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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 25, 2017
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 119, NO. 4
Weekend storms cause damage in city, county
Crews work to remove a large pecan tree that fell onto the Wetumpka Church of Christ building Saturday morning during the first wave of storms to hit the River Region over the weekend.
By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
Multiple rounds of storms passed through Elmore County over the weekend, downing trees and power lines and dumping substantial amounts of rainfall. County Emergency Management Agency
Director Eric Jones said he suspected that early Saturday morning’s storms brought a spin-up tornado to Wetumpka, which damaged two churches in the area of West Bridge, Alabama and Tuskeena streets. The Wetumpka Church of Christ probably took the greatest brunt from the storm when a large
See STORMS • Page 8
Submitted / The Herald
Council refuses funds for Boys & Girls Club
Calera artist brings beauty to gourds By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
Teresa Wamble’s artistic vehicle is as humble as they get. But she turns that humility to beauty. The vehicle? The lowly gourd. The art? Stunning, whether it be a face (or multiple faces) in a maranka gourd or a less-exotic – though no less beautiful – basket made from a simpler variety. It all started when Wamble, who was making her living as a painter, got asked to do a friend a favor. “The first time I ever did one when I was living in Florida,” said Wamble. “I had a friend who was given a gourd and he wanted me to paint it and he was going to give it back to the guy that gave it to him. “Then when I moved to Alabama I kept seeing gourds all over the place and saw some of the artwork and I thought, ‘I think I could do that.’ So I just started playing around with it and then started playing around with it a lot more and then I bought a gourd that was made into a basket and thought, ‘Well, dang, all they did was cut two circles out. I can do that.’ So I just kind of got hooked.” Wamble, from Calera, will be the speaker at the next Tuesday with Kelly. The lunch-and-learn meeting, open to the public, will be held Feb. 21 at noon at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial See ARTIST • Page 2
Today’s
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By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
responsibility helping out at home,” Johnson said. “Maybe that’s where I got wanting to help younger people. And my high school math teacher and high school English teacher were big influences on me. I’m still in contact with my English teacher. I talk with her often. Just the care and concern that she had for me encouraged me to become a teacher.” Johnson also credited her mother as being a huge influence on her life. “My mom instilled in me a good work ethic and the determination to be successful,” Johnson said. “She always provided support and encouragement in my life as I tried to reach my goals.” Johnson said the only thing that might set her apart is how she relates to her students, which, again, may be partially the product of
A local pastor spoke before the last city council meeting in favor of supporting the Wetumpka Boys and Girls Club as a proposal was on the agenda to fund it from a portion of last year’s business license revenue. The meeting was rescheduled to the Tuesday after Martin Luther Jr. Day, and despite beginning an hour early at 5 p.m., a steady stream of observers and vocally concerned residents made their way into the council chambers, some streaming the meeting live to Facebook accounts. Leroy Campbell, a pastor at Wetumpka’s Ridge Church, had signed the list to speak in the public comment portion of the council meeting. Public comment was reordered to precede the work session and business meeting in recent changes made to council proceedings. Campbell said he was at the meeting to show his support for the local youth organization, and his church had started a partnership with it in recent months, doing several projects at the facility including roof restoration efforts. He said the church had also hired a multiple outreach coordinator that would work with the club about 20 hours a week. “I know that they need the funding. I’ve gotten to know the leadership there, Mrs. Myrick is an incredible woman, has volunteered
See TEACHER • Page 3
See COUNCIL • Page 3
David Granger / The Herald
Elmore County secondary Teacher of the Year Phalanda Johnson, right, discusses a science project with Maya Mitchell in her WHS classroom on Monday.
INSPIRING STUDENTS
WHS’s Johnson named county Teacher of the Year By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
Phalanda Johnson, in her 15th year as a biology teacher at Wetumpka High School, was recently chosen Elmore County’s secondary Teacher of the Year by the Elmore County Board of Education. Johnson, who said she’s never won any type of award such as this, holds degrees in biology and education from Alabama State University. But she said her biggest accomplishment may have been growing up the oldest of nine siblings – something that also may have made her a better teacher. “I’m the oldest of nine, so being the oldest of nine it’s kind of natural having to have that
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