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OPINION Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 June 18, 2015 Vol. 123, No. 121 www.alexcityoutlook.com
Jody Fuller pays homage to his father. Page 4.
City begins to sort out pay issues Handling of raises called ‘loosey goosey’ By Mitch Sneed Outlook Editor
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Mayor Charles Shaw explains why he felt he had authority to approve pay increases.
The Alexander City City Council went through more than $100,000 in pay increases that had apparently been doled out despite never being brought before the council for approval at a special called meeting Wednesday afternoon. Mayor Charles Shaw has maintained that he felt the city’s personnel manual gave him the authority and cited one area during Wednesday’s meeting. Despite Council members Sherry EllisonSimpson, Bob Howard and
James Spann pointing out where it did say that council approval was required, it was city attorney Larkin Radney who seemed to put that part of the argument to rest. “It is very clear to me that in all departments that pay increases, promotions and so forth can’t be finalized until determined by the council,” Radney said. “This is my opinion, that any reassignments or adjustments to pay and grade must be approved by the council. Now with that Mitch Sneed / The Outlook said, yes, they should be vetAlexander City Finance Director Sandra Machen listens to questions ted by the department heads, See COUNCIL, Page 5 about why the moves created budget issues at Wednesday’s meeting.
Tests show toddler’s death was drug related
270 pot plants seized in joint operation State and locate officials locate and raid field off Barrett Road
By Mitch Sneed
By Mitch Sneed
Outlook Editor
Outlook Editor
The death of a 3-yearold Alexander City boy last December may be headed to the grand jury after toxicology reports revealed that drugs caused his death. Bentley Cole Missildine, 3, of Alexander City died at Russell Medical Center on December 27, shortly after officers were called to a home on Barrett Road. As in the case of any unexpected death, the Alexander City Police Department launched an investigation and the toxicology report that was a part of that probe showed that methadone toxicity was the cause of death. Methadone is an opiate that is used sometimes to help recovering addicts. It is also used as a pain reliever and as part of drug addiction detoxification and maintenance programs and is only available from See DEATH, Page 8
The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force, working in conjunction with special agents assigned to the Narcotics Unit of ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigations, located and seized 270 marijuana plans from a secluded field off Barrett Road Wednesday. SBI Narcotics and ALEA Aviation used helicopters in the area to locate the plants and then worked with local agents to eradicate the plants from the unmanned field. “It was an area that was pretty well hidden in a wooded area up off Highway 22 on Barrett Road as you head towards New Site,” said Sgt. Fred White of the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force. “We were able to clear the plants, but no arrests were made today. But obviously we are still investigating.” The plants were in various stages of growth, but all appeared to be very healthy. Many had already started to bud heavily. The Drug Enforcement Agency values an adult producing marijuana plant at $3,000, meaning the haul could be valued at $810,000 in drugs. DEA See BUST, Page 5
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Investigators located a field of marijuana of tucked into a wooded area off Barrett Road from the air. The Tallapoosa Narcotics Task Force and state officials worked together to locate these 270 plants and remove them. No arrests were made, but officials say the investigation remains active.
Alexander City BOE adopts Lake Levels 489.56 new drug testing policy Lake Martin
Reported on 6/17/15 @ 5 p.m.
By David Granger Outlook Staff Writer
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
A high of 100 degrees was predicted Wednesday, but it didn’t quite make it as the thermometer at Express Oil Change shows. No one can argue that it was still very hot.
The Alexander City Board of Education Tuesday night adopted a policy that would make students with parking permits and those in grades 7 through 12 participating in certain extracurricular activities subject to random drug testing, elected a new president and vice president and renewed a food service contract. The board also adopted
procedures for the random drug testing that would be administered to the affected students. The board adopted both the drug policies for students with Benjamin Russell High School parking permits and those who participate in extracurricular activities unanimously. However, board member Dorothea Parker encouraged Superintendent Darrell Cooper to look at including engaged in
extracurricular activities not specified in the policy. “I think we need to look at expanding this policy to include all students involved in any extracurricular activity,” Walker said. Cooper said his concern with expanding the list of extracurricular activities covered was the expansion of the number of students in the pool. “Two things concern See BOARD, Page 8
Linda Shaffer, REALTOR® C: 256.794.4641 • W: 256.329.5253 shaffer@lakemartin.net 5295 Highway 280, Alexander City, AL
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