Tallassee Tribune March 5 2025

Owners concerned about implementation of rental ordinance

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

City inspections are now required when a new tenant moves into a rental house in Tallassee.

The Tallassee City Council passed the ordinance at its Tuesday meeting following a spirited public hearing on the matter. City leaders have said a rental ordinance is

needed to ensure properties are livable. Much of the discussion centered around the unknown.

Joey Scarborough owns rental property in Tallassee.

“I’m not completely opposed to it,” Scarborough told the council. “What I’m a little worried about is how we’re going to implement it.”

Safety upgrades made in Tallassee schools

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Nobody wants an emergency, but it’s best to be prepared for one.

Tallassee City Schools have implemented several new procedures and policies including a system from Centegix Emergency.

“Every employee will have an ID badge with an emergency alert button,” Tallassee City Schools superintendent

Hurst to serve 34 months for Walters’ death

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

“I promised my girls that I would protect them,” Doug Walters told Judge Joy Booth Monday. “I failed them on Dec. 26, 2022.”

Walters delivered a victim impact statement to Booth and directed portions of it at Yolanda Hurst, 45, of Tallassee, who was at the wheel when her vehicle collided with Walters’ daughter Bethany, 17, on Highway 229 just

over two years ago. Bethany died as a result of the crash. A passenger in Bethany’s car was injured.

“Our lives have changed and have not been the same since,” Walters said. “We

School resource officers also get the alert.

The school office is always notified — sometimes the central office.

“It could be for a health emergency as well,” Tallassee City Schools safety coordinator Beth Haynes said.

“Staff will not have to find a button on a desk

Dr. Brock Nolin said. “Staff can press the button and it alerts the office.” Depending on how the button is pressed dictates the initial response. In the most severe cases, law enforcement is notified and thanks to the badge and floor plans can respond to the location.

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The City of Tallassee has invested in the town in recent years.

Over the last five years

large investments through loans, grants and funds from the city have made possible utility relocation and the streetscape project in downtown, cast iron gas

line replacement and sewage lagoon repairs.

But Mayor Sarah Hill said the city can’t do it alone.

“It looks nice, but when people come to town and say, ‘I might want to move to Tallassee, invest in Tallassee or put a business here,’ they ride through some of the areas and say, no,” Hill said. Hill said it is the condition of the properties themselves.

“We can’t do anything unless some people start stepping up and investing in their own buildings and their own houses,” Hill said. “We need to get the owners downtown to sell the buildings and them to be fixed up. We’ve been trying for years.” Hill made the remarks at last week’s Tallassee City

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Obituaries

JAMES WILLIAM CARROLL

Mr. James William Carroll, a resident of Tallassee, Alabama, passed away Monday, February 24, 2025, at the age of 83. Memorial services will be Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 3:00 PM at First Baptist Church, Tallassee, Al with Dr. Trey Waldrop and Rev. Billy Duncan officiating. Mr. Carroll is survived by

Police Reports

TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT

MARCH 2

• A hit and run motor vehicle accident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• A ground cover fire was reported on North Johnson Street.

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

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.

• An abandoned vehicle was reported on Jordan Avenue and County Road 40.

MARCH 1

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

• A burglary was reported on Freeman Avenue.

• A white male was arrested on Central Boulevard.

• Littering was reported on West Gantts Mill Road.

• A noise complaint was reported on Azalea Street.

• A domestic dispute was reported on Benson Avenue.

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

CARROLL

his lovely wife of 41 years Becky Carroll; by his two daughters Towanna Sears (Cal) and Tammy Carroll (Chris Gore); his eight grandchildren Bo Brabham, Audrey Shaw (Chad), Haley Kemp

(Cody), Sommer and Sydnie Sears, Alyssa Gore, Anniston Gore and Cruz Gore; and his one great grandchild Coleman James Shaw. He is preceded in death by his father Robert Jackson Carroll; his mother Mary Lee Carroll; and his siblings Herman, Robert and Loyce. In lieu of flowers the family requests dona-

tions be made In memory of Bill Carroll to Carpenters for Christ, Tallassee First Baptist Church, 1279 Friendship Road, Tallassee, Al 36078. The family will receive friends Sunday, March 2, 2025, from 2:00 PM until service time at First Baptist Church. A private burial will be held later at the family cemetery.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Barnett Boulevard and Friendship Road.

• Burglary was reported

on Sims Avenue. FEB. 28

• A welfare check was conducted on Friendship Road and King Street.

• A suspicious person was reported on Dixie Circle.

• A white female was arrested during a reckless driving call.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.

• Debris was reported in the roadway on Whatley Drive.

• Theft was reported on Central Boulevard.

• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Upper River Road.

• Assistance was given during a medical call on Notasulga Road.

• Criminal mischief was reported on Wesson Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Gilmer Avenue.

• A noise complaint was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

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

• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Central Boulevard.

• An abandoned vehicle was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to another agency on West Patton Street.

• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Tallassee Highway.

• Debris was reported in the roadway on Kent

Road. FEB. 27

• Theft was reported on Lower Tuskegee Road.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on West Gantts Mill Road.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Gilmer Avenue. FEB. 26

• Theft was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Assistance was given to another agency on Central Boulevard.

• Debris was reported in the roadway on Jordan Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• Disorderly conduct was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

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

• Trespassing was reported on Ashurst Avenue.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Gilmer Avenue.

FEB. 25

• Assault was reported on Notasulga Road.

• A civil disturbance was reported on Wood Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Hornsby Lane and Zion Street.

• Gun shots were reported on South Tallassee Drive.

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

• Animal cruelty was reported on Notasulga Road.

• Animal control was requested on Friendship Road.

• Assistance was given to a motorist on Central Boulevard.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Central Boulevard. FEB. 24

• Suspicious activity was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

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

• A runaway juvenile was reported on Second Avenue.

• A welfare check was conducted on West Butler Street.

• A white male was arrested on Thompson Avenue.

• Harassing communications was reported on Barnett Boulevard.

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

• A white male was arrested on Main Street.

• Harassing communications was reported on Gilmer Avenue.

• Animal control was requested on Notasulga Road.

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

• Animal control was requested on North McKenzie Street.

• Assistance was given during a medical call on Notasulga Road.

• Animal control was requested on Notasulga Road.

Nine vehicles were involved in a wreck on Highway 14 at Mt.

Multiple car pileup blocks Highway 14

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Nine cars were involved in a wreck on Highway 14 Friday morning. As commuters were making their way to work a pileup of cars occurred near Mt. Zion Road. First responders on the scene said drivers were looking directly into the sun before 7 a.m. and starting running into the back of each other as the vehicles slowed down. The majority of the vehicles were damaged in the front and rear. It took nearly 90 minutes to clear the scene and transport some drivers to area hospitals with what first responders described as non-life threatening

injuries. The Eclectic Fire Department, Tallassee Fire Department, Friendship Fire Department, Haynes Ambulance, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, ALEA State Troopers and the Alabama Department of Transportation responded to the scene ALEA State Troopers are investigating the crash.

Humane Society of Elmore County News

Shelter gearing up for Jordan’s Way fundraiser

By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

Saturday, we are excited to announce Jordan’s Way will be joining us at the shelter, for a 3-hour LIVE fundraiser as part of their national tour!

This event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and is all about raising funds for our shelter, and you can donate from the comfort of your own home. Whether you can donate $5, $500 or more, every contribution will make a positive difference for our shelter pets. We also ask everyone to please invite, tag, and share this event with everyone you know. The more people we reach, the more support we gain for our deserving animals.

Now the donation link is actually up and running now and we would love to start with a good amount as that will make some of the shorter-term challenges even more fun for our teams (more on that below) – you can donate now and through the event on Facebook.

This is criticalbesides donors, we need help AT the Shelter on Saturday with a minimum of 30 folks (18 and older please), with your charged cell phones, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be fun challenges and games while all of us work our phones and contacts to solicit others to donate during the live event. We need to know as soon as possible if we will have enough people for Saturday, so if you can commit to that

four-hour window with us Saturday, please let us know. We promise it will be fun, so please email us at hselco@bellsouth.net, call us at 334-567-3377 or message the shelter on our Facebook page. You can even come see us at the shelter this week.

A bit of warning — some of these fun games and challenges might result in some of us getting wet, or slimed or some such other fun, so we advise bringing another set of clothes to change into, just in case.

It would sure be fun to have some local leadership, business owners, law enforcement, first responders, media, pastors, etc willing to perhaps take a pie to the face or participate in a tortilla slap to help us raise even more funds as folks

donate just to watch that fun happen. Please just let me know at the shelter if you can find some time to come in to participate in that.

Kris Rotonda, Jordan’s Way founder will be doing shoutouts throughout the Live event recognizing donors, those doing the challenges, local businesses supporting the event and more. It will be a wild, fastpaced ride on Saturday so don’t miss out!

So that our staff can fully participate, the shelter will be closed 2 p.m. Saturday.

We hope you understand as making this event a huge success will take all of our staff, volunteers and supporters to participate. And many of our staff are on tap for some of the chal-

Pet of the Week - Tank

Tank is a 1-year-old male who weighs about 50 pounds; he is adorable, sweet, loving and playful. He is in a foster home where he has proven to be a big snuggle bug and wants to be with his people all the time. Tank loves being inside and getting love. He is great with other dogs of all sizes and both male and female and would likely do best with a buddy dog as he was quite attached to another that has been adopted. Tank is also

or on a wall. It is on them. It allows for a much faster response when needed.”

