PAGE 7
OPINION, PAGE 4
SPORTS, PAGE 11
Recapping local sermons!
Buchanon inks with Pearl River Community College
Thank God I’m a country boy
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VOL. 120, NO. 5
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017
COUNTY SCHOOLS PURCHASE PROPERTY By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
The Tallapoosa County Board of Education agreed to purchase a corner lot adjacent to the Dadeville High School Football field for $84,500 Tuesday at an emergency meeting. “Possible uses in the future that I see for that property are additional parking that we could charge for, private parking that you pay for a year or for a future field house,” Tallapoosa County Board
of Education Superintendent Joe Windle explained to the board. “We struggled when we had the site plan done for here. The topic of where to put a new field house was a big discussion because we don’t have a lot of usable room with a under ground stream that runs through there. But at this point there is no planned use for the property.” The property contains six apartment units, four of which are occupied and have current leases of $350 a month
each and is just over one acre in size. Windle said they began to work with John Rice Realty last week about possibly purchasing the property and that the owner accepted the offer Friday afternoon. Windle explained that likely the leases would not be renewed with the purchase. Windle also explained the urgency with approving the purchase. “There are two other buyers with offers pending,” Windle said.
The funds to purchase the property are coming from the most recent 1-cent sales tax. Since the board has met the one-month’s operating expense, it can purchase the property. “We were about $13,000 short Sept. 30,” CFO Phil Blasingame said. “We are now about $450,000 over.” Windle felt good about the purchase. “I would not be concerned about what this does to the revenue stream,” See SCHOOLS • Page 5
Audit reveals improper use of probate funds
Second suspect in Col. Tom’s Tavern arson arrested
Archer repays funds paid p to employees from discretionary fund
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department investigators have made a second arrest for arson in a fire that gutted a Dadeville area nightclub last month. Tallapoosa Kidwell County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett announced Monday that 20-year-old Kendall Luke Kidwell of Pearson Circle in Dadeville was arrested Sunday in connection with an early morning burglary and fire at Colonel Tom’s Tavern on Wednesday, Dec. 14. Kidwell was arrested and charged with second-degree arson, third-degree burglary and third-degree theft of property. Kidwell was placed in jail with a $40,000 bond. Records show that Kidwell posted bond and has since been released. The club located at 10207 County Road 34 near Dadeville was heavily damaged in the fire
B MITCH SNEED By EEditor
Cliff Williams / The Record
Stillwaters Golf and Copper’s Restaurant owner Keith Hiett is congratulated by Michael Langston after being awarded the business person of the year for the Dadeville Chamber of Commerce. Below, Sandra Carlisle awards Mike Bruce of Ivy Creek Healthcare, pictured with Michael Carter, Ashley Benton and Patt Bunn, with the business of the year award.
IT’S AN HONOR Dadeville Chamber honors three local institutions By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
See ARSON • Page 3
The Dadeville Chamber of Commerce honored three local institutions – StillWaters Golf, Ivey Creek Healthcare and the First United Methodist Men’s Group at its annual meeting and awards banquet last Thursday. Stillwaters Golf and Copper’s Grill owners Keith and Debbie Hiett were given the Business Person of the Year Award by See CHAMBER • Page 5
See AUDIT • Page 3
Dadeville police help bring end to high-speed chase
Judge sets strict conditions for McDaniel’s release on bond By MITCH SNEED Editor
Judge Kim Taylor Thursday signed an order that will allow Matthew Clate McDaniel to be free on bond awaiting trial for the Jan. 17, 2016 murder of Norman Dean Crayton. Taylor’s order doesn’t make freedom easy, setting a long list of bond conditions that must be adhered to or he will be returned to jail until his trial. McDaniel has remained in the Tallapoosa County Jail since a $250,000 bond was revoked after he ran into some legal issues in Auburn while he was released.
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Taylor set bond at $350,000, $100,000 more than the previous amount. Other conditions include that McDaniel must reside only at a residence that the court has approved McDaniel and is to be at the residence between the hours of 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. As a condition of his release, McDaniel must report to the Tallapoosa County Probation Office within 24 hours of his release follow See MCDANIEL • Page 5
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Rhonda Gaskins, Broker ® Lake Martin” Cell: (256) 749-3644 rhonda@lakearearealty.net 440 N. Broadnax Street Q Dadeville, AL
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Two suspects are in the Lee County Detention Center after a high-speed chase ended in Dadeville early Monday morning. “We had an officer that attempted a traffic stop on Lee Road 72,” Lee County Sheriff’s Department Captain Van Jackson said. “It had a tag that should have been on another vehicle.” Jackson said the driver refused to stop at approximately 2:40 a.m. Monday morning and resulted in a chase. “The driver fled leading to a high-speed chase and went to various locations in Lee
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CLASSIFIEDS
An audit by the Department of o Examiners of Public Accounts of the Tallapoosa A County Probate Court Judge C Leon Archer found that while L most of the department’s m finances were in order, there f were instances of improper w use u of discretionary funds and delays in forwarding license d fees. f The audit report, which covers Oct. 1, 2012 through c Sept. 30, 2015, states that in S 2014 while Archer was serving 2 in the position, $14,950 was paid from a “Special Indexing p Fund” to several employees. F According to the report, the A payments were made with p “no “ documentation as to the purpose of the expenditures. p When the probate judge was W asked about the expenditures, a he h indicated that the checks were for extra work the w employees had done.” e That use is in conflict with
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County,” Jackson explained. “He travelled Lee Roads 72 and 188 and ultimately travelled to Tallapoosa County on Highway 280 where the Dadeville Police Department helped stop the vehicle. They had officers deploy spike strips.” Dadeville Police Department Chief David Barbour explained his department’s involvement in the incident. “It was early Monday morning,” Barbour said. “Our officers deployed spike strips on Highway 280 and the suspects were taken into custody. There were no injures.” Jackson said there were two individuals in the car and that both were arrested. Jackson explained that the driver, See CHASE • Page 3
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