OPINION: BADGERS TURN ELECTION AROUND. PAGE 4. CRUCIAL WIN THURSDAY THE Wildcats get first area win at Valley, Sports page 8.
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 April 7, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 70
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Local memories shared as Haggard passes By MITCH SNEED Editor
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Country music legend Merle Haggard performs two years ago in Carollton, Georgia. Haggard passed away Wednesday, on his 79th birthday due to health complications and pneumonia.
Country music legend Merle Haggard died Wednesday, the same day he turned 79 years old. A release issued by his family said Haggard had been in hospice care after recent health struggles that included pneumonia, which was listed as the cause of death. Local classic country music lovers like Kowaliga Country’s Kenny Dean called the Haggard’s passing a “sad, sad day for country music.” “I’m 63 years old and I can honestly say that I have been a fan of
his music for 50 years,” Dean said. “My brother has been a truck driver his whole life and I can remember hearing him on an old radio show called Charlie Douglas’ Road gang. I still love one his first hits ‘I’m A Lonesome Fugitive’ that I heard on that show. “We are losing a breed that made country music what it is and it’s just a sad, sad day. You look at the people we have today. Do you think people will remember them like this 50 years from now? Probably not.” While Haggard’s fame was international, few may recall that he actually played here in Tallapoosa County
early in his career. Peck Rowell owned the Blue Creek Recreation Center, a club on the water about six miles south of Dadeville on Highway 49. In a 2014 interview, Rowell recalled Haggard’s visit for a story on Rowell’s own induction into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. “We had some of the biggest names in the business come through Blue Creek,” Rowell, who passed away in late 2014, said. “None any bigger than Merle. He put on a show and like to have played all night. He probably would have if we had let him. Even See LEGEND • Page 2
Tax fraud at school systems top 100
Closing statements today in sex abuse trial
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
By MITCH SNEED Editor
A jury will likely begin deliberating the fate of a man and woman accused of the sexual abuse of a 5-yearold girl today. Antavis Dewayne Thornton Jr. of Valley and April Nichole Jones of Jacksons Gap are on trial for aggravated child abuse, two counts of first-degree sodomy, first-degree rape and one count of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. Judge Ray Martin ended Wednesday’s session after both the prosecution and the defense rested their cases, instructing the defense team as well as Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Duerr that closing statements would be expected to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday. The prosecution called just one witness Wednesday before resting its case.
A proposed plan to close Councill Middle School got a chilly reception Wednesday as members of the public sounded off to members of the Tallapoosa County Board of Education and Superintendent Joe Windle. The boardroom was packed with 45 people, most who came to learn more about the plan. Windle told the crowd that this isn’t an easy
With the number of employees in the Alexander City School System who have been victims of tax-related identity fraud rising to 55, two other school systems in Alabama who share a common vendor with Alex City are beginning to discover additional cases of the same or a similar scheme, pushing the total number of employees victimized among the three systems to well more than 100. All three of the systems are currently engaged in working to protect employees and with local police and federal agencies to find who is responsible. “Hopefully, we’ve become aware of most of our cases now,” Rhonda Blythe, chief financial officer for Alex City Schools, said Tuesday. “We haven’t had anymore come in today and that’s the first day we haven’t had any new ones since this began.” Meanwhile, Escambia County and Dothan City Schools began to discover cases in the south Alabama systems early this week. Both Escambia County Schools and Dothan City Schools, like Alexander City, use financial computer platforms provided
See COUNCILL • Page 3
See FRAUD • Page 3
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Superintendent Joe Windle looks on as parent Amanda Williams voices her concerns about young children being mixed in with much older students if Coucill Middle School were to close. Below, former principal Wayne Chase tells those gathered that closing Councill Middle School is not good for Dadeville.
CLOSING COUNCILL
Concerns voiced at town meeting By MITCH SNEED Editor
See TRIAL• Page 2
Controlled burns the source of this week’s smoke and haze By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Smoke from controlled burns filled the air in and around Alexander CityTuesday evening concern with residents.
See SMOKE • Page 3
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No, Alexander City was not in a BBQ smoker Tuesday afternoon. All that smoke was from a large control burn in the Talladega National Forest. “The main source of the smoke seen in and around Alexander City Tuesday was from a controlled burn in the Talladega National Forest,” Alabama Forestry Commission’s Michael King said. “The U.S. Forest Service burned about 2,400 acres.” King says the normal landowner will most likely never burn that amount. “The average land owner will only ever burn up to 100 acres,” King said. “That said, 2,400 acres is about normal for the forest service.” King explained that the forest service has burn plans and gets burn permits. “They plan their burns,” King said.
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Alabama Energy & Residential Codes Training Alabama Energy Code Presented by Southface & ADECA Energy Division Wednesday, April 13, 9 AM 1 PM Betty Carol Graham Technology Center Alabama Residential Building Code Presented by the Home Builders Association of Alabama Tuesday, April 19, 9 AM 1 PM Betty Carol Graham Technology Center Contact the Building Department at (256) 329 6712 for more information!
