Top 10 sports stories of the year inside today SPORTS, 9
Inaugurations give Alabama a fresh start OPINION, 4
Eclectic Observer The
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 2, 2019
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 30, No.1
County at 3 percent Elmore County among state’s lowest unemployment rates By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
Submitted / Lt. John Sanford
Crews work to remove a pickup truck that reportedly crashed into a power pole from West Collins Street.
Single-vehicle crash 1 injured in West Collins Street wreck By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
T
he driver of a pickup truck received minor injuries during a single-vehicle accident in Eclectic on the afternoon of Dec. 26. At around 4 p.m., the Eclectic Police and Fire Departments responded to a report of a pickup truck that hit a power pole on West Collins Street, close to Georgia Road.
Today’s
Weather
57 48 High
Low
THURS: HIGH 54 LOW 36
Firefighters said the driver, who was the only person inside the truck during the head-on collision, sustained minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. Firefighters said the truck’s airbags deployed in the collision. It is currently unknown if the driver was wearing a seatbelt. The power pole was discovered broken in half and Alabama Power was notified, police said. Eclectic police are currently investigating the cause of the crash, firefighters said.
Over the course of 2018, Elmore County has consistently been listed among counties with the lowest unemployment rates in the state. According to the Alabama Department of Labor, Elmore County tied with Morgan and Limestone counties in November for the third-lowest unemployment rates, each at 3 percent. Elmore County Commission Chairman Troy Stubbs said he was delighted to see the county’s unemployment steadily declining and attributed the county’s low unemployment to a strong business community and a well-prepared workforce. “We have large industries in the county but we also have a strong support for local businesses from the community,” Stubbs said. “We also have a qualified workforce from our local schools.” The county also came in third for the lowest unemployment rate in October, September, May, April, February and January, often tying with several counties in north Alabama. Elmore County also came in second in June, fourth in March and fifth in May. According to ADL statistics, 1,124 Elmore County residents were counted as unemployed in November, yielding the 3 percent unemployment rate. Between October and the end of November, ADL statistics indicate 35 Elmore County locals gained employment, causing the county’s unemployment to decrease by 0.3 percent. The most recent ADL statistics indicate Shelby County has the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.5 percent, and Marshall, Madison and Cullman counties tied for the second at 2.9 percent. According to the ADL, the state as a whole recently reached its lowest unemployment rate in Alabama history. More than 2 million Alabamians were listed as employed in November and the number of jobs in the state increased by 35,400. “Business is booming in Alabama,” ADL Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said. “We are continuing to shatter employment records month after month. Jobs are growing at a record 1.7 percent yearly growth rate. It’s a great time to be doing business in Alabama.”
Paying it forward
Food pantry hosting Taste of Elmore County
Hope for Donalsonville raises thousands
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
The Elmore County Food pantry is gearing up for its biggest event, Taste of Elmore County, on Jan. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wetumpka Civic Center. According to food pantry director Kathy Moseley, this is the eighth consecutive year Taste of Elmore County has been held. The event will feature a diverse selection of food samples from local vendors, live music, door prizes and a silent auction.
Eclectic community members recently donated thousands to a small Georgia city that was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October. According to volunteer Stephanie Southerland, the town’s Holiday Hope for Donalsonville initiative raised $7,000 for families in need. On Dec. 20, Southerland took a trip to Donalsonville and distributed a check for
See PANTRY • Page 2
File / The Observer
Representatives from local restaurants will be onsite with a variety of different food samples during the eighth annual Taste of Elmore County.
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PAGE 2 • JANUARY 2, 2019
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LEC seeking sponsorships for 2019 By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
Leadership Elmore County is currently reaching out to residents and businesses for sponsorships for the upcoming year. According to board of directors chair Jenifer Glover, LEC accepts anything from $25 sponsorships from individuals to $1,000 sponsorships that grant access to the organization’s annual retreat. While some sponsors are LEC alumni or have employees who are, Glover said any sponsorships are welcome. “It can be anybody in Elmore that is interested in supporting the program,” Glover said. Usually, Glover said LEC gets between 10 and 15 sponsorships a year. However, Glover said they are aiming to receive as many sponsorships as they can get. For some members, Glover said their participation was made possible through sponsorships. “By becoming a sponsor, you could be helping provide a person to participate in the class at a discounted rate,” Glover said. “So if someone wants to participate, and they have to pay the fee themselves because their employer doesn’t pay it or they are self-employed, it would go to help reduce their costs.” Additionally, Glover said the sponsorships help LEC cover monthly class sessions or other expenses. Through sponsorships, Glover said, a diverse group of people are able to serve the county. “The sponsorships help us be able to build the program and help develop leaders in Elmore County. That helps the county as a whole,” Glover said. “The people who go through this program work on a class project, something that’s going to benefit the county in one way or another.” Many of those projects, Glover said, still benefit people throughout Elmore County today, including the Elmore County Food Pantry and the Elmore County Economic Development Authority. “There are several projects of LEC that have gone on and continued,” she said. “It benefits Elmore County in more ways than I could possibly explain.”
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Above: Several families fron Donalsonville, Georgia, were presented with checks for $500 as part of the town of Eclectic’s Holiday Hope for Donalsonville fundraiser. Left: Over the course of two months, Donalsonville residents have dealt with destruction to their homes, churches and businesses.
Donalsonville
continued from page A1
$500 among 14 families based on a recommendation by the city. Additionally, Southerland said the families received handmade cards from local kindergarteners. “One lady has been battling breast cancer, so the money will help her with medical bills. Another lady’s husband has also been battling cancer,” Southerland said. “They each had an extreme need and we hoped to partially meet it.” While the city is making progress, Southerland said Donalsonville still has much to accomplish during its rebuilding process. “There are still lots of roofs with tarps over them. There are still a lot of debris on the side of the road that need to be picked up,” Southerland said. “It’s still pretty devastated.” Donalsonville City Manager Steven Hicks said the community is grateful for all of Eclectic’s help. “The timing of it was really good, especially since it was the holidays. We were very pleased
and very touched by the actions of Eclectic,” Hicks said. “Several of the families have children.” Hicks said the donations also helped the community as a whole by alleviating some of the city’s financial strains. “This is going to be a longterm building project, so it relieves the community when resources are coming from outside the community,” Hicks said. After a tornado hit Eclectic in 2011 and killed four people, Southerland said the town received a lot of aid from other communities. When Hurricane Michael hit, Sutherland said many locals felt compelled to help a community similar to theirs. For herself and many others involved with Hope for Donalsonville, Southerland said the reward was intrinsic. “I think it was probably more of a blessing to me than it was for some of them,” Southerland said. “We got lots of ‘God bless yous.’ I think they were truly surprised that a community of our size was able to do all of this.”
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In the future, Hicks said Donalsonville plans to follow Eclectic’s example. “One of our first pledges is that we will pay it forward,” Hicks said. Initially, Hicks said many Donalsonville residents planned to participate in Eclectic’s Christmas Parade, which was cancelled due to weather. Despite not being able to come to Eclectic, Hicks said the municipalities plan to stay in contact. “We’ll be reaching out to them further in the future, especially to express our gratitude,” Hicks said. While officially establishing a sister-city relationship with Eclectic has not been seriously discussed, Hicks said he has heard it mentioned and Donalsonville would be interested. Southerland said they will continue to raise funds for the next couple of months and are encouraging people to send donations to the Southwest Georgia Community Foundation.
continued from page A1
For many, Moseley said the Taste of Elmore County is a social event. “People come out and eat some good food, talk with each other and mingle,” Moseley said. Moseley said all the funds raised through Taste of Elmore County will benefit the roughly 600 families served by the food pantry each month. “Our last bill from the month of December was more than $7,000 and that was just for food,” Moseley said. “We have operating expenses and other
things like that that the fundraiser will help pay for. We shop for food once a week and work with the food bank in Montgomery.” Moseley said the Elmore County Food Pantry has extended an invitation to local restaurants to serve as vendors. Last year, Moseley said 30 restaurants participated and more are on track to get involved this year. “We’re in the early stages of planning,” Moseley said. “Everybody waits until after the first of January to give us the go-ahead.”
