SPORTS: Brooks striking fear in opposing pitchers, B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 12 | $1.00 WEDNESDAY, Wetumpka pointing to creating moreFEBRUARY tourism2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
CLIFF WILLIAMS THE HERALD
Holtville High School basketball coach arrested
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Wetumpka city leaders want to By Cliff Williams keep the tourism Staff Writer momentum built on HGTV going. Knowing interest generated by A virtual teacher at Elmore Hometown Takeover could wane, city County School’s Edge program leaders are wanting to plan to build has been arrested and charged other tourism interests. Wetumpka with school employee distributing obscene material to a student. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Emmanuel Andre Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery turned himself into authorities Tuesday afternoon.
economic development director Lynn similar work for other cities the size of Weldon is asking the Wetumpka City Wetumpka to produce a program for Council to approve a contract with marketing the city’s resources. STAMP at its next meeting to aid in “They come and produce a map,Franklin said investigators Wilson was the head basket- investigation andinhanded it off developing a tourism plan. not a map like you would think with the Elmore County Sherball coach at Holtville High to the appropriate authorities.of but “We do have tremendous [tourism] He awas mapalso of tourism,” Weldon said. “They iff’s Office have the alleged vicSchool and was placed on adminisresourceson within will categorize our resources. placed ad-our city,” Weldon trative leave at that time.” Maybetim’s phone. Authorities collectsaid. “We want to be able to market even identify things we don’t ed Wilson’s phone as well. ministrative Dennis said some school officials them.” “You could see a conversaleave Jan. 13 follow the same procedure Weldon said STAMP has done See TOURISM, A6 between the two,” Franka tion according to Elwhen administrators receive Page report of allegations against lin said. “Mr. Wilson is going more County school staff and employees. to contend someone had the Schools super“Once we hand it over, we security code to his phone and intendent Richknow very little about what is he was not responsible. There ard Dennis. WILSON going on,” Dennis said. “We is other information we can’t “We had a recooperate with authorities if disclose now but I don’t think port,” Dennis it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.” said. “We had a preliminary necessary.”
CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD
Chamber holds luncheon
Sixteen Elmore County residents graduated from the CERT program recently. The trained volunteers will be able to assist the Elmore County Emergency Management Agency office in multiple ways should volunteer response to an emergency be necessary.
welcoming members
Elmore County CERT program grows By Cliff Williams Staff Writer by 16 members
Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon.
The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its By CLIFFannual WILLIAMS luncheon to install new officers and board News Editor members for the first time in a while Thursday.
The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gathWho gets thebut callthe to help after celebrated disaster the successes of erings chamber strikes? business in Wetumpka. Law enforcement, firefighters emer“We haven’t been ableand to do this for the last cougency management get the call. But when ple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your even more help is needed immediately, who want to get back attendance is an indication people gets the call? The and Elmore County together have these Emergency opportunities to see each Management Agency (EMA) relies on the SeeaCHAMBER, Page A3 help of specially trained volunteers — Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). “We are an office of four,” Elmore County EMA’s Julie Lawrence said. “When we
CLIFF WILLIAMS/
Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis looks over the agenda for Monday’s meeting. Willis and the WetumpkaonCity Wilson was released a are looking $6,000 bond 90Council minutes after turning himself in accordat measures to ing to the Elmore Countytourism Jail in continue website. the city. Dennis said Wilson also coached other sports at Holtville schools including being the head track coach and assistant football coach. Dennis said other staff would fill in for the duties of Wilson at Holtville while he is on administrative leave.
Police continue investigation, man no longer suspected By Jake Arthur Chief Videographer
THE HERALD
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. See CERT, Page A6 According to Wetumpka police chief Greg Benton, this was not a random shooting. “This was not random, not a random act,” said Benton. “We believe the victim and the perpetrator knew each other.” This is the first homicide in Wetumpka in over three years. The last homicide in the took place 2018. By CLIFF WILLIAMS that left an estimated 30,000 cubic lic city works crews out in of the area because “It’s not a good way to start out the new News Editor yards of debris to be removed. Elmore portions of the Jan. 3 tornado path year,” said Benton. County Chief Operations Officer overlapped the Jan. 12 tornado path. SUBMITTED | THE HERALD Benton didn’tthis want lmore County has had three tornaRichie Beyer said work is now com“We started weektoonspeculate Gladys on the A group of students helped pick up litter last does since Thanksgiving to affect plete allowing the county to continue Circle in Titus,” Beyer said. “We will year as part of the Elmore County litter pick up SHOOTING, residents. with other projects. work the next fewSee weeks to continuePage to A3 effort. Another county pickup is organized for the weekend of March 31 to April 2. The county portion of cleanup “We lacked two large stumps clean the Titus and Lightwood side.” from the Jan. 12 EF2 tornado that being removed out of the area that our Beyer said 87% of the funding for struck northern Elmore County and crews will go back and get based on the contractor’s cleanup will come from the November 2022 EF2 that struck the equipment contractor mobilized,” the federal and state government. southern Elmore County is now comBeyer said. “This allows our public “The Jan. 12 tornado was a FEMA plete. The Elmore County Commission works staff to refocus their efforts back recognized event,” Beyer said. “That Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville school culturetofrom that in a positive direction. The ByStaff CLIFF WILLIAMS approved the the use of a contractor on of theaJan.shift 3 cleanup.” High School. Elmore County Suschool struggling with low moschool 62 percent News Editor remove debris from the Jan. 12 event Elmore County experienced purposely keptapubSee TORNADOS, Page A6 The Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline referrals, Secondary School Principals in attendance for the presentation. to a school that strives for excel- 50 percent decrease in chronic Elmore County Commissioner Henry Hines (AASSP) named Holtville High makes no bones about it — “I hate litter.” “Kyle Futral is an exception- lence. By collaborating with staff, absenteeism, 7 percent increase School principal FutralCounty the Comal principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD Hines has been onKyle the Elmore 2022 Alabama High School Printive and innovative in his thinkidentified and addressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate and a 20 perElmore County Public Works Crews will continue the cleanup in the Lightwood and Titus communities following the Jan. 3 tornado. mission for less than two years but his hatred of cipal of the Year. ing and approaches to managing leadership style of listening, encent increase in ACT proficiency Work had paused as a contractor was in the area for cleanup following the Jan. 11 tornado. trash goes back to seeing the welcome signs at The High School Principal of his school,” Dennis said, couraging, supporting, organizing in the last five years. CLEANUP, the Year award was See presented to Page As A6 principal of Holtville High and challenging the staff and stuSee PRINCIPAL, Page A3 Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed dents, caused the school culture to FUTURAL
PICKING UP THE PIECES County cleanup of two of three tornados is complete
E
Commissioner hopes challenge helps cleanup
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
Today’s
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