Tallassee school board approves cell phone pouches
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Cell phones will not be visible during the school day any more at Tallassee City Schools.
The Tallassee Board of Education approved use of Yondr pouches, similar to those used at Stanhope Elmore High School, to help with enforcement of a cell policy that has long been on the books for Tallassee schools.
“Our policy already states the phone is supposed to be off and put up during the school day,” Tallassee
superintendent Dr. Brock Nolin said. “This is just a tool to help teachers and administrators with that policy.”
Nolin noted many schools locally, in Alabama and throughout the country have
CITY SCHOOLS
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Full test scores haven’t been released yet. But Tallassee City Schools is already celebrating what it hopes will be on the system’s next report card.
By CLIFF WILLIAMS
“Attendance drastically improve across all three schools,” Southside Middle School principal Brittany Spencer said. “We are very proud of the efforts from students, families, staff and our community for making this a priority.”
Chronic absenteeism affects scores in a multitude of ways. It is when a student is absent 18 or more days during the school year. Tallassee
High School principal Drew Glass said employees would not likely be employed if they reached what is defined as chronic absenteeism in education. He said there are 180 days in the school year and it represents being absent 10% of the time. It is being absent one day every two weeks.
Being absent isn’t the only problem. Students miss instructional time and that lowers academic success.
“With attendance improving, academics are going to improve,” Glass said.
This past school year, Tallassee educators were already concentrating on
absenteeism before the report card came out from the previous year and the efforts paid off.
At Tallassee High School chronic absenteeism was cut by 57.2%.
At Southside Elementary School it was cut by 56.2% and 67.2% at Tallassee Elementary School. “I really give kudos to the parents last year for buying in and taking own
ership of their children’s education,” Nolin said. Nolin believes similar absenteeism would have improved the district’s overall report card to a mid B and lifted the high school’s grade from a D to
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Mill Collective opens in downtown Tallassee
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Shoppers have a new option in Tallassee for finding treasure as the Mill Collective is now open on South Ann Avenue.
It was once filled with mounts from foreign hunting expeditions of the past and even has a map still on the ceiling. But now it houses treasures found in Tallassee, Elmore and Tallapoosa counties.
The Mill Collective was an idea of Samantha Segrest and the building owner. Both wanted to expand on Segrest’s East Tallassee business This and That.
“It was a discount-thrift store,”
Segrest said. “We outgrew it really fast. When this building came available, the owner called me and we brainstormed. This is what came out of it. We love it.”
Manager April Purter made the move across the Tallapoosa River to the downtown store too.
Police Reports
TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
JULY 7
• Theft was reported on Highway 229.
• Theft was reported on Hicks Store Road.
• Debris was reported in the roadway on Notasulga Road.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Highway 229 and Jordan Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on South Tallassee Drive.
• Animal cruelty was reported on North Johnson Street.
• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
JULY 6
• An arrest was made on Barnett Boulevard.
• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.
• A fight was reported on Friendship Road.
• A noise complaint was reported on Third Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Gilmer Avenue.
• A noise complaint was reported on Third Avenue.
• A juvenile complaint was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Theft was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A white male was arrested on Notasulga Road.
• Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported on Magnolia Street.
• Harassment was reported on Rickey Lane.
• A tree was reported on Oak Heights Road.
JULY 5
• Debris was reported in the roadway on Central Boulevard.
• An animal complaint was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Notasulga Road.
• A juvenile complaint was reported on Davidson Street.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
Segrest and her family and friends love to visit Opelika’s Angel’s Antiques and Montgomery’s Eastbrook Flea Market. They browse and shop the collections of others during a walk down memory lane. “There is nowhere to do that
JULY 4
• A juvenile complaint was reported on Evergreen Street.
• A fight was reported on Hickory Street.
• A juvenile complaint was reported on Quail Drive.
• A juvenile complaint was reported on Hickory Street.
• A domestic incident was reported on Hickory Street.
• An arrest was reported on Barnett Boulevard.
• A domestic incident was reported on Ralph Bunche Street.
• Gunfire was reported on Second Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Joy Street.
• Burglary was reported on Birch Street.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Birch Street.
• Harassing communications was reported on South Tallassee Drive.
• A noise complaint was reported on East Patton Street.
• A welfare check was conducted on Grimes Street.
JULY 3
• Reckless driving was reported on Highway 229.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.
• Reckless driving was reported on Barnett Boulevard.
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Macedonia Road.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Notasulga Road.
• Animal control was requested on Notasulga Road.
• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Criminal mischief was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A Black male was arrested during a traffic stop on South Dubois Street.
• A white female was arrested on Florence Street.
• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• An animal complaint was
here in Tallassee,” Segrest said. “We have a lot of people who make really cool stuff and collect really cool stuff. We wanted somewhere where it could be put on display and sold.”
reported on West Main Street.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Tallassee Highway. JULY 2
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Highway 229.
• Reckless driving was reported on Tallassee Highway.
• Harassment was reported on Ice Plant Road.
• Harassment was reported on Oak Heights Road.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Little Road.
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Third Street and Freeman Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Ice Plant Road.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue, Third Street and Recreation Center Drive.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Main Street.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue and James Street.
• Assistance was given to another agency on Gilmer Avenue. JULY 1
• A domestic incident was reported on Sims Avenue.
• A fight was reported on Sims Avenue.
• Trespassing was reported on Barnett Boulevard.
• A welfare check was conducted on Friendship Road.
• Harassment was reported on Claire Street.
• Suspicious activity was reported on Freeman Avenue.
• A fight was reported on Sims Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gantts Mill Road.
• Assistance was given to another agency on Gilmer Avenue.
• Criminal mischief was reported on South Dubois Street.
• Assistance was given to a
citizen on Gilmer Avenue and First Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on John Street.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue and Riverside Avenue.
• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Sunset Drive.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Quail Run Drive.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Highway 229.
• A suspicious person was reported on Central Boulevard.
• Criminal mischief was reported on Twin Creeks Drive.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue and South Ashurst Avenue.
• A fight was reported on Main Street.
• Animal control was requested on Third Street, South Ashurst Avenue and Freeman Avenue.
• Trespassing was reported on North Ann Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Riverside Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.
• An animal complaint was reported on Hillcrest Street and Davidson Street.
• Criminal mischief was reported on Barnett Boulevard.
• A suspicious person was reported on North Ann Avenue.
• An animal complaint was reported on Davidson Street. JUNE 30
• A noise complaint was reported on First Avenue.
• Assistance was given to another agency on Tallassee Highway.
• Gunfire was reported on Wall Street.
CLIFF WILLIAMS TPI
The Mill Collective in downtown Tallassee hopes to give area residents a place to shop for vintage items, antiques and a place to go without traveling to Auburn or Montgomery. See MILL,
Humane Society of Elmore County News
Summer is the perfect time to adopt
By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director
Summer in shelters is always challenging. Intake peaks in the summer while adoptions bottom out. Why? Families are focused on vacations, then getting ready for school. Super high intake and low adoptions means a very high ‘in-shelter’ population - 320 right now.
