April 26, 2017 Wetumpka Herald

INSIDE TODAY

Foshee settles for probation in ALSDE investigation

Gov. Ivey’s call for special election shakes things up

SPORTS, PAGE A8

LOCAL, PAGE B6

Isn’t reading the most important academic skill of all?

OPINION, PAGE A4

THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898

Wetumpka, AL 36092

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WEDNESDAY • APRIL 26, 2017

THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM

VOL. 119, NO. 17

Local business will transport elderly, disabled

By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor

David Granger / The Herald

Jim Martin of Tallassee stands beside one of two brand-new Ford Transit vans his new Wetumpka based company will use to transport elderly and disabled persons to doctors visits, grocery stores and more.

Jim Martin knows what it’s like to be disabled.

Martin was born with a paralyzed right arm, a birth defect known as brachial plexus birth palsy, or Erb’s palsy, caused by injury to the upper group of the arm’s main nerves.

But it hasn’t stopped the Tallassee man from living his dream.

Martin has formed a busi-

ness called Medi Rides, which will begin operation in May and will be based in the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce’s Innovation Center.

“What we do is we provide transportation to and from medical appointments or any appointments for elderly and disabled individuals dealing with medical issues – doctor’s appointments, dialysis, cancer centers, grocery stores, pharmacies,” said Martin. “If they need to go to a funeral or a wedding or other family engagement, we provide transportation for that,

County gov’t day slated for Thursday

Repeat heavy storms max out city’s infrastructure City seeking loan for repairs

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer

Wetumpka has been hit repeatedly by heavy rain in recent years, reportedly a contributing factor in a number of infrastructure failures, prompting the city to seek a $500,000 loan for repairs.

The effort was approved at the last city council meeting.

City officials said the money will go to repairs through at least four projects at locations throughout Wetumpka. Most of the damage sites were reportedly caused by similar factors and nearly all involved aging runoff and drainage See DAMAGE • Page A2

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as well as for veterans and expectant mothers.”

Martin said his company accepts all major insurance as well as Medicare and Medicaid.

Martin will transport his customers in the comfort of one of two Ford Transit wheelchair accessible, American Disabilities Act-approved vans and will begin operations on May 1.

“Wetumpka will be my base,” Martin said. “Tallassee will be a satellite office (operating out of Community Hospital). I have a See BUSINESS • Page A3

Commissioners will demonstrate government proceedings to students

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer

Corey Arwood / The Herald

Volunteers at the Lake Jordan HOBO Association’s Annual Lake Cleanup carry what appeared to be a deflated watercraft from a pontoon boat to an awaiting garbage truck.

Hundreds of high school seniors will convene in the county seat Thursday to learn how its government operates and the roles its multiple agencies perform making up the whole of Elmore County.

The event is part of the National Association of Counties’ National County Government Month.

The commissioners talked about the day at the last county commission meeting.

Students from high schools throughout the county will meet at 9 a.m. at the Elmore County Courthouse.

Many of them, if not most, will participate in their first Elmore County Commission meeting where they will take part in both a work session and business meeting, where they watch as commissioners deliberate on roughly eight items and hear two special presentations.

“We’re operating business as usual anything that needs to be on the agenda and needs to be discussed…,” said County Commission See COUNTY • Page A8

ALL HANDS ON DECK Lake Jordan cleanup brings out hundreds numerous volunteers gather to remove the refuse from its waters that has found its way there the previous year.

Hundreds of volunteers and dozens Whether from storms or dumping of boaters gathered in and around Lake the chairman of the Lake Jordan Home Jordan over the weekend to pick, dredge Owners and Boat Owner’s Association, and haul garbage and debris from its Barbara Dreyer, said her organization waters and shoreline, at the Lake Jordan has been taking refuse from the lake HOBO Association’s Annual Lake since the early nineties, their main activCleanup. ity being the annual cleanup.

Each year the organization and Undoubtedly helped by Saturday’s See CLEANUP • Page A2

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer

Wetumpka Elementary celebrates Earth Day in outdoor classroom

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer

Adults and children alike celebrated Earth Day at Wetumpka Elementary school where a recycled art contest was judged, while a plant swap was conducted by master gardeners, bird houses were built and recycling bins were placed for deposits.

The event was held in WES’ newly developed outdoor classroom, which Principal Bonnie Sullivan said was a fitting location for the occasion.

A master gardener with Elmore County Extension Master Gardeners

said the outdoor classroom drew larger crowds to their display filled with plants under a white tent canopy.

Multiple people milled through plants and talked among the gardeners.

“We’ve had one of the best turnouts,” said master gardener Deborah Kelso. “This is a very good spot. I think this has been an excellent spot.

We’ve been at the recycle center for many years and it was hit or miss there. But I think we’ve had an excellent turnout here.”

She said moving to the elementary school and involving the teachers

Corey Arwood / The Herald

Elmore County 4H members guide participants in an Earth Day celSee EARTH • Page A3 ebration at WES’s outdoor classroom building bird and bat habitats.

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PAGE A2 • APRIL 26, 2017

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THE WETUMPKA HERALD

Damage

continued from page 1

systems.

Public Works Director Tex Grier said there might be a correlation to all of the major flooding events in recent years, but most of the damage to the structures came from recent flooding. He specified the type of flooding as more like flash flooding by nature.

“And when they say floods I’m not talking about river flooding, I’m talking deluge of water,” said Grier. “That’s when you get undermine and washouts in sanitary storm drains as well as other infrastructure.”

He called the recent failures “undermine” and said that entailed water moving under the structure from either a leak or a worn area which then passes on to the outside of the structure “unbeknownst to anybody.”

“And it may take years and then that structure fails because it doesn’t have any support, it literally implodes,” Grier said.

He said the city had secured the funds, which were going to repairs at roughly four sites.

So far he said work had been done at sites on West Bridge Street, Brookside Drive, and a large project at a subdivision behind Winn Dixie that involved a gas line easement and drainage for both properties.

Another on West Bridge, Grier said, was “not nearly as big and bad,” but the same result of the same type of mate-

rial.

