Murphy brother denied parole in Holman murder
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
A Wetumpka man will stay in
week. According to court records, Jared Murphy was sentenced to 28 years in prison for the 2003 killing of Ronnie Holman. Jared was 17 at the time and was present when his older
brother Jason Murphy pulled the trigger. The two brothers entered Holman’s residence and stole money.
The brothers were charged with capital murder. Their trials were moved to Chilton Coun-
ty. After two mistrials, Jason was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years. Jared entered a guilty plea to murder and was sentenced to 28 years.
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Authorities made quick work of a potential threat in Tallassee Tuesday morning. Tallassee City Schools’ Southside Middle School office personnel received a phone call noting a student had a firearm on school grounds. The student was found by administrators and school resource officers at the Tallassee City Schools’ football weight room next door to J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium.
“A handgun was found while completing a search
of the student’s gym bag,” superintendent Dr. Brock Nolin said. “The student was immediately taken into custody by the Tallassee Police Department.”
Nolin said no one was injured in the incident and no further details can be shared because of the age of the student.
Nolin is thankful someone called the school alerting administrators of a student with a weapon.
“We are also thankful for the school administration and school resource officers acting quickly on the information,” Nolin said.
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Mental health crises are
seen everywhere, every day.
Some think the issues are far away and only seen through news and television reports. But Elmore County officials said the crises are happening in homes, businesses, schools and the Elmore County Jail. Issues are seen almost daily by law enforcement, corrections officers, court officers and educators.
“Adequate mental health care is something that affects many people on a daily basis,” Elmore County Commission chair Bart Mercer said. “There is a lack of access to effective mental healthcare.”
Mercer and the Elmore County Commission are doing more than just announcing a mental health issue. They are developing a plan to combat mental health issues through the
newly formed Elmore County Mental Health Task Force. It is chaired by commissioner Desirae Lewis Jackson who is an attorney representing clients in courts around the state.
“This is very near and dear to my heart,” Jackson said. “We see it in the courtroom — criminal court, youth in juvenile court. You sit there and look at individuals who are dealing with a mental health crisis. You have no idea how you can help that individual with whatever it is they may be facing.”
The task force is made up of officials from corrections, education, the courts and agencies already trying to help the cause.
“We want to make sure we hear from people that deal with this every day,” Mercer said. “It will take us some time to get through all of what we have presently
prison after the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles denied his release from prison last
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Obituaries
MARGARET COTTLE BROGDON
Margaret Cottle Brogdon, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at home and surrounded by her family at the age of 67 on February 28, 2024.
Margaret was born in Tallassee, Alabama, on October 13, 1956, to John I. Cottle Jr. and Ella Ruth Gauntt Cottle. Her father was the local dentist, and her mother worked in their home raising their three children, John, Margaret, and Charles. Margaret attended Tallassee High School, where she played the clarinet and oboe in the band, was the color guard captain, participated in the theatre program, and excelled as editor of the Tallassee High School newspaper. She was also a member of her local Brownie and Girl Scout troops - groups led by her mother - and was a competitive swimmer. She graduated from high school in 1975.
Margaret was an active member of Tallassee’s First United Methodist Church, where her father was the organist, and her mother was a soloist in the choir.
As a member of the church, Margaret achieved 14 years of perfect attendance in Sunday school, even when that meant that Mrs. Cottle drove the Sunday school class to the Cottle house and served hot chocolate because Margaret was, in fact, too ill to attend Sunday school at the church.
As a church member, Margaret especially enjoyed her work with the Conference Council on Youth Ministry, in which she served as youth lay member to the annual conference for her congregation, and as Youth Service Fund Coordinator for the Alabama-West Florida conference.
JOHNNY FRANK TURNER
Upon graduating from high school, Margaret attended Vanderbilt University for one year before transferring to Auburn University. At Auburn she completed her undergraduate degree with a major in English, graduating Phi Kappa Phi. She was a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honor Society, and Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society. She also served as chair of the Auburn University Speaker’s Bureau, an organization responsible for bringing nationally recognized speakers to the Auburn student body. After graduation, she went on to Duke University, where she earned a Masters of Education.
Margaret was passionate about education, and in addition to being a devoted life-long learner, she was a dedicated and gifted educator. After completing her own formal education, she began her teaching career as an English teacher at St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta, Georgia.
Margaret continued her career in education at a number of schools throughout the Southeast until finding what would become her professional home at Stratford Academy in Macon, Georgia, where she served first as an English teacher and later as a poised and thoughtful administrator in her role as Upper School Principal - a position she held for 23 years until her retirement in 2019. Through her years of service at Stratford she attended countless sporting events, concerts, and performances. She steadfastly supported faculty, lovingly
Johnny Frank Turner went to be with Jesus Feb. 26, 2024, to get “his new body” after a long, courageous struggle with cancer. He is preceded in death by his parents Grady Frank Turner and Louise Ponder Turner, and his brother Steven Wade Turner (Sharon) all of Dadeville, AL.
He leaves his wife of 63 years Muriel Jean(ie) Earnest; three children and their families: Johnny Troy Turner (Richelle Webster), Jeanie Kaye Turner Huddleston (Todd), Earnest Kip Turner (Lisa Atkinson); 8 grandchildren: Nicki Huddleston Powell (Ryan), Courtney Jean Turner, Audrey Turner Cross (Philip James), Shane Turner (Morgan Hall), Katie Huddleston Mushunje (Brandon), Dr. William Turner Huddleston (Carly Banks), Dawn Louise Turner Jones (Ben), Frankie Gorden Turner; 14 great grands: Bronx, Brayken, Briggs, Brixie, Brogan Powell; Brody, Blakely, Lacy Cross; Jon Carter, Addie Ann Turner; Shona, Luke, Eli Mughunje; River Callaway Jones; and his sister Phyllis Pitchford (Graham). Johnny enjoyed his large family.
Johnny was born April 5, 1941, Dadeville, AL. He attended Union
guided students, and compassionately counseled Stratford families. She saw Stratford through several periods of transition, striving always to make the school a more inclusive and welcoming space and working tirelessly to ensure that Stratford lived up to its ideals and mission. In addition to her service as an educator, Margaret served the Macon community in a number of capacities throughout the years. Having volunteered for many years at Macon Outreach at Mulberry she accepted a position as Executive Director of that program, where she served from 1988 to 1990. As a Mulberry church member, she served as chair of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, a member of the finance committee, a Sunday school teacher, and a soprano in the choir. She also served as chair of the administrative board of the Wesley Foundation of Macon. During her time as a member of Centenary United Methodist Church, she served as chair of the committee established to create and monitor safety protocols to mitigate risks to the congregation resulting from the Covid 19 pandemic. Margaret was also an avid reader, enthusiastic gardener, gifted host, and great lover of music.
In 2005 Margaret married Joe Brogdon. They married in the chapel at Mulberry United Methodist Church and went on to enjoy 18 years of loving partnership. During her marriage to Joe, Margaret developed loving relationships with her stepchildren, Georgia, Joseph, and Campbell. She was also a loving mother to her daughter, Weldon, attending her endless concerts, games, performances, and recitals. She welcomed Weldon’s partner Benjamin and the two chil-
High School, Dadeville, where he enjoyed playing basketball, and did well. He was an Auburn University graduate and attended Auburn in Montgomery for his Masters.
He put Walnut Hill, Dadeville, on the map after purchasing property at junction 49/50 from Catherine Cosby Ponder who had faith in his entrepreneur spirit. He built Walnut Hill Gro. In its day it was a thriving community business known for its “Biscuits by Rochelle” (Greathouse); and its “lady pleasing, gas pumpkin” Otis. It was frequented by neighbors, travelers to and from Lake Martin, and even the governor on occasion stopped for a biscuit; children and “bussed road prisoners” were always treated with goodies.
When the new area maps were produced, Walnut Hill was included.
Johnny and Jeanie attended Beulah Baptist Church, Dadeville, where through the years, he served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. In later years, he attended and also served as deacon at First Baptist Church, Columbia Falls, MT, where summers were enjoyed.
Johnny served his country 5 years in the Air Force.
Johnny enjoyed hunting, fishing,
dren that he brought into the family with open arms.
Margaret was a devoted grandmother to her six grandchildren: Jake, Collins, Palmer, Hugh, Jasper, and S.V. She loved being their “Maggie.”
Margaret is survived by her beloved husband, Joseph Milton Brogdon Jr.; her daughter, Ruth Weldon Ledbetter and her partner Benjamin Allen Moore; her stepchildren, Georgia Brogdon Day and her husband Justin Andrew Day, Joseph Milton Brogdon III, Campbell Brogdon Smisson and husband Hugh Franklin Smisson IV; and by her beloved grandchildren, Palmer, Hugh, Jake, Collins, Jasper, and S.V.
Margaret is also survived by her brother Charles Allen Cottle, his wife Sheryl Hancock Cottle, and their children Anna and Peter Cottle; by her sister-in-law Nancy Cottle; her nephew Michael Cottle and his wife Kristin Cottle; and by her grandnieces Sydney and McKenzie Cottle.
Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, John I. Cottle Jr. and Ella Ruth Gauntt Cottle, and her older brother John I. Cottle III.
A service will be held at Centenary United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make gifts in memory of Margaret may make a contribution to Centenary United Methodist Church, Stratford Academy, or any other charitable organization close to their heart. The family will greet friends in the fellowship hall following the service.
Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Bass Road, Macon, GA has charge of the arrangements.
and in later years golf, often playing with golf pro-am team of West Glacier, MT. He also enjoyed traveling, seeing all 50 states, mostly with family on vacation. He and Jeanie also took in most of Canada and were privileged to see Egypt and The Holy Land, Israel.
Johnny lived a full life and productive life. He knew his faults and appreciated God’s forgiveness and often witnessed boldly for the Lord. He had numerous health challenges that he claimed only made him stronger and ready to meet his Lord at the appointed time.
Funeral services will be at Beulah Baptist Church on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Tim Davis officiating. Visitation will be prior to the service beginning at 10:00 A.M. Pallbearers will be Turner Huddleston, Shane Turner, Frankie Turner, Ben Jones, Wade Turner, Philip James Cross, Chris Pitchford, Wayne Pitchford, Scottie Knox, Jody Knox, and Matt Sharp.
Much appreciation to all of his many doctors especially to Dr. Brandon Johnson, Auburn, and Dr. Ryan Koop, Kalispell, MT.
BROGDON
Council approves fireworks for Opening Day
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Things are changing up for Dixie Youth Opening Day in Tallassee.
Gone are the morning opening ceremonies. Tallassee Dixie Youth board member Brad Barron asked the Tallassee City Council at its Tuesday meeting for permission to launch fireworks.
“We are wanting to change things up some,” Barron said.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. March 9. Just like in the past, all the teams and players will be introduced. Barron said the board is hopeful to launch fireworks about 5:30 p.m.
“We want to do it during the national anthem,” Barron said.
Musco Sports Lighting’s Gaines Todd made a presentation to the council about lighting at the city’s ball parks. Over the past few years there have been several presentations about the quality and safety of the lighting at the ballfields. Almost all of the poles are wooden and some are rotting to the point bolts are showing through.
“Some are in dire need,” Todd said. “A strong wind could bring some of them down.”
