Saturday, June 30, 2018

Tax for a New Colbert Jail?


Soon Muscle Shoals will be voting on an additional 5 mill property tax. We've published some comments on this in the past, and we continue to see quite a bit of resistance to any more taxes for a school system that many think is not responsibly run.

Now it seems that Colbert County has been told it can levy a tax to build a new jail. Will this require a vote of the people or merely a vote of the county commissioners? 

We're sure a great many are watching this situation.


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Meanwhile in Bear Creek: The controversy over town finances continues. Arguments have become more direct as town council members have pointed out shortfalls in BCDA bank deposits. Is it simply bad bookkeeping or something more? 


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Don't forget the Colbert County Commission meeting on July 3rd. We're not sure how many points Mr. Ed Bowman will bring up, and we may not agree with all of them, but it will nevertheless be extremely interesting.





Friday, June 29, 2018

Are You Keeping Up with Lawrence County, Tennessee, Political Scandal?


There are scandals, and then there are scandalous scandals. A scandal of the latter variety is now playing out in Lawrence County, Tennessee. 

First, we have Sheriff Jimmy Brown. Obviously all law enforcement officers have their detractors. Some of these critics have accused Brown of wrong doing while in office, and the high sheriff has been indicted for malfeasance.

Second, we have the district attorney Brent Cooper. Cooper, who led in obtaining an indictment against Brown, asked him to resign upon being arrested. Brown who's running for re-election refused. Let the people speak and all that.

Now let's depart this tawdry situation for an even more salacious crime. A man named Alex Shoemake is, or at least was, a sportswriter for a small Lawreceburg newspaper. Due to his reporting credentials, he had access to various elected officials and apparently attempted to buddy up to several of them, including Brown and Cooper. 

Alex Shoemake

Last November, D.A. Cooper became aware that Shoemake was being investigated out of state for a serious crime and ceased all contact with him. Then Shoemake was accused of rape and kidnapping in Lawrenceburg. According to all reports, it's pretty much a slam dunk case against the sportswriter, but Shoemake is being given special privileges in the county jail...a jail run by Jimmy Brown. Shoemake is considered a trusty and doesn't even sleep in a cell.

How has Shoemake achieved such a great relationship with Sheriff Brown? Among other things, the sportswriter presented Brown with copies of e-mails he had shared with Cooper. In this correspondence, Cooper told Shoemake that he wanted Brown out of office and another candidate in. Cooper doesn't deny this, but says the notes were written on a personal level, not a professional one. He has recused himself from prosecuting Brown. 

While we have the feeling there is to be another shoe dropped at some point, we're not as much concerned with the prosecution of Sheriff Jimmy Brown as we are the case against Shoemake. Was Alex Shoemake's other alleged crime, not yet make public, in Alabama? Has Brent Cooper's comments concerning Shoemake's personality and physical attributes possibly caused problems for anyone who attempts to prosecute the rape case against Shoemake? 

And you think Russellville has problems?





Thursday, June 28, 2018

Tuscumbia's Oakwood Cemetery


Summertime in the Shoals means many things, and sudden grass growth is one of them. This is no sudden phenomenon, so why aren't certain agencies ready for that growth? We're speaking of Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia. Recently photos have appeared on Facebook that depict a totally unacceptable situation. For instance, this:




How would you feel if you visited your family plot and found this? It looks a photograph from a website requesting volunteer workers to reclaim a lost historical graveyard. 

We promise that we're not picking on Tuscumbia this month. We do expect more from that city. Families are awaiting answers...

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A reader has asked us what's going on in Russellville. It seems several restaurants have recently closed. Since the economy is said to be on quite the uptick, we have no answer for the question.

Readers? Any idea why Russellville is suddenly losing businesses?




Wednesday, June 27, 2018

TK the AG Has Problems


July 17th is fast approaching. Perhaps no statewide election is so important as that of the duel between Steve Marshall and Troy King, aka TK the AG (when he was last in office). Now that Mr. Marshall's wife has passed away, there's no certainty that he will remain in the race; however, we believe that he will.



