COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE TODAY.
THE
SAVE THE DATE! Check out the local calendar, Page 4
WEDNESDAY
WILDCATS FACE TOUGH OPPOSITION ON THE MATS Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 See Sports, Page 8. January 20, 2016 Vol. 124, No. 14 www.alexcityoutlook.com
MURDER MYSTERY
Submitted / The Outlook
Former ‘One Tree Hill’ star turned country music artist Jana Kramer will bring her hits including ‘I Got The Boy’ as she headlines the final night show of Sun Festival on July 30.
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
The arrest of Clate McDaniel, 33, for a murder at the hunting land off Barron’s Bridge Road, in the background, has sparked media attention from across the country, mostly because of his appearance on a History Channel reality show called ‘Bamazon.’ Below, activity at McDaniel’s business, Lakeside Excavating and Materials, was idle Tuesday morning.
Officials address legal process, interest in murder case’s details By MITCH SNEED Editor
Since news broke Sunday morning that Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department investigators were on the scene of an apparent homicide, social media conjecture and the quest for information has run wild. The most frequent question: What the heck happened? Even though some close to the parties involved had bits of information, it wasn’t until Monday morning that Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett confirmed that hunters had found the body of Norman Deon Crayton, 40, of Jacksons Gap. Crayton had been shot multiple times, according to Abbett. Shortly after the 4:43 a.m. discovery, investigators had information that led them to arrest Matthew Clate McDaniel, 33, of Dadeville away from the site on Barron’s Bridge Road where Crayton’s body was found. While witnesses told the Outlook See MURDER • Page 5
Artists group aims to broaden talents By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Aspiring artists can now get some help in Alexander City thanks to the efforts of Martha McKnight and Dottie Holdren. The ladies have taken it on themselves to form the Artists Association of Central Alabama (AACA) to help those who want to broaden their artistic talents. “When I moved here, there was not an art club for me to be involved in,” AACA Vice President Dottie Holdren said. “I got to talking with (AACA President) Martha McKnight about it in Sept. of 2013.” That conversation was the beginning. “We have been meeting since Sept. 2014,” Holdren said. “We have had two Cliff Williams / The Outlook workshops already. We meet the third Dottie Holdren leads a discussion on abstract composition at Tuesday’s AACA Tuesday of every month.” meeting. Holdren hopes the group will continue to grow and that the group will See ART • Page 5 be able to offer more workshops.
Jana Kramer to headline Sun Festival Actress, country star to bring hot, new hits to Alexander City July 30
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Actress and country music star Jana Kramer will headline the 4th Annual Sun Festival concert on Saturday, July 30. The Alexander City Chamber of Commerce released news late Tuesday that Kramer, the former star of the television show “One Tree Hill,” would be bringing her string of recent country chart topping hits like “I Got The Boy” to the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex. “We are very excited about having her as our headliner for Sun Festival this year,” said Alexander City Chamber President and CEO Ann Rye. “She is an up-and-coming country music star with a tremendous following. Last year with the David Nail show, we realized the number of young people who were at the show, making Jana Kramer a natural for that audience. “She is an amazing talent and we know she will be a big hit when she takes the stage here on July 30.” Kramer, who is currently touring to promote her second studio CD “Thirty One,” has rapidly made a name for herself on the country music scene. She has become one of country music’s See KRAMER • Page 6
Today’s
Arrest made in church burglary
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By MITCH SNEED Editor
Alexander City Police have a arrested a suspect in one of the church burglaries that plagued the area last October. Det. Riley Foshee Smith said that Kenneth Franklin Smith, 19, of Alexander City has been arrested and charged See ARREST • Page 6
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
482.93 Reported on 01/19/16 @ 6 p.m.
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
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54708 90050
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