Bulldogs bully Panthers for area lead.
“It’s time to stop the stigmas of mental illness”
Find upcoming events on this week’s calendar.
Eclectic Observer Page 4
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The
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THURSDAY • MARCH 31, 2016
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Vol. 27, No. 11
Gov. Bentley to visit Tutwiler Prison By MITCH SNEED Editor
Submitted / The Observer
Gov. Robert Bentley, right, and state Sen. Cam Ward, (R-Alabaster) look through bars toward a dormitory at William C. Holman Correctional facility in Atmore March 15. Bentley is slated to visit Tutwiler Prison today.
A proposed prison reform plan that would bring the closure of the state’s only women’s prison and the construction of a new facility is being debated in the legislature and Elmore County will get a visit from the man making
the push. The office of Gov. Robert Bentley announced Wednesday that Bentley will be in the area Thursday at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka to meet with prison officials and other state leaders. Tutwiler is a maximum-security prison designed to house 550
inmates. The current population at Tutwiler is 950, which is 173 percent of design capacity. The facility is overcrowded and outdated, requiring vital renovations. When Tutwiler is closed, if the new facility isn’t built locally, it will have a huge impact on the local economy. So local
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
A majority of the business discussed at Monday’s Elmore County Commission meeting came out of the Highway Department, including updates on the countywide energy-efficiency renovations, as well as budget changes for roadside cleanup programs. However, news of different sort came later in the meeting. A commissioner reported he had played a major part in bringing about new verification measures for local vote counting, after being involved as the incumbent candidate in the March 1 mishap that nearly resulted in a runoff for his District 4 seat. Joe Faulk, said a commitment had been made to him that after the April 12 runoff elections both the Probate Office and the local branch of the Republican Party would compare voting tapes for reporting differences. He said that a number of city and party officials received copies of these paper records after elections; however the measure he proposed was not in place. “What I’ve advocated is, particularly in party elections, that the Republican Party and their leadership, in this case it would be Vicki Ward who is the chairman, or her See COMMISSION • Page 7
Weather
Will travel to Washington D.C. in April to work on nationwide initiative By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Cory Diaz / The Observer
Stadium work in full swing Workers from Correct Cut Construction clean up the site Tuesday where the visitors bleachers stood at Burt-Haynie Field. Once serving as the home stands at Elmore County High School football games, the set of bleachers was speculated to have been built in the 1930s. The demolition of the stands serve as the second step in the process of the football field receiving a new set of visitors bleachers, a plan the Elmore County Public School Board of Education approved on Oct. 20, 2015.
The sheriff and the vice chairman of the County Commission are traveling to Washington D.C. in April to represent Elmore County at a nationwide initiative aimed at developing new ways to address cases of mental illness in jails. County Commissioner Stephanie Daniels Smoke of District 5 and Sheriff Bill Franklin have been approved by the Elmore County Commission to spend April 17-19 at the The National Summit on Reducing the Prevalence of Individuals with Mental Illnesses in Jails, otherwise known as the National Stepping Up Summit. Daniels Smoke said Elmore County was one of only 50 counties nationwide invited to take part in the summit, part of a broader effort called the National Stepping Up Initiative, and is a collaboration of The American Psychiatric Association Foundation, The National Association of Counties and The Council of State Governments Justice Center. The local involvement in the See REFORM • Page 3
Miles sentenced to 41 months in federal prison STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
76 65 High
See BENTLEY • Page 3
Sheriff and Commissioner represent Elmore County
Commissioner moves to change vote counting
Today’s
officials are holding their collective breath as they track the Alabama Prison Transformation Initiative Act and the latest developments. Bentley first introduced the prison reform plan on Feb. 23 and it was introduced into the State Senate
Low
FRIDAY: HIGH 74 LOW 51
File / The Observer
Former Tallassee assistant Chief of Police Chris Miles and his wife Kelli Miles walked into the U.S. District Courts in Montgomery, Alabama where Miles plead guilty to one count each of obstruction of justice, deprivation of rights and distribution of marijuana.
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A former Tallassee Assistant Police Chief has been sentenced to almost four years in prison for beating a suspect and then lying to investigators about his attack. Chris Miles, 41, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for depriving a suspect of his federally protected rights by beating the suspect with a phone book-sized packet of paper during an interrogation and then lying about the incident to an FBI agent investigating the matter. Miles was also sentenced for selling marijuana that he stole from the police evidence room. Miles pleaded guilty on Nov. 17, 2015, to one count of deprivation of civil rights, two counts of false statements and one count of possession with intent to distribute. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson of the Middle District of Alabama. According to admissions made during
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his plea hearing, in April of 2013, while he was on duty as assistant police chief, Miles beat a prisoner who was serving a sentence at Tallassee jail while Miles was interrogating that prisoner about uncharged crimes the prisoner was suspected of having committed. During the questioning, Miles grabbed a thick packet of copy paper and used it to strike the victim multiple times across the victim’s face and head. Miles also repeatedly slapped the victim across the face and head with his hand. His abuse caused the victim to suffer bruising and physical pain. Miles also admitted that earlier in 2013 he stole approximately 16 pounds of marijuana from the police evidence room and later sold it to a known drug dealer. “Law enforcement leaders serve as role models for their fellow officers, and at all times they must act with integrity, fairness and professionalism,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil See SENTENCE • Page 3
PAGE 2 • MARCH 31, 2016
March 31
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Area Calendar
AFTER HOURS: Wetumpka Depot Business After Hours, Thursday, March, 31 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at 300 S. Main Street, Wetumpka. CAREER EXPO: The Elmore County Technical Center will be hosting the Elmore County Career Expo at the Wetumpka Civic Center March 31. This event is for our local students during the morning and midday hours (8:00-1:30), and we have a portion of the day reserved for the general public in the afternoon (2:00-6:00).
April 5
ID BOARD: The city of Tallassee ID Board will meet April 5 at 5:30 p.m. at 1 Twin Creek Drive.
