SPORTS: Wetumpka wrestling team primed for another run, B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 46 | $1.00 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
Holtville High School basketball coach arrested
Commission approves grant match for volunteer By Cliff Williams Franklin said investigators Wilson was the head basket- investigation and handed it off Wilson was released on a Staff Writer ball coach at Holtville High to the appropriate authorities. with the Elmore County Sher- $6,000 bond 90 minutes affire departments School and was He was also placed on adminis- iff’s Office have the alleged vic- ter turning himself in accord-
A virtual teacher at Elmore placed on adByCounty CLIFF WILLIAMS ship. Itministrative is the team’s fifth School’s Edge program News Editor straight state title. has been arrested and charged leave Jan. 13 Members of thetoElmore with school employee distribaccording ElA little bit of material new legislative delegauting obscene to a County stu- more County equipment is coming for tion briefly spoke to the dent. Schools supersome volunteer fire departcommission aboutRichthe hapElmore County Sheriff Bill intendent ments in Elmore County. Andre peningsard in Dennis. the state house Franklin said Emmanuel WILSON The Elmore in Montgomery. Wilson II, 32,County of Montgomery “We hadState a reCommission approved Sen. Clyde Chambliss turned himself into authorities port,” Dennis and executing 2023 DepartState Rep. Tuesdayaafternoon. said.Jerry “WeStarnes had a preliminary ment of Homeland Secuexplained they were availrity Grant at its Monday able to the commission meeting. Approximately for efforts to improve the $400,000 in funding was county and state. awarded to the county to help improve communiIN OTHER ACTION THE cations. The funds will ELMORE COUNTY COMMISSION: be used to purchase radi• Approved minutes of os and other equipment the Oct. 23 meeting. necessary for better radio • Approved warrants communications. and purchase orders in the The commission also amount of $8,481,535.83 approved executing an for the period of Oct. 14 agreement with the Alato Nov. 3. By Cliff Williams bama Department of Envi• Authorized the chair Staff Writer ronmental Management of the commission to for the American Recovery execute a lease withheld HillThe Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce its Plan Actannual Drinking Water/ side Baptist Church for luncheon to install new officers and board Wastewater and Storma building on Thursday. Old Montmembers for the first time in a while water Project. ADEM is gomery Highway The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamperthat on gathproviding $180,000 housedthePeople Thatof erings but theinchamberonce celebrated successes funding business for threeinprojects Care. Wetumpka. totaling a “We littlehaven’t more than • Set a public been able to do this for thehearing last cou$400,000. The projects for 5 p.m. Jan. 2024 ple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell8,said. “Your include improving storm for public attendance is an indication peoplecomments want to get on back drainagetogether around and roadshave andthese theopportunities possible vacation to see each bridges on Prospect Cutoff of an unnamed road off See CHAMBER, Road, Antioch Road and Gray’s Ferry RoadPage in A3 Rifle Range Road. Titus. The commission passed a resolution honoring the The next meeting of Edgewood Academy Volthe Elmore County Comleyball team for winning mission is scheduled for 5 the AISA state champion- p.m. Monday, Nov. 27.
trative leave at that time.” Dennis said school officials follow the same procedure when administrators receive a report of allegations against school staff and employees. “Once we hand it over, we know very little about what is going on,” Dennis said. “We cooperate with authorities if necessary.”
tim’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.”