This also means our food and supply needs are at their greatest right now. While we are good on dry cat food, we need a steady supply of incoming dry and canned dog food, and canned cat food to keep up with the demand. We are just not getting the ‘broken’ bags from retail like we used to so greatly appreciate all the wonderful people who bring food by or have it shipped
to us. The almost daily shipments from Amazon, Chewy & Walmart are fantastic!
FYI that the one thing they never include is info on the donor so if any donor needs a receipt, please just contact us at the Shelter and we are happy to send a receipt. You can always see our “NEEDS LIST” on our website at https://www.elmorehumane. org/hsec-wish-list.html .
Thank you ALL so very much for your incredible support!
For those who are looking to adopt - our adoption fees are $100 for dogs & $50 for cats under one-yearold; cats over one-year-old can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee completely covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, deworming, microchip, heartworm check
Pet of the Week — Phantom
Phantom is a 7-month old male, who is possibly a Lab type mix and weighs about 40 pounds. Phantom, and his siblings, were found dumped in the woods and luckily brought to us. He is a fun pup and great with other dogs, just looking for a family to call his own.
The Humane Society of Elmore County’s adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under 1 year old. Cats over 1 can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations,
deworming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination if old enough and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian. If you are interested in meeting Cola 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.
for dogs, rabies vaccination if old enough, free health exam with your participating veterinarian.
The best way to see the pets we have for adoption is to check out the Adoption websites like www.petfinder.com or www.adoptapet. com - you will be able to see not only our pets but those from other Shelters as well. We work hard to keep our available pets posted so you can see their photos and read their info. We try to put their personality info; important things to know like if a dog is good with children, other dogs or cats; their age & size or expected size if a puppy; activity level; and any special needs they might have. If you see a pet that interests you, our adoption info is also in the narrative and right below that is our online Adoption
Application which is the first step in our adoption process. Once we receive and approve an application, we will contact the applicant to set up an appointment for you to come meet the pet in question. As applications come in via email, we respond via email so please make sure to look out for our response from hselco@ bellsouth.net . We set up appointments weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. We also like playing ‘matchmaker’ via our Wish List Adoption Application, where you can fill out the app telling us what you are looking for. There is no such thing as too much info – tell us any breeds you like or dislike, size range you are willing to consider, age range, preferences to
male or female, preferences to coat length, activity level, etc. With that we will contact you if we get in a pet that might be a good fit for what you are looking for and have fulfilled many adoptions this way! Once your application is approved and an appointment is set, that pet will not be adopted out from under the applicant as it is on a temporary hold for the approved applicant. We do ask scheduled adopters –please be on time for your appointment and if something comes up, please give us a call at 334-567-3377 or email hselco@bellsouth.net to let us know as we might be able to give your slot to another potential adopter.
Rea Cord is the executive director of the Humane Society of Elmore County
Summer camp success at SMS
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Students had plenty of opportunities at June camps at Southside Middle School this summer.
There were camps to help students with math and science skills and to develop life skills.
“Southside Middle School has had a very busy June, and we look forward to preparing for an excellent school year ahead as we strive for progress over perfection,” SMS principal Brittany Spencer said.
At robotics camp students learned coding, planning, teamwork and the basics of engineering.
“Students were able to extend science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in this hands-on, engaging robotics camp,” Smith said.
SMS hosts an annual
MILL
Continued from A2
math camp as part of the Alabama Numeracy Act.
Students participated in hands-on math exercises, small groups and one-onone math sessions.
“Students also enjoyed a reflective math journal and math talks to promote proficiency in math,” Spencer said.
Math campers had enrichment activities with music, social and emotional learning and art.
Two camps were held to help students improve themselves. The Empowering HER Camp was filled with activities, inspiring lessons and opportunities to improve overall wellness.
“By exploring topics in self-care, etiquette, friendships and life skills, this camp was designed to empower young girls to discover their potential, build confidence and embrace their individuality,” Spencer said.
Empowering HIM
The wares are sometimes offered during community markets and festivals but there was no place for almost daily shopping. Plus weather is a threat to the outdoor markets.
“When it is 100 degrees you can't walk the community any more,” Segrest said. “We have air conditioning.”
The Mill Collective is a place to allow customers an opportunity to inspect items before being fully committed to a purchase. It also makes it easier for the seller who has had potential buyers not make appointments to
Camp had students learn new skills, develop leadership potential and promote growth.
“Students were given the opportunity to learn about teamwork, tying ties, shaking hands, basic vehicle topics and more during their week of growth,” Smith said.
Empowering HIM Camp also involved the Boyz-To-Men Program led by Johnathan Wright who helped teach financial literacy, how to budget, gentlemen etiquette and how to introduce themselves professionally.
"I'm proud of the young men who took time out of their summer to be part of history as the first attendees of the SMS Boyz-to-Men Summer Camp,” Wright said. “The young men have learned skills that will stick with them for a lifetime and I'm proud of the men they will become."
view and purchase items.
“It is a place to come together, shop, share your stuff,” Segrest said. “We have people who have inherited a home full of stuff. They are tired of meeting people from Facebook who don’t show up.”
It just opened last week to the public but the main floor of the Mill Collective is almost full of items for sale.
More vendors are moving in upstairs and there are working plans for other parts of the building for future ideas.
“There is a full third floor here,” Segrest said. “We have to do some construction work down there. We are going to build out the basement into a bookstore. It will be fun.”
Local journalism is thriving
Our View Opinion
Don’t put it off until tomorrow
It seems like yesterday summer was ahead of us. Now it’s almost mid-July and summer is almost over. Looking forward, it seems the start of school is just around the corner.
We all had ideas of people to see, things to do and trips to take back in February and March.
It was going to be the year we invited everyone to the house for a BBQ — all 68 of them.
It was going to be the year we took the kids to the beach for a trip to remember.
While school is still just around the corner, there is still time to relax and create memories.
A trip to the beach may not come to fruition, but why not a trip to one of the lakes, creeks or rivers that surround us?
There is no excuse for not pulling out a lawn chair or two and going to a creek with a picnic lunch with the children. We can fish. We can swim. We can splash water on each other.
Why not a trip to a small local restaurant? We can all use the excuse of not having enough money. Why not hit up a food trailer for a hotdog? Why not go and just have dessert?
Think back to your favorite moments in life. With the right company anything can be memorable. It’s the people you are with that make it special.
It’s those people who help you relax and get your mind back right.
It’s those people that make life worth living.
Don’t worry that you can’t find a place at the beach. Instead create a blanket fort in the living room and go on the adventure of a lifetime right in our backdoor.
We’d
name, address and phone number. We reserve the right to refuse any submissions. Mail: Your View, The Tallassee Tribune 211 Barnett Blvd., Tallassee, AL 36078 Email: editorelmore@thewetumpkaherald.com
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Everyone has heard about the death sentence for newspapers.