We always try to be up front in our endorsements and with our likes/dislikes. Regular readers know how we've always felt about Troy King, a man whose edicts while in office are still having to be countered by our legislature. Now, AL.com has published an interesting expose' on King. Sure, that media outlet doesn't like King anymore than we here do, but you can read the article and do your own fact checking.



How nice to be president of three companies. Somehow we've always believed that prexys made an actual income from their businesses. Yet that isn't our main takeaway from this article.

Troy King makes no more than 50K annually from his law practice? We've always been both amused and bemused at how the public sees all attorneys as millionaires. Our joke is that the population of Florence is 40,000, and 39,999 of these citizens are lawyers. It's very close to the truth. 

But 50K? We remember two years ago (yes, it's been that long) when an attorney friend of ours commented that accused pimp Chip Dillard had never made over 50K a year from his law practice. We can believe that of Dillard, but of King? What is wrong with that picture...and that's not a rhetorical question. We would love to know why TK has no more paying clients, assuming he's telling the truth about his practice.

So...if Steve Marshall remains on the ballot, he's the lesser of two evils. If he doesn't, the Republican Party is stuck with TK the AG. Remember: Not all Democrats are demons.





Tuesday, June 26, 2018

We're Going to Buy Lottery Tickets!


Why would we purchases lottery tickets? We must be clairvoyant! It seems that Robert Palmer, late of the TimesDaily, did go to work for Libby Jordan at the Rosenbaum home. So if you write something positive about the Jordan family, you too may be next in line for a job with the City of Florence.


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Apologies to the "Full Time Tuscumbian" for not publishing his rebuttal to our Midnight Rider. We were unable to transfer his document to Blogger, but rest assured that it's coming.

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Speaking of Tuscumbia, we've had some more reports of problems at Spring Park. If you have pics of any dangerous/antiquated equipment, send them to us.





Monday, June 25, 2018

Littleville Water Crisis


How much do you pay for your water? Looking at a bill from Florence Utilities, we're seeing a charge for 32 days of just under $15.00. The problem being in all local municipalities, if you don't like your bill, you have no alternative. You in, oh, say Littleville, can't simply decide to switch to Russellville Utilities. It simply doesn't work that way.

Did we mention Littleville? It seems that city's water bills will be increasing in the amount of $20.00 per month. That's more than an entire water bill for most people in Florence. (Thank God for Cypress Creek.) Just how did that come about? According to news reports, the town voted...as in the town council voted.

But now it's come to light that one town council member doesn't live in Littleville. Really? Yes, seemingly so. Here's a post from Colbert County Corruption:





Hey Mayor Scotty Howard. Just because he owns property in the city limits, doesn’t constitute him physically living in the city limits. I guess the rules are different for people who get elected or work for the elected!
David McAnally pictured here has even been heard bragging around town, that he’s moved. The pictures with vehicles...His is the white Honda RidgeLine parked at his residence OUTSIDE the city limits. 
If you ask me, that’s pretty dog gone arrogant!

Alabama Code Title 11. Counties and Municipal Corporations
§ 11-43-1 Every mayor, councilman, and officer elected by the whole electorate of the city or town shall be a resident and qualified elector of the city or town in which he shall have been elected and shall reside within the limits of the city or town during his term of office. The councilmen shall be qualified electors of said city or town, residing within the limits of the ward from which they shall have been elected and shall reside within the limits of said ward during the term of their office.

Does this automatically negate any decisions on any issues on which he's voted? It's certainly a possibility. What does Littleville say? The councilman intends on moving back at some point. Hmm, does that mean we don't have to pay property taxes if we intend on moving out of state at some point? Or does it simply mean that the above law doesn't apply to Littleville? We look forward to hearing more.


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Remember the Tuscumbia issue? No, not the one about stored tires, the one about how many police officers the town has, etc. Tomorrow we'll revisit that debate. Tune in...





Sunday, June 24, 2018

Tiresome Problems for Tuscumbia


Tuscumbia has had its share of critics recently, as all cities do. Here's an interesting take on a 21st Century problem:


Hook Street Warehouses 

The approximately 250,000 tires stored by Mr. Hines at the warehouses on Hook Street, which are currently being demolished by the City of Tuscumbia with local tax dollars and federal funds, are tires that were illegally stored by Mr. Hines. Mr. Hines, the Owner of Hines Tires on 6th street in Tuscumbia, had customers pay a disposal fee for their old tires to Mr. Hines when they bought new tires. ADEM regulations require that tires are properly disposed of and the fee is issued to cover the costs of proper disposal. Mr. Hines pocketed the disposal fee and stored the tires secretly on his property. 

