Tallassee police arrest one in Monday morning shooting
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
The Monday morning shooting suspect turned himself in to the Tallassee Police Department.
Just a few hours after police officers responded to a subject shot near Third Avenue in Tallassee, LaJonathan Kennebrew turned himself in to the police department.
About 8:15 a.m. police responded to Third Avenue and Cherry Street. The Tallassee Police Department is searching for a shooting suspect.
“There is an adult male with a gunshot wound to the side,” Tallassee police chief Todd Buce said. “It is an isolated event involving family members.”
The victim identified Kennebrew, 39, who is now charged with first-degree assault.
As of 9:30 a.m. the victim was waiting to be flown to a Montgomery area hospital from Community Hospital in Tallassee. Buce said there is no immediate public danger. Buce said there is no further information available at this time.
FOUR INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF PRIDE
Goss left mark on bands across the country
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Their names are scattered across the United States.
Stacy Goss was a legendary band director. Joan O’Daniel is a pioneer showing those with handicaps can be fruitful in life. Bernice Paschal
Rivers Barton-Simmons Cooper was instrumental in integrating Tallassee High School. Susan Schonberger Swagler graduated from Tallassee and became a journalist at some of the biggest publications in the Southeast.
“All of the inductees are trailblazers,” Tallassee Alum-
CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI
ni Association’s Suzannah Wilson said of the latest class of inductees into the Hall of Pride.
After graduating from Tallassee in 1965, Stacy Goss went on to be a legendary band director in Alabama and
See PRIDE, Page A5
Tallassee High School alumni association Hall of Pride inductees Joan O’Daniel, left, Becky Goss for husband Stacy Goss, Bernice Paschal Rivers Barton-Simmons Cooper and Susan Schonberger Swagler pose for a photograph after they were inducted into the Hall of Pride.
By LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN Managing Editor
Six alleged shooters in connection with the April 15 mass shooting in Dadeville are still awaiting their days in court, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot going on behind the scenes.
Of the six suspects, two of their records are being kept private due to the Alabama Confidentiality Act, which states all juvenile suspects tried as adults remain anonymous unless and until they are convicted.
Wilson Hill, Willie Brown and Johnny Brown, all over the age of 18 at the time of the crime, were all initially tried as adults and their records are public. All three have entered pleas of not guilty, according to court records. A fourth suspect, Sherman Peters III, was just 15 on April 15, 2023, however his proceeds are public.
The difference in Peters’ case is due to his age. He was initially charged as a juvenile whereas the other
Montgomery man arrested with Tallassee robbery suspect at the beach
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
There was another man in the car with Zy’Quarius Collins when he was arrested in Panama City Beach last month.
Roderious Glover, 18, of Montgomery was also taken into custody.
An incident report from the Panama City Beach Police Department stated a blue 2012 Chevrolet Camaro was traveling on Front Beach Road when a police officer noticed Collins, 19, of Tallassee and Glover not wearing seatbelts. Police officers conducted a traffic stop requesting identification.
“While speaking with them, I detected an odor of burnt cannabis emitting from the vehicle,” a Panama City Beach police officer stated in the report.
The occupants were asked to leave the vehicle to allow a canine to search it.
“Mr. Glover was given approximately four different orders or commands
HILL J. BROWN PETERS W. BROWN
TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
APRIL 14
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.
• Theft was reported on East Roosevelt Street.
• Theft was reported on Magnolia Street.
• Harassment was reported on Third Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Rickey Lane.
• An animal complaint was reported on Benson Avenue.
• Assistance was given during a fire on Friendship Road.
• A motor vehicle accident was reported on Langley Street. APRIL 13
• Harassing communications were reported on Friendship Road.
• A noise complaint was reported on Claire Street.
• Assistance was given to medics on Gilmer Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Gilmer Avenue.
• A domestic incident was reported on Hillcrest Street.
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A noise complaint was reported on Third Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Third Avenue.
• Theft was reported on Central Boulevard.
to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on King Street.
• A private property motor vehicle accident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A suspicious person was reported on North Johnson Street.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Washington Street.
• Animal control was requested on Burt Mill Road.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Friendship Road.
• Theft was reported on Sunwood Court.
• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Freeman Avenue. APRIL 11
• A suspicious person was reported on Hillcrest Street.
• A suicidal subject was reported on Friendship Road.
• Theft was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Joy Street.
• A white male was arrested on Little Road.
• Livestock was reported in the roadway on South Johnson Street.
• Theft was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Livestock was reported in the roadway on Notasulga Road.
conducted on McNeal Street.
• Property damage was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Harassment was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Central Boulevard.
• Loitering was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Riverside Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Riverside Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Riverside Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Riverside Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Riverside Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Ashurst Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• A white male was arrested during a traffic stop on Gilmer Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Ashurst Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• An abandoned vehicle was reported on Highway 229.
• An abandoned vehicle was reported on Airport Drive.
• Breaking and entering a vehicle was reported on First Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Ashurst Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Friendship Road.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• Criminal mischief was reported on Quail Run Drive.
• Assistance was given during a medical call on North McKenzie Street. APRIL 8
• Assistance was given during a medical call on Barnett Boulevard.
• A civil disturbance was reported on Third Avenue.
• A Black male was arrested during an assistance call on Gilmer Avenue.
• Criminal mischief was reported on Third Avenue. APRIL 12
• A suicidal subject was reported on Quail Crossing.
• A domestic incident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A verbal altercation was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Jordan Avenue.
• Harassment was reported on Third Avenue.
• Criminal mischief was reported on Third Avenue.
• A fight in progress was reported on Third Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Friendship Road.
• A private property motor vehicle accident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A white female was arrested during a theft call on Gilmer Avenue.
• Suspicious activity was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Assistance was given
• A Black female was arrested during a traffic stop on Highway 229.
• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.
• A private property motor vehicle accident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Barnett Boulevard.
• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.
• Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported on Oak Heights Road.
• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Friendship Road.
• A welfare check was conducted on Monroe Street.
• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue. APRIL 10
• Debris was reported in the roadway on Central Boulevard.
• A tree was reported in the roadway on Rifle Range Road.
• A domestic incident was reported on Azalea Street.
• A welfare check was
• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.
• A private property motor vehicle accident was reported on Third Avenue.
• Theft was reported on Herd Street.
• A Black male was arrested during a traffic stop on Knox Street.
• A domestic incident was reported on Friendship Road. APRIL 9
• Assistance was given to another agency on Birch Street.
• A domestic incident was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Quail Run Drive.
• A Black male was arrested during a traffic stop on Barnett Boulevard.
• A white male was arrested during a traffic stop on Barnett Boulevard.
• Animal control was requested on Ashurst Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Freeman Avenue.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Seventh Street.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Jordan Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Ashurst Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Weldon Road.
• Suspicious activity was reported on First Avenue.
• A Black female was arrested during a traffic stop on Barnett Boulevard.
• A Black male was arrested during a traffic stop on Gilmer Avenue.
• Debris was reported in the roadway on Barnett Boulevard.
• A Black female was arrested on U.S. Highway 231.
• A two vehicle motor vehicle accident was reported on Highway 229.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• An animal complaint was reported on Third Avenue.
• An animal complaint was reported on Oak Heights Road.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Wood Street.
• A Black male was arrested on U.S. Highway 231.
• Harassment was reported on Barnett Boulevard.
• A domestic incident was reported on East Roosevelt Street.
• Harassing communications was reported on Eubanis Street.
See REPORTS, Page A3
Follies coming to an end?
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Unless someone steps up, the Fabulous Follies have come to an end in Tallassee.
The Follies were a project of Pat Merrett and for 25 years the lip syncing fun have provided laughs for everyone and funds for the Tallassee High School music programs. Merrett was working at Stillwaters and producing a similar program for residents there when she introduced Don Bryant to the Follies. He was master of ceremonies once at Stillwaters and Bryant has been a fixture of the Follies in Tallassee too.
“She twisted my arm,” Bryant said. “She said, ‘Oh by the way while you are MCing, you have to fill in for this role.’” Bryant has had many roles over the years in the Follies. This year alone he was Merrett’s protagonist in The Intercom, played coach in Who’s On First, the announcer in Dorf Breaks the Record, the TV host in The Reluctant Astronaut, the patient in The Dentist, a member of
The Dooright Family and more.
Bryant said the whole creation is Merrett’s and he just showed up at the times Merrett volun-told him to.
“Every bit of this is Pat,” Bryant said. “It’s the same person that twisted everyone else’s arm to get involved.”
Like always, this year’s
Tallassee council approves nuisance weed ordinance
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
The City of Tallassee is trying to clean up its neighborhoods of overgrown grass.
It is an effort to make sure property owners don’t let the lawns get out of hand. The Tallassee City Council approved an ordinance at its Tuesday meeting allowing citations to be issued.
“This gives the ability to address it in municipal court,” Tallassee city attorney John Smith said. “It’s a more streamlined process to deal with.”
Councilmembers asked about adding abandoned automobiles and dilapidated structures to items that could be cited. Smith advised to wait and see how this process works with overgrown lawns and weeds.
“It’s simple to extend it to cover other things,” Smith said.
Mayor Sarah Hill asked for a budget amendment to allow paying for unfunded state mandates. Hill said the city is required to take an inventory of its water distribution system and report to the state the amount of lead and copper used in joints and pipes. It’s infrastructure that is decades old in many cases.
The information is to be reported to the state by October. Testing will cost $20,195.
REPORTS
Continued from A2
APRIL 7
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Third Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Freeman Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Gilmer Avenue.
• Theft by deception was reported on Barnett Boulevard.
WETUMPKA POLICE DEPARTMENT
APRIL 10
• Domestic violence was reported on Chapel Lakes Loop.
APRIL 6
• Domestic violence was reported on Gunter Avenue. APRIL 5
• Harassing communications was reported on South Main Street.
Hill also informed the council the city will have to add to insurance funds to replace a parked senior center van that was destroyed when a car on Highway 14 entered the center’s parking lot. The mayor asked if anyone knew of any churches that had passenger vans for sale as the center had trips already planned.
The council also approved the closure of North Ann Street from Barnett Boulevard to James Street on April 27.
The measure is to allow preparation for Sounds and Sirens fundraiser for the Tallassee and Friendship fire departments in downtown Tallassee.
“This will help raise funds for the fire departments’ operations so we don’t have to ask you for money,” Tallassee assistant fire chief David Rogers said.
IN OTHER ACTION THE TALLASSEE CITY COUNCIL:
• Approved minutes of the March 12 meeting.
• Surplus old weight equipment from the Tallassee Recreation Center.
• Approved a name change for a retail beer off premises only and a retail table wine off premises licenses for Tallassee Y LLC.
The next meeting of the Tallassee City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 23.
show featured husband and wife teams such as Angie and Joe Gantt and mothers and daughters such as Joely and Macey Stewarts.
“The Stewarts have always been here,” Merrett said.
Macey is a swimmer going to the University of Alabama. But the Tallassee High senior took a weekend off from the pool to have a little fun with her mother, keeping a family tradition alive.
“My mom and both my siblings have always done it since it started,” Macey said.
Over the years Merrett has come up with every skit but one.
“Never again,” she said.
But one skit has been there every year — Soul Man. It has featured principals, chamber presidents and more. This year it featured Samantha Baker and Amari Parker in black suits.
“I have had three year olds in tuxes doing it,” Merrett said.
She has had more little ones in the past. Sched-
uling conflicts this year kept the small ones off the stage. Each year about 40 people have been involved, more when the show choirs were part of the skits.
“That is a whole bunch of people when you think about it,” Merrett said. Now the Follies are
Ever wonder why we do what we do? Our lineworkers work around the clock to deliver the reliable power you depend on and to constantly strengthen our grid in new and innovative ways. It’s that dependable framework that keeps you up and running, so you can do whatever you set your mind to. Now that’s power for a better Alabama.
CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI
ABOVE: Pat Merrett, left, takes a look at the costume for Ahab the Arab skit featuring Draven Haynes, Hayden Johnson, Maria Lynn, Steven Brown,Amari Parker, Gracie Wallace and Lille Boles. It was the last skit of the Follies. BELOW: Pat Merrett tries to coax the intercom to work during a skit with Don Bryant at the Follies Friday night. Merrett played several roles and changed
the event.
Fear of April
There are many great things about the month of April.
It’s the birth of spring. There are April showers which bring May flowers.
Springtime events are going on constantly, from yard sales to barbecues, and the spring sports are in full swing: baseball, softball, track and field, and more. And yet, I always fear the third and fourth weeks of April because of all the strange, and sometimes terrible, things that have happened on these days.
On the third week of April, 1983, the United States Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, was bombed by terrorists. 63 people died in the attack.
It seemed like good news in 1989 when 100,000 young people protested in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The iconic photo of a student standing up to a tank doesn’t show the gruesome Communist crackdown to come.
David Koresh and the Branch Davidians engaged in a final, brutal shootout with law enforcement on this week in 1993, ending with the entire compound exploding into flames. 81 people died.
Two years later to the day in 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was destroyed by (at the time) the worst bombing on U.S. soil. 168 people were killed. (I was working in the Troy State University Library that day, and remember going to the box to pick up the NEW YORK TIMES. The picture on the front page was fireman Chris Fields holding the dying baby, Baylee Almon. I was so distraught I could barely finish the work day.)
The Virginia Tech shootings occurred on this week in 2007. 32 people died, and 17 others were wounded.
Dadeville is a small town. It’s populated by just 3,230 people. It’s peppered with unique characters and town events, almost out of a storybook. The quaint downtown is quiet with only two red lights out on the highway.
A tragedy struck Dadeville on April 15, 2023, one of the most stunning I could imagine. But Dadeville is not defined by one night. Dadeville is defined by those characters, the events, the fairytale-feel.
The “Dadeville shooting” was all you heard about for a while. Whether national news or right here in the pages of Tallapoosa Publishers, it felt like the “Dadeville shooting” was something no one could escape. But then something was brought to our attention.
LIZI GWIN Managing Editor
We’d
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
Obituaries: 35 cents per word with a $25 charge for picture per paper (Herald, Observer, Tribune). Obituaries are only accepted via the funeral home in charge of arrangements. We do not accept obituaries from individuals.
Weddings, Engagements, Anniversaries, or Birth
Announcements: These significant family events or milestones are 25 cents per word and $15 for a photo and must be emailed to us at announcements@thewetumpkaherald.com. Include name and telephone number. The text for the announcement must be in the body of the email (not as an attachment) and photographs must be sent as a .jpeg attached to the email. Announcements will appear within 10 days in The Tribune, The Herald or The Observer.
POSTMASTER:
Camp Hill Mayor Messiah Williams-Cole said at a council meeting it shouldn’t be called the Dadeville shooting; it should be called the April 15 shooting, and since then, we’ve made it a point to call it just that. There’s many reasons behind this decision. For one, not everyone affected by the shooting was a Dadevillian. A Sweet 16 birthday party was the reason for the event, and students from surrounding schools and even surrounding counties were present. One of the deceased, Marsiah Collins, was an Opelika student while Corbin Holston was a prior graduate of Dadeville. Students from Pike Road, Tallassee, Reeltown, Benjamin Russell, Booker T. Washington and more were all at the party. This affected way more than Dadeville, that is to be sure. More importantly though, the “Dadeville” shooting makes it seem too much like Dadeville is defined by this day. If anything, Dadeville
has been defined by the aftermath of the April 15 shooting. It’s been defined by the ways the community has come together and the way the victims have become survivors.
way our entire city deals with each other,” Dadeville Police Department chief Jonathan Floyd said. “Every one knows that there was a tremen dous tragedy here, that we will give anything to go back in time and hope that it wouldn’t happen, but it did.” Remembering
Anyone who follows the Legislative Session each year in Montgomery, knows that it is never short of controversy.
The House has its priorities, the Senate has its own, and governors have theirs. And it is fair to say that those priorities are not always the same. You can take gaming this session as an example.
However, in this session there is one major push that has brought all our state’s top elected leaders together – an ambitious workforce, economic and community development package called, “Working for Alabama.”
At an announcement event in Montgomery last month, we saw a rare occurrence: Governor Kay Ivey joining with Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth and the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate to unveil the seven bills that make up the Working for Alabama legislative package. So, what will Working for Alabama do? Let’s start with the workforce development piece. Currently, Alabama has one of the worst labor force participation rates in the nation. Anyone with decent eyesight knows this by seeing the countless “now hiring” signs on the front windows of businesses across our state. The jobs are there, we just do not have the people trained and equipped to take those jobs. This is an Achilles heel for our state’s economic growth. A company cannot and will not set up shop in a place that doaes not have the workers needed to operate.
This is a real problem, but our legislative leaders have accepted this challenge. Through the Commission on 21st Century Workforce and years of effort, research and study, this commission came out with a report that outlined some commonsense ways that will help create a workforce in Alabama that is second to none.
The Alabama Workforce Transformation Act would consolidate duplicative state agencies that are currently operating in silos when it comes to workforce, thereby improving efficiency and reducing government waste. The Secretary of Labor would become the Secretary of Workforce and serve as a sort of “quarterback” to make sure these entities are doing their jobs and achieving results.
You can think of this like a building project. If you have a bunch of independent contractors without a general contractor overseeing them to make sure they are all working efficiently together, that is going to be a pretty sloppy job with mixed results. The same is true for workforce development. Working for Alabama also recognizes that a significant number of high school students do not plan to go to a four-year college. Honestly, many of them do not need to. There are high paying, high demand jobs available that do not require a fouryear college degree. This is where Alabama’s outstanding Community College System will have a major impact on the success of this plan. This package would allow high school students to take full advantage of this valuable state resource to obtain credentials and training while in school, so they are able to get a good job as soon as they graduate. This will allow more of our young people to start strong careers through which they can provide for their families and contribute to their communities.
This package aims to eliminate
State leaders all aboard on
‘Working for Alabama’ plan
barriers to employment through a childcare tax credit, so parents do not have to stay at home due to unaffordable childcare services. This has been a priority for House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and will help countless families.
Working for Alabama will also make impressive improvements to our state’s current economic development efforts. It will require our state to create an economic development plan that will be regularly updated and receive input from an industry board. A good thing about this piece of the plan is that it will measure success, so our state’s economic development leaders can see if what they are doing is actually working, and if it is not, they will change what they are doing. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed is leading the charge on this effort. He has been a leader in economic development throughout his tenure in the legislature.
This bipartisan plan will also invest in communities through key resources, such as funding for high speed internet expansion, industrial site development for industry recruitment, and other key areas. Between the leadership of Governor Kay Ivey, Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, President Pro Tem Greg Reed, Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels and others all working together to get this done, the result will truly supercharge Alabama’s economy and workforce for years to come. It is good to see all of our state’s top elected leaders coming together and Working for Alabama.
Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at steve@steveflowers.us.
MICHAEL BIRD Columnist
STEVE FLOWERS Columnist
‘LIFE IS GREAT’ Survivor physically healed, still dealing with trauma
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Bre Hutchinson was the typical teenager the day before the Dadeville shooting. Hutchinson was in the 10th grade enjoying life — as a teenager should. It was Friday, April 14.
“I’m looking at my phone at photos from then,” Hutchinson said. “I was hanging out with friends.
I was literally on my friend’s back in the gym. I was flipping around, eating cereal. Everything was good.”
Things on Saturday, April 15 were looking good too. Hutchinson went to a friend’s house to get ready for the birthday party near the square in Dadeville.
“We went to the gas station and bought snacks and stuff,” Hutchinson said. Hutchinson arrived at the party and she was having a good time with her friends and acquaintances.
“It was great,” Hutchinson said. “We were having fun dancing and everything.”
The room was full. Everyone was having fun. Hutchinson went outside with a friend to cool off some. On the way back she noticed something that was a warning.
“There were like two people arguing,” Hutchinson said. “He said something to the other and it was like a red flag. We should have left then. We brushed it off and went back anyway.”
It was about 10:45 p.m. and kids started to run. Hutchinson found herself shot in the abdomen but managed to get outside to the sidewalk. Someone picked her up and got her to the emergency department
at Russell Medical.
About the same time Hutchinson’s mother was calling to remind her about curfew. The teenager missed it. Instead she spent the next nine days at UAB. There were surgeries to fix the physical injuries of a gunshot wound.
A year later, Hutchinson is fine physically.
“I’ve healed really great, 100% almost,” Hutchinson said Friday. “But the anxiety and PTSD is still there.”
Hutchinson returned to Tallassee High School. She walked the halls of the new building. But something still wasn’t right. In February, she transferred to virtual school to work on herself and her mind.
“I couldn’t focus in the classroom,” Hutchinson said. “I needed a break. I focus better at home in my personal space. I like to be by myself.
I’m like a ‘me’ person now.”
School at home is new for Hutchinson. She is caught up with her school work making As and Bs. It is an effort to work on her anxiety and PTSD.
“I can’t go to parties or attend a big outing,” Hutchinson said. “I’m scared. My anxiety goes through the roof.”
A few things have been consistent in Hutchinson’s life since the shooting. Her mother has been there. So has Peaches Davis, the Dadeville resident who transported Hutchinson to Russell Medical. There have been a few small gatherings to celebrate the hero and friend.
There has also been hair and Hutchinson sees a future in it. Making wigs and fixing hair has been something Hutchinson has done since at
RIGHT: Bre Hutchinson is a year removed from being shot in the adodmen in Dadeville on April 15. She is mostly physically healed but is still dealing with anxiety and PTSD from the event.
least the seventh grade.
“It is very fun,” Hutchinson said. “I want to open my own salon and all that.”
More important though, Hutchinson wants to get better mentally and return to being a teenager. She wants to experience her senior year at Tallassee.