April 9
5K RUN: The Roaring 5K Run is set for Saturday, April 9. Co-Sponsors are Tallassee Lion’s Club and Neptune Technology Group. Proceeds benefit the Lion’s Sight program. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the race starts at 8 a.m. Early registration is on-line through the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce at tallasseechamber.com
April 9-10
COMBAT ON THE COOSA: 2 Day Crossfit Competition. Individual -Saturday, Team- Sunday. Hosted by Crossfit Intrigue. For more info visit www. thegaragegames.com/combat-on-the-coosa
April 10
CHURCH HOMECOMING: Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Eclectic will host homecoming April 10 at 10:30 a.m. The Joy Masters will be singing and there will be lunch afterwards.
April 10-13
CHURCH REVIVAL: Lake Hill Baptist Church in Deatsville is hosting a revival April 10-13 starting at 7 p.m.
April 15
CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS: There will be an event at Holtville Elementary School April 15 at 1:30 p.m. to bring awareness to child abuse and neglect as April is is Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Awareness Month. he Elmore County Extension, Family Resource Center, Juvenile Judge, DHR Director, Superintendent of Education and many other community partners will be in attendance as well as about 100 elementary students. This is a celebration of all the good work that the schools, churches, agencies and communities do to strengthen families which prevents child maltreatment.
April 16
CRATERFEST: Wetumpka Craterfest & Duck Dash will feature National and local music artists, Kidzone, Arts & Crafts, Crater Bus MiniTours, Crater Art Exhibit/ Video Saturday, April 16th from 2-7PM at Gold Star Park. Vendor spaces and sponsorships available! Contact Jamie Young at jyoung@wetumpkachamber.org or 334-567-4811. REELTOWN REUNION: The Sixth Reeltown High School Reunion of the Classes from 1950-1970 will hold its 20-Year Class Reunion on April 16 in the original Reeltown High School Auditorium. The Reunion begins at 10 a.m. for a time to meet, greet and tour the school. The “Assembly” will begin in the auditorium at 11 a.m. The RHS Jazz Band will be guest and play a few jazz tunes. Donations will be received for new Rebel
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
Obituaries
Pride Marching Band uniforms. All donations greatly appreciated. Welcome, recognitions, etc., will follow. Please bring your “ole fashion brown bag/ sack lunch” with a drink. No meal will be available. Classes will meet after assembly in the cafeteria for their sack lunch meal. Tours of the school and grounds will be available following the assembly and lunch.
April 16-17
FRENCH INDIAN WAR ENCAMPMENT: Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson Park, the Alabama Historical Commission, and the Friends of the Forts are pleased to announce the annual French & Indian War Encampment taking place April 16-17 at Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson Park near Wetumpka. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children six to eighteen years of age. The event takes place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. This special event focuses attention on the main protagonists of the French & Indian War - France, Britain and their American Indian allies. Additionally, the event features daily life at a French frontier fort and Creek village in the year 1756. Soldiers will engage in mock battles each day and souvenirs replicating items of the time period will be available from merchants on site. Living history demonstrations of military, Indian, and civilian life will take place on Saturday and Sunday throughout the day. Re-enactors will be dressed and equipped as they appeared in North America during the middle of the eighteenth century. Boy Scouts of America Troop 50 will sell food and drink on Saturday; however, there will be no refreshments available for purchase on Sunday so please plan to bring a picnic lunch.
April 18-23
EARTH DAY CLEANUP 2016: Sign up a litter team to pick up around your neighborhood, business or call the Chamber of Commerce for a location. Advanced Disposal Sponsor providing a roll off container
Mark Stanley
Mr. Mark Stanley, 55, of Montgomery, passed away March 25, 2016. He was born November 24, 1960. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 9, at 2:00 p.m. at Linville Memorial Chapel. He is survived by his wife, Susan Stanley; daughter, Michelle Whittle-Stanley; sister, Debra Jordan (Gary); and brothers, Rex Stanley (Carolyn), Mike Stanley (Carol) and Danny Stanley (Karen). He is preceded in death by stepdaughter, April Marie Whittle; son, Marcus Kieran Stanley; father, William M. Stanley and mother, Betty Jean Stanley. Mark served in the United States Air Force and after being honorably discharged, he worked as a fire/medic in the Prattville Fire Department, a paramedic with Montgomery Lifeflight and was Captain/ medic with Kwajalein Fire Department. He completed five tours in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor, working as a firefighter/medic. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Wounded Warriors at www.woundedwarriorproject. org or to Montgomery Humane Society, 1150 John Overton Dr, Montgomery, AL 36110 or to P.A.W.S. of Alabama, 8507 Carillion Place, Montgomery, AL 36117. Online condolences at www.linvillememorial.com. Linville Memorial Funeral Home Eclectic, Alabama
Brooks, and son, Billy Joe Brooks. They resided in Eclectic, AL. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Hank and Janie Ann Davis, several nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews of various states. Services and interment will be at Providence Primitive Baptist Church. Visitation 9:00 a.m. Thursday March 31, 2016 followed by funeral services at 10:00 a.m. with Gassett Funeral Home of Wetumpka directing. Online Guest Book available at www.gassettfuneralhome.net
James Dayton Thompson
James Dayton Thompson, 95, of Columbiana, died Thursday, March 24, 2016, at Shelby Baptist Hospital. Funeral services will be Monday, March 28, 2016, at First Baptist Church of Eclectic at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Britt Green officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Gilead Baptist Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church prior to the funeral beginning at 10:00 A.M. Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife of almost 75 years Lue Vanie Thompson, his daughter Kathy (Charles) Corbitt, his grandchildren Lisa Kathryn Corbitt and Ben Thompson Corbitt, and his brother Nickie Cleckler. He was preceded in death by his brothers Avon Thompson and Fred Thompson, and his children Jo Ann Thompson and Donald Thompson. Send condolences at www. corbittsfuneralhome.com.
