SPORTS: Holton stars in All-Star soccer game, B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 30 | $1.00 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
Free meals coming to county schools this fall Holtville High School basketball coach arrested
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News EditorWilliams By Cliff Staff Writer Free breakfast and lunch willAbevirtual available for all teacher at Elmore students at Elmore CounCounty School’s Edge program tyhas schools the next been for arrested and four charged years. with school employee distribThe meals arematerial being prouting obscene to a stuvided dent.through the USDA’s Elmore County Sheriff Bill Community Eligibility ProviFranklin said Emmanuel Andre sion (CEP). The free meals are Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery turned himself into authorities Tuesday afternoon.
thanks to new data being considered bywas the the Alabama State Wilson head basketDepartment of Education. ball coach at Holtville High “The state department was School and was participating in placed on ad-a pilot program that allowed them to ministrative collect data leave direct Jan. certification 13 from Medicaid according to El-participants,” Elmore more County CountySchools Child Nutrition Schools Program super- director intendent RichCacyce Davis said. “That data ard not Dennis. was collected before for WILSON “We had a report,” Dennis said. “We had a preliminary
direction certification.” Davis said and children covered investigation handed it off by Medicaid is the reason for to the appropriate authorities. the USDA allowing Elmore He was also placed on adminisCountyleave to participate in the trative at that time.” CEP. Last school year, 52% Dennis said school officials of students in Elmore County follow the same procedure Schools were participating when administrators receive a in the free and reducedagainst lunch report of allegations program. school staff and employees. “Once it over, we In the we past,hand the USDA know littleatabout what is lookedvery heavily the number going on,” Dennis said. “We cooperate with authorities if necessary.”
BRIGHT FUTURE
of students participating in the CEP is a key provision of free and reduced lunch prothe Healthy, Franklin said investigators Wilson was Hunger releasedFree on Kids a grams. Act of 2010 which allows with the Elmore County Sher- $6,000 bond 90 minutes afhad have to bethe at alleged least 40% school iff’s“It Office vic- terschools turningand himself in districts accord- in in the past,” Davis said. “We low-income areas to eliminate tim’s phone. Authorities collect- ing to the Elmore County Jail were not even 40%. Now we school meal applications and ed Wilson’s phone as well. website. are more than 50%. We don’t serve breakfast and lunch “You could see a conversaDennis said Wilson alsoat know at thisthe point if itFrankis just coached no charge to sports all enrolled stution between two,” other at Holtansaid. effect“Mr. of COVID. will ville dents. lin Wilson isWe going schools including being knowsomeone within the “CEP is great it tolikely contend hadnext the the head track coachbecause and assissecurity hisCOVID phone and year or code so if to was is tant football coach. he was notthe responsible. Dennis said other staff would affecting numbers.”There See MEALS, Page A5 is other information we can’t fill in for the duties of Wilson at disclose now but I don’t think Holtville while he is on adminit’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.” istrative leave.
Chamber holds luncheon City hopes to take over property for basketball courts
welcoming members
hasn’t yet been filed. The process, however, isn’t about reluctant property owners, but it is the only avenue left City of Wetumpka wants to create new to acquire the property on Lancaster Street. Byhe Cliff Williams “It is necessary because we have title issues Staffbasketball Writer courts at the Wetumpka Sports Complex. The property needed will be on the property,” Wetumpka city attorney The Wetumpka of Commerce held its acquired through a Chamber condemnation process that Justin Edwards said. “We have three owners annual luncheon to install new officers and board who are all deceased. One estate has a bunch members for the first time in a while Thursday. of claims filed against it that we have to deal The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gathwith. The others, I have not found the next of erings but the chamber celebrated the successes of kin.” business in Wetumpka. When a possible heir has been approached “We haven’t been able to do this for the last cou-about creating a basketball court, Wetumpka ple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your Mayor Jerry Willis said there has been no attendance is an indication people want to get back opposition. together and have these opportunities to see each See BASKETBALL, Page A5 By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
T
Police continue investigation, man no longer suspected
Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A SUBMITTED | THE HERALD Taste of Our Eclectic police Cpl. Desmond Bailey died Thursday. Bailey came Home Town” to the department after a long military career that included beBy Jake Arthur luncheon. ing part of Saddam capture in Iraq. ChiefHussien’s Videographer CLIFF WILLIAMS/
Eclectic Police Department mourns loss of officer
THE HERALD
See CHAMBER, Page A3
CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD
The City of Wetumpka intends to make this property at the end of Lancaster Street basketball courts. The property is tied up in probate after the death of three owners and the city will go through a condemnation process to acquire the property and pay the rightful heirs through the courts.
Rebuild Alabama funds to pave roads in Elmore County
Police are still investigating the fatal shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parking lot on Jan. 20. Police were dispatched to the parking lot around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. Once there, they found Centell Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound in the driver seat of his vehicle. According to Wetumpka police chief Greg Benton, thisThe wasdepartment not a random shootBy CLIFF WILLIAMS said in News Editor ing. the social media post his “This was notcolleagues random, not a random described him said Benton. “We believeselfless the vic-and The Eclecticact,” Police as courageous, tim and thethe perpetrator Department announced fearless.knew each other.” This is the first homicide in Wetumpka “sudden loss” of Cpl. Des“Cpl. Bailey, you will in over three years. The last homicide mond Bailey. be greatly missed,” thein the city took place in 2018. The department made post said. “Rest in peace “It’sofnot a goodand way to start the new the announcement may Godout welcome year,” said Benton. Bailey’s July 19 death you home. We love you Benton didn’t want to speculate on the on its Facebook page the brother. We will take it following day. Before from here.” See SHOOTING, working at the Eclectic Bailey came toPage law A3 Police Department, Bailey enforcement after a was an officer in Prattville. See ECLECTIC, Page A5
from Rebuild Alabama means an extra $1.8 million in work can be done Without funds from the to county roads and bridgStaff Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville the school culture from that of a shift in a positive direction. The 2019 Rebuild Alabama es in 2024. High School. Elmore County Su- school struggling with low mo- school experienced a 62 percent Act, nearly 14 miles of “Without Rebuild AlaThe Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline referrals, roads in Elmore County bama, we wouldn’t be able Secondary School Principals in attendance for the presentation. to a school that strives for excel- 50 percent decrease in chronic would not be resurfaced in to do this work,” Elmore (AASSP) named Holtville High “Kyle Futral is an exception- lence. By collaborating with staff, absenteeism,By7 CLIFF percent increase WILLIAMS the next fiscal year. County chief operations School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent News Editor Elmore County hasSchool Prinofficer tive Richie said. in his think- identified and addressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate and a 20 per2022 Alabama High andBeyer innovative about 1,000 miles of coun“This money means more cipal of the Year. ing and approaches to managing leadership style of listening, en- cent increase inWetumpka ACT proficiency City Hall no ty roads including about done.” Dennis said, The High School Principalwork of gets his school,” couraging, supporting, organizing in the last five years. longer houses the mayor’s CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD 200 dirt was roadspresented it Elmore engineer themiles Year of award to AsCounty principal of Holtville High and challenging the staff and stuThere will be about $1.8 million extra for roads this year office or many city offices, maintains. funding See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 REBUILD, Page Futral on The Friday, Jan. 28 during a See School, Futral hasA6transformed caused the school culture to due to Rebuilddents, Alabama. but it houses municipal By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
Council approves repainting city hall, library
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court, city council meetings and the city’s public library. At its Monday meeting, the Wetumpka City Council approved spending $31,731 FUTURAL See COUNCIL, Page A5
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