SPORTS, PAGE B1: LOCAL WRESTLERS MAKE TOP RANKINGS
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper Est. 1898 | thewetumpkaherald.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021 | VOL. 123, NO. 03 | $1.00
School principal, wife accused of fabricating child’s cancer diagnosis By BRIANA WILSON Bureau Chief
The assistant principal of Coosada Elementary and his wife were recently indicted by an Elmore County Grand Jury for aggravated child abuse of their daughter.
Daniel Taylor, 38, and Jessica Taylor, 37, are accused of leading people to believe their daughter has cancer or another terminal illness, which resulted in fundraisers for the family throughout their community, according to the Elmore County District
Attorney’s Office. The Taylors were arrested on Wednesday but have since been released from the Elmore County Jail after posting bonds of $30,000 each. According to the DA’s office, the child has been to several doctor’s appointments
and for many years has been subjected to invasive medical procedures and tests to further the deception. Although the case does not include acts of physical abuse, the DA’s office said the actions of the parents is neglectful and See ABUSE • Page A3
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
J. Taylor
Elmore BOE pays off debt, increases fund balance By BRIANA WILSON Bureau Chief
The Elmore County Board of Education has been intentional about positioning itself for future success, and the district’s Chief Financial Officer Jason Mann has played a key role in the process. The board started the new year with an increased fund balance and millions less to pay toward its debt services, Mann said. In an effort to protect the board’s tax dollars in an uncertain economy, Mann said Superintendent Richard Dennis and See BOE • Page A3
Holtville High wins broadcast competition By BRIANA WILSON Bureau Chief
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tudents in Holtville High’s Internet Marketing class were recently named the winners of an entertainment broadcast contest and a $1,000 educational grant from Reach and Teach. Reach and Teach is a nonprofit educational program that allows students to plan, promote and execute a real concert on their school campus. But this year, due to COVID-19, the organization has introduced a new contest, the Entertainment Broadcast Series. The broadcast series gave students the opportunity to plan, produce and promote an entertainment broadcasts. The students were challenged with raking in as many views as possible. Eighteen other schools from across the nation participated in the contest, but it was Holtville’s The Slapout Show that emerged victorious with 1,887 views. The show featured two hosts,
D. Taylor
Briana Wilson / The Herald
Holtville High School’s Internet Marketing class recently won a $1,000 grant from the educational nonprofit Reach and Teach.
an introduction segment and four entertainment segments: school duel, girlfriend glow up, trending and challenge accepted. Reach and Teach co-founders Cameron Flener and April Clark visited HHS on Friday to deliver a giant check and to chat with students. “They did well adapting the concepts and making it their own,” Flener said. “A lot of the schools didn’t really do the marketing aspect of it. Having the local media get involved was a great idea. This was the
smallest school that we worked with in terms of enrollment and they got about 500 more views than a school in Arizona with 2,200 students.” Shadow Ridge High School in Surprise, Arizona landed in second place with about 1,300 views. “We want to dissect what they did and find ways to make the program better in future,” Flener said. “This was the one school that embraced every aspect of the challenge and we’re trying to figure out how they See COMPETITION • Page A3
Taste of Elmore county canceled By BRIANA WILSON Bureau Chief
The Elmore County Food Pantry’s annual Taste of Elmore County event has been canceled because of COVID-19, said board director Jonathan Yarboro, who is also pastor at First Presbyterian Wetumpka. Yarboro said the board was intending to proceed with a scaled down event by selling fewer tickets and making it a two-day event. However, with positive COVID cases still on the rise, Yarboro said the cancellation was decided when the See CANCELED • Page A2
Atkins leaves a legacy of helping his community By BRIANA WILSON Bureau Chief
As the Millbrook community continues to mourn the death of Andrew Atkins, who worked in the community as a nurse practitioner, his wife Shelly has just one goal – to share his story and carry on his legacy. Shelly said Andrew had a true passion for life. In 1993, he received a liver transplant,
which he viewed as God giving him a second chance a life. He vowed to make the most of it. His experiences as an organ transplant recipient is what inspired him to pursue a career in the medical field. “He really wanted to pay it forward and help as many people as he could,” Shelly said. Andrew went on to become a nurse and then a nurse practitioner serving the
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Millbrook community at a local urgent care facility. But at just 48 years old, Andrew Atkins died on Dec. 16 from complications related to COVID-19. “It’s so bizarre that he passed on the 16th,” Shelly Atkins said, “because 16 was our number. My birthday in Jan. 16; we got married on Oct. 16. We tried to have our daughter on the 16th but she See ATKINS • Page A7
Submitted / The Herald
Sydney and Shelly Atkins pose with Andrew Atkins, who died due to complications from COVID-19 in December.