Cause of Extreme Flooding in Muscle Shoals?

 

This is the third in a series of articles from inside the Muscle Shoals street department. These are opinions of the author, and all questions will be forwarded to him:

Butch Fleming, aka (“Flimsy”), is the department head for the Muscle Shoals Public Works Department. This department is in charge of ALL the city’s curbside drainage, water runoff drainage, right-of way drainage, drainage piping, etc. Butch is in charge of listening to the residents' critical requests to remove/redirect damaging floodwaters from all roadside areas. He then is SUPPOSED to budget, plan, and execute these critical aspects of being a Department Leader. But instead, he hides, isolated in his red “She Shed Office”, to avoid public adversity. We believe he is still deeply upset about Lockhart denying his request to obtain 480 hours of “Comp Time”. All essential workers for the City, (Police, Fireman, Park/Recreational employees, and Golf course employees) can retire with 480 hours of comp time, which is paid out in a lump sum retirement. Butch can only retire with 240 hours. Remember Flimsy, running around crying about your Comp time hours doesn’t help fix the taxpayer’s flooding issues. Over the past few years, Butch has been observed running to a particular Tuscumbia lawyer, crying about how sorry Lockhart is, and babbling about all his issues with the current administration. If any public citizen has spoken to him about having drainage issues resolved in the past 5 years, please feel free to contact us so we can stand corrected. Flimsy and Lockhard are best known for hiding behind closed doors, avoiding contact with the general public.  Always remember folks, “Like Father Like Son”…

God Bless the poor souls who have been given the sad opportunity to converse with the Public Works assistant director Ryan Kennedy, aka “Tipsy”. His father, who is a retired assistant Fire chief for Muscle Shoals, helped the poor kid rise to the top. Ryan is best known for his contributions to our local Mexican restaurant’s margarita nights, using his city truck as a cheap taxi. He has been spotted on multiple occasions leaving liquor stores after work in his unmarked city truck. When Ryan isn’t at the Mexican restaurants, or at the liquor stores, he is busy working on the clock to investigate city employees calling out with sick leave, stalking each call out’s house to ensure that they stay home, or risk being written up the following day. Talk about a privileged “Daddy’s Boy” with Stalker vibes. He is supposed to direct the Street Departments crew to install/maintain water runoff pipes on city right of ways. Under his poor leadership, you will NEVER see any Street Employee doing preventative maintenance on any of these pipes. In turn, causing blockages in most pipes leading to FLOODING across most areas in this city when down pours occur. Causing wrecks, risking the safety of motor traffic, and potentially leading to fatalities. Also, 1 of the 4 Street Department’s Equipment Operators, 

Street Department employee Heath Willis is busy getting tips from Gina Clark(Muscle Shoals Realtor, and current City Council-woman), about Muscle Shoals house foreclosures. TOTALLY ILLEGAL AND ABUSE OF POWER FOR PERSONAL GAIN!!! His family then buys these foreclosures and renovates them. He “guts the houses”, leaving massive piles of curbside pickup garbage. During the slow work schedules, Heath gets permission from Ryan or Butch to use city backhoes to dig up bushes/trees on his newly acquired foreclosed houses. He sets materials out  for city pick up that aren’t supposed to be picked up by the Brush Trucks (outside building materials). He tells Butch where the large piles from the gutted house are and Butch directs the Sanitation crew to pick those piles up  as "specials" so no questions are asked.  This is done on Fridays when most of the men in that department are not working due to the 4 day/10 hours work schedules. Once he flips the property, he then shares the profit with his informant, City Council-Women GINA CLARK. Talk about disgraceful.

Now “Flimsy and Tipsy’s” main objectives as public servants is to work together to redirect all this water runoff from the streets to the retention ponds. The Retention Ponds Director is Ken Grissom, aka “Water Boy”, who is in charge of REMOVING THE WATER from the retention ponds, and redirecting it to the river. The reason these retention ponds hold large amounts of water, for extended periods of time after large rains, is because Water Boy doesn’t instruct his men to perform preventative maintenance on the retention pond’s “discharge pumps”. If any resident rides by any of these retention ponds, notice how much garbage lies around in them. And notice how rusty all these pumps are at the bottom of the ponds that need replacing. After years of abuse, and incorrect water flow pump engineering, they simply can’t handle the amount of rainfall Muscle Shoals receives. Muscle Shoals needs newer, larger, cleaner pumps to accommodate this discerning issue.