Paula Moreland Acreman
Mrs. Paula Moreland Acreman, 47, of Red Hill, passed away March 21, 2016. She was born December 4, 1968. Visitation will be Saturday, March 26 from 12 noon until 2 p.m., followed by the funeral service at 2 p.m., at Linville Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Mr. Harry Bridgman officiating. A private family burial will follow, Linville Memorial Funeral Home directing. She is survived by her husband, Reginald Acreman; children, Scott Bridgman, Crystol Saucier, Stephanie Thornton and Jordan Bridgman; brothers, Mark Moreland and Joe Moreland; sister, Julie Niemeyer, grandchildren, Carson Saucier, Kaydin Bridgman, Trevor Thornton, Isabelle Bridgman and Kelly Saucier; and several nieces and nephews. Online condolences at www.linvillememorial.com. Linville Memorial Funeral Home Eclectic, Alabama
Betty Jo Brooks
BROOKS, Mrs. Betty Jo, was born November 13, 1928 and died Sunday March 27, 2016. She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Willis at City Hall from 8am-noon on Saturday the 23 for nonhazardous material and litter team debris disposal. Parker Tire & Auto will take used oil, tires and batteries all week from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Electronic Recycling drop off at Tallassee Recreation Center April 21 from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. The city Shop will have a roll off container
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Carlton Lee Williams, Sr. 1942-2016
Carlton Lee Williams, Sr. of Eclectic, Alabama was born on June 24, 1942, and passed away at EAMC on March 22, 2016. He was 73 years old. Mr. Williams was a member of Prospect Baptist Church in Eclectic, Alabama. He is preceded in death by his parents, Marshal and Louise Williams; daughter, Dianne Matley. He is survived by his wife of 35 years Shirley Williams; daughters, Debbie Waldroup (Cecil) of Opelika, and Linda Todd (Brian) of Cusseta; son, Lee Williams of Opelika; step-children, John Williams (Margaret), Melanie Robertson, and thirteen grandchildren. Memorial Service will be held at Beulah Baptist Church in Valley, Alabama on March 25, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. CDT with Reverend Ronnie Knight officiating. Family is accepting respects from family and friends at 1:00 p.m. CDT until the start of the service. In lieu of flowers please make donations to EAMC Cancer Center. www.FrederickDean.com Funerals & Cremations Since 1900
available for nonhazardous material disposal and appliances from Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
April 24
CHURCH HOMECOMING: Mt. Hebron East Baptist Church in Eclectic will celebrate its 120th Anniverary with homecoming nn Sunday, April 24. Services will begin at 10:30 a.m. (omitting Sunday School). Special singers will be “Holy Destiny” of Prattville. Following services, dinner will be served at noon in the
church fellowship building. We invite everyone to come and celebrate with us and stay for lunch at noon.
May 10
GOLF TOURNEY: Tallassee Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament will be held May 10 at Wynlakes Golf and Country Club Come join us for a fun day of lunch, golf and a chance to win bragging rights and CASH!
THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
Reform
continued from page 1
national effort was coordinated through regional groups such as River Region Healthy Minds Network, Envision 2020 and Auburn University Montgomery’s SummaSource. Daniels Smoke announced the plans to attend the event at a recent County Commission meeting. She said she wanted to leave D.C. with measures to put in place that would immediately help solve what she said was not just a county or state, but a national problem. In the long term, Daniels Smoke said another goal was to receive federal funding to implement, as Daniels Smoke said, whatever plans Sheriff Franklin deemed necessary. In her own words, Daniels Smoke said she wanted to accomplish two things primarily, “To be able to have a discussion with people who view it as a major national problem, and come up with some advance planning on how to perhaps in the short term be able to deal with those who suffer from mental illnesses that travel through the jails.” She cited statistics from the Stepping Up Initiative which state that roughly two million people with serious mental illness are incarcerated throughout the U.S., and the cost to jails, and in effect, taxpayers is somewhere around two to three times higher than the average inmate. Smoke said she felt a treatment facility would be a preferred option to jailing, however she conceded that ideas without funding do not go far. “In the end we are hopeful that we, Elmore County, and/or the River Region, will be chosen for some grant funding that will help us, help our Sheriff and his staff people, to look at this a little different, but also be able to deal with this different,” said Daniels Smoke. Sheriff Bill Franklin said the county jail is not equipped to act as a hospital. “Several of the sheriffs around the State of Alabama have contended jail is not the proper venue to house these mentally ill people for an extended period of time,” said Franklin. However, he said there might be a time that a mentally ill person that needs to be initially jailed to, as Franklin said, “put the fire out.” “The problem is that the initial booking process turns into a week, and then a month, and then two or three months and that is just not the proper place for the mentally ill to be housed,” Franklin said. The situation in Elmore County, Franklin said, was that on any given day there are usually multiple people with some variant of mental illness housed in the county jail. The difficulty, Franklin said, was keeping them sepa-
Bentley
Rights Division. “Justice requires even-handed treatment for all, and without exception, we will aggressively prosecute any officer who beats an inmate, breaks the law and lies to federal investigators.” U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama said Miles’ actions were inexcusable. “Miles was a maverick, working outside the law,” said Beck. “While we expect interrogations to be thorough, an officer cannot turn an investigation into a punishment. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of our law enforcement officials act reasonably and within the bounds of the Constitution.” This case was investigated by the Auburn resident agency of the FBI’s Mobile Field Office with the assistance of Alabama’s State Bureau
Many a small
been
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rate from the general population of inmates. “(We are) torn between trying to keep them in a holding cell, versus putting them in a pod with 24 other individuals,” Franklin said. “But that does not work well because the 24 other individuals, they don’t understand that this gentleman’s got mental illness.” He described it as a “semi-dangerous situation.” “Unless we go back there and have a prayer meeting with everybody every time we’ve got a fellow that’s got mental illness and try to educate the inmates on what this guys personal issues are,” Franklin said. “And sir with all due respect that’s not done.” He said his policy was not to talk about the personal details of an inmate with another inmate. His goals in going to D.C. were in accord with the commissioner’s. “I hope to leave there with the fact that the United States government understands that we’ve got a severe problem down here in Alabama, and hopefully they’ll cut some grant money loose,” Franklin said. An added benefit to the county and taxpayers alike, Daniels Smoke said, was that the trip, lodging and even food are all ready paid for. According to its website The Stepping Up Initiative indicates the American Psychiatric Association Foundation will cover the participants’ costs. Daniels Smoke also noted that if the impact to county jails was this high, she could only think that there would be similar – if not greater – numbers of those suffering from mental illness in state prisons. Daniels Smoke said she wanted to bring back information that might be applied to recent prison reform efforts introduced into the Alabama Legislature by Gov. Robert Bentley last month.
