Dec. 14, 2017 Dadeville Record

PAGE A4

LOCAL, PAGE A3

SPORTS, PAGE B1

How Dems and traditional GOP won

Democrat Jones beats troubled former judge

Rebels squash Generals in win

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Property tax for county schools fails

By MITCH SNEED Editor

Voters in Tallapoosa County also overwhelmingly rejected a property tax resolution that was designed to help the financial stability of the Tallapoosa County School system. A total of 5,205 people voted against the tax, with just 1,386 voting in favor of the tax.

While Doug Jones’ win statewide in the Senate race did shock some, the 79 percent to 21 percent rejection on the property tax vote in Tallapoosa County was no big surprise.

The resolution called for voters who reside in an area that lies within the

Tallapoosa County Farmers Federation’s Neal Kelley spent Wednesday removing the “Vote No” signs that farmers placed around the county opposing the property tax.

Tallapoosa County School District to decide if they favored a 3 mill property tax increase to be “levied for public school purposes” in Tallapoosa County.

Alexander City and Tallassee voters did not vote on that measure on their ballots.

Had it passed the millage increase would mean the owner of a $100,000 home would have seen an increase of just $30.

Tallapoosa County Schools Superintendent Joe Windle said he expected this news.

“I am disappointed that the 3 mill ad valorem tax did not pass but certainly

Mitch Sneed / The Record

See TAX • Page A5

Council strives for progress

CHRISTMAS CHEER

Nuisance property to be cleaned up

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

A relatively large crowd turned out for Tuesday night’s meeting of the Dadeville City Council to watch as the council recognized those who had been instrumental in putting on the city’s Christmas parade and working hard during the recent winter storm, while also voting to continue making progress throughout town.

“This is a good crowd tonight,” Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith said. “We want your input and we ask for your input.”

The meeting started to intensify during a public hearing on a residence on Hatcher Street regarding the weed nuisance abatement ordinance.

Property owner William See COUNCIL • Page A5

Cliff Williams / The Record

City of Dadeville enjoys annual Christmas parade Sa Claus makes his way through the courthouse square for the Dadeville Christmas parade on Sunday. To see more photos from the parade, see Page A9 Santa inside. in

Archer office remodel, employee request snubbed

By MITCH SNEED Editor

Tallapoosa County Probate Court Judge Leon Archer asked the Tallapoosa County Commissioners for permissions Monday to spend money raised by indexing fees in his office to hire a new employee to help while others are out and to revamp the offices in the courthouse in Dadeville.

The commissioners didn’t say yes or no, they didn’t even make a motion to bring it to a vote. The snub made Archer as mad as a hornet in a Coke can and he told them so.

“Can I ask why?” Archer asked. “”It’s no money out of the county budget at all. This is money out of our indexing fees. I have checked with the state auditor and they say it’s fine to fund the renovations with that money.

Mitch Sneed / The Record They say it’s fine to pay an employee from those funds. I just don’t get it.”

Tallapoosa County Probate Judge Leon Archer presents his proposal to the county commisSee COMMISSION • Page A5 sioners at Monday’s meeting. The answer was neither yes or no.

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County school board talks report cards for system

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

The Tallapoosa County Board of o Education opened Tuesday night’s meeting with a special n moment of recognition for m Dadeville Elementary School D teacher Jacob Tidwell, while te also al taking the time to discuss construction at Dadeville co Elementary and share concerns E with w the upcoming school system report cards to be released by the re Alabama Board of Education.

A In order to gain a picture of how h the state school systems are ar doing, the state board of See BOE • Page A5

Page A2

Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Dadeville Record

Obituaries

Library Notes

Ms. Ethel S. Orr 1938 - 2017 Funeral Service for Ms. Ethel S. Orr, 79, of Camp Hill, Alabama, will be Friday, December 8, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Langley Funeral Home. Bro. David McMichael will officiate. Burial will follow in the Dadeville City Cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Friday, December 8, 2017 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Langley Funeral Home.

Ms. Orr passed away on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at her residence. She was born on February 24, 1938 in Dadeville, Alabama to Hubbard Frank Sharpe and Annie Lee Ennis Sharpe.

She was a genuine, loving, servant and wasn’t happy unless she was serving others. Mrs. Orr had a great work ethic. She worked as Master Control Operator at the Tallapoosa County Jail. She loved to shop locally and socializing with others. She enjoyed cooking and serving as well as working in the yard and growing vegetables and flowers.

Her grandchildren brought her so much joy.

She is survived by her daughters, Sabrina Ennis (Woody) of LaFayette and Stephanie Wyckoff (Tim) of Daviston; sons, Steve Moore (Wanda) of Dadeville and Shayne Moore of Camp Hill; grandchildren, Adam Moore (Sara), Susan Grizzard (Wes), Benita Willoughby (Donnie), Christopher Reneau

(Michele), Becky Dunham (Cole), Rene Colvin (David “JR”), Ashley Clifton (Brandon), Kristen Ennis, Matt Orr (Lisa), Mark Orr (Starr), Mac Alexander (Kelly), Seth Alexander (Brittany); twenty eight great grandchildren; brother, Bill Sharpe of Dadeville; sister, Alma McGill of Alexander City; several nieces and nephews including a special niece Deborah Bunn “her treasure.”

She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Stanley Howard Moore; husband, John Orr; and Six Siblings.

Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.langleyfuneralhome.com.

Langley Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

The Library is still accepting canned and a non-perishable foods for n the th Tallapoosa Christian Crisis Center. This will C help h meet the need of feeding those suffering f from hunger instability in f the th area.

Please join the Friends of o the Library tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 15, for Shelve F and a Lunch. Meet at 10 a.m. in the lower level of a the th library to help shelve newly donated books. n Then enjoy a group lunch T outing. o

The Dadeville Public Library will be closed on Friday, Dec. 22 through Monday, Dec. 25, and will reopen on Tuesday, Dec. 26.

Story time is a great program offered by the library to help children learn to love to read.

Reading is important even from a young age.

Library Notes are provided by Dadeville Public Library Director Abbi Mangarelli.

Police Reports Dadeville Police Department December 11

• An Alexander City man, age 32, was arrested for Possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and open container on Highway 280.

• A Charleston man, age 24, was for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and public intoxication on Highway 280.

• A report was filed for burglary and theft of property that occurred on Hatcher Street.

• A report was filed for Burglary and theft of property that occurred on Royston Street.

• A Dadeville man, age 29, was arrested for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia on Royston Street.

December 10

• A report was filed for assault that occurred on College Street.

• A report was filed for domestic violence that occurred on Royston Street.

December 8

• A one motor vehicle collision occurred on Highway 280 resulting in minor property damage and minor injuries.

• A two motor vehicle collision occurred on Highway 280 near West Lafayette Street resulting in minor property damage and no injuries.

• A two motor vehicle collision occurred on Highway 280 near Horseshoe Bend Road resulting in minor property damage and no injuries.

• A report was filed for domestic violence that occurred on Lanita Lane.

December 7

• A report was filed for theft of property that occurred on Gibson

Road.

• A report was filed for theft of property that occurred on North Broadnax Street.

December 6

• A Tallassee man, age 36, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear.

• A Dadeville man, age 52, was arrested for public intoxication on East Hewston Street.

Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department December 11

• Edward Halsey of Highway 63 North in Alexander City was arrested on an outstanding warrant for probation violation.

• Rhonda Price of Sunny Level Cut Off in Alexander City was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear possession of marijuana second degree.

December 10

• A resident of Rosewood Lane in Dadeville filed a report for burglary of a residence and theft of property.

December 9

• Ryheem Sistrunk of South Long Street in Opelika was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear possession of marijuana second degree and was transported to the county jail.

• Charles Reed of Jacksons Gap Way in Jacksons Gap was arrested on a grand jury indictment for possession of forged instrument first degree and was placed in the county jail.

• A resident of Marina Point Road in Dadeville filed a report for criminal mischief.

December 8

• A resident of Whiskey Ridge Drive in Dadeville filed a report for theft of property.

December 7

• Bryan Curlee of Farm Loop Road in Alexander City was arrested for probation violation.

December 6

• A business on Highway 49 South in Camp Hill filed a report for theft of property.

• Shakala Johnson of Highway 29 South in Tuskegee was arrested on an outstanding warrant for probation violation.

• A resident of Wood Lane in Dadeville filed a report for identity theft.

• A resident of Chinquapin Pass in Dadeville filed a report for theft.

• David Newsome of Lockhart Road in Dadeville was arrested on two outstanding warrants for failure to appear and possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Alexander City Police Department December 10

• Chad Alan Moore, 19, of Equality was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Joshua Ryan Windsor, 34, of Alexander City was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Possession of drug paraphernalia was reported on Highway 280.

• A dog bite was reported on 7th Street East.

• Domestic violence was reported on I Street.

December 9

• Danielle Traveyvon Wyckoff, 40, of Alexander City was arrested for disorderly conduct.

• Jennifer Paulette Jackson, 42, of Alexander City was arrested for disorderly conduct.

• Terry Robin Ogilvie, 52, of Kellyton was arrested for disor-

derly conduct.

• Disorderly conduct was reported on 3rd Street.

• Dog running at large was reported on Bishop Street.

• Domestic violence was reported on Hillabee Street.

• Disorderly conduct was reported on Barrett Road.

• Burglary and theft was reported on Johnson Street.

• Domestic violence was reported on Highway 280.

• Domestic violence was reported on Sam Street.

December 8

• Domestic violence was reported on Cherokee Road.

December 7

• Myrtle Michelle King, 45, of Alexander City was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

• Michael Ray Caldwell, 37, of Alexander City was arrested for public intoxication.

• Vantavious Juwonta Westbrook, 18, of Alexander City was arrested for domestic violence.

• Dog presumed to be vicious was reported on Mask Avenue.

• Possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia was reported on Hillabee Street.

• Public intoxication was reported on Hillabee Street.

• Criminal trespass was reported on 8th Avenue.

• Theft was reported on Cherokee Road.

• Theft was reported on South Road Court.

• Identity theft was reported on Lavista Road.

• Theft was reported on Parks Avenue.

December 6

• Jason Brian Davis, 45, of

Alexander City was arrested for doing business without a license.

• Johnny Darryl Guy, 54, of Alexander City was arrested for driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Domestic violence was reported in the 800 block of Mallory Circle.

• Possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence of alcohol were reported on Broad Street.

Alexander City man among those caught up in ‘pill mill’ probe, enters guilty plea 2013, Dr. Odom was a part owner of Family Practice. In 2013, he sold his interest in the business to his partner Dr. Gilberto Sanchez who recently pled guilty to drug distribution, A doctor who lives in Alexander City has health care fraud, and money laundering entered a guilty plea to charges relating to allegations that the Montgomery office where charges arising out of the same scheme.

After selling his ownership interest he operated served as a “pill mill.” in Family Practice, Dr. Odom remained On Friday, Dr. Shepherd A. Odom, 78, of involved in the business’s affairs.

Alexander City pleaded guilty to charges of According to a release from the drug distribution and conspiracy to commit Department of Justice, records show that in money laundering, according to United States 2014 Dr. Odom issued an illegitimate and Attorney Louis V. Franklin Sr. unnecessary prescription for fentanyl patches Dr. Odom’s guilty plea was a part of to a patient.

Additionally, in or about 2013, the ongoing investigation and prosecution Dr. Odom agreed with Dr. Sanchez and others of those involved in operating a “pill to launder the proceeds of the practice’s drug mill” through the Family Practice medical distribution operations. office located at 4143 Atlanta Highway in The money laundering was accomplished Montgomery. by Dr. Sanchez frequently issuing sizable According to court documents, until checks from the practice’s bank account that STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

Alex City

were payable to Dr. Odom.

Dr. Odom is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on March 22, 2018, where he faces up to 20 years on each count. Dr. Odom also faces substantial monetary penalties and restitution.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, the Montgomery Police Department and the Opelika Police Department all assisted in the investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross and R. Rand Neeley are prosecuting the case.

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December 5

• Miguel A. Lopez, 25, of Alexander City was arrested for public intoxication, fleeing attempting to elude law enforcement and domestic violence.

• Edward Curtis Smith, 23, of Alexander City was arrested for domestic violence.

• Jessie Walker, 65, of Alexander City was arrested for two failure to appear warrants.

• Bryan Allen Curlee, 26, of Alexander City was arrested for domestic violence and criminal trespass.

• Domestic violence, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement was reported in Alexander City.

• Domestic violence was reported in Alexander City.

• Harassment was reported on State Street.

• Unlawful breaking and entering was reported on Airport Boulevard.

• Theft was reported on Coley Creek Road.

• Theft was reported on Highway 280.

• Theft was reported on Highway 280.

• Domestic violence was reported on Heatherwood Drive.

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Thursday, December 14, 2017

Page A3

The Dadeville Record

Democrat Jones beats troubled former judge complete endorsement, tweeted his support: “Roy Moore will always Alabama voters did vote with us.� the unexpected Tuesday, The Moore campaign electing Democrat Doug also hammered on the Jones to serve in United abortion issue in a very States Senate. Jones conservative state. beat embattled former Early in the campaign, Alabama Supreme Jones made a statement Court Judge Roy Moore saying “I fully support edging 50 percent to 49 a woman’s freedom to percent at presstime. choose what happens to While there was delay her own body.� as all the votes came That quote was used in, at 9:45 p.m. Jones

by Moore at rallies did tweet out a simple and on television and statement. radio ads. In the end, “Thank you the allegations and Alabama,� Jones Moore’s checkered past Tweeted. apparently turned many Tuesday’s race was voters off. a special election to To show the wide fill a vacancy in the contrast in votes in Senate arising from Tallapoosa County, even the resignation of Jeff though Moore won the Sessions to serve as U.S. county, one precinct, Mt. —Doug Jones Lovely in Camp Hill, Attorney General. Jones will serve the remainder 494 votes for File / The Record U.S. Senator recorded of Sessions‘ term, due to Jones and just 34 for Doug Jones became the first Democrat to be elected Senator in Alabama since the late Howell end on January 3, 2021.

Moore.

