First the store in Florence Plaza was W.T. Grant (remember the popcorn machine?), then Woolco, and (almost) finally Big Lots. Yes, it was Big Lots for decades until the store moved to the parkway. Things were booming...or so everyone thought.
Then yesterday, everyone's favorite discount store announced the closing of its 963 remaining stores. Life goes on, but differently.
While many are totally opposed to shopping from the comfort of their La-Z-Boy, we love it. Pay that yearly Amazon Prime and Walmart+ fee and shake off the chains of the combustion engine and lipstick.
Sure, we'll miss just knowing that Big Lots was out there, but we've survived J.C. Penney, K-Mart, and Sears disappearing, we'll live through this. Plus we have about $500.00 worth of fancy cosmetic/bath product bottles in our bathroom that will forever remind us of the glory that was Big Lots.
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If you're wondering what retail icon could go next, the rumor mill has recently been in overdrive about closure of the remaining Game Stops.
Florence attorney and former Lauderdale County circuit judge William K. (Billy) Jackson has been named the new Sheffield Municipal Court judge. Jackson will take office on January 1st.
The Florence resident was confirmed by the Sheffield City Council, with one dissenting vote. Councilwoman Randa Hovater stated she favored someone who lived and paid taxes in Sheffield. The current City judge is also a resident of Florence.
Over the years, we've received several communications from readers who believe they've spotted someone wanted in the Shoals. We've always advised them to contact the appropriate law enforcement office. A few months ago, we decided to publish wanted posters from local and national agencies in hopes that at least a few walkabout felons could be apprehended.
Some readers informed us that one or two of these individuals were now deceased, but the oddest comment has come from a long-time reader who is often critical of our blog. She has asserted several times that we have omitted White felons, while posting Latinos almost exclusively. Have we?
Unless we knew a wanted individual was deceased or had been apprehended, we omitted no one. Are there more Latinos on the Most Wanted Lists? Yes in some cases; however, since we have nothing to do with composing these censuses, we can't comprehend how we are in anyway to blame.
Here's a rundown of the ethnic/racial makeup of the lists we published:
Colbert County:
White - 3
Black - 6
Latin - 0
Franklin County:
White - 3
Black - 0
Latin - 2
Marion County:
White - 10
Black - 2
Latin - 0
Tishomingo County:
White - 0
Black - 0
Latin - 2
City of Russellville (only those with photos):
White - 8
Black - 0
Latin - 3
State of Alabama:
White - 3
Black - 0
Latin - 3
State of Mississippi:
White - 1
Black - 2
Latin - 0
State of Tennessee:
White - 2
Black - 3
Latin - 4
Asian - 1
FBI:
White - 2
Black - 1
Latin - 6
Indian - 1
US Marshals:
White - 5
Black - 6
Latin - 2
The State of Tennessee and the FBI both have an inordinate number of Latins considering the population makeup. Why? We can only speculate, but it's easier for a Latino to return to south of the border than it is for a citizen to disappear completely. Thus, Latins are not captured in large numbers and remain on the list.
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We've begun publishing posters of missing Alabama children, and those are numerous. Who knows...keep your eyes open and you might reunite a family.
Sadly, we never hear anything good about elected boards of education. Complaints against the Lauderdale body are both numerous and frequent. We also hear much more infrequent worries about the Florence City Board. This week we've been made aware of the board president's odd behavior concerning complaints from Harlan Elementary teachers. He "cackled."
Attorney David Howard is the president of the Florence BOE. Surely a lawyer is able to keep a straight face. Does he just not care?
We've previously mentioned area council and commission members who never acknowledge e-mails or phone calls. Our take has always been that they could at least pretend to be interested in the problems of the citizens. Similarly, if the Florence BOE president can't at least pretend to be an advocate for the system's teachers, maybe it's time for him to retire.
