Jan 17, 2017 Tallassee Tribune by Tallapoosa Publishers

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Lilly Belle Pet of the Week

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January 18, 2017

Higgins named Chief of Police

TALLASSEETRIBUNE.COM

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

Mayor Johnny Hammock and the Tallassee City Council held a work session and special-called city council meeting to discuss the two possible candidates for the city’s new Chief of Police, finally settling on Tallassee native Matthew Higgins, whose experience includes 22

years with the Montgomery Police Department. Originally, there were close to 30 applicants to choose from. The mayor and the council spent about 45 minutes with each candidate to see who would be the most qualified to lead the City of Tallassee’s police force. Through the interview process, the search pool was

narrowed to two of the most qualified to fill this important position. The city council chose Higgins over the othere finalist for the position, Leo McCall McCall has a bachelor’s degree in general counseling and a bachelor’s in criminal justice, both from Alabama State University. He is currently a patrol ser-

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geant for the Tallassee Police Department. McCall has been with TPD for over four years. He was a Montgomery Airport Authority Police Officer and he served on the Montgomery Police Department. Higgins lives in Tallassee with his wife and children. He was a bomb squad comCarmen Rodgers / The Tribune mander for Autauga County Mayor Johnny Hammock, right, congratulates See CHIEF • Page 3 Matthew Higgins after city council selected him as Tallassee’s new police chief.

Protect yourself against tax fraud

Tallassee Chamber banquet set for Jan. 26

STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

As tax season approaches, the Internal Revenue Service is encouraging taxpayers to be cautious of scam artists who seek to steal personal information in order to fraudulently collect income tax refunds. Every year, there is an increase in schemes aimed at innocent taxpayers by email, by phone and on-line. The IRS and Security Summit partners remind taxpayers and tax professionals to be on the lookout for these deceptive schemes. “Whether it’s during the holidays or the approach of tax season, scam artists look for ways to use tax agencies and the tax industry to trick and confuse people,” said IRS Commissioner John See FRAUD • Page 3

Today’s

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By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune

MLK Day marchers sang, held hands and carried a banner, which read “Tallassee Keeping The Dream Alive”, along the way over their mile long route through Jordanville to Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Log Circle.

‘I HAVE A DREAM’ Tallassee remembers Martin Luther King Jr. with march

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

The Martin Luther King Day march set out from Gilmer Avenue on a bright and sunny Monday morning. Marchers sang, held hands and carried a banner, which read “Tallassee Keeping The Dream Alive,” along the way over their mile-long route. The march began at East Tallassee United Methodist Church. Mayor Johnny Hammock and his son, Hunter, along with councilmen Damian Carr and Darrell Wilson and his wife, Suzannah, joined the group as they gathered before the march. Tallassee’s new Police Chief, Matthew Higgins, along with Assistant Chief Ken Smith, and Cpl. Bryan Clayton escorted the group of marchers as they made their way down Jordan Avenue. The march concluded at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Log Circle where a ceremony was held commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. Former councilman Charles Blalock, who served on Tallassee’s city council for 29 years, opened the ceremony. Blalock explained part of the deeply rooted history of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. “This church used to be located by the train station,” Blalock said. “But they moved it because every time a train would come, everybody inside the church would run outside to see

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who was on the train.” Mayor Hammock spoke to the crowd. Hammock explained that his vision for Tallassee includes everyone, regardless of race. “I’m overwhelmed with joy to be here with you all day,” Hammock said. “I want to say a few words about Dr. Martin Luther King. In 1955 he helped organize and lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In 1963 he organized the march on Washington D.C. where he gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1965 he helped organize the march from Selma to Montgomery. Then in 1968 on, April 4, he was cut down in his prime at the age of 39. In those 39 short years what he did for AfricanAmerican people has yet to be met by anyone else. He died as a martyr for this country and we celebrate him to this day.” Following Mayor Hammock, Chief Higgins addressed the crowd. “I am honored to be a part of this today,” he said. “I am honored to be your new police chief. I want to be more than your police chief. We’re standing in a church; if you’re a believer then there is no color. If you are a believer, we are family. I want you all to know that I am here to serve everyone in Tallassee. My job is to protect and serve all citizens and I will do all that I can to do that.” Following Chief Higgins, guest speaker Dr. Brian Pleasant, with The Faith Church See KING • Page 2

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Obituaries Delphine Davidson

Mrs. Delphine Davidson, 85, of Tallassee, passed away January 14, 2017. She was born April 3, 1931. Funeral service will be Monday, January 16, at 1:00 p.m. from the Chapel at Linville Memorial Funeral Home with Minister Michael McElroy officiating. Burial will follow at Carrville Cemetery, Linville Memorial Funeral Home directing. Visitation will be at the funeral home prior the service beginning at 11:30 a.m. She is survived by daughter, Rhonda Shirley (Lynn); sons, Creg Davidson (Rita) and Jan Davidson; and grandchildren, Mallori Shirley, Dav Shirley (Reagen), Brad Davidson, Jeff Davidson (Cindy), Kristi Thomas (Mark), Cristal Davis (Bryan), Amber Baker and Kristi Neal (Richard); twenty-three great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Robert Davidson. Online condolences at www.linvillememorial.com. Linville Memorial Funeral Home Eclectic, Alabama

Mary Turner Dean

Mrs. Mary Turner Dean, 97, of Kent, passed away January 11, 2017. She was born August 24, 1919. Funeral service will be Friday, January 13, at 11 a.m., at Bethlehem East Baptist Church with Rev. Faron Golden and Wren Aaron officiating. Burial will follow in church cemetery, Linville Memorial Funeral Home directing. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service, beginning at 10 a.m. She is survived by a daughter, Linda Marvel; brother, D. L. Turner; son-inlaw, Warren Aaron; grandchildren, Wren Aaron (Sherry), Norman Dean (Alicia), Alicia Aaron Blevins (Michael), Ashley Dean Aaron (Clay); Mary Ellen Dickens (Jay), Matt Marvel (Candice) and Mason Marvel (Lizz); great grandchildren, Aubree Dean, Hayden Dean, Jackson Dean, Collin Dean, Kailey Birkeland (Dru), Lauren Farris (Nathan), Will Aaron, Thomas Aaron, Kam Marvel, Damon Marvel and Adalyn Marvel; and great great grandchildren, Brooklyn Farris, Caleb Farris and Evie Rose Birkeland. She is preceded in death by her husband, Clayton Dean; son, Harold Dean Sr.; daughter, Carolyn Dean Aaron; son-in-law, Jimmy Marvel; grandson, Harold Dean Jr.; sister, Laverne Gaither; and brothers, Milford Turner and Mark Turner. Online condolences at www.linvillememorial.com. Linville Memorial Funeral Home Eclectic, Alabama

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Kids’ connected world makes for hard parental decisions

’m going to sound a bit like my late father here, but kids today have it so easy. First of all, there’s the plethora of gadgets available for their entertainment, from the various Playstation and Xbox models to handheld Nintendos to cell phones that do almost everything any of the others do. When I was a kid, we had radio (FM if you were lucky, but AM was still the standard) and TV – and by TV I don’t mean Amazon Prime, Hulu or Netflix. I mean broadcastthrough-the air-without-the-aid-of satellite-dishes television. There were the three main networks (well, four if you count educational television): ABC, CBS and NBC. And those days were wonderful and community-building in that they gave us all something in common to talk about the next day. With just three networks, chances are that many were watching common shows that could be discussed over the water cooler. In my hometown of Opp, your either talked about the previous night’s show on WSFA-TV Channel 12 in Montgomery (was and always has been NBC), WTVYTV Channel 4 in Dothan (CBS) or WJHG-TV Channel 7 in Panama City, Florida (ABC). One day when I was a freshman at Auburn and visiting my parents, the television went out. Dad asked me to go with him to Alexander City to pick out a new one. When we got there, I was introduced to a brand-new way to watch of television – the satellite dish. The fellow at the electronics store was telling us about how we could get all kinds of

DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor

sports we didn’t currently get and, in general, greatly expand our television options. I had to have it. Dad, his interest piqued by the opportunity to watch the Atlanta Braves every night, went for it. It took a few days to lay the concrete pad the satellite required and install it, but, once it was in, I quickly became expert at finding what we wanted on that old handcranked satellite dish that was so big it was likely visible from the space. And, for a long time, much of the stuff out there in satellite world was free, but then DirecTV and Dish Network came along and monetized everything (Actually, before we had DirecTV there was something called PrimeStar, our service for a while, that was later gobbled up by DirecTV). Now, through Amazon’s Prime Service, your Roku or your Chromecast, you can watch virtually anything you want – any television show, current or vintage, any movie, whatever – anytime you want. In fact, these devices have brought a new term to our vocabulary – binge-watching, where you sit down and watch several – or several dozen – episodes of the same show. (Confession: Over several days, I binge-watched the entire catalog of

King Music and Arts Ministry, addressed the crowd. Dr. Pleasant spoke of the troubles facing America’s youth and the African American community. Perhaps the most touching testimony given Monday came from Tallassee’s own Jahazel Hooks. Hooks is Director of the Tallassee Senior Center. During her time in this small town, Hooks has been wittiness to much change. Much needed change. “In a small town in Alabama, there was a little girl who adored her father,” Hooks said. “She did everything with her father. Her