Heflin with his win over Roy Moore in Tuesday’s special election. after the allegations The vote count in Experts say it was the surfaced. Moore said at Tallapoosa County was African-American and overwhelmingly in favor first he knew some of women voters who made the women, but never of Moore. Moore won the difference for Jones. engaged in sexual the county 7,171 to CNN reported that 4,590 or 60.2 percent to misconduct. He then their exit polls found 47.4 percent. There were claimed he didn’t know women voted for Jones 148 write-in votes in the the accusers. He didn’t by a 57 percent to 42 deny he approached or county. percent margin. dated teenagers while he In mid-November, Later Jones did speak multiple women alleged was in his 30s. Ĺś Social Security Disability & SSI to the crowd at his Moore’s campaign that Moore had made victory party. was bolstered in the unwanted advances or “I am truly Ĺś Personal Injury & Accidents final weeks by a push sexual assaults on them overwhelmed,â€? Jones and endorsement from when he was in his said. “I have always Ĺś Probate Civil early 30s and they were President Donald said that we in Alabama Trump. Trump, who in their teens, with the have more in common Ĺś Uncontested Divorce youngest being 14 at the after initial reluctance that what divides us. We following the allegations time. have shown the nation Moore’s story changed against Moore offered a that tonight.â€?

By MITCH SNEED Editor

“I have always said that we in Alabama have more in common than what divides us.�

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Officials say the turnout at the polls was quite heavy, and possibly the greatest turnout they have seen in a long time. The vote count in Tallapoosa County was overwhelmingly in favor of Moore.

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A4

EDITORIAL BOARD Steve Baker - Publisher Mitch Sneed - Editor

Thursday, December 14, 2017

OurView

Editorial

How Dems and traditional GOP won in Alabama

Learn lessons from I election, pray for future

A

labama made a statement Tuesday and went with a candidate that would give the state a little more credibility than the alternative.

Whether they agreed with every plank in Doug Jones’ platform or not, he said it best in a campaign ad. “I will never embarrass you.” Most can’t say for certain that would have been the case if Roy Moore had been elected.

Because we are a newspaper, we are always interested in how other publications covered this big story.

The headline in our paper was VOTERS SAY NO MOORE. The Tuscaloosa News had the same thought, Alabama says no Moore.

The Anniston Star went with: Blue Blazes: Jones shocks Moore in Senate elections.

For the Birmingham News it was: Alabama rejects Moore, elects Democrat Jones.

The Opelika-Auburn News used: ALABAMA STUNNER. The Selma Times Journal went with a play on words: More votes for Jones.

Regardless of the headline, the message was simple.

No matter if some people want to admit it, the voters were wary of the same old antics by a man who was facing some serious decades old allegations of misconduct on top the fact that he had been ousted from office twice for not following the law he swore to uphold.

The circus is fun, but no one could stand to see it every single day and that’s what Roy Moore would have taken to the Senate.

We know that our community is currently made up of people who by and large support the Republican Party. We understand the strong feelings people have about moral issues and family values. But there comes a time when you have to know the difference between reality, law and saying what people want to hear.

In the future, voters from every party should think about selecting nominees that are not so extreme and more in touch with current feelings and undertones for the majority of our society. It’s safe to say that a Republican candidate with less baggage would have likely beaten Jones. But we will have to wait three years to see if that’s the case.

The state turned out in large numbers, with about 35 percent of registered voters going to the polls.

The people have spoken and now we must all come together and pray for all of our leaders to be blessed with the wisdom to make decisions that will help make Alabama and America great.

n Birmingham, the Doug Jones campaign is celebrating its win in the Senate Special Election of 2017. Senate Republicans are probably celebrating Roy Moore’s defeat as well.

Here’s why.

We discovered that U.S. Attorney Doug Jones was not just a good prosecutor, most famous for taking down those responsible for the Birmingham Church Bombing calamity of 1963 that killed four African-American girls. He refused to be just the “anti-Trump,” the way Hillary Clinton did. He ran a biracial message in the Barack Obama tradition, just like Virginia Lt. Governor Ralph Northam. Both Jones and Northam, and even Obama, were criticized by some on the left for running a “color-blind” campaign that did not call for overt direct appeals exclusively tailored to African-Americans.

“Ah, the colorblind message. How well has that been reporting for Democrats in recent years?” writes Michael Arceneaux with Essence. His critique of Jones notes that the Alabama Democrat focused “instead on the more universal messages of job creation and health care.”

Sean Sullivan with the Washington Post wrote in late November “African American voters not energized by Alabama’s Senate race.” The amazing turnout by African Americans made this headline pretty much “fake news.”

From this Virginia election, and Alabama race, we learned is that a biracial message appeals to whites and blacks. It provides the

And that was Moore’s victory.

For all the talk about an investigation and a removal of Senator Moore, we didn’t see anything like that with Democratic Senator Roland JOHN TURES Burris of Illinois, who should Columnist have been expelled in 2009 in blueprint for blue, purple and the wake of the Governor Rod red states among Democrats.

Blagojevich scandal. It’s hard It provides a rejection of to expel a sitting Senator, as specific tribalism, whether it’s Senators obviously don’t want white-only or black-only. I to make it easy to get rid of a expect Jones to occupy the Senator. middle ground of the Senate, As I had noted before, a and perhaps serve as one of Senator Moore would have those politicians who can be a a millstone around the neck bridge between both parties. of every GOP candidate for On the other side, 2018, 2020, and for as long as conservatives have to be he served in Washington, DC. in shock. This was Doug Republican politicians don’t Jones’ first election, while have to explain the actions of Roy Moore has run more one of their members now. times for statewide office A number of Republican than anyone in Alabama not Senators running in 2018, and named Wallace or Folsom, several House members, are and may even top those two about to face challengers that names. But they shouldn’t are backed by Steve Bannon, take the loss too hard. That’s and his supporters. Moore’s because Roy Moore’s defeat defeat is a wake-up call for gave a huge opportunity for the GOP. While President the Republican Party to save Trump and Ronna Romney itself.

McDaniel’s Republican First of all, Republicans National Committee (RNC) had a decent Senator in caved in to back Moore, Luther Strange. If Senator the National Republican Strange isn’t knocked out in Senatorial Committee (NRSC) the primary runoff, he likely stayed firm in their principles, wins, barring some unforeseen refusing to support Moore. gaffe. But ultra-conservative The NRSC and GOP Senators gadfly Steve Bannon had are the ones who should be to enter the race, push Roy listened to, for any American Moore and the politics of hate, who calls himself or herself and trashed Strange, who a Republican, instead of was a good Attorney General blaming Republican Senators and U.S. Senator who would for the loss in Alabama. not embarrass Alabama. He also attacked a number of John A. Tures is a Republican Senators in his professor of political science scorched earth campaign that at LaGrange College in upended the Alabama GOP. LaGrange, Georgia. He Second of all, there was can be reached at jtures@ one outcome far worse than lagrange.edu. His Twitter Moore’s defeat for the GOP. account is JohnTures2.

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Kenneth Boone .......................Owner Steve Baker ........................ Publisher Mitch Sneed .............................Editor Tippy Hunter....Advertising Director David Kendrick ....Circulation Manager Angela Mullins. ..............Accounting

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I

I gotta do what I gotta do

’m writing this article in my friend’s vehicle at a gas station in Northwest Alabama. It’s not too far from Guin, or is it Gu-Win? It’s one of them. These are the names of two real towns.

That’s Brilliant, with a capital B, not too far away. I’m really not sure where I am, but I’m somewhere just off the recently completed Interstate 22. I’d prefer to be writing this from the comfort of my office at the home place, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

The other night, I had a gig in Andalusia. It was the Kiwanis Club’s annual awards banquet. It’s the first time I’d gone that far since we brought baby Abigail home from the hospital. I hated leaving. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. I have bills to pay and an extra mouth to feed. Plus, I really enjoy what I do; it was just hard getting over that hump of being away for so long.

I wound up, of course, having a great time. I just missed my little family. By the time the night was over, I had new family in Andalusia.

They were really nice to me and knew so many people that I knew from back here in East Alabama. I spoke at the same function five years ago, but everything about it was different, including most of the crowd. This went really well. While I hated leaving my family for most of the night,

Casino on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. I had a ball with them. They are professionals in every manner.

They welcomed me with JODY open arms. How blessed am FULLER I? Some of them are even Columnist professional karaoke singers I did what I had to do. By the on the side. Man, they were good. way, I love Andalusia.

Now, it’s time to get on I drove my 20-year-old back home. While I will SUV down there. While I’m always travel for work, I hope blessed to have it, it has been known to make strange noises, to get more work closer to and I just don’t always trust it. home, so I can be home most It’s like me after an evening of every night. My lofty dream is for my column to appear dining on Mexican cuisine. I got back that night just before in hundreds of newspapers midnight, so it wasn’t too bad. around the country, which would allow me to stay home Those sounds, though, had even more. The flip side to me a bit nervous somewhere that is that I need to get out to down around Pine Apple. find things to write about.

I’m in my buddy’s truck, My practical dream is to because I didn’t trust the SUV one day have a bigger house, for the 12-hour round trip to Tunica, Miss. I’m grateful for so I can have an in-home, sound-proof office away from his kindness. I hated to leave home, but, once again, I knew everyone and everything but close enough for me to be I had to. Besides, Abigail where I need to be in a matter is in great hands. Lucy is a of seconds. That’s going to great mom and has done an amazing job taking care of our happen.

Having said that, if you little miracle, thus allowing need a clean comedian or a me the time I need to work. speaker anywhere from here She does 99% of everything anyway. I wash the dishes and to Walla Walla, let me know.

I’m your man. I gotta do what take out the trash.

I gotta do.

This time, I stayed overnight. I tried writing this Jody Fuller is a comic, column in the hotel but just speaker, writer and soldier couldn’t focus long enough with three tours of duty to get anything written. I had the great honor of entertaining in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. For more the great men and women information, please visit www. of the Mississippi Sheriff’s Association at the Gold Strike jodyfuller.com

Betty Adams represents District 1. Her phone number is 256-8256211. Her address is 268 Adams Street, Dadeville.

Betty Adams Brownie Caldwell represents District 2. Her phone number is 256-825-4749.

Her address is 480 East LaFayette St., Dadeville.

Brownie Caldwell

Teneeshia GoodmanJohnson represents District 3. Her phone number is 256-825-9749.

Her address is 1191 Fulton Teneeshia Street, Dadeville. GoodmanRoy Mathis represents District 4.

His phone number is 256-825-4369.

His address is 181 Cedar Hill Drive, Dadeville.

Johnson

Roy Mathis

H.A ‘Dick’ Harrelson represents District 5. His phone number is 256-307-3880.

His address is 333 West Columbus Street., Dadeville.

H.A. ‘Dick’ Harrelson

Wayne Smith is mayor of Dadeville. His phone number is 256-8256820. His address is 156 Oliver Grove, Dadeville.

Wayne Smith

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Page A5

The Dadeville Record

Tax

continued from page A1

not surprised,” Windle said.

“Property tax increases are an emotional issue in our state. The voters in Tallapoosa County have spoken and I respect that. The board of education, board attorney and I will meet in the next 2-3 weeks to determine our next step. The one-cent sales tax is still in place until Sept. 30th, 2018. We are thankful for that revenue stream and what we

have been able to accomplish with it.”

It remains to be seen what will happen as commissioners weigh options such as a continued sales tax to help fund area schools.

Tuesday’s vote wasn’t without a few issues around the county.

The new electronic poll books experienced a few glitches. Tallapoosa County

Probate Court Judge Leon Archer said that the main complaint was that the scan feature, where a voter’s ID could be quickly entered by sliding it through a reader, was not working properly in some instances.

“That seemed to be the big issue,” Archer said. “We took additional machines out to many of the polling places and that seemed to help. They

worked fine when the name was being typed in. But we will get all the bugs worked out. It was the first time and no matter how much testing and training you do, that first time is always tough. We think in time they are going to be a positive thing.”

Neal Kelley of the Tallapoosa County Farmers Federation spent Wednesday picking up the estimated

1,000 signs the group put out opposing the property tax increase.

“We just felt that government needs to understand, just like we farmers do, that they have to live within their means,” Kelley said. “That’s why we are out here today picking them up. We love this county and want to make sure that we keep it clean and leave it like we found it.”

Council

continued from page A1

Wilkerson took the podium to claim he was being discriminated against and that the city was doing nothing against any other property in town. Michael Richardson with the building department said other notices had gone out, a statement Wilkerson vehemently asserted was untrue. He then claimed he did not understand the city policy regarding this issue, which Richardson took the time to explain. Wilkerson continued to argue mistreatment, even going so far as to try and get in City Attorney Robin Reynolds’ face threatening a civil suit against the city before Police Chief David Barbour and another officer attempted to calm him down. Later in the meeting, the council voted to approve a resolution to clean up the property in question.

During both the pre-council

meeting and the regular meeting, the council and several members of the crowd had nothing but good things to say about the recent Dadeville Christmas parade, while Smith read a special proclamation recognizing the Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce for their hard work in getting the parade together. Smith said he and several members of the council had been contacted by Camp Hill to see if Dadeville would be interested in participating in the Camp Hill parade on Saturday. Smith said he would be going along with one of the floats and invited others to join.

The council also took the time to recognize many of the public departments for their hard work during the recent winter storm. This included the police department responding to four wrecks, the fire department having the fire station

manned at all times in case of emergencies, and the street, parks and cemetery departments for being ready to go with chainsaws and other similar equipment if needed.

The Dadeville City Council also discussed the following matters Tuesday: • Minutes from the Nov. 28 meeting were approved.

• Dianna Porter reported the rain garden in Keebler Park had been fully planted with the introduction of 500 daffodil bulbs to the site Monday.

• The council voted to approve allowing Barbara Spraggins to hold a Superhero Fun Run fundraiser in Feburary to raise money for congenital heart defects.

• Abbi Mangarelli said the Dadeville Library was receiving fairly good usage for this time of year, while also reminding everyone the library was

continuing with its food drive for the Tallapoosa Christian Crisis Center.

• Councilwoman Teneesha Goodman-Johnson said she was still working on the Boys & Girls Club, while also informing the crowd that Kingz United was in the process of having a coat and bike drive. Johnson also made a motion to set up a beautification award board to bring back a beautification award to Dadeville, which was passed.

• With the change in the grant writer for the demolition project, Councilman Dick Harrelson said the town was on the right track.

• There had been some milling done on Lafayette Street, leaving only a couple small items left before the project was completed.

• A motion to pay an invoice regarding the pre-work phases on the Courthouse Square

project was approved.

• Work on the 49 North water project was drawing closer to completion.

• A motion to table the animal control ordinance discussion pending further examination was approved.

• The council approved Monday, Jan. 1 as a city holiday.

