OPINION: GO VOTE, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT , PAGE 4.
THE
BRHS field gets update
TUESDAY
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
See what’s going on in the area, page 5.
Sports, Page 10.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 August 23, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 169
www.alexcityoutlook.com
Election Day is here
POLLING LOCATIONS Alexander City District One – Cooper Recreation Center District Two – Housing Authority Spring Hill District Three – Gas Plant District Four – Hillabee Baptist Church District Five – National Guard Armory District Six – Fire Station II
Polls open at 7 a.m. in municipal elections, Sunday sales vote By MITCH SNEED Editor
After more than a month of campaigning, candidate forums, advertising, buzz from residents and door-to-door campaigning, voters will go to the polls today to make some big decisions on the future of Tallapoosa County’s municipalities. Residents in Alexander City, Dadeville and New Site will have their say in whether they want to see Sunday sales put before the people in November.
In Alexander City voters will see four men on the ballot for mayor and four contested council races, with three candidates each battling in districts 1, 2, 4 and 6. Two districts have already seen declared winners as Scott Hardy was unopposed in District 2 and Tommy Spraggins had no opposition in District 5. In Camp Hill and Dadeville, there are four candidates for mayor and each council race has opposition. Even in Jacksons Gap there are four mayoral candidates, but only Place 3 is contested as incumbent Janice Glaze is opposed by Carl Pritchard. See ELECTION • Page 9
Camp Hill Mt. Lovely Baptist Church
Dadeville Dadeville Recreation Center
Jackson’s Gap Downstairs at City Hall
New Site Town Hall Community Room
County jobless rate drops to 5.7 percent
McGregor, Ford announce Victoryland reopening
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Owner says he expects more than 200 new jobs
Tallapoosa County’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 6 percent in June to 5.7 percent in July, according to the latest data released Friday by the Alabama Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The county’s unemployment rate was identical to Alabama’s statewide rate for both months and is almost a full percentage point down from last July’s county rate of 6.6 percent. “The unemployment numbers for the state continue to show growth in jobs and that is also reflected in the numbers shared locally,” said Ed Collari, president and chief executive officer of the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce. “The 5.7 percent unemployment rate for July in Tallapoosa County is great news at a time when our community needs to be uplifted. “I look forward to seeing those numbers continue to improve locally as the Chamber, Lake Martin EDA and MainStreet continue to work together and
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
VictoryLand is looking to hire more than 200 employees in preparation for its reopening on Sept. 13. The reopening was announced on Sunday in a release from VictoryLand’s owner, Milton McGregor, and Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford. According to the release, McGregor said he expects to hire those 200 individuals from “Tuskegee and the surrounding seven-county area” prior to what the release termed a “soft launch” on Sept. 13 and that several hundred more would be hired in the coming months. According to Cameron Dizarr at VictoryLand, applicants should go to the VictoryLand home page at victoryland.com and click on the employment link to apply. “All applicants should apply online on our homepage,” Dizarr said. “Click on the employment link that’s under the schedule.” McGregor said on Sunday he had been working with Ford and law See VICTORYLAND • Page 3
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Stephens Elementary School students pick up packs of fruit from the cart at Stephens Elementary School Monday. Below, Individual packs of mangoes await students to pick up Monday afternoon at Stephens Elementary School. The fruit is available to all students thanks to a fresh fruit and vegetables grant.
AN APPLE A DAY
Elementary schools receive fruit grant from USDA By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Students in Alexander City’s elementary schools once again have fresh fruits available to them as they leave school many school days thanks to the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program. Monday students at Stephens Elementary School were picking up grapes and mango for their trip home and were looking to see what else they might find. See FRUIT • Page 3
See UNEMPLOYMENT • Page 3
Truck drivers and registered nurses most sought-after online
Today’s
Weather
92 72 High
Low
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
489.06 Reported on 8/22/16 @ 6 p.m.
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8
Traffic light at major intersection repaired Crews work to repair a traffic light at the intersection of U.S. Highway 280 and Highway 22 Monday morning. The light received damage when a tarp that covered the load of a tractor-trailer snagged the light late last week. The repair was completed in less than two hours, but fortunately officials were able to keep one lane of traffic moving westbound.
Data collected and analyzed by the Alabama Department of Labor’s Labor Market Information Division shows that in July the most online wanted ads were for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, registered nurses and retail salespersons with 7,422 ads placed for those occupations. “Nursing positions continue to stay in the top as ‘most wanted’ position,” said Fitzgerald Washington, secretary of the Alabama Department of Labor.
Hardwood Floors Ceramic Tile Carpet & Vinyl
+
Locally Owned for Over 45 Years
256-234-6071
1945 Hwy 280 • Alexander City
HOLMAN FLOOR COMPANY “WE’RE
THE PROFESSIONALS”
256-329-1313 Free Consultations
“Demand is up nearly 50 percent over last year. With an average hourly wage of close to $30, these positions are very desirable. Staff at our Career Centers can help you if you’d like to break into this field with free educational and vocational assistance.” Overall, ads increased over the month by 400. The Help Wanted Online data is compiled from all online job postings in the state, including those posted on the state’s free online jobs database, joblink.alabama. gov,and other sources such as See JOBS • Page 3
+ Buy
Here + Pay Here + + CLEAN USED CARS No Credit Checks
Cars• Vans• Trucks • SUV’s
Midway Auto,Inc.
217 Madison Street, Alexander City, AL
Off Hwy. 280 • Alexander City, AL
“We are a Debt Relief Agency. We help people file Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 under the Bankruptcy Code. Alabama State Bar requires the following in every attorney advertisement, “ No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.”
256.825.9830
(On Right Past the River Bridge)