The Tuskegee News

04/17/2024

Political newcomer Elise Tolbert defeated incumbent Ernest Magruder in a runoff on Tuesday, April 16, to claim the District 3 seat on the Macon County Commission.

Tolbert led Magruder and two other candidates in the March 5 primary, but didn’t have enough votes to get to 50 percent-plus one to avoid a runoff.

In Tuesday’s runoff, Tolbert picked up 63.14 percent with 495 votes to Magruder’s 289 votes, good for 36.86 percent. The district consists of three voting sites out of 16 in the county.

In the District 3 race Primary, Tolbert led the field of four candidates with 506 votes (45.96 percent). Magruder had 306 votes (27.79 percent) to make the runoff. Former District 3 Commissioner Drew Thompson finished with 172 votes (15.62 percent) and Jimmy Williams totaled 117 votes (10.63 percent).



Magruder served terms on two different times, the most recent when he was elected in 2020.

Tolbert, a Tuskegee native, has no opposition in the November General Election and will take office in January of 2025.

In runoffs for the Democratic and Republican nominations for the newly-drawn minor District 2 Congressional District in Alabama, Anthony Daniels received 1,238 votes to 895 for Shamori Figures in Macon County in the Democratic runoff.

On the Republican side, Caroleene Dobson had 78 votes to 75 for Dick Brewbaker in Macon County.

However, the Associated Press predicted the Democratic nomination going to Figures with 14,649 votes (58 percent) to 10,748 for Daniels.

On the Republican side, Dobson had recorded 56 percent with 11, 925 to 9,268 votes for Brewbaker as of 9 :30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Figures and Dobson will meet in the November General Election for the Congressional seat.

03/06/2024

Incumbents dominated local Democratic Primary races in Macon County on Tuesday, March 5.

Earning reelection were incumbent Probate Judge James Cooper, Macon County Commission Chairman Louis Maxwell and Macon County District 1 Commissioner Miles Robinson.

There will be a runoff on April 16 between incumbent Ernest Magruder and challenger Elise Tolbert for the District 3 Macon County Commission seat.

Judge Cooper totaled 1,919 votes (59.88 percent) to 1,286 votes (40.1 percent) for Tracey Moon in a rematch of their race six years ago when Cooper defeated Moon by about 30 votes. Cooper was elected to his second six-year term with no Republican opposition in the November General election.

Maxwell was elected to his fifth term by winning 53.54 percent of the vote with 1,681 votes. Michael Hammon picked up 679 votes for 21.6 percent while Angela Hamilton totaled 474 votes (15.1 percent) and Andrew Daren 306 votes (9.75 percent).

Robinson was chosen for his eighth term. He collected 343 votes (57.55 percent) to 253 votes (42.45 percent) for Rev. Joshua A. Lewis.

In the District 3 race, first-time candidate Tolbert led the field of four candidates with 354 votes (41.454 percent. Incumbent Magruder had 244 votes (28.57 percent) to make the runoff. Former District 3 Commissioner Drew Thompson finished with 144 votes (16.86 percent) and Jimmy Williams totaled 112 votes (13.11 percent.)

Full Macon County election results and comments from the candidates will be published in the March 14 edition of The Tuskegee News.

03/05/2024

We'll have the basic results of the voting tonight here on FB. More detailed results will come in next week's paper.

01/15/2024

https://www.al.com/news/2024/01/how-many-faucets-should-i-leave-dripping-to-prevent-pipes-from-freezing.html

How many pipes should you leave dripping and which faucets should you turn on?

01/01/2024

Happy New Year everyone!

12/19/2023

10/12/2023

Highlighting economic success in Macon County

08/11/2023

https://www.madeinalabama.com/2023/08/trendco-usa-to-create-292-jobs-at-tuskegee-glove-manufacturing-facility/?fbclid=IwAR0-K201v5nwrvSDGV6vNwpPlmv42plR9X-IW0SEJOkvj7XlWW9vqmyWMkI

Trendco plans to invest $43 million to launch a manufacturing operation in a Tuskegee, Alabama logistics hub where it will produce nitrile medical gloves.

07/16/2023

"They Cloned Tyrone" is scheduled to be released globally on Netflix on July 21.

06/06/2023

Macon County Sheriffs office and Tallassee Police Department are working an accident on State Highway 229 , at the railroad crossing near I-85
CSX officials have advised that the truck went around the crossing and was struck by the oncoming train.
The truck wss demolished and the driver has non -life threating injuries and was transported to Tallassee Community Hospitial.
Frank H. Lee
Macon County EMA / DHS

05/16/2023

The Macon County Water Authority has issued a potential low water pressure notice for South Macon County due to repairs, currently being made to the water system.
Customers are asked to adhere to this notice .