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“It should be a night of great fun,” she said. “We’ve already had a lot of great response. Based on previous years, ticket sales are up.” The increased response and interest is well received by the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce. “We are very happy to see such a desire to participate,” Roye said. According to Roye, this banquet is designed for everyone and anyone who may be interested in joining the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce. “I want people to understand that you do not have to be a member of the Chamber to partic-

Granger is the managing editor of the Elmore County newspapers of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.

continued from page 1

household consisted of a mother and a father, but her father was the main figure to her. They went to town one day. There was this red jumpsuit in the window. She had to have it. Her father always bought her just what she wanted. So he bought that jumpsuit. When they got home with the red jumpsuit it was too small, but they could not take it back. Therefore, the young girl could not wear this jumpsuit that she adored so much. The reason she could not take it back was because of the color of her skin. The reason she could not get something in her size

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“The Andy Griffith Show.” I’m not sure it was good for me. I began to talk a bit like Ernest T. Bass). I don’t know. Maybe it’s a good thing that our children are being introduced to sophisticated technology at an early age. Maybe as more and more of these devices are incorporated into our school curricula, we’ll see their interest in scholastics increase and their test scores improve. Or maybe we’re just raising a generation of vegged out gamers whose only concerns are the next high score, some other more nefarious goal (not all games and apps are innocent) or the release of the next new and improved incarnation of “entertainment technology.” Regardless, I think it’s important that we regulate our kids’ use of these things, not to be fuddyduddys but to encourage some interest in other pursuits, keep them active, exercise their brains outside of an electronic environment. Responsible use of these gadgets is probably a beneficial thing and may well develop into profitable careers for some. Not just in the game world, but as engineers, helping to solve complex problems that face our society as we grow more connected. It must be great to be a kid these days and have these things at your disposal. But it also requires some responsibility from us as parents and that we are prepared to make some hard decisions.

was because the color of her skin would not allow them to let her try it on…..That young black girl was me. “That happened in my lifetime. I am so thankful that Dr. King came along and brought attention to what was actually going on. We need to understand the march brought attention, but he was a servant, so I challenge each of you today, when you leave here to go and do something good for somebody, because that’s what he was all about. If we can help someone along the way, then our lives will not be in vain.”

continued from page 1

ipate,” she said. “If you’re at the point in your business or personal career where you’d like to get involved in your community and you’ve been considering being a part of the Chamber, this would be a great night for someone to come out and enjoy a great meal, mingle with fellow chamber members and ask questions about what our Chamber can do for your business or if you’re an individual who would like to give back to the community, we have plenty that you would interested in.” In addition to great food, fun and atmosphere, this year’s

Chamber Banquet will feature a silent auction. Items will be on display for viewing with a silent auction to follow.“We are collecting items from local businesses and chamber members for the silent auction,” Roye said. If interested in joining the Chamber, there are several options available. Applications are available at the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce office, located at 17 Sistruck St. Suit C. Call 334-2525151 to request an application be mailed. An online application is available at tallasseechamber.com.

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January 18, 2017 • Page 3

Fraud

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Beware of scammers soliciting W-2 information from payroll and human resources professionals. Payroll and human resources professionals should be aware of phishing email schemes that pretend to be from company executives and request personal information on employees. The email contains the actual name of the company chief executive officer. In this scam, the “CEO” sends an email to a company payroll office employee and requests a list of employees and financial and personal information including Social Security numbers (SSN). Scam artists may employ imitating software providers to trick tax professionals. Tax professionals may receive emails pretending to be from tax software companies. The email scheme requests the recipient download and install an important software update via a link included in the e-mail. Upon completion, tax professionals believe they have downloaded a software update when in fact they have loaded a program designed to track the tax professional’s key strokes, which is a common tactic used by cyber thieves to steal login information, passwords and other sensitive data. Beware of scams involving “verifying” tax return information over the phone. Scam artists call saying they have your tax return, and they just need to verify a few details to process your return. The scam tries to get you to give up personal information such as a SSN or personal financial information, including bank numbers or credit cards. Scam artists may pretend to be from the tax preparation industry and send emails that are designed to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communica-

Koskinen. “There are warning signs to these scams people should watch out for, and simple steps to avoid being duped into giving these criminals money, sensitive financial information or access to computers.” Some of the most prevalent IRS impersonation scams include requesting fake tax payments. The IRS has seen automated calls where scammers leave urgent callback requests telling taxpayers to call back to settle their “tax bill.” These fake calls generally claim to be the last warning before legal action is taken. Taxpayers may also receive live calls from IRS impersonators. They may demand payments on prepaid debit cards, iTunes and other gift cards or wire transfer. The IRS reminds taxpayers that any request to settle a tax bill using any of these payment methods is a clear indication of a scam. Targeting scam includes calling students and parents and demanding payment for a fake “Federal Student Tax”. Telephone scammers are targeting students and parents demanding payments for fictitious taxes, such as the “Federal Student Tax.” If the person does not comply, the scammer becomes aggressive and threatens to report the student to the police to be arrested. Scams can include sending a fraudulent IRS bill for tax year 2015 related to the Affordable Care Act. The IRS has received numerous reports around the country of scammers sending a fraudulent version of CP2000 notices for tax year 2015. Generally, the scam involves an email or letter that includes the fake CP2000. The fraudulent notice includes a payment request that taxpayers mail a check made out to “I.R.S.” to the “Austin Processing Center” at a Post Office Box address.

Chief

continued from page 1

executive session to privately discuss each candidate and the their responses. After the work session and an executive session to discuss the two finalists, Councilman Jeremy Taunton made the motion to name Higgins as Tallassee’s new Director of Public Safety. The vote was a unanimous decision. Following the motion, Hammock addressed the candidates. “I would like to say both Leo McCall and Matthew Higgins, we had two great candidates and I would have been able to work with either one of them, depending on which way this decision went,” Hammock said. Following the meeting, Higgins expressed his gratitude to the mayor and the council and explained that Tallassee is more than his place of employment. “I’m excited and honored. This has been a long process so I’m a little relieved. I’m extremely excited. I’m looking forward to working here in Tallassee. I’m looking forward to working with this department. I’m looking forward to working with the mayor and the council, serving the citizens here in Tallassee. To me, this is home.”

as well as a canine bureau commander and precinct commander, in addition to his time with MPD. He is also a retired Master Sergeant/E-7 in the Air Force Reserves and served four tours of duty. Higgins is a combat veteran who was deployed to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Kuwait. During the work session council members were allowed to ask questions of each candidate. Concerned about the current reputation of the Tallassee Police Department, Councilwoman Sarah Hill asked Higgins what he would do strengthen that reputation. “It’s not something that you can do overnight,” Higgins said. “It is something that is built up to over time. I believe bringing in someone from outside shows that you are looking for a new path.” Hill asked McCall to describe what he believed the biggest obstacle would be for the person who fills the position of chief of police. McCall responded, “I don’t see this as a problem, but the biggest thing that will have to be done is taking the department first and restructure it, reorganization.” Each candidate was asked several questions during the 20 minutes allotted. Following the interview process, the mayor and the council went into

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Tallassee Page 4 • January 18, 2017

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THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Relfe Parker Jr. is a seven-string sojourn T

he last time I went to Wetumpka, I noticed that the land around the late Relfe Parker Jr.’s house was being cleared away. The building, which had been hidden from traffic on Highway 231 by thick trees, was now visible from the highway, and a “For Sale” sign was on display near the thoroughfare. The sight reminded me of the day I’d visited Relfe in 1990, but I had been familiar with him since the mid-60s, when he had appeared on WCOVTV’s annual March of Dimes Telethon, held all night long at the studios located on Adrian Lane in Montgomery. He’d billed himself as a oneman band, and had some decent equipment back then. He’d played, sang and performed comic

The So-Called Column By Willie G. Moseley schtick in the middle of the night, and our teenage garage band had performed a bit later. I’d also watched and listened to him about a decade later at a jam session, but in ’90, I happened to hear about him again. I got his phone number, as I had been advised he had some cool seven-string guitars (the usual configuration of which is an extra bass string, tuned lower). After making an appointment, I drove to his residence in Wetumpka. The man that answered the door was

thinner than he’d been in 1967 and 1976, but he was the same guitarist I’d remembered. Apparently, Relfe lived alone, and it was obvious that he relished the opportunity to talk about guitars and music with another enthusiast. The telethon made a good starting point for our conversation, and he soon began citing other instruments he’d owned, including an acoustic guitar that he’d purchased used in 1939 and had carried with him in World War II. He noted the loss of the guitar he’d used on the telethon, and how he had been motivated to upgrade to the complexities of a seven-string instrument: “That Gibson thinline (the guitar he’d played on the telethon) got stolen, so I decided

it was time to step up to a seven-string, since I wanted to learn to play like (jazz guitarist) George Van Eps.” Relfe pulled out his Gretsch Van Eps model (which had been made in 1968); it was missing some parts, and some of the remaining hardware was corroded. Then he showed me the main guitar that he was using at the time. It was an exquisite 1977 seven-string instrument that had been handmade by a noted guitar builder in Florida. (Some weeks later, I got in touch with the builder, who confirmed the year model, adding that it was the first seven-string guitar he’d ever created.) Relfe showed me his performance setup, where he played along with a drum machine.

