Where Do You Get Your News?/Cherokee Mayor Arrested?

While we basically offer political commentary, there's a certain amount of news in many of our columns. Why? This news, and we consider it important political news, is not to be found in the TimesDaily, aka TotallyDecatur. If the TD does publish much of this news, it's one or two days after it appears either here or in the ShoalsInsider.

Like many, we hoped this would improve when Shelton Publishing took over the operations of our daily newspaper. Instead, it seems to have gotten worse. We have yet to read in the TD about the arrest of Leighton Police Commissioner Teresa Lannahan.

Then again, if the TD printed all the political news from Leighton and Cherokee, there wouldn't be room for the comics...or, perhaps, they would just be redundant.

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Summer is winding down, but you may still need a good fan. How about one from Greer Drug in Sheffield? Link

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Things just get more interesting in Cherokee. From C. R.:

Keeper of the Keys: Part Two

Sunday night after 9:00 p.m. Cherokee Town Clerk Melinda Malone found the locks to the clerk’s office changed. Melinda Malone called the police officer on duty and demanded a report be filled out. The officer refused because no crime was committed. The officer was 100% correct. The officer called his dad the Chief of Police and in turn the chief called Mayor Chuck Lansdell. Melinda Malone called Councilwomen Patricia Mason and she showed up to city hall and confronted the mayor.

The unelected Councilwomen Mason was demanding a report and wanted to know who authorized this action. The mayor informed Councilwomen Mason that Alabama law gave him full authority to run the day to day operations of the town and no council vote can override Alabama law. Councilwoman Mason and the town clerk were informed that if they changed the locks he would invoke his rights under Alabama law and have them changed back.

No Common Sense Needed To Apply

It would seem that a person who is educated on the laws of Alabama and has experience in enforcing Alabama laws would understand them better. Cherokee Town Councilman Steve Glover, a law enforcement officer in Lawrence County, was fit to be tied Monday morning after finding out about the town clerk’s office locks being changed. Councilman Glover called the Cherokee Police Dept. and demanded a burglary report be filled out and gave orders to have the mayor arrested for burglary. The police dept. refused the request. It would seem that a person that enforces burglary laws would know more about them.

Section 13A-7-5

Burglary in the first degree.

(a) A person commits the crime of burglary in the first degree if he or she knowingly and unlawfully enters or remains unlawfully in a dwelling with intent to commit a crime therein, and, if, in effecting entry or while in dwelling or in immediate flight there from, the person or another participant in the crime:

(1) Is armed with explosives; or

(2) Causes physical injury to any person who is not a participant in the crime; or

(3) In effecting entry, is armed with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument or, while in the dwelling or immediate flight from the dwelling, uses or threatens the immediate use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument against another person. The use of or threatened use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument does not include the mere acquisition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument during the burglary.

(b) Burglary in the first degree is a Class A felony.

(Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §2610; Acts 1979, No. 79-471, p. 862, §1; Act 2006-198, p. 286, §1.)

Section 13A-7-7

Burglary in the third degree.

(a) A person commits the crime of burglary in the third degree if he knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime therein.

(b) Burglary in the third degree is a Class C felony.

(Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §2612; Acts 1979, No. 79-471, p. 862, §1.)

The mayor had no intent to commit a crime and he has the right under Alabama law to be on city property. How Councilman Steve Glover keeps a job in law enforcement puzzles me. It should puzzle the Sheriff of Lawrence County.

The Colbert County Sheriff’s Dept. filled out a report on the no crime committed incident. With Labor Day approaching the Colbert County Sheriff’s Dept is back in the Click-it or Ticket program. The sheriff’s election in Colbert County must be over.

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Shoalanda



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