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AUGUST 2023
A special supplement
to The Wetumpka Herald
& The Tallassee Tribune
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 34 | $1.00
Council approves tourism manager job description WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
Holtville High School basketball coach arrested
By CLIFF WILLIAMS the position is far from being will help us move Wetumpka News Editor filled according to Mayor Jerry forward.” By Cliff Williams Wilson was the head basket- When investigation and handed it off Willis. hired, the new Staff ball will coach at Holtville to thewill appropriate authorities. The Writer City of Wetumpka is on “We advertise it and High employee have an office School was Willis was alsoImpact placed Crater on adminisits way to creating a full-time promote theand position,” at theHe Wetumpka A virtual teacher at Elmoresaid.placed ad-a confertrativeand leave at that time.” tourism department. “There on is also Discovery Visitor Center County School’smeeting Edge programenceministrative DennisStreet. said school officials At its Monday coming up where we will on Company been arrested and chargedtalkleave 13 to make follow thedidsame procedure thehas Wetumpka City Council about it.Jan. We want Willis said he not know with school employee distribaccording to Elwhen administrators approved a job description for sure we identify the correct the timeframe yet of when areceive a report of allegations against uting obscene material to a stumore County a tourism manager. However, person for the position that See COUNCIL, Page A6 school staff and employees. dent. Schools super“Once we hand it over, we Elmore County Sheriff Bill intendent Richknow very little about what is Franklin said Emmanuel Andre ard Dennis. WILSON going on,” Dennis said. “We Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery “We had a recooperate with authorities if turned himself into authorities port,” Dennis Tuesday afternoon. said. “We had a preliminary necessary.”
CLIFF WILLIAMS THE HERALD
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 I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”
Record county budget brings new jobs holds luncheon Chamber
welcoming members
funds for the 17 Springs project being spent.” The county implementElmore County will ed a levelized lodging tax spend nearly $74 million in several years ago as the fiscal year 2024 after the 17 Springs project came Cliff Williams Elmore By County Commisto life. The idea is to let Staff Writer sion approved its newest the lodging tax help pay budget last week. for quality of life projects The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its It is almost double any across the county. annual luncheon to install new officers and board budget in the county’s ARPA allowed the counmembers for the first time in a while Thursday. history. But county leaders ty to give many employees The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gathsaid it iserings all funded Premium Pay.of but theand chamberTemporary celebrated the successes includesbusiness some out of the As ARPA comes to an end, in Wetumpka. ordinary spending as the the commission and county “We haven’t been able to do this for the last coucounty prepares forchairperson the staff McConnell chose to keep fundple years,” Clay said. “Your future. attendance is an indication ing the increased The people want topay. get back “It was not a typical budget also has to thesee county together and have these opportunities each budget year,” Elmore absorbing the 2% increase County chief operations in health insurancePage premiSee CHAMBER, A3 officer Richie Beyer said. ums. Employees working “This isn’t a regular budget for the county will see a as it includes funds from new retiree healthcare prothe American Rescue Plan gram to help incentivize Act (ARPA) being spent long-term employment in on infrastructure and bond See BUDGET, Page A2 By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Wetumpka Mayor Wilson was released oncenter, a Jerry Willis, $6,000 bond 90speaks minutes afas a program on how to improve ter turning himself in according to the ElmoreWetumpka’s County Jail tourism efforts was website. presented also by Stamp Dennis said Wilson Idea Group’s David coached other sports at HoltAllred, left. ville 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.
Police continue investigation, man no longer suspected
‘VISIONARY’ Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon.