• A motion was approved for the town not to purchase an ad in the upcoming printing of Tallapoosa Publishers’ “Parade” magazine.

• Three recreation center rentals were approved.

• A motion to pay the city’s bills was approved.

The next meeting of the Dadeville City Council will be Tuesday, Dec. 26 at Dadeville City Hall. Pre-council meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. with the regular council meeting following at 6.

Commission

continued from page A1

Commissioner T.C. Coley said he thought it seemed to be a little early for another renovation when one was done about 10 years ago. Commissioner Emma Jean Thweatt said she was concerned about hiring an employee with those funds and what could happen when a new probate judge takes office.

Commissioner John McKelvey asked if the commissioners could visit and get an idea of how the renovation plans would help efficiency.

Archer said he didn’t have time to wait, because the

Department of Corrections would be doing the work and he feared they would move on to a different project.

“I really need to know today,” Archer said. “I can’t wait another month, because they will move on and who knows when they will get back around to us.”

McKelvey asked Archer another question.

“How long have you had these plans?” McKelvey asked.

“About two months,” Archer answered.

“Then why are we just hearing about this now when it is so urgent,” McKelvey said.

After another exchange Archer said it wasn’t fair to the employees in his office because the changes would improve communication with the public and add much-needed storage space.

“But you gave approval for the revenue office to be done and you paid for that,” Archer said. “This one isn’t costing the county a dime. … Is this being done because (County Administrator) Mr. (Blake) Beck says it’s not a good idea?”

Beck stopped Archer and answered that.

“I haven’t said that at all,”

Beck said.

After the meeting Archer said that he felt that the move by commissioners showed little respect for him and the employees in his office.

He called the snub “politics at its best.”

“The law says the money can be used for those purposes but the commissioners say I can’t,” Archer said after the meeting. “I would be making improvements and out of my funds. It’s like giving them a gift and they don’t want it. You explain that to me.”

The commissioners did matching grant funds to pave

the track at Dadeville High School. ADECA announced the grant last month and the county would be responsible for about $51,000, but Beck said most of that would come in in-kind services.

The commissioners also recognized Judy Slaughter for 38 years of service to the probate office. She will retire at the end of the week.

The commissioners also approved a resolution of support for the Macon County effort to be the site of a plant to make a new military T-100 jet training aircraft.

BOE education is preparing to analyze a large amount of data, including test scores, academic growth levels and absenteeism in order to give letter grades to each system in Alabama.

Superintendent Joe Windle said he and many other superintendents across the state have expressed concerns over how this will be measured, including the use of ACT Aspire testing data and the use of a bell curve to determine grades. By using a bell curve, this would mean that for every school system that receives an A, there will be a system that must receive a failing grade in order to balance everything out.

“Somebody is going to be a loser in this,” Windle said. “I don’t think this is a good system.”

While Windle said the Tallapoosa County School System was not perfect and that there were always things they could improve, the system being used was not ideal as well, with a serious portion of the grading criteria (between 20 and 40 percent, depending on the school in question) based on scores to a test that did not match up with Alabama’s standards.

“The Superintendent’s Association has been

continued from page A1

fighting for there to be less emphasis on using test scores,” Windle said. “This has mostly been falling on deaf ears.”

In addition, one of the key players in the grading process is the chief of the education department of the Business Council of Alabama, an organization which has been steadily pushing for more public money to go to private education. Because of this, Windle and others believe this will lead to an inaccurate picture of state school systems.

“It’s the picture they want to paint, and I don’t feel confident they will paint the actual picture,” he said.

Tidwell recently saved the life of a man who fell into Lake Martin while trying to step off his boat onto a dock. For his act of courage, the board took the time to recognize Tidwell for taking action. Windle read a special resolution to be entered into the minutes and presented Tidwell with a copy of the resolution.

“Developing good citizens for our community is an important part of what we do,” Windle said.

“We may not remember what he said, but we will remember what he did. Quite an action there, young man.”

As the board wrapped up its meeting,

the conversation shifted to recent discussion on adding classroom space at Dadeville Elementary School.

The board had met with engineers to determine the best path moving forward. Unofficial plans suggested that two classroom and a corridor extension to connect these to the rest of the building could be added, along with a change in the kitchen area to add a dry storage room, freeing up another classroom during the first phase of construction.

During the second phase, the lunchroom would be expanded, though there would still be a 12-foot wide alleyway between the two sections of the

Dadeville campus after expansion was completed. Currently, the projected cost for all of the potential construction could run as high as $435,000, but at the moment, the board was working to have official plans drafted. Financially, it was stated much of the needed funds for this would be able to come from the one-cent sales tax.

The following items were also discussed during Monday night’s board meeting: • Minutes from the Nov. 20 meeting were approved.

• A motion to approve the November financial report and to pay the November bills passed.

• The board approved Purchase Service Agreements with Tiffany Turner and Amy Scott to be Parent Involvement Facilitators at Dadeville Elementary School and Horseshoe Bend, respectively.

• The board accepted the retirement of

Horseshoe Bend teacher Tammy East, effective Dec. 31. “We will really miss Mrs. East,” Windle said.

The next meeting of the Tallapoosa County Board of Education will be Monday, Jan. 8, 2018 at the Board of Education office, beginning at 5 p.m.

A REFUGE FOR THE HOMELESS

ADOPTION IS THE BEST OPTION.

Itty Bitty

Please save the weight circles on the bags of dry dog and cat food and mail to Rescue K911. Moist and Meaty dog food also has weight circles. Drop them off or mail them to Rescue K911 P.O. Box 862 Auburn, AL 36831. They all help & add up fast. Thank you on behalf of the dogs and cats that will benefit from them.

This ad is sponsored by Wayside Animal Hospital, Dr. Susan Martin, 256-329-9900. Spay/neuter assistance is available from RESCUE K9-1-1, Wayside Animal Hospital 256-329-9900 or Lake Martin Humane Society 256-234-5533.

Like us on facebook This ad is sponsored by Wayside Animal Hospital, Dr. Susan Martin, 256-329-9900.

Rescue K9-1-1, Inc.

P.O. Box 862 • Auburn, AL 36831 • www.rescueK911.com

Page A6

Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Dadeville Record

Happy Winter To All Our Friends!

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Thursday, December 14, 2017

Page A7

The Dadeville Record

In Community, We Share Dadeville Area Devotional Page

www.fbcdadeville.com DR. GERALD HALLMARK Interim Pastor

WEDNESDAY SERVICES

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• Bible Study and Prayer

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December 11, 2017, I gave you was placed in a situation an opportunity to tell someone today where I failed God about Me and you blew it.” and I knew it as soon as it ADAM SPATES 200 Tallassee Street • Dadeville, AL Interim Minister of Children 256.825.6232 Acts 1:8 reads “But ye shall happened. As two Christian receive power after that the Holy friends and I talked our usual Get all the facts before you buy, AL License #HI-1006 Ghost is come upon you, and ye with a certified home inspector. Bible and church talk, an shall be witnesses unto Me both older gentleman walked into Schedule an in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, appointment today! the conversation. We were and in Samaria, and unto the in a small area so I excused KENNETH BLAIR, Certified Home Inspector myself into the doorway of Jackie Wilbourn uttermost part of the earth.”

110 Calhoun Street, Suite 202 • Alexander City, AL an adjacent room. The man As a Christian, I am to witness Bethel Baptist 256-794-5551 www.lakemartininspections.com immediately joined in the to others and tell them about Church Jesus Christ, whenever and conversation and one of the wherever I meet them. Each of ladies asked him where he you, who have accepted Jesus as your attended church.

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Pleasant Grove Church of Christ 1819 Bay Pine Rd, Jackson’s Gap

St. John A.M.E. Off Hwy. 280 on Hwy. 9 Socopatoy, (256) 215-3532

Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist 835 Valley Rd., Camp Hill 334-257-4442

Mt. Carmel Baptist 3610 Dudleyville Rd., Dadeville

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD Cedar Street Church of God 703 E. Boulevard, Alex City

Ridge Grove Missionary Baptist Alexander City, 256-234-6972

Mt. Zion Baptist Hwy. 63 South, Alex City 256-234-7748

Southview Church of Christ 2325 Dadeville Rd., Alex City 256-329-0212

Rocky Mt. Baptist New Site community

New Beginnings Baptist 1076 Coley Creek Rd.

Seleeta Baptist Booker St., Alex City 256-329-2685

New Concord Baptist Off hwy. 49, Dadeville, 256-825-5390

Shady Grove Baptist Jackson’s Gap Community

New Elkahatchee Baptist Elkahatchee Rd., Alex City 256-329-9942

Faith Assembly of God 590 Horseshoe Bend Rd., Dadeville 256-825-7741 River of Life Worship Center 407 Hillabee St., Alex City, 256-329-9593 INDEPENDENT BAPTIST Liberty Baptist 1365 Hillabee St., Alex City 256-329-8830 New Life Baptist County Road 14, Alex City, 256-329-2635 Victory Baptist 280 By-Pass, Alex City West End Baptist Off 280 West, 256-234-2130 BAPTIST – MISSIONARY Bethlehem Baptist New Site

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Hillabee Campground UMC 120 CC Road, Alex City Sunday School 10am Sunday Service 11am

New Hope Baptist Lake Martin, off Hwy. 63 256-329-2510 New Life Baptist Jackson’s Gap, 256-825-6190 / 256-329-2635

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New Faith Tabernacle A.C.O.P. Church of God “J” Street

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New Harvest Ministries Church of God Hwy 280 & Coosa 28 256-329-2331

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Old Union Baptist 1106 Davis Circle Jackson’s Gap 256-596-1873

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Sunnylevel United Methodist 3202 Hwy. 63N, Alex City 256-234-6877

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Calvary Heights Baptist Elkahatchee, Rd., Alex City 256-234-7224

Orr Street Baptist 1000 “O” Street (Hwy. 63N) Alex City, 256-234-3171

Trinity United Methodist 280 By-pass, Alex City, 256-234-2455

Friendship Baptist Our Town Community, 256-329-5243

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Perryville Baptist Perryville, 256-234-3588

CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY Church of God of Prophecy 303 Poplar Rd., Alex City, 256-234-6941

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Comer Memorial 941 E. Church St., Alex City 256-234-2236

Jackson’s Gap Baptist Church 21 East Church St. 256-825-6814 Liberty Church 1034 Liberty Church Rd. Willow Point Alex City Macedonia Baptist Macedonia Circle, Goodwater 256-839-5793

Miracle Missionary Baptist 1687 “I” Street 256-215-9788, 256-215-9787 Mt. Calvary Baptist 329 King St., Alex City, 256-234-5631 Mt. Olive Baptist Hwy. 280 & Jct. 49, Goodwater Mt. Sinai Baptist Fish Pond Rd., Coosa County 256-329-2337 Mt. Zion Baptist Hwy. 22, New Site Mt. Zion East StillWaters Dr., 256-825-4991 Mt. Zion West Our Town Community, 256-234-7748

Daviston Baptist Daviston, 395-4327 Eagle Creek Baptist Hwy. 49, Dadeville, 256-825-6048 Fellowship Baptist Buttston Community Fellowship Primitive Baptist Church on Claybrook Drive, Alex City 256-839-5339 First Baptist Court Square, Alex City 256-234-6351 First Baptist Tallassee St., Dadeville, 256-825-6232

Rocky Creek Baptist Samford Rd., Cowpens Community Rocky Mount Baptist Hwy. 22 E., Alex City, 256-329-2327 Rock Springs Baptist Jackson’s Gap, 256-839-6263

Jackson’s Gap Baptist Jackson’s Gap, 256-825-4951 Kellyton Baptist Kellyton, 256-329-1512

New Bethel Baptist Rock St., Dadeville, 256-825-7726

Lake Martin Baptist Hwy 34, Dadeville 256-825-7434 Lake Pointe Baptist 8352 Hwy. 50W, Dadeville Lebanon Baptist Mt. Carmel Rd., Dadeville, 256-234-7541

CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Dadeville Church of the Nazarene Corner Hwy. 280 and 49, 256-825-8191 EPISCOPAL Saint James Episcopal Church 121 South Central Ave., Alex City 256-234-4752 HOLINESS Alex City Emmanuel Holiness Hillabee St., Alex City

Town Creek Baptist Camp Ground Rd., Alex City Wayside Baptist 21 Wayside Circle, Alex City 256-234-5564 Zion Hill Baptist Hwy. 79, near Horseshoe Bend CATHOLIC St. John the Apostle 454 N. Central Ave., Alex City 256-234-3631 CHURCH OF CHRIST Alex City Church of Christ 945 Tallapoosa St., Alex City 256-234-6494 Dadeville Church of Christ East LaFayette St., Dadeville Meadows St. Church of Christ 306 Meadows St., Alex City

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First Presbyterian Okefuske, Dadeville, 256-825-4081 Robinson Memorial Presbyterian Robinson Rd., Alex City

FULL GOSPEL Dadeville Foursquare Gospel Church Old 280 By-pass Fellowship Revival Center Mission 316 6th Ave., Alex City 256-329-1510 weekends Kellyton Revival Center Co. Road 87 South Kellyton

UNITED PENTECOSTAL Alex City Apostolic 3708 Robinson Rd., Alexander City, 256-329-1573 INDEPENDENT Faith Temple Franklin Street, Alex City, 256-234-6421 Family Worship Center 1676 Sewell Street 256-839-6895 First Congregational Christian 11th Ave. South, Alex City

Liberty Life Christian Center 321 “S” Street, Alex City

GAP Fellowship Ministries P.O. Box 1571, Alex City

Passion Church 3340 Hwy. 63 N., Alex City 256-409-9590

Jehovah-Jireh Ministries 252 Tallapoosa St., Alex City 256-215-4211

The Family Worship Center 365 Scott Road, Alex City

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Leap of Faith Outreach Ministry 886 Terrance Drive, 256-234-7119

METHODIST – UNITED Alexander City Methodist 11th Ave. N., Alex City 256-329-1284

New Bethel Fellowship Church 5474 Rock Springs Road Jackson’s Gap 256-825-3367

Bradford Methodist Hwy. 9, Goodwater Comer Memorial U.M. 427 East Church St., 256-329-3467

The Baha’I Faith 740 Newell Street, Camp Hill 256-896-4007

Duncan Memorial U.M. 3997 Hillabee Rd., Alex City 256-234-6708

Lake Martin Automotive & Truck Center

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METHODIST – INDEPENDENT Daviston Independent Methodist Daviston, 395-4207

