Weekend The Outlook
Lighting h the h way for f Alexander l d City & Lake k Martin since 1892
July 7-8, 2018 Vol. 126, No. 134 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
SPECIAL INSIDE
New assessment test options?
Local superintendent weighs in on upcoming decision as state school board narrows list of options
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Following the 2016-2017 school year, the Alabama Department of Education made the decision to discontinue using the ACT Aspire test as a measuring stick of how the state’s schoolchildren were doing in the classroom. Recently,
the state board of education listened to presentations from three testing providers, giving the board options to choose from for a new assessment test to be given starting in the 2019-2020 school year. Since axing the Aspire, which did not correlate with the state’s education standards, schools across Alabama have
been using the Scantron battery of tests. Scantron was one of the three testing firms to present their proposals to the state board and task force created for the purpose of finding a new assessment test. The other two presenters at the meeting were Data Recognition Corporation, who works to provide certain forms of specialized testing for stu-
dents, and Measurement, Incorporated, a partner group with well-known testing firm Pearson, according to a recent article from al.com. “State Superintendent (Eric) Mackey presented all of us with information about this at the recent state superintendents’ meeting,” Alexander City See ASSESSMENT • Page 3
No cause yet in Outlook editor’s fatal accident
MORE THAN THE NEWS
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
The investigation continues into the cause of the automobile accident that led to the death of Outlook editor Mitch Sneed. “We are waiting on toxicology reports,” Alexander City Deputy Chief of Police James Easterwood said. “We are also waiting for the data from the airbag module of the Honda Accord to come back.” Sneed was driving a Ford F-150 last Saturday when he was stopped at a traffic light on Highway 280 and Highway 63. His vehicle was struck from behind by a white Honda Accord. The rear bumper of Sneed’s truck was pushed under the crushed bed of the truck. The Accord sustained major damage to the front of the car and the driver sustained minor injures. Sneed was airlifted to UAB Hospital for treatment Saturday morning before succumbing to his injuries Sunday evening about 8:30 p.m. See ACCIDENT • Page 3
Sneed loved old cars, fishing and his family By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
O
n the front of the boat he was casting the same Zebco 88 rod and reel his father used on creeks, rivers and lakes of Georgia and North
Carolina. He took the time to figure out how to take it apart, clean it and put it back together. He would cast under a catalpa tree into drop off near Big Beach on Lake Martin. “Just last week, I saw catalpa worms falling in there,” he said reeling in the bait. “My dad used to love to fish under those trees. He would catch fish like crazy.” There was a grin. His eyes came to life as he set the hook. It was the same look he had when he See SNEED • Page 3
Sports were in Mitch Sneed’s blood
Local leaders share thoughts following Sneed’s passing
By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor
By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Fair. Honest. Professional. These words were repeated multiple times over the past few days as local officials weighed in and shared their comments on the experiences they had with Outlook editor Mitch Sneed. When Mitch Sneed came to The Alexander City Outlook in 2014, he brought with him a great deal of experience in working with local officials, examining city governments and investigating matters that needed See LEADERS • Page 10
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In Mitch Sneed’s multi-decade journalistic career, he often covered sports. He covered Friday night football games as an editor when he wasn’t even required to cover sports. He’s pictured above in Georgia Bulldogs attire and his camera — two things he loved.
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It’s clear Mitch Sneed was a great writer and a great journalist. You could cover the walls of the Georgia Bulldogs’ Sanford Stadium with the awards he’s won during his multi-decade career. But there’s one thing Mitch would always tell his budding sports writers. “One night we missed deadline, and I was a young kid then,” said Mike Szvetitz, who was the sports editor at Opelika-Auburn News while Mitch was managing editor. “I was about 25, and I was trying to do my thing. I went to him, and I said, ‘How do you get these young guys to go faster?’
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“He said simply, ‘No one is winning a Pulitzer on Friday night.’ I’ve got 85 people in my newsroom now (at Richmond Times-Dispatch), and we’re still not winning a Pulitzer on Friday night.” Mitch had sports in his blood. “As you move on in your career, you can’t get it out of your blood,” Szvetitz said. “It’s just like when newspaper ink gets in your veins, you can never get it out.” Mitch didn’t spend most of his career as a sports writer or sports editor, but he spent all of his life loving sports. A 1983 graduate of the University of Georgia, it’s hard to decide if Mitch’s Bulldog woof or his cousin, Rich Sneed, had See SPORTS • Page 10
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Romantic wedding dreams dim in tug-of-war over marriage
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Directory Telephone: (256) 234-4281 Fax: (256) 234-6550 Website: www.alexcityoutlook.com Management Steve Baker Publisher, Ext. 218 steve.baker@alexcityoutlook.com David Kendrick Circulation Manager, Ext. 204 david.kendrick@alexcityoutlook.com Lee Champion Production Manager, Ext. 220 lee.champion@alexcityoutlook.com Audra Spears Art Director, Ext. 219 audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com Betsy Iler Magazine Managing Editor, Ext. 221 betsy.iler@alexcityoutlook.com Tippy Hunter Advertising Director, Ext. 206 marketing@alexcityoutlook.com Angela Mullins Business Manager, Ext. 202 angela.mullins@alexcityoutlook.com Newsroom Amy Passaretti Assistant Magazine Editor, Ext. 227 amy.passaretti@alexcityoutlook.com Lizi Arbogast Sports Editor, Ext. 228 lizi.arbogast@alexcityoutlook.com Cliff Williams Staff Writer, Ext. 212 cliff.williams@alexcityoutlook.com
Donald Campbell Staff Writer, Ext. 208 donald.campbell@alexcityoutlook.com Santana Wood Staff Writer/Pagination, Ext. 210 santana.wood@alexcityoutlook.com Advertising Sales Doug Patterson Newspaper Advertising, Ext. 205 doug.patterson@alexcityoutlook.com Katie Wesson Retail Sales Manager, Ext. 232 tkatie.wesson@alexcityoutlook.com Scott Hardy Digital Marketing Coordinator, Ext. 208 scott.hardy@alexcityoutlook.com Jessica Ware Advertising Sales, Ext. 217 jessica.ware@alexcityoutlook.com Composing Darlene Johnson Composing Department, Ext. 219 darlene.johnson@alexcityoutlook.com Shelley McNeal Composing Department, Ext. 219 shelley.mcneal@alexcityoutlook.com Circulation Linda Ewing Office Clerk, Ext. 201 linda.ewing@alexcityoutlook.com Erin Burton Office Assistant, Ext. 204 erin.burton@alexcityoutlook.com
Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. manages The Alexander City Outlook, The Dadeville Record, Lake magazine, Lake Martin Living, (USPS: 013-080, ISSN: 0738-5110) Kenneth Boone The Outlook is published five times Photography and a week, Tuesday through Saturday a commercial web mornings, by Tallapoosa Publish- printing press. ers, Inc., 548 Cherokee Road, P.O. Box 999, Alexander City, AL, 35011.
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How to Submit Obituaries
Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
The Outlook
© 2011 Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. Reproduction of any part of any issue requires written publisher permission.
Obituaries can be submitted to The Outlook from funeral homes by email at obits@alexcityoutlook.com or by fax at (256) 234-6550. For more information, call (256) 234-4281.
SOCIAL SECURITY FAYE EDMONDSON
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, “Pierre,” and I have been a couple for 18 months. We moved in together three months ago. The trouble is, Pierre is French, and he doesn’t believe in marriage. He says it’s an “outdated institution and a social construct.” He also claims that no one in France gets married. My parents are very religious, and they do not support us living in sin. They say if we have a child out of wedlock, they will cut me off completely. What should I do? I love my family, but I also love Pierre. And I’ve always dreamed of having a romantic wedding with my father walking me down the aisle. I know Pierre is committed to me, but he dislikes the institution of marriage and won’t budge on this. I’m 34 and my biological clock is ticking. Any advice will be appreciated. -- CONFLICTED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR ABBY Advice
DEAR CONFLICTED: Pierre has given you fair warning and so have your parents. Marriage exists in France just as it does here in the USA. That Pierre doesn’t believe in it should be an indication that the two of you have very different definitions of what a committed relationship is, and it may be partly cultural in nature. How do you feel about that? I think it’s sad that the parents of a 34-year-old woman would threaten to cut her off if she decided to have a child without being married. If you can support one, that choice should be yours and not theirs. My advice is to stop dreaming about a romantic wedding with your father walk-
Mr. Paul Michael Satterfield 1943 - 2018 Memorial Service for Mr. Paul Michael Satterfield, 75, of Alexander City, will be Saturday, July 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the Radney Funeral Home. Bro. Ray Dunn will officiate. Mr. Satterfield passed away on Thursday, July 5, 2018 at his residence. He was born on June 5, 1943 in Tallapoosa County, Alabama to Paul Levelle Satterfield and Jewel Bice Satterfield. Mr. Satterfield was a very talented man and was President and Co-Owner of Satterfield Machine and Welding Supply until 1999. He was a 25 year member of the Alexander City Elk’s Lodge and enjoyed spending time on the lake with family and friends, fast boats and Go Kart racing. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Shirley Ann Satterfield of Alexander City; sons, Wes Tate (Angie) of Alexander City, Mark Tate (Wendy) of Alexander City; daughter, Michael Ann Kelley (Buckley) of Mobile; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one niece and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Leah Ann Satterfield; parents; and sister, Jean Segrest Dean. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Lake Martin Humane Society, 2502 Sugar Creek Road, Alexander City, Al, 35010 or to the Children’s Harbor, One Our Children’s Highway, Alexander City, Al, 35010. Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www. radneyfuneralhome.com. Radney Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
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DEAR ABBY: My mom and many others share this problem. She refuses to throw away expired food. I’m not talking about something a few days past its “best used by” date; I’m talking YEARS. Yesterday, I found a box of bread crumbs that had expired in 2001 (I took a picture). Mom insisted that they “never really go bad.” I told her she had better hope she isn’t the beneficiary of the life insurance policy of anyone who eats them or she could end up as an episode of “Snapped.” Seriously, though, this is a huge problem for the elderly. I hope you will encourage your readers to help their older friends and family members by
cleaning out their fridge and cabinets. I always check the expiration date before eating anything at my mom’s. Thank you! -- DATE CHECKER DEAR DATE CHECKER: Your mother is mistaken. While it is safe to consume some foods a few weeks past their expiration date, other items begin to lose their nutritional value or spoil. I’m glad you wrote. I’m printing your letter for other readers whose older relatives think the way your mother does, so they can check the expiration dates on packages in their relatives’ cupboards (and remove any bulging or rusted cans that could cause botulism, a fatal illness). 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.
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ing you down the aisle unless you can find a man with a different view of commitment than Pierre appears to have. P.S. I once had a poodle named Pierre. He and I got along fine and marriage was never discussed.
Clyde Mitchell “Mitch” Sneed Clyde Mitchell “Mitch” Sneed believed everyone has a story and if he met you, he was determined to tell it without fear or favor. He offered the world he encountered an authentic smile and an unflinching mirror that emanated from his written words. For nearly four decades, Mitch reflected the world around him and shed light upon its glories and human frailties as a dedicated journalist, loving husband and father, a fiercely loyal friend and as a mentor to younger journalists discovering the profession that he viewed more as a vocation than just a job. His work earned a litany of professional honors and awards and consistently set a standard of excellence his colleagues used as a benchmark for their own efforts. Sneed, 57, of Alexander City, Ala., died Sunday, July 1, 2018. He was born on June 2, 1961 in East Chicago, Ind., to Roy J. Sneed and Donna J. Sneed. Sneed was a life-long journalist, beginning his career at age 18 covering high school sports at his hometown paper, the Clayton News Daily in Jonesboro, Ga. He attended the University of Georgia before returning to Clayton County to begin what became a remarkable career that would see him record a first draft of history throughout the South and the Midwest. Sneed chronicled sports at every level of competition, including high school, college and professional sports teams. He wrote extensively about NASCAR, professional boxing and college football before moving to hard news coverage. He was an award-winning journalist at several stops throughout the Atlanta area, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in Kenosha, Wis., Virginia and Alabama. He served as editor at the Clayton News Daily, the OpelikaAuburn (Ala.) News, and the Douglas County (Ga.) Sentinel. As a newsroom leader, he served as a mentor and an example of unparalleled dedication to scores of journalists that took the lessons he imparted throughout the country. Throughout his career, Sneed interviewed world and national leaders, stepped in the ring to fight Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield for a charity event, exposed corruption and fought tirelessly to give voice to those in society who were otherwise voiceless. But his
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profound passion always was local community journalism and working tirelessly to improve any place he called home. If you knew Sneed, you loved him. And he loved you, regardless of your station in life, your color, sexual orientation, religion or politics. To Sneed, everyone had a story and he dedicated his life to telling it. He was widely appreciated for a biting wit and was an accomplished comedian who wrote for several nationally-known acts. Since 2014, Sneed served as editor of five newspapers in Tallapoosa and Elmore Counties: The Alexander City Outlook, The Dadeville Record, The Wetumpka Herald, The Tallassee Tribune and The Eclectic Observer, and their related websites. Sneed won numerous awards during his long journalistic career, including 12 individual Alabama Press Association awards this year which will be presented at the state’s newspaper convention later this month. Sneed’s editorial team was a major reason The Alexander City Outlook was named one of the “10 Newspapers That Do It Right” in 2018 by Editor & Publisher magazine. Survivors include his wife, Cyndi Thomas Sneed of Alexander City, Ala.; daughter Sydney N. Hampton-Sneed (Jessica) of Millbrook, Ala.; daughter Jessica D. Sneed (Sabrina) of Alexander City, Ala.; granddaughter Kaydence E. Bryan; sister Brenda J. Barnhill (Chris); brother Roy A. Sneed (Jeanie); sister-in-law Frankie Sneed, father-in-law Fred H. Thomas (June) of Opelika, Ala.; sisterin-law Missy Thomas McEntire (Thomas) of Opelika, Ala., and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Roy J. Sneed and mother Donna J. Sneed, his brother Arthur J. Sneed and his sister Katherine G. Burger. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Faith Temple located at 425 Franklin Street, Alexander City. Pastor Ray Waters will officiate. From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. the family will receive friends at Faith Temple. Radney Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements, and memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.radneyfuneralhome. com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to the Lake Martin Animal Shelter or the Alabama Press Association. Foundation.
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Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
The Outlook
Assessment
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continued from page 1
“The federal government requires us to have an assessment test for our students,” Cooper said, adding that the Scantron battery currently being used is a good test, but that it is not the best exam that can be used for true accountability. Along with this, one key thing Cooper said needed to be addressed, no matter which testing firm the state decides to contract with for the new assessment is being able to have highly detailed reports included with the test results. The Aspire did not provide results that were as detailed as some had hoped, leaving schools somewhat up in the air as to where some of the key issues that needed addressed were. With more detailed reports included with the test results,
Schools Superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper said. “He mainly showed us the list of test options the state was considering, what had been done up to that point and what we could expect in the upcoming year.” Currently, the projected plan is for the state to have the new assessment test in place for the 2019-2020 school year, though Cooper felt there could be some systems using the test in a pilot study for the 2018-2019 school year, ensuring that the new test will correlate with state standards and be as effective as it needs to be. Cooper also believed the state board of education may be making a decision on which test to use at their next meeting on July 10.
schools can better understand the points of concern that need addressed and can be handled accordingly, Cooper said. “We need a way where all students and school systems can understand where they’re at,” he said. Despite the concerns that need addressed with the new test that will be implemented in 2020, Cooper said he felt positive about the progress that was being made and where the state is going with regards to a new assessment test. “I look forward to our new assessment being developed,” Cooper said. “As long as it aligns with our state standards, I don’t really have a problem, but we need to choose it and use it for a good period of time to find and address areas of concern.”
Sneed asked me about Alexander City a little over four years ago in Carrollton, Georgia. Mitch Sneed told me he had been contacted about a job at Tallapoosa Publishers. He was excited. Excited about the possibilities a new job would bring but he was worried. You see, Mitch was working just outside Atlanta covering breaking news on a daily basis ̾ beating the television stations at their game in their backyard. He was worried the pace would not be to his liking. I told him there was no need to worry. “Believe me, it has plenty of news to cover,” I said. “It might not have the murders and shootings you are used to chasing but it has plenty of news.” Mitch took the job and brought his cars and wife to town. His friend Rodney Elrod helped him move those seven or eight, maybe even nine, cars to town. Not a one was worth much but he took pride on those cars. He brought them all back to life. “My neighbors probably hate me,” he said to me. “My place looks like a used car lot.” One of those cars he found while working outside Atlanta was an old Mercedes Convertible peeking out from the brush. It didn’t run. The top was in bad shape but Mitch saw a diamond in the rough. He was willing to take a chance on it. The seller was really trying to sell it, Mitch just found it. The guy wanted almost nothing for it but the thrifter Mitch was, he got it for half the asking price. He pulled it out and with the help of his father’s toolbox he saved and friends, he had it going in no time. In the summers, it was his vehicle of choice to chase down news ̾ nothing quite like an old white convertible with a man grinning earto-ear listening to the scanner on the way to a scene. Even the sheriff in Douglas County admired the ride. I can’t go into details but the Mercedes broke a few laws with the mighty sheriff watching. It was that same love of cars that drew Mitch to Tim Welborn and his Mopar collection or was it both gentlemen associate many good memories with fathers and cars? Here again there are a few stories to be told but would get some who are still living in trouble. Many of Mitch’s stories cannot be printed. It is to protect the many more guilty parties that were involved to some degree. Many participants are in town today. Mitch loved to tell stories. I have heard plenty over the years and most are mostly true. One involves a tire thrown on the roof of a newspaper decades ago. I
Page 3
Accident
continued from page 1
Easterwood would not speculate as to the cause of the accident. “It is still under investigation at this time,” he said. “Once toxicology reports and the module data come back, it will be presented to a grand jury to see if charges are warranted.” The case could possibly be presented to a grand jury in Alexander City in January.
continued from page 1
Special / The Outlook
Fishing and sunsets were a couple of Mitch Sneed’s favorite things. He went noodling with his friend John McKelvey a lot, top. He often took photos of the sun setting around the Lake Martin area, above.
hear it is still there. Another involves Mitch and wrestling in Atlanta. He was supposed to take the fall that night but Mitch could never be the loser and one low blow later he was running through the streets. I can only imagine him running through
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downtown in wrestling tights. The list could go on and on. Just wish I had recorded those ̾ if you think Rich Sneed and Facebook are good, you would surely be entertained. Most recently those stories were
shared in his second office, on that boat. It was a boat he loved to fish from. It was a boat he loved to share with others as he was at the helm. I think he loved it for the freedom it gave him to get outside and remember the good times and relax some. It was another of Mitch’s finds. When he came to Alexander City, or any town for that matter, he found two things quickly ̾ where to find deals on anything and where the good food was. He found the boat at the Children’s Harbor thrift store. The motor did not work, but he bought it anyway. He already had a boat, again purchased from the same thrift store just months earlier but it was a little on the small side. Mitch wanted bigger but never wanted to pay for it. He craved a bargain. He had the motor from the good boat and put on the pontoon. It worked. You’d think he won the lottery. He had an operating pontoon boat with less than $2,000 in it. His daughters helped him paint it and he gave rides to almost everyone. Two ladies he met on the bank while he was covering the Bassmaster Elite Series practice had never been on a boat. Well you can figure out the rest of the story. The ladies who he never met before were invited for a ride. It was even the boat he let my son drive. The other thing Mitch would always find is food. He made no bones about it. He liked good food. Yes, he appreciated fine dining like an occasional trip to SpringHouse or Kowaliga. But he took great pleasure in finding mom and pop places like Who’s Diner or better yet something he termed as convenience food. I think his favorite were the breakfast biscuits at Cherokee Quick Stop. He even cooked. I wished I had his recipe for macaroni and cheese he kept stowed away. It’s debatable if Mitch had more tools or toys. They could be the same depending on the story you were telling about him. Something that is not up for debate – his love for his family and friends. He would always talk about them, especially his daughters. He reveled in their success and loved telling stories that involved them. I think his most shared story involves moving, his daughters, trick or treating on crackhouse row and the police. One thing is for sure, the Library of Congress is too small for the stories he has written. Based on the stories he has told, I would like to think another Library of Congress or two would be required for the stories of his life.
EDITORIAL BOARD Steve Baker
Page 4
Opinion
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Let’s fill Sneed’s shoes
W
e are all saddened over the passing of Mitch Sneed. His family is mourning. The community is mourning We are mourning here at The Outlook. His infectious smile and humor changed a room when he walked in. He wanted us all to be better at everything. He was far from perfect but was the perfect role model. He set an example for us all to follow, as family, as a citizen and as a journalist. Mitch was great at communicating with the community not only in the words printed on these pages but in conversation as well. Mitch had his finger on the pulse of the community. His eyes and ears missed little. Even with his loss, we will continue to bring you your news, our news. We will continue to follow the path he helped create to better the community. With his tragic loss we are reminded life is not guaranteed. Take a moment and honor his memory by spending some time with those close to you. Tell them they are loved. Use the moments with loved ones to create memories that will survive anything. Just take a look at the stories in today’s Outlook and the Special Edition. Mitch was great at making sure everyone around him felt his love, though tough at times. Sneed’s loss leaves a canyon to fill here at The Outlook. His shoes are mighty large and will be difficult to fill, but we can do it and your help is appreciated. If you hear something, let us know. If you see something unique, let us know. If you think someone is deserving of recognition, let us know. If you see us, introduce yourself. Send us an email at editor@ alexcityoutlook.com Give us a call at 256-234-4281. Let all of us, this includes you in the community, continue to tell the stories of our community like Mitch did.
Outlook The
Sharing knowledge gained from life’s hard knocks Editors Note: Mitch Sneed wrote this column a little over a year ago. He joked about writing his own obituary notice. We failed to find it but think his advice offered here is worth sharing again.
T
he candles on my birthday cake Friday were blown outand the feat was accomplished without having to call Reese McAlister and the Alexander City Fire Department to help extinguish the 56 flaming embers atop the sweet, confectionary delight that set before me. I know the clichés associated with age and the sayings that are supposed to make you feel better about getting older. Stuff like age is only a number, you are only as old as you feel and young at heart all come mind. There is a nugget of truth in all of those lines. Myself, I prefer: I’m not getting older, I’m gaining experience. I really believe that. I try to look at every day as an adventure and every thing that happens as a lesson from the classroom of life. I treat every stupid thing I do as a kernel of knowledge that hopefully I will learn from and not repeat. Well, if I’m being totally honest here, I’m still working on that part. But I have packed a lot of living into these last 56 years. I can assure you that my tombstone will not read: MITCH SNEED He was a careful man. Considering all the rambling above, I have decided to give all of you a birthday present of sorts. I want to share the benefit of all that experience I have obtained. So here are a few of the things that I’ve learned in my 56 years. • Make time for yourself, because no one else can do that for you. • There is nothing more important in life than your family. Don’t miss an opportunity to spend time with them and tell them how much they mean to you and
MITCH SNEED 1961-2018 that you love them. I have been guilty at times of letting this one slip my mind. Don’t make the same mistake I did. • Don’t dance with a woman who has a tattoo of a dagger on her arm. That’s a long story for another day. • If your Dad tells you to “Write that down in your little black book,” pay attention. Sharpen your pencil and commit it to memory. You can bet it is valuable information. • No one will ever love you as much as your momma and nothing hurts as bad as losing her too soon. • A bad day at the lake fishing is better than a great day at work. My Dad used that all the time and it is so true. • Unless someone has died, everything can be fixed. It often takes nothing more than hard work, swallowing your pride and admitting your mistake. • There are some things in life that are worth fighting for. Sometimes that means coming to blows, but more times than not it means just standing your ground and doing what you know in your gut is right. • Don’t play cards with a person whose first name is the same as a city. Just trust me, this is a valuable tip. • Being nice pays the same as being ugly. So why not be nice and try to brighten someone else’s day? • If you get mail, electronic or in your mailbox, that starts off saying you MAY already be a winner – throw it away. Those words are code for “we are about to spit in your ear and tell you it’s raining while we take you for a economically disastrous ride.” • You may not be the smartest person in the world or have the most talent, but you can outwork anyone if you really want to be
successful. You just have to want to be the best and then do whatever it takes to the best version of yourself possible. • If you don’t take a chance, there’s a very good possibility you will be stuck right where you are. • If someone says, “Hey ya’ll, watch this,” you better watch and have a camera or a video camera handy. It is bound to be something that is funny or incredibly stupid. • Laugh often, cry when you need to and love life and the people who mean the most to you. • Surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you may turn out to be the smartest thing you can do. • Help others every chance you get and when you can’t be straight up and tell them the truth. • Don’t waste time on people or things that bring you down or fail to make you or your life more rich. • Most of life’s setbacks are our own fault. People don’t waste a lot of time plotting against you. At the end of the day, you are the only person you can count on to be there for you. So if you find yourself in a jam, figure out what you did wrong, vow not to repeat it and work like heck to dig yourself out even if it takes some time. • Friends are valuable, so treasure your true friends. There a great line from a Tracy Lawrence song that goes like this: “Everybody wants to slap your back, wants to shake your hand when you’re up on top of that mountain. But let one of those rocks give way then you slide back down look up and see who’s around then.” I’ve lived that one my friends and found out who my real friends were in a hurry. Never, ever forget the ones who are there for you when you at your worst point. That’s about it. Thanks for reading and letting me do what I love to do. Mitch Sneed was the editor of The Outlook.
