area
INSIDE
FAITH
Get ready for gameday with our reviews of Week 1’s games
SPORTS
The parable of the King’s wedding
Dadeville to open season against Elmore County
Page B1
Page A7
THE RECO CORD RD Serving the Dadeville & Lake Martin area since 1897
SPORTS EXTRA
WWW.THEDADEVILLERECORD.COM
REDISTRICTING Rep. Oliver’s District 81 due to expand ahead of 2022 election BY SIRI HEDREEN Multimedia Reporter Rep. Ed Oliver’s State House District 81 is due for expansion as its population has fallen about 2,400 constituents short of target, according to the 2020 Census. That redistricting data, released earlier this month, offers lawmakers a first look at Alabama’s demographic changes down to each voting precinct, thus kick-starting the decennial process of redrawing state senate and house district lines. District 81, held by Oliver (R-Dadeville) since 2018, had a population of 45,453 residents as of 2020. With Alabama’s population now exceeding 5 million, however, distributed across 105 representatives, that’s nearly 48,000 constituents per district. To make up for that difference, District 81
VOL. 124, NO. 34
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021
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ALDOT changes could make US-280 safer CLIFF WILLIAMS
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
THE RECORD
Members of the public were invited to take a look at a proposed master plan of what the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) wants to do to make U.S. Highway 280 safer from the Coosa County line to Dadeville.
It seems almost everyday an accident occurs on U.S. Highway 280 at Coven Abbett or Dean roads or in the crossovers near shopping along the 280 corridor in Alexander City. To help make the stretch of U.S. Highway 280 safer from the Coosa County line to near the Highway 49 intersection in Dadeville, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is proposing a master plan. “Our goal is to look
See ALDOT, Page A5
See REDISTRICTING, Page A8
Documents reveal details of Aug. 8 Goodwater murder By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer Jamal Robinson was killed in a shooting earlier this month, but court documents reveal he likely fired a weapon too. Incident reports reveal Robinson was likely one of at least two parties shooting at “Ballfield” in Goodwater as two guns of different calibers and multiple bullet casings of different calibers were recovered in the area following Robinson’s death. The documents in court records detail a 9mm gun found about 12 feet from Robinson and Glock 23 .40 COOK caliber found on a nearby step. In the area of the shooting three. 40 caliber casings were found and seven 9 mm casings along with one unfired 5.56 round. A witness told investigators Jumarkis Cook was traveling with the witness from Alexander City to Goodwater on the evening of the shooting. They proceeded to the “Ballfield” at the corner of Jacobs and Park streets “where there is some children’s recreation equipment.”
See MURDER, Page A5
SIRI HEDREEN | THE RECORD
Marc Oriet (left), Gabe Broussard and Lee Tucker perform at Copper’s Grill last week during the Lake Martin Songwriters’ Festival.
SONGWRITERS BRING ORIGINAL CONTENT TO LAKE MARTIN
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer he next big music artist could have just played at one of 10 venues around Lake Martin this week. Tallapoosa County Tourism put together the inaugural Lake Martin Songwriters Festival and supporters are convinced the next big act will have been to Lake Martin on their way to the top.
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Steven Pace and Chad Wilson met each other as Wilson was trying to host a songwriters retreat. “I said, can you help sponsor us cause I couldn’t afford the cost,” Pace said. “He said if I would put his name out there he could help some. We met for the first time and that is all it took.” Many of the songwriters in town for the festival have been to Lake Martin and stayed with Pace. In fact, The Pace Place is home to a few songs written
by the songwriters featured this week. “They have stayed at the house several times since,” Pace said. “(Songwriter) Kristen Kelly wrote one of her songs there at The Pace Place. She cut it last week and will be on her next album.” Wilson and fellow festival performer Eric Erdman penned a tune a few months ago at The Pace Place — ‘Who is They.’
See SONGWRITERS, Page A3
Town to convert Camp Hill Baptist Church into municipal complex using ARP funding By SIRI HEDREEN Multimedia Reporter
SIRI HEDREEN | THE RECORD
Camp Hill Baptist Church, above, was purchased by the town for $70,000 with American Rescue Plan funding for use as a municipal complex.
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The town of Camp Hill is upgrading its facilities, having purchased Camp Hill Baptist Church for $70,000 to be used as a multi-purpose municipal complex, Mayor Messiah Williams-Cole announced Friday. While plans for the 130-year-old building are “preliminary and ten-
tative,” Williams-Cole said, possible uses include a free monthly medical clinic, a food bank, a free fitness center for utility customers, a literacy and technological resource center, a drive-through utility payment site, a new place to hold council meetings and municipal court and a public event space. The $70,000, plus an extra $10,000 in anticipated roofing costs, was
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paid using American Rescue Plan funding, made eligible for the federal funding by its planned uses improving public health, broadband access and police administration, WilliamsCole said. The announcement, which the mayor intends to elaborate on in one of his “Camp Hill Conversations” livestreams, comes after weeks of
See CAMP HILL, Page A2