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LANETT — A City of Lanett employee has received a commendation from the city council on having saved a local student’s class ring from being lost.

Tyler Clark works for the city’s Cemetery & Grounds Department. He recently had the task of helping place an old couch on a truck to be taken to the landfill. The couch had been left beside the curb to be picked up and hauled away by the city. As Clark was helping lift it, he noticed a small object being shaken loose and coming to rest on the surface of the couch. He quickly noticed that it was a ring.

“It looked like a class ring,” he said. “At first, I thought it must have been an old one, but when I took a closer look at it I could tell it belonged to a Springwood student and that it belonged to a senior in this year’s graduating class.”

Clark took the ring to Springwood to see if the owner could be found. It turns out that the ring didn’t belong to just any student. The person who had lost it was this year’s class valedictorian, Jesilyn Mabrey.

Clark and Mabrey each received plaques at Monday’s city council meeting, Clark for finding and returning the ring and Mabrey on having been the class valedictorian. She plans to continue her education at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. She plans to major in biomedical or optical engineering.

Clark said this hadn’t been the first time he’d found something of value in a furniture item someone had left on the curb.

“I have found plenty of pocket change,” he said. “Stuff falls out of people’s pockets.”

Also recognized by the council were the class salutatorian, Kaitlynne Easlick, and Mr. and Miss Springwood, Ethan Plank and Easlick.

Easlick will attend the University of Mississippi, where she will major in marine biology.

In action taken at Monday’s meeting, the council applied for a grant through the Alabama Department of Transportation. Two new vans are needed, one for the recreation department and one for the Senior Center. These grants are available with 80% available from the federal government and 20% paid locally. The current vehicles are having excessive repair and maintenance costs due to their age.

Recreation Director Trent McCants reported to the council on the city’s winter recreation program and what’s coming up this summer. A total of 150 youth registered for basketball. Lanett sent five teams to the district tournament and three to the state tournament. Two of the teams advanced to the quarterfinals and one to the semifinals. A total of 75 youngsters took part in track and field events. Thirty-three of them advanced to the state meet in Enterprise, Alabama. One of the relay teams won the state title, and another one would have probably won had it not been for a dropped baton.

McCants said that adult basketball in the James A. Hardy gym had been a tremendous success with 15 teams taking part. Young men throughout the two-state area participated. Former high school and college stars were among the players, Two former NBA players, uncle and nephew Jamario and Xavier Moon, played in the adult league. They played high school ball at Coosa Central.

Summer events include adult coed softball, youth summer basketball, a summer youth camp, and I Care kids camp and a cheerleading camp. The Lanett pool will open on Monday, June 6.

Mayor Jamie Heard said he was pleased to have a lot of activity going on in the recreation department.

“Our department heads and city employees are doing good work,” he said. “The City of Lanett is moving right along. We have good people who know what they are doing.”

Council Member Tifton Dobbs said he had noticed some large rocks in the downtown fountain when it had recently been drained.

“It looked like someone had been throwing rocks in it,” he said.

He suggested putting up cameras to catch whoever was doing that.

“We may need to replace the PVC pipe with metal pipe,” he said.

Council Member Angelia Thomas thanked the Utility Department on having remedied a gas leak near the old kindergarten building.

“Thank you for taking care of that,” she said. “People who live in that area have told me they could smell gas and that it scared them. That smell has since gone away, and they feel safer there now.”

Thomas said she had really enjoyed attending a recent May Day celebration at the Lanett Senior Center.

“Sandra Thornton is doing a great job with that program,” she said, “and Trent is doing a great job with recreation. A lot of people have told me they have enjoyed the adult league basketball in the gym.”

Council Member Tamalita Autry congratulated this year’s seniors at local high schools and wished them well in the future. She said she was pleased for a new prayer garden to be dedicated in the West Shawmut community.

“It’s a nice place where people can walk around while they pray,” she said.