The Andalusia City Council agreed Tuesday to pursue grant funding through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to expand services offered to local victims of domestic violence, and to pave several streets.
Chief Paul Hudson said his department already has a support program in place for victims in Covington and Butler counties through a federal grant.
“But we’ve had 198 case of domestic violence just for the City of Andalusia this year,” he said.
Hudson said if awarded, the grant could fund a case manager, and substance abuse therapist.
The city also is pursuing Community Development Block Grant funds totaling $356,000 for a paving project.
“There’s no guarantee we’ll get the money,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “But you’re guaranteed not to get it if you don’t apply.”
Andalusia Star News
Alabama Army National Guard facilities management officials on Monday met with city and county officials at Andalusia City Hall to discuss a potential partnership for a new National Guard facility here.
Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson said he first met with National Guard officials about a year ago and committed that Andalusia would give the Army National Guard the property needed to do the project.
“They were seeking a proposal from us and from Opelika,” Johnson said. “To start with, we’ll put the property up. It’s property we already own in the industrial park. Under federal and state law, you have to give them the property. They need about 40 acres, and we’ve got a plot that works nicely.”
Johnson said the Army National Guard will spend approximately $13 billion over the next 10 years on projects similar to this one.
The mayor and Covington County Economic Development Commission executive director Rick Clifton said the Guard wants to partner with locals to build facilities that will have multiple uses; that is, facilities that will be used not just for the National Guard.
“In some places, they partner with law enforcement or fire departments for training facilities,” Clifton said. Read More>
Andalusia Star News
Henderson has been playing dominoes 79 years
The World Championship Domino Tournament returns to Andalusia today, and with it comes 79-year veteran domino player and local resident Dallas Henderson.
Henderson said he’s been playing dominoes since he was just 6 years old and has won both the singles and doubles World Championship title in the past.
Henderson said that he loves dominoes, and even more, he loves to win at dominoes.
“I love to win,” Henderson said as a smile stretched across his face. “I love the fellowship with the people that I play with, too, but when you get old, it’s also one of the few games you can play and sit down.”
Henderson said that dominoes are also a great way to keep the mind sharp as a person ages.
“It does keep the mind sharp,” he said. “I don’t play near as well as I did when I was younger. I’ll soon be 86, but I still win every once in awhile.”
The World Championship Domino Tournament has been played in Andalusia since 1976 and has attracted famous players like legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and Southern comedian Jerry Clower.
Henderson, himself, has been playing in the tournament since 1977.
“My wife was in the hospital the first year and I didn’t get to come,” Henderson said. “I’ve been in it every year since, though.”
Henderson has won the singles championship once and the doubles twice, including last year with his partner Alton Mitchell of Ozark.
“I’ve drawn some really good partners,” Henderson said.
Henderson said that while skill is certainly involved with the game, luck is almost as important.
“I’d say it’s about 60 percent skill and 40 percent luck,” he said. “If you draw a good hand and play them, you have a good chance at winning, but if you draw a band hand you’re liable to get beat, too.”
While Henderson loves playing, he would also love to see more young people getting involved in the game.
“I would love to see more younger people getting involved,” he said. “We have some kids and teenagers that play but if they didn’t grow up playing or their parents didn’t grow up playing, it’s hard to get them involved. A lot of times the ones that play as children get out of their teens and stop playing.”
Henderson said that while he has enjoyed the championships, one of his most memorable tournaments was one he didn’t win.
“One of the times I was luckiest is when I drew (as a partner) a lady that didn’t know much at all about dominoes,” Henderson said. “We lost the first round but turned around and won the consolation round. That was the best dominoes I’ve ever played.
“She and her husband were really nice people, and I made sure not to say anything negative to her when she played wrong, and she wrote a note down here saying how much of a pleasure it was to play with me. That meant a lot.”
The singles tournament begins at 8:30 today, and the doubles tournament is set for Saturday. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. at the Kiwanis Community Center each day.
Andalusia Star News
People from all over the country travel to Andalusia every year for the World Championship Dominoes Tournament and this year is no different.
Some 126 dominoes players registered for the first day of play on Friday with people traveling from as far as Missouri and Minnesota.
Dr. Charles Tomberlin founded the tournament in 1976 and never thought it would still be going on all of these years later.
“It started as a bicentennial project in 1976,” Tomberlin said. “I never thought it would go past that first year, but here we are 42 years later and still going pretty strong.”
Tomberlin said that the tournament started off just as a random thought and he never intended to actually hold a tournament.
“I was playing dominoes once a week and having a lot of fun doing it,” he said. “I jokingly said that I thought we should have a dominoes tournament. Everybody laughed and then not too long after that the president of the Rotary Club said, ‘We’ll have a tournament and Dr. Tomberlin will be in charge,’
“I needed that like I needed another hole in the head, but we did it and had a lot of fun and more than 70 people showed up,” he said.
