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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
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WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 11, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 119, NO. 2
City seeks emergency declaration By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
At a specially called meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 4, the Wetumpka City Council adopted a resolution proclaiming emergency conditions in the city resulting from the approximately 5-inch rainfall of Jan. 1-2. The brief meeting, around a small table in the lobby of the city’s administration building, was held in response to last week’s rains that caused drainage
problems in the city. “We have four or five areas that we have identified with problems,” said Mayor Jerry Willis. “The emergency problem … is on Brookside Drive behind Smokin’ S that has got to have some attention immediately. Any more rains are going to really create a problem for us there. What we’re doing is allowing us to move forward, open some of this up to see what our problems are. “We’ve got another problem on West Bridge Street.
Starting at about 9:30 on that morning (Jan. 2), it backed up into the yards over there. Streets were blocked. We had to keep the police out there around the clock. We had to come across the back of a piece of property there and open it up and get the water out of there. So there are some problems there with that particular drain.” The purpose of the resolution was so that the city might partner with municipalities throughout the See COUNCIL • Page 3
Mercer sworn in as member of Elmore County Commission By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Corey Arwood / The Herald
Central Alabama Beekeepers’ Association master beekeeper Allyson Andrews says this is a crucial time for “endangered” bees and beekeepers are needed. CABA will conduct a beginning beekeeping class at the Elmore County Extension Auditorium beginning Feb. 16.
SOMETHING TO BUZZ ABOUT
The Elmore County Commission met for a packed agenda, which despite its size was quickly covered following the swearing in of newly appointed District 4 Commissioner Bart Mercer. According to county information, Mercer was selected by Gov. Robert
Bentley on Dec. 26 to replace Joe Faulk after his resignation amid investigations into felony ethics violations shortly after the general election in November. Vice chairperson and District Two Commissioner Mack Daugherty presided over the meeting in the absence of Chairperson and District See COMMISSION • Page 3
Local beekeeping classes begin in February
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
For its second time in Elmore County, the Central Alabama Beekeepers Association will hold a beginning beekeeping course to ready a new class of beekeepers through the tutelage of three local masters. Classes are scheduled to begin
Today’s
Weather
Feb. 16, at the Elmore County Extension Auditorium and run through March 23, meeting once a week. “They will actually learn how to become beekeepers,” said CABA’s Allyson Andrews. She said she has been president of the organization since 2009, and a master beekeeper since 2013. However, Andrews said she
learned the craft through her grandfather long ago who, He was a beekeeper himself and taught her early in life. She said it was a critical time for bees and there is a need for beekeepers and education about the insects that she said pollinate roughly 90 percent of the world’s food. See BEEKEEPING • Page 5
Roby takes oath as member of 115th Congress
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Newly appointed District Four Commissioner Bart Mercer takes the oath of office, sworn in by Judge Bill Lewis while Mercer’s wife Lori Lemmond Mercer holds a bible and his daughter Katelyn holding a microphone.
U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, a Montgomery Republican, takes the oath of office from Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan of Wisconsin with her family at her side.
U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-Ala.) was sworn in for her fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives Jan. 3, vowing to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States… bear true faith and allegiance to the same… and faithfully discharge the duties of the office.” As the 115th Congress begins, Roby said she would continue to prioritize issues of particular importance to Alabama’s Second District, including properly fund-
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ing the military, improving veterans health services, and ensuring equitable agriculture policies. With a unified Republican government soon to be in place, Roby said she is also eager to deliver results on conservative priorities like cutting wasteful spending, replacing Obamacare with patient-centered health policies and reining in the regulatory state. “I am honored to represent Alabama’s Second Congressional District and be a voice on behalf of my constituents in Washington,” Roby said. “With every vote I cast and See ROBY • Page 5
PAGE A2 • JANUARY 11, 2017
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The Wetumpka Herald
Ten New Year’s resolutions for pet owners By REA CORD Executive Director HSEC
1. Keep identification on your pet. A collar, current rabies tag and a personalized identification with a good phone number will get your lost pet back to you. Get your pet microchipped by your veterinarian as it is the perfect back-up to tags. Have photos of your pet just in case. 2. Keep your pet safely contained at home. Fences not only make ‘good neighbors,’ but keep your pets safe from cars, guns, getting lost and so much more. Keep cats indoors if at all possible. 3. Take your pet to the vet at least once per year to keep vaccinations current, get your heartworm prevention renewed and have your pet get a general check-up. 4. Spay and neuter your pet. There are just so many health benefits for both female and male pets besides how much this will help reduce the overpopulation that results in far too many homeless pets. 5. Feed your dog the best quality food you can and don’t overdo the treats. Tubby pets can develop many health problems and shorten their lives. Treats do not equal love. 6. Take care of your pet’s coat, teeth and nails. Dirty or matted
coats cannot effectively protect your pet from the elements, may hide health problems and are uncomfortable for your pet. Long nails can be painful and can eventually cripple your pet. Bad breath may be because of tooth decay or gum disease and should be checked out by your veterinarian. 7. Keep your yard and litter box clean. Cats have less litter box problems when they are cleaned regularly to remove waste and picking up feces in the yard frequently can help reduce smell, flies and parasites. 8. Pet proof your home and property. Keep poisons of all kinds out of pet reach, watch out for poisonous plants indoors and outside, keep electrical cords out of reach, don’t leave out strings or ribbons for a cat to swallow and make sure there is no antifreeze leaking from older vehicles. 9. Learn about your pet and its breed traits so you can better understand what motivates your pet. Do homework on a breed or pet BEFORE bringing a new one home. 10. Spend time interacting with your pet. Our pets are social animals that thrive on human attention. Teach your pet manners so it is pleasant for others to be around. Our pets love us unconditionally; love them back with all your heart and take care of them the best you can.
HSEC Pet of the Week – Siesta Siesta is a one-year old, Heeler/Terrier mix girl, about 40 pounds. She is playful and active but also very sweet, loves everyone and is great with other dogs. She would be great as a best buddy for a little boy or girl or could also be a great hiking and camping companion. Her sister was adopted a bit ago, so now it is time for Siesta to find her forever family. Our adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under one year old; cats over one year old can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee completely covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, de-worming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination (if old enough) and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian. To meet all the great pets at our shelter come to 255 Central Plank Road in Wetumpka or go to our website at www.elmorehumane.org. For more information, email us at hselco@bellsouth.net or give us a call at 334-567-3377. We are open for adoptions Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Obituaries Mary Christine Goodin Dobson “Mama Chris” December 25, 1938 – December 21, 2016 A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, January 14th at 11:00 am. The Liberty Hall Ballroom. Dobson The American Village 3737 Al-119 Montevallo, Al 35115.
Family and friends are encouraged to come and bring stories and memories to share. A brunch in her honor will be provided for all. Mary Christine Goodin Dobson, 77, of Wetumpka Alabama, died at 7:18pm, Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at The UAB Palliative Care Center in Birmingham, Alabama. She was born December 25, 1938 in Covington County Alabama to Arthur Curtis Goodin and Mamie Etta Powell Goodin. Christine was blessed with three brothers and two sisters. Landa Goodin (Deceased), Emmie Goodin Smith
(Deceased), Jean Goodin King (Freeport, Florida) , Glen Goodin (Fayetteville, Tennessee), Arvel Goodin (Dothan, Alabama) She was a graduate of Kinston High School, The University of Montevallo and Auburn University where she completed her double masters in Special Education. She married William “Bill” Dobson on September 29, 1961 and he survives. From their marriage, they had two children that are also surving. Monetta Dobson Reyes (Eddie Reyes), their three children and grandchildren. Natalie Reyes McWilliams (Cecil McWilliams), Gage, Rileigh, Gavin.
Jared Reyes (Crystal Reyes), Tyler Turner, Ricky Glenn Dobson (Michele Stewart Dobson), their two children. Katlyn Allen Sullivan (Chris Sullivan), Nathaniel Brooks Dobson Mama Chris, as she was lovingly referred to by many of her adopted children and grandchildren. Jeff LaDage (Wetumpka, Al), Josh and Crystal Russom, Gage, Gavin, Grant, Brian and Michelle Gibbons, Adam and Jake Gibbons (Orange Beach, Al), Homer Lee (Montevallo, Al), Jeff Chism (Montevallo, Al), Nathan Stamps (Montevallo, Al) and Paul Watry (Lincoln, Al)
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Commission
continued from page 1
Three Commissioner Troy Stubbs. Long-standing board appointments to the Central Elmore Water & Sewer Authority and the county Emergency Medical Services Board were decided at the Jan. 9 meeting. Out of six candidates for the CEWSA position, William Newton was chosen. The vacancy was a result of Commissioner Kenny Holt’s election last year as commissioner for District One. Holt had served on the CEWSA board. The three appointments to the EMS board were the same candidates who had been listed on several agendas for nomination since November when the initial choice was planned to be made, but was postponed by the commissioners for public involvement. Those new EMS board members are Greg Jones, Lois Pribulick and Steve Dennis. Another notice of public hearing was made for the approaching Jan. 23 discussion on a petition to vacate the westernmost portion of Bellingrath Road. In new business, Sheriff Bill Franklin spoke to the commissioners on two technology and innovation grants he wanted the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office to pursue. The first was a grant for $150,000 from the Department of Justice with no match to be made by the ECSO, and the second was described as a $30,000 DoJ grant to procure more body cameras for the
department. Franklin said it would come with a matching sum to paid by the department for the cameras’ data storage requirements. Revenue Commissioner Lee Macon spoke about an opening in his department for a GIS mapper, and asked that the job description by revised for the job. A representative of what was described as a seven-member lobbying and consulting firm solicited their services to the commission. “We were asked to come and make a presentation,” said Johnny Moore of Teague, Gilbert, Gray & Moore, LLC. He said the firm worked closely with state lawmakers and could help the commission with what was described as three upcoming issues that could affect the county, and which Moore said were prisons, gaming and a gasoline tax. County Engineer Richie Beyer asked that a piece of machinery from his department’s roadwork equipment be labeled surplus and sold to the Limestone County Commission for $20,000. Beyer also proposed a resolution in support of a gasoline tax to be considered in an upcoming state legislative session through the The Association of County Commissions of Alabama and its Alabama Transportation and Rehabilitation Investment Program. The resolution supports a three-cent tax effective
continued from page 1
time that we’re going to get a disaster declaration out of that event, it really is,” Jones said Monday. “We’ve been doing a lot of checking on that and seeing where we are statewide. The statewide threshold is $6.7 million and it doesn’t look like we’re even near that. This is an issue that a whole lot of municipalities deal with on non-declared disasters. It’s just a hole in their general fund. You never know whether you’re going to get any assistance on issues like this or not. It keeps local jurisdictions from doing other things that they could have spent that money on. Instead they’re having to make repairs that were caused by these weather situations.” Jones said the county also remains short of the $300,000 mark. “We’re still tallying accessing some things and getting some quotes on some things, but we’re still short of $300,000 in the county, too. Even if the county does hit its threshold – and it may
– the state’s still going to be well short.” he said. Jones said there is a state fund already set up through which some state assistance may be available in the future in instances like the one Wetumpka is currently facing. However, it is currently unfunded. “We would love to see a state disaster relief fund put in place so that we’re not just dependent on the federal disaster declarations,” Jones said. “We’ve got some mechanisms in place now, but they’re not funded at the state level. These kinds of situations could be alleviated somewhat if we could put a state disaster relief fund in place and have it funded for projects like that. “Basically, everything’s in place except the money, the funding mechanism and, of course, that’s always the hardest thing to come by. When you start talking about state funds, it’s really hard to get a lot of interest.” Willis said at the coun-
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July 1 to help pay for a $1.2 bond issue that would be distributed among the counties for work like road repairs. Beyer said it would cost consumers about two dollars and would supply rough $19 million for the county to account for about 75 percent of its unpaved roads and bridges. “We certainly hope that legislation will pass. ATRIP I … was an absolute blessing for Elmore County,” said Daugherty. The commission voted to confirm the appointment of Howard Goza to represent the Town of Coosada on the Elmore County EMS Board. County EMA Director Eric Jones said it was a matter of housekeeping for the board with Goza being reappointed to his position on the board. County Attorney Chris Weller spoke about a petition for the reimbursement of excess funds from a tax sale of what was stated as real property by Proclaim National, LLC. Weller said it was to ensure the deeds were transferred to the correct parties and the amounts were correct. All items up for a vote or consideration were approved by the commission.
