Sen. Wendell Mitchell and Rep. Charles Newton presented two checks totaling $10,000 to Highland Home School on Thursday night. The money will help fund the school's efforts to erect stadium lighting for its baseball field.

"We're willing to work with the boosters to see that this gets done," said Crenshaw County Superintendent Kathi Wallace. "We're so appreciative in the Crenshaw County Public Schools for the assistance that Sen. Mitchell and Rep. Newton always give to our projects.

They have been our benefactors for many years.

It is so good to have the community, the school system and our elected officials work together to make things better for our children."

Board of Education member William Roper said lights around Highland Home's baseball field have been a long time coming.

"We are committed to seeing this through," Roper said, addressing school boosters, parents and the Flying Squadron baseball team. "You seniors have never had lights on this field, but you will have lights on this field this year."

Baseball coach Charles Sexton said he's pleased the school and its athletics boosters are pushing to bring the baseball program up to standards.

"Lights appear to be the first step," he said.

For years, Highland Home baseball teams have watched games end early because of daylight savings time in spring, said principal Joe Eiland. Even should a Flying Squadron team win the area crown, the school is not allowed to host an area tournament because of an AHSAA mandate that all stadiums have lighting.

"That's the biggest thing," said Eiland. "Getting to host tournaments."

Robert McGough, who headed up the project, said stadium lighting around the field is only a beginning.

"We're not going to stop at lights," he said. "We're going to re-do the dugouts and do some work on the backstop."

"We know you're going to be successful. Not because of these checks, but because of the people here in this community," Newton told the audience.

An additional $8,000 dollars will be needed, said Eiland, to fund the project.