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In a short meeting last Thursday, June 2, the Demopolis City Council elected a new member to the Demopolis City School Board of Education, and announced Demopolis being accepted into the Main Street Alabama program.

Bobby Armstead was elected as the new DCS Board member after he and former Demopolis Police Chief Tommy Reese were nominated by Council members. Armstead has served as a BOE member before.

Councilmember Nathan Hardy was not in attendance, and Councilman Charles Jones, Jr suggested postponing the vote until all Council members were present. However, at the next meeting another member is expected to be absent, and Mayor Woody Collins was reluctant to hold the vote until July. The Council voted 3-1 in favor of Armstead.

Collins announced that Demopolis was one of four communities chosen to be a part of the Main Street Alabama program. Main Street Alabama is a nonprofit organization that stresses public-private partnerships, broad community engagement, and strategies that create jobs, spark new investment, attract visitors, and spur growth.

Demopolis was chosen after director Rhae Darsey and many other community members came together to make a case for MSA on why Demopolis deserved to be considered for the program. The program is expected to kick off on June 28.

Councilman David McCants has been working on plans to clean the city. Collins asked that Councilmen Bill Meador and Nathan Hardy of the Public Safety Committee work with McCants to establish ordinances and penalties for littering.

Airport Manager Jason Pendergrass reported that a pre-bid hearing was held last Wednesday, June, 1 for plans on a new terminal building. He said bids are expected to be in within two weeks.