Musco has been in the sports field lighting business since 1976. The company currently has lights on many of Elmore County’s fields including schools, the Wetumka Sports Complex and 17 Springs.
Todd’s presentation went over some basics such as finance options
and the company’s 25-year parts and labor warranty. The council said it couldn’t do anything until it examined the budget.
IN OTHER ACTION THE
TALLASSEE CITY COUNCIL:
• Approved minutes of the Feb. 13 meeting.
• Accepted $50,000 in funding from Elmore County for a generator and other equipment for the city’s dispatch center.
• Approved a 5K run to benefit the Samson Strong Foundation to coincide with the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce’s April 13 sidewalk sale.
The next meeting of the Tallassee City Council is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Robbery suspect turns himself in
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
The Tallassee Police Department got a little help in finding a robbery suspect.
who also goes by the name ‘Nick Fisher,’ turned himself into the Macon County Sheriff’s Office
Tuesday morning. “He is wanted for first-degree robbery from Jan. 3,” Tallassee police chief Todd Buce said. “It happened on Second Avenue in Jordanville.”
Buce said the crime occurred in front of a home where Pattillo had taken up residence illegally by squatting.
Pattillo was also wanted for questioning in a home invasion that occurred about the same time as the robbery.
Pattillo was taken to the Elmore County Jail. There is no bond available to him until a hearing in front of a judge.
Court records state the victim was attempting to purchase a gun. While trying to complete the purchase, the victim was ordered at gunpoint to leave the vehicle and cash was removed from the victim’s pockets.
Traffic stop turns into drug arrest in Tallassee
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
A Sunday afternoon traffic stop for speeding on Highway 229 in Tallassee uncovered more than expected.
“Officers located a large number of ecstasy pills and marijuana,” Tallassee police chief Todd Buce said. Officers seized 59 grams of marijuana and ecstasy and arrested Antonio Daniel, 28, of Montgomery. He was charged with trafficking amphetamines and first-degree possession of marijuana and placed in the Elmore
Police Reports
TALLASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT MARCH 3
• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Main Street.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.
• A noise complaint was reported on Alber Drive.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Third Avenue.
• Assistance was given during a medical call on Derry Street.
• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Highway 229.
• A suspicious vehicle was reported on Highway 229.
• Debris was reported in the roadway on E.B. Payne Senior Drive. MARCH 2
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Friendship Road.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Highway 229.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Little Road.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on E.B. Payne Sr. Drive.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Sunwood Court.
• Assistance was given to a citizen on Notasulga Road. MARCH 1
• A suspicious vehicle was reported on East Patton Street.
• Debris was reported in the roadway on Gilmer Avenue.
• A domestic incident was reported on Noble Road.
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
County Jail with a $1.5 million bond available to him. Daniel was previously arrested in April 2023 in Wetumpka. According to court documents, Wetumpka police officers noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from a vehicle driven by Daniel as it drove by. Officers initiated a traffic stop and still noticed the smell of marijuana. Daniel was detained.
• Trespassing was reported on Notasulga Road.
• A domestic dispute was reported on North Johnson Street.
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Friendship Road.
• Animal control was requested on Gilmer Avenue.
• A welfare check was conducted on Grimes Street.
• A motor vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• An animal complaint was reported on Magnolia Street.
• An animal complaint was reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• An animal complaint was reported on North Ashurst Avenue.
• Suspicious activity was reported on Jordan Avenue.
• Assistance was given to medics on Highway 229. FEB. 29
• A domestic dispute was reported on McNeal Street.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.
• A Black male was arrested on U.S. Highway 231.
• A Black male was
During his search by officers, he spit out a small bag containing marijuana and methamphetamine. More marijuana was found in the vehicle. Daniel was taken to the Elmore County Jail and charged with possession of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence. He was released on a $9,000 bond. After his Sunday arrest in Tallassee, prosecutors have made motions to revoke Daniel’s bond in the Wetumpka case.
arrested during a disorderly person call on Freeman Avenue.
• Animal control was requested on Magnolia Street.
• A Black male was arrested on U.S. Highway 231.
• Assistance was given during a medical call on Third Avenue.
• A domestic incident was reported on Rickey Lane.
FEB. 28
• Suspicious activity was reported on Hilda Street.
• A domestic dispute was reported on Hillcrest Street.
• A suspicious person was reported on Friendship Road.
• A private property motor vehicle accident was reported on Friendship Road.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Gilmer Avenue.
• Assistance was given to another agency on Kent Road.
• A Black male was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.
• Assistance was given to a motorist on Jordan Avenue.
FEB. 27
• Domestic violence was
reported on Gilmer Avenue.
• A white female was arrested during a traffic stop on South Dubois Street.
• A white male was arrested on Barnett Boulevard.
• A domestic dispute was reported on South Dubois Street.
• A welfare check was conducted on Rickey Lane.
• Debris was reported in the roadway on Gilmer Avenue.
• A Black male was arrested during a juvenile complaint call on Gilmer Avenue.
FEB. 26
• Harassment was reported on Seventh Street.
WETUMPKA POLICE DEPARTMENT
FEB. 26
• Criminal trespass was reported in Autumnwood Village.
• Theft was reported on U.S. Highway 231.
• Criminal mischief was reported on River Oaks Boulevard.
FEB. 24
• Domestic violence was reported on Highway 170.
Feb. 21
• Theft was reported on U.S. Highway 231.
DANIEL
Nicholas Zachariah Pattillo,
PATTILLO
Our View Opinion
All is right in the world
Iapologize if you were in the Eclectic Piggly Wiggly the other day when I was there. You likely heard a loud outburst of pure excitement and it was from me. I belted into a summertime favorite for kids of all ages.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
But it was for a good reason.
The silence is deafening when it comes to mental health. For too long we have ignored issues related to mental health. Data shows mental health is a growing issue.
CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
It’s time for a mental health check
The CDC reported that in 2022, 17.5% of respondents to a CDC survey reported having anxiety and or depression. In 2021, 48,183 died by suicide and more than 26,000 of those deaths involved a gun. Suicide was the 11th most common cause of death in the U.S. In 2021 nearly 2% of all emergency room visits were solely mental health related.
Something must be done.
No one should face shame and criticism for seeking help surrounding mental health. The stigma surrounding mental health needs to go away.
It seems too often lately we have seen lives lost unexpectedly when things on the outside seemed just fine. None of us know why or what they were fighting.
Did the stigma associated with asking for mental health help make the issues worse?
Some organizations are trying to meet the mental health needs of the area and need to be supported in their efforts.
This school year Tallassee City Schools presented a program on Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) to parents. It was an effort to give many a tool to begin to address suicide. The program doesn’t solve mental health issues but it does let those suffering know there are people there to support and guide them to help.
In the last month, the Elmore County Commission formed a mental health task force to identify what help is available in Elmore County, distribute the information to law enforcement, educators and more where help is available and to come up with future plans in dealing with the growing mental health crisis.
We believe they are on the right path. Not a single thing mentioned requires a person to have doctor’s training, just a willingness to help a friend in need.
It is to be commended. It needs to be expanded and supported to get help to those who need it.
We’d like to share your thoughts and opinions with the community for free. You may submit one letter to the editor per month (300 words or less) and/or a guest column (500 words or less). Include name, address and phone number. We reserve the right to refuse any submissions. Mail: Your View, The Tallassee Tribune 211 Barnett Blvd., Tallassee, AL 36078 Email: editorelmore@thewetumpkaherald.com
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I found my favorite ice cream — Blue Bell’s Mocha Almond Fudge. I was devastated a few years ago when the creamery removed it from its lineup. It saddened me to finish up that last half-gallon tub of heaven-like delight, with a delicate mix of almonds in what I like to call a more coffee-flavored ice cream, and the all important fudge stripes.
To me, it is best when it is almost like soft-serve — just on the edge of becoming a milkshake.
Mmmmmm.
Pardon me, I was daydreaming. There was little to replace it. But while my favorite was MIA, I made do.
I found delight in vanilla ice cream, but it had to be modified. When fresh strawberries were in season, I would slice a few, coating them in sugar, letting the concoction sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day it was blissful over a good vanilla ice cream or pound cake for that matter.
There was Blue Bell’s Tin Roof, Cookies and Cream and Salted Caramel Brownie too. I took a liking to Southern Blackberry Cobbler in the summer. But I never found a replacement for my Mocha Almond Fudge. My No. 2 became Pecan Pralines ‘n Cream and I settled for it, but I never stopped searching. I checked every grocery store from Slapout to Eclectic, Wetumpka to Tallassee,
Dadeville to Alexander City — the North Pole and South Pole, it felt. Convenience stores, Dollar Generals — I’ve traveled countless miles looking for even just one tub. Then one night I walked into The Pig in Eclectic to the ice cream section, and there it was. A heavenly moment, I found my craving.
There was only one issue — it wasn’t a half-gallon tub. Instead, I resorted to grabbing a few pints. I must have looked funny at the checkout with five or was it six pints of delight in my arms. I paid and hurried home. I didn’t fix supper. I didn’t change clothes.
I had one mission in mind. I pulled the lid on just one pint and was in trouble already. I ate the whole thing.
Cliff Williams is the news editor of Tallapoosa Publishers Inc.’s Elmore County newspapers. He can be reached at cliff.williams@ thewetumpkaherald.com.
Beware the Ides of March
March 15. Does it really mean anything extraordinary?
The soothsayer gives a foreboding warning the soon-to-be-ex-Roman emperor Julius Caesar on this day back in 44 B.C.: “beware the ides of March.”
Of course, by the time Julius Caesar made it to the Capitol, he was stabbed 23 times. His final words were, “et tu, Brute?”
Full moons, black cats and broken mirrors aside, there’s something ominous about the William Shakespeare play JULIUS CAESAR, and it may be this famous line that has made us feel so uncomfortable all these years.
According to Roman history, their calendar was based around lunar phases. There were other names, such as Kalends and Nones. Ides, however, referred to the first full moon of a given month. Like this week, these usually fell somewhere during the week that includes the 13th, 14th, and 15th. Prior to the connotation discussed in this article, the Ides of March was actually a time of rejoicing.
Since the time of Shakespeare 500 years ago, however, the phrase has become more and more sinister. If a television series has an episode with these words in the title, look out.
Bad things didn’t happen for a Chicago-area rock group that took the name The Ides of March back in the early 1970s. Led by guitarslinger and songwriter Jim Peterik, the Ides of March created one of the most memorable brass-rock songs of that, or any, era: “Vehicle.” In fact, to this day, many marching bands across the country (including our own) perform this song.
An interesting side note – Peterik went on to form another band, Sur-
vivor, in the 1980s. They had a #1 hit we still hear all the time: “Eye of the Tiger.” Peterik’s name may be unknown to the average music fan, but his musical compositions are heard constantly all over the world. In the case of “Eye of the Tiger,” we hear it much more often in Tallassee and Auburn than in most places.
The Smithsonian Institution has listed the top ten reasons why we should beware the Ides of March. In conclusion, I submit these 10 memorable events from the Smithsonian, with their comments included.
1. Assassination of Julius Caesar, 44 B.C.
Conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus stab dictator-for-life Julius Caesar to death before the Roman senate. Caesar was 55.