“Look at this Van Eps instruction book,” he enthused. “Those are some complicated exercises to learn.” “Uh, Relfe, I don’t read music.” “Oh.” He then cranked up his drum machine and played some chord melodies, concentrating intensely on his riffs. When he paused, I attempted to ask a question without offending him, but I had to know the answer. “Um, Relfe, when were you born?” “I’m seventy-two,” he said immediately, without looking up from his instrument. His house was full of decades-old photos of musicians. We talked at length about other jazz guitarists he admired, and about his own experiences of trying to be a

full-time jazz musician in an area that was more focused on other musical genres. When it was time to depart, Relfe asked me to let him know if I heard of any potential bookings, and showed me an ad he’d placed in an area “buy-selltrade” paper that was published weekly; most decent-sized towns have a similar publication, and Relfe’s “One-Man Band” ad was listed in the “Radio-TV-Musical Instruments” section. “Nobody’s called yet,” he said softly, almost as if he was talking to himself. “But maybe something will turn up.” Willie Moseley is the news editor emeritus of the Tribune and a regular columnist for the paper.

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The Tallassee Tribune

Where were you when it happened?

was about 10 years old when the news came that our President Roosevelt had died in Warm Springs, Georgia. We didn’t have a car so I didn’t know much about places or distances. Warm Springs seemed like a million miles away. The only thing I knew was it was famous for was the warm springs, treating polio patients, the Little White house was there and we’d lost a president that everyone loved. We had a picture of General McArthur, another one of Roosevelt at our house and a lot of other people did too. By use of radio we could follow his body as it went from town to town by train. We all grieved and wondered how we’d survive. When World War II ended, I wasn’t but just a little bit older. Some people brought a piano and put it in the streets across from Bailey’s Cafe, musicians showed up and hundreds of people. The celebrating started immediately with dancing and loud music. I don’t remember how long I stayed or how late it got but it was still going on when I walked home.

The Coffee Breaker By Ronald Brantley I remember very well when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas. I was cutting hair when Ned Butler, owner of WTLS, called and told me of the shooting. I turned the television on and we were getting all kinds of news reports. JFK was admired by many but not all. In the South, a lot of people didn’t like his and his brother Robert’s stand on civil rights. JFK was young, had a young family and a stylish wife. Also there was the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald. He was the man they said shot the president. For the next few days every eye was on the television set as people watched every detail. No one that was old enough will ever forget young John saluting as the casket of the president passed by. His death is still shrouded in mystery and his wife and John

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have since died. One day a week I had a job auctioneering in Columbus, Georgia. The head auctioneer had stepped down and I was on the block selling when someone handed me a note. I read it and then made the announcement, Elvis Presley is dead! “I don’t have any details,” I said, when I heard someone in the auction barn holler out “what’s the punch line”? “It’s no joke,” I said and continued the auction. That night about midnight when I started the long ride home from Columbus I turned on the radio and all you could hear was Elvis songs and testimonies. For the next few days’ people surrounded Graceland and lined the streets for his funeral. People from all over the United States came to Memphis, Tennessee and lined the streets as the hearse carried his body to the graveyard. After arrangements were made they moved his body to Graceland where crowds still parade by his grave daily. Before Elvis, JFK, and many others was the day Hank Williams died

in route to a concert at Canton, Ohio. I think his death hit the people of Alabama harder than anything since the death of President Roosevelt. His life is hard to explain, his ex-wife is buried next to him and his real wife was shunned. He had written a song “Kowaliga,” but it wasn’t released until after his death. I’m running out of space but I must mention the 9-11 incident when planes hit the twin towers and destroyed them. It was early on that morning in September when Mel Jones came in for a haircut. We had the TV on and I glanced up and saw a plane hit the first twin tower. I hollered of what had happened as we watched another plane hit. In a short while the buildings collapsed and thousands were killed. I’ve run out of space without telling about the day the music died, where I was when Ricky Nelson died and all about Patsy Cline. Brantley is a long-time Tallassee resident and a regular columnist for The Tribune.

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Talks THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Inside the Statehouse By Steve Flowers

Brewer has special place in state's political history

he passing of Governor Albert Brewer on Jan. 2 at 88 years old marks the passing of an era in Alabama politics. Albert P. Brewer was a good man and a true public servant. Brewer was born in Tennessee, but his folks moved to Decatur when he was very young after his father accepted a job with the Tennessee Valley Authority. He graduated from Decatur High School with honors, then matriculated to the University of Alabama where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees. Brewer returned to Decatur to begin his law practice. Soon thereafter he was elected to the Alabama Legislature at the ripe old age of 25. He was elected without opposition three times and during his third term he became Speaker of the House. Brewer was the youngest Speaker in state history. In 1966, he beat two prominent state senators without a runoff to win the lieutenant governor’s job, which was much more powerful than it is today. During his tenure as Speaker and lieutenant governor, either George or Lurleen Wallace was governor. Brewer was a Wallace ally. When Gov. Lurleen Wallace died of cancer after only 16 months in office, Brewer ascended to the governor’s office. He quickly and decisively took the reins of state government and became immediately effective. His years in the legislature gave him a keen insight into the machinations of state government. He was very well liked among the legislators and senators he had worked with over the past 15 years and therefore was extremely successful with his legislative agenda. He became a working governor. Although Brewer was governor for only 33 months, he accomplished more as governor than most of his successors over the past 30 years combined. Brewer brought a low key businesslike style to the governor’s office, which was strikingly different than George Wallace’s racist flamboyant rhetoric and cronyism. In 1970, Brewer and George Wallace squared off in what is the most memorable classic and pivotal governor’s race in Alabama political history. Brewer led Wallace by a slim margin in the first primary. However, Wallace, with his political life on the line, played the race card overtly in the runoff and defeated Brewer by a narrow margin. Most political observers believe that had Brewer won, Alabama would have joined other southern states like North Carolina and Florida who had elected progressive pro-business governors. Brewer is often referred to as Alabama’s “New South” governor. He was a prince of a fellow and a good friend for over 50 years. I first met Gov. Brewer when I was a young 13-year-old page in the State Legislature and he was Speaker of the House. My mentor was the state representative from my home in Pike County. Gardner Bassett had been in the House for 24 years and was in his 70s. He was training me to take his House seat once I was old enough. Bassett adored and admired the young Speaker Albert Brewer. He got Brewer and I acquainted and we became friends. Brewer would let me sit next to him in the Speaker’s box as he explained how he assigned bills to their proper committee. When Brewer became lieutenant. governor in 1967, I was 15 and he made me head of the pages in the Senate. His daughters Becky and Allison served with me as Pages. Gov. Brewer spent the last 30 years of his life teaching and mentoring law students at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. He was a mentor to my daughter, Ginny, while she was in law school at Cumberland, and followed her legal career as if she was his own daughter. Last January, Ginny and I ran into Gov. Brewer at a Birmingham restaurant. He was aging but still had that keen smile and twinkle in his eye. Gov. Brewer and I had remained good friends over the years and he is featured prominently in my book, Of Goats and Governors: Six Decades of Colorful Political Stories. Thus, it is appropriate that the last time I visited with him was at a book signing in Bessemer. We later had lunch together at the Bright Star. As I close this column I am looking at a photo of Gov. Brewer and me from that day that adorns the wall of my office, with his ever present smile. Albert Brewer has a special place in Alabama political history and in the hearts of many. 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.

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January 18, 2017 • Page 5

Memory of bandmate lives on with 'Romanza'

his past weekend, we held our annual All-County Band at Wetumpka High School. Each band program in this area – Holtville, Millbrook, Wetumpka, Eclectic, Tallassee, and Central High School of Coosa County – sends its best band students to participate in this great event. We were honored to have retired educator Patricia Medley Maness as the conductor of the middle-school honor band. She retired last year after a 36-year career as a band director in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. She didn’t mind returning to this area, though – she was in the very first band at Jefferson Davis High School, where her band director was the great George Hammett. She also studied flute privately with the legendary Truman Welch. Roland Ventura of Pinckneyville Middle School in Gwinnett County, Georgia (near Atlanta) was the conductor of the high school honor band. He has been a band director for 20 years. Roland and I were band council officers at Troy University, serving the “Sound of the South” under bandmaster Johnny Long.

