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Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Dec 31, 1961
Page
1
The Decatur Daily staff highlights Wheeler Dam wall collapse on June 2 as the year’s top story with a fatal flood and barge halt. The 1961 second pick covers the Sept 18 City Commissioners election with incumbents re-elected amid 11 candidates and a rally.
The Le Club Mercs meet Friday at 3 15 p m at Mrs. Arthur Calix home 2315 Meadowbrook Rd SE. Firemen respond to two weekend calls at Trinity and a Vine Street garage. Car theft reported near Decatur High School. Traffic crash at 6th Ave SE and Moulton St. Saturday morning. The piece also recalls early Rose Bowl history Michigan 49 Stanford 0 in 1902 and notes city Christmas lights removal today. A list highlights Morgan County Fair and a fatal Hartselle house fire with Tolbert family casualties and a 13 year old Danville High School stabbing incident. Drowning victim Winnie Callaway noted.
The Bible states Jesus was tempted in all points as humans but remained without sin. He lived in a human body and faced hunger thirst weariness loneliness and allure from Satan. The difference is He yielded not, triumphing where Adam failed, enabling believers to live righteously through Him.
The Daily staff previews the year 1961’s mixed results for Deca tur and surrounding area, summarizing notable good and bad events. The page promotes year end editions with further reviews on pages A-7 to A-11.
Four county area reports show total farm income of 63 515 394 in 1961 with Limestone and Lawrence up and Morgan and Cullman down. Morgan highlights include corn yield of about 40 bushels per acre and cotton about 23 065 bales ginned. Limestone reports record corn yield and total income around 13 846 000 with 54 345 acres of cotton and 44 432 bales ginned.
Frances Lewine Palm Beach reports Mrs. John F. Kennedy postpones her tour of India and Pakistan to early March due to her husband President Kennedy's father’s illness. The delay follows two prior postponements and aims to avoid Indian elections while Joseph P. Kennedy recovers from a stroke.
Weather permitting January will be busy as Decatur contractors receive over 200000 in permits from the City clerk’s office. Three service stations will rise along 6th Ave plus a new Volkswagen home on 6th Ave and Valley Lumber will relocate. Higginbotham Construction secures three Humble Oil stations with totals around 31200 each. J W Wash of Huntsville to build a 10361 square foot Volkswagen dealership at Highway 31 in Athens costing 55396 with ground breaking soon. Valley Lumber moves to a new building as another project begins. See 3 on Page 3.
Across the globe, leaders and citizens greet 1962 with guarded hope for peace and progress. Kennedy, Macmillan, and Tito weigh tensions, while celebrations begin early in some places and in the Soviet Union New Year remains the year’s biggest nonpatriotic holiday with Father Frost gifts.
Utilities manager reports rising customers and revenue across water sewer and gas in 1961. Water Dept total customers 8,933 through Nov 30 with 1.976 billion gallons pumped and revenue $528,157.95. Sewer Dept totals show 8,044 customers and $204,710.03 in revenue. Gas department sees sales near 1.5 billion cubic feet through Dec 1, 1961.
The New Year weekend began with a low toll as 72 people died in traffic, 19 in fires, and 13 in other accidents over 78 hours. Howard Pyle praised drivers and law enforcement as the period showed a potential record low highway fatalities, with a family of five among eight killed in an Oklahoma crash and three dead in a Muscatine, Iowa accident.
Fluffy flakes drifted over Morgan Lawrence and Limestone counties as warm Gulf air rose over cooler air. Accumulations were expected to melt with rain and a warming trend was forecast for today.
Decatur Daily reviews 1961 achievements by the City Commission including merit system and retirement plan for city workers, a $3 million school bond building program, and street traffic improvements. Projects for 1962 include southeast elementary and southwest junior high construction, a further tax allocation for education recreation and culture, and continued plans for a Well Street area civic center and federal office building.
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