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
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Directory Telephone: (256) 234-4281 Fax: (256) 234-6550 Website: www.alexcityoutlook.com Management Kenneth Boone Publisher, Ext. 218 kenneth.boone@alexcityoutlook.com Mitch Sneed Editor, Ext. 213 mitch.sneed@alexcityoutlook.com David Kendrick Circulation Manager, Ext. 204 david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook.com Lee Champion Production Manager, Ext. 220 lee.champion@alexcityoutlook.com Accounting Angela Mullins Bookkeeping, Ext. 202 angela.mullins@alexcityoutlook.com Mary Lyman Boone Bookkeeping marylyman.boone@alexcityoutlook.com Newsroom Betsy Iler Magazine Managing Editor, Ext. 221 betsy.iler@alexcityoutlook.com Robert Hudson Sports Editor, Ext. 228 robert.hudson@alexcityoutlook.com Cliff Williams Staff Writer, Ext. 212 cliff.williams@alexcityoutlook.com
David Granger Staff Writer, Ext. 210 david.granger@alexcityoutlook.com Mia Osborn Assistant Magazine Editor, Ext. 227 mia.osborn@alexcityoutlook.com Advertising Sales Tippy Hunter Advertising Director, Ext. 206 marketing@alexcityoutlook.com Doug Patterson Newspaper Advertising, Ext. 205 doug.patterson@alexcityoutlook.com Kim Morse Advertising Sales, Ext. 217 kim.morse@alexcityoutlook.com Emily Guill Advertising Sales, Ext. 225 emily.guill@alexcityoutlook.com Composing Audra Spears Composing Department, Ext. 219 audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com Darlene Johnson Composing Department, Ext. 203 darlene.johnson@alexcityoutlook.com Hallie Holloway Composing Department, Ext. 203 hallie.holloway@alexcityoutlook.com Alethia Russell Graphic Artist, Ext. 231 alethia.russell@alexcityoutlook.com Circulation Linda Ewing Asst. Circulation Manager, Ext. 201 linda.ewing@alexcityoutlook.com
Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. manages The Alexander City Outlook, The Dadeville Record, Lake magazine, (USPS: 013-080, ISSN: 0738-5110) Lake Martin Living, The Outlook is published five times Kenneth Boone a week, Tuesday through Saturday Photography and mornings, by Tallapoosa Publishers, a commercial web printing press. Inc., 548 Cherokee Road, P.O. Box 999, Alexander City, AL, 35011. © 2011 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. ReproPOSTMASTER: Send address duction of any part of any issue requires changes to Post Office Box 999, written publisher permission. Alexander City, AL 35011.
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McKinley Ann Bishop Funeral Services for McKinley Ann Bishop, age 16 months, will be held Friday, April 8, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at River Road Baptist Church. Dr. Albert Pike and Rev. Tom Drake will officiate. Family will receive friends at the Church from 10:00 a.m. until time of service. Miss Bishop died April 6, 2016 at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. She was born November 15, 2014 to Christopher and Mary Ashley Brasher Bishop. She is survived by her parents. Grandparents; Greg and Angela Bishop, Evelyne Brasher, Austin and Shirley Moncreif,
Glenda Bishop, Faye Tate and Margaret Yates. Aunts; Patricia Smith, Cristy Bagley, Jessica Bishop and several great aunts. Uncles; Buddy Smith, Pete Veitch, William Bishop, Aron Bishop (Kayla), Clay Bishop, Buddy (BB) Smith (Carrie), Several great uncles. Best friend/sister, Chole Bagley. She was preceded in death by her Papa (Hubert McKinley Brasher), Great Papa (Howard Bishop) and Uncle (Chris Bagley). McKinley was a fun loving little girl always wearing a smile. Bass Funeral Home and Cremations in charge of the arrangements. Many a small thing has
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DEAR ABBY: I’m wondering how to approach a situation following a visit with some relatives. We enjoyed a wonderful visit and they were very nice to put us up in their guest room. A few days into our stay, I woke up with strange and very itchy bites on my legs and shoulders. When I mentioned it to our host, she quickly supplied me with some itch cream and changed the subject. After we returned home, we met a few of our relatives and they mentioned that this particular household was experiencing a bed bug problem. I was shocked and a little hurt that they didn’t mention the infestation or warn us ahead of time. We’re in the process of making sure we didn’t bring any of these critters home, but if we must hire an exterminator or replace furniture, we will be in a bind
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Mrs. Jewel Ann Taska 1928 - 2016 Funeral Service for Mrs. Jewel Ann Taska, 87, of Goodwater, will be Friday, April 8, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Goodwater Baptist Church. Rev. Joe Fain will officiate. Burial will follow in the Old Goodwater Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday, April 8, 2016 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Goodwater Baptist Church. Mrs. Taska passed away on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at residence. She was born on June 5, 1928 in Jersey City, New Jersey to Albert Lee Head and Jewel Ollie Darden. She was a member of the Coosa County
DEAR ABBY: I have been married to “George” for 20 years. We have a solid relationship except for one thing that drives me crazy: He insists on having his ex-wife cut his hair. I have told him over and over that I really dislike it and I wish he would go elsewhere, but he refuses. Now he’s going behind my back and waiting for me to notice that he’s had a haircut. He used to at least tell me beforehand. It would take an entire column to describe her past behavior, but it’s not all that different from many exes. I think what he’s doing is
disrespectful to me. I would never continue doing something he asked me not to if it bothered him. There are a lot of hairstylists in this town, and her haircuts aren’t that great. Am I being unreasonable? -- BOTHERED IN IDAHO DEAR BOTHERED: Your husband has been doing this for 20 years and you are only writing to me about it now? Because it bothers you, the next time he goes over to get his hair cut, volunteer to go with him. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em -- and maybe get a manicure in the process. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Judge Jackson and her son, Ed Jackson. She is survived by son, James Jackson wife Sharon; two daughters, Ginny Ashworth and Janey Oliver husband Gary; 9 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren and 5 great great-grandchildren Visitation will be Thursday April 7, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at
Radney-Smith Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Wayne Ashworth, Patrick Oliver, Jimmy Plexico, George Sewell, Kevin Armstrong and Chris Jackson. Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.radneysmith.com.
Retired Teachers Association, Alabama Retired Teachers Association, A.E.A Association, National Education Association, Goodwater Garden Club, Goodwater Baptist Church Choir, and Sweet Adeline’s Women’s Barbershop Singers. Teaching was her life. She was very active in her students lives, including coaching the cheerleaders and having Saturday chili days. Mrs. Taska loved her church, singing, reading, her dogs and baseball. She was a resident of Goodwater for 30 years. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Blankenship of Bessemer; son, Joseph C Graham, III; daughterin-law, Lena Graham; granddaughters, Alyssa (Justin) Stinnett and Tonya
(Michael) Garrett; grandsons, Matthew (Johanna) Blankenship and Michael (Karlen) Graham; great-grandchildren, Trystan Stinnett, Trace Stinnett, Xander Garrett, and Sadie Blankenship. She was preceded in death by her spouse, Colbert Lee Taska; parents, and brother, Albert Lee Head, Jr. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Goodwater Baptist Church, P.O. Box 283, AL 35072. Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.radneyfuneralhome. com.
