FIRE ANT CONTROL
Weekend The Outlook
LOCAL, 9 Local students marry letters ‘Q’ and ‘U’
• Shane Harris talks upcoming ant workshop,
Page 10
• Editor Mitch Sneed talks trial and error in the war w against ants,
Page 4
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
April 14-16, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 75 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Constables to be abolished in Tallapoosa County By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Tallapoosa County will no longer have constables starting in 2020 following a ruling in court Friday. Judge Tom Young was tasked with deciding if a section added to a local
bill by State Senator Tom Whatley to allow Tallapoosa County voters to decide whether or not they wanted to abolish the office of constable in Tallapoosa County was added properly. Young ruled the provision added by the legislature was substantially different than what the Tallapoosa
The commission voted in January 2017 to ask the legislature to enact a bill to abolish the county’s 16 constable positions. The commissioners voted 4-0-1, with Commissioner John McKelvey abstaining, to approve asking the See CONSTABLES • Page 3
County Commission asked for and advertised. “Section #2 of that legislation was unconstitutionally passed and is therefore stricken,” Young said in his order. “The severability clause allows the remaining portion of the act to remain…”
Council to consider zoning for multi-use development
ACPD looking into theft of a funeral
By MITCH SNEED Editor
By MITCH SNEED Editor
The Alexander City Police Department is investigating a stolen funeral case. That’s right, on April 10, the department received a report alleging theft of services after complete funeral services were provided for a woman on May 1, 2017 and the credit card provided for payment was canceled. In the 11 months since, no payment has been made, Alexander City Police Chief Jay Turner said. “I know it sounds strange, but in essence, they are alleging that the funeral, the services, the casket, the vault and all that goes with it was stolen,” Turner said. “In most cases like this, you would think it would be a civil matter where you would take them to court. But in Alabama, because no payment was made at all and the circumstances surrounding it, it is considered theft of services.” An incident report from the case lists the date of occurrence as April 30, 2017. The actual service took place on May 1, 2017. The cost of the service is listed as $8,335 on the report. Turner said the department has started an investigation and is reviewing documents and reaching out to those involved. No arrests have been made at this time. The name of the deceased and the funeral home are not being listed out of respect for both entities.
Today’s
Weather
80 59 High
Low
STRAWBERRY fields Local strawberry farms a fun activity for area residents
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
U
-Pick strawberry fields are now open in the area and just like the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” they are ready to provide residents a brief respite from the world. From children seeing where food comes from to children of all ages sampling the sweet red berries and others leaving with more strawberries than they planned, everyone leaves the field happy. “We are happy for them to sample them,” Lewis Tapley of Sweet Pick’ins Farm in See STRAWBERRY • Page 3
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
A family picks strawberries at Sweet Pick’ins in Dadeville Sunday afternoon. The farm, located at 847 Old Millers Ferry Road, is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
The Alexander City City Council will hold a public hearing and consider amending the city zoning ordinance to allow for property where a new mixed use development is planned. On the agenda for Monday night’s meeting is a public hearing where six parcels that make up a little more than 60 acres will be considered for rezoning. The property, owned by D&A Investments is adjacent to Walmart and fronts Highway 280 and runs back to Washington Street. Landowners Angela and Dion James of D&A Investments are working to transform the site into a multi-phase, multiuse development that will be unlike any other in the area. Preliminary grading has already taken place there. If successful, the project that has been named Lake Martin Village will feature a Highway 280 outparcel suitable for a larger retailer or restaurant and 14 business storefronts in the first phase that will occupy about 11 acres of the property. In the second and third phases about 47 acres will be home to single-family residential homes and professional offices that could house doctors, lawyers and small space entrepreneurs, Angela James said in a recent story on the project. At the meeting, which See COUNCIL • Page 3
Stephens celebrates Jump Rope for Heart By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
489.98 Reported on 04/13/18 @ 2 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
54708
90050
USPS Permit # 013-080
8
Getting students active and working to stave off heart disease, Stephens Elementary School recently celebrated its annual Jump Rope for Heart event. Along with a week of jump roping in P.E. class and learning more about maintaining a healthy heart, the third- and fourth-graders also raised money for heart disease research and other important cardiovascular issues. “We raised $7,211.85 this year,” Stephens P.E. coach Gary Graveman said. “It was an excellent year for us, and one of the best we’ve had in several years.” Twenty-one students received special recognition for raising at least $100 during Jump Rope for Heart. The top two fundraisers were Lynley Brown with $821 and Lynley See STEPHENS • Page 3
Donald Campbell / The Outlook
The Stephens Elementary School students who raised at least $100 during the school’s annual Jump Rope for Heart event demonstrate their jumping abilities Thursday morning.
ALEX CITY LAWN SERVICE Ronnie Williamson Licensed and Insured | Free Estimates 20 Yearss Experience Ex xperieencee
256-749-1545 • 256-234-4298
+
+ Buy
Here + Pay Here + + CLEAN USED CARS No Credit Checks
Cars• Vans• Trucks • SUV’s
Midway Auto,Inc.
Off Hwy. 280 • Alexander City, AL (On Right Past the River Bridge)
256.825.9830