It's simple folks, Butch and Ryan are in charge of getting the water off the streets and out of people’s yards, while redirecting it to the retention ponds. Ken then takes this water from the ponds, and pushes it out of the city to the river. Instead of using the taxpayers money for updated “water drainage infrastructure”, Lockhart would rather give MILLIONS to payoff Beacon Point lawsuits, MILLIONS to his part time city engineer buddy/business owner overseeing the solar farm, and MILLIONS to a team of “project managers” overseeing a project that can never be paid back fully by the taxpayer. If the current Mayor, Department Leaders, and City Council remain in office to much longer, Muscle Shoals will be the epitome of the YellowHammer State’s sorriest cities…Mic Drop!

What Else is Mayor Lockhart Lying About?

 

From a Reader:


By now, most people have seen the news accounts of the Muscle Shoals City Council work session and meeting held on Monday, July 14th.

There's a lot that could be said, but at the end of the day, I think we can all agree that public money should be subject to public scrutiny. The audacity of those sitting on the council to remain stone faced without commenting on the issues of flooding, dead animals and the health hazards for the taxpaying citizens living in Beacon Pointe was an embarrassment to most of the audience. While some council members sat with their backs turned to those who addressed the council, the others either hid behind those whose backs were turned, or just plain stared at the citizens as they spoke. Mr Lockhart blew them off and then placed blame on the county commissioners for the water problem in Beacon Pointe subdivision. I reached out to my county commissioner and found the truth, which is, the county does not have a pumping station and does not pump water onto Beacon Pointe. In plain language - Mr. Lockhart lied to the public and the press. What else is he lying about? Why didn't even one of the council members correct that lie? Do these council members and mayor have an oath to support each other regardless of dishonesty? I am very concerned, as all of the citizens should be.

What is equally troubling, is that no council member or mayor took the opportunity to present documentation of plans to address these aging problems they have ignored for the past 4+ years. They were rude, and unapproachable. There may be a plan in the future for an elaborate presentation on social media, or a press conference to announce more promises of projects and maintenance plans but they missed their golden opportunity to be responsive, honest, and accountable. According to their rules, you have to disclose what you are going to speak to the council about before you arrive, which should have given them time to plan. More importantly, if the council members and mayor have a defined plan and each doing their jobs, they should have been able to rattle off every detail in their plan to the issues presented.

For me and my family, we will vote on August 26th. We will not vote for any incumbent. This group of people have increased our taxes, failed to keep our city clean, have patched a few streets with no real paving projects, and more importantly, I researched this council's budgets over the past 5 years and find it very alarming at the money they have blown. Important community services like the library has been cut due to lack of funding .Our police department can not compete with neighboring agencies with the compensation and benefits packages our hard working law enforcement deserve Flooding, well, that will not be solved by these in office at this time. I would tell you to call Mr. Lockhart or one of the council members but you're wasting your time. Not a one of them has returned my calls over the last 4 years. From what others say at the coffee shop and social gatherings, I am not alone. I think the most common comment is, "I guess we will hear something since it is an election year".

That is not acceptable. I pay my taxes every day, I expect a professional and responsive group of people every day, not during an election year.We don't know what a new mayor and council will do, but we do know if we continue with this group of people, our city will continue to live under a cloud, hearing empty promises, dirty politics and continue to deteriorate.

I will vote, my husband, children, and grandchildren will vote. We will not give our precious votes to anyone that is so disrespectful and dishonest as what we have in office today.

God bless our City.

Paying to Manage the Imaginary Muscle Shoals Sportsplex

 

Representation of Mikey Lockhard; Ms. Walrus Is Not Pictured

A reader demands change in Muscle Shoals:

We have learned from someone "in-the-know" circle with the Muscle Shoals Mayor and City Council of their backroom meetings. While Mike Lockhart and Councilman Donnie Linley are enjoying a nice beach vacation / Electric Cities Conference in Orange Beach, the Clerk and other Councilmen/woman are carrying on. However, they sometimes have loose lips and their agenda slips out to the lowly citizens, as you will see when you continue to read.

For the past 4+ years, they have hid behind closed doors and refused to acknowledge requests and return calls to average citizens that aren't in their "in-the-know" circle or on the "Mayor's Advisory Council".

We have been neglected. Our City has been neglected.

The current Mayor and City Council has enjoyed many many many trips across the country. They have bought expensive luxury vehicles. All using our tax dollars and raising garbage rates!!!

