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July 11, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 136 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Residents sound off on crossing closure By MITCH SNEED Editor
Residents gave the Alexander City City Council an earful over the possible closure of a railroad crossing and heard from the mayor that despite challenges, the city is on sound financial footing. A proposal to close the railroad crossing at Bibb Street was the subject of a public hearing and while city and
rail officials gave reasons why the closure made sense, six local residents were very passionate in their opposition. Community Development Director Al Jones said that the more than $300,000 that has been approved to put crossing arms at Bibb Street would be moved to put arms at North Central if the council votes to close the crossing. He said that the crossing was the most dangerous in Tallapoosa County.
Most of the business owners took the council to task for not coming to talk to them, but saying in a public meeting that business owners were for it. “I understand that safety is important, no question about that,” Elizabeth Benton said. “But 11 accidents in 40 years? But what I can’t understand is why no one came and talked to us or any of the other businesses. We found out by customers coming in and
telling us the city was going to close the crossing. That was like a slap in the face. I think you need to look at things like how rerouting the traffic will impact small businesses.” Wine Emporium owner Henry Foy said he didn’t think it was needed. “The promise of a quiet zone may impress some people, but I don’t know See COUNCIL • Page 2
Outlook takes 25 APA awards
Bassmaster Elite Series to stop on Lake Martin
Photo of the Year, Best Community Service and General Excellence among honors announced Saturday STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The Alexander City Outlook received a total of 18 awards for editorial excellence and seven for advertising Saturday night in the 2017 Alabama Press Association’s Better Newspapers Contest. In addition to awards that were previously announced, The Outlook took second place in General Excellence, first and third in Community Service, first place in Editorial Pages or Section, third in Education Reporting and Outlook Editor Mitch Sneed’s photo “Brawl at City Hall” was named “Photo of the Year” in all categories. The awards were announced at the APA Summer Convention in Orange Beach. In addition to the general excellence honor, Sneed said the awards for community service and editorial pages were especially satisfying. “Our job as a newspaper is to serve the community and our readers,” said Sneed, who was awarded 12 individual honors. “The story we did on the light on Highway 280 near Walmart after a local woman was killed, showing how things could be done to make the intersection safer was the story that took first place. To know that judges saw that we are trying to make a difference really means a lot. “To be considered one of the See AWARDS • Page 3
File / The Outlook
Top bass fishermen will be on Lake Martin for the Bassmaster tournament Feb. 8-11. Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Dogs wait inside the Lake Martin Area Animal Shelter Monday afternoon. The shelter offers tempered shelter and water for its animals.
SUMMER CAN BE ‘RUFF’
Keep your pets cool in the summer heat By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
While summer can be a fun and exciting time to get out and enjoy the many wonders and natural beauty the area has to offer, keeping one’s furry friends safe in such temperatures is imperative. “Hydration is incredibly important, absolutely necessary for outdoor pets,” Lake Martin Animal Shelter Director Mia Chandler said. “Check your pets often. Some breeds can overheat very easily.” Some of the breeds that easily overheat include those with shorter noses and doublecoated dogs, according to Chandler. In addition, there are those types of dogs who can become very easily excited and knock
over their water bowls in the process, leaving them with no ready source of hydration. In addition to ensuring that outdoor pets have access to plenty of water, Alexander City Veterinary Clinic Office Manager Laura Fagan said that making sure these pets have plenty of shady areas in which to rest when outside is important. When taking the dog for a walk, Chandler said waiting until the temperature cools off some is a good idea to avoid walking on heated pavement or sidewalks. “Pad injuries can occur from walking on hot surfaces, and once those injuries have occurred, there’s not a lot that can be done,” she said. “Just like you don’t cut grass at See PETS • Page 3
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The Bassmaster Elite Series released its tournament schedule Monday and it was confirmed the season opener for the top tournament trail in the world will be right here on Lake Martin. The top bass fishermen in the world will be in Alexander City on Feb. 8-11. Officials say Lake Martin, which is known for its healthy population of spotted bass, was a regular stop for Bassmaster events during the late 1990s and early 2000s. But the last time B.A.S.S. visited the 44,000-acre lake on the Tallapoosa River for a high-level event was in November 2002. The event coming to Lake Martin could be a huge economic boost for the area. Typically the tournaments bring teams in for four days, complete with a fishing expo, See BASSMASTER • Page 3
Commission consider service to speed up voting process By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
The Tallapoosa County Commission was given a presentation on Poll Pad at Monday’s meeting. Poll Pad is a system used at voter check in for elections to eliminate human error.
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The Tallapoosa County Commission is considering electronic poll books, something that would speed up the voting process for voters on election day. The system was piloted in the last presidential election with success. “This equipment was piloted in 22 of Alabama’s counties in the 2016 General Election, has been shown to dramatically reduce voter wait time by 60 to 75 percent,” Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said in a release. “These systems have also been shown to virtually eliminate the user errors which often exist with cumbersome paper rosters.” Tallapoosa County Probate Judge Leon Archer brought the proposal to Monday’s commission meeting. “It is a very impressive way when
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voters come in to vote and identify them,” Archer said. Archer invited Bobby Fricke to explain the system to the commission. “Basically the idea is this will replace the large lists (at the polls) to look up voters,” Fricke said. “It eliminates the need for section lines and makes things go faster. It eliminates human error and streamlines the process.” Fricke’s demonstration showed how a voter would be checked in declaring a party in the primary elections and if needed make sure the voter is issued the correct ballot in a runoff election. The demonstration also showed how inactive voters’ information would be updated. One feature aids voters who show up at the wrong polling place. It would print out turn-by-turn directions from See VOTING • Page 3
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