Know Your
Officials
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 256-212-9316. His address is 2316 North Central Avenue, Kellyton. Steve Robinson represents District 2, which includes the southern part of Steve Robinson Alexander City, the Cedar Creek area, Ourtown and Willow Point. His phone number is 256-6540047. His address is 300 Heritage Drive Alexander City. John McKelvey represents District 3, which includes Jackson’s Gap, Hackneyville, New Site and Daviston. John McKelvey McKelvey currently serves as chairman. His phone number is 256-794-4405. His address is 1285 Freeman Road, Dadeville. Emma Jean Thweatt represents District 4, which includes Dadeville, Pace’s Point, northern Camp Hill, Buttston, Emma Jean Thweatt Dudleyville and part of Eagle Creek. She can be reached at 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.
Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
Today’s
Quote
“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” – Otto von Bismarck
Today’s
Scripture
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” – Matthew 24:35
alexcityoutlook.com
Daily Poll Friday’s question: Have you ever picked up litter that was not yours?
Yes – 11 No – 2
Weekend question: Do you support an increase in the lodging tax in Alexander City? To participate in this daily poll, log on each day to www.alexcityoutlook.com and vote. Find out the vote totals in the next edition of The Outlook and see if your vote swayed the results.
Our
Mission
The Outlook strives to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity, to take a leadership role and act as a positive influence in our community, to promote business, to provide for the welfare of our employees, to strive for excellence in everything we do and above all, to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.
How to
Subscribe
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 75 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.
What’s your
Opinion?
Letters to the Editor
Reader: We will all miss Mitch Sneed
Dear Editor, Mr. Mitch Sneed was a good man. He covered the city with news, whether it was activities, events or a city council meeting. He was there for all it. He was a valuable person. I went by The Outlook on Monday after I got the word of his passing. There were sad faces and even tears in there. They are trying so hard to do their job and get through the day. It’s not easy when you look up and he should be sitting across the floor from you.
I leave his staff and friends with these words. He’s not gone. He’s just out of your reach. He will remind us all to live life to the fullest, get out and do even more. Mr. Mitch was everywhere whether he was covering news or been off he was still out. That was Mr. Sneed. I will miss him sitting in front of me in the court room for council meetings. Arlean Wyckoff Alexander City
Reader: Harrell deserves praise for work with children Dear Editor, Hats off to this special lady, Ms. Bridgett Harrell who is a very active person in our community. She is one that never toots her own horn. Mrs. Bridgett loves kids and works extremely hard on the staff of the Lake Martin Boys and Girls Club. She is very active at church too.
Thank you Mrs. Bridgett for sharing your many gifts and talents. May God continue to bless you and continually smile upon you for your love and compassion shown to so many. Teresa Harrell Moten President of Concerned Parents for Academic and Community Excellence
We’d like to share your thoughts and opinions with the greater Lake Martin community. It’s free and it only takes a few moments of your time. We have two ways to get your opinion in print: letters to the editor and guest columns. The main difference is length. Letters to the editor are up to 250 words, while guest columns can be up to 500 words. Letters and columns may be sent to P.O. Box 999, Alexander City, AL 35011, faxed to (256) 2346550 or e-mailed to editor@alexcityoutlook.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send us your thoughts today!
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Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
The Outlook
CommunityCalendar Need Insurance? Call me.
This weekend is July 7-8, 2018 Today’s Birthdays
Diane Hodge, Dara Payne, Wesley Claybrook, Quintera Kelley and Hannah Davis are celebrating birthdays today.
Page 5
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Submit calendar items:
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/.
Sunday’s Events
FAMILY REUNION: The Willoughby Reunion will be Sunday, July 8 at the Daviston Community Center. All family and friends are invited. UNITY RALLY: Liberty Life Christian Center is hosting a Unity Rally Sunday, July 8 at 3 p.m. Bishop Demetrius Griffin, pastor of Hatchett Springs Baptist Church is the guest speaker. Apostle W. T. Traylor is pastor of Liberty Life Christian Center.
Sunday’s Birthdays
Ginger Patten, Sawyer Scott, David Moseley and Melvin Buckner celebrate their birthdays Sunday.
Monday’s Birthdays
Wilma Sasser, Polly Anderson, Kayla Tharpe, Rachel Coker, Lamar Dennis, Charles Fleming, Brenda Young, Crista Ford and Felicecia Johnson celebrate their birthdays Monday.
256.234.3481
THE MEADOWS ASSISTED LIVING
2712 Washington Street Alexander City
256-234-0800
KarenChannell.com
SEE ME FOR INSURANCE
Harold Cochran 256.234.2700 haroldcochran.b2cn@statefarm.com
File / The Outlook
The Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership and the Tallapoosa County Commission are holding Throw Away Days July 16-17. Dumpsters will be located at the Alex City Annex at 395 Lee Street, Double Bridges on Highway 63, the Old Daviston School on Highway 22, Youngs Ferry Road at Mullican and Gibson roads and the Union Community Center at 4191 Highway 50. Dumpsters will be available at no charge to residents.
July 8-11
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Hillabee Baptist Church is hosting vacation Bible School July 8 to July 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be a meal provided each night.
July 9-13
EARLY ROSE DISTRICT CONGRESS: The 59th Annual Session of the Early Rose District Congress of Christian Education is July 9-13 at 9 a.m. daily at Miracle Missionary Baptist Church.
WARREN’S APPLIANCE July 9-31 AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: PARTS, LLC Registration for Faith Christian
1008 Hillabee Street Alex City, AL 35010
Academy’s After School program 2018-2019 will be July 9-31 for school-aged children K4 and up. The program provides snack and help with daily homework. Pick-up from schools is available. Faith Christian Academy is a ministry of Faith Temple Church and is located at the corner of Franklin and Gorgas Streets in Alexander City. For more information please contact Vickie Waters at 256-397-4130.
256.215.PART
Wednesday, July 11
Johnnie Warren, Owner
MAJOR APPLIANCE PARTS!
Friends in Millerville will have their Monthly Luncheon on Wednesday, July 11 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.. Please bring a covered dish and a small donation.
Helping Children Learn and Grow
The Learning Tree, Inc. is Accepting Applications for Housekeeper. Applications can be picked up at: 101 S. Dubois Street Tallassee, AL 36078 Or contact Shatia Carr (334) 252-0025, Ext. 101 Email: Scarr@learning-tree.org
Need your business to
STAND OUT from the crowd?
Call us, we can help!
256.234.4281
• Alexander City Outlook • Dadeville Record • Wetumpka Herald • Eclectic Observer • Tallassee Tribune
auburn.edu. or call at 334-844-5601.
July 15-17
OPEN HOUSE: Living Word Eclectic is hosting an open house July 29 at 3 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and learn about the church, facility and programs offered. The message will be delivered by Rev. Stan Davidson. The church is located at 1826 Kowaliga Road. Call 334-399-1486 for more information.
Sunday, July 29
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Duncan United Methodist Church is hosting Vacation Bible School July 15-17 at 5 p.m. daily. The theme is “God First” and a closing ceremony will be Sunday, July 22 at 5 p.m. with a program presented by the children of activities, games and music they enjoyed. Rev. Wayne Hicks is pastor.
July 16-17
THROW AWAY DAYS: The Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership and the Tallapoosa County Commission are holding Throw Away Days July 16-17. Dumpsters will be located at the Alex City Annex at 395 Lee Street, Double Bridges on Highway 63, the Old Daviston School on Highway 22, Youngs Ferry Road at Mullican and Gibson roads and the Union Community Center at 4191 Highway 50. Dumpsters will be available at no charge to residents.
July 16-18
MONTHLY LUNCHEON: Bibb (7278) Graves High School Alumni and
The Learning Tree
St. James AME Church is the guest speaker.
July 12-14
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Family Worship Center is hosting Game On, Vacation Bible School July 12-14 for ages 3 through teens. July 12 and 13 will be from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and July 14 will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Tony Harris is pastor of Family Worship Center.
Saturday, July 14
PANCAKE BREAKFAST: The Comer Methodist Men’s Club pancake breakfast is July 14 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. It is $6 a plate, eat-in or carry out. MARKET ON THE HILL: Artisans will display and sell their handmade items at Market on the Hill next to the Good News Baptist Church on Highway 280 in Jacksons Gap. There will also be face painting, prizes and awards. All pre-registered vendors are eligible to receive a $100 Hobby Lobby gift card. For more information call 256-8279857 or email at frslatter@gmail.com
Sunday, July 15
CHURCH HOMECOMING: Mt. Carmel Baptist Church is hosting homecoming services July 15 at 11 a.m. with a covered dish to follow. The church is located at 3610 Dudleyville Road in Dadeville. Rev. John Marks will deliver the message. CHURCH HOMECOMING: Haven Memorial United Methodist Church is hosting homecoming services July 15 at 2 p.m. Pastor John Leonard Sr. of
CHURCH REVIVAL: Haven Memorial United Methodist Church is hosting revival services July 16-18 at 6 p.m. Guest speakers are Pastor James Grasham of Haven Chapel, Pastor Lou Benson of GAP Fellowship and Associate Pastor Joann Finley of Haven Memorial United Methodist Church.
Tuesday, July 17
ELECTION: The primary election runoff will be held July 7 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
July 20-21
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Kellyton Chapel United Methodist Church is hosting vacation Bible school July 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and July 21 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The church is located at 50 County Road 87, Kellyton. Rev. Michael Strong is pastor of Kellyton Chapel United Methodist Church.
Sunday, July 22
VBS CLOSING CEREMONY: Duncan United Methodist Church is hosting a VBS closing ceremony at 5 p.m. with a program presented by the children of activities, games and music they enjoyed during the recent VBS program. Rev. Wayne Hicks is pastor.
July 23-26
ASTHMA CAMP: The Auburn University School of Nursing is holding the first Asthma Camp Eagle (ACE) in partnership with the Morris family and Children’s Harbor from July 23-26 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lake Martin. The camp is for children 7-12 years old. Most of the campers will be from Tallapoosa County. The camp is free and parents of possible campers are asked to contact Linda Gibson-Young at gibsolm@
August 3-4
CONFERENCE: The Mt. Vernon Theatre in Tallassee is hosting the LIFT Ministries Women’s Conference “Restoration” August 3-4. Tajuan McCarty will be the special guest speaker and there will be worship, fellowship and communing together in the name of Jesus. Tickets are currently available at liftministriesal.com/shop for $50 each and include seats for the two-day event, a T-shirt, notebook, movie, night of worship, light breakfast, refreshments and a catered lunch. Friday, doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the event beginning at 6 p.m. and movie following at 8 p.m. Saturday, doors open at 9 a.m. with coffee and donuts provided, the event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a worship rally to follow. Vendors may also purchase a ticket online for $70, which includes a general admission ticket as well as the vendor fee. Vendors may have tables set up for both days until the end of the night of worship. For more information, contact LiftMinistriesal@gmail.com
Saturday, August 11
GOSPEL SINGING: The Mt. Vernon Theatre in Tallassee is hosting a Gospel Homecoming at 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 25
SPEAKER: The Mt. Vernon Theatre in Tallassee is hosting Sean Dietrich.
Monday, September 10
HORIZONS UNLIMITED: Dolores Hydock will be presenting “Fools for Love: Fads and Fancies of Regency England” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, September 10 at 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Board of Education. Registration starts at 1 p.m. and membership is $20 a person or $30 per couple for each semester.
Monday, September 17
HORIZONS UNLIMITED: Susan Webb will be presenting Noah Webster, America’s Forgotten Founding Father: More than the Dictionary” to Horizons Unlimited Monday, September 17 at 1:30 p.m. at the Alexander City Board of Education. Registration starts at 1 p.m. and membership is $20 a person or $30 per couple for each semester.
Brown Nursing and Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Services •Physical Therapy •Occupational Therapy •Speech Therapy 2334 Washington Street Alexander City • 256-329-9061 www.crownemanagement.com
Come Visit Us! Cecily Lee, Administrator Angela Pitts, Director of Nursing
–Since 1978–
BIG “B” BAR-B-QUE “We Cook The Best BETTER!”
Hickory Grilled Meat BBQ • STEAK CHICKEN • CATFISH
256.329.9996 Hwy. 22 West, Alexander City, AL
How to add a calendar item: Participate in your
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
By e-mailing your event to calendar@alexcityoutlook.com or call 256-234-4281. _____ Send your news items to editor@alexcityoutlook.com
Page 6
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Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
The Outlook
In Community, We Share Tallapoosa County Devotional Page
SECURITY Grace’s Flowers and Gifts PEST CONTROL
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might build character in us s I have and make us more like Him. patiently waited God built character in Mitch in doctors’ Sneed, our editor of The offices, my Dadeville Record and The mind begins to wonder Alexander City Outlook, and and to visualize all the today we all feel the tragic different feelings that are loss! being expressed that day. I only knew Mitch through Some of joy, depression, CAROL the newspaper. He was relief, confusion, PAGE always kind, helpful and had discouragement, worry, Faith columnist a great sense of humor in fear, suffering, grief, etc.! person and in his writings. He My mind then remembers will always be remembered a quote from Robin and greatly missed. I send heartfelt Roberts book, “Everybody’s got something.” She says, “Life provides love and prayers to his family. Warren Wiersbe says, “A losses, heartbreak (and sufferings) mushroom can grow overnight, but for all of u, but the greatest tragedy is to have the experience and to miss it takes many years and many storms to build a mighty oak.” As you go meaning.” through this day, remember God is God tells us in 1 Peter 4:12-13, building a beautiful person in you. “Dear friends, do not be surprised So, next time a trial or suffering at the painful trial you are suffering, comes your way, whatever it might as though something strange were be, don’t miss the meaning. Rejoice happening to you. But rejoice in knowing Christ is sharing it with that you participate in the same sufferings as Christ, so that you may you! He can build the brightest diamond in the darkest cavities of the be overjoyed when His Glory is earth, so you will know him. revealed.” We have all experienced Be thankful in all things today. sufferings in our life, whether they Love and blessings! be physical, spiritual or emotional. And through each of these trials Carol Page is a regular faith or sufferings, God permitted them columnist for The Record. to take place in our lives that He This devotional and directory made possible by these businesses who encourage all of us to attend worship services!
Tractor Work • Lawn Care Driveway Grading • Gravel Hauling
256.786.1759 8:00-4:00 Monday-Friday By Appointment (except emergencies) Phone: (256) 234-4295 After Hours: (256) 329-7100
TEMPLE MEDICAL CLINIC, P.C. YOUR FAMILY CARE CENTER
Medicine, Office Surgery, Pediatric and Industrial JAMES P. TEMPLE, M.D. 859 Airport Drive TIMOTHY J. CORBIN, M.D. Alexander City, AL VINCENT LAW, M.D.
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Compliments of Mayor Jim Nabors and City Employees
ALEXANDER CITY HOME OF LAKE MARTIN
R & R Refrigeration HEATING & AIR AL HVAC #92120
Rehab • Long-Term Care • Assisted Living 3701 Dadeville Road Alexander City
256-234-6366
Truck Accessories Sales & Installation
St. John A.M.E. Off Hwy. 280 on Hwy. 9 Socopatoy, (256) 215-3532 ASSEMBLIES OF GOD Cedar Street Church of God 703 E. Boulevard, Alex City Faith Assembly of God 590 Horseshoe Bend Rd., Dadeville 256-825-7741 River of Life Worship Center 407 Hillabee St., Alex City, 256-329-9593
Trailer Sales Trailer Parts Trailer Repairs 1201 U.S. Hwy. 280 • Kellyton, AL (256) 392-5353
1326 Dadeville Road Alexander City, AL
INDEPENDENT BAPTIST Liberty Baptist 1365 Hillabee St., Alex City 256-329-8830 New Life Baptist County Road 14, Alex City, 256-329-2635 Victory Baptist 280 By-Pass, Alex City West End Baptist Off 280 West, 256-234-2130
256-234-2511 1-800-285-3881
Member by Invitation Selected Independent Funeral Homes www.radneyfuneralhome.com
Paradise Bed & Breakfast on Lake Martin
• Updated Pro Shop • Junior Golf Program • Annual Tournaments • Weekly Matches 18 Holes of Golf - 7 Days a Week
256-825-9860
95 County Rd. 40 (Off Hwy. 280)
Our Business Is God’s Business
Whirlpool • Kitchen Aid Maytag • Amana Holland Grills Full Service Department
Tapley Appliance Center 574 S. Central Avenue Alexander City, AL 256.329.9762
SOCIAL SECURITY FAYE EDMONDSON Attorney at Law
135 N. Tallassee Street • Dadeville, AL
256-825-9559 No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
Season
Johnson
Mountain Springs Baptist Off Hwy. 22, Daviston
Pleasant Grove Church of Christ 1819 Bay Pine Rd, Jackson’s Gap
Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist 835 Valley Rd., Camp Hill 334-257-4442
Mt. Carmel Baptist 3610 Dudleyville Rd., Dadeville
Southview Church of Christ 2325 Dadeville Rd., Alex City 256-329-0212
Ridge Grove Missionary Baptist Alexander City, 256-234-6972
Mt. Zion Baptist Hwy. 63 South, Alex City 256-234-7748
Rocky Mt. Baptist New Site community
New Beginning Baptist 1076 Coley Creek Rd.
Seleeta Baptist Booker St., Alex City 256-329-2685
New Concord Baptist Off hwy. 49, Dadeville, 256-825-5390
Shady Grove Baptist Jackson’s Gap Community
New Elkahatchee Baptist Elkahatchee Rd., Alex City 256-329-9942
CHURCH OF GOD Alex City No. 2 A.C.O.P. Church of God Local Street, Alex City Bread of Life A.C.O.P. Church of God Hwy. 280, Kellyton Cedar Street Church of God 711 Martin Luther King Blvd. Alex City
The Great Bethel Missionary 520 Christian St., Alex City 256-234-5513
New Hope Baptist 1133 New Hope Church Rd. 256-329-5218
Dadeville Church of God 425 Horseshoe Bend Rd. (Hwy. 49 N.) Dadeville 256-825-8820
Unity Baptist Robinson Rd., Alex City
New Life Baptist Jackson’s Gap, 256-825-6190 / 256-329-2635
Marshall Street Church of God 428 Marshall Street, Alex City 256-234-3180
New Pine Grove Baptist Off Hwy. 22, Perryville
New Faith Tabernacle A.C.O.P. Church of God “J” Street
Zion Hill Missionary Baptist 583 S. Broadnax St., Dadeville BAPTIST – SOUTHERN Bay Pine Baptist 1480 Bay Pine Rd. Jackson’s Gap, 256-825-4433
New Providence Baptist Pearson Chapel Rd., Alex City
New Harvest Ministries Church of God Hwy 280 & Coosa 28 256-329-2331
BAPTIST – MISSIONARY Bethlehem Baptist New Site
Bethany Baptist Church Bethany Road
New Rocky Mount Baptist 670 Peckerwood Rd., Jackson’s Gap 256-794-3846
Cross Key Baptist Hackneyville, 256-329-9716
Bethel Baptist Smith Mt. Rd., Jackson’s Gap 256-825-5070
New Salem Road New Site Rd., New Site, 256-234-2932
Darian Missionary Baptist Church Pearson Chapel Rd., Alex City 256-329-3865
Beulah Baptist Smith Mt. Rd., Jackson’s Gap 256-825-9882
Old Providence Baptist Off Hwy. 63 N., near Hackneyville
The Church of God 13th Ave. N., Alex City 256-329-1696
Old Union Baptist 1106 Davis Circle 256-596-1873
Washington Street A.C.O.P. Church of God Washington Street
Orr Street Baptist 1000 “O” Street (Hwy. 63N) Alex City, 256-234-3171
CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY Church of God of Prophecy 303 Poplar Rd., Alex City, 256-234-6941
Elam Baptist Robertson Rd. Alex City Early Rose Baptist 201 E Street, Alexander City
256.770.7777 256.770.7777
Pleasant Home Baptist Clay County
The Meadows, L.L.C. of Alexander City ASSISTED LIVING
More like home.
256-234-0800 2712 Washington Street • Alexander City, AL
G. Daniel Brown ATTORNEY AT LAW 926 Cherokee Road Alexander City, AL
256.329.1552 2533 Hwy. 280 Alexander City, AL 256.234.0988 ––––––––
Calvary Baptist 819 Main St., Dadeville, 256-825-5989
Flint Hill Baptist Hwy. 280, Dadeville
Calvary Heights Baptist Elkahatchee, Rd., Alex City 256-234-7224
Friendship Baptist Our Town Community, 256-329-5243
Camp Hill Baptist Downtown Camp Hill, 256-896-2811
Hollins Springs Baptist Hwy. 280, Goodwater
Comer Memorial 941 E. Church St., Alex City 256-234-2236
Jackson’s Gap Baptist Church 21 East Church St. 256-825-6814
Daviston Baptist Daviston, 395-4327
Liberty Church 1034 Liberty Church Rd. Willow Point Alex City Macedonia Baptist Macedonia Circle, Goodwater 256-839-5793 Marietta Baptist Goodwater Miracle Missionary Baptist 1687 “I” Street 256-215-9788, 256-215-9787 Mt. Calvary Baptist 329 King St., Alex City, 256-234-5631 Mt. Olive Baptist Hwy. 280 & Jct. 49, Goodwater Mt. Sinai Baptist Fish Pond Rd., Coosa County 256-329-2337 Mt. Zion Baptist Hwy. 22, New Site Mt. Zion East StillWaters Dr., 256-825-4991 Mt. Zion West Our Town Community, 256-234-7748 New Elam Baptist Hwy. 9, Burtonville, 256-234-2037 New Bethel Baptist Rock St., Dadeville, 256-825-7726 Peace & Goodwill Baptist Cottage Grove Community Alexander City, 256-377-4634 Pine Grove Baptist Eagle Creek Rd., Dadeville
Eagle Creek Baptist Hwy. 49, Dadeville, 256-825-6048 Fellowship Baptist Buttston Community Fellowship Primitive Baptist Church on Claybrook Drive, Alex City 256-839-5339 First Baptist Court Square, Alex City 256-234-6351 First Baptist Tallassee St., Dadeville, 256-825-6232 Good News Baptist Church 10493 Hwy. 280, Jackson’s Gap 256-825-2555 Hackneyville Baptist Hwy. 63 N., Hackneyville Hillabee Baptist Hillabee Rd., Alex City 256-234-6798 Horseshoe Bend Baptist Hwy. 280, Dadeville Jackson’s Gap Baptist Jackson’s Gap, 256-825-4951 Kellyton Baptist Kellyton, 256-329-1512 Kendrick Baptist Church Nixburg Lake Martin Baptist Hwy 34, Dadeville 256-825-7434 Lake Pointe Baptist 8352 Hwy. 50W, Dadeville Lebanon Baptist Mt. Carmel Rd., Dadeville, 256-234-7541
“We offer a 5-year labor warranty for free!”
Perryville Baptist Perryville, 256-234-3588 Pine Grove Baptist Camp Hill Ray Baptist Rockford Hwy., Alex City, 256-234-7609 River Road Baptist 148 Dean Rd., Alex City, 256-234-6971 Rocky Creek Baptist Samford Rd., Cowpens Community Rocky Mount Baptist Hwy. 22 E., Alex City, 256-329-2327 Rock Springs Baptist Jackson’s Gap, 256-839-6263 Russell Farm Baptist Hwy. 63 beyond Our Town
Pentecostal Church of God 163 Franklin Street, Alex City 256-215-4055
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1515 Worthy Road, Alex City (Corner of Worthy Place and Dadeville Road)
Haven United Methodist 354 Christian St., Alex City 256-329-8394
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The Outlook
Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
Police Reports Alexander City Police Department July 2
• Michael Logan McCarty, 36, of Opelika was arrested for possession of marijuana second degree and drug paraphernalia. • Deldrick Akeem Franklin, 27, of Alexander City was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. • Clifford Dewayne Hollenquest, 32, of Alexander City was arrested for harassing communications. • Possession of marijuana second degree and possession of drug paraphernalia was reported in Alexander City. • Criminal mischief was reported in Alexander City.
July 1
• Theft and criminal trespass was reported in Alexander City. • Criminal use of defense spray was reported in Alexander City. • Unlawful breaking and entering was reported in Alexander City. • Harassment was reported on Airport Drive.
