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SATURDAY-SUNDAY • OCTOBER 15-16, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 11, NO. 39
Holtville fight ends with stabbing
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Elmore County Sheriff’s officials said a stabbing occurred at a Holtville High School football game after a “verbal altercation” turned “physical” between two 17-year-olds, one who was transported to an area hospital for two stab wounds. Michael Lasiter, a former Holtville High School student and
ex-Bulldogs wrestler was arrested and charged as an adult in the stabbing, Sheriff Bill Franklin said. Prosecutors with the local District Attorney’s Office said Lasiter had been released from Elmore County Jail after his bond was posted Friday. Franklin said Lasiter is a Wetumpka resident but had no information on why he was no longer a HHS student. “I spoke with him briefly this
morning it is my understanding that they were having an argument over something that has taken place, that they have been arguing over several weeks. It is not about a girl, it is just about rumors…” said Franklin on Friday. The incident occurred after the game, he said, near the school’s new gym, outside of the stadium. There were two wounds sustained by the unnamed victim Franklin said.
One, he said, was deep enough, “that you could probably place your thumb in,” near the victim’s kidney area. The other was described as superficial. Lasiter was charged with second-degree assault with sentences varying from one to 10 years, Franklin said. Franklin said it was a matter of See STABBING • Page 7
Millbrook councilman honored
Voters to have Election Day options
By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Retiring Millbrook City Councilman Fred Watts received a bevy of honors during a retirement party held in his honor Thursday afternoon at the Millbrook Civic Center. Watts is retiring from the council after serving for 16 years. Among the honors Watts was recognized with included a proclamation by the Alabama Senate recognizing him for his years of service. Senator Clyde Chambliss read and presented the proclamation to Watts during the party. See HONORS • Page 3
By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Corey Arwood / The Herald
Rep. Paul Beckman, Circuit Judge John Bush, Rep. Mike Holmes and Sen. Clyde Chambliss at the end of Bush’s retirement ceremony as a near 30-year Elmore County judge.
JUDGE BUSH RETIRES County judge retires after 3 decades By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
William Carroll / The Herald
Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley (left) holds up a sign that will adorn the new Freddy J. Watts Conference Room at Millbrook City Hall. Watts (right) was given several awards by state and local leaders for his service to the city of Millbrook Thursday afternoon.
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A ceremony was held for an Elmore County judge nearing retirement from nearly 30 years on the bench and a who’s who of county judicial officials, state legislators, law enforcement and attorneys showed up to see off the outgoing judge. The standing-room-only event was rightfully held in Courtroom 1 of the Elmore County Judicial Complex. There was an entirely different atmosphere in the courtroom compared to the business of hearings and sentencings conducted only hours earlier. But it was business that Circuit Judge
John Bush performed for about 29 years and 11 months in the county. It started with an emotional introduction from his judicial assistant, Rhonda Kracke, who turned over the microphone to Judge John Bush’s pastor at Wetumpka First United Methodist Church, Brennan Peacock. Circuit Judge Sibley Reynolds presided over the ceremony, and often offered glimpses into the humorous accounts of the early days shared between the Elmore County judges. The District Attorney of the 19th Judicial Circuit, Randall Houston, spoke See JUDGE • Page 2
Local veterans share their stories of wars By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
The second installment of a monthly gathering of veterans at a local museum delved deeper into the “realities of war” versus the fantasies of young recruits and the psychological toll war takes on soldiers today compared with accounts from WWI. The tone at the Dialogues on the Experience of War meeting at the Elmore County Museum in October was different from its first month’s gathering in September. A bigger crowd had gathered to talk about their takeaways from a book of Corey Arwood / The Herald accounts from WWI. At the second meeting of the Dialogues on the Experience of War program A majority of them were veterans a number of veterans gathered to discuss their personal accounts of experifrom various military branches, and at ences with war compared with those of accounts from a short story anthology greatly varying ages. of WWI stories. In the photo, Edward Stevens, 96, displays a German Luger See VETERANS • Page 2 pistol he brought home after his time in Europe during WWII.
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Election Day is fast approaching and the Elmore County Probate Office, which handles elections in the county, is offering information and tips for voters seeking to understand the choices before them. Elmore County Probate Judge John Enslen said that there was some misinformation regarding voting that was circulating around the county that he felt needed to be cleared up, specifically regarding party ticket voters. Elmore County Elections Officer Vicki Stewart said that if voters select a straight party ticket they will still be able to select specific candidates for select races. “All ballots are coded to the races in their corresponding district,” Stewart said. “If a voter marks a straight ticket, any individual races marked will get counted as well.” Stewart explained that if a voter marks a straight party ticket for Republican or Democrat candidates the voter can go back and select individual candidates who See VOTE• Page 2
Commission hears ideas for Thames Building By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Officials from the city of Wetumpka were on hand at Tuesday’s Elmore County Commission meeting to present their proposal to acquire the Thames building downtown, but the commission took no action on the proposal. Several months ago, the Adullam House had originally made a pitch to the commission to take over responsibility for the structure. At the earlier meeting, the Adullam House, See THAMES • Page 3