In May, 2024 the "in-the-know" groupies devised a money pit scheme for THE "Sportsplex", which means if it cost $65,000.000.00 to build  as they say - it will COST THE TAXPAYERS $140,000,000.00 (MILLIONS) TO PAY BACK WITH INTEREST. That is a heap of a lot of zeros and new taxes on us. Since the Sportsplex isn't materializing, their greed has cost us taxpayers $30,000.00 A MONTH paid to their buddies for management of the Sportsplex that is non-existent - yet every month the money goes to their buddies. 

In the meantime, while that "INSPIRATION" promise is costing us dearly, they devise yet another plan to scam money off us taxpayers - A SOLAR FARM that has greased the same palms that are receiving the $30,000.00 a month while pulling in others to help cover their tracks. Their "DREAM VISION" of being re-elected is fueling their lies. Exactly WHY is this election so critical for them? What are they really hiding? It is very probable those backroom deals are in reality a life or debt situation for them and their buddies. 

THE LATEST backroom joke they are going to play on the taxpayers? ANOTHER GRAND ANNOUNCEMENT.

We all know, when campaign season begins, the lies ramp up. After all, they are just trying to keep their jobs - right?

WHAT ABOUT US KEEPING OUR HARD EARNED MONEY - WE COULD ALL USE A TAX BREAK.

Get ready - THIS MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL are about to throw another wild promise our way.

WE ARE MUCH SMARTER THAN THAT. Those kids have cried wolf too many times in the last year.

VOTE AUGUST 26th - VOTE THEM ALL OUT.

A Reader Expresses Her Unhappiness with Muscle Shoals

As Muscle Shoals, AL, nears the 2025 municipal election, I’m speaking as a newcomer to address a documented pattern of favoritism and exclusion that’s too often ignored. Who will step up to fix this and make our community truly inclusive?

My family relocated here for military work at Lockheed Martin, sacrificing closeness to loved ones. Like many new families, especially with children of different ages, we’ve struggled to integrate. We’ve had to prove ourselves repeatedly to join community activities, which is exhausting when you’re just learning local basics like restaurants or school programs. Information about these opportunities is often shared selectively, leaving newcomers feeling left out. A town welcome package and clear school activity guides would help bridge this gap.

We’ve seen favoritism firsthand—a pattern many locals quietly recognize. I have documented evidence of these issues, which I’m willing to share privately with leadership to avoid public conflict. I believe local leaders are unaware due to the demands of managing a growing town. When informed, they’ve handled matters professionally, allowing us to move forward together. Yet, these challenges persisted across multiple settings due to our children’s varied ages.

I want to praise McBride Elementary’s exceptional leadership and staff, who made us feel included from the start. I also give a shoutout to the coaches and leaders of my daughter’s recreational activities—their efforts transformed her life, and I’m deeply grateful. Muscle Shoals is growing, and I see the positive changes, but more work is needed.

I speak for those who feel unheard. Many newcomers share stories of exclusion, and I’ve felt their pain. People hesitate to approach leadership, perhaps fearing dismissal, but I believe leaders want to help. This pattern isn’t just a rumor—it’s documented and needs addressing. For example, interactions with figures like Heather Wright at the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, whose attitude toward community members has felt dismissive, show a disconnect that doesn’t serve the people. We need leaders who listen and act, not dismiss concerns.

Who among the 2025 candidates—for mayor or city council—will take responsibility to end this cycle? We need leadership that fosters unity, making every family, especially newcomers, feel like part of Muscle Shoals’ family, regardless of differing views. I’m not here for drama but because I care about this town and its people. I’ve seen proof of these issues, and they’re real. Candidates, who will step up to ensure every voice is heard and our community thrives as one? 

*****

The above is from a reader. We can tell her it won't be Mike Lockhart or his second in command or most on the council to make newcomers feel accepted. They've got theirs and are looking for more. Sc**w you...

That Sinkhole Cost How Much?

 

It took 60 days, but the famous John R. sinkhole in Muscle Shoals has been repaired. How much were taxpayers out?

The final bill was over $150K, including landscape repair in the amount of $4.8K for residential grass that was "disturbed" during the repair. There's a joke there, but you'll let you fill in the punch line.

