At the Perry County Courthouse on Wednesday, Mattie Atkins carried a sign bearing pictures of a young man in cap and gown that read, “Justice for Jimmy.” Reporters and television crews milled around all morning waiting for any news at all. People around Marion wondered aloud what result the Grand Jury, called back into session for the purpose of hearing evidence in a 42-year-old homicide, would find. At around 11:30 that morning, after two-and-a-half hours, their job was done. The sage of Jimmy Lee Jackson’s death, however, was just beginning a new chapter.
As of press time, details of the indictment are sketchy. The most we can report is that a true bill was returned in the case against former State Trooper James Bonard Fowler, now in his seventies, in Jackson’s shooting death. Whether or not that indictment will be for murder, manslaughter, or some lesser violent crime, is not clear as of Wednesday at noon.
The first meeting of the Marion Art Guild will be held Tuesday, May 15 at 7:00 at the Green Street Gallery, located on Green Street behind Tallulah’s. All area artists are invited to attend this meeting and participate in the formulation of this collaborative group. For more information, contact Laurette Turner.
On May 2, the “Secret Destination Girls” enjoyed touring the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Attending were Ginger Richardson, Ginger Bovis, Carol Clark, Ann Crawford, Joyce Abrams, and Barbara Hale, The Dunn Formal Rose Garden and the Ireland Old-Fashioned Rose Garden were both spectacular, along with the other gardens. The “Girls” enjoyed lunch at Cafe de France and an afternoon dessert at Klinger’s.
Students from Albert Turner Elementary School who won the annual Albert Turner Memorial Essay Contest will get a chance to be pages for a day in the Alabama Legislature for Sen. Bobby Singleton and Sen. Hank Sanders, both of whom represent Perry County. The winners are: Kerrigan Turner, 5th grade, Solomon Bolden, 3rd grade, and Kaylan McLaughlan, 2nd grade.
