Tallassee Tribune April 23 2025

Hill won’t rerun, reflects on accomplishments

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

There will be another name listed as mayor Tallassee after the municipal elections in August. She has chosen to not get on the ballot, but it doesn’t mean Mayor Sarah Hill, the city’s first female mayor, hasn’t left her mark on the city. Hill came to the mayor’s office via a Tallassee City Council appointment almost three years ago.

“She worked on infrastructure,” Ward 2 councilmember Linda Mosher

See REMEMBERED, Page A5

Tallassee native Linda Mosher is campaigning to be Ward councilmember on the Tallassee City Council. It’s a position she was appointed to after Mayor Sarah Hill was appinted mayor.

Mosher announces campaign for council

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Tallassee is home for

Linda Mosher and she wants to see it prosper.

Mosher wants to aid in the city’s growth con-

Tallassee City Schools names new THS principal

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

See PRINCIPAL, Page A6

tinuing on as the Ward 2 Councilmember on the Tallassee City Council.

“I think we’ve got a good thing going here in Tallassee,” Mosher said.

See MOSHER, Page A3

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Obituaries

DORIS VONCILLE HURSTON

Mrs. Doris Voncille Hurston, a resident of Tallassee, Alabama, passed away Thursday, April 17, 2025, at the age of 90. She was born July 14, 1934, in Luverne, Alabama, to William Marvin and Lois Daniel Tanner.

Mrs. Hurston is survived by her daughter, Lyn Stephens (Tracy); son, Jim Hurston; grandchildren, Sarah Hurston, Christin Taylor

Police Reports

TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT

APRIL 20

(Brandon), Terry “Trey” Davis (Bethany); great grandchildren, Annika Taylor, Kelsie Taylor, Malakai Taylor, Remington Taylor, Evelyn Davis and Aaron Davis; sister, Linda Kelley; special friend and longtime caregiver, Penny Simmons and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Mr. James H. “Big Jim” Hurston; parents, Marvin and Lois Tan ner;

• An abandoned vehicle was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

APRIL 19

• A noise complaint was reported on East Patton Street.

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Indian Trial.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• Harassment was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• A stolen vehicle was reported on South Wesson Street.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Jordan Avenue.

• Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported on Upper River Road.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Notasulga Road.

• Assistance was given to the Tallassee Fire Department on Gilmer Avenue.

• A welfare check was conducted on Jordan Avenue.

APRIL 18

• Suspicious activity was reported on South Tallassee Drive.

• A fight was reported on South Tallassee Drive.

• An assault was reported on Notasulga Road.

• A noise complaint was reported on First Avenue.

• A suspicious person was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Jordan Avenue and Barnett Boulevard.

sisters, Minnie Lee Holland and Kana Cobb and brother, Marshall Tanner. Mrs. Hurston retired from the banking industry after twenty-six years of service. She was a member of Elam Baptist Church and enjoyed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren immensely.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, April 22, 2025, from 10:00AM until service

APRIL 17

• A welfare check was conducted on Gilmer Avenue.

• A domestic incident was reported on Birch Street.

• Harassment was reported on McNeal Street.

• Reckless driving was reported on Third Avenue.

APRIL 16

• A domestic incident was reported on Quail Run Drive.

• A verbal altercation was reported on West Patton Street.

• A noise complaint was reported on First Avenue.

• Suspicious activity was reported on South Ann Avenue.

APRIL 15

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on North Ann Avenue.

• A domestic dispute was reported on Barnett Boulevard.

• Harassment was reported on Riley Road.

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Friendship Road.

• A domestic dispute was reported on E.B. Payne Sr. Drive.

• A missing person was reported on Notasulga Road.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• An animal complaint was reported on Adams Street.

• A white female was arrested on U.S. Highway 231.

• An animal complaint was reported on Sunset Drive.

• A domestic dispute was reported on North McKenzie Street.

• An animal complaint was reported on Upper River Road.

• Suspicious activity was reported on Peachtree Street.

time at 11:00AM at Elam Baptist Church, Rev. Neal Kelley and Rev. Jimmy Woodall officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery, Jeffcoat Funeral Home directing. Online condolences are available at: www. jeffcoatfuneralhome. com

Jeffcoat Funeral Home Directing Tallassee, Alabama

• A domestic dispute was reported on Freeman Avenue.

APRIL 14

• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Suspicious activity was reported on Freeman Avenue.

• A noise complaint was reported on Dorman Avenue.

• A private property motor vehicle accident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• A noise complaint was reported on Dorman Avenue.

• Forgery was reported on Main Street and Central Boulevard.

• A noise complaint was reported on Notasulga Road.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on North Dubois Street.

• Assistance was given to another agency on North Dubois Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Harris Street.

• Assistance was given to another agency on Hillcrest Street.

• Theft was reported on Ashurst Avenue.

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Macedonia Road.

• An abandoned vehicle was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

APRIL 13

• A hit and run motor vehicle accident was reported on Birch Street.

• A welfare check was conducted on South Tallassee Drive.

• Harassment was reported on East Patton Street and West Butler Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• A juvenile complaint was reported on Rickey Lane.

Elmore County Food Pantry director, former board president arrested

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The Elmore County Food Pantry is still operational despite the arrests last week of former board president Jeff Andrews and director Kathy Hall.

“We are still serving our clients at the food pantry and the thrift store is open,” current board president Larry Dozier said. “There are some new faces around but it is business as usual.”

Dozier left the board

of the food pantry in February 2023, but came back last week following Andrews’ and Hall’s arrest.

“The board asked me to come back,” Dozier said. “There were some board members who resigned and we now have four new

faces and all new officers following a Monday meeting.”

Dozier said he couldn’t comment about the investigation and arrest surrounding Andrews and Hall.

The Wetumpka Police Department issued a release stating it is actively investigating the disappearance of funds from the Elmore County Food Pantry dating back to July 2024.

Wetumpka police chief Ed Reeves acknowledged

arrests had been made but said he couldn’t comment any further due to the ongoing investigation.

Court records indicate Andrews, 61, of Millbrook, and Hall, 50, of Eclectic, have been charged with first-degree theft. They are being held in the Elmore County Jail with a $30,000 cash bond available to them.

Through her attorney, Hall has asked the courts for a bond reduction or the cash only status to be removed.

Summer school fees going up for county schools

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Costs are going up everywhere. Summer school is no different.

The Elmore County Board of Education voted to increase its summer school fees by $25 per class, ultimately making them cost $250 per class.