Mrs. Patricia Ann Taunton 1936 - 2016 Funeral Service for Mrs. Patricia Ann Taunton, 79, of Alexander City, will be Friday, April 8, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at the Radney Funeral Home. Rev. Burton Herring and Rev. Jess Page will officiate. Burial will follow in the Seman Congregational Christian Church. The family will receive friends on Friday, April 8, 2016 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Radney Funeral Home. Mrs. Taunton passed away on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at Russell Medical Center. She was born on December 28, 1936 in Cheaney Creek, Alabama to John William “Wid” Pearson and Mary Pearson. She enjoyed word search puzzles, was a wonderful cook, and was known for her banana puddings. She dearly loved her grandchildren.
Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga, AL will direct the services.
Radney Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
She is survived by her step-children, Marcia Taunton Bolan (Ronnie), Bonny Taunton Wilson (Tony) all of Alexander City and Billy Aaron Taunton (Leanne) of Ardmore, AL; grandchildren, Tracy Jones, Megan Prescott, Adrienne Vinson (David), Emily Edmunds (Corey), and Malorie Taunton; great-grandchildren, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah Jones, Piper Prescott, Cade and Korie Edmunds, and Abby Grace Vinson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marion Denney Taunton and her parents and siblings. Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www. radneyfuneralhome.com. Radney Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Legend he was off stage he shook hands with everyone in the house. That’s just the way that he was.” Haggard recorded 40 No. 1 country singles, and wrote some of the genre’s most revered classics, which have been recorded by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, The Byrds, Vince Gill and The Grateful Dead among others. Born to James and Flossie
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financially. What would be the proper way to address this, and should our host feel some responsibility for what costs we may have to incur? -- ITCHY AND IRRITATED IN ILLINOIS DEAR ITCHY: That these relatives would knowingly allow you to stay in a room they knew was infested with “critters” is appalling. Could they have been too embarrassed to speak up? If you must replace rugs, mattresses, bedding, etc., ask them to reimburse you. If they refuse, you could take them to small claims court and get a judgment IF you could prove you picked
Alexander City, AL - Funeral service for Edna Jackson, 90, will be Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at RadneySmith Chapel with Rev. Josh Sammons officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Sylacauga, AL. Mrs. Jackson died Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at Adams Nursing Home. She
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the bugs up there. But first you should let your relatives know that other family members told you about their “sin of omission.” In the future, if you plan to visit this couple again, stay elsewhere. Once bitten, twice shy.
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The Outlook
continued from page 1 Mae Haggard on Apr. 6, 1937 in Bakersfield, California, Merle Ronald Haggard lived with his family in a converted railroad car in Oildale, California for much of his childhood. Haggard’s life took him from a San Quentin prison cell to the Country Music Hall of Fame. In an interview for West Georgia Living in 2014 Haggard said that he knew he needed to slow down, but
just couldn’t do it. “There are times when I don’t feel so well, but when you get on that stage all the aches and pains seem to go away,” Haggard said. “That’s what it means to me. I feel like if I slow down, all the trouble may catch up with me.” The string of hits was incredible. “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “Branded Man,”
Trial The girl’s foster father Jonathan David Gaither who
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“The Bottle Let Me Down,” “If We Make It Through December” and “Okie from Muskogee” were just some of the titles that were vintage Haggard. “His sound, his voice that’s one thing,” Dean said. “But the songs he wrote. He wrote the human story and you could feel every word. He will be missed.”
continued from page 1 testified about how the girl came to live with he and his wife. The two attorneys for the defense called nine witnesses. Of the first six, most of which were in some way related to Jones. They testified that they rarely saw the girl alone with either Jones or Thornton and that they didn’t see any inappropriate behavior. Karen McCollum testified the girl never said she had been touched improperly or complained of any pain or issues that could have been related to sexual abuse. Duerr pointed out discrepancies in her testimony compared to other witnesses, most notably accounts of who had stayed
in the house in New Site with Jones and Thornton. The trial has included several twists and turns. On Monday, the victim testified that she couldn’t recall the abuse, despite video of her indicating some abuse being shown to jurors. Counselors also testified that she did say in sessions that both Thornton and Jones had participated in some forms of the abuse. On Monday, jurors heard from a witness who had been in jail with Jones who said that Jones had admitted to the abuse while incarcerated. Even though the witness said Jones even gave reasons why the abuse happened, the defense hammered at the credibility of the witness.
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Page 3
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Fraud
continued from page 1
by Innovak International Inc. of Spartanburg, S.C. Superintendent John Knott of Escambia County Schools said Wednesday he was notified over spring break, which his system celebrated last week, about the possible situation. In the beginning, it did not appear Escambia County had been victimized. However, cases began to appear when school reconvened on Monday. As of Tuesday, Knott confirmed 12 cases, but he said there were more on Wednesday. “We’ve had a few more,” Knott said. “We’ve got about 18 right now, but that doesn’t mean that all of those are connected to this situation. We’ve had a couple people who said they had the same thing happen last year. Knott said Escambia County, like Alex City, had officials at the Alabama
Supercomputer Authority, which provides Internet access and other network services to all of the state’s public K-12 schools, conduct checks and that Escambia County had not suffered a breach or inside tampering “We’ve done all the same checks they have done in Alexander City,” Knott said. “We have talked with the FBI and the IRS. They haven’t visited yet, but we have been in contact with both. We’ve had several conversations with them and we are forwarding information to them. Hopefully, we won’t have any more cases.” Escambia County, which operates 12 schools and a science center, issues some 900 checks each month, Knott said. “What we are doing now is being proactive,” he said. “We’re very troubled and concerned with this. When we
got the information, we immediately cut off access to employee portals. The only time that information goes anywhere is when the info is uploaded to the IRS.” On Monday, Knott issued a memo to employees outlining the situation. He said staff believing they are a victim should report it to one of the system’s school resource officers, who are also Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies. “This way the staff member doesn’t have to leave school if they need a police report,” he said. “Those inside a city limit may contact their respective police department.” Mike Manual, chief financial officer for Dothan City Schools, said Wednesday his system had not had any new reports in addition to the 30-40 he said had been reported earlier this week. “They have to report them to us, so,
Councill
no, we haven’t had any additional cases come to us,” Manuel said. Dothan City Schools operates 20 schools. Earlier Manuel had said cases existed in 12 of those schools. Manuel said the Dothan system had, like the others, been in touch with both the FBI and the IRS. He said Dothan had also notified its insurance company, and communicated with employees about the problem, particularly about free credit monitoring and fraud protection services offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama’s Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan, or PEEHIP. “We have also restricted access to the site that we think is the problem,” added Manuel, without specifying the site to which he was referring.