He said the drainage system at the commercial property and subdivision was galvanized pipe placed roughly 50 years ago while materials used at the other locations were mainly reinforced concrete pipe.

Regardless of the systems makeup, Grier said the failures were largely similar in that the area surrounding the pipes eroded or washed out, gradually weakening its structure.

Another area behind the Civic Center is being evaluated, Grier said, with about half of its scope-of-work projections complete.

“We don’t know exactly what that’s going to entail yet or if we’re going to have any real expense or a lot of labor, that’s to be determined,” Grier said.

Primarily he said, “It’s the longevity of the structures has failed in a lot of cases.”

There were various reasons Grier said the city could not pursue federal grants for the projects.

The work being largely already complete was a factor and others largely revolved around thresholds the city and state did not meet to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.

That was how Grier said half of the costs were covered with the project at Company Street in 2015.

He said most grants had to be

secured “pre-disaster.”

“You can’t get a grant after a disaster,” Grier said. “You can get disaster relief but a grant has to be prior. It comes in all at once and it’s a pretty stiff blow.”

And he said his department’s budget did not include a line item for infrastructure, meaning no money was set aside for such events, something he said previous city governments did not foresee and is not typical of small cities.

“Simply put it goes right back to having a line item in a budget for infrastructure and usually small cities, you plan on infrastructure as it happens, it’s not like a larger area, metropolitan area,” Grier said. “That’s not something that we failed on it’s just something that doesn’t happen, and so there was never a line item put in for it because it hasn’t been a necessity.”

Elmore County Emergency Management Agency Director Eric Jones said it was a typical hurdle all local jurisdictions faced. Most, he said, did not have the funds for the expensive repairs with the threshold for the state to receive FEMA money at $6.7 million, while the county had a per capita threshold based on population to reach.

For instance he said if a tornado struck the county and did $5 million in damage and did damage nowhere else in the state, he said it “would be huge.”

The county threshold would be met,

Cleanup

however the state’s would not, leaving the brunt of the cost to fall on the jurisdiction.

And he said when that money is spent on unexpected disaster damage, it is removed from its intended spending elsewhere, like streets, parks, etc.

“Your city and your county gets further in the hole,” said Jones.

And Jones warned that things could potentially get worse through FEMA revisions in order to meet budget cuts proposed at the federal level in the president’s America First Budget.

A number of options are being proposed, Jones said, include one of which was a type of disaster deductible, where an insurance-like deductible would be implemented in the event and the county would pay more percentage-wise and only have a return of 75 percent to the money spent.

The weather patterns have also generated conversation among county government organizations on how to cope with climate change at the county level.

One of the potential impacts associated with climate change’s atmospheric affects, Jones said, was the incidence of heavier rainfall in concentrated areas.

“I do think that we’re seeing especially in regards to flash flood problems, I think we’re seeing more issues with flash floods than we had,” Jones said.

continued from page 1

fair weather, Dreyer said this year there were over 300 volunteers and upwards of nearly 50 vessels on the lake.

“We really had a good turnout,” said Dreyer.

Boat after boat docked at Bonner’s Point, where its haul was unloaded before setting out again to repeat the process.

On shore a garbage disposal truck was waiting to compact all of the dripping wet materials before heading back to Tallassee.

From about 8 a.m. to after noon this continued, still, despite the quantity of trash, Dreyer said the volume was low compared to some of the events.

However, she said that was a good thing.

“It means people aren’t throwing (out) as much, I

RODNEY GRIFFITH

hope,” Dreyer said.

Retired Elmore County Judge John Bush hauled in one of the more unique finds of the day on his boat.

Moving toward shore it appeared to be a small manmade island, or some dislodged art installment from a pier.

Whatever it was, it was made up of a roughly eightfoot long metal panel stacked three high and filled with foam.

It floated behind his boat, and was covered with leaves and pine needles and an adolescent tree was growing alongside other shrubbery into the object.

“It looked like I was dragging an island across the lake,” said Bush. “…I didn’t realize that the tree was attached to it.”

He said it looked like the paneling of a walk-in cooler.

Once at dock, a trailer was backed down the boat

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ramp and Bush and other volunteers entered the water to hoist it up.

They had a difficult time feeding the awkward-sized object into the garbage truck.

But after they had one side in, the machine chewed through the metal covering and segment-by-segment the panel, tree and all, disappeared into the truck.

Bush said he had volunteered with HOBO for about 12 years, and while he was removing the debris, he said his wife, Carol Bush, was helping on shore, serving lunch to the other volunteers.

Other items found Saturday and disposed of ranged from deflated rafts to house furniture and even large waterlogged logs.

“It was fun. That lake cleanup is a great, great service to everybody,” Bush said.

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

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Earth

continued from page 1

involved had helped the event draw the crowd.

Music was playing amid the sounds of hammers clanging on nails fastening the walls of birdhouses.

At another table children, women and men of all ages were guided through their construction.

They were also part of the Elmore County branch of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Program and the local 4H. A member of the group, Betty Stricker, said while she was piecing together two pieces of wood that the activity was equally about conservation through construction of habitats for local birds and bats.

“We’re here to teach children about how to build bird houses, because bird houses we need to save our birds. It’s important that children learn how to build habitats for birds and bats. Bats are on the decline and they’re important in taking care of insects naturally so we don’t use bad herbicides.”

Sullivan said the materials were donated by the Wetumpka High School Future Farmers of America.

The event was largely coordinated by

City of Wetumpka Events and Tourism Manager Tiffany Robinson.

She said Wetumpka Pride was made up of a committee operating out of the city.

In the past, the committee has worked on events like Wetumpka’s Arbor Day celebrations.

Robinson said it was their first collaboration with WES. “We wanted to collaborate with them and promote that classroom and what all the capabilities are,” said Robinson.

Students had also covered the sidewalk with artwork and were coloring with chalk on the pavement late into the event.

The art contest spanned multiple grades and there were winners from each school, but the winners of the WES contest were second grade teacher Ms. Robertson’s class.

“It was very hard to judge because there was a lot of talent,” Sullivan said.

