THURSDAY
THE OPINION, PAGE 4 Reader: Will ‘something big’ ever actually happen?
SPORTS, PAGE 10
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
BRHS looks to send handful to state championships
February 7, 2019 Vol. 127, No. 27 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Flu cases spike Positive cases up since December but levels still far below last season By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor
In the middle of December, indications were the flu season in central Alabama, and particularly the Alexander City area, would be mild. While verified cases of the flu have multiplied 27½ times since then, it’s still not as severe as last season, according to Traci Kelley, the infection prevention coordinator for Russell Medical. “We had a few people who got the vaccination and still got the flu,” Kelley said. “I am not as optimistic as I was before. I just knew it was going to do well.” Kelley said in December she was encouraged by an updated flu vaccine which seemed to be hampering widespread infections, as only seven positive flu cases were treated between Oct. 1, 2018, and the first week of December by Russell Medical’s Emergency Department and its clinic and physicians’ offices. But 45 cases were confirmed for the rest of December, followed by 120 in January and 20 just in the first four days of February, according to Kelley. “I am heartbroken to see those numbers,” she said. But the 192 cases this flu season are still far below last season in Alex City and the surrounding area. Russell Medical treated 438 positive flu cases from Oct. 1, 2017, to May 31, 2018, Kelley said. Of the 192 cases so far this season, 175 were handled by Russell Medical’s ED, Kelley
Ron Colquitt / For The Outlook
Above: Couples take to the floor during a Friday night dance at the old Red Hill School building. Below: Shirley Rambo, left, and Ben Bass take a spin on the floor. Bass, who recently turned 93, is a regular at the dances. People of all ages attend the dances weekly.
‘DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY’ People of all ages enjoy Friday night spins on floor at Red Hill By RON COLQUITT For The Outlook
— Ben Bass Regular dancer at Red Hill
See DANCE • Page 3
“It’s good exercise and dancing with the women is fun.”
See FLU • Page 9
F
olks attending Friday night dances at the old Red Hill School building range from teenagers to octogenarians and all will say it’s a fun time regardless of age. Ben Bass, 93, is a regular at the dances and selects a different dance partner each time the band strikes up a tune. Anna Bowden, 16, and other teenagers also attend. “I like the music and the people are nice,” said Bowden, who grew up listening to country music and rock and roll. “I was raised on it.” Chris Gregory, 16, said he has helped repair the old school building. “My dad comes up here every once in a while; that’s
Today’s
County school board told of $32.8 million in needs
Weather
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
County schools superintendent Joe Windle is hoping to present information to the Tallapoosa County Commission in March for the sales tax extension.
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Tallapoosa County Schools need $32.8 million to update its facilities and address needs, according to an assessment it wants to use to justify the continuation of a 1-cent sales tax enacted a little more than three years ago. The school system presented the assessment to the Tallapoosa County Commission at a work session on Tuesday. The county commission has asked Alexander City Schools for the same information. A decision by the commission to do away with the tax has been tabled to give the schools more time to present ideas, something the commission requested when it levied the sales tax in 2015. In an effort to provide answers to the commission, the Tallapoosa County Board of Education hired Goodwyn, Mills and Caywood (GMC) in the fall of 2018 to provide a system-wide assessment. The tax was passed so county schools could raise
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