Sandy Creek Baptist Alex City

Sunny Level Baptist Church Sunny Acres Subdivision Sewell Street

Horseshoe Bend Baptist Hwy. 280, Dadeville

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1515 Worthy Road, Alex City (Corner of Worthy Place and Dadeville Road)

Russell Farm Baptist Hwy. 63 beyond Our Town

Hackneyville Baptist Hwy. 63 N., Hackneyville Hillabee Baptist Hillabee Rd., Alex City 256-234-6798

Union United Methodist 4428 Hwy. 50, Dadeville 256-825-2241

House of Restoration Holiness 519 Slaughter Ave., Camp Hill, 256-749-2373, 256-896-2904

Sixth Street Baptist Sixth St., Alex City, 256-234-2408

Kendrick Baptist Church Nixburg

Pine Grove Baptist Eagle Creek Rd., Dadeville

River Road Baptist 148 Dean Rd., Alex City, 256-234-6971

Good News Baptist Church 10493 Hwy. 280, Jackson’s Gap 256-825-2555

New Elam Baptist Hwy. 9, Burtonville, 256-234-2037

Peace & Goodwill Baptist Cottage Grove Community Alexander City, 256-377-4634

Ray Baptist Rockford Hwy., Alex City, 256-234-7609

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Calvary Baptist 819 Main St., Dadeville, 256-825-5989

Pine Grove Baptist Camp Hill

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Sardis United Medthodist Church 10367 Hwy 50 Dadeville, AL

Beulah Baptist Smith Mt. Rd., Jackson’s Gap 256-825-9882

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Cedar Street Church of God 711 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Alex City Dadeville Church of God 425 Horseshoe Bend Rd. (Hwy. 49 N.) Dadeville 256-825-8820

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Goodwater U.M. Main St., Goodwater, 256-839-6661

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Elam Baptist Robertson Rd. Alex City

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Cross Key Baptist Hackneyville, 256-329-9716 Darian Missionary Baptist Church Pearson Chapel Rd., Alex City 256-329-3865

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Page A8

The Dadeville Record

Thursday, December 14, 2017

‘OUT OF CONTROL’

Cliff Williams / The Record

Judy Owen, center, talks about her collection of Annalee dolls at an open house at her home Saturday. From the mantel, to the living room, to the kitchen, more than 300 Annalee dolls decorate the home of Judy Owen. Owen has hosted several holiday open house events showcasing the scenes she creates with her collection of dolls.

Dolls take over home for Christmas season

By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer

Judy Owen had put away her 300 Annalee dolls a few years ago after hosting holiday open houses for several years in her home, instead only bringing out a few for the family Christmas gatherings.

Then Owen noticed a contest on the Annalee Facebook page looking for scenes with the dolls. The winner would receive gift cards to the Meredith, New Hampshire doll maker.

“I generally buy a couple a year,” Owen said. “I noticed they had a Facebook page. I went there and it said it is time for our annual decorate your house Christmas contest.”

Owen entered the contest.

“I thought I would send a picture in,” Owen said. “Well, I won the contest.”

Owen’s reward for winning the contests was gift cards to Annalee with which Owen purchased more dolls.

Owen describes herself as a “lunatic” collector.

“Apparently I am the only lunatic that is this extreme because second and third place were ridiculous.

Nobody goes to this extreme.”

After Annalee doll collector selecting new dolls, Owen’s husband said she had to have another open house to show off her collection.

“It is obviously out of control,” Owen admitted. “I have been collecting since about 1979 and have over 300 of them.”

Owen did admit she had lost count of them after learning over 100 were in just the kitchen, dining room and sitting area.

The scenes take over every one of the six bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen, the dining room and sitting area with dolls cooking around the stove, reading from the book shelves in the dining room and climbing the fireplace mantel and Christmas tree.

Preparation for the open house starts in September as they take a lot of work and Owen has hosted about five or six of them. Owen took a break last year but the new dolls allowed the construction of a new set – a railroad village in a large upstairs bedroom.

Saturday afternoon the Owens once again opened their Ridge home to friends and family to showcase the collection.

Owen says she may host more open houses in the future but will continue to set up the scenes for family.

“When I don’t do the open house, I do a tree and maybe a scene,” Owen said. “As long as my grandchildren love it, I want to do it. I still have a few more years. I have one that is 20 all the way to being due next year. That will be a few more years to do it.”

“It is obviously out of control. I have been collecting since about 1979 and have over 300 of them.”

— Judy Owen

Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Dadeville Record

Page A9

DADEVILLE GETS INTO CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Cliff Williams / The Record

Top, Mayor Wayne Smith and others make their way through the parade route. Lake Martin Family Medicine, above, and other local businesses were in the parade Sunday. Top right, Dr. Jamie Evans walks the parade route with her dogs. Residents and children enjoyed the Dadeville Christmas Parade as decorated floats came by and candy was passed out.

Page A10

The Dadeville Record

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Slaughter to retire from probate office

By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer

Come next week a familiar face in the Tallapoosa County Probate Judge’s office will be no more as Judy Slaughter retires.

Slaughter’s coworkers hosted a retirement party Friday.

“I don’t think I was even born when she started,” Probate Leon Archer said.

“She is the sister I never had. I know she was looking forward to this. She is a humble person.”

While Slaughter says she has been working in the office for 35 years, Archer said she cut herself short.

“She says she has been here officially for 35 years but she was working here before that,” Archer said.

“She has been here 38 years.”

Archer told the group gathered for the party that she started work in the probate office in March of 1979.

Archer also presented her with an angel that the ladies at his church make.

“This is little Judy,” Archer said. “This is her angel. The ladies at our church make this. Know that God is with you.”

Slaughter explained she has no big plans for retirement.

“Nothing but relax,” Slaughter said. “I am just going to relax – take care of my nieces and nephews.”

Tallapoosa County Commissioner Emma Jean Thweatt kidded Slaughter about going home.

“They are going to be calling every 15 minutes,” Thweatt said.

“You might need to change your phone number,” Archer said.

Slaughter took it all in stride.

“Y’all will be fine,” Slaughter said. “I am going to miss you all, but I won’t Cliff Williams / The Record be that far away. I just want Top, the staff of the Tallapoosa County Probate Judge’s Office poses for a photograph at the retirement party of Judy Slaughter. Above right, Probate Judge to thank everyone. I am not a woman of many words. I Leon Archer presents a doll to longtime employee Slaughter who is retiring after 38 years in the office. Above left, Slaughter and Archer share a laugh while won’t be that far away.” posing for a photo at the retirement party.

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Page

B1

Lizi Arbogast, Sports Editor (256) 234-4281 x228 sports@alexcityoutlook.com

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Sports Record The

LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor

Ohio State is not a playoff team

I

’ve heard plenty of arguments for Ohio State making the College Football Playoffs, especially over Alabama.

Like columnist Luke Robinson said earlier this week, “But what about the fact the Crimson Tide didn’t even make their conference championship?!”

There were certainly arguments against Alabama, but that’s not really why I’m here. I’m here to tell you of all the teams in the FBS, Ohio State did not deserve one of the four spots in the CFP. First of all, if nothing else, the Buckeyes know how us Penn Staters felt a year ago when Ohio State didn’t even win its division and still made the playoffs over both Big 10 teams that did.

The biggest argument I’ve heard in favor of Ohio State over Alabama was tied directly to the conference championship, but here’s the thing, the conference games and the playoffs are two entirely different entities.

If no one else illustrates that point, Auburn does. Auburn absolutely whomped Georgia a month ago, but because the Bulldogs won in the SEC Championship, they got a spot in the playoffs. Is that fair? Some say yes, but I say probably not. Auburn beat Georgia by a combined score of 47-45 in their two games; saying Georgia is better because it won three weeks later makes no sense to me.

Do I think Georgia deserved a spot in the College Football Playoffs?

Absolutely.

But not because it won the SEC Championship, that’s the difference.

Georgia deserved a spot in the CFP because Georgia had one of the best records in the country; it worked its way up the rankings all season and was ranked in the top five for several weeks of the season; and its only loss came to a highly talented team that was ranked No. 6 at the time.

There are a couple teams who have See ARBOGAST • Page B4

TIGERS EDGE TALLASSEE

Cliff Williams / The Record

Dadeville’s boys basketball team moved to 3-0 on the season with a comeback victory over Tallassee in area play Tuesday night. Tallassee led by nine points in the third before Dadeville spoiled the party. PJ Eason led the Tigers with 17 points and 13 rebounds. On the girls side, Dadeville (1-2, 1-2) lost 59-43 despite Quanesha Presley’s stellar effort of 32 points and 18 rebounds. Top: Dadeville coach Jesse Foster speaks to his team. Above left: Tallassee’s Jaeel Dumas is guarded by Dadeville’s PJ Eason (34), Tykeem Holley (30) and Jalen Sullivan (14).

Above right: Dadeville’s Jhymias Patrick looks to pass to a teammate against Tallassee.

REELTOWN SQUASHES GENERALS Reeltown girls overcome HBS

By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor

Lizi Arbogast / The Record

Reeltown’s Trey O’Neal (12) looks for a way around Horseshoe Bend’s defense on Tuesday.

Rebels hold off late push

By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor

Trailing by double figures for the majority of the second half, Horseshoe Bend’s basketball team proved it wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

With under two minutes to go, Generals forward Trace Meadows scooped up a rebound and went coast-to-coast to pull within four points of area foe Reeltown on Tuesday night.

But Rebels coach Jonathan Gardner quickly took a timeout and calmed his players down. Reeltown

scored the seven straight points and held Horseshoe Bend off the scoreboard aside from a desperation 3-pointer, and it won, 60-52.

“I told them we had been in this position before, and we needed to make sure it didn’t come out like it has in the past,” Gardner said.

“We’re basing a lot of things on what we did last year and making sure that we’re building on that. We want to play smarter and think and play with patience.”

Reeltown managed to do just that, and it was helped along by the defensive pressure of Tre Tre See BOYS • Page B4

After a back-andforth first half that saw Horseshoe Bend’s girls basketball leading by a point, the Reeltown Rebels slowly but surely started to pull away Tuesday night.

Reeltown took a lead on an Ashlynn Thomas 3-pointer with 3:10 left in the third. From there, the Rebel defense went to work and ensured a 46-35 victory in area action.

It was Reeltown’s first win of the young season.

“It feels really good,” Rebel point guard Taniya Haynes said.

“All of us have been playing together since my seventh-grade year, and it’s been a long road. But it feels really good to be playing like a team and get the win.”

With two minutes left in the third quarter, Horseshoe Bend (2-4, 0-2) trailed just 28-26, but it didn’t score again for the remainder of the frame. Meanwhile, Reeltown (1-2, 1-0) went on a 14-point run extending into

Lizi Arbogast / The Record

Reeltown’s Taniya Haynes directs traffic during Tuesday’s game against Horseshoe Bend.

the fourth quarter and quickly led 42-26 with six minutes left.

“I’ve been telling the girls the past few games, we’ve got to turn loose and just play,” Reeltown coach Will Solomon said.

“We’re just too tight, and we looked like a different team than in the past when we turned it up and played defense. I think they took that to heart, and I liked the way we played See GIRLS • Page B4

Page B2

Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Dadeville Record

Snowy Super 7 closes out season STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

Despite the snow and freezing temperatures, seven teams across the state of Alabama went home happy last week, as they brought back the AHSAA football state championships to their hometowns.

Kicking off the action was Hoover’s dominating 48-20 victory over McGill-Toolen in Class 7A action on Wednesday night. Hoover quarterback Jalen Parker completed 11 of 15 passes for 265 yards and four touchdowns to earn MVP honors as the Bucs (11-3) added state championship No. 13 in program history. Hoover knocked off three straight undefeated teams in the playoffs, including McGill-Toolen, to earn the 7A crown.

In Class 6A, both Pinson Valley and Wetumpka were attempting their first ever state championship, but it was Pinson Valley that walked away the victor, 31-10.

Bo Nix earned the 6A MVP as he rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another to lead Pinson Valley to victory after trailing 10-7 at halftime.

The Class 5A game was the closest contest, with St. Paul’s Episcopal edging Briarwood Christian, 17-14. St. Paul’s receiver Oliver Willman snagged a 6-yard pass from quarterback Swift Lyle on fourth and goal with 1:54 left in the fourth quarter to give the Saints (14-1) a win over previously-unbeaten Briarwood Christian (14-1).

Lyle was named the 5A MVP after going 14 of 22 for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

UMS-Wright did all its damage in the first half of the Class 4A championship and held off Fayette County, 21-7. Bulldog running back Symon Smith had 144 of his 200 yards in the first half, scoring on touchdown runs of 14 and 55 yards.

The championship was the seventh in school history.

After trailing by a point in Class 3A, Hillcrest-Evergreen blanked Randolph County in the secod half to earn a 26-14 victory for its first state title in school history. The Jaguars outgained Randolph County, 380287, and running back Andray Pope scored on rushes of 2 and 71 yards in the second half.

Lanett overcame a 15-0 firstquarter deficit in Class 2A, scoring 33 unanswered points to beat Leroy, 33-15, to conclude an undefeated season and give the school its first football state championship. For the Panthers, Truitt finished with 90 yards on 13 carries to earn MVP honors, and quarterback Kristian Story rushed for 70 yards on 13 carries and was 11 of 19 for 129 passing yards and two touchdowns.

In Class 1A, Sweet Water’s Shamar Lewis scooped up a fumble and raced 64 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal the Bulldogs’ 20-6 victory over Pickens County.

Sweet Water won its 10th state championship overall and first since 2010. It totaled 283 yards on 56 carries and completed one pass for 50 yards, while Pickens County passed for 233 yards but netted only 22 rushing.

SUPER 7 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa Wednesday, Dec. 6 UNIFIED GAME Baldwin County 20, Vestavia Hills 6 CLASS 7A Hoover (11-3) 48, McGill-Toolen Catholic (13-1) 20 Thursday, Dec. 7 CLASS 3A Hillcrest-Evergreen (14-1) 26, Randolph County (13-2) 14 CLASS 1A Sweet Water (13-1) 20, Pickens County (12-3) 6 CLASS 5A St. Paul’s Episcopal (14-1) 17, Briarwood Christian (14-1) 14 Friday, Dec. 8 CLASS 4A UMS-Wright (13-2) 21, Fayette County (12-3) 7 CLASS 2A Lanett (15-0) 33, Leroy (12-3) 15 CLASS 6A Pinson Valley (15-0) 31, Wetumpka (13-2) 10

File / The Record

R Reeltown’s Landon Hunt (11) holds back Woodland’s Jordan Herring (7) during the season. Rebel coach Matt Johnson said Hunt, a tight end and p punter, may have been the biggest surprise of all this football season.

