Andrew Daniel Scott--No Benefit of Doubt

Progressive Faces of a Life of Drugs and Crime

Hottie Scottie spent Christmas in jail...but don't feel too sorry for him, folks. It's not like Judge Gil Self and the citizens of Lauderdale County haven't given him more chances than George Clooney at a Sadie Hawkins Day dance.

Our sources at the Florence-Lauderdale Detention Center tell us Scott came in on December 11th, presumably after failing another drug test. As of 1:00 p.m. today, he's still in custody. What does this mean for Andrew Scott? It doesn't look good for him as far as prison goes. We'll have an update on his legal status after the first of the year when the clerk's office is functioning at full force.

What about his future? At one time Scott wanted to become a Registered Nurse. Will that ever be possible? We've asked Nurse Nan who now toils at Pen-N-Sword.

"Each case is different. I had to undergo background checks at Calhoun, UAH, the Alabama Board of Nursing (license), and my place of employment. With each arrest and/or conviction Andrew gets, it makes it harder for him to pursue any career where licensing is required.

"It's really not just for nursing, but any career he may choose. Unless he works for himself or a company that's willing to look beyond his convictions, he will have a super hard time ever supporting himself in any real fashion. Most boards and companies use the five year rule, but the number of convictions Andrew gets will also be looked at. In other words, it's not just a one time lapse of judgment for him.

"Financially? There's also a waiting period for financial aid for those convicted of drug crimes. That might not apply here since Andrew's parents have means and contacts."

And what of Andrew's parents? Mr. Scott, please listen to us. You are doing Andrew no favors by not insisting he get help. Please cease your campaign to take a child away from his parents and focus your efforts on helping your son. It's not what we or anyone else think of Andrew's chances. It's what God thinks and can do for him, but you have to do your part. Please at least think about it.

Editor's Note: Our friend Nurse Nan had an interesting Christmas. We'll add our thanks to the Colbert County Commission's fight for guard rails on Hwy 43: Ben's Okay, but the Truck?

Shoalanda

Revisiting Sheffield Sex Offenders

When last we visited Sheffield, the Alabama Public Safety Registry listed 27 Sexual Offenders/Predators as residents. We've heard the theory that such numbers are skewed by zip codes extending beyond city limits, but that can hardly be the case in this land-locked Colbert County town.

Among those listed are Rudy Stanback, now deceased, and James Roy Sibley, currently incarcerated in the Lauderdale County Detention Center. Joining the exodus as of Wednesday is McKenzie Corey Johnson, 29, who on September 20, 2002, forced sexual contact on a 10 year-old female.

Johnson, who while awaiting trial managed to commit Third Degree Robbery later that year, served five years for Sexual Abuse and was released on April 29, 2007. Since that time, he has been living with his sister Tamika on Dover Avenue, just one block north of bustling Second Street.

Now Johnson has been arrested in Tuscumbia for a laundry list of crimes, including lying about his identity. If these Colbert County charges aren't enough to put him away for the immediate future, he also faces charges in Bibb County.

Three down and 24 to go...

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If the name McKenzie Corey seems familiar to you, there's good reason. Johnson was apparently named after a popular 1970s soap opera character. McKenzie Corey was the requisite millionaire industrialist who appeared regularly in Another World. It's unfortunate that his namesake didn't follow in Mac's footsteps. The State lists Johnson as unemployed, a popular condition among Sheffield SOs.

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On Cherokee: "Granted undercover operation is probably what some people would consider what Mason did. It was certainly not what one would expect from The fabulous four. Too bad some of the other problems cannot be solved the same way. At least some good came out of it and I am sure Mason's friends are happy. Am pretty sure problems were in and around her home and district if truth be told. As for phone calls to council members are concerned; I think they all have phones off hook half the time. You can't even call the Mayor and get an answer half the time." - "Anonymous" referring to our lackluster use of spell check. Mea Culpa--covert should have been culvert.

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We've received kind words concerning our new Shoals Blog Directory, as well as our links to various local blogs. With the exception of one or two we've found demeaning to the Shoals or containing plagiarism, we've tried to list all that originate in our beautiful part of the Tennessee Valley.

Two great blogs have recently updated their logos and are worth a second look if you haven't visited recently. Both Margaret's prose and photography in The Brown Recluse rival work found in much larger metropolitan areas.




If you're looking for a new family member, don't fail to check out DOGed PURRsuit. While the blog isn't connected to our blogging group, it is written by our Nurse Nan. Be sure to send her any news of pet adoptions and similar events.

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Today C. R. officially joins us in the vineyard. Welcome, C. R.; we appreciate your reports from Cherokee and Colbert County and are delighted that you're now a permanent part of our group.



Shoalanda

Who is Shoalanda?

We have been communicating via e-mail with Anderon, one of our major critics in the past. He has been extremely cordial, but states one of his basic objections to this column is the lack of attribution. He points out that when one reads an article in the TimesDaily or similar publication, each story is printed under a byline.

Anderon is correct in this; however, those who write for the print media are employees of that publication. In other words, their articles are backed by their employers. We here at Shoalanda Speaks do not have that luxury. While all but one member of the Shoalanda group is a professional writer, we each have separate jobs that provide the majority of our income.

In brief, here is a biographical rundown of our current group:

E.T. - Male, Computer Programmer, Married, Shoals Native
Zara Goldstein - Female, Accountant, Married with Adult Children, New York Native
Nurse Nan - Female, Registered Nurse, Single, Shoals Native
Amaryllis Caskie - Female, Businesswoman, Married with Children, Shoals Native
Shoalanda Speaks - Female, Editor of this Blog, Shoals Native, and ???

All but one of our members have individual blogs either under their real names or the names listed above. Besides our sister blogs, we support other area blogs, including that of the ShoalsInsider and The Bookstore Speaks. We plan to add more in the near future.

We hope this clears up any misconceptions about Shoalanda. We are happy to publish guest columns and opposing views. We will post these verbatim under the author's name; if the author prefers to use a pseudonym, we reserve the right to edit for style and length. This blog belongs to the Shoals, and we hope to hear from you at shoalanda.speaks@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Shoalanda