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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • JUNE 1, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 118, NO.19
Weekend shooting leaves one man wounded By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
A feud ruptured into violence late Saturday as shots were exchanged at a gathering of people near a location off Crenshaw Road, leaving one man wounded when a bullet struck him in the mouth and exited his ear, Elmore County Sheriff’s officials said. Sheriff Bill Franklin said a Wetumpka man, Christopher McKenzie, 23, was
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involved in the shooting, and had a warrant issued for his arrest on 2nd degree assault charges. The incident was described as a melee, with several people exchanging fire in the late Saturday, early Sunday hours just after midnight, Franklin said.
Another man has been arrested for what was said to be his involvement in the shooting, also on 2nd degree assault charges. Devarous Hill, 20, was said to have driven to the location of the incident, along with the victim, from Montgomery. He was described as a friend of the victim. Franklin said Hill was arrested for contributing to the incident, which
By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Today’s
Weather
By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
William Carroll / The Herald
Sgt. Darrell Spraggins with the Wetumpka Police Department guides Margaret McGuire, left, and Diane Bass, right, through a shooting course set up at the WPD firing range Saturday for the department’s newly created gun safety course.
FIRE IN THE HOLE
Local women blast through training course at gun safety event By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Women from around the river region descended on Wetumpka with arsenals of firearms and hundreds of rounds worth of ammunition to learn gun safety from Wetumpka police and then blast away at targets with pistols, shotguns
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Elmore County Sheriff’s Office said a Wetumpka resident was the victim of credit card fraud, and the suspects were said to have gone to extra lengths to avoid detection by mimicking their spending patterns. Sheriff Bill Franklin said a card was created from the individual’s personal information, and the suspects were trying, to some extent, to “mirror image” what the victim bought, and where, in order to avoid alerting the card company or individual to suspicious spending. The suspects were described as two black males and, according to a Central Alabama Crime Stoppers report, are wanted for multi-
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and semi-automatic rifles. About 13 women were said to have gathered at the Wetumpka Police Department’s firing range Saturday. Despite the constant ring of pistol fire, it was an atmosphere like any other friendly outdoor weekend gathering. When the firing ceased, they paused See GUN • Page 3
Thursday, the Elmore County Commission received an ‘AA’ rating from Standard and Poor’s Global for 2016 general obligation warrants. The ‘AA’ rating was also affirmed for the county’s existing general obligation debt. The report reflects a stable outlook for the county with very strong reserves stating management will not spend reserves below its reserve policy. The county’s capacity to meet its financial commitment is very strong. During the March 28 Elmore County Commission Meeting, the Commission approved a Bond Issue Parameters Resolution to seek bonds to obtain long-term financing by issuing warrants of the county in a principal amount sufficient to obtain approximately $2,000,000 in funds for a portion of the energy savings improvements to county facilities. Commission Chairman, David Bowen stated, “This AA rating is a testament to the strong management team this Commission has put in place and the many years of sound financial management by this Commission.” See COMMISSION • Page 3
Spending patterns copied in identity theft of Wetumpka resident By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
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See SHOOTING • Page 3
Elmore County Commission receives ‘AA’ credit rating
Eclectic celebration reminds citizens of importance of Memorial Day The town of Eclectic held a Memorial Day ceremony Monday morning as citizens paid homage to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Guest speaker U.S. Army Lt. Col. Robert J. Cook with the Alabama National Guard said it was an honor and a privilege to speak to the assembled group, which included not only family members of fallen service members but also a number of veterans remembering family and friends during the morning service. Cook, who served overseas in Iraq in 2009, told the group that families have a friend in the Alabama National Guard. Cook then proceeded to remind those in attendance as to why we See MEMORIAL • Page 5
resulted in the victim’s injury. The victim was said to be a 20-yearold Montgomery resident. “He was very fortunate to live,” said Franklin. He said that not many people sustained a gunshot wound to the mouth, which passed through their head and lived, and he believed the victim would
ple charges of fraudulent use of a credit card. Images taken from surveillance footage released with the report show two men at a location that was said to be a retail store on Atlanta Highway in Montgomery. According to the report, investigators said the stolen information was used at multiple locations in Montgomery, and was obtained from the victim’s debit card. “We always caution people of how and where and when you use your card,” said Franklin. He said the “mimicking” behavior was just another extent some one could go to in order to “obtain an identity,” a crime which he said was the most rapidly growing nationwide.
Left, surveillance footage captures two suspects wanted in connection with multiple charges of fraudulent use of a credit card.
Submitted / The Herald
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