ing to the Elmore County Jail website. 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.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH HONORS TWO OLDEST Police
Chamber holdsELMORE luncheon COUNTYcontinue VETS
welcoming members
Ivy Creek holding scarecrow food drive
investigation, man no longer suspected
their casket flags,” Perdue said. stone when he was 100. “They not only received it tonight “I presented it to him one but the family will use it at their year,” Perdue said. “He died he Veterans Day program at funeral.Members To our knowledge, these about a year later.” theoldest veterans in Trinity Episcopal Church in are theoftwo The families of Edwards and Wetumpka Wetumpka was a little differ- Elmore County.” Dozier are already taking care Chamber of flags are ent this year. Perdue said the of the flags. They have already Commerce There was the usual patriinscribed with Nov. 11, 2023 on acquired the triangular boxes attend otic music and honoring of all them and the the family will inscribe flags are displayed in. chamber’s veterans present. But instead of them again at the“Adeath of the The two senior veterans were Taste highlighting one veteran for their veterans. of Our honored alongside all other vetHome service, two were honored. Carl Perdue hasTown” a long history By Jake erans in attendance. The program Arthur luncheon. Edwards, 99, and James Dozier, with the military, and before his featured the Christian CommuniChief Videographer CLIFF WILLIAMS/ 98, were highlighted in the proretirement, he aided veterans with ty Band with vocalist and musiTHE HERALD gram and presented with U.S. various services including providciansare andstill the group Belle Fleurs. Police investigating the fatal Flags in a ceremony retired U.S. ing families with flags for burial. Afterinthe the veterans shooting theprogram Wetumpka Walmart parkArmy CW4 Gardner Perdue has Perdue said he has given one ing lotshared some on Jan. 20.of their stories with only done once before. such flag for the same purpose Police guests indispatched the Gallery to of the Honor in lot were parking “We presented them with before. It was for Walton Whet-around 10:45 p.m. See for VETS, a “shots fired” Page A2 call. Once there, they found Centell Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound in the driver seat of his vehicle. CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD According to Wetumpka police chief Carl Edwards, 99, holds a flag presented to him to use as a casketGreg flag atBenton, his death as Trinity Episcopal this was not a random shootChurch held its annual Veterans Day program Saturday. James Dozier, 98 was presented a similar flag. ing. “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 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 By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
T
Breakfast program encourages vets to take advantage of benefits
scarecrows would be interesting.” Ivy Creek has reserved A full roster of scareportions of Wetumpka’s See SHOOTING, Page A3 By CLIFF WILLIAMS crows is coming to Gold Gold Star Park for the News Editor Star Park event. The inaugural Scare“This is our first time There are many benefits for vetcrow Convention hosted doing it and we are hoping erans in the U.S. Ivy Creek Healthcare will to make it an annual event The breadth of the programs benefit the Elmore County because there is nothing available to helpfrom those Food going on,” Smith said. StaffPantry. Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville the school culture thatwho of ahave shift in a positive direction. The served the country are numerous. School. Elmore County Su- school struggling with low mo- school experienced a 62 percent “This will be something ThisHigh year’s Scarecrow Some of the programs are unknown The to Alabama AssociationConvention of perintendent Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline referrals, similar the Christmas theme cenSecondary School Principals in attendance the presentation. to a school that strives for excel- 50 percent decrease in chronic Tree Trail in Prattville,” ters around the Ironfor Bowl See BREAKFAST, A6 (AASSP) Holtville High Futral with staff, Page absenteeism, 7 percent increase Ivy Creek’s named Heidi Smith between“Kyle Alabama andis an exception- lence. By collaborating School Kyle the albut principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent said. “Weprincipal wanted to do FutralAuburn not necessarily 2022 Alabama High the School PrinandTide innovative something to benefit limitedtive to the and in his think- identified and addressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate and a 20 percipal of theand Year. community saw how Tigers.ing and approaches to managing leadership style of listening, en- cent increase in ACT proficiency CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD High School school,” couraging, supporting, organizing in the last five years. we The jumped from Hal-Principal of “It ishis going to beDennis said, Theand Elmore County Branch 5026and of the NAACP hosted a breakfast for and honored veterans Saturday morning.The program the Year award was presented to As principal of Holtville High challenging the staff stuloween to Christmas. We themed around football honored all veterans and provided and familiesPage to take they have earned. See PRINCIPAL, A3 advantage of benefits Futral on Friday, Jan. Futral hasA6transformed dents, caused the school culture atoreminder for veterans FUTURAL thought something with28 during a School, See FOOD, Page By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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