A2 / NEWS A4 / NEWS Neighborhoods Trump commutes under flash-flood former Illinois warning in Mississippi governor’s sentence Daily Mountain Eagle “The newspaper that cares about Walker County” MOUNTAINEAGLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19, 2020 75 CENTS JASPER CITY COUNCIL City refinances previous bond issuance Council recognizes Jasper for construction of the new Jasper someone refinances their home to O’Mary said the savings will firefighters / A9 High School. get a lower interest rate.” amount to more than $300,000 in Matt Adams of Raymond James O’Mary said the bond issuance the first year alone — enough to By RON HARRIS Financial Services said the timing will create no new debt for the city buy several police patrol vehicles, Daily Mountain Eagle of the bond issuance comes be- and it won’t lengthen the terms of as an example. cause of lower interest rates that the original bond. “Over time, it averages out Jasper City Council members can lead to more than $5.5 million “Nobody’s taxes went up, and we about $220,000 a year in savings,” approved an ordinance Tuesday in savings for the city over the life don’t have any investment other he said. “That doesn’t fall into morning to issue bonds totaling of the bond. than what ink it took to sign the some slot where we’re lacking, it more than $38.7 million. Jasper Mayor David O’Mary documents,” he said. stacks on top of the sound oper- The bond issuance will serve said the savings “certainly will In all, refinancing the previous ation we have in the city. We can Mayor David as a way to refinance a 2014 bond provide some money for operating debt will lead to $5,546,000 in O’Mary issuance of more than $52 million the city, much like it would when savings for the city. See JASPER, A9 WALKER COUNTY JASPER HIGH SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION ‘Foundation for a bright future’ County board of education, Bevill State expand dual enrollment programs By NICOLE SMITH Daily Mountain Eagle A partnership expansion will allow some Walker County students to receive a two- Photo Special to the Eagle - Ginger Seiberling year degree and their high school diploma Jasper High School’s show choir group ‘Phoenix’ performs at a competition earlier this year. Jasper High simultaneously. Bevill State Commu- School will host the Jasper Foothills Show Choir Classic beginning Friday in the Pam Brown Theater at the nity College and the high school. ‘Phoenix’ will not compete, but will perform at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday. Walker County Board of Education announced last Thursday that be- ginning this fall, more career technical edu- IT’S SHOWTIME cation (CTE) programs at the college will be offered to students in Foothills Show Choir Classic set for this weekend at Jasper High the school system. The Dr. Kim CTE offerings are part Ennis By RON HARRIS Garrett Lindsey, the choral director at of a plan between the Daily Mountain Eagle Jasper High School, said 27 groups from two entities to expand junior high and high schools in Alabama, dual enrollment, which allows high school More than 900 of the most musically-gift- Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee will students to take college courses before ed junior high and high school students from compete this weekend. they graduate. across the Southeast will be in Jasper this Nine junior high groups will compete Dr. Kim Ennis, president of Bevill State, weekend for the Jasper Foothills Show Choir Friday beginning at 5 p.m., with awards addressed members of the Walker County Classic at Jasper High School. presented at approximately 10:15 p.m. High BOE on Feb. 13 to discuss CTE programs It’s the second year Jasper High has host- that will be made available to county ed the event. See FOOTHILLS, A9 schools’ students this fall. She said ma- chine tool technology and welding will be offered to students at the college’s Rapid WALKER COUNTY COMMISSION Response Training Center on Industrial Drive in Jasper, and students may also take robotics, automation and HVAC Bishop: Districts will do more road repairs this year courses on the Sumiton campus. Walker County and Jasper City schools’ By ED HOWELL project was discussed, along up through regular allocations. students already had access to the col- Daily Mountain Eagle with repairs after recent rains. “They will not fix all the lege’s machine tool program through Bishop said the four districts potholes at one time, but they general career tech opportunities. Walker County Commission “will repair and pave and fix will start working on them. And “What we’re planning to do is just in- Chairman Jerry Bishop said more roads this year than has if it ever quits raining, so some crease the access to those programs to stu- Tuesday the county’s four dis- been done since I’ve been here. of these districts can catch up, dents in the Walker County