Jan. 23, 2019 Tallassee Tribune

IVEY SEES PROGRESS IN WETUMPKA, CHURCHES REGROUP AND TALLASSEE NEWS INSIDE

The Tallassee Tribune DEDICATED TO THE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF THE GREATER TALLASSEE AREA

TALLASSEE, AL 36078

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January 23, 2019

TALLASSEETRIBUNE.COM

VOL. 120, NO. 3

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

An EF2 tornado struck Wetumpka on Saturday afternoon damaging everything in its path. Although many structures were destroyed and others heavily damaged, there were no casualties.

Picking up the pieces Willis: It’s time ‘to dream about Wetumpka’

#We2Strong: The true meaning of community

Y

ou cannot get used to seeing that kind of destruction — trees through windows, roads shut down, horrified looks on everyone’s face. This is not what CCALEB ALEB you want to see in your TURRENTINE community.

Sports Writer I saw the same things in Tuscaloosa in 2011 and in Tupelo in 2014. I assisted in relief efforts at both of those places but Saturday’s tornado destruction was different.

This is my town, my people, my community.

See #WE2STRONG • Page A6

Today’s

Weather

64 37 High

Low

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

First responders and volunteers were on the scene Saturday following the tornado in Wetumpka. While there is still work to be done, Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis said progress is being made as the city works to pick up the pieces.

Following the loss of the senior center and heavy damage at police department headquarters, the Wetumpka City Council Tuesday approved replacing some of the equipment lost in Saturday’s tornado.

After receiving quotes on what it would take to replace the three computers lost at the senior center and 18 computers at the police department, the council approved a cap of $25,000 to replace the computers and purchase See WILLIS • Page A6

Wetumpka has many helping hands following tornado

By CARMEN RODGERS and DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writers

THURS: HIGH 50 LOW 31

CONTACT US 334-567-7811 Fax: 334-567-3284 USPS 681-260

A path of destruction was left behind in Wetumpka after Saturday’s twister but it didn’t take long for images of the devastation to make their way to social media, where they were shared by thousands.

The next day, area residents and beyond were moved to action.

Elmore County Emergency Management, with the assistance of a volunteer group, set up a registration station at the Elmore County Department of Human Resources building.

Donald Campbell / The Tribune Coordinators opened the doors at 8 a.m.

Jeneé Jones with River Perk Coffee watches the coffee and hot chocolate stand the coffee shop set up for See HELPING • Page A7 volunteers and first responders helping clean up after Saturday’s tornado.

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Proceeds benefit the Mt. Vernon Theatre.

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WAREHOUSE 51

Page A2 • January 23, 2019

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Joey Jones / For The Tribune

Saturday’s EF2 tornado damaged many structures in Wetumpka.

Gov. Ivey sees progress in Wetumpka 1,000 volunteers in city helping recovery from tornado; curfew lifted, schools reopen

By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor

With the radiant sun shining on shredded homes, churches and businesses, Wetumpka continued to bind its wounds Monday in the aftermath of Saturday’s tornado, helped to its feet by a swarm of more than 1,000 volunteers and a visit from Gov. Kay Ivey.

“This is a day we can give thanks to God Almighty for no loss of life,” Ivey said after her tour of the mangled area on the west bank of the Coosa River.

There were signs of progress throughout Monday. A curfew in

place since the tornado struck was discontinued, the Bibb Graves Bridge over the river was reopened to traffic and Wetumpka City Schools reopened at 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, according to police chief Greg Benton.

A four-way stop on the west side of the bridge at West Bridge Street and South Main Street will be in place with an officer directing traffic during peak hours in the morning and evening until a traffic light is reinstalled, probably by the end of the week, Benton said. Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis said he hopes most traffic signals will be rehung by See IVEY • Page A8

Jimmy Wigfield / The Tribune

Gov. Kay Ivey, center, greets Wetumpka councilmember Lewis Washington Sr. on Monday afternoon as she walked through areas heavily damaged by Saturday’s tornado.

Local officials give update on tornado relief

By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

Saturday’s tornado damaged Edwin Johnston’s two homes and two RVs but he found a way to laugh, as an $800 shed he owns didn’t have a scratch.

Finding the positive Man finds way to laugh despite 2 homes, 2 RVs damaged

By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer

E

dwin Johnston maybe the luckiest unlucky man in Wetumpka.

Johnston can laugh about Saturday’s tornado, despite trees falling onto his Tallassee Highway home while he rode out the storm inside.

“I was standing in the kitchen window in shorts cutting up deer meat when a tree crashed into the house,” Johnston said in his yard Sunday morning. “I made it to the door and stood in the frame. That was the best I could do.”

It is not the only home Johnston owns that was damaged by the Saturday afternoon EF2 tornado. He said his neighbor picked him up to take him to downtown. They parked on Green Street and walked across the Bibb Graves Bridge to check on his other home.

“I literally had to crawl under trees to get out,” Johnston said. “I moved here a year ago. I have a house in town just a block from where everything was just leveled. That house is still standing on Tuskeena Street, but the windows are

“All this stuff, the cheapest shed, an $800 building doesn’t have a scratch on it. Is that not hiliarous?”

— Edwin Johnston Tornado survivor out and the doors are blown in. With the amount of damage, it will likely be totaled.”

The Tallassee Highway home is Johnston’s childhood home.

“I actually grew up here,” Johnston said. “This is my parents’ house. I just renovated everything inside the house from top to bottom. The exterior being

brick and a metal roof didn’t need any work – it does now.”

It is not the first time the Tallassee Highway home has been damaged by storms.

“Twenty-three years ago when (Hurricane) Opal came through, an oak tree fell,” Johnston said. “It cracked the bricks on this side, but it shifted the entire house enough to crack sheetrock on the other end of the house.”

Saturday’s tornado blew most of the roof off Johnston’s home and blew down trees all around his property causing more damage to other property, including two vintage Airstream RVs. “That was in mint condition,” Johnston said of a travel trailer visible from his yard. “It’s a ’74 model. It is two axle and 28 feet long. Now it has tree over it and through it. There is another one parked in a shed. The shed has collapsed around it. It is a three axle and is the biggest they make.”

Johnston lost several utility trailers but one thing did not get damaged.

“All this stuff, the cheapest shed, an $800 building doesn’t have a scratch on it,” Johnston said. “Is that not hilarious?”

Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis held a press conference with local officials Sunday morning at Wetumpka City Hall. They gave updates on the damage around downtown but opened with a statement of gratitude for the response from people around the county and around the state.

“First of all, I’d like to thank all the mayors in the river region that have reached out to us to offer their assistance and sending their workers and first responders in here to assist us,” Willis said.

“It’s been awesome the support that we’ve had. We have suffered a tremendous amount of damage.

This is something we have never had here before so it’s quite an adjustment for us and what we’re dealing with.”

The city is still determining the amount of damage done around the metro area. John De Block from the National Weather Service in Birmingham was at the press conference to get into the specifics of the storm.

“Thus far we’ve seen damage from wind speeds of 120 to 130 miles per hour,” De Block said.

“That puts us on the high end of an EF-2 tornado. We’re going to continue to survey the damage throughout the day and make a final assessment once we survey all of the damage.”

Based off information from the radar, De Block said he believed the storm started near the river and had a width of about 300 yards. After fully surveying the damage, the NWS said the tornado covered 18.2 miles and had a max width of 700 yards.

Willis also introduced Elmore County Commissioner Troy Stubbs to discuss the specifics of the relief efforts in downtown.

Stubbs wanted it to be clear the professional first responders are hard at work and need space but he did not overlook the amount of support from around the community.

“The tremendous amount of damage was right here in the immediate metro area of Wetumpka but the storm continued on a track outside of the city limits and into some residential areas along Tallassee Highway See UPDATE • Page A6

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January 23, 2019 • Page A3

NO SANCTUARY DOESN’T MEAN NO CHURCH SERVICE

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

An EF2 tornado struck the city of Wetumpka on Saturday, and although it destroyed many area buildings and structures in its path, it did not destroy the sense of community the city has. The First Presbyterian Church of Wetumpka’s building was destroyed but pastor Jonathan Yarboro said that didn’t mean the church was gone. The congregation, above, met Sunday at the Wetumpka Depot despite having no building. The same was true for First Baptist Church in Wetumpka, which had its service at the Wetumpka Civic Center.

First Baptist Church in Wetumpka holds first service after tornado

By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer

The First Baptist Church in Wetumpka suffered severe damage to its building during Saturday’s tornado. The congregation was not able to meet at its building Sunday morning but it still held its services at the Wetumpka Civic Center.

“I was not sure what to preach about this morning,” FBC pastor Dr. James Troglen said during his sermon. “I just knew we needed to have services. The church needed to meet.”

The services started with five songs from the congregation’s worship band. Each of the songs delivered a strong message of keeping trust in God and the speakers on Sunday morning echoed that.

After taking its weekly offering, the services continued with Troglen’s sermon. He began by going through some of the specifics of the damage at the building before getting into the lesson.

He expects the building’s newest branch, the Impact Center, to be gone but he is hoping to save some of the lumbar from the rafters in the old chapel. Parts of the building have been standing for more than 150 years and survived through the Civil War. Troglen continued by thanking the outpouring of support from around the local community and from other Baptist congregations around the country. He also wanted the members of the neighboring buildings, including the First Presbyterian congregation, and said they would be in the church’s prayers.

Once the lesson began, Troglen focused on passages from the book of Job. The message was about focusing on the positive things you have been blessed with rather than the trials you have to face.

“We don’t have control over what happens to us,” Troglen said. “We do have control of what happens in us.”

Troglen said he wanted to give out a message of hope. He wanted it to be clear the next step is giving all of the pieces to God and allowing him to work through the disaster.

“This is not the first big thing this church has had to face,” he said. “This church is almost 200 years old. It’s not the first storm and it will not be the last. It will not be too much for us and that’s God’s promise.

Realizing that will change so much.”

Troglen closed with a story from the day of the storm. After he began surveying the damage at the building, he saw a man who had a different attitude than most people.

“He told me he can’t wait to see what we can do now,” Troglen said.

Despite all the damage done to the building and to houses of several members, Sunday’s service relayed a message of hope and trust.

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

A member of the First Presbyterian Church brings in a hymnal recovered from the church following the Wetumpka tornado.

Church destroyed, congregation still standing at First Presbyterian

By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer

First Presbyterian Church has been a staple at the corner of Bridge and Main streets in Wetumpka. Saturday, the antebellum building came tumbling down in the EF2 tornado but not the church, whose influence has been felt in the community and beyond even before the steeple was built in 1856.

Pastor Jonathan Yarboro said every church in the area invited the congregation to worship with them Sunday morning.

First Baptist Church, which buildings across the street were also damaged, also extended an invitation, but Yarboro politely declined all of them.

“My gosh how are y’all going to have church tomorrow?” Yarboro said some asked. “I said, ‘What the hell is wrong with you? We aren’t going to have church, we are going to be the church like we have always been.’”

Yarboro told his congregation Sunday’s meeting at the Wetumpka Depot is just what the members needed. While the pastor had prepared a formal message like he does every week, Yarboro chose to speak from the heart.

“I hope you have felt the incredible outpouring of love that our sisters and brothers not only in this community but everyone who has heard has already begun to shower upon you; that will continue,” Yarboro said. “Prepare to be overwhelmed at the outpouring of love. Know where it comes from. It comes in part as a repayment for the love you have shown and our church has shown for 183 years.”

Caleb Turrentine / The Tribune

The congregation asked Yarboro if things such as the church bell had been found.

“The bell was in the middle of the yard,” Yarboro responded. “The Bible next to the pulpit has been recovered.

The guy who brought it out said, ‘It looks perfect, but one of the pages is torn.’ I told him it was like that before the tornado.”

Yarboro continued to joke with the congregation.

“It looks like the contents of my office got sucked up and sent somewhere,” Yarboro said. “My Jesus action figure is liable to fall at someone’s feet. When it does, you’re going to hear stories of the second coming.”

Yarboro said his bass was found safe and sound.

“It was under my desk right where I left it,” Yarboro quipped. “It is tough. It hasn’t been in a case in 35 years and it is not now. It it is still in tune.”

Despite the destruction, Yarboro shared some the positives to come from the disaster.

“Who was it that said we needed to clean out that closet?” Yarboro asked.

“Done! The closet is clean.”

Yarboro also asked the congregation to be thankful.

“As a church family, we are beyond blessed this happened on Saturday and not Friday or (Sunday),” Yarboro said.

“The room that has the least amount left of is the nursery. If you are searching for a reason to feel blessed, that is enough.

What you need to be focused on is the feeling of blessing you have. It comes from God. We are blessed beyond measure.”

Yarboro said another blessing is no one was in the sanctuary. He said he could not assure officials no one was in there as the door is left open to anyone who wants to come in and pray. The only thing Yarboro could assure first responders of was no one from the church family was in the building. But the responders searched the sanctuary and found it to be empty.

Yarboro’s prayed with those gathered at the church’s service, thanking God for what He had done and asking for His support in the church’s future.

“You have surrounded us with blessings already,” the pastor prayed.

“We can say God is good. Since 1856 people have worshipped in a sacred space. That space has been a beacon to this community, literally and spiritually.

The literal beacon has been taken away but it will come back. The spiritual beacon cannot be taken from us because it comes from You. We know Your work through First Presbyterian is nowhere near complete here.”

Page A4 • January 23, 2019

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‘But as soon as you start to get scared, it was over.’

Survivors recall how they felt when tornado hit “We put pillows over our heads then we heard this strange noise. I kept thinking to listen for the train because you always hear people say it sounds like a train, but I never really heard that. It was more of — I tried to explain it to my friends — it was kind of like the wind was roaring at you.

It was just strange.

But as soon as you start to get scared, it was over. Right after, everything was totally quiet. We couldn’t hear any wind. It went totally quiet.”

— Leslie Mattox, lives on Green Street with husband Jason “I came out and looked on the front porch, and it was just raining. All of a sudden, the wind picked up and I thought, ‘I need to get the flags in because they are going to blow off the front porch.’ About that time, the wind started going the opposite direction, and I hightailed it back in the house.”

