Think Twice before Donating to Salvation Army

 

The following is taken from a news article originally published four years ago. It's still completely true today:

Should you contribute to local charities only or is the Salvation Army a useful tool to help the homeless, poor, etc.? Perhpaps this will help you decide:

1. The SA is a church with 1.7 million members.

2. The SA church calls its members "Salvationists."

3. The SA church was founded by a Methodist minister; its doctrine is basically that of Methodism without baptism or communion (Lord's supper). Think long and hard about that one!

4. The SA board serves North America, South America, Western Europe, the Caribbean, and Australia. 

5. The SA owns film studios which produce profit for the organization.

6. The SA pays workers a wage in most cases.

7. The SA has used government program workers free of charge, while insisting they conform to the SA doctrine.

8. A varying percentage of the money you give locally makes its way to the U.S. headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

Do you still want to give to the Salvation Army...or are Room in the Inn and the Bank Independent Toy Drive looking better to you by the minute?

Madam Shoalanda Tells it Like it Is

 

Madam Shoalanda last made an appearance here in August 2020. Now it's time to bring some new "psychic" truths to the blog...

First, let's address tarot cards. What are they good for? They have two main purposes. One is to act as a device to move film plots along. We saw that particular trope used recently in a movie so bad even Andrew Walker couldn't save it. The second is to occupy the time of teenage girls who want to be special, but don't know how. Sadly, some teenagers don't grow up.

If you really want to be special, make a list of all the things you like and are good at. Then remove all the things that neither help others nor make money. Your list should be pretty short by now. Pick the course you want to follow and don't give up. If this gets you only a block down the street, it's still farther than tarot cards will.

Second, how about Yule? it's basically a winter celebration first observed by what today we call pagans. We were amused by a recent novel we read in which the hero mentions bringing in the Yule log for a house party, but warns his guests not to mention it since local clergy preached against it. Most of us today consider the Yule log a cake you order from some place in Wisconsin. Sorry, nothing there to predict your future. Nothing.

Third, why is this important to us in the Shoals in 2022? If people think there's a place in Sheffield with a door to the metaphysical world (per the store's website), society has failed them. Let's get more specific, the Christian church has failed them. They're looking for something, but have no direction or idea how to find real meaning in life.

Our society won't be compromised by someone dressed up as Krampus to scare small children. It will be, and already has been, compromised by a weak church which often cares more for protecting sexual deviants (think Kelly Crotts) than bringing the lost to Christ. 

Tuscumbia's New Holiday Seal

Shoals Not Likely to be Home to Medical Marijuana Dispensary

 

Will one of 37 planned Alabama medical marijuana dispensaries locate in the Shoals? As it stands now, that's doubtful. Only Florence and Killen have shown concrete interest in becoming home to one of the specialized pharmacies guaranteed to be a lucrative prospect for whatever cities house them. 

How long until the initial number of 37 will be increased? We would guess a matter of years, not months. In other words, if your physician gives you a script for the approved oral form of this drug, you may have to drive to Huntsville in order to have it filled. 

The deadline for applications to operate a dispensary is December 31st. If any other Shoals towns want to become home to such a business, time is not in their favor. 

What of Sheffield? It has Inspiration Landing and a tarot card shop. Who could ask for anything more?

Don't Forget Your Krampus Tarot Cards This Holiday

Give "John W. Morgan" for Christmas

 

If you love the Shoals and its history, you need a John W. Morgan print in your collection. A little about the artist who passed away in 2006:

At age 61, Mr. Morgan began a career in historical art. Using only patience and perseverance as talent, he spent 15 years accurately depicting historical events and places in the Northwest Alabama area. Much of his work can be seen throughout the Shoals area today.

As we began to write this blog, there were four available on eBay. As we got ready to publish, one had been sold. One of the three remaining is a print of the Sheffield train depot. A friend has this print hanging in her living room, and it's truly lovely. Here's the listing: Before the Tennessean

On the Way Home

Grandma Churning at the Spring (Florence)

Amazon also has one copy of Morgan's book North Alabama History in Color. We love the cover art depicting the old railroad bridge between Lauderdale and Colbert Counties. Buy Book

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For all you in Tuscumbia, we found the perfect print, albeit not by Mr. Mogan. It's entitled Mocking Krampus:

Why Is the Shoals Home to So Much Child Porn & Sex Abuse? Part II

Several weeks ago we blogged on one of our regular bad boys. We immediately received e-mails that this man was just misunderstood and a really nice guy. We also received messages that he has numerous child porn pics on his phone.