Bird’s Eye View By Michael Bird I knew that only two band directors in the county did not attend Troy: Wesley Morris of Stanhope-Elmore graduated from UAB, and Wetumpka’s Jason Warnix went to UNA. The rest of us are Trojans. What I didn’t think about, however, was that we were all in the same age group and had all attended school with a girl who should have been celebrating her birthday this week – but more on that later. Ventura is asked to conduct honor bands all over the country, but he takes a piece of music with him to just about every ensemble: “Romanza,” which was written by our music theory and arranging teacher, Ralph Ford, who also led the Jazz Ensemble at Troy and later became the band director there. He is one of the most renowned and successful composers and arrangers of band music in the world. “Romanza” had originally been composed to showcase Carol Franks,

our flute professor, and was debuted by the Troy University Symphony Band a little over 20 years ago. Her husband, Earl Franks, was the band director and later principal of Luverne High School (and now heads up the Montgomery-based Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, or CLAS). Heather Alsbrooks had been a student at Luverne when she decided to go to Troy and study music education. Heather truly defined “beautiful and talented,” two adjectives that are often used but could sincerely be applied to her. She was a friend to all, and was in the midst of serving a back-to-back tenure as the first female Band President in Troy University Band history when, in September 1998, she was killed in a car accident brought about by heavy rains associated with Hurricane Georges. The “Sound of the South” shepherded the entire community through its stages of grief: my wife, Sena Thibodeaux Bird, was in the group that performed at Heather’s funeral. The entire band surrounded Smith Hall Auditorium and played Ford’s arrangement of “Amazing Grace.”

Back to this weekend’s honor band. Ventura brings “Romanza” with him everywhere he goes, because Ford later re-scored his piece and dedicated it to Heather’s memory. It is one of Ralph’s most successful works. Before Roland played it with our All-County Band on Saturday, he looked at each of us – Will Boartfield from Millbrook, Robby Glasscock and myself from Tallassee, Diana Frazier from Wetumpka, Anthony Vittore and Tony Hawthorne from Eclectic, and Travis Hickman from Holtville – and as he recalled Heather, we were all taken back to a time when she was still around. The band played it, beautifully. After the concert, Roland was in tears as we discussed how meaningful it seemed, and how we’d all gotten old. He also explained that, after the performance, a young lady came up to him crying. She said, “I lost my parents two years ago. Now I have some music to think about when I want to remember them.” May the sweet memory of the beautiful Heather Alsbrooks live on.

You need to know your pets

ast week, Abbey, my cat, was driving me crazy. She started urinating all over my house as if she was a four year old boy who’d just discovered that the world was his urinal, only the world was my house. I tried to figure out what it was, so I cleaned out her litter box more often than usual and moved her food, too. I did everything I could but to no avail. I’d had enough. I like having a fresh-smelling, clean house. I could stand no more, so I finally took a page out of Fred Flintstone’s book, took her to the back door, and dropped her on the back porch. That lasted all of two minutes before I brought her back inside. I worried about her too much. When dropped, cats always land on their feet. Twenty months ago, she landed on her feet and landed with me. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to keep her or not. I’d never had a cat and Ruby, my dog, had never been around one. Ruby had

JODY FULLER Guest Columnist

dibs on my house, but if they got along well, I was all for it. For the first 24-48 hours, I kept them separated, solely as a safety precaution. In hindsight, the gradual integration likely wasn’t necessary; they get along better than Fred and Barney. By her erratic behavior, poor Abbey was trying to tell my something; I just didn’t know it at the time. I mentioned my dilemma on Facebook, and all the cat ladies of the world converged on my page to tell me that she most likely had a UTI—the dreaded urinary tract infection. I let it go on for a couple of more days, because I just didn’t know any better. I also hadn’t noticed her doing her business either, so I thought that maybe she was showing signs of improvement. Then, one

day I caught her doing her thing and noticed traces of blood, so I immediately took her to the vet. I didn’t want to take her to the vet, because that meant a car ride. I’ve had a lot of miserable experiences in my life, but riding in a car with a cat tops them all. I spent almost three years in Iraq, and I’m fine, but three minutes in a car with a cat almost did me in. I’m glad I bit the bullet and took her. She spent the weekend there, while Ruby and I got the house back in order. We missed her sorely. Although Ruby is a female, Abbey is clearly the lady of the house. She needs to finish her bottle of antibiotics, but she’s like a new cat. I felt bad that I was ever angry at her. She’s a cat and can’t talk, although she does try to at times. She was trying to tell me something was wrong; I just wasn’t listening. I used to get a kick out of Chyna, my black lab of 15 years, riding her invisible motorcycle on the carpet around the

living room. I thought it was hilarious, only to find out she was trying to tell me something. Her booty was itching, and her anal glands needed expressing. Nobody likes an itchy anything. I felt bad for laughing, but once I found out, I had them expressed regularly. Ruby gets hers done regularly, too, so she will most likely never experience the displeasure of riding an invisible motorcycle. Our pets are our babies, and they rely on us for just about everything. If they do something out of the norm, it most likely means they are trying to tell us something, so when they do, take notice and get them to your vet immediately. If you don’t, I hope you ride your invisible motorcycle until you do. 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.

Page 6 â&#x20AC;˘ January 18, 2017

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January 18, 2017 • Page 7

County urges road package passing By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor

The Elmore County Commission will urge the county’s legislative delegation to work with it on protecting Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women and securing additional funding for road construction and maintenance in the county, according to Commission Chairman Troy Stubbs. Speaking at a meet-and-great for media, Stubbs said the issues were important to the county in that a proposal for a second Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Plan, also known as ATRIP II, would provide an additional $19 million for roads and bridges in the county and Gov. Robert Bentley’s proposal to build four new mega-prisons in the state could either result in the relocation of the state’s women’s prison or, in the best case, land the area one of the three men’s prisons included in the governor’s plan, as well. “We are not shunning the responsibility of being active in the legislative process,” Stubbs said. “We’re going to be committed to that as county commissioners. We’re going to be knowledgeable, we’re going to know what’s going on in the legislature over the next six or eight weeks.” Stubbs said ATRIP II would be a funded by a three-cent increase in the state’s gas tax which would be tied to revenue bonds, making the money

accessible immediately rather than over time. But, “as soon as you say three-cent anything tax, then (the public’s) reaction is often negative,” Stubbs warned. But Commissioner Kenny Holt quickly pointed out that the three-cent gasoline tax would only cost each driver in the country approximately $2 every month. County engineer Richie Beyer said the county currently spends about onethird of what it should spend just on road maintenance. “If you look at our road and bridge system, we’re supposed to be spending about $8 million above that $4 million every year just to keep our roads and bridges maintained,” Beyer said. “That doesn’t mean adding lanes, that doesn’t mean any new roadways, anything like that. So when somebody comes up and says they’re going to talk about letting us have access to $19 million, you’re talking about several years of those needs compressed in a short time frame.” Beyer added that the county’s annual inventory of its roads includes a grading system based on road condition and traffic volumes. Those grades are used to develop a spending plan for the county’s 800 miles of paved and 200 miles of dirt roads and 130 structures (bridges) when it has access to local funds. Beyer said most of the $4-$5 million (depending on federal aid received) spent each year on the county’s roads

goes to maintenance like patching potholes, cutting grass and erecting signs with a small portion left over for projects. The commission will also watch very closely the fate of the governor’s $700 million prison plan, particularly as if affects the future of Tutwiler. “The governor is going to bring (his plan before the legislature) again,” Stubbs said. “The most recent thing that I heard is that he’s going to present the exact same proposal at the beginning of this session without any changes and he has already talked about special sessions and a lot of other things to make sure that something happens with the prisons. But I think the legislature – including our delegation’s – first and most significant concern is going to be how to fund it, where do we find $700 million?” Tutwiler is important to the county not just for jobs and that those jobs pump money into the economy, but if Tutwiler is lost, it would increase the cost of living or doing business in the county, according to Stubbs. “(Tutwiler) consume(s) essential services in our county – like water and sewage – that comprise of upwards of 25 percent of the local water company’s revenue,” Stubbs said. “So what would happen if they were shut down? Well, our local water company would lose 25 percent of its revenue which, they still have to serve the public, which, in turn could result in increased service fees for the rest of Elmore County.

“I’m not speaking for the water company, I’m not on their board and it’s not my position to do so, but they have a great concern as well as all of us should in terms of payroll, in terms of employment in our county. We depend heavily on that.” Stubbs added that he’s sees a lot of benefit for the state in keeping the state’s women’s prison at Tutwiler. “What we have is an existing infrastructure with existing trained employees,” Stubbs said. “You do this somewhere else, now you’re looking for all these employees who are trained, who are experienced. Are they going to move there? Or are you starting from scratch? “Our thought is let’s just make Tutwiler the place that it needs to be, the place that it should be. We’ve already got the great location, we’ve got the trained personnel, let’s use this same location, whether it be building a new location behind Tutwiler, which there is land that’s there, and that would allow for the transition. There wouldn’t be a gap during the construction period.” Finally, Stubbs didn’t rule out the area being the site for another of the planned mega-prisons. “Everybody wants a piece of this potential pie and we don’t want to lose it,” Stubbs said. “We would rather see it not only stay here, but see us have the opportunity to participate in the potential of having a men’s prison here.”

