Sheffield accepts demolition bids

SHEFFIELD — City council members voted Monday to give the city clerk permission to award low bids to a contractor who will tear down two houses in Sheffield that have been designated as public nuisances.

Barfield Construction, of Tuscumbia, submitted to low bid to tear down houses on 709 Walnut St. and 716 W. Montgomery Ave. The total cost of the demolitions is $5,850.

Jackson and Sons, also of Tuscumbia, the only other bidder, submitted bids totaling $8,400.

The bids were turned over to City Clerk Clayton Kelly, who will award contracts.

The council also:

• approved $813 from the city’s corrections fund for mounting a projector kit in the courtroom.

• approved a $23.50 reimbursement to William Adkins in the Street Department and $16.95 to Christi Atchley in the Building Department.

• approved Police Chief Greg Ray’s request to hire a dispatcher and declare a vacancy for a police officer.

• approved a $500 sponsorship for the upcoming Big Brothers, Big Sisters fishing tournament at Riverfront Park.

• approved a $50 sponsorship for the upcoming Hit and Run 5K run sponsored by the Sheffield High School baseball team.

• approved the hiring of Amanda Moore as a dispatcher in the Police Department.

• adopted a set of minimum standards for non-emergency ambulance service providers.

Fans to determine Globetrotters rules

FLORENCE — The Harlem Globetrotters visit the Shoals in February.

The Globetrotters will appear Feb. 26 at Flowers Hall on the University of North Alabama campus. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

During the Globetrotters’ 2013 “You Write the Rules” World Tour, you have a chance to decide the rules of the game, which could affect the final outcome. The rule changes could involve anything from playing with two basketballs at once, to getting double points for each made basket.

Go online to www.harlemglobetrotters.com to vote for which rule you want to see implemented in the game. The game at UNA will be played with those rule changes.

Tickets, starting at $28, are available at www.ticketweb.com or at the Flowers Hall box office. Call 866-468-7630.

During a 30-minute pre-game performance, families and individual children will be allowed to spend one-on-on time on the court with the Globetrotters — shooting, trying out ball tricks and getting autographs and photos.

Board amends water contract

RUSSELLVILLE – City council members voted Monday night to amend a contract to restore water lines in one of the city’s oldest areas.

The change cuts nearly $110,000 from the estimated project cost.

Russellville received a $530,000 community development grant for the project, which was more than the actual cost of renovating the water lines and other aspects of Russellville’s Mill Village project.

The contract with Robinsons and Sons, of Fayettville, is now set at $420,010, Councilman Gary Cummings said.

The Water Board is responsible for providing a 20 percent match for the project, which has been in the works for nearly a year. The board is also required to use the money precisely for what it is designed to be used for in the project.