RODNEY GRIFFITH Lake Martin Properties Serving Lake Martin, Tallassee and the Surrounding Area
Council county and state in meeting the criteria to receive disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Area with the president’s declaration of a disaster in the state. That process would begin with the city working with the Elmore County Emergency Management Agency in putting a price tag on damages throughout the county. Should those damages reach the county’s disaster-relief threshold of just less than $300,000, those damages would then be included toward a statewide threshold of approximately $1.7 million. Only at that point could the request for relief be forwarded to FEMA’s Region 4 office and, eventually, to Washington for FEMA’s final consideration and a potential presidential declaration. Unfortunately, according to Eric Jones, county EMA director, the state threshold of $6.7 million won’t likely be met. “It’s unlikely at this
JANUARY 11, 2017 • Page A3
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cil meeting that he wasn’t sure whether any other municipalities in the River Region area had impacts like Wetumpka’s, but that Wetumpka is prone to such impacts due to its location and geography. “We know that there were other cities that had damages throughout the state, but we don’t know about the River Region,” Willis said. “We’re researching that at this time. I did talk with the Prattville mayor last night and they didn’t have any major problems that they knew of at that time. “With the mountain on one side of us and the river on the other side, if it rains on the hill, then it’s going to find a way to get to the river. It’s basically what we deal with and we just had some failures in some areas.”
RODNEY GRIFFITH BROKER CELL: 334-207-0666 WEB: www.rodneygrif¿th.com EMAIL: rodneygrif¿th@windstream.net BRICK HOME ON EAST PATTON – 3 bd/2 baths, nice home on 16.6 acres that’s NOT in the city limits, $185,000. 2 NEW HOUSES – Tallassee River Hills Subdivision, 1500 sq. ft., 3 bd/2 baths, large open den & kitchen, fireplace, tile floors, granite counters, great location, $149,900. HOUSE IN RED HILL ON 229, 2 large bd/1 bath, nice den and kitchen, 32x20 shop, SOLD 2.6 acres, $115,000. LAKE TALLASSEE – 650-ft. waterfront, 3 lots, 3± acres, super panoramic view, good building site, $225,000. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, RED HILL – Formerly The Country Mile convenience store, gas station and restaurant. Will sell only gas station and convenience store or all. Call for details, $245,000. 78 ACRES off Lower Tuskegee Hwy., on Cleghorn Road, great hunting only, $135,000. RIVER HILLS SUBDIVISION – 23 lots, great views of Lake Tallassee, underground utilities, sewage. Prices start at only $20,000. 13 SOLD – NOW 10 REMAINING. BEAUTIFUL BRICK HOUSE in Plantation Pines, 4 bd/3.5 baths, 1.6 acre lot very modern and pretty, REDUCED TO $299,000. 3189 LITTLE ROAD – 4 bd/2ba., large lot, very modern, & pretty, only $215,000. RIVERHILLS SUBDIVISION – Water front lot 181 feet W/F 1.3 acres, Flat great views, $115,000. TALLASSEE GILMER AVE. – 3bd/2 ba next to DQ, zoned commercial, REDUCED TO $89,900. 548 PROSPECT ROAD, ECLECTIC – Beautiful home on 4 ACRES, 3 bd/ 2.5 baths, ING very modern and private, very closePE to ND Lake Martin. Reduced to $239,000. 264 VARNER RD. TALLASSEE – Remodeled house , 3 bed. 2 baths, large den and kitchen, screened porch, laundry, Shop, Very private $189000
Steve Baker, Publisher David Granger, Managing Editor Opinions expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the management of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
OPINION
Page A4 • JANUARY 11, 2017
“Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” --Thomas Jefferson
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The Herald strives to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity, to take a leadership role and act as a positive influence in our community, to promote business, to provide for the welfare of our employees, to strive for excellence in everything we do and, above all, to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.
Letters to the Editor Reader responds to letter in Montgomery Advertiser Dear Editor, A letter was printed Jan. 8 in the Montgomery Advertiser titled,”Neo-Confederates have no leg to stand on” in which the author pretended to get inside the heads of defenders of the Confederacy. This response letter can be titled,”Neo-Slavery.” For the record, my dad was the last in a long line of poor white sharecroppers in rural Alabama who were also slaves; to the land and land owners. We don’t need people today, who are far removed from a time of vast economic and social differences, to remind us of the horrors of slavery. The victim mentality, so prevalent, will not forgive and move on, nor will it ever admit to the one positive that slavery created. That is, a large portion of the population would not be American citizens had it not been for slavery. These slave descendants condemn the past while ignoring the sad truth that many of their brethren are still enslaved. Not by fellow man, but by the Nanny State and it’s endless “entitlement” programs. No slave labor in the fields, just the promise of their vote at the polls. It’s a cheap price to pay for such high returns, but it amounts to selling ones soul and disgracing the memory and sacrifices of their ancestors. To the people who condemn the past while ignoring the present, move forward in a positive way and rid yourself of the shackles of false narratives that continue to foster division among us. Keith Smith Wetumpka Ala.
YOUR VIEW Want to share your opinion on a situation, topic, etc.? WRITE: Your View, The Wetumpka Herald, P.O. Box 99, Wetumpka, AL 36092 EMAIL: News@TheWetumpkaHerald.com
L
The winter storm that wasn’t
ate last week, those of us who love snow – yep, I’m one of ‘em – and don’t often see it got excited. The weathermen in these parts were convinced we’d get some type of winter weather – maybe not snow but at least enough sleet or something icy for us to get our winter-weather jones temporarily out of our system. They talked about it for at least three days prior to the “event.” We woke up on Friday morning thinking, “This’ll be the day I see that rare Southern snowflake.” Alas, it was a bust. All the Wetumpka area saw was a cold rain. It seems we’ve had many busts of late. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While many of us are fond of the occasional snow here in the South, it can pose dangers when we’re not used to it, especially behind the wheel of those twoton machines we’re so dependent upon to get us from place to place. That’s one of the biggest reasons our forecasters in the South err on the side of safety, perhaps being a bit more aggressive than forecasters throughout the rest of the country when it comes to winter weather.
DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
That’s why people like Eric Jones, director of the county’s Emergency Management Agency, warn against the complacency that may be born of what is necessarily caution – and the occasional bust – on the part of Southern meteorologists. “That’s how you end up with kids staying in schools over night and people stranded on the side of the roadway,” Jones said. In fact, who can forget the Snowmageddon situation in Atlanta when most of the offices and schools in the city dismissed near-simultaneously and traffic ended up in an icy snarl? I don’t know about you, but I don’t relish any thought of walking up Highway 9 in January in bone-chilling wind and ice, sleet or snow. Not my idea of a winter wonderland. So before we lash out at the hard-working meteorologists at the National Weather Service – those same people who are so adept at warning us of tornadoes in time for us to get to our place
of safety – let’s think about what life would be like without them, the terrible consquences they likely help us avoid. And before we dress down our Emergency Management folks for advising “unnecessary” road and school closures, let’s be thankful that we have people willing to give their time at all hours of the day and night to watch the weather and make decisions that will keep us and our children safe and warm. Perhaps more than anything, let’s don’t let the most recent winter-weather near-miss lull us to sleep, make us open to ignore the watch, warning or advisory that may come our way next. The cold is nothing to take chances with. Icy roads are nothing to take chances with. And, most importantly, your life is nothing to take a chance with. Thankfully, we’ve got those who are dedicated to keeping us safe when ornery weather rears its ugly head – winter, spring, summer or fall. David Granger is the managing editor of the Elmore County newspapers of Tallapoosa Publishers.
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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. •Obituaries - $.25 per word per paper. Additional $15 charge for a photo per paper. (Herald, Weekend, Observer, Tribune). •Weddings/Engagements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a 2-column photo. •Birth Announcements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a photo. SUBSCRIPTION RATES (includes Wednesday & Saturday) One Year in Elmore, Tallapoosa or Coosa County: $50 One Year Elsewhere: $75 The publisher reserves the right to change subscription rates during the term of subscription at any time. To subscribe or if you miss your paper, call 256-234-4281. © 2016 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved and any reproduction of this issue is prohibited without the consent of the editor or publisher. ADMINISTRATION Steve Baker publisher@thewetumpkaherald.com David Granger, managing editor david.granger@thewetumpkaherald.com NEWS Corey Arwood, staff writer corey.arwood@thewetumpkaherald.com Carmen Rodgers, staff writer carmen.rodgers@thewetumpkaherald.com Cory Diaz, sports editor Cory.Diaz@TheWetumpkaHerald.com. . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 306 SALES Molly Brethauer, marketing consultant molly.brethaur@TheWetumpkaHerald.com. . . . . . . . Ext. 313 Stacy Adams, marketing consultant stacy.adams@TheWetumpkaHerald.com . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 305
O
Old friends are the best
ne night last week, I hung out with Anthony and Eloy, a couple of friends I worked with many years ago at Kroger Drugstore in Opelika. I’d seen them individually a handful of times over the years. In fact, they’d been to a couple of my comedy shows where I talked about my days at the store, but this was the first time we’d all gotten together for a night out, which was a comedy show in itself. We had a great time. The store was located at what is now Dollar General. That narrows it down, doesn’t it? Those stores are everywhere. “If you build it, they will come” is a popular quote from the movie “Field of Dreams.” Well, with respect to Dollar General, if you build it and leave it vacant for longer than 48 hours, they will come. The Dollar General I’m referring to is the one located directly next to Piggly Wiggly. See, now you know exactly where I’m talking about. I travel all over Alabama, and you wouldn’t believe how often “The Pig” is used as a reference point. “Now you know where the Piggly Wiggly is, right?” Of course, I do. We reminisced about the good old days. We laughed until we cried, whether it was about Anthony putting mailbox let-
JODY FULLER Guest Columnist
ters on the side of his car or me looking for a box of fallopian tubes. We didn’t have too many funny stories on Eloy since he’s so much older. We missed out on his young and dumb days. I started working at the store in February 1989. Eloy had been there for a number of years, while Anthony started about a year and a half before me. In fact, it was called Super X when they started. I left for the Army in 1992. I learned to run the buffer at the store, which made me the subject matter expert in basic training, a title I did not covet. I returned in 1996 and stayed until 2001. I was the last man standing. It was the perfect place for us to work, as management was very flexible with us regarding our school schedules. All three of us were non-traditional students, which for us is just another way of saying we were a little older while going to school. The bottom line, however, is that we all graduated college. I know without a shadow of a doubt that we motivated each other to do
so. That’s what friends are for. We are all doing well. Anthony is now a teacher and coach. Eloy is a contractor for the Air Force, and as the old folks say, “does something with computers,” and I do whatever it is I do. Anthony just whooped prostate cancer and Eloy is old, so I’m glad we got together when we did. Who knows what the future holds for any of us? I’m just hoping it holds more get-togethers. The drugstore was a great place to work. It’d been over 15 years since we were all together, but we didn’t skip a beat. It was as if no time had passed at all, which is a sign of true friendship. We listened, laughed, learned, and loved, because that’s what real friends do. We don’t get to choose our family, but we do get to choose our friends, so choose wisely. Life is all about choices. We are the sum of those with whom we associate. I’m blessed to associate with great family and friends, especially the old ones; they are the best. Jody Fuller is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com. For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com.