With hedge funds taking over and local journalists seeing major layoffs, it’s often thought that newspapers are dying.
However, I am here to proudly say it’s exactly the opposite. Local newspapers, especially, are thriving, and I was reminded of that at the recent Alabama Press Association annual meeting and awards banquet.
I am proud to be part of the Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. team that placed three newspapers in the top three of their respective General Excellence categories.
I am proud to have won Best Local News Coverage for The Outlook and Best Local Sports Coverage for The Wetumpka Herald. These are our bread and butter and to be amongst the best in state is truly an accomplishment.
But the APA awards banquet wasn’t just about our own accomplishments; it was about celebrating local journalism as a whole.
LIZI GWIN Managing Editor
Sure, there are many places where you can eat up national news. You can read about Trump and Biden and the presidential election in countless places, and you can learn all about national trends and celebrities in the tabloids.
However, there are still people who are doing local news and doing it the right way.
One thing I love about working at TPI is our commitment to hyper-local news. If you want to learn about what’s happening in your local government, you’ve come to the right place. If you want to know about the most recent high school game or even who’s up and coming on the youth fields, look no further than our sports pages.
See when you pick up a TPI publication — or many of the other local publi-
cations that were on display at the recent conference — you are connecting with people who truly care about your community. We are players in our town, living, eating and working just like the readers. And we really care about our readers and what makes them tick.
We want to tell stories that are important, like what decision the city council made at its recent meeting or what new development is coming to town, but we also want to tell stories that inspire people. We want to tell the stories of the people who are giving back, who are fighting the odds and who are overcoming obstacles. Local news should be celebrated, and without the support of our readers, we would be just another statistic in the death of newspapers. Thank you for being loyal to TPI, as we try to be loyal to you every day.
Lizi Arbogast Gwin is the managing editor of Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. She can be reached at 434-962-9420 or via email at lizi.gwin@alexcityoutlook.com.
The House That Built Me
Now that I have concluded 28 years in public education, each week here in The Tribune we have been looking back at past columns pertaining to music education. This one appeared in “Bird’s Eye View” in April 2021.
March was Music in Our Schools
Month. Our state organization, the Alabama Music Educators Association, asked people to post pictures and stories about their musical lives throughout the month. I always return to the story of how I was introduced to the world of school music in sixth grade.
My middle school band director, Tony Williams, died in 2020 – the same year as my college band director, Johnny Long. Both of them were from Marshall County: Guntersville, to be exact.
Mr. Williams was 23 or 24 years old the first time I ever heard his voice, over the telephone, when he cold-called students to ask them to come to beginner band.
My parents had been in choir, but not band, and didn’t really understand nor have the need to buy a new band instrument for me. Band instruments can be pricey, even expensive, so the sticker shock for parents is still a topic of discussion to this day for those of us who work in the business.
At the instrument tryouts in the Goodwyn Jr. High School lunchroom in Montgomery, sponsored by Art’s Music Shop, I ended up on a school-owned baritone horn. All we had to do was buy the mouthpiece and the beginner band book.
The bad thing about this baritone, at least to me as a 12-year-old, was that it was spotty and smelly. The case had been beaten up pretty good and was partially made of exposed cardboard. There was no handle to it, rather a rope affixed to the case with duct tape. Once you got to the actual instrument inside, it smelled and tasted really funky.
While I’ve heard many descriptions over the years of what a beginner musician sounds like, nothing really has come close to what emanated from my instrument: something akin to a donkey braying. I’d hit a high Bb before the F every time. Then, because I was so scared to draw a breath on this thing, it took me a little longer than the people around me to make a sound.
Getting this instrument out of my mom’s Isuzu in front of the whole world (well, it seemed that way, but it was all the students gathered out in front of the school) was nothing short of humiliating. Invariably, I would drop the busted instrument case and the spotty baritone would tumble out, leading the assembled horde of mean middle schoolers to laugh out loud at this portly little pseudo-band geek.
Rather than take the abuse, I asked my mother to start dropping me off early. As in, before a soul arrived on campus. I just couldn’t take the embarrassment. So she did. She started taking me earlier and it was just me and the lunchroom ladies and janitors on campus. My baritone and I would sit on the curb in the teachers’ parking lot. Tony drove a mustard-colored Datsun
MICHAEL BIRD Columnist
he called the Honeybee. He’d somehow gotten it from an Iranian he knew who got deported. He arrived early each day and began to acknowledge me. One day, Mr. Williams said, “want to come to the band room? I can maybe give you some extra help on that horn.”
Just those few words of encouragement – life changing.
So, each day now began with my dawn-breaking arrival to the school, and Mr. Williams pulling in and letting me in the building. I was now a private lesson student in the studio of Morris Anthony Williams – Tony to all his friends.
Several of these lessons went by, and all of a sudden one day, frustration boiled over.
Mr. Williams asked me when I was going to start caring about band and actually practice.
I did what any beginner would do. I started crying and trying to explain myself unintelligibly.
“I just try so hard, and this thing smells and tastes bad, and when I play I sound like a donkey, and people are laughing at me when I get out of my mom’s car, and I hate myself and want to die…”
Mr. Williams had this strange look on his face, but I noticed he was looking more at the horn and the case than at this overwrought preteen.
He asked, “which school instrument is that?”
Through my tears: “number 12, the one with the duct tape and the rope and the cardboard, and the…”
“I think that’s the one somebody urinated in last year. Let’s see if we can get you another one.”
Suddenly I snapped out of my desperation and the wheels started turning about what to do next – quit band.
Mr. Williams checked his inventory. “We don’t have another baritone, but that mouthpiece also works on the trombone. Trombone is what I played in school.”
I made it through that day, but when my mom picked me up that afternoon sans baritone, I could barely contain myself:
“Somebody peed my baritone!”
We went to Art’s Music Shop that afternoon with the mouthpiece. And they took me to a little room where we could try out instruments. There it was – a trombone. Just like Mr. Williams’ horn. And when I put the mouthpiece in, I didn’t make the donkey sound! Because it had a slide, I could actually change notes for the first time!
Thus began my journey, with Tony Williams as my trusted guide.
In my yearbook, he wrote: “you are really a special person and have a wonderful life ahead of you.” Imagine what that meant to this fat, pimply kid! In middle school, everybody hates everything. For a teacher to show kindness
like that meant everything to me. And he demonstrated this to all of us. Musically speaking, we were a fine band program. We traveled to competitions in Nashville, Orlando, and Atlanta during those years. During Tony’s third year at Goodwyn, our band was selected to perform at the Alabama Music Educators Association annual convention, which is about the highest honor for a band program in the state. All of the movers and shakers in the music education world took note of our band program at Goodwyn. We earned Superior ratings – 1’s – at every contest entered. Mr. Williams was the portal through which we all began to learn about other artsy events in our town, whether it was a Broadway show being performed or a college or military band playing a concert, he made sure we knew about it and would even drive us to the performances. We had a pass-off system in which all band students played for him every afternoon. We could sign up for times as late as 5:30. Our theater department put on a school play and our band members were the pit orchestra. Mr. Williams had an uncanny knack for identifying our strengths. An example would be the music department newspaper, which he called CRESCENDO. He chose students to put it together and unlocked the Teachers Lounge for us to use after school. Boy, oh boy, the thrill of hanging out where the dittos and mimeographs and ashtrays and Coke machines were, all while the faculty wasn’t there!
