Sheriff Records 3400 Charges in 1965 County
Morgan County sheriff deputies filed about 3400 charges in 1965 led by highway intoxication. Other frequent charges included public drunkenness and driving while intoxicated with several murder and unusual counts such as violating agriculture rules and cruelty to animals. Major event around the sheriff See SHERIFF on Page B6.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morgan County
Dick Fleming
U. S. Agriculture Department
Sheriff's Department
Record High Traffic Fatalities Hit Four-County Area
Traffic deaths in Morgan Lawrence Limestone and Cullman Counties soared in 1965 through December 28 with 64 fatalities, up sharply from 1964 and well above 1962-63 figures. Morgan led with 20 deaths, while Limestone declined to 12 and Cullman 17. Total accidents reached 1690 by December 27, driven by excessive speed and several multiple-death crashes including a February Flint Creek bridge crash near Town Creek.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morgan, Lawrence, Limestone
Cullman Counties
Morgan
Lawrence
Cullman
Limestone Counties
Limestone County
Cullman County
Highway Patrol
Flint Creek
Eva
Town Creek
City Police set 1965 charges to top 6800
City police predict 1965 charges will exceed 6800 based on 6275 issued in the first 11 months ending in November. Most charges were for speeding, intoxication, disorderly conduct, and ignoring traffic signals, with August and November the busiest months.
County Births Triple Deaths in 1965 Mor gan County
Mor gan County births in 1965 nearly tripled deaths according to Health Department figures. The births to deaths ratio was about 3 to 1, with November totals at 1 701 births. 1 486 white and 215 Negro. Deaths count is continued on page A10.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morgan County
Health Department
Dea- See
Draft Figures Jump Here With Viet War
Local draft results for 1965 show a record number of area youths inducted and enlisted. Sgt. James Silver of Morgan La. rence and Limestone Counties reports 105 men enlisted in 1965, up from 101 in 1964, with Air Force enlistments rising by 20. Sgt. Dean Boyd notes 70 men enlisted in the year. The draft board indicates 56 Morgan men were inducted into the Army in 1965, up from 25 the previous year, while 134 calls for induction were issued, with many opting for enlistment or other services or delaying due to family plans.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
U. S. Defense Department
James Silver
U. S. Arcany
Morgan, Laawrence
Limestone
Air Force
Dean Boyd
Morgan
Franklin
Lawrence
La-Dessa A. Nash
Crime Still A Part Of City Scene
Police in Decatur describe 1965 crime patterns amid a crackdown on a ring selling stolen goods. In April two Decatur men were arrested and items stolen in Huntsville and Decatur were recovered. The total arrests for the month reached 11, with diamonds rings air conditioners and a television also seized.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Decatur
Huntsville
Circuit Courts Kept On Busy Morgan County Year
Circuit and county courts in Morgan Limestone and Lawrence counties kept busy dockets in 1965 with 26 weeks of circuit court. Morgan County had 14 weeks, Lawrence seven, Limestone five. Federal court in Decatur held its first jury term in November with two weeks. Grand juries returned 137 indictments. The fire at Second Baptist Church Huntsville sparked a $115,000 verdict.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morgan County
Si Decator Federal
Newton B. Powell
James N. Bloodworth
Morgan
Limestone
Lawrence
Judge Powell
Judge Bloodworth
Cleo Teague
Bloodworth
Tri-County
Decatur
U. S
Seybourne H. Lynne
Second Baptist Church of
Huntsville
Igert Inc
Kentucky
Fred L. Lindy
Guntersville
Igert
Ballot Boxes and a Lively 1966 State Vote Outlook
The year 1966 promises intense political activity across Alabama with major races for governor and key statewide offices including lieutenant governor attorney general commissioner of agriculture state auditor state treasurer and secretary of state. Local contests will feature boards of education revenue sheriff tax collector tax assessor county solicitor district attorney and coroner in Morgan Limestone Cullman and Lawrence counties plus a new Lawrence circuit judge post.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Alabama
Morgan
Limestone
Cullman
Lawrence Counties
Board of Education
Board of Revenue
Lawrence County
Total Morgan Jobs Down Figures Show
Morgan County employment fell to 29,640 in September 1965, 630 below three months earlier, with 30,460 in the civilian labor force. Decatur ASES logged 643 employers and 6,024 job openings, 10,976 referrals, and 5,018 hires, down 240 from 1964. In 1965, 9,821 new job applications, 727 counseling interviews, and 2,220 tests were recorded. More than 2,000 received first unemployment checks. 597 drew the final payout, about 695,334 dollars infused locally. Page B6.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morgan County
Alabama State Employment Service
Decatur
Fires Claim 17 In Four-County Area
In 1965 a four-county region suffered 17 fire deaths, three more than last year, possibly an area record. Lawrence and Limestone counties each reported six deaths, Cullman two, Morgan three. Notable losses included Town Creek residents in two fatal blazes on Jan 1 and Apr 8, with names listed for several victims across counties.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Town Creek
Mooresville
Lawrence County
Mary Frances King
Bertha Ricks
Howard Ricks
George Washington Bond
Ed Robinson
Courtland
Sammy Cooper
Four Victims Of Violent Deaths In Morgan County 1965
Violent deaths claimed four lives in Morgan County during 1965, all victims Negro. Two cases led to convictions, one defendant’s trial delayed to 1966, and one case remains unsolved. The latest victim was 60 year old Paul Kimball, a watchman at Union Compress in Decatur, beaten Sept. 6. John Melvin Fennell, 20, of Decatur, was convicted of first degree murder on Dec. 16 and given four life terms. Kimball had earlier been convicted of murder about 25 years ago and served ten years before returning to Decatur. The unsolved case concerns 65 year old Myrtle White of Decatur, found beaten and shot at her home on Aug. 23. Police arrested a suspect in See FOUR on Page B6.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morgan County
Paul Kimball
Union Compress and Warehouse Co
Decatur
John Melvin Fennell
Fennell
Kimball
Union Compress
Myrtle White
Marriages and Divorces Rise in Morgan County 1965
Morgan County records show 1965 through December 19: 685 marriage licenses issued, up 2.7 percent from 1964, and 232 divorces granted, up 16 percent from last year. June led marriages with 83 licenses. June and September tied for top divorces with 29 each. July and August followed in marriage counts. divorces peaked in June and August with 21–29 per month. Through Dec 19 this month, 35 divorces were granted.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morgan County
Also Mentioned on This Page
Morgan County Court
Lewis H. West
C. Bennett McRae
H. H. Grooms
Ing
Wayne Vickers
Ardmore
Boris Benford
Athens
Mary Alice Smith
Clements
Maynard Layman
Deforst Bailey
Lewis Allen
Ida Morgan
Harvey Elliott
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