Senior class was full of surprises B LIZI ARBOGAST By SSports Editor

With every football season comes a few surprise players. Many of the times, it’s a young running back who t explodes onto the scene or an unlikely e freshman who contributes in many f ways. w But sometimes it’s the unsung heroes — the players who don’t get a h lot l of ink in the local newspaper or the athletes who keep their noses to the a ground and just do their jobs — who g are a the biggest surprises.

In the case of Reeltown’s football team, which made it further than any t other in Tallapoosa County, the senior o class of six athletes were all those c surprises coach Matt Johnson was s looking for. l “Our six seniors, you really can’t say enough about them,” Johnson said. e Three of the six didn’t even play football last year. Ardarious Woods, f who w started at either wide receiver, cornerback or safety in every single c game this year, had never played high g school football at all. s “He’s somebody that was not even on o the radar at all,” Johnson said.

“He came in and started every game, “ so s he did a great job for us. He even ran r the ball a couple times and got a touchdown on Senior Night, so that t was w great for him.”

Due to some eligibility issues last season, RaRa Wright didn’t play during s his h junior year. He started out as a strong defensive lineman and filled in s here and there on the offensive line, h but b when Jordan Whitlow was injured, Wright was moved into the fullback W position and really started to shine p from there. f “That was huge for us because RaRa was w going to create a hole and he ran the t ball well,” Johnson said. “He’s a big strong guy and he was athletic enough to play that position. He’s a e leader in the locker room, on and off l the t field. Kids follow him; he’s just got that presence.” t Wright scored three touchdowns in i Reeltown’s season-ending loss to Sulligent in the Class 2A second round.

S “Landon Hunt may be the biggest surprise of all,” Johnson said. s Hunt started to surprise the Rebel coaching staff during the summer when c he h really committed to the weight program.

Between the start of spring p practice and the start of fall practice in p August, Hunt had put on 25 pounds of A muscle and he earned his way into a m starting position at tight end. s “He’s also our starting punter and could be the best long snapper in the c

File / The Record

Reeltown’s RaRa Wright (25) and Tre Tre Hughley combine to stop Vincent’s Christopher Hardie earlier this season. Wright is one of six seniors the Rebels will graduate this year.

state if he wanted to,” Johnson said.

“He’s got great hands, he blocks well at tight end and he can throw the ball 65 yards. He worked in as quarterback during the spring, too. Landon was a massive surprise, and he was a very, very valuable player for us.”

The other three seniors were all linemen who were almost never talked about.

“Jacob Rodgers was probably our most consistent player at right tackle, week in and week out,” Johnson said. “His name never got mentioned because he was so consistent. He’s gonna be there every day, and he’s gonna do his job. He has no position on defense, so on scout offense, he’s at right tackle; on first offense, he’s at right tackle. He does his job each and every day, and he does it great.”

Justin House started at left guard all season before being moved to center due to an unexpected vacancy at the position.

“It ended up being a great move because he did a fantastic job at center for us,” Johnson said.

Despite some injuries, Kyle Nelson pushed through on both the offensive and defensive lines. For the final few weeks of the season, Nelson even played with a cast on.

“His biggest trait is just his toughness,” Johnson said. “This year, he broke his hand early in the season that many people didn’t talk about.

When you play offensive tackle with one hand, that’s tough, and he persevered through that.”

Although the Reeltown senior class

will be sorely missed, there’s a lot to look forward to for the future of the Rebels after such a successful season.

Reeltown returns the likes of top running backs Cameron Faison and Tre Tre Hughley and hopes to have Keke Hughley back next year, as well as guys like Eric Shaw and Trey O’Neal returning. And there were also some young surprises for Johnson.

“Iverson (Hooks) ended up being a good player for us (as an eighthgrader),” he said. “Rhasheed Wilson in 10th grade started every game at corner for us this year. Kolby Coan (a junior) erupted right there at the end of the year, running the ball and blocking. We have a great group coming back and we just have to continue to understand that we need to improve every single day.”

Because Reeltown is such a strong school, there’s quite a bit of crossover with other sports, which Johnson looks at as a positive because the Rebels not only keep the mentality of getting better every day alive, they also keep their competitive spirit.

When Reeltown returns from the holiday break, it’ll amp up its offseason workouts, working out in the weight room three times per week.

“January through March, we’re just trying to pound on the weights and pack on the muscle and get bigger and stronger,” Johnson said.

“Overall strength played a huge key in our success this year, so I think the building the strength of these young guys and them buying into our weight program will be huge.”

Dadeville, Reeltown struggle on wrestling mat STAFF REPORT TPI Staff

Both struggling with low numbers, Dadeville and Reeltown’s wrestling teams have gotten off to a rough start.

Over the past week, the Tigers went 1-6 with their only win coming against Beulah in a tri-meet last Thursday. All seven of their matches have been filled with forfeits, giving their opponents easy victories.

Tuesday, Dadeville faced off against Beauregard, Beulah and Elmore County,

and the Tigers lost all three matches, 75-0, 27-18 and 28-18, respectively. They had just three victories on the mat all night.

Frederick Ford grabbed a pin against Beulah’s Dylan Kilgore at 138, and Ab Abernathy also secured a victory by fall versus Beulah at 220. Against Elmore County, Luke Keel was the only victor on the mat, earning a pin at 285.

In a tri-meet last Thursday, the Tigers got the best of Beulah, 30-17.

Most of their wins came via forfeits, but Ladarrius

Moore at 152 and Abernathy at 220 both had pins. In a 60-12 loss to Tallassee, Moore at 152 and Frederick Ford at 138 each won by pin.

Last Wednesday, Moore started his hot streak at 152 pounds with a pin against Beauregard in a 60-18 loss, and Troy Cruz also had a pin for Dadeville at 106. In a 59-12 loss to Benjamin Russell during the tri-meet, Abernathy also earned a pin.

Reeltown’s only meet so far has been the Tallassee Duals on Dec. 2, where the Rebels went 1-3. Their

only win actually came over Dadeville in a match where the Rebels won six bouts via forfeit. Tanner Hill and Caleb Gantt did earn pins though, at 106 and 285, respectively.

In a 60-12 loss to Moody, Daniel Spain grabbed a pin at 182; against Elmore County, Reeltown got pins from Seth Hill at 113, Brody Newman at 152 and Gantt at 285 in a 48-30 loss; and Tanner Hill and Zantgaun Knight earned pins at 106 and 145, respectively, for the Rebels’ only points in a 72-12 loss to Tallassee.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Dadeville Record

Page B3

Page B4

Arbogast the right to gripe about the College Football Playoffs, but Ohio State isn’t one of them.

Let us all remember Ohio State lost to Iowa.

Badly.

Which sort of begs the question, why is Clemson ranked No. 1 after losing to a pathetic Syracuse team? But keep in mind, Clemson lost by 3. Ohio State lost by 31.

So who does have the right to gripe, you ask?

Wisconsin, UCF and maybe even Auburn and Penn State.

Wisconsin’s only loss came in a narrow defeat at the hands of the Buckeyes. Take away the conference championships, which you already know I feel should be a separate entity, and the Badgers are in for sure.

The University of Central Florida is the only undefeated team in the country. I hear all you out there saying, “But they’re a mid-major.” True, I get that. But being a graduate of a mid-major that went from the First Four to the Final Four (hello, VCU), mid-majors shouldn’t be overlooked.

I also hearing you screaming, “Auburn lost three games!” Absolutely.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Dadeville Record

continued from page B1

The Tigers did, and they should be punished for that. But, they also pretty handedly beat two teams in the CFP, and put Clemson and Auburn against each other later in the season and it’s almost certainly a different result.

Lastly, for Penn State, I hear you thinking, “You’re biased, Lizi.”

And maybe I am. But keep in mind, the Nittany Lions lost their two games by a total of four points. Four points.

Meanwhile, Ohio Staters are complaining about being left out because of a 31-point defeat that wasn’t even its only one of the season.

In the end, the College Football Playoffs are an imperfect system. They always will be. I’ve heard ideas of expanding to eight teams, and that’d be great. But then the ninth team will feel like it has room to complain.

Part of the tradition of the college football season is debating who got into the playoffs, but this year, I think the committee got it right.

Especially where Ohio State is concerned.

Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Record.

Boys

continued from page B1

H Hughley, who had three of hhis five steals in the final two minutes of the game. Hughley m aalso scored four points, including two free throws, that in hhelped seal the deal.

“He was giving me all he ggot,” Gardner said. “We call him Game Time, and that’s what we G ddid tonight. He showed up at ggame time.”

Teammate Trey O’Neal added, ““I think we took (the last two minutes) good. I don’t think we m ggot too panicky. We just had to sslow down and realize what was ggoing on, and we got through it.”

A big reason for Reeltown’s

insurmountable lead was its work on the boards.

The Rebels (2-1, 1-0) dominated Horseshoe Bend (6-3, 1-1) on the boards to the tune of 41-31. O’Neal led the Rebels with 16 boards, while Eric Shaw had 13.

“We practice rebounds, and all the guys did a great job of focusing in practice,” O’Neal said. “One thing we really work on is boxing out. We used our bodies well and that allowed us to get more boards.”

Horseshoe Bend coach Chad Kison said, “It looked like we were just a step slow tonight.

We weren’t as aggressive as we usually are, especially on the glass. We usually rebound a lot better. We were just slow, and we didn’t show up. Usually our defense will carry us to our offense, and we shot the ball not real well. Defense was slow, and our offense turned into a slow game also.”

Nalijah Heard was the only General to score more than seven points, and he finished with 22.

For Reeltown, both O’Neal and Shaw had double-doubles.

Shaw led all shooters with 24 points, and O’Neal contributed 10.

Girls as a team.”

The biggest difference was w the Rebels’ defensive effort. They d turned up the heat and tu finished with 14 total fi steals.

Haynes had st four, fo Diyanna Newton snatched three and Eryn sn Wells Mikiya Jones each W grabbed two. gr With the strong defense came easier d baskets on the other end, b allowing Reeltown to al pull pu away for good.

“When we play defense, that just made d our ou adrenaline rush and an our shooters were getting open shots,” g

continued from page B1

Haynes said.

Horseshoe Bend coach Erica Meigs said, “We’ve just got to learn to handle the ball against pressure.

Just the little stuff — moving to the ball, we can’t wait on it. We need to make good passes and make sure when we’re dribbling, we’re handling it well.”

One thing that kept Horseshoe Bend in the game early was its rebounding. After the past few games where the Generals struggled on the glass, they looked much improved, out-

rebounding Reeltown, 38-30. Ivy Vickers led the way with 14 boards and capped it off with a 17-point double-double.

Caly Carlise also pulled eight off the glass, and Nadia Freeman had six rebounds.

“Rebounding was a lot better tonight,” Meigs said. “Ivy did a lot better tonight, and we’ve got to get that from her because most of the time she’s getting putbacks. We need that from her, and we’ve gotta let them have only one shot on offense.”

Thomas led the

Rebels with 20 points, including four 3-pointers, while Jones added 13 points.

Marsheka Shaw grabbed six rebounds. Newton came off the bench to contribute four points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

“We had a lot of people rotating in and out of the game, and I’m counting on a lot of these girls to contribute and keep us fresh,” Soloman said. “I think tonight they got a lot better at learning their roles and getting better at playing as a team.”

Thursday, December 14, 2017

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The Dadeville Record

SN-OMG 2017 Winter Storm Benji will long be remembered in Tallapoosa County

By CLIFF WILLIAMS and MITCH SNEED Staff Writers

Nearly 8 inches of snow, hundreds of issues on area roads, forecasts that were far from reality, thousands without power, cable and internet and angst over school closings is how SnOMG 2017 or, Winter Storm Benji as it is properly known, will be remembered in Tallapoosa County.

Friday’s winter storm caught many off guard as the National Weather Service had predicted the storm would come in two waves – one mid morning and the other Friday evening stretching the resources of Alexander City first responders.

“This was one that caught all of us off guard,” Alexander City Mayor Jim Nabors said. “Looking at the information that we had early Friday, there was no indication that we would have experienced what we did. But I am so proud of the way that our folks answered the call. The first responders, public works, roads, water and light and power – they worked straight through to minimize the issues.

I know they are still out there working to see what they can do better the next time.”

As the first wave of snow struck about at 10 a.m., police started responding to wrecks and providing assistance to motorists until Saturday.

“We responded to 91 motorist assists, accidents, cars sliding off roads in the 26 hours from 10 a.m. Friday to noon Saturday,” Alexander City Police Chief Jay Turner said.

To put things into perspective Turner said the department responds to an average of four accidents in a 24-hour period and a few more when the weather changes.

“When we have a dry spell and then get some rain, going from dry to wet, we will have a few more accidents,” Turner said. “It might go up to 10 in a 24 hour period.”

The volume of calls caused the department to call in extra personnel not only for patrolling the streets but to handle the phone calls.

“We normally have two in dispatch,” Turner said. “We doubled it to four for the storm. For accidents we can get five or more phone calls

per accident and they have to sort through each call. With the storm, we had so many calls coming in we had to add dispatchers.”

Turner said after the roads were closed shortly after 3 p.m.

Friday that all calls from motorists were classified as motorist assists.

Turner said roads reopened Saturday.

The Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department even got their share of calls.

In the same time frame Sheriff Jimmy Abbett reported 61 calls to 911 and a total of 411 calls to other lines at the department.

“We had two dispatchers in the center at all times,” Abbett said. “At times we had three depending on call volume.”

Abbett said the dispatchers try to log all the calls.

“We dispatch all of the calls,” Abbett said.

“Sometimes we don’t get all of them logged though.”

The storm left about 45 students stranded at Alexander City Schools for a brief time.

The Alexander City Police Department teamed up with the Alexander City Fire Department to get students home.

“Dr. Cooper called us about 3 p.m. (Friday),” Turner said. “There were about 15 students at the high school and about 30 at the middle school. We teamed up with the fire department and the school resource officers and all the students were home by 5 p.m.”

The police employed the Humvees they recently secured from government surplus and they were a big help, Turner said.

