COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE, PAGE 6
WEDNESDAY
THE
OPINION, PAGE 4
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
Flowers: Legislature turns attention to lottery, budgets
April 3, 2019 Vol. 127, No. 66 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
SPORTS, PAGE 10 Wildcats suffer key area loss to Russell County
Russell guilty of trafficking hydrocodone By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A Tallapoosa County jury spent more time walking between the jury box and the jury room Tuesday to allow Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Ray Martin to take up matters than it did to deliberate the fate of Ronnie “Flip” Russell Jr. It took the jury of four white males, four white females, three black females
couldn’t find him, law enforceand one black male less than 40 ment went to his girlfriend’s minutes to select a foreperson house on I Street, an Alexander and find Russell guilty of trafCity Housing Authority apartficking hydrocodone. ment. Russell will likely face life in “I knocked on the door sevprison at his sentencing at 9 a.m. eral times and it came open,” April 23 in front of Martin. Alexander City Housing Investigators testified they Authority investigator Marcus went to arrest Russell in March Russell Osborne said. “I don’t think it 2018 at his Locust Street reswas shut fully. We stood at the door and idence in Alexander City. When they
said, ‘Police with a warrant.’” Osborne admitted he had a master key to open any housing authority door but didn’t use it to open the door of the I Street residence. Both Osborne and Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force officer Luke Silvey testified they encountered a child of Russell’s girlfriend and the girlfriend before Silvey found Russell hiding in a See RUSSELL • Page 3
City closes on new city hall, property
Firefighters use family event to bond
By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor
Pens will give way to saws and lawnmowers this week after Alexander City officials wrote a $2.55 million check and signed paperwork Tuesday to take ownership of the site of the new municipal complex. The city closed on the transaction at the office of municipal attorney Larkin Radney, using money it transferred from the electric fund to pay property owner Gary Nelson for the 56 acres, including the former Russell Sales Office, the former Russell Guest House and some duplex apartments it plans to demolish. The city council voted Monday to approve the transfer of the money so the city could take possession of the property and begin converting the 85,000-square foot sales office into a new city hall where all departments will be consolidated. Once the city’s $9 million loan for the project through Valley Bank is finalized within the next 60 days, the electric fund will be repaid the $2.55 million, leaving $6.45 million for renovations — most of that for a new roof and HVAC systems. “It came off without a hitch,” Alexander City community development director Al Jones said. “It belongs to the city now.” See CITY • Page 3
By GABRIELLE JANSEN Staff Writer
I
t was a race against the clock and each other during the Alexander City Fire Department’s firefighter challenge Saturday. The challenge was held as part of its firefighter appreciation and family day at Station 2. The firefighter challenge relay involved running up the fire tower, pulling a bag with a hose up the tower, hitting a sled, running between barrels, using the water hose and dragging a dummy across the finish line. “I think we had it in the bag until we fell (near the end),” firefighter Zabrinski Salter said. “It’s pretty easy. It’s really just trying to stay in shape and it’s actually pretty fun. I love it.” The B shift, made up of Jesse Lashley, Taylor Phillips, Tim McIntire, Tevorius Russell, Brandon Bryan and Blake Hudson, won the challenge and was given gift certificates to local businesses. Firefighter Zackary Zipperich said he had fun doing the challenge. “It’s something we do all the time,” Zipperich said. “(It’s) good training (and a) good little fun (thing) for the
Gabrielle Jansen / The Outlook
The Alexander City Fire Department held a family appreciation day Saturday at Station 2. Above: ACFD firefighter Octavious Hill pulls a body dummy to finish the firefighter challenge. Right: ACFD firefighter Hoyt Stoffregen of the C squad pulls up a bag during the firefighter challenge.
See FIREFIGHTERS • Page 3
New Site council talks annexation
Today’s
Weather
74 49 High
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
The New Site council is looking at annexation mostly in the Cowpens area. Alex City
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New Site Mayor Phil Blasingame told councilmembers at Monday night’s town council meeting he would like to see the town annex property to make drawing required council districts easier. “(Town attorney) Mac (Clayton) informed us we have to draw up five districts,” Blasingame said. “It is a process. It is not something that can be done in one meeting. Prior to drawing up districts there are areas I would like to see us annex to make things easier. It is to make everything flow, makes the districts easier. It would give us a larger number of residences.” Blasingame said the areas are already served by the New Site Police Department as they are in the police jurisdiction. “There are no real issues,” police chief Phillip Weddle said. “We already patrol those areas.” See ANNEXATION • Page 9
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