Over the years the tires have accumulated at multiple illegal storage sites in Colbert County. The City of Tuscumbia has elected to utilize tax payer’s dollars to clean up Mr. Hines' tires instead of imposing the ADEM regulations on Mr. Hines to clean up his own property. Why should the citizens of Tuscumbia pay to clean up Mr. Hines’ tires? The City of Tuscumbia, State of Alabama and the Environmental Protection Agency all have rules and regulations to govern proper tire disposal. 

Why are these regulations not being imposed on Mr. Hines? Which one of the Super 6 is friends with Mr. Hines? Furthermore, once the property is cleaned up by the City, Mr. Hines will have full use and ownership of the property. Why should your tax dollars be used to help Mr. Hines? Do you need the city to clean up your property for free? Just call them and ask and see what they say!

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We realize that lawsuits cost money; however, anyone who lives within the city limits of Tuscumbia and who has used Hines Tire Company (paying them to dispose of used tires) could join forces and file a suit.

Several years ago while traveling, we had an almost new tire go bad. It obviously had to be replaced then, and the only dealer in this small town charged an outrageous price for a new one (we strongly suspect he'd spotted our out of state tag). And the cost to dispose of the ruined new tire? $10.00. We told him to place in the trunk of the car...where it stayed for months before we could find a place to dispose of it legally. Sometimes it's the principle of the thing, and we say Hines Tire Company should reimburse the citizens of Tuscumbia. 


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Who is the masked man? Tune in tomorrow...





Saturday, June 23, 2018

Colbert County Commission Meeting July 3rd


We've been told that during the last Colbert County commission meeting only one citizen was in attendance. Perhaps there was nothing on the agenda of great importance or perhaps people genuinely don't care unless sex offenders are involved.



We've also received complaints that the commission doesn't answer inquiries from citizens. We don't believe this is unusual. Several years ago, we personally contacted members of the Lauderdale County Commission in writing and failed to hear from any of them. We did later encounter MC (no longer on the commission) who asked for our vote for another office. We just laughed.

There are to be some interesting questions asked at the next commission meeting on July 3rd. If you live in Colbert County, you should attend if your schedule permits. You pay taxes and you deserve answers.


*****

We've seen comments that the Colbert administrator doesn't forward messages. This may or may not be true.

We're going to make one suggestion here to any administrative personnel who takes messages/open mail. Divide the correspondence into three stacks: One for messages that you know are important to your supervisor, a second for those you have no idea about, and a third for those you're pretty sure your superior won't care diddly about. You've done your job, let your boss do the rest.






Friday, June 22, 2018

Where Is Robert Palmer? Did Gun Control Do Him In?


Robert Palmer has written for the TimesDaily for a number of years. So where is he?



Recently we received some complaints on the TotallyDecatur not covering the problems at the Florence Animal Shelter. Several mentioned seeing Bernie Delinski at a council meeting, but never reading about the proceedings. Wait...Bernie Delinski? Wasn't this Robert Palmer's territory?

We did a quick check and his last published article was an editorial from March 4th. The editorial was critical of some efforts to counter gun control. Did local, or even non-local, NRA members protest? Of was it just a case of Palmer getting a better offer?

Is he now a toadie, er, roadie for a well-known Shoals rock family whom he helped immortalize in print at the TD? Or writing the bios of that Florence political dynasty he insisted was real? Or did the New York Times call? Or does anyone really care...except for the gun control angle that is?








Thursday, June 21, 2018

The Midnight Rider Rebuts the Tuscumbian




The Rider Sets the Record Straight on Tuscumbia


By: The Midnight Rider



It’s summer time here at the ranch. That means that there is hay to be baled, cows to be fed and other things that have to be done on a daily basis. I haven’t been reading Shoalanda Speaks because I have been busy at the ranch. However, last night I was reading the site to get caught up in the world.

