It seemed as if the biggest things going on in Brewton 15 years ago were the baseball playoffs. Each issue of The Brewton Standard had stories about the various teams and their standings.

In 2001, D.W. McMillan Hospital was displaying its new piece of equipment, the Legacy, a new x-ray, to enhance the department. I have been here at the newspaper for a number of years and I can remember many such events at our hometown hospital. They are always working to provide everyone with the most up-to-date equipment.

Signs of the season were everywhere. Although it seemed as if the summer was just getting started, it really was winding down and school was on the minds of many. School supply lists were published as well as the dress code for the upcoming school year. Brewton City Schools did not have to deal with the dress code, but the county schools did. They must feel that the code was a good one as it is still in force. I, personally, can see both sides of the question.

Another item of interest at this time of the year was the addition of a new area code,251, to be added to the phone system to cover southeast Alabama.  It really seems as if it has been around forever.

The police department and sheriff’s department were having their share of trouble with the arrest of three women who led them on a car chase across the county. The three were stopped by spikes deployed by the police in Brewton. They also arrested a fugitive who was wanted in New York and nabbed seven people on drug charges. Friday, July 13, turned out to be a very unlucky day for that group.

In fact it seemed that the use of drugs was becoming more of an every day problem. In order to get the attention of the public a program was scheduled at T.R. Miller High School to educate the apparent rampant use of drugs. In fact, the sheriff’s reports that were being published at the time showed a large increase in the number of those arrested on drug charges.

In happier news, the old senior citizen building on Forrest Ave. in East Brewton was torn down and a new center went up on Williamson Street across from W.S. Neal Elementary School. It was, at the time, and ever since, a popular place for the seniors of the area to gather, visit and have a good meal.

The East Brewton City Council had a little bit of excitement when one council member chastised the mayor about his purchase of a digital camera. it turns out that he made the purchase thinking the council had voted to go ahead with the purchase.

A Brewton man came very close to a close encounter with a shark at Pensacola Beach. He said he had no idea the shark was in the area. I bet he won’t forget that experience.