The Centegix system also has a visitor system. It is similar to other systems used to scan an ID, run a background check, take a photograph of a visitor and print a visitor badge.

“If staff sees an adult without the badge roaming the halls, they can alert the office,” Haynes said.

School officials met with Tallassee police and fire officials to complete its safety plans. Those have been included in the plans with Centegix

housetrained and crate-trained so we’re not sure how much more perfect he could be. 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 vacci -

and state requirements to have floor plans on file with a state agency, which allows for easier and better response in the case of a dire emergency. The alerts from the badges will give law enforcement the location without having to contact school officials. Plans for reunification of students and families in case of emergency or having to move students from a facility have been modified.

“We’ve got that all worked out where we have parents routed in as orderly as it can possibly be in a situation like that,” Haynes said. “We have people that will be directing traffic, people that will make sure that everybody’s going in the right way, and we’ll

nation if old enough and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian. If you are interested in meeting Tank 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.

have plenty of people there to help get them reunited as quickly as possible.”

Parents or guardians who come to pick up students under these circumstances will have to be registered on the student’s records. IDs will be checked and scanned before a student can leave with the adult.

For other emergency situations, especially medical, AEDs are on every campus and are at every athletic event. Staff have been trained to use them. Staff have been trained in CPR and first aid.

Perimeter fences with remotely locked gates have been installed or modified on all three Tallassee City Schools campuses. Portable

lenges (like eating a bug or a super hot ‘chip’ and more, so huge high fives to them for being willing to play along).

Another way to help us is we would greatly appreciate any donations of snacks, sandwiches, drinks, etc for all of our participants that day. We want to be good hosts to Kris and the Jordan’s Way crew who are making this happen for us and

for shelters all over the country. They are raising amazing amounts of money to help shelter and rescue animals all over and that is simply a most wonderful thing indeed. We are grateful to be included so please help us make this a success.

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

metal detectors have been purchased as well to be used across the system as needed.

“Not too long ago, I got a report of possibly a weapon coming in on the bus,” Nolin said. “We popped them up and ran the entire group on the bus through.”

Nolin credited Haynes with much of the work on modifying the safety plans, including working with Centegix.

“They have been on my radar for a few years now,” Nolin said. “Last year the board of education decided to spend the funds on it. For the last 16 weeks she has been working really hard on it. Now we are able to roll it out across all of our schools.”

Our View Opinion

The importance of local editorials

Many times when Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. posts a column or opinion piece, we are flooded with comments about, “Stick to the news.”

Things like, “You should write about newsworthy events, student achievements, local government and sports.” And we do.

As a company, we produce five newspapers a week filled with deep-dives into local government, previews of upcoming events, highlights of our local athletes and students and many other newsworthy topics. But in each paper, one page is reserved for editorials. It’s called the Opinion Page, and it’s been around in newspapers for decades upon decades.

The importance of sharing opinions of local journalists isn’t to make you agree with us. It isn’t so you suddenly jump ship and change political parties. The point is simply to start conversations.

Recently, we’ve written a few timely editorials such as one on the Gulf of America and another about the Wetumpka Indians mascot. Both have been met with vitriol from many Facebook commenters — some who admittedly didn’t even read the full columns, only the headlines.

It’s unfortunate how many people have said basically, “Stay in your lane.” As if journalists cannot enter a civil conversation about something they’ve studied, researched and written about thoroughly.

When we write a column or opinion piece, we are typically offering both sides of the argument and trying to understand where each is coming from. The purpose is to begin a conversation and to point readers in the direction of finding reliable sources and information.

Editorials have long been a part of the newspapers’ history, and we are lucky to have a space to have these kinds of conversations. We also invite anyone to submit a guest column or letter to the editor. Our newspapers are the voice of the community, and we want to reflect that each and every day.

Commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March

This Sunday leaders from throughout Alabama and the entire country will commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March and the infamous Bloody Sunday on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It was a momentous occasion and needs memorializing.

Make no mistake about it, this event led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which gave the vote to Black Americans throughout the country and primarily in the South. It is probably the most important event in the Civil Rights movement. The march on Washington was big and led to the 1964 Civil Rights Bill, but the Bloody Sunday Selma massacre that was seen on television throughout the country was the impetus for the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

The 1964 Civil Rights Bill had just been signed into law. It was a major historic Act. It had been decades in the making. There had been hundreds of marches and murders, with the most horrific being the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, where four little innocent girls were murdered. However, it took the quiet but persistent demands of Dr. Martin Luther King, the hero of the Civil Rights movement, cajoling President Lyndon Johnson to use his legendary legislative prowess and power to pass this monumental 1964 Civil Rights Act. Johnson used all his powers of persuasiveness and political capital to pass the Act. Johnson felt like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was his mountain on a hill, his coup

LIZI GWIN Managing Editor

de gras. He had no appetite for another battle a year later. However, Dr. Martin Luther King was not through. He knew that the Right to Vote was the brass ring. He was persistent with Johnson. LBJ would tell him yes, but he really did not intend to fight another fight. Johnson was foremost a pragmatist and political animal. Johnson was only advocating for Civil Rights for political reasons. Dr. King’s heart and soul were in the battle.

As 1965 dawned, the king of the Civil Rights movement was Dr. Martin Luther King. Alabama’s pugnacious governor, George Wallace, had become the titular symbolic leader of the segregationist white south. They were both astute adversaries. King won in the end. King and Wallace both knew that if violence occurred on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma that people throughout the country would lean in favor of giving Black people in the south the right to vote. Wallace had given his Public Safety Director, Al Lingo, direct orders to not allow violence to occur. However, King and his people knew that they had an ace in the hole in the racist vile Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clark. They knew that Clark would ignore Wallace and Lingo. King knew that his people would be beaten. King had already fled to the

sanctuary of his Atlanta church out of fear for his safety and life.

The scene that unfolded that day was beyond barbaric. As the Civil Rights leaders advanced peacefully, Clark and his posse of hundreds attacked them, viciously, with billy clubs, guns, and tear gas. They beat everyone, including women, savagely. The first to be attacked was a young leader, John Lewis, who was immediately knocked unconscious by a brutal blow to the head, which most people viewing thought had killed him. He later survived with only a concussion. Clark and his posse continued to beat and maul innocent people in their homes. It was truly a brutal massacre of peaceful Civil Rights marchers. The Wallace-Clark segregationist team may have won the battle by beating innocent people, but they lost the war that day. King and Wallace, both knew it. The entire nation was watching this horrific event on television, including one Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House. The Voting Rights Act passed later that year. Bloody Sunday was properly named. It was truly that, a Bloody Sunday. Selma was the impetus for passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Law. Bloody Sunday deserves commemorating.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at steve@steveflowers.us.

A deep dive into SNL50

Ever since the full-blown 50th anniversary weekend of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” a couple of weeks ago, I have been diving deep into the program’s history. Other than watching the behind-the-scenes documentary specials and the excellent film about the show’s musical guests through the years, I’ve been reading a couple of books about the series and listening to a variety of podcasts having to do with all things SNL. And, finally, I watched the recent movie about the making of the first episode called “Saturday Night”.

two every time.

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

The anniversary show proper was three-and-a-half hours long, but played like a supersized episode of the series in that they did very few vintage callbacks; it was a mash-up of casts from different eras mixing together in a variety of sketches.

Speaking of sketches, we wouldn’t be celebrating the magic of Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center were it not for the greatest of all time. There are many choices, and bloggers have been having fun counting them down. Here are some of mine, submitted for your observation.

10. “Motivational Speaker Matt Foley”: Chris Farley was one of the greatest performers to ever appear on SNL, and his full commitment to anything he was given is the reason why. Exhibit A is his “van down by the river” line as he tries to rehabilitate and counsel his clients.

9. The Festrunk Brothers: These “two wild and crazy guys” played by Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd are from Czechoslovakia, and spend most of their time obsessing over hooking up with American foxes. I don’t know why, but I laugh out loud at these

8. “Celebrity Jeopardy!”: There are many installments of this, but I’ve got to go with the one that features Will Ferrell’s spoton Alex Trebek being constantly insulted by Darrell Hammond’s crude Sean Connery … as well as Norm McDonald’s Burt Reynolds (who insists on being called Turd Ferguson).

7. “Star Wars Undercover Boss”: Adam Driver’s intensity as the evil Kylo Ren from the Star Wars films was hilarious in this digital short that parodied the reality show of the same name.

6. “Beavis and Butt-head”: Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling keep being told they look a lot like the cartoon characters, but they’ve never heard of them. This sketch from the current season of SNL has already racked up over 17 million views on YouTube, making it the most successful in show history.

5. “Mom Jeans”: As commercial parodies go – and there have been some great ones, like “Colon Blow” – it’s tough to beat Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, and Amy Poehler in this truly hysterical one.

4. April 22, 1978: Perhaps the greatest single episode in series history, Steve Martin hosts (and debuts what would become his only hit single, “King Tut”) while the Blues Brothers – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd – serve as the musical guests and perform “Soul

Man” as the cold open. It just doesn’t get much more exciting than this when it comes to SNL lore.

