Herron shines, named South MVP
Weekend The Outlook
SPORTS, PAGE 12
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
July 21-22, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 144 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Central Boulevard to be closed Monday Roadwork to begin soon in Russell complex By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A portion of Central Boulevard will be closed Monday as work begins to repave the road. “It will be closed Monday morning,” Gary Ingram Grading and Paving’s Jeff Harte said. “We will be working on it for several weeks.” The project is a continuation of a project that started at Highway 280 about four years ago and work will be similar in
Work will start Monday on paving Central Boulevard from Joseph Street to Russell Road.
scope this time around. “After the road improvements, it is going to look like a newly developed road,” Harte said. “It is a state-designed set of road improvements.” Like last time on Central Boulevard, the funding is the same. “It is coming from Industrial Access Road Funds,” Alexander City Development Director Al Jones said. “It is managed by the Alabama Department of Transportation.” See ROADWORK • Page 2
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
County schools expand one-to-one learning initiative
A LITTLE HISTORY Alex City still keeping downtown alive and River Bridge still serving area 50 years later
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A
s time goes on, names and faces change and things come and go, but many things are still topics of discussion today as they were 50 years ago this month. In July 1968, downtown business owners were concerned about their lack of sales and had formed the Downtown Action Committee (DAC) to come up with solutions. “Downtown Alexander City is not doing as much volume per square foot as it should,” DAC President Doug Lee said at a meeting in 1968. “If we don’t do something soon, there will be no businesses in downtown Alexander City.” The issues half a century ago were not much different than today. Merchants and customers complained about traffic flow and parking. Over the ensuing five decades, businesses have come and gone from downtown. City leaders and business owners have tried things and have created programs to try See HISTORY • Page 3 Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Downtown merchants have been discussing ideas of how to bring more customers to town for decades, as shown above in a July 1968 edition of The Alexander City Outlook.
Today’s
Weather
91 73 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.47 Reported on 07/20/18 @ 4 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
54708
90050
USPS Permit # 013-080
8
The Tallapoosa County School System is continuing to push forward and put technological devices in the hands of every student in the system, referred to as a one-toone (1:1) initiative. Earlier this week, the district announced devices will be available for all county school students in the seventh and eighth grades See INITIATIVE • Page 3
Jones reiterates serious issues from potential tariffs By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced a series of new tariffs to be levied against motor vehicles and automobile parts being imported into Jones the United States, as well as newsprint paper produced in Canada and See TARIFFS • Page 3
River Bank & Trust to set pace for United Way campaign By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
The Lake Martin Area United Way will be kicking off its 2019 Lake Martin Lifesavers fundraising campaign at the end of August. Every year a pacesetter is chosen to lead the way encouraging others to give as well. This year River Bank & Trust has been selected.
We Care About You
“We are happy to be the pacesetter this year,” River Bank’s Randy Dawkins said. “The list of previous pacesetters is impressive with Russell Medical and SL Alabama to name a few.” Dawkins explained they had to think a little outside of the box to set the tone for the campaign. “We are a small business compared to other See CAMPAIGN • Page 11
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
River Bank & Trust has assembled more than $9,000 in goods, services and gift certificates to raffle off. The funds from the raffle will be donated to the United Way 2019 campaign that kicks off in August. The United Way was selected to be the Pacesetter for the campaign.
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