Any vendors interested are encouraged to contact the Elmore County Food Pantry by Jan. 17. Moseley said the food pantry is also seeking sponsorships, which will help cover the cost of the event venue. Potential sponsors are also encouraged to contact the food pantry by the third week of January. If bought ahead of time, tickets cost $25 and children under 3 eat for free. If there are any left over, Moseley said tickets can be bought at the door for $30.
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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. $32,500 EACH. 2 Lots SOLD! 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 PENDINGWETUMPKA 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. 1.7SO ACRE LD lot on Highway 14/Gilmer ave. in Tallassee next to Timberlane Apts. Great business site. $45000. 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
The Town of Eclectic is partnering with Donalsonville, Georgia and HS 2700 residents to help bring Holiday Hope after Hurricane Michael destroyed the town. 100%
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
90% 80%
* Make check payable to Forty Missions a local 501 C3 * Drop off at Trustmark or 1st Community Bank
70% 60% 50% 40% 30%
GOAL
25,000
20%
$
10%
$
Winter is on the way! GAS LOG SPECIALS
25,000
100% OF FUNDS RAISED WILL BE GIVEN TO FAMILIES HARDEST HIT.
Call For Pricing! WETUMPKA: 334-567-5421 NOTASULGA: 334-257-3367
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 3
Submitted / The Observer
Red Hill firefighters honored Marcy Moore, Charles Chambers and John Hudson were honored last month during the Red Hill Volunteer Fire Department’s Christmas party for their years of service to the department and the community. ‘I’m just proud of all three of them,’ RHVFD assistant fire chief Chad Moore said, ‘Marcy a little more because she is my wife, but I am proud I have a good group of guys and girls in our department, and our surrounding departments.’ Moore and Hudson have served the department for 10 years and Chambers, who is chief of RHFD, has been with the department for 33 years.
Wetumpka man charged with casino stabbing By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
Police arrested a Wetumpka man after he allegedly stabbed a man at a Montgomery casino. According to his arrest warrant, Rance Daniel Freeman Gordon, 33, who lists an address on Poundstone Lane, was arrested by the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department and charged with second-degree assault on Dec. 19. Gordon An affidavit for Gordon’s arrest said Gordon walked past a man seated at a gaming machine at Wind Creek Casino in Montgomery and the man “aggres-
sively” stood up and began to follow Gordon. Per the affidavit, Gordon pulled out a knife before the man began punching him. After Gordon fell back onto some chairs, the affidavit said the man continued striking Gordon in the head. Gordon lunged forward with the knife, stabbing the man near the groin and in the thigh, according to the affidavit. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Gordon was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a $15,000 bond. Gordon’s arrest warrant lists the charge as a Class C felony. The Code of Alabama specifies that a Class C felony committed with a deadly weapon carries a sentence of at least 10 years upon conviction.
Murder suspect requests mental exam By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
The attorney of a Deatsville murder suspect recently filed a motion to request a psychiatric evaluation on his client’s behalf. According to court documents, David Arnold Helms II, 42, who lists an address on Lakehaven Circle, filed the request on Dec. 18. In the motion, Helms’ attorney, Jonathan H. Stokes, described Helms as Helms “indigent” and was unable to pay for any legal counsel after he was arrested and charged with fatally strangling a 52-year-old Wetumpka woman. In a previous motion filed by the attorney, Stokes claimed he had reason to believe that a mental incapacity rendered Helms unable to competently stand trial and he lacks the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. Because of Helms’ indigence, Stokes wrote Helms had not had health insurance and has never undergone an examination of his mental status. Additionally, Stokes wrote he is unable to produce any medical records related to Helms’ mental health. The motion requested that Helms be examined at a secure medical facility
by a competent psychiatrist and for the findings be presented to the court. The motion asked the psychiatrist to evaluate Helms’ ability to assist in his own defense with a rational understanding of the court proceedings, as well as Helms’ mental condition at the time the murder allegedly occurred. Helms was arrested by the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office and charged with murder on June 5, 2017, after the body of Jane Huddleston was discovered in a partially filled well on her residence by Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin. Franklin said a lanyard, which is believed to be the murder weapon, was discovered around Huddleston’s neck. While he is unsure how long Huddleston’s body was in the well, Franklin said she had been missing for a few days. At the time of Huddleston’s death, Franklin said Helms had been staying with her at her residence on Tallassee Highway. After Helms was taken to the Elmore County Jail, Franklin said he damaged an interior window in the jail and was subsequently charged with second-degree escape and third-degree criminal mischief. Helms currently remains in jail on $133,000 bond. Helms’ trial is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 28. Murder is a Class A felony. According to the Code of Alabama, Helms could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.
Your friendship, support and kindness too make us so very grateful to each one of you. We hope that your New Year is simply a blast from the very first moment until the last. We look forward to sharing more good times with you in 2019.
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Inaugurations give Alabama a fresh start A s we begin 2019, Alabama begins a new quadrennium in state government. All of our constitutional state officeholders begin their new four-year terms this month. Gov. Kay Ivey will be sworn in on Jan. 14 along with Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Secretary of State John Merrill, State Treasurer John McMillan, Attorney General Steve Marshall, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate and State Auditor Jim Ziegler. By the way, all of the above and indeed all statewide officeholders in Alabama are Republicans. All 140 state senators and representatives have already been sworn in for their fouryear terms; 27 of the 35 Senate members are Republican, as are 77 of the 105 House members. Mac McCutcheon of Huntsville will be elected speaker of the house in the organizational session next week and Del Marsh will be reelected the senate’s president pro tem. My belief is that we will have a successful and
STEVE FLOWERS Columnist
prosperous next four years in the Heart of Dixie. Alabama is a magnificent state. We possess abundant natural resources, including water. Almost 10 percent of the freshwater resources of the continental U.S. flows through or originates in Alabama during its journey to the sea. A sixth of the state’s surface is covered by lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks. We have plentiful rainfall, much higher than the nation’s average. The average in north Alabama is 50 inches, and it’s 65 inches in south Alabama and along the coast. But Alabama’s proportion of the U.S. population has been in steady decline since the end of the Civil War. Today, we account for only about 1.6 percent of the country’s people. My belief is that trend will reverse in the next few
years as we continue to grow with automotive and high-tech industries, especially in the Huntsville area. Alabama has been castigated as a backward state and less opportune for female leaders. However, I would suggest with the beginning of this new quadrennium we may be leading the nation and more so-called progressive states with women’s leadership. We have just elected a female governor, Ivey, and Katie Britt has been chosen to lead the Business Council of Alabama. In closing, I want to recognize legendary legislator Pete Turnham of Auburn, who turned 99 on New Year’s Day. Mr. Pete represented Lee County in the Alabama House of Representatives for 40 years from 1958-1998 and brought a lot of bacon home to Auburn University. Happy birthday, Pete, and happy new year to you. Steve Flowers served 16 years in the Alabama Legislature and can be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
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Thankful nunchuck law was overturned
I
was arrested for having nunchucks in New York. I’m glad the law was overturned. When news broke last week that a federal judge had ruled a New York law banning possession of nunchucks unconstitutional, I felt vindicated. You see, as a teenager growing up in New York City in the 1980s, I was arrested and thrown in jail for illegal possession of nunchucks. Really. During high school, I got into Bruce Lee martial-arts movies. Long before Mayor Rudy Giuliani turned Times Square into a family-friendly theme park, there was a movie theater on Broadway that showed nonstop kung-fu fare. Over summer break, I would go to see Lee movies such as “Game of Death,” “Fist of Fury” and “Enter the Dragon,” Lee’s last film before his death from cerebral edema at age 32 in 1973. The highlight of every Lee movie, for me, was when he picked up a pair of nunchucks -two short sticks connected by a steel swivel chain -- and began swinging them around his body, taking out dozens of enemy fighters. After the movie let out one afternoon, I went to a martialarts store across the street from the theater and bought myself a pair of nunchucks. Unlike the hardwood pair Lee used, I bought a soft pair made of light plywood and covered in bright yellow foam so that when I swung them around and accidentally hit myself on the head, I wouldn’t knock myself out. One day I was riding on the subway going to a friend’s house, quietly holding my nunchucks, when a police
MARC THIESSEN Columnist officer approached me. “Do you know those are illegal?” he asked. No, I told him, I didn’t. It hadn’t even occurred to me that possessing a pair of the foam-covered nunchucks could be against the law. But it turned out that New York state in 1974 had enacted a complete ban on the possession of nunchucks by private citizens. The police officer told me to get off with him at the next stop. He pushed me against a wall, handcuffed me, threw me in a squad car and took me to the New York Transit Police station on Columbus Circle, where I was put into a cell with a bunch of drunks and booked on charges of a Class A misdemeanor, “criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.” I used my one call to phone my mother -- a doctor who worked treating heroin addicts in the South Bronx. She came down to the station and berated the arresting officer in her thick Polish accent, offering to take him to Central Park and point him to all the drug dealers selling heroin there. Why didn’t he do something about them, rather than harassing a harmless teenager? She had to spend thousands of dollars to hire a lawyer, who told us that the charges were serious and that I could face jail time. We went to court, and he cut a deal to have the prosecution deferred. I stood before a judge who told me if I did not commit another crime in
the next 12 months, the charges would be dropped and my arrest record expunged. Until then, I was a “juvenile offender.” I passed the time without incident and never picked up a pair of nunchucks again. I have often wondered what would have happened to a kid whose mother could not afford a decent lawyer. It was absurd that a teenager could have had his life ruined, and be stuck with a criminal record, simply because he wanted to be like Bruce Lee. I always knew my arrest was a travesty. Now three decades later, the law under which I was arrested has been declared unconstitutional. Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which applied the Second Amendment to the states, U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen, who was nominated by President Obama, ruled that “the possession and use of nunchaku is protected by the Second Amendment” and that the sections of the New York law banning them are “an unconstitutional restriction on the right to bear arms ... and are, therefore, void.” The suit was filed by a lawyer named James Maloney, who, like me, had been arrested for possessing nunchucks. He has been fighting this fight since his arrest in 2000. Eighteen years later, he and I have been vindicated. Americans have a constitutional right to keep and bear nunchucks. Not just the foam kind, but the real thing. I have the feeling that, somewhere up there, Bruce Lee is smiling. Follow Marc A. Thiessen on Twitter, @marcthiessen.