About That Muscle Shoals Job Posting

 

Brittoni Walrus in Her Natural Habitat

From a Muscle Shoals pundit:

Concerning the posting for a city staff attorney. One would call it a Job "Prescription", hardly a Job "Description". Are these jokers playing poker with the future of Muscle Shoals or what?

The infamous City job posting for a staff attorney, zoning and planning, economic developer, and advisor on contracts, etc.for Muscle Shoals City Clerk Brittoni Walrus is rolled into one position. The not so professional criteria has raised a whole new set of questions for examination. 

Obviously the Chamber has a few disgruntled board members that believe they would be best served with relieving the Chamber president Caitlyn Burns Holland Jackson of her job. We hear Ms Caitlyn Burns Holland Jackson has her eyes on the gig at the City. But, there is a kink in the backroom deal after insiders reveal a local attorney that works as Muscle Shoals Municipal Court prosecutor would  also like to have the newly created full time attorney job. 

The game is close, On one hand, Ms. Caitlyn Burns Holland Jackson has used the Chamber to pay for another trip to Las Vegas / California for Mayor Lockhard  with her and a few others  attempting to get windmills or someone to bring their business to the Shoals. and of course to give her an ace in this poker game for the winner's price of a lucrative newly created position. But wait, the city prosecutor, married to a local judge and also a neighbor to Mrs. Brittoni Walrus  has a pretty good hand in this poker game and may have an ace in the hole herself. 

If this plays out as observers say it will,  we will see which one of these ladies have the best poker hand when the dirty dealer reveals his choice.  The winner could be determined by which card trumps the deck - The Vegas/California Card - or the - Friend/Neighbor Ace in the Hole. Don't take this blog as faulting these 2 ladies, I'm sure they both need a high paying job at Party Hall, benefits, retirement and expense account on the taxpayers' back

On second thought, when it comes to our money, I figure we can fault anyone we want to. It's just plain wrong and we're crying foul. If you're tired from reading about this tangled web of deception and corruption, you're not alone. This poker gig is going to have a lot of losers - all the taxpayers of Muscle Shoals.

VOTE IN AUGUST! - Check the box of any newcomer to politics and send the current council and mayor home. TIME FOR A COMPLETE CHANGE!!!

Mike Lockhard’s Daddy’s Boys - Part 2

 

City Clerk Britoni Walrus

Ancient and modern history have taught us all lessons which we should learn from. There has always been a point in nearly any historical event where mistreated, diminished, or beaten groups of individuals join together to effect an escape from a demoralized tyranny. Corrupt governments are found throughout many historical timelines, and the City Government of Muscle Shoals is a prime example. Corrupt officials, corrupt policies, and Nepotistic Promotional advancements are running this city into a literal wasteland.

A little background:

Several top-tier full time employees leave Muscle Shoals to cross the river in search of brighter career paths. Their whistleblowing insights have allowed us to formulate the perfect weapon to destroy this “Muscle Shoals Monster”. Let’s start from the ground up, showcasing how small “negligent” decisions can lead us all the way to the source of this evil...”Nepotism.”

Nepotism defines as “the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs.” Nearly 25 years ago, “Flimsy” a.k.a Butch Fleming, was given the job as Public Works Director because of who his father was. Sol Fleming as we all know, was an excellent man with deep ties in the Muscle Shoals community. This one tiny nepotistic decision made by the Muscle Shoals City Council 25 years ago, would eventually lead to Butch carrying over his “Nepotistic Ideology” into the early years of the 21st century.

With all that being said, “Daddy’s Boy #1” was born. Then comes along "Tipsy, Daddy’s Boy #2” a.k.a Ryan Kennedy (Assistant Public Works Director) who was also brought into the family around 2006. Ryan’s wife is also a nurse in the Muscle Shoals school system. His father, Greg Kennedy served as the Assistant Fire Chief at that time. Sources tell us that Greg purchased a Quiznos Dinner for each civil service board member the night Ryan was hired by the City. Ryan earned his nickname because he loves to drink and drive in his City truck. We have had multiple people reach out to us concerning this issue. Don’t worry Tipsy, you’re being watched very closely. Talk about disgusting.

Moving on to “Daddy’s Boy #3”, Isaac Springer. Mr. Springer is a firefighter for Muscle Shoals, who was charged with domestic violence a few weeks ago. Can you guess how he got his job?…He is dating the daughter of Daddy's Boy #1! How ironic! Are you beginning to see a trend now? All jokes aside, we do hope that his daughter is okay

“Daddy’s Boy #4” Zach Pate. Zach was hired as a firefighter for Muscle Shoals just a few years ago. His father has been employed with the city for nearly 25 years and drives garbage truck #50. He is the one who dumps the 8 cans behind the locked gates at the wastewater treatment plant, which are completely full of human excrement. Each garbage can will hold approximately 96 gallons of fluid, so that means he picks up 768 gallons of human excrement in one round. 

