SPORTS: All-County Girls Soccer Team announced , B1 Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8 INSIDE: Brooks named new WES principal, A7 TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2024 | VOL. 125, NO. 25 | $1.00
Finding family roots in Elmore County Holtville High School basketball coach arrested WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | VOL. 123, NO. 5 | $1.00
1900s. Some was are the was in Elmore Wilson theancestors head basket- Roberts investigation and handed it off of Dr. Myrna Roberts who now County visiting the Elmore ball coach at Holtville High to the appropriate authorities. lives in Oklahoma. County Black History School and was He was also placedMuseum on adminisFamilies areteacher tracing their her“It’s a diaspora of Africans,” and trative other places had time.” only A virtual at Elmore placed on adleaveshe at that itage back to Elmore County. Roberts said. “It’s in multiple researched in studies about County School’s Edge program ministrative Dennis said school her officials Everyone knows about the parts.” family stretching has been arrested and charged leave Jan. 13 follow the from sameCaliforprocedure Trail of school Tears and how the distrib- Diaspora to groups of nia to Senegal. Her story starts with employee accordingrefers to Elwhen administrators receive a Muskogee Indiansmaterial were forced that County share cultural and centuries reportearlier. of allegations against uting obscene to a stu-people more to dent. Oklahoma by Andrew Jackregional origins but are living “Most the people who schoolofstaff and employees. Schools super“Once we hand intendent Richson.Elmore But thereCounty are twoSheriff major Billaway from their homelands. In left Africa enslaved wentittoover, we knowIndies very and littledown about Franklin of said Emmanuel ard Dennis. migrations Blacks from AndreRoberts’ case, her great grandthe West to what is WILSON going on,” Dennis said. “We Wilson II, 32,to of Montgomery “We a re-County Elmore County “Indian Termother lefthad Elmore and cooperate authorities turned port,” Dennis in 1906. Seewith ROOTS, Page A5 if ritory” in himself the 1800sinto andauthorities early settled in Oklahoma Tuesday afternoon. said. “We had a preliminary necessary.”
ByBy CLIFF CliffWILLIAMS Williams News Staff Editor Writer
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.”
CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI
Wilson was released a Elmore on County $6,000 bond 90 minutes afBlack History ter turning himselfMuseum in accordcurator ing to the Elmore and County JailBille director Rawls, left, gives website. a tour toalso visitors Dennis said Wilson fromatOklahoma. coached other sports HoltMyrna Roberts ville schools including being stopped in for the head track coach and assistant football coach.some research traveling Dennis said otherbefore staff would on to Africa fill in for the duties of Wilson atto continue to study Holtville while he is on adminher family history. istrative leave.
ElmorePolice CSFO to Chamber holds luncheonget another continue raise
welcoming members
investigation, man no longer suspected
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
By Cliff Williams Staff Writer
Starting July 1 the
MembersElmore County Board of of the Education chief schools Wetumpka financial officer could get Chamberanother of raise. Commerce At its meeting last attend the week, the Elmore County chamber’s “A of Education Board Taste of Our Home Town” By Jake Arthur luncheon.
The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its annual luncheon to install new officers and board members for the first time in a while Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gatherings but the chamber celebrated the successes of business in Wetumpka. “We haven’t been able to do this for the last couple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your attendance is an indication people want to get back together and have these opportunities to see each
17 SPRINGS
See RAISE, Page A7
Chief Videographer
CharterPolice school set to open are still investigating the fatal shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parkin August inJan.Elmore County ing lot on 20.
CLIFF WILLIAMS/
THE HERALD
See CHAMBER, Page A3
Police were dispatched to the parking lot By CLIFF WILLIAMS County. around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. News Editor Once there, they found Founder Bradley Neave Centell Winston, discovered classical educa42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound Ivy ClassicalinAcademy tion in Atlanta and loved the the driver seat of his vehicle. started with a promise to a way it taught the Socratic According to Wetumpka police chief wife to move back Greghome. Benton, thismethod. was not a random shootNow, construction “It’s a discussion,” Neave ing. is underway to create more said. “In a conventional “This was not random, not a random than 30 classrooms stu-Benton. school, act,” assaid “Westudents believeare thetold vic-the dents are set totim arrive sky is blue. a classical andinthe perpetrator knewIneach other.” August. The school they ask why is the Thiswill is the firstmodel homicide in Wetumpka open to more than 600 three years. sky blue? Youhomicide aren’t being in over The last in students in kindergarten told; are being asked. the city took place inyou 2018. through fifth grade and answers will “It’s notadd a goodThen wayall to these start out the new a grade per yearyear,” until said it gets pop up from students and Benton. Benton didn’t have wantatodiscussion speculateabout on the to 12th. Then approximately 1,200 students will walk the halls of Ivy in Elmore See SCHOOL, Page See SHOOTING, Page A3 A7
TO CREATE GENERATIONAL IMPACT
all of us,” Elmore County EcoMillbrook. nomic Development Authority “It is going to perpetually director Lisa Van Wagner said. serve and benefit us,” Elmore ore than 100 construction “There is nothing else in this County Commission chair Bart workers are currently on state that can compete with this. Mercer said. site at 17 Springs bringThis will draw visitors from all The growth in sales and ing Phase 2 to life. over. Once the market place is lodging tax has enabled the Six diamond fields already developed, it will be a gold mine commission to commit to have turf. Soon the football field of continuous revenue for the funding another $20 million in at the Highway 14 complex in county and our municipalities.” quality of life projects across Millbrook will too. The adjacent The development is fronted Elmore County. There are more Field House at 17 Springs is with commercial space in front artificial turf diamond fields coming to life as well. of the athletic facilities. Two coming to Holtville and Eclectic. It is all part of a $100 milhotels are close to coming to the Turf is going down on football lion project aimed at creating schoolwide development. That is addifields in those communities Staff Report assembly at in Holtville the school culture from that of a economic development and tax High tion to hotels already open in and Tallassee and all willlow be moSchool. Elmore County Su- school struggling with for years to come.of perintendent western Elmore County andwas two rale, achievement and attendance Therevenue Alabama Association Richard Dennis Page A5 Secondary School Principals for the presentation. thatSPRINGS, strives for excel“It’s an economic boom for in attendance currently under construction in to a schoolSee (AASSP) named Holtville High “Kyle Futral is an exception- lence. By collaborating with staff, School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were 2022 Alabama High School Prin- tive and innovative in his think- identified and addressed. Futral’s cipal of the Year. ing and approaches to managing leadership style of listening, enCLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI The High School Principal of his school,” Dennis said, couraging, supporting, organizing Masons lay block in the Fieldhouse at 17 Springs for one of many bathrooms in the complex. the Year This award was presented to As principal of Holtville High and challenging staff and stuset of bathrooms can accessed from the concourse of the stadium or inside thethe Fieldhouse. Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed dents, caused the school culture to
discussed the performance of current CSFO Jason Mann as part of a contract renewal. In August the board approved a raise for Mann who was making $118,000 to $138,500. If the board approves Mann’s contract at its June
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
M
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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shift in a positive direction. The school experienced a 62 percent decrease in discipline referrals, 50 percent decrease in chronic absenteeism, 7 percent increase in the graduation rate, 33 percent increase in CCR rate and a 20 percent increase in ACT proficiency CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI in the last five years. Officials break ground on Ivy Classical Academy in Prattville last week.The charter school is opening through the Elmore CounSee PRINCIPAL, Page A3 FUTURAL ty Board of Education.
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