2. A Raid on Southern England, 1360
A French raiding party begins a 48-hour spree of rape, pillage and murder in southern England. King Edward III interrupts his own pillaging spree in France to launch reprisals.
3. Samoan Cyclone, 1889
A cyclone wrecks six warships— three U.S., three German—in the harbor at Apia, Samoa, leaving more than 200 sailors dead.
4. Czar Nicholas II Abdicates His Throne, 1917
Czar Nicholas II of Russia signs his abdication papers, ending a 304-year-old royal dynasty and ushering in Bolshevik rule. He and his family are taken captive and, in July 1918, executed before a firing squad.
5. Germany Occupies Czechoslovakia, 1939
Just six months after Czechoslovak leaders ceded the Sudetenland, Nazi troops seize the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, effectively wiping Czechoslovakia off the map.
6. A Deadly Blizzard on the Great Plains, 1941
A Saturday-night blizzard strikes the northern Great Plains, leaving at least 60 people dead in North Dakota and Minnesota and six more in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
7. World Record Rainfall, 1952 Rain falls on the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion—and keeps falling, hard enough to register the world’s most voluminous 24-hour rainfall: 73.62 inches.
8. CBS Cancels the “Ed Sullivan Show,” 1971 Word leaks that CBS-TV is canceling “The Ed Sullivan Show” after 23 years on the network, which also dumped Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason in the preceding month.
9. Disappearing Ozone Layer, 1988
NASA reports that the ozone layer over the Northern Hemisphere has been depleted three times faster than predicted.
10. A New Global Health Scare, 2003
After accumulating reports of a mysterious respiratory disease afflicting patients and healthcare workers in China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada, the World Health Organization issues a heightened global health alert. The disease will soon become famous under the acronym SARS (for Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
Michael Bird is a music teacher for Tallassee City Schools.
MICHAEL BIRD Columnist
Reeltown students win Black History art contest
B y ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter
For the month of February, Reeltown High School hosted its first “Change Makers – A Celebration of Black History” art contest and exhibit. There were five winners across the student body.
DESTINY WALTERS, JUNIOR HIGH SECOND PLACE WINNER
Eighth grader Walters focused her piece on Jim Crow laws. She incorporated quotes from Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. as well as dates of important events during the Civil Rights Movement. Walters said it was a lot of drawing then she ultimately made a collage out of each of the elements. In school, Walters enjoys English language arts the most, as she comes from a family of book lovers. Outside of school, Walters does marching band, track, and basketball with plans on trying out for softball. After high school, she hopes to attend college at Georgia Tech or Tennessee State to study business.
ALYSSA BUTLER, JUNIOR HIGH FIRST PLACE WINNER
Butler, a seventh grader, went with a more abstract approach with an African inspired landscape and the words, “darker shades make beautiful beginnings,” over top. She said the painting frustrated her at first but after getting things cleaned up, the
shapes started to form, and she began painting what she saw within the canvas. While Butler is part of the art club at school, she also loves science and math. After high school, Butler aspires to be an entomologist to study bugs and the value they bring to the planet. Although for now, outside of school, she practices the flag with plans on trying out for color guard next year.
BRYANT, HIGH SCHOOL THIRD PLACE WINNER
Sophomore Bryant created a symbolic piece about the inhumanity of slavery. The drawing has a skeleton with wings and shackles sitting below a tree with the words, “not all glitter is gold, not all people are human.” It is a sign of hope, with the skeleton holding out a dove, which represented the freedom to come with emancipation. While Bryant enjoys creating art, her favorite subject is science. She is working on applying to the Alabama School of Math and Science to eventually become a marine biologist. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, soccer and spending time with her sisters.
CommunityCalendar
Welcoming a new business
JAYLEE NOE, HIGH SCHOOL SECOND PLACE WINNER
Noe, a ninth grader, was largely inspired by Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. She created a drawing tying in quotes from each of them as well as images representing their personal loves like reading books and eating pecan pie. She also added butterflies, symbols of change and transformation. Noe also enjoys science and horticulture because it lets her be hands-on and explore her love for nature. After high school, she hopes to attend Auburn University to play softball and pursue zookeeping. Currently outside of school, Noe does scholar bowl, plays softball and previously was a majorette.
ANGEL BERTL, HIGH SCHOOL FIRST PLACE WINNER
Bertl, a junior, created her artwork by blending digital art, painting and drawing. With her piece, she had Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and two African goddesses as the subjects. Along with art, Bertl also enjoys agriculture and shop classes and outside of school she enjoys horseback riding, taxidermy and crocheting. After high school, Bertl said she hopes to go into the Marine Corps. After that, she would like to go into either forensic science or veterinarian practice for exotic animals.
cuts the ribbon on its newest location in Eclectic on Monday morning.
strations of how people lived in the area as settlers began to arrive on Saturday, March 16.
7. Wine is complimentary for women ages 21 and older.
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
8
GIRL NIGHT: The Yellow Daffodil Boutique in Wetumpka will be hosting its annual Girl Gang Night from 4 to 8 p.m. March 8. There will be new arrivals, special sales, vendors, snacks and drinks and more.
MARCH 14-16
DINNER THEATER: The Stanhope Elmore High School theater program, FCCLA and Family Consumer Science Program are hosting a dinner theater fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. March 14-16. Ticket are available by contacting Brady Walker at brady.walker@elmoreco.com.
SATURDAY, MARCH 16
LIVING HISTORY SATURDAY: Ft. Toulouse-Ft. Jackson is hosting demon-
ANNUAL CHAMBER MEETING: The Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2024 Annual Meeting, ‘The Night A Star Fell,’ from 6 to 10 p.m.
SHAM ROCKIN’ BASH: The Tallassee Rec Center will be hosting a 55+ Sham Rockin’ Bash from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 16. There will be a DJ and dancing, refreshments and a photo booth. It is $15 for singles and $25 for couples with limited space. Reserve a spot by March 12. For more information, call 334283-4726.
THURSDAY, MARCH 21
KELLY ROAD TRIP: The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts is hosting another Kelly Road Trip March 21. This visit will go to the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery. Those interested need to sign up at The Kelly and meet at 9:30 a.m. at The Kelly to carpool.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
BINGO: Paintball 111 in Wetumpka will host a Ladies Only Bingo Night from 6 to 9 p.m. March 22. Tickets are $20 and each bingo card is $1. Doors open at 6 p.m. and bingo begins at
TEA PARTY: Annie Rae of Downtown Eclectic will be hosting a special tea party for girls ages 5 through 12 with delicious snacks and refreshments. Wear your favorite
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
PICKETT FEST: The Wilson Pickett Music and Arts Festival is April 6 at Cooters Pond in Prattville.
THURSDAY, APRIL
HALEY INGRAM TPI
Jack’s
AYMARIE
Humane Society of Elmore
County
News A pet is a lifelong commitment
By REA CORD HSEC Executive Director
People obtain pets from many sources — pets being re-homed by family, neighbors and friends; puppies and kittens from unplanned litters; pet stores; farm auctions; flea markets; newspaper ads; fliers posted in public places and breeders. While many pets obtained from any one of these sources end up living wonderful lives, far too many end up again needing new homes or, worse, living lives of neglect or misery with owners who were truly not prepared or who quickly lose interest in them.
Adding a living, breathing animal to your family should be a deliberate, well thought out process. Many people are quite surprised that we have an Adoption Application to adopt a pet. Every day we intake animals that were obtained ‘easily’ and then brought to us when ‘reality’ set in. Knowing this, our application process helps us help adopters find a pet that will be a good fit for both. Questions about lifestyles, the home environment, the adopter’s expectations and/ or experience, children, the living situation, etc, help us match the right pet with the right family. Knowing local laws and checking with landlords is critical to make sure that pet is even allowed where the adopter lives. Just like there are good and perhaps not so good shelters/rescues, there are wonderful breeders who
work to produce healthy and quality pets of that breed and there are breeders who are only in it for money. Reputable breeders care about the homes they are placing their puppy or kitten (or horse, or bird, etc) in. Good breeders interview potential buyers thoroughly to ensure the new owner will be able to provide a good home for the pet for its entire lifetime. Good breeders do not just sell a puppy or kitten to the first person who can pay the purchase price but to those who they feel will commit to being a caring and responsible pet owner. Dog and cats adopted from our shelter (and most reputable shelters) all leave us fully vaccinated based on their age (our puppies and kittens will have a minimum of two sets of vaccinations). Our puppies and kittens have to be a minimum of eight weeks old before we place them for adoption so as to allow them socialization from their littermates or kennel mates and to get those two sets of vaccinations complete. We say this as conscientious breeders will also ensure their babies are healthy, vaccinated and ready to leave mom and littermates, so they also often wait until they are 8-10 weeks old before sending to new families. No reputable breeder sells fourweek old puppies! If you do turn to a breeder here are some hints to find a reputable breeder: a reputable breeder will not sell their puppies or kittens at a flea market, auctions or out of the trunk of their car in a parking lot. Reputable breeders will not have
you meet them in some parking lot ‘because their house is too hard to find.’
Reputable breeders will decline a sale if they don’t think it is in the best interest of the puppy or kitten. Reputable breeders care more about their animals than they do the almighty dollar. Reputable breeders help by becoming mentors to those who do purchase their puppies or kittens and stand by their pets. Truly reputable breeders are there for their puppies and kittens even years after the sale if the need arises. Reputable breeders are some of our best allies in terms of animal welfare as they work very hard to teach responsible pet ownership and have much expertise to offer. In all honesty – pets sold by truly reputable breeders seldom end up in shelters. So the next time you are thinking of adding a new pet to your family, take your time. Do your homework, make sure you are ready, check with a shelter perhaps and if you do choose to purchase from a breeder, take the time to make sure they actually care about their pets and their future. One way to find a conscientious breeder is to ask area veterinarians since caring breeders will be good clients who work to ensure the best health of the parents and the babies they produce. Getting a pet is a serious commitment in terms of time and money so please make sure you are truly ready to commit to that pet for the next 15-20 years of its life.
Rea Cord is the executive director of the Humane Society of Elmore County.
choosing. This adoption fee covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizations, deworming, microchip, heartworm check for dogs, rabies vaccination if old enough and a free health exam with your participating veterinarian.
toys, then be content laying in the shade for a while. The Humane Society of Elmore County’s adoption fees are $100 for dogs and $50 for cats under 1 year old. Cats over 1 can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their
If you are interested in meeting Cola or any of the pets at HSEC, the first step is to fill out an adoption application online. Once approved, you will be contacted by someone from the humane society. HSEC is located at 255 Central Plank Road in Wetumpka. The phone number is 334-567-3377 and the website is www.elmorehumane.org.
DENIED
Continued from A1
According to hearing minutes from the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles, Kathy Holman, the victim’s wife; Donna Bush, the victim’s sister; former Elmore County
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in the county. We just need to pull these together and build upon and take advantage of them.” Jackson is proud to be assisting in addressing the issue of lack of mental healthcare in the area.
“Mental health doesn’t affect you until it is actually you or a loved one,” Jackson said. “That is when it becomes important to whoever it is that is going through a situation. They want and need answers and a lot of people don’t know what to do.”
The task force has already met once and many didn’t know a simple way to help. Jackson said the mental health crisis number 988 was unknown to several EVEN on the task force.
