THURSDAY
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LOCAL, PAGE 5 Dadeville continues to fight war on litter
SPORTS, PAGE 10
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892
March 14, 2019 Vol. 127, No. 52 www.alexcityoutlook.com 75¢
Search for HBS football coach winding down
Oliver says legislature can make tough decisions Gas tax ‘only the tip of the iceberg’ By JIMMY WIGFIELD Managing Editor
Now that the state’s gas tax will be raised 10 cents a gallon during the next three years, more difficult decisions remain and first-term Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville) said Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Legislature have proven they possess the political willpower to make them. “The governor is leading our state,” Oliver said. “She has four or five things she wants to do and she’s doing what she feels is right. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve got gambling and prisons and Medicaid to come. This is a tough legislative quadrennium and I am proud to be a part of a legislature that is moving the state forward. I’m 62 years old and all I’ve heard for years is, ‘They’re a bunch of crooks and they’re lining their pockets.’ I have four children and six cars — I’m the last person who wants to pay more for gas and the state doesn’t reimburse me for driving around in my district.” Before Ivey called a special session, Oliver said he would not commit to the gas tax increase until he saw the formal legislation. “Initially I was not committed to the governor,” he said. “I thought the counties, the rural areas, would not get a fair shake and I was holding out for that.” But Oliver said he quickly realized many legislators were willing to risk evoking the ire of voters to raise the estimated $320 million in additional yearly revenue to modernize Alabama’s disintegrating infrastructure and help ensure future economic development. “Business leaders in this state have been asking for a long time why they should be willing to invest in this state and expand their businesses when we weren’t willing to improve infrastructure,” Oliver said. “We should be willing to step up. For our children and grandchildren, this is huge. I’m See TAX • Page 3
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Lake Martin
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LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
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ANOTHER GOOD YEAR United Way celebrates $569K in giving, looks forward to new goals By GABRIELLE JANSEN Staff Writer
The Lake Martin Area United Way celebrated last year’s achievements and looked forward to its 2020 campaign Tuesday night at The Mill Two Eighty. The organization received $569,023 last year in corporate giving, employee giving, individual giving, non-corporate giving and fundraising events. United Way marketing and initiatives director Courtney Layfield presented last year’s initiatives the nonprofit participated in, which included summer reading, the 2018 Day of Action, 211, Prosperity Again Thru Health (PATH) and its veterans project. Layfield said 1,005 children attended United See UNITED WAY • Page 9
Top: United Way marketing and initiatives director Courtney Layfield presented last year’s initiatives at the campaign celebration and annual meeting Tuesday. Above: United Way executive director Sharon Fuller, left, presents Nancy Hodges with the Volunteer of the Year award.
Dadeville’s courthouse square project not dead yet By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Despite bids coming in $700,000 over budget for the courthouse square renovation in Dadeville, county and city leaders may still see the project come to fruition after four years of work. The extra funding might come from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) thanks to a meeting with director John Cooper set up by the local legislative delegation of Rep. Ed Oliver and Sen. Tom Whatley. “A contingent from the city including myself, Debbie Minor, Dick Harrelson, county commissioner Emma Jean Thweatt and county administrator Blake Beck visited with ALDOT director Cooper last Thursday,” Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith said. “As you know the bids came in high on the courthouse streetscape enhancement project. We went to Mr. Cooper to ask about more funding.” Tallapoosa County and the City of Dadeville partnered in applying in 2015 and 2016 for See COURTHOUSE • Page 9
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ALDOT could be giving more funding to the courthouse square project in Dadeville after officials met with director John Cooper last week.
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