Roby joins Defense Appropriations Subcommittee STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) will join the U.S. House of Representatives Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for the 115th Congress. This is a significant assignment for Roby, whose district is home to both Maxwell Air Force Base in Roby Montgomery and Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass. The Appropriations Committee is organized into 12 subcommittees, each responsible for crafting an appropriations plan to fund their divisions of government. The Subcommittee on Defense has jurisdiction over the nation’s military budget and writes spending plans to address the needs of the armed forces. “I am grateful to continue my

service on the Appropriations Committee and eager to join the Defense Subcommittee,” Roby said. “Our military installations are a critical component of Alabama’s 2nd District and our state. I am glad to have a seat at the table for crafting the defense spending policies that impact our military communities and our national security. “The next few years will be decisive for the future of our military. From day one of my service in Congress, I have fought to ensure proper funding of our armed forces. One of Congress’ most fundamental constitutional duties is to provide for the common defense. We must ensure that our military remains the world’s most capable while using taxpayers’ money efficiently and responsibly. I take this responsibility very seriously, and I’m ready to get to work.” Roby will continue her service on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and Related Agencies

as well as the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. Roby’s subcommittee assignments for the 115th Congress place her in the position to impact major initiatives, from changes to health care and workforce policy to criminal justice issues and the space program. “Serving on the Appropriations Committee gives me the opportunity to be an advocate for conservative spending priorities that will put us on a sustainable path for future generations. I’m hopeful that our unified Republican government will help us succeed.” Roby has been known to utilize annual appropriations hearings to press agency officials on items important to her district, from pressing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on progress with the VA and questioning the Secretary of Labor about the unfair targeting of Alabama’s automotive industry, to demanding that the Secretary of Education abide by our nation’s new education law.

Elmore County Police Briefs Elmore County Sheriff’s Office Arrest Reports December 28

• Spencer Hayes, a 30-year-old male, was arrested Dec. 28 at 8:34 p.m. for trespassing, a third-degree misdemeanor, on the 500 block of North Ridge in Alexander City.

December 29

• Kendarious Jones, a 24-year-old male, was arrested Dec. 29 at 10 p.m. for domestic violence harassment, a third-degree misdemeanor, on the 200 block of Barnett Boulevard in Tallassee. • Douglas Meredith, a 20-year-old male, was arrested Dec. 29 at 6:39

a.m. for failure to appear on a reckless endangerment charge, a misdemeanor, and failure to appear for reasonable/prudent, also a misdemeanor, at the Elmore County Jail. • Amy Ingram, a 22-year-old female, was arrested Dec. 29 at 12:07 p.m. for a probation violation on the 100 block of Payne Road in Montgomery. • Laura Leigh Maschi, a 38-year-old female, was arrested Dec. 29 at 12:24 p.m. for domestic violence harassment, a misdemeanor, and domestic violence criminal mischief, also a misdemeanor, on the 1300 block of Mack Taylor Road in Tallassee. • Tara Susan Huddleston, a 29-year-old female was arrested Dec. 29 at 5:40 p.m. for failure to appear on a domestic violence harassment

third-degree misdemeanor charge, at Elmore County Jail.

December 30

• Patrick Bryan Lewis, a 25-yearold male, was arrested Dec. 30 at 11:24 a.m. for failure to appear for a possession of drug paraphernalia charge, a misdemeanor, and a failure to appear for a possession of marijuana charge, also a misdemeanor, on the 1100 block of Geddie Loop Road in Deatsville.

December 31

• David Ray Stubbs, a 35-year-old male, was arrested on Dec. 31 at 6:38 a.m. for child support, a misdemeanor, on the 1500 block of South Fleahop Road in Eclectic.

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RELIGION

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www.TallasseeTribune.com THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Where unity begins

ith the inauguration of a new president this week, the Church offers a worldwide prayer for unity among Christians. We pray that what we have in common may be made visible; and we pray that we don’t let our differences stop us from working for Christ’s kingdom, to bring help to those in need. I’m glad I’m not John the Baptist. His message that we should repent, that God is our king and Jesus is Lord might not come out as effectively with me. When my brothers from Poland visit me, or when I am home with them, the same disagreements we had growing up seem to come out. They do not always share the faith with me. As a priest, I could say to them, “repent from your bad ways, because if you don’t, you’re going to

hell,” but that is not my place. My job is to demonstrate Christ’s love and how He is working in my life and the lives of people I know. I see Tallassee as a very special town. I have never experienced such good relationships between different churches. Here in Tallassee, we are able to overcome differences and focus on what is important -people in need of material and spiritual assistance. As a result, ACTS (Association for Christians in Tallassee for Service) is bringing help to hundreds of people every month. Why? Because everyone –no matter what church denomination -- is supporting it. But we all know very well that unity is not an easy thing. Just look in our own homes. How difficult is it to find agreements in our families?

FATHR MATEUSZ RUDZIK St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church

Everyone’s visions, goals and priorities so often seem to be so different and, in fact, against each other. Unity begins with my efforts to better understand another person. And we must work to understand another’s motivations, desires, needs, fears or ambitions. Unity continues with letting other people come before me. Unity grows when I believe in other people. It comes when I believe in their good intentions, good hearts and when I’m ready to give something of

myself from my territory for the sake of another person or for the common good. Even if I’m right, I don’t have the right to demand of others that my “right” is always the only “right.” The paradox is that when we are willing to lose something, we gain often much more. That’s the logic of love. It is the love which is the first commandment of Christ; the Love which is most difficult to live by. Jesus showed us the fullest meaning of love. He lost everything for us! We didn’t deserve it and we cannot pay it back. And as nice and uplifting as singing about Jesus’s love for us can be, walking the walk is not nearly as exciting. In fact, it’s something similar to when He carried the cross for me and you. Maybe it is time for you

to reach out to someone with whom you are in a disagreement. Maybe it is time to forgive offenses done to you long ago. Maybe it is time to reunite with family members that go to a different church. Whatever it is, we cannot do it without God’s help! Heavenly Father, you sent your Son to reunite us with You. Give to me from His Spirit so I, too, may strive for more unity and forgiveness in my life. In Jesus’ name we pray! Let all God’s people say, “Amen.” Father Mateusz Rudzik is the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul church in Tallassee and St. Joseph church and school in Tuskegee. The native of Poland is also an avid adventurer, skydiver, motorcyclist, and skateboarder.

Religion Briefs • Episcopal Church of the Epiphany

On Saturday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m to 11 a.m. Epiphany will host “Beans & Rice.” The Beans & Rice ministry takes place the third Saturday of every month. At that time the Parish Hall is open to those in need of food, who may choose their preferred items from the selection available. On Jan. 22 at 9:30 a.m. Lavonne Hart will lead the Sunday School class in a discussion. At 10:30 a.m. Father Wells Warren will celebrate the Holy Eucharist, with coffee hour to follow. For more information, visit the church website: http:// epiphanytallassee.org/

• Tallassee Church of Christ

Our new minister is Charlie Boddy. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. Worship Service begins at 11 a.m. Sunday evening service begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday night services begin at 6 p.m. Visitor’s welcome at all services 334-283-5437 209 Gilmer Ave.

• St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church

“Our Life’s Journey” is an outreach of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Tallassee, Fr. Mateusz Rudzik, Pastor; and

Knights of Columbus Council 15093, Andy Lacey, Grand Knight. It airs on WACQAM 580 and FM 101.1 each Sunday from 8-8:30 a.m. Listen online at www.wacqradio.com OR on your smart phone using the TuneIn app.

• Salem Macon Baptist

Our next Forever Young meeting will be Jan. 24. Salem Macon is located at 4647 Tallapoosa St, Notasulga, AL on Hwy 14 five miles west of Notasulga and 9 miles east of Tallassee. We would be happy to have you join us for Sunday School at 9:30 and 10:30 Worship Service. Mike Stephens is our pastor.

• East Tallassee United Methodist Church

The “River’s Edge Flea Market” is open every Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. All vendors are welcome: new items, old items, crafts, youth groups, ball teams, baked goods, produce and food. The flea market is sponsored by the East Tallassee UMC and is located across from City Hall. We will offer various priced booths. To reserve a space call Joan Wood at 334312-4913. All proceeds raised by ETUMC will be used for church-sponsored programs.

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 567-5754 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 569-1952 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 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 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 CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN Cedarwood Congregational Christian 10286 US Hwy 231 N, Wetumpka 567-0476 Seman Congregational Christian 15970 Central Plank Rd., Seman Union Congregational Christian 8188 Lightwood Rd., Marbury 569-2122 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 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.