Tallapoosa County Schools sent out notice at 10 a.m. Friday that they would be closing at 11:30 a.m.

The timing hit at the height of the early wave of Friday snow causing some minor issues at Horseshoe Bend School where buses were delayed for brief time while sand was applied to area roads.

Tallapoosa County EMA Director Jason Moran praised everyone who worked so hard to render assistance through the storm. He said that the Red Cross Shelter that opened at the Sportplex Saturday actually took in no residents.

“We were surprised,

but I think for the most part most people had their power back on,” Moran said. “There were a few scattered areas that had issues longer, but I know a lot of people worked very hard to lessen the impact and help when needed.”

County road crews were out non-stop until Sunday evening and then back out early Monday morning. In District 3 alone, they used 40 tons of sand to put on trouble areas and lost count of how many trees they removed from the roads.

In Alexander City, public works and the roads department worked to get sand out in potentially bad areas and worked throughout the storm.

The storm even struck area utilities.

At the height of the storm, Ricky Waller with the Alexander City Light Department said that about 1,700 customers were dark.

“It was pretty overwhelming, but we had every employee we had on the road with the exception of one,” Waller said. “We had most of them back on by 7 p.m. Saturday and most of the issues were caused by trees on lines and transformers.

The last things to come back on were the Dobbs Pumping Station and the trailer park on Knight Road. That happened at about 5:30 Sunday. We appreciate everyone’s patience and the kinds words. We wish we never had anyone out, but the best we can do is work hard to get folks back on as quickly as possible.”

Alabama Power responded to outages across the state and was assisted by crews from other states.

“Our crews were able to restore service to more than 70,000 customers by this morning,” Alabama Power spokesperson Jacki-Lyn Lowry said.

“Due to the widespread outages across central Alabama, additional resources from seven states were brought in to help with the recovery efforts. Winter Storm Benji left 2,400 customers in Tallapoosa County without service.

Our crews and support personnel worked around the clock until everyone was back on.

Currently, we have no outages related to the winter weather event in Tallapoosa County.”

Cliff Williams and Mitch Sneed / The Record

Areas in Tallapoosa and Coosa counties saw up to 8 inches of snow over the weekend.

Friday’s Winter Storm Benji brought with it postcard worthy images, however, it also brought with it some disastrous conditions such as the collapsed carport, below, and several car accidents. Emergency responders and area officials were called to 91 motorists assists, accidents, etc. in a 26-hour period. Above, some residents made the most of the snow and built snowmen, like Braxton and Brandon Magouirk of Alexander City. Over 40 tons of sand, bottom left, were poured on troubled area roads to keep area residents safe.

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The Dadeville Record

Thursday, December 14, 2017

United Way gives supporters final fundraiser update

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

A crowd of nearly 30 people braved the winter weather Friday to attend the final 2018 “Team United” fundraiser campaign update. Those who picked their way though the freezing rain and snow were treated to a wonderful feast and exciting news about where the fundraiser stood.

After enjoying a meal of fried chicken, ham, creamed corn, macaroni, sweet potato casserole and black-eyed peas, Sandra and Sharon Fuller told the audience that, thanks to a major push from businesses and local organizations, November brought the Lake Martin Area United Way even closer to its goal of $550,000.

“November was a busy month,” Sandra Fuller said. “That’s a good thing.

We really believe we can make it.”

Thanks to donations large and small, such as $25,000 from the Adelia Russell Foundation and $19,000 from the city of Alexander City down to $500 from Carlisle’s/Hometown Pharmacy and $1,000 from Radney, Radney and Jackson, the United Way received $176,201 in donations in November, bringing the overall total to $460,290, or approximately 84 percent of the overall goal. Special guests Lasaua Willis and Allan Cutts from Russell Brands were more than happy to take the red marker and fill in a large block of the thermometer to show the latest amount brought in through the fundraiser.

“We’re thrilled with this,” Sharon Fuller said. “Our businesses have really come through for us this week.”

Despite Fuller saying this was one of the toughest years for fundraising she had been a part of, the campaign was still going well.

“We’re right at where we were last year,” she said.

Both Sharon and Sandra Fuller believed the radio campaign the United Way held on Kowaliga Country on Giving Tuesday had been beneficial to the cause, bringing in approximately $7,000 as a result of their efforts.

“We’re going to do that again,” Sharon Fuller said. “It was great and it was something new that we did.”

Fuller also took the time to thank Russell Brands for sponsoring lunch, catered by Willie Garrett, Koon’s Catering and G’s Country Kitchen.

With a handful of businesses and organizations still in the middle of holding their campaigns and a few that are in the process of starting theirs, the atmosphere Friday was of confidence and hope as only $90,000 stands between the Lake Martin Area United Way and its ultimate goal.

“We may be putting out a plea again to the whole community,” Fuller said.

“Agencies, it’s all for you.”

Donald Campbell / The Record

Top, Sharon Fuller and Diane Lemmond of the Lake Martin Area United Way welcome the crowd to the final United Way fundraising campaign update Friday afternoon. Above, Lasaua Willis and Allan Cutts with Russell Brands happily show off the updated thermometer at the update.

Habitat for Humanity provides locals in need with a place to call home Habitat for Humanity International in early 1995, according to Bates. Later that year, the Alexander City area organization These are the 25th and 26th in a series of profiles on the 28 agencies that receive constructed its first house on South Road, funding through the Lake Martin Area which would be followed by 14 more, as United Way. Currently, the Lake Martin well as one refurbishing.

Area United Way is holding its 2018 fun“While we would like to build several draising campaign, “Team United.” To houses per year, our construction crew is learn how to help, contact the United Way made up of retirees who volunteer their at 256-329-3600 or at www.unitedwaytime with Habitat,” Bates said. “Our more lakemartin.org. reasonable goal is to construct one house per year. We recently started construction on

By DONALD CAMPBELL our 16th house.”

Staff Writer In order to be considered, Bates said there were strict guidelines a family had to meet, including having a certain income level, Adequate shelter is seen as one of the most basic of human needs, along with food currently residing in substandard housing, being willing to work with the organization and water. Sometimes, however, it is not always possible to easily reach this need. In and the ability to pay a mortgage. Despite order to help more people have a home they such stringent criteria, the organization has an anti-discrimination policy, ensuring that can call their own, Habitat for Humanity anyone who meets the guidelines will be provides low-cost housing to those who able to receive assistance. may not be able to afford a home on their “Habitat sells each house to the selected own. Headquartered in Georgia and with former president Jimmy Carter as one of its partner family for the cost of construction, most high-profile supporters and volunteers, including any necessary purchase of land,” Bates said. “The mortgage is interest-free the organization has affiliates worldwide and is usually less than the family paid for building houses, including right here in rent.”

Tallapoosa County.

Bates said the local Habitat for Humanity “The Habitat for Humanity International organization was proud to have partnered mission is to eliminate poverty housing from the earth,” Habitat for Humanity of the with the Lake Martin Area United Way, receiving valuable assistance in continuing Alexander City Area Director Larry Bates to move forward in its mission of providing said. “Habitat for Humanity of Alex City housing for lower-income residents of Area’s mission is to eliminate substandard Tallapoosa County. While Bates and housing for deserving individuals in our the volunteers with the local Habitat for area.”

Humanity may not be building houses at the The local organization began in 1994, steady pace they might like to be, their hard when a group of Alexander City residents work in doing as much as they have still came together to see what interest there speaks volumes to these individuals and the might have been for establishing a Habitat drive they have for helping others. for Humanity group in the area. Under For more information about the the guidance of Mary Battistella, who Alexander City Area Habitat for Humanity, had initially sent out the invitations, these the group can be reached at 256-212-1430, citizens elected a board of directors, while Bates can also be reached at lbates@ incorporated in August 1994 and was russelllands.com. then officially given the blessing of

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Girls Ranch gives children a place to grow in a caring environment personal development programs to every child who takes part, there is also a college program provided for those who have gone through the For young people who are program at the facility, graduated looking for somewhere to be safe and want to stay in the Lake Martin and loved after escaping from a area to attend college at a local situation where they may have institution, according to Harmon. been abused or neglected, there are As an agency affiliated with the places like the Tallapoosa County Lake Martin Area United Way, the Sheriff’s Girls Ranch, where these Girls Ranch enjoys all the benefits children and teens can grow up in a that come with this partnership, caring environment. including some financial assistance “The mission of the Girls Ranch with the organization’s key services. is to provide Christian, family-style “The Sheriff’s Girls Ranch residential homes for Alabama’s has a wonderful relationship with needy, neglected, or abused school- our local United Way,” Harmon aged children in an atmosphere said. “We work as a team within where they may grow spiritually our community along with other and physically into productive, organizations under the United Way responsible and happy adults,” umbrella to create a net of services Director Jimmy Harmon said. that help all of those in need At the ranch, children between throughout our community.” the ages of 6 and 18 take part in a Children in abusive or neglected number of developmental activities situations is an issue that may never and programs, including academic go away, but with groups like the tutoring and teaching them about Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Girls financial planning and being Ranch in existence, there can be a fiscally accountable. brighter future for those affected by “We also provide the community these situations. with referral services and help For more information about the families heal after conflict,” Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Girls Harmon added.

Ranch, call 256-896-4113 or email While the ranch offers homes and tallapoosaranch@gmail.com.

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

Thursday, December 14, 2017

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The Dadeville Record

Lyman Ward offers cadets new aviation program

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

Despite the copious amounts of snow that fell on Alexander City throughout the day Friday, a handful of cadets from Lyman Ward Military Academy took a trip to the Alexander City Airport to kick off a new aviation program the school is now offering to its cadets.

“Lyman Ward Military Academy rolled out its new aviation program on Dec. 8, 2017 in partnership with Brown Aero Technologies, located at Russell Airfield in Alexander City,” Commandant Lieutenant Colonel Joel Burdette said. “LWMA is offering a very challenging curriculum for cadets desiring to immerse themselves in civil aviation.”

Plans for Friday had initially included allowing the cadets the opportunity to take a flight in some of the aircraft Brown Aero uses, but this was scrapped due to the weather.

Despite this, the cadets were still able to receive a scheduled briefing and first lesson, helping give them a more solid grounding into the basics of aviation.

Now that the new aviation program has begun, the cadets who took part in Friday’s kickoff will continue their flight education both on campus and at the Alexander City Airport through the school’s partnership with Brown Aero.

“Their program consists of three days per week of ground school classroom instruction on campus combined with actual flying of the aircraft from Russell Field,” Burdette said.

“This extremely challenging curriculum will result in the opportunity for a cadet to earn their FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Part 61 Private Pilot’s License over the course of a semester. This program is a separate elective, above and beyond the normal academic and student life requirements.”

The aviation program is only one of several new programs Lyman Ward is offering to its cadets. Recent additions to the curriculum include a robotics program, an equestrian program and a drone operations course, which will allow participating cadets to earn a certified drone operator’s license from the FAA. For those young men interested in joining the Lyman Ward cadets and learning to fly in the school’s new aviation program, Burdette said the campus was always open for a scheduled tour, and there was still plenty of time to enroll for grades 6-12 before the spring semester begins on Jan. 3.

Submitted / The Record

Top, several Lyman Ward Military Academy cadets inspect an airplane at the Alexander City Airport Friday as part of the school’s new aviation program. Above, cadets from Lyman Ward Military Academy, Commandant Joel Burdette and associates of Brown Aero met at the Alexander City Airport Friday as the school launched its new aviation program for cadets.

Jazz Fest art contest accepting entries

New Site Senior Activity Center gets off to exciting start

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer

Even though the 2018 Alexander City Jazz Fest is still six months away, the Jazz Fest committee has already started planning for the event, including spreading the word about the annual art contest to select a design for the 28th annual Jazz Fest posters and t-shirts.

Robert Gunn, who helps head up the art contest, said this competition has been going on for as long as he can remember.

“This is a great way to get the community and the students in the schools involved in creating the design,” he said. “We encourage everyone interested to submit.

We love to see all these submissions.”

Between now and March 16, anyone in the community is welcome to send in original artwork to be considered for the design “There have been a number of electronically submitted entries over the past several years,” Gunn said. “It has made it easier for some people to participate by allowing electronic submission.”

Once all entries are in, Gunn said the planning committee would review all of the art and select a winner from all of the student entries as well as from the general public.

Sometimes, the student whose art was chosen as the winner at the school level has gone on to win the overall contest as well.

After the winner has been chosen and

File / The Record

This design created by Audra Spears won for 2017’s Alexander City Jazz Fest art contest.

notified, he or she will be recognized on stage during Jazz Fest as the design winner, along with receiving $250, getting a special table during the Friday night events and VIP parking during the festival.

The school winner will also be honored, being awarded with $25 and a plaque for best student submission.

All submissions to the art contest must meet several guidelines, including being in a vertical layout no larger than 16 inches by 20 inches. All submissions must include “28th Annual Alexander City Jazz Fest”

and “June 8-9, 2018” in the design, utilizing four separate colors without blending or shading any of them. Artists are limited to submitting no more than three different designs for the competition. Once a submission is ready, it can be dropped off at the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce offices, mailing it to Jazz Fest Poster Contest, Attn: Robert Gunn, 2544 Willow Point Road, Alexander City, AL 35010, or e-mailing it to info@ alexcityjazzfest.com.

“Some of these guidelines, including the rules on color, it makes it easier to transfer artwork

to the printer,” Gunn said.

“The size makes it easier for it to fit on the poster and the shirt.”

Over the years, the number of submissions has been as few as 80 and as many as 300, according to Gunn.

Whether there are only a few entries or a multitude, the Jazz Fest committee is looking forward to seeing the many different kinds of artwork that the community submits for the competition.

“This is part of what we do, part of our program,” Gunn said. “This gets us excited and in gear for the rest of the planning season.”

The New Site Senior Activity Center officially opened to the public last Sunday afternoon with an Open House celebration, followed by Tuesday’s first day of activities at the center.

“Sunday exceeded my expectations,” Director Jan Kennedy said. “We had a great turnout. Sixty-six people showed up and signed up for our mailing list.

We had some people from Daviston and some from Alexander City show up.”

During Sunday’s Open House, Kennedy had all of the board and card games for the seniors to play available displayed on a table, as well as a paper detailing all of the activities the center will be offering.

New Site Mayor Phil Blasingame and members of the New Site Town Council also attended the open house and had nothing but good things to say about the new program.

“Ms. Kennedy did a great job at open house yesterday,” Blasingame said during the New Site Town Council meeting Monday night.

