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Eclectic Observer The
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 9, 2019
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 30, No. 2
Schools get low B Elmore County schools earn score of 82 on statewide report cards By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
According to the results of the annual statewide report card released by the Alabama Department of Education, most public schools in Elmore County have improved over the past couple of years. Elmore County Public Schools Superintendent Richard Dennis said he is proud of what faculty, staff and the more than 11,000 students in the system have accomplished. “I’m excited to see us trending upward,” Dennis said. “It’s very promising.” Overall, the Elmore County Public Schools System received a score of 82 for the 2017-18 academic year, which is slightly above the state’s average score of 80. The scores were determined by each school’s academic achievement and academic growth. For students in elementary and middle schools, academic achievement was defined by standardized test scores for reading and math, Alabama Alternate Assessments administered to students with cognitive disabilities and student participation. Academic growth was determined by Scantron test scores. For high school students, academic achievement was defined by ACT scores from juniors, assessment grades from sophomores and student participation rates. Academic growth was determined by ACT ASPIRE grades from sophomores and ACT scores from juniors. The majority of schools in Elmore County improved between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years. Holtville High School, Millbrook Middle School, Airport Road Intermediate School and Wetumpka Elementary School each improved their score from a C to a B. See GRADE • Page 2
Amalia Kortright / The Observer
The clearance rate for crimes handled by the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 is more than double the statewide average, according to recent reports.
Above average Sheriff ’s office crime stats beat state averages By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
T
he Elmore County Sheriff’s Office’s crime and clearance rates for 2018 were well above state averages, according to a report released on Dec. 28. In 2018, Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said 139,289 calls for service or actions were taken by ECSO deputies while out of the office. Because the population in Elmore County is growing, Franklin said the crime rate is increasing along with it. “That is slowly creeping up each year, by about 5,000 to 6,000,” Franklin said. “The county’s (population) is slowly growing. I know back in 1990, we had 49,210. We’re probably bumping about 90,000
right now.” Of the 1,244 crimes handled by the ECSO, Franklin said 802 are considered solved. The ECSO’s overall crime clearance rate is 64 percent, compared to an average of 24 percent from all law enforcement agencies in the state. “What we try to do as an investigative unit is strongly encourage that (deputies) stay above the statewide average,” Franklin said. Franklin said the results were the best he has seen during his tenure and attributed the ECSO’s success to the work of its employees in all positions and support from outside entities. “These good numbers that we’ve got can be attributed to everything from the dispatcher doing their job collecting all the data that they can on the calls they receive to the patrol deputy that actually See CRIME • Page 2
Eclectic Fire Department battles Central Avenue blaze By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
Today’s
Weather
53 31 High
Submitted / The Observer
Firefighters from five local departments worked to put out a fire on Central Avenue in Eclectic on Dec. 30.
Low
FRIDAY: HIGH 50 LOW 33
Where Superior Service is Standard
Gassett
Funerals On Site Cremations Pre-Needs • Monuments
Funeral Home & Crematory, LLC
Celebrating 40 Years of Service!
Firefighters put out a blaze at an Eclectic building during the early hours of Dec. 30. Shortly after midnight, firefighters arrived at the 100 block of Central Avenue to find a fully formed structure fire. According to the Eclectic Fire Department, the fire was in danger of spreading to nearby structures. The EFD arrived first, and the Friendship, Kowaliga, Red Hill and Tallassee fire departments were called to provide manpower and extra water. Within 15 minutes, the firefighters said they got the fire under control and searched the building twice to make sure it was unoccupied. No injuries or deaths were reported. The cause of the fire is currently unknown and is under investigation by the EFD.
Joe Al All Allen len Gasse len G Gassett, assett tt, tt Founder 1942-2009
(334) 567-8433 www.gassettfuneralhome.net • 204 East Charles Avenue, Wetumpka, AL 36092