THE LOCAL, 10 Ivy Creek Hospice holds memorial service
TUESDAY SPORTS, 11
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
Read about the BRHS football banquet inside
January 29, 2019 Vol. 127, No. 20 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Schools earn B
Pawn tales
City schools get an 80, state report card shows
Local pawn shop owner sees odd items come and go
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
The Alexander City School System improved two points from 2017 to 2018 in the annual report card compiled by the Alabama Department of Education. New superintendent Dr. Keith Lankford said the outgoing administration of former superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper deserves credit for the system’s overall grade climbing from 78 to 80. “I think Dr. Cooper, the teachers, parents and students should be commended for that,� Lankford said. “We had a lot of growth in some areas and we did see improvement. We want to build on that and continue to increase each year. The Alexander City School System has great opportunities to excel. I feel we have so much potential here.� The highest score in the city school system is an 86 at Radney Elementary School, which received an 82 on the 2017 report card. Alexander City Middle School was not far behind, increasing its score from 77 to 84. Benjamin Russell saw the largest jump of any of the city schools, going from the bottom of the pack at 69 to third with an 80. Jim Pearson and Stephens elementary schools each received a 72, representing a decline of three points for Stephens; Pearson was not scored on the previous report card. While Lankford is happy to see overall improvement, he said much work remains. “We want to celebrate our successes but we don’t want to get content and satisfied with mediocrity,� he said. “We should want to always be striving for success.� To that end, Lankford said he and others in the city system are developing plans to address deficits in the schools. This includes looking at an increased collaborative process for vertical alignment and asking instructional leaders to examine ways to cut absenteeism. “A strategic plan will address that,�
By R RON COLQUITT For TThe Outlook
A
ndy Tucker has been in the pawn shop business for more than 20 years and has learned some hard lessons along the way. One is don’t let anyone pawn w a live critter. ““I did take three horses one time,� Tucker said with a grin. “I vowed that I c wouldn’t take anything that eats because u once cee you get them, you’ve got to feed them.� m Tucker, 54, owns Depot Gun & Pawn on T U.S. S Highway 280 and City Pawn Shop in downtown Alexander City. w The location on 280 is crammed with T both h usual and unusual items. Al, a large black c male cat, is a fixture there and has pretty t much taken over after wandering into o the shop about three months ago. “All he does is eat and sleep,� said “A Tucker, who added for some strange reason c people op who drop by are afraid of Al, posop sibly ly because he is a black cat and could ly bring n bad luck. The shop has become a museum of oddiT ties,, including the torso of a male mannequin n with a gas mask attached to its head. Then there is the Yeti cooler labeled T “zombie m body part containment case.� Nearby is an artificial arm holding a beer N stein n and it’s not the only one to have been in the h building. ““The oddest things pawned were prosthetic t arms and legs,� Tucker said before conceding so many weird things have been nc pawned over the years he has trouble narw rowing down the list. w “Well, ““W W a pole-dancing pole was odd,� he ssaid. “We sold it, too. That took a few weeks. e And we got one of those slings, one of those swings that they do strange stuff h in the h bedroom with. We sold it two weeks
Ron Colquitt / For The Outlook
Andy Tucker, above, owns two pawn shops in Alex City and sees a lot of both usual and unusual things each day, like the arm holding a beer stein below.
See GRADE • Page 3
Today’s
Weather
40 23 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
487.54 Reported on 01/28/19 @ 5 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
54708 90050
8 USPS Permit # 013-080
See PAWN • Page 10
NWS warns of slick roads after today’s snowfall By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor
Forecasters said it’s certain up to 1 inch of snow will fall on Alexander City this morning but the worst effects of the fast-moving winter storm will be ice clinging to local roads tonight and Wednesday morning. Temperatures will plummet rapidly behind an arctic front today, falling to freezing in the late afternoon and to 21 degrees tonight, preventing a complete melting of rain and snow, according to Jason Holmes of the National Weather Service in Birmingham. “Our concern is the winter moisture staying on the roads, bridges and overpasses and it could turn into black ice,â€? Holmes said. “It will drop down to the low 30s by 10 a.m. and be freezing by around 3 or 4 p.m.â€? After the snow ceases this afternoon, periodic sunshine and strong northwesterly winds could help dry the moisture but may not remove all of it. Holmes added the wind chill could drop to 26 by See SNOW • Page 3
File / The Outlook
Today’s snowfall could cause slick roads and officials are advising residents to take caution.
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