When Kennedy opened the doors Tuesday to welcome seniors to the center, 11 showed up for the activities, 10 of whom stayed the entire four hour period from 8 a.m. to noon.

“We did some stretching exercises, then the seniors played Rook and Uno,” Kennedy said. “We also offer chess, checkers and dominoes for them to play.”

Tuesday was no less exciting than Sunday as Kennedy said all the seniors were having a good time socializing and having fun.

“There was a lot of laughing, cutting up and having fun,” she said. “They loved it. Some of them were coming up to me and thanking me for doing this.”

Along with stretching exercises every Tuesday and games on Tuesday and Thursday, Kennedy said the center will also offer its seniors a monthly luncheon, along with special entertainment. At the first luncheon scheduled for Dec. 20, she said New Site Police officer Justin Farr would bring his guitar and play for the seniors, while there will also be a guest speaker.

Following the entertainment and lunch sponsored by River Bank and Trust, the group would have plenty of time to play Bingo.

“Some have said to me this was better than staying at home and watching TV,” Kennedy said. “This gives them something to do. It gets them moving and thinking.”

Now that the Senior Activity Center in New Site has been established and opened to its senior citizen clientele, Kennedy said she has plans to keep growing things the center can offer, including cornhole and horseshoes starting in the spring, when the weather gets warmer.

“I think this was a great investment in the seniors of our community,” she said. “I think it was a real need in the community for something like this.”

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The Dadeville Record

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Be cautious in giving pets as gifts Lake Martin Animal Shelter director warns residents to take precautions this holiday season

By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer

Movies and commercials have left the impression that giving pets as gifts are a great idea.

The images from them show happy new owners and while the new owners might be happy to get them at that moment, it is months and years later that the images don’t show.

Lake Martin Animal Shelter’s Mia Chandler is not against the gifting of pets but says precautions should be taken because pets are more than a gift.

“Pets are a lifetime commitment,” Chandler said. “With the commitment there are burdens to be considered – schedules and financial.

There are some who do not have the time to take care of a pet. So pets should never be a surprise gift especially with them being a 10 to 20 year commitment.”

Chandler says pets cost money from their food to vet bills and vaccinations to something sometimes unforeseen expenses like fencing.

“The pet may be an escape artist,” she said.

Chandler says the new owner needs to be a part of the process.

“If someone expresses an interest, they need to be a part of the process,” Chandler said. “They may be attracted to a breed or coat type or activity level,” Chandler said. “Then there may be landlord requirements or insurance concerns.”

Chandler said personality and interaction of the pet and the owner should be recognized as well. It is here she says the new owners can find their new pet visiting animals.

“There needs to be an undeniable connection,” Chandler said. “It’s either there or not.”

Chandler said some animals can be shy around some people while others will just be “bouncing with energy.”

Chandler says giving a pet can provide a connection between the giver and the receiver.

“It is a wonderful gift but the new owner needs to be part of the process,” Chandler said. “You have to be in for the long haul.

Or they typically result in coming back to the shelter

“Pets are a lifetime commitment.”

—Mia Chandler LMAS director or rehoming.”

Chandler offered a suggestion as to how to gift a pet as the Lake Martin Animal Shelter does not allow gifting.

“Wrap a toy for a pet,” Chandler said. “Maybe for a dog or cat with a card explaining what the giver would like to do and for the two to go through the process of selecting a pet.”

Given winter and the chance of cold weather Chandler wants to warn about the dangers of cold weather and pets.

“They need shelter,” Chandler said. “Legally you are required to provide a shelter with three sides and a roof. With the really cold weather, bring them inside if at all possible.

Also check on the water since it can freeze.”

Chandler said in some cases like feral cats make sure they have access to a shed or can even get under a house.

The other cold weather hint for animals is to use caution with automobiles.

“Make it a habit to tap the hood of a car before you put a key in it,” Chandler said. “Many cats take shelter in the winter under the hood of cars because it is warm. Cats can get hung up in the belts and fan when they are started.”

Chandler also advised to be careful with antifreeze as it is extremely bad for animals.

“Unless you catch them drinking it in the process, it is difficult to fix,” Chandler said. “It starts to crystallize almost immediately.”

Cliff Williams / The Record

These puppies, kittens and dog, below, are all available for adoption at the Lake Martin Animal Shelter located in Alexander City. Shelter Director Mia Chandler advises residents to take precautions when considering gifting a pet to another person, as there are serious commitments and burdens to consider. The owner should play a role in the pet’s adoption, Chandler said.

Next census may cost Roby’s seat

T

he legendary Speaker of the U.S. House, Sam Rayburn, coined a famous phrase he used often and imparted to young congressmen when they would arrive on Capitol Hill full of vim and vigor.

He would sit down with them and invite them to have a bourbon and branch water with him. The old gentleman, who had spent nearly half a century in Congress, after hearing their ambitions of how they were going to change the world, would look them in the eye and say, “You know here in Congress there are 435 prima donnas and they all can’t be lead horses.” Then the Speaker, in his Texas drawl, would say, “If you want to get along, you have to go along.”

Rayburn ruled as Speaker during the Franklin Delano Roosevelt post-Depression and World War II era. The Democrats dominated Congress. Mr. Sam could count on the big city Congressmen from Tammany Hall in New York and the Chicago machine politicians following the Democratic

leadership because they had gotten there by going along with the Democratic bosses who controlled the wards that made up their urban districts.

But the country was still rural at that time and Mr. Sam would have to invite a backsliding rural member to his Board of Education meeting in a private den in the basement of the Capitol and occasionally explain his adage again to them that in order to get along you have to go along.

One of Rayburn’s young pupils was a freshly minted congressman from Alabama’s Tennessee Valley. Bob Jones from Scottsboro was elected to Congress in 1946 when John Sparkman ascended to the U.S. Senate.

Rayburn saw a lot of promise in freshman congressman Jones. The ole Texan invited Jones to visit his Board of Education meeting early in his first year. He calmly advised Jones to sit on the right side of the House chamber in what Mr. Sam called his pews.

He admonished the young congressman to sit quietly for at least four years and not say a

STEVE FLOWERS Columnist

word or make a speech and to always vote with the Speaker.

In other words if you go along you will get along.

Jones followed the sage advice of Rayburn and he got along very well. Congressman Jones served close to 30 years in the Congress from Scottsboro and the Tennessee Valley. He and Sparkman were instrumental in transforming the Tennessee Valley into Alabama’s most dynamic, progressive and prosperous region. They spearheaded the location and development of Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal.

Jones was one of Alabama’s greatest congressmen.

At the time of Jones’ arrival in Congress in 1946 we had nine congressional seats. By the time he left in the 1960’s we had dropped to eight. We

now have seven. Folks, I hate to inform you of this but population growth estimates reveal that we are going to lose a seat after the next census in 2020.

Our current seven-person delegation consists of six Republicans and one Democrat.

This sole Democratic seat is reserved for an African American. The Justice Department and courts will not allow you to abolish that seat. Reapportionment will dictate that you begin with that premise.

The growth and geographic location of the Mobile/Baldwin district of Bradley Byrne cannot be altered, nor can the urban Tennessee Valley Fifth District, nor the Jefferson/ Shelby Sixth District. They are unalterable and will also reveal growth in population.

The Fourth District of our senior and most powerful congressman, Robert Aderholt, has normal growth and you do not want to disrupt his tenure path.

Therefore, the odd man out may be a woman. It is conjectured that Martha Roby’s

Second District is the one on the chopping block. Her second and Mike Rogers’ Third districts will be combined into a new Second District.

However, Roby may exit before she is carved out. She made a colossal blunder in 2016 by denouncing and publicly stating that she was not going to vote her party’s GOP nominee, Donald Trump.

The fallout was devastating.

She has become a pariah in her southeast Alabama district. It is one of the most conservative and pro-Republican districts in the state.

She may survive 2018, because any serious challenger who has their own money to buy the seat may be wise enough to realize that district will not be here in four more years. It will be over in Georgia around Atlanta.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

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The Dadeville Record

Christmas presents that changed my life I

love this time of the year.

The music is familiar. We eat together, a lot. We enjoy parties, cantata’s, and holiday movies. And we give and receive gifts. Every year my wife and I tell our kids, “No presents for us. We have all we need.” They always agree, and then they still bring gifts over for us on Christmas.

What are you going to do?

For presents, my favorite Christmas was in 1971. I was nine years old and a few of the gifts I opened that year changed my life. I think I got a bike, and a glove and those were great, but they were not the best gifts that year. The best presents that year were five hard backed books given to me by my parents. The books were all about sports: Strange But True Football Stories, Great Running Backs of the NFL,

Greatest College Teams of All Time, Baseball Greats, and Greatest Linebackers in NFL History. They were written at the perfect level for me to read and I devoured them.

Till this day, I am a walking encyclopedia of information on American Football and Baseball in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

And beyond just sports knowledge, those books opened my mind to reading.

When I went back to school after Christmas break, I immediately started checking out and reading large numbers of books. My favorites were biographies.

I devoured books about George Washington, Kit Carson, Davey Crockett, Daniel Boone, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Sam Houston, Florence Nightingale, Alexander

reading books with spiritual content. Richard Rohr has become a favorite author to me in this genre. I still RAY read biographies. Recently I WATERS finished books on Sir Richard Columnist Branson, Elon Musk, and Alexander Hamilton. I still Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, have a weakness for a good George Washington Carver, sports book. Not long ago, Booker T. Washington, I read a book about Magic Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Johnson and Larry Bird. I have Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, begun reading Hemmingway’s and Hank Aaron. I was a short stories. I read my first sponge.

James Patterson novel. It was My love for reading has a real page-turner. continued to this very day.

I also read about things The last 10 years I have I want to learn. This past primarily only bought books year I have read books on for my electronic reader. It is grilling, the Keto Diet, convenient, but I often miss cyber currencies, Spiral physically holding a book.

Dynamics, weightlifting, There is something about the Ireland, business coaching, smell and feel of a book that is emotional intelligence, fear, hard to replace. and creativity. My reading list I read now from several sounds like a lot, and I guess broad categories. I enjoy to some, it might be, but it is

just a few hours every day.

Another thing that helps me with the volume I read is to listen to a book or two a month on Audible. If it is a technical book, I will read and listen at the same time. If it is a lighter read, I will just leisurely enjoy listening while I am driving or walking in the morning.

Those Christmas present books were game changers for me. Maybe you need to grab you a book this Christmas and turn off the TV and read a bit. It can be an amazingly refreshing activity. Or, perhaps you have someone in your life that just might have their whole life altered because you gave them the gift of a good book.

Ray Waters is a minister, a motivational speaker and a regular columnist for Tallapoosa Publishers.

Watching Christmas go by is tough M

y, my, what a way to spend the early part of the Christmas season. I’m laid up with a blood clot behind my knee and all I can do is elevate, heat and take high power blood thinners. Those pills are so powerful if I nicked myself I would bleed Niagara Falls.

It’s a shame these tablets don’t make my body as thin as my blood. So all I can do is sit tight and let nature take its course and heal this nonsense.

Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas.

I asked the doctor how something like this could happen to a healthy young man such as me. He said it was because I was overweight, 73 years old, didn’t get enough exercise and sat too long. I sure didn’t want my wife to hear this diagnosis so I asked

him if he could say the same thing using big ole medical words that I could tell her. He told me he would speak with her and help me out. So I left and she came into his office and he told her I needed tender loving care, excellent meals cooked each night, my back massaged regularly and for her to tend to my every need.

The alternative was I would soon die. When we got in the car going home I asked her what the doctor said, and she immediately replied, “You gonna die.” So much for the TLC and fetching for me.

So, here I sit watching the Christmas rerun movies on the Hallmark Channel. I hate to tell everyone but these sappy things are nothing but soap operas dressed in a holiday wrapping. Everyone one of

so much to do. I sit here and think of all the things I must get done before Christmas and it drives me crazy. Then I hear this still small voice in DR. GERALD the back of my preacher brain HALLMARK saying, “Be still and know Columnist that I am God.” Boy, it’s a lot easier to preach it than it is to live it. Yet, I have enjoyed them has the same outcome looking at the tree and actually of true love set in some seeing it, taking time to read beautiful Christmas scene. I decided to point out this astute the Christmas cards and appreciating those that sent observation to my wife who them and realizing that loving loves these things like they friends have unselfishly shared are the gospel. Her threats of their thoughts and prayers. It’s a severe punch in the nose helped change my mind, after a humbling time of watching God at work through His all, a nose bleed while on people in this very special blood thinners wouldn’t be time of the year. a good combination. I’m not Let me give you some even going to point out all that advice if you are laid up and corny fake snow. start looking for something to Being side lined is a hard read. Don’t read the disclaimer thing to take when you have

material about side effects for blood thinner medicine. If I didn’t have a bad heart before I read this stuff I do now.

Heavens, I could lose my hair or teeth, go temporary blind, howl at the moon or start talking incoherently. Oh no, I could soon be a bald, toothless maniac, talking to myself and howling at the moon. I showed this to my sweet bride and she said take the meds and not worry I was already doing most of these things anyway.

With that being said this ought to a memorable Christmas before it is over.

Dr. Gerald Hallmark is a retired minister from Alexander City who is currently serving First Baptist Church of Dadeville as interim pastor.

Identifying unknown veterans’ remains is an honorable task I

’m not trying to get into any kind of rut regarding topics for this space, but following the publication of the column about the interment option for surviving crew members of the U.S.S. Arizona, which exploded during the Pearl Harbor raid, I received several e-mails about the commentary and related subjects.

Moreover, a couple of Tallassee connections regarding World War II recently manifested themselves. The obvious one was the passing on Dec. 3 of local icon Robert Scroggins, 96, who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces and survived three plane crashes. Many residents recall the tale of his bomber ditching in the North Sea, where he was picked up by a British destroyer. The crew’s flight uniforms were frozen and had to be cut off.

Mr. Scroggins’ wife had died on Nov. 13. They had been married 76 years.

He once told me about another flight where he’d been a volunteer bombardier in an experimental aircraft. He had been sealed in the modified

S

usan and I were sitting around the table the other day reading the paper. Okay, we were looking at all the ads and specials and reading the paper. Susan looked at the religious section and then noted that I had not written in a while. So then I made a note to myself that I needed to find out when I was on the schedule to write again. Well, five days later I called Mitch Sneed and he sent me the schedule and sure enough, I was late getting my article in to the paper Graciously, I was informed that if I wanted to write an article, they would try to get in the paper.

