Home Care In Russellville, IN

PROGRESS 2019—

“I retired with 40 years of coaching, and I coached at all the county schools that had football. One of the bigger things that happened was when I was coaching at Red Bay and we came to Russellville and won.

“I left Hackleburg in Marion to take the job at Red Bay in 1989, and I was there three years. We had some pretty good teams, but the last two years, we had contracted Russellville to play. The year we were stronger and thought we had a great chance to win was the first year, but we wound up getting beat. The second year we went back to Russellville and won the ballgame in Russellville by one point.

“It was a big thing. Of course, I had some really good athletes at Red Bay, and going into that stadium and being able to win and have my son playing for me was a big deal to me. It was a highlight by all means. Knowing all the people here in Russellville and being from Russellville – I graduated from Russellville – made it that much better.

“It was really the hottest night of the year, and we had great crowds, big crowds there at the game. The opportunity of playing the bigger city school in the county was big to us – of course it was new to the kids down there. They hadn’t been in that situation before.

“It was just a great night. It was a good ballgame. It went back and forth; the lead probably changed three different times. Then we tied the ballgame up and went into overtime and won it right at the end. We had kids who – what you really look for – laid it all on the line and played. We had good athletes, and we matched up pretty good, but I had probably 15 kids who played during the game compared to their 25-30 – and like I said, it was a really hot night – but our kids were in pretty good shape, and they fought right down to the end.

“We had the ball last in overtime, and we went for two instead of for the tie, and it was one of those nights you don’t ever forget.

“Of course, after that I coached at Phil Campbell, and my last years were at Tharptown. I went and got to coach my great-nephew, Kelby Hallmark – he was a ninth-grader, and he was a great athlete. My granddaughter Kamri Sears was in ninth grade and was playing basketball; she was one of the better basketball players there. So I got to spend those years with them, and that was important.

“Kids there tried hard, but we just weren’t there yet with football. But I enjoyed all my kids all through my coaching career.”

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. – “I loved growing up in Russellville and people till this day still ask me ‘Where you from?.’ And I always get so excited to say I’m from Russellville, Kentucky.” said Kesi Neblett.

Kesi Neblett is the youngest daughter of civil rights veteran Charles Neblett. Over the years, she attended Russellville High School, went on to Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University, then made her way to Columbia University, playing division 1 volleyball and majoring in computer science engineering.

After graduation in 2017, Neblett went on to work at Goldman Sachs in New York for almost four years before deciding to tap into her more creative and adventurous side, quitting her corporate job in order to pursue things like travel. The next day, a classmate from Gatton reached out to her and asked if she’d be interested in auditioning for a game show. Ironically enough, Neblett grew up in a TV-free household but agreed to take the chance on the show.

After four months of filming in Australia, Neblett comes to us as a contestant on “The Mole”. If you aren’t familiar with the show, it’s a reality game show where 12 contestants vie for a cash prize, but, unfortunately for the other 11 players, one of them is aptly, the mole.

In her interview with News 40, Neblett made sure to give much thanks to her parents for how she turned out today. As the daughter of Black Americans who grew up through the Jim Crow era, she said they raised to be confident in herself and her abilities.

“If you didn’t like something, you change it. If someone tells you no, figure out a way to turn that no into a yes. And that meant if I was in school and a course was really difficult, it didn’t mean I was stupid, or I wasn’t intelligent, it just meant I needed to change something.” the Netflix star added.

She also said that being on “The Mole” had a lot of semblance to real life, telling us “… I say that because in life I’m oftentimes talking to people, getting to know them but getting to know them in a way that’s a little bit deeper. Like what makes you happy, what about your past makes you make the decisions you make today?”

Of course if you want to know who the mole is and who won the money, you’ll have to check out the show for yourself on Netflix.

Russellville High School 1983 graduate Luther Tiggs was honored in a celebration during the halftime of the varsity boys’ basketball game Jan. 30 at the Russellville Middle School gym.

“Luther Tiggs Night” featured the standout guard from the 1982 Class 3A state championship team and included many of his former RHS teammates, coaches and administrators.

Tiggs was a two-time high school All-American playing for Russellville head coach Jack Tucker. After his playing days were over at RHS, Tiggs then played for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats and later transferred to the University of North Alabama. It was at UNA where he became the school’s all-time assists leader in a game, season and career. This past fall, Tiggs was elected to the UNA Sports Hall of Fame.

After his playing days were over, Tiggs’ spent many years as a head coach, winning more than 400 games and was also a teacher and administrator around the Huntsville area. Tiggs retired last May.

