SPORTS: All-County boys basketball team announced, B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8 Davis wins big in Elmore County election, A7 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024 | VOL. 125, NO. 11 | $1.00
School tobasketball help private schools HoltvilleCHOOSE High School coach arrested WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
By CLIFF WILLIAMS By Cliff News EditorWilliams Staff Writer
Money will now follow A students virtual teacher Elmore some as theyatleave County School’s Edge program public education and enroll in has been arrested and charged private schools. with school employee distribLast week Gov. Kay Ivey uting obscene material to a stusigned the School CHOOSE dent. Act allowing families of four Elmore County Sheriff Bill who make less than $93,000 Franklin said Emmanuel Andre Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery turned himself into authorities Tuesday afternoon.
to create education savings Wilson or was the head accounts ESAs. This basketwill ball coach at Holtville give students up to $7,000High per School and was year in public tax money to placed ad- school. enroll in aonprivate ministrative More than 12,000 Elmore leave Jan. 13 County students are enrolled according to Elin public education in Tallasmore County see City Schools and Elmore Schools superCounty Schools. About 235 intendent Richstudents are enrolled at Edgeard Dennis. WILSON “We had a report,” Dennis said. “We had a preliminary
wood Academy, a private passage of this. We appreciate capped at $4,000 per year. Franklin said investigators released onallow a investigation handed it off school, whoseand headmaster all the legislators that worked Wilson What was the plan will not with the Elmore County Sher$6,000 bond 90 minutes afto the appropriate authorities. Susan Barner believes the hard on it.” is students to transfer among iff’sStudents Office have the alleged turning himself in accordHe was alsoAct placed CHOOSE and on its adminisESAs would pay forvicthe terpublic schools. tim’s phone. Authorities collecting to the Elmore trative leave at that time.” will increase enrollment at her tuition through the ESA up “The students County enrolledJail in ed Wilson’s phone as well. website. Dennis said school officials school. to $7,000 per year. Anything public schools will still go to “You could see a conversaDennis said Wilson also follow the same procedure “We are looking forward to above that would be covered the school they are zoned for,” when administrators receive a tion between the two,” Frank- coached other sports at Holtthis opening the doors to Edge- by the students’ parents. It will Elmore County Schools superreport of allegations against lin said. “Mr. Wilson is going ville schools including being wood that might not otherwise also allow families who choose intendent Richard Dennis said. school staff and employees. to contend someone had the the head track coach and assisbe able to come,” Barner said. to home school to receive “Once we hand it over, we security code to his phone and tant football coach. “We are very excited for the $2,000 per student per year See CHOOSE, Page A7 know very little about what is he was not responsible. There Dennis said other staff would going on,” Dennis said. “We is other information we can’t fill in for the duties of Wilson at cooperate with authorities if disclose now but I don’t think Holtville while he is on adminnecessary.” it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.” istrative leave.
Meyers appointed Police to the Elmore Chamber holds luncheon County continue BOE investigation, man no longer suspected
welcoming members
and this is a way to pay my civic rent.” Meyers has a diversity By Cliff Williams Members Bill Meyers heads up of knowledge of education Staff Writer of the the Grandview YMCA in through his experiences with Wetumpka Millbrook. Now he is also his sons. The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its Chambera of member of the Elmore “I think I know what Commerce annual luncheon to install new officers and board County Board of Education makes a well rounded stuattend the members for the first time in a while Thursday. after he was selected from dent or school because I chamber’s “A of five candidates to The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gatha pool have two kids that are difTaste of replace Our erings but the chamber celebrated the successes of the retiring Col. Dale ferent from one another,” Home Town” business in Wetumpka. Bain. By Jake Arthur Meyers said. luncheon. Meyers has two “We haven’t been able to do this for the last couChiefchildren Videographer One of Meyers’ sons CLIFF WILLIAMS/ ple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your who are either a product of excelled in AP classes and THE HERALD attendance is an indication people want to get back the Millbrook schools orare stillis investigating currently at UAB. Police the He fatal together and have these opportunities to see each currently enrolled in Millwas in the band and parktheater shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart brook schools. ing lot on Jan. 20. programs. The other son is See CHAMBER, Page A3 By CLIFF WILLIAMS The bridge is first on the tivity, the river, the churches. The “I don’t think Police there iswere dispatched a junior attoStanhope Elmore the parking lot News Editor list in Alabama, with Selma’s bridge represents everything that anybody more around