OPINION: PRISON REFORM PUNISHES VICTIMS, NOT CRIMINALS LOCAL BATTLE
THURSDAY
THE
Lady Generals defeat Lady Tigers on the diamond. Sports, Page 8.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 March 3, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 45
www.alexcityoutlook.com
NO SERVICE: Verizon customers deal with outage East Alabama as well as a few in West Georgia. Verizon had technicians working on the problem throughout the outage and as of 11:04 a.m. Wednesday, a temporary fix had been made and most of the customers who had been without service reported being back up and running. The outage was first reported at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday evening. The fix was made at 11:04 a.m.
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Verizon Wireless customers were without service for a period of time after storms rolled across Central Alabama leaving 20 cell towers down.
Were you without cellphone service Tuesday and Wednesday? You weren’t alone. A large group of Verizon Wireless customers were in the same boat in Central Alabama. Verizon Wireless officials confirmed that Tuesday night’s storms that rolled across Central Alabama have caused outages involving 20 cell phone towers in Central and
Sunday alcohol sales bill near ready
Local minister facing fondling charge By MITCH SNEED Editor
A 62-year-old minister at an Alexander City church has been arrested on multiple charges, including allegations that he fondled a minor female. Roy Eugene Wooten, 62, of Alexander City was arrested and charged on Feb. 24 Wooten according to Alexander City Police Department records. The face page of the report lists charges as “sex offense – child fondling. Domestic violence by strangulation or suffocation and simple assault.” Wooten was arrested at 1:15 p.m. on Feb. 24 by Alexander City Police Department officers. The See MINISTER • Page 3
Today’s
Weather
57 42 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
485.26 Reported on 03/02/16 @ 6 p.m.
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
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54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
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Wednesday, records show. Verizon Wireless experienced interruption in service for some customers throughout the Alexander City area due to severe weather overnight,” Kate Jay, a spokesperson for Verizon said. “ Engineers were able to identify and resolve the issue and service was restored by 11:30 a.m. CST. Officials say some short, smaller-scale outages could occur over See VERIZON • Page 3
Draft prepared and ready to advertise for vote on issue
Submitted / The Outlook
Above, District 2 Commissioner Steve Robinson competes in a marathan in 2010. This Saturday, Robinson will compete in his 100th marathon.
MARATHON MAN Steve Robinson preps to run 100th marathon By MIA OSBORN Staff Writer
On Saturday, March 5, Alexander City’s District 2 Commissioner Steve Robinson will accomplish a longtime goal: running his 100th marathon. Robinson began running in 1995 as part of an effort to quit smoking. He began to train with the Lake Martin HalfFast Running Club in the spring of that
year. That December Robinson ran his first marathon, the 19th annual Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville. Since then, he has run an average of seven marathons per year. The Outlook has kept up with Robinson’s progress through the years. In a 2010 article, Robinson told the paper, “If I’m able to hold up, I should See MARATHON • Page 3
By MITCH SNEED Editor
A draft resolution that would allow for the vote of the people in Tallapoosa County and any city that choses to put it on the ballot to decide if Sunday sales of alcohol should be allowed is being prepared for advertisement. The Tallapoosa County Commission requested the local legislation on the matter of Sunday sales, and Rep. Mark Tuggle emailed the draft bill to County Attorney Thomas Radney Wednesday. “I just got the draft bill this morning and I have circulated it to some key people just to make sure that they are confortable with all the language,” Radney said. “From there we will check the statute and have it advertised appropriately and go from there.” The Dadeville City Council unanimously passed a resolution at its Feb. 9 meeting, making its intentions known that it wanted citizens to vote on the sale of alcohol on Sundays. Currently in Tallapoosa County, only the town of Camp Hill allows Sunday sales of alcohol. While Alexander City has not discussed a See SALES • Page 3
Seven-week course designed to strengthen all marriages By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Ginny Archer is a firm believer that all married couples – whether the relationship is strong or whether they are struggling – need an occasional tune-up. That’s why Archer, a licensed counselor, and her husband, Lewis, a Methodist minister, will be leading a seven-week course called “The Marriage Course,” which will meet each Sunday night from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Coffee Corner, located at 107 Main St. in Alexander City. “The course is designed to provide couples with tools to make their marriages stronger and healthier,” said Archer. “They are two-hour sessions designed to be just between you and your spouse. There’s no
group discussion, it’s a one-onone thing. You won’t be asked to share with anyone about your relationship except your partner. You get there, share a meal, watch a short DVD presentation and then you have a workbook that leads you through the discussion, tells you how to process the night’s topic or issue.” The cost for the seven-week course – which runs March 6 through April 24, with the exception of the evening of March 27, which is Easter – is $125 per couple and includes two course manuals and meals for the seven Sunday nights. Topics to be covered over the seven weeks include: • Building a strong foundation • The art of communication See MARRIAGE • Page 3
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