BOARD SETS SECOND MEETING ON COUNCILL CLOSURE, PAGE 8.
THE JACKS OF ALL TRADES
TUESDAY
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
New Site Trade Day Photos, Page 11.
April 19, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 78
www.alexcityoutlook.com
SPORTS, PAGE 12. Wildcats dominate Pell City’s Panthers on Senior Day. The Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department is looking into allegations of animal abuse involving a horse near Flournoy Road. Left, this photo was circulating on social media Monday stating that it was near Dadeville.
Sheriff’s Department probes horse abuse case By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
The Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department is looking into allegations of animal abuse involving a horse near Flournoy Road. “We are working on something along those lines,” Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said. “I am not at
liberty to say more.” The abuse case was the talk of social media Monday afternoon after photographs of a neglected horse were posted on horse enthusiast Merry Hardy’s Facebook page stating that it was near Dadeville. The postings claim the animal died Monday. “It is not easy to look at,” Hardy said. “That horse had a
long painful death.” Hardy hopes that others can learn from this. It is good for the community to learn from this,” Hardy said. “There are a lot of resources to help people who can no longer care for their animals.” Hardy said that horses require a different diet than other pets. “Lots of water and clean food See ABUSE • Page 3
Council approves bid for paving projects
Couple will serve 30 years in sex abuse case By MITCH SNEED Editor
A man and woman found guilty of the sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl were sentenced Monday in Alexander City. Judge Ray Martin sentenced Antavis Dewayne Thornton Jr. of Valley and April Nichole Jones of Jacksons Gap to a total of 68 years each on the five convictions, but because of the Jones way the time sentence was structured, the two will likely serve 30 years in prison. A jury took five hours after a fourday trial earlier this month Thornton to convict the couple of aggravated child abuse, two counts of first-degree sodomy, first-degree rape and one count of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. See SENTENCE • Page 8
OWENS ANNEX
Great Bethel Baptist Church dedicates annex to Terrell Owens
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Bishop Lathonia Wright of New Life Worship Center in Roanoke leads a service during the dedication of the Terrell Owens Annex and Rev. Milton Nunn Library at Great Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Sunday.
Alexander City native Terrell Owens gave permission to area students to bring home D’s from school Sunday – just not the D’s on the report card. “Set your goals high, make good grades, preferably all As and Bs,” Terrell said. “But today I am giving you permission to bring home three Ds. See CHURCH • Page 3
Several moves that will impact roadwork, a free summer concert series and the sale of gymnastics equipment were among the items approved by the Alexander City City Council Monday night. The council voted 5-0 to approve a contract with Gary Ingram Grading & Paving that will handle paving projects as part of the Alexander City Road Improvement Project in the amount of $663,384. The projects on the list this year will be: C Street Section 1 (from N Place to E Street), C Street Section 2 (from E Street to B Street), D Street Section 1 (from E Street to dead end), D Street Section 2 (from E street to B Street), F Street (from D Street to C Street), N Place (from D Street to C Street), Clay Street (from Broad Street/Highway 63 to the corner of retail parking lot), County Road (from Highway 280 to the city limits), Dean Road Section 1 (from Highway 280 to end of asphalt), Dean Road Section 2 (from Highway 280 to Dadeville Road), Elkahatchee Road (from Seminole Drive to the city limits), and Glenwood Road (from Highway 280 to County Road). Alexander City Engineer and Public Works Director Gerard Brewer said that crews could start work immediately. “This is all they are waiting on to get started,” Brewer said. “We will text them after the See COUNCIL • Page 2
Today’s
Weather
80 55 High
Low
By MITCH SNEED Editor
BY DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
See FRAUD • Page 3
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Siblings badly injured in Saturday afternoon crash
85 ACS employees victims in tax scheme The 85 employees of the Alexander City Schools who were victims of a tax-identity scheme that resulted in fraudulent returns filed in their names were among 450500 school employees in Alabama and Mississippi who were victimized by the same person or persons, an Internal Revenue Service investigator told Alexander City Schools officials last week.
Submitted / The Outlook
Special / The Outlook
The Ford Ranger that was carrying a brother and sister sits in a yard after it rolled five times in an accident off Highway 49 Saturday near New Site. Both driver and passenger were flown to UAB for treatment.
A brother and sister who were severely injured in a single vehicle accident near New Site Saturday afternoon remain hospitalized in Birmingham, but both have been moved out of intensive care. New Site Police Department’s Philip Weddle said that a Ford Ranger that preliminary reports indicate was driven by Abigil “Abbey” Salinas, 19, of Dadeville left the roadway on Highway 49 South near Veazey Road. Her brother Samuel Salinas, 21, was a passenger in the vehicle. Weddle said the accident is still under investigation, but they are starting to piece it all together. Both Abbey and Samuel were ejected from the truck as it rolled into a yard See ACCIDENT • Page 3
Lake Martin
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