SPECIAL: See what local students are thankful for in the special section inside Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
HOW TO COOK THE BEST THANKSGIVING TURKEY
EAT HAM! WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 47 | $1.00
area schools share Elementary students from y perfect Thanksgiving turke their tips on preparing the for. and what they are thankful
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
s
n when following the recipe
*Please use extreme cautio
November 2022
& The Tallassee Tribune to The Wetumpka Herald A special supplement
Holtville High School basketball coach arrested By Cliff Williams Staff Writer A virtual teacher at Elmore County School’s Edge program has been arrested and charged 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.
Downtown Dickens Christmas looks to be best ever
Wilson was the head basketball coach at Holtville High School and was placed on administrative leave Jan. 13 according to Elmore County Schools superintendent Richard Dennis. WILSON “We had a report,” Dennis said. “We had a preliminary
investigation and handed it off to the appropriate authorities. He was also placed on administrative leave at that time.” Dennis said school officials follow the same procedure 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.”
Franklin said investigators with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office have the alleged victim’s phone. Authorities collected Wilson’s phone as well. “You could see a conversation between the two,” Franklin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”
Chamber holds luncheon
welcoming members
Wilson was released on a $6,000 bond 90 minutes after turning himself in according to the Elmore County Jail website. Dennis said Wilson also coached other sports at Holtville schools including being the head track coach and assistant football coach. Dennis said other staff would fill in for the duties of Wilson at Holtville while he is on administrative leave.
Police continue investigation, man no longer suspected
By Cliff Williams Members By CLIFFStaff WILLIAMS Writer of the Staff Writer Wetumpka The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its Chamber of Downtown willinstall new officers and board Commerce annualWetumpka luncheon to step backmembers in time for attend the for the the fourth first time in a while Thursday. DowntownThe Dickens Christmas. chamber’s “A COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gathThe event bychamber the Taste of Our eringshosted but the celebrated the successes of Wetumpka Area Chamber of Home Town” business in Wetumpka. By Jake Arthur luncheon. been able to do this for the last couCommerce“We hashaven’t grown steadily Chief Videographer CLIFF WILLIAMS/ chairperson over the ple lastyears,” few years and thisClay McConnell said. “Your THE HERALD attendance is an indication people want to get back year promises to be no different. Police are still investigating the fatal together and have these opportunities to see each Especially considering the sucshooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parkcess of Main Street Wetumpka’s ing lot on Jan. 20. Candy Crawl just a few weeks See CHAMBER, Page A3 Police were dispatched to the parking lot ago where 6,400 people filled around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. downtown streets for the one Once there, they found Centell Winston, night event. 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound “Given what happened at the in the driver seat of his vehicle. candy crawl and we had like According to Wetumpka police chief nearly 9,000 people at last year’s Benton, thisused was not a random Kateryna Knapp moved to Wetumpka in Greg Company Street as The TouristshootTrap. Dickens Christmas, we are foreing.“We live in Wetumpka right across the the spring and couldn’t find a shop nearby seeing a really successful festive carrying the supplies she wanted. bridge,” Knapp “We were “This was notsaid. random, not apassing random event this year. People know we “I moved here and decided to continue this area lot. I saw“We this believe place and like act,” saida Benton. thewas vicare doing it,” chamber director knitting but I could find any yarn around it was It’s nice for a beginner, for tim andsmall. the perpetrator knew each other.” By CLIFF WILLIAMS Shellie Whitfield said. “That was here that I liked,” Knapp said. “My knitting someone whofirst hashomicide never hadina Wetumpka business.” This is the Staff Writer over two nights coming out of a group was complaining about having to go Knapp’s hasThe beenlast open since Nov. in over threestore years. homicide in to Dadeville or Auburn, Birmingham or 1 and stocking global pandemic. We have posted the cityistook placedifferent in 2018.natural fiber nitting and crochet enthusiasts no Mobile. They were like, ‘You are the young yarns with way knitting and out crochet supit to a lot of the [HGTV] Home“It’s along not a good to start the new longer have to travel to find quality one, jump in. You still have the energy to plies. town Facebook pages. So we year,” said Benton. supplies. start something new.’ I was like maybe you “I havedidn’t wool want and warm fiber now,” think there will be a lot of people Benton to speculate on the Yarn, supplies and lessons can now be are right.” Knapp said. “For the spring and summer I coming in for the event.” found in downtown Wetumpka at The Yarn Knapp and her husband quickly idenWhitfield said the event is a See SHOOTING, Page A3 Box. tified the shipping container at the end of See KNITTING, Page A3 win for everyone involved and just in time to kickoff the Christmas holiday season Dec. 2-3. “We are creating this magical Christmas, people are shopping local and local businesses are succeeding,” Staff ReportWhitfield said. “It is schoolwide assembly at Holtville the school culture from that of a shift in a positive direction. The exactly what a small town Christ- High By School. County Su- school struggling with low mo- school experienced a 62 percent CLIFFElmore WILLIAMS bid list and just a few hours 2008 Charger.” SOFTBALL FIELD MAINTENANCE masThe should be.” Association of perintendent Alabama Richard Dennis was rale, achievement and attendance decrease in discipline referrals, Staff Writer later, the council approved the The idea behind the quick At least 60 cubic yards of What makesSchool a Downtown Secondary Principals in attendance for the presentation. to a school thattotaling strives$99,116.88. for excel- 50 percent in of chronic purchase purchasedecrease is because supply dirt per field will be installed (AASSP) named special Holtville “Kyle The Futral is an exceptionByprice collaborating staff, theabsenteeism, 7 percent Dickens Christmas is High the Wetumpka City Councillence.The includeswith outfitting chain issues. Bentonincrease said the on five softball fields at the School principal Kyle Futral and is very proacmany of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, percent environment the chamber, busi-the al principal quickly approved the purchase vehicles with lights, sirens and Wetumpka Police 33 Department Wetumpka Sports Complex. 2022 and Alabama Prin- tive and innovative in his thinkin CCR andstaff a 20 pernesses even High those School attending of new police vehicles at its identified cage. and addressed. Futral’s increase would be uprate to full by The council approved the of create. the Year. ing and approaches to managing leadership style of give listening, increase in ACT thecipal event Businesses are Monday meeting. “I will also up myen- centFebruary and thisproficiency move would $3,500 per field expenditure The High School of his school,” DennisPolice said, Chief couraging, lastthe fivedepartment years. creating windows and Principal owners and Wetumpka Tahoe supporting, and put it inorganizing the patrol in the give one spare and no city labor will be used. the Year award was presented to As Greg principal of Holtville thesaid. staff “It andwill stu-get Benton had gottenHigh a quoteand challenging fleet,” Benton vehicle. See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during Futral hasday transformed thesuch. schoolI will culture to a See DICKENS, Page A3a School, FUTURAL earlier in the from the statedents,a caused wrap and drive See CARS, Page B2
Knitting good time
Yarn comes to downtown Wetumpka
K
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of Police department tothe getyear two new cars
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