continued from page 1
decision. He said that in his four years as superintendent the idea has come up, but it hadn’t been considered. Windle again said the main reason considering the closure of Councill is the loss of students in the Dadeville area. “This year it came to the point where the number of students lost in the past few years brought it to a point where it made sense to at least look at it,” Windle said. “Yes, we’ve lost some to private schools and we all know who they are. But more than that, there just aren’t as many kids coming in as there once was, even a few years ago.” There were plenty in the crowd who came to speak their mind too. Former principal Wayne Chase said he thinks this idea has been kept quiet for a reason and believes that it is not the right move for the students or Dadeville. “You should separate kids of that age from the high school students,” Chase said. “It just makes sense. “If closing middle schools is such a good idea then maybe we should go to Auburn City Schools, or Opelika, or Roanoke, or Sylacauga and see why they aren’t closing their too. They aren’t closing them because it’s not a good idea…To be a good school
system you have to have three things. You have to have quality education, discipline and leadership. Those are the three things. If you don’t have those things, you are going to lose students. That’s what we should be looking at.” Arlean Wyckoff said this move would not be fair to students. “We are moving children too much,” Wyckoff said. You’ve been playing ping pong with these children. You bounced them from Camp Hill, to Dadeville, from Dadeville to Councill now you are talking about bouncing them back. Now here we go again.” Parent Amanda Williams raised a safety concern. She said she lived through the Dadeville schools when there was no middle school. “I know they will be picked on,” Williams said. “I went there, I know. They will be hot on sexually. They will get there with those hormones raging and things are going to happen. They will face peer pressure from an older group and it’s something that no matter how hard you try, it can’t be stopped.” Windle agreed that the concerns were real and ones that they will have to look at
very closely. He said that they will have a designated area in the school and there has even been thought to making an Academy within the school, complete with a separate principal. He said that a camera monitoring system for the school is the No. 1 priority for the capital improvements list for the coming year. Safety is a big concern,” Windle said. “I do understand that. It is something we have to address. …I want what’s best, but we also have to recommend what is best that this board can afford.” Board member Randy Anderson said that when the commissioners approved a 1-cent sales tax for schools, they did so even though many didn’t want it. He said that is why they have to be careful with every penny. “When they passed that, people said they are just going to sit back and spend our money and they aren’t going to do anything. We have to show them that we are going to do all we can to be good stewards of their money. We take this very seriously. This board is going to sit back and listen and learn before we make a decision. I can promise you that.”
Councill Middle School is located at 254 Leach Street in Dadeville. The school, originally built in 1954, was named after Dr. William Hooper Councill, a former slave and a contemporary of Booker T. Washington when Washington was president of Tuskegee and Councill was the first president of Huntsville Normal School, now Alabama A&M University Councill School serves grades 6 through 8. It was closed in 1970 and, between then and 1980, served many purposes, including housing a sewing plant. The main building reopened in 1980 as the kindergarten annex for Dadeville Elementary. In the summer of 2005, the facility was remodeled to serve as a middle school. Parent Wayne Johnston summed up the way many in the crowd were feeling. “I don’t like the idea of my daughter being moved up to the high school,” Johnston said. “I think she is growing up too fast already.” No definite date has been set for the board to consider the plan, but if the plan is adopted, it will go into effect next academic year
Smoke
continued from page 1
“They do get permits from us and they handle their own burns. They try to wait for the correct weather so that the burn will impact the least number of people.” King also explained that they don’t
just pick a day. “They wait for the weather to be just right,” King said. “They look at the winds, the rain and other factors when deciding. Sometimes things change and
we get smoke like Tuesday.” King did offer some advice when applying for a burn permit. “We require burn plans,” King said. “Those plans must stipulate that you
have equipment on site to handle things if the fire gets out.”
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Page 4
Our
Opinion
D
The
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Badgers turn election on its cheesy head
We want to W hear from you
o you have something you’d like to say? A letter to the editor or a guest column published in The Outlook is the best way we know of to reach people in the Lake Martin community. Here are some good reasons to speak out: If you would like to would like to voice an opinion on a topic that impacts a number of residents. If you want to call attention to someone or some group that has achieved something noteworthy. If you want to thank someone who has gone of their way to help you. If you see a problem in our community and you’d like to suggest a solution. Whatever you have to say, we’d like to help you say it – for free. Just write us a letter or a guest column. We have a few rules designed to help get your thoughts published accurately. First, we require all letters be signed and include a phone number. We won’t publish your phone number, but we will call and confirm that the writer is genuine. In rare instances, we may publish a letter to the editor without including the writer’s name if the letter passes a strict three-way test: we have confirmed that the letter is legitimate, revealing the writers’ name would cause harm and publishing the letter is in the best interest of our community. The main difference between a letter to the editor and a guest column is the length. Letters are limited to about 250 words. Guest columns can be twice that length and include a photo of the writer. The best way to get a column or letter to us is to email it to editor@ alexcityoutlook.com. We also accepted letters on paper, delivered to our office at 548 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, or delivered by mail to Editor, The Outlook, P.O. Box 999, Alexander City, AL 35011. Your right to speak out as a citizen, and our right to publish your opinion, is protected by the First Amendment. Exercise your right.