“This is our first increase since before COVID,” superintendent Richard Dennis said.

Summer school is not only used to help students catch up on classes.

“We students taking classes such as drivers ed to open up their schedules during the normal school year,” Dennis said. “We also have out-of-district stu-

dents enrolling in summer school.” Dennis said it is up to each out-ofdistrict student to ensure the class will transfer to his or her home school.

The board approved the purchase of a truck and tool bed from state bids for use by the maintenance department. It is the same truck and tool bed previously tabled at the request of board member Leisa Finley to make sure local vendors had an opportunity to quote on the items. Finley voted no on the purchase.

The board also approved bids for the Child Nutrition Program to be able to hold the summer feeding program at an estimated cost of about $1.5 million. Last year the program generated about $3 million in revenue and fed about

6,000 students per week. Dennis informed the board the quality of life projects funded primarily by the Elmore County Commission to install turf fields at Holtville and Elmore County high schools are still scheduled to be completed in time of graduations.

IN OTHER ACTION THE ELMORE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION:

• Approved minutes of the March 18 meeting.

• Approved facility use agreements for Wetumpka and Holtville high schools.

• Approved personnel actions.

• Approved monthly financial reports from March 2025.

Humane Society of Elmore County News

Volunteers make shelters run

By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

This week continues recognition of people we think deserve shoutouts as we celebrate National Volunteer Appreciation Week. While our staff has animal care needs covered, our Volunteers help in so many other areas that keep us going.

Our single largest income source is our Tail’s End Thrift Store which is run entirely by Volunteers and we can never thank them enough. Our Thrift

Store Volunteers work incredibly hard receiving donations, processing and getting donations ready for sale, and/or manning the sales desk. It takes a lot of physical work and time to keep our Thrift Store going and are indebted to each and every volunteer who make our Thrift Store possible. All of the monies raised come to the Shelter and has been a true game changer for our Shelter.

Our Board of Directors are all Volunteers who take on the responsibility

of ensuring the financial health of and the future of our Shelter and work tirelessly behind the scenes. We so appreciate their hard work and representation of our Shelter throughout the community as they look out for our Shelter’s future and volunteer in many different capacities.

Volunteers who help us exercise the dogs at the Shelter get lots of doggy kisses and muddy footprints and their dedication helps ensure the physical and mental health of our dogs - we

Pet of the Week - Bonnie

are indebted to their willingness to get down and dirty by spending time with our dogs.

Fosters are also invaluable volunteers who save lives by bringing young & old, scared and shy pets into their homes until they are ready to find those new and forever homes. Fostering is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking work as all fosters fall in love with fostered pets and then cry happy tears when they go on to new lives with loving families. Our fosters are

Bonnie is a 8 1/2-monthsold, female Lab/Pittie mix who weighs about 40 pounds. This super sweet dog came in to us and tested positive for heartworms at only 5 months old (and yes, we tested a second time a month later so don’t think puppies cannot get heartworms). But she has now completed her heartworm treatment and is looking for a loving home who will never fail to make sure she has her monthly heartworm prevention. Bonnie

“We just need to continue it.” Mosher was appointed to the council after Mayor Sarah Hill was appointed mayor to fill the remainder of term after the resignation of then Mayor John Hammock. Mosher saw a chance to help her hometown at the time.

“I have always been interested in the city government,” Mosher said.

“I saw an opportunity to try to do some things that I thought needed to be done in Tallassee and to expand on some things.”

Mosher grew up in Tallassee and graduated from Tallassee High School. She went to Alexander City for more schooling and met her husband there. It was on to Auburn.

“It was Vietnam War time, so he joined the Air Force,” Mosher said. “We traveled around with that.”

The couple came home and lived in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile.

“Some 30 years ago we decided it was time to come home,” Mosher said. “We have thoroughly and completely enjoyed it. We knew that we were meant to be here and it’s a town that I love. I think there’s so much potential here and I want to see it grow.”

is super sweet, friendly, smart, playful and great with other dogs. She would love a family to call her own.

The Humane Society of Elmore County’s adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under 1 year old. Cats over 1 can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, deworming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies

It’s a deep rooted idea in wanting to see a better Tallassee.

“It’s home.” Mosher said. “The shoe fit when we moved back. We absolutely felt like it was a good move.

Mosher raised her daughters in Tallassee and they are products of Tallassee City Schools.

Mosher knows downtown Tallassee. She was there as a child.

“I grew up going in and out of my aunt’s dress shop, my uncle’s hardware store, another uncle’s business,” Mosher said. “My aunt and uncle had the (Hotel Talisi) for a while too.”

Mosher has owned Linda’s in Talisi for most of the time she has been back in her hometown. She has listened to her customers and has a feel for a few changes she would like the city to make to grow options for its residents.

“The mayor has done a great job helping the city get grants,” Mosher said. “I want to see us do more to attract businesses.”

Mosher would like to see the city approach those who might want to locate a business in Tallassee.

“It might be someone who has an idea for business,” Mosher said. “It might be someone who already has a business elsewhere but is looking for a second or third location.”

Mosher’s idea is not to wait and

side by side partners with our staff as we all work to help pets to new and better second lives.

Volunteers also help us by helping at off-site adoption events, by helping with the setup and running of Shelter events and so much more. Reality is that as a non-profit organization, our Volunteers are simply invaluable to us. Please during

this National Volunteer Appreciation Week know how much we appreciate everyone who volunteers their time to help not only our Shelter but any organization in need of help. Our hats are off to Volunteers everywhere.

Rea Cord is the executive director of the Humane Society of Elmore County.

vaccination if old enough and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian. If you are interested in meeting Bonnie or any of the pets at HSEC, the first step is to fill out an adoption application online. Once approved, you will be contacted by someone from the humane society. HSEC is located at 255 Central Plank Road in Wetumpka. The phone number is 334-567-3377 and the website is www.elmorehumane.org.

let business owners come to the city. She wants to see the city do more going to them. Mosher also wants to make it easier for the business to locate in Tallassee.

“We need a one stop place for them to find out about utilities, licenses and zoning,” Mosher said. “I don’t know that the city necessarily needs to hire someone for it. It might be able to be put on the city’s website.”

Mosher believes Tallassee needs housing and some of it needs to be for out of town guests using AirBnB or VRBO.

“I hear that most of those places are staying very busy,” Mosher said. “Those guests also spend money in our shops and restaurants.”

