The registered voters who reside on 16 pieces of property in the Mason subdivision will have the opportunity to vote themselves into the city limits of Andalusia, thanks to a resolution approved by the city council Tuesday night.
The annexation method requires a petition signed by 60 percent of the property owners to bring the issue before the council. If the council agrees, it then asks the probate judge to hold an election. Any registered voter who lives in the designated area may vote, city attorney Mark Christiansen said.
All of the property is located on Benvalen Avenue. Among the reasons cited was better fire protection and consequently, better insurance rates, council members were told.
By: Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
These youngsters got a sneak preview of Candyland last night as their mom helped put the finishing touches on the Court Square. The Christmas tree will be lighted in a ceremony that begins at 5:30 tonight, followed by the annual Christmas parade at 7. Organizers say there is a very good chance of snow for both events.
Andalusia Star News
By: Michele Gerlach
War affects not just veterans, but all Americans, Maj. Gen. Walter D. Givhan (Ret.) said.
Givhan, who served in both Desert Shield and Desert Storm, was the keynote speaker for the 11th annual Covington County Veterans and POW/MIA ceremony.
“I’d like to start with why we celebrate Veterans Day on Nov. 11,” he said. “On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns fell silent. It was one of the most significant events in human history.”
The scale and dramatic loss of life of World War I had never been experienced before, he said.
“The hope was that it was the war to end all wars, that peace would reign,” he said.
The world is starting to observe the 100th anniversary of World War I, which began in 1914, he said.
“World War I has a special place in airmen’s hearts, because it is where air power was born,” he said. “Before that there was wholesale slaughter in the trenches, and basically a stalemate.
“Air power offered a promise to go over, not through,” he said. “It was a way to bypass the trenches and save lives.”
World War I also was the first time society began to realize the significant toll of war, he said.
“There was a physical toll, in that it took the flower of a generation,” he said. “Those who survived were scarred for life. The maiming was horrible.
“But it also took a psychological toll on veterans,” he said. “They called it shell-shocked. We call it PTSD, and we understand it a lot better now.”
There are parallels between current moment and that period of world history, Givhan said. In the current war on terror, key elements... READ MORE>>>
Andalusia Star News
The Maintenance Department nearly has Christmas tree assembly down to a science.
For years, workers have hauled out a giant metal cone-shaped skeleton and attached panels of artificial branches, bows, and ornaments and lights piece by piece until the entire tree is put together.
It’s all in preparation for Andalusia’s upcoming Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Parade. This year’s events are set to take place Thursday, December 4th. The Tree Lighting Ceremony will start at 5:30 PM and the Christmas Parade will start at 7:00 PM.
Andalusia Star News
By Michele Gerlach
The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday toured the new junior high school facility, which is set to open in January.
The new school, built adjacent to Andalusia High School, will house seventh and eighth grade students. It features “hard rooms,” or storm shelters large enough to house all of the junior high and senior high students in the event of a tornado.
Superintendent Ted Watson said the safe rooms allow five square feet for each occupant, and 10 square feet for those in wheelchairs.
“We are working with EMA to plan how we’ll manage these,” he said. “This is a unique, special selling point in the school.”
The school system received a FEMA grant to help in the construction, and the construction is designed to sustain winds of 200 mph.
The school has 14 classrooms, two labs and a media center. The media center connects with a computer lab.
Much of the furniture will be moved from the current middle school, Watson said. However, the media center and computer lab are begin outfitted with new furniture, and math teachers are getting desks designed for more collaborative work.
Andalusia Star News
By Michele Gerlach