April 8, 1954

58 years ago

*The North Central Telephone Cooperative, a new organization, switched over their Green Grove and Hillsdale telephone exchanges to dial service. With the completion of the North Central system, these areas of Macon County would soon have service into Lafayette, Westmoreland, Red Boiling Springs, and Pleasant Shade without a toll charge.

*Advertised: Grand Opening of Trapp Jewelry Store on the lower side of the square in Lafayette.

*Macon County High School Senior superlatives announced. Ross Fishburn was named valedictorian and Shirley Adams was named salutatorian; Sarah Smith was chosen by faculty to represent DAR.

*Excerpt of Louie E. Spivey’s weekly column, Pea Ridge Folks: “Peculiar kind of weather we’re having, ain’t it? Hot one day and cold the next. I was up at Judge Gooseberry’s the other day and he was drinking a cup of hot coffee. He’s a big coffee drinker, the Judge is. I says, ‘Judge, don’t you ever try hard ice drinks—like the kind Uncle Johnny’s little dew factory turns out?’ ‘Nope-haven’t tried them myself,’ he says, ‘but I’ve tried a lot of fellows who have.’”

*Martha Carson, Grand Ole Opry performer, had a scheduled performance in the MCHS gym. Songs included “Satisfied,” “I’m Gonna Walk and Talk With My Lord,” and “I Wanta Rest.”

*The Oldest Man in Macon County, Nick Simon, was nearing his 105th birthday.

*Movies showing at the Macon Drive-in Theatre: Steeltown, Along Came Jones, and Battle Circus. Admission: $3 per carload.

April 8, 1982

30 Years Ago

*Lafayette’s Jeff Sullivan completed work in Columbia Pictures film Things Are Tough All Over, before headed to Paris to record with French singing star Line Renaud. Parents Mrs. Marie Hall and Mr. Alvin Sullivan were both Macon County natives.

*Macon County Board of Education met to discuss school discipline. Several policies were clarified; among them was a rule allowing supervised smoking for students over 15 years, with parental consent. The Board also moved to post signs alerting students that their cars and lockers could be legally searched.

*Students at Westside hosted a Reading Olympics, reading a total of 1,379 books in one month and raising $450 for the March of Dimes. Gold Medal winners, who read 30 books or more, included Sam Hale, Stacey Napler, Bryan Carter, Cary Hartley, James Scruggs, Lisea Leath, Timmy Farley, Jimmy Wix, Neil Miller, Scotty Brawner, Shannon Keen, Terry Meadors, Bubba Fann, Cindy Wolfe, Mark Evans, Sandy Yates, Stephanie Jones, and Jason Jones.

*Mike “Geraldine” McClard was crowned “Miss Lemon” in the Tournament of Lemons Men’s Beauty Pageant. Other contestants included Dewayne “Sinnerella” Cothron, Butch “Silver Dollar Bell” Ellis and Ray “Raychelle” Mason.