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JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 5
Coosa Cleaver opens in Wetumpka By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
A highly anticipated addition to Wetumpka’s downtown area recently opened its doors on Company Street. The Coosa Cleaver, which is a companion to the Cork and Cleaver restaurant in Montgomery, celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. Ryan Friday, who co-owns both restaurants with his brother, Benji, and his wife, Danyalle, said the Coosa Cleaver features a fast-casual setting on the first floor and a full bar on the second. “We definitely bring an incredible atmosphere. It’s a cool place,” Friday said. “Downstairs, we try to theme it like a river camp, so you feel like you can sit on the river and have something to eat. Upstairs is a little bit cleaner. We have the rolling doors, which gives you sort of a rooftop feel. Whenever we have the festivals in downtown, we hope to be able to be a part of that, so you can take part in it but still be in the restaurant.” Friday said the food served at the Coosa Cleaver is similar to the menu at the Cork and Cleaver. “We’re cooking the same sort of things in Montgomery, cooking fresh and cooking to order,” Friday said. The Fridays began renovating the restaurant in August. “The (Wetumpka) downtown redevelopment authority came to talk to me about it, and we came to the conclusion that this was a good place with an open market,” Friday said. “It had some value to it.” Because the Coosa Cleaver is occupying the space once known as Little Sam’s Café, Friday said they made a point to pay homage to the building’s history by incorporating some of the staples of the original restaurant. “We have the original Little Sam’s Café Coca-Cola sign, which was repainted by Shellie Whitfield at the Big Fish Art Studio, and we have a barstool in the corner, which was one of the originals from Little Sam’s. We tried to create this whole area in the corner as a tribute to Little Sam’s,” Friday said. “There’s also a piano that was left in the building when I got here and we incorporated that into the bar upstairs. I don’t really know the history behind the piano but it’s still here.” Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis said he remembers dining at Little Sam’s Café and is appreciative of the restaurant’s historical references. “There was a little lady whose name was Miss Fannie and she waited tables here for years and years and years. It got to the point where she could hardly walk but she was waiting tables,” Willis said. “You open this door and she’d never look but she’d holler, ‘Come in, Dobbins!’ Everybody was named Dobbins. I don’t know where she got that from.” Instead of acting as a competitor, Friday said the Coosa Cleaver’s goal is to promote the businesses of downtown Wetumpka. “The main thing I want to do is help revitalize downtown Wetumpka. By working with the downtown redevelopment authority, we can bring more businesses to Wetumpka, we can help bring more business to the current businesses that are already here,” Friday said. “There are several other good restaurants close by and I want to be a complement to that and continue to help make it a destination.” Before it opened, Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce Associate Director Jamie Young said the Coosa Cleaver was already having an impact on surrounding businesses. “I’ve already heard from a couple of different business folks who have said that they’re going to adjust their hours, depending on the Coosa Cleaver’s hours. They believe that’s going to
Amalia Kortright / The Observer
Above: The first floor of the Coosa Cleaver serves beer and wine, while the second floor features a full bar. Below: Kathy Willis sits in a corner of the Coosa Cleaver that was decorated to honor the restaurant’s predecessor, Little Sam’s Cafe. Bottom: Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis, center, cuts the ribbon in celebration of the Coosa Cleaver’s grand opening.
generate a lot more walk-in revenue for them,” Young said. “I know that (the Coosa Cleaver) will do great.” Willis commended many people for their work in getting the
restaurant open, including the Fridays and members of the Wetumpka Downtown Redevelopment Authority, the Wetumpka City Council, the Wetumpka Area Chamber
of Commerce and Main Street Wetumpka. “I think this is just the first of many things to come in Wetumpka and we’re so excited to see this,” Willis said.
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PUZZLES & HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) Your mind Ă…oats to other matters that do not necessarily revolve around your daily life. You could be looking at the year as a whole and deciding when to visit an important person in your life. Others might be eyeing a workshop or seminar. Tonight: Enjoy a good movie. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Your relating skills come forward. The time has come to have an intense conversation with someone. You have put oɈ this talk for a while. At this time, you see a situation from a diɈerent perspective. During this talk, opening up would be the smart move. Tonight: Don’t be alone! GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Others knock on your door with expectations that might surprise you. Examine new possibilities with care. You might not be ready to jump on any of your options just yet. However, if you don’t, you might lose one. Tonight: Be impulsive and host an impromptu get-together. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Your emotions run high. Once you mellow out, you’ll Ă„nd a solution with ease. Meditate. Take a walk. Do what is necessary to chill out. Your ability to read between the lines emerges. Someone will approach you, and you might not be able to say “no.â€? Tonight: Till the wee hours. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) You could be a little oɈ-kilter with all of the excitement happening around you. You like feeling as if you have some control over your life. You might have that for yourself, but it is unlikely that you can control others. Tonight: Sort through suggestions before responding. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Approach life with a one-step-at-atime attitude; otherwise, you could Ă„nd yourself running around in a chaotic frenzy. Someone in your immediate environment seems closed down. If you step back and think about it, this behavior has been a long time coming. Tonight: Easy works.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Your playfulness cannot be curbed. You might choose not to verbalize everything that passes through your mind. Use caution with your Ă„nances and also with a personal matter, but remain lighthearted. You don’t need to be serious every day! Tonight: Instigate a party. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Be aware of what is going on with yourself, and try not to project your feelings onto others. If you’re feeling down, try to think about what would change your mood ... or better yet, what would remedy the situation. You will know how to proceed. Tonight: Out and about. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Take a hint from Scorpio. You might be able to move through some negativity just by getting out and going for a walk. Do not stay put. You’ll see a situation diɈerently because of your unpredictability. Think positively when facing the unknown. Tonight: With friends. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) How you deal with a troubled friend might aɈect your Ă„nances more than you realize. Your tendency to indulge others has more to do with you than what they need. Remember, everyone is diɈerent. A family member might be touchy. Tonight: You do not always need to treat. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) The Moon shines on you and highlights your charisma. Lose the word “noâ€? from your vocabulary. An older person in your life might be very diɉcult. Avoid dealing with this person’s issues for now. You can’t always be there for everyone. Tonight: Whatever knocks your socks oɈ. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Take charge of a personal matter Ă„rst, then you can kick back and relax. Your responsiveness to life will be enhanced. You can be found smiling more often, and you willingly throw yourself into whatever you want to be involved with. Tonight: Take the lead for now.
