Note: The following are sentences released by the Fayette County Circuit Court for the month of May.

The Board of Directors for Marion County Bancshares, Inc., doing business as First National Bank, Hamilton, made the decision to close its branches in Berry and Parrish, effective May 27.
The bank will continue to operate all other branches located in Hamilton, Sulligent, Haleyville, Carbon Hill and Double Springs. A recommendation to close the Berry and Parrish branches was made during the Board’s January 2021 meeting, following a review of the 2020 branch performance reports.

Fayette County Administrator Brooke Nichols-Slatton was named the 2022 John Ray Gordon County Administrator of the Year by the Association of County Administrators of Alabama (ACAA) in recognition of her service to her profession. Nichols-Slatton was selected by a committee of her peers from around the state to receive the ACAA’s highest honor at its annual conference in May.

Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby defeated four challengers to win the May 24 Republican Primary for sheriff without a runoff. Since there were no Democratic challengers for the office, and no independent candidates have announced, Yerby is virtually assured of a second term as Fayette County’s sheriff.

Opening day at the Fayette Aquatic Park proved to be a big success. Although the temperature of the water was a little cool when the park opened for the day, the weather warmed up nicely and the low humidity made the day a pleasant experience for park attendees. Lifeguards kept a careful eye on the water at the Fayette Aquatic Park to ensure everyone was safe.

The new Fayette Farmers’ Market will have the Grand Opening of its 2002 market season on Tuesday, June 7, from 4 - 6 p.m. This year’s market will be held outside the former Train Depot (Fayette Historical Museum), located at 202 South Temple Avenue in downtown Fayette.

The Fayette City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 24. All council members, with the exception of Councilwoman Virettia Whiteside were present for the meeting. In the absence of Fayette Mayor Rod Northam, Mayor Pro Tem Eddy Campbell presided over the meeting. Caleb Hall led the council in prayer and his daughter Macy Hall led the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Fayette County Commission unanimously approved the acceptance of a bid from ST Bunn in the amount of $393,593 for the patching of County Road 2 and the scrub-sealing of County Road 36. This was the only bid received on the project. All commissioners with the exception of Commissioner Shane Hughes were present for the meeting.

Four individuals were arrested on May 6 on charges related to the trespassing and tampering with a water tower owned and operated by the Fayette Water Board. Mason Garrett Mitchell, 19, of Berry Circle NW, Fayette; Skyler Layne Barrett, 19, of 14th Street NE, Fayette; Caelan Oneal Killingsworth, 23, of Co. Rd. 106, Fayette; and Skylar Sheree Hill, 21, of Gross Road, Guntersville, were arrested by the Fayette Police Department and each charged with three felony offenses: Burglary non-residence force, Damaged Property - Criminal Mischief, and Property Crime – Criminal Tampering.

Graduation night is a memorable occasion for any high school senior, but the night was even more special for these two Berry graduates. Immediately after the graduation ceremony ended, Julius Johnson dropped to one knee and asked Katelyn Beathard to marry him. The reaction of the crowd and the smiles on the couple’s faces told the rest of the story: She said “Yes!”

Approximately 500 people participated in the 2022 edition of the “March for Jesus” event, held in the streets of Fayette on Saturday, May 21. Organizer Milborn Savage said this appeared to be one of the biggest crowds that has attended the event. The 24th edition of the Fayette March for Jesus began at the Fayette Depot Museum, where balloons were handed to the participants with Bible verses tied to each one.

The Valedictorians and Salutatorians from the Fayette County Schools posed for a picture last week in front of the Fayette County Courthouse.

The Alabama State Troopers reported that a single vehicle accident that occurred on County Road 12 in Fayette County at approximately 4:23 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18 claimed the life of a Northport man.

Fayette County High School held its annual “Awards Night” on Tuesday, May 3, with the senior class receiving approximately $1.7 million dollars in total scholarship awards. One of the highlights of the night is always the announcement of the top 10 seniors by academic scores.

The Fayette County Board of Education honored the valedictorians and salutatorians at each of the county schools, and also the "Teachers of the Year" prior to the start of its May 17 meeting, All board members were present for the meeting.

Fayette’s 24th “March for Jesus” celebration and prayer rally will be held Saturday, May 21, beginning at the Fayette Depot Museum and concluding at the First Baptist Church on Temple Avenue. The march and rally has been held in Fayette each year since 1997, with the exception of 2003, and also 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Karen Strickland made history on Tuesday, May 10 by becoming the first female mayor of a municipality in Fayette County.

A fire on the morning of May 10 severely damaged this home on 9th St. NW in Fayette. The Fayette Fire Department responded to the fire, and reported that no one was at home at the time the fire started, and that the fire appears to be accidental. No additional information about the fire was available from the fire department.

With the primary elections approaching fast, several races, are expected to bring voters to the polls in near-record numbers for a non-presidential election year. In Fayette County, the races for Sheriff and Superintendent of Education each have several viable candidates who have campaigned hard for their respective positions. There are also contested Commissioner seats and Board of Education positions on the ballots in certain districts within the county.

Former Fayette County Commissioner Ray Clark passed away on Wednesday, May 11 at the age of 81. Clark was well-known throughout the area for  being a successful businessman, having owned and operated logging and trucking businesses for years. In 1989, Clark received the prestigious honor of being named the “Alabama Logger of the Year.”