Submit your church news to editor@tallasseetribune.com •••

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Page 10 • January 18, 2017

Police Briefs January 9

Complaint of Suspicious Person- Howard Street- negative contact Traffic Stop- Notasulga Roadd Escort- Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Information Only Report MadeDenae Road 2 B/M’s Arrested- Gilmer Avenue for outstanding warrants Civil Matter- Barnett Boulevard Traffic Stop –South Tallassee Drive Traffic Stop- South Tallassee Drive Complaint of Suspicious Activity- Riverside Avenue Report Made- Barnett Boulevard for attempting to elude W/M and W/F Arrested for attempting to elude 911 Hang-up- Cobb Road Information Only Report MadeWest Main Street Assist Motorist- Barnett Boulevard Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Assisted other Agency- Gilmer Avenue False Residential Alarm- Upper River Road W/M Arrested- Elmore County Jail for 3 out standing warrants Bond/Release- Barnett Boulevard Traffic Stop- West Butler Street and Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- West Roosevelt Street Traffic Stop Gilmer Avenue and West Butler Street Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Suspicious Vehicle- Gilmer Avenue

Fire Activity

FFD and TFD Responded to Fire Alarm- South Fleahop Road FFD Responded to a suicide attempt- Redland Road

January 10

False Residential AlarmWhatley Drive Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Complaint of Suspicious Vehicle- 7th Street Report Made- Recreation

www.TallasseeTribune.com Center- identity theft Traffic Stop- East Patton Street Animal Control- 3rd Avenue Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- Freeman Avenue Traffic Stop- Freeman Avenue Traffic Stop- Pine Street Traffic Whatley Drive False Commercial AlarmDorman Avenue Complaint of Suspicious Vehicle- Central Boulevard Attempt to Contact- Little Road Juvenile Complaint- Gilmer Avenue W/M Arrested- Freeman Aveoutstanding warrants at ECSO Medical Assist- Rickey Lane Report of Domestic IncidentFreeman Avenue- V 3rd Transport from HQ to Linville Funeral Home W/M Arrested- Freeman Avenue-DV 3rd Report of Missing JuvenileGilmer Avenue WM Arrested- Barnett Boulevard- Failure to Obey Medical Assist- Hillcrest Street Traffic Stop- Jordan Avenue and Herd Street 911 Hang-up- Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- AL Hwy 229 and Rifle Range Road Traffic Stop- South Dubois Street and Barnett Boulevard Report of a Burglary- Freeman Avenue- burglary 3rd and theft of property Suspicious Vehicle- South Tallassee Drive Traffic Stop- AL Hwy 229 and Cottage Hill Road

Fire Activity

FFD Responded to medical alarm- Friendship Road

January 11

Report Made- Friendship Road- robbery False Residential AlarmNotasulga Road Traffic Stop- Barnett Boulevard B/F Arrested- outstanding warrants at TPD Follow-up- Oak Heights Detail- 3rd Avenue Transport from HQ to US Hwy 231 Animal Control 1st Avenue

False Residential Alarm- Kent Road Animal Control- Preer/Grimes Street- advice given Traffic Stop- Barnett Boulevard x2 Noise Complaint- East Patton Street- advised Criminal Mischief ComplaintFriendship Road- advised Report Made- HQ- information only

Fire Activity

FFD Responded to medical call- Wallahatchee Road

January 12

Traffic Stop- Central Boulevard False Residential Fire AlarmOrr Lane Report Made- Manning Circleinformation only Assisted Motorist- Gilmer Parkway Complaint of Domestic Incident- Barnett Boulevardadvised Animal Control- Langley Street Report Made- Barnett Boulevard- harassing communications Complaint of Disorderly Person- Friendship Road- advised Traffic Stop- North Ann Avenue W/M Arrested- North Ann Avenue- possible drug paraphernalia Complaint of Reckless DrivingGilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- Friendship Road Juvenile Complaint- Willow Street Report Made- Riverside Avenue- information only Miscellaneous Call- Roberts Street MVA No Injuries- Gilmer Avenue W/M Arrested- Gilmer Avenueoutstanding warrants with anther agency Miscellaneous Call- Rickey Lane B/M Arrested US Hwy 231outstanding warrant Report Made- Gilmer Avenuetheft Advised- Gilmer Avenue- noise complaint Animal Complaint- Adams

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE Street Open door found- Tallassee Highway False Commercial AlarmNotasulga Road Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue/ Roosevelt Street Traffic Stop- West James Street Report Made- Quail Crossing Drive- domestic violence Report Made- West Patton Street- information only Noise Complaint- Ashurst Avenue- advice given No fire activity reported.

January 13

Assisted Motorist- Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- Notasulga Road Funeral Escort- 2nd Street Miscellaneous Call- Roberts Street- advised Attempt to Contact- Riverside Avenue Complaint of TrespassingGilmer Avenue- advised Funeral Escort- Sims Avenue Incident Report MadeFreeman Avenue Report Made- Riverside Avenue Welfare Check- Freeman Avenue Miscellaneous Call- Joy Streetnegative contact Attempt to Serve- West Main Street- negative contact Follow-up- Riverside Avenuenegative contact Loud Music Complaint- 1st and rd 3 avenues MVA- Gilmer Avenue- no injuries Noise Complaint- 1st Avenue Suspicious Vehicle- Weldon Road Noise Complaint- 3rd Avenue Noise Complaint- Upper Housing Noise Complaint- John Street Suspicious Activity- Eubanks Street Attempt to Contact- Central Boulevard B/M Arrested- Central Boulevard/ 2nd Street- outstanding warrant

Fire Activity

FFD Responded to a medical call- Old Barn Road FFD Responded to a medical Call- Liberty Road

January 14

Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- Friendship Road Traffic Stop- Gilmer Avenue Traffic Stop- Central Boulevard 3 Vehicle MVA- Gilmer Avenueno injuries, report made False Residential Alarm- Taylor Road Report Made- Barnett Boulevard- information only Report Made- Upper River Road- property damage B/F Arrested- Barnett Boulevard- outstanding warrant at TPD Miscellaneous Call- Barnett Boulevard- advised False Commercial AlarmGilmer Avenue Complaint of TrespassingFreeman Avenue False Commercial AlarmGilmer Avenue False Fire Alarm- Notasulga Road Information Only Report MadeFreeman Avenue Report Made for AssaultHickory Street x2 Private Property MVAFlorence Street Information Only Report MadeHickory Street Complaint of TrespassingFreeman Avenue Welfare Check- Ashurst Avenue Suspicious Vehicle- Notasulga Road Complaint of Suspicious Activity- Hicks Store Road Report Made- West Patton Street- harassment Tree in Roadway- Notasulga Road No fire activity reported.

January 15

Complaint of Suspicious Person- Friendship Road Miscellaneous Call- Birch Street Assisted Medics- S Tallassee Drive

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

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January 18, 2017 • Page 11

Humane Society drawdown fundraiser set for Feb. 18 By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

eb. 18 is only a month away for your chance to win $10,000 at our Seventh annual “Getting Down with the Dawgs” drawdown! Tickets are on sale at the shelter and we have sold out prior to the event night the past two years, so make sure to stop by the shelter at 255 Central Plank Road (Highway 9), Wetumpka, sooner than later. Our hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.5 p.m and Saturday 8 a.m-3 p.m.. With the purchase of a $100 ticket you will have a 1 in 300 opportunity to win $10,000 (you do not have to be present to win the grand prize)! In addition to a chance to win big, each ticket holder and guest will also get a delicious buffet dinner, chance for door prizes, cash bar and so much more. “Getting Down with the Dawgs” will be at the Entertainment

Center, Wind Creek Wetumpka, 100 River Oaks Drive in Wetumpka. Doors will open at 5 p.m., dinner catered by Wind Creek begins at 6 p.m. and the Drawdown starts at 7 p.m. If not for yourself, buy a ticket as a gift, or purchase one in the name of a special organization you support! If you have questions, contact us at 334-567-3377 or email hselco@bellsouth.net. Here is our 2016 wrap-up: we took in 4,124 pets which is 170 less than 2015! Lower intake is truly great news and we can only hope it continues. Of these, 1,490 were surrendered by their owners and 2,633 were brought in as strays by citizens and animal control officers. It is important to note that 44 percent of the dogs and 63 percent of the cats we took in were under six months of age. This is why those of us in shelters continually stress the importance of spaying and neutering pets

Failing school list puts nail in coffin on Accountability Act

he State Department of Education just released the latest “failing schools” list, an annual ranking is required by the infamous Alabama Accountability Act. The legislature decreed that the bottom six percent of all public schools are “failing” and should be identified annually. So lists were distributed in June 2013 and January 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. This always causes an outcry from educators. They think some schools that face great challenges are being unfairly labeled (The list tells us each year what we already know: schools with high poverty levels and high minority populations face an uphill battle.). There are 75 schools on the 2017 list with 45,547 students and an African-American population of 83.8 percent. (One of the faults of this legislation is that while it identifies “failing schools,” it does not try to help them. It’s as if the school nurse takes the temperature of 300 children and finds 50 have a fever. But instead of giving aspirin or sending them to the doctor, she just pats each on the head and says, “I hope you feel better.” And my old Southern Baptist heart tells me this is morally wrong.) In the past, the great majority of “failing schools” were either middle or junior high schools. The first list had 49 such schools. This is hardly a surprise to any experienced educator. But the recent list of 75 shows only 16 middle or junior highs and 43 high schools that are grades 9 through 12 (Some high schools are still K-12 or 7-12. They are not included in the 43.). What happened? Testing changed. We now use the ACT Aspire test for 10th graders and this is the only score that counts for a school grade for a 9-12 high school. This is where reality kicks in.