— Heather Norton, lives on West Bridge Street “I was actually sleeping, and my brother (Antonio) grabbed us and told us to get down. It was very quick. It felt like a herd of bulls just ran through the house and all you heard was glass shattering everywhere around us.”

— Keonna Russell, lives on Tuskeena Street “It was just really weird. I don’t know how to explain it. It was green in the sky.

It was like a really weird pea green afterward, and it was very eerie. I told my husband, ‘We can’t go out there. It’s too quiet.’ We got a poster that was in our front yard from somewhere. It was the weirdest thing; it was a Hannah Montana, you know Miley Cyrus, poster, not even wet, totally dry, and it just landed in our front yard.”

— Deborah T yree, lives at Cotton Lakes in Wetumpka “We heard the wind and the rain hitting the awning, and we got the customers and employees down to the basement. By the time I got everybody out of the dining room and downstairs, my front doors blew open and at that point, a window blew out. And I was just standing there, and it was done. I mean, it was maybe 15 seconds.”

— Paul Norton, owner of Coaches Corner

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January 23, 2019 • Page A5

Photos by Cliff Williams & Caleb Turrentine /

The Tribune

First responders and area residents were on scene after Saturday’s EF2 tornado hit the city of Wetumpka, damaging everything in its path. Although homes and city structures were demolished, there were no casualties. More than 1,000 volunteers have been working since Saturday to clean up the debris and rubble.

Page A6 • January 23, 2019

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THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Update and other roads,” Stubbs said. “We are making sure it is safe for our citizens to travel about and, most importantly, for our essential services, utilities and law enforcement to get around the community to serve everyone.”

Stubbs and Willis both said there has been an outpouring of support from other officials around the river region.

Stubbs said there have been numerous people and groups already looking for ways to volunteer around the community. The county’s EMA director Keith Barnett was also on hand and directed anyone needing information to call 334-567-6451.

“We are still fielding calls for damage and calls from people wanting to serve,” Stubbs said. “We are encouraging all reports of damage to come to the emergency operations center …

People can call to report damage and call if they have a volunteer group. We are trying to organize that as much as possible so we can get the pieces back together. I cannot say enough about our community and everyone’s desire to serve.”

Willis said there was a total of 25 homes in the city limits damaged to destroyed as of 10 a.m. Sunday.

Offcials were still trying to assess the total damage but one of the focuses was around the police department’s building on the corner of Marshall and East Coosa streets.

“We lost our police station; it was pretty well taken out,” Willis said.

“We’re making plans today on how we’re going to set that up and move forward.

“We don’t know how long it’s going to take. I think we had five police cars

continued from Page A2

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis, center, speaks at Sunday’s press conference following the tornado in Wetumpka on Saturday. City and county officials are focused on how to get the area back into normal operation as much as possible.

in this that were damaged or destroyed.

One was a brand-new vehicle that had just been put online. We’ll have to work through all of that. We may have to borrow some police cars from some-

one but we’ll move forward.”

Surveying the damage will become clearer over the next few days as the cleaning efforts continue.

“We’ll get out numbers in place

and figure out exactly where we are,” Willis said. “We’re still trying to document everything we’re doing. We have to do that for FEMA to see if it will be something that will involve them.”

#We2Strong The first few hours were spent in shock as I avoided downed power wires, held my breath around open gas lines and tried to find a way to do my job without seeming like I was overwhelmed.

But to be honest, I was overwhelmed. And that does not happen very often.

I live less than a mile away from the majority of the damage in downtown Wetumpka and I never heard the tornado. I was shaken about how much worse it could have been for me.

After walking around some of the sites, I had to make it across the bridge to the Herald office.

I successfully made it to Green Street but then decided I had to go back across to the site of the worst destruction. On my walk back toward the bridge, I was stopped by a woman outside of one of the downtown shops.

She had a different attitude than I expected. Her smile was contagious and she could not stop pouring her thanks after hearing there were not any major injuries.

She recognized me from a Facebook Live video and told me to be safe as I continued to walk around town. Before I walked away, she thanked me for doing what I was doing and keeping everyone informed.

“What am I doing?”

That’s all I could think.

“There are thousands of people trying to get into the town to volunteer their services, and I haven’t cleaned up a single piece of debris.”

But that’s when it all clicked with me. I understood the true sense of community, and I saw every bit of it over the next 24 hours.

Everyone has a part to play to help the community recover, and that was

continued from Page A1 clear this weekend. The first responders were leading the way but the number of individuals who walked into the worst areas was astounding.

There was never an individual working alone, and you couldn’t walk 20 yards without running into people offering you coffee or water.

From the outside, you may have thought Wetumpka was at its lowest points. But if you saw what I saw, you knew the community has never been more alive.

After having severe damage at its building, the First Baptist Church in Wetumpka held its services at the Civic Center on Sunday morning.

Everyone has heard the following concept before but it resonated this weekend.

“You know Wetumpka First Baptist as a campus or a building,” FBC pastor Dr. James Troglen said. “But look around you. These people are what Wetumpka First Baptist is.”

That doesn’t just apply to churches; it can also be meant for a community. Businesses, homes and church buildings were all lost, but the community is still there.

The damage cannot be undone but it will not be the defining point of this recovery. The outpouring love and unity over the past few days already show this community will be back stronger.

As pictures and videos flew through social media over the weekend, one hashtag caught my eye: #We2Strong Of course, I love a good pun but this one was more than that. This one made me believe. And so does this community.

Caleb Turrentine is a sports writer at The Herald and The Tribune.

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

Members of the community were out all weekend in Wetumpka doing whatever they could to help clean up the debris the tornado left.

Willis

continued from Page A1

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

Elmore County commissioner Troy Stubbs, center, and Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis assess the damage Saturday after an EF2 tornado struck Wetumpka.

auxiliary equipment needed to run them.

Mayor Jerry Willis gave the council an update on tornado recovery and damage.

“We had up to 35 homes damaged or destroyed,” Willis said. “We had up to 15 commercial buildings damaged or destroyed.”

Willis said programs at the senior center will resume next week at the Elmore County Hospital cafeteria.

Due to heavy damage at the police department, Willis said law enforcement will temporarily use space in the city administrative building on South Main Street.

While there is still much to be done, Willis said progress has been made and the city should be thinking about where it wants to go in the future.

“A lot of work has been done so far,” Willis said.

“We need to dream about Wetumpka.”

In other action at the meeting: • The council briefly dis-

cussed an agreement to get a stable surface on a pathway between the Wetumpka Sports Complex and the Riverwalk. The pathway, which would receive an 8-foot wide concrete surface, would be funded through a $60,000 grant.

After the discussion, the council approved a motion to move forward with an agreement with the state to begin the process.

• The council also approved moving forward on an addition to the city’s personnel policies and procedures manual regarding drug and alcohol testing.

The new method would allow for faster testing and save the city nearly $200 per month. After several questions posed by councilmember Lewis Washington, including some of the wording used in the addition, the motion passed, along with a new consent form for testing and a supplement to the policies and procedures regarding testing.

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

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January 23, 2019 • Page A7

Helping

continued from Page A1

Cliff Williams / The Tribune

Volunteers check in at the Elmore County Department of Human Resources on Sunday morning.

Lizi Arbogast / The Tribune

Volunteers were looking to help out in any way they could over the weekend.

Donald Campbell / The Tribune

Leanne Crews, center in glasses, and other employees from Coosa Cleaver grill up hamburgers Monday afternoon for volunteers and first responders cleaning up after Saturday’s tornado.

Sunday and people began coming in by the dozens to help their neighbors with cleanup efforts.

Tammy Spencer, of HandsOn River Region in Montgomery, said more than 500 people showed up before noon Sunday to lend a hand to victims of Saturday afternoon’s storm.

Monday afternoon, that number had more than doubled. Elmore County Commissioner Troy Stubbs said 730 volunteers were registered Sunday and another 300 Monday.

According to Spencer, while the majority of the volunteer cleanup efforts are centered in downtown, HandsOn River Region sent several helping hands into all of the affected areas.

“We have chainsaw teams, people with heavy equipment,” Spencer said.

“We also sent five chainsaw teams with a total of 50 people out into the areas where there were trees down and trees on houses. They are cutting up the trees and removing trees and tarping houses.”

Before going out to lend a helping hand, volunteers had to take a brief safety course, and Spencer said there are a few things to consider before registering.

“They need to be 18 to volunteer without a guardian or parents signature,” Spencer said. “(People ages) 14 through 17 would need to have a parent or guardian that comes with them and stays with them in order for them to volunteer.”

HandsOn River Region is the largest team assembled of volunteers but it certainly isn’t the only one. John Cordell, a member of the Alabama Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, said 10 people were deployed from the Montgomery Baptist Association to help. They were mostly chainsaw crews, helping to clear large trees out of people’s yards.

“It’s important because we’re told to be doers and not just hearers of the word,” Cordell said. “And we’re told to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

I would love for somebody to come up here and do this if this were my house, so as a representative of Jesus Christ, I can’t do nothing but come up here.”

Members of the Red Cross of Montgomery also set up shop at Wetumpka High School, which opened its doors as a shelter throughout the week. The Church of the Highlands and Bridge Church provided food at the shelter.

In downtown Wetumpka, the businesses that survived the storm were open to help in the recovery effort.

“There were a lot of us here when it happened Saturday,” said Leanne Crews, a bartender at Coosa Cleaver.

“We decided that night to do what we could to help. A friend of the owners brought the grill. We started cooking early (Sunday) morning. “We’ve been cooking up burgers for volunteers, first responders and those affected by this.

We’ve had a lot of people helping out.

Flowers Bakery donated buns, and some people have even donated the hamburger meat.”

Grumpy Dog owner Wil Lanum offered free lunches to volunteers and first responders Monday.

“We all recover together,” he said.

“We fed the whole city of Wetumpka (Monday). We offered free lunch to volunteers and first responders, those affected and those just passing through.

Everybody’s welcome today.”

The owners of River Perk also did their part, giving out free coffee throughout the weekend and into Monday.

“I feel it’s a responsibility of us downtown,” River Perk Coffee owner Johnny Oates said. “We’ve got a great volunteer base here. There’s a great love of the community. It’s a blessing to me to serve someone else.”

The spur-of-the-moment help right after the tornado was stunning.

“Within 30 minutes probably, people just showed up with chainsaws,” said Leslie Mattox, who lives on Green Street, where six large fallen trees rendered it impassable. “Out here in the pouring rain, they were clearing the road. They were just random people; we didn’t know a single one of them.”

For those would like to help with the ongoing recovery efforts but cannot volunteer, Spencer said the Central Alabama Community Foundation is accepting monetary donations that will be given in full to Wetumpka.

“One-hundred percent,” Spencer said.

“Nothing will be taken out of it.”

To give to the foundation, go to https://cacfinfo.org/category/news/.

There are also plenty of other ways to contribute; Stubbs said people can call 211 locally or bring donations of food, clothes and household goods to Adullam House and Faith Baptist Church, and non-perishable food to the Elmore County Food Bank.

For more information about how to donate through the Central Alabama Community Foundation, call CACF president Burton Crenshaw at 334-2646223.

Lizi Arbogast contributed to this report.

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Ivey

continued from Page A2

today.

Ivey, who one week earlier had stood on the steps of the state Capitol for her inauguration, walked cautiously to avoid glass, nails and tree branches on streets in the city’s most heavily damaged area. She walked past the ruins of the historic First Presbyterian Church and the seriously damaged First Baptist Church alongside Willis in contemplative silence.

“It’s been a tough few days,” Willis said. “It was difficult the first few times I saw it to keep my composure. It broke my heart to see the (Presbyterian) church.”

Ivey also stopped at several damaged homes along the way to thank volunteers for helping clean up and to encourage homeowners.

“Anybody want a shovel or a rake?” the governor asked after shaking hands with volunteers from Tallassee.

Later, standing behind the demolished Fain Senior Center on Cotton Street, Ivey said God spared Wetumpka from a much worse fate.

“It’s just about as bad as I thought it would be,” Ivey said over the incessant grinding of chainsaws chopping up trees toppled by the EF2 tornado’s estimated 120 to 130 mph winds. “Yes, we lost a lot of property, so there is a lot of discomfort in the area. There is a lot of devastation, 35-plus homes damaged or unlivable, the First Baptist Church, the First Presbyterian Church. Thank goodness no lives were lost. That’s a blessing. We can replace things but not people. I’m grateful it was no worse than it was.”

Process to seek federal relief begins

Emergency Management Agency officials began preparing for damage assessments in Elmore County, which could take several weeks, to determine if the affected areas qualify for federal disaster funds. Elmore County EMA director Keith Barnett said to qualify, cumulative damage must exceed $7 million. In many cases, Barnett said insured property does not count in that total.

“This is not a fast process,” Willis said. “We will have to assess everything and find out what the totals come to and find out what we qualify for.”

Willis is optimistic the shock of the destruction will soon fade into an era of stimulating reconstruction.

“You spend those years working to build and then all of a sudden you see it’s gone,” he said. “But guess what? It gives us an opportunity now, an opportunity to do something else. We’ll build

Hal Yeager / Governor’s office

Gov. Kay Ivey surveyed the Wetumpka tornado damage Monday. Ivey, center, walks through the areas of Wetumpka most severely damaged by Saturday’s tornado with Elmore County EMA director Keith Barnett, far right, and Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis, left.

it back and probably better than it ever was before. We’re excited about that challenge.”

The Wetumpka Fire Department reported to Willis on Monday afternoon 30 homes and 15 commercial buildings had suffered significant damage or worse.

That includes the Wetumpka Police Department, which is relocating upstairs in the city administration building.

Benton said “hardly anything” was salvageable from police headquarters, including the loss of five patrol vehicles.

But four police officers who had been in the squad room about five minutes before the tornado struck were saved from certain death.

“They heard about the tornado and left just before,” Benton said. “The room they were in was demolished.”

Back on the streets

Willis said he hopes all streets will be reopened by Tuesday.

