8, 2022
OCTOBER TBALL EDITION KLY HIGH SCHOOL FOO Valley 7 ... Page 12 ALABAMA’S BIGGEST WEE ille 14, Central Coosa 6 ... Page 7 Tallassee 35,25, Holtville 12 ... Page 14 20 ... Page 2 Pelham 30, Benjamin Russell ... Page 4 13 Carver 33, Wetumpka 17 ... Page 6 Lanier 41, Stanhope Elmore
Fayettev Bend 9 ... Page 8 Reeltown 48, Horseshoe 21 ... Page 10 Beauregard 31, Elmore County
Marbury 34 ... Page 15 Edgewood 35, Macon East
SPORTS EXTRA
SPORTS EXTRA: See scores and coverage of local high school games inside Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
Lizi Arbogast / TPI
Martin Reeltown’s sophomore Tae Bend breaks free against Horseshoe defenders.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 41 | $1.00 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
STUDENTS TAKE PART IN ELMORE COUNTY WATER FESTIVAL
Holtville High School basketball coach arrested
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer By Cliff Williams Staff Writer Students from across Elmore County took part in the eighth A virtual at Elmore annual Elmoreteacher County Water FesCounty program tival at theSchool’s AlabamaEdge Nature Center has been arrested and charged (ANC). with school employee distributing obscene material to a student. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Emmanuel Andre Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery turned himself into authorities Tuesday afternoon.
The ANC in collaboration with Elmore Schools held the water Wilson was festival over sixthe dayshead at thebasketANC coach Almost at Holtville High inball Millbrook. 800 sixth School and was grade students from Eclectic Midplaced on Middle, addle, Holtville Millbrook ministrative Middle, Redland Elementary and leave Jan. 13 schools took Wetumpka Middle according to Elmore County Schools superintendent Richard Dennis. WILSON “We had a report,” Dennis said. “We had a preliminary
Rising gas prices could be due to cut in oil production
part. The program was specifically investigation and handed it off designed to discuss the water to theand appropriate authorities. cycle the importance of clean He wasincluding also placed on adminiswater, personal respontrative at that time.”in an sibility leave for water resources Dennis said officials educational, funschool and engaging follow the same procedure atmosphere. when administrators receive a report of allegations against school staff and employees. “Once we hand it over, we know very little about what is going on,” Dennis said. “We cooperate with authorities if necessary.”
Students were exposed to water through a wide variety of Franklinincluding said investigators activities a creek hike. with County SherThe the hikeElmore in Still Creek sparked iff’s Office have thehow alleged vica discussion about humans tim’s phone.toAuthorities contribute the overall collecthealth of ed Wilson’s phone as well. our waterways, including man’s “You on could see a conversaeffects water quality, erosion tion between the two,” Franklin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”
Chamber holds luncheon
$4.01 per gallon, a difference of $1.23 per gallon. The national average Average gasoline prices price of gasoline has risen in Alabama have risen 13.8 cents per gallon in 19.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging the last week, averaging $3.92 per gallon Monday. $3.36 per gallon Monday, The national average is according to GasBuddy’s up 22.5 cents per gallon survey of 3,348 stations from a month ago and By Cliff Williams in Alabama. Prices in stands 67.0 cents per galStaff Writer Alabama are 8.4 cents lon higher than a year ago, per gallon higher than a according to GasBuddy The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its month ago and stand 38.2 data compiled from more annual luncheon to install new officers and board cents permembers gallon higher for the firstthan time11 in million a while weekly Thursday. than a yearThe ago. The price reports coveringon gathCOVID-19 pandemic put a hamper national erings average of over 150,000the gassuccesses stations of butprice the chamber celebrated diesel has increased 18.0 across the country. business in Wetumpka. cents in the lasthaven’t week and OPEC+ decid“We been able“With to do this for the last coustands atple $5.04 per gallon. ing to cut oil production years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your According to Gasby twopeople million barrels attendance is an indication want to geta back Buddy price reports, day,opportunities we’ve seen oil together and the have these to prices see each cheapest station in Alasurge 20 percent, which CHAMBER, bama was priced at $2.78 is theSee primary factorPage in A3 per gallon Sunday while the most expensive was See GAS, Page A3 Staff report TPI Staff
welcoming members
Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon.
