will be allowed See LIBRARY, A2 COVID-19. DEATHS WEATHER INDEX SOCIAL Classifieds .................. A12 LEFT Morris A. Taft, 83, Cordova Dear Abby ..................... A8 ON George Carlos Files, 80 Horoscope .................... A8 LifeStyles .................... RED Diane Williams, 65, Oakman Use your A10 phone to Opinion .......................... A6 Find us on your Willodean Tucker, 81, Bremen High Low quickly sign Sports ............................ A7 favorite podcast up for our streaming 90 60 weekly e-mail platforms. OBITUARIES / A2 newsletter One section, 14 pages (205) 302-6464 2001 2ND AVE JASPER, AL 35501 A2 — DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE Jasper, Ala., Weekend Edition, Aug. 15-16, 2020 www.mountaineagle.com Today’s weather DEATHS & FUNERALS Forecast for Saturday, August 15, 2020 TENN. Oxford 90/70 Huntsville Morris A. Taft Willodean Tucker ARK. 88/67 April 10, 1937-August 12, 2020 Willodean Tucker, 81, of Bremen, passed away Morris A. Taft, 83, of Cordova, passed away Thursday, August 13, 2020, at her residence. GA. Wednesday, August 12, 2020, at Ridgewood Health She was a member of Mt. Hope Baptist Church Services. since 1957. Greenville Birmingham 93/72 87/70 Graveside services will be held Sunday, August 16, Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Au- 2020, at 4 p.m. at Barney Cemetery. gust 17, 2020, at Bell Sumiton Chapel. Visitation will Mr. Taft is survived by his son, William Taft (Jessi- be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, August 16, 2020, at ca); brothers, Terry Taft and McKinley Taft; and two the funeral home. The Rev. Wayne Williams will offi- Jackson Montgomery grandchildren. ciate. Bell Funeral Home Sumiton has been entrusted 92/71 90/71 with the arrangements. Collins -Burke Funeral Home, Jasper; 205-384-5571 Preceding her in death was her loving husband Brookhaven Hattiesburg of 57 years, Winfred Tucker; parents, Sid and Viola 90/72 88/70 Williams; daughter, Glenda Niblett; son, Dusty Day; sister, Louise Tubbs; brothers, Marion “Little John” Mobile George Carlos Files Williams and Albert “Cleburg” Williams; and son-in- LA. 89/71 FLA. George Carlos Files, born September 29, 1939, went to be with the Lord July 31, 2020. laws, Don Wiggins and Billy Day. He was a loving husband, father, Survivors include her children, Janet Matthews, and dedicated deacon. He also ran Stephanie Lockhart (Larry) and Melissa Tolbert the video camera and taught the (Terry) of Bremen; son-in-law, David Niblett of Senior Sunday school class at Good- Sumiton; her loving dog, Toby; 11 grandchildren; springs Missionary Baptist Church. 23 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; ©2020 AccuWeather, Inc. He had many jobs in his lifetime. brother, A.C. Williams of Arkadelphia; sister-in-law, He was master carpenter, ran a gas Clothell Williams of Bremen; and a host of nieces, station, ran a clothing store, and he nephews and friends. was also a security guard. You may sign an online register or express private Wildfires burn amid Mr. Files was preceded in death condolences to the family at www.bellsumiton.com by his daughter, Camilla Ann Files Douglas; mother, high risk of brutal blazes Nora Belle Poe Files; father, George Houston Files; Bell Funeral Home, Sumiton; 205-648-6611 his wife’s parents, Annie Mae Wells Wilbanks and LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bone-dry vegetation fueled William Homer Wilbanks; brother, Charles Van Files three wildfires near Los Angeles amid warnings Fri- and his wife, Beulah, and Adline Wilbanks Files. day that the risk of new blazes erupting was high as He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ann Wil- OBITUARY POLICY temperatures spike and humidity levels drop during a banks Files; sons, George Ashley Files, Adam Grant statewide heat wave. Files (Deb) and Christopher Lee Douglas; daughter, The Daily Mountain Eagle publishes A huge forest fire that prompted evacuations north Misty Ann Nichols (Richard); two grandchildren; obituaries for a minimum $65 charge for a of Los Angeles was just 12% contained and after brother, Bobby Deloyd Files (Wanda); sister-in-law, standard obituary. The standard obituary threatening more than 5,400 homes, it had charred Pat Wilbanks Quinn (Roger); brother-in-law, Ronny includes the deceased’s complete name, more than 18 square miles of brush and trees. Wilbanks; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews age, occupation, date, cause and place Cooler overnight temperatures helped firefighters and cousins. of death, time and place of services and increase containment, but the forecast called for hot, Burial was held Aug. 4, 2020 at Crestview Memori- survivors. Photographs of the deceased are dry weather with dangerous fire conditions because of al Gardens. welcome, but not required. If the obituary possible gusty winds, officials said. exceeds standard space, additional charges Record-breaking heat is possible through the week- Crestview Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home, may be incurred. Information must be end, with triple-digit temperatures and unhealthy air Adamsville; 205-674-1616 received from the funeral home handling predicted for many parts of the state. the arrangements and services. Preliminary damage assessments found that at least five buildings burned in the Lake Hughes area north of Los Angeles, but authorities said they be- Diane Williams Diane Williams, 65, of Oakman, passed away lieved more had been damaged or destroyed. Friday, August 14, 2020, at Walker Baptist Medical There was no containment of a blaze that blackened Center.