SPORTS, PAGE 12
OOPINION: WE CAN ALL SLOW DOWN, OBEY TRAFFIC LAWS PAGE 4.
TUESDAY
THE CHAMBER PULSE, INSIDE PAGE 6
Ice skating at the Sportplex
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
December 20, 2016 Vol. 124, No. 254 www.alexcityoutlook.com
Council tables vote on alley plan By MITCH SNEED Editor
A decision on whether to close a downtown alley to vehicular traffic will have to wait as the council seeks legal advice on whether it has the authority to make the change. The proposed closure was the brainchild of a group of the current members of a
Leadership Lake Martin team, with the idea of beautifying the area, increasing safety for pedestrians and increasing foot traffic downtown. Benjamin Russell Principal Dr. Anthony Wilkinson spoke on behalf of the group. “When we started looking at projects, it kept coming back to the same thing – how can you get people to come from Highway 280 to the downtown area,” Wilkinson said.
“The idea came from one of our members who has a child that got away from her near the alley and it scared her to death.” Wilkinson said that he has had disabled students doing volunteer work that had to walk in that area where they enter the area blind to traffic coming out of the alley. He said the path is often used by middle school students leaving school and coming downtown.
“The bottom line is that there are three ways to get into that parking lot and the most dangerous is that alley,” Wilkinson said. Alexander City Attorney Mitch Gavin who owns one of the buildings adjacent to the alley said that he doesn’t believe that legally the city can close the street. “In many ways closing the alley would See COUNCIL • Page 2
Tallassee teen charged with murder
Judge gives Thomas life for kidnapping, strangulation
By DAVID GRANGER Managing Editor
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Tom Young Jr. sentenced Eddie Donnell Thomas to life Monday after his conviction on charges from a Tallassee burglary, kidnapping and strangulation. “This is the most violent thing I have ever seen,” Young said of the video presented at trial while sentencing Thomas. “It is a nightmare for anyone Thomas to see. The victim was still terrorized by it when she testified here. The only thing that could have made it worse was if you killed her.” Much of the May 3 incident was captured on a nanny cam in the home where the victim was watching an elderly woman when Thomas knocked in the door, jumped on top of the victim and carried her out by the neck. Thomas has a laundry list of prior convictions for theft, burglary, domestic violence and assault. With that history Fifth Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Duerr asked that Thomas be sentenced outside of the guidelines for the crimes under the habitual offender status, an argument Assistant District Attorney Mike See SENTENCE • Page 3
CRACK QUANDARY City officials deal with unexpected issues on Broad Street By MITCH SNEED Editor
An attempt to seal some nasty cracks in the existing surface at the Broad Street Plaza before fresh asphalt was to be laid has created some unforeseen issues, which could add time and expense to the project. Alexander City Engineer and Public Works Director Gerard Brewer and Community Development Director Randy Thomas both acknowledged the most recent setbacks and talked about what comes next. “There were some very heavy cracks in the pavement that was there,” Brewer said.
Weather
56 38 Low
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
483.55
Reported on 12/19/16 @ 8 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8
With the increased popularity of online shopping, local law enforcement officials warn residents of the potential that thieves could target packages left unattended at homes. Last week, Alexander City Police handled two complaints of potential theft of packages after delivery driver had left items on the porch of local homes. Alexander City Police Chief Willie Robinson said that leaving a package unattended is almost an invitation for potential thieves. “Never leave packages unguarded or exposed in the open where they can be seen,” Robinson said.
PACKAGE SAFETY TIPS • Have your packages delivered to your office. • Have your packages delivered to a neighbor who is home. • Request signed confirmation upon delivery. • Track the delivery of packages to plan ahead • If you are going out of town for an extended period of time contact your post office and have delivery of mail and packages suspended. • Reports suspicious activity in your neighborhood to law enforcement.
See PACKAGE • Page 3
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“In talking with the engineer on the project about the cracks we asked about sealing the cracks like we have on other surfaces. “But as they came in and started to lay down the asphalt we found that the asphalt was not adhering to the sealant we used. It was causing ripples or bubbles in some places and that was just something that we couldn’t have.” Brewer said that crews went out and helped pull the sealer than wasn’t covered already out of the cracks, some being done with workers on hands and knees using screwdrivers. From there, the asphalt that was put See ASPHALT • Page 3
Residents asked to beware and avoid package theft
Today’s
High
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Workers use a small loader to remove debris from milling of pavement at Broad Street Plaza Monday.
Malik Johnson, 18, of Tallassee is being held in Elmore County Jail on charges of murder and robbery in the Sunday death of Stephvon Adams, 26, also of Tallassee. Johnson was arrested Sunday night after Adams’ body was found in the road near the intersection of New Quarters and Taylor Roads near Tallassee. “When deputies found Mr. Adams, it appeared that he had several gunshot wounds to the upper torso,” Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Monday morning. “There was also a good amount of blood in the road and it was unclear whether he had been struck or that was from the gunshots.” Franklin said the only thing found on Adams was a set of keys in his pockets, which turned out to be crucial to his identification when at about 10 a.m. authorities received a call that a vehicle was partially blocking the roadway near the Friendship community, approximately five miles from the original scene. Noticing that the vehicle in the roadway was a Jeep and that the keys found in Adams’ pocket were Jeep keys, deputies tried to pop the trunk with the See TALLASSEE • Page 3
THE PROFESSIONALS”
Photo Illustration / The Outlook
Local law enforcement officials say with more and more people using online shopping options, residents should beware make sure they don’t become victims of opportunistic thieves. +
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