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the same day by Sen. Lee “Trip” Pittman of Baldwin County and the following day into the House of Representatives by Rep. Steve Clouse of Dale and Houston counties. It is currently being considered in the respective House and Senate committees. Alabama Department of Corrections Public Information Officer Bob Horton said no decisions regarding the new locations would be made until APTIA had passed. Horton said legislation must be passed to determine the bond issue which would fund the transformation plan, including the new prisons, at around $800 million over 30 years.
Sentence
MARCH 31, 2016 • PAGE 3
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Kenneth Boone, Publisher Mitch Sneed, Editor Opinions expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the management of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
PAGE 4 • MARCH 31, 2016
OPINION
“Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” --Thomas Jefferson THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER
The Observer strives to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity, to take a leadership role and act as a positive influence in our community, to promote business, to provide for the welfare of our employees, to strive for excellence in everything we do and, above all, to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.
Does Bentley saga warrant a resignation?
B
efore he became governor, Robert Bentley was a little known member of the Alabama House of Representatives. He climbed aboard the state stage in 2010 with his folksy ways, his abhorrence of new taxes and his pledge not to accept his salary as governor until Alabama reached full employment. It was largely that pledge that appealed to Alabama voters and propelled Bentley to upset the odds-on Republican favorite Bradley Byrne before besting Democrat Ron Sparks in the general election. Today, the folksy Robert Bentley is no more. His wife, Dianne, ended their marriage of 50 years almost a year ago and rumors of a Bentley affair started to swirl. Last week the former director of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Spencer Collier, who Bentley had fired days before, said at a press conference he had seen sexually charged texts and heard similar conversations between Bentley and his senior political advisor, Rebekah Caldwell Mason. Bentley, however, has denied any “physical affair” with Mason. Still more information came out Monday. A story on a site called AlReporter.com cites sources claiming Bentley instructed members of law enforcement to use the National Crime Information Center and Legal Enforcement Tactical System databases to find damning information on persons who outed the governor’s relationship with Mason and Mason, at the governor’s direction, had access to almost all state assets, including state trooper transportation and the state airplane. NCIC and LETS are for responsible use by law enforcement in the course of their jobs. They are not to be used willy-nilly at the beck, call and direction of powerful politicians. If the accusations about Mason’s degree of access are true, it’s simply mind-boggling. And, depending on the reasons for her use of these, possibly illegal. If even half of the accusations about Bentley are true, he has behaved like an adolescent boy in pursuit of a first love. He has likely done great – if not irreparable damage – to two families. He has lost any reputation he had and has further sullied the reputation of the state the people who elected him hold dear. And it’s possible he’s broken the law and asked others to do likewise. None of this has been proven, but the hearsay is deafening. We have sex, lies and audiotapes. Do we need a resignation?
It’s time to remove the stigmas attached to mental illness
A
nxiety and depression: two words that are guaranteed to make “happy” people uncomfortable. Why? Because happy people don’t suffer from either. We’re happy and we may find it hard to register that not everyone gets to live with a free pass to happiness. It’s just not within everyone’s reach. This is a concept lost on many of us. After all, why can’t these people just be happy? Let’s crank it up a notch, shall we? Call to mind words like manic depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and now you’ve gone and made someone downright fearful and scared. After all, being around someone with bipolar disorder means they’re “crazy,” right? They are and therefore we should run for the hills. Us happy people need to stick together. The fact is, rather than looking at the fact doctors have long substantiated mental illness is indeed legitimate, we judge, and we assume. We stigmatize
LIZ ELY Guest Columnist
and we have no sympathy or understanding for those who must go to battle each day with such illnesses. Individuals who aren’t as “happy” as the rest of us are often confronted with distrust from peers, friends and family members. They are ostracized from their social circle in the blink of an eye. We theorize that perhaps they are “manipulative” by nature – are they merely faking this “illness” for attention? Of course we also think about how absolutely pitiful these individuals are. We idly gossip about their pitiful state as we sit proudly from our happy seats, full of disdain and dislike because these people just can’t get it together. Why can’t they get it together? Because they can’t, that’s why. Not without the help of a good doc-
tor and proper medication. The truth of the matter is that these illnesses cannot be prevented. Science has proven that. So why the stigmas and why the pitiful glares we give to those who are depressed or anxious? It’s certainly not their fault. Research has proven that it can be, in fact, hereditary. No one is to blame here, except genetics and chance. It’s strange to me that we still view this as taboo even though 43.8 million people suffer at least one serious case of mental illness annually. It’s still a foreign concept for some, and that’s to no one’s benefit. It’s time that we remove the shame. Remove the shame that we, in our happy seats, and even the sufferers have of not being able to get it together. Everybody is trying in some capacity to get it together. Tt’s just that some people’s problems go deeper than externals. Trust that no one wants to live a life of misery by choice. Instead of assuming someone is acting
“strange,” “moody,” or just plain “weird,” how about giving him or her the benefit of the doubt? Instead of assuming they can’t get it together, how about we acknowledge how brave they are for forging ahead when the odds are stacked against them? It takes a daily dose of courage to get through the day when you’re suffering from a mental illness, and we should acknowledge their bravery and be a support for them – allowing them to freely discuss what they’re dealing with and be open to understanding that while us happy folks don’t have this “problem,” it is something that is relatively normal. It’s time we remove the judgments, the assumptions and the stigmas. Let’s embrace those who struggle with something out of their control. Again, it’s no one’s fault. Happy people unite: it’s time to be a friend, not a foe. Liz Ely is a freelance writer for The Herald
Eclectic Observer The
