INSIDE: Best Of Elmore County winners announced Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
ted Our Readers Have Voes And Here Are Their Favorti
The best of education, food,
September 2023
A special supplement
ing & services.
enter tainment, lifestyle, shopp
to The Wetumpka Herald
and The Tallassee Tribune
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 | VOL. 124, NO. 39 | $1.00
Wetumpka man arrested for shooting black bear WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
Holtville High School basketball coach arrested
shooting the enforcement with the Wildbear after law life and Freshwater Fisheries enforcement Division of the Alabama By Cliff of Williams Wilson was the the headcarbasketinvestigation and handed it off Videos a black bear secured Department of Conservation Staff Writer ball coach at Holtville High to the appropriate in Wallsboro just north of cass of a black and Natural Resources, is authorities. School and wasWatkins Hethis wasincident also placed Wetumpka have been making bear. hopeful high-on adminisA virtual teacher at Elmore placed on adtrative leave at that protime.” the rounds for several days. was charged lights the regulations that County School’s Edge program ministrative Dennis said school officials But now, the bear is dead and WATKINS with hunting tect bears in Alabama. has been arrested and charged leave Jan. 13 follow the same procedure a Wetumpka man is in jail. after dark and “Hopefully this arrest will with school distrib-hunting according El- seaadministrators Michael Coleemployee Watkins, 32, during to a closed send awhen message and deter receive a report of allegations against uting obscene material to a stumore County of Wetumpka was arrested by son, according to Elmore future wildlife regulation school staff and employees. dent. Schools superElmore County sheriff depCounty Jail records. “Once we hand it A2 over, we Elmore County Sheriff Bill intendent RichSee ARRESTED, Page uties Thursday morning for Matt Weather, the chief of 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.”
SUBMITTED | THE HERALD
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
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.”
A black bear moves across a field in Alabama. A Wilson was released on was a bear like this $6,000 bond 90shot minutes afand killed ter turning himself inWallsboro accordin the ing to the Elmore County of Jail community website. Elmore County this Dennis said week. 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.
Raising funds to Police Chamber holds luncheontransport Dallas
welcoming members
continue investigation, man no longer suspected
(of) Liberty,” Dallas said. Dallas has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It priIt’s been two years since marily affects males, mainly Dallas Barnes has walked. children. The now 11 year old is “His body doesn’t create dystrophin,” Dallas’ father Memberscomfortable getting around Jeremy Barnes said. “It of the his home and school in a Wetumpka motorized wheelchair, but is required to essentially Chamberthat of only goes so far. regenerate muscles as you Commerce After a recent family tear them down from norattend the trip to New Orleans, Dallas mal use.” chamber’s “A to get around more. wants According to Duchenne. Taste of Our“There is a lot of stuff I com, the lack of dystrophin Home Town” would like to see — Statue See RAISING, Page A6 By Jake Arthur luncheon. Chief Videographer CLIFF WILLIAMS/ By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
By Cliff Williams Staff Writer 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
GUILTY: GOLD E. LOCKS CONVICTED
THE HERALD
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 Wetumpka police chief Greg Benton, this was not a random shooting. “This was not random, not a random WILLIAMS HERALD act,” said Benton. “WeCLIFF believe the| THE vicFriends and family Dallas createknew posters help protimofand the Barnes perpetrator eachtoother.” mote a lemonade This stand is outside Thehomicide Gab in Downtown Wetumpthe first in Wetumpka ka.They are raising fundsthree for anyears. accessible van for the family in over The last homicide in to allow easier travel thefor cityDallas. 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
OF PORRIDGE THEFT, ESCAPES ELMORE COUNTY COURTROOM See CHAMBER, Page A3