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JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 7
Famed illusionists coming to Wetumpka By AMALIA KORTRIGHT Bureau Chief
The Wetumpka High Theatre Guild is inviting the community to a night of magic and comedy featuring two nationally recognized illusionists on Jan. 11. David Ferman and Jenny Hymeri, who received the spotlight on Season Eight of “America’s Got Talent,� are slated to perform from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Wetumpka High School auditorium. Theatre guild director Jeff Glass said Ferman and Hymeri typically reach out to local schools and organizations as a way to give back while traveling. “I think we lucked out. They were going from one spot to another on tour and this looked like a good stopping point to them,� Glass said. “Between doing trade and international shows, they’ll do fundraisers for certain groups.� When they first contacted him, Glass said he was in disbelief. “They called the school and got the library for some reason. (The librarian) thought it sounded more like a theatre thing, so she forwarded the call to me,� Glass said. “When I first got the call, I didn’t know if I was being catfished or not. I was shocked that someone of that caliber would reach out to us.� If students reach their goal for ticket sales, Glass said 50 percent of the proceeds will benefit the theatre guild.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our shows have an incredibly high production quality for a high school theater program,â&#x20AC;? Glass said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will help us give our audiences the same quality of shows and give our students up-to-date equipment.â&#x20AC;? In addition to funding shows and equipment, Glass said the proceeds will help send students to the Southeastern Theater Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. Other than that, Glass said students were asked only to provide the basics for the Ferman-Hymeri show. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a win-win. All we have to do is set up and provide a crew to help them load in and out,â&#x20AC;? Glass said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They bring their own lighting and sound.â&#x20AC;? Glass said his technical theater students will have the opportunity to meet with Ferman and Hymeri before the show starts. After the show, Glass said Ferman and Hymeri will stay for about 45 minutes to take pictures and sign autographs. Glass said the show is a rare opportunity and added he would be â&#x20AC;&#x153;absolutely shockedâ&#x20AC;? if it did not sell out quickly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For people of this caliber â&#x20AC;Ś to have them in our back yard for $10 is a steal,â&#x20AC;? Glass said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always exciting to have a little illusion in our world and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that ever goes away.â&#x20AC;? Tickets can be purchased on MagicShowTix.com at $10 for adults and $7 for students. Rates will increase by $2 if purchased after Jan. 4.
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Area Churches AME ZION Mt. Zion Chapel AME Zion 2340 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-4413 Rogers Chapel AME Zion 709 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8144 Jackson Chapel AME Zion 4885 Coosada Rd., Coosada Jones Chapel AME Zion 2414 Ingram Rd. (Co. Rd. 3), Elmore ABUNDANT LIFE Abundant Life Church 9301 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 567-9143 ASSEMBLY OF GOD Agape Tabernacle Assembly of God 1076 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic 541-2006 Bethel Worship Center 11117 U.S. Hwy 231., Wetumpka 567-5754 Crossroads Assembly of God 2534 AL Hwy 14., Millbrook 285-5545 First Assembly of God 3511 Shirley Ln., Millbrook New Home Assembly of God 5620 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 569-2825 BAPTIST Abraham Baptist Church Millbrook Antioch Baptist Church 1115 Antioch Rd., Titus 567-2917 Beulah Baptist Church 2350 Grier Rd., Wetumpka 514-2881 Blue Ridge Baptist 4471 Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 567-4325 Brookwood Baptist Grandview Rd., Millbrook Calvary Baptist 504 W. Osceola St., Wetumpka 567-4729 Central Baptist 3545 W. Central Rd., Wetumpka 541-2556 Coosada Baptist 20 Kennedy Ave., Coosada Deatsville Baptist 184 Church St., Deatsville Eclectic Baptist
Church 203 Claud Rd., Eclectic 541-4444 Faith Baptist 64 Chapel Rd., Wetumpka 567-4417 First Baptist Church 205 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-5191 First Baptist of Elmore Hwy. 14 Co. Rd. 74, Elmore Galilee Baptist 95 Old Georgia Rd., Wetumpka 567-4178 Good Hope Baptist 1766 S. Fleahop Rd., Eclectic Goodship Baptist 1554 Hwy. 143, Millbrook 285-0094 Grace Baptist Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka 567-3255 Grandview Pines Baptist 346 Deatsville Hwy., Millbrook 285-5125 Green Ridge Baptist 288 Turner Rd., Wetumpka 567-2486 Harvest Baptist 2990 Main St., Millbrook Hillside Baptist 405 Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka Holtville Riverside Baptist 7121 Holtville Rd., Wetumpka 514-5922 Lake Elam Baptist 4060 Gober Rd., Millbrook Liberty Hill Baptist 61 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-8750 Lighthouse Baptist 2281 Main St., Millbrook Living Water Baptist 1745 Grass Farm Rd. (Co. Rd. 80), Titus 5147304 Millbrook Baptist 3431 Browns Road, Millbrook 285-4731 Mitts Chapel Baptist 935 Cold Springs Rd., Deatsville 569-1952 Crossroads Community Church 150 Mt. Hebron Rd., Elmore 567-4441 Mt. Herron East Baptist Church 4355 Mt. Herron Rd. Eclectic, Al 36024 334-857-3689 Mountain View Baptist 1025 Rifle Range Rd., Wetumpka 567-4458 New Harmony Baptist
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3094 New Harmony Rd., Marbury 312-1878 New Home Baptist 1605 New Home Rd., Titus 567-0923 New Hope Baptist 6191 Lightwood Rd., Deatsville 569-1267 New Lily Green Baptist 6504 Deatsville Hwy., Deatsville New Nazareth Baptist Hwy. 143, Deatsville Pleasant Hill Baptist Pleasant Hill Rd., Eclectic 541-3460 Prospect Baptist Prospect Rd., Eclectic 567-5837 Redland Baptist 1266 Dozier Rd., Wetumpka 567-8649 Refuge Baptist Church 3098 Red Hill Road Tallassee 334-857-2638 Rehoberth Baptist 8110 Rifle Range Rd., Tallassee 567-9801 Rushenville Baptist 10098 Georgia Rd., Eclectic 541-2418 Saint James Baptist 1005 Nobles Rd., Wetumpka 567-6209 Saint James Baptist 101 Gantt Rd., Deatsville 569-3006 Santuck Baptist 7250 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2364 Seman Baptist Seman, Alabama Shoal Creek Baptist 13214 Holtville Rd., Deatsville 569-2482 Springfield Baptist Hwy. 7, Millbrook Thelma Baptist 810 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-3665 Titus Baptist 6930 Titus Rd., Wetumpka 334-531-2120 Tunnell Chapel Baptist 210 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2589 Victory Baptist 5481 Main St., Millbrook Wadsworth Baptist 2780 Hwy. 143, Deatsville 569-2851 BAPTIST - MISSIONARY Atkins Hill 565 Atkins Rd., Wetumpka 567-1141 Cathmagby Baptist 3074 Mitchell Creek Rd., Wetumpka 567-4787 First Missionary Baptist at Guilfield 412 Company St., Wetumpka 567-7455 Goodhope 1389 Willow Springs Rd. Wetumpka 567-7133 Lebanon 17877 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 514-1097 Mount Canaan 1125 Weoka Rd., We-
BAPTIST - PRIMITIVE Bethel Old School 4625 Jackson Rd. (C.R. 103), Wetumpka Providence 4850 Chana Creek Rd., Wetumpka CATHOLIC Our Lady of Guadalupe 545 White Rd., Wetumpka 567-0311 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ of Elmore 470 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 567-6670 Church of Christ Grandview Pines 165 Deatsville Hwy., Millbrook Cold Springs Church of Christ 5920 Alabama Hwy. 143, Deatsville Georgia Road Church of Christ 4003 Georgia Rd., Wetumpka 567-2804 Lightwood Church of Christ 251 New Harmony Rd., Deatsville 569-1510 Redland Road Church of Christ 2480 Redland Rd., Wetumpka 514-3656 Wetumpka Church of Christ W. Bridge St. At W. Main St., Wetumpka 567-6561 CHURCH OF GOD Elmore Church of God 10675 Rucker Road, Elmore Gethsemane Church of God 705 Cotton St., Wetumpka 567-9886 Church at the Brook 2890 Hwy. 14, Millbrook Maranatha Church of God 2621 Holtville Rd., Wetumpka 567-6786 Victory Tabernacle AOH Church of God 2080 Main Street, Millbrook Wetumpka Church of God Hwy. 9 N. Wetumpka
Alexander City (Lake Martin) Radiation Therapist R.T. (PT)
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LPN (Clinics) 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.