“I want to go back and have a great time,” Hutchinson said. “I want to do all the activities, go to the football
DADEVILLE STRONGER
By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter
Marsiah Collins. Corbin Holston. Philstavious Dowdell. Shaunkivia Nicole Smith.
These were the four deaths of the April 15 shooting in downtown Dadeville. During the one-year remembrance Monday, First Baptist Church of Dadeville pastor Dr. Ben Hayes said the message was to celebrate their lives, the first responders that night, the medical community, local educators and a community that came together.
Hayes invited the families, the victims and the community members to take this evening to find healing through remembrance, reflection and time with God. Hayes shared with the crowd a psalm he prayed nearly every day since getting that call April 15.
“The Lord is your keeper: the Lord is your shade, is your right hand,” he read. “The sun shall not strike you
COURT Continued from A1
two were immediately tried as adults. Since the initial arrests, Peters has been in front of a judge, who ruled his case eligible for the adult court system, therefore his court proceedings are public record despite the Confidentiality Act.
Most recently, Peters was in court Feb. 28 for a youthful offender status hearing, but a mental health evaluation was ordered and the results are still pending, according to court records.
Initially, the identity and likeness of TyReik McCullough and Travis McCullough, who were 16 and 17, respectively, were provided to media outlets by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency despite the two being juveniles when the crime was committed. However, due to the Confidentiality Act, Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. no longer has access to information about or photos of the
by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil: he shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
New Canaan Baptist Church pastor Justin Freeman said as a ministerial alliance they knew it was important to take time Monday as a community to remember those lost, those affected and those still hurting. Tonight, he said, we ask for God’s blessing.
Freeman said we are here on assignment, and nothing happens by accident; it's all under God’s divine providence. Even when you cannot trace God, you can trust him.
“Your life is an assignment,” he said. “You have been called to a work; you have a job to do on Earth. As God told Jeremiah, before I formed you, I knew you and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations. I have assigned you.”
God equips us for our assignments and yet none of us could have been
McCulloughs.
All six alleged shooters were initially charged with four counts each of reckless murder, 24 counts each of first-degree assault and one count each of third-degree assault. The April 15 shooting left four dead and 32 others injured.
According to Fifth Judicial District Attorney Mike Segrest, all six have been granted motions to sever their trials, which means they will be tried separately. Although it may seem like a waiting game on the outside, there is plenty of work to be done for Segrest and other investigators.
“Over the course of the last year, there continues to be things that come up,” Segrest said. “It might be victims that had bullets that were retrieved at a later date, where they didn’t go in and get the bullet out at the time, so they would be retrieved and taken into evidence. We’re reviewing all the statements as they come in, videos, body cam videos, all the different interviews.”
Typically, Segrest quantifies a case in hours of work, but this
games. I want to be able to focus again and go back into the classroom. I felt like I needed to take a break and heal some of my trauma and get over some of the PTSD.”
Ministerial alliance holds community-wide, one-year remembrance
prepared for what occurred a year ago — alone. Freeman said thankfully Dadeville is equipped with character — character is based on how you respond. And one year later, Dadeville is still standing; Dadeville is stronger.
“Not only do we have character, but our community is strong because God has equipped us with cooperation,” Freeman said. “That day, that horrific event, that night and the day after, I saw crowds come in support of the families and those who were suffering, those who had been left with their whole world crumbled.”
There is a common problem in this world, and it is that we are not connected. April 15 connected all of us through sorrow, through suffering and later through healing together, but it can’t stop now.
“We still need one another now,” Freeman said. “I know there are some smiles that have returned. I know we have experienced some moments in the midst of our sorrow, we have experi-
one he said he’d have to put in terms of weeks simply because of the massive load of evidence and witness statements.
“When I still say it’s very much an active investigation, that’s an understatement,” Segrest said. “Voluminous is not even the right word in terms of the amount of evidence. This is obviously one of, if not, the largest mass shootings in Alabama.”
Medical records are another bulk of the evidence pool, as Segrest said he has victim records to review from Russell Medical, East Alabama, Lake Martin Community Hospital, and even UAB and Columbus, Georgia.
“People were sent to hospitals all over the place,” Segrest said. “Putting all that together is very much a daunting task.”
Because of the way district court works, there are only two court terms in Dadeville each year and each lasts two weeks. Segrest predicts each trial for all six defendants will take the entire two-week term. The next Dadeville court term is in June, but Segrest said he doesn’t
enced some joy. But we still need one another now. We need one another because our level of commitment has to continue. Why? Because the assignment we are on is not complete.”
There are people who still need healing, there are people who still don’t know Jesus, Freeman said. And we must not confuse contribution with commitment. Commitment takes sacrifice. We need to be all in to make this world a better place.
“All I am trying to tell us is Dadeville, stay committed and watch God continue to be strong in all of our lives,” Freeman said in closing.
Before departing, the families and students were invited to release Japanese lanterns in memory of those lost. During the service, Charlie Kuykendall and Elizabeth Hindman both performed songs while photos of the victims rolled across the screen.
The Dadeville Stronger memorial service was held at the Dadeville High School football field at 6:30 p.m.
expect to be ready to try any of the defendants until at least the December court term.
“One thing I’ve been talking with Judge (William) Wharton about is requesting additional jury terms for Dadeville to be able to speed this up,” Segrest said.
“Even if we could try one in a week, we couldn’t strike from that same jury pool (for another defendant) so we have to wait till the next term for a co-defendant. With six trials and having only twice a year, it’ll take three years to try these cases and nothing else.”
There are two other capital murder cases set to be tried in Dadeville this year, so Segrest knows the importance of making sure everything can be tried in a timely manner.
That’s so important to him not just because of his job, but because of the relationships he’s formed over the last year.
“It’s something when I took office in January of last year, I never realized how much of an emotional bond that you build with the victims,” Segrest said. “Even though you didn’t know
the victim, you learn who they are and everything about them.”
Last October, Segrest had to try three capital murder cases in the four-county district and got convictions in all three.
“But there were tears at every one of them, and during every one of them,” Segrest said. “There were jurors at every one of those that came out and had tears rolling down their faces. It’s just so many emotions with these families, learning about their loved ones.”
Segrest said he’s gotten especially close with Lexi Dowdell, the sister of the late Phil Dowdell, who lost his life during the shooting. It was Lexi’s birthday party where the shooting occurred.
“Every couple weeks since the shooting, we’ve texted,” Segrest said. “She had prom (last) Friday night, and she (went) out of town for her birthday. You just build up those relationships. They’ve become like family. You feel the emotions that they feel and I don’t think anybody would be human if they didn’t.”
SUBMITTED TPI
ABOVE: Dadeville’s Peaches Davis, left, poses with Bre Hutchinson outside Bre’s Tallasssee home. Davis found Hutchinson on a sidewalk in Dadeville moments after the shooting. The two are now forever linked.
Humane Society of Elmore County News
Honoring animal control officers
By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director
This is National Animal Control Officer (ACO) Appreciation Week, and we ask everyone to thank and acknowledge the important job our ACO’s do for our communities. Each of our towns and the county are lucky enough to have ACO’s dedicated to enforcing state and local animal related laws, helping animals in need, protecting the health and safety of people, and resolving issues involving animals. We have counties near us with no Animal Control resources for their citizens and we can tell you that often places people in challenging situations. ACOs are important to public safety as they interact with people and animal alike, often in risky situations involving injured, scared or aggressive animals.
Animal control officers respond to many different situations - animal bite/ attack cases, mediating disputes between neighbors over animal issues, rounding up loose livestock that have gotten out of pastures, investigating
animal cruelty and neglect cases, helping injured animals get to care, working with other law enforcement when animals are involved in larger criminal cases, etc. City noise ordinances and barking dogs often present challenges and some towns have limits on the number of pets in city zoning ordinances. All areas of Elmore County have a containment law for dogs and Wetumpka and Tallassee add to that with a “leash law” for cats. And some, but not all, of our cities restrict livestock
within city limits. Our animal control officers are dedicated professionals who deserve respect from the public they serve – some have attended specialized animal control training at the state and national level to learn about things like safe capture techniques, animal identification, disease issues, legal issues, investigative techniques, court proceedings, rabies control, public education, wildlife and exotics, and so much more. Animal issues often put them in harm’s way from both
animals and people and their call volume often means they have to triage cases to deal with the most serious, or potentially serious, the quickest. Please understand that their call volume often greatly exceeds their ability to get to some calls immediately. So please help us thank all of our animal control officers as they work to help animals and people alike.
Rea Cord is the executive director of the Humane Society of Elmore County.
FEAR
Continued from A4
It was on this week in 2010 that the BP oil rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and gushed oil for the next six months.
On this same week in 1999, two high school students terrorized Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killing 13 people and injuring 21 others.
In 2013, the Boston Marathon bombings occurred, injuring 264
Texas. His high school bands were the first to receive standing ovations at Jordan-Hare Stadium when his Albertville bands performed.
Goss was the first in the family to receive formal music training. It is thanks to his sister Vera Webster who raised the money for Goss to go to Auburn University. He later became the trumpet section leader and member of the Auburn Knights. His first job was basically starting the band at Brooks High School in Athens. Then he grew the Albertville band to legendary status.
Goss’ bands performed around the country in just about every parade and competition.
“His tremendous talent as a professional musician is not Stacy’s true
Doughy is a 2-year old male that looks like he could be a Pit/Akita but certainly could be other mixes. He is 65 pounds and was found as a stray. He was brought to us and never reclaimed. He is an absolute sweetheart, shy at first but then a huge love bug and wants nothing but attention. He knows sit and down and has pretty good recall. He will play fetch but he’s also easily distracted and LOVES car rides. He seems great with other dogs and actually scared of cats. Doughy came to us heartworm positive and completed his treatment last week — just one of so many we have to treat because of not being on heartworm prevention.
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.
people and killing three.
We have unfortunately become too accustomed to bad news. Perhaps it’s the 24/7 media cycle that keeps things stirred up while we stay glued to electronic devices.
I am of the belief that we simply know more
legacy,” Wilson said. “That legacy lies in his years as a high school band director and mentor for a multitude of young people. His success was their success.”
A former student of Goss supported his induction into the Hall of Pride. Scott Berry was a student of Goss’ at Albertville and the relationship continued for more than 40 years. “He was very much a father figure to me and someone I always looked up to,” Berry said. “He is a man I greatly admire and someone I always highly respected.” Berry said Goss was the reason he became an Alabama high school band director.
“I routinely sought out Stacy Goss very often as a mentor for professional advice and guidance,” Berry said. Berry said Goss laid the founda-
details about events, and know them sooner, than ever before in history.
The irony: the more we communicate, the less we care about others.
Michael Bird is a music teacher for Tallassee City Schools.
tion for the best band in the state in Albertville.
“He is genuinely considered to be an absolute living legend in and around the city of Albertville,” Berry said.