334-567-7811 • Fax 334-567-3284 email: news@thewetumpkaherald.com THE ECLECTIC OBSERVER (005-022) is published weekly on Thursday by Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., 548 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, AL 35010. Periodical postage paid at Wetumpka, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Eclectic Observer, P.O. Box 99, Wetumpka, AL 36092-0099. ISSN # 1536688X. We reserve the right to refuse to print any advertisement, news story, photograph or any other material submitted to us for any reason or no reason at all. •Obituaries - $.25 per word per paper. Additional $15 charge for a photo per paper. (Herald, Weekend, Observer, Tribune). •Weddings/Engagements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a 2-column photo. •Birth Announcements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a photo. SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Year in Elmore, Tallapoosa or Coosa County: $25 One Year Elsewhere: $38 The publisher reserves the right to change subscription rates during the term of subscription at any time. To subscribe or if you miss your paper, call 256-234-4281. © 2016 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved and any reproduction of this issue is prohibited without the consent of the editor or publisher. ADMINISTRATION Kenneth Boone, publisher kenneth.boone@thewetumpkaherald.com Mitch Sneed, editor mitch.sneed@thewetumpkaherald.com NEWS John Peeler, managing editor John.Peeler@TheWetumpkaHerald.com. . . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 302 Corey Arwood, staff writer corey.arwood@thewetumpkaherald.com Carmen Rodgers, staff writer carmen.rodgers@thewetumpkaherald.com Cory Diaz, sports editor Cory.Diaz@TheWetumpkaHerald.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 306 SALES Jayne Carr, marketing consultant Jayne.Carr@TheWetumpkaHerald.com. . . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 313
Some exciting occurrences in this year's political race
T
his has been an exciting election year when it comes to presidential politics. It has been an extraordinarily unusual and unpredictable presidential contest to say the least, especially on the Republican side. The GOP race began with an extraordinarily large field. There were 17 candidates as the race began, all with exceptional credentials. The one with the least experience and political resume is the one left standing. One Donald J. Trump has been the story of the year. As we head into the last three months leading up to the nominating convention, conventional wisdom has Donald Trump being the Republican nominee and Hillary Clinton being the Democratic nominee. If that indeed is the case, you will have two brash New Yorkers pitted against each other with the probability of a Titanic, colorful dual headed into the fall campaign. It will be a fun show to watch. It will not be lacking for controversy, acrimony or entertainment. We will have been an important part of the nominating process here in the Heart of Dixie. On Super Tuesday we were a part of the nationwide momentum that probably propelled Trump and Clinton to their parties’ respective nominations. We seem to be
STEVE FLOWERS Guest Columnist
lockstep with the rest of the country as we have joined the Trump and Clinton trains. In the past several presidential election cycles we in the South have been different than the rest of the country, particularly on the GOP ledger. We have sided with the evangelical candidate in the race. Not so this year. We here in Alabama, as well as all of our sister southern states, chose Trump in a resounding fashion. Donald Trump, a less than humble, worldly casino owner and developer, won every Alabama county garnering 44 percent of the vote and collecting 36 of Alabama’s 50 delegates to the GOP convention. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the avowed evangelical candidate, was a distant second with 21 percent of the vote and will be allotted 13 delegates. Marco Rubio was third with 17 percent. Ben Carson got 10 percent and Governor Bentley’s choice, Ohio Governor John Kasich, received 4 percent. Trump’s campaign brought out a record turnout on primary election day, as well as a record-breaking crowd
in Madison/Huntsville the Sunday before the primaries. There were an estimated 25,000 people in attendance in Madison County, where our popular Junior U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions endorsed Trump. He had over 30,000 fans show up in Mobile when he first began his campaign last year. There have not been crowds that large in Alabama politics since the Wallace era. There were 60 percent more people voting in our Republican primary than in 2008 and 40 percent more than 2012. These 865,000 Republican votes cast in our GOP primary - a record - were primarily due to the fervor of the Trump campaign. Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton beat socialist Bernie Sanders 80 percent to 20 percent due largely to 90 percent support from Alabama’s African-American voters. There were 382,000 Democratic voters on March 1. Our Senior U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby won the Republican nomination to an unprecedented sixth six-year term with a very impressive victory. Shelby received 65 percent of the vote against four opponents. All four were political novices. However, getting 65 percent with four challengers is very strong. Four incumbent Republican Congresspersons,
who were challenged in the primary, won overwhelmingly. U.S. Representatives Robert Aderholt in the 4th district, Mike Rogers in the 3rd, Martha Roby in the 2nd, and Bradley Byrne in the 1st won big. Martha Roby and Bradley Byrne were challenged by extreme right wing candidates but prevailed impressively. PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh defeated challenger Terry Dunn by a 63 to 37 margin. She will continue at the helm of the three-member utility regulating panel. Longtime state school board members Stephanie Bell and Ella Bell, both of Montgomery, won reelection. Shelby County approved Sunday liquor sales by at 4 to 1 margin and two of the last dry counties in the state, Clay and Chilton, went wet. These two referendums portend how overwhelmingly Alabamians would vote in favor of the lottery/casino deal if allowed to vote on this issue. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. Steve may be reached at www. steveflowers.us.
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L
ike jokes? Try this one: A young boy stopped at the pastor’s office to give him a bag of donuts his mother had just cooked. The pastor looked in the bag and asked to boy to wait while he wrote a thank-you note for six donuts. The boy replied, “Do you think you could write it for a dozen?” That might not be the greatest joke of all time, but Easter is. Think about what a joke Easter is on Satan. For thousands of years, the joke was always on us humans. Satan convinced us that we could be gods, and we fell for it, hook. line and sinker. This “joke” brought sin and death into the world. Satan’s joke expanded as the people who cried, “Hosanna” on the road to Jerusalem, assembled at Pilate’s door just a few days later to shout, “Crucify him.” And, they did. How Satan must have laughed as they laid Jesus in the tomb!