I came across an article that was published by a “Concerned Tuscumbian.” The article was negative toward the City, Mayor and City Council. I read the article several times before I realized there are somethings published that is not true. While there are some items listed or questioned I don’t have an answer for, I have an idea on how to get an answer. I will explain that shortly.

First let’s talk about this quote/question:

The mayor and council just voted to purchase 11 vehicles for the police department from State Troopers. Last time I checked we only have 3 or 4 officers and that number can change depending on whether a sister city is hiring. So what are we going to do with 11 police cars? Does each officer get 3 vehicles to interchange so the mileage is kept low.

I am going to have to call BS on this one. I didn’t know the answer to how many Officers the Tuscumbia Police Department had so I figured I would find out. I picked up the phone and called. I was told there are 21 Officers including the Chief. It is amazing what you can find out if you just ask. It’s called Public Information.

So this blows the theory of 3-4 Officers working at Tuscumbia Police Department out of the water. So if you have 21 Officers working at the Police Department, that means that that 2 officers will be sharing a car. I even went further and looked up some information on the internet. I found out that most Police Departments want a single car per person. They have found that with that program, the single Officer takes better care of the vehicle and there is less maintenance.




Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan


Okay, let’s go with the next quote/question:

We still have some of the lowest paid city employees in the area.

I don’t believe that. However I can be proved or disproved by making a few phone calls, because you not what? It’s Public Information. I didn’t have time to call around to the various Cities to check on the pay scale. But what I did do, is call two people I know. One works for the Tuscumbia Police Department and one for Sheffield Fire Department. The Fireman had 2 years of Service more than the Police man. Guess what I found out. Tuscumbia makes more. Don’t get me started on the City of Sheffield.

Yes Tuscumbia used to be the lowest paying City but not anymore. One thing people don’t seem to understand is a City can only pay or give raises according to the tax base. If the tax base is down, then raises are not there.

No streets have been paved!

Let’s talk about the street paving issue. There was a recent article in the Times Daily and the Quad Cities Daily outlining the situation of the street paving. If you didn’t read them, let me summarizes them. Basically, the City of Tuscumbia has received a Grant for paving of the streets. The City matched a portion of the grant. There were meetings to determine which streets need to be paved. Now there is a bid process on who will get to do it. You want to get the most for your buck.

So that kills the theory of the street paving. The Mayor cannot just say “go pave a street” There has to be State approval as well as tests on these roads. The paving is coming, the money has been promised. It just takes time.




Tuscumbia Mayor Kerry Underwood


There are other things in the article that I do not have an answer for. But I have an idea. Why don’t you attend a City Council meeting and ask these questions. From my understanding and watching on Facebook, very few people attend the meetings. Let your voice be heard

I don’t live in the City of Tuscumbia. I live in the County. I don’t know anyone on the Council, the Mayor or Chief of Police. But from what I hear from talking to my friends that do live in the City of Tuscumbia, they are glad the current Council is doing something. The last Council didn’t seem to want to do anything. Is the new Council doing everything correct, probably not but at least they are trying.




Tuscumbia City Council


That’s it for now. But remember, the Midnight Rider will always be around to voice his/her/their (?) opinion.


I am and always will be, the Midnight Rider.






Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Who's Running the Colbert Tax Assessor's Office?


It's been reported that every employee of the Colbert County tax assessor's office has resigned within a period of days. Who's carrying out the day to day activities? Surely Mr. Oswalt (the tax assessor) can't run the entire office by himself. 



If you need an office job and are good with numbers, here's your golden opportunity. It might also be advantageous to bone up on the ethics laws while you're filling out that application.


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Now an addendum/correction to a recent statement posted in this blog. Josh Jordan has not been relieved of his duties teaching EMT classes, only CPR classes. As of today, his name is still not on the list of adjuncts for NWSCC. Why?

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Encountering any kind of harassment in the nursing field? Here's an organization you need to join:



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Have you been reading about the Jessica Hamby missing person case? It's not pretty. Ladies...and gentlemen...if you play with thugs, they're apt to want to play with you, only in a different sort of way. It doesn't mean you feel better than anyone else if you avoid the company of certain people; it simply means you value your life and safety too much to take a chance. 




Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Bear Creek Is Broke?



CITIZENS OF BEAR CREEK: Since there is no page that I know of to share town business, reluctantly, as a representative of this town as a councilman, I want to make aware a few things that the citizens of this town may not know.
1) We are dead broke. Beyond broke.
2) We are spending more money than we are bringing in.
3) Within the last year, we have borrowed $200,000 to pay bills that we were behind on, with the most recent being $100,000 just last week at a special called meeting.
4) The water department is now approximately 3/4 of a million dollars in debt.
5) We are trying to borrow our way out of debt.
6) No financials or talk of financials are ever brought before the council, ever. The council has no idea where the city stands because no records and no checks and balances are ever put in place, even though this has all been asked for repeatedly.
7) Our last audit was for the year 2015.
8) The bank can not talk to councilman about the debt or finances.
9) The town owes the Park & Rec approximately $10,000. The kids could use that.
10) We have no contract with BCDA for the camp ground and there is no meeting or no talk about a future contract.
11) These are just a few.
All I am stating is facts that I thought the citizens may be interested in since our finances are spiraling down the drain. This is just a few of the things. This may be considered wrong by some, but I have been left with no choice. It is my obligation to make sure the people know. I will not debate right or wrong with anyone. I'm simply doing what I think I should for the people I represent. Right or wrong, now you no SOME of what we are facing. If you care to talk more about these issues, please come to a council meeting or feel free to call me at 205-269-3654. I am always open to talk to anyone about our little town. That is what I am here for. 
Daniel Green

Monday, June 18, 2018

Updates on Madden, Jordan, & Shaw/Dial


There seems to be a great deal of confusion about the sentence of Crista Massey Madden. She is to serve two 20 year sentences concurrently. That means at the same time. She would be serving 40 years only if she were sentenced to serve them consecutively. Also, while she's not eligible for Correctional Incentive Time, she is eligible for parole.


*****

We have heard that Josh Jordan has been terminated from his position (whatever it was) at NWSCC. We are attempting to get more information on this and will report whatever we find.




To the person who asked what his former marriages had to do with anything at all... At least he was a man who confessed to felony domestic violence (having choked a 16 year-old boy). What is so very hard to understand about this? If this means nothing to you, it should!

Rest assured, if Wally Cox or Arnold Stang were alive to commit violence against a woman or a child, we would be outraged. When a bodybuilder does it? There really aren't enough negative words.


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Have Sharita Long and Debbie Dial left the employ of the Colbert County tax assessor's office? We understand that both women left after two individuals filed ethics complaints against them. We should have more on this later. 

What penalties did these women face if the ethics commission found them guilty? Only a small fine and reprimand, as we understand it. Our ethics laws have few, if any, teeth.


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Returning to the problem of Josh Jordan at NWSCC, we have found a second list of professors/assistant professors/adjunct instructors for the college. Was Jordan's name on this second list? No.

How was it that this man's name was omitted from both lists if he were indeed an adjunct? Was there some kind of cover up, as in: Oh, he xxxxxx, did he? Well, he never was a regular employee here, just a fill in. If this was the case, are there others like him at NWSCC? It's a question all taxpayers should be asking.





Sunday, June 17, 2018

Father's Day 2018



There are many ways a father can interact with his children. Reading is just one of them, but it's a wonderful way to spend even just a short period with them each night. 

Be the father your children want and need...and have a wonderful Father's Day!


All of us at Shoalanda Speaks

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Welcome to Sheffied!



Nothing touts a city's educational system like attractive signs, articulate signs. Guess that just about does it for Sheffield, er, Sheffied. No, wait. Here's a wider view:



Is that a truncheon by the right of the door? Great advertising - you don't even have to bring your own weapons.

How many ordinances do you think this business is breaking? Think this is why John Elkington can't get investors for Inspiration Landing?

BTW, lest you think Shoalanda is responsible for these photos, 'fraid not. They're already on FB and demonstrating what visitors to Sheffield see at a major intersection.


