Inside: Wetumpka Herald celebrates its 125th anniversary Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 35 | $1.00
Fire destroys barn, hay Holtville High School basketball coach arrested WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
By CLIFF WILLIAMS winter. on a tank filled with nitrogen News Editor “I still have a cutting of fertilizer. Luckily no equipBy Cliff Williams was the head basket- ment investigation and hayWilson out there,” Boyd said. was lost to thehanded blaze. it off Staff Writer ball coach at Holtville High to the appropriate authorities. It could have been worse. The fire was discovered The Redland Fire DepartSchool and Tuesday was He was placed on adminisA fire destroyed an estiabout 6 a.m. as work ment was also joined by the A virtual teacher at Elmore placed on adtrative leave at that time.” mated 600 bales of hay was beginning on the farm. trucks from fire departments County School’s Edge program ministrative Dennis said school officials and a barn at Bar J Farms “They noticed smoke,” at Emerald Mountain and has been arrested and charged leave Jan. 13 follow the same procedure on Redland Road Tuesday Boyd’s cousin Tracie Setzer Wetumpka to battle the blaze. with school employee distrib- said. according El- to check when administrators receive a morning. But owner Johnny “They to went The fire will likely smolreport of allegations against uting obscene material to a stu- more County Boyd is thankful no one was it out and saw flames. They der for days or more as the school staff and employees. dent. Schools superhurt. Now the work begins to started to move equipment.” rolls of hay slowly burn as “Once we hand it over, we Elmore County Sheriff Bill intendent Richreplace the hay put away for A spray of water was put oxygen gets to the embers. know 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.”
Raises coming for staff at Elmore County Schools
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.”
Chamber holds luncheon
welcoming members
for certified personnel — a measure approved by the Alabama legislature. Non-certified staff at “On this salary schedElmore County ule we were trying to By CliffSchools Williams will soonStaff seeWriter a significant attack from the bottom and increase in pay. increase there,” Dennis said. The lowest employ-Chamber “We expanded it to the same The paid Wetumpka of Commerce held its ees of theannual Elmore County to install step format that theand teacher luncheon new officers board Board ofmembers Educationfor will salaries has so they the first time in aschedule while Thursday. COVID-19 pandemic a hamper ontogathnow makeThe at least $15 have aput higher top end butboard the chamberachieve.” celebrated the successes of per hour erings after the in Wetumpka. approvedbusiness the measure last Board member Wendell “We haven’t been able to doasked this for the last couweek. Saxton if organizaplemost years,” chairperson Clay such McConnell “For the part every tions as AEAsaid. had“Your seen attendance indication people want to get back non-certified personisonanthe the proposed increases. and of have opportunities see each sheet gottogether a minimum a these Dennis said they to had. 4% raise,” superintendent Board member Leisa See CHAMBER, Page A3 Richard Dennis said. “Some Finley said she wanted to were higher than that due to see a better breakdown the fact that we (have the) for increases similar to the $15 per hour rule.” education requirements for The increase also included a 2% increase in pay See RAISES, Page A6 By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon.
THE HERALD
An early morning fire at Bar J Farms on Redland Wilson was released Roadon a $6,000 bond 90 minutes afdestroyed ter turning himself inabout accord600 roundJail bales ing to the Elmore County of hay. Luckily website. no one was Dennis said Wilson also but coached other sports injured at Holtthebeing fire will ville schools including likely smolder the head track coach and assisfor days. tant 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
WETUMPKA AND TALLASSEE ARTISTIC By Jake Arthur Chief Videographer
ICON DIES CLIFF WILLIAMS/
THE HERALD
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Mac and cheese competition to benefit local non-profit This year it moves to Merchant’s Alley from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 14. Some important battles “We have totally have taken place throughout revamped it,” Family Sunhistory in Elmore County. shine Center executive The next important battle is director Tay Knight said. the Cookin’ on the Coosa “Last year it was really sucMacDown. cessful and fun. The weathThe “Mac and Cheese er was perfect. It was in Cook-off” is benefiting the the middle of October. We Family Sunshine Center decided to stick with that schoolwide butStaff willReport settle a grudge time frame, but we assembly decided at Holtville High School. between the Wetumpka fire to give it a new twistElmore this County SuThe Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was and police departments if a year.” Secondary School Principals in attendance for the presentation. judge doesn’t get in the way. Cookin’ on the Coosa (AASSP) named Holtville High “Kyle Futral is an exceptionBut other cooks may beat is becoming competitive School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proacthem out. this year. Teams of 2022 Alabama High School Prin- tive and innovative in his thinkIt is the second year the professionals and amateurs cipal of the Year. ing and approaches to managing organization has hosted are being recruited to The High School Principal of his school,” Dennis said, Cookin’ on the Coosa. Last cook fiveAs gallons of their the Year award was presented to principal of Holtville High year it was a food truck fesFutral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed tival at the Farmers Market. See BENEFIT, Page A6 By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
CLIFF WILLIAMS
D
rive through downtown Tallassee or Wetumpka and anyone can see his work. Most may not know his name but leaders and business owners do — Steven Lee. Lee, 61, died Tuesday at his Tallassee home but not before leaving his mark on the downtowns of Tallassee and Wetumpka. Lee’s murals can be seen on the side of WACQ radio station in Tallassee, on the side of the old hotel on East Bridge Street thein school culture Wetumpka andfrom more.that of a school struggling with moFormer Main Street low Wetumprale, achievement and attendance ka executive director Jenny toStubbs a school strives forknow excelsaidthat many didn’t lence. By collaborating with staff, who did the murals and window many of the school’s issues paintings in Wetumpka. were identified and addressed. Futral’s “He made his mark without leadership style of listening, people realizing it was him encouraging, supporting, organizing See ARTISTIC, PagestuA6 and challenging the staff and
Police are still investigating the fatal 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 Greg Benton, this was not a random shooting. “This was not random, not a random act,” said Benton. “We believe the victim and the perpetrator knew each other.” This is the first homicide in Wetumpka in over three years. The last homicide in the city took place in 2018. “It’s not a good way to start out the new year,” said Benton. Benton didn’t want to speculate on the See SHOOTING, Page A3
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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dents, caused the school culture to
shift in a positive direction. The school experienced a 62 percent decrease in discipline referrals, 50 percent decrease in chronic absenteeism, 7 percent increase in the graduation rate, 33 percent JENNY STUBS | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD increase in CCR rate and a 20 perSteveincrease Lee, left, poses withproficiency poses with Jenny Stubbs for a selfie. Stubbs said cent in ACT Leethe finished the years. final phase of The Alleyway mural and created countless in last five backdrops in downtown Wetumpka and Tallassee recognized by many. See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 FUTURAL
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