“We’re waiting on the state to hang the traffic signals that fell down,” he said. “It’ll be pretty tough turning them loose without traffic signals. Traffic has been horrendous. Once we get the streets open, then we’ve got to get debris off the right of ways and we’ll have to close streets while we’re doing that.”

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Willis said he is concerned about predicted rain Wednesday slowing the cleanup.

“Pray that the rain will leave us alone and give us one more day because we can get a lot done in one day,” he said.

The Alabama Department of Transportation declared the Bibb Graves Bridge structurally sound and safe, Willis said, and power and cable have been restored to the west side of the river.

“The power company has done an outstanding job,” Willis said. “The transmission lines came across the river in two places. All the lines were in the river.”

Mayor recalls beauty; volunteers pour in

Along the west bank in the area of the bridge, there was little to attach power lines to, including the two churches.

Willis wistfully recalled the First Presbyterian Church, a famous landmark in the city.

“It was 163 years old and it’s been captured on canvas probably more than any other scene in our county,” he said.

“When they would paint the bridge, they would always capture the church in the background. We hope they put it back with kind of the same theme or maybe the same look it had before. Saturday

morning, I was coming down the hill behind the courthouses and I looked over and I could see the church steeples and thought, ‘Man, this is beautiful.’

How many places have this, the river and the bridge?”

Ivey and Elmore County Commissioner Troy Stubbs said they were astounded by the number of volunteers who had come to help Wetumpka.

“That’s special,” Ivey said. “You all have got a lot to be thankful for and you’ve got a lot of hard work ahead. I take great comfort in knowing neighbors are helping neighbors in large numbers.

And you have got it so well coordinated that you can be effective and not duplicate.”

Stubbs said 730 volunteers were registered Sunday and another 300 Monday.

“We made a decision to stop registering volunteers as of lunchtime today,” Stubbs said. “We are overwhelmed with the number of people down here working. In some areas, we don’t have enough work for them to do. They’ve made such quick work. We are not even 48 hours from the storm and we have already made tremendous progress.

“We have witnessed a community truly coming together. I can’t say enough about the fellowship, the relationships, that are built in a time like this.”

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If you have served our country, please join us to help serve other veterans.

PLEASE CALL US TO SEE WHAT THE VFW CAN DO FOR YOU AS A MEMBER!

Learn more or join at vfw.org

Dr. Gary Harrelson will begin seeing patients (ages 5 & older) on January 3, 2019 at Tallassee Family Care located at 115 Herren Hill Road, Tallassee, AL 36078.

Dr. Harrelson graduated from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in 1981 and completed his Family Medicine Residency in 1984. Before relocating to Tallassee, he practiced in Auburn, AL, caring for patients from the tri-county area.

With more than 37 years of Family Practice experience, Dr. Harrelson looks forward to serving our community and meeting the healthcare needs of your family.

RELIGION

Visit our sister websites: www.AlexCityOutlook.com www.TheWetumpkaHerald.com

www.TallasseeTribune.com THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Page A9 • January 23, 2019

‘I will run in the way of Your commandments when You enlarge my heart’ “I will run in the way of Your commandments when You enlarge my heart.” — Psalm 119:32 he doctor is wearing blue scrubs and a white lab coat. He has draped his stethoscope around his neck.

He has looked at your chest x-ray and tells you that have cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart. He explains that an enlarged heart isn’t a disease, but rather a symptom of another condition. He says that more tests are needed to diagnose the condition causing your enlarged heart.

An enlarged heart may be the result of stress on your body, perhaps from a weakening heart muscle or

T

some blockage in the coronary arteries. It could be a heart valve problem or an abnormal heart rhythm causing the enlargement. It may be treatable by medication or surgery, but it’s not good.

An enlarged heart is medically bad, but spiritually good. The psalmist promised to run in the way of God’s commandments when the Lord enlarged his heart. Here’s a reminder that the Bible writers are not usually referring to the blood pump in the middle of our chest when they speak of the heart. The preacher may place his hand over the chest as he speaks of the heart as the center of affection, emotion or commitment. But it’s really only a dramatic gesture. A

MIKE MCELROY Columnist singer, parent or lover may illustrate the depth of their love by talking about “the bottom of my heart,” but they’re usually pointing to their chest and not to their head when they say it.

The psalmist knew that spiritual heart enlargement is a work of God. Just as a patient is dependent on her cardiologist to diagnose and treat the physical heart, you and I are powerless to enlarge our hearts. It is a work of grace to enable us to love,

I pray every morning before I spend time with my Bible for God to incline my heart to his testimonies (Psalm 119:36), and to unite my heart to fear his name (Psalm 86:11). Since I am not always quick to obey Him, I suppose I should also be praying for Him to enlarge my heart. When I am unkind, unmerciful or reluctant to forgive, my heart is too small.

My visible actions are like an x-ray, revealing that my invisible heart needs work that only he can do.

I hope your doctor never tells you that you have an enlarged heart. But I hope you will join me in promising our Father that we will eagerly obey Him if he will enlarge our heart.

forgive and show mercy to others as a reflection of the loving kindness God has shown to us.

We don’t know for sure who wrote Psalm 119. I like to imagine that it was David.

From what we know about his life, it’s easy to hear many of the things in this longest chapter of the Bible spoken in his voice. Isn’t it interesting to know that the one we know as the man “after God’s own heart” relied on God to make his own human heart more like the Lord’s divine one? He promised zealous obedience— to run in the way of God’s commandments. But he knew the ability to do that would come from God’s work deep inside him.

Church Briefs church office at 283-2195.

Episcopal Church of the Epiphany

On January 27 at 10:30 a.m.

Mike Harber will officiate at a service of Morning Prayer, with coffee hour to follow. There will be NO Sunday School that day. For more information, visit the church website: http://epiphanytallassee. org/First

Rock Springs Baptist Church We welcome any and all guests to join us.

United Methodist Church

New worship times are 9 a.m. for contemporary and 11 a.m. for traditional, with Sunday School for all ages at 10 a.m.

Programs for children and youth on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. All are welcome.

We also have a few openings left in our Lighthouse Afterschool program, for children in kindergarten through seventh grade.

Afterschool care includes devotions, fun activities, mission projects and help with homework.

For more information, contact our

ages begin at 6 p.m. For more information please call 334 2836338.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church

Our Life’s Journey radio program is at a new time. SUNDAYS 9:30am on WACQ-AM 580 and FM 101.1 (Tallassee/Lake Martin Area) or online at www.wacqradio.com or the “TuneIn” App on your Smart Phone.

St. Vincent de Paul Church has Mass on Saturday Nights at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday Mornings at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. with Sunday School from 9:15-10:15 a.m. each week. St. Vincent de Paul is located at 620 Gilmer Avenue in Tallassee. For more information, please call 334-283-2169.

Liberty Baptist Church

Everyone is invited to join us in worship at 574 Liberty Road, Tallassee. Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m. and Morning Worship at 10:45 a.m. A Jen Wilkin Bible Study on the book of Genesis will be at 5 p.m. as well as other Discipleship Training classes.

Evening Worship follows at 6 p.m.

Wednesday night services for all

Living Water Worship Center

Revival nights will be held on the last Sunday of each month beginning at 6 p.m. at 45 Main St. in downtown Eclectic.

East Tallassee United Methodist Church

vice begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday night services begin at 6 p.m.

Visitors welcome at all services.

Call us at (334) 283-5437 or drop by 209 Gilmer Ave.

to worship and praise the Lord, join us at 293 N. Wesson St. in Tallassee. We offer 10 a.m. Sunday School, 11 a.m. morning worship service and 6 p.m. evening service. Also join us at 7 p.m. Wednesday for our prayer and fellowship service. If you have any questions call (334) 283-2366.

Liberty United Methodist

Carrville Baptist 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 United Methodist Church and is located across from city hall. We will offer variously priced booths. To reserve a space call Joan Wood at (334) 312-4913. All proceeds raised

by ETUMC will be used for church-sponsored programs.

Will host t he “Heart Links 16th” Women’s Praise and Worship Night on Feb. 22 from 6-9 p.m. at the Mt. Vernon Theater, located at 321 Barnett Blvd. The speaker will be Janeese Spencer, director of venture Life Coaching in Montgomery. For more information contact Jeanele Sargent at 334-224-2767. There is no cost or registration.

To join the community choir, contact Teresa Atchison at 334207-0456. First choir practice is Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. with others to follow at the Mt. Vernon Theater.

Calvary Baptist Church of Tallassee

Tallassee Church of Christ

If you are looking for a church

Sunday School begins at 10 a.m., worship service begins at 11 a.m. and the Sunday evening ser-

Located at 2436 Notasulga Rd., Sunday School begins at 9:15 a.m. Sunday morning worship begins at 10:30 a.m.

Children’s Gospel Project Youth and Adult Bible Studies begin at 6 p.m. and at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. For more info call the church office at 283-2221, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or visit our website www.carrvillebaptist.com.

First Baptist Church Reeltown

We have worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Between those services, we have Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. with a class ready to welcome you. Sunday night service begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday night services begin at 6:30 p.m. with Bible study classes for all ages.

Tallassee Churches BAPTIST Bethlehem East 7561 Upper River Road Calvary Baptist Church 293 N Wesson Street Word of Life 501 Sims Avenue Carrville Baptist Church 2436 Notasulga Road East Tallassee Baptist Church 314 Central Boulevard Elam Baptist Church 4686 Notasulga Road First Baptist Church 1279 Friendship Road Flatrock Missionary Baptist Church 1024 Flat Rock Road Friendship 4345 Friendship Road Liberty Baptist Church 574 Liberty Road Mount Zion Baptist Church

64 Log Circle Providence Primitive Baptist Church 4850 Chana Creek Road Refuge Baptist Church 3098 Red Hill Road River Road 239 Lower Tuskegee Road Riverside Heights Hispanic Mission 495 Little Road Rock Springs 375 Rigsby Road Rock Springs Baptist Church 2810 Rock Springs Drive Tallassee First 1279 Friendship Road Tallaweka Baptist Church 1419 Gilmer Avenue Westside Baptist Church 1825 Gilmer Avenue CATHOLIC St Vincent De Paul Parish

620 Gilmer Avenue CHRISTIAN/OTHER Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ 1072 Muskogee Trail East Tallassee Church of Christ 501 Central Boulevard Light of Jesus Outreach Ministries 140 Gin Street Macedonia Christian Church 2685 Macedonia Road Mount Olive Congregational Christian Church NACCC 492 Kent Road Oak Heights Church of Christ 74 Manning Circle Tallassee Church of Christ 209 Gilmer Avenue Wind Rain & Fire Ministries International 1201 Gilmer Avenue Vessel Church

84632 Tallassee Highway, Eclectic, AL 36024 God’s Church, Campfire Ministries 209 Barnett Bouelvard Tallassee, AL 36078 The Lord Our Righteousness Center, Inc. 4566 Claud Road Eclectic, AL 36024 Tallassee First Assembly of God 185 Friendship Road, Tallassee, AL 36078 EPISCOPAL Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 2602 Gilmer Avenue METHODIST East Tallassee United Methodist Church 101 Central Boulevard First United Methodist Church 1 Jordan Avenue

New Zion 3523 Ashurst Bar Road St. Paul Tallassee 101 Herren Hill Road Wall Street 71 Zion Street INDEPENDENT Abundant Life Church 2634 Lower Tuskegee Road Saint Mark All Nationals Pentecostal Foundation Church 30 Stewart Street Tallassee Church of God 134 Adams Street Tallassee Holiness Church 194 Honeysuckle Lane God’s Congregation Holiness Church 508 Jordan Avenue Claud Independent Methodist Church 81232 Tallassee Highway in Eclectic

Surrounding 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

HERREN HILL PHARMACY & GIFTS

Hometown Service from the People You Trust!

24 Herren Hill Road P.O. Box 780061 Tallassee, AL 36078

HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Sat. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

(334) 252-8800

eat fresh.

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“Come to see us.”

464 Gilmer Avenue 283-2247

Talisi Florist 906 Gilmer Avenue Tallassee, AL (334) 991-4230

Beautiful, Quality, Flowers For Any Occasion.

LOW COST CARS 5264 Notasulga Road Tallassee, AL

Used Carss & Trucks

“Take a Ride...

Then Decide!”

LOW COST CARS...............................(334) 283-3051 BOBBY KELLEY (Cell).....................(334) 415-3062 DAWN HAMMOCK..........................(334) 283-3051 Serving Tallassee since 1992

11117 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 5675754 Crossroads Assembly of God 2534 AL Hwy 14., Millbrook 285-5545 First Assembly of God 3511 Shirley Ln., Millbrook New Home Assembly of God 5620 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 5692825

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•Portable Storage Buildings •Frame Tech Steel Buildings •Garages •Gazebos •Greenhouses •Playhouses

5427 Notasulga Road Hwy. 49 & 14 Tallassee, AL 36078

(334) 252-1333

BUILDINGS

BAPTIST Abraham Baptist Church 2520 Lynwood Dr., Millbrook 285-5213 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 567-

Phone

Come join East Tallassee Baptist Church For Vacation Bible School!

VBS Kickoff/ Registration Sunday, June 24 • 4:00 pm– 6pm Vacation Bible School Begins!

Monday, June 25– Friday June 29th from 8:30-11:30 am

‘‘ Y O U R L O C A L G A S G O M P A N Y ’’ WETUMPKA OFFICE CLANTON OFFICE 1050 Woodfin Lane • (205) 755-2739 7616 US Hwy. 231 • (334) 567-8833 SLAPOUT OFFICE TALLASSEE OFFICE 9945 Holtville Road • (334) 569-3325 1603 Gilmer Avenue • (334) 283-2795

CITY COLLISION FOR ALL YOUR PAINT AND BODY NEEDS 89077 Tallassee Hwy. • Tallassee, AL dlh4012@aol.com Dana Haynes, Owner 334-391-7345

Submit your church news to editor@tallasseetribune.com The deadline is FRIDAY at noon

4325 Brookwood Baptist 3111 Grandview Rd., Millbrook 285-6792 Calvary Baptist 504 W. Osceola St., Wetumpka 567-4729 Central Baptist 3545 W. Central Rd., Wetumpka 541-2556 Coosada Baptist 20 Kennedy Ave., Coosada

If you would like to be a sponsor of the Devotional Thoughts each week, please give us a call, 334-567-7811.

