GRANGER: SONGWRITER MISSED ALREADY, PAGE 4. RISING TIDE THURSDAY THE
Former Tiger Jennings shines in Alabama spring game,excited about the future.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 May 26, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 105
Sports, Page 8
www.alexcityoutlook.com
DRILL FOR DISASTER
Schools look to virtual academies Alexander City Schools assess first year as county announces its online program By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Agencies train for active shooter scenario By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Two suspects crashed into the front of the XYZ Industries building and a traffic accident-turned-hostage situation resulted in an unknown number of deaths and injuries, including one Alexander City Police Department officer, on Wednesday morning in a mock disaster drill coordinated by the Tallapoosa County Emergency Management Agency. “Casualties on the ground,” barked the voice on the Alexander City police scanner. “Be advised we do have shots fired. She (a witness who contacted police) is in the building. She doesn’t know from what direction, but she knows there have been shots fired.” Just over an hour later, Jason Moran, director of the Tallapoosa County EMA, met with media. Moran said the “tragic incident” began around 9 a.m. The county EMA director, who spoke first at the mock press conference at the Emergency Operations See DISASTER • Page 3
Beginning next fall, every high school student in Alabama will have an option to attend public high school without ever leaving home. Effective next academic year, all public schools in the state must have in place a virtual school through which a student can use his or her computer to take at least high school-level coursework. Alexander City Schools offered the virtual school option this year for all Benjamin Russell High School students. Tallapoosa County schools will offer it for students in the ninth through 12th grades in the 2016-17 school year. “We’ll start it at the middle school as well next year,” said Darrell Cooper, superintendent of Alexander City Schools. “We’ve certainly had some parents contact us about it. For different kinds of students, it can be appealing, but it’s not for the average student. For the student to be successful, they have to be motivated, they have to be self-motivated.” Benjamin Russell principal Anthony See VIRTUAL • Page 7
County school board deals with personnel First responders practiced their response to an active shooter at the old new #1 Wednesday. The scenario started with a wreck in the front door of the facility and the driver going on a shooting spree.
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
The Tallapoosa County Board of Education on Wednesday voted to approve more than 50 personnel moves, more than half of which were transfers of employment from Councill Middle School, which meets for its last half-day of classes today, to other county schools. Twenty-seven of 31 transfers the board unanimously approved at the specially called meeting were transfers from Councill. “And that’s all of them, right?” asked board See PERSONNEL • Page 7
Local residents complete training Lake Levels in Citizens Public Safety Academy 490.61 Lake Martin
Reported on 5/18/16 @ 3 p.m.
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Sun Festival shirts revealed
Kim Dunn of the the Alexander City Chamber shows off this year’s Sun Festival T-shirts featuring a design by John Denney. The shirts sell for $20 and are available at the Chamber office.
The Alexander City Public Safety Academy wrapped up Tuesday with a graduation ceremony, bringing the 13-week informative course to a close. The public safety academy gives citizens a behind-the-scenes look at the daily jobs of city employees including police, firefighters, employees of the gas department and the municipal court See ACADEMY • Page 7
Bill’s Electric ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
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Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Members of the graduating class of the Alexander City Public Safety Academy pose with administrators and instructors from the Alexander City Fire and Police Departments following the graduation ceremony Tuesday night at the city’s public safety building.
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54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
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