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LOCAL: TAKE CAUTION ON LEE STREET, PAGE 2.
FRIDAY
THE
Strand Sessions & Downtown After Dark recap
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
April 7, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 69 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
NWS reviews storm damage
National Weather Service Meterologist Kevin Laws surveys storm damage along Highway 22 between New Site and Dadeville to try to determine if it was caused by straight line wind or a tornado.
New Site comes together to help neighbor after the storm
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Jury convicts Williams of sexual abuse of young girls
Matthew Oliver has two tales to tell after a storm caused damage to his farm in New Site – one of survival and one of a community coming together to help a neighbor. Oliver was in his home on the farm as a storm
rolled through New Site late Wednesday afternoon. “I got in the truck just before it started to get a little rough,” Oliver said. “I was going to wait it out but the dog started acting funny, so I started to pull out.” It was then that Oliver notice things happening See STORM • Page A3
A LIFE REMEMBERED
By MITCH SNEED Editor
A 42-year-old Alexander City man was found guilty Thursday afternoon of sex crimes against two young girls that occurred back in 2013. A jury took about an hour to find Henry Lemanns Williams, 42, guilty of sexual abuse of a child and sodomy after a trial that spanned four days, with a one-day weather delay. Judge Tom Young, who presided over the trial, will sentence Williams April 25. Each has a suggested sentence of between two and 20 years, but District Attorney Jeremy Duerr indicated that ask Young to go beyond the recommendation due to the nature of the crimes and Williams criminal history. While jurors were not available to speak to their reasoning in reaching the guilty verdict, the tearful testimony of the young victims was hard to forget. The girls are now 14 and 16, and they both went through a series of events where Williams touched them inappropriately and performed acts upon them. In one case a victim was drugged before Williams abused her and they testified that Williams hit them and threatened to kill them if they told anyone what he had done. The youngest of the victims said she still cared for the man, but said it didn’t change what he did to her. See TRIAL • Page A3
Members of the Benjamin Russell high School basketball team serve as pallbearers and carry their fallen teammate Quen Reese for his final ride. More than 400 friends and family were on hand for his celebration of life at First Baptist Church of Alexander City Thursday.
Quen Reese’s life celebrated by family and friends By MITCH SNEED Editor
Tears, laughter and fond memories were shared as a community said goodbye to a young man whose life ended far too soon. More than 400 friends and families gathered Thursday at First Baptist Church in Alexander City to celebrate the life of 18-year-old Quentavious “Quen” Arrion Reese. The Benjaimin Russell High School senior and basketball standout passed
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Residents asked to take advantage of Throw Away Days
Low
By MITCH SNEED Editor
By MITCH SNEED Editor 6
54708 90050
away Wednesday, March 29 at the University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Center after a tragic shooting the night before. Rather than talking about the way he died, Thursday was a time to remember how he lived. Rev. Roderick Williams delivered the eulogy, talking about the drive and determination that had marked Quen’s time on earth. He asked that Quen not be forgotten and that it serve as a learning experience for everyone. See FUNERAL • Page A3
Coworkers seek help finding missing man
Today’s
Weather High
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
8
USPS Permit # 013-080
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
489.42 Reported on 4/06/17 @ 4 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com
Friends and co-workers of an Alexander City man are hoping that someone can help them with information to help them locate Merl Joseph Reed who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday afternoon. Local businessman Lynn Patterson said that Joe had been having some health problems and had ridden with a co-worker to Birmingham to get set up for some surgery on Wednesday. “They got up there and signed in and all and when they had to wait, he said he was going outside to smoke a cigarette,” Patterson said. “That was a 1 p.m. But after
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Bill’s Electric ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
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See MISSING • Page A7
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Are you in the midst of spring cleaning and have unwanted items that you need to get rid of? Well two days that will help you with that problem are coming up on Monday and Tuesday. April 10 and 11 have been designated Countywide Throw Away Days by the Tallapoosa County Commissioners and the Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership. “To keep a quarterly schedule, April 10-11 are the days for our next event and we wanted to get the Submitted / The Outlook word out so that as many residents Signs around the sites where dumpsters will be located remind as possible can take advantage of the dumpsters,” said Middle all who pass that Monday and Tuesday will be Countywide Throw Away Days in Tallapoosa County. See THROW AWAY • Page A7
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