THE CHAMBER PULSE, PAGE 6 Strand Sessions set for Thursday in Strand Park
TUESDAY SPORTS, PAGE 12
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
Benjamin Russell to host area softball tourney
May 1, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 86 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Police probe shots fired in neighborhoods By MITCH SNEED Editor
Alexander City Police Department personnel are investigating at least three separate cases on shots being fired in area neighborhoods in recent days. A quiet Sunday afternoon in Alexander City changed in a hurry as multiple calls to police dispatchers reported shots fired in the Spring Hill Community. Virtually every Alexander City Police Department employee on duty flooded the area and covered the roads that lead out of the area.
The Alexander City Police Department is investigating at least three separate cases on shots being fired in area neighborhoods in recent days, including the Spring Hill Community, left.
A crowd of more than 20 people were congregated in the area across from the Alexander City Housing Authority Community Center on County Road. But police were only able to obtain sketchy information from the uncooperative crowd gathered. Others neighboring the scene were able to provide a vague description of the vehicle and a potential suspect and investigators collected a large number of shell casings from the scene, according to reports. The calls began coming in at 12:05 p.m.,
Mitch Sneed / The
See SHOTS • Page 3
Outlook
Russell Medical has successful healthy heart weekend By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
JUSTICE AT LAST
Coosa County Sheriff Terry Wilson announces that Sonya Wright was arrested in the 2003 case of Alexxys Wright’s death at Monday’s press conference.
Alexxys Wright
Sonya Wright
Mitch h Sne Sn S Sneed need ne ed / T Outlookk The
Aunt charged in 2003 death of toddler By MITCH SNEED Editor
Coosa County Sheriff Terry Wilson announced Monday that the aunt of 2-year-old Alexxys Tayantha Wright has been arrested for murder in the child’s 2003 death. After 15 years, a cold case investigation that included additional interviews with people
with knowledge of the events that led to the toddler’s death, Wilson said that Sonya Alesia Wright, 47, of Montgomery was arrested for capital murder on Thursday April 26. She was indicted on that charge on April 20 by a Coosa County Grand Jury. “On Thursday, April 26, 2018, the Coosa County Cold Case Task Force, along with the See WRIGHT • Page 3
Alexxys’ mother Tanya Johnson speaks with media members at Monday’s press conference. “It feels so great knowing she will be brought to justice after all these years,” Johnson said.
Jazz Fest announces lineup
Radney drama club to hold fundraiser yard sale
Hollis Brown and former American Idol winner Taylor Hicks headliners STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The lineup has been set for the 28th annual Alexander City Jazz Fest on Friday, June 8 in downtown Alexander City’s Strand Park and on Saturday, June 9 at The AMP on Lake Martin. Kicking off Jazz Fest on Friday night is the New Devils, which will be followed by Jon
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Cleary. Headlining the opening night’s festivities will be Hollis Brown. Saturday night’s music will open with Yonrico Scott who will be followed by Roman Street. Headlining the night and closing out the annual musical festival will be local favorite and former American Idol winner Taylor Hicks. See LINEUP • Page 3
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By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic
Singer Taylor Hicks poses for a photo at FOX’s “American Idol” finale for the farewell season at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California in 2016. Hicks will close out Jazz Fest as the headliner Saturday, June 9 at the AMP on Lake Martin.
As the school year begins to wind down, there are those who are already preparing for next school year. This includes the Drama Club at Radney Elementary School, which will be holding its annual yard sale this Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. in the school cafeteria. “This is the second one I’ve done, but the Drama Club has been holding a yard sale for several years now,” Radney drama teacher Hannah Hawk See RADNEY • Page 10
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.46
FIRMLY ROOTED IN LAKE MARTIN AND HERE TO STAY.
Reported on 04/30/18 @ 3 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443 6
8
Wanting to help encourage locals to maintain a healthy heart, Russell Medical Center hosted educational and fun events around its campus Friday and Saturday, a weekend RMC Marketing Director Susan Foy felt had been very successful. “We had a great two days of events,” Foy said. “The Mega Heart was very well-received by students, teachers and the public. We had a crowd coming through all afternoon to take a trip through the Mega Heart.” During Friday’s Mega Heart educational experience, Foy estimated between 550 and 600 people took a tour of the giant inflatable heart, while 49 runners registered for Saturday’s “Let Your Heart Race- 5K on the Runway” and another 16 participated in the 1-mile fun walk around the RMC campus. “I think the runners had a great time Saturday,” Foy said. “The course was fun and easy to run, and it turned out to be a pretty fast course.” In the men’s category, the top three finishers were Jordan Korte, who came in first with a time of 24:34, followed by Carl Staley (24:54) and Bill Berry (26:23). On the women’s side, Cindy Mahan was the top finisher, coming in at 26:30, while Jamie Watts took second (26:51) and See HEART • Page 10
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
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