Altogether Sullivan seemed optimistic at the close of the event.

She said, “We enjoyed hosting the Earth Day event with Wetumpka Pride this year.”

Business Public Service Commission motor carrier certificate to be able to transport. I was granted authority by PSC in Elmore, Tallapoosa, Macon, Montgomery, Autauga and Jefferson counties.”

Martin said the Jefferson County authority was largely needed for those patients who require care at UAB Hospital.

“Those who need different types of specialty doctors may have their doctors in Birmingham at UAB and we’ll be able to take them there,” Martin said.

Martin’s business will also be bringing additional jobs to the Wetumpka area. He said he’ll likely hire four people at the start.

“We will be hiring, probably four people to begin with,” Martin said.

“Three drivers and an office manager.”

Martin, whose business was partly funded by a grant from the Alabama Department of Rehabilitative Services’ self-employment program, said his own disability was a main

APRIL 26, 2017 • Page A3

continued from page 1

motivator in his desire to serve the disadvantaged groups.

“It’s my way of giving back and helping others with disabilities or who are facing other challenges in their life in reference to their becoming better contributors to their communities by allowing them to have adequate transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores or to maybe go pay a bill,” Martin said. “If that helps them have a better quality of life, I can provide them the needed transportation. Especially those who live in rural communities. Especially the elderly who live in rural communities and don’t have transportation who need to go vote or whatever it may be, we’ll be there to take them.”

After he becomes established in Elmore County, Martin said he is already looking to expand his services to Coosa County.

“There is a large underserved population in Coosa County,” Martin said. “But first, we need to get established here in Elmore.”

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OPINION

Page A4 • APRIL 26, 2017

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Isn’t reading the most important academic skill of all?

A

t last week’s Elmore County School Board meeting, the principals from each of the high schools made presentations on their students Aspire and ACT testing results.

The first thing that I found interesting is that the students are collectively shooting at moving targets, in that they are compared to state averages that change every year. To my mind, it is difficult to judge improvement at a single school in that way.

The other thing that caught my attention also caught the attention of Elmore County Superintendent Richard Dennis: That much of the problem in the test scores of today’s students lies in their critical thinking skills and, in particular, to their application of reading in those skills.

The reason for that is fairly simple, I think. Students, unless required, do not read to any degree anymore.

They read little more than 140 characters – the maximum length of a tweet – that they care to comprehend.

I realize that I am growing old, but the

DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor

1960s haven’t been that long ago. I can remember in my early school days going to South Highlands Elementary School in Opp’s library where the librarian, a one-armed sweetheart of a lady named Frankie Johnson, would have a book selected for me.

It was usually something on the Civil War, which fascinated me, or a sports book by my favorite young-adult sports author at the time, Curtis Bishop.

I devoured books and still do. In a book, I could create my own mental screenplay, make characters look and sound however I wished and, basically, bring the words I was reading to life in my mind.

As I grew older, I began to read a little less for entertainment and a little more for understanding of ways of life unlike mine.

I read Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,”

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.” All took me to places, situations, with which I would never have been familiar without books.

All made me think.

Had I been a child of this cyberspace age in which we live, I can’t say what the effect would have been.

Perhaps I would have treated the Internet like I did the World Book Encyclopedias my parents kept on our bookshelves. Instead of plucking one of those down to explore occasionally, as I did, perhaps I would have surfed through cyberspace for useful information.

Then again, perhaps the computer would have enticed me with its ability to take me to visual worlds and battles that one can barely imagine unless the computer sits in front of them. Perhaps it would have instilled in me a violent streak.

My point is that I know what books can do. I’m not sure anyone is totally knowledgeable of the capabilities of the

computer.

And I know that we need readers among our younger generations.

In order to excel at the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills, one must first read and comprehend, thinking critically as they progress.

In fact, as much as we hear about STEM skills, isn’t reading the most fundamental skill of all? Doesn’t reading introduce us, in many ways, to organization and reasoning at its core?

So, if you haven’t read a book in a while, why not pick one up?

Let your child see your example. Perhaps they’ll be curious what you get out of it and want to try it for themselves. Or suggest a book to your child, one about some mutual interest. If you enjoy it, there’s a book out there that can increase your enjoyment. And if your child enjoys it, it will increase his or her enjoyment, too.

How do I know? It’s likely I read it in a book somewhere.

David Granger is the managing editor of the Elmore County newspapers under Tallapoosa Publishers, inc.

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I

Feeling a well-earned hurt

’m sore this morning. I was sore last night, too. There’s a good chance I’ll still be sore tomorrow. My knees hurt.

My elbows hurt. My neck hurts.

My hips hurt. My chest hurts.

Basically, I’m sore, and I hurt, but it’s a good hurt—one of those well-earned hurts.

Recently, I spent a couple of days under an old house a house jacking up the joists due to sagging floors. I had no idea how to do it, so I turned to Google.

It didn’t look very difficult, but I wasn’t about to crawl under there on my own. I’m all about trial and error and learning the hard way but not when it comes to picking up a house, so I called my friend Stephen. He’s a jack of all trades; I’m a master of none.

When we opened the door to the crawl space, a colony of bats, a mischief of rats, and Jimmy Hoffa almost knocked us down in their effort to escape.

Not really. In reality, due to the porch, which wraps half-way around the house, much of the crawl space was well-lit.

It was, however, very dirty.

Think “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe” kind of dirty. There was lot of dirt and spider webs and who knows what else, but it didn’t deter us. We each had a job to do, and my job was to lie there in the dirty dirt and hold the flashlight. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.

I was that someone. I was just

JODY FULLER Columnist

soaking it all in: the knowledge and the dirt.

The other part of my job was to crawl back out to retrieve whatever needed retrieving, whether it was cinder blocks, wood, or wedges. Ruby, my lab, has taught me well. I did a lot of crawling. In the army, we call it low-crawling. I’d thought my low-crawling days were over.

I crawled low many a day during my early days in the army. On one of the courses we did over and over, we had to crawl under barbed wire. It sounds simple enough, but when you factor in all the gear we wore, it made it more challenging because we were bound to get stuck on one of the barbs.

