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Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 March 2, 2016 Vol. 124, No. 44 www.alexcityoutlook.com
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Lewis comes up short in run for DA Trump, Clinton, Shelby and Rogers carry Tallapoosa County By CLIFF WILLIAMS and MITCH SNEED Staff Writers
Chief Assistant District Attorney Damon Lewis lost his bid for district attorney to replace the retiring E. Paul Jones in the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Alabama to former law enforcement officer and Chambers County attorney Bill Harris. “It does not look like we will pull it out tonight,” Lewis said Tuesday night as he was getting numbers from Macon County. “It has been 18 years that I have enjoyed working for the state of Alabama. I look forward to the future.” Lewis carried Tallapoosa County 4,531 to 2,729 though Harris carried the boxes in Union, Reeltown, and Tallassee. Lewis lost Randolph County 919 votes to Harris’ 2,009 and in Chambers County 990 to
2,297. The Fifth Judicial Circuit covers Chambers, Macon, Randolph and Tallapoosa counties. Harris will face Democrat Jeremy Duerr, who ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary, in the November general election. Amendment 1 passed in Tallapoosa County 6,552 to 3,516 and carried statewide as well. Voter turnout in Tallapoosa County was strong as more than 44 percent of the county’s 27,000 registered voters took to the polls. Statewide, more than 35 percent of voters turned out. Ballots were cast locally for Congress. Mike Rogers took a primary win over former Alabama Superintendent of the Year Larry Cliff Williams / The Outlook DiChiara in Tuesday’s GOP Primary. Damon Lewis watches results with family and friends in Alexander City Tuesday See ELECTION • Page 11 night. Lewis came up short for the Republican nod.
New species at Lake Martin
Bice to step down as State School Superintendent
‘Snowbirds’ find winter home on and off the water
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Have you seen the snowbirds around Lake Martin yet? It seems snowbirds Jeanne Morissette and Johnnette Reed of Wisconsin say they might be a rare breed around here. “We have not met any other snowbirds around here,” Reed said while fishing from a dock near the River Bridge. “Though, we have met a lot of locals. And everybody has just been great. So friendly.” The snowbirds, who are joined on the migration by Reed’s husband John, are in the middle of a threemonth trip south in search of warmer weather. The Reeds are no stranger to the annual winter migration pattern of snowbirds. “For the last ten years, we have been somewhere different,” Reed said. “In 2010, we made a big trip to Panama. We pulled a trailer behind the truck. We liked Guatemala so much we bought a place and stayed
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Johnette Reed, left of Thorp, WI and Jeanne Morissette of Chippewa Falls, WI fish from the dock Sunday afternoon. The ladies have been sighted all over Alexander City.
four years.” After returning home to the great white north of Thorp, Wisconsin, the Reeds headed out again. “Last year we made the big loop,” Reed said. “We went through Texas and Arizona. We stayed at Lake Havasu for a while and fished. Well, I fished alone.”
While researching for this year’s migration, the Reeds went looking for few fishing spots and looking around the couple found Lake Martin. “Down in Florida, it was real expensive to try and stay three See SNOWBIRDS • Page 6
After more than 39 years of service to public education, State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Tommy Bice, has announced plans to retire from his post as Alabama’s educational leader. Bice who led the Alexander City School system before taking the state post, said it’s time to pursue other “passions.” Bice became deputy state superintendent of education for instructional services since June 2008 and was elevated to the job as superintendent in Bice November 2011. In his more than four years as State Superintendent of Education, Bice has charted a course to improve public education that includes improving graduation rates, increasing students’ college- and careerreadiness, establishing rigorous academic standards and meaningful assessments and accountability systems, supporting teachers and leaders to create innovative learning opportunities for students, and advocating for adequate funding for schools and school See BICE • Page 5
Military vehicle rally set this weekend at Wind Creek By MITCH SNEED Editor
If you see a steady stream on military vehicles in the area this weekend, no, the area is not under invasion. Instead, The Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club is hosting the East Alabama Regional Spring Rally Friday and Saturday at Wind Creek Park. Local military vehicle enthusiast Gary Poe said that there will be 30 or more vehicles on display, including Jeeps from four separate wars, cargo vehicles and other memorabilia. “The will start rolling in at about 8 a.m. on Friday morning and they will be there until probably about 3 p.m. on Saturday,” Poe said. “The only admission is the cost of admission to the
park. I know we will have Jeeps from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. We have deuce-anda-half trucks, Humvees and all sorts of things. We have members from all over the state of Alabama and there’s no telling what some of them will bring in here.” The event includes equipment displays and a swap meet as well. Poe said that anyone with any interest in military history would enjoy coming out and visiting with the collectors. “It’s amazing to hear how everyone found the vehicles and what all they did to them to restore them,” Poe said. “I have this 1971 M35AZ Cargo truck that I found on Craig’s List. Mitch Sneed / The Outlook But some get them at surplus auctions and others have been Gary Poe climbs into his “deuce and a half” military cargo vehicle that he will show at See RALLY • Page 6 this weekend’s rally at Wind Creek State Park.
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