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June 16, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 119 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Area property owners suffering sticker shock By MITCH SNEED Editor
Many Tallapoosa County property owners are suffering from sticker shock after receiving new property valuations in the last few days. Calls to the Outlook asked if there had been a vote to raise taxes that they had missed. No,
the change is a product of new guidelines for valuing homes in the county. Most are reporting spikes in values between 15 and 30 percent and Tallapoosa County Revenue Commissioner Eva Middlebrooks said calls have been flooding into to her office as a result. “We normally do new
assessments every four years and the way it has worked is that each year roughly a fourth of the properties in the county were appraised,” Middlebrooks said. “But this year we had to do all the properties based on a new state manual that had significantly different valuations of materials and other factors. The values that
people are seeing are a result of that.” Middlebrooks said that until this year the county had been using guidelines from a manual that was created in 2005. The manual is what appraisers use to arrive at the value of a home. For example it says what value is added by brick versus wood and what each square foot
THRILLING FINISH
means in value. “A lot of things change in 12 years,” Middlebrooks said. We are hearing about 30 percent for a lot of folks. We are finding that commercial property was really hit hard.” All that considered, Middlebrooks said if a property owner thinks the value listed is See TAX • Page 3
First Art Walk has good turnout despite storm front By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Positive reactions across the board were the norm for Thursday’s Art Walk event in downtown Alexander City, despite the appearance of a storm front that put the area under a severe thunderstorm warning. As the rain approached town, the artists and members of MainStreet Alexander City moved the outdoor displays into the United Way office, turning the open space into a lovely gallery of paintings and other artworks. Other pieces were spread throughout downtown stores, including Cloud Nine, Makers Market and The Coffee Corner. See ART • Page 3
SGA Junior Championship comes down to final hole
School emergency notification system becomes state law By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Nicholas Arcement, top, of Thibodaux, Louisiana hits from the sand near the 17th green at Willow Point in Thursday’s final round of the Southern Junior. Above left, Ethan Hagood celebrates with friends after winning the tournament. Above right, Hagood hits his tee shot from the 18th tee box Thursday. For more on the Southern Junior see Sports, page 9.
Recently, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 89 into law, requiring the state Department of Education to have an emergency notification system up and running by October 1, 2017. The main body of the bill states that, “The Department of Education shall implement an electronic notification system designed to allow local schools and local school systems to input specific information relating to school delays, early releases, shelter-inplace information, as well as other emergency-related information to be compiled in one central electronic repository that is accessible by the department and the Governor.... It is the intent of the Legislature that all See EMERGENCY • Page 3
Dadeville Kiwanis Club learns about Antarctic issues serious issues to the way of life they have been used to for centuries. With snow falling during a season not The Dadeville Kiwanis Club traditionally seen, the eggs laid by the welcomed Dr. James McClintock, a Adelie Penguin have been buried under professor of polar and marine biology the snow, and subsequently drowned at the University of Alabama at when the snow melts later on. The loss Birmingham to their weekly meeting on of sea ice has meant a decrease in the Thursday afternoon. amount of krill, a small shrimp that is McClintock, who has been studying food for virtually every creature living the environment on the continent of in the Antarctic. Antarctica for over 30 years, explained Furthermore, animals not commonly some of the major changes he and seen in the ocean surrounding Antarctica his colleagues have noticed during have made their presence felt as the their time at a research station on the water warms, the most noticeable of Antarctic Peninsula. these being the king crab. “The Antarctic has been warming,” Looking at the question of why the McClintock said. “87 percent of glaciers general public should care about this, across the continent have been receding. McClintock explained how the area, one Ice shelves are breaking off, which of the richest and most diverse zones means higher sea levels.” of marine life on the planet, can be With major changes like this beneficial to humans. occurring across the Antarctic Peninsula, For example, he and some of Donald Campbell / The Outlook the animals calling the southern UAB Professor Dr. James McClintock talks to the Dadeville Kiwanis Club about his many years of research continent home have been dealing with See KIWANIS • Page 3 on the Antarctic Peninsula. By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
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86 71 High
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Lake Martin
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490.69
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