Outlook
isconsin. It’s the land of Badgers, cheeseheads, abundant milk cows, wicked winter weather and something totally nonsensical called “ice fishing.” Wisconsin is also home to 60 percent of the U.S. cranberry crop, despite the fact that those guys on the Ocean Spray commercial are standing in a bog in Vermont. Seriously. You can look it up. On Tuesday, these hardy Midwesterners who call Wisconsin home took a break from their snacks of cheese, berries and milk and made their way to the polls in the latest installment of the 2016 presidential primary election. And they promptly sent the frontrunners in both parties back home with losses. Thank you, Wisconsin, for making what has already been the most interesting primary season in American presidential political history even more so. Ted Cruz, buoyed by the recent missteps of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump on abortion and other issues more than anything the Texas senator has said or done, beat The Donald handily. He got more face time on the cable news networks Tuesday night than in quite some time. It remains to be seen how voters being forced to look at his strange, cartoonish face for such an extended period of time will affect his candidacy. (Granted, Cruz isn’t the spitting image of any particular cartoon character, like our own Gov. Robert Bentley is Montgomery Burns of “The Simpsons.”) And then there’s the Democratic race. With his handy win in
DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Wisconsin, Bernie Sanders is, as George Jones once sang, hotter than a two-dollar pistol, having won six straight Democratic presidential nominating contests against frontrunner Hillary Clinton, long the de facto presumptive nominee. But with Clinton’s huge lead, which is largely thanks to the so-called Democratic superdelegates, does the Vermont senator really have a chance? To simplify, the real question is could we see eventful conventions in both parties, when, in the recent past, we’ve been treated to only coronations? As far as the Republicans are concerned, a brokered convention in Cleveland in July seems a foregone conclusion. With John Kasich remaining in the race and Trump beginning to falter, it would seem almost impossible for the New York real estate mogul to get to the Republican magic number of 1,237. Right now, Trump stands at 743 delegates to Cruz’s 417. Sixteen more Republican contests remain – including the big prizes, New York and California – for a total of 715 Republican delegates between now and the convention. Trump needs 494 to get to 1,237. That’s almost 70 percent – 69 percent, to be exact – of the remaining delegates, a seemingly Herculean task. Brokered Republican Convention, here we come! On the side of the donkeys, Sanders’ chances at the nomination appear slim. But with six straight nominating victories, the
self-declared socialist gets progressively (pardon the pun) more threatening to the Clinton campaign. His pressing her for transcripts of speeches she’s made to Wall Street banks and criticizing her for taking donations from the fossil fuel industry seem to be finding particularly tender spots for Clinton. In her defenses of both, she tends to come off as shrill and combative – at least to this viewer’s eyes and ears. It’s not her best side. So let’s look at the donkey math. With 1,674 delegates still at stake in the Democrats’ 22 remaining contests, Clinton currently leads Sanders 1,300 to 1,085 in pledged delegates. Add in the superdelegates and Clinton’s delegate lead expands from 215 to 657 at 1,774 to 1,117. So, even with superdelegates in play, nothing is decided on the Democratic side of the fence, either. And, remember, superdelegates are like shortfielders in softball. They can play anywhere they want at any time. They can move around. So, as we wait for the fun that’s sure to take place in Cleveland in July, we also wait to see if the old Vermont socialist senator has enough momentum – and, mind you, six straight wins is admittedly a lotta mo! – to throw a scare in the increasingly nervous Hillary. It’s all more fun than American political junkies, like me, should be allowed to have. Yet, at the same time, it’s serious business. So when November rolls around, VOTE! Meanwhile, follow the math and enjoy the sideshows. The fun is just beginning. Granger is a staff writer for The Outlook.
John McKelvey represents District 3, which includes Jackson’s Gap, Hackneyville, New Site and Daviston. His phone number is 256-825-8403. His address is 1285 Freeman Road, New Site.
John McKelvey
Emma Jean Thweatt represents District 4, which includes Dadeville, Pace’s Point, northern Camp Hill, Buttston, Dudleyville and part of Eagle Creek. Her daytime phone Emma Jean number is 825-6914 Thweatt and her evening phone number is 825-4207. Her address is 585 Brookwood Circle, Dadeville.
George Carleton Jr. represents District 5, which includes southern Camp Hill, Red Ridge, Walnut Hill, Union and Pleasant George Carleton Jr. Ridge. His address is 630 Turner Road Road, Dadeville.
“A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and work miracles.” – William Hazlitt
Today’s
Scripture “Jesus replied, ‘Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” – Mark 12:24
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The subscription rate is $136.00 per year in Tallapoosa and Coosa counties and $177.99 outside the area. Periodicals paid at Alexander City, AL. Newspapers are available at 100 news racks in our area at 50 cents for The Outlook and 50 cents for The Record. We would love to deliver a paper to your door. Call David Kendrick at 256-234-4281, Ext. 204 or e-mail david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook. com.
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Steve Robinson represents District 2, which includes the southern part of Alexander City, the Cedar Creek area, Steve Robinson Ourtown and Willow Point. His phone number is 256-654-0047. His address is 1225 Warren Circle, Alexander City.
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T.C. Coley represents District 1, including half of Coley Creek, the Andrew Jackson subdivision, the southern part of Indian Hill, North Central Avenue, part of Pearson’s T.C. Coley Chapel Road, the Northside community and portion of Spring Hill community. His phone number is 212-9316. His address is 2316 North Central Avenue, Kellyton.
Today’s
Hunt the good stuff before the negatives
I
’m wouldn’t usually describe myself as gullible, but when I’m up at the crack of nine, my guard is down and all bets are off. Chick-Fil-A posted a photo of their new steak filet on their Instagram page. It looked so good. I was even planning on going there for lunch. I even texted the local franchise’s owner, my friend Andrew. Once the text was sent, I realized it was April 1. I was the victim of a very cruel April Fools’ Day prank, and I don’t play around with food. Seriously, it was skullduggery at its best or perhaps its worst; I’m not sure. These days, I don’t eat out very often. I prefer cooking my own meals at home, and the preparation process does not end in “beep beep beep” either. It’s a way for me to eat healthier and save money, but when I do go out to eat, I like to hunt the good stuff at Chick-Fil-A. I occasionally get the chicken nuggets, but more times than not, I go with one of their salads. They are top notch, as is the customer service, which is really second to none. They always do a great job, and it’s always their pleasure. There was one occasion, however, when they messed up my order. Anyone can make a mistake. I went back inside, and my order was corrected—no
JODY FULLER Guest Columnist
big deal. When I got home, I realized that my order was still messed up, so I went back a third time and the issue was finally resolved. I wasn’t upset, but my patience had been tested. I should’ve taken two shots of Polynesian sauce. That surely would’ve calmed me down. I felt the need to shoot Andrew a text. I just felt that he should know. Any owner or manager should want to know when their product or service fails to meet the standard. He apologized for the inconvenience and offered to make it up to me on my next visit to the home of the original chicken sandwich. All was good in the world, but then I wanted to kick myself in the behind but couldn’t because I had a belly full of yard bird. At that time, I was eating there several times a week, and the service was always impeccable, yet I never felt the need to send my friend a text to tell him so. Until now, I didn’t tell anyone about that mix-up at ChickFil-A, but why is it that bad
news spreads so much faster than good news? Why do we always focus on the negative? Why do we do this? When I worked at Kroger, I’d have hundreds of customers come through my line, and most of them were incredibly nice at best or neutral at worst, but there’d be that one person come through who either hated the world or thought the world revolved around them, and I would let them mess up my whole day. I’ve gotten better over the years, and try to focus on all the positive things around us rather than the negatives, because there’s not a doubt in my mind that the good outweighs the bad, but it’s up to each of us to see and share all the good. It’s there. It’s all around us. I promise. As a master resilience trainer for the Army, we call this “hunting the good stuff.” And if I’m being honest, I actually go with the chicken nuggets more than the salads, Polynesian sauce and all. That’s good stuff. Jody Fuller is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com. For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com.
