McKissick commits to Wallace State
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SATURDAY-SUNDAY • JULY 30-31, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 11, NO. 29
Community questions MLK center progress By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
An issue that has been long simmering but never resolved and has appeared to remain largely untouched amid development of other city projects is set to be brought up again at the next city council meeting Monday. Those at the core of the renovations and construction to the Dr. Martin Luther King Recreation and Multicultural Center still differ greatly with city officials and their views on why more has not been done on the grounds of the facility. On Friday, the director of public works Tex Grier
said work is ongoing at the location and is focused on the football fields, which he said are being formed through a partnership between the city and the county. He said the council voted to make the football field the priority and is expecting the foundation to be ready within roughly three weeks, at which point construction on infrastructure projects at the site would begin such as a concession stand. There is roughly $625,000 left of the original amount designated for the work, of what was detailed in a council meeting in May to be roughly $6,000,000 set for the upgrades and construction to the projects at both locations. Grier also said a water line was in the works to be run through the property and he was working with the
city’s Water Works Department to develop it, which he estimated would take nearly a month and a half to complete. On Thursday, Council Member Percy Gill, of District 2, said he would bring the topic up again at the next meeting. The issue had been stressed on multiple occasions over a number of meetings by Gill earlier this year. Gill said he wanted clarity on why work had taken so long on the project and requested an explanation as to why the managing company, which he said was hired to oversee the completion of the project, and specifically the football field, seemed to have stopped work on the See CENTER • Page 3
Grant money allotted for 3-mile bridge trail
Paranormal investigators tackle local museum
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
A city statement announced that a $175,000 grant for a pedestrian bridge had been awarded to the city, and was to be met by city funds for what was said to be a potential cost of $300,000. According to a press release, the grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help fund the construction of a 10-foot wide bridge, which will be the second phase of the “Wetumpka Riverwalk” project. In a Friday interview Tex Grier, the public works director with the city, said the bridge was part of a proposed trail, See BRIDGE • Page 7
By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
William Carroll / The Herald
The Tyler family are part of the 45-50 volunteers who help out at the Elmore County Food Pantry each week. Here they are preparing recycled bags for use by the pantry. Pictured are Bennett, 8, Bailey, 10, Gabe, 2, Blakely, 6 and mother Lindsay. The pantry is now looking for a new director as current director Richard Deem was named as the CEO of the Montgomery Area Food Bank.
Deem to take over Montgomery Area Food Bank By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Elmore County Food Pantry Director, Richard Deem, has recently been selected to serve as the CEO of the Montgomery Area Food Bank, located in Montgomery. This appointment is effective August 8.
During a recent retirement dinner for the retiring Executive Director Parke Hinman, remarked: “We had in excess of 130 applications for this job. The selection committee had the arduous task of reducing that list to the top five. I believe we have selected the best of the best.” See FOOD BANK • Page 2
New teachers receive supply donations By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Starting a new school year for a new teacher can be daunting, not only because of the unfamiliar environment, but also due to the requirements of having the necessary supplies for your classroom. The Elmore County Farmers Federation Women’s Committee helped with the latter need Thursday by providing a bag filled with supplies for some 70 Elmore County teachers. William Carroll / The Herald Chairperson Betty Barrett said that the group has been providing for teachers and Teachers and representatives of the Elmore County Farmers Fedstudents for many years as part of their eration Women’s Committee pose with bags provided by ECFFSee TEACHERS • Page 7 WC Thursday morning in Wetumpka.
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The big screen might not be the only place you see ghosts this summer as area paranormal investigators are checking out area hot spots in search of paranormal activity. Thursday night Central Alabama Paranormal Investigations came to the Elmore County Museum in downtown Wetumpka to investigate the building for possible supernatural activity. Father and son team Johnny and Corey Rushing along with team member Mike Mock, Jamie Young with the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce, Museum Curator Sharon Kilpatrick and Wetumpka Herald staff all descended on the building late Thursday evening. CAPI, which was founded June 6, 2005 by Johnny Rushing, is a nonprofit Christian organization which has performed over 200 investigations See GHOSTS • Page 3
City put on notice over ‘constitutional rights’ violation By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The city was served an affidavit by Lynnwood Keith Golden warning of potential legal action, and a notice that he is seeking damages exceeding $100,000 over claims resulting from the actions of the Wetumpka Police Department in the filming incident, which took place in June. An attorney with Golden’s legal team said they had filed a notice of claim against the city and See LAWSUIT • Page 7
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