INSIDE
SPORTS
Stamp Out Hunger food drive returns May 14 Page A9
INSIDE
Area softball tournaments begin Page A7
First annual Gumbo Get Down successful Page A3
THE RECORD Serving the Dadeville & Lake Martin area since 1897
WWW.THEDADEVILLERECORD.COM
VOL. 126, NO. 18
THIS IS ONLY A DRILL By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer How does a plan come together when disaster strikes? It’s not split-second decision making or having a huge bank of resources at the ready. Pre-planning and practice can be the key to a successful recovery when the real thing happens. Tragedy struck Tallapoosa County Tuesday in the form of a tornado striking the Adams Water Filter plant in Alexander City and Camp ASCCA. Only it wasn’t the real thing — it was a practice to see how a large-scale res-
cue and recovery operation could be performed. Scattered across the Camp ASCCA site were students from Benjamin Russell and Edward Bell Career Technical Center performing the role of casualties and victims. “Access to Camp ASCCA by road was cut off because the stormed downed multiple trees,” Tallapoosa County Emergency Management Association (EMA) director Jason Moran said. “In that scenario the best way to get there is by water.” First responders left the boat ramp at Coley Creek and traveled to the camp searching its
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022
$1.00
First responders practice for disaster
shorelines and facilities. Along the way they found the walking wounded, victims in wheelchairs and simulated fatalities. The idea was to create the environment a mass casualty event. “The simulation involved multiple state and local agencies,” Tallapoosa County Emergency Management Association (EMA) director Jason Moran said. “There was also search and rescue to find missing victims.” The Alabama Law EnforceCLIFF WILLIAMS | THE RECORD ment Agency had helicopters Officers with the Alexander City Police Department help with response during a disaster drill Tuesday at Camp ASCCA.The drill was responding to a simulated tornado touchdown See DRILL, Page A12 at the Adams Water Filter Plant and Camp ASCCA.
Boat operator dies after going overboard Staff Report TPI Staff Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division are investigating an incident which occurred at approximately 5 p.m. Saturday that claimed the life of a Pell City man. A 30-foot Sea Ray Sundancer was traveling eastbound on Kowaliga Bay in the main body on Lake Martin between Castaway Island and Wares Slough when the operator went overboard. Another vessel in the area recovered the victim from the water and transported him to the Kowaliga public ramp adjacent to Highway 63 where he was pronounced deceased. The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Russell Lands Security and Kowaliga Volunteer Fire Department also responded to assist. No further information is available at this time, as ALEA Marine Patrol Troopers continue to investigate. WILLIAM MARLOW | THE RECORD
CDC finds possible link between adenovirus and hepatitis in Alabama children By KAITLIN FLEMING Managing Editor Nine Alabama children have become ill with a seemingly mysterious case of hepatitis and two of the children now need liver transplants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC announced Friday that it believes it may have uncovered the cause for the cases — adenovirus. Adenovirus causes a variety of illnesses, including the common cold, bronchitis, pneumonia and conjunctivitis. The nine children who fell ill with hepatitis, which is an inflammatory condition of the liver, were previously healthy and between the ages of one and six. According to the findings released Friday, the children have either recovered or are on the road to recovery. The CDC began ruling out possible causes after the first cases started cropping up in the state this last fall. It ruled out hepatitis A, B and C; COVID-19; autoimmune hepatitis and Wilson disease. All nine children, who were diagnosed with hepatitis since last fall, tested positive for adenovirus while six tested positive for Epstein-Barr virus but did not have antibodies, meaning they had an earlier infection that was not active. Lab tests showed some of the children had adenovirus See HEPATITIS, Page A12
Weather
88 66 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.27
Reported on 05/04/22 at 10 a.m.
Dadeville city and community members officially welcomed Cottage Creations, a new artisan retail store located along West Cusseta Street, to the city with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
FROM DAYTON TO DADEVILLE
Cottage Creations celebrates grand opening with ribbon-cutting “That this could be a possibility, opening a store, and supporting other artisans here. I think we are just paying it forward and bringing a bit of Dayton to Dadeville.”
By WILLIAM MARLOW Multimedia Reporter
D
adeville city and community members officially welcomed Cottage Creations, a new artisan retail store, to the city with a ribboncutting ceremony Tuesday. During the ceremony, members of the Dadeville Chamber of Commerce used the occasion to welcome the business to the city. The new business is located along West Cusseta Street. Store owners Jay and Tena Hawkins describe their new business as a showcase of local artisans and their products, with their variety of goods including items like coffee, chocolates, jewelry, organic soaps and handmade home decor — all of which is locally-made. The store’s owners are among Tallapoosa County’s newest residents, but Tena’s history in Alabama dates back much farther. As a child, Hawkins moved around frequently due to his father’s position as a pastor. Tena lived twice in Alabama while growing up before moving to
— Tena Hawkins
Dayton, Ohio permanently for several decades. Last year, however, Tena began missing her southern roots and thus relocated to Stillwaters. While in Dayton, Tena had been working as a repurposer and began searching for a similar business after moving to Tallapoosa County. “The seed had already been planted, but I didn’t ever think it would come to fruition. So when we moved here, I was actually looking for a job,” Tena said. “When I came to get my hair cut, I saw a lease sign in the yard and poked my head up against the window and looked through and the dream kinda sparked.” Now, with the ribbon cut and her
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business officially open, Tena added that dream is nearly realized. “That this could be a possibility, opening a store, and supporting other artisans here. I think we are just paying it forward and bringing a bit of Dayton to Dadeville,” she said. Even though Tena hasn’t lived in Alabama since as child, she still recalls the state’s southern hospitality, and added that Dadeville and Tallapoosa County embody that spirit very much. “Everyone is so friendly. Our family cannot say enough about how welcing this community has been. Everyone has gone out their way to help us,” Tena said. Molly Parker, the chamber’s executive assistant, said that the chamber is excited for the Hawkins to join the community and described their store as a good addition to Dadeville’s downtown shopping district. “We are very excited for this new artisan shop. We wish the owner, Tena Hawkins, great success. We are so happy she has brought this shop to our area,” Parker said.