INSIDE: n Obituaries, page 2 n Local events, page 8 n Classifieds, page 9 nBenjamin Russell vs. Central Coosa, page 12
Weekend
OPINION: CONGRATULATIONS IN ORDER FOR COUNTY SCHOOLS, PAGE 4.
The Outlook
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
December 17-18, 2016 • Vol. 124 • No. 253 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
$2 of every $100 spent here funds local schools
Council to discuss appointed officials Executive session on the agenda to talk professional competence and job performance By MITCH SNEED Editor
The Alexander City City Council intends to meet in executive session Monday night to discuss the five people who serve in positions appointed by the group. Monday’s agenda was posted Friday afternoon including an item calling for an executive session, which was requested by Council President Tommy
Spraggins. After a call to Spraggins, he emailed a response saying that the request for the executive session was prepared by City Attorney Larkin Radney. The actual request was also included and reads: “An Executive Session for the purpose of discussing the general reputation and character, professional competence, and job performance of the individuals who hold
the positions of City Attorney , City Judge, Fire Chief, Police Chief, and Clerk as allowed by Alabama Code Sec.36-25A-7. No action will be taken by the council after the executive session.” The council on Nov. 8 voted to not make any reappointments of those positions. The council also put off making any permanent decisions on the positions of city clerk, fire chief, See COUNCIL • Page 11
Lake Martin Young Professionals Polar Plunge set Jan. 14
Tallapoosa County jobless rate falls in November By MITCH SNEED Editor
Tallapoosa County saw its unemployment rate drop in November, falling to 5.2 percent. That number is down from the 5.8 percent figure posted in October and better than the 5.5 percent jobless rate Tallapoosa had in November 2016. Statistics released by the Alabama Department of Labor show that the county had a labor force of 18,949 and just 982 listed as jobless during November. Tallapoosa’s positive numbers top the state average. The state’s November unemployment rate was 5.9 percent. That number is up from the 5.7 state jobless rate in October, but below November 2015’s rate of 6.2 percent. November’s state rate represents 2,065,967 employed persons, up from October’s count of 2,058,443 and higher than November 2015’s count of 2,011,267. The national unemployment rate in November was 4.4 percent. Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said it is encouraging to see more people looking for work. “More people are working now than at any time in 2016,” said Washington. “In fact, more people are working now See UNEMPLOYMENT • Page 3
Today’s
Weather
69 57 High
Lake Levels
483.44
Reported on 12/16/16 @ 5:30 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
A fatal accident at the intersection on Highway 280 in front of Wal-Mart has raised inquiries about more safety measures for travelers.
DRIVERS BEWARE Accident raises concerns over lack of safety measures By MITCH SNEED Editor
A young woman who was on her way to care for a patient for her job as a home health caregiver lost her life in a traffic accident that has left many with questions about how and why it happened. On Dec. 8, 38-year-old Brandy Lee Hardman was killed when the car she was driving was hit by a loaded tractor-trailer headed eastbound on Highway 280 as she was going through the intersection in front of the Alexander City Wal-mart store. Hardman died at the scene, leaving behind three sons and a husband as well as scores of other family and friends who
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cared about her greatly. While police officials have not released the full report as the state is helping compile data and information, here is what is known: • Witnesses said that Hardman had a green light and was going through the intersection. • Those on the scene indicated that the driver of the truck, whose name has not been released went through a red light at a high rate of speed and slammed into the car driven by Hardman. • Evidence found at the accident scene show that the trucks skid marks didn’t begin until after it made impact with the vehicle driven by Hardman. That type of See INTERSECTION • Page 11
The Lake Martin Young Professionals (LMYP) will hold the 2nd Annual LMYP Polar Plunge Saturday, Jan. 141h at Lake Martin’s Kowaliga Restaurant. The event will again serve as a fundraiser for the Lake Martin Resource Association (LMRA), a non-profit group dedicated to the cleanliness, safety and preservation of Lake Martin. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. A $20 ticket gives plungers and spectators entry into the event with access to four different food stations featuring Chef Ban Stewart’s and Chef Rob McDaniel’s custom Polar Plunge menu. Local sports talk show, SportzBlitz Live will be See POLAR • Page 3
Alexander City volunteers pass Samaritan Purse project goals By ALETHIA RUSSELL Staff Writer
Low
Lake Martin
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STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The Alexander City and Dadeville area passed their goal of 2,000 shoeboxes in the Samaritan Purse Project, Operation Christmas Child, this year but is aiming to push the record even further. Operation Christmas Child sends shoeboxes filled with gifts, personalized notes of encouragement, hygiene products and more to areas within the continental United States such as Native American Reservations and more than 100 countries world wide. “We actually had a recordbreaking year in our area,” said
Courtney Hall, media coordinator for South Central Alabama region of Operation Christmas Child. The South Central Alabama region covers 13 counties from Lee and as far as Troy and as far west as Greenville. “We collected just over 43,000 boxes. Last year we collected just north of 36,000. “Alexander City and Dadeville turned in 2,669. We did see a good percentage growth of packages than last year from this area,” Hall said. National Collection Week was in mid-November when more than 5,000 drop off locations are opened statewide. The region’s See SAMARITAN • Page 3
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Jerry Strickland, left, Marilyn Eddins, and Carmen Tucker put together a box before loading it with shoe boxes.
Riverbend Convenience Store 9120 Hwy. 280 • Alex City
256-825-6065
Non-Ethanol Gas • Live Bait & Tackle
Bill’s Electric ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
P.O. Box 673 1814 Airpor t Blvd • Alexander Cit y, AL
(256) 234-4555 “PROVIIDING QUAALITYY ELEECTRRICALL CONSSTRUUCTIIONN SINCE 196 61”