LOCAL, A5
SPORTS, A7
LOCAL, A6
Children’s choir takes trip to Tuskegee Airmen Museum
4 local hoops players named to all-state team
Depot Players going to national competition
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 13, 2019
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 121, NO. 11
Commission approves pair of roof bids By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
With actions taken by the Elmore County Commission at its meeting Monday night, work can soon begin on replacing portions of the roof at the Elmore County Courthouse and
repairing the roof at the Elmore County Jail. Elmore County chief engineer Richie Beyer said the county initially bid both projects together as a package but it was higher than expected so the two projects were split and re-bid. During Monday night’s meeting, the
over what the county had budgeted but he said items can be revised. The commission also approved a motion authorizing the Elmore County Emergency Medical Services Board to begin contract negotiations with Haynes Ambulance to provide EMS services to See COMMISSION • Page A3
commission approved a bid of $77,620 from Tecta America Southeast to complete work on the courthouse roof and $193,900 from Alabama Roofing & Sheet Metal Company Inc. for the jail roof. Beyer said the combined total is still projected to run approximately $20,000
Millbrook police recover stolen vehicle from juveniles
The Wetumpka Depot Encore Players will put on four performances of ‘The Music Man Jr.’ this week, enthralling audiences with the musical and its humorous storyline. Donald Campbell / The Herald
Businessman donates $3K to local storm relief
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Millbrook police recovered a stolen vehicle in the possession of two juvenile suspects after it was involved in a collision at the intersection of Highway 143 South and Cobbs Ford Road on March 4. The 2017 Hyundai Veloster was reported stolen on Feb. 26, according to the Montgomery Police Department. On March 5, the Montgomery Police Department notified Millbrook detectives the Hyundai had been located and was occupied by two juveniles, ages 13 and 14. The driver was taken into custody by the Montgomery Police Department and was charged with first-degree receiving stolen property. The 13-year-old was taken into custody by Millbrook
Wetumpka businessman Pat Whatley has joined the growing list of individuals and groups doing what they can to support the community in the aftermath of the Jan. 19 tornado, donating $3,000 to local organizations. Through the sales of black T-shirts with a golden heart and depiction of the Bibb Graves Bridge, Whatley gave $1,500 to the City of Wetumpka and $750 each to local Boy Scouts of America troops 13 and 50. “I live in downtown,” Whatley said. “I wanted to do something and since I do shirts for a living, it just made sense to me.” Whatley said he began working on the shirt the Monday morning after the Jan. 19 tornado, sketching out design ideas on a whiteboard before finally settling on having the heart and bridge over the words
See MILLBROOK • Page A2
Encore Players present ‘The Music Man Jr.’ By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
The Encore Players will perform “The Music Man Jr.” for audiences later this week. “The Encore Players is our senior theater outreach program,” Kristy Meanor with the Wetumpka Depot Players said. Meanor described the group as not only an outreach program of the Wetumpka Depot Players
but one that often writes its own material and performs in places such as nursing homes. The Encore Players’ performance of “The Music Man Jr.” features an all-female cast of approximately 20 actresses from diverse backgrounds. Meanor said all the actresses are having a great deal of fun with the show and are excited to perform. One of the reasons the group is performing See ENCORE • Page A2
See STORM • Page A5
Rogers believes involvement key to success Editor’s Note: This is the fifth in a series profiling school principals in the Elmore County School System. By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Donald Campbell / The Herald
Elmore County High School principal Wes Rogers watches as a handful of his students work in the Panther Bank as part of the school’s effort to help students be prepared for the future.
Today’s
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Reaching out to and building up each of his students, encouraging them to find their perfect fit while in high school and best preparing them for whatever future they choose is a driving force behind Elmore County High School principal Wes Rogers and how he oversees the school. “We have a lot of goals and missions here,” Rogers said. “We want to make sure we remain student-centered. We want to make sure they enjoyed high
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school — that they were involved, that they made memories, made friends and that they’re prepared for the future.” Referencing studies showing students who are more involved while in high school are more successful and enjoy their time, Rogers said he works hard to serve as a positive model for all of his students while also encouraging them to be more involved in what the high school offers. This begins when future ECHS students are still in the eighth grade and attending orientation at the high school. Among the many programs the school has created includes a partnership with First Community Bank for the Panther See ROGERS • Page A3
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