The last day of junior high, I distinctly recall several of us sitting around crying until he ran us off campus. Within a year, he was gone. It was always a mystery why Tony was in the profession for such a short time, though he had experienced such massive success.
Flash forward to the year 2010. My middle school band was playing a piece composed by John Kinyon called “Astro Overture” at State Band Contest. It was special because it was the first piece Mr. Williams had taught us for competition all those years ago. It’s kind of a salute to the Space Age as it was written in 1969, the year people from this state put us on the moon. We earned a Superior rating at contest. Brimming with pride, I tracked down Tony Williams and emailed him a recording of my band performing it.
“I’m really proud of you for all you have accomplished,” Mr. Williams wrote in reply. “One of these days I’m going to have to order a hot cross bun at a bakery, just to see what all the fuss is about.”
We began to email and Facebook one another every few months until his untimely passing in 2020.
Tony Williams may have worn different hats or had many different roles, but one was that his home in Nashville was used for Miranda Lambert’s music video “The House That Built Me”. Somehow, that seems very appropriate.
Michael Bird is a retired music teacher for Tallassee City Schools.
a C. To get there, all the schools and staff started conversations with students and families.
“We made them more aware about the consequences,” Glass said.
Glass said the new high school helps attendance as well.
“Students didn’t like being in a construction zone,” Glass said.
Nolin said the system’s Family Engagement Educator Team (FEET) was heavily involved in improving attendance.
“I think the personal contact went a long way in decreasing the absenteeism this past year,” Nolin said.
“The FEET team visited or spoke with just about every parent and child in the system creating a connection between school and home.”
Glass said he makes a concerted effort to start contacting students and parents when absences hit five in the school year. He is trying to determine if there was an illness or something else.
“We are being very intentional about it,” Glass said.
Glass said he has seen the report card parents see of their students improve. He knows several students who were previously categorized as chronically absent improve their report card by at least one letter grade.
“It doesn’t directly correlate with the state’s report card, but we should
APPROVES
gone to phone free campuses and schools.
Most schools with the cell phone pouches lock the phones at the beginning of the school day and unlock the pouches when the students leave campus for the day. Many parents across the nation disagree because they believe students need access to the phones in the event of an emergency. In the past, schools allowed emer-
see some improvement on academic performance and growth,” Glass said.
The middle school added rewards for attendance.
“We also offered numerous incentives such as the Cyber Game Truck for all students who remained under 18 absences for the year,” Spencer said. “It was known as the #Under18Challenge, and our students responded very well to the challenge.”
Nolin said parents of elementary students were contacted as well.
“Absences at that level are either sickness or on the parent,” Nolin said. “Students in elementary school need help getting ready and to school. When they get to high school, it is more on the student.”
The challenge is now to keep momentum of improving attendance going.
“We just have to keep talking,”
Glass said. “We let the parents know, ‘Hey, we want to see true growth in your students academically and school.’ We have to have them here.”
Spencer said the foundation for education starts early in elementary and middle school and starts with attendance.
“During these years, students are learning so many foundational concepts that will build throughout their high school and postsecondary years,” Spencer said. “Students in middle school develop colossal social, academic, and emotional skills that will benefit them for years to come.”
gency communications.
The Tallassee Board of Education explored the issue through surveys in April and May.
The Tallassee program will be a little different than many.
“One of the issues from the parents with big push back, ‘What if there is a school shooting?’ the what if scenarios,” Nolin said. “If something happened and there needed to be a phone unlocking and parent contact, we can do that.”
Tallassee’s cell phone pouch program will
have a “key” in each classroom. Teachers will lock the pouches in the morning during an administrative time and unlock them at the end of the day. Students leaving campus in the middle of the day will go through the office to get their phones unlocked.
“In the event a safety concern happens, the teacher can unlock the pouch,” Nolin said.
Under the previous policy, students were still using phones despite the ban. Nolin said students hid them
case have very little time but many district attorney offices in Alabama employ victim service officers to help. Thanks to extra funding from the state, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the Elmore County Commission have kept victims in mind by helping fund victim service officers. C.J. Robinson now has multiple VSOs to aid victims, but that hasn’t always been the case.
“When I had one victim service officer, we were flipping the coin to figure out what courtroom we were going to,” Robinson said. “If I had someone to send, that was typically someone who processes paperwork, takes payment on check cases trying to service victims.”
Robinson said everyone in the district attorney’s office does their best to assist victims but some people are better at it than others.
“It’s a calling,” Robinson said. Several VSOs are needed as the number of criminal cases grows across the 19th circuit which includes three counties and courthouses. Across the circuit in 2023 there were 49 weeks of trials and 18 weeks of grand jury. Some of those weeks saw trials occurring in more than one courthouse at the same time. The extra funding, especially from the Elmore County Commis -
in pockets and pulled them out when teachers turned around or walked away.
“It is no different than when students in the past passed notes,” Nolin said. “They did it mostly when teachers weren’t looking.”
Nolin understands the program is not perfect.
“Some of that will still happen,” Nolin said. “We are trying to hit the 95% goal.”
The cell phone pouch has been in place for a few years at Stanhope Elmore. Prin -
CommunityCalendar
sion, helped fund another VSO.
“There was never a circuit court date or trial week in Elmore County where victims had to come to court and there was not someone they had an established relationship with there walking them through the process,” Robinson said. “They provided victims the answers to questions while the attorneys worked to get the other stuff done.”
If VSOs don’t have an answer to a victim’s question, they work to get it. It’s a process that allows the legal staff of the district attorney’s office to concentrate on all the legal issues in a case. Robinson calls the lawyers the captains of the team but the VSOs are the real MVPs.
“Let’s face it, victims are in court because the single worst day of their life has happened,” Robinson said. “I’m very proud to have someone for them while we are up there arguing at the bench.”
The 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office has grown over the years, especially in terms of staff. The office currently has 44 employees. Just because the office seems large doesn’t mean staff make personal connections with victims. In addition to the VSOs connecting with them, other staff including the attorneys do as well.
“I try to instill that we shouldn’t do something because we need to do it,” Robinson said. “Do it because it is the right thing to do.”
cipal Ewell Fuller said the ban has improved test scores and academic progress.
“There is no doubt about it, cell phones are a cancer in schools,” Fuller said. “Teachers came to me and said we can either teach or we can monitor cell phones.”
Students now communicate via conversations instead of messaging, which promotes socialization along the way. Discipline referrals are also down, according to Fuller.