–––––– The Tallassee Tribune

Page A10 • January 23, 2019

Our

Tallassee

www.TallasseeTribune.com

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Mission

The Tribune strives to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity, to take a leadership role and act as a positive influence in our community, to promote business, to provide for the welfare of our employees, to strive for excellence in everything we do and above all, to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.

Staff

Directory

Telephone: (334) 283-6568 Website: www.tallasseetribune.com Management Steve Baker Publisher, 256-414-3190 steve.baker@alexcityoutlook.com Angela Mullins Business Manager, 256-414-3191 angela.mullins@alexcityoutlook.com Jimmy Wigfield Managing Editor, 256-414-3179 jimmy.wigfield@alexcityoutlook.com Tippy Hunter Advertising Director, 256-414-3177 marketing@alexcityoutlook.com Audra Spears Art Director, 256-414-3189 audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com Betsy Iler Magazine Managing Editor, 256-234-4282 betsy.iler@alexcityoutlook.com Erin Burton Circulation Manager, 256-234-7779 erin.burton@alexcityoutlook.com Lee Champion Production Manager, 256-414-3017 lee.champion@alexcityoutlook.com Newsroom Carmen Rodgers Staff Writer, 334-283-6568 carmen.rodgers@tallasseetribune.com Santana Wood Design Editor, 256-234-3412 santana.wood@alexcityoutlook.com Lizi Arbogast Sports Editor, 256-414-3180 lizi.arbogast@thewetumpkaherald.com Caleb Turrentine Sports Writer, 334-350-3922 caleb.turrentine@thewetumpkaherald.com Advertising Sales Shannon Filyaw Marketing Consultant, 334-415-0781 shannon.filyaw@tallasseetribune.com Kat Raiford Digital Marketing Coordinator, 334-444-8981 shannon.filyaw@tallasseetribune.com

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www.tallasseetribune.com

Down-home auto racing — decades of tradition

I

hadn’t been out on this part of the Old Selma Highway in over half a century, but locating the Montgomery Motor Speedway was easy enough. Unlike many sports/ entertainment venues, it’s still around, and numerous signs direct racing fans to the slightly-longerthan-half-a-mile asphalt oval.

The route to the speedway was the same as it had been in the earlyto-mid-1960s, when my father and other adults would occasionally take my brother, me and our friends to watch hot rods roar around the track, creating a din so loud that conversation was impossible, even if we were screaming at each other.

The primary drivers in such times were the founders of what became known as the Alabama Gang in automobile racing lore.

There were the Allison brothers— Bobby (#312) and Donnie (#88)— Red Farmer (#F-97), Friday Hassler (#15) and others like Sonny Black and Dave Mader (Black would die in 1964 from injuries he sustained in a wreck at Pensacola’s Five Flags Speedway). As I recall, the automobiles were in a category called Modified Sportsman.

There was also the opportunity to laugh at and berate a local perennial also-ran named Bill Bazzell, who was sort of like a redneck greasemonkey version of Bob Uecker.

Bazzell was usually way down the list of finishers, but one memorable Saturday night, he actually won one of the qualifying heats. This must have excited him in a big way, because he wrecked in the main event, totaling his automobile.

The track acquired the pretentious moniker of Montgomery International Speedway ca. 1962. Under the auspices of legendary promoter Bob Harmon, numerous unique racing events were presented, including

WILLIE MOSELEY Columnist competitions that brought in frontline NASCAR Grand National drivers like Richard Petty.

There was also the invasion of “skeeter cars” from another part of the country. Those vehicles were a bit more minimalist in their construction and sported giant airfoils. Several races were held at M.I.S. one summer in which the cars from the two genres competed against each other, and it was an exciting and successful initiative.

The last event I’d attended at Montgomery International Speedway wasn’t a race. The Yardbirds, an English rock aggregation that was one of the latter-day bands in what history has termed the British Invasion, performed at M.I.S. two nights in a row, June 4 and 5, 1968, during what would turn out to be their final concert tour.

They were set up on a flatbed trailer on the main straightaway, and the second night, the show promoters compelled the band to play a few extra songs for a dance contest, of all things.

The Yardbirds broke up a few weeks later. Former lead guitarist Jimmy Page soon formed a new band called Led Zeppelin, which recorded its first album that fall.

All of the preceding recollections were obviously on my mind during the drive to the facility, which is now once again known as the Montgomery Motor Speedway.

Another memory manifested itself when I turned right onto the long,

straight road to the track and its parking facilities…because I was driving on what had been a drag strip. M.I.S. had presented drag races as well, but the slam-bang action on the oval was always more popular.

A conversation with the M.M.S. general manager, Stan Harrison, revealed the bank of the track is eight degrees on the straightaways and 13 degrees on the turns. We discussed Red Farmer, who is now in his 80s and is still occasionally racing at the (dirt) short track in Talladega.

Harrison also rightfully noted how automobile racing still thrives in the Deep South, as short tracks abound all over Alabama and neighboring states. The sport has an almost-century-old tradition below the Mason-Dixon line; it’s not like some types of other recent spectator-oriented diversions like arena football or minor league ice hockey. Down here in Bubbaland, those ventures often don’t last too long.

The track and grandstands appear to have been well maintained over the years. The spectator area is divided into a “family section” (alcohol prohibited) and an “adult section” (alcohol allowed).

I stood in the grandstand area for several minutes, recalling the noise, flashy colors, and motion of jalopies careening around the paved oval in front of me over half a century ago. A damp mist seemed to enhance the wraithlike recollections. I found myself wishing that my sense of smell could detect a spectral odor of oil, smoke, and gasoline.

Willie Moseley is the news editor emeritus for The Tribune.

His column appears here each Wednesday.

Talks THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

STEVE FLOWERS Columnistt

Trump and Shelby set conservative track for courts

R

egardless of what happens in Donald Trump’s administration over the next two years, he will have a proven record of success as president, especially among conservative Americans.

One of the most important accomplishments of any president is the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice. Folks, Trump has appointed and had confirmed two members of the Supreme Court in two years, a remarkable achievement. Justices Neal Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh will have an immense impact on American laws and values for more than likely over two decades, long after Trump is dead and gone. Both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are young, in their early 50s and will be part of many landmark rulings that will profoundly affect American public policy.

Trump’s selection of these two extremely well-qualified jurists were wise.

They are considered mainstream, moderate conservatives with the perfect educational and judicial background and experience.

Kavanaugh’s confirmation was more controversial because his choice is a pivotal swing vote that tilts the Supreme Court to a conservative majority. Gorsuch was an even swap, a conservative for a conservative, replacing the late Justice Anton Scalia.

Kavanaugh’s appointment was critical.

The liberal Democrats had to go to the wall and declare all-out war by whatever means to derail and delay the Kavanaugh confirmation because the Supreme Court swung to becoming a conservative tribunal with Kavanaugh; it previously had four liberals and four conservatives, with Kavanaugh replacing the swing vote of Justice Anthony Kennedy. Make no mistake, the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice is very political.

The liberals had to resort to extreme measures to preserve the possibility the Republicans could lose their control of the U.S. Senate which gives consent to a president’s SCOTUS appointments.

In today’s extremely partisan politics, lines are drawn and both sides go for the jugular vein. Therefore, the only way for Trump to be successful in placing two conservative justices is because he has a Republican majority in the Senate, which has some very adroit veteran GOP leaders such as Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley and Alabama’s Richard Shelby paving the way.

Speaking of Shelby, he has masterminded and orchestrated a legendary coup of his own when it comes to our U.S. federal judges in Alabama. In conjunction with the Trump administration, Shelby has placed six new federal judges in Alabama, all young and conservative. This Shelby/Trump triumph has secured 20 to 30 years of dominance of conservative federal judges in the Heart of Dixie.

During the Obama years, at least six federal judgeships became vacant in Alabama. President Obama appointed replacements but Sen. Shelby and former Sen. Jeff Sessions sat on them and refused to allow them to be confirmed, keeping them vacant due to partisan gamesmanship. Shelby and Sessions hoped a day would come when a Republican president could place these lifetime appointments into conservative hands.

Sen. Shelby and his former chief of staff, current BCA president Katie Britt, spent the entire year of 2018 interviewing, vetting and selecting these judges to assure they were young, conservative, qualified and confirmable. They have indeed accomplished this lifetime feat for Alabama. Liles Burke and Anne Marie Axon are the two new judges for the Northern District; Emily Marks and Andrew Brasher will join conservative Chief Judge William Keith Watkins in the Middle District; and the Southern District will have two new Trump-Shelby appointees in Terry Moorer and Jeffrey Beaverstock.

Shelby has further enhanced his legacy for decades to come and has placed an indelible stamp on the federal judiciary in Alabama with these judicial appointees.

Steve Flowers’ weekly column appears in more than 60 Alabama newspapers.

He served 16 years in the Alabama Legislature. Flowers may be reached at www.steveflowers.us

www.TallasseeTribune.com

January 23, 2019 • Page A11

Legendary artists to visit Alex City Thursday night L

egendary musicians Teddy Gentry, John Ford Coley and Lenny LeBlanc and one special guest will visit Alexander City on Thursday night for “The Heart Behind The Music,” a songwriters showcase sponsored

by Alex City Arts.

Alabama native Kirk Jay, a finalist on NBC’s “The Voice,” will join the trio of internationally known artists who will take the stage at 7 p.m. at the Benjamin Russell auditorium to treat the audience to songs and stories.

Gentry is, of course, one of the members of the ultra-successful Fort Payne-based country music group Alabama. Gentry was selected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005 along with his partners, Randy Owen and Jeff Cook. Gentry co-wrote many of the group’s hits, including “How Do I Fall in Love?” “Why Lady Why?” “My Home’s in Alabama,” “Fallin’ Again,” “Give Me One More Shot” and “Sad Lookin’ Moon.”

“It all starts and ends with a song,” said LeBlanc, one half of the duo LeBlanc & Carr, best remembered for its top-10 single “Falling” from 1978.

LeBlanc spun out of the pop world into the contemporary Christian field in the 1980s and beyond, achieving tremendous success with songs such as “Above All” and “We All Bow Down,” staples of the modern praise and worship genre.

Coley has been performing for nearly 50 years but is best known from his days as part of the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley.

The two had a string of hits still played on the radio to this day: “Nights are Forever,” “Gone Too Far,” “It’s Sad to Belong,” “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and more.

Both Coley and LeBlanc credit their longevity on their conversion to Christianity as well as their stroke of luck in musical partnerships.

Coley made memorable music with England Dan Seals (so named for his fondness of British Invasion-era music) that has held up for more than 40 years.

“Dan was a genius,” Coley said.

“Musically, he was exceptionally talented. On a personality level, he was the funniest person I’ve ever known. When we broke up, we fell into that trap that a lot of people fall into, with people who got involved who didn’t have any business saying or doing anything, but that happens. Dan was a very wise man, a very deep man. We had many occasions to discuss so many subjects. And his voice — we sounded great together.

“That’s something God just dropped in my lap. I don’t know

MICHAEL BIRD

Columnist how it happened. It was just the blending of our voices. What we had was special and I truly miss him.”

But Coley, who is married to a minister, knows the gift of song is sometimes inexplicable.

“We recognize sometimes in songwriting you’re kind of there and you just have to say that your being there was your only contribution,” he said.

LeBlanc had a dynamic experience with a friend who had such a great conversion experience he had to share it.

“I came off a tour with Pete (Carr) and was hired was a staff songwriter for Muscle Shoals Sound and had a solo deal on Capitol Records,” he said. “Around that time a friend of mine called me; he was a smuggler. He said, ‘Lenny, I’ve been saved. I want you to go to heaven with me.’

And I had no idea what he meant.

But something in his voice just struck me deep. He sent me a Bible and I started reading it for the first time — I’d never opened one before. And I was kind of disillusioned with the whole pop scene, the competition, I was just kind of tired of it. The Scriptures started tugging at my heart. I asked God if He was real and He just revealed Himself to me one day at my house.”

Coley — who said he realized focusing on one chapter or verse in the Bible is “like starting on page 800 of a 1,000-page book” — credits some of his success with being exposed to good music at the right time.

“The melodies were so memorable then (the 1960s),” Coley said. “The music and the musicianship was stellar. The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, The Young Rascals — it was popular at the time to be eclectic.”

Texas native Coley and Seals, his high school bandmate, were signed to a record deal in 1971 by A&M Records, best known for its creative climate which carefully cultivated an artist’s best work over time.

“I loved A&M Records,” Coley said. “Herb Alpert is the last musician in the record industry actually in charge of a label. We worked with the Wrecking Crew — Hail Blaine, Louie Shelton, Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel — and came across all these other acts on the label, like The Carpenters. I sat in on a session when Joni Mitchell

was recording her Blue album.

It was a big thrill and it made us better players to be around those influences.”

LeBlanc said the songwriters showcase gives the participants an opportunity to share their influences.

“The only records I had were blues records — Taj Mahal, John Mayall, Paul Butterfield — and, of course, the Allman Brothers were from my hometown of Daytona Beach, (Florida), so we were all friends and we listened to their stuff since we all knew each other,” LeBlanc said. “Pete Carr went to a different school but we met and started playing together when I was 16.”

LeBlanc & Carr also played in road variations of The Hourglass, the precursor to the Allman Brothers Band.

Coley doesn’t like the changes he has seen in the music industry while LeBlanc embraces them.

“The industry has changed to such a dramatic degree that nobody can figure it out,” Coley said.

“People are just throwing up stuff on the wall to see what sticks.”

But LeBlanc said technology has made it easier than ever to make an album.

“You can produce an album on your laptop (but) there’s a lot more competition,” he said. “For me, it’s the best it’s ever been. I have more opportunity now than I even did 35 years ago.”

