COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE! THE
WEDNESDAY
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
SPORTS, PAGE 11
July 12, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 137 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Wildcats work on passing game timing at 7-on-7.
City gets grant for electric upgrade By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Above, Alexander City Fire Department firefighters work to open vent holes in the roof at a home on Highway 63 Tuesday morning. Below, Ashley Wall pets their St. Bernard Bubba who the residents say alerted them when the fire broke out and allowed them to escape injury.
DOG NAMED BUBBA SAVES FAMILY FROM FIRE Pet St. Bernard alerts residents as apparent electrical fire damages home, destroys belongings By MITCH SNEED Editor
A local family escaped injury when fire broke out in their Highway 63 home early Tuesday morning and they have their pet St. Bernard Bubba to thank for that. Ashley Wall and Clint McManus were asleep when fire broke out in the back part of their home at 3425 Highway 63. But Bubba started barking and woke the pair up in time to call for help, grab some of the belongings and get out of the house. “I don’t know where we would have been without him,” Wall said. “He’s
Electrical breakers at two very important substations in Alexander City will be replaced at no charge to the city thanks to a grant from Alabama Municipal Electric Authority. The grant, which is for up to $483,200, is part of a $10 million AMEA Smart Grid Initiative. The city has targeted 15 kilovolt breakers at the substation on Highway 280 and on Willow Street for replacement. Those two substation supply electricity not only to many of the largest businesses in the city, but to several residential neighborhoods as well. According to information presented at Monday’s meeting of the Alexander City City Council, the repairs will mean some very old and problematic equipment will be replaced. The Highway 280 breakers are 33 years old and the Willow Street breakers are 21 years old, according to the package approved by AMEA. Not only will the breakers be new, they are a type that have proven to be better and require less maintenance. The current breakers are filled with insulating oil, and therefore require periodic oil testing and maintenance.
See FIRE • Page 10
See GRANT • Page 10
National tabloids reported on area speedtraps in 1993
State gets mixed news on child well-being STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Alabama has made some strides in efforts to improve the wellbeing of its children, particularly in the area of health, but the state still ranks behind most of the country, according to a national report released recently by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The findings are part of the 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which uses 16 indicators to rank each state across four domains: health,
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
In the May 1993, The Outlook reported on Jacksons Gap making the headlines in the National Enquirer for speeding. The Enquirer placed the story between “Loni Anderson: the world’s sexist grandmother” and “Queen Elizabeth uses snake venom as a family health remedy.” The story gave tips on avoiding speed traps in 25 states and was reported as having come from the book “The Safe Motorists Guide to Speedtraps” by John Tomerlin. See 125 • Page 10
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education, economic well-being and family and community. The annual report ranks Alabama 44th in the nation in overall child well-being. For 25 years, VOICES for Alabama’s Children, the KIDS COUNT grantee in the state, has worked to promote policies to positively impact the lives of children. “The 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book shows that some policies, such as the See HEALTH • Page 10
Weather
90 73 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.52 Reported on 7/11/17 @ 7 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
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54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
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