The Solon and Martha Dixon Foundation hit a “double grand slam” Friday after members presented a $20,000 donation to the Miracle League of Covington County. Here, Doris Tyler, Martha Dixon, Dwight Mikel and Phillip Jones are pictured Friday.
A busted pipe in the wall flooded the downstairs children’s library at the Andalusia Public Library Thursday morning, officials said.
The floors in the main children’s library and the room used for the preschool story time were covered with waters, which also flowed underneath the building.
Children’s librarian Caryl Lee Jackson said the monetary amount of damages was unknown.
“There is about 2 feet of water underneath the puppet risers, and the city is sucking it out,” she said. “We can’t use fans because the building is so old that it trips the breakers.”
Jackson said a library employee found the flooded rooms upon arrival at work Thursday.
Jackson said it’s a possibility they may have to get new carpet for the library.
“We’ll be concerned about the mold and mildew with the children down here,” she said.
The children’s library portion of the library is closed until further notice; however, Jackson has carried a cart of children’s books to the main library for those who wish to check out copies.
“If it’s not in the cart, and they know specifically what they want, I’ll be happy to put on my rain boots and go down and get a copy,” she said.
This morning’s preschool story time for children first grade and under is “a go,” Jackson said.
“We’ll just have to meet in the Dixon Room,” she said. “So come on. It’s a good thing (today’s) show is about fish.”
The City of Andalusia will begin a major paving project that includes eight streets on Mon., June 25.
The council agreed earlier in the year to begin this project when the weather was conducive. Public Works Director Jim Hogg will supervise the project, with Wiregrass Construction providing the work and machinery.
Barring any unforeseen problems, the project will be completed in this order:
• Resurface Moore Road from South Three Notch to the truck route.
• Mill 4th Avenue from East Three Notch Street to Henderson Street.
• Resurface Holloway Drive from Dunson Street to Church Street.
• Resurface 4th Avenue from East Three Notch to Henderson Street.
• Resurface Lindsey Bridge Road to Easley Drive.
• Resurface Academy Drive from the railroad track crossing to Midway Drive.
• Resurface Lakeview Drive from Sanford Road to Camellia Avenue.
• Resurface Aspen Lane from Willow Lane to Grand Oak Drive.
When the project was first approved, it also included plans to resurface Feagin Street. However, the city is a contender for a CDBG grant to do extensive work on that street, including upgrading utility lines. If it were paved now, it would have to torn up to do the additional repairs, clerk John Thompson said.
The Andalusia City Council Tuesday authorized the mayor to finalize a lease-purchase agreement with Wright Brothers LLC for property in the Alatex industrial park.
The city and its industrial development board has had an agreement with the company since it purchased the property from John G. Ralls Jr. in 2009.
The original letter agreement was for Wright to pay a purchase price of $500,000, owner-financed, for 25 years at 5 percent interest.
However, a stumbling block in acquiring eight acres of land in the tract from Cluett American Corp. delaying finalizing the lease-purchase agreement, as a portion of those eight acres was to be sold to Wright Bros. in the lease-purchase agreement.
City clerk John Thompson explained that Cluett has had several successors, and the property is now owned by a Canadian company with whom the city remains in negotiations for the property.
Wright Bros. requested that the purchase agreement be finalized, a necessary step in a project the company is about to take on.
The council agreed to reduce the purchase price by $40,000 until the last bit of property is acquired, at which time Wright Bros. will have an option to buy a portion of it.
“We bought that property with the idea of it being turned into an industrial park,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “The money we spent on the Alatex property is being repaid to us in the form of sales or leases.”
“This keeps that industry in Andalusia, and brings new jobs to Andalusia,” Johnson said. “That’s good for the economy.”
Wright Brothers, owned by Mel and Nate Wright, manufactures storage buildings. The company also converts ISO Corten steel shipping containers to small cabins.
In other business, the council:
The corporate office on the property is currently being renovated as a new officer for the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce, which is investing in the improvements.
• Accepted a bid from Logical Computer Solutions for $27,000 to provide three new servers for the city.
One server will be at city hall, the other at the police department, and each will back up the other. A third server at a remote location will back up both in the event there is a catastrophic event in Andalusia that destroys both servers.
Motorists will have to exercise caution – and a bit of patience – while navigating portions of the Andalusia By-Pass.
For many days, crews with Mobile Asphalt Co. have been working to prep the 2.3-mile section of state Hwy. 55 from U.S. Hwy. 29 to south of U.S. Hwy. 84. Construction cones and uneven sections of pavement mean motorists should be mindful of construction workers and work as they travel in the area.
Rebecca White, state department of transportation spokesperson, said the project cost is $1.17 million.
“Work began in late May, and the estimated completion date is mid-July,” she said of the project.
The county was set to begin the process of a second ALDOT construction project – the planing, resurfacing and traffic striping of U.S. Hwy. 84 from the Conecuh County line to west of state Hwy. 55 in River Falls. Bids for the 7.752-mile project, with an estimated cost between $960,000 to $1.18 million, were set to be let on June 29; however, the project has been removed from the state bid list.
It is unclear why the project was removed from the bid list.