COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE TODAY.
WEDNESDAY
THE TALKING GAME SEC’s Owens talks changes in football, p. B1.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 November 25, 2015 Vol. 123, No. 235 www.alexcityoutlook.com
Local woman warns of scam By Mitch Sneed
Merchants brace for onslaught of shoppers
Mailers give empty promises of cash, cars and sweepstakes
Outlook Editor
A local woman is hoping that her mistake may prevent others from being taken by scammers claiming they may have already won a car, cash or any type of sweepstakes. Juanita Ray is an 82-year-old former college English teacher at the University of Alabama. But last June when a slick mail-
er arrived telling her that she had already won a new car, she couldn’t help but get excited. “I was excited,” Ray said. “It was a new car. They had a picture, a description, they even had a picture of the vehicle identification number. All I had to do was to mail them a check for $25 for processing and
they would contact me with the details for the delivery.” Like many people, Ray wrote the check and dropped it in the mail. Then there was another letter saying she had to pay a small fee for shipping, so she sent that along, too. See SCAM, Page 6
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
A small portion of the scam mail that Juanita Ray received.
Salvation Army seeks bell ringers By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to ring bells all over Tallapoosa County as the organization kicks off its biggest fundraiser of the year Friday. This year bell ringers will be stationed outside both doors at Walmart and at Winn-Dixie in Alexander City. This year the Salvation Army will also have a kettle at Piggly Wiggly stores in Alexander City and Dadeville and at Foodland in Dadeville as well. The Alexander City office is also scheduling See ARMY, Page 6
Today’s
Weather
62 48 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
482.54
Reported on 11/24/15 @ 6 p.m.
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Teri Stephenson, right gets help from a Winn Dixie employee with her groceries for her Thanksgiving meal. Below, Dorothea Walker loads a few last-minute Thanksgiving groceries - including a ham - outside Winn-Dixie Tuesday morning. She said she expects 18 guests for her Thanksgiving meal.
Pricing the Feast
Local folks can gobble up a Thanksgiving dinner at a good price By David Granger Outlook Staff Writer
Butterball Premium turkeys at less than a dollar a pound? Yes, and at not one, but two local grocery retailers – just in time for Thanksgiving. Both Walmart and Winn-Dixie featured Butterball Premium turkeys at less than $1 per pound when an Outlook reporter checked prices at local grocery stores on Tuesday. Walmart had the birds at 93 cents a pound while Winn-Dixie had them at 95 cents. Translated, a 15-pound Butterball Premium turkey would cost you $13.95 at Walmart or See TURKEY, Page 7
TURKEY DAY BY THE NUMBERS Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
6
54708 90050
8
• The USDA estimates that Americans will consume 43,000,000 turkeys this Thanksgiving. • The average cost of a 16-pound turkey is $23.04 this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. That’s up about $1.39 from last year.
SAVE TIME & GASOLINE!
• About 47 million Americans are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. • 9 of 10 homes will have turkey, 70 percent will have green beans, 76 percent will have pumpkin pie.
By Corey Arwood Outlook Staff Writer
What’s up downtown on the Friday after Thanksgiving? Black Friday. It has a title of vague origin and a connotation that is generally not endearing. It brings to mind images of herds stampeding through big box stores for things that most people already have two of – and most people don’t really need one of. Why not flip the script, change the routine and stroll the sidewalks in the open air of seasonally decorated downtown Alexander City? The weather should be nice enough. According to the National Weather Service Friday is expected to be partly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. And most shops will be open and to some degree participating with a sale or two. Carlisle’s Drug Co., according to Lisa Champion, will “definitely” have some specials. “I always do something for Black Friday,” Champion said. Debbie Railey of Irresistible Boutique and Gift Shop said her shop would be open, but threw in some mystery and urged local shoppers to “check in” to see exactly what those would be. According to Stephanie Smith of The Little Black Dress, her store will be open, as Smith said,“…until everybody abandons shopping for the Iron Bowl.” Across the street, according to Cloud Nine’s Chelsea Lutz, there would be a slew of all-day and hourly sales. While down the street, Melissa Tucker, of City Pawn Shop, said they would participate with a sale on their electronics. Some stores will be open in a limited capacity and Paula McCollum of the Wine Emporium said that they would have a sale on wine, but would not be serving lunch from their café. However some businesses will be closed like the shops in the Shops of Queen’s See SHOPPERS, Page 7
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