“It immediately goes to a line where someone will answer,” Jackson said. “It will help a lot with our sheriff’s deputies having to respond. The last place these individuals need to go is to our Elmore County Jail. A jail is not a mental health crisis center.”
The task force’s intention is to see what services are currently available through the agencies in Elmore County then decide what else is needed to aid overall mental healthcare.
“We want to put together a plan that has multiple action items that we can work to improve mental healthcare services in our county within the capacity the county has,” Mercer said. “We want to analyze the things we can do that will affect positive change and put those action items in place.”
prosecutors; the attorney general’s office and a victim advocacy group spoke against Jared Murphy’s release.
Murphy is housed at the Alabama Department of Corrections Easterling Correctional Center. The next time Murphy can be considered for parole is 2029.
Some plans will require funding from outside sources such as the Alabama Legislature. Those will take longer. Jackson wants to see multiple types of training made available for many and immediately. Some are basic intervention such as Question, Persuade, Refer — commonly referred to as QPR and used to help prevent suicides. She believes almost every county employee and law enforcement officer could use the training.
But there is more. Jackson said there is a local instructor of Mental First Aid, an eight-hour class to allow even more intervention when necessary. She wants to see some county employees get it.
“We want to offer it to our crisis intervention team,” Jackson said. “It will teach our law enforcement how to deal with different mental health situations.”
Even though the task force doesn’t have concrete plans Jackson said everyone needs to address mental healthcare quickly and hard. She also wants to expand the scope to include the youngest of residents.
“This is something that is very important,” Jackson said. “We want to partner with others such as our local boards of education. Our babies, our children suffer from mental health issues. It is not just an adult thing. It is a universal thing. It is all around.”
Mercer believes the task force is needed in Elmore County bringing together many.
“It is going to take a lot of work and pull all these things together,” Mercer said. “Mental healthcare is something we have determined in the last few months is very complex.”
Huggy is a 2-3 year old male Pit who weighs about 45 pounds. He was brought to us as a stray never reclaimed. His name suits him as he just wants to be in your lap and getting hugs and cuddles and would love to be a couch potato with a loving family. Huggy is good with other dogs, loves treats of course and will give slight attention to
Pet of the Week - Huggy
Behind the magic
Greetings from the corner of Bridge and Bridge! I pray the day is going well for everyone reading this column. Spring is springing in the city of natural beauty. Achoo and bless you! I fell in love with Walt Disney as a small child. My family watched The Wonderful World of Disney most every Sunday night. We had a large picture book of Disney stories. Disney movies were among my most favorites. My first trip to Disney World happened in 1983. I was seventeen years old, and my mother, father, sister, grandmother, and I drove to Orlando because Nannie wanted to go to Disney World. Epcot was still being phased in and had only been open for two years.
I remember vividly how incredible it was to see depictions of favorite stories in real life. The Swiss Family Robinson treehouse was an initial favorite, and Space Mountain was beyond anything I had ever seen at Six Flags. The laser light show above the Epcot lagoon was perhaps the most memorable aspect of that trip. The thing that impressed me most was the collection of presentations about the vision and dream of Walt Disney himself. I was just beginning to experience the realities of the earthly kingdom, and Disney’s ideas of a utopian society seemed magical to me. I remember thinking how cool it could be to live, not in a community similar to what Walt Disney envisioned. It would be twenty-five years
before I returned to Disney World. The second time, I was there with my family celebrating Stanton’s fifth birthday. My in-laws have a love of Disney that is infectious, and we had a fabulous trip. We have had many more since. The second time, I was overwhelmed by the commercialization of it all. The attractions were the same, but each one seemed to have its own attached gift shop. Each shop was filled to the brim with merchandise, all labeled with the declaration “Made in China for Disney, Inc.”
During the ride home from one of those trips several years ago, our girls asked us how we were able to afford trips like that. Alicia and I explained that when we bought a house, we purchased one that was essentially half the
Tallassee Churches
mortgage amount we qualified for. We explained that having a lower house payment meant we could put money away for travel and special things. I share that as an example of a teaching tool, not as a means of boasting. Our girls realized at an early age that Disney is expensive. They asked how we could afford it, and we explained it. We did not try to explain why it is so expensive.
I did a little research after our most recent trip. It costs about six million dollars a day to run Disney World. Estimated daily income for Disney World is fifty million. Basically, Disney World makes around forty-four million dollars a day in profit.
I point this out for one simple reason. Walt Disney envisioned
REV. JONATHAN YARBORO Columnist
a place where families of every variety could experience a little magic and catch a glimpse of what was possible as citizens of the earthly kingdom. That initial dream has, over the years, become capitalized. The magic is only available to those willing to pay for it. What would it look like if Disney World could be satisfied with doubling its investment each day instead of quadrupling it? Would prices go down? Would manufacturing of merchandise occur on the same continent and in the same economy as the park itself? Sounds almost magical, doesn’t it?
Rev. Jonathan Yarboro is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka
Surrounding Area Churches
2024 Elmore
County Girls Player of the Year
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Lindsey Brown had one goal going into her senior basketball season — fill the fingers. Brown had won nine state championships in her
high school career. She had five volleyball, two basketball and two softball championships. So she had a championship ring for nine of her 10 fingers. That was until February 9th when Brown and the Wildcats beat Sparta,
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
46-28, in the AISA Class AA state championship. With the win, Brown filled the fingers and won her 10th state championship. Along the way, she averaged a county-best 23.2 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 5 steals. For her dominance on the court, Brown has been named the 2023-2024 Elmore County Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
“This year was kind of special,” Brown said. “It was senior year and I had a lot of goals in mind. Our main goal was to work through the adversity we were given in terms of injuries that we dealt with through the year. We just wanted to work through the adversity and get the championship and that’s what we
See BROWN, Page B2
Edgewood’s Lindsey Brown averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 5 steals per game this season. Brown singlehandedly outscored seven opponents by herself.
2024 ALL-ELMORE COUNTY GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Lindsey Brown, Edgewood Academy
senior Brown capped off a stellar career with her first Player of the Year honors in basketball. The Edgewood guard averaged a county-best 23.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 5 steals per game. She single-handedly outscored seven opposing teams and led Edgewood to its third-consecutive title.
FIRST TEAM Ariel Gilchrist, Stanhope Elmore senior Gilchrist proved once again that she is one of the best defensive guards across the entire state of Alabama. The Coastal Alabama CC commit averaged 17 points, 6.2 rebounds and a county-best 7 steals per game. She shot 58% from the floor and became just the fourth Stanhope Elmore player to reach 1,000 points in her career.
Aaliyah Humphrey, Wetumpka eighth grader Humphrey did not play in a varsity game until after January 1, but she instantly made an impact for the Indians. She scored 14 points in her first varsity game then capped off her eighth grade season with a 36-point outing against Stanhope Elmore in the area tournament. She averaged 17 points per game this season.
Madison Martin, Edgewood Academy senior Martin, a Faulkner volleyball signee, capped off her senior season by leading Edgewood to its third-consecutive title. The 6-foot-2 center averaged 11.5 points to go along with her 9.5 rebounds per game. On defense, she averaged 2.2 steals per game and 1.7
blocks per game. She had a double-double in the championship game.
Emily Mason, Elmore County senior The Elmore County sharpshooter continued her scoring abilities during her senior campaign. Mason averaged 12.9 points per game this year as she helped lead the Panthers back to the first round of the playoffs. She hit 28 3-point shots this season and finished her career with over 100 3-point makes.
Tamira Smalls, Stanhope Elmore senior There weren’t many teams that found success in the paint against Stanhope Elmore, and that was mostly because of Smalls. The senior center averaged 10.1 points per game, but it was her defensive ability that landed her on First Team. She averaged 16.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game as Stanhope reached the first round of the playoffs.
SECOND TEAM
Jhakhia Anderson, Tallassee junior Ana Brown, Holtville junior Kyasia Brown, Elmore County senior ShaNiya Gray, Tallassee sophomore Lexie Smith, Edgewood Academy freshman
HONORABLE MENTION
Edgewood Academy: Avery White, Jr., Aubrey Newton, So. Elmore County: Lalah Culpepper, Fr., Addi Stephenson, Fr. Holtville: Summer Hutcheson, Sr., Ragen Roberts, Jr.
Stanhope Elmore: Jada McLeod, Sr., Aniya Burton, So. Tallassee: Cheyann Easterling, Fr., Reese Gough, 8th.
Wetumpka: Shelby Ward, Sr., Emily Smith, Sr., Jordan Harris, Jr.
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Alfonzo Johnson’s first year as head coach of the Tallassee girls basketball team was one to remember. Johnson took over the team just before football season started and had a tough challenge in front of him. The Tigers hadn’t won more than seven games in a season since 2018, and had a combined record of 10-68 the last four years combined. But that didn’t stop Johnson from taking a young team featuring multiple starters from eighth, ninth and tenth grade and turning them into competitors.
This season, Johnson’s Tallassee team went 16-11 and came just four points shy of clinching a playoff berth. It was Tallassee’s first winning record since 2018. “This year was really a big learning experience for us,” Johnson said. “From what I
See JOHNSON, Page B2
Ariel Gilchrist
Tamira Smalls
Aaliyah Humphrey
Emily Mason
Madison Martin
Small ball leads Tallassee baseball past Wetumpka
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
The Tallassee baseball team used a small ball approach to perfection Thursday night.
Tallassee knocked off in-county opponent Wetumpka, 6-5, in the cold and rain. The Tigers (6-2) had three bunt singles in the game, scored two runs on RBI groundouts and two on wild pitches and scored its final run on a ground ball turned error in the fifth inning.
“I’m very proud of them,”
Tallassee coach John Goodman said. “We pitched well, got some timely hits, moved some runners over and did some things well. I didn’t think we played that well as a whole with a lot of errors in the field, but I’m very proud of them for getting the win.”
Tallassee fell behind in the top of the first inning when Wetumpka’s Jacob Smith singled in Mason Fuller with a ground ball to left field.
Wetumpka’s lead was short
lived, however, as Tallassee led off the second inning with a single by Brody Wisener. Cash Gough then hit a bunt single to third base to put two on with no outs, and Bry Hatchcock then bunted into an error to load the bases with one out.
Pitcher Brady Mason then came through in the clutch and gave Tallassee the lead with a two-run single.
Hathcock then scored on a wild pitch, and Thomas Lemmond drove pinch runner Mason Battles in on a groundout to put Tallassee up, 4-1.
“That’s just us doing what we have to do to win the game,” Goodman said. “It’s one of those things where it’s just the way we play. We have to move runners over and get them into scoring position and then hopefully get a big hit. We did tonight.”
With a three-run lead, Mason held off Wetumpka enough for the win. The team’s ace went six full innings on 100 pitches. He
allowed just one earned run on six hits and struck out eight Indians. He left the game with a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
The only damage he allowed after the first inning single was a tworun home run by Smith and a RBI double by Logan Fawcett. Both runs that scored on the home run were unearned due to a two-out
Tallassee’s Milner brings power to lineup
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
Brue Milner doesn’t play like a typical freshman.
Whether he’s calling balls and strikes, calming down a pitcher after too many thrown balls or hitting shots into the outfield gaps, Milner looks every bit of a seasoned veteran.
