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Local law enforcement officials February 28, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 42 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢ deal with dozens of incidents
‘No threat of violence at BRHS’ Police find no evidence of safety issues despite wild rumors By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mitch Snned / The Outlook
Above, Alexander City Police Department personnel exchange information at the 11th Avenue North scene of an altercation where gunshots were fired. Below, a person of interest stands in handcuffs awaiting to be placed in a police cruiser shortly after an altercation that was called in at about 6:30 Tuesday evening.
Police investigate shooting Gunshots erupt in 11th Ave. altercation
Despite rumors and phone calls to parents, Alexander City Police Department Chief Jay Turner said that after a thorough investigation, there was no evidence of any safety issues at Benjamin Russell High School Monday. “While the issue came to a head yesterday, last week a student was overheard making comments,” Turner said. “Nothing was reported to until yesterday to school officials or us here at the police department. We reacted immediately, investigated the student and interviewed some other students. The investigation found that what we were dealing with was a lot of rumors See BRHS • Page 3
Potts remains terminated as Camp Hill chief
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mayor says Potts was insubordinate
Alexander City Police Department units were called to 11th Avenue North just after dark Tuesday evening after an altercation between several parties led to gunfire. The first call came in to 9-1-1 at about 6:30 p.m. and initially reported a large group involved in a fight that had spilled into the roadway. Just seconds after that first dispatch for units to respond, a second call that multiple gunshots had been fired came in. See SHOOTING • Page 3
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Drug trafficking suspect busted again in Virginia
Area schools, Mamie’s Place prepare for Dr. Seuss’ birthday
By MITCH SNEED Editor
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Melton
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, has arguably become the most well-known children’s book author in history, with such timeless classics as “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Green Eggs and Ham.” On Friday, area schools and libraries will be taking part in special celebrations to mark what
A man who was arrested on a myriad of drug trafficking charges in Tallapoosa County late last year has been busted again in his home state of Virginia. Scott Allen Melton, 33, of Crozet, Virginia was arrested last Friday by Albemarle County Police and was charged with five counts of possession with the intent to distribute a schedule I or II narcotic and possession with the intent to sell or distribute marijuana. According to reports, authorities seized 28 pounds of marijuana, methamphetamine, LSD, powder and crack cocaine and THC extracts after responding to the See BUSTED • Page 6
would have been Seuss’ 114th birthday. “Each school plans their own celebrations,” Ellen Martin with the Alexander City Board of Education said. “Anything they can do to promote reading is a good thing.” She added that, among things the schools have done in the past has been to cook green eggs and ham for the students and having community readers come in See SEUSS • Page 9
For the third time in just over six months, former Camp Hill Police Chief Johnny Potts has had a termination hearing before the town council after Mayor Ezell Smith fired him. This time the council did not get to vote to reinstate him like they had twice before. The meeting of the of the council was posted as a termination hearing, not a meeting so no vote could be taken at Tuesday morning’s hearing. Instead Smith made an announcement after controlling the nearly 45-minute hearing. See POTTS • Page 3
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Former Camp Hill Police Chief Johnny Potts, left, listens as his future is debated Tuesday.
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