MAYHEM IN MONTGOMERY, PAGE 4.
THE
ROAD TRIP
THURSDAY
Dadeville looks to stay hot in region contest at Holtville. Page 10.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 September 17, 2015 Vol. 123, No. 186 www.alexcityoutlook.com
Local DA Jones writing account of infamous ‘Voodoo Preacher’ Will Maxwell’s life and death By David Granger Outlook Staff Writer
File / The Outlook
E. Paul Jones met Rev. Will Maxwell when he was working for an insurance company while in law school and later assisted in the trial. He’s now writing a book based on his recollections.
E. Paul Jones had yet to even graduate from law school when he first met Will Maxwell. “When I was in law school, I worked for a firm that did investigations for insurance companies,” Jones, who currently serves as district attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit, said Wednesday. “Apparently, there was litigation
going on with one of the insurance companies and I had the occasion to interview Maxwell. It was long before the little girl (16-year-old Shirley Ellington) was killed. He was very soft-spoken, articulate, the kind of person who would have come off extremely well to a jury.” But Will Maxwell, the pulpwooding preacher who is believed by many to have killed at least five people in and around the Nixburg community (Ellington is thought
Saggy pants put Dadeville in national spotlight
Gas prices continue to tumble in the area By Corey Arwood Outlook Staff Writer
The lower prices at the pump seem to be encouraging some residents to spend and others to save, but nearly all to use more gas. The top three stations listed Tuesday for Alexander City on the website alabamagasprices.com were Murphy USA, Jet Pep and Delta Express off of Highway 280. The prices ranged from $1.91 to $1.93, and the amount of customers at each station rose sharply per each penny in price that fell. All pumps were full around 1 p.m. at Murphy USA, the station with the lowest price. One customer from the Hackneyville area was there filling up for a family trip in a new SUV. “Just bought this. I had a Hyundai Elantra that got 35 miles to the gallon. With this 2015 GMC Terrain the gas is a little bit more, but not a whole lot difference in what I would pay,” Toni Hill said. Hill works at Fleetwood Metal and has lived in the area around 10 years. She said that her purchase was a direct result of what she had seen in the news about the projected lower prices. Another customer at Murphy, Rayburn Burch, said that he had been traveling more and using more gas. One person at the pump would only call himself See FUEL, Page 5
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
488.11 Reported on 9/16/15 @ 5 p.m.
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
Today’s
Weather
85 64 High
6
Low
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8
to have been his last victim), never went before a jury. Instead, he was gunned down at Ellington’s funeral by her adopted uncle, Robert Burns of Dadeville. The shooting took place at Peace and Goodwill Church near the intersection of Alabama highways 9 and 22 with hundreds of mourners present. Burns was immediately placed under arrest. Meanwhile, Jones earned his See MAXWELL, Page 5
By Cliff Williams
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Justin Giles, left, and John Brown chat with land owner Mike Parker after a poplar tree was cut down that Giles and Brown will take back to Oklahoma to build a canoe. Below, Parker walks the huge log just cut down on his property.
TRIBAL TREE TALE
Poplar will be used for traditional dugout canoes By Mia Osborn Outlook Staff Writer
Dadeville saw a long overdue homecoming Wednesday. At Mike Parker’s sawmill on the edge of town, members of Oklahoma’s Muscogee (Creek) Nation gathered to watch the felling of a huge poplar tree. The tree stood on land that once belonged to the Creek Nation. Now, it will be made into two traditional dugout canoes. The process of cutting and building the canoes is being filmed for a documentary by the Oklahoma visitors, all of whom are involved with the MCN Cultural Center in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. “It’s really exciting for us, not only to get a tree from our homeland, but to take it back and share it with the people,” said John Brown, head of the Creek Bow Shooter Society. “I’m honored to be here.” Before the tree was cut, Brown
Outlook Staff Writer
What do same-sex marriage licenses, the Iran Nuclear Deal, climate change, and the saggy pants ordinance in Dadeville have in common? They are all being debated nationally. Since Dadeville council member Stephanie Kelley mentioned at last week’s Dadeville City Council meeting she would like to see some equity in the proposed sagging pants ordinance brought forward by fellow council member Frank Goodman three weeks ago, everyone has taken notice. “It is a worldwide thing now,” Council member Randy Foster said. The proposed ordinance has drawn the attention of the Internet with some saying that the city is implementing a dress code. Early Monday, following a segment on CBS morning news, the topic of Dadeville and saggy pants was trending on Facebook above national and international topics like Kim Davis in Kentucky, the presidential election and the Iran nuclear deal. Even traffic to The Outlook’s website has more than tripled since the story was posted with comments on the paper’s Facebook page coming from across the country. The story is now posted on the Internet at numerous sites including New York Daily News, perezhilton.com, People Magazine,
See CANOE, Page 5
See PANTS, Page 5
Last chance to cast ballots in Reader’s Choice competition By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
Newspaper readers throughout the Lake Martin area have one last chance to vote in the Tallapoosa Publishers’ annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The competition began three weeks ago with the publishing of the ballot, which gives voters the chance to select the best business or individual in more than 80 categories ranging from best plumber to the restaurant with the best sweet tea. The ballot appears on page 9 of today’s Outlook. “This has been a lot of fun for us, our advertisers and especially our readers,” TPI Publisher Kenneth Boone said. “We started these awards 13 years ago to give our readers a chance to have their say in who they thought was the best in a particular category. We really had no
idea of what kind of response we would receive.” Each year, hundreds of readers cast ballots during the voting period, but ballots must be turned into the Outlook offices by 5 p.m. today. “Our staff will tally up the votes and
publish the winners in a special publication at the end of September,” Boone said. “Winning businesses will also be presented a window sticker to put up in their store and a letter or recognition, honoring them as one of the area’s best.” Readers may submit a ballot by either mailing it to Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 999, Alexander City, AL 35011 or by bringing it to TPI’s office in Alexander City, located at 548 Cherokee Road. Only those ballots turned in on original newsprint will be counted, copies of the ballots will not be accepted. The ballots must have the reader’s name and phone number included to be counted. “This is a lot of fun for everyone involved,” Boone said. “It is a true competition and the more votes we receive the better. We want to get as many votes as possible to find out truly who are the best in the area.”