OPINION: A CALL FOR SOME COMMON SENSE
Weekend The Outlook
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Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
January 2-3, 2016 • Vol. 124 • No. 2 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
FINAL COUNTDOWN Top sports stories of 2015. See Sports, pg. 12.
Police investigate two more shootings
Lake home sales up 6.7 percent Residential sales total 32 units in November By DAVID GRANGER Outlook Staff Writer
Officials investigate possible links in shooting crimes
Lake Martin area residential sales totaled 32 units during November, an increase of 6.7 percent from the same period last year, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE). “That’s a good thing,” said Steve Arnberg, director of real estate sales for Russell Lands. “The market continues to improve overall. I think that’s a function of people being a little more confident in the economy. “What’s interesting is that as good as that is, (the) waterfront (market) is even better. … Waterfront sales are what’s driving the overall sales increase.” To illustrate his point, Arnberg pointed out that lake-area sales increased by two in November over last year and waterfront sales increased by three in See SALES • Page 3
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Outlook Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
November sales of lake homes increased over last year as the market continues to improve.
The Alexander City Police Department is investigating two shootings this week in addition to the shots fired from a vehicle on County Road in the Spring Hill area Tuesday evening. “We arrested Timothy Wilson Dec. 26 for attempted murder,” Alexander City Police Chief Willie Robinson said Thursday morning. According to Alexander City Police Detective Sgt. William Grant no one was injured but he explained that due to a threat and firing a shot at the victim, the attempted murder charge was filed. “Wilson had moved in with the victim on Fish Pond Road,” Sgt. Grant said. “Wilson had made living arrangements and the victim said Wilson was not paying his share of the bills. When the victim confronted Wilson about paying his See SHOOTINGS • Page 3
ACPD ‘caught’ doing good deed By MITCH SNEED Outlook Editor
Submitted / The Outlook
Officers Benjamin Whitley and Robert Culligan were spotted on Highway 280 doing a good deed for a man travelling through Alexander City.
Today’s
Weather
51 32 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
488.60
Reported on 12/31/15 @ 12 p.m.
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
News of the kindness of two Alexander City Police Department officers created a buzz earlier this week when pictures of their good deed surfaced. More than 30,000 people viewed an Alexander City Outlook Facebook post of a Christmas Eve encounter where ACPD officers Benjamin Whitley and Robert Culligan were spotted on the side of Highway 280 near Highway 63, talking with a man who was ped-
dling a bicycle in the rain. While a lot of people commented and thought it was a big deal, officers downplayed the encounter Wednesday, saying it was just part of the job. “We saw him out there and just wanted to stop and check on him,” said Whitley, who has been on the force here since August of this year. “He said he was just passing through.” Instead of weapons drawn, passersby said the officers were armed with what looked to be a fast-food restaurant bag.
“I figured out there in that weather he may need a little something to eat,” Whitley said. “I went by Burger King and got a couple of biscuits and some orange juice. He was appreciative and thanked us for stopping. We were just doing our job.” Culligan, who has been with the department for six years, said that while sometimes people think of police officers as law enforcers, he said the goal here is to help anyone who needs it. “We do what we can to help,” See KINDNESS • Page 3
A taste of winter, dry weather Birmingham. “Right now, we’re looking at about a 20 percent chance of rain for Wednesday, but On the heels of several days of that could be pushed back. It’s a warm, wet weather that brought little early to try to look beyond high lake levels, washed-out that.” roads and flooding to portions As of Thursday morning at 7 of Tallapoosa County, the area a.m., the level of Lake Martin appears poised for cooler, drier was at 489.60 mean sea level. On weather over the next several Tuesday, Michael Sznajderman, days. coordinator of media relations for According to forecasts from Alabama Power, the power comthe National Weather Service, pany expects the lake to rise to skies should remain clear and high a peak of 490 mean sea level at temperatures in the 40s and 50s which point the power company through Tuesday. A slight chance would start lowering levels toward of rain (20 percent) returns to the winter pool. forecast on Wednesday. “Once it peaks, we do expect “It’s definitely looking drier and to start drawing the level down a cooler for Saturday and Sunday little more toward the winter pool and into next week,” said Jason of 484 feet mean sea level,” said Davis, a meteorologist with the Sznajderman. National Weather Service office in
By DAVID GRANGER Outlook Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Reports of damage due to heavy rains and flooding have surfaced all throughout the area.
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