The Lamar Democrat

04/10/2025

CORRECTION - We had the wrong photo for Mr. Murphy's obituary this week. Following is the obituary with the correct photo. Our sincerest apologies to his family and friends and also to the loved ones of the person's photo reprinted from a previous obituary. We are making the correction to our e-edition and will reprint Mr. Murphy's obituary next week. Obituaries are extremely important and again we apologize for the error.

03/13/2025

Event canceled due to potential bad weather.

03/02/2025

WILDFIRE ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT

Effective immediately, the Alabama Forestry Commission has suspended the issuance of all burn permits through Sunday, March 2, due to gusty winds and low relative humidities. The weather situation will be re-evaluated on Monday.

Very low relative humidities statewide and gusty winds, combined with drying fuels resulting from the lack of significant rain, have resulted in 95 wildfire ignitions today alone.

In the last seven days, the agency has responded to 263 wildfires that have burned more than 6,400 acres of forestland across the state.

Anyone who has burned in the last few days should check their fires to make sure they are properly extinguished. Smoking piles immediately adjacent to flammable vegetation have the chance to rekindle and spread under these conditions.

Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor.

03/02/2025

Musk said that the email sent to federal employees from the Office of Personnel Management asking for a bullet-point list of five work accomplishments from the past week had been misinterpreted as a “performance review.”

“It’s a ‘pulse review’ ... ‘Do you have a pulse, and can you reply to this email?’” Musk said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

“What we are trying to get to the bottom of is we think there are a number of people on the government payroll who are dead, which is probably why they can’t respond. And some people who are not real people, like fictional individuals.”

The White House on Feb. 25 said that roughly 1 million federal workers had already replied to the email.

Musk did not say how many federal workers the administration is looking to cut, but said, “We wish to keep everyone who is doing a job that is essential and doing that job well.”

From The Epoch Times report on recent presidential cabinet meeting

02/28/2025

Alabama Forestry Commission urging caution against wildfires Friday with dry conditions, gusty winds, dropping relative humidity

With forecasts calling for elevated wind speeds across the state, the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) strongly discourages any outdoor burning until conditions improve. With a significant uptick in wildfire ignitions over the last week – including more than 60 on Wednesday – the agency also points to dropping relative humidity in the afternoon as especially concerning.

In addition to already dry conditions, gusty winds and low relative humidities combine to create dangerous wildfire behavior. The combination of these conditions creates a greater-than-average potential for outdoor fires to escape easily and spread rapidly, taking longer – and more of the agency’s firefighting resources – to contain and ultimately control. Fast-moving wildfires not only destroy property and forests but also threaten the lives of citizens and endanger firefighters.

Permits for outdoor burning will not be issued by the agency on Friday, February 28. Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor.

In the last seven days, 130 wildfires have burned approximately 3,000 acres of forestland across the state. This includes two large wildfires in Calhoun County (a 550-acre and a 207-acre with two structures lost), one for 253 acres in Lowndes County, and three others over 100 acres in Perry, Pike, and St. Clair counties.

The Alabama Forestry Commission is the state agency committed to protecting Alabama’s invaluable forest assets as well as its citizens. To report a wildfire, call (800) 392-5679. For more information on the current wildfire situation in the state or any other forestry-related issues, contact your local AFC office or visit the agency website at www.forestry.alabama.gov.

01/18/2025

January 18, 2025

ALDOT Prepares for Upcoming Winter Weather Throughout the State

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is preparing for a severe winter weather system expected to impact the state in the coming days. Hazardous conditions, including snow and ice, could develop, and ALDOT crews are gearing up to keep roadways safe and open.

This winter storm is expected to cause snow across Alabama, with the heavier snowfall expected south of Interstate 20.

ALDOT is planning extensive pretreatment operations across the state and will conduct active clearing and treatment operations when snowfall begins. Even with treatment and response efforts, road conditions in some areas may become challenging.

