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Hanline siblings coaching Danville soccer Page B1
Hometown newspaper of Wanda Thompson- since 1933
Hartselle Enquirer
50 CENTS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 23
Driver in chase that killed deputy’s mother charged with murder By David Gambino For the Enquirer A Tennessee man faces murder and firstdegree assault charges after he allegedly fled multiple law enforcement agencies in a high-speed chase that began Friday morning in Hartselle and ended with a multi-vehicle wreck in Cullman and the death of a Morgan County Sheriff ’s Office deputy’s mother, according to the Cullman County Sheriff ’s Office. Michael Neal Ivy, 39, of Middleton, was already charged with felony attempt to elude, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and several traffic offenses when CCSO announced Monday the additional charges. Ivy, who was injured in the wreck, will be transported to the Cullman County Detention Center to be held without bond after he’s released from the hospital, according to CSSO.
Ellarea Dickson, 77, was pronounced deceased at the scene of the wreck, according to Cullman County Coroner Jeremy Kilpatrick. Dickson and her granddaughter, Alyssa Dickson, were on their way to work at Kentucky Fried Chicken when their car was “slammed” into, according to a GoFundMe page organized by MCSO spokesman Mike Swafford. According to MCSO social media statements following the wreck, Ellarea Dickson is the mother of MCSO Sgt. John Dickson. Alyssa Dickson is his niece. “Alyssa received two broken arms, a broken pelvis, broken leg, a brain bleed and a small tear in an artery,” the fundraiser reads. “She is in Huntsville Hospital in critical but stable condition.” CCSO Lt. Chad Whaley said the wreck involved four vehicles and happened on U.S. 31 South near the South Cullman Shopping Center and Town Square Shopping Center.
“The suspect vehicle only had two tires remaining on his vehicle,” he said. “I believe spikes were used at some point, but (I’m) not exactly clear on those details.” A Hartselle police officer traveling south on U.S. 31 at around 7:35 a.m. on Friday heard squealing tires and saw a vehicle swerving and speeding near Crescent Drive, according to HPD. “The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed toward Falkville and out of the city limits of Hartselle,” HPD said. “The officer determined not to pursue the vehicle further due to the excessive speed.” CCSO became involved in the pursuit once Ivy entered Cullman County. They said the Hartselle Police Department, Falkville Police Department, Cullman Police Department and ALEA state troopers all joined in the pursuit at some point. See DRIVER, page 5
COURTESY PHOTO
Ellarea Dickson and Sgt. John Dickson
Bridging the gap
Hartselle Historical Society launches guided interactive walk downtown By Rebekah Yancey rebekah.yancey@ hartselleenquirer.com
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By Trenedy Parks For the Enquirer Two Morgan County Sheriff ’s Civilian Support Unit volunteers received Presidential Service Awards this week from Sheriff Ron Puckett. Tom Barry and Tim Hughes received the awards because of the time they spent volunteering at the Sheriff ’s Office each week.
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Barry is the president of the Civilian Support Unit, according to the Sheriff ’s Office. The Civilian Support Unit is a citizen-run, nonprofit organization that oversees the Sheriff ’s Foundation, the daily operations of the county jail’s lobby and hosts the Sheriff ’s Citizen Academy. For more information about the Civilian Support Unit, go to morgancountysheriffal.gov/sheriffs-volunteers.
