Runnin' Wild in Franklin County

Running wild, lost control.
Running wild, mighty bold.
Feeling gay, reckless too,
Carefree mind all the time, never blue.
Always going, don't know where,
Always showing..I don't care!
Don't love nobody, it's not worthwhile.
All alone, running wild!

It may be an old song, but it could easily be Vina High's new anthem.

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A source close to the situation in Vina has related that the most recently terminated coach, Brian Keeton, is married to a student whom he taught while at Winfield. While the TimesDaily has reported Keeton's age as 38, official sources are reporting it as 40, making him 23 years older than his alleged victim/lover. 

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State Senator Roger Bedford is initiating a change in the law that affords a suspended teacher pay even if he/she has admitted guilt. Thanks, Sen. Bedford.

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Good for Joey Rushing to want to assist in making teachers aware that sex with a student under 19 is illegal, but should it really be necessary? For the record, don't try to put out flames with gasoline...

They're not ill-educated, Joey, they're just immoral. You probably can't change that.

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The following comment was sent to us and was not publishable in regular comments due to some language. The writer gave us permission to edit it:

I've been following your blog because I am interested in the events taking place at Vina.
1.) Props on the name. Love word play.
2.) Don't let all this extra attention from the Vina scandal get to your head. Sex sales. ***** "journalism" doesn't, so all of this should go away quickly.
3.) I'm fine with you saying terrible things about Vina. It's the business, so I understand.
4.) I do, however, take offense to this article. "Alabamians first?" "We see out tax dollars wasted on those who have no love for our county, much less citizenship."?? Pray tell, Ms. Shoalanda, how do you have any right to say that these people have no love for this country? Because I never risked my life to be here, travelled thousands of miles through dangerous territory in total fear of being found out to be here, nor have I been separated from my family to be here. Have you?
I can handle the criticism of teachers, principles, schools, etc. for sex crimes, but I so very desperately need to know where do you get off setting the bar for what is considered love of this country?

Our answers?

1) Many thanks. It wasn't particularly well thought out, but it's amazing that many don't realize it represents Shoals Land.

2) Not much goes to my head. For the record, we've gotten many more hits on at least five other news stories in our five years of publishing. We don't claim to be journalists here. We do claim to be astute commentators on local boondoggles. 

3) We're not saying "terrible things" about Vina High School as a whole. We are commenting on the behavior of certain teachers and coaches.

4) How do I have the right to say "Alabamians First?" I'm a citizen, for better or worse. It's my tax dollars that are unfortunately not going to veterans, schools, etc., at least in any great measure. They are going to those who are here because they want something free. I could leave here, but I choose to stay and make things better. 

Remember the meeting Roger Bedford and others had at the A.W. Todd center about two years ago? There were no U.S. Flags there...only Mexican flags. They really love our country, don't they? No, if Canada were closer, they would go there since there's more welfare programs (due to much higher taxes on those who work). How can I judge these people? It's easy. I judge them by their actions. 

Shoalanda