Andalusia’s water system has returned to normal after the city called for customers to voluntarily restrain their use of water outdoors for three days.
“It appears our system is back to normal,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “We appreciate the efforts of everyone who cooperated with us.”
Meanwhile, Opp Mayor H.D. Edgar said his city’s water supply is holding up nicely despite the dry weather.
“I just got an email from our superintendent and he just checked on our well,” Edgar said. “And they are in good shape.”
At the present time, Edgar said it doesn’t look necessary for the City of Opp to ask residents to refrain from outside watering.
Trying to decide what to have for lunch?
The LBW Community College’s SkillsUSA program is hosting a summer cookout with all the trimmings today from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the MacArthur Campus Student Center in Opp.
The cookout includes hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, chips, homemade ice cream and desserts.
Each plate is $7, and to-go plates are available.
Six hundred feet of decorative fencing has been installed in Marshall Cemetery, and similar fencing will begin going up in Andalusia Memorial Cemetery Monday.
Director of Leisure Services Dwight Mikel told the Andalusia City Council this week that the cemetery enhancement project is coming along nicely.
Earlier this year, with the help of area youth participating in a Disciple Now weekend program, new landscaping was installed in both cemeteries. Despite the drought, the plants seem to be flourishing, thanks to irrigation systems also installed.
“The landscaping looks good,” Mikel said. “It got settled prior to the drought.”
Mikel said a new contractor is taking over the fence project this coming week. Decorative fencing will be used on the entrance sides of both cemeteries and black vinyl-coated chain link fencing will be used on the back sides.
“By the end of the year, it should be right where we want it to be,” he said.
Mikel said city workers also have met with the principles of businesses who do work in the cemeteries, including vault and monument companies and funeral homes.
Mikel said resurfacing work has been completed in both cemeteries and sod work also is under way.
Lightning is blamed for a third fire that broke out late Thursday afternoon and burned 123 acres near Pleasant Home.
Fires began popping up throughout Covington County shortly before lunch.
Vehicles with flat tires that kept driving are credited with starting the first two fires in the county, said Mike Older, work unit forester for Covington, Coffee and Geneva counties with the Alabama Forestry Commission. One fire burned at least 50 acres in the Hopewell Community. The second fire burned less than an acre before volunteer fire fighters contained it.
Older said the third fire occurred down U.S. Hwy. 29 South, just before the Ala. Hwy. 137 junction. It was controlled at approximately 7:15 p.m.
“It was on Dixon Family Partnership land,” he said. “We had five tractors, five of our bulldozers, two private ones, two Carolina Fire Department engines, two AFC personnel and two others from the Geneva State Forest working to get it under control.”
Thursday night’s scattered rainfall did little to alleviate the county’s dryness, he said.
“Plus, with those type storms, you get the lightning, which can strike outside the area that gets the rain,” he said. “It’s so dry that, even if we do get two-to-three-tenths of an inch, it’s not enough to put (a fire) out.”
Older said when experiencing a flat tire or mechanical problems, pull over into a bare spot on the side of the road, not into tall grass.
“Sparks from a flat tire can cause a fire in an instant,” he said. “Same thing can be said for a catalytic converter. If you’re pulling a trailer, make sure nothing is dragging that can cause a spark.”
Older said the current burn ban was “not issued lightly.”
“The last time one was issued was in 2007,” he said. “It’s a very serious matter, and we don’t restrict burning because we want to. The situation is bad. Anything can start a fire now. That’s why there’s a no burn ban.”
Older said violators of that ban can be fined between $250-$500 and could face up to six months in jail.
“If you see someone who is not obeying the burn ban, call your local law enforcement,” he said. “If you’re in the city, call your police department. Those in the county should call the Covington County Sheriff’s Department. Normally, violators will get a warning on the first offense, but after that they can be arrested for a misdemeanor and fined.”
Older said if a fire breaks out, that person would be responsible for damages.
“And that includes if someone was to die while fighting the fire,” he said.
This week, Johnson Park looks nothing like a sports complex. But in a few days, area sports fans will begin to see the outlines of what will be eight playing fields when the baseball and softball reopen there in April of 2012.
Most of the dirt work has been completed, Director of Leisure Services Dwight Mikel told the city council earlier this week. Additional parking lots have been paved, and employees in the city’s public works department are working on curbing in the new parking lots.
“The utilities board is working with us on irrigation,” Mikel said, adding that trenches were to be dug this week.
“We are a little ahead of schedule,” he said.
The design for the reworked park will mean that players won’t have to cross the parking lot to move from one field to another.
Improvements also will include new state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems.