Wetumpka Herald Feb. 21 2024

Holtville High School basketball coach

By Cliff Williams Staff Writer

HELP AVAILABLE FOR ELMORE COUNTY DEPUTIES

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Editor’s Note: This story contains information about suicide / sexual assault and may be triggering to some readers. If you are suicidal or having suicidal ideations, please call 988 immediately.

Tare not around or witness much in their life. Hopefully none of it will happen again but we know from time to time things are going to happen.”

“Once

phone. Authorities collect ed Wilson’s phone as well. “You could see a conversa tion between the two,” Frank lin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”

Chamber holds luncheon welcoming members

he unexpected death of Elmore County deputy sheriff Stephen Sims shocked many. Sims died Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while attending law enforcement training in Fultondale.

By Cliff Williams Staff Writer

enforcement officers died by suicide in the U.S. Nine attempts were not successful.

Sims was attending training hosted by the Covenant Rescue Group of Gardendale. According to the group’s website the organization is involved in efforts to rescue victims and arrest criminals involved in human trafficking. They share a passion for helping children who fall victim to human trafficking.

Following Sims death, Covenant released a statement.

Work ethic taught at Elmore County Training School

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its annual luncheon to install new officers and board members for the first time in a while Thursday.

The FBI said potential factors contribute to law enforcement suicide such as relationship problems, burnout, depression and PTSD.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gatherings but the chamber celebrated the successes of business in Wetumpka.

Fultondale Police Department spokesperson Sgt. John Tanks said four Elmore County deputies had just returned to the Fultondale Event Center after lunch to continue training for dealing with sex offenders.

“They started to walk back into the facility,” Tanks said. “One stayed behind and he committed suicide.”

“We haven’t been able to do this for the last couple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your attendance is an indication people want to get back together and have these opportunities to see each

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin sent staff to Fultondale to be with Sims’ family and the other deputies. Franklin has taken measures to help his department grieve and recover from the experience.

See CHAMBER, Page A3

The Fultondale Police Department is investigating the death and investigators have spoken with many on the scene Thursday.

“With our chaplain and others we are going to offer to support them and see if they are in need of help or counseling,” Franklin said. “It is something that they

“Our prayers go out to the family, friends and colleagues of the officer during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read. “We cannot begin to express the sorrow we feel for their loss.”

The organization encourages anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide or in need of support to reach out for help.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273TALK (8255), providing

Sheriff remembers seasoned deputy

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon. CLIFF WILLIAMS/ THE HERALD

No one would say a word if Pattie Glasper stayed at home and didn’t work.

Stephen Sims was always first.

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Sims, 43, was dependable and always there for others.

help out.”

Sims started his law enforcement career in 2003 at the Montgomery Police Department where he was awarded the Medal of Valor in 2005.

Police continue investigation, man no longer suspected

By Jake Arthur Chief Videographer

“I wish I could still work the whole week like I used to,” Glasper said.

She has had both knees replaced and at 82, the Wetumpka native has earned her retirement. The knee replacement has slowed her. She works only two days a week instead of five. Her family has urged Glasper to live out her days without work, but it wouldn’t sit well with her.

Police are still investigating the fatal shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parking lot on Jan. 20.

Police were dispatched to the parking lot around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. Once there, they found Centell Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound in the driver seat of his vehicle.

ECTC creates plumbers before graduation

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

According to Wetumpka police chief Greg Benton, this was not a random shooting.

“This was not random, not a random act,” said Benton. “We believe the victim and the perpetrator knew each other.”

This is the first homicide in Wetumpka in over three years. The last homicide in the city took place in 2018.

“Everybody needs a plumber,” Wetumpka junior Jackson Webster

Staff Report

“He got along with everyone,” Franklin said.

The Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals

(AASSP) named Holtville High School principal Kyle Futral the 2022 Alabama High School Principal of the Year.

“Everyone seemed to like Stephen. He was always run, run, run, go, go, go. He never stepped down or away from anything. If we were going into a house with a search warrant, he would be the first in line to

He also worked at the Wetumpka Police Department and the Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office before coming to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.

“He served in several capacities beyond being a police officer or deputy sheriff,” Franklin said. Sims was most recently

with the Elmore County Drug Task Force and the Special Operations Unit within the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. Previously he served on the Central Alabama Drug Task Force and the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.

Some teenagers are making nearly $20 per hour in a summer job. They aren’t flipping burgers or making good money from household chores. Instead, they are working in the plumbing industry and getting their start at the Elmore County Technical Center.

“It’s not a good way to start out the new year,” said Benton. Benton didn’t want to speculate on the

Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year

“He was at the forefront of a lot of what we did,” Franklin said.

Sims is survived by a wife and four children.

“Kyle Futral is an exceptional principal and is very proactive and innovative in his thinking and approaches to managing his school,” Dennis said, As principal of Holtville High School, Futral has transformed

The High School Principal of the Year award was presented to Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a schoolwide assembly at Holtville High School. Elmore County Superintendent Richard Dennis was in attendance for the presentation.

His visitation is from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Shoal Creek Baptist Church. His funeral service will begin at 11:30 a.m.

the school culture from that of a school struggling with low morale, achievement and attendance to a school that strives for excellence. By collaborating with staff, many of the school’s issues were identified and addressed. Futral’s leadership style of listening, encouraging, supporting, organizing and challenging the staff and students, caused the school culture to

shift in a positive direction. The school experienced a 62 percent decrease in discipline referrals, 50 percent decrease in chronic absenteeism, 7 percent increase in the graduation rate, 33 percent increase in CCR rate and a 20 percent increase in ACT proficiency in the last five years.

See PRINCIPAL, Page A3

CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI

When Pattie Grasper first arrived in Wetumpka, she enrolled in

seventh grade at the Elmore County Training School. It

CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI

The FBI reports suicide

Lake Martin’s Best Source for News and Information.

Obituaries

GERALD WAYNE CONNER, SR.

Gerald Wayne Conner, Sr. died peacefully at home February 11, 2024 with his loving family by his side. Gerald was a devoted husband and wonderful father, grandfather, great grandfather and uncle. Gerald dedicated his life to helping others and was an amazing business owner with his wife, Ginger Shingler Conner. Gerald’s memorial and visitation will be at Senter Funeral Home in Fulton, Mississippi on Saturday February 17, 2024. Visitation is at 12:30-2:00 p.m. and the service is at 2:00 p.m. Gerald was born in Wetumpka, AL on January 18, 1940 to Harvey King Conner and Mary Kate Huff Conner. Gerald would be the oldest, then his sister, Sandra Conner Wood (deceased) and little brother, James Conner (Jimmy). Gerald was a hard worker and lovable kid from the start. As a popular classmate, he became president of his senior class eradicating football hazing at Wetumpka High School in 1958. At

the time, he was also the football captain. Gerald spent his life giving to others and trying to right the wrongs of society. After graduating in 1958, he headed to Mississippi where he had a a football scholarship. In 1959 he had a blind date with the prettiest girl he had ever seen, set up by his cousin, Stanley Huff. Virginia Shingler would become his wife on September 10, 1960. They lived in Montgomery a few months before he would be drafted into the U.S. Army. After service, they moved to Tallahassee, FL where he would finish his degree in finance at Florida State University in 1964. Gerald and Ginger had a dream of being business owners, so they headed to Florence, Alabama in 1965 to open a convenience store called Com-Pak before there was such a thing. They started out with one store and ended up with twelve. When it was time to retire they sold out and set out to do the Great Loop. This was 1985 before GPS! Their son, Guy, was in

BOBBYE LOIS PRUSSING WATSON

tow and helped navigate. Their daughters Marlene and Gina spent a great amount of time doing the Great Loop also. After the trip, they moved to Ft. Walton Beach where Gerald started a church. They ended up traveling in their boat even more. On May, 28, 1990, they ended up at Midway Marina to meet their daughter, Gina, for her birthday. They ended up buying the place and ended up retiring from that in 2017. Everyone that knew Gerald, loved him. He was the kindest person to everyone and his compassion knew no limits. His love and devotion to Ginger is unparalleled. Gerald loved fun, dancing and especially a practical joke. Through the years Gerald was a Sunday School teacher in Florence, Alabama. The teenagers adored him and his class was huge. Both he and Ginger hosted the youth every Sunday evening. He did everything in his power to steer kids in the right path. They had many employees that

he would take under his wing. Their house was always full of “extra kids”. Whether it was their employees, foster children or their children’s friends, the Conner house was open to anyone that needed a place to stay, a meal or just some extra encouragement. Gerald would give you the shirt off his back. He wasn’t happy unless he was helping people. He did so much for so many that no one even knows about. He was always humble, kind, loving and generous beyond. He was an avid traveler, great businessman, Captain and an amazing humanitarian. His love for animals knew no bounds. Gerald is survived by his wife Ginger, daughters Marlene (Chuck), Gina, son Guy (Erin); grandchildren, Chase (Alyssa), Jordan (Sid) Dylan, Bryce, Ethan, Conner, Emma, Evan; great grandchildren Cal, Viviana and Wesley and several nieces and nephews as well as their children; pets Lucky, Callie, Kit and many grandpets.

Bobbye Lois Prussing Watson, born in Richton, MS, December 12, 1937, died February 12, 2024, in Montgomery, AL, at the age of 86 as the result of a stroke. The eldest of two daughters, she grew up helping the family raise cotton.

Bobbye graduated from Richton High School followed by graduating William Carey College with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1960. While in college she met the man who would become her life partner. She and Ernest Ray Watson were married on August 17, 1958. Bobbye graduated with a Master of Education degree from Livingston University in 1980. Together, ‘Ernie’ and Bobbye set up a household in Mississippi and soon the first of four children were born. They moved to New Orleans so Ernie could attend seminary, followed by a move to Mobile

WANDA SUE RUTHERFORD

Wanda Sue Rutherford passed away peacefully in Pensacola, Florida on February 16, 2024 after a long struggle with dementia. Wanda was a long-term resident of Wetumpka before briefly living in Greer, South Carolina and then Pensacola, Florida.

Wanda was born in 1936 on a Reed, Greer County, Oklahoma farm and was the older sister

for a year, and then on to Jackson, Alabama where they would live and serve the Lord together in ministry until his death in 2011. Bobbye taught elementary school, primarily 2nd grade, until her retirement in 1996 after 34 years. She was a member of Forest Avenue Baptist Church in Jackson. She moved to Eclectic, Alabama in 2014. Bobbye was an avid reader. She read from her Bible daily. A few of her favorite novelists include John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, Beverly Lewis, Francine Rivers and Kristin Hannah. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles and putting together jigsaw puzzles. She enjoyed watching birds and had many bird figurines and pictures in her bedroom and bathroom. She loved cats and is survived by GinGin, her last feline friend. Bobbye was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Irma Prussing, husband Ernest Ray Watson, and

to her brother, Gilbert Darrell Reynolds and sister, Joyce Lee Autry. Her parents are Gilbert Leondous “Gib” Reynolds (1899-1982) and Jewel Lela Dobson (1913-1990). Wanda married Guy Eugene Rutherford (1936-1990) on October 14, 1956 in Greer County, Oklahoma.

She was a dedicated military wife and a loving mother who enjoyed

sister Pat Felts. She is survived by her children Wanda Anderson (Pete), Deena Watson, Joel Watson (Lisa), and Jobie Watson (Ramin); nine grandchildren -Tija, Britt, Merry, Hezekiah, David, Gideon, Bethesda, Rebekah, Solomon, Carolyn and Jill; and one great-grandchild Kadence. Visitation with the family will begin at 10:30 am followed by a memorial service at 11:30 am, Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at Santuck Baptist Church, Wetumpka, AL. Graveside service will be at 2:00 pm, Thursday, February 15, 2024 at Trinity Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Jackson, AL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Billy Graham Evangelistic Association or Forest Avenue Baptist Church in Jackson, AL.

Linville Memorial Funeral Home and Crematory Eclectic, Alabama

reading, sewing and quilting. She was also a member of the Holtville Baptist Church and truly enjoyed cooking the Wednesday night church dinners. She had a passion for flowers and gardening.

Wanda was laid to rest next to her husband in Pine View Memorial Gardens in Wetumpka, Alabama.

Wanda is survived by her children, daughter

Donna L. Hendry and her husband Thomas E. Hendry; her son, Douglas K. Rutherford and his wife Denise A. (Mitchell) Rutherford; her daughter Catherine A. Fulmer and her husband Scott Fulmer; and her estranged daughter, Sharon L. Rotten. Wanda is also survived by seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Wanda will be sorely missed.

‘Misunderstanding’ Elmore County BOE candidate arrested for FTAs

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

Two traffic stops almost a year apart led to the arrest of Elmore County District 7 Board of Education Republican candidate Justin Pack.

Pack was stopped Saturday night by the Eclectic Police Department when officers noticed the vehicle Pack was driving had a revoked registration. Pack was taken to the Elmore County Jail to answer failure to appear warrants issued by the City of Wetumpka Municipal Court.

“I take responsibility for not understanding what my obligations were in the dismissal deal,” Pack said. “It is a misunderstanding and hope people don’t blow it out of proportion.”

The incident stems

Police Reports

WETUMPKA POLICE

DEPARTMENT

FEB. 14

• Criminal trespass and criminal mischief was reported on North Bridge Street.

FEB. 10

• Theft was reported on South Main Street.

• Theft was reported on South Main Street JAN. 31

• Cruelty to animals was reported on Harrograte Springs Road.

TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT

FEB. 18

• Assistance was given to the Tallassee

Pack was stopped Saturday night by the Eclectic Police Department when officers noticed the vehicle Pack was driving had a revoked registration. Pack was taken to the Elmore County Jail to answer failure to appear warrants issued by the City of Wetumpka Municipal Court.

from a April 2023 traffic stop by the Wetumpka Police Department, according to Pack. He was pulled over for not using a turn signal to change lanes.

“I was on the way back from taking my car to the dealership to get a recall taken care of,” Pack said.

“It required that the glove compartment be emptied so they could access the needed area.”

Pack had removed his vehicle registration and proof of insurance.

During the traffic stop he was written two traffic citations for failure to display insurance and

Patton Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on East Patton Street.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on East Patton Street.

• Theft was reported on Notasulga Road.

• Menacing was reported on Jordan Avenue.

• A welfare check was conducted on Hillcrest Street.

• A white male was arrested during a traffic stop on E.B. Payne Sr. Drive.

• A white female was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on

for an expired tag.

The following day Pack submitted the insurance and registration paperwork to the City of Wetumpka.

“The tickets were dismissed,” Pack said. “What I didn’t know is I still had to pay court costs.”

According to Pack, later in the year, the City of Wetumpka issued FTAs for failure to display insurance and having an expired tag.

Pack said staff with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office were “gracious” explaining the issues to him Saturday evening. Accord -

given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• Assistance was given to a citizen on Barnett Boulevard.

• Animal control was requested on North Ann Avenue.

• A fight was reported on West Butler Street. FEB. 13

• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Grimes Street.

• A Black female was arrested during a traffic stop on North Ann Avenue.

• Burglary was reported on Herd Street.

• An assault was reported on South Tal -

ing to Elmore County Jail records Pack was booked at 8:31 p.m. Saturday and released 50 minutes later.

“Everything associated with costs and the FTAs were taken care of [Saturday] night,” Pack said. “It falls in my court for not understanding what I was supposed to do prior to then.”

Pack said he still has to deal with the revoked vehicle registration at the Elmore County Courthouse which has plans for.

“I have to go Tuesday when they reopen [after the holiday] to do some followup with reinstatement of certain things like registration,” Pack said. “Apparently it is pretty easy to do that. It is nobody’s fault but mine. It’s unfortunate. It will be in the public

• Burglary was reported on Katie Lane.

• Assistance was given to another agency on Tallassee Highway.

eye because I’m running for office.”

Pack faces Jason Lett in the Republican

primary for the Elmore County Board of Education District 7 seat March 5.

was reported on East

• Assistance was

Gilmer Avenue.

Chairman

Kenneth Boone,

General Manager

Tippy Hunter,

Lizi Arbogast Gwin, Managing Editor

Page A4 • February 21, 2024

Be supportive of career tech

Student loan debt has been all over the news for years. But what should we do about it? Should we forgive it? Should we force students and graduates to pay it off?

The answer will be debated for years to come but no answer creates a real solution.

Older generations have pushed children to four year degrees and ignored the trades.

How much would you pay a plumber or electrician? Often those skills can be learned with little to no debt and the education can start in middle school.

Many of our schools have programs to introduce our children to numerous career paths. Some of the programs have been there for generations. Who remembers home economics? Its now Family and Consumer Science and often has a culinary program. Want to be a chef? You can start in high school.

Want to experience plumbing first hand? There are projects at the Elmore County Technical Center students are doing. The same goes for information technology, nursing, carpentry and many other fields.

There is even a bank branch in Elmore County High School.

What is great about the programs in the middle and high schools is the certifications earned along the way. They are industry issued and recognized when the students graduate.

The other great thing about the career tech programs is students figure out through hands-on experience if it is something they want to continue.

What better time than when a student is young to adjust a path to the future.

How many parents do we know who went back to school or had a career change because they were unhappy?

We can better understand what our students want and support them better by allowing them to experience the trades earlier in their education path. Let’s do it before tons of money is spent on an education that might not be needed. Let’s encourage students to explore and learn skills that will help them in life regardless of the path they chose.

Let’s encourage our students to take advantage of what is already available to them in the ag shop, kitchen or science lab to discover what they really want to do in life.

What’s your

Opinion?

We’d like to share your thoughts and opinions with the community for free. You may submit one letter to the editor per month (300 words or less) and/or a guest column (500 words or less). Include name, address and phone number. We reserve the right to refuse any submissions. Mail: Your View, The Wetumpka Herald 127 Company Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092 E-mail: editorelmore@thewetumpkaherald.com

Obituaries: 25 cents per word with a $15 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 Herald or The Tribune.

We reserve the right to refuse to print any advertisement, news story, photograph or any other material submitted to us for any reason or no reason at all.

The publisher reserves the right to change subscription rates during the term of subscription with a 30-day notice. The notice can be mailed to the subscriber, or by notice in the newspaper itself. To subscribe or if you missed your paper, call Erin Burton or Linda Ewing at 256-234-4281.

The Wetumpka Herald is contract printed each Tuesday evening in Alexander City by Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. 256-234-4281

Got an opinion? This page is for you

Each week, I sit down to write this column and I hope to come up with something brilliant to say. Words hold a lot of power, and I know that better than most. However, this week I want to talk about what our editorial page is really for, and that’s you. I certainly love to share my stories, tell my opinions and give my (sometimes) sage advice. But even more than that, I love to hear from our readers. It tickles me so much to receive a letter to the editor because I get to learn what our readers are thinking about. Sometimes it’s a nice letter reminiscing about the Reeltown gym like today’s Tribune submission from Heather Fulford or a congratulatory note for a coach, such as Ms. Teresa Moten’s letter about Jeremy Freeman in today’s Outlook. Other times, it’s about national news as a reader recently wrote about Iran’s conflicts and even better yet, we love to hear about local issues

LIZI GWIN Managing Editor

and where our readers stand.

It’s important to have an opinion and be able to back it up.

At the paper, we reserve the right to not publish anything submitted to us, but I couldn’t even tell you the last time a local resident from Tallapoosa, Coosa or Elmore counties submitted a letter that wasn’t published. We are all about supporting our local voices.

I may not always agree with the subject matter, but I will always support someone who has a voice and can back up their opinions in a well-thought out way.

It’s also important for young people to learn early on that having an opinion is OK, especially for young minorities. Recently, we spotlighted

Elmore County Republican Party scholarship winner Emily Mason, who wrote an essay about transgendered women in sports and how it’s an unfair bar to set. She wrote clearly and concisely and had facts to support her thoughts.

Whether I agree or disagree is unimportant. The fact this young woman had the wherewithal and smarts to put this opinion into a meaningful essay deserves spotlighting.

That’s exactly what we want to do with this opinion page — spotlight your voices. This also allows us to do our jobs better as we know what our readers are interested in. At Tallapoosa Publishers Inc., our mission statement is to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity. We are committed to doing exactly that.

Lizi Arbogast Gwin is the managing editor of Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. She can be reached via phone at 434-9629420 or via email at lizi.gwin@ alexcityoutlook.com.

riends and Neighbors” politics and “all politics is local” has gone by the wayside. Instead, we are a state and nation divided along partisan and racial lines. In Alabama almost all White voters are Republican and almost all Black voters are Democrats. Most folks vote lockstep along party lines. The federal courts have picked up on this and decided to plow new ground and create a second minority district for us here in Alabama by taking redistricting out of the constitutionally designated power of drawing lines away from the legislature and using the Voting Rights Act as precedent to draw their own lines. When they drew the new lines for a second Black/Democratic district, they strived to make sure that the new district would favor a Democrat. The new district includes all of Montgomery and the counties surrounding Montgomery and extends through the Black Belt and gathers most of the Black voters in Mobile. It has attracted a host of aspiring, ambitious, Black politicians from every corner of the state. Federal law does not require a candidate to be a resident of the Congressional District to

be elected to it. Believe you me, these Democratic aspirants have taken full advantage of that loophole. It appears that the best qualification to run in this new 2nd District Democratic Primary is you should not live in the district. This race is chaotic and it is impossible to tell who is leading or who will win. It is a real comedy show. You might assume that a sitting legislator might be the favorite, even though all of those legislators running live outside the district. For example, the three highest profile Democrats are Representative Anthony Daniels, Senator Merika Coleman, and Representative Juandalyn Givan and they live in Huntsville, Bessemer, and Birmingham, respectively, and represent those locales in the legislature. Thus, they cannot even make a pretense of moving into the Congressional District they are running for. They cannot even vote for themselves.

Two other legislators, Jeremy Gray of Opelika and Napoleon Bracy of Saraland live close to the lines but are not quite in the Congressional District. However, Jeremy Gray has made a concerted effort to move his residence a few miles over to Phenix City, which is in his legislative district. I was told this by a young lady working for his campaign who had a Tampa, Florida telephone number. By the way, I do not know how people ascertain your private cell phone number, but she got it and called me at 8:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning to explain Jeremy’s move. I told her she should not tell people that because it would appear odd he actually lived in the district.

I had mistakenly said that Napoleon Bracy lives in Prichard, which is in his legislative district and actually in the new Congressional District. I received a barrage of emails explaining that Napoleon lives in Saraland, which is not in the district. Thus, Napoleon is complying with the requirement that to run successfully you should not live in the District. The most pronounced candidate to correct me on his residence is Mobile candidate

MICHAEL BIRD Columnist

Humane Society of Elmore County News

3 major factors determine how many pets you should have

By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

How many pets are too many pets? That question will invariably depend on your personal view of animals in general, but there are considerations that anyone should think about before they take on even one pet. There are three major concerns an owner should take into account before adding any pet whether it is a dog, cat, horse, guinea pig, bird, etc and those are cost, time & space.

COST

Too often a potential owner only looks at the purchase or adoption price of a pet but there are far more costs involved than the initial purchase price. Every pet requires food but some animals have specialized diet requirements that may cost more than originally planned for. Most dogs and cats do fine on commercial foods, but what happens if your pet has a medical problem requiring a prescription diet or medicines? And even standard pet food

prices have increased significantly in the past few years. An aging horse may require more expensive senior feed and all horses need hay in the winter or, year around if living in an area with no grass. Many birds, reptiles and small ‘pocket pets’ require specialized food, supplements and particularly fresh fruits and vegetables to keep them healthy. With the popularity of Poodle mixes these days (think Doodles), grooming costs can add up as a major expense so best to talk to a groomer about those costs before taking on a dog in need of routine grooming. Today’s veterinarians have tremendous capabilities, but be mindful that the associated costs have increased quite a bit in the past few years.

Please talk to your vet about the costs of taking good care of your pet so you will be prepared. Pet insurance is increasingly popular and can greatly help in the event of a catastrophic event or illness and is definitely looking into. Not being able to afford caring for a pet is a top three reason for sur-

Pet of the Week - Copper

rendering animals to shelters. TIME

Be honest with yourself as to the amount of time you have to give your pet a good quality of life. Dogs and cats thrive on being with us. The dog in a pen at the far end of the yard that sees its owner ten minutes a day if it is fed and watered is truly not a pet – it is a sad animal craving attention.

Our dogs and cats love to be with us which is why they are in more than 60% of U.S. households. So is it fair to get a puppy only to leave it alone in the backyard 20 plus hours per day? Those are the pups turned into shelters at around a year old because they are digging and chewing and have become unmanageable since they have grown up alone and are simply bored and lonely.

And what about the time it takes to muck out a horse’s stall, or clean the guinea pig’s cage, or brush the long-haired cat? Be honest with yourself when evaluating a potential pet to make sure you do have the time that animal will require keeping it healthy and happy.

As reasons for surrendering pets, not having enough time follows closely behind not being able to afford the pet.

SPACE We need to remember animals have different physiological needs than ours. A Yorkie’s exercise needs can likely be met with a good walk and playtime in a small apartment, but a highly energetic and intelligent breed like a Border Collie not only needs a lot of physical exercise, but mental activity as well.

Many hunting breeds like hounds and retrievers were bred to cover a lot of territory for many hours, so life in small back yard may result in a dog that becomes very destructive or escapes as it tries to burn all the energy is has but cannot use. Indoor only cats can be quite happy but still need physical and mental exercise.

What about horses? Horses are range animals and when they are able to graze freely on acreage tend to be healthier and easier to keep, as well as potentially costing less to feed.

Copper is a 1- to 2-year-old male Basset mix who weighs about 50 pounds and is just as handsome as can be. He is great with other dogs and pigs but not good with chickens as he thinks they are too tasty. He is good with children — a friendly fella.

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

CommunityCalendar

THURSDAY, FEB. 22

THURSDAY, APRIL 11

on Saturday, Sept. 21.

A horse in a small corral with no grazing cannot exercise adequately and costs much more to maintain since the owner must supplement it with feed and hay at all times.

Most Guinea Pigs sadly live in cages that are far too small for them. The optimal space for one or two Guinea Pigs is around 7.5 square feet so do you have space for that?

Simple numbers do not answer the question of how many pets are too many. The answer lies in how you answer each of the above questions. If you can afford to provide appropriate care, have the time to give all your pets the care and attention they need, and have the space so that your pets can live a good quality of life dependent on their species and breed characteristics, then that answer may be one, or four, or twenty or more. What should be foremost in any pet owner’s mind is the quality of life for the pet – each and every one of them.

Rea Cord is the executive director of the Humane Society of Elmore County.

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.

CRATER LECTURE: The Wetumpka Impact Crater Commission is hosting geologist Dr. David King Jr. at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Dr. King will speak about the history of the marine crater in Wetumpka and what Wetumpka was like 85 million years ago.

FEB. 23 - 24

CRATER TOUR: The Wetumpka Impact Crater Commission is holding its annual crater tours Friday, Feb. 23 and 24. On Friday tours are at 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. On Saturday tours are at 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:55 p.m. The tour takes guests to vantage points to view what has been called the best preserved marine impact crater in the world. It costs $25 for adults and $15 for students. Reservations are required by calling 334-567-4637.

THURSDAY, FEB. 29

LOW-COUNTRY BOIL: The Elmore County Pregnancy Center and First Choice are hosting a low country boil benefit at 6 p.m. Feb. 29 at The Eclectic Warehouse in Eclectic. It is a free event but attendees need to register at https://bit. ly/47URxEn.

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

MIXER & SILENT AUCTION: Paintball 111 in Wetumpka will be hosting a small business mixer and silent auction from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 11. The proceeds will benefit a charitable organization, and the night is an opportunity to network and unlock potential for business growth. Tickets are $10 per person plus one silent auction item per business. Tickets are for adults only and reserved for small businesses in the area.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

COFFEE & CONNECTIONS: The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce will host its Rise & Shine Coffee & Connections event at ASE Credit Union. It will be held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. April 18 and is an opportunity for local professionals and community leaders to connect. Coffee will be provided.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

WAR ENCAMPMENT: Ft. Toulouse-Ft. Jackson is holding its annual French and Indian War Encampment with demonstrations Saturday, April 20.

SATURDAY, MAY 11

SATURDAY, OCT. 19

LIVING HISTORY SATURDAY:

Ft. Toulouse-Ft. Jackson is hosting demonstrations of how people lived in the area as settlers began to arrive on Saturday, Oct. 19.

NOV. 6-9

ALABAMA FRONTIER DAYS: Ft. Toulouse-Ft. Jackson is holding its annual frontier days with demonstrations for school children and parents about life in Alabama as the area was settled Nov. 6-9.

ONGOING

SUPPORT GROUP: The last Thursday of every month, Restoration 49 Coffee Shop plays host to a support group for parents who have lost a child. The meetings begin at 6 p.m. each month. For more information, please contact Heather Baker at hbakerjj@aol.com.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME: After more than a year long hiatus, Preschool Storytime has resumed at the Wetumpka Public Library. The first story time was held on Friday, May 14, and will take place every Friday at the library at 10 a.m.

ECLECTIC TOWN COUNCIL

COFFEE & CONNECTIONS: The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce will host its Rise & Shine Coffee & Connections event at Homesouth Roofing. It will be held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. March 7 and is an opportunity for local professionals and community leaders to connect. Coffee will be provided.

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

LIVING HISTORY SATURDAY: Ft. Toulouse-Ft. Jackson is hosting demonstrations of how people lived in the area as settlers began to arrive on Saturday, March 16. ANNUAL CHAMBER MEETING: The Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2024 Annual Meeting, ‘The Night A Star Fell,’ from 6 to 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

BINGO: Paintball 111 in Wetumpka will host a Ladies Only Bingo Night from 6 to 9 p.m. March 22. Tickets are $20 and each bingo card is $1. Doors open at 6 p.m. and bingo begins at 7. Wine is complimentary for women ages 21 and older.

SPRING MARKET: Poppy Layne Farm Vintage will be hosting a Spring Barn Market starting at 10 a.m. May 11. Applications are currently available for interested vendors. Email poppylaynefarm@gmail.com for more information. Live music will be featured.

SATURDAY, MAY 18

LIVING HISTORY SATURDAY:

Ft. Toulouse-Ft. Jackson is hosting demonstrations of how people lived in the area as settlers began to arrive on Saturday, May 18. ART SHOW: The Wetumpka Downtown Artists will host an art show on Company Street in downtown Wetumpka at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18.

SUNDAY, JULY 14

MEN’S CONFERENCE: Village Church of Wetumpka is hosting a men’s conference. The keynote speaker is Rick Burgess of Rick and Bubba.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21

LIVING HISTORY SATURDAY: Ft. Toulouse-Ft. Jackson is hosting demonstrations of how people lived in the area as settlers began to arrive

MEETINGS: Eclectic Town Council meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at Town Hall. Council meetings begin at 7 p.m. with work sessions taking place prior to the meeting at 6 p.m. Meetings are held in the Dr. M. L. Fielder Municipal Building, 145 Main Street.

NAACP MEETINGS: The Elmore County Branch No. 5026 of the NAACP meets at 6:30 p.m. every third Tuesday (executive committee) and every fourth Tuesday (full membership) at the Martin Luther King Center at 200 North Lancaster St. in Wetumpka.

OPEN MIC: The Equality Performing Arts Center hosts an open mic jam session from 7 to 9 p.m. every second Friday of the month at 560 Highway 9 in Equality. There is no charge but donations are welcome as they keep the center running. Bring a snack or finger food to share during the intermission. RED HILL COMMUNITY CLUB

MEETINGS: Red Hill Community Club Meetings are held every second Monday of the month. Join the Red Hill Historical Preservation Association in the auditorium of the Old Red Hill School, located off state Route 229 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss upcoming events.

Continued from A1

said. “The world can’t go one without plumbers. You have to have clean water.”

ECTC instructor James Broadway has years of experience in plumbing. He said many think it’s a lowly job but it’s not and it pays well.

“Plumbers are needed everywhere,” Broadway said. “The plumbing folks will call and check a couple times of year to see who we have they might be able to hire after graduation.”

The perception comes from dealing with toilets and bathrooms. With few people wanting to work in the environment means pay is good. But plumbers don’t have to always deal with sewage. In the shops of ECTC, students will also install air lines to help with pneumatic tools.

“We have one large air compressor with the extra capacity,” Broad -

Continued from A1

As much as possible, Broadway’s program simulates actual jobs. Tables are used to simulate installing cast iron plumbing as well as a lesson in how to run plumbing through walls. Necessary clearances and protection needed to prevent nails damaging the pipes are also covered.

way said. “We will run it to the reels in the shops. We will learn how to thread pipe and put it in service.”

The students will also install a shop sink.

Broadway’s program teaches basic skills for all of the various avenues certified plumbers can work in.

Students who complete three years in the ECTC plumbing program can test for a journeyman’s license after graduation. The credential allows them to supervise a job.

“Plumbers never work under somebody else’s license,” Broadway said. “Every plumber on the job has their own license.”

Prior to plumbing, Webster was working at a scrapyard. But when a

water heater was needed, Webster got interested in the field. Now, he works for a local plumbing company in the summer and he now has his eyes on a possible career.

“Everybody needs a plumber,” Webster said. “The world can’t go one without plumbers. You have to have clean water. I plan on working in plumbing until I get my masters license and then look at opening my own.”

As much as possible, Broadway’s program simulates actual jobs.

Tables are used to simulate installing cast iron plumbing as well as a lesson in how to run plumbing through walls. Necessary clearances and protection needed to prevent nails damaging the pipes are also cov -

ered.

The deck is used to mimic a normal house with a crawl space.

“We will hang piping underneath,” Broadway said. “There is water and sewage there. We can finish a tub and toilet. We make it work.”

Recruiting can be hard at times because of plumbing’s taboo nature, but Broadway has a way to combat it. He tells the students and those who doubt plumbing he is a superhero.

“They laugh when I tell them I have a cape I put on at night,” Broadway said. “I’m a superhero because I can read minds. I say plumbing and you are already thinking about it. They think it’s nasty and icky and who wants to do that?”

Broadway hopes everyone will look past sewage. While it is necessary, plumbers are also needed in other areas such as gas, medical gas, chilled water systems and drinking water systems.

help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available

SCHOOL

Continued from A1

“I still drive. I’m going to keep on trucking until I can’t truck no more.”

It’s a work ethic

Glasper learned going to Elmore County Training School. The Class of 1959 graduate moved to Wetumpka from Birmingham and enrolled in seventh grade. Living on West Main Street next door to some of the teachers, she was encouraged to get her education. Glasper couldn’t afford a college education but appreciated the Elmore County Training School.

“It taught me a lot on how to live,” Glasper said. “I also learned a lot

24/7 at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), providing free and confidential support for individuals in distress. Even with Sims’ death Covenant said it will continue its mission.

“We remain committed to supporting law enforcement officers and communities in their efforts to combat sex trafficking and promote safety and well-being for all,” the organization said. HELP

about segregation.”

Glasper saw the issues of segregation in the streets of Wetumpka. Some training school students walked all the way to the Level community — just south of West Bridge Street.

“There were fights with some of the white kids going down Alabama Street,” Glasper said. “Other than that it was pretty fine.”

The training school was constructed in 1924 to teach Black children and give them skills they could use at home such as canning food, making clothing and farming techniques.

Glasper moved to Detroit and cleaned houses. She moved backed to Wetumpka

DISTRICT Continued from A4

Shomari Figures. Young Mr. Figures’s claim to fame, and qualifications are that he is the son of veteran state Senator Vivian Figures and the late Senator Michael Figures. Up until a few months ago, he worked in Washington which I mentioned in my previous column, and which I thought was good publicity for him. He called me at 7:00 a.m. one morning on my private cell phone

five years later and continued cleaning houses.

“I worked in white people’s houses doing housework and all that,” Glasper said. It was the only work readily available for her. She realized she needed more benefits and kept her eyes open. In 1979 Glasper went to work for the State of Alabama at the J. S. Tarwater Development Center in mental health. She retired after 25 years. But her work ethic learned at the Elmore County Training School wouldn’t let her quit. Glasper soon started work at PHT where she has been for the last 16 years.

“I learned more about work ethic at J.S. Tarwater working with special

number and was adamant that he had moved home to Mobile and had gotten a Mobile residence. He continued to barrage me with emails demanding to say that he now officially lived in Mobile. My advice to him was that if he wants to be considered a credible candidate that is not the best route to becoming a viable candidate in this District. To the contrary, it appears it is better to not live in the District.

I will give the same advice to the other six Democratic primary candidates, if you happen to live

people,” Glasper said. “I still work with special people at PHT Alabama. You have to enjoy it.”

Glasper has seen many changes over the years, especially for Blacks.

“People have more opportunities, better jobs today,” Glasper said. “It is a big change because we didn’t have it back then.”

Glasper believes many young people aren’t living up to the potential available to them.

“There are so many walking the streets today,” Glasper said. “They don’t want to work. I could sit at home, but I don’t. If I do, I feel like I will have wasted away the opportunities I was given.”

in the district, do not admit it. You will be automatically dispelled as an odd ball and loser because you may very well be the only one running who lives in the district. This one is fun to watch, a real novelty.

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.

The beloved community continues

Greetings from the corner of Bridge and Bridge! It is another chilly morning as I write this column. Yes, I know it is winter, but the ground hog got me thinking about an early spring!

Last week, the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley held its winter meeting. Presbytery meets quarterly, and this particular meeting was hosted by Northern Heights Presbyterian Church in Selma. PCUSA congregations throughout central Alabama sent commissioners, clergy and lay leaders, to do the work of the regional body of the church.

Northern Heights Presbyterian Church sits about three blocks from Ebeneezer Baptist Church in a neighborhood north of downtown Selma. The area was hit hard in the tornado that swept through Selma a year ago. Blue

BETHLEHEM

in the sanctuary. We will continue with Facebook Live Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and Worship Service at 11 a.m.

CARRVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH

Regular hours of service are Sundays- 9 a.m. Sunday School and 10 a.m. Morning Worship.

REV. JONATHAN YARBORO Columnist

tarps and piles of debris remain as reminders of that storm and its devastation.

Northern Heights is no longer an active worshipping congregation. The church closed not too long ago because its membership had dwindled and the community was mired in decades-long decline. A group of Presbyterians in the area have maintained the facility and it serves as a community meeting place. Our guest speaker during the worship service of the meeting was Rev. James Perkins, Pastor

Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. the church offers Children’s Gospel Project, Youth Bible Study and Adult Prayer Meeting. Regular office hours are Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

EAST TALLASSEE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ETUMC’s Rivers Edge Flea Market is now closed. The church will start a new project called Rivers Edge Food Pantry. ETUMC will provide canned food, water, dry beans and rice, blan-

of Ebeneezer Baptist Church and Mayor of Selma. Rev. Perkins is a delightful servant of the gospel and the city. His comments were introduced as “Reflections on Selma”. He joked about shifting back and forth from “reflecting to preaching” and back again.

His reflection ran the gamut of human experience. He spoke of the blessings and challenges facing Selma from the past and the present quite even-handedly. I was struck by a couple of things he had to say.

First, he identified the setting of our meeting as his neighborhood. Not only did he grow up in Selma, he literally grew up in the neighborhood of the church we were meeting in. He quickly named all of the businesses that occupied the neighborhood of his youth as well as the saints who

Church Briefs

kets, and jackets. If you want to donate or help with the cause, call Joan Wood at 334-312-4913.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY

Please join us for Sunday services at 10:30 a.m. when the Rev. Lee Lowery will celebrate the Holy Eucharist. We are asking everyone please to wear a mask. The service will be live streamed on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ EpiphanyTallassee/ For more information, visit the

resided there. The majority are gone now.

Second, He spoke about leaving Selma with no specific plans to return. He was not trying to escape Selma by any means. The journey of his life simply led him away; first for his education and later in the establishment of his business.

Third, Rev. Perkins explained the nature of his call from God to return to Selma. He highlighted the “God moments” along the way that solidified that call. That call included a run for Mayor; a path that did not result in election the first two times around. Finally, when voter fraud and election manipulation were identified, addressed, and rectified in two years of court proceedings, Rev. Perkins became Mayor Perkins. What struck me most was the

church website at http:// epiphanytallassee.org/

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

First Presbyterian Church, located at 514

Central Blvd. will host a Veteran’s Day Celebration on Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. for all veterans and first responders and their family members.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

“We are OPEN and everyone is WELCOME! Come worship with us in

absence of any demonization. Rev. Perkins spoke succinctly about the truths continuing to affect Selma, but he did not throw anyone under the bus in the process. He did not seek to divide and conquer. He spoke of divine possibility.

Before the meeting, I doubt I would have identified the neighborhood containing Northern Heights Presbyterian Church as anything beloved. Thanks to the comments of Rev. Perkins and worship and fellowship with sisters and brothers in Christ, I saw it differently. That blighted neighborhood is part of God’s beloved community. It should be treated accordingly.

Rev. Jonathan Yarboro is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka.

person Sunday mornings at 8:50 a.m. (contemporary) or 11 a.m. (traditional). Sunday School for all ages is offered Sunday mornings at 10 a.m., and a nursery is available for infants. CHILDREN & YOUTH: meet Sunday evenings from 5-6:30 p.m. and Wednesday evenings from 6-7:15 p.m.; supper is included both days! For more information about our church or the programs we offer, visit our website: fumctallassee.com or call us: 334-283-2195. FUMC

Tallassee - 1 Jordan Avenue.”

OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY Airs every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on 580 WACQ, FM 98.5 & 101.1, on your smart speaker, your TuneIn app, or on our website www.wacqradio. com. Please share on social media. This set of programs features Msgr. Charles Troncale, Fr. Mateusz Rudzik, Fr. James Dean, Fr. David Carucci, Fr. Patrick Driscoll, and Deacon Jim Labadie.

Wetumpka’s Smith caps career with state championship

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Noah Smith delivered on his promise from a year ago. Smith missed weight last season and was forced to watch last year’s state title from the stands. While watching, he told the Wetumpka wrestling team he was going to win the state title his senior year. He did exactly that Saturday afternoon as he beat Homewood’s Moeen Almansoob with a 6-2 decision in the 132-pound weight class of the AHSAA Class 6A state championship held at Huntsville’s

Wetumpka’s Christian Preston won his second-consecutive state championship with a last-second reversal against

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

It didn’t come easy, but Christian Preston wouldn’t have it any other way.

Facing defeat, Preston stunned Hartselle’s Jameson Falciani with a reversal with six seconds left in the AHSAA Class 6A state championship match Saturday night. His reversal gave him a 2-1 lead and win, and it gave Preston his second consecutive state title in the 215-

pound weight class.

He finished his senior season with a 43-3 record and two state championships.

“It feels really great,” Preston said. “It was really nice. It got a little shaky at the end, but I overcame it. The semi-finals were tough and the finals came down to the wire, but it was such a good season. I only had three losses and they were all to really, really good kids.” There wasn’t much going for either wrestler

in the match. The first period ended in a 0-0 deadlock, and Falciani started the second period on bottom. Seven seconds later, he earned an escape to go up, 1-0, and took that lead all the way to the third period.

It was then Preston’s turn to start on bottom, but the senior couldn’t seem to get an escape. Every time he tried, the two went out of bounds and had to reset. As time neared

Von Braun Center. “This feels so good,” Smith said. “I had a massive support system behind me with coaches, family, my girlfriend and my teammates. They were really my driving factor to get here. Especially with me not being able to come last year, it feels really good.” Early in the match, Almansoob looked to be getting the better of Smith. The two sat in a stalemate until Almansoob secured a takedown with 22 seconds left in the first period. Leading 2-0, Almansoob chose to

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Willie Cox capped off his career with a storybook ending Saturday night.

The Wetumpka heavyweight claimed his second state championship when he beat Mountain Brook’s Daniel Ellis with an 8-4 decision in the AHSAA Class 6A state title match held at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center.

Cox proved a year ago that he was the best heavyweight wrestler in the state, and he told everyone he was going to continue that dominance his senior year.

So he set out for another title, and he achieved that goal while going undefeated against wrestlers in the state of Alabama. He has not been beaten by an Alabama wrestler since his sophomore season. “I had to go out there and show everyone that I meant it when I told them I’d win it again,” Cox said. “This one means so much to me. It’s my senior year and it was my last high school match.” Cox ended his senior season with a 47-1 record, and his only loss came to the No. 8-ranked wrestler

in the entire country, a wrestler from Louisiana.

Since then, he’s beaten 42-straight opponents and multiple ranked wrestlers including state champions from other classifications.

He left no doubt that he’s the best heavyweight wrestler in Alabama.

“This was probably my best wrestling season ever,” Cox said. “I had one loss early to a good wrestler then I never lost again. I worked my tail off for this championship and it paid off. Now I have two rings.”

See SECOND, Page B2

Wetumpka softball shines in opening tourney

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

After last season’s 54-win championship season, there’s a target painted on Wetumpka’s back.

But someone forgot to tell the Indians that.

The Wetumpka softball team started its 2024 season with an impressive weekend by claiming the Lions Classic Tournament Championship with a 7-0 weekend.

Wetumpka beat Spanish Fort twice, Calera twice, Montgomery Catholic, Pleasant Grove and Saraland. The Indians outscored those opponents, 40-6, during that span.

“There was a lot of hype around this tournament, especially us and Spanish Fort after last year’s semifinals game,” Indians coach Daryl Otwell said. “Our girls played really well. We had some new girls in good spots and wanted to test them early. We hit the ball well, but I was really impressed with our pitch-

ing and our defense.” Behind the arms of Mya Holt and Ella Watson, the Indians held six of their seven opponents to one run or less and only allowed two earned runs all weekend. Holt and Watson even went further and pitched three combined no-hitters or perfect games. In a 13-0 win over Montgomery Catholic, Watson pitched a three inning

DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI

Wetumpka’s Willie Cox hugs coach Josh Highland after winning the

AHSAA Class 6A state championship on Saturday.

DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI

Hartselle’s Jameson Falciani.

Wetumpka’s Riley Dismukes led the Indians with two home runs and eight RBIs this weekend. Wetumpka went 7-0 and won the Prattville Lions Classic Softball Tournament.

DALTON MIDDLETON TPI

Wetumpka’s Noah Smith takes down Homewood’s Moeen Almansoob in the 6A state championship. Smith won the state title in the 132-pound weight class.

Wetumpka’s Preston claims second title with last second win

no-hitter with only a walk and two strikeouts. In the next game, Holt pitched a seven-inning perfect game with 11 strikeouts against Calera.

To start Saturday’s elimination games, Watson struck out 12 batters in a six inning no hitter with only one walk.

Overall, Wetumpka has a 0.38 earned run average after the first weekend and allowed only 16 hits in seven games.

“We hang our hats on our pitching and our defense,” Otwell said. “We returned two very talented pitchers and added coach (KK) Dismukes as our pitching coach. We knew both Mya and Ella would be better just by being a year older, and it’s great to see so early. And it’s like we told them. They didn’t throw those against weak opponents. Those were impressive games.”

At the plate, Wetumpka returned nearly its entire starting lineup and those returners showed their experience at the plate.

Holt and Watson both finished the weekend with a .474 average, going 9-for-19 with a combined 13 singles, 3 doubles, 1 triple and 1 home run with 7 RBIs.

Lily Davenport had 7 RBIs with two extra base hits, and Riley Dismukes hit two home runs and led the team with 8 RBIs.

Otwell did have to sprinkle a few new faces into the lineup, and one of those is freshman Autymn Hollon. Hollon got her chance on Saturday and took full advantage of her opportunity. She went 6-for-12 at the plate with five singles, one double and three RBIs.

“She’s leading a really talented lineup in batting average as just a freshman,” Otwell said. “She got some really big hits early on Saturday that jump started us. I was really impressed with her as a freshman on a really good hitting team.”

SECOND

Continued from B1

Cox started his championship match with a takedown in the first 70 seconds, then he took a 2-1 lead into the second period and quickly increased his lead. He got two points from a reversal nine seconds into the second period and got another takedown shortly after. He led, 6-2, heading into the final period.

“It was honestly a really close match,” Cox said. “I didn’t get to use too many of my offensive moves. We made a game plan to get my offense

Stanhope Elmore wins twice in opening weekend

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

After a tough opening night loss to Class 3A’s No. 5-ranked team in PCA, the Stanhope Elmore baseball team has won back-to-back matchups. The Mustangs lost that opener Thursday night, 9-8, on a walkoff in the bottom of the seventh.

But in two games at home Saturday afternoon, Stanhope bounced back with a 8-6 win over Dothan and a 9-8 win over Trinity Presbyterian.

“We still have a lot of things to clean up, but I’ve been proud of the way that our guys have battled and answered so far,” Mustangs coach DK Shuman said. “The biggest thing we’ve been asking from them early in the season is competitiveness. We can clean up the physical mistakes, as long as they are willing to compete.”

Stanhope returns a handful of starters in players like Hayden Anderson, Ethan Walls, Jackson Stallworth and Tate Glover, but it was a new face that really stood out in Saturday’s wins.

Jordan Jones took the mound against Dothan and pitched four innings and allowed just two hits and three unearned runs with five strikeouts. He also went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk.

In the 9-8 win over Trinity, he went 3-for-4 with three singles and three RBIs.

Those two performances came after an 0-for-4 night with four strikeouts in the opener.

“Jordan didn’t start the season the way he wanted on Thursday, but he really bounced back in a big way and had a good day on Saturday in all three aspects of the game,” Shuman said. “He has really

set up in the second period and I got to my legs with the reversal and scored some points.”

He allowed an escape in the first 30 seconds of the final period, then clinched the championship with one final takedown with 31 seconds left.

With five seconds left in the match, he pushed off Ellis and started holding his finger up in the air. He ran away from Ellis and celebrated his championship with a big hug from coach Josh Highland.

“The only thing running through my head right then was that I did it,” Cox said. “Oh my lord, I did it. I freaking did it.”

STATE Continued from B1

that mistake and I locked in my cradle and got my 3 points back. I wanted to end it right there, but stuff happens.”

Smith started the third period on bottom, and he earned his escape point when Almansoob let him up attempting to earn a takedown. He was unable to do so, however, as his defense allowed him to stay on his feet the remaining 75 seconds of the match. With 15 seconds left, Almansoob tried one last attempt

good stuff on the mound and executed a lot of pitches. At the plate, he found a way to get a job done for us just about every time he came up in both games. He also made some good plays defensively in the outfield.”

Jones is leading the team with a .400 average, but Dylan Dent is also 4-for-10 while Anderson and Walls are both hitting over .300 with three combined doubles and seven RBIs.

On the mound, Luke Payne and Jones both have a 0.00 earned run average in 9 ⅓ combined innings while the team has a 3.09 era with eight pitchers taking the mound so far.

HOLTVILLE’S CARSON MCCUTCHIN, ETHAN BROCK TOSS COMBINED NO-HITTER

The defending Class 5A state champions showed they’re still a force to be reckoned with in Holtville’s season opening win over Thorsby.

In the 10-0 mercy rule win

in five innings, McCutchin and Brock tossed a combined no-hitter with seven strikeouts. McCutchin struck out all seven in four innings of work while walking one, then Brock followed suit with a hitless inning of his own in the fifth.

At the plate, McCutchin had a double with two RBIs while Holtville pounded out six total hits.

The Bulldogs then went 2-1 on the weekend with a 14-5 win over Montgomery Catholic and a 4-3 loss to Pike Road in nine innings. FULLER, FAWCETT SHINE FOR WETUMPKA

The Wetumpka baseball team went 2-0 in opening weekend behind big hits from two of its stars.

Mason Fuller, who plays second and shortstop, went 4-for-7 with two doubles and two singles with three RBIs in the leadoff spot. Batting in the three-hole, catcher Logan Fawcett also went 4-for-7 with a home run and three RBIs.

The two of them helped

lead Wetumpka to a 13-5 win over Andalusia in the opener and 5-0 win over Pike Road. In the win over Pike Road, they combined for the team’s only four hits.

EDGEWOOD GOES 3-0

BEHIND ALLISON’S LEADOFF HITS

The Wildcats are one of the favorites to win AISA Class AA this season, and they showed exactly why in their first three games of the season. Edgewood beat Abbeville Christian Academy and Springwood twice to start the year, and outscored its three opponents 45-6 along the way. The team is hitting .417 with a .667 on base percentage through three games, and shortstop Drew Allison is a big part of that. Allison, batting leadoff, went 5-for-6 at the plate with two singles, one double and two triples with six RBIs and five runs scored. He walked three times and was hit-by-pitch once. He also went a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.

my leg a little bit. I’m just happy to be able to pull it out and get that reversal at the end.”

and Smith was expecting it. He reversed the takedown attempt and took Almansoob down himself, earning two more points to secure the win at 6-2.

“I work a lot with my coaches on defense and being patient in positions like those,” Smith said.

“Me getting those 3 and being up two, I knew he had to come for a big move and I couldn’t make a mistake. I just had to be patient and knew I could get it done.” Despite Wetumpka winning three state championships with Willie Cox and Christian Preston both winning their matches as well, Smith’s match was the

the end, Falciani looked to have the match wrapped up as he had one arm on Preston’s leg and was holding him down.

But Preston then stunned everyone in the arena as he wrapped around and pulled a reversal with six seconds left and ended up on top. He held down Falciani for the final few seconds and clinched his second championship.

“I’m always confident in my ability to score,” Preston said. “I wasn’t too scared. I was a little worried about the clock, and I didn’t know if the ref was going to give the reversal to me. I know he was still holding

highlight for the Wetumpka squad.

The Indians cheered louder than any fan base when he won his match, and coach Josh Highland and Cox both rushed to him as quickly as they could to hug him.

Cox went as far as to say his own championship was nice, but Smith’s win made his day more than his own.

“The one thing I’ll say is he has finished his story,” Highland said. “He told us last year he would win, and he put in the work for it and it showed. He deserves this.”

Preston had back-to-back intense matches to end his career. In the semifinals match against Jackson-Olin’s Nicholas Brooks on Friday night, Preston saw his 4-1 lead turn into a 6-6 tie going into the final period. Brooks got a takedown and near fall in the final 10 seconds of the second period, but Preston didn’t stay down for long.

Starting on the bottom in the third, he earned a penalty point and an escape and walked away with an 8-6 win.

“That’s Christian in a nutshell,” coach Josh Highland said. “Just true Christian fashion. That’s what he does. He digs a little deeper and pulls it out. He just digs and I’m proud of him.”

Stanhope Elmore’s Hayden Anderson returns as the starting shortstop for the Mustangs. Anderson had two doubles in the team’s opening three games.

DALTON MIDDLETON TPI

Wetumpka’s Noah Smith jumps into his coaches’ arms after winning the AHSAA Class 6A state championship in the 132-pound weight class.

DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI

Wetumpka’s Willie Cox celebrates after winning his second state championship.

DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI

Wetumpka’s Christian Preston ends his senior year with a 43-3 overall record.

Holtville shines in season opening tourney

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

The Holtville softball team fell just short of a state tournament big last season, and now the Bulldogs are entering 2024 with a vengeance.

Holtville played in the Opelika Round Robin Tournament this weekend and ended the two-day event with a 3-1 record. Holtville won games against Eufaula, Valley and Opelika while losing one matchup to Beauregard.

Overall, Holtville outscored its opponents 43-12 over the weekend.

“There was definitely some rust we had to shake off and early season jitters that we were dealing with on night one, but once we settled in we began to play our brand of softball,” Bulldogs coach Reese Claybrook said. “In our loss we just weren’t able to make early adjustments at the plate and gave up too many free passes. It was great to see our ability to fix these things on day two with such a quick turnaround between our last game on Friday and our first game on Saturday.

Holtville out-hit its opponents in every game, and churned out 44 hits in the four

games while also scoring over 10 runs per game. Claybrook liked the way his team executed at the plate and was able to generate pressure on the opposing team’s defenses. Heading that was leadoff

hitter Bailea Boone, a slap hitter who has been an All-County player for nearly her entire high school career.

Boone had eight hits across the tournament, recording two in every game. She stepped

Wetumpka’s Watson throws two no-hitters

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Ella Watson wasted no time showing what her senior season is going to be like.

Watson, one of Wetumpka’s top two returning pitchers and a West Alabama signee, shined in the circle this weekend.

As Wetumpka won the Prattville Lions Classic Softball Tournament on Saturday, Watson pitched four complete games including two no-hitters against Pleasant Grove and Montgomery Catholic.

For her dominance, Watson is the Elmore County Player of the Week.

“It was cold and windy this weekend, but Ella completely controlled the zone all weekend long,” Indians coach Daryl Otwell said. “She pitched really well. She threw three games on Saturday and tossed a no-hitter then came back and faced a top four team in 6A and only gave up one run.”

Watson’s senior season started on Friday morning

with the 13-0 win over Montgomery Catholic. In that three-inning shortened game, Watson walked one batter while striking out two and allowed no hits.

That was the only game she pitched Friday then turned around and pitched three of the four games that Wetumpka played on Saturday. Against Pleasant Grove, she struck out 12 batters and walked one in six innings for her second no-hitter in as many games.

After Holt pitched a win over Saraland, Watson took back over the mound against Spanish Fort, a team Wetumpka beat in the semifinals last year in the state tournament.

Watson allowed only four hits and one run and struck out six batters across four innings of work. With only 13 innings of work under her belt in three games, she took to the circle again in the tournament championship against Calera.

In the win, she allowed only seven hits and one run while striking out six batters.

“We wanted her and Mya to get around the same amount of innings, so we challenged her to go back out there and pitch again right after her complete game,” Otwell said. “So she went out and did the same thing against Calera. Two complete games with only one run. I was really proud of her.” She wasn’t just dominant in the circle, however. After the first weekend, she is second on the team in batting average and is hitting .474. She went 9-for-19 at the plate with seven singles, one double and one triple. She added two RBIs and scored four runs and stole two bases.

to the plate 13 total times and was able to get on base 10 times. She scored 80% of the time she stepped on base. She hit six singles, one triple and one home run with three RBIs. She also stole

four bases. “When she’s on it completely changes the way defenses have to defend what we do and it can open up huge holes for the rest of our lineup,” Claybrook said. “When she’s productive, we’re productive.”

EDGEWOOD SWEEPS

SPRINGWOOD TO START SEASON

Less than a week after winning the AISA basketball championship, Edgewood’s girls turned to the softball court and dominated a season-opening double-header over Springwood. The Wildcats outscored Springwood, 21-1, over the two run-rules and churned out 17 hits in the process.

Lindsey Brown hit a big triple, while Wetumpka transfer Ashley Burgess had three hits with a double and two RBIs.

Hayden Hudson hit a home run in the second game of the matchup. In the circle, Edgewood used four pitchers – Lily Stubbs, Burgess, Emmah Clement and Savannah Wood. The four of them struck out a combined 10 batters while allowing only three hits.

Elmore County hits walk-off to open season

By HENRY ZIMMER Sports Reporter

Reeltown hit a walkoff to win over Tallassee on Friday night. Elmore County repaid the favor to the Rebels on Saturday.

After losing a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth, Elmore County eventually found itself down 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh.

With two outs, Ryals McNeely stepped up to the plate and cranked a single to score Cade Everson. One batter later, Shelton Darnell lit a ball down the right field line and brought McNeely in for the game-winner.

On opening day, the Panthers won 8-7 to start the year 1-0.

“It was good to fight back,” Elmore County coach Michael Byrd said. “You just have to win the day. It wasn’t a beautiful day, but it was all win and survive.”

After scoring just a single run through the first four innings, Reeltown rattled off six runs in the final three frames.

Senior Brandon White started the game for Elmore County with seven strikeouts and just one run allowed in four innings of

work.

After he was taken out, the Panthers only managed six Ks and allowed six runs to keep Reeltown in it. With the game tied at five apiece, an error on Elmore County saw Reeltown take a 6-5 lead.

“You expect the first time through the lineup to have some jitters,” Byrd said. “We had some jitters. We loaded the bases twice and didn’t get anything from it. Some pitchers had their first time on the mound. Little sporadic.”

In the end however, it was the powerful bats of McNeely and Darnell to see the team seal the win.

Darnell had a monster game, going 3-5 at the plate with two RBIs. He hit a triple, double and a single.

McNeely went 1-2 with two walks, scoring all three times he reached first base. The senior was also credited with the win on the mound, pitching the final frame of the game.

Before McNeely could hit his tying run, Everson had to get on base.

While the senior went 0-2 at the plate, Everson was walked twice. His second walk got him on first for McNeely to send

him all the way around.

“Especially down two outs, that was really big for us,” Byrd said. “The seniors came up back to back and that was really good.”

When McNeely entered the batter’s box, it was all up to him to at least tie the game.

Reeltown had every last bit of momentum and had to secure just one final out to start its season 2-0.

McNeely wasn’t sitting on a pitch, but just trying to find the best opportunity to help tie the game.

The Rebels put Hutson Lewis on the bump for the seventh and McNeely took advantage of the pitching change.

“It felt great,” McNeely said of his tying hit. “Just doing my job.”

As a whole, Elmore County put up six hits. The team struck out just three times compared to nine walks.

On the base path, the Panthers stole eight bases.

“It was good that we fought out here and did what we had to do to win,” McNeely said. “It was a big moment for our team. We just have to keep working at it and doing what we are doing.”

Holtville’s Bailea Boone got on base 10 times and scored eight runs in the Bulldogs’ first four games of the season. Holtville went 3-1 on the weekend.

Wetumpka’s Ella Watson pitched two no-hitters in the opening weekend of softball.

In those two games, she walked only two batters and struck out 13. PLAYER OF THE WEEK

HENRY ZIMMER TPI

Elmore County’s Shelton Darnell celebrates after hitting a walkoff double against Reeltown in the Panthers’ season opener.

Stanhope Elmore’s Caffee signs with South Alabama

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

DaShaun Caffee is taking his talents to Mobile.

The Stanhope Elmore star defensive back signed his National Letter of Intent to play college football at South Alabama on Friday.

“This means so much to me,” Caffee said. “It’s always been a dream and a goal of mine, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m honestly still trying to process it, but it means so much to have this opportunity.”

Caffee’s recruiting process has been a long one, but not with South Alabama.

The safety had offers from schools such as Faulkner, Austin Peay, Bethel and others, but never received an offer from South Alabama until just last week.

On National Signing Day Feb. 7, Caffee received a text from first-year South Alabama coach Major Applewhite expressing interest in signing him to the Jaguars. Shortly after that, defensive

coordinator Will Windham also reached out.

It didn’t take long for Caffee to make up his mind. Caffee said the South Alabama offer meant more to him, simply due to the fact that the head coach was the

one who offered it to him.

“The offer hit a little different when it came from the head coach,” Caffee said. “When the head man reached out, I knew I had a real shot at making an impact and

they really wanted me. It was just special to me.”

Caffee has been a special talent at both cornerback and safety for Stanhope Elmore’s defense in his career. He racked up over 170 tackles while intercepting eight passes and defending 17 passes.

During a shortened senior season due to injury, he recorded 50 tackles with three interceptions and eight passes defended in seven games.

He’s being recruited to just play anywhere in the secondary, based on where he fits best, but he believes he will end up in the nickel spot due to being fairly small at only 5-foot-9.

Regardless of where he ends up, he knows he can make an impact on the South Alabama defense.

“I’m going to bring a lot of confidence to them,” Caffee said.

“With me being a smaller guy, I’ve been through it all. I’ve been told I’m too small or I’m too slow, but I’m confident and that goes a long way. I’m also going to bring my work ethic and my leadership mentality.”

South Alabama is coming off back-to-back winning seasons with a bowl win this year. In the two seasons, South Alabama is 17-9 and 11-5 in conference play. This past season, USA went on the road and knocked off Oklahoma State early in the year before ending the season with a 59-10 win over Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

“We have something special building up in Mobile with our signing class and some really big players returning,” Caffee said. “I’m excited to get started and it’s a blessing to play there.

Wetumpka boys soccer earns Top 10 ranking

STAFF

After the first week of the high school soccer season, Wetumpka’s boys have started gaining statewide attention. In the most recent

weekly coaches poll, Wetumpka was ranked No. 9 in Class 6A. The Indians are currently 4-1 with wins over Opelika, Sidney Lanier, Pike Road and Trinity Presbyterian. Trinity is the No. 8-ranked Class 4A team and

Wetumpka won that matchup, 3-1. Wetumpka’s lone loss of the season is to Hewitt-Trussville, 3-1. Through five games so far, Wetumpka is outscoring oppo-

nents 18-5. Senior Austin Holley is responsible for scoring eight of those goals, while midfielder Brody Worrell, the reigning Elmore County Player of the Year, has four goals and six

assists. Senior Angel Gabriel also has three goals and three assists. Defensively, goalkeeper Ashton Sipes has allowed four goals in five games and has 12 saves on the year. He has an 80% save rate.