Garbage trucks are designed to pick up mostly solid waste, not liquid waste. So every time he turns a corner, stops, accelerates, etc the liquid finds its way out of every nook, cranny, and crevice onto our city sidewalks and streets. And since Tipsy and Flimys are daddy’s boys, they aren’t big on “preventative maintenance.” They definitely won’t push the already lazy Jo-Jo Campbell (Sanitation Dept Supervisor) to fix any issues. So the rubber seals all around the truck are not taken care of, thus spilling more and more sewage along public right of ways on a weekly basis. So if any resident walks their dog on a daily basis, I wouldn’t dare let them lick any wet spot on any road/sidewalk in Muscle Shoals, as they may be indulging in human excrement.

“Daddy’s boy #5”, Brad Whitehead's dad was leader at the electrical department for many years. #5's wife wife is also a school teacher in the Muscle Shoals school system. “Daddy’s Boys #6, and #7”, brothers Brady(Heavy equipment operator) and Casey Ledlow (Retention Pond Maintenance Technician) were sure to get their jobs since their dad worked for the public works department for many years.

Going off topic for a second, we had several reports sent to us concerning a house on Virginia Ave, in Jackson heights subdivision. During the last pass of tornadoes, there was a large tree on an empty vacant lot, adjacent to this particular house. The wind pushed over the tree onto another homeowners lot, then the homeowner cut the tree up by himself, and dragged every piece of it to the curb in front of his house. Seeing that it originated from the empty lot, the brush truck bypassed the large curbside pile to have it investigated for “contractor suspicion”. 

After further investigation, Lockhard directed the two lazy city employees to not pick up the pile because the tree did not “come from” the lot owned by the homeowner. What a disgrace…The other brush truck probably was too busy dealing with “Football and basketball gambling boards”, as the operator loves to run an illegal gambling ring as a side hustle. I’m sure “Detective Wig Wags, a.k.a Kevin Williams” is proud of his crew. And if you do decide to call the department, Flimsy’s new receptionist will greet you with nothing but uneducated “Ummmmmms” and “Well I don’t Knows”, as she babbles on the phone.

As you can see it doesn’t matter if you're a daddy’s boy, a friend/family member to the city council, civil service board, or a relative to any muscle shoals employee, Lockhard will always stick to his nepotistic ideology…protecting his “buddies” on the account that his name be protected at all times, even if it’s not morally right. 

Also, we have been given word that there is one laborer who is employed under Flimsy who has a real special gig going on. The favored laborer is being paid MORE THAN ALL POLICEMEN and street department CLASS A CDL DRIVERS. It could have something to do with his mother having been the “gal friday” or “Britoni Walrus” to Lockhard when he supervised housekeeping at Hellen Keller Hospital. Quite suspicious how the laborer managed to get all these mysterious raises over the years, only to exceed every Class A CDL driver, and Policemen in pay.

The list could go on and on if we decided to include other family relations, but we will just stick to “Daddy’s Boys”. So if anyone in the public wants to apply to an “open house career” with the City of Muscle Shoals, they better check their family tree first. Clearly, Muscle Shoals needs a new mayor. Under the Tyranny of evil Mike Lockhard and Brittoni Waltrus, we will most definitely see Muscle Shoals’s reputation end up being carried away in a 96 gallon garbage bin.

From the Union of Disgruntled Muscle Shoals Employees

Al.com Takes on Muscle Shoals

 

Al.com has sent a reporter to cover the story of the 20 displaced families from the two adjoining Muscle Shoals trailer parks. According to Kayode Crown, the majority of the families are Hispanic and speak little or no English, making it especially difficult to find new lodgings after the recent tornado.

Jason Jones, of Muscle Shoals' building department, has stated the City is adamant that those with severely damaged homes are not welcome to rebuild in the parks, which are now zoned for business or one-family dwellings.

Most support in finding new housing has come from churches, with some assistance from the Red Cross. Mayor Mikey offered no comment. Was he too busy directing ICE to the affected area?

Muscle Shoals City Clerk Brittoni Walrus Needs Help!