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JANUARY 11, 2017 • Page A5
Eclectic Faith
Put on your new self for the good of others
T
hat time of the year is here again. New Year’s. For some, it’s a moment of somber reflection on the past year’s events. For many, it’s a frenzied burst of energy to become the “new and better you” that all too often sputters and stalls out by Jan. 15. I tend to fall somewhere in between these New Year’s norms. Failing one year, succeeding another, trying one year, forgetting to try another. I’ve always been frustrated by the holiday; what is it about myself that I need a holiday to motivate me to do the things I’ve been meaning to do? Many of us get stuck in these perpetual ruts of self-improvement, and many of us have resigned ourselves to do better next year. We aren’t the only ones in this predicament. Scripture frequently speaks of the Christian’s need to “put on the new self (Eph. 4:24).” Even since the early Church, which didn’t have a sparkly ball in Times
Beekeeping “I’m very pro-bees,” said Andrews. It’s just a desire in my heart to seem them thrive. If you like to eat you need to have bees around.” But, Andrews said, bees are not currently thriving. “Right now the bees are at a crucial time in their lives,” Andrews said. “The word people use a lot is endangered.” Through the classes, Andrews said anyone interested could learn how to become beekeepers and be on their way to raising their own hive and their own bee products, like honey. But before that, to start the course she said they would begin at the basics with bee biology. Then she said they would move on to learn about the construction of hives and purchasing and installing them. Andrews said they
Roby
Square to note the coming of a New Year, humanity has existed in a strange, ongoing cycle of trying and failing, occasionally succeeding, at change for the inner and outer selves. The key difference between us and the ancient Church is what exactly we are trying to change. In Ephesians, Paul speaks of putting away our former way of life, our “old self.” He goes on to describe what a new way of life looks like and, curiously, there is no mention of watching a waistline, losing those last 10 pounds or enjoying life to the fullest. No, Paul’s new way of life is unique by being completely outwardly focused: growing in peace with a neighbor, giving up bitterness and wrath against those who have wronged us and to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Eph. 4:32)” The new way of life that Paul writes about is always looking towards changing how we treat
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would also learn about hive diseases and pests, followed by safety and then second-year management followed by a lastclass review with all three master beekeepers. “Part of getting started will be teaching about the basics, the necessities, supplies, equipment and protection,” Andrews said. Generally, she said, there are anywhere from 25 to 30 people who take the class. According to CABA information, the course is $50 if paid by the Feb. 10 deadline. After the price is $75. The cost of the course includes a book, “First Lessons in Beekeeping,” and Andrews said after the course students would have the opportunity to place orders of bees for their first hives.
RHETT BUTLER Religion Columnist
our neighbor, not how we resolve to change our habits to benefit our own happiness and success. I wonder if we get stuck in these New Year’s ruts and cycles of stops and starts because our resolutions are often focused solely on improving ourselves, instead of improving the lives of those around us. The Gospel is a paradox; the first shall be last, the last shall be first, and maybe the only way to find lasting change is to focus on your neighbor. Unlike our culture’s habits of starting afresh with the new year, Scripture understands change in a much different way. We don’t need to wait until the new year for that slice of motivation to change and God’s change looks
different than America’s flavor of change. Ephesians says the way to start fresh, that the beginning of true change, is to “...clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24).” Paul paints God as a seamstress who creates a new life for us to pick up and put on. And friends, we know that God is always creating new things. God did not stop creating on the sixth day. Truly, it is not a one-time affair that God offers us a new life to clothe ourselves with. God, truly the Divine seamstress, is constantly weaving us new garments of grace and change that we just have to grab off the rack. We may tear a hole in our favorite coat, and another with better pockets is waiting. We might grow out of those pants in a grace-filled growth spurt and another pair is waiting. Change does not happen once a year. God’s grace and creativity are so
abundant that you can have your own new year everyday. If you are finding yourself frustrated or disappointed with the way your year has started, choose to take a new piece of clothing, a piece of grace and new you that God has prepared. Start afresh tomorrow. God’s love and grace will always be ready. Instead of deciding to lose 10 pounds or enjoy life to the fullest, choose to give up some bitterness, or work on forgiveness to find the new life of Christ. Look into helping others to find your new self. The stressful pieces of life we incessantly worry about seem to work themselves out when we are choosing to clothe ourselves with the new life of Christ. Go ahead, God is quite creative and rather productive, I’m sure you’ll find something that will fit nicely. Rhett Butler is a religion columnist.
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every action I take in Congress, I have one simple principle: Alabama always comes first. Whether it is supporting Maxwell Air Force Base and Fort Rucker, maintaining our progress in improving veterans healthcare, or advancing smart agriculture policy, I will continue to prioritize issues affecting my state and district.” Roby called the opportunity to move the country in a more conservative direction a “unique” one for the unified Republican congress. “There is so much work to be done to put this country back on the right track,” Roby said. “I’m eager to work with a unified Republican government to deliver results that make a positive difference for the American people. We have a unique opportunity to use conservative ideals to put our country on a more responsible, sustainable path. I’m excited to be a part of this historic moment and ready to get to work.” Roby is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Appropriations subcommittee assignments have not yet been made.
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PAGE A6 • JANUARY 11, 2017
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
Area Churches AME ZION Mt. Zion Chapel AME Zion 2340 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-4413 Rogers Chapel AME Zion 709 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8144 Jackson Chapel AME Zion 4885 Coosada Rd., Coosada Jones Chapel AME Zion 2414 Ingram Rd. (Co. Rd. 3), Elmore ABUNDANT LIFE Abundant Life Church 9301 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 567-9143 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Agape Tabernacle Assembly of God 1076 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic 541-2006 Bethel Worship Center 11117 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 5675754 Crossroads Assembly of God 2534 AL Hwy 14., Millbrook 285-5545 First Assembly of God 3511 Shirley Ln., Millbrook New Home Assembly of God 5620 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 5692825 BAPTIST Abraham Baptist Church Millbrook Antioch Baptist Church 1115 Antioch Rd., Titus 567-2917 Beulah Baptist Church 2350 Grier Rd., Wetumpka 514-2881 Blue Ridge Baptist 4471 Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 5674325 Brookwood Baptist Grandview Rd., Millbrook Calvary Baptist 504 W. Osceola St., Wetumpka 567-4729 Central Baptist 3545 W. Central Rd., Wetumpka 541-2556 Coosada Baptist 20 Kennedy Ave., Coosada Deatsville Baptist 184 Church St., Deatsville Eclectic Baptist Church 203 Claud Rd., Eclectic 541-4444 Faith Baptist 64 Chapel Rd., Wetumpka 567-4417 First Baptist Church 205 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-5191 First Baptist of Elmore Hwy. 14 Co. Rd. 74, Elmore Galilee Baptist 95 Old Georgia Rd., Wetumpka 567-4178
Good Hope Baptist 1766 S. Fleahop Rd., Eclectic Goodship Baptist Hwy. 143, Millbrook Grace Baptist Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka 567-3255 Grandview Pines Baptist Deatsville Hwy., Deatsville Green Ridge Baptist 288 Turner Rd., Wetumpka 567-2486 Harvest Baptist 2990 Main St., Millbrook Hillside Baptist 405 Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka Holtville Riverside Baptist 7121 Holtville Rd., Wetumpka 514-5922 Lake Elam Baptist 4060 Gober Rd., Millbrook Liberty Hill Baptist 61 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-8750 Lighthouse Baptist 2281 Main St., Millbrook Living Water Baptist 1745 Grass Farm Rd. (Co. Rd. 80), Weoka Millbrook Baptist Millbrook 285-4731 Mitts Chapel Baptist 935 Cold Springs Rd., Deatsville 5691952 Mt. Hebron West Baptist 150 Mt. Hebron Rd., Elmore 567-4441 Mt. Herron East Baptist Church 4355 Mt. Herron Rd. Eclectic, Al 36024 334-857-3689 Mountain View Baptist 1025 Rifle Range Rd., Wetumpka 5674458 New Harmony Baptist 3094 New Harmony Rd., Marbury 3121878 New Home Baptist 1605 New Home Rd., Titus 567-0923 New Hope Baptist 6191 Lightwood Rd., Deatsville 569-1267 New Lily Green Baptist 6504 Deatsville Hwy., Deatsville New Nazareth Baptist Hwy. 143, Deatsville Pleasant Hill Baptist Pleasant Hill Rd., Eclectic 541-3460 Prospect Baptist Prospect Rd., Eclectic 567-5837 Redland Baptist 1266 Dozier Rd., Wetumpka 567-8649 Refuge Baptist Church
Wetumpka Church of Christ 408 West Bridge Street
Jason Chesser Minister
Central Baptist Church 3545 W Central Rd Wetumpka, AL 36092 Hwy 9 & W. Central Sun: 10 Bible Studies 11 Worship 6 Worship www.CBCWetumpka.com 239.233.0341 Pastor “g”
Sunday Prayer and Fellowship.......8:30 a.m. Bible Study.............9 a.m. Worship service...10 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study........7 p.m.