Mosher also wants to see Tallassee take advantage of waterfront property on the Tallapoosa River.

“So few towns have something like this,” Mosher said. “We have to use it and attract people with it.” Mosher said she can’t do it all alone. She wants those interested in Tallassee to help.

“We are headed in such a good, good direction and it’s going to take all of us working together,” Mosher said. “Everybody’s got to pitch in and help do what needs to be done.” Municipal elections are August 26.

Our View Opinion

Pope Francis leaves a legacy of simple love

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IPope Francis, 88, died the morning of April 21.

Earlier this year, his health was rocky due to a case of pneumonia but was able to recover enough to return to the Vatican. He gave the Easter blessing over St. Peter’s square before his death. Whether you are Catholic, Christian, religious or otherwise, Pope Francis left behind lessons all of us can follow.

The main quality Pope Francis was known for was humility. The pope can have access to many luxuries if they choose to. However, Pope Francis broke many of these traditions. He lived in a modest apartment rather than in the Papal Palace. He turned down the pope’s salary, a six-figure compensation.

“The world tells us to seek success, power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love,” Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis was also one for acceptance. While the Catholic Church has a long history of being exclusionary, Pope Francis worked to make it be a place of unity and love.

“I believe in God, not in a Catholic God; there is no Catholic God,” he said. “There is God, and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being.”

Pope Francis’ teachings went against the grain but he, himself, also came from ordinary circumstances. He grew up working class in Buenos Aires from an immigrant family. He was the first Latin American pope and the first Jesuit pope. In many ways, he carved his own path and worked to bring a simple love. Humility, acceptance and love are all things we can model from Pope Francis whether we are religious or not.

You’ve all seen and heard it. The signs on businesses saying their hours were cut short due to a staff shortage.

The help wanted ads.

The endless pleas for workers and the complaints about how difficult it is to find good help.

Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. has been in the same boat for quite some time.

Despite a bit of help during the winter sports season, we have been without a sports reporter in our Elmore County papers since the departure of Dalton Middleton back in September.

Dalton was our sports editor for almost three years, and he made a name for himself in the Wetumpka and Tallasee sports worlds.

Now, I knew there would be big shoes to fill, but I didn’t think they’d be this impossible to fill.

I am happy to report there’s a new slew of graduates, and I hope one of them is on their way shortly to Wetumpka. But until then, I want to give a huge shoutout to the coaches, players and parents of Elmore County who have been

so good to us.

.jpeg attached to the email. Announcements will appear within 10 days in The Tribune, The Herald or The Observer.

Our sports editor, Samuel Higgs, has been covering 12 schools round the clock and doing it virtually on his own. Of course there have been complaints. We had to cut some things here and there and we’ve missed more games than I like to admit.

But every game I’ve covered, the coaches and players have been so gracious.

That’s what’s so incredible about high school sports. They just want to be seen. I always say high school sports is the purest form of sports, and although there’s a high school transfer portal that seems to be getting larger and larger, I don’t expect the purity of the game to change much — or the purity of the players.

looking for their shot. And the newspaper can help deliver that. be more gracious with people.

ly short-staffed right now. It’s easy to get angry at a restaurant because your order is taking lon ger or become anxious because you’re spending a few extra minutes at the

See, those players are just

While people seem to understand the concept of “giving up something for Lent,” more often than not you may hear, “what is Lent?”

The 40-day period before Easter is Lent, and we just finished that up last weekend. It’s supposed to have been a time of reflection, self-sacrifice, and purification – as much as possible.

The Acts of the Apostles tell us that Jesus rose from the grave on Easter, and another forty days passed before he ascended into Heaven. Those 40 days are also very important for the foundation of the Church here on Earth, and paved the way for Pentecost, which comes 10 days after the Ascension.

During the 40 days between Easter and the Ascension, Jesus met with his disciples by eating with them, feeding them, and by inviting them to see Him up close. He also made a lot of time for teaching, via conversations as well as instructing them through stories and examples.

Forty days is Biblically significant. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Elijah took 40 days to reach Mount Horeb. Noah built an ark that saved everyone during a 40-day flood. Goliath taunted people for 40 days before David took action. Even Jesus Christ Himself spent 40 days in

the desert facing temptation and suffering.

With the exception of Jesus, none of these people thought they would be used for anything significant. Moses, Elijah, Noah, and David were just living their lives when God came calling with a greater mission. So, now that I have had the opportunity to reflect upon my personal 40-day period of Lent and what it means moving forward, I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of the successes. I was challenged to not start my day with the news. For most of Lent, especially Holy Week, I barely turned on the TV – and when I did, it wasn’t the news.

I also wanted to dedicate part of each day to devotional time, either in Scripture or prayer (or both). Now that I work out of town, I was able to listen while driving to several very insightful podcasts that aided me in this part of my Lenten journey.

One in particular that is worth pointing out showed up in my

Now what? The 40 days after Lent

podcast queue on its own; I had not gone searching for this one. The preacher spoke with a British accent and I didn’t know who he was. But he spent 30 minutes asking questions and responding with Bible-based answers. He began with, “what kind of man do you want to be?” He moved through a variety of questions, such as “do I lust after other women? Do I consume alcohol or drugs? Do I look at pornography? Do I lie, cheat, or steal?” and so on. He kind of went through each of the Ten Commandments in a way and asked the listener to examine his conscience. All that is fine, but then he turned it around and asked, “what kind of Christian do we want to see?” and went through a similar line of questioning that basically put us in the position of affirming what we’d said to ourselves earlier. In general, this podcast that I can’t seem to find again encouraged me not only to tough it out for 40 days of Lent, but to keep going –do the next right thing, no matter how difficult it may seem or how challenged we might be to stay the course. After all, 10 days after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit appeared in the Upper Room – and the rest is history.

Michael Bird is a teacher at Faulkner University.

RHS students serve as pages at state senate

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter

You never know what it’s like behind the scenes until you step inside.

Reeltown High School sophomores Aubrey Lovelady and Galyn von Gal got to have a one-of-a-kind experience to see how the Alabama legislature works. Both students served as pages for Sen. Jay Hovey for three days this month. Lovelady said they would get anything the senators needed while they were on the chamber floor. The main objective was delivering copies of the bill or amendments. However, they would also run copies of the bill with added amendments to those upstairs, who might be pushing for said amendments. Von Gal added sometimes they would deliver messages from one senator to another too.

