TIGER TUSSLE
OPINION: EXPLORING THE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, PAGE 4.
THE
THURSDAY
Dadeville looks to close out regular season with win, page 10.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 October 29, 2015 Vol. 123, No. 216 www.alexcityoutlook.com
Burglars strike at area churches By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
Two area churches were victimized earlier this week as burglarsbroke in and took items ranging from cash to a ceremonial cross. Both Wayside Baptist Church and Duncan United Methodist Church in Alexander City were the targets of burglars sometime
after church officials left the building on Sunday and when they returned to start the new week. Wayside, located off Dadeville Road at 21 Wayside Circle in Alexander City, was hit sometime between 10 p.m. Sunday night and Monday morning. Alexander City Police Det. George Long said that cash and computers were the main items
taken by the thieves. “It appears that they made entry through the lower bottom level of the church,” Long said. “They had rummaged through the Sunday School rooms down there. Upstairs they went through the office of the pastor and the church secretary. They made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, but they were not able to gain entry to
the safe. There were also some laptops that were missing.” At Duncan, located at 3997 Hillabee Road in Alexander City, burglars struck sometime between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning. Alexander City Police Department Det. Riley Foshee said investigators found no sign of forced entry at the building. “It’s still unclear how they
Dates set for Alexander City drivers license office
BRHS students experience their lesson by living it By Cliff Williams Outlook Staff Writer
Outlook Staff Writer
The Outlook has confirmed with the Alabama Law Enforcement Association that the Dadeville driver license office that was closed because of ALEA budget cuts will remain closed. Originally, the newspaper reported, as told by ALEA, that only the driver license office in Alexander City would reopen in Tallapoosa County on a limited schedule. However, ALEA officials told the Outlook the office in Dadeville office would also reopen. Today, ALEA confirmed to the Outlook the Dadeville office will remain closed. “We will keep only one office open in each county (affected by the closures),” said ALEA’s Anna Morris. “In Tallapoosa County, that will be the Alexander City office.” According to a Office Schedules for Reopening Driver License Offices, dated Oct. 27, the Alexander City office will reopen Nov. 17 and will continue to open every third Tuesday and Wednesday of each month following. Below the list of offices that will reopen and their times and dates, the schedule reads, “Please note that offices formerly opened in Atmore (Escambia County) and Dadeville (Tallapoosa County) will remain closed.
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Nicole Easterwood, above left,watches as Erica Patterson, right adjusts the costume of Jonathon Price in the classroom of Vicki Adair, prior to the “Enlightenment Salon” following studies of many historical figures. Easterwood was Marie Antoinette, Price was Voltaire and Patterson was Maria Theresa. The students also created posters and brochures on human trafficking after study it as part of one of ten issues the class will study this class year.
See OFFICE, Page 5
Searcy remembered for his giving spirit Outlook Editor
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World history students in Vicki Adair’s class are getting a hands-on experience on the thought process behind many U.S. documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. “We are having Enlightenment Salons like those that happened in the Enlightenment,” Adair said. “”What is important about the discussions from these salons is these ideas are going to become the roots that lead to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.” Adair explains that many of the salons were hosted by women. “Most of the salons were hosted by women,” Adair explained to the class. “Even though most women did not take part in the discussions, they were allowed to host because they could cook.” Students in Adair’s classes have taken a liking to the interactive idea. “We have learned of all the great achievements of people like Galileo, Newton, Catherine the Great and Napoleon,” student Russell Lunsford said. “We are all dressed as historical figures that attended the Enlightenment Salons. Today we get to learn what it might have been like.” Adair explained how and why the project would be documented. “We will be taking individual photographs of them,” Adair said. “This will go into their digital portfolio for what they did and learned in World History. This is the first time this has been done See HISTORY, Page 9
Fungal infection hits bat population hard
By Mitch Sneed
See SEARCY, Page 5
See BURGLARS, Page 5
HANDS ON HISTORY
By David Granger
A man who exemplified the meaning of the word “service” will be laid to rest today. John A. Searcy, 80, of Alexander City passed away Monday morning, but he leaves behind a legacy of volunteerism that will long be Searcy remembered in the local area. “He may not have built
gained entry,” Foshee said. “I didn’t appear that in this one they were able to get away with much of value. Church officials continue to check and are taking inventory to see what may be missing. “The one thing that was missing that they noticed right away was a pole that had a large
By Mia Osborn Outlook Staff Writer
Submitted / U.S Fish and Wildlife photo
A researcher holds and examined an infected tri-color bat. Officials say a fungal infection as the potential to devastate the bat population.
Bats are mascots of the Halloween season, right up there with black cats and big, furry spiders. But bats themselves are facing something scary this October: a deadly disease straight out of a horror movie. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal infection that attacks and kills bats during their winter hibernation. The disease was named for the fuzzy white growths that appear on the noses and arms of some sick bats.
Bats with WNS become confused and display strange behavior, such as flying during the day or in times of year when they would normally be hibernating. WNS has not proven dangerous to other animals or humans, but it is killing bats in record numbers. Many caves containing infected bats have lost 90 to 100 per cent of their bat populations. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, WNS nearly six million bats in the U.S. and Canada have See BATS, Page 5
Lake Martin
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Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL