OPINION: BADGERS TURN ELECTION AROUND. PAGE 4. CRUCIAL WIN THURSDAY THE Wildcats get first area win at Valley, Sports page 8.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 April 7, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 70
www.alexcityoutlook.com
Local memories shared as Haggard passes By MITCH SNEED Editor
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Country music legend Merle Haggard performs two years ago in Carollton, Georgia. Haggard passed away Wednesday, on his 79th birthday due to health complications and pneumonia.
Country music legend Merle Haggard died Wednesday, the same day he turned 79 years old. A release issued by his family said Haggard had been in hospice care after recent health struggles that included pneumonia, which was listed as the cause of death. Local classic country music lovers like Kowaliga Country’s Kenny Dean called the Haggard’s passing a “sad, sad day for country music.” “I’m 63 years old and I can honestly say that I have been a fan of
his music for 50 years,” Dean said. “My brother has been a truck driver his whole life and I can remember hearing him on an old radio show called Charlie Douglas’ Road gang. I still love one his first hits ‘I’m A Lonesome Fugitive’ that I heard on that show. “We are losing a breed that made country music what it is and it’s just a sad, sad day. You look at the people we have today. Do you think people will remember them like this 50 years from now? Probably not.” While Haggard’s fame was international, few may recall that he actually played here in Tallapoosa County
early in his career. Peck Rowell owned the Blue Creek Recreation Center, a club on the water about six miles south of Dadeville on Highway 49. In a 2014 interview, Rowell recalled Haggard’s visit for a story on Rowell’s own induction into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. “We had some of the biggest names in the business come through Blue Creek,” Rowell, who passed away in late 2014, said. “None any bigger than Merle. He put on a show and like to have played all night. He probably would have if we had let him. Even See LEGEND • Page 2
Tax fraud at school systems top 100
Closing statements today in sex abuse trial
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
By MITCH SNEED Editor
A jury will likely begin deliberating the fate of a man and woman accused of the sexual abuse of a 5-yearold girl today. 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. Judge Ray Martin ended Wednesday’s session after both the prosecution and the defense rested their cases, instructing the defense team as well as Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Duerr that closing statements would be expected to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday. The prosecution called just one witness Wednesday before resting its case.
A proposed plan to close Councill Middle School got a chilly reception Wednesday as members of the public sounded off to members of the Tallapoosa County Board of Education and Superintendent Joe Windle. The boardroom was packed with 45 people, most who came to learn more about the plan. Windle told the crowd that this isn’t an easy
With the number of employees in the Alexander City School System who have been victims of tax-related identity fraud rising to 55, two other school systems in Alabama who share a common vendor with Alex City are beginning to discover additional cases of the same or a similar scheme, pushing the total number of employees victimized among the three systems to well more than 100. All three of the systems are currently engaged in working to protect employees and with local police and federal agencies to find who is responsible. “Hopefully, we’ve become aware of most of our cases now,” Rhonda Blythe, chief financial officer for Alex City Schools, said Tuesday. “We haven’t had anymore come in today and that’s the first day we haven’t had any new ones since this began.” Meanwhile, Escambia County and Dothan City Schools began to discover cases in the south Alabama systems early this week. Both Escambia County Schools and Dothan City Schools, like Alexander City, use financial computer platforms provided
See COUNCILL • Page 3
See FRAUD • Page 3
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Superintendent Joe Windle looks on as parent Amanda Williams voices her concerns about young children being mixed in with much older students if Coucill Middle School were to close. Below, former principal Wayne Chase tells those gathered that closing Councill Middle School is not good for Dadeville.
CLOSING COUNCILL
Concerns voiced at town meeting By MITCH SNEED Editor
See TRIAL• Page 2
Controlled burns the source of this week’s smoke and haze By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Smoke from controlled burns filled the air in and around Alexander CityTuesday evening concern with residents.
See SMOKE • Page 3
ATTENTION CONTRACTORS!
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256.277.4219 The Outlook ClassiÀeds
Lake Levels
489.69 Reported on 4/6/16 @ 12 p.m.
No, Alexander City was not in a BBQ smoker Tuesday afternoon. All that smoke was from a large control burn in the Talladega National Forest. “The main source of the smoke seen in and around Alexander City Tuesday was from a controlled burn in the Talladega National Forest,” Alabama Forestry Commission’s Michael King said. “The U.S. Forest Service burned about 2,400 acres.” King says the normal landowner will most likely never burn that amount. “The average land owner will only ever burn up to 100 acres,” King said. “That said, 2,400 acres is about normal for the forest service.” King explained that the forest service has burn plans and gets burn permits. “They plan their burns,” King said.
Planning a Yard Sale? Boost your pro½ts with an ad in the Classi½eds. It’s an easy and affordable way to bring more business to your door!
Lake Martin
Alabama Energy & Residential Codes Training Alabama Energy Code Presented by Southface & ADECA Energy Division Wednesday, April 13, 9 AM 1 PM Betty Carol Graham Technology Center Alabama Residential Building Code Presented by the Home Builders Association of Alabama Tuesday, April 19, 9 AM 1 PM Betty Carol Graham Technology Center Contact the Building Department at (256) 329 6712 for more information!
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
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