Visitors Welcome At All Services
3098 Red Hill Road Tallassee 334-857-2638 Rehoberth Baptist 8110 Rifle Range Rd., Tallassee 567-9801 Rushenville Baptist 10098 Georgia Rd., Eclectic 541-2418 Saint James Baptist 1005 Nobles Rd., Wetumpka 567-6209 Saint James Baptist 101 Gantt Rd., Deatsville 569-3006 Santuck Baptist 7250 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2364 Seman Baptist Seman, Alabama Shoal Creek Baptist 13214 Holtville Rd., Deatsville 569-2482 Springfield Baptist Hwy. 7, Millbrook Thelma Baptist 810 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-3665 Titus Baptist 6930 Titus Rd., Wetumpka 334-531-2120 Tunnell Chapel Baptist 210 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2589 Victory Baptist 5481 Main St., Millbrook Wadsworth Baptist 2780 Hwy. 143, Deatsville 569-2851 BAPTIST - MISSIONARY Atkins Hill 565 Atkins Rd., Wetumpka 567-1141 Cathmagby Baptist 3074 Mitchell Creek Rd., Wetumpka 567-4787 First Missionary Baptist at Guilfield 412 Company St., Wetumpka 567-7455 Goodhope 1389 Willow Springs Rd. Wetumpka 567-7133 Lebanon 17877 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 514-1097 Mount Canaan 1125 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-2141 Mount Pisgah 16621 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 567-3668 Mt. Zion 371 AL Hwy. 14, Elmore, 567-2613 Mt. Zion #3 1813 Luke Paschal Rd., Eclectic New Home 5130 Elmore Rd., Wetumpka 567-5966 Second Missionary
760 N. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8601 Spring Chapel Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 567-6493 Sweetwater 163 Michael Lane, Wetumpka 334-5389415 Tabernacle Baptist 1020 W. Tallassee St., Wetumpka 5670620 BAPTIST - PRIMITIVE Bethel Old School 4625 Jackson Rd. (C.R. 103), Wetumpka Providence 4850 Chana Creek Rd., Wetumpka CATHOLIC Our Lady of Guadalupe 545 White Rd., Wetumpka 567-0311 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ of Elmore 470 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 567-6670 Church of Christ Grandview Pines 165 Deatsville Hwy., Millbrook Cold Springs Church of Christ 5920 Alabama Hwy. 143, Deatsville Georgia Road Church of Christ 4003 Georgia Rd., Wetumpka 567-2804 Lightwood Church of Christ 251 New Harmony Rd., Deatsville 5691510 Redland Road Church of Christ 2480 Redland Rd., Wetumpka 514-3656 Wetumpka Church of Christ W. Bridge St. At W. Main St., Wetumpka 567-6561
Pastor Rickey Luster,
SundaySchool..........10:45 School....10:45 a.m. Sunday a.m. Morning Worship....9:30 a.m. Morning Worship........9:30 a.m. Children’s Church.... 9:30 a.m. Children’s Church.......9:30 a.m. Thur. Night Service....6:00 p.m. Wed. Night Service.....6:30 p.m. You will receive a warm You will receive a warm Welcome at this friendly, welcome at this friendly, Christ-centered Church. Christ-centered Church.
NURSERY PROVIDED PROVIDED FOR NURSERY FOR ALL SERVICES SERVICES ALL
HOLINESS New Beginnings Holiness 865 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-9211 Summit Holiness 2050 Hwy. 14, Millbrook Temple of Deliverance Holiness 620 Alabama St., Wetumpka 514-3114 JEHOVAH’S WITNESS Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 9235 U.S. Hwy. 231, Wetumpka 567-8100 LATTER DAY SAINTS Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1405 Chapel Rd., Wetumpka 567-8339 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Cobbs Ford Rd., Millbrook LUTHERAN Christ Lutheran Church 2175 Cobbs Ford Rd., Prattville PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church 100 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8135 Millbrook Presbyterian Corner of Main St. & Coosada Rd. Valley View Presbyterian - PCA 4125 Rifle Range Rd. Wetumpka 3862386
INDEPENDENT METHODIST Claud Independent Methodist Church 81232 Tallassee Hwy, Eclectic 541-2552
CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN Cedarwood Congregational Christian 10286 US Hwy 231 N, Wetumpka 5670476 Seman Congregational Christian
UNITED METHODIST Cain’s Chapel United Methodist 96 Lightwood Rd., Deatsville 569-2375 Central United Methodist Church 11721 Central Plank Rd. Central
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST First Elmore Seventh Day Adventist 210 Lucky Town Rd., Elmore 514-1020
First
“And we know that Presbyterian allChurch things work 100 W. Bridge St. together for good to thoseJonathan who loveYarboro God, Rev. to those who are the Sunday School..9:45 am Morning called Worship..11 according toam His567-8135 purpose.”
Harmony United Methodist Church 8000 Titus Road Titus, Ala.
Sunday Services at 11 a.m. Minister Dr. John Brannon There is Harmony at Harmony United Methodist Church!
– Romans 8:28
“In the name of the Lord Jesus – Welcome.”
Please join us.
Mountain View Baptist Baptist Church Church
11066 U.S. 231, Wallsbooro 11066 U.S. 231, Wallsboro
Rickey Luster, MusicDirector Director Music
EPISCOPAL The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 2602 Gilmer Ave., Tallassee 252-8618 Trinity Episcopal Church 5371 U.S. Hwy. 231, Wetumpka 567-7534 St. Michael & All Angels Church 5941 Main St., Millbrook
CHURCH OF GOD Elmore Church of God 10675 Rucker Road, Elmore Gethsemane Church of God 705 Cotton St., Wetumpka 567-9886 Church at the Brook 2890 Hwy. 14, Millbrook Maranatha Church of God 2621 Holtville Rd., Wetumpka 567-6786 Victory Tabernacle AOH Church of God Hwy 143, Millbrook Wetumpka Church of God Hwy. 9 N. Wetumpka 215-3091
Wallsboro United Wallsboro United Methodist Church Methodist Church Rev. Ryan Rev. Ryan Johnson Johnson Pastor
15970 Central Plank Rd., Seman Union Congregational Christian 8188 Lightwood Rd., Marbury 569-2122
504 Osceola Street 504West West Osceola St. 334-567-4729 334-567-4729 •••• Anthony Rhodes Rev.Rev. Anthony Rhodes, Senior Pastor Senior Pastor Sarah Swedenburg, Worship Ministries
Need your business to
STAND OUT
Derek Blankenship, Tammy Student Driver:Ministries
from the crowd?
Children's Director
SUNDAY SERVICES SUNDAY SERVICES Sunday School...........9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship.....10:30 School........9:30 a.m. a.m. Morning MorningWorship.......6:00 Worship... 10:30p.m. a.m. Evening Evening Worship..... 6:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY SERVICES WEDNESDAY SERVICES Prayer Meeting...........6:00 p.m. Supper.....................5:30 p.m. Choir PrayerRehearsal.........6:45 Meeting........6:15 p.m. p.m. Student Worship........6:00 p.m. Choir Practice..........7:00 p.m. Calvary Kids...............6:00 p.m.
CEDARWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH 10286 U.S. Hwy. 231 Wallsboro 567-0476 www.worshipcedarwood.org
Roger Olsen, Pastor Sunday Bible Study..........9:00 AM Sunday Worship.............10:00 AM We are a Congregational Christian Church which, in the name of Jesus, invites all to worship with us. Nursery Check out our Facebook page
Call us, we can help!
334-567-7811
• • • • •
Santuck Baptist Church
7250 Central Plank Road
“A Family of Families”
B.R. Johnson, Senior Pastor Larry Gore, Adm. & Counseling Randy Godfrey, Education Amy Pugh, Director of Children & Preschool Chad Middlebrooks, Students SUNDAY Sunday School............9 & 10:30 a.m. Worship........................9 & 10:30 a.m. Evening Celebration.................6 p.m. WEDNESDAY/FAMILY NIGHT Programs for every age 6:15 - 7:30 p.m.
Wetumpka Herald Eclectic Observer Tallassee Tribune Alexander City Outlook Dadeville Record
567-4458 1025 Rifle Range Rd. 567-4458 1025 RiÀe Range Rd.
Anthony B. Counts, Pastor InterimWorship Pastor Leader Angie Gallups, Billy of Students AngieReinhardt, Gallups, Min. Worship Leader
Billy Reinhardt, Min. of Students SUNDAY Morning Worship... ....10:30 SUNDAY School.............9:15 Sunday Morning Worship............10:30 Youth Choir .............. ....5:00 Evening Worship..........6:00 Sunday School.................9:15 WEDNESDAY Evening Worship..............6:00 Fellowship Meal............5:45 WEDNESDAY Preschool/Children’s Choirs.........................6:00 House of Prayer................6:00 House of Prayer............6:30 Preschool/Children’s Preschool/Children’s Missions............................6:00 Missions........................6:30 Youth Bible Youth BibleStudy.............6:00 Study.........6:30
Send your church news and happenings to: news@The Wetumpka Herald.com _________ Call or Molly Call Jayne Shannon at 567-7811 to advertise your church’s services in this space
PAGE A10 • JANUARY 11, 2017
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
Musical chairs for political seats begins
A
labama is going to fare well under President Trump. There is an old adage that says, “Those that bake the pie get to eat it.” We truly baked the pie for Trump. We overwhelmingly supported him in the GOP primary and helped him secure the nomination. We then gave him one of the largest mandates in the nation in the November general election. Trump is returning the favor. He has nominated our own Jeff Sessions for attorney general. His confirmation hearings begin this week. In addition, speculation is that Alabama’s Bill Pryor is on a very short list to be named to the U.S. Supreme Court by Trump to fill the vacancy on the court of the late Antonin Scalia. Pryor is a former Alabama attorney general, who currently sits on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Pryor is only 54. He served as Alabama’s attorney general from 1997-2004. He was the youngest state attorney general in the country at that time. He was appointed to the federal bench in 2005 by President George W. Bush. During his 11 years on the federal bench he has rendered a sterling conservative record. Pryor and Sessions have amazingly similar backgrounds. Both call Mobile their native home. Both were attorney general of Alabama. Both have impeccable archconservative philosophies and pedigrees. They are kindred spirits and good friends. That is probably why Pryor is on Trump’s short list for the High Court. Most of the frontrunners to win the open Sessions Senate seat have avoided Bentley’s appointment. So how is the race shaking out to fill Sessions’ seat? The frontrunner out of the gate is Attorney General Luther Strange. Big Luther has run three successful statewide races and is sitting on over 50
STEVE FLOWERS Columnist
percent statewide name recognition. Furthermore, he is dedicated to running and has been for 20 years. He spent the first 20 years of his professional career lobbying in Washington for Sonat. He came home 20 years ago to run for a secondary statewide office and lay the groundwork to get back to Washington as a U.S. Senator. He has been biding his time for his buddies Sessions and Shelby to retire or move on. When Sessions’ appointment became imminent, Big Luther hit the ground running and has been raising money for 2018 for two months. The other statewide elected officials will probably not join the 2018 Senate fray. Secretary of State John Merrill has a good future. He is 53 and will probably run for reelection or maybe lieutenant governor. PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh will probably run for lieutenant governor or maybe governor. It is uncertain what State Treasurer Young Boozer will do. However, his tentativeness has probably left him out of the Senate race. Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan is running for governor. State Auditor Jim Ziegler will run for governor, attorney general or reelection. Roy Moore is the favorite to win the 2018 governor’s race. Congressman Robert Aderholt would be the best qualified to run and succeed Sessions. He and Sessions went to Washington together 20 years ago. However, his 20 years of seniority in the House has placed him in a powerful congressional leadership position. He is poised to be chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. His move to
being a freshman Senator would be a lateral move. Alabama and his district would be best served by his staying in the House. Mobile and Baldwin County folks believe that they deserve the Senate seat since Sessions is a Mobilian. There are three potential candidates from the Port City/Gulf Coast region. Former Congressman Jo Bonner is not going to run. Current Congressman Bradley Byrne would have the best chance to win among all the potential Mobile candidates. He was almost elected governor. However, Byrne is probably not going to leave his safe congressional seat. He likes it and is good at it. State Senator Trip Pittman from Baldwin County is in the race and is running hard. If he continues to be the only major horse from that area in the race and it becomes a crowded field he may be in a runoff. Speaking of regionalism, look at a horse from Huntsville to enter the race. If there is one primary candidate from the Tennessee Valley they will be a player. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle may pivot and move from the governor’s race to the Senate. Folks in that area have always been more interested in national politics than state politics because of the Redstone Arsenal. State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh of Anniston seems very interested in this open U.S. Senate seat. He has sought the Bentley appointment. However, being a powerful state Senator does not translate into statewide name identification. See you next week. 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 www. steveflowers.us.