Tax holiday for severe weather this weekend

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

There is never a good time for a storm or its possible destruction.

The State of Alabama is making it easier for citizens to be prepared for the next potential disaster through The 2024 Alabama Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday Feb. 23-25. Things such as weather radios, batteries, flashlights, non-electric coolers, reusable ice, smoke detectors, plastic and tarps up to $60 can be purchased tax free in Elmore County during

the holiday. A single generator up to $1,000 will be tax free too.

“All these are items that can be purchased and used for severe weather, both before and after severe weather,” Elmore County EMA director Keith Barnett said. “The items will help to more safely handle any sort of response after a storm hits.” Barnett said his agency can help with programming of weather radios if needed.

Barnett also suggests having a secondary notification of weather alerts via apps, such as Elmore County EMA or

Getting a few items to store at home and listen out for weather alerts is only the first step in disaster preparedness. Having a small kit and storm plan is a necessity, and it should include where in the home to shelter and where to meet after an event. The kit should at least include some water and basic first measures.

Baron Saf-T-Net.

Barnett said outdoor sirens should not be depended on because of old technology and difficulty hearing them inside homes and during storms.

Getting a few items to store at home and listen out for weather alerts is only the first step in disaster preparedness.

Having a small kit and storm plan is a necessity, and it

should include where in the home to shelter and where to meet after an event. The kit should at least include some water and basic first measures.

“One of the most important things is something to wear on the head like a helmet and shoes,” Barnett said. “Most of the deaths in a storm come from being struck in the head. Many injuries happen to feet and legs as people try to leave the debris bath barefooted.”

Barnett encourages everyone to take advantage of the sales tax holiday. “It’s a chance to create or rebuild emergency kits,” Barnett said. “I would tell anyone I can about it. Preparedness saves injuries and lives.”

Multiple Alabama colleges waiving application fees

TPI Staff Staff Report

This week, students who reside in Alabama have the opportunity to apply to select colleges at no cost.

Several colleges throughout the state are participating in the Alabama College Application

Wednesday, Feb. 21

High School Baseball

Campaign, which waives application fees for students during distinct weeks. This event was held in Oct. 2023, and its success led the Alabama Department of Education to reinstate the event for another week.

The campaign started 10 years ago to increase the number of college

4 Wetumpka at LAMP, 4:30 p.m.

4 Tallassee at Beulah, 4:30 p.m.

High School Softball

4 Sylacauga at Tallassee, 4:30 p.m.

High School Soccer

4 Valley at Tallassee, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 22

High School Baseball

4 Holtville at Elmore County, 5:30 p.m.

4 Edgewood Academy Varsity Tournament, TBD High School Softball

4 Tallassee at Central Tournament,TBD

4 Smiths Station at Wetumpka, 4:30 p.m.

4 Maplesville at Holtville, 4:30 p.m.

High School Soccer

4 Charles Henderson at Tallassee, 6 p.m.

4 Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka, 5:30 p.m.

applications throughout the state, while providing opportunities for low-income students.

High school seniors in the state of Alabama can apply to colleges for free until Friday.

COLLEGES PARTICIPATING INCLUDE:

• Alabama A&M Uni-

Friday, Feb. 23

High School Baseball

4 Wetumpka at Marbury, 5:30 p.m.

4 LAMP at Tallassee, 4:30 p.m.

4 Edgewood Academy Varsity Tournament, TBD High School Softball

4 Tallassee, Wetumpka at Central Tournament,TBD 4 Edgewood Academy Varsity Tournament, TBD High School Soccer

4 Holtville at Beauregard, 5:30 p.m.

4 (G) Pell City at Elmore County, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24

High School Baseball

4 Holtville at Chilton County, 1 p.m.

4 Stanhope Elmore at Central Phenix City, 11 a.m.

4 Edgewood Academy Varsity Tournament,

versity

• Alabama Aviation College

• Alabama State University

• Allen University (South Carolina)

• Andrew College

• Auburn University at Montgomery

• Belmont Abbey College (North Carolina)

TBD High School Softball

• Birmingham Southern College

• Brenau University (Georgia)

• Faulkner University

• Fort Valley State University (Georgia)

• Georgia Gwinnett College (Georgia)

• Huntingdon College

• Jacksonville State University

4 Tallassee, Wetumpka at Central Tournament,TBD 4 Edgewood Academy Varsity Tournament, TBD

Monday, Feb. 26 High School Baseball

4 Tallassee at Percy Julian, 6:30 p.m.

4 Edgewood Academy at Lowndes Academy, 4 p.m.

High School Softball

4 Edgewood Academy at Lowndes Academy, 4 p.m.

High School Soccer

4 (G) Holtville at Stanhope Elmore, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 27

School Baseball 4 Holtville at Shelby County, 4:30 p.m.

• Lincoln Tech (Tennessee)

• Maryville College (Tennessee)

• Mercer University (Georgia)

• Mississippi College

• Mississippi University for Women

• South Carolina State University

• South University

4 LAMP at Wetumpka, 4:30 p.m.

4 PCA at Tallassee, 4:30 p.m. Marbury at Stanhope Elmore, 4:30 p.m.

4 Percy Julian at Elmore County, 6:30 p.m.

4 Lee-Scott Academy at Edgewood Academy, 4 p.m.

High School Softball

4 Elmore County at Montgomery Academy

4:30 p.m.

4 Tallassee at Benjamin Russell, 4:30 p.m.

4 Wetumpka at Stanhope Elmore, 4:30 p.m.

4 Lee-Scott Academy at Edgewood Academy, 4 p.m.

4 Chilton County at Holtville, 4:30 p.m.

High School Soccer

4 Tallassee at St. James, 5:30 p.m.

4 (B) Wetumpka at Pelham, 6 p.m.

4 (G) JAG at Stanhope Elmore, 5:30 p.m.

CLIFF WILLIAMS TPI

Stanhope’s DaShaun Caffee is greeted by friend and family after he announced he was going to play football at South Alabama.

Wetumpka students celebrating National FFA week

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

If you see students in a blue jacket this week, they will all likely have the same mission — promoting Future Farmers of America.

The blue jackets with yellow embroidered lettering and symbols are synonymous with FFA across the country. At Wetumpka High School, advisor Clay Mims is wanting to use National FFA Week as a way to highlight the program beyond the annual rodeo.

“It’s a great organization,” Mims said.

“Students learn a multitude of skills including leadership and team building.”

At last week’s Wetumpka City Council meeting, Kimora Anthony was on hand to recite the FFA creed. She will do this at the state conference and competition in April, so the meeting was a good preparation. Mayor Jerry Willis also took the time to recognize FFA with a proclamation.

In FFA students also learn and support agriculture. This school year Wetumpka FFA members have attended the annual Elmore County Cattlemen’s Association meeting, volunteered during Farm City Week, participated in several livestock projects and learned

about a variety of landscaping equipment.

National FFA week gives members the opportunity to share more about their passions.

“Members will celebrate with various activities at school and in the community,” Mims said.

According to Mims, National FFA Week always runs from Saturday to Saturday and encompasses Feb. 22, which is George Washington's birthday. The National FFA Board of Directors designated the weeklong tradition in 1948, recognizing Washington's legacy as an agriculturist and farmer. A group of young farmers founded FFA in 1928 and the organization has been influencing generations that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting — it involves science, business and more.

The National FFA Organization is a schoolbased national youth leadership development organization of more than 945,000 student members as part of 9,163 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Scouting continues as Webelos cross over

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

It was Scouts, Scouts and more Scouts at Gold Star Park Sunday.

In some ways it could have been mistaken for the National Scout Jamboree. While not as big as the national jamboree, the ceremony was equally important to a group of Webelos who crossed over from Cub Scouts to Scouts thanks to Pack 50 of Wetumpka. Five Cub Scouts including the first girl from Pack made the transition. It was also eventful for den leader Bert Bodiford who crossed over with his grandson John Curry V. The grandfather will join his grandson in Troop 50 as a Scout leader.

“It is such a fortunate thing,” Bodiford said. “Many grandparents don’t get the opportunity because they live too far away or because of health.”

Bodiford will be doubling up on leading as his granddaughter Audrey Curry is just a Wolf. She along with Madelyn Guerrero helped introduce girls to Pack 50. Bodiford and others asked about opening up Pack 50 to girls. It is something Cub Scout groups across the country have the option to do.

“They were attending Cub Scouts anyway with their siblings,” Bodiford said.

Madelyn is not staying with Bodiford. She will still be a Scout, but she will be with an all girls troop that just started in Wetumpka in August.

The 11-year-old found her way to Scouts in part thanks to her brother Ian who is with Troop 13.

“He went on campouts and did a lot of fun stuff,” Madelyn said. “I wanted to do that. I tried cheerleading. I tried Girl Scouts. I tried soccer. In Pack 50 with all the boys, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed

the people, the communication and the team work.”

She will join other girls, who because of their age couldn’t participate in Cub Scouts. There are currently eight girls in Troop 168 and Madelyn’s father Jose is helping as a temporary Scout leader.

“It is a big step for her,” Jose said. “She has always wanted to pursue it.”

Madelyn will meet with the rest of Troop 168 at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays at the Redland Volunteer Fire Department on Redland Road. The troop is sponsored by the Wetumpka VFW Women’s Auxiliary. Jose will split his time between his two children.

Bodiford likes the idea behind scouting. He likes how it develops children into adults.

“We are a Christian based organization but don’t have any affiliation with any religion,” Bodiford said. “We promote the ideals, values and morals that we want them to have when they become adults.”

Bodiford too will split his time. He will remain a den

Millbrook council considers new water contract

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

It’s been two decades since the City of Millbrook joined four other utility boards to create the Five Star Water Supply District.

It was created to provide residents of Holtville, Millbrook, Prattville and more drinking water from Lake Jordan. Marbury has since joined the co-op.

“They pump out of Lake Jordan and have a big facility on Jordan,” Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley said.

The agreement gave Millbrook access to 300,000 gallons of water per day.

“It’s a take or pay agreement,” Kelly said. “If you only use 200,000 you still pay for 300,000.”

Kelley said Five Star is increasing its capacity and performing routine maintenance on its facilities, offering Millbrook a chance to increase its access.

The council discussed amending its contract with Five Star at its Tuesday meeting. At the council’s next meeting it is prepared to vote on buying 400,000 gallons of water per day to aid in projected growth.

At the meeting, the council approved repairs for the city’s wastewater treatment plant and well house. The plant was flooded and needs new flooring, and Kelley said the roofing will be done at the same time.

The council also

approved repairing sewer lines behind Walmart on Highway 14.

“All the rain has washed the pipes out of the ground,” Kelley said. “We are going to relocate the pipes and cover them back up.”

The council increased the budget for the street department to allow full time dumpsters, one of which will be at the recycling center and one will be at the department.

Now Millbrook residents can dispose of unwanted items during normal hours of the facilities instead of waiting for a quarterly cleanup.

IN OTHER ACTION THE MILLBROOK CITY COUNCIL:

• Approved minutes of the Jan. 23 meeting.

• Authorized an administrative contract with Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission Regarding for administering a community block development grant to demolish approximately 15 dilapidated structures.

• Authorized a governmental affairs contract with Crosby Drinkard.

• Authorized the purchase of lawn equipment for The Pines Golf Course.

• Authorized bids for the purchase of refrigeration equipment for Welcome Food Pantry through a grant.

The next meeting of the Millbrook City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 27.

Students planning a concert at Stanhope

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

A rock concert doesn’t seem like an educational setting.

leader with his granddaughter and is becoming a Scout leader in Troop 50.

“I go from one night a week to two,” Bodiford said. “I will have scouting on Monday and Tuesday.

The Scouting journey is something Bodiford gave up as a child growing up. He lived on a cattle ranch in a rural area. The commitment to Scouts was difficult as it took the family from the farm. His grandchildren getting involved has allowed him to continue the scouting journey with them.

“When my grandson came along, he didn’t care much about sports,” Bodiford said. “It was the perfect opportunity to revisit Scouts. He got in and loved it. My granddaughter said the other night, ‘Scouts are for me.’”

Bodiford is proud he is able to not just sit on the sidelines and support Johnny and Audrey.

“Not only do I get to watch them succeed, I help them succeed,” Bodiford said. “I hope in 50 or 60 years they will be able to look back and say Poppy was there.”

But Stanhope Elmore is making it one with Jimmy Mowery and the Scratch Band next week. And it’s not the first time Stanhope students have learned while planning a rock concert. It is part of the Reach and Teach program allowing students to plan, promote and execute a real concert on campus.

Principal Ewell Fuller signed off on it just a few days after arriving on campus in 2019.

“I could tell it was kind of putting the kids in front,” Fuller said. “It was the first time in the history of Elmore County that Reach and Teach came.”

Fuller said most people don’t realize the work and personnel it takes to host a concert. Business and marketing teacher Marissa Kane saw the educational opportunities especially with her sports and entertainment marketing class. The tasks are like most events no matter how large or small.

“The students have been seeking out sponsorships,” Kane said. “There is also budgeting and promoting. There is operational stuff like setting up the stage. It teaches how to divide a project up into tasks and pull it off with teamwork.”

Just like the real world, the concert isn’t free. Students purchase tickets and can get VIP tickets.

“The students get to pick how to interact with the performers through the tickets they purchase,” Kane said.

The students were also involved in the selection of the band.

Career tech teachers Emma Constant and Michelle McCauley have students who are also helping with the concert. The profits will be divided amongst the classes.

There is more to the Reach and Teach than hosting a concert. The nonprofit will also bring interactive stations called Imagine Next to many of the Elmore County schools.

“They are interactive stations to help juniors and seniors not involved in the project learn about the different aspects of the entertainment industry,” Kane said.

With the second go around of Reach and Teach, Fuller sees the benefit of getting students involved as it promotes project based education.

“It’s an opportunity for these kids to understand how things will work in real life,” Fuller said. “It’s projects and teamwork. It also gives an opportunity for these kids to understand that it’s OK to come to school and have fun. It’s not illegal to desire more than sitting in a classroom.”

The concert is at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, 28 at the new gym.

CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI

Members of the Wetumpka High School FFA pose with Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis for a photo. The group visited the council to be recognized as part of National FFA week.

CLIFF WILLIAMS TPI

Cubmaster Bert Bodiford speaks with webelos before they cross over to Scouts Sunday afternoon at Gold Star Park. Bodiford also crossed over and will become an adult leader in Troop 50 in Wetumpka.

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Anyone with interest should visit https://caec.coop/ about-caec/careers/ for the complete list of job duties, Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations to the applications and/or interview process should notify Central Alabama Electric Cooperative’s Human Resources Department at hr@coop.caec.com.

