Weekend
OOPINION, PINION, PPAGE 4: CITIZENS DESERVE BETTER FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
INSIDE:
The Outlook
Calendar, page 5 Religion, page 6 Classifieds, page 7 Sports, page 12
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
JJulyl 8-9, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 100 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Sewage overflow makes it to area creeks Municipal workers expand the emergency retention pond at a pumping station on Nolen Drive Friday afternoon at the site of a sewage spill last week.
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Thousands in Alabama could lose health coverage
320,000 gallons of sewage was able to escape the sewer system in Alexander City just before the Fourth of July. “We had an overflow,” Alexander City Public Works Director Gerard Brewer said. “We had a significant number.” To put the overflow in context,
the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System had an overflow of up to 18,000,000 gallons last week. “The overflow occurred over about a 48-hour period starting on June 30 and going through July 2,” Brewer said. “The overflow was over a wide area.” Brewer explained the overflow occurred at the Dobbs pumping station at the end of Nolen Drive. The overflow entered Whortleberry
Today’s
Weather
88 71 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.54
Reported on 07/07/17 @ 1 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8
See SEWAGE • Page 10
ONCE IN A LIFETIME BLOOM? City to talk finances, railroad crossing
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
According to analyses conducted by both the Congressional Budget Office and the Center for American Progress, approximately 22 million Americans would lose their coverage under the current healthcare bill currently being tossed around in the United States Senate. At the same time, wealthy individuals, health insurance companies and drug companies would receive tax breaks from the legislation. “President Trump promised to make health care more affordable and available to more people,” Frank Clemente, the executive director of the organization Americans for Tax Fairness said. “But the Republican healthcare proposals in Congress would slash Medicaid to give massive tax cuts to millionaires, health insurers and drug companies.” In Alabama, nearly half a million people could lose their coverage under the proposed legislation. The Center for American Progress estimated that approximately 310,000 would lose their Medicaid coverage, including 84,300 children, 17,700 people with disabilities and 14,600 senior citizens. Another 170,000 would no longer be covered through the individual insurance market. At the same time, the Center for American Progress calculated 2,500 millionaires in the state would receive an annual tax cut averaging $23,455 per year. See HEALTHCARE • Page 10
Creek before entering Oaktassa Creek to Hillabee Creek to the Tallapoosa River. “We estimate the character of the waste water when it entered Whortleberry Creek was diluted 20 times or more just because of the excessive rain water in the system,” Brewer said. “It really is because of the excessive rain.
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Century plant growing and blooming in Red Hill By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Drivers riding along the intersection of Highway 50 and Highway 259 in the Red Hill area have been watching a stalk grow for the last three months. The stalk and resulting bloom are from a Century plant on the property of Jerry and Kimberly Smith, but it has not always been there. “We got it in 2008,” Jerry said. “The guy didn’t want anymore. We were filling in this lot but decided to plant it up front. I told him ‘Don’t dump that yet, I want to plant that up here.’” But a few months ago things started to change for
the plant that looks out of place as a stalk started to grow from the center of it. “It has been growing about three months,” Kimberly said. “It started shooting the stalk up. It took a month and a half to get to the height.” From there the plant started changing again. “It started to bloom as the stalk continued to grow,” Jerry said. “It is finally blooming at the top while the bottom part of the bloom is dying.” From here the Smiths can only guess what will happen to the plant, but they have read up on it. “I read that it is supposed to smell like rotten meat as it dies,” Jerry said. See PLANT • Page 10
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
A Century plant is blooming at After Hours Service at the intersection of Highway 229 and Highway 50. The business is owned by Jerry and Kimberly Smith, who say the plant has been growing since 2008.
The Alexander City City Council will consider acceptance on an audit of the 2014 city finances, hear a presentation of the city’s financial condition by Mayor Jim Nabors and hold a public hearing on the future of the Bibb Street railroad crossing Monday night. In a meeting set for 5:30 p.m. in the courtroom of the city’s Public Safety Building, the council will tackle several issues that touch on a wide range of interests. While the audit report and the mayor’s report on the city’s financial fitness are of interest considering the issues that the city has faced, the rail crossing closure is one that many residents have been interested in. The crossing that is just north of the row of storefronts ending with Alexander City Pawn and across from Piggly Wiggly is used by less than 500 motorists a day and is located only 155 feet from a guarded intersection at Main Street. The move is part of a national initiative by railways to “eliminate redundant and/or unsafe at-grade railroad crossings in order to improve rail and highway safety along rail corridors.” Alexander City Community Development Director Al Jones said when the issue was first raised that the only way that the See COUNCIL • Page 10
11 arrested in recent Narcotic Task Force busts STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Once again the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force has taken illegal drugs off the streets as evidenced by the recent 11 arrests. Thursday and Friday this week, the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force along with the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force, the Tallassee Police Department, the Alexander City Police Department, the Jacksons Gap Police Department,
the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department and the Dadeville Police Department executed search warrants in Dadeville and Jacksons Gap. The warrants were obtained as a result of controlled buys. “It was from an undercover operation over the last couple of months,” said Sgt. Fred White of the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force. The operation netted buys of crack cocaine,
Benson
Alvies
methamphetamines, marijuana and synthetic marijuana. On Thursday and Friday, investigators seized five firearms, a 2002 GMC Yukon and $2,328 in cash.
Heard
Wyckoff
Five individuals were also arrested including: • James Edgar Benson, 54, of Dadeville for unlawful distribution of controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute, certain persons
McKinney
forbidden to possess a firearm, possession of a short barrel shotgun and possession of drug paraphernalia. • Carolyn Alvies, 45, of Dadeville for See ARRESTS • Page 10
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