June 30
• Brandon Ray Whisenhunt, 28, of Alexander City was arrested for domestic violence. • Kayla Renea Schroeder, 27, of Alexander City was arrested for domestic violence. • Domestic violence was reported on Campground Road. • Domestic violence was reported on Scott Road. • Possession of a controlled substance was reported in Alexander City. • Domestic violence was reported on Scott Road. • Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported on Hilltop Drive. • Domestic violence was reported on Willow Point Road. • Criminal mischief and
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The Outlook
Public Meetings criminal trespass was reported on Parks Avenue. • Assault was reported in Elkahatchee Trailer Park. • Theft was reported in Alexander City.
June 29
• Giovanni Elijah Martone, 21, of Williamsburg, Virginia was arrested for robbery and receiving stolen property. • Samantha GailDanielle Denoy, 19, of Yorktown, Virginia was arrested for theft. • April Danielle Holliman, 43, of Alexander City was arrested for theft, possession of opium or a derivative and tampering with physical evidence. • Jospeh Lee Lewis, 40 of Alexander City was arrested for two counts of theft. • Fraudulent use of a credit card and theft was reported in Alexander City. • Domestic violence was reported on Dogwood Drive. • Theft was reported in Alexander City. • Receiving stolen property and criminal mischief was reported on B Street. • Theft was reported in Alexander City. • Possession of a controlled substance and theft was reported in Alexander City. • Harassing communications was reported in Alexander City. • Criminal mischief was reported in Alexander City. • Domestic violence was reported on 6th Street Extension.
Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department July 5
• A resident of Ridge Road in Dadeville filed a report for theft. • A resident of Camp Alamisco Road in Dadeville filed a report for theft. • A business on Churchill Road in Camp Hill filed a report for theft. • A resident of Winding
Road in Dadeville filed a report for domestic violence.
July 4
• A resident of Highway 280 in Dadeville filed a report for theft. • Johnnie Jasper of Grier Road in Wetumpka was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear minor possession of alcohol and bail jumping second degree.
July 3
• Nicky McKinnon of Greenbert Road in Seale was for probation revocation. • A resident of Finch Point in Dadeville filed a report for identity theft. • A resident of Booger Hollow Road in Dadeville filed a report for domestic violence.
July 2
• A resident of Tanglewood Lane in Dadeville filed a report in reference to theft. • Walter Hudson of Drake Road in Daviston was arrested for driving under the influence. • A resident of Buttston Road in Dadeville filed a report in reference to assault.
July 1
• Janie Rice of Fairway Ridge in Dadeville was arrested for domestic violence third.
June 30
• Joshua Wilson of Deerfield Drive in Auburn was arrested for driving under the influence.
• Alexander City Board of Education meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held in the board office at 375 Lee St. or local school at 5 p.m. • Alexander City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. Meetings are held in the courtroom at the old city hall at 5:30 p.m. • Camp Hill Town Council meets the first and third Mondays of each month. Meetings are held in town hall at 6 p.m. • Community Action Agency of Chambers, Tallapoosa, Coosa will holds its regular board of directors meetings every other month at the Central Office in Dadeville. • Coosa County Board of Education holds called meetings at least once a month. • Coosa County Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held in the Coosa County Courthouse in Rockford at 9:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday and at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday. • Coosa County Industrial Development Board will hold its regularly scheduled meeting the third Tuesday
of each month at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room in the courthouse in Rockford. All meetings are open to the public. • Dadeville City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. with a pre-meeting at 5:30 p.m. in city hall. • Daviston City Council meets the third Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Daviston Fire Department. • Goldville Town Council meets the second Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the town hall. • Goodwater City Council meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at the Caldwell Center at 6:30 p.m. • Jackson’s Gap Town Council meets the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held in town hall at 6:30 p.m., all Jackson’s Gap citizens are encouraged to attend. • Kellyton Town Council meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the community center in Kellyton. • New Site City Council meets the first and third Monday of the month at 5 p.m. in the Conference
Room in the Town Hall. • Ray Water Authority meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. at the Ray Water Authority Office. All customers are invited to attend. • Rockford Town Council meets the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held in town hall at 7 p.m. • Tallapoosa County Board of Education meets on the second Monday of each month. Meetings are held in the new central office at 679 East Columbus Street, Dadeville, AL 36853. • Tallapoosa County Commission meets the second Monday of the month at 9 a.m. in the courthouse in Dadeville, with a pre-meeting also open to the public 30 minutes before each regular session. • Tallapoosa County 911 Board will meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. in the 911 Administrative office at 240 West Columbus Street, Dadeville. Call 825-8490 for more information. • Walnut Hill Water Authority meets the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited. Call 825-9841 to inquire about the agenda.
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• A resident of Cross Creek Drive West in Mountain Brook filed a report for a dog bite. • Steven Russell of Ashurst Bar Road in Tallassee was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear child support.
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The Outlook
Sports the better Bulldog impression. Even if he knew the Bulldogs were going to lose a game during the Outlook’s Weekend Football Forecast, you could still hear him Bulldog woofing from his office when he was making his picks. The Bulldog woof wasn’t Mitch’s only great impression either. “He can imitate Larry Munson (a longtime Georgia announcer) unlike anybody other than Larry Munson,” said Kelly Huff, who was the chief photographer at the Clayton News Daily while Mitch was sports editor there. “He would always imitate Larry doing a big Herschel Walker run and use Larry’s wit, but he sounded just like him.” Mitch’s Munson imitation was as famous in Mitch’s early days as Rich Sneed was in his later ones. “I remember we were sitting around the newsroom and watching the first shuttle takeoff after the Challenger disaster,” said John Bazemore, who also worked with Mitch at the Clayton News Daily. “The sound was off, and Mitch did play by play as if he was Larry Munson, and it was just unbelievably funny. He even ‘went down to Lauren on the launchpad.’ Mitch just had everybody in stitches all the time.” But it wasn’t just Georgia that he loved in the sports world. He kept up with it all. From keeping tabs on Benjamin Russell graduate Kendall Graveman to always hearing the latest Terrell Owens’ news to making sure he checked the score of every Washington Capitals playoff game since my hire, Mitch knew sports. Not only did he know sports, he loved to cover them. “He was just an absolute joy to be around all the time,” said Bazemore, who is now a staff photographer for The Associated Press. “After I left
continued from page 1
“No one is winning a Pulitzer on Friday night.” — Mitch Sneed
Special / The Outlook
Mitch Sneed, right, and one of his daughters, Jessica, pose for a photo, cameras in hand on a football field. Mitch covered many football games and other sporting events throughout his multi-decade career as a journalist.
and he left, I would still hear from him every once in a while, usually if he needed a photo of a player that he thought we might have. He was very concerned about getting the notoriety they deserved.” Not the humblest man in the world, Mitch also wanted to get the recognition he deserved. A lot of news reporters complain about Election Night because it’s so stressful. They order pizza, they come into work late, they gripe and complain. Meanwhile, sports writers sit around thinking, ‘This is my every Friday night.’ Mitch covered both Election Night and Friday night football and probably could do both on the same night if he had to.
“Mitch could probably cover a football game at Opelika High School, catch wind of an armed robbery across town and go over to that too,” said Joe McAdory, who worked with Mitch at OA News and who is a columnist for The Outlook. “He could probably interview the robber, talk the robber out of committing the robbery, get some photos and get back to the football game before it was over. He was multi-talented, and then it seemed like he was always the first one finished. He would crank it out and get out the door, and that was fine. He had been there all day.” Although he didn’t always spend his days as a sports writer, Mitch had no problem getting in the trenches on
Friday night, and he was one of the best at it. “One of the first Friday nights I was there in 2004, Mitch went out to a game and came back after everyone else was already writing,” Szvetitz said. “I remember him coming out of his office and yelling, ‘Done! Last one in, first one done; I still got it!” He didn’t have to go out and cover a game; he was the editor. But it just showed how fast and how good he was.” And although sports writers don’t get pizza every Friday night like news reporters do every Election Night, Mitch would always try to wrangle the hearts of the concession stand ladies to see if he could bring back some free hamburgers and hotdogs to the office. Because if there’s one thing Mitch loved more than sports, it was free food, like most journalists. And Mitch was a journalist through and through, and he was a Bulldog through and through. “He even looked like a bulldog when he needed to,” Szvetitz said with a laugh.
Leaders looking into. As such, it only makes sense he would establish relationships with city and county officials, working with them to cover meetings, yet also digging deeper and making sure these public officials did the job they were supposed to be doing. “When Mitch arrived in Alexander City, the headlines and stories he wrote showed the city in an embarrassing light,” Alexander City Mayor Jim Nabors said. “Since taking office, our conversations and interactions proved without a doubt that Mitch only had the city’s best interests at heart and was pushing for improvement that would lead Alexander City to achieving the goal of being all it can be.” “I am going to miss Mitch for keeping us straight,” Alexander City council member Eric Brown said. “That is one thing you could count on.” While he and Sneed may not always have agreed on certain issues, councilman Tim Funderburk expressed how much he was going to miss Sneed being around and covering meetings. “One thing about Mitch is if he caught wind of something, he would sniff it out. He was what a true reporter should be,” councilman Bobby Tapley said. “Everybody thought he was a magician. If anything was going on, he showed up and people thought, ‘How could he get there that quick?’ He always seemed to be a step ahead. He truly loved this city and wanted to make sure things were done right.” “I am sorry Mitch is not going to be there to see that (possibly passing a city budget before the fiscal year begins),” councilman Tommy Spraggins said. “At first I thought, ‘This Mitch Sneed is bugging the heck out of me.’ Then I realized he was bugging me in the right way. He understands all the rules on how to run a council meeting and things we need to do with resolutions and ordinances.” “I had the opportunity to work with him at a few big events,” Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith said. “He was very fair and innovative. He wanted to get to the root of the story and get the whole story. He was a good mentor and he ran a good publication. I didn’t have to deal with him as much because I felt his staff was so well trained.” “It’s hard. It really is. Words can’t describe it,” Tallapoosa County Commissioner John McKelvey said. “He’s a true friend, a great guy, great fisherman. It’s hard to pinpoint where his best is at because he was good at everything. “I probably met him a week or so after he got the job as the editor and we hit it off and we’ve been friends ever since the day he came. I won’t forget the first time I carried him catfishing; that was a great time, precious time.” “It was a pleasure to work with him,” Alexander City Police Department Deputy Chief James Easterwood said. “He was always honest with us and reported what we told him. I don’t
continued from page 1
know of any problems any of us had with him.” While he described it as being somewhat of a love/hate relationship, Alexander City Fire Department Chief Reese McAlister had a lot of respect for Sneed. “I was a little worried at first when we started doing the live streaming videos, that he might catch something that could reflect badly on us,” McAlister said. “I grew to like his streaming though. He wasn’t out to hurt the city. He was a big supporter of ours and what we were doing.” “I’ve know Mitch ever since he came here,” Dadeville Police Department Chief David Barbour said. “He was always very professional and very knowledgeable. I never had any kind of problem with him. I didn’t mind talking to him in any way, shape, form or fashion. He will be missed by us here in Dadeville.” “We had a very good relationship,” Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said. “We spoke on a weekly basis about investigations he was reporting on. He was always fair and professional. He could be very persistent for information, but he reported what information we gave him fairly and accurately. He was dedicated in his profession. I respected him for the job he had to do and he respected us in law enforcement.” “I met Mr. Mitch soon after being hired as Tallapoosa County’s EMA Director in April of 2015,” Tallapoosa County EMA Director Jason Moran said. “He was always professional and willing to help no matter what the need might be. He and I communicated regularly prior to, during and after weather events like thunderstorms, snow and ice events, and when hurricanes have been forecast to impact our area. I could call him any hour of the day and he was always the same… wanting to help in whatever way he could to get the word out to the citizens of Tallapoosa County. “On a more personal note, Mitch and I discussed the passing of his brother Art not too long ago. He and I both agreed that we never know when our day will come, but we always have to be ready. And he said, ‘I don’t know about you, but I am ready.’ I agreed with him, and trust that he is in a better place today.” “He was great to work with. He was always accommodating and very supportive of what we were doing,” Alexander City Schools Superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper said. “He took a lot of extra time to try and find the good things to write about. He tried to get all of the information he could and get the whole story. He was invested in the community, interested in the city and its well-being. I never felt like we were done wrong by him.” “Mitch was ‘old school’ in his approach to journalistic reporting and publishing,” Tallapoosa County Schools
Superintendent Joe Windle said. “His commitment to ethical reporting, commitment to his community and real concern to root out public corruption is worthy of emulation. Mitch was a superb teacher and mentor of young journalists and worked extensively with us in how to include the press in managing crisis situations.” “I considered Mitch a friend. I had a ton of respect for him,” Alexander City
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ed Collari said. “He had a passion for the community and for doing what was right. He was a newspaper guy’s newspaper guy, which I think is just about the best compliment you can give a guy in the business. He had a certain level of journalistic integrity, and he did a damn good job. We were always appreciative of his support, and his loss is a huge void for our town.”
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Sports
LIZI ARBOGAST SPORTS EDITOR (256) 234-4281 X228 lizi.arbogast@alexcityoutlook.com
Outlook The
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2018 All-Area Softball Team Player of the Year
Coach of the Year Hilyer was big part of Rebels’ succcess
Stoneback guides Rebels on historical journey
By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor
By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor
Every part of Reeltown’s softball season was historical. From the senior class being members of the first youth softball team in Reeltown to the Rebels’ varsity squad advancing to state for the first time ever, it was certainly a season to remember. And there’s absolutely no way it could’ve been possible without ace pitcher Ayriana Stoneback, who is the Outlook Softball Player of the Year. “She did awesome,” Reeltown coach Kelli Hilyer said. “I didn’t really plan to just pitch her basically the whole season, and she did get a little help here and there but she was the go-to. She wanted the ball and
she took control when she was on the mound.” An Alabama Sports Writers Association first-team selection, Stoneback’s statistics speak for themselves. Stoneback threw 271 2/3 innings for the Rebels this year, accounting for all but 18 innings during the 2018 season. Over the course of those innings, Stoneback boasted an ERA of 1.598, allowing just 62 earned runs in all
that time. She averaged more than a strikeout per inning, totaling 344 on the season. She gave up 206 hits, 76 walks and 20 hit batters. “I just knew the whole season I had my team behind me both offensively and defensively,” Stoneback said. “So it was easy to be productive and confident behind them.” After starting softball at the age of 5, See PLAYER • Page 12
When softball coach Kelli Hilyer stepped onto campus at Reeltown three years ago, she knew she had something special. Her team got better and better every season, and it all culminated in the best year for the softball program in Rebels’ history in 2018. But Reeltown wasn’t just a team; it was a family. “This group of seniors and juniors, they were the first team foor the Reeltown youth softball league so they’ve played together for a very long time,” Hilyer said. “We just loved each other like a family, and they accepted me when I first came to Reeltown. We were just a family.” Hilyer is the Outlook Softball Coach of the Year. One of the biggest things Hilyer tried to express to her team this year was a mental toughness. The Rebels had an ease about letting one error slide off their shoulders and focus immediately on the next task at hand. They got that from Hilyer’s ultimate sense of calm. “We were so close as a team and as a coaching staff, we could feel each other’s emotions,” Hilyer said. “Actually before the game against Billingsley (in the regional tournament), I went up to the tower because I could feel my nerves and I
didn’t want the girls to feel it from me. They like to dance and cut up before the games, and I think that really helped them keep their calm nerves throughout the year.” Hilyer also made it her mission for Reeltown to become a tournament team this season. With the postseason being filled with long days and back-toback outings, getting in regular-season tournaments helped prep the Rebels for the playoffs. The Rebels played in six tournaments throughout the regular season. “Postseason is tournament play, so you’ve got to be able to be prepared for that,” Hilyer said. “I think that helped us as well to become closer because we did a lot of bonding on the trips. We See COACH • Page 12
First Team Morgan McGuire
Taylor Harris
Reeltown centerfielder
Benjamin Russell pitcher/first baseman
As the leadoff batter all season long, McGuire lived up to expectations for the Rebels, finishing with the highest batting average of the team. She batted .441 to go along with an on-base percentage of .558. “She definitely rose to the occasion,” Reeltown coach Kelli Hilyer said. “That’s a lot on somebody’s shoulders to be leadoff all season long. She also did a great job in the outfield; there were a couple tournaments that she robbed people of home runs at the fence.” McGuire also scored 58 runs and drove in 26 others, while committing only three errors all year.
Despite being only in eighth grade, Harris was a big part of the Wildcats’ success with both her pitching and hitting. She fired 114 innings this year, compiling an ERA of 4.237. She struck out 65, and at the plate, she finished third on the team with a batting average of .330. She drove in 14 runs, scored 26 and led the team with 13 doubles. “With her being in seventh grade last year, she was coming into something new,” BRHS coach Jessica Johnson said. “It was her bar to set, but this year, people figured her out a little bit. She had a few tougher games, but she got better for it. She did her job when she needed to, and I’m looking forward to several more years with her.”
Quanesha Presley
Asia McWaters
Dadeville infielder
Benjamin Russell pitcher
Although her batting average was a bit lower than last year, Presley was the power hitter for the Tigers this year. She still managed a fine batting average of .329 and also led the team with 26 RBIs and was second for the Tigers in runs with 22. “She played both third and short for us and still played at a high level while battling through injuries,” Dadeville coach C.J. Ford said. “She had several big hits throughout the season and was also our best defender.” Presley smacked a team-leading five home runs this year.
Earning a spot as an Alabama Sports Writers Association honorable mention, McWaters was a threat both in the circle and on the infield this year. She threw 124 1/3 innings this year and finished with 114 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.365. She walked only 20 batters. Defensively, McWaters boasted a fielding percentage of .942. “I think she contributed all the way across everything — in the box, on the mound and defensively,” Wildcats coach Jessica Johnson said. “She played a big role in helping our younger kids developing. Taylor (Harris) really looked up to her, and she what was best for the team.”
Kayli Hornsby Reeltown shortstop
Hornsby was a calming presence for the Rebels’ defense this season. At shortstop, Hornsby finished with a fielding percentage of .852. “She seemed to be more like a calming force out there on the field,” Reeltown coach Kelli Hilyer said. “She was confident as well. For the whole season, everybody out there was very confident, so that helped for them to be able to accomplish their goals.” Hornsby was also a force at the plate with a batting average of .397. She drove in a teamleading 39 runs and scored 38 of her own. She had 15 doubles, a triple and three home runs. Although she played both third and second base for the Tigers this season, Huff was solid at both positions. As a senior, she was the vocal leader on the field as well. “She was one of our top hitters, and she was a big senior leader for us,” Dadeville coach C.J. Ford said. Huff finished with a team-leading batting As one of Horseshoe average of .349 and had a stellar slugging Bend’s most improved percentage of .639. She scored 31 runs, players, Combs came on good enough for top on the team, and strong this year. She finished was second in RBIs with 23. Huff with a batting average of smacked eight doubles, two triples and .429, which tied for best on four home runs this season. the team, to go along with an on-base percentage of .506 and a slugging percentage of .543. “She really did come alive and she is a very versatile player,” HBS coach Due to her chemistry with pitcher Ayriana Stoneback, Hagen Vickers said. “She was Jaye became an integral part of the Rebels’ success this year. really good at putting down “Last year, she split time with another catcher but this year, a bunt for us if we needed she pretty much played every out,” Rebels coach Kelli Hilyer her too, but she also hit the said. “KK really stepped up, and her and Ayriana called the ball very well at times. She pitches for the majority of the season. They’ve played together is also just a very aggressive for a very long time, and that helped her as a catcher because defensive player. When a she felt confident behind there.” Jaye finished with a fielding player hustles and gives you percentage of .977 and also boasted a batting average of .364. that effort, it’s hard to beat.” She drove in 38 runs, good enough for third on the team.
Pearl Huff
Dadeville infielder
Lily Combs
Horseshoe Bend outfielder
Shay Johnson Benjamin Russell second baseman Johnson was the Wildcats’ biggest offensive weapon this season. “She has been an asset for us since she was in seventh grade,” BRHS coach Jessica Johnson said. “She’ll definitely be hard to replace. When she was up, we were up and when she was down, we were down. She has that natural leadership skill, and she was our little spark. She wasn’t always vocal on the field defensively, but she always knew where the play was and she was just a constant there.” Johnson finished with a batting average of .369, including 18 RBIs and 26 runs scored. She was tied for first with 14 stolen bases.
Katlyn Jaye
Reeltown catcher
Honorable Mention: Benjamin Russell — Taylor McVey (Sr., 3B); Baylee Adkins (Jr., SS); Tayla Stowes (Sr., OF); Dadeville — Makya Johnson (So., DP); Zoe Veres (Fr., C); Tiffany Rice (Jr., CF); Isis Johnson (Jr., P); Horseshoe Bend — Leighann McWhorter (Jr., 3B); Danielle Mitchell (Jr., P/CF); Hannah Adcock (Sr., RF); Reeltown — Kelsey Jaye (Sr., 2B); Kyndel Lee (Sr., 1B); Central Coosa — Kera Dunham (8th, P)
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www.alexcityoutlook.com
By DAVID RAINER Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Special Olympics should give everyone hope
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ometimes the odds seem to be against you — especially in a world where everything is divided by the haves and the have nots. Maybe your socioeconomic status isn’t the greatest or you have racial or religious biases working against you. Maybe you have a physical or mental disability that makes everyone look at you differently. But, especially in the world of sports, there have been countless examples of athletes rising above their circumstances and coming out on top. There have been so many athletes, even local guys like Justin Tuck and Adalius Thomas, who competed for the never-heard-ofbefore Central Coosa, who became superstars. Circumstances shouldn’t decide outcomes, and sports can be an outlet for that. This week’s Special Olympics USA Games have been an obvious example of that. If you haven’t seen the interview with Victoria Smith on ESPN.com after she won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, I encourage you to go watch it. “No matter what your disability is, you can compete,” Smith said. “If you train as hard as you have, you can compete and you can win gold just like I have.” The Special Olympics is full of stories proving you can do anything if you put your mind to it — from Andrew Peterson, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, needed nearly a decade of physical therapy just to learn how to walk and talk functionally and now is a marathon runner; to Seth Hanchey, who cannot speak after a traumatic brain injury in 2011 but competed this week as a powerlifter; to Tyler Lagasse, who is autistic but wrote he has learned to excel in many aspects of his life due to competing as a Special Olympic golfer. And it’s more than just the Special Olympics that are giving student-athlete chances. There’s all kinds of outlets in the world of sports for people who struggle with physical disabilities to compete, and there’s plenty of stories showing no matter what, you can do it. Last summer, I had the pleasure of writing a story about Ranley Clayton, a New Site native who was paralyzed from the waist down after an ATV accident. But she didn’t let that squander her competitive spirit; instead, she found wheelchair basketball. There are plenty of adaptive sports, and people around the Lake Martin community are doing things to bring awareness to this need. Camp ASCCA holds an annual camp for the physically disabled in conjunction with its Teen Week; several groups have been raising money for a Dream Field — a multi-use field designed for athletes with disabilities — in Alexander City; and even the folks at Dixie Sailing Club have looked into purchasing an adaptive sail boat. The point is, don’t let anything hold you back. There’s that old saying about getting back on the horse and trying again. If you set your mind to something and you’re willing to put in the hard work, you can achieve it — regardless of any preconceived notions of what people think you should and shouldn’t be able to do. Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Outlook.
