NEWS, A3
DEPOT, A3
Thornton sworn in as county probate judge
Registration open for youth theater program
SPORTS, A5: RAWLS RECOGNIZED AT ASWA BANQUET
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 16, 2019
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 121, NO. 3
City OKs Hill Street repairs By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
File / The Herald
Hundreds of people are expected to participate in the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. memorial service and march.
Keeping the dream alive Local Martin Luther King Jr. celebration set for Jan. 21 By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
T
he Elmore County AfricanAmerican Heritage Association is planning its annual memorial service and march in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 21. According to the association’s board of directors chair Winfred Wise, the memorial service for King will start at 9 a.m. at Rodgers Chapel AME Zion Church. Wise said the MLK Jr. Day events bear historical significance for many locals because of Wetumpka’s close proximity to Montgomery, where the Civil Rights Movement began. Additionally, Wise said King hid in Elmore
County for a brief period of time after receiving death threats. Wise said the service will feature a tribute from the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, of which King was a member. King was selected to posthumously serve as the service’s keynote speaker. “Instead of going out and finding a speaker, we decided to invite Dr. King himself. We have a video of his last speech,” Wise said. “It will give a sense of the moment. It’s good to hear his voice because he’s been gone for so long. We wanted to hear his voice on this day.” Martin Luther King Holiday committee chair Feleisa Butler Lovejoy said this is the first year the service has recognized winners of an essay See MLK • Page A2
The Wetumpka City Council declared an emergency situation on Hill Street to conduct storm drain repairs and resolve issues caused by storm water during a special-called council meeting Friday afternoon. “There was a unanimous vote to move forward (to declare an emergency situation and approve repairs),” Mayor Jerry Willis said following the meeting. “The council understands this has to be done.” At the meeting, the council approved both a resolution to declare an emergency and a motion to move forward on the project, allowing the city to work toward avoiding a cave-in on the roadway behind businesses on Company Street. The council approved working within a budget of $114,500, although everyone expressed the hope repairs would be less expensive than estimated. With cracks in the road beginning to appear, city officials agreed to act quickly to avoid a cave-in. Only vehicles traveling on the Hill Street alleyway will be affected by the work.
WPD sees high crime clearance rate for 2018 By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
The Wetumpka Police Department’s clearance rate for crimes it handled in 2018 is nearly triple the statewide average, according to a recent report sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to Cpl. Sean Blackburn, the WPD received 15,708 calls for service and worked 727 crimes in 2018. Of those crimes, 553 were solved, yielding an overall clearance rate of 76 percent. The statewide average is 24 percent. See CRIME • Page A2 Monthly investigations at the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce’s building, which is said to be the city’s most haunted attraction, have resumed for 2019.
Paranormal investigations resume By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
After a months-long hiatus, the monthly paranormal investigations held at the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce building on East Commerce Street will resume in 2019. Chamber executive director Gerry Purcell said the building is widely regarded as the most haunted location in Wetumpka.
According to Chamber associate director and River Region Paranormal member Jamie Young, the investigations last about five hours and involve the use of different types of ghost-hunting equipment. “During the first bit, we learn the history of the building and get to know some of the folks and their stories of what they’ve had go on in their lives,” Young said. “Then we talk about the See PARANORMAL • Page A2
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