THURSDAY
THE EVENTS, PAGE 6 See what’s going on this weekend
SPORTS, PAGE 10
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
March 21, 2019 Vol. 127, No. 57 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
McVey has 7 RBIs in Wildcat romp
One step closer Russell Medical says New Site clinic highly probable within a year; timeline is established By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
In an effort to help provide medical service to even more rural residents in Tallapoosa County and the surrounding area, Russell Medical hopes to have a health clinic in New Site soon. The idea of a health clinic and pharmacy has been discussed by the New Site Town Council for months going as far as looking at funding, grants and starting the building plans
for a facility owned by the Town of New Site and leased to medical providers. New Site Mayor Phil Blasingame and others have been in discussions with Russell Medical about the facility to which Russell Medical CEO Jim Peace gave an update at the New Site Senior Center Wednesday. “We actually have a timeline that is established,” Peace told the crowd of more than 40. “We are on track. Right now we are waiting for grant confirmation.” See NEW SITE • Page 5
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Russell Medical CEO Jim Peace, right, speaks with Judy Huett after Peace’s presentation on a possible health clinic in New Site and why Peace thinks Medicaid should be expanded in Alabama.
Arrival of spring bringing warmer temperatures
HISTORY LESSON
By GABRIELLE JANSEN Staff Writer
The spring season officially started Wednesday and for Alexander City the weather for the next week is going to be in the upper 60s, according to National Weather Service Birmingham meteorologist Meredith Wyatt. “The next chance of rain is going to be next week around temperatures of upper 60s to lower 70s so (it’s a) really really nice (time) to get out and enjoy the first few days of spring,” Wyatt said. “The past few weekends have been really active (with rain), so I know everyone is eager to get outside and enjoy the nice weather.” Wyatt said Alexander City’s winter was not as cold as it typically is for the season and said entering the spring season it is not unusual to have cold snaps. Wyatt said the Alexander City area is now getting into severe weather season and she recommended residents become weather aware. “This is the prime time for severe weather in Alabama,” Wyatt said. “So tornadoes, very strong thunderstorms and with See SPRING • Page 9
Today’s
Weather
66 40 High
6
Low
54708 90050
8
USPS Permit # 013-080
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
487.48 Reported on 03/20/19 @ 6 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
+
P
ete Dunaway, above, gives a demonstration on various weapons Native Americans in the area used to harvest wildlife as area fourth-graders visited Horseshoe Bend National Military Park on Wednesday. Left: Students learn how items such as deer hooves were used as fish hooks and how deer hides were tanned to be useful. Fourth-graders will continue to visit the rest of the week as part of their Alabama history classes. Saturday the park will remember the 205th anniversary of the Battle of Horseshoe with speakers and demonstrations for the public. Demonstrations will start at 9 a.m. and speakers at 10 a.m. There will also be artillery and militia demonstrations along with stickball. See more photos on Page 5.
Sewer crews use high-tech means to help flush EPA consent decree By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor
Alexander City has literally dug its way out from under a consent decree issued by the Environmental Protection Agency because the chronic overflows in its sewer system have been staunched from a torrent to a trickle. In 2009, there were 60 reportable sanitary sewage overflows, according to sewer system director John McWhorter, who has been on the job four years. By 2013, those had been cut in half but the EPA still issued the consent decree and fined the city $25,000. “In a consent decree, the EPA says, ‘You tell us what you are going to do to fix this problem,’” McWhorter said. In 2018, there were only seven reportable overflows due to heavy rain, damaged pipes and a pumping station malfunction, McWhorter said, and there have been just two this year despite significantly aboveaverage rainfall. Last June, the EPA flushed the consent decree. “We’re still under scrutiny but the EPA is satisfied with what we’re doing,” McWhorter said. “I think See SEWER • Page 3
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Photos by Cliff Williams / The Outlook
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Jimmy Wigfield / The Outlook
Jeremy Walker of the Alexander City sewer system operates a remote-controlled video camera and tractor and looks at footage of the inside of a clay sewer pipe on Myrtle Street. The pipe had a few cracks but was otherwise clean Wednesday.
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