Application Deadline is 03/08/2024. CAEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Workplace

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PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF ELMORE

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Default having been made of the terms of the loan documents secured by that certain mortgage executed by Christopher Ralph Sanders And Keisha Sanders Husband And Wife to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as mortgagee, as nominee for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, its successors and assigns dated September 18, 2019; said mortgage being recorded on September 19, 2019, in Book 2019, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama. Said Mortgage was last sold, assigned and transferred to Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC by assignment recorded in Deed Book of the Judge of Probate of Elmore County, ALABAMA. The undersigned, Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLCunder and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash before the main entrance of the Court House in Elmore County, Alabama during the legal hours of sale (between 11am and 4pm), on the 28th day of February, 2024 the following property, situated in Elmore County, Alabama, to-wit: COMMENCE AT THE SW CORNER OF THE SE 1/4 OF SECTION 4, T19N, R18E, ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA; THENCE NORTH 88 DEG. 06 MIN. 32 SEC. EAST, 1506.72 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE NORTH 27 DEG. 07 MIN. 43 SEC. EAST, 200.00 FEET TO A 1/2” CAPPED REBAR ON THE EAST RIGHT-OF-WAY OF THORNTON ROAD (80’ R.O.W.) AND THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE ALONG SAID RIGHT-OF-WAY OF SAID ROAD, NORTH 27 DEG. 10 MIN. 35 SEC. EAST, 152.79 FEET TO A CONCRETE MONUMENT; THENCE ALONG SAID RIGHT-OF-WAY OF SAID ROAD, NORTH 28 DEG. 01 MIN. 09 SEC. EAST, 45.60 FEET TO A 1/2” CAPPED REBAR; THENCE LEAVING SAID RIGHT-OF-WAY OF SAID ROAD, NORTH 89 DEG. 27 MIN. 04 SEC. EAST, 388.77 FEET TO A 1/2” CAPPED REBAR; THENCE SOUTH 01 DEG. 53 MIN. 58 SEC. EAST, 50.05 FEET TO A 1/2” CAPPED REBAR; THENCE SOUTH 01 DEG. 54 MIN. 01 SEC. EAST, 100.00 FEET TO A 1/2” REBAR CAPPED MARTIN CA-563-LS; THENCE SOUTH 86 DEG. 28 MIN. 06 SEC. WEST, 485.85 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. SAID PARCEL CONTAINING 1.62 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, AND LYING IN THE SE 1/4 OF SECTION 4, T19N, R18E, ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY OF NEIL MARTIN, ALA. LICENSE NO. 31574, DATED SEPTEMBER 9, 2019. Said property is commonly known as 1255 Thornton Road, Titus, AL 36080. the property address and the legal description the legal description will control. Said property will be sold subject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes (including taxes which are a lien, but not yet due and payable), the right of redemption of any taxing authority, all outstanding liens for public utilities which constitute liens upon the property, any matters which might be disclosed by an accurate survey and inspection of the property, any assessments, liens, encumbrances, easements, rights-of-way, zoning ordinances, restrictions, special assessments, covenants, the statutory right of redemption pursuant to Alabama law, and any matters of record including, but not limited to, those supeout above. Said property will be sold on an “as-is” basis without any representation, warranty or recourse against the abovenamed or the undersigned. The successful bidder must present the winning bid at the time and place of sale. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. The sale will be conducted subsale is not prohibited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and (2) of the status of the loan with the holder of the Mortgage. LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC as holder of said mortgage McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC Two North Twentieth 2 20th Street North, Suite 1000 Birmingham, AL 35203 (205)216-4238 FT21@mccalla.com File No. 22-03174AL www.foreclosurehotline.net Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14 and 21, 2024 22-03174AL

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF ELMORE

Default having been made of the terms of the loan documents secured by that certain mortgage executed by Judy C Reese And Julius Jackson Individually And As Husband And Wifegage being recorded on June

abama. Said Mortgage was last

assignment recorded in Deed

outcry to the highest bidder for cash before the main entrance legal hours of sale (between

Public Notices

Public

Notices

ject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes (including taxes which

might be disclosed by an accu-

sold on an “as-is” basis without or recourse against the abovethe winning bid at the time andsons who have an interest in -

An attorney should be consult-

of the status of the loan with the holder of the Mortgage.

as holder of said mortgage

www.foreclosurehotline.net 23-04750AL

p of the covenants, terms and conditions of a mortgage from BRIANNA LYNN MEACHAM, UNMARRIED WOMAN to MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS INC. AS MORTGAGEE, AS NOMINEE FOR VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. DBA SILVERTON MORTGAGE, on the 12th day of May, 2021, said mortgage recordof Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, on May 12, 2021, in Deed/Mortgage Book 2021, Page 41638, Elmore County, Alabama Records, said Mortgage having subsequently been transferred and assigned to NewRez LLC d/b/a Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, by instrument recorded in the aforesaidby given that the undersigned NewRez LLC d/b/a Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash at the main entrance to the Elmore county courthouse located at 100 E Commerce Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092 in Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama, on March 12, 2024, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Elmore County, Alabama, to-wit: Commence at an iron pin located at the intersection on the north right of way of Tuskeena Street (66` R.O.W.) and the east right of way of North Opothleohola Street (66` R.O.W.), said point being the SW corner of Original Lot 102, West Wetumpdegrees 57 minutes 15 seconds West, along the east right of way of said North Opothleohola Street, 114.94 feet to an iron pin, said point being the POINT 00 degrees 00 minutes 00 seconds East, along said right of thence leaving said right of way, South 89 degrees 29 minutes 56 seconds East, 99.19 feet to degrees 57 minutes 15 seconds East, 49.73 feet to an iron 22 minutes 59 seconds West, 100.05 feet to the point of beginning, containing 0.12 acres, more or less. Said legal description being controlling, however the property is more commonly known as 202 N OPOTHLEOHOLA ST, WETUMPKA, AL 36092. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This property will be sold on an “as is, where is” basis, subject to any easements, encumbrances, and exceptions those contained in the records Probate in the county where the above-described property is situated. This property will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled thereto and subject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes (including taxes which are a lien, whether or not now due and payable). This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. NewRez LLC d/b/a Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, Mortgagee/Transferee THE BELOW LAW FIRM MAY BE HELD TO BE ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTOR, UNDER FEDERAL LAW. IF SO, ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Rubin Lublin, LLC, Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee 11 N. Water Street, Suite 10290, Mobile, AL 36602 Telephone Number: (877) 8130992 Case No. SHP-24-002161 rlselaw.com/property-listing Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21, 28, 2024 226095

of the Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, having declared all of the indebtedness secured by said mortgage due and payable, and such default continuing, notice is hereby given that, acting under the power of sale contained in said mortgage, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association as Trustee of Velocity Commercial Capital Loan Trust 2023-3, will sell at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the main entrance at the Elmore County Courthouse, or otherwise designated area for such sales, in Elmore County, Alabama, at 11:00 o’clock a.m. or otherwise during the legal hours of sale on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 the following described real estate situated in Elmore County, Alabama, to-wit: LOT 23, BLOCK C, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT OF SPRING HOLLOW SUBDIVISION PLAT NO. 1, AS THE SAME APPEARS OF RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA, IN PLAT BOOK 11, AT PAGE 1. Parcel ID:15 03 08 0 002 024.000 Commonly known as 272 Orchard Road, Deatsville AL 36022 Together with the hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto attached to and used in connection with the premises herein described. Said property shall be sold subject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes (including taxes which are a lien, but not yet due and payable), the right of redemption of any taxing authority, all outstanding liens for public utilities which constitute liens upon the property, any matters which might be disclosed by an accurate survey and inspection of the property, any assessments, liens, encumbrances, easements, rights-of-way, zoning ordinances, restrictions, special assessments, covenants, the statutory right of redemption pursuant to Alabama law, and any matters of record, including but not limited to, those supeout above, all of which might adversely affect the title to subject property. Said property will be sold on an “As Is, Where Is” basis without warranty or recourse, express or implied as to title, use and/or enjoyment. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. Said sale will be made for the purpose of paying the indebt¬edness secured by the above described mortgage, and the proceeds thereof will be applied as provided by the terms of said mortgage. U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association as Trustee of Velocity Commercial Capital Loan Trust 2023-3, by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC Attorneys for Mortgagee 2 North 20th Street, Suite 1000 Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Phone: 678-281-6503 Lisa.Frank@mccalla.com G.Alicia.Jett@mccalla.com

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024 23-05530AL

PUBLIC NOTICE MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF ELMORE NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Default having been made in the payment of indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by LHI MANAGEMENT, LLC on the 28th day of June, 2023 to Velocity Commercial Capital, LLC which said mortgage is recorded in County, Alabama, in Book 2023, Page 28937 and by reason of such default, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association as Trustee of Velocity Commercial Capital Loan Trust 2023-3, as assignee of Velocity Commercial Capital, LLC by virtue of that Assignment of Commercial Mortgage, recorded November 14, 2023 in Book

Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Gerald Watkins Jr, originally in favor of Bank of America, N.A., on April 30, 2021, said mortgage recordProbate of Elmore County, Alabama, in RLPY Book 2021 and Page 57294; the undersigned Bank of America, N.A., as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama, on February 7, 2024, during the legal hours of sale, all of its rights, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Elmore County, Alabama, towit: Lot 18 Block B, according to the plat of Crossgate Lake Plat Number 1, as recorded in the of Elmore County, Alabama, in Plat Book 10, at Page 96 and 96A.. Property street address for informational purposes: 138 Lake Bend Dr , Elmore, AL 36025. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. at the

23-07266 Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 2024 24-00014 PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage dated January 25, 2021, executed by Bette J. Henson, an unmarried woman, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., solely as nominee for Quicken Loans, LLC, which mortgage was recorded on January 29, 2021, in RLPY Book 2021, Page 8736, of the mortgage records in the of Elmore County, Alabama, and which mortgage was, duly transferred and assigned to Rocket Mortgage, LLC FKA Quicken Loans, LLC, notice is hereby given that pursuant to law and the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the undersigned will sell at public outcry, to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the Main entrance to the Elmore County Courthouse at Wetumpka, Alabama, during the legal hours of sale on March 28, 2024, the following described real estate, situated in Elmore County, Alabama, to-wit: Land situated in the County of Elmore in the State of AL LOT NO. 52, GRAND RIDGE PLAT NO. 2, AS RECORDED IN THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA, IN PLAT BOOK 13, AT PAGE 96. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage as well as expenses of foreclosure. This property will be sold on an “as is, where is” basis, subject to any easements, encumbrances, and exceptions those contained in the records Probate of the County where the above-described property is situated. This property will be sold without warranty or recourse, expressed or implied as to condition, title, use and/or enjoyment and will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled thereto. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. The successful bidder must tender full funds at the conclusion of the sale in the form of a or endorsed to Padgett Law Group. No personal checks will be accepted. To this end you outbid the lender and any other not be accepted. Amounts received in excess of the winning bid will be refunded. Padgett Law Group reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidders should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. Rocket Mortgage, LLC f/k/a Quicken Loans, LLC Transferee Robert J. Wermuth/jmm

made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by April Price, an unmarried woman, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for Real Estate Funding Corporation, its successors and assigns, on June 28, 2022, said mortgage recorded in the

cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama, on March 6, 2024, during the legal hours of sale, all of its rights, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Elmore County, Alabama, to-wit: Com-

CLASSIFIEDS/PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices

y mence at the Northwest corner of the Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 9, Township 19 North, Range 19 East, Elmore County, Alabama, and run East 470.00 feet; thence South 20 deg. 00 minutes 00 seconds West, 340.00 feet to a point at the intersection of the East Rightof-Way of Grier Road and the South Right-of-Way of a paved County road, said point being the point of beginning; thence from said point of beginning run along the South Right-of-Way of said paved County road, South 71 deg. 10 minutes 00 seconds East, 94.80 feet; thence leaving South Right-of-Way run South 22 deg. 06 minutes 00 seconds West 103.65 feet; thence North 66 deg. 07 minutes 00 seconds West, 91.20 feet to a point on the East Right-of-Way of Grier Road; thence run along said East Right-of-Way, North 20 deg. 00 minutes 00 seconds East, 95.45 feet to the point of beginning. The above described parcel lying in the Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 9, Township 19 North, Range 19 East, Elmore County, Alabama and containing 0.212 acres, more or less.. Property street address for informational purposes: 3970 Grier Rd , Wetumpka, AL 36092. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price plus any deed recording costs and transfer taxes must be paid next business day at the Law at the address indicated below. Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, (“Transferee”) Tiffany & Bosco, P.A., 2501 20th Place South, Suite 300, Homewood, AL 35223 www.tblaw.com TB File Number: 24-00248-MT-AL Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14 and 21, 2024 24-00185

PUBLIC NOTICE

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Tammie Dee Ann Richardson, Unmarried Woman, originally in favor of Regions Bank d/b/a Regions Mortgage, on June 21, 2021, said mortgage recorded in the of Elmore County, Alabama, in the undersigned Regions Bank d/b/a Regions Mortgage, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama, on April 11, 2024, during the legal hours of sale, all of its rights, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Elmore County, Al-

Tallassee Mills as recorded in

formational purposes: 11 Gilm-

IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WAR-

abama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the proper-

help persons avoid or delay theney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the successful bidder must tender a

Public Notices

balance of the purchase price plus any deed recording costs and transfer taxes must be paid next business day at the Law

the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to time-

The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real Regions Bank d/b/a Regions

Wetumpka Herald: 24-00309 PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Frankie Evon Armstrong, surviving spouse of James Robert Armstrong, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Mortgagee, as nominee for Freedom Mortgage Corporation, its successors and assigns, on April 23, 2021, said mortgage being recorded in the of Elmore County, Alabama, Mortgage Corporation, the current holder, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Elmore County Courthouse, in Wetumpka, Alabama, on April 24, 2024, during the legal hours of sale, the following described real estate, situated in Elmore County, Alabama, to-wit: Begin at a point where the Weoka Road crosses the East section line of Section 34, T20, R Southeast corner of the North Half of the Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section along the North side of said North 210 feet along county along section line 210 feet back

Also described as: Begin at the intersection of the Creek Road and East side of the SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of SecCounty, Alabama for herein dealong said North R.O.W. N

pin and point of beginning. Conand lying in and being a part of the SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of SecCounty, Alabama. According to that certain survey dated September 14, 2015 performed by Gregory M. Gillian AL Reg. No.

More commonly known as: 243 Laurel Creek Rd, Titus, AL

warranty or recourse, expressed or implied as to title, use and/or enjoyment and will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled thereto. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expense of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender

form of a wire transfer, bank or

reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. If sale is voided, Mortgagee/Transferee shall return the bid amount to the successful purchaser and the Mortgagee/ Transferee shall not be liable to the purchase for any damages. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the purchaser at the sale shall be only entitled to a return of the deposit and bid amount, if paid. The Mortgagee/ Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit is purchase price against the expenses of sale and indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Freedom Mortgage Corporation

244 Inverness Center Drive Birmingham, AL 35242 Wetumpka Herald: AL22372

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

STATE OF ALABAMA PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR

WHEREAS the Alabama Legislature at its 2023 Second Special Session enacted Act No. 2023-562 (SB3), proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022; WHEREAS, in conformity with Section 284 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, as amended, the Legislature has orderedtors of the state upon such proposed amendment; and WHEREAS notice of this election, together with the proposed amendment, is required by law to be given by proclamation of the Governor, which shall be published once a week for at least four successive weeks immediately preceding the day appointed for the election; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, as Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby give notice, direct, and proclaim that on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, an election will be held in the State of Alabama in the manner and form provided by law upon the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of 2022 of the State of Alabama: AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY ACT NO. 2023-562

“Section 71.01

(A)The following words and phrases, whenever used in this amendment, shall have the following respective meanings:

“Basic Appropriations” means, with respect to any regular session of the legislature, such appropriations as the legislature may deem appropriate for the expenditures by the state during the ensuing budget period for the ordinary expenses of the executive, legislative and judicial departments branches of the state, for payment of the public debt, and for education (excluding, however, any item within the scope of the foregoing that is at the time provided for by a continuing appropriation or otherwise).

year of the state or such period the period with respect to which state budgets are prepared and state appropriations are made.

(B)On or before the second legislative day of each regular session of the legislature, session after January 1, 1983, the governor shall transmit to the legislature for its consideration a proposed budget for the then next ensuing budget period.

(C)The duty of the legislature at any regular session to make the basic appropriations for any budget period that will of any succeeding regular session shall be paramount; and, accordingly, beginning with the January 1, 1983, no bill (other than a bill making any of the basic appropriations) shall be signed by either the presiding and transmitted to the other house until bills making the basic appropriations for the then ensuing budget period shall have been signed by the presidlegislature in accordance with Section 66 of this Constitution and presented to the governor in accordance with Section 125 of this Constitution; provided, that this paragraph (C) shall not affect the passage of local laws or local constitutional amendments, the adoption of resolutions, or the conduct of any other legislative functions that do not require a third reading; and provided further, that following adoption, by vote of either house of not less than of a resolution declaring that the provisions of this paragraph (C) shall not be applicable in that house to a particular bill, whichlution by number and title, the

(D)Upon the signing and presentation to the governor in accordance with the said Sections 66 and 125 of bills making the basic appropriations, the provisions of the foregoing parapassage of bills in the house and senate (other than bills making any part of the basic appropriations) shall cease to be effective and shall not be revived or become again effective as a result of (i) the subsequent legislative history of any bill so signed and presented, including any veto, return with executive amendment, or any other action, or failure to act, by either the governor or the legislature under the provisions of the said Section 125; or (ii) a determination, by either judicial decree or opinion of the justices of the Alabama Supreme Court, that any bill so signed and presented is wholly or in part invalid.

(E)The legislature may, by statute or rule, make such further provisions for the timely passage of bills making the basic appropriations as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution.

(F)Nothing contained herein shall be construed as requiring the legislature to make any appropriation not otherwise required by this Constitution to be made.

(G)Notwithstanding any provision of this amendment, any resolution authorizing the consideration of a bill proposing a local law adopted before November 8, 2016 March 5, 2024 that conformed to the rules of either body of the Legislature at the time it was adopted, is ratof any such resolution is effective from the date of original adoption.”

Public Notices

p FURTHER, I proclaim and direct that this proclamation shall be published once a week for the four successive weeks immediately preceding Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in every county as required by law.

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2024 AMENDMENT

PUBLIC NOTICE

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Jason Rawlinson and Pamela Joy Rawlinson, husband and wife, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Everett Financial, Inc., d/b/a Supreme Lending, on February 12, 2016, said mortgage recordof Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, in RLPY Book 2016 Page 5879; the undersigned Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama, on April 10, 2024, during the legal hours of sale, all of its rights, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Elmore County, Alabama, towit: Lots 11 and 12 of the Hickory Hollow Subdivision Plat No. 1 as shown by the Plat recordedbate Elmore County, Alabama Plat 8, at Page 78.. Property street address for informational purposes: 628 Creamer Rd , Wetumpka, AL 36093. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price plus any deed recording costs and transfer taxes must be paid next business day at the Law at the address indicated below. Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, (“Transferee”) Tiffany & Bosco, P.A., 2501 20th Place South, Suite 300, Homewood, AL 35223 www.tblaw.com TB File Number: 24-00290-MT-AL Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 28 and Mar. 6, 2024 24-00318

PUBLIC NOTICE STATE OF ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE COLLECTION SERVICES DIVISION INVITATION FOR BIDS FOR THE SALE OF PROPERTY LOCATED IN ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA

Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 40-29-23(b), Code of Alabama 1975, that the Alabama Department of Revenue is accepting sealed bids for the sale of the following real properties described below, acquired as a result of a Sheriff’s Sale. Sealed bids shall be submitted online at: https://www.ebuy. alabama.gov, until the closing date and time of 11:59 p.m., Friday, March 15, 2024 at which time all bids will be opened and read in the Collection Services Division. Bids will not be accepted after the above stated date and time. Description of property offered: BEGIN AT AN IRON PIN AT THE NW CORNER OF THE E ½ OF THE NE 1/4 OF THE SW 1/4 OF SECTION 21, T20N, R17E, ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA; THENCE S 88 DEG. 48’ 57” E, ALONG ¼ SECTION LINE. 1321.16 FEET TO AN IRON PIN; THENCE S 00 DEG. 05’ 58” E, 1320.64 FEET TO A FENCE CORNER POST; THENCE N 88 DEG. 48’ 57” W, ALONG 1/4 SECTION LINE, 1337.61 FEET TO AN IRON PIN; THENCE N 00 DEG. 36’ 50” E, 446.92 FEET TO AN IRON PIN; THENCE

Public Notices

POINT OF BEGINNING. THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY LIES IN THE E ½ OF THE NE 1/4·OF THE SW 1/4 OF THE NW ¼ OF THE SE 1/4 OF SECTION 21, T20N, R17E, ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA, AND CONTAINS 39.28 ACRES, MORE OR LESS. LESS AND EXCEPT: COMMENCE AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE EAST HALF OF THE NE 1/4 OF THE SW 1/4 OF SEC. 21, T20N, R17E, AND CONTINUE THENCE S 00 DEG. 36’ 50” 2, 873.46 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, CONTINUE THENCE S 89 DEG. 23’ 10” E, 210.0 FEET, THENCE S 00 DEG. 36’ 50” W 17.0 FEET, THENCE S 89 DEG. 23’ 10” W 210.0 FEET, THENCE N 00 DEG. 36’ 50” E, 17.0 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. SAID PARCEL OF LAND BEING IN THE E 1/4 OF THE NE 1/4 OF THE SW 1/4 OF SECTION 21, T20N, R17E, AND CONTAINS 0.08 ACRES, MORE OR LESS. SUBJECT TO ANY AND ALL RESTRICTIONS, RESERVATIONS, RIGHT OF WAY, COVENANTS, EASEMENTS, SETBACK LINES, RIGHTS OF WAY, MORTGAGES, ENCUBRANCES OF ANY KIND, MINERAL AND MINING RIGHTS OF RECORD WHICH AFFECT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. The property is located at or near 326 Tanner Lane, Deatsville, AL 36022; 03-05-21-0-000-014.000; as described in Sheriff’s Deed Real Property Book 2022, Page 30825-30826. The parcels are being offered “as is” and “where is” without recourse against the State of Alabama Department of Revenue. It is the responsibility of the bidder to inspect the property conditions before submitting a bid by drive-by only, without trespassing on the property in any manner. Bidders must agree to all terms listed online before submitting a bid. If you wish to bid on this property, please complete the Sealed Bid Form online. The minimum bid for this parcel is $26,000. EACH bid submitted online must be accompanied by an EFT bid deposit payment of ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the bid. Any bid submitted without payment of the bid deposit will not be considered. The deposits of unsuccessful bidders will be returned following the bid closing date. NO BID SHALL BE RECEIVED FOR ANY REASON ANY TIME AFTER THE ADVERTISED DEADLINE. IT SHALL BE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BIDDER TO ENSURE ACTUAL RECEIPT OF THE BID BY THE COLLECTION SERVICES DIVISION PRIOR TO THE ADVERTISED DEADLINE. The Alabama Department of Revenue reserves the right to withdraw the property from sale at any time and the right to reject any or all bids. For more information about the sale contact: Alabama Department of Revenue Collection Services Division-Sealed Bid Sale P. O. Box 327820 Montgomery, AL 36132-7820 Telephone: (334) 242-1229

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024 BIDS

PUBLIC NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

Wiregrass Construction Co, Inc hereby gives notice of completion of contract with The Alabama Department of Transportation, for construction of Project No. CRSAMN-2621(252) Widening and Resurfacing on Chapman Road and Chapman Road / Airport Road Intersection Elmore County. This notice will appear for four consecutive weeks beginning on 02/07/24 and ending 02/28/2024. Allgrass Construction Co, 1342 Carmichael Way, Montgomery, Alabama 36106 during this period.

Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2024 COMPLETION PUBLIC NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

ASPHALT CONTRACTORS, INC. HEREBY GIVES NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF CONTRACT WITH ELMORE COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT FOR ELMORE COUNTY PROJECT 2023 PW2-2 VARIOUS ROADS. ALL CLAIMS SHOULD BE FILED AT P.O. BOX 241447, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36124 DURING THIS PERIOD.

ASPHALT CONTRACTORS, INC.

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21, 28 and Mar. 6, 2024 COMPLETION

PUBLIC NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

ASPHALT CONTRACTORS, INC. HEREBY GIVES NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF CONTRACT WITH ELMORE COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT FOR ELMORE COUNTY PROJECT 2024

PW2-1 VARIOUS ROADS. ALL CLAIMS SHOULD BE FILED AT P.O. BOX 241447, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36124 DURING THIS PERIOD.

ASPHALT CONTRACTORS, INC.

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21, 28 and Mar. 6, 2024 COMPLETION

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA HORN STEPHEN W, Plaintiff, V. Case No.: DR-2023-900275.00

HORN NANCY LYNNE, Defendant.

Order on Service by Publication It is hereby ORDERED as fol-

lows:

1.That the Plaintiff shall have the below notice published for four (4) consecutive weeks in the Wetumpka Herald or a similarly situated publication of general circulation in Elmore County, Alabama.

2.That the Plaintiff shall be taxed with the cost of such publication.

3.That it is the responsibility of the Plaintiff to submit this Order of Publication to be run in the Wetumpka Herald or similarly situated publication of general circulation in Elmore County, Alabama.

4. That AFTER THE LAST PUBLICATION, the publisher or pubfacts of publication with a certi-shall constitute proof of service.

“NANCY LYNN HORN, whose whereabouts are unknown, is required to answer the Complaint for Divorce and/or other relief requested by STEPHEN W.HORN within THIRTY (30) DAYS, or thereafter default judgment may be rendered against NANCY LYNN HORN in case DR-2023-900275.00 Elmore County Circuit Court. DONE this 9th day of February, 2024. /s/ BILL W. LEWIS CIRCUIT JUDGE

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 28, Mar. 6 and 13, 2024 DR-2023-900275.00

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO.: DV-2023-900375.00

WILLIAM HUNT VS. MELISSA HARROD, DEFENDANT. NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION TO: MELISSA HARROD, whose whereabouts are unknown; and, Take notice against you in the District Court of Elmore County, Alabama, in case styled, WILLIAM HUNT vs. MELISSA HARROD, Case No., DV-2023-900375.00. You mustplaint on or before thirty (30) days from the date of the last publication of this Notice or a default judgment will be taken against you. Your answer County Circuit Clerk, LaKeshia C.Parks, Esq., and Stewart E. Vance, Esq., Attorney for Plaintiffs, 7079 University Court, Montgomery, Alabama 36117. Dated this 17th day of January 2024. Michael Dozier, Circuit Court Clerk, Elmore County, AL Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 28 and Mar. 6 and 13, 2024 DV-2023-900375.00

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF DAVID ALLEYN ANDERSON, DECEASED CASE NO: 2023-323 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE Letters Testamentary in the Estate of DAVID ALLEYN ANDERSON, deceased, having been granted to JOHN MICHAEL KOCH on February 1, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

JOHN MICHAEL KOCH PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF DAVID ALLEYN ANDERSON, DECEASED

Attorney of Record for Personal Representative: JOSEPH K.BAMBURG ATTORNEY AT LAW 4031 US HWY 231 WETUMPKA, ALABAMA 36093 334-839-5596

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2024 EST/ANDERSON D.

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JACKIE LEE ANTHONY, DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-016 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary in the Estate of JACKIE LEE ANTHONY deceased, having been granted to ILA JANE DURHAM ANTHONY on February 6, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

CLASSIFIEDS/PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices

ILA JANE DURHAM ANTHONY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF JACKIE LEE ANTHONY, DECEASED

Attorney of Record for Personal Representative: DONALD R. HARRISON, JR. ATTORNEY AT LAW PO BOX 157 DADEVILLE, ALABAMA 36853 256-825-7393

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024

EST/ANTHONY, J. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF THOMAS LEE BERREY, DECEASED CASE NO. 2024-038 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary on the Estate of said decedent having been granted to CAROL RICHEY as Personal Representative on the 15 th Day of February, 2024, by the Honorable JOHN THORNTON, Judge of Probate of said County in said State, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said Estate are required to present same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

CAROL RICHEY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF THOMAS LEE BERREY, DECEASED.

Name and Address of Attorney: Regina B. Edwards, Esq. The Law Firm of Edwards & Edwards, P.C. 109 E. Bridge Street Wetumpka, AL 36092 Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 28 and Mar. 6, 2024

EST/BERREY T. PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF ELMORE CASE NO: 2023-297 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ROY E. DURHAM, DECEASED

Letters Testamentary in the Estate of ROY E. DURHAM, deceased, having been granted to SABRINA NARJINARI DURHAM on the 9th day of February, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

SABRINA NARJINARI DURHAM, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF ROY E. DURHAM, DECEASED

Attorney of Record for such Per-

sonal Representative: DOUGLAS M. VOGEL VOGEL LAW FIRM, LLC 41 CAMBRIDGE COURT WETUMPKA, ALABAMA 36093 334-409-0088

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024 EST/DURHAM, R. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM W.GRANBERRY, SR., DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-032 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary in the Estate of WILLIAM W. GRANBERRY, SR., who is also known as WILLIAM WAYNE GRANBERRY, deceased, having been granted to EUGENIA D. GRANBERRY on February 14, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

EUGENIA D. GRANBERRY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM W. GRANBERRY, SR., DECEASED

Attorney of Record for Personal Representative: G.DAVID JOHNSTON JOHNSTON HINESLEY PC 291 NORTH OATES STREET

DOTHAN, ALABAMA 36303 PO BOX 2246

DOTHAN, ALABAMA 36302

334-793-1115

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 28 and Mar. 6, 2024

EST/GRANBERRY SR. PUBLIC NOTICE

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE RICKEY HOVEY, DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-009 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters of Administration over the Estate of GEORGE RICKEY HOVEY, deceased, having been granted to DONNA HOVEY on February 9th, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

Public Notices

DONNA HOVEY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE RICKEY HOVEY, DECEASED

Name and Address of Attorney for Administrator:

WILLIAM D. AZAR ATTORNEY AT LAW 800 S MCDONOUGH ST SUITE 105 MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104 334-2699700

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024

EST/HOVEY, G. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF GERALD B.JONES. SR., DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-018 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary in the Estate of GERALD B. JONES. SR., deceased, having been granted to JANE EVANS JONES on January 30, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

JANE EVANS JONES PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF GERALD B. JONES. SR., DECEASED

Attorney of Record for

Personal Representative:

D.JASON BRITT STONE & BRITT, LLC

ATTORNEYS & COUNSELORS AT LAW 114 S MAIN ST PO BOX 967 WETUMPKA, ALABAMA 36092 334-517-6520

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14 and 21, 2024 EST/JONES G. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BILLY J. MATTHEWS, DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-017 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary in the Estate of BILLY J. MATTHEWS, deceased, having been granted to SARAH B. MATTHEWS on January 29, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of forgiven that all persons Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

SARAH B. MATTHEWS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF BILLY J. MATTHEWS, DECEASED

Attorney of Record for

Personal Representative: ROBERT B. RENEAU LAW FIRM OF EDWARDS & EDWARDS, P.C. 109 EAST BRIDGE STREET WETUMPKA, ALABAMA 36092 334-5141011

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14 and 21, 2024 EST/MATTHEWS, B. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BILLY JACK MCPHERSON, DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-022 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary in the Estate of BILLY JACK MCPHERSON. deceased. having been granted to SUSAN M. JONES on February 1, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required. within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred. Attorney of Record for SUSAN M. JONES PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF BILLY JACK MCPHERSON, DECEASED

Personal Representative: GERALD A. DANIEL. JR. LAW OFFICE OF G A DANIEL. JR. LLC PO BOX 638 MILLBROOK, ALABAMA 36054 334-285-9444 Jerry@GADanielLaw.com

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024 EST/MCPHERSON B. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF SARAH EMMA MITCHELL, DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-024 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters of Administration over the Estate of SARAH EMMA MITCHELL, deceased, having been granted to DANIEL RAY MITCHELL on February 6, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said es-

Public Notices

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tate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

DANIEL RAY MITCHELL ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF SARAH EMMA MITCHELL, DECEASED

Name and Address of Attorney for Administrator: ROBERT H. PETTEY

SAMFORD & DENSON, LLP PO BOX 2345 OPELIKA, ALABAMA 36803-2345 334-7453504

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024

EST/MITCHELL, S. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES J.MRACEK, DECEASED CASE NO: 2023-305 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary in the Estate of JAMES J. MRACEK, deceased, having been granted to PAULA J. GRIFFITH on January 30, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

Attorney of Record for Personal Representative: MICHAEL S. HARPER ATTORNEY AT LAW 213 BARNETT BLVD PO BOX 780608

PAULA J. GRIFFITH

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES J. MRACEK, DECEASED TALLASSEE, ALABAMA 36078 334-283-6855

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14 and 21, 2024

EST/MRACEK, J. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ELIZABETH A. PHILLIPS, DECEASED CASE NO. 2024- 035 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Letters Testamentary on the Estate of said decedent having been granted to TRESSA LYNN RAWLINSON as Personal Representative on the 15th day of February 2024, by the Honorable JOHN THORNTON, Judge of Probate of said County in said State, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said Estate are required to present same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

TRESSA LYNN RAWLINSON PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF ELIZABETH A. PHILLIPS, DECEASED.