3. “Wayne’s World: Aerosmith”: In the early ‘90s, Aerosmith were bigger than ever. Wayne & Garth sat in their basement week after week, producing the low-budget show on their local cable access channel, gushing over the greatness of the band. And then, all of a sudden, Aerosmith show up!

2. “James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party”: Eddie Murphy had dozens of great characters and impressions, from Gumby to Mister Robinson to Stevie Wonder. This classic sketch involves R&B shouter James Brown and his band having a hot tub party with celebrity guests. The idea is so ludicrous, but the execution is genius.

1. "More Cowbell”: There are partisans for the Olympia Cafe (cheeburger, cheeburger).. Weekend Update installments.. the “Wolverines” sketch.. the Coneheads.. Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.. the “Five-Timers Club”.. or Adam Sandler’s funny songs. But I believe the greatest sketch in the history of SNL is from 2000, when Christopher Walken, as record producer Bruce Dickinson, instructs the members of Blue Oyster Cult to give the cowbell its due as they perform “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” You will laugh out loud every time as Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz, and Jimmy Fallon give a performance for the ages! All fifty seasons of “Saturday Night Live” are streaming on Peacock.

Michael Bird is a music professor at Faulkner University.

Experts say Alabama’s rural healthcare needs revitalization

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter

Rural healthcare has been looking bleak in recent years. Hospitals have closed, ambulance services have been cut and there’s a physician shortage. However, not all hope is lost and there’s time for a change.

Alabama Academy of Family Physicians executive vice president Jeff Arrington said the state of rural healthcare is dire. But there are some current bills and programs working to change that. The key is constituents need to be politically engaged. Your representatives need to know you care about these issues so that more policies come down the pipeline.

“Quality healthcare should not be defined by your zip code,” Arrington said. “You shouldn’t have to live in Montgomery, Birmingham, Huntsville or Mobile to get access to healthcare.”

PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE

According to the state’s medical association, the state of Alabama needed more than 3,000 physicians in 2023 and 400 primary care physicians in 2023. Many of the state’s rural physicians are looking to retire soon. So, the state must create pathways for the next generation of physicians.

State Rep. Ed Oliver is sponsoring a rural physician tax credit that will help alleviate the shortage. The last rural physician tax credit was passed in 1993. This new bill adjusts the credit for inflation and further defines what is considered a rural community. Arrington said this can help prospective rural physicians feel like rural healthcare is a viable career move.

Additionally, the University of Alabama started the Rural Medical Scholars Program and later Auburn University started the Rural Medical Program. If you get accepted in these programs, you do a fifth year of undergraduate, and it gets you a slot at UAB Medical School.

“Since its founding, approximately 200 students have participated in the Rural Medical Scholars Program, and 126 have completed medical school and residency,” UAB’s website states. “Of those, the vast majority practice in Alabama, in mostly rural areas, and 65% are primary care physicians.”

Alabama Academy of Family Physicians president and physician Dr. Brittney Anderson is a product of the Rural Medical Scholars Program. She experienced first-hand the difficulties of inaccessible care while studying abroad in Ghana. Anderson had contracted malaria and had to be seen by a health clinic, which her host mother traveled a long distance to get to. Anderson came back to the U.S. with a sparked interest in providing healthcare to the underserved.

While she was telling her parents this plan to return to West Africa to practice medicine, her dad told her she might not need to go to West Africa. He said to look around Alabama; there are people here who also have difficulty with getting access to care. After that, Anderson started trying to find programs that would help her dig deeper.

Anderson said through the program with UA, students were fully immersed. The program offered job shadowing opportunities with rural doctors, talked to local farmers about their needs and had lectures that looked at rural healthcare specifically in Alabama.

“I believe you have a better chance of getting a physician to want to go and stay in rural Alabama to practice if they have some ties to rural Alabama,” Anderson said. “That’s the beauty of those rural medical scholar programs is they are taking students from these rural areas, giving them this extra training in rural care, seeing them through the medical training process with hopes they return to rural areas to practice.”

Arrington added there are a lot of misconceptions about physicians. Family physicians aren't mega-rich. Many are paying back student loans because they typically have four years of undergraduate, four years of medical school and three years of residency training.

Once on the job, physicians are also working long hours, providing life-saving care and, at times, receiving decreased trust from the general public.

“So many of us have a desire to practice in this state and to improve the care of our neighbors and our family members in this state,” Anderson said. “But that doesn’t come without the hard parts of practicing medicine.” With her practice in Demopolis, Anderson works to help mentor future and current physicians. She added it’s not just about raising physicians, but also retaining them.

Retention efforts can be community involvement, mentorship programs and appropriate financial compensation — which can include the rural physician

tax credit. But Medicaid expansion is also part of this picture.

MEDICAID

Alabama is one out of 10 states in the nation that has not expanded Medicaid, according to a report by KFF. Medicaid, in particular, is primarily funded through the federal government. States do put up some funds, but a majority comes from the federal level. When certain medical services aren’t covered by Medicaid, it complicates the care process.

“I am saddened that we are a state that has not expanded Medicaid in order to expand the care we are able to give the patients,” Anderson said. “I think it is a responsibility as part of this state, that the people of our state have access to healthcare, and I don’t know how that’s going to come without us in some way expanding Medicaid.”

There is an idea that Medicaid supports only those who do not work or are not self-reliant. However, Lake Martin Community Hospital physician Dr. Timothy Littmann said many times Medicaid supports treatment for working low-income people, such as roofers, mechanics and other hardworking Alabamians. The need for Medicaid expansion is really about healthcare infrastructure. The rate for Alabama is for every $1 the state puts toward Medicaid, the federal government puts $9 toward Medicaid.

“Regarding the 90-10 split, if we don’t expand Medicaid then Alabama has to foot 100% of the bill,” Littmann said. “Also that just means that some New Yorker is getting money that an Alabamian would get.”

Currently, Oliver is sponsoring a bill that will expand Medicaid to cover colorectal screenings. This particular expansion will also save the state money as more people gain access to preventative care.

AMBULANCE SERVICES AND HOSPITALS CLOSING

Investing in rural healthcare goes beyond individuals, it also makes the community as a whole stronger.

“One of the things Gov. (Kay) Ivey has said for years now is that the two legacies she wants to leave are economic development and fixing the access to healthcare problem in rural Alabama,” Arrington said. “In my mind, those go hand in hand.”

According to Arrington, if you are a developer looking for a place to start an industry or business, you want to ensure your employees will have their needs met. If it's not there, those developers will look elsewhere.

“We are at a critical point looking at healthcare in our state right now and now is the time to do something,” Anderson said, “When we see hospitals throughout the state that are closing their in-patient services or having to close altogether, this is devastating to communities.”

Anderson said, for example, in rural south Alabama, many labor and delivery units have closed. That’s creating a risk for pregnant women. The closing of hospitals and cutting of ambulance services are also a big concern in emergency medical situations.

As the saying goes, time is tissue and the longer it takes to get medical attention the more damage it can do to that person’s ability to recover. At the end of 2024, Pickens County ended its ambulance services. As a response, Lamar Ambulance Service issued an ambulance to cover Pickens County out of Carlton. While having an ambulance is better than none at all, this doesn’t meet the demand and it can create life-death situations.

This is why initiatives like the Tallapoosa County Patient First Program are so important for the county and state. The Patient First Program is a trial program through the state legislature. If deemed successful, this program may be implemented in other parts of the state.

Patient First has an outfitted truck with medical supplies. It is operated by a paramedic, who also has access to telemedicine. It aids in both emergency medical situations and helps chronic care patients.

“We're coming up to an inflection point in rural healthcare,” Littmann said. “We've got to start looking at newer models.”

And Patient First is just one example.

Still, losing healthcare infrastructure hurts everyone. Littmann said when rural hospitals shut down, that puts a burden on bigger city hospitals, which are also dealing with shortages.

“Our physician shortage is now, our EMS shortage is now, our Medicaid problem is now, and all of those (programs) are very good,” Littmann said, as a fellow product of the Rural Medical Program. “Governor Ivey has done a lot of good. But we need some help, and it's everybody.”

Arrington said the biggest thing that the average person can do is let their voice be heard. People can reach out to local representatives and local governments about your feelings on the state of rural healthcare.

“It’s time to invest in the future of healthcare,” Arrington said.

New drive thru coffee shop opens in Tallassee

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The Coffee Cow is bringing the dairy farm to town.

Almost everyone knows Blue Ribbon Dairy in Kent offers up fresh milk and ice cream. It’s available at the dairy and the milk is available in local grocery stores. But Michaela Sanders wanted more and has opened The Coffee Cow on Roosevelt Avenue.

“We are trying to bring the dairy to town,” Sanders said. “We want to make it more convenient for our loyal customers.”

Customers have been able to find Blue Ribbon milk in some local grocery stores, but other products such as ice cream had to be purchased at the farm. Customers can now get Blue Ribbon products in the drive thru and in coffee.

“We wanted to get it to town and more readily available to our customers,” Sanders said. “With us not being directly in town, people have to drive to us to get some of our specialty things they can’t get at a grocery store. With the coffee shop, they can go through the drive through. They can buy our milk, ice cream. They can buy our coffee drinks.”

The name The Coffee Cow comes from a vision.