passionate andfor is amore athletically 10:45 p.m. “shots fired” call. Edmund Pettus Bridge second in matters in Wetumpka.” about our school system Once there, theyinclined. found Centell Winston, national poll from car deal- the state. Some tour buses have to go than I am, especially the “I think I know what 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound ers has named the Bibb Wetumpka Area Chamber of around it and look back to the schools of Millbrook area,” seatmakes well rounded stuin the driver of hisavehicle. Graves Bridge in Wetumpka Commerce director Shellie Whit- center of town from the Coosa Meyers said. “I believe you to dent or schoolpolice because I According Wetumpka chief as the 31st most iconic bridge in field believes the bridge is more River Parkway, but there is no have to have a Greg strongBenton, school thishave that are difwastwo not kids a random shootthe country. than its five arches spanning the wrong direction to cross it. system to have ing. a strong ferent from one another,” The list includes the Admiral Coosa River. “Everyone comes to see “This was notMeyers random, not a random community to make your said. Clarey Bridge in Hawaii, the “I think the bridge is iconical- downtown and thinks it is cute,” act,” said Benton.Meyers “We believe the viccommunity attractive to peowas questioned tim and the perpetrator knew each Sunshine Skyway Bridge in ly Wetumpka,” Whitfield said. “I Whitfield said. “They also want ple, to keep your home val- about his perceptionother.” of the firstpublic homicide in Wetumpka Florida, the Golden Gate Bridge, think the bridge represents every- to see the farmer’s market, the ues high, to makeThis it a is place schools and what in over three years. The last homicide in the Mackinac Bridge and the thing we feel about this commuwith a high quality of life.” he would do differently to the city took place in 2018. See BRIDGE, Page A5 Chicago Skyway Bridge. nity — the history, the connecMeyers has county change the public percep“It’sofnot a goodtion. way to start out the new schools in a variety roles year,” said Benton. as his children grew up from “We do a lot of great Benton didn’t things want to on the the PTA to athletic and band in speculate our schools,” booster clubs. Meyers said. “I think we CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI SHOOTING, Page A3 “I think this is the next doSee a poor job of telling our The Bibb Graves Bridge crosses the Coosa River in Wetumpka. The bridge has been selected as natural step for me,” Meyers story. I think if there is one the most iconic in Alabama for commuters and one of the most iconic in the country. said. thing we can do is to tell Meyers went to public the good that comes out of schools in Vicksburg, Misour schools. It creates more sissippi. His mother was a momentum and creates a math teacher and his father better perception of our Staff Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville the school culture from that of a shift in a positive was andirection. engineer.The schools in the community.” High School. Elmore County Su- school struggling with low mo- school experienced 62 percent “My aparents taught me as Meyers was asked about The Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline long as youreferrals, are breathing, how he would handle difSecondary School Principals in attendance for the presentation. to a school that strives for excel- 50 percent decrease chronic you have in to pay your civic fering opinions if he was named Holtville High cell “Kyle Futral is an By collaborating withstudents staff, absenteeism,rent,” 7 percent increase By(AASSP) CLIFF WILLIAMS phones during theexceptionschool day lence. problem with distracted Meyers said. “Civic selected to serve on the School principal Kyle Futral the alforprincipal andfull is school very proacthe school’s werealone. in the graduation rate, 33 percent News Editor almost two years. many twoofyears ago and issues he wasn’t rent is doing something board. 2022 Alabama High School Prin- tive innovative his thinkandisaddressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate andyour a 20job per-that The and distractions thatinprovide some identified “There no doubt about it, cell other than “You got to be able to cipal of the ing and have approaches to managing style of listening, en- cent increasegives in ACT proficiency School hasYear. returned to normal silence been exchanged for leadership phones are a cancer in schools,” back to your commu- compromise,” Meyers said. High cellphones School Principal school,” Dennisless said,discipline couraging, supporting, organizing years. afterThe banning at Stan-of his higher test scores, Fuller said. “Teachers came to mein the last fivenity. Through church, scout- “You have to be able to have the Year award was presented to As principal of Holtville High and challenging the staff and stuhope Elmore High School. issues and more socialization. ing, civic organization. See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 It is Futral on Friday, during Futral hasFuller transformed dents, caused the school culture to FUTURAL Students haven’tJan. had28 access to a School, Principal Ewell had a See POLICY, Page A5 See MEYERS, Page A5 the way I’m raising my kids By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
WETUMPKA BRIDGE NAMED ONE OF MOST ICONIC IN NATION A
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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