Coley has some words of wisdom to offer from his years in the music industry.

“You can compare yourself to somebody all day long, trying to sound like someone, but everyone has their own unique voice,” he said. “My advice to anyone who wants to break into the music business is, ‘When people tell you to quit, just don’t. Don’t quit.

Don’t listen to them.’ It’s not a recording contract; it’s not a publishing deal; it’s a way of life.”

LeBlanc agreed music is in one’s heart — the heart behind the music.

“A songwriter can only write what’s in his heart,” he said. “If you really feel that is what you’re supposed to do in life, give it all you’ve got and go for it. You can’t just write good songs, though; you have to write great songs. You can get an idea one day and all of your songs may not be very good, but that idea is the one that puts you over the top. Never give up on writing.”

Tickets to “The Heart Behind The Music” are $20 for adults while students get in free. For more information, visit www. alexcityarts.org.

Michael Bird is choral director for Tallassee City Schools.

It was a wet reign at Poverty Plantation

E

verybody does it and I’m no different. I don’t look at the national or international things as much as I do the local things that happened in the past year and how they affected me.

On Jan. 1, 2018, I ate a bunch of collard green and peas. It didn’t help much. January was pretty cold, so we ate a lot of stews and soups.

I don’t know about where you live or the rainfall at the local radio station but out where I live, at the Poverty Plantation, we got 63 inches of rain. About the only thing Santa brought me this year was a rain gauge. If I live, I’ll let you know again next year.

Last year started off cold but not too cold for my young’uns. They had a new camper, so they went camping.

On Jan. 19, 2018, we were one of the coldest places in the United States at 19 degrees.

Then came February and we put up our martin gourds. The martins generally get here about Valentine’s Day but last year they didn’t come until late February.

We had a new baby born last February and her name is Natalie Ruth. I knew from the start she was special. She liked my singing.

I finished up my income tax in March, which is early for me.

My old classmates met at Cozumel. I’m not bragging but this

RONALD BRANTLEY Columnistt bunch looked much older than I do.

The smell of Ben Gay and Vicks salve was overwhelming. Once again, I volunteered to be the last one to go or depart this life. You can take your choice of words.

When June came, I realized I was about to celebrate another birthday.

I always go to Hardee’s on Monday night at 5 and meet with a group of friends. Ronnie and Tammy gave me a small birthday party, a cheap way to keep from spending a lot of money on me.

Every year brings deaths but it seemed like June was extra heavy with people I knew and loved.

June was the month for Tallassee Now and we had a display of military vehicles from around the state. It was so successful that they want to do it again this year. I think it will be the first Saturday in June.

By the end of June and early July, the purple martins were leaving and heading back to South America. This is mighty early and I can’t figure out what is happening.

My air conditioning died at my

house (woe is me).

There was a bus trip going to Noah’s Ark in Kentucky. This was a trip I had looked forward to, so I got the details and signed up. It turned out to be a very exciting trip, everything I expected and more.

October came and the youngest of my granddaughters got married.

If she is happy then granddaddy is happy.

We had a trace of snow twice in the past year not enough to really brag on.

I started getting sick in November but put off going to the doctor.

Putting such things off is an old Brantley tradition. I was put in East Alabama Medical Hospital and they took off 31 pounds of fluid before they released me.

I was very good last year. I just don’t know if I could have been any better and the old man and his reindeer did me wrong. The only thing of value I remember getting was a rain gauge, so I have made up my mind that I am going to be bad this year and see how that works.

In all seriousness, God has blessed me and all of us at the Poverty Plantation beyond measure.

Ronald Brantley is a regular columnist for The Tribune.

His column appears here each Wednesday. He can be reached by email at Rbrantley1@elmore.rr.com

Page A12 • January 23, 2019

www.TallasseeTribune.com

Obituaries Herbert Eugene “Gene” Knowles

Roy E. Corbitt

Herbert Eugene “Gene” Knowles, 86, died Thursday, January 17, 2019, at his home from an extended illness surrounded by his loving wife Virginia and his devoted children. Gene was born in Tallassee, Alabama. Funeral services will be Saturday, January 19, 2019, at Union Methodist Church at 12:00 p.m. with Pastor David Waldrop and Rev. Dan Rhodes officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be at the church prior to the service beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Gene was a devoted Christian who attended Union Methodist Church, Military Veteran, an avid fisherman, and a pillar of the community.

He was the corner stone of his family. Gene was a faithful husband to his wife of 44 years, and a prayer warrior for all his family. He prayed diligently for his children and grandchildren as well as his church and friends.

Gene is survived by his wife Virginia Knowles and his children Mickey (Virginia) Knowles, Randy (Ellen) Knowles, Debbie (Sam) Mullens, Donna (Mark) Carboni, Shawn Knowles, sixteen grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

Preceded in death by his grandson Michael Wheat and children Ginger, Stan, and Debra.

In lieu of flowers, please make donation to the Union Methodist Church Building Fund.

“The Lord is My Shepherd” - Psalms 23

Roy E. Corbitt, 92, of Tuskegee, died Saturday, January 19, 2019, at Bethany House.

Funeral services will be Friday, January 25, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. at the former First Baptist Church of Tuskegee with Rev. Don Johnson officiating.

Mr. Corbitt’s grandchildren will serve as pallbearers, and all Funeral Directors and Ministers with whom he served will be honorary pallbearers. Burial will follow in Tuskegee Cemetery.

Visitation will be Thursday, January 24, 2019, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Corbitt’s Funeral Home. Mr. Corbitt is survived by his children Roy E. “Ed” (Nancy Clay) Corbitt, Jr., Charles Lawrence (Kathy) Corbitt, and Jean (Al) Vann;

Donald Earl Williamson November 5, 1957 — January 11, 2019 On January 11, 2019, God called his son home to spend eternal life in heaven. Mr. Donald Earl Williamson, a devoted son, husband, father and friend was born November 5, 1957 in Tallassee, Alabama to Mr. and Mrs. Bennie and Cleo Williamson.

He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Sherri; four sons: Jason (Heather) Williamson, Kreig

Armstrong, Jonathan (Jessica) Tielking, and Josh (Addy) Tielking; brother, Kenneth (Sherry) Williamson; four granddaughters: Tayler Williamson, Brookelynn Tielking, Kara Faye Tielking and unborn baby, Lilly Rose Tielking; and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Mr. Williamson was preceded in death by his parents and infant-sister, Delanie Williamson.

Mr. Williamson’s career consisted of working in the automotive industry that expanded for 35 years. His passion was music and hunting. He was also a loyal Alabama football fan. He was an avid bass player and drummer, ranging from rock and roll to country and gospel. He will be deeply

his grandchildren Thomas (Katie) Corbitt, Clay (Megan) Corbitt, John (Andrea) Corbitt, Lisa Corbitt, Ben Corbitt, and Beck Vann; his great grandchildren Brooke, Edward, Ally, Emily Kate, Ella Clay, Jack, and Mary Anna Corbitt; his nieces Kathy (Leon) Cheshire and Becky (Brad) Congleton; and his loving caregivers Brenda Benton, Odessa Lane, and Marian Thomas. He was preceded in death by his wife Effie Jean Corbitt. He was a graduate of Opelika High School, Auburn University and John A. Gupton School of Mortuary Science. He operated Corbitt’s Funeral Home for over 60 years where he and his family have served the people of Macon County and surrounding areas for many years. He was widely known for the care and compassion he gave to so many families in the area. Memorials may be made to Tuskegee Cemetery Association c/o Corbitt’s Funeral Home or to one’s favorite charity.

missed by his family and friends.

Memorial services for Mr. Williamson will be held Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home Chapel.

Visitation will be held Saturday, January 19, 2019 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home one hour prior to the service beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Reverend David Floyd is officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the East Alabama Medical Cancer Center in memory of his loving mother, Mrs. Cleo Williamson.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home is directing. www.jeffcoattrant.com

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Tallassee’s chamber banquet at armory

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

In effort to keep the event local, the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce announced its annual banquet will be held at the National Guard Armory on Gilmer Avenue on Feb. 7 at 6 p.m.

Chamber president Torie Suggs said she hopes the move will increase involvement in the event and further spotlight what Tallassee has to offer.

“Last year we had about 150 people attend the banquet,” Suggs said. “This year our goal is 200. We are hoping with it being held locally we will see a lot more participation this year.”

Suggs said the move was the most logical option.

“It is something that we have been trying to do for a while,” Suggs said. “We are the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce.”

Catering for the event will come from the locally owned and operated 1220 Café in Tallassee.

Tickets are available now and will only be available prior to the event.

“You can purchase tickets from WACO, Tallassee Jewelry, the chamber of commerce office or the 1220 Café,” Suggs said.

Tickets are $35 each and a table of can eight be purchased for $250.

For more information, call the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce at 334-283-5151.

ASBESTOS LITIGATION If you began working in a

TEXTILE MILL Cotton mill Tire plant Paper mill Steel mill

or any other industrial setting before 1980: You may have a claim against the asbestos manufacturers.

Jerry C. Taylor, 70, of Tallassee, went to be with the Lord on Friday evening, January 11, 2019, at East Alabama Medical Center after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Vickie Warren Taylor, his son Jerry Michael Taylor, his nephews Keith Weldon and Keith Gray, and his niece Starr Weldon White. He was preceded in

death by his father William C. “Pete” Taylor, his mother Barbara M. Taylor, and his sister Patricia Tapley. Jerry worked for 27 years at Kershaw Manufacturing Co. He was a multi-talented person. He enjoyed Alabama football and bow hunting. He was a huge dog lover. His favorite dog was a yellow lab named Sam he truly loved this dog. The family will have a private graveside service.

Steven Chuck Roberson Steven Chuck Roberson, 59, of Tallassee, died Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at his home. There will be a private ceremony. Mr. Roberson is survived by his daughters Haley (Raymond Kent) Roberson, and Hollie (Michael) Hooks; his ex-wife Kimberly (Mitch) Hicks; his grandchildren Zachary and Ayden Hooks and Austin and Rayley Kent; his sister Nan Harris; and several nieces and nephews.

OPIOID ADDICTION HAS NO AGE LIMIT.

1-888-432-6020 Asbestos Claims, LLC, Jubal L. Hamil Attorney at Law, ARPC7.2.(e) “No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.”

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Shop at Rekindle the past for your Valentine!

New selection of Jewelry and Fenton Collectibles.

IT’S OK TO ASK FOR HELP.

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yy S NEIGHBORS COUSINS NEPHEWS FIRST RESPO The churches in our town sponsor disaster relief teams, a jobs skill training program, a benevolence ministry called ACTS, things like grief support groups, and assist people in many other ways.

On top of that we help people Įnd peace of mind through being right with God and forgiveness of sins that enables people to overcome shame. Tell me, what’s that disorganized religion of yours doing to help people?

24/7 Helpline 844-307-1760 COURAGEFORALL.COM a message of the Alabama Department of Mental Health

RODNEY GRIFFITH Lake Martin Properties Serving Lake Martin, Tallassee and the Surrounding Area

RODNEY GRIFFITH BROKER CELL: 334-207-0666 WEB: www.rodneygrif¿th.com EMAIL: rodneygrif¿th@windstream.net HWY 63, Three 5-ACRE lots on Highway 63 in Eclectic, 1 mile north of Cottons BBQ, 250 feet road frontage on each lot.!Flat to rolling.

SOLD 2 Lots $32,500 EACH. LOTS IN RIVER HILLS SUBDIVISION – Good views of Lake Tallassee, underground utilities, sewage, walking distance to downtown, 9 lots remaining, priced from $20,000 to $32,000.

TALLASSEE SOLD WETUMPKA HWY-Brick 3 bedroom, 1 bath, on 2 acres, large den and kitchen, hardwood floors, carport, outside storage building. NEW ROOF. $85,000.

TALLASSEE LOT – Great commercial lot in Tallassee next to Dairy Queen, with 3 bd/2ba house. REDUCED TO $84,900.

NOBLE SUBDIVISION-4.8 ACRE lot , sloping, great building site, this lot is not part of Noble Subdivision- $48000.

EAST COTTON ROAD, 3700 Sq. feet home on 15 ACRES, very nice property with fish pond, swimming pool, acreage completely fenced in for horses and cows. $398000.

5 ACRES on Highway 229 above Southside Middle school. Road frontage on 229 and Outer loop in front of the school. Good location. $50,000.

101 GLADYS ST. TALLASSEE- 3 bed, 2 bath, large acre lot, heat pump, 16x 32 Salt Water pool, large storage shed, metal roof, $134000.

511 RIVERSIDE AVE.- 4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, Brick home on 2 lots, heat pump, large den, big 30X20 shop, great location $99900 STILLWATERS- Interior lot, large corner lot on Bent Hickory Lane and Stillwaters Drive. Enjoy all the amenitites of Still Waters. Flat. Easy to build on. Only $9500 20 ACRES- On South Ann in Eclectic, open pasture with 2 nice stocked INGand flat. This is beautiful land. $7000 PER ACRE PEND ponds, fenced

www.fbctallassee.com

First BapƟst Church, Tallassee 1279 Friendship Road Sunday School: 8:45 and 10:00 AM Morning Worship: 8:45 and 10:00 AM Mid-Week Services For All Ages: Wed. at 6:30 PM Derek Gentle, Pastor Michael Scarborough Minister of Music Barry Tice, Minister of EducaƟon & Discipleship Brandon Fomby, Minister to Students Stacey PiƩs, Preschool & Children’s Ministries

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Primitive & Antique Furniture, Tools and Collectibles.

Thurs-Sat 9am-5pm appraise & buy Sun 1-5 antique fishing lures

334-478-3716 | 303-0535 Wetumpka, AL

Sports

www.TallasseeTribune.com

Phone: 334-283-6568 Fax: 334-283-6569 www.TallasseeTribune.com

January 23, 2019 • Page B1

The

Tribune

Shaw receives 2 offers from Power 5 schools Reeltown junior draws attention from Texas A&M, West Virginia

By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor

One of the things Reeltown football coach Matt Johnson always says about Eric Shaw is he draws so much attention on the field.