tumpka 567-2141 Mount Pisgah 16621 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 567-3668 Mt. Zion 371 AL Hwy. 14, Elmore, 567-2613 Mt. Zion #3 1813 Luke Paschal Rd., Eclectic New Home 5130 Elmore Rd., Wetumpka 567-5966 Second Missionary 760 N. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8601 Spring Chapel Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 567-6493 Sweetwater 163 Michael Lane, Wetumpka 334-538-9415 Tabernacle Baptist 1020 W. Tallassee St., Wetumpka 567-0620
Fax: 256/329-7335 or Phone: 256/329-7345 SEND RESUME TO:
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215-3091 CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN Cedarwood Congregational Christian 10286 US Hwy 231 N, Wetumpka 567-0476 Seman Congregational Christian 15970 Central Plank Rd., Seman Union Congregational Christian 8188 Lightwood Rd., Marbury 569-2122 EPISCOPAL The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 2602 Gilmer Ave., Tallassee 252-8618 Trinity Episcopal Church 5371 U.S. Hwy. 231, Wetumpka 567-7534 St. Michael & All Angels Church 5941 Main St., Millbrook HOLINESS New Beginnings Holiness 865 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-9211 Summit Holiness 2050 Hwy. 14, Millbrook Temple of Deliverance Holiness 620 Alabama St., Wetumpka 514-3114 JEHOVAH’S WITNESS Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 9235 U.S. Hwy. 231, Wetumpka 567-8100 LATTER DAY SAINTS Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1405 Chapel Rd., Wetumpka 567-8339 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Cobbs Ford Rd., Millbrook LUTHERAN Christ Lutheran Church 2175 Cobbs Ford Rd., Prattville PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church 100 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8135 Millbrook Presbyterian Corner of Main St. & Coosada Rd. Valley View Presbyterian - PCA 4125 Rifle Range Rd. Wetumpka 386-2386 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST First Elmore Seventh Day Adventist 210 Lucky Town Rd., Elmore 514-1020 INDEPENDENT METHODIST Claud Independent Methodist Church 81232 Tallassee Hwy, Eclectic 541-2552 UNITED METHODIST Cain’s Chapel United Methodist 96 Lightwood Rd., Deatsville 569-2375 Central United Methodist Church 11721 Central Plank Rd. Central Elmore United Methodist Church 40 Hatchet St., Elmore 567-8653
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First United Methodist Church 306 W. Tuskeena St., Wetumpka 567-7865 First United Methodist Church 3350 Edgewood, Millbrook Harmony United Methodist Church 8000 Titus Rd., Titus Mulder Memorial United Methodist 3454 Fire Tower Rd., Wetumpka 567-4225 New Style United Methodist 64 Old Georgia Plank Spur, Wetumpka 5679840 Oak Valley Station United Methodist 162 Parsonage Road, Tallassee 541-3924 Pierce Chapel United Methodist 1003 Pierce Chapel Rd., Santuck 265-6099 Providence United Methodist 1540 Providence Rd., Titus Robinson Springs Methodist Church 5980 Main St., Millbrook Trinity United Methodist 135 Little Weoka Creek Rd., Equality 567-9997 Union United Methodist 691 Central Rd. Eclectic Wallsboro United Methodist 11066 US Hwy. 231, Wetumpka CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Millbrook Church of the Nazarene 3251 Browns Rd., Millbrook PENTECOSTAL Faith Deliverance Church 475 Jackson St., Elmore 567-9209 Victory Temple 1173 Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka 5677779 OTHER Central Bible Chapel 3630 Edgewood Rd., Millbrook Chapel of Praise Hwy. 14, Millbrook Cornerstone Full Gospel 9301 US Hwy. 231, Wetumpka 567-9143 East Chapel MP Church Airport Rd., Millbrook Grace Bible Church 2251 Main St., Millbrook Gracepoint Community Church 78223 Tallassee Highway, Wetumpka 5149292 New Life Church Millbrook Sanctuary Worship Center 1688 Ceasarville Rd., Wetumpka Servant Fellowship Church P O Box 1423, Wetumpka 567-2190 servantfellowshipchurch@windstream. net The Worship Center 2705 Williams Rd., Wetumpka Time of Refreshing Fellowship 117 E. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-7750 Words of Life Church 105 Cousins Rd., Wetumpka 514-2730
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Sports
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PAGE 9 • JANUARY 2, 2019
The
Observer
TOP SPORTS STORIES OF 2018
1
Rawls shines as Indians QB after Martin injury
2
Locals celebrate DI signings
It comes as no surprise this year’s top sports story revolved around the Wetumpka football team. The devastating news JD Martin would miss his senior season was announced in August and Wetumpka’s title hopes seemingly disappeared. Martin’s teammates stepped up as the Indians saw improvements from its defense and a breakout star in Tyquan Rawls. Wetumpka fell short
of its ultimate goal of winning state but the team made an appearance in the semifinals and won the area championship in back to back seasons for the first time in school history. Not only did Rawls help to save the Indians’ season, he also was recognized around the state. It was announced Saturday Rawls is a finalist for the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 6A Back of the Year.
High school coaches across the country will tell you the same thing about finding a special talent: When you have one, you better enjoy it while you can. Several coaches across Elmore Country got to see some of those special talents sign a letter of intent to continue athletics at the highest collegiate level. Holtville’s
Kaylyn Dismukes signed to play for Auburn softball and is the first player in the school’s history to sign with an SEC program. Elmore County’s Austin Downey, who will play baseball at Jacksonville State next season, became the program’s first Division I signing. Wetumpka’s football team may have a few signings to come but the program was represented by two players signing for SEC schools. In February, running back Kavosiey Smoke signed with Kentucky and in December, P.J. Lucas signed to play for Ole Miss.
4
but two of them stood out above the rest. Holtville erased a 28-point deficit at Elmore County but still fell in overtime to the Panthers. Shakwan Bickley’s touchdown reception in overtime was the first of his career. Two weeks later, Stanhope
Garrison wins state title Garrison grabbed his first individual state championship in his final year at Stanhope Elmore. He won the final three matches by decision
5
County rivalry football games live up to the hype
There were plenty of great football games throughout the county this year
3 to earn the state title at the 170-pound weight division in Class 6A. Garrison finished the season with a perfect 40-0 record.
Tigers win first area title in 17 years
After starting its season 6-11, Tallassee reeled off eight consecutive wins on its way to its first area title since 2001. The Tigers scored the final seven points of the championship game to knock off Dadeville and advance to the state tournament. Despite falling in the next round to Sipsey Valley, Tallassee’s area title has set a new standard to the program. The Tigers opened this season by winning 15 of their first 16 matchups which means they have won 23 of their last 25 games.
Elmore and Wetumpka got their chance to shine. The Mustangs stunned the topranked team in Class 6A after Marlon Hunt stripped the Wetumpka receiver and ran 85 yards for the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go.
Elmore County’s DJ Patrick goes for 306 yards vs. Leeds
6
Patrick’s final rushing touchdown of the night may have been the least impressive but it was the most important to his team. His fifth touchdown of the game gave Elmore County its first ever win over Leeds, knocking off the
Greenwave 35-28. Patrick finished with 306 rushing yards on 19 carries. He had three rushing touchdowns of 60 or more yards in the victory. This was an individual performance that will not soon be forgotten.