Frank H. Lee
Macon County EMA / DHS
334 421 3602

05/01/2023

Please be advised that the bridge near C.R. 2 and C.R. 13 near the U.S. Post in Hardaway Office will need to be closed ASAP.
The bridge area collapsed and presents a dangerous threat to that roadway
Macon County Water Authority is attempting to make repairs currently.
Macon County Road and Bridge is sending a crew to close the road.

02/10/2023

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coc4M8VpY9B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

516 Likes, 7 Comments - Tuskegee University () on Instagram: "Tuskegee in One Minute Series: In today’s series, we will spotlight Tuskegee Alumnus Lonnie Johnson. "

01/03/2023

Today's Severe Weather Outlook In Macon County.1/3/2023

Macon County residents can anticipate severe weather this afternoon from 1pm until 7am in the morning. Tornadoes, damaging winds up to 70 mph and quarter size hail are the main threats. This is expected to be a long duration event with the possibility of multiple rounds of storms occurring.
Stay weather aware, check the batteries in yiur weather radio , stay tune to area media outlets to ensure you have multiple ways to get watches and warnings since this is expected to last throughout the night.

We are currently making all of our Storm Shelters / Saferooms Available

Macon County EMA/DHS
[email protected]
Updated 1/3/2024 @9:27 58 a.m.
334-220-3744

12/29/2022

Macon County Water Authority has just advised our agency that progress is slowly being made to restore water service for its residents in Macon County.
The following areas are being restored and water pressure is beginning to regain normal pressure.

Macon County Road 24 in Brownville has been restored, regaining pressure.
Southern Macon County is back in service
Shorter and west of Tuskegee water is flowing, regaining pressure .
County Road 10 , water is restored , regaining pressure .
Macon County Road 37 , water is restored and a boil water alert has been made.
Notasulga residents are still without water At 3:00 p.m. today at Notasulga High School High School , a tractor trailer of bottled water will be delivered for distribution.
We are requesting that property owners check properties for water leaks and refrain from letting faucets drip , for that impacts pressure from rebuilding in the water system.
Udated 10:32 a.m.

Frank H. Lee , Director
Macon County EMA / DHS
334 220 3744

11/28/2022

Repairs at two railroad crossings begin in Macon County tomorrow



MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Department of Transportation would like to advise motorists that beginning Tuesday, November 29 at approximately 10 a.m., weather permitting, two CSX railroad crossings in Macon County will be closed for repairs.



The crossing on Alabama Highway 199 at Old Grimmett Road will have a signed detour on Alabama Highway 81 and Alabama Highway 14.



The crossing on Alabama Highway 49 near County Road 36 will have a signed detour on Alabama Highway 229 and Alabama Highway 14.



Motorists should seek an alternate route and plan accordingly for delays.



Due to the nature of the work, the crossing will be closed until work is complete.



Work is expected to be completed by the following morning. All work is weather related and could be delayed if needed.

11/16/2022

A single-vehicle crash involving a commercial vehicle occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 16, and has caused a lane closure. The inside southbound lane of Interstate 85 near the 32 mile marker in Macon County is currently blocked and will until the recovery of the commercial vehicle is complete. Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division are on scene investigating and will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates accordingly.

11/09/2022

2022 Mid-Term Election Results

Jan Fountain will represent District 4 on the Macon County Commission and Hal Bentley retained his position as Coroner for Macon County based on unofficial results from the Tuesday, November 8 General Election. Fountain is the first woman elected to the Commission.

Incumbents also retaining their seats included Pebblin Warren, District 82 member of the Alabama House of Representatives, and State Senator Billy Beasley, who represents District 28.

As expected, Republicans swept all state-wide constitutional offices, including Kay Ivey for Governor. Taking the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Richard Shelby, who is retiring, was his former chief of staff, Katie Britt, also a Republican. She will be the first woman from Alabama to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Republican Mike Rogers will continue as the U.S. House of Representatives member from District 3, which includes Macon County.

In the District 4 County Commission race was for an open seat after Mike Berry died in office in March of this year. Fountain was selected by the Macon County Democratic Executive Committee to replace Berry on the General Election ballot.

Fountain garnered 960 votes (72.1 percent) to Libertarian Frank Dillman’s 361 votes (27.1 percent. She will take office on Tuesday, November 15 at 1:30 p.m. prior to the November meeting of the Macon County Commission.