Social Security continues to innovate with new features S
ocial Security is always innovating and improving our technology to better serve you. In an effort to meet our goal to deliver innovative, quality services, we are improving how you can check the status of your Social Security benefit application online. Placing the “Application Status” feature behind our my Social Security portal provides a secure service delivery channel that will allow the Agency to provide detailed status information without requiring a confir-
KYLLE’ MCKINNEY Columnist
mation number. Our first service improvement will include status information for Social Security and SSI benefits initial claims and appeals, but future modifications will allow you to check the status of medical and non-medical redeterminations.
With the new Application Status, you will see: • the Re-entry number for in-progress online applications; • detailed information about the current status of the application or appeal; • the location where your claim is being processed; and • scheduled hearing information for appeals. Log into my Social Security to see what other personalized features are available to you at www. socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
Submitted / The Herald
Holtville Elementary November Students of the Month Holtville Elementary students of the month for first grade and kindergarten are first row, Jaxson Tauton, Colt Savage, Cooper Smith, Jordan Hall, Asia Myree, Kadosh McCloud, Aiden Powell, Aliya Cousins, Grace Olin, Savanna Ware and Carmen Gonzalez and, second row, Montez Myree, Jayden Kahn, Braylin Langford, Scarlet Smith, Brandon Capps, Cole Smith, Jon Freeman, Mayah Rios, Hannah Collinsand Hallie Kate Mann.
SURVEY: Small business optimism skyrockets in December STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Small business optimism rocketed to its highest level since 2004, with a stratospheric 38-point jump in the number of owners who expect better business conditions, according to the monthly National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Index of Small Business Optimism, released Tuesday. “We haven’t seen numbers like this in a long time,” said NFIB President and CEO Juanita Duggan. “Small business is ready for a breakout, and that can only mean very good things for the U.S. economy.” State-specific data isn’t available, but Rosemary Elebash, state director of NFIB, said the national trends are reflected here. “Small businesses aren’t going to invest in new equipment or facilities or create jobs unless they’re optimistic about the future, so these results are very encouraging,” said Elebash. The index reached 105.8, an increase of 7.4 points. Leading the charge was “Expect Better Business Conditions,” which shot up from a net 12 percent in November
to a net 50 percent last month. “Business owners who expect better business conditions accounted for 48 percent of the overall increase,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “The December results confirm the sharp increase that we reported immediately after the election.” The other two big movers in the survey, “Sales Expectations” and “Good Time to Expand,” jumped by 20 percentage points and 12 percentage points, respectively. “This is the second consecutive month in which small business owners reported a much brighter outlook for the economy and higher expectations for their businesses,” Dunkelberg said. “In this month’s report, we are also finding evidence that higher optimism is leading to increased business activity, such as capital investment.” Sixty-three percent of respondents made capital outlays, an eight-point increase over November. Also, the net percent of owners reporting inventory gains increased six points. “Business owners are feeling better about taking risks and making
investments,” Duggan said. “Optimism is the main ingredient for economic expansion. We’ll be watching this trend carefully over the next few months.” Despite sharply higher optimism, hiring activity remained flat in December. Job creation increased by 0.01 workers per firm and job openings dropped two points. According to the NFIB Jobs report, released last week, finding qualified workers remains a persistent problem for small business owners. “The labor market is getting tighter,” Dunkelberg said. “That’s good news for workers because they can command higher compensation, but many small business owners aren’t yet confident enough to raise prices to offset the higher labor costs. Owners are still in a pinch, but the overall picture for December was very positive.” NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business.
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CommunityCalendar January 12, 17, 19, 24 and 26
Does your student love building Legos? Or spends countless hours on Minecraft or Roblox? There is a place in theatre for them. As students return to school from the holiday break, The Depot Days Youth Theatre Academy, an educational outreach of the Depot Players, is accepting students who wish to explore and learn the basics of set design in theatre. Young designers will work with instructors in a nurturing and creative environment to learn the basics of analyzing a script to design a set through renderings which will then culminate to building a miniature set model. Children grades 4- 8 may enroll for our Boomer Train’s winter program that will run for six sessions, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in January from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. Cost is $150 (tuition may be made in two installments). Parents may enroll their students in the Depot Days Youth Theatre Academy by emailing kmeanor@wetumpkadepot.comor or calling 334-868-1440
JANUARY 11, 2017 • PAGE A11
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and Observer by calling 256-234-4281, faxing them to 256-2346550, sending your event to the.editor@thewetumpkaherald.com or logging on to http://www.thewetumpkaherald.com/. their website www.cababees.org for more information.
Today is
January 11, 2017
February 25
• The Order of Cimarron presents Wetumpka’s Fifth Annual Mardi Gras Festival at Gold Star Park in Downtown Wetumpka. The Festival will open at 9 a.m. and the parade will roll at 1 p.m. Email oocmardigras@gmail.com for more information or visit their Facebook page.
February 28
January 13- February 17
Oooh la la...we will be inspired by the Fancy Nancy books to create some delicious theatrical experiences. Fancy Fridays will cover the basics of Theatre 101 in this fabulously fun experience for children grades 2-5! Classes will be from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. beginning Friday, Jan. 13 and will end Friday, Feb. 17. with a FANCY SHOWCASE PROGRAM! Cost is $200 (tuition may be made in two installments). Parents may enroll their students in the Depot Days Youth Theatre Academy by emailing kmeanor@wetumpkadepot.comor or calling 334.868.1440.
Submitted / The Observer
Elmore County’s 2017 Distinguished Young Woman Lauren Norris, right, a senior at Prattville Christian Academy, will compete for the title of Alabama’s Distinguished Young Woman Friday and Saturday Jan. 20-21 at Frazer Memorial Methodist Church in Montgomery. Norris is shown here with her roommate for the competition, Pike County’s Morgan Lindsey Fox, left, and 2016 Alabama Distinguished Young Woman, Shelby County’s MaryGrace Long.
information. • Mark Lanier will be in concert at There will be a men’s prayer breakfast at 10:45 a.m. at New Hope Baptist Church 9 a.m. at Grandview Pines Baptist Church, in Deatsville and then at 5 p.m. at First located at 346 Deatsville Highway in Baptist Church Wetumpka. Millbrook. For more information contact the pastor, Jared Decker at (334) 285-5125. January 23 • There will be a County Wide Cleanup There will be a county commission work Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CEWSA session at 5 p.m. with a business meeting Redland facility, the Town of Elmore, the to immediately follow. Emerald Mountain Equestrian Center, Holtville High School, Kent and the Elmore County Judicial Complex. The Elmore January 30 County Commission offers this service free The Taste of Elmore County will be held of charge to citizens. For more information, at the Wetumpka Civic Center. This is the please contact Advanced Disposal at (334) Elmore County Food Pantry’s largest fund252-0458 or the Elmore County Highway raiser each year. Call (334) 567-3232 or Department at (334) 567-1162. e-mail elmorecountyfoodpantry@gmail.com for more information.
January 14
family. More than two dozen classic hits— including “I Walk The Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and the title tune—performed by a multi-talented cast, paint a musical portrait of The Man in Black that promises to be a foot-stompin’, crowd-pleasin’ salute to a uniquely American legend! For more information call (334) 868-1440 or visit our website www. wetumpkadepot.com.
February 9-26
Prattville’s Way Off Broadway Theatre Presents: To Kill a Mockingbird, from the novel by Harper Lee, adapted by Christopher Segel, and directed by Sam Wallace. It will open Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. There will be a special performance on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and January 15 Saturdays the play can be seen at 7:30 The Ball Brothers will be in concert at 6 February 14 and March 14 p.m. with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. p.m. at Good Hope Baptist Church, located The Wetumpka Public Library, along with on Sundays. Tickets are $10 in advance at 1766 S Fleahop Road in Eclectic. the Elmore County Museum, invites vetand $12 at the door. Contact (334) 595erans and family members to sign up and 0854 or wobt.pratvilleal.gov for more inforparticipate in a free monthly reading dismation. THie play is presented by special January 16 cussion program on the experience of war, arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing There will be a Martin Luther King Day beginning September and ending in March. Company of Woodstock, Illinois. celebration. Meet at Rodgers Chapel AME Discussions will be held in the Elmore Zion Church, located at 609 W. Bridge St., County Museum from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 at 11 a.m. There will be a commemoraFebruary 11 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: January tive march to the Wetumpka Civic Center. Get Outdoors and run wild at the 10th, February 14th, and March 14th. All Taron Jordan will be the keynote speaker. Seventh Annual Alabama Nature Center For more information contact Dwight Eaves books and films will be provided for each Critter Crawl. Get your heart pumping with participant in advance of each discussion. at (334) 391-0232. a little exercise and a breath of fresh air. Recent veterans of the global war on terror The Critter Crawl will feature a 5K and 1 are particularly encouraged to participate. mile run along the beautiful trails located January 17 at Lanark in Millbrook. Bring the family and At the next Tuesdays with Kelly, Barry February 1-March 1 plan to run wild...or you can just crawl! Chrietzberg will explain ways to make Registration opens for 2017 spring volThe Critter Crawl 5K begins at 9 a.m., your photos better. He will illustrate five leyball at the Wetumpka Family YMCA. and takes runners through a portion of things that he does on a regular basis Games will start March 18 and end May the Alabama Nature Center’s 5-mile trail inside Photoshop: 1) correcting improp13. There is a $70 fee for members and system. There will also be a 1-mile race erly exposed photo and color balance 2) $140 for non-members. After March 1 a beginning at 10 a.m. Shirts are guaranteed cropping photos 3) retouching photos and for participants registering before January removing objects 4) using the liquidy tool 5) late fee will be charged. This league is for 30, 2017. Extras will be ordered but run green screen extractions. Everyone is invit- students ages 6-17. For more information, contact Scot Patterson at (334) 567-8282 out fast. Pre-registration cost is $25 (5K) ed to this lunch and learn event at 12 p.m. or spatterson@ymcamontgomery.org. or $20 (1 Mile). Day-Of Registration we in the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery will add an additional $5. Prizes will be 408 South Main St. in Wetumpka. Bring a awarded so sign up to run wild today! sack lunch. Drinks and dessert provided. February 2 Participants may pick up race packets at This is in conjunction with the exhibition Registration opens for mini-soccer and America the Beautiful. If you have any will continue until March 1 at the Wetumpka the ANC Pavilion Friday, February 10th, from 1p.m-5 p.m. An addition to the line-up questions Please call Cookie Knott 567Family YMCA. This will be a fun and excit0050 ing introduction to soccer for children ages at this year’s event there will be a costume contest, so be creative and run as 4 -7. This sport is for boys and girls who an Alabama critter! Music and food will be want to learn the fundamentals of soccer. January 18 provided, plus door prizes and lots of room Practices will be structured around teachThere will be a countrywide infrastrucfor kids to play. All races start and finish at ing the basic skills needed in soccer. There ture meeting at 9 a.m. at the Highway the ANC NaturePlex. Please visit www.alais a $60 fee for members and a $120 fee Department. bamawildlife.org or call Matt Vines at 334for non-members. For more information, 285-4550 for more information or register contact Scott Patterson at (334) 567-8282 online at www.active.com. January 19 or spatterson@ymcamontgomery.org. • Join us for our 2017 Brantwood “Ladies Drawing Nigh” will take place Children’s Home’s Love Run 5k from 7:30 at 6:30 p.m. at Grandview Pines Baptist February 4 a.m.