*****

And now a letter from a savvy reader:

I'm thinking the dispute over who said what at the CPR class is because those type lessons are divided into groups. Usually three or four to a group. Those in a back group wouldn't hear what was said up front.

What I'd really like to know is why this man apparently teaches classes at NWSCC but isn't listed in the staff directory? What is this taxpayer supported college covering up? His bad reputation, but he works cheap? God help Alabama.


*****

Rest assured, when we hear of the outcome of NWSCC's investigation into claims against the Muscle Shoals firefighter, we'll publish any information made public. 






Friday, June 15, 2018

What's Going On in Tuscumbia?


From a Tuscumbian:

The City of Tuscumbia refinanced bonds to get money for much needed things such as infrastructure and paving of streets. That’s all well and good but just a few questions for our Super Six…


Would you truthfully tell us where the money is really going please?



Since taking office:

1) The mayor and council had to borrow $400,000 from a local bank to pay the city’s bills.


2) The mayor and council approved a deal with Sheffield Mayor Sanford to spend six thousand dollars, (yes that’s $6,000 dollars) for a corridor study on Hook Street to benefit Sheffield’s proposed Inspiration Landing (which is there but you can’t see it).


3) The mayor and council hired a Mr. Edwards to maintain the city website supposedly at $600 per month. Edwards has now convinced the Super Six to allow him to hire 2 PAID, (yes PAID) interns to help him. Either local college could have provided a website director and interns at NO COST to the taxpayer. What’s really going on here? Isn’t Mr. Edwards the man who was the mayor’s campaign manager in 2016? So now, we as taxpayers, are having to pay him back. Shameful! 


4) The mayor and council have now hired a firm to attract business to the city for a nominal fee of $40,000 per year. When campaigning for the mayor position, Mr. Underwood touted his ability to bring businesses to the city. Well, where are all these new businesses? 


5) The mayor and council just voted to purchase 11 vehicles for the police department from State Troopers. Last time I checked we only have 3 or 4 officers and that number can change depending on whether a sister city is hiring. So what are we going to do with 11 police cars? Does each officer get 3 vehicles to interchange so the mileage is kept low.

6) We still have some of the lowest paid city employees in the area!


7) No streets have been paved!


8) No new infrastructure! Although, the mayor did have brick crosswalks at some intersections, so maybe that could be counted as infrastructure.


9) The mayor and council have purchased a bus for the city to transport the hundreds of daily tourists who flood the streets of Tuscumbia. Those elusive tourists are as invisible as the “Inspiration Landing”.


10) The mayor and council have now voted to give $2500 for a Music Cities Study that will benefit a development in Huntsville known as Mid City Huntsville.


Mr. Mayor and Honorable City Council, where are your priorities? We have a spending problem in our quaint little town. This 2.4 million you have garnered from the bond issue will soon be gone so what’s your solution then? It’s embarrassing to say the least how you SIX are handling the finances and needs of our city. We expected more from your Mr. Underwood. We expected more from you Mr. Foster. We expected more from you Mr. Smart. And we definitely expected more from you Mr. Isom. For the other two, oh well…


Thank goodness our dear friend Mayor Bill Shoemaker is not here to see what you Super Six are doing to this town. Bill was a man who cared about the needs of the people but he was also an honest man who would tell you that the town just didn’t have the funds to blow on foolish things such as a city website director, paid interns, studies to benefit other towns, buying more police cars than you have officers when you can’t pay the officers a decent wage, buying a bus or paying $40,000 for a recruiting firm who says it can bring business to your city. Sad but true and to say we are truly disappointed in the mayor and the council is a gross understatement. Have you forgotten who you were elected to serve? 


We’ll remind you in 2020 if things don’t change! 


 

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Running a City Right (into the Ground?)


Obviously everyone knows how to run a city better than those in charge. Ahem...

Still, we sometimes have to wonder about mismanagement at some levels. Let's look at Sheffield first. It's mid-June and we've been informed that the city pool and splash pad have not yet opened. Any reason for this, or is Sheffield simply feeling a tad lazy this year.

Then we have Inspiration Landing. Any word on that mega project? Any word at all? The last we've heard was a May report from WAAY stating ground would be broken for the new amphitheater before December 31st...or approximately six months after its original finish date. Delays happen, but we would love to see some actual backhoe work after all this coordinatin'.


