Look Back ... to poor jail conditions in Clay County, 1998
May 7—May 7, 1948, in The Star: Charles Boozer, principal of Roy Webb School, was elected president of the Calhoun County Teachers Association yesterday afternoon at the annual meeting held in the form of a barbecue at the City Auditorium. Also this date: Charlie Baron, manager of the Anniston baseball club, and members of the team were special guests yesterday at the noon meeting of the Kiwanis Club held at the YMCA on E. 12th Street. Ralph Callahan, program chairman, introduced Mr. Baron. Lowndes Butler was introduced by J. J. Nash as the Junior Kiwanian, representing Anniston High School, where he is an honor student.
May 7, 1998, in The Star: The chairman of the Clay County Commission says he'd rather let inmates in the county jail loose than obey a grand jury request to close the jail. The grand jury recommendation was made after the county commission failed to come up with a plan to finance and construct a new jail. Technically, the grand jury asked the circuit judge in Ashland to order the jail be closed. Overcrowded and in disrepair, the jail built for 24 inmates now holds 40. Of course, if the jail does close, the county will have to pay another institution $30-$40 per inmate to keep them — cash the county doesn't have.
