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April 23-24, 2016 • Vol. 124 • No. 82 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
REBELS MOVING ON Reeltown opens 2A Playoffs with pair of home victories, page 12.
SEARCH FOR KILLER CONTINUES Police continue to work leads in murder case, while community prepares to show support By MITCH SNEED Editor
As local law enforcement officials work tirelessly to find answers in Wednesday’s fatal shooting of a man while he cut his grass, the community is planning a candlelight vigil as a show of support for the victim’s family. Alexander City Police Department
Lt. James Easterwood said Friday there have been no arrests in connection with the death of 49-year-old Elbert Clyde Wilson. Wilson died shortly after being shot on his property at 3823 Highway 63, just outside the Alexander City limits. Investigators said that Wilson suffered a single gunshot wound that passed
through his arm and into his chest with no visible exit wound. He was pronounced dead at Russell Medical Center. Wilson’s neighbor Franklin Price indicated that he saw a red truck stop in the roadway, heard a gunshot and then saw Wilson fall from the mower. After Price gave that statement to investigators and the media at the scene
Wednesday, he was arrested on outstanding warrants for burglary, according to Easterwood. Price has not been charged with anything in connection with the shooting, Easterwood said Friday morning. Rhonda Williamson, a motorist who actually stopped to render aid didn’t See INVESTIGATION • Page 7
Five put names in hat for school board spot
Council meets to discuss golf course audit
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
By MITCH SNEED Editor
An audit into money from the city golf course and the status of a regular audit of the city’s annual finances will be the topic of a special work session Monday afternoon at Alexander City City Hall. Councilman Bob Howard had requested that officials with the Birminghambased accounting firm Carr, Riggs and Ingram meet with the council so members could get a better feel for the process and where things stand. Howard announced at last Monday’s meeting that CRI representatives will be on hand at 4 p.m. in the upstairs conference room at city hall to meet. “I think we’ve all been wanting to learn more about the process and this will be our opportunity to do that so we can all understand where we are at this point,” Howard said last Monday. The Outlook has acquired the invoices from CRI for work on the golf course audit and the work done through March 23 on the audit of city financials for the fiscal year that ended on Sept, 30, 2014. The invoices show the city was billed $24,803 for the golf course audit and has racked up $28,000 on the regular audit to date. The total billing as of March 23 was at $52,602. Mayor Charles Shaw said CRI could See AUDIT • Page 3
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Alex City Marine and Russell Marine holding boat shows this weekend By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
If you are looking to buy a boat, this is your lucky weekend. Both Alex City Marine and Russell Marine are having boat shows today and Sunday. “It will be our biggest boat show yet,” Russell Marine’s Dave Commander said. “We have nearly 120 boats and close to 50 Sea-Doo’s. It will be our biggest show yet.” While Russell Marine’s show is at The Ridge Marina, Alex City Marine has joined See BOAT • Page 7
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
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ROCK THE BOATS
Board votes to close Councill
Today’s
High
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Russell Marine, above, is hosting its largest ever boat show at The Ridge Marina this weekend with more than 150 boats, some available for demos. Alex City Marine is also hosting a boat show at The River Bridge.
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There was no joy on the faces of the members of the Tallapoosa County School Board when it came time to vote on the single question on its agenda Friday afternoon. “With a heavy heart, so moved,” said board member Michael Carter in moving to accept Superintendent Joe Windle’s recommendation to close Councill Middle School at the end of the current school year and move sixth-grade students to Dadeville Elementary School and seventh- and eighthgrade students to Dadeville High School beginning in the 2016-17 school year. “With a heavy, heavy heart, I second,” said board member Matilda Woodyard-Hamilton. The board then voted unanimously to accept Windle’s recommendation. “It’s never pleasant when you’re looking at File / The Outlook the possibility of closing one of your school Tallapoosa County School Board voted unanimously to See COUNCILL • Page 3 close Councill Middle School,above, on Friday afternoon.
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State legislature passes best education budget since 2008 By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
The Alabama Legislature unanimously approved an education budget on Thursday that provides pay raises for teachers, provides funding for 475 additional teaching positions in grades 7 through 12, increases funding for the state’s pre-K program and increases funding for the state’s two- and four-year colleges. The $6.3 billion budget represents an increase in allocations of 5.6 percent over the current year’s budget and is education’s largest budget since it received $6.8 billion in funding in 2008. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley praised the legislature’s passage of the education bill. “A quality education is the foundation upon which Alabama’s future rests,” said See BUDGET • Page 3
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The Alexander City City Council will interview five candidates to replace Steve Robinson on the Alexander City Board of Education. The five persons who have indicated their interest in the position are Sean Bland, Brett Pritchard, Denise Bates, Amy Hampton and Leanne Calhoun. Denise Bates has three children who all graduated from Alexander City Schools. Her son, Daniel, 25, is currently serving in the U.S. Army and her daughers, Catherine and Elizabeth, both 21, are currently enrolled at UAB, both on academic and music scholarships “they wouldn’t have had it not been for the Alex City Schools.” Bates said she hopes to take her support of the school system to the next level. “I feel like I’ve always been a big advocate for education here in town and I just want to take that support to the next level,” Bates said. “I particularly want to do what See EDUCATION • Page 7
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