Over the years, more and more dominoes players from across the country descended upon Andalusia for the tournament, but none bigger than the “Bear” himself; Paul “Bear” Bryant.
“Coach Bryant came down here four of the last five years he was alive and boy, did he draw a big crowd,” Tomberlin said.
More than 1,000 people showed up each time Bryant came down for the tournament, just to see the legendary Alabama coach.
“Coach Bryant never wanted to lose and he always wanted red dominoes,” Tomberlin said. “(Comedian) Jerry Clower came down and he played Coach Bryant one year too. Coach Bryant won, of course, but it was a good match.”
Dale County Judge William Matthews has been coming to the tournament for 40 years and some of his most memorable moments also included Bryant.
“They pulled a lady from the nursing home one year, she was like 97 years old, and she ended up beating Bear,” Matthews said. “I don’t know if he let her win or whatever, but it was something else to see that.”
Matthews also shared a story that he said he would never forget about Byrant.
“He was down here one year and had on a pair of red, crimson pants,” Matthews said. “There was a preacher that kept saying, ‘Coach Bryant, those are the prettiest red pants I’ve ever seen.’ He’d said it over and over and over all day.
“Finally, Coach Bryant needed a ride back to the airport and that preacher drove him. Bryant got on the plane and then turned around, pulled those britches down and threw them on the concrete and said, ‘here you S.O.B., you can have ‘em, you like ‘em better than I do anyway,’”
Larry Jackson hails from Oklahoma and said that he and a group of friends make the trip every year.
“A group of friends have been coming down here for the last four years,” Jackson said. “We take a week off for vacation and come down here and go to the casinos and come play some dominoes.”
Jackson said that the competiveness of dominoes is what drives him to make such a long trip.
“I’ve been playing since I was 6 year old,” Jackson said. “Since I was 8, I was playing with the grown ups and giving them a hard time with it.”
Father-son combo Rickey and Devin Rambo have also been traveling all the way from Kansas City, Mo. for the past four years.
“I first came here in 1998,” Rickey said. “I placed fifth and I was so excited about that.”
Rickey said that he began playing as a child, his father taught him, and at 17 years old won the Missouri State Championship in dominoes. When Rickey had his own son, Devin, he taught him the game he loved so much, as well.
“Dominoes is a big thing in our family,” Devin said. “If you’re a man, you want to play in our family. My dad taught me at a early age and the game itself just excites me so much.”
Rickey said that his son showed himself to be especially skillful at the game at an early age.
“I immediately noticed he had a special gift for the game,” Rickey said. “He always wanted to come here but he was so small that I didn’t want to bring him that far. He was so passionate about it that three years ago he told me he was going to come whether I went with him or not.”
Devin said that you have to think to get good at the game and that’s really what appeals to him.
“We’re both thinkers and being able to use my mind and to know what your opponent has or what I want them to play or how to beat them, it’s just wonderful,” Devin said. “It’s the best game ever invented to me.”
The World Championship Dominoes Tournament continues today at the Kiwanas Community Center for the doubles tournament.
Andalusia Star News
The Andalusia Rotary Club started the tournament in 1976. Since that time, the club has awarded more than $950,000 in prize money to winners in the adult, teen and children’s divisions. More than $13,500 in prize money will be awarded to players this weekend.
As well, Rotarians are selling $100 tickets to the Fantastic Domino Sweepstakes. A ticket includes two seafood dinners and an opportunity to win $15,000 in prize money. The dinner begins at 5:30 Friday night, and the drawing will begin at 7. Tickets are available from club members, or at the Kiwanis Center Friday morning.
On-site registration begins at the Kiwanis Center at 6:30 a.m. Friday for the singles tournament, and at 6:30 a.m. Saturday for the doubles tournament.
Jerry Baker of Ozark is the reigning singles champion, and Dallas Henderson of Andalusia and Alton Mitchell of Wetumpka are the reigning doubles champions.
The Andalusia Rotary Club started the tournament in 1976. Since that time, the club has awarded more than $950,000 in prize money to winners in the adult, teen and children’s divisions. More than $13,500 in prize money will be awarded to players this weekend. As well, Rotarians are selling $100 tickets to the Fantastic Domino Sweepstakes. A ticket includes two seafood dinners and an opportunity to win $15,000 in prize money. The dinner begins at 5:30 Friday night, and the drawing will begin at 7. Tickets are available from club members, or at the Kiwanis Center Friday morning. On-site registration begins at the Kiwanis Center at 6:30 a.m. Friday for the singles tournament, and at 6:30 a.m. Saturday for the doubles tournament. Jerry Baker of Ozark is the reigning singles champion, and Dallas Henderson of Andalusia and Alton Mitchell of Wetumpka are the reigning doubles champions.