THE SPORTS, PAGE 11 Wildcats hungry after Day 1 of wrestling practice
TUESDAY
Lighting the way for Alexander City &
LOCAL, PAGE 10
Lake Martin since 1892
Officials respond to two-car wreck, car fire Saturday
October 30, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 214 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Alex City man to be deported after sentence Hernandez to serve split sentence for sex abuse of a child By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Judge Tom Young Jr. sentenced Maximino Dejesus Hernandez to 10 years in prison after Hernandez was found guilty of two counts of sexual
abuse of child under the age of 12. “I took into consideration three things,” Young told Hernandez from the bench Monday. “I do find the remarks of the child advocate in this case troubling. I am going to tell you that you cannot be in this country
hold on him when he is released. If Hernandez is caught returning to the United States after he is deported, he will have to serve the remainder of the 10-year prison sentence. Hernandez has been deported once before for having a forged Social Security card. The Social Security number had been used by See DEPORTED • Page 10
illegally. When you are released (from prison) you will be deported. If you come back, you will serve the remainder of the 10-year sentence.” Young spilt the sentence allowing Hernandez to serve two years with four years of probation. Hernandez has been in jail since his arrest 18 months ago. In six months he will be released. Hernandez was also notified ICE has a
Fall fun
Keep safety in mind on Wednesday
the outlook's
SP
HALLOWEEN PICKS
Law enforcement gives Halloween safety advice
10 candies kids don’t like getting
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Ghouls and goblins, princesses and superheroes will be roaming the streets Wednesday night as another Halloween rolls around. Candy will be flowing out of houses like the Tallapoosa River into Lake Martin, while children in costumes of all kinds will search for the best goodies to satisfy their sweet tooth. As everyone prepares for a night of excitement, gathering candy and dressing up in costumes, local law enforcement officials offered up valuable advice for those enjoying all the fun Halloween brings. Key among the points of advice Alexander City police chief Jay Turner had to offer was for parents to keep a close eye on their children, while young trickor-treaters need to watch carefully for traffic on city streets. “Go to neighborhoods you’re familiar with,” Turner said. “Local churches will be offering events, so consider utilizing them. See SAFETY • Page 9
Today’s
Weather
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a series where Outlook staff members will write a Halloween-related editorial piece leading up to Oct. 31. By CARTER SINGLETON Digital Marketing Coordinator
E
very kid’s second favorite holiday is upon us — Halloween. As a child, my favorite parts of Halloween were going to pick out my costume and getting an entire bucket full of candy to munch on for three weeks. There were a few items you would get trick-or-treating no one was very excited to get though, so here is a list to reminisce a few of those and maybe get a good laugh along the way. 10. Fruit. As an adult, I deeply appreciate free fruit. As a kid, I did not. Skip the healthy food and go straight to the processed sugar when picking out Halloween candy to hand out. 9. Tootsie Rolls. These little guys would turn rock hard after
Photos by Donald Campbell / The Outlook A large crowd turned out Saturday for the Russell Crossroads Family Fall Festival. There were children’s games, including bowling, a ring toss, a milk bottle toss and bobbing for apples, along with a prize table for winners. Children also had the chance to get their faces painted, ride a pony and pet goats in a small petting zoo. Guests of all ages could enjoy a carriage ride, test their archery skills and pick out a pumpkin from the festival’s pumpkin patch and decorate it. Chainsaw artist Corey Worden from Beneath the Bark demonstrated his skill carving logs into a multitude of designs, while Raymond Head, a blacksmith with Emerald Mountain Forge, showed how blacksmiths used to make nails one at a time by heating a piece of metal, shaping it and then flattening part of it to make the head. There was also a demonstration of how a grist mill works, from getting corn kernels off the ear to grinding them up to make corn meal and animal feed, while guests could also get up close and personal with an owl, corn snake, hermit crab and many more creatures in the naturalist cabin.
See CANDY • Page 10
Discretionary funds allow county commissioners flexibility By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
76 55 High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
488.47 Reported on 10/29/18 @ 4 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
File / The Outlook
6
54708 90050
8 USPS Permit # 013-080
KY
Last year $651,495.05 was paid to the commission — and is not part of the budget — and is divided equally between Tallapoosa County’s five commissioners to be spent as they wish as long as it meets the standards set in place.
We Care About You
Tallapoosa County Commissioners are blessed to have some discretionary funds at their disposal to help with matters, but it is no blank check. The funds come from tippage fees paid by Advance Disposal for operating a landfill in southern Tallapoosa County. Last year that amounted to $651,495.05 paid to the commission and is not part of the roughly $17 million budget the county approved. The funds are divided equally between Tallapoosa County’s five commissioners to be spent as they wish. In 2017, each commissioner could decide how $130,299.01 was spent, but the spending still has to meet standards. “Discretionary spending still has to meet the same requirements as the general fund,” county administrator Blake Beck said. “The only difference is the commissioner decides how their share of the funds is spent and not the commission as a whole.” There is great variety in discretionary spending by commissioners but over the years, each district spends its funds in basically the same areas. In most cases, it was See FUNDS • Page 3
FREE CONSULTATIONS
and Your Loved Ones!
•Home-like Environment • Specialized Dementia Care Unit •Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Services “It’s not the end ... It’s a new beginning”
256-329-1313
A DAMS HEALTH & REHAB 1555 HILLABEE STREET • (256) 329-0847
217 Madison Street, Alexander City, AL “We are a Debt Relief Agency. We help people file Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 under the Bankruptcy Code. Alabama State Bar requires the following in every attorney advertisement, “ No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.”