“I have always wanted an ice cream shop, but I know coffee is the second largest commodity in the world,” Sanders said. “It is popular.

When you put coffee in the name it grabs people’s attention. The cow means it’s all real milk, all real ice cream. It’s all real everything.” Sanders and Blue Ribbon Dairy has been working with Opelika’s Mama Mocha’s Coffee Roastery for coffee beans. They have been playing around with a product on the farm called Iced Crack. It’s a cold brew mixed with brown sugar and Blue Ribbon milk.

“It’s been very popular,” Sanders said.

The coffee shop’s menu takes its clues from customers.

“We are following what the customers want as to what our menu looks like,” Sanders said. “Right now, we are going with the flow and taking suggestions from customers to figure out what products, drinks and add-ons are wanted in the community.” Sanders and The Coffee Cow are looking at expanding the menu. There may be chicken salad sandwiches and fruit cups. She is also looking at the product line.

“We may be able to partner with another local farm that makes their own yogurt and granola,” Sanders said. “We try to support local as much as possible for items we have in our store. If it’s not local we really don’t have it.”

The Coffee Cow is a double drive-thru coffee shop located at 604 N. Roosevelt Street in Tallassee. It is open Monday to Friday 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon.

Dance creates memories and funds for fire department

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The fourth annual Friendship Father-Daughter dance was a success.

The dance moved from a Valentine’s dance to a Mardi Gras theme complete with masks and balloons. Organizer Tiffany Baker said no mothers were allowed in the dance.

“It’s all about the daddies and daughters,” Baker said. “They have a good time. The daddies are not on their phone. They are not worried about mommies telling them what to do. Literally they dance with their daughters and spend time with them.”

Baker said the dance allows for a special connection between fathers and daughters.

“It is important for little girls,” Baker said. “There are so many reasons.” One father carried his 2-year-old in. It was a little time away together that made the young girl feel special as her mother stayed home with a

3-week-old. Fathers chased daughters around the bays of the fire department turned dance floor complete with a DJ, lights and photos. The beams holding the structure of the fire department together were lined with LEDs. It all created a special moment. Fathers joined in on dances like YMCA and the macarena but stood aside as the girls formed a train. The event helps the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department raise funds to service the community. Money is raised through sponsorships and ticket sales. Some of the firefighters dance with their daughters. Others volunteer to help with parking and keeping the place clean. But the department’s mission is never forgotten. Before the end of the evening, the department received a call. Volunteers took several of the fire trucks out to a call donning turnout gear. They returned a little later smelling smoky after extinguishing a small blaze.

Union community unveils FEMA Safe Room

By LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN Managing Editor

The Union community just got a lot safer thanks to the opening of a Federal Emergency Management Agency Safe Room.

“This is a great day for the Union community,” Tallapoosa EMA director Jason Moran said Tuesday. “We’re here to officially open the FEMA Safe Room. Any time something like this can be added to a community that could potentially save lives, that is a great day.”

According to Moran, the safe room was made possible as a result of some pre-disaster mitigation funds that became available in 2019. The safe room took several years to complete as the COVID-19 pandemic was a hindrance to the project, driving prices up. However, the federal government provided about 75% of the funding for the safe room with the Tallapoosa County Commission providing the other 25% in in-kind services.

HILL

Continued from A1

Council meeting. She noted it took 11 years to negotiate and allow the city to clean up the old Hotel Talisi where the building was a burned out shell for the most part. The city spent about $187,000 to clean it up.

Moran said it was a group effort to complete the project as even Congressman Mike Rogers and Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s staff was involved in pushing it through the proper channels.

“We appreciate that this was a team effort from our federal, state and local governments and the community,” Moran said. “The result of that is a life-saving facility that will be here for years to come. So thank you to all the community club members and its leadership for the willingness to make this happen.”

Commissioner George Carlton was also a part of the unveiling ceremony as he represents the Union community.

“I want to thank the community club for letting us do this down here and everybody who was involved in getting this going,” Carlton said. “I want to thank Mr. Tuberville’s office for all their help too. Like Jason said, we might not have it done yet if it weren’t for them pushing it through.”

“That is money that could have been spent in parks or something else,” Hill said. “It could have been spent on ballfields, the rec center.”

Hill said it is estimated that 60% of the residential property in Tallassee is rented out to tenants.

“It’s got to change if this town is going to move forward,” Hill said.

The mayor said one of the main difficulties the city has in recruiting retailers to town is the percentage of owner

occupied homes. Hill noted several homes on Gilmer Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares in town, are in severe decline. Her own home purchased by her father and renovated by her has lost value compared to the money to purchase and renovate it.

“It all makes me feel really, really bad, because I know that there are so many people within Tallassee that are pushing so hard for prog -

ORDINANCE

Continued from A1

WHAT’S MISSING

ress,” Hill said. The mayor said she and the seven members of the city council are constantly questioned about what they are doing and getting complaints.

But Hill said Tallassee residents need to have more civic pride about themselves and their properties. While the council and city can’t legislate civic pride, it can pass ordinances and create policies to create better hygiene and a

Scarborough said his family does a good job at keeping up their rental properties but is worried about how long an inspection might take.

“Is it going to take our property out for a month waiting on somebody to come inspect it?” Scarborough asked.

Property owner Jason Price also asked about the length of time to get an inspection. He said he was often working out of town making it difficult to meet inspectors during normal business hours.

“What do we do when we have a tenant ready to move in?” Price asked.

Tallassee Mayor Sarah Hill the process would be adjusted as needed to speed the inspection process, which would be conducted by employees and contractors.

Hill said the ordinance and its inspections are needed because about 60% of the homes in Tallassee are rental properties and many are unkept or unsafe.

“We can’t regulate civic pride, but we can regulate safety and hygiene,” Hill said.

Tallassee fire chief and code enforcement officer Eric Jones said the inspections would follow the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code.

“This code shall be construed to secure its expressed intent, which is to ensure public health, safety and welfare insofar as they are affected by the continued occupancy and maintenance of structures and premises,” the code states. “Existing structures and premises that do not comply with these provisions shall be altered or repaired to provide a minimum level of health and safety as required.”

Jones said if a rental home is deemed unsafe it is unrentable until the issues are resolved.

Many of the homes in question were constructed to house the employees of textile mills.

Tallassee city building inspector Trey Taylor said the power meter of many

have to force ourselves to get out of bed.”

Walters said Jordan, Bethany’s older sister, looked up to her.

“Though Bethany would say she looked up to Jordan,” Walters said.

This past weekend the family celebrated Jordan’s wedding without Bethany.

“We bought a dress for Bethany,” Walters said. “It was placed in a chair at the wedding since she could not be there. (Bethany) should have been there standing with her sister.”

safer environment. It is one of the reasons for the new rental ordinance.

“There are a lot of people that have let people live in filth and squalor,” Hill said. “They have absolutely no problem showing up on Sunday and going to church. I definitely think that there are some people here that really need to question how they make their money in terms of letting those people live like that.”

homes has been pulled.

“The power company will not cut the power back on until a disconnect is installed,” Taylor said.

Price said many of the mill houses only have two electrical circuits. He said they were being added on to help heat homes because of the expense of gas.

The code calls for structures to be called unfit for occupancy when deemed to be unsafe, have unsafe equipment or the structure is unfit.

Jones said he has been on calls with the fire department where a rental home had no toilet.

“They are using a bucket or a hole,” Jones said. “There’s no reason for that. People shouldn’t be living there. They’re paying rent and what I’ve heard for what they pay for rent is ridiculous, especially for the living conditions of what they’re living in.”

Hill said not all rental property owners are bad. Some want to buy property and fix them up. Others are not interested in selling or fixing up their properties.

“It’s not about the money,” Hill said. “It’s just about what they can control. There are things in these that I’ve heard horror stories of the amount of stuff that’s going on in these houses that are unsafe, unhygienic, causing sickness, causing problems.”

The city will not cut on the water to a rental property without it passing an inspection first.

Hill and Jones understand the first few months will be hectic as the city and property owners figure out the process. It’s a similar ordinance passed in the past in Alexander City, Opelika and Gadsden.

The ordinance does not apply to Section 8 housing. Those are governed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Alexander City, HUD standards were higher than those in the rental ordinance.

“Federal law supersedes a state, county or city (regulation),” Tallassee city attorney John Smith said. “The city can’t regulate those properties.”

vehicle crossed the center line and collided with Bethany’ vehicle. Hurst has at least 10 different traffic citations related to driving without a license or driving while revoked over the years.

Booth gave Hurst the maximum sentence on all the charges and for them to be served consecutively. Still it only added up to 36 months. The assault sentence was then split with 10 months to serve followed by 24 months of supervised probation where Hurst is required to get an Alabama driver’s license. It means Hurst will serve 34 months in jail for Bethany’s death and related charges.

It was the second trial for Hurst and the Walters family after Hurst appealed her conviction and oneyear sentence in Elmore County District Court.

any’s death. The second being the first trial and the third being the second trial.

“You took my daughter’s life,” Walters said. “All you had to do was obey the law by not driving a car.”

Hurst said she was a “good person.”

“I’m sorry,” Hurst told the family. “I’m sorry you lost your daughter. I’m not a bad person. I’m a good person. I would never hurt a child.”

Walters said in his statement that after each conviction, Hurst’s body language and comments proved differently.

Last month, Hurst was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide, third-degree assault, driving while license was revoked, reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle without a license. They are all charges related to the crash where Hurst’s

Doug Walters called it a third nightmare. The first being the night of Beth-

Booth said she couldn’t understand Hurst’s constant disregard for continually driving without a license.

“Why do we have traffic laws if nobody follows them?” Booth asked from the bench. “You got a ticket, then another and another.” SERVE

There is a difference

reetings from the corner of Bridge and Bridge. March has arrived in the river region in true spring fashion. I cannot remember a spring when the temperature range between high and low for the day was twenty degrees or less. I Could get used to this!

Observing the seasonal activity in my yard has nudged my theological brain these past couple of weeks. Yes, I know that is somewhat of a curse. At the same time, it is a welcome part of my calling. I tend to think theologically about what I witness on a daily basis.

Anyone observing our yard at the moment would see it as an untamed wasteland. There is literally stuff growing everywhere. It is hard to see all of the healthy, long-lasting inhabitants planted and cared for in our yard. Right now, wild,

REV. JONATHAN YARBORO

Columnist

wooly, weedy growth is all the eye can see.

I have hope for our yard, and I have faith. I know that the abundant clover will die off after a couple of cuttings, revealing thick St. Augustine grass. I know the pruned roses will blossom and flourish along with the crepe myrtles and camelia bushes.

I also know that the only way anyone will ever see that beauty is if our yard is tended to. If it is ignored, the weeds will remain. Even if they do not succeed in choking out the desired vegetation, they will continue to occupy flower beds

and walkways if not removed by someone.

Magical thinking is a psychological condition widely present in the earthly kingdom. It is the belief that one’s ideas, thoughts, actions, words, or use of symbols can influence the course of events in the material world. Magical thinking presumes a causal link between one’s inner, personal experience and the external physical world.

The condition essentially observes the fact that what we say and do matters. We fallible and imperfect human beings can influence earthly reality; both for the good and the not so good. I doubt anyone would argue with that.

Magical thinking can easily shift from psychological condition to mental illness. That shift results in the belief that

Tallassee Churches

one’s ideas, thoughts, actions, words, or use of symbols will alter the course of events in the material world. Isn’t that the same thing? It is not.

The difference may appear subtle, but I assure you it is not. The condition acknowledges taking responsibility for self in the grand scheme of things. The illness takes no responsibility for self. There is a difference. My vocation has me spending a lot of time with both varieties.

Embodying hope is a form of the condition. Living in faith requires believing God’s promises regarding life in the earthly kingdom. It also requires acknowledging the role God’s human creation, the whole of it, plays. Human beings are invited and encouraged to live according to divine intention for the good

of the whole.

Hope and faith apart from that reality is delusion. I wish magical thinking of the mental illness variety actually worked. I would never have to pull another weed! No one would. Wouldn’t that be nice? Maybe so, and maybe not. Either way, it would not be realistic. Faith in God and hope for the present and future God envisions for the whole of the earthly kingdom that does not include self is false. We cannot change anything by our ideas, thoughts, actions, words, or use of symbols. We can use all of them to bear witness to the things God intends and makes possible. There is a difference.

Rev. Jonathan Yarboro is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Wetumpka

Halftime adjustments propel Tallassee to a win

By SAMUEL HIGGS Sports Reporter

It was bleak to start for the Tallassee girls soccer team in a Monday night clash against Holtville.

The Tigers had ample opportunities to score in the first half but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net, trailing by one goal to the Bulldogs. That was until

coach Matt Tarpley’s halftime adjustment changed the course of the game.

Tallassee found its rhythm and found it quickly. After just six minutes of play to kick off the second half, Tallassee nailed the equalizer and did not look back. It scored two more goals to roar to a 3-1 victory and take its second win of the year.

“I was happy with their

Reeltown baseball, softball pick up wins

REELTOWN SOFTBALL SNAGS FIRST WIN OF THE YEAR

The Reeltown baseball team picked up a big 14-7 win over Beauregard on Thursday, but it did not go as easily as the score would indicate.

The Rebels jumped out to a sizable lead through the first five innings with a score of 7-2. However, the Hornets clawed their way back into the thick of it with a five-run outing in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game up.

Following two scoreless innings, the game went extended into extra innings. That’s where the road ended for Beaurgard with Reeltown scoring seven runs in the top of the eighth inning.

Hagan Lewis had a day only few can dream of, not hitting one or two home runs — he hit three.

In his four at-bats for the Rebels, he sent three beyond the fence, scoring three runs and logging four RBIs.

He was not alone with a home run either, JaMarkius Smith sent one over the fence in the top of the third. On the day, the Rebels matched their run total with the same amount of hits at 14; Hutson Lewis, Brody Smith, Branton Spraggins, Xander Johnston and Preston Lynn.

The Reeltown softball team also had a solid week, splitting with Beauregard and Eufala on Friday.

First was Beauregard where Reeltown fell, 10-1. Things started off slow for both teams where Beauregard held a 2-1 lead going into the fourth. Beauregard eventually scored eight runs while Reeltown was held scoreless.

Lilli Johnston, Madeline Giles, Caroline Sutherland and Maddie Stockdale all logged hits for the Rebels. Crisdan Dunn took over in the pitcher’s circle, surrendering eight hits and 10 runs while walking two batters and striking out three. Next up was Eufala, against which Reeltown took a 6-3 win for its first of the year.

Kira Chappell led off for the Rebels and ended with two hits and two runs on the day. Dunn and Kelli Whitelow also came in with a hit each. Dunn again took to the circle where she had a solid day only surrendering two hits and one run while walking one batter and striking out another. Johnston also came in for an inning in the circle, sharing some of the success, surrendering two hits and two runs while walking one batter.

Wright, Delfin lead Tigers to dominant victory

By SAMUEL HIGGS Sports Reporter

The Tallasse boys soccer team’s one-two punch of Rush Wright and Irvin Delfin was on full display in the team’s 6-1 victory to notch its fifth win of the season.

Wright struck first, and second, against the Bull-

dogs, showcasing his ability with both his left and right foot. In years past, he was a mainstay on the back row playing defense, but some additional depth on the team allowed Tallassee coach Matt Tarpley to move him up.

“Rush has been a

resilience,” Tarpley said. “Going down early makes us nervous, but the girls fought back three unanswered to get a 3-1 win. It’s good stuff for the girls.”

Tarpley attributed the second-half adjustment to his girls’ mentality. He knows that where they lack athleticism, they can make up with

CLEANING IT UP ON DEFENSE FOR TALLASSEE

By SAMUEL HIGGS Sports Reporter

Runs came in bunches in the matchup between the Tallassee and Dadeville softball teams.

Tallassee ultimately outlasted its Tiger counterparts with a 17-13 victory, but one thing was very glaring for both teams — fielding errors. Tallassee ended the game with five errors in total which proved costly, especially in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Tigers had control early on jumping out to a 4-1 lead, but Dadeville continually found a way to keep the game within reach. Even when Tallassee scored six runs in the top of the fourth to have a seven-run lead, Dadeville responded with six runs of its own to again cut the deficit to just one.

A majority of the runs Dadeville scored came off Tallassee errors. Tallassee coach Pat Love knows fielding is not a strong suit of the team and is trying to

figure out a way to address the issue.

“I mean we’re a poor fielding team,” Love said. “We practice it, practice it and practice it. I don’t know how we’re gonna change that. Everybody we got out there is really good; we normally don’t do this, but the last couple of games we’ve been doing it and we did it again tonight. Like we gotta limit that, limit it to one. We let one turn the three or four, but we gotta limit that. And if we do that, we’ll be a really good team.”

Although defense is one issue that will be important for Tallassee to fix, one thing it does not have to address is hitting. Of course, when you score 17 runs it’s a good day in the batter’s box. In total, Tallassee came away with 20 hits with every girl on the team logging at least one hit. Cheyann Easterling, Marlee Osborne, Reagan Easterwood, Kam Tate and Olivia Hammonds all had three hits apiece against Dadeville.

SAMUEL HIGGS TPI

Tallassee’s Kam Tate slides into home base for a score against Dadeville. See HALFTIME, Page B2

“The one thing that we did do is we hit when runners were in scoring position,” Love said. “We responded each time. When we gave up six runs or whatever, we came back and we put up six more. So every time they hit us, we responded.” Love and the rest of the Tallassee softball team have high aspirations as to where they can go at the end of the season. However, Love knows if they want to make it to the state tournament and ultimately come away with a state championship, his team can’t play defense like they showed on Thursday.

“We’ve got to clean it up,” Love said. “We’ve got to clean up defensively. We pitched good enough to win tonight. We hit good enough to win tonight. We did not play defense good enough to win. We’ve got to pick that up and clean that up, for us to go where we want to get the end of the year in the state tournament and be there; we’ve got to pick up defense.”

Tallassee council to move meeting dates

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Meetings of the Tallassee City Council will likely move to Mondays.

Tallassee Mayor Sarah Hill brought the idea to the council at its Tuesday meeting.

“I know I’m about to have issues with Tuesdays,” Hill

said. “I know councilmember Bill Hall is having to take leave from work for Monday meetings.”

The council currently meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. There is frequently a work session before the meetings.

The proposal to amend the ordinance setting meetings will

occur at the next meeting. It would take effect if the council approves it at its Tuesday, April 15 meeting. If approved, all meetings after that date would be on Mondays.

The council also approved agreements with Elmore County to assist with August municipal elections primarily through the use of polling

Local schools put on living wax museum for Black History Month

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter

This past week Horseshoe Bend School’s and Reeltown Elementary School’s gifted students came together to honor Black History Month. The gift students, third through fifth grade, put together a living wax museum Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday morning. The following students were featured.

REELTOWN ELEMENTARY

• JP Rollins as Helper

• Ava Stanfield as Nichelle Nichols

• Lyric Godbolt as Ruby Bridges

• Anna Carson Tapley as Misty Copeland

• Zaid Alqahtain as Usian Bolt

• Townes Barham as Guion Bluford

• Collins Bonifay as Louis Armstrong

• Kyleigh Burton as Florence Griffith Joiner

• Addie Chamness as Serena Williams

• Reagan Garner as Ella Fitzgerald

• Cooper Taylor as Muhammad Ali

• Jack Conradson as Authur Ash

• Zain Moore as Daniel Hale Williams Horseshoe Bend

• Hayden Garrett as John Legend

• Oliver Gilliland as George Washington Carver

• Tristian Mooney as Jackie Robinson

• Adalee Morris as Mary Bowser

• Breck Sanford as Benjamin Davis Jr

• Grayson Stewart as Collin Powell

• Mackenzie Thomas as Misty Copeland

• Blakely Worthy as Alice Ball

• John Bence as Michael Jordan

• Lillian Booth as Simone Biles

• Whitley Daniel as Katherine Cooper

• Luke Kinder as Michael Jackson

• Charlie McCrane as Fred Gray

• Levi Turner as Muhammad Ali

• Emma Seaton as Ella Fitzgerald

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

4 Elmore County at Reeltown, 6:30

p.m.

4 Lee-Scott at Wetumpka, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

4 Tallassee at LAMP, 3 p.m.

4 Alabama Christian Academy at Stanhope Elmore, 6 p.m.

4 Wetumpka at Elmore County, 6 p.m.

4 Edgewood at Lowndes Varsity Tournament, TBD

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

4 Auburn at Stanhope Elmore, 4:30 p.m.

4 Percy Julian at Wetumpka, 4:30 p.m. (DH)

4 Edgewood at Lowndes Tournament, TBD

defender his whole life,” Tarpley said. “We knew that he had the potential to play on the wing. He certainly got the pace and the speed to exploit outside backs. And so we finally have enough depth where I don’t have to play him on the back line, and we’re able to move him out onto the wing, and he’s just dangerous with his speed and his pace and his

HALFTIME Continued from B1

• Mason Booth as Matthew Henson

• Stephen Duerr as Nelson Mandela

• Jackson Gilbert as Fredrick Jones

• Presley Johns as Annie Easley

• Abigail Morgan as Bessie Coleman

• Hannah Queen as Maya Angelo

• Alana Thompson as Jackie Joiner Kersee

• Harrison Vines as Booker T Washington

• Charleigh Worthy as Ruby Bridges

SPORTS CALENDAR

4 Tallassee at Montgomery Catholic, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 7

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

4 Elmore County at Central Phenix City, 4 p.m.

4 Elmore County at Glenwood, 7 p.m.

4 Booker T. Washington at Tallassee, 4:30 p.m. (DH)

4 Bethlehem Christian, Holtville at Glenwood, 5 p.m.

4 Edgewood at Lowndes Tournament, TBD

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

4 Edgewood at Lowndes Varsity Tournament, TBD

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER

4 Tallassee at Elmore County, 5:30 p.m.

4 Marbury at Holtville, 5:30 p.m.

feet, he can finish with both feet.” Delfin on the other hand got involved and ended the night with a hat trick. It is already known the impact he has on the pitch being arguably one of the best soccer players in the state of Alabama. He reminded everyone on the field why he scored a nation-high 65 goals last year with his performance against Holtville. “It was a pretty low-key hat trick (for him),” Tarpley said. “I mean he’s special. Every-

their attitude. “They fight every time,” Trapley said. “You know that we may not be the most talented or the most technical

machines. Hill also announced Tallassee had reached another milestone by being named a Tree City USA for the 32nd time by the Arbor Day Foundation.

IN OTHER ACTION THE TALLASSEE CITY COUNCIL:

• Approved minutes of the Feb. 11 meeting.

• Approved the Samson Strong 5K for April 12.

• Approved a rental inspection ordinance.

• Canceled the March 25 meeting due to conflicts with spring break.

The next meeting of the Tallassee City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 11.

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The students of the Wall Street Head Start Center proved sneakers can be used for dancing. The center used fashion to create a student/parent activity — Valentine’s Day Sneaker Ball. It was an extension of the current course of study at the head start center.

“We were on the clothing study,” Wall Street Head Start Center director and lead teacher Christal Nelson said. “We were showing the children you can be comfortable by dressing up or dressing down, plus it was Valentines Day. Nelson and staff at the center worked with students on learning different styles of clothing, how clothes are constructed and the materials clothing is made from. Students also were taught

SATURDAY, MARCH 8

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

4 Stanhope Elmore at Saint James, 12 p.m.

4 Wetumpka, Elberta at Opelika, 7 p.m.

4 St. Anne-pacelli, Calvary, Holtville at Glenwood, 4 p.m.

4 Edgewood at Lowndes Tournament, TBD

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

4 Edgewood at Lowndes Varsity Tournament, TBD

MONDAY, MARCH 10

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

4 Marbury at Elmore County, 6 p.m.

4 Prattville at Wetumpka, 6 p.m.

4 LAMP at Holtville, 5 p.m.

4 Lakeside at Edgewood, 4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER

4 Holtville at Booker T. Washington, 5:30 p.m.

body knows him. He’s one of the more talented players in the state. He can take over a game at any time. He’s just a special kid, and he can finish like no one.”

Overall, Tallassee controlled the entirety of the game and showed Tarpley a change is coming for the squad. After winning three straight to begin the season, Tallassee went on a five game stretch with either a tie or a loss. Now the team has picked up back-to-back wins.

team out there, but I can always count on our girls to fight until you know the last whistle.”

The start of the season has none quite to plan with the Tigers holding a 2-5-1 record through this early stretch of the season, but Tarpley has seen his girls gradually improve. Against Holtville, he commended his girls for

what was appropriate clothing for different types of events.

The center tries to have monthly activities where students can share what they have learned with parents. In February, it was the Valentine’s Day Sneaker Ball.

“The students got dressed for a dance,” Nelson said. “Parents were their dates. It was the first time we have done this. The staff and I have been wanting to do it for years. We had enough volunteers, parents and staff to put our heads together and we pulled it off.”

Students and their parents were met with balloons, streamers and a red carpet in the auditorium of the Wall Street Senior Center which is adjacent to the head start center.

“They loved it,” Nelson said. “It was beautiful. The kids had fun, danced. They enjoyed it.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 11

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

4 Alabama Christian Academy at Elmore County, 5 p.m.

4 Tallassee at Reeltown, 5 p.m.

4 Trinity Presbyterian at Stanhope Elmore, 5 p.m.

4 Wetumpka at Percy Julian, 6 p.m.

4 Holtville at Pike Road, 5 p.m.

4 Edgewood at Abbeville, 4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

4 Holtville at Elmore County, 5 p.m.

“We had a rocky start to the season,” Tarpley said. “They played well last week, (we) started to share, and we’re beginning to trust each other, which is a weird thing to say for a team that’s been together for a few years now, but we’ve had some trust issues early in the season, and they’re starting to trust each other a little bit more and just sharing the ball. And when they share, we’re really dangerous.”

Tarpley knows they have a difficult area schedule with

being able to connect with one another on passes, something he had not seen much success in so far.

“For the girls, they’re making big strides and connecting passes,” Tarpley said. “Early in the year, it was kick it and chase it. And they’ve kind of adjusted to where now they’re looking for each other. They’re doing a better

multiple teams ranked among the top soccer programs in the state, but he wants to make sure they are playing their best ball come April.

“We need to continue to grow and trust one another,” Tarpley said. “I’d love for us to move the ball a little faster and increase our pace of play. We’ve got the toughest freaking area in the state. Four of the five teams in our area are ranked in the top 10 currently. So every night’s going to be a battle.”

job of finding feet, and we’re seeing the success of that.”

This was the Tigers’ highest scoring affair of the season, tied only in a loss against Charles Henderson where they totaled three goals. They will continue to make strides as the season rolls along to possibly make a postseason push in April.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

INVITATION TO BID!!! P. F. Moon & Company, Inc. is currently accepting proposals from suppliers & subcontractors for the Tallassee AL Water Treatment Plan Upgrades project. P F Moon and Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage DBE/MBE/WBE participation. For more information regarding this project or other projects P F Moon and Company is currently bidding, contact Bidding 706.643.1524.

