INSIDE:
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OPINION, PAGE 4: WITH TECHNOLOGY, THESE ARE THE GOOD OL’ DAYS
The Outlook
Police Reports, 2 Calendar, 5 Religion, 6 Classifieds, 7 Readers’ Choice, 11 Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 Sports, 12 September 9-10, 2017 Vol. 125, No. 180 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
SPORTS, PAGE 12: Kevin Sasser leaves mark on BHA
Irma brings evacuees to area
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Donald Campbell / The Outlook
The Adams family from Jacksonville, Florida are among the 200 residents of Florida setting up camp at Wind Creek this weekend to ride out Hurricane Irma.
While Tallapoosa County is not projected to see much of a major weather impact from Hurricane Irma, the storm has brought a number of evacuees into the area, many of whom have been renting hotel rooms and reserving campground sites at Wind Creek State Park. “We didn’t have a lot of people calling and inquiring until about
ACPD exploring adding marine presence
See EVACUEES • Page 9
Local pharmacy employee facing drug trafficking charges By MITCH SNEED Editor
By MITCH SNEED Editor
The week-long search for a man missing in the waters of Lake Martin was an effort which underscored the cooperation of multiple agencies and groups, all working non-stop to help a family gain closure. Alexander City Police Chief Jay Turner said the ordeal also served as a eye-opener for department leadership, illustrating just how illequipped the department is to handle major operations on the water. “We have been very fortunate over the years in that drownings and incidents that we had were in areas that we could access or where we were able to get help,” Turner said. “We have groups like the Alexander City / Tallapoosa County Rescue Squad and the ALEA Marine Patrol Unit. But in situations like the one we just went through, it was obvious we didn’t have what we needed at all.” The department has no boat and no gear for water rescue. Some officers used their own boats, while businesses like Depot Gun and Pawn, Boat Doc and Russell Marine loaned the department boats and craft to get water access. Turner said that the See MARINE • Page 9
DeSoto, Oak Mountain and Wheeler are almost completely filled up. They have been calling us to see what we have, and they’ve been recommending Wind Creek to those who may be on the way,” Adams said. Early Friday afternoon, several RVs and vehicles bearing Florida license plates had already set up at campsites across the park, with
Wednesday. Since then, they have been increasing,” said Wind Creek Superintendent Bruce Adams. According to a reservation summary from Wind Creek, in addition to 174 reservations made for the weekend by Alabamians, 62 reservations totaling 200 guests were scheduled to arrive from Florida, with another 17, comprising 52 people, were on the way from Georgia. “Some of the parks in the northern part of the state, places like
An employee of a local pharmacy is facing drug trafficking charges after she allegedly made off with a large number of prescription painkillers from her place of employment. Vicki L. Ballard, 53, of Kellyton was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of drug trafficking. Ballard was employed as a pharmacy technician at the Rite-Aid store at See PHARMACIST • Page 3
Ballard
returned RAZOR SHARP Indictments in attempted murder, Alexander City knifemaker has blades around the world
kidnapping case
By MITCH SNEED Editor
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Knives have been around for centuries from the ancient swords of the samurai to the Bowie knives of the American frontier. First they were carried for survival, hunting and helping construct shelter. Today, knives are used more for sport and collecting and Alexander City’s Charlie Edmondson is building a world class reputation in the world of knife making. Unlike many of the branded knives on the market, some of which have centuries of manufacturing under their belt, Edmondson is See KNIVES • Page 10
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Edmondson has been making knives since 2008. It started as a hobby, but he has learned to make high performance knives.
A Tallapoosa Grand Jury has returned indictments on a man suspected of cutting a woman’s throat and taking their child during a December Woods domestic altercation in Alexander City. Vasco Orlando Woods Jr., 23, was indicted on charges of attempted See INDICTMENT • Page 3
BRHS students put investigation skills to the test
Today’s
Weather
81 59
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
One might have mistaken the food lab at Benjamin Russell High School for multiple sets from television’s CSI. Multiple crime scenes with names like “Yellow Belly Murder,” “Red Alert,” “Shellfish Surprise,” Picnic Panic” and “Dead Body Blue” were set up by BRHS Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Daphne Davis and her student interns as an activity to help teach foodborne illnesses. “It is one of the hardest chapters to teach,” Davis said. “Staphylococcus – big words, they just start shutting down.” The crime scene activity is something Davis has seen before at a conference and decided to use it to help reinforce the textbook material. See BRHS • Page 3
High
Low
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.69 Reported on 09/08/17 @ 4 p.m.
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Students look over one of the kitchen crime scenes at Benjamin Russell High School on Thursday.
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