A house on County Road 9 in Sandflat caught fire on June 26 but homeowner Red Wilson got out safely, according to Thomasville Fire Chief Chris Owes. The home had smoke damage and Owens said he was unsure how the fire started.

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Clarke County High School senior Tamia Turner will spend this week in Washington, D.C., as a CWEMC Youth Tour delegate.

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Wilson Hall Middle School announced the hiring of Jaryian Jackson, left, as a P.E. assistant and Tyanena Hill, right, as the cheerleading coach.

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The U.S. Highway 43 bypass in Linden — part of a larger project to provide four-lane travel from Mobile to Tuscaloosa — is complete and open to traffic. The new route, dubbed the West Alabama Highway, follows U.S. 43 from Thomasville to just north of Linden, where it connects with Alabama Highway 69. The new road follows Alabama 69 through Greenville to Moundville, where it will connect with the existing four-lane highway and continue to Tuscaloosa. “This is a major step toward completion of the Linden bypass and an important investment in the future of west Alabama,” Alabama Department of...

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Olin Corp. and Huntsman Corp., which operate major adjacent chemical plants in McIntosh, announced a definitive all-stock merger agreement to combine the two businesses, creating a North American chemical manufacturing giant with an enterprise value exceeding billion. The transaction, announced June 10, will combine complementary product lines to establish one of the continent’s largest integrated chemical manufacturers. The expanded operations will span chlor-alkali, vinyls, epoxy, polyurethane and performance products. Company officials said the combined organization will feature differentiated portfolios, balanced end markets, increased scale and a strong financial foundation. Olin CEO Ken Lane called the transaction a transformative step....

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GROVE HILL — Families from across the area gathered at S.P. Hudson Park on June 30 to celebrate America’s 250th birthday during Grove Hill’s annual summer celebration. The event featured food vendors, shopping, children’s activities, a youth sports fundraiser, the arrival of the Traveling American Flag and a fireworks display that capped the evening. Festivities began with the Grove Hill Youth Sports Hit-A-Thon fundraiser, followed by the opening of the vendor area and children’s activities, which included inflatables, football and basketball tosses, cornhole and other games. The Traveling American Flag was placed on display, giving attendees an opportunity to take...

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THOMASVILLE — A second manager at Mi Mexico restaurant was arrested for failing to report an altercation that preceded a fatal shooting at the business in June, according to the Thomasville Police Department. Jose Mendoza Chavez, 53, was arrested by the TPD on June 24 and charged with failure to report an incident in an open business. His arrest followed the June 23 arrest of Jose Ernesto Contreras Gutierrez, 39, a restaurant manager who faces the same charge. Both arrests stem from an altercation at Mi Mexico on June 6 before a shooting that killed Henry Christopher Howard, 26. Former...

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A Grove Hill man was arrested on sexual abuse charges on June 22 stemming from alleged misconduct with a girl under 15, according to Monroe County Sheriff Tom Boatwright. Michael Neil Taylor, 53, was taken into custody at the Jackson police station and transported to the Monroe County Jail. Taylor was booked for second-degree sexual abuse and as of press time remained in jail without bond, according to Boatwright. Monroe County authorities were made aware of the incident when they were contacted by the Clarke County Sheriff ’s Department, which had been investigating the case with the Child Advocacy Center...

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Fresh off a run to the AISA Class 2A state championship series, three members of Clarke Prep’s baseball team were selected to compete in the 27th annual Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Underclassmen All-Star Game. The Gators’ Camden Jones, Gray Wilson and John Allen Powell were selected to participate and were the only Alabama Independent School Association players invited. Jones, a rising junior catcher, and Powell, a rising senior first baseman, were both members of Team Columbia Blue. Wilson, also a rising senior, competed for Team Cardinal. The showcase on June 8-10 at Troy University featured six teams — three from...

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Clarke Prep’s junior varsity and varsity cheer squads brought home multiple awards and individual honors while competing at the AISA Cheer Camp at Troy University. The Gators’ JV earned first place in the cheer champion and overall spirit categories and was second in the sideline champion category and the overall camp champion runner-up. The varsity captured fourth place in the cheer champion competition and both squads received blue superior ribbons. Eight Clarke Prep cheerleaders earned individual recognition as Universal Cheerleaders Association All-Americans — Abigail Newton, Bella Casteel, Collins Wright, Weezie Keahey, Payton Smith, Lucy Breaux, Meg Gates and Halli Jackson....

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