Goss’s wife Becky attended the induction ceremony. They were married for 53 years. She credited Goss’ sister Webster and others in Tallassee including former band director Ed Watkins for pushing Goss to be a musician. There were teachers at Auburn University who mentored Goss as well.
“He had a God given talent for both music and teaching,” Becky said. “I have no idea on how one person was liked by so many people on an individual level. He used his time on this earth to make a difference.”
Stories on O’Daniel, Cooper and Swagler will appear in upcoming issues of The Tallassee Tribune.
Glover then told police there were some marijuana “roaches” and a Black and Mild in the car. Two Glock firearms were located in the vehicle under the driver and passenger seats.
Glover was charged with possession of a short barrel rifle shotgun or machine gun, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and resisting officer without violence. Collins was charged with carrying a short-barreled rifle or machine gun. Glover and Collins were booked into the Bay County Jail. Collins was released on a $100,000 bond. Glover was released on a $57,500 bond. Collins was later taken into custody and turned over to the Elmore County Jail for a bond revocation in Elmore County. There are no mugshots available from Panama City Beach Police Department.
Take me out to the ballgame
Greetings from the corner of Bridge and Bridge!
I do hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the arrival of spring. The mornings have been so very beautiful. Of course, we are already having highs in the 80s, but that is par for the course in our area this time of year.
Last Sunday I did something I have never done. Instead of being at church at 11am, I was at a ball park in Millbrook. One of our nephews was playing in a travel ball tournament, and since I had the day off, Alicia and I went to watch him play.
First, as I said, I had the day off. I can honestly say that there is no place I would rather be on a Sunday than Wetumpka. The only exception is attending a race
at Talladega! I love the church I serve and the overall spirit of Sundays there. I love being able to have quiet Sunday afternoons at home, especially if a nap is part of the equation.
I am a child of the church. My family is a church-going family and has always been. The spirit of Lord’s Day observance is in my DNA and I have no problem confessing my need for it. I love having a day out in God’s creation as much as the next person, but my preference for Sundays has always been church and home. As a result, I do not tend to take many Sundays off.
Second, the world of little league sports was not always as wide as it is today. The entity known as travel ball was not even a thing in my youth. Now,
every sport has opportunity for student athletes to participate in their sport beyond what is offered through school athletics. Growing up, some of my friends and classmates played sports. Most of them went to church with their families.
I did not feel out of place at the ballpark Sunday. It was a beautiful day. Families were gathered in the stands and under tents to support the young players. It was a good day of baseball, for the most part, but there was one thing missing: Joy.
I know why there was no joy in the bleacher section I was sitting in. Our nephew’s team was getting clobbered. The opposing team couldn’t lose and our team couldn’t win. That’s the nature of the game, though, and both sides seemed to recognize that and take
Tallassee Churches
it in stride.
The lack of joy was most evident among a few of the fans in the complex. Early on, one father stood up and berated his son from the top of the bleachers for not holding the bag at third base. This man screamed at his nine-year-old son, threw up his hands in outrage, and plopped on the bleachers in disgust.
After that, I started looking around the baseball complex. I did not see many happy faces. Although most fans were behaving, few seemed to be enjoying anything.
I want to be very clear that I have a healthy appreciation for team sports, both formal and informal. They present valuable tools for learning life skills, and I am a major supporter of extracur-
ricular activities for young people and their families. I simply do not believe in the church of the ballfield.
I understand and recognize that the church and participation in it does not bring everyone the peace it brings others. I am not suggesting that every family heading to the ballpark on a Sunday should be going to church instead. I am suggesting that every child of God should take Sabbath seriously. Spend a day awash in the joy God makes possible, whatever that may be. Save the ball park for Saturday.
Rev. Jonathan Yarboro is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka.
Surrounding Area Churches
REV. JONATHAN YARBORO Columnist
Sports
BACK ON TOP
Tallassee baseball claims area championship
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Tallassee is partying like it’s 2017.
The Tallassee baseball team claimed its first area championship in seven
years Friday night. The Tigers defeated Elmore County, 8-6, in Game 3 of the AHSAA Class 5A, Area 4 championship series.
Tallassee also won Game 1, 12-10. The
Tallassee soccer rides win streak past Wetumpka
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Tallassee has now beaten every team in Elmore County.
The Tallassee boys soccer team beat Wetumpka, 4-2, at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium on Tuesday.
The Tigers have now beaten every single team in Elmore County by a combined score of 27-5, having previously defeated Elmore County, Holtville and Stanhope Elmore.
“It’s really cool knowing we’ve done that,” Tigers coach Matt Tarpley said. “There are some really good programs in our county and some talented players. We knew we’d have our hands full with Wetumpka being a Top 10 team in 6A but we thought we were prepared. My boys came in and they weren’t scared. They were on the front foot and attacking from the first whistle.”
From the start, Tallassee and junior striker Irvin
Delfin were attacking
Wetumpka’s defense. Delfin scored the first three goals of the game, all within the first 24 minutes to go ahead and wrap up his hat trick for the day.
Wetumpka’s Angel Gabriel cut the lead to 3-1 just before the half, and the score stayed that way until midway through the second half. Brody Worrell scored a goal to make the lead 3-2, but Yuren Rodriguez was able to earn a free kick in the final minutes and put the game away with a goal in the upper corner and made it 4-2 Tallassee.
Tallassee has led a number of teams this year and saw the games result in a tie, such as Opelika, Ben Russell and Chilton County.
The Tigers led Opelika, 3-1, Ben Russell 1-0 and Chilton County 1-0 before ending those in ties.
“Getting those three goals early really set us up
Panthers took the middle game by a score of 5-1 on Friday afternoon. The Tigers will now host Marbury in the first round of the playoffs next week.
“It was nice,” coach John Goodman said.
“We’ve worked awfully hard for this. We came in here last year and we reformatted everything and got everything back. I told the guys if they keep
FINAL SHOWING
Tallassee seniors shine in Senior Night win
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Tallassee seniors Madeline Weldon and Keke Hutchinson could not have asked for a better Senior Night. The Tallassee softball team celebrated Senior Night on Tuesday with a 16-1 win over Valley in Class 5A, Area 5 play. In the mercy rule win, both Tallassee seniors shined. Weldon started in the circle and pitched four innings of work. She allowed one hit and zero earned runs while striking out three Valley batters.
“They both played well,” Tigers coach Pat Love said. “It was an honor to both of them. The team played well but they really played well. Madeline pitched well and Keke hit the ball really well. I’m proud of them.”
Tallassee’s team is full of youngsters. Weldon and Hutchinson are the only two seniors on a roster filled with three juniors and plenty of players freshman or younger. Most of the starting lineup is underclassmen, but that hasn’t stopped the two older girls from helping the Tigers to multiple wins. In another win over Valley last week, Weldon pitched four innings. In a win over Reeltown a week prior, she pitched a complete game and also hit two home runs. The two have combined for Tallassee’s only three home runs of the season and eight of their 34 extra base hits. In the circle, Weldon has a 3.52 earned run average despite only having a 5-9 record.
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Tallassee will have its hands full in the first round of the playoffs. The Tigers are hosting the first round of the AHSAA Class 5A state playoffs for the first time since 2017 after claiming the area championship from Elmore County last week.
Tallassee will host Marbury in the best-of-three series starting with a doubleheader at 5 p.m. on Friday. If necessary, Game 3 will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Marbury is 20-8 and on the season and was not expected to be on the road this postseason. The Bulldogs have been ranked in the Top 10 of Class 5A all season and are currently sitting at No. 6 as playoffs start.
“We never got the chance to play them this season so we’re still gathering information on them and seeing what we can find out,” Tigers coach John Goodman said. “That area with Marbury and Holtville is pretty dadgum good, so it’s going to be a battle over here.” Marbury fell in the three-
DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI
Tallassee senior Madeline Weldon (1) pitched a complete game win over Valley during the Tigers’ Senior Night on Tuesday.
At the plate, Hutchinson went 2-for-2 with a home run, double, walk, three RBIs and three runs scored.
WILLIAMS | TPI
Tallassee shortstop Chase Chumley throws across the diamond in Game 2 of the area championship series against Elmore County. The Tigers won the area title for the first time since 2017.
Tallassee junior Irvin Delfin scored three goals against Wetumpka in the Tigers 4-2 win last week. Delfin has scored 16 goals in his last five games and has a state-best 39 goals on the year.
SOCCER
Continued from B1
for success,” Tarpley said. “At halftime, only up by two, we really stressed the importance of playing a full 80 minutes. We haven’t done that much this year, but we were able to hold Wetumpka off. Things were tense and nervous there for the last 20 minutes.”
Delfin’s hat trick was nothing short of the usual for the junior. After earning All-State honors a year ago with 30 goals and 11 assists, he’s already passed both of those numbers.
He currently has 39 goals and 12 assists, and he’s been on an absolute tear in the month of April. In five games in April, all wins, Delfin has scored 16 goals. He scored three against Wetumpka, four against Stanhope, three against Opelika and five against BTW. In the last game of March, he scored six goals against Russell County. Since Tallassee’s last loss on February 27, Delfin has scored multiple goals in seven of the nine games the Tigers have played.
“Irvin is in rare form right now,” Tarpley said. “He has 39 goals and many more to come in the last couple weeks of the season. It’s really a team effort though. The wingers are doing a good job of staying wide and giving him space, and our midfield is able to step up to occupy space and allow Irvin to stay up the field. If he can get a 1-on-1 with a center back, I’m going to take Irvin every time in that matchup.”
As impressive as Delfin’s performance was, the Tigers’ defense faced a tough task in defending Wetumpka’s Austin Holley and Worrell.
The two seniors have combined for 43 goals and 23 assists this year for the Indians, and Tallassee held them to only one goal.
The Tigers have moved some pieces around during their win streak as Alec Carswell has moved from center back to outside, and Kamari Buckhannon has taken a center back spot.
“Our back line is playing really well and we’re fortunate to have some depth there,” Tarpley said. “They played fantastic against Wetumpka.”
As happy as Tallassee is to be undefeated against county teams, the Tigers have their sights set on larger goals. They are currently unbeaten in Class 5A, Area 3 with a 3-0 record, and they have the chance to potentially win their first area championship in program history.
Brewbaker Tech is just behind them at 6-1, while Tallassee has already beaten the Rams 2-0 earlier this season.
HOSTS Continued from B1
game series to Holtville, the defending Class 5A champions. Marbury nearly completed the comeback, but fell 2-1 in the deciding Game 3. Tallassee took down Elmore County with two big wins, but Goodman’s feelings were torn after the series. He was happy for his team to get over the seven-year hump and claim the area
Reeltown to host St. Luke’s in f i rst round
By HENRY ZIMMER Sports Reporter
The Reeltown Rebels are back-to-back area champs. In the two years since coach Matt Johnson took over the Rebel baseball program, the blue and white have won two consecutive area championships. The team hosted Ariton last season in the first round, and will host St. Luke’s Episcopal this season. While Reeltown couldn’t get past the eventual 2A state champs last year, the team will be looking to flip the script against the Wildcats this week. First pitch for the series starts at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
“This is a testament to our guys,” Johnson said. “This is one of our goals. Now we just have to get over the hump of winning our first (series). We just have to play the next game and set ourselves up to be in a good position.”
