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November 24, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 233 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Coosa escapee captured in metro Atlanta DeKalb County Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Lonzy Robertson said it was a less than dramatic end for a man who had escaped for the second time in less than a month from the Coosa County Jail. “Our department received an anonyShane Anthony Vernon, 27, was taken mous call from a resident reporting a into custody by officers with the DeKalb suspicious person at the Aspen Woods County Police Department at 10:21 p.m. Apartments on Flat Shoals Road in Tuesday, according to Coosa County DeKalb County,” Robertson said. Sheriff Terry Wilson. According to a “When our officers arrived they spotstatement released by Wilson, Vernon’s arrest was without incident. He is being ted a man on a third floor landing, just standing there with a beer in his hand. held in DeKalb County Jail awaiting “They approached him and after extradition, the sheriff’s office said.
Nationwide search leads to Vernon being found at Georgia apartment complex with beer in hand By MITCH SNEED Editor
A nationwide search for a Coosa County fugitive with Alexander City ties who terrorized multiple people and abandoned one of the victims in metro Atlanta ended Tuesday night in DeKalb County, Georgia.
initially giving a false name, our officers were able to verify that the man was indeed Shane Vernon and he was taken into custody without any problems at all. I understand that he had created a lot of problems Vernon along the way, but it was very quiet and calm on our end.” Robertson was unsure if Vernon had
See ESCAPEE • Page 3
Jacksons Gap raise salaries for chief, clerk By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
The Jacksons Gap Town Council passed the 2018 budget with no discussion Tuesday night while also setting a salary for the police chief and town clerk. It also adopted a new personnel manual. The approved budget has $530,000 in revenues with $216,000 coming from court fines and assessment. That is an See COUNCIL • Page 7
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
A new Ford F550 fully loaded with tanks, hoses and pumps rolled into Station No. 1 Wednesday morning. The truck is diesel powered and comes with a 400-gallon tank, which is an increase of 100 gallons over the existing equipment.
Grant makes new brush truck a reality ously. “There shouldn’t be many areas that we can’t get to with this,” McAlister The Alexander City Fire Department said. “There have been instances in the has a new tool in fighting brush and woods past where we had to get help from the fires and they have a federal grant to thank Forestry Service, but with this we should for it. be able to get just about anywhere.” A shiny, new, red Ford F550 brush truck In September 2016, the department rolled into Station No. 1 Wednesday morn- received notice that it had been cleared ing. The four-wheel drive truck with high for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant to clearance is fully loaded with tanks, hoses purchase the truck. Later that same month, and pumps. Chief Reese McAlister said it the Alexander City City Council amended will help them get to locations that were the budget to include matching funds of difficult with the equipment it had previ$13,760 with the grant paying the remainBy MITCH SNEED Editor
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LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
The Tallapoosa County Farmer’s Federation will be holding its Annual Farm City Banquet dinner Tuesday, Nov. 28 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Arbor Campus of First United Methodist Church in Alexander City. “This is a way of bringing together urban communities and farming communities,” TCFF Secretary Vickie Watkins said. See DINNER • Page 3
Radney Elementary named Beta Club School of Distinction By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
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der of the $148,574 for the vehicle. After the bid was awarded to North American Fire Equipment Company of Decatur, Alabama, the production began and officials from the department picked the vehicle up on Wednesday. The truck is diesel powered and comes with a 400-gallon tank, an increase of 100 gallons over the existing equipment. “We are thankful to have it and appreciative of everyone involved in the grant process and to the council for providing the matching funds,” McAlister said. “We think it will help us keep property safer.”
Farmer’s Federation holding annual banquet dinner Tuesday night
The National Beta Club recently named a number of schools across the country as National Beta Schools of Distinction for the 20172018 school year. Among those recognized with this honor was Radney Elementary School. “I found out on Friday that we were awarded this,” Radney Junior Beta Club Sponsor Kenyatta Simmons said. “It’s a really big deal. Not every school gets the chance to earn this distinction.” “This is something we can take a lot of pride in,” Radney Principal Dr. John Prestridge said. “It shows the dedication of the sponsors and
the students in Beta Club. “The biggest deal to me is that we talk about providing plenty of opportunities to our students. I tell the teachers, ‘Whatever we do, let’s do it with excellence.’ This is something we can take a lot of pride in.” In order to be given a School of Distinction award, Simmons said a school must show a 10 percent increase in Beta Club membership, as well as an excellent community service record and being academically strong across the entire school. “This is something you can earn again each year,” she said. “It will be hard to keep earning this each year, but we are willing to strive to See RADNEY • Page 3
Starting Friday:
Submitted / The Outlook
Radney Elementary School Junior Beta Club Sponsors Kenyatta Simmons and Twila Gordon celebrate Radney being named a National Beta School of Distinction.
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