Thomasville Times

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The Honorabl e Hardie Bradford Kimbrough, 88, passed away peacefully on June 30, 2026. Hardie was born in Selma on Jan. 4, 1938. Raised in Thomasville, he graduated from Thomasville High School in 1955 before attending the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Hardie was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon social fraternity and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1959. He marrie...

James “ Rudolph” Thompson, 81, passed peacefully from this life on June 30, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Rudolph grew up in Hobson, where he built a life rooted in faith, family, hard work and community. It was there that he married the love of his life, Bertha, and together they raised their three daughters. Hobson was always home in his heart, and he spent many years serving and i...

THOMASVILLE — A second manager at Mi Mexico restaurant was arrested for failing to report an altercation that preceded a fatal shooting at the business in June, according to the Thomasville Police Department. Jose Mendoza Chavez, 53, was arrested by the TPD on June 24 and charged with failure to report an incident in an open business. His arrest followed the June 23 arrest of Jose Ernesto Contrera...

THOMASVILLE — Families filled downtown Thomasville on June 27 as the Thomasville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Hometown Celebration to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The community came together to enjoy food and crafts vendors, live music, inflatables, a patriotic parade, a cornhole tournament and the annual fireworks show. The event began with the children’s patriotic parade, wh...

THOMASVILLE — After nearly four years of promoting local businesses and organizing some of Thomasville’s largest community events, Thomasville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kara Durie is stepping down to serve as communications specialist for Clarke-Washington EMC. Durie joined the chamber in October 2021 as office manager and moved up to executive director when Amy Prescott retired...

A house on County Road 9 in Sandflat caught fire on June 26 but homeowner Red Wilson got out safely, according to Thomasville Fire Chief Chris Owes. The home had smoke damage and Owens said he was unsure how the fire started. Article Link

Thomasville Elementary School will welcome several new and returning educators to its faculty for the 2026-27 school year, including a number of Thomasville High School graduates. Elsa Grace Messer will join the fourth-grade team after graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in elementary education. Originally from Montgomery, Messer said she is looking forward to becoming part of...

Solid Rock Christian School announced its local 2026 graduates are Lydia Brown, Sarah Gates, Katie McIntyre and Kaelyn Snow. The Christian home school serves Clarke County and surrounding counties with education from kindergarten through 12th grade by providing support, curriculum assistance, testing services and regular group activities for students. Article Link

The Koch Family Foundation has selected 2025 Thomasville High School graduate India Ward to receive a ,000 Dependent Scholarship. Ward, who is among 492 students selected from the United States and Canada to get the scholarship, is entering her second year at the University of South Alabama in 2026-27. The Dependent Scholarship is a program for undergraduate and skilled-trade students who are a de...

Thomasville High School’s interior is getting repainted by Fresh Coat Painting Services LLC this summer. The project has already brought noticeable changes to the campus, as hallways throughout the school have been painted. Fresh Coat Painting Services is owned by Ben Phillips, a former THS student who was also a member of the school’s marching band. Mayor Sheldon Day shared photos of the work on...

Elliott Lipinsky and Caroline Nicholson Handey Lipinsky of Pike Road announced the birth of their daughter, Anne Nicholson Lipinsky, on Jan. 3 at Baptist Medical Center East in Montgomery. Her paternal grandparents are Joseph and Katherine Anne Lipinsky of Montgomery. Her maternal grandparents are Dr. George and Jeannie Handey of Pike Road. Article Link

A party for Catherine Sumerlin’s 90th birthday will be hosted July 11 at 2 p.m. at Sandflat Methodist Protestant Church. No gifts are required. The church is located at 3087 Sandflat Rd, Thomasville, AL 36784 Article Link

A s we mark America’s 250th birthday, I began to wonder how I could write about it. Of course, I was not here 250 years ago. I also do not know a lot about my ancestors or their history. But there are some things through the years that do stick out in my mind. Most of them have to do with the way we have honored America. I remember the bicentennial in 1976. Although I was young, I can still rememb...

When Katie Britt assumed her role on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, she did so as the most junior senator in the body, ranking last in seniority. She had big shoes to fill by taking over legendary Sen. Richard Shelby’s seat. Shelby ranked fourth in seniority and was probably one of the five most powerful elected officials in the country when he retired as ranking member of the Senat...

Under any other circumstances, election night in November should be a good night for Democrats. The loyal Democratic Party opposition has defied the laws of physics for more than a decade by capturing voter enthusiasm through opposition to Donald Trump. Obviously, it hasn’t always worked, given Trump’s 2024 win. But it has been useful for Democrats and will continue to be through Nov. 3. Add to th...

July 3 American Legion will host its annual barbecue July 3. Dine-in service available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and takeout available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Barbecue pork will be per pound with one- and two-pound takeout containers available. Chicken halves and barbecue plates with baked beans, potato salad and bread will be . An all-youcan eat barbecue meal with sides will be available for per pers...

Local veteran and author Roderick Pugh hosted a book signing at the Thomasville Public Library on June 18 featuring his book “2 Lives: Memoir of the 1st African American Sniper in the Iraqi Campaign & U.S. Army History.” The book is a collection of stories detailing Pugh’s childhood, adulthood and his time spent serving in the military. Pugh is a 13-year Army veteran and Thomasville native wit...

THOMASVILLE — The historic Thomasville Theatre took another step toward reopening as its newly restored marquee was recently illuminated for the first time. Mayor Sheldon Day shared photos of the lit marquee on social media on June 25, highlighting the progress being made on the long-awaited renovation project. “It looks awesome!” Day said. “ Renovations continue on the interior of the building bu...

GROVE HILL — Clarke County and Leroy got an early look at their football teams on June 23 when the Bulldogs hosted the Bears for a 7-on-7 competition at H.G. Prim Stadium. Clarke County coach Jason Massey said replacing an experienced secondary is among the team's biggest priorities this season. “We're very young in our secondary,” he said. “We've basically replaced almost our whole...

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THOMASVILLE — Andalusia, Opp and Lineville won titles in the Cal Ripken 10-under state tournament at Gates Park June 26-27. No. 2 seed Grove Hill fell to No. 1 Lineville in the Pool C finals. Grove Hill beat No. 5 seed Westside B to make the championship game. Lineville earned its spot in the finals by beating No. 4 Fairhope B. In Pool A, No. 2 seed Andalusia defeated top-seeded Semmes 13-2 in the...

Former Baker High School and University of Alabama star Labaron Philon was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the No. 22 overall pick in the NBA Draft on June 23. The 6-foot-3 guard, who was a 2025-26 consensus third-team All-American and first-team All-SEC player as a sophomore, was thought to be a possible lottery pick but fell farther than expected. His four-year deal is expected to be worth...

THOMASVILLE — A longtime memorial business has entered a new chapter under local ownership as Southern Monuments celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 15. Owned by Michael and Valerie Smith, Southern Monuments is the successor to Granite Memorials, a business founded in the early 1980s. The Smiths purchased the business earlier this year with plans to provide personal...

I have said many times that I do not like politics. I have never had any desire to get involved in it. My husband, on the other hand, loves it. He enjoys every minute of it. Frankly, sometimes it gets on my nerves. That does not mean I do not have opinions. There are people I will support and people I will not support. Over the years, my husband and I have even found ourselves on different sides o...