On top of that, some of the sergeants were armed with garden hose nozzles and would make it a muddy mess.

One of my Air Force friends once told me how they were supposed to low-crawl in basic training; however, it rained, so they didn’t have to. I knew I should have joined the Air Force, but I digress.

I watched Stephen and asked him a lot of questions on day

one, because on day two, he couldn’t be there, so it was all on me. I was confident in my abilities and didn’t fret one iota.

Day two went off without a hitch, which had me all jacked up. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment.

In doing so, I’ve learned that most things are fairly easy to do.

We just need the right tools and for someone to show us how to do it.

I got so dirty on day two that Mike Rowe himself might have turned up his nose to me.

I looked like I’d slid into home plate all the way from first base.

I thought about taking my shirt off for the drive home, but since I wasn’t wearing a gold chain, I left the shirt on. When I got home, I jumped in the shower. I had dirt in places I didn’t even know existed. I could’ve planted potatoes in my tub after that cleansing.

I had a few cuts and scrapes and bumps and bruises. I was tired and was already sore from day one, but boy did I feel good!

It was one of those good hurts— definitely well-earned.

Jody Fuller is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com.

For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com.

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

G

reetings from the corner of Bridge and Bridge!

Easter blessings to all!

This is the time when we celebrate being people of the resurrection in an intentional way. Go and do likewise!

A couple of weeks before Easter Sunday, I gathered together with three other preachers in our community. We met at the sacred table of Champs BBQ to discuss the upcoming community Easter Sunrise service.

The service takes place each year in Gold Star Park.

For the past several years, First Methodist and First Presbyterian shared the responsibility of planning and leading

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

Two heads are better than one

the service. We invited other churches in the community to participate.

The service became a meaningful tradition, and folks in the community attended and supported.

This year, pastoral leadership from two other congregations asked to help plan and lead the service. Brennan Peacock from First Methodist and I both said, “Sure, the more the merrier.” The four of us set a meeting time and shared some good barbeque and fellowship in the process of planning the service.

This year, more people attended the service than in any previous year.

There were more faces and personalities on the

11066 U.S. 231, Wallsbooro

Rev. Ryan Johnson Pastor Rickey Luster, Music Director Sunday School....10:45 a.m.

Morning Worship....9:30 a.m.

Children’s Church.... 9:30 a.m.

Thur. Night Service....6:00 p.m.

You will receive a warm Welcome at this friendly, Christ-centered Church.

NURSERY PROVIDED FOR ALL SERVICES

Wallsboro United Methodist Church 11066 U.S. 231, Wallsboro

Wetumpka Church of Christ 408 West Bridge Street

Jason Chesser Minister Sunday Prayer and Fellowship.......8:30 a.m.

Bible Study.............9 a.m.

Worship service...10 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study........7 p.m.

Visitors Welcome At All Services

Spring Chapel Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 567-6493 Sweetwater 163 Michael Lane, Wetumpka 334-538-9415 Tabernacle Baptist 1020 W. Tallassee St., Wetumpka 567-0620 BAPTIST - PRIMITIVE Bethel Old School 4625 Jackson Rd. (C.R. 103), Wetumpka Providence 4850 Chana Creek Rd., Wetumpka CATHOLIC Our Lady of Guadalupe 545 White Rd., Wetumpka 567-0311 CHURCH OF CHRIST Church of Christ of Elmore 470 Caesarville Rd., Wetumpka 567-6670 Church of Christ Grandview Pines 165 Deatsville Hwy., Millbrook Cold Springs Church of Christ 5920 Alabama Hwy. 143, Deatsville

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to? No. Was God’s most significant word, the story of the empty tomb, shared by all? Yes it was.

What we learn from collaboration is that life for everyone is better when no one has things exactly the way they want them. Compromise is the stuff that makes life rich and meaningful for all, rather than just a few. This lesson applies well beyond the confines of any church building. It is true in every place and time and is part of God’s plan for life together in the earthly kingdom.

Rev. Yarboro is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka.

Georgia Road Church of Christ 4003 Georgia Rd., Wetumpka 567-2804 Lightwood Church of Christ 251 New Harmony Rd., Deatsville 569-1510 Redland Road Church of Christ 2480 Redland Rd., Wetumpka 514-3656 Wetumpka Church of Christ W. Bridge St. At W. Main St., Wetumpka 567-6561 CHURCH OF GOD Elmore Church of God 10675 Rucker Road, Elmore Gethsemane Church of God 705 Cotton St., Wetumpka 567-9886 Church at the Brook 2890 Hwy. 14, Millbrook Maranatha Church of God 2621 Holtville Rd., Wetumpka 567-6786 Victory Tabernacle AOH Church of God Hwy 143, Millbrook Wetumpka Church of God Hwy. 9 N. Wetumpka 215-3091

First

“And we know that Presbyterian allChurch things work 100 W. Bridge St. together for good to thoseJonathan who loveYarboro God, Rev. to those who are the Sunday School..9:45 am Morning called Worship..11 according toam His567-8135 purpose.”

Harmony United Methodist Church 8000 Titus Road Titus, Ala.

Sunday Services at 11 a.m.

Minister Dr. John Brannon There is Harmony at Harmony United Methodist Church!

– Romans 8:28

“In the name of the Lord Jesus – Welcome.”

Please join us.

Mountain View Baptist Church

has been made

Pastor

NURSERY PROVIDED FOR ALL SERVICES

small stage leading the service. The order of service was more diverse.

The message was delivered by a preacher who had never preached the service before.

I am a self-acknowledged church geek. I love putting worship services together. I enjoy blending scripture, song, and liturgy together to convey a particular message. Most preachers have a similar affliction.

Collaboration is not

place.

A larger part of me knows that a worship experience will reach more people if others are involved in the planning and leadership of it.

Collective decision-making takes longer and in the end it is rare that each person participating in the planning gets things exactly the way they think things should be.

On Easter Sunday morning, a larger, more diverse crowd than ever before gathered together in Gold Star Park to share the good news of the empty tomb. Was every part of the service exactly what every person in attendance expected or was accustomed

Many a small thing

Rickey Luster, Music Director

You will receive a warm welcome at this friendly, Christ-centered Church.

