INSIDE TODAY Wetumpka readies for top 10 showdown with Opelika
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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • OCTOBER 12, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 118, NO.38
County placed under fire advisory By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Elmore County was one of 46 counties recently upgraded from fire danger warning to fire alert status by The Alabama Forestry Commission and a county forester advised residents to avoid burning altogether until wetter conditions arise. According to the AFC report, the status will remain in effect until the State Forester deems conditions have changed and lessened the likelihood of wildfires. The report was issued on Monday and stated nearly 4,000 acres had burned over the last seven days due to approximately 307 different wildfires across the state.
An Elmore County Forester Brian Frederick said the county was not under a “no burn order” at this time. That would take an order from the governor, Frederick said in an email. However, that would be the next step if current conditions do not improve, he said. “We have issued a fire alert for Elmore County,” said Frederick. “This, hopefully will make people aware of the severity of the fire situation right now. We are still issuing burning permits to those who are certified burners and who have adequate equipment to keep a fire under control.” But the AFC urged those to wait until “adequate
moisture” conditions arise, or use “extreme caution.” Those conditions however might not arise for a while, said a National Weather Service meteorologist out of Birmingham, Mary Keiser. She said no rain was in the forecast and Sunday was what she called a “red flag warning.” But dry conditions are not unusual for this time of year, and traditionally October is the region’s driest month of the year, she said. She said Hurricane Matthew had worked to worsen the drought conditions, since the state fell on what she said was the hurricane’s dry side. See ADVISORY • Page A3
Haunted History comes to Wetumpka
Candy walkers to swarm the city
By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
In two weeks the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce will host the city’s first ever Haunted History tour of downtown buildings. According to Chamber Associate Director Jamie Young, the tour currently includes 14 downtown buildings as part of the tour. The Chamber has been working for the last several months with the Central Alabama Paranormal Investigations team to identify buildings in Wetumpka that may have paranormal activity. Young said these 14 locations agreed to be part of the tour and to submit to an investigation by CAPI. Young said the team found evidence of activity in all 14 locations. The locations include the old Lancaster Hotel, the “Big Fish” House, the building that houses the chamber, the Vault, River Perk and the Elmore County Historical Society and Museum. Young said the tour will take three hours in total and will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on October 26, 27, 28, and 29. There is also an extended tour where participants can go to either the museum or the chamber and participate in a real paranormal investigation until midnight. Young said that luminaries will be placed throughout downtown to mark See HAUNTED • Page A3
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Submitted / The Herald
Runners cross the finish line at last year’s Frankenstein’s run, this year event organizers are anticipating 100 runners. Below, at last year’s Frankenstein Run, are Troy Stubbs, Wetumpka Elementary School Principal Bonnie Sullivan and Sean Kreauter.
‘IT’S ALIVE!’ WES to host 2nd Frankenstein Run By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Wetumpka Elementary School had so much success with last year’s Frankenstein Run they decided to do it again according to WES Principal Bonnie Sullivan. “It turned out really well last year,” Sullivan said. “We had a lot of runners show up.” Sullivan said the event turned out so well that they had more runners show up for the event than were anticipated. This year she said she anticipates possibly as many as 100 runners participating See FRANKENSTEIN • Page A3
Swarms of toddlers through 4th graders will soon roam the streets for candy where it has been said they herd in en masse downtown to move from vendor to vendor only to satisfy their infectious sweet tooth. The organizer of the Wetumpka Candy Walk said to some it was a Halloween alternative, to others a fall festival, while others just see it as another way to maximize their season’s candy profits and do both. Regardless of why though, she said there was usually an “enormous” crowd of kids every year at the event. “I cant even express to you how many children come out to enjoy this event,” said Robinson, the city’s special events and tourism manager. It is scheduled for Oct. 25 behind the City Administration Building from 4:30-6:30 p.m., according to a city flyer. Robinson said they were still See CANDY • Page A3
Annual pageant accepting applicants By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The Christmas on the Coosa pageant is less than a month away and the deadline is even sooner to enter the contest for a scholarship, title, crown and a place in the city’s annual holiday parade. Pageant director Tiffany Robinson said she saw the event not just as a beauty pageant, but a time for the K-12 grade contestants to show how well-rounded they were on a number of topics and issues. The top prize in the Nov. 5 contest to go to
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the girl named Miss Christmas on the Coosa is $1500 in scholarship money, the crown and a sash, according to the pageant’s application and contract. This year Robinson said the pageant was open to all girls living in Elmore County and not just to those, as in the past, who attended an Elmore County school. The deadline for registration is Oct. 29, and rehearsals are scheduled for Nov. 1. Robinson said she started working on the event roughly three years ago and it was going on the 10th or so year the city has held the See PAGEANT • Page A3
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Submitted / The Herald
Contestants from the 2015 Miss Christmas on the Coosa Pageant. This year’s winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship as well as other honors.