OPINION: GIFT OF TOMATOES CAME AT PERFECT TIME, PAGE 4.
TUESDAY
THE WHAT’S UP? See what’s happening in the local area. Page 5.
HOMETOWN HALL OF FAMER
Benjamin Russell grad honored by Ole Miss. Page 10.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 July 12, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 139
www.alexcityoutlook.com
Council gets update on budget, audits
By MITCH SNEED Editor
For the last three years, Alexander City leaders have battled to complete a balanced budget by the statemandated Oct. 1 deadline. Combine that fact along with other financial issues that have muddied the water recently and there seems to be a new sense of urgency to make sure this budget process is different. Last week at a meeting of the Alexander City City Council President Jim Spann quizzed Finance Director Sandra Machen and Mayor Charles Shaw on budget preparations. “We had said that we wanted to have a proposed
budget by July 30, so I think it’s important to make sure that we are on target for that date,” Spann said. “We can’t afford another situation like we had last year or the previous year. We don’t want to leave a new council in that situation.” Shaw said the process of collecting information has begun. “We have requests out to all the department heads and they are starting to get the information back to me now,” Shaw said at last Monday’s meeting. “So we are putting all that together.” Machen said when she receives the numbers from Shaw she will begin to plug them in and start building the budget document. Councilman Billy Ray Wall asked if that meant it
would be realistic to get something to look at by the end of July. “I would hope so,” Machen said. “It all just depends on when we get those numbers.” Machen also updated the council on the status of audits on the city’s finances from 2014 and 2014 at last week’s meeting. Brian Barksdale of Birmingham-based accounting firm Carr, Riggs and Ingram told the city council on April 25 that the city’s past two years of financial records were not reconciled, which prevented his people from completing the audits. Machen said that Opelika accounting firm of Brantley, Boucher and Farr has been working at city hall and has reconciled almost all of the 2014 records and work has See BUDGET • Page 3
Board hears from SEP participants
Community unity prayer event slated for tonight By MITCH SNEED Editor
Recognizes state winners, approves new hires By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
The Tallapoosa County Board of Education heard from the coordinators, parents of and students in its Summer Enrichment Programs, honored Edward Bell Career Education Center and Dadeville High School students that competed in national competitions and approved several personnel moves at is regularly scheduled July meeting Monday night. “I think you can see from that that these kids had a lot of fun with this,” said Tallapoosa County Superintendent Joe Windle, referring to a brief video shown to highlight the Summer Enrichment Program. “When Dr. (Corinne) Garrett was putting this thing together, the only directive she had for the coordinators was to make sure the kids had fun.” During the program, which lasted throughout the month of June, the participating students at each school put on a play, making costumes, props, sets – everything each production involved. The Dadeville group did “Charlotte’s Web,” the Horseshoe Bend group “Julius Caesar” and the Reeltown group “Where the Wild Things Are.” “I was blown away by these kids,” said See BOARD • Page 9
Today’s
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laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
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ABOVE AND BEYOND LMRA rewards citizen for illegal dump site cleanup By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Alexander City’s Jay Taylor was just looking for a good camping spot for he and his wife when he noticed it. “We found this spot,” Taylor said. “It was nice and flat, overlooking the lake. It was gorgeous.” But a little further down the road Taylor noticed something that was disturbing. “We drove around a bend and trash was just everywhere,” Taylor said. “We got out and looked around at it all.” Taylor had found an illegal dump near See LITTER • Page 3
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Lake Martin
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Norm White, left, with LMRA, Sheriff Jimmy Abbett, Jay Taylor and LMRA’s John Thompson pose for a photograph Saturday. Taylor was receiving a reward for helping solve a littering case near Bay Pines.
Five Central Alabama Community College Students recently completed three-week National Science Foundationsponsored Robert Noyce Internships at the Univeristy of Alabama. Lydia Hammond of Alexander City, Kallie Beall of Jasper, Moses Torelli of Central, South Carolina, and Devin Capell and Carolyn Jones, both of Eclectic, each participated in the program, designed to increase the number and diversity of graduating teachers certified in chemistry, mathematics and physics.
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See UNITY • Page 3
CACC students complete Noyce internships at UA
Weather
High
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Sparked by the recent events across the country where violent acts have created tension and made emotions run high, religious leaders from across the area have planned an event to promote unity. Residents are invited to come together tonight at 7 p.m. to pray for unity. The event will be held in the area between the Alexander City Public Safety Building and Alexander City City Hall. Bro. Wayne Cowhick of Alex City Methodist Church said a group of area ministers came up with the idea and began spreading the word at their respective services on Sunday. “Our nation has been through a lot, especially here lately,” Cowhick said. “Just think about the headlines from the past month and just think about the pain, the worry and the questions that those tragic events created. “I think there is no disputing that if ever there was a time when our community and the nation needed prayer – now is the time. So
THE PROFESSIONALS”
“The CACC students had a fantastic experience living in Tuscaloosa for three weeks,” said Jeremy Carr, a CACC chemisty professor who also serves as the college’s UA Noyce Internship liaison. “From my perspective, several of our students were on the fence about sacrificing three weeks of summer employment to go explore their potential career paths. However, at the end of the internship, literally every one of our students were ecstatic about what they learned, and truly eager to begin their preparation to become teachers. All of them want to return for a See INTERNS • Page 3
Submitted / The Outlook
Front from left are Lydia Hammond, Kallie Beall and Carolyn Jones. Back Row from left are Moses Torelli and Devin Cappell.
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