It was an eye-opening experience, Lovelady said. Stuff like this happens every day and they had no clue the amount of work that really goes into it. Lovelady said she has a newfound respect for people who work in the government. Some people didn’t leave until 1 a.m. or even later out of dedication for their job.

Watching the senate floor, Love-

lady said the senators can get really heated in arguments but after the meeting, they still work together — even though they may disagree. It shows how you can disagree with someone but still respect them and their position.

“It is interesting to see everyone’s different arguing style too,” Lovelady said. “Some people like to go to hard facts, some people are opinion-based, and some people like to play with everyone’s heartstrings.”

Von Gal said working in this role taught her the importance and value of patience. A lot of your days are listening to people — their concerns, arguments and critiques — and some committee meetings took as long as five hours. She said it was also fascinating to watch the senators listen to both sides and weigh the options.

Von Gal said you can really see how much they each fight for their counties and how they work together to find compromises. It is also interesting to see what the state invests in and how they try to be as fair with it as possible.

In order to be a page, the high school students must be nominated.

Lovelady’s dad is a vet, and her mom is a school counselor, so she didn’t have any connections to pol-

itics. But her uncle and grandfather are bankers like Hovey is.

Meanwhile, Von Gal’s grandmother has worked at the senate for years and this was one of her dreams. Many of Von Gal’s cousins have served as pages and she was excited to participate herself.

Outside of the senate, the pages got a tour of the Supreme Court, the Governor’s Office and the underground tunnels between the government buildings. Lovelady said there’s a lot more to the legislature than what you learn just in school.

Hovey also talked to all the pages and let them pick his brain. Lovelady said, being students, they asked about the cell phone ban, and he did a great job breaking it down for them.

Along with Lovelady and Von Gal, there were a total of 10 pages from all over the state. They said it was fun to meet all the other pages too.

“They are very understanding, knowing the pages have never done this before and seeing how can we help them,” Von Gal said.

Outside of school, Lovelady is in Key Club, Beta Club, FFA and FCA. Von Gal is in track, FFA and hopefully volleyball.

REMEMBERED

Continued from A1

said. “It’s something we’ve got to continue working on. Many of those things are underground or hidden. They tend to be forgotten about until they become a problem.”

Tallasse had an issue with cast iron gas lines. Tallassee had more cast iron pipe in the ground per capita than any other city in the U.S. The city did borrow $4 million through bonds to begin replacing them. But it was far short of completing the task of replacing the lines.

Hill went to work from the mayor’s office applying for grants. First came a $9.7 million grant from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). It was enough to begin the process of replacing 17.75 miles of cast iron gas lines in the Elmore County portion of Tallassee. The next year saw a $5,469,300 from PHMSA to replace more than 13 miles of cast iron gas lines in East Tallassee.

The grant funding will allow Tallassee to replace almost all of its cast iron gas lines.

The combined $15 million in grants is the highest in the history of the City of Tallassee.

“Now, we are able to quickly and efficiently remove these dangerous gas mains over the next few years,” Hill said. “The city is very lucky to have received back-toback funding to address both sides of our city’s gas mains.”

The best part is the grants had no match, costing the city nothing.

Now the remaining bond funds can be used on other utility issues such as the water filter treatment plant. It’s an area where the city received an ADEM grant in the amount of $546,000 to aid in the replacement of the pipe gallery.

“When I stepped into this role, our city was working to rebuild from a difficult chapter in leadership,” Hill said in a release. “The city endured a period of instability and unwanted headlines that cast a shadow over it, but with the support of a dedicated council, we focused on restoring trust, rebuilding relationships with our partners and returning integrity to City Hall.”

The city has also been able to partner with the Elmore County Commission to receive $10 million in funding for a new recreation center. The design for the new center is still in process. Lights at all of the city recreational ballparks were replaced adding new and better lighting with a much needed safety upgrade.

“These efforts, among others, contributed to the highest amount of grant/partnership funding in the history of Tallassee,” Hill said. “It’s a milestone of which I’m incredibly proud.” Mosher sits in the Ward 2 council chair. It’s the same position Hill held three years ago. Mosher has been Hill’s councilmember. Mosher likes what the city has done under Hill’s leadership. Mosher looked to Hill for guidance when she replaced Hill.

“I have learned so much,” Mosher said. “She has been so supportive. She has helped me and guided me along. The mayor has been outstanding in that role.”

Saxon pleased with participation in Black History contest

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

It’s become an annual event for Wendell Saxon and his wife Yvonne to announce winners of the Black History essay and poster contest for Elmore County Schools.

The husband and wife started the initiative five years ago to give teachers an opportunity to bring new lessons into the classroom and reward students. It encourages students to learn some of the achievements of Blacks throughout history such as Booker T. Washington.

“It’s a volunteer program for student participation open to all Elmore County Schools students,” Saxon said. “We had so many tremendous entries this year.”

Saxon’s contest had students in grades three through five create posters and those in higher grades wrote essays. All projects were to be about African Americans past or present who made contributions.

The Saxons raised about $2,600 from fellow Elmore County Board of Education members and the community to give students as prizes in the contest.

The top 10 poster contest winners were: 1st - Kaisley, Wetumpka Elementary School; 2nd - Lakyn Martin, Wetumpka Elementary School; 3rd - Lel’lani Copeland, Wetumpka Elementary School; 4th - Shiloah Davis, Wetumpka Elementary School; 5th - Johnetta Lewis, Eclectic Elementary

School; tied for 6th were Nick Gibson and Michael Lazenby of Wetumpka Elementary School and Jonnetta Lewis of Eclectic Elementary School; 7th - Aubrey Stephens, Redland Elementary School; 8th - Danna Ramirez, Wetumpka Middle School; 9th - Hazel Warren, Wetumpka Elementary School and in 10th - Savannah Lowe, Redland Elementary School. The top 10 essay contest win-

ners in the middle school division were: 1st - Madalyn Stanfield, Wetumpka Middle School; 2nd - Alexis Lowe, Holtville Middle School; 3rd - Maddie Lim, Redland Middle School; 4th - Kaysen Smith, Holtville Middle School; 5th - Sophie Grace Hooks, Redland Middle School; RhyLynn Sims, Holtville Middle School; 7th - Jessie Williams, Wetumpka Middle School; 8th - Liam Peck, Red-

land Middle School; 9th - Annie Smith, Holtville Middle School and in 10th - Braelynn Stanford, Holtville Middle School. The top 10 essay contest winners in the high school division were: 1st - Sita Johnson, Wetumpka High School; 2ndLayla Manus, Stanhope Elmore High School; 3rd - Makayla Patmore, Stanhope Elmore; 4th - Caroline Brown, Wetumpka High School; 5th - Cayden

Pomeroy, Stanhope Elmore; tied for 6th were Ashyn Ruskin of Stanhope Elmore and Matthew Moncada of Wetumpka High School; tied for 7th were Gabriela Moncada and Javon Ryerson of Wetumpka High School and Kendra Williams of Stanhope Elmore; 8th - Jack Pinkard, Wetumpka High School; 9th - Nyema Parker of Stanhope Elmore; 10th - Madison Mitchell, Stanhope Elmore.

which has now been removed off site. This (monument) was bought through Radney and Langley funeral homes. Randy Anderson and Brian Cummings have made sure this was done properly and on time.”