But he’s not. The Tallassee catcher is just 15 years old.
He started for the Tigers’ varsity squad behind the plate as an eighth grader last season at just 14, and now he’s out to a hot start to his freshman campaign.
In eight games this year, Milner is batting .357, which ranks second best on the team. He has a slugging percentage of .679, nearly .200 points better than the next closest hitter.
He’s got the most hits on the team with 10, and he’s 10-for-28 with five singles, three doubles and two home runs with a team-best 11 RBIs.
“He’s our guy who gets the big hits,” Tigers coach John Goodman said. “He gets everybody fired up and he certainly doesn’t play like his age. He is everything we want from him right now. He plays within himself and that’s
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hits this season.
what we ask him to do.” Milner is the team’s power hitter in every sense of the title.
While he does lead the team in hits, he also has more doubles than anyone else and he’s the only player with more than one home run this season. He has more extra base hits than seven Tigers do regular hits, and he’s the first player on the team to cross the double-digit RBI threshold.
“He doesn’t shy away from the weights,” Goodman said. “He hits the weight room hard and he’s strong. He does everything that it takes to get the job done out there.”
His extra base hits have come at good times for Tallassee this year.
did.” Brown has been one of, if not the most dominant, players in the AISA since she started her varsity career years ago. She’s been a multi-year All-County player and was one of three AISA finalists from across the state in last year’s player of the year honor. But then she took her game to another level this year.
A season ago, she aver-
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could tell, the biggest thing that was different from years past was that this team cared more. They wanted to win so bad. There was never a day throughout the season where I felt like we didn’t care if we won or lost. We competed every single game.”
The biggest difference in terms of competing came in area play where Tallassee competes in AHSAA Class 5A, Area
His first home run of the season came in a 10-2 win over Beulah. He drove in four runs in that win.
In a 7-1 win over Alabama Christian Academy, he hit one double and drove in another run.
He hit his second home run in a loss to Prattville Christian earlier in the week then hit two doubles in the Tigers’ biggest win of the year.
He doubled twice against Wetumpka on Thursday. The first double put two runners in scoring position, and his second double led off the bottom of the fifth inning. A pinch runner came around two batters later to score and made the score 6-4, which was enough for Tallassee to hold on to for the win.
aged 16.9 points to go with 4 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 1 assist.
Not only did she increase her point total by over six points per game, she was better in every statistical category that she could improve on.
“I really focused on taking better shots this year,” Brown said. “I had to be smarter with the basketball and more efficient on offense. We also caused a lot of turnovers on defense and were able to turn that into easy layups. I just really locked in for my senior
7 against Valley and Beauregard.
The Tigers went 0-4 in the regular season in area play and lost in the first round of the area tournament, but it was a much different experience than a year ago.
Last season, Tallassee lost its area games by an average of 15 points, while losing two games by 20 and 34 points.
This year, four of the five losses to area opponents came by five points or less. Three of those losses came in overtime. While the end result
error.
“Brady was great,” Goodman said. “He’s doing exactly what we need him to do. We’ve got him on a long rotation and he gets his rest in and we keep him sharp. He’s our go-to guy and pitched a gem of a game for us.” Mason exited the game in the top of the seventh and Chase Web-
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ster came in for the save. Webster started his outing with back-toback strikeouts before the top of Wetumpka’s lineup came up to bat.
On the second pitch to Wetumpka leadoff Mason Fuller, he got a ground out but it was booted for an error, Tallassee’s fourth of the game. Following a wild pitch, he came around to score on a RBI single to cut the lead to 6-5.
“That’s not us,” Goodman said.
“We don’t make that mistake. These kids are still learning and that was just a little bit of pressure.”
Two pitches later, the game ended when Fawcett hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield and it bounced off the Wetumpka base runner.
“We needed this really badly, especially after Tuesday night’s loss,” Goodman said. “We needed to get back in there and the guys needed to see that they could do it. They needed to feel it and enjoy it.”
for 41st Alabama State Games underway
Registration is now open for the 41st Alabama State Games. Scheduled for June 7-9, 2024 and returning to the City of Birmingham & Jefferson County, the Alabama State Games offers traditional sports with new and emerging events.
During the 41st Alabama State Games, participants will have an opportunity to be a part of the return of flag football and softball or be the first to go for gold in debuting events eSports and powerlifting.
Athletes who register for the 41st Alabama State Games and attend the State Farm Athlete Leadership Summit and the Opening Ceremony– both on June 7 inside Legacy Arena at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Complex– are eligible for the scholarship drawings totaling $40,000 later that night.
“After 40 years of the Alabama State Games, we strive to find a mixture of exciting, Olympic-styled events in which people want to compete from year to year and new sports that have a growing audience,” said Laura Creel Burt, executive director of the Alabama State Games. “The slate of sports we have for the 41st Alabama State Games will be a lot of fun. There is always an interest in the more traditional sports, baseball, swimming, track and field, and soccer and we are bringing back softball for the first time in several years. By including emerging sports like eSports, flag football
year and that helped. I focused on one game at a time.”
There were quite a few teams who were on the losing end of some of Brown’s offensive outbursts this year. In seven different games throughout the regular season, Brown single-handedly outscored the opposing team.
That started in the second game of the year against Chambers, when Brown scored 22 and Chambers put up 18. She then did that twice more against Chambers, out-scoring them 23-21 and 24-23 late in
was the same, it was a vastly different feel in area play.
“When it came to flipping those area games, I think it’s the hot start we got off to this season,” Johnson said. “We started winning early and got some confidence. When we got to area play, we had the confidence that we could win. We may not have won them, but we knew we had a chance and we played like it.”
Johnson and his team were living the dream to start the year. The
and the Atomic Ninja Challenge we have an opportunity to interest and encourage nontraditional athletes. Merging the two types of sportsthe high-interest traditional with the up-and-coming - we can reach a broader audience across the state and build a new family of participants to the growing Alabama State Games community.”
Registration information can be found at ALAGAMES.com and will be posted on the Alabama State Games Facebook and Instagram pages in the coming weeks. The Alabama State Games were founded as a nonprofit organization in 1982 at the request of the United States Olympic Committee.
Sports are the vehicle used by the Alabama State Games to promote academic success, healthy lifestyles and good citizenship. The ASF Foundation, the parent organization of the Alabama State Games, began a scholarship initiative that has since awarded $363,000 in academic scholarships to State Games participants.
Sports at the State Games range from archery, to equestrian, to judo to ultimate frisbee
“We had 3,300 athletes for the 40th Anniversary Alabama State Games in 2023,” Burt said. “I’m excited to see that number grow and all 67 counties represented during our Parade of Athletes at our Opening Ceremony. From our first year to 41st, we intentionally strive to keep registration fees low to make the Alabama State Games accessible to athletes of all ages from all socioeconomic backgrounds.”
the year. She outscored Lowndes, 32-20, Macon East 31-21, ACA 40-31, and Autauga 26-22. In one of her most impressive outings of the year, she tied Fort Dale, 37-37, by herself. That trend nearly continued in the playoffs. As the Wildcats went 3-0 in the playoffs, the team’s defense allowed a combined 83 points. In those three games, she scored 68. No opposing team in the playoffs scored more than six points than she scored with a point total of 21, 25 and 22 to cap off her career. That wasn’t something she noticed until it was pointed out to her by a parent or fan, and to her it just speaks about the level of competition that teams face in the AISA.
Tigers entered Christmas break with an 11-4 overall record and were set to play in a holiday tournament at Montgomery Academy. The first game was a disaster for the Tigers as they lost by nearly 40 points to Montgomery Catholic.
The Tigers then fell to the silver bracket and went on to win the tournament. Tallassee beat the host team by two points, 41-39, then won the championship game against Calhoun by 12 points.
From then on, Johnson
“A lot of people say AISA is nothing big, but I think it’s overlooked,” Brown said. “I think the fact that I can outscore an opposing team speaks to the level of competition that teams face in the AISA. If you want to play with us, come play with us. We’ll probably beat you.”
knew this team was different than years past.
“We were able to beat Montgomery Academy for the second time and it was a major boost to our confidence,” Johnson said. “It was a feeling of ‘Hey, we can actually compete. We are actually good at basketball.’ That went a long way for our season.”
Johnson will still have a young team next year. The Tigers only had one senior on the roster and by the end of the year were starting two freshmen, an eighth grader
and a sophomore.
Adding to that roster is a large and talented junior high class, and Johnson thinks his team is going to be able to possibly even have a junior varsity squad next year.
“The future is bright here,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be very special at Tallassee. We’re spending the offseason working on individual plans for each player and what they need to work on. We’re getting in the weight room and getting bigger, faster and stronger.”
DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI
Tallassee’s Bry Hathcock (15) bunts a single in the Tigers’ 6-5 win over Wetumpka on Thursday night.
DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI
Tallassee freshman Brue Milner hits a double in the Tigers’ win over Wetumpka. Milner has a team-high five extra base
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Edgewood’s Whitt finds power swing
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
A lot of baseballs got punished in Elmore last week.
Edgewood Academy sophomore Brock Whitt put on a show at the plate for the Wildcats as he knocked around extra base hit after extra base hit.
In five games last week, Whitt went a combined 9-for-16 at the plate with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, 12 RBIs and nine runs scored.
For his performance, Whitt has been named the Elmore County Player of the Week.
“We got some big hits in big situations,” Wildcats coach Justin Jones “Brock is finally seeing the ball he should be seeing it. He’s hitting it to the middle-away gaps and staying behind the ball. He drove in 12 runs so he’s holding down the fort in the middle of the lineup
Vote for your Fans’ Choice Player of the Week now!
for us.”
While the two home runs sparked Whitt’s week, he has been shining at the plate all season. Whitt is hitting right under .500 this season, which ranks best on the team. He also has 11 extra base hits with a plethora of doubles to go with his two home runs and triple. He has more extra base hits this season than some players have regular hits.
“He’s swinging it really well right now, and he’s a big threat when he comes up to bat,” Jones said. “Not even the long ball but just getting on base. He has one of the best on base percentages on the team.”
Whitt driving in 12 runs in five games is no surprise to anyone. He hits in the four-hole and he’s built like a power hitter.
But he isn’t just driving in runs. Last week alone, he scored nine runs. He scored on seven of his nine hits, then added two more runs when he was walked twice in his two home run game. That’s mostly due to the success the rest of Edgewood’s team is also having at the plate. As daunting as Whitt is, people
are unable to pitch around him because the guys behind him are also playing well.
Jackson Hudson and Cooper Freeman are the two guys who mostly bat behind Whitt, and they certainly helped his case this week. The two combined for six doubles in Edgewood’s five games with Hudson hitting four of them.
“The guys in front of him and behind him are playing well so people are forced to throw it to him,” Jones said. “That’s what is really helping Brock. Both guys behind him are hitting over .300 so they can’t just walk him.”
Edgewood is out to an 8-6 overall record this year and started area play on Monday night. All six losses have come from three teams, none of which are in Class AA. They have lost two to Lowndes, both by one run, then lost to Bessemer Academy and Lee-Scott both twice.
