OPINION: THE STATE SHOULD STEP OUT OF MARRIAGE BUSINESS
Weekend The Outlook
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Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
March 19-20, 2016 • Vol. 124 • No. 57 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
SPORTS, PAGE 12 Wildcats soccer enters second half of season with high expectations.
Defense aims to bring victim’s past into murder case By MITCH SNEED Editor
The defense team for accused killer Matthew Clate McDaniel has filed motions in advance of an April 20 preliminary hearing in an effort to introduce the criminal background of the victim. McDaniel, 33, of Dadeville is charged with murder in the Jan.
McDaniel
Two arrested in theft of watercraft in Dadeville
17 shooting death of Norman Dean Crayton. Court records indicate that defense attorney Davis Whittelsey filed a series of subpoenas, including ones to the custodians of records for the Jacksons Gap Police Department, the Alexander City Police Department, the Dadeville Police Department and the Pardons and Parole offices in
Dadeville and Alexander City. While the subpoenas to the state offices were quashed by Judge Kim Taylor, the others still stand, an exhibit filed by Whittelsey on March 9 points to the reasoning behind the subpoena. “Crayton has an extensive criminal record including, but not limited to, numerous violent offenses and/
or offenses involving intoxicating substances,” the exhibit states. “That Crayton’s state of mind, violent and tumultuous reputation and/or habit for violence and intoxication will be at issue in the trial of these proceedings.” The document says that’s why the records should be introduced into the See MCDANIEL • Page 11
AU pay study in full swing in Alex City
CHARGE!!!
Officials hope study can end issues, help with retention
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Two Opelika men have been arrested in connection with the theft of two personal watercrafts from an area business. Dadeville Police Department Chief David Barbour said Friday that Mitchell Duane Myers, 39 of Huguley Road in Opelika and James Louvghn Crews, 47, of Jenkins Road Opelika were arrested and charged with theft of property. Crews Barbour said that the investigation started on Tuesday night when a business located in the 1700 block of U.S. Highway 280 reported the theft of two Yamaha Wave Runners and a trailer valued at about $8,000 Myers that occurred at about 10 p.m. Tuesday. On Wednesday at 9:21 p.m., Camp Hill Police made a traffic stop on a 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck pulling a trailer with Wave Runners on a trailer with no taillights on Highway 280. Officer Coley of CHPD made identification of the two subjects that See THEFT • Page 11
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Horseshoe Bend fourth graders Ren Fuller, top left, and Toniya Collier lead a bayonet charge at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Friday as the park hosted students from Coosa, Clay, Randolph, Chambers, Lee and Tallapoosa Counties. The students were visiting thanks a grant from the National Park Foundation. The event is part of the National Park Service Centenial Celebration. The park is celebrating the 202nd anniversary of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend toady from 9 a.m to 4 p.m.
Over the last year, issues with the way Alexander City municipal employees are paid have been under the spotlight. From unauthorized pay increases, missed step increases and inconsistent awarding of pay increases as levels of certification were attained, pay has dominated talk in many meetings of city officials. But the effort to address those issues is in full swing as staffers with Auburn University’s Center for Governmental Services have been working in the city as part of a pay study to help gauge where it stands in terms of salaries and future increases. “They’ve been here for a few weeks and are working four days a week,” Alexander City Mayor Charles Shaw said. “They will meet and interview every city employee before they are done. They say they hope to be done with that part of the process by the end of April.” Shaw said they have been very thorough and with 275 employees to evaluate, it is taking some time. The interviews will help determine if the job description and the duties performed align. AU Governmental Services staffers will then look at the pay and compare the duties of the employees to what similar employees in other municipalities are paid. See STUDY • Page 3
Lake Levels
Chamber ramps up Sun Festival preparations
Reported on 3/18/16 @ 4 p.m.
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Lake Martin
486.57
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
Today’s
Weather
67 39 High
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54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
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With its annual Lead Forward Women’s Conference in the rearview mirror, the staff at the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce has now turned its full attention to preparation for this summer’s Sun Festival, set for July 23-30. “It’s been crazy around here,” said Carla Culligan, membership director at the Chamber. “We just finished up Lead Forward and, of course, Ed (Collari, new Chamber president and chief executive officer) is brand new and still sort of settling in, but we’ve really begun to focus on Sun Festival. We’ll have a big meeting on it next week.”
Thursday, March 24, marks the first Sun Festival deadline as that’s the date art submissions for the event’s t-shirt and poster designs are due. The artist whose design is chosen will win $200 and recognition as the official 2016 Sun Festival artist. Anyone interested in submitting a design can find the specifications for entries on the Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. The next Sun Festivalrelated event will be the Miss Sun Festival 2016 Scholarship Pageant, which will see a change of venue this year and will be held April 16 rather than during the festival itself. “We’ll be having the pageant at Horseshoe Bend High School this See SUN FESTIVAL • Page 3
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Jakaya Sims is crowned Petite Miss Sun Festival 2015 during the pageant last summer. This year the pageant will be held at Horseshoe Bend School.
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