The monument is surrounded by symbol -

ism. A small inner circle around the monument represents the circle of life, Forbus said, while an outer circle is broken into four equal parts representing those who died during the shooting — Phil Dowdell, Keke Smith, Marsiah Collins and Corbin Holston. Leading up to the monument is a sidewalk broken into 32 equal parts, representing the 32 injured that night.

“It’s two years later, and we still haven’t forgotten,” Forbus said through tears. “We will never forget, as a community, what happened that night. For those who suffered in that shooting, those who lost children, I can’t imagine what they’re feeling right now or how their lives have changed. I know it must be very difficult every day, but today, we want to unveil this monument and it stands as a symbol to represent those that have lost their lives.”

City council members Darryl Heard, Teneeshia Johnson, Brownie Caldwell and Tony Wolfe were present to unveil the monument. The four worked together to unveil the monument, which is engraved with the words “In memory of lives lost or injured on April 15, 2023.” At the bottom, it has a special inscription thanking all first responders.

“We could not have done anything that night without all of them,”

Forbus said. “I hope that the community feels honored to have this here. I’m sorry we had to have a monument like this, but we do. And we wanted to let the community know, the families and people that were injured, that Dadeville hasn’t forgotten about you.”

“I grew up teaching riding lessons and riding horses with my parents,” Adams said. “I went to Auburn. I was on the equestrian team and continued to teach writing lessons.”

ing environment,” Adams said. “Some might have discipline issues. Some might just have social, emotional struggles that the general classroom, general big school environment doesn’t work for them.”

Adams returned to the classroom almost three years ago at Tallassee High School taking a job teaching math. She noticed something about the school, its students, families and staff.

She got an animal dairy science degree and thought she might ride or find herself on a farm. Adams met her husband Chad at Auburn. He was a teacher and coach.

“I can credit him for getting into education,” Adams said. “He was like, ‘You love to teach. You teach writing lessons. Why don’t you join me in the field of education?’ He brought me over to his side.”

Adams went back to school and got a masters in general science education. She taught science.

“I don’t advertise it a whole lot, but I coached a little bit — cross country and middle school girls basketball,” Adams said. She got interested in curriculum instruction. With more education under her belt Adams became an instructional coach for Lee County. Soon she was tasked with creating Lee County’s alternative learning program, the Lee County Learning Center. It was her first real work as a school administrator.

“We targeted kids that just struggled, in general, with the traditional learn-

The environment was tailored for students at risk of not graduating high school. There was a lot of one-on-one time with students identifying needs and setting goals to aid them in getting where they wanted to go.

“We identified what they wanted to do when they graduated,” Adams said. “We did tours of Southern Union and got them ready for what they want to do next. It was great. I mean, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching those kids walk across a stage.”

Adams left Lee County schools to aid in starting the middle school at Pike Road as an assistant principal. But the drive was about an hour each way to the family farm. She was bringing her children with her for school.

Her husband Chad took a job teaching and coaching at Tallasse High School. To cut down on travel for their children, they too started attending Tallassee schools.

“I really wanted to be with them,” Adams said. “When you’re married to a coach or another teacher, there’s nothing like all of us being in the same system together, especially when it’s a coach.”

“There’s so much school spirit here,” Adams said. “It’s such a wonderful tight knit community. It’s really a family.” Adams sees room for growth in Tallasse High School. She notes the school has a wonderful and hard working staff. Adams said the school has great career tech programs, a great music program and athletics. She wants to grow current and new partnerships across the area.

She noted how Tallassee students can go to the Elmore County Technical Center. Adams hopes Tallassee students can gain access to more programs there such as JROTC and welding. She also wants to see in what ways Tallassee’s career tech programs can grow.

Adams said everyone in Tallassee schools knows everyone and are willing to help each other out.

“It really is just one big family,” Adams said. “If I’m wearing Tallassee purple and gold, I will see somebody that knows something about Talassee and our programs. It might be fine arts, athletics or academics. You always hear a story about how wonderful it is. It’s a rich culture and history that we have in Tallassee.”

How to be guilt-free

o

I do not. Do you look forward to being the one the

companies call “the responsible party” in the aftermath of an accident? No. Who does, except maybe someone with a pathological need to take the blame for everything? Most of us start practicing the fine art of avoiding blame very early in life, among our siblings and playmates. So when the parent becomes the boss and our siblings become our co-workers, we’re already quite skilled at saying, “It’s not my fault. Don’t blame me,” when something goes wrong. Since we don’t want to be blamed, it seems to me that we should be interested in learning about a way to speak, think and act that is blame-free. Who wouldn’t consider it a blessing to avoid that unpleasant sensation of feeling guilty?

There’s a way to live that brings that blessing. So it stands

to reason that there are other ways of life that do not. The longest of the Psalms begins with some guidance about this blessed way of life. “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways”

(Psalm 119:1-3)

Here’s a description of the person who can enjoy the blessing of living without the anxious weight of guilt. They walk in the law of the Lord. They keep his testimonies. They walk in his ways. Obeying God isn’t just an ideal or a goal for this person; it’s a way of life. They seek God with their whole heart, not parttime or with divided loyalty. And the result is that their way is blameless. No frail, fallen human will be sinless. But this person’s intention and habit is obedience. I realize that there is already a problem with this idea. Even

if we could show more respect for God’s will today and walk more in harmony with his will in the future, we still have the smothering burden of guilt we’ve accumulated in our past. The law of the Lord, which these verses say will make us blameless, is the very thing that convicts us! That’s where the gospel comes in.