Police continue investigation, man no longer suspected By Jake Arthur Chief Videographer
‘WARM WELCOME’ CLIFF WILLIAMS/
THE HERALD
Police are still investigating the fatal shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parking lot on Jan. 20. Police were dispatched to the parking lot around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. Once there, they found Centell Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound in the driver seat of his vehicle. According to Wetumpka police chief Greg Benton, this was not a random shooting. “This was not random, not a random act,” said Benton. “We believe the victim and the perpetrator knew each other.” This is the first homicide in Wetumpka in over three years. The last homicide in the city took place in 2018. “It’s not a good way to start out the new year,” said Benton. Benton didn’t want to speculate on the
Know the Community celebrates 500th greet in Wetumpka
Staff report TPI Staff
Jenny Stubbs to represent Alabama in leadership development program
and pollution. Students learned that our drinkWilson a ing waterwas is thereleased result of aon treat$6,000 bond 90 minutes af- by ment/filtering process provided terour turning himself in accordlocal water systems. They also ing to firsthand the Elmore saw whatCounty happensJail to website. precipitation when it reaches the Dennis said Wilson also See WATER, Page A3 coached other sports at Holtville schools including being the head track coach and assistant football coach. Dennis said other staff would fill in for the duties of Wilson at Holtville while he is on administrative leave.
K
now the Community and exploreMedia conducted their 500th “Warm Welcome” greet in Wetumpka on Wednesday, September 21. Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis and members of the Know the Community and exploreMedia team were in attendance to welcome a new family to the area and provide Staff report gram focuses on ARC’s them with the resources they need TPI Staff strategic investment to get connected to their new compriorities, which aim munity. See SHOOTING, Page A3 Wetumpka’s Jenny to strengthen economic Willis expressed his gratitude for Stubbs has been named and community growth Know the Community’s involveas a participant in the in Appalachia. ment in the community. He also upcoming class of the The focus in shared his appreciation for newcomAppalachian Leadership skill-building semiers to the Wetumpka area. Institute. nars and best practice “It makes a difference in our Stubbs, owner of Yel- reviewsschoolwide prepare fellows community when you choose as of a shift in a positive direction. The Staff Report assembly at Holtville the school culture fromusthat SUBMITTED | THE HERALD low House Publishing to: design effective Willis. with low mo-Wetumpka High School. Elmore Countyyour Su- home,” schoolsaid struggling schoolMayor experienced 62 percent Jerry Willis a(right) along with Know the Community’s Rita Kafka greet new LLC, participate economic development The rale, homeowners whoand were Thewill Alabama Association of perintendent Richard Dennis was achievement attendancehomeowners decrease in discipline in Wetumpka as part referrals, of a “Warm Welcome.” It was Know the Community’s 500th inSecondary the nine-month long project in proposals; on the receiving end ofstrives the 500th School Principals attendanceintefor the presentation. to a school that for excel-Warm50Welcome percent decrease in chronic in Wetumpka. curriculum anchored by grate assets (AASSP) named Holtville High community “Kyle Futral is an exceptionlence. By greet collaborating with staff, absenteeism, 7 percent increase Warm Welcome conveyed principal Kyle Futral thelong-term al principal and is very proacmany of theasschool’s in the graduationdiscover rate, 33 the percent into their new communities. sixSchool multi-day seminars into economic their appreciation well as issues their wereRegion newcomers 2022 Alabama High School development Prin- tive and innovative in his thinkidentified addressed. Futral’sarea’s increase in culture CCR rate and a 20 peracross the Appalachian strategies; excitement aboutand moving to history, and neighbors. For more information about cipal of the the Year. and approaches leadership style of listening, en-Know centtheincrease in ACTWarm proficiency region with Appala- identifying resources avail- to managing Wetumpka. Community’s Wel- Know the Community, Warm WelTheRegional High School Principal of his school,” Dennis said, couraging, supporting, in service the last aims five years. chian CommisKnow the Community wasorganizingcome to help newcom- come, or exploreMedia, contact the Year award was presented to As principal of Holtville High and challenging the staff and stusion (ARC). The proSee STUBBS, Page A2 founded in 2006 to help River ers feel at home and get plugged angie@exploremedia.org. See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed dents, caused the school culture to FUTURAL
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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