Defense drives Lady Tribe on winning streak. Sports, Page 12. Wetumpka, AL 36092
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SATURDAY-SUNDAY • March 5-6, 2016
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VOL. 11, NO. 11
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Acts and attractions announced for the 2016 Craterfest STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce announces its plans for its 4th annual large scale music festival, Wetumpka Craterfest to be held on Saturday, April 16 on the banks of the beautiful Coosa River which flows under the Bibb Graves Bridge and next to Gold Star Park. This event
will focus on attracting tourism to the area, highlighting the area’s Marine Impact Crater and offering the event at no cost with the help of sponsorships from community businesses. This family-centered festival will be held at GoldStar Park in downtown Wetumpka from 2 to 7 p.m. rain or shine. Bring the family and be prepared for a day filled with
fun. Handicap parking is available. General parking is available within easy walking distance of the park. Limited bleacher seating is located near the stages, but it is suggested that you bring a lawn chair or blanket for your convenience. The KidZone will feature numerous, brightly colored inflatables; See CRATERFEST • Page 3
Mitch Sneed / The Herald
Country singer Colt Ford will bring his high energy show to CraterFest.
Wetumpka plans big Arbor Day celebration
DA: Death penalty ruling no factor here District Attorney Houston weighs in on capital murder sentencing
City has been honored as a Tree City USA Community for 29 years
By MITCH SNEED Editor
While a Jefferson County appellate court judge has ruled that four men accused of murder can’t face the death penalty, 19th Circuit District Attorney doesn’t think that will have an impact on local cases at this time. In Birmingham, attorneys for Kenny Billups, Stanley Chatman, Torrell McMullin and Benjamin Acton argued that Alabama’s death penalty sentencing laws should not be valid in their cases because it’s unconstitutional. They pointed to the Hurst case in which the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled Florida’s sentencing rules were unconstitutional because a judge, not a jury, had the final say in whether the death penalty is imposed. “I am convinced that the Jefferson County ruling will have no impact of any case here in Elmore County at this time,” District Attorney Randall Houston said. “Until the Supreme Court rules on a case involving Alabama’s law, I don’t see how it can have an impact. “Not only that, but that was done pre-trial. The case that we have here that some have pointed to, it is totally different. So no, I don’t think that ruling applies at all.” The case that some have questioned whether the running would impact is the murder conviction of Calvin See ELECTION • Page 5
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The City of Wetumpka will celebrate Arbor Day and its 29th year as an official “Tree City” with a tree-planting ceremony in Gold Star Park to commemorate four community members who died last year. Along with the memorial tree planting, the annual event, scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 at 2 p.m., will include an award presentation in honor of the city’s accomplishments of participating in all but about 10 years of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program, which began in 1976. There will also be a free tree seedling giveaway, and according to a city press release, the public is encouraged to attend the event sponsored by Wetumpka Pride and the Wetumpka Tree City Committee. A statement by Mayor Jerry Willis read, “The City of Wetumpka likes to take this opportunity to recognize and honor the citizens who have played a major role in the community” Willis said. “By planting a tree in their honor, they will be remembered for their contributions and dedication to Wetumpka.” The tree planting ceremony will commemorate Anne Robinson, See ARBOR • Page 3
Corey Arwood / The Herald
WES held a Literacy Night, filled with costumes, games and books. Above, Wetumpka Elementary School teachers, Cheryl Jones, “Sam I Am” and Sharon Adams, “Fox in Socks,” talk with WES studen, Jessa Wyatt, at Literacy Night.
ALL ABOUT THE BOOKS Wetumpka Elementary shines on Literacy Night By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Wetumpka Elementary School celebrated the life and writings of “Dr. Seuss” and all things reading with a Literacy Night event filled with costumes, bingo, pizza and most important of all – books. It was a fun effort to encourage WES students to read and get the parents involved in their education. The afternoon began with a welcome and thank-you to the parents who braved the evening’s bad weather by WES Principal Bonnie Sullivan. Afterward their was a performance by what Sullivan called, the “famous” WES clown troupe, while the parents and kids alike were treated to pizza and drinks. See READ • Page 5
Voter turnout on Super Tuesday beats numbers in most recent elections Wetumpka man arrested in By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Contributed / The Herald
Elmore County Probate Court Judge John Enslen relays vote totals Tuesday at the Wetumpka Civic Center.
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Elmore County Probate Judge and Chief Elections Officer John Enslen said the 2016 Super Tuesday primary elections for the county produced the largest turnout of voters in recent election history, topping both 2014 and 2012 in voter turnout. Runoff elections for candidates in what was called the ‘hotly contested races’ are scheduled for April 12. When the final results were in late Tuesday night, the overall turnout for Elmore County was roughly 45 percent with more than 20,000 registered
Thursday killing in Pratville
votes. The numbers for Wetumpka were nearly representative of the county average and almost as consistent with 1,050 ballots cast at the Fain Park polling place of the 2,807 voters registered there. While at the Wetumpka Civic Center there were 3,320 registered voters and 1,619 ballots cast. “We had an outstanding turnout, the largest turnout in the memory of most voters,” Enslen said. He explained his thoughts for the increase in numbers. “I think there were two
STAFF REPORTS TPI Staff
Prattville Police Department officials are releasing few details about a Thursday night killing that has a 19-year-old Wetumpka man facing murder charges. Wetumpka’s James Rembert has been arrested and charged with murder after police were called to a residence in the 100 block of Jones Street in Prattville. The call came in at about 8:55 p.m. Once on the scene officers found a man, whose identity was not released, unresponsive. The victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. First responders began CPR, but the See ARREST • Page 5
See VOTERS • Page 5
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