The City of Tuscumbia has financial problems, yet is the town spending its available tax revenue wisely? It certainly isn't spending it on Spring Park. A member of the Robbins family recently posted this on Facebook:
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A company called Belterra Partners is seeking rezoning to build a retail facility near Walmart on Cloverdale Road. In looking at information on the business partially based in Birmingham, we found their web profile and logo.
Ah, yes, their logo! If you think it's lacking, consider this: It was created by Tatum Design, that infamous company which gave us F!rence...
Republicans in the state legislature have published their agenda for the February session. There's good, and there's dog whistles. Illegal immigration is one hot topic, but according to Sen. Larry Stutts it's much worse than anyone thought.
Per 1819 News' account of the recent Shoals Republican meeting:
Stutts concluded the discussion and saw the solution to the illegal issue as "getting control of the borders." Stutts alleged that many of the millions here in the state of Alabama are not necessarily looking for a better life and have no desire to learn Alabama's values or assimilate.
Millions of illegals? That was news to us. What do actual statistics say? Here's a few numbers to put the illegal immigration problem into perspective:
* Alabama has 183,500 immigrant residents, which is 3.6% of the state's total population.
* Alabama has an estimated 55,400 undocumented immigrants, which is 34% of the state's immigrant population. A second source gives the number at 62,000.
The last time we checked, 55.4K (or 62K) people are no where close to two million. Why are Alabamians so ill-informed? Perhaps because its leaders are...
The old and new Florence parking decks have produced endless discussions. We've only now learned of an important argument that has been taking place, one that may be already settled. The question: Is the current City policy the correct one?
Electric vehicles are not allowed in some decks. Why?
Electric vehicles (EVs) can potentially set parking decks on fire due to the risk of their lithium-ion batteries experiencing "thermal runaway" in certain situations, which can lead to intense heat generation, rapid fire spread, and difficult-to-extinguish fires, especially in confined spaces like parking garages; this is a growing concern as more EVs are on the road, and proper fire safety measures are crucial in parking structures to mitigate this risk.
Key points about EV fires in parking decks: Thermal runaway: The primary danger is the potential for a battery to overheat and enter a "thermal runaway" state, where it rapidly releases large amounts of heat, causing a fire that can spread quickly to nearby vehicles.
Toxic smoke: EV battery fires produce highly toxic smoke due to the chemicals involved, posing a significant health hazard.
Difficult to extinguish: Traditional firefighting methods may not be effective against an EV battery fire, requiring large volumes of water and specialized techniques to cool the battery down.
Confinement issues: Parking garages are often tightly packed with vehicles, which can accelerate fire spread if an EV catches fire.
Charging station risks: Faulty charging stations or improper charging practices can also increase the risk of an EV fire in a parking structure.
Yet the powers that be in Florence are currently allowing EVs in the new deck without specialized means to avoid/mitigate these fires. Perhaps it's simply a case of Andy being Andy...
Sheffield mayor Steve Stanley has, rather belatedly, attempted to cut back on expenses for the City on the Bluff (or is it the Center of the Shoals?). There may have been a financial reason for his seeking to redo contracts with the city judge, attorney, and prosecutor.
While no new contract has as yet been negotiated with the municipal judge, agreements have been reached with the City attorney and prosecutor. We understand that these contracts which begin January 1st are much less lucrative than previous agreements.
As for the five or six lawsuits against the City, we can't help but speculate if Ben Gardner Jr. will require additional assistance in his defense of the town and its police department. Perhaps Mayor Stanley can initiate a GoFundMe page?
Are most Shoals school teachers happy? How about at the recently featured Harlan Elementary in Florence? If you think the answer to that is "yes," then you might want to take a look at a partial list of the most recent AEA/FEA Harlan survey questions below.
Let's hope administration, as well as parents, take steps to correct these problems.
Thursday night marked the Muscle Shoals High School band concert held in the school auditorium. According to some parents, the occasion provided some extra drama that did not speak well of the school system.
According to those familiar with the layout of the auditorium, there is seating at the front of the mezzanine designated as reserved for handicapped individuals and those assisting them. These seats are marked with the standard wheelchair icon.