I have to admit there are

nose of the airplane, with no parachute and no exit options.

“They bolted me in with a screwdriver,” he said. And that was only one of the numerous recollections the local veteran recounted.

He was buried on Dec. 7.

His obituary only scratches the surface about his experiences.

As for the Arizona commentary, a friend in Florida sent a link to a fascinating and meaningful Youtube video from National Geographic about the unknown remains of servicemen—including some from the Arizona—buried in Hawai’i’s National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a.k.a. “the Punchbowl” (it’s the crater of an extinct volcano).

The video—apparently a segment from a TV program— covers the efforts of a family to have the remains of a relative identified by DNA testing and returned to his home state. He had been a crewman on the U.S.S. Oklahoma during the Pearl Harbor conflagration.

Regarding other former unknowns buried in the

on a B-24 bomber flying out of England. His plane, with a crew of nine, disappeared on a mission in December WILLIE G. 1944 and was thought to have crashed in the North Sea. MOSELEY Then the wreckage of the Columnist airplane was discovered in a forest north of Strasbourg, Punchbowl, some of their relatives have, like the family France in 1997. Among the items that were recovered in the National Geographic were Dewey’s dogtag, as well story, opted for burial on as his high school class ring. home turf. Others have The site included human returned their ancestors’ remains, so forensic remains to that same cemetery, experts got involved with where the decedent’s previous identification. marker had said “Unknown.”

Dewey’s sister, Erin Cowan, While World War II seems furnished the blood sample for to be cited the most often the DNA lab work. about such research, DNA The final report was issued identification has also been in the spring of 2001.

Body done on remains of military parts from eight of the nine personnel from the Korean crewmen had been identified.

War as well as the Vietnam Plans were made for funerals War. by individual families and a Other information can be funeral for the entire crew was found online about the DNA post-mortem phenomenon, but planned for Arlington National many Tallasseans might recall Cemetery.

On Aug. 20, 2001, the that such a scenario happened remains of portions of the to a local family about 20 body of Dewey Stanfield years ago. were buried with full military Sgt. Dewey Stanfield, honors in Rose Hill Cemetery, Tallassee High School Class almost 57 years after his of 1941, was a nose gunner death.

The Arlington ceremony was held three days later. Four of the families had designated Arlington as the burial site for their loved one, but a fifth casket, which contained commingled remains from the crash site that could not be identified, was also interred.

I interviewed Mrs. Cowan about a dozen years ago, and she had—on her own volition—let me examine her brother’s class ring and dog tag. She agreed with my opinion that they were worth more than their weight in gold.

And those precious artifacts, like what was left of Dewey Stanfield’s “earthly container,” had been buried in France for over half a century, only to excavated and identified, giving his sister— who died in 2016—a final sense of closure. The same could be said for any other family that’s been through such an experience. These types of stories need to be told.

Willie Moseley is a regular columnist for Tallapoosa Publishers.

Never forgotten some things I don’t mind forgetting, like my “honey do” list. But, there are other things I don’t want to forget, like my article. But then I got to thinking about how busy we get, especially this time of year, and how easy it is to forget some things. I had made a note to myself on a Saturday to check the schedule but for some reason it took me five days to remember my own note to myself. As I thought about that, it reminded me that I am glad The Lord did not forget us.

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, (5) to redeem those under

I am so glad the Lord did not forget me, when I was BRO. WAYNE driving that eighteen-wheeler living far away from where I COWHICK needed to be. I am so thankful Faith that he reached into the cab columnist of that truck and reminded me of o His love for me… that he law, law that we might receive was willing to forgive me of the full rights of sons. As we my sins if I would just admit I celebrate Christmas let us am sinner in need of a Savior. remember that the Lord did And now as I go through this not forget us.” –Galatians cancer trial in my life, I am 4:4–5 (NIV) — (4) so glad I can know he has not We were lost in our forgotten me. sinfulness with no hope, no The Word of God tells future, and no relationship me in Psalm 37:28 (NIV) with our loving Heavenly — (28) “For the Lord loves Father but he never forgot us. the just and will not forsake He did not get so busy that we were forgotten. He carried out his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the His plan. He is still carrying offspring of the wicked will be out His plan.

cut off;” and, Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) — (5) “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

I want to thank everyone in this city for your kindness and prayers. I want to remind everyone that the Lord has not forgotten you and that He loves you. And I want to thank everyone for allowing Him to use you. Your prayers are heard, they are felt, and they work! God is Good.

Bro. Wayne Cowhick is pastor at the Alexander City Methodist Church and a regular faith columnist for Tallapoosa Publishers.

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Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Dadeville Record

CommunityCalendar Today is

December 14, 2017 Today’s Events

CHRISTMAS CONCERT: The Capitol Sounds Concert Band will be in concert Thursday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the St. James United Methodist Church at 9045 Vaughn Road in Montgomery. Admission is free.

SENIORX: Deborah Jones, a SenioRx coordinator will be available Dec. 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce to help seniors determine if they are eligible for assistance with

diabetic supplies, liquid supplements and maintenance medications. Jones can be contacted at 1-800-361-1636 for more information.

SHOP LOCAL LATE: MainStreet Alexander City and downtown Alexander City businesses are hosting Shop Local Late on Thursdays in December. Participating stores are open until 7 p.m. Bring your downtown receipts to Cloud Nine to be entered to win a Christmas gift basket. Spent $25 get one raffle ticket. Spend $50 get two and spend $150 get five. The winner will be announced Thursday, Dec. 21 at Cloud Nine.

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE: Volunteer Connections of Central Alabama is sponsoring a Christmas Open House Thursday, Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The public is invited to come by and visit. VCCA is locat-

Churches and non-profits can submit items to the calendar at editor@thedadevillerecord. com and calendar@alexcityoutlook.com.

ed at 5030 Cherokee Road next to the Karen Channel State Farm office. For more information email vcca.al@ gmail.com or call 256-234-0347.

CHOIR ANNIVERSARY: Corinth Baptist Church in Kellyton is hosting its annual choir anniversary celebration Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. Guest speaker will be Pastor Tracy Burton of Seleeta Baptist Church. Pastor of Corinth Baptist Church is Jimmy Brooks, Jr.

Today’s Birthdays

Vickie Jackson, Chris Mann, Jimmie Welsh, Angie Mann Malone, Chad Phillips, Sarah S. Nolen, Linda Hardman, Caroline Thornton, Rosa Browning, Kristin Peppers, Chadrick Howard and Ruth Burns are celebrating their birthdays today.

Donald Campbell / The Record

Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith poses with several members of the Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce during Tuesday night’s council meeting, after the mayor read a special proclamation recognizing the Chamber for its hard work with the recent Christmas parade.

Friday, December 15

RENTED CHRISTMAS: Alexander City Theatre II will present a heart-warming holiday story in two acts with carols and the reading of the Christmas story from the Book of Luke. The play begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults; $7 for students and are available at the door and on the ACT II website at www.act2fineartscenter.com.

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DINNER: Victory Temple Holiness Church at 237 Aster Street in Dadeville is hosting its annual community Christmas Dinner Dec. 15 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. It is dine in or carry out.

Saturday, December 16

TRADE DAY: Bibb Graves High School Alumni and Friends Monthly Trade Day in Millerville on Highway 9 between Ashland and Goodwater will be held on December 16 from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Refreshments are also available.

RENTED CHRISTMAS: Alexander City Theatre II will present a heart-warming holiday story in two acts with carols and the reading of the Christmas story from the Book of Luke.

There will be two performances of the play - 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Benjamin Russell auditorium.

Tickets are $12 for adults; $7 for students and are available online at the door and online at the website www.act2fineartscenter.com.

BENEFIT SINGING: Bay Pine Baptist Church is hosting a benefit singing and cake auction for the family of Lienna Taylor.

Taylor was recently diagnosed with AML Leukemia and is currently at UAB. She has left her job for treatments and her husband is now the sole provider for the family of four.

Singing at the end of the cake auction will be Heaven’s Crossroads, Zach Channell and All for Him. For more information contact Charlie Crouch at 256-749-3090.

CHRISTMAS PARADE: The town of Camp Hill is hosting a Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 16 starting at 2 p.m. After the parade there will be Christmas fesitivities in the Edward Bell Gym with Christmas carols, cookies and hot chocolate.

HOMES FOR SALE/ FOR RENT

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA: The Dadeville First United Methodist Church had to reschedule Breakfast with Santa as he got snowed in. It will be Saturday, Dec. 16 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Pancakes, sausage and juice is $5 and it is $5 for a picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Sunday, December 17

CHRISTMAS CANTATA: Red Ridge United Methodist Church is presenting its Christmas cantata “How Should a King Come” by Randy Vader and Rose Aspinall Dec. 17 at 9:30 a.m. under the direction of Dr. Kim Walls with a full orchestra composed of professional, amateur and student musicians. Dramatization will depict scenes of the birth of Jesus Christ directed by Marian Edell and Sue Mason.

Refreshments and coffee will be served following the concert. All are invited. The church is located at 8091 County Road 34 at the corner of 49 and 34 in Dadeville.

Call 256-825-9820 for more information or visit redridgeumc.org.

Vicki Cater is pastor.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: The worship choir at Hillabee Baptist Church will present “O Little Town of Bethlehem” Sunday, Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. to be followed by a Christmas Social.

Thursday, December 21

SHOP LOCAL LATE: MainStreet Alexander City and downtown Alexander City businesses are hosting Shop Local Late on Thursdays in December.

Participating stores are open until 7 p.m. Bring your downtown receipts to Cloud Nine to be entered to win a Christmas gift basket. Spent $25 get one raffle ticket. Spend $50 get two and spend $150 get five. The winner will be announced Thursday, Dec. 21 at Cloud Nine.

Friday, December 22

BLOOD DRIVE: The Amercian Red Cross is hosting a blood drive at Russell Medical in the Community Room from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. All blood types are needed. Appointments can be made at redcrossblood.org. by using the keyword Russell. There will be pizza and T-shirts for those who

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Monday, December 25

CHRISTMAS DINNER: Comer Methodist Church is hosting a Christmas Dinner Dec. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The public is invited to have a hot meal and fellowship. Tickets can be picked up at the Nutrition Center and the Salvation Army.

You do not have to have a ticket to get a meal.

For more information call 256234-7831.

Monday, Janurary 8

HORIZONS UNLIMITED: Craigger Browne will present “Tribute to Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, Jan. 8 starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Board of Education.

Horizons Unlimited membership is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Registration for winter quarter begins 1 p.m. Jan. 8.

January 8-9

THROW AWAY DAYS: The Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership and the Tallapoosa County Commission are holding Throw Away Days January 8-9. Dumpsters will be located at at the Alex City Annex at 395 Lee Street, Double Bridges on Highway 63, the Old Daviston School on Highway 22, the Camp Hill Town at 309 Holley Ave. and the Union Community Center at 4191 Highway 50. Dumpsters will be available at no charge to residents.

Tuesday, January 16

BEEKEEPING COURSE: The 2018 Beginner Beekeeping Course will start Jan. 16 and will be on Tuesdays through Feb. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Dadeville Recreation Center.

Cost is $45 for adults and $35 for students Call the Extension Office at 256-825-1050 and the deadline for registration is Jan. 11.

Sunday, January 21

HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING: The Tallapoosee Historical Society will meet at the Historical Museum on the square in Dadeville on Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 2 p.m. Dr. Charles

Mitchell will be the speaker. He will present “A Pictorial History of Alabama Agriculture.” While working at Auburn, Dr. Mitchell accumulated lots of old photographs related to Alabama agriculture. Several years ago, he began organizing them and realized that these old pictures could actually tell the chronological story of Alabama’s agriculture from the Creek Indians to modern production. He will share these photographs with the Tallapoosee Historical Society Please make plans to attend.

The meeting is open to the public, there is no admission fee and free refreshments will be served.

Monday, Janurary 22

HORIZONS UNLIMITED: E. Paul Jones will present “Reverend Maxwell” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, Jan. 22 starting at 1:30 p.m.at the Alexander City Board of Education.

Horizons Unlimited membership is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Registration for winter quarter begins 1 p.m. Jan. 8.

Monday, January 29

HORIZONS UNLIMITED: Marilee Tankersley will present “Wetumpka Impact Crater” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, Jan. 29 starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Board of Education.

Horizons Unlimited membership is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Registration for winter quarter begins 1 p.m. Jan. 8.

Monday, February 5

HORIZONS UNLIMITED: Glen Willis will present “Forgotten Alabama” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, Feb. 5 starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Board of Education.

Horizons Unlimited membership is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Registration for winter quarter begins 1 p.m. Jan. 8.

Monday, February 12

HORIZONS UNLIMITED: Peggy Shores will present “Songs from the Heart” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, Feb. 12 starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Board of Education.

Horizons Unlimited membership is $20 per person or $30 per

couple. Registration for winter quarter begins 1 p.m. Jan. 8.

Monday, February 26

HORIZONS UNLIMITED: Dr. James Hansen will present “Neil Armstrong” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, Feb. 26 starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Board of Education.

Horizons Unlimited membership is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Registration for winter quarter begins 1 p.m. Jan. 8.

April 9-10

THROW AWAY DAYS: The Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership and the Tallapoosa County Commission are holding Throw Away Days April 9-10.

Dumpsters will be located at at the Alex City Annex at 395 Lee Street, Double Bridges on Highway 63, the Old Daviston School on Highway 22, the Camp Hill Town at 309 Holley Ave. and the Union Community Center at 4191 Highway 50. Dumpsters will be available at no charge to residents.

July 16-17

THROW AWAY DAYS: The Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership and the Tallapoosa County Commission are holding Throw Away Days July 16-17.

Dumpsters will be located at at the Alex City Annex at 395 Lee Street, Double Bridges on Highway 63, the Old Daviston School on Highway 22, the Camp Hill Town at 309 Holley Ave. and the Union Community Center at 4191 Highway 50. Dumpsters will be available at no charge to residents.

October 15-16

THROW AWAY DAYS: The Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership and the Tallapoosa County Commission are holding Throw Away Days October 15-16. Dumpsters will be located at at the Alex City Annex at 395 Lee Street, Double Bridges on Highway 63, the Old Daviston School on Highway 22, the Camp Hill Town at 309 Holley Ave. and the Union Community Center at 4191 Highway 50. Dumpsters will be available at no charge to residents.

City of

Dadeville • Wayne Smith, Mayor

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