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Hartselle Enquirer
50 CENTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 16
Local family raises Autism awareness through dirt racing By Rebekah Yancey rebekah.yancey @hartselleenquirer.com Kaleb Cox cannot use his words to show his excitement for racing, but according to his mother, Kimberly, he doesn’t need them. Kaleb has Autism and is nonverbal. At 12 years old, one of his favorite things to do is watch his family race cars at the Moulton Speedway every Friday night. Kaleb is the youngest of four adopted sons by Kimberly and Anthony Cox of Hartselle. The couple have fostered 30 children PHOTOS BY GREG MAYFIELD since 2011.
Falkville woman arrested for chemical endangerment after claiming abuse
Despite his inability to express his excitement verbally, each Friday night, the Moulton Speedway transforms into a sanctuary for the 12-year-old, where the roar of engines and the thrill of the track offer him a form of communication that transcends words. “He wants to be right there as close to the track as possible,” Kimberly Cox said. “He likes the feel of the mud thrown on him from the cars. Anthony Cox built and races their family car that also raises awareness for Autism, something that is close to Kimberly Cox’s heart. Her father raced cars when she was a child. The month of April
is also Autism Awareness Month recognized nationally. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States today. Gaylord Graphics and Designs of Danville designed and donated the wrap that features colorful puzzle pieces. Now, partnering with another
Hartselle woman invents product for amputees
By David Gambino For the Enquirer A Falkville mother of three who made allegations of abuse against her husband amid a messy divorce was arrested — two days after she allegedly flipped off a schoolteacher in front of children — in late March after authorities said she and her children failed drug screens. Kayla Lauren Dudley, 29, was charged with three counts of chemical endangerment of a child and booked into Morgan County Jail on March 28 before being released on a $7,500 bond, according to the Morgan County Sheriff ’s Office. Dudley has one daughter with a man she married last June named Greg Crittendon and a daughter and a son from a previous marriage. She said the oldest, her 6-year-old boy, is nonverbal and “was born with a lot of birth defects.” A divorce complaint signed by Crittendon on Jan. 4 and filed in Morgan County Circuit Court indicates he’s seeking a divorce on the grounds of infidelity. Dudley on Tuesday said the divorce was her idea. She claimed she arrived home in late December after working a 12-hour shift to find that her son’s diaper hadn’t been changed. Four days after Crittendon’s divorce filing, deputies were dispatched to take a report from Dudley. According to an investigator’s affidavit, Dudley was told by one of her daughters that she witnessed Crittendon choking Dudley’s son. “Dudley stated that she reported the incident to DHR, and a case had been opened for child abuse,” the affidavit reads. “During DHR’s investigation, all individuals underwent drug screens. Crittendon’s drug screen was negative. Dudley’s drug screen on Feb. 6 was positive for marijuana.” All three of Dudley’s children also tested positive for marijuana, according to the affidavit, with one showing additional positive results for amphetamines and meth. “I didn’t understand how that could happen,” Dudley said Tuesday. She said she initially
Obituaries • Robert Ragland • Roy Watts • David Beggs
refused to participate in a hair screening due to her “spiritual beliefs” but eventually relented under pressure from the DHR case worker. “Dudley admitted to smoking marijuana in the presence of her children,” the affidavit reads. Dudley said she never admitted that to investigators. “I would not admit it, because it’s not the truth,” she said. “I’m a back porch smoker.” Dudley’s friend and former MCSO staff member, Eric Milam, said he was present when Dudley was interviewed by investigators and doesn’t recall her admitting to smoking in front of her children. Crittendon was granted custody of their daughter on Jan. 8, according to Dudley. “How did a judge allow any of these things to happen?” she said. “My other two kids are with me. They’ve been with me the whole time. They’ve never left my side.” -Harassment An affidavit signed by a teacher — Crittendon’s aunt — at Cotaco School claims that Dudley came to the school on March 22 and flipped her off. “Dudley came to Cotaco Elementary School where I am a teacher and gave me the middle finger all the way from the school to the parking lot,” the affidavit reads. “Dudley sent my co-teacher a text telling her to inform me that she was on a witch hunt, and I was next on her list. Dudley has made a physical altercation before to me. I take this as a threat. I just want her to leave me alone.” See FALKVILLE, page 2 For full obituaries, see page A-2
• Andrea ‘Nikki’ Sutton • Maebelle Loftin • Carl ‘Jim’ Monk
See Autism, page 2
From left, Kylie Wright, Nikki Jonah and Jenna Smith.
By Rebekah Yancey rebekah.yancey@hartselleenquirer.com Kylie Wright’s small business is out to help amputees become more independent in their everyday lives. The 2019 Hartselle graduate joined forces with fellow engineering student, Jenna Smith, during their senior year at the University of Mississippi. Tasked with as assignment to find a solution to an unmet need in the medical community, the duo developed The Antler. 3-D printed and made from ABS and paracord, the Antler allows lower limb amputees to shower standing independently, something no other device on the market allows. It began as a way to help their friend Nikki Jonah, a lower limb amputee and senior at Ole Miss, regain her independence and restore a sense of normalcy after her amputation. The company was named Moose Medical after Jonah’s service dog, Moose. The Antler is an independent shower support stand that allows amputees to shower while standing while also allowing the opportunity to wash the residual limb. While showering is an often-overlooked luxury, having to sit in the shower is a loss of independence and convenience for amputees. The Antler is portable, lightweight and adjustable in height to work for every level of amputation. Jonah said before The Antler, she had to sit down in the shower or take baths exclusively. She had not been able to stand in the shower for an entire year before using the product her friends named after her service dog, an English Golden Retriever. “Having a prosthetic leg takes away some of the “get up and go” a lot of people have,” Jonah said. “There’s a lot more steps to starting day and being able to stand makes showers much faster than they used to be. I’m thankful to get some of that time back every day.” See AMPUTEES, page 2 Nikki Jonah, Moose and Kylie Wright.