- 9:30a.m. at Paterson Field, located Church, located at 346 Deatsville Highway Paint the Park for Jody will begin at 7:30 at 1201 Madison Avenue in Montgomery. in Millbrook. This will be a great time with a.m. with registration and packet pickup at Deemed “the toughest 5k in Montgomery”, the ladies ministry of food, fellowship and Gold Star Park in downtown Wetumpka. our race was designed intentionally to Bible study. Contact the church at (334) The Color Fun Run begins at 9 a.m. with simulate the challenges and hardships our 285-5125 for more information. a Paint Party in the park immediately folchildren have had to face in their lives. As lowing. The fee for early registration is $35 you cross the finish line atop Brantwood’s January 20 and the deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 25. hill, our children will be there cheering you America’s Top Southern Gospel Quartet After that the registration fee will increase on all the way. Early registration is $25 is coming to Calvary Baptist Church to $40. Registration will be available with the proceeds providing food, clothing, Wetumpka at 7 p.m. The Triumphant the day of the race. All proceeds will go and shelter for our 30 children. All runners Quartet is an Award winning group whose towards supporting the Jody Marie Sanford will receive goodie bags, t-shirts, and a songs have topped the charts. They have Memorial Scholarship Fund. Jody was a fabulous breakfast catered by Wind Creek also been nominated for Dove Awards as Wetumpka High School student and cross Good to Go food truck. well as Grammy Awards. A love offering will country athlete who passed away Feb. 4, Registration can be found on be received for this concert. 2014. For online registration please visit Brantwood’s webpage and on www.active. Visit their website http://www.triumhttps://runsignup/Race/AL/Wetumpka/ com. For additional information, please call phantquartet.com/ to learn more about this PainttheParkforJody5KColorFunRun. If you Krystal at 334-549-5988. wonderful group of talented men who love have any questions call (334) 685-3525 or • Sidewalk Prophets will be performing Jesus and proclaim Him through their lives (334) 430-6627. at Benjamin Russell, located at 375 Lee and music. The church is located at 504 St., Alexander City, from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. West Osceola St. in Wetumpka. For more Doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 February 5 information contact the church office at and can be purchased at the following Join us for Murder on the Menu at 334-567-4729 or visit us online at www.callink: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sidethe Wetumpka Public Library, located at varybaptistwetumpka.org or our Facebook walk-prophets-prodigal-tour-immersive-con410 S. Main Street, from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. page @calvarybaptistwetumpka. cert-experience-alexander-city-al-tickfor a fabulous day with mystery authors ets-30167714446 from around the country. Tickets are January 21 $40 each and include a great catered Little Miss Wetumpka Pageant 2017 will lunch. To see a list of scheduled authors February 16 and 23, March 2, 9, 16 be held Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m. at the visit http://www.wetumpkalibrary. and 23 Wetumpka High School Commons com/Default.asp?ID=770&pg=MurLearn the basics of honeybee manageder+on+the+Menu+2017. ment in a six- week Beginning Beekeeping
January 22
There will be a men and boys breakfast at 7:30 a.m. This is open to all area men and boys. This breakfast is a time of great food, fun and fellowship. Visit www.calvarybaptistwetumpka.org or our Facebook page @calvarybaptistwetumpka for more
February 9-11, 16-19, 23-25
The Wetumpka Depot Players Present: Ring of Fire: the Music of Johnny Cash. From the songbook of Johnny Cash comes this unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, and home and
Class at the Elmore County Extension Auditorium located at 340 Queen Ann Road in Wetumpka. There is a $50 fee per person if registered by February 10. After that the fee will increase to $75 per person. Contact the Central Alabama Beekeepers Association at (334) 334-799-2254 or visit
AGAPE of Central Alabama is proud to announce the 3rd Annual Connecting Hearts event with special guests Katherine and Jay Wolf of Hope Heals Ministry. The Connecting Hearts event will take place at the Alley Station Warehouse in downtown Montgomery, from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m, preceded by a VIP meet and greet from 6 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. and a book signing for all guests from 6:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Sponsorship opportunities are currently available. In April 2008, 26-year- old Katherine suffered a massive brain stem stroke. Not expected to live or recover, she instead relearned to eat, speak and walk. In spite of double vision, deafness, facial paralysis and diminished fine motor skills, she thrives as a wife and mom. Now she and Jay, a Montgomery native, celebrate the beauty of life and parenthood as well as the pain, and share their story through the full-time ministry of Hope Heals. Your support of this event will impact children throughout Central Alabama. AGAPE of Central Alabama is a ministry that helps children by connecting hearts through foster care and adoption. There are so many children in our area that need a loving home, and Agape sets out to match children with nurturing Christian families. You don’t want to miss this special event. To learn more, or to become a sponsor for the 2017 Connecting Hearts event, contact Steve Duer or call 334-272-9466 Tickets available at www.eventbrite.com
March 1- April 14
Registration for 2017 T-Ball will open at the Wetumpka Family YMCA. This will be a fun introduction to baseball. This program is designed for boys and girls ages 4-6 who want to learn the basics of baseball. Practices and games are scheduled to increase knowledge of the game of baseball. Games will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is a $70 for members and a $140 fee for non-members. For more information, contact Scot Patterson at (334) 567-8282 or spatterson@ymcamontgomery.org.
April 22
Join us for the inaugural Poker for P-Pod at 2 p.m. at It’ll Do Tavern, located at 557 N Eastern Boulevard in Montgomery. All proceeds will go to the Peyton Elizabeth Cox Memorial Scholarship, created to honor the life and legacy of our beloved P-Pod. Peyton was a well-rounded mix of beauty, brains, and talent. Her love for softball only came second to her academics. We have created this scholarship to honor one graduating senior softball player from Wetumpka High School that we feel best represents Peyton and the things that were most important to her. The scholarship will be managed by Elmore County Community Foundation. For more information visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ events/109509359551870/.
ONGOING EVENTS • Celebrate Recovery meets at Grace Point Community Church, located at 78223 Tallassee Highway, every Tuesday night at 6:15 p.m. All are welcome! These meetings are a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits, and hang-ups! For more information visit gracepoint.info. • Celebrate Recovery meets at Journey Church, located at 2960 East Cobbs Ford Road every Monday at 5:30 p.m. There is a meal and childcare provided. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step for anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues. Call Larry at (334) 832-5714 or visit myjourneychurch.com for more information. • Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday evening at 6:15 p.m. at Santuck Baptist Church, located at 7250 Central Plank Road. This is a Christ centered 12 step program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Call (334) 567-2364 for more information. • Fresh Start Recovery meets every Thursday from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church Wetumpka located at 306 W Tuskeena Street. Fresh Start Motorcycle Ministry began when God laid it on the heart of a lifetime biker to minister to those with his background. All are welcome, not a requirement to own/ ride a motorcycle. Format used is the Holy Bible. For information contact ministry leader Paul Henderson at (334) 201-5428. • Gamblers Anonymous meets Saturdays at 6 p.m. at Cedarwood Community Church, located at 10286 U.S. Highway 231 in the Wallsboro/ Wetumpka community. Call (334) 567-0476 for more information. • Beginning on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, the DAC Foundation exhibit located at 219 Hill Street in downtown Wetumpka will be open each Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm. Our first exhibit at this location, features work by Dixie Art Colony artists Arthur Stewart, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Shiney Moon, Lousie Everton, Karl Wolfe, Billy Wilson and Genevieve Sutherland. Some of the work has never been publicly shown. For information visit DixieArtColony.org or follow us on Facebook.
SPORTS
PAGE A12 • JANUARY 11, 2017
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THE WETUMPKA HERALD
Byrd lands All-USA Alabama Team honors By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor
Cory Diaz / The Herald
Stanhope Elmore senior tight end Zech Byrd (3) was named by USA Today to the first-team offense of America Family Insurance’s All-USA Alabama football team.
Zech Byrd said this past football season he thought he was the top tight end in the state. Last month, the Stanhope Elmore senior may have had his belief validated as he was named to the 2016 American Family Insurance All-USA Alabama Football Team as the first-team tight end, announced Dec. 28 via USA Today. Byrd (6-foot-6, 235) is currently listed as a threestar high school prospect and Alabama’s No. 1 tight end, according the 247sports composite. “I’m the No. 1 tight end in Alabama; a lot (makes me the top tight end), for real,” Byrd said back in October. “I know what it takes and I show it every Friday night. “When we’re facing adversity and our team’s down, you know, you’ve got to have somebody make a play to pick the whole team up. So I try and make a play.” The Millbrook product
caught the recruiting trail by storm last March, going without an offer to receiving nine in an eight-day span. Before his senior year started with the Mustangs, Byrd verbally committed to Florida Aug. 6, choosing the Gators over Alabama, Michigan, Ole Miss, Troy and others. “Florida, they showed me the most love. That’s why I made the decision,” he said at the time. “And it’s a good school for my position.” As for why he chose Florida, Byrd said there were several factors. “They told me they want to put me everywhere because I’m a mismatch problem. How the staff is, how they say they’re going to use me. How often my family will be able to come down there because my mom said she’s going to move down there when I get down there anyway.” Byrd played nine games with Stanhope his season year, finishing with 27 receptions for 376 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
Lady Wildcats run past EMCA, boys fall By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor
The Edgewood Academy girls erupted for 23 points in the third quarter to pull away, 57-31, at East Memorial Christian Thursday. Leading 20-15 at halftime, sophomore twoguard C.J. Weldon and junior point guard Kaitlyn Sampson ignited the Lady Wildcats, combining for 14 points, to help push the lead out of reach at 43-25 heading to the final period. EA’s defense held East Memorial to 10 points in the third. With the win, EA improved to 8-7, over .500 since the second week of the 2016-17 season, and completed the sweep versus EMCA. Edgewood assistant coach Jay Adam coached both the EA girls and boys as head coach Chris George missed Thursday’s games due to a family emergency.
Sampson finished with a team-high 17 points and Weldon had 11. Senior forward Kevi Hansen added 14 points. Point guard Jordan Gilmore posted a gamehigh 20 points to lead East Memorial. The Edgewood boys never found their footing Thursday, falling behind, 17-6, less than six minutes into the ballgame. Four EMCA players scored in double figures, paced by Aaron Watkins’ 27 points, as the homestanding Wildcats waxed EA, 84-27. Sophomore 6-foot-6 center Byron Simmons led Edgewood with seven points, as East Memorial limited EA’s offense to single digits each quarter. Edgewood scoring leader Reece George was held to a season-low four points. EA traveled to Lee-Scott Academy Tuesday and host Tuscaloosa Academy Thursday.