Those in attendance reported that Superintendent Chad Holden and at least two in his party (presumably his wife and son) entered and sat in the reserved handicapped seats. Holden remained seated as those walking with the assistance of canes or ambulating in a wheel chair had to navigate steps in order to find a seat.
One of our informants labeled Holden as "classless and entitled." According to those who observed this drama, several high school students assisted those with ambulation problems in finding and getting to seats.
There was also a comment as to how helpful the band director was in having her students make way for those who had problems navigating the auditorium. How sad that the superintendent didn't do the same.
The natives are restless at Harlan Elementary School. If you're unfamiliar with that North Florence hall of learning, the school houses the first through fifth grades, meaning the students would not normally be older than 11.
We've received a packet of information about various problems at Harlan, including alleged guns on campus. One incident concerned an airsoft weapon. Are they harmless?
Here's what one medical source says:
Airsoft weapons can cause a variety of injuries, ranging from minor welts to more serious eye injuries and internal bleeding. The severity of the injury depends on several factors, including the type of airsoft weapon, the distance from the target, and the type of ammunition used.
Common injuries from airsoft weapons include:
Welts and bruises: These are the most common type of injury from airsoft weapons. They are caused by the impact of the BB on the skin.
Eye injuries: Eye injuries are a serious concern with airsoft weapons.Even small BBs can cause serious damage to the eye, including blindness. It is important to always wear eye protection when using airsoft weapons.
Internal bleeding: Internal bleeding can occur if an airsoft BB strikes a vital organ, such as the liver or spleen. This is a serious injury that can be life-threatening.
Broken bones: Broken bones can occur if an airsoft BB strikes a bone with enough force. This is more likely to happen with high-powered airsoft weapons.
Dental injuries:Dental injuries can occur if an airsoft BB strikes the teeth. This can cause chipped or broken teeth.
In addition to the physical injuries listed above, airsoft weapons can also cause psychological harm. People who are shot with airsoft weapons may experience fear, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Here is a quote attributed to a Harlan administer (we've redacted the name at this time):
A loaded gun was on Harlan campus for 4 days straight in a child's backpack - once found student was not disciplined per policy and law - per XXXX’s word for word statement: “a bb gun is not considered a gun because it can’t kill you”
*student was back on campus in time to take state testing because he was a high scorer*
We'll be looking at this information concerning not only student behavior, but also the resulting staff abandonment of Harlan in upcoming blogs. If you're a Harlan parent and have complaints or insights into these problems, we want to hear from you.
Come January 1st, current district judge Carole Medley will become the newest circuit court judge for Lauderdale County. Who will fill her current shoes?
We know that Lauderdale probate judge Will Motlow has expressed interest in the position. It will be up to Gov. Ivey to make the selection; however, we can't think of anyone who deserves the judgeship more.
Good luck to both Judge Medley and Judge Motlow in 2025!
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A reader has asked about the number of Latinos who appear on Most Wanted lists. We infer that those originally from south of the border find it easiest to escape their crimes, therefore they remain on these lists longer than their homegrown counterparts who have deep roots in the areas in which they were arrested.
Our blog has not highlighted one wanted felon over another, but published them as the government agency has posted them. If you have a problem with these lists (Tishomingo County, for instance, lists only two wanted and both are Latino), you need to contact the office that created the list.
It had been an ordinary week on Bridlewood Drive, an average street in a a nondescript subdivision in a common Alabama town. Then the residents spotted a strange shadow. Looking upward, they saw the behemoth rising from behind their overpriced homes.
Children screamed. Men and women ran for their safe rooms...if they had one. Those who didn't have their own resources called 911, but help from the city never came...
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Is our rather late Halloween story true? Partially, but the invader wasn't a Martian spaceship. It was a new City of Florence water tank - just what everyone wanted for Christmas.
In fairness, the project had been announced three years before, but many paid no attention. Others had no idea what the new 120 ft. water tower would bring to the quiet neighborhood in terms of industrial architecture. Now it's halfway completed, and it's too late to complain.