Wildcat football goes through coaching saga
7
Drama has surrounded the position of head football coach at Edgewood since Bobby Carr left in 2015. When this year started, the Wildcats were looking for a replacement for coach Eric Folmar. Rusty Mason was supposed to be the man for the job but six weeks after
accepting the job, Mason moved on. With little time to prepare the struggling program for the season, athletic director and boys basketball coach Darryl Free stepped into the role. The play on the field quickly took the eyes away from the drama of
who was coaching the team. The Wildcats erased a 19-game losing streak with an eight-win season and an appearance in the semifinals. After Edgewood’s successful season with Free at the helm, he was also named the AISA Coach of the Year.
See TOP 10 • Page 10
JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 10
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
Top 10
continued from page 9
8
Madison Traylor scores 1,000th career point
During Elmore County’s second game of the 2018-19 season, Traylor scored a seasonhigh 25 points but the Panthers fell to ACA to drop to 1-1 on the season. However, the focus was on a career milestone for Traylor early on in the season.
Bulldogs make deep run into postseason In his first season as head coach of the Bulldogs, Torey Baird led Holtville to the third round of the playoffs and finished with a 27-9 record. The Bulldogs lost only one game in area play to grab the area title. In the postseason, Holtville swept Handley and knocked off Oak Grove on the road before falling at Andalusia to finish the season.
CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
After averaging 15.9 points per game during her junior season, Traylor was in position to reach 1,000 career points quickly during her final year. Her 25-point performance was enough to put her over the edge and into the Panthers’ history books.
Edgewood reaches No. 1 in national rankings
9 10
After winning its first 12 matches of the season, the National Athletic Association of Private Schools ranked Edgewood as the No. 1 team in the country. The Wildcats continued its hot start, winning 29 matches in a row before falling in the state title game
against Macon-East. Despite the disappointing finish to the season, reaching the top spot of the national rankings is not something that happens every day and is one more thing on this team’s long list of accomplishments.
Finding the positives
Student sections are meant for standing, cheering
C
olumns griping about student sections at sporting events are becoming pretty common place, especially in the state of Alabama. Most of them usually come around the beginning of October and telling people to stay for 60 minutes. However, I want to bring a different focus to the table. The game of high school basketball is one of the most intimate settings in sports. The bleachers are right on top of the action. Everyone on the court can hear what you’re saying in the front row and might even know what you had to eat that day. Growing up in the Birmingham area, we took pride in our student section for basketball games. Our team was not anything special and never made a deep run into the postseason when I was in school but those games were fun. I know football is always king in this state but that does not mean to let basketball slide by without flinching. When the season began, I was excited to see which schools would bring the best atmospheres to their home floors. Unfortunately, it did not take long to realize basketball games were not much more than a social event until the fourth quarter when people really started paying attention. At the season opener, I saw Tallassee hosting Auburn in front of a packed gym. The atmosphere was pretty good and as the game came down to the wire, all the fans roared with each basket. The thing that bothered me the most: a section of the bleachers filled with seated students. I have seen the same thing at Holtville, Wetumpka, Elmore County and Edgewood this season. To their credit, Wetumpka and Edgewood also had games with students on their feet but nothing has been consistent. When Wetumpka hosted the Elmore County Tournament before Christmas, I expected to see some rival student sections yelling at each other from across the gym. Instead, you could not find a student section in the three days of the tournament. The parents have outshined the student sections this season. Don’t get me wrong, the parents and other fans have been great but a good student section leads the way and builds on that excitement for the whole gym. The best spark from a home crowd I have seen this season was at Elmore County after a dunk by DJ Patrick changed the momentum of the game. Behind the roar of the fans (and a See TURRENTINE • Page 11
Lizi Arbogast / The Observer
Elmore County’s Shakwan Bickley (13) puts up a shot between Booker T. Washington’s Jeffery Lewis, left, and Dakari Parker on the final day of the Benjamin Russell Slam Fest on Saturday.
ECHS finds improvement despite going 0-3 at Slam Fest By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor
After a pair of disastrous losses for Elmore County’s boys basketball team to start the Benjamin Russell Slam Fest over the holiday break, the Panthers saw some positives in their final game of the tournament. Although they still suffered a loss at the hands of Booker T. Washington, the Panthers played their best game over
the three-day span and lost just 67-54 on Saturday morning. “Sometimes you can start off a tournament with a game like this and the other two things happen,” Elmore County coach Rodney Taylor said, “but to finish up the way we did is positive. I’m proud of their effort. Every kid that got into the game today contributed something positive to the game, and that’s all we can ask.”
Elmore County was easily defeated by Prattville, 70-38, Thursday night, then turned around Friday and was beat by Marbury, 87-59. But the Panthers didn’t give up and gave BTW all it could handle Saturday. Throughout the first half, Elmore County (3-12) kept it extremely close with the Eagles and even took a 21-20 lead midway through the second quarter on a Cole Hagler layup. But Booker T.
Washington stormed back and held a 31-27 edge into the locker room. The Eagles spread out the lead with a 10-3 run to open the third quarter, and Elmore County had to battle back from there. “They hit some shots and we had a couple turnovers to start the second half,” Taylor said. “Their size inside and their putbacks with the big kid (Martez Jones), we had See HOOPS • Page 12
Wetumpka takes 2nd at Indian Invitational By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD For The Observer
What began as a 12-team tournament quickly morphed into a battle for sectional supremacy as the Benjamin Russell Wildcats held off the Wetumpka Indians en route to winning the 2018 Indian Invitational. The Wildcats, who claimed only four first place finishes, advanced 12 wrestlers to the medal round and that proved to be the difference en route to their 309-301 victory. “We came out and wrestled with a little more enthusiasm,” Wildcats coach Michael Ransaw said. “They were a little more physical and that’s one of the things I’d asked them to do; to go out and leave everything on the mat.” Prattville (226), Lee-Montgomery (168) and Elmore County (143) rounded out the top five. Wetumpka, who were short three grapplers of a full squad, advanced nine Indians into the medal round with six first place finishes (3-1 in head-to-head goldmedal matches with the Wildcats). See WRESTLING • Page 11
Brian Tannehill / For The Observer
Elmore County’s Garrett Moseley, right, ties up with his opponent at the 2018 Indians Invitational Saturday.
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 11
BIG CATS WIN ELMORE COUNTY Tigers extend win streak, claim tournament title By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
Caleb Turrentine / The Observer
Elmore County players react during the trophy presentation after the championship game of the Elmore County Tournament at Wetumpka.
Panthers grab 1st place at Elmore County Tournament By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
Elmore County could not find a way to score in the opening half of Saturday’s championship game against Wetumpka. The Panthers scored just 16 points while turning the ball over 11 times in the first two quarters. “We came out flat in the first half,” Elmore County coach Amy Rachel said. “We challenged them at halftime to pick up the pace and the intensity on the court and they did.” The Panthers (9-4) nearly doubled their points by the end of the third quarter and scored 19 in the final frame to defeat Wetumpka 49-42. Elmore County finished the game on a 7-0 run to claim the Elmore County Tournament girls title. “We haven’t been able to do that before so it feels great,” Elmore County senior Madison Traylor said. “We beat both of the 6A teams in our county.” Traylor, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, scored 19 points in the championship game. She scored 10 of her points in the first half,
keeping the Panthers in the game. The Panthers held an early seven-point lead in the first quarter but when the offense slowed down, the lead quickly evaporated. Wetumpka (4-8) outscored its opponents by 12 points over the next 15 minutes to grab a 32-27 lead with the third quarter winding down. Freshman C.K. Bolton helped spark the Panther offense in the second half. She scored seven points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two points entering the fourth quarter. “C.K. did an excellent job to come out and give us a spark,” Rachel said. “They had Madison wrapped up and she was doing all she could. We needed someone to step up and C.K. definitely did.” Bolton got the Panthers on the board first in the fourth quarter, splitting a pair of free throws. After missing the second, Traylor grabbed the rebound, one of her team-high 14, and scored to give Elmore County a 33-32 lead. The Panthers did not trail again. “This is such a special
Turrentine
continued from page 10
standing student section), the Panthers went on an 11-0 run. Home crowds can make a difference. Maybe not in small high school football stadiums but in the close-knit atmosphere of a high school gym, the fans make a difference. And if you are not a basketball fan, that’s fine too. Everyone knows how to yell at a referee (calmly and kindly) when the call goes the other way. No one has ever needed to make sense when doing that. Just jump up and down and yell when your team is on defense. Make it difficult for the opposing team to communicate. Basketball teams from around the county are showing a lot of potential with half the season remaining. The energy and excitement in a home gym is a big step in building a strong program. Fans have to be engaged in the game and stay active in their cheers. And that starts with the students. Caleb Turrentine is a sports writer for The Observer.
