INSIDE TODAY
Community events
Inside, Page 2
AHSAA issues fines to local high schools
Lessons learned in the garden
Sports, Page 12
Opinion, Page 4
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • JULY 6, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 118, NO.24
School board discusses Redland expansion By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Elmore County School Board heard from two specialists, an architect and engineering firm as well as an area demographics specialist, in regard to school capacities and space usage for the county, but particularly for Redland schools. At a recent school board meeting, close to an hour and a half was devoted solely to the topic, which was introduced by Bruce Christian, BOE superintendent assistant for special projects along with and Claire Moore, interim assistant superintendent elementary schools/federal programs.
They were said to be the “co-facilitators” working with the Redland Elementary School Study Group. A representative with the engineering firm Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc., gave a lengthy presentation to the board about what was called a “facility assessment.” Freddie Lynn Jr,, spoke about his group’s history performing the research for various school systems and state departments. He gave a well over 30 minute presentation and showed the board what other schools had done under set circumstances with scenarios involving their desired school sizes and limits, regarding student number. “When we’re evaluating the capacity of the school
we’ve got to understand what are the limits that Elmore County wants to set on this classroom with the difference from the state, that’s one of the first steps,” said Lynn. He said once his group went through the different scenarios they would then identify which facility would require new expansions. They would document everything by photograph code and growth issues, Lynn said, and look at variables like number of floors, students, grade levels, staff and enrollment. Lynn said they put together the information but do not make recommendations. See SCHOOLS • Page 5
Marina held four day festival for holiday weekend
Troopers probe eight traffic fatalities over holiday weekend By MITCH SNEED Editor
Alabama State Troopers investigated eight traffic deaths during the extended Fourth of July weekend, which was from Friday, July 1, to midnight Monday, July 4. Troopers assigned to Marine Patrol, however, reported no boating fatalities. During the 96-hour holiday traveling period, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) partnered with local law enforcement agencies to bolster traffic enforcement in an effort to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities. In addition, ALEA participated in this season’s safety campaigns Drive Sober See FATALITIES • Page 3
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By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Independence Day Elmore County Style
Corey Arwood / The Herald
Top, the group Wishbone performs for attendees of Wetumpka’s Fourth of July celebration at Gold Star Park. Right, p articipants enjoy a beach volleyball game Monday night at Lake Jordan as part of the Fourth of July festivities.
Lake Jordan Marina held a four-day festival for the Fourth of July, with live music, beach volleyball, and traditional luau theme parties that were said to have kept rocking long into the nights of the holiday weekend. The marina’s owner, Cliff Willcutt, said this year’s theme was Hala Kahiki, and was filled with “a lot of beach volleyball, a lot of fun” and “beautiful weather.” He said Friday through Sunday, each night there was a 4-hour outdoor live show of concerts from three bands. The first show Willcutt said was a Montgomery band, Charlie C and the Cuzamtics, followed Saturday by a band out of Nashville, Tenn., called Telluride. Lastly he said “River Dan” concluded the live shows on Sunday. A local Italian restaurant, Folcarelli’s Pizza, out of Montgomery catered the event out of a 18-wheeler they had parked at the marina. See FOURTH • Page 3
Wetumpka native, author returns home for book signing Saturday By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
This weekend a Wetumpka born author has scheduled a book signing and author’s chat, to be followed by a speaking event held at a local church for her work, which she described as an inspirational memoir. A 2002 graduate of Wetumpka High School, Torrie Chatman, said she left soon after graduating to get married and shortly after went into the military She said she was about 19 years old
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when she was first married, however she said it would not last and would be followed by another unsuccessful marriage. At 32, Chatman said her book, Bruised But Not Broken, chronicles her struggles to escape a cycle of domestic strife, which she said stemmed troubling events in her childhood. “I’ve dealt with some child abuse, I’m a two time divorcee, and just realized I kept repeating the same cycle, different See SIGNING • Page 5
Submitted / The Herald
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