Cory Diaz / The Herald
Edgewood Academy junior point guard Kaitlyn Sampson (3) dribbles past East Memorial Christian Academy point guard Jordan Gilmore (3) during Thursday’s non-region game at EMCA.
Lady Panthers stay unbeaten in area play, down DHS; boys come up short By CATHY HIGGINS Staff Writer
The Elmore County girls basketball team remained undefeated in Class 4A, Area 5 play, earning a 59-44 victory at Dadeville Jan. 3. The Lady Panthers, who now sit atop the standings at 3-0 in the area, controlled the game from the start, outscoring Dadeville 13-6 in the first quarter. Dadeville Dadeville trailed at the half by 10 points at 27-17. The second half opened with the Lady Panthers stretching their lead to
16 at 44-28 by the end of the third quarter. The teams played evenly in the final stanza, but with Elmore County leading steadily for most of the contest, the Lady Panthers eased to victory. Dadeville varsity girls basketball head coach Pam Holloway tipped her hat to the Lady Panthers for their performance. The Lady Tigers were led by Dadeville junior guard Quanesha Presley, who had 16 points. She had help from sophomore center Jasmine Hill with 10 points. The Elmore County boys came up just short, letting Dadeville slip past in
the fourth quarter in the 44-40 loss. Earlier this season, the Panthers edged the Tigers at home, 55-50, and the team held on to that slim advantage through the first half of the Jan. 3 matchup, leading 24-22 at halftime. Dadeville flipped its fortune in the second half, holding senior guard and ECHS leading scorer Tyric Belyeu without a basket. Averaging 22.2 points per contest, Belyeu mustered just 2 points against the Tiger defense. Leading the Tigers in the win was Dadeville junior guard Jalen Sullivan with 14 points. He had help from freshman guard Jamarion Wilkerson with
12 points and junior small forward Donquavious Tucker with 11. Dadeville varsity boys basketball head coach Rodney Taylor was pleased with his Tigers’ performance after meeting the Panthers before the Christmas break. “We lost 55-50 over there,” he said. “We put in a game plan to try to hold their best player down, No. 2 (Tyric Belyeu), and I thought for the most part we executed well.” ECHS continued Area 5 play at Alabama Christian Academy Tuesday and will travel to county rival Holtville Thursday.
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Eclectic Observer The
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 11, 2017
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 28, No. 2
Town to see water treatment changes
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The Town of Eclectic is preparing to make upgrades to its wastewater treatment system through the construction of a new treatment facility to work in conjunction with the town’s aging and filling wastewater lagoon. Town officials recently
met with state Sen. Clyde Chambliss, owner of Chambliss Engineering, to discuss what option would best suit Eclectic. Mayor Gary Davenport said the bid process for the job would be the next step the job would be put out for bid this month. “We are in the process now of meeting with the engineer and the different
folks involved with that to set out for bids,” said Davenport. He said they met with the senior engineer, Chambliss, at the end of December to review the site, and have specifications drawn. “We will be treating 50 percent of our wastewater through the package plant and the other 50
will go into the existing lagoon, which will take the strain off the lagoon,” Davenport said. He said the town had used the current lagoon for about 18 or 19 years and it was designed to last roughly 20. With expansions to local industries like Madix and the school system plus See WASTEWATER • Page B3
Winter weather doesn’t pan out
County clean-up day set for Saturday By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
Elmore County will partner with Advanced Disposal to hold its first county clean-up day of 2017 on Saturday with citizens able to bring household and lawn trash to one of six sites throughout the county for disposal between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. According to Elmore County Engineer Richie Beyer, five of the six sites – Central Elmore Water and Sewer’s Redland Road facility, the Elmore County Judicial Complex, Emerald Mountain Equestrian Center, Holtville High School and the Old Highway Department on Channa Road in Kent – available Saturday will be constant and the sixth site will rotate between the Town of Elmore’s annex building and the Coosada Post Office. That is a change from previously when 10 sites were used every even month and the two others every odd month. In all, Elmore County has been providing drop-off spots for household and lawn trash to its citizens for almost 15 years. “We’ve been doing cleanup days since about 2003 in one shape or form,” Beyer said. “We had just a limited number of sites when it first started because the county had two transfer stations at old, old landfill sites that See CLEANUP • Page B2
Officials say taking precautions was worth it By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor USA Softball / The Herald
Elissa Brown waits for a pitch at the tryouts for the USA Junior National women’s softball team in Clearwater, Florida. Brown was named to the training team and now has a 17 in 24 chance to make the USA Junior National team.
MOVING ON UP
Brown claims Team USA Training Camp spot By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor
First in line at her position for Team USA tryouts allowed Elissa Brown an immediate opportunity to settle down and impress. And the current University of Alabama freshman softball player did both during the two-day 2017 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team Selection Camp over New Year’s in Clearwater, Florida, earning one of 24 training camp spots for the USA’s Junior World Championship team. Brown found out Jan. 3 by e-mail. “There were only seven outfielders, six true outfielders,” Brown said. “I thought I did really good. I was the first in line, because I was (wearing) No. 1, and the coaches were hitting balls everywhere. My balls were going behind me, around me and I got to showcase my talent and speed already. See BROWN • Page B2
See WEATHER • Page B2
By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Wildlife food plots in Alabama have suffered because of the recent drought and some hunters are trying to increase their chances of harvesting a deer by disregarding a long-standing law. Hunting game over bait is Submitted / The Herald illegal in Alabama, but the A feeder surrounded by a pile of corn is located directly in front of a shooting house. This is a violation of Alabama’s See HUNTING • Page B2 baiting law.
The Eclectic Girls Club will hold its semi-annual meeting today at the Kountry Kitchen in downtown Eclectic. According to Penny Nichols Holley, program director for the group, the ladies will here from Eclectic Mayor Gary Davenport about happenings in town government. “We say that we start at 10:30 a.m., but ladies will start straggling in before then,” said Holley. “We’ll have our program, a devotional, eat and enjoy some fellowship.”
Today’s
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For several days last week, television and National Weather Service meteorologists forecast winter weather for the area in the form of snow, sleet or ice. Plans were made early Thursday afternoon to close schools on Friday. Just hours before the storm was scheduled to hit the area, the county and the City of Wetumpka closed roads. The city also had its sand truck at the ready if it were needed. As it turned out, Elmore County received very little in the way of frozen precipitation. Roads remained relatively passable. There were reports of few trees downed by the little ice that did fall. Elmore County’s schoolchildren got a snow day, but no snow. It isn’t the first time it has happened and, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Nathan Owen, it won’t likely be the last. “To get any kind of winter weather really need enough moisture and the cold air to occur in the same location and a lot of times you have one or the other, but seldom do they occur together,” said Owen. “You have to get some type of precipitation when not just the surface is below freezing, but the entire atmospheric column. And predicting where that moisture, which in this part of the country generally comes from the south off of the Gulf, and that cold enough air is going to meet so that there’s frozen precipitation is extremely tough.”
Eclectic Girls Club meets today
Hunting over bait still illegal in Alabama
70 53
Corey Arwood / The Herald
Eclectic’s wastewater lagoon is expected to be supplemented with a package plant to increase the treatment capacities of the reservoir.
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The cost of the meal is $10, Holley said. Holley said that 40-60 ladies show up on average and some travel in from out of town. “It shows how strong the connection to this wonderful little town is,” said Holley. Holley said attendees range in age from “50ish” to in their 90s. “But anyone is welcome to come,” she said. “In fact, we’d like to have some younger ladies there, but we know it’s tough for them during the week because most of them are working. But they are welcome.”
PAGE B2 • JANUARY 11, 2017
Brown
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
continued from page 1
“With our hitting, we did a bunch of scrimmage games. We hit against 12 different pitchers. I got on base, slapping, running fast, I stole a base. I felt good about the entire weekend. I compared myself to the other girls, because that’s who I was really competing against, and I felt confident the whole time.” Tryouts wrapped up Sunday afternoon and Brown, along with her family, drove back home to Eclectic Monday, waiting for the announcement from Team USA the following day at 11 a.m. “I was really excited. I couldn’t believe it the whole weekend that I was trying out for Team USA – and then I made it,” Brown said. “I was extremely happy and excited. My parents were already telling me they were proud of me. I know they were happy for me.” Her parents weren’t the only ones happy for Brown, as UA softball coach Patrick Murphy called her two minutes after Team USA released the names of the girls that will compete June 10-17 in Oklahoma City for one of 17 roster spots. Murphy and Brown believe her upcoming freshman campaign with powerhouse Alabama will give her an advantage to make the final cut for the Junior National squad. “A lot of them will be juniors and seniors in high school, and I’ll be competing with the best this year. This summer, I’ll be competing against the best also, but I’ll already have a leg up on them,” she said. “Murphy said just take advantage of that because we’re going to be working hard. “I will be prepared, I’ll be in shape -- I’ll be way better when summer comes than I am right now.”
Wastewater
Counterfeit bills reported to the police By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Funny money is circulating in the area. Dadeville Police Chief David Barbour says there have been a few cases where businesses have accepted money that is not legitimate. What is being passed is play money – no this is not money from Monopoly, but from the movies. “In the last week or so several fake bills have shown up in the Dadeville area in denominations from fives to $100 bills better know as motion picture money,” Barbour said. “The bills are clearly marked motion picture.” Barbour said the bills started to circulate in Dadeville businesses last week and that they are looking into the matter. In August 2016, similar bills were reported being passed in Baldwin County and in September of 2016, a Decatur woman passed similar bills to purchase a vehicle. Alexander City also had a report from a local business of receiving counterfeit money. Alexander City Police Department Capt. James Easterwood said that a phony $110 showed up at a local restaurant on Jan. 2. “We had a report from the Wendy’s on Highway 280 of a counterfeit $100,” Easterwood said. “Unfortunately they didn’t have any idea as to who may have passed the bill. It wasn’t discovered until the end of the night as they were checking up on the day’s
Submitted / The Herald
Officials caution consumers counterfeit $100 bills are circulating the area.
receipts.” Easterwood warned that even though a business may be busy, employees can safeguard themselves by taking time to look closely at each bill before putting it in the drawer. As for the bills that were passed in Dadeville, Barbour has some advice to spot them. “I am suggesting that folks look at their bills closely to look for the marking of ‘For Motion Picture Use Only’ on their bills,” Barbour said. “If you come across one of these type of bills please contact your local law enforcement agencies.”
continued from page 1
new houses built within town limits, Davenport said they had nearly met the limit on the amount of water that could be processed. Davenport said right now that capacity stands at 70,000 gallons of wastewater a day, however after the upgrades it would increase to roughly 100,000. At their meeting Chambliss said they met with different people who presented a variety of treatment methods and the town considered the pros and cons of each. “What we’ll do, we’ll put together a set of specifications that will include these different technologies and put it out on bids and make decisions based on numbers instead of ‘guesstimates,’” Chambliss said. He said the project had begun about six or seven years ago and it had taken about three years to get to the current stage. Chambliss said he had just received draft permits from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the combined use of a facility and lagoon had slowed that process. He said it made the project unique. As for what residents should expect when the development is complete, Chambliss said, “They’ll never know its there. They’ll just continue to send their wastewater to us like they always have, but it’ll be there doing its job 24/7.”