Tallassee Tribune: Feb. 26 and Mar. 5, 2025 BIDS PUBLIC NOTICE ORDINANCE NO.2025-695

ORDINANCE ADOPTING A REGISTRATION AND INSPECTION PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES BEING RENTED WITHIN THE CITY OF TALLASSEE, ALABAMA BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Tallassee as follows: ARTICLE VI RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY REGISTRATION AND INSPECTION Section 1 Title. This article shall be known as the Residential Rental Property Registration and Inspection Code of the City of Tallassee. Section 2 Legislative Findings. The City of Tallassee does here-

(a) The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant as Section 35-9A-101 et seq, 1975 Code of Alabama, became effective on January 1, 2021; (b) Section 35-9A-102(b) states that one of the purposes of the Act is to encourage landlords and tenants to maintain and improve the quality of housing;

(c) Section 11-40-10(b) authorizes a municipality to enforce police or sanitary regulations within the city limits and to pre-olations of the regulations; (d) Section 11-45-8(c) authorizes a municipality to adopt ordinances, rules and regulations as a code for the construction, erection, alteration or improvement of buildings, the installa-tures, installation of gas or gas and sanitation, mechanical, housing, elimination and repair of unsafe buildings and other like codes;

(e) Section 35-9A-204(a)(1) requires a landlord to comply with the requirements of applicable building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety; (f) Section 35-9A-301(1) requires a tenant to comply with all obligations primarily imposed upon tenants by applicable provisions of building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety;

(g) Pursuant to Section 11-45-1, a municipality is authorized to adopt ordinances not inconsistent with the laws of the state to provide for the safety, preserve the health, promote the prosperity and improve the morals, order, comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of the municipality;

(h) There is a need to protect the public health, safety and welfare of the occupants of residential rental dwelling units in the City of Tallassee;

(i) The City Council of the City of Tallassee (the “City”) recogniz-isting rental housing stock is of tremendous importance. Rental housing provides needed, affordable housing for many and is a valuable asset that must be preserved and maintained. The in ensuring that rental housing remains a safe and desirable housing option for its citizens.

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gpstandard and unsanitary residential buildings and rental housing units whose conditions violate state and local building, housing, and safety Codes and ordinances. Property owners may be unaware of some hazardous conditions, or may choose not to make the necessary repairs due to costs.

unsafe for human occupancy and their conditions jeopardize the health, safety, and welfare of their occupants and of the public. Substandard housing conditions pose a particularly acute risk to young children (from lead poisoning or asthma attacks from mold and other airborne irritants), seniors (from falls), and people with chronic illnesses.

(l) Relying on a complaint-based enforcement program is inadequate to ensure that rental housing properties are safely and adequately maintained. Inspection authorities often do not receive complaints about rental units with the worst violations of health and safety codes. Tenants may fear being evicted or that their rent will be raised for reporting violations or may face language or education barriers preventing them from using complaint-based programs.

(m) Deteriorating and substandard buildings and dwelling units also threaten the physical, social, and economic stability of neighboring structures and surrounding neighborhoods and the community as a whole.

By ensuring that landlords are aware of poor conditions before they worsen, proactive inspections encourage preventative maintenance, which is more cost effective than deferred maintenance, and thereby helps landlords to maintain their properties. Proactive rental inspection programs can ensure that properties don’t become blighted, thereby preserving neighboring property values

(n) Public interest demands that all rental housing properties comply with the minimum standards regarding the health and safety of the public. The most effective way to seek universal compliance with the minimum standards is through routine, periodic inspections of all rental housing properties.

(p) Residential rental dwelling units are in need of inspection

deterioration and to maintain safe, decent and sanitary living conditions for the tenants of such units.

The City of Tallassee now seeks to adopt regulations of the type approved by the Attorney General to provide for the safety and preserve the health of persons residing in rental housing. Section 3 Purpose.

The purpose of this article is to ensure that rental housing in the City is maintained in a good, safe and sanitary condition and does not create a nuisance or blighted condition to its surroundings; to protect the character and stability of residential of substandard residential rental properties; to correct and prevent housing conditions that adversely affect the safety, general welfare and health of the residents; to preserve the value of land and structures throughout the City of Tallassee; to provide certain minimum housing standards necessary to the health and safety of residents; and to enhance the quality of life of residents of the City living in residential rental units. With respect to rental disputes, it is not the intent of the City of Tallassee to intrude upon contractual relationships between tenant and landlord. The City of Tallassee does not intend to intervene as an advocate for either party, nor to be receptive to complaints between tenants and landlords which are not spethe provisions of this article. In the absence of such relevancy with regard to rental disputes, it is intended that the contractingedies as are available to them without the intervention of the City of Tallassee.

For the purposes of this ordinance, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

building inspector of the building inspection division or his or her designee.

(b) “City” means the City of Tallassee, Alabama.

(c) “Factory built housing” means a factory built structure designed for long-term residential use, the components of which are essentially constructed or assembled prior to its delivery to and installation upon a site. Factory built housing includes modular homes, manufactured homes, mobile homes and house trailers.

(d) “Property Maintenance Code” means the International Property Maintenance Code.

(e) “Property Owner” means a person, persons, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or any other entity holding fee title to the subject real property. If more than one person or entity owns the subject real property, “Property Owner” refers to each person or entity holding any portion of the fee interest in the property, and the Property Owners’ obligations in this article are joint and several as to each property owner.cate” means a document issued that the residential rental dwelling unit is in compliance with the Property Maintenance Code.

(g) “Residential Rental Property” means a structure or part

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yp of a structure, including factory built housing structures, with one or more residential units which are leased for occupancy. However, it does not include the 5. Residential rental property includes the following: sinapartments, townhouses, condominiums and factory built housing structures.

(h) “Residential Rental Dwelling Unit” means one (1) or more rooms in a structure designed and used as a residence or living quarters by one (1) or more persons who are not its owners and contained within a residenherein. It is a housing unit that is or may be available for rent or is occupied or rented by a tenant any form of consideration. However, it does not include the (i) “Shelter” means a facility with overnight sleeping accommodations, owned, operated ornization or governmental entity, the primary purpose of which is to provide temporary shelter for the homeless in general or homeless.

(j) “Unit unavailable for rent” means any residential dwelling unit that is not offered or available for rent as a rental unit and where prior to offering or making the unit available as a rental housing unit, the owner is required to register the rental property and comply with all rules adopted under this article.

(k) “Vacant” means a residential dwelling unit that is unoccupied or illegally occupied.

Section 5 Scope. This article shall apply to all residential rental dwelling units located within the City of Tallassee and all accessory uses thereon, including parking lots, driveways, landscaping, accessory structures, fences, walls, areas. This article shall not apply to: (a) Housing accommodations in hotels, motels, inns or tourist homes.

(b) Housing accommodations in hospitals, state licensed group homes, any facilities occupied religious order; licensed nursingical care facilities; licensed assisted living facilities, asylums or on-campus housing accommodations owned, operated or managed by an institution of higher education.

(c) Owner or manager occupied rental units.

(d) Rental units that are owned, operated or managed by a governmental agency other than from municipal regulation pursuant to state or federal law or regulations, but only so long as such government ownership, operations or management orlation continues in effect.

(e) Public Housing Units owned or administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Tallassee.

(f) Section 8 rental units whose vouchers are administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Tallassee.

(g) Owner occupied condominium and townhouse units.

(h) Emergency or temporary shelter or transitional housing accommodations.

(i) Units unavailable for rent.

Section 6 Registration of Residential Rental Property.

(a) After April 1, 2025, it shall be unlawful for any owner, aserate a residential rental property without registering it with the City and complying with the provisions of this article. All must be registered with the City on or before April 1, 2025, but not before March 1, 2025. The registration of residential rental properties required herein shallcember of each year thereafter.

(b) After March 1, 2025, a newly constructed or converted residential rental property shall be registered with the City and atained before said property is occupied. Section 7 Application Requirements. Applications for registration inspection department and accompanied by a registration fee as established in Section 10. Such application shall include the following information:

(a) Name, street address and telephone number of the owner of the rental unit.

(b) Name, street address and telephone number of the owner’s agent responsible for the management of the premises of the rental unit.

(c) Legal address of the rental unit.

(d) Number of units in each building within the rental property.

(e) Description of rental unit

(i.e.) house, condominium, townhouse, apartment, manufactured home, mobile home, etc.

(f) Signed statement of owner and owner’s agent indicating that he/she is aware of the City’s Property Maintenance Code knowingly violating said Code.

(g) The name and address of the registered agent, if the owner is a corporation.

(h) Number of rental units, if property is an apartment comunit numbers must accompany the registration.

(i) The owner’s signature and date of registration.

Section 8 Registration Renewal. If there are no changes in ownership or agent representation, renewals of the registration may

new rentbe issued. No residential rental dwelling unit shall be occupied if it does not have a valid rentcompletion of an inspection, if the residential rental dwelling

Public

Notices

g unit is not in compliance with the Property Maintenance Code and this article, the owner or his/her agent shall be furnishedolations that shall be corrected and setting a time within which such violations shall be correct-cies shall be corrected with all City required permits, approvals and inspections and re-inspecin the notice before a rental A provisional rental occupancy residential rental dwelling unit is substantially but not entirely in compliance with the Property Maintenance Code and there are no imminent life, health or safety threatening violations. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a residential dwelling unit shall not be subject to inspection by the building three (3) years from the date of issuance of the initial rental for re-inspections by the buildand inspections in response to citizen based complaints under Section 14. It shall be unlawful and in violation of this article for the owner of a residential rental dwelling unit to refuse to allow residential dwelling unit as required by Sections 12, 13 and 14.

