Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson said Troy University football fans can look forward to great things as Jon Sumrall takes the helm of Troy football.

Sumrall comes to Troy from the University of Kentucky, where he recently was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. He previously served as an assistant head coach at Troy under Neal Brown during the 2015-2017 seasons. During that time, he helped the Trojans win a Sun Belt Conference title in 2017, as well a stunning victory against LSU. He also has coached in the NFL.

Mayor Johnson, who serves on Troy University’s Board of Trustees, also was on the selection committee to name a new coach this week. s

 “There were four of us on the committee who made the recommendation to the chancellor,” Johnson said. “We interviewed four coaches from around the country and had in-depth interviews with each one. We asked what they thought of Troy, and what they knew about Troy. 

“One thing was clear,” the mayor said. “Troy is a known football power in the Southeast and the Midwest. We have a highly-respected program.”

Johnson said Sumrall was an obvious choice. 

“He’s been to Troy. He spent some time in Troy. He knows Troy,” he said. “Troy is a different place than other university cities. Troy is a small, rural town in South Alabama. You have to be different in how you recruit to that. Coach Sumrall understands that, and will be an asset not only to Troy University as a football coach, but also to the community.”

Johnson also said that when asked about recruiting to Troy, Sumrall rattled off a list of Alabama high school coaches he already knows and with whom he plans to work, including Andalusia High School's own head football coach Trent Taylor. 

Johnson described the new coach as “very focused.”

“I think we’ve got one of the top coaching prospects in the nation in Troy now,” Johnson said. “He’s a bright young man. He is very, very committed. Very focused. And he is like Nick Saban in that his intensity. His background and his history confirms he can also coach. I’m very excited about Troy’s future.”

Sumrall will be officially introduced in a press conference on Monday. 

Under a clear blue sky, with flags waiving and the sounds of helicopters in the background, South Alabama Regional Airport named its heliport in memory of former helicopter pilot John B. Givhan.

It was a tribute his cousin, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Walter Givhan, who served as guest speaker for the event, said would have meant the most to him. 

John B. Givhan was a retired attorney and a Vietnam veteran who lost a leg in the war. He died in August.

Walter Givhan said most in the community know that story. “But I’d like to tell you his story from the perspective of a family member grew up looking up to him. 

“He was a proud son of Alabama and rural Dallas County,” Givhan said, describing Safford, Alabama, as “the middle of nowhere, really. I knew him as John Brandon. He was larger than life when I was growing up.”

Givhan said he was aware, even as a child, “that John had left and gone off to Vietnam” where he flew more than 250 combat missions. 

“This is the early 60s, before the massive buildup after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964,” he said. “His families would share the letters he wrote. I remember hearing them read. All of that was cut short when he was severely wounded by a missile that hit the lower part of his right leg.”

John B. Givhan was airlifting solders out of a hot zone on April 12, 1964.

“He almost bled to death,” Walter Givhan said. “He would have died if his co-pilot, Bo Thompson, had not thought to put a belt around his leg.”

Givhan, who was 6 at the time, said the stories made the war real to him.

“I remember how joyful it was when John came home to Alabama,” he said.

Givhan said that for many veterans, war never goes away.

“They called it shell-shock in WWI. Now it is known as PTSD. Many of us who served in combat experiences have PTSD to some degree. It varies, according to trauma experiences.

“John felt it acutely,” Givhan said. “Part of his therapy was writing a memoir. It’s good to get the traumas out.”

Givhan said his cousin connected to other veterans, and acted as a mentor to those serving in the military.

“When I came home from my first combat tour, I remember talking to him,” he said. “I give credit to him and to others that the lessons we learned from their war helped us.”

John Givhan also organized efforts to support soldiers in combat and often shipped care packages.

“I was a hero to all of my unit for all the things we received, including some pound cakes from Andalusia,” he said of his time in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. “It was John’s passion for caring for veterans that drove him. I know how pleased and proud he would be to be remembered in the way you remember him today.”

Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson introduced Walter Givhan, who currently serves as Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Economic Development for Troy University. John Givhan’s children, John Jr. and Endsley Givhan Bolen, also spoke, as did his grandson, John Bolen. 

Bolen said that the heliport was a place of comfort for her father, who not only enjoyed visiting with pilots who landed to refuel, but also liked taking his family members there for one-on-one time. 

There is so much happening in Andalusia this week as Christmas in Candyland 2021 opens!