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
MARCH 31, 2016 • PAGE 5
The greatest joke of all, is a joke on Satan REV. BOB HENDERSON Trinity Episcopal
But, just then, just when Satan thought he’d done it again, God pulled a fast one. On the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead and turned the devil’s joke back on him. As Jesus breathed in new life, God’s laughter must have boomed and resounded throughout the heavens and all the cosmos, as all the heavenly hosts joined Him in laughter at Satan’s expense. Laughing at the Devil even has a theological name: it is called the risus paschalis, “Easter laughter.” Easter is a great joke – the greatest joke of all time!! Easter reveals God as nothing else has ever done. Only God could draw the greatest good out of the
• Episcopal Church of the Epiphany There will be NO Sunday School on April 3. At 10:30 a.m. Father Wells Warren will celebrate the Holy Eucharist, with coffee hour to follow. For more information, visit the church website: http://epiphanytallassee.org/ • St. Vincent de Paul April 3 - Patrick Lencioni “Living a Christian Life in a Secular World Part 1” April 10 - Patrick Lencioni “Living a Christian Life in a Secular World Part 2” OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY is a service of St. Vincent de Paul Church and airs weekly from 8:00-8:30 a.m. on 580 WACQ and FM 101.1 in Tallassee. Listen Live on www. wacqradio.com or the TuneIn app on your smartphone. The pastor of St. Vincent de Paul is Monsignor Charles Troncale. • Elam Baptist Church MICHAEL FICCIANI IN CONCERT on Sunday, April 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Michael is an excelled baritone soloist of Waterloo, Iowa. You will be blessed by his ministry in music. Join us. Everyone invited. Visitors always welcome. • House of love and Mercy Will be celebrating their 16-year anniversary. The celebration will be a 2-day event beginning Friday, April 29 at
greatest evil. Jesus’ resurrection turned the tables on death. It was the ultimate joke on Satan and death! Death is a disturbing thing. For much of human history (and today) people have had an attitude toward death somewhat like Woody Allen’s: “It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Where death had once been disquieting and fearful, the resurrection shows, as one Sunday School student put: “When you die, God takes care of you like your parents did when you were alive . . . only God doesn’t yell at you all the time.” The risus paschalis is the last laugh on evil and a joyous celebration of God’s triumph. The greatest joke of all time was God’s. So, how come we’re not laughing? The early Christians did – laugh that is. The Monday after Easter was the early Church’s
Religion Briefs
equivalent of April Fool’s Day which they called “Bright Monday.” People flocked to churches to tell jokes, play pranks, eat, sing and dance, throw water on their priest and each other. They laughed at Satan, they laughed at themselves, and they laughed in the joy of the resurrection joke. Unfortunately, during the Middle Ages (also called “The Dark Ages”), we Christians forgot the joke. Penance replaced joy, remorse replaced laughter and churches became gloomy, somber places. Our churches and church services desperately need to recover this spirit of joy and fun. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. (Luke 6:22). Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified, is the time to weep; Easter is the time to laugh. When we think of what Jesus has done for us; when we think how surprised the devil must
6pm. The speaker for this great occasion will be Marsha Jean Evans (known as MJ) who used to reside in HOLM and is now a great supporter who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On Saturday, April 30 from 9am-12pm the HOLM will hold a silent auction to benefit the HOLM. Looking for a great time and looking forward for women that used to reside in the program as well as many people who live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Westside Baptist Church Services are Sunday a.m. 10a.m. 11a.m. and 6p.m. Wednesday night prayer and Bible study 7p.m. All are invited. • Providence Progressive Primitive Baptist Church Providence Progressive Primitive Baptist Church, at 4850 Chana Creek Rd., Tallassee, invites you to our annual spring meeting. The services will be March 29, 30, and 31st beginning at 7 p.m. each night. Elder Keith Hamilton, from the Upper Black Creek Church in Brooklet, GA, will be the guest speaker. Please plan to join us each evening as we worship in message and music • Word of Life Baptist Church Community News We would like to invite you to join us on these Mondays: March 7th, March 14th, and March 21st, at the Word of Life Baptist Church for our Community Celebrations. There
have been on Easter morning, smiles should be the norm, not the exception. And not just smiles, not just chuckles, but laughs – deep, loud, infectious belly laughs; the laughs of a people free from sin, free from death, free in the joy and love of a God who loves a joke as much as he loves us. Easter and Bright Monday are Holy April Fool’s days. The joke is on the devil, who thought Jesus was dead for good (or for evil, I guess). Easter shows that evil is no match for God as the resurrection made the devil a laughingstock. Lets not loose that joy, or that laughter. This Easter, have a good laugh. By the way, did you hear the one about . . . Rev. Bob Henderson is the rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Wetumpka.
will be special speakers each night with great music and refreshments. This will be a time of fellowship and worship for our community. Our regular Sunday Services are Sunday School 9:30 am, and Morning Worship at 10:30 am. Our Wednesday Night Activities are at 6:30 pm. • East Tallassee United Methodist Church The “River’s Edge Flea Market” is open every Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. All vendors are welcome: new items, old items, crafts, youth groups, ball teams, baked goods, produce and food. The flea market is sponsored by the East Tallassee UMC and is located across from City Hall. We will offer various priced booths. To reserve a space call Joan Wood at 334-312-4913. All proceeds raised by ETUMC will be used for church-sponsored programs. • St. John All Nations Pentecostal Foundation Church 3495 Hwy 14 Notasulga, AL 36866. Minister Alma Purter, Pastor. Welcome, welcome, welcome! We look forward to your presence. Program committee: Sis. Brenda Moss 334-401-0706, Sis. Linda Pullium 334-209-3208 and Sis. Judy Moss. • Beulah Baptist Church At Beulah, here is our schedule of services: Contemporary Service 8:30 a.m.
Area Church Services Agapé Assembly of God Hwy. 63 North Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Sunday Evening Worship 6 p.m. Wednesday Night Service 7 p.m. Balm of Gilead Sunday School 10 a.m. Worship Service 11 a.m. Bethlehem East Baptist Church Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11 a.m. Discipleship Training 5 p.m. Evening Worship 6 p.m. Wednesday Evening 7 p.m. Beulah Missionary Baptist Church P.O. Box 130, Eclectic 36024 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Worship Services 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday Services 6 p.m. Friday Services 6 p.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible Class 1st Tuesday Prayer Meeting 6 p.m. Central Baptist Church Sunday School 10 a.m. Worship Service 11 a.m. Adult Choir Practice 5 p.m. Evening Worship Service 6 p.m. Wednesday: Children, Youth and Adult Bible Study/Prayer Meeting 6:30 p.m. Central United Methodist Church Sunday Morning 9:30 a.m.
Chaney Creek Primitive Baptist Church Every Sunday except 2nd Sunday 10:30 a.m. Saturday before 2nd Sunday 10:30 a.m. Chapel United Methodist Church Services 2nd and 4th Sunday 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 2nd and 4th 9:15 a.m. Sunday School 1st, 3rd and 5th 10 a.m. Claud Independent Methodist Church 81232 Tallassee Hwy Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m. Evening Worship 6 p.m. Wednesday Prayer and Bible Study 7 p.m. Eclectic First Baptist Church Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:45 a.m. Discipleship Training 5 p.m. Wednesday: Meal 5:30 p.m. Youth, Children and Adult Studies and Activities 6:15 p.m. Eclectic United Methodist Church 1035 Main Street Morning Service 10:50 a.m. Evening Service 6 p.m. Wednesday: Meal 5:30 p.m. Service 6:30 p.m.
