Good morning and Good Tuesday to all those living in the great portion of Alabama known as Pike County. Another week is upon us, but it promises to be a tad different for many people.

We congratulate the many seniors who walked across the stage and received their diplomas this past week. Seniors at Charles Henderson, Pike County and Goshen all said goodbye to their familiar surroundings and will greet the future with eyes wide open. We trust you will all make the right decisions in whatever walk of life you choose.

We also want to congratulate the many local baseball players chosen as all-state quality by the Alabama Sportswriters Association. Congratulations to Brett Pierce, Matt Johnson, Clint Pugh, Wesley Wright and Justin Sims for achieving that honor.

The winds of change will howl a different tune next year at Charles Henderson. The familiar face of Michael Thomas will no longer smile at the Charles Henderson Blue Machine. We thank you for your 23 years of service to the community and for engendering a love of music into the hearts of many a teenager. You will be missed.

Also, a special note of appreciation to Mr. Scotty Sauers. Every Troy child (and most native adults) associate you with the dusty baseball and softball fields of Troy. With your penchant for dishing out candy to kids who make base hits and your ever present good mood, you make the games fun for everyone.

Finally, we wish to congratulate Adrianne Bazzell for representing Charles Henderson at Girls State this week.