First Presbyterian

565 Atkins Rd., Wetumpka 567-1141 Cathmagby Baptist 3074 Mitchell Creek Rd., Wetumpka 567-4787 First Missionary Baptist at Guilfield 412 Company St., Wetumpka 567-7455 Goodhope 1389 Willow Springs Rd. Wetumpka 567-7133 Lebanon 17877 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 514-1097 Mount Canaan 1125 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-2141 Mount Pisgah 16621 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 567-3668 Mt. Zion 371 AL Hwy. 14, Elmore, 567-2613 Mt. Zion #3 1813 Luke Paschal Rd., Eclectic New Home 5130 Elmore Rd., Wetumpka 567-5966 Second Missionary 760 N. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8601

Rev. Ryan Johnson

Sunday School..........10:45 a.m.

Morning Worship........9:30 a.m.

Children’s Church.......9:30 a.m.

Wed. Night Service.....6:30 p.m.

REV. JONATHAN YARBORO

always easy. I have very specific ideas of how worship services should flow. I know what I want, in other words, and as a full-time pastor, it is my job to ensure that worship is well done and meaningful at the church I serve. Most people attending services I have put together find connection and are positively affected by the experience.

There is a part of me that would really like to plan and lead services like the Easter sunrise service by myself. It’s easier, to be honest. I know what I want, and if I am the one in charge, then I only need to argue with myself about what will or will not take

Area Churches

Santuck Baptist 7250 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2364 Seman Baptist Seman, Alabama Shoal Creek Baptist 13214 Holtville Rd., Deatsville 569-2482 Springfield Baptist Hwy. 7, Millbrook Thelma Baptist 810 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-3665 Titus Baptist 6930 Titus Rd., Wetumpka 334-531-2120 Tunnell Chapel Baptist 210 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2589 Victory Baptist 5481 Main St., Millbrook Wadsworth Baptist 2780 Hwy. 143, Deatsville 569-2851 BAPTIST - MISSIONARY Atkins Hill

Wallsboro United Methodist Church

APRIL 26, 2017 • Page A5

567-4458 1025 Rifle Range Rd.

504 Osceola Street 504West West Osceola St. 334-567-4729 334-567-4729 •••• Anthony Rhodes Rev.Rev. Anthony Rhodes, Senior Pastor Senior Pastor Sarah Swedenburg, Worship Ministries

Need your business to

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from the crowd?

Children's Director

SUNDAY SERVICES SUNDAY SERVICES Sunday School...........9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship.....10:30 School........9:30 a.m. a.m.

Morning MorningWorship.......6:00 Worship... 10:30p.m. a.m.

Evening Evening Worship..... 6:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY SERVICES WEDNESDAY SERVICES Prayer Meeting...........6:00 p.m.

Supper.....................5:30 p.m.

Choir PrayerRehearsal.........6:45 Meeting........6:15 p.m. p.m.

Student Worship........6:00 p.m.

Choir Practice..........7:00 p.m.

Calvary Kids...............6:00 p.m.

CEDARWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH 10286 U.S. Hwy. 231 Wallsboro 567-0476 www.worshipcedarwood.org

Roger Olsen, Pastor Sunday Bible Study..........9:00 AM Sunday Worship.............10:00 AM We are a Congregational Christian Church which, in the name of Jesus, invites all to worship with us.

Nursery Check out our Facebook page

Call us, we can help!

334-567-7811

• • • • •

Santuck Baptist Church

7250 Central Plank Road 7250 Central C Plank Road “A Family of Families” “A Family of Families”

B.R. Johnson, Senior Pastor Larry Counseling Larry Gore, Adm. & Counseling Randy Godfrey, Education Education Chad Middlebrooks, Students Amy Pugh, Director of Matt Fallin, Worship Children & Preschool Amy Pugh, Children & Students Preschool Chad Middlebrooks,

SUNDAY SUNDAY Sunday School........9 & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School............9 & 10:30 a.m.

Worship...................9 &&10:30 Worship........................9 10:30a.m. a.m.

EveningCelebration.................6 Celebration...........5 p.m.

Evening p.m.

WEDNESDAY/FAMILY NIGHT WEDNESDAY/FAMILY NIGHT Programs for every age Programs 6:15 -- 7:30 p.m.

6:15

Wetumpka Herald Eclectic Observer Tallassee Tribune Alexander City Outlook Dadeville Record

Anthony B. Counts, Pastor Angie Gallups, Worship Leader Billy Reinhardt, Min. of Students SUNDAY Morning Worship... ....10:30 Sunday School.............9:15 Youth Choir .............. ....5:00 Evening Worship..........6:00 WEDNESDAY Fellowship Meal............5:45 Preschool/Children’s Choirs.........................6:00 House of Prayer............6:30 Preschool/Children’s Missions........................6:30 Youth Bible Study.........6:30

Send your church news and happenings to: news@The Wetumpka Herald.com _________ Call Brandy Call Jayne or Shannon at 567-7811 to advertise your church’s services in this space

PAGE A6 • APRIL 26, 2017

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APRIL 26, 2017 • PAGE A7

Foshee settles for probation in ALSDE investigation

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

Former longtime Stanhope Elmore head football coach Jeff Foshee reached a settlement with the Alabama State Department of Education last month to accept probation and keep his teaching certificate amid allegations he paid special education teacher Abby Butler in May 2016 to change a student football player’s grades.

According to the settlement agreement documents obtained by the Wetumpka Herald Thursday, Foshee settled with the state department of education March 8, accepting an 18-month probationary period on his certificate and avoiding a formal hearing, where his license could have been revoked.

While the ALSDE letter states its agreement with Foshee “will serve as an admission of the conduct specified in the reprimand [letter from Alabama State Superintendent Michael Sentance],” Foshee’s attorney Tom Loper told the Herald Thursday that his client did not admit any wrongdoing.

