Cherokee's Mignon Willis & Family Problems

As of Tuesday night, former Cherokee Mayor L. Mignon Willis is again associated with the small Colbert County town--this time as water board member. Followers of current mayor Chuck Lansdall have objected to Willis' appointment, stating she lacks credibility in financial matters due to a pending civil suit brought by Rehab Solutions of Tupelo, Mississippi. Before working at Rehab Solutions, Willis was employed as a senior staff accountant in the Orlando, Florida, area.

From 2003 until 2008, Willis was the Chief Financial Officer for Rehab Solutions, a company owned by her cousin Chad Willis and his wife Renee'. We've heard it said it's best never to work for a family owned business, and certainly never one owned by one's own family. Apparently Mignon Willis failed to heed this old adage when she accepted the position with the Mississippi company. Many more in Cherokee fault Willis for toiling outside the State of Alabama than blame her for any intentional misconduct.

The civil suit itself has taken two years to reach the Lee County, Mississippi, circuit court docket. Chad Willis alleges that his cousin Mignon purchased unneeded supplies as well as failing to pay taxes in a timely manner, resulting in a tax lien which ultimately brought embarrassment to his company. The suit also adds that Mignon Willis cashed at least two payroll checks she had failed to deposit before her termination. To the last charge, we say "huh?"

Mignon Willis herself has said little concerning the suit, only stating that it was the result of an ongoing family quarrel. Assuming the suit is not further delayed, it will be tried next month. Perhaps at that time, Willis will be allowed to perform her duties on the water board unfettered by idle and unfounded gossip.

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Panty waste redux...again. Several readers have written to theorize that Steve Thompson of Woodmont Baptist Church was actually calling Senator Bobby Denton a "pantiwaist," defined as an effeminate man or homosexual. Understandably, words written in anger are often misspelled, but we have to wonder if Thompson considers pantiwaist less insulting than panty waste...


Shoalanda