OPINION: COUNT AND THINK BEFORE YOU HIT SEND
THE WHAT’S UP?
FRIDAY SPORTS, PAGE 8.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 February 5, 2016 Vol. 124, No. 26 www.alexcityoutlook.com
See all local events in the calendar, page 5.
BRHS’s Bishop signs scholarship with CACC
Alex City man indicted on multiple child sex charges By MITCH SNEED Editor
A 33-year-old Alexander City man who was arrested in September has been indicted on multiple counts involving sexual misconduct with a teenaged girl. A Tallapoosa Grand Jury returned a
14-count indictment against Xan V. Tran of Alexander City late last month. Tran is charged with five counts of seconddegree rape, two counts of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of seconddegree sodomy and six counts of possession of cold pornography, according to the indictment.
At the time of his arrest, Alexander City Police Department investigators said while working another case, the electronic images were found on a device owned by the Tran. “While we were working another case, we gained information that these images See INDICTMENT • Page 2
Petition drive for government change gains momentum
Business as usual at probate offices Archer out as Senate hears bill to clear way for him to seek another term
By MITCH SNEED Editor
By MITCH SNEED Editor
It has been business as usual this week at the two offices of the Tallapoosa County Probate Court, despite news of Judge Leon Archer’s admission that he had inappropriate online conversations and sent and received obscene pictures to a 37-year-old woman. Employees at the probate office in Dadeville said that Archer has not been at work this week, but there have been no issues at the office. They said that being the first of the month, traffic has been steady, yet only a few visitors have asked about the situation. When presented screen shots of the material, Archer admitted that he was responsible for sexually explicit conversations via social media See JUDGE• Page 3
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Boats leave Windcreek State Park early Thursday morning as they blast off to compete in the Bassmaster College Southern Regional. Below, University of Alabama’s Caiden Sinclair and Hunter Gibson hold up part of their leading string of fish.
Wind hooks anglers at Bassmasters By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A lot of the anglers taking part in the Bassmaster College Southern Regional on Lake Martin this week thought they would like to have a late draw to get a little extra time fishing – that is until the wind arrived. “It was tough out there,” Bethel University’s Joseph Huggins said. “The wind started not long after we got out there. We hope to get a bigger bag tomorrow.” And wind was not the only problem some anglers faced. One boat was towed in before even See FISH • Page 3
McKinney honored as Officer of the Year
Red Hill 483.28 cleanup set for Saturday
Lake Levels Reported on 2/04/16 @ 12 p.m.
Today’s
Weather
51 28 High
6
Low
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
PATH and Dirt Road Gourmet will join forces with volunteers in the Red Hill area on Saturday, Feb. 6, to clean roadsides along Highway 229 from Highway 63 to Highway 50. “We’re going to have a group from CRATA (Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association) See CLEANUP • Page 2
What do two members of the Alexander City Council, a doctor, a lawyer, a mechanic, a newspaper publisher and a hairdresser have in common? They are all among the dozens of people who have signed the petition asking for the people to be allowed to vote on the city switching to a councilcity manager form of government. “I have to admit that I never thought this would be something that I would be signing,” Council member Tony Goss said. “But I prayed and prayed about it and I got my answer. Fixing these issues would be easier if we had some help.” In the council-city manager form of government, the city council oversees the general administration, makes policy and sets the budget while a professional city manager carries out day-to-day administrative operations. A mayor is still elected at large and is a voting member of the council, serving as its president. A vote can be held when 10 percent of the number of qualified voters who voted in the last municipal election in the municipality file a petition with the probate judge requesting an election to determine whether the municipality should adopt the council-manager See PETITION • Page 3
Lake Martin
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
An Alexander CIty resident became the 42nd signature on a petition asking for a vote of the people on a move to a city manager-council type government. CIty residents who are registered voters can come by the Outlook to sign today.
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Cpl. Rashunsky McKinney is presented The Alexander City Chamber of Commerce’s Officer of the Year Award by Police Chief Willie G. Robinson.
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There’s little about being an Alexander City police officer that Cpl. Rashunsky McKinney doesn’t enjoy. “I guess what I enjoy most is helping the citizens,” McKinney said. “There are a lot of things that people we come in contact with are not aware of, in reference to like the laws and things they can and can’t do. So when I come in contact with people before any events or what have you, I try to help them understand what the laws are. “I’ve really taught myself to put my all into everything that I do. I can’t say there’s anything that I do here that I despise. I try to do my best in everything that I do.” It’s exactly that attitude that resulted in See MCKINNEY • Page 3