Local Lions

Thumbs up to new University of North Alabama football coach Bobby Wallace for making good on his pledge to rebuild relationships with high schools in the region. The Lions signed 41 players, including 37 high school seniors.

The move away from relying so heavily on collegiate transfers to using more high school seniors brought immediate endorsements from high school coaches. “I don’t know a coach around here who’s not excited about that,” Decatur High School coach Jere Adcock said.

Thoughtless thieves

Thumbs down to whoever stole fencing and playground equipment from Elgin Community Park. A community leader said he believes it required several people to load six rolls of chain link fencing and the playground equipment. Volunteers went to the park Saturday for a work day only to discover the donated materials were missing. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department at 256-760-5757 or Shoals CrimeStoppers at 256-386-8685.

Fighting Joe’s home

Thumbs up to everyone involved in the restoration effort at Pond Spring, the home of Civil War Gen. Joe Wheeler, in Lawrence County. Site director Melissa Beasley said she will give tours to groups of 10 or more when the home, off Alabama 20 east of Courtland, reopens March 19. The Friends of Joe Wheeler Home Foundation has raised almost $1 million to help restore the home, which has been closed since 2000 because of safety issues.

Protecting renters

Thumbs up to the city of Tuscumbia for studying whether to help protect residents who live in rental property. City Council members said they want to make sure all rentals are in livable condition. City attorney Tom Heflin, who is researching the issue for the council, has found a rental ordinance in Tarrant. If the council can adopt a suitable ordinance that can be enforced, it could make the city more livable and attractive.