SPORTS, PAGE 11
FRIDAY
THE
Area team football previews inside today
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
October 5, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 198 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Modern technology in yesterday’s sewers By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
An employee with Gulf Coast Underground readies an insert for lateral service to be installed several feet under a city street.
Alexander City is home to more than 150 miles of sewer pipe, some of which dates back to before Lake Martin was formed in 1926. More than 3,000 manholes are part of the maze of pipes crossing the city to take away sewage, something many want to never worry about. But just how does one go about making sure something that is out of sight, out of mind is maintained and repaired? It used to be to fix a sewer line, crews had
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
to dig it up. “We would have to dig through asphalt down to many of the lines,” Alexander City Sewer Superintendent John McWhorter said. “Then, after completing work on the sewer lines we would have to bring in backfill because what we pulled up from there oftentimes could not be used again.” So work on sewer lines is expensive. Costs quickly add up while trying to work on lines under ponds that have since been backed up over the lines to lines under state highways, near other utilities and bridges. That is See SEWERS • Page 3
Mock gas line strike proves to be educational
Pediatric Associates recognized by state health department By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
A multitude of first responders, law enforcement officials and public works agencies took part in a mock natural gas line strike on the Central Alabama Community College campus Thursday evening, educating them on the proper way to handle working around underground lines while also demonstrating how to respond if something goes wrong. “We have staged seven mock line strikes this year,” McKay Lyvers with the Alabama 811 agency said. “We staged five last year, and this year, we wanted to hold the event in some locations we haven’t been before.” During the mock strike staged behind the Betty Carol Graham Center, pressurized air mimicking natural gas leaked into the air, overcoming a contractor installing fence posts. The Alexander City Police Department blocked off part of Junior College Circle to keep traffic from entering the area. Firefighters from the Alexander City Fire Department hosed
Donald Campbell / The Outlook D
L As Thursday’s mock gas Left: liline strike demonstration began, w workers drilling a hole into the earth sstrike an underground pipe, releasing ‘natural gas’ (pressurized air in aacting like the natural gas in an underground line) into the air. Above: d Alexander City firefighters and EMS A personnel work to control the scene p of the mock gas line strike, hosing o down the area and rescuing one of d tthe contractors rendered ‘unconsscious’ by the leaking natural gas.
See GAS • Page 3
Today’s
Weather
91 67 High
Lake Levels
489.40 Reported on 10/04/18 @ 6 a.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
Celebrate Lake Martin 2018 shirt winner announced Caroline Stegall was named the winning artist for the 2018 contest, meaning her artwork 2018 marked the 9th annual will be featured on the 2018 Celebrate Lake Martin T-shirt Celebrate Lake Martin T-shirt contest, with students at available to those involved Stephens Elementary School with the annual Renew Our creating works of art with the Rivers cleanup scheduled for theme of Lake Martin and all early November. it provides to the community. “Lake Martin is a valuable A panel of judges was at resource to our community,” the school Thursday to select Griffith said. “Our students a winning piece of art, going have been studying water from 25 finalists to one winconservation and keeping our ner. Both Stephens art teacher water clean. We have been Debra Griffith and John trying to educate them about Thompson with the Lake how important the lake and Martin Resource Association having clean water is, and we said this year’s selection of will be continuing these lesartworks were among the sons.” most difficult to judge, as all Thompson, who also helps of the students had done an spearhead efforts to clean up outstanding job on their art. trash for roadsides in the area, When the judging was felt the partnership between See WINNER • Page 3 completed, fourth-grader
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Low
Lake Martin
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The Immunization Division of the Alabama Department of Public Health recently recognized Pediatric Associates of Kellyton, part of the Pediatric Associates of Alexander City family, for being the first practice in the state to reach the Healthy People 2020 initiative of 80 percent immunization for area children. The three vaccines the Alabama Department of Public Health counts for the initiative are Tetanus-DiphtheriaPertussis (Tdap), Human papillomavirus (HPV) and the Meningococcal (MCV) vaccines. Pediatric Associates of Kellyton has increased its immunization percentages to 83 percent for HPV, 84 percent for MCV and 99.7 percent on the Tdap vaccine, according to records kept by the state immunization registry. “The adolescent vaccination rate across the entire state is about 19.3 percent,” Dr. Eric Tyler with Pediatric Associates said. “Reaching this level has never been done before by another practice in the entire state.” In a prepared statement, See PEDIATRICS • Page 3
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Amy Passaretti / The Outlook
Fourth-grader Caroline Stegall poses for a photo with her winning artwork next to LMRA President John Thompson.
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