 

Muscle Shoals City Clerk, Brittoni Walrus needs help!

ATTORNEYS - If you are struggling and are a jack of all trades, this job is for you! Not only are you the legal eagle, you also get to be the grant writer, planning and zoning guru, and everything from janitor to dishwasher.

If you want to apply - YOU CAN'T - the posting was only in City Departments for 5 WORKING DAYS.

Wonder who Walrus, Mayor Mikey, and the Pickle family wrote that job description for?

Muscle Shoals Says "Off with Their Trashy Roofs"

 

There's nothing like kicking someone when they're down, and the City of Muscle Shoals has it down to an art form. We're not sure how many manufactured homes were damaged in the recent tornado, but they won't be repaired. Nor will they be replaced with new structures. Muscle Shoals has spoken.

It seems that Pounders Trailer Park and Muscle Shoals Trailer Park adjoin each other and are located in zones where trailers are not allowed. The parks were grandfathered in, but the zoning regulations specifically state that if these manufactured homes are damaged in any way, they can neither be repaired nor replaced. 

In other words, several of the parks' occupants were not only physically hurt (one was hospitalized), even more are receiving a proverbial punch in the gut thanks to Muscle Shoals.

But, you say, that's the law. We agree; however, one would think the City would attempt to find new accommodations for these storm victims. Think again. These displaced victims are on their own as far as the City of Muscle Shoals is concerned.

Now we know why Muscle Shoals has been so slow in storm cleanup for these two parks. The City doesn't want to encourage any illegal habitation of these damaged structures.

Meanwhile, Mayor Mike Lockhart gets ready for the August election...

A Flood of Protests in Muscle Shoals - Part III

 

“Daddy’s Boys” Have Flooded the City with Corruption

If any Muscle Shoals resident has been searching for their ongoing “Flood issue” answers, this article will explain everything. We are about to dive deep into Mike Lockhard’s deepest secrets.

Butch Fleming, and Ryan Kennedy are in charge of alleviating “water runoff” on city property’s, pertaining to Residential, Commercial, and Industrial city owned “right of ways”. Their sole responsibility is to engineer, construct, and divert excess “water runoff” to the retention ponds. They aren’t responsible for the retention ponds, but they are responsible for getting that water TO THE RETENTION PONDS. Weather that be having drainage ditches installed, culverts installed, piping installed, having dirt or slopes “graded” for proper water runoff, etc. 

 

Butch Fleming, Department Supervisor for the City of Muscle Shoals Public Works Department has been in this position for 25 years, this year(2025). Butch’s wife works at the Muscle Shoals Water Department. His father, Sol Fleming retired from TVA after 27 years of service, and he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He was a Muscle Shoals home building contractor for more than 50 years. He was a member of Muscle Shoals Street Rod Club, Exchange Club, Muscle Shoals Planning Board and Highland Park Church of Christ. When the time came 25 years ago to hire the new public works department supervisor, it was an obvious choice as to who the City Council was going to hire. Everyone LOVED Sol Fleming, as he was a great man, with DEEP ties with Muscle Shoals politicians. So they hired his Son, Butch Fleming expecting the same greatness his dad had to one day shine over this lovely city. 

Now on to Ryan Kennedy, the Muscle Shoals Public Works Assistant Director(2nd in command). Ryan’s wife is a School Nurse in a Muscle Shoals School. Ryan has been employed with the city for 18 years. Ryan’s great uncle owned Arnold’s Truck Stop on Hwy 72, and his Grandmother owned Jody’s Restaurant next door. His Grandmother fed City Council members, civil service board members, Policeman, Fireman, and political figures HUNDREDS OF TIMES FOR FREE. Don’t believe us? Ask any retired City of Muscle Shoals Affiliate. On the very night Ryan was hired to begin his career with the City of Muscle Shoals, his father (a Retired City of Muscle Shoals Assistant Fire Chief) coincidentally bought a Quizno’s dinner for each and every Civil Service Board member. As you would expect, with full belly’s and happy hearts, they all 5 chose to hire Mr. Kennedy.  

All of this is so wrong in so many ways…if “Nepotism” had a story to tell, this is it sadly…but this is ONLY THE BEGINNING. 

