COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE!
WEDNESDAY
THE
LADY WILDCATS WIN
GROW OUR LOCAL ECONOMY
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 March 23, 2016 Vol. 124, No. 59 www.alexcityoutlook.com
Benjamin Russell defeats Reeltown, page 8.
County considers closure of Councill Middle School By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Ta l l a p o o s a County Superintendent Joe Windle said Tuesday he has nearly completed an analysis of the effects of closing Dadeville’s Councill Middle School and moving its students, faculty and staff into Dadeville
Elementary and Dadeville High schools. “News about this is out there in the community now and I haven’t gotten one call for it or against it,” said Windle. “I met with the teachers at Councill about three weeks ago and informed them of the possibility. You would have thought at that point that I would
have started getting feedback. “This is a small community. Usually, something like this gets mentioned at the barbershop or the beauty shop or on Facebook and it creates some sort of outcry and you get a lot of feedback. But not Cliff Williams / The Outlook in this case.” The community will be able to give input and receive information on the Windle said the Tallapoosa thoughts behind closing Councill Middle School in Dadeville on Thursday. See CLOSING • Page 6
Firm collects data for merged college’s identity
2 area hospitals earn Tier I from Blue Cross
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
StamatsCommunications Inc., a higher education marketing firm out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is currently conducting a series of meetings on branding and the identity of the consolidated regional community college created by the merger of Central Alabama, Chattahoochee Valley and Southern Union State community colleges, according to Susan Burrow, president of CACC, who has also been named to lead the regional institution. “Those meetings are ongoing as we speak,” Burrow said Tuesday. “Stamats is meeting with a targeted set of audiences at each of the four main campuses.” The meetings – about 20 total – are taking place at Alexander City, Opelika, Phenix City and Wadley. At each site, the consulting firm is meeting with a group each of faculty and See MERGER • Page 5
RMC, Lake Martin Community improve their rankings By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Four generations of family and friends have been camping together for decades. This week Mary Stankard, above center, Kathi Durbin, and Janice King, right, follow in the footsteps of Papa and Nana King, below.
FLORIDA GANG FUN
Group continues tradition of camping at Wind Creek By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
For almost four decades Papa and Nanny King went camping bringing along family and friends. This week, that legacy is visiting Wind Creek State Park again, this time some 40 strong. “He is the man that started it all,” King’s
Russell Medical Center and Lake Martin Community Hospital are now Tier 1 hospitals for Blue Cross Blue Shield. The new rating could mean lower costs for individuals visiting either facility. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama created the tiered program of hospitals in 2006 to ensure cost containment, quality and patient satisfaction at the hospitals in its network. Due to the increase in healthcare costs, this year’s criteria had a greater emphasis on cost. This year, 73 percent of Blue Cross’ network hospitals classified as Tier 1 and 27 percent classified as Tier 2. Scoring will be conducted quarterly, which will give hospitals a chance to improve from Tier 2 to Tier 1. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama members who use Tier 2 hospitals may pay a higher deductible, copay or coinsurance. Any difference in prices paid may be dependent on the type of policy held as well as the hospital’s ranking. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of See TIER • Page 6
See CAMP • Page 5
Today’s
Easter Eggstravaganva to benefit Outdoor Friends Forever STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
File / The Outlook
A wide range of egg related activities will be featured at Saturday’s Easter Eggstravaganza at Strand Park in Alexander City.
Team Green with Leadership Lake Martin is helping with this weekend’s Arts and Entertainment District’s Eggstravaganza to raise funds for an accessible fire pit area at the Outdoor Friends Forever (OFF) Lodge in Coosa County. The 2016 Leadership Lake Martin Team Green is Michelle West of United Way, Sherry Willis of Re/Max, Lori Howell of USAmeriBank, Scott Sims of A&M Plumbing, David Cantrell of the Alexander City Fire
Department and Rob McDaniel of SpringHouse restaurant. The team all decided very early on in the Lake Martin program it we wanted to do a project that would help OFF. OFF is a non-profit organization providing outdoor opportunities to people with special needs. The organization hosts multiple events throughout the year including hunting and fishing weekends. The hunting weekends are a great time for the whole family. Children with special needs and challenges get a chance to learn more about the outdoors and the skill of hunting.
Dadeville Insurance Come see us for all your Insurance needs. •Progressive •Auto-Owners Insurance •The National Security Group •Sagamore •National General •And More
114 West Cusseta Street • Dadeville, AL
256-825-4612
Hunting weekends include lodging, meals, snacks, many activities such as hunter education, skeet shooting, target practice and a deer hunt for a chance at the trophy whitetail deer at zero cost to the family attending. Fishing weekends allow the whole family to learn about fishing. The hope is to teach the family members and child how to fish so they can return home and find a place to fish together as a family. Each fishing weekend also includes lodging, meals, snacks, fish education, lessons on lure-making and cooking See EGG • Page 6
Weather
72 56 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
486.95 Reported on 3/22/16 @ 5 p.m.
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
6
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8