In another Psalm, David wrote, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2). It’s not that the blessed man or woman has never transgressed. It’s forgiven. It’s not that he or she has no sin. Their sin is covered. God doesn’t count it against this person. How can God be perfectly just and do that?

Paul explained in Romans how God did it. In Romans 1-3, he convicted everyone, both Jews

Tallassee Churches

and Gentiles, as sinners. All have sinned; none are righteous before God. No one can enjoy blamelessness under the exacting terms of the law. So in chapters 3 and 4, with the example of Abraham who “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” Paul introduced the amazing alternative of being righteous through trusting God. God put sinless Jesus forward as a propitiation by his blood, so he could be just and at the same time justify the one who trusts in Christ. So Paul concluded, “But the words, ‘it was counted to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us, who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:23-25).

The blood that takes away our guilt for past sins keeps on cleansing us as we walk in the light (1 John 1:7). His grace for-

MIKE MCELROY Pastor

gives our sinful past, shows us a better way to live today and continues to cleanse us from the sin we still commit when we stray from his will. This is a better way to live than staggering under the weight of guilt. It’s better than self-deceptive denial. It’s the real way to live guilt-free, and it’s made possible by God’s grace and secured by Jesus’ blood.

Mike McElroy recently retired after preaching almost 27 years at East Tallassee Church of Christ. He is the author of The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide to Your Journey Through the New Testament and Christmas Pilgrims: A Journey to See Jesus. In retirement, Mike plans to continue writing and publishing books in his Abiding Companion series of essays about each chapter of the Bible. He can be reached at mbmcelroy@ gmail.com.

www.TallasseeTribune.com

Tallassee’s late game surge leads to victory over Reeltown

Tallassee softball pulled away with a win over Reeltown with seven runs in the sixth inning.

Reeltown rides fast starts to playoff series win over Isabella

By SAMUEL HIGGS

Sports Reporter

Getting things going for the jump is the motto of the Reeltown baseball team in this year’s playoffs.

The Rebels, who captured their fifth consecutive area title, matched up with the runner-up of Class 2A Area 7 in the Isabella Mustangs. From the start of the series, it seemed as though the Rebels were going to make quick work of the Mustangs with an 11-1 victory in the first game.

Reeltown jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning with Hagan Lewis, JaMarkius Smith, Brody Smith, Slade Carleton and Xander Johnston all logging a run in the first frame. The rest of the night continued at that place, ending the first game in the fifth inning via run rule.

“What we preached all week, set the tone, and we were able to get some timely hits and make them go to the bullpen fairly quick and use some guys,” Reeltown head coach Matt Johnson said. “Defensively, we didn’t have one error. So we went errorless in the first game and I can’t remember the hit total, but we hit the ball really well.”

However, the second game was almost the complete opposite of the first.

The quick start Johnson had seen from his team essentially went away and resulted in a 6-5 loss, to put the series at an even 1-1.

In this go-round, the Rebels were plagued by field errors; cataloging four total with the walk-off single being set up by one of those errors.

“(Isabella) only had one earned run,” Johnson said. “They small-balled us to death late in the game. I don’t know if it was the pressure or what got to us there in the second game, but we just didn’t execute defensively. We hit the ball well enough to win, but we just didn’t execute on the defensive side.”

Even so, that slump did not last long. Reeltown came back to take the series win 13-3 in the third game, where yet again the quick start proved to be beneficial. By the end of the second inning, it was eerily similar to the first with the score being 8-1 and ending the same way with a run-rule.

The Rebels finished the game with 13 total hits — JaMarkius Smith and Hutson Lewis finished with three each. But where Lewis really shined was on the mound, a position he’s limited time at this year.

Lewis came in for Brody Smith and simply just halted Isabella from any success. He only threw 20 pitches, 16 of which were strikes and ended with four strikeouts.

“At the beginning of the fourth we brought Hutson Lewis in, and he shut them down,” Johnson said. “I think he only threw 20 pitches in two innings and I don’t think he gave up a hit. He came in and did a heck of a job, I was really proud of him. We hadn’t used him much on the bump this year. He’s been dealing with some arm aches and pains throughout the year, so to bring him in, for him to be on like that, just that was huge.”

Now all eyes are on the upcoming playoff matchup against G.W. Long, which will be at home for Reeltown. Johnson again will have his eyes on a quick start on the offensive side because he knows it’ll put the momentum on their side.

“The biggest momentum you gain is offensively or the easiest way to gain it,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to give them any momentum in the top of that first inning and by making mistakes. Just making them earn it, we give up too many free bases. That’s kind of what happened in the second game (against Isabella). You can’t defend walks and hit by pitches and when a pitcher is struggling, defense has got to bow their neck and make a play.”

STAFF REPORT

TPI Staff

The bats were on fire for the Tallassee softball team in a 12-2 win over Reeltown on Monday night.

The Tiger compiled a dominant 10 hits, with Cheyann Easterling having arguably the best day. She racked up three hits in her four at-bats including a triple in the fifth and a double in the sixth — scoring three runs and adding two RBIs. Kam Tate got involved with two hits of her own, both going for doubles and Marlee Osborne picked up two triples in her four at-bats.

Reeltown on the other hand, strug-

gled to get people on base. The Rebels picked up just two hits in the game coming from Lilli Johnston and Lainey Patillo, also getting their runs via some pitching miscues. What also cost Reeltown was fielding errors. It finished with three errors, all coming in the final two frames with one resulting in a score for Tallassee.

Overall the game stayed at an even standstill through the first four frames. Reeltown would kick things off with two runs in the top of the second inning while Tallassee chipped in with two runs in the bottom of the third. The fourth inning ended scoreless, but

from that point on it was all Tallassee. The Tigers put three runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth but exploded in the sixth and final inning with seven runs. Both Tallassee and Reeltown have a few remaining regular season games left on their schedule but have their respective area tournaments set. Tallasse will open the Class 4A Area 5 tournament against Montgomery Catholic on Friday at Prattville Christian. Reeltown, who went undefeated in area play, will host the Class 2A Area 6 tournament. It’ll face the winner of the Loachapoka-LaFayette game this Saturday.

WIN IN STYLE

Tallassee picks up victory in first round of playoffs

By LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN Managing Editor

In both games to start the postseason, Tallassee had its back against the wall.

In Game 1 on the baseball diamond, the Tigers faced a multi-run deficit and had to claw their way back in for a 6-5 victory. And it was a similar story in the second game against Munford.

