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City completes deal for former Russell property, Page 7
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
November 3, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 219 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
$55 million budget proposed by city By MITCH SNEED Editor
The Alexander City City Council got its first look at a proposed $55 million budget for Fiscal Year 2017/18 Thursday. The proposed numbers include $48.9 million in operating expenses and $6.2 million in capital improvements. The city is currently operating on a continuation of last year’s budget until the new budget can be passed. The numbers presented
Thursday do not include any across the board pay increases for employees, but does have regularly scheduled step increases and several adjustments that were identified to clear up inequities on several individual grades for employees whose duties did not match their classification. “This has taken longer than I thought, but we are all working very hard to get to a point where we can input information quickly,” Finance Director Sandy
Volunteers still needed for cleanup
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Funding limits road projects County said it is forced to put band aids on issues
Donald Campbell / The Outlook
Above, keynote speaker Mike Lutzenkirchen talks with students Thursday morning during the “UR KEYS 2 DRV” event, encouraging them to be responsible and learn from the death of his son, former Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen. Below, Local State Farm Insurance agent Karen Channell presents the ASF Foundation with a check as part of the company partnering with non-profit organizations to help sponsor the “UR KEYS 2 DRV” program.
More than 300 attend session on driving decisions at CACC By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
More than 300 students representing 18 high schools, including Benjamin Russell, Homewood and The Donoho School in Anniston gathered in the auditorium of the Betty Carol Graham Center Thursday morning for a special program, “UR KEYS 2 DRV.” Sponsored by State Farm Insurance, the program is aimed at teenagers to See DRIVE • Page 3
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
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The Outlook
There is something about hopping in the car and taking a drive to relax, maybe go visit family and friends. Everyone loves to drive a smooth straight road without potholes and other road problems that can cause problems for automobiles from tire problems to alignment issues. In Tallapoosa County and the rest of Alabama a lack of funding have left officials with little they can do except put band aids on the problem. “We patch roads as we can,” Tallapoosa County Engineer David Moore said. “We just can’t do much.” For the county, funds for repaving come from the federal government. “The only money that we can rely on each year is federal money,” Moore said. “That amounts to about $533,000 a year for projects that have to bid through ALDOT.” According to Moore, the federal money does not go far, considering it costs about See ROADS • Page 3
Horseshoe Bend FCCLA takes first at Alabama National Fair
Today’s
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Mitch Sneed/
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
See CLEANUP • Page 3
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Alex City Mayor Jim Nabors listens as budget numbers are presented at a work session Thursday night.
‘UR KEYS 2 DRV’
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
John Thompson and the Lake Martin Resource Association are still looking for help removing litter from roadways and shorelines this weekend in the annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup. Thompson says it does not take much to help out. “They don’t need to ask where to go,” Thompson said. “They will know where trash is at. They can find a spot and pick it up.” Thompson said volunteers will be at the Wind Creek Marina, the Kowaliga public boat ramp and the Union public boat ramp will have supplies like garbage bags, snacks and water. LMRA’s John Thompson explained some of the trash has been there for decades and the group’s efforts are finally paying off. “We are making a big dent in this, especially the old trash,” Thompson said. “We are making an
Stanbrough said. “That will enable us to get accurate monthly and quarterly financial reporting. We have forward movement, but we think as these audits get complete and we get more proficient in our own processes, this will all come more easily. Until then, we appreciate all the hard work and your patience.” Stanbrough said that the current numbers show a shortfall of about $1.4 million, she anticipates that See COUNCIL • Page 2
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USPS Permit # 013-080
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
487.57 Reported on 11/2/17 @ 1 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
As part of the Alabama National Fair being held this week in Montgomery, students of the FCCLA at Horseshoe Bend created an educational display to be showcased in one of the fairground exhibit halls. “Each year, the Alabama National Fair has six booths set up for displays from FCCLA, six for the FFA and six for the 4-H,” Horseshoe Bend FCCLA Advisor Felicia Williams said. “The fair tries to pick specific clubs in a rotation. We usually apply to submit a display every other year.” Having to fit in a space 12 feet wide by 8 feet deep and able to display information up to 8 feet high, Williams said all submissions have to be
Starting Friday:
something that would either be taught in the classroom or through the club. “The theme we chose this year was distracted driving,” she said. “We made sure it was colorful, informed the public and clearly told the story we wanted to tell.” A number of students worked on the project, and Williams said she selected three students she felt had done a large part of the work to travel to Montgomery and set the display up. Once all 18 displays were put together, a group of judges came by and evaluated the presentations, according to Williams. Though she was unsure of the exact specifics, Submitted / The Outlook she said there was a detailed rubric the judges used, which Kayla Hall, Cheyenne Peppers and Kristal Cortez of the Horseshoe Bend FCCLA See FCCLA • Page 3 pose for a photograph with their Alabama National Fair exhibit.
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