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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
50¢
WEDNESDAY • DECEMBER 16, 2015
VOL. 118, NO.22
Emergency Operations Center dedicated By JOHN W. PEELER Managing Editor
Elmore County officials and dignitaries gathered at 8917 U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka Monday to dedicate the new John Peeler / The Herald Emergency Operations Center that officials say they hope will fill the Local county government officials and dignitaries gut the ribbon to the new needs of the county for decades to Emergency Operations Center Monday during the dedication ceremony in come. Wetumpka. Pictured are (left to right) Judge Glen Goggans, Art Faulkner, Planning for the new EOC AEMA director, Elmore County commissioners Joe Faulk, Mark Hragyil and began in 2006, Elmore County Trey Taylor, Congresswoman Martha Roby, Lt. Governor Kay Ivey, EMA Di- Commission Chairman David rector Eric Jones, Elmore County Commissioner Stephanie Daniels-Smoke, Bowen said, but it wasn’t until five Sheriff Bill Franklin and Elmore County Commission Chairman David Bowen. year’s later, following the “devas-
tating” effects of the EF4 tornado that struck Elmore County April 27, 2011, the commissions “diligent search for funding paid off.” “Congresswoman (Martha) Roby and her offices worked very close with county during our response (to the tornado) and saw first-hand the need for a new facility,” Bowen said. Though brick and mortar funding is rare for the federal government, he said, Elmore County received a $1 million grant to build a new EOC. Bowen also said the commission reached out to the
Superintendent off the ballot?
Probate judge to handle own discretionary fund account
Harrison’s missing paperwork may keep him off the March 1 Republican Primary ballot By KEVIN TAYLOR Copy Editor
By JOHN W. PEELER Managing Editor
The Elmore County Commission voted Monday to turn over the bookkeeping responsibilities as it relates to the $1 per copy fee the Probate Office collects for public documents. Effective Dec. 14 monies collected from the copy fees will be maintained, as well as it’s financial records, will be kept by the probate office. Those monies collected prior to Dec. 14 will be held in the general fund. “Effectively what the resolution is doing is memorializing the changes that were introduced by the 2014 amendment,” said Chris Weller, legal counsel with Capell and Howard. “In that Amendment, the probate judge’s discretionary fund used to come to the commission to approve the expenditures … the expenditures were also more limited at the time. What the amendment did was it basically took the See JUDGE Page 3
Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who Bowen said, contributed more than $1 million more toward the costs of building the new facility. Construction on the building began Jan. 2, 2014 and was completed Aug. 30. “Without (Congresswoman Roby) her office’s efforts, I seriously don’t think we’d be standing here today,” Bowen said. Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey said if it weren’t for the work, dedication and vision of Sheriff Bill Franklin and Emergency Management See EOC Page 3
John Peeler / The Herald
Madeline Hall, a fourth-grader at Redland Elementary School, holds Harry Potter’s wand Saturday during the Christmas on the Coosa Character Breakfast at the Wetumpka Civic Center.
CHRISTMAS ON THE COOSA
Wetumpka celebrates downtown Christmas tradition By CORY ARWOOD, JOHN W. PEELER AND KEVIN TAYLOR The Wetumpka Herald
The standard for Wetumpka’s celebration of the holiday season with Christmas on the Coosa has set the bar to another standard following Saturday’s festivities. With perfect chamber of commerce weather (temperatures in the 70s and clear skies), almost 10,000 people were estimated to have taken part in any or all of the various Christmas on the Coosa activities going on in downtown Wetumpka.
“I think it has to be one of the best (Christmas on the Coosa celebrations). We had great weather, great participation and a great turnout,” said Tiffany Robinson, special events and tourism manager for the City of Wetumpka. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Thanks to the staff and volunteers. Everything seemed to have run smoothly, and it was a great success for Wetumpka.” The day’s events kicked off with the Character Breakfast at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Children and adults alike were See CHRISTMAS Page 2
CONTACT US Santa rode down West Bridge Street in the 2015 Christmas On The Coosa Parade and threw candy canes to the crowd.
334-567-7811 • Fax: 334-567-3284
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Corey Arwood / The Herald
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A simple case of not having all the appropriate paperwork filed in a timely manner may keep Elmore County Superintendent of Education Andre Harrison off the March 1 Republican Primary ballot. Elmore County Probate Judge John Enslen filed a motion for an emergency declaratory judgment as to whether Harrison’s name will be put on the ballot. The law requires a certificate of administration and supervision signed by the state super- Harrison intendent to be filed on behalf of the candidate with the probate judge’s office. According to the petition, Harrison didn’t have the certificate presented to the probate judge until Dec. 11, which is more than a month after qualifying ended for Republican candidates. ”Where a certificate is not timely filed in See BALLOT Page 3
DA seeks hefty sentence for aggravated child abuse By KEVIN TAYLOR Copy Editor
Randall Houston could not get the photos and the faces of those affected from a brutal beating of a defenseless 4-year-old boy out of his head. The district attorney for the 19th judicial circuit spent much of the weekend to form an act of legislation to make aggravated child abuse of a child age 6 and under a Class A felony with the possibility of a maximum jail sentence of life in prison. “As I looked in that defendant in the eye and though of the way she and her boyfriend had abused her own son, I realized the current penalties for such monstrous acts are inadequate See ABUSE Page 3