LARRY LEE Guest Columnist

I turned 16 in January of my sophomore year of high school. I got a driver’s license (Though I had been driving tractors and trucks on the farm for years, I could go to the Skyline Drive-in on Highway 90 just south of Mobile on Saturday night when Daddy let me use the car. Suddenly I was one of the smartest people in the world. If mother and daddy were still alive, they could verify that statement.). School? It was where I smiled at the girls and played ball. Kids today are a lot like I was, except they know about smart phones, gadgets I don’t understand. So they take another assessment, one they know makes absolutely no difference in their grades. In fact, some teachers have told me that they are required to announce to their 10th-grade test takers that the score will not help or hurt them. But while the students are taking a (to them meaningless) test, teachers, principals and administrators are sweating bullets. Their entire school will be judged according to how a bunch of 16 year olds with raging hormones perform. It is all part of the great illusion some consider “accountability.” And while the media goes into a feeding frenzy about the new “failing school” list and politicians pound their chests and pontificate about how terrible our schools are, that 10th grader is trying to find a date for Saturday night. It all adds up to just one more good reason why the accountability act should be repealed. Larry Lee is a public school advocate and co-author of the study, Lessons Learned From Rural Schools. Larrylee133@gmail.com

before they can have that first accidental litter. Less unwanted puppies and kittens means less pets discarded on country roads like trash, less pets needing homes that may or may not be out there and less problem stray pets as they grow up and start reproducing themselves, etc. So, please get your dog or cat to your vet by the time they are six months old to be spayed or neutered. There is simply no reason for most pets to have litters as every litter adds to unnecessary pet overpopulation. Since Dec. 26, we have already taken in 58 puppies and 13 kittens – far too many of these found dumped on roadways or discovered in neighborhoods/ yards. With one puppy exception, these are not Christmas gift puppies/ kittens as families are still enjoying their new pets. Sadly, January tends to be a very high puppy intake month as we get those that were not given away

or sold for Christmas. So please don’t be a part of this cycle Call your veterinarian, have your pet spayed or neutered and be a part of the solution to pet overpopulation. In 2016 we helped 1977 pets find new beginnings by having a shelter to come to where they could then be returned to caring owners, adopted or transferred to rescue partners. We will continue to work to increase those numbers and while adoptions are wonderful, preventing unnecessary litters of puppies and kittens with nowhere to go is how we can all help reduce the sad reality of euthanasia. Other ways to help are to keep pets safely at home and have identification on them at all times which reduces animals coming into our shelter in the first place. We will strive for more saves in 2017 and hope that intake will continue to decline. That will be success in our world!

Lilly Belle – Pet of the Week Lilly Belle is a 2-½-year-old purebred Yellow Lab, about 55-60 pounds. She is a beautiful girl, very active with a lot of energy so could make a great running companion for someone. She is very smart and a bit goofy – loves to play. Lilly Belle is good with other dogs but her high energy might be a bit much for some smaller dogs. 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, Wetumpka, or visit our website at www. elmorehumane.org. For more information, email us at hselco@bellsouth.net or give us a call at 334-5673377. We are open for adoptions Monday–Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Online military shopping privileges extended to veterans change follows careful analysis, coordination and strong public support. “We are excited to provide these benefits to honorably discharged veterans to recognize their service and welcome them home to their military family,” said Peter Levine, performing the duties for the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. “In addition, this initiative represents a low-risk, low-cost opportunity to help fund morale, welfare and recreation programs in support of service members’ and their families’ quality of life. And it’s just the right thing to do,” Levine added.

STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

The Department of Defense announced a policy change that will extend limited online military exchange shopping privileges to all honorably discharged veterans of the military. The veterans online shopping benefit will be effective this Veterans Day, Nov. 11. While shopping privileges exclude the purchase of uniforms, alcohol and tobacco products, it includes the exchange services’ online retail environment known so well to service members and their families. This policy

The online benefit will also strengthen the exchanges’ online businesses to better serve current patrons. Inclusion of honorably discharged veterans would conservatively double the exchanges’ online presence, thereby improving the experience for all patrons through improved vendor terms, more competitive merchandise assortments, and improved efficiencies, according to DoD officials. “As a nation, we are grateful for the contributions of our service members. Offering this lifetime online benefit is one small, tangible way the nation can say, ‘Thank you’ to those who served with honor,” Levine said.

Area Calendar ONGOING EVENTS

Please contact the Tallassee Recreation Department if you would like information about upcoming Self Defense Classes at 283-4726.

FEB. 9

Men’s basketball season will begin at the Recreation Department. Games will be played on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

JAN. 21

Cruise-In Car Show 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Super Foods on Gilmer Avenue

FEB. 13

Tallassee City Council Meeting at City Hall beginning at 6 p.m.

JAN. 23

Tallassee City Council Meeting at City Hall beginning at 6 p.m.

JAN. 26

Tallassee Chamber of Commerce Chamber Banquet will be held at the Wetumpka Civic Center beginning at 6 p.m.. For more information or to purchase tickets call 283-5151.

JAN. 27- FEB. 4

Dixie Youth baseball registration will be held at football field house Friday, Jan. 27, from 6-8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, from 12-2 and Saturday, Feb. 4, from 12-2. Fee is $85 for first child and $65 for additional sibling. Tryouts will be Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 at Dixie Youth field with time TBA.

FEB. 18

Annual Heart Walk will begin at 8am on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at the welcome center. Please register before event in order to receive t-shirt. Fee is $25.

FEB. 27

FEB. 6

Planning Commission Meeting 6 p.m. at City Hall

FEB. 7

FEB. 17

Tallassee Youth Softball league registration will be held at Recreation Department Friday, February 17 from 6-8 pm and Saturday, February 18 from 9a.m.-noon. New Players should bring copy of their birth certificate. Fee is $75 for first child and $45 for each additional child. Tryouts will be Saturday, February 26, 2017 at 2 p.m. at the Softball Complex (please arrive at 1:30 to sign in) Practices will start week of February 27 and opening ceremonies will held on Tuesday, March 21 at 5:45 p.m.

Industrial Development Board Meeting 6 p.m. at 1 Twin Creeks Dr. # 1

T-Ball registration will be held at Recreation Department for boys and girls ages 4-6 (girls MUST have turned 4 by Jan. 1 and boys MUST be 4 by May 1). Registration dates will begin Feb. 27 through March 10 and fee will be $45.

Social Security is here to help realize your dream

onday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day — a national holiday and a day of remembrance. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to creating and fostering equal rights for African Americans and he died during his efforts to make his dream a reality. Many people commemorate this holiday by serving their community and giving to others who may be less fortunate. In many ways, this is what Social Security does every day, all year long. A great way to be of service to others is to help someone you know who may need assistance applying for Social Security, Medicare or Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs. This is easy to do at www. socialsecurity.gov. Some people who need these benefits may not be comfortable

KYLLE’ MCKINNEY Social Security

with computers or may not even know applying online is an option. But now, it’s easier than ever to apply for such benefits from the convenience of a home computer at www.socialsecurity.gov. For example, it’s easy to apply for retirement benefits at www. socialsecurity.gov/applyonline. It can take as little as 15 minutes from start to finish. Once the application is electronically submitted, in most cases there is nothing more to do. It’s even easier to apply for Medicare, for people who do not plan to begin their Social Security retirement payments yet but who

do want Medicare coverage. The application takes about 10 minutes and you can find it at www. socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly. People who already have Medicare coverage, but who need help meeting prescription drug costs, can apply for Extra Help online at www.socialsecurity.gov/ extrahelp. This holiday, you may taken a trip to see the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. or read or listened to a recording of his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech. You can also make your Martin Luther King holiday a time of service to someone who can use your help. Lead them to www. socialsecurity.gov. It may be easy for you, but it may help someone you love realize their own dreams. Kylle’ D. McKinney is an Alabama Social Security Public Affairs Specialist.

12 The Tallassee Tribune • January 18, 2017

SPORTS

Phone 334-283-6568 Fax 334-283-6569 www.TallasseeTribune.com www.tallapoosapublishers.smugmug.com

TIGERS DESTROY CATHOLIC, BEULAH STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

The Tallassee Tigers traveled to Montgomery Catholic Prep School for an in-school tournament against Montgomery Catholic Prep School and Beulah High School on January 12. The Tigers walked away with a total team score of 67-8 against Montgomery Catholic Prep School. During the tournament, Tallassee’s Quinton Jeter defeated Jason Flowers from Montgomery Catholic Prep School by a final score of 3-0. Tallassee’s Zack Haynes defeated his opponent by a score of 6-0. Jonovon Miller also walked away with a 6-0 victory over his opponent. Mason Bell defeated Elijah Friday with a MD 13-1. Jordan Price defeated Kevin Leahy with a 6-0 fall. Catholic High’s Zachary Van Alst defeated Tallassee’s Bruin Hathcock with a technical fall 22-7. Tallassee’s Kobe Hampton defeated Catholic High’s Gus Hodges with a fall 6-0. Catholic High School’s Sean Moore defeated Alex Lynn.. Tallassee’s Rio Reyes defeated his opponent with a final score of 6-0. Tallassee’s Alex Daar defeated Catholic’s Zach Moore with 6-0 fall. Tallassee’s Hudson Deem defeated his opponent with a score of 6-0. Andy Baker, Noah Blaylock and Jake Baker all walked away from the tournament undefeated for Tallassee. The Tigers also faced Beulah High School’s wrestling team and walked away with a final score of 78-0. During the tournament Tallassee’s Quinton Jeter defeated his opponent with a score of 6-0. Zach Haynes also defeated his opponent with a score of 6-0. Jonovon

Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune

Tallassee faced Montgomery Catholic Prep School and Beulah High School this past Thursday. The Tigers walked away with a score of 67-8 over Montgomery Catholic Prep School and a score of 78-0 over Beulah High School to bring the season record to 24-2.

