INSIDE TODAY: Nearing 100 days, Trump says his presidency is ‘different’ / A12 APRIL 25, 2017 JASPER, ALABAMA — TUESDAY — WWW.MOUNTAINEAGLE.COM 75 CENTS BEVILL STATE BRIEFS County cleanup considered a success COMMUNITY COLLEGE Jasper man By ED HOWELL weekend. The efforts were held in coordination dies in crash Daily Mountain Eagle with the 2017 Don’t Drop It On Alabama A single-vehicle Statewide Spring Cleanup Cleanups held Saturday across Walker “We had sign-up locations at each and we had A beary accident early Mon- County were successful, and the participating a lot of people to come out and help,” she said. day morning communities are talking of holding a similar ef- Fire departments and constables were in- claimed the life of a fort this fall. volved at all three locations, Dickerson said, Walker County Revenue Auditor Robbie Dick- while the Walker County Sheriff’s Department big Bevill Jasper man. erson, who helped coordinate the effort, said patrolled to make sure all the volunteers were Jeffrey R. Murry, Monday she was impressed with the citizen in- safe while they picked up roadside trash. 36, died when the volvement in Cordova, Parrish and Oakman, as 2003 Pontiac Grand those communities announced efforts for the See CLEANUP, A5 contest Am he was driving left the roadway Vote underway to help name and overturned. college’s new bear mascot Murry, who was By ED HOWELL not using a seat Daily Mountain Eagle belt, was ejected APRIL MARCH from the vehicle The public has picked a bear mascot and pronounced logo for Bevill State Community Col- lege. dead at the scene. Local protest Now the bear needs a name, and The crash hap- starting today, the public will pick it, pened at 4 a.m. on rally planned with voting going on through May 12. Yellow Jacket Road, The face of the bear was picked in for Saturday February, after online voting was held. nine miles south of The logo is being timed to the reintro- Carbon Hill. By DALE SHORT duction to this fall for sports teams on Daily Mountain Eagle State troopers are the Bevill campuses, including women’s still investigating the It’s probably a safe bet softball in Sumiton and men’s basket- ball in Jasper. cause of the crash. that not many people hereabouts are working to “The new Bevill State bear mascot make protest signs this will be representative of the entire No delayed week, but Tim Bowen and Bevill State Community College sys- some friends are an ex- tem,” college spokeswoman Tana L. start for ception. Collins said recently. city schools Come Saturday, a rare On Monday, she announced it was event will take place in time to name the bear mascot. Starting Wednesday was downtown Jasper: a polit- today, “we will launch an online survey scheduled to be a ical demonstration, in the to determine that name,” she said. form of an outdoor protest Collins said over the past few weeks, delayed start for posts were made on the school’s social students in the at the Walker County Courthouse. The happen- media accounts on Facebook, Instagram Jasper City School ing got its start on social and Twitter and allowed the public to System, but that media, according to make suggestions for names. Bowen, one of the demon- “We took the top selections and re- has been changed. viewed those with the athletics advising Students will now stration’s organizers, who’s also acting chair- committee and made the selections,” she attend classes all man of Walker County said. “It was fun reading all the selec- day. Democrats, which meets tions made by the public,” including monthly at local restau- some like Cracker Bear-el and Beary rants. Potter. “I just became tired of “I don’t mean to make a pun but it is complaining on Facebook time to ‘bear down’ and pick a name,” DEATHS and felt compelled to take she said. Patricia Ann Earnest action,” Bowen says. “My See MASCOT, A5 Bonds, 70, Parrish hope is that we can get Doris Jean Ballenger, 81, people talking about the Dora issues at hand, and that Charles Nelson Crump, 79, we can start finding polit- Jasper ical leaders we can be Wyndalene Smothers Lane, proud of, that we can 79, Jasper Robert Earl Mills, 78, trust to do the right thing Jasper whether we’re watching Jacob Bruce Bevins, 20, or not. I think we all want Jasper safety, a good education Billie Junior West, 85, for our kids, good health Parrish care, and a social system Daily Mountain Eagle - Dale Short Alice June Andrews Sims, that protects our elderly.” Tim Bowen with a sign that will be used in Saturday's demon- 68, Jasper Rodney L. Capps, 41, Dora See RALLY, A5 stration on the courthouse square in downtown Jasper. Mark Null, 56, Jasper Full obituaries / A2 KIWANIS CLUB OF JASPER WEATHER Birdsong addresses Kiwanis Club