Wetumpka back receives offer from Florida. SPORTS Page 10 Wetumpka, AL 36092
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SATURDAY-SUNDAY • DECEMBER 12-13, 2015
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 10, NO. 50
County EOC to be dedicated Dec. 14 By JOHN W. PEELER Managing Editor
The wait for a new Emergency Operations Center will be over when the new center is officially dedicated at 1:30 p.m. Monday. Located at 8917 U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka, the 17,695-square-foot single-story
building will house the county Emergency Management Agency administrative offices, Sheriff’s office Communications Division administrative office, county E-911 administrative office, Sheriff’s office Dispatch Center, conference, training and media briefing facilities. Construction on the new EOC
began Jan. 2, 2014 and will be complete with the dedication ceremony Monday. The new facility was designed to provide a secure and survivable location for the County EMA, EOC, the Sheriff’s Communications Division and Dispatch, County See EOC • Page 3
John W. Peeler / The Herald
The new Emergency Operations Center will house several emergency related divisions including the county EMA, Sheriff’ Office communication division,administrative offices and Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher Center.
Wetumpka pedestrian struck, killed in accident
Abuse suspect denied bond reduction Judge refuses to lower mother’s bond in child abuse case By KEVIN TAYLOR Copy Editor
By KEVIN TAYLOR Copy Editor
Alabama State Troopers are investigating an accident in which a Wetumpka woman was killed after being struck by an off-duty City of Montgomery employee in Montgomery Wednesday morning. Donna Renee Murphy, 46, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Jackson Hospital following the accident, which occurred at 6:08 a.m. on Park Place in Montgomery. The driver of a 2008 Chevrolet Colorado, remained at the scene of the accident and did not sustain injuries. The name of the driver was not released and no information was supplied on potential charges in the case. The accident remains under investigation.
Photo by Christ Childress
Jessica Meuse, from Slapout, Alabama, is looking to turn a bad relationship into a hit record when the “American Idol” finalist releases her second single after the show.
‘IDOL’ moves forward Slapout’s Jessica Meuse releasing second single
By KEVIN TAYLOR Copy Editor
Former relationships can make or break a person. Jessica Meuse, from Slapout, Alabama, is looking to turn a bad relationship into a hit record when the “American Idol” finalist releases her
second single after the show. Meuse said her single “Rio Grande” will be available Jan. 5 on various music download platforms. “I wanted to record Rio really bad. I wrote the entire song in a day,” she said. Meuse recorded the single in Orange See IDOL • Page 3
Dot Faust told District Judge Glenn Goggans of her daughter’s drug abuse and being an alleged victim of domestic violence, but after looking at the pictures of a beaten 4-year-old boy Goggans refused to reduce the bond for Faust’s daughter, Hallee Ann McLeod. McLeod, 28, and her former boyfriend Scott Hicks are facing child abuse charges regarding the apparent beating of McLeod’s son. McLeod was charged with one count of aggravated child abuse and one count of chemical endangerment of a child and remains in the Elmore County McLeod Jail on a $300,000 bond. “We felt it was an appropriate bond given the facts of the case,” said Randall Houston, district attorney for the 19th judicial circuit. “We also made the argument that the bond needed to be high enough so that she would not have contact with that child anytime soon.” The boy was found Sept. 16 inside Hicks’ vehicle in Bay County, Florida where Hicks had gone inside the county courthouse to resolve two other charges against him. Bay County deputies found the 4-year-old boy See BOND • Page 2
Wind Creek Casino arrest goes viral on YouTube By KEVIN TAYLOR AND JOHN W. PEELER Staff Writers
CONTACT US 334-567-7811 • Fax: 334-567-3284
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A video on YouTube surfaced Friday that appears to show several Wetumpka police officers attempting to subdue a subject down with one officer striking the subject multiple times. The video, which was posted Monday by Steven Tucker, was a result of an incident that occurred Sunday at Wind Creek Casino. An Alabama Deffenbaugh Uniform Incident/ Offense Report filed by the Wetumpka Police Department shows law enforcement agencies responded to Wind Creek Casino at 7:11
Wetumpka Flea Market & Antiques
5266 U.S. Hwy. 231 (Winn Dixie Shopping Center) Wetumpka, Alabama • (334) 567-2666
a.m. where they arrested a subject suspected of using alcohol and drugs. Law enforcement officials confiscated a clear plastic bag containing marijuana, one pill bottle with one adderall pill and 18 metformin pills. In addition, they confiscated a marijuana grinder, a digital scale, one pack of TOP rolling papers and a device used to smoke marijuana. As far as Wetumpka Police Department Chief Danny Billingsley is concerned, “it’s an open and shut case.” Later in the video, it looks as though one of the police officers is striking the person several times, but Billingsley said his officers acted in a “professional manner.” Billingsley said one of his officers attempted to stop a 1999 Toyota Carolla driven by Roger Deffenbaugh, 52, of Oxford around 6:30 a.m. Sunday. “When one of our officers stopped
the man on U.S. Highway 231 near the old rest area, the officer started to ask a question and the man took off so a pursuit ensued,” Billingsley said. Once taken into custody, Deffenbaugh was charged with second-degree assault, second-degree possession of marijuana, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal possession of prescription medication and attempting to elude. Billingsley said the video, which was posted by Tucker“wasn’t worth commenting on.” “I just don’t want to comment on it because the guy who posted it just wants to make a name for himself,” Billingsley said. “And we’ve not received a complaint from the person we took into custody.” Deffenbaugh remains in the Elmore County Jail on a total bond of $19,000.