Reeltown (19-9, 6-1) won its area on April 5 after a threegame series with Thorsby. The prize for winning 2A, Area 6 was a date with St. Luke’s, who went 10-14 this season and ended its year on a 2-6 streak.
Regardless of record, the Wildcats still were good enough to make the playoffs, and in a do-or-die scenario anything is possible. Johnson and his team won’t be taking anything for granted come Friday.
“We know they have a good ball club, at this point every-
Wednesday, April 17
High School Baseball
4 Tallassee at LAMP, 3 p.m.
High School Softball
4 Wetumpka at Benjamin Russell, 6 p.m.
Thursday, April 18
High School Softball
4 Sidney Lanier at Wetumpka, 6 p.m.
4 Valley at Elmore County, 6 p.m.
4 Stanhope Elmore at Chilton County, 6:30 p.m.
4 Bessemer Academy at Edgewood Academy (DH),
body does,” Johnson said. “The records go out the door. You have to play the game and you never know how the ball might bounce. We are going to continue to work on our craft.”
As for Reeltown, the Rebels are riding a 5-1 streak into the postseason with the lone loss coming to Thorsby in game two of the series. Before the start of April, Reeltown lost three straight.
Two of those losses came to Opelika and Holtville where Reeltown actually outhit both opponents. Leaving runners stranded has gotten the Rebels into trouble during many of its losses, and will be a habit the team has to kick if they want to stay alive in the postseason.
4 p.m.
High School Soccer
4 Elmore County at Tallassee, 5:30 p.m.
4 Stanhope Elmore at Smiths Station, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, April 19
High School Baseball
AHSAA baseball playoffs
4 Brookwood at Wetumpka (DH), 4:30 p.m.
4 Stanhope Elmore at Hueytown (DH), 4:30 p.m.
4 Marbury at Tallassee (DH), 5 p.m.
4 Elmore County at Holtville (DH), 5 p.m.
Continued from B1
“We couldn’t be where we’re at without them and we won’t go where we’re going to go the rest of the season without them,” Love said. “They mean a lot to our program.” Tallassee’s record isn’t where
Continued from B1
believing, then this would come about.”
To start the double-header on Friday, Tallassee already led 1-0 but had to face Elmore County’s Brandon White on the mound in Game 2. White then proceeded to throw six innings of no-hit baseball with 13 strikeouts as the Panthers took a 5-0 lead into the final frame.
In the seventh, however, Tallassee was able to scratch off a few hits off White and scored a run
“We have to improve on getting runners in,” Johnson said. “We have gotten better of getting on base and getting them over. We have to improve there, but you just keep preparing.”
The difference between last year’s area championship squad and this year’s is the depth in the bullpen. Reeltown goes about seven to eight guys deep, with six players over 10 innings pitched this season. Blake Smith, Jamarkius Smith, Jake Hornsby and Hagan Lewis all have over 30 innings pitched this season.
Jamarkius started the team’s loss to Thorsby, tossing a no-hitter through 7 ⅓ innings of work. He punched out 17 batters, but did not get the run or hit support needed at the plate. While
High School Softball
4 Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore, Holtville at Stanhope Elmore Tournament
4 Elmore County at Benjamin Russell Tournament
4 Tallassee at Purple & Gold Tournament
High School Soccer
4 Lee at Tallassee, 5:30 p.m.
4 Demopolis at Holtville, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 20
High School Baseball
AHSAA baseball playoffs
4 Brookwood at Wetumpka,
it has been in the past at 7-14, but the Tigers have played a brutal schedule up to this point. Nine of the Tigers’ 14 losses have come against ranked teams.
Those are from Class 7A’s Hewitt-Trussville, Spain Park and Hoover, and Class 6A’s Spanish Fort, Saraland and Wetumpka twice. The other two come from
on a Bry Hathcock bases loaded walk.
White was able to end the game on the next batter to tie the series, 1-1, but Tallassee started to shift the momentum with those hits.
To start Game 3, Elmore County jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings. The Panthers scored on a Cade Everson RBI single and then a Shea Darnell single that turned into a tworun inside the park home run due to two Tallassee errors. But to start the fourth inning, Tallassee started barrelling up the baseball.
title, but he didn’t think his team played that well. Tallassee, which prides itself on its defense, made 10 errors in the three-game series. That led to nearly half of the runs Tallassee allowed to be unearned.
The Panthers scored 21 runs in the series, eight of which were unearned. Goodman knows his team will have to defend better if the Tigers are to make a postseason run. “We have to clean some things up,” Goodman said. “That’s what we’re working on
Reeltown collected three hits, the team couldn’t get runners around, harkening back to their bad habits during their threegame losing skid. Both the bats and arms have excelled through the season for Reeltown, but need to continue to do so at a consistent level now the playoffs have begun.
“We definitely have more depth on the mound,” Johnson said. “When you are talking about a three-game series, it is about having depth. When we are competing like we have been on the mound, we can’t get complacent at the plate. That is the message.”
On Saturday, Reeltown defeated Elmore County 13-8 and followed the win up with a 11-1 victory over LAMP Monday.
The Rebels have the momentum heading into the postseason, and will likely have an enormous contingency of fans to support them at home. For Johnson’s team to take the first two games and end the series, the Rebels will have to stick to what has gotten them this far.
“The last few weeks I think we have put some things together,” Johnson said. “We are swinging the bat well. We have been working a lot of pitchers in. We are sitting in good shape as far as we wanted going into the playoffs. You want to peak at the right time and I hope we are starting to do that.”
1 p.m.
4 Stanhope Elmore at Hueytown, 12 p.m.
4 Marbury at Tallassee, 1 p.m.
4 Elmore County at Holtville, 1 p.m.
High School Softball
4 Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore, Holtville at Stanhope Elmore Tournament
4 Elmore County at Benjamin Russell Tournament
4 Tallassee at Purple & Gold Tournament
High School Soccer
4 Valley at Tallassee, 10 a.m.
5A’s Lawrence County and 4A’s Prattville Christian.
Monday, April 22
High School Softball
4 Stanhope Elmore at Marbury, 6:30 p.m.
4 Reeltown at Tallassee, 5 p.m.
High School Soccer
4 Prattville at Stanhope Elmore, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23
High School Softball
4 Elmore County at Stanhope Elmore, 6:30 p.m.
4 Tallassee at Prattville, 5 p.m.
High School Soccer
4 Tallassee at Valley, 4:30 p.m.
In area play, the Tigers are 2-3 with two losses to area leader Beauregard and one to Elmore County. The Tigers will need a win to try and secure the No. 2 seed but will have to travel for the area tournament regardless. No matter what the record is, Love knows his team can make some noise in the postseason and give some teams a run for their money.
Brue Milner and Thomas Lemmond both got on base, then Chase Webster loaded the bases with no outs on a single. Konner Taunton doubled in two runs, then Bryson Rigsby followed that up with another two-run double to give Tallassee a 4-3 lead.
After a bases-loaded hit by pitch, Tallassee led 5-3 and never looked back.
“Brandon (White) just gave it to us with both hands,” Goodman said. “He did a great job. But we got some momentum in that last inning and I really feel like that’s what
this week. We have to do some house cleaning. We have to get after it this week and we have to get even better. Then we will see if we can match up with Marbury.”
A positive for Tallassee’s team is the big game experience the Tigers have. In Goodman’s first year back last season, the Tigers went on the road and took down Valley and Auburn signee Jackson Sanders. They then hosted the second round, and fell to St. Paul’s in two games. Every player on the team has
“We’ve played some really good teams and we’ve taken some losses, but we’re getting better,” Love said. “We have a good team and if we can put it all together, we’re going to be a force to handle the next couple of weeks.”
we needed. That carried on and once we settled in and made a few adjustments and found the barrel, we started scoring some runs.”
Much like it did in Game 1, Tallassee took advantage of a shaky Elmore County bullpen and started running up the score.
Nine of the Tigers’ 12 runs in Game 1 came off the bullpen in the later innings. All nine runs came off only two hits, but the Tigers were patient and took advantage of five hit-by-pitches and three walks.
In Game 3, it was
experience playing and winning a postseason game, and they have experience playing talented teams such as Elmore County last week.
“We got a taste of the playoffs last year and that was huge,” Goodman said. “It helps us tremendously and the Elmore County series was like a playoff atmosphere, both here and at their place. So hopefully the jitters won’t be there and we can just play loose and comfortable and see what we can do.”
In Tuesday’s win over Elmore
much of the same. Four runs came from the Elmore County bullpen off six hits, two walks and three hit-by-pitches. To extend their lead to 8-3 in the sixth, Tallassee loaded the bases on two infield singles and an error before Brue Milner hit a bases-clearing double.
“We weren’t patient at the beginning and we just got more patient as the game went on,” Goodman said. “We started getting in there and getting better pitches. Then the pitches we did get, we were able to barrel them up for the big hits.”
County, the Tallassee faithful came out in bunches and helped create a playoff atmosphere for the Tigers. Marbury doesn’t have too far to drive and will also loudly support their Bulldogs, so Goodman knows he needs a good crowd on Friday night. “I hope every single one of our fans are here and they get loud like they were the other night,” Goodman said. “Our kids feed on that. It’s great that the whole bunch of students get loud and have fun.”
FILE | TPI
Led by pitchers like Blake Smith, the Reeltown Rebels have won their area and are hosting a playoff series for a second consecutive year. On Friday, the team will host St. Luke’s in the first round.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Hathcock helps Tallassee to area title
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
In Tallassee’s biggest games of the year, center fielder Bry Hathcock stepped up and delivered time and time again.
Tallassee beat rival Elmore County, 2-1, in the AHSAA Class 5A, Area 4 championship series.
The Tigers won Game 1, 12-10, and Game 3, 8-6, to claim the area championship for the first time since 2017.
In the series, Hathcock went 3-for-8 with four RBIs, three runs scored and a massive bases-clearing triple that secured the win in Game 1. He did all of this out of the nine-hole while not making a single error in five attempts in the outfield.
“Bry always makes a massive impact for us,” Tigers coach John Goodman said. “He always finds a way. I chewed his tail between the second and third games because he was getting down in the dugout. I got him in there and got him back up and got him pepped up. That helped us in Game 3.”
Tallassee center fielder Bry Hathcock hits against Brewbaker Tech earlier this season.
thcock went 3-for-8 with three runs scored and four RBIs in the area championship series against Elmore County last week.
In Game 1, Hathcock came through in the biggest moment of the night.
