SPORTS: Holtville, ECHS face off in baseball playoffs, B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
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SIX SUSPECTS TOTAL basketball CHARGED coach arrested Holtville HighINSchool IN DADEVILLE MASS SHOOTING
Wilson was the head basketball coach at Holtville High School and was ABy virtual teacher at Elmore placed on adWILL MARLOW County EdgeGWIN program ministrative & LIZISchool’s ARBOGAST hasTPI been Staffarrested and charged leave Jan. 13 with school employee distrib- according to Eluting obscene material a stu- more County ix arrests have tooccurred dent. in connection with the Schools supermass shooting thatBill intendent RichElmore County Sheriff occurred Franklin said Saturday, Emmanuel April Andre15,ard Dennis. WILSON in Dadeville, leaving four “We had a reWilson II, 32, of Montgomery deadhimself and 32into wounded. turned authorities port,” Dennis At afternoon. about 8 p.m. TuesTuesday said. “We had a preliminary day, April 18, Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both of Tuskegee were initially arrested and formally charged with four counts of reckless murder, according to a press conference on the steps of the Tallapoosa County Courthouse on Wednesday. By Cliff Williams Staff Writer
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investigation and handed it off to the appropriate authorities. He was also placed on administrative leave at that time.” Dennis said school officials follow the same procedure when administrators receive a report of allegations against school staff and employees. “Once we hand it over, we know very little about what is going on,” Dennis said. “We cooperate with authorities if necessary.”
Franklin said investigators with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office have the alleged victim’s phone. Authorities collected Wilson’s phone as well. “You could see a conversation between the two,” Franklin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but KEGLEY I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”
Wilson was released on a $6,000 bond 90 minutes after turning himself in according to the Elmore County Jail website. Dennis said Wilson also coached other sports at Holtville schools including being the head track coach and assistant football coach. Dennis said other staff would fill in for the duties of Wilson at Holtville while he is on administrative leave.
‘Still an Police Chamber holds luncheon open case’ continue
welcoming members See CHARGED, Page A6
By Cliff Williams Staff Writer
Phil Dowdell brought people together
Memorial service held for shooting victim Holston By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia reporter This weekend, loved ones came together in memory of Corbin D. Holston — one of the victims of the Dadeville mass shooting on Saturday, April 15. The memorial service began in song, praising the Lord, as family members See HOLSTON, Page A6
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
to purchase gas on April 26, 1998 from a convenience store near the intersection of Redland Road and U.S. Highway 231. The next day Kegley’s 1993 Geo Storm was found on Old Georgia Road with her 2-year-old
It has been 25 years since Traci Pittman Kegley was last seen in Elmore others in shorts and t-shirts. County. Who knows what political The young mother leanings each person had? It had borrowed a didn’t even matter. credit card from By Jake Arthur Women and men, babies her parents Steven Chief Videographer and grandparents, pastors CLIFF WILLIAMS/ and Linda Pittman See CASE, Page A6 THE HERALD Police are still investigating the fatal See PHIL, Page A6 shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parking lot on Jan. 20. Police were dispatched to the parking lot around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. Once there, they found Centell Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound in the driver seat of his vehicle. According to Wetumpka police chief HENRY ZIMMER THE HERALD Greg Benton, this was not a random shootFamily and friends ing. gather outside “This was not random, not a random Corbin Holston’s act,” said Benton. “We believe the vicfuneral on tim and the perpetrator knew each other.” Saturday. STAFF REPORT category This is the first homicide in Wetumpka winners TPI Staff in over three years. The last homicide in are also the city took place in 2018. selected The board of not directors “It’s a good way to start out the new for acaof the Joeyear,” Sewellsaid MemoBenton. rial Award Benton and Johndidn’t want to speculatedemics; on the athletics; Sewell Memorial Scholleaderarship have released the SHOOTING, ship; Page A3 and names of its 2023 senior See SEWELL church, finalists. community, and characThe award was estabter, with each category lished in 2005 to recogwinner receiving a nize outstanding high $1,000 scholarship. The school senior athletes Joe Sewell Memorial in Elmore County who Award is the only proconsistently the school culture from that of a shift in a positive have direction. The repregram of its kind in the highest ideals school struggling with low mo- school experiencedsented a 62 the percent River Region. of Christian leadership. rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline referrals, Additionally, the Each year, one male and to a school that strives for excel- 50 percent decrease in chronic award serves to honor the one female senior from lence. By collaborating with staff, absenteeism, 7 percent increase legacy of Joe Sewell, a every Elmore County many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent native of the Titus comhigh school are chosen identified and addressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate and a 20 permunity who established a for proficiency the top honor – the leadership style of listening, en- cent increase in ACT very successful baseball Joe Sewell Memorial couraging, supporting, organizing in the last five years. career in the Majors from Award and $3,000 John and challenging the staff and stuSewell Scholarship. See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 See AWARD, Page A6 dents, caused the school culture to FUTURAL Male and female
The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its annual luncheon to install new officers and board By members LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN for the first time in a while Thursday. afternoon. Thereonwere The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper gath-Black people Managing Editor white people, old people erings but the chamber celebratedand the successes of and young people. There business in Wetumpka. More than 1,000 people Dadeville crowded Dadeville “We haven’t beenHigh able to do thiswere for the last cou- students and Benjamin Russell football School in hopes of getting ple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your People a seat at PhilisDowdell’s attendance an indication peopleplayers. want to get back dressed in their Sunday memorial Monday together service and haveonthese opportunities to see each best and See CHAMBER, Page A3
Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon.
investigation, man no longer suspected
Law enforcement still hasn’t given up on decades old missing person case
Joe Sewell Award finalists announced
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year Staff Report
HENRY ZIMMER THE HERALD
The community The Alabama Association of continues Secondary to support School Principals (AASSP)and named Holtville High Dadeville School Kyle Futral the the lives principal lost 2022 High School Prinin the Alabama mass cipal of the shooting AprilYear. 15.The High School Principal of the Year award was presented to Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a
Today’s
Today’s Weather Weather
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schoolwide assembly at Holtville High School. Elmore County Superintendent Richard Dennis was in attendance for the presentation. “Kyle Futral is an exceptional principal and is very proactive and innovative in his thinking and approaches to managing his school,” Dennis said, As principal of Holtville High School, Futral has transformed
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