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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • February 3, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 118, NO.5
Drug raids find chemical endangerment of children By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
search warrant, she also has a subsequent charge of chemical endangerment of a child.” Cleary was taken to the Elmore County Jail and While serving a Jan. 27 arrest warrant on Holley charged with drug trafficking, unlawful possession Cleary of Elmore for trafficking methamphetamine, of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of The Central Alabama Drug Task Force found methamdrug paraphernalia and chemical endangerment of a phetamine and drug paraphernalia inside the home on Reka Street where Cleary lived. Agents also discovered child and was held on a $198,000 bond. Cleary posted bond Monday. Cleary’s 14-month-old son inside the residence at the The following day, Jan. 28, Central Alabama Drug time of her arrest, along with methamphetamines and Task Force, in conjunction with the Millbrook Police drug paraphernalia. Department and Elmore County Sheriff Deputies “Cleary actually is pregnant at this time and she actually admitted, pretty much, to smoking meth while executed a search warrant on Dixon Rd, which is just inside the Millbrook city limit. During the search, she’s been pregnant,” Elmore County Sheriff Bill officers discovered spice and a white powder substance Franklin said. “Due to that and the presence of methwhich is used to produce synthetic marijuana. amphetamine, she’s not only charged with trafficking methamphetamine, which was the initial charge for the See RAIDS • Page 2
Colvin
Cleary
Two separate Elmore County drug raids led to the arrest of Cleary, Colvin, and Orr. Both raids lead to the suspects being charged with multiple drug charges as well as chemical endangerment of a child after evidence of children being present during drug use and manuSubmitted / The Herald facturing was found on the scene. Mike Bruce, CEO of Elmore Community Hospital, Mayor Jerry Willis, Michael Ritzus, David Moore, Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vanessa Lynch and others join in Sleep Disorder Clinic ribbon cutting ceremonyTuesday Elmore Community Hospital.
Runners come out to ‘Paint the Park for Jody’ in 5k Color Fun Run By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
It was a beautiful Saturday at Gold Star Park with spectacular blue skies during the second annual Paint the Park for Jody 5K Color Fun Run. Hundreds from the community participated in the event to honor the 16 year-old girl who tragically lost her life along with two other teens in a head-on collision with Elmore County Sherriff, Bart Hart, whose life was also claimed on the heartbreaking night of Feb. 2, 2014. Jody Sanders was a student and cross-country runner at Wetumpka High School. She was loved by many. “She was a cross-country athlete that passed away unexpectedly. When money started coming in, in lieu of flowers, we set up a scholarship account in her name. We needed a way to put enough money there to really get that going and that’s why we discussed the idea of doing a run, doing a color run. After she passed the sunset and seeing the beautiful See RUN • Page 3
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SCV to place flag in downtown Montgomery By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
USPS 681-260
ByJOHN PEELER Managing Editor
be a clinic at the Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville, Alabama. Chief Executive Officer Mike Bruce opened the ceremony and talked about the sleep lab and the growth of the hospital. “We all know why we are here, but it’s really about more than that,” he said. “We are really starting a network of healthcare in
Sleep disorder clinic opens in Elmore County Ivy Creek Health Care opened its Sleep Disorder Clinic Tuesday in a ribbon cutting ceremony at Elmore Community Hospital. The new clinic will be located inside the hospital in Wetumpka and will conduct sleep studies for patients that may have sleep disorders or other illnesses. There will also
Winston’s Law taken up by Senate Judiciary Committee Aggravated child abuse, a Class B felony, and the push to make cases involving victims 6 years old or younger a Class A felony. The punishment for a Class B felony ranges from 2-20 years to life in prison. If the law passes and aggravated child abuse becomes a Class A felony, the punishment range would be from 10-99 years to life in prison. Elmore County District Attorney Randall Houston said if passed the law would aid in severe cases of child abuse. “It means having an extra tool in our bag where to use in cases where we have a severe case of child abuse like we have in this case,” he said.
John W. Peeler / The Herald
By JOHN PEELER Managing Editor
Orr
A group with roots in Tallassee is attempting to install a 50-foot flagpole and Confederate flag in downtown Montgomery off of I-85 across from Alabama State University with support from First Capitol Flaggers, Tallassee chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Tallassee Armory Guards. At TAG’s annual Lee-Jackson Banquet, Fred Randall Hughey announced during the event’s “year in review” that TAG had donated $500 dollars to FCF for the project. When he described where the Montgomery flag would be placed, he drew applause and
cheers from the crowded room when he said “right across from ASU.” The group is halfway to its $3,000 goal, said Dana Jones, one of the founding members of FCF. Jones was at the TAG banquet and said she was there in support of her husband, Bryan Jones, who is a SCV TAG member. She said her three sons were new to the group. She said the legal details had been sorted out and now the group was only waiting for what she called cash-in-hand and the proper paperwork detailing the transaction of the land Jones said had all ready been promised and set aside for use by the group. The minimum height of the flagpole would be 30 feet, while the maximum, and desired,
height would be 50 feet, Jones said. Hughey said a physician in Montgomery donated the land specifically for the flag’s placement. Jones said the individual would not be named because they do not want anyone to “pitch a fit” and interrupt the progress of the project. She said she thought that would be unfair to someone who owned the private property and met the requirements of the proper ordinances, which she said they did. The FCF would resume care of the property, which Jones said was just enough area for the flag and the space immediately surrounding it. See SCV • Page 2
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