The Tigers scored nine runs in the sixth inning,
turning a 6-3 deficit into a 12-6 lead. He hit an infield single with one out to help start the rally, then he stepped back up to the
Ansley hosts 2nd football camp
STAFF REPORT
TPI Staff
Derrick Ansley is coming back to Tallassee this summer.
The former Tallassee great and now NFL coach will host his second annual Driven Athletes Free Football Camp from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 29 at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium.
The free camp will provide t-shirts, lunch, hydration, performance training and gift bags to all attendees.
It is open to players from ages 5-14. Kids or parents can register at www.der-
rickansley.eventbrite.com.
The former Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator returned to Tallassee last summer for the inaugural event. It was a huge success and featured multiple area coaches such as Stanhope Elmore’s Hunter Adams, Elmore County’s Kyle Caldwell and Reeltown’s Torran Smith helping coach the young players.
Current high school players will also be patrolling the fields to give a helping hand when needed.
plate again with the bases loaded and Tallassee leading, 9-6.
Following five hit-bypitches, two walks and an
error, he delivered a 2-1 fastball into right field and cleared the bases.
In Game 2, a 5-1 Elmore County win, Hathcock went hitless but was able to drive in the only run for the Tigers.
After striking out his first two at-bats, he walked up with the bases loaded and two outs and worked a six-pitch at-bat where he earned a walk.
Even with the team’s only RBI, Goodman still had to pep him up in between Game 2 and 3 so he’d be able to help lead the team to another victory.
“He’s the type of guy that everyone feeds off of,” Goodman said.
“Everyone feeds off him and everyone starts getting more into the game when he is up and peppy. So I talked to him and got him back up and he came back in Game 3 and played unbelievable.”
Elmore County took an early 3-0 lead in Game 3, but that didn’t last long. In the top of the fourth inning, the Tigers scored four runs and took the lead on RBI hits from Walker Wells and Bryson
Rigsby.
With two on and no outs, Hathcock delivered a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Four batters later, one of the runners he moved over scored to make the score, 5-3. In the sixth inning, he beat out an infield single on a bunt attempt to put two runners on with no outs. Three batters later, he came around to score on a Milner bases-clearing double and scored the seventh run of the game, the eventual deciding run. Hathcock will look to continue to showcase his speed out of the nine hole as the Tigers host Marbury in the first round of the playoffs at 5 p.m. Friday night.
AHSAA executive director Alvin Briggs announces plans to retire
STAFF REPORT
TPI Staff
Alabama High School
Athletic Association
Executive Director Alvin Briggs informed the AHSAA Central Board of Control his plan to retire from his current position effective September 2. He made the announcement at the CBOC’s April meeting Wednesday at the AHSAA office in Montgomery.
Briggs, the first minority to serve in the role of Executive Director in AHSAA history, has been with the AHSAA since 2011 serving in a variety of roles including Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) and Associate Executive Director prior to becoming executive director when Steve Savarese stepped down in 2021. Briggs moved into the executive director role in July of 2021. Briggs, who has spent 35 years in education, was also the first person selected for executive director who was already working on the AHSAA executive staff.
“My time with the AHSAA has been memorable,” Briggs said. “I am humbled and thankful for having the opportunity to serve our member schools and Central Board as their executive director. I am grateful to the AHSAA
staff for their commitment to serving our member schools. I will miss this extended family. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish and am confident the AHSAA will continue to move forward facing and overcoming the many challenges that the future might bring. Now, after much prayer, it is time for me to retire.”
Central Board president Mike Welsh thanked Briggs for his service.
“We want to congratulate you on your retirement, and we thank you for your service,” Welsh told Briggs following the announcement.
Briggs, the fifth executive director in AHSAA history, guided the AHSAA through some difficult times, taking over at the tail end of the Covid pandemic. He was instrumental in starting Girls’ Flag Football, secured the current site (Oxford’s Choccolocco Park and Jacksonville State University) for the state baseball and softball championships, saw a tremendous growth in participation in the non-revenue sports as well as guiding the AHSAA to record years in the revenue sharing paid back to member schools –especially coming out of the Covid pandemic, attendance to all championship events thriving ever since.
The CBOC approved
several sports committee recommendations made through the Board’s Championship Committee and presented by Assistant Director Jeff Segars including:
Football: Approved the starting date for middle school football contests to be aligned with junior varsity starting dates which are the first Monday after varsity teams are allowed to play.
Cross Country: Insured the sport’s season gets its 10 weeks and also waived the ban on runners using GPS watches.
Volleyball: Approved the use of 1 official in a sub-varsity contest only when the officials association informs the school it is unable to assign the required minimum of two.
Basketball: Approved giving schools the option of using a shot clock for regular-season non-area games – only if both schools agree. The CBOC also approved allowing the AHSAA to use a shot clock in its summer classics and the North-South All-Star Games as a means to gather data and help train the personnel needed to operate the shot clock. Class 7A schools were also approved to extend their regular season one week since those schools do not compete in the sub-regional round of the playoffs.
Flag Football: Approved
15 dates for varsity/junior varsity and 10 dates for middle schools. Also approved developing a regular season and playoff format that corresponds with padded football, but also approved allowing flag teams to play multiple playoff games at one site on the same date to reduce travel.
Swimming: Approved eliminating section meets and using regular-season times to determine qualifiers for the state meet – similar to the current indoor track format.
Bowling: Approved changing the playoff format currently used in section and state meets to follow the regular-season format. Also approved making the championship round a double-elimination round and extended the playing dates from 20 to 22.
Wrestling: Approved
adjusting the section and state wrestling schedules to accommodate girls’ wrestling. Also approved ensuring that the wrestling placement in section tournaments receive higher consideration in the final seeding for the state meet and determined if a wrestler is disqualified in the section meet, that place in the state meet would result in a forfeit. For the wrestling duals, the CBOC approved allowing cross-bracketing in playoff format.
The Central Board also elected officers for the 2024-25 school year with District 1 member Terry Curtis being elected president, and Pelham’s Kim Kiel from District 5 was elected vice president. They take office on July 1.
The AHSAA Legislative Council will meet Wednesday afternoon to vote on a number of proposals
submitted by the member schools.
OTHER CENTRAL BOARD ACTION INCLUDED:
Approved the 2023 Super 7 and Football State Playoff financial report.
Approved 2024 financial reports for Regional and State Bowling, Duals, Section and State Wrestling, Indoor Track, and 2024 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Basketball. Heard a report from Associate Executive Director Kim Vickers concerning the Classification Task Force and approved their recommendations. Approved the 2024-25 Required Forms release date and any form changes. Approved the Strategic Process and Budget for 2024-2009. Approved Wilson’s official volleyball for 2025-26 season. Heard a report from AHSADCA Director Brandon Dean concerning the 2024 Summer Conference and All-Star Sports Week.
Approved expenses for the 2024 NFHS Summer Meeting to be held in Boston (MA).
Approved the 2024-25 Calendar of Events, the 2024-25 Sports Calendar and the AHSAA Five-Year Calendar (2024-2029).
Discussed the current proposals to be addressed by the Legislative Council.
FILE TPI
Tallassee native Derrick Ansley will host his second annual Drive Athletes Free Football Camp on Saturday, June 29 at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium. The camp is open for kids aged 5-14.
Lake River & Classi eds
you today or, alternatively, you might meet someone who’s a real character. Either way, interactions with others won’t be boring. Fortunately, the people you encounter today (including those from your past) will be interesting. Tonight: Socialize.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Tread carefully, because someone in a position of authority, including the police, might catch you off guard today. (“Busted!”) A boss or a parent might say or do something that you least expect. Don’t react immediately. Give yourself a chance to process things. Tonight: Be courteous.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Surprise travel plans might happen today or, alternatively, travel plans might be canceled or changed. Stay light on your feet, because you want to socialize and have a good time today. And you want to do it on your own terms, because you feel feisty and independent. Tonight: Explore!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Make sure you know what’s happening with banking matters and anything to do with shared property and inheritances, because something out of the blue could suddenly change things. Don’t be caught snoozing. When it comes to your wealth, stay on top of things. Tonight: Check your nances.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today’s a bit of a crapshoot, which is why friends, partners and others might catch you off guard. Someone might say or do something you didn’t expect. Nevertheless, you’re up for whatever happens, because your social skills are strong and smooth. You’re Teon. Tonight: Listen.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Your job, your work or even your health might be a challenge today. Something unusual might happen, which makes you dig in your heels. You feel independent and you want to ght for your rights. (With Mars in your sign, you will certainly have the energy and courage to do this.) Tonight: Work.
Employment
Job Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Collector Cars
1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS 8 cyl rwd, garage kept, 27k miles. $12,200.00 Info: ch659967@gmail.com or 205-284-2639.
Trucks, SUVs & Vans
Ford F-250, 2002, Super Duty 7.3L Diesel, 4WD, 121751 Miles, Extremely clean inside and out., $5,530.00 205-302-7139
Services
Health Care
Home Improvement
Braswell Concrete & Home Improvement •Painting•Concrete Footing •Driveways/Foundations •Fences•Block Laying •Stone work•Tile No job too large or small! Prices-negotiable! 24hrs/day 7days/wk! 10% military discount! (334)354-2547
866-475-1014 (M-F 8am-6pm ET).
HEALTH/BEAUTY
ATTENTION OXYGEN
THERAPY USERS! Inogen
One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. FREE information kit. Call 844-322-9935.
ATTENTION: VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special - $99 + FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW: 866-505-0828.
FOR SALE
DirecTV Satellite TV Service
Starting at $59.99/month! Free Installation! 160+ channels available. Call Now to Get the Most Sports & Entertainment on TV! 844-594-7108
NEED NEW Flooring? Call Empire Today to schedule a Free in-home estimate on Carpeting and Flooring. Call Today! 1-888-381-0916.
UPDATE YOUR HOME with Beautiful New Blinds & Shades. FREE in-home estimates make it convenient to shop from home. Professional installation. Top quality - Made in the USA. Call for free consultation: 844-809-9165. Ask about our specials!
Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. Plus 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-683-2005 Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 7-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-877-323-5516 today to schedule a free quote. power move.
Safe Step. North America's #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-844-871-6175 Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 866-605-5915
Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 866-816-1208
Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, we're waiving all installation costs! to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 12/31/23 Call 1-877-205-0836
Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material - steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer - up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-833-955-3163
RV SALE! Millican RV America Spring RV Super Sale: April 19th & 20th. 256-775-8030, I-65 Exit 299. Save thousands. on location.
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPORT THE BLIND! Donate a car to the American Council of the Blind. FAST FREE PICKUP. 24-hour response. Running or not. maximum tax deduction and no emission test required! Call 24/7: 844-601-1342.
AUTO INSURANCE from $29 month Free 2-minute Quote! We Compare all Insurance providers offers for you! Lowest Rates! Call Now 866-450-0943 WANTED 10 HOMES in your county needing Metal Roofs, Siding or Windows. March ONLY METAL ROOF $4,395 COMPLETELY INSTALLED. Payments $89/mo* SAVE$$$ Call 800-664-4856 *for details
VEHICLE TITLE Problems? We have a solution! Call Jason Steward Enterprises, We’re Alabama’s #1 Vehicle Title Problem Experts! Free telephone consultation. North AL 1-256-850-0527, Central AL 1-205-267-5735, South AL 1-251-342-8538.