The Tallassee Board
of Education took everything into consideration when it unanimously approved the use of the pouches last month. Violations will be punished according to the code of conduct with subsequent offenses receiving harsher punishments.
“We are trying to meet people in the middle with their concerns,” Nolin said.
“The safety incident concern was the main issue. We are just trying to provide a distraction free educational environment.”
JULY 11-27
HOORAY FOR HARRY WOOD: The Wetumpka Depot Players are performing Hooray for Harry Wood July 11-27. It is set in post World War 2 Hollywood and the comedy highlights the struggle of a former silent film star moving into retirement.
SATURDAY, JULY 13
PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT: Tallassee Recreation’s second annual Smash Cancer pickleball tournament will be held at 8:15 a.m. July 13. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the tournament will run through Sunday if necessary. The cost is $25 per person and T-shirts will be for sale for $20.
SUNDAY, JULY 14
ONGOING
SUPPORT GROUP: The last Thursday of every month, Restoration 49 Coffee Shop plays host to a support group for parents who have lost a child. The meetings begin at 6 p.m. each month. For more information, please contact Heather Baker at hbakerjj@aol.com.
Wednesday night Bible study at 7 p.m. For more information call Pastor Edwin Walker at 334-541-2025 LUNCH AND LEARN: Lunch and learn Tuesdays with Kelly are scheduled at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery at 124 Company Street in Wetumpka from noon to 1 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. For more information, visit www.thekelly.org.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY GRACE
POINT: Celebrate Recovery meets at Grace Point Community Church at 78223 Tallassee Highway in Wetumpka each Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. All are welcome to the meetings which provide a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits and hangups. For more information, visit www.Gracepoint. info or contact Gwin Greathouse at gwingreathouse@gmail.com.
MEN’S CONFERENCE: Village Church of Wetumpka is hosting a men’s conference. The keynote speaker is Rick Burgess of Rick and Bubba.
JULY 15-19
THEATER CAMP: The Wetumpka Depot Players are hosting a Heroes and Villains theater camp for children ages 8 to 15 July 15 to 19. The cost is $225. To register email Kristy Meanor at kmeanor@ wetumpkadepot.com.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17
ART START: Art Start is a Kelly’s Kids arts and crafts program designed for preschool children. It is hosted every third Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. at The Kelly and is free of charge.
THURSDAY, JULY 18
ART RECEPTION: The Kelly Fitzpatrick will be hosting a Fiction and Fantasy Art Reception from 5 to 7 p.m. July 18. Snacks and drinks will be served and guests are encouraged to dress up “fantastically.”
AUG. 17
CAR SHOW: Cars on the Coosa will be Aug. 17 at Gold Star Park in Wetumpka.
OCT. 5 — OCT. 6
HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC: Heron
Springs Farm in Eclectic will be hosting a two-day Robbie Potter Horsemanship Clinic, which will focus on furthering your horsemanship and your ability to build a solid relationship with your horse. For more information, contact Lee Ann Lutz at 336926-5584 or via email at lalutz.ll@icloud. com.
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME: Preschool Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Friday at Wetumpka Public Library.
ECLECTIC TOWN COUNCIL
MEETINGS: Eclectic Town Council meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at Town Hall. Council meetings begin at 7 p.m. with work sessions taking place prior to the meeting at 6 p.m. Meetings are held in the Dr. M. L. Fielder Municipal Building, 145 Main Street.
NAACP MEETINGS: The Elmore County Branch No. 5026 of the NAACP meets at 6:30 p.m. every third Tuesday (executive committee) and every fourth Tuesday (full membership) at the Martin Luther King Center at 200 North Lancaster St. in Wetumpka.
OPEN MIC: The Equality Performing Arts Center hosts an open mic jam session from 7 to 9 p.m. every second Friday of the month at 560 Highway 9 in Equality. There is no charge but donations are welcome as they keep the center running. Bring a snack or finger food to share during the intermission.
RED HILL COMMUNITY CLUB
MEETINGS: Red Hill Community Club Meetings are held every second Monday of the month. Join the Red Hill Historical Preservation Association in the auditorium of the Old Red Hill School, located off state Route 229 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss upcoming events. MOUNT HEBRON CHURCH OF CHRIST: Come join us at 4530 Mt. Hebron Road in Eclectic. Our Sunday school begins at 9 a.m. followed by worship service at 10:30. There is also a
CELEBRATE RECOVERY SANTUCK: Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday at 6:15 p.m. at Santuck Baptist Church at 7250 Central Plank Rd. This is a Christcentered, 12-step program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, and hangups. Call 334-567-2364 for more information or contact jyates@santuckbaptist.org.
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS: Gamblers Anonymous meets Saturdays at 6 p.m. at Cedarwood Community Church at 10286 U.S. Highway 231 in Wallsboro/Wetumpka. Call 334-567-0476 for more information.
AA MEETING: Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held Mondays at 7 p.m. located at 105 Tuskeena St. in Wetumpka.
RED HILL SCHOOL: The Red Hill School on Highway 229 in the Red Hill Community in Tallassee is open Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for local live music performances. No admission is charged but donations are welcomed to maintain the building and pay for refreshments.
MASTER GARDENER HELPLINE: If you have gardening questions you can call the Master Gardener Helpline at 1-877-2524769. The helpline starts March 1 and ends in August.
CHILDREN’S HARBOR: Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store Located on state route 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. proceeds are used to help fund the activities at the Lake Martin campus of children’s harbor and the Family Center at Children’s Hospital. Call 334-857-2008 for more information.
Sections of old RES set to be demolished
By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter
It’s the end of an era for the old Reeltown Elementary School building. At last Tuesday’s Tallapoosa County Board of Education special call meeting, the board approved to begin accepting bids for the demolition of the 1929 Reeltown Elementary School, also called the E building, and the adjacent wing facing Highway 120.
Board member Martin Johnson
explained the preliminary phase of demolition is putting a drone up so the school district can assess the area to see what they can do with the property. Currently, the board plans to keep the old lunchroom, gym and front building that faces Highway 49 as is.
Superintendent Ray Porter added this project has been discussed in the community and they have sought community input. As soon as the new RES had opened, Porter said he knew the
district would eventually need to consider demolition of at least part of the old building due to the liabilities a vacant building can present. The most recent regularly scheduled board meeting was held at 5 p.m. July 15.
Correction: Previous versions of this article stated the next board meeting was July 8. The next board meeting is July 15 and the article has been corrected to reflect this. TPI regrets this error.
RES wins statewide math challenge
By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter
This spring, Alabama’s Office of Math Improvement sent out a challenge to schools all over the state that would encourage students to see math in everyday life.
Students were challenged to take a picture of
something they see in daily life, upload it to OMI and explain how it relates to a math concept. Reeltown Elementary School was recently announced the winner for region nine.
