Holtville High School basketball coach arrested

By Cliff Williams Staff Writer

When Country Financial told agent Lani Hudgins it had a donation to help first responders in the Wetumpka area, she knew the right place to go.

community.”

Hudgins should know. Many in her family have and are involved in law enforcement across the Southeast.

Operation Helping Heroes is a program from Country Financial to provide funding for essential equipment, supplies and support for heroes in the community.

A virtual teacher at Elmore County School’s Edge program has been arrested and charged with school employee distributing obscene material to a student.

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Emmanuel Andre Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery turned himself into authorities Tuesday afternoon.

Wilson was the head basketball coach at Holtville High School and was placed on administrative leave Jan. 13 according to Elmore County Schools superintendent Richard Dennis.

“My husband is a former police officer in Montgomery,” Hudgins said. “He went through the academy [in Montgomery] in 1995 and we went down to Florida. He was a deputy in Pinellas County. Now we are back in Alabama.” investigation and handed it off to the appropriate authorities. He was also placed on administrative leave at that time.” is now dating a police officer in North Carolina. He just graduated from the academy.”

Wetumpka deputy police chief Ed Reeves thanked Hudgins for the support. “We greatly appreciate it,” Reeves said.

Franklin said investigators with the Elmore County Sher iff’s Office have the alleged vic tim’s phone. Authorities collect ed Wilson’s phone as well.

“They said, ‘We have this available and it’s for heroes,” Hudgins said. “The only heroes I think of really are police officers. I know what they do for the

Dennis said school officials follow the same procedure when administrators receive a report of allegations against school staff and employees.

Hudgins joked about the police department trying to cash the check she brought for pictures — the big cardboard one.

Now Hudgins’ husband is a volunteer firefighter in Elmore County but she still has current ties to law enforcement.

“We had a report,” Dennis said. “We had a preliminary

“My brother in law is a police officer in Florida,” Hudgins said. “My daughter

“Once we hand it over, we know very little about what is going on,” Dennis said. “We cooperate with authorities if necessary.”

“I have a big check but have a real check as well,” Hudgins said. “It’s my honor to be able to help y’all. I want to be able to give back to the community.”

“You could see a conversa tion between the two,” Frank lin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”