Tallassee’s Jones added to North/South roster
By DALTON MIDDLETON
Sports Editor
Ethan Jones’ high school career isn’t done yet. The Tallassee senior wrestler was a late addition to the Alabama Wrestling Coaches Association’s North/South All-Star Duals Tournament. Jones is listed on the North team and will wrestle in the 150-pound weight class against St. John Paul’s Jack Von Eschenbach on Saturday, March 9 at
Huntingdon College.
Jones was the third Tallassee wrestler to be named to the event - joining Christian McCary and Ramon Lozada - but the other two have backed out due to lingering injuries and rest. Jones will be the only Tiger wrestling in the event.
Jones recently wrapped up a stellar senior campaign where he recorded a 47-11 record and a Top 6 finish in the AHSAA Class 5A state tournament. He was defeated by even-
tual state champion Tyler Payton in the semifinals, while giving Payton the closest match he wrestled in during the tournament. His opponent, Eschenbach, is one of the best wrestlers in the entire state of Alabama. He claimed the Class 1A-4A state championship with a 58-2 overall record. In the championship tournament, Eschenbach won his first match by major decision before winning his semifinals and championship matches by technical falls.
Grants helping expand broadband in Coosa and Elmore counties
By TPI STAFF Staff Report
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday
nearly $150 million to continue the expansion of high-speed internet service to unserved areas across Alabama.
The 66 Capital Projects Fund grants totaling $148.3 million were awarded to 16 internet service providers that will expand high-speed internet availability to homes, businesses and public institutions in portions of 48 counties.
“High-speed internet service continues to strengthen and expand across the state, and we are taking the necessary strides on this journey to achieve full broadband access for Alabama,” Ivey said. “This has been a monumental task, but it is one that will pay multiple dividends for our state and its residents. Today is an exciting day as we announce these latest projects.” Central Access, the internet service provider owned by Central Alabama Electric Cooperative was awarded seven grants totaling $21.94 million to expand broadband services in areas of Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas and Elmore counties. The service area includes more than 6,000 potential households and businesses. Across the state, the “last mile” projects announced by Ivey will mean more than 5,000 miles of broadband infrastructure, and once in place, they will have the ability to provide access to almost 54,000 households, businesses and institutions like hospitals, schools and libraries.
These projects are supported by the American Rescue Plan Act funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grants.
The announcement of these “last mile” projects comes on the heels of a Feb. 5 announcement by Ivey of $188 million in grants for the Alabama Anchor Institution/Middle Mile program. The middle-mile project is an essential precursor for internet service providers to complete the “last mile” projects in which access to service can be provided to homes, businesses and anchor institutions.
ADECA’s Alabama Digital Expansion Division has been instrumental in the state’s broadband expansion.
“This has been a remarkable journey
made possible by Gov. Ivey, the Alabama Legislature, the state’s internet service providers and so many other willing and eager participants,” ADECA director Kenneth Boswell said. “Once completed, these projects announced today will provide access for thousands of Alabamians.”
THOSE AWARDED CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND GRANTS AND COVERAGE AREAS ARE:
• AT&T Southeast — Five grants totaling $6.97 million to expand broadband services in Franklin, Jefferson, Mobile, Morgan and Russell counties. The expansion has the potential to reach more than 1,871 households and businesses.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative — Seven grants totaling $21.94 million to expand broadband services in areas of Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas and Elmore counties. The service area includes more than 6,000 potential households and businesses.
• Connect Holding (Brightspeed)
Two grants totaling $388,061 to expand broadband services in Pickens and St. Clair counties. The projects have the potential to reach 479 households and businesses.
• Coosa Valley Technologies Inc.
Six grants totaling $12.57 million for expanded broadband services in Calhoun, Etowah, Shelby and Talladega counties. The service area includes more than 974 potential households and businesses.
Cullman Electric Cooperative — One grant totaling $4.1 million to provide broadband services in areas of Cullman and Winston counties. The expansion has the potential to reach 1,979 households and businesses.
• Farmers Telecommunications Corp. — Two grants totaling $7.29 million to expand broadband services in DeKalb County with the potential to serve more than 1,600 households and businesses.
• Knology (WOW!) — One grant totaling $2.39 million to expand broadband services in parts of Henry and Houston counties. The expansion has the potential to reach about 970 households and businesses.
• Mediacom — Eight projects totaling $22.8 million to provide broadband services in parts of Baldwin, Clarke,
Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe and Mobile counties. The project areas include almost 8,000 households and businesses.
• Millry Telephone Co. Inc. — One grant totaling $3.6 million to expand broadband services in parts of Washington County. The expansion has the potential to reach 988 new households and businesses.
• Pea River Electric Cooperative One grant totaling $5 million to expand broadband services in parts of Barbour and Henry counties. The expansion has the potential to reach 1,529 new households and businesses.
• Pine Belt Telephone Co. — Four grants totaling $3 million to provide additional broadband services in Clarke and Marengo counties with the potential to reach more than 480 new households and businesses.
• R.M. Greene Inc. — One grant totaling $2.85 million for broadband expansion in parts of Barbour and Russell counties that will reach more than 680 new households and businesses.
• Spectrum Southeast — 23 grants totaling $44.83 million to provide broadband services in parts of Bibb, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cleburne, Coosa, Colbert, Cullman, Elmore, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Houston, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa counties. The service areas include 22,000 potential households and businesses.
• Tombigbee Electric Cooperative — One grant totaling $2.78 million to provide broadband services in parts of Winston County. The service area includes 1,584 potential households and businesses.
• Troy Cablevision (C Spire) — One grant totaling $1.65 million to expand broadband services in Dale and Houston counties. There are nearly 700 potential households and businesses in that service area.
• Yellowhammer Networks — Two grants totaling $5.13 million to provide broadband services in Bibb, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry and Sumter counties. The project areas include almost 3,700 households and businesses.
Creature Chronicles
Beekeepers showcase the honey harvesting process
By ABIGAIL MURPHY Multimedia Reporter
It’s springtime, and with the flowers blooming soon, bees will be going around to pollinate them. While the bees are busy working, beekeepers don’t begin to harvest their honey until the summertime. David Whitman with Lake Martin Honey showed TPI staff last summer how beekeepers harvest honey from their hives.
Whitman started Lake Martin Honey back in 2020 with just one hive. And it has grown ever since.
Last May, Whitman bottled 50 pounds of honey with more honey harvested throughout the summer months.
During the harvesting process, Whitman showcases him removing supers from the hive boxes, testing the honey’s moisture content, cutting the honeycombs and extracting the honey.
However, the beekeeping process is a year around commitment with building up a colony, protecting the bees against other insects and ensuring the bees have access to nutrients. However, these beekeepers don’t always do it alone.
Whitman is also a part of the Tallapoosa Bee Association. The association is open to beekeepers of all levels whether you have been doing it for years or just starting out.
To see the honey harvesting process in action, scan the QR code for the video and stay tuned for next month’s Creature Chronicles.
Edgewood Academy’s Brock Whitt went 9-for-16 at the plate with six total
He also scored nine runs.
Tallassee’s Ethan Jones has been added to the ALWCA North/South All-Star Wrestling tournament. He will be on the North team and will wrestle in the 150-pound weight
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Senior center benefits from biker donation
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Bikers often get a bad rap.
Some complain about their loud motorcycles. Some think they are mean and dangerous.
But to the clients of the Eclectic Senior Center, the members of the Dixie Bikers Association are just big teddy bears waiting to be hugged. Members of the group showed why they are so loved Saturday as they presented the senior with a new refrigerator.
“We are not very big but we are committed to helping those less fortunate than us,” Dixie’s Dirty Jones said. “It does us good.”
The organization votes on a charity to support every year. In the past the group has provided an ice maker and television for the center.
“We try to find local things. If we give to larger organizations, it often leaves the area,” Jones said. “We can’t do much but we can do small things for people locally. It helps them and helps
our mission.” Jones said members of the Dixie Bikers Association like to see the benefit of their efforts.
“We see these people in the grocery store and out in the community,” Jones said. “We
want to help our neighbors.”
Saturday the bikers joined the clients of the center to celebrate. The benefits of the refrigerator were already seen.
“It gets everything froze,”
center director Minnie Johnson
Elmore County girls top Tallassee in area opener
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
The Elmore County girls soccer team may be young, but that didn’t stop the Panthers from opening area play with a win Monday night.
Elmore County defeated Tallassee, 2-1, to open AHSAA Class 5A, Area 3 play. After being deadlocked at 1-1 for over half the game, seventh grader Cadi Crews knocked in the game-winning score with 35 minutes left. She took a rebound off a missed shot from Kristina Elmore and found the back of the net.
“That was our third and a half game of the season, and I feel good about many positives on defense,” head coach Leslie Clark Hines said. “We have a lot of growth. We are playing seven girls who are in 10th grade or lower and it’s taking time to learn our style.” While it was a seventh grader who ended the game scoring, it was one of Elmore County’s seniors who started the game.
Emily Spears found the net to begin the game as she scored just six minutes into the match.
Barely a minute later, however, Tallassee’s Aubrey Paggett juked past the defense and hit an equalizer. Following that, Elmore County (3-1, 1-0) took multiple shots on goal but Tallassee’s Jhakhia Anderson didn’t let anything touch the back of the net until Crews’ shot in the second half.
“Cadi has been dominant so far for us both on defense and on offense,” Hines said. “In our two games we’ve scored, she’s scored multiple goals for us. She’s just a seventh grader and she’s the future of our program. We’re really excited to have her on the team.”
With a 2-1 lead, Elmore County turned to goalkeeper Ansley Caudle to keep the Panthers ahead.
She wasn’t tested much, but her job got tougher as time neared its end and Tallassee got into desperation mode.
Two Tigers slipped past the Elmore County defense in the final 10 minutes, but Caudle stopped both shots with diving saves to keep Elmore County ahead.
Caudle has allowed just one goal in back-to-back games and only four this entire season.
“We played an amazing defensive stand last week and kept that game against Sylacauga close,” Hines said. “We have some new girls on our defensive line and I feel like we struggled at times tonight but still played well. (Coach Matt) Tarpley has done a great job at Tallassee and they’ve improved greatly.”
Elmore County, which won the area title last year, will travel to Brewbaker Tech on Thursday to try and continue defending the area championship. Tallassee will host Beauregard on Thursday looking for its first area win of the year.
said. “It means we don’t have to dump the water every other day. For some reason it leaked and couldn’t be fixed. We had a container catching the water and had to dump it.”
Eclectic Mayor Gary Daven-
port thanked the Dixie Bikers Association for purchasing the new refrigerator.
“I have been fortunate enough to be mayor of Eclectic when you made donations,” Davenport said. “The senior center absolutely appreciates it.”
The bikers aren’t done. They are constantly on the lookout for where they can help out.
“We vote on our charity at the beginning of the year,” Jones said. “We don’t do cash money. We always do local.”
To help raise funds the group hosts the yearly Slapout Blowout. Fathers Day weekend this year will be the 41st fundraising event with a live band, rides and more.
“We are not far from here now,” Jones said. “But years ago, it got started in Slapout.”
The group helps out in smaller ways too.
“We also collect canned food and grocery items,” Jones said.
“At Thanksgiving and Christmas we will get with the police and schools and find a family that will appreciate it.”
Murillo stuns Elmore County with last-minute-goal
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
There was nothing but fight in Matt Tarpley’s boys soccer team on Monday night.