Butch and Ryan are over the Public works department, containing the “Street Dept” and the “Sanitation Dept”. The Street Department is the group that is responsible for being told how to properly alleviate water runoff, install catch basins, install pipes, etc. Under the mismanaged leadership of Mike Lockhard, Butch Fleming, and Ryan Kennedy, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars have been spent on Pipe, which has been sitting UNUSED for several years. While homes flood, these unused pipes continue to waste away as no plans are drawn up for installation. 

Also last month, amidst all this mismanaged money, Lockhard purchased 2 BRAND NEW FORD F-150’s for the public works Department. One going to Butch, and the other going to Joseph Campbell (Sanitation Dept Lead), totaling a WHOPPING $116,000!!!!!

Not only is the department's money, projects, and time being mismanaged, the Street Department is short 2 employees. Both of which were FIRED THIS MONTH!!! Let us explain. In October of 2024, Megan Scott was hired by the Civil Service board to be a Laborer at the Street Department. The first female employee to work for the Street Department in MUSCLE SHOALS HISTORY. She is an extremely hard working single mother, with a kind heart that can’t be matched. Her spirit radiates to everyone she comes in contact with. Over the course of the following months, she was bullied, made fun of, sexually harassed, cussed out, and discriminated against for being a hard working young woman. 

As time passed, they bullied her to the extremes. Making her get up in a bucket truck with NO PRIOR TRAINING, running equipment with NO PRIOR TRAINING, all because they wanted to MAKE FUN OF HER FOR NOT KNOWING HOW TO RUN EQUIPMENT SHE WAS NEVER TRAINED ON. With hate in their hearts, Butch and Ryan made a plan to fire her. Several days before her 6 month probation period ended, she was told by both Ryan and Butch that she was not performing “as well as the men”, and was tested on her physical ability to “perform her job properly”. Later that day, Human Resources Director Jalen Johnson was called down to the Department, and they made Megan form a catch basin, pour the catch basin with hundreds of pounds of concrete, and smooth it off as it dries. Keep in mind, this job is always performed with 5 or more MEN AT ONE TIME. 

Noticing this horrific mistreatment of a single mother, Senior Equipment Operator of 23 years Chad Gibson walked down there and expressed his safety concerns, and expressed how this situation “was not in any way, shape, or form” a way to test out the new employees ability to keep her job. She also had not once in her entire time at the Street Department ever poured a catch basin. After it was all said and done, she executed the job perfectly. Overjoyed with excitement, she felt as if she was in the clear. The next day, Chad and Megan were both fired for “being defiant, and ill mannered” the previous day. 

Megan was fired 3 days before her 6 month probation period ended, and Chad Gibson was fired after 23 years of service. Chad is considered a Hero to stand up to the tyranny of the “Daddy’s Boys”, and knew what they were doing to Megan was morally unacceptable. We need Chad and Megan back working for the Muscle Shoals Street Department, as both were extremely valuable employees. The EEOC has gotten involved with Megan’s case, and Chad has taken legal action to get his job back. 

The only thing that will stop Butch and Ryan is a NEW MAYOR...Muscle Shoals, LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mic Dropped...

Happy New Year, Muscle Shoals, from Lockhard & Walters

 

Times Daily readers have been forewarned. Mayor Lockhard’s boss Brittny Walters City Clerk has set forth their latest agenda. SPEND AND TAX MORE. Brittny Walters is the spokesperson for the out of control people running the city. For those who don’t read the Times Daily, this is the recap.

In 1992 the city council form of government began.
The city council met TWO TIMES A MONTH.   The compensation was $700.00 PER MONTH.

In 2025 the city council meets TWO TIMES A MONTH.  The compensation is $700.00 PER MONTH.

Mayor Lockhard makes $90,168 PLUS YEARLY COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT and benefits.

Councilmembers requested further research to compare compensation with SIMILAR CITIES.

Mr. Lockhard’s boss and spokesperson, Brittny Walters went on to state that Jalen Johnson, Human Resources Director, is expected to research salaries from the cities of Florence, Athens, Tuscaloosa and Cullman.

Now, the following comes from someone who isn’t quite as smart as this Brittny Walters, Mike Lockhard and the clowns on the city council that are paid $700.00 for TWO MEETINGS A MONTH.