Here’s what you need to know about ALDOT’s preparations and how you can stay safe:

ALDOT’s Winter Weather Preparations
Monitoring Conditions: ALDOT personnel are actively tracking weather forecasts and roadway conditions, particularly in areas expected to experience the most severe winter weather.
Pretreatment Plans: Depending on conditions, crews may pretreat roads to minimize ice formation. This is highly dependent on whether rain precedes or accompanies the wintry precipitation, as rain can wash away pretreatment materials. Some pretreatment operations will begin as early as Saturday evening/night, but the majority of pretreatment operations are planned for Sunday and Monday.
Prioritizing Roads: ALDOT prioritizes bridges and interstate highways first, followed by U.S. and state highways based on traffic volume.

Tips for Motorists
ALDOT urges motorists to take extra precautions when driving in winter weather conditions. Here are some important safety tips:
Avoid travel until conditions improve: Once winter precipitation begins, ALDOT urges motorists to avoid travel during adverse weather and roadway conditions.
Slow down: Reduce your speed and increase your following distance, allowing extra room to stop. Plan additional travel time to reach your destination.
Be aware of black ice: Bridges and overpasses are particularly susceptible to black ice, which is a thin, invisible layer of ice.
Avoid sudden braking and steering: These actions can cause your vehicle to lose control.
Turn on your headlights: This will make your vehicle more visible to other drivers.
Avoid using cruise control on icy roads: This can cause you to lose control of your vehicle if you hydroplane.
Watch for workers: Be aware of emergency personnel and crews treating and clearing roadways.
Move crashed vehicles: In the event of a minor crash, safely move vehicles off the roadway if possible to maintain access for first responders and treatment crews. Do not abandon vehicles in travel lanes.

01/18/2025

State agencies are closed on Monday, January 20. The central office and all county health departments will resume regular operating hours on Tuesday, January 21. Have a safe and healthy weekend!

01/01/2025

01/01/2025

Statement on Bourbon Street Terror Attack

NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno has released the following statement in response to the attack on Bourbon Street that occurred earlier this morning:

"This is a tragic day in the City of New Orleans. I want to send my deepest sympathies to the victims and families of those lost and injured in this horrible attack. I want to especially thank the brave NOPD officers who helped stop this suspect and I hope for the swift recovery of the injured officers. As a leader in our community, I pledge to continue to work relentlessly with NOPD, LA State Police, and all our public safety agencies to enhance security in and around the French Quarter to protect locals and visitors alike. New Orleans is strong, and no amount of terror can change who we are."

12/24/2024

Wishing everyone a safe and joyful Christmas Eve from The Lamar Democrat!

12/23/2024

The 2024 Vernon Christmas Parade

12/23/2024

Whether you agree or not, he is still a cute snowman. Don’t you think?

09/23/2024

TROPICAL SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH GULF OF MEXICO

By Jim Stefkovich, Meteorologist, Alabama Emergency Management Agency

CLANTON – Monday, 8:00 AM September 23, 2024

A broad area of low pressure in the Caribbean Sea will become a tropical storm in the next day or two, and as it moves northward, it will likely strengthen further to a hurricane.

Models are consistent right now that landfall will be Thursday evening or on Friday in the Florida Panhandle or Big Bend area. This gives little preparation time between when the system reaches tropical storm strength, additional intensification and landfall. This will likely be a very large storm with impacts well away from the center of circulation.

However, the track could shift either westward or eastward in later updates. It’s important to keep up with updates from either the National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov) or a trusted media source. What is also not known is the exact intensity at landfall with current models indicating anywhere from Category 1-4.

With all this said, if landfall is in the Florida Panhandle or Big Bend area, the main impacts to Alabama through Friday would occur across both the southern sections and eastern half of the state. Numerous showers and storms would enter the southern portions Wednesday, with the heaviest rainfall and highest chances of wind gusts over 30 mph across the eastern half Thursday into Friday.

Again, a westward shift in track would produce higher impacts to Alabama with little time to prepare. Now is a great time to review your hurricane preparedness by going to Hurricanes | Ready.gov

US Dept of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Hurricane Center 11691 SW 17th Street Miami, FL, 33165 [email protected]

09/19/2024

They are spreading the word early as they hope folks will consider pre-ordering. Something tasty to look forward to!