COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE!
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THE Half of all local taxes pays for public safety
CACC CONCERT Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 April 6, 2016 Vol. 124, No. 69 www.alexcityoutlook.com
Jazz Band to perform Thursday night, Page 7.
County balances road repairs, limited funds By MITCH SNEED Editor
No matter which Tallapoosa County Commissioner you talk with, they will all say the No. 1 issue that constituents approach them about is the condition of roads. According to state highway data, Tallapoosa ranks No. 16 in Alabama in terms of the number of miles of roads. Because the county is so large in terms of miles, and due to the nature of the areas around Lake
Martin, dirt, tar and gravel and partially paved roads are plentiful. But funds to do what some wish could be done to those roads are not as abundant. “We have some roads that we simply can’t do the kind of things that really need to be done,” Tallapoosa County Engineer David Moore said. “It comes down to tough decisions. We have to spend the money we have where it will do the most good and impact the most people. That means a lot of times some issues that are less travelled have to wait or in some cases all
we can do is patch the big issues.” Because road funds are linked to several sources that the county has little control over like the state’s gasoline tax, money is determined in part by the amount of tax collected here. The most resent figures show that in 2014, the county ranked No. 52 in terms of funding returned for roads. The county’s road funding comes from five sources, but some Submitted / The Outlook of those funds can be used for other things, like debt repayment. While Voids in pavement, large ruts and massive pot holes like this section the road and bridge fund would of Lester Road are just a sample of the issues found on rural roads in See ROADS • Page 5 Tallapoosa County.
UP IN FLAMES
Wind Creek zipline work set to begin this summer
Prosecutors present case in sex abuse trial Investigators, counselor, video highlight trial’s second day By MITCH SNEED Editor
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Soon camping, boating and fishing will be only the beginning of things for visitors to do at Wind Creek State Park. Construction will begin early this summer at the Lake Martin state park on aerial ecotourism adventures, which will eventually include ziplines and other attractions. The new attractions to Wind Creek will be the result of a partnership between the Alabama State Parks System, Historic Banning Mills, a 501 ( c ) (3) conservation center in Banning, Georgia, and American Adventure Park Systems of Whitesburg, Georgia. Wi n d Creek Superintendent Bruce Adams says the zipline will See ZIPLINE • Page 6
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Volunteer fire department battles multiple acre blaze A little spring cleaning Tuesday at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church got out of hand as three to four acres were burned when a burning piece of paper got away. To help put out the blaze were Sara Gardner, Jerald Mask and Chris Roberts with the New Site Volunteer Fire Department. The Alabama Forestry Commission also responded with a bulldozer to create some fire lines. The fire was under control in just over an hour.
Testimony from investigators and videotaped interviews with an alleged victim of sexual abuse were at the center on the second day of the trial of a man and woman accused of sexual abuse. Antavis Dewayne Thornton Jr. of Valley and April Nichole Jones of Jacksons Gap are on trial for 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. Tuesday’s testimony and evidence came a day after the young girl at the center of the case testified that she didn’t recall the abuse “or anyone touching me in a way that hurt me.” Prosecutors began the process of re-establishing the reasons for the charges on Tuesday. New Site Police Department officer Phillip Weddle testified about seeing the forensic interview with the child on Aug. 7, 2014. It was the first interview with the 5-year-old girl after the allegations of See TRIAL • Page 5
ACSEF 2016 Art Exhibit announces adult, student winners
Today’s
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By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
David Granger / The Outlook
Christy Bui’s self portrait, above left, was honored as Children’s Best in Show, while DaNeal Eberly’s acrylic painting “Wine Thirty” was judged Adult Best in Show.
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DaNeal Eberly’s acrylic work titled “Wine Thirty” and Christy Bui’s self portrait took best in show in the adult and children’s divisions, respectively, of the 2016 Alexander City Schools Education Foundation 2016 Art Exhibit. More than 75 entries in the adult division and 130 in the children’s division are on display downtown Alexander City. The children’s division entries are on display at The Coffee Corner, located at 107 Main St. The adult winners are being exhibited at Café 128, located at 128 Calhoun St. “This is the second year we’ve had the show downtown among the shops,” said Jamie Dark, who helped organize the exhibits. “But it’s been going on for 20 years or more now. It used to be the Alexander City Library Art Show, but now it’s the ACSEF show. We do it as a fundraiser for technology in the schools.” Dark said participation increased slightly from See ART • Page 5
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