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THURSDAY
THE
The September issue of Lake magazine.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 September 1, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 176
INSIDE TODAY
www.alexcityoutlook.com
Officials stress highway safety Motorists asked to pay attention, avoid distractions this Labor Day weekend By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Local and state law enforcement will be on the roads in force as Alabamians take to the highways over the Labor Day holiday, the last three-day weekend of the summer season. “Our people will be out in full force,” said Tallapoosa County
Sheriff Jimmy Abbett. “The main thing we ask is that folks just drive safely, but that entails a lot of things.” Speeding, driving under the influence and driving while distracted top the list of deadly driving behaviors. “We certainly don’t want people drinking and driving, we want them to obey speed limits and we want them to buckle up,” said Abbett. “We don’t want them texting while they’re
trying to drive and we ask that they pre-plan their trips. Let someone know your schedule, where you’re going and when you expect to be there.” Capt. Marty Hodge, patrol division commander for the Alexander Cliff Williams / The Outlook City Police Department said a grant from the Alabama Department of Officers in Alexander City and across the county will be out Community Affairs under the Drive in force over the holiday weekend to make sure area roads See SAFETY • Page 3 are safe.
STAR-STUDDED GRAND OPENING
Early enrollment numbers show dip in city schools, county numbers up
NCIS star Perrette to appear at Equality Firehouse dedication By MITCH SNEED Editor
The opening of a new volunteer fire department station doesn’t normally command a lot of star power, but when Equality dedicates its new firehouse Saturday, one of television’s most recognizable starts will be there to join in the celebration. Pauley Perrette, who stars
as Abby Sciuto on the hit CBS series NCIS, said she is excited to be coming home to Equality for the event. Perrette’s father Paul is a Coosa County commissioner, the president of the Equality Volunteer Fire Department Board and the chief of the Real Island Volunteer Fire Department. So when he asked his daughter if she See EQUALITY • Page 11
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Preliminary enrollment numbers show a drop of 48 students in the in the Alexander City school district, according to Darrell Cooper, superintendent of Alexander City Schools. Preliminary numbers provided by the Tallapoosa County Schools (exclusive of Pre-K students) show a system-wide increase of 17 students. Average daily measurement (ADM), or a system’s final enrollment, is calculated annually by averaging the total attendance for each of the 20 school days immediately following Labor Day. Per-student allocations from the state’s Education Trust Fund are based on the ADM from the last completed school year prior to the legislative session. “It’s something to be concerned about,” said Cooper about the drop. “Your funding is dependent on your enrollment. We may still pick up a few more students, but it won’t be enough to make up that drop. “Any school system of any size can be successful as long as they have stability (in their enrollment). Stability is the name of the game.” Cooper said thus far the Alexander City system, which has seen drops in enrollment the last few years, has been able to deal with cuts in funds and teaching units through attrition of personnel and by shifting units from one school to another. He said he is hopeful that declines don’t get to the point where programs that go beyond the core courses – like career tech, arts programs See ENROLLMENT • Page 3
David Granger / The Outlook
Pauley Perrette who plays Abby Sciuto on the CBS series NCIS will be in Equality Saturday for the dedication of the town’s new fire station. Her father, Paul Perett is the District 4 Coosa County commissioner who represents Equality.
Dadeville council nixes funding for traffic study By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Failure to approve $9,800 for a traffic study could cost the City of Dadeville about $700,000 in grant funds for the courthouse square renovation project. “That is part of the original project,” Council Member Mickey Tarpley said. “It would be nice to have this study done during a football weekend and a boating weekend, which we have this weekend. It would include traffic for the Auburn game, from the home Dadeville High School football game.”
High-speed chase ends in fiery fatal crash
Tarpley wanted to go ahead and get the study done so that the next council can move ahead with revitalization. “I think we need to go ahead and do this,” Tarpley said. “If our new council is going to say we are going to go ahead with downtown revitalization, this is one of the requirements. This is part of the original funding and cost.” Council members were curious if this would be Cliff Williams / The Outlook accepted by the state to possibly bring back the red lights Dadeville and the county had secured grants designed to improve the area around the Tallapoosa County Courthouse in See DADEVILLE • Page 3 Dadeville, but a traffic study is needed for the project to advance.
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
488.61 Reported on 8/31/16 @ 5 p.m.
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office has reported a cross-county high-speed chase that ended in an airborne fiery crash killing the 28-year-old female passenger of the vehicle, which was said to reached speeds in excess of 90 milesper-hour. The driver of the vehicle, Wesley Kyle Phelps, also 28, sustained extensive See CHASE • Page 3
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
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