Stoneback became a pitcher at 8 years old when the Reeltown youth league needed another girl in the circle. Stoneback’s father, Jason, played baseball, and although they both started out as catchers, Jason quickly learned how to help his daughter by watching YouTube videos. “He’s actually become my pitching coach,” Ayriana said. “He taught himself how to teach me how to pitch through YouTube, and we just stuck with it through the years.” Stoneback, who is committed to Northeast Mississippi Community College, topped out at 67 miles per hour this season, which she said was the fastest in her career. But unlike a lot of great high school pitchers, her biggest strength is not really her speed. “My screwball and my knuckleball are probably my best pitches,” she said. “My screwball because it eats up the hands of right handed batters and it really affected batters, and my knuckleball comes in a lot slower than my other pitches. It comes in about 45, and batters get thrown off by that speed.” Another big factor in Stoneback’s success is her pure strength. While a lot of pitchers tire out throughout a game, Stoneback seemed to get
Weekend Edition, July 7-8, 2018
Gulf State Park Pier expands shark fishing
LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor
Player
The Outlook
Anglers at Gulf State Park Pier who expressed frustration after reeling in pieces of desired fish species that had been attacked by sharks have gained some relief. The Alabama State Parks System managers instituted a pilot program to allow a limited number of anglers to fish for sharks on the octagon end of the pier on consecutive Tuesday nights recently. The first night was relatively slow as several sharks were hooked but only one undersized (minimum of 54 inches fork length) fish was landed. The shark was released back into the water. The action on the second Tuesday night and the overwhelming interest of anglers and spectators prompted Parks officials to expand the shark-fishing opportunities in July. Numerous sharks were hooked last Tuesday, and a 130-pound spinner shark was hauled onto the 1,540foot pier. The next chances to fish for sharks on the pier will take place on the south end from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following morning Sunday and Tuesday nights July 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 and 31. The previous shark-fishing times had been 8 p.m. to midnight. Parks officials realized anglers had a great deal of success just as the sun was setting and decided to start the fishing an hour earlier. Anglers said the sharks were causing problems at daybreak as well. To accommodate the shark anglers, the octagon will close to routine use 30 minutes prior to these events and reopen to routine use 30 minutes following. During the events, the octagon area of the pier will be reserved for the exclusive use of participating anglers and their designated assistants. Other anglers and pier guests can use the remainder of the pier as usual. Another adjustment by Parks officials is an increase in the number of anglers allowed and a decrease in the number of assistants. In the last session, 10 anglers were designated to fish, and they were allowed two assistants each. Anglers were also allowed to use two rods. During the July shark-
fishing events, 15 anglers will be allowed to fish per occasion with only one rod and reel per angler in use. Each angler may have one assistant. A maximum of 30 individuals will be allowed on the octagon area during each event. Anglers are encouraged to assist each other while fishing. Anglers are required to provide their own gear. Larger reels are allowed during the shark event. Other pier rules regarding equipment will remain in effect. The husband-wife duo of Melvin and Kayci Dixon of Gulf Shores teamed up to hook and fight the only shark landed during the second Tuesday. Kayci, who is six months pregnant, had a live bluefish for bait when she hooked the fish. She soon handed the rod and reel to her husband. Melvin fought it until other anglers and assistants were able to get snatch hooks into the shark to laboriously lift the fish over the railing and onto the pier deck. “She fought it about five minutes and then handed the rod to me,” Melvin said. “When she first hooked up, I didn’t think he was that big. When he was way out there I didn’t think it was much and we were going to have to break him off. But when he got within 100 yards of the pier, it changed. It ended up being 70 1/2 inches long. “Luckily, there were some great guys out here who jumped in to get the fish over the rail. Everybody worked well together to get it. It was great team spirit.” When the shark comes over the rail is when those on the octagon must be most careful, as Lamar Pendergrass, State Parks Regional Manager, told the anglers before the start of the event. “Our biggest concern is safety once a shark
David Rainer / Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
Top: Alabama State Parks officials have expanded the number of nights shark fishing will be allowed on Gulf State Park Pier. Above: Melvin Dixon of Gulf Shores fights a spinner shark that was eventually the only shark landed on the second night of the pilot program.
is brought up on the pier,” Pendergrass said. “Everybody needs to stay clear of the shark until it is identified and dispatched if it is a legal shark.” Also on that second Tuesday, Stephanie Langston of Foley, a regular at the pier along with her husband, hooked but lost a shark that went under the pier, cutting the line on the sharp barnacles. And the brother-sister team of Grayson and Greta Graves both had sharks on during the night but, like Langston’s, both fish escaped when the fishing line snapped at the pier. Pendergrass and other Parks officials said it is too early to tell how the pilot program will affect the sharks’ impact on pier anglers. Several sharks that make the northern Gulf of Mexico home are protected, and the Alabama Marine Resources Division had officers on hand to help identify the species. When the Dixons’ shark was hauled onto the deck, it was thought to be a black-tipped shark. Marine Resources officials used a shark identification chart to identify it as a spinner shark because, paradoxically, the spinner shark’s anal fin has a black tip, while the black tip has a white anal fin.
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stronger and stronger with each inning she pitched. Because the Rebels spent so much time on the tournament trail this year, Stoneback’s steady improvement really worked to their advantage. “She does get stronger throughout the game, and with all those tournaments we played, she’d rather play back to back,” Hilyer said. “It was during those long breaks that she would get stiff, but if we play and have only like a 20- or 30-minute break, that keeps her loose.” Stoneback had a litany of success stories to choose from this year, but she felt her best personal game of the year was the Rebels’ second game of the season — a 3-0, five-inning victory over Tallassee. “I threw a perfect game against them and it was the first perfect game I’ve ever thrown,” Stoneback said. “We are rivals with them but we don’t get to play them a lot, so I knew I had to pitch really good that day and my team had my back.” It wasn’t just Stoneback’s pitching that helped the Rebels, either. She was a force to be reckoned with at the plate, finishing with a .346 batting File / The Outlook average. She drove in 23 runs Reeltown’s Ayriana Stoneback wasn’t just the best pitcher in the area; she with 30 singles and seven doubles. was also a top hitter. She is the Outlook Softball Player of the Year.
Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein said he’s not really surprised by the interest in shark fishing, which had previously been prohibited on the pier. “We’ve been hearing for a while that people wanted the opportunity to catch sharks out here,” Lein said. “What has surprised me is the diversity of interest. There are some people who want to catch sharks to eat them. There are some people who just want to hook one for the sport of having a shark on the line. Others want to catch sharks to remove them because they think there are too many sharks around the pier.” Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship added, “The number of spectators crowding the pier to watch these events has been interesting. On both nights we had hundreds of people who came out to the pier to see what would be caught. At one point on Fox 10 Facebook Live there were over 880 people watching the first night. Sharks are fascinating creatures, as evidenced by the participation and the crowds. That is why the Discovery Channel has a whole week of programming dedicated to sharks every July.”
Coach
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would spend the night away at most of those, so I can pull from a lot of memories. Everybody just respected and loved each other.” Hilyer is a longtime coach and got her first head coaching stint at Central Coosa, where she spent one season before coming to Reeltown in 2016. Not only was the team advancing to state a big team accomplishment, but it was also a notch in Hilyer’s belt. “I’m very proud of the girls and I’m very happy for the community,” she said. “I’m excited to because this was my first time going to state as a coach. On a personal note, that was exciting for me. This team also had the most wins at Reeltown for a fast-pitch softball team, so they accomplished a lot this season.” Forever humble though, Hilyer didn’t want to take sole credit for the Rebels’ success, saying “it takes a village,” and her village included assistant coaches Gary Baker, Lisa Langford and Jason Cowart.
THE Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
SPECIAL EDITION A memorial tribute to
Mitch Sneed Clyde Mitchell ‘Mitch’ Sneed Editor of The Alexander City Outlook and a true newspaperman
June 2, 1961 July 1, 2018
July 7, 2018 www.alexcityoutlook.com A special supplement to The Alexander City Outlook
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MITCH SNEED: SNEED: A A TRIBUTE TRIBUTE MITCH
JULY 7, 7, 2018 2018 JULY
A TRIBUTE TO MITCH SNEED When The Alexander City Outlook Editor Mitch Sneed passed away on July 1, 2018, we decided to create a special edition that would be a fitting tribute to him. This is a one-of-a-kind special section for a one-of-a-kind man, featuring words from former colleagues, current employees and many others who admired Mitch.
Mitch lived, breathed job as editor
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that this was his last job, that he intended to retire or our years ago, when I offered die as editor of our newspapers. Mitch the editor’s job of He loved the people here, he loved the fact that he Tallapoosa Publishers’ five could make a difference each and every day, and he newspapers, I knew I was taktook pride in what he could personally do to improve ing a chance. our community. I had spoken with two of I am convinced that Mitch viewed his salary a perk his previous publishers, Jim for doing what he was going to do anyway. Rainey, now the publisher of He was driven to overcome the mistakes of his past. The Tuscaloosa News, and KENNETH Mitch was no saint. He was a complex amalgam: a Leonard Woolsey, now publisher of The Galveston BOONE hard-living, petal-to-the-metal, deep redneck, capital Daily News. Both said Mitch was a “news hound,” ‘C’ character and a tireless, compassionate, truth-seekthe best news reporter they had ever worked with, a ing, champion of the underdog who didn’t give a hoot super hard worker, a great guy … and that I would have to manage him on a short, tight leash, that he had a world- about race, gender, sexual orientation or financial status. He could, and did, talk to everybody. His list of contacts and the class temper, that he had attacked a man and bitten him in the inner workings of local government was astounding. stomach in an incident had cost him a publisher’s job, that he And he was a damn good reporter. had a bad history with alcohol. But Mitch was more than that. When he caught a public figI knew all that and I knew that Alexander City and all our ure doing something that was not right – which he did time and papers here in Tallapoosa and Elmore counties deserved the best I could hire, that operating the smallest daily newspaper in again – he told the public, no matter how painful it was. And then – in an act that is both selfless and an incredibly Alabama made it exceedingly hard to attract top-notch editors rare – he tried to help them recover. … and that, after meeting with Mitch, I believed he was worth Mitch was a man who believed in second chances. the risk, that he both deserved and needed another chance, that I’m walking a line here and not mentioning names because he was a man of his word. I don’t want to dredge up anything that would cause anybody It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. pain. Those who have lived it know what I’m talking about. Because it turns out Mitch Sneed was a man of his word. Mitch was a man who would bring you down hard when He stopped drinking, he immersed himself in our comyou did wrong and then give you the shirt off his back when munity, he lived and breathed his job as editor and he made you needed it. an extraordinary impact on the lives of the people here in four Because it’s the right thing to do. short years. Because he wanted to treat others the way he wanted to be Our business is really all about people. treated. As chairman and owner, it’s my job to make sure our And because, as a man who was on the receiving end of employees have the tools they need – a nice, clean building, second chances, Mitch knew the value of redemption and he computers and cameras and servers and printing presses that wanted others to experience it too. will get the job done – to set the goals, trust our people and get This week, as we here at Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. are still out of the way. in shock and mourning his passing, I’ve heard many “Mitch” Mitch’s leadership, along with our Publisher Steve Baker, stories for the first time. I heard Mitch bought a car for one of is the reason that The Alexander City Outlook was named our employees who needed transportation, surprising, but not a among the “10 Newspapers that Do It Right” in 2018 by surprise. Editor & Publisher magazine, the top newspaper trade journal We – I’m talking about Mitch’s family, his co-workers, his in America. That’s a huge honor for a newspaper our size. neighbors here in east central Alabama and journalists across The Alexander City Outlook, with 3,000 daily print readthe country – have experienced a great, deep loss this week. ers, received the same honor as The Houston Chronicle with I’m walking around in a daze at his sudden, way-too-early 186,538 readers; The Las Vegas Review-Journal with 231,443 death at 57 and what it means for our community. readers and Newsday, with 277,834 readers, to name three of Mitch Sneed is irreplaceable. the other 10 award winners. And I’m so thankful we had him here, and I got to work That doesn’t happen by accident. with him, for four of his best years. Neither does the fact that Mitch will posthumously receive 12 individual Alabama Press Association awards at our summer Boone is chairman of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. convention later this month for writing, editing, taking photos and live-streaming news in the past year. That happens through dedication, hard work, a can-do attitude and a deep desire to succeed when you’re tired and overFinancial assistance for the Sneed family burdened and it would be much easier to hit “send” when a If you would like to help the Sneed family financially, piece isn’t up to snuff. The Mitch Sneed Account has been set up at River Bank I’ve had long, deep conversations with Jim and Leonard in Alexander City. Deposits can be made in person at since Mitch passed away a week ago. And I’m convinced that the bank at 2617 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL or Mitch Sneed finally, at age 53, after a full and stormy career as mailed to River Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 669, Alexander a newspaperman, found a job that fit him like – as Leonard said City, AL 35011, Attention Renae Voss, Customer Service – a suit made to fit him. Representative. He found peace and purpose here in Alexander City. For more information, call Renae at 256-329-0500. Mitch told me a dozen or more times that he loved his job,
MANAGEMENT KENNETH BOONE Chairman STEVE BAKER Publisher DAVID KENDRICK Circulation Manager LEE CHAMPION Production Manager AUDRA SPEARS Art Director BETSY ILER Magazine Managing Editor TIPPY HUNTER Advertising Director ANGELA MULLINS Business Manager
NEWSROOM AMY PASSARETTI Assistant Magazine Editor SANTANA WOOD Design Editor LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
ADVERTISING SALES DOUG PATTERSON Newspaper Advertising KATIE WESSON Retail Sales Manager SCOTT HARDY Digital Marketing Coordinator JESSICA WARE Advertising Sales JAYLAN REYNOLDS Advertising Sales CARTER SINGLETON Advertising Sales
COMPOSING DARLENE JOHNSON Composing Staff SHELLEY MCNEAL Composing Staff
CIRCULATION LINDA EWING Office Clerk ERIN BURTON Office Assistant Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. 548 Cherokee Road Alexander City, AL 35010 256-234-4281 www.alexcityoutlook.com
JULY 7, 2018
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Proud to be Sneed’s daughter
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y father loved his family, his job and this community he called home. Anyone would know this if you ever read one of his columns, but the man behind the paper was much more than the stories he covered and the columns he wrote. He was my father, my best friend and my rock. Now in a traditional Mitch Sneed fashion I am going to ramble for a bit. My father never wanted anyone to worry about his health. He never once would tell us how bad anything was. But from what I do know, this man had lots of injuries from baseball, football and wrestling in high school. One of his football injuries led the doctor to tell him and my grandma he may never be able to have children. She was so upset, but being the stud he thought he was, he said that ain’t going to stop me and JESSICA I guess he was right; my sister SNEED Sydney and I are here as proof. He also had knee replacement surgery twice (in the same knee, might I add), he had prostate cancer three times and each time overcame it, he was diabetic at one point in time, had gastric bypass surgery and lost over 200 pounds. He was struck by lightning twice (sounds made up, I know) and acted like it was no big deal. He had a TIA stroke and took himself to the doctor and refused to let anyone go with him. He never complained once about any of it. He loved my sister and me unconditionally and would do anything in the world for us from helping us buy our first homes to getting us out of a pickle from time to time. He even drove past my house when I moved out at the age of 19 on my own to make sure I left the porch light on so when I got home after working at night from Chick-fil-A so I wouldn’t have to go into a dark house. He made sure we were always taken care of. One time he even worked three jobs at once to make sure we never struggled. It never mattered to him who we loved as long as we were happy and as long as they were good to us. He coached my softball teams growing up and led our team to win two World Series championships. He spent countless hours in the car driving from state to state to different softball tournaments. Now that I’m a parent, I don’t know how he managed to take the time out of his busy schedule to do this but he did and made it look so easy. I was a problem child to say the least. I was so much so, my mother would send me with my dad during the summer to work with him. I would have to sit there for hours on end with him, but I never got bored — he put me straight to work. Every day my job was to get the obits off the fax machine and type them into the computer. Getting a 7-year-old typing obits, not morbid at all. When I got together with my now wife Sabrina, she had a 1-year-old daughter. I was really nervous about telling my dad I was dating someone much younger than me, let alone that she had a child. The first time he met Kaydence all that nervousness went away. Their relationship came so naturally. Since that day, he has accepted that little girl as his own and never once cared about DNA. That was his granddaughter and he was proud of it and he was her Gingpa. I called him one day to tell him that she got in trouble at school for fighting with another child.
Special / The Outlook
Jessica Sneed, left, sits on the edge of a boat fishing with her father Mitch. Fishing was one of his favorite hobbies.
He stated, “Well sometimes you have to show them who’s boss, they were probably asking for it.” In his eyes she could do no wrong and she had him wrapped around her little finger. His career took our family all over the South and Midwest. We moved from Georgia to Wisconsin, then to Indiana, then back down to Alabama. He then moved to Virginia then back to Georgia. When we were moving from Indiana to Alabama I was upset with him because the series finale of my favorite show was going to be on that night. I was going to miss it. He told me I wasn’t going to. My dad pulled out a little 4-inch portable black-and-white TV that took D batteries to watch it on. Well it was 7 p.m., my show was about to start and the picture of the TV was not clear at all. This man pulls to the side of the road in the middle of Chicago traffic as soon as the signal was clear enough and we sat there for 30 minutes while we watched that last episode together. I’m sure by now everyone knows the trick-ortreating story where while moving across the country he stopped to let me trick-or-treat in the projects in Murfreesboro Tennessee. If you don’t know the story,
Google it; he has recycled that story every Halloween at every newspaper since that year. To say I was spoiled is an understatement. We had our inside jokes that made everyone look at us like we were insane. Every time we sat at the table and said grace after the Amen came, me and my dad would start reciting word for word the scene from Talladega Nights where Ricky Bobby’s family is saying grace and talk about how they picture Jesus. Well Dad, today you are up there with your version of Jesus that has giant eagle wings and singin’ lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd with an Angel Band and you and Rich are in the front row listening to Free Bird, with lighters up in the air. Of course I’m envisioning you and baby Jesus in a manger. Mitch Sneed was more than an editor of a newspaper. He was a great man. He had his flaws, but I wouldn’t have traded him for any other father in this world. He probably never even knew how many people’s lives that he made a difference in but my heart is full of pride knowing you were my dad. Jessica Sneed is a daughter of Mitch Sneed.
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
JULY 7, 2018
Mitch was a newspaperman who could ‘do it all’
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itch Sneed was a man I called my friend. I also called him a colleague, a master of our craft and occasionally, I would call him Munson. That was a name only a select few would understand. I met Mitch for the first time when I became the photo editor of Clayton News Daily in Jonesboro, Georgia from 1989-91. A devoted Georgia Bulldog fan and graduate of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, at the University of Georgia, it didn’t take long to figure out a Yankee like myself would not dare say a cross word to him about his beloved Bulldogs. I think I became a Bulldogs fan because of his loyalty to the university he loved so much. I loved going on assignments with Mitch in Clayton County. He was a respected and top-notch journalist for James Minter’s newspaper at the time. His desire and passion for sports was second to none. He was as excited to cover a high school game as much as the college level competition we tried to cover back then. Mitch welcomed me with open arms when I arrived, even though I was replacing a photojournalism expert and his close friend John Bazemore. We spent a multitude of Friday evenings at football games, basketball games and every other sport we covered. He truly put his heart and soul into his job. I can still remember the atmosphere of covering the recruitment and decision when All-Stater Morrow High School wide receiver Andre Hastings choose Mitch’s beloved Georgia Bulldogs as his team to play his collegiate career with. It was fun hanging out with the reporter and photographer from Sports Illustrated that day of the announcement. I can remember hanging out with Mitch in the Sanford Stadium pressbox before a game as we ate fried chicken with the likes of Bulldogs’ legend Larry Munson, country music singer Kenny Rogers, his wife Marianne Gordon of “Hee Haw” fame and of course Atlanta Journal & Constitution columnist Lewis Grizzard. As a small-town boy, I thought I was among royalty, especially Kenny Rogers’ wife. We had good discussions on football and life on the return drive to Jonesboro after the games. The reason I sometimes called Mitch “Munson” was because of his dead-on imitation of the man he admired whom he could mirror with his voice on queue. The famous Herschel Walker calls from past games were right on the mark as he laughed it off at the end of the imitation. In 2011, I returned to Georgia, following my wife’s desire to come home after living back in Illinois for a spell. After several months of not finding work in journalism, Mitch found out I was back. He called me and offered me work for the Douglas County Sentinel, shooting, of course, high school football games for him. He kind of saved my life in journalism. I was ready to give up and change professions. It was like old times. When Mitch got the job in Alexander City, he was overjoyed and he never looked back. He took our old-school approach to journalism, adapted to the present-day routines of our profession and succeeded. I am sure a few younger journalists are better off today because of the lessons he caught from the past. Mitch could obviously write, but he could also take pictures, do Facebook live posts and do videos of his “cousin” Rich Sneed. We all saw his humor in those posts. His mumbling rants were just so “dam funny.” Especially when he ended them with “Go Dawgs” and barked at the camera.
Special / Kelly Huff
Mitch Sneed rings a player up while umpiring in the 1990s. At the time, he was working for Clayton News Daily with Kelly Huff.
He was a multiple award winner of the Georgia Press Association, the Alabama Press Association and others for his columns, stories and photos. He could do it all. But his love of the Bulldogs and journalism was second and third to his first love, daughters Jessica and Sydney. They were little squirts when I first met them in Clayton County, but he never lost sight of his role as their father. He loved you girls with all his
heart and was very proud of you both. But most of all, I will miss his sunset pictures from his boat on the lake, his professionalism to our craft and his friendship. Rest in peace my friend, and “Go Dawgs, sicem… woof, woof, woof.” Kelly J. Huff is photo/images editor at the Marietta Daily Journal.
JULY 7, 2018
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Heaven gets a great journalist y friend is dead. Rearended while parked at a red light; the impact crushed his Ford F-150 and pushed him into the intersection. He died a few days later from complications resulting from head injuries. Already the world feels a bit less exciting, a little less complete. I first met my friend inside a small conference room without windows. Sitting across the table, his resume in my hand, we looked at each other. He needed a job and I was unsure of the mysterious ball of nervous energy sitting across from me. To this day I’m not sure he could ever sit still for longer than the brief spit of time between flashes of a firefly. His strong hands, tightly clasped in front of him, seemed to be anchoring him to the table. “I know you don’t know me,” he said. “But if you will give me this
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when the text came though chance, I’ll work harder about my friend’s accident. than anyone you’ve ever Details were sketchy but you met. And I’ll promise I’ll didn’t need to be a doctor to work to be the best journalknow he needed God to be ist you’ll ever hire.” at his side. I prayed out loud Out of most people’s repeatedly. mouth this would sound My new editor soon proved like someone trying to blow his word. Many times I asked dust into a place it should LEONARD him if he was sleeping in not go. But something was WOOLSEY his office. He denied it, but peculiar about the man. that darn twinkle in his eye Maybe it was the twinkle in told me I shouldn’t press my his eyes – a twinkle like I luck. Within days he was teaching imagined I’d see if I’d ever ran across me what a real journalist was – the Santa Claus. kind born, not made with a university But then there was his voice. degree. Over the course of the years Something was different. Ninety-nine we worked together we banged heads times out of 100 your gut says walk over deadlines, filing Freedom of away. And generally that is the right Information requests and his unorthocall. All I can say is that day must dox manner of conducting business. have been No. 100 because I put my trust – and comparatively smaller hand I remember him once confronting a district attorney with damning infor– into his and we shook. mation while they were out alone fishI was sitting at home last week
ing on a nearby lake. Right there, with God and 213 striped bass as witnesses, the two of them negotiated an early retirement for the district attorney. That was how my friend did business. If unorthodox is not considered a compliment, it ought to be. Watching my friend do his version of journalism was like witnessing naturally brilliant self-taught pianist play as Beethoven originally heard it in his head. You don’t see that twice in a lifetime. The next day a call brought the news I knew I might hear. God called my friend home. From what I hear, St. Peter waved him through. Something about heaven needing a man of true character and a penchant for the unorthodox. Score one for the good guys. Leonard Woolsey is president and publisher of The Galveston County Daily News in Texas.
Super Quick Towing raising money for Sneed’s widow By RON DANIEL Douglas County Sentinel
Former Sentinel editor Mitch Sneed was beloved in Douglas County by many here. In the wake of his sudden death last Sunday after a car accident, one of his good friends in Douglasville is now raising money to help Sneed’s wife Cyndi. Rodney Elrod, owner of Super Quick Towing in Douglasville, said he plans to donate 100 percent of the money he makes towing in Douglas County on Monday, July 9 and Tuesday, July 10 to Cyndi Sneed. “Just a friend needs some help,” Elrod said, recalling several times where he and Mitch Sneed worked together to help families in need during Sneed’s time in Douglas County. “That’s what we’re trying to do.” Elrod said for those who want to help Cyndi but don’t need a tow, he’ll have someone taking donations at the Super Quick Towing office at 2072 Fairburn Rd. in Douglasville from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Elrod said he plans to deliver all money raised to Cyndi Sneed next Wednesday. For more information about helping Sneed, you can also call Super Quick Towing at 770-489-0033. Mitch Sneed had been the editor in Alexander City, Alabama, at The Outlook newspaper, for the last four years after a three-year run as editor in Douglasville where he led the Sentinel to first place in General Excellence from the Georgia Press Association. He was rear-ended at a stoplight in that town in central Alabama on June 30 and died a day later on July 1 from injuries sustained in the crash. Sneed’s funeral is planned for Saturday, July 7 at 3 p.m. CT at the Faith Temple in Alexander City. The Alexander City community — like Douglas County and the other places Sneed worked over a nearly four-decade career in journalism — has been
Special / The Outlook
Rodney Elrod, owner of Douglasville, Georgia-based business Super Quick Towing, plans to donate 100 percent of the money he makes towing in Douglas County on Monday and Tuesday to Cyndi Sneed, right.
mourning his sudden death. Sneed was a University of Georgia graduate and big Georgia Bulldogs fan. Some in Alexander City put red, black and white ribbons where Sneed sat for Alexander City council meetings and on light posts and in businesses in the city’s downtown over the
last week, The Outlook reported. One of Sneed’s neighbors in Alexander City, Josh Lackey, organized a fishing tournament on Lake Martin that will take place after Sneed’s funeral on Saturday, with funds raised also going to help Cyndi Sneed.
