By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

The White Hall Police Department wants to help send a group of Jackson-Steele Elementary students on a train trip to Washington, D.C.

Part-time Police Chief Tony M. Bufford and White Hall Town Secretary Cynthia Moorer reported at Thursday’s regular White Hall Town Council meeting that the White Hall Police Department would hold a basketball tournament with area police departments, sheriff’s offices and fire departments on March 31 at the Jackson-Steele Community Center.

Moorer said an entry fee of $10 per person, $100 per 10-member team will be charged. She said the time of the tournament has not been set.

Moorer said the cost of the trip is about $500 per child.

“We’re going to do whatever we can to help support our youth on this trip,” said Mayor Elizabeth Davis.

Bufford also spoke to the council about efforts to solve recent break-ins and the need for an additional part-time person in the police department. He said of additional personnel, “It is a necessity.”

However, he said, the department is following leads in connection with a recent rash of break-ins.

The town council also discussed its support of the 2012 Senior Olympics to be held at March 28 at the Jackson-Steele Community Center.

Another event the council discussed was participation in the “world’s widest yard sale” to be held May 31-June 2.

Davis said the event would follow Highway 80 West through Alabama’s Black Belt Region covering 350 miles, including White Hall.

Council members also discussed seeing what the town can do to help find someone to conduct tutoring for students in White Hall.

The council discussed the need for someone to help trim hedges and shrubs. Council member Moses Bandy said he wasn’t sure he could do trimming as he had in the past, but would be willing to assist someone. He said he hoped someone would volunteer to do the work.

The only action taken by the council was to approve the minutes of its previous meeting.