Andalusia Star News

• Today’s Three Notch Market Arts and Crafts Festival, planned for the grounds of historic Springdale, features a variety of vendors and musical entertainment.

The Andalusia Junior Woman’s Club sponsors the event, now in its second year.

Entertainment is planned throughout the day, and will culminate with a 6 p.m. performance of the Rochelle Harper Band co-sponsored by the City of Andalusia. Entertainment begins at 9:45 this morning.

• The Opp Downtown Redevelopment Authority’s yard sale starts at 8 a.m. Saturday and will end around noon.

• The annual Lew Childre Steel Guitar Show will begin at noon at the LBWCC-MacArthur Campus.

• The Andalusia High School Bulldog football team and the AHS Quarterback Club will team up for tips today beginning at 8 a.m. at each of the seven Gitty Up & Go locations in Andalusia. All donations will be used to support AHS Bulldog football.

• The Red Level 11 and 12-year-old softball team will wash cars from 8 a.m. until noon at Advanced Auto Parts in Andalusia. Proceeds will go to tornado relief.

• Christian artist Jason Crabb will hold a book signing at noon at the Andalusia Christian Book and Gift. He will also be in concert at the Covington Arena at 7 p.m.

Andalusia Star News

This Saturday’s Three Notch Market Arts and Crafts Festival, planned for the grounds of historic Springdale, features a variety of vendors and musical entertainment.

The Andalusia Junior Woman’s Club sponsors the event, now in its second year.

Arts and crafts vendors will show handmade jewelry, woodwork, quilts, folk art, birdhouses, paintings, photography, hair bows, children’s clothes, plants and pottery. A caricature artist will be on hand for drawings on demand.

Food vendors will have baked goods, hot dogs, fried fish, and other festival favorites.

Entertainment is planned throughout the day, and will culminate with a 6 p.m. performance of the Rochelle Harper Band co-sponsored by the City of Andalusia.

Harper is an Andalusia native and AHS grad who has taken her original and cover music to the Gulf Coast, and who has performed at Montgomery’s Jubilee City Fest, and Mobile’s Bayfest.

Area residents are encouraged to bring their blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the concert on the lawn of Springdale.

Other entertainment includes:

9:45 – Ted Watson, National Anthem

10:00 – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

10:15 – Brad Ingram, Praise Music

11:00 – Katie Howell’s Cheer Group

11:15 – AHS Choral Department

11:45 – Sweet Magnolia Gypsies (bellydancers)

12:00 – Peyton Prevett

12:15 – Scott Rogers and Tambry Nix

12:45 – The Company Dance Center

1:15 – The Chase, Christian Music

1:45 – Andalusia Ballet

2:15 – Sisters by Grace

2:30 – Callow

3:00 – Carroll Williams Band (Tripp Bass)

4:15 – Madison Castleberry (sings with Southland)

4:30 – Southbound River

6:00 – Rochelle Harper Band

Andalusia  Star News

Local residents disposed of an estimated 5,000 pounds of unwanted electronic equipment at Friday’s recycling event in Andalusia.

Sponsored by the Conecuh-Sepulga and Blackwater Rivers Clean Water Partnership, in conjunction with the City of Andalusia and Andalusia High School Key Club, the event gave residents an opportunity to rid themselves of unwanted TVs, VCRs, computers or any other electronic items, including outdated cell phones and gaming devices for a small fee.

“We had a wonderful turnout,” said organizer Janet Wofford. “People came with van loads, car loads and truckloads of items. We had participation from businesses such as Ansley Place, CCB, PowerSouth, LBW, the hospital, Walker Business Machines and more who cleaned out and got rid of lots of computer equipment.

“TV Cable actually had three truckloads,” she said.

The Star-News also participated in the event, disposing of old office and computer equipment.

“And it wasn’t just computer stuff, although that was the bulk of what we collected,” Wofford said. “We had people bring televisions, even big screen TVs and microwaves. Some of the oddest things we got were old record players and radios, even rotary phones.”

The collected items will now be sent to Ecovery LLC, a Loxley, Ala., company that provides recovery solutions for the valuable materials found in automotive and electronic waste.

An Ecovery official, who was on hand for the day’s collections, estimated the day’s take at 5,000 pounds. The event was held at the Andalusia Fire Department.

Andalusia Star News

The Andalusia City Council, which met for its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, took action on only three items, including the appointment of Mary Jane Winkler and Melissa Gambill to the city’s tourism and relocation board.

The council also voted to hire Auburn University to do its tri-annual wage and hour survey, as well as to amend its drug testing policy to include random testing of all employees.

Mayor Earl Johnson also recognized the city’s Relay for Life team, which raised $18,000 this year and earned the “Most Money Raised in the Large Team Division” award at Friday’s event. Johnson said the team also earned the “Spirit of Relay” award.

Andalusia Star News

Because of tornado damage at the Covington Center Arena, the “Taste of Covington County” event sponsored by the county’s American Red Cross Chapter is being relocated to Andalusia’s Southside Baptist Church.

Red Cross Director Merrill Davis, who expressed his thanks to the Southside staff and members, said recent events should prove that no one is immune from disaster.

“We teach people how to deal with the imperfect situations of disasters every day,” Davis said. “The key is being prepared. The Red Cross is not immune to the effects of disasters, and (now), we practice what we preach.”

Davis said the event date and time – May 2 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. – remains the same.

“I think the event will be a great success, and we are expecting a great turnout,” he said. “So, get your tickets before it’s too late.”

Tickets are $15 per person and are available at the Red Cross office on Hillcrest Drive.

No tickets will be sold at door.