Although Tallassee had the lead early, Munford swarmed back and took a two-run lead in the top of the seventh. But some heroics led Tallassee to a 7-6 walk-off victory.

“Oh, I don’t care how we win at this point,” Tallassee coach John Goodman said with a laugh. “It doesn’t matter to me. You just gotta advance.”

And advance the Tigers did.

Tallasee will now head to the AHSAA Class 4A second round, where they will face W.S. Neal at home starting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. An if-necessary game will be held Friday.

“We’re trying to find out everything we can about them right now,” Goodman said.

“We’re still searching and looking and asking, but at this point in time, we’re really more concerned about us and getting better every day.”

Although Goodman said he doesn’t know yet what he’s going to do as far as his pitching lineup goes, he knows that’ll be a key factor in grabbing a victory Thursday.

“We have got to have solid pitching,” Goodman said.

“We’ve got to throw strikes and when we’ve got base runners, we got to get them in and we can’t leave them on base. If we do that, we’ll be fine.”

That seemed to be one of Tallassee’s biggest issues in the opening round. Although the Tigers were getting runners on base, they were often left stranded — until the end that is.

In Game 1, Munford led the way 5-2 after four frames before Tallassee scored a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Tigers hit the ball well throughout the game, racking up 11 singles on the day, but it wasn’t until the later innings when they started consistently putting runners across.

The ongoing saga of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is probably not the first of its kind, but it most certainly is the first in the public eye. Let’s take a trip back to last week, the college football rumor pool was in a frenzy when the report from On3’s Peter Nakos stated Iamaleava was seeking a pay raise from his already high figure of $2.5 million jump to $4 million. However, what made the report even more baffling is the fact this conversation about a pay raise began back in

SAMUEL HIGGS Sports Reporter

December, right before the Volunteers’ college football playoff debut against the eventual champion Buckeyes. Rumor has it that Iamaleava’s representation, aka his father, was actively shopping his son’s name around to see what draw he could receive in possible NIL funding, all the while Nico was still on Tennessee’s roster. I’d assume this

Abram Whittington led the way with three hits, while Brue Milner and Konner Taunton each had two apiece. On the pitcher’s mound, Thomas Lemmond got things started, going the first five innings and allowing five runs on six hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Jack Butler and Chase Webster closed things out with an inning apiece. Neither allowed a run.

Although Tallassee led most of the way in Game 2, it was another round of catchup in the final inning as Munford put across three runs and took a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh. Serving as the home team, the Tigers had one last chance at bat and took great advantage. Lemmond led off, getting on base on an error and Taunton followed with a base after being hit by a pitch. Brandon Goodman then bunted into an error, scoring Lemmond. Another error on a fly ball led to Tallassee’s game-tying run and Chase Gough played hero by smacking a walk-off single to score Hudson Timmerman and win the game.

was to either lockdown a large sum of money from another university or use it as leverage against Tennessee to compensate him for such.

Let the record be known, Iamaleava is not a terrible quarterback but on the contrary, he surely is not great. Many around the Tennessee program were already debating if the money he was making was worth it in the first place. Of course, he led Tennessee to a 10-3 record and made the CFP, but he only crossed 200 passing yards in five of those 13 games — all against unranked opponents. To put it kindly,

he was not living up to the price tag.

As the rumor mill continued to grow, Iamaleava made a move that I feel is the catalyst for what is transpiring now — he skipped practice the day before Tennessee’s spring game. In response, head coach Josh Heupel let it be known that they are moving on and that “no one is bigger than the Power T.” Tennessee made its move with Nico’s following shortly after, entering his name in the portal while still in search of that $4 million salary. Now that brings us to

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Public Notices

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FLOORING REPLACEMENT AT TALLASSEE HIGH SCHOOL MCKEE PROJECT NO. 25-159 AND FLOORING REPLACEMENT AT TALLASSEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND SOUTHSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL MCKEE PROJECT NO. 25-151 FOR TALLASSEE CITY SCHOOLS TALLASSEE, ALABAMA

Separate sealed proposals for these projects shall be received

Public Notices

pj by Dr. Brock Nolin at Tallassee City Board of Education, 308 King Street, Tallassee, AL 36078; Phone: 334-283-6864, until 2:00 PM Central Time, Thursday, April 24, 2025, then opened and read aloud. All General Contractors bidding on these projects shall be required to visit the site and examine all existing conditions prior to submitting their proposal. All Bidders shall have general liability and workman’s compensation insurance. These projects shall be bid excluding taxes. Bids must be submitted on proposal forms furnished by the Architect or copies thereof. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in the Owners judgment, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted.

Bid Bonds payable to Tallassee City Schools in an amount of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000.00 must accompany the bidder’s sealed proposals. Performance and statutory labor and material payment bonds will be required at the signing of the Contract. All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the provisions of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by the Architect. All bidders shall show such evidence by clearly displaying their current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered. PDFs of the projects can be reviewed by going to the McKee website at www.mckeeassoc. com and selecting “Project Bid List”. Also, if you are not receiving NOTIFICATIONS from us, please register on our website, “Project Bid List” by selecting The documents may be viewed on-line and printed by General Contractors, Sub Contractors and Suppliers. Documents published through this procedure are the only documents endorsed by the Architect. The Architect is unable to monitor,sites that provide documents. Addendums will be provided to entities that have CONFIRMED bidding for this particular project. The Architect retains ownership and copyrights of the documents. If bidders require printed sets, please submit request to the Architect at mckeeplans@ last name, company name, address, phone number and the project name and number. Print

Public Notices

pj sets are to be returned, in reusable condition, within ten days after the bid opening. All RFIs and RFAs regarding the bid documents shall be sent and addressed through emails found on the RFI and RFA forms in the project manual. NOTE: ONLY THE RFI AND RFA FORMS IN THE PROJECT MANUAL WILL BE ACCEPTED. The Architect will not accept inquiries via telephone or fax. Completion Time: See Scope of Work in Project Manual. Supervision: Contractor to ensure proper supervision for all work. Owner: Dr. Brock Nolin, Superintendent, Tallassee City Schools, 308 King Street, Tallassee, AL 36078, Phone: 334-283-6864 Architect: McKee and Associates Architects, Inc., 631 South Hull Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, Phone: 334.834.9933 Tallassee Tribune: BIDS/25-159

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Eclectic town hall to close for training

The Eclectic Town Hall offices will be closed Wednesday, April 23 to Friday, April 25.

