Just Another Day in Cherokee

Just Another Day in Cherokee

A Guest Commentary By

C. R.

Tuesday morning City Clerk Melinda Malone got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Malone clocked in at city hall at 8:00 a.m. Four different people saw and reported that Malone was at a volleyball game between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The game was at Cherokee High School. The concerned citizens started to call city hall to see if anyone was there and no one answered the phone. The citizens started to call members of the city council and the mayor.

When the mayor and councilwomen Thelma Lambert arrived at city hall, Malone’s time card showed she checked in at 8:00 a.m. and never clocked back out. Later on in the day, Councilwomen Thelma Lambert asked Malone why she was clocked in at work when she was not there for three hours. Malone started to raise her voice, and an augment broke out. Malone’s voice was raised so loud that the Assistant Chief of Police came out of his office to see what was going on. The next council meeting is Tuesday--we will have to see what will happen. Remember Malone’s husband is on the council.

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Mayor Lansdell has hired a new part time clerk or assistant. The new part time clerk Marsha Allen was the clerk when Mignon Willis became mayor. Willis removed the clerk and police chief and hired Melinda Malone as the new clerk. Later, Willis promoted Steve Glover to police chief. When Mignon Willis was Mayor she hired a part time clerk without council approval. This is okay by Alabama law. Willis hired the mother-in-law of councilman Steve Glover. The mother-in-law has hurt herself at city hall and can no longer perform her part time duties. Mayor Lansdell moved to fill the vacancy because Malone has been taking off a lot and leaving the town with out anyone being in the city hall.

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Former Mayor Mignon Willis and current City water board member believes she is above the law. Per federal law all persons responsible for gas department operations must summit to drug testing. Willis has refused to summit to the testing.

In other Mignon Willis news, she has appealed the verdict of the court case in Lee County, Mississippi. Willis was ordered to pay over $185,000. back to her former employer.

There are a lot of court papers from Florida circulating around Cherokee. In one case Mignon Willis was ordered to pay over $16,000. to the plaintiff. The suit was in relation to Willis failing to return property of the plaintiff. Court papers also show Willis failed to receive an occupational license for her accounting business in Florida. More court papers show Willis failed to pay her accounting business taxes on time for several years.

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It's been a violent week--hold someone you love...




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