I have been thinking a good bit about death this week. Our church pianist died in her sleep Sunday night after playing for church Sunday morning. It was a real shock to those of us who took for granted she would always be here. Her death appeared to be from natural causes. That is the way I want to go — just go to sleep and not wake up. Still, she was only 61. That is a mighty young age in this day and time, especially when there are now so many ways to fix what goes wrong in the...

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Have you ever known someone who thinks they know everything and refuses to believe they need to be taught anything? I have known a few people like that over the years. Truthfully, every time I start thinking about folks like that, I get reminded of myself. One of my earliest lessons came when I was about 5 years old. My dad was building our first new home. Because my dad was a contractor and his father was a contractor, I naturally thought that qualified me to be some kind of tiny construction expert. I remember one day my grandfather was...

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Dunning Cemetery in Dixons Mills will host Decoration day on April 26. A potluck lunch will be hosted by Central Baptist Church. Drop off dishes at Central before attending. The cemetery service begins at 11 a.m. Attendees will return to Central after the service for lunch. For more information, call Melvin Dixon at 334-456-1155. Spencer Chapel AME Church will host a Women’s Day program April 26 at 2 p.m. Guest speaker will be Minister Arline Gracie, associate minister of St. James Baptist Church in Thomaston. Orange Hill Missionary Baptist Church will host the first pastoral anniversary celebration for the Rev....

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This is a big election year in Alabama politics. All constitutional state offices and all legislative seats are on the ballot. All 35 State Senate seats and all 105 House seats will be decided. Alabama is one of the most Republican states in America and that is reflected in the State Senate and State House. Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers. In the Senate, there are 27 Republicans and eight Democrats. That balance is expected to change little, if at all, in this election cycle. The membership is not likely to change much either. More than 80% of the Legislature...

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NOW-MAY 1 The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking vendors for upcoming First Friday events. Vendors may offer homemade and baked goods, fresh lemonade and drinks, retail and boutique items, handmade crafts, artisan goods, specialty products and other unique finds. Those interested may register at www.jacksonalabama.org. The first event will be May 1 and feature the Cruise-In. APRIL 25 Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Alabama will host the Hole Lotta Fun Scramble April 25 at Thomasville Golf Course. Entry is per player and includes lunch and cart. Fulton will host the annual Pig Squeal show and auction...

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Jackson headed into the Class 4A playoffs with some momentum after winning two games last week. The Aggies (10-14) visit Orange Beach (19-14) in a best-of-three first-round series beginning with a doubleheader Friday at 5 p.m. A third game, if needed, is Saturday at 1 p.m. • Jackson 3, S. Choctaw 0 On April 14, the Aggies scored all three runs in the first on Kylin Gates’ bases-loaded walk and sacrifice flies by Carlos Barientos and Damion Taylor. Winning pitcher Kemauri Bryant set the tone on the mound, striking out the side in an immaculate first. • Jackson 16, Fruitdale 4...

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This will be a strong political year, with several interesting and competitive races. However, there is only one truly hotly contested open congressional seat in Alabama. The state’s other six incumbent congressmen are expected to cruise to reelection, either unopposed or with only token opposition. That is not unusual in modern politics. Defeating an incumbent member of Congress is extremely difficult. The reelection rate for sitting congressmen is around 95%. Even the Russian Communist Politburo did not enjoy that kind of job security. The newly configured 1st Congressional District is the one open seat that offers a competitive race. It...

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Have you ever been driving down the highway minding your own business when the vehicle in front of you suddenly whips into a driveway with no blinker at all? No warning. No signal. No clue. Just a sharp turn that makes you hit the brakes and wonder if they learned to drive from a cereal box. Then there is the driver with the blinker on for 10 miles. Click. Click. Click. At that point you are not expecting a turn. You are wondering if they know it is on or if they just enjoy the sound effects. Then there is...

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