1. The last MSC budget had a surplus of ONLY $1700.00.
2. The anticipated surplus was after massive cuts to the police department and library among other things.- what other city services will be cut/reduced  - OR - how much will our taxes and fees be increased ?
3. Recently, the EARMARKED FLOOD CONTROL fund was robbed and reduced in half for the City Council to have $2.7 million dollars to bale out their financial woes in other areas.
4. 2 NEW VEHICLES have been bought in the last 12 months for the CITY CLERK office - that is another $90,000.00+. (The post office and bank is next door, although her doctor, restaurants and ballgames are out of town)
5.Ms. Walters said that work will be completed by HR Director Jalen Johnson, who is expected to research salaries from the cities of FLORENCE, ATHENS, TUSCALOOSA and CULLMAN.

I don’t know how many of you people have been to those 4 cities, but I have and the 2024 populations of what Ms. Walters considers “similar cities” are as follows:
‘
FLORENCE ...........................43,057
ATHENS ................................32,636
TUSCALOOSA ................... 113,711
CULLMAN ........................... 20,407
and
MUSCLE SHOALS ...............17,491

Clearly, Ms. Walters doesn’t understand the definition of “similar”.  Granted, she and Mayor Lockhard are not natives of Muscle Shoals and clearly don't have the backgrounds or expertise to perform the duties adequately. Even though the mayor and council give her full reign to run the city, they just hide from the citizens and press, but do show up for meetings occasionally. We have not only a TAX & SPEND but also a “Just here for the paycheck” council.

If you try to find the City Check Registers on the city website - you won’t. You may find a one page budget that Ms. Walters has prepared. That is probably all Mr. Lockhard and the council can understand, but there should be comprehensive details including chart of account numbers for those who do understand budgeting.

There is so much more to this sad story of tax & spend politicians. Digest this for a little while and we will talk again soon.

Football & Flooding in Muscle Shoals

 

Once again, Friday night football playoffs remind us of many broken promises. Muscle Shoals Coach Basden has lost yet another chance at a state championship losing to A.H. Parker by more than 3 touchdowns!!!! He placed his bets on his recruits as good student athletes left because of his underhanded and illegal recruiting.

Thinking back each year as Muscle Shoals High School football recruits always fall short of the illusion of winning a state championship we can't help but remember the promise Coach Basden made every time he opened his mouth the first few years at Muscle Shoals. 

Basden came to Muscle Shoals from a little 3A school having won 3 state championships. In that little pond he came from, it must have been easier for his recruits to knock off the schools they were recruited from. Basden learned the art of poaching the best players from his competition in the little 3A classification

However, when coming to a little larger pond (aka swamp) called Muscle Shoals, he found his smaller pond recruiting was more lucrative than in the 5A & 6A classifications he came into. But, he still promised for the first few years that he would have a state championship in 5 years or he would leave - wrong.

Now, we're gonna give him the free pass on the first 5 years - but reasonable people (superintendent and board) should consider the millions and millions of dollars thrown at a failing football coach for the last 16 years and invite him to leave. Perhaps the hundreds of millions could be used in a better way -  a novel idea of raising the achievement in the classroom and ACT testing may seem like a silly thing to these "smart" people managing the failing school system, but surely they are embarrassed at the 36% proficiency in math, not to mention the failing grades in science and other core subjects.

So, let's do some real brainstorming here. Since the City Clerk, Ms. Brittaney Walters has told the city council they would (and did) approve her robbing the earmarked flood control taxes you and I pay and has put 2.7 MILLION DOLLARS in her new "capital projects" account. God help our good friends in Nathan Estates, Cornelius Landing and Beacon Point when the next floods come, and they will.

Maybe Ms. Walters will save the day for the schools and hire her good buddy Scott Basden. He is absolutely a "project" and work in progress and will fit right in with her and the office sitters she has surrounded herself with.

Another idea would be - Instead of paying a friend to decorate city buildings, she could bring the rec manager Wooddall to city hall to oversee Ms. Walters weekly remodeling jobs and Basden can run the recreation department. After all, he is used to sitting in his office at the Muscle Shoals Football Taj Mahal all day with assistant coaches - it's obvious they aren't writing new game plans.

So, my fellow citizens of Muscle Shoals Swamp, when you pay those taxes, remember that 2.7 million dollars was taken out of the flood control special tax account for the whims of an incompetent mayor and city clerk. The city council owns this debacle from the top down. 

OH YEAH - there is an election next year - REPLACE EVERYONE OF THEM!!! Vote in Muscle Shoals. Take our city back - MMSCGA.

*****

The above writer has indicated a flood account steal of 2.7, while our first informant had indicated only 2.5. Oh, well, what's a fifth of a million more?