BRHS VS. CENTRAL COOSA BASKETBALL, PAGE 11
Weekend The Outlook
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
February 2-3, 2019 Vol. 127, No. 24 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Man arrested on drug charges New Site resident arrested for drug trafficking STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force arrested Ricky O’neal Wyckoff for drug trafficking. The task force’s Fred White said in a release Wyckoff, 61, of New Site was charged with two counts of trafficking hydrocodone and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance. White said the task force has been looking into opioid sales. “During the past several months, the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force has been investigating a possible source of hydrocodone (Lortab) distribution in Tallapoosa County,” Wyckoff White said in the release. “The epidemic of opioid addiction that is gaining a foothold in Alabama is no longer a secret — not when citizens are overdosing by the dozens. The illegal drug trafficking and distribution in this prescription medication has moved high up on our list of drugs to combat in Tallapoosa County. We have an obligation to seek out, investigate and bring to justice individuals that prey on others with an opioid addiction.” White said the illegal use and sale of opioids are not the only drugs the task force is looking into. “The investigation of the illegal trafficking, distribution and possession of narcotics is ongoing in Tallapoosa County,” White said.
File / The Outlook
The Alabama Bass Trail is returning to Lake Martin on Feb. 16. Alexander City Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Ed Collari said promoting tourism is an untapped asset in the area, where Lake Martin is an advantage.
‘Untapped asset’ Fishing is big business, helps tourism By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
T
he Alabama Bass Trail returns to Lake Martin in two weeks promising boatloads of fish and economic impact. While the winning anglers will likely catch a five limit in the 20-pound range, the boats and most importantly the their owners mean an economic boom to the area. “We estimate we will see 500 room nights for the Lake Martin stop,” Alabama Bass Trail director Kay Donaldson said. “We also estimate the economic impact to be over $375,000. Those are conservative numbers.” To recruit the Alabama Bass Trail, the See FISHING • Page 3
Today’s
Weather
59 45 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
486.60 Reported on 02/01/19 @ 3 p.m.
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Alex City firefighters feeling the heat By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor
While crawling on their stomach in a literal matchbox while carrying 75 pounds of equipment, being blinded by black smoke, enduring 1,000 degrees of flame trying to burn through their protective suits and groping until they find a body, alive or dead, firefighters aren’t thinking about their next paycheck. That’s true of the 64 firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics of the Alexander City Fire Department, all of whom are cross-trained and work 24-hour shifts at a time.
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“You’re carrying 75 pounds on you and the temperature cuts your stamina in half and your adrenaline is running 110 miles an hour,” said fire chief Reese McAlister, who has been with the ACFD since 1995. “We used to race off the truck to see who could get to the nozzle first to put out the fire.” But when they aren’t extinguishing fires, transporting patients in ambulances — even a non-emergency call from a nursing home — extracting victims from wrecks and even dealing with suicides, they must consider See FIRE • Page 9
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Alexander City fire chief Reese McAlister finds himself in a delicate balancing act to keep his top people while dealing with cuts in ambulance runs. Jimmy Wigfield / The Outlook
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