Miller defeated Beulah’s Emileigh Dunson with a 6-0 fall. Mason Bell represented Tallassee and defeated Jace Hancock with a score of 6-0 fall. Tallassee’s Jordan Price defeated Beulah’s Robert Alexander. Tallassee’s Bruin Hathcock defeated Dylan Kilgore with a score of 6-0 fall. Tallassee’s Kobe Hampton defeated Beulah’s Blain

Jake Baker defeated Austin Hamby for Tallassee with a score of 6-0 fall. The wins over Montgomery Catholic and Beulah High bring the Tigers’ season record to 24-2. The Tigers will face Beulah High School and Russell County High School in a dual match scheduled for Jan. 17 beginning at 5 p.m.

Auburn in the market for new OC

TMC CHALLENGE RESULTS Tallassee Mat Cats Peewee 45 - Hayden Bragg placed 1st Peewee 45 - Walker Johnson placed 3rd Peewee 50-55 - Hayden Bragg placed 1st Peewee 60+ - Maddox Tennyson placed 4th Peewee 60+ - Titus Studdard placed 2nd Bantam 45 - Barker Davis placed 2nd Bantam 55 - Abbigail Carwile placed 2nd Bantam 55 - Cole Parrish placed 4th Bantam 55 - Gavin Russom placed 3rd Bantam 60 - Russell Montgomery placed 5th Bantam 60 - Gavin Russom placed 2nd Bantam 70-75 - Grayson Cole placed 3rd Bantam 70-75 - Warren Bethea placed 2nd Bantam 75+ - Tyce Maynard placed 5th Bantam 75+ - Payton Thrower placed 4th Bantam 75+ - Brodie Jones placed 2nd Intermediate 50 - Thomas Patterson placed 3rd Intermediate 50 - Zach Sanford placed 5th Intermediate 55 - Stephen Bridgman placed 4th Intermediate 55 - Cameron Boling placed 5th Intermediate 60 - Mason Nelson placed 1st Intermediate 60 - Ethan Hill placed 5th Intermediate 65 - Gage Russom placed 5th Intermediate 65 - Land Bell placed 1st Intermediate 65 - Avery Brantley placed 4th Intermediate 70 - Chase Chumley placed 1st Intermediate 75 - Walker Wells placed 3rd Intermediate 80 - Thomas Lemmond placed 5th Intermediate 80 - Devin Bragg placed 1st Intermediate 80 - Christian Boling placed 6th Intermediate 120 - Layton Mask placed 3rd Intermediate 120 - Alli Smith placed 1st Novice 65-70 - Bryant Hathcock placed 1st Novice 80 - Ethan Jones placed 4th Novice 90-100 - Brody Goodwin placed 1st Novice 105-112 - Jude Rogers placed 1st Novice 120` - Jude Rogers placed 3rd Novice 120` - Sara Wyatt placed 1st Novice 130 - Brennan Clemons placed 2nd Novice 140 - Benjamin Carwile placed 3rd Novice 140 - Aidan Cockrell placed 1st Novice 145+ - Austin Gray placed 2nd Novice 145+ - Raymond Coker placed 1st Beginner Novice 80 - Parker McKee placed 3rd Beginner Novice 85-90 - Tanner Hill placed 1st Beginner Novice 100 - Jacob Lawrence placed 3rd Beginner Novice 100 - Andrew Thornton placed 4th Beginner Novice 100 - Jacob Smith placed 5th Beginner Novice 100 - Clark Wood placed 2nd Schoolboys 84-91 - Wiatt Watson placed 2nd Schoolboys 98-105 - Preston Tidwell placed 2nd Schoolboys 160+ - Jacob Strickland placed 1st

Hines. Tallassee’s Alex Lynn defeated Jacob Sellers with a score of 6-0 fall. Tallassee’s Rio Reyes defeated Beulah’s Quinton Hale with a score of 6-0 fall. Tallassee’s Hudson Deem defeated Beulah’s Kenneth Henderson. Tallassee’s Andy Baker defeated his opponent with 6-0 fall. Noah Blaylock defeated his opponent with a 6-0 fall.

It was announced last week that Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee would be leaving the Plains to take the same position at the University of Connecticut. In a normal profession, it wouldn’t make any logical sense to voluntarily take the same position at a far less prestigious company for significantly less money. However, coaching college football is not a normal profession. There are actually lots of sensible reasons why coaches move from one place to another. One, the path to becoming a head coach usually involves coaching different teams in different conferences to prove your versatility. See Will Muschamp. Two, sometimes assistant coaches can be inextricably linked to their head coaches and simply need to leave the nest and fly alone. Three, it always looks much better to take another job (no matter where it is) and leave voluntarily before being asked to do so. I think it was a case of all three for Lashlee and I also think the move was mutually beneficial for both parties. Rhett Lashlee has been Auburn’s OC since 2013, but he was only given “complete” (I put that in quotes because no one truly knows how complete it actually was) control beginning this

season ANDY GRAHAM Sports Columnist

before the LSU game. Coincidentally or not coincidentally, the Tigers went on a six-game winning streak. Whatever your opinion of Lashlee is, he has to get some credit for the turnaround in the offense. Auburn also lost three of its last four games down the stretch and looked ugly doing it. Of course, QB Sean White and RB Kamryn Pettway were injured, but I suppose Lashlee deserves some of the blame as well for no ability to adjust. Then again, some insiders say Gus Malzahn started becoming more involved about the time the offense went into the tank. Who knows for sure? All I know is things were noticeably tense on the sideline during the Sugar Bowl and it was a disaster. A change of some kind needed to be made. The interesting question now is who was the real problem. If it was Rhett, Auburn will hopefully upgrade and be better next season. If it was Gus, UConn probably got a good OC and

the Tigers will be looking for a new head coach next season. I really hope Lashlee does well and goes on to have a terrific career. I also hope Gus Malzahn is smart enough and savvy enough to bring in the best possible coordinator as his replacement. I won’t run down the names that get thrown around because it’s all speculation, but I’m personally looking for a specific quality. As I’ve repeatedly said, Auburn needs a more sophisticated and potent passing attack. Malzahn desperately needs to hire someone with a history of quarterback development and innovative passing concepts. Auburn OL coach Herb Hand was co-offensive coordinator with Malzahn at Tulsa. There might be a temptation to go that route, but I believe it would be a mistake. Gus Malzahn was once known for his innovation and imagination. Now he’s known for his inane game plan against Clemson and bizarre facial expressions on the sideline. Auburn needs a breath of fresh air to invigorate the offense. Gus, take your time and make a good decision. No pressure. It’s not like your job depends on it. … Oh wait. Andy Graham writes a regular sports column for Tallapoosa Publishers.

Bama can have another good year if several players step up

labama had yet another successful season under Nick Saban. Even with the last second loss to Clemson in the national title, 2016 was quite remarkable. The question is: Can the Tide Robinson get back to the playoffs again next year? While it’s true that many of the key cogs in the ’16 wheel are leaving for NFL pastures, I believe ‘Bama can — and will — get back to football’s final four. That is, as long as these five players below step up big time. 1. Calvin Ridley — The dynamic wide receiver was hampered last season as quarterback Jalen Hurts targeted departing junior Ardarius Stewart more often. Ridley’s catches, yards and touchdowns were all down from his impressive freshman campaign. In 2017, Alabama will have to find a way to get the ball in his hands more to win at the same pace as the last several years. Preferably take more downfield shots with him, too, versus

the simple jet sweeps. 2. Quinnen Williams — Williams redshirted in 2016, but has drawn rave reviews from his teammates for his play in practice along the defensive line. I was able to see Williams play in the ’15 Alabama/ Mississippi All Star Game in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and I thought he had the same type of impact as more heralded DL in that contest. With so many he losses along the Tide’s defensive front, Williams will definitely be relied upon heavily. 3. Anfernee Jennings — The Dadeville native made his presence felt toward the end of last year, but next season he needs to break out in a big way. Jennings is the prototype for the player Alabama wants on D now. He’s big-but not too big and he is very, very quick. Maybe it’s just that Anfernee is from the Lake Martin area, but I could see his being an AllSEC caliber player next season. 4. Tua Tagovailoa — Backup quarterbacks Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell decided to transfer leaving a huge gap in ‘Bama’s depth chart at the position. Jalen Hurts is undeniably the guy to take starter’s

snaps, but someone needs to be ready to go should Hurts get, you know, hurt. Tagovailoa, the highly touted lefty signee from Hawaii, has several of Hurts’ traits so if he were needed there would not be a huge shift in offensive philosophy. The key is to get Tua plenty of reps early in the season. Saban has always played starters longer than most coaches no matter the score, but I have to think Tagovailoa will get his shots. 5. Kyriq McDonald — OK, this is my dark horse contributor. McDonald will only be a true freshman (and one of the few three stars signed by Alabama in an ocean of more heralded signees at that), but I just love his versatility and tenacity. It’s so unfair to make player comparisons yet, but I see some Javiar Arenas in McDonald’s game. Based on the last few experiments at punt returner and given his elusiveness, I wonder if that isn’t where he will get his big break. Luke Robinson is a local resident, a regular sports columnist for Tallapoosa Publishers.