Spongebob the Musical photos Page A-10
Tigers win six games in five days Page B1
Hometown newspaper of Craig Cleveland- since 1933
Hartselle Enquirer
50 CENTS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 13
Details emerge on Hartselle man accused of child exploitation By David Gambino For the Enquirer More than one child told Hartselle investigators that a 72-year-old man allowed minors to have sex inside his apartment and exposed himself, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Morgan County District Court.
Roy Wayne Goodwin, of Hartselle, was arrested March 14 by Hartselle police and remained in Morgan County Jail on Thursday in lieu of a $375,000 bond on five counts of possession of obscene matter depicting minors, jail records show. The investigation into Goodwin began after a
mother reported conducted multion Aug. 18 that ple forensic interher son had views with victims returned from who shared similar Goodwin’s apartcomplaints against ment wearing Goodwin. pants that were Court records wet around the show Goodwin genital area, resided at Quail Goodwin according to Run Apartments at investigators. 1000 Mitwede St. S.W. Hartselle police said they Nineteen-year-old Jacob
Johnson calls Quail Run “the projects of Hartselle.” He said he has lived in an apartment above Goodwin’s since January. “I got warned about him when I first got here,” Johnson said. “There was a 6-year-old girl who ran out of his apartment — I’ve had four different people tell me the exact
same story — she ran out of the apartment and was screaming.” Johnson said Goodwin, like “clockwork,” would follow him and his then17- y e a r - o l d - g i r l f r i e n d when they brought their dog outside. Johnson said Goodwin would look his See DETAILS, page 2
More than $8k raised for scholarship named after Hartselle child COURTESY PHOTOS
Life Church in Hartselle will hold three escape room experiences for the community. Last year, 60 groups of five to 10 people went through the experiences.
Hartselle church creates Easterthemed escape rooms By Catherine Godbey For the Enquirer Tired of staging the traditional egg hunts, Hartselle’s Life Church searched for a different way, a more gospelfocused way, to tell the story of Easter. Connie Phillips’ thoughts turned to escape rooms, the increasingly popular activity that combines puzzles, games and logic. “I was looking to do something focused on the Gospel, but was still fun for kids and the family. My family loves to do escape rooms, so I thought, what if we could do an escape room and center it around the Gospel,” Phillips, the church’s children’s pastor, said. Now, three years in, the escape rooms, which highlight the Easter story from Jesus’ trial to his resurrection, have reached hundreds of people from across north Alabama. Last year, 60 groups, each consisting of five to 10 people, experienced the escape rooms. “It’s been a big hit and has really taken off. People have really enjoyed the experience. I am so thankful God has allowed us to use this to reach so many people,” Phillips said. For those unfamiliar with escape rooms, here is how they work: Participants are given a mission and placed in a room where they must find and solve clues to escape in a limited amount of time. Along with serving as the children’s pastor, Phillips was the mastermind behind the escape room scenarios. To create the scenarios, she relied solely on the Bible. “When I start the creative process, I don’t know what
the overarching theme is going to be. I just sit down with the scriptures and the scenario unfolds itself,” Phillips said. The three scenarios at Life Church take place in a prison, a tomb and the upper room. Phillips created “The Prison,” centered around Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, in 2022, the first year Life Church offered escape rooms. In “The Prison,” participants — members of a Roman crime ring sentenced to execution — try to escape by finding clues left by a king previously imprisoned there. “At the end they are presented with a pardon for their trespasses,” Phillips said. “That leads into us being able to tell them about Jesus and what he did so we can be forgiven of our sins.” Last year, Phillips added “The Tomb.” “In that scenario, you are part of an exploring team and, because of an earthquake, have been locked in a cave. There is one way out,” Phillips said. “At the end we share how Jesus is the way, the truth and the light.” This year, “The Upper Room,” centered on the Holy Spirit, will debut at the church. “You are part of a detective team investigating an unusual phenomena in the city. There is a plot to stop the spread of the phenomena and you have to find the power to overcome the plot,” Phillips said. “At the end we share how when we accept Jesus, we are given the ability to share the Gospel with others.” In each of the hour-long scenarios, participants will read See ESCAPE, page 3
Obituaries
For full obituaries, see page A-2
• Helen Marie (Hasting) Clemons • Ann Johnson Ballew • Jean Tucker Alexander • Chuck Scott
• Cleo Stewart Shroyer • Shirley Rebecca ‘Becky’ Alford Ouzts • Alice Puckett Breeding • Dannie Lee Ramsey
PHOTOS BY JENNIFER SHERWOOD
Priceville’s 8U team the Diamondbacks hang out in the dugout at the Beau Clark Memorial Tournament March 23. The team is coached by Preston Potter.
By Rebekah Yancey rebekah.yancey@ hartselleenquirer.com Hundreds of community members gathered at the Flint Fields at Gale Montgomery Park this past Saturday to play a little baseball in honor of a Hartselle child who never got the chance to play the game. Nearly 50 6U-12U teams from across the Tennesse Valley participated in the all-day tournament that raised more than $8,500. Teams from Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville, Cotaco, Moulton, East Lawrence, Falkville, Elkmont, West Point, West Morgan and Danville participated. The money will fund the Beau Clark scholarship at Hartselle High School. Beau Clark, 4, was killed in a dog attack Feb. 26. According to the Morgan County Sheriff ’s Office, Clark rode his bike over to a neighbor’s house when he was attacked by the dog. Clark had been around the dog, an Olde English Bulldog, many times before and the dog never showed aggressive or violent behavior. Clark was laid to rest March 1. Jacob Wilbanks of the Priceville Community Recreation Association helped organize the tournament. “I have a child who will turn two in June and Beau’s story hit close to home,” Wilbanks said. “I knew I wanted to do something to honor his memory and help the family.” After speaking with Kevin Clark, Beau’s father, Wilbanks said he knew any money raised should go to honor Beau to the scholarship fund. Wilbanks said baseball has always been a big part of his life, and when he read Beau’s obituary, and about how he was looking forward to wearing the number seven on his jersey to play t-ball, he knew their needed to be a baseball tournament in Beau’s honor. “The tournament wasn’t about winning or losing, it was in memory of a little boy who never got the chance to play,” Wilbanks said.
PHOTOS BY JENNIFER SHERWOOD
Diamondbacks player no. 15, Cole Bishop at bat in the Beau Clark Memorial Tournament March 23. “All our umpires and the people who worked the gates volunteered their time,” he added. “We’re grateful for everyone who has helped make this tournament a success – Drake Montgomery, Houston Norris, Jeni Jordan. “Pepsi of Decatur and Zaxby’s donated food and drinks for the hospitality room for our volunteers,” Wilbanks added. “We had a great turnout despite the weather. It was a great day play-
ing ball for a great cause.” Fellow organizer Drake Montgomery said the event would not have been successful without community participation. “The success of this tournament is all because of the support of this community,” Montgomery said. “This could not have happened without the teams and coaches and the volunteer staff we had. Huge thanks to our local partners who helped make this event happen.”