*****

Tuscumbia is moving along with new plans. Most of these plans hold merit and appear to us to be doable. Yet not all the plans are worthy of praise according to one local political commentator.

Look for his take on Mayor Underwood's dream of the city in the next few days.


*****

Muscle Shoals? We've heard comments that the fire department has taken a page from the UNA play book concerning which bad boy firefighters are kept and which are retained. We would love someone in the know to do an article on this situation.


*****

Florence? There will be a news conference tomorrow morning concerning that city's animal shelter. There's a lot going on there, and much we've been told on condition that we hold off on reporting it. We do keep our promises, but we also understand it's hard for the public to sit idly by when animals are needlessly slaughtered.

More to come? You betcha! We can hardly hold Prince back...


Prince, Threatening to Bite Animal Abusers Since 2015


Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Status of Complaints Against Josh Jordan


Editor's note: We do not enumerate any past charges against anyone unless that person has been accused of new crimes or public actions that impact society. In other words, the two legal proceedings in Joshua Jeffrey Jordan's past would never have appeared here except for the new complaints against him.


Josh Jordan is a Muscle Shoals firefighter who's been accused of sexual harassment. We're going to be looking at several problems presented by Jordan that have affected public welfare.


1. Jordan claims on social media that he is an adjunct instructor at Northwest Shoals Community College. He is NOT listed as an adjunct on the school's online directory. From what we can gather, Jordan simply teaches CPR to pre-nursing students and perhaps others in need of the course. Certification lasts from one to two years depending upon the entity issuing the certification, so Jordan teaches very infrequently at best. He is best termed a guest lecturer.

By claiming academic credentials and laurels he doesn't possess, Jordan demeans those who have honestly achieved them. This is not becoming in one who, at least in the eyes of some, represents the City of Muscle Shoals.

2. Jordan has been married and divorced three times. Is this relevant. Yes...

* Marriage Number One ended over accusations we're attempting to document. 

* Marriage Number Two ended in 2013. In 2014, Jordan was charged in Lawrence County, Tennessee, with Felony Assault against his estranged wife and her 16 year old son. The son's injuries were so severe that he required medical treatment. He was also accused of assaulting the pair with his vehicle. Jordan pleaded guilty to the felony and was placed in a diversionary program. After one year of supervised probation, Jordan's conviction was expunged from his record; however, the Muscle Shoals Fire Department removed him from its tactical program at that time.

* Marriage Number Three also ended in divorce. We have no word or documentation on any reasons for its dissolution.

3. Three days ago, Jordan taught a CPR class to 21 women and 2 men. He repeatedly asked the class if they thought he was sexy. His feeble attempts at ego stroking went on for the entire class. Remember, it's the instructor who grades the tests at the end of the class. Would you have objected very strenuously, especially if you were very young and unsure of your rights?

We've taken a few classes in our day and have the pieces of paper to prove it. We've never had any instructor, male or female, ask if we (the class) thought he/she was sexy. In fact, we've never had any instructor ask our opinion of his haircut, necktie, sexual orientation, or choice of sides for lunch. In short, this was extremely abnormal behavior for any instructor/professor.

To the young ladies (and gentlemen) who were in the class: If you weren't offended by this man's remarks, you should have been. It was totally unprofessional conduct. It also smacks of either some kind of substance abuse or mental illness. We can guarantee you that this kind of behavior is against the policy at NWSCC and will not be tolerated. The question isn't "Did anyone like it?" but "Did it really happen?" If it happened, and we believe that it did, this man should not be brought back to the college ever again in any academic capacity.

The Muscle Shoals fire chief has reportedly said that what Jordan does on his off time is not relevant to his employment with the city. That means that no charges can be filed with the city. Charges have been filed at NWSCC. We'll be publishing an update when any decisions or announcements are made public.




Shoalanda, Protecting Young Women from Teacher Sexual Harassment Since 2008

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Sexual Harassment Charges Filed Against Local Firefighter


Sometimes certain behavior leaves us at a loss for words, but we usually recover quickly. This is a developing story, so we're sure there will be much more to report in the next few days. For now, we'll simply say that a Muscle Shoals firefighter has been accused of some extremely blatant sexual harassment. Witnesses? We understand there were over 20 of them. That's right - the firefighter in question was speaking to a group of nursing students when he made his sick comments.