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WAREHOUSEMAN/DELIVERY PERSON Accepting applications for warehouseman/delivery person position at Dadeville Russell Building Supply. Full-time position with benefits. Must have a valid driver’s license and a good driving history. Applications accepted Monday - Friday. YOU MAY APPLY IN PERSON AT:
Russell Building Supply, 350 Fulton Street, Dadeville, AL Online applications can be submitted at: www.russelllands.ninjagig.com Serious Inquiries Only • EOE
r r r r r
Thursday, April 7, 2016
The Outlook
CommunityCalendar Today is April 7, 2016 SERVING LUNCH IN THE CAFÉ Tuesday - Saturday 11am-1:30pm
Today’s Events
AUDITIONS: Alexander City Theatre II will hold auditions for parts in Joseph Kesselring’s classic dark
comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lake Martin Area United Way building at 21 Main St., Alexander City. Parts for 14 roles - 11 men - some are small parts. Review scripts at Adelia M. Russell Library, Dadeville Public Library and Central Alabama Community College media center. Backstage, makeup,
Page 7
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Participate in your Outlook by calling 256-234-4281, faxing them to 256-234-6550, sending your event to calendar@alexcityoutlook.com or logging on to http://www.alexcityoutlook.com/. costume, set work help also needed. Email actheatreii@gmail.com.
Today’s Birthday
Steve Hoyett, Janice Jordan, Jeff Parrott, Patricia Parker, and Charlie Henry Tolbert are celebrating birthdays today.
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Carmen Rodgers / The Outlook
Milton McGregor announced Monday morning that he would be reopening his gambling facility, sooner rather than later. He said plans are to open in the ‘early summer.’
April 8
DINNER THEATER: Enjoy an evening of good food and great entertainment from the students of Adullam House Christian Academy. Students from grades K-12 will compete for the title of “Most Talented” with dance, songs, drama and more. All proceeds go to Adullam House Christian Academy. Talent show starts at 6 p.m. in the AHCA gym. Advance tickets $6.50 or $10 at the door. Kids under 3 free. To purchase tickets contact Rachel Harborth or Ranee Aspy at 334-4783888. AUDITIONS: Alexander City Theatre II will hold auditions for parts in Joseph Kesselring’s classic dark comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lake Martin Area United Way building at 21 Main St., Alexander City. Parts for 14 roles - 11 men - some are small parts. Review scripts at Adelia M. Russell Library, Dadeville Public Library and Central Alabama Community College media center. Backstage, makeup, costume, set work help also needed. Email actheatreii@ gmail.com.
April 9
APPRECIATION: A celebration and appreciation for Dwight Staple former musician for Centerview Baptist Church April 9 at 6 p.m. at the Label Love Ministry in Jackson Gap. Everyone is invited. GOSPEL SINGING: Weogufka Center is hosting The Diplomats Quartet will sing at 7 p.m. and concessions at 5 p.m. Admission is $12. BENEFIT SINGING: Pentecost United Methodist Church in Camp Hill is hosting a benefit signing with the Jordan River Band and the Treadwell’s April 9 at 6 p.m. Hotdog plates including drink and desert will be sold for $5 starting at 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome. HUMMINGBIRD TALK: Fred Bassett, a certified master bird bander will be speaking at Wind Creek State Park at the Campground Pavilion Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. Bassett has banded more than 35,000 hummingbirds in more than 1,000 locations. AUDITIONS: Alexander City Theatre II will hold auditions for parts in Joseph Kesselring’s classic dark comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, from 2. p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake Martin Area United Way building at 21 Main St., Alexander City. Parts for 14 roles - 11 men - some are small parts. Review scripts at Adelia M. Russell Library, Dadeville Public Library and Central Alabama Community College media center. Backstage, makeup, costume, set work help also needed. Email actheatreii@ gmail.com. SUBMERGED: 2016 VBS “Submerged” Backyard Kids Club Training has been rescheduled for April 9, 2016 at 9 am at the Tallapoosa Baptist Association in Jackson’s Gap. You are invited to come and be “Submerged” in God’s Word, and discover that Jesus sees. Jesus knows. Jesus saves. For more informa-
tion, please contact TBA office at 256825-4441 or 205-410-1950. BOOK SALE: The Friends of the Dadeville Public Library are hosting a Book Sale on April 9 from 8 a.m - 1 p.m. in the lower level of the library. Hardback books are $1.00, Paperback books are $0.50, and a bag of books is $5.00. Baked good will also be available. YARD SALE: Alex City Parks & Rec and the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department are holding a Community Wide Yard Sale Apri 9 from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sportplex gym. Everyone welcome. Table rentals are $10 per table with those proceeds to be donated to Relay for Life of Tallapoosa County. For more information call (256) 3296736 ext. 27
April 10
GOSPEL SINGING: Calvary Heights Baptist Church in Alexander City is hosting a gospel singing April 10 at 5 p.m. The Diplomats Quartet will be performing and a love offering will be taken. GOSPEL SIGNING: River Road Baptist Church is hosting The Diplomats Quartet April 10 at 10 a.m. A love offering will be taken. PRETEEN SERVICE: AC Fusion Preteen Workshop Service April 10 5 p.m. at First Baptist FLC. This is a gathering of 3rd-6th graders in Alex City for the purpose of worshipping God through song and the teaching of the Word. Sixth St. Baptist, First United Methodist, and Alex City Methodist are teaming up and inviting all area churches and kids for this second Fusion service. The doors open at 4:30 p.m. AUDITIONS: Alexander City Theatre II will hold auditions for parts in Joseph Kesselring’s classic dark comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake Martin Area United Way building at 21 Main St., Alexander City. Parts for 14 roles - 11 men - some are small parts. Review scripts at Adelia M. Russell Library, Dadeville Public Library and Central Alabama Community College media center. Backstage, makeup, costume, set work help also needed. Email actheatreii@ gmail.com. BENEFIT PROGRAM: Gracefulness Baptist Church of Camp Hill is hosting a benefit program for Howard Pearson Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m. The Star Wonders will be singing. EVANGELIST SPEAKING: Passion Church will host evangelist Danny Johnston Sunday, April 10 at 6 p.m.
