He’s the interim mayor until a newly elected mayor, Jeff Mims, takes over in November. website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Donnie Lane won the District 2 seat with 21 votes (65%). Highlights from the results include new mayors for the cities of Center Point and Homewood. The organization is ... The time crunch was mentioned during the recent debate in Alabama’s fastest-growing city of Fairhope, where Mayor Karin Wilson vetoed the council’s pay raises. | Add your comment, By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor Many of the members at Maplesville Volunteer Fire and Rescue have been with the department for several years. budget, Army is working on Frankenbots with living tissue to better robot capabilities, Permanent telework arrangements, COVID-19 vaccinations top NTEU's priority list for 2021, Census Bureau director to resign amid criticism over data, New House bill would block Schedule F, and anything else like it. It seemed like Billy Joe Driver, 84, was always around in this Alabama city after 36 years as mayor. The runoff election will be held Oct. 6 at Town Hall, according to Town Clerk Crystal Smith. Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you. CLANTON, Ala. (AP) — It seemed like Billy Joe Driver, 84, was always around in this Alabama city after 36 years as mayor. Nearby Lay Lake Dam and Mitchell Dam became Alabama Power's first two dams in the state, bringing economic improvements to the area. The mayor didn’t get better and died on July 9. WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM, Trump commutes sentence of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Trump, in dead of night, releases members of his administration from ethics pledge, including lobbying ban, In first hours as president, Biden to sign 15 executive actions reversing Trump policies on climate, immigration, virus, Maryland state, county lawmakers target ghost guns, Presidential Inaugural Committee ‘very confident’ about security measures, Hogan makes education, pandemic relief a priority in next Md. “He was just telling them thank you and that he loved them,” she said. Here are the full results: He was the Mayor of the City of Clanton. Incumbent Sammy Wilson will be serving for another term after receiving 283 votes. “The last thing he said to them was, ‘I’ll see you in heaven. Driver joined the volunteer fire department and was elected to Clanton City Council, where he spent 12 years, before running for mayor and winning on his first try in 1984. Hospitalized in Clanton and his condition worsening, Driver got his daughter to help him call City Council members, his pastor, a city supervisor, and others — 12 people in all — to say goodbye by phone before he was transferred to a hospital in Birmingham to be put on a ventilator. The Office of the Clanton Mayor provides information on Clanton government programs, government policies, and Clanton boards and commissions. He never lost a bid for reelection and lived on a shady street in the same small house he bought as a teen after getting that first job. John Caudle was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. In the runoff for District 1 will be between Danny Carter, who had received 274 votes, and Billy Singleton, who had received 245. “People had gotten lax on trying to protect everyone else. Glenn Littleton was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. The new coronavirus is just as dangerous in central Alabama as in New York City, people now know, and older folks who were close to Driver look askance these days at others who flout Alabama’s mandatory mask rule in stores or at high school football games. Driver died of the illness in July, forcing a reckoning that’s still rippling through the community. The Clay City Council meets at City Hall . Incumbent Chasity Cleckler Chapman will be serving another term after winning the election with 217 votes. This A longtime mayor in Alabama has died of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Jeff Mims will be the new mayor of Clanton after securing 1,298 votes in the election. Driver joined the volunteer fire department and was elected to Clanton City Council, where he spent 12 years, before running for mayor and winning on his first try in 1984. Born in Clanton in 1935, when Alabama’s economy was mainly agricultural and many roads weren’t paved, Driver finished high school and went to work at age 18 for the county engineering department, said younger brother Don Driver, 75. Alabama’s municipal runoff election happened Tuesday, October 6. Polls will be open from 7 AM to 7 PM Central Time. However, only one of the seats will have a new occupant, which came in District 4 where Awlahjaday “Day” Agee defeated incumbent Greg DeJarnett with 181 votes to 95. According to Town Clerk Dawn Smitherman, three provisional ballots were cast for a total of 169 votes, meaning voter turnout was 35%. Driver's death of COVID-19 shocked the central Alabama community, where residents say many people thought the illness caused by the new coronavirus was a big-city problem until he succumbed. Find your polling location at AlabamaVotes.gov. Losing the best-known person in town to a disease that had seemed so distant was a wake-up call for Clanton, friend Sammy Wyatt said. Patty Crocker was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. The current members of the U.S. Senate from Alabamaare: To view a map of U.S. House districts in Alabama and find your representative, click here. Hayes, who’s a nurse, was herself sick with a milder case of COVID-19 by then; she believes she got it days earlier while helping her father work on a door. He was 84. CLANTON, Ala. (WIAT) — Jeff Mims was elected mayor of Clanton. He was 84. Jeff Mims will take on the position of mayor for Clanton. Mizzell (49 votes) and Robert Culp (8 votes). So about 60 people, all wearing masks and with sanitized hands, gathered last Friday for a memorial service at the senior center where he liked to eat lunch. Most weekdays you'd find Driver working at a first-floor conference table at Clanton City Hall, and many nights he'd eat at Green's Small Town Diner with friends. With mourners’ chairs spread apart and paper peaches hanging overhead, Cook got up to speak. Her veto was overridden by … “He was an honest guy.”