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
JULY 7, 2018
‘MORE THAN AN EDITOR’
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eventeen years ago, you gave this cub reporter one look and saw something in me that I didn’t know was there. You gave me a chance and invested in me. You gave me your time and helped me develop into a leader in our newsroom. You gave everything you had to our profession, our readers and our staff. And by doing so, taught me what community journalism should be. Mitch was more than just my editor — he was my dearest friend and confidant. He was the loud, boisterous dad to our dysfunctional family of journalists. When you’re putting out a daily newspaper, you form strong bonds and lifelong friendships. And I’m so honored to have been in the trenches with him. Mitch, you were a true newspaperman in every sense of the word. And you will be truly missed.
Susan Petrunio is former news editor of OpelikaAuburn News.
Special / The Outlook
Pictured, from left, are former Opelika-Auburn News city editor Jaime Lakin Tillman, Mitch Sneed and former OA News editor Susan Petrunio.
If we could all be like Mitch Sneed
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just saw Mitch Sneed two weeks ago. He was in Douglasville, Georgia, visiting his good friend Rodney Elrod, and I never missed a chance to talk shop with my former boss at the Sentinel. It was a great visit, and Mitch told me — as he RON always did — the boat was DANIEL always in the water and my family was welcome to visit him anytime on Lake Martin. I had no idea it would be the last time I would see him. He died Sunday night from injuries sustained in a car accident Saturday morning in Alexander City where he’d been the editor of the paper there for the last four years. During his three years as the editor of the Sentinel, we used to jokingly wonder when he slept. He was a true newshound and never seemed to rest. One day, he came into the office with the story of a body being found somewhere in the county. He said a captain he had gotten to know at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office had called him in the middle of the night, then stopped by to pick Mitch up on the way to the scene. Mitch built relationships like that everywhere he went. Just last week, a plane crashed in Alex City and Mitch owned the story. The two people on the plane were from Georgia, and even the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was using the picture Mitch took of the wreckage. I can’t say I was surprised — because it was just Mitch being Mitch. I sent him an email and he wrote back: “Saw the lights flicker and started out the door of the restaurant and then the text hit. Before I was a block away, the fire chief and police chief had already
texted me. That is a huge help. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.” Mitch would tell you he had been lucky in life, but he was also a giant of a person; a great friend, someone I could always run things by and the best newspaper man I have ever known. The people who knew him were the lucky ones. As one friend said, during his three years in Douglasville, he “made the Sentinel worth reading again.” When he hired me in 2012, I had no idea what I was getting into. I started out covering sports temporarily then moved on to covering the county government and school board. That year-and-a-half working under Mitch was the highlight of my professional life. Mitch, in his final column at the Sentinel in June of 2014, wrote: “The secret to newspaper success? Covering the news.” He made it sound so simple. But that’s what he did. We did our share of investigative reporting, holding government officials accountable. And we told the stories of the community we served. He wrote: “We tried every day to keep you informed, we cheered for you, we cried with you and we kicked you in the pants when you needed it. That is the only way I know how to do it.” My background was in sports before Mitch hired me as a news reporter. But Mitch, as a former sports writer himself, told me the principles were the same and he knew I could make the transition. I’ve always said I bought into what he was selling. Or as he put it in his farewell column, I bought into his ideas and “drank the Kool-Aid.” We did a lot as a team my first year at the Sentinel. Amanda Thomas, Haisten Willis and Rick Winters — we all bought into what Mitch was selling. The next year, when it was time for awards,
we won first place in General Excellence from the Georgia Press Association, signifying us as the best non-daily newspaper in Georgia. I contributed a first-place award in Investigative Reporting that year, guided by Mitch, whose reporting had exposed wrongdoing by former college presidents and politicians over the years. The night Mitch left to accept that big award at the GPA’s annual convention on Jekyll Island, the payoff for his hard work in Douglasville, he called me and told me he had accepted a new job in Alabama. He told me he planned to recommend me as managing editor, and he told me he couldn’t have done it without me. Those words meant as much to me then as they do now. I was part of something big, and I had earned the respect of someone I looked up to as a mentor and a giant in this field. When Herb Emory died unexpectedly in April 2014, Mitch called to tell me and my heart dropped like it did Sunday night when I learned Mitch had died. Like Mitch, Herb was a friend to everybody he came across and a giant in the news business. Mitch penned a column about Herb he headlined: “If we could all be like Captain Herb.” Mitch wrote: “If the way that Herb died does nothing else, I will try to live the rest of my days just like he did. I will run wide open, help everyone I can and smile when I feel like crying. I will leave no gas in the tank and no tread on the tires. I just hope I can leave my community a little better than I found it.” Mitch surely left this community and every other place he served better than he found it. Rest in peace, my friend. Ron Daniel is managing editor of Douglas County Sentinel.
JULY 7, 2018
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Mitch was ‘all over it’ until the day he died fectly flawed, so much so even the Mitch Sneed was the best people he angered had to respect newspaperman and one of the him. best men I ever had the pleaHe was always “All Over It sure to call my colleague. Baby.” Every time I asked him if I am so honored to have he had the story he replied he “was called him my friend. AOI BABY” and he was until the While I can’t imagine life day he died. without newspapers, I cannot Our world is less without him. imagine newspapers without JIM He was an original. And purely, Mitch. RAINEY authentically human. He had nothIf you knew him, you ing but love to give but he gave loved him. And he loved you, that in abundance. But God help regardless of who you were, you if he caught you doing wrong to othyour color, sexual orientation, religion or ers, particularly if you were betraying the politics. To Mitch, everyone had a story public’s trust. and he was determined to find it and tell I was a better journalist for having it, unflinchingly, without fear and without favor. He dedicated his life to afflicting the worked with him and a better man for having known him. comfortable and comforting the afflicted and did it with a profound passion and Jim Rainey is publisher of The professionalism that is unsurpassed. Tuscaloosa News. Mitch wasn’t perfect, but he was per-
For Mitch, news was about and for people I often was amazed at the stamina of Mitch Sneed. As my managing editor at Opelika-Auburn News, Mitch impressed me with his never-failing readiness to pursue a story and eagerness for each opportunity in daily news features, despite oftentimes long and unconventional hours. Understanding the secret to Mitch’s successful approach toward news taught me much not only about news but also about life. For Mitch, news was not a relentless sequence of disconnected events and incidents, which would create a negative, defensive mindset. For Mitch, news was about people and for people, so it was a life stream that fueled his interest in news about people and for people. This kind of heart toward news created in Mitch an inner ear that was very strong. Like the continuity of a radio tuned to a station, Mitch listened to the voices of people and their story. I think the ears of his soul could be thought of as operating something like soft, impressionable clay tablets or a large tape-recording reel. He was wide open to people, and not just those he encountered as a journalist. He was the same to his staff. He is the only person I worked for who, every time I went to his office, dropped what he was doing to hear what I had to say, which is especially remarkable considering the daily pace in the news business. And he treated me the same after our work went in different directions and our paths still crossed. When I had occasion to drop by for a visit at The Outlook office or we happened to see each other in town, Mitch stopped to listen to me and mention the next time he hoped we could meet and talk more. Mitch taught us not to take ourselves too seriously and he led by example in his artful quickness with self-deprecating humor. Mitch had a talent for helping people laugh just when they needed it. Some years ago he had the task of crafting a headline over a story about a large church that caught fire. When his headline “HOLY SMOKE” hit the city, I am sure some who think a nice building
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Mitch Sneed, as a newspaperman, was always involved in the community in which he worked. As editor of The Outlook, Sneed covered the Alexander City City Council meetings. To honor his memory, the city placed a University of Georgia colored ribbon on the bench where he always sat covering and live streaming the council meetings.
defines a church got offended. But I believe Mitch also gave church members a chance to laugh and to help see past a present challenge to an enduring definition of church as a holy community of faith. I was a copy editor under Mitch, and sometimes he would notice me continuing to beat myself up over missing a mark of perfection in our striving for excellence. He would remind me with a smile and in his own clever way I was not perfect, and there-
fore not Jesus, and also I was not suffering as Jesus had. Imbedded in his words, I believe, was also a remembrance Jesus had His Sunday morning, and for us this thing too shall pass. But may all the great things Mitch taught us never pass and his memory down here will not pass. Sam Wyckoff is a former coworker of Sneed.
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
JULY 7, 2018
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
In 2014, Mitch Sneed heads to a fire in Alexander City in his 1979 Mercedes Benz. Although it was usually in his white Ford F-150, Sneed was always hopping in the car when news came calling in the community.
Mitch was an example for other papers short on the needed resources didn’t know Mitch to do the job they’d really extremely well. We like to do, tend to go under served together on appreciated. the Alabama Press The news was tragic, but Association, which maybe in death, he’ll get a doesn’t meet often enough fraction of the appreciation to build deep relationhe should have received in ships. And, of course, everyANTHONY life.Applause to the staff of one is busy with producCOOK The Alex City Outlook for ing the next paper. marking this moment with a But I do know Mitch to special edition. Yours was a be completely approachable as a person and fully committed fine editor, journalist, newspaperman who will be greatly missed. as a journalist. When The Alexander City Outlook Anthony Cook is executive edireceived national recognition from tor, consolidating publishing of The Editor & Publisher as one of 10 Daily Home, Anniston Star, St. Clair small newspapers taking innovative Times, Cleburne News, Jacksonvilleapproaches to digital journalism, I Piedmont News Journal and Lakeside forwarded the link to my staff as an Living magazine and vice president example of what’s possible for us. of the APA Journalism Foundation Editors like Mitch, who ply their Board. trade at small newspapers, always
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Boone Newspapers: Mitch ‘served more than well’ The Boone Newspapers’ family mourns the loss of Mitch Sneed as we pray for all those close to him. Mitch invested himself in a career dedicated to serving people. Whether a reader, fellow staff member, a newsmaker or a friend, all who knew Mitch knew they could look to him as an example of a dedicated journalist and a good man. He served more than well at Alexander City, Dadeville, Eclectic, Wetumpka and Tallassee — serving the people in Tallapoosa Publishers’ orbit. Mitch will be missed here and in communities of his past service. All of us, his readers and his fellow newspaper staff members, will remember his friendship and understanding of others, his many
past accomplishments. And we will feel his absence in the important public dialogue and discourse he so ably guided as a newspaper editor. His memory will inspire all of us. Old printers and some young ones recall the -30- that in newspapers signifies the end of a story. That, however, does not fit for Mitch, as his dedication and talent will live on in the people he inspired and taught, in Alabama, at Boone Newspapers and elsewhere in newspapering. Todd Carpenter President and CEO Boone Newspapers, Inc. Jim Boone Chairman of the Board
JULY 7, 2018
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Mitch was dedicated to professionalism Maybe it was somewhat ironic — or perhaps even bizarre — but upon hearing of the death of Mitch Sneed, the first personal recollection about my relationship with him was about the time when Kelly Hansen, lead singer of Foreigner, stepped on Mitch’s foot. Really. I’d been retired from Tallapoosa Publishers for just over a year but was staying active, writing-wise. I was deep into an extensive writing project that focused on Atlanta, Mitch’s hometown. He’d contributed a lot of detailed memories and observations from the ’70s, and many of his reminiscences did indeed end up in the final version of the tome. In appreciation for his input, I had invited him to meet me at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center to attend a Foreigner concert. I had to interview the band’s bassist earlier that afternoon but had also scored a couple of tickets and a photo pass, so I figured one of my erstwhile bosses might enjoy the show. And the veteran band proffered a dynamic presentation for the mostlyBaby Boomer attendees. Every
with Mitch Sneed as a supergeneration wants to hear visor, he epitomized those the music with which it qualities. It’s always gratifycame of age for the rest ing to have a superior who, of its collective life, and upon arriving at a new work Foreigner exploits their environment, puts out a lot of part in that particular phetime and effort to learn about nomenon in an entertaining the employees he/she will be manner. overseeing as well as getting I was out of my seat WILLIE involved in the local comtaking photos when Kelly MOSELEY munity and area. Mitch did Hansen went charging exactly that when he arrived into the audience with a in central Alabama. remote microphone, doing Mitch went to work for TPI at a an admirable job of whipping up the time when that company’s acquienthusiasm of concertgoers. He hapsition of Elmore County’s Price pened to cross from one side of the Publications was settling into a sense auditorium to the other via the row of permanency. As an employee who where our seats were, stepping on wrote primarily for The Tallassee Mitch’s hoof during the transition. Tribune (which had six different But Mitch wasn’t complaining — publishers in less than seven years), he told me afterwards he thought the show had been a professional gig, and I appreciated his concentration and commitment to helping each periodihe had enjoyed the diversion. cal live up to its particular potential. Call me an idealist, but I’m an Such an attitude seemed to have a advocate and practitioner of integrity stabilizing effect. and accountability, and in the newsWhenever there was a possible paper business — or in any job, for conflict about coverage for an upcomthat matter — those traits should be ing event or events — area high paramount. They are the very definischool football games come to mind tion of “professionalism.” — Mitch found a way to coordinate And in my experience in working
viable assignments for more than one reporter. Mitch’s commitment to professionalism meant he was firm when necessary (for the right reasons), but he also knew how to motivate folks in the right way. A simple compliment for an assignment well done is one of the best incentives a newspaper employee can receive, and it was appreciated. I had looked forward to attending future concerts with Mitch. I’d told the Missus on Sunday afternoon — before I was aware of what had happened Saturday night — I might want to see if he wanted to go to Toto’s show at the MPAC this fall. Mitch was a fan of good music, so I’m sure he would have enjoyed it. Recalling Mitch’s podiatric encounter with the singer of a classic rock band always brings a smile. I also smiled a few minutes ago, when I was writing about Mitch’s positive leadership. Willie G. Moseley is the senior writer for Vintage Guitar Magazine and news editor emeritus for the Tallassee Tribune.
Sneed swept contest, again
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Mitch Sneed is presented with the Alabama Press Association’s 2017 Photo of the Year Award for his photo entitled ‘Brawl at City Hall’ of a fight at an Alexander City City Council Meeting in 2016. Presenting the award is Dee Ann Campbell of The Choctaw Sun. Sneed earned 12 individual APA awards this year which will be presented at the association’s banquet on July 21.
hired and nurtured a collection wo Saturday nights of my former students during from now on July the past decade, protecting 21 my job will them and pushing them to be to read the become better journalists and names of winners even better people. The APA during the Alabama Press doesn’t give awards for manAssociation’s awards banquet agement skills, but if it did in Gulf Shores. he’d have needed another wall The harder job will be to CHRIS for those plaques. remain composed the 10-plus I will miss him. There’s a times I will call Mitch Sneed’s ROBERTS saying that says journalists name. hang around lots of interesting It was a typical year for people — and most of them are felMitch in the APA’s Better Newspaper low journalists. It was true with Mitch, Contest. He swept all three places for whose good humor and gift of gab best feature story. He won first place made sweeter our too-few lunches and for best column/commentary. He won conversations. second place for best spot news story, And around town and on these pages, best humor column, best feature photo you will miss him. Community journaland best headline. He won two third ists must be good at many tasks, and place awards for best human interest column. And the list doesn’t include 20 Mitch was better than that. This year’s awards – for writing news, headlines, categories whose winners are revealed humor and general columns, plus phoat the banquet, or the scores he won tography – remind us one last time how working for The Outlook and its sister excellent he was at so many things. papers. Here’s hoping your part of Alabama Journalists around Alabama will finds someone anywhere close as good miss him. Tuscaloosa News Publisher at finding and telling the stories he Jim Rainey was typical, tweeting this loved to tell you about your community. week the “world lost one of its greatest community journalists that ever lived.” Dr. Chris Roberts is an associThey all know a professional when they ate professor of journalism at the see one. University of Alabama. He can be Journalism schools — not just reached at croberts@ua.edu Alabama — will miss him. He has
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JULY 7, 2018
MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Sneed set the bar high
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itch Sneed once wondered how Georgia football radio legend Larry Munson would have sounded calling a space shuttle launch. “Ten … nine … solid rocket boosters in formation, split wide to the left and right … eight … seven … six … external fuel tank colored in orange … putrid Tennessee orange JOE … five … four … three … ignition … smoke MCADORY … two … one … liftoff … we’ve got liftoff … she’s plowing into the sky like Garrison Hearst … God Almighty, would you look at her go!” That was Mitch: living life, loving life and finding fun in just about anything. Mitch joined Opelika-Auburn News, where I was sports editor, as its editor in the winter of 2003. I could tell right away the man loved sports. He immediately asked if he could be part of our Friday night high school football coverage team. Lord, yes, we used him. He was friends with Vince Dooley, was the successful coach of a girls travel fast pitch softball team and even had “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes on speed dial. If Dusty asked Mitch to be his tag-team partner in a match against Kevin Sullivan and the One Man Gang, Mitch would have replied, “Where and when?” Not one to show anybody up by purchasing a nice, new vehicle for himself, Mitch once spent a couple hundred dollars on an old Chevrolet. Might have been a Caprice. Might have been an Impala. Regardless, that thing was a tank that didn’t even have a paint job. Instead it was adorned with primer. We called it “The Grey Ghost.” He loved it, and it got Mitch wherever he needed to be. Talladega Superspeedway’s press box intercom let sports writers know the county would soon be placed under a tornado warning about an hour after its Winston Cup race in the spring of 2003. Finished with our stories, we wasted no time getting out of dodge … except our ride was parked in the infield — across the safety fence, wall and race track. Security kindly left a crossing gate open at the start/finish line, but forgot to leave stairs necessary to cross the wall. Did Mitch scale that concrete wall? Oh yes, he did. With Youngstown (Ohio) Vindicator staffers on strike, Mitch came to eastern Ohio in the winter of 2004 to help management put the paper on the streets each morning. Crossing a picket line
outside the building one morning, a staffer on strike mocked Mitch, asking “Who’s job are you doing?” Mitch laughed … then retorted, “Yours.” Before he was editor of The Alexander City Outlook, Mitch rode with me into the heart of Alexander City back in 2005 to uncover the backstory of Terrell Owens’ childhood and his father. Not only did we find Owens’ father, L.C. Russell, but the nice man invited us into his home and shared his story. Ever the bulldog reporter, Mitch asked pertinent, bold questions while I wrote the story. That’s teamwork. Any young reporter who worked with Mitch became better. He inspired and led by example. Mitch could cover a high school football game and gas station robbery at the same time, come back with photos, make deadline and laugh about his simple Friday night. He was relentless and bold. He held the powerful accountable, making elected officials uncomfortable from time to time. Good — if the media doesn’t challenge authority, then who will? Mitch woke up every morning smelling a news story like most grown men smell bacon on the stove, fueled with the desire to chase a story, any story — a news hound in every sense of the meaning. Mitch Sneed set the bar for community journalism in Alabama. I will miss you, my friend. Joe McAdory is a communications editor at Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business.
City improvements influenced by Sneed’s determination yet, let there be no doubt, the improveHow much can change in four ments we have made to date have been years? With Mitch Sneed as the greatly influenced by his determination editor of your local newspaper, to insure the city’s actions were carried the answer is, “more than you can out correctly and for the right reasons. imagine.” When Mitch arrived It is my intention that the city continin Alexander City, the headlines ues to improve in this manner even in and stories he wrote showed the Mitch’s absence. city in an embarrassing light. At Mitch was an inspiration to me and the time, it seemed as though he MAYOR JIM I am sure to many others for his noble reveled in making the city look as NABORS example that sometimes you can and bad as possible. It was only after must start over. Just because mistakes I became mayor that I realized have been made, that is no reason to Mitch was not seeking to negagive up. Thank you Mitch for the inspiration tively influence his reader’s perception of the to improve when mistakes have been made, city, he was only shining a much needed light the encouragement to proceed in the proper into areas in great need of improvement. manner when shortcuts would be easier and Since taking office, our conversations and interactions proved without a doubt that Mitch the appreciation of what Alexander City can be when we all work together. only had the city’s best interests at heart and was pushing for improvements that would James D. Nabors lead Alexander City to achieving the goal of Mayor of Alexander City being all it can be. While we are not there
Family and city lost a champion
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met Mitch when I started the journey to become a city council member in 2015. In that short time, he became my friend. He was a funny but serious guy who always had a sly look on his face. I came to learn his sly look was him accessing what was happening around him and cataloging it in his mind so he could put it on paper later. Campaigning, I was everywhere and Mitch was always wherever I was. He was my stalker. Every time I saw him he was smiling and happy. I knew no matter what I would make the Outlook with my mouth wide open. I could call him about any procedure in city government and he knew the answer. I will miss seeing him at city council meetings — I’ll even miss him stalking me. Most of all, I will miss seeing his smiling face. My prayers are with his family and our city because we lost a champion! Buffy Colvin is an Alexander City City Council member for District 2.
JULY 7, 2018
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Sen. Jones: Mitch leaves a legacy I have to say, we were I was shocked and sadall very sad to learn of dened to learn of Mitch’s Mitch’s passing. Though untimely passing Sunday Sam (Coleman, another night. Those who had member of Jones’ staff) the pleasure to know him and I had never met him in will remember a man of person, he was at the top of integrity, character, and a our list of reporters to meet passion for good journalon a future trip to Alabama. ism. My prayers are with DOUG He seemed like a very kind his family, friends, and the JONES and fair man. I can’t imagentire Outlook team. Mitch ine how hard this must be will leave a legacy of three hitting the newsroom and decades of excellence and the community. We’ll miss him on commitment to informing and eduour weekly calls, too. He was one of cating the communities he worked our “regulars” from the start and the in, and will be sorely missed by Senator truly enjoyed talking with anyone who had the opportunity to read the papers he dedicated his long Mitch and the other reporters each week. career to. Doug Jones is United States Senator for Alabama.
Healther Fluit is Jones’ communications director.
Mitch found beauty in things others wouldn’t I have never met a person more completely satisfied than Mitch Sneed. He had truly arrived in his “happy place.” He loved the Lake Martin Community, his job, his home and, most of all, his family. All of this came out in his wonderful editorials we all will miss terribly. Mitch was always willing to support any worthwhile volunteer initiatives presented and most of the time he personally was on the scene shooting pictures and interviewing participants. The one incident that will stick with me forever was during the 2017 Renew our Rivers Lake Martin clean up. The last boat was coming in loaded down with bags of trash, old beaded Styrofoam and a red canoe that was totally trashed. To Mitch this canoe represented a work of art and was a treasured find that he had to have. After getting great shots of all the
trash and completing the interviews, we carefully loaded the beat-up boat on the top of his truck and he headed home. He later wrote a great editorial describing the incident and the accident that occurred when he unloaded the boat. To most people this would have been enough to throw up their hands and dump the piece of trash but not Mitch, he envisioned Santa Claus sitting in this beautiful treasure with a paddle in his hand on his front lawn during the Christmas season and despite all the pain and suffering resulting from the accident he made it happen. I loved the man for all of his good qualities and particularly for seeing value and beauty when others could see only a piece of trash. We will miss you my friend! John Thompson is president of the Lake Martin Resource Association.
Mitch Sneed said due to his passion, he’d work for no pay How does one explain the tragic death of such a person? A compassionate man who loved his job and often said he’d work for no pay because it’s what he loved to do. And do it well! He and I joked, if The Outlook subscriptions were down, maybe Woody Baird and I could write something to stir things up. And I suspect it worked.
I will remember times when Mitch would suggest I write something for The Outlook, then offer a concise view in his editorial section. Always professional. Alexander City and Outlook readers will miss you, Mitch. God speed! Dick Bronson is the founder of Lake Watch.
Group to host fishing tourney in memory of Mitch Sneed By LIZI ARBOGAST Sports Editor
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utlook editor Mitch Sneed loved fishing. Whenever he had a rare day off from newspapering, he would hit Lake Martin in his pontoon boat or he would plan a trip to go noodling for catfish with John McKelvey. So when some of Sneed’s closest friends learned of his passing, it seemed obvious to host a fishing tournament in his honor. Josh Lackey, who has been neighbors with Sneed since he and his wife Cyndi Sneed moved in four years ago, is organizing a fishing tournament this weekend in hopes of raising money for Cyndi. “We have a group of guys that are all really close and we’re always looking to help somebody,” Lackey said. “What a better way to do it for Mitch than something that everyone can enjoy and we can also help raise some money. We plan to give it Cyndi or she can donate it to a cause, what-
ever she would like.” The fishing tournament will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 7 out of D.A.R.E. Park in Jacksons Gap and will end at midnight. “There’s a bunch of guys like to fish daytime and some that like to fish at night,” Lackey said. “We wanted to give them a little bit of both so that way more people would come.” The cost is $100 per boat with $20 of that going to the Big Fish pot. The winner of the tournament will receive half the funds, while Cyndi will be given the other half. Lackey is hopeful the potential winner may decide to donate all the money, but a trophy will be given to the victor either way. “I think we’ll get a good response,” Lackey said. “Facebook has kind of exploded about this; a lot of folks are sharing and calling me up. I hope a lot of people are going to come out. It’s just a way to honor Mitch. We didn’t do a whole lot of fishing together, but we became good friends right off the bat. They are just real laid back and great people.”