We contacted a local law enforcement agency who said the info would be turned over to the right people. Since then, this man has been arrested twice, but not for possession of child pornography. 

Why? Authorities can't just walk up and search anyone's phone or burst in and look at the contents of one's laptop. We imagine many sick individuals in the Shoals possess what's commonly called kiddie porn, but have been careful to make sure the photos are shared in ways that can't be monitored.

These images have never been sent over the Internet? Why? Did they originate locally? That's something for all of us to think about. There's a difference in someone remarking out of politeness that your child is cute and someone who asks if he or she can spend time alone with your little darling. Here's a news flash: Most people don't want to keep your children unless it's a dire emergency or they're richly paid to do so. Remember that.

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You may have read about a large furniture manufacturing concern shutting down in Verona, Mississippi, about 50 miles west of Hamilton. One former employee has been featured on international news, along with photos of her husband and children.

At first we wondered what a bat was doing amid a Christmas display (possibly in Tupelo?). Then we looked more closely and realized it wasn't a bat; it was Tuscumbia's old friend Krampus. That demon really gets around this time of year.

Why Is the Shoals Home to So Much Child Porn & Sex Abuse? Part I

 

Almost every day in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, there was a local news report of either an arrest for possession of child porn or child sex abuse. Is there an epidemic in the Shoals?

Looking first as child porn, many fail to realize how serious this is. Most think of images produced somewhere in a God-forsaken Slavic country that have somehow made it to northwest Alabama. Look again.

At least one local arrest involved a Florence man who made child porn involving a local child. If guilty, he wouldn't be the first local to have produced such images. At least four other cases come readily to mind.

In 2014, Patricia and Matthew Ayers pleaded guilty to producing scores of erotic images of Patricia's young (pre-school) daughter. The couple, who resided just north of Florence, are now serving decades in prison with little hope of ever seeing freedom. We trust no one feels sorry for them.

In 2017, Marcus Paul Smith of Russellville was charged with producing pornographic images of his girlfriend's daughter.

In 2019, Jeffrey Dale Hunt was charged and later convicted of creating child porn in his North Florence home.

In 2022, Michael Tays of St. Florian was convicted of videoing a small child whom he forced to engage in sexual acts.

The above is not an all-inclusive list, but it covers those whose victims were very young children. How did this happen? In at least one case it was the child's own mother. In another, it was a grandfather. In others? We have to ask what the parents were doing when this abuse occurred.

Make sure your child knows who should touch him and who should not. Keep the communication lines open - yes, that means to grill him for information if necessary. 

Next: A local bad boy's trove of child porn...

Thought for the day: In a world of Yugos, be a Cadillac!

Thanksgiving 2022

 

Is everyone stuffed yet? Good. Now sit back and count your blessings. There's quite a few to enumerate, isn't there? Now think about those who, through no fault of their own, have nothing this year.

Who are these people? Most of them certainly aren't in the Shoals. How about Ukraine? Unfortunately, that country qualifies as severely damaged and impoverished.

We have never once considered a paywall here. All four of our blogs are free. We are asking this year for a contribution. No, not to us, but to those in the war torn country of Ukraine. 

Please donate if you can:

Tuscumbia Church of Christ

Ukraine Ministries

102 East 4th Street

Tuscumbia, AL 35674

Check to See if Alabama Owes You Money

 

At least two people we know have recently received a small windfall from the state. We've looked at this list of those entitled to some money from the state, and while we are not on it, several reader names pop up.

Check this list to see if Alabama owes you:

Alabama Unclaimed Property

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Until recently, we had never heard of Nick Fuentes. Unfortunately now we have. What do he and Kanye West have in common? The word "antisemitic" comes to mind.

People Are Freezing in Ukraine and Logan Taylor Cannot Connect You to the Dead

 

People are freezing in Ukraine and Kanye West is encouraging nutjobs to shoot up synagogues, but here in the Shoals we're worried about Krampus. Let's address some passages from the TimesDaily article on the Tuscumbia debacle:

Hesperia Mystic Shoppe in Sheffield, obtained a permit from the city to hold the "Festival of Yule" on Dec. 3. The shop is next door to the Noble Sparrow Tattoo, which features a mural of the late Sheffield Police Officer Nick Risner on the side.

Anyone know what this dubious shop's location has to do with the festival? This article even gives directions. Noble Sparrow Tattoo? Is that the one that uses a swallow as a logo? This should tell you the level of intelligence we're dealing with here.