“I’m so appreciative for the opportunity with Dr. Madden, Dr. Grimes and the city of Russellville just bringing me back and embracing me,” Tiggs said. “I think about all of the memories that I had with my teammates playing here in Russellville and growing up.

“Starting out, I never thought this was possible. You don’t come up thinking that you’re going into the hall of fame or you’ll be recognized by your community for your achievements or anything of that nature. You just want to go out and be the best version of yourself and just try to be successful.

“I’m honored and I’m grateful for this opportunity. There’s no way any of this is possible without community support and the support of my family, friends and loved ones. To the city of Russellville embracing me and to all my teammates that made all of this possible, I couldn’t thank them enough.”

Those in attendance were able to experience a trip down memory lane filled with many photos and videos of Tiggs’ RHS teammates sharing kind words and a few laughs. Tiggs also took the microphone for a heartfelt thank you, after which RHS principal Dr. Jeremy Madden and Russellville City Schools superintendent Dr. Heath Grimes presented him with a plaque and photo of the ’82 state championship team.

“I felt like it was time we got him back here and recognized him as a way to say thank you,” Madden shared. “Thank you for helping us achieve the only state basketball title that we’ve ever had in school history, thank you for taking this school with you to all those places, including Cincinnati and Florence.

“Luther is a big deal in this state when it comes to basketball. He is a huge part of the Alabama high school basketball scene. He’s helping young coaches today, and he has also helped a lot of young athletes for the last 25 years.

“I would say he’s the best player in the history of this program and to see him here tonight to get his well-overdue recognition and to see the people cheer for him and to give him a chance to speak is special for me.”

The current RHS team and coaches also had the chance to get some inspiration from Tiggs and his championship winning teammates.

“It’s special,” Russellville head coach Patrick Odom said. “State championships are hard, and that’s the one we have in our basketball history. To have those guys back and to have a guy like Luther who is obviously a legend speak to our team this evening before the game is special.

“What those guys did is worthy of a night like tonight. It was really great to see everything and how it played out.”

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James and Laurie Bibler understood that true legacy is about much more than any gift…it’s about the ripple effect.

Take a rock tossed into Lake Dardanelle. The outward ripples can be felt for many feet past where that rock landed in the water.

Much like the rock created ripples in the water that are experienced far beyond the initial impact, James and Laurie Bibler created a ripple effect that will impact generations of students at Arkansas Tech University.

In November 2020, Arkansas Tech announced the Biblers had pledged six million dollars to Arkansas Tech University. That gift was the largest personal pledge the university has ever received.

The gift will support the James and Laurie Bibler Scholarship fund and the University’s Greatest Need fund.

“It gives us great pleasure to be able to offer scholarships to young adults who have a desire to further their education but do not have the means to do so,” said Laurie. “James and I realize that education is so important to young adults. If they are not given the opportunity for post-secondary study, they risk being left behind. We don’t want that to happen. We want them to succeed and achieve their goals.”

James Bibler passed away in January of 2021, but his legacy will live on through the scholarships awarded to future students.

The Biblers hope their philanthropy will do more than just help ATU students. Through their service as honorary co-chairs of the first comprehensive campaign in university history, their goal is to help others realize their own legacy and consider supporting Arkansas Tech financially, now and in the future.

“If we can provide a college education for even just one person and that person goes out and succeeds to their fullest, think about the impact that they will make,” said Laurie. “It is important to give back from what we have been given. We hope that others are inspired to include Arkansas Tech in their estate plans.”

As state funding continues to be stretched, private dollars are more important in higher education than ever before, and gifts to Arkansas Tech University help the university educate and empower students to achieve their dreams and in turn transform their communities.

“Equipping students for their future is the core commitment of Arkansas Tech University. It’s why we exist. Our commitment to this is evidenced by the fact that we’re number one in the state for upward social mobility, and we have been for the past seven years,” said Jason Geiken, vice president for advancement. “However, for us to continue that effort, more private dollars will be needed to support our students.”

The legacy of the Bibler family will be felt for generations to come at Arkansas Tech. The funds donated will provide opportunities to help students achieve solutions to problems that don’t yet exist.

But for James and Laurie Bibler, one of the most exciting aspects of their legacy is leading the charge of ATU alumni and friends who are stepping up and supporting the university to ensure that it continues to thrive and serve Arkansas students.

“Arkansas Tech is a vital part of Pope County. I live in this wonderful community, and we need to support Arkansas Tech,” said Laurie. “My desire to help Arkansas Tech has grown through the years.”

Their legacy runs much deeper than two people. The Bibler family legacy is about encouraging others to join in giving back in a meaningful way that moves Arkansas Tech forward. An inspiring legacy for lives well lived.