As a run-heavy offense, the Rebels don’t need to call on their 6-foot-5 wide receiver very often.

But that doesn’t mean he’s not essential to their success.

“Obviously it’s just his presence for our scheme,” Johnson said. “When you line his presence up out there at receiver, you’re not going to get a one-onone matchup.”

Now, not only is Shaw drawing attention from other teams, he’s drawing attention from college recruiters. Already with an offer

from Central Michigan in the fall, Shaw received offers from Texas A&M and West Virginia this week.

“It’s really special, but I really didn’t expect it,” Shaw said.

“It all came out of nowhere. I kinda knew there were teams that wanted me, but I thought the injury would affect it. I thought they would be scared to offer me.”

Shaw is coming off ACL surgery that caused him to miss five games of his junior season, but it hasn’t seemed to thwart top Division I colleges from wanting him. Texas A&M made him an official offer Tuesday and WVU joined the list Thursday afternoon.

Johnson said he expects more are

File / The Tribune

See SHAW • Page B3 Reeltown’s Eric Shaw, right, is being heavily recruited and already has offers from a pair of Power 5 schools.

BAKER BOUNCES BACK

LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor

Hurts makes right decision for himself

W

File / The Tribune

Tallassee’s Andy Baker, left, has had a strong debut since returning from a broken ankle he suffered at the end of football season. Doctors said Baker would not be able to wrestle this year.

Andy Baker returns from injury with fast start

By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer

Tallassee senior Andy Baker broke his ankle during the 10th week of the football season this year. The break was severe and just days after the injury, doctors told Baker he would not be able to wrestle for his final high school season.

‘I broke down right there in the doctor’s office,” Baker said. “Everything I wanted to do was to win state and I’ve come so close these last few years. When he told

me that, it just broke me down.”

Tallassee wrestling coach John Mask was unsure if he would have his team leader back this season but it did not stop everyone from believing. Baker, who finished as the Class 1A-5A state’s runner up in 2018, put in the work to make his return possible.

“I went back one day and just expected to get out of my boot and walk normal but he said, ‘You’re clear,’” Baker said.

“The doctors said I have been recovering quicker than they have ever seen. I put in a

lot of work to get here and it is great being back. There’s not a better feeling than running out there and dominating someone on the mat.”

It did not take long for Baker, who wrestles mostly at 195 pounds, to return to his normal form. After posting a 57-2 record during his junior season, Baker jumped out of the gates quickly in his return to the mats.

In his first match of the season, Baker pinned Benjamin Russell’s Hezekiah See BAKER • Page B2

Elmore County Player of the Week

Dumas leads Tallassee to pair of wins

By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer

Tallassee ran into its first adversity of the season when its 15-game winning streak ended with a loss to Prattville Christian in December. After that loss, the Tigers dropped two of their next three games as the struggles began to stack up.

Senior Jaleel Dumas found a way to step up as he helped Tallassee grab back-to-back wins last week. He finished second on the team with 14 points in Thursday’s night area win See DUMAS • Page B2

Caleb Turrentine / The Tribune

Elmore County’s Shakwan Bickley looks to get past Tallassee’s Jamicah Humphrey.

Tigers finish season sweep of rivals

By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer

Tallassee’s boys basketball team defeated Elmore County for the

fourth time this season on Friday night behind a balanced scoring effort from the team’s backcourt.

Senior Jaleel Dumas led the way, scoring 11 of his

game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Tigers pulled away, 45-31.

“It means a lot to us and to the students that were See BOYS • Page B3

hen Jalen Hurts entered the 2018 SEC Championship and brought Alabama back from the ashes against Georgia, you’d have thought Christ himself had walked out on the field in Atlanta.

Hurts was lauded as this amazing player and human being who put his team before himself and who elected to stay true to the Crimson Tide despite the fact his starting job was stolen by young gun Tua Tagovailoa. He was put on a pedestal and called an inspiration.

All of those things may very well be true in Hurts’ case. But what did they get him? Sure, he was the golden hero for a few weeks, but did he earn back his starting job? No. Did they earn him a chance to compete for Alabama in the College Football Playoffs? Nope. And while I’m all about putting your team before yourself, there’s a fine line of when a player should be selfish.

In my book, Hurts has every right to be selfish, and his transfer to the University of Oklahoma is absolutely the right decision for him.

Hurts did everything for Alabama. He was nearly flawless during his two-year career as a starter for the Tide, finishing with a 26-2 record.

He led them to back-to-back College Football Playoff championships, and he was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016.

But Hurts had one bad game. His 2017 championship performance against Georgia was less than stellar, I’ll admit that. He couldn’t seem to find his targets and looked overwhelmed in one of the biggest games of his life.

OK, but it was one bad game.

All summer long, Alabama coach Nick Saban told fans and the media Hurts was performing up to par, that he and Tagovailoa were in fierce competition. Now, who knows?

That could’ve just been coach speak from Saban, but it’s hard to imagine Hurts’ one bad performance somehow negated everything he had done for Alabama up to that point. It’s hard to imagine if Hurts had’ve been the starter for the Tide this See ARBOGAST • Page B3

Page B2 • January 23, 2019

Baker continued from Page B1 Hunter for Tallassee’s only pin of the dual match. He also grabbed a win by forfeit on that opening night.

Baker was back with the team just in time for the AHSAA duals tournament. Tallassee won its region by going unbeaten in the Region 1 duals and Baker finished 6-1 on the day.

“I was still traveling with the team and everything but it really didn’t feel like I was leading them,” Baker said. “When I came back and started winning with them and not just being there when they won, it really felt like I was back leading the team.”

Four of Baker’s victories came by first-period pins. His only loss was by a 9-4 decision to Beauregard’s Kyle Hugley, who is undefeated on the season. Baker has been pinned only once since the beginning of his sophomore season.

Baker has been completely cleared to compete on his ankle but he believes it will take time for him to build that mindset again. He said there was a clear setback with the injury but he believes he has put the work in to be as good as he ever was.

“I came back and I was rusty and out of shape a little bit obviously,” Baker said. “But I can feel it coming back. I went three minutes the other day and wasn’t as tired as I have been. It’s 100 percent because I can work out and do everything normal with it but I’m not going 100 percent on it. Once I can trust it fully, I’ll be back to where I always have been.”

Baker is looking to make a return to the state championship meet and no one will be surprised to see him there again. However, it’s going to take a lot of work to reach the goal of a state championship.

“It’s about my endurance that I have to catch back up on,” Baker said. “It’s just about hitting reps in practice and keep working hard.”

www.TallasseeTribune.com

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Tigers fall in AHSAA quarterfinals

By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer

Tallassee had high expectations for its wrestling team entering the season but the Tigers fell just short of their goal after running into Saint James during the quarterfinals of the AHSAA Class 1A-5A duals tournament. Tallassee won six of the 14 matches but the lack of pins and a late forfeit helped Saint James pull away with a 46-27 victory Thursday night.

The Tigers dominated Pike Road in the opening round, winning the match 72-9 to advance to the meeting with Saint James. Tallassee got eight pins during the match, including one from Preston Tidwell who defeated his opponent in 25 seconds for the fastest pin in the round.

In front of its home crowd, Tallassee looked to carry some of that momentum into the quarterfinals match.

Senior Grant Hall improved his season record to 34-6 after coming from behind to take a 5-2 decision in the 113-pound division to put the Tigers ahead early.

While the victory got the crowd and bench to their feet, the lack of a pin came back to haunt the Tigers. Saint James took four of the next five matches by pin to take a 24-9 lead on the Tigers.

Zack Haynes was the only Tiger to get a pin in the first 10 matches of the night. He improved his record to 30-1 on the season after dominating the first two periods of his match and pinning his opponent after 3:35 on the mat.

Tallassee grabbed another

Caleb Turrentine / The Tribune

Tallassee senior Zack Haynes gets a pin during Thursday night’s quarterfinal matchup with Saint James.

victory at the 152 level when Mason Bell knocked Leland Talbert for his second win of the night. However, after grabbing a pin in the match against Pike Road, Bell scored only three points for his team against Saint James, winning the match by a 5-1 decision.

The Tigers got three more points when Cody Gilson got his 40th individual victory of the season with a 9-6 decision at 182. Tallassee won four of the first 10 matches but three of them were by decision and it was not enough to erase the deficit.

Seniors Andy Baker and Fischer Segrest each recorded a pin in the final four matches. Both wrestlers were returning from injuries but appeared to be at 100 percent at the right time of year.

Baker pinned his opponent after just 80 seconds in the first period to improve his record to 11-1 on the season.

Segrest topped his teammate’s performance, grabbing the fastest pin on the night after earning a win just 20 seconds into his match.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted to tonight,”

Dumas

Caleb Turrentine / The Tribune

Tallassee’s Lindan Oliver (11) gets swarmed by Elmore County defenders during the Tigers’ loss on Friday night.

Tallassee girls upended by rival ECHS

By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer

The Elmore County girls basketball team needed to reenergize its season but the busiest week of the year was going to bring some challenges. The Panthers knocked off Tallassee 51-39 on Friday night, grabbing their fourth win in five days to improve their record to 13-7.

“I feel like we haven’t really left the gym this week,” Elmore County coach Amy Rachel said.

“At the beginning of the week, I said we needed to finish off Friday with four wins and that’s exactly what they did. I was proud of their effort.”

The Panthers defeated

Horseshoe Bend and Montgomery Catholic on the road to open the week before returning home for two rivalry games. Elmore County finished off a season sweep of Holtville with a 50-2 victory Thursday night behind 12 points from CK Bolton.

On the following night, Elmore County defeated Tallassee for the third time this season. Madison Traylor scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season.

“We had some great games and great competitions,” Rachel said. “We had some young girls that were able to step up and get some good minutes and good production. I think we’re right on track where we want to be.”

Traylor scored seven points in the second quarter as the Panthers outscored Tallassee 17-6 to take a 12-point halftime lead. Bolton hit a 3-pointer with less than a minute to go in the half to extend the lead to double figures and it didn’t dip below 10 points for the rest of the night.

“We have struggled with executing some things that we have drawn up and trying to get them to mentally get the concept we’re trying to do on the court,” Rachel said. “Tonight, I saw a lot of light bulbs going off and that’s a big plus.”

The Tigers continued to fight into the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 11 points on multiple See GIRLS • Page B3

Baker said. “We’ve got some injuries right now and really had injuries all year with guys sitting out. We’ve still got individual state though so that’s just more to look forward to.”

With just two weeks until state championships in Huntsville, Tallassee will move its focus to the individual goals. Tiger coach John Mask said he believes his team can get more than 10 wrestlers to the meet and he feels the Tigers will have a good chance to come home with several medals.

continued from Page B1

over Valley before scoring a game-high 15 points the following night in a rivalry win against Elmore County.

He is the Elmore County Player of the Week.

“He’s been playing well,” Tallassee coach Keiven Mixson said. “I’m not sure when it started but the last three or four games, he’s been one of our better players.

He’s really stepped up.”

After already grabbing three wins against the Panthers this season, Tallassee entered Friday night expecting a victory. However, things did not come that easy and the Tigers led by only six points entering the fourth quarter.

“Coach told us we needed to come out hard,” Dumas said. “It was a close game but I knew we were better.

We just needed to function as a team so when the game started flowing more, it started coming to me.”

Dumas came alive in the final frame as his efforts helped push the lead to its largest of the night. He started with a steal and made one free throw after being fouled at the rim just 13 seconds into the quarter.

With 6:40 to go in the game, Dumas knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night to extend Tallassee’s lead back to double digits. After a short offensive drought, Dumas returned with two consecutive baskets, including another 3-pointer with 3:35 left in the game “He bailed us out of a bad situation,” Mixson said.

“Without his points, I don’t know where they would have come from. Jamicah (Humphrey) and Sandarius (Hughley) weren’t looking to score a lot, we couldn’t get the ball into Tyrek (Turner) so we needed someone and he came through.”

Dumas finished off his night with another steal and layup to give the Tigers a 17-point lead, which the Panthers could not overcome. In the six minutes with Dumas on the court in the fourth quarter, Tallassee outscored its opponents 11-0 and all of the points were scored by Dumas.

“My adrenaline was rushing,” Dumas said. “When I see the ball and I can go get it, I’m going to get it.

That’s my mindset. I didn’t know how many points in a row I scored; it just happened.”

Dumas added five rebounds and two steals to fill the stat sheet. Tallassee hopes Dumas can continue his run of form into the postseason as the Tigers look to grab an area title for the second consecutive season.

“This is going to build our confidence going into the end of area play,” Dumas said. “The season is about over with these regular season games, so we just need to build our confidence and build our chemistry as a team.”

Tigers split results in area hoops games STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

The Tallassee boys’ basketball team could not take advantage of its opportunity to jump to the top of Class 5A Area 4 standings this week. The Tigers fell at Beauregard on Tuesday night 51-46 before responding with a home win against Valley

on Thursday.

Tallassee defeated Valley 67-53 to extend its home winning streak to nine games. Jamicah Humphrey led the Tigers with 21 points in the victory.

Jaleel Dumas and Sandarius Hughley each scored 14 points in the win. Tavarious Griffin fell just shy of a double-

double but recorded seven points to go along with a team-high 13 rebounds.

Tallassee’s girls team also split its results last week. The Tigers earned their first area win of the season Tuesday night with a 35-34 win at Beauregard. Lindan Oliver led the team with nine points.

The Tigers could not

carry that momentum into Thursday’s game against Valley, falling 58-46. Sinclair Cole led the team with 18 points while also pulling down 10 rebounds.

Alexis Hutchison also recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points to go with 14 rebounds. Ciarra Sullen added 10 points in the loss.

Caleb Turrentine / The Tribune

Tallassee senior Jaleel Dumas (3) scored 11 of his 15 points in the final quarter of Friday’s win at Elmore County.

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Arbogast continued from Page B1 season they wouldn’t have gone just as far.

