The Southern Star

11/27/2025

Williams Family Farm honored as Alabama Century Farm at Farm-City Banquet

By Christina Faulkner This year’s Farm-City Banquet, held Tuesday, November 18 at the Ozark Civic Center, offered a remarkable reminder of just how deeply agriculture and community are woven together in Dale County. The civic center was filled from end to end, leaving not a single empty chair as r...

11/27/2025

Vietnam Veterans honor Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home as Business of the Year

By Travis Parker Edited by Christina Faulkner, Associate Editor Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 373 honored Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home on Wednesday, November 19, with its Business of the Year Award, recognizing the funeral home’s longstanding dedication to veterans and their families. The pre...

11/27/2025

This week’s Southern Star is on newsstands and available online for our digital subscribers. We carry all your hometown news, serving Ozark, Dale County, and surrounding communities since 1867! This week’s Extension Buzz takes readers along the Farm-City Tour at The Pines, where forestry experts and landowner Billy Blackwell shared generations of family history, modern management practices, and hands-on demonstrations that brought conservation to life. Daleville City Council updates include new board appointments, a strengthened school-city agreement for shared facilities, and continued discussions on major legal and technology decisions affecting the city. Our Agriculture & Forestry section highlights 14 Specialty Crop Grant projects awarded to Alabama, bringing new research, innovation, and support to farmers across the state. Inside Column One, you’ll find upcoming community happenings, including the free Thanksgiving meal at Westview Heights Methodist Church, the November 30 Fifth Sunday Sing at Mabson United Methodist, the December 2 Ozark-Kiwanis Christmas Parade, and the Vivian B. Adams Christmas Bazaar on December 5. Readers can also learn about Holman House Tours returning on December 5, Operation Santa Claus donation deadlines, Salvation Army food drive details, and local meeting updates for groups like American Legion Post 82 and Chow & Scuttlebutt at Westview Heights.
Pick up your copy of The Southern Star today — your hometown news starts here!

11/26/2025

Council hears youth sports concerns, declares nuisance properties

By Christina Faulkner The Ozark City Council moved quickly through a light agenda on November 18, declaring two properties public nuisances, updating city bank accounts, and hearing concerns from residents about neighborhood upkeep and youth sports funding before adjourning with Thanksgiving well-wi...

11/26/2025

Dale County Diesel named finalist for Alabama Small Business of the Year
https://ow.ly/ei4S50XybbW

11/26/2025

Attention all Football Contest entrants: Entries must be received before 10 a.m. on Friday! You can still email the entries or drop them off at the office in the box on the front doorstep.

Send a message to learn more

11/26/2025

Farm City tour offers lessons in forestry, history, and innovation at The Pines

By Christina Faulkner The Dale County Farm-City Tour unfolded Friday, November 14, at The Pines, the gorgeous and carefully managed treasure forest owned by former Ozark Mayor Billy Blackwell and his wife, Berta. Surrounded by towering pines, crisp fall air, and the kind of quiet that only well-tend...

11/22/2025

Dale County celebrates producers and farmers

Submitted by County Extension Director Melissa Voynich The Dale County Farm-City Committee was pleased to honor the following students for their participation in the Farm-City County competitions. Each award recipient produced a work that was considered the best in the county and will advance to sta...

11/21/2025

Ozark City Schools posts steady growth with 2025 state report card score of 85
https://ow.ly/P53P50XvPup

11/21/2025

Clayhatchee council reviews law enforcement contract, senior program, and financial accountability concerns

By Christina Faulkner Clayhatchee — Mayor Steve Guice and the Clayhatchee Town Council addressed a wide range of issues during their regular meeting, including a proposed law enforcement contract with the Dale County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), the senior program, needed repairs at the ballpark, an...

11/21/2025

Turkey Trouble? What to do when your bird isn’t ready on time

Submitted by Bridgette Brannon, REA Food Safety and Quality It’s Thanksgiving Day, and the centerpiece of the meal — the turkey — just isn’t cooking as quickly as you expected. Don’t worry! You’re not the first to face a slow-cooking bird, and you won’t be the last. With a few safe and...

11/20/2025

Here’s what’s happening in this week’s Southern Star, available at newsstands and online for digital subscribers today. We carry all your hometown news, serving Ozark, Dale County, and surrounding communities since 1867.
This week’s issue is packed with big news across Dale County. Dale County Schools made state history with a record-breaking 95 on the Alabama Report Card, while Ozark City Schools continued their upward climb with an overall score of 85.
We’ve also got full coverage from the Clayhatchee Town Council meeting, including discussions on the proposed law enforcement contract, senior program updates, and ongoing financial concerns.
In community news, Market on the Square begins a new chapter under owner Ben McLauchlin, and more than 200 participants turned out for the fourth annual Sweat4Vets Ruck March in support of Wiregrass Honor Flight.
And of course, don’t miss this week’s football contest, Heroes’ Corner, Extension Buzz, Star Ramblings, and all your favorite columns.
Pick up your copy today!