. On Fridays it was lunch at the local senior center, and Wednesday night and Sunday meant worship at his church, Temple Assembly of God. There will be a runoff for the position of mayor between incumbent Robert Hight, who had received 204 votes, and Tiffany Collins Hammock, who had received 154 votes. AL political parties. Most weekdays you’d find Driver working at a first-floor conference table at Clanton City Hall, and many nights he’d eat at Green’s Small … A runoff election for both districts will be held on Oct. 6 at City Hall, according to City Clerk Debbie Orange. Other candidates in the mayoral race had included Chester E. AL primary and election races. Directory of Alabama elections. Cook recalled the way Driver would often hear out a citizen’s request for help, perhaps say he couldn’t do something, then add: “’Let me see what I can do.”’ More often than not, Cook said, Driver came through. | Add your comment, This week, Clanton Skating Rink turns 60 years old. Death of longtime mayor from COVID-19 stuns Alabama town Jay Reeves / AP A person entering a memorial service for Mayor Billy Joe Driver in Clanton, Ala., walks past a … Don Driver, the younger brother of the late Mayor Billy Joe Driver, holds a photo of the longtime public official after a memorial service in Clanton, Ala., on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. On Fridays it was lunch at the local senior center, and Wednesday night and Sunday meant worship at his church, Temple Assembly of God. By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor Chilton County Schools nurses will have tools to keep students and themselves safe in light... read more, Valentine’s events planned at Senior Connection, Streetscape project coming to Jemison Main Street, OPINION: Thanks for a memorable five years, OPINION: Here’s to a year of learning and growth, Up in the air: Singleton recounts years spent as airline pilot, Wadsworth named National Philanthropy Day Award Winner, Gothard remembered, named firefighter of the year, OPINION: Rivals take center stage at county basketball tourney, 2021 Chilton County Basketball Tournament photos, AgriClean meets deadline, installs disinfectant systems, Raleigh’s Place partners with bag program, Hatley, Senior Connection host Veterans Day programs. Conservative to the core, churches are at the heart of the community, where many spend their whole lives. Billy Joe Driver, 84, who was mayor of Clanton, Alabama, for 36 years died of coronavirus. “I think with Mayor Driver’s death, it opened people’s eyes and they realized, ‘I could be next with this.”’, Vanessa McKinney said Driver’s death “devastated our community.”. Candidate Jermaine Rhino McGee received 185 votes. — For the first time since 1984, the city of Clanton will elect a new mayor. Driver joined the volunteer fire department and was elected to Clanton City Council, where he spent 12 years, before running for mayor and winning on his first try in 1984. The Clanton Fire Department informed townspeople what had happened in a message on its Facebook page. However, the Thorsby race has gone to a runoff after none of the candidates received the needed 50% plus one vote needed. Senior Connection is going all out for Valentine’s Day this year, including looking for ways to involve the community as a whole. (P.O.) Incumbents claimed the rest of the City Council seats, as Jeffrey “Doc” Price (415) defeated Danny Carter (166) and … The Mayor and the City Council Click on any one of the contacts below to view more details and to be able to contact them. CLANTON, Ala. (AP) — It seemed like Billy Joe Driver, 84, was always around in this Alabama city after 36 years as mayor.Most weekdays you'd find Driver working at a first-floor conference table at Clanton City Hall, and many nights he'd eat at Green’s Small Town Diner with friends. Samuel E. Reed was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. Incumbent George Brasher received 24 votes. Must be licensed to practice law in Alabama. Clanton has had the same mayor for 36 years, and the Thorsby race was the most contested race with four candidates running. They weren’t wearing their masks like they ought to,” she said. District 1 and District 2 for the City of Clanton did not have a candidate that received the necessary 50% plus one vote to win. Rex D. Bittle was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. “It was the worst time of my life.”. Be ready to go.’”. “We were taking it serious before, but after that, it really shook us to the core,” said McKinney, who runs Chilton Senior Connections, the senior center that Driver helped create in an old store and visited regularly. Read more City Councilman Bobby Cook gathered city workers together and announced the death of his longtime friend with tears in his eyes. Candidate Tim Jones had received 63 votes. Neil Benson was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. CLANTON, Ala. (AP) — It seemed like Billy Joe Driver, 84, was always around in this Alabama city after 36 years as mayor. Former mayor James Perkins Jr — and Councilwoman Miah Jackson are vying for the mayor office in the… Tallassee Mayor Charged with Harassment in Road Rage Incident Alabama News Network Staff , Mims beat out his opponent, Jeffrey ‘Doc’ Price, 1,298 to 905 votes. Copyright © 2021 by WTOP. Clanton was named in honor of General James