High Low Alabama honors By RON HARRIS 83 56 Daily Mountain Eagle Southern soldiers One of the most beloved and well-respected physicians to ever on Confederate INDEX practice in Jasper was the guest speaker at Monday’s meeting of Memorial Day Cashword..........A6-A7 the Kiwanis Club of Jasper. Classifieds............A11 Dr. Gene Birdsong, who prac- New Orleans takes down Comics..................A10 ticed for more than 40 years in white supremacist monument / A3 Dear Abby.............A10 Jasper and Walker County, told Horoscope............A10 Kiwanis members and other MONTGOMERY (AP) — The only Opinion...................A4 guests about how he became a black man clad in the gray woolen uni- Sports.....................A8 physician, as well as how he form of a Confederate soldier, H.K. ended up in Jasper in 1965. Edgerton stood up Monday and told the One section, 12 pages Among those attending Mon- crowd at the Alabama Capitol building day’s meeting were Rodney Kim- to never forget his fellow African-Amer- Check brell — the first baby delivered icans who died fighting for the South in out our by Birdsong in Jasper — and the Civil War. Facebook Jayce Willingham — a Cordova The nearly 150 people who gathered page at High junior and the last baby de- there for Confederate Memorial Day — a state holiday commemorating South- Jasper Daily Mountain Eagle livered by Birdsong. Throughout his career, Bird- ern soldiers killed in the war with the song has traveled throughout the North — cheered. world to lend a hand to those in “I’m very proud that Alabama still has need. He’s worked in Thailand, this as a state holiday to celebrate the Cambodia, Sri Lanka and men and women who gave their lives Liberia — each time to offer after they were invaded,” said Edgerton, medical assistance to victims of 69, a Confederate flag slung over his natural disasters. Daily Mountain Eagle - Ron Harris shoulder. Alabama is one of the last states in “Dr. Birdsong has made a valu- Dr. Gene Birdsong was the guest speaker at Monday’s See BIRDSONG, A5 meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Jasper. See HOLIDAY, A5 A2 — DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE Jasper, Ala., Tues., April 25, 2017 www.mountaineagle.com Today’s weather DEATHS & FUNERALS Forecast for Tuesday, April 25, 2017 TENN. Patricia Ann Jacob Bruce Bevins May 15, 1996 – April 22, 2017 Oxford Earnest Bonds 81/61 Huntsville Jacob Bruce Bevins, 20, of Jasper, passed away Sat- ARK. 81/58 Patricia Ann Earnest Bonds, 70, of Parrish, passed urday, April 22, 2017, at his residence. away Saturday, April 22, 2017, at Walker Baptist Med- The family will receive friends ical Center in Jasper. Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at 11 a.m. GA. The family will receive friends today, April 25, 2017, at Grace Missionary Baptist Church. from 10 until 11 a.m. at Collins-Burke Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Wednes- Greenville Birmingham 81/64 82/59 Funeral services will be held today, April 25. 2017, at 11 day, April 26, 2017, at 2 p.m. at Grace a.m. in the Collins-Burke Chapel. Burial will be at Missionary Baptist Church, with bur- Pleasantfield Cemetery in Parrish. ial at Oak Hill Cemetery. Aaron Par- She was preceded in death by her father, Vonnie rish will officiate. Earnest; husband, Robert Bonds; sons, Robert Lee Bevins is survived by his mother, Jackson Montgomery Bonds, Joe Dale Bonds and James Earl Bonds; brother, Donna Bevins of Jasper; father, John 84/60 84/58 Jerry Lee Earnest; and grandparents, Joey Dockery, Bevins of Jasper; brother, Jonathan Mary Dockery and Mary Earnest. Daniel Bevins of Jasper; grandparents, John and She is survived by her mother, Teoia Dockery Earnest. Juanita Bevins and Theadore and Juanita Williams of Brookhaven Hattiesburg 82/61 Pikeville, Ky. 85/57 Collins-Burke Funeral Home, Jasper; 205-384-5571 Collins-Burke Funeral Home, Jasper; 205-384-5571 Mobile LA. 83/62 FLA. Doris Jean Ballenger Doris Jean Ballenger, 81, of Dora, passed away Sun- Billie Junior West day, April 23, 2017, at her residence. Billie Junior West, 85, of Parrish, went peacefully to The family will receive friends today, April 25, 2017, Heaven Friday, April 21, 2017, at Shadescrest Health from 10 until 11:30 a.m. at Bell Funeral Home in Sumi- Care in Jasper. ton. Graveside services will be held today, April 25, The family will receive friends Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at noon at Davis Cemetery. The Rev. Dale Horton 2017, at from 4 until 6 p.m. at Collins-Burke Funeral will officiate. ©2017 AccuWeather, Inc. Home in Jasper. Funeral services will be held Wednes- Ballenger was preceded in death by her husband, day, April 26, 2017, at 6 p.m.