group,” Rachel said. “They challenged each other at the begging to play as one. I’m just happy for them to get this win and the championship.” Bolton was named to the all-tournament team despite scoring only three points before fouling out in the semifinal game. She responded by scoring a season-high 14 points to go with six rebounds and two steals. “She’s going to be really good,” Traylor said of Bolton. “I’m ready to see how good she can get next year. When I leave, I know the program is going to be in good hands.” Traylor added five assists and three steals to her stat line. She averaged 17.5 points per game in the tournament. Bolton and Traylor each grabbed a bucket in the final 90 seconds to help the Panthers pull away from Wetumpka. Elmore County held Wetumpka scoreless in the final 3:05. Lacondra Paschal was named to the all-tournament team for the Indians. In the championship game, she scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers.
Tallassee faced the toughest draw at the Elmore County Tournament prior to Christmas. The Tigers needed three wins in three days to claim the championship for the second consecutive season and they did it last Saturday night. The Tigers (13-1) led the entire second half and held off a late charge by Wetumpka to knock off the hosts 52-49. Sandarius Hughley knocked down five 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead Tallassee to its 13th consecutive victory. “When I shot my first 3, I was feeling it,” Hughley said. “I had some good rest and Coach told me to keep shooting because I’m one of the best shooters on the team.” Hughley’s first basket was the opening field goal and helped Tallassee jump out to an 8-2 lead. Wetumpka (5-8) battled back behind three 3-pointers by Tyquan Rawls to take a 13-12 lead after one quarter. The home crowd at Wetumpka was brought to life early but the Tigers did not get rattled. Hughley knocked down two 3-pointers to retake the lead early in the second quarter. He scored nine of the team’s 11 points in the frame as Tallassee took a 23-22 lead into the break. “The fans got a good game tonight,” Tallassee coach Keiven Mixson said. “I told the guys before the game this was going to be a good atmosphere. We want this to help get us ready for area, sub region and region play.” In the second half, Hughley continued to put on a show. He knocked down a 3-pointer off a Jamicah Humphrey assist just 20 seconds into the third quarter. Hughley added another triple with 3:29 to go in the quarter to give Tallassee a seven-point lead, its largest of the game at that point. Humphrey, who averaged 17.5 points per games in the first two rounds, finished with just three points in the championship. However, the sophomore point guard found other ways to impact the game, finishing with five assists and three steals. “He’s still making some of those mistakes but without him, we wouldn’t have been in this
No. 1 Alabama beats Oklahoma in CFP semifinal STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The No. 1 Alabama football team jumped out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back against No. 4 Oklahoma, winning 45-34 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Crimson Tide (140) moves on to face No. 2 Clemson (14-0) in the 2019 CFP National Championship on Monday, Jan. 7 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was impressive, going 24-of27 for 318 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith led the team with six catches for 104 yards and a score. Running back Josh Jacobs See COLLEGE • Page 12
Robert Sutton / AU Athletics
Alabama’s Christian Miller (47) takes down an Oklahoma player during Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal.
Wrestling “We did good as a team,” Wetumpka’s Kyler Adams said. “We were missing some guys and I think that hurt us. But we did good. We needed this to see where we are as a team. We’ve got to start training harder to get ready for sections.” At 122 pounds, Adams pinned Nyshad Hannon of Benjamin Russell in the third period after controlling most of the match. Adams took control early and forced Hannon to spend a bulk of the first two period fighting to avoid a pin. “I’ve got to do better with my
situation tonight,” Mixson said. “He’s a good player but we do need him to score a little bit more.” Tallassee’s Tyrek Turner was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player despite being held without a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time this season. He had to fight through foul trouble early in the game, making only one field goal attempt in the first half. “Tyrek didn’t have his best game tonight but he still affects the game in so many ways,” Mixson said. “He disrupted their offense many times.” Turner improved in the second half and finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. He also added five blocks and two steals. “It feels great,” Turner said. “Beating two 6A teams that are good at basketball, that feels great. It has been amazing, just all glory to God for it.” Rawls knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:07 to go in the game to cut Tallassee’s lead to five points. The Tigers missed a free throw and turned the ball over on consecutive possessions allowing Wetumpka to cut the lead to one point after a pair of free throws by Rawls with 32 seconds to go. Turner made one of two free throws on the other end to give the Tigers a two-point lead. Wetumpka had a chance to tie or take the lead after calling a timeout with nine seconds to go but E.J. Rogers’ shot at the rim sailed into Tavarious Griffin’s hands. “With three guys guarding him, they didn’t call a foul,” Wetumpka coach David Powell said. “I put the ball in my best ball handler’s hands and best free throw shooter just hoping he could get to the line.” Griffin made one free throw so Wetumpka had one final chance to send the game to overtime but a half-court shot from Rawls went wide giving the Tigers the win. Rawls was named to the alltournament team after scoring 22 points to go with seven rebounds and three steals. “Tyquan is a different kind of animal,” Powell said. “He played almost 30 minutes. He motivated the guys to fight through all of that stuff and teams need a leader like that. I was proud of him.”
continued from page 10
pacing,” Adams said. “I’ve got to be more aware of where my body is and how I’m positioning myself. But It was pretty good. It was a good match.” At 106, Wetumpka’s Xander McWilliams defeated Benjamin Russell’s Sandlin Pike by turning a second-period takedown into a pinning combination. “I think I wrestled a good match, he was a good wrestler, I’ve just been wrestling longer and it showed,” McWilliams said. “I think that our team wrestled phenomenal today. I believe that we could have won
the tournament, but I think we wrestled exceptionally today.” Mason Dickey kept the Tribe train rolling along with a first period pin at 115. In the first-place match at 128, Prattville’s Nathan Tate picked up the victory over Stanhope Elmore’s Tanner McCord. Wetumpka’s Tyler Anthony defeated Elmore County’s Jacob Taunton to finish third at 128 pounds. Probably one of the most competitive matches of the final round was contested at 140 pounds, as BRHS’ Robert
Graham defeated Wetumpka’s Kaleb Jones, 11-9. Graham used a five-point move to go ahead late in the match. Jones battled and got a takedown as time expired. But because he didn’t have control of the takedown, no points were awarded. Ransaw said for him, Graham’s win was one of the tournament’s bright spots. Cole Blackwell (140 pounds) picked up another Wetumpka victory after an injury to Lee’s Malik Reaker prevented him from finishing the match.
At 154, Benjamin Russell’s Saxon Coker at 154 defeated Elmore County’s Chayanne Sanchez on points in the final of that weight class. Wetumpka’s Mason Blackwell defeated Hezekiah Hunter (Benjamin Russell) 11-2 at 172 pounds. Noah Barclay (Wetumpka) got the win at 184 pounds with a first-period pin. Garrett Moseley, at 197 pounds picked up Elmore County’s lone first-place medal, pinning his opponent in the second period.
PAGE 12 • JANUARY 2, 2019
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
Hoops
continued from page 10
a hard time with him. Their ability to do that let them stretch it out, but we came back again. The start of the third quarter was big, and they had a little run there but we fought and battled. Sometimes when you’re undersized, you do the best you can with what you have, and I thought we competed the best we could.” Booker T. Washington broke out as much as a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers answered with a little run of their own and a 3-pointer by DJ Patrick pulled them within 63-50 with 2:22 to go. But it was too little, too late for Elmore County. “I still thought we played really well,” Taylor said. “I just thought we competed. We’re trying to get better and trying to figure some things out, but I thought we competed hard.
