OPINION: UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS A TRIBUTE TO HARD WORK OF MANY
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Murder suspects seek youthful offender status Judge set to take up motions filed for four defendants involved in three Alex City cases By MITCH SNEED and CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writers
Attorneys for O’Hennessey Dimonta Wright, Anthony Parker, Bobby Lee Ponds and Edward Rashun Thomas have filed motions for their clients to be
given youthful offender status. According to court documents, Circuit Court Judge Ray Martin is scheduled to take up the motions in his Alexander City courtroom today at 9 a.m. In Alabama, a defendant can be
Wright is also charged with attempted murder. That victim, whose name was not released, did not suffer lifethreatening injuries and was treated and released. Young’s order comes after Wright’s attorney Michelle Perez notified the court of an intent to “pursue a special plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.” Young wrote in his order: “the Court
granted youthful offender status if they are under 21 by Alabama Code 15-19-1. The status helps young offenders avoid some of the consequences of a criminal record similar and is similar to juvenile status. Wright, 18, of Alexander City is accused killing 28-year-old LaBrandon Lamar Herron of Kellyton. Reports indicate that Herron was shot multiple times in the early morning hours of Oct. 30, 2016 and died from his injuries. A second victim was also shot and
See CASES • Page 9
City approves partial settlement in paving suit
Woman arrested after allegedly running over former boyfriend By MITCH SNEED Editor
An Alexander City woman is facing charges after a man was injured in Sunday morning incident that police are calling a domestic altercation. Ware Ashley Ware, 30, of Alexander City is in custody of the Alexander City Police Department. Deputy Chief James Easterwood said the incident is still under investigation, but Ware has been charged with firstdegree domestic violence. According to reports, the incident occurred on Robinwood Drive in Alexander City and the victim and Ware were described as former “boyfriend and girlfriend.” Allegations are that the victim sustained injuries that required hospitalization after being struck by a car driven by Ware in the early morning hours Sunday. “It’s too early in the investigation to speculate on exactly what happened,” Easterwood said. “But it does appear that what did happen is something like what See ARREST • Page 9
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Navy JROTC units from southwestern Alabama and northwestern Florida, hosted by Escambia High School. “This was our 14th trip to Pensacola to compete in the Gator Games,” said NJROTC Instructor Matthew Leahey. “Our
The Alexander City City Council approved the settlement of a portion of a lawsuit it had seeking damages for roadwork from 2012 that city officials deemed substandard. After going to arbitration, a preliminary settlement of $175,000 was reached with Mid-South Paving. In May of 2012, the city had paid $111,600 for gravel for a tar and gravel road project that was done by Charles Watts of Gadsden. “This will settle the portion of the suit with Mid-South, but does not preclude the suit with Watts from advancing to court,” Alexander City City Attorney Larkin Radney said. “The way it worked is that the city purchased the stone from Mid-South and Watts did the work. This ends the legal action with Mid-South. We were unable to reach a settlement at mediation with Watts and this resolution reserves the city’s right to continue with that litigation.” Watts was paid $1,102,315.86 for the work, which was supposed to prolong the life of several city streets with a layer of tar and gravel. The city contents the gravel
See JROTC • Page 3
See COUNCIL • Page 2
Cadet Lieutenant Kaylee Munsey / Special The Outlook
Members of the Benjamin Russell Navy JROTC program compete in a tug-of-war at the Gator Games last weekend in Pensacola.
Benjamin Russell JROTC cadets travel to Pensacola for Gator Games By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Twenty-six cadets from the Benjamin Russell High School Navy JROTC loaded onto a bus early Friday morning and set off for Pensacola, Florida and the annual Gator Games competition against other
Local ladies make hats with meaning By MITCH SNEED Editor
Some very crafty local women are trying to spread the word across Alabama about a cause they have taken to heart. CLICK for Babies is a national grassroots campaign organized by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Under the effort volunteers knit or crochet purple hats for newborns in hopes that new parents will not only have something to keep their child’s head warm, but also serve as a reminder that babies do cry and to think before they let frustration take control of them. “The most important thing is trying to raise awareness for families throughout Alabama and the nation, saying it’s normal for babies to cry, it’s normal to get frustrated,” said Cynthia Fuller. “When I saw this, I knew that I could do that and wanted to do whatever I could to help spread the word and help others.” Fuller has personal experience that gives her a unique understanding of the pressures that parents face with newborn children.
Today’s
Fuller’s first-born was a daughter who had colic and she said if it hadn’t been for the help of her mother and others, she doesn’t know how she would have coped with the trying times that followed. “I don’t know if I could have done it without my mother,” Fuller said. “There were days when there was no sleep and no matter what you did, she just cried and cried. Back then, there was not much that could do except give them Paregoric and tell you that eventually they would grow out of it. So I know the frustration and I could see how it would get the most of some parents.” Fuller’s experience was in 1978, but it was a lesson that stuck with her over the years. “I wish someone had told me these things, but there was nothing like this,” Fuller said. “But with the hats comes information about Shaken Baby Syndrome and all sorts of resources that a parent can pull from to help. I read about this program and it hit me that I could do this and just
Lake Martin
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See HATS • Page 9
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Cynthia Fuller shows off some of the 27 hats that she and others knitted and crocheted as part of the CLICK for Babies program. The hats are given to newborns to help increase awareness for Shaken Baby Syndrome.
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