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
JULY 7, 2018
Learning to trust your gut
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itch Sneed was the heart of the newsroom. He’s been the pulse of every news team that’s had the privilege to have him on it. Exemplifying journalism down to its very core, he was everything a journalist should be and more. He wasn’t afraid. This job takes guts. And the man had them. He went the extra mile. He wouldn’t stand for something that wasn’t fair. He carried out The Outlook’s mission of “reporting the news honestly, fairly and with integrity.” The man listened to the police scanner all day and whether it be, “Caller advised someone stole their meat while cooking out in their driveway” or shots fired or a house fire at the corner of so-and-so, he grabbed his keys and got in his truck. He went to everything. He was there for anybody who needed him. That’s not to say he was just on top of his reporting — I’m saying he was literally there for anybody, for anything. Our sports editor Lizi had a bird in her house last week. Who’d she call? You guessed it. I managed to trap myself and my dog outside my house last year. My door was unlocked, but my kitchen drawer was halfway open, and it somehow hinged the door stuck leaving me stranded outside with no keys and no phone. Did I mention I was in my pajamas? Long story short, who came to my rescue? You’ve got it. Bossman. I backed my Volkswagen Jetta right into a tree my sophomore year of college and was never able to get the damage repaired. I drove around with my fender half hanging off and blowing in the wind for four years. Duct tape wasn’t the most trusty fix, but hey, it was all I could really do. Mitch walked in one day and handed me the duct tape that had been holding my fender halfway together for so long. “Gotcha a present,” he said. “What?!” “Your fender’s not falling off anymore.” All he did was screw it back into place, but that small gesture shows what a thoughtful, above-andbeyond kind of man Mitch was. He didn’t have to do
that. I didn’t ask him. But he did it anyway. He made me feel proud of my work. Since last May, I’ve been design editor at Tallapoosa Publishers. I met Mitch at a big turning point in my life. It was February 2017 and I was set to SANTANA be married that July. One night I got home and my husband-to-be WOOD broke up with me. That was it. Out of the blue. The next morning I was scheduled to attend an Alabama Press Association journalism conference. I had to wake up at 5 a.m. to travel and Lord knows I’d had a rough night. I wanted to skip it. But my gut told me, “You have to go. This could be really important for your career.” And so I trusted my gut, and it changed my life. I walked in to the meet-and-greet breakfast, and the only seat open was next to Mitch and my now publisher Steve Baker. I sat down next to Mitch. He eyed my Troy University folder, which contained my résumé. He asked all about me and I told him I’d just finished up an internship working as a design editor for my hometown newspaper. He told me it was such a coincidence we met because Tallapoosa Publishers was set to have a design editor position opening in May — the date of my graduation. What a coincidence, indeed. “Are you tied down to staying in Troy?” he said. “No, not a bit,” I happily replied, knowing if the previous night hadn’t happened the way it did, I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question the same way. “I’d like you to come see Lake Martin and our office someday soon — I think you’ll like it,” he said. I survived that conference on two things: ample amounts of coffee and the high Mitch Sneed gave me, practically offering me my dream job on what I thought would be a terrible day. Had I not mustered the strength to attend that conference, I wouldn’t have met Mitch and I wouldn’t be where I am today. It was much more than coinci-
dence. A couple months passed and there it was, an email from Mitch asking to set up an interview. I obliged and made the trip to see this “Lake Martin community” he raved about. After a great interview and lunch at Buck’s with “the best coleslaw in town,” Mitch had me convinced TPI was my home. I’d had one other interview and job offer with twice the salary of what TPI offered me, but I trusted my gut and accepted TPI as my home. Mitch made it a point to encourage me, guide me, give me advice and criticism, too. Over the last year I’ve improved in my work and Mitch is who I owe for that. “Girl, you’ve got the best gut instincts out of anyone I know. But you’ve gotta trust them!” He just told me that a few weeks ago when I’d been designing a front page I wasn’t satisfied with. Sometimes I can’t get it how I want it. I’ll redo it a million times. That day I was on probably Redo No. 12 when Mitch came to look over my shoulder. I told him I was unhappy with it. He suggested something and I said, “Would you believe that’s what I had the first time I laid out this page?” I had exactly what he suggested but I didn’t stick to it. I’m learning to trust my gut. I’ll think of Mitch anytime I even think of going against my instincts. He taught me 10 times what I learned in school. He recently told me I was at a point of “really thriving” in my job. I hope he knew how much I credit him for that. He pushed limits. He tested boundaries. Sometimes he’d go just to the border of crossing the line. But it was the perfect amount. He was fair. He was passionate. He loved this job. I’m convinced there won’t be anybody in the next couple centuries as dedicated and passionate as that man was in his job. There’s not another Mitch Sneed. It’s not a cliché’, it’s true: He was one of a kind. Santana Wood is the design editor at Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
Mitch’s character extended far beyond the newsroom I first met Mitch in March of 2017. At the time, I was freelancing for a small weekly paper back home in DeKalb County, sending out multiple copies of my resume each week to newspapers across the Southeast and around the country to try and get on full-time at a larger publication. I stumbled DONALD across the listing for a staff writer CAMPBELL here at The Outlook late one Sunday night on a journalism job website and sent my information off. As fate would have it, Mitch responded back Monday morning, telling me he liked what he saw and wanted to speak with me further. After some planning and a couple of phone interviews, I made the drive down here for an official in-person interview. He was as nice as he could be that day, showing me around town, explaining in detail everything he was show-
ing me from downtown to Wind Creek State Park, even taking me to lunch at Who’s Diner. I knew right then, should I be offered the job, working for him was going to be a pleasure. And it was. He showed me an effective way to keep stats and a play-by-play during football season, which helped me become better and more efficient when covering games last year. If I had an idea for something, he was always willing to listen, no matter how stupid I felt my idea was. If I was having trouble coming up with story ideas, he always had something I could try to pursue but never berated me for not being full of my own suggestions. Sure, there were times he had to correct me and show me the proper way to do what I had to do (especially with learning to take good, quality photos), but it was all about helping me grow and become a better journalist along the way. However, his good nature and willingness to work with me extended beyond the newsroom. Last July, I had to head to the emergency room one
Tuesday morning for a severe pain that turned out to be kidney stones. In between the various scans, tests and IV fluids being pumped into my system, Mitch came to my hospital bedside twice that day to check on me and make sure I was holding up just fine. There have been a few instances where I had to cover a 7 a.m. meeting of the Alexander City Board of Education, and when I returned to the office on many of those occasions, he happily shared with me the second sausage, egg and cheese biscuit he bought at Hardee’s that morning, just to make sure I had plenty to eat that day. Overall, Mitch gave me my first big break in this industry, and for that, I am eternally in his debt. At the risk of saying this and sounding full of myself in doing so, my hope is I can do my job every day and live up to the faith and trust he put in me in the process. I love you Mitch, and I hope I can do you proud. Donald Campbell is a staff writer for The Outlook.
JULY 7, 2018
13
MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Sports editor Lizi Arbogast, staff writer Donald Campbell and design editor Santana Wood huddle around their ‘fearless leader’ Mitch Sneed in a budget meeting earlier this year.
Mitch Sneed was our fearless leader
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n today’s world where politics rule conversation and being on different sides of a debate can ruin the best of friendships, it’s easy to think disagreement is a bad thing. I sat up for several hours Sunday night after hearing the LIZI news of the passing of Mitch ARBOGAST Sneed — our beloved editor Mitch Sneed — and I went through about 50 stages of grief. I cried a lot; I laughed even more; I got angry from time to time; I thought about Mitch and his wife and daughters. And I was guilty. I felt guilty because, like many in this community, Mitch and I sometimes disagreed. He was my boss after all. We didn’t always see eye to eye and we butted heads on more than one occasion. But I realized something while talking to my dad Monday morning after a fitful night of unrest. Mitch pushed me and nagged me and was hard on me because he believed in me. Mitch wanted me to be a better journalist and a better editor, and he knew I could be so he wasn’t going to take it easy
on me. What I saw as his pestering and scolding was actually how I now know Mitch cared. And even though Mitch and I didn’t always agree, we always respected each other. The fact we could have an honest disagreement but still work to accomplish the same goals shows just how much we respected each other. We could fiercely debate and push each other’s buttons, but the minute a bird flew into my house or his dog Sadie got lost in a storm, we were there to help each other. We never let a disagreement ruin our relationship because of that mutual respect. Over the last 24 hours, the Outlook family has received nothing but an outpouring of love, support and comfort. From Bro. Wayne Cowhick coming to lead us in prayer Monday morning to my family sending a bouquet of flowers to the entire Outlook staff to hundreds upon hundreds of Facebook comments, emails and messages remembering Mitch, we’ve all been reminded what a beloved figure he was in our community. (By the way, he hated when I used the word “beloved.”) We’ve also been reminded some clichés are entirely true. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. No one could have expected Mitch Sneed, the bull-headed, fire-in-his-belly, go-get-’em Mitch
Sneed, would be gone today. Mitch was a fighter, and everyone thought he could battle back from this too. But tomorrow is not guaranteed. Today, I urge you to tell the people you love that you love them. Hug your kids and your pets and your parents. Be kind to yourself because this entire community is aching. Life is too short for some, but life is so good for many. Mitch embodied that. The first time I interviewed for this job, Mitch told me he would be the editor of The Outlook until the day he retired or the day he died, and he lived up to that promise. Mitch loved being your editor; he loved bringing you news; and he loved this town. (But he did have a deep loathing for semicolons.) As soon as I heard of Mitch’s passing, I knew we’d still have to put this paper out, no matter how much it hurt, because that’s what Mitch would’ve wanted us to do. We lost our fearless leader. We lost our good friend. But don’t worry too much. Even though he’s now looking down on us instead of walking beside us, Mitch Sneed still “be everywhere.” Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor of The Outlook.
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
JULY 7, 2018
No more phone calls, but I can bow my head
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n Mitch Sneed’s last day at The Outlook ̾ I lost my job. In fact as he was walking out the door on that Friday afternoon, he fired his entire staff. “If y’all don’t walk out the door before advertising today, CLIFF you’re all fired,” he said. WILLIAMS It was all a joke on a rare afternoon where we finished the paper earlier than normal and left Lizi, Santana, Donald and myself laughing. But that is who he was, always creating smiles on others in any situation. Little did I know, that would be the last time we would talk to my brother from another mother and father. On paper, Mitch Sneed was my boss, but in my heart, he was family ̾ he was my brother, he was a second father, a grandfather and role model. He was the journalist I dream of being. He knew how to mix work, family and life. There was no separation. It was all one. Mitch had lunch with his wife Cyndi almost everyday. Often he would come back with notes on napkins that only he could translate. I don’t know that he ever completed a meal while it was hot or how he finished any task, as his phone was constantly ringing, people dropping by to speak with him or me popping into his office multiple times a day. But he did it and did it well. Just take a look at the awards he has won. Take a look at the outpouring of emotions since his passing. He touched everyone he came into contact with. He loved everyone and saw the potential in almost everyone he met. Mitch had the gift of gab. He never met a stranger.
Mitch was a winner Mitch Sneed worked as hard at his craft as anyone I have been around. His personality was best described by mirroring the Georgia Bulldog on his desk. Tenacious, compassionate, hard working and a winner! Mitch was tenacious, STEVE at times that leash would BAKER become pretty darn tight when locked on a contentious issue or pushing an employee to do better. Compassionate: I saw his compassion many times working with reporters and sources. Life experiences played a big part in his ability to empathize. No one on our staff outworked Mitch — he lived, ate and breathed the life of a journalist. Mitch left us as a winner. A winner by living a life well lived. He had plenty of ups and downs but he was riding high on that cycle of life. He loved his wife, daughters and his TPI family. Can a man ask for anything more? I will miss you Mitch … it was an amazing couple of years. Steve Baker is the president and publisher of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
When he did, he walked away with at least three story ideas, a phone number and an invite to go fishing or have lunch. He saw potential in Alexander City and pushed leaders to see it as well, all while making sure they maintained transparency in the process. ‘No’ was not in his vocabulary. As a boss, he demanded hustle and communication. Everything else would fall into place. He was always leading the charge never asking you to do something he hadn’t already done or was not willing to do himself. He was not perfect but was the perfect role model both as a journalist and family man. He loved everyone. If he ever hated, it was only for a moment, if that. Vacation, pfff what is that? He would go on ‘vacation’ three states away and still manage to write two stories a day, point his staff to numerous other stories and take a look at completed pages before they went to press. Many of my days with Mitch started before I ever placed my feet on the floor after a night’s sleep. I would find on my phone that Mitch had sent an email or text to me after he arrived in the office ̾ often by 6 a.m. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came in,” he would say. We would leave the office after darkness had fallen. I thought Mitch had at least three clones to complete all that he did. Saturday proved that theory wrong. They were all part of my repetitive life with Mitch. Many mornings, I would call him to see what needed to be done before I got to the office. Phone calls with him often would start with me saying “Hey Mitch. It’s Cliff.” Sometimes he would be quicker on the draw, “Hey Cliff. It’s Mitch,” he would quip while beating me to
the punch. In the last week, there have been no emails, no texts and no phone calls. Just proves it was one man doing it all. Now my routine is all out of order. I lost my boss, though quarterback is a better description. He is better than Dan Marino, Cam Newton and Tom Brady. I have worked with Mitch the better part of two decades across two states and several newspapers. If you ever thought you were working for Mitch, your days were numbered. You worked with Mitch. I lost a fishing buddy – not that we ever caught many fish to amount to anything. It was the conversation and time that mattered. I lost a great friend and confidant. I am all of out of whack. Maybe being the team captain in Alexander City was not enough. I would like to think maybe God needed help with issues at the supper table and called his name. Maybe the angels need a lesson in open government. Maybe God needs his help to teach some journalists how to do their jobs being hard but fair with coverage. I don’t know, but I know I miss my friend. I hope to find a routine again but it will be different. Maybe one day, I can get Mitch on the other side of a phone call. Until then, I know I can talk to Mitch anytime I want now. The conversation will no longer be over the phone, text or in person. I will just bow my head and cry out, “Hey Mitch. It’s Cliff.” And like always, he will respond, “What’s up dude.” Cliff Williams is a staff writer at The Outlook. He has worked with Sneed since 2002 in Alabama and Georgia.
Mitch connected with community ing everything it has to offer, I don’t know Connected is a word that has what is. Mitch was a local man at heart and been repeated over and over again we’re all suffering from the loss of such an since Sunday. Being a “bulldog,” incredible part of this community. Mitch obviously wasn’t a local, but It’s hard to imagine a day in the life my guess is you’d have a hard time of Tallapoosa Publishers without Mitch. finding someone who believed that. Although he leaves behind a superior staff, Mitch connected with our comthe void they face without their leader is munity from Day 1. I’ve never met tremendous. For the rest of us, I have persomeone who had such passion for TIPPY sonally been saved by Mitch and his wealth a town he’d just met. Mitch conHUNTER of knowledge more times than I can count. nected the people in our community I can guarantee I’m only one of many! I with each other and he connected miss him terribly and can’t seem to stop our community with people who’ve saying, “Let’s ask Mitch first.” moved away or never lived here to begin with. I pray for his family. This is tough under more Sometimes he connected the dots when things predictable circumstances, but when someone weren’t pretty but as we all know, you have to is larger than life, it seems to make it a touch talk about the bad to get to the good. Our comharder. Life is short. Mitch lived his to the fullest munity is better off today for Mitch and those connections. He connected us with Rich, and I’m and I am thankful he accepted the position with TPI many years ago and showed us all how to certain we’re all better off for knowing that side have passion, integrity, humor and, above all, to of our friend. Mitch connected people in need have fun and love everyone! I like to think Mitch (of just about anything), either through advice even loved some of us Auburn people, in spite of or resources because, let’s face it, Mitch had being a dawg! more resources in his head and his toolbox than Foy Union. He even connected with the throat Tippy Hunter is advertising director at of a few fish by way of his arm. If that’s not Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. being connected to a community and embrac-
JULY 7, 2018
15
MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
If I could just have one more day...
If I could just have one more time to tell and show you one more thing, hear you yell, “Come look at this photo, I am a genius,” to see the excitement on your face when you scoop a story, to eat your macaroni and cheese, to see the pride on your face when you spoke about your family, for you to tell one of your funny stories — with you laughing harder than any of us, to see you champion for the underdog, to see the love on your face for your dog Sadie, and for always helping me find my boy Jack one more time, for pulling me out of my own front yard, and not saying I told you so, for always having time for one more person no matter how packed your day had become. For seeing the love you had for this community, for showing me one more photo of the sunset from Hillabee Bridge, for sharing your tomatoes that Stick had brought you, for giving and giving and giving to everyone that passed through your life, for being the only man I know who will keep noodling while a copperhead looks on, you driving your convertible, being so excited about a hometown parade, Jazz Fest, Friday night football, city council meetings, Sonny’s hotdogs and free food in the break room. For making every one of us better than we thought possible and being our biggest cheerleader. Just one more time to hear you say, “Look what I built,” or, “Eat some of these,” (circus peanuts and Whoopers). Oh, the list could go on and on ... Just one more time to see your grin and let all of us tell you how much we loved you.
—Linda Ewing, circulation at TPI
He always had his finger on the pulse of what was going on in Tallapoosa County. I would go in his office every Monday morning and he would fill me in on everything that happened around the area over the past weekend. I have been working at the Outlook for more than 26 years and we have had some good editors, but Mitch was the best that I have been in contact with and worked with. He will be missed not only by Tallapoosa Publishers but the entire area.
—Doug Patterson, newspaper advertising at TPI
A limb has fallen from our Alexander City Outlook family tree that says grieve not for me, remember the best times, the laughter, the good life I lived while I was strong. We are left with such a void, an emptiness that’s in our hearts as well as the heart of this community. Words cannot suffice to express the heartfelt sorrow we feel for the passing of our colleague and friend Mitch Sneed — a true newspaperman devoted to his craft who never stopped working. He grabbed life by the horns and fought to better this community and this paper and he did just that. You really don’t know what you’ve got until its gone. Alexander City and The Outlook will never be the same. We would like to offer his wife and family our deepest and most sincere condolences.
—Audra Spears, Darlene Johnson, Shelley McNeal and former employee Hallie Waters, TPI composing department
Mitch was one of a kind and even managed to teach me a few things. He was definitely good at his job, but his real strong suit was generosity. I already miss our early morning discussions, and I regret we never got to do a stand-up together.
— Angela Mullins, business manager at TPI
Mitch was tough, a survivor
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gone how much of an honor it was to alking into the office have him as part of my life. When I first Monday morning, the came to work at TPI, my thoughts on atmosphere was somber. Mitch were ambivalent. He was tough, It was a difficult day but in so many different ways. filled with tears, shock, memories and That toughness translated into an the realization all of our lives have just award-winning journalist who has entered a tailspin of change. inspired me to stand up and follow my What Mitch Sneed would want in instincts. Mitch did what he thought was that moment and what he would do is AMY right, and he did it with gusto. I eagerly to be tough. Get the job done. At TPI, PASSARETTI absorbed that contagious determination, the best we can do is honor his wishes being green to the journalism world. to continue bringing the community he Not everyone’s going to like the tough loved so much the most honest news decisions made but they sure will respect them. we can. Over the last few days I’ve found myself That first day was particularly tough for me. analyzing our relationship. Moving to this town Later in the day, I found out my first niece was and being a part of TPI has changed my life for being born – an event I have been over the moon the better. I was welcomed with open arms and about in anticipation for nine months. shown kindness in so many ways. How do you feel so much sadness and so On the outside you would never know it, but much happiness at the same time? Mitch and I were a lot alike – a little hard-headed A good friend of mine said, “You know, I bet and stubborn but genuine to the core. Mitch told the big man upstairs you were anxWe fought some of the same personal demons, iously awaiting her arrival.” and he motivated me to search for the fighter That day will always be remembered as a rollinside me to overcome those struggles. He ercoaster of emotions. offered me kindness and direction and did so So Mitch, if you had any part in that and were without judgment and with confidentiality. You sending me a sign there is often beauty in tragedy, then thank you. Aunt Amy gained a new out- never know what you’re about to lose until you do. look (no pun intended) on being tough that day I always considered myself a survivor. But seeand gave me a strong appreciation for life. I am a fierce believer everyone we meet enters ing what Mitch Sneed had overcome has given me a deeper appreciation for the word. our lives for a reason. We may not know it at the Mitch, I can only hope to live up to be half the time, and unfortunately sometimes we’re enlightethical journalist, compassionate soul and persisened too late. We often take for granted the tent fighter you were. people we see every day. Mitch met so many people throughout his lifeAmy Passaretti is the editor for Elmore County time, and the outpouring of love received from Living magazine and assistant editor for Lake this community alone shook me. magazine and Lake Martin Living. I personally didn’t realize until after he was
Mitch was a boss who wanted everyone to improve I met Mitch three years ago this month when I interviewed for a position with TPI. He changed my life forever. He taught me so much and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to call him my boss. He was a great leader — the best. When I met Mitch, it felt like I had known him my entire life. That was Mitch. He never met a stranger and always had a smile. That day during the interview he asked me, “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” I thought about for about .02 seconds and responded, “Yes.” Armed with only a college degree and no real world experience, somehow Mitch knew I was ready to take on the challenge. Despite bombing a timed grammatical quiz, Mitch offered me the position and I took it with pride. From the day I met him, Mitch had only encouraging things to say to me. Even when I deserved harsh criticism he knew how to deliver it kindness. I am so honored to have worked for one of the greatest men in the newspaper industry. I owe a lot to Mitch Sneed and I will do my best to always make him proud.
—Carmen Rodgers, staff writer for the Tallassee Tribune
I only knew Mitch for a short time, maybe six or seven years, but I could tell right away he was going to be someone I could work with. I remember our first conversation: “How old is this press?” He asked. I told him, “It’s ‘60s and ‘70s.” To which he replied, “Wow, that old huh?!” Mitch, being the gear head he was, asked, “Can we make our color picture look better? I’m not saying they are bad, but can we improve?” That’s what I wanted to hear from a new editor. Starting the same year we won best press work two years in a row! Mitch inspired me with the same passion for the look of our printing as I have. “Let’s make it pop!” He said, “And let’s make it the best newspaper we can.” I could always call on Mitch to be there for any problems with copy or an ad that was bad. He would say, “I’ll be there in 5 and see if we can fix it.” Most the time he was able to fix the problem. It didn’t matter if it was 3 in the morning, Mitch would answer my call. Mitch touched the hearts of many people in his short life here. He will always be remembered for his kindness and can-do attitude. We are going to miss you, my brother.
— Lee Champion, TPI production manager
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JULY 7, 2018
MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Mitch’s kindness to strangers showed his character
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ne day a woman came into the TPI office and stood at the door. The receptionist had gone to lunch, so Mitch Sneed got up from his desk, leaving what could only have been some breaking, hard news story; he ambled up to the counter and asked if he could help her. Tenuously holding back her tears, the woman explained her husband had died and she wanted to place an obituary in the next day’s newspaper. Mitch told her the newspaper only accepts obituaries from funeral homes providing services. The woman, losing a bit of her already-thin composure, said she had
I need to tell people to come to been told that but she his services.” wanted to place the notice Embarrassed but overcome directly. with her grief and helplessness, Mitch explained the polithe woman stood there, just cy was in place to verify the inside the door, and cried. death and the relationships Without a breath or a word of the survivors. The newsor even the slightest hesitation, paper had gotten caught Mitch walked back to his desk up in a family feud once BETSY and picked up his wallet. He when two survivors had ILER walked around the counter to submitted separate and very the woman, opened his wallet different obituaries. We just and took out two $20 bills. couldn’t accept an obituary He walked around the corner to the that didn’t come from the funeral home, woman and crushed the bills into her he told her gently but firmly. palm. “But they want to charge me $40, “You take this to the funeral home and I don’t have it,” she said as her and use it to pay for the obituary, but resolve crumbled. “Can’t I place it don’t tell them where you got the directly and pay for it in installments?
money. They don’t think much of me, and I don’t want to give them any excuse to like me,” he told her. The woman looked into Mitch’s face in shock and surprise. He started laughing, and her face broke into a smile. They laughed together over his joke for a moment before she hugged him and whispered a heartfelt “Thank you.” Mitch smiled and nodded. As she turned and left the office, he went back to his desk, sat down and picked up where he’d left off on his story, pretending not to cry. I was glad I got to know him, and I’ll miss him very much. Betsy Iler is managing magazine editor for Tallapoosa Publishers.