Getting a glimpse of the future
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Students at Tallassee High School got an opportunity to imagine what careers might look like for them through a College and Career Day Friday.
It’s the first time an event like this has been held since before the COVID-19 pandemic and it had 25 businesses, industries and colleges turn out with seniors, juniors and select sophomores visitings booths. It was the vision of Tallassee City Schools career coach Phillip Nelson to revamp the visit from area employers and schools.
“Our job is to help students figure out if they want to go to college or go to work at graduation,” Nelson said. “We try to help find avenues for where they want to go. An event like this helps do that.”
Students were able to speak with mechanics at Tallassee Automotive who had an engine to disassemble and reassemble.
The Tallassee Police Department partnered with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office and had some tactical gear to view.
Central Alabama Community College brought several staff
members to showcase electronics and held a virtual welding demonstration.
“We try to partner with CACC and other schools on Career Tech Education (CTE)
programs,” Nelson said. “We also have some others like the pharmacy school at Auburn University.”
The goal is also to broaden the horizons of students who
might not know what they want to do when they graduate high school.
“Many students don’t necessarily want to go to college,” Nelson said. “Industry right
now is where the money is and the students are beginning to realize that.”
CACC Dean of Workforce
Michael Barnette believes events such as the one at Tallassee connect the students to the two-year school even if they only attend to get a certificate.
“It exposes them to things they haven’t seen before,” Barnette said. “It shows them who CACC is and there is another option out there.”
Barnette hopes the event and the options on display help spark ideas in the minds of the students of the possibilities there are just around the corner.
“It is all about the kids,” Barnette said.
Students visited with realtors, the military, local industry and four year schools at the event in the Tallassee’s gymnasium. It was all about getting students information about local employers.
“We want them to stay local if possible,” Nelson said. “If they go off that is good but we want them to come back to their communities.”
Rivals Holtville, Elmore County clash in first round
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
There won’t be a better place to be than Slapout on Friday night.
The defending Class 5A champion Holtville will host rival Elmore County in the first round of the 5A playoffs. The Bulldogs are the Area 7 champion after taking down Marbury in a three-game set while Elmore County is the No. 2 seed out of Area 4.
The matchup is a rematch of last year’s second round series where Holtville won, 2-1, en route to its first state title in 40 years. The matchup is also one of the biggest rivalries in the river region. The two teams play in every sport, and just this school year they have met up 13 times across football, basketball, baseball, soccer and softball.
“It’s Elmore County and Holtville,” Bulldogs coach Scott Tubbs said. “All of our players have mutual respect for each other and play hard, but they all want to beat each other. Both fan bases are intense and it’s going to be a rowdy and fun environment. No matter the sport, when these two teams match up, it gets intense.”
The baseball teams are not strangers to each other. Just in the last two seasons, the two teams have played six times. Elmore County leads the series 4-2 during that span, but Holtville has won when it mattered.
The Panthers are 3-0 in the regular season against Holtville, including a 1-0 mark against
them this year. But in the playoffs last year, Holtville eliminated Elmore County by taking Game 2 and 3 away from them in Slapout.
“Holtville is as tough of a first round matchup as you can get,” Panthers coach Michael Byrd said. “You’re going into the defending state champion’s house. They ended our season there last year. You don’t have to worry about either team being motivated, and there’s no secrets between us. We both know everything there is to know about each other
and how to play each other’s players.”
The two teams have been on very different trajectories the past few weeks. Elmore County, which started the season 18-3, has since lost six of its last seven games in the month of April.
The Panthers lost a double-header to Marbury before losing to Chilton County and dropping two of three games to Tallassee.
Byrd’s squad has gotten a little too amped up in the big games, and Byrd knows his team will have to settle down
when it comes to Friday night.
“We have a tendency to get a little too excited in those big moments,” Byrd said. “We don’t have to worry about getting the boys pumped up. We have to learn how to relax and play and just not do too much in the big moments. We started pressing the last two weeks and dropped some games.”
Holtville, on the other hand, is used to the big stage. The Bulldogs have played in 14 playoff series the last three years, finishing in the
Final Four once with two state championship appearances. The Bulldogs know the ins and outs of postseason baseball, and that’s shown as Holtville has hit its late-season stretch.
Holtville is 17-12 this year and has won five of its last six games. The Bulldogs swept Jemison then took two of three from Marbury to clinch the area title. Over the weekend, Holtville beat Wetumpka on Senior Night on a walkoff hit.
Tubbs knows the importance of playoff and big game experi-
ence, and it can certainly play a factor when Game 1 begins Friday night.
“That experience helps with not getting rattled in big environments,” Tubbs said. “Everybody wants to win so badly and these kids know if they don’t their seasons or their careers are over. Sometimes they’ll do too much and hurt themselves in the process. We’ve been in that situation a lot the last three years and we’ve done a really good job of keeping our composure.”
Pinkston to serve remainder of Lewis’ term as circuit judge
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Former Elmore County District Court Judge Patrick Pink-
ston is the new circuit court judge Place No. 1 in the 19th Judicial Circuit.
It was a vacant position after Gov. Kay Ivey appointed Judge Bill Lewis to the Alabama Civil Court of Appeals. On April 1, Ivey appointed Pinkston to serve the remainder of Lewis’ term. The Alabama Republican Party also placed Pinkston on the November General Election ballot replacing Lewis there.
19th Judicial Circuit in Autauga, Chiton and Elmore Counties is a privilege for which I am most grateful.”
Ivey informed Pinkston by letter.
“I am honored and humbled by Gov. Ivey’s recent appointment of me to the Circuit Court bench,” Pinkston said. “Serving the people of the
“As one of my appointees, you will be making important decisions that directly affect the citizens of Alabama,” Ivey’s letter to Pinkston said. “I have made honesty and
integrity a priority in my Administration, and I know that you will embody these two virtues while serving the people of Alabama.”
Pinkston will serve as both a district court judge and circuit court judge until Ivey makes an appointment to fill the district court vacancy. In that time, current 19th Circuit Court Judges Amanda Baxley and Joy Booth and retired circuit court judge Sibley Reynolds will handle the bulk of circuit court duties that will fall on Pinkston. Pinkston was sworn in by Associate Alabama Supreme Court Justice William B. Sellers in the Supreme Court courtroom at the Supreme Court Building in Montgomery on April 5.
CLIFF WILLIAMS TPI
Tallassee senior Sarah Jane Patterson gives the drunk glasses try at the Tallassee Police Department booth a try Friday. Every student including Patterson could not walk a straight line with the goggles designed to mimic how it feels to be drunk.
CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI
Elmore County’s Brandon White is 5-1 on the season with a 0.95 earned run average.White and the Panthers will take on Holtville, the defending Class 5A champions, in the first round of the playoffs.
Sewell finalists announced
STAFF REPORT
TPI Staff
It is the 20th year of the Joe Sewell Memorial Award and 24 Elmore County student athletes are finalists.
The award was established in 2005 to recognize outstanding high school senior athletes in Elmore County who have consistently represented the highest ideals of Christian leadership. Each year, one male and one female senior from Elmore County high schools are chosen for the top honor — the Joe Sewell Memorial Award and $3,500 John Sewell Scholarship.
Awards are also given to male and female category winners selected for academics, athletics, leadership, church, community and character. Each category winner receives a $1,500 scholarship. All told the scholarships total $19,000 this year.
The Joe Sewell Memorial Award is the only program of its kind in the River Region that presents scholarship money in conjunction with the awards to overall and category winners.
The award serves to honor the legacy of Joe Sewell, a native of the Titus community who established a very successful baseball career in Major League Baseball from 1920-1933 and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.
“Sewell’s athletic skill was apparent as he holds two of Major League Baseball’s records including the lifetime record for fewest strikeouts in his 14 year career with only 114 in 7,132 at-bats,” the Sewell Award board said in a release. “His outstanding character and leadership are qualities that serve as the foundation of this award. His cousin John Sewell, for whom the top scholarships are named, loved sports and spent much of his free time coaching and helping young people. Both men left a legacy in Elmore County that youth and adults alike can emulate.”
This year’s keynote speaker will be Huntingdon College’s assistant athletic director for athletic performance coach Charlie Goodyear.
This year’s award banquet is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 at the Wetumpka Civic Center. The 9th Grade Certificate Winners will be recognized at a 4:00 pm ceremony with their families.
This year’s senior finalists are: Edgewood Academy’s Katelynn Chacey Shaner, Lindsey Ann Brown, Gabriel Aidan LeMaster and Reed Hall Owen; Elmore County High School’s Emily Ruth Mason, Emilie Grace Shaw, Abigail Grace Williams and Trevor O’Neil Brown; Holtville High School’s Taylor Renee Price, Bre Ann Morris, Bandon Drey Barrett and Aidan Joseph Perry; Stanhope Elmore’s Aysia Simone Jackson, Lorin Elise McElrath, Samantha Chapel Wilson and Jackson Thomas Wade; Tallassee High School’s Macey Belle Stewart, Richard Bosch, Brady Mason and Jacob Patterson; and Wetumpka High School’s Emma Nichole Wasden, Elijah James Holden, David Everett Pinkston and Abigail Trudie Mullino.
Next week’s newspapers will feature bios and photos of the finalists.
Dispatchers recognized by county commission
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
The Elmore County Commission honored National Telecommunicator Week with a proclamation at its meeting last week.
The commission welcomed some of the county’s dispatchers and Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin to the meeting to mark the week of April 14-20 as National Telecommunicators Week.
“This group has one of the toughest jobs because even before law enforcement gets on the scene, they have to have conversations and deal with an emergency where citizens have called before anybody else,” Elmore County Commission chair Bart Mercer said.
The county has three dispatch centers in Millbrook, Tallassee and Wetumpka with a total of 43 dispatchers.
“They help keep everything calm,” Franklin said.
Commissioner Dennis Hill has been in law enforcement for 34 years talking to many of the dispatchers over the radio. He walked into the dispatch center in Wetumpka last year as a shooting call came in.
“When I walked out I was shaking,” Hill said. “I was going, ‘How in the world do they do it?’ They control the chaos.”
The meeting was held in conjunction with county government day where about 500 students from across Elmore County visited the courthouse to get a civics lesson including a commission meeting.
The commissioners welcomed the students and challenged them to do well in the future.
IN OTHER ACTION THE ELMORE COUNTY COMMISSION:
• Approved minutes of the March 25 meeting.
• Approved the memorandum of warrants for March 16-29.
• Approved a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Preventation Month.
• Authorized the commission chair to execute documents related to the Association of County Commissions of Alabama Self-Insurance Funds Safety Coordinator Resolution.