“The focus of it was for students to develop an understanding that math is not just about computing numbers in class, but math
is actually all around us, all the time,” RES math instructional coach Hilary Rasmussen said.
This challenge also allowed the school to compete as a whole, and Rasmussen said this win would not have been possible without the teacher’s involvement, the families as well as the students.
Rausmussen said this was a great way for students to show what they have been learning.
“It was really exciting to win it because it creates a positive perception of math and shows how our community supports our mission for higher math achievement,” Rasmussen said.
More mental health services coming to Elmore County Jail
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
A new healthcare services contract will expand mental health services inside the Elmore County Jail.
Almost a year ago, the Elmore County Commission created a mental health task force headed by commissioner Desire Lewis Jackson. Its mission is to improve access to mental health care in Elmore County. One area of need was in the county jail as many inmates are suffering a mental crisis before and at the time of arrest.
The new health services contract with Quality Correctional Health Care approved by the commission at its Monday meeting expands mental health options in the jail by 600%. It also increases staffing by nurses by 16% and increases the average jail population of the contract from 295 inmates to 340. The cost of the entire service went
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up 29% over the last contract.
The commission also authorized a design contract with CMH Architects for services related to renovating and expanding the county’s jail and judicial complex. The goal is to add courtroom space as two new circuit court judgeships have been added and to expand the jail.
Current estimates place the project at about $100 million. The design contract will give a better estimate of costs and funding mechanisms.
If construction is approved by the commission, the start date is more than a year away.
IN OTHER ACTION THE ELMORE COUNTY COMMISSION:
• Approved minutes of the June 24 meeting.
• Approved the memorandum of warrants in the amount of $5,940,165.41 for June 15 to June 28.
• Appointed Robert Ward to the
staff for the Outlook and Herald each took third in their respective divisions for Best Local Economic Coverage. Cliff Williams spearheaded the effort for both the Herald and Tribune taking home first and second respectively in the Best Local Education Coverage category. In Best Local News Coverage, the Outlook was awarded first place. The Record and the Tribune took home second and third. The Outlook also was awarded first place in Best Use of Photographs/Editorial Content. For General Excellence, the
Elmore Water and Sewer Authority Board.
• Set a public hearing for 5 p.m. on July 22 for the vacation of a portion of Brantley Road off Rigsby Road and an unnamed road off Brantley Road.
• Authorized the four-year lease and maintenance agreement for four copiers in the old historic courthouse.
• Adopted the fiscal year 2025 Rebuild Alabama County Transportation Plan.
• Authorized a lease allowing the Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Wetumpka to install a lift station at the county’s public works facility.
• Authorized a construction agreement with ALDOT to resurface portions of Dexter Road, Pierce Chapel Road and Old Salem Road.
The next scheduled meeting of the Elmore County Commission is 5 p.m. Monday, July 22.
Outlook was awarded second place in Division B. The Herald and Record were awarded second and third respectively in Division D. In the advertising sphere, the Outlook won first place in Best Advertising Sweepstakes. The Herald and the Record won second and third. The Outlook’s own Audra Spears also won the statewide Ad of the Year. LAKE Magazine won third place overall in the Magazine of the Year category. These recognitions come after TPI and its staff won 68 awards upon the preliminary announcement of the 2024 APA media awards.
ABIGAIL MURPHY TPI
The Tallapoosa County Board of Education approved to begin accepting bids for demolition of the 1929 RES building and the adjacent wing.
SUBMITTED TPI
Reeltown Elementary students note the importance of math in sewing and quilting as part of the OMI Spring Math Challenge.
Shower the people God loves
Some of my favorite alone times with God are when I’m in the yard or driving down the road and they’re much more meaningful to me than a page from a devotional book. Not that books aren’t beneficial, but when He’s talking directly to me, it’s much more personal, and I’m sharing what He showed me recently while I was watering our shrubs.
So often, just a simple phrase or thought causes me to break out in song, and when I was setting the nozzle options to shower, I suddenly
MELINDA BLAIR Columnist
began singing the familiar James Taylor song, “Shower the People,” but God had me to alter the lyrics to mimic His style of living and loving. My singing went like this, “Shower the people God loves with love” which is everyone! Instead of showering only the
people we love with love, let’s make a habit of showering all those around us with God’s love. Luke 6:32 asks, “What credit is that to us if we only love those who love us?” Yes, it’s much more challenging, I get that, but just think of how much happier we would be if we treated one another the way God instructs. Love thy neighbor, and even when we don’t agree with their actions and choices, we can pray for them and show kindness.
When I noticed the rainbow created by the sun shining through the water shower, God
Tallassee Churches
reminded me of something He told me years ago. “Be a unique color in the rainbow of Jesus’ love!” The SON can help us be a rainbow of His love, and I wanna try harder to shower others with His love, mercy, and grace like I want Him to offer me when I fail. Can you relate? He showed me something else as I peeled away a long row of pine straw. I uncovered a portion of the flower bed where we’ve had Princess Feathers every year, because they drop numerous seeds, and as to not disturb anything below, I gen-
tly watered the area.
1 Peter 3:15 states, “At the same time, we must also approach conversations about our faith with gentleness and respect, showing love and grace to those who don’t yet believe in Christ.” As Christians, let’s gently plant the seeds, shower them with God’s love, pray, and allow Him to germinate in the hearts of others. I love you guys!
Melinda Blair is a regular religion columnist for Tallapoosa Publishers.
Surrounding Area Churches
Dalton MiDDleton SportS eDitor dalton.middleton@thewetumpkaherald.com
Tallassee sees key transfers enter program
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
There will be some new and returning faces patrolling the Tallassee football field this fall.
With Lawrence “L.A.”
O’Neal bringing a new spark to Tallassee, former and new players are also ready to wear the purple and gold as well. In the last few months, Tal-
lassee has welcomed in three playmakers to the roster. The most notable addition is a familiar face in Josh Griffin.
Griffin, now a senior, left Tallassee in the summer of 2023 after his sophomore season. The star running back transferred to Montgomery Catholic where he helped lead the Knights to an undefeated 15-0 record and
Reeltown cheerleading dominating summer camps
By HENRY ZIMMER Sports Editor
Reeltown cheerleading has had a busy summer and things are not slowing down anytime soon.
During recent trips to UCA cheer camps, eight Rebel cheerleaders were named All-Americans. At the varsity level, Ryleigh Whitaker, Emily Blakely, Sophie Henderson and Emily Coan all received All-American status. At the JV level, Daci Ledbetter, Blair Johnston, Ansleigh Fulford and Sarah Shurum were named All-Americans. For their efforts, the JV All-Americans will now also rotate up to varsity to bolster the already growing numbers within coach Nastasia rog-
ers’ program.
Last year Reeltown didn’t have 10 girls. This year they have almost 20.
“We have a pretty good squad,” Rogers said. “We are looking at meshing together but we have some strong cheerleaders. It is great to see our numbers rising too.”