Sneed always knew how to push the right buttons I had already been turned down for the job once … and I was still a little salty about it. Six months prior to my phone ringing on a weekday evening as I was about to head out to a high school basketball game in Sebring, Florida, I had found out I was the runner-up for the sports editor’s job at Opelika-Auburn News. While I thought I was hands-down the best applicant for the job, I didn’t get it. I took it hard. At 25 years old, I took everything hard. Especially just starting in this business that forces you to grow up in front of everyone – sometimes awkwardly, sometimes embarrassingly, sometimes painfully – where every mistake lives in infamy in print and microfilm on the same page with your phone number and email, standing out like a neon light inviting people to go ahead and let you know all about it, all day, every day. The last time I talked to Mitch Sneed, who at the time was editor of OA News, prior to that phone call, he told me how impressed he and publisher Jim Rainey were with me and how tough the decision was, but, ultimately, the job had been offered to someone else. Mitch told me not to worry because I had a bright future in this business and my time would come. Probably sooner than later. All I heard, however, was, “You’re not ready.” I had been sports editor at Highlands Today in Sebring for about three and a half years up to that point and was ready for the next level and SEC football. I could almost smell the fall Saturday afternoon grass, pork shoulders and bourbon. Or at least I thought I was ready. But Mitch knew better. He always seemed to. I hung up the phone after he hit me with the news and a pep talk, making me feel somewhat better. Mitch always seemed to be able to do that as well: Hit you square in the nose with the truth, sometimes until you taste blood, but then pick you back up with a kind word and a pat on the back (or a swift kick in the rear). Not getting that job lit a fire in me. I dove in even harder to my job at Highlands Today,
Special / The Outlook
Mitch Sneed was awarded 2017 Photo of the Year by the Alabama Press Association in the Better Newspaper Contest for his ‘Brawl at City Hall’ photo.
vowing if the chance at OA – or any other paper for that matter – came up again, I wouldn’t miss it. I would be good enough. I would be ready. Mitch always seemed to know that, too. So when I picked up the phone and heard his voice six months later, Mitch said just two words. “You ready …” It could have been a question, but I took it as a statement. I believe Mitch meant it that way, too. “Yes, sir,” I said. “Then let’s get to work.” The next week, my wife and I were in Opelika looking for a place to live. Two weeks after that, I clocked in for my first day as sports editor of Opelika-Auburn News, working for – no, alongside – Mitch Sneed. See, you never really worked for Mitch. He was just as much a part of the newsroom as the keyboards and burnt coffee. In fact, he was the newsroom. And, damn, he loved it. He worked harder than anyone. Always. He was more blue-collar than a chambray shirt.
He never played the “boss” card. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t afraid to be the boss – ever. But he never threw it in your face. He didn’t have to. You followed Mitch because he was committed and convicted. You followed him because he was out in front, leading. You followed him because, yes, sometimes you just wanted to shut him up. You followed him because sometimes he’d drag you. You followed him because, if you didn’t, you’d never reach your full potential. You followed him because he inspired you to be better. You followed him because he made you better. Mitch always seemed to know how to do that. Mike Szvetitz was sports editor at Opelika-Auburn News from July 2004-July 2014. He is currently the managing editor of Richmond Times-Dispatch.
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Mitch Sneed’s hands made a difference
MainStreet Alexander City’s Bre Smith hangs University of Georgia colored bows around downtown Alexander City in remembrance of Mitch Sneed. Donald Campbell / The Outlook
Mitch is to thank for city’s progression always agree on municipal matters but we mainI had the honor and privilege of knowing tained a relationship that encouraged healthy Mitch in both a professional and personal dialogue. He was one of the first people I sought capacity. Although a transplant, from the advice from when I decided a potential council moment he began his tenure as the Outlook’s run was in my future. His words could be unieditor, he entrenched himself into Alex City versally applied to any situation — “just be honand made it his home. est and fair.” One of the greatest compliments you The thing I will remember the most about could give Mitch was he was a “Newsman’s Mitch was his love for Alexander City. The proNewsman.” Mitch was as talented as they SCOTT gression you see today is based on his firmness come as a journalist and constantly worked for accountability and transparency. He believed to better his craft. During the last year, The HARDY people only performed to the standard you held Outlook received national praise for its sucthem to and that definitely applied to his covercess in the digital world. age of politics. Mitch was the hero Alex City needed but Almost, if not all of its recognition, falls at the feet didn’t deserve. of Mitch’s determination to deliver quality content and It was a reward to have known Mitch and call him a staying ahead of the curve. friend. He will truly be missed. He inspired and pushed me to think outside of the box. That applied both as a coworker and someone who Scott Hardy is a digital sales specialist for TPI. covered me as a city councilman. Mitch and I didn’t
APA: Sneed’s passion evident from moment you met him
T
he APA (Alabama Press Association) family is saddened by the loss of Outlook Editor Mitch Sneed. Upon joining the staff at The Outlook and before when he worked at the Opelika-Auburn News, he quickly became a very active APA member, willing to do anything you asked of him and serve in any capacity. He was a member of the APA Journalism Foundation Board of Directors and rarely missed a meeting and the opportunity to meet and talk with journalism students. He took a sincere interest in the mission of the foundation and its role in promoting journalism throughout Alabama. His passion was evident from the moment you met him. Mitch never said no. When asked to get the Wickles Pickles folks to our Product Showcase, he delivered — along with the biggest jar of pickles I’ve ever seen in my life! At the Summer Convention last year, he presented the report from the Resolutions Committee, a long-
held tradition at APA of a satirical look back on convention events. He introduced a digital portion of the report by beginning with a series of “Separated at Birth” photos, which was hilarious. This past February, he once again answered “yes” when I asked him to moderate a panel discussion at the APA Media Summit. His self-named panel was “Kitchen Sink Fundamentals and the ever-changing landscape.” I don’t know of anyone who could have done a better job than Mitch did that day, touching on so many aspects of our business and inspiring both the new and the seasoned journalists in the room. Mitch will be missed by so many. He touched so many lives, and we are thankful for the time he was a part of our APA family. It was too short. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and his coworkers. Felicia Mason Alabama Press Association
My fondest memory of Mitch Sneed is one of compassion, spirit and kindness not only for an individual, but for our community. After the sad news of Thomas “TuTu” Marbury’s death, Mitch was kind enough to play a vital role in bringing our community together. He not only offered to do an incredible story of TuTu’s life, but he was adamant in making sure the public knew when and where the funeral would take place. He, like so many others, saw this life as a true connection between all citizens regardless of race or politics. In this moment, Alex City was “one.” It was an amazing celebration of someone’s life. Two weeks later, I addressed the Alexander City City Council to ask they allow our community to memorialize Mr. Marbury in a way we felt fitting to TuTu and the community. After requesting we dedicate one of the benches in front of the courthouse in his memory, the council voted unanimously to approve it, but could not approve funding. We were very appreciative. As I was walking out of the council meeting, Mitch walked up to me and asked me what the plan would be. I pointed at one of the older benches in front of the courthouse and said our plans are to take the oldest bench and have it refurbished, then we would place a plaque on the bench in his honor and place it in the roundabout garden in front of courthouse. Mitch stated he was familiar with this process and without hesitation said, “Bill, I would be honored to be the person that turns that old bench into TuTu’s memorial.” I looked back at him and said, “Mitch, I appreciate the offer but there will be some cost and time invested into this project, so how much are we thinking the cost will be?” He looked back at me with this sincere smile and said, “I wouldn’t consider asking for anything after what this man has done in our community. It would be my honor.” This was not only one of the nicest and kindest acts I had witnessed from a person that wasn’t an Alex City product, but more importantly from a man that recognized the importance of how many different individuals were touched by TuTu’s life. What makes this truly ironic to me now is during Mitch Sneed’s compassion, willingness and commitment to recognize someone else he felt made a huge impact into our community, this bench that was placed in honor and memory of one man, also stands as a memory of Mitch Sneed. It was his hands that made this a special moment for so many and it will be these same hands we will also dearly miss when we open up the newspaper, social media or the online edition of The Alexander City Outlook. His kindness, heart and love for our community will never be forgotten. Mitch, you will be dearly missed. Bill Young lives in Alexander City.
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JULY 7, 2018
MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Special / The Outlook
Alongside his news team, Mitch Sneed worked hard to grow The Alexander City Outlook’s presence online and on social media. He recently started doing ‘Local News Outlook’ videos to inform readers what they could read more about in the print edition of the paper. He covered breaking news by using Facebook Live, including house fires, a plane crash, rescues and more. He would go live following a murder trial to touch base with readers and entice them to read more in the print edition. Many knew him for his live video reporting.
Mourning the loss of ‘fair’ reporter and ‘storyteller’ Outlook Facebook followers express admiration for Mitch Sneed I’ve only lived in Alex City for three years and one of the first things I did was subscribe to the Outlook. I enjoyed Mitch’s live updates and articles in the paper. From an outsider that has called Alex City home for a short period of time, I am deeply saddened by this loss, but I can just imagine all the wonderful things he has to write about now in heaven. Praying for the community, Outlook, and his family. Rest easy sir. — Jason Deason I loved his live Facebook videos. He always gave us a first hand look at what was happening. He will be missed. — Cathy Smith Bland He truly loved the community! It was obvious that he truly enjoyed making sure that news was reported in an accurate and objective manner! He will be missed tremendously. — Tiffany Martin Bishop
I did not know him personally, but I followed him and his live stories on Facebook. I live in Birmingham, AL but grew up in Alexander City. I still always kept up with his news updates. Mitch seemed to be a very nice and honest man and this is just so very sad to me. My heart is heavy. My prayers go out to him, his family and his friends as well as The Outlook. Rest in Heaven, Mitch. — Brooke Hope He was my nephew’s neighbor and I had met him a couple of times there and what a kind, giving man. This community has truly lost an awesome man. — Cathy Griffin Howard Mitch always had a smile on his face. Mitch was a guy that could brighten the darkest days, not only for those that loved him but for a complete stranger. — Treasure Schutz I only knew Mitch from his coverage
of the accident that claimed the life of my daughter Kelly Cotney. He handled the coverage with dignity to her, Gracie’s family and the City of Alexander City. For that he will hold a special place. — Rebecca Cotney I didn’t know him personally but followed his stories and live updates on Facebook. He truly loved his work and his community — always did a fantastic job! He will truly be missed! — Amanda Barry McCain He was a very kind, interesting, sincere man. I loved watching his live videos whenever breaking news was happening. — Sue Davini Just like “Mighty Mouse.” He’s everywhere, he’s everywhere! He was a father, husband, a friend, and a comic, a fisherman, a storyteller. He was a newspaper editor, a radio and TV personality, a photographer and an excellent copywriter, a roving
reporter and weatherman. God bless his family. He is in the Kingdom of Heaven. Till we meet again Mitch Sneed, RIP! — Ed Shikoski Before I even moved to Alex City, I began following The Outlook and Mitch here on Facebook. He gave me a good sense of where I was moving with my family and I felt reported fairly and honestly about Alex City and its surrounding communities. I grew to enjoy the sense of community and family friendliness his stories brought as someone new to the area. His paper and live feeds truly showed how much he loves his job and his town. Mitch will always be in my memory. — Melody Tiziani I didn’t ever meet him, but I loved following his stories. He always did a great job keeping our community up to date on things and reporting news. So many of us felt almost as if we knew him just by seeing him
JULY 7, 2018
on Facebook. I will miss his presence on The Outlook page. — Natalie Michelle Brown Mitch was a regular at Who’s Diner but he was also family. He was always quick to smile and ask about my kids. He will be missed by so many. — Maressa Ware How do I begin? I met him recently and also followed him every morning or during the day on his Lives. He truly enjoyed what he did. Even when people were ugly (toward him), he continued with a smile. Mr. Sneed will be someone who truly has left a lasting impression to all. — Aleshia Davis There will be a hole in Alex City with the loss of Mitch that no one will ever fill. He loved his job. He stayed til there was nothing left to report. — Kimberly Causey Neighbors He was a big part of the Who’s family. He always had a smile on his face and a genuine interest in who ever he spoke to. We will miss him so much. — Masha VandenBrook The last time I spoke with him I was trying to help organize a balloon release for the victims in the Florida high school shooting. He was phenomenal in that support. Even when people were complaining about using balloons, he said, “Still do it.” He seemed like a very good person and I know that he will be missed by many in the community but most importantly by his friends and his family and I hope that everyone in the community comes together to support them and show them how much he was loved and appreciated. — Lorrie Ross I grew up in Alex City but moved away 28 years ago. I absolutely loved Mitch’s live updates. It really made me feel connected to the community. You could tell he really cared. — Keith Roberson He was so sweet and accommodating to my daughter Torrie, who has Autism, when The Outlook/ Lake Martin Living did an article on her and Autism Awareness. He was always on top of every breaking story, weather update, as well as any other important information he felt the public needed to know. He always reported with facts and
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
grace. This community and his family are going to be lost without him. There will never be another man like Mitch! — Melissa-m Asvaa We met under a very tense situation. Things were not good in Dadeville. I was in an article in the paper and felt the reporter had misquoted me. So I called the editor, Mitch, ready to fight, and as Mitch reported in his article, we had heated words. As we continued to talk, it became clear that we were on the same page. Before long, we became fast
friends, talking often about both good and bad things going on in this world, but always praising the good and trying to fix the bad. Go rest high on that mountain, my friend, we are better for having known you. — Mike Parker I wrote for The Outlook for many years. Shortly after Mitch took over, I was going through a lot of emotional stress in my life. Subsequently I became lazy and took shortcuts with my work. I made mistakes that ultimately caused us to part ways. That said, Mitch handled our meeting and discussion with kindness and understanding. This gentleman was a true professional, but he was also a kind human being. I only wish I could have been around long enough to have been tutored by Mitch Sneed. This is a small community, made up of good, hard-working people from all walks of life. Most of us take pride in our city and try to add something to the character and integrity within our boundaries. Mitch Sneed was a positive influence to many and made this community better. Mr. Sneed was a positive influence, a kind man and a true professional. For these specific areas, I’ll never forget Mr. Sneed and I will always think of him with respect in my heart. — Bruce Meyers I never met Mitch but I felt like I knew him. I always enjoyed his Facebook live feeds. Tuesday’s were always must-see TV for me. I knew Mitch was going to
be on The Front Porch and it was going to be informative and funny. I always told everyone, “Now there’s a man I would love to hang out with.” — Steve Phurrough I didn’t know Mitch personally, but he always seemed to be a fine person from his writings in The Outlook. About a month ago, when his dog Sadie took off in a thunderstorm, he apologized for using The Outlook to ask for help locating his dog. I then knew that he was a good person, because of the way he
reached out and it was clear it was heartfelt. — Elsie Hickman I was lucky enough to spend some time with Mitch during the Sun Fest. We both enjoyed getting to taste some great pies! He was genuinely thrilled with pictures he had made of a little girl who also was enjoying all the pies. I thought then what a sweet person he is and you could tell how much he loved his job. My heart is so sad for this loss. — Lola Popov Mitch was very gracious in running my articles to keep the community informed of Social Security’s programs, policies, benefits, and services. He was always cordial to me and we both kept our relationship at a very respectable and professional level. The last time I saw him was during one of my appearances on the Kenny Dean Front Porch show. Mitch was very dedicated to his work and will be missed. — Dr. Kylle McKinney, Alabama Public Affairs Specialist, Social Security Administration I had the honor of knowing Mitch from elementary school to high school, we graduated in 1979. He was one of a kind. Always active in all of the school activities. He always had a smile on his face and had something to say every time I passed him in the hallways. After graduation, we lost touch as many of us do. But about 15 years ago I ran into him when he was getting an eye
exam. He was a great friend. — Debroah Landrum George Jones wrote a song about the older generation of country singers verses the one that are replacing them in today’s country. The title of the song is “Who’s going to fill their shoes.” This song applies to Mitch — who’s going to fill his shoes? He will be missed. — Larry Britton I met Mitch years ago when we were both editors at Media General newspapers. He was a magnetic personality, a larger-than-life
character and someone I will never forget. I was telling my newsroom a Mitch Sneed story just a short time ago. — Scott Hollifield, editor, The McDowell News (Marion, North Carolina) I did not know Mitch personally but felt as if I did from following him with The Outlook. His love for this community and the people in it showed through his dedication to report the news as it occurred... honestly, accurately and objectively. Although our county is large in area, we are small in numbers and very close-knit. When someone hurts, we all hurt and mourn together. He will be greatly missed by a lot of people. — Brian Hendrix Mitch Sneed had become the face of Tallapoosa County. He will be missed terribly by this community! — DeAnn King Hindman I have never met Mitch, but I felt like I knew him. I have a place on Lake Martin and live in another state. I followed him on Facebook. I knew Mitch would always be there to keep me informed of bad weather and local good news. I was saddened to read about his accident and later of his death. It seems like only a week ago that I was watching a video and listening to him. “Good morning, this is Mitch Sneed, coming to you from the Alex City Outlook and we have trees down…” I will miss him. — Ashley Cooper McKenna
My grandma Margret Thornton loved Mitch Sneed. She is a faithful follower of the Front Porch and has been a longtime supporter of The Outlook. She even worked there stuffing papers at one time. She said there was never a time that she seen Mitch out and about that he wouldn’t hug her and talk to her. When she would go into The Outlook to run ads for her events at the church or Weogufka she said Mitch no matter how busy he was he would jump up and come and hug her and speak to her. She loved Mitch and wanted me to post this for her. God speed Mitch your community and my grandma will forever miss you. — April Yarbrough I never had the pleasure of meeting Mitch, but he kept me connected to Alex City — a place I loved so much. I looked forward to his reports and knew he cared about Alex City and about the profession. There is nothing like a community newspaper and Mitch certainly did his part to make The Outlook the publication it needed to be. I am saddened by the loss of someone who cared so much about what he did and the people he did it for. — Nancy Young I lived across the street from Mitch in Riverdale, Georgia. Mitch was a great man. We had a lot of fun as kids, riding bikes, playing football in the back yards. He will be deeply missed, but I know I will see him one day in Heaven. — Joe Richards You lost a great journalist. I lost a great friend. We were both blessed to have had Mitch Sneed in our lives. — Martin L. Eubanks Lost one of the great, honest journalists left in the world. Alexander City was lucky to have one of those such people. RIP Mitch. The print world and the community will greatly, greatly miss you. I don’t think anyone could fill his shoes. — Daniel Vest I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Sneed for one of my classes at Auburn University. Now working as a full-time journalist, I feel like I owe a lot of my confidence in writing to the short amount of time we were able to talk and the correspondence we had afterward. He will be missed. — Christopher Heaney
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JULY 7, 2018
Sneed mined depths of his own personal struggles
I
first met Mitch Sneed during a job interview at Opelika-Auburn News, where he was an editor at the time. I was in my mid-20s, still very green to the business, and the first thing I noticed about Mitch was he looked to be a couple hundred pounds overweight. He was, I would later learn, just a few months away from a weight loss surgery, which I presumed to be gastric bypass. Mitch hired me, in 2003, as a beat reporter covering Auburn University, which at the time was in the midst of some juicy athletics and academic crises. It was a tough time for Auburn but a fantastic opportunity for a young journalist, and it laid the foundation for what would become my career in higher education reporting. As other journalists have noted in recent days, mourning Sneed’s death Sunday from injuries that he sustained in a car wreck, I have Mitch to thank for giving me my first shot. In my first year working with Mitch, his weight loss was so dramatic some of us described him as “The Incredible Shrinking Sneed.” He shed pounds like a character out of science fiction. Belt holes, never before pierced, got their first use. Bones in his face, not visible for decades, came startlingly into view. His habits changed, too. Mitch’s system couldn’t handle carbonated soda, so he would pop a can open and let it sit in the mini fridge in his office for an hour before drinking it flat. He always had some workaround. For most people, these details wouldn’t be the stuff of a proper tribute. It sounds like a man’s private
health journey, known only to a few close friends. It’s not what you talk about at funerals. But for Mitch, it’s right on point. The many twists and turns of Mitch’s life, which was comic and tragic at times, became fodder for deeply personal columns few people I’ve known in this business would dare to write. But Mitch did that all the time. The first of these columns I read, when working alongside Mitch, concerned his surgery. Mitch knew, as the editor of a community newspaper, people would have questions about his rapid weight loss. They would have concerns about the risks. They would probably want to know if he could still slam a few beers. (He could, if he popped the tops and let them go flat). So Mitch put all of that in the newspaper. That’s how he talked to people in our town. There was no distinction, near as I could tell as his colleague, between the Mitch you saw in the newspaper and the Mitch you knew at work or in the community. Sometimes this was painful to watch. When Mitch got pulled over for drunken driving, the first thing he did was come into the newsroom and tell all of us to write it up for the next day’s edition. I remember he said something like, “But for the grace of God go all of us — except maybe Sam.” (Sam was our bespectacled copy editor, straight out of central casting.) To my mind, the best piece of writing Mitch ever did mined the depths of his greatest personal failure. In a column for The Outlook, Mitch told read-
ers how he had squandered the biggest opportunity of his career. As a newspaper publisher near Charlottesville, Virginia, Mitch had an alcohol-fueled meltdown. In a downfall befitting of a country song, there was a woman, another man and a dirty fight. Mitch hit the guy’s stomach, police said. This is how Mitch rendered it in his column: “After another round of hard times with the woman I was in love with and an entire day of drinking and feeling for sorry for myself behind me, I made the biggest mistake of my life. “I was drunk, out of control and went looking for my girlfriend. “I found her and the man she had been seeing and the result wasn’t pretty. I wish I remember what all I did, but the police report said I got in a fight, did some damage and got locked up. “From the penthouse to the outhouse in very short order. “I sat in jail for a few days and had plenty of time to think. I realized pretty quickly that about every bad thing that had happened to me had two things in common — alcohol and me. “I knew I had to change both of those things.” Mitch went on to write he had gotten sober. We haven’t been in touch in years, but I hope he found the peace that at times seemed so elusive for him. I’m a long way from that Opelika newsroom, where Mitch stored his flat sodas. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the finest editors and journalists in this business, and for the past decade I’ve written for national
publications about higher education — the beat Mitch trusted me with all those years ago. What I’ve found is there is no shortage of national journalism that purports to be deeply personal. The more tragic the episode, the more cleverly and ironically reimagined for the hippest and latest aggregator of hot takes, the better. Some of this work is quite good, but it’s different than what Mitch did in life. Writers here in Washington, where I live, or in other major metro areas, have the privilege and comfort of relative anonymity. They write from their inner depths, post the story, sit back and marvel at the retweets. Yes, Twitter is a brutal place, and trolls come after writers to be sure. But much of what a writer with a well-told personal story can expect is positive reinforcement from readers and peers who they may rarely, if ever, see in person. There was no such safe distance for Mitch. His readers were his neighbors, his grocery store clerks, his mechanics, his barbers and his fellow churchgoers. He had to face these people no matter what he wrote, and I can only imagine how difficult that was when Mitch’s tragic subject was himself. I will spare you the dime store wisdom these observations about Mitch might invite. He wouldn’t like that. Suffice it to say, he was a man of exceedingly little mystery. He put it all out there, even when it hurt. Jack Stripling is a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education. He was a reporter for Opelika-Auburn News from 2003 to 2005.
Easy to see how influential Mitch was couldn’t have had a better menCommunities and their tor figure than Mitch. He was newspapers don’t simply cothe perfect combination of an exist, they share a relationold-school, community journalship. It’s been that way for ist and someone who embraced years for The Outlook, its new ways to communicate — sister publications and the someone with lots of wisdom communities they serve. to share and a real curiosity for And just like it’s easy, in learning something new. most relationships, to know KA Mitch will be missed, when someone’s a bit head TURNER around Lake Martin, by the over heels, it was really people he worked with every easy to see how much Mitch day and in journalism circles Sneed enjoyed newspapering around Lake Martin. Given the out- in Alabama, Georgia and beyond. Even more than missing him, we can all be pouring in the days since his passing, it thankful we knew him and he left the is equally easy to see how much Mitch meant to the community and the people communities and profession we care about better for his presence with us. who worked with him. My prayers to his family, his I didn’t know him nearly as well as most of you, but I did have the pleasure Tallapoosa Publishers family and the Lake Martin community. of serving with Mitch on the Alabama Press Association’s Journalism KA Turner is senior editor for Foundation board. That foundation’s Alabama Media Group and a former sole mission is journalism educaeditor of The Outlook. tion, and the students we encountered
A newsman through and through Rob Hunphrets, left, and Mitch Sneed pose for a photo after the Culpeper StarExponent had been redesigned with Sneed as publisher.
