MORE HOLIDAY PICTURES INSIDE! PAGE 11.
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Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
INSIDE, PAGE 6
July 5, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 132 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Rider critically injured after being thrown from horse
City to present 2014 audit report By MITCH SNEED Editor
Alexander City has been dealing with financial issues for the better part of four years, but since the current administration took office they have said they were working to unravel the maze.
Rain causes problems with county roads
Thursday at 11 a.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, the finding of a 2014 audit will be presented to the council in a work session. The last time the city received an audit report was on Oct. 26, 2015 for the city’s 2013 budget year. Wally Farr of Opelika-based accountants Brantley, Boucher & Farr presented the findings
of the audit to the city council, which was the first time irregularities in funds from the city’s LakeWinds Golf Course were mentioned. Missing golf course funds are now the subject of a criminal investigation by the Alabama Attorney General’s office. Officials have not received any updates on that investigation, as
the AG’s office does not comment of ongoing investigations. At a recent meeting, Alexander City Finance Director Sandy Stanbrough indicated that the city was almost ready to send information of the 2015 and 2016 budget years to Birmingham-
CELEBRATING FREEDOM
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
See AUDIT • Page 3
Landfill debates covered in 1991 Outlook edition By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Within the past week, Tallapoosa County has seen approximately 10 inches of rainfall from the series of storms that have come through the area. Coupled with another three inches during the rest of June and several inches that fell in May, Tallapoosa County has seen 20.5 inches of rain in the last two months. While the rain has been highly beneficial, breaking the last of the drought conditions the state has been under for the previous year, it has also created a handful of issues. See ROADS • Page 3
Debates over landfills in Alexander City are nothing new. In March of 1991, The Outlook reported the City of Alexander City planned to go ahead and develop a landfill at a site that had not been recommended by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Just last month, the current city council voted to begin testing on property of which they currently only have an option to purchase to expand the current inert landfill off of North Central Avenue. One of the problems noted in the 1991 story was there was not adequate cover for the landfill, something Alexander City Public Works Director Gerard Brewer noted for the current inert landfill and one of the reasons for needed purchase of adjacent property. In 1991, then Alexander City Mayor Charles Bailey
125 ALEXANDER CITY OUTLOOK
YEARS OF SERVICE
June 2017 A special supplement to The Alexander City Outlook and the Dadeville Record
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
All across the Lake Martin community people gathered to celebrate Independence Day in their own way. From dozens of boats decorated in patriotic regalia and spending time on the water in the Russell Marina July 4th Boat Parade Tuesday, to thousands who gathered for the music and fireworks at Marshall Street Church of God’s Alexander City Celebrates Freedom Monday night at Benjamin Russell High School, people enjoyed themselves. The long holiday weekend wrapped up Tuesday night with fireworks over Lake Martin.
Submitted / The Outlook
Valley Grove Road was closed over the weekend due to standing water on the roadway.
See LANDFILL • Page 6
Reeltown successfully concludes summer arts program By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Approximately 30 excited Reeltown students took the stage Thursday for the culmination of the summer arts enrichment program offered by the Tallapoosa County school system, demonstrating their artistic prowess to a large audience of parents and other community members. “During our first meeting, we were all tossing out a few ideas, and we decided that The Wizard of Oz would be the best for us,” camp administrator Lisa Hornsby said. “We thought it would be the easiest to put a spin on.”
Similar to Dadeville’s performance of The Wizard of Oz, the Reeltown program put their own spin on the story, turning it into The Reel Wizard of Oz. Some of the twists included mentions of the nearby kiwi farm, changing the Emerald City to the Sapphire City to reflect Reeltown’s school colors and using the school mascot’s head as the Wizard. Each day would begin with all of the students in one large group, before breaking down into smaller groups Submitted / The Outlook rotating between three separate stations, according to Hornsby. The Tin Man, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy and the “One group went to the arts and Scarecrow attempt to fight the effects of the poppy field on See ARTS • Page 6 their way to the Sapphire City.
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