OPINION: THE TIME FOR POLITICIZING IS NOT WHILE GRIEVING, PAGE 4.
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Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 June 14, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 118
Sports, Page 12
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Alexander City Jazz Fest closes on a high note By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
At age 72, Wet Willie’s Jimmy Hall still put on a show for fans as the vintage Southern Rock band from Mobile closed out this year’s Jazz Fest Saturday night at Lake Martin Amphitheater.
For 26 years, musicians have performed from the stages of Jazz Fest. One would be hard pressed to recall a better two-night run in that quarter of a century than the folks who attended this year’s shows witnessed Friday at Strand Park and Saturday at the Lake Martin Amphitheater, music lovers were treated to six incredible acts, perfect weather and some of the hottest sounds in music.
No exact attendance was taken, but Robert Gunn who leads the Jazz Fest Committee called Friday night’s crowd “the largest in recent memory.” “I’m not the best with numbers and it’s hard to compare because of the rains we’ve had in the last several years,” Gunn said. “But If I were guessing I’d say it would be between 3,000 and 4,000. That hill was full for sure.” Saturday was equally impressive as a late-arriving crowd was treated to cooler temperatures due to thunderstorms that were scattered
Father’s abuse trial begins
County votes not to participate in sales tax holiday By MITCH SNEED Editor
The Tallapoosa County Commissioners selected its next chairman, opted not to participate in the annual Back to School Sales Tax Holiday and approved a road priority list for the coming year at its June meeting Monday. Each year, most areas in the state offer parents a little break as children head back to school. As this year’s dates of Aug. 6-7 approach, the county is required to declare whether it will participate. County Administrator Blake Beck said that each year the county consults with the Tallapoosa County Schools as well as the Alexander City Schools to get their opinions of waving sales tax during the sales tax holiday. Beck said Monday that both said they weren’t in support of that move this year. So the commissioners voted to go with the recommendation of the school systems and declined to participate, meaning the county See COMMISSION • Page 3
around the area. But the rain held off and the music was incredible. Jimmy Hall and Wet Willie closed the event Saturday night with an incredible set, featuring classics and some of their own new fusion of blues, funk, and jazz. It may have been 42 years since they first hit the charts with “Keep on Smilin.’” Still the band with Mobile, Alabama roots had a sound that was as pure as it was four decades ago. “You all don’t know how lucky you are to have an event like this,” See JAZZ • Page 8
Prosecution could rest today as defense tries to blame grandfather Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Area children beat on the bass drum of Iron Giant Percussion at Mamie’s Place Children’s Library Monday. The children are taking part in the summer reading program. The next events for the program are movies today at 2 and 3 p.m. and Meet a Coach and McWane Science Center Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
LET’S GET LOUD
Reading program makes some noise, learns new instruments By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A library is a place to read. A library is a place to study about far away lands and unknown ideas. Libraries are supposed to be quiet places. So, just what happened when bongos, a bass drum and shakers came to Mamie’s Place Children’s Library Monday.
“Who knows how to get loud?” Iron Giant Percussion’s Sam Herman asked children gathered at the library. “Who has been loud in the library before?” Not many children raised their hand but many appeared eager to see what the percussion trio had to offer in the presentation for the library’s summer reading program, “On your mark, Get set, Read.”
By MITCH SNEED Editor
On Christmas Day 2014, a cute, normal, darkhaired 4-month-old baby boy suffered injuries so severe he was left on life support and – even a year and a half later– the toddler can’t eat on his own, can’t hear, can’t see and suffers up to 200 seizures a day. This week at the Tallapoosa County Courthouse in Dadeville, a jury is trying to McInvale determine if the baby Gene McInvale’s father, 24-year-old James McInvale Jr. is responsible for what the charges call “aggravated child abuse” and “second-degree domestic violence.” A jury and an alternate that includes seven men and six women began hearing opening statements and emotional and sometimes heated testimony Monday morning. Assistant District Attorneys Damon Lewis and See TRIAL • Page 3
See LIBRARY • Page 8
Alexander City missionary clings to life at UAB By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Alexander City’s Myron West, a member of Sixth Street Baptist Church, clung to life in UAB Hospital Monday almost four months after contracting malaria in Uganda, where he was on a mission trip for Birmingham’s Four Corners Ministries. According to Matt Haines, pastor at Sixth Street Baptist Church where West is a member, West was surrounded by family, receiving oxygen through a tracheotomy tube and on an IV. Haines said West vital signs were strong, but he is receiving only palliative care. His ventilator and other life support have been removed as dictated in his living will. Adam Long, who is deacon chairman at Sixth Street and served as a deacon with West, said that he accompanied West about five years ago on a trip to Guinea in west Africa which served as a
prelude to West’s ultimately serving as a missionary in Uganda. “He and I went on a trip with two other guys to Guinea about five years ago and that kind of got the ball rolling for Myron,” said Long. “The next summer a guy came into his office and said, ‘I want you to go to Africa with me.’ He went, but he wanted to make sure that his wife and kids were as excited as he was about it before they stayed. Holly (West’s wife) went and fell in love with the people and Rachel and Ryan (West’s children) did, too. Rachel wants to go back right now. “Myron said, ‘If I have to lay down my life for the Acholi people (the people indigenous to northern Uganda), I will be glad to do it.’ And he wasn’t the kind of guy that said things just to be blowing smoke.” Long said that West had contracted malaria before while serving the Abaana’s
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Alexander City’s Myron West, clings to life after contractSee MISSIONARY • Page 3 ing malaria in Uganda.
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