One of The Atmore Advance’s headlines in May of 1971 was to let the public know that the newest Monroe County oil well had tested out to be one of the top producers at 700 barrels a day.

My, that is a lot of oil. I wish I had stock in that one. I wouldn’t mind having a producing oil well in my back yard. I would adjust to it really well.

The United States Post Office announced that the rates of sending mail was about to go up. They defended their actions by saying there had not been a change in several years. In addition to other raises, this meant that first class letter rates were going to go from six cents to eight cents per ounce. Many things have changed over the past 45 years. We would all be happy to pay that price of only eight cents to send a letter.

Other things going in the world of commerce was a sale at West Brothers and bacon on sale at A&P for 49 cents a pound (not for just 12 ounces the way it is today). The sale at West Brothers was to be a special Hawaiian sale with all the sales clerks dressed for the part with bright flowered dresses and wearing a lei.

The residents of the western part of the county were out to secure blood donors, which they did, collecting 218 pints of blood.

I have watched the number of pints of blood collected and 218 was a high number. The city had a right to be proud of the turnout.

Schools in the area were getting ready for graduation. Escambia County High School had 200 students to graduate. That seems like a large number. I graduated in a class of 114 and I thought that was a lot of people.

Kurt Donalson, a student at Escambia County High School was recognized as an outstanding high school mathematic mathematician in talent search conducted by the University of Alabama.

The Escambia County Grand Jury cited a lack of discipline in Atmore schools that had led to recent problems.

Last, but not least, a number of dilapidated houses were torn down and new 76 unit public housing became available.