A Swallow is NOT a Sparrow

"We do have Logan Taylor, a psychic medium, just to connect people with their angels, with their loved ones. He's not dealing with demons and dark things at all. He's trying to give them comfort."

News flash: Logan Taylor cannot connect you to your angels or deceased loved ones. If he could do this, he would not be residing in a small Tennessee town, but a large Mayfair townhouse attended by world leaders. Logan Taylor wants your money. If you choose to give it to him? Well, a fool and his money and all that jazz.

Where St. Nicholas would bring presents to good children, Krampus would beat naughty children with branches and sticks, and in some cases, take them back to his lair and eat them.

When we mentioned Krampus yesterday, we hesitated to relate that the demon ate children. We believed this was part of the legend, but couldn't immediately find the reference. So if your idea of family friendly is eating the little angels you've brought into the world, go for it. 

Our takeaways?

1) Tune in next month when we expect to see the town of Tuscumbia hosting a UNA sex worker gala.

2) Pray for Ukraine, our country, American Jews, and Cadillac. (Not necessarily in that order.)

"The Devil of Christmas" is Coming to Tuscumbia

 

If you've never heard of Krampus, you're probably not of German descent or a fan of Inside No. 9 (we never saw that ending coming). Who is Krampus?

He visits bad children each December 5th (Krampus Night) and leaves them wooden rods that will ostensibly be used to beat them. Better than the threat of coals, eh?

For some reason, this cheery Christmas story never picked up much traction in England, the home of Charles Dickens. You remember Dickens, don't you? The adulterer who left his own children to starve. Ah, good times, good times.

Tuscumbia has had a Dickens themed festival for quite some time. We admit we love it. That doesn't mean we love the man who was Dickens. How about Krampus, the Devil of Christmas? This year, he's coming too.

Krampus will be a part of a Yule Festival set to take place December 3rd in Tuscumbia. For those of you descended from Druids, there will be a Yule log and more. Is this more pagan than Halloween?

Remember, Halloween is the old Celtic New Year's Eve - that's pretty straight forward. Krampus? Hmmm. Perhaps we should mull this over.

If you're sure you're opposed to Krampus coming to Tuscumbia, you may wish to contact city hall. We apologize for being late in reporting this, but we've been out of the loop getting our Nick Saban voodoo dolls ready.

Meows & Growls - 100% Donation Safe

 

It's time for Thanksgiving/Christmas donations to be uppermost in the minds of many. This holiday, consider giving to Meows and Growls. This Colbert County organization was conceived some years ago as a way to prevent certain unscrupulous individuals from using direct donations for non-animal projects. Now it will assure your donations are not siphoned off by anyone who may have access to shelter funds.

As always, any donation to the Florence-Lauderdale shelter is also greatly appreciated and 100% safe. We're suggesting Meows and Growls to those who live in Colbert County and hesitate to donate out of county.

Here's the link to the Facebook page: Meows & Growls

New Tuscumbia Mayor: William Gordon Foster

 

William Gordon Foster is Tuscumbia's new mayor. Until the resignation of former mayor Kerry Underwood, Foster represented Tuscumbia's District Three.

The new mayor is a longtime citizen of the town; his family roots go back generations. Along with his family, Foster owns Seven Springs Lodge and the Rattlesnake Saloon. A graduate of Cherokee High School, Foster is engaged to be married and has a daughter from a previous relationship. 

Tuscumbia is divided into five districts. During the called meeting to select a new mayor, two council members voted for Foster, while two voted against him. Foster himself cast the deciding vote that elevated him to the office of mayor.

A separate meeting will now be called to select a replacement for Foster in District Three. Our best to Foster and the city for the next three years.

Sheffield High Scores "D" on State Report Card

 

The 2022 school report cards have now been made public by the State Department of Education. On the down side, Sheffield High School scored the lowest of other area schools. On the up side, at least we can rule out any standardized test cheating on the part of school administrators.

Why Does Liz Sennett's Killer Want to Live?

 

Kenneth Eugene Smith is scheduled to die tonight at 6:00. The state will have six hours in which to execute the convicted killer of Elizabeth Sennett of Colbert County. 

The jury that convicted Smith of the brutal murder recommended a life sentence. We do not support capital punishment in most cases; however, we have to ask why Smith is fighting for his life after 34 years behind bars. Wouldn't death be preferable at this point?

The State of Alabama will not reveal who initiates the IV and administers the drug cocktail used to end the lives of the condemned. In most cases, inserting a needle into a vein should not be difficult, yet it is. For those who don't know, neither physicians nor nurses are permitted to knowingly bring death to anyone. That seems to be the problem with these executions; those who assist appear to be using a copy of IV Lines for Dummies. Is this the best the State can do?