TREE LIGHTING AND PARADE
On Thursday, Dec. 2, we’ll flip the lights on the huge Christmas Tree on the Square at 6 p.m. The Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Christmas Parade. The parade rolls down East Three Notch at 7 p.m. led by our Andalusia 10U Baseball All-Stars, who just happened to win the Dixie Youth World Series this past summer.

RIBBON CUTTING
On Friday morning at 10 a.m., we will cut the ribbon on the Square to officially open Candyland. We’d love to have area children join us. Bundle up, because there is 100% chance of snow, and we need cute kids in the photographs.

CANDYLAND OPENS
Candyland will open to the public at 5 p.m. on Friday. The monthlong schedule is available at christmasincandyland.com, but here’s what’s happening this weekend.

Friday
Open on the Square from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Open at Springdale from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Carriage rides from 5 until 7 p.m. , originating in front of the Prestwood Building on the Square.

Saturday
Open on the Square from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Open at Springdale from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Carriage rides from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., originating in front of the Prestwood Building on the Square.
Santa will visit from 2 until 4 p.m.
Elsa will visit from 5 until 7 p.m.

Sunday
Open on the Square from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Open at Springdale from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Carriage rides from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., originating in front of the Prestwood Building on the Square.
Santa will visit from 2 until 4 p.m.
Elsa will visit from 2 until 4 p.m.

SANTA’S MARKET
This new market will open Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4, from 1 until 8 p.m. on Pear Street, just off of the Court Square. The market will feature handmade crafts and vendors. Similar markets will be held on Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 17-18.

EVENING IN BETHLEHEM
First Baptist Church of Andalusia will host An Evening In Bethlehem, a drive-through, live nativity, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3, 4 and 5, from 6 until 8 p.m. each evening. The narrated “tour” starts on Tisdale Street. Look for directional signage in the downtown area. Last year, the event, which features actors and live animals, drew 6,000 people.

PILOT CLUB PANCAKE BREAKFAST
For as long as anyone can remember, the Pilot Club has sold pancake and sausage plates on the first Saturday in December. This year, the event is set from 5:30 a.m. until noon in the Kisanis Community Center. Plates are $7. The Pilot Club also has an arts and crafts event at the breakfast.

CANDYLAND 5K AND HALF MARATHON
If you’re gonna eat pancakes, you’ll need some exercise. Sign up for the Candyland 5K and Half Marathon, which takes you through scenic downtown and raises money for the track teams at area high schools. The race begins at Andalusia City Hall at 7:30 a.m. Online registration is available at chrontrack.com.

And that’s just the first weekend, y’all. We’ve got a whole month of magic planned, so don’t miss the fun!

The Covington Veterans Foundation will host Celebration of Heroes: A Salute to Covington County Veterans at 2 p.m. this Sunday, November 7, in the Andalusia High School Auditorium.

The musical celebration is being coordinated by Covington Veterans Foundation member Amy Dugger, and will focus on the Vietnam era. The Three Notch Ramblers, the Andy Sisters, Andalusia Ballet, and the Andalusia’s Men’s Chorus will perform. Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., chancellor of the Troy University system and a Vietnam veteran, will be the keynote speaker. CVF board member Ben Bowden will serve as master of ceremonies.

Following the ceremony, a reception in Andalusia City Hall will mark the opening of a historical exhibit focusing on the contributions of local veterans.  The display, curated by CVF member Robert Evers, will remain open through Veterans Day.

There are more than 400 veterans tribute banners displayed throughout the downtown area this year. The Covington Veterans Foundation sells the banners and works with the City of Andalusia to display them.  

Other events include:

• Lt. John B. Givhan Heliport Dedication Ceremony, Wed., Nov. 10, at 10 a.m., South Alabama Regional Airport.

• The South Alabama Regional Airport, City of Andalusia and Covington Veterans Foundation have worked with the Friends of Army Aviation to have two UH-1 helicopters at the airport on Wednesday, Nov. 10, as part of this year's tributes to veterans. The helicopters will be at the main entrance to South Alabama Regional Airport from 9 a.m. until sunset. Tickets will be sold online at https://friendsofarmyaviation.org/.

• The Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Veterans Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 11, beginning at 9 a.m. The lineup begins at 8:30 a.m. For more information, call the Chamber at 334-222-2030.

• A Veterans Day service will follow at the Covington Veterans Memorial, located behind City Hall. Retired educator and Vietnam veteran Sam Nichols, an Andalusia native and Class of 1965 AHS graduate, will be the guest speaker. A reception for veterans will follow in City Hall.