Who are the Biblers?

James Bibler

Mr. Bibler was the third generation in his family to work at Bibler Brothers Lumber in Russellville. After high school, he attended Arkansas Tech for two years studying business administration before joining the family business.

Through hard work, he rose through the ranks and became president of the company in 1967. The family sold the company in 1973, and in 1986 he formed James Bibler Enterprises and purchased all of the stock in Bibler Brothers Inc. After leading a transformational modernization of the company and its equipment, he sold 90% of the company to Freeman Brothers, Inc., in 1998.

Mr. Bibler has been inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. He is also a past president of the Southern Forest Products Association. He is a past chairman of the Arkansas Forestry Commission, having been appointed to that board by Gov. David Pryor and re-appointed by Gov. Bill Clinton. He served as vice-chairman of the public timber division of the National Forest Products Association. Additionally, he was named Timber Processing’s Man of the Year. Finally, he served as chairman of the Ouachita Timber Purchasers Group and as a member of the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau Board of Directors.

In addition to his expertise in the agriculture and timber industry, Mr. Bibler had a passion for hunting. After his retirement, he made multiple trips across the continents of Africa and Asia in pursuit of big game. For him, the trips offered the ability to enjoy his hunting hobby but also provided a way to learn more about the natives he’d interact with during the trips. His hunting pursuits were proudly displayed in his 6,000-square-foot trophy house in Russellville, where animals adorned the walls.

A better community was important to Mr. Bibler. Through his philanthropic activities, Mr. Bibler supported Arkansas Tech on numerous occasions, and he played a key role in helping the ATU accounting program achieve accreditation during his service on the Business Advisory Board. Additionally, he received the highest honor possible at Arkansas Tech for his service, membership into the Hall of Distinction in 2011.

However, his philanthropic efforts didn’t end with ATU. Mr. Bibler also supported the United Methodist Church and served as president of the Jaycees and the Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the airport commission.

Laurie Bibler

Laurie and James Bibler married in 1984 and supported one another for more than 30 years. James described Laurie as the one who enriched his life, believed in him and inspired him to reach higher. He referred to her as the family rock through the strongest of storms.

A native of North Little Rock, Laurie studied at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville after high school. There, she earned a two-year degree and went to work at First American National Bank, where she rose to the rank of administrative assistant/officer of the executive department and secretary of the board of directors.

Laurie’s prowess in business also provided multiple opportunities for leadership in the family company and in the community. She served as vice president, secretary, and chief financial officer of the company. She also later enrolled in Arkansas Tech’s real-estate licensing program.

Serving the community is important to Mrs. Bibler, and she has served as a longtime member of the Arkansas Tech University Foundation Board. Currently, she serves as the secretary of the ATU Foundation Board. Additionally, Laurie was a member of the Russellville Chamber of Commerce and served as secretary on the Chamber Board. She also served on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club in Russellville and is a lifetime member of the Russellville Junior Auxiliary.

-By Carrie Harris Phillips for the Tech Action, Fall 2021

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (WBKO) - In the 1960s, Charles Neblett participated in the March on Washington with the late Martin Luther King Jr.

For the last 37 years, Charles and his wife, Marvinia, have hosted a Unity Walk to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.

Although there was no physical walk today due to inclement weather, hundreds of students from Russellville and Logan County schools gathered together to honor the life and legacy of the Civil Rights leader.

Kesi Neblett, Charles’ daughter and star of Netflix’s, The Mole, returned to her alma mater to deliver the Unity Walk’s keynote speech.

She relayed to the students and community members in attendance, that working to create a better community for ourselves and others, as Dr. King did, is necessary.

She said it is also a sign of ambition to create a better world.

“I remind you that our duty to ourselves and our duty to our community is not a nagging chore. It is hope accompanied by action, and it is hope in motion,” said Kesi.

Russellville and Logan County students had the opportunity to ask questions to the Nebletts after their speeches.

Charles mentioned how inspiring it was to see students, from elementary to high school ages, so willing to learn more about the fight for equality and what it means to stand together.

“It gave me a lot of hope. It gave me hope that these kids were interested. They wanted to learn and ask questions,” said Charles. “We started this (Unity Walk) 37 years ago, with young people. It kept on growing, and now you see what we are doing with young people.”

He also mentioned that students need more role models like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“They have got to see someone who is an example,” said Charles. “They have got to see somebody who is bold, and can deal with them without getting upset.”

Charles said after 37 years of hosting Unity Walks, more young people show up each year. That was certainly the case today.

While he is no longer alive, Martin Luther King Jr’s dream lives on.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed in the U.S. on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.

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