INSIDE TODAY
Community Events
Inside, Page 2
Edgewood gets new head football coach
‘What exactly is the role of a newspaper?’
Sports, Page 12
Opinion, Page 4
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • JUNE 22, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 118, NO.22
City agrees to third year with law group By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The Wetumpka City Council recently agreed to sign another contract with a law firm for what city officials say are its legal counsel and lobbying efforts, however outspoken critics said the move was a bad investment of taxpayer dollars after years of little to no results. The council voted to sign another 12-month contract with Adams and Reese LLP at $70,000, which will be its third year with what is described as a multidisciplinary law firm said to have locations throughout the south and in Washington D.C.
While the council was voting on the idea, it was met by vocal opposition from at least one council member, Percy Gill of District 2, and was voted against by another, Steve Gantt of District 4. However, in the meetings the mayor was a vocal proponent of the move to sign another contract, along with council member Greg Jones of District 5, both of whom touted what they said was the firm’s reach into the nation and state’s capitols, in terms of affecting legislation and acquiring grants. Both recently restated their support of hiring Adams and Reese for another year and claimed once more that the benefits outweigh the costs.
One main reason stated by both Willis and Jones for having the firm’s representation was to alert the city to possible grants which local officials were not aware of. Another reason given was the firm’s ability to lobby for legislation at the state and national level that they said would benefit the city. However, Gill said no grant had yet been secured through the firm. And neither Willis nor Jones said they knew of any specific grant the city acquired with the help of the firm. However, Willis said the group recently brought a See LEGAL • Page 10
Millbrook shooting victim dies
Council meets for regularly scheduled session By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Wetumpka City Council met Monday to vote on a full agenda’s worth of items and hear from local state Sen. Clyde Chambliss on state legislation and budget matters. Chambliss spoke before the meeting about bills passed recently in the latest legislative session and gave a brief update to council members about state budget constraints and changes. Also, before the meeting, Wetumpka’s league of the American Youth Soccer Organization announced that it’s youth 12-and-under team had won gold medal at the Alabama State Games. During the meeting and with little debate, council members approved all items on the nine-item list. The city moved to proceed See COUNCIL • Page 3
New details of drugs, cash and jewelry involvement as investigation continues By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer William Carroll / The Herald
Members of the Confucius Center at Auburn University Montgomery perform Tai Chi Tuesday at Tuesdays with Kelly at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery.
Tai Chi Tuesdays
Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Galley goes East By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Area residents were treated to a taste of the Far East Tuesday during Tuesdays with Kelly at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery in Wetumpka. Representatives of the Confucius Institute of Auburn University Montgomery were on hand and area
residents were treated to a Tai Chi performance as well as a presentation by Donny Tomlin, who shared his extensive knowledge of Japanese maples. The brown bag lunch events began with a Tai Chi demonstration depicting 17 of the 108 moves in the discipline. Several area residents even signed up to
Today’s
93 70 Low
By WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
THURS: HIGH 95 LOW 72
CONTACT US 334-567-7811 • Fax: 334-567-3284
William Carroll / The Herald
USPS 681-260
See FITZPATRICK • Page 5
See SHOOTING • Page 3
Alabama Supreme Court Justice Parker talks about nation’s founding
Weather High
The Millbrook man who was in a Montgomery hospital after being shot in May died Thursday night and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office has revealed new information and announced another arrest in association with the incident. Officials with ECSO said large sums of drugs and cash were found at and near the scene of the shooting and a Montgomery woman had been arrested on trafficking charges. Roughly 440 pounds of marijuana, 1.5 kilos of powdered cocaine, or 3.3 pounds, along with $410,000 cash and $442,000 worth of appraised jewelry were recovered from locations on or near the scene of the shooting, said Sheriff Bill Franklin. He said they had been waiting to further question Rodriguez Garth after what appeared to be inconsistencies in his account to local law enforcement as to where the shooting actually occurred. The story from Garth at the time, Franklin said, was that he was shot at one location and drove to
Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker speaks to the Wetumpka Tea Party Monday night about William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England.
Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker was in Wetumpka Monday night to speak to members of the Wetumpka Tea Party group about Sir William Blackstone’s influence on the American Founders. Parker, who has been an Alabama Supreme Court justice since 2004, spoke specifically to the group about the interesting history of his own first edition copy of Blackstone’s “Commentaries on the Laws of England”. According to Parker, Blackstone was the second most cited thinker in American politics from 1760 to 1805. The University of Chicago
FREE ESTIMATES!
Hedging, Fall Cleanup, Leaf Removal, All Yard & Lawn Maintenance
(334) 309-4422 • (334) 580-7879
Press has cited the Commentaries as the “most important legal treatise ever written in the English language.” Parker said that of the 27 charges against King George III of England found in the Declaration of Independence, the majority could be traced back to Blackstone. During his discussion, Parker referenced the right of citizens to petition the government for redress of grievances found in the First Amendment as well as the concept of no taxation without representation as important concepts found in the work of Blackstone. “Half of the members of the Constitutional Convention had a See JUSTICE • Page 5