From the county’s first presidential visit to stink over sewer sludge, 2007 was an interesting year

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December 29, 2007

From staff reports The News Courier Sat Dec 29, 2007, 07:48 PM CST

It was an exciting year in Limestone County. From the county’s first presidential visit to a dispute over whether to spread human sewage sludge on crops, local residents turned to The News Courier for details on theses top stories:

President Bush visits Athens

It was a history-making day June 21 when President George W. Bush visited Limestone County to commemorate the successful restart of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1 after 22 years. The reactor was idled in 1985 because it was unsafe. Bush was only the fourth sitting president to visit a TVA installation, according to board records. While here, Bush touted his “Twenty in Ten” initiative to cut U.S. gas consumption by 20 percent in 10 years. But for Limestone Countians, it was a unique chance to turn out with banners, binoculars and cameras to capture a moment of history.

Drought cripples crops

Drought destroyed much of the county’s cotton, soybeans and corn. The drought followed a devastating freeze earlier in the year that destroyed fruit, wheat and corn.

Local agricultural experts said it was one of the worst years on record for county farmers. The loss to the local economy was in the millions of dollars, officials said.

Alcohol sales in Athens

In August, 6,318 Athens residents voted by a 2-to-1 margin to continue selling alcoholic beverages in the city limits. The issue came back before voters three years after sales were legalized when a local group called Athens-Limestone Quality of Life Committee gathered enough signatures on a petition to try to repeal legalized sales.

The committee, led by Isom’s Chapel United Methodist Church pastor Rev. Eddie Gooch, said they believed the sale of beer and wine changed Athens’ small-town atmosphere and was detrimental to family values. Those who supported alcohol sales said Athens had become a more progressive city and repeal would be a step backward.

On the same ballot, Limestone County residents voted against a proposal to raise the sales tax by 1 cent to pay for renovations, construction and improvements at county schools.

Yankee doodoo

During the summer, residents in the Goodsprings area complained about human waste from New York being spread on farms in western Limestone County.

The sludge, called bio-solids, was given to farmers by a Decatur firm under contract to dispose of the New York waste. However, the “fertilizer” was stinking up the countryside.

Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks got involved and ordered a halt to the way the sludge was being spread.

Outcry against quarry

Tanner residents were up in arms when they learned that Rogers Group Inc. had plans to relocate its Crosskey rock quarry to a new site off Laughmiller Road just south of Tanner Crossroads.

The proposal led to several meetings, including one with local legislators, county and Athens city officials.

The Limestone County Commission opposed to the move and adopted a resolution banning all traffic carrying more than 15 tons on Laughmiller. Local legislators will introduce several bills in February to try to block the quarry.

Fire at Butler building

The fire that consumed the old Butler Furniture building on West Market Street on Aug. 27 burned extraordinarily hot and fast, leading firefighters to suspect arson. The 50-plus-year-old structure owned by Dr. Joe Cannon and his wife, Laurie, burned to the ground in fewer than two hours despite the efforts of all 39 of the city’s firefighters, plus several county volunteer units. An investigation by the state fire marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms resulted in a grand jury indicting Samuel Keith Chambers, 49, of Rogersville—Laurie Cannon’s brother— for arson. He has not yet been apprehended to face charges.