The closure will allow the town clerk and other staff to train for municipal elections in August. Residents can leave voicemail and send emails during this time. They will be handled in a timely manner.

The offices will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, April 28.

The Eclectic Police Department and Eclectic Municipal Court office will remain open during this time.

ECHS boys best Holtville 4-3 in overtime

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The rivalry between the Elmore County High School and Holtville soccer programs continued Tuesday night at 17 Springs.

The game was knotted at one goal apiece at the half and at three goals each at the end of regulation.

But it was ECHS junior striker Asher Justice who was the hero of the day. Justice received the ball at midfield and split defenders before taking a shot and scoring the winning goal. It is the second time ECHS has beat Holtville this season.

“This is the second time it’s come down to overtime with this team,” ECHS coach Jeff Bracknell

said. “We played well. I’m glad to get the win.”

Holtville Coach Luke Fussell said his team played hard in the game.

“It’s just these things didn’t go our way,” Fussell said. “That’s how it is sometimes, but I’m proud of our guys. I’m proud of how we kept playing.”

ECHS came out in the second half and controlled the ball. Panther junior Tate McNeely brought the ball up the right sideline and centered the ball for a Justice header into the net.

But Holtville came back minutes later and Tyler Colt Wesson found a hole in the Panther defense to place the ball in for the score. Wesson scored again with 12 minutes to go in regulation.

With just under three minutes left in regulation, Logan Collier found the net for ECHS to tie the game at 3.

Justice would finish the Bulldogs off in overtime.

The Bulldogs and Panthers are in a threeway race with Brewbaker Tech for first, second and third in the area. The first two get into the playoffs and who goes to the postseason will be determined by a Thursday game when Holtville travels to play Brew Tech.

ECHS plays Tallassee on Thursday night and Valley on Monday.

ECHS CRUISES INTO SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

By LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN Managing Editor

If it weren’t for a few errors and free bases here and there in Game 2, Elmore County’s baseball team would’ve had a near perfect day in the opening round of the AHSAA Class 5A playoffs. The Panthers smoked Jemison to the tune of 11-1 in five innings in the opening game of a doubleheader before earning the winner-take-all victory, 15-7, in Game 2. Hits were coming in spades Friday as the Panthers racked up an incredible 32 base hits over the course of the two games.

“We’re playing really well right now,” ECHS coach Michael Dismukes said. “We’ve been consistent throughout the lineup and at the plate, and that really showed up this past weekend.”

In Game 1, Shea Darnell, Austin Davis, Dallin Simpson and Carson Saucier all had two hits apiece, while all but two Panthers recorded at least a single in the game.

Elmore County also used its speed to its advantage, recording six stolen bases including

Continued from A9

today, Iamaleava first garnered a ton of traction as any former five-star recruit does when they enter the portal. Teams would provide an offer they found reasonable, and Iamaleava’s team would respond with a rebuttal of that $4 million. So far, teams have dropped like flies while all looking elsewhere in the portal for a quarterback who’s sporting a cheaper price tag. North Carolina was invested early on, now it’s bringing in former South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez. Tulane and Texas Tech also threw their hats in to then immediately pull them out when they saw the cost of Iamaleava. Eyes

four from Darnell alone. Jaden Eason threw the entire first game, giving up just two hits and one run in the five-inning victory. He struck out nine batters. Game 2 was more of the same offensively. This time, Hayden Jones led the way with a staggering four hits.

Evan Spence and Darnell each recorded two doubles and a single, and Eason also racked up three hits. Every Panther in the hitting lineup recorded at least one single. Elmore County now turns its sights to UMS-Wright, which hosts the Panthers in Round 2 starting Friday. The doubleheader begins at 4 p.m. with an if-necessary game scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

“They’re really good,” Dismukes said. “It’s a hard place to go down and play there, so that’ll be a challenge for us. But we’ve just got to keep playing winning baseball. We’ve done that for the last two weeks so if we continue to do that, I think we’re going to be fine.”

UMS-Wright is typically a very disciplined team, Dismukes said, so it’s going to

point to Iamaleava signing a deal with UCLA according to TV personality Colin Cowherd, but no contract has been signed while the number for his new deal is expected to be $1.75 million.

To add insult to injury, the Iamaleava team is stating the move is not because of the money, like any would actually believe that. They’ve said the Tennessee offensive scheme was ultimately the downfall for Nico and the Volunteers. Again, like anyone would believe, arguably one of the best offensive minds in college football does not have a scheme that would cater towards a highly touted prospect.

The sad part about it is I don’t believe this is the fault of Iamaleava, I think it comes down to his representation throughout the whole matter. Bad advice has only

be important for the Panthers to continue to have strong at-bats.

“The biggest thing is they’ve got some arms that are going to throw strikes,” Dismukes said. “They compete, and they’re really good defensively. So they’re not gonna beat themselves. We’re going to have to really concentrate on having good at-bats and string together some hits. Our pitchers have to show up and throw strikes and pound the zone and let the defense work.”

As far as pitching goes, Dismukes said he has not decided the order of the lineup just yet but he leans toward going the same route as he did in last week’s series.

But if the Panthers can keep up the hitting pace of an average of 2.9 hits per inning — like they did against Jemison — they’re going to be difficult to stop.

“If we continue to hit throughout the lineup and put more pressure on the defense, I think that will give us an advantage,” Dismukes said. “Hopefully we’ll stay hot and play really well. If we do that, I think we’ll be OK.”

taken money out of his pocket, while he will have to find a new home at a significantly less prominent university all while having to learn a new playbook in the process.

We can commend Tennessee and Huepel for how they went about this matter. The university laid the foundation for what could be the norm moving forward with college sports and NIL, showing student-athletes essentially what not to do if they want more money. However, they are also in a predicament — they don’t have a quarterback. Tennessee can write off this year and hope for the future with the No. 1 overall quarterback in the Class of 2026, Brandon Frazier coming soon. But their signal caller, where it stands now, is more than

likely Jake Merklinger, who appeared in two games last year and did not record a passing touchdown. This column is just a long-winded article to say that college athletics continues to evolve in front of our very eyes. And, unfortunately, Iamaleava is now going to be the face of a multitude of different reasons for what not to do when negotiating a contract. Time will tell if the drama surrounding his situation will work out for either side. However, I do imagine this will reverberate through college football as a whole where we will not see as public of a fallout.

Samuel Higgs is the sports editor of The Outlook. He can be reached at samuel.higgs@alexcityoutlook.com.