Spring Home & Garden page Page A-10
Steele shines on Senior Night Page B1
Hometown newspaper of Ken Preuitt - since 1933
Hartselle Enquirer
50 CENTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 15
Clif Knight, former Hartselle mayor, Enquirer writer, dies at 88 By Rebekah Yancey rebekah.yancey@ hartselleenquirer.com Clif Knight, longtime Enquirer writer and former mayor of Hartselle died Sunday. He was 88. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he earned a journalism degree from the University of Alabama in 1961. He began his career in community journalism as a cub reporter at The Examiner in Aberdeen, Miss. before joining the Hartselle Enquirer as associate editor in September 1961. After honing his skills for five and a half years, he
Morgan chief deputy graduates from FBI National Academy
embarked on a new chapter, taking on the role of editor of the 'Spinnerette,' a bi-weekly publication by the Monsanto Company in Decatur, produced for its employees and their families. What he thought would be a step along the path of his journalism career became a place where the Lineville native would plant roots and spend a career of more than half a century covering life in and around Hartselle. Returning to the Hartselle Enquirer in March 1970, he assumed the position of editor and part owner, a role he held until March 1998 when the newspaper transitioned to Boone Newspapers,
Inc. Despite the ownership change, he continued as editor until July 2000, when he decided to pursue a mayoral candidacy in Hartselle. He was elected and served one term. After an unsuccessful reelection bid in September 2004, he found his way back to the newspaper, this time as a staff writer. His dedication to journalism was recognized with the George Washington Honor Medal Award from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, acknowledging his editorial contributions in the 'Spinnerette,' championing free enterprise and the American way of life. Knight chronicled many
of the great athletes, coaches and championships in Hartselle sports history. He was there for Hartselle state championships in football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, golf and wrestling. “He was just so dedicated to covering high school sports that he became a fixture at games,” Morgan County Circuit Court Judge Glenn Thompson said in an interview with The Decatur Daily. “He was always there with his camera and taking notes. You could relive the games from his accounts.” Because of his decades-long career, Knight was inducted See Knight, page 2
Celestial showdown
By Jacob Hatcher For the Enquirer Morgan County Sheriff Chief Deputy Alan Host graduated from the FBI National Academy March 15. Host was selected to fill one of only four available spots representing the state of Alabama as he joined 197 other law enforcement officers from 47 states, the District of Columbia, 23 countries, five federal civilian organizations and four military organizations. The FBI National Academy is a prestigious program lauded internationally for its excellence. Host, who began his law enforcement career with the Hartselle Police Department in 1991, came to the Morgan County Sheriff ’s Department in 2014. Having left HPD for full time ministry in 1998, Host answered the call of a lueitenant in the MCSO asking if he was interested in moving back into law enforcement. Host had worked with Sheriff Ron Puckett at HPD and knew it would be a good fit. With the support of Sheriff Pucket, who attended the FBI National Academy 2002, Host submitted an application and after 18 months of rigorous vetting, he was accepted for the 289th session. The Academy is a 10-week course in Quantico, Virginia facilitated by FBI agents where attendees are taught the latest advancements in fitness, leadership and communication. “I had a wellness class that talked about being well in body, mind and spirit,” Host said. “We went through a lot of material about taking care of oneself and then carrying that on to your agencies and helping develop programs for your agency for law enforcement officers to become stronger mentally, physically and spiritually dealing with the things law enforcement deals with.” Host said he was especially invested in the material around helping
officers deal with critical incidents. “Suicide rate is very high among law enforcement officers, so I took that course hoping to gain some insight and learn some techniques of how to combat that.” In addition to course material that included media relations, critical thinking techniques and a deep dive into violent behavior and how to more thoroughly investigate cases, Host said the networking opportunities and interagency relationships that are built at the FBI National Academy is an incredible asset. “There were folks from all over the country and all over the world,” Host said. “Building those relationships in class and carrying them now helps us share policies and ideas with each other. Our instructors even told us that we would learn a lot from them, but we would learn just as much from each other.” Reflecting on the opportunity to attend the academy, Host said his experience was very beneficial from a professional knowledge perspective but added that interacting with so many representatives from other agencies helped him realize the good things about Morgan County. “I realized how good we have it here. We really have the support of our citizens and compared to other places, we really have nothing to complain about. I’m very fortunate and honored to be able to go and very thankful to Sheriff Puckett and I have benefited a lot and hope it makes me a better leader here in our community.”
Obituaries
For full obituaries, see page A-2
Arnold Wayne Hill Justin Wayne Dudley Linda Ann Strange Dixon Gary Dee Blackwood Shirley Sue Cook Dorothy Jarrett Donofrio Jerry Wayne West
Host
Tammy Lee Barber Joyce Webster Clif Knight
PHOTOS BY RACHEL HOWARD
Second grade students at F.E. Burleson Elementary School watched the solar eclipse Monday from the school playgorund. Wearing their solar glasses for safety, the students witnessed the event will not occur again in the contiguous United States until 2044 – when these students are nearly 30 years old. See more photos on page 8 and online at hartselleenquirer.com.
Hartselle students collect food for good cause
SPECIAL TO THE ENQUIRER
From left, Maddox Naylor, Michael Davis, Maddox Southern, Andy Bankster and Caleb Rameriez. The group of seventh grade students at Hartselle Junior High School recently collected and donated 512 non-perishable food items to a local food pantry.
By Rebekah Yancey rebekah.yancey@ hartselleenquirer.com Seventh grade students at Hartselle Junior High School recently banded together to make a difference in their community. Maddox Naylor, Michael
Davis, Maddox Southern, Andy Bankster and Caleb Rameriez are in Natalie Johnson’s civics class at HJHS, and as seventh graders, they participate in the American Character Program through Liberty Learning. Part of the program includes a service project.
Johnson said the group decided on a canned food drive on their own for the project, placed donation boxes at several high-traffic locations in town and had help from their parents with social media. All together the canned food drive collected 512 non-perishable items to
the Good Samaritan charity at First Methodist Church of Hartselle. Good Samaritan chairman Joy Groover said she was brought to tears when the donation was made. “I just couldn’t believe it,” Groover said. “I still can’t believe it. We are so thankful.”