Marbury slithers past Holtville in area opener. Sports, Page 12. Wetumpka, AL 36092
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SATURDAY-SUNDAY • MARCH 12-13, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 11, NO. 11
Updates on sports complex, MLK Center discussed at council meeting By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Corey Arwood / The Herald
Coach Ron Dickerson and Tex Grier, public works director, illustrate what progress is being made on Wetumpka Sports Complex and the Martin Luther King Jr., Multicultural Center.
The Wetumpka City Council took a look at the city budget and got updates on the development of the Wetumpka Sports Complex and Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Center at a meeting earlier this week. Before the meeting Mayor Jerry Willis introduced a special guest Wetumpka resident, Bear Woods, who plays professional football in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes. Bear Woods delivered the invocation to begin the meeting.
Pamela Morton, Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s state victims service coordinator, was among the speakers at Wetumpka High School for the “Under Age, Under Arrest” event, a program of the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board designed to deter underage and binge drinking by students. Corey Arwood / The Herald
UNDER AGE, UNDER ARREST
Wetumpka High School students get life lesson from ABC Board By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
Just in time for spring break, Wetumpka High School students heard tragic and true stories about the real-life repercussions of underage drinking at a “Under Age, Under Arrest” presentation from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Members of the nonprofit advocacy group, Mothers Against Drunk Driving were there, along with an Elmore County district representative and a member of the anti-al-
cohol, “interdenominational ministry” group, Alabama Citizens Action Program. They spoke to the students who were crowded on the WHS gymnasium bleachers Friday morning. The story of Tisha Pate, whose 19-year-old daughter was a victim in a drunk driving crash, captured the attention of the students. Pate detailed her traumatic experience driving with her children and grandchildren when a drunk driver, whom
Afterwards Willis spoke about the city budget, which was supposed to be approved or disapproved at that meeting. However he said that it was going to be carried over for another two weeks. He spoke about the City of Wetumpka Budget 20152016 and asked if anyone wished to review or ask questions regarding the budget. No one responded and Willis said if anyone wished to review the budget it would be available for the next two weeks at the city finance office. “It will be voted on at the next city council meeting,” See COUNCIL • Page 5
Area sees overnight jump in gas prices Price jump corresponds with a hike in the nationwide average price By MITCH SNEED Editor
If you had to do a double take when you saw the prices at the pump as you stopped to fuel up, there is no need to have your eyes checked. Gas prices jumped almost 10 cents per gallon overnight to an average of $1.69. That price is about 21 cents a gallon higher than motorists were paying just two weeks ago. “I couldn’t believe they jumped that much overnight,” Miguel Bolia said Thursday morning as he filled up his tankn at Pace Car in Wetumpka. “I never have been able to figure out why they fluctuate like they do.” According to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 3,348 See GAS • Page 5
Residents experienced a .10 cent per gallon price increase for gas at area station this week.
See ABC • Page 3
Wetumpka celebrates Arbor Day and remembers noted residents By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
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The City celebrated its annual Arbor Day event with a tree planting ceremony at Gold Star Park to commemorate four citizens who Mayor Jerry Willis called true “movers and shakers” of Wetumpka. The residents that were remembered passed away last year and were honored at the event through the planting of four trees, each tended to by friends and family members. Anne Robinson, Dianne Enslen, Marion Sanford and Watt Jones, Jr., were all honored on the breezy and fair-weathered Tuesday afternoon. “This list is four people that were truly movers and shakers in this community,” Willis said. It was the city’s 29th year as a member of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program, and is a project of the Wetumpka Pride and Tree City Committees. Chairman of the Wetumpka Tree City Committeee, Ron Hilyer, spoke at the event and said that the past community members they See ARBOR • Page 3
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Corey Arwood / The Herald
Mayor Jerry Willis called the four residents being commemorated at the annual Arbor Day event, true “movers and shakers” of the community and four trees were planted in their honor during a ceremony at Gold Star Park on Tuesday, March 8.
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