But that being said, Hurts was named the backup for 2018, a role he took willingly — well, maybe not willingly, but he did so with dignity. And even still, Hurts finished with more than 750 passing yards as a backup. He still continued to tack onto his already gaudy numbers, and finished his career at Alabama with more than 5,500 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions — nine of which came when he was a freshman.

Now, onto Hurts’ decision to transfer to Oklahoma. Again, I truly respect the fact Hurts stayed with Alabama for this season; I respect the fact he had the “next man up” mentality and was ready to step in at a moment’s notice. I’m glad he got his moment in the sun one last time as an Alabama quarterback.

All that being said, Hurts no longer owes Alabama anything. College football players, in general, don’t owe their teams anything.

This is a topic for another column, but let’s just remember for a minute how much money Hurts is making for the University of Alabama and how much money he is getting in return. At the end of the day, college football is a business, and even though these players aren’t getting paid, they have to act like businessmen. It’s not personal.

Hurts has an opportunity to play at Oklahoma, something it was clear he no longer had at Alabama.

I’m sure Hurts loved his time at Alabama but what he loved most about it was playing football.

Moreover, Oklahoma is a legit team with regular opportunities to compete for national championships, which is where Hurts wants to be. The idea of Hurts going to Maryland, or even Miami, was ludicrous.

Sure, he could’ve been the savior for either of those programs, but even if he turned them around so completely, he wasn’t going to compete for a title there.

Also, Lincoln Riley’s system seems to be much better suited for Hurts, and let’s also remember the last two Heisman Trophy winners have been quarterbacks who have transferred to Oklahoma for their final seasons.

This is exactly the right decision for Hurts, and his respect for and from Alabama and its fans shouldn’t be lost because he needed to make the right decision for himself.

Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Tribune.

www.TallasseeTribune.com

January 23, 2019 • Page B3

Boys here,” Tallassee coach Keiven Mixson said. “We appreciate the students coming out to support us and they helped get us through this game too.

We heard them all game. It’s always nice to beat a rival four times.”

The Tigers (18-4) never trailed in the game but the game was very different from the teams’ first three meetings.

Tallassee won each of the first three games by an average of 21.3 points.

On Friday night, the Tigers jumped out to a 7-2 lead after two minutes of play but the Panthers wanted to slow the game down to their speed.

Elmore County coach Rodney Taylor wanted his big to stand at the top of the key with the ball to force Tallassee to spread its defense.

“I thought we did what we had to do,” Taylor. “We knew we couldn’t get up and down the floor with them so we wanted to spread them out.

We were only down two at halftime which is where we needed to be. That’s what we had to do to try to stay in the game.”

The Panthers (4-16) had one possession which lasted more than two minutes but Tallassee was still able to build a double-digit lead after Jamicah Humphrey knocked down a 3-pointer to end the first quarter. Humphrey knocked down two shots from beyond the arc in the opening frame and finished the night with 12 points.

“We just let them play through it. When we’re up 7-2 and they’re going to hold the ball, we’re going to let them hold it to conserve some energy. (Taylor) had to do what he had to do but we want to play basketball and the fans want to see a game.”

In the second quarter, the Panthers grabbed more control

continued from Page B1

Caleb Turrentine / The Tribune

Elmore County’s DJ Patrick (4) rises to block a shot attempt from Tallassee’s Kalvin Levett during the first half of Friday night’s rivalry game.

of the tempo of the game. The Tigers began extending its man defense and it opened up cutting lanes and shots from the perimeter.

Junior Keshawn Benson came alive in the second quarter as the hosts began cutting into the lead. Benson, who led the Panthers with 11 points, hit three 3-pointers in the final four minutes of the first half to cut Elmore

County’s deficit to 21-19 at halftime.

“It was big because we were down early in the game but he got on fire,” Taylor said. “He brought us back. If we didn’t make some sloppy turnovers, we might have had the lead at halftime.”

Tallassee would take control with its defense in the second half, holding the Panthers without a field goal for the

Girls

continued from Page B2

Caleb Turrentine / The Tribune

Tallassee girls basketball coach Harold Harris talks to his team during a timeout of Friday’s game at Elmore County.

Shaw coming very soon as well.

Like Shaw, Johnson said he was a bit surprised by the timing of the offers especially given Shaw’s injury.

But Johnson said he hasn’t surprised by the quality of schools looking at Shaw.

“He’s got the size and he’s got the ability, but the thing that a lot of people don’t realize is he’s just as good in the classroom,” Johnson said. “He’s getting offers from great athletic programs, yeah, but these are also great schools. His hard work has really paid off.”

According to Johnson, it’s been nearly a decade since a football player from Reeltown has gone on to play Division I. Shaquille Roberson, who is Shaw’s cousin, played for UAB in the early 2010s.

Although there may have been more, Johnson could recall only one former Rebel who has played football for a Power 5 school.

“It really makes me feel like you can come from anywhere,” Shaw said. “It doesn’t matter if you go to a small school. It’s really just exciting.

I’m getting a chance to go to college, and I can play the sport that I love to play.”

first seven minutes of the third quarter. However, after the Tigers took an 11-point lead, Shakwan Bickley hit a 3-pointer and Benson followed it with a layup before the buzzer to cut the lead to just six points.

“That’s what we wanted to do and it worked but when they came out to pressure, we had some turnovers,” Taylor said. “For three quarters, it worked. It kept us in the game and gave us a chance going into the fourth quarter so that’s all you can ask.”

The Panthers hit another drought on offense though and Dumas took advantage. Dumas scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter as the Tigers ran away with the victory.

The Tigers changed its defensive tactics for the final quarter and it had a major effect on Elmore County. The Panthers did not score for the first 6:15 of the frame and turned the ball over five times in the final quarter.

“Coach Taylor had a good game plan but when we switched to the zone, it seemed to really hurt them,” Mixson said. “They were hurting us in man and we weren’t making rotations but when we switched to the 2-3, it seemed to affect them more.”

Friday marked the first time Tallassee had won two games in a row since it’s 15-game winning streak ended in December. The Tigers defeated Valley on Thursday night to even its area record but Mixson said the physical nature of that game made it difficult to bounce back from.

“Last night took a lot out of us,” Mixson said. “I knew they were going to come in here and be fired up. Give coach Taylor a lot of credit, they have a disciplined team and play good ball. It was a tough game.”

occasions. Sinclair Cole hit her third 3-pointer of the game with 6:30 to go in the game but the Panthers still held a 40-29 lead. Cole led the Tigers with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Bolton knocked down two 3-pointers on back to back possessions as the Panthers pulled away in the fourth quarter. She finished with 14 points to go with three rebounds and two steals.

“Getting a support system around Madison is going to be a key for our success from here on out,” Rachel said. “When CK can be productive on the offensive side of the floor, it’s definitely a plus for us.”

Bolton, a freshman, matched her season-high in points and reached double figures for the fifth time this season. The games against Holtville and Tallassee marked the first time this season she made multiple 3-pointers in back-to-back games.

“I saw her mature tonight,” Rachel said. “She struggled a little bit at the beginning and has been out of control at points so I challenged her the last couple of games to get focused on the court. At her age, you can get out of control but I definitely saw her grow up on the court tonight and we need that right now.”

Elmore County is out of the running to host the Class 4A Area 5 tournament but is currently tied for the No. 2 seed with a 2-2 record. The Panthers hope to carry some momentum from their strong week into the end of the regular season.

continued from Page B1 A stud on both sides of the ball, Shaw said he’s being mostly recruited on defense. Johnson said some schools like him as an outside linebacker while others are looking at him at more of a tight end or utility player on offense.

Shaw said he’s a long way from making an official decision but is ultimately looking for a school that not only has a great football program but also is strong academically. He grew up an Alabama fan, so he said it would be great to get an offer from the Crimson Tide but for now, he’s just enjoying the ride.

“I think it’s just excitement for him right now,” Johnson said. “This is an extremely big deal for us, and it’s a great experience for him. There’s not been a whole lot of SEC and ACC offers come out of Reeltown High School, so it’s really exciting for him.

It probably will get overwhelming for him at some point, but right now I think he’s really just enjoying it.”

Reeltown senior Trey O’Neal is also being recruited and has a pair of Division II offers from Tuskegee and West Alabama. Johnson said he expects O’Neal to make a decision within the next week or so.

File / The Tribune

Reeltown’s Eric Shaw (6) is being recruited mainly on defense but also has some interest at tight end.

Page B4 • January 23, 2019

www.TallasseeTribune.com

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

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The Wetumpka Herald

PUZZLES & HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 20-April 19) You naturally choose the correct action.

Because you take a risk without hesitation, some people observing you might feel as though the wind is knocked out of their sails. However, they admire your clarity.

You simply are sure of yourself and know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing. Your spontaneity works for you. Tonight: Do not push. Call it an early night.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Once again, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d prefer working from home. If possible, follow through on that thought. Because this need keeps rearing its head in your life, you also might want to consider developing a home-based business. Honor this desire; you might be much happier. Tonight: As you eye options, brainstorm with a dear friend.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You might be taken aback by a close associate and his or her willingness to suddenly trust and take a leap of faith. You admire this person and show it. Goodwill and honesty build an even stronger bond between you and this person. The end result could be surprising and totally unanticipated. Tonight: Order in.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Observe a tendency to go overboard in some area of your life. You might go out of your way to please someone, or you easily might go on a spending spree to ease some tension. Whatever you choose, you will have a tendency to go to extremes. Tonight: Ready to recycle and have some fun.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Your spirit naturally encourages taking risks and having fun along the way. Remember that not every risk that feels good will pay off. In the near future, be more discerning.

You could be surprised by what an expert might share with you. Tonight: Catch up on paperwork.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You might feel as though you want to take a back seat in a touchy situation. Before coming to a conclusion, listen more; however, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to ask a question or two. A close partner or loved one shares his or her perspective. You could be surprised by what

this person says. Tonight: Nap, then decide.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Use the daylight hours to the max. You Ă&#x201E;nd a meeting to be signiĂ&#x201E;cant and important to your well-being. You also discover how much support you have from your immediate circle regarding a new venture. Know that you can achieve this goal; however, a surprise also might be part of the journey.

Tonight: Do not burn the midnight oil. Go to bed early.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Your playful manner draws the attention of others. Optimism surrounds a meeting at work or within your community. Your energy might not be stable, and you could be subject to highs and lows. Take a break if you need to; however, attempt to stay on course. Tonight: Celebrate a change of plans.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Allow optimism to lead you, but follow through on details and reach out for more advice. If done well, your research could deĂ&#x201E;ne the path to a successful project.

Refuse to be corned by an assertive personality in your life. Tonight: A force to behold.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) One-on-one relating allows greater Ă&#x2026;ow and insight. As a result, your perspective and plans could veer in a new direction.

Use time as an ally. Your inner voice encourages you to step forward and take the lead. Tonight: Go with the good times.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Defer to a key person in your life. You might not agree, but the difference in opinions might not be as critical as you think it is.

A friend has some important information or possibly a bit of gossip for you. Listen, then decide how signiĂ&#x201E;cant the news is.

Tonight: Leave stress behind. Hook up with a loved one.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Dig into work. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow distractions to play a role. You will note how much you accomplish in such a brief time. Clear out as much as you can. Your more playful side or personality emerges late in the day.

Tonight: Say â&#x20AC;&#x153;yesâ&#x20AC;? to an invitation.

Page B6 â&#x20AC;˘ January 23, 2019

www.TallasseeTribune.com

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Tallassee town hall meetings start in March

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

In an effort to be more transparent and open to public comments, Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock and the city council plan to more hold town hall meetings this year, with the first set for March 7 from 6-8 p.m.

Hammock said the purpose of the meetings is to clear up any misinformation making the rounds in town. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back when Facebook began, since the birth of that, there has been a lot of misinformation out there with social media, especially in small-town politics,â&#x20AC;? Hammock said.

Hammock said the meetings will offer Tallasseeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s citizens the opportunity to get to know their elected officials. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I ran for mayor, I said that I would be as transparent as possible,â&#x20AC;?

Hammock said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a businessman and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not that great of a politician when it comes to shaking hands and kissing babies. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of one the places where I am lacking. I am not a tell-you-what-you-want-to-hear type of person. I am truthful. I will give you an answer but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be the truth.â&#x20AC;?

Since taking office, Hammockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration has made several changes, some welcomed and some not.

Employment

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The past administration, I feel, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to rock the boat and not make any waves,â&#x20AC;? Hammock said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By doing that, it has put us in a spot where the utility rates are not where they should be. Maintenance on our pipes, nothing has ever been maintained properly. Vehicles were not purchased on a rotating system, so we are trying to do a lot of things to get things headed in the right direction, and with that comes a lot of upset people. Anytime you raise taxes or go up on utility rates, people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand.â&#x20AC;?

Hammock said he looks forward to hearing from residents during the town hall meetings and hopes they will Tallassee residents a better understanding of municipal government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to hear what the constituents have to say,â&#x20AC;? Hammock said.

Hammock said he hopes a long list of topics will come up during the meetings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the biggest things I hope people ask about is the dilapidated houses in town,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have taken down a lot of them. Just because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not on your street doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t coming down. We just took one down on Pine Street. I hope they ask me why we did the ad valorem tax. I hope they ask why was sales tax increased. I hope they ask about new vehicles in the city. I hope they ask

Merchandise

about the mayor getting a raise. I hope they ask about the mill, the lawsuit at the mill. I hope they ask about the new school. They can ask anything.â&#x20AC;?

Hammock is just over the halfway mark in his term and said he wishes he had planned these meetings sooner but the learning curve he faced restricted him somewhat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be honest with you, the first six months after I came into office, it was overwhelming, as far learning the job,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anyone to train me. I think we are headed in the right direction. (The meetings are) a way for people to learn the truth.â&#x20AC;?

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Alexander City Outlook Dadeville Record Wetumpka Herald Eclectic Observer Tallassee Tribune

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Appointment Lines: Chilton/Elmore/Autauga: 205-287-0139 Shelby: 205-610-8916 Online: eaaoac.cascheduler.com 11th Area of Alabama O.A.C.