Hunting
The Wetumpka Herald
Submitted / The Herald
Not all of Alabama escaped the winter weather this past weekend. Here, Alabama National Guard Soldiers attach an 18-wheeler to a wrecker on Hwy. 59 in Birmingham, Alabama, Jan. 7. continued from page 1
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources continues to receive calls asking if the law has changed. “There is a rumor being passed around that we’re allowing hunting over bait because of the drought, and that is absolutely not true,” said Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director Chuck Sykes. What Alabama does have is an “area definition” regulation that allows for supplemental feeding, but not baiting of game. The area definition applies to hunting deer and feral swine on private land. It states that there shall be a rebuttable presumption that any bait or feed located beyond 100 yards and not within the line of sight of the hunter, is not a lure or attractant on the area where the hunter is attempting to or taking deer or feral swine. “Not within the line of sight” means hidden from view by natural vegetation or terrain features. ADCNR regularly uses fixed-wing aircraft to conduct wildlife surveys and aid in law enforcement surveillance efforts. Recently, those flights have documented many illegal bait sites. “In just a two-hour period, we documented more than 50 illegal bait sites in one county,” Sykes said. “So we know that it’s a problem, and our officers will be writing tickets for this violation. “I know that hunters are frustrated that their food plots greened up late − or not at all − because of the drought, but that doesn’t change our hunting laws,” Sykes said. To read the full area definition regulation, visit http://www.outdooralabama.com/area-regulation.
Weather In fact, predicting the location where the moisture meets air cold for winter weather is sometimes not possible until the weather happens, Owen said. Which make the job of Elmore County Emergency Management Agency Director Eric Jones, who people in positions of authority often look to for advice on school, business and road closings, all the more difficulty. “These are extremely difficult things for our National Weather Service meteorologists to forecast because they don’t see them very often, but we have to depend on the warning information and the forecasts,” said Jones. “We can’t look at the forecast and
Cleanup were closed out. Over time, those were not getting any real use by the public and so we swapped over and added more sites for the county-wide clean-up in exchange for those drop-off sites that were out away from populated areas.” Beyer said the five sites that will remain constant were based on the volumes received at those sites over the past several years. He said the sites at Holtville and Redland will likely top the 100-ton
continued from page 1
say, ‘Well, I don’t think they’re right on this one. We’re going to roll the dice on this one.’ That’s how you end up in situations where you’ve got kids staying in schools overnight and people trapped on the side of the roadway. “There may be someone out there who thinks it was an overreaction, but my thing is I appreciate the efforts that everybody went through. The local officials, the department heads and agencies . And the public all seemed to do a very good job of preparing for what the weather forecasts were saying was going to happen.”
continued from page 1
mark for 2016 with the other sites that will remain constant each month accepting at least 25-30 tons for the year. Materials that are not accepted at the drop-off sites include appliances, batteries, paints or thinners, oils and gases. All tree limbs must be no longer than four feet and no more than six inches in diameter. The clean-up day is intended for residents only. No contractors are allowed.
The Wetumpka Herald
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
JANUARY 11, 2017 • PAGE B3
Citizen groups plan MLK Jr. Day events Scale Back Alabama organizes is called, “Celebrating the Life and Legacey of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.” She said this was her first event with the group, which she described saying, “It is just a group of concerned citizens of Wetumpka.” In retrospect of the events across the nation of the turbulent 2015 and 2016 years, Marshall said she wanted to help starting at home. “I wanted to start doing something in the community, try to bridge the gap with all the races and to celebrate MLK,” Marshall said. “I think this is just a great opportunity for us to come together.” On Monday at 11 a.m. a march has been planned to begin from Rodger’s Chapel and to continue down Bridge Street over the historic Bibb Graves Bridge and to culminate at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Dwight Eaves, 53, said he had participated in the event for roughly 23 years, and was one of the
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Two citizen groups arranged Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations in Wetumpka, with one event including a series of speakers and songs scheduled Sunday at a local church and the other with plans of a Monday march to the Civic Center. An organizer of the Sunday event said it will be held at First Presbyterian Church at 3 p.m. with two Elmore County judges set to speak along with local pastors, followed by musical selections performed by combined choirs. Estelle Marshall of Wetumpka, said Juvenile Judge Patrick Pinkston and District Judge Bill Lewis are slated to speak. First Presbyterian Pastor Jonathan Yarborough and Pastor Arthur Smith of St. James Family Worship will close the event. Marshall said the event her group
founding members to start the tradition out of Wetumpka’s Level Community. He said it was started with the well-being of the community’s children in mind, and described the formation of the march by saying it started with, “A bunch of people in the neighborhood. Not an organization, just the community.” “It’s history,” said Eaves. “A couple of guys trying to do something positive, and it just went from there.” He said their goal was to grow the event with a special focus this year on making sure residents of all races knew this was a holiday of inclusion. “We want everybody to come out,” said Eaves. “It’s a national holiday and we’re trying to push it as a national holiday. We’re asking everybody to come out and march.” Local Elmore County Pastor Taron Jordan is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the event.
Police Briefs City of Wetumpka Dec. 31
• There was a report was made of theft of property, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, at ABC Beverages on U.S. Highway 231. The incident was said to have occurred Dec. 31 at 2:15 p.m. The item listed as stolen was a bottle of Remy Martin Cognac valued at $30.
Jan. 2
• There was a report made of criminal trespassing, a third-degree misdemeanor, on the 300 block of River Crest Drive. The incident was said to have occurred Dec. 30 between 1:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Jan. 3
• There was a report made of theft of property, a first-degree felony, at Precision Floor Care. The incident was said to have occurred between Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. and Jan. 3 at 8 a.m. The item listed as stolen was a 2009 Navajo 12 foot enclosed utility trailer. • There was a report made of mail theft, a felony, on Huckleberry Lane. The incident was said to have occurred between Dec. 22 at 6 a.m. and Jan. 2 at 6 a.m. There was an undisclosed amount of various types of mail stolen.
Jan. 4
• There was a report made of unlawful possession of marijuana, a second-degree misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, on the 7300 block of U.S. Highway 231. The incident was said to have occurred Jan. 4 at 9:43 p.m. The items listed in possession were one prescription bottle containing possible marijuana and one clear plastic bottle with a Craftsman 5/32 socket used to smoke marijuana with.
Jan. 5
• There was a report made of attempted burglary, a felony, on the 200 block of Richard Road. The incident was said to have occurred
Jan. 5 at 5:25 a.m. • There was a report made of possession of burglar’s tools, a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, in the Taco Bell parking lot on U.S. Highway 231. The incident was said to have occurred Jan. 5 at 11:20 p.m. The items listed in possession were one syringe and one lock-pick set. • There was a report of burglary, a third-degree felony, and theft of property, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, on the 1000 block of North Bridge Street. The incident was said to have occurred between Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. and Jan. 5 at 8:30 a.m. The items listed as stolen were a black Emerson 32-inch flat screen television valued at $300 and an assortment of meats valued at $100. • There was a report made of possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, at Marathon Gas Station located on Highway 14. The incident was said to have occurred Jan. 5 at 10:42 p.m. The item listed in possession was one clear glass pipe used to smoke methamphetamines with residue. • There was a report made of accidental property damage on the 700 block of Marshall Street. The incident was said to have occurred Jan. 3 between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. The property damage was not listed.
on the 2900 block of Mount Hebron Road in Eclectic. The incident was said to have occurred Dec. 29 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The item listed as stolen was a box of cell phone cases valued at $30. • There was a report made of domestic violence harassment, a third-degree misdemeanor, and domestic violence criminal mischief, also a third-degree misdemeanor on the 1300 block of Mack Taylor Road in Tallassee. The incident was said to have occurred Dec. 29 between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The items listed as damaged were an external double-pane window valued at $150 and an external door window valued at $250. • There was a report made of trespassing, a third-degree misdemeanor, on the 500 North Ridge in Alexander City. The incident was said to have occurred between Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. and Dec. 29 at 7:41 p.m.
Dec. 30
• There was a report made of harassing communications, a misdemeanor, on the 90 block of Woodland Path in Wetumpka. The incident was said to have occurred between Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. and Dec. 30 at 8:57 a.m. • There was a report made of theft of property, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, at Merry Wood Lodge Health Care. The incident was said to have occurred Dec. 30 at 9:15 a.m. The item listed as stolen was $60 in cash. • There was a report made of burglary, a third-degree felony, and theft of property, a first-degree felony, on the 11000 block of Central Plank Road in Eclectic. The incident was said to have occurred between Dec. 28 at 8 a.m. and Dec. 30 at 12 p.m. The items listed as stolen were one pair of leather boots, a Bear Archery bow, a Matthews Mission Archery Bow, a Remington .20 gauge, a .22 Magnum, a.270 gun, and a .22 semi-automatic rifle.
kicks off its 11th year
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
A new year is the perfect time to shed those extra pounds, and the state’s largest weight loss and physical activity competition can help you do that. Scale Back Alabama is an eight-week statewide program that encourages Alabamians to eat healthier, exercise, and have fun while doing it. Cash prize drawings are held for teams and individuals that lose at least 10 pounds, and participants receive weekly tips on ways they can improve their health. This year’s contest began with a kickoff Monday in Montgomery and a challenge from the city of Montgomery. Michael Briddell, director of public information and external affairs for the city, called out fellow city administrators and mayors to join Montgomery in participating in the contest. “In Montgomery, we are not only concerned about roads and buildings, but also about the health of our citizens,” said Briddell. “We have participated in this exciting program for many years; it’s a fun way to develop some healthy habits, and the results have been amazing. I urge all cities to encourage their staff and their citizens to participate.” Locally, Total Fitness of Russell Medical is serving as a weigh-in location. The dates for weigh-ins are: • Jan. 11 (Wednesday): 12-1 p.m. & 5-7 p.m. • Jan. 13 (Friday): 12-1 p.m. • Jan. 16 (Monday): 12-1 p.m. & 5-7 p.m. • Jan. 18 (Wednesday): 12-1 p.m. & 5-7 p.m. The contest that began with a challenge from American Idol winner Ruben Studdard in 2006 has continued to be a staple in many companies, hospitals, health departments and other organizations, with millions of pounds lost over the 11-year history. Last year, 10,826 teams of two participated, a total of 21,652 people. More than 1,000 of those teams had each team member lose 10 pounds, and there was a total of 76,485 pounds lost. The program is free, and two-member teams can register to participate at scalebackalabama. com. Participants must be 18 years of age, live in Alabama or work in Alabama, and must weigh in during the week of January 11–18 at an official weigh-in site. Public weigh-in sites are listed on the Scale Back Alabama website. Scale Back Alabama is a public awareness program sponsored by the Alabama Hospital Association, the Alabama Department of Public Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.
Elmore County Sheriff’s Office Dec. 28
• There was a report made of theft of property, a second-degree felony, on the 4300 block of Red Hill Road in Tallassee. The incident was said to have occurred between Dec. 26 at 12 p.m. and Dec. 28 at 10:30 p.m. The items listed as stolen were a Cobra CB38 Derringer valued at $200 and a North American Revolver .22 Long valued at $250.
Dec. 29
• There was a report made of theft of property, a fourth-degree misdemeanor,
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PAGE B4 • JANUARY 11, 2017
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
The Wetumpka Herald
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