“We started this when I first ing and went for a walk as it got on the bench,” Lewis said. cooled. When they returned “I figured this was a really they found Babe E. Bear’s jury of Elmore County good way to introduce kids to porridge missing and beds second graders took no the court system.” slept in. They saw Gold E. time to convict Gold E. Lewis summoned the Locks run from the house. Locks of porridge theft in the services of Wetumpka High Babe E. Bear took the stand courtroom of Circuit Court School students to play the after being called by Jackson. Judge Bill Lewis. But before roles of defense attorney and She admitted to visiting with Lewis could levy a sentence prosecutor. Even Lewis’ sister Gold E. Locks the night before on the friend of Baby Bear, and Elmore County Commisthe alleged porridge theft. Locks escaped, followed by an sioner Desirae Lewis Jackson “I knocked her window out Elmore County bailiff to the played a defense attorney for with a ball,” Babe E. Bear chants of “Guilty.” the mock trial. said. The jury was easily swayed “It helps us get involved Babe went on to say she by Mom E. Bear and Pop E. with children at every level,” would share her porridge Bear but discounted the testiLewis said. “We have actors with Gold E. Locks as part of mony of Locks’ friend Babe from Wetumpka High School. repayment. E. Bear. Little did the students We have the administrators Gold E. Locks took the know, the Bears and Locks playing the role of the Bears stand in her own defense. She were administrators from their and Gold E. Locks. When they said she went to the Bears’ school. pull off the hats, those kids home to get her payment for While the trial and escape realize it could be anyone in the damage done to the home were all fake, the lesson was these shoes.” the night before. Staff Report schoolwide assembly at Holtville the school culture from that of a all real. Lewis has been hostThe Bears each went to the The events played out in High School. Elmore County Su- school struggling with low moing Law Day at the Elmore stand to tell their story. They front of second grade stuThe Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance County Judicial Complex said Mom E. Bear’s porridge Secondary School Principals in attendance for the presentation. to a school that strives for excelPORRIDGE, Page A5 since 2017. was too hot to morn- lence. BySee (AASSP) named Holtville High “Kyle Futral is eat an that exceptioncollaborating with staff, School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were 2022 Alabama High School Prin- tive and innovative in his think- identified and addressed. Futral’s CLIFF WILLIAMS to | THE HERALD cipal of the Year. ing and approaches managing leadership style of listening, enGold Principal E. Locks escaped theschool,” Elmore Dennis County said, Judicial complex couraging, after being found guilty organizing The High School of his supporting, of stealingtoporridge before of Judge Bill Lewis couldand levychallenging a sentence. the staff and stuthe Year award was presented As but principal Holtville High Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed dents, caused the school culture to By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
A
Internet mostly back at county schools See SHOOTING, Page A3
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
Today’s
Today’s Weather Weather
83 65 68 55 High High
CONTACT CONTACT US US
334-567-7811 334-567-7811 Fax: Fax:334-567-3284 334-567-3284
Low
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor shift in a positive direction. The Nearly three weeks after school experienced a 62 percent Elmore County Schools lost decrease in discipline referrals, internet, it has mostly 50 percent decrease in chronic been absenteeism,restored. 7 percent increase just33because in the graduationBut rate, percentit is back up, doesn’t mean not lookincrease in CCR rate and a 20 perto theproficiency future. cent increase ing in ACT “[Just last week] we startin the last five years. ed receiving our emails from See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 superinoutside the system,”
tendent Richard Dennis said. “In the future we will be putting in things for redundancy to be able to respond at various levels, not just here at the central office but at the schools.” Dennis said internet service provider Uniti said there was an “intrusion” that caused the outage. The provider didn’t further FUTURAL See INTERNET, Page A6
a Flea Market & Antiques k p m u Wet 5266 U.S. Hwy. 231 • Wetumpka, AL (Winn Dixie Shopping Center • Behind KFC)
USPS USPS681-260 681-260 THURS:HIGH HIGH8471LOW LOW6553 THURS:
OVER 100 BOOTHS Booth space available starting at $118 per month for 6’ x 10’
334-567-2666