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Weekend The Outlook
BUY FROM YOUR FRIENDS!
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
September 19-20, 2015 • Vol. 123 • No. 188 • www.alexcityoutlook.com
INSIDE LLEVERAGE THURSD AY’S DADEVI EXTRA 2015 SPORTS H GAME7 COFULL COVERAGE FROM HOE BEND’S UP AND HORSES OARD WIT Bend REELTOWN MATCHAGAINST THE RIVAL WADLEY Horseshoe HT SCO7 REB .................. .... T.R. Miller 17 !! SEASON OPENER Wadley 33 BULLDOGS, INSIDE! .................. ntral-Coosa 30 FRIDAYl 38NIG County Tallassee 14 ..........Clay .....Ce 29, 2015
AUGUST 29-30,
2015
TRA SPORTS EX
20 .....Huffman Benjamin Russel 14 .................. Alabama Chr. 6 Wetumpka ian 27 ..... 40 Prattville Christ ...............Dadeville ......... Reeltown 13
High school
football from
August
31 ......... Fayetteville
The Alexander
City Outlook,
The Wetumpka
Herald & The
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Tallassee Tribu
in Alexander
City.
game Friday night’s TION ers during County defend TBALL EDI Central-Clay tries to shake SCHOOL FOO Maxwell (3) EKLY HIGH BIGGEST WE ALABAMA’S
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SPORTS EXTRA INSIDE Get scores and highlights from Friday’s games inside.
MAYOR FIRES FINANCE DIRECTOR Deputy Police Chief Jay Turner opens the door to the finance director’s office Friday morning just after Mayor Charles Shaw terminated Sandra Machen.
By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
Alexander City Mayor Charles Shaw relieved City Finance Director Sandra Machen of her duties Friday morning. A released statement indicated that “Machen is being terminated due to violating 7.3.1 Group One Offenses.” The release defines a serious violation of city administrative regulations, department rules, lawful orders or direction made or given by a supervisor. The release further lists conduct unbecoming an employee, falsification
Technology Director Rob Pridgen at a budget work session Thursday evening. When Pridgen didn’t answer the questions, Shaw told the city council that he has been secretly conducting an investigation for “about a month” that required him to order the restriction of the city’s finance director from accessing some information in the financial software used by the city. The mayor refused to give any details of the scope of the investigation or who initiated it. “I can’t talk about that at this time,” Shaw said. “I can’t say anything until we know the results. That’s all I’m See FIRED, Page 3
and dishonesty as possible grounds for dismissal under a “Group One Offense.” Shaw said he couldn’t comment on the termination because it was an ongoing investigation. He wouldn’t indicate whether any thought was given to a suspension to allow for the investigation to be completed. “I really can’t say anything more about her termination at this time,” Shaw said. Through email, Machen said she did have any comment at this time. The first knowledge of any investigation came to light after pointed questions asked to Information
GARDEN EXTRAVAGANZA More than 300 get loads of info from the experts
Tallapoosa shows 1.1 percent decrease in unemployment
By Mia Osborn Outlook Staff Writer
This Friday, more than 300 gardeners flocked to Alexander City’s Betty Graham Technology Center Ballroom for the annual Fall Gardening Extravaganza. The event was hosted by the Tallapoosa County Extension Office and Tallapoosa County Master Gardeners Association. “I think it’s going well,” said Tallapoosa County Extension Agent Shawn Harris. “We had 330 people register.” Judging by the size of the crowd, most – if not all – of those people showed up to learn from a series of expert lecturers. This year’s speakers included Arlie Powell, founder of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association; Nancy J. Loewenstein, executive director of the Alabama Invasive Plant
Area’s jobless stats continue to improve Staff Report Outlook Staff
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
The 330 or so attendees at the Fall Garden Extravaganza were treated to information by experts like Dr. Arlie Powell above and television garden show host P. Allen Smith, right. after each presentation, attendees like Lake Martin resident Charles Borden were allowed to ask questions like how to keep deer and squirrels out of fruit orchards.
Tallapoosa County’s unemployment rate continued its downward trend, falling to a preliminary, seasonally adjusted 6.5 percent in August, down from July’s 6.8 percent and last August’s 7.6 percent, according to numbers released Friday by Gov. Robert Bentley’s office and prepared by the Alabama Department of Labor in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cliff Williams / The Outlook Alabama’s Help wanted signs like this August rate one on the door of Huddle was 6.2 House are common across percent, the area. unchanged from July and down from August 2014’s rate of 6.5 percent. “There was very little change this
See GARDEN, Page 3
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
488.05 Reported on 9/18/15 @ 2 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
89 65 High
6
Low
54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
8
See JOBS, Page 3
City budget hearings expose irregularities
Camp ASCCA fills important need
By Mitch Sneed
Outlook Staff Writer
Outlook Editor
There are small miracles happening at Easter Seals Camp ASCCA in Jacksons Gap almost every day. There’s the child with autism who, after three years of a volunteer’s efforts to coax him down a zipline, finally makes the trip, erupting in a rare burst of laughter as he makes his way down. There’s the girl with physical disabilities who tells her mother about the fun she had tubing just to See ASCCA, Page 9
Covert investigations of city departments, multiple accounts for mobile communications that no one seemed to know about, sewer issues that could take millions to correct and another attempt at public works reorganization where the employees told the council what they would do rather than the council making a decision that would have been best for the city. That’s just part of what was unearthed in Thursday’s See BUDGET, Page 9
By David Granger
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Camper Landon Clark gets a little climbing to the platform for the zip line at Camp ASCCA this summer.
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