Features

April 13, 2009 marked the 60th anniversary of the day residents in Cotton Plant, Miss. will remember forever. On April 13, 1949, two trains collided with each other in Cotton Plant, resulting in one fatality. The fatality was John Oatis Cannon, who was a mail clerk in the Railway Post Office section of the power unit. The two trains were the No. 1 Engine 354, also known as Rebel, and No. 32 Engine 747.

Upcoming New Albany Middle School student Anslie Childers donated between 10 and 12 inches of her hair to the charity 'Locks of Love.' Her hair was cut by Heather Parker at Nicole and Co. in New Albany, Miss. She got her hair cut on May 22, 2009. Anslie is 11 years old and is the daughter of Guy and Emily Childers.

New Albany High School has announced that Karl Capaning and Jennie Katherine Ellis are the Class of 2009’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian respectively.

Capaning, son of Edgar and Ninabeth Capaning, and brother to Lianne Capaning, is the Valedictorian with a 4.0 grade point average.  Karl says he plans to begin a pursuit of a major in Accounting at Mississippi State University next fall and, after receiving his degree, attending law school.

New Albany’s own singing group from the 1960s, “The Dukes,”will be performing again in New Albany on January 24, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Magnolia Civic Center in downtown New Albany.  This concert is a fundraiser for the New Albany Main Street Association.  The proceeds will be used to fund community projects in 2009. 

Sixty-one fifth grade students at East Union Attendance Center from Mrs. Amber Elder’s class, Mrs. Pamela Warrington’s homeroom class, and Mrs. Amy Lavanway’s class recently completed the 10-week D. A. R. E. program. D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. This program provides students with information and skills that they need to live drug and violence-free lives. A graduation ceremony was held Thursday, January 29, 2009 at the school gymnasium.

It’s time again to start bird watching and counting the birds at your bird feeders. February 13-16, 2009 marks the 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which is hosted by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Kate Friedman, environmental education coordinator for the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, came out to New Albany Elementary School February 4, 2009 to speak to third graders about the importance of bird watching and bird counting.

Bowling fun was had by all when the clients from New Haven School visited the Action Lanes bowling alley in New Albany on Wednesday, February 11, 2009. Action Lanes allows the clients to come bowling twice a month.

In addition to bowling, they also participate in Tai Chi, going out to eat once a month, walking on the track at the Baptist Healthplex, and visiting the Union County Library and the Union County Heritage Museum.

New Albany High School sophomore Crystal McKee will soon get a change of scenery this fall when she starts her classes at Mississippi School of the Arts (MSA) in Brookhaven.

McKee said that she is extremely happy and excited to learn new tools and concepts pertaining to visual arts.

Former New Albany resident Michele Mundy recently produced, wrote and performed her debut album Divine Favor. The 34-year-old has been interested in music almost her whole life.

“Music has always been a part of me. At the age of four, my mom noticed my singing voice,” said Mundy.

She started singing with the Watson Grove Baptist Church Choir at age 12, sung her first solo at age 13 and wrote her first song at age 15.