Down two goals and playing with only 10 players due to a red card, Tallassee scored three goals in the final 13 minutes of the game to stun Elmore County, 3-2, in the AHSAA Class 5A, Area 3 opener.
Tallassee’s Ricky Murillo scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in the last five minutes of the game.
“I’ve learned a little bit about my guys this season and they’re not scared of anything and not backing down from anybody,” Tarpley said. “It motivated them being down 2-0 with time running out and being down a man. They pushed through and I couldn’t be prouder of my guys.”
The two teams were deadlocked for the first 35 minutes when disaster struck for Tallassee (5-4-2, 1-0) and fortune for Elmore County.
The Panthers (1-2, 0-1) were pushing towards the goal and Tallassee’s Alec Carswell misread a situation and scored an own goal when trying to kick back to goalkeeper Trey Bosch. That put the Panthes up, 1-0, but they struck again just 19 seconds later.
Tom Overdeik was controlling the ball down the left side of the field when he took a shot. It ended up falling under Bosch’s body and rolling into the net.
Elmore County then carried the 2-0 score until the 66-minute mark.
“It was a really great game,” Tarpley said. “Hats off to Elmore County. They played really well and they’re exactly the team we thought they were coming into the season.”
Tallassee’s Yuren Rodriguez was given a red card after his second yellow midway through the second half, and it looked like Elmore County was going to cruise to a victory when the Panthers were called for a hand ball in the box.
Luis Ruemmler stepped up and drained the penalty kick and cut the lead in half.
Just nine minutes later, Tallassee tied the game on Murillo’s header. Irvin Delfin kicked the corner kick to the back side and it found the head of Murillo, who then knocked it perfectly into the net.
With 40 seconds left, Murillo got the ball again down the left side and dribbled up the field towards the middle. He kicked a shot that bounced off a defender and right past Elmore County goalie Preston Baker.
“Ricky is a really good player and I’m happy for him,” Tarpley said. “I personally thought he was taking too many touches and wanted him to shoot it earlier, but when it found the back of the net all was forgiven.”
The Tigers will host Beauregard on Thursday with hopes of moving to 2-0 and getting closer to that playoff spot. The Panthers travel to Brewbaker Tech on Thursday.
CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI
Members of the Dixie Biker Association look over a thank you card made by clients of the Eclectic Senior Center after the bikers donated a new refrigerator to the center Saturday.
DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI
Elmore County seventh grader Cadi Crews (00) scored the game-winning goal against Tallassee on Monday night.
DALTON MIDDLETON TPI
Elmore County goalkeeper Preston Baker blocks a penalty kick in the second half of Monday night’s game.
Tallapoosa Publishers Inc.
Opelika band feels at home in Tallapoosa County
By MELODY RATHEL Multimedia Reporter
Local venues around Lake Martin have hosted their fair share of live artists. From singers local to the lake to bands traveling through, Tallapoosa County has been introduced to a number of music artists.
Dixie Red is an Ope-
lika-based band that has performed at multiple venues in Tallapoosa County. They have been spotted at Alabama Breeze in Jackson’s Gap, the Local at 41 Main in Alexander City, Copper’s Grill at Stillwaters in Dadeville and several other locations surrounding Lake Martin. They were first introduced to the area shortly after
Celebrating women in the arts
March is International Women’s Month, and we are here for it.
As someone who started her career in a male-dominated field of sports journalism, celebrating strong women is especially important to me. Here at Tallapoosa Publishers Inc., we are a female-led workforce and the men on staff are true Southern gentlemen who don’t mind working with a strong Boss Lady.
This Arts & Entertainment section is all about amazing women who have dedicated their lives to the arts.
Read about Annie Bartol, an Alexander City local who has channeled her emotions through her art. Bartol has suffered the loss of two significant others and has battled her demons by hammering metal and creating beautiful jewelry. Her paintings started a little darker but now are full of color, and you can see how much Bartol has come into herself and her art.
You’ll also read about Ashley Miller and the Dixie Red Band, fronted by a strong female vocalist. Miller could easily make it in Nashville or one of the bigger music cities, but she chooses to stay local. Knowing the names of her fans makes a difference.
Much like Miller and the Dixie Red Band, Dani Anderson has called Wetumpka home when she could’ve gone to much bigger places. She and Bartol’s art is similar in that they use what they can find. No matter what the item, they see a use for it — and that’s a beautiful
thing. Last month, I was lucky enough to get to know Sydne Schuler, an artist whose motto is “Live Happy.” How can you go wrong with that? Schuler was all about spreading joy and happiness, and now she’s commissioning a piece of my beloved dogs for me. I couldn’t be more excited.
The Arts & Entertainment section won’t be the only place you’ll see fantastic women highlighted in the pages of Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. this month, but it is a good place to start.
We are surrounded by amazing art, especially in Tallapoosa and Elmore counties, and it’s great to know some of it was created by women.
Much like the rest of our TPI pages, the Arts & Entertainment section was created with you in mind — it’s all about reaching the community. Do you know someone who should be featured here? Do you have a drink or meal you want one of our sports editors to review? Is there an upcoming event we must be at? Please reach out. You can call me at 434-962-9420 or shoot me an email at lizi.gwin@alexcityoutlook.com, and we’ll find a place in our pages for you.
Lizi Arbogast Gwin is the managing editor at Tallapoosa Publishers Inc.
the band’s inception. After using social media to gather potential band members, they booked their first gig within a month, lead singer Ashley Miller said. A week after their first set together, Miller got a call from Colonel Tom’s Tavern, now Martin’s at Lake Martin,
BARTOL TURNS TRIALS INTO TALENT
By MELODY RATHEL Multimedia Reporter
When struck with sudden grief, many turn to different methods as a means of overcoming affliction.
Some turn to exercise, others keep their schedules full with work and hobbies. For Annie Bartol, the best coping mechanism is art.
Bartol is a local artist who has created hundreds of pieces for herself and others. Bartol’s intricate and unique pieces of jewelry, colorful abstract paintings and complex leatherwork allow her to stand out from other artists.
From a young age, she was surrounded by art. Her
world.
Bartol’s knowledge and love for art led her to pursue a degree in graphic design and marketing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
However, she did not become fully immersed in her artwork until later in life.
Bartol is now located in Alexander City, but her art journey really began when she lived in Tallahassee.
Nine years ago she began her journey with art after losing two people who she had close connections with.
Unfortunately, she lost a very close friend while living in Florida; however, her
New artist finding new ways to create
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Dani Anderson is new to the art scene but is already attracting attention.
New York is calling but Anderson is staying home in Wetumpka as she perfects her craft. Some think Anderson’s work is plaster, some epoxy and some a mix. Whatever it is, Anderson is staying quiet about it at the moment.
“I can’t give away my secret,”
Anderson said. “Many people mistake it for paper mache to ceramic to glass to porcelain. Some of it I don’t know what it is. They say terminology artists might be familiar with, but I have no idea.”
Anderson began developing the process while she worked from home about a year ago.
“I work from home and you get tired of seeing the same things on your wall all the time,” Anderson said. “I didn’t want more of the same being the paint and canvas
type.” She had a vision of what she wanted and took to the internet.
“I looked in galleries all over the world,” Anderson said. “I knew I couldn’t afford much of it but wanted to see if I could find something similar to my vision. I couldn’t find anything like it. So I decided to make it myself.”
The vision happened about the time Anderson watched a
need to channel her grief into something catapulted Bartol into her art career.
“I had no other outlet at all. I went to group therapy, all that stuff,” Bartol said. “I walked in my house one day, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something with it. I had to get it out. I pulled out a kitchen drawer and there was a (shish kebab) skewer, and the rest is history.”
Bartol began painting using uncommon utensils and techniques. To this day, she still uses shish kebab skewers to complete her paintings. Upon the loss of her friend, Bartol’s brother encouraged her to fight through her grief
through her art.
father is a skilled artist who submerged Bartol and her siblings in the art
LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN TPI Annie Bartol and her dog Grace are inspired by many things
LIZI GWIN Managing Editor
“I cut (the metal) with shears, and break them down to where they’re flat, then I will texturize them with whatever,” Bartol said.
by channeling her emotions into art.
“My brother said, ‘OK, you need to just channel your sadness into these,’” Bartol said. “He brought me a 6-foot by 4-foot canvas, and a three foot by four foot canvas, and said, ‘Do it.’”
This instance was especially difficult for her because she had no other choice but to dive deep into her grief.
“Painting is all about feelings for me,” Bartol said. “A lot of my artwork has some harsh lines, but I remember every painting I do, and how I felt, and what was going through my mind (when I painted it). I take all the feelings I have and channel them into something productive.”
As she became increasingly skilled, she began doing commissioned pieces for others, live paintings at events and paint parties.
Like the unique methods she takes when painting, Bartol also uses unorthodox methods when creating her jewelry. To create jewelry in which each piece is one-of-a-kind, Bartol has multiple processes that vary from one another.
“It’s all reclaimed, repurposed metal,” Bartol said. “I look at thrift stores, I look at (other’s waste), I look for aluminum trays from way back that already have prints on them, anything that’s really lightweight.”
Once she finds a metal up to her standards, she uses some of her many tools to manipulate it into the shape she desires. From an anvil to a grinder, Bartol is no stranger to doing anything it takes to make her ideas become a reality.
“I mean I’ll go outside and put them on the ground, and hammer it to get an imprint of the gravel outside.”
When someone looks at a piece of Bartol’s jewelry, they may not realize the time and effort it took to make a single piece. She said in order to create quality pieces, she must be in a physically fit state to have the strength to mangle the jewelry into her desired shape.
Because of the tedious procedures and wide variety of tools, Bartol must wear safety goggles and use other protection measures to avoid injuring herself in the process.
Bartol’s journey in jewelry design began from the simple fact of not having a pair of earrings to wear to an event she was going to that night.
“I (went through) my dad’s shop, and I found some old metal, and I just beat them up,” Bartol said. “I made my own earrings out of it. That kind of took off immediately, and I’m still doing that. It’s my bread and butter, pretty much.”
While painting is a way to help her mind cope, jewelry-making allows her to release her emotions physically.
The best thing about her jewelry, according to Bartol, is being able to see other people enjoying her work.
“What I like about my jewelry is being able to make other people happy, and to see my work in use,” Bartol said.
Aside from jewelry, Bartol creates several other art pieces using metal. She’s made metal crosses, journal emblems and other unique items. Many of her
friends have approached her to create artwork in honor of loved ones who have passed.
Bartol told the story of a woman who approached her after her father passed away. Upon her father’s death, he had a quarter and two pennies in his pocket. Her friend asked Bartol if she could somehow incorporate the coins into a bracelet.
With the help of Bartol’s father, she created a cuff that had the coins in the center of it.
Bartol attributes much of her skill to her father’s influence in art. To this day, Bartol still shares a shop with her father where they complete artwork together.
“He is my mentor, he is my everything,” Bartol said. “He does woodwork, leatherwork, and he does knife and gun holsters.”
Bartol’s father was the first person to introduce and teach Bartol about leatherwork. She made her first purse after asking her dad for one, and he told her she had to make her own.
“From that point on, I did. I started making leather handbags, clutches to order,” Bartol said.
