SPORTS, PAGE 12
FRIDAY
THE
Winning mentality helps Wildcats take third at state golf tourney
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
May 25, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 104 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Potential tropical storm building in Gulf By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
June 1 marks the traditional beginning of hurricane season, though storms forming in late May has become more common over the past several years. It seems as if 2018 will be no exception to this, as a low-pressure area was building over the Yucatan Peninsula Thursday with the potential to become a tropical storm as it prepares to move across the Gulf of Mexico towards the United
States. “There is no real solid consensus on what it will do at this point,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Roger McNeil said early Thursday afternoon. “There is not a precise center that has formed. It is a fairly broad area of low pressure, however.” According to the models used by the National Weather Service, the system should move north into the Gulf of Mexico, bringing tropical moisture with it as it moves closer to the Gulf Coast,
McNeil said. Current projections show this system could come ashore anywhere between Tallahassee, Florida and New Orleans. “Later Sunday evening and into the first of next week, we could see some impact then,” McNeil said. “Even if no tropical storm develops, the system will pull copious amounts of moisture into our area.” As the low-pressure area gets closer to Tallapoosa County, area residents could see elevated rain chances and significant
rainfall, as well as the potential for the showers to turn into more severe thunderstorms as the system settles in. Information obtained late Thursday afternoon from the National Hurricane Center in Miami suggested the system had a 70 percent potential of evolving into a tropical system within 48 hours and a 90 percent chance of doing so at some point during the next five days. “The potential for development is there,” McNeil said. “We should know more tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday.”
City gets good financial report
Officials give safety tips for weekend
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Law enforcement suggests planning, boat safety, more for Memorial Day outings By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Holiday fun for area residents usually involves highways or water. Officials with local and state law enforcement want to remind everyone to keep safety at the top of the list for whatever their plans are. “We want everyone to enjoy themselves, but we want everyone to think safety first,” Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said. “One of the big things that’s so important to me is preplanning trips because of so many people on the road.” Abbett explained not preplanning a trip can lead to distracted driving causing accidents from people texting to get directions or trying to program GPS to get to their destination. Abbett also recommends following the established laws in regards to travel. “Always buckle up,” he said. “And no drinking and driving.” Last year there were See SAFETY • Page 3
Today’s
Weather
84 67 High
Low
END OF AN ERA Donald Campbell / The Outlook
Horseshoe Bend graduate Nalijah Heard, above right, receives his high school diploma at the school’s graduation ceremony Wednesday evening. Top, graduates move their tassles over celebrating the accomplishment of graduating high school. For more photos from the Generals’ graduation, see Page 9 inside.
After two years of sorting through financial records and history that Mayor Jim Nabors compared to “one of those bad commercials you see where they are trying to do a tax return when somebody brings them all their records in a shoebox,” Alexander City Finance Director Sandy Stanbrough presented a financial report that gave the council and residents a status of where the city stands. Stanbrough gave a report that showed the revenue taken in by the city across the board as well as expenses and said that the city is over budget in revenue and under budget in expenses. “I want to stress that these are unaudited numbers and that it is just a snapshot of where we are at this point, but indications are that compared to last budget year we are 5 percent over budget in revenue and 7 percent under budget in expenses,” Stanbrough told the council and residents at Thursday’s meeting. “Now the way the year works is there are times in the year when we take in more revenue than we do at other parts of the year and there are times when we incur expenses that we don’t at other times. But overall this See COUNCIL • Page 7
Weather won’t stop weekend full of activities at the lake Live music, art festival and more to enjoy in the area By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.42
Reported on 05/24/18 @ 5 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8
There is plenty to see, do and hear this Memorial Day weekend. From activities around the lake to music, there is bound to be something to interest most everyone. Down Highway 63, two big events are occurring this weekend, the 12th annual Art on the Lake at Children’s Harbor and RXR Fest at Russell Crossroads, despite the weather. “We have ordered a big tent,” Russell Lands’ Robert Gunn said. “We are going to cover as much of the Town Green as we can so the show will go on.” Gunn said they have limited options for moving RXR Fest. “We just decided Town Green is the best place for it,” Gunn said. “We really don’t have an indoor See ACTIVITIES • Page 3
File / The Outlook
Guests take a look at what vendors have to offer at last year’s Art on the Lake. The 12th annual Art on the Lake will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at Children’s Harbor. The event is free and open to the public.
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