April 14
SWIM TEAM REGISTRATION: The Alex City Torpedoes swim team is holding registration now until April 14. The cost is $25 per child. You may register at the Sportplex gym between the hours of 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The child must be able to swim across the pool unassisted. For more information call (256) 3296736 ext. 27 PATH FINDERS: The next meeting of PATH FINDERS will be on Thursday, December 10, at noon in the United Way conference room, Main Street, downtown Alexander City. Please join
us and help us make strides in 2016 to improve the lives of individuals dealing with dementia in the Lake Martin area.
April 15
RELAY IDOL: Emporium Wine is hosting Relay Idol April 15 at 6 p.m. It can be song or dance, individuals or groups of any age. Six winners will be chosen to advance to the finals on May 6. Costs $20 for an individual and $30 for a group. Fans get in for $2. For more information, contact Janet Austin at 256-392-0963 or Melinda Gilbert at 256-750-1370. LYMAN WARD FUNDRAISER: StillWater’s Neighborhood Council and Stillwaters Golf Club/Copper’s Grill are hosting a fundraiser for the LWMA Golf Team April 15 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 10 percent of your meal will be donated to help the team. Come out and enjoy a great meal and support a worthy cause.
April 16
THREE ON A STRING: The Dadeville First United Methodist Church presents Three on a String, Saturday, April 16 at White Acres in Camp Hill. Dinner of beef filet or chicken will start at 6 p.m. and Three on a Sting will play immediately after. Tickets are $50 per person and $100 a couple. For tickets call 256-825-7408 or 256-825-3985 and all proceeds will go towards local missions and support organizations such as Camp ASCCA and the Girls Ranch. CAR SHOW: The 15th annual Klassic Kruisers Fund Raiser Car Show will be April 16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. across from the New Site City Hall. There will be multiple giveaways, vendors, swap meet 50s music and door prizes. Proceeds go to local fire departments and needy families. For more information contact Susan Gamble at 256-234-4975, Aaron Perry at 256-234-6024 or Larry Hanson at 256-329-9663. For flea market contact Kendra Turner at 256-234-3588. TRADE DAY: The Bibb Graves School is hosting a trade day April 16 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. SPRING FLING: Wayside Baptist Church will host a spring fling April 16 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. with free hot dogs and drinks, professional face painting, and many more games. ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: The Sisters of Worship will celebrate their first anniversary April 16 at 5 p.m. at the Cooper Rec Center. The doors open at 4 p.m. All groups, choirs and soloists are invited. WOMEN’S AUXILIARY PROGRAM: The Northeast District State Convention Women’s Auxiliary, Kathlene W. Spradley, President, will have their Annual President and Vice Presidents Special Effort Program at the Miracle Missionary Baptist Church, Alexander City, Al, on Saturday, April 16 at 10:00 a.m. Guest speaker will be the Rev. Cameron Thomas, pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Cropwell, Alabama.
Call 256-234-4281 or stop by our ofÚce at 548 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, AL
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a county wide clean up for the weekend of April 23. Tallapoosa County Commissioners are providing dumpsters at the following locations throughout the county. • District 1: Downtown Alexander City, next to fire department • District 2: Double Bridge area on Highway 63 (1 mile south of Elkahatchee Creek Bridge) • District 3: Two locations Hackneyville
Volunteer Fire Department and County shop in New Site • District 4: Three locations including across from Siggars Grocery on Gibson Road, Camp Hill Town Hall and County Shop in Dadeville • District 5: Four locations including Red Ridge Methodist (Highway 34), Wall Street Nutrition Center (Tallassee), Reeltown Volunteer Fire Department and Union Volunteer Fire Department
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Page 8
Thursday, April 7, 2016
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Wildcats defeat Central-Phenix City By ROBERT HUDSON Sports Editor
The Benjamin Russell boys golf team took care of business and captured a home win on Tuesday at Willow Point Golf and Country Club. The Wildcats defeated Central-Phenix City 320-381 in Tuesday’s home match. Benjamin Russell Coach Wes Tate said the Wildcats did a good job to bounce back from a disappointing showing last week in the Sylacauga Invitational. “We played a lot better on Tuesday. We played a lot better around the greens and got off the tee box really well,” Tate said. “The guys are improving and getting closer to where we want to be. We’re still not there yet, but we’re making strides getting there. “We didn’t play particularly well last Tuesday, but the guys got to work in practice and worked on some things we needed to fix and applied it in Tuesday’s match. I saw a lot of improvement from last Tuesday to this Tuesday.” Benjamin Russell was led by Sawyer Scott who shot a 78, Hal Coker shot an 80, Dylan Moncus shot an 81, and Kylee Reeder shot an 81. Grady Alford and Cade Mckeever also competed for Benjamin Russell. With less than a month of matches left before the sectionals on April 25, Tate said it is important the Wildcats maintain focus in order to achieve their goal of qualifying for sub-state. “It’s very important for us to stay focused and continue to work on and not get lax about working on our short game and our game as a whole,” Tate said. “We’ve just got to stay focused and continue to get better to make the scores that we need to make in order to get to sub-state. If you don’t get to sub-state, you can’t get to state, so we just have to keep working hard so we can do well in sectionals.” Benjamin Russell will travel to Smiths Station today at 2 p.m. and will host Tallassee and Opelika at Willow Point on April 12 at 2:30 p.m.
Robert Hudson / Outlook File Photo
Benjamin Russell’s Sean Rape delivers a pitch during a game this season against Marbury.
