SPORTS: Elmore County softball takes third in state, B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 21 | $1.00
Duo of champs Holtville High School basketball coach arrested WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
Wetumpka softball, Holtville baseball win state titles
By DALTON MIDDLETON ship, while Holtville basechampionship, 2-1 in extra Sports Editor ball won the AHSAA Class innings on Friday night. 5A state Wilson championship. Chloe Taylor, and handed it off By Cliff Williams was the headSophomore basket- investigation As the spring sports Wetumpka raced through on a 3-2 count, singled to Staff Writer ball coach at Holtville High to the appropriate authorities. season comes to an end, the Class 6A state tournacenter field to score junior School and was He was also placed on adminisElmore Countyteacher teams had ment onplaced Thursday Mari Beth Parette A virtual at Elmore onand ad-Fritrativefrom leavesecat that time.” plenty of success at the day. The Indians went 4-0 ond base. It is the Indians’ County School’s Edge program ministrative Dennis said school officials state in Oxford in the tourney second Bluefollow Map andthe firstsame procedure hastournaments been arrested and charged leave with Jan.wins 13 lastwith week. over Oxford, HazeltoGreen, since 2015. when administrators receive a school employee distribaccording Elreport of allegations against uting obscene material stu- more County The Wetumpka softball to a Spanish Fort, and Athens. “These girls competed school staff and employees. dent. Schools team won the AHSAA Wetumpka beatsuperAthwe A2 hand it over, we Elmore Sheriff Bill See“Once WIN, Page Class 6A stateCounty championens, theintendent defendingRichstate know very little about what is Franklin said Emmanuel Andre ard Dennis. WILSON going on,” Dennis said. “We Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery “We had a recooperate with authorities if turned himself into authorities port,” Dennis Tuesday afternoon. said. “We had a preliminary necessary.”
DALTON MIDDLETON THE HERALD
Franklin said investigators with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office have the alleged victim’s phone. Authorities collected Wilson’s phone as well. “You could see a conversation between the two,” Franklin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”
Chamber holds luncheon
welcoming members By Cliff Williams Staff Writer
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 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
CLIFF WILLIAMS/
ONTO THE NEXT
THE HERALD
See CHAMBER, Page A3
Wetumpka celebrates graduates
‘This property isPolice jinxed’
Family searches for missing dog after history of disasters
continue investigation, man no longer suspected
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Shea Ray doesn’t know what tomorrow holds but understands adversity. Since moving to Santuck in 2008, she has lived through the April 2011 tornado and multiple animals going missing. “Every time we get a dog at this property, something either happens to it or it runs away or gets stolen,” Ray said. “Every single time. It is like a series of unfortunate events because it’s See MISSING, Page A5
By Jake Arthur Chief Videographer
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. According to WetumpkaSUBMITTED police |chief THE HERALD Greg Benton, this was not a random shoot-with From left, Noah, Finley and Dallan Ray pose ing. Crumble for a photograph. The family’s English “This Spaniel was nothasrandom, not asince random Springer been missing May 8. 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 city took place in 2018. “It’s not a good way to start out the new year,” said Benton. Benton didn’t want to speculate on the
Court cases can take several years to try
CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD
A little rain didn’t stop the celebration last Tuesday night as the Wetumpka High School Class of 2023 was celebrated. The 249 graduates took to the field after the rain. They heard from valedictorian Brand Mann, salutatorian Jacob King and class president Gavan Baxley. Seth Bordlee, Misti Delauder and Kamden Levi performed “The Future.” Staff Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville Principal Dr. Robbie Slater High School. Elmore County Suannounced the class had The Alabama Association of made 550 college applications perintendent Richard Dennis was SecondaryandSchool Principals in attendance for the presentation. was awarded more (AASSP)than named Holtville High “Kyle Futral is an exception$9 million in athletic, School principal Kyle academic andFutral militarythe al principal and is very proac2022 Alabama High and School Prin- tive and innovative in his thinkscholarships 12 scored cipal of the 30Year. or higher on the ACT. ing and approaches to managing The High School Principal of his school,” Dennis said, the Year award was presented to As principal of Holtville High Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed
Wetumpka’s softball poses with Wilson wasteam released onthe a AHSAA Class state $6,000 bond 90 minutes6Aafchampionship trophy ter turning himself in accordafter defeating ing to the Elmore CountyOxford, Jail 2-1, in extra innings on website. Friday night. 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.
See SHOOTING, Page A3
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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the school culture from that of a school struggling with low morale, achievement and attendance to a school that strives for excellence. By collaborating with staff, many of the school’s issues were identified and addressed. Futral’s leadership style of listening, encouraging, supporting, organizing and challenging the staff and students, caused the school culture to
Television shows have made many think a trial happens just days after a crime hapshift in a positive direction. The pens. school experienced a 62 percent The 60 minute shows and even two hour decrease in discipline referrals, movies 50 percent decrease in chronic are wrong. In fact it will likely take multiple years for a jury to hear most felony absenteeism, 7 percent increase cases. Nineteenth Judicial Circuit District in the graduation rate, 33 percent C.J. Robinson has 11 attorneys increase in CCR rate and a 20Attorney perworking with him in Autauga, Chilton and cent increase in ACT proficiency Elmore counties. They will process 2,000 in the last five years. felony cases in the three counties every See PRINCIPAL, Page A3
FUTURAL See COURT, Page A2
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