SPORTS, PAGE B1
OPINION, PAGE A4
JD Martin returns to field in final f game
A look at election’s winners and losers
DEPOT PLAYERS ANNOUNCE PENGUIN PROJECT MUSICAL, A6
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • DECEMBER 5, 2018
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 120, NO. 49
Thornton talks resignation as municipal judge By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
Current municipal judge John Thornton discusses his resignation and replacement with the Wetumpka City Council after he takes office as Elmore County probate judge.
Municipal judge John Thornton discussed plans for his resignation during a work session prior to Wetumpka’s regularly scheduled city council meeting on Monday. Thornton was recently elected as Elmore County probate judge after running unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election. Thornton will officially take office on Jan. 14, 2019. Thornton said a few municipal court
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
sessions are scheduled before his start date as probate judge and he plans to resign whenever the city appoints a new municipal judge after Dec. 31. “Come the 31st, I’ll resign but I’ll stay there until you appoint someone, unless you want to appoint someone during the month of December,” Thornton said to the council. If the council appoints a new municipal judge during its Jan. 7, 2019 meeting, Thornton said he would be available to work See THORNTON • Page A3
Montgomery man arrested after Millbrook car chase
Task force: Local woman exposed child to drugs
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
Millbrook police took a Montgomery man into custody following a Nov. 27 car chase involving multiple suspects. According to a release from the Millbrook Police Department, officers were called to the 100 block of Oak Tree Road at around 1 p.m. after receiving a report of multiple people breaking into Miles vehicles in the area. When they arrived, police said officers spotted a black Chevrolet Tahoe leaving the area. When they tried to stop the SUV, police said it kept moving eastbound on Highway 14 before turning onto Main Street and getting on Interstate 65 toward Montgomery. Once the car reached Kimball Street, police said it collided with a guardrail. While several suspects ran away, police said they apprehended Keldrick Keondre See CHASE • Page A2
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By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
Sixth-grade actor Anna Stevenson performs in a scene where her character, Junie B. Jones, rejoices after receiving a gift she wanted from a classmate.
‘Junie B. Jones’ takes Depot stage By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
E
lementary school students all over the River Region flocked to the Wetumpka Theatre throughout last week to watch a well-known children’s book character come to life onstage.
Local author debuts sixth biography
Members sworn in to county school board
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
A local author celebrated the recent publication of her new book during an evening program hosted by the Wetumpka Public Library in the city council chambers on Nov. 28. Linda Alexander, who published “The Life and Death of Rising Star Steve Ihnat: Gone See BIOGRAPHY • Page A2
Two new members were sworn into the Elmore County Board of Education during a Nov. 28 meeting. The meeting was the first for recently elected members Wendell Saxon and David Jones. Elmore County Public Schools Superintendent Richard Dennis See BOE • Page A3
Amalia Kortright / The Herald
Linda Alexander gave a presentation of her recently published biography, ‘The Life and Death of Rising Star Steve Ihnat: Gone Too Soon,’ on Nov. 28.
pka m u t e W
Get Your Tickets Today! 2 Great Events
December 8 – 7 PM Tacky Sweater Party: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation •$7 Prize given for Tackiest Sweater •$2 to enter contest Tickets: $7
According to executive director Kristy Meanor, the theater’s annual kids show, “Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells and Batman Smells,” attracted schools from Elmore, Autauga, Montgomery and Tallapoosa counties. Additional performances of the show opened to the public during the weekend. See JUNIE • Page A3
A Wetumpka woman was one of three people arrested during a Nov. 20 search after she exposed a child to illegal substances, according to court documents. Sarah Michelle Sullivan, 42, who lists an address on Shawnee Drive, was charged with chemical endangerment of a child, possession of a controlled Sullivan substance, second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to warrants issued by the Central Alabama Drug Task Force. According to Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin, a search of Sullivan’s residence yielded the See SULLIVAN • Page A2
December 6 – 10 AM The Grinch Ballet Field Trips & General Admission Available Tickets: $8 mtvernontheatre.net
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