Name and Address of Attorney: Regina B. Edwards, Esq. The Law Firm of Edwards & Edwards, P.C. 109 E. Bridge Street Wetumpka, AL 36092 Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 28 and Mar. 6, 2024 EST/PHILLIPS, E. PUBLIC NOTICE

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MERLE L.ROLAN, DECEASED CASE NO. 2023-281 NOTICE OF FILING OF WILL FOR PROBATE

TO: APRIL BILLINGSLEY, BRANDON ROLAN AND ALL HEIRS AND NEXT OF KIN OF MERLE L. ROLAN, DECEASED: YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on the 6 th day of November, 2023, a certain paper in writing purporting to be the Last Will and Testament of MERLE in the Probate Court of Elmore County, Alabama by Petitioner, LARRY LEE MCENDARFER, JR., requesting that such Last Will and Testament be admitted to Probate and that the Petitioner be named as Administrator of such Estate. This Notice of Filing of Will for Probate is given to you as an heir at law and next of kin of MERLE L. ROLAN. Unless an objection to admission to Probate of such Last Will and Testament or to the appointment of LARRY LEE MCENDARFER, JR. as Administrator is submitted by you in writing to this Court within tention of this notice, the Court will proceed with considering such Petition.

JOHN THORNTON JUDGE OF PROBATE ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA

Name and Address of Attorney for Petitioner: REGINA B. EDWARDS, ESQ.

The Law Firm of Edwards & Edwards, PC 109 East Bridge Street Wetumpka, AL 36092 (334)514-1011

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14 and 21, 2024

EST/ROLAN M. PUBLIC NOTICE

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MARION FLOYD SIMPSON, SR., DECEASED CASE NO: 2024-021 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

Public Notices

Letters of Administration over the Estate of MARION FLOYD SIMPSON, SR., deceased, having been granted to AMANDA LYNN SIMPSON on February 6th, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

AMANDA LYNN SIMPSON

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARION FLOYD SIMPSON, SR., DECEASED

Name and Address of Attorney for Administrator: JOSEPH MITCHELL MCGUIRE MCGUIRE & ASSOCIATES, LLC 31 CLAYTON STREET MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104 334-517-1000 jmcguire@mandabusinesslaw. com

Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 14, 21 and 28, 2024 EST/SIMPSON, M. PUBLIC NOTICE

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BOYD EDWARD STALEY, DECEASED CASE NO: 2023-320 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE Letters Testamentary in the Estate of BOYD EDWARD STALEY, deceased, having been granted to LINDA MCCONNELL STALEY on JANUARY 30, 2024 by John Thornton, Judge of Probate of Elmore County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that all persons and parties having claims against said estate are required, within the time allowed by law, to present the same to the Court or the same will be barred.

LINDA MCCONNELL STALEY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF BOYD EDWARD STALEY, DECEASED

Attorney of Record for Personal Representative: ANDREW ODOM THE CLEVELAND FIRM, LLC 707 MCQUEEN SMITH ROAD SOUTH PRATTVILLE, ALABAMA 36066 334-365-6266 andrew@clevelandgroup.legal Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 7, 14 and 21, 2024 EST/STALEY B.

PUBLIC NOTICE

IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF THOMAS C. THORNELL, DECEASED CASE NO. 2024-002 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE Letters Testamentary on the Estate of said decedent having been granted to DIANE HARRIS as Personal Representative on the 15th day of February, 2024, by the Honorable John Thornton, Judge of Probate of said County in said State, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said Estate are required to present same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred. ANGELIA WILSON PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF THOMAS C. THORNELL, DECEASED.

Name and Address of Attorney: Regina B. Edwards, Esq. The Law Firm of Edwards & Edwards, P.C. 109 E. Bridge Street Wetumpka, AL 36092 Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21, 28 and Mar. 6, 2024 EST/THORNELL, T. PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF RACHEL ANN WRIGHT, CASE NO. 2019-251 DECEASED. NOTICE OF HEARING REGARDING FINAL SETTLEMENT TO: JAMES BEAU WRIGHT, KEVIN HINTON and CHAD KELLY, WHOSE WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN AND WHO ARE NEXT OF KIN AND LEGATEES OF RACHEL ANN WRIGHT; AND TO JOHN CARTER, A LEGATEE OF THE ESTATE OF RACHEL ANN WRIGHT WHOSE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS WAS IN ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA; AND TO: ANY OTHER UNKNOWN NEXT OF KIN OF RACHEL ANN WRIGHT, DECEASED AND TO: ANY OTHER INTERESTED PARTY YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED AS FOLLOWS: February 23, 2022, ED PARISH, JR. as Administrator of the Estate of RAthis Court a PETITION AND ACCOUNTING FOR APPROVAL OF PROPOSED FINAL SETTLEMENT of the Estate of RACHEL ANN WRIGHT. Such Petition has been set for hear2, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Such Commerce Street, Wetumpka, appear at such hearing and be heard by the Court. Name and Address of Petitioner: ED PARISH, JR. P O BOX 52

Public Notices

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36101-0052 323 ADAMS AVE MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104 334-263-0003

Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2024

EST/WRIGHT, R. PUBLIC NOTICE

STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF ELMORE FORECLOSURE NOTICE

WHEREAS, on August 14, 2023, Brandon Morgan did execute in favor of Protek, LLC, an Alabama limited liability company a Mortgage on certain real estate hereinafter described the Judge of Probate for Elmore County, Alabama, at RLPY Book 2023 at Page 36619. WHEREAS, default has been made in the payment of said Mortgage as provided therein, which default continues at this date and said Mortgage is subject to foreclosure. NOW, THEREFORE, three weeks’ notice is hereby given that the undersigned, will sell at public outcry for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the courthouse doors, main entrance, in Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama, during the legal hours of sale on 03/07/2024, the real estate being situated in Elmore County, Alabama, and more particularly described, towit: Commence at an iron pin at the Southeast Corner of Section 2, T18N, R19E, Elmore County, Alabama; thence North 05 deg. 07 min. 26 sec. West, 432.33 feet to an iron pin on the South Right of Way of Alabama Highway No. 14, Tallassee Highway, 80 feet Right of Way; thence South 49 deg. 24 min. 10 sec. West, 28.50 feet along said Right of Way to an iron pin, said point being the Point of Beginning; thence leaving said Right of Way, South 03 deg. 14 min. 44 sec. East, 217.61 feet to an iron pin; thence Southeasterly and Northwesterly along an existing fence the following six calls (6) calls: 1) South 61 deg. 22 min. 14 sec. West, 46.14 feet to an iron pin; 2) South 74 deg. 36 min. 24 sec. West, 22.71 feet to an iron pin; 3) North 85 deg. 57 min. 39 sec. West, 45.18 feet to an iron pin; 4) North 60 deg. 50 min. 21 sec. West, 35.93 feet to an iron pin; 5) South 59 deg. 30 min. 28 sec. West, 57.65 feet to an iron pin; 6) North 57 deg. 58 min. 47 sec. West, 81.91 feet to an iron pin on the South Right of Way of Alabama Highway No. 14, Tallassee Highway, 80 feet Right of Way; thence North 49 deg. 24 min. 10 sec. East, 323.52 feet along said Right of Way to the Point of Beginning. The above-described property lies in the Southeast 1/4 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 2, and the Northeast 1/4 of Section 11, all in T18N, R19E, Elmore County, Alabama, and contains 0.77 acres, more or less. the point of beginning. As the same appears in the Elmore County, Alabama. Subject to easements, restrictions, and reservations appearing of record. Said sale and conveyance will also be made subject to the legal rights of existing Federal Tax Liens, and/or Special Assessments, if any, which might adversely affect title to subject property. Such sale will be made as provided in said Mortgage for the purpose of paying the debt secured by said Mortgage with interest thereon, any amounts required to be paid for taxes, insurance or other charges provided in said Mortgage, and the expenses of foreclosure, including a reasonable attorney’s fee. Said property will be sold on an “as is, where is” basis subject to any easements, encumbrances and exceptions contained in said Mortgage and those contained the Judge of Probate where the above described property is situated. Said property will be sold without warranty or recourse, expressed or implied as to title, use and/or enjoyment, and will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled hereto. Mortgagee reserves the right to bid and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Protek, LLC, an Alabama limited liability company, “Mortgagee”

JU-2021-145.03

NOTICE IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN RE: THE

OF BELVA JEAN FORD, DECEASED CASE NO. 2024-029 NOTICE OF FILING OF PETITION FOR SUMMARY DISTRIBUTION OF ESTATE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: DEWANNA J. CROY, ROBYN A. SUMMERFORD and ALICIA L. INGRAM, PE-

JOHN THORNTON JUDGE OF PROBATE ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA KELLY LEE ATTORNEY AT LAW

SD/FORD, B. PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell for cash, at an ONLINE public auction on Thursday, March 7thh, 2024, at 11:00am AT STORAGETREASURES.COM. Please note: THIS AUCTION IS NOT IN PERSON. PLEASE DO NOT SHOW UP TO OUR PHYSICAL LOCATION. ALL AUCTION PARTICIPANTS MUST SIGN UP AND BID ONLINE. Southeast Storage 749 US-231 Wetumpka, AL 36093 519: Oscar Melghem. 469 River Oaks Drive, Wetumpka ,AL 36092 Contents: totes,boxes, rugs, dresser Wetumpka Herald: Feb. 21 and 28, 2024 STORAGE AUCTION

‘TWO-PEAT’

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

It isn’t easy winning back-to-back state championships, but it’s even harder to beat Elmore County’s Myles Eyerly.

Eyerly claimed the AHSAA Class 5A state heavyweight championship Saturday night for the second-straight year.

He ended his senior season with a 40-1 overall record and two championship rings.

“It’s tough going back-to-back because you have a target on your back,” Panthers coach Mason Thornton said. “Everyone wants a shot at the

Bank opens inside Elmore County High School

By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor

On the job training is great for students.

Most often the training is off campus but in Eclectic, the bank came to the school. Elmore County High School students can now learn the banking industry and never leave campus thanks to a branch of First Community Bank of Central Alabama. But students are not just watching, they are the tellers.

“This branch of First Community Bank will be ran and operated by students of Elmore County High School,” CEO Rana Futral said. “They will open this branch, run this branch and close this branch for services to customers and to other students.”

Walking through the front doors of the school, it looks like any other. A few steps into the hallway and the double glass doors opens up to a lab that is the Panther Branch.

Students, staff and even visitors can complete almost any banking transaction a normal branch can handle. Checks can be cashed. Deposits can be made. Online banking passwords can be reset.

The branch can even provide the change for the concession and ticket stands at ballgames on campus.

The branch aids in breaking the ice of what can be thought of as a hard environment.

“When students graduate from high school, they'll be even more comfortable and will not be intimidated about coming into a bank asking questions,” Futral said.

There is already a comfort level. Futral’s children graduated from ECHS and staff at the Panther Branch have close connections through their children as well.

It all fits in with the education programs the bank was already doing with financial literacy programs. The banking program also fits into the career tech programs Elmore County Schools has.

“This is what we're talking about, we need these in every school,” superintendent Richard Dennis said.

A bank branch is not possible though at most schools in Elmore County as space is at a premium. In Eclectic, there was a small space that was once offices. Those were

Elmore County’s Payton claims 5A state championship

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Elmore County’s Tyler Payton may only be a freshman, but he wrestles like a seasoned veteran.

Payton claimed the AHSAA Class 5A state championship Saturday afternoon by beating Southside-Gadsden’s Peyton Adams by major decision, 13-2, in the 150-pound weight class.

Payton never imag -

ined he’d win a state championship in his career, but the freshman phenom only had one loss back in December and won 26-straight matches to finish the year on top of his weight class.

“It’s honestly insane to think about,” Payton said.

“I never thought I could do this. I had one loss early but I kept pushing through and I achieved it. It honestly feels so amazing. Now we

have a few more to go and hopefully I can get some more.” Payton’s tournament run was one of the most dominant of any wrestler at the entire tournament, regardless of class. He started the weekend off with a technical fall win, 15-0, over a 44-win Sam Segarra from Holtville. He then took down Tallassee’s Ethan Jones, 9-2, who had

moved to a new addition at the school. The half classroom space was able to be repurposed thanks to an idea from principal Jason Eason. The Eclectic native was aware of the first Panther Branch in the library that was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He saw an opportunity to provide a unique educational setting.

“Anything we can do to help our students see some real life things is great,” Eason said. “These are things that they'll deal with from now until forever. So this opportunity for our students in our school to have this right here in the middle is a great.”

The process of getting students to work in the Panther Branch starts with an expression of interest. They are vetted by teachers and then interviewed by staff with First Community Bank.

The importance of dress and being prepared with a resume is also stressed.

Selected students complete an internship between the sophomore and junior year at the Eclectic branch.

Four juniors are now “tellers” at the Panther Branch — Gracie Atkin-

son, Gracie Nicholas, Addilyn Tierce and Peyton Jackson.

“The summer internship was really a draw and because of all the things that we learned this summer,” Atkinson said. “I especially liked customer service and just learning how a bank system works. It was really cool.”

Nicholas has been in Eclectic schools since she was very young. She saw the Panther Branch in the

library and wanted to be apart of an interesting experience. Tierce is a newcomer to the community and used the banking opportunity for additional reasons.

“I kind of did it more for the experience,” Tierce said. “I'm new to the community. I wanted to get more involved and meet new people around here.”

For Futral and First Community Bank the Panther Branch helps remind

students of the bank’s mission to serve the community and hopefully keep many in the community after graduation.

“It's really an important part of keeping hometown students here with a career in the community they grew up in. It is a big focus of mine, but that's another way to enhance that community development, keeping your roots close to home.”

CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI

DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI

Elmore County’s Tyler Payton hugs coach Mason Thornton after winning the state championship. DALTON

Elmore County’s Eyerly ends career on top

See STATE, Page B12

See CAREER, Page B12

47 wins on the season.

“Tyler just dominated,” coach Mason Thornton said. “He ran through this tournament with dominant performances in all three of his matches.”

In the finals, he wasted no time going up 4-1 with two takedowns and pushed that lead to 11-1 in the third period before allowing another point.

Overall, he had five takedowns in the state championship match and 10 total in his three matches with multiple near falls.

“I tried to control the match and my takedowns and snapdowns really worked today,” Payton said. “The third period I was trying not to let him throw me and just keep control.”

The championship win capped off a 40-1 season for the freshman, and he was overcome with pure joy after the final buzzer sounded. He came up screaming at the crowd and his own personal fan club of Elmore County wrestlers, then showed off with a backflip.

Following the handshake, he went straight into the arms of Thornton to cap off the win.

“It was really unbelievable,” Payton said. “I was shaking before the match and was shaking even more afterwards. I even teared up a little bit. It was special.”

CAREER

Continued from B11

champ. At the end of the day, everyone took their best shot and he still came out on top. I’m super proud of him.”

Eyerly faced Moody’s Logan Hall in the championship match and despite Hall’s 39-2 record entering the match, he was no issue for Eyerly.

After a 0-0 first period, Eyerly started the second period on bottom and was able to secure a reversal and takedown in 30 seconds to take a 4-1 lead.

After that, he was on cruise control.

“I just wanted to come out and twopeat,” Eyerly said. “I capitalized on some mistakes he made early in that second period. I knew he was lighter and was fast so I anticipated him trying to shoot at me.”

Hall was able to cut the lead to one point early in the third period with an escape, but Eyerly capped the win with a takedown with a minute left.

He held that position to the end, and gave up a garbage time reversal in the last second

with the win already secured.

Eyerly got everyone’s best shot, and he made everyone miss. The second, third and fourth place finishers in Class 5A were all defeated by Eyerly.

He beat Hall in the finals, Gulf Shores’ Sam Schepker in the semi finals and Elberta’s Jaedon Hill with a pin last week in the South Super Sectionals Championship.

“If you look at that podium, it speaks to how good Myles is,” Thornton said. “He beat every single person standing up there with him. All of those guys are really good wrestlers, but Myles showed up and proved why he was at the top all season long.”

Eyerly didn’t have an easy match in the semifinals either. He was down, 3-1, in the final 10 seconds after Gulf Shores’ Schepker got a reversal on him to take the lead.

But then Eyerly got himself into overtime with a ‘fat man roll’ for a reversal and tied it, 3-3. In overtime, he got a takedown and near fall in the last two seconds and punched his ticket to the championship.

DALTON MIDDLETON TPI

Elmore County’s Tyler Payton celebrates after winning the AHSAA Class 5A state championship in the 150-pound weight class Saturday.

STATE Continued from B11

DALTON MIDDLETON TPI

Elmore County’s Myles Eyerly takes down Moody’s Logan Hall in the AHSAA Class 5A state championship.