Oneonta alumnus Steve Johnson (left) and city board of education member Bill Burdette were on hand at the official opening of the new Oneonta Athletic Complex Sunday. The 12,000-square-foot facility, officially named the Steve Johnson Athletic Complex, has been under construction for approximately two years at a cost of around $850,000, according to booster club organizers John Dobson and Dalton NeSmith. Visitors were able to tour the new structure and talk to coaches and athletes. The building will house the varsity and junior varsity football programs, girls softball, and varsity track. More...

In late April the U. S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case out of Texas which could spell some relief for nine southern states and parts of seven other jurisdictions which are required to submit proposed redistricting plans or changes in voting laws to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division for an approval process called "preclearance" under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. These matters can include changes from the location of polling places to the makeup of districts in state legislatures to the elections for all public offices. More...

As the organizers of the seven June flings, we were very upset at the tone of the article about this year’s May fling. We started with a zero mailing list for vendors. Traveling much of the state to other events, we started our list. We researched dates in craft magazines as well as the Alabama Tourism Book. So as not to conflict with our friends in Blountsville with their weekend reenactment and festival, or the Homestead Hollow in Springville, we decided on the first Saturday in June each year. Additional consideration was weather. More...

The Cleveland Lady Panthers finished second in last week’s 2A Area 13 Tournament at Cold Springs and secured a spot in this week’s section tournament at the Huntsville Sportsplex. Cleveland advanced but it wasn’t easy. The Lady Panthers took the scenic route by losing the first game of the tournament 7-5 to Falkville and then winning three straight in the loser’s bracket to advance to the finals. In the championship series, the Lady Panthers dominated unbeaten Addison 6-1 in the first game before falling 3-0 in the final game. More...

Oneonta High School will present two performances of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” at 7 p.m. Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16. Tickets are $7 each for the musical, which is being presented here for the first time. Based on the 1967 movie starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, and Carol Channing, the musical is directed by Sara Holt Towns and choreographed by Tonya Taylor Hill. More...

Background Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10. Devotional Reading: Psalms 86:1-13. Somewhere I read that when informed that former President Coolidge had died a political associate was quoted as asking, “How could they tell?” I’m sure that this taciturn man had some enduring qualities, but being “a ball of fire” was not one of them. More...

The Blount Countian generally does not publish obituaries unless the deceased have direct connections to this county. If your relative’s obit did not appear in the paper, that is probably the reason. JOHN WILLIAM ALLEN BLACKMON, 82, of Altoona, died May 1, 2009, at Golden Living Center. A native of Blount County, he was a plumber and a member of Sharon The Word Independent Church. More...