LOCAL, A9
SPORTS, B1
NEWS, A10
Fashion show raises funds for heart patients
Excitement grows as players return to the diamond
SpringHill Suites has grand opening in Millbrook
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 6, 2019
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 121, NO. 6
Ruled not guilty Woman admits to shooting death but found not guilty By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A Millbrook woman who admitted shooting her uncle was found not guilty of murder and not guilty of manslaughter last week in an Elmore County courtroom. Sheneika Oliver admitted to police just hours after the death of Kenny Williams she shot her uncle at The Pit Stop in Millbrook Sept. 4, 2017. From the beginning, Oliver claimed self-defense and turned herself in hours after the shooting but the state argued otherwise and charged her with murder. Oliver was found not guilty after four hours of deliberation by a jury of eight white males, two white females and two black females. Many family members said they witnessed an argument between the victim and defendant at a home they were sharing with family moments before the shooting at the nearby convenience store. Gladys Williams, who was married to Kenny Williams for 18 years, testified for the state about the argument Oliver and her husband had. “They exchanged words,” Williams said. “They argued back and forth. I saw her pull a gun. I didn’t see Kenny pull a gun. Kenny went into the house and came back out.” Patrice Gray, who said she was a first cousin of Williams and is a second cousin of Oliver, told a similar story. “They were arguing over Kenny’s grandkids,” Gray told the jury. “They were standing in front of one another. She pulled a gun in the argument. She See VERDICT • Page A2
Keys to success Sullivan believes 3 focus points have proven successful Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series profiling principals in the Elmore County School System. By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
F
Donald Campbell / The Herald
Top: Wetumpka Elementary School Principal Dr. Bonnie Sullivan, center, visits with kindergartners playing with construction toys Thursday afternoon. Above: Sullivan hands out a high five to one of her students in the library.
or elementary-aged school children living in Wetumpka, the education they receive at Wetumpka Elementary School is vital to their educational success in the future. Overseeing these critical years is principal Dr. Bonnie Sullivan, who has dedicated herself to ensuring the school is the best it can be. See SULLIVAN • Page A6
‘Girls’ Weekend’ brings laughter to start of Depot Players season
Latter-day Saints donates $10K to disaster relief fund By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
The laughs will be coming a mile a minute in February when the Wetumpka Depot Players opens its 39th season with the comedy play “Girls’ Weekend.” “We decided to start the year with a strong comedy,” Depot Players executive director Kristy Meanor said. “It was a perfect pick to start the season.” Meanor described the play as a wellwritten farce with a novel theme. Unlike See DEPOT • Page A9
Donald Campbell / The Herald
Dot (Elaine Cash) and Carol (Leanna Wallace) listen intently as Meg (Kristy Meanor) reads from ‘Fifty Shades of Gray’ while Ellie (Amber Rigby) shows her relative disinterest during a rehearsal of ‘Girls’ Weekend.’
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Representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented Wetumpka city officials with a $10,000 check for the Elmore County Disaster Relief Fund Friday morning. In welcoming church officials to the area, Elmore County Commissioner Troy Stubbs explained how the fund was set up in the aftermath of the April 2011 See DONATION • Page A3
Joe Al All Allen len Gasse len G Gassett, assett tt, tt Founder 1942-2009
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