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A recent sighting of a UFO over downtown Florence has been the talk of the town; however, after closer investigation by Air Force personnel, the object proved to be just the ghost of Scott Carrier. Officials theorized that former Councilman Carrier was so elated over the recent turn of events at City Hall, he just had to thumb his nose at the mayor once last time.
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Readers Write
From Morris Lentz:
Our Tuesday blog on the Lauderdale EMA quoted a source as saying:
* remind that volunteer fireman are under the EMA because they are volunteers and not professionals per se and have to have oversight -- they are good at what they do but if they are left to their own accord there would be more infighting and drama than there already is...
From Morris Lentz:
Number 1, we as volunteer firefighters DO NOT and HAVE NOT and WILL NOT answer to EMA. We answer to our local governing authority. That being our local municipality and/or board of directors. EMA has absolutely NO control, input or say so in any volunteer fire department in Lauderdale County.
Number 2, I am a PROFESSIONAL volunteer firefighter. I attend the same classes and have the same certification as "career" firefighters do. There is no difference. I don't remember the "wall" that fell on me back in 2009 asking if I were a "professional" or "volunteer". It hurt just the same.
Number 3, there are two types of firefighters in America. Professional Career Firefighters and Professional Volunteer Firefighters.
Number 4. The Lauderdale County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments is comprised of 14 of the very best volunteer fire departments in the State of Alabama. WE (not EMA) wrote the bill for our permanent funding mechanism that has brought over $65,000 in PERMANENT funding to each volunteer fire department in Lauderdale County. WE (not EMA) are proud to have one of the only full time staffed volunteer fire departments in the State of Alabama.....that being the Underwood Petersville Volunteer Fire Department.
And finally Number 5. The Volunteer Firefighters and Fire Departments in Lauderdale County stood in solidarity over three years ago against EMA to change the EMS Service Provider in our county. All fire chiefs wrote a letter of support in defiance of EMA in support of our current EMS provider (Lauderdale EMS). That change has proven the best move ever made by the City of Florence and the Lauderdale County Commission.
Shoalanda. EMA has never ever ever attended (not one) of the local volunteer fire department meetings nor have they (or will they ever) have any input into the governing of our departments. Whomever wrote these snippets in your blog was WAY OUT in left field.
Thanks for this input, Morris, and it bears out the fact any legitimate criticism concerning George Grabryan involves his choice of ambulance service for the county.
From our October 15th blog:
When George Mangum retired in April 1994, Richard Adams took over as director and held the position until his death in November 1998. Adam's death was termed a hunting accident, but at the time of the shooting the 911 account was overdrawn and many bills had gone unpaid since the previous May. The 37 year-old Adams was found shot in the head one day before the official investigation was to begin concerning the missing funds.
An anonymous reader writes:
You only mentioned Richard Adams because his first wife was Keith McGuire's sister.
While we had heard that McGuire's ex-brother-in-law had committed suicide, we had no idea that it was Richard Adams. If we had known that fact, it would have been mentioned in the article. This fact also sheds light on the recusal of so many in McGuire's rape trial.
The same reader also writes:
Just what is going on with Keith McGuire's teacher license? It looks like he's never going to have a hearing and he's probably teaching kids right now.
From what sources at the Alabama Department of Education tell us, the hearing will indeed take place after the judge reads the transcript from McGuire's July 2010 rape trial. We were not told if the Board requested this action or if the request came from McGuire's lawyer. Other sources tell us that Brian Keith McGuire is currently working as a prison guard in South Alabama, but as long as his teaching license remains valid, he is technically able to teach at any institution willing to hire him.
Shoalanda
Shoalanda. EMA has never ever ever attended (not one) of the local volunteer fire department meetings nor have they (or will they ever) have any input into the governing of our departments. Whomever wrote these snippets in your blog was WAY OUT in left field.
Thanks for this input, Morris, and it bears out the fact any legitimate criticism concerning George Grabryan involves his choice of ambulance service for the county.
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From our October 15th blog:
When George Mangum retired in April 1994, Richard Adams took over as director and held the position until his death in November 1998. Adam's death was termed a hunting accident, but at the time of the shooting the 911 account was overdrawn and many bills had gone unpaid since the previous May. The 37 year-old Adams was found shot in the head one day before the official investigation was to begin concerning the missing funds.
An anonymous reader writes:
You only mentioned Richard Adams because his first wife was Keith McGuire's sister.
While we had heard that McGuire's ex-brother-in-law had committed suicide, we had no idea that it was Richard Adams. If we had known that fact, it would have been mentioned in the article. This fact also sheds light on the recusal of so many in McGuire's rape trial.
The same reader also writes:
Just what is going on with Keith McGuire's teacher license? It looks like he's never going to have a hearing and he's probably teaching kids right now.
From what sources at the Alabama Department of Education tell us, the hearing will indeed take place after the judge reads the transcript from McGuire's July 2010 rape trial. We were not told if the Board requested this action or if the request came from McGuire's lawyer. Other sources tell us that Brian Keith McGuire is currently working as a prison guard in South Alabama, but as long as his teaching license remains valid, he is technically able to teach at any institution willing to hire him.
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Shoalanda
