SPORTS: Stanhope advances to bowling state championships Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
INSIDE: Elmore County a center for the arts
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‘Black onSchool basketball coach arrested Holtvilleeye High public trust’
Wilson was the head basketball coach at Holtville High School and was A virtual teacher at Elmore placed on adCounty School’s Edge program ministrative has been arrested and charged leave Jan. 13 with school employee distrib- according to Eluting obscene material to a stu- more County SchoolsCarter, super-31, Bydent. CLIFF WILLIAMS Elmore County Sheriff Bill intendent News Editor of RichElmore, Franklin said Emmanuel Andre ard Dennis. entered WILSON Wilson 32, of Montgomery “We had a reDistrictII,Attorney C.J. guilty turned himself into authorities port,” Dennis Robinson hopes a guilty pleas Tuesday afternoon. said. “We had a preliminary plea from John Cole for five Carter settles lots of different questions in the public. criminal CARTER The prosecutor hopes it acts before is a relief to the 13- and 19th 14-year old victims, their Circuit Court Judge families and the general Joy Booth Monday public as well. morning — transmitting The former City of See GUILTY, Page A6 Wetumpka firefighter, By Cliff Williams Staff Writer
Former Wetumpka firefighter pleads guilty to child sex abuse and porn
investigation and handed it off to the appropriate authorities. He was also placed on administrative leave at that time.” Dennis said school officials follow the same procedure when administrators receive a report of allegations against school staff and employees. “Once we hand it over, we know very little about what is going on,” Dennis said. “We cooperate with authorities if necessary.”
Franklin said investigators with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office have the alleged victim’s phone. Authorities collected Wilson’s phone as well. “You could see a conversation between the two,” Franklin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”
Wilson was released on a $6,000 bond 90 minutes after turning himself in according to the Elmore County Jail website. Dennis said Wilson also coached other sports at Holtville schools including being the head track coach and assistant football coach. Dennis said other staff would fill in for the duties of Wilson at Holtville while he is on administrative leave.
Police SKILL TO MOST EVERYTHING IS Chamber holdsKEYluncheon continue investigation, man no 2 arrested after longer gunfire erupts I suspected
CUSTOMER SERVICE welcoming members
and need customer service cooking techniques and Members skills.of That is the basis for how to serve food in a banthe the program.” quet setting. The skills are Wetumpka nteractions between peoLearning the ins and useful for the hospitality Chamber of ple in the marketplace outs of customer service and tourism students as Commerce are an everyday occurwas one of the reasons they may work in the lodgattend the rence. Wetumpka High School ing industry where food is chamber’s “A Customer service is most juniorTaste Chania Hudson served. of Our often talked about between signed up for the course. The second semester Home Town” By Jake Arthur servers, cashiers and their “I luncheon. want to open my own starts with studies in hosChief Videographer customers. But Elmore business someday,” Hudpitality. Young gets them CLIFF WILLIAMS/ County Technical Center son said.THE“In hospitality we started quickly, working HERALD are still investigatinginthe fatal hospitality and tourism learn a lot about customerPolice towards certifications shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parkinstructor Denise Young service. I think I can use the hospitality industry. ing lot on Jan. 20. said it is a universal skill it.” First up is hotel operations. dispatched the parking lot everyone needs. Students in the hospital-Police were “They will be to certified around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. “Anything you do is ity program spend the first in customer service/guest Once there, they found Centell customer service based,” semester partnered with services,” Young said. Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead a gunshot Young said. “Whether it is new students in culinary. “It is good forofthe hotel wound in the driver seat of his vehicle. in the hospitality industry It is spent in the kitchen industry but anything in or nursing, you are going and dining room where According to Wetumpka police chief Greg Benton, this was not a random shootto interact with people students learn appropriate See SKILL, Page A7 ing. “This was not random, not a random act,” said Benton. “We believe the victim and the perpetrator knew each other.” This is the first homicide in Wetumpka CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI in three years. The last homicide in Elmore County Technical Center hospitality instructor Deniseover Young helps Alaysia Moore, a the city took place in 2018. sophomore at Wetumpka High School, during a classroom session at the center last week. “It’s not a good way to start out the new year,” said Benton. Benton didn’t want to speculate on the
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
By Cliff Williams Staff Writer
The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its annual luncheon to install new officers and board members for the first time in a while Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gatherings but the chamber celebrated the successes of business in Wetumpka. “We haven’t been able to do this for the last couyears,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your By CLIFFple WILLIAMS attendance is an indication people want to get back News Editor together and have these opportunities to see each Two vehicles were See CHAMBER, Page A3 struck by gunfire and one motorist was injured Monday afternoon in Millbrook. Suspects were ERVIN WHITE quickly identified and taken in custody a short Highway 14 in the area time later. of Old Prattville Road, Millbrook Police Chief not only in the quick P.K Johnson believes apprehension of suspects luck played a role in the but also because of the incident, after he took See ARRESTED, Page A6 a look at the scene on
in Millbrook
Not again? Defendant arrested for second time in month for smuggling drugs into prison
Planning for more classrooms See SHOOTING, Page A3
By CLIFF WILLIAMS ADOC News Editor officer observed Building new school facilities is Staff Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville the school culture from that of a shift in a positive direction. The A Montgomery man a subject expensive. Just ask Elmore County High School. Elmore County Su- school struggling with low mo- school experienced a 62 percent was arrested near Elmore throwing Schools superintendent Richard DenThe Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline referrals, Correctional Facility a backnis. Secondary Principals in attendance the presentation. to a school that strives for excel- 50 percent decrease in chronic Monday afterSchool attempting pack for over Over the last couple of years, the Holtville “Kyle the Futral is an exception- lence. By collaborating with staff, absenteeism, 7 percent increase to(AASSP) smugglenamed in drugs and High fence NORMAN Elmore County Board of Education School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent other contraband. of a prisspentidentified $51 million and CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI 2022 Alabama High36, School Prin- tive andon innovative and constructing addressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate and a 20 perGlenn Norman, dorm, in his thinkrenovating several facilities across Elmore County Schools have basic plans to construct a new Holtville High cipal of the Year. ing and approaches to managing leadership style of listening, encent increase in ACT proficiency was discovered near according to a release. The old building would then be renovated to allow the middle school the county. Thesupporting, new Redland Middle inSchool. School ofFourhisbackpacks school,” Dennis couraging, organizing the last five years. were said, theThe stateHigh prison afterPrincipal an to move creating needed classroom space in the Holtville community. The were School was $23.5 million. There the Year Department award was presented to As principal of Holtville High and challenging the staff and stuAlabama system has to overhaul of Elmore County High School to reSeeplans PRINCIPAL, Pageportions A3 Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, FutralPage hasA6 transformed dents, caused the school culture FUTURAL of Corrections, after an See SMUGGLING, See CLASSROOMS, PagetoA6 place the oldest sections of its building.
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
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