Section 13 Re-inspections. A residential dwelling unit thatciencies shall be subject to reinAll violation corrections shall be completed within the time Noncompliance with a notice shall automatically terminate

Section 14 Complaint-based Inspection. Nothing contained herein shall prevent or restrict the authorinspect any residential rental dwelling unit, or the premises thereof, in response to a citizen complaint alleging code violations or other violations of law at such unit and to pursue all code enforcement remedies permissible under this article or other laws following such a complaint-based inspection of a residential rental dwelling unit. Upon receipt of a citizen-based shall inspect the pertinent residential rental dwelling unit and/ or areas of the residential rental property. All violations shall be corrected with all City required permits, approvals and inspections and re-inspections within

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in order to maintain a current

a residential rental property. Noncompliance with a notice shall automatically terminate and render it null and void.

Section 15 Rental Occupancy

issued pursuant to this article shall specify: the date of issuance, the legal use and occupancy of the unit, the unit address, the name of the unit is issued, and that the unit complies with applicable laws so far as could be determined by inspection. It shall be unlawful and in a violation of this article for the owner of a residential rental dwelling unit to allow occupancy of a residential rentaltaining a rental occupancy cer-

has been terminated. Noncompliance with a notice and ordertomatically terminate the rental -

Section 16 Exemptions From Inspection Requirement.

Newly constructed residentialempt from the inspection provisions of Section 12 for a period of seven (7) years from the date

begin to run on the date thecate of occupancy for the unit. to complaint-based inspections under Section 14.

Section 17 Inspection Fees.

(a) The owner of the residential rental dwelling unit shall pay to dollars ($75.00) for the initial inspection and one (1) reinspection of the unit to verify that substandard conditions have been corrected in accordance with Section 13. The owner shall be dollars ($25.00) for each additional follow-up reinspection.

(b) If a residential rental dwelling unit has been occupied without having been issued in violation of this article, the owner of the residential rental dwelling unit shall pay to the City the following fees:

(2) $300.00 for the second occupancy within one (1) year

(3) $500.00 for the third occupancy within one (1) year with-

Section 18 Administrative Regulations.

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rized and directed to promulgate administrative regulations pertaining to the implementation and enforcement of this article; provided, however, such administrative regulations shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this article.

Section 19 Suspension of Rentsuspend a rental occupancy determines that:

(1) the residential rental property is unsafe or in a dangerouscial gives notice to the owner to remedy the unsafe or dangerous condition of the building or structure; (2) the owner fails to comply with a notice of violation; (3) the owner fails to comply with a requirement of this article; (4) the owner fails to comply with other City permitting requirements; or (5) the owner fails to pay the annual registration fee or inspection fee.

(b) A suspension is effectivemines that the owner complies with: (1) the requirements of this article;

cial or court of competent jurisdiction; or (3) a notice of violation.

(c) While under suspension, an owner may not lease or otherwise allow vacant rental units to be occupied and may not lease or otherwise allow an occupied rental unit to be occupied by new tenants. give notice to the owner of his intent to suspend the rental oc-

der this article.

(e) The notice required by this section may specify a reasonable time for compliance under this article. If a time for compli-

pired.

(f) If the rental occupancy certificate is suspended, the building tenants. Section 20 Revocation ofmediately revoke a rental occususpended pursuant to Section 19 (Suspension) if the building (1) a condition that is dangerat the rental property during the suspension period; and (2) the owner fails to take remedial action to correct the condition.

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been suspended, the building article if an order to vacate the rental property is issued by the competent jurisdiction.

(c) After the rental property is compliant with the Property Maintenance Code, the building

and 15. Section 21 Appeals. All denials, suspensions, revocations and decisions of the and binding upon all parties unless the property owner appeals to the City Council. Any person receiving a notice of an adverse decision, including denial of a notice of suspension, or notice of revocation, and wishing written notice of appeal in the (10) days from the date of notice of the adverse action. The notice of appeal must contain a brief statement of the facts that support the appeal andsion should be reversed. The hearing on the appeal to the City Council shall be held within thirty (30) days of the notice of appeal. The decision of the City Section 22 Penalties For Violation. Violation of the provisions of this article or failure to comply with any of its requirements shall constitute a misdemeanor. Any person who violates this article or fails to comply with any of its requirements shall, upon

($500.00) or imprisoned for not more than one hundred eighty (180) days, or both, and in addition shall pay all costs and Each day such violation continues shall be considered a separate offense. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the City from taking such other lawful actions as are necessary to prevent or remedy any violation. Section 23 Injunctive Relief and Civil Remedies.

(a) If a person has violated or continues to violate the provision of this article, the City may petition the appropriate court for a preliminary and/or permanent injunction restraining the person from activities which would create violations of this article or compelling the person to perform corrective action and/or remediation of any violation.

(b) The City may also initiate civil proceedings in any court of competent jurisdiction seeking monetary damages resulting from any violation of this article and may seek other equitable

Public Notices yq relief to enforce compliance with the provisions of this article or to enforce compliance with any lawful orders of the building Section 24 Liability. Nothing contained in this article is intended to be nor shall be construed to create or form the basis for any liability on the employees, or agents, for any injury or damage resulting from the failure of an owner of property or land to comply with the provisions of this article, or by reason and in consequence of any inspection, notice, order,proval authorized or issued or done in connection with the implementation or enforcement of this article, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of the City related in any manner to the enforcement of this artiagents. Section 25 Severability. Severability is intended throughout and

Community rallies around Charles Winchester Jr.

By SAMUEL HIGGS Sports Reporter

The Elmore County football team was hit with hard news after hearing offensive line coach Charles Winchester Jr. was diagnosed with cancer.

Winchester has been an integral piece for the Panthers coaching staff, especially with head coaching experience under his belt. He exudes his leadership capabilities not just with the players on the field but across the campus as a whole.

“The impact he’s had on our kids, since he got here, just caring for them, working for them, and just being there for the kids.” Elmore County coach Kyle Caldwell said. “As a former head coach himself, he’s been around a lot of different programs and a lot of different teams and communities, and so having him here is just a blessing for us, really. He does a lot for these kids and for us coaches as well. And he serves them, he’s a servant leader, and that’s the kind of coaches that we want on our staff and on our campus.”

Winchester also played a major role in getting his son Tyler Winchester into the coach realm as well with both of them serving on

Elmore County’s coaching staff this past season.

“I would go to him every day into coaches meetings,” Tyler said. “I’ve been around him on the field, the locker room. I grew up around him every day. He taught me everything I knew about being a leader, everything I know about coaching comes from him. He’s got a lot of experience being a head coach and being in different coordinating positions, he’s done it all. So everything I know has come right out of his book. He is a father figure to me, but also on the field, he’s a leader, and that’s something that he really has rubbed off on me.”

Recently, Winchester just completed an 11.5-hour operation to remove the lymph nodes on his neck, remove the cancer from his upper palette as well as reconstruct and replace his upper jaw, according to a Facebook post from Tyler. As of right now, Win-

chester is in recovery from the extensive surgery. But one thing that will make the road to recovering that much easier is the impact the community has made. Margaret Weeks, of Tallassee, created a GoFundMe page in hope of alleviating some of the cost of surgery alongside the cost of chemotherapy.

Currently, the GoFundMe page has reached more than $2,000 after just a week of being up. It is a testament of what a community is capable of when they all come together for a common goal — this time being for Winchester.

“It’s been amazing,” Tyler said. “The community and the people that reached out to us. The donations are very helpful with gas and doctor’s bills and medications and all that good stuff; it’s not cheap. But everybody that’s reached out in the community we live in, it’s been just unmatched and just unbelievable the amount of love.”

Although Winchester has gotten the necessary surgeries to begin his road to recovery, there are still a few hurdles to overcome. Following a few weeks of rehabilitation, Winchester will begin radiation and chemotherapy.

“There’s still a long road for a full healthy recovery with different therapies he’s gonna have to take for speech and swallow,” Tyler said. “It’s gonna be a little different to get used to, but we tell everybody to keep us in our thoughts and prayers along the journey. There’s definitely some light and hope for a healthy future.”

ECHS on a tear to start the season

By LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN Managing Editor

Although the season has just gotten underway, the Elmore County baseball team is already making a name for itself.

Despite a tough loss against Holtville to start last week, the Panthers bounced back in a strong way, snatching narrow wins against Stanhope Elmore and Pike Road to begin the season 8-1. Against rival Stanhope, the Panthers relied on incredibly strong pitching to get the job done. Hayden Jones and Thomas Payton combined for 10 strikeouts in the 3-1 win, and each time it looked like the Mustangs were about to strike, one of the pitchers would come away with a clutch K. Payton threw only one inning, but was credited with the save. He gave up a walk but drew three strikeouts for all three of his outs. Against Pike Road, the pitching staff once again excelled, combining for nine strikeouts and only four hits against, but it was really the offense that helped Elmore County to an 8-6 victory.

The Panthers racked up 10 hits in the win with Jaden Eason, Jones and Austin Davis all recording two apiece. Davis and Evan Spence each had a double. Eason, Jones and Davis combined for six RBIs.