INSIDE: n Obituaries, page 2. n ACFD puts out brush fire, page 3 nArea youth to play in Georgia Dome, page 12
Weekend OPINION: SHOPPING LOCAL HAS MANY BENEFITS, PAGE 4.
The Outlook
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
November 26-27, 2016 • Vol. 124 • No. 238 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
BLAZE FOR DAYS?
.5% of our sales tax paves local roads
Dadeville deals with water outage Issues at pumping stations leaves many residents without water
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Area residents watch as a fire burns at Mott’s Woodyard on North Loop in Dadeville Thursday night. The fire consumed timber, mulch and crossties being stored on the site. The timber and mulch came from installation of the Sabal Trail pipeline.
Thursday fire in Dadeville could burn for days By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
See WATER • Page 3
The Dadeville Fire Department responded to a fire at Mott’s Woodyard on North Loop early Thanksgiving Day. “We found a small fire down in the pile here,” Dadeville Fire Chief Keith Wilkerson said Thursday night. “Then at noon we came back and it was ablaze again.” The old woodyard was being used by a contractor working on the Sabal Trail pipeline project. “The contractor made us aware of it,” Sabal Trail’s Andrea Glover said. “He is working with local authorities on the matter.” The site is being used as a collection point for the timber that is harvested from the right of way
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Mike Ingram, left, with the Dadeville Utilities Board looks on as repairs are made to the pumping station causing water outages in Dadeville.
See FIRE • Page 10
Today’s
Weather
64 36
High
Low
Rain in next week’s forecast, but burn ban remains in place By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
483.12 Reported on 11/25/16 @ 4 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
6
Many Dadeville residents stepped into their showers Friday expecting water to flow. What most did not know is that little water had made to the town’s water tanks over the last few days due to a malfunctioning pumping station at West Lafayette Street and Madwind Road. “We have been working on it since early Thursday,” Dadeville Gas and Water Authority’s Mike Ingram said Friday morning. “It appears to be electrical.” Ingram explained that crews had been repairing some leaks in the station and as they would fix one, another would appear. Ingram also said it was possible that the spraying water may be the culprit. The lack of water also presented the town a problem in fighting a fire at Mott’s Woodyard Thursday. “Two tanks have little to no water in them,” Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith said. “The fire
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
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The National Weather Service’s extended forecast for Wetumpka and surrounding area includes something people in this are have seen little of lately: a better than 50 percent chance of rain. As of Friday morning, the NWS forecast includes a 60 percent rain chance for Tuesday, Tuesday night and Wednesday. “This is definitely the best chance of rain we’ve seen in several months,”
said Mark Rose, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. “We’ve got a fairly strong storm system coming through. We may see a few showers on Monday, but it looks like our best chances are on Tuesday and Wednesday when we may have a couple of waves coming through.” Rose said there is a possibility for significant amounts of rainfall in the area and northward. Mitch Sneed / The Outlook “The models Empty rain gauges like this have become standard across are showing fairly the area as the last time it has rain a measurable amount See RAIN • Page 3 was Sept. 18, but that appears that will change next week.
Riverbend Convenience Store 9120 Hwy. 280 • Alex City
256-825-6065
Non-Ethanol Gas • Live Bait & Tackle
IRON BOWL: Friends agree to disagree By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Today is a day in Alabama when families are split, friends avoid one another and college football is king. It’s Iron Bowl Saturday. Today at 2:30 p.m. in Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny Stadium, the No. 13 Auburn Tigers (8-3, 5-2 in SEC play) pay a visit to the undefeated and top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0, 7-0 in SEC games). Alabama enters the annual rivalry tilt as a prohibitive 17.5-point favorite in a game nationally televised on CBS (WAKA, Channel 8 in Montgomery). See GAME • Page 5