East lime skillet chicken recipe Page A-9
Hartselle baseball, softball state runner-ups Page B1
Hometown newspaper of Nancy Weaver - since 1933
Hartselle Enquirer
50 CENTS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 21
Fallen Morgan County officers remembered, familes honored By Wes Tomlinson For the Enquirer People should never forget law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, said Priceville Mayor Sam Heflin, but they should also never forget the families who are left behind. Heflin spoke at the annual Morgan County Fallen Officers Memorial service in Cotaco Park behind the Morgan County Courthouse on Wednesday, along with Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long and Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling. The Decatur Police Department Honor Guard presented colors and Decatur High student Temperance Ricks sang the national anthem. After the Pledge of Allegiance, Hef-
lin stood at the podium and said citizens should always remember and respect the families who have had law enforcement family members killed on duty. “What I want to tell you all here today is if you have lost a family member in the line of duty, we are here today to pay tribute to them,” Heflin said. “We are here to honor them, but we also want you to know that we haven’t forgotten you.” The memorial service honored 10 officers who were killed in the line of duty in Morgan County, including state troopers, Decatur police, Morgan County sheriff ’s deputies and a conservation officer. Hartselle Chief of Police Justin Barley read the roll call, announcing the officers’ names and how they died. The first officers killed in Mor-
gan County were Decatur police officers E.L. Steele and William A. Baber in 1905. Both were shot and killed by suspects they were attempting to arrest. The most recent police fatality in Morgan County was the death of Deputy Charles W. Biles of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office on May 21, 1985, after being shot by a man near Brewer High School. Retired Morgan County sheriff’s Capt. Walter “Bubba” Price was at the ceremony and said he vividly remembered the day the call went out about Biles being shot. Price retired as a captain with the Morgan County Drug Task Force, working for the Sheriff ’s Office from 1972 to 2001. See FALLEN, page B8
PHOTOS BY JERONIMO NISA
An Alabama state trooper deposits a rose at the Morgan County Fallen Officers Memorial during the annual ceremony May 15.
Pomp and circumstance
Class of 2024 graduates from Hartselle High
PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA.
William Booth, who died May 15, has been the baseball coach at Hartselle since 1988. He coached the Tigers to state championships in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2013 and 2022.
Hartselle baseball legend William Booth dies at 79 By David Elwell For the Enquirer Mason Booth remembers last winter when an ice storm had shut down much of Morgan County. Booth’s father, William Booth, was going stir crazy at his home in Hartselle. “I told him that we could go to Waffle House and get something to eat because they are always open,” Mason said. “We were holding on to each other as we walked across the driveway to my vehicle. “He said, ‘You have to take care of me because I’m an endangered species.’ I laughed at what he said, but the more I thought about it the more I realized he was right. They don’t make them like him anymore.” Hall of Fame baseball coach William Booth died early Wednesday morning surrounded by family members following a long battle with cancer. He was 79. A graveside service was held Saturday at Hartselle Memory Gardens. A reception followed at Hartselle High School. Booth coached Hartselle baseball to nine state championships in 36 years. His last team finished as runners-up in the Class 6A
Obituaries • Matt Oden • Jerome ‘Cowboy’ Borden • Mary Ferguson • Coach William Booth • Joan E. Jenkins
state championship series this past week. Booth owns the state record for baseball wins at 1,217. He’s a member of the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame, the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame, the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Hartselle Educator Hall of Fame. The inaugural Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Booth in January. The Hartselle native graduated from what was then Morgan County High in 1962. He returned to the school as a math teacher in 1966. Booth worked for the school system in several roles for 57 years before retiring last summer to a coaching emeritus role. “I think that I would want my dad to be remembered as a winner, educator and then as a coach,” Mason Booth said. “Dad always wanted to be a winner in everything he did. Even though he is mostly thought of as a coach, he was always an educator at heart. “He always believed in hard work in whatever you were doing. It didn’t matter if it was a math probSee BOOTH, page 10 For full obituaries, see page A-2
• Glenda Wilhite • Eugene Lawrimore •
PHOTOS BY RACHEL HOWARD
The Class of 2024 graduates from Hartselle High School Monday night during the commencement ceremony held at J.P. Cain Stadium. See more photos online at www.hartselleenquirer.com.
Larry Madison has been a pillar in Falkville for four decades By Staff Reports After four decades of dedicated service, Larry Madison stands as a revered figure in the Town of Falkville. From his roots in a military family to his decades-long career as an attorney, Madison’s journey is one of commitment and community. Born in Selma, Madison’s upbringing was marked by the nomadic lifestyle of a military family. From Alaska to Texas to Maine, he traversed the breadth of the country before settling in Falkville in 1974. Following his father’s retirement from the United States Air Force, the Madison family made their home in Hartselle, where they have remained ever since. Educated at the University of Alabama, Madison earned both his Bachelor’s and Law degrees before embarking on a career in law. His early years were spent as an Assistant Dis-
SPECIAL TO THE ENQUIRER
From left to right, Councilmen Charlie Gover, Brandon Dillard, Alton Hill, Madison, Falkville Mayor Ken Winkles, Councilman David Carroll and Patrick Holmes. trict Attorney in Morgan County, honing his skills and laying the groundwork for a prosperous legal career. Transitioning into private practice
in Hartselle, Madison established himself as an attorney with a focus on municipal law. For four decades, Madison has served as the city
attorney for Falkville, Hartselle, Trinity and Eva. His contributions extend See MADISON, page 5