SPORTS Taylor Harris fits right in with Wildcats
THURSDAY
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Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
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March 15, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 53 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Prescribed burn fogs Alex City Controlled burn for tree restoration causing hazy skies By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Smoke quickly filled the air near Smith Mountain following the path of a drip torch drenching a 23-acre stand of long-leaf pine in a white haze over blackened ground. Alabama Power Forester Chris Wyatt couldn’t be happier as he was setting a prescribed burn Wednesday morning. “If you have black ground and white smoke you are alright,” Wyatt said. “That is what we got here today.” Wyatt and Alabama Power are setting the
fires to expose decades-old seeds and remove underbrush to help restore the forest floor allowing the trees to grow. “We are getting rid of what is not supposed to be there and exposing the seed bank,” Wyatt said. “This area had not had fire put through it years. The seed bank is there. It just needs sunlight hitting the ground.” The seeds Wyatt references will turn into grasses and legumes when sunlight is allowed to reach the floor of the forest and can be buried under pine straw and duff – mixture of brush and other stuff that has collected on the forest floor. See FIRE • Page 5
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
The prescribed burn removes pine straw and other debris like underbrush and exposes seeds to sprout creating a grasslike undergrowth at some point.
Consistency, following policy key to public record access
BATTLE TOUTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOP gubernatorial hopeful says state is hungry for new ideas
Editor’s Note: March 11-17 is Sunshine Week across the county and is a time when newspapers examine transparency in government. This week the Outlook features stories, columns and editorials on open local government.
By MITCH SNEED Editor
untsville Mayor Tommy Battle hopes to be Alabama’s next governor and Tuesday he spent time in Alexander City meeting with leaders at Russell Medical and sharing his views with the Tallapoosa Publishers’ editorial board. In every stop, Battle touted the need to go all-in on economic development, support education so that the state can provide a workforce for the industries it attracts and thinking outside the box to help solve even Alabama’s most complex issues. Battle, 62, has served as mayor of Huntsville for 10 years and won with 80 percent of the vote in his last election. Why the popularity in his hometown? It comes down to an economic rebirth that has the Rocket City thriving. Battle said the one thing that has stood out as he has traveled all across the state has been the desire of the people to want better things for themselves, their
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By MITCH SNEED Editor
See BATTLE • Page 9
“We can change the conversation on the state of Alabama.” — Tommy Battle
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Huntsville mayor
Battle speaks to Russell Medical officials, above, as well as Tallapoosa Publishers’ editorial board Tuesday.
Alabama law on open records law has gone through many stages, but for the most part, the law is pretty clear on what documents and information produced and held by the government should be open to the public 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 See RECORDS • Page 3
United Way serving up annual quail fry STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The Lake Martin Area United Way will be holding its annual quail fry fundraiser Saturday, April 7 at The Stables at Russell Crossroads beginning at 5 p.m. The 2017 fundraiser raked in more than $15,000 for the United Way as over 300 people attended the event, and local United Way officials are hoping for another great turnout this year. “We planned for about 150 people,
Today’s
Weather
67 42 High
but over 300 came,” United Way Executive Director Sharon Fuller said. “People kept coming up over the hill toward the stables in waves. Thankfully we had plenty of food— more than 600 quail along with a shrimp boil and gumbo, rice, green beans, and coleslaw.” Along with the fried quail and other food available, the event will feature a baked goods auction, where guests will have the chance to bid on cakes, bread, cookies, cheese straws and See QUAIL • Page 3
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
487.77
Reported on 03/14/18 @ 4 p.m.
Low
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443 6
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
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United Way hosted its annual quail fry last year and had more than 300 guests. This year’s event will be on April 7.
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
File / The Outlook
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