OPINION: HARD WORK, COOPERATION MAKES US ALL SAFER
THURSDAY
THE
ARRESTS, PAGE 2 Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 See the latest reports from area law enforcement September 21, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 188 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
SPORTS, PAGE 10 Bryant Horn off to a fine start at Jacksonville State
280 MURDER SUSPECT CHARGED Valley man arrested in bizarre killing of Sylacauga man By MITCH SNEED Editor
A suspect has been arrested and murder charges are pending against a 21-year-old Valley man who authorities believe shot and killed a Sylacauga man Tuesday night as he drove along Highway Harrison 280 near Alexander City. Alexander City Police Chief Jay Turner said Nicholas Seth Harrison, 21, of Valley has been arrested
and an charged with murder, driving under the influence and possession u of o a controlled substance. Turner said sa the murder charge could be upgraded to capital murder and up other charges could be added as o well. w As first reported by The Outlook on o the paper’s social media outlets Tuesday, at 8:57 p.m. police received a call of an accident with Mitch Sneed / The Outlook See SHOOTING • Page 3 ACPD investigators mark evidence at the scene of a shooting on Highway 280.
BRHS ranks in top 15 standout high schools in state
Alex City school board approves new budget
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Within the past week, the statistics and ranking company Niche released a set of results on a study it conducted, finding the top 15 standout high schools in Alabama. According to Niche, these schools were rated on not just the traditional measuring sticks of scores on tests like the SAT or ACT and advancement on to college, but also factored in how many students were classified as economically disadvantaged. Once all the data was finalized and the top schools announced, it was revealed Benjamin Russell High School made the list of Alabama’s top standout high schools, coming in at no. 15. “Our first thought is that we’re thrilled to be ranked 15th in the state,” Superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper said. “We do a good job at the high school, and to be recognized like that, it’s really good.” While Cooper said poverty is often considered one of the biggest hurdles in education for a student to overcome, he also said it was not an impossible hurdle to jump. “Students from impoverished backgrounds can learn just as well students from more affluent backgrounds,” he said. “It may take a little more, but our kids can be successful, whether they’re from poverty or not.” See RANKING • Page 9
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
RESCUE TRAINING
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Rescuers must pass a swim test at the fire department’s rescue training course as a part of becoming a certified water rescuer.
Fire department rescue team trains for water rescues By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
The Alexander City Fire Department is closer to having all of its rescue team members trained for water rescues, in part thanks to a
surface water rescue class being taught in Alexander City this week. “We have six trained already,” Alexander City Fire Department Captain Jeff Brewer said. “We have eight in class this week.”
The class comes on the heels of a few incidents on the lake. Brewer thinks the fire department’s training is suited for the water as well since members of the fire See RESCUE • Page 3
The Alexander City Board of Education held their second budget hearing for the upcoming fiscal year during Tuesday night’s regularly scheduled meeting. Between the first and second hearings, a few small changes had been made to the budget, including adding a supplemental child nutrition salary schedule and changing the salary schedules for the transportation and maintenance departments. A motion to approve these changes was passed. Other small tweaks to the budget included an increase in the phone contract expenditures and the replacement of security cameras. Despite these changes, the proposed budget for the city school system was what Superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper and the board members were looking for. “We are in really good shape with this budget,” Cooper said. “There are needs we can identify, but we need to be strategic with our planning and spending.” Due to the system’s funds being at the level they are at, Chief Schools Financial Officer Rhonda Blythe also reported during the budget hearing she had created a corrective action plan for child nutrition. Required by the government, a corrective action plan details how a school See BUDGET • Page 9
Officials say rash of recent break-ins result of crime of opportunity By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
There have seven automobile break-ins in four days in Alexander City. Four of those occurred in one night on Trenton Trail earlier this week. Anything from guns to electronics to sunglasses were taken. The Alexander City Police Department is looking into the thefts. “They were crimes of opportunity,” Police Chief Jay Turner said. “In almost all of these,
Today’s
doors to cars were left unlocked.” Turner explained investigators are looking into the crimes and special patrols are taking place to help catch the culprit but often times the crimes stop for a different reason. “We will make an unrelated arrest,” Turner said. “Then the break-ins will stop.” Turner said there are a few things property owners can do to help. “Lock your doors,” Turner said. “These were from open doors. Write down serial numbers of your valuables. If the property is recovered it makes it easier to return.”
Lake Martin
Weather
Lake Levels
88 68
490.68
High
Low
Reported on 09/20/17 @ 3 p.m.
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Local law enforcement officials say most vehicle break-ins are crimes of opportunity and by simply locking doors, most of these thefts can be stopped.
Mitch Sneed photo illustration / The Outlook
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