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A legacy project that has been five years in the making came to fruition this past Friday, and for members of the Hartselle Historical Society, it has been well worth the wait. Society president Bettye English, vice president Lee Greene and community members met at Crossroads Old & Unique to place the first stop along a new interactive tour that will teach citizens of Hartselle and visitors alike about Hartselle’s rich history. This initiative aims to bring the stories of the town’s historic buildings and vibrant past to life, leveraging modern technology to enhance the educational experience. The guided tour has 11 labeled stops through historic downtown, each one equipped with a QR code. According to Greene, the project was completely designed and funded through a grant provided by the University of North Alabama. By scanning these codes with a smartphone, participants are directed to a specially designed webpage that provides detailed information and engaging voice recordings about the history of each location. Locations include stops along Main and Railroad streets. “The biggest hurdle was the technical challenge of getting the website
set up. That was way beyond our capabilities,” Greene said. Greene said Danielle Gibson at Decatur Morgan County Tourism connected him with Brian Corrigan and Dr. Carolyn Crawford with the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area and UNA. Greene explained that digitizing history is a more effective way to preserve it for future generations. “There’s really nothing we can do to document what kids in the future, what families in the future will know about what happened here, so this is a good way to put well-checked, factchecked information out here for perpetuity,” Greene said. The shift to a digital platform is not just about preservation but also about engagement. “Nobody buys pamphlets anymore, so it’s easier to do this in the digital age,” he added. “If it gets kids involved and interested in history – families can come downSee GAP, page 8
ENQUIRER PHOTO/ REBEKAH YANCEY
Stops on the new interactive walking tour through downtown Hartselle as shown on a smartphone.
ffi By Jean Cole For the Enquirer
Special to the Enquirer The Family Firework Festival is scheduled to take place June 15 at 5 p.m. in Priceville. The event will offer a range of activities including inflatables, live music and food trucks. The festival aims to provide entertainment for all ages. The main attraction of the evening will be a fire-
work display after sunset, promising a visually stunning experience for attendees. Families are invited to attend the festival to celebrate Father’s Day and enjoy an evening of festivities together. This event is free and open to the public. The event will be held at 1110 S Bethel Rd., Priceville.
Obituaries
For full obituaries, see page A-2
• Kenneth Prescott Moore • Frank Morris • Janice Vinson • Clarence Cagle • Steve Foote • Betty Ann (Motes) Little • Virginia L. Terry • Martha Asherbranner
• Elmer Edward ‘Ed’ Pruitt • Michael Owen Tull • Benjamin ‘Marty’ Childers • Horace Ray Simmons • Jessie L. Wright, Sr. • Thomas ‘Tommy’ Arthur Adams • Donna Hogan Smith
PRICEVILLE — Priceville’s mayor views the city’s 1-year-old event center like an acorn that will grow a mighty oak; it’s well on its way but not finished yet. “Basically, what we’d like to do is continue to expand it,” the mayor said of the facility at 250 Marco Drive. “We’ve got some additional room around it. We’ve talked about adding some batting cages (before the next five years are up) and we’ve talked about possibly adding another gym to it. We’ve got a great thing there, we just want to continue to make it bigger and better.” Currently, the new event center has a rentable multisport gymnasium that can hold 700. It can hold basketball tournaments, volleyball tournaments, trade shows, wedding receptions, banquets, graduations and more. Lines are painted on the court for both basketball and volleyball. The court has six adjustable basketball goals and an electronic drop net that can be lowered across the center to split the court. There are five rows of bleachers on two sides of the court. The gym also has a rollout floor covering to set up chairs.
PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA
The $7.2 million Priceville Event Center, built a year ago, is smaller than originally planned but getting lots of use. Other amenities include a second-floor three-lane walking track, a 17,040-squarefoot multipurpose room that has tables, chairs and a movable room divider, an exercise gym and a catering kitchen. The kitchen leads to a concession stand. There is also a lobby, seating area, reception desk, conference room and employee breakroom. Outside there are 10 benches, speakers, light post USB ports for cellphone and laptop power, and an 18-by36-foot yoga mat. There are three full-time employees
and one part-timer. The original plan for a 66,000-square-foot building had to be downsized twice to fit the budget. Officials settled on the smaller event center — 26,000 square feet — at a cost of $7.2 million. Proceeds from a 2017 bond issue covered the cost. Construction began in April 2021. The center opened June 7 of last year. Already there are 150 bookings pending at the three different-sized rentable rooms in the event center, said Chandler Phillips, event cen-
ter director. The corporate conference room holds 10, the flex room holds 18 to 20 and the multipurpose room holds more than 66. “We have several different areas and options and we kind of wanted people to bring ideas to us,” Phillips said. “People have been really creative and open-minded and have brought ideas to us about what can be done in the space. The staff never envisioned it at the outset, but the mul-
See CENTER, page 8