SPORTS: Check out our all-county softball teams, B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 24 | $1.00 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00 Elmore County BOE names two new high school principals
Holtville High School basketball coach arrested CLIFF WILLIAMS THE TRIBUNE
Elmore County Board of Education By Cliff Wendell Williams member Staff Writer Saxon reads a resolution at last A week’s virtualboard teacher at Elmore meeting. called Edge program CountyThe School’s meeting was held and charged has been arrested towith approve several school employee distribhiresobscene to allow material a uting to a stuquicker posting of dent. job vacancies. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Emmanuel Andre Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery turned himself into authorities Tuesday afternoon.
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Wilson was the head basket- investigation andand handed it off Elmore County ball coach at Holtville High Wetumpka to the appropriate authorities. high schools will School and was He was also placed on adminissee new faces leading them placed on adtrative this fall. leave at that time.” ministrative Dennis said school Eclectic native Jasonofficials Eason leave Jan. 13 follow the same procedure will head Elmore County High according to Elwhen (ECHS) administrators receive a School and Holtville report of allegations against more County High School principal Kyle school staff and employees. Schools superFutral will lead Wetumpka “Once we hand it over, we intendent RichHigh School. know very little about what is ard Dennis. WILSON going on,” Dennis said. “We “We had a recooperate with authorities if port,” Dennis said. “We had a preliminary necessary.”
Futral and his family were decade but is also looking to on vacation but posted on the future. social media after the Elmore “I will certainly miss all the Franklin saidofinvestigators Wilson was released on a County Board Educaawesome folks in the Holtville with the Elmore County Sher$6,000 bond 90 minutes aftion approved his hiring in community and the lifelong iff’s Office have the alleged victer turning himself in accordWetumpka. relationships I’ve developed tim’s phone. Authorities collectto the the Elmore County Jail “I am so excited to be join- ing over last seven years,” ed Wilson’s phone as well. website. ing the WE2 Nation as the Futral wrote. “I will never “You could see a conversaDennisthesaid Wilson also new principal at Wetumpka forget amazing experience tion between the two,” Frankcoached other sports at HoltHigh School,” Futral wrote. of serving there alongside so linBut said. “Mr.didn’t Wilsonforget is going ville schools including being Futral many great people. I am ready to contend someone had the the head track coach and assiswhere he has served students security code to his phone and tant football coach. in Elmore County for almost a See BOE, Page A2 he was not responsible. There Dennis said other staff would 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.
Visitor center for crater inPolice the works
Chamber holds luncheon
continue investigation, man no longer suspected
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
welcoming members
The Wetumpka Crater Commission might have a new home downtown. The City of Wetumpka has Members partnered with Elmore of the County, the Elmore County Economic Development Wetumpka and the commisChamberAuthority of sion to create a visitor cenCommerce
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 couple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your attendance is an indication people want to get back together and have these opportunities to see each
attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon.
ter in the space left by The Kelly move. “It will give us another downtown venue for tourism,” Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis said. “For 22 years we have been working on this crater to have some sort of interpretive center to tell the story.” See CENTER, Page A5
FormerBy Jake students and others Arthur Chief Videographer remember longtime educator
CLIFF WILLIAMS/ THE HERALD
Police are still investigating the fatal By CLIFF WILLIAMS cousins shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parkNews Editor and from ing lot on Jan. 20. See CHAMBER, Page A3 the same Police were dispatched to the parking lot Dr. Patrycya L. Tuckaround 10:45 p.m. for a “shots Wetumpka fired” call. er is remembered a they found Centellcommunity, Once as there, Winston, sweet and caring Gossum 42 ofeduTallassee, dead of a gunshot wound cator. in the driver seat of his vehicle.Switch. Tucker diedAccording June Saxon said to TUCKER Wetumpka police chief 2 but her legacy he tries to Gregof Benton, this was not a random shootteaching and ing. guiding emulate other educators“This to serve in not all that he was notTucker random, a random children did not. does on believe board. the vicact,” She said Benton. “We was a longtime “It isknew a challenge to timeducaand the perpetrator each other.” This is the firstenhance homicidewhat in Wetumpka tor in Elmore County she did in over three years. lastthe homicide in and former Elmore and The make programs the city took place in 2018. County Board of Edushe had better,” Saxon By CLIFF WILLIAMS Carolina Reaper. said. “Because the gardening not a goodsaid. way “They to start out thealready new cation member.“It’s Former were News Editor “We are in the city limits,” season is so long here, we had year,” said Benton. students and current great.” Powell said. “They get fed peppers until November. We to speculate Elmore CountyBenton Boarddidn’t want Board memberon the ow hot is a Carolina with city water. These are all had so many we started makof Education members Michael Morgan Reaper hot pepper? homegrown and local.” ing jelly and stuff. We made in remember Tucker as recalled Tucker Page always See SHOOTING, A3 Andy Powell should Powell likes gardening and the neighborhood of 50 jars of always putting students being around Elmore know. He is growing them hot peppers. His wife Erin pepper jellies along with pickfirst. County Schools. along with many other peppers said growing and selling them led and candied jalapenos.” “She had a love for “She started in at his Wetumpka home. Powell at Main Street Wetumpka’s With inventory on the children,” Elmore Coun- Elmore County when I has lost count of how many Community Market has turned shelves, the Powells started ty Board of Education was 3 years old,” Mordifferent hot peppers he has into a little hobby business to think about the Community District 2 representative gan said. “I don’t ever tried over the years. But he is POW-Peppers. POW comes Market for 2023. They were Staffgrowing Report 80 hot pepper plants schoolwide at Holtville schoolsmall culture from have that of a shift in a positive direction. Wendell SaxonThe said. recall her not being from the assembly couple’s last name — the thinking as both High School. Elmore County Suschool struggling with low moschool experienced a 62 percent “She wanted all children around.” in eight different varieties this Powell. full time jobs. Andy is an Theyear Alabama Association Richard was rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline referrals, to get a quality educaTucker also taught from jalapeno all the of way perintendent “The peppers inDennis the garden Secondary School Principals in attendance for the presentation. to a school that strives for excel50 percent decrease in chronic tion. She was adamant at the university level See PEPPER, Page A5 to the world’s hottest — the did really well last year,” Erin (AASSP) named Holtville High “Kyle Futral is an exception- lence. By collaborating with staff, absenteeism,about 7 percent increase making sure we and was important to School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent cared for the children.” the founding of the 2022 Alabama High School Prin- tive and innovative in his think- identified and addressed. Futral’s increase in CCRTucker rate and served a 20 per-on the educational advocacy cipal of the Year. ing and approaches to managing leadership style of listening, en- cent increaseboard in ACTfor proficiency three terms group Emanon Group CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD The High School Principal of his school,” Dennis said, couraging, supporting, organizing in the last fivefrom years. 2006 to 2018. that supports students Erin and Andy Powell of Wetumpka have a love of hot peppers. The couple especially Andy love to grow and eat the Year award was presented to As principal of Holtville High and challenging the staff and stuSaxon followed in her the hottest around including the Carolina Reaper — currently classified as the world’s hottest pepper. See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed dents, caused the school culture to FUTURAL footsteps as distant See EDUCATOR, Page A2
POW — IT’S A HOT PEPPER Peppers inspire Wetumpka couple to market H
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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