The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday set salaries for the next administration, effective when members of that group take office in 2020.
Mayor Earl Johnson said the salaries of elected officials have not changed since 2008, and the new rates represent a five percent increase in pay.
State law does not allow members of an administration to raise current salaries, but they can make changes for the administration that will follow.
Beginning in November of 2020:
- The mayor’s salary will be $2,596 biweekly, or $67,500.
- Council salaries will be $375 per biweekly pay period, or $9,750.
- Council members who earn the designation of “basic certified municipal official” shall earn an additional $225 for month, for a total of $2,700 annually.
- Council members may participate in municipal group life and health policies, but must reimburse the city or have the premiums deducted from their pay.
The council unanimously approved the changes on a motion from Councilman Terry Powell and a second from Councilwoman Hazel Griffin.
In other business, the council:
- Approved a retail beer and wine license for Piggly Wiggly, which is set to open in the former location of Winn Dixie. Manager Chance Robertson told the council “everything Winn Dixie had, we will have.”
- Approve the purchase of two Dodge Grand Caravan mini vans from the state bid list for the Adult Activity Center.
Comedian Leanne Morgan is no stranger to Andalusia, and will be back next weekend for the 2018 Little Black Dress Event, set for Sat., May 19, at the Andalusia Country Club.
A native of Eastern Tennessee, Morgan is described as “Scarlet O’Hara turned soccer mom.”
“Everybody wanted her back,” organizer Curtis Simpson said. “From the very next day, they were asking me to get her again.”
Morgan entertained at the 2017 LBD event, and also was featured by the Covington Arts Council.
The social hour, dinner, show and silent auction that’s just for women will benefit the Covington County Imagination Library, a literacy program that provides free books to children aged birth to age 5 years residing in Covington County, building each a library of 60 books by the time he or she enters kindergarten. At present, the program serves 975 children.
The program is affiliated with Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which helps provide the books at reduced costs. Simpson said every child’s first book is “The Little Engine That Could,” and the last one is, “Look Out, Kindergarten, Here I Come.”
“This is our only fundraiser for this organization,” Simpson said.
The silent auction and social hour featuring live music begin at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. In the past, the event has included a fashion show, but this year, the fashions will be displayed on mannequins throughout the evening. Clothing from Town and Country Boutique and LulaRoe will be featured.
Individual tickets are $100, a table of six is $500, and a corporate sponsorship is $1,000. Tickets are available at Harold’s.
The City of Andalusia will host a pickleball clinic this month to gauge the public’s interest in bringing the fast-growing sport to Covington County.
Pickleball is a paddle sport created for all ages and skill levels. The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced and competitive game for experienced players.
Pickleball combines many elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
It may be played indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court and slightly modified tennis net.
It is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes. Pickleball may be played as doubles or singles.
“It’s been something that we have wanted to do for a while now,” City of Andalusia’s Mike Hourel said. “Until now, we just haven’t had the time to really talk more about the possibility.”
Hourel said that through talks with First United Methodist Church education minister Alecia Glaize the idea of the clinic came about.
“She was telling us that they have been playing the sport for sometime and compete with others in cities close by,” Hourel said. “She agreed to host this clinic so that we could explain what the game is and how it is played.”
Hourel said that based on the how the clinic goes the city will decide whether or not to bring the sport here.
“Right now, we are just trying to gauge interest before we start charging money for people to join a league,” Hourel said. “The idea is to bring in more activities for the adults in Covington County to participate.”
Sign ups for the clinic will be on Tues., May 15, from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., at the Johnson Park gym. There will be no cost for the clinic and equipment will be provided. Participants are encouraged to wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothing.
The clinic will be held on May 16 at the Johnson Park gym from 9-11 a.m.
For more information, contact Johnson Park at 222-2714.
Group seeks sponsors for effort to paint fire hydrants
Members of the Old Three Notch Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are seeking a few sponsors to help them paint Andalusia the most patriotic town in the South.
Brenda Gouge, who serves as the organization’s regent, said she stumbled upon the idea by accident.
“I saw a picture of some DAR ladies in Alabama. They were standing outside at the Kate Duncan school and there was a fire hydrant right in front of them. I thought, ‘too bad that fire hydrant’s not red white and blue.’ ”
he idea stuck with her, and she began to look online to see if anyone else had painted fire hydrants.
“There’s a town in Ohio that’s done it, and one in Illinois,” she said. “That’s all I can find, but there may be other towns out there. My mom says all of the whole country did it in 1976.”
She approached Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson with the idea, and he agreed to give it a try. The city council is expected to approve patriotic designs next week, and members of the DAR will find sponsors to make the project happen. Sponsors will only cover the $75 cost for painting. Read More>
Kindergarteners at Andalusia Elementary School have partnered with the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative to program robots as a way to increase their problem solving and critical thinking skills.
The robots are called “Blue-Bots,” because of their capability to connect to Bluetooth. Directional keys are used to enter commands, which send the Blue-Bot forward, backward, left and right. The robot is a tool for teaching counting, sequencing, estimation and problem solving.
This project is a part of their Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Initiative or STEAM.
STEAM is a way to take the benefits of STEM and complete the package by integrating the arts.
“It allows students to connect their learning in these critical areas,” Patti Taylor, curriculum coordinator of Andalusia City Schools, said. “The city council and the mayor have been very supportive.”
Along with the students, the teachers also have to receive training to use the equipment.
“We have to give proper training to the teachers as well,” Taylor said. “Especially with all the iPads we are using in the classrooms now.”
Taylor said that Sarah Mixon, a teacher at Andalusia High School, is teaching her students how to use code.
“I think what she is doing will become obsolete,” Taylor said. “Since we are teaching these kids basically what she teaches, the idea is that they will already have an accelerated comprehension of it so she will have to have a more advanced subject.”
Gary Odom, the information technology specialist at Andalusia City Schools, wants teachers to think outside of the box when it comes to technology.
“I don’t know of a time in history when we were teaching kids this early about programming robots,” Odom said. “It is all about engaging the students. When you engage them, there is not a discipline problem in sight.”
Odom said that the technology that they are using right now is only a tool to help with critical thinking and problem solving.
“The goal is to one day get this technology in the hands of every student at the school,” Odom said.
“We are training these kids so early so whenever they get in the real world, after graduation, they will be able to excel in whatever job area they are in,” Taylor said. “I think by doing this we are preparing them for whatever job they have.