INSIDE
OPINION: PRESIDENT NEEDS TO FOLLOW SPEECH WITH ACTION
FRIDAY
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FISH TALE: Local fisherman finds a 2-for-1 surprise By MITCH SNEED Editor
Submitted / The Outlook
Don Ayres reeled in a 2-for-1 catch while fishing on Lake Martin on Feb. 19.
Fishing Lake Martin is a regular occurrence for Don Ayres as he often spends evenings fishing from the pier of his lake home on Sandy Creek with the help of his Green Monster underwater light. But on Feb. 19, there was nothing at all regular about his catch. Ayres broke his routine and started fishing about daybreak with an artificial shad that had treble hooks at the front and back. “I was fishing with a deepwater
shad lure about five feet down when I got a hit and then another jerk,” Ayres said. “I figured it was a pretty good fish from the way it was pulling. I mean I fish there all the time and we’ve caught some stripers of good size there.” Ayres said he thought he would be able to land the fish up and over the sea wall. When he couldn’t lift it out of the water, he worked his way to a floating dock and was finally able to reach down and get his catch. Ayres discovered he had caught a striped bass and spotted bass on a single cast and the same lure.
Moon Taxi to headline Sun Festival concert
Bill aims to legalize online fantasy sports By MITCH SNEED Editor
If the state senator who represents a sizable chunk of Tallapoosa County has his way, Alabama residents will be able to again play online fantasy sports games. Sen. Tom Whatley (R-Auburn) filed legislation in the Alabama State Senate to allow Alabamians to lawfully participate in daily online fantasy sports contests such as those run by DraftKings and FanDuel. “As it is now those IP addresses don’t work when you cross the river into Alabama and there are an awful lot of my constituents who enjoy playing fantasy sports,” Whatley said. “Several other states have figured out ways to allow it and I don’t think the people of Alabama should be excluded from participating in something that they enjoy.” According to a release from Whatley’s office, the proposal would require fantasy sports websites operating in Alabama to register with the Secretary of State’s office and create a fund to collect fees and dues from participating companies. “Daily online sports See BILL • Page 3
“I had the striper hooked with the front hook in the mouth and the spotted bass kind of in the nose, I guess you could say on the back hook,” Ayres said. “I have been fishing a long time and I have never seen that happen. “I’ve since learned from talking to folks that it happens more than you think. They say that one will hit and then another fish will see it hanging and try to take it away. I don’t know if that’s what happened or not, but it was the most unusual thing that has happened to me fishing for sure.” See FISHING • Page 3
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
Mitch Sneed and Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Above, First Baptist Church Early Learning Center’s Andie Moseley holds twins Abbie Kate Waldrop and Amelia Grace Waldrop dressed as Thing 1 and Thing 2 at the center’s Read Across America parade. Below, Luke Simmons dressed as the pigeon from “The Pigeon Wants a Puppy,” picks up his green eggs and ham in the lunch room at Jim Pearson Elementary School Thursday morning. Students at the school dressed as their favorite characters Thursday to help celebrate Dr. Seuss and Read Across America.
CELEBRATING SEUSS Local children ‘Read Across America’ to honor author
The Alexander City Chamber of Commerce has announced that Moon Taxi, an American indie-progressive rock band, will headline the Fifth Annual Sun Festival concert on Saturday, July 22 at Strand Park in downtown Alexander City. “We are thrilled to have Moon Taxi as our headliner. Having a popular act like Moon Taxi, who has local roots in Birmingham, combined with moving the event to Strand Park is going to create an electric atmosphere and draw thousands of visitors to our downtown,” said Chamber President & CEO Ed Collari. The winner of Band Battle, which will be held in Strand Park on Friday, July 21, will serve as the opening act for Moon Taxi on Saturday night. Gates will open at 6 p.m. with the concert beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are now available online at www. alexandercitychamber.com or at the Chamber of Commerce office located inside the Lake Martin Innovation Center at 175 Aliant Parkway. All seating is general admission and tickets are $20 in advance and $30 the day of the concert. “This year, we’re moving the concert on Saturday night of Sun Festival to Strand Park and we just finalized a contract with Moon Taxi,” Collari said. “Our goal is to expose visitors to our community along with trying to draw a younger, more vibrant audience to our downtown. A band on the rise like Moon Taxi should draw from Auburn, Birmingham and will put on an excellent show.” The members of Moon Taxi are no strangers to the stage. Hailing from Nashville, the fivepiece formed in 2006 and set out to conquer See SUN FESTIVAL • Page 3
BRHS get taste of ‘real world’ with Senior Blitz By MITCH SNEED Editor
Thursday morning it was all about eye contact, positivity, a firm handshake and building a connection as seniors at Benjamin Russell High School took part in the Senior Blitz. The event puts students through a series of four 15-minute interviews with local business, community and civic leaders to help prepare them for life after high school.
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The Senior Blitz is another of the activities and programs that stress character building and experience for Benjamin Russell students. The program stresses the “Eight C’s of Being College and Career Ready” which are: character, communicator, collaborator, critical thinker, creator and innovator, computer and tech savvy, call of leadership and Mitch Sneed / The Outlook community and school service. Benjamin Russell Career Tech Director Kimberly Davis listens “You can see some of them change to student Cameron Bice during interview sessions Thursday See BLITZ • Page 3 morning during the school’s Senior Blitz event.
Lake Martin
Weather High
Principal Anthony Wilkinson said this is the second year that seniors have participated in the program and said last year it got rave reviews from participants. “An interview is stressful anytime and the idea is to give them some experience before it really counts so to speak,” Wilkinson said. “We’d much rather them be nervous and freak out here with us where we can help them through it than do it out there in the real world.”
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