“There is nothing he admitted that was wrong,” said Loper, an associate attorney at the Gardner Firm in Mobile. “This was hanging over his head for a while now. He wanted to get this resolved so he can move on with his life.

“Mr. Foshee, like many of my other clients, agreed to settle with the state education department in order to resolve the case in a timely manner rather than prolong it to keep him from future employment.

Obviously, the state department’s evidence

did not say that Mr. Foshee should not get back to work because he keeps his certificate. He’s able to get back to work.

His license is good, so he could work next school year. I think Mr. Foshee is a good guy and he wants to get back to work as soon as possible.”

Foshee has remained steadfast in denying any wrongdoing on his part throughout the entire investigation.

The reprimand letter from Sentance addressing Foshee acknowledged he had “reviewed information that indicates that [Foshee] committed … acts of misconduct,” including paying Butler, “a teacher, at least $300 to ensure that [redacted], a student football player, would pass his classes.

“Your misconduct occurred over several months, beginning in approximately April of 2016, when you told Ms. Butler that you would pay her $500 if she helped [redacted] to pass his classes and to not attend summer school,” the letter said. “On or about May 26, 2016, after Ms. Butler told you that [redacted] had passed his classes, you paid her $300 in the presence of other coworkers.”

The coach suddenly resigned June 9 at an emergency-called Elmore County Board of Education meeting, citing health concerns and wanting to spend more time with his family.

Then Stanhope Elmore High School principal Jamey McGowin self-reported Cory Diaz / The Herald the alleged violations on June 21 to the Former Stanhope Elmore head football coach and athletic director Jeff Foshee reached a settlement Alabama High School Athletic Association agreement with the Alabama State Department of Education March 8 amid investigations the coach Central Board, which hit the football propaid special education teacher, Abby Butler, to change a student football player’s grades. gram with a $300 fine and one year of probation.

Elmore County boys soccer wins first area championship

By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor

For a team or a program that had never been there before, the Panthers were confident from day one.

Elmore County’s 3-1 victory at Marbury Thursday revealed exactly what its players and coaches believed it would, clinching the Class 4A-5A, Area 6 championship, the program’s first area title, as well as its first playoff berth and first home playoff match.

“We had very high hopes and we knew what we could do,” Panther senior striker Will Venable said after the win. “Coming off last year, I believe they had a 3-0 area record through the first three games, then tumbled off at the end. They just kept that in the back of their minds.

“Everybody believed in our goal and what we wanted to do. We wanted to go undefeated, but 5-1 is very good. I was very happy, not really surprised, but happy with the way we were able to finish this year out through area play and continually play consistently.”

Venable provided the offense versus Marbury, scoring all three of Elmore County’s goals, all in the second half.

Notching his third hat trick in 2017, the senior has been the sparkplug all season long, even after not playing soccer the last two years. Venable credited his

teammates for convincing him of the group’s historic prospects and to play soccer again.

“I’ve just tried to give 110 percent effort every time I’m on the field. My teammates give me good passes, put good through-balls through and I just try to be in the right place at the right time,” Venable said. “It’s happened a lot for me this year. All praise to the man upstairs, but I’m just thankful for my teammates as well. I couldn’t do it without them.

“I didn’t really come into this year expecting to play soccer. A couple of my friends play and they were like, ‘we’ve got a chance to go to playoffs this year.’ So, I said why not be a part of something special? We set our goals high this year, we wanted to be area champs and that’s what we did. I’m just really proud of this team and the effort they’ve shown all year.”

Cory Diaz / The Herald Eighth-grade midfielder Joseph Stockman assisted Venable on his secElmore County senior forward Will Venable (15) lifts a shot over Marbury’s keeper for a goal during the ond goal. Sophomore winger Austin team’s Class 4A-5A, Area 6 championship-clinching 3-1 win at MHS Thursday.

White put a shot-on-goal that Marbury’s high school career, senior Jeb Ballard stop them. keeper blocked and Venable finished it “I truly believe we can go as far as pieced together a solid performance, to put the Panthers ahead, 3-1, in the we want to. We’re not as much talented, saving three key shots to help seal the 76th minute. but we just play well together and we deal for Elmore County.

ECHS starting senior goalie Spencer play hard every night,” he said. “Come Hosting LAMP in their first playoff Andrews missed the match Thursday game Thursday at 6 p.m. at Burt-Haynie Thursday night, we’re going to be ready due to a concussion sustained at to play. Hopefully, we can make a run Field, Venable said even though the Holtville last week, clouding up the here in the new few weeks. I’m very Panthers have never been in the postteam’s confidence to win the area title. excited to see what we can do.” season before, the unknown will not But in the second game in goal for his

Bulldogs snap first-round playoff woes, move on to play LAMP

By CORY WILLIAMS Brewton Standard

The Holtville Bulldogs found themselves on the winning side of a threegame battle with the W.S. Neal Eagles in the Class 4A AHSAA state baseball playoffs.

Holtville defeated WSN 14-4 in game three, the deciding run coming off a wild pitch. Holtville scored 34 runs in the series.

“I’m extremely proud of the kids’ effort,” said Holtville coach Michael Dismukes after winning game three. “I knew that if we pitched well and played defense we had a chance. We got a great pitching performance out of Dylan (Culverhouse). He set the tone early and we kept the momentum up after scoring in the first inning. Before the game I just told them to relax and have fun and they responded.”

The opening postseason series victory snapped a first-round skid of six straight playoff series losses for the Bulldogs, dating back to 2010. HHS will play Loveless Academy Magnet in round two of the playoffs Friday at Paterson Field.

The two teams matched up earlier in

the year with Loveless Academy winning 3-2 late in the seventh inning.

“We’re familiar with (Loveless Academy),” Dismukes said. “I expect the game to be like our series against Neal. They’re a scrappy team and a good ball club just like the bunch we played. So we got to get our mind right and ready to play.”

WSN 19, Holtville 16 The bats were on full display for both teams in the opening game. Neal had 19 hits, while Holtville had 13 hits as a team.

Chase Driver, Zach Weldon and Blake Harris each had 2 RBIs for Holtville. Weldon led the team with three hits. On the mound, Driver suffered the loss for Holtville. The Bulldogs had five errors in the game, compared to three errors by Neal.