The increased numbers within Reeltown’s cheer program has paid off on the mats during camp. With about eight girls last season, every mistake the team made was amplified due to a lack of members. Now the team has plenty of people to make up points and potentially disguise a mistake or two if necessary.
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Parks and Rec to host pickleball tourney
BY TPI STAFF Staff Report
Pickleball players will flock to Tallassee this weekend.
The Tallassee Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its second annual Smash Cancer Pickleball Tournament at 8:15 a.m. Saturday. If needed, the tournament will be extended a day to Sunday.
Check-in begins at 8 a.m. at the Tallassee Rec Center located at 650 Gilmer Avenue.
It will be a men’s and women’s doubles tourna-
ment and the cost to join is $25 per person and an event t-shirt is $20.
“Get ready to serve, volley and smash your way to victory in the most exciting Pickleball tournament of the year,” the Parks Department said. All proceeds are to raise money for the American Cancer Association.
Interested parties can pre-register at the rec center. For questions, visit www.tallasseecreation. com or reach out to parks director Jamelle Jelks at 334-283-4726.
the AHSAA Class 4A state championship. Griffin was one of the biggest reasons the Knights won the championship as he rushed 165 times for 1,843 yards and 25 touchdowns, good for 11.2 yards per carry. In the championship game, a 35-0 win over Cherokee County, Griffin rushed for
TALLASSEE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ANALYSIS
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Tallassee will see many new teams on its football schedule this season. After spending the last six seasons in Class 5A, the Tigers are heading back down to Class 4A. With that, Tallassee will play in a new region with new opponents while still holding onto its annual rivalry games.
It will be a tough schedule as seven of the 10 opponents Tallassee will face made the playoffs last season while three of them advanced to at least the second round and two (BTW Tuskegee and St. James) both reached the semifinals.
The overall combined record for teams Tallassee will face is 60-52.
Five teams had a winning record and five had a losing record. The five teams with a winning record all had at least seven wins while four of the five had at least eight wins.
Three of the five teams with losing records had four wins.
TRENDS
In terms of travel, Tallassee has arguably the worst schedule in the AHSAA this season, especially early on. The Tigers will open the season with four-consecutive away games and play six of their first seven games on the road.
Of those six road games, five are against teams that reached the playoffs last season, including BTW which reached the 4A semifinals and Handley that reached the second round.
The one home game during that stretch is against Bullock County, which Tallassee is undefeated against. Tallassee is 5-0-1 against Bullock and outscored them 227-33 over the last four meetings dating back to 1998.
On the flip side, Tallassee has never beaten Cleburne County in the two contests the schools have played. Cleburne County won both games in 2004 and 2005.
While the early schedule is heavy with away games, the Tigers will end the regular season on a three-game home stand against St. James, Holtville and Talladega.
Tallassee has a winning record against all three teams in its history.
GAMES TO WATCH
Elmore County vs. Tallassee, Aug. 30
Even with Tallassee moving down to Class 4A, the two teams stayed on each other’s schedules this season. This rivalry has been one of the most intense in recent history, but it has been dominated by Tallassee.
The Tigers had won seven straight before Elmore County’s 34-20 win last year.
The last two seasons have been closer games than normal. In 2022, Tallassee pulled out a 26-20 win which was the first time in seven years it had been decided by less than three touchdowns. Last year, it was back and forth before Elmore County pulled away late.
TALLASSEE VS. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, SEPT. 13
This will be coach Lawrence “L.A.” O’Neal’s first
game back at his former school. O’Neal spent the last three seasons at BTW where he led the Golden Eagles to a 19-17 record and two playoff appearances. The two teams split their series the last two seasons with Tallassee winning 21-12 in 2022 and BTW winning 44-0 last season.
O’Neal will look to send a message to his former team that lost many of its playmakers from a year ago.
TALLASSEE VS. HANDLEY, OCT. 11
Tallassee’s final away game comes at the hands of one its most familiar opponents. Tallassee and Handley have faced each other 33 times, with Tallassee holding a 15-16-2 record against the opposing Tigers. Handley is coming off a season where it went 10-2 and reached the second round of the playoffs. They went 6-0 at home last season. While Tallassee’s 1-9 record in 2023 doesn’t quite live up to the same hype as Handley’s 10-2, their last six games have been decided by 14 points or less.
OPPOSING PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.J. VINSON, MONTGOMERY ACADEMY WIDE RECEIVER Vinson lit up the scoreboard in Montgomery Academy’s season last year. The rising senior recorded 60 catches for 1,381 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ten of those touchdowns came in the four games that Montgomery Academy won, and he had over 200 receiving yards in three of those games. Overall, he had seven games with over 100
DALTON MIDDLETON TPI Tallassee’s Kevin Mason runs a route against Elmore County. Mason transferred into the Tallassee program after playing quarterback and scoring 57 touchdowns at Southern Prep Academy last year.
The Reeltown cheerleading team has been honored with four varsity All-Americans and four junior varsity All-Americans during the school’s multiple summer camps.
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The Tallassee Parks and Rec Department is hosting its second annual Smash Cancer Pickleball Tournament this upcoming weekend.The men’s and women’s doubles tournament begins at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, July 13.
See SUMMER, Page B2
ZIMMER Sports Editor
American soccer at a crossroads
Soccer will likely never be the preeminent sport in America, and the United States’ time at Copa América proved exactly that.
If you had not seen, as the host nation, the US was eliminated in the group stages of Copas, which is essentially like the World Cup but for only countries in the Americas. The European version is happening right now overseas.
It was the first time in 20 global tournaments the United States did not at least make it to the second round. It is the first time in recent memory the US could not even put on a representative showing, especially considering the Americans were favored in all three matches they played, even against powerhouse Uruguay.
There are a litany of issues that have stemmed from our embarrassing time at this tournament, from midfielder Tim Weah punching a Panamanian player or to coach Greg Berhalter’s questionable coaching choices.
As Berhalter’s job lies in the balance, the sport of soccer is at a heavy crossroads in this country. It is sad to see but it is completely a selfmade issue. For instance, the price to even see these games is outrageous. The average cost to see America play was well over $200 per person, mostly depending on who we were playing. If we were to play defending champ Argentina, the tickets would be around $500. My friends and I simply couldn’t afford to go to Atlanta to see the American team play Panama (luckily we didn’t based on that outcome). The stadiums for these games are half full at best because of pricing, while the stands are overflowing for the Euros in Germany even through days of heavy rain.
The Americans were not even treated like the home team or even host country in some of their matches as well. When at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium for the team’s final fixture against Uruguay, the Americans were the home squad. Yet they were forced to use the Chiefs’ visiting locker room. Trying to even watch that match for the first 30 or so minutes was next to impossible due to camera angles placed by the governing body for the tournament, CONMEBOL. That organization has more issues than can be counted, but using high angle shots for a game that won’t draw many people certainly doesn't help.
After the team’s loss to Panama, striker Folarin Balogun went on Instagram to display dozens of racist messages he received despite being the team’s statistical leader in total goals.
