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Hot Rods in the Park

The 6th annual Hot Rods in the Park was held over Memorial Day weekend at the Village Green in Millbrook. There were more than 100 cars, trucks and motorcycles on display. Attendees were encouraged to bring canned food items or monetary donations for the Millbrook Welcome Center. There were free hot dogs, and artist Ga’Briel performed for the crowds.

News from Elmore County and surrounding areas

More than 100 cars were on display at the Village Green

Local residents practice safe gun handling Frank Bertarelli Weapons instructors with the Wetumpka Police Department were on the gun range last month training members of the assists the WPD public on the safe handling and firing of handguns. Twice with a firearms each year, the WPD hosts these classes, which are open to class anyone of any skill level.

Wetumpka pair takes the bag at Lake Jordan tournament

Wetumpka students Jay Shipp and LJ Harkless finished in first place at the 2019 Alabama Student Anglers Bass Fishing Association State Championship on Lake Jordan last month. The two combined to record the highest weight total of any boat across the two-day event, weighing their bag in at 33.22 pounds.

The 200-team event was the final tournament of the 2019 ASABFA season, and the Shipp-Harkless duo added 300 points to Wetumpka’s total in the final standings.

WPD Sgt. Darrell Spraggins and others with WPD led 15 students from around Elmore County through a series of drills to get them comfortable handling weapons before loading ammunition to fire at targets. Spraggins encouraged the students to continue practicing, even with the guns unloaded, so they would feel comfortable with handling and carrying a loaded gun – whether it is in a holster or concealed in a purse or on the body.

“Do it where it is comfortable for you,” Spraggins told the students. “Keep it consistent. Keep it where there are no hang-ups, and you are able to get that weapon on target. If you never have to draw your weapon on someone, thank the Lord, but if you have to, make sure you can and know how to do it.”

Shipp and Harkless finished first at ASABFA

Water levels lowered at Thurlow as construction continues

Alabama Power officials announced water levels on Lake Thurlow would drop an additional 10 feet due to

Thurlow Dam's spillway gates are being replaced work on Thurlow Dam’s spillway gates.

Water levels on Lake Thurlow were lowered 4 feet already as part of the

The Tallassee football team, along with city and school officials and two area businesses, were busy planting trees at all three school campuses and Bell Park last month.

The group of volunteers began at Tallassee High School, planted two trees in Bell Park and made its way to Tallassee Elementary School and Southside Middle School, where two magnolias were planted on each campus.

Auburn University’s Michelle Cole, a Tallassee resident, coordinated the tree planting and wrote the grant for the money. According to Cole, this was the second Touchdowns for Trees to be held in the area.

It took several volunteers working together to bring this event to fruition. A local nursery, 3 A.M. Growers, located at 19570 Rifle Range Rd., provided eight large magnolia trees. Representatives of 3 A.M. Growers, Travis and Leslie Ogburn, were on site assisting with the tree plantings. Tallassee’s George and Rachel Barker with Land and Trees Unlimited also participated in the tree plantings to give educational advice. LTU is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of land and trees.

Tallassee football team works to beautify the area with new trees

spillway gate replacement project at the dam. Work on the first phase took place last summer, and the first drawdown of Lake Thurlow began May 6 when water levels dropped 6 feet over a three-day period. The lake was held between 282 and 283 feet. During the second drawdown, water levels will be held between 278 and 279 feet.

According to Alabama Power Company, this drawdown is needed to finish replacing the dam’s remaining spillway crest gates, also known as flashboards. The original spillway gates were installed in the 1920s.

While work is being done at Thurlow, nearby recreation locations remain available to the public, including the East Bank Tailrace Site, West Bank Tailrace Site and Yates Dam Boat Launch.

Alabama Power reminds those with boats and other water-related equipment and facilities to always be alert to changing conditions on company reservoirs and be prepared to take necessary steps to protect property.

Trees were planted at all three Tallassee school campuses