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
Letters to the Editor Dear Editor,
This letter is all about you. You were the best editor and writer I have ever known. The day you came out to my small farm and did a write up and story on cotton, you thrilled me so I was able to go back to the days we grew cotton for a living. You did not stop with pictures and a write up about cotton in the field. You went on to tell about the cotton gin and what a bale of cotton could make. The research you did for this, I will always be grateful to you. I had lots of people that know me call and say how much they enjoyed it. The day I went back to The Outlook for some more papers, I got the chance to talk with you again. I told you what a wonderful job you did and you said it’s not about me, it’s all about you. I thank God for a man like you. You will surely be missed. May God bless your family.
—John and Judy Kendrick
Sneed left us a legacy
How befitting it was to see the Weekend Edition of The Alexander City Outlook, June 30 - July 1, 2018 and see Mr. Mitch Sneed’s photo and his last editorial printed in the paper. Mr. Sneed was an outstanding and loyal editor, who enjoyed doing his job daily. Alexander City will miss him, his anecdotes and stories. We are heartbroken by his sudden death, and praying for his family that God will bring comfort and peace as needed daily. In many of his articles, he talked about missing his father and shared fond memories of him. This last piece he wrote is an awesome editorial about “Doing your job shouldn’t result in fear,” and he spoke of fellow journalists who were threatened, even himself, many times. Also, Mr. Mitch includes a list of those who lost their lives at
The Capital Gazette in Maryland at the expense of sharing and reporting the news. I am sure as Mr. Mitch Sneed thought about these people, that perhaps he did not know he would not be here to see his article in print. Just as God would have it, he allowed Mr. Sneed’s work to speak for him even after his death. Mr. Mitch was fiesty, and at times he and I could not see eye to eye about some of the editorials I wrote. I remember one I wrote and I said you cannot always believe what you read in the paper, and that people need to get their own facts. Well, Mr. Mitch called me, and I know he was probably red in the face because he was hot with me. He said, “Ms. Moten, you know that you’re going need a reporter to come out to your next event... Maybe you need to call someone who can get facts straight.” I said, “OK, Mr. Sneed, I will call you next time, bye.” Sure enough I did and he came and did a good job as usual… He had gotten hot but we hit it off just fine and after that Mr. Sneed and I befriended one another and his door was open to me. Thanks Mr. Sneed… You left us a legacy!
—Teresa Moten Alexander City
Reader: Our loss, God’s gain
This is a hard letter to write. Like so many others, I am still numb to the reality of the loss of a good man who was a great asset to Alex City and all who knew him. There are not enough words to explain how you will be missed, Mitch Sneed. My prayers and thoughts go out to your family in this devastating time of sorrow. You will be missed by the many who have been fortunate to know you. Your talent in taking even a simple story and working it into an interesting must-read article showed us the dedication and love you had for your chosen career in journalism. Your career led you to us and for that, we will be forever
grateful. Gone too soon, my friend. Our loss is God’s gain. I’m proud to have called you friend. Rest in Peace.
—Annette Lynch Alexander City
Reader: Sneed was a father figure
My name is Antonio Towns and I grew up in Alabama. I knew Mitch Sneed when I was three or four years old, and my mom, brother and me would go on to know him for 13 years till he passed. He liked to call me by my nickname “Tony.” But in those 13 years, I know he bought me and brother our first game system, the PS2, gave my family a dog we called Scrappy, but Mitch called “Scrappster.” For a long time in my life I had never had that father figure in my life until the few years I really got know Mitch. He was the father figure I had, treated me and my brother like his own. He gave me a lot of good advice. Mitch took me, my mom and brother fishing on his boat. He helped me my first year of high school by helping print papers and checked my terrible grammar. He impacted my life so much because he believed in me. Now it’s so hard looking at a picture of him without bursting to in tears, because I knew Mitch almost for my entire life. It’s so hard for me to write this without crying because he was closest thing to a father I had. When his wife called my mom I’d overheard my mom scream he’d died. I was on my phone playing games then it fell right out of my hand, I laid my head on down in my room and stared blankly at a wall and slowly, tears rolled down my face. My mom came in my room and I had a mental breakdown, crying, and talk to my mom about all did for me.
—Antonio Towns Alexander City
‘The Sneed Creed’ was always willing to lend a helping hand By MIKE AND LAUREL SWEENEY
I write this on the Fourth of July 2018. Just two days since we learned of Mitch Sneed’s passing. The “we” are Mike and Laurel Sweeney. Laurel and I are an Army family. We met 48 years ago this month at an Army installation and we retired from the Army 18 years ago at yet another Army installation. During the 29-plus years we traveled the world, our only neighbors were other Army families living on post in Army housing. Laurel was an Army brat and had never really known non military civilians. As for me, I had only known Department of the Army civilians since I left my hometown. Then from 1988 to 1992, our assigned installation was Fort McPherson, in Atlanta. There was a shortage of government quarters on Fort Mac so we decided to buy a home “on the economy” in Riverdale, Georgia. It was there we met the Sneeds, specifically Roy and Joan Sneed, along with their adult children: Kathy, Sandy, Art, Mitch and Brenda. Roy and Joan kind of “adopted” us to help us assimilate into our new neighborhood and the civilian life that was foreign to us. In that sense, the three Sneed brothers and two Sneed sisters became our brothers and sisters. The Sneeds were a close family and being a part of that family meant that we spent a lot of holidays and get-togethers with them. That included all the grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins and pets. One such holiday was the Fourth of July. All the years prior our celebrations took place on Army installations. Our first civilian Independence Day celebration was with the Sneeds, including Mitch and his family. I remember our ride in the back of his pick-up truck to Stone Mountain, Georgia and the festivities there. We felt right at home with Mitch and the rest of the family. Always did. The Sneed Creed.
Special / The Outlook
Mitch Sneed and his father Roy, left.
We also spent Christmases together. One year Laurel bought me a new recliner and she needed it to be a total secret. Late on Christmas Eve, it was Mitch who delivered it from hiding and quietly placed it in the family room while I was asleep right upstairs. I did not discover it till early Christmas morning. Even with his own wife and kids, he found time for us. The Sneed Creed. Once I had to go for a six-month temporary duty. During our separation, the Sneeds were there when Laurel needed help. Mitch was a part of the Sneed crew that expertly removed a very large tree that had been struck by lightning and posed a threat of falling on the house and pool. It could not wait till I was home. It was the Sneed men, Roy, Sandy and Mitch, who were right there when Laurel needed them. The Sneed women contributed with meals and beverages. This is the best definition of the Sneed Creed: When family needs help, they get help. We all had separate busy lives, but in those four years we did develop a close sibling-like bond. Mitch’s career as a journalist was growing. We knew him as a sports
columnist. We knew his future would grow as he loved what he did. We were never surprised when we learned of his achievements. Along with the rest of the Sneeds, we celebrated his work. As our own biological families lived in other far parts of the country, the Sneeds were our closest family, both geographically and emotionally speaking. There was more than one time when we needed help with something and Mitch and any of the family would jump right in to help. That Sneed Creed. Once we were stationed away from Riverdale, we pretty much lost touch. There were Christmas cards and the occasional letter. We even visited one year from across the country. But the life of a military family still is much different than families that are rooted in their community. After social media came along we reconnected. In fact thanks to Facebook and the ability to link up with the newspapers Mitch edited, we actually had as much, if not more contact than those four years in Riverdale. When I went to Fort Benning to attend the funeral of Lt. Gen. Harold Moore, I was close enough to Alexander City to go visit with Mitch and Cyndi. We ate dinner at Applebee’s in Auburn. It was real nice to catch up with things in person for once. We had not seen each other in years in person, but it was as though we had just been together yesterday, mainly because of the daily contact on Facebook. Mitch was the happiest we had known him to be. He loved his city. He loved his family. He loved his job. We viewed his weekly visits to “The Front Porch” on local TV station on the internet. We loved his old buddy “Rich Sneed” (wink, wink). The last picture we saw of him on Facebook was him holding two fish he had caught. The striking thing was his smile. It was from ear to ear and real. That will be our memory of Mitch. Along with the “Sneed Creed.”
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My heart is broken to hear the news of Mitch Sneed passing. I knew Mitch mostly professionally, seeing him at so many of our scenes at the fire department. He took a pic of me at a fire scene that will forever live in my heart; the day we were able to save Adler, the dog that won the hearts of much of the Southeast and parts of many states out west. Mitch reported to so many, live from the scenes. He had no fear and was so good at it. He will be missed and I will be forever grateful for his limitless passion for his job.
— Todd Sassano Alexander City Fire Department
MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
JULY 7, 2018
JULY 7, 2018
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
‘THEN SINGS MY SOUL:’ Mitch isn’t gone; he moved a step higher heavy work. So I say to his o write about wife, children and family editor Mitch members, you did not lose Sneed not being Mitch; he just moved aside here with us a step higher. You continue anymore is one of the hardest and sadto walk with God, and you dest things I have ever will meet him on the other written about. When I side. We all will miss him, learned the news of his and we know you will miss RUBY death, I went into a shock him more, but God knows I have never experienced JOHNSON what is best more than we before; for hours I could do. We are praying for you. not speak. I was lost and Mitch was a great numb. Afterward, some hours later, writer — the best of all time! I had I cried uncontrollably. Mitch was a planned on writing a letter to the great guy, very kind to everyone and editor thanking Mitch for his hard very helpful to all people. It didn’t work and taking The Alexander City matter who they were. My nephew Outlook to another and new level, and I loved him so much for his spe- but I got so busy in my daily schedcial writing, kindness and love for ule I did not do it. But praise be to people, especially his family. God, a few weeks ago God laid it on We read many of his columns my heart to call him and thank him. concerning love for his family. I still I did just that and I am so grateful have some of them in my special to God I obeyed. If I had not called treasure box. I remember when he lost him, I believe I would not be able to his brother and the story Mitch wrote deal with his death as well. behind it, and the song title “How I am not dealing with it that Great Thou Art” touched my heart easily still, but God will help me so deeply. Then I realized how much through this I know, as well as The Mitch loved God and his family. When Alexander City Outlook staff. I love you love God, you cannot help but be all of you, and I pray for you. May lovable and kind, just like Christ. God bless you. Mitch demonstrated the ways of God in all his doing, and God wantRuby Johnson is Union Square ed a great soldier like Mitch to come community columnist for The Coosa home with Him, away from all the County News.
T
You worked with Mitch, not for him
I first met Mitch Sneed when I came to Opelika in March 2006 to interview for a reporting job with the Opelika-Auburn News. I remember walking into the old building on Pepperell Parkway and being greeted by Mitch, who promptly showed me the artist’s rendering of the new building. “Your desk will be right here,” he said, pointing to the newsroom side of the massive structure. Showing off a swanky work location may have seemed like a way of swaying this Yankee into moving 1,000 miles away from everyone she knows and loves. But Mitch was smarter than that. Over the course of several hours, I learned about the kind of community journalism Mitch and Publisher Jim Rainey sought to provide their readers. Mitch took me to lunch at Laredo’s, where I met a number of people, who would become my colleagues. When I met with Jim, he advised me if I came to Opelika, I should do so with eyes wide open. I still remember that. The next day, I met Mitch for lunch at Jimmy’s in Opelika. Exposing a newcomer to such a local gem was a wise move. (I would return to Jimmy’s every time I had an out-of-town guest because they too needed to sample Jim Sikes’ culinary skills.) Mitch slid a job offer across the table and I returned home to Wisconsin, contemplating my future. By May, I was working for and with Mitch. I can’t tell you precisely what I learned from him, but I became a better writer and reporter under his guidance. When he wasn’t offering advice or encouragement, he was an example of an exceptional writer and a true friend. He was in the trenches more than any of us, and he loved every minute of it. The hard work was like oxygen
Mitch was more than just a guest, he was a friend We got to know Mitch from his weekly appearance on our show ‘The Front Porch’ that airs on Kowaliga Country and WAXC TV. After his first 10-minute appearance to deliver what we thought would just be a small news segment, we quickly realized that if we didn’t give Mitch more time and more leeway, we were missing a golden opportunity. He soon became a fixture on our show — appearing every Tuesday for 30 minutes. He frequently filled in as a substitute co-host when one of us were out. Not only would he keep us up to date on newsworthy events in the area, he also made us laugh on a weekly basis. His bit as “Rich” Sneed was one of our favorite ongoing gags, and his quick wit made the
to him; he needed it to live, to thrive. Working alongside someone with such devotion had an immeasurable impact on a group of young budding journalists. I owe so much to Mitch. We all do. Because of Mitch, I firmly believe in the value and responsibility of community journalism. Because of Mitch, I worked with a number of people who have become some of my dearest friends. Because of Mitch, Auburn is my home. Because of Mitch, I will always have a special place in my heart for the Sneed family. I am deeply saddened at the void his passing has left on the world. Amy Weaver worked with Mitch Sneed at OA News.
Grateful to have worked for Mitch Sneed Mitch was editor at Opelika-Auburn News when I came aboard as advertising manager. Often editors and the advertising department do not have close relationships. Not so with Mitch. He was a great partner and was easy to work with. The hard hitting news Mitch and his team produced strong readership and made my job easy. Working with his partner and longtime friend, Publisher Jim Rainey, the two produced some of the finest journalism the state had seen from a small community newspaper. During Mitch’s tenure, OpelikaAuburn News received the General Excellence Award (the highest award presented by the Alabama Press Association) eight times. Mitch loved his work and was never reluctant to state the truth. His easygoing and funny personality made it easy for people to both trust and confide in him. When Mitch was not working, his quick wit and rapid (often biting) retorts made him the life of any gathering, a gift not shared by many.
weekly segment one of our most watched features of the show. However, Mitch was more than just a guest — he was a good friend. Some of the most fun we had was the time between segments when we weren’t on the air but he was still on a roll. Let me tell you one of those stories... nah, I better not. Needless to say, we will miss our friend Mitch. He was great a newsman, but an even better friend. He will be sorely missed. Go Dawgs. Kenny Dean and David Burkhalter are hosts of “The Front Porch.”
A journalist’s life is not easy these days. Reporting the truth and exposing the facts is questioned like never before. Trust me, it is not “fake news.” Mitch loved what he did. He made sure the facts were true and did not hold back. He reported fairly and succinctly. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Mitch and to call him a friend. Rest in peace Mitch Sneed, you made a difference in so many people’s lives and in the communities you served. Lamar Smitherman is a former coworker of Mitch Sneed.
Mitch made people better
Mitch and I hit it off from the start. I don’t know if it was the fact he generally liked my work or recognized how burned out I was. When Kenneth and Shannon brought him by the office to introduce him, he and I had a chance to talk and go over a handful of ideas. Regardless of him getting the job, he offered me his card (for the Georgia paper where he was still working) and gave me an avenue to talk, bounce ideas or just to vent. When I decided to leave the paper two years later and retire from the newspaper business, Mitch came back to the Tallassee office to begin developing a plan. Over the course of one afternoon, the two of us began creating systems that are still in place today. Even after I left, we continued to talk and I became a guy he’d bounce ideas off of. It was really great this guy with such an impressive career took the time to listen and want to help. He did what he could to help make the people around him better. And the product, as a result of having such a group-focused leader, is that much better for it. Griffin Pritchard is a former Tallassee Tribune managing editor and former Wetumpka Herald sports editor.
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MITCH SNEED: A TRIBUTE
“I grew in Jonesboro, GA, where Mitch was the sports editor at The Clayton News Daily. Mitch was a fixture at all the high school football games (late ‘80s, early ‘90s). You had ‘arrived’ if Mitch put your name in the paper. There is a flood of Clayton County, GA, condolences at this time. Please let the family know that. Thank you for the life of Mitch Sneed — you will be missed.” — Marc Ward, owner of Film Dog Media LLC
“What a loss for Alex City, for journalism and for Mitch’s family and friends. I got to know Mitch Sneed when our investigators were looking into complaints from Alex City. Mitch was concerned about his community. He was firm but fair in his journalistic investigations and his writings. He will be missed. Prayers for his family, friends, co-workers and readers. … Mitch would be editing this post and making revisions.” — Jim Zeigler, Alabama state auditor
“I like many citizens never met Mitch in person, but he let me know him personally by his editorials, and times on ‘The Front Porch!’ I always was excited when I saw Mitch was on because I knew he would share something of himself. I agreed with his sentiments in his articles and just felt like I could relate to him. My heart is broken for his wife Cyndi and his daughters. Our community has suffered a great loss and my heart goes out to all who will miss him terribly like I will. Praying for all concerned. Just still can’t believe he was taken so soon.” — Betty B. Lemmond
“It’s hard to put into words what Mitch Sneed meant to me. He was my boss at Clayton News Daily and taught me so much about the journalism business. He never tried to micromanage, and was always encouraging. He was one of the most passionate journalists I have ever known. However as great of a newspaperman as he was, he was a better person. He never met a stranger and I never heard him say an unkind word to or about anybody.” — Doug Gorman, sports editor of Newnan Times Herald
“I was absolutely heartbroken when I heard of the passing of Mitch Sneed. His wisdom, insight, creativity and storytelling will be sorely missed. Mitch always had something to contribute at the Alabama Press Association conventions as a board member of the Journalism Foundation as well as leading panel discussions, like the editorial group he led in February of this year. He was one of the best newspaper men I’ve ever met and I know his co-workers have a huge void to fill. Godspeed Mitch — you left us too soon.” — Caroline Quattlebaum, — co-publisher of The Southeast Sun and president of the APA Journalism Foundation “Mitch was my first newspaper editor. I was sad to hear of his death and sadder still reflecting on what the loss means for community journalism in Alabama. Mitch was the editor of Opelika-Auburn News when I first met him in 2004. He brought me on as an intern during my senior year at Auburn and hired me for my first job in journalism. Years later, my impression of Mitch remains a journalist who was passionate about covering the news for his community. I remember his grin as he oversaw our newsroom. There were many mornings we would come into the office to find out Mitch had covered a fire or some other breaking-news story during the night, taking photos and writing copy rather than simply passing it off to a reporter. His willingness as an editor to stop what he was doing and chase a story was a testament to his devotion and his heart for reporting. It left an impression on a young journalist who was just starting out.” — Ed Enoch, reporter for The Tuscaloosa News and former staff writer for Opelika-Auburn News “As one would imagine, my occupation requires constant interaction with news organizations. Through the years I have come to know many individuals who make their living reporting on the events and telling the stories of their communities. It was my good fortune to become acquainted with Mitch Sneed in that way. He asked the hard questions; he sought accuracy; he developed his stories to achieve balance without compromise to avoid favor for a particular viewpoint. In other words, he was a professional journalist. I admired his pursuit of the truth and appreciated his friendship. We are the less for his premature departure and the more for having had him with us. He will be missed.” — Sheriff Jay Jones, Lee County “Mitch was a dedicated reporter. We have never had anyone to go live at a crime scene or plane crash. Mitch was Alex City’s first live reporter and it was exciting.” — Elizabeth Shaw “It was with much sorrow that I learned of the passing of Mitch Sneed. During the time I have followed his work at The Outlook, I would put him in the same category as Huntley and Brinkley when it comes to accurate and unbiased reporting of the news. He was a dependable and well versed newsman and his personality personified his work. He will surely be missed.” — AJ Price “I first met Mitch when he was editor of Opelika-Auburn News and I was a captain with the Auburn Police Division handling media relations. Mitch was a good man, with a good heart, who always put the community and his readers first with fair and honest reporting. Mitch will be sorely missed by this retired policeman and the countless others who had the privilege of knowing and/or working with him. R.I.P. my friend.” — Tom Stofer
“I’m forever in debt to Mitch Sneed for hiring me into the first reporting job of my journalism career. But Mitch did much more than that. Without a doubt he’s still the hardest-working editor I’ve ever met, the fiercest reporter and the best boss one could ask for. In short, Mitch was the ultimate newspaperman. I will miss him for as long as I live, and hope to one day become half the journalist that he was.” — Haisten Willis, former coworker “My friend Mitch Sneed was a dedicated man for The Alexander City Outlook and his community. Mitch was on every scene of the community whether it was a fire, accident, school, courthouse, church or even if a horse was at the red light… Mitch reported it. What I really liked about my Mitch, he didn’t see color. He reported from north side, south side, west side, east side and surrounding area of this community. He was better than Fox 6 News in Birmingham. Mitch always greeted me in the community. He will be greatly missed. To the family, friends and Outlook, our loss but Heaven’s gain. Servant well done!” — Geraldine Russell “The Centrist nation mourns the loss of a big supporter and friend of the truth. Mitch Sneed was a journalist for The Alexander City Outlook. He was not only a great journalist and a champion of the truth, he was a man who dedicated himself to his work and finding and reporting the truth. He worked with me on many occasions and allowed me to do some independent writing for the paper. I cannot tell you how surprised and hurt I felt when I read the news but I will do my part to honor his example and legacy. My last time working next to him was the primary elections and as always we shared information and he always schooled me on a process I didn’t know. Thank you Mitch and I will pray that your family has peace during this time of loss but your spirit will remain with us always.” — Sean Bland, The Centrist “Mitch was the consummate news editor who closely monitored the pulse of his community and focused like a laser on the issues that mattered to his readers. These are skills acquired through decades of experience and he honed them well. It’s hard to cover hometown news and not step on a few toes, but Mitch did his best to report the facts as he saw them. I knew Mitch through the lens of an interviewee. Mitch occasionally reached out to me by email on issues concerning my employer (the Alabama Attorney General’s Office). He was persistent in search of answers and always professional and fair. I’ve worked with journalists from all over the country. Mitch was one of the best. He leaves behind a tremendous void in this community and I join all those in expressing my condolences to his family and his work family at Tallapoosa Publishers.” — Mike Lewis “Rest in peace, Mitch Sneed. You will be missed. Praying for your family, friends and everyone who loved reading your articles.” — James Hand “Mitch was a part of the North Clayton County, Georgia, community. He pleasantly and faithfully filled his role as a fellow student, athlete and friend. He never forgot his North Clayton roots and was always available to those who formed
JULY 7, 2018 his “hometown” community. His world became larger, but to those who called him a friend, he was always Mitch.” — Vi and Pete Mobley “Mitch was great at what he did and always professional. Our hearts and prayers are with his family today. The newspaper industry has lost one of the best. Mitch will be truly missed.” — Rep. Mike Rogers “So sorry about the loss of Mitch. He was a good man. Enjoyed working with him.” — Steve Flowers “Mitch was a friend. Never did he hide his past and he would stand with you through thick and thin. He will be missed and someone has big shoes to fill.” — Mike Crouch & staff at Lake Martin Garage Mitch Sneed always tried to get it right. He was a frequent caller to the Alabama Press Association legal hotline whenever he needed some media law advice. After I saw the terrible news about his death, I looked to see when I had last communicated with him as part of the media hotline. I found my last exchange with him had occurred just a few months ago. His question concerned the law and ethics of using a secret recording of public officials made as they improperly conducted a secret meeting. Mitch appreciated not only the advice but the irony of the situation. I hope Mitch, as he had done so many times in the past, put the information to good use in what seems to be a constant struggle to obtain a more transparent government. As a person who took the profession of journalism seriously, Mitch Sneed will be sorely missed. — Dennis R. Bailey, APA General Counsel I’ve known Mitch for only four short years and considered him a good friend. I will miss talking with him along with spending time in his presence. Mitch was someone I could always depend on to answer any question I had concerning Alexander City. At times I would receive a complaint about something going on in my district and I would call him with their concerns. He would conduct interviews and write an article to help get the word out in hopes to resolve or bring attention to those concerns. He was someone I respected because he would not write an article on hearsay. He would take the time and get the facts right before printing it. He was a man of good character who would admit when he was wrong. He would do all he could to help someone when needed. He truly loved his family, occupation, and Alexander City. My prayers are with all the ones he left behind and loved. — Bobby Tapley I always enjoyed talking to Mitch. He had a quick smile and a great sense of humor. He always wanted to know the backstory to a piece of legislation, which as his senator I appreciated, because knowing that helped him form the story to really give the reader a clear understanding of the process, pitfalls and other obstacles facing legislation as it went on the winding legislative road of lawmaking. But what really stands out to me is his love of people and his desire to help people in this profession of his, especially young people. I can remember one morning when my good friend, Rep. Mark Tuggle, and I went to The Outlook offices with a young lady who wanted to learn about politics and communications. Mitch sat down and we did an interview regarding the session that had just concluded and we talked about driverless cars and the technology that made them possible and the economic ramifications to our economy. Mitch listened and really got to the root of the issue with his questions. In this case, as in all others, he had a way of very politely but directly asking the questions that needed to be answered. After the interview was over he didn’t turn to Mark and myself but he turned to the young lady and asked her what questions she had. He explained to her how he was asking the questions so he would be better able to inform the reader of what happened during the session and upon particular subjects. He went on to state his job was to make sure the public understood what was happening on all stories, not just those political, and he had to do it in a way that was respectful of a process so he could get the next story and the next story. What I’m saying is, Mitch cared and he loved to mentor and because of that and because of his commitment to his profession and his love of life, I have a great respect for Mitch and will truly miss him and miss those telephone calls. — Sen. Tom Whatley