It is things like this that cannot happen if this sport is ever to grow.
This will not be an overnight change. To grow the beautiful game starts at a youth level and many Americans, myself included, abandon the game for other sports around middle school.
We do have the players and an infrastructure that can work if treated better. Until then, we will continue to be the Dallas Cowboys of international soccer: all the hype in the world without any of the results.
We have about two years until this team will take the world stage again for the 2026 World Cup. Hopefully by then things are different, but the signs are not good.
Henry Zimmer is the sports editor of The Outlook.
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“We are excited for the future,” Rogers said. “It is good to be able to cover the mat this time.”
Creature Chronicles
Wind Creek State Park sports all kinds of amphibians
By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter
As the sun begins to set, folks around Lake Martin will hear the songs of frogs and toads, and these little amphibians are a vital part of the area.
At Wind Creek State Park, park naturalist Dylan Ogle works on education and outreach for conversation efforts. At the park, he hosts guided nature hikes, guided boat rides and classes at the clubhouse.
Common critters Ogle sees around the park are toads and frogs. He said both
of these animals are important for bug management and are food sources for larger animals in the ecosystem.
Ogle said the easiest way to spot the difference between a frog and toad is based on the skin texture with frogs having a smoother skin and toads having a
bumpier skin. The difference in skin also has to do with their tolerance level to humidity.
While toads can venture further on land, frogs need to stay closer to a water source.
Ogle said some of the most common frogs and
toads he sees around the park are Fowler’s toads, Green tree frogs, American toad and Southern toads.
Wind Creek State Park hosts events throughout the year and is open daily from 7 a.m. to dark. The park also has multiple trails and lodging options.
101 yards and one touchdown. “Josh is a Tallassee kid who is coming back home,” O’Neal said. “Catholic won the championship last year so he knows what winning looks like and he knows what a championship team looks like. That’s always nice to add to a team.”
Tallassee also looked to be adding a new quarterback to the mix, but O’Neal is confident in Trent Morris holding
down his spot. The team welcomed Southern Prep quarterback Kevin Mason to the roster. Last year for the Fighting Rangers, Mason passed for 3,102 yards with 43 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 1,369 yards and 14 touchdowns. While he will serve as the backup quarterback at Tallassee, he was used as a receiver during the Battle for the County 7-on-7 tournament last week at Wetumpka and scored a few touchdowns on the day.
“Kevin was an outstanding athlete at Southern Prep playing quarterback so it’s really good to have him as a backup quarterback,” O’Neal said. “At receiver, he’s working really hard every day to get his hands where they need to be so he can be our number one or number two wideout this year.” On the defensive side of the ball, O’Neal and company welcomed in a new linebacker in Roderick “Tiny” Green. Green, a rising junior, played in eight games for Dadeville last season and recorded 54 total tackles and
town cheer.”
one fumble recovery. He also played running back, rushing for 225 yards and one touchdown, but will be used as a linebacker on O’Neal’s team.
“Tiny has been a staple on our defense so far and is playing really physically,” O’Neal said. “He’s learning how we play defense, which is a little different than what he’s used to. I believe he ran a 3-3-stack and we run a 3-4 defense so he’s learning. But I’m really excited about having all three of them join us. They bring a bunch of extra energy and a lot of depth.”
Despite that, the girls still put four of its members in the upper echelon of campers.
“It was very interesting to see how they overcame those three long days,” Rogers said. “But we made a lot of progress.”
Prior to this year’s camp session, Rogers estimated that about half her team had never even been.
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receiving yards. His worst game was against O’Neal’s BTW team where he had only one catch for 1 yard.
MARQUEZ DANIEL, BOOKER
T. WASHINGTON RECEIVER/ CORNERBACK
Rogers and her squad will be hosting Reeltown cheerleading’s first ever youth camp in August, furthering the growth within the program. Already the camp has over 20 girls signed up to learn under the high school team.
The camp will teach
One of the best players Tallassee will face this season will be one of O’Neal’s former players. Daniel, a fourstar rising junior, played both ways last year for BTW. The star player recorded 33 catches for 640 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, he had 46 tackles and an impressive eight interceptions, two of which he returned for a touchdown.
youth cheerleaders a dance and cheer routine to be performed at Rebel Night and at the school’s first pep rally.
“It will be exciting for the young kids to perform in front of their new peers and in the new gym,” Rogers said. “There is a lot going on with Reel-
WILS JOHNSON, ST. JAMES LINEBACKER Johnson will be one of the top defensive players that Tallassee will encounter. The do-it-all rising senior flies from sideline to sideline racking up tackles. As a junior in 2023, Johnson recorded 155 total tackles to
In the fall, outside of cheering along the football team, the cheerleaders will head to Huntsville Oct. 19 for another camp.
With how well the team has competed over the summer, the bar has been set high for camp in a few months.
go with three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two defended passes and four sacks. On offense, he recorded four catches.
SCHEDULE Aug. 23 – Tallassee at Montgomery Academy Aug. 30 – Tallassee at Elmore County Sept. 6 – Tallassee at Munford*
“I am looking forward to seeing them progress,” Rogers said. “I have seen so much growth. We have some really good cheerleaders and they are beginning to gel. I am ready to see what the outcome will be once we make it to the mat in October.”
Sept. 13 – Tallassee at B.T. Washington Tuskegee*
20
HENRY
DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI
Tallassee coach Lawrence “L.A.” O’Neal has seen multiple transfers enter Tallassee’s football program in his first year, including former running back Josh Griffin after a season at Montgomery Catholic.
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Inclusive playground complete at Children’s Harbor
Children’s Harbor has added a new inclusive playground to its Lake Martin Campus to better serve the unique needs of families with seriously ill children.
The $750,000 playground, located at the Harbor Lodge Family Camp, was designed to provide unstructured play opportunities for children of all abilities to foster inclusivity and side-by-side play.
The playground features specialized surfacing, a ramp system that allows for easy wheelchair transfers, musical and sensory elements, and a merry-goround that can accommodate up to two wheelchairs.
“We worked with several of our camp partners and families to ensure that this playground met everyone’s needs,” Children’s Harbor CEO Cat Outzen said. “We even had some of our campers travel to Auburn to test out some of the pieces of
playground equipment that we were looking at buying to get their feedback.”
In addition to the play equipment, the site will include a large, covered pavilion for seating and large sails to provide shade throughout the day. As Children’s Harbor is a private facility, the playground is not open to the public and will be used year-round by our family camps.
The project would not be possible without the generosity of corporate and individual sponsors.
Another one of the development’s features includes the Regions Pavilion, donated by Regions Bank, located directly across from the play area, providing shade and a place to rest while campers enjoy the equipment.
For more information, please call Lauren Marino at (205) 807-5778 or Allie Hendrix at (334) 300-8019 or visit us online at www. childrensharbor.com.
inclusive playground has been completed at Children Harbor’s Lake Martin campus.