For those in Florence just happy that it isn't in their backyard, remember that all City taxpayers are footing the bill. Just how much did this lovely spaceship model cost? The projected budget from 2021 was eight million dollars. We're betting the tower is running over the initial projections. Happy holidays!
Are animal protection laws important to you? If so, tell Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth about it.
There is a current campaign to inform Ainsworth about the positive impact these laws have on the citizens of Alabama. The lieutenant governor can become an important ally in the fight against ALFA/Farm Bureau. With the legislative session just around the corner, now is the time to write:
The deadline for applications for new Sheffield police chief has now passed. The total candidates seeking the position now stands at five. It will be interesting to see how the civil service commission performs in this search.
We once read a commentary on an infamous murder that blamed the incident on a lack of common respect and decency. This lack isn't unusual in today's world, and it often leads to much more mundane, but nevertheless unwanted, results in everyday life.
Is this lack of respect found at Rogers High School in Lauderdale County? Absolutely.
Remember our verified account of the young male student who was the victim of attempted sodomy? Why were the 13 year-old perpetrator and his two confederates so bold?
Perhaps they took their cue from the junior varsity coach (we have his name and choose not to use it at this time). How had he behaved toward the victim in the days and weeks leading up to the two incidents?
He reportedly had a nickname for the victim, who was no paragon of athleticism due to his asthma. He called the young boy "Wheezy." What kind of coach, what kind of teacher, what kind of human being does that?
Our answer: Not anyone who should ever be a role model to youth...
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When we previously reported on this incident, we stated that the main attacker received 30 days in-school suspension. We were in error. The violent bully received only ten days. Think long and hard about that...
Some weeks ago, the City of Florence proudly announced that it was debuting its new and improved City website. Many at the time commented that the new site presented less information than the previous one. Others remarked that the older site was more attractive.
Perhaps the site's main failing is that the information is not up to date. We've recently been posting various "Most Wanted" information from area cities, counties, states, etc. What about Florence's list of Most Wanted?
According to the City's own website, the list was last updated 23 months ago. Surely, there are new additions. Surely, some on the list have become current with their fines and are no longer wanted.
Andy Betterton is quick to suggest new businesses judge us on such things. We're going to guess that neither IBM nor Amazon want to branch out to a town that can't even update such a simple list.
This appeared on my phone text at 3:30 p.m. on Weds. 12/4:
Being confused I called my city hall source and was told this concerned a letter that Mayor Andy Betterton had sent the council from the engineering firm, LBYD Engineering. This is the firm from Huntsville that was hired in 2018 and compiled a report showing the work that needed to be done to the structure of the parking deck at Tennessee and Pine St. This letter had been sent from the chief engineer Ashley Cardin and stated that the deck was in such bad shape that it could pose a safety threat. The notice made it sound like this meeting was being called due to the parking deck falling to the ground or something.
Fortunately, that was not the case, and the meeting was kind of overblown. The sky wasn’t falling, and neither was the parking deck. This is the video recorded by David Carson on his Facebook page; Florence, Alabama Open Meeting Project, of the meeting:
You will notice that Jimmy Oliver latched onto the phrase from the LBDY engineering letter “life safety concern”. If Andy Betterton was playing the part of Chicken Little in this “nursery school drama” Jimmy Oliver sounded like Henny Penny from the fable sounding the alarm. QUICK, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! The parking deck is falling. It was a little dramatic. At first it seemed all the council were going along with the tale of the dangerous parking deck. And then Blake Edwards spoke. He asked the mayor if the engineer who wrote the letter had inspected the deck recently. Betterton said no, he had just made a phone call to Mr. Cardin asking for a letter on the assumption that no repairs had been done since the inspection.
It seems Betterton is determined to see the deck demolished. You could tell some on the council knew they had been deceived but it was too late to back out. And the truth is the parking deck is in bad shape, in places. I recently walked the entire structure to see for myself. It does have cracked foundation supports and exposed rusted rebar but that is primarily confined to the top two floors that I saw. But I am not a structural engineer. I was just going by what was visible. Thank goodness, I didn’t get hit in the head with any falling chunks of concrete. I think.
