New Wadley police chief sworn into office

WADLEY – At last Tuesday’s meeting, Wadley’s new police chief took the oath office and officially took the name “Chief.”

Randolph County District Judge Amy Newsome administered the oath of office. Cory Ligon was named acting chief following the resignation of former chief Tyler Murphy. “We are glad to have Cory as a part of our town and our department,” said Mayor Donna McKay. The first major task for the new chief is to hire some new officers. With Ligon being the only full- time officer at the present, Randolph County deputies are helping cover the shifts.

Sale of Clack House

The council held a lengthy discussion on the sale of the historic Clack House. The sales price of the house is $20,000 and had already been approved by the council in 2019. After a survey was done on the property, there are two options for land. The first would be the house with 1.03 acres and the second would be with 1.56 acres. After a discussion, the council approved the house and 1.56 acres for a sale price of $30,000.

911-EMS Service

Mayor McKay stated she had received a letter from 911 Director Kelley Edwards concerning a third ambulance service that has moved into Randolph County. The mayor told council members the town had two options. The first option is to continue with the 911 protocol in dispatching EMS or the town could enter into a contract with a chosen EMS within the town’s limits. After discussing the matter, the council approved to leave the EMS dispatching to 911.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a donation of $750 to the American Legion.
• Signed a quit claim deed for Wadley Baptist Church.
• Approved application for a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation for the alternate transportation program. The grant is an 80-20 match and could be in excess of $1 million. McKay said it is a very competitive grant.
• Approved for the chief of police to purchase some needed items for the department.
• Announced the next council meeting will be on Monday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m.