COURT: COUPLE TO BE SENTENCED IN SEX ABUSE CASE. PAGE 11
Weekend The Outlook
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Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
April 16-17, 2016 • Vol. 124 • No. 77 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
SPORTS, PAGE 12 Lady Wildcats shutout Stanhope Elmore in home match.
City council to tackle concert request, projects By MITCH SNEED Editor
A permit to hold live music events downtown once a month, a move to help the area’s newest manufacturer provide parking spaces for its employees and approval of changes to the city’s voting districts are all on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting of the Alexander City City Council. The Lake Martin Young Professionals group will ask the council for special events permit with no fee to hold month-
ly concerts. Tentatively called Strand Sessions – Live Music in the Park, the request indicates plans calling for two hours of live music and plans to hold the events on the first Thursday of the months of May, June, July and August. The request compares what it has planned to what is held during Sun Festival activities. Korens is gearing up to begin production in early 2017 and has already started the process of getting quality approval
from some of its potential customers. As part of the deal the city made to bring the auto parts supplier to town, the council will consider a resolution that will provide up to 100 parking spaces there. The resolution calls for the city to pay $100,000 to purchase half of a parking lot between the building and Aprinta. When the city annexed several island parcels of land into the city late last year, it took in some residential parcels as well. To make sure that the voting dis-
County’s jobless rate falls in March
Ninth annual career fair set for Thursday at CACC
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
The Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance and Central Alabama Community College will sponsor their ninth annual career fair on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Betty Carol Graham Technology Center on the CACC campus. The event is free and open to those searching for either part-time or fulltime job opportunities. At least 30 companies, armed forces representatives, staffing agencies and others will be on hand to talk with prospective employees. Those who attend are urged to wear conservative professional clothing and bring their resumes. “We encourage everyone to come out, talk with the company representatives and see what’s available,” said Denise Walls, special projects coordinator with the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance. “Hopefully, we can match See CAREER • Page 3
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BEST AND BRIGHTEST
Some of Central Alabama Community College’s ‘Best & Brightest’ students were introduced to city leaders and the local business community Thursday night at the Betty Carol Graham Technology Center. The idea is to expose students to the career opportunities available locally that align with their degree fields and give businesses a chance to court these future leaders. Steve Robinson, above, with AmTech speaks with students from CACC explaining that the company builds wiring harnesses for the medical and aerospace industries. Below, Alexander City Schools superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper waits for attendees to move to the ACS booth.
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
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Cliff Williams / The Outlook
The good news on the job front keeps coming for Tallapoosa County as statistics released Friday show that the county again saw its unemployment rate drop in March. Tallapoosa County posted an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent in March. That rate for the county was better than February’s 6.4 percent and also lower than the 6.25 percent Tallapoosa County had in March of 2014. The county’s numbers were considerably better than Alabama’s preliminary seasonally adjusted March unemployment rate of 6.2 percent. “Alabama’s unemployment rate continues to hold steady, all the while showing labor force and employment growth,” Gov. Robert Bentley said in a released statement. “The growth is very encouraging, as we continue to see higher numbers of people working than we have in nearly eight years. Employers are hiring in Alabama, and we have a workforce ready for a job. Our efforts will continue to put Alabamians back to work.” The state’s Civilian Labor Force, which represents those persons 16 and older who are working or actively seeking work, increased to 2,176,457 in March, representing both a monthly and a yearly increase. The number of people counted as employed in March was 2,042,177, also See UNEMPLOYMENT • Page 3
Dadeville High School students experience life with Autism
Today’s
High
trict maps are accurate, the new districts will be approved so that people in those new areas will be eligible to vote in city elections. The council will also consider: • Making certain property no longer needed for public or municipal use and authorizing the mayor to dispose of on govdeals.com. The items are gymnastics equipment that was in the building that was the former Bama Theater, which is owned by the city. See COUNCIL • Page 3
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Students at Dadeville High School now have a better appreciation of what someone on the autism spectrum struggles with daily. The Lee County Autism Resource and Advocacy (LCARA) group held its Second Annual Autism Pep Rally at the school Friday letting the students and faculty experience what it is like to be someone on the spectrum. “By watching and taking part in these demonstrations, we hope you will see what students on the spectrum face on a daily basis,” Sandra Duck said. First up was Dadeville High School student Amanda Hall. “She will try to walk this
blue line,” Laura Squires said. She will be wearing special goggles and sandpaper on her back. This is what it is like for children with autism everyday.” Squires went on to describe how it is difficult for student on the spectrum to concentrate. “When taking a test, they hear every little click,” Squires said. “They hear the air conditioner turning on and off. They can not filter like you or I.” Hall was able to walk the line but described the simple task. “The sandpaper was really irritating,” Hall said. “The only way I knew to walk was to just put one foot in front of the other. With the goggles on, you See AUTISM • Page 5
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Dadeville High School students who made posters for Autism Awareness hold them up at a pep rally to be judged by fellow students.
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