OPINION, PAGE 4
PAGE 7
Fellowship lunch at FUMC coming soon!
SPORTS, PAGE 12
Kids’ connected world makes for some hard decisions
Tigers swept by Tallassee
THE RECO CORD RD Serving the h Dadeville d & Lake Martin area since 1897
WWW.THEDADEVILLERECORD.COM
VOL. 120, NO. 3
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017
Duerr sworn in as district attorney
By MITCH SNEED Editor
Alexander City’s Jeremy Duerr was sworn in Monday as the new District Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit and following an emotional ceremony with almost 200 people in attendance, he said he is excited to get to work. “It’s been a long hard road to get here, almost 14 months
running and 12 years serving the people of this district,” Duerr said. “I’m excited and humbled that the people have put their trust in me and I will work hard to make sure that justice is served and show that I deserved the faith that people showed in me.” Duerr assumes a job that is one of the most demanding for any district attorney in the state. The position is responsible for
prosecuting cases in a four-county area that includes Tallapoosa, Randolph, Macon and Chambers counties. It is a circuit that spans nearly 100 miles from north to south. Duerr was emotional as he thanked those who have been behind him during his run for the office. “I wasn’t expecting such a
See DUERR • Page 3
Mitch Sneed / The Record
Study shows traffic deaths increased in 2016
Mott’s fire rekindles in new location
STAFF REPORT University of Alabama Student Research
Despite efforts, residents say smoke is becoming a nuisance By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
A new fire is burning in Dadeville near the site of a Thanksgiving Day blaze at Mott’s Woodyard. It is something that has gotten under the skin of some Dadeville residents. “I have been getting calls about smoke from residents,” Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith said. “People are calling that think it’s a nuisance and more importantly we have some that already had trouble breathing calling too.” Smith said he and Dadeville Fire Chief Keith Wilkerson have been to the site a few times to check on it. “We rode over there Saturday and it was smoking on the other side of the track,” Smith said. “I rode over there again yesterday (Monday) and it was still smoking.” Tuesday, smoke could be seen coming from mulch piles stacked as high as 50 feet as contractors applied water to control the sub-surface fire. The smoke appears to be coming from an area about the size of a football field on the north facing side. The November fire is still smoldering under similar piles, a blaze that also consumed timber in the process of being sorted. The new blaze, near railroad ties, is See FIRE • Page 10
Left District Attorney Jeremy Duerr is sworn in by Judge Ray Martin as his family Kathy Farrow, Karen Griffin and Philip Weddle look on Monday.
Cliff Williams / The Record
Above, a mulch pile across the tracks from Mott’s Woodyard burns Tuesday. Below, a contractor puts water on a fire in a mulch pile. The fire has been smoldering since Thanksgiving Day and has begun raising concerns for area residents.
Deaths from the state’s traffic crashes in 2016 increased by nearly a quarter from 2015, according to a recent study of data by researchers at The University of Alabama. Critical causes of more traffic fatalities include increased speeds, lack of safety belts and more distracted drivers as well as pedestrians, according to the analysis of crash reports statewide. Although final numbers for 2016 are not yet official, the count to date is 1,058 traffic fatalities in Alabama through the end of 2016, which is 24.6 percent more than the 849 people who died in traffic crashes in 2015, according to state crash records. Total traffic collisions, however, increased only slightly. There were 149,339 crashes in 2015 and 152,532 in 2016, an increase of 2.1 percent. “That this increase was less than one tenth that of the fatalities indicates that there are issues on our highways that need to specifically See TRAFFIC • Page 3
Jacksons Gap council presents budget, addresses town’s overspending Cooper. “Town policy and procedure says all department heads are to be considered salaried Jacksons Gap Mayor Jeff Walker presented employees.” Pritchard said. “And no employee a budget at the council meeting Thursday night shall order his or herself into overtime.” amidst questions of town spending after a year of Walker responded the paid overtime to the finding the town overspent $70,000 last year. chief of police was recommended by the state. “We busted our budget last year,” Walker said. “That is not what the State of Alabama courts “Looks like we went over at least 60 grand.” have said,” Walker explained. “Robin (Kelly, Overtime in police department and within town attorney) is not here so I can’t go into any town hall shares the brunt of the over budget detail. Some things you can’t go against the figure. At Thursday’s meeting that was state.” rescheduled from Tuesday due to lack of quorum The main issue with overtime appears to be discussion centered around the overtime and the on call situation. training expenses. “Our sheriff’s department requires us to have “Overtime pretty much caused us to go over an officer on call,” Walker said. budget,” Walker said. Walker proposed a budget Thursday night Walker and new council member Carl that will hopefully have the town $15,000 in the Pritchard were at odds over the overtime Cliff Williams / The Record black. He also said some expenses experienced especially for Jacksons Gap Police Chief B.C. Mayor Jeff Walker votes to pay the bills while Council Pritchard votes no. See JACKSONS GAP • Page 5 By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
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