Catch up with what’s going on with Betty Hayes, Page 11.
Adopted son brings his dad tears of joy. Opinion, Page 4.
REELTOWN PREPARES FOR SEASON WITH A NEW COACH, PAGE 12.
THE RECORD Serving the Dadeville & Lake Martin area since 1897
WWW.THEDADEVILLERECORD.COM
VOL. 118, NO. 49
Tallapoosa ranks 56th in child well-being
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015
Former county schools leader dead at 83 Sanford left mark on county school system
By David Granger Outlook Staff Writer
Tallapoosa County ranks 56th among Alabama’s 67 counties in child well-being, according to the 2015 Alabama Kids Count Data Book, published by the non-profit Voices for Alabama’s Children, the state’s longest-standing child advocacy organization. The annual data book reports state and county data trends on child well-being for Alabama. This year’s data book includes data on 51 key indicators across four issue areas: health, education, safety and economic security. This year marks the 22nd edition of the Voices for Alabama’s Children research report. The rankings were based on nine key factors: children in poverty, fourth-grade reading proficiency, child food security, low-weight births, children in single-parent families, births to unmarried teens, teens not in school and not working and births to females aged 10-19 per 1,000. Rhonda Mann, Voices’ policy and research director, said that the number of factors that Voices takes into account in putting together the data book continues to grow. “Last year we had a big increase in the factors that we figured in, jumping from 13 two years ago to 46 last year,” Mann said. “This year we’ve grown to 51.” Mann said this year’s data book added births to females ages 10-19, English language learners, early Head Start and Head Start classrooms, homeless students and diet-related deaths. As to why Tallapoosa ranked so poorly among Alabama’s 67 counties, Mann pointed out that Tallapoosa’s numbers were worse than the state average in all nine indicators. • Child poverty: Thirty-four percent of the county’s children live in poverty, up from 24.6 percent in 2000. The state average is 26.9 percent. 17.6 percent of children in Tallapoosa County live in extreme poverty, up from 9.5 percent in 2000. The state average is 12. 6 percent. • Fourth-grade reading proficiency: This number is taken from ASPIRE ACT test scores and this is the first year this indicator was included. Tallapoosa County came in at 33.1 percent. The state average is 38.3 percent. • Unemployment rate: 7.7 percent (it has since dropped significantly) in Tallapoosa County versus 6.8 percent statewide. • Low-weight births: 11.8 percent, up from See DATA, Page 5
Outlook Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Record
T Dadeville 11 and 12 year old team walks into the Georgia Dome as they get ready to The play Alexander City. The game was the first in several years between the two cities. p
AT HOME IN THE DOME
Youth teams make most of opportunity to be in same venue as their professional heroes play By Cliff Williams Outlook Staff Writer
It has been a few years since a football game between s Alexander City and Dadeville A has h occurred but that changed Sunday as two all-star teams S of 11-and 12-year olds o squared off. s Only this time, the game did not n take place in Tallapoosa County. It did not even take C place in Alabama. The two p teams traveled to Atlanta to te play on the turf just vacated p by b the Vikings and Falcons at the th Georgia Dome to renew the th rivalry. “It was exciting,” Dadeville Youth Football President Y Mike Taylor said. “We have M not n played Alex City in a few years since we changed f leagues. It was a clash of two le cities.” c “My little boy is excited,” Alexander City Youth e Football Coach Brian Riddle F said s of his son Carson Riddle. “He “ is ready to go back.” See DOME, Page 10
55 35 Low
By Cliff Williams Record Staff Writer
A man who admitted to raping and strangling a Camp Hill woman to death will serve just 10 years in prison. Markis Edward Heard, 35, plead guilty Wednesday before Judge Ray Martin to the February 2005 felony murder and firstdegree rape of 78-year-old Willie Louise Kellum of Camp Hill. Heard’s plea agreement has a split sentence of 20 years to serve five years for each of the counts to be served consecutively. Heard will serve 10 years in prison and 30 years on parole. Heard was arrested on Oct. 13, 2013 after investigators indicated the state Department of Forensic Sciences had “definitively linked” Heard to the crime through DNA analysis. At the time of Heard’s arrest, he
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Cliff Williams / The Record
Dadeville’s D.J. Eason catches a pass against Alexander City in the Georgia Dome Sunday.
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was already in jail serving a 15-year sentence for first-degree sexual abuse of a child. Heard was convicted in 2008 in the abuse case. Heard was originally charged with capital murder/burglary and capital murder/rape. The Kellum murder garnered national attention when it appeared on the TNT Network show Cold Justice. On the television show and in Heard previous reports by The Outlook, Kellum was described as a person who enjoyed being surrounded by her friends and extended family when she attended the United Methodist Church each Sunday. Even at age 78, Kellum was known for her high energy and dry wit. She worked long after she could have retired as a cook
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Few people leave their mark on a community like m Jimmy Sanford, who died J Saturday at the age of 83, S left le his on Dadeville and the Tallapoosa County Schools T system. sy And few people earn the type of respect Sanford earned during his time as superintendent of Tallapoosa County Schools. Sanford S “I worked with (Sanford) for 12 years in the (S central office,” said Sanford c Meadows of New Site. “He M was w the superintendent and I was the administrative assistant. That’s what they a called me, but, basically, I c was w assistant superintendent.” d “He was a good guy. He was w just an excellent man to work with. You couldn’t beat him. I rarely saw him b angry. He maintained his a cool, kept a level head and c ran ra the office like it should be b run. Sanford graduated from Dadeville High School D before joining the Air b Force where he served in F Germany during the Korean G War. W After leaving the service, he earned v bachelor’s and master’s te degrees from Auburn University before beginU ning his 36-year career n See SANFORD, Page 5
Heard to serve 10 years in ‘Cold Case’ murder
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at the Head Start Program for more than 40 years. Kellum’s passion for working with children was a perfect fit for the Head Start’s mission serving low-income families in the region. On her final morning, she ran errands and stopped for groceries. The grocery store was the last place she was seen alive. That evening her grandson, who was living with her, found Kellum unconscious and he called 911. When Camp Hill Police arrived at her home, they found Kellum with a cord wrapped around her neck and bruises all over her body. The murder shook the entire community. The earliest Heard could be released from prison is Dec. 2025.
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