Will we personally mourn Smith? Hardly. We hope his execution (if it does happen) will bring some type of peace to Mrs. Sennett's family. She deserved much better than she received in life.

No Reason to Smile

Assaults, Feces, & Malfeasance at Sheffield Schools

 

Part II of one reader's take on the current condition of Sheffield City Schools:

As mentioned earlier, people in Sheffield had a right to expect great things from their new Superintendent of Schools. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. It seems to all boil down to one thing: Sheffield isn't *like* the other towns in The Shoals. I don't know if it's something in the water, but things are *different*.

How different? Apparently Sheffield students think it is perfectly OK to:

Hit, kick, and bite faculty and staff. It is even rumored that Dr. Nelson has been a victim of such behavior.

'Finger paint' with feces on the bathroom walls.

Scream profanities at faculty and staff. Even the SROs aren't immune to such uncivilized behavior.

Get the idea? Now to be perfectly fair and transparent, MOST of Sheffield's students are great, as are their parents. However, these ’problem children' appear to come by it honestly. They are simply mirroring behaviors that their 'parents', and I hesitate using that word, deem acceptable. That MUST change. If it doesn't, SCS will lose its wonderful students, caring and involved parents, and its dedicated, but beleaguered faculty and staff.

And it is THERE that the problem truly lies: SCS, the Superintendent of Schools, AND the Board of Education are OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY. They *think* that what works in other systems will work in Sheffield's schools. It won't. At least NOT until the 'problem PARENTS' are held accountable. Things ARE different here....and NOT in a *good* way.

Vacancies at Sheffield City Schools

We're Suing for Copyright Infringement

 

We promise this isn't a joke...

As regular readers know, our most popular blogs are the Labor Day Beauty Contest reports. In our blogosphere, entrants are actual labor union members whether male or female, no matter their age, weight, or mental health. Last year we had a fan favorite when a Border Collie identifying as a human female entered...and won.

This week the world has been subjected to breaking news from New Hampshire where a new Miss Derry has been crowned:

The winner is Brian Nguyen who identifies as female. Judges preferred to send Brian to the Miss New Hampshire pageant, choosing to overlook the young women in the photo who paled in size if not pulchritude. 

Welcome to 2022. We're eager to see how far Brian gets in the state pageant next Spring. 

Even though we feel we may have grounds for a copyright lawsuit, we still wish to thank those in New Hampshire who voted for Brian. These judges made many Alabamians (think Legislature) look sane.

Gerald Surratt Jr. Was Released on "Institutional Parole"

 

Until a few weeks ago, Gerald Winston Surratt Jr. was serving a 15 year sentence on theft charges. Sentenced in August 2018, Gerry was receiving Correctional Incentive Time and would have finished his prison stint in November 2023.

Our local bad boy was also eligible for parole consideration, but when he came before the board on June 10th of this year, he was denied. End of story? Not quite.

Over the past few years, we've seen several felons released early even when no parole hearing was scheduled. How does this work? It's called Institutional Parole or Mandatory Release.

For someone like Surratt whose sentence was over ten years, the Department of Corrections can offer its own version of parole 12 months before the literal end of sentence. With crowded prisons, the DOC is using this plan more and more.

Now that Surratt has been arrested again in Florence, will he return to prison to finish his sentence? We doubt it. He was charged with misdemeanors and quickly bonded out. We'll be watching to see how long his freedom lasts this time.

Walmart Continues Thanksgiving Closure/Third Felony for Wooten

 

Joe Biden may say the pandemic is over, but Walmart isn't agreeing. For the third year in a row, the king of big box stores will be closed on Thanksgiving. Walmart isn't alone; also closing will be Lowe's, Home Depot, Aldi's, T.J. Maxx, Best Buy, Kohl's, and Bed, Bath, & Beyond. 

What kind of world do we live in if we can't buy a chainsaw on Thanksgiving? A better one, we hope.

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When we last looked at Ross Newton Wooten III, he was in Kilby receiving awaiting further placement. At this time, he remains in KIlby, but his conviction status continues to evolve.

Remember his January accident in Birmingham? Trey was convicted in October on a charge of Assault. He's been given two years in that case to be served concurrently with his other two consecutive sentences. While his end of sentence date didn't change, his status did.

Wooten now has three convictions for felonies that involved injury to others. If he should commit any crime after his release, it's possible he would face a life sentence if convicted. We said it's possible, but is is likely?  Remember Preston Behel who was a prime candidate for such a sentence only weeks before? He was given basically five years to serve.

