COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE
THE
4% FUNDS CITY SERVICES Today’s
Weather
94 72 High
Low
TODAY
WEEKEND OUTLOOK: The front will slide through the area on Saturday, delivering one more round of showers and storms. Then things should begin to dry out behind the front on Sunday.
LOCAL NEWS
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT EVENT SET THURSDAY AT SPORTPLEX A tethered hot-air balloon, a train and a chance to meet first responders that help protect our community are just part of all the activities that those attending Alexander City’s National Night Out event this Thursday at the Sportplex can expect. The Alexander City Police Department and Alexander City Parks and Recreation are inviting citizens to celebrate at the Sportplex in the parking lot by the football stadium from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
LANDFILL TO BE CLOSED TODAY DUE TO STAFFING ISSUES The Alexander City Public Works Department announced late Tuesday that he North Central Avenue Inert Landfill will be closed on Wednesday, Aug. 5, because of unforeseen circumstances. The landfill will resume regular operating hours on Thursday, Aug. 5. The city apologized for any inconvenience the closure may create, but said regulations require a certain level of staffing and that would not be possible Wednesday.
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
488.89 Reported on 8/4/15 @ 2 p.m.
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
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54708 90050
Burton puts team before personal accolades, page B1.
Former Russell properties cited High grass and weeds cited as developer vows to clean up issue Outlook Editor
Rain chances will be ramping up as a longwave trough continues to be carved out over the eastern United States. A shortwave trough will ride southeastward along the base of the trough from Missouri late Wednesday into Thursday. Scattered showers and storms will reappear today, and become more likely on Thursday and Friday as the disturbance passes and a cool front approaches from the north.
NO ‘I’ IN TEAM
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 August 5, 2015 Vol. 123, No. 155 www.alexcityoutlook.com
By Mitch Sneed
FORECAST
WEDNESDAY
The state of the grounds around the former Russell Corporation campus has been a sore subject for many area residents since the process of demolition and marketing the properties began more than three years ago. Monday night the city council approved a measure that declares some of the properties in the complex a nuisance under the city’s weed abatement ordinance. By a 6-0 vote a resolution was passed that cleared the way for the city to have the
high grass and weeds at a number of properties being handled by Saucier Properties in the Russell Complex cleaned up and the property owner billed for the job. While City Building Inspector Gaines Hodnett said he has talked with Saucier officials and they have committed to clean the issues up, some saw the move as a step towards speeding up a process that has been dragging for quite some time. The weed abatement ordinance was designed to allow the city to move from a process that took 90 days to take legal See NUISANCE, Page A6
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Overgrowth like this at the former Russell New No. 1 Building led to properties being declared nuisances.
Clifton excited to be back at ACMS
Report revisits 2013 actions of ACPD officer
Outlook Staff Writer
London-based newspaper tackles handling of inflammatory remarks
By David Granger
T
o use a metaphor from his old days as a guard and fullback for Birmingham’s Miles College Golden Bears, new Alexander City Middle School principal Reginald Clifton is ready to tee it up and kick it off. “We’re ready,” Clifton said. “I’m ecstatic, very happy to be the new principal here. I’m looking forward to all of us here having a great school year.” Clifton comes to Alexander City Middle School after being approved by the Alexander City Board of Education early last month. Prior to his approval, he served for four years at Radney Elementary School See CLIFTON, Page A6
By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
“Mainly, I want to focus on people. Certainly, our focus is the kids, but I want to focus on our faculty and staff, too, to make sure that we’re working together as a team. – ACMS Principal Reginald Clifton
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
New ACMS principal Reginald Clifton speaks to parents and seventh graders at last weeks seventh grade orientation. Left, Clifton helps Felicia Reynolds in getting to where she needs to go to change her son’s schedule.
A London-based newspaper has published a story on a 2013 Alexander City incident where a recording that contained inflammatory language including derogatory racial terms and a perceived death threat against a known criminal was presented to city leaders. The story, written by Jon Swaine and published by The Guardian, outlines actions by Alexander City Police Officer Troy Middlebrooks. The story is based on a case involving Alexander City resident Vincent Bias, a man who had many encounters with the local police. Court records indicate he was arrested on at least 60 charges over a 20-year period. In the midst of a call, a taped conversation between Bias’s brother-in-law See GUARDIAN, Page A6
Camp Hill Council dealing with public trust and IRS issues Residents, volunteers say city unjust in handling of Summer Fest
Council wants answers from IRS on where funds are
By Cliff Williams
By Cliff Williams
Outlook Staff Writer
Outlook Staff Writer
Discussion was at times heated at Monday’s Camp Hill Council meeting over issues stemming from Saturday’s Summer Fest that was supposed to be a fundraiser for the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. “It made Camp Hill look bad, the way the police conducted themselves,” Summer Fest volunteer and Camp Hill resident Linda Burns said. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong.” “It was really bad,” Parks and Recreation See SUMMER FEST, Page A7
The Camp Hill Town Council and Mayor Danny Evans are seeking more information about town monies paid to the IRS and money taken from its accounts. The IRS and some training for employees was the topic of discussion at Monday night’s council meeting. “They should be able to tell us where that money is that was previously paid,” Evans said. “They
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Camp Hill resident Linda Burns speaks to the Camp Hill Town Council Monday night about issues she saw at Summer Fest Saturday where she was volunteering. Burns said that actions by police were embarrassing.
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