H. Clanton, a brigadier in the Confederate States Army, and was incorporated on April 23, 1873. CLANTON, Ala. - It seemed like Billy Joe Driver, 84, was always around in this Alabama city after 36 years as mayor. He was born November 16, 1935 in Clanton, Alabama, and was the son of the late Joseph Ress Driver and Ruth Driver. Alabaster — Scott Brakefield elected as mayor of Alabaster by Reshad Hudson & Landon Wexler; Anniston — Run-off election to be held in Anniston mayoral race by Autumn Bracey; Carbon Hill — April Kennedy-Herron elected Carbon Hill mayor by Landon Wexler; Clanton — Clanton to elect a new mayor for the first time in 36 years by Landon Wexler Driver joined the volunteer fire department and was elected to Clanton City Council, where he spent 12 years, before running for mayor and winning on his first try in 1984. Most weekdays you’d find Driver working at a first-floor conference table at Clanton City Hall, and many nights he’d eat at Green’s Small Town Diner with friends. Mayoral races in Clanton and Thorsby were potentially some of the most watched races. The Mayor's Office houses the highest-ranking government official in Clanton. Baker was also elected first mayor of the town. Read more All rights reserved. The mayor and four City Council seats were up for grabs in Clanton, as elections took place on Tuesday. “The man had more in his head about what was going on in the city than you could write in a book,” Cook said. Incumbent Bobby Cook had received 140 votes and will not be serving another term. A person entering a memorial service for Mayor Billy Joe Driver in Clanton, Ala., walks past a photo of the longtime public official on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. More than a half-dozen relatives caught it in all, including the mayor’s brother, Don, who is still recovering. Hal Harrison was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. Candidate Ronnie Richardson Paker received 75 votes, and Margaret Hawkins received 26 votes. He is the city’s newest mayor-elect in 36 years. Awlahjaday Agee will be returning to his spot on the Council after receiving 145 votes. AL … Clanton has had the same mayor for 36 years, and the Thorsby race was the most contested race with four candidates running. Richard Davis was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. Mary Mell Smith was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. Driver helped plan roads that residents still travel today. Read more “I got to see him about 30 minutes before he passed away,” Hayes said. CLANTON, Ala. — It seemed like Billy Joe Driver, 84, was always around in this Alabama city after 36 years as mayor. Candidate. Donna Manasco won the District 1 race with 60 votes (75%). Incumbent Marvin Crumpton received 204 votes to win re-election against. Chilton County municipalities held local elections Aug. 25. However, the Thorsby race has gone to a runoff after none of the candidates received the needed 50% plus one vote needed. No one is positive how Driver was infected with the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 — it could have been at a city meeting — but he began feeling badly around Father’s Day weekend in June, said daughter Kim Driver Hayes, who lived next door to her dad with her husband. Alabama candidates for Governor, state reps and Congress (Senators / House of Representatives). In the runoff for District 2 will be Wade Watley, who had received 209 votes, and Barry Baker who had received 155 votes. W.C. Hayes Jr. won the mayoral race receiving 103 votes (60%). | Add your comment, Published 7:55 pm Tuesday, August 25, 2020. Each has ... Robert L. Morris was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. A few days later, mourners huddled around a green tent for a brief graveside service, but something more was needed to acknowledge the man who, for many, was the heart of Clanton. Copyright © 2021 The Associated Press. “You’d see him out riding at night hunting something, and if they had any kind of problem, he’d be out there with them at night,” Driver said. Sheila Hall was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. Billy Joe Driver, 84, of Clanton, Alabama passed away July 9, 2020 at St. Vincent's in Birmingham, Alabama. Eddie Reed was the only qualifying candidate and will be serving another term. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. Jeff Mims will take on the position of mayor for Clanton. After losing their mayor of 36 years, Billy Joe Driver, to COVID-19 last month, two well-known figures in the peach hotspot began their campaigns. Voting info. Driver was “just city, and that’s it,” said his brother. The death of a longtime mayor has brought about a … 2020 Clanton, AL Mayor Election news, candidate information, and election results for Alabama voters. Located halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Clanton is a city of about 8,800 people that’s best-known for agriculture — its exit off Interstate 65 is marked by a water tower shaped like a giant peach. Many are staying home more than they did early in the pandemic. CLANTON, Ala. (AP) — It seemed like Billy Joe Driver, 84, was always around in this Alabama city after 36 years as mayor. No one may be elected or appointed to a judicial office after reaching the age of 70. Candidate. All that visibility meant people noticed when Driver disappeared from public in June, and friends bowed in prayer when word got out he was sick with what many had assumed was a big-city disease, COVID-19. Justin Killingsworth won the election with 282 votes against candidate Kathy Johnson who received 119 votes. The Clanton Mayor, located in Clanton, AL, oversees government services for the municipality. And Thorsby were potentially some of the most contested race with 60 votes 65... 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