Georgia Road Church of Christ 4003 Georgia Road Sunday: Morning Bible Study 9 a.m. Morning Worship 10 a.m. Evening Worship 5 p.m. Wednesday: Mid-Week Bible Study 7 p.m. Good Hope Baptist Church 1766 S. Fleahop Road Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Discipleship Training 5 p.m. Evening Worship 6 p.m. Wednesday: Prayer Service 7 p.m. TeamKID and “R.U.S.H” Youth Celebration 6:30 p.m. Healing Waters Church of God 1639 Kowaliga Road Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Evening Worship 6 p.m. Wednesday: Family Training Hour 7 p.m. Kendrick Memorial Baptist Church Hwy. 9 Nixburg Sunday School 10 a.m. Worship Service 11 a.m. Mt. Hebron Church of Christ 4530 Mt. Hebron Road Sunday: Morning Bible Study 10 a.m. Morning Worship 11 a.m. Evening Worship 6 p.m. Wednesday:
Mid-Week Bible Study 7 p.m. Mt. Hebron East Baptist Church Sunday School 10 a.m. Sunday Worship 11 a.m. Wednesday: Children in Action 6:30 p.m. Bible Study and Prayer Meeting 6:30 p.m. First Wednesday of Month Potluck supper, Bible study and prayer meeting, 6 p.m. Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Sunday: Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m. Evening Worship 5:30 p.m. Wednesday: Bible Study and Prayer Meeting 6:30 p.m. Adult Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. Prospect Baptist Church Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Worship Service 11 a.m. Discipleship Training 6 p.m. Worship Service 7 p.m. Wednesday: Bible Study and Teen Kid 6:30 p.m. Refuge Baptist Church 3098 Red Hill Road Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m. Rock Springs Baptist Church 375 Rigsby Rd, Tallassee AL 334-283-1156
Submit your church calendar items and events to: thewetumpkaherald.com
Rushenville Baptist Church 10098 Georgia Road Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11 a.m. Children’s Choir 5 p.m. Bible Study 6 p.m. GA’s, RA’s 6 p.m. Adult Choir Practice 6:45 p.m. Wednesday: Bible Study and Prayer Meeting 6 p.m. Salem Road Baptist Church 12 Old Salem Road Sunday School 10 a.m. Worship Service 11 a.m. Sunday Night Services 6 p.m. Wednesday Evening Prayer 7 p.m. Providence Primitive Baptist Church 4850 Chana Creek Road Bible Study 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 10:45 a.m. Evening Worship 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Prayer and Praise 7 p.m. Union No. 2 Missionary Baptist Church PO Box 240452 Eclectic, AL 36024 Sunday School - 10 a.m. Morning Worship - 11:15 Tuesday Bible Study - 6 p.m. Watson Chapel Congregation 2223 East Cotton Road Sunday School 10 a.m. Morning Worship 11 a.m.
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continued from page 1
designee, would set down at the end of the election, for example on April 12 and compare their tapes with the tapes that the probate office has,� said Faulk. He said, had that measure been in place, the error that nearly resulted in a runoff between himself and his opposition, Steve Livingston and Johnny Ford for the District 4 seat would have been caught the night of the elections as opposed to a week later. County Engineer, Richie Beyer, said in the past his department had received $100,000 annually through a grant program with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for right-of-way clean up programs. However after budget cuts in the last two legislative cycles, Beyer said that was ended and another grant program for $125,000 over two-anda-half years was developed. He said most of the grant agreements end at the end of the month, and if the Commission approved would allow them to receive up to $100K. However, Beyer said they do not typically receive the maximum amount.
“This will not impact us, it will help keep us with our litter crews and our cleanup and cleaning up the right-of-ways,� said Beyer to the Commission. Another item later approved was what Grace McDuffie, county administrator explained as sort of housekeeping details needed for a grant agreement to secure payroll funding for the Central Alabama Drug Task Force, in which McDuffie said the CADTF required a budget amendment to report the funding to be qualified for the grant. The 2016 Local Road Program, of the Highway Department, which lists the roads that are scheduled to receive work in the current year, was also approved. And, what was called, “bond issue parameters,� on the countywide energy upgrade and modernization effort in county facilities was approved. Beyer gave the update as to what companies his department had received information back from regarding interest on the bond and the multi-million dollar renovation project.
MARCH 31, 2016 • PAGE 7
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Cory Diaz Sports Editor Phone 334-567-7811 sports@thewetumpkaherald.com
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Brown K’s 17, Bulldogs bully Panthers for area lead By CORY DIAZ The Wetumpka Herald
Holtville’s Bradley Brown slashed through Elmore County’s lineup, striking out 17 to lead his team to the Class 4A, Area 5 series rivalry win, 2-1, Tuesday at Tony J. McGhee Field. The starting senior lefthander recorded the final 10 outs, including striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh, to fend off any potential rally from its rival on the road and giving the Bulldogs a crucial 1-0 series advantage over the Panthers. “It was the best feeling ever,” Brown said of how he felt after fanning ECHS senior Nathan Taylor for his 17th strikeout, and the final out. “I just wanted to get the three outs as quick as I could. I just didn’t want to let them put it in play and strike them out. “I want to just do my best and give (my team) a chance to win.” With runners in scoring position, Brown gave up just one hit and struck out eight to stave off Elmore County for the victory. His counterpart, sophomore Jonathan Stiff, kept the Panthers within striking distance, pitching a complete game and surrendering two runs on five hits, while fanning two. “Bradley did a really good job of getting ahead of hitters, keeping them off balance the whole time,” ECHS head baseball coach Wendell Jackson said. “Stiff did a good job the majority of the game with that. He got behind some hitters, but he showed some competitive nessabout battling back because he was in situations, too. He pitched out of them. “We expected a close ballgame. You couldn’t ask for any more out of either pitcher. We just didn’t get the timely hit. It was a classic, and you hope you repeat it tomorrow as far as playing that hard and playing that well.”
Cory Diaz / The Observer
Elmore County senior first baseman Josh Wilson (5) tags out Holtville senior rightfielder Ryan Carney (14) running down the first-base line during Tuesday’s Class 4A, Area 5 series opener at Tony J. McGhee Field.
