Weekend
OPINON: WE CAN ALL HELP HURRICANE MATTHEW VICTIMS , PAGE 4.
The Outlook
Readers Choice Awards Inside!
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
October 8-9, 2016 • Vol. 124 • No. 203 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
Pot, meth, pills largest local drug problem By MITCH SNEED Editor
While heroin use is increasing at levels called “epidemic” by the Drug Enforcement Agency, local law enforcement agents say they still see other drugs as far more prevalent in Tallapoosa
ReportIt software helps register valuables
Weather
85 56 High
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Lake Levels
485.83 Reported on 10/07/16 @ 6 p.m.
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Tallassee 21.......................... Handl Leeds 48 ......................Elmore Coun Park Crossing 19 ........Stanhope Elm
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Dadeville’s Margarius Buchanan tries
Outlook, The Wetumpka Herald & The Tallassee
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Cost of assessing city finances growing By MITCH SNEED Editor
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Extremely dry conditions caused a brush fire on Quiet Lane to reignite today. This is the third day volunteer fire departments have responded to brush fires on Quiet Lane and the fourth brush fire in five days.
Battling brush blazes Drought conditions spark small fires this week By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Quiet Lane in Wind Creek Farms has not been so quiet this week. For the third day, the Willow Point and Our Town volunteer fire departments have responded to Quiet Lane for a brush fire. Friday they were joined by the Alexander See FIRE • Page 3
Alexander City’s ongoing financial struggles are becoming more and more expensive. According to information contained in the city’s year-end budget numbers, the city was billed a total of $369,342.03 by two accounting firms for work performed in Fiscal Year 2016. The totals came as a total surprise to City Council President Jim Spann who chairs the council’s finance committee. “I had no idea it had reached that level,” Spann said. “That’s a lot of money by anyone’s standards. The sad part is that those numbers are not the end of it. They aren’t through. It’s my understanding that they still have the 2015 numbers to complete.” The council doesn’t hire auditors – that is done by the mayor. The council is obligated by law to provide funds for audits, but the amount incurred this year exceeds the amount budgeted See ACCOUNTING • Page 3
Jordan to speak at RMC breast cancer awareness luncheon Winfrey “one of the funniest people on the planet,” has toured the United States many times over as a comedienne. In 2011, Comedienne, motivational speaker and breast cancer survivor she was diagnosed with stage one Diana Jordan will be the featured breast cancer. She says annual speaker at the 2016 Breast Cancer mammograms saved her life. Jordan has an amazing personal Awareness Luncheon, set for story. Within four months of her Tuesday, Nov. 1, at noon at the mastectomy, she was using a Betty Carol Graham Technology heating pad and fell asleep. The Center on the Central Alabama heat from the pad burned a hole in Community College campus. her reconstructed breast almost to The 13th annual luncheon is the implant. sponsored by Russell Medical Unable to save the Center and UAB Medicine’s reconstructed breast, Jordan Russell Medical Cancer Center. was forced to endure four more This year’s theme is “Tickled operations to repair it. Pink.” Jordan has been a favorite Jordan, called by Oprah See LUNCHEON• Page 3
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Lake Martin
GAME COVERAGE INSIDE
Lanett 38......................... Horseshoe Bend 17 Reeltown 42 ........................ Woodland 6 Chelsea 35 .........................Wetumpka 28
$369,342 and counting:
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Today’s
BRHS 42 ................................ Pelham 21 Munford 35 ..........................Dadeville 24 Freedom 40 .................... Lyman Ward 20
well. “Marijuana is still the bulk of what we see in our investigations,” White said. “But here, meth and prescription drugs are still far more prevalent than heroin. In some of the more metropolitan See DRUGS • Page 7
County. According to recently released Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics for 2015, 38.6 percent of U.S. drug arrests involved marijuana. Sgt. Fred White of the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force said that is consistent with what they are seeing as
Residents of Alexander City now have a new tool to help record serial numbers and descriptions of valuables – ReportIt. “ReportIt is an excellent resource to record information about valuable items,” ACPD’s Lt. James Orr said. “It allows residents to log into a secure website and register their valuables. They can put in serial numbers, descriptions and even upload photographs of the property. “Anything with a serial number like computers and firearms can be registered. Even jewelry can be put it in. It’s a great service.” Orr says that it can be used two ways. “Users can print it out after they put it in or they can log in to their list if something happens,” Orr said. “Hopefully, it will never have to be used.” ReportIt was developed by LeadsOnline, a service already in use by the Alexander City Police Department. “LeadsOnline has been a wonderful asset for the department,” Orr said. “We have been a member of LeadsOnline for about six years. In that time, it has helped us with investigations tremendously and has also helped us in the recovery of items from theft and burglaries.” To take advantage of ReportIt, go to reportit.leadsonline.com and create a new account.
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Comedienne, motivational speaker and breast cancer survivor Diana Jordan will be the featured speaker at the 2016 Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon hosted by Russell Medical. Submitted / The Outlook
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