INSIDE TODAY: • Arrests, A2 • Opinion, A4 • Events, A5 • Faith, A6 • Sports, A7
Weekend The Outlook
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
April 27-28, 2019 Vol. 127, No. 83 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
SPORTS, PAGE A7 How did the Wildcats do?
Bond for pregnant capital murder suspect? By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A circuit court judge is considering bond for Latoni Daniel, who is eight months pregnant and awaiting trial on a capital murder charge. Daniel has been in jail since Dec. 5, 2017, following the robbery and shooting death
of Thomas V. Chandler of Goodwater, a case in which the state is seeking the death penalty if she is convicted. Daniel, 26, of Alexander City went before Circuit Court Judge David Law in Rockford Friday seeking to be free on bond to give birth to the child. “The elephant in the room is Ms. Daniel is a little over eight months pregnant,” said
attorney Jon Taylor, who represents Daniel. “Her due date is May 25.” Chief assistant district attorney Joe Ficquette argued Daniel should not have a bond due to the capital murder charge and the punishment that would be levied if she is convicted. “This is a very horrific murder,” Ficquette said. “We
are seeking the death penalty.” The other penalty option is life in prison without parole. Taylor said Daniel needs care beyond what can be provided while she is incarcerated and made other arguments for bond. “She would get additional prenatal care if she was on bond,” Taylor said. “She has no criminal history. She served in
People want the lottery By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor
Today’s
Weather
77 54 High
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490.40 Reported on 4/26/19 @ 4 p.m.
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Gabrielle Jansen / The Outlook
Veteran Anita Perez looks through her book of her military certificates and papers. Perez served in the Army in numerous capacties in her 20year military career.
Army veteran uses binder to fill in memory gaps By GABRIELLE JANSEN Staff Writer
D
isabled American Veterans Bill Nichols Chapter 13 adjutant and U.S. Army veteran Anita Perez looked through a personal binder full of papers and certificates to help tell her story Friday afternoon. Perez, who served in the Army from 1991 to 2011, said she and others she’s
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deployed with have realized they are experiencing long-term and short-term memory gaps. “The burn pits, all of the immunizations we got and things, you don’t know what causes what while you’re in the military but you’re subjected to a lot of things civilians aren’t,” Perez said. “Disposing of medical waste in a burn pit was not my favorite thing to do.” Perez still remembers her career and
life but used the binder as a supplement. Originally from Alexander City, Perez graduated from Benjamin Russell in 1985. Perez worked for Russell Corp. for a few years before joining the Army. Perez said she joined to help better support her two children, one of whom suffered hearing loss due to meningitis, and because the Gulf War had started. “I happened to wander into a recruiter’s office one day looking for See VETERAN • Page A3
Meals on Wheels celebrates 30 years By GABRIELLE JANSEN Staff Writer
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Lake Martin
See BOND • Page A3
HOW MANY JOBS?
‘That’s not hope; that’s a realization,’ senator says Alabamians are hungering for a lottery and will approve it if they get a chance to vote on it, according to the man who authored the bill that passed the Senate on Thursday. The lone Deep South state without a lottery will get that opportunity if the Alabama House of Representatives passes the bill next without substantial changes, Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) said. Albritton proposed a state lottery with paper tickets and fought off legislators who favored expanding electronic gambling. The bill needed 21 votes to advance through the Senate and it passed 21-12. Republicans voted 19-7 for the bill and Democrats voted 5-2 against. “I was surprised,” Albritton said. “When we did a head count, we didn’t have enough going in. I thought we’d wind up with 16 or 17. We didn’t have the support of the minority or a good portion of our Republican senators. It was an act of faith — or an act of desperation, whatever you want to call it.” A public referendum March 3, 2020, the date of the presidential primary, won’t be nearly that close among a citizenry with an appetite See LOTTERY • Page A3
the military with honor and has strong family ties to the area.” Taylor said Daniel’s father, mother and uncle were in attendance at the hearing and would agree to make sure Daniel abides by any conditions of bond put in place including curfews or house arrest except for medical
The Alexander City Meals on Wheels celebrated 30 years of operations Thursday night at The Mill Two Eighty. “I’ve been the director there for almost 29 years and it’s a very richly rewarding job,” Meals on Wheels director Linda Boone said. “It’s instant gratification anytime you go to someone’s door to take that hot, nutritious meal to them.” Boone said the organization started in Alexander City when different members of local churches realized there were homebound residents who needed hot meals. Boone said the group originally served five people. Meals on Wheels serves 70 people now in the city and has more than 200 volunteers, Boone said. “Slowly the word got out and
the need was there, and we started having doctors and even churches would send us messages that somebody needed our help,” Boone said. “So it grew rapidly.” Volunteers make about eight to 10 stops a day delivering the food, according to Boone. “It takes a minimum of about eight people a day and we don’t ask them to go every day,” Boone said. “Most people volunteer once every four weeks. Some go weekly.” Boone said she couldn’t imagine the community without Meals on Wheels and the organization is connected to the people it serves. Boone said volunteers check on the meal recipients when they deliver food. “We serve so many people who need our service who are Submitted / The Outlook either unable to prepare meals for themselves or they are homebound,” Meals on Wheels celebrated 30 years of service to Alexander See CELEBRATION • Page A3 City Thursday night serving homebound residents. Alex City
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