Let's hope the DOC soon has Wooten enrolled in one of its therapeutic drug programs. No one wants to see him waste away in a cell.

Is Your Local Sex Offender Totally Broken or Only Badly Bent?

 

This week, two sex offenders with local connections have been in the news. One is former Sheffield resident Derek Warren Logue (who calls himself a sex offender advocate) after he was allowed to return to Twitter. We place Logue in the Badly Bent category. Twenty years ago, Logue admitted to physical contact with an 11 year-old girl. It was a crime of opportunity and sheer idiocy.  We doubt that Logue will ever reoffend, but his danger lies in attempts to abolish the national sex offender registry. Badly bent isn't broken.

Then we have Gerald Winston Surratt, aka Gerry. While not convicted of his sex crimes, he has had several arrests. Until recently he had been in the state prison system on theft charges. Denied parole last June, he has now for reasons unknown been released to offend again. Gerry is not just bent, he's totally broken.

We believe Surratt is a danger to society, and so does the mother of one of his victims. She's started a petition to have the local bad boy's release terminated. You can access it here; please sign:

Keep Pedophile in Prison

Veterans Day 2022

 

Veterans Day. Armistice Day. Remembrance Day.

No matter what you call it, give thanks to those who served our country on this holiday and every day.

Currently, our Veterans Administration programs are failing many. At a time when there are so many problems facing our nation, we tend to forget the problems of veterans. 

Let's make an effort to hold our elected officials accountable for how our country's and state's veterans are treated. Let's have no more "Tommy this and Tommy that and Tommy go away..."

Shoalanda & Staff

Gerald Surratt Jr.: Out of Prison & Back in Jail

 

Why in the name of Harry Houdini was Gerald Winston Surratt Jr. released from prison? He failed to make parole during his last hearing and was not scheduled to be released until November 2023. Now he's walking free, or at least was.

Surratt, known as Gerry or Jerry, was arrested in Florence on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant (Universal Citation) on November 5th. Perhaps Surratt hasn't been spouting nonsense all these years when he's claimed his second cousin Circuit Court judge could make things go away?

Here's Gerrrry!

If You're a Veteran...

 

We hope everyone thanks a military veteran tomorrow; some do more for those who have served than mere verbal thanks. Here's a link to numerous special benefits to veterans tomorrow:

Freebies & Discounts 2022

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What's next for Tuscumbia? That city seems to have less political intrigue and incompetence than the other three towns comprising the Quad-Cities. Now it will have a new mayor; will it also have a new direction?

What would you like to see changed in your town, Tuscumbians? Send us a list of needs and suggestions. We'll have a special blog in the near future.

Why No Colbert Arrest in Dog Fighting Ring?

 

The end of October saw the Lauderdale County arrest of alleged dog fighter and Center Star kennel owner Lamarcus Ricks. In Ricks' home county of Colbert where he kept even more fighting dogs in Tuscumbia, there has so far been no arrest. Why?

Does Bryce Graham even care? Is Graham waiting for the new district attorney to take office? Perhaps Graham is waiting for the feds to file charges, as is expected. Or is it simply the alleged crimes have not affected any of Graham's friends?

If guilty of the charges, and we have no reason to believe that he's not, Ricks should ideally never see the light of day again. We're not going to hold our breath...

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Was John Elkington a no-show for his recently touted appearance in Sheffield? If any readers have an update on the elusive Memphis developer, please forward it to us.

Eric Balentine: If Someone Gains, Someone Else Loses

 

With ballot totals in, we're told Colbert County voters chose straight-ticket voting to the tune of 72%+. While not all were nods to Republicans, obviously most of them were. No need to select the best candidate, just place an X by what the voter considers the best party. This is why our area has at least one very amoral representative in the state legislature, and we would guess many more statewide.

Our Colbert bloggers were evenly divided in their choice of sheriff; therefore, our blog made no recommendations. Our congratulations to Eric Balentine. We do have a question for the Colbert sheriff-elect.

In a TimesDaily article, Mr. Balentine has promised more coverage in high crime areas and also more patrols in the western end of the county. If any are not aware, the eastern end of Colbert has a much higher crime rate than the western.

How will Colbert County achieve more patrols in both the eastern and western ends of the county? Does the central portion of Colbert lose all or most coverage? If not, where is the money coming from?

Words are cheap, and promises are plentiful. Colbert County deserves some real answers for its crime-prone areas.