• Approved plats for Harmony Cove Phase II and Phase III.
The next meeting of the Elmore County Commission is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, April 22.
Elmore County hosts
21st government day
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
It wasn’t too long ago Elmore County Commissioner Desirae Lewis Jackson was a senior at Wetumpka High School. It was spring and she was sitting in the old court room at the historic Elmore County Courthouse for government day. Jackson visited with commissioners and other public officials learning about government functions.
Last week, a few years after that visit on government day, Jackson, along with the rest of the Elmore County Commission, welcomed 500 juniors and seniors from seven schools across the county for the 21st annual Government Day.
“We want you to witness and participate in activities to better understand how the county government operates,” commission chair Bart Mercer told the students. “Hopefully (you will) learn how you can participate in county government one day.”
The tour allowed students to interact with the county's public works department to learn how employees keep roads up. They spoke with members of the Elmore County Sheriff's Office and saw an explosive entrance demonstration. Students
heard from many of the social services agencies groups in the county. The Wetumpka Fire Department held an extraction demonstration.
“It takes a large group of dedicated professionals and elected officials to make sure our county and municipal governments function properly,” Mercer said. “It is all geared to taking care of our citizens.”
Mercer explained the commission holds two meetings each month that start with a work session with a business meeting immediately following. It is where the commission discusses matters related to the county and makes decisions in a public format. The other commissioners challenged the students to do well in their lives.
Commissioner Henry Hines told the students not to worry about the question of what they are going to do after high school, especially if someone is pointing them hard and heavy towards a four-year education.
“That is a bad question because not everyone is built for college,” Hines said. “I went to college for a short time and then on to the military. That was a great start.”
Hines never finished college but said there are plenty of opportunities out there such as getting a CDL.
“There are a lot of good salaries out there for heating and air, electricians and trades,” Hines said. “We continuously need employees for the county.”
Commissioner Mack Daughtery told the students not to discount the education they received in Elmore County. He has two children who completed school in Elmore County and they went on to be a pharmacist and a vice president of an international company.
Commissioner Dennis Hill is a 1974 graduate of Tallassee High School. He challenged the students to be involved.
“I remember going on field trips but never imagined myself sitting in this seat,” Hill said. “I never thought about going into the political arena.”
Through his career in law enforcement Hill was selected to a few boards over his three decades of service.
“If you are going to make changes in the laws, you have to be a part of it,” Hill said. “You can’t sit back and let it happen.”
The students who were of age also got a chance to register to vote at the Board of Registrars while touring the courthouse.
County cleanup biggest ever
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Elmore County commissioner Henry Hines has harped about cleaning up the county.
For years he has challenged everyone to do their part in preventing litter from getting to the ground. His challenge has evolved into an annual event for the Elmore County Commission with a little competition to get more people involved.
Hines announced the results of the latest cleanup effort on April 5-7.
“It was an excellent weekend,” Hines said.
“This was the biggest we have ever had. We had a lot of sports teams, churches, neighborhoods, Scouts and more all out there cleaning up our county.”
The cleanup was done at the pace of those volunteering and with it being over the weekend, Hines said there was no excuse not to participate.
“If you couldn’t get out there Friday with a group, or you had Saturday activities, you could get a group together after church on Sunday,” Hines said.
The effort saw 34 different groups sign up who picked up more than 200 bags of litter. The bags were picked up and disposed of by the
Ivey grants $5.8 million to weatherize homes
STAFF REPORT
TPI Staff
Governor Kay Ivey has awarded grants totaling more than $5.8 million to agencies that help low-income residents lower their energy costs by weatherizing their homes.
The grants support Alabama’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides funds to improve the energy efficiency and safety of qualifying homes. People with disabilities, the elderly and low-income households with children are given first priority.
“A change in the weather can lead to a spike in home heating or cooling costs, forcing many to make difficult decisions about how to use their limited funds,” Ivey said. “These grants will help low-income households make upgrades that will significantly
reduce heating and cooling bills.”
An energy audit is conducted of each home that qualifies for weatherization assistance to determine the most cost-efficient measures. Common improvements include installing extra insulation in the attic, walls and floors; sealing air leaks around doors and windows; repairs or tune-ups for air conditioning and heating units and replacing incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency bulbs. In addition to lowering energy bills, the improvements can reduce the risk of fire and other hazards.
Ivey awarded grants to 13 community agencies throughout the state that manage the program at the local level and accept applications from individuals seeking assistance, including agencies in Coosa, Elmore and Tallapoosa counties.
Community Action Committee Inc. of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa received $116,729 in grants to serve citizens in Tallapoosa and Coosa counties. After receiving $522,754, Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission will serve those in Elmore County who qualify. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Making a home more energy efficient is a lasting solution to lower utility bills,” ADECA director Kenneth Boswell said.
“ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in support of these local agencies that assist families with long-term improvements that make a big difference in monthly energy bills.”
Elmore County Public Works Department.
Members of the Tallassee High School football team pose with bags of litter they picked up during the annual Elmore County Spring Cleanup.
CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI
Students look over some of the tools used by the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Response Group. The tools help law enforcement serve warrants when subjects barricade themselves in.
Elmore County student places third in Kowaliga Idol
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Addilyn Tierce is bring-
ing a unique voice to the Elmore County signing scene.
Tierce, a junior at Elmore County High School, recently participated in the Kowaliga Idol. After earning her golden ticket in the preliminary rounds, she sang six songs en route to a third place finish at Alabama’s Little Bit ofa Texas on April 6.
While most singers went the country route, Tierce brought her own style into the competition.
Ranging from Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” to Rihanna’s “Stay” to Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Tierce left a memorable performance for everyone in attendance.
“I just wanted to be fully myself,” Tierce said. “During Kowaliga, you see a lot of people who sing country and it's very prevalent here in Alabama. I am very much not country. Seeing how people responded to my style gave me the confidence that people will enjoy this kind of singing here. They enjoy it because it’s good but also because it’s different.”
Tierce hasn’t been singing for long.
She started singing when she was around 12-years old and quickly realized she had a talent for it. That led to her singing in the congregation and at youth in church, and she picked up theater while she was in middle school.
But she had never really sung in public until Kowaliga Idol.
“Purple Rain.” By the end of the night, she believed it was the best song she performed.
“I’ve really grown a lot and stepped into my voice and my style,” Tierce said.
“I’ve gained a lot of confidence about my style and really come to terms with how I want to sing and what I want to do and how I want to engage people when I’m on stage.” Now Tierce will try to see where she can start booking shows and gigs. She’s reached out to the Wetumpka committee to see when she can sing downtown during events, and she’s going to see about playing at local bars and getting more opportunities to sing live in front of people. While doing so, she will continue her already busy schedule.
Tierce is part of the volleyball team and dance team at Elmore County and is a regular at church. That can lead to some busy weeks with multiple volleyball practices and games and church twice a week.
It’s a busy life, but the payoff is worth the work with how much support she gets from her friends, teammates and school.
Having turned 16 in August, she finally reached the minimum age to participate. Her mom asked her if she wanted to participate. While she was nervous, she said ‘Sure, why not?’
of my comfort zone but it taught me that I had the ability to do it. It really let me gain some confidence.”
“I really just enjoyed the experience of getting to sing in front of people,” Tierce said. “Getting out there and singing in front of people I don’t know was nerve-wracking and out
She’s enjoyed singing for the past four years, but it wasn’t until the last year or so that she really developed her own style of music.
She considers herself to be a mixture of R&B and folk music. Her favorite song is Rihanna’s “Stay”
which is the song that she sang in auditions and earned the golden ticket. Rihanna and Adele are two of her favorite artists, as well as newcomers Noah Kahan and Lizzy McAlpine, both of which are more folky than most.
After singing her songs of choice, the judges actually asked her to step out of her comfort zone with
“I’m pretty much busy every day but I love it,” Tierce said. “Volleyball has given me a lot of new friends and I’ve met a lot of new people who I just love so much. Coach (Kim) Moncrief has my heart and I love her so much. There’s so much support from everyone at the school and hopefully I can start seeing what I can do with live performances and how well I can reach out from here.”
Back to back Elmore County girls soccer claims area title
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Leslie Clark Hines did not expect her soccer team to be where they are.
The Panthers lost nine starters from their area championship team a year ago. Hines brought in seven players to the team that had never touched a soccer player. Seven of the team’s 11 starters are sophomores or younger, while four are in junior high.
But that didn’t stop Elmore County from going back-toback.
Elmore County claimed the AHSAA Class 5A, Area 3 championship. The Panthers are currently 10-2 and 7-0 in area play having already swept Brewbaker Tech, Valley and Beauregard. They have one game left against Tallassee, which they beat 2-1 earlier this year.
“To say we’re back-to-back area champions, I’m honestly more shocked than I’d like to admit,” Hines said. “It wasn’t necessarily on my radar to start the year. I knew we had the chance to be successful and win, but I couldn’t anticipate what our season would look like. I thought we’d have
more wins than losses, but it’s been an amazing season. I feel like the word proud isn’t adequate for how I feel about the girls.”
It hasn’t come easy for the Panthers. Three of the seven area wins have been decided by one goal, which is much different than a year ago when Elmore County outscored its eight opponents by 48 goals.
The difference, however, is that Hines didn’t have to start from scratch like she did this year.
“It started with teaching them the basics,” Hines said. “We had to go back to fundamentals. We had to teach the girls how to turn their feet properly and how to kick the ball. I think the help of our experienced players working with our newbies have really helped.”
One of those experienced players is sophomore Kristina Elmore.
Elmore was one of only two full-time starters to return this year and she was an All-County player a year ago. She leads the team in goals with 14, and has started playing at another level the last few weeks.
In her last five games, she’s scored nine goals including a four-goal performance against
Valley. She’s scored a goal in six of the team’s seven area games.
“Kristina is a competitor,” Hines said. “She is quiet in nature but on the field, she’s dynamic and she will give you 100%. She wants the ball to come to her and she wants to score those goals. At the same time, she’s willing to pass and she’s willing to play defense. That has been a huge benefit for the team. Great leg and the girls trust her.”
While Elmore and seventh grader Cadi Crews lead the team in goals, it’s the defense that has led to most of the success for Elmore County.
Most of the defense is new, but captains Emilie Shaw and Alee Hernandez have allowed just 13 goals in 12 games on the back line. Carlee Sides is back on the defense as well, and goalkeeper Ansley Caudle has five shutouts.
Elmore County has shut out three of its last four opponents.
“I call our defense the iron curtain,” Hines said. “For the ball to get to Ansley in the goal, it has to go through our defense and it rarely does. They’re our foundation. They keep the ball in front and have really contributed to our success.”
MELODY RATHEL | TPI
Addilyn Tierce sings during the Kowaliga Idol finals last week.
FILE | TPI
Elmore County sophomore Kristina Elmore has scored nine goals in her last five games. The Panthers, which feature multiple new starters this year, have won the area championship in back-to-back seasons.