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THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • AUGUST 3, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 118, NO.28
Monday council meeting focuses on projects
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The development of city projects was the primary focus of a nearly two-hour long city council meeting Monday where a number of city officials appeared to go on the defensive against a council member and his inquiry into the matter. Instead of regular agenda items, most of the meeting turned into a time to answer questions from councilmember Percy Gill regarding a number of projects undertaken by the city in District 2. A specialist from every department at question appeared to be on hand as Mayor Jerry Willis turned over one question after another to various city officials
associated with the projects. The public works director, Tex Grier, was the most utilized resource, along with City Attorney Regina Edwards. However County Engineer Richie Beyer was also present to take questions about the progress of about three road development projects, one of which near Gossom Switch was said to be completed while those in the areas of South Pine and Outhlacoochee streets were said to be awaiting contractors, who were expected to begin work around the third week in August, Beyer said. The second item, which Willis read from the line of questioning, was in regard to the completion date of the little league football field at the MLK Jr. Recreation
and Multicultural Center. It was the details about this project, and others related to the center, which drew the most discussion from council members and city officials and appeared to result in a full-fledged city defensive directed toward Gill’s questioning. A council member, Greg Jones, of District 5, even said he did not want to see in “the paper” that anyone was questioning the progress of the project after he had been in talks with Grier last Friday discussing the progress of the renovations. However, after the meeting, a District 2 resident did just that and raised his concerns over the rate at See COUNCIL • Page 3
Wetumpka student spends three weeks on European excursion
Staffing, super salary raise center of school board meeting By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
At the last Elmore County Board of Education meeting talks on issues regarding staffing issues, the superintendent’s salary and the hiring of a new CSFO were among the items given the most attention by board members. During the address made by Superintendent Andre Harrison, he said that the issues in Elmore County School System were part of a larger trend in resignations from newly hired staff members. “This is pervasive throughout the state, or widespread throughout the state, for some reason so many people are committing to jobs or for positions and they are resigning and going to other counties,” said Harrison. He said just 30 minutes See EDUCATION • Page 3
Today’s
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By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
William Carroll / The Herald
Elmore County Superintendent Dr. Andre Harrison (center) poses with graduating dogs from last year’s ceremony that are now in Elmore County Schools as part of Service Dogs Alabama.
SDA graduates new service animals By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Service Dogs Alabama will be holding its graduation ceremony in Montgomery on Sunday and two area students will be receiving dogs as part of the ceremony. SDA is a 501(c)(3) organization, which provides trained service dogs free of charge to disabled children, veterans and first responders throughout Alabama. Dogs utilized in the program are trained for a variety of needs including seizure alert,
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See EUROPE • Page 3
Red Hill event draws large crowd, raises funds for renovation By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
THURSDAY: HIGH 94 LOW 73
diabetic alert, stability, wheelchair assistance and for post traumatic stress disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome. According to information from SDA, facility dogs have been placed in Elmore County schools to reduce stress in classrooms as well as promote inclusion and participation. Elmore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Andre Harrison will actually be one of the speakers at Sunday’s event, which will be held at the Wilson Auditorium at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts at 2 p.m. See SERVICE • Page 5
A Wetumpka High School student will return to school with a lengthy list of stories to tell from a nearly threeweek long trip to Europe, where he visited five countries and a host of historic sites over the summer vacation. The 16-year-old WHS junior said his group landed in Paris and went out on a 19-day excursion across the continent visiting Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Vatican City along their way. After a 10-hour flight, arriving in France, at roughly 6 a.m., the first day was kind of a blur of activity, Dalton White said. “It was different, I kind of didn’t know what was going on at the time,” said White. “As soon as we got off the plane we were gone for that day.” White was taking the trip as a youth ambassador with People to People International, of the Dwight Eisenhower Foundation. He said was there with a group of
A very large crowd greeted those in attendance Saturday night at the old Red Hill School building as part of a benefit concert to help raise funds for a new roof for the school building, which is now used as a community center. The Red Hill Community Club put the event on and Club President Paula Castleberry said
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that the event generated $2,100, which will go toward the cost of the new roof. The concert event included music by Cecil Malone & Montgomery Junction, Cowboy, Bill and Company and The Kevin Adair Band. Previously, Castleberry said that the group had raised approximately $9,000 for the roof repair and that the estimated cost to replace the roof See RED HILL • Page 3
William Carroll / The Herald
A full house came to hear live country music Saturday at the Red Hill Community Club located at the old Red Hill School. Pictured is Cecil Malone and Montgomery Junction, one of the three acts on tap for the fundraiser.
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