Holtville 4, WSN 3 Held scoreless until two runs in the sixth inning and a run in the seventh, Neal found themselves with the game-tying run 240 feet away with two outs. Holtville’s Jake Brown was able to get Kristian Taylor to fly out to left field to end the game and send the series to a winner-take-all game three.

Holtville was led by Brown who

Contributed by Cory Williams

Holtville celebrates after scoring the series-winning run Saturday versus W.S. Neal.

had a game-high 10 strikeouts. Austin Lankford was 3-for-3 at the plate for Holtville.

Holtville 14, WSN 4 Brown was 2-for-3 for Holtville.

Culverhouse had a hit and 4 RBIs. Drew Nobles had 4 RBIs. Weston Riddle suffered the loss on the mound for the Eagles.

PAGE A8 • APRIL 26, 2017

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

Lee-Scott outlasts Wildcats in extras for playoff win

By CORY DIAZ The Wetumpka Herald

Edgewood Academy ran out of arms.

A young pitching staff mostly pulling double-duty on varsity and junior varsity and following the Wildcats 12-11 walk-off win Friday night to force a game three in their AISA Class AAA first-round playoff series at Lee-Scott Academy, was depleted.

Leading 10-8 in the bottom of the seventh in the rubber match, eighthgrade pitcher Cole Freeman and junior Matt Williams combined for four walks and a couple hits that allowed Lee-Scott to push the game to extras.

After a quick inning in the top half, the Warriors walked off, 11-10, on a fielder’s choice, scoring from third on a throw to first base by EA eighth-grade third baseman Mitchell Boyd.

“Heartbreaking way to lose,” firstyear Edgewood baseball coach Eric Folmar said. “But the fact that our guys – that were down 5-1 at the beginning of that game – for our kids to be able to fight back and be in that position, I was proud of them.

“Going into game two, we were spent on pitching. We have so many young guys that with the JV state tournament last weekend, there was not a lot of gas

Cory Diaz / The Outlook

Edgewood Academy head baseball coach Eric Folmar meets with his infield during last week’s game against Northside Methodist Academy at Billy Skinner Field.

left in the tank. We were literally down to the last arm we had left.”

In game two, junior pitcher Brandon Boone gave the ‘Cats (11-24) their

deepest outing, throwing into the seventh inning. But the Warriors would chase Boone and score seven runs to send the contest to the eighth.

“Boone did a great job this year, he threw more pitches and innings than anybody, and he really set the tone for us in game two. He was our go-to guy to get in there and give us a good outing,” Folmar said.

The Warriors grabbed a 1-0 series advantage with a 13-1 victory in the opener. Moving his lone senior to the leadoff in the lineup paid dividends for Folmar, as Matt Watters ignited EA’s offense, which collected 28 total hits over games two and three, as the righthander had seven hits, including three triples, with 11 RBIs in the last two contests.

Junior catcher Gabe Maynard also stepped up at plate, with four hits in the series-deciding contest.

“It took a while for Gabe to get comfortable in the role he played for our team, but he got better as the year went on. He’s been solid for us all year,” Folmar said. “Matt had an unbelievable day Friday and Saturday. Outside of winning the series, that was the only thing we didn’t accomplish for him.

We put him in the leadoff spot. He’s our best bat and I wanted to get him as many at-bats as possible. And he responded. I couldn’t be more proud of the way he handled him this year.”

County

continued from page 1

Chairman Troy Stubbs.

One of those presentations consists of a resolution “honoring the life and service of Captain Robert Terry Ward.”

He was an Elmore County Sheriff’s Office Deputy who recently died from complications after heart surgery.

Afterward they will break off into groups and take turns moving through a number of presentations and displays provided by county agencies illustrating their role in the county at large and their duties.

First off, a courthouse tour will end

in a voter registration drive for those students not yet registered, followed by a presentation by the ECSO’s Special Operations Unit and then another by the Emergency Management Agency.

This will be the first County Government Day for the commissioners elected last year.

Stubbs said the day served more than one purpose.

“I look at County Government Day as an opportunity for the students across Elmore County to learn more about the responsibilities and efforts that our

local county officers make to improve Elmore County,” said Stubbs. “It’s great for these students who will be graduating this year … This is a great opportunity for them to become familiar with all the different things that county government is.”

And he said that could mean jobs with any of the agencies that make up the county government after the seniors graduate.

He said whether some were considering entering a trade, the workforce or the military, “this is a great opportunity

for them to become familiar with all the different things that county government is.”

There will also be chances throughout the day to ask questions of the government officials, Stubbs said, the commissioners and the agency directors alike.

And before the students are scheduled to return to school, a barbecue lunch is planned.

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THE WETUMPKA HERALD

TheWetumpkaHerald.com

APRIL 26, 2017 • Page B1

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APRIL 26, 2017 • Page B5

Representative payee: help a loved one with Social Security

A

ccording to the Census Bureau, there are nearly 57 million people living with disabilities in the United States.

Thirty percent of American adults help provide care for a sick or disabled family member. Caregivers provide physical and emotional support for the people in their care.

It’s a demanding job with its stresses and rewards, but it can also be a labor of love.

Social Security is committed to you throughout life’s journey, helping secure today and tomorrow for every American. This is especially true for people who need help managing their benefits. We work closely with caregivers through our representative payee program.

A representative payee is someone who receives and oversees the Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for

KYLLE’ MCKINNEY Social Security

anyone who cannot manage their benefits. This can be a child or an adult incapable of managing their own funds. You can learn more about our representative payee program at www.socialsecurity.gov/ payee.

A representative payee is usually a trusted family member or friend of the beneficiary, but when friends or family are not able to serve as representative payees, Social Security looks for qualified individuals or organizations to

represent the beneficiary. You can learn about becoming a representative payee by watching our new series of videos on the duties of a representative payee at www·socialsecurity·gov/payee.

It’s our hope that these videos will not only educate individuals about the roles and responsibilities of being a representative payee, but also provide further insight, broaden community awareness, and provide key resources to deal with the growing incidents of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

Caregivers are valuable and irreplaceable assets to our great nation.

