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Read about Main Street Wetumpka being awarded $3,700
See the 2019 All-County Girls Basketball Team inside
Wetumpka native donates artwork to hometown
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 27, 2019
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 121, NO. 9
Residents eligible for SBA loans STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that Alabama businesses and residents affected by severe weather and a tornado on Jan. 19 can apply this week in Wetumpka for low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business
Administration. SBA administrator Linda McMahon made the loans available in response to a letter from Ivey on Feb. 14 requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA covering Elmore, Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Macon, Montgomery and Tallapoosa counties. “With the approval of my request
damaged parts of the community.” SBA’s Customer Service Representatives will be available at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center to answer questions about the disaster loan program and help individuals complete their applications. The filing deadline to return See LOANS • Page A2
for federal assistance, the Small Business Administration is providing a much-needed opportunity for recovery funding to the citizens of Wetumpka,” Ivey said. “Many individuals and businesses will benefit greatly from the federal disaster loans that SBA offers as they continue to recover following the devastating tornado that heavily
River Region Medical Center breaking ground in Wetumpka Friday By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Elmore County residents who visit specialist physicians to treat their needs will soon be one step closer to receiving treatment locally. The River Region Medical Center will break ground on its new facility on U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka next to Lowe’s Friday at 1 p.m. The center, a joint venture between Dr. Martin Lyons, Dr. Spencer Coleman and Ivy Creek Healthcare, will offer patients in the Wetumpka area the ability to receive quality care for their health issues while staying in the community. “This is going to have a primary care facility on the ground floor, and specialty services on the second and third floors,” Lyons said. “There will be a pharmacy on site.” Lyons said the facility will also include a cardiology unit, an orthopedic unit and a physical therapy center open daily. Along with these units, Lyons said the facility will offer specialists in neurology, vascular surgery, general surgery, dermatology, urology and gastroenterology, although they will be open on a more limited basis. Lyons also hopes the center will bring in an ear, nose and throat specialist, as well See MEDICAL • Page A2
‘Let the good times roll’ Photos by Donald Campbell / The Herald
M
ain Street in Millbrook was the place to be this weekend as the city held its annual Mardi Gras festival and parade Saturday. Festivities began at 9 a.m., followed by the parade at noon. Revelers lined both sides of Main Street during the parade, collecting candy and beads thrown from those participating in the parade. Businesses and organizations from throughout the River Region showed off their festive side, decorating cars and floats to celebrate Mardi Gras, while cadets with the Stanhope Elmore Army JROTC and the Stanhope Elmore Marching Band marched in the parade. There were horseback riders, classic cars, motorcycles and floats of all shapes and sizes taking part, rounding out another exciting Mardi Gras festival in Millbrook.
Wind Creek named among top Alabama hotels By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
The Wind Creek Casino Hotel was ranked the ninth-best in the state by a recent U.S. News & World Report examination of luxury hotels nationwide. Seven of the state’s top 15 hotels rated by the magazine are part of the Resort Collection on the state’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, including three of the top four on the list (The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa, the Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa in Baldwin County and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa in Florence). Wind Creek’s Casino and Hotel in Atmore was eighth on the list. “When it comes to entertainment, dining and guest service, Wind Creek Hospitality takes pride in
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offering guests an escape from the ordinary,” Wind Creek Hospitality public relations director Magi Williams said in an email. “We strive to meet and exceed the highest standards in the industry; that’s why we are honored to have Wind Creek Atmore and Wind Creek Wetumpka included in U.S. News and World Report’s list of the Top 15 Best Hotels in Alabama. This recognition affirms that our properties are following through on their promise to create winning moments for guests around the state and across the world.” According to a statement from U.S. News & World Report, the magazine compiles its rankings by gathering lists of all hotels consistently receiving a hotel class rating of at least 3.5. The magazine then reviews the awards each hotel has received, its class rating and ratings given to the hotel by its guests to calculate an overall total for each hotel being ranked.
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Donald Campbell / The Herald
Wind Creek in Wetumpka was named as one of the top 15 hotels in the state of Alabama by U.S. News & World Report.
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