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IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA AT WETUMPKA, ALABAMA IN RE: THE PROBATE OF THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF RUBY S. KING, DECEASED CASE NO: 2018-323 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATE

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Letters Testamentary on the estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 7th day of January, 2019 by the Honorable John Thornton, Special Probate Judge of said County in said State, notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against said estate are required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred.

R. Hollis Mann, Personal Representative of the Estate of Ruby S. King, Deceased Michael S. Harper, A Professional Corporation, Attorney at Law, 213 Barnet Boulevard, PO Box 780608, Tallassee, AL 36078, 334-283-6855 Tallassee Tribune: Jan. 16, 23 and 30, 2019 EST/KING, R.

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

www.TallasseeTribune.com

January 23, 2019 • Page B7

Tallassee High Cord: Bring pets inside in the cold Alumni Association announces hall of pride inductees

By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

The Tallassee High School Alumni Association’s Hall of Pride will have three inductees in 2019.

Dr. Henry Lee Taylor (1952), Dr. Larry Whatley (1958) and Derrick Ansley (2000) were selected for “outstanding accomplishments in the business, service or academic area,” THSAA’s Suzannah Solomon Wilson said.

Taylor had a storied career in the U.S. Air Force, received the Distinguished Flying Cross for combat valor in Vietnam, served in the Pentagon and had a second career as director of the Institute of Aviation and professor of psychology at the University of Illinois. He has received numerous accolades, including receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Military Psychology Association and being named an honorary fellow by the International Symposium on Aviation Psychology.

Whatley earned a Ph.D. from Indiana University and served on the music faculty at Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina, from 1963-2000.

He has published many articles and has composed a catalog of about 50 compositions for band, orchestra, chorus, solo voice, solo instruments and chamber music. Whatley was named to the Brevard College Alumni Hall of Fame after his retirement.

Ansley played football at Troy University, where he was named allconference, and eventually served as an assistant coach on a national championship team at Alabama. He is currently the defensive backs coach for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders.

Last year’s inductees were educators Dr. Byron Nelson Jr. and Dr. Tom Taylor; Col. Bobby Smart; and the late Joseph Wilson Patterson.

The first service award recipient was the late Edwin R. Watkins, the longtime director of music for the Tallassee City Schools.

Wilson said nominees who were not selected this year will be considered again next year.

While we have enjoyed finally seeing the sun after the nonstop rain, winter still has quite a bit to go and cold temperatures are back this week.

We will always be on our bully pulpit for pet owners to please bring your pets inside when the temps are at freezing and below. For those pets that must stay outside please make sure they have shelter and protection from the cold, wind and rain. Cold air is also very dry (just think of your chapped lips) and livestock and pets need more water than you think in the winter.

Keeping outside water from freezing for your outside pets/livestock is easy.

Just go to your local feed store, pet store, or online and purchase in-tank water heaters or heated water buckets. They do need to be plugged in (you can run a long outdoor extension cord if need be) and are quite safe. Hauling water is no fun at all and these heating devices will ensure your pets and/or livestock will have clear fresh water no matter how low the temps go. It is possible, of course, for the water ‘source’ like the stand-pipe/faucet to freeze and there is heat tape or even heated hoses that can help. For our area of Alabama, generally, if your pets/livestock have a large tank

of water that is kept from freezing, the daytime higher temps and sun will thaw out the hose/pipe/faucet so it can refill.

Just like us, animals also need shelter from wind, rain, snow and ice since wind chill affects animals just like it does us humans. A doghouse (with solid sides, top and floor) needs to be located so the wind doesn’t blow into it and also sized correctly so that the dog’s body heat can build inside to keep your pet even warmer. And dry bedding is essential so please check the bedding often to make sure it isn’t wet, or even missing. A wet blanket, moldy pile of hay or hard piece of plastic does nothing to help your pet deal with the cold, so just don’t think because your dog has a plastic igloo that they can ‘handle’ this weather – if you think that, we suggest you try spending the night in that igloo yourself.

Please also take your pet’s age and health into account as young, healthy animals can handle inclement weather a lot better than older animals. An older horse might need to be blanketed in cold weather and an older dog with arthritis may need much thicker bedding to cushion aching joints and tired muscles.

More frequent brushing to remove dead hair and dirt will also help your pet stay warm, as a clean coat will provide better insulation against the weather. Yes, there are breeds more acclimated to cold

weather and they might be loving this weather but far more of our Southern pets are not used to this weather and need appropriate protection from the cold.

We have 270 pets in our care and every one of them is sleeping on a blanket or comforter because of the wonderful generosity of so many pet loving people – thank you all so very much. But we do need a continuous influx of ‘bedding’ as some dogs destroy their beds and some just reach a point of no return so thank you ahead to all who bring us their old comforters and blankets to help our pets. We keep the kennel doors closed and the heat up when the temperatures fall below 40 degrees so our pets as comfortable as possible because we care.

If you are worried about an animal that does not have appropriate shelter, is not being cared for, or seems to be a stray, please contact the appropriate Animal Control Officer so they can investigate. Those numbers listed for towns are for issues INSIDE that city limits. All others are considered ‘county’ and must be called to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. All are area code 334.

Wetumpka: 567-5321; Millbrook: 2856832; Tallassee: 283-6586; Eclectic: 541-2149; Elmore County Sheriff: 5675227

Pet of the Week – Fleahop Fleahop is a male 2-year-old terrier mix, about 15 pounds whose best home would be with an adult only home and he would just be a super apartment dog. Fleahop is most comfortable with women and is not very fond of children. While he tolerates most dogs, he really wants to be with his human at all times and tends to get jealous when other dogs are getting any attention. Fleahop is not a dog for a farm, as he loves to chase most everything.

The shelter’s normal adoption fees are $100 for dogs, $50 for cats under 1 year old and cats over 1 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 free health exam with your participating veterinarian.

To meet all the great pets at the shelter visit to 255 Central Plank Road, Wetumpka. Visit the shelter’s website at www.elmorehumane.org for more information, email them at hselco@bellsouth.net or call 334-567-3377.

The shelter is open for adoptions Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday.

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Page B8 â&#x20AC;˘ January 23, 2019

www.TallasseeTribune.com

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune

Jamiya Skipper and Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Angelia Holmes held the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Keeping The Dream Aliveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sign Monday morning during the annual Martin Luther King March down Jordan Avenue in Tallassee.

MLK march deemed a success, organizers want it to grow

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

C

old temperatures did not stop community members from joining at First United Methodist Church on Jordan Avenue Monday to make the one-mile trek to Log Circle.

Following the march, four local churches collaborated at a celebration service at Jerusalem Baptist Church and members from Oak Valley United Methodist Church and St. Paul United Methodist Church joined to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything went great,â&#x20AC;? said Charles Blalock, the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s master of ceremonies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we had a

greater number at the program than it were marchers. Some of the people who marched did not come to the program and some of the people that did not march did come to the program.â&#x20AC;?

The keynote speaker was Cynthia Martin, a teacher at Tallassee High School who attends St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock also spoke during the MLK program and The Driscoll Sisters, from Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Congregation Holiness Church, performed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Driscoll Sisters, they did a tremendous job, which we all knew we got what we expected of them,â&#x20AC;?

Blalock said.

Blalock has been involved in Tallasseeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MLK march and program

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it was one of the largest turnouts that we have had.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Charles Blalock Event emcee since the beginning and he believes this year may have drawn the largest crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it was one of the largest turnouts that we have had,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The annual event takes a lot of time and preparation and Blalock said event coordinators are already looking ahead to next year, which could see some changes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will be at a different venue next year,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will probably be at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church but today we threw out the possibility of the Mt. Vernon Theater. I would encourage more people to join us in the march. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for a good cause and I hope everyone will stick around for the program because that is the highlight of the march.â&#x20AC;?

Blalock believes events such as the MLK march and program will help unify all the citizens of Tallassee regardless of race. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open to everyone,â&#x20AC;? he said.

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www.TallasseeTribune.com

January 23, 2019 • Page B9

TPD helps catch suspected bank robbers

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

The work of multiple Tallassee-area law enforcement agencies brought two suspected robbers into custody this week.

On Tuesday, Montgomery police arrested James Matthews, 52, whose address is listed as 125 Fleming Rd., and Albert Dorsey, 45, whose address is listed as 885 Green Ridge Rd., both of Montgomery, after authorities pur-

sued the vehicle in which they were riding.

Both were charged with first-degree robbery in connection with two bank robberies, including one in Tallassee, according to Tallassee police chief Matthew Higgins.

Tallassee police received a call Monday at 10:30 a.m. about a robbery at First Community Bank, located at 526 Gilmer Avenue in Tallassee.

Higgins said upon arriving at the scene, officers were told by witnesses a black

male entered the bank and demanded money. The suspect then fled on foot behind the bank.

“Utilizing one of the city surveillance cameras that were purchased after the Blue Jean Ball fundraiser, we were able to identify a suspect vehicle,” Higgins said.

Using information gathered from surveillance, Tallassee police linked the suspect in the First Community Bank robbery to other robberies in the area.

“This vehicle enabled us to identify

a vehicle owner and connected this robbery to several others in central Alabama,” Higgins said. “This information was passed on to the FBI and surrounding agencies since the vehicle was registered in Montgomery.”

Higgins said the TPD is continuing to work with other agencies on the investigation.

“This is another example of multiple agencies sharing information and working together to make our communities safer,” Higgins said.

TPD made more arrests in 2018

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

Tallassee police made more arrests in 2018 than the year before, including more drug-related arrests, answered more calls for service and made fewer traffic stops than in 2017, according to statistics provided by police chief Matthew Higgins.

Total arrests increased from 669 in 2017 to 809 in 2018, Higgins said.

“We made a total of 809 arrests,” Higgins said. “That’s not 809 people; people with multiple charges counts as multiple arrests. 155 felony arrests for a department our size is a pretty good job. And all of that is just making our streets safer and our citizens.

“We have a very professional operation here,” Higgins said. “I appreciate every officer that we have and the job that they do. I hope the citizens and the council recognize that.”

According to Higgins, TPD answered 11,908 calls for service (compared to 11,130 in 2017) and made 3,013 traffic stops (compared to 3,622 in 2017) with 252 traffic citations reported.

“We answered 11,908 calls for service last calendar year,” Higgins said. “That’s pretty good numbers for the size of our department.”

Felony arrests increased from 48 to 155, gun seizures were down from 145 to 65, and TPD’s closed cases were down from 130 in 2017.

TPD’s narcotics arrests increased from 84 to 128, including those made by the drug task force. TPD officers seized 89 illegal prescription pills, 2,003.3 grams of cocaine, 3,973.7 grams of marijuana, 854 grams of meth and 17.5 grams of heroin, Higgins said.

In 2017, TPD reported 31 pill seizures, 31 cocaine seizures, 91 marijuana seizures and 33 meth seizures, Higgins said.

Incident/offense reports remained virtually the same from 2017 (1,870) to 2018 (1,863), Higgins said.

Officers logged 199 accident reports in 2018 compared to 234 in 2017 and carried out 3,411 security checks, Higgins said.

TPD officers made 654 misdemeanor arrests, Higgins said.

TPD reported 176 cases closed in 2018 and impounded 65 guns, compared 130 closed cases and 145 guns seized in 2017.

TPD answered 417 commercial and residential alarms in 2018, Higgins said. Dispatch handled 257 fire calls in 2018, compared to 305 in 2017.

“I want to say ‘thank you’ to the officers and I would encourage the citizens, if you see them out to make sure that you mention to them that you appreciate it because on New Year’s Eve, we’re out here working, on Christmas Eve, we’re out here working, Christmas Day, we are out here working. I can’t commend these officers enough,” Higgins said.

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Tallassee police chief Matthew Higgins read the 2018 crime stats to Mayor Johnny Hammock and members of the council during the Jan. 8 city council meeting held at city hall.

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Page B10 • January 23, 2019

www.TallasseeTribune.com

THE TALLASSEE TRIBUNE

Missoula Children’s Theater brings ‘Pied Piper’ to Tallassee

By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer

Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune

Top: Billy Speed with the Missoula Children’s Theater played the part of the mayor of Hamlin during Saturday’s production of ‘The Pied Piper.’

The play was hosted by the McCraney-Cottle Arts Council. Middle: Several children from the Tallassee area participated in the annual play. Above: Naomi Curran and Emily Hacker perform in costume during Saturday night’s performance.

The auditorium at Tallassee High School was filled with bright costumes, colorful props and energetic children as the McCraneyCottle Arts Foundation hosted the Missoula Children’s Theater production of “The Pied Piper” Saturday.

The production was put on by the MCT’s Billy Speed, from Jacksonville, Florida, and Alicia Batterson, from Columbus, Ohio.

“Putting on a Missoula Children’s Theater show in a week involves coming together as a team, listen, leadership, all of these qualities they can use beyond the week and for the rest of their lives,” Batterson said.

The Missoula Children’s Theater officially began in 1988. Since that time, the theater group has hosted more than 1.3 million guests. The theater group travels the country twoby-two to set up, produce and perform for audiences, all in a week’s time.

“The annual Missoula Children’s Theater is the highlight of our local McCraney-Cottle Arts Council,” McCraney-Cottle Arts Foundation director Jerry Cunningham said.

“Through this performance, we are able to involve a large number of our local and surrounding community.”

With only a small amount of time allotted for the Tallassee performance, Speed and Batterson had to move swiftly to coordinate the performance.

After the auditions and roles were assigned, the first rehearsal began that same evening and rehearsals continued until the night of the performance.

Following the performance, all of the props and costumes were packed into the duo’s red Ford F-150 and Speed and Batterson set off for Cullman, where they will do it all over again.

“It’s a lot of driving,” Speed said.

“On average we put about 10,000 miles on the truck per tour.”

While the theater group performs in cities large and small, the pair said most of their stops are in small communities that, in many cases, lack a fine arts presence.

“I think that this job is targeted toward the smaller communities who otherwise may have the chance be involved in the arts,” Batterson said.

The Missoula Children’s Theater and the McCraney-Cottle Arts Foundation have been collaborating for 12 years to bring performances to Tallassee.

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