OPINION: LEAD FORWARD CELEBRATES ACHIEVEMENT, PAGE 4
TUESDAY
THE LOCAL EVENTS, PAGE 6 Get cooking in your Dutch ovens
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SPORTS, PAGE 10 March14, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 51 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢ Lady Generals swept in Lady Wildcat Classic
Police chief hopefuls meet council Turner, Hatcher make positive impression on council By MITCH SNEED Editor
Two men who hope to be the next chief of police in Alexander City shared their experiences and thoughts on the issues facing law enforcement today in interviews with the Alexander City City Council Monday night. Alexander City’s Interim Police Chief Jay Turner and Birmingham Deputy Police Chief Allen Hatcher each answered a series of 15 questions by members of the council. While both had different experiences, they also found some common ground.
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Interim Police Chief Jay Turner interviewed at Monday’s council meeting in to become Alexander City’s Police chief.
Turner talked about his love for Alexander City and said he was thankful to have the opportunity and said if he is chosen, he will “lead from the front.” I made the decision when I came here that I would not leave,” Turner said. I wanted to advance through the ranks. I bought into the duties in narcotics and for a time I thought I’d never leave that. But as I advanced, I found I enjoyed training and helping others in any way that I could. “But I love this department and what I do. This is my home. This is where my wife is. See COUNCIL • Page 9
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Birmingham Deputy Police Chief Allen Hatcher interviewed for the police chief position MOnday night at the council meeting.
County’s jobless rate rises in January
Commission gets good news on tax collection By MITCH SNEED Editor
The Tallapoosa County Commissioners learned Monday that property tax collections are going well and one small zoning hurdle needs to be cleared for construction to begin on the new Department “If that [rezoning] of Human Resources goes well we still building in believe we could Dadeville. break ground in the Those spring and with a two items construction process were among the agenda that would take items taken 10-12 months.” up Monday, but the —Blake Beck property tax County Administrator news given by Revenue Commissioner Eva Middlebrooks was encouraging. “We are down to just 496 See COMMISSION • Page 9
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Submitted / The Outlook
Alexander City native Darwin Dobbs, left, was presented with the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award by FAA’s Richard J. Henry Saturday.
CONNECTING FLIGHTS
Dobbs awarded FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
One would think someone who has over 13,000 hours of time at the controls of an airplane would have mastered how to text. Not Alexander City native Fred Dobbs. The Federal Aviation Administration even honored the 77-year-old Dobbs over the weekend for more than 50 years of safe flying with the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, something Dobbs was not prepared for. See DOBBS • Page 3
Tallapoosa County saw an increase in its unemployment rate in January according to statistics released Monday by the Alabama Department of Labor. Tallapoosa County had an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent, which was up from the 5.5 percent posted in December. That number was also higher than the 6.1 percent unemployment that the county saw in January 2016. The statistics show that 1,156 people were unemployed in the county, compared to, 1,034 in December and 1,122 in January 2016. The increase matches the state trend as well. Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced Monday that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted January unemployment rate is 6.4 percent, up from December’s revised rate of 6.3 percent and above January 2016’s rate of 6.1 percent. See UNEMPLOYMENT • Page 3
U.S Attorney resigns, joins local law firm STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
A heavy-hitting federal prosecutor resigned Monday and announced that he would be joining an Alexander City law firm. United States Attorney George L. Beck Jr. announced his resignation, effective midnight Monday and in a released statement said he plans on joining the private law firm Alexander City based Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles, and Nelson. The release indicated that Beck will represent clients in the Montgomery River Region area. During his tenure as United States Attorney,
Today’s
Deck concentrated on jailing violent offenders and recovering taxpayer dollars. Beck also oversaw a multi-state dog fighting prosecution and obtained the largest federal sentence for dog fighting in the nation. Beck’s resignation came at the request of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Sessions asked for the resignations of 46 federal prosecutors last week. All three U.S. attorneys in Alabama appointed by President Obama have now stepped down. U.S. attorney posts generally change with presidential administrations, but seldom have so many
Lake Martin
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come so soon after a new administration took office. Beck was nominated for the position by Obama and had held the job since 2011. The Middle District of Alabama covers 23 counties, and includes the cities of Alexander City, Andalusia, Auburn, Clanton, Dothan, Enterprise, Eufaula, Greenville, Montgomery, Opelika, Ozark, Phenix City, Prattville, Troy and Wetumpka. The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for conducting all criminal and civil litigation in the district involving the United States government.
We Care About You
Residents take a new meaning to spring cleaning
Submitted / The Outlook
Georgia Carlee and her daughter Caroline, in the orange vest, pick up trash along with Aubrie Dark at Saturday’s PATH Trash Walk along Elkahatchee Road. Lake Martin Resource Association’s John Thompson said that an enthusiastic group of volunteers collected 80 bags of trash and 15 tires along Elkahatchee Road and Sanders Road during the PATH Trash Walk. He said the volunteers include several children, which was encouraging. “It was great to see them out there,” Thompson said. “They really had a good time and made it fun for everyone.”
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