Because of their intricacy, Bartol only does purses upon request; she said one of her purses took 58 hours to create.
Each of her purses is completely handmade – Bartol sews every stitch, cuts every inch and paints every detail with her own hands.
“(My father) has a leather sewing machine,” Bartol said. “I refuse to use it. If it’s done with that, then it’s not handmade to me.”
Today, Bartol sells her unique artwork, primarily jewelry, through her business Color Me Annie Art. Her artwork can be found in local businesses throughout the Lake Martin area.
BAND
Continued from C1
inviting the band to perform after the restaurant had a cancellation that night. Since then, they have become familiar faces in the Lake Martin area. However, Miller got her own start in the community years ago when she was the winner of Kowaliga Idol’s tenth season.
Prior to Dixie Red’s inception, three of the four Dixie Red band members played in a band called Alabama Avenue before it dissolved. Miller met her husband, Billy Joe Miller, in their previous band.
“We actually met at Copper’s,” Miller said. “A couple years later, we got engaged on Copper’s stage.”
When Alabama Avenue dissolved, three of the band members wanted to continue playing music. They turned to Facebook as a means of searching for a fourth member. Now, Miller sings alongside her husband, Billy Joe Miller, who plays guitar Rickey Badcock, who plays bass and Blake Pike, who plays drums.
With a focus on Southern rock, the band needed a name to match the vibe they were aiming for.
“Funny story actually,” Miller said, “none of us came up with the name. The name was given to me by another Opelika musician, Rob Todd from the band Dam Skippy, who heard that I was trying to start up a band of my own. He said, ‘I’ve got this name that I
won’t ever use because it’s too country for me,’ because he plays, like, straight-up rock.”
Todd suggested the name Dixie Red, and Miller thought it was the perfect name for the band.
Dixie Red officially formed in January 2018, and since then they have taken the southeast by storm by staying booked between Alabama and Georgia
“We play in Columbus, Phenix City and of course Opelika,” Miller said. “We play even up from Prattville, Clanton and we’ve even been south of Atlanta.”
Throughout their years together, the band has played in multiple locations throughout the southeast, but one of their favorite places to play is Tallapoosa County.
“I feel like (Tallapoosa County) really does have a sense of community,” Miller said. “The people that come see you once, if they like you, they’ll come see us again and again. I know most of the people that come and see us in Tallapoosa County; I feel like they’re our friends.”
Performing at a variety of venues around Lake Martin has allowed the members of Dixie Red to become fully immersed in the community.
“I know their names, and it’s just really nice how they can latch onto (newcomers),” Miller said. “Although I’m not from (the area) I know everybody when I’m there.”
Dixie Red will be playing live acoustic music at 7 p.m. Friday at the Funky Goat in Dadeville.
documentary on the blind.
“I noticed in their apartments there was no art,” Anderson said. “It made sense since they can’t see it. I thought it would be awesome to develop something that they can appreciate through touch and it be something neutral and appreciated just as much and equally by those with sight.”
The materials to bring the vision to life at first came from the COVID-19 pandemic when Anderson took to home remodeling. She started in the garage then the kitchen as turned into a DIYer with knowledge from YouTube and Google.
“I had plaster sitting in the garage I had not used,” Anderson said. “I decided to put it to use. I knew exactly in mind what I wanted it to look like and it being tactile. I wanted something sculpture like I could hang on a wall.”
Anderson quickly made a
few pieces and shared photographs with friends and family who loved it. She saw where The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts was moving and was inspired again by the modern look of the building overlooking the Coosa River.
“I made four or five pieces
and came to The Kelly and got accepted into their first show back in June,” Anderson said.
Another artist suggested she enter her work into her first contest — the Society of Arts & Crafts Gallery in Montgomery. She won first place.
Since it has been promoting her work.
“Realistically, I send 200 to 300 emails a week to galleries around the world,” Anderson said. “Any email I can find, I write to them and say I’m a new artist, this is what I do. I just make the effort to
spread the word and apply for grants.”
This all while being one of the first artist in residence at The Kelly. Guests have taken to her art. It was popular at The Kelly’s Arti Gras fundraiser. It is also bringing new guests into The Kelly.
“I have had people who are sight impaired and those with some of the autism groups come in,” Anderson said. “The pieces with pearls create a rhythm when the hand goes over them. I’m told it is soothing for certain individuals.”
She has also received inquiries about teaching some blind students. Many options are still on the table for Anderson. She is still developing a portfolio and has paused for an undetermined amount of time visiting galleries and art directors in New York.
“It’s an open invitation for when I’m ready.,” Anderson said. “I know I am still early in developing this. If I only get one shot, I want to make sure I’m ready.”
ARTIST
CLIFF WILLIAMS TPI
Dani Anderson is one of the first artist-in-residence at The Kelly. She is new to the art world having found her passion about a year ago.
SUBMITTED TPI
Annie Bartol sells hundreds of handmade jewelry, each being one of a kind.
SUBMITTED | TPI
Dixie Red lead singer Ashley Miller got her start in Tallapoosa County after winning the 10th annual Kowaliga Idol.
Fruity fun at the lake Strawberry Peach Fishbowl at
By HENRY ZIMMER Sports Editor
In the mood to knock your socks off with a drink straight out of Bourbon Street?
Then look no further than a Niffer’s Fishbowl concoction to get your fruit and liquor fix. One fishbowl and you will be ready to face any sort of day.
Served in a goblet the size of a softball, Niffer’s will accommodate any sort of drink mix and match your heart can desire. I was recommended the Strawberry and Peach Fishbowl by my bartender and was not disappointed in the least.
Ed’s
My fishbowl had a beautiful blood orange color and was garnished with an orange slice and a single cherry. Each sip was equal parts vodka and fruity goodness. The fishbowl I got might not have been my first choice — I was eyeing the Key Lime Martini to bring me back to my Florida roots — but I am certainly glad I listened to the experts behind the bar. In back to back drink reviews I
Deli
Home cooking from the heart
By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor
I may have found one of the most underrated places I’ve been to eat since moving to Alabama. For my monthly food review, I was asked to try out Ed’s Deli on Main Street in Goodwater. I made the trek up from Wetumpka this week, and it honestly might become a weekly occurrence.
I walked up to the hot bar and got just a normal plate. What I ordered was fried chicken, loaded mashed potatoes, pinto beans and cornbread. I was given three pieces of fried chicken – one thigh and two wings. I got all of that for a whopping price of only $10.02. I would’ve paid double.
The options I did not pick were a fried porkchop, macaroni and cheese and cheesy broccoli casserole.
I’ll start with the fried chicken. When I was given my third piece, they had already won me over. The wings were great, but the star of the show was my thigh. It was cooked to perfection and was seasoned beautifully. I am a lover of the skin on my chicken, and this skin was perfect. My first bite was super crunchy, but also extremely juicy. After my first bite, I didn’t waste much time eating the rest.
I ordered pinto beans as one of my sides, and I was the only one in my group of four to do so. I enjoy a good pinto bean, and this was perfect. There was the perfect amount of juice in mine, good enough to have some liquid in every bite. The taste was fantastic and seasoned well. In my opinion, the pinto beans I ate at Ed’s were exactly what I wanted when I sat down to eat them.
The mashed potatoes were likely the star of the show.
The loaded mash came with bacon, green onions and lots and lots of cheese on it. It was seasoned well. There was no going back behind after and adding salt and pepper. You tasted the seasoning in every bite. I don’t enjoy mashed potatoes that have chunks of potatoes. I want it smooth, and mine certainly was. The bacon was a good touch, but the cheese was top notch. There was enough cheese to have some in every single bite. It was perfect.
My cornbread was great, and I was given two pieces. It wasn’t dry at all, but had a great crunch.
Overall, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in 2024.
I love home cooking, and this one has won me over. I think I’ll be making a return trip sooner rather than later. Especially for an extremely cheap price of only $10.
If you want a good home cooked meal or just craving some fried chicken, go visit Ed. You won’t regret it.
have gotten fruit drinks, but can happily declare that flavor knows no gender. If it’s good, it is good no matter the color or glass. And my strawberry and peach fishbowl was exactly what the doctor ordered. I paired my fishbowl with a side of corn nuggets, but very easily could have accompanied my drink with any number of delicious eats at Niffer’s.
With afternoon basketball on at the bar and warm weather in the air, my fishbowl made me feel like I was transport -
Niffer's
ed to an all-inclusive resort in some faraway island. I wasn’t even too far from water regardless, as Niffer’s butts right up to Lake Martin. It is hard to find a better way to spend an afternoon. Fishbowls at Niffer’s can include liquors from vodka to gin to tequila. Thirsty patrons can combine multiple flavors or pick from a robust list of house favorites.
In the mood for an enormous Moscow Mule? An old fashioned with a new age twist?
Spamalot thrills the masses
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
It took almost four years but Monty Python’s Spamalot took the stage at the Wetumpka Depot.
Pack houses were the normal for almost every performance and little liberty with props poked fun at the reason for the four year delay — the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had a blast with it,” Wetumpka Depot Players artistic director Kristy Meanor said. “We
are so fortunate to have so many people in the area who love theater.”
Actors from all around lined up for a chance at performing the comedic musical on stage.
“We had so many people audition for it I could have cast two or three different ways,” Meanor said. “We are so lucky to have the moon and the stars line up for this one.”
Tickets were hard to come by. Some of the shows sold out days
in advance. “We are blessed to have numerous people who love live theater,” Meanor said. “This show brought everyone out.” Spamalot was directed by Meanor. The creative team included musical director Randy Foster, stage manager Hannah Meherg, choreographer Daniel Harms, set designer Charles Eddie Moncrief, lighting designer Thomas Rodman, music technician Jerry Parker and costume designer Suzanne Booth.
DALTON MIDDLETON | TPI
A lunch plate at Ed’s Deli in Goodwater featured fried chicken, loaded mashed potatoes, pinto beans and cornbread.
CLIFF WILLIAMS | TPI
Wetumpka Depot Players rehearse Spamalot. The production was a crowd favorite leaving everyone laughing.
ANNUAL ARTI GRAS A SUCCESS
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
The masks were prevalent as the art enthusiasts tried to hide what art they would take home from The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts annual Artis Gras.
Masked guests pursued a room filled with art as if trying to pull off a big caper. There were Mose T panels, Kelly Fitzpatrick prints, works by local artists and books all for the taking.
Erin Caden Rogers was the gatekeeper. Guests drew numbers and called in order. In one minute they had to enter the room, make a selection and leave only to be followed by another masked marauder.
“It’s our second largest fundraiser,” director Jennifer Eifert said. “It goes a long way to help The Kelly.”
Just as important as the funds Artis Gras raises are the connections it establishes.
“It’s great to see everyone here,” Eifert said. “Many know The Kelly but not all the patrons know each other. This gives everyone a chance to meet and mingle in a fun environment.”
Art was the topic of the night, but the Wind Creek Hotel and Casino in Wetumpka provided the venue in the penthouse with its amazing views of the Coosa River and sunsets.
At the end of the night, everyone went home with art and no investigation for stolen art.
Fall in love with karaoke
The Lake Martin Young Professionals celebrated Valentine’s Day with a love-song only karaoke night at Fourth Quarter Sportz
BY SAMANTHA HIMES | TPI
Bar & Lounge.