school system. tricts will do more road repairs I think that is great for our they will help other districts,” We’re looking forward to those enhanced this year than at any time in his county.” he said. “They can do that if partnerships,” Ennis said. term. Some of it will be paid for they are asked. The districts A press release from Bevill State notes He made the remarks during through Repave Alabama, the have to furnish the materials, that in the HVAC industry, there will be Jerry commissioner statements at the state program paid for with the and the other districts will help Bishop end of Tuesday’s commission increased state gas tax funds, See PARTNERSHIP, A9 meeting, during which a bridge and also through funds saved See COMMISSION, A9 DEATHS WEATHER INDEX SOCIAL Business ....................... B1 LEFT Judy Lockaby Key, 69, Empire Classifieds .................... B6 ON Hurple Duncan, 82, Antioch Comics .......................... A5 RED Use your Dear Abby ..................... A5 phone to Opinion .......................... A6 Find us on your High Low quickly sign Sports ............................ A7 favorite podcast up for our streaming 52 42 weekly e-mail platforms. OBITUARIES / A2 newsletter Two sections, 18 pages A2 — DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE Jasper, Ala., Wed., Feb. 19, 2020 www.mountaineagle.com Today’s weather DEATHS & FUNERALS Forecast for Wednesday, February 19, 2020 TENN. Oxford 53/37 Huntsville Judy Lockaby Key Hurple Duncan ARK. 53/40 Judy Lockaby Key, 69, of Empire, passed away Sun- Hurple Duncan, 82, of Antioch, passed away day, Feb. 16, 2020, at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, at Princeton Baptist Medical GA. Family will be receiving friends Center. Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, from Arrangements will be announced later by Col- Greenville Birmingham 50/39 55/41 11a.m. until 1 p.m. at Glory Fellow- lins-Burke Funeral Home. ship Baptist Church, with Kilgo- re-Green Funeral Home directing. Collins-Burke Funeral Home, Jasper; 205-384-5571 Services will follow at 1 p.m. at Jackson Montgomery Glory Fellowship Baptist Church, 53/42 62/49 with burial at Oak Hill Cemetery. Adam Brewer will officiate. OBITUARY POLICY Brookhaven Hattiesburg Key was preceded in death by her 54/47 59/47 son, Joshua Adam Trotter; parents, The Daily Mountain Eagle publishes obituaries for a minimum $65 charge for a Thomas Harry and Lovie May Mobile standard obituary. The standard obituary Lockaby; brother, Jim Test and mother-in-law, Reba LA. 64/53 FLA. includes the deceased’s complete name, Key. age, occupation, date, cause and place She is survived by her husband, Terry Key; chil- of death, time and place of services and dren, JaVonna Martin; Jamie Trotter (Mandy), survivors. Photographs of the deceased are Regina Crane; Renae Brascome; Mary Michel (Jim), welcome, but not required. If the obituary Charlie Trotter (Teri), Thomas Trotter (Robin) and exceeds standard space, additional charges Jason Trotter (Susan); sister, Beverly Brown and a may be incurred. Information must be ©2020 AccuWeather, Inc. host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, received from the funeral home handling nephews and friends. the arrangements and services. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Glory Fellowship Operation Thanksgiving. Friends may sign the guest register at kilgore- After 52 days, greenfuneralhome.com Louisiana plane crash Kilgore-Green Funeral Home, Jasper; 205-384-9503 victim leaves hospital LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — The only person to sur- vive a December plane crash in south Louisiana that killed the other five people on board has gone home after nearly two months months in the hospital. News outlets reported that Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center said in a news release that Wade Berzas was discharged Monday after 52 days at the center’s burn unit. The hospital released photos of Berzas talking, hugging and praying with hospital staff and others as he prepared to leave Monday. One arm was in a sling while the other was wrapped in white bandages. In a statement, Berzas and his wife, Mackenzie, thanked people for their thoughts and prayers. “Your prayers were deeply felt, and we believe con- tributed to the success of Wade’s recovery. Thank you for allowing us the privacy we need to focus on the road ahead. We are truly overwhelmed by your love for our family,” they said. Berzas and the other five people aboard the eight-passenger aircraft were bound for Atlanta to watch the college football game between Louisiana State University and Oklahoma when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Lafayette in Decem- ber. Ian E. Biggs, 51, the plane’s pilot was killed along Barbara Gauntt/The Clarion-Ledger via AP with passengers Robert Vaughn Crisp II, 59; Carley A northeast Jackson, Miss.