BRHS gets area win over Valley on the road By ROBERT HUDSON Sports Editor
Robert Hudson / The Outlook
Benjamin Russell’s Kylee Reeder putts during Tuesday’s match against Central-Phenix City at Willow Point Golf and Country Club.
Tigers get key area win over Elmore County By ROBERT HUDSON Sports Editor
The Dadeville Tigers opened up area play with a 4-1 home win over the rival Elmore County Panthers on Tuesday at Nolen-Jones Field in McKelvey Park. Dadeville Coach Randy Nolen said the Tigers (6-21, 1-0 in Class 4A-Area 5) put together a solid effort and did not hurt themselves with self-inflicted errors. “We didn’t really hurt ourselves, and that’s big. Cal (Jones) struggled in the strike zone at times, but we’d get out of jams and we made plays defensively,” Nolen said. “We also got some big hits. It was 1-1 going into the bottom of the sixth and we scored three runs in that half inning. We got a couple of runners on and Carson (McClendon) got a big hit. We went up right there, and it was a pretty good all-around effort.” McClendon went 1-for-3 from the plate with a run scored, a RBI and a double on the afternoon. Jones also doubled, going 1-for-3 from the plate hitting with a run scored. Landon Tidwell also drove in a run
for Dadeville, going 1-for-2, and Kyle Harkins also drove in a run for the Tigers. Jones pitched five innings, giving up two hits, one earned run, walking seven and striking out six on the day. Dadeville’s Ethan Towne picked up the win with two innings on the mound, giving up one hit, walking two and striking out two Panther batters. Though the season has not gone the way they have wanted it to up to this point, Nolen said the Tigers know that starting the area slate with a victory gives them an opportunity to right the ship. “You get to talking about playoffs this time of year and you get to talking about, regardless of what kind of year you’ve had, if you can get yourself in the playoffs then you’ve got an opportunity to get hot and get a little confidence,” Nolen said. “Then, you can possibly get hot get yourself in the second round, third round and then who knows? It’s big (to get an area win). Our guys realize that the season as a whole has not worked out quite like they’ve wanted it to, so they realize this is a good way to make a state-
Robert Hudson / The Outlook
Dadeville’s Landon Wilson (11) tries to catch Elmore County’s Travis Rawls stealing at second base during Tuesday’s game.
ment on the season and play a little bit more baseball.” Dadeville will return to action this afternoon on the road at ECHS in a doubleheader at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The Benjamin Russell Wildcats captured a key area win on the road Tuesday afternoon, as they defeated the Valley Rams, 9-1. Richy Brooks, head coach of Benjamin Russell (16-8, 1-2 in Class 6A-Area 4), said the Wildcats played well in all phases in Tuesday’s win. “It was a good win. We played solid baseball and I was really pleased with the way we came out and executed,” Brooks said. “We did a good job of bunting the baseball and that led to some stuff for us and setup some innings and kept innings going. We got big hits when we needed them. We got solid pitching from Sean (Rape) and he threw a lot of strikes in a solid outing. We also played very good defense and didn’t have an error. We made some nice plays there on defense.” Jacob Rogers led the way for Benjamin Russell, going 3-for-4 from the plate with three RBI, while Austin Elliott was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, and Rape was 1-for-1 with a RBI. Rogers, Elliott and Connor Brooks each had a double, while Neal Turner also drove in a run for Benjamin Russell. Rape pitched six innings, gave up two hits, one run, striking out five and walking two. Benjamin Russell will have to turn around and face Valley again tonight at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. in an area game and a tiebreaker game. Game one, Brooks said, is crucial in order to give BRHS a leg up in the area standings and put them in prime playoff position. “The first one is really the one we’re aiming to get. We’re still going to try and win the second game and we want to win it regardless, but as far as area standings go we need that first game,” Brooks said. “To get that first game would give us not only an area win, but also a tiebreaker and the second game would be irrelevant because we will have beaten them twice.”
Lady Rebels score two runs late to defeat rival Lady Tigers By ROBERT HUDSON Sports Editor
DADEVILLE – The Reeltown Lady Rebels held off a late push to defeat the Dadeville Lady Tigers, 7-5, on Wednesday evening. Reeltown Coach Kelli Hilyer said it was the second-straight night her team did what it needed to do in crunch time. “Overall, the girls did well fighting back. We did this Tuesday night against Horseshoe Bend where it was 0-0 going into the seventh and we executed and made the hits, the bunts and everything we needed to do to win,” Hilyer said. “They did the same thing tonight to get it done when we needed it.” Reeltown (13-11-1, 3-0 in Class 2A-Area 8) took the lead in the top of the first, as Lacey Newman and Kayli Hornsby scored on a double by Brianna Jarvis to make it 2-0. The Lady Rebels added to their lead in the top of the second when Madison Mask scored on a throwing error by Dadeville to put the lead at 3-0. But the Lady Tigers fought back in the bottom of the second, as Quanesha Presley scored from third on an infield single by Zoe Veres and Isis Johnson and Jalyn Johnson scored on a throwing error to tie it up at 3-3.
Reeltown took the lead back in the top of the fourth when Mask scored from third on a single by Newman to make it 4-3. Hornsby brought Newman home when her hit to deep center was dropped, making it 5-3 in the top of the fourth. Dadeville countered in the bottom of the fourth when Veres doubled to score Isis Johnson and put the score at 5-4. The Lady Tigers tied it up at 5-5 when Presley scored on a grounder by Autumn Davis in the bottom of the fourth. But the Lady Rebels sealed the victory in the top of the seventh when Samantha Billingsley doubled to bring home Twyla Walker and Sierra Baker. Despite the loss, Dadeville Coach Magan Ford said she was proud to see the Lady Tigers play with fire. “I saw a fight that I haven’t been seeing. I was proud of them,” Ford said. “We had a few tough breaks that didn’t go our way and a few errors that we made that would have made it a different ballgame. But they were in it the whole game and I’m proud of them for sticking to it for seven innings.” Robert Hudson / The Outlook Reeltown will take the field again next Tuesday at LaFayette, while Dadeville will Dadeville’s Isis Johnson (6) makes a catch as Reeltown’s Maggie Knox slides into second base during host Holtville next Tuesday at 6 p.m. Wednesday’s game in Dadeville.