The bottom line to this story is that neglect caused the parking deck at Tennessee St, and Pine to deteriorate and for some unknown reason the previous mayor and council and the current mayor and council chose to ignore the findings in the engineering report and let the deck rot before it’s time. The “original” parking deck at the corner of Tennessee St. and Pine will close at 5 p.m. on Friday 12/6/2024. Chicken Little, Henny Penny and the rest of the barnyard would do well to be more interested in taking care of the buildings we have now than trying to impress the king of tourism and other metropolitan areas. $95.75 million taxpayer dollars in debt is not chicken feed!
Let me recap the Florence City Council work session and meeting from 12-03-2024. This is the time of year that kicks off the holiday season, and in the spirit of good cheer and peace on earth, I am going to compliment the council for one action they took. They removed the original agenda item that was kicked down the road at the last meeting and placed on this agenda to demolish the “original” parking deck at the corner of Tennessee and Pine Streets. When I checked with my agenda sleuth at city hall, I was told it probably would not come up again until after the new year. So that gives the old parking deck a reprieve from the wrecking ball....for now anyway.
Let’s get to the votes on the agenda items at the meeting. It was kind of a smooth meeting, but two agenda items got passed in the consent agenda that really needed "further discussion" in this reporter's humble opinion. One was resolution (f) a proposal to sign a contract with a company called "The Ground Guys of Northwest Alabama”, to provide lawn care for the Southhall house, the Kennedy Douglas Center, Pope's Tavern and the Indian Mound in the amount of $2,083.33 per month not to exceed $25k a year. One question I had: Do we not have a LAWN CREW we already employ full time on the City of Florence payroll to take care of mowing the grass? And to cut 3 city lots each about 50’ wide and the grass on the Indian mound has a going rate of $25K a year? Man, and to think when I was a teenager, I mowed half acre lots for $10 a cutting! Of course, that was back before the gas-powered mower came along.
At the work session. Bill Jordan used the famous Jordan double talk, well actually the Jordan “mumble”, to try to justify the expense saying it would save paying overtime and Brian Murphy, Art and Museum Dept. head who is responsible for the property in question, just sort of stood there. AND THIS WAS PASSED! If this is not a prime example of a waste of taxpayer money that is going on in this town, I do not know what is.... well, I COULD make a list but that wasn't even the biggest waste of money at this meeting. There was another: agenda item (bb) which was a MATCH for funds from the state of Alabama Land and Water conservation fund in the amount of $437,073.32 which will be used to renovate the campground at McFarland Park. For those who have not seen the plans for this project, it appears only to involve pouring new pads for parking spaces for campers at the park. No remodeling of bathrooms or pavilions added, just some parking pads. The taxpayer is getting hosed TWICE on this deal. Once from the state and then from the city. That is almost ONE MILLION taxpayer dollars that will go down the river after a flood or two. Your tax dollars may not be working, BUT they can sure swim!
Let me end the report of the meeting on a positive note in the Christmas spirit. The lighting of Wilson Park is coming up Friday. And there was a ceremony from the beautification board for the lighting of the “official” Florence Christmas tree on North Court St. It was a beautiful event. Downtown Florence is in the holiday spirit with the streets decked out in Christmas decorations and the stores open for business. And as you shop and eat and are generally merry at this special time of year........think of a poor brave parking deck. Proudly clinging to life and being used by shoppers while gallantly defying the wrecking ball that the mean old Grinch is trying to lob its way. The Grinch may look like Santa with his round belly and white hair but there is a hard heart underneath his sweater vest, and he has his greedy hand on the lever to knock our noble parking deck down. We need another Christmas miracle on Pine Street.
If you haven't yet found The Alabama Onion, you've been missing something. There have been spoofs of the Shoals previously, but they haven't stayed around long. Let's hope the Onion is here to stay.
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