Defense thwarted the offenses most of the day, headlined by Elmore County’s four double plays along with the pitching performances, as both clubs tried to make the most of their offense. Holtville seized the early lead in the top of the first. After a leadoff double from senior shortstop Brandon Dunn, senior catcher Hunter Roberts drove Dunn home two batters later on one of his game-high two hits, putting HHS ahead.
The Panthers got the back in the bottom of the third when senior designated hitter Shannon Darnell made the Bulldogs defense pay with an RBI single, bringing home junior Chandler Falks, who reached on an error to open the frame. “I don’t necessarily think them scoring first put us down, it put us behind the 8-ball. But our kids responded, we had runners on most of the day,” Jackson said. “We tried to put pressure on them,
frustrate them, I think we did a little bit.” In the fifth, junior Austin Lankford led off with a hit and came around to score the eventual game-winning run on a passed ball. “We only put two up, but they were big,” Brown said. “I don’t think we hit as good as we can, but we did enough to win.” Elmore County traveled to Holtville Wednesday to close out the series.
Panthers tie Park Crossing in defensive tussle By CORY DIAZ The Wetumpka Herald
Behind a stingy back line, Elmore County earned its third straight positive result Tuesday, drawing with Park Crossing, 0-0, at BurtHaynie Field. Since winning their first match of the season March 10 against Tallassee, the Panthers (1-3-2) have taken a pair of Class 6A teams, Stanhope Elmore and Park Crossing down to the wire. “The last few games our defense has been playing really well,” ECHS junior keeper Spencer Andrews said. “Terrance (Palmore) in the middle, he’s really holding it down for us, playing good. My defense helps me narrow down the angles to where I can
tell where the ball, generally, where it’s going. So my defense helps me out with that. “At the beginning, it took us a while to get the chemistry going. But as we’re going, we’re playing more as a team.” Elmore County sat back on defense in the first half against Park Crossing as Andrews had six saves, finished with nine, along with the Elmore County defense fighting off four Thunderbird corner kicks. “It was intentional,” senior forward Malik Settles said. “We were just trying to see what they had and trying to feel them out in the beginning – if we could attack them, and we could.” Settles had his team’s lone chance in the first
40, sending a shot off the crossbar off ECHS’s lone corner in the first half in the 29th minute. The Panthers came out of halftime more offensive-minded, as they controlled the ball and garnered three shots-ongoal, two from junior Jeb Ballard and one from junior Joshua Stockman, while the defense limited Park Crossing to just two chances. “Our offense was just scattered around,” Stockman said on why the Panthers couldn’t finish. “The through balls weren’t really going through. We didn’t have enough possession in the final half, and we just didn’t have enough shots really. The defense did a great job. They had a great game. A couple of the other games have
Cory Diaz / The Observer
Elmore County junior midfielder Joshua Stockman (17) slides to block a pass during Tuesday’s match versus Park Crossing at Burt-Haynie Field.
been pretty rough, but they really stepped it up this game.” Settles said the strong showing against a talented Thunderbird team will help ECHS as it enters the meat of its slate with area matches. “I just think this is a
game that’s preparing us for our region games that we have next week. I think we’ll be ready for it,” Settles said. Turning its sights to a Class 4A-5A, Area 5 tilt, Stockman said the Panthers have their goal already set.
“Our team has never been to the playoffs, so that’s a really big goal for us this year. We’ve been really trying to play hard against the region teams and stepping up.” ECHS travels to Tallassee April 5.
Lady T-Birds down Lady Panthers ECHS falls to Brew Tech on By CORY DIAZ The Wetumpka Herald
Ball control led Park Crossing to shutout Elmore County, 3-0, Tuesday at Burt-Haynie Field. The Lady Panthers’ search for that elusive first win on the season continues, as the young side struggled to piece together passes in its first match back from Spring Break. “We’re still not there on where we need to be in making those passes in the crowd, under pressure with the defense,” first-year ECHS girls soccer coach Jared Jones said. “Park Crossing handles the ball well, and kept it away from
us on their offense end most of the night. “The first half, out of 35 minutes, probably 25 of them were on our defensive end. Second half, we did have more chances, just didn’t get it in close enough to get a pass in the middle and have an open shot.” A “little lull” in the defense allowed Park Crossing to net two goals in the first half, an insurmountable deficit for a Lady Panther team that’s had trouble scoring all season long. “Other than a little lull in the first half, I thought we played pretty good. It really probably should’ve been a 1-0 game,” Jones said. “We just have trouble scor-
ing. We’ve had that all year. Our ball handlers are just young.” With one more game left before entering its Class 4A-5A, Area 5 slate that starts with county rival Holtville April 7, Elmore County looks to tune up its offense to make a run back to the playoffs. “That’s why this game tonight and the one (Alabama Christian Academy) Friday are so important to give us a tune-up before we go into area play next week. We’d like to win one going into area, but ultimately Marbury and Holtville are the only ones we’ve got to win.”
the road
By CORY DIAZ The Wetumpka Herald
Brew Tech’s offense brought bigger bats, outhitting Elmore County 11 to six en route to winning, 12-9, in a back-and-forth affair Tuesday. In a game that saw four lead changes, the Lady Rams spread its offense around, with all but one batter getting a hit. Half of the Lady Panthers’ six hits came from senior shortstop and University of Alabama signee Elissa Brown, who finished 3-for-3 with a team-high two RBIs and three runs scored. Junior Joselyn Pennic and eighthgrader Gracie Forte led Brew Tech with three and two RBIs, respectively, while senior Taelor Osborne went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. Elmore County’s pitching staff
couldn’t get a handle on the Lady Rams’ offense, as starter Kierra Harden was chased after giving up four runs off as many hits in two innings. Sophomore Nicole Ferpes threw one inning, relinquishing two runs, and freshman Alyssa Beam took the loss in relief, allowing six runs in three innings-pitched off five hits. Pennic pitched for the win for Brew Tech, striking out nine in the complete game effort. Freshman catcher Mackenzie Lewis garnered two hits for ECHS, while Beam had an RBI hit and freshman outfielder Destiny Duckett had a sacrifice RBI and scored a run. The Lady Panthers (7-11) open Class 4A, Area 5 play, hosting Dadeville today at 6 p.m.