Fifty years ago in 1966, there didn’t seem to be a lot of news going on. Except for a few politicians trying to get the attention of voters, most of the news seemed to be about football. Now I know that even today, there is much talk about the game of the week in every newspaper, but there seemed to be nothing else on the minds of The Atmore Advance readers. Or maybe it was the newspapers that were so interested in who was playing who for the week. Sports were not relegated to a section of the paper; they were put right out there on the front page. For those of you who do genealogical research you would also have found the custom back then was to put obituaries right there on the front page also. Now-a-days, obits are given there own special page and grouped together, but back then they were placed wherever there was room for the write-up.

Governor George C. Wallace was visiting in Flomaton. The city declared it George C. Wallace Day and he spoke to the crowd at the game between Flomaton and Atmore.

Robert F. Whaley opened up his campaign office in Atmore. He was running for congress from the 2nd Congressional District.

West Brothers was running a big sale offering Capri sets for $2; bath clothes 10 for $1; and 20 gallon metal garbage cans for only $1.47 each.

I hope I haven’t told you this story before, but this last item caught my attention. Years ago, I had some in-laws who lived in Mobile. We would travel down, eat some seafood and while our husbands watched a ball game on television, my sister-in-law and I would go shopping. She drove a Volkswagen that was just big enough for the two of us. One day she found a bargain on a garbage can and quickly bought it. It never dawned on us where we were going to put that can after it was bought. The solution was that I sat in the little back seat while the garbage can got my seat up front. My legs were going in all directions, but the can looked quite comfortable. We laughed all the way home and I am not sure just how I was extracted from that “bug.”

A story that did make it to the news for several weeks was the one of a Brewton woman, who died under mysterious circumstances.  There was a lot of speculation as to what happened to her. Even today people walk into The Brewton Standard office and want to look up the old papers to read the story all over again. Several years ago there was quite a stir when a novel came out about the event. I eagerly awaited for the book because I thought it might answer some of the questions about her death. Alas, the book was a good read, but it did not solve the mystery.

The new 1967 models of cars were out. Every page contained at least one ad for the Plymouth Fury, the Doge Dart, the Pontiac Wide Track, the Chevrolet Camaro and others. They were all long and sleek and if I remember correctly, drank lots of gas.

The Atmore United Fund goal was announced. It was set at $23,000 for 1967.

C. Cecil Martin Development Company had an ad in The Atmore Advance for new homes from $9,550 to $49,000 and were offered with a monthly payment of $69.89.  We all should have bought us a few of these.

Lastly, I noticed a photograph that looked familiar on the front page. Joe Weaver of Brewton was announced as Dean of Students and Business Manager for the Jefferson Davis Junior College. Joe worked at the college for many years.