OPINION: THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY FROM RECENT HEADLINES
THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR
TUESDAY SPORTS, PAGE 10
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
Inside, page 6
Uncertainties remain as volleyball season begins
September 5, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 176 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Council to consider grant for streetscapes Project would enhance downtown area around Hamp Lyon Stadium By MITCH SNEED Editor
Alexander City has been very successful in getting federal and state grant money in the past to help bring some major projects to fruition.
Tonight, the Alexander City City Council will consider accepting two grants that includes a portion of the project to come from matching funds from the city that could boost the quality of life in the area. The first is a grant is through the Sidewalk and Streetscape Improvements Program and will help the city develop and construct transportation alternatives for its citizens including new sidewalks around the revamped the Hamp Lyon Stadium. Some of the possibilities listed in the proposal include:
• Construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation, including sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian lighting, downtown streetscape (combination of sidewalks, pedestrian lighting and landscaping) and other transportation projects to achieve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. • Construction of infrastructure-related projects See COUNCIL • Page 2
Local business takes on mattress fundraiser
Tallapoosa County jury awards $10 million in civil case
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Most everyone has seen them – those mattress sales from a truck benefiting this or that organization. But just who is selling those mattresses? Who takes care of delivery of those mattresses? Who takes care of a problem after a sale? Ralph Holley at Holley’s Home Furnishings is hoping to answer all of those questions and help raise money for area schools too. “I see where schools are starting to do more fundraisers with mattress sales,” Holley said. “I noticed someone from out of town was bringing in a truck. I thought it would be a great if a local business could do it instead of an out town group.” Holley said being a local business helps answer the questions surrounding the purchase of a mattress. “We can take care of the delivery and the set up of the mattress,” Holley said. “We can take care of the disposal of the old mattress system and if there is a problem after the sale, we can help with that too.” Through Sept. 20, Holley’s Home Furnishings will donate 10 percent of any mattress sale to the school system of your choice. “The customer just needs to
Jury finds Bell Sports not at fault in product liability case, award to come from dog owners By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
CELEBRATING LABOR DAY Above: Rexton Lee, left, and Todd Sassano, right, play at the Lake Martin Amphitheater Sunday night as the sun sets into the west. Perfect weather and great sounds were present for the Labor Day Concert sponsored by Russell Lands. Left: Country music’s Ashton Shepherd entertains the crowd. The Coffeeville, Alabama native was a big hit. Below: It’s hard to beat this sunset view from the AMP as music played on the stage below. More pictures from the event inside on Page 3.
See HOLLEY • Page 2
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Loretta Carter was awarded $8 million and her husband Donald Carter was awarded $2 million Friday by a Tallapoosa County jury in case that took nearly two weeks to try. It was a case featuring two Birmingham law firms and two local attorneys, Larkin Radney of Alexander City and Daine Sharpe of Dadeville. Stepping into Judge Ray Martin’s courtroom at the Courthouse Annex, one found enough suited attorneys, paralegals and technicians to make up for the dozens of large photographs, box on top of box filled with reams of paper, a mangled road bicycle and numerous bicycle helmets for possible entry as evidence in a case stacked along the walls and in the seats of the courtroom. Sharpe worked with the Carters’ attorneys from Belt Law and says it is not unusual for out-of-town firms to hire local attorneys for help from helping with jury selection to other matters where local knowledge is needed. “They want someone who knows the lay of the land,” Sharpe said. “I do a similar thing when I try something let’s say in south Alabama.” Sharpe says much of his practice is civil. See CASE • Page 2
Local residents answer the call and give to Hurricane Harvey relief By MITCH SNEED Editor
When people are in need, people in the Lake Martin community respond in a big way. That was again proven to be true over the Labor Day weekend as residents delivered help items to help those hit hard by Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that followed in Texas. A group of churches led by Ray Baptist Church and Rockford Baptist Church and Wellborn Forest Products each had tractor trailers parked at the Winn Dixie shopping center and collected items
Today’s
for three days beginning Saturday morning. As of about 2 p.m. Monday, both trucks were almost filled and ready to head out to Texas Tuesday morning. Among the items collected were bottled water, cleaning goods, particularly Clorox bleach, canned goods, baby supplies, coolers, gas cans toiletries, paper towels, toilet paper, sponges, lawn chairs. The trailer sponsored by the churches will travel to the Houston area and will be delivered to a church there to be stored See HARVEY • Page 3
Lake Martin
Weather Lake Levels
86 68 High
Low
490.80
Reported on 09/04/17 @ 9 a.m.
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Local churches set up at Winn Dixie to collect items and donations to send to Texas Tuesday morning.
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