Please join us in celebrating them for all they do for those who cannot do for themselves.

Kylle’ McKinney is a public affairs specialist for Alabama Social Security.

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TheWetumpkaHerald.com

Gov. Ivey’s call for special election shakes things up

T

he decisive move by newly minted Gov. Kay Ivey to declare a special election for the Jeff Sessions’ Senate Seat this year rather than next year changes the entire complexion of who will sit in that coveted seat. It also redefines the landscape of an ever changing and pivotal Alabama political scene.

This next year will be an adventure as we elect a Senator and concurrently the 2018 Governor’s Race will begin its evolution.

We have already seen the downfall of a sitting governor this year and by Sept. 26 we will see the election of a new junior U.S. Senator. There is an assumption that only a Republican can win statewide office in Alabama and winning the GOP primary is tantamount to election.

The decision by Gov. Ivey was the right decision. Most folks would assume that “forthwith” means this year rather than next year. It was also a wise political move by Ms. Ivey if she wants to run for a full term.

Ivey’s calling for the special election for Sessions’ seat immediately could be the death knell for Luther Strange. By December, he may go from being the newest and tallest member of the U.S.

his campaign resources will be less than he expected and he may not be able to defend against the onslaught of negative ads.

The question becomes who will be the early frontrunners? Roy Moore enters as the favorite. His evangelical base becomes crystallized in a large field.

It will probably reserve him a place in the Sept. 26 run-off. Who will be the other candidate in the runoff? It may very well not be Luther Strange.

The U.S. Senate is a select club. A cursory look around the chamber reveals very wealthy people or celebrities. Senate seats are bought by wealthy individuals in a good many cases. We have some people in Alabama who could very easily buy the Senate seat.

The short period of time that exists to raise money for an Aug. 15 election even further enhances the advantage for someone who can self finance and write a big check. The name on most lists is the “Yella Fella,” Jimmy Rane.

He would sell. He is a natural salesman.

Folks close to Yella Fella get the feeling that he does not want to go to Washington at this time in his life. However, he is adamant and determined that Luther Strange will not remain in the seat.

STEVE FLOWERS Columnist

Senate to the shortest-serving senator in Alabama history. His defeat could be very inglorious and humiliating.

With the election being this year, it will be the only show in town. It will be a spectacle. Every politician who is in any office can run without risking his or her current posts. In other words, everyone has a free shot. Therefore, it will be a free-for-all.

Everyone will run against poor Big Luther and the Bentley taint.

They will use their campaign resources to give you the unmitigated details of how Luther got put in that seat by ole Bentley. You will be told so many times that Bentley and Luther got together in a backroom with Rebekah and brokered a deal to sell Luther the Senate seat in return for Luther not prosecuting Bentley and Rebekah that you will know the story by heart. Luther will be as tarnished and feathered as ole Bentley.

In about two weeks, when the Washington PACs see the polling that reveals Luther is in trouble,

The Wetumpka Herald will publish senior photos for the local graduating classes on May 17th. We will include graduate photos and your special message on or near the graduation section. Schools included: Edgewood Academy, Elmore County High School, New Life Christian, Stanhope Elmore, Wetumpka High School, Victory Baptist & Holtville High School

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Therefore, he may bankroll another candidate through a super PAC. Rumor has it that he will get behind Del Marsh.

Marsh has his own money also. However, he needs more money because he is totally unknown to Alabama voters.

I will keep you posted on the developments. I do not know how many of these folks will join the fray but this is how I will handicap the horses at this time.

Jimmy Rane and Roy Moore are one and two.

Other possibilities are Congressman Robert Aderholt, Congressman Bradley Byrne, Luther Strange, Secretary of State John Merrill, Congressman Mo Brooks, State Auditor Jim Ziegler, state Sen. Del Marsh, Trump Trumpeter Perry Hooper Jr., state Sen. Slade Blackwell, state Sen. Trip Pittman, ADECA Director Jim Byard, state Sen. Arthur Orr and state Rep. Ed Henry.

It will be a great show.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

THE WETUMPKA HERALD

Wetumpka police urge participation in drug take-back

By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer

Sgt. Ella Roberts can be seen around Wetumpka performing any number of her law enforcement duties whether it’s directing traffic after a multi-vehicle accident or organizing community-driven efforts of her youth summer program for 3-18 year olds.

Now she is asking residents to participate in a program designed to keep pharmaceuticals out of any hands other than those they were prescribed to.

Whether taken off the streets or away from children, Roberts said the drug-take-back program on April 29 would help limit the circulation of prescription medication and the likelihood of harm caused from their misuse.

“For us it’s a safe way to dispose of unused prescription drugs,” said Roberts.

She said it was a Drug Enforcement-Agency sponsored event and a DEA agent would be present on-site at Wetumpka Walmart from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Last year she said the department skipped the event, but was bringing it back and usually collected a large haul of a variety of pills.

“It’s a pretty good amount,” Roberts said.

Roberts wrote a statement describing some other ways prescription medication can be obtained and the negative effects they can have not only on humans, but clean water supplies.

“Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. If flushed they can contaminate the water supply,” Roberts wrote. “Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment. Take -back programs are the best way to dispose of old drugs.”

In surrounding counties river conservation groups have teamed up with local law enforcement agencies, praising the program’s positive effects on surrounding water systems on the basis that most local sewer systems do not have safeguards in place for filtering chemicals out of wastewater.

Weighed estimates from similar efforts in Tallapoosa County have come in at hundreds of pounds of prescriptions reclaimed from events in one municipality alone.

Roberts also said officers would be available for anyone who has questions, however she said there was a “no questions asked” policy in place for those dropping off the unused medications.

She said that means they drop off the drugs in the designated boxes and leave, the only restrictions being on needles and liquids.

Afterwards she said the collected drugs were turned over to the DEA who then disposed of the unused medications.

And if anyone has questions before or after the event, Roberts said, “They can ask the officers for any information or call here at the Wetumpka Police Department prior to or after.”