May 16, 1948, in The Star: According to officials of Cobb Avenue High School, the student maintaining the highest scholastic average for four years, and the valedictorian of the Class of ’48, is Miss Evelyn Turner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Turner of 1830 Dooley Avenue. Maintaining the second highest average, and the salutatorian of the class, is Miss Bessie Mae Washington, daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. D. C. Washington of 1702 Cooper Avenue. The annual school picnic is to be held May 21 at Lincoln Park. Also this date: Charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order in both the city of Anniston and its 3-mile police jurisdiction, Chief J. L. Peek says that at present he is dangerously understaffed. If one man is out due to illness or vacation, no one is available to take his place. In point of fact, records show that Anniston’s prewar (1940) population of around 25,000 was protected by a police force of 27 patrolmen. Today 28 are in the department’s employ, but the population is around 40,000 — virtually the same number of police responding to the needs of an additional 15,000 people.
May 16, 1998, in The Star: Bobby Becket is to be the new football coach for the Cherokee County High School Warriors. He succeeds Jeff Bullen. In previous employment in Cherokee County, primarily throughout the 1980s, Becket had been an assistant to the legendary Bobby Joe Johnson. At Handley High School, the new coach will be James “Jimmy” Holley, who had been serving as a defensive coordinator under former coach Tony Motley.