OPINION: ACCOUNTABILITY ACT DOESN’T HELP STUDENTS WHO NEED IT
THE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?
TUESDAY
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
Classifieds, page 9.
April 26, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 83
www.alexcityoutlook.com
SPORTS, PAGE 12. Wildcats move on to Round 2 of baseball playoffs.
Fight breaks out at council meeting By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Mayor Charles Shaw and Councilman Tony Goss are separated by bystanders after a heated argument turned into a brawl at Monday’s meeting.
More than three years of frustration between Mayor Charles Shaw and some members of the Alexander City City Council reached a boiling point when a post-meeting brawl broke out between the mayor and Councilman Tony Goss
Monday. After a heated exchange between Shaw and Goss over city finances, Councilman Bob Howard moved quickly to adjourn the meeting as words continued to be exchanged. As soon as the meeting was over, Shaw rushed around the table towards Goss as he stood up. Shaw
Neighbor charged with Wilson’s murder
then punched Goss in the side of the face and landed another punch as Goss retreated and started defending himself. Others including the mayor’s wife appeared to join in the rush towards Goss. City employees and others gathered at the meeting worked to break it See COUNCIL • Page 7
State Auditor investigating complaint over city issues
By MITCH SNEED Editor
By MITCH SNEED Editor
A neighbor who described in great detail how he saw a red truck stop in the road and shoot 49-year-old Clyde Wilson is now charged with murder. Franklin Nathan Price Jr., 51 of Alexander City, is in the Tallapoosa County Jail on charges of murder and two counts of burglary and is being held on $350,000 bond. Price lived across Highway 63 from Wilson, who died after being shot once while cutting his grass on a riding lawnmower Wednesday around 9:30 a.m. Price The arrest brings some resolution to a case that was bizarre from the initial call. Wilson died shortly after being shot on his property at 3823 Highway 63, just outside the Alexander City limits. Investigators said that Wilson suffered a single gunshot wound that passed through his arm and into his chest, with no visible exit wound. He was pronounced dead at Russell Medical Center.
Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler has confirmed that he has enlisted the help of a volunteer to investigate complaints over government spending and procedural irregularities in Alexander City. Zeigler said that a complaint was filed late last summer and due to severe budget cuts, he has enlisted a number of volunteers to handle citizen complaints. He confirmed that Linda Hilyer has been working since February on a complaint that was filed with his office last August. “She volunteered to look into this at my request and will be reporting back to me with her findings,” Zeigler said. “With the budget constraints that we face, we have had to handle several of the complaints we have received in this manner.”
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Nearly 500 people took part in a community-wide candlelight vigil near the spot where Clyde Wilson was shot Wednesday. Below, Wilson’s wife Michelle is comforted by family after expressing her thanks for community support.
A SHOW OF SUPPORT
Community comes together to show support for tragedy struck family By MITCH SNEED Editor
About 500 people turned out Sunday night to show support and love for the family of Clyde Wilson, the man who was shot a killed Wednesday as he mowed his yard. A community candlelight vigil was held at the site where Wilson lost his life, but local ministers, leaders and family members called for a continued outpouring of love for Wilson’s family. See VIGIL • Page 3
See ARREST • Page 3
See AUDIT • Page 7
County-Wide Clean Up draws sweeping numbers By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Mallory Padgett, left, and Chris Gaston pick up trash along County Road 40 Saturday morning. They were among nearly 200 volunteers out picking up trash.
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Saturday’s County Wide Clean up was a huge success. The Tallapoosa County Commission provided dumpsters across the county to allow citizens to dispose of larger items and volunteers took to the roads to help pick up trash disposed of on roadways. “I think it was huge success,” Lake Martin Resource Association’s John Thompson said. “Every dumpster but two were overflowing.” In all, nearly 200 volunteers picked up more than 330 bags of trash from roadsides throughout the county. Grills, cabinets, toys and more could be found out dumpsters as residents emptied their storage areas. Thompson believes the success of Saturday points to a need in the community.
“It points out people need a place to dispose of large items,” Thompson said. “People will take the option of least resistance when disposing of things.” The clean up got started two weeks ago as Russell Lands with 30 associates and volunteers picked up 120 bags of trash along Highway 63. Saturday, organized efforts to pick up trash occurred in the Hackneyville Community, along Pearson Chapel Road, Madwind Road, in Alexander City, and the Union Community. Kathy Nicholson helped organize a cleanup on Pearson Chapel Road through her church, New Providence Baptist Church. “We only cleaned a three mile stretch,” Nicholson said. “We filled up a trailer and two pickup trucks. We
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