Anybody we play, they have a size advantage inside, but I thought we played hard, we hit some shots and I thought defensively we played pretty well. We have to cut down on turnovers and mistakes, though.” The benefit for Elmore County is it’ll get another chance at BTW, which is in Class 4A Area 5 with the Panthers. The teams will meet again at Booker T. Washington on Jan. 11 then the Eagles will visit ECHS for the penultimate game of the regular season Jan. 29. “Today we got better,” Taylor said. “We’re going to see this team two more times in the regular season — once at their place and once at ours — then in the area tournament possibly. So I think some confidence was built today that we can play with them and we can compete with them. One game one night, anything
can happen.” Against BTW, Patrick led the way with 25 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Elmore County scored its most points of the tournament against Marbury, but also gave up the most points. In that game, it was Jamie Singleton who paced the Panthers with 13 points and he capped off a double-double with 10 rebounds. Patrick also put up a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 off the glass. Keshawn Benson was one point shy a double-digit scoring performance. Against Prattville, the Panthers struggled offensively, scoring just 38 points. Patrick contributed 15 points worth of offense in addition to Lizi Arbogast / The Observer five boards, an assist and two blocked shots. Singleton grabbed Elmore County’s Cole Hagler (1) looks for a lane against Booker T. six off the glass. Washington on the final day of the BRHS Slam Fest on Saturday.
College
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added 158 total yards and a touchdown, while running back Damien Harris racked up 48 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Dylan Moses led the way with six tackles, while defensive back Xavier McKinney totaled five tackles to go along with a game-high four pass breakups. The Tide started the game with a bang when Tagovailoa found Smith on a slant route across the middle for a 50-yard pitch-and-catch on the first play from scrimmage. Six plays later, Harris found the end zone from one yard out to get UA on the board. Following Joseph Bulovas’ extra point the Tide held a 7-0 advantage with 11:54 left in the opening quarter. After an Oklahoma three-and-out, Alabama added to its total when Tagovailoa found wide receiver Henry Ruggs III in the back of the end zone for a toe-tap 10-yard touchdown. Bulovas’ point after pushed the lead to 14-0 with 5:54 on the clock in the first quarter. The Crimson Tide scored its third touchdown on its third offensive drive of the quarter after Harris found
Todd Van Emst / AU Athletics
JaTarvious Whitlow scores Auburn’s first touchdown during the Music City Bowl against Purdue on Friday.
his way untouched into the end zone for his second one-yard score to cap a five-play, 61-yard drive. Bulovas’ extra point extended the lead to 21-0 with 1:33 remaining in the first. Alabama continued to pour on the points in the second quarter when Tagovailoa connected with Jacobs out of the backfield who then rumbled 27 yards for the Tide’s fourth touchdown of the game. After Bulovas knocked through the extra point, UA held the 28-0 advantage with 13:01 left before the half. Although the Sooners
attempted to bounce back, it was too little too late as they were eliminated from the playoffs.
Tigers have record-setting day in defeat of Purdue
Auburn won the coin toss, elected to receive and never looked back in a 63-14 win over Purdue in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Friday. “I’m real proud of our team,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “They practiced extremely hard when we were at Auburn. When we got the bowl site, it was a business
approach. That carried over. We talked about playing our best game of the year and we did that today.” The 63 points is a new SEC record for points scored in a bowl game, and the Tigers set a bowl record with 56 of those 63 points in the first half. With Malzahn calling the plays for the first time all season, the offense scored touchdowns on all seven of its first-half drives and finished with 586 total yards. “I think for us, there were some opportunities that presented themselves throughout the game,”
Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham said. “They did a great job up front protecting. We just tried to make those explosive plays that we’ve needed all year.” Stidham, who already declared early for the NFL, completed 15 of 21 passes for 373 yards and a career-best five touchdown passes, which tied the Auburn singlegame record. His first touchdown toss came on the third play of the game when he connected with running back JaTarvious Whitlow on a 66-yard touchdown pass to put Auburn on the board first. It was Whitlow who scored again on the next drive, plunging in from two yards out. And then after a Javaris Davis interception, Whitlow tacked on a third touchdown, a 1-yard run, in the first six minutes to give Auburn the early 21-0 lead. After Whitlow scored his three touchdowns, it was Darius Slayton’s turn to get into the action. He caught a 74-yard touchdown pass at the end of the first quarter then scored on a 52-yard pass the very next drive to make it 35-7. He later added a third touchdown reception in the first half, hauling in a 34-yard reception over the top of a Purdue defender.
“It was pretty exciting,” Slayton said. “I just wanted to come out here and help my team get a bowl win. Like Coach Malzahn said, we were looking to play our best game today.” With 160 yards receiving on the day, Slayton now ranks 11th among Auburn career receiving yardage leaders with 1,605 career receiving yards. This was the third 100-yard receiving game of his career. Not to be outdone by the offense, the Auburn defense held a highoctane Purdue offense to 14 points and 263 total yards. The Tigers finished with seven tackles for loss and three sacks, including a sack from Deshaun Davis, who led the way with nine tackles. With 266 career tackles, Davis now ranks fourth among Auburn career tacklers since 2000. He finished the season with a career-best 116 stops. ‘This win means everything to me because I know what this team has been through,” Davis said. “Our senior class, we’ve been through a lot. We wanted to send those young guys into next season with a lot of momentum. This win is good for the program, not just the seniors.”
Elmore County Countywide Clean-up Days To better serve citizens, the Elmore County Commission is partnering with Advanced Disposal to host free Countywide Clean-up Days. Clean-up days are typically held on the second Saturday of every month. Subscription Customers in Elmore County are invited to bring all household and lawn trash to any of the clean-up sites listed below. One site has been added for 2017, The Town of Coosada. That site will alternate with The Town of Elmore every other month. All tree limbs must be no longer than four feet and no more than six inches in diameter. Items that will not be accepted include appliances, batteries, thinners, oils, gases and tires. The clean-up is for residents; sorry no contractors. ADVANCED DISPOSAL OFFERS THIS SERVICE FREE OF CHARGE TO ALL CITIZENS ENROLLED IN OUR WEEKLY TRASH PICKUP SERVICE. As a way of saying thank you. For more information please contact Advanced Disposal at 866-252-0458 or online at AdvancedDisposal.com.
2019 SCHEDULE ALL LOCATIONS -- **NOTE DATE CHANGE IN APRIL TO ACCOMMODATE SPECIAL CLEAN-UP DAY** All Clean-up times are from 9:00am to 1:00pm OR UNTIL TRUCK PACKS OUT. We will be at all locations at the dates listed below. The locations in parenthesis are the two alternating locations. Saturday, January 12, 2019 (Town of Elmore) • Saturday, February 9, 2019 (Town of Coosada) Saturday, March 9, 2019 (Town of Elmore) • Saturday, April 6, 2019 (Town of Coosada) Special Clean-up Day Saturday, May 11, 2019 (Town of Elmore) • Saturday, June 8, 2019 (Town of Coosada) Saturday, July 13, 2019 (Town of Elmore) • Saturday, August 10, 2019 (Town of Coosada) Saturday, September 14, 2019 (Town of Elmore) • Saturday, October 12, 2019 (Town of Coosada) Saturday, November 9, 2019 ( Town of Elmore) • Saturday, December 14, 2019 ( Town of Coosada) LOCATIONS Old Highway Department in Kent • Holtville High School/Front Parking Lot • CEWSA Redland Road Facility Emerald Mountain Equestrian Center • County Judicial Complex, 8935 US Highway 231, Wetumpka Annex Building Town of Elmore, 485 Jackson St, and Elmore (Alternating location) • Town of Coosada, 5800 Coosada Road, Coosada (Alternating location)
Macon County Clean-up Dates 2019 -- Proposal dates for January 2019 thru December 2019 January 19, 2019 • *February 16, 2019 • March 16, 2019 • April 20,2019 • *May 18, 2019 • June 15, 2019 July 20, 2019 • *August 17, 2019 • September 21, 2019 • October 19, 2019 • *November 16, 2019 • December 21, 2019