COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE! THE
LOCAL EVENTS, PAGE 5
WEDNESDAY
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
SPORTS, PAGE 8
Top Flight gymnasts fare well March 15, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 52 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢ in Huntsville
‘Debtor’s prison’ suit deal clears hurdle
By MITCH SNEED Editor
The settlement of a class action lawsuit filed as a result of a now abandoned Alexander City policy that jailed people convicted of some crimes when they didn’t immediately pay all of their fines for traffic tickets and misdemean-
ors took a step closer to being finalized Monday. Under the mediation agreement, the class will receive roughly $680,000 if final approval is granted. Of that amount, the city will pony up about $242,800 of the total and the insurance carrier being responsible for roughly $437,000. The suit had originally
sought $2.9 million in damages. The Outlook first reported news of the settlement on Dec. 6 after the city council voted to accept a deal. The latest development is that the settlement was preliminarily approved by the U.S. District Court in Montgomery Monday. See SUIT • Page 3
Russell Estes / Southern Poverty Law Center
Alexander City’s Amanda Underwood was sent to jail on her son’s birthday because she didn’t have money to pay fines and court costs.
Horseshoe Bend Park hosting 4-H camp
Winter, freezing temperatures return to area Cold snap could prove hazardous to plants, Harris says
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Camping at Horseshoe Bend National Military is not normally allowed but come April 1, area youth and their parents can thanks to the 4-H Camp Out. According to Tallapoosa County Extension Agent Shane Harris, the idea is to introduce people to camping. “We are encouraging first time campers to come out,” Harris said. “We are hoping that the safe environment of Horseshoe Bend will encourage those that have not had the See CAMP • Page 6
Today’s
Weather
47 26 High
Low
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
New Site Town Clerk Shelia Fuller leafs through the ordinance book showing how she complies with Open Records requests from the media as well as the public.
RAY OF SUNSHINE Open records requests demand consistency
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
487.47
Reported on 3/14/17 @ 7:30 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 WINTER • Page 6
Editor’s Note: March 12-16 is Sunshine Week across the county and is a time when newspapers examine transparency in government. This week the Outlook will feature three stories on open local government. Today, we take a look at cities that do it right when it comes to open records. By MITCH SNEED Editor
Shelia Fuller serves as the town clerk in New Site, which means she is custodian of the town’s records. Whether you need to look at a city budget, the spending patterns of the police department or simply read the ordinance on business licenses, she is so organized that she can lay hands on the information in a matter of seconds. Chances are the desired information will be protected in a plastic sheet protector and tabbed in color-coded format so that if you need to review it or get a copy, it will not take long. Fuller admitted that they don’t get flooded with requests like larger municipalities, but it should reassure people See SUNSHINE • Page 6
OPEN RECORDS IN ALABAMA Public records are defined by the Code of Alabama as “all written, typed or printed books, papers, letters, documents and maps made or received in pursuance of law by the public officers of the state, counties, municipalities and other subdivisions of government in the transactions of public business and shall also include any record authorized to be made by any law of this state belonging or pertaining to any court of record or any other public record authorized by law or any paper, pleading, exhibit or other writing filed with, in or by any such court, office or officer.”
The late freeze has caught many off guard especially with the mild winter and all the plants and flowers showing the spring growth. Wednesday and Thursday morning temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 20s, Tallapoosa County Extension Agent Shane Harris offers up a few tips that might help protect some plants. “You need to bring in as many as possible,” Harris said. “The others, you need to protect the best way you can with blankets and such. Mulch will help. And you want to remove the covers once things warm up a little.” Harris says that there will likely be some mild damage no matter what you do. “The plants will likely get a little burned,” Harris said. “Especially the new growth.
Pair to host Striper fishing seminar By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
For those who want to know more about striper fishing, here is your chance to learn as David Hare and Cefus McRae share some of their secrets at a seminar March 25. McRae says this event is for all levels of fishermen wanting to learn about the springtime bite. “We are going to cover springtime tactics,” McRae said. “We will have See FISHING • Page 3
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