Bentley, who has served nearly three decades as Macon County Coroner, won another term with 2,057 votes (54.4 percent) to 1,535 votes (40.6 percent) for challenger Arthur Johnson. Both were running as Independents. A long-time Democrat, Bentley missed the deadline for qualifying as a Democrat and had to run as an Independent to get on the ballot.

Warren, who has been in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2004 as a Democrat, defeated Republican Tia Pierrot of Tuskegee to retain her District 82 seat. Warren had 6,246 votes (71.2 percent) to Pierrot’s 2,524 votes (28.8 percent) in the District that includes all of Macon County and a portion of Lee County. The total represents 76 percent of the vote reporting.

Beasley earned third State Senate term with 21,214 votes (81.5 percent) to Libertarian David Boatwright who had 4,826 (18.5 percent) with 79 percent of the vote reporting.

See additional election information in the November 17 issue of The Tuskegee News.

10/11/2022

**Hablo español e inglés**

Personalized photography in the Auburn/Opelika and Birmingham areas!

09/22/2022

Several law enforcement agencies are holding a mock manhunt exercise Thursday in Macon County.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Department of Corrections and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office are holding the exercise until to 4 p.m. at the Macon County Road and Bridge located at 3636 Alabama Highway 199 in Tuskegee.
ALEA says the goal of the training exercise is to coordinate state and local law enforcement communications into a seamless process, which is critical for staging operations that result in the capture of suspects or help locate missing people.

08/25/2022

The Macon County EMA /DHS is currently surveying the ongoing flooding of roadways in Macon County.
Several roads and streets are currently difficult to travel on due to ongoing flooding.
Our agency will provide specifics on locations as soon as possible.
We urge all of our citizens to travel with extreme caution and care until further notice.
Thank you
Frank H.Lee , Director
Macon County EMA / DHS

07/25/2022

Good reporters are important.

For four decades, the United States government enrolled hundreds of Black men in Alabama in a study on syphilis, just so they could document the disease’s ravages on the human body.

07/20/2022

Repairs on I-85 South bridge south of Shorter exit



Montgomery- At approximately 9:00 a.m. today, July 20, Alabama Department of Transportation will close the right lane on Interstate 85 South at milepost 20.7, south of the Shorter exit.



On Tuesday, July 19, crews noticed a section of the bridge that needed emergency repairs. Temporary repairs were made at the time. Today crews will begin permanent repairs.



The lane will remain closed until repairs are completed, approximately at noon on Friday, July 22.



The traveling public is advised to plan accordingly for expected delays and to be mindful of people and equipment in the work zone.



ALDOT’s mission is to provide a safe, efficient, environmentally sound transportation network across Alabama.

07/05/2022

CAVHCS to host a job fair on Tuskegee Campus


TUSKEGEE, AL — Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) will host a job fair to fill open positions on July 15, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on its Tuskegee Campus at 2400 Hospital Road, Tuskegee, AL 36083.

We are looking for registered nurses, medical staff assistants, licensed practical nurses, food service workers, certified nursing assistants and environmental technicians to fill vacancies at all our facilities.

Applicants must bring two ID forms, a resume with three references and transcripts or licenses, if applicable. These employment opportunities include competitive pay and highly qualified candidates may receive a sign-on bonus for certain specialties.

"Our health care system is made up of a very diverse workforce. Everyone has a unique perspective, which helps us relate to our diverse Veterans so well," said Health Care System Director Amir Farooqi.

"As we continue to bring additional services to CAVHCS facilities, we need to recruit and retain the best and the brightest to provide our nation's heroes with safe, high-quality care. This is a great opportunity to do just that," Farooqi added.

If you are not able to participate in the job fair, you could also visit USAJOBS - The Federal Government's official employment site, to apply.

06/20/2022

Temporary bridge closure in Notasulga for maintenance repairs begins Wednesday



On Wednesday, June 22, weather permitting, the Alabama Department of Transportation will briefly close the bridge on Alabama Highway 81 (Tuskegee Street) over the railroad in Notasulga.

The bridge will be closed for maintenance repairs at approximately 8:00 a.m. Wednesday and will reopen at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 23.

During the bridge closure a signed detour will be in place.

Motorists traveling south on Alabama Highway 81 will take Alabama Highway 14 West to Alabama Highway 199 South back to Alabama Highway 81.

Motorists traveling north on Alabama Highway 81 will take Alabama Highway 199 North to Alabama Highway 14 East back to Alabama Highway 81.

ALDOT’s mission is to provide a safe, efficient, environmentally sound transportation network across Alabama.