The games officially begin with 17 Springs ribbon cutting By Jake Arthur
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
H
Chief Videographer Now open are four soccer conversations at the GrandTHE HERALD Policeview are YMCA still investigating fields, 12 tennis courts and 12 lots of ideasthe fatal shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parkpickleball courts. were discussed. ing lot on Jan. 20. “It is a great day for Mill“We were talking about were dispatched lot brook and Elmore County,” Policethings we wanted to tothe do parking and around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. Kelley said. “This is huge.” could do,” Kelley said. “You Centell The fun during the gameOnce there, knowthey whatfound we did? We Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound at the new 17 Springs only bought a junkyard.” in the driver seat of his vehicle. cemented the partnership of The junkyard will become According to Wetumpka the City of Millbrook, Elmore a commercial district.police Kelleychief Greg Benton, this was not a random County, Elmore County Ecoand other city officials are shooting. nomic Development Authoralready talking about how was the notcity random, not a random ity, Elmore County Board of“Thisclose is to inking act,” said Benton. “We believe the vicEducation and the YMCA. deals with hotels, restaurants tim and the perpetrator knew each other.” The 17 Springs project dates and retailers for it. This is the first homicide in Wetumpka back to 2017. The partners Kelley said the vision of in over three years. The last homicide in were wanting to create some17 Springs started to take the city took place in 2018. thing special, not only the shape. Bill Meyers with the “It’s not a good way to start out the new playing surfaces in Millbrook YMCA had an idea of creatyear,” said Benton. but something to improve the ing ballfields chil- on the Benton didn’t wantfor to area speculate quality of life across Elmore dren. Elmore County chief County. operating officer Richie Beyer See SHOOTING, Page A3 “We went out into the com- has children in the Millbrook munity and did some surveys schools who play sports. and what kind of sporting “We rode around this propevents everyone wanted to erty in a four-wheeler looking see,” City of Millbrook projaround wanting to put a footect manager Stuart Peters ball field here, a soccer field said. “We did feasibility stud- there,” Kelley said. “All of a shift in a positive direction. The ies, lotsexperienced of meetings, lotspercent of sudden that vision that Bill school a 62 hours. This is the fruits of that decrease in discipline referrals, Meyers had started coming labor.” 50 percent decrease in chronic Kelley said7 in the initial See SPRINGS, Page A6 absenteeism, percent increase CLIFF WILLIAMS/
ow do you celebrate the official opening of a new pickleball, tennis and soccer complex? With a game of course. But it was no ordinary game. Local talent took to the “Pickledome,” making rules up as they went along. Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley wasn’t going to be denied on his homecourt playing with the YMCA’ s Gary Cobbs in his first ever pickleball game. Kelley practiced only SatBy CLIFF WILLIAMS told the board last week. urday as he prepared for the News Editor “That is not unusual. You friendly grudge match. They end up enrolling more. Our faced Elmore County Schools The school year isn’t goal is to have as many in superintendent Richard Deneven two weeks old but place by Labor Day.” nis and Elmore County Comstudent attendance at Last school year 11,456 mission Chair Bart Mercer. Elmore County Schools is students were enrolled in “I have no clue what the down 1.7% compared to Elmore County Schools. rules are,” Kelley said while last year. So far this year 11,189 warming up. “I’ll make them While it may seem a students are enrolled. Last up as I go.” little alarming, officials year the ADM was 11,378. Kelley was jovial about Staff Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville the school culture from that of a have a chance to encourage Getting the ADM up is the as he with is about High School. Elmore County Su- school game struggling lowmany moenrollment and attendance crucial as it sets a tone for things but was all business The Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance before the realSchool count ofPrincipals how spending goes for for the thepresentation. to ainschool talkingthat about 17 Springs Secondary in attendance strives for excelaverage daily membership next year. at the Phase 1 ribbon cutting. (AASSP) named Holtville High “Kyle Futral is an exception- lence. By collaborating with staff, (ADM) starts the day after “Whatever that ADM is School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent Labor is whattive we and are funded on in his think- identified and addressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate and a 20 per2022 Day. Alabama High School Prininnovative “Weofarethe188 students for theing nextand year,” Dennis to managing leadership style of listening, en- cent increase in ACT proficiency cipal Year. approaches down ADM Principal last said. WILLIAMS | THE HERALD Thefrom HighourSchool of his school,” Dennis said, couraging, supporting, organizing in CLIFF the last five years. year,” Elmore County this school year’s Thechallenging 17 Springs the Phase Ribbon the Year award was presented toWhileAs principal of Holtville High and staff1 and stu- Cutting last week. The first phase of the project brought four soccer tennisthe courts 12 pickle 2 of the project completed in 2025. Board superstate based has on transformed fields, SeePhase PRINCIPAL, Page A3 is slated to be FutralofonEducation Friday, Jan. 28 during a funding School,isFutral dents,12caused schooland culture to ball courts. FUTURAL intendent Richard Dennis See COUNTY, Page A6
County schools working to get attendance up
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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