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WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 13, 2019
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 30, No. 7
$178K approved for fuel tank bid By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Working to meet the latest regulations set forth by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Elmore County Commission approved Monday a bid of $178,360 to complete work on the county’s diesel and unleaded fuel storage tanks. County officials said $125,000 had
initially been budgeted for the project but all four bids the county received exceeded it. Commission chair Troy Stubbs said this was potentially due to a number of other counties trying to have the same work done on their tanks. With this in mind, the commission accepted the low bid of $178,360 from MECO Inc. of Montgomery to have the project completed. “This is the last step in the process to being compliant,” Stubbs said.
In order to complete the project, the motion included necessary budget amendments to the county gasoline fund to cover the excess cost. The county commission also approved declaring equipment from the county highway department surplus and approved the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department declaring as surplus a new vehicle to sell it to the Wetumpka Police Department, which lost five vehicles in the Jan. 19 tornado.
“This is a good example of the sheriff’s department working with the city police,” Stubbs said. The ECSD has already taken delivery of the new patrol vehicle. The surplus equipment from the highway department includes two Jeep Patriots, a Ford F-450, a Ford F-150 and a Terex 100G skid steer loader cab. A school bus the department acquired several years ago from the Elmore See FUEL • Page 2
County art guild preparing for annual show By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Local art lovers will have the opportunity to admire the latest works from area artists beginning Friday as the Elmore County Art Guild opens its 35th annual show at PrimeSouth Bank on Highway 231 in Wetumpka. Scheduled for Feb. 15-22, the show will feature a wide range of artworks for the public to enjoy. “This is all about promoting the arts,” guild president and show chair Shirley Esco said. “This is our biggest event of the year.” After holding the show at the Wetumpka Administrative Building for the past few years, Esco said this year’s show will return to the PrimeSouth Bank lobby. Studies of traffic at the bank estimate around 4,000 people come through the bank during the show to admire the artworks on display, according to Esco. “We love getting the exposure,” Esco said. “We have display screens the bank is allowing us to put up for the artwork.” Last year’s show featured 125 entries, which Esco said was a record. On average, she said there are a little more than 100 entries each year. The show is divided into five categories, including sculpture, See ART • Page 2
Ron Colquitt / For The Observer
Above: Couples take to the floor during a Friday night dance at the old Red Hill School building. People of all ages attend the dances weekly.
People of all ages enjoy spins on floor at Red Hill “I like the music and the people are nice,” said Bowden, who grew up listening to country music and rock and roll. “I was raised on it.” Chris Gregory, 16, said he has helped repair the old school olks attending Friday night dances at the old Red Hill School building range from teenagers to octogenarians building. “My dad comes up here every once in a while; that’s how I and all will say it’s a fun time regardless of age. Ben Bass, 93, is a regular at the dances and selects started coming up here,” he said. “My friends live just down the a different dance partner each time the band strikes up road and we all come up here and listen to the music. I know some of the older music.” a tune. Anna Bowden, 16, and other teenagers also attend. See DANCE • Page 5 By RON COLQUITT For The Observer
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County tech center holds first employer showcase
Students at the Elmore County Technical Center listen to a representative from Wind Creek Hospitality during Friday’s employer showcase.
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THURS: HIGH 65 LOW 53
Elmore County students who attend classes at the Elmore County Technical Center had the chance to visit with and learn more about potential future employers Friday during the center’s first employer showcase. “We have a variety of employers in our lab spaces today,” career coach Lindsay Jordan said. “All of our students have the opportunity to attend two sessions today. These sessions all relate to what they are studying.” Among the companies and organizations in attendance were representatives from several aviation companies across the River Region, the Alabama Career See EMPLOYER • Page 5
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