Obviously he wanted a response, so we'll give him one. Look, Chipmunk Cheeks, we've seen your photos. Remember, we're only responding since you asked. We, at the advanced age of 112 years and 9 months, don't see anything even remotely sexy about you. We'll be happy to accept comments on your looks when we publish your name and photo tomorrow.




In the interim, we're calling you "Chipmunk Cheeks." After we get to know you better, we'll be happy to advance to the more intimate "Jerk Face." Remember, you're the one who asked.


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We understand that sexual harassment charges have been filed unofficially with the Muscle Shoals Fire Department and a local college. Official charges are expected to follow. 

Before you ask, we'll answer. Yes, we do feel sorry for this man's family, but that doesn't mean his egregious behavior should be covered up. Years ago, we knew a teacher at Coffee High School who called herself a dragon. We never anticipated being old enough to be a dragon, much less enjoying it. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?





Monday, June 11, 2018

Return to Unsolved Murders


J. Redmon, one of our bloggers, has asked us about local unsolved murders. We could think of a few immediately, but there are probably many more. We're asking our readers to help.


Elbert Davis Jr.

First, a few weeks ago, we asked if the murder of Jermaine Willie Koger had ever been solved. We received no replies. Surely Mr. Koger has family and friends who can answer this question for our readers (and us). Let's look at some others:

Lauderdale County:

Andrea Forbes - Florence

Jose' D'Leon - Florence

Connie Ridgeway - Rogersville

Tommy Morris - Central Heights (may have been killed in Florence and body taken to this area)

Colbert County:

Elbert Davis Jr. - Tuscumbia

Gary Baskins - Muscle Shoals

Kayla Glover - Muscle Shoals

John Edward Johnson - Muscle Shoals

Franklin County:  

L. N. Flippo - Red Bay

Ruth Flippo - Red Bay

Elizabeth Farned - Russellville

If our readers can think of others, please forward their names to us. 

While there is never total closure in any murder, with an arrest the victim's family can find solace in a small amount of justice. Let's hope these murders are solved at some point.








Sunday, June 10, 2018

Loss of Potts Building a Tragedy


First reports simply stated a fire in downtown Florence. Then we heard that it was a law office. Still later the word came that it was the Potts law office. As horrible as it was, the impact didn't reach us until later. Our first thoughts were that as large an inconvenience it was for Mr. Frank B. Potts, we were sure all losses were covered by insurance.

Then we heard the worst: The law office was filled with decades of memorabilia from the career of Mr. Frank V. Potts. 


Mr. Frank V. Potts

The elder Mr. Potts founded the Potts & Young firm in 1939...think about that. Eighty years is a long time for any institution. While it hasn't been touched on, we're sure that the younger Mr. Potts also lost much that he had contributed. How does one accept that and move forward?

As hard as it must be, we hope Frank, Robert, and the entire Potts family know that the combined prayers of many are with them. No one was physically hurt. Some material items were lost, but the good Mr. Frank V. Potts did for his community will live forever.




Saturday, June 9, 2018

The Owl's Eye?/How Dirty Is It?


Over the years, we've published some blogs on WOWL Television in Florence. The now basically defunct station advertised with an Owl logo (big surprise) and also took it a step further to promote safety. The owl had two eyes - one red and one green. The color of the eye that was lit during any 24 hour period indicated if there had been a local traffic fatality.




We've found few photos over the years that depict WOWL history, so we're reaching out to our readers. If anyone has a photo of the owl logo (in color) that distinctly shows the owl's eyes, please send it to us: Shoalanda.Speaks@gmail.com.

This photo will be used in a book, so be sure to include your name if you want credit. No, Shoalanda isn't the one writing the book, but when published, we will encourage you to purchase it.


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Our latest Quad-Cities Cuisine is on Captain D's in Muscle Shoals. It seems that eatery doesn't have the best health score:



So would you eat there? Your reviews are always welcome for our restaurant blog!